Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part One (BWWM Romance Serial) (5 page)

And that idea took her aback. Since when was she, Jada
Howarth, part of the upstairs cast? She wasn’t, actually. She was a faker and a
fraud, a guest here of necessity because of what was likely a technological
snafu. Best she remember it. It wouldn’t be difficult; she was far more
comfortable downstairs.

Introductions over, everyone disbanded except for Mr. Forest
and Elly. Mr. Forest asked for Jada’s phone and handed it to Elly.

“Enter in everyone’s numbers, please, Elly,” he said. To
Jada, he added, “We have an intercom system and use it regularly, but if you’re
out and about or not near a com and you need one of us, just call or drop a
text and we’ll come running, okay?”

“Sure,” Jada said.

“Come along then. I’ll give you quick tour of the house,” he
said, ushering her toward the steps.

Jada followed him on automatic. The home’s interior was even
more gorgeous than the exterior. The entryway was airy and wide, the ceilings
dizzyingly high and dotted with slow-moving fans at the ends of long, brass
poles. A light breeze flowed into the rooms through tall, open windows, where
gauzy fabrics rippled and filtered the sunlight which slanted over the polished
wood floors.

Mr. Forest led her through room after room, sitting rooms,
dining rooms, bathrooms, studies, professional kitchen, larders, a dancing room
of all things, a gym, a game room, even a theatre with a movie screen, and a
small, two-lane bowling alley that somehow managed to be charming with its
fresh, white decor and cheerful yellow walls. Indeed, all the rooms were
decorated in a fresh, homey style, though the bright fabrics were of the finest
quality, as were the woods, much of which appeared meticulously hand-crafted.

Her favorite room on the ground floor was in the center of
the building and opened onto the back lawns: an indoor pool. Clear water
sparkled under the sunbeams pouring through skylights, gleaming on the azure
bottom. The pool was rimmed with intricate tile work in shades of teal and deep
blue. Tall, potted trees and shrubs lined the walls and scented the air with
bark and leafy greenery.

Best of all, a large whirlpool/hot tub was sunk into the
floor in one corner of the room. The walls there were panels of glass, so you
could sit in the tub and look out over the back lawn, across the waving
grasses, all the way to the towering tree line. It was exquisite.

Upstairs was mostly bedrooms, many of them suites complete
with their own dressing rooms, giant walk-in closets and luxurious bathrooms. Most
rooms had small balconies that overlooked the lake on one side of the building,
or the sweeping back lawn on the other.

Deb’s “office” was on the second floor and Jada barely got
to peep inside at the padded tables and tubs before Mr. Forest moved her along.

He gestured toward the end of one corridor and said the
family suites were in that section, but didn’t take Jada to see them. She
assumed that was where Ian stayed when he was here, where he slept. She got a
disconcerting frisson of excitement when she thought of Ian stretched out in a
kingly bed. She needed to get over it, she told herself. He was in the city.
She’d probably never see him again.

Mr. Forest told her there was storage on the third floor,
and that was where staff rooms were as well, but he didn’t take her up for a
tour, only showing her the staircase which lead to them. Lastly, Mr. Forest
ushered her into a room and said it was hers. He said he’d give her a chance to
freshen up then left her alone with Elly.

ELLY HANDED JADA HER PHONE then bustled around the room.
Jada’s room was huge, of course, like everything else in the place, complete
with sitting area, vast closet and dressing room with a decked out vanity. The
furniture was richly casual, light, bright colors dominating the drapery,
bedding and upholstery. The queen sized bed had a romantically gossamer,
draping canopy.

The bathroom was a marvel with a multi-head shower nook that
would have easily accommodated four people. There was also a deep bathtub, the
old-fashioned kind with feet. Jada made plans to enjoy a long bubble bath later
that evening.

The toilet had a heated seat and also acted as a bidet. Elly
showed her how to use it, which buttons to push for what purpose. Jada was
amused at having to take lessons on how to work a toilet.

But the toilet wasn’t the only part of the suite that
required lessons. Elly also showed her how to operate the remote that
controlled the room’s lighting and temp, the television and audio systems, too,
which had immense offerings of channels, movies and music.

The true highlight of the suite, however, was the least
technological part. Double, glass-paned doors opened onto a quaint balcony with
a small iron table and chairs. The exterior vista of natural lawns rippling
down to the lakeside was more spectacular than any high def television, and the
songs of the cooing lake birds and trilling insects more soothing than any
musical soundtrack. Jada made plans to have her morning coffee on the balcony.

Elly asked her if she’d like to rest and Jada told her she’d
wash up a bit, but no, she wasn’t sleepy. Elly bustled off, then, and told Jada
to let Mrs. Best know when she was hungry, and to not forget to let Mr. Forest
know when she was ready for a tour of the grounds. She assured Jada that she
only lived to help in any way and she’d be thrilled to do anything Jada wanted.

The young woman’s enthusiasm made Jada smile and want to
tease her a bit, but she resisted the urge, shooing Elly away with reassurances
that she wouldn’t dream of hesitating to inconvenience Elly for the least
little thing Jada might want. Elly departed with a satisfied expression.

Jada no sooner splashed some water on her face and looked
through some of the bathroom drawers (which were filled with exotic lotions,
oils, soaps, sponges and scrubbers and basically anything anyone might ever
need when bathing), when her phone buzzed with a text.

It was from Mrs. Best. “No hurry, dear, but your lunch is
ready. I’m keeping it warm for you. You might enjoy eating on the east patio.
Text me and it will be waiting.”

Jada smiled at the way the older lady spelled out every word
in her text. It reminded Jada of how her mother texted, as if it were an email.

She spent a few minutes poking around the room, finding all
sorts of necessities in the vanity drawers in the dressing room. She
particularly liked the heavy, old-fashioned hairbrush that reminded her of the
kind in movies where the lady of the house brushed her hair hundreds of strokes
every night before bed.

Soon, her stomach began to growl. Jada hadn’t eaten much
more than a snack all morning, and it was now past one. She texted Mrs. Best
that she was ready and headed down to the first floor.

Mrs. Best and Elly were already waiting on the patio when
Jada arrived. They pulled out her chair, fussed over her, whipping covers off
the food and laying a fine linen napkin on her lap. The food was steaming and
smelled like heaven, a rich vegetable bisque with hunks of crusty bread topped
with toasted, earthy cheeses and fresh herbs. It was hearty, simple food of the
best kind, and Jada ate with gusto.

The food and fresh air invigorated Jada, and when she
finished, she called Mr. Forest and requested his promised tour of the grounds.
He was beside her in a flash and they spent the next half hour roaming the
stone paths and small, tucked-away gardens in the surrounding grounds.

It was clear that Ian preferred to keep the place as natural
as possible. Wildlife was allowed virtually free reign and carefully managed by
Grover to ensure the health and well being of the entire ecosystem.

They were returning to the front of the house when Jada
heard the distant chopping sound of an approaching helicopter. Mr. Forest said
it was likely Jada’s things arriving at last, and he called Elly and Billy to
meet the copter at the landing pad and tote everything up to the house.

Jada watched from the veranda as the helicopter landed
smoothly. Elly and Billy soon had their arms loaded with bags and boxes and
made their way toward Jada and Mr. Forest. The helicopter, as when it brought
her, lifted off again and sailed away.

Jada felt silly just standing there while Elly and Billy did
all the heavy lifting but Mr. Forest stopped her when she tried to go to them.

“Please, Miss. It’s their jobs. They’d be embarrassed if you
were to do it for them,” he told her gently.

All right then, she thought, and stayed where she was. If
being the pampered princess made the two young people happy, who was she to
argue?

Elly tromped up holding out a small crate by a handle.
“Shall I take her to your room, Miss Jada?”

Jada blinked and realizing it was a pet carrier. “Is my cat
in there?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“And those bags.” She reeled at how many of them there were.
“Are those the clothes Cathy got for me?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Seriously? You helicoptered my cat and clothes out here?
That’s ... that’s ...” She couldn’t think of words appropriate to describe it.
Outrageously decadent? Insanely wasteful? Crazy? Ridiculously kind?

“We didn’t send the helicopter, Miss,” Mr. Forest said. “Mr.
Ian did.”

“Right. Of course. Well, that’s ... uh ... incredibly nice
of him.”

Jada took Ms. Kitty from Elly and ignored her protests.
She’d carry her own cat to her room. Poor thing was probably freaked out from
the ride anyway.

Once in her room, Billy left her bags and Elly stayed and
began putting Jada’s new things away. She pulled each item from bags marked
with the logos of expensive stores Jada couldn’t afford to shop at, and held
them up for Jada’s inspection.

Jada sat in a comfy wing-backed chair, holding a
surprisingly calm Ms. Kitty on her lap, slowly stroking her silky fur, as much
to sooth her own nerves as the cat’s.

The clothes were beautiful, and there were far too many of
them. Dresses, pants, skirts, shorts and blouses. Lingerie and hosiery, a
couple of bathing suits, a robe and sleepwear. There were even shoes, high and
low heels, casual loafers, jogging shoes and an adorable pair of pink, fuzzy
slippers.

Elly hung and folded everything with intent care, asking
repeatedly if Jada wanted to try this on, or that. Jada didn’t want to try
anything on. She was too busy trying to calculate in her head what it all cost,
and why Cathy had gotten her so much. It was a complete wardrobe.

Jada also saw that some of the bags contained items for her
cat, a litter box, a couple of brushes, some dry food and treats, a cute collar
with delicate crystals on it, a plush bed, a scratching post, and more.

How long, exactly, did they think Jada would be staying
here?

Mrs. Best knocked on the door and came into the room holding
a pair of silver dishes. “I brought your dear kitty a little snack before
suppertime. It’s just a bit of poached fresh salmon, and a tad of cream.”

Elly and Mrs. Best worried over the best place to feed Ms.
Kitty while Jada tried not to roll her eyes at the over-solicitude of feeding
her cat real salmon and cream.

Ms. Kitty sniffed the air and hopped off Jada’s lap,
trailing after Mrs. Best. Mrs. Best beamed when Ms. Kitty tucked into the
salmon.

“What a dear little thing. So pretty. A tabby cat,” Mrs.
Best said. “I had one when I was a girl.”

Elly and Mrs. Best watched Ms. Kitty with admiration, like
she was performing a miraculous feat and not simply wolfing down salmon like
she’d never eaten a decent meal in her life. Jada fought back a laugh.

She needed to get out, clear her head. She stood. “If you
don’t mind, I’m going to change my clothes and take a walk.”

“Of course, dear,” Mrs. Best said. “Call Mr. Forest if you’d
like a guide, or Grover. They’d be happy to—”

“Oh, I have no doubt they’d be thrilled to help me. I think
I’ll be okay on my own now.”

Before Elly had a chance to, God forbid, offer to dress her,
Jada selected a pair of walking shorts and a sleeveless top along with a pair
of cute, beaded sandals from among her new things and headed to her dressing
room.

Before she shut the door, she noticed the two women had
resumed their rapt study of Ms. Kitty, who had finished the salmon and begun
hoovering up the cream at full throttle. What a show off, she thought with a grin.

She quickly changed from her spring dress and pumps into
what she’d thought would be clothing more appropriate for strolling the
grounds. Turned out, though, that the lemony yellow tank was made of the finest
silk she’d ever touched, with a texture almost like water sliding over her
fingers. And the white walking shorts had a tag which claimed they were made of
cotton, but which was unlike any cotton Jada had ever felt. As for the cute
sandals ... she was pretty sure there were expensive crystals spaced among the
hand-crafted beads.

She vowed to do nothing that might get the least speck of
dirt on her new things, and briefly considered changing back into her
inexpensive dress, which before today, had been one of her best.

When she re-entered her bedroom, Mrs. Best was gone.

Still hard at work on Jada’s new wardrobe, Elly clapped her
hands together when she saw Jada and gushed, “Oh, you look so pretty, Miss.
That color’s perfect on you!”

Jada gave a playful twirl. “Thanks. You don’t have to butter
me up, though. I already like you.”

Elly blushed. “Oh, no. I mean it. You’re lovely. I can’t
wait to see you in your other new clothes. I’d never say anything I—”

“I was teasing. I’m sorry if I upset you. Well, would you
look at that!”

Jada stared at the chaise lounge which sat in front of a
large, open window. There, stretched out under a sunbeam, flopped on her side
with her stomach pooching out from her so-called snack, lay Ms. Kitty, snoozing
away on her new plush, cushy pet bed.

Ms. Kitty opened one eye a tiny slit and gave Jada an “I
thought you were leaving” glance.

“Isn’t she just the cutest thing?” Elly asked. “She really
loved that cream and salmon. Mrs. Best says she’s got some fresh shrimp for her
supper. Does she like shrimp? Mrs. Best said she’s got tuna steaks if that
would be better.”

“Since she usually eats dry kibble that’s only shaped like
shrimp, I’m pretty sure the real deal will thrill her.”

“Oh good. I’ll let Mrs. Best know.”

“Well, Ms. Kitty looks like she’s in good hands with you So,
I’m off. Thanks for taking care of all that.”

Elly waved a shy goodbye as if Jada were leaving on a long
voyage. “It’s my pleasure, Miss.”

Jada was certain that young Elly wasn’t just saying that,
that she actually meant it.

Jada knew where she wanted to go, and once outside the
house, headed straight there on one of the paved, stone paths which wound among
the swaying grasses and wildflowers down to the lakeside. She saw Billy along
the way and was grateful he simply nodded and smiled, and didn’t beg to do
something for her.

The lake wasn’t far, and she soon walked out onto a wide
dock that was something like a deck, really, complete with comfortable, wooden
chairs and loungers.

She settled into one of the hand-crafted deck loungers and
took a deep breath. She heard a splash and saw a flash of green as a fish
flip-flopped in the lake. A loon called nearby, tree frogs sang a lazy
afternoon tune and dragonflies buzzed the surface of the blue water. The air
carried the scent of lake water, grasses and distant flowers.

Her phone vibrated. She sighed and pulled it out of her
pocket. Marina. Jada knew she’d left phoning her sister for too long and
answered the call.

“What are you doing?” Marina asked by way of greeting.

“I’m relaxing beside a gorgeous lake in an outfit that
probably cost more than my first car.”

“Ooh, I’m so jealous. Tell me more. What’s happened so far?”

“I’ve been on tours of the house and grounds, and I’ve had
lunch. And a helicopter brought in Ms. Kitty and a crapload of new clothes for
me.”

“Oh-my-God. That’s cray-cray. Tell me about the clothes.”

“I can’t. I’ve hardly had a chance to look at them. The
maid’s putting everything away,” Jada said.

“You’ve got a maid? At a cabin?”

“Well, it’s not really a cabin after all. Hold on. I’ll send
you a pic. Call me back when you get it.” Jada turned in her seat, took a quick
snapshot of the house on the rise, then turned around and took a picture of the
lake. She sent both to Marina.

Her phone buzzed again in mere moments.

“Seriously?” Marina’s non-question was high and loud.
“That’s what Ian called a cabin? I love billionaires. Can you imagine?” She
spoke as deeply as her voice would go, mimicking her idea of a rich toff.
“Hello, darling. Would you like to spend a few days at our rustic cabin by the
pond? I know you don’t care for roughing it, but I think we can make do if we
imbibe enough fine wine to dull the sharp edges of the boondocks.”

Jada laughed. “But darling, will I have to turn down my own
bedcovers at night? You know how I despise manual labor.”

“Ha! What’s the inside of the house like? Your room?”

“Words can’t describe.”

“Go take pictures for me then.”

“I can’t. I’m exhausted from the general decadence and the
staff’s extreme-solicitude.”

Marina snorted. “Poor you. I bet.”