Page 16 of The Billionaire's Wife

I turn toward him.

“Sorry about … earlier,” he says with a shake of his head. “I just wanted to check in. Are you okay?”

I raise my eyebrows. “Oh. Yeah. Of course.”

“I know we agreed that kissing was kind of a last resort, but I just didn’t know how to get out of … that.” Alec chuckles, and I do too, thinking of the boisterous Marcus and Julia. Their actions would be sweet if we truly were a married couple.

“Yeah, there really was no way around it,” I agree. “And it’s fine. Really.”

He nods, pinning me to the spot with that gaze of his. “Good. I just wanted to make sure things were … good. I guess.”

“Things are good,” I assure him.

An uncomfortable silence passes between us. I kick off my sandals and pull my feet up onto the bed, shifting a bit. I glance toward the window, but there’s nothing to see but blackness, so I look back at my lap.

“Are you having a good time?” Alec asks, seemingly just to break the awkward silence that’s permeating the room.

I look up. “Yeah. I’ve never been anywhere like this before,” I say with a genuine smile.

A ghost of a smile plays on his lips. “You seem to be hitting it off with Olivia and Lilly.”

I nod. “Yeah, they’re sweet. I like them a lot.”

“That’s good,” he replies. “I’m glad they’re being welcoming. I know you’re doing this all for me because of our agreement—and as a huge favor—but I truly do want you to enjoy yourself.” I’m surprised at the genuineness of his statement. He’s actually being … nice. Sure, I never thought Alec King was the devil or anything, but he’s also never been the kindest person around. And this whole arrangement? It was just to get him the biggest deal of his career and get him out of a stupid mistake he’d made. That was all. To hear that he actually cares about my feelings this week? It might be small, but it feels like a big win in Alec King territory.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” I ask.

He seems surprised by the question, and maybe even more surprised as to how to answer. “I—I mean, I guess,” he answers.

I laugh. “You guess? You’re on a yacht headed to the Bahamas.”

A soft grin washes over his face, and he nods absentmindedly. “True.”

“I mean, the merger is pretty much solidified, right?” I press.

He shrugs. “Seems to be that way, but you never know.”

“And is relaxing and having a good time going to stop any potential disasters from throwing the merger off course?” I tease.

At this, he shoots me a look—a cross between annoyance and acceptance. “No, I suppose not.”

“In fact, knowing Marcus, I think letting loose might just increase your chances of a successful merger happening.”

At this, he chuckles. “Yeah, Marcus does seem to value ‘letting loose,’ as you say.”

“So I ask again: Are you enjoying yourself?”

He meets my gaze, a long pause passing between us, and suddenly I’m thrown back to just a few hours ago and how it had felt to have his lips pressed against mine, our bodies closer than they’ve ever been. Is he thinking about that too? Is he just as affected by that kiss as I was? Or am I just a hopeless little schoolgirl, barely of out college, getting caught up in the glitz and glamor of Alec King and his empire?

“Yes, Ella,” he says evenly. “I’d say I’m enjoying myself.” His words are slow, his dark eyes somehow darker, and I feel my insides melting.

My heart beats just a little faster, and somehow I’m having a hard time catching my breath. But before I asphyxiate on the spot, Alec clears his throat, breaking our eye contact and standing. “I’m going to get ready for bed,” he says, grabbing his pajamas off the couch and heading into the bathroom.

As soon as I hear the door click, I lay back on the mattress, letting out a long exhale. Keep it together, Ella, I tell myself, closing my eyes. Alec King might be my husband for the week, but he is a hundred percent off limits.

Chapter 12

Ella

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