Condoned (Beauty And The Billionaire Geek Book 3) (8 page)

“I know. I’ve been involved in some things that changed my perception of what is appropriate. It isn’t an excuse. I just want you to know where I’m coming from. There is no excuse for tricking you and lying to you. You deserve so much more, Zoe. So much more.”

She breathed out slowly and I leaned slightly forward, her face still cupped in my hands, wishing she would make the first move.

She grabbed the lapels of my suit and pulled me forward the last few inches until her lips crushed into mine. My eyes shot wide open in alarm and then squeezed shut. I wanted to take in everything about this kiss. I wanted it to last forever. My arms encircled her and she squeezed me against her slender form. I wanted more, so much more, but she pushed away.

“You can’t toy with me Billy. I break.”

I leaned toward her enfolding her in my arms. I needed to be close to her. I never wanted to be away from her again. I’d do anything she wanted as long as she didn’t go away again. “I know,” I said. “That’s the last thing I want to do. You are more precious to me than anything in the world.”

“I’ll help you if you’ll let me. No more deception, no more lies.”

“I never stopped loving you, Zoe. I’ve watched you from afar all these years. I want you to know that now. I’m not going to hold anything back from you. I won’t play with you. No more games.”

“I know you watched me. It wasn’t difficult to figure out. It doesn’t make it okay, but I’m glad you told me.”

“Everything I have and everything I am. It’s all for you. It always has been,” I whispered.

“I’ve never been able to get you out from under my skin. When we were younger, I thought I might lose myself in you completely. I had no self, outside of you. It scared the hell out of me. I needed more self-control, more self-respect. Those things weren’t your responsibility to give me.”

I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. Her soft body trembled as I held her and kissed her deeply. She was finally here. Everything was finally right.

We walked down the Champs Elysee. Billy stopped to peer in the window at a BMW concept car. I smiled at him, knowing he could duck inside and purchase anything he wanted. But that wasn’t what we were doing today. Today, I was letting him spoil me. The driver already had a trunk full of clothes, Louis Vuitton handbags, and Louboutin shoes.

Billy looked away from the car and at me, leaning his head in to catch my lips in a soft kiss. He wore a fashionable casual suit and I was wearing a spring dress and a new pair of pumps that made me feel pretty and tall. A gentle breeze blew through my hair as Billy pulled away. His hand slid down my arm and he took my hand.

“Come,” he said, leading me down the sidewalk. We walked into the outdoor patio of a busy cafe. I could smell the scent of fresh bread and coffee. After we were seated, we ordered pastries, fruit, and espresso for a light brunch. Billy held my hand over the table, gazing into my eyes.

This was the first time he’d been on a proper vacation in years. The last time he was in Paris, he’d told me, he’d gone to one of his countess friend’s parties.

I’d always wanted to come and we agreed it would be a good place to go for his rehabilitation. We made a joke of it, but we both knew it was all too true. His one condition was that I let him lavish me with expensive gifts every single day, to which I conceded with some reluctance.

The waiter brought our food and I took a bight of a juicy spring strawberry. The last six months had been a challenge, but we’d both given it our all. With complete honesty between us, we’d been able to get this far.

“Does being here make you want to go back to your old ways?” I asked him, taking a sip of black espresso. The nutty flavor slid over my tongue as I set the tiny cup back on its saucer.

“No. All I want is to be with you. I could get used to spoiling you. It might become my new obsession.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I said, laughing.

I’d accepted the way our relationship worked. I’d learned to accept Billy for who he was. In accepting him, I’d been able to accept myself, and accept that he loved me. Christmas at Claire’s house had helped everything mesh and become more real than it ever had before. Seeing Billy in my old family house with my sisters and niece made everything so much clearer.

“You promised you’d let me,” he teased.

“I did.”

My dance studio remained on track. I never had to borrow money from Billy to make it work, and that knowledge gave me confidence. So far, all he’d really done was buy me a bunch of expensive stuff I never would have bought for myself. All in all, it wasn’t really dependence. It made him happy to give me things. And it made me happy to run my business on my own.

After we finished brunch, Billy called the car. It pulled up along the sidewalk as we left the restaurant. I climbed inside, glad to have a break from shopping. We drove below the Arc De Triomphe and circled around toward the Seine.

We stepped out onto a dock where riverboats bobbed in the water. The mellow spring sun glinted on the blue-gray waters of the Seine, and I slipped on my sunglasses before taking Billy’s hand. He led me onto a riverboat. It was larger than the gondolas in Venice, but it had a similar shape and was powered by a motor at the back.

We sat on a curved bench, under the shade of an arching fabric canopy that covered the front of the boat.  On the table in front of the bench was a bottle of chilled white wine and two glasses. I breathed in the silt scent of the water and smiled.

“You planned all this didn’t you?”

“Yes. I’d never done it before, but I thought it would be something you would like.” The motor started and Billy poured the wine. Wind ruffled through my hair, and I tugged it around and twisted it into a ponytail. The boat puttered along at a leisurely pace allowing us to take in the sights of the city from the Seine.

I could see the Eifel Tower in the distance as we passed larger tourist boats. I took out my phone and clicked photographs of the sights, then scooted in next to Billy to get a selfie of us together. When I checked the picture, I saw that Billy was holding a little blew box in his hand. My heart leapt in my chest, and I gasped, snapping my gaze to Billy.

He slowly flipped the little box open. It was as if we were underwater in slow motion. All along, I knew exactly what the box contained. I put my hand on my heart to keep it from running away. When the contents emerged, I moved my hand to my mouth. The perfect, massive solitaire crested a platinum band with smaller diamonds running down the sides.

“You said I could buy you anything.”

I laughed still looking at the ring and then up at Billy. “I didn’t think engagement ring was part of that bargain.”

“You said anything.” Subtle emotions ran over his face, and I knew I could crush him in an instant. It made me want to kiss him and slap him at the same time. I felt trapped.

“This seems a lot like a game, Billy.”

“It’s not. I’m just lousy at being romantic.” He didn’t suck at being romantic. That was something he was always good at. It was all the other socially appropriate interactions that he sucked at. In that moment, it flashed through my mind that I loved him too much to hate him for not being what I expected him to be. If I loved him, I had to let him be himself, for better or worse.

“Will you marry me?”

Wind whipped my hair around my face and I brushed it back again. I hesitated for a moment, remembering. Suddenly, I was able to throw it all off. He was mine. He was my awkward, socially inept geek. I loved him, just the way he was. Billionaire or not. Rippling muscles or not. It was Billy I loved, and Billy made mistakes. Billy had obsessions. But I knew Billy loved me more than I ever expected to be loved.

“Yes,” I finally said. “Yes, I will.”

He slipped the ring on my finger, gathered me in his arms, and planted a kiss on my lips. As he let me go, he was breathless and laughing all at once. He looked so much like the young man I’d met at Marcus’s doorstep all those years ago. I had to laugh too.

We held each other as the boat motored under a bridge, and the sound of classical Spanish guitar lilted on the breeze.