Sleeping With The Billionaire - A Standalone Royal Alpha Billionaire Prince Romance (New York City Billionaires - Book #2)

by Alexa Davis

  I just hoped that she didn’t get hurt in the process.

  “Okay...” I replied slowly. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, you didn’t leave things on good terms. Is there any point in stirring stuff up now?”

  “No, I know. I’m not expecting anything, to be honest. I just don’t want to have any regrets. The last time we spoke, it was heated and got messy. It would be nice to just have an adult conversation about things. I don’t like what she did, and I never will. I don’t think there’s anything to be resumed, there’s just a lot of leftover anger, you know?”

  I couldn’t exactly argue with that. It made a lot of sense that she needed to do this. “Yeah, let me know how it goes, all right?” I rubbed her back reassuringly and gave her a smile. I wanted her to know that while I didn’t agree with her decision, I would still be there all the same. “All I care about is you being all right.”

  “Yeah, will do. And maybe once you’ve finished playing golf, I’ll come and meet you and Cameron for drinks. If you don’t mind? I don’t want to step on any toes or anything.”

  “Sounds awesome. We’d love to have you around. I’m sure your brother wants to hang out with you more, too. I can tell that he’s missed you a lot.”

  I felt odd as Blair slid out of the bed and into the shower, and I knew that feeling wouldn’t be shaken until she’d done what she needed to do. I’d been with a lot of crazy ass women in my life. I knew how irrational they could be, so I really enjoyed how smart Blair was. I loved that she could see things from an outside perspective and that she looked long term. It made me love her even more.

  I just didn’t want her seeing Maddie to backfire. I didn’t want her to say any more hurtful things about the relationship that was so precious to me.

  ***

  It felt good to be out in the hot American air, feeling the warmth beaming down on the back of my neck from the midday sun. The lush green grass spread out before us, the golf club felt comfortable in my hand, and my mood was higher than it had been in a very long time.

  “Man, you suck today!” Cameron exclaimed with glee, laughing loudly at my golf performance. “Honestly, I’m whipping your ass with ease today. What is going on with you? It’s like you’re a totally different player.”

  “I’m letting you win,” I only half lied. “I figure you need me to throw you a bone.”

  “Yeah, sure, that chip shot you did earlier was on purpose. You’re distracted because you’re in love.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, much as it was the truth. It felt weird to admit to Blair’s brother. Strange to think that I’d come to America with the intention of having him as my wingman rather than my brother-in-law-to-be, but here we were. It just showed that there was no telling what could happen the next day.

  “You know I am happy for you and Blair, right?” Cameron misinterpreted my silence for something else. “It’s unexpected, that’s for sure, but it’s good. I can see how happy you make each other. I don’t think I need to tell you that I’ll have to kick your ass if you hurt her because I don’t think you will.”

  “I really won’t. I promise you that. And believe me, it wasn’t what I expected, either. I never wanted to go behind your back, it just sort of... Well, it happened. I fell in love without even realizing it.”

  “I know, and it’s cool. It’s strange to see that you like this, rather than the way you were. But it’s good.”

  I wanted to say something about him finding the one soon, but it felt too cheesy and patronizing. Instead, I patted him on the back and thanked him. It was all well and good, me doling out the advice, but I had the strong sense that it wouldn’t be taken too well.

  We grinned at one another and shared a happy moment where we could both see our futures intertwining with one another. We would now be in each other’s lives forever, although we probably would’ve been anyway. It was nice to know that we would be linked by this, especially as I saw it going the long haul. He was a good friend, one I always wanted to have.

  As Cameron moved on to take his shot, I checked my phone once more. I was desperate to know what was happening with Blair and Maddie. It hadn’t totally left my mind no matter what was going on here, but I knew that I couldn’t call her. I needed to let her do her own thing... It was only the protective side of me that was screaming to give in.

  Only this time, I had a message.

  Hi, Marcus, I’m waiting in the bar by the golf club... No rush, just want to let you know I’m here whenever you’re ready :)

  There was a smiley face there; that had to mean that things weren’t that bad. As long as Maddie hadn’t hurt Blair, that was all I cared about, and this seemed like a really good thing. If she’d said anything that gave me even one thing to worry about, I would’ve dropped the game instantly.

  “Blair is in the bar already.” I smiled at Cameron, happy to know that she was close. “But she said no rush. Luckily, I’ve still got two more holes to turn this right around.”

  “You’ll be lucky, man!”

  It didn’t take long for us to finish up, and as we strolled into the bar, I instantly saw Blair lazily slumped in one of the booth seats. She grinned and waved a hand in our direction as she saw us coming in, not looking even slightly pissed off that we’d been a while.

  “Do you want a drink?” I called out to her, capturing the attention of everyone in the bar. Only this time, I didn’t care if all eyes were on me. It could never be as bad as it was at home.

  “Yes, please.” She raised her wine glass, showing me what she was already drinking. “Thanks.”

  I ordered the drinks from the bartender, and as I spun around to speak to Blair, Cameron raced out the door on the phone to someone. This was my chance to speak to her alone to see how things had progressed before her brother arrived. I wasn’t sure how much she wanted to share with him just yet.

  “Are you okay?” I asked as I slid in the booth next to her. “How did things go today?” I took her hands in mine and gazed expectantly at her.

  “About as well as I could’ve expected.” She shrugged, trying to look blasé about the whole thing. It must’ve hurt her, at least a little bit. “It wasn’t pleasant, but it wasn’t horrible, either. Maddie now has what she wants in life; she’s climbed the career ladder. It’s clear now that she was always willing to trample on anyone to get what she wants. And... I have what I want. I have you.”

  I pressed my lips up against hers, relief flooding through me. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Yeah, we both said what needed to be said in a much calmer manner, and now I have proper closure. I feel much better about everything. It’s still a shitty situation, and it’s sad to lose such a good friend, but now I can do it safe in the knowledge that at least I tried.”

  At that moment, Cameron burst back into the room, stopping our conversation to demand that we all clink our glasses together in a cheers gesture, solidifying how supportive he was being.

  He really did seem to be okay with what I shared with his sister, which made it that much easier for us to be together. I didn’t have to feel awful for touching her every so often. I didn’t want to go over the top with it, we weren’t massively into public displays of affection anyway and I didn’t want to make anyone feel weird, but at least I didn’t have to be totally aware of my actions the entire time.

  “Who would have ever thought it?” Cameron exclaimed once more, shaking his head and grinning brightly, flickering his gaze between the two of us as he spoke. “Who would have ever thought we’d end up here?”

  “Certainly, not me,” I replied as I rubbed my finger gently along Blair’s soft hand. “But it’s pretty cool that we are.”

  Even as we stood up to leave, it felt effortless for me to slip my fingers through Blair’s. Sure, the whole dynamic of the three of us had changed, but we would make it work. I was glad now of our decision to split our time between our countries, even more so than before because it meant we could have all the peo
ple we loved in our lives.

  Epilogue – Blair – Two Years Later

  I anxiously hopped from foot to foot as my eyes fixed on the sky above, waiting to see the one plane I was looking for. I had no idea what time exactly that Dad and Cameron would be arriving in England, and I just couldn’t wait.

  “Will you stop panicking?” Marcus laughed at me, knowing me well enough now that he could read my mind without even really trying. The last couple of years had been an incredible time, and with each passing day, our bond had only grown stronger. There was never really any doubt that our love could last, but that was even truer now. “Everything will be fine.”

  “I know, it’s just the first time our families are going to be officially meeting each other, and I’m nervous. I keep thinking how different we all are, and potential nightmare scenarios keep filtering into my overactive imagination.”

  Marcus wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer into his body, protecting me from the world in the way that he was very good at. I thought I spotted a camera flash in the corner of my eye, but I was so used to that now it didn’t even bother me anymore. Sure, it wasn’t the best thing in the world to have unflattering photographs of me in the media, but most of the press had mostly lost interest in me now, so it only happened every now and again.

  Marcus was worth it, anyway.

  “Just trust me, everything will be fine,” he reiterated. I so desperately wanted to believe him, but I knew for a fact that I wouldn’t be able to feel okay until all of this was done. “Stop panicking and just enjoy it. It’ll be nice to have your family here.”

  “Blair!” My brother’s voice made me jump as it boomed through the airport. I’d spent such a long time looking at the sky, that I hadn’t thought to turn around to look behind me. “What the hell have you done to your hair?”

  I automatically touched my chestnut-colored bob, feeling self-conscious about it. The hairdresser had told me that it suited my face, and I believed her at the time, but one word from Cameron and I was already doubting absolutely everything. “Why, don’t you like it?”

  “No, I love it!” He grabbed me and pulled me in for a much-needed hug, embracing me with Marcus greeted my dad. “You look cool; it just reminds me of how long it’s been.”

  “We were in New York two months ago,” I shot back defensively. We were still doing the whole back and forth thing, and it was working for the most part, but the time in between each trip to America was increasing, which just proved that it couldn’t be kept up forever.

  We were slowly and naturally settling in England, and I was actually all right with that. We would keep going back to visit home, but we’d been together for two years now. Eventually, we would want to think about having a family, and we couldn’t drag kids back and forth too much. It just wouldn’t be practical.

  “I know, Sis. I just miss you, that’s all.”

  After I spent a few moments catching up on Dad’s life, too, we hopped into the town car Marcus had organized especially for us and we headed toward to royal house. Marcus and I now had our own apartment, but with everyone staying, we were all going to be there for a while. It just made sense for us to all be together.

  “Are you looking forward to this?” I whispered to Dad, clutching onto his arm.

  “I don’t know, I’ve never met a king before,” he admitted honestly. “But you told me that he’s really nice, and I’m inclined to believe you.

  “He is nice and really normal, too; it’s hard to remember that he’s the king sometimes. I do think you’ll get along.” I forced a smile on my face, trying to disguise my inner fears. “It’ll be lovely.”

  I stared out the window then, unable to keep up the pretense any longer, and I watched the country that was now so familiar to me race by. It was hard to ever recall a time when it wasn’t what I was used to. Marcus was probably right, things would be fine. I just needed to keep an open mind...

  ***

  “See? Marcus nudged me and gestured toward our dads. “They’re getting along just fine. I told you they would.”

  I let out a deep breath and smiled at him. He was right. I was silly to worry, and it turned out that they had a whole lot in common, like a deep interest in space that I didn’t know either of them held. Watching them discuss planets and star formations was a revelation.

  But even more shocking was how well Cameron and Paul got along. They really were opposite ends of the scale, yet somehow, they’d managed to find a way to get along. I was proud of the pair of them. Seeing our families mold into one made my heart swell with pride. It was nice to see that this wasn’t just about me and Marcus; this was now about all of us.

  “I know, I know, but you know what I’m like. Sometimes my imagination gets the better of me.”

  “Speaking of which...” Marcus stood up and started clinking his glass with his bread knife. “Everybody, I have an announcement to make. Now, I’m sure that none of you know because Blair is so modest, but over the weekend, she was an awarded a design prize for one of her photographs. It’s a prestigious award, and there were many others up for it, but Blair won it because of a beautiful shot she took over Kent.”

  I flushed brightly because, of course, I hadn’t told anyone. I was proud of myself, but I didn’t feel the need to brag about my achievements. That wasn’t why I did it. I just loved taking pictures. Also, I didn’t ever want people to choose me for things because of who I was with, I wanted to win things because of my talent, if anything.

  “Oh, that’s amazing,” Cameron practically shouted. “I knew you could do it.”

  As I looked toward my dad, I saw pride on his face, too. Maybe now he could see that it wasn’t a waste of time to do what I loved.

  “Thank you, everyone, but it isn’t a big deal,” I tried, but no one was listening to me. They were all looking at pictures of the exhibition on Marcus’ phone. I liked the positive attention, but just for a moment I needed a time out. It had been sprung on me, and I wanted a second out of the limelight.

  Once I was out in the hallway, I instantly felt a pair of strong, masculine arms snaking around my waist, proving that I wasn’t quite as sneaky as I thought I was.

  “What are you doing?” I spun around and kissed him lightly on the lips.

  “Following you... You forget I know you too well now.”

  “Oh, you do, do you? What am I thinking right now?”

  “You want some fresh air,” he gasped, as if the idea had only just come to him. “So, you’re going to let me take your hand and lead you astray.”

  “Fair enough,” I chuckled happily. “That isn’t wrong.”

  But as Marcus dragged me outside, I started to see that maybe there was more to all of this than met the eye. The yard was completely decorated; there were roses scattered everywhere, fairy lights in the trees, candles flickering everywhere... It looked like something from a fairy tale, which made me gasp loudly with emotion.

  “What... What is all of this?”

  Marcus faced me with a big smile playing on his lips. “Blair, all of this is to show you how much I love you, how much I’ve always loved you.” He stepped closer to me, so I could feel him and inhale his masculine scent. I had that prickle running up and down me. “Ever since the first day I met you, everything changed within me. You make me better, fuller, more real. Without you, I don’t even know where I’d be.”

  “I... I...” I panted, the emotion running thickly through me. I had no idea what any of this meant, but it felt monumental.

  And then Marcus confirmed that by dropping to one knee. I practically screamed as my hand clapped up to my mouth. Of course, I’d thought about this moment before, what woman didn’t dream of being proposed to by the love of their life? But I certainly wasn’t expecting it to happen right now.

  “I want to spend every day of my life making you the happiest woman in the world. I want to fully bring you into my family, to make you my princess.”

  Princess... A word that had loade
d meaning when it came from Marcus. It wasn’t just a nickname; it was real.

  “So, what do you say? Will you be my wife?”

  It was too much – my brain fluttered dizzily as it hit me how intense all of this was. Marcus wanted to make an honest woman of me, and all I wanted was to give him that. I loved him, he was perfect for me, and now all our love was coming to a head. It had all been leading up to this exact moment...

  “Are you gonna leave me hanging?” Marcus laughed nervously, just showing me that I’d been staring at him like an idiot for far more than the socially acceptable amount of time.

  “Oh, my God, of course, I will!” I exclaimed happily. “Sorry, I just... This is a bit of a shock.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes as it became too much for me. I felt like the emotion was cascading over my body, and I might just have given into it if the booming cheers didn’t ring out from behind me. I spun around in shock, just to see both of our families behind us, celebrating for us.

  “Did she say yes?” Cameron yelled. “Is she a crazed bridezilla yet?”

  “Congratulations!” Paul cheered. “Really great news.”

  “Let’s see the ring!” My dad joined in the festivities.

  “Oh, my God, the ring.” That thought clearly only just occurred to Marcus as he pulled the box out of his pocket. “I’m sorry, I just got so wrapped up in the words. Here, I chose an emerald for you, I hope that’s okay?”

  “I love it!” The tears were free flowing now; there was no controlling them. Marcus slid the band around my finger, and the perfect way it fit, the amazing way it looked, symbolized everything we made to each other. “Thank you so much. This really does mean the world to me. I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too, forever and always. You’re my one.”

  As Marcus wrapped his arms around me, and I fell into his arms, the realization that this was all about to become even more real hit me. Marcus would be my husband, and I his wife. This wasn’t just a relationship anymore – this was going to be marriage. I knew it would head this way, but to have that confirmed was phenomenal. And to have this celebration around us with all the people we cared about was ever better.