“Thank you.”She’d known there was a changing room somewhere.Lex really ought to give her a tour.Or she could just explore.The sweats weren’t in the laundry room.
“Looking for something?”Lex asked, and she whipped around.He stood in the doorway with a smug smile.His swimsuit hugged his hips and other yummy parts of him, which stirred under her gaze.
Her eyes flew to his, her face warm.“Just exploring your beautiful home.Now go away.”
“If you take them, you’ll miss out on a wonderful surprise.”He walked away while Jillian debated what to do.Damn, now she was curious.He knew just what to say to get her all worked up.
Jillian left the laundry room and entered the changing room.There was a shower, a sauna, and a steam room.A door led to the patio.Lex’s sweats were on a peg and her silkies right where he’d put them.Jillian debated with herself, then shoved them back in the pocket of the pants and left the room.
When Lex joined her, she was done with breakfast and was chatting with Douglas.Lex cocked an eyebrow, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of confessing.In fact, she completely ignored him and continued to discuss various cuisines with Douglas.But the naughty billionaire hated to be ignored.
He walked to her side, lifted her chin, and kissed her.And it wasn’t an innocent peck either.It was more like I-know-you’re-naked-under-that-dress-and-I-want-you-now.When he lifted his head, Jillian stared at him in a daze.He really was an amazing kisser.
“Thank you,” he said, and she realized she’d spoken her thoughts.She didn’t care.“We should get going,” he added.
He could have said “jump off my balcony” and she would have been halfway down to the pavement before she got her wits back.
Jillian didn’t know whether she wished Douglas goodbye because she came back to her senses in the elevator.The smile on Lex’s lips said he knew he had her.With a kiss.When had she become so easy?
“The surprise had better be worth this,” she said.
“You’ll let me know once you have them.”
Despite his words, she saw concern in his eyes.He was worried about her.Jillian looked down at their clasped hands and reached a conclusion.The entire panties-stealing incident had been Lex’s attempt to get her mind off her family problems and he’d succeeded.She was once more focused on them.
Her heart warmed.For the first time since she’d agreed to his crazy proposal, Jillian wished their relationship was real and they had no contract hanging over their heads.
She also made a decision.Keeping the truth about her family from Lex was pointless.The man was going to be her husband for a year.She’d told him he must ask her father for her hand in marriage and convince her family he loved her.Her family was no longer in the equation.He’d want to know why.
“Stop the elevator,” she said.
Lex did without asking why, then peered at her.“What is it?”
“My father’s business was going downhill, so he made unwise investments…”Oh who the hell am I kidding?“Heborrowedmoney from a local Armenian loan shark.The man wants his money back, but Dad doesn’t have it.I offered him the three-fifty I got from you, but he refused to take it.Told me he didn’t need my money.”Her tongue tripped as she tried to get everything out before she chickened out.“He said I wasn’t really his daughter, just someone he raised because he married my mother.He also said…” Her voice shook to a stop.Thursday’s scene flashed in her head, and her throat closed.When she continued, her voice came out shaky and squeaky.“He said he never really adopted me, so I’m not a Finnegan.Ricky begged him to stop.He and I have always been close.Cian, my other brother, often goes with whatever Dad says, but this once I wished…” Jillian blinked to stop the tears.“I wish he’d have said something.Anything.He just stood there.He’s my big brother, and I always looked up to him.My cousins, Des and Aiden…” She shook her head.“They’ve always been scared of Dad.Elena, Cian’s wife, never liked me anyway, so I knew she was laughing on the inside.Ginger has always been scared of Dad, so I didn’t expect anything from her, but Uncle Row…”
She stopped again to control her emotions and, for the first time, glanced at Lex.Color had drained from his face, but his eyes burned with fury.Instead of focusing on the tight squeeze of her heart and the pain, she reached for his hand and squeezed tight as though to take his anger away.
“The bottom line is my father didn’t want my money,” she continued when she could speak again.“He told me to never step inside his house again.”
Color rushed back to Lex’s cheeks.Gray eyes became molten and darkened to mercury-gray.He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that alone, sweetheart.If I’d known, I would have come inside with you to explain.”He peered into her eyes.“I’ve seen how parent’s react negatively to decisions their children make.It causes unnecessary pain and suffering.Your father will one day learn that your decisions are your own, whether he approves of them or not.Since I’m partly responsible, I’d like to pay your father a visit and explain.”
Jillian blinked, confused.“What my father said has nothing to do with you, Lex.”
“I disagree.I came up with the proposal.Your father must have found out how you got the money and got angry.”
She stared at him, her mind processing his words at a slower pace.Could he be right?Why hadn’t she thought of that?Her father’s behavior, his words, and demeanor all pointed at disappointment.He’d learned that she was getting paid to be a fake wife.Throw in the pictures in the tabloids, and he’d probably concluded she’d sold her body as well.Since he couldn’t say all that in front of the family, he’d hidden behind never adopting her or only marrying her mother so she could be part of the troop.He’d adored her mother.Could this be just a big misunderstanding and once she explained, things could go back to normal?
“Do you really think so?”Jillian asked, desperately seeking his affirmation, not caring that she sounded needy and insecure.
“Yes.”The way he said it left no doubt in her mind.
“You’re a genius,” Jillian said.She wiggled her hand free from Lex’s and threw her arms around his neck.“If we weren’t in the elevator, I’d…” She kissed him, pouring all her yearning and gratitude into the kiss.
When she lifted her head, Lex was the one with a dopey expression and his erection was pressing against her.“Don’t stop,” he growled.
They reached for each other, lips locked, hands all over the place.Years of gymnastics came to her rescue as he lifted her and pinned her against the mirrored wall.She braced herself on his shoulders while her heels found their footing on the edge of the cherry wood paneling.She was already wet from the kiss he’d given her upstairs.
