Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part Four (BWWM Romance Serial) (8 page)

He shook his head vehemently. “This is the wrong time to
make decisions. It’s not condescending to say that it’s been an emotional day,
and not only for you. For me, too. I freely admit that you’ve made some points
that I need to think about. I’m asking you to think about them again after a
good night’s sleep, after some of the crazy of this day has worn off. We’ll
talk tomorrow when nerves aren’t so close to the surface.”

“I won’t change my mind, Ian. I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m
going home tomorrow and we shouldn’t see each other again. It’s too hard ...
because we can never be.”

Her melancholy smile was painful to see. “Jada, we don’t
know that.”

She ignored him and glanced out over the grounds. “I’m going
to remember my time with you on this amazing estate as one of the best times of
my life. Fishing in that little boat, our kiss on the dock, the picnic by the
bridge. Mrs. Best and Elly, everyone and everything. Oh, Ian, thank you for
sweeping me away in this fantasy where I got to feel like the most beautiful
girl in the world. I never imagined I’d get anything like it, not even for the
length of a three-day weekend.”

She put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, and
raised up on tip-toe, kissing him softly on the cheek. “Thank you,” she
whispered.

And then she turned and hurried away, into the house, the
front door swinging closed behind her, only her bright floral scent remaining,
the perfume that had haunted his dreams every night since he met her.

What the hell had happened? He’d been blind-sided. One
minute he was coming outside to make sure she was okay, and the next minute she
was telling him she never wanted to see him again.

Why did she keep going on about fantasies? She actually was
the most beautiful girl in the world and what did that have to do with a
three-day weekend? It didn’t make any sense.

He considered going after her, sitting her down and talking
until she saw reason. But no, better to let her get some rest.

This sudden change in her was because of everything that had
happened that day. And who could blame her for it? He still hadn’t processed
most of it himself. No wonder Jada wasn’t making sense.

He’d leave her alone, let her get a good meal, a good
night’s rest. Everything would be different in the morning, he was certain of
it.

Morning. By then his people would have CGTV and the other
gossip outlets racing to retract today’s story. He’d tell Sasha and Agatha to
leave tomorrow, too, because they could only be thorns in Jada’s side. And Mrs.
Best. He’d ask her to make her famous eggs benedict and deliver them to Jada in
bed. A meal like that couldn’t fail to start Jada’s day off the right way.

Tomorrow. Everything would come together then.

He was so convinced of it, that he didn’t mind when Jada
didn’t join everyone for dinner. And he didn’t mind when she didn’t leave her
room at all that evening. Thanks to the day’s revelations, everyone’s mood was
subdued. No one spoke much, not even Agatha. It was a quiet night in the lake
house.

The next morning, however, everyone was bustling, staff and
guests alike. As expected, the press was backpedaling on the Ian-Jada-Sasha
triangle and already moving on to greener gossip pastures. Mrs. Best said Jada
loved the eggs benedict. And Sasha and Agatha didn’t even need to be prodded to
leave. They were packed and gone by nine a.m., Trey not far behind them in his
growling Bugatti.

Everything was going according to plan. Except for one
thing. And Ian couldn’t figure out how it happened.

The one thing that really mattered that morning hadn’t gone
right at all. If it had, he wouldn’t be standing in his driveway watching his
helicopter take off from the landing pad, thunderstruck as it turned and flew
away. Gone.

If everything had come together according to plan, Jada
would never have told him she hadn’t changed her mind. She’d never have gotten
on that helicopter five minutes ago and left him.

Forever.

It wasn’t supposed to happen. But there was nothing he could
do to stop it.

Nothing at all.

JADA THOUGHT SHE’D NEVER GET used to how loud the
helicopter was, even when wearing big, noise-cancelling headphones. It didn’t
matter, though. After this day, she wasn’t likely to ride in another helicopter
for long time, if ever.

The kitty carrier shifted on her lap. Poor Ms. Kitty was
stressed. She didn’t like the roar of the copter any more than Jada did.

Beneath the roar, Marina and Sullivan chatted through the
headsets. Sullivan was traveling on into the city after Raul dropped Jada and
Marina at the armory field in Springers Glen.

Marina had been grilling him the whole trip for details
about what had been done already and what would be done in the future to set
the marriage license problem to rights.

Jada listened in, curious herself. One of Marina’s questions
about Sasha particularly drew her attention.

“What’s going to happen to Sasha now?” Marina asked.

“Some of it will depend on what Jada wants to do,” Sullivan
said, sending Jada a significant glance. “It also will depend on the Springers
Glen district attorney. Ian thinks there’s room for leverage because of the
involvement of the DA’s grandmother.”

“Sasha needs to be punished for what she did,” Marina said.
“It’s crap if she gets away with it because she’s got friends in high places.”

“I don’t think Ian’s interested in letting her completely
off the hook, but I don’t think he wants to see her in jail either. I don’t. Do
you?”

“I don’t know,” Marina answered. “Kind of.”

Jada turned her headset down. She didn’t want to listen to
any more. She didn’t much care what happened to Sasha, after all. Maybe she’d
care later, but right now, not so much.

Sasha had knocked on Jada’s door right before dawn that
morning. She’d walked in, not slouched the way she usually did, and actually
apologized for “not thinking things through” and for “not being honest about
much of anything until it was too late.” That was how she put it.

When Jada accepted her apology, Sasha looked genuinely
relieved, and it was nice to see that the supermodel could care about
something.

She’d scratched Ms. Kitty’s under the chin and said, “See
you around, Cat. You’re alright.” Jada had taken this restrained display as
further evidence that Sasha was feeling sentimental.

But she was still Sasha and wouldn’t leave well enough
alone. On her way out the door she quipped, “Of course, if I hadn’t made that
fake license, you wouldn’t be hooking up with one of the few billionaires in
the world who’s actually hot. Oh, and he’s one of the best friends I’ve ever
had. So I can’t feel
too
badly for you.” She shot Jada a saucy look then
was gone.

Jada didn’t tell Sasha that she wasn’t getting the guy after
all. It would have been too difficult to explain and Jada didn’t think Sasha
would understand anyway.

When she told Marina that she was parting ways with Ian, Marina
certainly didn’t understand. She gaped at Jada like Jada had lost her mind.

“You dumped a billionaire because he wants his own way? He’s
a classic alpha male. By definition he’s going to be a little bossy,” Marina
said.

“He’s not just a little bossy,” Jada said. “He’s overbearing
and wants to run my life and he’s overprotective and condescending ... and ...
quit looking at me like that! The bottom line is, he doesn’t respect me!”

“That’s stupid,” Marina said.

“Don’t call me stupid.”

“Fine. Slow-witted. Is that better?”

“Shut up.”

“Fine,” Marina said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I
won’t say anything else.”

“Good.”

“Except this one thing. You can always teach him to tone
down the bossy, you know.”

“I doubt that,” Jada said, “especially when he refuses to
admit there’s anything wrong with how he’s treating me.”

“Oh, and about how he’s treating you. I guess I’ve got one
more thing to say about that, too. A question.”

Jada rolled her eyes. “I knew you couldn’t stop at one.”

“Here it is,” Marina said. “What do you call a man who
doesn’t sleep with a woman, even though he really wants her and even though
she’ll let him, but he doesn’t do it because he won’t take advantage of a woman
who’s in a vulnerable position? What do you call a guy like that?”

“I don’t know. High-handed? He didn’t take the girl’s
opinion into account.”

Marina had thrown her hands in the air and left the room
muttering about Jada being hopeless.

And now here Jada was, flying away from Ian. The helicopter
passed over forests, highways and small towns. She cradled the kitty carrier
and tried not to think of what might of been, but could never be.

Ian had looked bewildered standing in the drive as the
helicopter lifted off. Jada knew he didn’t understand why she couldn’t see him
anymore. She wished she had been able to make him see her side. But he was a
powerful man, used to having everything his own way. He couldn’t help being
himself any more than Jada could help being herself.

She recalled Marina’s question. It repeated in her mind. What
do you call a man who ... what do you call a man who ...

What
did
you call a guy like that? Not high-handed.
That had been unfair. He’d been protective, which was good, but he was
overly-protective, wasn’t he? Granted, he’d been thinking of her before
himself, she couldn’t deny that.

He didn’t want to take advantage, even though he could have.

What do you call a guy ... then the real answer struck her,
a bolt of fire sucking the oxygen out of her lungs. She stiffened and grabbed
Marina’s arm.

“The answer to your question,” Jada called over the roar of
the copter. “It’s not high-handed.”

“What?”

“Your question this morning.”

“ Oh, right.
That
question. Have you figured it out?”
Marina asked.

“Yes. It’s gentleman. That’s what you call a man like that,
isn’t it? He’s a gentleman.”

Marina grinned. “Good for you. I’m so glad you’re not
hopeless after all.”

In an instant, Jada knew being in that helicopter was all
wrong. What the hell was she doing, flying away from a man like Ian? Sure, he
had his faults, but she had hers, too.

She tapped Raul’s shoulder. “Turn around. Take me back to
the lake house!”

Raul glanced. “Ma’am?”

“Turn around! I’ve got to go back.”

Marina chimed in with, “Yeah, Raul. Go back!”

Sullivan looked confused, but amused. He added his baritone
to the chorus, “Go ahead and take us back, Raul.”

Jada put her whole heart into her words. “Please, Raul. I
have to get back there right now. I don’t think I’ll—”

He held up a finger for her to wait. He must have switched
comm channels because she could see his lips move but couldn’t hear him.

In a few moments, Raul’s voice came through the headset.
“Everyone, please be advised that I’m going to be making a steep banking turn,
so don’t be alarmed. Everything’s fine. We’re returning to the lake house.”

Marina cheered and Jada thanked Raul profusely.

While Marina explained the reason for the return to
Sullivan, Jada stared out the windows and willed the landscape to pass faster.
She’d heard Ian was driving back to the city that day. What if he’d already left?

She tried to think of what she should say to him, but
couldn’t concentrate. She needed to get to him. That was all. That was the
important thing.

Minutes passed like hours. Then they were flying low over a
forest canopy. A high fence loomed ahead with a gated entrance. She’d seen it
before, she was almost positive. As they buzzed onward, she recalled more and
more of the landscape.

When a sparkling lake peeped out between a ring of trees and
a rambling roofline loomed in the distance, Jada knew exactly where they were.
Home.

She shook her head. That was a silly thing to think. Home.
The lake house. That’s where she was. It only felt like home if Ian were there.

The copter flew in fast and low and in a matter of moments
hovered over the now-familiar landing zone. Jada saw a tall man standing in the
waiting circle. Was it Ian?

Yes, it was him. Her heart leapt into her throat. Was he
smiling?

Raul touched down with his usual ease and slowed the rotors.
Jada turned to Marina and gestured to Ms. Kitty in the carrier.

“Do you mind?” she asked.

“Nah. She’s grown on me the past few days. Hand her over,”
Marina answered.

Jada gave her the crate then added a quick kiss on her
sister’s cheek for good measure. “Tell Mom and Dad not to worry.”

“I will. Go on. He’s waiting for you.”

Jada thanked her again and nodded at Sullivan, who said, “Go
get him, Jada.”

She thanked Raul then pulled off her headphones and threw
open the door. She dashed outside, head down, the wind whipping at her, and ran
to the handsome man in the waiting zone.

She stopped in front of him, returning his wide smile.

As the helicopter’s rotors wound back up, and the vehicle
took off, Jada leapt into Ian’s arms and kissed him with everything she had,
telling him with her body exactly how much she’d missed him, how much she
wanted him back.

He passionately returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around
her and lifting her off the ground, twirling her around and around. She clung
to him, hands clasped behind his corded neck. He was wonderful. Simply wonderful.
How could she have ever thought she could live without this man? Without his
touch?

By the time they broke apart, the helicopter was long gone,
not even a hint of a chop-chop marring nature’s concert of lake, grass, trees
and wildlife.

Ian slowly shook his head. “I can’t believe you aren’t mad
at me.”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because I ordered Raul to bring you back.”

“I’m the one who told him to come back.”

Ian gave her a funny look. “You told Raul to bring you back
... to me?”

“You told him to bring me back to you?”

They laughed as they realized what had happened.

“I can’t believe we both told Raul to turn around at the
same time,” Jada said. “He must think we’re nuts.”

“Maybe we are.”

“I am,” Jada admitted. “I’m sorry, Ian. I made a stupid
mistake, leaving you like that. I should have given this more of a chance. I
panicked because I’ve never believed this kind of fairy tale was possible.”

“And I should have listened to you sooner,” Ian said. “After
you left, I was standing in the driveway trying to figure out what had gone
wrong and I realized that it wasn’t just me and it wasn’t just you. It was both
of us. And it had nothing to do with us being from different worlds. We’d
missed the point.”

“What is the point, Ian?”

“It’s like my grandfather building his dream out here by the
lake,” he answered. “You can’t rely on something to happen on its own. You have
to work for it. We can have the fantasy, Jada. All of it. Every day. We just
have to want it, need it like we need air to breathe. And we have to believe in
it.”

He looked deeply into her eyes. “I believe in us, Jada. Do
you believe, too?”

Jada had always considered herself a realist, not a dreamer.
But she’d realized in the helicopter that she’d actually been protecting
herself from the disappointment of failure. She’d been afraid to want something
she might never get.

Her spirits soared and she trusted her heart. Faith seemed
easy now ... with him. “I do believe, Ian. In you and in us.”

Joy and satisfaction washed over his handsome features. He dropped
down on one knee before her. “I know this seems too soon, but I’m only asking
for time to see where this takes us, to find out if we can build the foundation
for our fantasy.”

Jada nodded, her heart pounding.

He cleared his throat, took her hands in his. “Jada Howarth
Buckley, will you stay fake married to me while we figure out our future?”

She didn’t need to think about it. “Yes! Of course I’ll stay
fake married to you.”

He laughed, jumped up and marched off toward the house,
towing her along behind him.

“Where are we going?”

“Where do you think we’re going?”

“Uh, the house?”

“Be more specific,” Ian demanded.

Jada’s insides tingled. “Your bedroom.”

“That’s right, my sweet little bride. It’s time to
consummate our fake wedding. Finally!”

She gladly rushed along the path. “I thought it would never
happen. Are you as bossy in the bedroom as you are out of it?”

“Worse.”

“Oh my.”

He gave her a lascivious glance. “I’m not going to stop
doing my worst to you until your cries ring from the rafters and rattle the
dishes in the kitchen.”

“Seriously? I’ll never be able to look your employees in the
face again. Too embarrassing.”

They dashed over small bridges and darted past hedges.

“Except for security, and they stay on the perimeter and
gates, I sent everyone else away,” Ian said. “They’re off on a well-deserved
break. Won’t come back until I tell them to.”

Her heart fluttered. “In that case, tell me again what
you’re going to do to me.”

Ian grinned, his dark hair shining in the sun, his tanned,
strong hand clasped around hers. “Jada, I’m going to make you mine.”

That sounded fine to her. In fact, it was more than fine.

It was the perfect fantasy come true.