Devoured--A Sexy Billionaire Romance

by Cathryn Fox

  God, I miss him.

  But I had to leave. I couldn’t go through with a sham of a marriage—one I wanted to be real—after seeing that prenup. Does he really think I’m like his ex, that I wanted to get my hands on his money? I swipe at a stupid tear that threatens to fall—I’ve cried enough. Why should I shed tears for a man who doesn’t know me or trust me at all?

  Oh, because no matter what, you still love him.

  Carly pulls the door open and my sister-in-law Londyn takes one look at me and shakes her head.

  “Go away,” I say, and take a sip of wine.

  “She’s worse than I thought,” Londyn says.

  “Yeah, she’s been in those pajamas so long, the second she takes them off they’re going to run to the washing machine themselves.”

  “I’m right here,” I blurt out. “I can hear you.”

  “Come on, we have a long day ahead of us,” Londyn says.

  I stroke my wineglass and twirl the red wine inside. “What are you talking about?”

  Londyn stands over me. “You know you look a little bit like the Joker right now.”

  I arch a brow at her. “I remember when you used to be nice.”

  “You have red wine all over the corners of your mouth and on your pajamas.”

  “Wine is my precious,” I say, lifting my nose an inch.

  “Get up,” she demands in that no-nonsense voice of hers.

  I snort. “I remember when I used to like you.”

  “You still like me, now get up. Cason is getting his plane ready.”

  “For what?”

  She gives an exasperated sigh. “Did you forget?”

  “Apparently.”

  “We’re going to Belize, for Gemma’s bachelorette party.” She plants one hand on her hip, clearly frustrated with me. I don’t blame her, all this self-pity and arguing is getting on my nerves, too. If Roman were here, would he kiss me to stop me from arguing?

  Stop thinking about him!

  I crinkle my nose. “Isn’t that like a month away?”

  “You’ve been moping so long you don’t even know what day of the week it is anymore.” Londyn hastily takes my wine from me and pulls me to my feet.

  “I don’t want to go.” I stand there like a petulant child and dig my feet in. “I don’t even like her fiancé.”

  Londyn waves a warning finger at me. “Who she marries is not your call.”

  “Well, if it was, I think she should be marrying Josh Walker.”

  Londyn smiles. “Yeah, she used to use his services at Penn Pals. I remember. I thought those two would end up together.”

  That’s when an idea hits. I think it’s brilliant, of course, or it could just be the wine. “Maybe we should kidnap the bride.”

  “We are not kidnapping anyone. Gemma is a good friend,” she says, her voice softer. “We all need to support her. Now come on.”

  I pout. “You don’t play fair.”

  There’s someone else I know who doesn’t play fair, either.

  God, will I ever get him out of my head?

  “Gemma is counting on you,” Londyn says.

  Okay, okay, I know she’s right. Gemma and I met at Penn State and I have been looking forward to her bachelorette. It came much faster than I thought, but then again, I have lost all track of time.

  “Will there be wine?” I ask.

  “Yes,” both Carly and Londyn say at the same time.

  “You don’t have to yell.” I saunter to the bathroom, take one look at myself in the mirror and cringe. I rub the corners of my mouth. Londyn was right. I am channeling the Joker. Carly and Londyn are whispering something in the other room, but the shower drowns out their voices when I turn it on. I scrub off with hot, soapy water and head to my room to pack a bag, only to find it’s already packed for me.

  “Who did this?”

  “I did,” Carly says, her arms crossed as she leans against the door.

  “How did you know what I wanted to pack?” I’m about to open the duffel bag but she stops me.

  “Don’t.”

  I frown and narrow my eyes. “Why are you acting so weird?”

  “I’m not acting weird,” she says lightly as she brushes me off with a wave. “You just had too much wine.”

  I nod. “That’s fair.”

  “Everything you need is in that bag. Trust me.”

  Trust me. Isn’t that what Roman asked me to do once. Where was his trust in me?

  I eye her. “If you’re sure...”

  “I’m sure.”

  Londyn stands by the open door. “Come on, we need to go now.”

  One hour later, I’m on my brother’s plane, ready for the long four-hour flight to Belize. I yawn, and my muscles relax. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept well. Whenever I close my eyes, visions of Roman dance in my mind. I swallow hard. Is he relieved I never went through with the marriage?

  He said he’d do anything to help me get the job, but agreeing to marriage, or rather being the one to suggest it, seemed a little over-the-top. That alone, not even taking into account all the other things he did for me, is why I thought he might want more. Why I thought that this was not about my job, and more about the two of us and how great we were together? I guess I was wrong.

  Were you, Peyton?

  I recline my comfy seat, let my lids fall shut, and the next thing I know, Cason is shaking me awake.

  “What?” I say groggily, and blink my eyes into focus. Both Carly and Londyn are gathering their things.

  “We’re here.”

  “That was fast.”

  Cason’s eyes narrow on me and he pats my hand gently. “Everything is going to be okay, Peyton.”

  “What are you talking about?” I ask, knowing, deep in my heart, that nothing is ever going to be okay again. I’ve lost everything. Cason doesn’t know the whole truth, though. I kept my promise and never said a thing about my relationship with Roman. He only knows I didn’t get the position.

  “You trust me, right?” he asks.

  “Of course I do.”

  “Then you know everything I do is with your best interest in mind, right?”

  “Cason, what are you talking about?” I shake my head to clear the rest of the sleep away. “You’re freaking me out a little here.”

  “Promise me you won’t be mad,” he says, a softness in his voice, making it the tone he used with me when I was a frightened child.

  Everything inside me stiffens. “About what?”

  He casts Londyn a quick look and she nods. “We didn’t really go to Belize.”

  I jump up and look out the window. “Where the hell are we?”

  “Come on, I’ll show you.”

  I quickly gather up my things and exit the plane. Once we’re on the ground, I look at the airport, but still can’t figure out where we are. It’s not until we land in customs that I realize I’m in Italy.

  Italy!

  Where Roman’s family lives.

  Oh, hell no!

  “I’m getting back on the plane,” I blurt out.

  Cason takes my hand and tugs. “You said you trusted me.”

  “Cason, why are we here?” I don’t want to see Roman. We’re done. But I can’t tell him that because he never knew what we were doing behind closed doors.

  “There is something I want to show you, then we can turn around and head right back to the States.”

  My stomach cramps. “I don’t get it. What about the bachelorette party?”

  He gives me an exasperated sigh. “Do you have to question everything?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fine. I’ll explain everything shortly. Right now, I need you to trust me.”

  With my stomach in tight knots, we go through customs and outside there is a limo
waiting for us. We all pile in and I put my travel bag by my feet. I have no idea what my brother is up to. All I know is that I do trust him and if he wants to show me something, I’m not going to say no. If it has something to do with Roman—and how could it not—I’m going to kill him.

  As we drive, a cold chill moves through me despite the warm temperatures outside, and I dig into my carry-on duffel bag to see if Carly packed me a sweater.

  “What the heck?” I ask, when I pull pair after pair of sexy underwear from the bag. “You didn’t pack me any clothes.”

  She looks away, avoiding my gaze, and once again I can’t help but think she’s acting strange. “I didn’t think you were going to need them,” she says.

  “Why on earth wouldn’t I need clothes for a bachelorette party?” I snort. “Then again, I guess we’re not really going to Gemma’s party. I still don’t understand all the underwear, though.”

  “To answer your earlier question, Peyton,” Cason says, “Londyn and Carly are here because we are going to a wedding. Just not Gemma’s.”

  “Then I do need clothes.” Maybe I’d better lay off the wine, because nothing is making sense. The car comes to a stop and we all climb out. I glance around at the big open field, which goes on as far as the eye can see. “Where are we? Whose wedding?”

  I take a step forward and go completely still when I spot Roman cresting a hill, walking toward me. But he’s not alone—behind him I spot his entire family.

  My legs go weak and Cason puts his arm around me. “Cason...”

  “You two need to talk.”

  I glare at him. “You were behind this?”

  “Yes,” he says, a calmness in his voice that does little to soothe me.

  “Why?”

  “All I ever wanted in my entire life was to make sure you were safe and loved, Peyton. But you’re grown up now, and it’s time to stand on your own two feet and make your own decisions. A conversation I shared with someone very wise opened my eyes to that.”

  I gasp. “Really?”

  “Roman and I talked, for hours. Now it’s your turn to talk to him. What happens next is up to you. He’s a good man, Peyton. In fact, he’s the best, and if there was ever a man I wanted in your life, it’s him. I know you’ll make the right choice.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “I think you’re the one who doesn’t understand.”

  He gives me a little nudge until my legs are moving and the next thing I know, Roman and I are standing alone in a wide expanse of field, our family and friends in the distance.

  “What’s going on, Roman?”

  “I’m sorry about tricking you into coming.”

  I cross my arms. “Say whatever it is you have to say.”

  “We have a problem.”

  I try to keep my breathing steady, but his proximity is seriously messing with my body and brain. “What kind of problem?”

  “You see, I hurt you, Peyton, after I swore I never would. But you have to know I didn’t do it on purpose. I’d never do it on purpose.” I blink up at him, and he continues with, “I love you, Peyton. I’ve always loved you. I never thought you could be mine, but now, well, I’m going to do everything in my power to make that happen.”

  My throat dries. “You...love me?”

  He laughs and shakes his head. “Is that what I said?”

  I stiffen. Oh God, did he not mean it? “Yes, that’s what you just said.”

  His smile falls, his face completely sober, when he says, “Then that’s what I meant.” He takes my hand and when I see love and desire reflecting in his eyes, happiness wells up inside me.

  Roman loves me!

  Wait, why is he suddenly frowning?

  “I’m sorry you lost your job.”

  Hurt tightens my heart, and I blink back the tears pounding behind my eyes. Richard’s wife might have been out to get me fired unbeknownst to him, but at least he was good with the kids, and they loved him in return. Their well-being is important to me. “Thank you.”

  “Teaching kids English in another country is still your dream job, right?”

  “It is. But I don’t see that happening now.”

  “Look around.” I glance around at the wide-open space and catch my brother’s eye. He looks on with worry, and my heart thumps. He’s done right by me my whole life, and I love him for it, but I’m a grown-up now who can stand on her own feet, make her own decisions. “This is where your new school is going to be built.”

  I falter a little, my pulse leaping in my neck. “What?”

  “I bought this land, and it took weeks to get all the permits I needed. I would have come for you sooner, but I wanted to make sure everything was in place.”

  I raise my shaky hands to his face. “Roman, I can’t believe you did this.” Then again, maybe I can. He’s been nothing but good to me, going above and beyond to help me out...because he loves me.

  Roman loves me.

  “I don’t know what to say,” I push out, my voice as shaky as my body.

  “Say yes.” He drops to his knees, pulls a box from his back pocket and opens it. Tears flood my eyes and spill when I see his grandmother’s ring. “I love you, Peyton, with all my heart. I want you in my bed and in my life, I want you for the good times and the bad. I want to go on this journey called life with you by my side. I want to be equal partners, and I don’t care about the prenup.”

  My head spins, my heart so full it’s ready to burst, but with everything he’s saying to me, everything coming at me so fast, my mind focuses on the last words out of his mouth. “Why don’t you care about the prenup?”

  “Because I know you’re nothing like my ex, that you’re the most giving person I know and you don’t care about my name or money. You care about the person behind all those things—you care about me. The prenup is simply a tradition, something that has been in my family for generations. I never even really thought about how it would make you feel. I’m an idiot like that sometimes.”

  “You’re not an idiot, Roman, and I didn’t know it was tradition,” I say, my heart pounding so hard, I’m a little light-headed. “When I saw it, I thought...”

  “I know what you thought, and I’m sorry. I never meant to do anything that made you feel like that lost girl from your childhood. The one who was afraid she wasn’t enough and would never be enough. I never meant for you to think I wanted you to sign the prenup because I didn’t trust you. I do trust you, Peyton. You’re everything to me and to my family. You’re kind, sweet, giving and so goddamn lovable that when I found the villa empty—” he shakes his head, agony all over his face “—it broke my damn heart. At first, I couldn’t understand it. I thought you were done with me, thought you were discarding me because you didn’t need me to be your husband anymore. I jumped to conclusions because of past hurts, but then I recognized that’s not something you would ever do. I called Cason and realized the prenup brought back past hurts for you, too.”

  “It did, and I’m sorry, too, Roman. You’ve been nothing but sweet and helpful, and you showed me I have value, made me feel important.”

  He once confessed that helping me was more about me and less about my brother. Everything in his touch and actions told me he cared. After reading the prenup, I didn’t want to believe him anymore, and I expected him to hurt me like everyone else. Self-preservation and a childhood in the system does that to a person. But there was a part of me that always believed him...believed in him. I was just so afraid. But I don’t have to be afraid anymore.

  “The prenup... I don’t know, it just reminded me that I should never let myself believe in fairy tales, because...”

  “Because there’s still a part of you that believes you’re not enough. But you have to let that go. You’re everything. You’re more than everything.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “The truth is,
Peyton, you can take care of yourself, I know that, but all I want to do is protect you and give you the world.” His throat makes a noise and he puts a hand on my face. “I don’t want to live without you. Correction, I can’t live without you.”

  “You can’t?”

  “No.” Eyes full of love and sorrow study my face. My heart races and happy tears full of joy spill down my cheeks. “Can you let me do that?”

  “All I ever wanted from you was your love, Roman. Those other things aren’t important to me.”

  He smiles. “Is that your way of saying you love me?”

  “Of course I love you,” I blurt out. “I’ve always loved you. For as long as I can remember I loved you.”

  “Then say yes.”

  “No,” I say, and he falls back onto his heels.

  Fear and sadness invade his dark eyes. “No?”

  “No, if it’s tradition, then I want to sign the prenup. I didn’t know that before. I thought it was about me, but it’s not, it’s about your family and tradition and I want to respect that.”

  He smiles, stands and pulls me to him. “Right there, Peyton. That’s why I don’t want you to sign it.”

  I take a big breath, about to answer him, then glance up to see our families. “Wait,” I say. “Why is everyone here?”

  “Because if you say yes, I want to get married this very second. All the arrangements have been made.”

  “Oh.”

  He chuckles. “Yeah, oh, and I’m not the only one out here holding my breath here, Peyton. My sisters can’t wait until they can call you sister, Mamma can’t wait to call you her new daughter, and I can’t wait to call you my wife.”

  I put one hand on my hips and shake my head. “You just took it upon yourself to make arrangements without consulting me?”

  “I just thought—”

  I throw my hands out, palms up, and those watching must think we’re fighting. “And never considered if I wanted it to be on a beach or a church, or a... I don’t know, somewhere else,” I say, totally pressing his buttons and wanting to frustrate him.

  “This is where your school is going to be built, I thought you’d like—”