by Lily LaVae
Billionaire Bachelor: William
Lily LaVae
Contents
Untitled
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Untitled
Billionaire Bachelor:
William
Lily LaVae
Copyright © 2018 by Lily LaVae
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
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1
Dear Mr. Orion,
After careful consideration of your needs, the Diamond Bridal Agency is pleased to inform you that a bride has been located who matches your unique requirements. All communications have been kept private, as is our policy. All communication will cease after this missive and we request, for the security of our other clients, that you destroy this message after reading it.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed. To comply with your request for haste, your bride will arrive on May 13th, via private jet, at the Camden Municipal Airport. Please do not hesitate to contact me should there be any issue with your bride. Her name is Genevieve Horner, and she understands the stipulations of the contract.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Alveda Creed, Diamond Bridal Agency
William scanned the letter one more time and crumpled it, tossing it into the waste bin. He’d sent in the request months before, when life was much different. At that time, he wasn’t worried about losing a big chunk of his wealth at his west Texas spread. His neighbors had made life hell and, since he wasn’t there to make decisions every day, nothing had been done about it. Now, he’d have to collect his bride—wherever she was coming from—and put her right back on a plane with him to Texas. She might not even speak English. He hadn’t specified.
The Texas ranch had been in the family for a hundred and fifty years, the neighbor had owned their spread just as long. But something happened, literally muddying the water, and he needed to get it fixed. He owned four ranches in three states, not to mention his holdings in stocks and futures, and the Texas property had always worried him the least. Until his neighbor had taken it upon himself to act up.
William stood in front of his huge glass window overlooking his fourth and final acquisition, his back to the rest of his office. This huge piece of land had never had a building on it, not until he’d put one there. He’d had his home and office built, styled like an office straight out of Manhattan, but was instead in the middle of nowhere. A sharp knock came on his office door.
“Come,” he growled, knowing it was Carter, his oldest friend and assistant.
“You’re packed. Should I get the car?”
William could almost hear Carter crossing his arms in agitation. How the man hated working in the house. Carter had been the foreman on William’s first ranch, before he’d made his plans a reality. Secrets were best kept with only one other man. He couldn’t trust anyone more than he trusted Carter.
“There’ll be a delay. I just received a letter. I’ll be meeting someone at the air strip in two days. She’ll be arriving by private jet. Please find out how long we’ll have to wait between the arrival of her plane and when mine can leave.”
Carter was silent for a moment, then cleared his throat. “She?”
He would be bothered over William’s request for a bride, partly because William hadn’t warned him, and other reasons. Back when they were young and stupid, before wealth had taken him away from everything remotely like family, Carter’s sister had been infatuated with him, gushed over him. Made a fool of herself. She was pretty enough, but when she found out during his last year in high school his plan to use the profit from the Casper ranch to buy another, and then another, the only thing she’d heard when he spoke was the ka-ching of a cash register. He may not marry for love—and he could do worse—but Maddie was his last choice for a bride.
“Yes, she. My new wife will be on that plane.” And heaven help you, you’d better not do anything stupid to stop me.
“Permission to speak as a friend, sir?”
William didn’t turn to Carter, but his blood pumped thicker in his veins at the thought of a fight. “Of course.”
“Maddie would’ve gladly married you. She’s still at home, waiting.”
She would have married his money and put up with him, then managed to somehow embarrass him. At least back then, she hadn’t had a professional or polished thought in her head. No, he needed someone who could look good on his arm at parties, say all the right things to clients, warm his bed without a fight when he wanted, and would keep her mouth shut other than that. There wasn’t a woman alive who would look past his money.
“Maddie isn’t from wealth any more than you or I. I need a woman who can keep a house running, who can stand at my arm and smile.”
“So, you don’t want a wife. You want a mannequin? Is that it? At least Maddie cared about you.” Carter spat, the old friendship bucking to the surface.
Whether she cared or not was debatable. “I won’t talk about your sister any further. Frankly, the idea of someone I’ve known that long keeping me company is revolting.” He wouldn’t mention sex. If sleeping with Maddie made his stomach turn, Carter didn’t need to think about his sister with his best friend. It was disgusting, to a point. Maddie was a childhood playmate turned gold-digger, but Carter wouldn’t see it that way.
There was someone else from his past that didn’t bother him at all to think about. Someone warm and curvy, with just the right touch of attitude. But the more money he made, the less he felt he deserved someone like her. He deserved wealthy and cold, just like him. William turned to look his longtime friend in the eye.
“My fiancée will be here in two days. We won’t mention Maddie again, is that clear?” How strange to think of a wife that he’d never even spoken to. Hadn’t even received a picture.
Carter clenched his teeth and nodded.
“Good. Thank you for relaying the message. Please forward an email to Mrs. Feast in Casper. We should arrive there in three days.”
“I’ll do that and find out about the plane for you.”
Carter left, and William turned back to the window. Lush hills rolled out from the house and cattle grazed close to the gate. Cattle he didn’t care about as long as his men did their jobs. When had he stopped caring about the work and only the financials? When he’d made his plans, it had all mattered; how many calves, the cost of beef, how much to sell, where to invest. Riding out and looking at his spread mattered. But no more. Now, he couldn’t afford to take that time.
He glanced at the waste basket and the crumpled letter. Strange that he would think about his childhood crush, who shared the same first name as his new bride.
Genevieve Horner…
Up until now, he’d only known the one Genevieve. The only one that mattered. He’d purposely avoided going home, just in case she was still there. She was the daughter of the neighbor who was giving him such trouble and the one whose memory didn’t leave him squeamish no matter how intim
ately he pictured her—and he certainly had—especially when he was younger. Though she’d left him alone once she was old enough to look at. She had called him a willful jackass. He laughed to himself at the memory. She’d been right. He was then, and she’d probably still think so. Hopefully, his purchased bride wouldn’t have half that sass.
2
Genevieve stared out the window of the jet at the stretches of green for miles below. So different from Texas. But Texas was a distant memory. It had to be. She’d had to get away. Her father had turned repulsive in his old age. He’d been sabotaging the neighbor’s property and business, jealous of his success. She wouldn’t be a participant in that, not even by silently going along with it. Especially not when the successful owner was her first and only crush, Billy.
Her father had fought with the county assessor to prove that he’d been using pieces of the Orion’s land for over ten years so that he could make legal claim to it. Squatter’s rights. It was a dirty trick, but it was nothing compared to what he’d tried to do to her. She clutched her elbows over her stomach even thinking about it.
In his old age, he’d forgotten that his wife was dead, or maybe his mind had just turned sour. When he looked at her, reached for her, his only daughter, she could see his need, and her repulsion had driven her away. He could fight Billy Orion alone. She’d hidden in Dallas for a few months and, when she thought her luck had totally run out, had managed to find an elite bridal agency through one of her friends.
The woman who ran it seemed happy to have her, and she applied to be a mail order bride, changing her last name on the application. Now, she was off to meet her new husband. She closed the magazine in her lap, unable to focus on it. There would be no backing out. The agency had warned her that, once she signed on the line, she belonged to her billionaire. Her life as a single woman was over with one swirl of the pen. They even had multiple lawyers on staff to tell her just how forfeit her life now was. No backing out. No talking about the agency to anyone. No suing. No matter what. He could be evil, and it didn’t matter. She was stuck. But nothing could be as bad as what waited for her back in Texas, if she didn’t do something, anything, to get away.
Even if the man was a brute and took her right there on the tarmac, it would be better than her own father. In fact, she would insist they marry right away, in case her father got wind of where she was and how to reach her. She would already be married and there would be nothing he could do, even if he wanted to. Let him focus on his all-consuming property.
The agency hadn’t given her the name of her husband, feeling it best that she get used to her life as his bride. All she knew was that he was one of the wealthiest men in the nation, with four large ranches to his name, he was about her age, and that he needed a bride to fill social obligations. All the better. She might be able to steer away from any male interaction at all. Mr. Money was her ticket to a life without worry. No more watching her back or keeping up with her father’s schemes, and no worry of pregnancy.
Heat rushed to her cheeks. She might be forced to convince her husband to have her at least once before he put her aside as some sort of trophy wife, though. If her father would use archaic laws to try to take over the neighbor’s property, he might try using another to get her a divorce she didn’t want. Annulment. At least if they shared a night together she wouldn’t have to fear him anymore. No woman should have to worry about that. She shivered, lowering her head against the glass window of the private jet.
The gray interior was warm enough, yet she felt chilled. It had a sterile feel to it, like people never stayed long enough to impress themselves on it. It was most likely no different than any other jet—not that she would know. This was her first time in a Lear. She would much rather travel by car. At least in a car, she could tell something about the owner by how they kept it, not so with a private jet.
Wealth had never drawn her. The only man she’d ever known who aspired to be wealthy, Mr. Orion, or Billy as she’d known him, had more worldly wealth than she could imagine. Now, with her new spouse, she would be in the same ranks, maybe even go to the same parties, if her husband and Billy were in the same industries. They might even see each other again. Needed warmth spread through her chest.
She’d half hoped that Billy would come home amidst all the trouble with her father to try to fix the situation. He’d been the one man in her life who could make her antsy and warm just by looking at him. If he’d come home, she might not be on a jet bound for nowhere. She might have swallowed her pride and gone to him for help.
Mrs. Creed of the Diamond Bridal Agency had told her to wear what they provided when she arrived in Camden. A fitted blue skirt suit that looked like it cost more than she’d made all last year, along with a matching suit coat, fitted to perfection, heels that made her taller than she’d ever been, and nothing else. Her husband would expect her to look a certain way, polished and ready.
As the plane touched down on the tarmac of the small, rustic metal hanger in Camden, Genevieve slipped on her sunglasses and pressed the wrinkles from her blue jacket, finally nervous at facing the man who might want to marry her right away. Her stomach sent flutters of warning tripping up her spine.
On the tarmac stood a tall man with a very strong build and an impeccable suit, incongruous with his tooled leather cowboy boots. His beige Stetson covered his features, shadowing his face. Next to him, stood two equally tall and broad men with nice, but understated, suits. She recognized one of them immediately as her old friend, Carter Pierce. But that would mean… Genevieve froze where she stood, unable to take a breath as she stared out the jet’s tiny window. Carter only ever worked for one man. Billy Orion. The town had talked about it for years. They were the two most successful people Casper had ever seen. Her head went wobbly and she swayed, anchoring herself against the wall of the jet.
She could do this. Even if William was her husband, she would never have to see her father again. He would protect her… Unless he sent her home. He’d ordered a bride from a private company. He wanted a stranger, not an old friend that he probably still thought of as a teenager.
She waited until the man in the impeccable suit glanced up at the plane in annoyance, just to be sure it was really him. There was no doubt. It was him, her childhood friend and first love, Billy, though the name made him furious. Even back then, he’d been destined for bigger, better things. The boy he’d been could think of little but success. He was no mere boy now. His broad shoulders were emphasized by the cut of his suit. He was the hottest man she’d ever seen. Now that she had to face him, all her old fears came back, along with that warmth low in her belly, that always accompanied thoughts about him.
Her steps were shaky as she reached the door and prepared to step off the plane. The steward had her wait as he opened the door that became the stairs down to the tarmac. He took her hand and helped her down the first step, then let go of her. It felt like her whole world would just float away, or tumble down the steep steps. She’d signed her life over to Billy.
He glanced up at her, then at the jet, and back to her face. The grim line of his mouth didn’t change, but the sudden snap of recognition in his eyes had her wishing she could turn right back around and fly away.
Billy’s long strides ate the distance in seconds, just as she reached the last step.
“What is the meaning of this? Is this your father’s idea of a joke? I was assured this would be held under the strictest confidence. How did you find out about this?” He reached inside his jacket and yanked out his phone. His words lashed out, sending her back up a step.
He grabbed her arm and hauled her forward, away from the stairs where she would surely trip if she beat a hasty retreat. Terrified, she tugged her arm free. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m as surprised by this as you are.”
“Like as not, this is just another ploy by your father to disrupt my life. Since I’m headed right back there, I’ll just deliver you straight back to him.” He pressed a few buttons
on his phone and held it up to his ear, glaring at her.
Her heart raced as she tried to think quickly. How could she tie herself to him? There was no way she would step foot in Texas again without the safety net of a husband, even if that husband was someone who didn’t want her. Maybe that was even better. She stepped forward, almost touching him, and bit her lip.
“I’m so sorry, Billy, but you don’t have a choice. Those lawyers told me that I had to marry you, so that means you’re as bound to me as I am to you.” She prayed that was true. She’d been so scared that anything looked better than what she was leaving behind.
He stared down into her eyes, his face a solid mask of fury, as he tapped his phone and shoved it back into his suit coat. “My satisfaction is guaranteed, and I’m not satisfied. This has nothing to do with you, Gen. You should’ve just stayed away. Your father had no right to get you involved.”
The two men waiting a few feet away glanced all over, pretending as if they weren’t listening to every word. They wouldn’t provide any help.
“Don’t do this to me. If you return me, they’ll make me pay for it.” And my father most of all.
She glanced up at the jet, and while, she’d never be able to pay for even that one flight back, that wasn’t what she was talking about.
“Damn you, woman,” his lips barely moved, and he hid his face behind his hat once more.
The other man she didn’t recognize stepped forward in his plain black suit and deep red tie.
“Do we need to find somewhere more private to discuss this?”
Genevieve stepped forward and blinked as tears flooded her eyes. “Mr. Orion ordered me as a bride, now he’s sending me away. So disrespectful. He won’t marry me.” She sobbed, hoping that, even if this man had come with Billy, he would listen to her. Billy himself would never know the tears were real enough. The thought of going home to her father, without the safety of being wed, terrified her more than he ever could.