Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part One (BWWM Romance Serial) (4 page)

“No. Ms. Kitty doesn’t like Marina. Or anyone else, really.
She’s anti-social.”

“No problem. We’ll send someone out to pick her up and
they’ll bring her to the lake cabin to stay with you.”

Wow. That was easy, Jada thought. “I guess that might work,
but she’ll probably hide from them. I should go myself, anyway. I’ll need to
pack some clothes and things.”

“Not a good idea,” Ian said. “They’ll have people watching
your house. You can get with Cathy, tell her your sizes and she’ll get some
clothes out to you. Everything else you might need will be provided.”

“Okay, but I have to have my laptop. I’ve got some work to
do this weekend.”

“Just tell Cathy where it is and you’ll have it along with
Ms. Kitty,” Ian said.

Simple. Problem solved, billionaire style. Jada gave a
passing thought to how Marina would react when told about this meeting. Poor
girl. She’d die of jealousy. Jada would have to hold back some of the details
for Marina’s own good.

“Well, I guess I don’t have any other objections then. I’m
putting myself in your hands, so to speak. I think I’ve lost my mind, by the
way,” Jada said.

“It’s going to be okay.” Ian leaned in her direction. “This
will be sorted out soon. I promise.”

She believed him. She didn’t know why, and she didn’t care
that it didn’t make any sense. She believed this man. If he said he’d do
something, she had no doubt he would.

“Okay then. Thanks,” she said, feeling awkward and
overwhelmed.

“No thanks necessary.” Ian stood up. “Cathy, Sullivan, I
trust you’ll take care of the details and make sure my wife gets everything she
needs.” He held out his hand to Jada.

She stood and shook his hand. Another buzz. Too bad she was
leaving already.

“It’s been a pleasure meeting you,” Ian said, covering her
hand with both of his own warm, larger ones. “You’ll find my private number in
your new phone. Call me if you have any problems, okay?”

She nodded. “I will.”

“Goodbye, for now, then.” He waved a hand at Cathy.

And it was all kind of strange suddenly. It was such an
abrupt ending. The next thing Jada knew, Cathy was ushering her toward the
door. Jada hardly had time to turn briefly in the doorway before she was swept
away into the outer offices.

Her last sight of Ian was of him standing, backlit by the
huge windows. He was looking straight at her and was wearing that odd
expression again. What was it, anyway? What did it mean? It was wistful, maybe.
Lonely? No, that couldn’t be it.

Billionaires couldn’t possibly be wistful or lonely.

Before she could get examine him further, Cathy moved her
onward, shutting the door behind them.

Jada wondered if she’d ever see Ian again.

IAN WATCHED JADA GO. HE wanted to call her back, ask her to
hang out, have some lunch. Impossible. He didn’t know what he was thinking.

“I like her,” Sullivan said, “although she’s completely
wrong about Miss Kitty. Outrageous. It was all I could do not to argue. I hope
you appreciate the deference I gave her as your wife.”

Ian snorted, then strolled over to the windows. “When do you
think we’ll get some answers on this thing?”

“I don’t know. It’s the weekend, and government doesn’t do
weekends like we civilians do. I’m thinking the earliest would be sometime
Monday, and that’s if we’re lucky.”

Ian didn’t respond, simply stared off toward the small bend
of the river that was in sight. He found himself watching the river more and
more these days, considering how the water moved, traveling incessantly, ever
in motion.

“We don’t need you around to take care of this, you know,”
Sullivan said.

“What?”

“Why don’t you head out to the lake cabin yourself? Relax
for a few days. You won’t be able to go out in public, anyway, not with this
story having everyone lathered up. It’d be nice to get a breather. You work too
hard, my friend.”

Ian perked up. It was an appealing idea. It would be nice to
have a few days to fish and relax, eat some of Mrs. Best’s home cooking.

And spend some time with one Jada Howarth.

That was it, wasn’t it? He really just wanted to go because
she would be there. She intrigued him. It didn’t hurt that she was achingly
attractive. He thought his brain had stopped working when she walked into his
office. The television certainly hadn’t done her justice.

She’d worn her hair in a simple, sleek ponytail. Her makeup
was light, serving as accent and not distracting from her elegant features. She
had on a simple, lovely spring dress that showed off her bare, slender arms.
The skirt was demurely cut, just below her knees, and she had the most shapely,
delicate calves and ankles that begged to be stroked. Her small feet nestled in
classic, low heels.

And she smelled like flowers.

Jada was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and he’d
seen a lot of beautiful women in his time. Hell, he’d dated a lot of them. And
slept with most.

None of them matched Jada. It wasn’t simply that she had
lovely features and flawless, glowing coffee skin. It was her as a whole. It
was like she had an aura or an inner magnet that drew him to her.

The idea of spending time at the lake cabin with her was
tempting. He shouldn’t do it. She was a small-town girl, pulled into something
out of her control. She was probably scared and worried, though she didn’t show
it. She was brave that way.

He should stay away, for her own good if not for his. Good,
brave girls didn’t belong in his world. He should do the right thing and save
her. He should.

He turned back to Sullivan. “I have been wanting to get in
some fishing.”

Sullivan smiled. “Yeah. Fishing. That’s it.”

“And it wouldn’t be a bad thing to suss Ms. Howarth out a
little more, make sure she’s not behind any of this. I can’t leave until later
today though. And I can’t stay long. I’ll come back here tomorrow afternoon.
Things to do.”

“If you say so. If it was me, I’d take a nice long break.”

Ian felt buoyed up. He turned and clapped Sullivan on the
shoulder. “That’s because you lawyers don’t have much of a work ethic. It comes
from charging clients by the billable hour, instead of an actual working hour.”

Sullivan rolled his eyes. “Hold on.” He reached into his
pocket and pulled out his phone. “What the — why is Agatha Brimgore texting me?
Oh hell no. God, look at all those exclamation points.”

Ian grinned. Yep, this was turning out to be not so bad a
day after all.

THE HELICOPTER DOVE TOWARD THE ground and Jada dug her
fingernails into the cushioned arm rest. The pilot could be more cautious in
his approach, she thought, but this was her first trip in a helicopter so what
did she know?

She did know that it was horribly loud even with headphones
on. And she knew that they appeared to be landing on the front lawn of a fancy
resort. A large white structure resembling a vastly overgrown lake house,
complete with green shutters and wrap-around porch, loomed ahead.

She yelled into her mic. “You’ve gone to the wrong place,
Raul. I’m staying at a cabin. A caaa-biiin. Not a resort.”

The pilot shot her a glance and nodded. “That’s right,” came
his crackly reply in her headphones.

That wasn’t any kind of answer. She would have asked again,
but he’d pulled up the copter and was settling into a slow descent. Whether
this was the right place or not, they were landing.

Jada had a sudden fear that perhaps Raul didn’t really work
for Ian after all, that Cathy had put her on the wrong helicopter and Jada was
in the hands of a rogue reporter. Determined to get the scoop on her story no
matter the cost, he’d hold her up in this fancy-pants hotel until she gave him
an exclusive.

Of course, that was utter nonsense. Jada had been picked up
on the roof of the Buckley Tower itself, and Cathy had introduced her to Raul.
Jada wondered if she’d been spending too much time with her sister and some of
her fancifulness was rubbing off.

Raul set them down smoothly on a pad of stone pavers with
hardly a bump. He powered down the rotors and Jada noted a tall, older man
standing beyond the edge of the landing site. His silver hair sparkled in the
sunlight. He waved at her and jogged toward them.

“Here you are ma’am,” Raul said. “Mr. Forest will take care
of you. Have a nice stay.”

Jada stared him down. “But this isn’t a cabin.”

“Of course not, ma’am.”

Her door opened and she turned to see the waving man, Mr.
Forest she presumed, smiling at her. He held out his hand.

Jada felt she had no choice. She took off her headphones,
gathered up her small bag and purse and let Mr. Forest help her down to the
ground. He closed the door behind her then touching her arm, escorted her away
from the God-awful noise and wind.

By the time Jada was in the clear, she thought her hearing
would never be the same, and she was glad she’d worn her hair in a ponytail
that day though she wasn’t thrilled about having chosen a dress to wear.

Before she could clear any of the misunderstanding up about
where she was, the helicopter lifted up off the pad. Raul was leaving already.

She waved at him wildly, knowing he couldn’t hear, but
thinking she had to try. “Don’t go! I’m not supposed to be here!”

Mr. Forest patted her shoulder. “There’s no mistake, Miss.
Not as long as you’re Jada Howarth. That is who you are, isn’t it?”

“Yes, of course. But I was going to a lake cabin. I see a
lake over there, but that mansion is no cabin.”

Mr. Forest smiled kindly. “Ah, well, you had no way of
knowing. You’re right, that’s not a cabin. But we do call this place the lake
cabin. It’s part of the history. I’m sorry you were worried. Someone should
have explained. Can I take your bag?”

“Uh, okay. Thanks.” She handed over the small bag but kept
her purse. “So, I’m actually staying here?”

“That’s right, Miss. I’m Jack Forest, the head caretaker.
I’m in charge when Mr. Ian’s away and I manage the property. Come to the house
so I can introduce you to everyone, then we’ll get you settled in.”

Jada goggled at the scene as Mr. Forest led her up a stone
path toward the “house.” He rattled on about how they kept the grounds as
natural as possible, encouraging the native grasses and wildflowers to flourish
at will. Paths with open borders were kept clear for easy walking and led
wherever anyone might want to go.

It was a picture-perfect day, brilliant with a bright spring
sun and cloudless blue skies. The lake shimmered nearby, a number of docks
speckling its shoreline, nestling among the waving reeds and cattails. It was a
good-sized lake yet she could easily see the far side of it. Not far from the
water line, it was ringed on three sides with dense, leafy old-growth forest.

Mr. Forest told her the property was purchased originally by
Ian’s grandfather and that Ian had inherited it upon his death. Jada wondered
what it would be like to come from money like that, to be given something as
vast as this place. Had Ian spent summers here as a child? What must that have
been like? She couldn’t imagine, though she thought it had to have been
wonderful.

Her new phone buzzed in her purse. Another text from Marina:
“RU there yet?”

She sent a response saying she was, and that she’d call her
when she was settled in. She marveled as they crossed over the most adorable
white, wooden bridge that arched over a clear-watered babbling brook. It wound
its way down to the lake and, like a storybook creek, came complete with
moss-covered stones and ... was that a school of tiny, silver-finned fish
swimming by?

Her attention soon fell entirely on the huge building they
approached. It was magnificent and she wondered how many rooms it had. Loads
and loads. It had to, because it stretched for what seemed like forever and was
three stories tall and probably had attic space, too. Yet for all its
considerable size, it was welcoming and warm-looking, not stately and cold like
some estates she’d seen in movies and pictures. It truly was like someone had
taken the plans for a charming, clapboard lake house and super-sized them.

A veranda fronted the lovely manor, complete with wooden
swings and white loungers with floral cushions and tables topped with glass.
Brilliant potted flowers hung from the eaves and a wide set of steps led down
to the circular stone drive. In front of the steps stood a line of ten or so
people. They all faced Jada.

She faltered. They were smiling gaily, but it was
embarrassing nonetheless. Mr. Forest gave her a reassuring look and Jada fought
back her nerves.

They stopped in front of the line and Mr. Forest gestured at
everyone. “The staff of the estate would like to welcome you, Miss Jada. Let me
introduce you.”

First up was Mrs. Best, a middle-aged woman with a tight
brown bun at the back of her head. She was dressed all in white, wore an apron,
and unsurprisingly turned out to be the head cook.

“Are you hungry, Miss?” she asked.

“Well—”

“Of course you are,” the beaming woman said. “As soon as
you’re settled I’ll have something ready for you, don’t you worry. Do you have
any allergies I should know about?”

“Uh, no. Thanks.”

“Good, good.”

Next up was a pretty woman in her early thirties, Nina, the
head housekeeper, followed by her young assistant, Elly, who also helped out
Mrs. Best as needed.

Nina explained they kept a small permanent staff and called
in extra help only as needed. She assured Jada that Elly and she would take
good care of Jada and her things, once her things actually arrived. Jada
thanked them both.

Mr. Forest introduced her next to Grover, the grounds and
game keeper, a grizzled man of few words and gentle, green eyes. Then there was
a nice-looking man around Jada’s age named Trevor who was in charge of
maintenance. And Billy, who couldn’t yet be twenty, who helped out both Grover
and Trevor as needed.

Next up was Deb, a grinning, freckle-faced woman around
Jada’s age. Turned out, Deb was the staff esthetician and masseuse.

“Oh, I’m so happy to have you here,” Deb gushed. “I’ve got
some new mud packs I’ve been dying to try out. And if you need any waxing,
don’t hesitate to ask. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything, actually. I bet
you’re all tightened up from what’s happened today. I know a number of
relaxation techniques that’ll fix you right up. Maybe after Mrs. Best gets you
fed we can—”

Jada could only smile and get in an occasional nod to Deb’s
speech. Mostly, she was thinking how incredible it was to have someone like Deb
in a full time position. What did she do when Ian wasn’t here, or there weren’t
any other guests? She thought this might explain why Deb was so thrilled to get
to work on Jada.

Finally, Mr. Forest introduced her to Lydia Pepper, a late
twenty-something lady with dark eyes, hair and skin, and a professional,
upright air. Lydia was head of security, which surprised Jada since she was so
young. Lydia shook Jada’s hand solemnly and assured her she could traverse the
grounds safely. Even if the press discovered Jada was here, they’d never get
onto the property, not with Lydia’s crew around.

Jada had no doubt the confident woman could handle the press
and then some.

Mr. Forest said there were a few other employees on the
property, mostly part of the security staff, and that they would have liked to
meet her but it either wasn’t their shift or they couldn’t leave their posts.

Throughout the introductions, Jada nodded, smiled, accepted
everyone’s handshakes and in general tried to act like this wasn’t a dream.
Everyone was friendly, but for the life of her she couldn’t think of much to
say to them other than thank you. What was the etiquette for being introduced
to household staff? She wished she’d watched that British show everyone had
been going on about, or at least caught old episodes of
Upstairs, Downstairs
.