Taming the Bad Boy Billionaire Bundle

by Sierra Rose

  It was at this point, that Nick let him say a few words, then hauled him away from the press. As confusing as the scene was, it was probably for the best.

  “Alright, alright—you’ve had your fun,” Nick said, when the three of us were a safe distance away. He smoothed down his tux, shooting James an amused yet exasperated look.

  James glanced away innocently, running a hand back through his dark hair. “I don’t know what you mean. Whatever I was about to say, I’m sure it would have come from the heart.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of,” Nick muttered. “Straight from your shriveled little heart.”

  The two of them shared an affectionate smile, before James took a step back. The smile faded into something thoughtful, then curious, then finally—bemused.

  “So, uh...what the fuck’s going on you guys?”

  Chapter 15

  FOR THE REST OF THE evening, the three of us stuck together like white on rice. After hastily explaining what was going on—starting with the incident in the lobster tank, and ending with his father’s ghastly blackmail—Nick had to physically stop James from marching straight up to Mitchell Hunter and throwing him to the sharks once and for all. It was a tense moment for everyone involved, but once tempers had finally cooled, it actually proved to be a pretty damn enjoyable party.

  James was a natural buffer from the harder-hitting questions the two of us were asked throughout the course of the night. Questions like, ‘why so fast’ and ‘is she pregnant?’ Instead, we were able to focus on the actual party, part of the party. Which, thanks to Harold Oates, was going down in history as one for the books.

  We danced and drank and laughed until the sun went down. Forgetting about the real reason we were all there. Focusing instead upon the minute to minute. Enjoying the night.

  There were several moments throughout the evening—moments when Nick and I were dancing just a little too close, or staring just a little too long—where I would see James glance over curiously and catch his friend’s eye. On each such occasion, Nick would deliberately look away—distracting himself with some passerby, or conveniently going to get us all more drinks.

  After everything that had happened, I usually had no idea what to make of these moments myself, so I was hardly any help. I simply drank what was given to me, danced when I was asked, and did my best to forget the fact that all these people were here to celebrate my wedding.

  A wedding that wasn’t actually going to happen. A wedding that only existed because of the devious efforts of Nick’s father.

  A man who happened to be walking toward us at that precise moment.

  Thus far, Nick and I had been able to avoid Mitchell Hunter. He’d stayed on his side of the boat—drinking scotch with his usual band of cronies, while we’d stayed on ours—drinking vodka and jello shots with the rest of the younger generation.

  It wasn’t until hour five that he actually weaved his way across the busy floor to his son.

  I stopped dancing immediately, and grabbed Nick by the sleeve to get his attention. On his other side, James perked up his head—like a lion on the hunt. Together, the three of us braced ourselves to face him, all with varying degrees of open dislike.

  “Nicholas.” It was Mitchell who initiated conversation, giving his son a look like a smiling snake would give a mouse. “That was a lovely speech you gave. Allow me to offer my sincerest congratulations.”

  In perfect timing with a host of flashbulbs, he stepped forward and wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders, ignoring the way Nick stiffened at his very touch.

  “Smile for the cameras, son.” His dark eyes glittered with every phosphorescent flash as they immortalized the moment forever. “It’s the entire reason you’re here.”

  I wanted to kill him. Literally wanted to strangle him with his own neck tie. My eyes narrowed as I suddenly wondered if ships like this actually had a plank—or if that was only in Disney movies and cartoons.

  But I wasn’t the only one having homicidal thoughts...

  “Oh shit—Mr. Hunter! I’m so sorry!”

  There was an audible gasp, as James stepped forward and ‘accidentally’ spilled his vodka tonic all over Mitchell Hunter’s starched Armani suit. The cameras went wild as he hastened to clean up the mess—using the man’s own tie in the process.

  I froze, with a strangled laugh stuck halfway up my throat. Nick turned sheet white, and stared like he had never seen his father outmatched before. And Mitchell Hunter simply stared at James with expressionless eyes, that somehow, still promised certain death.

  “How clumsy of me.” James turned his back to the cameras as he ‘cleaned’ Mitchell up, and for a split second, the two of them shared a chilling glare. “Look at me, always interfering in family moments that I should have nothing to do with.”

  At this point, fearing for his friend’s safety, Nick snapped back to the present. He casually forced James aside, and caught my hand in the process.

  “Sorry, Dad.” He couldn’t meet Mitchell’s eyes, yet somehow, he looked like he was having a better time than he had all night. “We’ll go find Harold and see if he brought a spare.”

  Without a glance behind, the three of us hurried away—not daring look back at the drenched and fuming billionaire behind us. It wasn’t until we were clear on the other side of the ship, that Nick pulled us to a sudden stop—turning to gape incredulously at his friend.

  “What the hell is the matter with you?”

  “Seriously, James,” I added softly. “Mitchell’s not going to forget that. He’s like an elephant. Perfect memory, and grudges that never die.”

  James ignored the sudden tension and simply shrugged.

  “I slipped.”

  “You didn’t slip!” Nick exclaimed, lowering his voice hastily, lest anyone hear. It wasn’t often that I’d seen him look more agitated, but at the same time, he was having a hell of a hard time trying not to smile. James tended to have that effect on people. “You did not slip.”

  “Fine,” James grinned, “I didn’t slip. But the man had it coming. I mean, for fuck’s sake Nick—when did you get so docile around him? That isn’t you.”

  No one else on the planet could say such a thing and get away with it, but the two men had always adhered to a policy of strict honesty. It was their responsibility to deliver those hard truths the other didn’t want to hear, and they did so on a regular basis.

  A muscle flexed angrily in Nick’s jaw, and he looked away.

  “I’m doing it to protect Abby. You know that.”

  James glanced my way, softening the slightest degree, before turning back to Nick.

  “I understand that, and I admire it. But you don’t have to do it lying down.”

  A stab of dread tightened my stomach, as Nick’s eyes alit with sudden curiosity.

  No, no, no—this was how one of their crazy schemes got started...

  You see, most people would automatically assume that, between the two of them, Nick was the trouble-maker. But half the time, James was the one calling the shots. It was one of the things they had bonded over in the beginning. Their shared disregard for the rules.

  “You guys,” I tried to preemptively stall their momentum, “why don’t we just—”

  “Why?” Nick took a step forward. “What did you have in mind?”

  James opened his mouth to answer, but I stepped hastily in between.

  “No—whatever you lunatics have planned, I am putting my foot down. “We are so, so close to pulling this thing off, and James—Mitch Hunter just put you on an assassin’s to-do list somewhere. Let’s just go back to the party, and ride it out.”

  “No can do, gorgeous.” James winked and flicked me under the chin. “And anyway, I didn’t fly all this way to go to your damn party. I came to get you out of it.”

  As if on cue, the breeze around us started to pick up speed. A distant humming was getting louder by second, vibrating the very floor beneath our feet, and before I knew what was happening,
my dress was dancing up around us in the air.

  “What the hell—”

  A second later, I got the answer to that question.

  As if it was the most casual thing in the world, a sleek little helicopter dropped down out of the sky—landing with a graceful thud on the elevated stage of the ship. The DJ had obviously been given some kind of prior warning, because the place was cleared out, and even as Nick and I stared on in amazement at the spinning blades, James turned around with a smile.

  “I thought we might finish out the real party somewhere a little better suited.” His dark hair danced across his face, as he cocked his head toward our million dollar life-raft. “What do you say? Up for a little spin?”

  Nick stayed frozen for a split second, before that sparkle of excitement I loved and feared, lit up his face. The two men shared a matching grin, before he turned back to me.

  “Abby?”

  I didn’t know what to say. What would Harold say? What would the press? (Actually, the press might rather enjoy it. It was a quintessential ‘Nick’ way to end the night.)

  “Are we...can we...is that even...” My voice dropped a few octaves, as I leaned forward with concern. “Tell me that James isn’t going to try to fly that thing himself.”

  “Not if you don’t want me to,” James conceded.

  Nick stepped in between us with a twinkling smile, then offered out his hand.

  “...at least it will get us off the boat.”

  I stared for another second, then placed my hand tentatively in his. A second later, we were racing across the dance floor toward our impromptu escape. We ducked beneath the spinning blades, plopped a trio of helmets on our heads, and began slowly lifting into the night sky—all to a screaming chorus of applause from the rest of the guests.

  Having never flown in a helicopter before, I peered tentatively over Nick’s shoulder and looked down at the cheering crowd. They were growing smaller and smaller by the second, but I still managed to catch a glimpse of Mitchell Hunter as he raced over from the other side of the ship. His jaw fell open and he glared up vicious dismay, right as both Nick and James stuck their heads out the window as well and started waving. I joined in with a wide grin.

  As if on cue, the fireworks that Harold had planned for the end of the evening started shooting off behind us—illuminating the night sky with flashes of crimson, purple, and gold. It was terrifying, being up so close. But at the same time, I had never seen anything more beautiful.

  The colors continued to swirl all around them. Stars glittered like diamonds. My heart pounded as I realized how nice it was to be held by Nick. Our eyes connected, and silence filled the air. Yes, this was a charade, but now there was something more between us, something that sizzled as brightly as the stars on the horizon. I knew we could both feel it.

  I felt a sudden, strong attraction to the person I’ve worked for all these years. Nick looked so good in black. His brilliant blue eyes echoed the illuminations of the cosmos in a most glorious way. I traced a fingertip across his lips, losing myself in those gorgeous eyes. To top it off, he had the most beautiful smile. I studied his handsome face. Could this love—be real? Was it right before my eyes?

  Nick tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His soft touch made my heart flutter. Time stood still; there was only that moment. As I leaned in, just a breath’s distance away from him, the entire world seemed to stop and hold its breath, waiting for the sparks. Shivering with emotion, I shut my eyes and pulled him closer. Nick cupped my face in his warm hands. His lips pressed against my mouth, and there was, indeed a spark; it shot right through me and felt so good, so natural, so right. All I’d ever wanted and needed was right there in my arms.

  Nick stroked my cheek, and softer, gentle kisses followed, melting all our problems away.

  “I can’t wait to hear this story,” James said.

  Nick glanced at him. “We’ll tell you every single juicy detail, but first, can you turn off your microphone in your helmet? Just for a few minutes.”

  “Sure. I’ll give you some privacy,” he responded.

  Nick gazed into my eyes. “I’ve loved you for so long, Abby. Nobody even compares to you. I only want you. But I knew we couldn’t cross that line, so I went on with my life. But I always thought about you. All the time. I could never get you out of my mind. Not ever. There. I finally said. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to tell you that.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes. “I didn’t know. I wish I had.” I wondered why and regretted that he hadn’t said something sooner. Still, I blamed myself for not noticing. Nick was more subtle in his advances toward me, but all the signs were there all along. I felt like an idiot for not seeing what was right in front of my eyes.

  He lowered his mouth to mine and captured it again in a tender kiss.

  In the end, I merely lay my head down upon Nick’s shoulder. Gazing out at the sparkling lights with a soft smile, as we left the party behind us and flew off into the night.

  Chapter 16

  APPARENTLY, THE ‘BETTER suited place to finish out the party’ was James’ own lake house. It was in upstate New York and only a forty minute flight from Manhattan.

  We finally touched down in the middle of the woods.

  The entire way over had been like seeing some kind of existential awakening. Nick had slowly come back to life. With every mile we put between us and his father, you could see another layer of the stress and pressure fall away. By the time we yanked off the helmets and hopped out onto the landing pad, he was a whole new person.

  “This,” he breathed in a gasp of the crisp forest air, visibly reinvigorating before my very eyes, “this was exactly what I needed.”

  With a wild whoop, he scooped James off his feet with an undignified hug. A chorus of laughter ensued, and a second later, he dropped him and turned far more tenderly to me.

  A soft kiss was planted on my lips. A kiss I was surprised he dared do, considering that his best friend was standing just a foot away.

  “Thank you,” he said softly. “Thank you for agreeing to come.”

  I stared up into his eyes. Still drunk from the party, and still completely unable to reconcile how we were suddenly standing on the shores of a beautiful lake in the middle of the woods. After a second or two, I simply smiled and nodded my head.

  “And you...” Nick turned back to James, clapping him on the shoulder in that bro-ish way that men showed affection, “...I still can’t believe you poured your drink on my dad.”

  The three of us burst out laughing again, each remembering. The astonished, soured look on Mitchell’s face could easily make each of our five top life moments.

  “Well it’s been a long-standing dream of mine. That being said...” James ran a hand back through his hair, as the trio of us started walking up toward the house, “...I should probably stick to my side of the pond for a while. Hire a food-tester. That kind of thing.”

  The ‘lake house’ was actually just a mini-mansion in disguise. Closer to the palace side of things, than a house. Sitting on a sprawling fifty acres of pristine New York countryside, a sum that didn’t even include the sparkling crystal lake, it was a hidden real estate gem.

  On various occasions, it had been loaned out to movie studios to shoot feature films, and had once even been the location for a secret royal wedding. I myself had only been there one time before—looking for my missing client—and had never actually seen it in the light of day.

  Warm light spilled beckoningly down the front porch from between the tall pillars, as the three of us hurried swiftly inside. We skidded to a drunken stop on the antique marble, only to be greeted by a wait staff that looked like something straight out of Downton Abbey.

  “Master Cross,” an ancient yet powerful-looking butler removed his coat, “I see that your rescue attempt was a great success.”

  James shrugged out of the jacket with a devilish grin.

  “I’m thinking of doing them professionally...”

&nb
sp; “And you,” the butler turned to Nick and me as our coats were similarly removed, “allow me to offer my congratulations to the happy couple. I must say, Master Hunter, all of us were rather...surprised to hear your news. But we are so pleased for you nonetheless.”

  “Relax, Ferdie.” James kicked off his dress shoes, and began loosening his tie. “They’re not really getting married—it’s a stunt. You don’t need to congratulate them.”

  Nick chuckled, but my eyes went wide as saucers. How many people were standing in the room right now? How many of them would leak that straight to the press?!

  James saw my panicked expression, and shook his head with a steady smile.

  “Iron-clad confidentiality agreements. Your secret is safe.”

  Nick nodded behind him, and I pulled in a shaky breath.

  “...okay.”

  As if to reassure me further, ‘Ferdie’ bowed his head graciously and gestured me further inside. “We figured you children might be hungry after your travels, so Gerta fixed you some snacks and hot chocolate. They’re just in the kitchen.”

  Children. It still cracked me up that, even though all of us were in our early twenties, and two of us had the power to influence the US stock market with an errant text, every single person in our world still referred to us as children.

  “Thank you,” I said politely, as Nick sauntered forward and clapped him on the shoulder with a familiar smile.

  “Thanks, Ferdie. And it’s good to see you again.”

  The man smiled warmly. Nick had spent so much time at the house as a child, that he had literally watched him grow up.

  “And you too, Master Hunter. I believe the last time we had the pleasure, you were hiding out from a Nicaraguan governmental death squad.” His eyes crinkled with an indulgent chuckle. “So glad that phase has passed.”

  ...phase?

  Probably sensing that I had reached the end of my rope, both James and Nick took me by the arm and led me away between them. On the way to the kitchen, James called out to the staff.