The White Billionaire: The Complete Collection (Books 1-4) Page 14

  He placed the ring on my finger and my heart swelled. I was going to be Mrs. Camille Kane, and the thought absolutely blew my mind. Tears streamed down my cheeks and he rose to give me a kiss. Our lips meshed together perfectly and I melted into his body. I was where I belonged again and life couldn’t get anymore perfect.

  “Whoooooo!!!!!!!” Sandy shrieked, “I gotta call Cynthia. She’s going to die when she finds out.”

  “Okay,” he said as he grabbed my hand. “Are you ready?”

  “Ready for what?” I said in confusion.

  “To go out there,” he motioned towards the door.

  I forgot that the media was outside. I got nervous because I had no clue what to say to them.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll do the talking. You just smile and look pretty for the photos. This will be front page news in a lot of the press tomorrow. So you want to be looking good!” he said, partially soothing my fears.

  “Okay, then I’m ready,” I gripped his hand tighter and we walked outside to let the entire world know about our love.

  I could not believe it. I was engaged to a billionaire.

  My dreams were finally coming true...

  Epilogue

  Posing for the press was an amazing experience. I really felt like a celebrity.

  Waking up the morning, next to the man I loved was the best thing ever. He held me tight all night and I woke up to him showering my body with kisses. His personal chef came by to cook us breakfast. I enjoyed my mimosa and stuffed French toast.

  “I’m the luckiest man in the world,” he exclaimed.

  “That makes two of us. I must have done something right in my past lives. You mean so much to me.”

  “I still can’t believe that you left all of your stuff here,” he laughed, “That was pure torture. I had to take all of your clothes and put them away so that I could get through the day.”

  “Well I couldn’t take it with me, I didn’t want any reminders of you. My life was hard enough without seeing parts of you everywhere.”

  “Oh,” he said changing the subject, “I just want you to know that I’ve fired Charlotte.”

  “And another one bites the dust,” I said as I rolled my eyes.

  “I have a new personal assistant and I’ll have to hire one more.”

  “So I won’t be getting my job back?”

  “No, you won’t be getting your job back,” he said. “I would rather you open your own business and do something that belongs exclusively to you.”

  My eyes widened, “Are you serious? I don’t even know what I would do.”

  “Well you have time to think about it but I think that you would make one hell of a consultant. Businesses will be fighting to get your advice on how to enlarge their client base.”

  “I don’t know, I feel like I want to get formally educated first.”

  “No amount of school can beat what you have in experience. But if you want to go back to school then do it. Pick any one you want, that’s in Chicago.”

  An entirely different world was opening up to me and I was excited for my future.

  “Wait a minute, who is your assistant. I’m going to have to meet her. We haven’t had the best of luck with your choices.”

  “Fine, you can meet him,” he said.

  “It’s a male?” I said in disbelief.

  “Yes, his name is Jacob. I figured female personal assistants are just trouble for me. I either fire them or end up proposing to them.” Kyle laughed. “I figured that you could hire the second one.”

  “Now that I can definitely do,” I said as I beamed from ear to ear.

  “Babe I’m going to get in the shower because I’m still all sticky from last night,” he grinned. “Feel free to join me after you finish eating.”

  He kissed me and then headed for the shower.

  I reached for the newspaper and flipped my way through it. In the local living section there was a huge picture of me and Kyle, not quite the front page but it will do.

  My mood instantly changed when I saw the headline that was written alongside it. I was shocked. Horrified. Sick to my stomach.

  I could not let Kyle see this so I ripped it up and threw it in the garbage.

  I sighed as I knew that this would not get rid of it for good. This would only delay the inevitable. I had to face up to the reality that my past was now going to come back to haunt me.

  And I don't think Kyle will like what he is going to discover...

  The End

  #Book3

  SUBMITTING TO THE

  WHITE BILLIONAIRE

  #Chapter1

  “I suddenly wished that I was holding a glass of vodka instead of caffeine.”

  Camille

  Some say that relationships tend to drift before they end but I still remember the precise moment I knew that me and Marcus were definitely over...

  “So what did he say?” Marcus asked me.

  “He said to meet him at the lakefront on 43rd tomorrow at 10 pm. and he’ll get it to you then.”

  I watched Marcus give a huge sigh of relief.

  “I swear you’re my lucky charm,” he said as he gave me a passionate kiss once we stepped into his apartment.

  “Well you know that I’ve got you. Jay is going to be pissed that we stole his connection though. Are you ready for that kind of heat?”

  “That’s not for you to worry about,” he said as he began to prep a bowl of weed.

  My nerves were on the edge because I’d just finished a meeting with one of the largest distributors of crack in the city. I didn’t want to go, but Marcus was convinced that it needed to be our next move. The problem was that we had to steal that connection from our largest rival. My body was tense, and I couldn’t wait until Marcus finished packing the bowl. I needed to feel the calm that only the drugs could provide.

  “I know that it’s not my issue, but I worry about you. I’m scared that you’re getting in over your head. I don’t want to lose you to some bullshit Marcus, you know I love you.”

  He shook his head dismissively and placed the lighter to the bowl before taking a long pull. He motioned for me to come over, and he placed his lips to mine. I slowly inhaled as he released the piney pungent smoke into my mouth. I closed my eyes and held my breath for a few moments before I exhaled.

  “See baby, I’ve got this. You just continue doing your part and I’ll do mine. Now let’s take a seat, finish this bowl, and then really celebrate,” he grinned as he cupped my center with his free hand.

  “That sounds like a plan,” I replied as I took the bowl from him and sat on the couch.

  I tried to mentally shake the image of him dying from my head. I knew that it wasn’t the right time to discuss something like that with him. We were now into the drug game way too deep, and it was something that we promised we would never do. I stared at the huge smile on his face, and I knew that I was losing him. I knew I could not continue doing this.

  ***

  My mind drifted back to present day reality and my stomach twisted and turned as I thought about the life that I led with Marcus. I couldn’t help but wonder if all of those things would come back to haunt me. I’d done my best to distance myself from that life, but it all has a way of creeping back to bite you on the ass. I just wanted to live my life with Kyle and to continue to make positive choices for myself.

  Reading the papers hasn’t helped me in this endeavor. The headlines served as a constant reminder of where I’ve come from. Pictures of me have been pulled from my Facebook page, and I’ve been dubbed the “Urban Cinderella” in the newspapers and on blogs. I never thought that I would regret the club photos that I’d taken with my friends but now they are a source of shame. They depicted me as if I was some sort of ghetto hood rat. The “Urban Cinderella” title was one of the milder headlines. The headlines weren’t outright racist, but the undertones screamed from the pages.

  “Good morning babe,” Kyle said as he stepped into the dining area wearing nothing but
a towel.

  I quickly folded the papers up and sat them to the side, closed my laptop, and sipped my coffee. Looking at him made me give a slight smile. I loved to watch him walk around the house half naked. But not even that would cheer me up because my mind was occupied with thoughts of the media. I didn’t feel comfortable talking to him about how I felt regarding what everyone was saying. I wasn’t ready to verbally acknowledge it yet.

  “Good Morning Mr. Kane,” I responded as I rose to my feet and kissed him on the cheek.

  He wrapped his arms around me, and I relaxed within his embrace. His arms had become my solace and my safe place. I didn’t need to be protected from the world, but it was nice to have a place to rest when I needed it.

  “You had breakfast without me?” He asked.

  “I’m sorry but I wanted to get an early start on the day. It’s beautiful out, and I’m just going to get some girly stuff done.”

  “Alright, don’t stay out too long. I have plans for us today.”

  “I know, I’ll be back by 3.”

  “Good, I’ll see you then. I’m looking forward to our day out.”

  “Me too,” I said as I gave him my best smile.

  I rose from the table, gathered my belongings, and headed out of the door. The truth was that I really just wanted to be able to look at everything in peace. It was some sort of cruel torture that I was putting myself through, but it was a compulsion. I had to read everything that people were saying about me. I settled at a local coffee shop, ordered a cappuccino, and took a seat in one of the comfortable seats in the corner.

  I pulled out my iPad and began to read the news stories that dealt with my relationship. They all had the same tone. They were surprised that a billionaire was marrying a lower class black woman. Everyone wanted to know where I’d come from, and they all highlighted my background. My own mother was even quoted in a few of the stories. She spoke about how hard it was to raise me in an impoverished area, but she did her best. She went on to say how proud she was of me and then she credited her parenting.

  I gave a shake of my head. My mother was a terrible parent, and she was the reason I had to help Marcus sell drugs. I’d gotten to where I was in spite of my mother, not because of her. She was too preoccupied with being an alcoholic coke head to bother with her parental responsibilities. She had a lot of nerve speaking to the press about me. But the only reason that she was being favorable was because she was hoping that I would give her some money.

  I still wasn’t in the place mentally to deal with her. Now that she’d figured out that I was marrying a billionaire, she probably thinks that I’m going to be her cash cow. Kyle offered to give her a place and a monthly spend, but I declined. She’d never taken care of me so why should I take care of her? The only thing that I would invest in for her was a quality rehab program. I knew that it was something that she would most likely refuse. She wasn’t ready to give up her vices, and she would probably never be. I’ve come to accept that about her, and it no longer bothers me.

  I checked my local twitter trending topics, and I saw that Kyle Kane was trending. My heart lurched as I read the things that people were saying. It was mainly young girls calling me a slut and saying that he could do so much better. Some even tweeted me personally to express their disdain. I suddenly wished that I was holding a glass of vodka instead of caffeine. I hoped that my life wasn’t always going to be this way. I didn’t plan on falling in love with Kyle, and I shouldn’t have been attacked for it. My head was telling me that they were just jealous bigots, but my heart was hurt.

  I wondered if Kyle had read any of the negative press that we were getting. I had to assume that he was because he wasn’t hiding beneath a rock. He was always aware of things that were going on. I opened the Kindle app on my iPad to read a Lena Skye novel to take my mind off of things but even that was not working. I put my iPad away and decided to get a pedicure and a manicure. Sometimes a woman just needs to be pampered, and this was one of those days. I wasn’t ready to pull myself from my sullen mood yet, and I would need some more time before I faced Kyle. I picked up my phone and called to see if Sandy was willing to meet me at the spa. She always lifted my spirits, and she would give me the “fuck the world” speech so that I could feel better.

  #Chapter2

  “I see this as more of an opportunity than a crisis”

  Kyle

  A blind man could see that Camille was stressed out about something.

  The only reason that I let her leave so easily is because she obviously needed personal space. It was hard not to press the issue, but she needed some time to herself. She and I had just taken a huge leap of faith together and maybe she just needed to process it all. I sat down at the table and took a sip of my coffee. My stomach grumbled in anticipation of eating the bountiful breakfast that was before me. Camille and I had a long night, and I needed sustenance. I decided to start with the pancakes.

  After my immediate need for food was taken care of I checked my phone for news updates. My phone was set up to give me all the news that involved me or my company. A handy feature called Google Alerts will let me know whenever we are mentioned anywhere on the web. Camille and I were really popular because our faces were plastered all over the 'showbiz' sites and apparently my name was trending on Twitter. I read the comment sections of the news articles and people were being pretty harsh overall.

  Most women had taken an immediate dislike to her. I expected a backlash over our engagement, and so I wasn’t surprised. However, I should have prepared Camille for it and I regret that now. I gave myself a mental smack when I realized that this was probably why she was so depressed this morning. She was reading the paper and on her laptop before she left. She can seem tough as nails, but she was a sensitive woman, and I couldn’t imagine what was going on in her head and heart as she read those things about herself. It all boils down to the media and the public being assholes. They’ll be happier with your loneliness than to see you happy.

  I decided I needed to cheer her up somehow. It was time for me to whisk her away again. Granted we had a huge cruise coming up in over a month but she needed some time away from all of this. We both needed some time away from our reality. I would whisk her away to California for a few days, and we would have the opportunity to enjoy each other without the stress of the media.

  I opened the laptop to find a nice hotel for us to stay in. Before I could pull up my search engine I heard my elevator door open. I was shocked that Camille had come back so early. Except it wasn’t her, it was my father, and his face was a special shade of bright red. When I saw him I stood to my feet and secured the towel around my waist. He gave me a look of disgust.

  “Good morning dad. To what do I owe the pleasure?” I asked with a hint of sarcasm in my voice.

  “This is not the time to fuck with me Kyle You know damned well why I’m here.”

  “I have a pretty good idea,” I said.

  My indifference only incensed him more, but I refused to let him get to me. I knew the risk that I was taking when I went against his wishes and asked Camille to marry me. My father doesn’t like being ignored, and he doesn’t take being disrespected lightly.

  “You’ve given me no choice. Effective immediately I’m removing you as CEO of the company. I can’t believe that I trusted you to do the right thing.”

  “I did do the right thing. I love her and so I asked her to marry me. There is nothing else to say.”

  “Do you understand what this means?”

  “Yes I understand what this means,” I replied.

  I was telling the truth when I told him that I knew what it meant. I hadn’t talked about the consequences of what we’d done yet because I knew that she would feel guilty. That’s part of the reason why I knew that she couldn’t come back to work for me. I wouldn’t have a place for her to return to.

  “You’re such a fool,” he sighed.

  “I’m not a fool. I’m doing what feels right and at the end of the
day this will make me a lot happier. Love means more to me than that business.”

  “So you’re willing to give up the family’s legacy for her?”

  “I’m not giving up anything, you’re taking it away. That’s a decision that you’re making, but I’m not going to try to change your mind.”

  “What has that girl done to you?” He laughed harshly.

  “She’s not a girl, she’s a grown woman. At this point I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “No, I’m completely serious. Don’t come back until you can respect me and my future wife. This is our home, and I won’t have it.”

  I watched his jaw tighten, and I stood taller so that he wouldn’t get any ideas. I was no longer interested in hearing what he had to say. Our conversation had come to a close. He got the idea and turned on his heels and walked out without another word. I gave a sigh of relief as I watched him leave my penthouse. We both needed some space and hopefully in time he would cool down but if he didn’t, I was okay with that too. I was over allowing him to run my life.

  After he left, I went to my closet and got dressed. I had quite a few things that I needed to get done before Camille returned from her outing. It also gave me time to think about what I wanted to say to her when I saw her again. The wheels in my head were already turning. Money was never going to be an issue for me in my life, but I was accustomed to working. It was time for me to think of a game plan.

  That afternoon Camille returned, and she looked like she was in much better spirits. It was great to see a genuine smile on her face again. I wanted to keep my news a secret for a little while longer, but it was time to put the cards on the table.