The Academic Bride: Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book One (5 page)

Chapter 9

Lunch went by too quickly as Janel and Nick traded brief life stories. The more Janel learned about Nick, the more she respected his position in life.

After college, he’d started his computer business while working nights to pay the bills. He struggled for a few years before he finally had an idea that took off in a big way. He used the new cash flow to hire good employees and grow the business. Now, he spent most of his time making contacts and managing departments.

As they pulled into his long driveway, Janel’s hand flew to her chest. The house was huge! Easily as big as the whole apartment building that housed her studio rental.

Nick parked out front and came around to open her door. “Normally, I’d pull into the garage, but who wants to start a tour with the mudroom?”

If the house was this impressive, Janel could only imagine how beautiful the mudroom would be. She would’ve loved to start there, especially if the mudroom led to a kitchen. She’d been cooking over a hot plate for two years, and the idea of having an oven thrilled her.

Nick typed in a security code and opened the door. “I gave you a code already. I hope you don’t mind.”

“What is it?”

Nick gave her a small smile. “It’s today’s date.”

He picked their wedding date as her code. It was sweet. Inside, Janel wanted to melt like one of those women starring in a romantic comedy. On the outside, she gave him a small smile and said, “That should make it easy to remember.”

Janel walked into the center of the entryway and spun in a slow circle. Two stories above their heads hung an amazing chandelier with dozens of lights. Off to the right was a library, and to the left was an office. Both rooms used dark wood for the shelves and furniture, and both had wood floors covered in beautiful Persian rugs, as well as overstuffed furniture that Janel knew she’d be comfortable in for hours on end. The office had a desk with lion’s paws and a computer. There were wall sconces, can lights, and small lamps here and there. The rooms could be bright and welcoming or low-lit and intimate.

Surrounded by so much wealth and quality, Janel wondered how impressed she was supposed to act. She’d told him over lunch that she grew up middle-class, and suddenly she felt self-conscious for reasons she couldn’t put her finger on – and she’d only been in the entryway. She decided there was no harm in complimenting him on his home, as she could see by the hopeful expression in his eyes that he wanted her to like it.

“Do you spend much time in here?” She pointed to the library.

“Not as much as I’d like. I usually end up spending my time in there.” He pointed to the office as his cell phone rang. “Speaking of work, can you hang on just a minute?”

“Sure.”

Janel wandered into the library to browse through the books while Nick rushed into the office and opened the laptop. She ran her fingers along the spines, testing the textures of the old covers against her skin. Many titles were classics, though she found a few mysteries and one or two history books as well. With the rooms open across the hallway, she caught snippets of Nick’s conversation, though she tried not to listen in.

“Can you put them off? No, don’t tell them. I’ll take care of it.”

A large book on the coffee table caught her eye. She knelt on the soft rug and lifted the cover to find a stunning photograph of an ancient Mayan temple. Flipping through pages full of breathtaking images, she felt a thrill of excitement. In less than a year, she would be standing at the top of a temple much like the one on the page.

“Find anything you like?” Nick asked as he entered the room.

“These photos are amazing.”

He stood near her, and she tipped her head back to look at him. “Have you looked through here?” she asked.

“I haven’t had a chance. It just got here this morning.”

“What do you mean?”

He squatted next to her. “Your bio said your dissertation was on the Mayan pyramids. I wanted to see what you were interested in, so I ordered it Friday. When it arrived, I didn’t have time to do much more than unwrap it and set it here.”

Janel was stunned. She couldn’t think of the appropriate thing to say. No one had ever made an effort to understand her work before. Her parents were supportive and would listen when she was excited about something, but they never went out of their way to learn more about her chosen field of specialization. The few boyfriends she’d had were caught up in their own studies. She looked back down at the book and hoped he didn’t see the moisture in her eyes. It was just a book, but it meant more than that.

“I’m touched. Thank you.”

It was quiet for a moment. Then Nick’s phone chirped. He glanced down and sighed. “I hate to do this, but I have an important client who insists on meeting with me this afternoon. Will you be okay if I head to the office for a while?”

Janel blinked. She didn’t think much about what would happen after the marriage, but she kind of planned on them spending the day together. Plus, he hadn’t finished giving the tour. She didn’t even know where the bathroom was. As far as jobs went, the orientation was sorely lacking. Of course, if she was going to make this work, she’d have to fly solo eventually. “I’ll be fine.”

Nick held out his hand to help her off the floor. When she stood up, she felt a slight squeeze, and he didn’t let go right away. Nick was like an electric blanket, she realized: every time she touched him, warmth spread through her body.

“There’s one thing I have to show you before I go.” It was only when he went to move that he noticed he was still holding her hand. He dropped it like a kid caught stealing a cookie, and motioned for her to follow him. Walking up the circular grand staircase to the loft on the second floor, Janel did her best not to peek or gawk at the home.

“This is the private living area. I rope off the staircase when I throw a party. No one but you and I, and the maids, will come up here.”

The balcony at the top overlooked the gathering room. It reminded Janel of the books she read about old English parties and children allowed to spy from the top of the stairs as guests entered the home. From this high, she could see everything that went on in the large room below. Several sets of couches or chairs divided the room into different zones, which no doubt made it easy for people to gather in small groups and mingle. A black grand piano stood in one corner.

“Do you play?” she asked.

“No. I hire a pianist when needed.”

Of course you do.

“This way.”

They walked through a private sitting room. The wall directly opposite the balcony had a built-in entertainment center, a big screen TV, and a set of shelves full of contemporary titles. Several magazines were fanned out on the glass-topped coffee table, and a huge leather couch faced the TV. The room was smaller than the great room downstairs, but it was anything but small. Nick moved to a door on the left and placed his hand on the doorknob.

“This will be your room.” He swung the door open and stepped back, so she could go in first.

Stopping just inside the door, Janel pressed her hands to her face. The room was beautiful. She had her own set of bookshelves waiting for her books, which sat in four boxes nearby. The window seat was a treasure aged to perfection, with beveled edges and an overstuffed cushion.

Everything was beautiful, but it was the bed that caught her imagination. Big enough to hold a family of bears, the fabric swags and the mountain of pillows brought out a desire to jump in and never get up. While the room had a feminine feel with the deep purple accents, it was elegant and mountains above the dorm-like living she came from.

She walked over to the bed and brushed her fingers across the velvety pillow. 

“Do you like it?”

She looked up to see him standing in the doorway with his back straight. “It’s perfect,” she whispered.

Nick’s shoulders relaxed. He came into the room and went to the desk, where a laptop sat, exactly like the one in his office downstairs, along with a pile of sticky notes and several expensive-looking pens. “I’d like you to take over managing the household staff.”

“The staff?”

“Two maids, a chef, a gardening crew, a plant guy, a pool company does the hot tub, and there’s a list of contractors I’ve worked with in the past if any repairs pop up. All the information is in here.” He clicked open a file. “You can read through it and let me know if you have any questions. I gave everyone the day off, so you could get settled in without a bunch of people around.”

Janel nodded. “That’s very thoughtful of you, thanks.” She glanced at the computer screen, where a long list of spreadsheets and Word documents stared back. 
Let the work begin.

Nick’s phone chirped. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “I really have to go. You can wander through the house and make yourself at home.” He waved his hand toward the boxes near the wall. “Unpack, grab some food. Whatever you want.” He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

Janel went to the boxes and ripped the tape off the top of the closest one. When he didn’t leave, she asked, “Was there something else?”

Nick ran his hand through his hair, messing it up just enough that he looked handsomely unpolished. Her older brother worked hard to get that look, and Nick came by it naturally.

“I’m going.” He flipped around. She watched as his long strides took him to the door, where he paused and turned back to her. His forehead creased as he hesitated. “Bye?”

She laughed and shooed him out the door. “I’ll be fine. Go.”

He ducked his head and walked out. She waited until she heard his footsteps disappear down the stairs before she went back to her boxes. Looking around her room, she was amazed at the care he’d taken to help her feel comfortable in his house ... her house ... their house? Well, it wasn’t really her house, as her name wasn’t on the mortgage. And according to the papers she’d signed, it would never be hers officially.

She looked at the bed. Still, this was her space, at least for the next year, and she loved it. The colors were perfect and she’d felt at home the moment she walked in. She paused as she placed a textbook on the middle shelf. If it was her room, then why did it feel empty when Nick left?

Chapter 10

Nick cringed as Brenda came through the door preceded by the smell of Chinese takeout. As she arranged it on the buffet table on the far end of the room, he checked his phone for messages or texts. He’d put it on silent before entering the meeting, but he wondered if Janel was waiting on him to eat dinner and if she’d call to find out what was taking him so long.

It wasn’t like they had a history of sharing meals besides lunch this afternoon, or that she’d miss him. He just felt this pull to be at home with her. Perhaps it was because his father rarely missed dinner with the family. It was one of the ways his parents built a solid foundation for him and his brothers. Not that Nick’s current situation was anything like the marriage his parents shared. Still, that pull wouldn’t let him relax.

Then there was that strange feeling he got as he left this afternoon. Usually he thrived on work; there was nothing more exciting, captivating, or downright interesting than development meetings like this one that focused on a chip that would allow a gaming system to coordinate with 3D televisions. Only this time, when he got the call, he wanted to blow the whole thing off and show Janel around his home ... their home.

Blowing off his biggest client would have been poor business. Blowing off Mr. James would have meant an end to business. Whatever circumstances had brought the executive into town, they also meant Mr. James wouldn’t be back for a month. It was now or never, and Nick couldn’t afford “never.”

His mind wandered back to the house. He was proud of the floor plan, having worked tirelessly with the architect to create a home that would accommodate a family as well as entertain large numbers. That’s why there were two rooms at the top of the stairs. Janel’s was actually the master bedroom. His room could be converted into two bedrooms, one for a boy and one for a girl. Then the family would have private space, away from all the distractions and noises, where they could just be together and do things like play board games or watch cartoons on Saturday mornings.

As much of a playground as the rest of the house was, and he’d wanted it that way for when his kids were teenagers, the upstairs was his nest and he never let anyone but the maids up there … until Janel.

The think-tank group lined up at the buffet.

Nick pulled Brenda aside. “Will you call Janel and let her know I won’t be back until late?”

“Janel?”

“My—” He looked around to see who was listening. Charli had her head bent over the Mo Shu Pork, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t hear. “—wife. Janel.”

“I don’t have her number,” Brenda whispered.

“It’s in my contacts list.”

“Right. I’ll let her know.”

Nick took his place in the back of the line. When he settled in his seat with a full plate, Charli asked in a voice loud enough for the whole room to hear, “When did you get married?”

Nick felt his face burn. Never ones for subtlety—indeed, she’d thrown herself at him on multiple occasions—women like Charli were one of the reasons he’d contacted Pamela in the first place. He was thankful he and Charli only had to work together when their companies collaborated on a project. Otherwise she was safely on the other side of the city.

“Charli, you’ve got to be joking.” Darrin slapped his hand on the table and laughed.

Nick cleared his throat. “Actually, I was married recently.”

“I thought I spotted some new hardware.” Charli brushed her fingers over his wedding ring, and Nick had an urge to douse his hand in sanitizer. He settled for wiping his hands with his napkin.

“Are you serious?” Darrin pointed his chopsticks at Nick. “If you went and got married without letting me throw a bachelor party, I am going to be majorly ticked off.”

Nick held up his hands as if to say, “What do you want me to do about it?”

“It’s not too late. We could do it this weekend.” Darrin perked up like a horse at the starting gate.

Nick smiled. He could only imagine the type of bachelor party Darrin would throw, and he knew full well it wasn’t the way he wanted to start a marriage. He said, “Sorry, man, the ring is on the finger. You’ll have to work on Tray over there. He looks like he could use a night out.”

Tray shoved an egg roll in his mouth and lifted his shoulders.

Mr. James, head of the partnering company, returned from making a private call in the hallway, and they were soon back to work. As the hours stretched on, Nick’s hope of spending the evening with Janel melted away like a snow cone on a July afternoon. By the time he drove home and climbed the stairs to his nest, Janel’s door was closed. He showered and changed as quietly as possible, hoping he didn’t disturb her.

After setting his alarm, he fell into bed smiling. It wasn’t a bad day; he’d gotten married
and
sealed the deal on a new chip that was sure to make a lot of money.

His smile faded. He would have felt much better if he’d been able to see Janel before he went to sleep to find out what she thought of the house and if she’d read over the household account information ... and maybe, if he was lucky, to see her blush just once more.