The Backdoor Billionaire's Bride

by Roz Lee

  How could such a brilliant man be so clueless? Veronica had everyone in the place looking over the shoulder for witches on broomsticks. “Nobody.” She shuffled papers around on her desk, hoping if she appeared busy enough, her partner would take the hint and leave. When he gave no sign of moving on, she clasped her hands together on the cleared blotter and changed the subject. “How’s the new line of male products coming?”

  “Good, if I do say so myself.” When he talked about his work, he looked like a kid in a toy store. A smile lifted both sides of his mouth, and his eyes twinkled with a light from within. She couldn’t be mad at him when he looked at her that way.

  Becky nodded. “I talked to Scott this morning. He’s sending over a contract for the leather goods you designed. Once the paperwork is all squared away, he estimated three weeks until the first shipment is ready. I think direct sales is the way to go on this one.”

  “No middleman means more profits.” He rubbed his hands together. Like either one of them needed more money. “We should slot out some time on the shopping channel to showcase the new line.”

  “Already done.” She sorted through the folders on her desk, picked one out, and slid it across the desktop. “Here are the schedules for the next two months.”

  “Only two months?”

  Becky looked up at him. “You want more?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you’ll be who knows where by then?”

  He tilted his head to one side and narrowed his eyes at her. “What makes you think I won’t be here?”

  “Ms. Ramsey said—”

  “She was here? What, exactly, did she say?”

  Ford spent most of his time in his office, drawing on his sketchpad or computer, but he still managed to have a clue about most things happening in the office. Could it be possible he hadn’t asked Veronica to help him, and he had no idea what his girlfriend had been up to the past week? “She’s been here every day this week, asking to see the financial reports, production schedules….”

  His face turned a shade of red she’d never seen before, and he clenched his fists at his side.

  “Did she say why she wanted the reports?”

  “She said you asked her to get them.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Did she say why?”

  “No. I assumed you were talking to a potential buyer.”

  His gaze bore into her. “I’m not selling, Becks. Not today. Not next week or next month. Not ever.”

  “Oh.” Her heart did a flip at the use of the pet name he’d given her, only to plummet to her stomach as she realized what he’d said. “Then…? You…?”

  “No. I didn’t ask her to get them for me. I knew she had to be up to something, coming here, but I had no idea what. I still don’t.” He tossed the schedule she’d just handed him on her desk. “Shit. I’ve got to go.”

  “Ford!”

  He stopped in the doorway and turned.

  “What’s going on?”

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

  He couldn’t remember being this angry, ever. For the last week, he’d ignored Veronica, and since she hadn’t bothered him, he’d assumed he’d made himself clear on the subject of selling and going back to New York. She’d shown up the next day, apologized to Becky Jean and Carolyn, and he hadn’t seen her since. He’d assumed she’d decided to spend her time visiting with Scott, but in truth, he had no idea she remained in town. Should have paid more attention.

  Well, he was paying attention now. He grabbed his car keys out of his desk drawer. Whatever plans she had, he would put a stop them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “Where is she?” he demanded.

  Scott looked up from his cluttered desk, a blank stare on his face as if he’d just woken from a coma. “Who?”

  “Veronica. Where is she?”

  His friend shrugged. “No idea. Thought you were keeping her occupied.”

  Ford slapped the doorframe. “Fuck!”

  “Something wrong?”

  “Do you know what she’s up to?”

  “Up to?” Scott rocked back in his chair. “No. I’ve barely seen her since she got here. She hasn’t taken a single meal at the B&B. I thought you and her—”

  “I told you, we’re over. Have been for a while.” Ford dropped into the old leather visitors’ chair—a remnant left behind by the previous owners. He shook his head. “I knew she was up to something when she showed up all of a sudden, but I had no idea.”

  “What?”

  “I just found out she’s been poking around in the plant’s financials. Even had the balls to ask for copies of reports. She gave Becky Jean the impression I wanted them, probably to give to a prospective buyer.”

  “Shit.” Scott straightened. “And you knew nothing about this?”

  “Not a thing. I’ve been working my ass off this week, working out the kinks in a new toy I plan to unveil at the trade show next week in Vegas. I’ve barely come out of my office to eat, much less sleep.” He raked his hands over his face. “What the fuck is she up to?”

  “I’ve never pretended to understand Ronnie, so don’t ask me.”

  “I’ve got to find her, put a stop to this shit.”

  “Did you try The Yellow Rose?”

  “Not yet. I’m going there next.” Ford stood. “Thanks, man, for listening. I know she’s your sister and all, but I could easily strangle her.”

  Scott snorted. “No offense taken. She’s always looked out for herself first and everyone else last. She’s definitely up to something. If she shows up, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks.”

  A stop at The Yellow Rose provided no more information on Ronnie’s whereabouts. Roseanne confirmed she hadn’t seen much of her new tenant. Like Scott, she’d assumed Ford to be the reason. Leaving instructions to call him the minute Veronica returned, Ford headed back to the plant.

  With a little luck, the 3-D printer would have spit out his new creation while he’d been gone. If everything went well, he could have enough samples produced in time to hand out at the trade show.

  He stopped at Becky Jean’s office long enough to tell her not to give Ronnie any more information, and assure her he remembered the trip the following week. They were taking a few interns from the business program at the county junior college over in Plainview to fetch and carry, and several of the new spokesmodels they’d hired for the network shows. Between them, their booth would be well staffed for the week-long event, which meant he’d have plenty of time to spend with Becky Jean.

  Neither one of them had had a day off since they’d become business partners, and he planned to take full advantage of the opportunity to get away for a little while.

  Becky Jean’s brother, Colin, had called a few weeks ago, asking for Ford’s help. Turned out, he planned to be in Las Vegas, too. His new record label had booked him and his band as an opening act for one of the major acts in town, and he wanted Ford to help him surprise Becky Jean who had never seen him play in person.

  The concert was just one of the surprises he had for his partner. They both deserved to have a little fun.

  Speaking of which…. He examined his new creation. It didn’t look much different than others he’d seen. It was what went on the inside that made this model unique.

  ~~~

  Ford vibrated with anticipation as he helped the interns put the finishing touches on their booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center. He’d sent Becky Jean back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for their big night on the town. He’d finally told her about the concert tickets after her brother had called to let him know about the giant billboard in front of their hotel proclaiming him the opening act for the next few days. Colin had been disappointed about not being able to surprise his sister, as had Ford, but the concert paled in comparison to the other surprise he had for his partner.

  She would have found the toy. If Becky Jean did as his note ins
tructed, it would be worth every penny of bribe money he’d paid the housekeeping staff to have the gift-wrapped package placed in her room while she’d been out.

  Since the night they’d spent together, she’d been careful to feature toys on the show she could easily test solo. Technically, his new creation fit into the same category but would be a lot more fun with a partner.

  “Ford! What are you doing?”

  On his knees organizing the boxes stashed beneath one of their tables, the familiar voice startled him.

  “Fuck!” he hissed, extricating himself from the dark cavern created by the tablecloth. He bumped his head on the table, uttered another curse, and stood. Scott’s sister and a man he didn’t recognize faced him. “Ronnie. What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I would surprise you.”

  “Who’s this?” He nodded at the man standing an almost-appropriate distance behind her. It could have been the way he looked at Ronnie like he could see through her clothes that made the gap between them seem intimate.

  The woman glanced over her shoulder and beckoned her companion forward. “Ford, I’d like you to meet Carter Hargraves. Carter, Ford Adams.”

  The man extended his hand. Out of habit, Ford did the same while he searched his memory for a reason the man’s name sounded familiar.

  “Nice to meet you,” Carter said. “You’re a difficult man to reach.”

  Things clicked into place. Dozens of messages over the last few weeks from the CEO of their biggest competitor, Toy Haven. Messages he’d ignored. “Not if I have reason to speak to you.”

  The other man raised one eyebrow and smiled. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

  “No.” He didn’t want to keep Becky Jean waiting. He scanned the booth one last time to make sure everything was in place for the opening the next morning then turned back to his unwanted visitors. “I don’t know what Veronica has told you, but Adams Manufacturing has been in my family for four generations. It’s not for sale.”

  Hargraves glanced at Ronnie who smiled and wrapped herself around the man’s arm, snuggling up to him like a dancer to a pole. “Don’t believe a word he says, Carter. Everything has a price. Tell him what you’re offering. He’ll change his mind.”

  Ford glared at the woman then held up a staying hand before either one could utter another word. “Don’t bother.” He scooted through the gap between the partition separating their booth from the next one and the table. “Ms. Ramsey is mistaken, Mr. Hargraves. If you’ll excuse me, I have plans this evening.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Ford. Ford! Come back here!”

  Seething, he kept walking until the sound of cars breezing past on the street drowned out Veronica’s screeching. No doubt she’d used the financial information she’d conned the staff out of to convince their biggest competitor to make an offer for the company. Why, he didn’t have a clue. He’d told her in no uncertain terms he had no plans to sell, made it plain he liked his new situation.

  His mind reeled, trying to grasp the woman’s reasoning and came up empty. “What part of no does she not understand?” he mumbled as he entered the hotel lobby and headed toward the elevators. He keyed in his floor then shook his head to dislodge the anger and disbelief at Ronnie’s actions. He’d deal with the woman later. He had much more pleasant things to deal with tonight.

  ~~~

  At Ford’s insistence, Becky had left him to finish setting up their booth so she could get some rest before their big night on the town. Unable to sit still, she stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of her hotel suite and stared at the electronic billboard dozens of stories below flashing her brother’s picture every thirty seconds. Yes, she’d timed the intervals. She had known her brother was doing well. He called often enough, but, in the last year, she’d barely come up for air, and had somehow missed his rise to stardom. Well, almost stardom. Soon, he’d be the headliner and some other hopeful would be his opening act.

  Tonight would be awesome. First, dinner with Ford, their new business partner, Scott Ramsey, and Becky’s best friend, Roseanne Meadows, who had accompanied Scott to Vegas. Her friend still refused to talk about what went on between her and the Yankee, but anyone with eyes could see something was going on.

  After dinner, the four of them would return to the hotel where they had VIP seats for the concert. Thankfully, she’d had a little warning and had been able to call Amy to help her find a dress for tonight. She’d picked out the black beaded halter-style gown with the slit up the side that both allowed her to move and exposed enough leg to be sexy. Amy had assured her men’s heads would turn when she walked by.

  Becky squelched a giggle before it made it past her lips. She’d never been to Las Vegas, but she’d heard plenty about the place. Maybe she’d been cooped up in her office for too long, but it felt good to be away—to have a view from her window! She loved Butte Plains, but she’d been too busy lately to enjoy her hometown. Even though this was a work trip, she fully intended to squeeze every drop of fun out of it she could—starting tonight.

  She spied the gift the moment she stepped into the bedroom. Wrapped in the glossy-white paper and signature red ribbon Adams Manufacturing used to wrap gift purchases for shipment, she knew instantly who it had to be from. Ford. She shook her head and placed a fist over her heart to assuage the ache she experienced every time she thought about him. Lord, what now? Working with him was pure torture sometimes, but she wouldn’t trade those times for anything.

  He’d said he wouldn’t sell his part of the company, but he hadn’t said he would stay in Butte Plains either, so she refused to let her heart beat for what it wanted—a lifetime with the man she loved. Plus, he still had a girlfriend, or whatever. Roseanne said the woman had become a ghost around the B&B, evaporating into thin air. Sneaky. She’d led everyone in the office to believe the documents she requested were for Ford, when she wanted them for her own purposes. No one seemed to know where she went every day. Whatever she was up to, it had to be no good.

  Becky forced the evil woman out of her thoughts. Tonight, she resolved to have a good time. No thinking about unpleasant things.

  She picked up the box, tested its weight in her palm. Light as air, she had no idea what could be inside. The ribbon came away with a light tug on the end of the bow, and a fingernail under the squares of tape on the bottom and sides loosened the heavy paper wrapping. A plain envelope lay atop the nondescript box. Inside, a note from Ford.

  Becky,

  I designed this for you. Wear it for me tonight?

  Love,

  Ford

  Love? Her crazy heart skipped a beat at the salutation, even though it probably meant nothing. She set the missive aside and opened the box.

  Her hands trembled as she lifted the lace thong. Sewn into the triangle of fabric was what could only be a vibrator. She’d seen similar ones in their competitors’ catalogs and knew Ford would eventually get around to designing a better version. Besides being incorporated into an actual garment, this one didn’t look special. But she knew her business partner—if he couldn’t one-up the competition, he didn’t waste his time.

  “How is this one different?” she said as she examined it. Immediately, she noticed there were no wires, no controller, not even an on/off switch. Another glance at the box confirmed she hadn’t missed any parts. She raised one eyebrow, considering the construction again. The wearer would have no control over whatever magic tricks the toy could do.

  Was she brave enough to wear it not knowing when Ford would activate it, or what to expect when he did? Maybe.

  Becky placed the device back in its box then headed for the shower to wash the grime of travel and booth setup away. Every drop of soapy water carried another of her worries down the drain, leaving her relaxed and in a better mood than she had been in for ages. Her staff back in Butte Plains were competent and capable of handling whatever came up over the next few days. They’d brought enough people with them to staff their booth at the trade show, and th
ey’d been well trained, which left plenty of time for her to have some fun.

  And where better to do it than Las Vegas? Sin City?

  After moisturizing every inch of skin she could reach with the expensive lotion both Roseanne and Amy had insisted she needed, she dried her hair, leaving it down so it fell in soft curls over her shoulders. Without a moment’s hesitation, she stepped into the lace thong Ford had gifted her with. She wouldn’t tell him she had put it on. Let him guess. A shiver raced down her spine as she speculated about what she would experience when he chose to activate it. Would it even work? It was hard to imagine something so small with no visible signs of a working mechanism would actually do anything. But, knowing Ford, the tiny device would deliver the goods. Whatever they might be.

  The dress fit like a dream, and she had to admit, she didn’t look half-bad in it. With every move she made, the heavy beading picked up the light, sending it back into the room in tiny sparks. Ford’s latest invention rested undetectable between her legs. Clever. She couldn’t imagine wearing the others she’d seen for hours—they’d simply be too uncomfortable. But it would be easy to forget about this one.

  She’d just pulled her hair behind her left ear and secured it with a rhinestone clasp when a knock sounded on her door.

  “Just a second,” she called out. She slipped her feet into strappy sandals then grabbed her evening purse off the end of the bed. “Sorry—”

  The rest of her apology for keeping him waiting died on her lips the second she laid eyes on Ford. The tingling in her lady parts had nothing to do with the device concealed in her panties and everything to do with the man standing before her. Holy Jesus. He looked good no matter what he wore, but this…. “Wow.”

  “You like it?” he said, brushing invisible lint from the jacket of his tuxedo. “I asked Scott to pack up some of my clothes for me the last time he went back to New York. Never thought I’d need this again, but I’m glad he sent it.” His gaze traveled from the sparkly clip in her hair down to the slit in her skirt where it lingered before slowly making its way back to her face. She knew he couldn’t possibly tell if she wore his gift, but she held her breath anyway, waiting for him to say something about it.