Bought by The Billionaire Rancher

by Tee, Marian

  The kiss lasted only for a few seconds, but oh what unimaginably, magnificently rapturous seconds they were, with the way the billionaire had so very possessively taken ownership of her mouth, that by the time he lifted his head, Tilly needed more than a moment just to get her wits about her.

  And it so wasn't helping, she thought weakly, that the billionaire was audibly breathing hard, and that he was still staring at her mouth like he was about to pounce on it any moment.

  Pounce away

  Tilly gave herself a mental shake. Concentrate, Wakefield!

  She mustn't forget her reason for coming.

  And that was...

  Tilly leaned forward, and in the act of reaching to take Liam back into her arms, she whispered into his ear, "Stage 2 unlocked."

  Incredulity had Logan jerking - had he really heard her fucking say those words - and he had his answer as soon as she moved away, and he saw the Cheshire grin playing on her rosebud lips.

  "You---"

  And looking every inch like the goddamn cat that stole the fucking cream, she blinked up at him, saying very innocently, "Me?"

  Logan battled against a very serious urge to give her a good, hard spank to her bottom. Stage 2 in their timeline, he thought irritably, was to provide the people around them subtle proof of their growing attraction to each other.

  So where the hell was subtle in what just happened?

  Chapter 14

  Uh oh. Tilly had thought the billionaire would appreciate her well-meaning little joke, but when Logan ordered Jim to look after Liam before wordlessly taking her hand to drag Tilly with him to his office...

  Maybe she had overestimated his sense of humor?

  His long-legged stride forced her to half-run after him past a sea of gaping faces, and when the billionaire slammed the door shut after them with a loud, hard bang---

  Definitely overestimated it, Tilly decided, and it was for this reason that she started moving back as soon as the billionaire let go of her hand. But with Logan advancing towards her at the same time, the distance only continued to shrink between them.

  "I did it for you, you know," she tried convincing him. "It's in our contract, remember? That it's my responsibility to prevent this marriage from making you spend time away from work---"

  "Bullshit."

  "Well, okay, that's true," Tilly felt obliged to acknowledge, "but all's well that ends well. Don't you believe that?"

  "No."

  He was so, so close now.

  "Logan..." Her voice was pleading.

  "Tilly..." His voice was mockingly pleasant.

  A few more steps, and he would reach her.

  So what now, Wakefield? Take it on the chin or use that one last card up your sleeve?

  Tilly saw Logan start to speak, and since the idea of being on the receiving end of a non-physical tongue-lashing held no appeal...

  “Um." She lifted her blouse up before the billionaire could even get the first word out. "Wanna suck?" Logan completely forgot what he had to say.

  No bra, was his first dazed thought.

  Hence her big...bare...breasts.

  His dark gaze swiftly swept back up, and her face was once again that irresistible mixture of innocence and sexuality.

  Fuck. He was so goddamn fucked. Because one look at her naked body, and he had no fucking chance.

  Tilly's squeal of surprise at the billionaire suddenly lifting her up in his arms turned into a breathless little moan as he backed her against the wall. Oh my. His fingers were impatient and almost rough as he pushed her skirt up to her waist while hers moved with clumsy haste as she helped get his long, thick, hard cock out of the tight confines of his pants.

  A now-familiar tearing sound played in the air - RIP, Panties #2 - and then he was thrusting into her.

  "Logan!"

  He didn't answer, his dark, burning gaze simply locking with hers as he started pumping into her, hard, deep, and fast.

  "Oh God." It was too good. "Logan. God. Logan." Every syllable now tumbled out in heaving pants. "So good." And when her breasts started aching, she cupped them without thinking, and the billionaire immediately dipped his head to take one nipple inside his mouth.

  He deliberately scraped his teeth against the sensitive pouting bud, and Tilly screamed.

  The billionaire kept biting and sucking, and Tilly's mind spun out of control.

  Oh God, this felt so, so good, and she could no longer control herself.

  She moaned and sobbed. She clutched his hair and clawed his back. Pushed her nipple deeper into his mouth as he pounded into her over and over.

  "Logan."

  Her gasp as she came had the billionaire's head jerking up sharply, and he drank in the sight of her cumming. So fucking beautiful. He drove into her one last time, as deep as he could, and Logan heard her whimper as his back arched and a load of cum burst out of his cock and started filling her pussy.

  Her legs clamped tightly around his waist a moment later, and the billionaire groaned as her inner muscles deliciously echoed the movement, and his cock twitched harder as it released another stream of cum.

  Sex with Tilly always made him feel like he had gone and died to heaven, and not even the wildest bouts of fucking that he had experienced in the past could compare to it.

  Not a single fucking one.

  It was a disturbing realization, but even so, he couldn't make himself stay away, couldn't fucking stop himself from carrying her to his private bathroom and, after gently seating her on the marble counter and taking care of her, Logan still couldn't help himself.

  He was petting her again, Tilly thought dizzily. The billionaire was stroking her hair and licking the curve of her ear. Nibbled on her lip and nuzzled her neck. And even when they were finally outside his office, his thumb absently rubbed over her knuckles as he held her hand while walking.

  "Mama!"

  Tilly could feel her cheeks turning red even though she knew she had nothing to be guilty about. She crouched down just in time for the already-running Liam to throw himself in her arms, and he grinned up at her as she rose back up, the toddler now secured in her arms.

  Feeling Logan's gaze still on her, she couldn't help saying defensively, "I didn't teach him to say that." A pause, and then she couldn't help admitting, "But I did teach him to call you Papa."

  Logan's lips pressed together.

  "Are you mad?" she asked in a small voice.

  "If you want the truth..."

  Tilly winced at the heaviness in his tone.

  "I'm not surprised at all."

  Ouch. Was he basically saying he thought of her as manipulative or calculating?

  "It is just like you to play such a joke, which is why I thought a little tit for tat right now wouldn't be amiss."

  Her mouth opened so she could apologize, but then his words hit her, and Tilly's mouth snapped shut.

  Did he just basically say all of this...was him simply pranking her back?

  Her gaze flew up to him in shock, and Logan smiled lazily at her.

  "Oh my God, you---"

  "Excuse me, Mr. Hardwall, Ms. Wakefield." Jim's tone was deeply apologetic. "I am very sorry for having to interrupt---"

  "What is it?" Logan asked right away, knowing that the older man would have only done so for a very good reason.

  "Reception called. Ms. Berger is on her way up."

  Tilly saw Logan stiffen and tried not to feel suspicious. You have no right to react, she reminded herself, regardless of who that woman was. But in her mind, she could already see herself Googling the heck out of the name, and Tilly realized in shock that she was actually jealous.

  Jealous.

  Tilly tried not to panic. I can't be jealous. I'm not. Because as a mail-order bride, the most she could hope for was a husband who would provide for her and Billie, one she could care for in return.

  Care for.

  But never be possessive about.

  When the billionaire finally turned to face her again,
Tilly had her smile in place.

  "It's my lawyer."

  Yeah right.

  But out loud, all she said was, "I understand." She even managed to sound like it, too. "Liam and I could go home ahead of you, or we could wait for you, too." Tilly inclined her head in question. "It's all up to you, Mr. Hardwall."

  Chapter 15

  A hardened expression formed over Claudette Berger's beautiful face as she watched a younger woman walk inside the daycare center with a chubby toddler in her arms. The kid seemed intent on talking her ears off, and the woman's laugh actually sounded genuine as she listened to whatever gibberish the little boy had to say.

  What a gold-digging little whore, Claudette thought furiously as she spun on her heels and headed back to the elevator. Having seen the numerous photos taken by Logan's employees, all of which showed the hussy shamelessly using the billionaire's nephew to play up to him, Claudette had taken her chances by making a detour at the 10th floor.

  It was where all employee amenities were located, and after a few minutes of waiting, her intuition had once again proven correct when she saw the bitch coming out of the elevator with the billionaire's nephew in tow.

  The woman had been nothing like Logan's usual taste at all. Short, unsophisticated, and such crudely large breasts. The woman didn't even have the right hair color, for fuck's sake. So why did all the photos currently blowing up a viral storm in San Antonio show the billionaire looking at the bitch like she had just become his favorite dish?

  She had been the billionaire's lover once, and not only that, but their relationship had also lasted the longest compared to all his other mistresses.

  And yet he had never looked at her that way.

  Never!

  Although the thought was more than enough to make Claudette want to claw the other woman's eyes out, her cold-blooded streak of ruthless practicality eventually won over her livid emotions, and by the time Claudette entered the billionaire's office, she had all of her ducks in a row, her practiced smile in place.

  But then the musky scent inside his office reached her nostrils, and realizing what it meant---

  Logan raised a brow when his normally graceful lawyer almost tripped over her own feet.

  "Sorry about that." Claudette quickly righted herself even as she found herself hurling the vilest curses at the billionaire's nanny inside her head.

  Whatever happened to his fucking rule about women not being allowed in his workplace?

  Even Claudette hadn't been spared from that, and she had only been allowed access when her role in his life switched from mistress to legal counsel.

  So what made the nanny the fucking exemption?

  "Are you alright?" Logan asked.

  "Yes, of course. It's just a little sprain," she lied. "I injured myself while playing tennis last week."

  "I'm sorry to hear that." The billionaire gestured for Claudette to take a seat before settling down behind his desk. "I assume you have a very good reason for the unscheduled visit?"

  "Naturally. Or did you think I only came here because I missed you?" she asked archly.

  "Touché." A slight smile curved over Logan's lips. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit then?"

  "The Crown Prince of Najma," she said sweetly.

  The billionaire's gaze narrowed. "You're sure of this?"

  "The information didn't come cheap, but yes, everything checks out, and he's indeed the mystery investor we've been after." She gave a little pause. "He's a personal friend of yours?"

  "We've known each other for some time," Logan acknowledged.

  "Then nothing should seem amiss if you were to bump into him in the Oil Barons' Ball tomorrow night and strike up a conversation..." Claudette's gaze was deliberately thoughtful. "Tickets have been sold out months ago, but we both know the committee will happily bend backwards to add your name to the list."

  Logan had never cared to attend the event, seeing it simply as a shallow excuse for people to dress up and flaunt their wealth under the pretense of charity. But since he had long been keen to close this particular deal, the billionaire asked curtly, "You'll take care of it then?"

  "Easily," his lawyer answered with a shrug. "And since it's a pair-only ball---" Claudette's face was carefully blank. "Shall I go with you to help with negotiations, or do we attend separately?"

  Several moments passed, and the billionaire said finally, "I'll send a car for you."

  Claudette left soon after, but Logan remained in his office, unable to shake off the feeling that he had done something completely wrong, and the disturbing thought persisted even as he headed down to the in-house daycare center to take Tilly and his nephew home.

  "So..." Tilly waited until they were in the privacy of the billionaire's limousine before speaking. "How did your meeting with your lawyer go?" She managed not to make a face at the description, considering what her best friend Google had revealed.

  Claudette Berger, 31 years old, divorced, and a former long-term girlfriend of Logan Hardwall.

  Tilly struggled not to glower.

  A woman who still wanted her husband, in other words.

  Logan's broad shoulders moved in a shrug. "As well as it should be, considering what I'm paying her."

  And because he was never the type to delay the inevitable, he added after a moment, "I'll be attending the Oil Barons' Ball with her tomorrow night."

  "Oh?"

  "Since we're still at Stage 2 in our timeline, we need to let at least another month pass before I'm able to take you anywhere public."

  "True."

  "That's what we agreed on, if you recall," he went on doggedly. "We need to make this whole thing realistic and credible, rather than risk having people think of us as a whirlwind romance and doubt our capability as parents to Liam."

  Was it just her, Tilly wondered, or was the billionaire really acting so suspiciously defensive?

  "And since I'll only be there to conduct business, it makes sense to bring Claudette along and have her help with negotiations."

  Tilly couldn't help feeling that the billionaire was somehow forcing himself to put her in her place.

  "You understand, don't you?"

  "Of course." And she did. She had to. Because mail-order brides like her couldn't be afford to be picky. Billie was safe and healthy, Liam was the sweetest, and Logan was the kind of man she would always be able to count on---

  "Mama, look." Liam, seated on the carpet, tugged at her skirt then proudly showed off the train set he had been able to piece together.

  Tilly gasped. "Wow!" She quickly knelt down to give the little boy a tight hug. "You're so good!" She smiled up at the billionaire. "Isn't Liam good, Mr. Hardwall?"

  "Very much so." Logan smiled back even as he tried to convince himself that her not calling him by his given name didn't mean anything.

  Chapter 16

  "The nerve of that man," Charlotte raged over dinner the next night. "I can't believe he's using the stupid timeline as an excuse for his abhorrent behavior."

  "I don't think he was lying about having business to conduct during the ball." Despite her own hurt, Tilly simply couldn't help rising to the billionaire's defense.

  "Logan always has business to conduct," the other woman retorted. "But for him to ever need help with negotiation? Does he look like the kind of man who'd need such help?"

  "Oh." And Tilly's shoulders drooped. No wonder she was unable to completely convince herself everything was fine between them. A part of her had already known, Tilly forced herself to accept, that things had once again changed between them.

  And this time, it wasn't for the better.

  She had tried to wait up for him last night, hoping he'd visit her at the nursery, and when the night nurse had already come to start her shift, she had paced outside his bedroom rather noisily, hoping it would be enough of a hint for him to come out.

  But the door had remained closed, and fifteen minutes were all she had been able to manage before everything
became too much to bear for her pride, and she had quickly rushed back to her room so she could lock herself in the bathroom before silently bursting into tears.

  The next day, she had spent a good half hour applying makeup to hide the tear-ravaged condition of her face, but the effort had been all for naught. When she and Liam finally came down, it was to find out that the billionaire had already left for work...at five in the morning.

  Looking up, Tilly blurted out worriedly, "What if he took one look at Claudette Berger, saw just how different we were, and realized that he had tied himself down to the wrong girl?"

  Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Please. I've known Claudette for a long time, and Logan even longer. She's definitely not his type---"

  Tilly frowned. "Don't you mean she's exactly his type? Long-legged, blonde, and accomplished?"

  "Er, never mind that." There were a lot of things Charlotte was confident she could get away with, but letting that particular cat out of the bag - and to Tilly of all people - was not one of those things. Checking her watch, she said slowly, "Harry told us we could stay out for as long as we wanted, right?"

  "Um, yes, but---"

  "Then that's exactly what we're going to do," Charlotte decided.

  Tilly gazed at her friend uneasily. "I don't think it's okay---"

  "Harry will be more than happy to take one for the team, Tilly. She knows we'll do the same for her." Charlotte gestured for one of the waiters as she spoke and asked for the bill.

  "But what exactly will we be doing that we'd have to stay out---"

  "We're going to San Antonio," Charlotte told her, "and by the time we get there, the ball should be winding to a close, and you'll be waiting outside to give that man-eating bitch---" She saw Tilly wince at her choice of words and had to bite back a smile. "---the biggest surprise of her life."

  "Which is?"

  How much Logan wants you, Charlotte thought. Because she had seen the way the billionaire looked at Tilly, and she had a very good plan on how to use that to force her friend into confronting his feelings.