Bargain Bride, Billionaire Groom Read online

  “Will our divorce affect that?”

  He shook his head. “We’ve established a marriage and an ancestral connection to Italy on Lily’s behalf, so the answer is no. It won’t.”

  “How is her application coming along?” she asked him, taking another sip of her brother’s coffee.

  “Cumbersome, and a pain in my ass. That’s how it’s coming along.”

  She laughed. She couldn’t help it. How many people got to see a billionaire flustered over a few bits of paperwork?

  “Between the certifications, notarizations, translations from English to Italian, government offices in both countries wanting original documents—from Enzo’s birth certificate to Lily’s birth certificate to Enzo’s death certificate and God knows what else—we can expect her paperwork to be completed sometime in the next decade or so. I even carry our marriage certificate around, just in case.”

  Maybe there was more to it than she thought.

  Jio clearly wasn’t delegating this to anyone, but was hands-on with his involvement. She hid her smile behind her coffee mug.

  “So, will you and Lily come visit me, please?”

  “I had always planned to travel more when Lily was a little older,” she admitted, impressed by his doggedness. “Maybe this is a good time to start.”

  “I think you’d both enjoy yourselves.” His gaze sought hers. “I need this, Golden. More and more I miss my niece’s piping little voice between phone calls. The photos you send over the internet I cherish, but it’s not the same. I guess…I wish to spend this time with her before you—well, before you move on. And I suspect that you haven’t had a holiday since my brother died.”

  “Jio, I live year-round on an island paradise. Every day is like a vacation.”

  “Have you ever seen snow?”

  She shook her head. For sure she’d just raised herself to country bumpkin status in his eyes.

  “Lily would love it,” he said persuasively.

  “And that’s it? That’s all you want?”

  He raised his mug to his lips. “It’s one place to start.” He shrugged, and took a sip of his coffee.

  Chapter Four

  Golden stared at him, finding Jio as enigmatic today as she did the day they’d met. “One place to start?”

  “A different chapter,” he said, sounding reasonable. “I’ll still be Lily’s uncle, won’t I?”

  “Of course! That will never change. I guess I should talk to Gado about going away.”

  “I cleared things with him before approaching you.”

  “You did?” she asked, pleasantly surprised. “What did he say?”

  “He thinks it’s a good time to go. Your coffee harvest won’t begin until late summer and you’ll be back well before then.”

  “You’ve covered all your bases, haven’t you?”

  He shrugged. “You’ve done everything I’ve asked. You helped me when I needed to protect my brother’s assets and secure Lily’s inheritance. My calling you a gold-digger?” His mouth tightened with regret. “That was unforgivable. I know that is not who or what you are. Maybe this trip will show you a different side of me. Take away some of that distance you spoke of. Unless…is there something that might be stopping you?”

  “How about never getting that marriage proposal if I go away with you?”

  Jio smiled, amused. “It’s just skiing. As for your love interest? If you play these cards right, he might pop the question to keep you from going anywhere.”

  “He won’t stop me. That’s the problem. And it’s because we’re still married.”

  The phone rang, interrupting them. She reached across the countertop to answer it.

  “Golden…” Marcus Grayson’s voice comforted her in the fire zone of Jio’s narrowing stare.

  “Hello.” She angled her back to Jio. Bad move, she thought, her spine prickling.

  “Are we still on for tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  A thoughtful silence hung on the other end of the line. “Is this a good time?”

  “Marcus, I’m sorry. Jio is here and—well, he wasn’t due for another two weeks or so.”

  “You do sound a little distracted.”

  “I am, a little. Um, yes, we are still on for dinner. I don’t expect that Lily’s uncle will be staying, so it will probably be just the three of us again. You’re welcome to bring your house guest along if he doesn’t mind being around a chatty little toddler.”

  Marcus had mentioned that a friend of his turned up unexpectedly at his front door a week ago, but she’d been so occupied gearing up mentally for Jio’s arrival that she didn’t poke much into Marcus’s business.

  “Thanks, Golden, but maybe some other time. I’ll bring a bottle of red. Or do you prefer white?”

  “Either will work. It’s surf and turf tonight.”

  “Maybe both, then. I’ll see you tonight, honey,” Marcus said, and hung up.

  The phone shook in Golden’s hand. Jio heard every word, she was sure. No doubt he’d just figured out who her love interest was.

  “Have you slept with him yet?”

  She banged the phone down. “Have you no limits to the things you ask me, Jiovanni?”

  “What? A man can’t ask his wife if she’s sleeping with another man?” he asked, all innocent.

  “I am not that kind of wife and you know it. And I don’t have to answer to you since I’m not sleeping with you, either. Ohh!” she railed, peeved with herself as she realized she’d given herself away. “Lily and I won’t be going to Starfire Ridge to see you!”

  A mysterious glint flashed in Jio’s eyes. “Thank you for the dinner invitation, Golden. I think I’ll stay, after all. I look forward to joining you tonight.”

  ~~*~~

  Gado just finished firing up the citronella torches around the dining area next to the pool when the doorbell chimed. “I’ll get it.”

  Golden arranged the last placement of silverware next to her mother’s Bavarian china, and as the sun dipped into the ocean, she appreciated the leafy overhang of white passionflower vines that hung through the gaps in the pergola, offering shade against the setting sun.

  Gado’s line-caught fish had been filleted and seasoned. On the other side of the smoking grill, a ceramic bowl piled high with island rib-eyes marinated in a blend of bourbon, pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and olive oil.

  She’d distractedly massaged the seasoning into the steaks shortly after Jio had dropped his bombshell. Not only was he on for dinner, he was staying overnight, as well!

  If that’s not an imposition?

  No, of course not, Jio. But what about your flight plan? Your jet? she’d asked him. He’d shrugged, asked to use her landline, punched in some numbers, advised his pilots of the change in plans and that took care of that.

  Jio took off shortly after with a wide-awake Lily to present her with the gifts he’d brought with him, piled in the back of his SUV…

  “Momma?” piped a little voice from the other side of the tall glass sliding doors that separated the pool from the main living quarters.

  “I’ll be right there,” Golden assured the tiny girl peering at her from the other side. She took one more look around, then dashed over to double check that the lock on the gates that separated the dining area from the swimming pool was secure.

  Then she plucked a yellow plumeria blossom from a nearby tree and tucked it behind her right ear, furthest from her heart.

  “Mom-ma!”

  “I’ve got her.” Gado appeared behind Lily. He picked her up and slid the tall, glass doors open, nesting them into pockets built into the exterior walls. When open, the effect was a natural indoor-to-outdoor sequence that captured fresh island breezes and framed sparkling bay views.

  “Marcus is here, hunting for wine glasses and a bucket. He says he’ll be out shortly. I left him to come after Lily when she took off looking for you.” Gado placed Lily in her arms.

  “Hello angel.” Golden smoothed out Lily�
��s yellow lace eyelet top over her matching bloomers. “How pretty you look tonight.”

  Lily nodded. “Poppa buy me soos.” She pointed a chubby finger at her feet, decked out in a pair of soft, leather sandals dotted with pink ladybugs.

  “And they squeak when she walks,” Gado informed her with a terrorized look.

  “Oh, how cute!”

  “Eat?” Lily asked, hopeful. Golden flipped back the linen from one of two bread baskets, selected a fresh-baked sweet potato breadstick and stuck it in Lily’s hand.

  “Any sign of Jio?” she asked as her brother scrubbed the surface of the grill with a wire brush.

  “He’s probably just stepping out of the shower.”

  Sultry images flashed through her mind: Drops of water glistening on tanned skin, dark blond hair slicked back, ripped abs soaking wet. She turned away, her cheeks aglow.

  “No chance that Naomi can join us tonight?” Golden rushed to change the subject, desperate to think about something else. She tucked Lily in her high chair.

  “Naw. She flew out to Honolulu with her mom this morning, on a shopping trip. Who knows when those two will be back.”

  “Jee-oh Poppa!” Lily cried out in delight when Jio strolled outside to join them.

  Golden stared. Tonight he wore auburn cargo shorts that showed off his muscular legs, and a cream-colored polo shirt. The shirt stretched snugly across his broad shoulders and its top three buttonholes were ignored of their purpose, as usual. His damp hair had been combed back, flaunting his features to her drooling gaze.

  “Gado. Golden.” Jio skimmed Golden’s figure in her narrow dress of a tea-leaf green. His gaze flashed briefly over the flower she’d placed above her right ear, trumpeting her soon-to-be single status, then veiled as he strolled over to Lily.

  “Hello, cupcake,” he greeted, kissing her buttery fingers clutched around a breadstick.

  “She’s a heartless little flirt, isn’t she?” declared another male voice. Marcus Greyson stepped out into covered patio. He approached Golden with a smile.

  “Hello,” Marcus greeted her softly, and placed a lingering kiss on her startled lips. “I brought a special bottle of wine just for you.” He handed her the bottle, gave her an affectionate tap on the chin and then swung around to shake her brother’s hand.

  “Red wine—ooh! From France.” She looked up to thank him, and stopped herself in time to see Jio reach out to shake Marcus’s hand.

  As her brother introduced the two men, Golden watched something flicker in Jio’s eyes. She frowned. An odd thing came to mind. The light in her husband’s eyes made her think of something that resembled a battle gleam.

  Uh-oh. Maybe Marcus kissing her in front of Jio wasn’t a good idea. She’d been engaged to Jio’s brother after all. Probably best she hold off on the PDA for when she and Marcus were alone.

  “Thank you for this.” She spoke hurriedly to draw Marcus’s attention away from the look in Jio’s eyes, but Gado beat her to it. He stuffed a bottle of icy cold beer in Marcus’s hand, then one in Jio’s and started sharing his latest fishing tale with Marcus, leaving Golden to make out the beautiful words on the bottle of wine.

  “Appellation—” Her tongue twisted around the word.

  Jio came to stand behind her. He studied the bottle for several moments, standing so close to her that his breath fanned the curve of her shoulder. “Appellation Côtes-Du-Rhône Contrôlée. That vintage comes from some of the most ancient vineyards in France.”

  She looked up at him, meeting his gaze as it shifted from the label on the bottle and settled on her face. A sensuous glow flamed in his eyes, set fire to her senses and blurred the boundaries between them.

  “You’ll love that wine, Golden,” he murmured, his eyes dark and penetrating. “It’s best enjoyed in an older, softer vintage, such as what you hold in your hands. It was harsh and unsettled when it was young. Now it is…smoother.”

  His voice brushed across her ears and sent a swish of pleasure swirling in the crease between her thighs. She lifted her eyebrows and fought a sneaky suspicion he wasn’t talking about the wine.

  “Mah-cus Poppa!” Lily cried, and waved her breadstick at him.

  Golden cringed. “See what I mean?” she whispered to Jio. “She calls every man ‘poppa!’”

  The bottle of beer Jio raised to his lips stilled for a second. His look of amusement was followed by a wink of understanding and a sip of his beer. When he swiped his tongue across his lips, Golden’s knees—and other parts of her—turned into gooey lady mush.

  Marcus frowned. “Not Poppa, peanut.” He strode over to Lily’s chair and hunkered down to meet her eyes. “Not yet,” Marcus predicted with confidence, and patted her head.

  Chapter Five

  Dessert was a coconut chiffon cake topped with a silky layer of chocolate ganache. Sprinkled with fresh grated coconut rind, it was the perfect finish to a meal that Golden prayed to high heaven would come to a merciful end. Soon!

  Having her marriage-of-convenience husband and prospective husband seated together at dinner was…awkward. An experience she hoped never to repeat. Marcus joining them had been a terrible idea.

  She shied away from Marcus’s touch because Jio was there. The second time Marcus reached out to hold her hand—only to get chased off by her panicked look—he didn’t bother with a third attempt.

  As they finished dessert, Gado retrieved his ukulele and was tweaking the strings when Marcus turned to her. “Walk with me?”

  “Sure.” She placed her napkin down on the table. “Jio, will you excuse us for a moment?”

  “Of course,” Jio said.

  Marcus snatched her hand up in his and strode off with her. Heat blazed down her back as Jio’s hard stare followed them into the darkness. Marcus ushered her across the lawn and up a flight of steps to the upper great lawn with its spread of grass and curvy borders planted with hibiscus shrubs in orange bloom.

  He tugged her down next to him on a garden bench, planted an un-interrupted kiss on her lips and then lifted his head to study her. “How’s it going?”

  She smiled up at him. “It’s going. Lily and I have been invited to spend time with Jio at a ski resort in Colorado. A luxury development called Starfire Ridge.”

  His stare narrowed. “Just you and Lily?”

  “Jio would have extended the invitation to my brother, I’m sure,” she assured him. Jio was generous like that. “But…I turned him down.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “Jio wants us with him for at least three of the six weeks he’s there. I’d go for three weeks, but six? It seems too long to be away. Don’t you think?” she asked, curious to see what his response might be.

  “What does your brother think?”

  “Gado is all for it. When he gets married and I’m left to manage things here, I may not be able to get away.”

  “Hm. I’d keep in mind that Lily hasn’t traveled much. Plus, you’re looking at several connecting flights just to get out there, so I see the logic in staying for the entire six weeks. Why not just go for the three weeks?”

  “You don’t mind if I go on vacation? With another man?”

  Marcus smoothed her hair back. “I don’t want you going anywhere with another man. Even if he is your husband.”

  “Jio’s not my husband husband.”

  “Well, given the circumstances and the assets involved, I understand how the arrangement came about. Here’s the thing, honey. We’ve been getting to know each other now for oh—five months? I’m ready to move on to the next level. I’ve had about as many cold showers as I can stand. But anything more between us is out of the question until your arrangement with Jio is sorted out.”

  “I understand,” Golden hurried to add. “And I am taking steps to meet that goal.”

  “Good, because I won’t play second fiddle to anyone’s husband. Not even a fake one. Honey, I hate to ask—are you sure you’re not feeling all that…lightning?”

  She stared at him
and wondered if something she’d said, or done, had given her away. “If something were to happen, don’t you think it would have by now?”

  “I don’t overthink things. I’m just a simple island cowboy, sweetheart.”

  “Sure you are, with your villa and your helicopter.”

  Marcus laughed as she snuggled up to him. He curled an arm around her shoulders and surprised her by saying, “I think you should go on that ski trip, for Lily’s sake—”

  Squeak, squeak. “Momma?” Squeak.

  She looked in the direction of the stairwell just in time to see Jio emerge from the steps, holding hands with Lily. “I’m right here, Lily.”

  “My apologies for the interruption,” Jio drawled.

  Golden didn’t need to see Jio’s gaze flick over their cozy seating arrangement. She felt its grilling intensity, and it made her shiver in the tropical night. Going on that ski trip might be good for Lily, but it would be bad for her. Very bad.

  “Momma!” Squeak, squeak, squeak. Lily broke away from Jio’s hand and was at Golden’s side in a shot, tugging on her hand. “Uncle Gado. Want dance.”

  “Uncle Gado wants us to do a hula for our guests?”

  “Yep.”

  “Okay, Lily. Let’s show your uncle Jio what you have learned in your dance school. Jio, would you mind carrying her? The shoes you bought her are going to push us all over the edge.”

  He smiled. “My pleasure.”

  To Jio and Marcus’s delight, Golden and Lily danced to a hip-shaking number that Gado played on his ukulele. They danced to two tunes, the first one being the ever popular Hukilau—about the fish harvest. It was a fun and simple number for Lily to wiggle her little hips to.

  The next song Golden took on her own. The faint strumming of the ukulele took a back seat to Gado’s intense, melodic voice. Marcus pulled his seat up along the edges of the pavement as Golden’s bare feet glided along the cool grass. Her hips and body swayed in sensual motion against the flicker of torchlights, accompanied by the liquid movement of her hands.