Bride By Design 3: Manchala Nights (Taken By The Billionaire)

by Roberts, Alicia

  Was I just looking for an excuse to call Colin? I didn't know, but if he didn't want to talk to me, it would be a very brief phone call. But it would be nice to hear his voice again, even if he was being stiff and formal. On the other hand, maybe he'd already forgotten about me and was busy with a new girl, and I'd just make a fool of myself if I called him.

  Chapter Seven

  My indecision was put to an end when I walked out of work on Friday.

  There was a familiar black limo parked near the curb, and when the window wound down, I saw Colin sitting inside. I almost squealed with delight, and walked towards the car as quickly as I could. When I stepped inside, I grinned at Colin, and I saw the familiar wary mask drop from his eyes as he smiled back, and I hugged him before he could protest.

  "Thank you so much for the job, Colin," I said happily, squeezing his hands in mine. "I don't know why you called Brian, and you're nuts, but I appreciate it."

  Colin gulped and said gruffly, "Brian wasn't meant to tell you I called."

  "No, but you can't stop gossip!"

  I laughed, not trying to hide my exuberance. I was happy Colin had helped me get a job, but I was even more thrilled to see him again.

  All the emotions of the past few days bubbled up to the surface - I'd missed him, I'd thought I'd never see him again and then I'd been confused about why he'd helped me get the new job. I knew I was a visible mess of emotions but I didn't care, all I knew was that Colin was in front of me again and I had a few more minutes with him.

  His gorgeous green eyes smiled back at me softly, and I held his hands, feeling how strong and warm they were.

  "I've missed you, Colin," I said, not caring if that made me sound weak. "I'm sorry about what happened in Manchala."

  I leaned in to kiss him, and was surprised and hurt when he pulled back and moved to the seat opposite me.

  I tried not to pout, and Colin said gently, "It's hard to resist you, Lisa."

  "Then why are you? Is there someone else?" My eyes narrowed and I felt a chill of jealousy.

  Colin laughed softly and ignored my flashing eyes. "How could there be someone else when I can't get you out of my mind?"

  The words reverberated through my head and I calmed down a bit. Had he really been thinking about me? "Then what it is it?"

  "We need to talk business before we get all emotional and mess things up again."

  I nodded. He was right, emotions did mess things up. And of course he hadn't come here just to see me, there must be some business issue happening.

  I tried to not to feel disappointed as I calmed down and attempted to be more professional. "What's going on? You know I owe you for this job."

  My voice sounded hollow, and Colin winced. "You owe me nothing. I paid you, you went to Manchala with me, that's it. I called Brian impulsively, I just felt like you needed a break."

  I was about to protest, but he interrupted me. "I need you to do something for me. I want you to pretend to be living with me in my townhouse."

  I looked surprised, and Colin continued, "Don just called. He's found out that Roger's being investigated for embezzlement, and he's regretting his decision to go with Roger. He wants to go with me instead."

  "That's great! Wow, that was lucky for you."

  Colin laughed drily. "There's no such thing as luck, just being super-prepared. Anyway, Roger's been hinting to Don that we might not really be married. So Don's coming over to my place tonight for dinner, to check that we're really married, before I sign the contract. Roger even called me and said he'd have told all the tabloids, and told Don to look for a marriage license, except Celine threatened to make his life super-tough if he did that. She seems to like you." He raised an eyebrow and said lightly, "You have no idea about the effect you have on people."

  I shrugged. "Celine doesn't have any real friends, nobody was ever actually nice to her."

  Colin smiled. "I wasn't talking about Celine."

  I blushed and hoped he meant what I thought he meant.

  We drove down to my apartment to get some things and I grudgingly let him come upstairs.

  "It's a pigsty," I warned him.

  But when he was inside, Colin laughed and said, "I think 'pigsty' is an understatement."

  I pretended to glare at him and quickly grabbed some slippers, clothes and a painting - things I'd use in Colin's townhouse to pretend I lived there.

  I was tempted to pull Colin close and kiss him deeply, but we kept our hands off one another and sat opposite each other on the drive down to his townhouse. There was a lot at stake tonight and I wanted to help Colin out and make amends for the way I'd behaved in Manchala. I didn't want to risk messing things up for him again.

  Once we arrived, I was impressed by the gorgeous building, the elegant layout and the beautiful furniture. Colin introduced me to his housekeeper, Sheila, and once she was out of earshot, I whispered to him that my place would look as neat as his, if only I had a full-time housekeeper.

  Colin merely grinned and told me to make a mess of his place. I frowned at him, but we quickly hung up the painting in the bedroom, and I tossed my slippers in one corner and threw some clothes over the back of a chair.

  "Perfect," said Colin, surveying the bedroom. "Now go and change out of your work clothes."

  I pouted and said, "Stop rushing me."

  "Stop pouting."

  His eyes were teasing and he looked so strong and handsome. As we stared at each other, I felt the invisible thread of electricity between us pulsing and growing stronger, and I couldn't hold myself back any longer. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned up into his mouth. Colin grabbed my waist and pressed against me, his mouth returning my passion.

  I moaned into his mouth and let him push me onto the bed. Colin started to undo the buttons of my blouse, and one hand kneaded my breast. I arched my back, trying to get more of him, but then Colin stepped away.

  I looked up at him in surprise. Colin ran his hand through his hair and said, "Sir Donald will be here soon. I don't want to start something we can't stop."

  His voice was hoarse and I noticed his breathing was heavy. But I felt annoyed and rejected, so I decided to make him pay.

  "Fine," I said, standing up, "I'll get changed for dinner."

  I unbuttoned my blouse slowly and tossed it onto the chair, and did the same with my skirt.

  "Where are those clothes you bought for our trip?"

  Colin's mouth was slightly open as he looked at me, standing in the middle of the room in my bra and panties, and he pointed to a walk-in closet. I went there and found some lingerie and a nice dress, and walked back out.

  "I guess I should wear some nicer clothes," I said, and unhooked my bra.

  I took it off and tossed it into the closet, letting my breasts hang free. I did the same with my panties and Colin groaned out loud. "Why can't you just go change in the bathroom?"

  I stepped into a pink lingerie set slowly and did up the hooks. "I don't know what you're talking about. And why do you have to keep watching me?"

  Colin rolled his eyes, and I bent down, putting on some nice stilettos, letting my breasts swing down enticingly. I walked around the room as if I wasn't sure that the shoes were right for me, and then I bent down again, pretending to adjust the straps, and made sure Colin got a good view of my breasts.

  I noticed Colin pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes each time I bent over. By the time I slipped on the dress, the bulge in front of his pants had gotten much more prominent, and he breathed a sigh of relief when I was fully dressed.

  "You'll pay for that later," he growled, and I laughed innocently, as if I had no idea what he meant.

  I let him lead me downstairs, and we waited in the sitting room till Sir Donald arrived.

  He shook Colin's hand and embraced me warmly. "I'm sorry to drop in like this," he said, "But things with Roger didn't work out and it made me understand that I should be more careful about choosing who I work with."

  "That's q
uite alright, Don," said Colin smoothly, "Lisa and I are happy to have you over for dinner."

  I smiled in agreement, and we walked up to the dining room, and let Sheila serve us a delicious meal of home-cooked steaks and Waldorf salad.

  After dinner, we gave Don a tour of the house. I let Colin do all the talking while I tried my best to hide the fact that this was the first day I was seeing the house, too. The crooked picture in the bedroom and my work clothes strewn over the back of a chair gave the impression that I'd been living here for a while, and I breathed a sigh of relief when the tour was over and we all headed down to the dining area again.

  Colin poured us some lovely decaf, and I sipped the strong brew and let my mind wander off as he and Don began to talk about work. They discussed budgets, plans and architects and I felt a sense of warmth as I understood that Colin would be officially taking on the project from next week.

  "I'm assuming Lisa will do the interior design for the resort?" Don asked, and I was jolted out of my day dream about me and Colin.

  "Yes, of course," said Colin, "Right, Lisa?"

  "Yes," I agreed, suddenly realizing that I'd be doing more serious work soon. I couldn't help but feel excited, but I wondered how it would affect things with Colin.

  Chapter Eight

  "You two are very obviously in love," said Sir Donald, before he said goodbye and left us alone.

  Sheila went home for the night, and Colin took me back upstairs to his bedroom. He had a serious look on his face, and I wondered if I should go home for the night, now that my job was done.

  "Don't even think of it," he said when I brought up leaving for the night. "I still have to punish you for the way you tortured me earlier."

  I blushed and was about to protest when Colin interrupted me.

  "Lisa," he said, "I realized something on Manchala when you told me you wanted to leave."

  "I'm really sorry about that, Colin, I didn't realize - "

  "No, let me finish. When you wanted to go away, it suddenly hit me that I didn't want you to leave. I mean, not just for the work stuff, but just… I don't want you to leave me, ever. People close to me have been leaving me alone all my life, first my mother, then my foster parents. I don't want you to leave me. I tried to deny it when we were in Manchala, but this week, being alone and without you just drove me nuts. You're kind, beautiful and honest, you're the only girl I trust and I'm addicted to you. I need you around me, the way I need air to breathe. I love you, Lisa."

  I stared at him, the words flooding through my head. He loved me. Was this another dream or fantasy? But Colin was staring at me, his jade eyes intent and watchful and he was waiting for me to say something.

  It finally got through to me that this was actually happening, it wasn't just something I imagined. I felt myself drowning, as reality sunk in.

  "I love you, too, Colin," I managed to choke out. "I think I always have, I just didn't trust you enough to believe it."

  I let Colin hug me tight and he kissed me softly.

  He pulled away and looked at me and I felt myself sinking into his deep eyes.

  "That's good to know," he said, "But it's really not enough for me."

  I watched, as if in a daze, as he produced a small box from his pocket and got down on one knee.

  "I know this is far too son, but I believe in controlling what I can and trying my best to keep what's mine," he said, and gulped. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm going to do my best to stop you from ever wanting to leave me again."

  He opened the box with a tiny "pop" and I gasped out loud. It contained the most beautiful ring, a large diamond surrounded by a circle of tinier diamonds, and I felt my eyes misting up and my throat constricting.

  "Lisa Jones, will you be my wife in real life, and promise to never want to leave me? Will you…"

  I lost control when I heard those words, and tears started streaming out of my eyes. I had no idea what Colin said next, I couldn't even see straight because of my tears, but I know that at some point he got up and hugged me, and stroked my hair until I stopped sobbing like a baby.

  I let him hold me quietly, and then he leaned back and lifted my chin. "You still haven't answered me," he said softly, and I laughed brokenly.

  "Yes, yes, of course I'll marry you and stay with you!"

  He lifted my hand to slip the ring on and I started crying again. I had no idea how it happened, but I found myself lying in bed, sobbing into Colin's arms.

  When I managed to dry my eyes, I sneaked a glance at Colin, who looked both amused and worried.

  "I didn't expect this reaction," he said slowly.

  I laughed again. "I'm sorry, I'm normally not such an emotional wreck, I just… I don't know! This is crazy."

  Colin smiled back. "Good. You need some craziness in your life. And you need to let someone else take care of you, for once, and I plan to spoil you till you can't even imagine leaving me. No, don't start crying again!"

  I traced my finger along Colin's jaw and somehow managed to choked back my tears.

  "I love you, Colin Anderson," I said quietly, "And I'm never going to leave you, ever."

  THE END

  Dear Reader,

  If you have enjoyed this book, please, please consider leaving a review on amazon.com

  Alicia Roberts is a self-published author, and leaving a quick review on Amazon is the easiest way to help others discover her work, and to encourage her to continue writing. Unlike traditionally published authors, she does not have a publisher or "marketing department" and relies entirely on word of mouth from happy readers.

  Alicia Roberts Is Also The Author Of:

  Stella's Submissiveness Challenge Trilogy, BDSM Romance Series:

  Provoking The Dom: Stella's Submissiveness Challenge

  Punished By The Dom: Stella's Submissiveness Challenge

  Playing With the Dom: Stella's Submissiveness Challenge

  Keira's Journey: The Billionaire's Submissive, BDSM Romance Series:

  Keira's Punishment: The Billionaire's Submissive

  Keira's Visit: The Billionaire's Submissive 2

  Keira's Past: The Billionaire's Submissive 3

  The Billionaire's Contract Trilogy, Adult Romance Series:

  The Billionaire's Contract: Proposals

  The Billionaire's Contract 2: Considerations

  The Billionaire's Contract 3: Aftermath

  Bride By Design Trilogy, Adult Romance Series

  Bride By Design: Flights of Fancy (Taken By The Billionaire)

  Bride By Design 2: Manchala On The Mind (Taken By The Billionaire)

  Bride By Design 3: Manchala Nights (Taken By The Billionaire)

  She is available on twitter and enjoys chatting with her readers; her username is @AliciaRRoberts

  She blogs at http://aliciarroberts.wordpress.com

  Her email address is aliciarights@gmail.com

  Extract From The Billionaire's Contract: Proposals

  Description:

  Sparks fly when Brad and Alexis meet. Brad is the new heir to Reinehart Industries, and Alexis is a cynical college drop-out.

  They live in completely different worlds, and under normal circumstances, their passionate encounters might have been shelved as "mistakes". But circumstances are far from normal, and Brad has plans that could change both their lives - if only he can convince Alexis to come along for the ride.

  Extract:

  "What do you think?" he asked at the end, his dark blue eyes piercing mine.

  "It's a bit spooky without people," I said, and though I didn't think it was that funny he laughed, a surprising low, belly laugh.

  A strand of his hair fell over his forehead, and I wondered again if he was single. His face was square and muscular, his lips thin and delicate.

  He took the folder and bag from my hands, and placed them on an empty shelf. "Well, we're here, aren't we?" he asked, tilting his head.

  I gulped and wondered what to say. My work was over, but he seemed to be
expecting something more. Come to think of it, why was he here to begin with, why hadn't he sent some lowly office peon, the way Mr. Neilson had sent me?

  His hands were on my face now, tilting my head back so that I met his eyes.

  "There's something about you," he growled, "I've been thinking about you since I left the law firm."

  I felt one hand leave my face and slowly travel down my neck, stopping only when it found my breast. He pressed down as his hand moved in slow circles, and I began to wonder if this was all real.