A Date With a Billionaire

by Julianna Morris

  “Did you listen to your brother’s radio station this morning?” she asked after they’d parked and were walking toward the northwest entrance of the stadium. “They’ve added the Wedding March as an intro to ‘The O’Rourke Marriage Watch.”’

  Kane grimaced. “I heard it. I told Pat he’s getting carried away and to tone it down.”

  “Well, it’s creative.”

  “That’s not what I call it.”

  She laughed and shook her head. They were anonymous amongst hundreds of people streaming into the park, something she appreciated after the notoriety of their so-called romance. Even a billionaire couldn’t compete with the excitement of baseball.

  Kane stopped at one of the food stands. “Let’s get some garlic fries,” he suggested.

  “No way.”

  He grinned over his shoulder. “Why? ’Fraid you’ll have to kiss me later? It won’t matter if we both eat them.”

  “Very funny.” Beth gave his arm a shove. “We’re having dinner with your family later. I don’t want to be oozing garlic when I meet them.”

  “All right. But you’re a real spoilsport.” Kane put his arm around her waist and squeezed. “Fortunately you have some other nice features.”

  “Huh.” She put a fair amount of disgust into the single word, but she was secretly pleased.

  At the moment she felt pretty and happy. They were almost like any other couple at the park. Kane wore shorts that showed off the muscular strength of his legs, a suspiciously new-looking Mariners’ shirt and a baseball cap. Between the cap and his sunglasses, he was practically unrecognizable. Normally she would have worn shorts as well, but since they were eating dinner with his family she’d opted for slacks and a light sweater top.

  And her baseball glove, of course.

  Even in the upper deck of the stadium you never knew when a fly ball might go in your direction.

  But they didn’t head for the upper level, instead Kane directed her to the lower deck in an area between the Mariners’ dugout and home plate. “I thought you were getting seats higher up,” she said, frowning slightly.

  “These were the only ones available,” Kane lied blandly. He gave Beth his most innocent look and nudged her down the narrow row. Libby had connections and she’d gotten her hands on a pair of prime season tickets for him.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” Beth scolded, not believing him for a minute.

  “Shouldn’t have done what?”

  She shook her head and sank into her seat.

  He hid a smile and sat next to her. Beth might object to his extravagance, but he could tell she was excited being so close to “her” baseball team. It wasn’t surprising, she threw herself into everything with unqualified enthusiasm. At odd times he caught himself wondering how that enthusiasm would translate into the bedroom…and was pretty sure he already had the answer. If Beth let herself love, she’d love with a heart and passion that couldn’t be measured.

  “Have you ever been to a game?” she asked after a moment.

  “We come once a year.”

  Each June Kane bought a block of tickets for his version of the “company picnic.” He attended with his employees and their families, but was usually too busy making sure things went well to watch the game.

  Today he’d be too busy watching Beth.

  They sang the National Anthem and waited as the first pitch got thrown out. The Mariners’ started out with a bang, nailing down six runs at the bottom of the first inning. Beth jumped to her feet, screaming and cheering along with everyone else.

  There was only one bad moment when a ball came sailing right at her head. He reached out to deflect it, but she expertly caught the fly ball…right before handing it to a big-eyed child sitting in the row behind them.

  About then Kane noticed the cameras were focused on them, so he hunched down and pulled his cap down over his forehead. To his relief, attention quickly shifted back to the action on the field.

  Though he’d been too busy over the years to pay much attention to baseball, he found himself caught up in the game. Maybe it was Beth’s influence, but he ended on his feet, cheering as the Mariners won with a score of eight to one.

  Beth was so excited she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a happy kiss.

  Before she could pull away, Kane put his hands at her waist. “Now that’s what I call incentive for winning,” he murmured.

  “You weren’t playing.”

  “No, I’m not playing,” he said huskily.

  The color in her gold-brown eyes darkened. Departing spectators jostled them closer and her breath quickened. “We…we should go.”

  But she didn’t move and a contented sigh rose from Kane’s chest. It would kill him to admit that his brother’s “date with a billionaire” idea had turned out so well, yet it had. A tight feeling in his gut had relaxed, a feeling he hadn’t even recognized because it was with him so long. He was like a badger who had dug underground for so long he’d forgotten what light was all about.

  “Hey, Miss Cox,” yelled a voice.

  They both started and for an instant Kane was annoyed, thinking a reporter had found them, but it was one of the bat boys from the field.

  “Yes?” she said.

  “A little present from the team,” the boy called, tossing her a baseball.

  Beth snagged it out of the air, her mouth opening in an O of astonishment. As far as she could tell it was signed by all the players, the signatures crowding each other on the clean new surface of the ball.

  “You arranged this,” she said to Kane, unable to contain her pleased grin.

  He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. My assistant made a couple of calls—it turns out she knows one of the team wives.”

  If Kane had tried, he couldn’t have gotten a present that pleased her more. Beth dropped the signed ball into her knapsack and kissed him again.

  “Thank you,” she said simply.

  The crowd had thinned considerably by the time they reached his Mercedes, though they still had to wait while the lines of cars emptied from the parking garage.

  It gave Beth time to get nervous again about meeting Kane’s family. He’d made it clear they knew there wasn’t a romance in the air, but she was torn between hoping to make a good impression, and worrying they wouldn’t think she belonged. She had too much experience at not belonging.

  Unable to sit still, she flipped the car visor down and shrieked. “Why didn’t you tell me my hair was such a mess?”

  “Because it isn’t.”

  The car slid forward a few feet as she shook her head. “You must be blind.” She cast a sideways glance at him and glared. “Don’t you dare smile.”

  “Was I?”

  “Yes, and I want to know why.”

  “Because I’ve never heard you fuss about your hair. You have beautiful hair, Beth. It looks great all tumbled down like that.”

  “It looks like I just crawled out of bed,” she grumbled.

  “Yeah.”

  The satisfied tone of Kane’s voice made her flush. She was so confused. What did he want from her? Each time she convinced herself it was publicity and his desire to take care of his family, he made a comment that seemed…intimate. The thought distracted her so much she didn’t think about meeting his mother until they were pulling into the driveway of a house that had been built around the same time as her own.

  “Is that her house?” Beth asked, surprised. She’d expected something modern and high-tech, not this cozy place with the wide wraparound porch.

  “Yes. She won’t let me get something bigger—says it’s too big already unless I give her some grandchildren to come visit.” Kane sounded so disgruntled it almost took her mind off the upcoming introductions.

  “You mentioned she wants more grandchildren.”

  “Mom loves kids.”

  He helped her out of the car and Beth brushed a small piece of lint from her green slacks. The windows of the old house were open and the sound
of laughter rang in the air.

  “Uh, is everyone here?”

  She tugged nervously at the hem of her sweater top and tried to quell the butterflies in her tummy. It wasn’t as if Kane was bringing her to “meet the family” in the traditional sense of the word. She couldn’t deny they were becoming friends—annoying as he could be at times—and friends were invited to dinner without any expectations.

  “Yup, I’m sure they’re all here,” Kane said comfortably. “There’s no reason to be uneasy. They just want to meet the woman with the moxie to keep telling me ‘no.”’

  “Oh, that makes me feel better.”

  He grinned and tucked her arm into his elbow. “I guarantee they’ll love you.”

  They walked inside, the laughter and voices enveloping them, along with the scent of pot roast. As Beth had feared, the entire O’Rourke clan had the same stunning good looks and easy sophistication as Kane and Shannon. She felt overwhelmed, even when his mother drew her out to the kitchen and hugged her.

  “Mrs. O’Rourke?”

  “Darling girl,” the older woman said, smiling warmly. “I haven’t seen my son so happy since we lost his father.”

  Instant panic clawed at Beth. “But we’re not…it isn’t like that. Kane said you knew we weren’t involved.”

  “I know all about that nonsense.” Peggy O’Rourke chuckled. She was a diminutive woman, with Kane’s blue eyes and dark hair barely touched by gray. “I also know my son. You’ve given him something back, child. I don’t care if he doesn’t have the good sense to marry you, from now on you’re a member of this family.”

  Quick tears burned in Beth’s eyes. “That’s nice of you.”

  “Nice nothing. I know quality when I see it. Now, I’m Mom to you, like everyone else. Isn’t that right, Kane?”

  Beth turned in time to see him standing in the doorway, an enigmatic expression on his face. She couldn’t tell if he’d heard everything his mother had said, or just some of it.

  “That’s right,” he agreed. “Shannon sent me out to see if you need help with dinner.”

  “Not Shannon’s help,” Peggy exclaimed with mock horror. “My eldest daughter is talented,” she explained to Beth. “But she lacks a wee bit in domestic skills.”

  “That’s like saying the Rock of Gibraltar is a pebble”

  Kane said dryly. “If Shannon even looks at a kitchen, the fire alarm goes off.”

  “I heard that,” Shannon said, slapping him upside the head. “You have no respect.”

  “That’s callin’ the kettle black.”

  He grinned easily and they continued to bicker, with various other siblings drifting in, joining the argument, then drifting out as they collected bowls and plates of food for the table. They seemed like any other family except for their amazing good looks.

  Patrick O’Rourke arrived at the last moment, gave his mother a kiss, then grinned at Beth. He looked so much like Kane it startled her.

  “Hey, nice to meet you, Beth Cox. You’ve been good for my business,” he said.

  “The ‘O’Rourke Marriage Watch’ has been good for your business,” she retorted. “I’m a helpless pawn in your publicity scheme.”

  “Hardly helpless,” Kane protested, holding a chair out for her. “You’ve got me turning handstands.”

  Chuckles greeted the remark, but nobody seemed to take it seriously. This was just the sort of big, noisy family Beth had always dreamed about. Still, it was hard to know how to act. They were so comfortable with one another, and she’d never had a family of any kind.

  There was a quiet moment when they all took hands and bowed their heads. With Kane holding her fingers on one side, and Patrick O’Rourke on the other, Beth breathed her own silent prayer. Only it wasn’t one of thankfulness, it was a plea for survival. She didn’t want to love again, yet Kane was making serious inroads on her heart and self-sufficiency.

  Dangerous inroads.

  Apparently prayer was the only silent time the O’Rourkes observed. At any one time there were three or four conversations going on around the big table, but the subject they enjoyed the most was teasing Kane about his shaky single status.

  “You have to be the first son to get married,” said Shannon as she nibbled on a carrot. “It’s tradition.”

  “Well, it’s not going to be me,” Patrick declared. “I’m a bachelor for life, though I think Beth will be a great sister-in-law.” He winked at Beth, who wanted to crawl beneath the table.

  “Don’t tease her,” Peggy scolded.

  Under cover of the tablecloth Kane squeezed Beth’s knee. “This is their idea of being nice,” he whispered. “Don’t mind anything they say.”

  She did mind, but not in the way he thought. It didn’t matter how warmly they welcomed her, she didn’t belong. The jokes about her marrying Kane only emphasized that.

  Married?

  They obviously didn’t understand. Kane would never consider her as a wife.

  A wistful pang went through her. But what if he did, by some miracle, decide he wanted marriage? He seemed to like her, and kissing him was like spontaneous combustion.

  Maybe she was really worried about losing everything. Maybe she’d discovered that comfortable wasn’t safe, it was just dull—and the real problem was that she didn’t believe Kane could ever love her, so it was easier to believe it couldn’t happen.

  “By the way, Beth, I really appreciate the chance to run an empire,” Neil O’Rourke said, catching her attention. “If it wasn’t for your distracting influence on Kane, I wouldn’t be getting the chance.”

  He was obviously joking, but it was equally obvious how much he thought of his brother. They all did. Kane had taken the place of their father, no matter how much they chafed against his protectiveness.

  “Just don’t lose my shirt,” Kane warned. “A few million is all right, but let’s keep the damage minimal.”

  “You’re a richer man today because of me,” Neil responded, grinning. “By more than a few million. Keep him out of my way, Beth, and I’ll double his money in a month.”

  It was all lighthearted, but the idea of losing or gaining millions of dollars was more than she could comfortably handle. “I’ll get some more water,” she said, grabbing the empty pitcher.

  “Let Patrick get it, he’s closest,” Shannon protested, but Beth shook her head.

  A worried frown creased Kane’s forehead as Beth disappeared into the kitchen. He knew she wasn’t comfortable with his family. If only he could reassure her. She was so special, she made the rest of his life seem trivial by comparison.

  He got up and his brothers and sisters got quiet, suddenly realizing they might have gone too far with their lighthearted teasing.

  “We didn’t mean anything,” Shannon said. “Did we upset her?”

  “I don’t know, I’m going to find out.”

  He found Beth at the back door, gazing out at the field behind the house. Kane gathered her close and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair.

  “They get to me sometimes, too,” he murmured. “Never a quiet moment with the O’Rourkes.”

  “I shouldn’t have come.”

  God. She was the most precious woman in the world, but this was hardly the place to talk privately. Any minute his family would all come pouring out, wanting to apologize and sweep her back with them again.

  “Of course you had to come,” he said firmly. “You didn’t want me to face them alone, did you?”

  “They adore you.”

  “They drive me crazy. The only time I get any peace and quiet is when they’re asleep. I love coming to your house—it’s actually sane there.”

  Her soft laugh rewarded him. “Sane? Right. Bursting water pipes, painting, hysterical kittens—sounds perfectly normal.”

  “Perfectly wonderful,” Kane corrected.

  She had no idea how wonderful.

  Someone cleared their throat behind them, and he looked over his shoulder to see nine pairs of worried eyes staring at h
im. He scowled, wishing they would go away.

  “Beth, darlin’,” said his mother, her brogue deepening. “I know we take some gettin’ used to, but don’t give up on us.”

  Beth drew a deep breath. It seemed easier to face them again with Kane’s arms around her, though it should have been embarrassing. She wasn’t his girlfriend. She wasn’t even his lover, and they all knew it.

  The teasing was just that, teasing.

  She plastered a smile on her face. “It’s all right. You’re nothing compared to a hoard of newspaper reporters wanting to know why I turned down a date with a billionaire.”

  They chuckled and seemed relieved, but it was Kane’s tender look that turned her inside out.

  Chapter Ten

  “I think this is the last one,” Peggy said, handing Beth a pot to dry. The dishes had gone into the state-of-the-art dishwasher.

  Peggy had protested Beth’s offer to help with the dishes, but she’d insisted. If nothing else, it gave her something to do with her hands so she didn’t feel so out of place.

  Kane and his brothers were taking expansion leaves from the dining-room table and storing them in a hidden closet, arguing all the while about some European soccer team. Beth didn’t know anything about soccer and she’d never been to Europe, but it was fascinating to listen to the good-natured sparring. There had never been happy arguments in her foster home, only bitter rancor and coldness.

  “Oh, please. Change the subject. Sports are boring,” Kathleen O’Rourke said as she wiped the oak table with furniture polish. She was the youngest of the siblings and the mother of three-year-old twin girls.

  “Chicks never like sports,” Neil said, only to get slapped in the face with a polish-laden dust rag.

  “Hey, Beth is a Mariners’ fan,” Kane said, pulling her down on the couch with him. “She listens to games on the radio, and everything.”

  His brothers groaned and said it wasn’t fair, none of their girlfriends had ever liked baseball, and how did Kane get so lucky? At the last minute they caught themselves and shuffled their feet in discomfort.