Billionaire Temptations: Rich, Ruthless & Obsessed

Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Chloe

Sebastian carried my bag to my apartment for me.

“Home sweet home,” I spoke as I stepped inside.

“You’ve only been gone a couple of days.” He laughed.

“I know, but I like my apartment, and it’s good to be back. Speaking of which, I have no clue where you even live.” I pressed my finger against his chest.

“I live in a penthouse on Park Avenue.”

“Of course you do.” I smiled as I took my bag from him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked as he followed me to the bedroom.

“Nothing. You’re rich, and rich people live in stuffy penthouses.”

“It’s not stuffy. It happens to be very comfortable.”

“I’m sure it is with your beige walls, dark trim, and dark hardwood floors.”

He stood there and stared at me like he was going to say something but didn’t. Walking over to me, he placed his hands on my hips and kissed my forehead.

“I have to go. I’ll have you over to my stuffy penthouse one day.” He smiled.

“Okay.”

“I’ll be in touch. Have a good week at work.”

Standing there, I bit down on my bottom lip and frowned as he walked out the door.

“Have a good week at work.” Was he planning not to contact me next week? I threw myself down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The weekend spent with him was probably the best couple of days I’d ever had in my life. The sex, the food, the fun; it was all like a dream, but I still didn’t know anything else about him except that his parents were deceased and relationships were off the table. Going back to that conversation, I played it over and over in my head. What could have made him think like that? Why would he think like that? As I was pondering my thoughts and already missing him, there was a knock at the door. Jumping up from the bed, my heart started racing at the thought of seeing him again.

“Mom. Dad.” I tried not to sound disappointed.

“Oh good, you’re home. We were in the area and thought we’d drop by for a visit.” My mom smiled as she kissed my cheek.

“Your mother wants the scoop on your romp in Vegas with that rich guy,” my dad spoke as he went into my refrigerator and pulled out a beer.

“Shush up, Larry. So,” my mom placed her hand on my arm, “how did it go?”

“It was wonderful.” I smiled brightly and then went into the kitchen to make some tea.

“Are the two of you dating?” she asked.

“Here’s the thing.” I turned and looked at her. “We had a slight conversation, and he threw it out there that he doesn’t latch on to anyone, and relationships are off the table.”

“Oh. That’s strange. Did he say why?”

“Nope. He changed the subject. When I asked about his parents, he told me that they died years ago, and he didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Poor man. It sounds like he has a tortured soul. Maybe he just needs some guidance.” She smiled.

After pouring the hot water into the cups, I took them over with the teabags to the table.

“I don’t know, Mom. On one hand, he has a kind and gentle soul, and on the other, I sense a darkness about him.”

“You don’t think he’s dangerous, do you?”

“No. Of course not. I get the feeling something happened in his past that he’s hiding. I don’t know. He’s just very closed off personally.”

She reached her hand over and placed it on top of mine.

“Well, maybe you’re just the girl he needs to bring light into his life. Maybe he needs a spiritual cleansing. Why don’t you have him come to our apartment so I can help him with that?”

“Somehow, I don’t think he’d go for that. He doesn’t believe in that stuff. He gambled last night.”

She frowned. “Oh. We’re in a Venus retrograde. That wasn’t a good idea.”

“I warned him, but he didn’t listen and lost thousands.”

After a long conversation, we finished our tea, and she got up from her chair. “Larry, we need to get going.”

“Coming,” my dad said as he got up from the couch. “It’s nice to have you back home, pumpkin.” He kissed my cheek.

I walked them to the door and then went into the bathroom for a long, relaxing bath.

Sebastian

“How did it go?” Eli asked on our drive to the penthouse.

“It went well. We had a great time. She asked about my parents again.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her they’ve been dead for years, and I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“I hate to break the news to you, Sebastian, but if you’re going to continue seeing Chloe, you’ll have to tell her about your childhood.”

“Who says I’m going to continue to see her? I took her to Vegas on a whim. It meant nothing.”

He looked at me through the rearview mirror.

“Okay, but I think?—”

“Drop it, Eli. I don’t want to talk about Chloe Kane anymore.”

Stepping inside the penthouse, I set my bag down, and Karina, my maid, immediately picked it up.

“Welcome home, Mr. Bennett.”

“Thank you. Did you pick up my dry cleaning?”

“Yes, sir. Your suits are hanging in your closet.”

“Good. I have an important meeting tomorrow. Also, make sure that you unpack my bag.”

“Yes, sir.”

Walking over to the bar, I poured myself a drink and took it out on the patio. I couldn’t shake the thoughts that were swimming around in my head about Chloe. This weekend was good, really good, and I enjoyed spending time with her. Feeling her naked body pressed against mine while we slept did wonders for me. I hadn’t slept that good in years, actually, not since London. I pulled my ringing phone from my pocket and noticed it was the Palazzo Hotel calling.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Mr. Bennett, this is Cassandra at the Palazzo Hotel. I just wanted to inform you that your hotel bill was already paid, so we won’t be charging the credit card you have on file.”

“What do you mean it’s already been paid? By whom?”

“The woman that was staying in the room with you. She left cash in an envelope this morning at the front desk with a note stating that the room was to be paid for using that.”

Shaking my head, I sighed. “Okay. Thank you for calling and letting me know.”

That woman. I couldn’t believe she did that. I quickly typed out a text message but deleted it. I wanted her to hear the anger in my voice.

“Hello,” she answered.

“Chloe, it’s Sebastian. What the hell were you thinking?” I asked in a stern voice.

“Hi, Sebastian. What are you talking about?”

“I just received a call from the hotel we stayed at in Vegas. They kindly informed me that you paid the hotel bill with the cash you won.”

“Oh. Yeah. It was their money anyway, so why not give it back? Why are you so mad about it?”

I could feel the heat rising inside my veins.

“Because that was your money!” I shouted. “I told you to go and buy something nice with it, and you chose to pay the goddamn hotel bill instead.”

“First of all, you need to calm down. Second of all, if you claim it was my money, then I can choose to spend it however I want to, and I chose to pay the hotel bill.”

I clenched my fist and slowly closed my eyes for a moment to keep from really losing my cool with her.

“I am more than capable of paying the hotel bill!” I shouted.

“Breathe, Sebastian.”

“What?”

“Take in a long, deep breath. Do you meditate?”

“What? Meditate? No, I don’t meditate!”

“Well, you should. Now I have to go. I’m in the middle of taking a relaxing bath, and you so rudely interrupted me with this hotel nonsense.”

I heard a click and pulled my phone from my ear. She hung up on me. Damn her.

“It seems Miss Kane has you all worked up.” Eli smiled as he walked out on the patio.

“Can you believe that she paid the hotel bill with the money she won in Vegas?” I threw back my drink.

“That was nice of her.”

“Nice of her? It was stupid. I told her to go buy something nice for herself. Then she said it was the hotel’s money anyway, so why not give it back. What kind of fucking reasoning is that?”

“The reasoning of a woman who doesn’t believe in material things.”

Rolling my eyes, I went back inside and poured another bourbon.

“Yeah, well, whether she believes in them or not, she shouldn’t have done that. And another thing, do you know she won all that money because the sun was in Leo and I lost thousands last night because supposedly we’re in a Venus retrograde?”

“Huh. She’s into astrology. Interesting.” He smirked.

I shook my finger at him. “Do you know what she just asked me?”

“What?”

“She asked me if I meditate. She’s way out there, Eli. Her mother is a spiritual advisor, and her dad is a musician on the streets of New York.”

He just stood there with a grin on his face. “Yeah. She’s way out there all right. Too good for you, may I add.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow unless you need me to drive you somewhere tonight.”

“No.” I waved my hand. “I’m in for the night. I have work to do.”

He walked away and I finished off my drink.

“Mr. Bennett,” Karina spoke. “Dinner will be ready shortly.”

“Thank you, Karina.”

I went to my room and changed out of my clothes and into something a little more comfortable. Taking a seat at the dining table, I began to eat my dinner. For the first time in two and a half days, I was alone. Which was good, right? She annoyed me at times. Got under my skin and made me question why I even brought her to Vegas. I smiled at the thought of her. Shaking my head, I made all my thoughts disappear. I needed to focus on other things, like business. I didn’t become what I am today by slacking on my work. The only way to get her completely off my mind was to avoid all contact with her for a while. I had a deal that was ready to go through and it was an important one. One that would make me millions.