Page 74 of Billionaire Romantic
Cash is here, looking surly, with his arm around the waist of a gorgeous woman with wavy reddish-blond hair. Colton is grinning widely, holding the hand of another beautiful woman wearing the cutest dress. There’s another man who could only be the oldest brother. He’s tall and black-haired, almost prodigallyhandsome. He’s got his arm slung around a petite woman with dark hair. She’s exotic-looking and absolutely stunning.
Noah makes the introductions. “Lucky, you’ve met Cash and Colton. This is Dusty, Lila, Alexander and Ivy.
“So nice to meet you all.”
Dusty steps forward and kisses my cheek. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Lucky,” she says with a big smile and a distinctly Texan twang. She’s wearing a pink top and jeans that show off her gorgeous body, and cowgirl boots. “We’ve all been waiting for Noah to fall as hard and as fast as the rest of them. Wehadto come meet you.”
Colton smiles and kisses Lila. “Ifell the hardest.” Then he holds up the large brown paper bag he’s holding. “We brought dinner. Hope you lovebirds are hungry.”
There’s a lot of cheek-kissing as they all greet me. Their banter and conversation flow easily, like only a close-knit family’s can. Colton, Lila, Alexander and Ivy make their way over to the massive marble kitchen island and start setting out the food, laughing and groaning at Colton’s terrible jokes.
Only Cash hangs back, and Dusty stays close to him. Cash is glaring at Noah. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Actually I’ve never felt more sane in my life, brother.” Noah isn’t fazed by Cash’s bad mood in the slightest. This morning, it would have terrified me. Now, with Noah’s reassurance still wrapped around me, it has no effect whatsoever. I can’t feel bad about any of it.
“I should take you outside and pummel you into next week,” Cash seethes.
“I’d like to see you try that,” Noah laughs. “Things happened, none of which had anything to do with you.”
Dusty winks at me, running her hand over Cash’s shoulder. He immediately softens. They exchange a glance and it’s almost comical watching Cash melt. It’s easy to see that he’s absolutelybesotted. And I’m relieved. Under Dusty’s influence, his rage is clearly being cooled by several degrees.
Noah’s arm is still around me. “Lucky and I came to an agreement. Just the two of us. The offer you and I made together was already off the table. Shit happens, bro. Deal with it.”
Colton laughs, entertained by the argument. The nearby kitchen group are obviously listening in.
“Colton invested an obscene amount of money in my business before I evenhada business,” Lila offers.
“Alexander bought my apartment building for me, only three days after we met,” Ivy adds. Alexander grins at her, both wolfishly and adoringly.
“And Cash,” Dusty says, kissing his cheek, “bought my mother’s house for her, set up a recording deal for my sister and forced me to move in with him even though he was my boss.”
Churlishly, Cash relents a little more. “I’m still your boss.”
“Only at work,” she teases him and his eyes narrow at her like he’s thinking absolutely filthy thoughts.
Colton tucks a strand of Lila’s hair behind her ear. “It’s just the way we Maddoxes operate, Cash, you know that as well as anyone. You can hardly complain about it when Noah does the same thing.”
Alexander’s voice is deep and commanding, with that big-brother authority that pretty much settles the matter. “Cash, you wouldn’t have a company to invest with at all if Noah hadn’t saved your ass when you spent months dreamily googling ‘Tex’ while your business floundered.”
Cash looks chagrinned for a mini-second, then he pulls Dusty closer. “I need to be consoled, Tex. My family is bullying me.”
“Aw,” she glides the backs of her fingers across his jaw. “It sucks when the bully gets bullied. You deserve all of it.”
He kisses her. “You’re in for it later,” he murmurs.
Then he stands up and offers his hand to me. “I’m sorry, Lucky. I’m an asshole. I try not to be but it happens anyway. Please forgive me.” I can’t help smiling as I take his hand and he leans in to kiss my cheek. Then he offers his hand to Noah. “Dude, I’m just jealous. You two are going to make an absolute killing with Ashton Holdings. Your company is a little gem, Lucky.”
“Thank you. I know it is.”
With that, the tension is completely gone, all is forgiven and dinner is served. We sit outside on the huge, private patio and I find myself in a whirlwind of fun and getting to know them all.
As an only child with parents who were either gone or almost entirely absent, it’s so new to be around such a boisterous, loving family.
And that’s what they are. Afamily.
I’m a little quieter than the rest of them, but it’s so fascinating to me to watch their kindness with each other, their genuine, bone-deep friendship and their easy laughter. I’m sort of falling in love with all of them.
It turns out Lila is LilaBailey, the up and coming designer everyone is talking about. When I tell her I recently bought one of her tops and it’s my favorite piece of clothing, she invites me to come in to her design studio and choose anything I like.
