Billionaire Games Boxed Set 1-3 (59 page)

She scrambled around the vanity in her dressing room, dusted a little powder on her face, and a little blush after that. Lecie thanked God every day for the near-flawless skin he’d seen fit to grace her with. It made it easy to use very little makeup and still look presentable.

Just about the time she slipped into her dress, she heard the echo of footsteps out in the hallway.

“Lecie…?” Nick’s voice filtered in.

“In here,” she called out from her room, conveniently located right across the hall from his. Or inconveniently, dependent upon how you saw it. Usually, especially at night, she found it an inconvenience. It was too easy to dream about running across the hall to throw herself at him. But today, she found it a convenience. She crept toward the door, which she’d left cracked open on purpose, peeked out and said, “I’m almost ready.”

Their eyes met and he smiled, saying, “No hurry.” Pointing over his shoulder toward his room, he added, “I’m just gonna take a quick shower. I’ll be down in ten minutes.” With that, he disappeared inside his room.

Lecie picked out some modest sapphires, a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings, put them on and went downstairs to wait for Nick.

Nick stopped at the entrance of the living room, wearing a dark gray two-button suit. It wasn’t Armani, but damn, he sure made it look good on his tall, athletic frame.

She stood when he walked into the room. He took her hand and looked at her admiringly. “Damn, girl.” He shook his head as a devilish smile curled up the corners of his mouth. “You look fantastic.”

“Thanks.” She couldn’t help but grin at his praise, but still she glanced away shyly. She was in danger. Danger of getting wrapped up in Nick Matthews so swiftly that she wouldn’t even know what hit her. She didn’t understand Ginny, at all.

“You want to take your car?” he asked. “My truck is probably a little too messy for that dress.”

Lecie nodded, handing her car keys over to Nick and they headed out. He took her to the Carbon Beach Club. A four-star restaurant, yet reasonably priced, up in Malibu.

They sat out on the restaurant’s terrace, and dinner was divine. Not because of the service or the atmosphere—Lecie had been wined and dined in far more luxurious surroundings. But there was something to be said for sitting across the table from Nick Matthews, even if it was all for show.

They dined on a simple, two-course meal. He had a steak and salad, she had the soup and chicken. She could’ve gone for the lobster, but Nick, she knew, was on a budget and she didn’t want him thinking she was an extravagance he couldn’t afford.

When the waiter laid the check at Nick’s side, Lecie said, “Thanks for bringing me out. I’ll confess I’ve not quite known what to do with myself with Deidra gone.”

“Life just doesn’t seem to be quite as much fun without friends.”

“Yeah…” Lecie sighed and glimpsed back up at Nick. “I hope that you and I can remain friends after all this is over.”

“You can count on it.” He nodded and winked at her. “Oh, I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet jewelry box—the size that rings come in. “These’ll carry some weight toward authenticity.”

Lecie’s heart hammered against her chest, but then she remembered that any ring Nick gave her would be rooted in the effectiveness of their ruse.

Caution prompted her to take care when reaching for the box. It’s not like it would burn her or anything, but Lecie didn’t want to get carried away. Sooner or later, this marriage would end and Nick would leave. She had to remember that.

She opened the box to a full set of matching wedding rings, including a man’s ring. There were lots of diamonds on hers. Not as flashy as Camille’s and Tasha’s rings, but these had a benefit theirs didn’t. Nick was attached to them.

“Oh my, you shouldn’t have gone to so much extravagance,” she said, closing the case. “I’ll reimburse you. This whole thing, after all, is for my benefit.”

“I wouldn’t hear of it.” He shook his head. “Besides, I bought them at a pawn shop. It wasn’t really that expensive.”

“Are you sure?”

Nick took the box, opened it up and took out the man’s ring, slipping it on his left ring finger. Then he took her set and reached for her left hand. “Nobody’s benefited in this deal more than me,” he said, sliding the rings on her finger.

T
he next morning, Gerard served Lecie and Nick breakfast on the terrace just off the side of the house. It was a picture-perfect setting, except for one thing—it wasn’t real.

Even so, Lecie stared at the diamonds sparkling on her left hand. They weren’t much by de Laurent standards, but still, she adored them. It saddened her a little that they weren’t representative of the real thing. But at least she was getting a taste of what it’d be like to be happily married. Now she understood completely why Camille and Tasha put up with Julian and Andre.

Gerard laid the paper beside Nick’s plate, and after a few minutes, Nick grabbed it and opened it up.

He peered over the top of the paper and said, “You want to come down to Hang Ten tonight? I have to work, but we could have dinner.”

“Sure.” She nodded.

He smiled and went back to the paper. Thumbing through the pages, every once in a while he’d stop and read something. Curiously, she wondered what sections of the paper aroused his interest the most.

He was probably a sports guy. Most Americans were. Some liked certain sports better than others. She wondered if he had his favorites. Probably. And how about business? Did he read that section too? He was, after all, a business man. And from what she could tell, a damn good one. No doubt about it, his restaurant was highly successful.

“Holy shit!” came roaring out of Nick’s mouth. Lecie looked up, a bit startled. The paper was still between them. After a second or two, he folded the paper open and turned it around to face her. “How did this happen?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

INSIDE HIS OFFICE AT HANG TEN, Nick still marveled at the notion that his and Lecie’s picture—a picture of them having dinner last night—was in the paper with an announcement that Nick Matthews, proprietor of the popular seaside restaurant Hang Ten, had married into the affluent de Laurent family from France.

When Dean threw him Lecie’s way, Nick had no idea she had the kind of wealth the paper was talking about. It made Nick more glad than ever that she’d hooked up with him, instead of some scoundrel who’d end up trying to take advantage of her.

Bethany, one of the waitresses, passed by Nick’s open door. She stopped and smiled. “Nice, boss.”

He gave her one of those
what are you talking about
looks.

“She’s sweet, pretty, and rich.” Bethany shot him a devilish grin.

He chuckled. “I take it you approve?” It was no secret that Bethany, or any of the staff for that matter, hadn’t liked Ginny. Not at all.

“Very much,” she said, and moved on.

A few minutes later, Dean came in. “Have you seen the paper?” he asked, stalking across the room.

Nick nodded.

“Did you know who she is?” Dean sat down. “I mean
really
know who she is?”

“No more than you.”

Dean started laughing. Hard.

“What’s so funny?”

Dean shook his head. “I was just thinking…” He looked Nick in the eye. “Can you imagine the look on Ginny’s face when she sees the paper?”

“I seriously doubt that Ginny’s within range of the Times.” For the first time, or at least the first time that Nick realized it, talking about Ginny no longer stung. Well, at least not as much as it had last week. “I hope the bank manager sees the paper today.” Nick chuckled. If there was one instant where he’d like to capitalize on being married into such wealth, that was it. Maybe it’d help him get a loan to buy the community center and the land it sits on.

“Yeah…” Dean agreed. He had as much invested in the center as Nick. In fact, Dean’s job depended on them finding a way to purchase the center.

Nick glanced at his watch. It was nearly noon. Good. Lecie should be here soon.

“What?” Dean joked. “You got a lunch date?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I do.” Nick got up and ushered Dean toward the door. “Don’t you have something to do?”

“No.” A wide grin spread over Dean’s face. “As a matter of fact, I don’t. I think I’ll have lunch with you and the little missus.”

“No, you’re not.” Nick nudged Dean out into the dining room.

“Hey wait…how about her friend Deidra?” he asked seriously. “Don’t those rich chicks hang out together?”

He was only trying to get a rise out of Nick, which is why Nick wasn’t accommodating. “Goodbye, Dean. I’ll see you later.”

Minutes after Dean left, Lecie arrived. Nick’s heart danced at the sight of her. He maneuvered his way around the tables to greet her at the front door. “Right on time. You hungry?” Lord knew, he was.

She nodded and tossed him a smile that instantly lifted his spirits.

Nick chose a table near his office, away from the windows—now that he realized he and Lecie were on the press’s radar. He pulled her chair out and waited for her to sit, then he sat next to her. Bethany was at their side as soon as Nick’s bottom hit the chair, delivering a glass of ice water for Nick and an iced tea for Lecie.

“The usual?” Bethany asked Nick. He nodded and looked at Lecie.

“Yeah.” Lecie nodded. “I’m sticking with the crab cakes. They’re awesome.”

“Salads today?” Bethany asked.

Nick looked at Lecie, she nodded and said, “Yes. I’m famished.”

Nick looked back at Bethany and held up two fingers. “Two Caesars.”

Minutes later, Bethany was back with two salads. Nick said, “It’s starting to get busy.” He looked around the dining room, which was beginning to fill. “Just let me know when our lunches are up. I’ll get them from the kitchen.”

“Will do, boss,” she said and walked away.

N
ick had this fascinating light in his eyes like he used to, before Ginny’s shenanigans almost brought him to the brink of financial ruin.

“You really love running this place, don’t you?” Lecie asked, gazing around the restaurant.

“I do.” He nodded.

“It shows.” She paused, almost overcome with melancholy. “I’d love to have something that meant so much to me.”

He looked at her like he was filled with pity for her.

One of the waitresses, Diane rushed up to the table. “Keri called. She’s got the flu.”

“Did you call Ashley?” he asked.

“She’s on vacation. She’s in Texas.”

“Kami?” Desperation filled his voice. Kami was one of the part time hostesses. She and Meredith worked Keri and Ashley’s days off.

“Kami’s working her other job till the end of the week.” Diane said. “And Meredith is scheduled to take Ashley’s shift starting tomorrow. She’s working elsewhere today.”

“Damn.” Nick looked around. Lecie knew they were talking about the restaurant’s hostesses. “Can we get a waitress to fill in?”

“We’ll have to call somebody in,” Diane said.

“I can do it,” Lecie spoke up.

“You?” Diane looked at her, surprised.

Nick turned to Lecie. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“Why not?” Lecie asked.

“Well, for one, I really don’t think it’s your cup of tea,” Nick said. Of course, Lecie knew he was just being polite. He didn’t think she could do it.

“What do I have to do…?” she asked. “Seat people at a table and tell them their waitress will be right with them?” How hard could that be?

For the next three days, Lecie stumbled her way around the restaurant, playing hostess. On the third evening, when the restaurant was half an hour away from closing, Nick passed her by in the hallway outside the supply room.

He pulled her inside. They stood inches apart. He gazed at her with adoration sparkling in his intoxicating brown eyes. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help while Keri’s been sick.”

“It was my pleasure,” she said. “Even though I was a very poor stand-in.”

“You were fantastic.” He touched her cheek, caressing it. “Thank you.”

For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he smiled softly and backed away.

Every time Lecie thought Nick was on the verge of getting closer to her, it was as though something went off inside his head, reminding him not to.

But why?

Probably because he was still in love with Ginny.

Lecie would do well to remember that, and stop letting herself get carried away by fantasies that were never going to come true.

O
n Saturday, Nick was in his office running inventory numbers on the computer. He’d always found it a dull, drab job in the past, but now he had a newfound appreciation for it after nearly losing Hang Ten.

He had Lecie to thank for that not happening. He’d grown quite accustomed to having her around, even in this short amount of time. He was also about to chastise himself for that, knowing full well that it was a bad idea, when Keri appeared at the door, looking decidedly pale.

“What’s the matter?” he asked. “You not feeling well again?” He hoped that wasn’t the case. He hated the thought of asking Lecie to play hostess again, especially on a Saturday.

“No,” she said weakly. “I’m fine.” She cut her eyes to the left, out toward the dining room. “I’m not sure you’re going to like this.”

“What?” He got up and moved toward her. “For God’s sake…what are you talking about?” When he reached the door Diane moved out of his way.

He passed through the doorway and his heart fell to the floor.

Ginny.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

NICK STOOD THERE STARING AT GINNY for at least two minutes, but it seemed like forever that the silence lingered on.

After dragging his heart up off the floor, Nick said with a measure of anger, “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming back here!”

“Nickie…” She cooed his name in a sugary-sweet tone, sauntering toward him.

Nick backed up, like she’d burn him if she got too close. But she kept coming. “Where the hell is my money?” he demanded, blocking the doorway to his office.

She took on a pained expression, and said without remorse, “I spent it.” She kept coming.