The Billionaire's Bargain

by Sam Crescent

  “Are you ready for dinner?” he asked.

  Words escaped her, so she nodded her head. He moved away from the door. She followed him down the hall, linking her arm through his as they descended the stairs. She stood by his side and fought with the desire to stare at him.

  “Ask away,” he said.

  “What?”

  “I know you want to say something. Say it, Tess.” He stopped on the last stair turning to her.

  “You look handsome and kind.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “You do that a lot when you’re nervous. Tucking your hair behind your ear. You have nothing to be nervous about.” Duncan took her hand, kissing her fingers.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t think when you’re so close.”

  “I’m pleased to know you’re as affected by my company as I am by yours.”

  She smiled. “I’m used to seeing you in a suit.”

  “I have to look all powerful and dull. I run a business and rarely have fun.” He pulled a face making her laugh. “May I escort you to the kitchen?”

  “Yes. You may.” She giggled as he led the way into the kitchen.

  Sofia was stood stirring a wooden spoon inside a pan at the stove. Tess was bombarded by so many wonderful scenes. As soon as Sofia saw them she shrieked and pushed them to the romantically set dining table.

  Candles and flowers decorated the table along with cutlery laid out for them. The cutlery included several knives and forks, and Tess felt a wave of panic grip her. She’d never had meals with courses that needed special knives and forks to eat with.

  Duncan touched her hand steering her mind away from the supposed protocol of the table.

  “You look wonderful.” His voice was deep and soothing.

  He held the chair out for her. She accepted his invitation and took her seat as he pushed the chair under. He leaned down brushing her off her neck to kiss her. She shivered as goose-bumps erupted on her flesh.

  Tess felt incredibly self-conscious. No man had ever lavished so much attention on her. She took a sip of the sparkling water to distract her thoughts. Then she looked at the glass before looking at him.

  “You remembered?”

  “I wouldn’t want to ruin everything. You went to great lengths to tell me how much you hated alcohol.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I brought something for you.” She stared at him not knowing what to say as he pulled a small box out of thin air handing it to her over the table.

  She took it from his waiting hands and opened it. Again he took her breath away, for inside lay a dazzling diamond necklace. She knew it matched the engagement ring. She glanced up to see him watching her closely.

  “It’s beautiful, Duncan. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I have my wedding ring. You don’t need to buy me jewellery. I’m happy with everything else.” She lifted her finger to show him as well as gesturing around them at the home.

  He shook his head. He took the box from her, extracting the necklace from its case. He took her hand kissing the wedding ring.

  “I wanted to get you something. It would please me for you to wear this. I went to great lengths to get you the replica diamond in the necklace. May I put it on?” he asked.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “I know, Tess. I think it will take a great deal of time for us to grow accustomed to each other. May I?” He held the necklace up. She nodded her head. If it pleased him to see the item around her neck then she’d wear it for him.

  He got up from his seat and moved round the back of her. She glanced down at both rings on her finger as he pushed her hair out of the way. His fingers touched the back of her neck. The clasp fixed in place. The diamond lay in the valley between her breasts. His hands held onto her shoulders, his breath beside her ear.

  “I want you to wear this when we make love,” he said against her ear.

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  “I can’t wait to see it resting against your breasts as I take you.” Duncan moved away leaving her panting for more.

  She picked up the diamond and twirled it in her fingers. The light caught the diamond and glistened in the room. Tears lodged in her throat at the beauty of his gift. He took his seat then grabbed her hand to kiss her open palm. His thumb brushed the pulse in her wrist.

  “Thank you for wearing it.”

  “It’s beautiful. I wish I’d gotten you something,” she said, hating the fact she couldn’t think of a single thing to give the man who had everything.

  “I’ve got you. I’m happy, Tess. There is nothing else I’d want.”

  She swallowed trying to be rid of the lump in her throat, but it seemed so tight.

  The gesture and words he spoke were tender and romantic. Any ice or doubt remaining around her heart melted away. She was seeing Duncan James in a whole new light. He was her husband, and God help her, she believed she was in love with him already.

  “I know we didn’t have the proper beginning most married couples have, but I want to do everything right. I don’t want you to doubt my intentions of making this a real marriage. I want us to get to know each other.” He kissed her fingers again. It was if he could not help but touch her. “This honeymoon is for us to get to know the real person inside.”

  She nodded and took his hand to kiss his fingers the same way he’d done to her. She noticed he wore a simple wedding band. Her finger ran over the plain gold thinking she should have been the one to get his wedding band. Tess decided it would be something she would buy him. No matter how long her search took, she’d buy him a wedding band out of her own money. She was about to say as much to him when they were interrupted. The moment was lost.

  Sofia came out with small bowls filled with soup. On closer inspection Tess noticed it was a tomato and pasta soup, simple food but prepared with love by a woman who cared. She took a spoonful, and it tasted amazing.

  This is what she’d always dreamed about. To be in Italy, eating food, and being in the company of someone she was beginning to feel for. Duncan ticked all of her boxes at that present time.

  “After tonight, Sofia will leave the cooking to you.”

  She smiled, not wanting to spoil the moment with more questions. Instead, she dug into the glorious tasting food.

  Bread was dotted about the table in small baskets. Tess took a huge chunk of ciabatta and dipped it into her soup.

  “This sounds really strange, but this to me is perfect. I’ve always dreamt about visiting here and having something like this. I remember telling my Dad on one of my birthdays what I’d wished for. He’d laughed at my idealism and told me to start dreaming about something else. I’m so pleased I never gave up that dream. Thank you, Duncan. This means so much to me that you can’t even begin to imagine,” she said. Thinking about Erik didn’t affect her. She recalled the moment clearly in her mind, but she wouldn’t be pulled down by the past.

  She felt so happy eating spoonfuls of soup, hoping for the moment to never end. Duncan made her feel as if she could open up about anything. Every once in a while she gazed down at her necklace. It was so beautiful. This real moment was more romantic than in her imagination.

  “Well, I hope you enjoy this meal. Sofia is an amazing cook, and of course she’d be more than happy to cook with you. All you need to do is ask for her company. She loves food, shopping, and everything that requires her to spend money. Maybe you could learn some tricks from her?”

  The soup was done with, and the bowls taken away by Sofia. She didn’t allow any help. Duncan poured Tess some more water into her glass as he took another glass of wine. Sofia came back minutes later with the main course, spaghetti carbonara, which was pasta with pancetta, eggs, and cream. Tess loved every mouthful. Duncan kept talking as they ate. Their conversation went all over the place. They talked food, culture, and politics. Neither gave an opinion that would start an argument. She listened to him as he expressed his passions along with the things he ha
ted.

  Sofia came in to take their plates as they talked. Tess didn’t want it to end.

  Duncan changed from wine to water after his second glass.

  The conversation went from politics, to celebrities, to finally a game where they asked all of their favourite things. She’d read about it in several books as a way people got to know each other.

  “What was your favourite pet?” Tess asked.

  “I never had a pet.”

  “Really, no pet dog, or cat, or even a hamster?” Tess was amazed. Erik had allowed her to have pets. She believed he did it to make up for her lack of a mother. Her pets had ranged from dogs and cats to pigs and chickens. She smiled when she remembered the doubtful look on her father’s face when she had asked for a pet chicken so she could call him “Pecker”.

  “No, no pet.”

  “Why?”

  “Let’s move on and not talk about my childhood. What is your favourite movie?”

  Tess answered him watching as he chuckled. She asked him his movie. He didn’t have one.

  “From the sounds of it, Mr. James, you don’t like a lot of things,” she said.

  “There is a great deal I like, but I can find more useful and far pleasurable things to do with my time, Mrs. James.” He gave her a look that she knew meant he was talking about sex.

  Feeling bold, she circled her glass then smiled. “Okay, Mr. James, what is your favourite position?” She ignored the blush in her cheeks or the cream soaking her panties as she stared at him.

  Just as Duncan was about to answer, Sofia came out with dessert, a sweet delicious chocolate pudding. Now Tess knew she’d died and gone to heaven. There were few things she loved more than chocolate. Sofia placed hers in front of her. She dived into her portion and ate with relish even though she felt completely full.

  It was much better than all the chocolate puddings she’d eaten over the years.

  She finished her portion within minutes, sitting back in her chair, closing her eyes and sighing in absolute bliss. So much food and she’d consumed more than she was accustomed to. She loved every minute of the meal. She was unconsciously rubbing her stomach. When she heard Sofia clearing the plates, she opened her eyes. Tess thanked the older woman for the food. Sofia looked like she’d begin to purr at the praise. She didn’t let the other woman go until she’d given her full compliments. The meal had been perfect. She couldn’t think of a more enjoyable day to spend on her honeymoon.

  “Thank you, Duncan. That was wonderful,” she said to him. She smiled at him showing her delight. She was so happy and peaceful.

  “You’re welcome, Tess.” He returned her smile with one of his own. They retired to his sitting room across the hall from where they had just dined. The room was dark. He flicked a switch brightening the place up. Tess felt a little uncomfortable being in a room he used for business. She accepted the small brandy from him and sat in the corner of one of the sofas. It was not surprising that the sofa was uncomfortable. Tess sipped her brandy trying not to think about how different this room was from all the others in the villa.

  “Do you like your brandy?” Duncan interrupted her thoughts. She looked down into her glass to see that she’d almost finished, which was strange as she could not remember the taste.

  She nodded her head giving him back the glass.

  “You don’t like the room, do you?” His mocking smile and question caught her unawares.

  Tess rubbed her arms. “Erm, it’s different from all your other rooms. No, I don’t like it. With the other rooms I saw your love and passion, but this room feels cold,” she said.

  He chuckled. “I’m not keen on this room either. I rarely come into it,” he said, looking around the room as he did so.

  “Why don’t you change it?” she asked, watching frown lines appear on his face at her suggestion. “Never mind.”

  “I’ve never really thought about changing it. It’s something I don’t think about. It was the last room I decorated. Something happened that made any love towards this room disappear.”

  She didn’t press him for more information.

  “Why didn’t you get your decorator or interior designer who did your apartment to travel here to do something with this room?” she asked.

  Duncan turned away from her to refill his glass.

  “Her contract ran out, and she doesn’t like going overseas.” His evasive response answered Tess’s question immediately. Duncan had been sleeping with his interior designer. Tess felt a piercing ache in her chest at the thought of Duncan with another woman. She handed her empty glass over, surprised again to see that her hand was steady and excused herself to her room.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as she got to the door.

  Tess turned to see him staring at her. “Don’t be sorry, Duncan. I know you had a life before me. You’re older than I am, and I certainly didn’t expect you to live like a monk. I’m tired. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, turning away and walking up to her room.

  The moment between them had been lost. She wanted to be alone.

  Once she was tucked into her bed, wearing nothing as it was too hot to wear anything, she began to think about her marriage. The meal she had just shared with Duncan would be forever cemented in her memories. It was the first meal she could remember enjoying in some time. Then she thought about his relationship with his interior designer. She felt extreme amounts of jealousy at the thought of another woman spending time with Duncan, let alone in his bed as a sexual partner.

  She rolled over to look out of her window, up at the moon hoping to find some way to explain her feelings.

  Minutes rolled by and still no answer.

  She decided she would not think about it and just enjoy her time in Italy with Duncan, and whatever happens would happen, and whatever wouldn’t, wouldn’t. Once she had decided that she drifted off to a rather peaceful sleep.

  ****

  Duncan watched her leave his sitting room. The moment they’d been sharing was lost. He turned away to fill his glass up. How could he tell his current wife about his volatile relationship with the interior designer? Yvonne, the woman he’d been fucking prior to his marriage, would tear Tess apart if he gave her a chance.

  Mentioning Yvonne’s name in his mind made him suddenly remember that he still had not broken off ties with his current mistress. He silently cursed himself. How could he have forgotten his current mistress? The last two weeks had been a blur to him. His mind had been preoccupied with Tess and his father’s will. He brushed it out of his mind like a hand moving over the whole problem making it look invisible.

  He took a seat in one of the chairs hoping to forget about everything bad in his life. Listening to Tess during dinner had made him want her in ways he’d never wanted a woman.

  She was slowly and surely getting under his skin.

  Duncan began to examine his own feelings towards Tess. He enjoyed her company and found her interesting. He’d never found any other woman interesting before, unless he was wining and dining them to get into his bed. Once the novelty wore off he would soon grow bored and find another to satisfy his appetites.

  He had never felt guilty. However, tonight thinking about his previous encounters left him feeling guilty and shallow, especially since he’d found out the hard way about Tess’s virginity. He had nothing like that to offer her. In his time he’d had an abundance of women, none of them virgins.

  The only thing he had to offer was his money. Duncan got up out of the chair. He went to the spirits and poured himself a generous brandy to try to help himself deal with his problems. He knew he needed to get in touch with Yvonne in order to tell her their relationship was no longer going on. Having Yvonne in the background wouldn’t be right for Tess. He wanted to concentrate on nothing but his wife.

  He wanted to make her happy. Duncan was willing to do anything to make that happen. Starting tomorrow, he would be taking her for a shopping trip in Milan. Women loved shopping, and with no expense spared
, he was sure to woo her.

  He gulped down his brandy and went to his bed, which happened to be next door to Tess. He opened the adjoining door to check to make sure she was all right. Her body encased in moonlight gave him the perfect view of her. The night goddess with all of her womanly curves lay in the centre of his bed. He felt his body respond to her beauty. Duncan shut the door so he would not disturb her, then went to his own bed.

  His dreams were filled with a dark-haired, fair-skinned curvy woman seducing him. Tess, in his dreams, took him to new heights that no other female had ever done, claiming not only his body but his heart as well.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tess sat at the counter drinking a cup of coffee. Sofia had left a list of instructions on how to work the machines. Tess had taken her coffee with cream and sugar. For breakfast she’d rummaged in the fridge and settled for toast with a side of exotic fruits. Tess ate most of the fruits. After the dinner last night she needed something light to balance it all out.

  She knew Duncan was already up as she’d heard him moving around in his office as she passed. The house didn’t feel the same without the older woman. Tess missed her company. She got up and began exploring the kitchen. There was more than enough food to last a week.

  Checking her watch she wondered how long Duncan would be. She didn’t want to barge into his office if he was working. The honeymoon couldn’t take place without him. She wanted to go out exploring. Tess knew it would be better to go with him than try to figure out a map or anything. She poured herself another coffee then took a seat.

  She ran her fingers through her hair then began plaiting the length to try to keep it at bay.

  Duncan walked into the kitchen ten minutes later.

  “I thought you’d let me know you were up. I figured you were still sleeping,” he said. He poured himself a cup of coffee then added his own cream and sugar. He lifted the note Sofia had left. She saw him smiling as he walked towards her.

  “Sofia likes you. Not many women get a note offering her services and help,” Duncan said to her as he sat down beside her.