The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance

by Michelle Love

  Our bodies press together and it feels so right and I feel the knot forming in my throat again and don’t understand why that is.

  He kisses the top of my head. “I’ll start the water. You want to go to the kitchen and get us a bottle of wine and a glass so we can share a drink while we soak?”

  With a nod, I leave him to get the tub ready and wonder what’s wrong with me. Padding, naked down the hallway, I think it must be fear that has me crying. Fear that things are going too good.

  Things have never been this good for me. I’m living with a rich man. I’m in a relationship with a man who can rock my world. So what’s there to be afraid of?

  It ending?

  Grabbing a bottle of red wine from the wine cooling fridge, I pick up a glass too and head back to the bathroom. I know everything ends, eventually, even if it ends in death. I don’t know why my heart is getting all crazy on me.

  Pushing the bedroom door, I make my way back to the bathroom and find him already settled into the deep tub. So I pour us a glass of wine and climb in front of him.

  “So, tell me about your family, Elizabeth. Are they all crazy like you are?” he asks with a chuckle.

  “More so,” I say. “Mom and Dad are going to be there, I’m sure. Mom hasn’t called me to tell me so but they never miss the get-togethers. They’re in some little village in Mexico for their summer break, as they call it. They may get a shack there to live in during the winter months.”

  “A shack?” he asks as his hands rub a clean smelling soap over my shoulders.

  “Well, from the picture she sent me in a text, I’d call it a shack. She called it a bungalow.”

  “They sound like the kind of people who like to travel a lot,” he says then takes some water to rinse the soap off me.

  “They are. I came along and slowed their roll for a few years then they got back at it. Mom and Dad both worked at a lumber yard in our little town. Mom made it to management and Dad finally did too. They were able to retire last year and I think they’re making lots of plans now.”

  “How long have they been together?” he asks me then kisses the top of my shoulder and it sends a chill through me. For a man who says he’s not sure what love is, he sure does make me feel like he loves me.

  “Since they were in their early twenties. I swear they never wanted kids to get in their way. I was an accident. They’re all about each other.”

  “How sad, my little Elizabeth was an accident,” he says then turns me around to face him.

  My body slips easily over his and I move my legs to anchor me to him. “They say I’m not but when I was about five I asked them if I was ever going to get a baby brother or sister and the way they looked at each other and laughed then told me, no way, made and imprint on me. Even at that young age. I knew they felt trapped or grounded by me. That’s part of the reason I spent so much time at my grandparents’ house.”

  “If I ever have kids, I want them to feel special,” he says as his eyes roam over my breasts. Then his hands do and he sighs. “These really are very beautiful.”

  With a laugh, I say, “Really? I think they’re too big. You know what they say, anything more than a mouthful is a waste.”

  “I don’t know who the fool was that made that phrase up, but he was a liar!” Suddenly his hands are on my waist and he lifts me up and gives them both a kiss. “I love them just the way they are.”

  Biting my lower lip, I wonder if he’s being honest. When he lowers me back down, his hand moves over my face to brush back my hair that’s fallen into it with his handling of me.

  Placing my hands on either side of his face, I lean in and kiss him with a sweet kiss. “Thank you, Zane. You’re very nice.”

  “So are you,” he says then kisses me.

  Lying in the tub full of warm water and kissing him as I lie on top of him has me feeling better than I’ve ever felt. His arms hold me in a loose grip as his tongue wanders around my mouth.

  I pull my mouth off his and just look into his eyes. There is something in them that wasn’t before. I never knew having sex could make deeper feelings manifest so quickly.

  I could be lying to myself about what I see. I could be lying to myself by thinking this can last. But for now, I think I’ll let myself believe just that.

  “I think you’ll like my family if you like me.”

  His hand moves up my arm then over my shoulder and his finger runs over my lips. “And I like you very, very much. How much do you like me?”

  “More than I’ve ever liked anyone.”

  “Good. Because I like you more than I’ve ever liked anyone too.” A kiss ends his sentence and I find myself falling so damn hard for him it physically hurts me.

  I never realized I was that type of person who was afraid of love or losing it, anyway.

  When our mouths part, I find him looking at me with a smile. “Hungry?”

  “Starving,” I say as we’ve not eaten dinner yet.

  “I’ll have room service bring us something up. Steaks?”

  “And huge baked potatoes?” I ask.

  “What kind of dessert?” he asks.

  “I was kind of thinking I’d have you for dessert.”

  A grin moves over his lips and I have to kiss it off of them. “I like the way you think, baby. I knew once you had a taste of me, you’d only want more.”

  “You did?” I ask. “You were pretty sure of yourself. And by the way, if you have never had a woman in your bed, why did you have that drawer full of fun?”

  “For you. I just got that stuff yesterday. I’m afraid I’ve been having fantasies about you since the moment I met you. Little, crazy, dirty fantasies. So get ready for me to fulfill them all.”

  “Sounds like you have big plans there, Romeo.”

  “I do and you’re in every single one of them.”

  I’m in his plans!

  Chapter 6

  ZANE

  “We’d love to make a trip over to visit the place in person,” I tell the man sitting across from us. Steven Schweiz’s resort property is a thing Elizabeth is finding very interesting.

  “I can’t wait to see it,” she says as she claps her hands. “How exciting!”

  “When can you make it?” Steven asks.

  Elizabeth looks at me for the answer and I decide to let her make this call. “You can decide, Elizabeth.”

  “Me?” she asks. “I have no idea what you have coming up.”

  “It’s okay, I can schedule anything I have around what you want to do.” I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate her into my life so I don’t make the same mistake I did before. And I’m finding it so much easier than I did before to think about her, pretty much all the time.

  “When’s the best time of year to make a visit, Steven. I’d like to see it at its peak.”

  Patting her on the thigh, I lean over and whisper, “Great thinking.”

  She smiles and nods then looks at Steven for his answer. “The spring is the best time. I can schedule you in for a week’s stay in the spring then.”

  “That would be great,” she says. “I can’t wait.”

  Spring is about six months away and I find myself feeling extremely happy that she’s made a plan that far into the future. I think this thing we have is growing.

  “It was lovely meeting you two. I had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing you in the spring. I will be in touch,” he says then we all get up to leave the restaurant and part ways as he gets into one cab and we get into another.

  “You handled that very well, Elizabeth,” I say then kiss her cheek. “You have a natural diplomacy. I think you should consider working with me.”

  “As what?” she asks as she looks out the window. “I just can’t get over all the tall buildings. There are just so many of them.”

  “You’re adorable,” I say and kiss her cheek again. “You could be my assistant.”

  “You have one of those already,” she says then looks at me. “Don’t you th
ink if you had me around all the time, you’d get sick of me?”

  “Do you think you’d get sick of me if we’re around each other all the time?” I turn the question around on her.

  “I’m not sure. I like being around you.”

  “Do you miss me when I’m gone off to work?” I ask as I fiddle with a lock of her hair.

  “I do,” she says then smiles at me. “I think we could try it out and see if we like it or if it makes us tired of each other.”

  The truth is, I miss her like crazy when I have to leave her at home. I can’t explain it but I do and I’ve been thinking very hard about how to get her to come along with me on my daily endeavors.

  “I cleared the whole week next week so we can stay in your hometown. I want to check out the lighthouse and get the renovations going.”

  The look in her eyes makes my heart pound. They glisten and then her arms are around me. “Oh, Zane!”

  I have to laugh then kiss the top of her head. “We can stay at your place. If that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course,” she says as she lets me go. “It’s not a thing like this place and you’re sure to be disappointed.”

  I kiss her lips to shut her up. “I could be with you in a cave and not be disappointed.”

  Her smile is like a beacon of light and her cheeks flush with pink. “Zane, you’re too sweet.”

  “I know.”

  The cab stops at my office building and we get out and head up to my office. “So how will this all work?” she asks. “Do I get my own office?”

  “Why? You don’t want to hang out in mine?” I ask as I wrap my arm around her and take her around the back to my private elevator that was finally fixed yesterday.

  “You really want me to hang out with you in your office all day long, Zane?”

  “Sure, you can sit on my lap and take notes or something like that.” Getting on the elevator, I notice her looking around at it.

  “This is small and you used a key. Is this only for your use?” she asks.

  “Yes,” I say then pull her to me. “Ever had sex in an elevator?”

  “No,” she says with a giggle. “But something tells me that might change for me in the near future.”

  “It just might. I don’t like to give away my surprises. Speaking of which, I have something in my office I meant to bring home to you yesterday but I forgot to.”

  When the elevator stops and the door opens and she sees we’re in my office she looks at me with a confused expression. “It comes right up to your office?”

  “Yes,” I say as I lead her out of the small elevator and into my office.

  “Why wouldn’t you have used this to bypass me that day I came up here?” she asks as her mind seems to be going back to that day, less than a week ago.

  “It broke down on me. I was trying to come up this way. But I suppose that was a blessing. If I hadn’t seen you, none of this would’ve ever happened.” Pulling her into my arms, I kiss her and she melts into me.

  When I end the kiss I still see confusion in her green eyes. “Don’t you think this is odd? I’m a nobody from virtually nowhere and you’re this big billionaire. There is absolutely no reason for you to have the slightest bit of interest in me.”

  “Well, you are gorgeous.”

  “No, I’m cute,” she says then pulls away from me. “You’re gorgeous. You’re actually much better looking than I am. And you’re smarter too.”

  “Stop selling yourself short. You are gorgeous, smart, and you’re about to find that out about yourself as I move you into the business world and you find out just how great you really are.” I go to my desk and fish out the little trinket I bought for her.

  Holding out the small box, I watch her pluck it from my hand and take the top off. She pulls the little necklace that’s really not a thing I’d normally even look at but when I was walking back to the office after lunch I saw it in a tiny jewelry shop and had to have it.

  “It’s a necklace with a lighthouse pendant hanging on it,” she says in a whisper. When she looks at me there are tears in her eyes.

  “Don’t cry. I didn’t get it to make you cry, baby,” I say and pull her into my arms again.

  “It’s the sweetest thing, Zane! How come you’re so nice to me?”

  And there goes the water works again. Is there anything nice I can do for her that won’t make this chick cry?

  Chapter 7

  ELIZABETH

  After renting a car at the small airport in Chesapeake City, we’re driving to my family’s reunion at a local park and Zane’s phone is going off like crazy. “I can’t believe she’s doing this,” he says with a tension to his voice I had never heard before.

  “Maybe I should answer it,” I say as it’s Meagan Saunders who is blowing his phone up about what I have no clue.

  His eyes cut to me then he says, “Do it. See what the hell she wants.”

  With glee, I answer his phone. “What the hell do you want, Meagan?”

  “Answering his phone, huh?” she says with a laugh. “Look, I’m on to you two. I’m not one to be lied to. I know you’ve made your way back to your little town and I know you have a family gathering you’re taking him to.”

  “How do you know our business?” I ask as I feel the most pissed sensation I’ve ever felt in my life.

  “I just do. I have a ton of connections. You need to let Zane know that I am not done with him and he needs to be well aware of that. I fight for what I want. I always have.”

  “Don’t call him anymore,” I say and end the call with a swipe of my finger. “I really hate her, Zane.”

  “I heard her,” he says. “She’s really a lot crazier than I realized.”

  “I wasn’t going to tell my family the lie about us being married but I think I should. If she does find out you told her a lie, I hate to think what she could do to your reputation.”

  He glances at me then looks back at the road. “I’m beginning to regret that lie more than I ever thought I would. But I think you’re right. You should tell them the same story we’ve told her.”

  I nod and feel a little sick at my stomach. I’ve never lied to my entire family before. It feels wrong on so many levels. And I have a sudden irritation at Zane for putting me in this position.

  “I have to get the chips and dip, Zane. Pull into that little store there and I’ll get that stuff real quick.” As he pulls into the parking lot, I see the car of one of my former boyfriends and feel a little uncomfortable. “Man, that’s Rodney’s car.”

  “Who is Rodney?” Zane asks.

  “One of the old boyfriends. He was the last one.”

  “Then I’m coming with you,” he says as he turns the car off. “And you let me open that door.”

  “No, that’s okay,” I say but he gives me that look that tells me to let him do it.

  So I wait for him to come around and feel like a fool as he opens the door for me and takes my hand, helping me out. Then his hand goes to the small of my back as we go inside the little store and everyone looks at us as we walk in.

  “Where have you been all week, Lizzie?” the clerk asks me. She and I went to school together.

  “New York,” I say and hurry to the chip aisle.

  And then I see Rodney who looks at me with a grin. “Hey you.”

  Zane’s hand moves from my back to my hip where he leaves it and Rodney’s eyes go right to it. I just smile an uncomfortable smile. “Hi, Rodney. How have you been?”

  “Doing good. Are you going to introduce us, Liz,” he says as he gestures to Zane.

  “This is Zane White.”

  Zane reaches out to shake Rodney’s hand. “Her husband.”

  Rodney’s eyes go wide and the clerk shouts. “What the hell?”

  Well, this will be spread all over town probably before I even get to the park and my family reunion!

  An itchy feeling starts creeping all over my body and I think I might be getting a case of hives. I’ve never told such a
huge lie before. I might be allergic to lying on this grand scale.

  “When did this happen?” Rodney asks. “I mean, I saw you a little over a week ago at the diner and you told me you were still single.”

  “She was then,” Zane says, “She’s not anymore. We were married in the middle of last week.”

  Looking at Zane, I’m mentally willing him to shut up as Rodney and the clerk looks at me in disbelief. “What’s the date?” Rodney asks.

  “The sixteenth,” I say.

  At the very same time, Zane says, “The seventeenth.”

  “So which is it?” Rodney asks with narrowed eyes.

  “Well, we married in the middle of the night in Vegas. He’s right, it’s the seventeenth.” I look at Zane again. “We have a reunion to get to or I’d tell you all the details.”

  Grabbing a bag of potato chips, I try to walk away but Rodney steps in front of me. “Not buying it. I saw you one day before that. What’s up?”

  “Nothing,” I nearly shout. “I just didn’t want to tell anyone about him until I knew he was for real and I told him that if he wanted me for real then he had to marry my ass and so he did.” I look at Zane. “Go grab a thing of dip so we can get going.”

  He goes to do what I’ve said as my tone is snippy mostly because I’m not used to lying and coming up with shit on the fly.

  Rodney eyes me like he doesn’t believe me because, let’s face it, who the hell is going to believe this gorgeous man married me because I said he had to?

  And now I’m stuck with that damn lie because that’s what the whole town will soon hear. The clerk looks at me and shakes her head. “I don’t know, Lizzie.”

  “Carla, I don’t know how to explain this whole thing. He and I have an odd relationship.”

  Zane pays for the things then we walk out and get into the car. He looks over at me after he starts the car. “You’re really bad at lying. Why were you so good at it in New York?”

  “I suppose because I was anonymous there.” Putting my face in my hands I shake my head. “I can’t believe I came up with that lame shit. No one will ever believe you married me because I said you had to.”

  “I suppose I can play kind of weak. You played a role for me. I think I can do that for you too.”