Stranded with a Billionaire

chapter Fourteen




When Brontë woke up the next morning, her head was pounding and her mouth felt like a dirty, old sock. She groaned, rolling over in the bed and smacking into Logan’s broad chest.

His arms went around her, and he pulled her close, nuzzling her ear. “Morning.”

Even that small word made her head hurt insanely. She groaned and closed her eyes, pressing the heel of her palm to her forehead. “I hurt.”

“Do you need aspirin?”

Just the thought of dry, medicinal-tasting aspirin sticking to the roof of her mouth made her want to vomit. “Dry toast, please?”

He kissed her cheek. “Coming right up.”

The bed shifted as he climbed out of it, and Brontë spent the next five minutes trying not to throw up from the quaking that small movement had produced. There was something not quite . . . normal about where she lay. There was a roaring in her ears.

God, had she ever been so drunk in her life?

She had vague memories of a smoky room and a man with scars, and lots of poker chips being passed back and forth. That was it, really.

Logan returned, his hand smoothing the messy hair off of her brow. “You okay?”

She forced herself to sit up in bed slowly, her eyes squeezed into slits, and she reached for the glass of water her put in her hand and began to drink. After a moment, she said, “My head’s so fuzzy, it feels like the ground is moving.”

“Huh.”

Logan’s innocent syllable made her frown. Unfortunately, the bright light in the room was killing her, so she couldn’t glare at him. She lay back down in the bed and reached for a pillow to pull over her head, ignoring Logan’s chuckle of amusement. The bed shook again, and her stomach gurgled in response.

That shaking . . . was not her imagination.

Brontë’s eyes flew open as the jet’s thrusters started roaring. Pressure made her ears pop and pushed her down on the bed, and she tried to struggle to her elbows. “Are we . . . are we flying?”

“Don’t get up,” Logan said, pressing a hand to her shoulder. “Lie down and relax. You’re hungover.”

Her gaze moved to his face, and she gasped. Her handsome, contained, so-in-control billionaire boyfriend had a hell of a shiner. A dark purplish-green ring lined his eye, and it was puffy and swollen.

“Your face!”

He grinned and touched his fingers just below his eye, wincing. “Yeah. The guys and I had a little talk. When we land, the nondisclosure agreement will be waiting at my office for you to sign. The others insist.”

“That’s fine,” Brontë said, eyeing him for other bruises. “Whatever gets them off your back.”

“I’m sorry if you feel I’m pushing you into it,” he told her in a guarded voice. “I know you’re probably not happy about it.”

She shrugged, holding the pillow close to her throbbing head. “I actually don’t care,” she told him, closing her eyes and trying to relax to ease her throbbing head. “It’s not a big deal. I wouldn’t go telling all your secrets anyhow, but if the paperwork makes them feel better . . .” When he said nothing, she opened one eye. “Why?”

Logan shook his head, staring down at her. “I just . . . I guess I expected you to be upset.” A smile curved his mouth again, and he leaned down to lightly kiss her brow. “This is why I love you, Brontë.”

Because she wasn’t like Danica? She snorted, and that tiny move made her head hurt all over again.

“Rest, love,” Logan told her, brushing a hand over her cheek and pulling the covers back up around her chest. “You have a few hours before we land.”

“Where are we going?” she asked sleepily.

“It’s a surprise. One I think you’ll enjoy.”

***

It was a surprise, all right. Hours later, after she’d taken aspirin for her hangover, Brontë stared in surprise at the small airport where they’d just landed. It looked . . . familiar. She looked up at Logan questioningly.

“Come on. We’ll miss the ferry to Seaturtle Cay if we don’t hurry.”

“We’re going back to the resort?” She wobbled behind him a few steps as he began to head down the tarmac briskly. “I don’t understand. Isn’t it wrecked? How can it be open for business?”

“It’s not open,” he told her. “But not all the rooms are destroyed, and I thought you wouldn’t mind having another look at the place when a hurricane isn’t bearing down on you.”

Brontë was silent as they took the ferry out to Seaturtle Island, then drove out to the resort. The downed trees had been cleaned up and the power lines restored, she noticed as they drove. When they pulled up to the main resort, the sounds of drills and power saws greeted her, and she looked at the hotel in surprise. Large swaths of the entire eastern wing of the resort were covered in construction plastic. There was no broken glass littering the lobby any longer—everything had been cleaned up and repaired. Trees had been righted, or replanted, and the entire place seemed different from when she’d last seen it.

Brontë passed by the gift shop and noticed a floral beach dress, very similar to the one she’d salvaged from the place when they’d been stranded, hanging on the mannequin. The diamond necklace was still there, which made her smile ironically at the sight. To think she’d been worried about Logan taking it because he wouldn’t be able to afford it. How he must have laughed at her concern. She shook her head and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, and felt warm when he automatically placed his hand over hers.

They entered the hotel, and a curly-haired man with a swarthy tan and wearing a suit appeared, extending his hand for Logan to shake. “Mr. Hawkings. It is a pleasure to see you here.”

“Mr. Douglas,” Logan said. “Things look like they are proceeding well.”

“Indeed they are. Repairs have continued around the clock, and once the upgrades are decided upon, we can continue with the renovations.” Mr. Douglas smiled at Brontë. “This must be Miss Dawson.”

Brontë extended her hand politely, smiling at the manager. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Miss Dawson is tired from our trip,” Logan said in a crisp voice. “Is our room ready?”

“It is,” Mr. Douglas exclaimed with a bright smile. “Everything that you have asked for is ready and waiting.”

Both men paused for a moment, and then Logan looked down at her. “Love, I need to meet with Mr. Douglas to discuss some things. Would you like to go up and check out our suite? Let me know if there’s something that’s not to your liking.”

She nodded absently. It felt like Logan was trying to get rid of her at the moment, but the need for a shower outweighed everything else at the moment. “What floor are we on?”

“I will have someone show you the way, Miss Dawson.” The manager turned and waved over a tall, willowy woman. “Luz, please escort Miss Dawson to Mr. Hawkings’s personal suite.”

“Right away,” Luz said, smiling at Brontë. “Please follow me.”

Logan kissed her temple and whispered in her ear, “I’ll be up shortly.”

She nodded and pulled away from him, following Luz across the lobby. Brontë paused when Luz stopped in front of an all-too-familiar elevator. “Can we take the stairs?”

Luz seemed surprised at her request. “It is twenty floors up. Are you sure you wish to take the stairs?”

Brontë grinned. “Oh, I’m sure. Very sure.”

“Very well,” Luz said, leading her farther down the west wing. At the end of a long hallway, they opened the door to the stairwell. It was well lit and there wasn’t a single mattress in sight, which was almost disappointing. Brontë thought of the long nights she’d spent there, curled up with Logan. Funny how at the time she’d been wondering what he was thinking about her.

Funny how she was back to square one in that aspect.

Since she’d been living in Gretchen’s fourth-floor walk-up for the past two weeks, the flights of stairs were not so bad, and she handled them better than poor Luz. They paused repeatedly between sets of stairs, and it took longer than anticipated to get up to the top floor. But she was in no hurry to step back into that elevator, so she didn’t mind.

When they finally got to the twentieth floor, Brontë noticed the hall had been recently recarpeted, and art hung on the walls. New art? she wondered. The smell of paint was still strong, the walls crisp and fresh with color. Had they remodeled this portion of the building first, knowing that Logan would be stopping by for a visit?

And was there anywhere in the world that Logan Hawkings’s every whim was not catered to? She smiled wryly at the thought.

Luz moved to the door and tapped in a code on the keypad. “There are no keys for this room, Miss Dawson. You simply need to use the access code. It is five-five-four-three.” She opened the door and gestured for Brontë to enter. “Please call down and let me know if there is anything else I can do for you during your stay.”

“I will,” Brontë said. “Thank you, Luz.”

The other woman nodded and left, and Brontë stepped into the suite with a dumbfounded look on her face. She’d been expecting the room to be posh, but once again she was surprised at the wealth and luxury that Logan enjoyed.

The room was palatial. Slow-moving fans lazily whirled overhead from the high-beamed loft ceiling. A breeze ruffled white curtains on the balcony. The room was full of sweet-smelling flowers, vases artfully perched on end tables and countertops. Those were the only splashes of color—everything else was stark, brilliant white—from the fluffy bedspread to the artful netting hanging over the bed to the thick carpet beneath her feet. There were even white couches in the “living room” area, offset by dark teakwood furniture accompanying it.

It was lovely and cool and tropical, and she immediately felt relaxed at the sight. How beautiful. Brontë moved to the small kitchen area, looking for bottled water to soothe her dry throat. She laughed when she opened the mini fridge and saw it was full of M&M’s. Logan truly seemed to recall every small thing she’d ever mentioned, and the thought made her feel warm inside.

The bed was gorgeous, but Brontë wanted to wash up first. She groaned with pleasure at the sight of the shower. It was made entirely from stone instead of tile and the showerhead was a built-in waterfall, meant to mimic a tropical paradise. It was also heaven on her skin, and she took a long, exceedingly hot shower, enjoying every minute of luxury. Then she curled up in one of the fluffy white robes left for her and headed to the bed, intending to try it out only for a moment.

She woke up hours later, when Logan’s heavy weight sagged on the bed next to her. She smiled as he pulled her close and turned her face up for his kiss.

His mouth lightly touched hers. “Do you like the room?”

“It’s gorgeous,” she said with a small sigh. “I could stay here forever.”

His lips continued to move along her jawline. “How about a week? I have some business to attend to while we’re here and need to stay until next Saturday.”

Brontë sat up, pushing him away. “How about you ask before dragging me onto your jet?”

“I did ask,” he said, his stern lips quirking with amusement. “If I recall, you told me that you loved the idea. And then you fell over and began to snore.”

She scowled at him. “How about asking me when I’m sober? I’m supposed to work for the next week.”

“Gretchen says they will be fine without you.”

“You talked to Gretchen?”

“She packed a bag for you. Don’t you remember?”

Brontë blinked, trying to recall. Nope, the night before was still a whiskey-filled blur. “I’m sure it’ll come back to me.”

“I’m sure,” Logan said, kissing her neck. He sounded amused.

Her hands went to his thick hair, and she ran her nails over his scalp, sighing with pleasure when he licked at the sensitive dip in her throat. “Logan, I want to talk to you.”

His teeth grazed her collarbone. “Talk, love. I’m listening.”

“You’re being very distracting.”

“I’ve only started to be distracting,” he told her in a husky voice. His hand slipped inside her robe and cupped her bare breast, thumb playing over her nipple.

Heat and longing shot through her body, and she moaned, her hips moving reflexively. “That’s not fair,” she gasped, her words rising an octave when he continued to circle her nipple with the pad of his thumb, making the sensitive peak stiff. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you.”

“I’m very serious right now,” Logan told her, tugging open the belt of her robe and exposing her breasts. His head moved down, and he kissed the other nipple. “I’ve wanted to touch you all day, and I’m very serious about getting to do so right now.”

“Logan,” she breathed, her fingers gripping his hair tightly. “I wanted to talk about you and me.”

His teeth gently bit her nipple. “How good we are together?”

She moaned as he raked his teeth lightly over her nipple again, then tongued the sensitive flesh. “I’ve been thinking . . .”

Grinding to a screeching halt, Logan jerked up, his gaze meeting hers. Those warm, delicious eyes were now staring back at her warily, and his voice was cold. “What were you thinking?”

Oh. Brontë felt a twinge of shame at his immediate wariness. His reaction was so strong as a result of her constant running away. He was expecting her to bail on him again. She reached up and stroked his strong, tense jaw. “I was thinking that . . . I’ve been unfair to you.”

He stared down at her, no emotion showing. Those hard eyes glittered. “You have been unfair . . . to me? Explain.”

“Yes,” she said, and skimmed her thumb over his lower lip. It was really unfair that he was so sensual and masculine. “Whenever things got a little frightening for me, I ran away. I should have stayed and talked to you. And . . . I’m sorry. I want this to work between us. I want you. I want to be with you.”

Logan’s cold expression finally cracked. He exhaled loudly, and then buried his face against her.

“Logan?” She touched his hair.

“I thought you were going to leave me again.” The relief in his voice was evident, and he began to press kisses on her stomach. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry,” she said, the nervous giggle escaping her throat. Damn stupid giggle. “I’m . . . I won’t run again. Not without talking to you first. I just . . . it’s hard to know where I fit in your world when I’ve always had trouble even fitting in to my own.”

“I know where you fit,” Logan said, sitting up suddenly. He pressed a fist to his heart. “Right here, Brontë.”

Sudden tears pricked her eyes. “I love you, Logan.”

“I love you, too,” he told her, leaning down and kissing her mouth lightly. “And I want you to be comfortable with me. If something bothers you, tell me so I can fix it or change it.”

“I think it’s me more than you, Logan. I thought that if I came to you and did nothing but sit around your house, I’d turn into one of those women that you hate. I’d do nothing but spend your money on shoes and purses all day long, like Danica.”

“It wasn’t that Danica spent my money, love. If you dedicated your life to shopping, you wouldn’t be able to spend all my money. It was that she valued the money more than she valued our relationship. You’ve never been like that. You never will be. It’s not in your nature.” He picked up her hand and kissed the palm of it tenderly. “That’s one reason why I fell for you so hard.”

“I might spend some of your money,” Brontë blurted, waiting for him to react. But he didn’t; he only continued to smile at her. “I’ve realized that I was resenting you for my being a waitress, which is stupid. It isn’t your fault I picked a major that wouldn’t get me anywhere except waiting tables. It wasn’t that you wanted me to make something of myself. It’s that I wasn’t happy with who I was. That doesn’t change with or without money, really. But Gretchen woke me up, and I realized that only I can make myself satisfied with my career path. All I know is I that being without you made me unhappy even when I was waiting tables again. So . . .” She breathed deep and blurted, “I want to go back to college and get a graduate degree. Or start a charity to donate books to schools and retirement homes like Gretchen does, but on a bigger scale. Or do both. Or all of it. I’m not sure. But I want to do something with myself. I’ll get bored sitting around your apartment all day.”

A smile curved his hard mouth. “Love, I want you to do whatever makes you happy. And if going back to school helps you—or starting a charity—then we’ll do both. As long as we do it together.”

“Together.” She blinked rapidly, overcome. “I’m sorry I’ve made this so difficult. I—”

“Shhh,” he told her. “You didn’t. You were just frightened, and I tend to be overbearing and controlling. It’s part of my nature.”

“It is,” she agreed with a small smile. “You’re used to handling the situation. But a girl likes to be asked every now and then.”

“I promise to ask more,” he said, and his eyes grew serious again. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and produced a small box. Logan held it out to her. “Starting now.”

She sucked in a breath, staring at the small, dark blue box. Her fingers trembled as she reached for it, and slowly snapped the case open.

An oval diamond the size of a pebble was set into a thick gold band. She stared at the ring in surprise, then at Logan.

“I picked the inscription for you,” he said, his voice a little gruff. “Do you like it?”

“Inscription?” She pulled the ring out of the box and peered at the inside of the band, turning the ring to read the tiny lettering printed there. “‘Every heart hears a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back.’” Her eyes filled with the tears she’d been unable to hold back. “It’s beautiful. Ovid?”

“Plato, actually,” he told her with a grin. A laugh escaped her, wild and free. Plato. Of course it was. How very perfect.

“You’re my heart, Brontë. I know it feels like such a short time together, but I want to wake up every day with you at my side and in my life.” He took the ring from her trembling fingers and held it out to her. “Will you marry me?”

“Of course I will,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Logan told her. “Waitress, philosopher, or charitable organizer, I’ll love you all the same as long as you’ll be mine.”

Slipping the ring on her finger, she kissed him with all the love in her heart.