Snowbound with a Billionaire

by Jules Bennett

  The side door to her home opened and closed. Raine eased her head around the patio door to see in through the kitchen. Max stomped the snow off his boots and shrugged out of his coat, laying it over the back of a kitchen chair. He never failed to make her heart skip, make her stomach get all tied in wonderful knots. He was beautiful, all tall and broad.

  “I’m out here,” she called before taking bits of rich soil and covering each of the seeds. He hadn’t mentioned coming by today, but she was glad he had. With his evenings taken up with the performances, she treasured their time together during the day.

  “Hey,” she said with a smile as he stepped down onto the patio. “What’s up?”

  “I just came from your parents.”

  Raine’s hands froze in the dirt. “What?”

  “I wanted to have a talk with them before I go back to L.A.”

  Dread settled into her stomach. “But you’re not leaving for another month.”

  He rested a shoulder against the wall beside her workbench. “Bronson called this morning, and he wants to start filming as soon as possible. With my father taking a break from work, and my mother doing so well with her radiation, I’ve decided to head back at the end of the week when the play wraps up.”

  She knew this moment was coming; she just hadn’t planned on it being so soon. They were supposed to have more time.

  Tears pricked her eyes as she tried to focus back on planting. “What did you need to see my parents about?”

  “I wanted them to quit making your life miserable,” he told her. “But when I arrived, Marshall was there, and I got some bombshells of my own.”

  Covering the last seed in soil, Raine slid off her gloves and turned to face him. “What’s that?”

  “Your parents were trying to stop this adoption, and Marshall was helping them.”

  “What?” she gasped. “They wouldn’t do that to me.”

  Max quirked a brow. But didn’t offer a response.

  Raine’s eyes darted to Abby who had fallen fast asleep in the bouncy seat. Fear clutched Raine, squeezing the breath right out of her lungs.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  “Because they still want to control you, and you’re not the daughter they wanted you to be. You have a mind of your own, and they don’t like it.”

  Raine rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. How could her parents be so cruel? At what point would they stop trying to ruin her life?

  “I learned something else while I was there,” he said, his voice low.

  She met his gaze, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. The way he looked at her with heavy lids, flared nostrils...something was wrong.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “We had a baby.”

  He knew. Her parents had taken one last stab at killing anything she and Max may have shared. Raine gripped the edge of her workbench and willed her knees not to buckle.

  “Yes, I was pregnant.” Her eyes met his and held. “We had a little boy.”

  Max’s shoulders sagged, and he exhaled as if he’d been holding it, waiting to hear the truth from her.

  “I’m sorry, Max. I’m so sorry.”

  Raine couldn’t stop the tears. Couldn’t stop from thinking of that dark time when she’d wanted that baby and this man in her life. And she’d ended up losing both.

  “When would you have told me?” he asked. “Ever?”

  Raine swallowed, trying to get her emotions in check, because this conversation was happening whether she was ready or not.

  “Someday,” she said honestly. “I couldn’t yet. We were still so emotionally damaged from everything in our past. I just couldn’t pile on more hurt. And I was scared.”

  “Of what?”

  Her eyes held his. “That you’d hate me.”

  Max wiped a hand down his face and pushed off the wall. Closing the space between them, he gripped her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

  “Did you know before I left?” he asked.

  She stared up at him and shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “I found out after you left. We’d made love that night before. That’s when I got pregnant.”

  Tears glistened in his blue eyes, and Raine wrapped her arms around him, as if she could absorb some of the hurt.

  “I wanted to tell you, Max. But I waited to hear from you and...well, you know how that panned out.”

  “I hate them,” he rasped. “I hate them for destroying something we had. Just tell me, what happened to our son?”

  “I went into labor at twenty-eight weeks. He wasn’t developed enough, and they couldn’t save him.” Raine forced herself to keep talking through the pain. “He was so tiny, and to me he was perfect. I planned a funeral out of town for him a few days later, but I had to stay away because my parents would only agree to pay for it if I still kept the secret. Heaven forbid people in the town know.

  “Ironically, my parents didn’t even come to the graveside service. It was pretty much me, Jill, my grandmother and the pastor.”

  He studied her face and swiped away her tears. “You must hate me for not being here. I can’t even imagine what you went through, because right now my heart is breaking.”

  “It was the worst moment of my life,” she admitted. “That’s why keeping Abby is so important to me. I can’t lose her.”

  “You won’t. I’ve made sure of that.”

  His hardened tone told her that he had indeed done something to make sure this adoption would go through. She didn’t need to know what, just knowing this man was in her corner was enough to have her heart swelling.

  Silence enveloped them before Max eased back, dropped his hands, forcing her to drop hers. “Why not tell me about the pregnancy when I came back?” he asked.

  Raine shrugged. “I really didn’t know how to tell you. It was so long ago, yet the emotions are still just as raw. Seeing you, it brought all of that back again, and I wanted to get a better grasp on it before I opened up to you.”

  “I deserved to know, Raine.”

  She hitched in a breath. “Yes, you did. But I know how much I still hurt over the loss, and I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting you that way. Not when I’d fallen in love with you again.”

  Max shook his head. “Don’t. Please don’t tell me you love me, Raine. I can’t stay here, and I don’t want to leave you hurting again.”

  Too late.

  “I can’t keep my feelings inside, Max. I know you’re leaving, but you have to know how I feel.”

  “I can’t give you what you want, what you deserve,” he said. “It’s not fair for you to give your love to me again, when I’m not going to be here.”

  Raine wanted to know; she had to know.

  “Do you love me?” she asked. “Honestly?”

  Those magnificent blue eyes held hers. “More than I thought I could.”

  God, was it worse knowing? She choked back a sob.

  “I knew you did,” she whispered. “I knew it by your actions, but hearing you say it...”

  As much as she hated it, she started to cry. Her hands came up to shield her face as Max’s warm, strong arms enveloped her. She sobbed into his chest for the love they shared, for the love that couldn’t be bridged through the distance. All the years apart had driven an impossible wedge through them.

  Raine stepped back, wiped her face. “I’m sorry. I just...I hate this. It’s like we were given a glimpse at a second chance, but I knew it wouldn’t work.”

  Max swiped at his eyes, too macho to have a sniveling crying fit like she’d done. “I can’t ask you to leave here, Raine. And I can’t stay.”

  Obviously love did have its boundaries, because, if he’d asked her to come with him, she would. Maybe he wasn’t ready for the family life; maybe he was too set in his ways in L.A.; maybe he enjoyed living freely without being tied down to one woman and a baby.

  Glancing down at Abby, Raine knew there was no way she’d give up this baby. But giving up this house, the farm�
�she’d sacrifice all that for Max.

  “I need to get to the theater since tonight’s performance starts earlier,” he said. “My mom and dad are coming. Maybe you’d like to see if Sasha could watch Abby and come sit in the front row one last time?”

  As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t. Nothing would compare to the other night when they’d made love in his dressing room, had dinner on the stage. She wanted that memory to be the last one in the theater, because she doubted she’d ever step foot in there again.

  “I can’t,” she told him. “It’s better this way.”

  Max nodded. “So, this is it? Are we saying goodbye here?”

  Too choked up with emotion to speak, Raine bit her quivering lip and nodded.

  Max placed his hands on either side of her face and forced her to look him in the eye. “I do love you, Raine. Never doubt that. And if you ever need me, just call.”

  She needed him now. She needed him to stay, to be her rock and her partner. But it wasn’t fair to ask him to give up his life in L.A. for Lenox.

  “I want...” Max stopped, shook his head and dropped his hands. “Will you call me? Keep me updated on Abby and how you’re doing?”

  “Sure.” God, this was lame. “I’ll let you know when the adoption goes through.”

  He stared at her another minute, then he turned, squatted down to a sleeping Abby and kissed her forehead. “Take care of your mommy for me, little one.”

  Raine nearly threw her arms around him and begged him to stay, but she held herself in place as Max spared her one last glance over his shoulder.

  “Goodbye, Raine.”

  “Bye, Max.”

  And he was gone.

  Raine couldn’t hold herself together another second. The dam burst, and she buried her head in her hands, resting her elbows on the wooden bench.

  How could a heart be ripped apart so many times in one life and still keep beating?

  She would get past this; she knew she was strong...and that she had so much to live for. After all, she still had Abby. She’d wanted a baby for years, and here she was a mother. So she had to look to the blessings she had and find a reason to smile again.

  And she would...eventually. But right now, she wanted to throw a self-pity party and feel sorry for all she’d lost.

  How would she ever be able to look at pictures of Max in the media or see a movie starring him and not remember how those hands had felt on her body? How he’d gone to her parents and taken up for her—and Abby? How he’d looked with tears in his eyes as he had told her goodbye—

  When a large hand brushed across her arm, Raine jumped and turned to see Max. His coat was covered with snow, as was his hair.

  “What are you doing?” she sniffed, embarrassed he’d caught her having a breakdown.

  “I fell,” he said with a smile. “Literally. Bess and Lulu came running out and tripped me. Then the chickens joined in.”

  Raine smiled at the mental image, then reached up to touch his face. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

  Max gripped her hands and held them between his icy ones. “Yes. I’m miserable. I said goodbye two minutes ago, and I can’t handle it, Raine. How will I live across the country knowing my heart is here?”

  Hope spread through her. Please, please, please, let him be saying he wants more.

  “I don’t care where we live,” he said. “If I have to live on the farm and fly to L.A. when necessary, then I will. Or if you want to sell and move, we’ll do that. I just can’t leave, Raine. I can’t leave you.”

  She threw her arms around him, not caring about the snow wetting her long-sleeved T-shirt. She squeezed him, never wanting to let him go.

  “What made you change your mind?” she asked as she eased back.

  “When your crazy goats tripped me, I laughed. I mean, how could I leave here? I love everything about it. I want to make a home with you and Abby, if you’ll let me. I know that may take more time in the courts for me to be her adoptive father, but—”

  “You’re serious?” Raine asked. “You want to be her father?”

  Max bent down and captured Raine’s lips in a soul-searing kiss. “And your husband.”

  Raine squealed, waking Abby. “Oops,” she said, laughing.

  “Let me get her,” Max offered.

  He lifted her from the bouncy seat and rested her against his dry shoulder. “I have the two most beautiful girls in the world,” he said, wrapping his wet arm around Raine. “Nothing is more important than this right here.”

  “But what about the film you’re going to start shooting?” she asked.

  “You can come with me for a bit until you need to be back for your Farmer’s Market.”

  “You’re not embarrassed that I like to make and sell my own things? I mean, you can purchase whatever you want, and I’m scraping by here.”

  “You have a career you enjoy, Raine. I would never take that from you.”

  Raine smiled up at him. “I love you.”

  Max kissed her forehead. “I love you, too. Now, we need to add some livestock to this farm and get this house fixed up.”

  “To sell?” she asked.

  “Sell? Hell, no, we’re not selling. We can keep a place on each coast. I have a feeling we’ll be traveling a lot, because I’m going to spend as much time with you as humanly possible. I’m also going to want more babies.”

  Raine laughed. “You really want it all. Amazing you got all of that from Bess and Lulu tripping you.”

  “I fell for you long ago, Raine. I know when I have a good thing, and I don’t plan on ever letting go.” Max slid his arm around her, pulling her in tight against his chest. “I plan on holding both of my girls forever.”

  * * * * *

  Don’t miss these other stories from Jules Bennett:

  CAUGHT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

  WHATEVER THE PRICE

  BEHIND PALACE DOORS

  HOLLYWOOD HOUSE CALL

  All available now, from Harlequin Desire!

  If you liked this BILLIONAIRES & BABIES novel, watch for the next book in this #1 bestselling Harlequin Desire series, DOUBLE THE TROUBLE, by Maureen Child, available March 2014.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from BACK IN HER HUSBAND’S BED by Andrea Laurence.

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  One

  “Mr. Reed, our facial recognition software has detected a match for the Barracuda in pit three near the dollar slots.”

  Nate smiled. Like a moth to a flame, Annie had walked right into his trap. He knew she couldn’t pass up the chance to play at his poker tournament, even if it meant returning to the scene of the crime. As the owner and manager of the Desert Sapphire Hotel and Casino, it was easy to have Annie red-flagged by his security team. The moment she strolled back in to his casino he knew it.

  “We have visual confirmation. She’s on her way to the high-roller area.” Gabriel Hansen, his chief of security, lifted his hand to his earpiece and listened intently for a moment before nodding in confirmation. “She’s joined the Texas Hold’em game with Mr. Nakimori and Mr. Kline.”

  “Of course she has.” Nate set aside his paperwork and made his way to the elevator. There was no time to waste. The Japanese businessman and the oil tycoon had credit lines in the millions, and they’d need every penny if he didn’t get down there. They didn’t call her t
he Barracuda for nothing.

  “Do you need assistance with this, Mr. Reed?” Gabe was also his best friend, despite the formalities they used at work. Gabe knew what Annie’s arrival meant. His offer to accompany him was less about work and more about helping his friend.

  Nate sighed and straightened his navy silk tie. He suspected Gabe would relish handcuffing Annie and parading her through the casino so everyone would see. To be honest, he wouldn’t mind that himself, but she’d never agree to his plan if he did. “No, I’ve got this handled.”

  A quick swipe of his identification card sent the elevator plummeting down the twenty-five floors from his suite to the main casino lobby. A soft chime announced his arrival, and the doors opened to the office corridors where casino operations took place.

  The walk through the casino to the high-roller area wasn’t long, but each step weighed more heavily on him than the last. Annie was here. In his casino. After three long years. He should be excited to finally confront her. To have his chance to exact his revenge and make her miserable. Or if not excited, perhaps smug. His plan was working just as he’d hoped it would. And yet he was none of those things.

  His mouth was dry, his pulse racing in his throat. If he didn’t know better, he might think he was nervous. Imagine that: Nathan Reed, millionaire casino owner, former most eligible bachelor in Las Vegas, nervous. It was a ridiculous idea. And yet Annie had always been his weakness.

  Nate rounded the corner and spied the entrance to the high-roller lounge. Even across the casino floor, he could spot her. Her back was to him as she leaned over her cards, her legs crossed beneath the table. Her long raven hair spilled over the olive skin of her bare shoulders. Beside her Mr. Nakimori leaned back into his seat, throwing his cards down in disgust.

  Nate stopped just behind Annie and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. She didn’t flinch. She’d been expecting him. Game on.