Arranged: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Mixing Love and Business)

by Trisha Grace

  “What’s going on?”

  She opened her eyes at the unfamiliar voice and felt herself being pulled closer to the weight above her. “Julian.”

  “It’s okay,” he said into her ear.

  Another scream, then a thud.

  “There.”

  “Mr. Nicholson! You’ve been bitten.”

  Hayley gasped and pushed at him.

  “It’s not poisonous.”

  Hayley looked up at Anita, their in-house chef.

  “I grew up on a farm. It isn’t poisonous.”

  Hayley followed Anita’s gaze and shivered. On the dining table was the snake, its head cut off by a kitchen knife. The dark eyes of the snake bored into hers, and she forced herself to look away. Julian—he was bitten.

  Still on her knees, Hayley moved over to Julian. Spots of red stained his white T-shirt on his right shoulder. She tugged at the hem of his T-shirt, pulling it over his head.

  “Baby, there are other peopled in the room.”

  “Now’s not the time to joke, Julian.”

  He helped pull the T-shirt off his hand. “It’s nothing. Anita says it isn’t poisonous.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked with a glance over at their nonchalant chef.

  Anita nodded. “A hundred percent. It’s a boa. You should be more worried about it curling around your throat and strangling you. Which was why I had to act fast.”

  “Anita pried it off your back,” Doreen said. “Then she … then she …” She gestured a chopping action with her hand.

  “I’m sorry for ruining the dining table, Mr. Nicholson,” Anita said. “But I’m sure the snake bite isn’t poisonous.”

  “We should still go to the hospital.” Hayley cringed at the sight of the punctures. “I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  “If it were poisonous, you wouldn’t need a doctor to tell you.” Anita pulled out the knife embedded in the wooden dining table.

  Hayley looked at the knife, then at the snake. “Please don’t ever use that knife to prepare our food.”

  “But this is one of my chef’s knives.”

  “Get a new set then. I can’t” —she shuddered again— “I won’t eat anything prepared with that knife.”

  “I’ll buy you a new set.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Nicholson.” Anita looked at the snake, then at Doreen, who had remained quite a distance from them. “Do you want me to help you dispose of the snake?”

  Doreen’s head jerked up and down earnestly, and Hayley shut her eyes and leaned back when Anita grabbed the snake. If she didn’t have to stay by Julian’s side, she would be cowering in a far corner of the house by now.

  She hated being so close to the creature. Even dead, it was creeping her out.

  Julian’s arm went around her shoulder and pulled her against him. “It’s okay. It’s dead.”

  She shivered and swallowed. “I hate snakes.”

  He shifted, putting himself in front of her and effectively cutting off her line of sight to the dining table.

  “We need to replace the table.” She wasn’t going to put her hands on that table. No. She didn’t even want to be near the table.

  “We’ll burn it.”

  She laughed at that.

  “Are you hurt?” He swept her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Did you bump your head? Are you hurting anywhere?”

  She shook her head. She hadn’t processed how she’d gotten to the ground. “You pushed me down?”

  “I’m sorry. I just reacted.” He weaved his fingers into her hair. “Did you hit your head?”

  She shook her head and pulled his hand away from her hair. “No. I’m fine. Thank you.” She scrambled to her feet. “We’re going to the hospital now.” She pushed the wheelchair closer to Julian.

  “Doreen,” Julian said as he pulled himself back onto his wheelchair. “Get someone to dispose of the dining table.” He looked over at Hayley. “Would you like proof that the table has been burned?”

  Hayley wanted to tell him again that this was no time to be joking around, but she laughed before she could stop herself. “No. I don’t need that.”

  Julian grinned. “Let’s go then.”

  Julian’s eyes flew open when he heard Hayley’s scream. Even after a trip to the ER to make sure he was all right, Hayley continued to fuss over his wound. He couldn’t say he didn’t like her attention, but he didn’t want her to keep thinking about the snake.

  He’d noticed how her hands were still trembling when she showed the doctor a photo of the snake—one that Anita had taken and forwarded to her phone. Hayley couldn’t even seem to make herself look at the photo.

  Julian pushed himself upright in bed as he scanned the dark room for an attacker, for any sort of movement.

  He wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline or his familiarity with his bedroom, but his eyes adjusted to the darkness almost immediately.

  Another gasp from Hayley turned Julian’s attention to her.

  Next to him, Hayley was curled up in a ball. Her hands were in front of her face as if she was fending off an attack.

  He reached over and stroked her hair. “Hayley.”

  “No!”

  “Shh …” He lay back in bed and slipped an arm under her. “You’re having a nightmare.” He pulled her shivering frame against him. “It’s okay.” He rubbed a hand up and down her back while another cradled her head against his shoulder. “Everything’s okay.”

  Hayley curled her hands into his T-shirt. “There’s a snake on the bed.”

  Julian wanted to kick himself. From now on, the guard would be screening all packages before they came up to the penthouse. “There isn’t any snake, I promise. It’s just a nightmare.”

  He kissed her hair because he couldn’t help himself. Not when she was so close to him, smelling like sweet geraniums. “You’re okay. You’re safe.” He tugged her closer, because he hated that she didn’t feel safe under his roof—their home. “I’m right here. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

  Slowly, her trembling eased and ceased. Hayley’s rigid posture softened as she melted against him. Her cheek was resting against his shoulder, her hands on his chest. And Julian felt as if he held the whole world in his arms.

  “I’ll keep you safe,” he mumbled under his breath—a reminder to himself. No matter what it took, he would keep Hayley safe. She was his wife—his to protect. “I’m right here. I won’t let anything” —or anyone— “hurt you.” Not even himself.

  “Thank you.”

  “I enjoy holding you.”

  She shifted, leaning back so she could look up at him. “I mean for taking the snake bite for me.”

  “Are you sure your head doesn’t hurt?” He hadn’t had time to shield her head. He’d barely gotten himself between the snake and Hayley.

  “I didn’t hurt my head.” She shifted further away from him. “Did you know what kind of snake it was when it sprang out of the box?”

  “I didn’t grow up on a farm.” He ran a finger down a side of her face. “Stop thinking about it. You’re going to have another nightmare.”

  She licked her lips and tucked her hair behind her ear.

  “You’re safe, I promise. I’ll get the guards to screen any packages before sending them up.”

  Her eyes widened. “You can’t. I mean …”

  “Why?”

  “I just ordered some lingerie sets online. I’d rather no one goes through them.”

  He wasn’t going to allow that either. “Okay. The new rule will have to wait.”

  Her head bobbed up and down, then stopped as she looked into his eyes again.

  “Stop looking at me like that, Hayley. It’s making me think about kissing you.” More than just kissing her. He blinked when Hayley closed the space between them. “Hayley,” he said when she leaned back from the peck on his lips.

  She wriggled closer and tugged on his shirt, pulling him back to her lips.

  “Hayley. Stop.”
r />   She immediately stilled, then shifted back. “I’m sorry. I thought …”

  “I want you, Hayley. I want to kiss you …” He cupped her face. “So much.” Touching his forehead to hers, he took a deep breath. “But I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop. I don’t want to take more than you’re willing to give.”

  “What if I’m willing to give everything?”

  He groaned. “Hayley, you cannot talk like that.”

  She chewed on her lower lip.

  “You’re in shock over what happened. I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret. I don’t want to wake up and see the regret in your eyes in the morning. I’d hate myself if that happened.”

  “I …”

  Julian pulled her back against him, holding her tight. He should leave the room before his self-discipline snapped.

  “So if I still want to do this tomorrow—”

  Julian groaned and let go of Hayley. “Baby, I love you. But I’m going to sleep on the couch tonight.” He pushed the duvet off himself and got into his wheelchair.

  “Julian, I’m sorry. I won’t talk about it anymore. Don’t be angry.”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “I’m not angry, Hayley. I’m … I just don’t think I can keep my hands off you if I stay in this room another minute.”

  “But what if I have another nightmare?”

  Julian tipped his head back and groaned again.

  “Okay, never mind. I’ll be fine.” Hayley lay back down and pulled the duvet up over her shoulder.

  He pushed himself toward the door, then stopped and wheeled himself back to the bed. He got back in bed as quietly as possible, then slipped his arm under Hayley and buried his face in her hair. “Sleep. I’ll be here with you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  HAYLEY SNUGGLED CLOSER to the warmth surrounding her. Everything felt unfamiliar, but in a good way. She liked the masculine scent she was breathing in and the security she felt.

  Was she still dreaming?

  She blinked. No, she was awake. The bedroom felt brighter than usual. Where was she?

  She sighed when someone kissed her hair. Wait.

  Hayley blinked again and flipped onto her other side abruptly.

  “Good morning,” Julian said. One of his hands was under her neck while the other rested on her hip.

  She tucked her chin as she remembered what happened last night, embarrassed about her behavior.

  At first, she’d been so afraid she couldn’t let go of Julian’s shirt. But as his heat seeped into her, her fear was replaced by a sense of security, the same security she’d felt this morning. All of that would have been fine, except she had kissed him. Why did she do that?

  Julian hooked a finger under her chin. “Nothing happened last night, so why do you still look like you regret it?” His eyes narrowed. “Or are you regretting us not taking things a step further?”

  “Julian.”

  He laughed and dragged her closer to him before kissing her forehead.

  Hayley tried to push herself away from Julian, but he curled the arm under her neck to keep her close. “What time is it?”

  Julian shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

  She turned, thinking to reach over to her nightstand to grab her phone. But she was on the wrong side of the bed.

  “I flipped you over so I’d be closer to the door. That way, if anyone came in, they’d get to me first.”

  “Did someone sneak into the apartment?”

  “No. I just wanted you to feel safe.”

  “Thank you, Julian.” She pushed herself up to sit on the bed and leaned over Julian to grab her phone.

  “You can’t tease me like that, Hayley,” he said as his thumb brushed across the front of her hipbone.

  Hayley looked down at him, not understanding. She grabbed her phone and apologized anyway. “It’s eight!” She scrambled to get out of bed, but Julian tugged her back.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Why are you still in bed? You’re usually up at four-thirty.”

  Julian was always up at four-thirty to exercise and get a head start on his reading. Hayley would wake up when she heard him moving around the room. Sometimes she’d get up and read in bed. Other times, she would go back to sleep since Julian didn’t have breakfast until six.

  “I didn’t want to leave you alone in bed in case you had another nightmare.”

  She ducked her chin and ended up with her forehead against his chest.

  Julian looped his other arm around her, and her already fluttering heart ratcheted up further.

  “Julian.”

  “What?”

  “It’s late. Colin’s coming over soon.”

  “He can wait.”

  But she might have a heart attack if she didn’t move away from him soon. “Julian.” She put a hand on his chest. “The staff must be wondering if something’s wrong.”

  “What about me?”

  She frowned and looked up at him.

  “You’re concerned about Colin and the staff. What about me?”

  “What about you?”

  “I’d like to stay in bed for another five minutes.”

  “I’ll go wash up first, then.”

  He looped his arm around her waist to keep her from moving away. “With you. I’d like to stay in bed for another five minutes with you.”

  “Why?”

  “I like having you so close to me. I like how soft you are, how good you smell.”

  “Julian.” She pushed at his chest.

  “Why do you keep trying to move away from me?”

  “Because … you’re so close to me.”

  “And you don’t like that?”

  “No, it isn’t that.” She liked it too much.

  “Then don’t think too much. Just five more minutes, okay?”

  She nodded slowly after a moment, but really, she should have just rolled out of bed. As she lay with his arms around her, she ran through all that had happened last night. The way he leapt up to protect her from the snake. The snake could have been venomous. He could have died.

  Would she have regretted sleeping with him? She wasn’t sure. But she didn’t have to worry about that because Julian protected her from that as well.

  “What are you thinking about?” Julian asked, running a hand down her back.

  How could such a simple gesture feel so good? “I’ll go wash up.” She rolled out of bed and hurried into the bathroom. She was in so much trouble.

  Julian grinned when Hayley gasped at the sight of him walking with the help of a walking stick. It was taking a lot more effort than he imagined, but it was all worthwhile to see the joy on Hayley’s face.

  “Someone’s late getting up,” Colin said when Julian got to the couch.

  “I told you about the snake and the chaos that went down. The dining room is missing a dining table, and Julian just made his way out here with a walking stick, yet you’re focused on Julian getting up late?”

  “For as long as I’ve known him, he’s woken up at four-thirty in the morning. Always. Without fail. Even when he’s sick. He’s that crazy.” Colin brought an ankle to his knee. “I wonder what kept you in bed.”

  Julian shot Colin a glare and settled onto the couch between Hayley and Colin. As much as he enjoyed teasing Hayley, he wasn’t going to allow Colin to do so.

  Colin laughed. He leaned forward, grabbed the black folders from the coffee table, and handed them to Julian. “The final applicants. Pick one. My secretary is threatening to quit if she has to continue doing the work for both of us.”

  Julian flipped through the files. “Have you interviewed them?”

  Colin nodded. “These are the three that were able to handle my brooding. Any of them should be able to handle you.” He looked over at Hayley. “They’re all guys.”

  “Colin Wells.”

  “Why?” Hayley asked.

  Julian put the most qualified applicant on the top of the files and handed them back to Col
in, then turned to Hayley. “Because I know I screwed up and I want you to know I meant everything I said about you. I don’t want you to have any doubts about what I’m doing in the office. I told Frank and Paula the same thing.”

  “Um, Miss Hayley.” Doreen came over with another black box and red ribbon, her hands visibly shaking.

  “Another package,” Hayley said and eyed the box in disgust. “Can I change my mind about letting the security team screen the packages first?”

  “No,” Julian said and gestured for Doreen to set the box down in front of him. “Not until your online buys arrive.”

  Colin arched a brow. “What did you buy?” He turned back to Julian. “Maybe you shouldn't put it so close. Last night’s snake wasn’t poisonous. Doesn't mean today’s snake isn't either.”

  Hayley slapped her hand down on the lid. “Colin’s right. Let’s not open it. Let’s just throw it away.”

  “Or call the detective and let her take a look at it.”

  Hayley leaned closer to the box, and Julian held her shoulder and nudged her back.

  “I’m trying to see if I can hear anything moving inside.”

  “Doreen says I might be needed.” Anita appeared in the living room with last night’s knife. “Since it can’t be used to prepare food anymore, we can designate it for head-chopping purposes.”

  Hayley turned away and stood. “I’m going to throw up.” She ran into the bedroom.

  “Oops. I’m sorry,” Anita said as Hayley ran past her. “I forget city people aren't used to seeing dead animals.” Her eyes widened as Julian stood and hurried after Hayley.

  He couldn't move as fast as he wanted, and he wished he’d just taken his wheelchair instead of trying to make a show out of walking.

  By the time he got to their bedroom, Hayley was splashing water on her face. “Baby, are you okay?”

  She closed her eyes and nodded. “I’m sorry. It’s just …” She shook her head and swallowed.

  “Okay.” He wrapped his arm around her when he finally got to her. “Stop thinking about it.”

  “Ugh. The head.” She turned away again and bent over the sink.

  Julian rubbed his hand down her back, trying to come up with something to distract her. “My shoulder’s kind of hurting from the bite. Do you think you could see if it’s infected or something?”