Billionaire's Protest: A Complete Romance Series Read online

  I gulped as I watched him in his natural surroundings, and even though I should have been feeling glad and excited, I still couldn’t get that nagging feeling out of my system that he wanted something. Casper Argent definitely had an ulterior motive in all of this.

  ****

  I had found a plate of small cubes of cheese and pineapple held together with toothpicks. I was hovering around the table, picking them up by the toothpicks and popping them into my mouth.

  I had already had two cocktails by now, brightly colored and tropical tasting, and I was swaying unconsciously to the deliriously happy music playing in the background. I hadn’t seen Casper in some time – it could have been half an hour. I figured he needed his space to mingle, and I knew I needed the space, too. But by now I was beginning to get a little bored. I knew that if I was alone for any longer, I would end up drinking too much and filling myself with entrees.

  When I felt a hand on the back of my waist, I turned with a jerk and the cocktail glass in my hand – filled with a bright blue drink – spilled and sprayed on Casper’s white shirt.

  “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry,” I cried, and then laughed when I saw him laughing. Casper kept his hand on my waist and drew me close to him. I could see the splash of blue spreading over the front of his shirt from the corner of my eye. But it didn’t seem to bother him.

  “I saw that butt swaying to the music, and I just had to come over and grab it,” he said, and I blushed immediately.

  “This is a fun party,” I said, recognizing his scent and the feel of his hands on my skin. There were goose bumps on my flesh; Casper Argent had an immediate effect on my senses.

  “I hope you’re not bored. I’m sorry. I had a lot of hellos to exchange. I’m all yours now,” he said, and I placed a free hand on his shoulder. I was aware of eyes on us, and my cheeks flushed.

  “Aren’t you worried about what people might think?” I asked, leaning in close to his ear.

  “They can see that I’ve brought a date. What else can they possibly think?” he asked, and he swung me around in his arms to the tune of the music playing in the background.

  The cocktail splashed some more out of my glass, and we both laughed again.

  “No, I meant, like, who I am,” I said softly, and he turned his face so that our noses were nearly touching. His lips looked delicious. I could hardly stop myself from kissing him. But I also knew that I’d asked him a dangerous question, one that I should have bitten my tongue on. We barely knew each other. And he didn’t owe me anything.

  The smile on his face disappeared as he stared into my eyes.

  “You’re Lily Fitz, of course – environmental activist by day, in my bed by night,” he said, and swung me around again. This time, he swung me so far that the glass fell, crashing to the floor. I yelped in surprise, but I couldn’t stop myself from laughing either. Casper grabbed me by the waist when he pulled me back into his arms.

  “Just don’t make me hula, whatever you do,” I said when I was close to him again. A couple of people in the party had started to do it in the corner, and I rolled my eyes at them.

  “Why not? I can teach you if you’re embarrassed about not knowing how to do it,” he said, clutching my hand and sticking it up in the air. We were dancing, our feet moving in a quick rhythmic pace around each other. He hadn’t stepped on my shoes once.

  “It’s not that. It’s cultural appropriation. A couple of white folks from the mainland trying to drunkenly butcher a traditional dance form,” I said, turning my nose up at him. I saw him raise his eyebrows and then slowly shake his head.

  “Don’t be a bore, Lily. Just shut up and dance, will you?” He twirled me around again, and I screamed with delight over the music. I was having fun. I could feel my limbs loosening the longer he kept me in his arms.

  He pulled me close and then swung me around again. A few people had started clapping at us, too. It was like we were putting on a show for them. I didn’t even have time to feel embarrassed or nervous from the attention. I felt welcomed and like these people I didn’t know were all my friends. It was a happy high.

  “Stop telling me what to do,” I said light heartedly the next time our faces were close together again.

  Casper laughed. He threw his head back, and his shoulders shook from the laughter.

  “Do you know your nose wrinkles up when you say something that you think will offend me?” he said, bringing his lips close to me. His mouth touched my earlobe, and I was reminded of how he had sucked on it. I felt a shiver down my spine and goose bumps on my flesh again.

  “So, you pay less attention to what I’m saying, and more to the way my nose looks?” I asked him with an eyebrow raised. One of my arms clutched his back while my other hand was in his. He held me tightly to him as he laughed at me again.

  “You have no idea how well I can multitask,” he said, throwing me away from him in another twirl.

  “Is that right?” I asked when he pulled me back to him. His lips were curling in a smile again.

  “I’ll show you tonight when I make you come with my fingers and suck your nipples at the same time,” he said into my ear, setting my body on fire.

  ****

  I was hot and flushed from all the dancing when Casper was finally willing to stop. It was more than just the dancing; it was all the things he said to me. Casper whispered everything he wanted to do to me that night, in my ear, right in the middle of the dance floor with everyone watching. I tried to hide my face in his shoulders. I bit down on my lips. I clutched his arms with both my hands, trying to stop my body from visibly quivering.

  “You don’t seem like the kind of person who could ever get tired of dancing,” Casper said to me as we were walking back hand in hand toward a row of deck chairs.

  “I don’t even know what that means,” I said, panting and trying to catch my breath.

  I flung myself on one of the chairs while he stood over me, adjusting his bow tie. Not one hair was out of place on Casper’s head, despite all the dancing we had just done.

  He didn’t look tired or flushed, just cool and calm as ever.

  “It’s just that I had you pegged as someone who could dance all night,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

  I narrowed my eyes at him as I slipped my feet out of my sandals, which were a grave mismatch to the dress I was wearing. I didn’t care anymore.

  “It wasn’t just the dancing,” I said to him, and looked away from his face. He laughed, enjoying watching me squirm and grow red with embarrassment.

  “For someone so vicious at the protest, you sure get embarrassed easily,” he said and thrust his hands into the pockets of his pants. I looked up at him, craning my neck to fully take in his tall figure. He loomed over me, and my mind immediately started working on overdrive, imagining what it would be like to have him over me as he banged me. It was madness. I couldn’t stop thinking about sex with Casper Argent. It was like something had taken over my mind.

  I shook my head and looked away. “And for someone who pretends to not judge people, you sure have made a lot of judgements about me.” I slipped my feet back into my sandals.

  Casper leaned his body back on the heels of his shoes and nodded. “Point duly noted,” he said, pulling his cheeks in, which instantly made him look like a little boy. I knew I was blushing again. I couldn’t even pretend to be mad at this guy.

  “Anyway, thanks for the dance. I had fun,” I said, trying to change the subject. I didn’t want to be thinking about sex or my feelings for him all the time. But I couldn’t stop.

  He shook his head again. “Stop thanking me all the time, Lily. I’m doing this for myself as much as I’m doing this for you,” he said, and stepped in closer to me. His knees knocked against mine gently, and I looked up at him again. His face softened and his neck bent forward toward me. I wanted to get up and just kiss him in front of everyone there, but I stopped myself.

  “What are you doing this for? I know you didn’t want to answer th
e question earlier in the car, but I can’t help but ask you again,” I said, playing with the hem of my dress.

  He was looking at me earnestly, keenly, like he was preparing an answer in his head. “The reason why I didn’t want to answer that question in the car was because I didn’t want to spoil all the fun we are having. If we talk about it now, it ruins it again,” he said, clenching his jaw.

  I could feel my backbone straightening, my shoulders squaring. Alarm bells were ringing in my head. What was he even talking about?

  “Why would that ruin the evening? What is the answer to the question? How can it possibly be that bad, Casper? And don’t you think that I have the right to know why I’m actually here?” I asked him, and now I stood up. Our bodies were inches apart, but I still had to crane my neck to look up at him. My muscles tensed, and my heart was beating fast again. As much as I didn’t want to hear him say something harsh, I knew I needed to hear it. This fairytale was all just a dream. I was so afraid that I was being duped.

  The grimace on Casper’s face fell suddenly, and he broke into a smile. “God, Lily! You are always so serious,” he said, and grabbed my hand.

  I tugged at it, trying to wriggle my hand free from his grasp.

  “Just tell me what’s going on, Casper. Is this just about the sex? If it is, I’m okay with that,” I snapped at him, trying to keep my voice low. I was aware that I was probably coming across as crazy, but I didn’t care anymore. I had been so happy just a few minutes ago, and now I couldn’t forgive myself for my own happiness.

  “Nothing is going on, Lily. There is no need to react this way,” he said in that smooth, deep voice of his. It had an immediate calming effect on me. I suddenly felt foolish and childish, like I wanted to be on my best behavior for him. I could still feel the rage bubbling up inside me, but I was forcing myself to remain polite. At least in front of all these people.

  I said nothing to him and just looked away until I felt the pressure of his hand on mine again. He was pulling me away in a different direction.

  “Come meet my best friends,” I heard him say, and I could feel myself panicking again. What was going on? Why was Casper Argent introducing me to his friends?

  Chapter 12

  I followed Casper gingerly, suddenly very aware of my surroundings. He had twice refused to answer my question about what I was doing here and what my role in his life was, but here he was, introducing me to his best friends. He was walking ahead of me, and I could see his straight, muscular back and the strength in his legs as he took each long stride. Watching his body move was enough to make me feel like he was too good to be true. Out of all the girls in the world, all the women who no doubt threw themselves at him, why did this gorgeous, successful man choose me?

  Casper waved at two other men standing by the bar. He walked quickly toward them, and I followed. When we reached them, I stood back a few steps while Casper hugged each of them in turn. I could see that the three of them knew each other well and had known each other for a very long time.

  “Lily, meet my buddy Nash. Nash, this is my friend, Lily Fitz.” Casper turned to me suddenly, catching me by surprise. Friend?

  “Hello, Lily. You look lovely this evening.” Nash said, a knowing smile spreading on his face. I couldn’t help but wonder how it was possible that this particular group of friends were all this beautiful to look at. Just like Casper, Nash had an athletic build. However, he wasn’t as clean shaven and smartly dressed as Casper. With a shaggy head of dark hair and a day or two of stubble, Nash was wearing a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt and casual pants. But his jaw was sharp, his eyes were steely gray and narrow, and he had the same beautifully bronze skin as his friend, Casper.

  “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you,” I said, and extended a hand to him. He shook my hand gently like he was afraid of breaking me or something and then exchanged a happy grin with Casper.

  “And Lily, this is Vincent,” Casper added, directing my attention toward the other man standing with them. Vincent shook my hand ferociously, giving my wrist a shake hard enough to make it hurt if it lasted any longer. This guy, unbelievably, was just as handsome as his two friends. Tall, dark haired, and with a chiseled jaw. His eyes were a shimmering lava black that seemed to pierce into my soul. He was sharply dressed just like Casper and had no smile on his face. For a moment, I felt like I had done something to offend him, but then he suddenly looked away from me, at Casper, and gave him a wink.

  I was blushing again. I felt deeply scrutinized, conscious of myself, and surprised that I was feeling this way. Never had I felt less confident. Casper had done something to me to make me feel this self-conscious. There was simply no other explanation.

  “So, you’re the gang then?” I blurted out. The three men were eyeing me up, studying me closely, including Casper.

  “The gang? I don’t know if we would call ourselves that,” Nash said, breaking into laughter. It made me blush a brighter red.

  “We’ve been friends a long time, yes, if that is what you’re asking,” Vincent said, turning his dangerously dark eyes toward me. I looked away from him, embarrassed. Casper suddenly took a step in my direction and placed a hand on my back. It sent goose bumps all over my skin.

  “I didn’t think Casper had any friends,” I managed to say, gulping down my growing embarrassment. I hoped that they would all blame my bright red face on the hour of dancing.

  My comment made the men laugh, including Casper. And by this time, I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. My mind was still reeling from not knowing why Casper was introducing me to his friends.

  “Seems like she’s sized you up pretty well,” Nash said, and Casper shook his head.

  “There have been times when he’s come very close to not having any friends, but we’ve always rallied back to him. Boyhood pacts,” Vincent said, taking a slow sip of his drink.

  I smiled at him and then turned to Casper with a purposeful look. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the ladies’ room,” I said, gently prying myself away.

  “Of course,” Casper said to me with a smile. I nodded my head at the other two men and took brisk steps away from them. I needed to put some distance between me and them, especially Casper. It was all too overwhelming. My heart was beating out of my chest, but I surprisingly had a smile on my face that I couldn’t hide.

  It was late now. The sky darkened to a deep purple hue, and the sun was beginning to set in the horizon. I noticed the bathrooms were at the back, and I walked toward them like I was on a mission. When I first got into Casper’s private jet, I hadn’t known what to expect. A fun party and being introduced to his childhood friends weren’t any of the expectations I had.

  I didn’t know what more I could possibly want or expect from this night.

  I needed a couple of minutes to clear my mind, and I walked into the women’s room with my sandals flapping against the tiled floor. The place was empty, which was a relief, because I intended on locking myself up in one of the stalls and having a good long think about what was going on. I wasn’t going to let Casper change my life forever. Hopefully, this was just going to be a whirlwind exotic vacation.

  ****

  I couldn’t be sure how long I was in the restroom, but it couldn’t have been very long because when I returned to the main party area, I spotted Casper still with his two friends, standing in a huddle in the corner.

  I wasn’t sure what made me take the back route toward them instead of walking straight in everyone’s view. It was very unlike me to try and eavesdrop on their conversation, but nothing about my relationship with Casper was anything like what I had done before. So, I just went with the flow.

  This back route was dark, with no lights and hidden out of view with a jungle of plants and trees. The music from the party had died into a mellow sound in the background as I approached them, making sure that they didn’t notice my shadowy, looming figure crouching and making my way toward them. I knew what I was doing was wrong, unnecessary, and
something that would be very embarrassing if I was caught, but I was filled with sudden courage somehow and was on a mission to eavesdrop on this conversation.

  I stopped in my tracks and crouched down when I heard Nash’s unmistakably confident voice.

  “You plucked her out of a protest?” he said, pricking my ears with his words. They were discussing me! I bit down on my lip.

  “I didn’t pluck her out exactly. I was down there and saw her getting elbowed by one of her pals. She was basically on the ground, passed out and bleeding out of her nose,” Casper said, followed by a loud laugh from all three of them.

  I took in a deep breath and licked my lips. Where was this going to go?

  “So, what is she doing here then, Casper?” Vincent asked.

  Even over the music in the background, I heard Casper take in a deep breath. My ears were pricked. Vincent had just asked Casper the same question that I had. Was he going to give his friend a straight answer?

  “She is the wildest and most beautiful creature I have ever met in my life. I had to see her again, and this was the only way I could think of,” Casper said, causing my heart to skip a beat. I wanted to scream out, go running out of the bushes and into Casper’s arms. I didn’t know what he meant by that exactly, but in that moment, it was enough for me.

  Then I saw a woman approaching the group, taking quick, knowing steps toward them, and I crouched down further.

  “Casper, this is a great party! Hello, boys.” Her voice was loud like she was drunk, but she sounded sophisticated and wealthy. Through the leaves, I saw her more clearly now. She was a beautiful blonde – tall and full figured. She was in an animal-printed chiffon dress that was translucent enough for her red bra to be visible. Rubies glimmered from her ears and on her fingers. The back of her dress was entirely missing, so she was bare until just an inch above her butt, I saw Casper’s gaze wander there and back up at her face.