Rapine 2: Ravished by the Billionaire (The Trophy Wife) by Charlotte Rose Page A

Jack proclaims. “She just gave birth three weeks ago.”
    “Congrats, looks like you’ve become a family man.” Julian smirks.
    “I can say the same thing about you,” Jack replies. “I didn’t think you’d ever settle down. But with a woman like Cheryl, I’m not surprised.” Jack glances at me and smiles.
    Jack’s martini arrives. I sip my cocktail and observe Julian’s friend with interest.
    “ How’s business?” Julian asks.
    I listen as Jack talks about his latest venture, a private holding company.
    Julian and his friend get into a more complicated discussion of business that does not interest me, and so I sip my cocktail and gaze out at the glittering lights of the Dubai skyline.
    Jack orders a few more martinis while discussing business with Julian. I slowly sip on my cocktail while enjoying the view.
    After downi ng six martinis rapidly while speaking with Julian, I notice that Jack is slurring his speech. He is getting more and more talkative.
    “Y ou want to do a few lines for old time’s sake?” Jack suddenly suggests to Julian and my eyes instantly widen. This is another new morsel of information.
    “ No, man. I’m good,” Julian mutters, a quick glance at me.
    “Suit your self,” Jack replies. “Well then, I’m off. Good seeing you man.” Jack stands up, claps Julian’s back, and stumbles away. We both watch as he disappears.
    “ Jack is an old business friend. The guy drinks alcohol like it’s water and he does every type of drug imaginable.”
    “I don’t care about your friend. I care about you,” I respond.
    “I’ve done my share of drugs when I was younger, but it was just experimental. I haven’t touched the stuff since after I met you.” Julian explains.
    “You don’t do anything now?” I pry.
    “No,” Julian responds firmly. “Jack and his wife live in London so whenever I was on business in London, I did a lot with Jack. That was just one phrase of my life. Now, with you in the picture, that is another new phase in my life.”
    I’ve heard that London is the cocaine capital of Europe. I’ve never experimented with any drugs and so this leaves me feeling uneasy. What can I expect though? I’ve seen The Wolf of Wall Street movie. I know that nearly all wealthy men have lived more than most average people: traveled more, had more sex, done more drugs, experienced and tried many more things than the average person.
    I hear Julian’s world phone ring. He pulls it out of his inside suit jacket pocket and looks at the screen.
    “Derek,” Julian says under his b reath. He shoots his eyes to me and I see the viciousness in them.
    My heart begins to race and my pulse pounds hard.
    He picks up the phone.
    “Fuck off, Derek,” he hisses.
    I watch as his jaw clenches tight and he presses his ear into the phone.
    “No,” Julian growls low into the phone.
    No what?
    “ So be it,” Julian spits. “I’ll kill you.”
    Julian ends the call and slips the phone back into his inside jacket pocket.
    “What did he say?” I ask, wide-eyed and nervous.
    Julian doesn’t answer. The phone rings again. Julian ignores it until it stops.
    “Maybe I should speak to him, try to convince him to leave us alone? He just doesn’t understand how much I love you and that I don’t want to be with him anymore.”
    “ He understands perfectly well, Cheryl,” Julian responds, sounding irritated.
    The phone begins ringing again.
    “Please let me talk to him,” I plead with Julian.
    Julian shoots his eyes to mine and looks to be considering my request. “No,” he growls.
    The phone stops ringing. After a few minutes it begins ringing again.
    “He’s mocking me, Cheryl. If he wants to be a man about it and fight me again, I’m ready. I won’t tolerate anything else.”
    “ But if I tell him—”
    “Nothing you say will change his mind,” Julian interrupts me. “He doesn’t give a fuck how you feel.”
    I remain silent, considering how I can solve this situation and