Reluctant Billionaire

by Cheryl Phipps

  That did it. This was not relaxing. She jumped up and slipped on her sandals. “I’m ready.”

  He grinned at her change of heart, getting up from his lounger. “Excellent. Let’s go.” He slipped his feet into a pair of loafers, and threw on a polo.

  “Am I okay like this?” she asked, as she looked down at her legs, which were bare below mid-thigh.

  His eyes caressed her. “Are you kidding? You’re far more than okay. Let’s take the towels in case we find a better beach.”

  Sarah ran fingers through her hair, then found a compact in the bottom of her bag and checked her mascara. Not all men told the truth. Although, Marcus hadn’t been slow in telling her if something on her person was amiss and she wasn’t up to his standard.

  The more she thought of his treatment of her, the more she didn’t understand why she’d let it evolve into the kind of relationship it had. Had she been so desperate to get married? If so, the why was still eluding her.

  Determined not to spoil this lovely day, Sarah decided not to think of Marcus at all. They walked up the stairs, rounded the front of the resort, and headed across the parking lot to a small kiosk.

  “I won’t be a moment,” he said, and went inside.

  When he came out he was carrying two helmets.

  “Ah, what’s this for?” she asked, as he handed her one.

  “It’s mandatory I’m afraid.”

  “On a motorcycle?”

  He studied her quizzically. “Yes, we’re going on a motorcycle.”

  “You might be.”

  Christian appeared not to have considered that she might not be thrilled at the prospect. “Aww, come on. It’s basically a scooter, and the locals use them more than anything else on the island. Live dangerously for a couple of hours.”

  “Dangerous isn’t selling it.”

  “I take it back. I’m an awesome rider. I drive a Harley at home. You’ll be safe with me. I promise.”

  “You like to make promises, don’t you?”

  “Sure. They make you accountable, which can’t be a bad thing, surely?”

  She looked at him and then the bike. It wasn’t too old, and she hadn’t been on one before. Marcus wouldn’t have dreamed of it. Ben, her eldest brother, and self-proclaimed patriarch of the family, had forbidden all his siblings of doing so. She and Caris had obeyed, not so much her twin brothers, Matthew, and Evan. They were reckless, restless, and not too keen on many rules. Much to Ben’s annoyance.

  But the twins knew how to enjoy themselves, and Ben wasn’t here. It seemed she was doing a lot of firsts on her honeymoon. The thought made her giggle. Which made Christian grin.

  That grin must have broken many hearts over the years, not that it was any concern of hers. Her heart was well and truly sealed away. For today, she was all about the fun.

  Sarah put on the helmet. “Come on, biker boy. Show me the island.”

  Christian climbed on then held her hand while she settled behind him. “Put your arms around me and hold on here.” He placed her hands on his waist, tucking her fingers into his shirt.

  She gripped him for dear life as they bobbled over the stones until they hit the road, then they were off. It was smoother now, and the wind pulled her hair from her face and caught the laughter in her throat. She loved this. Who knew she could rustle up a bit of free spirit to match her twin brothers?

  They rode most of the way around the island, and it didn’t seem too long before Christian pulled into a small parking area which had the vista of a bay in front of them.

  Christian helped her off and she found that her legs were shaking a little from where her knees had clamped onto his thighs. The muscles in them had bunched with each corner until she’d gotten the hang of leaning with him.

  “Do we have a convert?”

  “Hell, yes. I don’t think my family would be too keen on the idea, but I might even get one when I get home. A small one.”

  He flashed his dimples. “Excellent. My work is done. Fancy another swim?”

  “Yes, please. I think I may have swallowed a bit of sand, and maybe a few bugs on the way.”

  He grimaced. “Oops, I should have explained about that. Best to have a scarf around your mouth or a visor if you can’t remember to keep your mouth shut.”

  “Now you tell me,” she laughed.

  They attached their helmets to the handlebars and ran down to the water. Stripping off their tops and kicking their shoes to the sand they raced to the water.

  Diving under, they came up several feet from shore.

  “How about a race?”

  “To the reef?” she asked, wide-eyed.

  “Sure, if it’s not too far for you?”

  “I’ll give it a try,” she said, in a little girl voice. Pleased to see by his expression that he had an idea she was up to something, but hadn’t figured out what.

  “Go!” she yelled and launched herself in the direction of the reef. She’d been a junior medalist in free-style, and had three brothers and Andy to push her competitive spirit further than anyone could have imagined. If her father had not passed away, she might have made this a career instead of throwing herself into the family business.

  When she got close, she allowed herself to tread water while she got her breath back. Christian was several feet back. And when he got to her he gave her a look of amusement.

  “You hustled me.”

  “A little thing like me? I can’t imagine it.”

  He studied her for several long moments. “You are extremely intriguing, Sarah. I enjoy every minute I spend with you. Even if you are a cheater!” He grabbed her around the waist and dunked her under the water with him.

  She came up laughing and coughing. “Be honest, men hate to lose at anything.”

  “I guess most men feel like that, but I suspect most women do too. Especially blonde swimmers.” His arms were still around her and the grin he’d started with began to slip. “This has been fun.”

  She pushed her hair back and wiped her face, with no intention of getting away from him. “Yes, it has.”

  “I’d like to kiss you.”

  Sarah couldn’t remember ever being asked before, and Christian had done it twice. It made him seem more than a man out for a bit of stray. She wanted him. Even more than she’d wanted him last night. Wrapping her legs around his waist, and using her arms to help keep them afloat, she put her lips against his. His hands were at her back, his eyes never leaving hers.

  Tentatively, Sarah licked his lips and they opened slightly. Her tongue touched his, and instantly the heat leaping through her body when he kissed her back was thrilling against the coolness of the sea. She wanted more. From somewhere deep within her, a hum emanated. If this was how he kissed, what would making love with him entail?

  His hand was between them, rubbing her mound and she squirmed, relishing the pressure. She could feel his hardness against her leg, and she cupped him, eager to return the favor. He was strong, the water calm, yet they kept dipping under.

  Christian bit her bottom lip, then gave a wry grin. “You might be able to tell how bad I want you. Can we get somewhere more conducive to making that happen?”

  Try as she should to talk herself out of it, Sarah could only nod. “Let’s go back to the resort. My room’s very private.”

  He didn’t need telling twice. They swam stroke for stroke and should have been exhausted by the time they hit the beach, but all Sarah could think of was what lay ahead for them. Throwing on tops and shoes, Christian drove as fast as the speed limit allowed, while Sarah pressed herself against his back, enjoying his torture when her hands roamed under his shirt. It was far too long and not long enough before they pulled into the resort.

  Christian took the helmets back to the kiosk as she waited impatiently outside, glad she didn’t know anyone here, since she was behaving so out of character, and glad he was so quick.

  He took her hand. “Lead on,” his voice was husky.

  She could hear his
desire, and feel the answer travel along her skin and through her core. Making love had not only become a need, it was now a necessity.

  Once inside the door, he picked her up and fell with her onto the bed. Arms and legs fought for supremacy and eventually Sarah found herself on top of him, naked. She wrestled him from his shirt and with her hanging on to him, he lifted his hips and pulled down his damp shorts.

  “I have protection in the bag on the floor, what about you?”

  “I’m good.”

  “You’re on the pill?”

  “Yes,” she frowned. He was cautious which was good, but it was like he wasn’t quite sure whether to believe her.

  “Good.” he said, pulling her mouth to his.

  Everything in her past and future became irrelevant.

  Chapter Six

  Christian woke with the sun hitting him in the face. They’d forgotten to pull the blinds, so it was lucky the honeymoon suite was so secluded. The idea of him being in a honeymoon suite was hilarious, but the humor was short lived.

  The pillow where Sarah had lain was empty. Maybe she was getting breakfast. They had ordered room service late last night, but he was famished again. He lay there for a while remembering how different she had been once she’d decided to surrender to their needs.

  Maybe surrender wasn’t the right word, but they had melded like they had been together for so much more than mere hours. Every desire was anticipated and met. Every question from their bodies was answered.

  If he’d have died last night, he would have gone happily, knowing he’d tasted heaven. He wasn’t sure where they were going, but he knew he wanted to be with her for longer than a holiday fling.

  Sarah was fun and sassy. She was sexy and smart. She was downright gorgeous, and he hoped she came back soon, so he could show her how she made him feel.

  Then he noticed the wardrobe door. It hung open. It was empty. He jumped from the bed and searched the rooms. The bathroom was empty too, as was the verandah. He threw on clothes and ran to the front desk.

  “Sarah. The woman from the honeymoon suite. Where did she go?”

  The woman smiled. “She managed an earlier flight, sir.”

  “A flight to where?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t tell you, sir. It’s against company policy.”

  Christian pulled out a wad of bills from his wallet. “How much to tell me?”

  The woman backed away from the desk and his aggression. The manager appeared from the office behind her.

  “Is there a problem, sir?”

  “I need to find the woman from the honeymoon suite.” Hells teeth, he didn’t even know her last name.

  “I told him we can’t divulge that.” The receptionist explained to the manager.

  “Then, I’m afraid your question has been answered, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  Christian had never felt more useless. Not even after his collapse. Sarah had gone, and obviously had no intention of seeing him again. The word ‘used’ sprang to mind. Not again. He’d let his guard down and he’d been stabbed again. Another lesson learned, when he’d thought he’d had them all.

  He didn’t return to Sarah’s room. What was the point? He called his receptionist and assistant, Lilith, and asked her to find the next flight. He wouldn’t stay here a moment longer than necessary. This was no longer an idyllic island. This was the place he’d found and lost a woman he had feelings for. Feelings he would have liked to investigate further.

  Chapter Seven

  Sarah wondered what on earth she had done to make fate want to slap her down for the second time. She had begun to get her life back to normal and on track, when she’d fallen ill. It was no longer viable to put it down to something she’d eaten or a bug. It was no good pretending any longer.

  She was pregnant.

  In this day and age, it was careless and irresponsible. At least, that’s how she’d always felt about it. She’d been sanctimonious in the belief that it couldn’t happen to her. Organized and rarely unpredictable, Sarah felt like an idiot. Perhaps even more so than after the wedding fiasco.

  An island fling, and here she was, unmarried and pregnant. How was it possible? They’d taken precautions and she’d been on the pill. It should have been enough.

  The conjecture had been gnawing at her for several days, so here she sat in the doctor’s office while the nurse attended to her test. The ten she’d done at home had all said the same thing, but a small ray of hope lingered, as the doctor took her blood pressure.

  The nurse came back into the room with a poker face and handed the doctor the results.

  “Well, Sarah, it’s the moment of truth, but I’d like to ask what do you want the result to be?”

  “What does it matter?”

  “It matters a great deal. If you’re happy, then it’s well and good. If you’re not then you’ll need to talk to other people before you make any decisions.”

  Sarah felt the blood drain from her face. “I take it the test is positive?”

  Her doctor, a woman she’d chosen instead of the elderly family doctor all the other Knights saw, nodded. “How do you feel?” she said with genuine concern.

  “Sick.”

  Doctor Meredith, a mother of two, clucked in sympathy. “From the pregnancy, or from the idea of it?”

  “Both, I think.”

  “Perfectly natural. Even a planned pregnancy brings a certain amount of fear.”

  “I do want children one day. I simply hadn’t imagined it happening any time soon. I thought I’d be married.”

  “Do you want me to make some calls?”

  “As in, get rid of the baby?”

  “If that’s the only answer for you. There are women who volunteer to discuss all aspects of pregnancy and we have doctors who do the same if it would help.”

  “I don’t know what I want. Naturally, I’ve considered all the options I can think of, but that was before it was a reality.”

  The doctor patted her hand. “There’s no hurry. I’ll send the blood tests and we should have a better idea of your due date when we get them back. Can you tell me when you might have fallen pregnant?”

  Fallen was a good word. She’d fallen into lust with Christian and let her guard down. This was the result.

  “It was three months ago.”

  “And you’ve only now decided to find out?”

  Doctor Meredith’s voice had started out as even, but Sarah could hear the censure.

  “I was busy. I assumed the way I was feeling was due to what had been happening in my life. I came back from my ‘honeymoon’ and had to deal with family, apologize to all the guests via cards and emails. Plus, there’s the ex-groom who won’t go away, and the business, which needs my full-time attention.”

  Doctor Meredith’s mouth opened and closed at the rise in Sarah’s voice.

  “All right. What we know is that you are still stressed, and this is not a perfect situation for you or the baby. Take a little time now, while we wait for the other tests. As soon as they come through, you’ll need to decide one way or the other.”

  Sarah swallowed hard. “I think I’d better talk to my mom.” At thirty, it sounded pretty pathetic, but that’s how Sarah was feeling. Pathetic.

  “Good idea. Here’s the card of a wonderful obstetrician, Cate Reynold. Give her a call soon, or find one you like. How about the father?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Give it a bit more thought. I’ve found that for all the men who want to run a mile, there are as many who’ll be in for the long haul, and the ones you think might not be invested can surprise you.”

  Christian had seemed like a man who liked a good time, doctor or not. He wouldn’t want the responsibility, she was pretty sure, but she didn’t want to talk about him right now. “I will think about it,” she promised.

  From the doctors, Sarah drove straight home. She went to the kitchen and made a brew of her mother’s favorite coffee, and a weak tea for
herself, then took them through to her mother’s sitting room. She put them in front of her and took a seat at the small table.

  Her mother looked over her glasses. “Hello darling. You’re home early, and looking a bit peaky. Is everything okay?”

  Sarah folded her hands in her lap. “I’ve been to the doctors about it.”

  Eloise Knight sat even straighter than usual. “This sounds serious.”

  “It is.” Getting the words out was harder than Sarah had anticipated.

  Her mother clutched the silk scarf around her throat. “Tell me.”

  Sarah squared her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m pregnant.”

  “Pregnant? But how? Well of course I know how, but when?”

  The heat flushed Sarah’s face. “Apparently, three months ago.”

  There was an awkward silence.

  “I see. Should I be saying congratulations?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  “What do you mean.”

  “I never question my business decisions. With this I don’t know what I should do, but there isn’t a lot of time to decide.”

  “You’re thirty, you’re healthy. You can have a baby and still work.”

  Sarah’s fear was out in the open. “Do you really think so?”

  “Have your forgotten I had five children and managed it?”

  “But you didn’t run the business when we were babies.”

  Her mother sat a little straighter, her mouth a tight line. “Do you honestly believe I had nothing to do with the business back then? We didn’t inherit our money. I did all the books and handled contractors from home, with a baby on my hip and a couple of toddlers around my legs.”

  Sarah looked down at her hands. “But I’m not you.”

  “No, you’re not. I had a husband, but you have all of us.”

  It was a good point, but Sarah was not ready to concede. “I had planned on having one, before I had a baby.”

  “How does Marcus feel about this?”

  “Marcus? Why would I tell him?” Marcus had taken to calling her frequently, but she wouldn’t talk to him. He had nothing to say that she wanted to hear. In fact, she couldn’t care less if she didn’t see him again.