Billionaire BWWM Romance 1: The Billionaire's Arranged Marriage (18 page)

She looked up at him and said softly, “I gave myself to him, he didn’t take anything from me at all.”

Anderson looked away from her sharply, but not quite fast enough that she didn’t notice the expression of anger and frustration that flickered across his face. He took a breath and looked back at her.

“Well, my girl, I’ve got some very important business to attend to. You come and see me anytime you need, for any reason. I’m always here for you.” He leaned over to her and kissed her lips softly for a brief moment, and then smiled slightly, turned and walked away.

She watched him walk away for a moment, knowing that it must have been hard for him to hear her news, but confident that they would be able to remain friends. She was glad that she had him in her life; someone she could rely on and trust, a sort of friend within the family.

*

Reed walked into Anderson’s office and sat at his desk. “What is it brother?” he asked.

Anderson smiled at him and offered him a scotch, which Reed accepted. “Thank you for coming in to talk with me,” Anderson said as he handed the glass to Reed.

“I’ve come back from an important business meeting and discovered that you are engaged and Jillian is living here in the house. I suppose congratulations are in order,” he said with a tight smile.

“Yes! It’s really incredible that I’ve managed to pull it off, but somehow she likes me in spite of myself and she has agreed to marry me. I tell you, Anderson, she is the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. I can’t believe I’m so lucky.” Reed smiled at his brother.

Anderson leaned against his desk and looked down at his older brother. “I have to wonder, though, if you are really ready for this kind of commitment. I mean, there you were, living large and enjoying life, lovers left and right, nights out on the town, fast cars, sudden trips, fast and beautiful women… you had the life, Reed, and then father yanked the rug out from under you and told you that you were going to be married whether you liked it or not.

“You were pretty deep into Daisy when father told you that. I can’t blame you, she is an extremely sexy woman. I can see your attraction to her. Is it really so easy for you to leave all of that behind and get married? Are you really sure this is what you want? Won’t you miss the fun exciting days you have always lived? Won’t you miss Daisy?”

Reed shook his head and smiled. “I’ll tell you, I don’t think anyone could be more surprised than me, Anderson, but the more I think about it, the more I want it. I wasn’t really doing anything with my life, I was wasting it and I didn’t realize it until I saw what I could have with Jillian. She’s amazing. I want this more than anything in my life.”

“You aren’t going to miss screwing Daisy? As I understand it, she was pretty hot for you, and it was reciprocated much of the time.” Anderson looked slyly at his brother.

“I don’t miss her now. I guess I won’t miss her in the future. I sent her on her way. I realized how much I was using her and I just couldn’t keep doing that to her. She deserves better,” Reed said with a guilty look.

“I take it then that you won’t be seeing her as a lover on the side?” Anderson asked, looking at him carefully out of the corner of his eye.

“No,” Reed answered. “I’m not interested in anyone but Jillian.”

Anderson took a long drink of his scotch. “Well, it is a big change, are you sure you’ve really thought about it? I mean, staying true to one woman isn’t exactly something you’re good at. Your whole experience with women has been one of recycling them and not much caring about which one happened to be underneath you. This is a huge commitment for you.

“One woman? The rest of your life? Are you certain? I have to tell you, I didn’t expect you to succeed at Carter’s arranged marriage for you. I really thought you would buck at the idea of being tied to one woman and settling down. Have you really given it that much honest thought?”

Reed nodded with a grin. “I can’t think of anything but her and the life we will have together.”

Anderson swallowed the last of his scotch, set the glass on his desk, and then folded his arms in front of his chest. “What about the business? Father is going to hand you quite a bit of responsibility. You’ve never done anything to learn the business, you don’t handle any part of it right now, and he’s willing to put the reins right into your hands. Are you ready for that?”

Reed slumped slightly in his chair. “I am a little intimidated about that,” he admitted. “I wish I had spent the time that you have on it, or even half the time you’ve spent. I would know a lot more. I’d be ready for it when Carter hands it over to me. You know what, though, I’ll have you around, so I guess I will really rely on you to help guide me through it all and sort of be my right hand man.” He smiled up at Anderson.

His brother clenched his teeth and returned a slightly forced smile. “Your right hand man. Do you realize that I’ve been working on this business since I was fourteen? Did you know it’s been that long? You weren’t around much at that point, after mom died and you discovered that no woman could resist you, you spent a lot of time out of the house and away from what father and I were doing here with the business. It’s a huge responsibility, and even with my help, you would be lost running it.”

Reed looked as though he were turning a little green. “I know I was gone quite a bit, but I’m willing to work at learning it. I want to lead the family I’m making like our father has. I’m sure with your help and dad’s that it will continue to be a success. I’ll always keep you on to help me. We can make it work together. You and me.” His voice was hopeful and the happiness he felt about having Jillian there with him was lightening the heavy mood.

Anderson shook his head and looked out the window. “Your right hand man. Of course. That’s my place.” He walked over to the window and looked out of it. “Second in command. You’ll have a beautiful bride and the inheritance, the house, the business and everything, and I can be your… right hand man.” He slid his hands into his pockets and shook his head once more.

“Well, Reed. I suppose we ought to look at setting up an office for you, then. It would be helpful to have one here in the house. I’ll have the builders draw up plans for you so we can make it official.” He walked over to Reed. “If you are really sure that this is what you want to do.”

Reed nodded. “It is. I have a responsibility, a duty to my family, and it’s long overdue. Let’s move forward with it, brother.”

Anderson walked back around his desk and looked hard at Reed. “Yes. Responsibility and duty. You’ll have plenty of that before you know it. More than you can imagine.” He leaned back in his chair. “Well! I’d better get busy if I’m going to start arranging for you to take over the business…. Brother.”

Reed stood up and set his empty glass on the desk. “I’m glad we talked. You’ve really helped me to put the future into focus. I appreciate it, Anderson. Thank you!” He left and Anderson picked up the phone as he was walking out the door.

*

Later that afternoon the bell at the front door rang and Reed answered it to see Daisy standing on the front steps. Her blonde curls were dancing in the breeze, tangling around her shoulders and her beautiful face. Her nearly sheer blouse was unbuttoned to the center of her melon-rounded breasts and her mini skirt barely covered her bottom. Her long bronzed legs stretched from the mini-hem down to red spike heels.

She rushed at Reed, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him immediately, her red lips opening his mouth as her arms clasped him tightly. She kissed him as if he was hers, hard and deep, before she let him go and grinned up at him.

“I gotta talk to you, baby,” she said it in a loud hush.

He reached up and wiped her lipstick off his mouth. “Daisy, what are you doing here? You can’t…” he began, but she hugged him again, pressing her body against his and looked up into his gorgeous face.

“Come on, Reed, this is important. I have to talk to you. In private. Right now. Come on, baby,” she said in a low tone.

He sighed and looked around, and then walked her to one of the smaller downstairs sitting rooms for some privacy. He showed her into the room and closed the door behind them, then turned to look at her.

“What are you doing here? I told you that you needed to go start a new life! Daisy, I can’t be with you anymore.”

She grabbed his hand and walked him over to a sofa. “Come here, baby. We have to talk.” She pulled him down beside her and then looked into his face. “Don’t you miss me? Don’t you miss all the fun we had?” She ran her hand up the inside of his thigh, but he pushed her hand away, wondering what on earth she was doing being there at all.

“Oh now, honey, don’t be mean. I’ve missed you.” She ran her fingers through his hair and pouted a little, turning to her side cuddling up close to him, pressing her breasts against the side of his chest. “You know, when you left me in Vegas like you did, I thought my heart was going to break right in half. You never want to talk about it, but you and I have feelings for each other,

Reed, you love me. You want me. You always have, since that first night you saw me. Remember that night, Reed? When you came to the club and you were so hot for me that you just wouldn’t take no for an answer, and you wound up waiting for me till I got off of work and then we went to that hotel and we played all night long? Remember? You and I played all... night… long…” she said seductively in his ear.

He remembered. He had never wanted another woman more and he had gotten her with hardly any effort, but then once he had her, he just couldn’t quit. She was the closest thing to an almost regular lover that he had ever had. He hungered for her body like his body craved food. The memory both aroused and haunted him.

He felt horrible for the way that he had treated her, but there was not one memory with her which did not include amazing sex and his body was responding to her as she sat beside him on the sofa, so close, so warm, so ready. Always ready for him.

“I remember it.” She whispered in his ear, kissing his neck softly. He pulled away slightly, but she reached her hand down between his legs and began to stroke him, and his traitorous body grew stiff beneath her hand. “Oh, baby, look at that. You remember, too.”

He clamped his hand down on her wrist and pulled her hand away from him. “You can’t be like that with me anymore, Daisy. What are you doing here?”

She stretched one long leg over his lap and before he could stop her, she was straddling him, and her arms were locked around his neck. She slid her body down close enough to his groin that her body was snug against his. “I’m not wearing any panties, Reed. You know I never wear panties when I’m with you,” she whispered. “Come on, play with me.

Don’t you want to anymore? I won’t tell anyone. You can have anything you want, and I won’t tell a soul. Come on. All you have to do is unzip these pants and I’ll take care of everything else, just like I always do,” she whispered hotly as she moved her body over the swell in his crotch and pressed her breasts near his face.

His hands grasped her waist and he pushed her away from him so that she was sitting on his knees. “Daisy, you have to stop. We cannot do this again, ever again. Now, answer me or I’m going to have to ask you to leave. What are you doing here?”

She leaned back over to him and whispered, her mouth inches from his, her eyes shining as she looked at him. “I just came to congratulate you, baby. You’re going to be a daddy.” Then she moved herself back down to his arousal and planted her bare crotch against it, and pressed her lips to his again, kissing him passionately as he sat there motionless and in shock.

Just then the door opened and Jillian walked in with Anderson right behind her.

Chapter9

Reed heard the door and his eyes moved to the sound, though his body had seemed to stop functioning in response to the shock he was in. As if in slow motion, he saw Jillian and Anderson walk in, and Jillian’s face fell in shock and horror, as Anderson looked at him with a smug smile.

He pushed Daisy off him and jumped up as quickly as he could. “This is not at all what it looks like!” he said, guilt flooding through him.

Daisy leaned around Reed’s legs and ran her hand up his thigh, smiling at Jillian. Reed moved away from her quickly. Jillian stopped in her tracks and Anderson reached both his hands toward her, closing them on her hips and holding her back close to his chest as she gasped.

“What is going on in here?!” she asked, horrified.

“Jillian, it’s nothing, truly, that’s why I’m dressed. Daisy just showed up at the door and we came in here to talk. That’s all. Then… uh… I guess she tried to kiss me, but nothing happened, and I didn’t kiss her back.” He was almost shouting in desperation.

Anderson leaned his head slightly over Jillian’s shoulder. “We seem to have interrupted quite an intimate moment. What is it that you came to talk about, Daisy?” he asked in a calm tone.

She stood up and wrapped her hands around Reed’s waist, then rubbed one hand on his chest. “I just came to congratulate Reed. You see, he and I are having a baby.”

A pin could have been heard had it dropped anywhere in the room. The silence was deafening for a moment before Jillian turned to leave and found herself facing Anderson’s chest. “I need to go,” she whispered, but he held her tightly there and looked at Daisy.

“You’re a stripper, Daisy. How do we know this is Reed’s child?” Anderson asked in an accusatory voice.

Jillian looked over her shoulder at Daisy and Reed standing there looking at her. Daisy ran her hand over Reed’s still solid erection beneath his pants and he grimaced and grabbed her hand away from him. “Reed is the only lover I’ve had for months and months. He’s the only one I want, and every time we made love for at least the last month, he hasn’t used protection. That’s how nature works,” she said, grinning up at him.

Jillian turned her head away and buried her face in Anderson’s chest, trying her best to stem the torrent of tears that were flooding her eyes. She had believed him. She had trusted him, and now she was devastated by what he had done.

“Jillian!” Reed called out to her, but Daisy clamped onto his arm and Anderson leaned down to Jillian's ear and whispered, “Come with me.” He walked her out of the room and they closed the door behind them.

Daisy pulled on Reed’s arm and he turned and looked at her with anger and frustration. “What are you doing? What have you done?!” he gasped, trying to hold his emotions in check.

“Me?!” she asked in shock. “Reed, you did this to me. You did this to us. Now it’s your responsibility to own up to your deeds and accept the consequences. You never used protection with me and now we have a baby on the way. A baby that we made in love. A baby that we created together. This is no more my fault than it is yours.”

Reed knew that she was right. He sank down onto the sofa and buried his face in his hands. She curled up beside him and began to rub his shoulders. “I know it’s hard. Believe me. I was alone when I found out, and I was so surprised, but baby, this is fate. This is fate telling us that we are supposed to be together.”

She placed her hands on his face and turned it toward her. “Look at me, honey, it’s you and me, and we’re going to have a little tiny baby together. We’re going to be a family! See the bright happy side of this. I love you. This is such a special time for us.” She leaned over and kissed him again, moving her mouth over his, but he pulled away from her and stood up, walking to the windows and looking out.

“I can’t believe this,” he said quietly.

She rose and followed him. “Well, honey, you better believe it, because that’s what’s happening. You have a responsibility. You have a baby to look after now, and I’m not having a bastard kid. I want you to own up to your duty and marry me. You owe me that.”

He turned around and stared at her. “I owe you no such thing! I don’t have to marry you because you’re pregnant!” he gasped.

She teared up and walked over to him. “Listen, baby. I love you. You know that. You’ve known that for a long time. Don’t make me have this baby alone. Don’t make me have a bastard child. Don’t do that to your unborn baby. That’s no way to start life. Is that what you really want? A bastard baby? This isn’t quite what you had in mind, but you love me, you do.

“You just forgot for a little while because you were distracted with that woman that your dad wants you to marry, but you love me. You’ve loved me a long time, and now you have to step up to the plate. Marry me. Let’s do this thing right and have this baby together. Come on. That’s the right thing to do and you know it.”

She looked up and him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him and pressing her body up against him. “Reed, honey, we are going to have a baby!” She smiled happily at him and he thought he might throw up. Everything was suddenly upside down in his world. All of his plans, shot to hell. He had no idea what he was going to do.

All he knew was that he wanted to go to Jillian, but he didn’t think he could. He had seen the look of shock and horror on her face, and it was more than he could honestly bear. He knew she was hurting horribly. She must be so confused; just as confused and sad as he was.

Daisy laid her head on Reed’s chest. “Come on, Reed. Take care of me. You always said you would take care of me. Take care of me, and take care of your baby. Marry me,” she said, looking up at him and lifting her mouth to his to kiss him again. He stood there in misery and turned his face from hers. “I don’t want you like that, Daisy. Not anymore,” he said quietly, and she began to weep and shake her head.

“Are you going to leave me like this? All alone? What are you going to do?” she asked.

He rubbed his hands over his face. “Well, for starters, I’m going to send you out to the pool house. You can stay there until we figure out what’s going on. I’ll have the staff stock the house for you. Give me some time and I will come out in a while and talk with you. We’ll figure it out.” He pulled her into a hug and then walked her out to the pool house, settled her in and left her there.

*

Anderson took a weeping and distraught Jillian to his office where he closed the door and locked it behind him. He walked her over to the sofa that was near the windows and sat her down on it, holding her close to him.

“I’m so sorry this has happened.” He spoke quietly to her. “I had a bad feeling something like this might come up, and I hoped that it wouldn’t, but here it is, and there’s not much that we can do about this. My God, sweet girl, I’m so sorry.” He held her close to his chest and stroked her hair and her cheek as she cried on him. Then he leaned over and kissed the top of her head  

“How could this happen?” she asked in vain. “What’s going to happen now? He can’t marry me if he has a child with her!” She wept harder and Anderson continued to pet her and then he leaned down and softly kissed her forehead and stroked her neck.

“He’s a selfish womanizing man who is only interested in himself and a good time. He’s not concerned with you, otherwise he wouldn’t have been there on the couch with her, kissing her and making out with her. Then for her to announce like that that they are having a child… how awful for you. What a heartache. I’m so sorry you have to go through this!

“You don’t deserve it at all. You’re such a sweet, beautiful, kind, loving woman. You deserve someone who treats you with love and respect, someone you can trust who will always be there for you and never hurt you,” he intoned quietly into her ear while she cried. He wiped away her tears and kissed her cheek slowly and gently, rocking her in his arms.

“How could it happen? What on earth am I going to do now?” she whispered through her tears. “I was going to marry him! I wanted a family with him! I thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives together and now I just have no idea what to do!”

“We’ll figure it out together, my girl, you and me. You aren’t alone. I’m here with you. I’m here for you,” he whispered, kissing her cheek again and wiping her tears away. “You’ll make it through this with me by your side. You aren’t alone. I’ve got you, my girl, I’ve got you. Come here. Come let it all out.” He stroked her hair, running his hands through it, caressing it and wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“I’m here for you, Jillian, my Jillian, I will always be here for you,” he spoke in the barest whisper, then tilted her brokenhearted face up to his and kissed her cheek, kissed each tear away, and she closed her eyes as he did. Then his mouth moved slowly and softly to her lips, kissing them gently, sweetly, as she wept, and before she realized it, she was kissing him back for a moment, tasting her own tears on his lips, and he held her tightly to him, but then she turned away and shook her head.

“I can’t. Anderson, we can’t be like that with each other. You are supposed to be my brother and my friend,” she said miserably. “I want Reed, but I’m so confused! What am I going to do now?”

He reached his hand up and stroked her hair and her face. “I know, my girl, I know. It’s all so difficult. I didn’t mean to add to your confusion. You know I will be here for you in any way that you need me. It’s just that I have such strong feelings for you and I hate to see you so hurt, so devastated by my brother, yet again.

“You deserve so much more. You deserve a man who will love you and take care of you, not break your heart every time you turn around. I know you are intent on being with my brother right now, but if he should choose to be with Daisy and raise their child together, then please consider me as an alternative. Please consider marrying me.

“I won’t ever let you down. I’m here for you, and you can count on me. Trust in that. Remember that.” He  kissed her mouth again; a gentle and tender kiss that felt like an anchor in the storm to her, again. She looked at him in uncertainty, wondering if perhaps he might be right.

“I’ll think about it,” she said quietly.

“That’s all I ask,” he whispered, stroking her hair again.

She wiped the tears from her face and placed her hands on her knees. “Now what do I do?” she asked in a misty cloud of doubt.

He took her hands and pulled her up to her feet. “I know just the answer to that. Come with me.” He led her to the door of his office and opened it, and then walked her upstairs. He took her to a different area of the upstairs that she hadn’t been to before, and she looked around in amazement at the dark opulent wood and rich elegance of the house.

He opened a door and ushered her into a bedroom that was one of the most beautiful she had ever seen. There was a massive mahogany canopy bed footed with a chaise lounge, and adjacent to the chaise was an enormous fireplace. There were floor to ceiling windows that overlooked a garden and he showed her a private bathroom in marble and glass. There was a walk-in closet and a balcony off of the main area in the bedroom.

She  looked all round her in amazement. He placed his hands upon her shoulders and then lifted her chin to look at him. “I want you to move your things into this room. I know you are staying in Reed’s room, and that was alright until his situation changed this morning. You need your own space, your own privacy and somewhere that you can think and relax. A sanctuary, of sorts. This will be your room until you decide what is best for you. Let me give you this, at least,” he said, touching her cheek.

Jillian nodded and turned away from him, looking around herself at the breathtaking room. It was then that she saw a door she hadn’t seen before, and she walked over to it.

“What is this? Another closet?” she asked, turning the handle and opening it. It opened into another bedroom, and she walked in and realized that it was a room that was inhabited regularly.

Anderson walked in behind her with a smile on his face and placed his hands on her hips, speaking quietly over her shoulder.“This is my room. I’ll leave the door between our rooms closed, of course, but always unlocked, and if you ever want to come into this room for any reason, you are most welcome to. I would be glad for your company any time you wish to share it with me.”