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

by Trisha Grace

  She nodded. She’d just stood and turned when Julian’s arm went around her waist.

  “Hayley,” he said, his warm breath tickling her ear. “I’m sorry about this. I’m sorry for what Charlene did.”

  She turned her face toward him. His face was so close to hers, and she lost her train of thought when she locked eyes with him. An electrical buzz seemed to pulse between them, trying to pull them closer.

  Despite the kiss they’d shared in the elevator, Julian hadn’t tried kissing her again for the rest of that night. In fact, she’d been tired enough to fall asleep the moment her head touched her pillow.

  Hayley closed her eyes and tried retrieving her lost thought. “It isn’t your fault. You didn’t know—”

  “I’d rather not talk about her now.” His arm around her waist tugged her closer against him as he closed the distance between their lips. “Why do you always smell so good?” he asked when he broke the slow, languid kiss.

  “If you like my smell so much, you can use my shower products in the bathroom.”

  He laughed and gave her another peck. “Should I be worried that my kisses don’t seem to fluster you anymore?”

  Who said they didn’t? Her heart was beating so hard and fast that she was sure Julian could feel it. “I’ll go choose a movie for us to watch.”

  Julian sighed. “Fine.” He dropped his arm from around her.

  “Or,” she spun back around to him, “we could cook something together.”

  “You know how to cook?” His arms went around her again.

  “Paula taught me. I even know how to make mozzarella cheese. We experimented with it when I suggested they sell gourmet fries in their food truck.” And it had been a major hit. “It’s really fun to play with. Maybe we can do that another time.”

  “Why not do it now?”

  “We’d need some special ingredients.”

  He shrugged. “We can send Doreen out to get them. We can watch a movie first, then make our own gourmet fries later. We do have the whole day.”

  “Yeah, why not? Doreen,” she called out and tried to disentangle herself from Julian, but he stubbornly held on.

  “Yes, Miss Hayley. Oh.” Doreen froze on the spot, then turned and stopped again.

  Hayley shot Julian a glare. “I’m going to text you a list of items to get at the grocery store. I’ll get Desmond to drive you.”

  “Yes, Miss Hayley,” Doreen said without turning around. “I’ll go grab my purse.”

  “You can take my card from my wallet.”

  Julian let go of Hayley then. “No, take mine.” He gave her a peck on the forehead before moving away from her.

  She pursed her lips and pulled out her phone. After sending Doreen a text, she texted Leanne. I need to talk to you. Hayley leaned her head back. She should have a talk with Paula too. She always had such good advice for her.

  “So, what are we watching?” Julian asked when she joined him on the couch. “Um, I don’t know. Why don’t you choose something?”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “YOU CAN’T PUT the pot that way. It isn’t going to get clean,” Hayley said as Julian tried stuffing the large stainless steel pot into the dishwasher.

  He frowned and bent lower to study the dishwasher. This was the first time he’d ever opened one.

  “Is this the first time you’ve ever loaded a dishwasher?” she asked.

  “How are you an expert on this?”

  “Paula and Frank never treated me differently from Leanne. Whatever chores Leanne had to do, I had to do too.”

  He glanced up at her and rearranged some of the items in the dishwasher so the oversize pot would fit. “And you didn’t mind?”

  “I enjoyed learning how to do chores. It made me feel like I could actually contribute, that I wasn’t just some spoiled princess stuck in a tower.” Hayley came over to the other side of the dishwasher and helped him with it.

  “They were giving you a choice in case you ever decided to have a life outside of being an heiress.”

  She stopped and looked up at him.

  As much as Julian had tried pushing the thought out of his mind, Hayley leaving him was a possibility that was getting more real and frightening with each day. As their gazes locked, he was tempted once again to ask her to stay. He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t pressure her, but he wanted to hear her say something—anything—to let him know it wasn’t a hopeless situation.

  She’d responded to his kisses, and she no longer flinched from his touch. But she still hadn’t said anything about staying, and the uncertainty was driving him nuts.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He shook his head and closed the dishwasher.

  Hayley chuckled and pulled it open again. “You need to put in the cleaning powder.” She opened several cabinets before finding a box and pouring some into a small compartment. “There.” She closed the dishwasher and switched it on.

  “I guess you won’t have a problem surviving on your own after the annulment.”

  She straightened. “I thought you didn’t want me to leave.”

  “I don’t. I’m really hoping you’ll choose me.” He dropped his head. “But you are going to leave anyway.” That was what he deserved. He’d hurt her. He’d broken her heart. It was already a miracle that she remained by his side to help in his recovery.

  He shook his head. Stop moping. He’d made his bed; he had to lie in it. Forcing a smile, he continued, “I’m glad you can do all this. I won’t be so worried about you when the time comes.”

  Who was he kidding? It didn’t matter what Hayley could or couldn’t do. He would be worried about her every single moment she wasn’t with him. “Don’t expect me to disappear, though. I’m still going to prove to you that I want you in my life.”

  “And how are you going to do that?” Hayley leaned a hip against the kitchen counter.

  “I don’t know, but I’ll figure out.”

  “You don’t know? I thought you were an expert at getting women to fall in love with you.”

  “Hayley, I admit I haven’t been a saint.” He stepped toward her and put a hand on her hip. “But I’ve never cared about any of the …” That didn’t seem like something he should be announcing. “Point is, I’ve never had to … pursue anyone. I’ve never wanted someone to stay in my life the way I want you.”

  Hope flared in him when Hayley’s gaze softened, but she shook her head a moment later and turned away from him.

  “You have no idea what your words do to me,” she said. “They scare me.” She turned back to him. “When you say things like that, when you’re all nice and sweet to me, you make me want to … to forget about the annulment and stay here with you.”

  His eyes widened. “Then stay.”

  “I can’t!” She pressed her hands to her face. “I don’t want to feel like an absolute fool when you get back to your old life and realize I have no place in it.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Because I’m your only support now.”

  Julian groaned. “How can I make you see, make you feel what I feel about you?”

  Hayley strode out of the kitchen, and Julian went after her.

  “I’m sorry, Hayley.” He took her hand and pulled her to a stop. “I’m sorry. I won’t pressure you. I keep telling myself that, then I get all worried about losing you and I forget what I promised not to do.” He cupped his hand behind her neck and pulled her close.

  Resting his forehead against hers, he continued, “I’m sorry. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’ll wait as long as you need.” He closed his eyes. “I’ll understand if you choose to leave.” It would break his heart, but he would let her go. “I just want you to know how I feel. I don’t want to regret things left unsaid.” Like what had happened with his mother.

  Julian shook that thought from his mind. “Just promise you won’t shut me out of your life when you leave. Can I ask that?”

  Hayley sig
hed. “Julian, if you break my heart again, I will allow Paula to use you for stew.”

  He opened his eyes and moved back just enough so he could look right into her eyes. Had he misheard? Was Hayley saying what he thought she was saying?

  She rolled onto the balls of her feet and pressed her lips to his.

  Julian didn’t need further encouragement. He crushed his lips against hers, his kiss fierce and possessive. His hands skimmed down her arms while hers moved up his chest. “Hayley,” he said, his voice deep.

  He tightened his grip on her hip when he finally broke the kiss. “Hayley.” He closed his eyes.

  “I love the way you say my name.” She leaned forward again, but his hand gripped her shoulder and held her at arm’s length.

  “Did I do something wrong?” She tried to take a step back, but he wouldn’t let her move away either. “I thought …”

  The muscles along his cheeks twitched, and he sighed after a moment. “Give me a few seconds.” When he opened his eyes, her brows were drawn together as she stared at him.

  “I don’t want you to regret this in the morning.”

  “I won’t.”

  “You know what I’ll think if we do this, right? You’ve been saving yourself for marriage. If we do this, it means you’re choosing me.”

  “Isn’t that what you want?”

  “Is this what you want?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t think before speaking.

  “Hayley.” This time, her name sounded like a warning.

  “I’m choosing you, Julian. Do you want me?”

  “I can’t believe you still have to ask.” He pulled her against him and kissed her, breaking the kiss a moment later. “Bedroom. Now.”

  She giggled and nodded.

  He took her hand, and they went back to their bedroom. He released her hand and closed the door, then headed toward the nightstand. He pulled out the black box he’d kept in there. “I didn’t do it right the first time.”

  “Do what right?” Hayley asked when he turned to her.

  He came over to her. “It may be a little awkward since I’m not sure if I can actually get down, or if I can get up after that.”

  She frowned at the box in his hand. “Julian.”

  Shifting his weight onto the hand with the walking stick, Julian got down on one knee.

  “Julian, what are you doing?”

  He opened the black box. An pink oval diamond sat proudly in the middle, encircled by smaller white diamonds. “Hayley Espel, will you marry me?”

  She laughed.

  “I know. You’re not marrying me again, but it sounded more romantic than ‘will you agree to remain married to me.’”

  “Yes. Whatever it is, yes.”

  He slipped the ring onto her finger, and she helped him up to his feet. “Do you like it?” He wrapped his arms around her. “I sent Colin to bid for the diamond.” When he saw the news that a rare pink diamond was up for auction, he knew it belonged to Hayley. “I told him to get it no matter the price.”

  While she’d never told him that she liked pink, he’d seen her phone, EarPods, and Kindle cover. They were all in some shade of light pink, so he knew the ring would be perfect for her.

  “You sent the company’s CFO to bid for a diamond?”

  “I didn’t trust anyone else to do it. Once he got it, I sent it to the jewelers to have it set. Do you like it?”

  She nodded. “This suits me better than the three-carat engagement ring.” She’d always thought that diamond was way too big and gaudy for her. She hadn’t worn it except to formal events. “Did you get this because of what I said that night at the museum? I was joking.”

  “I sent Colin for it before that. The day after your birthday.”

  “The day after my birthday? But I told you then that I was leaving.”

  “I know. But I wasn’t going to let you leave without a fight. I just thought I’d hold on to it until you became mine again.”

  She pursed her lips and dropped her gaze to the floor.

  “Hey, I deserve everything that’s happened. I’m already thankful that you’re saying yes now. I was prepared for the possibility of growing into a lonely and bitter old man.”

  She rolled her eyes, and he kissed her nose.

  “So what do I do with the previous one?”

  “Just treat it as another piece of jewelry. I didn’t even buy it. My stepmom did.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “Then I don’t have to feel bad announcing that I like this better.”

  “So now, wife.” He pulled her closer against himself. “Have I given you enough time to enjoy your new ring? Because we were in the middle of something.”

  “Hmm … I don’t know.” She looked at her ring and wriggled her fingers.

  “Jewelry appreciation will have to wait, because I can’t.”

  She laughed, but Julian cut it off with a kiss that told her just what he couldn’t wait for.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  JULIAN’S EYES FLEW open at the firm knocks on the bedroom door while Hayley snuggled closer against his chest. He curled his arm, holding her head close to him. He allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of Hayley against him for a moment before turning to check the time on his phone.

  “What time is it?” Hayley asked as she rubbed her eyes.

  “Just slightly after one.” He sat upright and pulled the covers up over her shoulder. When he was sure that she was probably covered, he shouted, “What is it?”

  “Mr. Nicholson.” One of the guards stood in the doorway. He glanced toward Hayley, then turned away. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”

  Hayley frowned.

  “I’ll be right out.”

  The guard closed the door and waited outside while Julian pulled on his sweatpants before grabbing his walking stick.

  “Should I go with you?” Hayley asked as he slipped off the bed.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing.” This wasn’t how he’d imagined he would wake up with Hayley in bed. He bent over and gave her another peck on the hair before heading out of the room.

  “What’s going on?” he asked after closing the bedroom door behind him.

  “Your ex-secretary, Charlene Blunk, was creating a ruckus at the entrance to the garage. We’ve escorted her into the garage to avoid attracting attention. She refuses to leave until she’s spoken to you and Mrs. Nicholson. What do you want us to do?”

  Julian ran his hand through his hair. “What does she want to talk about?” Why did she have to do it at this hour? “If it’s about us reporting her to the police, you can tell her not to worry. Hayley won’t do anything if Charlene behaves from now on.”

  The guard nodded, then paused. “I think you should speak with her. She seems frantic. She says she has to warn you two.”

  Julian exhaled heavily. When would this nonsense with Charlene finally be over? “Fine. I’ll go down and talk to her.” He headed back into the bedroom and found Hayley sitting up on the bed, wearing his T-shirt.

  She pushed the covers from her bare legs after he closed the door. “What’s going on? Is everything okay? Is it Ted Shears?”

  He shook his head. “It isn’t him.”

  “Then what?”

  He sat next to her on the bed. “It’s someone else.”

  She frowned.

  “Can I remind you that we had an awesome night and you’ve agreed to stay married to me?”

  “You’re scaring me.”

  This wasn't what he wanted to discuss with Hayley after the night they shared, but he might as well just spill it.

  “The guards can’t get it out of her?” Hayley asked, once Julian had explained.

  “She’s refusing to talk to anyone but us.”

  Hayley ran her hand through her hair. “Okay. Give me a few minutes.” She slipped off the bed. “I’ll change into something and—”

  “You don’t have to go. I’ll go. Why don’t yo
u stay here?”

  “No way.”

  He tugged her back onto the bed. “I’d rather you didn’t meet her. I don’t like the idea of you speaking with her.”

  “Because you’re afraid it’ll bring up bad memories?”

  “Because I’m afraid she has something up her sleeve.”

  “The guards will be there with us, right?”

  He nodded. “But—”

  “I don’t like the idea of you speaking with her either.”

  He laughed and nodded. “Okay. But promise you’ll stay behind me and the guards at all times.”

  “Okay.” She jumped off the bed and headed into the dressing room.

  “I’d like my T-shirt back.”

  After less than a minute, Hayley came out of the dressing room and announced she was ready.

  “Do you have to wear those?”

  She looked down at her yoga pants. “What’s wrong with them?”

  “They’re so tight.” Anyone would be able to see how slim her legs were. He rubbed his fingers across his forehead. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him. He’d never been a jealous person, and here he was getting all wound up about Hayley in yoga pants.

  “Are you okay?” Hayley came over to him. She dropped his T-shirt next to him and put her arm around his shoulders.

  He kissed her knuckles. “I’m okay.” He grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it on. “Let’s go.”

  “And my yoga pants?”

  He shook his head. “Hayley, I think you did something to my head.”

  She chuckled. “You’re cute when you’re being silly.”

  He took her hand, their fingers intertwining, and they made their way to the private parking garage. He tightened his grip on her hand when he saw Charlene standing next to a guard. “Hayley.”

  “I know. I’ll stay by your side.”

  He wanted to correct her. He wanted her to stand behind him, not next to him. But he doubted that would go down well with her. While she’d given in to him on many issues, he’d seen the stubborn side of her too.

  “Ju—Mr. Nicholson.” Charlene took a step forward, but the guard immediately grabbed her arm to hold her back. “Mrs. Nicholson.” She turned her attention to Hayley and dropped her gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done.”