Bargain Bride, Billionaire Groom Read online

  Pink? “You can’t call anyone else but me ‘darling.’”

  A small smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “You’ll have to fight with my lawyers on that one, darling. What else? Money? Homes?”

  She sighed, relieved he was considering her offer. “Jio, no money. No homes. I already have two. I know what I want—you. And the truth is? I can’t wait any longer.”

  “Then let me give you my answer now.” He stood and looked down at her. His eyes glazed over her body with desire—and regret. “I want you, too. I want your body and all the enjoyment that comes with being around you. But marriage to me is not the answer. Seeing how you respond to my touch, neither, I believe, is marriage to Marcus.”

  She tried to hide her hurt that he could be so hard. “It’s not fair, Jio. You can’t want me around to bed me, then fly around the globe doing your thing and not want to commit to me.”

  “Life’s not fair, Golden,” he said, unmoved. “That’s the best I can offer you. If you can come to terms with it, then I think we can have something workable.”

  The best he could offer? Terms? Workable? “Well. That’s about as romantic as a summer weed, Jio.”

  “You just said you didn’t want declarations of love!”

  “Workable isn’t ringing my bells, either.”

  “Golden, if you want me in your bed, you don’t need marriage for that,” Jio said bluntly.

  “I need marriage for that! A real one.” She winced her way off the bed, dragging her ski bib with her. “You’d be surprised, Jio, the things I would do for someone I love.”

  He looked startled. “Are you saying you love me?”

  “I’m talking about my daughter, the other someone that you claim to love, too!”

  “Damn it. If guilting me into this is what you’re trying to do, it’s working,” he muttered.

  “Really? I’m shocked, because I wasn’t even trying. Lily and I—we need to go now.”

  “Golden, please. Just…relax. She’s enjoying her coloring books. Seeing you upset with me might make her upset. Are you hungry?”

  She shook her head, although a tub of red-velvet cake ice cream would definitely be in order when they returned to the lodge!

  “Look—”

  “No, you look,” she said, finding strength to push back at him emotionally. “Thanks for being so honest. I should never have danced around this. I should never have come here because the fact is—I wanted to be with you. It wasn’t just about you and Lily. I’ve wanted you for a while now, as if that wasn’t obvious that night we—” Golden shook her head. “But it looks like we’re done here. I need to get back to the lodge.” She hobbled back into her ski bib. “Lily needs to eat and I—I need to calm down.”

  His cellphone rang. He swore. “I have to take this.”

  She nodded and hurried downstairs. “Lily,” she called out. “We have to leave in five minutes.

  “No, no! Stay with Poppa,” Lily said with toddler-like simplicity before clutching her plush turtle to her chest and bunching her crayons up in her fist.

  “We have our own rooms at the lodge, sweetie-pie,” Golden soothed. “That is where we stay.”

  “Here!” Lily insisted, her little forehead pruning with distress. “We stay here.”

  Jio, now paused at the bottom of the log steps, watched. To her shock, Lily ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his leg. “Stay with Poppa! Lub him,” she sobbed.

  “Lily.” Sighing, Golden went and kneeled in front of her daughter. “Can mommy hold you?”

  Lily sniffled, and nodded. Golden lifted her up and held her. She struggled to stand, and when Jio held his hand out to offer support, she accepted.

  “Stay, pweese…?” Lily tucked her thumb in her mouth and rested her head on Golden’s shoulders.

  Golden refused to look to Jio for comfort. She wouldn’t look to Jio for anything, anymore. Even now she felt his gaze slice straight into her soul. Holding Lily close, she drifted away from his warmth to stare out the windows.

  Suddenly the doorbell rang, offering relief from the strain between them. He strode across the foyer to answer it. Moments later, Gado and Naomi yelled, “Surprise!”

  Lily’s head popped up. She writhed in Golden’s arms, eager to get down. The tall wooden doors slammed shut, and when the three of them walked into the great room, Golden stared in dumbstruck happiness.

  Naomi swept Lily up in her arms and dotted a half-dozen kisses on her little face.

  Golden turned to her brother and hugged him. “I can’t believe you’re here. Both of you! What are you doing here?”

  “We decided to take Jio up on his invite to check out his company’s ski resort. And, we missed Lily like crazy! We also wanted to share some great news with both of you in person.” Gado and Naomi exchanged happy glances. “The bank has pre-approved us to buy the Kula property. Thanks to you, Jio.”

  She stared at her brother. Then she looked at Jio, curious.

  “Shall we break our good news to them, sweetheart?” Jio’s words floated somewhere over her head.

  She gazed in surprise at the arm now curling around her shoulders.

  “We’re getting married,” Jio announced.

  Naomi and Gado exchanged a dry look. “Didn’t you get the memo?” Gado snickered. “You two are already married.”

  “Sort of…” Naomi clarified, aware of the in-name only part.

  “But we are making it real. Finally,” said Jio.

  Golden couldn’t stop herself. “Jio? What? I’m confused…”

  Jio shut her up with a firm kiss and when he drew back, his gaze burned into hers. Silently he conceded to her wants. Her needs.

  “Aren’t we all confused when it comes to you two,” Gado mused. “So when’s the uh—wedding?”

  “Tomorrow,” Jio replied. “Early evening followed by dinner, and dancing.”

  “Tomorrow?” Golden breathed, dazed. “Dancing?”

  “As we are still married, we’d just be renewing vows.” A small smile stole across Jio’s lips at the stumped look on Golden’s face, his eyes caressing and tender.

  “We’ll take Lily tomorrow night,” Naomi volunteered.

  “Tell us when and where,” said Gado. “So Jio, how’s the pow-pow?”

  “The powder is phenomenal,” Jio explained. “Partly due to the six inches of snowfall the slopes received in the past twenty-four hours…”

  While waiting for dinner to arrive from the restaurant at the lodge, Jio gave them all a tour of the house. He then excused himself to shower and change.

  Golden visited with her brother and Naomi over a bottle of local wine while waiting for Jio to reappear. They laughed over her pink thermal undies under her overalls, but she’d been the one to insist that Jio shower first.

  Jio re-joined them, dressed in casual black wool-blend pants and a blue-gray zip-necked cashmere sweater. Golden excused herself to shower and change, and by the time she came back downstairs, a tub of beef stew had been delivered in a basket that was also filled with fresh, crusty Mexican bolillo bread, a salad, and a small assortment of cheeses that were crafted in the surrounding region.

  Seated together on a wing of the black suede sectional, Jio never left her side. When she wasn’t savoring the gentle, possessive weight of his arm around her, she felt his breath caress her neck.

  Once, he brushed her hair back from her cheek as she reached for a cluster of champagne grapes, and the wicked glint that flashed in his eyes only magnified his mystique—and her dilemma—even more.

  Chapter Nine

  “So, Golden, we were wondering how open you are to the idea of letting us take Lily back with us to the lodge?” Gado asked, unaware that Golden and Lily weren’t staying at Jio’s.

  “Lily and I have a room booked there,” she said, and frowned. “Wait—were you even able to book a room?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There are no rooms available, Gado.”

  “Aw,” he said, di
sappointed.

  “You can have my room at the lodge.”

  “You are welcome to stay here.”

  Golden and Jio spoke simultaneously.

  “There is plenty of room here,” Jio insisted, but her brother declined.

  “I think we’ll take my sister up on her offer to stay in her room. Are you sure you two couldn’t use a break from Lily?”

  A break was the last thing Golden needed. If they took Lily back to the lodge, she’d be left vulnerable and alone with Jio. Jio, who’d hurt her feelings earlier. Jio, now playing the love struck husband-to-be. Jio, the man she lusted after in a most aggravating way.

  While she never wanted to guilt him into anything, if a new beginning was on offer? She would take him up on it.

  Jio confirmed that when he said, “Tomorrow night. Will you take Lily tomorrow night so that Golden and I might have some time alone, after dinner?”

  “Of course!” Gado heartily assured him.

  When Gado and Naomi were ready to leave, Golden went to get the cardkey to her room. It was in her purse that she’d left sitting on the dining room table.

  “Do you need us to run anything back here for you? Clothes for the baby…?” Gado asked, following her.

  She shook her head. “I always pack extra for her, and I have some clothes here, too. Thanks to Jio. He took us on a shopping spree and had some of the items delivered here.”

  “He thinks of everything, doesn’t he?” Admiration lit her brother’s eyes. “Well, now…what about Marcus, sis?”

  “I’ll tell him about us myself. I’m due to call him here, shortly. Wish me luck, okay?”

  “Good luck. Speaking of luck, isn’t it bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding?”

  “Oh, please! Jio was there in the delivery room and watched me push Lily out of my—”

  Gado covered his ears. “Tra-la-la-la-la…’Omi, time to go!” He yelled, then turned to Golden with rueful eyes. “Hey, sis, I’m happy if you’re happy.”

  They all collected at the door. Naomi planted another half dozen kisses on Lily’s face before handing her back to Golden. Her brother gave both of them hugs, shook Jio’s hand, and then hugged him fiercely—like a brother.

  Golden blinked back tears, then felt the comforting warmth of Jio’s hand squeeze her shoulder.

  This was her family. One that, after tomorrow, would officially include Jio.

  ~~*~~

  Jio shut the front door and slipped the deadbolt into place—the finality of the ‘click’ a reminder of tomorrow, and all the other tomorrows to come.

  “You helped my brother buy the Kula property, didn’t you?”

  “It was a small down payment.” Turning to face her, Jio leaned against the door and slid his hands in the pockets of his wool slacks. “A little one, really—okay. Fine. The down payment was a wedding gift, but don’t be upset. I now have an interest in a protea and dendrobium orchid farm, so I think another round of congratulations is in order.”

  She shook her head, and smiled. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you.” They stood in the entrance hall, staring at each other in a befuddled haze. Lily, cradled in her arms, sucked on her thumb, half-asleep. The little girl paused, studied him then reached her arms out to him.

  Jio’s heart melted as he gathered her in his embrace.

  “I can’t believe you are doing this,” she murmured, and planted a kiss on Lily’s forehead.

  “You drive a hard bargain, Golden, but it’s also about her. I just hope I don’t disappoint you too much.”

  She stared up at him. “Jio, you could never disappoint me. If we both commit to not going out of our way to disappoint the other, I think we’ll be good together.” Her voice shook. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

  “You saw her run to me,” he said softly. “How could I not be touched by that?”

  “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. But, what are you getting out of this?”

  Jio smiled. So, she still had her pride, after all. “Lily as my heir. And you, with your beautiful brain and your gorgeous body and wise little heart, will belong to me. I liked your take-charge proposal to me, you know? Maybe I can’t say no to you when you get a little bossy,” he shrugged. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course,” Golden stammered, a little blush fluttering across her cheeks.

  “If I said ‘no’, would you still marry Marcus?”

  She looked away. “No. I wouldn’t.”

  “So you came here for me.”

  She nodded. “As much for me as for Lily. But you have to want me, Jiovanni. It’s not too late to back out.”

  “Oh, I want you very much. My mind is made up. Make no mistake about that.” He dropped a kiss on Lily’s forehead and showered her with his undivided attention. “Lily? Hi.”

  Lily’s eyes widened, and she smiled up at him. “Hi.”

  “Tomorrow, your Mamma is going to marry me. We are going to get married. Is that all right with you?”

  “Yep,” said Lily, even though she didn’t understand a thing Jio had just explained to her. He still wanted to include her in this pivotal moment. It would affect their lives for many years to come.

  “Lub you, Poppa,” she told him, and he felt the lash of unexpected tears.

  “Mamma is going to put you to bed now.” Gently he placed Lily in Golden’s arms. “You and Lily can have the room upstairs to yourselves,” he said to Golden. “I’ll send a car and driver to you in the morning. Use the day as you wish. Since I won’t see you until the ceremony…goodnight.”

  Her forehead creased. “Where are you going?”

  He smiled down at her. “Why darling, I have a wedding to plan.”

  “Just like that? Won’t you even let me have a hand in any of it?”

  He shook his head. “No,” he said, and started to walk to his room, located in the furthest reaches of the main floor.

  “I see,” she said, and the tremor in her voice made him pause. “It will be just like the first time, then.”

  Jio stopped, and turned around. “What was it like the first time?”

  “Cold. Empty. Lonely. H-Horrible.”

  “Ah, but it won’t be.” He smiled, and wanting to give her some assurance that it would be nothing like the first time, he strode over to her and kissed both her cheeks. His lips brushing against her soft skin sent his pulses skipping.

  The little child in her arms kept him civilized, and checked his need to ravage her soft lips.

  Smiling at his thoughts, he gazed down into her worried face.

  “Not this time,” he murmured, “because you see, my lovely, I’m leaving our wedding night entirely up to you.”

  ~~*~~

  Golden should have taken Lily and raced off to the airport, but she knew he’d follow. She had pushed him. She’d demanded this. Now there was no turning back.

  Unable to sleep, she stared at the moon that shone brightly outside her window. The giant opal loomed over the trees whose bare branches glinted with frost. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift through a sea of memories…

  Enzo had come knocking on her front door. Since tours were by appointment only, she’d opened her door, expecting the mailman.

  Instead, a well-muscled body attached to a handsome face stood on the other side. He’d taken one look at her and his brown eyes glinted in a flirty way. A slow smile spread across his lips, and the warmth of it melted her heart and swept her off her feet.

  “My partners and I are opening up a restaurant in Lahaina. We wish to locate a farm that can supply us with organic vegetables, and herbs,” he’d said with a hopeful smile.

  She’d given him a packet of brochures to share with his partners before taking him on a tour of Lani Kai in the plantation’s golf cart. She explained their organic practices, the types of amendments used in Lani Kai’s fertile, volcanic soil, such as peat moss and sand.

  By nightfall they were swimming in
the bay, and within a week they were lovers.

  Her memories flashed forward…

  “Has she signed the marriage contract, Lorenzo?” Jio asked in that velvety tenor of his as she’d lain, unseen, on the couch in Enzo’s luxury townhome. She’d gone there earlier to meet him. He was running late picking his brother up at the airport, and she’d fallen asleep on his couch while waiting.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” was Enzo’s quiet reply. “No pre-nup.”

  “Then you are a fool, especially now. I need to settle another gold-digger like I need a hole in my head. God damn it—”

  “Never call the woman I love a gold-digger again, brother. It will be the last thing you ever say to me!”

  “Enzo, forgive me.”

  Golden, wide-awake by then, raised herself up from the couch. “Enzo?”

  Two sets of footsteps pattered into the room.

  “Sweetheart, I didn’t realize you were here.” Enzo strode around the couch to take her hand as she stood. He planted a kiss on her lips, his adoring eyes revealing none of the tension that had been in the air a moment ago. “Please meet my brother—Jiovanni. He is the other most important person in my life.”

  She’d stared at Jio. He’d stared right back. Mysterious blue eyes scaled her sleep-tousled features and sun-streaked hair. His gaze traveled to her stomach, curvy and thick with baby beneath the slender lines of her red pareu that she’d knotted at her ripening breasts.

  When his gaze roamed back up again, his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but he extended his hand to her. “I’m pleased to meet you, Golden. My brother is a lucky man…”

  And shifted…

  Jio had been rinsing himself off at the freshwater tower when Enzo emerged from the shore, and collapsed on the sand. Golden was setting paper plates out on a nearby picnic table when she saw Jio running to where Enzo lay, clutching frantically at his chest.

  “Jio,” he’d grated at his brother, struggling to get words out between breaths, “if anything happens to me, take care of them.”

  “Enzo, nothing is going to happen!” Golden had clutched at her fiancé’s shoulders in distress, alarmed by the blueish tint taking over his lips. “You’re going to be fine, and stuck taking care of us yourself!”