Blackmail

It was Friday, and Titus was expecting Trixie to come storming in at any moment. He had told Miss Connolly to let her come right in.

He didn’t have long to wait; she showed up right on time and was dressed in a sexy white dress. Titus had to admit that she looked smoking hot, and his buddy in his pants agreed.

“Well, at least you’re a woman who arrives right on time,” he said, glaring at her.

Trixie sat in the chair across from Titus and crossed one leg over the other. “I’m always on time. Now, why don’t you take me to lunch, and we can discuss our little arrangement?”

“You expect me to take you to lunch?”

“Yes, I’m hungry. I’d like to go to that new Spanish restaurant that just opened up down the street. I’ve been dying to try it.”

Titus looked at his watch; seeing as it was lunchtime, he figured he might as well.

“The only reason I’m agreeing to take you to lunch is so no one overhears our conversation.” He got up and walked over to the door and held it open for her. “Well, are you coming?”

When he saw the smirk on her face, he wanted to wipe it off.

Walking past his secretary, Titus told her he’d be back in a couple of hours.

When they got outside, Trixie smiled sweetly at him. “Should we take my car or yours?” she asked, pointing at her small sports car.

He shook his head; there was no way he was going to get into something like that. “We’ll take my car,” he said as he walked over to his BMW.

“Aren’t you going to be a gentleman and open the door for me?”

He was at the driver’s side and a smirk crossed his face. “You have two hands and neither one seems to be broken,” he said as he got behind the wheel.

Gritting her teeth, she cursed him under her breath as she got in and slammed the door. “Have you no manners? A gentleman should always open a door for the woman.”

He turned to look at her as he started the car. “I’m not here to kiss your ass.”

The ten-minute drive to the restaurant was a quiet one, and when they got there, Titus repeated the offense by not bothering to pull Trixie’s chair out for her.

When the waiter came over, Trixie ordered a bottle of white wine.

Titus glared at her. “Isn’t it a little early to be drinking?”

She smiled at him. “Yes, it may be, but we have something to celebrate,” she said when she handed the menu back to the waiter after ordering her meal.

“I haven’t given you an answer yet.”

She lifted her glass of wine to her lips and took a sip, her eyes scanning his face. “I’m pretty sure you will agree to it.”

“I made a mistake a long time ago and now you are blackmailing me into marrying you. You know, if you open your mouth, I will lose everything I’ve worked so hard for.”

She ran her fingertip over the edge of her glass. “Agree to it and you will lose nothing. In fact, you will gain a lot of money. So, are you going to help me out, or do I have to talk with your boss?”

His body tensed, and he made a fist. “You are such a bitch. It looks like I don’t have a choice but to go along with it. But it will just be a marriage in name only, so don’t expect me to bed you.”

“Are you sure about that? I remember you were extremely excited to take me to bed before.”

Titus sat back in his chair. “That was then. But now I’ve gotten to know what kind of a person you are, I’ve changed my mind. So, tell me, how is this supposed to work?”

“We’ll go to the courthouse and get married next week. I’ll get all the paperwork made up and have you sign a prenup. Then, once we are married, you’ll take me back to my place to get my things.”

“Your things?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, my things. You don’t expect me to live with you and not have my belongings, do you?”

He was thinking that all he had to do was marry her. He wasn’t counting on her living with him at his place. “Why do we have to live together? Why can’t you just stay at the mansion?”

“We have to let people think we are in love and married. It wouldn’t look good if I weren’t living with my husband. Besides, the mansion has been sold.”

Now he was intrigued. “Your grandfather sold the mansion from under you and has left you homeless? I guess he didn’t love you after all.”

The color drained from Trixie’s face. “He did love me and he didn’t leave me homeless. He kept the condo he owned for me to live in.

“But once I marry, I’m expected to live with my husband in his home, especially as the condo is way too small.”

“So, when the hell do you want to do this thing?”

“Friday should be enough time for me to get everything settled.”

He watched her as she ate her meal. She was drop-dead gorgeous and if it wasn’t for her being a bitch, he might have enjoyed being married and making love to her for a year.

Titus considered turning her down, hoping that she was just bluffing about going to his boss, but he couldn’t take that chance. There was no way in hell he was going to lose everything.

His boss was a very wealthy man, after all, who could destroy Titus’s career with a snap of his fingers.

Trixie noticed him watching her and lifted an eyebrow. “Is there something on your mind?”

“For one, I’m wondering why your grandfather did what he did. He must have left you something to live on.”

“Oh, he did: a lousy two thousand dollars a month. Answer me this, how did he expect me to live on such a small amount of money?”

“Lots of people live on less than that. I say he was being pretty generous with you. You could always have gotten a job and paid your own way for once in your life.”

“A job? I’m going to be inheriting millions of dollars! Why would I want to work?”

“You’re a spoiled brat, and I think it would do you a lot of good. It might make you realize how lucky you’ve been and how the other half lives.”

Trixie licked her bottom lip as she leaned forward towards him. “I don’t need to work since my future husband is doing so well financially. My job will be to keep myself beautiful for you.”

He leaned back to get away from her. “How am I supposed to explain getting married when everyone knows I wasn’t seeing anyone?”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

Titus rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. “It’s time I get back to work.”

She knew that he was not happy about this arranged marriage and she didn’t like his arrogant smirk, so she decided to have a bit of fun with him.

“You could call and cancel all your appointments for this afternoon and take me back to your place. I could show you what you will have to look forward to once we are married.”

“I told you, I’m not sleeping with you,” he snapped as he got to his feet and reached inside his pocket for his wallet.

She looked up at him and smiled wickedly. “Oh, I’m sorry. Can you not get it up?”

He’d had enough of her playing games. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her up and out of her chair and walked her out of the restaurant.

Something told him that marrying her was going to be the biggest mistake of his life. But what choice did he have?

When they got in his car, she rubbed her arm and looked at him, pouting. “You hurt me.”

“Oh, please, it’s just your pride that got bruised. I’m sure you’re not used to men turning you down. Why the hell didn’t you just get one of them to marry you?”

“Because I don’t trust anyone else.”

“What makes you think you can trust me?” he asked as he started driving back to the office.

“It’s not that I trust you, but having something on you means I can get you to do what I want.

“Look, if we’re going to be married for a year, why can’t we be friends? It could be a very enjoyable year for the two of us.”

“You and I will never be friends. I don’t like you and I can’t stand being around you. We won’t be spending much time together this year, and I want you to stay out of my way.”

She sat back in her seat and looked out the window. The first time she’d met him a year ago, he’d seemed like a nice guy—sexy and sweet.

But had seen a different side to him: an angry and bitter side. Yes, she was blackmailing him, but it wasn’t like he was going to come out of it with nothing.

When they got back to the office and he parked his car, he didn’t bother to go around and open the door for her. “I guess I’ll see you next Friday,” he said as he started walking towards his building.

“Titus, wait.”

He turned around. “What?”

“Make sure to pick up some wedding rings for us.”

“What the hell do we need wedding bands for?”

“We’re getting married, silly. It wouldn’t look right not to be wearing wedding rings. After all, we want to make sure everyone knows that we’re taken.”

“Then you buy the goddamn things.”

“I don’t have enough money. Did you forget that I told you that my grandfather canceled all my credit cards? And I’ve already spent my allowance for this month?”

He walked back over and got right in her face. “I will buy the damn rings. But you listen to me and listen well. Do not ask me for any money once we are married because I’m not giving you a dime.”

When she saw the anger flashing in his eyes and the way his jaw clenched, she backed away.

She found him a little terrifying, and yet, at the same time, his anger turned her on. It made her wonder if having angry sex with him would be amazing.

That was something she was definitely going to do her best to find out.

After leaving Trixie by his car, Titus stormed into his office building and slammed the door behind him. He was fuming mad and wanted nothing more than to wrap his hand around her scrawny neck.

But damn it, why did she have to be so beautiful and sexy? The dress she had been wearing had only emphasized what was underneath it.

“Mr. Albani, your next client is here.”

Titus looked up at Mrs. Connolly. He had completely forgotten about it and wasn’t prepared. “Give me five minutes and then send him in.”

***

Trixie busied herself with arranging everything for Friday, starting by going to her lawyer’s office and instructing him to write up a prenup. Then she went and set a date at the courthouse.

Over the next few days, she had her grandfather’s maids pack up her belongings, while she went through the mansion and picked out everything she wanted to keep.

By the time she was done, there were boxes on top of boxes, and she realized she would need a small moving van.

At first, she thought of getting Titus to do it but, knowing he would flip out, she decided to arrange for one herself.

All the things that she wanted to keep, such as pictures and artwork and some of her grandfather’s belongings, she would store in the condo.

Later, once she’d got her money and found a place of her own, she would have everything transferred there.

So, all she had to take with her to Titus’s home was her clothing and some personal belongings.

She knew Titus was going to flip when he saw everything she was bringing into his home. But that was too bad for him; she needed her clothes and jewelry, among other things.

On Thursday night, Trixie called Titus to inform him she would bring her car to his place on Friday so they could drive together to the courthouse.

She had to listen to him bitch and complain about how he had to take the day off, and getting his address was like pulling teeth, but finally, with a loud growl, he relented before hanging up.

Her whole life, she had never had anyone disrespect her the way Titus was doing.

But how could she blame him? She was forcing him to do something he didn’t want to do.