Tom Billionaire Ch. 06

Fortunately, Cassandra's mother had also come to stay with us. The two had gotten along famously the few times they'd come together, and had known each other for decades already. So I cut a deal with her: keep my mom occupied, and I'd bring her daughter home safe and sound.

I checked in with them, making sure they were comfortable. Mom told me to be cautious, and so did Cassandra's mother.

"The absolute LAST thing Cassandra wants is for you to jeopardize your safety for hers," Mrs. Cooper warned me. "Even if she gets out of this, she would never forgive herself if you were hurt."

I reassured both women that I would be fine. And then I left to seek out the others.

Next was Ashlyn, and I made my way to the family room where she was playing with Joey in the final hour before the little girl bedded down for the night.

"Daddy!" Joey giggled, seeming just a little drunk in the toddler's pre-sleep delirium. She got to her feet and waddled over to me, arms open.

"Hey, kiddo," I grinned, scooping her up and then patting her back as I walked around with my daughter. I then looked past her shoulder and over to my ex-girlfriend. "How's she adjusting? Think she'll have any problems going to sleep in her old room?"

Ashlyn shook her head. "Not at all. She actually seems to remember this place just fine."

I arched an eyebrow. "And how about you?"

Ashlyn put her hands together and twisted them around, stretching her arms down. She looked wistfully around the room before sighing. "I'll be fine. Lots of good memories here."

I smirked, thinking of her bedroom and some of the out-of-control sex sessions we'd had in there. It was only one of many rooms in this house we'd wrecked in our athletically lustful romps.

The gorgeous redhead seemed to sense where my mind was going, and she gave me a lopsided smile of her own. "Yeah, some of those memories, too."

I waggled my eyebrows flirtatiously, "We could've been making some more memories these past couple of weeks. But *you* never called me back."

It was the wrong thing to say. Her face immediately fell. "Johnny..."

I winced and shook my head. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I know you asked for some time and space. It's not my place anymore to-"

"No-no," she interrupted me. "You're right. I asked you to stop coming over for a couple of days. But then a couple of days turned into more days, and then a week, and... I'm sorry. I should have called you back."

We both went quiet for a moment, looking away from each other. Searching for a way to break the ice, I shrugged and asked, "So how's the new boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Ashlyn frowned at me. "Are you having me followed?"

"Followed?"

"How could you possibly...? Fabrizio only asked me out yesterday."

"Fabrizio?" I asked in confusion.

"Fabrizio Alfonsi," Ashlyn explained. "You've met him a couple of times. He's got a boutique down on Broadway at 37th. Tall guy. Italian."

I frowned. "What about... Nate... Petrol? Petrov?"

"Nicolas Petrov," Ashlyn corrected, smirking and shaking her head. "He was just a friend."

"That's all?"

Ashlyn rolled her eyes and shrugged. "We hooked up a few times. Nothing more. It's been over for weeks."

I grimaced at the thought of the hockey player having sex with my girlfriend.

Ashlyn glared at me. "What, YOU'RE going to get all self-righteous about sleeping around?"

I immediately held my hands up defensively. "No, no. We always had an open relationship. And I was gone for a very long time."

"Damn straight you were."

I blinked and gave Ashlyn a significant look. "But this Fabrizio guy. He's more than just a hookup, isn't he? There's something in your voice."

Ashlyn sighed and stared off at nothing. But she bit her lip and nodded slowly.

"He asked you out?"

She nodded.

"What did you say?"

That pensive look was back. Ashlyn reached up and rubbed Joey's shoulder before answering, "I told him... I wasn't sure I was ready yet. But I also told him to ask me out again sometime. He's nice. He's sweet."

I blinked and patted Joey's back, who was sucking on the side of her hand and resting her cheek against my shoulder as I swayed gently. "You don't need my permission, you know."

"I know... I just..." Ashlyn sighed and then gave me a frank look. "I didn't want to hide this sort of thing."

I chuckled. "Nothing to hide. You haven't even said 'yes' yet."

"But I might."

"Then go ahead."

Ashlyn leaned back, shifting her weight to the opposite foot. And then she gave me a level gaze. "Really?"

I sighed and nodded. "I'll admit there's a selfish part of me that always wanted you just for myself. But even when you were living here, I always let you sleep with other guys. You saw the open relationship I had with Taylor. And you certainly boinked a few at our Playroom parties."

"Those parties were different. And with both me and Taylor, we always made sure everything was honest and upfront."

"Same as you're doing now."

"Is it?" she asked me suddenly. "Is it the same?"

I blinked, not quite understanding.

She sat up straight, giving me a hard look. "Is this us having an open relationship and you letting me hook up with another guy? Or is this us being over, and me starting to seriously date someone other than you?"

I winced and immediately turned away, not wanting Ashlyn to see my expression. I was sure Joey's cute face drew her attention as I started walking around with the toddler looking back at her mom. And I fought to keep my jealousies under control.

Any guy would be jealous. Ashlyn had been my girlfriend, my lover, and a part of me wanted to keep her for myself, no matter the circumstances. She was friggin' hot, a prize any man would love to have.

But that wouldn't be fair to her. I didn't deserve her. I'd given up my rights when I'd first let her move out, and even more so when I'd run off to Europe to change my name and be with Vivienne. Ashlyn deserved her own life, and she'd already told me before that she wanted to move on. Hell, she'd told the _media_ that she was moving on.

But I still loved her. She was the mother of my only child, but even beyond that, she'd been an instrumental part of my life up until a few months ago. Less than a year ago, we'd been talking about having a wedding ceremony to bond her to me just as tightly as Taylor, even if we couldn't make it legal in the U.S. We'd talked about continuing our family, having more children together. And the feelings we'd once had for each other hadn't fully gone away.

"Johnny..." Ashlyn had followed, rubbing my arm and then raising higher to brush her fingers against Joey's cheek. "You're not happy about this."

"No, I'm fine," I croaked, not really meaning it. "If you like this... Fabrizio... you should see him."

"Are you sure?" she studied my face.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"You're not sure," she stated knowingly, reading my eyes.

"No, I'm fine, I'm fine. I've failed you, Ashlyn. I've failed you as a boyfriend, as an almost-husband. You were right: I should have come to you four months ago. I shouldn't have left for Europe without telling you where I'd gone. None of it was your fault. You didn't deserve to have me shut you out."

Ashlyn's lips pursed and her resentment from two weeks ago returned. "You're right. I didn't deserve that."

"You deserve better. Maybe this Fabrizio guy is it. Maybe not. Either way, you should have the freedom to find someone who will take care of you the way you deserve."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm my own woman, and I'm a mother now. I've been doing fine for months now and I don't *need* anyone to take care of me."

"Of course not."

Ashlyn stopped me now, and looked me in the eyes. "Say you don't want me to date Fabrizio Alfonsi. Say it and I won't."

"Ash, you deserve..." my voice trailed off. I was about to tell her again that she was free, and that she deserved better than what I'd given her so far. That was the right thing to do, wasn't it? But an alarm bell had gone off in the back of my mind, telling me to stop.

And then I remembered: Ashlyn had gotten upset with me at the 5th Avenue Penthouse not for leaving my destroyed life, but for leaving without HER. I'd gone off to Europe, when all she wanted was for me to come to her and to Joey.

And right now, while I was busy castigating myself for failing her before, I was about to do it again. Right here, right in front of me, she was trying to tell me to stop her from dating Fabrizio. Ashlyn didn't want the freedom to date other guys; for some inexplicable reason, she still wanted me. And she wanted ME to want HER.

Maybe it wasn't fair on some female equality level, me already having Taylor and Cassandra as such important figures in my life. But Ashlyn wanted to believe that I still had enough feelings for her to get jealous and want her for my own. Telling her I didn't care if she dated other guys was exactly what she did NOT want to hear. So I put aside the "moral" part of me that was trying to give her the freedom my conscience told me she deserved. And I let my base instincts drive my words.

"I don't want you to date Fabrizio. I want you to be mine, and mine alone, the way things used to be. Your body is your own, and I will always let you seek your pleasures where you want. You want to just hook up with him? That's fine. It's just sex."

She looked at me curiously.

"Except for this ass," I clarified, a gleam in my eye. I reached out and grabbed her firm buttcheek. "This is MY ass," I growled.

Ashlyn's blue eyes sparkled, and immediately she leaned into me. Her breathing started to get heavy, but then a second later, she pulled away. She reached down and pulled my hand off her ass, and then stepped back to create some space between us. And getting control of her breathing, she nodded. "Okay, I won't date Fabrizio... yet."

I arched an eyebrow, scrutinizing this cat and mouse game she was playing with me.

She flashed me a wide smile, the first true smile I'd seen out of her since she'd moved out. "But you're not off the hook yet. When you bring Cassandra back, we're going to have to sit down and talk about this. Only then will I decide if I'm going to let you take ownership of this ass again."

I smiled. "Fair enough."

Joey was starting to drift off, and Ashlyn now reached out to take her. I held onto my daughter for an extra second, kissing her forehead tenderly. Soon, I'd be flying off to negotiate Cassandra's release, and I didn't know when I'd see either of them again.

Ashlyn waited me out, and then took her daughter when I finally handed her over. She let Joey pillow her head against the crook of her neck and shoulder, and then looked up at me.

I sighed. "Taylor will be back soon, but after what she's been through, I don't think she'll be in any condition to oversee this house. You're going to have to take charge while I'm gone."

Ashlyn's eyebrows rose, but she nodded her understanding.

"I really don't know how she's going to react when she gets here. She might want to immediately resume her role at the top of the food chain, whether she's fully functional or not. If that's the case, let her think she's the boss, but... watch out for her and everyone else, will you? Keep the peace until I return."

The redhead smiled and nodded. "Of course."

I reached out and patted Joey's arm again, then moved in to embrace them both. Almost automatically, Ashlyn turned her face up to mine, and we shared a quick kiss. For a brief moment, being in this room, in this familiar house, it felt like old times.

Ashlyn smiled again, perhaps thinking the same thing. And then she turned and walked out into the hallway to head up to the nursery.

I exhaled, feeling good for the moment. Ashlyn and I weren't all the way back yet, and we might never really get back together, but tonight had been a good start.

****

Next up was Dorothy. My long-time housekeeper, along with two of her maids, was preparing a little buffet for the FBI analysts setting up shop in my on-site conference room.

"Quite the spread," I whistled, looking over the sterno-heated catering trays filled with lemon-chicken, roast beef, scalloped potatoes, and steamed vegetables. "Bet it's the nicest stakeout meal these guys have ever had."

Indeed, the three agents on the other side of the room kept glancing over at the silver trays, rather anxiously waiting to get the OK to come over and dig in.

My chef beamed at me. "I never forget who I represent, Mr. Kwong. Whatever the situation, these people are our guests."

I smiled and patted her lightly on her shoulder. "I'm going to be leaving again soon," I told her. "I'm going to need you to take charge and look over my house until I bring Cassandra back. There are a lot of staff people here, some FBI agents, and of course I have some new guests you'll need to watch over. Oh, I know Ashlyn and Taylor will be back, but they haven't lived here for months and they're out of the rhythm, Taylor especially. Let them think they're in charge, but this will be your show. Take care of everyone, and keep the peace until I return."

She nodded. "I won't let you down."

I smiled, patted her arm, and then fished out a piece of steamed asparagus, chomping down on one end. Grinning, I said, "I know you won't."

****

I ran into Edward on the way back from the West Wing and pulled my butler aside. "Ah, just the man I wanted to see."

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"I'm going to be leaving soon, and I'm going to need you to be the man of the house while I'm gone."

"Sir?"

"Some women I care a great deal about will be here while I'm gone. Taylor's coming home, Ashlyn's already moved back in. Jeff and Kaitlyn will be staying here for the duration. And I need your help to watch over Vivienne; she's kind of the outsider with everyone. The last thing I want is for catfights to break out. You're a skilled diplomat, Edward. I need you to use those skills to keep the peace here until Cassandra and I return. Of course they're _women_, so you can't let them know you're doing it; they'll just get upset. Let them all think they're in charge, but I need you to step up for me, okay?"

"Of course, sir. You can count on me."

I grinned and slapped the side of his shoulder. "You're my man, Edward."

****

With the upstairs bedrooms re-taken by their former occupants, Evania and Vivienne were put up in guest rooms next to Jeff and Kaitlyn. I was hanging out with all four of them, in the Common Room, when the news came. Edward came himself to notify me, slightly out of breath from hurrying. And he eagerly announced, "Miss Taylor is arriving."

Jeff and Kaitlyn immediately bounced to their feet. Evania waited for me to get up, and Vivienne didn't rise out of her seat at all.

I was all ready to follow Edward to the entry foyer, but Evania touched my shoulder and got me to look back. Vivienne sat there, looking up at me with a stricken expression on her face.

"Vivienne? What's wrong?" I asked. Everyone else stopped and stared, waiting for me.

My French girlfriend had been quiet ever since we'd arrived back at the mansion, speaking only a little when necessary. I hadn't been able to spend any time with her, running around making my preparations to go rescue Cassandra and in my meetings with the FBI. And the few times I _had_ been around her, she'd seemed to be walking around in a daze.

I was sure the sudden move back to Montauk had shaken her. One minute, she was happily in love, getting ready to leave America and live a new life with Tom Eriksen. The next, we were right back in Jonathan Kwong's mansion, surrounded by dozens of unfamiliar people, with a whole host of outside problems pulling me away from her. Instead of taking her on a new vacation to a Jamaican bungalow, I was isolated in discussions with Federal Agents to negotiate the release of my longtime personal assistant. Instead of taking her around the world, I would be leaving her behind in this house full of people she didn't know very well. The one person she _did_ know, Evania, had been just as busy as me, running around prepping for our departure. And Evania was expected to travel with me as well, leaving Vivienne well and truly alone.

Even Ashlyn's arrival had completely spooked her. I hadn't seen Ashlyn since the morning she told me to stop coming over, and I'd been quite excited to see her. And when the Scott household had arrived, Vivienne had tagged along to see my ex-girlfriend and baby daughter, neither of whom she'd ever met.

So after hugging Ashlyn hello and bending down to kiss Joey, I turned to introduce Evania and Vivienne to the whole family. Evania stepped forward politely, ready to shake hands. But Vivienne had gone absolutely white. Her eyes were wide open, she was stiff as a board, and her hands were shaking. Quickly, I crossed back to my girlfriend and put my arm around her. "Are you okay?" I asked in concern.

Vivienne's eyes were entirely on the redhead with the baby. Her jaw quivered, but she found her voice and asked in a very thick accent, "You are Ashlyn Scott?"

Ashlyn smiled, used to being recognized. And she nodded. "Yes."

"You model for Christian Dior and Chanel?"

Ashlyn's smile widened. "Yes."

"Sacré Dieu!" Vivienne then latched onto my arm and started babbling at me in French, speaking so fast that I couldn't possibly keep up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I patted her arm to slow her down.

It took a second, but Vivienne realized she was speaking French. And then staring wide-eyed right at me, she blurted, "Ashlyn Scott is your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"And that little girl is yours?"

I smiled. "Yes."

"Mon Dieu..." And without another word, Vivienne turned and quickly walked away with her head down, leaving the rest of us in the Grand Foyer looking confused.

Now, she didn't look confused. Instead, Vivienne had that look of misery back on her face, the one from when I told her I was sending her home to France, and also when I'd told her I was leaving her in New York while I went to Malibu.

So I went back to her, and reached my hand out. "Vivienne, come on. I'd like you to meet my wife."

She paled at the word "wife". To her, Tom Eriksen didn't _have_ a wife. Tom Eriksen belonged to *her*.

"Vivienne, I told you this day would come. Taylor coming home doesn't change anything. I still care very much about you. You are still my _cheri_."

She took a deep breath, then nodded and reached for my hand. I pulled her up to a standing position, but when I moved to let go of her and follow Edward, Vivienne clutched my hand fiercely and wouldn't let go.

I didn't really want her to. The last time I'd seen Taylor, my wife had purposefully shot a wad of cocaine up her nose and summoned the orderlies to come take her away from me. And there was a reassurance in the strength of Vivienne's grip on my hand.

So all of us headed for the front door. Word had spread throughout the house, likely security talking to a maid and then the news running like wildfire to everyone else. So as we came into the Grand Foyer, I saw Ashlyn coming down the stairs, as well as Dorothy and some of the maids from the common areas. It was a big deal. Everyone knew the circumstances under which Taylor had left four months ago. This was the House that Taylor built, and the mansion had quite literally not been the same since she'd gone.

The July night was relatively warm, and when Edward opened the door, pretty much everyone went outside. The limo was coming down the road, followed by one of the security vans that no doubt held the folks I'd sent along with Charlotte to go fetch Taylor. But the limo itself came right up to the circular courtyard and pulled around in front of the main doors.

Charlotte was the first one out the back door. The pretty brunette fixed her glasses and waved to us with a smile before looking back inside the car and saying something. It took another minute before anything happened, but at length, Taylor finally emerged wearing a white robe with a hooded cowl covering her head. She looked more embarrassed than anything by the crowd that had gathered for her arrival.