Heart of the Billionaire (Taming The Bad Boy Billionaire 7)

The three of us straightened instinctively as Granny swept into the room, but James continued playing with the dogs. “Early birds!” she commended, watching her grandson play with a twinkle in her eyes. “I’m assuming this means your connection in Antigua fell through? No escape today, right?”

James flashed her a look, but it melted into a rueful grin as one of the canines leapt up and smacked a pink tongue across cheek. “There’s always tomorrow.”

Granny’s lips twitched, but she betrayed no other emotion. Instead, she shrugged as if it couldn’t have mattered less in the world. She then made her way slowly down the hall, to the parlor. “Have fun today, children. Dinner’s at—”

“Seven,” we echoed back in unison.

This time, it was easy to see her smile as she swept briskly through the door. “That’s right! Seven. You’re all getting very good at this, dears.”

THE REST OF THE DAY passed in somewhat of a blur, like a sun-soaked memory I knew I’d play back in my head time and time again. We started by piling onto a boat. We learned that Granny had been working behind the scenes, because, with a wry grin on his face, James informed us that there wasn’t enough fuel to carry us to any of the adjacent islands. That didn’t really matter, though, because he had a slightly different agenda for the day.

I wasn’t sure how Charlie would feel hanging out with two couples. But I didn’t have to worry for long when he picked up one of the locals, a pretty brunette. She was really nice and I was glad Charlie had somebody to spend time with.

We circled around the island a few times, blasting music and screaming in delight as the boys revved the engine to top speed. We finally came to an abrupt stop just a few hundred yards offshore, and it was at that point that Nick and James leapt overboard, landing in the clear, turquoise water with a loud splashing and crashing. Abby and I took one look at each other, then did the same, shrieking with laughter as we disappeared beneath the waves.

The second we bobbed to the surface, Nick and James were waiting, splashing and attacking us without mercy. It was open war on the waterfront, and shameless gropes ensued beneath the rippling waves. We carried on like that for some time, diving and playing in the water, until we were too exhausted to continue and promptly collapsed on the deck of the boat with a bottle of rum.

I’d never had such fun! These crystal-clear waters, coral gardens teeming with tropical fish, and turtles were seared into my memory forever.

“It could be like this all the time, you know,” James whispered in my ear as I leaned against his bare chest, watching the waves with a lazy smile on my face. “If you want, just say the word, and our lives will be like this always.”

I stared out at the ocean for a while longer, trying to imagine it. “But would you be happy with that?” I asked, twisting around to look into his face.

His face lit up with a breathtaking smile, one made all the more beautiful by the sun halo behind him and the tiny drops of water that clung to his eyelashes. “Happier than you could ever know.”

A mirrored smile warmed my face, but it faded as I looked at him and sank into deep thought. It was easy to forget, with my head in the coastal clouds, that there was an entire world out there. It was easy to forget reality when I was so lost in the dream. “Completely happy?” I pressed softly, searching his eyes. “Can you honestly tell me, James, that you don’t feel like there’s anything missing from your life?”

His lips parted with an automatic reply, but it died on the tip of his tongue. Then his smile dimmed, too, as he gazed out over the water, before fading completely into a troubled frown. “I’m happy right now,” he finally replied.

I leaned back into him and quietly sighed. “Yeah, me, too, but I want a happy that will last.”

Chapter 20

AFTER THE BOAT RIDE, we enjoyed a quick lunch, then headed out to do some snorkeling, another thing to check off my to-do list. Nick immediately protested. “But I really wanted to dive,” he said, but James twisted his arm, reminding him that it was my first time. When that didn’t work, he reminded him, even more pointedly, that twice in the last few days, Nick had interrupted two of what might have been intimate interludes. At that point, Nick graciously relented, and before long, the six of us were having an incredible time.

Charlie and Sherry didn’t snorkel for long, and the next thing I knew, they were making out in the water. The future groom looked like marriage was the last thing on his mind. Too bad she couldn’t be his temporary wife, because they sure had the chemistry and couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

“Look at him,” Nick said in a kidding tone. “He’s getting married in less than two months, and look how he’s acting. What a naughty boy.”

I laughed. “Yeah, he should stay faithful to the wife he hasn’t even chosen yet.”

“He can pick up a woman fast,” James said. “He shouldn’t have a problem.”

“Honey,” I said. “It’s more than just picking up a woman. It’s marriage.”

“Pretend marriage...for a huge sum of money. All he has to do is find his future ex-wife. And that shouldn’t be a problem for him.”

Abby chuckled. “Oh! That can be his pickup line. Hello. You look exactly like my future ex-wife.”

“I think it could work,” Nick said. “Marrying for money isn’t anything new. He could potentially find an old friend in financial trouble who would hop on the deal to get out of the rut they are stuck in. He can even bribe them with a vacation, shopping at Prada, and hot-stone massages.”

“But what about love?”

“It’s a business arrangement. They both benefit from the deal.”

“Think they’ll sleep together?”

“I assume so. Charlie can’t go without sex for a year.”