Torn:Billionaire Bachelors Club #2(23)

You're fucking making out with Marina in front of her parents' house,  you asshole! What the hell? Are you sixteen and can't control yourself?

Well. That was like an ice-cold dose of reality.

Pulling out of the kiss, I smudge my thumb across her lush bottom lip,  smiling at her as she glares up at me. I don't think she likes that I  ended our kissing session. "We shouldn't be doing this," I whisper.

She pouts. "Why? I can't resist you. You know this."

Her simple admission makes me smile, but I don't let myself get too hung  up on it. "We're at your house. Your parents are waiting inside to meet  me, and I want to make the right impression. Not be the guy who's  caught kissing and feeling up their daughter in his car."

"You weren't feeling me up," she points out.

I grin. "Yet."

Marina rolls her eyes. "Whatever. And don't worry about my dad. He'll  take one look at your precious car and fall in love." Smiling, she leans  in for another kiss, but I dodge her at the last minute, making her  pout again. "Come on."

"Yeah, you got that right. Come on." I open the door and climb out,  rounding the front so I can open her door. "Let's go meet your parents."

I take her hand and pull her out of the car, hoping like hell she  doesn't notice my sweaty palm. She flashes me a sweet smile and leads me  to the front door, her hips swishing seductively when she walks, her  ass looking perfect in those jeans she's wearing.

Yeah. I'm a total goner for her. And she knows it too. I never, ever  thought a woman would have me so totally by the balls, but this one  does. I don't mind either. In fact, I like it, knowing she's mine.  Knowing I'm hers.

Archer finds my capitulation into couplehood amusing. My sister thinks  it's the cutest thing she's ever seen, and that's a direct quote. Matt  laughs every time I talk to him, asking if I'm completely whipped yet.  He knows how reluctant I was to let myself get caught by a woman.

Now I'm walking into the so-called trap and seriously thinking I never want out of it.

Marina doesn't bother ringing the doorbell, and we walk inside to find  the living area empty. It's a wide, open space, full of comfortable  furniture that has seen better days and lots of family photos on every  available flat surface. On tables, bookshelves, hung on the walls, I'm  surrounded by Molinas and Knights, all of them watching me, making me  want to squirm where I stand.

Yeah. I think I've lost my damn mind. This is what a case of nerves does to a man.

"Dad!"

Marina lets go of my hand, and I watch as she hurries toward her father  who's just entered the living room. She practically throws herself at  him, giving him a big hug, which he returns. I know they're close. She  complains that she hasn't seen him much lately since he's been out of  town, working all the time.         

     



 

He's scrambling. Trying to sell off property and cars and whatever else  he can get rid of to gain some cash flow. I know this through friends  and acquaintances in the business. They all talk. Knight's been going  into San Francisco a lot lately to broker deals. Yet he's still holding  on to that one property I want.

And I think if I work it just right, I can make it mine.

You are such a complete asshole. Marina's going to think you're using her to get to her dad.

That had been true, once upon a time. Not any longer. I care for this  woman. Hell, I'm falling in love with her. Being in the middle of this  situation, not quite knowing what to do . . .

It sucks.

"Good to see you, sweetheart." Her father gives Marina a kiss on the cheek, smiling down at her. "You look happy."

I stand there, at a loss over what I should do. Approach them? Clear my  throat? Yell that his daughter looks happy because I put that smile on  her face and the glow in her cheeks?

Yeah. Can't do that.

"I want you to meet Gage. Remember I told you about him?" She withdraws  from her father's embrace and leads him over to where I stand. "Gage,  this is my father, Scott."

"Nice to meet you." I offer my hand and he takes it, somewhat  reluctantly. Or maybe I'm overreacting. The guy sets me on edge just  looking at him.

He's tall, has a headful of salt-and-pepper hair, and his eyes are a  pale, icy blue. Looking at me like he wants to hang me up by my balls  too. "Gage. I believe you've been trying to get in contact with me."

"Let's not talk business today," Marina starts, but I interrupt her.

"I have been. I know you're a busy man, but when you get a chance, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Call my office. We can set up a meeting," he offers breezily.

"I've been trying to do that for months," I tell him, needing him to know I'm not in the mood to play games.

Marina shoots me a horrified glare. "Gage," she whispers, trying to shut me up.

"Don't get mad at him. He's right." Scott's smile is easy. Too easy. "I  have avoided his calls. I believe he's asking for something I'm not  quite ready to give up yet."

Marina's mouth drops open. "How do you-"

"Just like you know," Scott says, smiling at her. "Everyone knows. This  town is big, but it has a small-town feel, just like the gossip. And  when a stranger comes into town, eager to buy up all the prime real  estate he can, he gives everyone something to talk about."

I can't tell if this guy is merely tolerating me or hates my guts or . .  . doesn't mind that I'm here and dating his daughter. His only child  who I know he's very protective of.

Can't blame him though. I'm feeling rather protective of her too. Something we definitely have in common.

"Ah, is this your young man?" Maribella Knight breezes into the room, a  slight smile curling her lips. This is who Marina gets her looks from.  Maribella is a beautiful woman, her features so similar to her  daughter's, I pretty much know what Marina's going to look like when  she's older.

"Yes. This is Gage." Marina smiles nervously. Just like her relationship  with her father is so strong, the one she shares with her mother is a  bit more fragile. "Gage, this is my mom, Maribella."

"Call me Mari." She extends her hand toward me, her gaze not as warm as her voice.

I take her hand and give it a shake, notice how limp it is in my grip. "A pleasure," I say truthfully.

"I'm sure." The smile she offers me is brittle, and her gaze narrows the slightest bit.

Yeah. I don't think Marina's mother likes me very much at all.



Marina

I KNEW MY mother wouldn't like very Gage much. I don't think she'd like  any man I brought home. She has these certain expectations I'm afraid no  guy could ever meet.

So I pretended her cold disdain doesn't bother me. Throughout the  afternoon and into dinner, she acted disinterested in him. But he did  seem to get along with Dad. Now that shocks me. I figured my father  would hate him on sight, considering Gage wants nothing more than to buy  as much property from him as possible.

They have things in common though. They're both savvy businessmen. My  father's only downfall is that he owned too much, too fast. It's been  hard for him to recover from the economic crash.

And they both love cars. In fact, their conversation revolved mostly  around cars from the time we arrived. Gage even took Dad outside to  check out his Maserati, which was love at first sight. At first I  thought it was cute. After a while, I got bored.         

     



 

Last, I'm hoping that they both care about me. Well, I know my dad loves  me because, hello, he's my father. But Gage? He's never said the words  to me, not that I think he would. He's never even admitted that he cares  about me, but what can I expect? We haven't been together that long.

But Mom said something to me years ago, and I've never forgotten her words.

Sometimes, when you know, you just know.

That's how I feel about Gage. It scares the crap out of me and makes me  want to punch him-because near violence is my usual mode of operation  when it comes to Gage-but really, I'm excited. Nervous.

I'm falling in love.

Finally, I was able to drag him and my father apart, and we left long  after dinner. Mom gave me a look that said she expected me to come right  back. Dad told Gage to come by the office any time, or at the very  least, call.

So strange. I thought my father would hate him. I thought I would hate  Gage, but look at me. Maybe it's not such a bad thing, letting the  bakery go. Gage could buy the strip of buildings, and my family would be  in a better financial position. I know that's been my father's goal for  a while. Maybe I'm the selfish one, wanting to hold on to a business  that's nothing but a drain for my family.

"You're awfully quiet."

I glance up to find Gage flashing me a quick smile before he returns his  attention to the road. It's near ten o'clock and he has the windows  cracked, letting in the cool fall air. The roads are virtually  abandoned, the night sky is like dark velvet dotted with brightly  twinkling stars shining from above, and I haven't felt this content in a  long time. If ever.