A Billionaire's Life Ch. 06

"Pardon me, sir," Edward repeated. "But Security says that Ashlyn Scott and Kate Ross are at the front gate."

***

There had been something in Edward's tone that exposed his concern, and Taylor, Cassandra, and I all looked at each other. Add to his tone the fact that the two models were arriving unannounced and late at night, and the three of us were soon scurrying to the front door.

We ended up bursting outside just as the taxi pulled up. Kate slid out of the backseat first, flashing an absolutely terrified expression in our direction. Then I saw that her dress was torn, with a wide tear from hip to hem, and my adrenaline rush kicked up another notch.

I was already walking forward towards the cab when Kate reached inside and started helping Ashlyn out. And as soon as we saw the redhead's dark black eye and bruised cheek, I broke into a dead run.

"Oh, John!" Kate exclaimed as I arrived and immediately circled my arms around Ashlyn, who seemed half-conscious as she collapsed into my grasp. On an ordinary day, Ashlyn was simply the most beautiful woman in the world. But today, she looked like hell. She had a split lip, her coppery hair was a tangled mess, and her dress was so torn I could see a bare nipple and several expanses of her torso through the rips. It didn't take a genius to figure out someone had beaten the crap out of her.

Taylor arrived a second later and gasped, "Ohmigod."

Three feet away, Cassandra was already talking to the cab driver and fishing through her purse to pay the man.

"Let's get her inside," I informed the girls and then suited words to action as I slipped my right arm under Ashlyn's legs and scooped her into a carrying position, with her head lolling against my left shoulder.

Taylor was barking orders for Charlotte to call a doctor, and then we all hurried inside. Cassandra directed me to take Ashlyn into a guestroom, and as a group, we moved along, not running, but not taking our time either.

Taylor asked Kate, "What happened?"

Kate's grim one-word answer was all we needed for now. "Marty."

Immediately, I shifted my grip to hold Ashlyn a little tighter, and she began to softly cry into my chest. I had no rights over the gorgeous redhead. She had never been my lover or really even a close friend. But I felt a stabbing guilt over letting such a beautiful creature be harmed by Dean, and I wondered if there wasn't anything more I should have done to prevent this. It was as if my latent attraction to her had instilled me with a responsibility over her well-being.

"You're hurt, too," Taylor continued.

"I'm fine. He never managed to hit me. Just a few scratches," came Kate's quiet reply, tinged with both fear and rage.

We arrived at the guestroom and with infinite care and tenderness, I lay Ashlyn down across the bed. Taylor then moved me out of the way as she and Kate sat down beside their friend, soothingly touching her forehead and squeezing her hands.

I stood a foot away, alternately watching the door for any potential intruders and looking over Ashlyn's battered body. Besides the black eye, bruised cheek, and split lip, there was evidence that Ashlyn's nose had been bleeding. Her slender arms already had purple bruises and there were fingernails scratches in various places where Dean had apparently tried to grab hold of her.

On the other hand, Kate was in good shape, at least physically. Aside from the torn dress, she had fingernail scratches and some light bruising on her left arm, but nothing serious.

Just then, Charlotte walked into the room and said the doctor would arrive in ten minutes. She also had a first aid kit and set it on the dresser to start pulling out various ointments and bandages.

But Cassandra arrived a moment later and stayed Charlotte's hand. "Not yet. Let me check her for internal bleeding, but everything else can wait until the doctor arrives. Also," she held up a digital camera. "We have to do this first."

Cassandra's eyes flicked to Ashlyn for a moment before she looked at me. "Jonathan, we'll have to remove her clothes for the pictures. Can you step outside for a moment?"

I glanced at Ashlyn and then nodded in understanding. But then Ashlyn called out, "No!"

We all turned to look at her while she grimaced and squeezed Taylor's and Kate's hands. The battered redhead looked straight at me and said in a wobbly voice, "I want him to see what Marty did to me."

Cassandra looked at me for a moment and then nodded. She gestured to the others to help remove the dress.

When the material was tugged to her waist, Ashlyn glanced up at Taylor and then a little smile crossed her face. And with a chuckle, Ashlyn said, "Besides, every woman in this room is bi. So if you're all going to ogle me then John might as well get the thrill."

Taylor managed a smile as she helped Kate remove the dress all the way down, leaving Ashlyn naked save for tiny thong panties.

But I stepped forward and looked at Ashlyn's naked body impassively. Yes, she had gorgeous breasts, but for now all I could see were the bruises and scratch marks. "There's nothing arousing about this, Ashlyn," I stated grimly.

She blinked a few times and looked ready to start crying again. Cassandra hit me in the chest and glared at me. I probably should have tried to keep things light instead of further upsetting the girl.

Then Cassandra moved in and began feeling around Ashlyn's body to search for any damaged organs or internal bleeding. Thankfully, Ashlyn seemed to be in good shape.

Cassandra then held up the camera. "Okay. Let's begin."

***

After checking out Ashlyn first, the doctor took ten minutes to check out Kate and pronounce her in good health. He had Charlotte put some ointment on her scratches and gave her an ice pack for any potential swelling on the arm. And then Kate left the guestroom and started pacing in the hall.

My heart filled up with all the affection I'd felt for Kate before she'd left this house. And after taking one last look at the doctor doing a further examination of Ashlyn, I stood up and also went outside.

Kate's mascara was running down her cheeks and for a moment, I was reminded of how she looked when she'd packed her bags and actually left the house. As I came out, she glanced at me once and then walked directly across the hallway to her old bedroom.

In the doorway, she paused and looked back for me, a puppy-dog expression in her eyes. And then she went in.

Three steps later I realized I was following her and as I entered the bedroom, I found her sitting up on the bed, knees pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them.

Quietly, I went to her and slid beside her on the bed, my back against the headboard. As soon as my hip got within a few inches of her, Kate slid into me and then lay back against my chest, pulling my arms around her slender body.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

Kate exhaled slowly, a long, drawn out stream of air. And then taking a deep breath, she began. "I'm sure you heard about the bankruptcy."

"Yes."

"Marty didn't exactly come home in a good mood tonight," Kate sighed. "The news blindsided us as well. We had no idea there was anything wrong. Just last night, Marty took us both on a nice carriage ride through Central Park and we wound up have a very pleasant threesome."

I felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of Dean entwined with both Kate and Ashlyn, but Kate just continued matter-of-factly. "Ashlyn usually leaves CNN in the background around the apartment. We got the news that way. And when Marty came home, Ashlyn tried to be the good girlfriend and went to cheer him up. But he was in a foul mood and when Ashlyn didn't take the hint to leave him alone for a minute, he just backhanded her across the face."

Kate's voice quivered and I held her a little tighter. I stayed quiet and waited for her to gather herself. And when she spoke again, it was just barely above a whisper. "I was so shocked I stood up and yelled at him. He called me a bitch and told me to sit down. Ashlyn was holding her cheek and crying and he yelled at her to shut up. And when she didn't shut up fast enough, he just punched her with a closed fist. That's how she got the black eye."

Kate sniffled and I saw fresh tears begin streaking dark mascara along her cheeks. "I ran to try and help her. He hit her twice more until she just collapsed onto the floor. Oh my gawd, John. She was screaming so loud. All I tried to do then was pull Ashlyn away from him. But he kept hitting her and hitting her and every time I pulled her a few feet away, he dug his nails into her arm or leg or whatever and yanked her back so he could keep hitting her. Once, he grabbed my arm so I couldn't pull Ashlyn away, but just that once. And then finally, Ashlyn just went limp. I think he knocked her out because the screams went so quiet so fast. Only then did he just walk away."

The young blonde was shuddering in my grasp by now, and it was all I could do to hold her steady. Kate began to sob uncontrollably, and I rocked her body slowly while cooing softly in her ear, and after a few minutes, she was down to slow heaves and she managed to get her crying in check. Kate turned her face to me and wiped her face against my shirt, leaving makeup streaks before squeezing her eyes shut and then looking up into my eyes. I just tried to express all my understanding and warmth in my gaze, and Kate actively wrapped her arms around me.

With her voice slightly muffled as her face was half-pressed against my chest, Kate then continued. "Ashlyn started coming to and I was working to help her to her feet. Marty had gone back into the bedroom or something, but when after Ashlyn started moaning, I heard him get up and heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor. In a panic, I simply grabbed up Ashlyn and stumbled her out of the apartment. I didn't have time to grab a purse or a phone or anything. I simply ran her out of there and got a cab. We came straight here. I knew you guys would help us."

"Of course," I said reassuringly and stroked Kate's shoulder.

She let out another long exhalation and clutched herself closer to me. "My life is so pathetic, John. You and Taylor are the only other people in this world I can trust."

I rubbed her hair and instinctively, I gave Kate a soft kiss on her forehead. Then I went back to just holding her. If I could have my way, I'd make sure nothing else ever harmed her again. Kate went quiet then and blissfully just rested herself against me.

But at the same time, I thought about the happiness I'd been feeling just a short hour ago. I was coming home to my wife, my *pregnant* wife. And just when my gut started gnawing at me to release Kate and find Taylor, Cassandra appeared at the open doorway to the bedroom. She took one look at me and Kate and then nodded with a little smile on her face.

"Where's Taylor?" I asked as I started to pull Kate off me, who just whimpered in protest.

Cassandra waved her hands at me to stop and then Kate hugged herself into my side once again. "She's staying with Ashlyn tonight," my assistant told me softly and indicated with her hands that I should stay put. "It's okay. You'll see her tomorrow."

I gave Cassandra a little smile, slightly disappointed that after a few nights away from my wife in London, I had to spend another night without Taylor. But tonight wasn't an ordinary night. So when Cassandra left and closed the bedroom door, I wrapped my arms tighter around Kate while she snuggled her head against my chest. And a few minutes later, I realized she'd fallen asleep as her breathing became shallow and steady.

I wasn't in the most comfortable position, sitting upright. But as I slowly held Kate's warm body and let my head loll until my cheek was on top of her head, my adrenaline rush gave out and I felt myself falling into the blackness of sleep as well.

***

As consciousness filled my mind, I gradually became aware of my surroundings. I was in bed in a strange room, the warm body of a woman enveloped in my arms. This in and of itself was not odd. I spent many a night in various hotel rooms and many a night with beautiful women in my arms, almost always with Taylor or Cassandra.

But the platinum blonde head in front of my face wasn't that of my two loves. And stiffly I realized that I was fully dressed.

Soon enough, I determined that I was spooned up behind Kate, my left hand cupping a breast from underneath her body while my right rested on top of her hip, and we were in her bedroom. This was a pleasant thought, and I closed my eyes to enjoy snuggling behind her.

Then my eyes popped open as it all came back to me. The first thing I remembered was that despite Kate living with us for a time and she and I having sex with some regularity, I'd never spent the night with her before. This past night had been the first. And as I pulled my right hand higher up to feel the rough fabric of her dress, I remembered the bustle of activity of last evening: from hers and Ashlyn's arrival by taxi to falling asleep together in this room.

Kate apparently was already awake. When she felt me stirring, she immediately spun around with eyes wide open as she looked at me adoringly. Reaching up with her hands, she got a grip on my shirt and then leaned her head forward, kissing me almost experimentally.

Blinking in some confusion, I kissed back instinctively for a few seconds and then pulled away. "Kate..." I began, careful to keep my voice calm.

"Please?" she said so softly and with such emotion that it broke my heart. And then she leaned in to kiss me again.

I let her kiss me but kept my eyes open. And when she pulled back she smacked her lips and then fixed those dark eyes on me again. "John, make love to me," she pleaded in a quiet voice.

"Kate..."

"Please." Her eyebrows tilted outward and she looked ready to start crying again. "Make me feel loved."

Here was a young woman, just a little girl in a way, desperate for some affection. And I cared about her very much. I wanted to shelter her, protect her, and love her in a way. And without further thought, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers.

Kate moaned and clutched my shirt tighter as she pushed her face harder against mine. And when her tongue snaked out I received it warmly before extending my own as our tender liplock turned into a fierce kiss of passion. She pushed harder and rolled me onto my back, and once she had me pinned, her hands went up and she began tugging at her dress to yank the flimsy garment down and out of the way.

She wore no bra, and once revealed, her small but perky breasts hung right in my face. She moved up and invited me to take them into my mouth, which I accepted quite happily. And while I suckled at her teats, she reached down and pushed the dress down her hips, taking her panties along with it so that she was fully naked on top of me.

Once her stripping was complete, Kate rolled onto her back and tugged on me to move on top of her. I paused to kiss her tenderly once again while both our hands went to work stripping my clothes off now. And once I was naked, I slid beside Kate with my right leg thrown over hers and bent down for another kiss.

Kate moaned in obvious arousal, and she reached her hands up to my face. She pulled me away for just a brief moment, panting heavily and her dark eyes searched into mine. "Don't just fuck me, John. Make love to me. Please?"

I nodded and then ducked again to kiss her. A thrill surged through my body. FINALLY, Kate was asking me to make HER happy. She was asking something for herself, instead of merely giving herself to someone else or sacrificing her own desires in an effort to satisfy a man. In all the time I'd known her, the only thing she'd ever pleaded with me was to make her feel like a worthy mistress. Now, she was pleading with me to make her feel loved.

And dammit, I WAS going to make her feel loved.

I took things slowly. Featherlight kisses along her face gradually moved down her neckline.

Gentle caresses took their time to trail down her arms and tease her fingers.

The trail of my tongue across the creamy expanse of skin on her chest moved across every possible millimeter of skin before I ever touched a nipple.

And by the time my fingers had rubbed everywhere along her thighs *except* her crotch, Kate finally had to just grab my hand and shove two of my fingers into her sopping wet pussy.

She groaned, I laughed, and then I finally moved my lips and tongue into her crotch. The moment my tongue hit her clit, Kate's body locked up and she orgasmed.

"Oh, John... Oh, John..." she panted as she came down from her climax. I paused to wipe my face off and then slid up her body until we were face to face. And the moment my head came in front of hers, Kate seized me around my ears and pulled me to her lips for a kiss as fierce as any we had shared before.

When we finally broke for air, Kate had a wild look in her eyes. I shushed her with soft strokes of my hands on her cheeks and I rubbed her shoulder. "Relax, Katie..." I said softly. "Relax... We have all the time in the world."

"Make love to me now?" she asked with innocent hope in her eyes. "Please?"

"Of course," I replied tenderly. My cock was more than ready.

Her tongue shot out and licked across her lower lip in anticipation as she parted her legs and I moved my hips in between them. Kate kept her gaze straight on my eyes as I shifted around, lining up my dick at her entrance. And then her eyelids fluttered and she gasped as I began to push in.

"Oh, John..." Kate crooned as I slowly glided forward and kept gliding until our hips were fully together. She wrapped her arms around my neck and then kissed me again, and we stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the sensations of being joined together.

I hadn't realized how much it hurt me when she'd left the house. The Tokyo business trip and then my birthday trip to Vegas had done much to distract me. But now, as I found myself embedded inside of this sweet, vulnerable, young woman, I understood just how attached to her I'd become and how much I'd missed her presence.

In a way, she *was* more special to me than Rebecca or Mia. Those two were beautiful, playful, and undeniably sexy. But they were strong, independent women. We had our fun together, but they didn't really need me. It was part of what made my friendship with them so easy.

But Kate wasn't like them. She wasn't independent. She wasn't submissive, but she needed to feel like she belonged to someone. But without finding someone who loved her, she'd had to settle for simply finding a master to her mistress, someone to own her.

I didn't want to "own" her. And convinced I couldn't give her what she needed, Kate had left. But now I saw the other side of her. It wasn't just ownership she craved. She craved affection and attention. She *needed* someone, and It was a powerful attractant, to be needed. Kate wanted a knight in shining armor, and I wanted to be that knight for her.

And right now, Kate needed to feel loved. So with every ounce of concentration I focused on pleasing her. Every thrust, every caress was to induce delight in Kate's body. I wasn't fucking her to get myself off. I was making love to her solely to make her happy.

I seemed to be successful.

Kate moaned, "Oh, John! You fill me up! So good... so good..."

I experimented with pace until I found something she seemed to respond to. Not too hard, not too fast, but steady and with long strokes. I paid more attention to rubbing against that first inch of Kate's pussy, my cock caressing her labia, and I rotated my hips to grind my pelvic bone against her clit. With Kate, at least, it seemed like the deepest depths of her tight pussy made me feel good but it was that first inch that made her feel good, so I focused on it.