The limo glided down the middle of Manhattan weaving in and out of traffic smoothly, thanks to the masterful skills of his driver. Adam stared moodily out into the night watching the cars and people go by only inches from his tinted window. Night, what a joke. It was never truly night in New York. The sky was always a murky gray, even in the dead of night. He hadn't seen an actual star of the night time variety in ages. Headlights, taillights, billboards, street lamps, stop lights, towering buildings with multi levels ablaze in a forrest of fluorescent lighting...you name it...kept this city constantly lit up. He supposed that was why it got it's moniker of being the city that never sleeps.

Abruptly, Adam dragged his gaze and his mind from his musings and opened the bar pulling out a bottle of fine scotch. He poured a drink and tossed it back, before he looked over at his traveling companion. "Would you like a drink?" he asked, more out of habitual politeness than his actual desire to be accommodating.

She wrinkled her nose in what he assumed she believed to be cute, but truthfully, it only annoyed him. "Do you have white wine, preferably Conti Montrachet?"

Her high pitched nasally whine further grated on his nerves. "I'm not in the habit of stocking five thousand dollar bottles of wine in the limo," he growled.

"But you stock 40 year old scotch?" she asked sarcastically, pursing her over inflated red lips.

Adam shrugged. "It's my limo," he stated simply as he poured himself another drink and shut the bar. Leaning back in the plush leather seat he crossed his legs and sipped on his drink while studying his date for the evening. The term date made him cringe on the inside. Adam Steele did not date under any circumstance. He used women; plain and simple. He didn't need the problems which developed over the misrepresentation dating implied. Every woman he'd ever been with understood he held no desire or inclination to have relationships other than sexual. That didn't mean they didn't try. The status of being the significant other of Adam Steele would be a major coup to some. But, those who broke the contract soon found themselves quickly discarded.

Part of the reason Steele Industries was one of the top ten most powerful companies of the world was because of his ability to stay focused and because he was fucking brilliant at what he did. Finding floundering companies was his specialty, along with having the Midas touch when it came to decisions of whether or not to fix ailing companies or rip them apart and sell them off bit by bit to the circling vultures. Tonight was no different. The company he acquired this afternoon had been hemorrhaging blood into the pool of sharks for quite some time. Nothing major, at first. Little driblets begun to surface months ago. So insignificant in the beginning, most people wouldn't have even noticed. Adam Steele wasn't most people. It was this single minded dedication which made him the success he was and left him without the time to deal with pouting, mettlesome girlfriends who would constantly whine about his lack of attention. It pleased him people saw him as an enigma, and he had no intentions of allowing anyone close enough to break the silence.

There were times though, such as this one, which demanded a certain impression be made. He knew he was intimidating in his own right, but having the accurate woman on your arm often times helped solidify that power. Not to mention, the distraction a beautiful woman could cause for men who are easily unfocused, like the one he was meeting this evening. For stints such these, Adam needed to choose carefully. He wanted a woman who was undoubtedly gorgeous, well connected, and high in the social circles. Intelligence was not a priority. In fact, he rather preferred them to be a little on the dim side. As long as they stimulated him below the belt and maintained impeccable manners, he was fine with them not being able to hold a conversation able to stir his brain matter. But, with these choices, came consequences. He ended up with women that were generally shallow and more interested in buying the latest fashions than what was going on in the real world. He couldn't share his frustrations or successes and so all his arrangements ultimately ended the same way. Once his dick was satisfied, the rest of him became bored and restless. A prime example of those consequences sat directly across from him in the form of one Jillian Houston Ross.

Adam's critical eyes roved over her. Platinum blond hair, though a little over processed for his liking, was swept off her face and artfully done to make it look like a mass of unruly curls. It left her long, graceful neck exposed and the shimmer of the diamond choker she wore sparkled intermittently from the passing of headlights. Jillian's face was flawless, her make-up craftily done to accentuate her blue eyes. The dress she'd chosen to wear was a striking bold, red, silk gown. It hung on her rail thin body like a second skin. Plunging in the front, her fake tits were slightly exposed and you could see glimpses of the sides of her breasts when she moved. The back was open down to her ass revealing an expanse of lightly tanned skin. She must have gone to the spa recently and had a spray tan. Pity she didn't eat a sandwich while she was there, Adam thought to himself as he drained the last of his scotch.

Placing the empty glass back in the bar, he leaned into his seat straightening his suit jacket as he did so. His movements caught Jillian's eye and she smiled at him. She was beautiful, he'd give her that. Too bad the sex was mediocre at best; he might have actually enjoyed himself later. But since she retained nothing exceptional to offer, the boredom already settled in.

"You haven't told me how I look tonight." It was more of a statement than a question and Adam was irritated at the intrusion into his thoughts.

"You look acceptable as always Jillian," he dismissed casually, hoping to end the fishing for compliments she was after. At one point in time, he had desired her and so he took her. Not that it was difficult. Women either threw themselves at him because of who he was and what he looked like, or as in Jillian's case, they came from old money and wanted to piss off daddy by having a torrid affair with the billionaire bad boy. At the time, it was an entertaining diversion to be fucking the daughter of the once powerful HH Ross, especially after Steele Industries seized control over his empire; hostilely.

Adam smiled slightly at the memory. Her father was a worthless excuse for a human being and continuously ran his company into the ground for years. It hadn't been much of a challenge to overtake the global shipping conglomerate which had been started by Jillian's grandfather. Adam had done business with the shrewd old man and he gave a certain respect for what the guy single handily built. That was the only saving grace the Ross's relied on and what kept Adam from completely bankrupting them.

Still, he enjoyed giving HH heart palpitations every time he saw in the newspaper pictures of Adam and his precious daughter spread across page six. But even the extra bonus of that, couldn't keep him amused for long. He was itching to get out of this limo instead of being ensconced with a woman he could no longer stand the sight of. He sighed. Maybe he was getting too old for this shit. Looking over at his companion once again, he decided he'd definitely made a mistake by asking her out to this dinner. He should have gone alone like he'd originally planned.

"What's got you so grumpy tonight, darling?" Jillian asked in a teeth grinding purr. Adam narrowed his eyes at her and remained silent. Not wanting to induce further conversation, he simply ignored her and dug his phone out of his perfectly tailored Brioni suit jacket and started scrolling through his emails. It was rude, and not his typical style, but he truly was not in the mood for her games. Quite frankly, his disposition had been rather bleak as of late. Nothing he could put his finger on precisely, but he knew his temper was growing shorter and the restlessness greater. Adam was in desperate need of a distraction and the woman next to him wasn't it. In fact, after tonight, he planned to end it...permanently.

Momentarily preoccupied with an email announcing a proposed scheduling change from his assistant, he didn't see Jillian slip over to his side of the seat until she was already half way wrapped around him. Her designer gown slide gracefully open at the thigh high slit exposing her tanned legs as she draped herself artfully across the seat. "I bet I can change your mood," she whispered huskily while she traced a red lacquered nail down the front of his tie.

"I very much doubt that Jillian," Adam grumbled while he pulled her hand off his chest.

"Stop being so pissy." Her breath as she drawled the last word steamed his ear as she nipped at his lobe. With one hand she started to undo his tie, while the other started to rub his crotch in slow circles.

"Jesus Jillian, you are like a bitch in heat!" he hissed through clenched teeth as he grabbed both her hands and held them tightly. "This is not the time or the place for a quick fuck." Glaring at her, he lightly shook her arms until he was sure he obtained her full attention.

She gasped, shocked at his crude comments. Pulling her hands out of his grip she shoved herself off his shoulders and back over to her side of the bench seat. "You are such a bastard!" Her lips trembled slightly and he could sense a tantrum coming.

"Don't do this," he reprimanded her harshly pointing a finger at her. "Not tonight."

"Fine!" she shouted. Her blue eyes hardening as she scowled at him. "I'm sick and tired of being ignored by you. All you ever do is work, work and work." She crossed her arms over her ample chest and pouted at him. "I feel totally invisible to you. I think you should take me home Adam. Now!"

"I would gladly take you home, but we are minutes away from being where I need to be. I will not blow this dinner meeting because you have decided to act like a petulant child and if that makes me a bastard, so be it," he stated flatly. His face devoid of emotion, Adam leaned in and looked directly into her eyes. "You will play the part intended tonight, and after you can have my assurance, you will never see me again."

"Is that all I am to you Adam? An accessory to your game plan?" she huffed. "I thought we were starting to mean something to each other. I thought eventually you'd see I was the perfect match for you." She pursed her mouth and looked at him. A small smile slid across her lips. "Nobody can make you come like I can." She ran her hands gently down her body and cupped her own breasts. "These tits and my tight little pussy can make you change your mind." Her tongue slowly licked her lips suggestively as she gazed at him through half lidded eyes.

"You give yourself way too much credit Jillian," He stated coldly. "Everything I can get from you I can acquire from a blow-up doll and I wouldn't have to deal with the constant temper tantrums I must endure with you." He could see her face crumple at his cruel words, but he didn't care. "There was never going to be an "us", " he reminded her tonelessly. "I established the parameters of this relationship from the very beginning. If you saw something more than there was, then that is your fault, not mine."

"You never cared for me at all?" she asked in a small voice, her lips delicately quivering.

"You knew I wouldn't Jillian, and if you are honest with yourself, you know deep down you do not have any emotional attachments to me either. Everything we were and did was for convenience and because it suited me at the time. So stop this drama act now. You are not fooling anyone." Leaning back in his seat he crossed his legs and watched her. His words quickly wiped away the faked sadness from her expression, as he knew it would.

"So, this it it then? Just like that?" she snapped her fingers. Her face hard and her voice filled with anger.

He shrugged. "I never promised you anything." Moving deliberately, he went back over to her side of the seat. "During our arrangement I have been more than generous," he reached up and toyed with the diamonds he paid for gracing her neck, "don't you think?" he whispered softly.

"You don't have to make me sound so cheap," she fumed, slapping his hand away.

Adam chuckled lightly and sat back in his seat. "Nothing about you have ever been cheap. I paid heavily for your attentions and you loved every minute of it, so don't get all high and mighty now. Prudence doesn't suit you."

"Alright then," she sneered at him. "If I've been nothing more than an expensive play thing to you all this time, then what's the harm of one more expenditure when it comes to the great and powerful Adam Steele."

"If it will get me through this wretched night without any more of your nonsense," he narrowed his eyes at her, "name your price."

She smiled demurely at him. "I want a new condo. I should get something out of the time I have wasted being at your beck and call."

Jillian's smug look sent his tempter into a boil. This is why he didn't get involved. Women like her had tainted his picture of what a relationship should be with all their calculating and manipulating ways. Greed always reared its ugly head eventually. She wasn't the first one to succumb and he doubted she would be the last. "First of all, you have never been at my beck and call without some kind of compensation for your efforts which are rather uninspired to begin with," he corrected. "Secondly, I hardly think enduring an evening at the Four Seasons constitutes a new condo. I think..." His words were interrupted by the buzzing vibration of his phone. Reaching into his breast pocket he glanced at the caller ID which displayed his assistant. Knowing she would never call and interrupt him, it must be important. Holding up a finger, "This discussion is not over," he warned as he took the call. Jillian simply shrugged a shoulder and busied herself by searching through her clutch.

"Steele!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry to interrupt sir, but the location of your dinner meeting has been unexpectedly changed and is no longer at the Four Seasons." Marissa's voice was the personification of professionalism.

"Christ!" Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. One hell of a headache was starting at the back of his skull. "Where has it been moved to and who authorized it?"

"A place in down town Brooklyn called the Kit Cat Club. I've already taken the liberty of texting the address to your driver and it was Mr. Hanover's personal secretary who called with the changes."

"What the hell kind of club is that?"

"According to my research, it's a popular drag club, sir." If Adam didn't know better, he would of sworn Marissa was laughing.

"I'm already almost to the Four Season's for fuck sake!" he ground out. "Is there something we missed in the preliminary research into Hanover's personal background?" he asked sharply. "Like he was gay?"

"I'm not certain sir. Do you wish me to call and cancel and try to reschedule?'

Adam balled his fist. He had a sneaking suspicion this change of venue was to rattle his cage and that cocksucker wasn't going to manipulate any part of this take over. "No. Call and confirm, but inform Mr. Hanover we might be a few minutes late." He ended the call without any preamble. Whatever Hanover was up to would not compromise Adam's objective. Pushing the button to lower the divider, he glanced over at Jillian who seemed to be ignoring the whole situation and filing her nails. "Erich, take us to the Kit Cat Club and make it quick."

"Yes, sir." The car leaned heavily to one side as Erich made a squealing U-turn. Feeling the acceleration of the vehicle increase, Adam leaned back heavily and started thrumming his fingertips against the door handle. A drag club, of all places, he thought to himself. There was no doubt in his mind Hanover changed the location at the last minute to try and unbalance him. Little did he know nothing ruffled his feathers and this little tit for tat was going to cost the man...dearly. This whole meeting was nothing more than a desperate man's last attempt.

Unfortunately for Hanover, it was already too late to try and save his company. As of earlier this afternoon, the company was already over taken by Steele Industries. Hanover's own board requested Adam to inform him of the situation and to enlighten him his activities in the company were not unnoticed. Adam was more than willing to put the final nail into Garrick Hanover's coffin. It didn't matter to him if it was at the Four Season's or at some random club. Looking over at the woman beside him he realized she was going to be his biggest liability. There was no way Jillian was going to walk into a drag club and stay composed, at least not without some incentive. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes momentarily. Shit, how he had wished he'd gone alone tonight.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to Jillian, "About that condo..."

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