The Billionaire's Bodyguard Bride

by Weaver, Lisa

  Lauren’s professional eye spotted the discreet bulge of a concealed weapon under Malcolm’s jacket as he bent to pick up the cases, confirming her guess that the handsome butler doubled as a bodyguard. Chuck Fullerton rose another notch in her estimation. He ran a tight ship.

  Malcolm led them up two flights of stairs to a wing Lauren had admired on the tour. “Here you are,” he smiled. “I hope everything will be to your satisfaction. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

  “Thank you. I’m certain we’ll be very comfortable here,” Rafe assured him.

  Malcolm pulled the door shut on his way out, leaving them alone in the opulent room. The suite was breathtaking, decorated in rich shades of silver and lavender. Beyond the sitting area, the master bedroom was dominated by a huge four-poster bed. Atrium doors opened onto a gorgeous balcony, allowing lovely floral scents from the garden below to waft in on the soft breeze.

  Lauren’s high heels sunk into the plush carpet with every step. She slipped them off with a blissful sigh. “Suddenly I’m feeling very spoiled. The Fullertons really know how to roll out a welcome mat.”

  “They’re a very special couple. And Chuck is a remarkable business man. He’s even more of a legend in the business arena than my father.”

  “That’s hard to imagine. I’ve read about your father’s accomplishments. He’s an icon.”

  Rafe’s features turned stony. “It’s too bad you hadn’t appreciated his undertakings a couple of years ago. Perhaps you would have thought twice before you set out to ruin him.”

  “Causing you and your father grief was never my intention. If you’d bothered to hear me out in Greece, you would know I never intended to imply he was involved in anything illicit.”

  Rafe shook his head emphatically. “I don’t buy that,” he barked, indignation sparking in his blue eyes. “I met you two days before the story hit. Do you honestly expect me to believe that was a coincidence?”

  “Yes, I do,” Lauren told him with a vehement nod. “That story was already in my editor’s hands by then. It simply hadn’t run yet. I was officially on vacation, and I didn’t have a clue who you were when you saved me.”

  “Why can’t you admit you staged your accident in order to get access to me and my family to try and dig up dirt for your article?”

  “Because I didn’t!” she denied vehemently. “I would have been crazy to take such an outrageous chance. I would have drowned if you hadn’t happened along. A byline isn’t worth dying for.”

  “Even if what you claim is true, and you didn’t realize you were on my private property, you were negligent in your actions when you submitted that photo. There was an innocent third party in that picture. You should have given consideration to the collateral damage your story would cause.”

  “I admit I made a mistake,” she murmured, wincing at the indignation and resentment in his voice. She longed to reveal the whole truth to him, to make him see that her exposé was never intended to damage an innocent bystander’s reputation.

  She’d written the story to save a life, not to hurt his father or the Dimitriou family empire, as Rafe believed. True, when she’d snapped the photo, she’d assumed the three men lunching together were in collusion, but she hadn’t known the identity of the third person at the table—Rafe’s father—so she hadn’t referenced him directly in her story. And her speculative article had only hinted that the other two men’s activities might be questionable.

  “I rectified my error,” she defended as Rafe continued to stare her down with hot anger in his eyes. “The newspaper printed a retraction, and I wrote a separate human-interest story on your father that cleared him of any misplaced speculations.”

  “Yes. I know. I read your follow-up article. You sang my father’s praises. He was quite touched. Your little accolade may have smoothed everything over in his book, but that doesn’t mean I’ve absolved you of the havoc you wreaked.”

  “Since you refuse to consider my side of the story, there’s nothing I can do to change that,” Lauren sighed, suddenly weary of the battle. It was one, she knew, she’d never win. He didn’t believe her and he never would. It was obvious he preferred to cling to his own take on the event. And she couldn’t explain how the story had saved a key Moroccan official’s life without revealing her true assignment. “How does your father feel about us? Our marriage, I mean?”

  “He isn’t aware our union is a business arrangement, of course. He thinks we patched things up when our paths crossed in New York. He’s too pleased I’m settling down to care about the hows and whys. You don’t have to be concerned that there are any hard feelings on his part. He forgave you a long time ago.”

  “I’m glad he’s forgiven me. Regardless of what you might think, I never meant him any harm.”

  “Unlike me, he believes that. He was overjoyed when I told him I intended to marry you. He wanted to be stateside for the wedding, but he couldn’t break his commitment to speak at the trade conference.”

  “It’s just as well. I’m glad he didn’t have to witness our marriage fallacy.” And she hoped with all her heart that Luke’s suspicions about Philip proved to be unfounded. If it was true that Rafe’s father had conspired with Lawrence Mendacci, things could get ugly.

  Grabbing her luggage, Lauren began unpacking. She hung her garments in the sitting room’s coat closet.

  “Why aren’t you using the walk-in closet in the bedroom?”

  “The bedroom is all yours. I’ll be perfectly comfortable here on the sofa.”

  “You’ll share my bed,” Rafe refuted, steel in his voice. “I distinctly recall us having had this conversation this morning.”

  “And I distinctly recall telling you our arrangement doesn’t include sleeping with you,” she shot back.

  “Not in the sexual sense, no. I said I won’t pressure you, and I’m a man of my word. The sofa, however, is not an option. If Chuck suspects our marriage was just a ruse to get in his good graces, I’ll be out of contention to bid for his publication. Certainly we’re both adult enough to share a king-size bed without making an issue out of it.”

  If it weren’t for the fact that she needed to remain close to him to protect his sorry—albeit handsome—hide, she’d press the issue.

  “Fine,” she agreed, her temper doing a slow boil. Confident that Rafe was secure on the well-guarded estate, she decided to put some space between them before she gave in to the urge to throttle him. “I’m going to take a walk around the grounds. I want to take some pictures of the gardens.”

  “I’ll join you.”

  Grrrr. The man was impossible. “I’d like a little me time, if you don’t mind.”

  “Me time doesn’t feature in the vocabulary of besotted newlyweds. They’re joined at the hip.”

  It was pointless to argue, so she grabbed her digital camera and headed for the door. He could tag along if he wanted to.

  Lauren tried to block out Rafe’s presence as she walked the gardens, surreptitiously double checking the estate’s security. Satisfied it was airtight and that Chuck Fullerton’s security staff appeared to be on top of things, she gave herself permission to focus her attention and her camera lens on a brilliant display of hyacinth blossoms.

  The gardens were a feast of color with a myriad of various perennials in full bloom. The dazzling display attracted butterflies and hummingbirds, and she captured some close-ups of them as they feasted on the blossoms.

  A vibrantly iridescent hummingbird paused in midflight to hover over a daylily blossom, his wings a blur of motion. “Beautiful,” she whispered.

  “Yes,” Rafe agreed huskily, reaching out to brush a stray tendril of hair away from her face. “Beautiful.”

  Turning to face him, she found it wasn’t the bird that held his attention. It was her. Overwhelmed by the passion in his captivating blue eyes, she forgot to breathe for a moment.

  Rafe’s intent was written all over his handsome features. Awareness buzze
d between them, and she knew the prudent thing to do would be to step back. She hesitated a second too long. He took advantage of her indecision, pressing her up against a nearby tree and laying siege to her mouth.

  The coarse bark of the tree trunk scraped the backs of her thighs, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but this.

  Rafe’s tongue delved past her lips and she eagerly drank in the taste of him, savoring every nuance of his sensual artistry. His tongue flirted with hers, teasing, enticing, and she pressed closer. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she murmured greedy sounds of encouragement. Swept up in a sensual vortex, she wasn’t aware he’d deftly released the front buttons of her blouse and unclasped her bra until she felt the cool breeze caressing her skin.

  He was cupping the fullness of her breasts, his dark head bending to taste her, when the sound of gravel crunching under approaching footsteps brought her hurtling back to reality.

  Her face flamed at the realization that Rafe had made her completely lose sight of where she was and why she was here. Though the estate was secure, there was always the chance someone could attempt an attack. How could she have let down her guard like that? She’d agreed to pose as his wife to protect him, not to take pleasure in the moment.

  Pulling out of his embrace, she fought her way out of the sensual web he’d woven. Her fingers were clumsy as she fumbled to hastily refasten her clothing.

  She managed to pull herself back together before the couple who had intruded on their intimate moment stopped beside them. Attired in coordinating tennis outfits and with every hair on their matching blond heads perfectly in place, the pair shared an unnerving fashion-doll flawlessness. The woman’s expertly made-up eyes swept her briefly before just as quickly dismissing her to focus her full attention on Rafe.

  “Dimitriou,” the man nodded.

  “Payne,” Rafe greeted him dryly.

  So this was Milton Payne, Lauren thought. The man’s hard eyes raked over her, subjecting her to a thorough appraisal.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your companion, Dimitriou?” the man inquired, flashing a brilliant saccharin smile.

  “Of course. This is my wife, Lauren. Lauren, I’d like you to meet Milton and Melanie Payne.”

  Rafe’s business rival paled visibly at the announcement of their wedded status, obviously dismayed to learn that the bidding-war playing field had been leveled.

  He wasn’t the only one displeased with the news. Melanie wasn’t able to hide the surprise and disdain that flashed in her eyes. “Your wife,” she repeated incredulously. “You didn’t mention you were engaged when I saw you in Paris last month.”

  Rafe pulled Lauren to his side, squeezing her hand reassuringly. “That’s because I wasn’t. But when Lauren came back into my life, I moved quickly. I’d foolishly let her slip away once. I wasn’t about to let her get away again.”

  Melanie’s mouth pursed in a pouty little moue. If looks could kill, Lauren mused, she would be in dire straits.

  It was Milton who broke the uncomfortable lull in the conversation, having recovered enough to employ a different tactic. “We were about to head over to the tennis courts. Why don’t you join us? We can catch up.”

  “We already have plans for the afternoon,” Rafe declined. “Lauren is a photographer. We’re going to explore the grounds so she can take pictures of the gardens.”

  “The flowers aren’t going anywhere,” Milton replied. “The Fullertons have a top-rate tennis court. It seems a shame not to make use of it on such a beautiful day. How about it, Lauren?”

  The grin he sent her was his version of charming, but Lauren saw through it. Everything about the man screamed pure, unadulterated smarminess. “My game’s rusty. I haven’t been on a court in years.”

  “That’s okay, we’ll go easy on you,” Milton countered smoothly.

  Lauren knew he would be relentless until they agreed to play. “If Rafe wants to play, I guess we have time for a quick match.”

  “Milton will partner with you, Lauren,” Melanie chimed in, looking like a cat about to feast on a saucer of cream. “He plays at the pro level, so it will balance things out. I’ll partner with Rafe.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but Lauren and I are a team,” Rafe refuted succinctly, annihilating her plan. “We’ll get our tennis gear and meet you at the court.”

  His ex‒business partner certainly hadn’t changed, Rafe thought, as he and Lauren headed back to the main house to swap their street clothes for tennis apparel. Milton hadn’t allowed them to bow out from his invitation, obviously having decided he could use the time to his advantage. If Milton thought he’d find a weakness he could exploit, he was going to be disappointed.

  Lauren had remained cool and composed when they’d run into his nemesis. He had to admit he’d been happy to have her at his side. A shame that meant exposing her to his ex-fiancée’s cattiness. It was time, he determined, to clue Lauren in to his history with Milton’s wife. Melanie would certainly seize the first opportunity that presented itself to lash out at his new bride. Lauren deserved to know why.

  Beyond the explanation, he owed Lauren an apology, too. He should have exercised more restraint earlier. He’d promised he wouldn’t pressure her, and then he’d practically stripped her naked in the garden.

  His expression was somber as he closed the door to their suite. “I need to apologize.”

  “For what? It’s not your fault the Paynes happened along,” Lauren dismissed offhandedly.

  “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it. I promised you could trust me, and then I demonstrated all the self-control of a randy teenager. I lost my head and overstepped the boundaries.”

  “There’s no need to apologize. I was a willing participant. Let’s chalk it up to a moment of weakness for both of us. We can just forget it ever happened.”

  Rafe was amazed at how composed she sounded as she excused his behavior. She made it all sound so simple. Forgave him so easily.

  But it wasn’t simple for him. Not when he wanted nothing more than to haul her back into his arms and finish what he’d started.

  He sighed and shook his head before plunging ahead. “I also owe you an explanation. The other day when you asked about my history with Milton, I wasn’t entirely truthful with you. You were right, the animosity between us goes beyond business. It’s personal.”

  “Just how personal?”

  “Milton helped himself to my fiancée.”

  “You were engaged to Melanie? No wonder animosity was radiating off her in waves when you introduced me as your wife.”

  “I’m not proud to admit I came close to marrying her.” He’d already made up his mind to call off the engagement when his father had confronted him with evidence of Melanie’s deceitfulness. The irrefutable evidence the private investigator had gathered proving his fiancée was having an affair with his ex‒business partner had only reinforced his decision.

  “Can I ask you something?” Lauren inquired.

  “Sure.”

  “I’m curious about what drew you to Melanie. She’s gorgeous, that part I get. But I know you’re not that superficial, so there had to be something more to make you want to marry her.”

  “There was. At least I thought so. Thankfully I awoke to my mistake before it was too late. I realized the woman I’d fallen for didn’t really exist. Melanie’s smoke-and-mirrors act fooled me for a while, but it wasn’t long before I caught on to the fact that she wasn’t in love with me, only the lifestyle I could provide her with. She deliberately set out to create a persona she knew I’d fall for.”

  “How sad.”

  “Actually, I consider it a lucky escape.”

  And he’d vowed never to be played like that again. But Lauren had deftly wormed her way past his defenses. That made the two women birds of a feather, didn’t it? So why was his gut screaming that Lauren was nothing like Melanie?

  “Thanks for telling me about your past with Melanie. I’ll be on the loo
kout for misdirected tennis balls. Speaking of which, we’d better get ready.”

  Lauren emerged from the ensuite bath after changing into a white tennis skirt and matching tank top to find Rafe waiting for her. If her rusty playing skills weren’t enough of a handicap, now she’d have to try to focus on her game while facing the very sexy distraction Rafe presented in a white polo shirt and shorts.

  Rafe in competitive mode on a tennis court was a sight to behold. Beautifully honed muscles flexed as he attacked hard. His skill on the court more than made up for her deficit, but she was pleasantly surprised to find she could still hold her own.

  It didn’t take her long to get into the rhythm of the game, and they soon had the Paynes on the defensive. As the points racked up in their favor, the Paynes’ game turned dirty. Lauren found herself the target of a brutal backhand Melanie fired her way.

  So that was the way she wanted to play it, hmmm, Lauren fumed, sending the ball whizzing back across the net. She could give as good as she got, and she did just that. She wasn’t about to let the fashion-plate blonde best her.

  “Great shot, agapi mou,” Rafe complimented with a wink in her direction that made her heart leap. It wasn’t long before they easily won the match.

  “Nicely played, Mrs. Dimitriou,” Rafe murmured before rewarding her with a passionate kiss.

  The for-appearances’-sake kiss was the antithesis to the chaste one he’d marked their marriage with. Her toes curled with the intensity of it. When he finally broke away, her heart was racing faster than it had been when she was pursuing Melanie’s volleys.

  “Good game, Payne,” Rafe offered, shaking the other man’s hand.

  Sweaty and flustered, Milton let his smooth veneer slip for an instant. An angry scowl creased his face, revealing the ugliness beneath. “Obviously Lauren could give Melanie some pointers. My wife’s game was pathetically lacking today.”