by Elle E Kay
Books by Elle E. Kay
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Lawfully Guarded
Dear Reader,
About Elle E. Kay
Acknowledgements
Personal Testimony
The Billionaire’s
Reluctant Bride
Books by Elle E. Kay
Faith Writes Publishing
ENDLESS MOUNTAIN SERIES:
Shadowing Stella
Implicating Claudia
Chasing Sofie (coming soon)
THE LAWKEEPER SERIES:
Lawfully Held
A K-9 Lawkeeper Romance
Lawfully Taken
A Bounty Hunter Lawkeeper Romance
Lawfully Defended
A S.W.A.T. Lawkeeper Romance
Lawfully Given
A Christmas Lawkeeper Romance
Lawfully Promised
A Texas Ranger Lawkeeper Romance
THE BLUSHING BRIDES SERIES:
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride
(Releases April 4, 2019)
STANDALONE NOVELLAS:
Holly’s Noel
Painting the Sunset Sky (coming soon)
The Billionaire’s
Reluctant Bride
Elle E. Kay
Faith Writes Publishing
Benton, Pennsylvania
Copyright © 2018 Elle E. Kay
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission
from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Faith Writes Publishing
266 Saint Gabriels Rd
Benton, PA 17814
ISBN: 978-1-950240-01-2
I dedicate this book to my husband.
He keeps life interesting.
Prologue
24 August 2006
Fenwick Island, Delaware
T he light rain mingled with her tears as Addison sat beside Zachary on the beach. She’d turned seventeen that day, but during her celebration her boyfriend, Ben, dumped her so he could hook-up with her younger sister, Parker.
“Try not to be sad. He didn’t deserve you.” Zach’s shoulders rounded as he leaned closer and wiped away her tears.
“I can’t believe he dumped me for my sister. How can I still love him?” The rain fizzled out as she cried, but the breeze off the sea brought on a shiver.
“He’s not worth the heartache. Forget him. It’s our birthday. Let’s celebrate.” She and Zach shared a birthday, and every year no matter what they did during the day, they spent the last hour before curfew together. They both lived in the rural town of Lake Bethel, Pennsylvania, but their mothers met while on vacation in Fenwick Island seventeen years earlier.
All this time later, their families still spent summer vacations in side-by-side beachfront rentals. Zach had been her best friend as long as she could remember.
She sniffled and lifted her head so she could meet his clear blue gaze through his wire-rimmed glasses. He tucked a strand of her dirty-blond hair behind her ear and pulled her closer, letting her cry on his shoulder. A few minutes passed before she pulled away and stared out at the dark waves crashing against the beach. “Do you think we’ll spend all our birthdays miserable? What is this the third in a row we’ve trash-talked an ex?”
“Yeah. Last year it was Heather the two-timing loser and the year before it was Sven. He was a goon.”
“I guess we both stink at picking dates.”
“Yeah, we do. Maybe we’re both destined to be alone forever.”
“That would be dreadful.” There was a slight tremor in her voice.
“Would it?” he asked tilting his head to the side.
She scrunched up her nose. “I’d hate being alone. I want to marry and have a houseful of kids.”
“In that case, let’s make a pact.”
“What kind of pact?”
“If we’re both still unattached on our twenty-ninth birthday, we’ll get married.”
“To each other?”
He leaned toward her, and his shaggy blond hair fell over one eye. “Yeah, to each other. Who else?”
“Deal.” She gave him a shaky smile and reached out her hand to seal the deal. “I guess there is a benefit in having a guy for a best friend.”
Chapter 1
10 August 2018
A ddison laughed as she typed her response to Zach’s email.
Sure. Why not? Set the date. Order the flowers. I’ll be there.
He always had a great sense of humor. It surprised her he remembered the teenage pact they’d made to bring it up all these years later. Picturing her friend’s laughing blue eyes teasing her, she grinned. It would be fun to have him back in her life again, but now that Fractal Enterprises had gone public, and he was a successful giant on the social media scene, it was unlikely he’d be able to make time to hang out with an old friend.
His response came quickly.
Why don’t we set the date for our birthday? It would be fitting, don’t you agree? I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning. August 23rd to fly you to location.
If he wanted to keep the joke going, she would play along.
Our birthday. Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll see you then.
When no further response came, she shook her head and got back to work, busying herself designing a plug-in for a client’s website. After a few hours of staring at PHP, she needed a break, so she called her mother.
“Want to meet for lunch?”
“Sure. I have a customer, but I should be able to get away in twenty minutes. Meet me at the diner.”
Her mother disconnected the call before she could reply.
Addison arrived at the diner a few minutes early and found a booth in the back. Thoughts of Zachary Williams swirled in her head. She wondered how they’d lost touch when they’d been such close friends. Then she remembered the kiss that ruined everything. If he hadn’t given her that pity kiss they would’ve remained friends, but she’d been unable to face him after that night.
Her mother arrived with her usual flair. She was dressed in a bold lime green skirt and wore a purple feather boa draped around her shoulders. “Why did you sit in the corner?”
She’d found a seat in the back so her mother wouldn’t embarrass her, but would not come out and say so. “It’s quiet back here. It makes chatting easier.”
“Oh.” Her mother snapped her fingers at a waiter walking past. “Water with a slice of lemon and a spritz of lime, please.”
Addison cleared her throat. “Mom, it’s a diner. They don’t do a spritz of lime.”
“They don’t unless you ask them.”
Switching gears, she leaned across the table. “I received an interesting email today.”
“Did you?”
“Zachary Williams emailed me about a teenage pact we’d made.”
“What kind of pact?”
“A marriage pact.”
Her mother sat up straighter, giving Addison her full attention. “Tell me more.”
“When we were seventeen, we made an agreement that if we were both single on our 29th birthdays, we’d get married. It was just one
of those silly things kids did. Since our birthday is coming up, he joked about it and emailed asking if we’re still on.” Addison giggled. “He’s the same fun guy he was back then. I miss him.”
“What makes you think he was kidding?” Her mother’s keen brown eyes bore into her.
She shifted in her seat and lowered her gaze. “He had to be kidding. Nobody takes teenage pacts seriously.”
“Maybe he does.”
“I hope not. I played into it. Told him to get the flowers and arrange the wedding.”
“You may have agreed to marry the wealthiest man in America.”
“Mom, he’s not marrying me. It was a joke.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m certain. I know Zach better than I know myself.”
“Zachary has had a crush on you since fifth grade.”
“Has not.”
“Yes, he has.” A Cheshire smile graced Mrs. Scott’s face. “His mother and I talked about it all the time, but you barely noticed he was a boy.”
“That’s not true.”
“Oh, but it is.”
“Maybe when we were young, but I crushed on him hard senior year. It’s probably why I agreed to the silly marriage pact idea in the first place.”
“You’re not getting any younger, Addison. Marrying Zach would mean you could start a family.”
“He doesn’t want to marry me, Mom. The man was kidding. It was a joke.”
“If that’s what you want to believe.”
They finished their meal in silence and Addison hurried back to the office. It had to be a joke. There was no possible way he could be serious.
Zachary Williams stared out the window of the high rise. His posture was rigid as he listened to his cell phone play “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” It was the ring-tone his personal assistant set for Nikki. Nothing could be more appropriate. It was the fifth time she’d called this morning. He’d answered the first three times. The woman wouldn’t take no for an answer.
It was her fault he’d emailed Addison. If the woman had a shred of decency, she’d give up and leave him alone. He flashed back to the moment he’d caught her cheating. He’d gone into the conference room for a meeting with his lawyer and there they were. They had absolutely no shame. It was clear what he’d walked in on. He’d walked away quietly and started the search for a new lawyer. Finding a new woman proved more difficult. He’d dated several women before Nikki, but she was the closest he’d come to tying the knot.
When it appeared he might not find a suitable girl in Los Angeles, he’d remembered the lovely brown-eyed girl back home who was his perfect match. Kind, funny, and genuine. That was when he’d reached out to Addison to see if she was interested in following through on their marriage pact. Thankfully, she’d agreed and his search for a wife ended.
When the phone stopped ringing, he picked it up and dialed Amy’s voice mail. It was the routine way he doled out instructions. He’d leave his assistant voice messages whenever something came to mind, and she’d expertly handle whatever pressing matter had prompted his call. This time he wanted her to plan a wedding. How hard could it be?
Five minutes passed before his cell started in again. He answered as Amy entered his office without knocking and stood with her hands on her hips glaring at him. He stared at his petite assistant while he spoke into his phone.
“Nikki, I have work to do. Stop calling.” He disconnected the call and smiled at Amy. “Nice touch with the ring-tone, but I’m done with her now. Block her number from my cell and the office phones.” He raised an eyebrow, taking notice of her agitation. Her normally flawless hair style was already falling out, and the chopstick was hanging sideways. It was only eight in the morning. “Your hair is doing a thing.”
She glared at him. “Really? You want to talk about my hair?”
“We could discuss when you decided it was okay to walk into my office without first knocking, if you’d rather?”
Ignoring his question, she placed both hands on his desk and leaned toward him. “You want me to plan a wedding in less than two weeks! Have you lost your mind?”
“I have confidence in you. Hire extra help if you need it.”
“It’ll take me two weeks just to hire the help.”
“You’ll think of something.” He grinned. “You’re the best.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere this time, buster.”
“Please.” He changed tacks. “I’m marrying my best friend.”
The short brunette let out a deep sigh. “How come I’ve never met this friend? What happened with you and the last one, anyway?”
“You never liked her, so what’s it matter?”
“She wasn’t right for you, but I don’t see why you should rush into marriage with the next girl who comes along.”
“Ames, Addison and I planned this marriage twelve years ago.”
“Then why were you engaged to Nutty Nikki? Never mind. It’s none of my business. I’ll get started planning your wedding, but don’t ask for anything else for the next two weeks.”
“I’ll be on my best behavior.” He grinned.
“Sure you will.”
“My mom will fly to the island a week early to help you with the planning.” He was certain Lucinda Williams would get in Amy’s way, rather than provide any meaningful assistance, but she was his mother and deserved to take part in planning his wedding.
Amy closed the door behind her with a little too much force.
Two weeks later
Running late for work, Addison slipped on her high heels and stumbled out her front door. She came face to face with Zachary Williams, hand up about to knock on the door. “Zach?” Her eyes widened in shock.
“Addison.”
“Wow.” She recovered and straightened her spine. “You look good.”
“As do you.” His azure eyes twinkled. “As always.”
“Thanks.” She lowered her gaze to the ground.
“Are you ready?” He held out his hand, and she placed hers inside it.
“Ready for what?” Her gaze took in the white limousine sitting in her driveway.
“Our wedding? Tomorrow morning. Did you forget I said I’d pick you up today?” They walked down the steps together.
“No. I didn’t forget.” Heat crept to her cheeks. “But how did you get my new address? You didn’t ask for it.” Maybe he hadn’t been joking after all. This couldn’t be happening. She should tell him she’d thought he was kidding and send him on his way. Then again, what if he’d spent a fortune on a wedding at her direction? Her conscience couldn’t handle it. She got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She needed to put a stop to this, she couldn’t get married on a whim for no greater reason than because she’d agreed to it as a kid. It was absurd.
“I cheated. Got your address off the Fractal network.”
“Well then, I’m ready, but I need to stop and pick up my dress. Can we swing by my mother’s shop?”
“Isn’t she coming?”
“Silly me. Yes, my mother is coming, and she’ll bring my dress with her. Forgive my scattered brain.” She pulled away from him and ran back up the steps to the door. “I need to call her. I’ll be right back.”
“Can’t you call from your cell?”
“Don’t you remember the spotty cell service? Give me one minute.” She held up her index finger. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Once inside, she leaned against the front door and tried to breathe normally. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be happening. Slowly, she made her way to the cordless telephone and dialed her mother. She bounced from one foot to the other while she waited the three rings for her mother to pick up the phone. “Mom. Thank goodness you answered. The whole marriage thing wasn’t a joke. Zach wasn’t kidding. He’s here now. I will need a wedding gown pronto, something pretty that fits me. I don’t even know where to tell you to meet me. Hang on a sec.”
She opened the front door. Zach stood on the top step waiting. H
is large frame filled her doorway, she looked up and met his eyes. “Where should I tell my mother to meet us?”
“The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. I’ve arranged for my pilot to fly all of us to my private island for the ceremony.”
“Okay. I’ll let her know.” Instead of inviting him in like a sane person, she shut the door on him and ran up the stairs with the phone still held to her ear. If she was going to go through with this insanity, she needed to pack a bag. “Mom. Meet us at the airport in Avoca and bring your passport. We’re flying to a private island somewhere for the ceremony.”
Five minutes later, she slid into the limo and faced Zach.
He took her hand in his. “I can see you’re as nervous as I am.”
“You could say that.” She tried to smile, but was afraid it was more of a grimace. “I haven’t seen you since my father’s funeral and now I’m marrying you.”
“What’s it been, two years?”
“Four.”
“Wow. Time moves quickly. How’s your mother been?” His eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“Throwing herself into her work, but surviving.”
“I’m glad. I’ve always liked your mother. She’s such a sweet soul.”
“You like her because she’s loony.”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
He squeezed her hand. “Are we crazy to be doing this?”
“Yes.” She blinked rapidly as she fought the urge to jump out of the speeding car.
“Great. I need to be a little nutty to keep up the image, right?”
She giggled. “You always knew how to lighten the mood.” Her eyes met his. “Are we seriously doing this?”
“If you’re willing?” He pulled a velvet box out of his pocket and held it out to her.
She admired the emerald-cut diamond briefly before meeting his eyes. Her voice came out in a whisper. “I’m willing.”
He removed the ring from the box and placed it on the ring finger of her left hand. The enormity of what she’d agreed to hit her. He was Zachary. Her closest friend in the world, but after all this time, he was a stranger. If she followed through with this, she would live her life in the limelight, the wife of a billionaire entrepreneur.