Taming the Bad Boy Billionaire Bundle

by Sierra Rose

  “Please tell me what’s the matter.”

  But this was one problem my daring billionaire couldn’t fix.

  I flashed a tight smile, but shook my head, stuffing my cell phone back in my pocket. He understood the subject was closed, but unwilling to leave me alone, he tried a different tack.

  “Come to the beach with me?”

  I glanced around in surprise. “Now?” The beach was dark. Only the light of the full moon reflected off the tops of the waves, leaving the sand bathed in shadow.

  He smiled and held out his hand. “If you like.”

  For a second, I considered his offer. Then I laced my fingers through his open hand. I would like. In fact, I would like very much.

  We went to the beach a few minutes later.

  “Is it cold?” I asked hesitantly, perching on the water’s edge.

  He had already waded in up to his stomach by the time I got to the beach. When he heard me speak, he turned around and gave me a breathtaking smile. The moon lit up his curls in a silver halo, and his eyes were the exact color of the starlit sea.

  “It’s warmer than you think.” He offered me his hand. “Come on.”

  He was right. At first I just dipped in my ankle, but the water was as warm as a bath, and I was quick to scamper in. It wasn’t exactly a peaceful shoreline. It was the kind that kids would love to jump and play in during the day. None of the waves were too rough, but I still squealed and jumped back as a bigger one splashed up to my chin.

  Marcus laughed and whirled around. “Are you afraid to get wet?”

  I answered him with a resounding wall of water that eight years on a swim team had led me to master. It struck him squarely in the face, and he stumbled back a step, coughing and blinking salt water from his eyes.

  “You little—”

  The next second, he was charging through the waves. I screamed and dove for cover, but I wasn’t fast enough. I may have perfected the art of splashing, but Marcus had over a foot on me and strong muscular arms. It wasn’t long before the two of us were dripping from head to toe.

  “Where did you learn to play like that?” he panted, combing his hair from his eyes.

  I shrugged and giggled. “I have an older brother, Max. It was kill or be killed in my family. He made sure I learned to survive.”

  “Older brother.” Marcus chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  We laughed ourselves out, then stood in awkward silence on the deserted beach. There wasn’t a soul in sight. No one around for us to keep up the charade. It was just him and me, and all these unanswered questions.

  After a few minutes, he cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Listen, Becca, there’s something you should know. After you left the boat last night, I—”

  “Look out!”

  I leaped automatically backward as a huge wave barreled toward us, landing me squarely in Marcus’ arms. He covered me protectively as it rained down over our heads, tensing and bracing himself in the sand. When it was finished, we stayed still as statues, panting and blinking the water from our eyes.

  “Sorry,” I gasped as I peered up at him. “I didn’t—”

  He kissed me.

  There was no one else around. No one watching but us.

  I kissed him back.

  Oh yes...I had undoubtedly, most definitely, gotten in over my head...

  Chapter 22

  Back in the room, we decided to do a tequila shot. We agreed to just one.

  I seductively looked into Marcus’s eyes and softly ran my fingers across his lips. “You know how this works, right? Lick-sip-suck.

  He shook his head, grinning.

  After his shot, I put some salt on his neck, then I put the lemon wedge in his mouth. His eyes widened as I put the shot in his pants just above the zipper.

  “Rebecca, I’m not going to be able to sleep with you in the same room.”

  “Am I getting you all hot and bothered? That’s only supposed to work for real girlfriends, right?”

  He laughed.

  I licked the salt seductively off his ear. He let out a soft moan as my tongue ran up his earlobe. Then I knelt and slammed down the tequila. I swear I could hear his heart racing as I sucked the lemon wedge out of his mouth.

  It was so erotic, so sensual.

  “You’re teasing me,” he said.

  When he went to kiss me, I stopped him.

  “No, no. That’s only when the cameras are around. I don’t see any cameras around, do you? ”

  He pulled me close. “You’re so fucking hot.”

  I gazed into his eyes and softly kissed his lips. “Goodnight, Marcus.”

  I HAD MY WEIRD DRAGON dream again. Only this time, it wasn’t the dragon that turned into a jigsaw, it was me. The last thing I saw were its ocean-green eyes as a million little pieces of me fell, scorched and burning, back to earth.

  I jerked awake, clutching my chest and panting.

  Fuck dreams.

  I’d slept all night without waking up even once. Pulling on my complimentary bathrobe, I tiptoed down the hall and peeked into the living room. The couch was already neatly made, and there was a note on the pillow. Even after only a few weeks, I already recognized Marcus’ messy scrawl:

  Gone to pick up something in town.

  Breakfast is on the table.

  Gala starts at three.

  I’ve been smiling all morning. I can’t stop thinking about you.

  - Marcus

  I smiled. Was he really thinking about me? Or was it all part of the act? I glanced up at the table to where a plate of fruit and croissants were laid out next to some juice. Nestled up behind the morning newspaper was a bag of Cheetos. I grinned as I crinkled the bag, but I was also slightly relieved that Marcus wasn’t here. After what happened yesterday on the beach...I had no earthly idea what I would say.

  It was just a kiss. It never got any further. We never let it get any further. It was tender and passionate, and it took my breath away, but it was just a kiss.

  Except...it was so much more.

  In the land of Marcus and Rebecca, if two people kissed and no one was there to see it, did it really happen?

  I grabbed the bag of Cheetos and headed back to my bedroom, shoving the question firmly from my mind. I didn’t know the answer. All I did know was that the gala was in just a few hours...and we both had a job to do.

  As I crossed back down the hallway, I noticed a garment bag hanging from the front door. A paper tag strung to the front said my name.

  Of course, I’d almost completely forgotten. Ever since Marcus and I first struck up this crazy arrangement, people on his staff had been working tirelessly on a hand-crafted, couture gown just for the occasion. They’d taken a million measurements and shown me a million different sketches, but I had no idea what they’d actually decided on in the end.

  I snatched the hanger from the door and whisked off to the bathroom to shower. With the gala starting at three, I had just a little over four hours to get ready. And in this world of whimsical fancy, that meant I was already behind.

  A SOFT KNOCK ON THE door made my heart stop in my chest, and I stared up anxiously from the mirror. My hair had been piled gracefully on top of my head, held fast with a sparkling Swarovski barrette that latched onto the side. My makeup was carefully applied but minimal, with only a bit of mascara and shimmer above my eyes. That and a bit of gloss was supposed to carry me through the night. Whoever my stylists had been, I admired their confidence.

  “Come in,” I called.

  Marcus poked his head in but froze awkwardly in the doorway. “Are you...decent?”

  I pulled my bathrobe tighter around me, suddenly self-conscious now that he’d asked the question. Not that it made any sense. I had certainly been wearing far less last night when we—

  “Yeah, come on in.”

  He slipped inside and shut the door carefully behind him. Even though the gala was still about an hour off, he was already wearing an impeccably fitted tuxedo. It
hugged nicely around his chest and gave him that intimidating, towering appearance that men seemed so fond of. I spotted the diamond cufflinks and shook my head.

  “What?” he asked nervously. “Do I have something on my—”

  “No, you’re just...you look fine.” It was then that I noticed he was carrying a small parcel in his hands. “What’s that?”

  “What? Oh.” He glanced down at it, then crossed over to where I was sitting at the vanity. “It’s for you. It’s...to go with your dress.”

  He offered it silently and I opened it with trembling fingers. Gosh—why did everything have to get so complicated right before our big event? Why did I even wade into the water when I knew that dusk was prime hunting time for sharks? Why—why did he use so much tape?

  My brow crinkled as I tried to open it. Marcus pursed his lips, and for the first time in what felt like ages, the tension lifted to allow room to breathe.

  “You need some help?”

  I grinned. “No, I got it. I think.” I ripped off the tape in a single fluid motion. When I lifted the lid, I gasped.

  My eyes widened as a thousand beautiful diamonds twinkled back at me. Diamonds cut in long splinters, jagged shards that seemed to make no sense or pattern until he lifted them, and I realized it was a necklace. A necklace fit for the Ice Queen herself. My face paled, and I reached up to graze it with my fingers as he stepped behind me and fastened it on.

  “It’s gorgeous!” I whispered as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. “Thank you! Oh my gosh!”

  “Then you like it?”

  “I love it!”

  I didn’t quite recognize the girl staring back at me. Long gone was the poster child for “trying to make it in LA.” Gone was the pasty skin and pretty but uncertain features. She had been replaced with a completely different person.

  This other girl was something else entirely. Something brand new.

  “Is this a loaner?” I asked.

  “No...this is for you.”

  Marcus’ fingers grazed the back of my neck, and I glanced up to see him staring quietly back at me in the mirror. When our eyes met, he didn’t drop his gaze as I expected; he continued to stare—a quiet affection softening all of his features with a smile.

  “I can’t—” I stammered, my eyes returning to the ice shards around my neck, “this is too much. Even for you.”

  “Keep it, please.”

  The fingers disappeared, leaving a trail of scorched skin in their wake. When he met my melancholy expression, the corners of his mouth turned up in an almost wistful smile.

  “It’ll give you something to remember me by.”

  He left before I could say a word. Left me standing there with a thousand diamond knives hanging around my neck. Left before he could see me cry. I knew none of this was real. But why was I getting so attached? I tried to stay distant. I knew who and what Marcus was all about. He was somebody no woman could tame. This was probably nothing more than a huge game to him. I had to stay strong and quit kissing him. This was all fake, I reminded myself. So it was vital that I keep all feelings out of this little arrangement. This was nothing more than an acting gig. Falling in love with your co-star was a big no-no.

  I heard the gala starting before I even made it out of my bungalow. Sounds of Stravinsky floated in through the open window, and I knew it was time. Marcus was supposed to meet me there, so I took one final look in the mirror and headed outside alone. The path to the ballroom was paved with expensive couples. I followed along behind oversized clutches and clouds of cologne until I splintered off at the top of the grand staircase.

  It was a fairy tale. And for the first time in my life, I fit right in.

  Every eye in the room fastened onto me as I walked down the stairs. Floated was more like it. In any other circumstance, it would have been a surefire way to make me fall. But tonight, my world was so surreal that I felt like I was hovering above myself, watching me too.

  It was the girl from my reflection again. It appeared that she was here to stay.

  The dress Marcus’ minions had made for me was the color of soft winter snow. It was actually rather simple, especially compared to some of the numbers I saw around me, but it was that understated elegance that made it stand out. It wound around my body like a second skin, flowing freely from my bodice to the floor. Two gauzy sashes hung down the back from beneath the shoulders, fanning out behind me like little wings as I slowly descended the stairs. Those and the diamonds glittering around my neck were the only accessories I’d opted for. From the looks I was getting from every corner of the room, they were more than enough.

  “Rebecca.”

  The second my feet touched the ground, Marcus wound his way through the crowd, smiling dismissively and moving people politely aside to get to me. When he made it through the last of them, his face broke into a shining smile, and he took my hand, pulling me closer.

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing,” he whispered in my ear, “trying to upstage me at my own party?”

  I smiled and slipped my hand behind his neck, stretching up on my toes. “Tell you what, let’s head to a bathroom and we’ll switch. That way you can wear the dress.”

  He chuckled. “Not a chance, Rebecca.”

  I smothered a laugh as he slipped my hand through his arm and turned me to face the crowd. The eyes of every person in the room were upon us, poised as if they were holding their breath. A man came out of nowhere and handed Marcus a microphone which he held to his lips with a gracious smile.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to my humble little gathering.”

  Humble. Only Marcus would think of this as humble.

  “My special thanks to those of you whose donations made this evening possible.”

  A group of tipsy-looking people raised their glasses in salute. They were mostly congregating across the room by the bar.

  “So without any further ado, let the festivities begin!”

  A bottle of champagne popped open and the party was away. But for me and Marcus, the night was just beginning...

  He took my hand and guided me through crowd after crowd. Well over a thousand people, everyone from international dignitaries to NASCAR racing champions, had somehow squeezed into this one little ballroom, and everyone seemed to want to shake Marcus’ hand. And the second they were done with Marcus, of course, they all wanted to meet Mr. Taylor’s new girlfriend. In the course of just two hours, I think I shook the hands and kissed the cheeks of enough dauntingly powerful people to start my own army. And don’t think I wasn’t thinking about that possibility, by the start of hour two. The repetition was mind-numbing, and I honestly didn’t know how Marcus did it. But if he could manage, so could I.

  I kept a smile plastered on my face as we swept from one side of the room to another, putting on a show. But was it a show? I wasn’t sure either one of us knew anymore.

  The only thing I was sure of was that in this moment, in this crowd of people, with our fingers laced together like a life raft, there was only him and me.

  And tomorrow, it would all be gone.

  We clung to each other for dear life, smiling and laughing and toasting like we couldn’t be happier. Nuzzling into each other in “private” moments when we pretended no one was watching. Posing strategically for pictures and leaning my head affectionately against his shoulder whenever the CFO happened to walk by.

  It was the performance of a lifetime. By the time we’d completed the rounds and spoken with everyone, I could honestly say that I might have believed we were dating. At the very least, I’d think we were fooling around...

  “What do you say?” I murmured in Marcus’ ear as we finally detached from the last group of people and headed back to the center of the floor. “You ready to blow off this joint?”

  He nodded. “Absolutely. I just...have a final announcement to make first.”

  “Sure, honey,” I said.

  He kissed my cheek. “Thanks for being so supportive
.”

  I clapped his arm and grinned. “Go get’em, tiger.”

  He nodded shortly and turned on his heel.

  I stared at him, but before I could say a word, he’d disappeared once more through the crowd. I clapped politely as Marcus took to the stage. The band stopped playing at once, looking surprised, and I glanced at the minions, wondering what was going on.

  “I’m sorry for the interruption,” he said, suddenly amplified as the same little man rushed forward with another microphone. “I just couldn’t let everyone leave without making one final announcement. As most of you know, I’m here tonight with a person who’s very near and dear to my heart. A person who’s new to my life, but has caused me to see things through a different perspective.”

  Time slowed to a dead stop as he lifted his hand and beckoned to me through the crowd.

  “Rebecca, would you please come up here?”

  I smiled as everyone clapped and cheered me on. I felt myself walking slowly toward the stage, keeping my eyes on Marcus the entire time. Why did he have up his sleeve? Was he going to expose us?! Come clean in some final act of contrition to prove he’d actually developed a conscience over the last few weeks?

  Thoughts raced half-formed through my mind as I came to a stop beside him. He wouldn’t do that to me, would he? I stared anxiously into those ocean eyes. Eyes that, for the first time, looked almost as anxious as mine.

  Marcus sank down onto one knee, hand reaching around in his pocket.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered.

  My voice came out quick and low, and for a moment, there were no pretenses between us. He flashed me his signature smile.

  He stared deeply into my eyes and said, “Rebecca, you know me better than anyone else in this world, yet you still you manage to love me. You are my best friend, my one true love. I’ll never forget the moment we first made eye contact in that little coffee shop. The chemistry was explosive and powerful, far deeper and inexplicably beyond any calculation of time and place. I can’t even describe a feeling like that, and it is not something that can be replicated or forced. It just flows in us, around us, and we go where it takes us. It is that feeling that has brought us here, together, today in the Caribbean. You stole my heart that day at the coffee shop, and I want you to keep it forever.”