The Billionaire's Christmas Engagement: A Feel Good Romance (Christmas Billionaires) Read online

  “’Bye,” Oliver murmured and dropped the phone to his side.

  If he had second thoughts about attending Shelly’s and Brian’s party tonight, it was too late now. If he didn’t go, Penny would never forgive him. If he did go? The wedding party and guests wouldn’t forgive him because his dour mood didn’t fit in with the happy exuberance of a wedding.

  “Archie.” A woman’s voice called out, and Oliver lifted his head. “Honey, don’t throw Rex’s toy near the water. Those waves are high, and you don’t want him to get caught in the tide.”

  “Sorry, Mommy.” The boy’s expression turned chagrined before he tossed the disc toward a grass-covered knoll.

  Women’s voices rose in squeals and cheers, and Oliver looked across the inlet at the resort. He saw Madison, and something lifted in his chest. She and the others strolled along the shoreline, but the incoming tide aggressively lapped the sand and splashed some of the women.

  Oliver’s gaze went directly to Madison. She’d changed from her travel clothes of capris and a loosely woven sweater to a one-piece that spread nicely over shapely curves. She stood a distance away from the others and strolled through the lapping waves. The water splashing against her legs.

  On a hotel veranda sat Todd, Madison’s ex, the man who had eyed him suspiciously when he thought Madison and Oliver were together. Had Madison explained everything to him yet? Maybe not, judging by the way Todd watched her. His girlfriend, Zelda, talked to him, but he didn’t seem interested in what she was saying. He only had eyes for Madison.

  Oliver didn’t blame him. He’d watch Madison, too, not just because she was attractive. Oliver was captivated by the softness in her eyes, her musical voice and her graceful moves.

  Suddenly, he looked forward to tonight’s party. The thought of spending an evening with Madison and getting to know her better was very appealing.

  “Archie, be careful.” The woman who had spoken earlier to her son sounded more urgent.

  “Sorry, Mommy,” the little boy said.

  Oliver saw Madison’s head come up, and she stared across the inlet to the beach stretching in front of Oliver.

  Oliver dragged his gaze from Madison and looked back at the boy and his dog. The boy tossed the disk toward the knoll, but a breeze caught it and whipped it toward the waves.

  The boy tipped his head and watched it sail across the sand and over the water. The dog dashed after it.

  “No, Rex, no,” Archie shouted, but the dog seemed determined to catch the disc and splashed into the water.

  An incoming wave washed over the pup and pulled him under.

  “Mommy!” Archie dashed to his mother, who was on her feet.

  Rex popped above the surface and panted before he was dragged beneath the surface again.

  Oliver ripped off his jacket, shirt and shoes. From across the inlet, he heard shouts and cries, but ignored them as he raced across the sand. Diving into the water, he swam to the spot where he’d last seen Rex and dove beneath the surface. He saw only shadows beneath the cloudy water and shot to the surface.

  “I see him,” a woman’s voice, Madison’s voice, called out, and Oliver jerked his head to see Madison treading water a few feet away from him. Her hair was a tangle of wet curls. Water streamed down her face. She plunged beneath the surface.

  Where had she come from? Moments ago, she was on the beach with her friends.

  Oliver swam to where she’d disappeared. The waves rolled one after the other, and he prayed they hadn’t pulled her out with the undertow. He tucked beneath the surface but could see nothing. Frustrated, he shot above the waves. A few feet away from him, Madison’s head broke the surface, and relief swept through him. Her arms wrapped around the gasping dog, she gave a powerful kick and shot past Oliver. He swam after her and gained his footing near the shore.

  Madison crossed the beach, water streaming down her back. She walked a few feet from the incoming tide, then lowered herself to the sand. She clutched the panting dog to her chest.

  “You saved Rex.” A tearful Archie ran to her.

  From across the inlet sounded cheers, and Oliver glanced toward the resort where Shelly and her friends jumped and called out Madison’s name.

  If Madison heard them, she gave no indication. Instead, she ran her hands over the dog as if checking for injuries and whispered soothing words to the winded dog whose soft yelps sounded like gratitude. He stretched out his pink tongue and licked Madison’s face.

  “You’re going to be all right.” Madison nuzzled the dog’s face with her cheek and touched her nose to his, her bell-like laughter filling Oliver with a sudden hot flood of emotions that he couldn’t assess.

  Archie wrapped his arms around Rex and buried his face in the dog’s wet fur.

  “I can’t thank you enough.” Archie’s mother dashed toward them, the toddler in her arms. She looked from Madison to Oliver. Her eyes widened. “You ruined your suit. I’ll definitely pay for a new one.”

  “It was all her.” Oliver nodded toward Madison and wondered about this soft-spoken woman who had the strength to swim through crashing waves and save a dog. “And don’t worry about the suit. As long as Rex is okay, the suit doesn’t matter.”

  “I don’t know what we’d do if we lost Rex.” The woman released a slow breath. “From now on, we’ll be sure to play far away from the shore. Are you all right?” She looked at Madison.

  “I’m fine.” Madison seemed surprised that the woman asked her that. “And I think this little guy is, too, though I didn’t see the disc. I’m afraid it’s a lost cause. Maybe the sea will toss it back to shore in a day or two.”

  “I won’t worry about the disc. We have more at home, and they can be replaced,” the woman said. “As long as we have Rex, we’ll be fine. He’s part of the family.”

  Rex crawled out of Madison’s lap and shook water from his coat which sent a squeal from Archie and his little sister. Archie hugged Rex again, who gratefully licked his face.

  “Let’s take Rex home and give him a bath,” the woman said.

  “And a treat,” Archie said, and his mother laughed.

  “Make sure you let Rex rest.” Madison shaded her eyes to look at Archie and his mother. “He’s had quite a struggle, but he should be fine by tomorrow, though he may not want to be near the beach for a while.”

  “No, we’ll find other places to play,” the woman said. “How can I thank you and your husband for what you’ve done?”

  Husband?

  Warmth radiated through Oliver’s chest. Madison’s full lips parted.

  “As long as Rex is fine, that’s all that matters.” Madison watched the dog, who whined softly as if grateful to be alive.

  Thanking Madison and Oliver again, the woman hooked a leash to Rex’s collar, then led her brood to the boardwalk.

  “How are you feeling?” Oliver hunkered down next to Madison.

  “I’m fine,” she said, surprised. “And grateful. I was so afraid I wouldn’t find the dog when he slipped beneath the surface.” She looked over at Oliver. “Sorry about your suit.” She offered him a wan smile.

  “It’s replaceable.”

  “But still …” As if realizing she only wore her bathing suit, she seemed nervous. “I should get back to the resort.” She looked across the inlet to the beachfront hotel sitting majestically on a knoll.

  Guests strolled along the beach. Shelly and her bridesmaids laughed and talked but still looked back at Madison and Oliver as if wondering what was going on.

  “Maybe you should rest for a while.” Oliver held out his hand to her.

  She seemed surprised but took it and let him help her to her feet.

  “You gave that advice to Rex’s owners.” Oliver looked into dark eyes that seemed ready to disregard his advice. “I think you should take it yourself.”

  “I’m fine. I’ll just swim back.”

  “You’re not swimming back.” Oliver’s mouth flattened. “Give me a chance to change, and I’ll driv
e you back.” His gaze dropped to her long legs covered with sand. “If you want to rinse off at my place, I can find something for you to wear so you don’t have to sit in that wet suit.”

  She opened her mouth, and he braced for her protest. Instead, she said, “That would be nice.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Madison was grateful for Oliver’s offer to let her rinse away the gritty sand and sea salt from her skin. At least Vermeil Island had a warm climate so she wasn’t shivering in the cold.

  “Is your place far from here?” She glanced at the majestic beach house that sat on a knoll before scanning the beach to the smaller homes that dotted the shoreline.

  “It’s right here.” Oliver nodded toward the house Madison had noticed when she and the wedding party had strolled along the beach in front of the resort.

  Her mouth fell open. She quickly closed it. Who was Oliver Smith that he could afford such an exclusive beach house? And then she remembered the media-shy billionaire who had created a social media site called Clubby that was all the rage among teenagers. It had been created by someone named Oliver Smith. Her heart picked up speed. Though her nieces loved the site, she shunned social media and never checked it out.

  She’d never seen a picture of Oliver, so she wouldn’t have recognized him.

  “Oliver Smith,” she said his name slowly.

  He looked at her, a brow arched. Slowly, realization dawned on his face as if he understood she now knew who he was.

  “You created Clubby.” She looked at him. “Among other things.”

  He gave her an apologetic look as if there was nothing he could do about having created the multibillion-dollar website.

  “And that’s why you ride around in a limousine and live in this magnificent place.” She glanced at the beach house again.

  “I still think you should at least rinse off and wear something back to the resort besides your swimming suit.” He didn’t drop his gaze to her swimsuit which filled her with relief. She wasn’t svelte like her friends. Her curves weren’t an attention-getter with most men. Including Todd. If she’d realized Zelda was Todd’s type, she wouldn’t have dated him in the first place.

  “I …” She couldn’t argue. The sand and sea salt irritated her skin.

  “Come on.” Oliver held out his hand to her. “It’ll only take a minute, then I’ll drive you back to the resort.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured, but didn’t take his hand. Instead, she walked beside him to the beach house.

  When they reached the front steps, he picked up his suit jacket. A ring box fell from the pocket. He snatched it up before it bounced down the steps.

  Madison lifted her gaze to his. He looked at her a moment as if wanting to explain why a ring box had fallen out of his pocket, but she knew and her heart ached for him. They didn’t know each other. He shouldn’t feel obligated to explain anything to her, though she now understood the sadness in his eyes. It had to do with a woman. Was this woman still in his life?

  She smiled slightly, then stepped through the door he’d opened for her.

  Inside, he led her through a great room with a center fireplace to a guest room that was as large as her entire New York apartment. It was decorated in polished wood and glass and made the bungalow she and the other bridesmaids had rented at the resort look plain.

  “You’ll find plenty of towels and robes in the bathroom. There’re some clothes in the closet that have never been worn. They should fit you fine.” Oliver stood at the door. “But if you need anything else, let me know.”

  She could only nod. He stepped into the hall and closed the bedroom door.

  Turning to the room, she saw it was larger than she thought, but she found the bathroom past a walk-in closet filled with women’s designer clothes. She flattened her mouth. So there was a woman in Oliver Smith’s life. The woman who would receive the ring patiently waiting in the ring box that had fallen from his suit jacket?

  She turned away and stepped into the bathroom. That Oliver had a woman in his life made sense. He was nice-looking. Judging from the clothes in the closet, the woman was probably a supermodel or a movie star who wore clothes that would never fit Madison.

  She stepped into the bathroom, and her eyes went wide. This bathroom was enormous―nothing like the closet-sized bathroom in her apartment.

  Her father’s new house probably had bathrooms like this. The house where she and her sisters had been raised was a three-bedroom tract house. When her mother was alive, her parents never flaunted their wealth. It wasn’t until her mother passed that Madison and her sisters understood how wealthy their family was, not that they’d ever partake of that fortune.

  After her mother died and her father married his second wife, she and her sisters were surprised at the new house their stepmother had rushed to have built. Madison only saw the house once, and she only saw the living room. It hurt that she and her sisters were never invited back. Shortly afterward, her father divorced wife number two and married wife number three. That marriage only lasted a few years. Last June, her father married wife number four.

  Madison stepped to the shower and snorted at the showerheads lining each wall. This would be a shower she’d never forget.

  She wanted to linger beneath the relaxing shower spray but rinsed quickly. From the shelf, she grabbed a towel and dried off. Looking in the mirror, she grimaced at her hair springing in dark curls around her head, but there was nothing she could do about that. Still wearing her bathing suit, she slipped a terry robe from a bathroom hook and luxuriated in the soft fabric that felt more like velvet than terrycloth.

  Stepping into the hallway, she padded down the wood flooring to the great room. Oliver stood in the kitchen area on the far side, his broad shoulders filling out a long-sleeved t-shirt nicely, his hair slightly damp and spikey.

  He looked over his shoulder at her, his smile warm. Madison envied the woman who would see that smile for the rest of her life.

  “Would you like something to drink?” He opened the refrigerator, then stepped to the side giving her a view.

  “Water’s fine.”

  He pulled a bottle of designer water from a shelf. Lifting a glass from a cupboard, he filled it and set it on the counter in front of her.

  “How about a sandwich or an apple?” he asked, making her wonder about this billionaire who was so gracious.

  “Thanks, but since we’re eating later, I’ll save my appetite,” she said.

  “Right.” He nodded as if remembering the get-together Shelly had planned.

  “Are you here by yourself?” The words popped out and heat rushed to Madison’s face. She hadn’t meant to pry. “You don’t have to answer that.” She tightened the corner of her mouth.

  “Because of the ring.” Oliver seemed to say more to himself than to her. “There’s no one,” he said finally.

  She couldn’t help but glance at the pictures scattered around the beach house⸻Oliver and the beautiful blonde at the beach, on a mountainside, kayaking down a river. They’d obviously been close at one time.

  His gaze followed hers, and he released a slow breath.

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain,” she said quickly.

  Oliver didn’t know her. Whatever his relationship, it was none of Madison’s business.

  “I think a ring box and these pictures need some explanation,” he said, and the pain in his eyes made Madison’s throat close. “That’s Liz. She was the woman I planned to marry, she had cancer …”

  “I’m sorry.” Madison’s chest gripped. The pain in his eyes said more than words⸻he was still in love with Liz.

  “I lost her a year ago,” he said, his voice husky.

  “If you’re not ready to move on, I certainly understand.” She felt his discomfort. Attending the get-together tonight could be painful. If Liz were alive, he would’ve attended with her.

  “Actually, I am ready to move on. I’ve been ready for a while. I just haven’t taken that first step. If Bri
an hadn’t asked me to be best man at the wedding, I probably would’ve put it off a while longer.”

  “Yeah, but are you sure you’re ready to attend a party with that bunch?” Madison pressed her lips together. “It might be too much too soon.”

  “You seem to hold your own with them.” He lifted a brow.

  “Because I’ve known most of them since college. Except for Zelda,” she said and was grateful seeing Todd with his new girlfriend didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would.

  “She’s the blonde who was with your friend, Todd.” He gave her a questioning look.

  “Yeah.” She inhaled slowly. “Todd and I dated for a while.” Too long, she realized now. She had overlooked a lot to think she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with Todd.

  Oliver’s mouth tipped as if understanding what she’d realized⸻Todd was a better match for Zelda than he had been for her.

  “How long have you known Shelly and Brian?” Oliver asked.

  “We’ve been close for so many years. We’re like family. Thankfully, they’ve calmed down a little since college. Tell you what, if at any time tonight you want to leave, I can pass on your regrets to Shelly and Brian. They’ll understand.”

  “I’m looking forward to tonight. It will be good to be around friends,” Oliver said, and Madison wondered what other events he’d avoided since losing his fiancée. “I got your text. The party starts at eight?”

  “Yes, but come whenever you want,” she said. “People will probably come and go all night.”

  “I’ll be there at eight.” He smiled, and she realized it was the first real smile he’d given since they met. “How’re you feeling?”

  “Me? I’m fine.” Glancing down, she saw she still wore the terry robe and rose. “Oh, your robe.”

  “Take it with you.” He gave a dismissive wave.

  “I can’t do that,” she said, though she loved luxuriating in a robe that felt more like velvet than terrycloth. “I should get back.” She’d probably miss the wedding party spa treatment, but maybe she’d return in time for the manicure.