The Billionaire Wins the Game(25)

“Have a good time kids.”

“Joseph Anderson, what are you up to, now?” came the voice of his wife.

“Good morning, Beautiful. I was just having some breakfast with a beautiful young lady and your grumpy son,” he said in all innocence.

“We both know that’s bull. You’re match making, and from the look of things between those two, it’s going very well,” she said with disapproval in her tone. “When that boy figures out what you’re up to, he’s going to stop speaking to you,” she added.

“By the time he figures it out, he’ll be very much in love with his wife and thanking me,” Joseph came back with. He certainly hoped that was the case. Because, otherwise, his wife would be right and his son would be none too happy with him. It was a risk he was willing to take. “Let’s go for a drive,” he said as he got up and gave Katherine a kiss.

Was it so wrong for him to want his sons to have a love of their own, like he had with his Katherine? He didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. He decided today was going to be a great day. It had started off wonderfully with Lucas and Amy on their way to a passionate relationship. It would end even better, with Katherine by his side.





Chapter Five





Amy got in the car with Lucas, immediately becoming engulfed by his scent. Why did the guy have to smell so good? She could feel a fluttering in her stomach. How could she want to be with him after the things he’d said and done? She was trying not to see the good things about him, because it was so much harder to maintain her distance when she let down her guard.

They rode in silence for a while before he pulled into a parking lot. This wasn’t the car dealership. What was he doing? Maybe he was going to drop her somewhere and hope she got abducted.

“We’re going shopping first. That way the furnishings can be delivered so the crew can finish your apartment,” he explained. He didn’t wait for her to answer. He stepped out of the vehicle and came around to her door and opened it. When he did those small things, like treating her as a lady, it made her see the more human side of him, making it harder for her to resist him. She would rather he acted cold so she could justify her own distance.

She got out of the car and walked next to him into the vast store. “I really don’t need any decorations. I’m sure the apartment is fine as it is,” she tried to tell him. She wasn’t comfortable with all the items she was receiving. It felt far too much like assistance.

“Let’s get this done,” he stated in a voice that said deal with it, it’s going to happen.

She soon found it was much easier to go along with him than argue. He took her through each department, asking her preference on colors and styles. As they continued, he seemed to be enjoying himself – it seemed he enjoyed shopping.

When they finished in the store, Lucas made arrangements for the items to be delivered to her apartment immediately. “We’re ahead of schedule, Amy. It looks like you may be able to move into your place tonight,” he said as they exited the store. “I’m hungry. Let’s go to lunch. The car lot may take a while,” he commanded.

He didn’t ask if she was hungry. He didn’t ask if she wanted to share a meal with him. He simply stated she would go to lunch, and that’s what would happen. If she hadn’t been so hungry she would’ve refused to eat, just to prove a point, but she knew he wouldn’t even notice and then she’d be the one suffering the rest of the day.

They ate their meal in an awkward silence until, thankfully, he received a phone call, which occupied him for the rest of the time. She was relieved, as she didn’t want to try to make small talk. The pressure from the day was beginning to settle on her shoulders and she was looking forward to having alone time.

They headed to the car lot after lunch. She’d never owned a car before. She’d never even priced one. She knew she’d get one after college, but she hadn’t had the money yet. She’d taken a driver’s training courses, in college, so she knew how to drive, but wasn’t real comfortable behind the wheel.

She didn’t want Lucas to know about her insecurity, though, so she decided to suck it up and brave the situation. “Do you want a manual or automatic?” was the first question he asked.

“I’d prefer an automatic.”

“If you want my opinion, I think you should go with the Mercedes ML450 Hybrid SUV. I’ve done research the last few days, and it’s highly rated in safety. It gets excellent fuel mileage and is recommended on the consumer reports,” he offered, sounding like a cars salesman.