How To Marry A Billionaire: A BWWM Billionaire Romance (14 page)

Ellyn stopped in the hallway. She and Chance hadn’t been lovers for ages, but he still sometimes had a jealous streak. If her ex knew she was sleeping with Colton, he might get violent. Derek didn’t need that.

“You giving me choices?” Chance asked.

“Yes. You can leave quietly and I won’t call the cops. Or, you can stay in this hallway until the cops get here. I’m sure your parole officer will be happy to bail you out of jail.”

Ellyn moved closer. Colton tucked her behind him. Chance had that glazed eye look. He had no idea what time it was, she was sure. And he’d already scored some drug. She guessed he wasn’t going to reform any time soon.

“I want to see my son,” Chance said.

If the realization that she and Colton were together had hit him, he wasn’t saying. Ellyn just wanted him out of there. In case Derek woke up.

“It’s the middle of the night, Chance,” Ellyn said. “We agreed to meet tomorrow to work out custody agreements.”

He blinked, then recognition dawned on his face. “Oh. Right.”

He backed away from the door.

“Go home, Chance,” Ellyn said.

He nodded, then pushed the button for the elevator. Colton didn’t close the door until the man was halfway down to the lobby.

“First of, security is clearly lacking in this building,” he said. “I think you should move in with me.”

“Move in?”

“Yes. You’ll be safer. I don’t want Chance knowing where you live and surprising you when you’re alone.”

“He isn’t a threat.”             

He grasped her shoulders. “Ellyn, he was high. Do you want Derek around that?”

She bit her lip. He was right. She had to protect Derek and have control over Chance’s visits with him.

She sighed. “Okay. We’ll move tomorrow.”

He tugged her closer. “You won’t’ regret it. You can have your own room and all the privacy you want.”

***

Colton liked that Ellyn and Derek were under his roof. He’d moved them in and now they sat around his not-often-used kitchen table. Chance, not surprisingly, had not shown up for his meeting with Ellyn.

Colton hoped the man was long gone. He had no use for him.

“Ellyn? Are you done yet? You have two starving men out here,” Colton said.

“Yeah,” Derek chimed in.

Colton couldn’t help but laugh. Derek had become a part of him now. He couldn’t imagine his life without the little boy around. He hoped that Ellyn was in no hurry to move out.

In fact he had a box in his pocket that would insure she would never leave.

The doorbell rang and Colton hoped that Chance had not found them. He opened the door to find a courier with an envelope.

“Ellyn Johnson?”

Ellyn poked her head out of the kitchen. “Yes?”

“This is for you. Sign here.”

She did and the courier left. Ellyn opened up the envelope, then gasped. Colton took it from her and read it.

“He wants full custody,” she said.

She leaned against the wall as if she couldn’t stand up anymore. Colton took her in his arms. “We’ll fight it.”

“What?”

“You have a job and I have good lawyers. We’ll fight it. Besides. I might have a solution for this problem.”

“Huh?”

She wasn’t hearing him. She was thinking about life without Derek. He had to get that out of her head. “Ellyn, we can fight this. I have more money than he does.”

“Colton.” She was crying.

He wanted to stop those tears. Damn Chance. He was ruining a great night. This was supposed to be special. Colton had gotten a special cake with his question on it.

Instead he went down on one knee. “Ellyn?”

She looked to only be half listening to him. “What?”

“Ellyn, I need you to focus.”

She shook herself then looked down at him. “Fine. I’m focused.”

He pulled out the box he’d been saving for a few days. He’d never been so sure of anything in his life.

“We can handle this. Will you marry me? Then I can help you fight for custody of Derek.”

She looked at his face, then at the ring. Why wasn’t she smiling? Why wasn’t she saying yes? What was going on here?

She shook her head. Slowly at first. Then faster. “I can’t marry you, Colton.”

His heart hurt. Why not? It took him a moment to form the words. “Why not?”

She let go of him. “I can’t.”

She ran down the hallway to her room. Colton stood, staring off in her direction. What the hell? Why couldn’t she marry him? This made no sense.

“You okay, Mr. Hamilton?”

Derek hugged him around his legs. “I’m not sure Derek, but let’s get you some food.”

If he was to be a parent, he had to remember to put Derek’s needs above his own. As much as he wanted to demand an explanation from Ellyn, Derek needed to eat. That was more important.

With a sigh, he put food on a plate for the little boy then sat with him while he ate.

CHAPTER 13

Ellyn met Shalia for lunch. She’d avoided Colton for the rest of the night, but in the morning he’d been very sweet to her. He’d offered to take Derek while she had lunch out.

“It was kind of unnerving,” Ellyn said.

She dug into her cheeseburger. No salad today. She needed comfort food after the few days she’d had.

“So he was really nice and is now with Derek?”

“Yes. After I turned down his proposal.”

“Why the hell did you do that?”

“He doesn’t love me, Shalia. I need to be loved. Derek needs to be loved. I don’t want my marriage to be a business arrangement.”

“Would solve many of your problems,” Shalia said.

Yes, it would. “It would create others.”

The diner wasn’t full for a Sunday afternoon. Ellyn had picked a table near the back because she wanted uninterrupted time with her best friend. Things were changing so quickly for her that she wanted to keep touch with one of the constants in her life.

She and Shalia had been friends since first grade. They knew each other’s secrets. And dreams.

“Like what? You’d be rich beyond belief? You could put Derek in a private school if you wanted? He’d get to go to college?”

When Shalia put it that way, it made sense. “But I have the chance to do it on my own.”

“Why work so hard?”

“Because it will be more satisfying if I do it on my own. Besides, I don’t want Derek thinking he has to save some woman someday. That’s why I’ve never read a fairy tale to him.”

Shalia laughed. “Yes, you’ve always been pretty militant about that.”

“How could I, in clear conscience, let a man save me? It sounds so good when you say it, but in reality it’s not.”

“I’m not convinced. Oh, did I tell you, Doug, that guy I slept with, called?”

“A booty call?”

“No, he wants to take me out to dinner,” Shalia said.

“Do you like this guy or is he a meal ticket?”

“What do you care?”

“I care because he’s Colton’s friend. I don’t want any backlash against me if you’re a gold digger.”

Shalia shrugged. “No, I actually like this guy. We talked more than had sex that night. Don’t get me wrong, we had sex. Hot monkey sex.”

“Are you sure it isn’t your vajay talking instead of your head?”

Shalia laughed. “No, it’s my head, but the fringe benefits wouldn’t be bad. I could leave the Bronx behind.”

“What if he’s just slumming?”

“Then I guess I’ll have some good memories.”

The waitress came to clear their plates and left the check. Ellyn grabbed it. Not that she thought Shalia was going to pay. She wanted to keep away the awkwardness. Ellyn could pay this check ten times over and not make a dent in her current bank account.

Having money was a new concept. She would always check the price of something before she bought it, but now she wasn’t shopping at thrift stores. She was expected to look nice all the time. She was representing the cosmetics company now. They had given her a stipend and a personal shopper to get her wardrobe started.

She was getting the hang of finding clothes that looked good on her.  Soon she’d be able to pack up her thrift items and give them away.

Only weeks ago, she couldn’t have afforded that. The change had come for her because Shalia wanted to crash a party.

“How can you be so cavalier with your heart?” Ellyn asked.

They stood on the sidewalk outside of the diner. Ellyn had called for Paul and would have to wait a few minutes.

“My heart isn’t as soft as yours.”

That was probably true. If her heart had been stronger, she might have not fallen for Chance. But then she wouldn’t have Derek. She wouldn’t trade him for anything.

He’d enhanced her life and she liked who she was because of him. She had to hold onto that person no matter what else happened in her life. No matter how successful she was. She still had to be a role model for her little boy.

Being a gold digger would not do. Only being successful on her own, would show him how to do it. She didn’t want Derek to be anything like Chance. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to be like Colton exactly, but of the two, the billionaire was a better role model.

“Probably not,” Ellyn said.

Shalia hugged her. “I need to catch a train.”

“I can drop you off.”

“No, Chance might be around.”

Ellyn shrugged. “He already found me at Colton’s place. That’s where the custody papers were sent to.”

Shalia bit her lip. “Still.”

“Are you embarrassed?”

“No. Drive me.”

“Good. No reason not to ride in style.”

“You are certainly embracing this being rich thing.”

“It is so much better than being poor,” Ellyn said.

For the first time in her life, she had a disposal income. Not everything went to bills. In fact, very little did since she was living with Colton. She’d have to talk to him about rent or moving out. She couldn’t keep freeloading off of him.

That was a talk for later in the day. No, she was taking her friend home.

***

Derek played on the swings while Colton talked to Doug. They sat on a bench watching Derek, having given up on following the little boy. Colton hoped the boy would lose steam soon, but that wasn’t looking good.

Colton had the papers that Ellyn had been served. He handed them to Doug.

“So what’s up with you and Ellyn?”

The whole situation with Ellyn chafed Colton. He’d never expected her to turn him down.

“I proposed and she refused to marry me.”

Doug let out a laugh, his face to the sky. “That is too funny.”

“Why is it funny?”

“Because you always get what you want. Nice to see someone stand up to you.”

“You stand up to me.”

“Only when I know I can win. Otherwise, it’s not worth it. You’ll just bulldoze over me.”

Colton crossed his arms. He was strong-willed, but not ruthless. At least he’d never seen himself that way. “I don’t bulldoze.”

“Yes, you do and a lesser woman would have agreed to marry you. I’m sure you made it sound like a business proposition.”

He thought back to the timing of it. Probably had looked that way to Ellyn. Damn. That was stupid. “Well, it does make sense. If I marry her and adopt Derek, her worries are over.”

“Maybe she isn’t one to take the easy way.” Doug perused the papers. “I’ll give these a better look later.”

“We don’t have much time. Derek’s due to be hungry.”

Doug eyed him. “You know this kid that well?”

Of course. “I live with him. He’s hungry most of the time.”

Doug laughed again. “Boy, you have it bad.”

“Have what bad?”

“You’re in love with Ellyn.”

“I’m not. Our marriage makes a lot of sense. We get along.”

“Holy crap. No wonder she turned you down,” Doug said. “Women want romance.”

“What would you know about it Mr. One-Night-Stand.”

Doug looked a little sheepish. “Well, I have a date next weekend.”

“A date? You?”

“Ellyn’s friend, Shalia.”

“Haven’t you already slept with her?”

“Yes, but I really liked her so I asked her on a date. Took me weeks to get up the balls to do it.”

“What if she’s a gold digger?”

“Then I’ll have fun for awhile,” Doug said.

“And if she gets pregnant?”

“She won’t. I’m careful.”

“Still. What if she falls in love with you?”

“Lately, I’ve been thinking that’s not a bad idea.”

Colton shifted to stare at his friend, the avowed bachelor. He figured he’d get married long before Doug. “Who is this person I’m talking to?”

“Yeah, I know. Doesn’t sound like me, but how bad could it be?”

“I don’t think it will be bad at all, but that’s not what you’ve thought of marriage and love and all that before. You live in a cold, sterile penthouse. How are you going to fit a woman in there?”

Doug rubbed his chin. “I’ll make it work; besides, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. It’s one date.”

“That’s where it begins.”

Derek came up to them. “Mr. Hamilton, I’m hungry.”

“Of course,” Colton said. He pulled a cooler out from under the bench. Ellyn had insisted on sending them with food. “Your mom packed you something.”

Colton could have easily bought the kid something. Ellyn was still the mother so he couldn’t argue. Derek sat on the bench and ate his banana.

“When you’re done, we can go to the toy store,” Colton said. He turned to Doug. “You in?”

“Sure. FAO? You know I love toys,” Doug said.

“But you’re an adult.” Derek said.

“Derek, you can never be too old for toys.”

“Okay,” the little boy said.

With his banana done, Derek slid off the bench. Doug and Colton stood. “I need to call my driver.”

Then he remembered that Paul had driven Ellyn today.

“I’ll take us,” Doug said. “My car’s right here.”

“No car seat.”

Doug shrugged. “It’s only a few blocks. What can happen?”

Colton weighed his options. “I can go get the car seat. It’s up in the penthouse.”

Derek stood with his hands on his hips, watching the two men. “Mom will be mad if you don’t use it.”

“Wow. You have to be responsible to have a kid,” Doug said.

“You have think about someone other than yourself,” Colton said.

He had to admit, that was getting easier the more time he spent with Derek.

“Then go get the car seat,” Doug said. “Derek and I can wait here. Right?” Derek nodded. Colton wasn’t sure his friend could be that responsible, but he knew Ellyn would be back soon so he wanted to get to the toy store before that happened. She would never agree to let Derek go.

“Okay, Derek, you stay with Doug. I’ll get the car seat.”

Derek sat on the bench again. Colton grabbed the cooler so he could bring it back. When he returned with the car seat, he found Doug on the phone. He couldn’t find Derek.

“Where is he?”

Doug glanced up and waved at the slide. “Over there.”

Colton dropped the car seat on the bench, and then ran to where Doug had pointed. Derek wasn’t there. “Derek.”

The little boy skipped up to him. “Hi, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Where were you?”

“I had to go to the bathroom.” He pointed at Doug. “He said I could go.”

“Okay. You’re back.”

Colton’s heart finally slowed down to its normal beat. This kid stuff might be the death of him. “Let’s go get you some new toys, but promise you’ll stay with me.”

The little boy turned his deep brown eyes to Colton and said, “Promise.”

*

Ellyn wasn’t sure if she’d ever get used to living in a place with a doorman. She could open her own doors, but this man, named Charlie, would always do it for her.

“Thank you, Charlie. Do you know if Mr. Hamilton is home?”

She really needed to talk to Colton about the living arrangements. She had to find her own place. Derek getting attached to him would be bad in the long run. Besides, she liked standing on her own two feet. Charity had never been a part of her game plan.

“I don’t think so. He left here with a car seat about a half an hour ago.”

A car seat? Why? Where was he taking Derek? She trusted him for the most part, so she guessed she shouldn’t worry. “Okay, Thanks.”

Charlie touched the top of his hat then went back to his post at the door. Ellyn rode the elevator up to the top floor. That was another thing she didn’t think she’d get used to, either. Right now, she lived in a penthouse. It had its own washer and dryer and work-out room. Her whole apartment could fit into Colton’s living room.

Her head spun from the whole situation. She entered the empty apartment and wondered for a moment what she would do with herself. The place had a cleaning service. Someone stocked the refrigerator so she didn’t need to go shopping.

The most she could do was a load of laundry and she didn’t have enough for a full load. She wandered around. Most of her life outside of work was devoted to Derek. She didn’t have any hobbies.

Colton had an extensive library, so she found a book and chair and made herself comfortable. A few chapters later, she heard the front door.

Derek called out to her. “Mom?”

She put the book down, then found him in the living room surrounded by more toys than he owned his whole little life. Her eyes went wide.

Colton sat on the couch, looking exhausted. “I couldn’t resist. I’m sorry if you think it’s too much, but they all looked fun.”