How To Wed A Billionaire (How To... Book 3)

by Layla Valentine

  “I planned on telling you everything tonight,” he says. “So we could figure things out before the ceremony tomorrow.”

  “Funny,” I scoff. “Because I planned on having a conversation with you tonight, too. About what we were going to decide tomorrow.”

  Shaking my head, I shield my eyes with my palm. If I look straight at him right now, I might have a breakdown, and I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he has that much power over me.

  “I want to have that conversation,” Aaron says.

  “It’s a little late for that.” Dropping my hand, I stare at the floor. My vision blurs, either from anger or the tears entering my eyes.

  “Please, let me explain. You asked the other day what I do for a living.”

  “And you said you are in tech. There was no mention of film production.”

  The fury in me grows, pushing aside the pain. Suddenly, it becomes far too easy to look at him. I want him to know how much I despise him. Snapping my gaze up to his, I dare him to respond.

  “That’s true.” Aaron pushes his fingers through his dark hair, making it stand up. “I do have a tech startup. It’s called CPD Laboratories. What I didn’t tell you, because I couldn’t, is that CPD developed the app that matched you and I. Pure Chemistry, it’s called.”

  “O-kay.” To hide my shaking hands, I curl them into fists, which I plant on my hips.

  “Pure Chemistry was my idea. When I mentioned it to a buddy of mine who’s in TV, Dan, he told me about this idea he’d been kicking around to have a reality show where two strangers are married the moment they meet. It was his idea to combine our projects. At first, I thought it was crazy, but then it seemed like a great opportunity. What better way to test my app then see if two strangers, once matched up, could have a successful relationship?”

  “I’m your test bunny,” I say.

  His eyebrows pinch. “It wasn’t personal, Rachel. This whole thing is a test. You knew that going in.”

  He’s only stating the truth, but it feels like a punch to the gut. This project only started as a career move for me, but it’s certainly personal, now.

  “Why you?” I ask. “Why the hell are you on the show? If you wanted to test your stupid app, you could have gotten any number of volunteers. It’s TV, for Pete’s sake. Every other person in America would love to be on a show.”

  “Because…” He licks his lips. “I wanted to experience it myself. Also, I haven’t had time to date. I thought it would be a quick solution to finding someone. A kill-two-birds-with-one-stone deal. And I didn’t want to get too many people involved in case the app was still faulty. The whole sales pitch behind Pure Chemistry is that it has a ninety-nine percent success rate. My team and I decided it’s not going to market until we can stand behind that promise. That’s why I only…”

  He falters. Uh-oh. Another truth bomb he can’t stomach.

  “What?” I press. “Just tell me.”

  Aaron tenses. “There are no other contestants. It’s you and me. That’s all. We auditioned some other women, and we had the app run my answers by all of theirs. It matched me up with you. You and I are the only people being filmed.”

  “We’re the only ones?” I repeat, praying that I somehow heard wrong.

  “Yes,” Aaron says with a cracked voice.

  “That’s why there was no one else on the wedding day,” I murmur, putting it all together. “Why the photoshoot was never rescheduled.”

  “Yes.” He looks up at me from a hanging head. “Rachel, I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but the producers and Tina thought it would be better if we kept all of that a secret. They didn’t want you to know I was the app’s designer. They said it would make for better TV if you thought I’d been selected off the street, and because this is a joint project, I had to—”

  “Screw them,” I seethe. “You lied to me. Did you honestly think I would forgive you for this? Or do you not care? Maybe it doesn’t matter who you hurt as long as your precious little app is a success.” I laugh bitterly. “God, a dating app. How fucking ironic.”

  Spinning on my heel, I stomp into the foyer and yank on the sneakers I left by the door.

  “Rachel.”

  Ignoring him, I grab my car keys from the hook.

  “Please, don’t leave,” he says.

  His groveling gives me some satisfaction, but it’s not enough. It’s doubtful anything he does going forward could ever make up for the hideous choices he’s made so far.

  Whipping the door open, I storm out of the house and jump into my car, not stopping to see if Aaron has followed me outside. I want to look, and that’s the problem.

  I’ve been weak when it comes to him, but that ends right here and now.

  Chapter 20

  My hands grip the steering wheel until they’re sore, and still I can’t loosen the hold. Leaning forward, I stare at the street ahead as I drive. Moments from these last weeks flash in front of me like shooting stars, here one second then gone the next, leaving me wondering what I’ve really seen.

  This is why Tina had that weird conversation with me when we sat on the bed upstairs. She talked about a lot riding on the success of the show, and I get it, now. Aaron is her boss.

  “God,” I spit.

  Does everyone but me know what’s been going on? Even the production assistants, Luzia included? Was she lying to me when I asked what was happening with the other couples being filmed?

  Nausea rises in my chest. If I keep thinking about this, I’ll be physically sick.

  At the last moment, I take a right onto a side street. The car behind me beeps in annoyance.

  Yeah, I need to calm down, or else not only will I be vomiting in some bushes, but I’ll also be the cause of a multi-car pileup.

  I drive through a neighborhood, turning here and there and not thinking much about where I’m going. My initial impulse upon tearing ass out of the driveway was to go to my apartment so I could cry on Molly’s shoulder.

  But returning home means breaking my contract. Taking off for a drive to release steam might get me a slap on the wrist, hopefully, but I’m not looking to get sued—no matter how justified I feel my leaving the Santa Monica house is.

  I reach the end of a street, where there’s a parking lot. There’s a good amount of activity around the restaurants and bars, so it’s a surprise that there’s an open parking spot. Taking it as I sign, I park.

  Screw it. I need to talk to Molly. I already took the risk by calling her once. What’s the harm in doing it a second time?

  Five minutes later, I’ve convinced a restaurant to let me borrow their phone by telling them it’s an emergency. Hunkered down in the waiting area near the front, I make the call.

  It rings so many times that I’m sure she won’t answer. Then, right as I’m about to hang up…

  “Hello?”

  “Did you know there are no other contestants?”

  “Rachel? What?”

  “Yeah.” I press the base of my palm to the aching spot between my eyes. “It’s just me and Aaron, and he owns the company that made the dating app. He’s basically the boss of the production. Or they’re partners or something. Did you know any of this?”

  The woman sitting on the bench across from me cocks a curious ear. She probably doesn’t overhear phone conversations like this one every day.

  “The app was made by CPD Laboratories,” Molly slowly says. “I didn’t know that Aaron owns the company…wait. What do you mean there are no other contestants?”

  “Aaron decided to test the app out himself,” I say, lowering my voice so that I don’t get more unwanted attention from the waiting diners. “It’s only him and me.”

  “Holy shit.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What are you going to do?” she asks.

  “Get the divorce, collect my paycheck, and never speak to him again.”

  My heart aches at the very idea, but I have no choice. The feelings I have for Aaron are residual, left ov
er from a time when I thought he was someone he really isn’t.

  “How did you find all this out?” Molly asks.

  “I caught him talking on the phone tonight. There’s another lie.” I throw my hand up. “He had a cell phone all along.”

  “Jesus, Rach, I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah,” I grit through tight teeth. “Me, too. I’ll see you soon, okay? Tomorrow, I guess. At least this all is almost over.”

  “Hey, let’s make spaghetti and meatballs tomorrow night, as your homecoming meal.”

  Despite my pain, that makes me smile a bit. Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite comfort food. Even if Aaron is Dick of the Year, I still have my best friend.

  Among other things.

  Which is why this freak show isn’t going to get me down. I’ll take what I can from it and move on. There are many more people and opportunities in the world.

  “That sounds great,” I say. “See you soon.”

  After handing the phone back to the restaurant’s hostess, I head outside and cross the street to the parking lot. Halfway to my car, it hits me: I’m at the beach.

  Not any random part of the beach. I’m at the spot where Aaron and I were married.

  It has to be a coincidence. I didn’t drive here on purpose. Since I didn’t really pay attention to where I was going, that would be impossible.

  Even when I’m determined to shake Aaron off, it’s impossible.

  Sighing, I trudge in the direction of the beach. Since I’m here, I might as well enjoy the ocean for a while. The only other option is going back to the Santa Monica house, and I’d like to put that off for as long as possible.

  There’s a group of what sounds like rowdy teenagers right by the parking lot. I continue past them, my sneakers sinking into the piled sand with each step.

  The ocean’s song draws me in, and I take a seat as close to it as possible without the waves getting my feet wet. Drawing my knees up to my chest, I hook my arms around them.

  The moon is big and aglow, and laughter from the teens drifts over the beach. Not far away, the Ferris wheel Aaron and I rode the night we confessed our feelings to each other sparkles.

  It would be the most romantic setting ever, if things were different.

  Biting into my bottom lip, I finally let the tears flow. Out here on a dark beach, where no one can see my face, is the time to cry.

  The tears don’t last long, though. I’m not afraid of my emotions, but I also don’t indulge in them. Wiping my face dry, I take a deep breath.

  The worst part of all of this is that I deserve as much blame as Aaron. He tricked me, but I let myself be tricked. I wanted so badly to believe I’d finally found love that I ignored the warning signs, like his never sharing more with me about his job.

  Knowing that I’m not the only woman this has happened to doesn’t help. I should have known better, especially considering I had so many hesitations to start out with.

  “Rachel!”

  The calling of my name makes me stiffen, my breath halting in my chest.

  No. That can’t be for me. Rachel is such a common name.

  “Rachel?”

  The voice is quieter and closer, now. It’s also unmistakably Aaron’s. Turning in my sandy seat, I see his dark figure approaching.

  He stills a yard or so away, and we stare in each other’s direction. I can’t see his face, but hesitation wafts off of him.

  “Yeah,” I say, in case he needs confirmation it really is me.

  The animosity in my voice keeps him right where he is.

  “I thought you might come here,” he says.

  “I didn’t mean to,” I’m quick to answer. “It was an accident.”

  Anyone with a brain would know it wasn’t. Even if I didn’t consciously drive here, something in me brought me to this beach.

  “I’m sorry,” he says. “I made a stupid mistake.”

  “I’d call that an understatement,” I snap. “What even made you think this was a good idea in the first place?”

  His exhale is loud and heavy, the out-breath of a man who’s up against a wall and doesn’t see a way out.

  “Dan came up with it while we were at a bar,” he says. “I’d had a few drinks by then, and I know that’s not an excuse. It did contribute to the whole start of the project, though.”

  “And you never regretted it? You never once thought, hey, maybe I shouldn’t do this?”

  “I did, but by the time I felt sure it was a bad idea, I was too far into it. It started as bravado. That’s why I went along with Dan’s concept. It all happened so fast after that. We went into pre-production almost right away. And even though I had doubts about the show, I wanted the app to work. I wanted it to match me with someone perfect. I wouldn’t have started coding Pure Chemistry if that weren’t the case.”

  I hug my knees tighter to my chest. He’s breaking down my walls, and I don’t think that’s a good thing. I’ve already proven to myself that I’m a sucker for a hot, charismatic guy.

  “Even when we had the wedding,” Aaron says, “I felt sick to my stomach. This all felt so wrong. As things progressed…as I fell for you…I knew that I would have to tell you the truth. I couldn’t let you make tomorrow’s decision without knowing the full story about what’s going on. And I should have told you earlier. I know that. I’m weak. I didn’t want you to hate me.”

  “I understand that much.” I sigh. “Things felt like they were going so well between us. I didn’t want anything to ruin it, either.”

  “When I was on the phone tonight, I was in the process of telling Dan to call off tomorrow. I couldn’t go through with it.”

  “Really?” My heart, which was a cold rock an hour before, starts to warm up.

  “Yes, Rachel.”

  “But doesn’t your company have some kind of deal with the production company? And the money…that must mean so much lost.”

  “Screw the money. I have plenty of money. What I need more of in my life is you.”

  Tears flood my eyes. It’s impossible to stay mad at him any longer.

  “I love you, Rachel,” he says, emotion filling his voice. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you, if you’ll only give me a chance. I messed things up, but I won’t do that again.”

  “I love you, too.” I sniffle. “And I wasn’t completely honest either. The only reason I got into this was for professional exposure. I wasn’t looking to meet someone, let alone looking for love.”

  “That’s completely understandable. That’s not something you need to apologize for.”

  Still, I shrug. “That’s where I’m at.”

  “Where else are you at? Can you forgive me?”

  A smile stretches my face. “Yes, Aaron. I forgive you.”

  “Thank God,” he exhales, taking a step toward me.

  Standing, I brush the sand off my legs. “Except…”

  He halts. “Except what?”

  “We still need to talk about what decision we’re going to make. You know, about this marriage.”

  “We’re done filming. There’s no need. I’m not going to let this shoot continue any further.”

  “It doesn’t matter. There’s still the fact that we’re married to each other.”

  “Right,” he says, sounding cautious.

  I take a deep breath, but saying what I found so hard earlier this evening feels easy. Everything is coming out in the open. There’s no reason to be afraid of the truth.

  “I want a divorce,” I say.

  Aaron’s dead silent. The only sounds are the crashing of the waves, the giggling teens, and, beyond them, the honking of traffic.

  “I want to start over,” I clarify, afraid he’s getting the wrong idea. “To do it all on our own terms, at our own pace.” I smile. “To have no lies between us. No director telling us what to do. To be able to leave the house and get some time away from each other when we feel like it.”

  His hand finds mine. “To be fair, I didn’t even like an hour
away from you.”

  “You know what I mean, right?”

  His voice becomes serious. “Yes, Rachel. I do.” He draws me to him. “And I think it’s a good idea.”

  My body relaxes at the news. “Great.”

  “Wonderful.” He lifts my chin, his mouth seeking mine.

  It’s the easiest kiss ever to get lost in. With his arms secure around me, I melt with the relaxation that everything will be okay.

  Breaking the kiss, he laces his fingers through mine. “What do you want to do?”

  “We can go home.” I squeeze his hand. “It is the last night in the house, after all. We might as well enjoy it. After that…”

  After that, what?

  “What happens next?” I ask.

  “I was hoping you’d come with me to check on the vineyard.”

  “A work trip?”

  “Not exactly.”

  I roll my eyes. “Not exactly?”

  “We could go horseback riding while we’re there. What do you think of that?”

  The idea has me bouncing on the balls of my feet. “I love it!”

  “And I love you,” Aaron says, pulling me in for another kiss.

  Chapter 21

  During the drive back to the house, I’m on cloud nine, pushing the speed limit as I follow behind Aaron’s car. I can’t wait to get home and have him all to myself.

  When we pull up to the house, though, my good mood instantly evaporates. There are two cars in the driveway, one of which I’m pretty sure is Tina’s.

  My stomach dropping, I climb out of my car and look Aaron’s way. His expression is worried, and he hesitates at the front door.

  “They can’t make us finish the show,” he says.

  I wrap my arms protectively around myself. Despite the warm weather, there’s the urge to shiver. “What about the contracts?”

  “This is still my project.”

  He says it with all the assertiveness in the world, but I’m still on edge walking into the house.