The Billion Dollar Baby_A Billionaire Romance

Home > Other > The Billion Dollar Baby_A Billionaire Romance > Page 6
The Billion Dollar Baby_A Billionaire Romance Page 6

by Stella Andrews


  I feel the uncertainty crushing my heart as she asks the question I’m unwilling to answer. Instead, I smile ruefully and look pointedly at my watch. “I’ll explain on the way. We need to get going if we’re to make it before dark. You take the shower while I change.”

  Seeing the flush on her face I smirk and move my hand to my towel. “That is unless you want to watch.”

  She jumps up quickly and I try not to look at her long shapely legs imagining them wrapped around my waist as I go in deep. She backs away nervously. “Of course, sorry. I won’t be long.”

  As she slams the door behind her I feel my cock protesting at letting the prize leave. Just for a minute I think about what lies ahead. Maybe I should re-think things. Using Sydney to get my revenge seemed like a good idea until I met her. Now I need to find a way to get what I want. Her.

  Sydney

  My heart is beating so fast I wonder if I’ve got long to live. I lean on the door and try to regain my composure. Married! Oh my god, this can’t be happening. I must be dreaming because the thought of marrying the man on the other side of this door is causing my heart to pant and my pulse to race faster than it ever has before.

  When I saw him walk into the room with nothing but a towel covering his manhood, my body responded like it never has before. I felt the wetness between my legs as every part of me reached for him. My heart raced and my legs trembled as I saw the hard body approaching me. The water from the shower ran down his torso and the dark smattering of hair shouted to the woman in me. I found myself imagining what was under that towel and I almost groaned out loud at the thought of my body pressed against it. His face is covered with a dark shadow of desire and his eyes twinkled and pulled me inside his head. Tyler Donahue is a man I feel safe with. It feels familiar to me, yet scares the hell out of me. He is trouble through and through and I’m not safe around a man like him. He is trouble for my heart and I know I’m about to get badly burned because, despite this extremely strange situation I find myself in, all I can think of is I’m soon to become his wife. When he said the words, my heart swelled with desire. There’s a fear inside me sitting alongside a yearning for my perfect stranger.

  As I stand under the cold jet of water, I try to wash away my fear. Whatever happens, it will be better than the future waiting for me at Little Ridge. Tyler won’t let me down, don’t ask me why, I just know. Whatever journey we are about to take will define my future.

  I start to wash my body with the thin sliver of soap and imagine his hands all over me. I feel my nipples harden at the thought of his mouth on them and imagine his body pressed hard against mine. I work my way up my body imagining his mouth kissing the worry away. I feel the clench of desire pulsating through me as I imagine him inside me. Then I feel the ecstasy as I picture him claiming me as his.

  Man and wife in every sense of the word, forever, until death do us part. As the ecstasy rocks my body, I place my hands on the shower to steady me, with only one thought on my mind. Trouble with a capital T. That T spells Tyler and I can’t wait to find out what that means.

  12

  Sydney

  It’s been two hours already and I can’t form the words I want to say. Tyler sits beside me locked inside his own world and I can tell he is brooding on something.

  My stomach growls reminding me it needs fuel to survive and Tyler says softly, “I’m sorry, Sydney. I thought we would find a diner or something but this road appears to go on forever. If it’s any consolation, I’m as hungry as you are. Let’s just pray something materializes out of the dust because I’m not sure how much longer I can go on without a decent meal inside me.”

  I laugh softly. “Yes, you sure know how to give a girl a good time, Tyler. First the sleazy motel and now a long hot drive to nowhere. Remind me why I came with you again?”

  Tyler’s hands grip the wheel a little tighter and the atmosphere changes. There are unspoken questions riding with us on this journey and a part of me worries about them. What if I can’t deal with what I discover? A part of me is clinging onto the hope that everything will be ok. I am starting to look on Tyler as my knight in shining armor come to rescue me from a future of emptiness and unfulfillment.

  I think he’s just about to tell me when a neon sign rises up out of nowhere and promises an oasis in the desert.

  ‘Ma’s Diner.’

  Tyler lets out a sigh of relief and grins. “Finally. Eat as much as you can, Sydney because I sure am. Let’s just hope the food is edible because I’m liable to hurt someone if it’s not.”

  He winks taking the edge off his words and I roll my eyes. Maybe I can unravel one of his layers over breakfast.

  Ma’s Diner is passable and we sit in a booth by the window after having ordered a huge breakfast and some much-needed coffee. While we wait I look at Tyler with interest. He looks disheveled and weary and yet so sexy it hurts to look at him. Why is it that my interest in this man is preventing me from rational thought? I should be questioning his every move but instead I remain tongue-tied and silent before him, trying to process the thousands of thoughts careering around my head.

  He shifts slightly and then to my surprise reaches over and lifts my face to his. The feel of his touch makes me shiver as my body melts under his touch. I stare into those deep, dark, eyes and see a softness that wasn’t there before. I drown in those eyes. They pull me in and imprison me in desire. They hold my attention and block everything else out. Life stands still and nothing else matters but this moment.

  I lick my lips nervously and watch those eyes darken heavy with a lust that mirrors my own. My husband. How my body reacts to that thought. Who cares what the reason is, just the thought of it rocks my world.

  He smirks and I see the understanding in his eyes. He knows how he affects me and is loving it. I feel annoyed by my reaction to him and blink the image of him away and try to focus on the situation we are in.

  Coughing nervously, I try to remain unaffected and say softly, “So why the wedding, Tyler? You never did explain.”

  I sense the shift in him as the doubt enters his eyes. The shutters close and I regret my question immediately it leaves my lips. Something isn’t right here, and he pulls away and shrugs. “Marshall Emmerson—your half-brother – is like your father. He is cold, unfeeling and ruthless. He would eat you up and spit you to the dogs before you even said ‘hi.’ I wish I could say I’m taking you to meet your loving family but I’m not. I’m taking you to Hell.”

  I recoil at the anger in his eyes and the hate flashing in them as the man opposite changes before my eyes. I stutter, “Then why take me to meet him at all?”

  Once again, the look he shoots me shows a man hell-bent on some form of revenge. The hardness creeps in and ice freezes the softness that was there just seconds ago. He says angrily, “Because what he’s done is wrong on every level. He is holding what’s rightfully yours and it’s time you reminded him that there are repercussions for messing with people’s lives.”

  I think I hold my breath as he leans forward and reaches for my hand. The feel of his hard-strong hand gripping mine sends the sparks flying through my body. I melt under the smallest touch and the desire consumes every part of me. It’s almost irrelevant what he is about to say because it doesn’t matter—to me, anyway. I have no problem with this man—my half-brother. He is nothing to me but is obviously everything to Tyler.

  He says bitterly, “Your father made the second will and Marshall buried it along with him. You have struggled all your life with nothing while he had everything that should have been yours. He lives in luxury while you just try to live. He shouldn’t be able to get away with it which is why you need me.”

  I hold my breath as he grips my hand a little tighter and snarls, “With me beside you, you’ll be stronger. Two against one and more than a match for him. I’ll make sure you get your rightful inheritance and that he gets what he deserves.”

  I almost can’t breathe as I say falteringly, “What do you get out of this? I
mean, you’re putting yourself through something that really doesn’t concern you and may regret getting involved.”

  I watch as his face changes into a cold, hard, mask of anger. His eyes flash and the anger in them takes my breath away. He growls, “Marshall Emmerson took the only good thing in my life and destroyed it. He left me with an evil man who made my life and my sister’s, Hell. He condemned the two of us to an impossible future and shaped me into the man I’ve become. Along with my father, the two of them destroyed my childhood and promised me a future filled with emptiness. They drove me to a reckless existence that drove my sister to desperation. All the time they continue to manipulate, bully and take what isn’t theirs to enjoy. They are both about to get what’s coming to them which is why I came for you. You’re my revenge, Sydney and I am yours. We are bound together by destiny and cannot win without the other by our side. I need you as much as you need me and if we are married, nothing can break us. Trust me, Sydney because this will be a hard path we tread. Don’t question me, just know I’m doing it in our best interests.”

  He leans forward and pulls me so I am inches from him. I feel his breath on my face as the world closes around us. It’s just the two of us in existence as he draws me in and chains my heart to his. The bond is unbreakable as he holds me prisoner as I trust him with my life.

  He says softly, “Will you be my wife, Sydney and let me protect you with everything I’ve got? Will you trust me to steer you on the right path and make your future bright? Will you walk with me side by side and shoulder to shoulder on the path of evil? And will you support me in every decision I make, knowing it’s the best for both of us?”

  He pulls me even closer and I forget to breathe. My body is sitting here but my mind is somewhere else. It’s connecting with his and losing itself in his words. What he says is irrelevant to me because whatever he wants I know I am powerless to deny him. Whatever he has planned doesn’t matter to me because all that does is looking at me with such an intensity I just want to taste it. If this table wasn’t between us I know I would be wrapped up in his arms and never want to leave. In this moment I know that I’m not alone anymore. Whatever his reasons he is here for me and I won’t let him down.

  I nod shyly and say in a whisper, “Yes, Tyler. The answer to all your questions is yes. I do trust you and will support you in every way I can. Do what you must because I won’t stand in your way.”

  My words have affected him. I see that as his eyes flash with a triumph, I can’t place. He looks as if he’s won whatever battle he is fighting and it mesmerizes me. This man has a power that radiates off him and makes him even more impressive than he was before. This man is soon to be my husband and once again that is the only thing I can think about.

  13

  Tyler

  No matter what happens now I feel as if I’ve won. When Sydney looked at me with such trust and longing, I felt my life slot into place. I now walk with the two women who mean everything to me. My sister on one side who I will kill for and lay down my own life. Then there is Sydney. My future, my everything, my wife. I may have set out on this road thinking of it as a business transaction. But there is much more to it now. This is a battle for our future, mine and Sydney’s - together.

  I’m not sure how I even ate the huge breakfast when it arrived. As I watched her fork every last item on her plate into that perfect mouth I just wanted to claim it for my own. My balls throb with the promise of an exciting time ahead as I add to the list the promise of making her mine. This wedding is going to serve more than just one purpose now. It’s going to deliver in so many more ways and I can’t get there quickly enough.

  We must arrive in Vegas around sunset and the strip is alive with neon and expectation. As we drive through the town Sydney looks around her in awe.

  “This place is something else. I’ve heard of it but never thought it would be so …”

  I laugh softly. “I think the word you’re looking for is fake, or could it be phony, or then again, it could be Hell.”

  She laughs softly and I feel my heart soar. How I love that sound. She shakes her head. “No, the word I’m looking for is, exciting.”

  I roll my eyes. “You need to get out more.”

  She looks at the plastic paradise with the eyes of the uninitiated. She doesn’t see the squalor behind the rich facade. She is blinded to the misery existing under the illuminated veneer and she fails to register the desperation hidden behind the greed. No, Sydney is looking at Vegas like so many before her. To her, it’s exciting, intoxicating, and the promised land.

  Well, I know better. I’ve been here many times and have experienced the wealth and deprivation lurking in the shadows. I have provided many an escort for a man with more money than sense and have witnessed the lengths people will go to for money and power. I hate Vegas with every sense in my body but need it now. Vegas will deliver me my wife with no questions asked. It’s acceptable to marry here. Some say it’s romantic some say irresponsible. I say it’s a means to an end and I will use Vegas as I have done so many times before. She is the whore who keeps on giving. To be used and abused by so many and then disregarded in the cold light of day. Vegas will deliver and I won’t look back.

  We pull up outside one of many impressive hotels. I’ve booked us the best suite in this place—the honeymoon suite. Sydney deserves the wedding night of her life and she doesn’t know it yet but that means me in her bed. By tomorrow morning she’ll be my wife and I’ll have sampled the delights that go with it. The thought she would refuse doesn’t even occur to me. We both know it’s inevitable. It’s an unspoken promise lying heavy in the air between us. A crackle of expectation and an attraction that won’t be ignored. I know she feels the same and is impatient to move this thing on. When Sydney and I pledge our lives to each other, it will involve much more than a lifetime of fidelity and happiness. It will set in motion the cogs of revenge and by the time we reach our destination the machine will be unstoppable, devastating and life-changing for everyone involved.

  We exit the car and I take Sydney’s hand carefully. “Come on, we’ve earned a rest after that journey. We’ll freshen up and then head out for something to eat.”

  She smiles and my heart lifts as I see the excitement in her eyes. They sparkle with excitement and draw me inside. Those eyes captivate me and hold me prisoner for eternity. Who’d have thought, Tyler Donahue, the hard-assed businessman with no heart, floored by a slip of a girl with no notion of the hard world her future husband inhabits. I wonder what she would think of me if she knew who I really was.

  Sydney

  I can’t stop staring open-mouthed at everything I see before me. Vegas is impressive. It’s garish, bustling, vulgar and so god-damned beautiful I feel breathless in its shadow. Tyler is brooding beside me and yet he holds my hand so tenderly I feel as if my heart will burst. This is so special. This place, this time, this man. This is my new beginning with my perfect stranger and I am so glad it’s here.

  The hotel astonishes me. As we walk into a large lobby I am mesmerized by the sheer number of slot machines crowding the space. The noise is deafening and the lights blind me. All around is activity and the sound of excitement. Tyler grips my hand a little tighter and pulls me over to a long counter where we proceed to check in.

  Nobody gives us a second look. We are invisible to the people here. They only want one thing and that is what Vegas has to offer them. I stare around in awe at the different people that make up this small community. Little Ridge is a mere flicker of a match compared to the burning inferno raging all around me. Vegas could swallow Little Ridge whole and it wouldn’t touch the sides. I have never been to a place such as this in my life – in my dreams and I want to absorb every last memory of this place.

  I don’t register any of the ordinary details such as checking in and just stand beside Tyler with a shiver of excitement running through me. I try to contain myself but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do.

  Tyler turns
and laughs softly as he stares at me with amusement. “So, here we are. Not quite what I had in mind when I planned my wedding, but special in more ways than one.”

  I look at him in surprise. He is such an enigma. For somebody who views this as a business arrangement, he is looking at me with a shared excitement. He grasps my hand tightly and says gruffly, “Come, let’s get this show on the road.”

  I follow him through the packed reception towards a bank of elevators at the end of the room. The atmosphere is loud, gaudy and super-charged with emotion. All around are people jostling for a position on the slot machines and moving around as if on a mission. The décor is gaudy and electrifying and I can’t take it all in. Then we step inside the elevator and the world stops. Silence.

  The atmosphere changes inside the metal room. Mirrors line the walls and it’s like an oasis of calm in the desert. Tyler grins as he presses the button to take us to our room.

  “So, this is it, Sydney. Not long now before there’s no going back. What are you thinking?”

  I look at him with a thousand thoughts careering through my head and yet there is only one that matters. “What happens now?”

  The look in his eyes takes my breath away. The darkness is swirling around them like a storm gaining momentum. Tempestuous and unforgiving. They pull me in and strip me bare leaving me an emotional mess as I feel taken apart by the promise in them.

  Leaning forward, he whispers, “Tonight we become the indestructible force that will revenge our past and shape our future. Tonight, we come together with one aim in mind—revenge. Tonight, we join as one and forge a powerful union and tonight I’ll show you what that means for us—together.”

  I am breathless as he steps closer and pulls me close. I feel his hard body on mine and his sweet breath on my cheek. The stubble grazes my skin as he leans even closer and whispers, “Tonight I’ll make you mine, Sydney and show you what that means.”

 

‹ Prev