The Billionaire's Marriage Contract

by Avery James

  “Hi, honey,” Amy said. “I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up.” She looked at Ethan and then back to Logan.

  “Come on,” Ethan said. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 9

  As Ethan drove along the moonlit roads to Hank’s lodge, Amy placed her forehead against the cold glass of the passenger side window and stared out at the mountains in the distance. She could tell Ethan was angry, but she just didn’t want to deal with it. She wanted to climb into bed and wake up back in DC, in her old life, the life where she was in charge and she didn’t have to deal with so many goddamn feelings.

  Amy could almost feel the silence in the car. It was heavy and tense, and she felt like she could reach out and run her hands through it. Ethan had been so angry back in town. If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn he was jealous. Amy couldn’t help but laugh at that idea, Ethan being jealous that she was giving attention to someone else. He probably had spent the past two days with some girlfriend out west.

  “I saw the way he was looking at you,” Ethan said. He gripped the wheel tight as he turned onto the road out of town.

  “You mean with interest?” Amy said. “I had forgotten what it was like to have someone look at me like that.”

  “He was interested in you the same way a jackal is interested in its next meal.”

  “And what if I like that fact? Do you think I can’t handle myself?”

  “You’re not the one I’m worried about.”

  “Jesus, Ethan, you sound just like Hank.”

  “Hank saw the two of you together?”

  “No, he was just telling Logan to behave himself while showing me around town.”

  “You get that this isn’t a game, right? What you do here has real consequences. I know I told you to let loose and live in the moment, but seriously, Amy, this isn’t like you.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get what you want. I won’t endanger your precious deal by letting someone be interested in me.”

  “I don’t want you around him,” Ethan replied.

  “I already told you not to worry about the deal.”

  “You think I’m worried about the deal?” Ethan said, raising his voice. Amy had never seen him upset like this. He gripped the wheel even tighter and let out a long sigh. “He’s wrong for you. He’s selfish and inconsiderate and has the attention span of a gnat.”

  “Sounds like someone I know,” Amy replied. Was Ethan seriously going to lecture her on what constituted an upstanding guy?

  Ethan turned and stared at Amy for a moment. He lowered his voice and said, “Don’t ever confuse me with him.”

  “Tell me one difference.”

  “To start, I care about you. He sees you as a trophy, another rich man’s wife to seduce, another story he can tell to his other trust-fund buddies.”

  “A rich man’s wife. Isn’t that exactly what you want me to be, someone to show off who wouldn’t embarrass you in conversation? If you really care, why don’t you find some way to show it?”

  “Maybe I will,” Ethan said. He ran one hand through his hair. With the other, he turned the car onto the long driveway to Hank’s house. After a long pause, he added, “Why do you have to make everything so hard?”

  “Me? You’re the one who showed up out of the blue with a contract in hand asking me to lie for you. You could have asked anyone. You could have gone up to any woman in the world and had her sign on the dotted line. You could have even fooled one into signing an ironclad prenup and then just dumped her when you had your way, and yet you came to me, the one woman in the world who did not want to be whisked away by the Ethan Cole. Seriously Ethan, why me, why not anyone else?”

  “Because I don’t trust anyone else,” Ethan replied. “Isn’t that your whole thing? Isn’t that the secret of the great Amy Haven? Don’t trust anyone, don’t let anyone in.” Ethan pulled the car up to the back door of the house. “You know what? I take back what I said. The two of you are perfect for each other.”

  “Don’t even think about coming back to the room and trying to climb in that bed with me. I do not give a damn who I am supposed to impress or convince. I don’t care what our agreement says. Don’t be such an ass, and don’t lecture me on being myself, or I will catch the first flight home and leave you here to play patty cake with your billionaire buddy.”

  Amy got out and slammed the door before heading inside. She watched Ethan turn the car around and head back down the driveway. What the hell just happened? she wondered. Her mind reeled as she tried to make sense of everything Ethan had just said. Ethan, guy who had a new girlfriend every week was going to lecture her about opening up? As she got ready for bed, Amy wondered where Ethan had gone after he dropped her off. She was willing to admit that she had gone a bit far in her flirtation with Logan, but it wasn’t like Ethan was her actual husband or even her boyfriend. This was supposed to be a business relationship, and already it was turning into something else. So what if she had made him jealous? She had watched him with a parade of women over the years, and she hadn’t batted an eye. Why should he get so worked up over her spending two days with a cute guy who actually liked her?

  She got into bed and waited for Ethan to knock on the bedroom door. The longer she waited, the more she began to wonder about the other part of what Ethan had said, the part about caring about her. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe that yet. Sure, he was fun and handsome, and he was good company, but so was Logan. But she wondered, what if Ethan did care about her? What would that make their marriage? She didn’t know if jealousy counted as caring, but it was a lot more than he had shown her before that point. Her head hurt as she tried to think it all through. She turned off the light and closed her eyes. She was sure of one thing: it would take more than a piece of paper to make her care what Ethan thought. If he wanted to prove to her that he actually cared, he’d have to show it.

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, when Amy woke up, it took her a few moments to process where she was and what was going on. It wasn’t the waking up in a strange room part that got to her. Years of crisis management had meant years of staying in hotel room after hotel room across the country. What threw her for a loop were the pillow and the blanket on the floor next to the bed. Had Ethan come back in the middle of the night? And if so, had he actually slept on the floor like she had requested?

  Amy grinned as she thought of what Ethan must have looked like sprawled out on the floor. She grabbed a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt from the luggage Ethan had packed for her. She took a quick look through to see what else there was. It seemed like he had gotten her clothes for almost any occasion, everything from snow pants to lingerie. Amy did a double take as she found the lingerie. She walked to the ensuite bathroom and brushed her teeth before grabbing a bathrobe for a little extra warmth. She figured it would be good enough for getting breakfast.

  As Amy walked down the stairs to the kitchen, she heard the sounds of cooking and someone whistling. She could already smell the bacon and the home fries and she could feel her stomach beginning to growl. She assumed the person she heard would be Hank, and she was surprised at how much the smell of breakfast and the sound of someone happily cooking away made the giant lodge feel like a cozy home.

  She almost fell over when she walked into the kitchen and saw Ethan standing over the stove, flipping French toast in a pan. If he had gotten in after she had gone to bed and was already awake for long enough to make breakfast, how in the world did Ethan look so awake? His crisp gray t-shirt clung to the contours of his torso, and Amy couldn’t help but sneak a peek at his ass before he turned around to see who had arrived.

  “Morning,” he said. “Hank is making a quick run into town and mentioned that you’d need to eat. I took the liberty of picking up where he left off. There are eggs and bacon over there, pancakes over there, and French toast is coming up next.”

  “What about —”

  “Coffee is right over there. I hope you
like it strong.”

  Amy stumbled toward the coffee, but before she could make it, Ethan grabbed her and said, “Hank’s coming in now. Give me a quick kiss.” Amy barely had time to pucker her lips before Ethan had pulled her against himself and kissed her. First, he kissed her on the cheek, brushing his lips against her skin as he leaned in to say something else. “Remember, we’re in love,” he whispered. His voice had a subtle rasp that Amy couldn’t help but find sexy. She tried to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned and met her lips. He placed his hand on her hip and pulled her tight. His movements were smooth and sure, and Amy had to focus on holding in a small moan. She couldn’t hide her delight as Ethan deepened the kiss.

  Amy wrapped her fingers around his forearm, tightening her grip as she leaned into his kiss. She would never admit it, but the surprise of his lips against hers had thrown her off balance in the most wonderfully unexpected way. The hint of his tongue against hers only deepened her excitement. She held herself against him, wanting to chase that feeling deeper. She licked and nibbled on his lower lip before he pulled back. As his lips parted from her, Ethan smiled.

  “Good morning, dear,” Ethan said. “You’re in danger of making me a morning person.”

  Before Amy could reply, Hank walked into the room. He gave them a knowing smile. “Good morning, you two. I hope you’re ready for a full day. Amy, Ethan said you’d love to join us for a hike.”

  “Isn’t the snow a few feet deep wherever we’d go hiking?”

  “That’s why I went down to the basement to find the snowshoes.”

  “Ah, I see. A hike sounds lovely,” Amy lied, “but for now, the bacon and eggs are calling to me.”

  “Don’t let me get between you two and your breakfast. I’ll go get everything ready for the hike.”

  As Hank disappeared back down the hall, Amy turned to Ethan. “You told him I like hiking?”

  “No, I told him you enjoyed a challenge.”

  “So you decided to make things hard on me?”

  “It will be great,” Ethan replied. “Trust me.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, Ethan, I don’t trust anyone.”

  “Not even enough to try this French toast?”

  “I think I can make an exception,” Amy said. She poured herself a cup of coffee and walked over to the kitchen table. “Now be a good husband and bring me breakfast.”

  ***

  An hour later, after Amy and Ethan had changed into their winter weather gear, they strapped on their snowshoes and followed Hank out through the yard, heading west across the open, snow-covered fields. The sky was a hard, deep blue, and after they had been hiking for a while, Amy could feel herself starting to build up a sweat. She looked over to Ethan and Hank, who were gabbing away and showed no signs of struggle or fatigue. This is going to be a long day, she thought.

  Hank's property stretched off beyond sight and was on one side of a wide valley. To the west, hills rose up toward the mountains, but to the east and north, the valley stretched on for miles and miles. It was so wide that it seemed more like a wide plain than a valley. Hank had chosen a day hike up to the top of a bluff with spectacular views of the mountain ranges that rose in the distance. When Amy asked him how long the hike would be, he simply responded, "When we get there, you'll know."

  A lot of good that did her. Amy was good at challenges. She was good at pretty much anything she had ever put her mind to, but one thing she was not good at was following someone else's lead. It's what had led her to start her own business. She had to have some control over her situation. Walking off into the wilderness with two rich and powerful men was not her idea of controlling the situation. She thought back to Ethan's words on the plane: "I think this will be good for you." Well, at least she'd have a chance to test her patience.

  But the farther they walked across the snow, the deeper they ventured into the quiet of nature, the better Amy began to feel about her problems. Maybe better wasn't the right word. Less concerned would probably work. All of her worries just seemed so small and insignificant compared to the vastness of the snow and the sky. They seemed so trivial until Ethan and Hank began to talk.

  As they walked farther and farther into the open wilderness, Ethan and Hank talked about their businesses. They talked about supply chains and management structures and strategic planning. They talked about their mutual disdain for investors and boards of directors. In short, they confirmed to each other that they were on the same page, and Amy stood back and stayed silent. It wasn’t that she couldn’t identify with their experiences in running a business. It was that she didn’t know what she’d say when Hank asked her a question that would require her to lie.

  Amy didn’t have a problem lying. In fact, she had a natural talent for it, one she had developed over her years in Washington’s inner circles. It was a strength, an asset, a necessary precursor to almost any career involving the rich and famous. Though she liked to think she told small lies to help reveal or maintain bigger truths, she didn’t feel comfortable lying to Hank. He seemed too kind and genuine with her. So she was content to listen to he and Ethan puff up each other’s egos as the sun followed its arc high overhead.

  After a while, they began to pick up speed, and Ethan started to walk up ahead of Amy and Hank, then waiting for them to catch up. Amy wondered if it were some kind of game Ethan was playing, proving to himself that he was somehow more fit than Hank, more capable. Hank smiled and looked over to Amy when Ethan had gotten ahead again. “How’d you like to have a little fun?” he asked.

  “Oh?” Amy asked. She looked ahead to Ethan, who had stopped and was waiting for them to catch up. “I think I have a good idea of what you mean.”

  Hank gave her a wink. “He’s lucky to have someone to knock him down a few pegs every now and then. Of course, it’s best when you can return the favor for each other.”

  Amy grinned. “Oh I have a few ideas about how to do that.”

  “What was that?” Ethan called to them. He waited for them to reach him. “Are you two scheming behind my back?”

  “I was just telling Amy here that the footing gets treacherous ahead, and that less experienced hikers often lose their balance if they aren’t careful. It just takes one wrong step and you’re down.” As Hank finished his sentence, Amy gave Ethan a little shove and watched as he tumbled into the snowdrift next to him. A moment later, he righted himself and began to laugh.

  “I think I’ve been set up,” Ethan said. He gave Amy a knowing look. “I think I need a hand to get up.”

  Amy turned to Hank. “Looks like I’m saving him once again.” Then she turned and offered her hand to Ethan.

  As she helped him get up out of the snow, he pulled her close and whispered, "Remember, we're deliriously in love."

  Amy gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "Oh, you're delirious alright." She laughed as she looked at Ethan and then at the broad expanse of snow that stretched before them. The sun was sitting lower in the sky, and the entire landscape had begun to take on the warm yellow glow of late afternoon. The hike, snowshoes and all, had turned out to be much more enjoyable than she had anticipated.

  As the sun warmed her face, Amy felt good. She felt like she belonged out there with Ethan and Hank, walking, joking and enjoying a beautiful early spring afternoon. Within a short while, they had reached the bluff that overlooked the mountains, and Amy reached for Ethan. As they stopped to admire the view, she wrapped her arm around his waist, and he put his arm over her shoulder. She leaned against him and relaxed her body. Maybe Ethan had been right. Maybe this trip was good for her.

  A few feet away, Hank cleared his throat and waited for Amy and Ethan to turn back around. "As much as I enjoy bearing witness to young love, I am an old man, and, if we don't get going soon, I fear you'll have to bury me out here." He winked at Amy before turning around and heading forward. "You two are young enough, I'll get a head start, and you can catch up."

  "We're right behind you," Ethan replied as
Hank reversed course. Ethan leaned against Amy and let out a little sigh. “This is nice,” he said softly. “I’m glad we got to do this together.” Then he patted Amy on the back and said, "After you, love."

  Amy gave him another little push and watched as he regained his balance. She smiled and raised an eyebrow. "If you insist." If she had to play the role of Ethan’s doting wife, at least she could have some fun. What didn’t sound fun at that moment was trekking all the way back to Hank’s lodge. Didn’t he have some snowmobiles or a helicopter or something to get them home with less effort? “We really have to walk back all that way?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Hank called back. “We could always leave you to the wolves. Or that husband of yours could just carry you back.”

  “Maybe I should take my chances with the wolves,” Amy said.

  As soon as Ethan and Amy had caught up with Hank, he started the conversation back up. "So Amy, how was your ride with Logan yesterday?"

  "It was good. He seems like a great guy."

  "He gets that from his mother's side," Hank said.

  "Oh, don't be modest," Ethan replied. "Last time I was here, he said how much you've shaped his values over the years. He's lucky to have you."

  "My only regret is that we weren't able to have more children. Everything, all of my success in life pales in comparison to my family.” Hank paused for a moment. The midday sun shone brightly on his deeply tanned face, and Amy though for a moment that the wrinkles and lines across his face must form a kind of map of his experiences, each one the result of some adventure or worry. She imagined the wrinkles on his forehead were from too many nights spent poring over the details of his business, and the deeply tanned, almost leathery look of his skin was from his years of living life on his own terms. Amy was so focused on his features that she barely heard him say, “I know it's none of my business, but are you two thinking of having children?"