The Billionaire's Gamble (11 page)

He glanced out the windshield, then shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “I’m sure they don’t. It’s probably a well kept secret only the natives of this area know about.”

That was an interesting piece of information, Sabrina thought, getting out of the car. “Were you born here?” she asked, jumping on the first piece of personal information he’d ever volunteered. Until this moment, Sabrina hadn’t realized how little she knew about this man’s past. It was odd to know so much about a man, to respect him so deeply because of his present dynamic ambition and personal integrity, but to not know anything about what made him who he is. And add onto that, the fact that she’d agreed to share her life, love and body with him, it added a whole new dimension to his character. That she was willing to commit to him so completely and not know about his past, meant she was really in love with him. Not knowing enough about a man had been one of her arguments against becoming intimate with some of her previous boyfriends but it didn’t really matter with Sid. She loved him, regardless of who he was ten or twenty years ago.

“I’ve lived in many places, this is just one of them,” he said and came around to the other side of the car, as if he were protecting her from oncoming traffic or other pedestrians. It was a very sweet gesture and Sabrina appreciated it, even though it was a small issue.

“Where were you born?” she asked, stepping onto the curb but not going into the restaurant.

 

“No place special,” he said, looking down at her.

Sabrina understood that this probably wasn’t a topic he wanted to discuss. His features were set in stone and there was no emotion showing in his eyes that were usually her gauge to his mood. “Why is your birthplace a secret?” she asked. “Most people take pride in where they were born.”

Sid knew she was just curious and wasn’t trying to pry into his private life. But his past was one thing he never discussed with anyone. “It just isn’t very interesting,” was all he would say. “Where were you born?” he asked, changing the focus away from himself.

Sabrina understood his need for privacy but desperately wanted to know more about this man she had agreed to marry. “Virginia, in a small town outside of Washington, D.C.” she replied without hesitation, showing him that answering personal questions wasn’t so difficult.

“Was your sister born there as well?” he asked, guiding her into the restaurant and into a booth toward the back. He handed her a menu but didn’t bother to take one himself. He knew what he wanted. He’d eaten here several times before.

“Yep. Most people from that area are military so there aren’t many who can claim to have lived there for long. But we lived in the same house since I was born. My parents still live there.”

His interest was apparent as his features opened up as she talked. “Really? What about your neighbors? Were they always around?”

She shrugged slightly, thinking back to some of the sad times in her life when her friends had to leave when their parents found jobs in different states. “Some of them, but many moved around. I was always jealous. I hated being the one that was left behind. It seemed so boring and unexciting. I wanted to move to a new house, have a new room and meet new friends. It took me about ten years just to convince my parents to let me paint my bedroom walls. They painted them pink when I was born but by the time I was in elementary school, pink wasn’t cool.”

Sid smiled but he disagreed with her thoughts about moving. Having moved almost every year from the time he was born until he finished college, he hated changing residences. He’d never moved out of the state. Hell, he’d never even moved farther than five miles outside of Vegas. But he’d always wanted the white picket fence and a stable home. “Sounds nice,” was all he said.

They ate a huge breakfast of eggs, sausage and pancakes with a large pot of coffee. Sabrina enjoyed talking with him, asking him questions and laughing at his dry humor. He asked so many questions about her, her past, the men she’d dated, her sister and her parents, but more importantly in her mind was when he asked about her opinion on various subjects. It was different than the first dinner they’d had together. He shared his opinions with her, agreeing at times, but not always. The times that he didn’t agree, he respected her point of view.

Sabrina was almost sad when he dropped her off at her house that morning. As she showered, she savored the feeling of his lips when he’d kissed her goodbye. She’d asked him inside, shyly telling him that she didn’t want him to leave. But he declined after kissing her passionately. She loved the fact that he appeared just as affected by their kisses as she was. It made things much less scary to know that the passion was mutual. Chapter 7

“This is it,” Sabrina said, looking at her sister in the mirror. “Do I look okay?”

Nina smiled gently at her sister in the mirror. “You look stunning,” she said, bending down to fluff the train of Sabrina’s wedding dress slightly. “Sid is going to be amazed when he takes a look at you. You truly look like a fairy princess.”

“Do you think it is too much? There’s only the six of us,” she said nervously, smoothing her skirt down over her hips. more sedate for a small wedding like this. sense,” she thought out loud.
“I probably should have gone for something

A simple white suit would have made more

Nina stood up and shook her head in response. “You’ve always wanted a big wedding with lots of your friends and family around and the big white dress, beautiful cake and lots of ceremony,” Nina said, turning away to fiddle with something on the table behind her. “There was no need to settle for anything less just because it’s smaller than you were anticipating. This is your dream. You should live it to the fullest and not care what anyone else thinks.”

“Yes, but I don’t think Sid wants that,” Sabrina said, biting her lip nervously. “I won’t look silly?” she asked, nerves building inside of her unexpectedly. She’d been deliriously happy over the past week as she prepared for her wedding day and making sure that all the events would be taken care of at the resort while she went on her honeymoon with Sid. It was all so miraculous, she could hardly believe it was actually happening.

Nina turned back to face her sister and shook her head emphatically. “I can guarantee that you look beautiful and there is nothing silly about wanting to look like a princess for your wedding.” She handed Sabrina the pink roses tied together with pink ribbon, then picked up her own white roses. “You’re going to enjoy today. I can guarantee it,” she smiled to her sister.

Sabrina looked down at the full wedding dress with a small, princess train and layers of chiffon floating around her. She wasn’t wearing a veil but her bodice was encrusted with pearls, making her feel pretty and special. “You’re right,” she said, gaining back some of her confidence. “A girl only gets married once, doesn’t she?” she said, then bit her lip again. She’d feel so much more confident if Sid loved her the way she loved him. And if she understood him. The man’s past was a veritable vault, locked away without any hope of being opened in the near future. And no matter how much she told herself it didn’t matter, there was something that was wrong and she couldn’t put her finger on it.

She got the impression from his closed features that he might possibly be ashamed of his past. But how could that be the case? What could one small boy have done that he would be ashamed of decades later? And what could possibly be so horrible that what he’d accomplished now didn’t matter more in the larger picture of one’s life? Nothing was so desperate that it diminished one’s current contributions.

The past didn’t matter, she told herself, trying to find confidence from her inner voice. She loved him for who he is now and whatever had happened in the past only made him stronger and more loveable. She would wait for him to discover that she could be trusted with his secrets.

“What’s wrong?” Nina asked softly, laying a hand on Sabrina’s shoulder.

Sabrina’s gaze caught her sister’s worried eyes in the mirror. She decided to confide in her sister. They’d never had secrets before and now wasn’t the time to start, she told herself. “Sid has never said he loves me,” she explained, more of her anxiety coming out than she’d intended.

Nina’s face remained impassive when she said, “If you think there is something wrong, we can just walk out of here now. You don’t have to go through with the wedding.”

Sabrina shook her head emphatically, horrified at the idea of walking out on the man. Not for anything he might do to her. Sabrina had absolute confidence that Sid would never hurt her physically. But she just couldn’t hurt him by doing something so callous. He was a good, sweet man underneath all the layers of arrogance. She just knew it and had to keep reminding herself of that fact. “No. I’d never do that to Sid. He needs me,” she said, sure of nothing else. “Besides, I have enough love for the two of us,” she said with more feeling. “And he cares for me. I know that even if he doesn’t. It will have to be enough for now.”

“How do you know he cares for you?”

Sabrina smiled dreamily, staring at her reflection in the mirror. “Because he’s the one that insisted I get a full dress. I was just going to get something simple but he had several dresses flown in from Paris. I only had to choose and then a seamstress was standing by to make the adjustments.”

Nina accepted that his actions spoke volumes. But that didn’t diminish her worry that the man was going to hurt her sister. She tried to push her own cynicism regarding the goodness of men aside as she considered her sister’s situation. “Yes. I’ll concede that he cares about you. But are you sure that’s enough? Are you positive about this? He can’t make you marry him if you have any reservations. To some people, getting married isn’t a big deal but to you and me, its hugely significant and shouldn’t be stepped into unless you’re absolutely sure that this is the right path to take.”

Sabrina hesitated for only a moment before nodding her head. “Yes. I’m sure. I love him. There’s nothing else I can do,” she explained. “Now don’t be so pessimistic. Things will be fine.” Sabrina pulled her younger sister into a hug, then stepped back to pick up her bouquet of soft, pink roses. “Now let’s go walk down that aisle,” she said.

Sabrina’s enthusiasm and resumption of her confidence convinced Nina that her older sister knew what she was getting into. “Dad’s about to burst his buttons, he’s so proud of you,” Nina said, laughing in excitement. “So come on. Let’s get this over with. I know there’s a great meal on the way and I’m starving,” she said.

Sabrina laughed. “You’re always hungry,” she said but linked her arm through her sister’s and headed out of Sid’s beautiful bedroom. He’d given it up for her to change today and had made all the other arrangements, including putting her house on the market and making sure all of her items would be packed up and moved into his penthouse while they were on their honeymoon.

The doors opened to let Nina walk down the aisle, then the wedding march started up.

“That’s our cue,” her father said, smiling down at her. “You look beautiful,” he said and kissed her gently on the cheek. “I can’t believe what a gentleman you’re marrying,” he said grumpily.

Sabrina knew that her father’s grouchy tone was a ruse to mask his emotions that were currently running high. “Thanks dad,” she said smiling back up at him and tweaking his cheek gently. “He’s a great man and I can’t wait until you have more of a chance to get to know him better.”

The doors opened to the chapel and Sabrina gasped in surprise. What she’d assumed was going to be a small wedding turned out to be a huge affair. All her friends from Virginia were smiling at her along the aisles, and her co-workers were dressed in their finest as they waved to her. It was as if the entire hotel staff was packed into the chapel.

Whatever doubts Sabrina had over this wedding were eliminated at this sweet gesture. How had he known that she’d want a big wedding? It was too amazing.

Looking down the aisle at the man standing by the minister, her heart swelled with love and she hoped that every emotion was showing through her eyes. This man needed her. He barely shared anything from his past with her so she had no idea what made him who he is today, but he would eventually. And maybe he’d come to love her a little bit.

Moments later, her father was handing her off to Sid and she caught her breath. She only half listened to the words of the service, her whole body shaking with excitement as Sid stood next to her, his warm hands holding her cold ones and she couldn’t believe how much she loved him. This man was too wonderful, too sexy to be her husband but, within a short time, the minister’s voice claimed that he was. She tried to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks but she was just too touched by the enigmatic man standing next to her.

The minister’s deep, resonant voice confidently spoke the final words of the marriage ceremony. “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he declared. He turned to Sid and smiled broadly. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Sid didn’t wait another moment. He faced Sabrina and pulled her so she was facing him. Then with a satisfaction so deep, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The fierce need to possess her completely almost blinded him when their lips touched but the deafening applause reminded him that over half of the hotel staff had shown up for the bloody ceremony. He almost regretted inviting so many people to the wedding but then he remembered the glow of happiness and surprise that had taken over her face when she realized all of her friends had shown up and he pushed his resentment away. This was her day and if it made her happy to have so many people invading their space, then so be it. He’d endure it, just for her.

They turned to face the crowd and he pulled her hand through the crook of his arm. The crowd’s cheers became even louder as Sabrina smiled broadly to everyone, waving to her friends and family.

Normally, Sid would be irritated by not having her full attention. It was something he’d grown to like about her. More often than not, the women he escorted would want to make sure that the crowds were looking at them as if he were some sort of prize stud. But Sabrina actually snuggled closer each time the crowds tried to pull her away from him. That alone gave him the strength to slow down and allow her the time to greet her friends. She was polite, he’d give her that. As the crowds exited, she had a kind word to say to every member of the staff, even knowing their names. It was astonishing that she knew everyone. Hell, he paid these people and he didn’t know half of them. Not only did she know them, she knew about their families, wives, husbands and children.