The Billioniare's Bought Bride (Contemporary Romance)

by Michele Dunaway

  Every year she arrived at the end of May and left at the start of September, just before the weather turned colder. The land was a part of Aunt Gail, just like it was a part of Maddy. She suddenly saw herself, fifty years from now, walking up the same hill.

  There was no way Maddy was ready to say good-bye to Summerhaven. She’d spent every summer here, and she planned to spend a lifetime more.

  Out on the lake, two sailboats raced. She could hear whoops of laughter as the sound carried across the water. The catamaran with the white and blue sails was ahead as it slipped out of sight. Summerhaven ’s sailboats had been sold—the pole barns empty of all but junk.

  Maddy sighed. While marriage to Dylan might have been her childhood fantasy, the grown up reality would be anything but. However, she had little recourse if she wished to save what she loved. In a sense, Maddy was a lot like Scarlett O’Hara having to save Tara. Scarlett had vowed to beg, borrow, kill or steal if necessary to protect what she loved. She’d gone to all those extremes. Maddy’s plight was easier—she only had to marry Dylan. To save Summerhaven, her answer tonight had to be yes.

  Woodland Point Country Club, patterned by the Pershall family after St. Andrews in Scotland, was a nine-hole golf course on the opposite shore from Summerhaven and a short boat ride from the big island. Built in the early 1920’s, the builders had constructed Woodland Point’s clubhouse out of multi-colored stones quarried locally, the same stones were found in the huge fireplaces of both the Summerhaven and Pershall estates. The interior of the country club had exposed wood timbers and the décor was old world, yet stylish.

  The hostess seated them at a table for four overlooking the second green, and Madison smiled politely as Dylan pushed in her chair before seating himself to her left. Like this morning, his thigh touched hers beneath the table, creating a palatable heat through the dark blue dress pants he wore.

  Being summer, the eight-foot wide stone fireplace held only glowing candles, and subdued lighting hung from the exposed brown rafters. Despite moneyed subtlety, the atmosphere zinged. Every touch Dylan made, from his fingertips on her elbow, to his hand on hers when helping out of the car, had created longing. Chemistry was a dangerous thing.

  “I’ve always wondered why they didn’t mount dead animals on the walls,” Madison said as she sought something, anything, to break the increasing tension fraying her nerves. “I guess that wouldn’t appeal to vegetarians.”

  Dylan swiveled to better face her. “Probably not very appetizing,” he said, breaking the silence that had begun on the ten-minute drive around the lake. He closed his menu and set it aside.

  Edginess made Maddy uncharacteristically chatty. “This room was designed to have the aura of a Scottish men’s club, not that I’ve ever seen one of those. Surely you have? I heard you were well traveled.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I have seen the world, but most of it from a hotel room window during business trips. I haven’t done the touristy things since I was eighteen. I managed to get out of the rest of my parents’ trips after I left home. They still travel constantly. They’re currently on an around-the-world cruise.”

  He twisted his Rolex and settled back against his chair. Like most men in the room, he again wore the short-sleeve polo shirt synonymous with the Knollwood Lake lifestyle. The club, never one to require a coat and tie, catered to the whims of its wealthy and eccentric summer patrons, many of whom walked straight off the links to indulge in drinks and four delicious gastric courses.

  All around restaurant-goers laughed and chatted, oblivious to anything but their own immediate worlds. Madison lifted her water goblet to her lips. She drank, but the ice-cold water sliding down her parched throat did little to soothe.

  “Maddy? Would you like something besides water? Perhaps a cocktail? Champagne?”

  Madison blinked, focusing on Dylan and the hovering waiter who were both waiting for her answer. “You choose.”

  “I’d be happy to.” Dylan quickly dispatched the waiter before giving her his full attention. “So how was the rest of your day?”

  “Tiring.” Although the adrenaline humming through her now had her wide awake.

  “I’ll give you a massage later if that’ll help.”

  He reached out and covered her hand with his. The movement made her toes curl, a direct contrast to her stomach, which was churning as if trying to make butter. Half of her desired him while the other part screamed, “Run!”

  How did one submit to a loveless marriage where sex was expected? She’d never been a woman who simply could separate herself into two parts. She might have to marry him, but she couldn’t lose herself in the process.

  The waiter returned, and Maddy freed her hand by reaching for her water. She sipped the cold liquid while listening half-heartedly to the waiter as he outlined the evening’s specials.

  She twisted the linen napkin in her lap. She could do this. She could say the words, the words that would secure the future of the land she loved.

  She took a deep breath, steadying her composure. Her grandparents would roll over in their graves at her decision, so the least she could do was act like a Johansson in public. “I’m sure you’ve realized by now that I’ve decided to accept your offer.”

  Dylan laced his fingers together and rested his chin on his hands. She flushed under his appraisal, and she bent her head, hiding beneath the cascade of loose blond hair.

  “No. Don’t hide. I want to see your face.” His left hand shot out and he lifted her chin. His touch seared and she jerked away, inwardly cursing her sexual inexperience. Maybe if she’d learned about a female’s power and mastered how to use it…

  Hindsight was so twenty-twenty.

  “Do you know how beautiful you are?” He stroked her cheek before allowing his hand to drop.

  “You don’t need to flatter me. I have no other choice but to be here. Summerhaven is all I have. I don’t love you.”

  A muscle in his cheek twitched. “Love has nothing to do with my proposition. Love causes men to make poor decisions. I am neither foolish nor weak.”

  “I never thought you were.”

  His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “There were those like your brother and grandfather who did.”

  “I’m not like them.”

  “No, you’re not.” Dylan ran his forefinger across her bare right arm and up to her shoulder. She wished she could scoot her chair away without making a scene.

  “I want a wife, Madison, and there’s chemistry between us. Look at your skin, all covered with goose bumps from only the briefest of my touches. I can feel your desire in the way you tremble. Your whole body cries out. You cannot deny that you want me.”

  No, she couldn’t. Her body was on fire, and she’d clenched her legs to stop the sensation spreading there.

  “But now it’s different, Maddy. No older brother to interfere. No grandfather to threaten to disown you. You’re all grown up and free to touch. We can enjoy each other completely.”

  He fingered her earlobe, sending wantonness down to her toes as he rubbed his fingers over the small diamond studs Maddy’s mother had left her. The earrings had sentimental value and were the only pieces of jewelry she hadn’t sold.

  Dylan leaned over, his breath a hot whisper. “Don’t worry, we’ll be wonderful together. I’ll bring you more pleasure than you’ve ever known. I know exactly how to touch a woman.”

  She had no doubt of his mastery, but the thought of him with another female made her stiffen. The past could not be undone. She twisted her head away.

  “Don’t flatter yourself. What we had ten years ago was pure and innocent. This is sordid. I’m selling myself, period. It’s an exchange and no matter how much desire or chemistry,” she practically spit out that word, “either of us has. It’s a business deal. Let’s leave it at that. I’m enduring your touch. While my body may want yours, know that my mind hates every moment.”

  His lips thinned. “Just let your mind dream about Summerhaven. Although, no
one is to know the truth behind our marriage, that you’re only marrying me for convenience.”

  She gave a defiant shrug. “Fine. I’d hate for anyone’s illusions and overrated emotions to suffer.” The words tasted bitter on her tongue, and no amount of water could wash them away.

  Dylan straightened and pressed his back against the chair. “Bitterness does not become you, Maddy. But while we’re on the subject of our marriage, I’ll expect you to remain faithful, as I will be to you. I’m very possessive of what is mine, and when you marry me, you will be mine. Mine and mine only. Those are my terms. My word is my vow, Maddy. It’s all or nothing.”

  His ultimatum leveled, Madison seethed while he relaxed. The Dylan she’d known ten years ago had been so caring, so different from the cold, calculating man in front of her.

  How had she thought she was ready for this? “You only think you want me. In fact, as soon as you have me, I’m betting you’ll be bored. Half the fun of the hunt is the chase, isn’t it? That’s why you warred with my grandfather and you sell companies after you revive them. The thrill is gone. You’ve always wanted me, and now you finally have a way to get me. If only…”

  “If only your brother hadn’t mismanaged your money,” Dylan finished, suddenly angry. “But he did, Maddy. He used you, your naivety, and your misguided sense of justice, to his own financial advantage. He’s rich and you’re poor. You got scammed by the one you love. At least I’m being upfront about what I want.”

  “Your Dom Perignon, sir,” a voice intruded. Maddy sat back. The waiter stood next to the table, carrying a champagne bottle wrapped in a white towel. Behind him, a busboy held a silver ice bucket and two crystal flutes.

  “Excellent.” Dylan nodded at the welcome interruption, and the waiter popped the cork. Madison stared transfixed as expensive golden bubbly swirled into the flute.

  The champagne was Dylan’s version of blood on paper. As soon as they drank it, their deal was irrevocably sealed. All or nothing.

  Each moment moved Maddy closer to July thirty-first.

  Would a prenuptial agreement at this point even matter? As mercenary as it sounded, she’d probably do better without one, thus not giving up her right to half his millions. She could ask the family lawyers, but they’d been zero help with her trust fund or Ted. She doubted the lawyers would do any better against Dylan. Probably time to find new attorneys.

  “Maddy, will you do the honor of approving our bottle?” Dylan handed her a glass.

  “Fine,” Madison agreed, taking the barely-filled flute he offered. She twirled the stem, caring nothing about the contents. What did it matter at this point if she tasted the champagne first? She would play the game only because she refused to lose Summerhaven. She lifted the glass up to her nose, inhaling a few of the bubbles and the fruity aroma. Then she brought the glass to her lips and sipped.

  A metallic object hit her teeth with a click, and she held out the flute. A very large diamond engagement ring rested at the bottom.

  “Allow me.” Dylan took the flute from her hand and poured the champagne into an empty glass the waiter held. When Dylan wiped off the retrieved ring on a moistened towel, it occurred to Madison that he’d been extremely prepared for the inevitable. Once again, she’d underestimated him.

  “Let me have your hand, darling,” Dylan said, his loose use of the endearment done for the benefit of rapt onlookers.

  He took her left hand into his own. How many times had she dreamed of this moment at sixteen? How many times had she fantasized about her wedding as she grew up and then discovered that no man could meet the Dylan standard? But, as he slid the ring onto her finger, she knew his tender touch was only for momentary show, and missing the essential promise of happy-ever-after and true love.

  All they had was chemistry. And a business deal.

  She heard clapping, and ingrained poise had her smiling at the diners who had witnessed her very public engagement. Within moments, after the waiter had poured more champagne into a new flute, Maddy was again alone with Dylan, as alone as one could be in a crowded restaurant where people sat gossiping about her “romantic” moment.

  She gawked at the large solitaire now adorning her left hand. No one would question that it was anything but an engagement ring, and a very expensive one at that. “How nice,” she remarked dryly. “Well, you’ve gotten your first public performance.”

  “If that’s how you choose to see it.” He held Maddy’s left hand up to the light. Her skin again heated under his touch and the ornate diamond sparkled and danced. “I guessed correctly. It fits.”

  “Yes, but isn’t it a bit much?”

  He gave a harsh laugh. “You would sell yourself for less?” He shook his head vehemently. “Don’t bother to hold back. Take me for everything and every cent I’ve got. I’ll give you a huge allowance for clothes, jewels, and furs, whatever your little heart desires. Unlike that summer when I had to beg my parents for money to buy you ice cream, I can well afford to indulge your every whim.”

  “It was never about money.”

  “That’s because until this year, you’ve always had it. You have no idea what it’s like being on the outside looking in.”

  He dropped her hand, her skin cooling as the contact ceased. He eased back in his chair and his face darkened, a frown crossing briefly. He reined in his emotions and the poker facade again shuttered down.

  Madison stared, failing to understand this man to whom she had committed her future, and that of Summerhaven. “You know, I’m not really hungry anymore.”

  Dylan took a long sip of his champagne. “If it helps you eat, envision yourself handing the clerk in the county assessor’s office a cashier’s check for the back taxes. That should greatly cheer you up.”

  Their food arrived, and so did the well wishers. Many of her grandfather’s friends stopped by to congratulate them. In the course of two hours, Maddy and Dylan received invitations to several dinners and parties, and Forrest Smith had even invited Dylan to play eighteen holes of golf.

  “You’ve certainly charmed them,” she said as she attacked her dessert. The kitchen had sent them complimentary homemade apple pie.

  Dylan wrapped his mouth around the spoon. “I’ve been trying to meet with Forrest Smith for more than a year.”

  “And because you’re marrying me, you are.”

  He smiled slightly. “Yes. You and I will be quite the social success.”

  “So you’re using me for my name.”

  “And you for my money. Works out well.” Dylan paused as someone else came up to congratulate them.

  Maddy swallowed another bite, the delicious dessert providing more calories than comfort. She was going to marry Dylan Blackwater.

  Instead of all those dreams, she would possess the real deal. But the man she had loved at sixteen was a stranger, and this was a business deal. He wanted the old money in-crowd. She saw her role—she was his foot in the proverbial door.

  She smiled as someone else came forward, and finally she and Dylan made their way home. Once back at Summerhaven, he escorted her to the door. Moths flickered against the dusk-to-dawn light that illuminated the driveway, and the yellow light bulb by the back door cast muted shadows.

  “I…” Maddy paused, uncertain as to what to do. This wasn’t a date, and she hadn’t had a good time.

  “I’ll be over tomorrow to discuss arrangements,” Dylan said.

  “Arrangements?”

  “Yes. For our wedding. For lodge renovations. For a host of other details that I’ll oversee personally from this point forward.”

  “Your company…”

  “Has a second in command who is quite capable of handling things during my absence. He’s already been briefed on the situation. You are now my number one priority.”

  “Really, it’s not necessary,” she began, but he stepped into her space and his lips hovered mere inches above hers. His breath warmed her cheek, and combined with the cooler night air, made for a blatant invitat
ion.

  “It’s very necessary. I personally want to walk through the lodge and surrounding buildings and assess everything that needs to be done. I’ll have contractors on site within the week. Starting tomorrow and until the repairs are complete, you’ll stay on North Star.”

  “With you?”

  His lips curved into a Rhett Butler smile. “You’re going to be my wife. But don’t worry, you won’t have to lock your door. Unlike your fiancé, I can wait until our wedding night. Although, one little taste, just as a teaser can’t hurt.”

  He swooped the rest of the way down and his lips found hers. Heat flared immediately, and his mastery left her knees weak and her body hot and ready. His lips teased, pulled and pleasured, and his tongue wet her flesh before he slipped inside to explore and conquer.

  She whimpered her satisfaction, her kittenish cry almost a purr as all rational thought fled and she could only live in this moment where this exquisite bliss existed. His arms snaked around her, and she pressed up against him. His manhood pulsed against her belly, promising more delight to come. His hands found her breasts, dipped beneath her bright yellow sundress to pebble a nipple. She arched toward him.

  His mouth left hers, and he pushed the dress down further and placed his lips to her straining peak. He suckled and waves swept over Maddy. Her body throbbed, the wetness between her legs intensified. She needed to be touched there—anything to reduce the needy ache.

  She glanced down, seeing only black hair as he lathed her breast, and then she let her head fall backwards as the pleasure overpowered her senses.

  Then suddenly, his lips were gone and fingers fumbled with covering her up. He stepped away, his face unreadable and the distance between them like an unwelcome slap. “Get inside and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She watched as his feet crunched over the gravel. Then he was gone, leaving Maddy reeling. Her lips were puffy, tender from the passion. Her nipple was engorged and tender. She pressed between her legs once, the brief touch calming her wanton lower half.