Billionaires Runaway Bride (A Standalone British Billionaire Romance Novel)

by Claire Adams

“I want to give you a gift.”

  “Right now?” We were soaking wet. Unless he planned on giving me a used shampoo bottle, there was no way he could give me anything at that point.

  He placed his hands on my shoulder. “I wanted to thank you for the collage you gave me yesterday. So, my gift is in my sock drawer.”

  “You want me to go get it right now?” I asked.

  “Would you?”

  I stared at him, incredulous. But he was serious.

  I moved the glass door aside and stepped out onto the mat. The cool air struck my naked, wet body. I shivered, but I didn’t want him to see how upset I was. What the hell did he need right that second? Did he have a special soap he wanted to give me? Why couldn’t he get it himself?

  I shoved my dripping wet hair over my shoulder, and the slapping sound mixed with the river of water running down my back made me cringe.

  I opened the drawer, expecting something to come out at me right away. Instead, the only thing I saw other than socks was a small black velvet box. My hand hovered over it, but I didn’t touch it. My breathing stalled and when my brain caught up again, I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth.

  “Sienna?” Parker called from the bathroom. “Did you find it?”

  “Yeah!” I called back and scooped up the box in my hands. I carefully held it out in front of me. Was this what I thought it was? My body buzzed with a mix of terror and excitement.

  I walked back into the bathroom and Parker was standing in the shower with the door open, staring at me.

  “I’ve been carrying this around since the first week we got together, wanting to find the right moment to ask you….”

  My heart started to race like the beating wings of a hummingbird.

  “But I realized, every moment is special with you. And I don’t want any other barrier between us. I want you, Sienna. For the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”

  My jaw dropped open as I lifted the top of the box. Inside was the biggest diamond ring I’d ever seen. “Parker. Oh my god. Wow.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  I lifted the ring from the box and held it between my fingers. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’d ever seen.

  “Sienna?” he said.

  I placed the ring back in the box then put it down on the counter. I got back into the shower and reached up to hold onto his shoulders. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist so we were eye-to-eye. “Yes, Parker. I will marry you.”

  I pecked his lips and then wriggled out of his grasp so I could stand next to him, feeling how well our bodies molded together. The heat of the water felt so good against my skin. Tingles rippled down my spine.

  Parker held me against him and we held onto each other, sealing this moment for the rest of our lives.

  He chuckled, the sound vibrated in his chest.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “I think we’re the first couple to get engaged naked.”

  “Even if that was true, which I doubt, I don’t care,” I said. “I just want to be yours, and I want you to be mine. Forever.”

  Then we kissed until the water ran cold.

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  BILLIONAIRE’S VEGAS NIGHT

  By Claire Adams

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams

  Chapter One

  Luna

  Inside my head, there was a mess of confusion, jumbled-up dreams, and incoherent chaos. My legs twisted in the tangled sheets as I battled the urge to open my eyes. With the smell of alcohol still permeating from my pores, I took a deep breath and instantly regretted it.

  Don’t move. It wouldn’t get any better if I did and as nausea washed over me in a wave, breaking a sweat on my upper lip, I dared not test the theory.

  So this is a hangover.

  “Luna? It’s about time you were up. It’s almost ten a.m. and…” The voice continued, saying something I missed while trying to understand what my ears were hearing.

  For a brief moment, the world made no sense. That was Gabe’s voice. His smooth, naturally sensual tones were unmistakable, especially considering he was my boss. But why would I be hearing his voice? Surely I wasn’t in bed with him and this was all a crazy dream.

  Without opening my eyes, I trailed my hand up to my chest to assure myself I was not naked. Thankfully, my clothes were on. I sighed with relief as I forced my eyes to welcome the light and focus on the room around me.

  I had partied with him the night before. We’d celebrated and obviously drank quite a bit – p though quite a bit for me wasn’t much at all.

  A black lacquered dresser with a large mirror came into focus and I glanced down at myself once again to be certain I’d felt my blouse and not the silk from the red sheets I lay sprawled upon.

  Gabe was still talking. “We should eat. It might be best to get something on that stomach of yours.”

  Holy crap. I’d spent the night. “I’m afraid to move because I don’t feel so well.” I glanced at him as he stripped off his robe, revealing his bare ass. Why was he naked? I realized his hair was wet. He’d recently showered. I had been out like a light, or like Lottie’s eye, as my father used to say. I wasn’t sure who the heck Lottie was or what happened to her eye, but it must have been terrible.

  As Gabe pulled on his pants, I forced myself up and went to the bathroom where the steam still clung to the mirror and the smell of his aftershave lingered. I shut myself inside and leaned back against the door.

  Gabe’s voice was muffled on the other side. “Take it slow. We’re in no hurry.”

  Thank God for that. I made my way across the room to the granite sink and turned on the faucet. I wiped the steam from the mirror to see if I looked as awful as I felt, and what do you know, I did.

  The red veins in my eyes made the blue of my irises stand out, and they were further accentuated by darkened circles and puffiness. My honey-blonde hair was as messy as usual, considering its fine texture always misbehaved during the night.

  Misbehaved. I sat and evaluated myself, assuring myself that everything was intact and there were no signs of tenderness in my private regions other than the usual morning beckoning of my bladder. I should be able to tell if anything happened. Being a virgin, I’d know, right? There would be tenderness or pain and blood. I glanced down at myself as my brain went crazy searching for symptoms.

  I couldn’t believe I’d ended up in his suite after respectable business hours – and worse, in his bed.

  I didn’t understand how it had happened. The last thing I remembered was him offering me a taste of champagne. We had been celebrating the success of his speech and the new client he’d landed because of it.

  Working as his assistant, I’d assumed a trip to Vegas would be exciting, but I had no intentions of winding up drunk. It wasn’t my style or a usual habit, and in the two years I’d worked for Gabriel Grant, I hadn’t known him to have such a reputation for alcohol, either. I tried to focus on what else had happened, but the pain in my temples throbbed away any concentration. I couldn’t remember anything.

  He probably thinks I’m a fool. I wondered if I still had a job. Would I even still want to work for him? I had to get this sorted out. I finished up and hesitated as I approached the door. How could I face him? With a deep breath to steady myself, I went back out to gather my things. I needed to get the hell out of there.

  I glanced around the room for my purse as a wave of pain shot through my temple. The sunlight through the window was too bright for my eyes and I winced, feeling the rolling nausea in m
y gut. I had to get back to my room downstairs. Being here was a mistake.

  I tried to remember what had happened the night before as I joined him in the front room of his suite. He was lounged on the soft black leather of the sofa and sipping a drink.

  “There’s coffee, too, if you like. I figured another dose of doom couldn’t hurt.” He lifted his drink and the ice clinked as he swirled it. The sound ricocheted into my temples, and I felt it as much as I heard it.

  I poured a cup of coffee, hoping it would cure me, and stood across the room as still as a stone and tried to fight the waves of sickness enough to drink it. “What happened?”

  His brows rose and he took a long pull from his drink. Well, that didn’t help me think nothing crazy had happened. “Don’t sweat it, Luna. You were amazing.” He winked. “I haven’t had so much fun in months, and we deserved a good time, you and I. The speech went well, and I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “It was amazing. Thanks.” I nodded to agree and the world seemed to tilt on its axis again; I lowered myself to sit across from him. I prayed I wouldn’t embarrass myself further by falling on my face before I left, but I didn’t want to rush out like some silly girl running scared. Besides, maybe he’d give me a clue about what had transpired before we ended up passed out in his bed, and perhaps the in between before I woke.

  Moments passed in silence, and I sipped at my coffee for something to do. The warmth washed through me, easing me for the moment. I’d started drinking black coffee in college and until that night, it was the harshest thing I’d put in my gut.

  Right as I was about to ask what happened, his phone rang and he leaned up to retrieve it from the coffee table where his feet were propped. Jesus, even his bare feet are sexy. I’d always known the man was handsome, but sitting across from me in his slacks with his shirt only closed by a few buttons as his hair continued to dry, he was a god. And there I sat, looking like a boozed-up college girl doing her walk of shame from a frat party.

  He stared at the phone as if pondering if he really needed to talk to the person on the other end. Suddenly, I felt as if I’d worn out my welcome. I gathered enough strength to get to the edge of my chair and made it no further. “I’ll leave so you can call them back.”

  He waved his hand. “Don’t bother. It’s only my sister-in-law Sandra. She can wait. I’m in no hurry to ruin my morning just yet.” He took another long pull off the drink.

  “Still, I should go. I-”

  Laughter rumbled from across the expanse. “You were so funny last night.” I smiled, but then fear overwhelmed me as my heart sank to my gut like a stone. I wasn’t known for my humor and I couldn’t imagine what I’d done.

  As if he could read my face, he held up his hand as if to reassure. “No, seriously, Luna. You were fucking amazing, okay. I had no idea you could do those things with your mouth.”

  My heart stopped, and before I could tell if it had started beating again, I was halfway to the bathroom. The coffee was about to make its reappearance and luckily, I made it in time. As I stayed on my knees, I realized I’d forgotten all about oral sex.

  There wouldn’t necessarily be any signs or symptoms from such an act, and though I’d experimented briefly with that in college, it wasn’t something I did often – and definitely not with my boss. It had been at least three years since the second time in my life and the time before during my freshman year of college didn’t count.

  Had I really done it? I couldn’t deny that I found him attractive. I’d always thought he was amazing, but definitely out of my league. Something had happened. It had to have or why else would I have ended up in his bed? God, no!

  His knock sounded at the door. “Luna? Are you okay in there? Did the coffee get to you? You need some food in your stomach. Let me call you something up.”

  “No, please, I’ll be fine.” I wiped my watery eyes and slumped against the bowl.

  “Nonsense. And as your boss, I won’t have any back talk. I’ll call you up some food, and in the meantime, you get yourself a nice hot shower.” His footsteps faded away as I dragged myself up to my feet.

  He was right about the shower. Now that the coffee had evacuated, I felt grimy. I turned on the hot water, setting the temperature before stripping off my clothes. I took another look in the mirror to assure I was unmarked.

  I didn’t understand how he could think I’d be okay with any of this. He knew I wasn’t a drinker. I’d told him that when I accepted the champagne. One tiny tickle of the nose, and that bubbly stuff had done all this damage? Surely not. I must have drunk much more.

  No, this was my fault, but he wasn’t innocent by far. Even though he seemed to care that I wasn’t well.

  Could he have taken advantage of me? His reputation with women was not exactly scandalous, but it was no secret he had made his way through quite a number of them. That was nothing for a man of his fortune. He was a billionaire, after all, though the status had only officially been reached one week after I’d come along. He’d even called me his lucky charm.

  Lucky charm. The memory of him and I dancing flashed before my eyes. We were at the casino, and he’d won. I remembered blowing his dice, and his arm was around me. After he’d won, and the celebratory dancing stopped, he’d pulled me in close.

  “You’re my little lucky charm,” he’d said, and then he’d kissed me. My hand flew to my mouth landing upon my lips. His mouth was on mine. I’d kissed my boss.

  How on earth could I have let this happen? How could he? As amused by my oral abilities as he was, there was no way things could ever go back to how they’d been. I was his assistant, for heaven’s sake. Our relationship was supposed to be strictly professional.

  As hard as I tried to remember anything else between us, I couldn’t. We’d obviously gotten close enough to come back here and do what? Kiss? Make out? Perform oral sex on each other, or I on him? What a fool that I couldn’t remember.

  I hated what I was going to have to do, but I’d never know otherwise. I was going to have to ask him. After that, the only thing I could do would be to resign and move on to something else. One night in Vegas, and I’d completely ruined my life. I took my time in the shower, not yet ready to go out and face the music.

  Chapter Two

  Gabriel

  Jesus Christ. Yeah, that little tad of blasphemy summed it up. What had I done? God knows I didn’t mean to. Luna was a good girl and deserved better: that’s for sure.

  I found the menu and dialed downstairs. Hoping she was hungry, I ordered her something hearty. When that good deed was done, I plopped down on the couch and raked my fingers through my hair. She should be out of the shower by the time the food came, and she needed to get something in that little tummy of hers.

  I remembered the taut flesh there as she’d lifted up her shirt for body shots. I remembered my mouth on her, my tongue trailing down to her navel, and the way she’d let it all go. I’d never seen her so alive and happy, not in all the years I’d know her. But last night, man oh man she was a real sparkplug of fun.

  It was as if someone flipped a switch and she had been taken over by a real party girl. Who knew a little alcohol could shoot life into someone like her? Not that she was a bore, by far, but I’d never even heard her utter a cuss word or lose her composure before, much less dance on the bar and do body shots with strangers.

  Thinking about her made my cock respond, and I adjusted myself accordingly. Her warm lips on mine had been amazing. The perfect shape of them, the pouty, full bottom lip I’d sucked into my mouth, and the supple, yet defined Cupid’s bow I’d licked, both tasted divine.

  But when we’d returned to the room, and she was suddenly so out of it, as if the alcohol caught up with her the moment she sat down at the foot of the bed, and I knew I couldn’t take advantage of her. No matter how much she was saying she wanted it before she passed out.

  God, the things she’d said. I could only imagine her embarrassment when she found out, and it was probably
much more than mine, considering all that had happened. We had a lot to talk about and the least I could do was see to it she had a decent meal and felt better before we did.

  My other concern was how much she remembered; I had a feeling most of the night was a blur. No, she’d emerge from that bathroom this time with questions and expect me to have all the answers. I wasn’t giving anything up unless directly asked, though. The less she knew, the better, at least for a while.

  I’d have to get things sorted from his mess. With her being my assistant, it made it all worse and I knew I might have to hire someone else. She’d never want to work with me again, much less for me. Nope, I’d fucked things up good and proper.

  My cell phone rang and I peeked at the screen, seeing my sister-in-law Sandra’s name again. God, the woman was too much. You’d think she was my wife with the way she carried on after me, and I’d have to have another talk with her about that when I got home.

  That and the way her son, Harbor, had been acting. The kid was getting out of control, and at twenty, it was time to stop acting out and be a man. Despite all his drama, he reminded me of my brother Robert at that age, though he’d been much easier to talk to.

  As the hotel phone rang, I suddenly felt very popular. It was probably the kitchen telling me they were out of something again. The last time it had been cheese. Who the hell runs out of cheese? I grabbed the phone and put it to my ear. “Talk to me.”

  Before anyone answered, there was a knock on the door. I heard the line go dead as there was another sharper knock. I hung up the phone and crossed the room to the door. Through the peephole, I could make out a man and woman who stood looking very impatient. “Who is it?”

  “Detectives Hatcher and Schaffer, Las Vegas P.D.”

  I opened the door to see their badges flash in front of my face. The man, Detective Hank Hatcher, appeared to be in his fifties. His graying hair and tired blue eyes dulled behind his forced smile. The other badge belonged to Detective Carla Schaffer who, unlike her partner, hadn’t attempted to force any sort of welcome.