While there was no magic make Grayson not an ass button, the billionaire’s mood did seem to somewhat improve with Amberleigh’s new battle strategy. Between that and the electric wheelchair Amber had Leo buy, it gave Grayson a greater sense of control. He spent the better part of the next morning trying to figure out a way to maneuver himself into it using 1.5 arms and the power of his thigh muscles. He seemed to like challenges and it gave him a focus to strive to achieve.And even though they didn’t like it much, Amber and Leo gave him a bit of breathing room to attempt it. Leo stood waiting in the wings of the room to intervene if things went bad. Amber was too nervous and had to force herself into a task to keep from hovering and cringing while it occurred. A fall wouldn’t feel good and could hurt his already fractured bones more. But she had to trust Grayson enough to let him try, to know his own body, his own limitations, and make his own decisions. Within fucking reason of cours
Leo laughed uncomfortably, but Ash’s laugh was filled with merriment. He was not offended in the least.“As I said before, there’s plenty of me to go around. But I’m just friends with everyone in this room.”“For now, at least,” said Ebony boldly, “don’t you two have somewhere to fucking be?”“Yes, we do. And we need to get a move on it before were late. Especially if we hit traffic. Amber give Ebony the list of instructions you made so we can hit the road.”Amber eyed Ebony and then Ash. There was definitely an attraction and sexual chemistry going on there. She was likely to return with Grayson bitching about having to watch his caregivers hook up while they both neglected their duties. She’d never hear the fucking end of that.“Yeah, I’m not so sure this is such a good Idea,” she argued.Ebony huffed, “We'll be just fucking fine here without you.”“At least come meet Grayson before we leave.”“I’ll go start the car Love. Meet me in five or we will be late. Ash, Ebony take care. And
Leo and Lucinda had really outdone themselves as Amber stepped inside the storybook themed baby shower. No doubt they’d drawn inspiration from the picturesque setting the cottage was nestled in. The pinnacle of the room was a long, rough wooden table with toadstool shaped chairs seated around it. Like a forest fairy feast, complete with flower garlands on the place settings that guests could wear around their heads, and strands of twinkling lights floating down from the ceiling like magic.“Leo, this is absolutely stunning!”“I’m glad you like it, Love.”“Thank you so much babe. It’s more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.”“You’re welcome, Love.”Everywhere Amber looked a new, sweet detail caught her eye. Like the garlands of flowers strung across the back wall with a row of miniature princess gowns pinned across it, each more beautiful than the last. The room was covered in flowers almost as if they’d never come in from the garden at all. Behind the food table looked like a
Lucinda made an announcement it was time to eat. As the guest of honor, Amberleigh was moved to the front of the line. She was pretty sure Rashida didn’t approve of the mound of food Amber piled on her plate gleefully.While the girls stuffed their faces, the embarrassing chatter had abated enough that Julian felt safe to return to the table. Ella and Harper had mostly sweets on their plates, but Julian explained he let them cut loose a bit on the weekends. Amber countered that it was her cousin’s own doom with two sugar high little girls unlikely to sleep that night. He said it was something she had to look forward to.Amber and Julian took a trip down memory lane while they feasted on mini sandwiches resembling trees, trail mix, cookies shaped like acorns, and other foods keeping with the fairy forest princess theme. Leo soaked up these stories eagerly. The chef was also feeling a bit devious as he snuck in naughty and discrete touches to Amber under the table. When she would flash
For a while, Amberleigh indulged Courtney’s fantasy that they were the best of friends, even posing for several photos with the heiress. Leo gave her wide eyed looks, and when she pulled her lover in for a photo, he whispered in her ear.“I hope you know what you’re doing, Love.”She kissed his cheek as the photographer snapped a picture of the happy parents-to- be in front of the moss-covered tree.“Of course, I have a plan.”He grinned at her, though she didn’t let him in on it. The photographer named Ansel, staged Amber on the swing, looking down at her belly with hands atop it, as Leo stood behind the swing pushing it. Amber took great satisfaction by the scowl on the cunt’s face when Ansel was no longer making her the center of attention. Like hell would the social media queen be upstaged at the shower she crashed. She steered Ansel back in her direction by posing herself in front of the wagon of baby gifts she’d brought. Amber snorted and rolled her eyes.But it was several mome
The rest of Amberleigh’s baby shower ran smoothly. Rashida had gotten a new target for her snide comments, now directing them at the woman who upset her grandson. It became open season on gossip about Courtney and many in the cottage were up for participating.Kira had captured nearly all of the altercation on the bridge on her smartwatch, as she’d been taking pictures beforehand. She'd turned it in the direction of the footbridge at the sound of the high-pitched “diva Karen scream", as she dubbed it. Kira had soon uploaded it under one of her accounts on the net. All they had to do was wait as the internet was a beast that no one could slay.Amber found room for another piece of cake, a proper sized one this time. Fadeswa didn’t go into labor but was crowned the victor of the scavenger hunt. The jar of body lotion she won was sure to come in handy for her, though she couldn’t really reach her feet yet. Amber couldn’t picture Pierre Clemonte as the type to rub his wife’s swollen feet,
Ash designated himself as the dealer, but cash money was used instead of poker chips. Amberleigh dug through her purse, Ebony pulled out her boob stash, and the boys rifled through their wallets to pony up. Before the first hand was even dealt, Ebony declared that folding wouldn’t be tolerated up in this bitch. And Ash added shoes didn’t count as articles of clothing. The stakes had been raised before the game even fucking began.Ash set the initial ante at ten bucks. Leo, left of the dealer threw down his ten spot first, then Amber, Grayson, and last but not least Ebony.She scoffed, “Lowballing pussy. I thought you came to play pretty boy. I only got twenties and up.”Ebony ripped a twenty in half and added it to the pot. Amber was waiting for Grayson to tell her that shit was a federal offense, but the billionaire remained tight-lipped. The others snorted at her antics.Ash grinned, “Oh sweetheart, you ain’t seen nothing yet. I didn’t come to play. I came to win.”The trash talk ha
While Leo helped Grayson to the bathroom and then to bed, Amberleigh started cleaning up from the poker game. Her mind wandered as she washed the wine glasses. How the fuck were they going to make this work when they returned to the penthouse? It had been easier to pretend she was a queen in a fairytale with her two kings while the evil troll was out of sight, but Amber couldn’t help but feel once they returned to that tower, it would all fall down on them. Pieces already felt like they were crumbling.She’d told Grayson that so long as Courtney was around, the bitch would come between them. But Courtney wasn’t the only problem as much as it pained her to say. Society demanded a certain kind of woman for the fourth richest man in the city. A woman of impeccable breeding, good genes, beautiful, worthy of the billionaire, both born from the upper crust. But Amber was from the leftovers indeed. The world would never accept their pairing, even if it didn’t involve Leo.Amber and Grayson h
Luckily, Leo had saved the heavy topic of conversation for the next morning. Not that Amber had given him much choice in the matter as she had pretended to be asleep when he finally crawled into bed beside her that night. The chef laid it on a bit thick in the morning though, when she’d awoken to breakfast in bed and then a foot massage.“What’s all this for?” Amber asked as she speared a piece of sausage with her fork.“Because I love you. And a queen deserves to be pampered.”The scent of vanilla filled the room as Leo squirted some on his hands to rub into her feet. It felt divine. The food tasted wonderful as she hadn’t realized how hungry she’d been until the first bite hit her tongue. She’d skipped dinner last night after all.She snorted, “Don’t get me wrong, I like it. But you didn’t have to do all this babe. I told you last night on the phone I was fine with you spending time at the hospital.”“With Elle there. I think we should get our feelings out in the open Love. I didn’t
Amberleigh felt like she was intruding on what should have been a private moment between Leo and Elle. It had been five months since Leo had last seen the woman he’d once planned on spending his life with. Circumstances had pulled them apart, but had fate now brought them back together again? Was this the universe’s way of telling them all they had it all wrong? That Leo and Elle were destined to be together, and Amber was destined to be alone.Amber had once thought she’d be forever parted from Grayson, then a baby in her belly, and a life changing phone call had put him back into her life. But now he’d chosen to walk away from her once again. But watching Elle and Leo just gaze at each other with so many emotions on their faces, only helped Amber realize, that neither of them had walked away from each other in any ways that mattered. In any ways but the physical. Physical distance was often less painful than emotional.Elle and Leo looked like those people who could go a month witho
Amberleigh had cried herself to sleep in Leo’s arms that morning. When she woke up, puffy eyed, she cried some more. Every time she believed she had a handle on her tears, they seemed to come upon her again. Sometimes they crept upon her softly with seemingly little explanation and thoughts of sadness. Sometimes they came on violently with thoughts of anger. Needless to say, after an exhausted day of tears, Amber was in no mood to accompany Leo to the annual Godwin Foundation scholarship dinner that night.The last place she wanted to be was staring at Grayson and Courtney pretending to be a happy couple from across the table. To add salt to her wounds, she’d also be forced to play nice to Hugo Van Tessin, to face that evil bastard for the first time. And Daddy Godwin, another man she cared little for would also be in attendance. It seemed almost more than she could handle, especially in her current state of mind. She was a liability tonight and doubted all the concealer in the world
Hostility, resentment, and unresolved feelings weren’t the only things waiting for Amberleigh back at the penthouse. Mr. Duvall, she assumed had placed their mail in Leo’s room. That was not odd in itself, but what was odd, was that Amber had gotten a letter at the penthouse. Few people knew she had resided there, and all her mail usually went to a P.O. box.At the penthouse, she’d gotten a random postcard once from Ebony as a joke, but that had been it. This time was different, it felt different as Amber looked at the cardboard envelope handwritten to her with no return address. But it didn’t have enough weight to it to be like a bomb or anything. At least she hoped anyway. Her imagination ran away with her, and she imagined getting anthrax or something from this mysterious letter from sender unknown.Leo was puttering around the room unpacking, being un-Leo like in his quietness. Still an after effect of the revelation and fight with his best friend. Not once did he make a joke or s
Grayson knocked on the bathroom door once to check on Amberleigh. She sent him away requesting to be left alone. A short time later, the billionaire didn’t even attempt to get back into bed with her and Leo, instead placing himself at the other side of the warehouse in her school work space. It was for the best as she certainly wasn’t up for cuddling with her baby daddy right now.Amber doubted she’d be able to fall asleep even after she snuggled up against Leo’s back. Her chef stirred and turned until he was facing her. She was greeted by a wide, sleepy smile. She found one for him somehow and snuggled in closer, wrapping her arm around his waist and burying her face into his bare chest. Safe and steady and warm Leo. While Grayson was often reckless and unstable and cold. Leo had always been the safer choice.“Good morning, Love. How’d you sleep?” he asked with a yawn.“I’ve slept better,” she replied honestly.“Bad dream?”He kissed between her eyes as if to kiss away the worry line
She let out a deep breath and Grayson noticed her trying to cut him with her hard gaze.“Are you seriously suggesting what I think you are suggesting?” Amber demanded, “I don’t even know who you are right now.”Grayson merely sighed at her, as if she was an impertinent child and he was irritated by her interruption. By her trying to bring some fucking decency and morality back into the room. He’d lost his fucking mind for sure. This was not the way. This was not justice. It was vengeance.“And what does Van Tessin love most?” asked Ambrov.Grayson eye’s held Amber’s as he began to speak, “Money,” his eyes turned back to Ambrov, “Hugo love’s money above all else. If he loses it, it will destroy him. That’s the way to bring about his downfall. Destroy it from within by bankrupting him. Break down those contracts. Block new ones. Hold the monopoly on the market for his most prosperous goods. I know you are more than capable of making this happen Mr. Ambrov.”Amber sighed internally. At l
Amber was suddenly more afraid than she’d been down in The Rabbit Hole.“Grayson? Where are we? What is this place?” she asked.But before Grayson could answer, a door in front of them opened. Another man, though younger, but no less dangerous walked out. He already had a coldness in his eyes though he couldn’t be more than eighteen. This man had never been a child, or not one for very long.“He is ready to see you now. Bring the girl. He wishes to meet her.”His accent was not as thick. He’d likely been born here or moved to the city while he was still fairly young.Grayson nodded, “Thank you. And I meant no disrespect. I’m honored he agreed to meet with me.”“As you should be. He does not grant audiences to most. His time is very important.”The man moved aside so Amber and Grayson could get past. She took a deep breath as she followed Grayson into the room. She couldn’t see the king of this underground empire right away, as her lover’s broad back blocked her view.The billionaire w
Instead, she allowed Grayson to lead her by the hand to that SUV. Her breathing was loud, her legs felt weak, but without his cane and with a bad knee, she was more of the one helping to hold Grayson up. Helping him keep steady as they exited the garage into the night.He kept murmuring into her ear that things would work out. There was nothing to worry about. They’d be home soon safe and sound. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. But Amber really wasn’t listening to him. He’d already fucking let something happen to her.Amber spared a glance up at the night sky. The moon was full and round, the air crisp, and the sounds of life continued around them. Somewhere a dog barked, a car honked, a seagull squawked, the waves slapped against the docks. It's rhythm was almost hypnotic in a way. The rhythm of life helped to ground Amber, helped to keep her from losing her shit.A cold breeze snatched at her unbound hair, blowing it into her face, and causing her to shiver. She wore nothing
Saturday ended on a high note, both literally and figuratively as Leo hit a vocal range no one knew he was previously capable of. This came as Amberleigh tried out a new sex toy on the willing test subject. A penis massage sleeve which also came with a suction feature, proved almost too much for her chef to handle as Amber slapped it on his large cock and cranked up the dial.Then of course, fair was fair, as Leo pushed a small insertable vibrator into Amber’s pussy. But it was no standard vibrator indeed as it came with a remote control. Leo kept the remote, enjoying messing with the settings and Amber being at his mercy. For several hours that night, often when she least expected it, Leo hit the button and both pleasured and tortured his fiancée.As for Grayson, while he wasn’t quite as adventurous at trying the new crop of toys, he did allow Amber to slide a penis vibrating ring up and down his shaft. But she wound up enjoying his new toy equally as much when it vibrated against he