The Billionaire Bachelor (Billionaire Bad Boys Book 1) (21 page)

But the real problem was that Reese wasn’t convinced he was faking any longer.

Things had been strained between her and her parents since the wedding. Mom had tried to accept Reese without judgment and her father rarely brought it up. She hadn’t prepared for seeing them today, but Merina was determined to make the best of it. After a few months of scrutiny during a marriage “for show,” the strain was wearing on her in a way she was afraid had begun to show.

Thankfully, Reese was gliding her way, staggeringly powerful even dressed down for a faux casual cookout. As she’d learned since she set foot in the yard this afternoon, this get-together was anything but casual. Big Crane entertained his guests, his eyes lingering whenever they landed on Reese and Merina. He was watching the board and watching them in equal measure.

“You didn’t tell me,” she said as Reese looped an arm around her waist and turned with her to face her incoming parents.

“I didn’t know,” he replied. “Penelope.”

In other words, this
shebang
was courtesy of their own personal public relations department. At least she had Reese. That thought struck her a little dumb. She’d come to rely on his presence. Lean on it, even.

Before those warning bells could trigger an alarm, Jolie and Mark sent a few uncomfortable glances across the lawn. They were nervous in the obscenely wealthy crowd, and now Merina was one of the flock. She’d fulfilled the whole “leave and cleave” order with a billionaire husband and her parents came an inch away from filing for bankruptcy.

Merina’s heart ached for them. She wanted to assure them that they would be working at the Van Heusen as they liked. That they wouldn’t have to change a single thing. Soon, she would.

“Well, this is quite the party,” Jolie said as she approached. She was dressed in a floral dress, cut to flatter her plump-around-the-middle figure. Mark wore khakis and a golf shirt, trying but not quite hitting the fashionable mark.

“Hi, dear.” Mark nodded at Reese next. “Reese.”

Reese greeted them by name and pulled Merina flush to his hard, warm body. She rested her hand on his stomach, not realizing she’d done it until her father’s eyes dropped to her hand, then raked up her dress and locked on her tattoo. His mouth frowned.

Right. The tattoo. Today was fun.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Merina said. “I would have thought you’d have mentioned it at work on Friday.”

“Well we were only invited this morning,” Jolie said.

“I insisted we attend. I have something to talk to Reese about,” Mark stated.

“About what?” It had better not involve Reese’s intentions or she’d die.

“Don’t worry,” Mark said with one of his calming
Dad
smiles. “It’s business not pleasure. Unless there are cigars?”

“There are cigars,” Reese confirmed, his tone much more friendly than on the drive over here. “I prefer business with my pleasure.”

His comment paired with the subtle slide of his fingers along her side. Merina felt her cheeks go up in flames, her mind retreating back to the many pleasurable encounters they’d had, all thanks to the business of this marriage.

“I’m sure you and your mom would like to eat while we talk,” Reese said, his voice a seductive murmur. He pressed a kiss to her waiting lips, and then whispered into her ear, “If I don’t come back in an hour, run.”

She swallowed a smile and saw he was wearing one when he backed away. Several layers of gloom had lifted from him, and she’d like to think she had something to do with his improved mood.

“We’ll be fine,” Merina said for all of their sakes.

“Jolie, I highly recommend the artichoke dip,” Reese said, then turned to Mark and gestured for him to follow.

Merina watched her husband walk away in that strong, long-legged swagger she’d grown accustomed to before facing her mother. “What was that about?”

“You know your father. He needs to be involved.” Jolie’s expression was calm and accepting. “Let’s let the boys take care of that and you can show me to that dip.”

More secrets. Merina put her arm in her mother’s and led her to the chilled buffet bar on the patio, wishing she could tell her mother the truth about her and Reese. Though she wasn’t sure what the truth was anymore. She’d married him for ownership of the VH, but now she was enjoying the perks that came with their marriage.

The biggest of which was Reese himself and who she was when she was with him.

Later, Mark and Reese emerged with smiles and scotches in hand, and Jolie and Merina mingled with the various women present who either worked for Crane or were friends of the family.

After her parents left, Tag arrived late, which was not surprising in the least. He nodded at Merina but beelined for his brother, and he and Reese hung at the bar on the patio. One by one, women turned their heads to take in so much sexy testosterone in a small space.

Lights on strings and soft music playing through speakers had drawn the dwindling crowd to the patio. The board members had gone, and the remaining few consisted of Alex’s family, his assistant, and another older couple. Tag and Reese were chatting so Merina made a trip to the bathroom, catching sight of a cozy side room on her way back. Curious, she veered into there instead of going outside right away.

Too bright to be a den, the room featured a pair of French doors leading out to a flower garden with a bench in the center. The blooms were fresh, as if they were purchased recently, but for all Merina knew, Alex had a full-time gardener tending to every inch of this place.

The house was spotless. There wasn’t a twinkle of dust sitting on the shelves or the desk. She went to those shelves now, loaded mostly with picture frames, though a few books—fiction like Clancy and Patterson—stood off to the side. A box of cigars sat next to a small urn that read
XAVIER CRANE, FATHER, SOLDIER.

By the age of the photo, Merina guessed he was Alex’s father, Reese’s grandfather.

She perused the pictures in the frames next. Various photos of the three boys fishing, or dressed for Halloween, or sitting at a picnic table eating slices of watermelon in the backyard. They were young, Reese probably only twelve or so. The only recent photos were one of Reese’s corporate grimace, the same picture on the Crane Hotels website, and Tag’s, though he was smiling. Eli’s most recent photo was a military one. Him in front of a flag, clean-shaven, hair cropped beneath his hat. His mouth wasn’t smiling and there was a hardness about him. She wondered when he’d be on leave. If she’d ever meet him.

She abandoned the frames for the back doors, admiring the lush flowers and greenery. Night was falling, the sun dipping low and giving everything a grainy quality.

“Are you driving home?” came a deep voice from behind her.

Guiltily, Merina turned. Alex—hands in his pockets, reminding her of the way Reese stood most of the time—lingered in the doorway.

“Sorry?”

“Tag and Reese.” He made a drinking motion with his hand. “Sauced, the both of them.”

“That’s…unexpected.” She couldn’t say she’d ever seen Reese “sauced.”

“Unless you’re driving, you should bunk here.”

“Oh, um…okay.”

“Good. I’d like that.” Alex offered a genuine smile. Not a single part of him looked as if he was upset she’d been snooping, but she had the urge to explain.

“I’m…uh…I saw photos and wanted to see the boys when they were boys.”

“Ah. There are some good ones in here.” Alex ambled into the room. “Arguably, Tag never grew up,” he joked, elbowing her arm gently. “But, yeah, that’s them when they were younger. That one is my favorite.” He nodded at the picture of the three of them shirtless and eating watermelon. Reese’s eyes were thick with lashes like now, but Tag was notably skinny and had certainly outgrown that trait. Eli sat off to the side, slice of watermelon in one hand, petting a cat with the other.

“The yard hasn’t changed much, but they have,” she commented, unsure what to say. Alex filled the silence with the last topic on earth she thought he’d breach.

“Luna’s death hit Reese the hardest.” His voice took on a soft quality, pain outlining every word. Pictures of Alex’s late wife were notably missing from this room.

“Which of your sons looks the most like her?” she asked.

Alex left her side and pulled open a desk drawer. He approached with a gilded silver frame, an 8 x 10 of a woman behind the glass.

“This was a few years before she died,” he said quietly.

“She’s beautiful.” Merina traced the slope of the woman’s nose and over her blue eyes. “Reese.”

Alex put one blunt finger over her forehead and drew the line down her long, fair hair. “Tag.”

She laughed softly.

“Eli has her sensitivity.”

“A sensitive marine?”

“We exist,” Alex said, returning it to its drawer. He came back to stand beside her again. “Reese doesn’t like being here.”

“I noticed.”

“Maybe because he’s the oldest and knew her longer, or maybe because I handled things better with Tag and Eli. Either way, he prefers not to visit.”

“But he does because he loves you,” Merina said.

“He’s a good boy.” Alex’s dark blue eyes trained on hers. “Remember that when everything’s through. Will you?”

“I will.”

He nodded, ending that topic. “I’ll make a phone call to Magda to let her know you’re staying. Have her drop a change of clothes for each of you.”

Wow. Handy being rich. Alex must have recognized her surprise because he offered an explanation.

“Magda knows him. Loves him. She looks out for him.” Alex put his hands in his pockets. “When Reese bought his house, I sent her there to work for him. And let me tell you”—he shook his head in earnest—“I did not want to give up those tamales.”

“Oh, I had those. I don’t blame you.” They shared a smile and she realized this was the first lengthy conversation she’d had with Alex. From afar he’d seemed both serious and cunning, but it turned out he had a lot of warmth. Like the way Reese’s charm had been buried beneath his surly exterior. How much more could she unearth in her time with him?

“He needed Magda more than I did,” Alex said. His love for his sons was genuine. Strong. He was a man who’d do anything for them. She wondered if his idea to retire had anything to do with ushering Reese in sooner than later.

“Since you’re staying, more wine?” Alex asked, heading for the door.

“Always more wine,” she said, following.

“You fit in here, you know that?” Alex offering an arm and together they rejoined the party.

T
he hearty, rich sound of male laughter made Merina smile. Reese and Tag had moved from the bar to a pair of chairs next to a stone fireplace. Scotch glasses in hand, they sat and talked about stories from when they were kids.

It was a rare occasion to see Reese so open and warm…like when she learned he was ticklish. His laughter ebbed and the smile lines stayed on his face briefly before fading. Her heart wrenched. She’d liked seeing him with his guard down.

“Chardonnay,” a soft voice announced next to her.

Merina accepted the glass from a cute waitress. She wore a tiny black dress and strappy heels, her black hair pulled into a ponytail. She’d been here since dinner, clearing dishes and doling out drinks. How did someone land a cushy gig like this, anyway? Her job was to hang out on a billionaire’s porch and serve drinks to the five people left: Tag, Reese, Alex, and Rhona. Merina had talked to Rhona briefly. She was Alex’s personal assistant, around his age, and almost exclusively spoke to Alex. And the lovelorn look in her eyes when she did it suggested Rhona had been looking at Alex like that a long,
long
time. Alex, on the other hand, didn’t appear to have a clue his PA had the hots for him.

Men
. Seriously.

Clueless.

“Excuse me.” The waitress came closer to the barstool where Merina sat. “I know this is really inappropriate”—she looked around the porch before continuing—“but is there any way you could introduce me to the guy with the long hair?”

“You want to meet Tag?” Merina’s eyebrows went up in surprise. The other woman had to be at least twenty-one to serve the drinks, so at least they were in the safe zone there.

“I could lose my job, but…” She bit her lip and gazed over at Tag, hearts blooming in her eyes. “God, he’d be worth it, I bet.”

Tag was laughing, Adam’s apple bobbing. His casual button-up shirt was open one more button than necessary, revealing the top of his golden chest. His hair was down and ran over his shoulders, his beard proving he had no problem growing body hair.

“He is very attractive,” Merina said as the waitress, still staring, gave a mute nod.

But when Merina’s eyes tracked to Reese, leaning back, feet crossed at the ankles and his hand gripping the arm of the deck chair, her mouth watered and heart stuttered. If that was anywhere near the way this sweet college-aged girl saw Tag, then she was right. Hell yeah, he’d be worth it. How long would she have the dumb job anyway?

“I’m Merina,” she introduced.

“Taylor.” Her dark eyes swept over to Tag and she sighed with longing.

Adorable.

“You’ve never worked for the Cranes before, I take it?”

“Oh, yeah. But…” She wrenched her eyes off Tag but it took some effort. “I’ve never talked to him.”

Maybe it was the wine, or maybe Merina felt bold since Alex had told her she fit in here, but she decided to make this girl’s Cinderella dreams come true.

“Lucky for you, I know him well.” Merina stood and looped her hand around Taylor’s arm. “Ready?”

Taylor blushed, her smile dazzling. “Ready.”

“You baited him,” Reese said, feeling loose after way too much to drink. It was nice relaxing with his brother and dad. In this house of all places. And Merina had let him do it. Not once did she ask to go home, or excuse herself to bed early. At the end of the night when Tag vanished with one of the waitresses, she came to sit with Reese by the fire. He’d sat, his fingers woven with hers as Alex told a war story he’d heard a dozen times. Merina was rapt, orange firelight bouncing off her gorgeous face, her hand lazily resting in his.

He’d felt more at home with her next to him, a thought he’d blamed on the booze. It’d better be the booze or he was in big fucking trouble.

“I didn’t bait him,” Merina said. “I made an introduction. Taylor wanted to know what kind of shampoo he used.” She grinned at her own joke and took the cosmetic bag Magda had dropped off earlier into the bathroom.

“Baited.” But his firm tone didn’t scare her. Not that he ever scared her, but she
really
didn’t react now.

He’d been certain when this day started that it’d end with him in a much more sour mood, but so far, he didn’t feel anything but glad to be here.

“Did she put my mouthwash in there?” He peeked over her shoulder as she dug through the bag.

“Yes, Your Highness.” She offered a travel-sized bottle over her shoulder. He took it and went to the second sink, and side by side, he and his wife participated in a nighttime ritual they’d never done together. They brushed their teeth. At one point, Merina looked over, her mouth foaming like Cujo, and smiled.

He smiled back, curious at his own reaction, because moments like these didn’t make him sentimental. Especially after he’d been forced to strut around like a damned prize poodle for the attending members of the board.

“That was brief,” Merina commented after she rinsed her mouth and pulled her hair down. Honeyed strands fell like silk, wavy from the day’s humidity.

“What was brief?” He toweled off his mouth.

“Your light mood.” She still wore her dress but had undone the belt at her waist and a matching turquoise bra peeked from behind the material.

He absolutely wasn’t going to broach this topic. Not while his veins were flooded with scotch. God knew what he’d wind up admitting.

He stepped forward and swept open her dress, resting his hands on her waist. Being with Merina physically was easy. He could give her what she needed physically. Emotionally, not so much.

“Softest fucking skin I’ve ever felt.” Yep, still a little drunk. He wasn’t slurring but the words came slowly and weren’t easy to enunciate.

“Ever?” she breathed.

He kissed her collarbone, ran his tongue over her tattoo. She was fishing, but he decided to answer her anyway.

“Ever.” He closed his lips over her hectic pulse.

“What’d you and Dad talk about?”

He stopped his exploration to shake his head. “We’re not talking about family while I’m seducing you.”

“I’m not having sex with you here.” Her eyes widened in alarm. “This is your childhood bedroom.”

“Actually, this one was Eli’s, so no worries.”

“That’s worse!” She gave his arm a playful slap. “I haven’t met him yet.”

Reese’s shoulders stiffened. Would Merina ever meet him? Unlikely. Eli wasn’t due back soon. He e-mailed and called every few months, but by the time he came home, Merina would be out of Reese’s life. Permanently, he imagined. He didn’t see how they’d remain friends. A sudden surge of melancholy made him frown.

“I don’t want to talk about my brother.” He smoothed his hands over her shoulders and pushed the dress off her body. Lace panties matched her bra. He plucked one of the little black bows decorating them. “I don’t want to talk at all.”

“I can’t ask about my parents—”

“Nope.” He kissed her neck.

“—or your family?” Her fingers in his hair sent a surge of warmth through his limbs. This was working. Under the attention of his fingers and his mouth she caved every time. She trusted him enough to let down her guard, which made him uncharacteristically humble.

“Correct.” He placed an openmouthed kiss on the top side of one breast.

“Share a shower?” she gasped, gripping his hair.

“Always.” He tugged the cup of her bra down and pulled her nipple into his mouth, the word echoing in his head. With Merina, “always” only meant “until,” and he didn’t want to think about how soon the end would come.

Merina toweled off, Reese next to her doing the same. They shared an almost shy smile, which was insane considering what had happened under the spray. He’d stripped them both naked, then hustled her into the smallish stand-up shower in the corner of the room. After doing a thorough job of soaping and rinsing her into a heated frenzy, he’d shut off the water.

“We can’t do this,” she said, but she barely meant it.

“Oh, we’re doing this.” He was damned attractive with his damp hair sticking up from running a towel haphazardly over the strands. His chest was bare and glistening with droplets of water. Between a pair of strong thighs, his cock hung heavily, tempting her in a million different ways.

Sex with Reese was so many things. Fun. Fantastic. Mind-erasing. But the idea of being in bed with him while his family was in the house—his brother, his father…

Merina was supposed to be pretending to be wifely, not actually
doing
the wifely things with him. Or sordid, wicked things with him.

“You’re doing that on purpose,” he growled, and she realized her eyes were glued to his impressive manhood and that it’d grown even more impressive now that her teeth were resting on her bottom lip.

“I’m not.” She tracked her eyes up his body and met his navy gaze.

He took a step closer, steam rolling around them, and speared his fingers into her wet hair. “Are too.” He kissed her gently, pushing his tongue past her lips to tangle with hers. He backed them from the bathroom to the bedroom, the moonlight arcing across the floor lighting their way.

His moves were familiar. He had a pattern of seduction and she played into it like a well-rehearsed dance. And right now he was doing one of her favorite things: raking his whiskered chin over her sensitive skin as he left a trail of damp kisses on her neck.

“Have fun trying to keep quiet,” he mumbled against her mouth. He tasted of scotch and spice and she could swear she was getting drunk off his tongue.

He dropped her to the bed and laid over her, pressing his erection into her thigh.

“Who says I’ll try and keep it down?” She cupped one of his rock-hard ass cheeks.

“Your Midwest manners, remember?” He dragged his tongue over one breast and Merina’s back arched. When he sucked her nipple into his mouth, heat weaved down her spine. Taking his time, he dragged his tongue to her other breast. “You’ll have to go downstairs and face them in the morning.”

He continued torturing her, suckling her deeply as warmth flooded between her legs. She hissed, pushing him away when she couldn’t stand another second.

“Really quiet sex,” she conceded.

“The quiet part is up to you,” he said, lifting an eyebrow. Eyes on her, he moved from her breasts to her ribs, down to— Oh no…

“No, no.” She clasped his head when he ran his tongue over her belly button.

“Yes.” He nipped and licked where her thigh met her…Oh, God. He was going to kill her.

“Reese, please,” she pled. “I…you’re right. I don’t want to embarrass myself.”

An evil glint in his eyes, he lifted and dropped one eyebrow before slicking her center with his tongue.

Her pushing hands turned into kneading, threading his soft hair between her fingers. She steered his mouth where she wanted as he laved her again and again. He continued sending ripples of delight through her until she clutched and came on a quiet whimper.

He climbed her body, placing kisses here and there until he was lying on the pillow next to her. Content, she rolled over and rested her chin on his chest.

“Nice work. I don’t think you woke anyone up,” he said with a lazy, pleased smile.

She smiled back at him, the light from the moon slanting across his bare chest.

“Well, I don’t think Tag’s sleeping, so maybe he and that waitress are the ones waking Dad tonight.”

“Ugh. I can’t think about it.”

He laughed, bouncing her where she rested.

It wasn’t right to take advantage of Reese in his slightly boozed state… But she was a woman and as a woman knew the best way to extract information from a man was at a time exactly like this one.

She ran a finger through the scant hair on his chest, making circles and watching his eyes drift closed.
Oh, no, you don’t.

“So what did you and Dad decide, again?” Merina opted to ask the question as a leading one, hoping Reese might think she knew more than she did.

“That’s between us men,” he said, his eyes still closed.

“Reese!”

“I made him promise not to tell your mother or you and then we drank scotch.”

She huffed.

“Why do you care what we talked about?” He opened one eye. “Afraid he asked me about you?”

“Did he?” There was a mortifying thought. She didn’t think her father would ask Reese to divorce her to give her a chance at finding a husband who loved her, but what if he had? What if Mark saw right through them?

How can he? Even you can’t see where the fake stops and the real begins.

“We talked about business. None of which is yours.” He touched the tip of her nose with his finger.

“Do you think the board will make you CEO?” she asked, wondering if they’d done a good job at convincing them.

“Worried you’ll lose the Van Heusen?” It was a fair question since that’s what she stood to gain.

“You deserve CEO.”

“I’ll get it.” He twirled a piece of her hair around his finger. “Don’t worry.”

“One more question.” Because he hadn’t answered any of them to her satisfaction yet.

He blinked his eyes slowly, clearly tired. “The interrogation continues.”

She took a breath and asked the question she’d wondered about since the night of the retirement party. It came out as a demand. “Tell me about you and Gwyneth.”

His fingers stilled in her hair.

“I assumed she was more than a one-night thing when she cornered you. And you dislike Hayes. I’m guessing because he dated her after you did?”

“I’m not talking about this, Merina.” Reese didn’t sound angry so much as serious, but she wasn’t going to let him off the hook.

“You force me to draw my own conclusions.”

His eyes sank shut but it looked like a tactical move to her.

Okay. She could rise to a challenge. “After a torrid threesome, you became insanely jealous because Hayes was much better at—”

Reese’s hand covered her mouth. His expression wasn’t furious or amused. Hurt sliced into his eyes and contorted his handsome features. She mumbled his name against his palm and with a sigh, he took his hand from her mouth.

“It’s not nearly that adventurous.” He grew quiet for so many seconds, she’d begun counting them in her head. When she got to thirty-one, he drew in a breath to speak.