Southern Charmed Billionaire (15 page)

He released a big sigh and looked down at his feet. He remained composed, but his expression revealed his obvious pain. My heart ached to see him this way. A giant lump swelled in my throat. I never remembered my mother, but what I did remember of her was the closest thing to family love. I still had dreams of her visiting me, smiling, making me happy, and when I awoke, my throat felt so constricted…and sometimes my eyes were filled with fresh tears.
 

Attraction or no attraction, lust or no lust, I knew pain when I saw it. I knew
anguish. And I couldn’t help myself; I had to comfort him.
 

My lightly trembling hand covered his hand along my arm. It felt like the most natural thing to do. This. Us. Our bodies touching even in the simplest of manners. My skin buzzed with numbness from him.
 

“It’s going to be okay, Atticus. You’re so lucky to have him.” I said the best thing I could say to comfort him in this moment. He inhaled deeply and cleared his throat again before standing up. He deliberately faced the wall for a second, clearly so I couldn’t see his face. He ran his fingers though his hair with his free hand, and then, slowly, turned around with both hands stuffed in his pockets.
 

“You’ll like him a lot.” That’s all he managed to say. Damn, my heart ached so badly. Every apprehension I had inside of doing this giant ploy with him vanished. If that’s what it would take to bring joy to his life and see him smile again, I was more than happy to be his accomplice.
 

“And I just know when he sees the picture this weekend of his great grandson, he’s going to flip. Just flip. But in a good way. You’ll see. So, like I said: don’t be nervous. Brittany will be Brittany and it’s not you. It’s
her
. Text me when you’re ready to be presented to whomever’s here and I’ll come and get you. Sound good?”
 

I nodded, carefully studying him. My nipples were hardening again, which of course he noticed. It was almost like déjà vu, catching him staring at them like he had just moments before.
 

Technicolor flashes of last night flashed through my head again as I thought of his hot, wet mouth covering my needy breasts as my legs wrapped him so deliciously. A wave of fresh arousal flooded between my legs. I just knew I had soaked my panties.
 

“Atticus?”
 

“Yeah, Kate?”
 

“If I’m pregnant with your baby, does that make me a one night stand type of girl, or…your girlfriend? I mean, not that it matters. I just…we never talked about it at all, really. What if your family starts asking questions about how we met and all that stuff? I mean, I’ve already been asked that by a reporter two nights ago.”
 

“And you said what?”
 

“That we met while you were in New York on business.”
 

He inhaled a slow long breath.
 

“Let me think about it on my run. I mean, how we met and stuff. And just to answer your question, I don’t do one night stands.”
 

“You don’t?” This really confused me. After all, wouldn’t last night have qualified as one?
 

“Nope.” He winked at me and then opened the door to leave. “Now, bye love.”
 

I groaned inaudibly. He really was going to have to stop calling me that because it really turned me on like no other.
 

Chapter Fourteen
 

Kate
 

After he left, I jumped in the shower. I was shaking off how I felt, and getting myself in the zone of meeting high society, again. A party? Another gown. Another event. Meeting his family! This was a lot to take in, and no matter how grand of a place this was, it couldn’t distract me from my nervousness. It couldn’t help me take my mind off of him.
 

It couldn’t…
 

The door flew open. “What the fuck?” I muttered quietly under my breath.
 

“Hellooooooo? Kate? Kate Longhouse? It’s Jackson, your hair stylist and Candice, your make up artist! Are you dressed? Are you covered?”
 

My feet quickly slid into nearby bath slippers. They hugged my soles in comfort as I covered my body with a plush bath robe. My skin cooed with its softness; it was even more luxurious than the robe from the spa.
 

I walked out of the bathroom to greet them.
 

Jackson was a middle-aged Asian man with a serious look on his face. His expression indicated that he was all about business. Candice was dressed in black. Her thick black hair was in a chin-length bob. Her fresh makeup was topped with a bold red lip. She held a silver suitcase that, on any other day, I might have thought contained $100,000 worth of diamonds or guns. She literally looked like she might have worked for the CIA!
 

“Um, hi. Hi, I’m Kate.”
 

Act like you’ve done this before!
I stood taller and shook their hands. “Right, well, shall we continue in the bathroom?”
 

He was right.
See you in two hours
. He really understood the art of getting ready. Just like that, two hours later, I stood in front of a baroque mirror surveying the scene.
 

My makeup was fresh and natural, the application truly professional. I had that coveted glowy look that Jennifer Lopez often had on the red carpet. My hair was dressed silky curls. Jackson, the gay yet very serious stylist who styled my hair with the intensity of a brain surgeon, added a few clip in pieces of hair, giving the locks extra volume. My hair totally rivaled a Victoria’s Secret model, and this filled me with excitement. I
couldn’t wait for Atticus to see me.
 

“Tonight I shall make this more smokey for you and we’ll go with a nude lip,” Candice informed. She admired her artistry as she looked over the final result.
 

I wondered where she and Jackson went during days like this, where they were to handle a client’s hair and makeup for an entire day. I had decided while in the shower that I was really going to own this role, so as not to add any confusion or fuel gossipers. So I abstained from asking questions for fear of sounding like a newbie.
 

“Kate Longhouse?”
 

It was crazy to suddenly have all these strangers knowing my name like this.
 

“That would be me. Hi, I’m Kate!”
 

In walked a blonde girl with wavy hair that looked like she belonged in Australia or LA. She pushed in a roller rack of clothing, accompanied by a rolling suitcase.
 

“I’m Jessie, your stylist, and I have some amazing things for you to see.” She spoke with a warmth that filled her smile.
 

Jackson and Candice began cleaning up their things as Jessie unloaded her goodies.
 

Wow. Was I in Heaven.
 

“Now, I just have a few days worth of clothing here,” she explained. “I received this order under short notice and had to work with what I had. But I’ll have more outfits for you next week, so don’t you worry!”
 

My eyes scanned the rack of nudes, whites, sundresses, and went wide when I looked to the garment bags on the right. There were hangers of beautiful lingerie pieces. Had Atticus asked for those to? Or were these Jessie’s doing?
 

Jessie caught my observation.
 

“Ah, you’re going to love these formals. I can see you’ve spotted them out. You were stunning in black the other night, and with this being Easter weekend, I brought you a beautiful white number, a lovely pastel aquamarine number. Oh, and I’ve got a red one, too.”
 

She began unzipping the bags to reveal the artistry of the gowns. My heart stopped at the sight of the aquamarine gown. It was breathtaking! I loved that feminine color.
 

“I love this one. It’s ah-mazing.”
 

Where was I? Downtown Abbey? Oh, I just knew Claire was going to get a big kick out of this when I told her about everything.
 

“That’s going to look excellent with your skin tone,” she mused. Her eyes twinkled as if she had already envisioned the look.
 

Candice’s heels marked her entrance from the bathroom back into this bedroom as soon as she heard the phrase “skin tone.” She carefully looked at the dress and then back at me, her mind obviously painting up my face in her imagination. Her eyes lit up with approval, which only further fueled my excitement.
 

“That is a beautiful color. We’ll go with a bold lip color, and I know exactly what to do with your eyes. We won’t go smoky; we’ll go bronzed goddess.” She held up her hands as if calling out a famous play. I couldn’t believe I had an entire team right now devoted to me to help me with my image. It was really something special!
 

Jessie opened the rolling suitcase to reveal showcase designer heels packed in satin coverings.
 

“Then these will work wonderfully with that dress.” She pointed toward a gorgeous pair of gold strappy heels. I saw Jimmy Choo’s name on the sole. They were so breathtaking! I couldn’t believe I was going to be lucky to wear them!
 

“But no need to have to make the choice right now,” Jessie assured me. “You can think about it. After all, these pictures will be in the Branch photo vault forever. I know how special these parties are. It’s practically the most coveted affair of the season - or year, for that matter.”
 

Great, there goes my moment of reprieve from my nerves! I immediately wondered what women in the past had been on his arm at these events. I dismissed my thoughts quickly; deep down I honestly didn’t want to know.
 

Candice and Jackson said their goodbyes and Jessie pulled out a few outfit selections for the day. Fifteen minutes later, after trying on a few choices, there I stood in stylish riding leggings, English countryside riding boots, and a chic fitted jacket that made me more than ready for this rich country scene.
 

I was totally equestrian in an outfit I had never worn before. My attire made me feel like a completely different person. It made me feel rich!
 

Heck, here I
was
a different person.
 

Chapter Fifteen
 

Kate
 

Grandfather.
 

A man who raised your father.
 

A man who is a Patriarch.
 

A man who’s lived a pretty long life.
 

A man who’s wise because he’s withstood the test of time.
 

A man that typically looks like Santa Claus, who’s happy, who has a well of wisdom ready to offer others to drink on the ways and seasons of life.
 

Grandfather.
 

I’d never known any of my Grandfathers and this was the picture I’d always pictured from television shows and the movies.
 

Atticus Branch the first, patriarch of the Branch dynasty. There he sat in his rocking chair with a cowboy hat, boots, and a beautiful blonde golden retriever lazily lying by his shiny boots. He rocked gently, thoughtfully, as if considering a deep matter.
 

Knots tightened in my stomach. I always felt nervous and shy meeting parents and family for the first time. It obviously stemmed from my own discomfort with my own dysfunctional family.
 

But something about this man made me feel comfortable before even meeting him. He exuded a rare warmth that drew me to him.
 

“Well, hello there young lady. I’m Atticus Branch. Welcome to my home and ranch. And yes, I intended for that to rhyme.”
 

I welcomed his free hand shaking it. Out of all the society people, he seemed so normal, down to earth in what appeared to be his Wrangler belt, and boots. He was a true cowboy. He instantly made me feel at ease. If I saw him simply walking down the street, I would have thought he was your average rancher or farmer living down the street, not a Billionaire! All of these impressions were favorable, of course.
 

“It’s unfortunate I’ve missed a few events this week, but I had my horses competing, and they’re my babies. I can show them to ya this afternoon, if ya’d like.”
 

I knew instantly that this was a key to his heart. And if I needed an ally, it would
be him, especially since the Branch Bitch hated me so.  
 

The longhaired, four-legged beauty went to my ankles and happily brushed up against me.
 

“Sorry about that. Come here Luscious. She really likes you.”
 

“Well, I really like her. She’s so sweet!” I beamed.
 

I looked around the Branch estate. It was grand and breathtaking, like a castle nestled in the middle of nowhere. It was also a completely different sight in daylight than it was at 11pm at night.
 

“How’s that speech coming, son? Kate, we throw this party every year, on the same day practically and Atticus the third here always wings his welcoming speech. But that’s okay. That’s okay. He’s charming enough to get away with a few stumbles.” His hand pressed his grandson’s shoulder jovially.
 

“Well, I keep telling my Grandfather this, heck he’s seen me since I was born out of the womb, crowds are not always my favorite thing. Hence the commute back here. I refuse to stay in that stuffy city filled with all that smug and commotion. Everyone’s in a hurry. Everyone—”
 

“Well, what does that have to do with your speech, son?” Grandfather Branch interrupted.
 

“Nothing! Nothing.” Atticus held up his hands playfully. “I digress.” His eyes danced my way, silently checking my comfort level. “You sure you’ll be fine out there for a bit while I rehearse and write my speech?”