The Billionaire's Obsession

Chapter one – Mr. WoodsThe club was crowded today, the people on the dance floor were really enthusiastic, the energy around the club was amazing. Nights like these were the nights I didn't quite mind working at the club. It wasn't that I did not enjoy my job but if I could pass on working nightshifts on school nights I would. Glancing at the busty blonde in front of me I noticed she only had eyes for the amazing Brandon, my co-worker. She was swooning over him, not even hiding the fact that she was undressing him with her eyes. Biting back a chuckle I handed the blonde her drink and raised an eyebrow at her when she beckoned me over. Not wanting to be rude to her I leaned over so I could actually hear her over the loud music blasting through the room. "He is hot." She practically screamed in my ear, "Could you do me a favor and get me his number?" It was hard for me not to burst into laughter right then and there. Glancing over my shoulder I observed the amazing Brandon, wanting to see what many women before me saw in him. Brandon was tall, had a nice athletic built and a smile which Prince Charming would be jealous of. But that was just the exterior, what I saw wasn't a drop dead gorgeous man who could make women's panties drop just by smiling at them. I saw a man who knew he was drop dead gorgeous and used it to his advantage. He never apologized for his behavior, he lived his life to the fullest. Not getting too attached to anyone because life was too short to waste it on a monogamous lifestyle. Knowing all that I could never see what other women saw in him. He was an amazing friend but a horrible lover. Relationships were not something he did, at this time I doubted he even knew how to maintain one. Turning back to the blonde I shook my head at her, "Sorry, I'm not allowed to do that. Work policy, but you know, you can ask him for his number after his shift is over." She reached for her drink and smirked, "I'll do that." The flirtatious look she threw Brandon didn't leave anything to my imagination. If they did meet up after his shift there was no doubt about what they would be doing tonight. I raised an eyebrow at Brandon when I recognized the look in his eyes. Those two were definitely meeting after his shift. Knowing and actually witnessing your best friend being a playboy was something else. Trying to brush it off I focused back on the customers, trying not to mess up their orders. Brandon who walked past me gave my arm a light squeeze. He froze beside me, his eyes scanning the crowd which worried me. "What's wrong?" He narrowed his eyes at something, following his gaze I noticed Victor, our club manager, heading toward us. His look even more alarming than Brandon's. Something was definitely up. Victor walked around the bar and stood behind us, his eyes doing a quick scan from head to toe. "Victor?" Brandon turned around to face the worried looking club manager. "He is coming over tonight." Now Victor was simply scaring me. When in horror movies one of the characters whispered that it was always bad news. It meant someone was going to die tonight. I was pretty sure no one was going to get brutally murdered tonight but something bad WAS going to happen tonight. "Who?" Brandon asked confused, ignoring all the people who were surrounding the bar waiting for their drink to be served. "The owner." Those two words made actual shivers run down my spine. Glancing aside I noticed Brandon was not doing any better but unlike me, he handled the situation better. He composed himself and quickly straightened his uniform, running his hand through his hair to fix that as much as possible as well. When he was satisfied with his appearance he turned to look at me. "We both look good." He mumbled and turned around to go back to his task, "At least he can't complain about our attire. We're dressed properly." "That aside you two also need to be on your best behavior." I noticed how Victor focused on me when he said that, ignoring Brandon completely, "I'm serious about that, you two, last time that man visited the club he fired one of the employees because he opened his mouth at the wrong time." I snorted, "That's a lie." "Well, that and the fact that the guy drenched his date in red wine." Rolling my eyes I turned back around as well and helped Brandon with his orders, "That sounds more reasonable than someone talking freely, this is a free country and all." I felt Victor's eyes piercing my back, "That attitude is what's going to get you into trouble, Em. Keep it in check, at least until the owner leaves the club. He'll be here in five." "We'll be fine, Victor." I didn't mean to sound so harsh but the words slipped out of my mouth before I even realized what effect it would have on him. "I'm just worried about you, Em." His tone softened. Flashing him a smile over my shoulder I tried to reassure him as much as I could, "Thanks, I'll try and keep my mouth shut if I'm near that man." I guess my words pleased him because he left the scene as quickly as he arrived. Brandon beside me burst out in laughter, making a few ladies at the counter swoon. I had to admit the sound of his laughter was better than the crappy music which was blasting through the speakers. "He so wants to bang you." Hearing those crude words spill from his mouth I turned toward Brandon and covered his mouth with my hand, "Should I remind you where we are at the moment? You better take back your inappropriate words, Bran." My eyes widened when I felt something wet against my hand, making me squeal and jump back. My reaction only humored Brandon more. Ignoring the smug look the blonde had on his face I rubbed my hand against my black skirt. "The f**k, Bran, you licked me." He smirked, "You taste good, babe." He told me which made me realize how inappropriate our conversation must sound to others and they did notice because the women who were swooning over him a minute ago giggled at the sight of us, "Don't deny it, even you must have realized what his intentions are." I realized from the very beginning that Victor treated me differently from the other employees. He was nicer to me, talked to me more and yes, the way he looked at me told me he often undressed me with his eyes as well. That didn't mean I had to acknowledge his feelings toward me. It was best to ignore them to avoid embarrassing situations. At least until I finished college and could quit this demanding job. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I told Brandon, pushing him aside so I could wash the glasses. Brandon thankfully didn't continue that conversation and changed the subject instead, "Why do you think the owner is visiting the club? He has people paying the club a visit for business things, right?" "Don't know, I've never met him. I'm sure that it's not business though, it's after midnight." "I haven't met him either but I Googled him, you didn't?" "Didn't feel the need to Google him, I figured we would never run into a guy like him." I glanced at Brandon who seemed awfully into this subject, "Guess I should have Googled him." "He is young and according to the stuff, I read online a 's*x on legs' kind of man. Whatever that means." I couldn't help but to smirk, "Is someone jealous?" "I'm not." Brandon sounded calm and collected but I could hear the slight change in his tone, "I'm not! Don't look at me like that." He pushed my head down so I could focus on the glasses I was washing instead. "So how young is he exactly?" "I read that he is twenty-eight or so. I'm not sure if that is his exact age but I could tell from the pictures that he is long from retiring." "Older men could totally be s*x gods too." "That's the attitude which Victor told you to reel in, Em," Brandon warned me. "Oh, someone is jealous again." Drying my hands I placed the towel on the counter again, "But looks aren't everything. Firing someone because the waiter spilled drinks, I mean, isn't that a bit too much. Shouldn't he at least have given the guy a warning?" Brandon shrugged, "Em, he owns the club. If he wants to fire someone because his date's dress got ruined he has the right to do that. Just make sure if you do have to serve him drinks, don't spill the drinks over his guests." With that the whole atmosphere in the club changed, I noticed how people were gathering together and figured that the owner must have arrived. I couldn't see anything from where I was standing and decided to focus on my job instead. The odds of us meeting was low anyway so I couldn't be bothered with a guy like that. "Guess Mr. Woods has arrived." When the ruckus died down I glared at the stairs which led to the VIP section where Mr. Woods was entertaining his guests. "You know that he can't see you, right?" I averted my gaze, "I'm aware of that, I'm cursing him though. Hoping he spills his drink over his date so he knows that sometimes accidents happen. There is no reason to make such a big deal over it." We went back to work when another wave of customers arrived to order their drinks. I smiled at the guy whose order I was going to take, "Can I help you?" The way his eyes wandered over my body didn't sit well with me, it was unnerving really. Brandon was never bothered with the looks he received and though it actually didn't bother me when Victor looked at me like that when this guy in front of me looked at me like he was undressing me it made me feel sick. Trying to shake the feeling off I reached for my shirt and buttoned it up till my neck, hoping that little action would make the guy back off. Meeting my gaze he ordered his drink and purposely brushed his fingers over mine when I handed him his drink. Guess some people really couldn't take a hint. "What time does your shift end, sweetheart?" He asked me as he leaned over the bar to get closer to me. I refrained from rolling my eyes, "That's none of your business, sir." I told him firmly, "And for the record, I don't date customers." My words only widened his smirk which confused me. He left me a large tip and joined his group of friends near the back. I didn't want to take the tip, not from a guy like that and thankfully Brandon understood because he took it off the counter and placed it in the jar next to the sink instead. Brandon grabbed gently onto my arm and pulled me closer to him, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "When your shift is over you need to head home straight away." He whispered to me, "I don't trust that guy." I agreed, "I will. I still have an hour to go though." Fifteen minutes before my shift was over Victor headed to the bar again, an awfully big grin spread across his face, making him look years younger. That look could only mean that the night went well. The owner must have enjoyed his stay here and we didn't mess things up. Victor walked around the bar again, probably to inform us about what happened in the VIP section. "Mr. Woods was very pleased with the service tonight. That's a good sign." Brandon nodded, "Which means no one gets fired tonight." "That's right," Victor responded brightly. Victor took his phone out of his pocket and focused on his screen instead, "Em, you can head home early. There isn't much left to do anyway. Mr. Woods left a large tip for the employees, I'll transfer it to your account later." Victor left the bar area and headed to his office. Taking my apron off I was about to head to the employees' room to grab my stuff when Brandon grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. He leaned down and kissed my cheek. "Drive safe, I'll call you later to check in on you." Brandon always checked in on me to make sure I arrived home safely. Whenever I had a nightshift I always texted Brandon when I drove home after my shift. It would ease his mind and it made me feel safe knowing Brandon was always aware of my whereabouts. "Talk to you in the morning." I left his sight and went to the employees' room to grab my stuff. After I shrugged into my jacket and placed the strap of my bag over my shoulder I left the club through the back entrance. I felt like being watched as I opened the door and quickly looked over my shoulder. There was nothing there though. As a girl who watched too many horror movies, I recognized this situation. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath hoping nothing would stand in front of me as I opened my eyes again. I slowly opened my eyes and snorted. I was definitely tired and in serious need of some sleep. I stepped out and hastily made my way to the parking lot, heading straight for my car. A shaky breath left my lips when I heard loud voices coming from the dark narrow hallway. I quickly searched my bag and found my keys, my frantic movements made the keys slip through my fingers. I cursed and bend over to grab them. My eyes widened when I felt someone's presence behind me and glanced up to see a shadow hovering over me. This was definitely not a good sign. Gulping I carefully reached for my keys and slowly picked it up, glancing at the window of my car to see the reflection of whoever was standing behind me. "Turn around sweetheart." That was a familiar voice. Quickly turning around I met the gaze of the creepy customer I served earlier. His eyes were heavy and his smile sloppy. He was drunk and not alone. The two guys standing behind him only made the situation worse. I considered running back to the back entrance of the club but I doubted I could make it without these guys cornering me. "I told you that I don't date customers." I titled my head, trying to look as confident as possible, "Now if you excuse me-" I gasped when he suddenly grabbed my elbow and pulled me to him. I tried pushing him away but he wrapped his hand tightly around my arm, probably bruising it. "Your shift is over, no more excuses, Emily." For a second I wondered how the guy knew my name but then I realized the employees all had a nametag so he had seen my name on my tag earlier. With everything I had, I pushed against his chest, trying to make him back off while I stepped back to have some distance between us. "Let go of me!" "Stop pretending you don't want this sweetheart." He chuckled, his friends stepping closer as well, "You've been showing off that hot body of yours all night!" I tightened my grip on my car keys and smacked him across the face with it. He cursed and stumbled back, clutching his right cheek with his hands. I'm sure that hurt his face pretty bad but this wasn't the time to be concerned about a jerk who attacked a girl in the parking lot. I took the opportunity to get into my car and locked the doors quickly. His friends started slamming their hands against my windows, trying to scare me and I hated to admit it but their tactic worked. I was scared out of my mind. I've never been more terrified in my life before. Quickly starting the car I took deep breaths trying to calm myself down as I watched the guys jump in front of my car while calling me names. The guy who I hit with my keys was bleeding, and he didn't look pleased with all. The murderous look in his eyes had me freaking out, but I refused to break down right in front of him. Putting my car in reverse I backed away from the guys. The exit was right behind them. They were daring me to drive toward them and at that moment I didn't give a f**k about their safety. All I could think about was getting home without these jerks getting their way with me. I stepped on the gas and drove straight toward them, smiling when they jumped aside so they didn't get run over. I managed to reach the exit safely and raced home, exceeding the speed limit. When I reached my apartment building I parked my car safely in the regular spot and almost dashed inside the building, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I just wanted my bed and lay down safely under the covers. Reaching my apartment I fumbled with the lock, partly because my hands were shaking and partly because of the adrenaline rushing through my body. I managed to open the door after a full minute and quickly closed it behind me, locking it firmly. I leaned against the door for a minute to catch my breath and slid down, wiping the tears away. My phone vibrated in my bag, making me forget the awful situation for a second. Did you arrive home safely? - Brandon That was the moment I completely lost it and burst into tears. I wanted to call him and tell him what happened, but I'd ruin his shift and I knew he had a woman waiting for him. I couldn't impose so I texted him back, telling him I was okay and arrived home safely. I took another minute to calm myself down and got to my feet. My first class would start at 8 AM so I needed to head to bed. I threw my bag across the room, and headed down the hallway, going straight to my bedroom. Kicking my shoes off I shrugged out of my shirt and struggled to get out of my tights. When I was only in my tank top and skirt I got under the covers and pulled them up till my neck, finally letting the tears spill again. Everyone always assumed that I was so strong, that nothing could ever hurt me or scare me. This event though made me feel like a little girl again and all I wanted was for my brother to be here and hold me. If I did tell him what happened he would order me to stay with him and I didn't feel like living with my brother and his girlfriend. I just had to suck it up and forget that it ever happened. -Next Morning- Glancing at my watch I nearly choked in my coffee, realizing I was running late for my first class. Deciding to start moving instead of freaking out I stopped when I heard the doorbell ring. On top of my early morning freak-out, someone also decided to pay me a visit. Cursing loudly as I walked down the hallway and opened the door, stepping back when I was greeted by a tall, dark-haired male who looked amazing in his black suit. I frowned when I saw him press his lips to a tight line. He didn't seem too pleased with me if anything he looked furious. I didn't understand his attitude though because I had never met his guy before, what did he have to be angry about? He must have noticed how confused I was because he averted his gaze while he pointed at my chest. "Your neon pink bra is showing." Glancing down I felt like dying of embarrassment noticing my top was pushed down, revealing my push-up bra. Clearing my throat I quickly pulled my top back up, trying to cover up though the guy had pretty much seen it all now. At least he saved me from embarrassing myself in public because without him I probably would have left the apartment like that flashing everyone. "I was in a rush this morning." I stood firmly in my flats and titled my head, "Thanks for letting me know. Can I help you? I actually have somewhere to go-" "You're not making your first class." He folded his arms across his chest, "We need to discuss what happened last night during your shift." There was no doubt about it, this guy knew what happened in the parking lot last night. His impassive face gave nothing away but I was smart enough to put one and one together. He didn't look like the pathetic guys from last night, so it made me wonder what his ties were to the club. As I let my eyes wander from head to toe I felt more and more nervous. This guy's probably cost a fortune, his shoes looked like they were brand new and the watch on his wrist, I hoped no one ever told me the price of that piece of accessory. Meeting his gaze again I couldn't help but to sucked into the bright pools of blue. His eyes, they were the most gorgeous blue eyes I had ever seen. "What do you want to talk about?" I asked after realizing I had been ogling this guy shamelessly. "As the guy who owns the club, you're working on I think the two of us have lots to discuss, Emily." I almost tripped over my own feet, but he quickly grabbed my arm to steady me. He closed the door behind him and finally released my arm. At that moment I realized that I was holding my breath. I exhaled and felt all the tension leave my body. He pretended not to notice and walked past me, entering the living room as if he owned the place. Turning on his heels he threw me an expectant look. I stepped closer to him, folding my arms across my chest. "If you're getting sued because of me you're probably the owner." I walked around him and tried to look him in the eyes but failed because I just flashed my bra to my boss's boss. That was the most amazing first meeting, ever. This guy looked like he stepped right out of a magazine and here I was standing before him in my skinny jeans and tank top. Not to mention he knew what was underneath it. I couldn't keep staring at him, it would make him think I was a fool. "You're that guy." "Yes, I'm that guy." He sounded bemused. I sat down on the couch, afraid I might trip over my own feet again because of the shock that the owner was standing in my living room. Brandon was right about him though, the look he gave me was like he was looking down on me. Everything about him screamed arrogance to me. "I did what I had to do to survive, Mr. Woods. They cornered me in the parking lot and weren't backing off even though I asked. There is no way they can make a case out of this. No way a judge in his right mind would-" He held up his hand, stopping my babbling, "I know, I've seen the tapes. It doesn't matter if they can or cannot make a case. If the press finds out it will become a problem for me." "So what do you suggest we do, Mr. Woods?" "My lawyer handled it. We're settling to make sure this stays away from the press." "You're settling?!" I stood up, stepping closer to him, "They were harassing me! They shouldn't get away with this!" Mr. Woods lifted an eyebrow at me, "So you do admit that they were wrong and should pay for what they have done?" He dropped his hands to his side, "With you keeping quiet about what happened last night I assumed you were going to let them get away with it." I was letting them get away with it because I had never been so scared in my life before. At that moment I was just lucky for the guys to be so drunk. If they had been sober I wouldn't have escaped without a scratch I was sure of that. "I was in shock." I stepped back, feeling intimidated by him hovering over me with that mocking look in his eyes, "I just wanted to go home and forget that it ever happened." He stared at me, a full minute we were both quiet and just observed each other. My eyes wandered over his body and I actually started to wonder what he looked like under his expensive looking suit. The tightness around his shoulders indicated that he did have a good body. I met his eyes and blushed, the knowing look in his eyes told me that he caught me ogling him. "We have proof of them attacking you in the parking lot. That was enough for them to keep quiet while they agreed they should compensate you." "They're compensating me for their behavior? I'm not in trouble, am I? I mean I didn't mean for that to happen. I knew it was going to be a problem yet I kept quiet, not wanting anyone to find out because I was scared and embarrassed and-" He turned around, his look of disapproval shutting me up, "Do you always jump to conclusions, talk really loud and fast without taking a breath once?" "Only when I'm stressed." An actual smirk spread across his face. I tilted my head and observed his face, he looked even more handsome than before. I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to look past his looks. He still didn't tell me why the hell he showed up at my apartment if he wasn't going to get sued because of me or fire me. He was the reason why I missed my first class and he didn't seem to care either. This man was not the type of man I should be attracted to. It would never end well. "You should stop doing that, it's getting on my nerves." He grabbed his phone and focused on his display instead, "I need you to sign some documents at the office. Since you're already late I assume it's not a problem if we leave now?" "Wait...What?" "My driver is waiting outside for us, he'll take us to my office." My phone started vibrating in my bag, I remembered that Brandon told me he'd call me in the morning. I probably missed a lot of phone calls already. He must be worried sick. I held up my finger when Mr. Woods wanted to say something and quickly walked to the couch, grabbing my phone out of my bag and answering it. "Hey, Brandon. Sorry, I answered so late. I know you must be worried, but I'm okay. I have to go, I can't talk to you right now, I have an important meeting. I'll call you back later, I promise. Bye." I ended the call and blinked when I saw the impatient look on Mr. Woods's face. I started to think that he just couldn't have any other emotion than anger. He was so good at expressing his anger too. "If you're quite finished we have an important meeting in fifteen minutes." He was mocking me again, and that smirk once again made its appearance. I grabbed my jacket, shrugged it on and reached for my bag. I followed Mr. Woods down the hallway and out of the house. I made sure to lock the door and turned on my heels only to have my breath taken away by the sleek black car awaiting us. Mr. Woods held the door open and gestured for me to get in. I didn't want to make him wait any longer and quickly climbed in. He got in after me. The minute he got comfortable in his seat his phone started ringing and he started having long conversations with several people about his business. From that moment I realized that Mr. Woods was actually the owner of multiple nightclubs across town. I started picking at the hem of my top and shot a glance at Mr. Woods, a blush spreading across my face when he met my gaze. He was looking right at me with that same look he had in the living room. I could be wrong but somehow I felt like Mr. Woods was checking me out, the same way I checked him out before. What was even stranger was the look of appreciation that flashed through his piercing blue eyes. Did he like what he saw? I averted my gaze, telling myself that I was imagining things right now. There was no way in hell a guy like Mr. Woods was attracted to a loud-mouthed college girl who worked at one of his nightclubs.