XAVIER'S POV
It was time to mingle in the billionaire's club. To find a suitable wife.
And the women here were anything but suitable. They were beautiful, classy, sophisticated, rich and most importantly, they were the perfect wives.
But that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted someone different. Someone who was real.
I wasn't looking for a trophy wife.
I needed something else.
Someone else….. I wanted Lisa.
I had never thought of Lisa as a wife before.
Well? I've never thought of getting married either until yesterday.
But she was a maid. And I was the master.
This wasn't right. It could never be.
Yet, somehow, I found myself wishing that she was here with me. That she was the one who was standing beside me.
The other women. They didn't have the same charm or beauty as Lisa.
They didn't have her innocence. Even after introducing her to the pleasure and pain I was giving her, she still managed to keep her innocence.
Lisa had a purity that was so unique and rare. She had a quality that no one could match.
The way she talked. Her shyness. The way she looked at me.
Her smile.
Fck. Was I in love with her?
No. I shook my head. That's impossible.
There's no way.
But then, why did I want her so badly. Why did I have this feeling of wanting to protect her.
Why did I feel jealous every time I saw her with another man?
Was it possible? Was I really falling for her?
I was so engrossed in my thoughts and obsession for Lisa that I was ignoring all the ladies that came up to me.
"Xavier Jackson, a pleasure to meet you here. I heard the news. I'm the right woman for you to marry." One of the women said.
I ignored her and kept smoking my cigar.
"Hey. I'm talking to you." The woman said as she waved her hand in front of me.
She was wearing a low-cut dress that showed off her b-reasts. She was trying to get my attention.
I rolled my eyes and moved away.
She was too bold and upfront.
Another woman in a short black dress approached me.
"Hello, Xavier. You're so hot. I heard you're looking for a wife. Well, I think I'm perfect for you. My name is Cindy. My parents own a chain of restaurants. It would be a perfect partnership. My father would be happy to do business with you. All I ask is a marriage." She said.
She clung to me like a leech.
I removed her hand from my arm and turned to her.
"No thanks." I replied.
"What do you mean, no? I'm the perfect partner for you. And I can do crazy things to you in bed" She whispered, she trailed her fingers along my chest.
I pushed her away and glared at her.
"Leave me alone." I stated and walked away.
Fck. These women were a pain.
There were more women. All of them trying to get my attention.
"Hey, handsome." One called out.
"You're so sexy." Another one said.
"You look good enough to eat. My family is bloody rich. I'm the perfect woman for you."
"Come on, handsome. Let's get married already." One woman said and grabbed my hand.
I yanked my hand back and walked away.
Henry was behind me, shaking his head.
"This is hopeless, Mr Jackson. If you keep turning down every woman who approaches you, you will never find a wife. This isn't how you pick a wife. You don't just pick a wife. You need to talk to them. Get to know them. See if they are a good fit for you." Henry spoke.
"I can't do that. I don't want these women. They are not what I'm looking for." I replied.
"What are you looking for, Mr Jackson?" Henry asked.
"Lisa." I whispered angrily as I turned to face him.
"I'm looking for Lisa. She's the one I want. And I don't care about all this bullshit. I just want her. That is all." I stated.
"Not all these women. I don't give a fck about them. I don't care if their rich or have a billion dollars to their name. They are not Lisa. So I don't care. I…I can't do this." I spoke.
I grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the waiters walking around the party and drank it.
Fck. What was I going to do?
"Mr Jackson, calm down." Henry spoke.
He pulled me aside and away from the crowd.
"Look, I understand you. I can see that you're frustrated. But remember, Mr Jackson, the only reason why you're doing this is for the company. And your employees. You're doing this for your reputation, your inheritance. For your family's legacy." Henry told me.
"So you want me to give up the one person that makes me happy?" I asked.
"You're just married, Mr Jackson. It's not the end of the world. Also you can still have Lisa, after you get married." Henry said.
"You won't be the first Jackson nor the last to have a mistress. You do know your father had one too." He said.
I shot Henry a look.
He was right. But the thought of having Lisa as a mistress was unbearable.
I loved her. I knew it. I didn't know how. Nor did I know when.
But I did.
She had become more than just a maid or a f-uck buddy. I didn't want her as a mistress.
And I definitely will never be like my father.
Over my dead body.
My father had a lot of mistresses. Even as a young boy I knew about it. I respected my father and I'm proud of him.
He was the one who taught me the importance of the family name and our wealth.
But, his cheating was something I couldn't agree on.
How could he do that to my mother.
My mother was a strong woman.
I was surprised when she decided not to leave him.
My father didn't deserve her.
She was beautiful, kind, smart, caring and strong. She gave her all to my father.
All her love and he did nothing but betray her. My father had a lot of affairs and mistresses.
I didn't like it. I despised him for it.
My father would tell me that being a powerful man came with certain sacrifices.
Like a wife who was too good and pure.
One day, I would understand.
But that never happened.
I would never treat a woman the way my father did to my mother.
Never.
My father was a fool.
I wouldn't make the same mistake as my father.
"I'm not like my father, Henry. Lisa is not going to be a mistress. Not in a million years. That's not the life I want for her." I stated.
"If she is important to you, Mr Jackson, then she will always be by your side." Henry said.
"She is important to me and she will be by my side but not as a mistress." I replied.
I finished the glass of champagne.
Henry was staring at me. He didn't say anything. Instead he just walked ahead of me.
"Where are you going to?" I asked, walking behind him.
Henry didn't respond.
"I'm talking to you, Henry." I said.
Henry was walking deeper and deeper into the crowd.
I could hear people talking and laughing.
"This is the biggest event of the year. All the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes are here. The richest, sexiest and most powerful are in attendance. I would be surprised if Mr Jackson doesn't get engaged or married by the end of the night." One woman was speaking.
"Yes. I heard the rumor. Apparently, his uncle wants to take over. That's the only reason why he's doing this. To stop his uncle." Another woman said.
"Poor man. I would have loved to marry him. But I'm afraid that his ego is too big. He won't ever consider me as his wife." One of them laughed.
"What about you?" The other asked.
"I would totally be his mistress. I wouldn't mind being his s-lut. I would bend over backwards for him." The woman giggled.
I rolled my eyes and ignored them.
These women.
I was more focused on Henry and where he was leading me too.
Soon enough, the crowd began to thin out.
I could see Henry's back as he moved through the throngs of people.
He was walking fast. Too fast.
"Henry. Wait." I called out.
Henry didn't stop. He continued walking.
I followed him until we were on the balcony.
"What the hell, Henry?" I asked as I stood next to him.
"You know the party and the women are inside right." I said, breathlessly.
"Yes." Henry nodded.
"But guess who's here to see you." Henry said and gestured towards a woman.
She was leaning against the balcony, watching the cars go by.
The moment I saw her, my heart skipped a beat.
Even from behind, I knew who she was.
It was Ramona.
My eyes widened. Holy sh!t.
Was this real? Was she really here? Or was it a dream.
I stared at her.
Ramona was the first woman I ever had s-ex with. The first woman I ever touched.
She was the one who introduced me to the pleasures of the flesh.
The one who brought taught me the act of BDSM.
I was 17 and she was 19.
We met at a formal gathering. My family was an investor in her father's multi-billion dollar corporation. And I was invited to their house to sign some documents since my parents were dead then.
That was the day I met Ramona.
At first our love life was quite simple. Kisses, hugs, holding hands, cuddling and then one night she suggested something new.
She told me she wanted to try something.
She wanted to tie her wrists together with a belt. And blindfold herself.
Then, she wanted me to be in charge.
To touch her wherever I liked and do whatever I pleased.
I was hesitant but she promised that it would feel good.
So, we tried. And it did. It felt great.
The feeling of power. The control.
I loved it.
Each passing day we tried something different, we pushed the limits.
The more we experimented, the more she asked me to push the limits.
To do more.
The pain, the pleasure. It was like a drug. An addiction.
We continued our relationship.
Until one day, her parents moved across the world. Her father had started a new company in Spain and the family had to move.
When Ramona left, it took me a long time to move on.
After Ramona, there were many women. But no one was able to give me what Ramona did.
No one. Not until I met Lisa.
I wouldn't say I was in love with Ramona. Or that I was ever in love with her. Especially not the way I felt about Lisa.
But I did care about her.
She was the first woman who understood my dark side. The one who showed me the world of BDSM. She opened up a whole new side to me. A part of myself that I didn't know existed.
My desire, my lust, my need.
My darkness.
Without Ramona, I would have never found out about the things I enjoyed and loved.
So seeing her here, dressed in a short red dress that hugged her curves, her hair pulled back and her beautiful smile, it was hard not to feel anything.
My body tingled. Memories of our nights together.
Our kisses. Our touches.
My body heated up.
I remembered everything. I couldn't believe she was here.
After all these years.
I didn't know what to think. What to say.
Ramona ignited a special kind of fire in me and that kind of feeling was impossible to forget.