Billionaire Romance Boxed Set (9 Book Bundle) (75 page)

He sat down next to me, and,
miracle of miracles, actually spoke.

“You’ve got yourself a nice
collection of office supplies there,” he said.

I nodded.

He didn’t speak for a little
while longer, but I was acutely aware of the soft, even sound of his breathing.
He was so close, just inches away.

“I’m sorry,” he said.
“About what happened yesterday.”

“Me too,” I lied.

He picked up a pen and uncapped
it, examining the tip like it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.

“I didn’t mean for things to
get out of hand,” he said. “It’s not a very good start for us, is
it?”

“Our relationship hasn’t
even really started yet,” I said. “Officially.”

“I know. I’m sorry I left. I
just figured it was best if I…” he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
“Maybe it’s better not to talk about it,” he said, finally.
“Just know that I’m sorry, and I won’t let it happen again.”

“Sure,” I said.
“To change the subject, how do you feel about throwing all of my stuff in
a giant bonfire?”

“Seems like a waste of
effort,” he replied, smiling. “Should’ve done it before we went to
all the trouble of bringing it over here.”

“Before you went to all the
trouble, you mean.”

“I was happy to help,”
he said. “I mean it.”

“Okay.”

He looked over all of the mess
one more time. “You know, if you want an office space, we can convert one
of the guest rooms.”

“What would I do
there?”

“I don’t know. Whatever you
want.”

“Maybe not an office so much
as a…studio,” I said. “Some place where I can work on my art.”

“Of course,” said
Daniel. “Anything you want.”

I had to smile at him. I wasn’t
quite finished being irritated about the whole after-pizza incident, but he was
being awfully nice. Of course, it was in his best interests to keep me happy. I
had to remember that.

Don’t let things get too
personal.

Well, that was going absolutely
stellar so far.

I sighed, re-packing all my
office supplies. “So these can go into the spare bedroom, I guess. I don’t
know about the rest of this crap.”

“Well, you don’t have to
decide right now,” said Daniel, charitably. “When we get back from
the honeymoon you’ll have as much time as you need to unpack.”

It must have bothered him, all of
these ugly, disorganized boxes invading his impeccable space, but he didn’t say
a word about it. I had to give him credit for that. He wasn’t trying to be
difficult. It was just a difficult situation. And maybe I’d made it harder than
it needed to be, by coming on to him so strongly the day before. Maybe I did
feel just a tiny bit remorseful.

Still, though. There was no
reason for him to be such a baby about it.

“Yeah, I think maybe I’d
better focus on the clothes for now,” I said. “I assume that’s what’s
upstairs?”

“Mostly,” he said.
“Come on, let’s take a look.”

We spent the next few hours
organizing my clothes. He even helped me decide what to get rid of and what to
keep, promising me I could rush-order some new stuff online when we were done,
so it would get here in time for the honeymoon. He didn’t even raise an eyebrow
at how many frayed and hole-ridden clothes I still had, stuff I’d bought before
college, the sorts of things that no billionaire’s wife should ever be seen
wearing.

After that, I got to shopping. He
sat me down on the sofa with his laptop, and handed me his credit card. It
looked normal - for some reason, I’d been expecting something heavy and
jet-black, like the legendary no-limit card that was said to be accessible only
to the very wealthy and influential. But this was just fine. He was just a
normal guy, after all.

“Have fun,” he said,
winking at me. “There’s no credit limit.”

Or…maybe not.

Chapter Ten

The morning of the wedding dawned
warm and clear, a pink sunrise bleeding across the sky. I woke up too early and
couldn’t get back to sleep. Of course.

The only things I had left in my
apartment were a few clothes and other necessities, most of which I’d already
packed for the mystery honeymoon. I wished he’d just tell me where we were
going. All of this secrecy made it almost seem…romantic. Like we were a real
couple. Clearly, we didn’t need any help getting ourselves confused on that
front.

I’d spent the whole day before
cleaning every inch of my apartment, in accordance with the three-page-long
list of demands my landlord had sent over. Apparently, I wasn’t going to get my
three hundred dollar security deposit back if I didn’t give the place the white
glove treatment. Of course I didn’t care about the money anymore, but I needed
something to do. Anything to take my mind off of the future.

So there was nothing to do on my
wedding day except sit and think.

My stomach was in knots. I made
myself a cup of mint tea and sat by the window, watching the empty sidewalks
slowly fill up with people. I had an appointment at the hair salon in a few
hours, and I was going to meet Lindsey there. She was going to stand beside
Daniel as his “best man.” I had no one. Not even my father, to walk
me down the aisle.

But that was fine. I’d walk down
the aisle by my own damn self. I had two million dollars waiting for me at the
end of it.

I had to stop getting caught up
in stupid, pointless sentimentality. This was a fake wedding, for God’s sake.
There was absolutely no reason to get emotional over it. Weddings were a con to
begin with, clearly. The soaring divorce rate spoke to that. I was just helping
Daniel take advantage of a very convenient loophole in the immigration laws of
the United States that allowed for couples to stay together, if they were
willing to sign a piece of paper. It was as simple as that. People did it all
the time.

My resolve thus steeled, I drove
to the salon with my head held high. If I seemed distant, people would simply
write it off as nerves. I had nothing to worry about. I just had to get through
the day, and after that, things would settle down into some version of normalcy
that I hadn’t quite figured out how to achieve yet. But I knew that I would.

Somehow.

Lindsey chattered at me the whole
time we were getting our hair done. I nodded and smiled, but didn’t hear a word
of it. None of this meant anything. None of it mattered.

Walking through the marble
archway of the art gallery, I was struck again by how breathtaking the place
was. They had set up pew-style seating and laid out a long, red carpet for me
to walk on.

I wandered aimlessly through the
gallery until Lindsey chased me down, insisting that it was time for me to
change into my dress. I’d completely lost track of the hour. I realized I
hadn’t seen Daniel all day, and I told her so.

“Don’t worry,” she
said. “He’s coming.”

As if he wouldn’t.

I was kept sequestered after that
- God forbid anyone should see THE DRESS - but Lindsey wouldn’t stop offering
to get me things. Water? Champagne? Food? Juice? More food? I hated to keep
saying no to her, but I really felt if I ate something I might throw up.

When I heard the music start
playing, my stomach actually lurched.

Lindsey rushed in.

“Okay, we’ve got about ten
minutes until go-time. How’re you feeling?”

“Sick,” I said,
truthfully, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I tried to arrange my face
into something that looked a little more like happiness, like I was marrying
the man I loved. I vaguely succeeded.

“I have to go take my
place,” Lindsey said, after a few moments. “Just take some deep
breaths. The band will switch over when they see you coming.”

I sat there alone, waiting until
the clock ticked over to the next hour, and then stood and walked out into the
hallway.

My shoes clicked on the marble
floor as I approached the carpet, and everyone turned to look. I was clutching
my bouquet like a shield. I forced myself to stare straight ahead, looking at
the officiant standing behind the pulpit, focusing on just putting one foot in
front of the other. I didn’t dare look at Daniel.

I didn’t dare.

But I did.

He met my eyes and smiled - a
little hesitantly, but his intent was obviously to give me courage to go on. I
had to appreciate that. Lindsey was beaming next to him. I wondered if his
conscience was eating him alive, lying to her like this. Mine certainly would,
if I had any family who actually cared about me.

I forced a smile as I reached the
front of the hall. Daniel took both of my hands and held them gently as the
officiant spoke. Thankfully, we weren’t doing any complicated vows. I just had
to say “I do” when I was prompted. I was pretty sure I could handle
that.

“…in sickness and in
health…as long as you both shall live?”

Shit, I hadn’t been paying
attention. Which one of us was he talking to?

I waited for a beat. Daniel
watched me expectantly.

Me, then. Okay.

“I do,” I blurted out.

“You may kiss the
bride.”

I barely felt it when his lips
pressed against mine - briefly, but long enough for the whole place to erupt in
cheers.

We held hands and ran, handfuls
of flower petals raining down on us from the guests - that was a nice touch.
Daniel pulled me aside, into the room where I’d gotten dressed, closing the
door behind him.

I don’t know why I was expecting
him to grab me by the shoulders and shove me up against the wall, kissing me
passionately and telling me how much he wanted me. I knew it wasn’t going to
happen. Instead, he pulled out a chair and sat down, resting his elbows on his
knees and rubbing his temples.

“Well, we survived that
much,” I said, helpfully.

“Yes,” he said, dully.
“But there’s still the reception.”

“With food and drinks,”
I reminded him. “So…silver lining, huh?”

He let out a huff of laughter.
“I don’t think I could eat now if I tried.”

“Yeah, me neither,” I
admitted. “So…what? Should we just leave and let them assume we wanted to
start the honeymoon early?”

“They’re already assuming
that,” he said. “Everyone saw me drag you in here. Let them. I just
need a minute to clear my head.”

“Just one minute?” I
smiled. “You might want to wait a little longer than that, to keep up
appearances.”

He gave me a withering glance.

“Sorry, sorry,” I
muttered. “Trying to bring a little levity to the situation.”

In the end, we did end up going
to the reception. My stomach had settled a little, so I ate a few tiny
sandwiches and downed a great deal of champagne. I talked and laughed with
everyone I knew, and some people I didn’t know. I recognized quite a few faces
from the office (including Lisa, who I studiously avoided) but Daniel had
somehow managed to fully populate the place, and as I worked my way around the
room, I learned they were from every imaginable time and location - business
connections, former accountants, even one of his business professors. Daniel
certainly did a better job of keeping up with people than I did. Either that,
or people were much more apt to drop everything and run to the wedding of a
billionaire they knew than some girl they barely remembered.

As the night waned and the guests
began to stifle yawns, I changed into a more casual dress - a sporty black
number I’d ordered after Daniel gave me his card - and got my bags ready. John
was waiting outside to drive us to the…airport, probably. Hell if I knew.

Daniel was in much better spirits
as we climbed into the backseat of the town car, guests yelling their
well-wishes after us. He even smiled when I put my hand on the back of his neck
and pulled him into a kiss. For appearance’s sake, of course.

After a short while on the
highway, it became obvious that we were indeed going to the airport. Well, I’d
know where we were headed soon enough. He couldn’t keep it hidden forever. All
he’d told me so far was to pack for warm weather, and that hardly narrowed it down
very much.

Then, John bypassed the usual
pick up/drop off points, going around through a back road that said
“AIRPORT STAFF ONLY.” I started to speak, but Daniel shook his head.

“Don’t worry,” he said.
“I’ve made special arrangements.”

I settled back in my seat. Well,
then.

The road was narrow and winding,
until it finally opened up…right on the tarmac. There was a plane parked in
front of us - small, but still commercial-sized.

So that was how he planned to
keep the surprise going. A chartered plane. Of course.

The brilliant bastard.

“I don’t suppose there’s any
chance that somebody’s going to tell me where we’re going,” I said, as
Daniel and I crossed the tarmac, with John carrying our bags a few feet behind
us.

Daniel shook his head, smiling,
as John handed the bags off to someone standing by the bottom of the staircase
that led up to the plane’s entrance.

“Have a good trip, you
two,” said John, waving.

The inside of the plane was
lavish and roomy, with white leather seats and every imaginable amenity. After
we’d settled in, a platinum blond attendant took our drink orders, and before
long we were soaring in the clouds, headed for an unknown destination.

“Will you at least tell me
how long the flight’s going to be?”

“Long enough,” he said.
“You’ll want to settle in.”

He wasn’t kidding. I’d only been
on planes a handful of times in my life, but I’d always had trouble sleeping on
them. This plane, though, was a different situation entirely. I could lean back
as far as I wanted, curled up in the luxurious seat. Before I knew what was
happening, Daniel was shaking me awake.

“We’re about to land,”
he whispered, smiling.

When we disembarked, the heat was
the first thing I noticed. It was thick and humid. There were palm trees in the
distance.

“Welcome to Florida,”
the captain said, as we left.

Well, then.

“I hope you’re taking me to
Disney World,” I told Daniel as we got into our taxi.

“No,” he said.
“Better. But first, we’re going to the hotel to settle in.”

A five-star hotel, naturally. I
don’t know why I would have expected anything different. We were in the
honeymoon suite, on top of everything, so it was massive, and had its own
Jacuzzi. I felt like I could get lost just inside our room. It had a dining
table, for God’s sake.

“What do they think we’re
going to do, entertain guests?” I wondered aloud, running my hand along
the polished wood surface.

“Maybe we’re supposed to
‘christen’ it,” Daniel suggested with a half-smile. He’d come a long way -
he was actually willing to joke about us having sex again.

I pulled my hand away quickly.

“Don’t worry,” he said.
“This is a nice hotel. They actually clean all the surfaces.”

“That’s not what I read once
in an email forward,” I called after him as he disappeared into one of the
other countless rooms.

I had a very welcome shower in
the lavish bathroom, which had more water pressure than any other hotel I’d
ever been to, combined. And it didn’t even smell like feet. Was this how the
other half lived?

When I’d freshened up, I went out
to meet Daniel in the main living area. He was flipping through the channels on
the massive flat-screen television.

“Anything good on?”

“Is there ever?” he
said. “Come on. We’ve got an appointment with someone I think you’ll want
to meet.”

So he was determined to stay
mysterious, then. Fine.

We got into another taxi for a
short drive. As we drew closer to what was apparently our destination, I saw a
massive white building in the distance. It was almost as wide as it was tall. I
thought it looked vaguely familiar, but we were apparently approaching it from
the back, so I couldn’t see any identifying signs or markings.

Then, finally, something came
into view.

A giant American flag.

And, on the other side, the NASA
logo.

“You’re not actually taking
me to the moon, are you?” I said, staring.

“Sadly, that’s not possible
yet,” he said. “Not even for me. But I got you the closest thing I
could.”

As the car pulled up to a door on
the side of the building, I saw a woman walk out. She came towards the car with
purpose.

After I climbed out, she offered
me her hand.

“Hi,” she said.
“You must be Maddy. I’m Sam - I’m an astronaut.”

“That’s…that’s cool,” I
said, dumbly.

She grinned. “A few years
ago, I was the first woman to walk on the moon,” she said. “I hear
you’re something of a moon enthusiast.”

“I wouldn’t say that,”
I replied, a little stunned. “But I guess…I guess I always did kind of
want to go there. It just looks so cool.”

“It’s pretty cool,” she
said, grinning. “If I could really take you there, I would. But since I
can’t, I’m going to give you the next best thing. Over the next three days, I’m
going to put you two through a simulated astronaut training. Everything you’d
do if you really were going to the moon. At the end, we’ll do a simulated
landing and moon walk. It’s a new attraction - not open to the public yet, but
when Daniel here wrote to us and told us about how he wanted to give you your
dream vacation, we couldn’t resist the opportunity. We wanted you to be the
first to try it out.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“Are you pumped?” she
asked, sounding pretty pumped herself.

“Yeah,” I said. “I
just…yeah. This isn’t what I expected at all.” I could feel myself
grinning from ear to ear.