All That He Loves (Volume 2 The Billionaires Seduction) Read online

  I gave him a silent thank you with my eyes, and he smiled back in response.

  “Once those pictures hit and it comes out that the billionaire black sheep of the Templeton family was schtupping a mystery woman in an alleyway, every talk show, every morning show, every late night show, every reporter, every writer in print and the web is going to want to get an interview with Mr. Scandalous here.”

  “So?”

  “So Miranda’s whole goal, supposedly, is to tar and feather Connor. Instead, she just handed him a hundred million dollars worth of free publicity,” Sebastian explained. “That is, if he takes the opportunity.”

  I looked over at Connor. He was grinning like a madman.

  “I mean, seriously, she couldn’t have been a better PR agent for you,” Sebastian said. “If you get out in front of this thing fast, and you sell, sell, sell.”

  “Sell what?” I asked.

  “Clean energy. Free power for Nevada. Cheap power for the western United States – hell, for the entire United States,” Connor said. “Benefitting every man, woman, and child in the nation – and eventually the world.”

  “And you’re being framed by your evil, nasty, horrible family who want to pollute our air and water, keep down the poor, rape the planet, and give cancer to everyone and their dog,” Sebastian added.

  “Um… isn’t that laying it on a little thick?” I asked.

  “NO. Not when you’re handed an opportunity like this.” Sebastian turned back to Connor. “Not to mention your ex, who’s not only an evil One Percenter bitch, but who’s insanely jealous and is trying to destroy the love of your life.”

  My mouth dropped open and I looked up at Connor.

  His eyes shifted towards me… and then looked away.

  My heart dropped.

  “Lily can’t just be ‘some girl,’ Connor,” Sebastian stressed. “For this to work, this has to be an attack on the woman you love. It has to be a fairy tale – Prince Charming protecting Cinderella. If the public buys the line about prostitution – ”

  “I got it,” Connor said testily. “I can handle it.”

  My heart dropped a little more.

  He was uncomfortable with the whole ‘love of your life’ thing. I could feel it.

  Hell, I was embarrassed to hear it out loud – but only because, deep down, it was what I wanted to hear him say to me, more than anything else.

  Now that Sebastian had brought it out into the light, I realized how afraid I was that Connor didn’t feel that way.

  His shifty eyes and testy manner didn’t help calm my fears.

  Even worse, his enthusiasm for the plan began to fade. I could see it in his face as he shook his head ‘no.’

  “I can’t.”

  I got sick to my stomach.

  You can’t even FAKE tell the world that you love me, even if it means saving your dream and helping billions of people?!

  He looked me in the eyes.

  “I can’t do this to you,” he whispered. “They’re going to destroy you, just to get at me.”

  Oh.

  I immediately felt awful about everything I’d been thinking.

  But I gathered up my courage again as best I knew how.

  “You have to do this. You know you have to.”

  “No, Lily, this is – ”

  “Johnny, will you take Connor to Javier’s and my room down the hall?” Sebastian said loudly as he produced a plastic keycard from his jacket. “Just for a few minutes. I’ll call you when you can come back in.”

  Connor looked alarmed. “What? Why?”

  Sebastian stared straight into my eyes. “Because I need to have a private talk with Lily.”

  My heart had dropped at Connor’s words.

  My stomach dropped at Sebastian’s.

  What the hell?

  “What? No – ” Connor began angrily.

  “It wasn’t a request,” Sebastian said.

  Johnny put a hand on Connor’s arm. “Come on, boss.”

  “NO,” Connor snapped, pulling away from him.

  “It’s okay,” I said as I forced a smile. “I think I know what he’s going to ask.”

  Connor looked back and forth between me and Sebastian. “…are you sure?”

  I nodded and smiled again, though I felt sick inside.

  “…okay… if you’re alright with it…”

  Connor finally gave in and allowed Johnny to escort him out of the room.

  “Thank youuuuu,” Sebastian called out as the door closed.

  The entire time, he never once looked away from me.

  11

  Sebastian just sat there on the sofa, legs crossed primly, one thigh over the other, his hands folded in his lap. He watched me like a hawk as I fidgeted nervously.

  “Do you understand what this is going to do to you if we go this route?” he finally asked.

  I relaxed. Up until he spoke, I’d felt like I was in some sort of cross between Kafka and 90210, sweating it out in front of a gay high school principal who disapproved of me for some unknown reason.

  “Yes,” I said. “I understand.”

  “No, I don’t think you – ”

  “Connor gave me the whole speech before you got here. My parents are going to see the photos, everybody’s going to see the photos, they’re going to be everywhere, they’re going to live forever on the internet, one day my kids are going to get it rubbed in their faces on the playground, it’s going in my obituary… yeah, I got it.”

  He frowned a little. “And you’re still willing to go through with this?”

  I swallowed. “…yes.”

  He regarded me in silence for a few seconds, then said, “Are you doing this to get Connor?”

  “…what do you mean?” I asked nervously, though I had a pretty good idea exactly what he meant.

  “Are you doing this to lock him in. To make him love you. To make him stay with you.”

  One of my favorite quotes – I’m not sure who said it – goes something like this: The most important thing of all is, you must not lie to yourself. But this is also the hardest thing, because you are by far the easiest person to lie to.

  “…maybe. A little. Of course I want to stay with him… but no, that’s not why I’m doing it.”

  “I hope that’s the case, because there are no promises.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean there are no promises that Connor will stay with you if you do this. He’s a very complicated man.” Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Why don’t I just come out and say it? I love him to death, but he can be a fucking idiot about women.”

  I frowned harder. “What… in what way?”

  “Exhibit A: Miranda. I told him from the beginning that she was a manipulative, power-obsessed bitch, and she’d bring him nothing but grief, and he refused to see it.”

  “You’ve also been telling him from the beginning that he should dump me, too.”

  “No.” Sebastian raised one finger like anh-anh-ANHHH. “I’ve been ragging on you for the last few days, but that’s all. With Miranda, I pulled him aside and told him point-blank, ‘That woman will end up being the bane of your existence.’ He ignored me – that time, and the other 500 times I told him to get out. Until it was too late.” Sebastian gave a theatrical sigh and looked to the heavens like an aggrieved prophet. “And was I right? You bet your damn ass I was right.”

  “What happened between them? Connor and Miranda, I mean.”

  Sebastian immediately shut down. “If you want to know, you’ll have to ask him.”

  “Well, then, what did you mean about there aren’t any promises?”

  He looked at me in silence for a long time. “Let’s just say that with Connor, there are never any guarantees of anything. If you’re doing this to lock him down, there’s no promises it will work.”

  “I already told you I’m not,” I said, annoyed.

  “Then will you sign a non-disclosure agreement?”

  I stared
at him. “…why?”

  “There will be a lot of people over the next few days – and weeks – who want to talk to you. And some of them will be waving some pretty big checks.”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” I snapped, angry he would even think it.

  “Even if Connor dumped you tomorrow morning?” Sebastian prodded.

  I stiffened, and my stomach churned. “He wouldn’t do that.”

  “Probably not. But what if he did? What if he found someone else three days from now? Would you go talking to the press?”

  I had to admit, if Connor did that to me… I might.

  Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right?

  And that made me a little sad about who I actually am.

  And frightened.

  “…I’ll sign whatever you want,” I said.

  Sebastian nodded, then walked over to a briefcase Johnny had carried in, rifled through it, and pulled out a document. He sat back down and slid it across the coffee table between us.

  “You had one ready?” I asked in amused disbelief.

  “I prepared it the moment I heard you two were shacked up,” he said without any trace of humor. “Legal drafted it specifically to cover that, but I think it will work just as well for the Miranda situation, too.”

  I glared at him, then leaned over to look at the form. Despite the dense legal language, it was pretty straightforward: I agreed not to talk about anything having to do with my relationship with Connor, or about any events stemming from ever having met him.

  “Just to be clear,” Sebastian said, “Connor would never ask you to sign this. In fact, he would be furious if he knew I was doing this.”

  “But you’re doing it anyway,” I smiled sarcastically.

  “Because I’m the only one thinking clearly. My job isn’t to make friends, Lily. It’s to protect Connor, no matter what. Despite everything I’ve said about you – and everything I’ll continue to say, I might as well warn you – you seem like a nice person. But I can’t take any chances. I’ve already seen what one woman did to him, and what she’s doing now. I don’t ever want to see that again.”

  I had to admit – grudgingly – that Sebastian had some pretty damn good points.

  That didn’t make me feel any kinder towards him.

  “I need a pen,” I muttered.

  He pulled one out of his jacket, a fancy one that probably cost a couple of hundred dollars – but didn’t hold it out to me yet. “How much do you want in return for signing this?”

  I stared at him in shock – and then I got really angry.

  “How about thirty pieces of silver?”

  “Don’t be a drama queen. This scandal could affect your ability to get a job in the future,” Sebastian said, his tone mild and unwavering. “No, I take that back – it most assuredly will affect your ability to get a job in the future. No one would blame you if you wanted some sort of… insurance.”

  “No thanks,” I snarled.

  He shrugged. “Now’s your chance to ask. It doesn’t have to go down on paper. It could just be between you and me.”

  “Connor already gave me $50,000 – gave it to me, freely. I didn’t want it, I didn’t ask for it. And yet, everybody and their dog has been holding it over my head ever since. So, no thanks, I don’t want anything else. Especially from the guy insinuating I’m going to sell Connor out.”

  Sebastian nodded once and handed over the pen.

  As I signed the document, he asked, “Why are you doing this, then? Letting Miranda leak the photos, I mean. Connor wouldn’t hesitate to throw everything away to protect you. You could walk away, scot-free, whether he stays with you or not.”

  I slid both the pen and the signed piece of paper over the coffee table. “Because he’s going to change the world.”

  Sebastian looked at my signature, then folded the paper up and placed both it and the pen back inside his jacket. “…and?”

  “And because if I weren’t mixed up in it, this is exactly what he should do. Follow your advice and do the whole media blitz thing.”

  Sebastian narrowed his eyes. “And?”

  “This is getting repetitive.”

  “I don’t care. And?”

  “You got what you wanted, what does it matter?”

  “Because it does. And?”

  “And because it’s going to help millions, if not billions, of people. I can’t stand in the way of that.”

  “And?”

  I didn’t answer.

  “And?” Sebastian insisted.

  “…because I love him,” I said quietly. “And he loves this. And I don’t want him to sacrifice it for me.”

  Sebastian settled back on the sofa and was quiet. He looked oddly at peace.

  He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a couple times, then held it up to his ear. Someone answered on the first ring.

  “You and Connor can come back in now,” he said as he watched me, his expression completely neutral. “Lily and I have finished our business.”

  12

  “What did you talk about?” Connor asked suspiciously as soon as he was back in the room.

  “I wanted to find out why Lily’s going through with this,” Sebastian answered.

  “If we go through with it,” Connor said.

  Sebastian shrugged. “If we go through with it.”

  Connor swung his gaze over to me. “And what were your reasons?”

  “The right ones,” Sebastian interrupted. “Now, we have to talk about a plan of attack – ”

  “What were your reasons?” Connor repeated, looking at me intensely.

  “Because it’s the right thing to do,” I said. “Because there are too many people who can benefit from this, and I can’t stand in the way of that.”

  Connor shook his head. “That’s all very noble, but – ”

  I hate comparing myself in any way, shape, or form to Miranda, but I now understood why she said This bickering isn’t serving any purpose and then just gave her ultimatum and left.

  Going around in circles was exhausting. And pointless.

  “Sebastian asked me to sign an NDA,” I broke in.

  Connor stopped midsentence, his mouth gaping open.

  Sebastian glared at me like You BITCH.

  “And he basically asked me how much money I wanted to sign it,” I added.

  Now Sebastian looked like he was calling me something worse inside his head.

  Connor rounded on his assistant, his eyes blazing. “God DAMN it, Sebastian – ”

  “I signed it, and I told him to stick his money up his ass,” I finished.

  Connor looked back at me in shock. Sebastian’s eyes widened in surprise, too.

  Johnny stifled a laugh over in the corner.

  “I don’t need you to sign anything, Lily,” Connor said quietly.

  “I know. I did it anyway.”

  Connor grimaced, then turned to Sebastian and stuck out his hand. “Let me have it. I’m tearing it up.”

  “Legal is with me on this one hundred percent – ”

  “LET ME HAVE IT.”

  Sebastian rolled his eyes and reached inside his jacket.

  “If you tear it up, I’ll still sign another one,” I said, stopping them both in their tracks. “And if you tear that one up, I’ll sign another one, and I’ll keep on signing them until you stop.”

  From his expression, you would have thought Sebastian was witnessing some sort of miracle.

  Connor looked at me, his face troubled. “…why?”

  “Because I need you to trust me beyond a shadow of a doubt. I need you to be able to do this and never, ever have to worry.”

  “I DO, Lily. I do trust you – ”

  “Yeah, but if we’re going to do this, I need everybody to trust me. I think Johnny does, but Sebastian doesn’t know me. And he’s only looking out for you.” I made a face. “Your parents hate me no matter what, so… Sebastian’s kind of like the ‘other parent’ I have to impress. Don’t le
t me make a bad impression.”

  Connor gritted his teeth, then walked away, muttering to himself.

  Sebastian looked at me with an odd expression – somewhere between mystified and grateful.

  Thank you, he mouthed wordlessly.

  I couldn’t bring myself to answer You’re welcome, but at least I nodded.

  13

  “No,” Connor said after five more minutes of talk. He was still resisting the idea.

  Sebastian gripped his fingers in his hair like he was going to pull it out by the roots. “CONNOR. Leave Lily out of this for a second.”

  “But – ”

  “PURELY as a thought exercise, alright? Say she’s some random floozy you picked up. Oh, wait, that’s kind of the current situation…”

  “HEY!” I yelled.

  “Alright, say she’s Miranda.”

  “That’s even worse!”

  He waved me off. “Don’t take offense, it’s a thought exercise.” He turned back to Connor. “What do you do?”

  “It it’s Miranda? Knowing what I know now?”

  “Of course.”

  “I let her hang in the wind.”

  “And you know every talk show in America is going to want you on. Oprah, Ellen, Letterman, Leno, they’re all going to want you. Every magazine, every news program, every talk show host in America.”

  “$100 million in free advertising,” Connor said bitterly.

  “Which I’m pretty sure I can turn into $200 million. Complete media saturation, with hundreds of millions of eyeballs glued to their TV sets, just waiting to see what you’ll say. And you can say anything you want. What do you do?” he asked, then stressed, “If Lily were out of the picture.”

  Connor sighed. “I go on the offensive. I go on every show I can over 24 hours. I tout the entire package. I tell everyone that my parents and ex are trying to blackmail me.”

  “And you frame it as you saving the world, versus old, evil assholes trying to keep everyone else down for a buck.”

  “But Lily – ” Connor protested.

  “Lily is ready to make the sacrifice to make this work… and for all the right reasons,” Sebastian said, not looking at me as he said it. I was grateful for that. “Now suck it up and show as much cojones as she is.”