The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride (The Blushing Brides Series Book 3)

by Elle E Kay

  Nikki was a vindictive monster, but he couldn’t deny his own child. It seemed there would not be an easy answer for him. He’d made this mess by not following God’s plan of abstinence before marriage. Staring down at his wife, he took stock of his failings and once again thanked the Lord for not allowing more serious harm to come to her the previous night.

  Caught up in watching Addison, he didn’t notice the movie had ended until she turned in his arms and initiated a kiss. Taking full advantage of her vulnerability, he deepened the kiss and ran his fingers through her silky hair which was full of natural wave. He was glad she hadn’t had time to straighten it. It was cuter in its natural state.

  Addison grew restless as the week progressed. With Zach at work and her stuck in the house, she wasted too much time on social media. When it finally occurred to her to check out the library, she found a haven in their home. There was an entire section of Christian fiction and another one for Christian non-fiction and research books.

  She picked out a few books and retired to the reading nook in the corner of the library. Several hours passed before Misty came looking for her for dinner. “The master is in the dining room requesting your company.”

  It took every ounce of her self-control to keep from laughing at Zach being referred to as ‘master.’

  When she arrived in the dining room, he stood and pulled out her chair for her.

  “You’re always a gentleman.” She craned her neck to look up at him.

  He gave her a sheepish smile. “I wish that were true, but I have my less than gentlemanly moments.”

  “I spent time in the library today. It’s a fabulous room.”

  “I knew you’d like it.”

  “It’s terrific.”

  “Glad you like it. I’m hoping we’ll have many a late night Bible study in there.” He bowed his head and asked the blessing.

  Her steak was cooked to perfection, and the spinach served with it was delicious. She was getting used to having someone cook for her every night, and when Zach made it home for dinner, it was an extra special treat.

  He tilted his head to the side and watched her for a moment. “Good, huh?”

  “Magnificent.”

  “Are you looking forward to your spa trip with Amy tomorrow?”

  “I am. A massage will be a real treat.”

  “You can order one any time. We can even get someone on staff.”

  “That is unnecessary.” She smiled. “I forget sometimes how wealthy you are, the extras are fun, but let’s not get carried away.”

  “The construction crew called about the island.”

  “And?”

  “The tree house is structurally sound. They’ll make those repairs immediately, so we should be able to go back there in a month or two.” His dimples were pronounced when he smiled. “As for the other house, it’ll take longer since they have to rip out the drywall and replace the roof.”

  “Did they give you a timeline?”

  “Six months.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be glad when we can go back to the island.” Addison set her fork down.

  Zach reached for her hand. “We have a honeymoon to finish.”

  Her cheeks felt like they were on fire as he gazed at her with fierce intensity. “Yes, we do have to finish our honeymoon.” She let herself dream about what it might be like to have an honest to goodness honeymoon. “I’m ready when you are.”

  “I’ll have them expedite the repairs.” He grinned. “No expense is too large to keep us off that island.”

  “We can always go someplace else.”

  “I think it’s only fitting for us to go back to where we said our vows and finish what we started.”

  Addison was bruised and battered, but this spa day with Amy might prove beneficial. She could certainly use the massage. The Jacuzzi at home had eased some of the soreness, but she wasn’t fully recovered.

  She’d been looking forward to spending the day with Amy. They’d formed a bond, and she desperately needed a friend.

  “You ready to float?” Amy asked.

  “The salt thing, right?”

  “Yeppers.”

  “I guess so.”

  They walked through to a room that led to the private float tanks and then went their separate ways. The experience was so relaxing that she almost fell asleep. Afterward, she showered, dressed, and waited for Amy to finish doing the same. While blow drying her hair, she caught sight of Nikki in the mirror. Terror rose in her throat, but she didn’t scream. She stared at the reflection of the other woman.

  “So, you think you won, do you?” Nikki snarled.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “If you think that you, a little country bumpkin from nowhere special, can waltz in and steal my man out from under my nose, you have another thing coming, girl.”

  “He wasn’t your man. He left you when you cheated on him.”

  Nikki snickered. “Is that what he told you?”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat.

  “When he found out about the baby, he dumped me. Zach doesn’t like kids, but he’ll come back when I get you out of the picture.”

  “How do you propose to do that?” Addison held out her left hand. “We’re married.”

  “You’ll march your little self back to whatever back woods place you came from if you know what’s good for you.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “If you don’t, it’s not only your neck on the line. Zach’s next. If I can’t have him, nobody can.”

  “If you love him, you won’t hurt him.” Even as she said the words, she knew the woman didn’t love Zach. It was his money she was after.

  “You have no idea what I’m capable of doing. If you don’t skedaddle, he dies.”

  The door opened and Amy appeared. “What are you doing in here? I’m calling the police.”

  “Don’t,” Addison said.

  “Why not?”

  “Just go.” Addison glared at Nikki who pierced her with one more hateful look before exiting the room.

  “What did she say to you?”

  “She threatened Zach’s life.”

  “We need to call the police.”

  “They arrested her after she rammed our car. She’s already out. How long do you think they’ll hold her if I call them?”

  “I don’t know. Probably not long.”

  “Exactly. Arresting her will not protect Zach.”

  “Then we should get both of you bodyguards.”

  “Or I can give her what she wants.”

  “Which is?”

  “I’ll go home to Pennsylvania.”

  “That would kill Zach.”

  “No. It would save Zach. My leaving can only protect him.”

  “Addison, you can’t leave him. He’ll never recover.”

  “He’ll be fine. He married me because of a childhood pact. He can do better anyway. Look at Nikki compared to me. She’s model thin with curves in all the right places. Her skin is flawless. I know she’s a little wacky, but there are hundreds of women as beautiful as her that would give anything for a chance to date Zach. He won’t hurt for attention if I leave.”

  Amy shook her head. “Don’t do this, Addy. Please don’t leave him.”

  “I leave her with you for a few hours while I get caught up on work, and now she’s gone.” He paced his office. “Where did she go?”

  “I think she flew home to Pennsylvania, boss.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “Nikki made threats against you.” She averted her gaze. “I tried to stop her, but she got in a cab, and I couldn’t find her.”

  “Did you call the police? Ask them to track the cab number?”

  “I did, but they refused. She’s an adult, and she left of her own free will.”

  He sunk into his office chair and raked his hands through his hair. “I’ve got to get her back. Call the airlines and see what flights were going to Scranton
or Allentown. She could get home easily from either of those airports.”

  “Should I have the jet readied?”

  “Yes. Tell them we’re flying to Pennsylvania. We’ll give them the specifics once we deduce what flight she might’ve taken.”

  “What do you want to do about Nikki?”

  “I want to ring her pretty little neck.”

  “I’m almost certain that will land you in a jail cell.”

  “What do you think I should do about her? I can’t kill her, she may be carrying my child.”

  “That’s just it. The private investigator you asked me to hire says she isn’t pregnant. He found a silicone pregnancy belly at her apartment and medical records for an abortion two weeks ago. Before she even told you about the baby.”

  “How long have you known about this?”

  “About ten minutes. I called him on my way here. After Nikki confronted Addison at the spa.”

  “She murdered my child.” He stood and wandered over to the window.

  Amy placed a hand on his arm. “We don’t know that it was your child.”

  The pain that sliced through him told him it was. How could she? She’d known how much he wanted to be a father and had manipulated him in the most gut-wrenching way possible.

  “Zach?”

  He shrugged off her hand and stalked to the door. If he didn’t kill her with his bare hands, it would be a miracle, but he’d have to find her first.

  “Zach, you need to stop and pray.”

  Her words stopped him dead in his tracks. He exhaled and tried to regain his composure.

  “Let’s pray together. Sit.” She pointed to one of the chairs on the far side of his desk. He sat with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Amy put her hand on his shoulder and prayed out loud. She asked for guidance and direction, then pleaded for God to help them be merciful to others as He was merciful to them. He didn’t want to listen to her words, but knew he needed to hear them. The acid in his stomach churned.

  “I’m going to go find her now.”

  “Nikki?”

  “No. Addison.”

  “Good choice.”

  The flight home was brutal. Her heart ached more than she’d believed possible. How could she have fallen in love so completely in such a short time? The answer was inescapable. She hadn’t fallen in love over the past few weeks, she’d fallen in love with the boy years earlier and only now realized how much she loved the man. He’d changed, but his heart was the same.

  She wondered how he would react when he realized she was gone. Would he be relieved or disappointed? Remembering how he sat up all night with her when she got out of the hospital, the truth became clear. He cared for her too, and her leaving would cause him pain.

  She told herself she’d made the right decision, and that she couldn’t take a risk with Zach’s safety, knowing how dangerous Nikki West could be. The woman might follow through on her threats.

  Her mother met her at baggage claim at the Philadelphia International Airport. She looked like she might say something, but instead she opened her arms and Addison flew into them.

  “I won’t ask you why you’re home. You can tell me when you’re up to it.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “We have a long drive ahead of us. Let’s get your luggage.”

  “I don’t have any.”

  “Once again, I’ll refrain from asking for now. My car is in short-term parking.”

  She walked beside her mother to the parking lot. When they reached the car, she got in and felt a wave of grief overtake her, so she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headrest. Her mother pulled into the airport circle so that she could get on the highway. It was impossible to stop the sobs that racked her body, reminding her of her broken ribs. “Oh darling, I’ll get Zachary for upsetting you like this. What on earth did he do?”

  “He made me fall in love with him all over again.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad. He’s your husband after all.”

  Addison inspected her rings through her tears, pulled them off, and shoved them in her jeans pocket.

  “Now it can’t be so bad that you’re seriously contemplating divorce, can it? You don’t believe in divorce for anything less than adultery. Did he cheat on you already?”

  “No. He didn’t cheat on me.”

  They drove in silence for an hour before her mother spoke again. “I can’t stand seeing you in so much pain without even knowing what caused it.”

  “I’m not ready to talk about it.”

  “Why don’t we stop for some food?”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “When did you last eat?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Then we’re stopping.”

  “Fine.”

  Her mother pulled into a rest stop, and they both used the restroom before ordering fast food and making their way to a table. “Eat.”

  She picked at her french fries and took two bites of her burger. “Good enough?”

  “I feel like I’m dealing with a five-year-old child.”

  “His pregnant ex-girlfriend threatened to hurt him if I didn’t leave.”

  “What?” Her mother reached for her hand and knocked over her soda in the process. “His ex-girlfriend is pregnant? Is it his child?”

  “Probably, yes.”

  “Well, no wonder you left him.”

  “I’m not leaving him because of the baby. I suggested he go back to her and be a family, but he refused, and once she tried to kill me, she ruined any chance they had for making a relationship work.”

  “She did what?”

  “Zach would’ve called you, but you were on your way home from the cruise, and once I was okay, I told him not to get you all upset for nothing since I’m fine.”

  “How did she try to kill you?”

  “She purposely rammed her car into ours. Zach’s driver was behind the car when she hit it and was seriously injured. I’m okay, a concussion and a few broken ribs, but nothing that won’t heal.”

  “Oh my word, I cannot believe you didn’t call me. I would’ve been there in a heartbeat.”

  “That there is why I didn’t call you.”

  “So, now this woman has threatened Zachary and you’ve given in to her demands?”

  “What choice did I have? I love him too much to risk his life.”

  “I understand, but you can’t let her win.”

  “She follows through on her threats. I’m living proof.”

  “Then call the police.”

  “They arrested her after she rammed the car, but she’s out of jail already.”

  “There has to be something they can do. Perhaps a restraining order?”

  “I hear they do little good.”

  “It can’t hurt.”

  “Mom, I have to let him go. It’s for the best. In time we’ll both be fine.”

  “You won’t be fine. Not if you truly love him. Do you think I’m fine after losing your father? Every morning the pain is fresh. I wake up and realize all over again that he’s gone. I lean on the Lord, and I get through each day, but it isn’t easy. You don’t have to mourn for Zachary. Your husband is here and giving him up willingly isn’t fair to either of you.”

  “What do you want me to do? How can I keep him safe?”

  “You can’t. Trust the Lord for that. He won’t take Zach home until He’s good and ready. In the meantime, enjoy the time He’s given you to be together. And put those rings back on your finger.”

  She reached in her pocket and pulled out her engagement ring and wedding band and slipped them back on her ring finger. Maybe her mother was right. Why hadn’t she prayed about this? Attempting to fix things on her own always failed. If she’d trusted God to begin with she wouldn’t be in this mess. She hoped Zach would forgive her for running off the way she did.

  Chapter 14

  Z ach drummed his fingers on the built-in table beside him on the plane. He noticed Amy�
��s glare and forced himself to stop, but his knee bobbed up and down. The nervous energy needed to go somewhere. Had he lost Addison before he truly had her? Would they play games with each other’s hearts for another twenty years? Maybe she was right and they should put a stop to it now.

  No. He couldn’t let her go. Now that he had her back in his life, he wanted to keep her there unless she didn’t love him. If that was the case, he would release her from her vows. He couldn’t let his thoughts go down that path. Another possibility sliced through his mind. What if she hated living in California? Would he be willing to move headquarters? Would he be able to get the board to approve a move? It didn’t seem possible for a tech giant like Fractal Enterprises to relocate to rural Pennsylvania, but if it was what she wanted, he’d do everything in his power to make it happen. New York City wasn’t too far, he might be able to set up shop there, but the taxes were a killer. He shook his head. Taxes were a secondary concern. His focus was on making his wife happy.

  “You’re doing it again.” Amy’s words brought him out of his reverie.

  “What?”

  “Drumming.” She sighed. “Maybe you should join a band and do your drumming on nights and weekends.”

  “Another one for the bucket list, Ames. Life’s too crazy at the moment.”

  “What did you ever see in that woman?”

  “Wasn’t that evident?”

  “I’ve never considered you shallow. Would you honestly marry a woman solely based on looks?”

  “No. She played her part well. For a while, I believed she was the woman she pretended to be. The longer we dated, the more her vindictiveness showed through, but I was willing to overlook her issues. Heaven knows I have plenty of my own faults. Nikki used my longing for a family of my own against me.” He threw his head back and stared at the ceiling of the plane. “No. That isn’t fair. I did that. She claimed she wanted kids, so I gave her a ring.”