The Jilted Billionaire Groom

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “I know.” He held up his hands in defeat. “I’m sorry.”

  They stood, glaring at each other.

  Her brows bunched. “Would your mother actually go to the trouble of sending someone to ‘woo you’?” She made air quotes with her fingers. “That’s a little strange.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Oh, you have no idea,” he muttered. “The last time I saw my mother was at the country club. She’d assembled a room full of women—candidates whose intent was to get to know me in a speed-dating setting, so I could pick one.”

  “What?” Her jaw dropped. “That’s insane.”

  “Yep, my sentiments exactly.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I started by telling my mother there was no way I was going along with her hare-brained scheme.” He winced. “Then she started crying, telling me how much she wanted to find someone for me and how much trouble she’d gone through to put the event together.” The shocked look on Sunny’s face caused him to chuckle. “I know. It’s absurd.”

  “Just a little,” she said sarcastically.

  “I shouldn’t let my mother get away with her antics. She knows how much I hate to see her cry and uses it to her full advantage.”

  “What happened next?”

  “I paid a waiter to cause a diversion, then high-tailed it out of there. I went to Europe and then came here.”

  “So, you ran away?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t put it exactly like that. I’ve been working remotely the whole time, taking care of my responsibilities in the company.” He shook his head, realizing the conversation had gotten off track. He cut his eyes at the sofa. “Let’s sit down and talk. I wanna hear the full story about who you really are.”

  She let out a long breath. “All right.” She strode over to the sofa and sat down. He followed, making sure to sit close to her. He could tell she was still peeved at him and for a second, wondered if she might scoot away. Thankfully, she didn’t.

  He tried to compose his thoughts to figure out the best way to navigate this. “Okay, let’s start over. Tell me how you came to be here with Ian. You’re not his mother, right?”

  A long beat stretched between them. “No,” she sighed. “I’m not his mother.”

  Frustration pinged over him. All that stuff she told him about Ian’s dad not loving her enough to stay. It was all lies. He wondered if he even knew the woman sitting next to him. His heart lurched. No that wasn’t true. He knew Sunny on a deep, personal level. He cared about her so much that it was unfathomable to think of being without her. He touched her hand. “Tell me.”

  “I’m Ian’s aunt. He’s my only sister’s child. Everything I told you—about Ian’s dad leaving. It happened to my sister, not me.”

  Ian had referred to his aunt that first day in the sauna area, then corrected himself. It all made sense now.

  Her eyes looked luminous and large. The pain in them cut him to the quick.

  “My sister’s name was Lexi.” Her voice strangled. “She was killed.”

  “By Nolan Webb,” he uttered, piecing it together as the horror of it swept over him.

  “Yes.” Tears filled her eyes. “Lexi was a singer. She had her own show in Vegas. About four years ago, she got involved with Nolan Webb.” She drew in a shaky breath. He could tell it was hard for her to talk about what happened. “Lexi’s death was attributed to an overdose of heroin, but that’s not true. Nolan killed her.” Her eyes hardened. “Ian saw Nolan kill someone.”

  “A police officer,” Finley inserted.

  She nodded. “I only learned that part when you did. Ian won’t talk about it.” She hesitated. “It comes out in his dreams.”

  “Nolan was afraid Ian would talk. He …” her voice faltered “… he wanted to silence Ian, but Lexi went to plead with him.” Tears misted Sunny’s eyes. “She thought she could persuade him to leave Ian alone on the condition that Ian remained quiet about what he saw. Lexi assumed her love for Nolan would be enough to save both her and Ian. My sister was a romantic at heart, incredibly naïve.” Her eyes clouded. “The last time I went to Vegas and saw my sister, she had bruises on her arms. When I asked about them, she laughed it off. I suspect that Nolan was beating Lexi.” Tears gathered in Sunny’s eyes. “Deep down, she must’ve known how things would turn out because she made preparations for me and Ian.”

  She told him how Lexi put Ian on a plane to Dallas on the spur of the moment and how the envelope with stacks of cash and fake I.D.s arrived, along with a note from Lexi warning her to take Ian and flee. When she was finished, she sighed like it was a relief to get it all out.

  Finley’s mind was spinning so fast, trying to take it all in, that for a second, he didn’t realize that Sunny was waiting for him to respond. He rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Wow. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, how hard it has been to walk away from your life.”

  “It was brutal,” she said quietly, a shadow passing over her face. She offered a tight smile. “Now you know the full story.”

  “What made you come here?”

  “I came here once on a ski trip with my dad and Lexi.” She shrugged. “It felt like a safe place, and I loved the mountains.” She paused. “I never expected to run into you.”

  He chuckled. “We owe it all to Ian for trying to steal money out of my shorts.” He thought that might earn him a smile, but she just sat there, a glum expression on her beautiful face.

  He touched her arm. “You need to know that I count it as the greatest blessing in my life that we met—or reconnected,” he corrected.

  She scrunched her brows. “How can you say that? I’ve put you in a difficult position.” Fear turned her eyes to pools of black. “Nolan will eventually find us.” Bitterness coated her voice. “He and Lexi were together. She trusted him, and still he killed her.” She clasped her hands together in her lap. “He’ll think nothing of killing me and Ian.” Her eyes widened. “Or you, if you get in his way.”

  He looked down at her trembling hands. Then, he gathered her hands in his, lifted them to his mouth, and kissed her fingertips. “I’ll protect you.”

  The look on her face suggested that he was naïve. “Thank you, but don’t you see? No amount of money is enough to protect us from someone like Nolan Webb. His resources are as vast as yours, and he’s ruthless.”

  Admittedly, the notion of going head-to-head with Nolan Webb gave Finley the willies, but he’d do anything for Sunny. He squared his jaw. “I’ll hire around-the-clock protection. We need to go to the police.”

  “No,” she barked, a crazed look coming into her eyes. “We can’t tell anyone. We don’t know who might be in Nolan’s pocket.” The fine lines around her eyes and mouth deepened with worry as she searched his face. “Do you think Dr. Clock can be trusted to keep our secret?”

  “Sure,” Finley replied automatically. Could they trust the doctor? If only Leo hadn’t been in Canada at his daughter’s wedding. Leo could be trusted implicitly, but Clint Clock was a wild card.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ll pay Clint handsomely to keep this to himself.”

  The doubt oozing from her eyes spilled out and seeped around them, giving rise to sinister shadows. She shuddered. “I’m not so sure.”

  “Trust me. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that money speaks volumes.” He gave her a comforting smile, trying to push aside his own fears. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get through this. I promise.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes. “You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that. Thank you.”

  With a gentle hand, he brushed away her tears and pulled her into his arms. She snuggled close, and he kissed the top of her head. “The day you stepped back into my life was the day I truly started living,” he murmured. No way he was letting her go.

  “Me too. I’ve had a crush on you since high school,” she admitted.

  It thrilled him to hear her say those words. “Really?”

  “Don’t let it go to you
r head.”

  He chuckled under his breath. “I still can’t believe you’re Ashley Reed. You were so quiet and timid back then. Always wicked smart though.”

  “You were the superstar with an ego as big as Texas.” He detected a smile in her voice. “Not much has changed in that regard.”

  “Hey,” he protested, linking his fingers through hers. “That’s hitting below the belt.”

  “It’s true.”

  He pursed his lips together. “I guess I deserved that.”

  “I would’ve given anything to have caught your eye, but you were so hopelessly in love with Emerson Stein that everyone else paled in comparison.”

  Sunny wouldn’t be happy to learn that the fiasco with Emerson prompted his mom to take such drastic measures to try to find him a woman. Better to keep that to himself. “Yes, I was in love with Emerson.” He felt Sunny stiffen. “Or at least the idea of being in love with her,” he added quickly.

  She grunted in response.

  A comfortable silence settled around them. Finley relaxed against the sofa and then sat back up as another memory assaulted him. “Crap!” Suddenly he realized why Sunny kept making remarks about him forgetting about her. He removed his arm from Sunny’s shoulders, turning to face her.

  She turned to look at him. “What?”

  “The Winter Ball.” He swallowed. “It was girl’s choice. You asked me to go with you.”

  “Yep, sure did.” She laughed dryly. “You have no idea how many weeks it took me to muster up the courage to ask you.”

  Guilt clutched his stomach like a tight fist. “I agreed to go and then Emerson asked me at the last minute.”

  “You dumped me like a hot potato, two days before the dance.” The accusation in her eyes made him feel like a complete louse.

  “Aw, man. I’m so sorry.”

  “Yes, you were,” she said tartly, her eyebrows raising.

  He touched her cheek, marveling at the exquisite woman sitting in front of him. She was everything he’d always wanted and more. Oh, so much more! “I was a fool. Forgive me?”

  She softened, giving him a slight smile. “Well, you did unstop a toilet for me.”

  He pumped his eyebrows, trying to look cute. “What other guy would do something so magnificent, so noble, so life-changing?”

  “So disgusting.” She wrinkled her nose, laughing.

  He made a face. “Amen to that. The secret’s out. Now you know how into you I am. I’m willing to unstop a toilet to prove myself.”

  She nudged him playfully. “Well, since you put it that way.” She pursed her lips. “Hmm. I guess I could give you another chance. If …” She made a point of looking at his lips.

  “If what?” he murmured. His blood quickened when he saw the desire in her eyes. Her breath caught as he traced the outline of her lips. His fingers traced down the line of her slender neck and then to her collarbone, savoring the velvety feel of her skin.

  Amusement flickered over her features as she cocked an eyebrow, moving a hair’s breadth away. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”

  “No ma’am, you certainly do not,” he uttered as he cupped her cheeks, his lips taking hers.

  Chapter 9

  As the lights dimmed, a hush of anticipation came over the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the one, the only, the stunning Lexi Reed!” the announcer boomed.

  Sunny, along with the other members of the audience, jumped to her feet clapping wildly as Lexi strode onto the stage, a large, confident smile on her face like she owned the world. Lexi’s natural hair color was brunette—the same as Sunny’s—but she’d recently gone a rich, fiery red that caught the stage lights and gleamed like burnished copper. Lexi wore a black sequined dress slit high so that it showcased her perfect legs. Sometimes it was hard for Sunny to believe the larger-than-life woman on stage was her older sister. All those years ago when Lexi took a Greyhound bus from Dallas to Vegas, few people expected her to amount to anything. She took a job as a waitress at one of the casinos and auditioned for a few shows. Her fabulous legs caught the attention of a casting director who gave Lexi the opportunity to be a showgirl in a production, even though Lexi didn’t have a bit of dancing experience.

  Not only was Lexi a fast learner, but also a hard worker. And while she was an adequate dancer, she had the voice of an angel. She worked her way up the Vegas chain in record time, eventually starring in her own show. Looking at her now with her sleek stilettos and hair swept up in a sophisticated twist, one would think she’d always been a star.

  Lexi lifted the microphone to her full, red lips. “Thank you for being here tonight,” she said in a sultry, seductive tone that was Marilyn Monroe-esque. A sense of awe came over Sunny when Lexi began to sing. She only got a few lines into the song when her voice squeaked like she’d hit an odd note. A dart of confusion went through Sunny. It wasn’t like Lexi to fumble her lines. Lexi’s stage persona crumbled before Sunny’s very eyes, and she saw a flash of terror on her sister’s face as she glanced toward the wing.

  Sunny’s heart clutched when she saw him—tall, slim, custom suit, jet black hair and matching eyes. Very handsome with polished, patrician features. His hands clutched in tight fists, upper lip curled in disdain, eyes as hard as flint.

  The stage vanished and Lexi was in a posh hotel room. She was on her knees in front of Nolan, clutching his pant legs, begging him not to hurt Ian. Nolan leaned over and slapped her hard across the face. Her head jerked like a rag doll before snapping back into place. “I love you,” she sobbed. Lexi’s tattered cries tore through the air as she tried to shield her face from the onslaught. “Please,” she cried, but Nolan’s wrath knew no limits as he punched her again and again.

  Nausea came over Sunny as she heard the sick sound of bones cracking and flesh giving way to the demands of Nolan’s knuckles.

  This broken woman couldn’t be her sister. Lexi was the strong one. She was a star, destined for greatness. Lexi was her champion, the older sister who saw the world through rose-colored glasses. How could Lexi allow herself to be subjected to this monster?

  Stop! Oh, please stop! A sob rose in Sunny’s chest. It swelled like a balloon until she couldn’t breathe. Lexi looked to Sunny for help. Lexi was helpless and broken—her ruined clothes making a pattern of tattered rose petals over the floor.

  Rage overtook Sunny’s fear. She’d tear Nolan apart limb by limb if she had to. “I’m coming,” Sunny cried, but her feet were embedded in concrete. She tried to get more words out, but her throat closed. “Leave her alone,” she managed to say.

  Nolan turned to face her, a monster sensing new prey. Sunny looked at a nearby table and saw Ian hiding under it. The world stopped as his distraught eyes locked with hers. A muffled cry escaped his lips. In the blink of an eye, Nolan’s attention was focused on him.

  “I’m here,” Sunny screamed. “Take me instead.”

  Maniacal laughter encircled Sunny like a swarm of bees. “Don’t worry,” Nolan sneered. “I’ll get you both!”

  The scene shifted, and she was running.

  “I’m not Sunny, I’m Ashley,” she said as she shot up in bed.

  For a second, Sunny didn’t remember where she was. She put a hand over her chest, which was pounding out an erratic beat as she looked wildly around the room. In a flash, it all came rushing back. She was in a bedroom in Finley’s penthouse. She lay back against the pillow, raking her hair from her eyes.

  The nightmare had felt so real. She could still feel Lexi’s presence. A sense of longing flooded over her, bringing tears to her eyes. Oh, how she missed her sister. She was trembling. She took in a breath, willing her body to relax as she closed her eyes. She wondered if there would ever be a time when her life would return to normal, when she wouldn’t have to live in constant fear of Nolan Webb.

  Ian’s whimper from the room next door sent her up and running to get to him. As she stepped through the door, she froze in her tracks, her heart seizing with terror. In h
er frenzied state of mind, she thought for a second that it was Nolan. No, not Nolan but Dr. Clock. He was clutching the pillow in both hands, looming over Ian.

  Her body stiffened in shock as she stared wordlessly, her heart racing. Somehow she managed to find her voice. “What’re you doing?” she shrieked.

  Dr. Clock jumped as he turned to face her.

  She looked at the pillow he was holding. “You shouldn’t be in here.” Ian was twisting in his bed, clutching the sheets. Another nightmare. She rushed to his side, glaring at the doctor. “Why are you holding a pillow?” she demanded.

  He gave her a perplexed look that quickly gave way to a cool annoyance. “I got it to put under Ian’s head. Ian tossed it onto the floor.” Dr. Clock lifted Ian’s head and put the pillow under it. “What did you think I was doing?”

  “I saw you,” she countered, “the way you were holding the pillow.” A shiver ran through her, and it occurred to her that she was here, alone, with this man whom they knew very little about. Her voice sounded brittle and accusatory in her own ears. “You were going to hurt Ian.”

  Dr. Clock’s face paled, then grew rigid. “Ian is my patient,” he said crisply. “I have only his best interest at heart.” He gave her a withering look. “You are way out of line.”

  Confusion swept over Sunny. When she first came in, he looked so menacing. She’d felt hostility from him. It had oozed down the walls and across the floor before crawling insidiously up her spine. Or was it the remains of the nightmare spilling over and coloring her perception? She straightened to her full height, refusing to be intimidated. “Why’re you here in the middle of the night?”

  “Because I asked him to come in and check on Ian,” Finley said as he stepped into the room, holding a glass of water. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, his hair ruffled like he’d just woken up. He looked from Sunny to the doctor. “What’s going on?”

  Sunny tried to articulate an explanation, but the words died in her throat.

  “I suggest you ask Miss Day,” Dr. Clock said, his lips thinning. “She just accused me of trying to hurt Ian.”