The Billionaire's Bride (Complete Collection) Read Online Free

movie stars of old, all converged on one meeting spot in their prime.
    It was daunting. It was intimidating. I tried to keep my chin held high.
    Brent took center stage. Hands placed flat and awkwardly on his thighs, he peered out to the front door. Whatever he waited on wasn't coming.
    “I hoped that I wouldn't be the one to fill you all in, but it seems that's what I must do. Lucas had informed me that he wishes to tell you the details of what will go on for the next couple weeks. Or months. Maybe a year, depending on how long this goes. Who knows?”
    If it was a year, they better pay a salary.
    I was starving from the long drive. I succumbed, waving a waiter over. He jumped from formation and hailed me with a tray of tiny cakes. After I took one, I looked around, seeing everyone glancing my way without a drop of food in their hands.
    I slowly pushed it past my lips and took a bite, chewing quietly.
    Brent continued through my interruption as if nothing happened. Good man. “I believe most of you are filled in,” Brent said, zoning in on me when he said most . It seemed I was the only one out of the loop.
    He continued, “So let me fill you in on the specifics. The LWM Company is looking for someone who can handle one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, the elusive and enigmatic, Lucas Moore, billionaire and current sole heir to the LWM Company. This is a tremendous opportunity for you all.”
    Handle? Like babysit? I rustled.
    “The challenge will go on for three weeks. If at the end of three weeks, no eligible wife is chosen, it will continue. We will continue until Lucas has found an eligible wife, one who is able to be the right wife, mother, and contributor to the LWM legacy.”
    I waited for the punch line, but none came. The ladies all eyed each other up like wild dogs fighting over scraps.
    Brent continued, but it all went fuzzy. There was a loud ringing in my ears. Anger and disappointment flooded my senses. It all came crashing down, like it usually did.
    “I must ask that you all act like the respectable ladies that you are, which means this is a competition. Shady tactics will get you nowhere. Lucas is an honorable man. He can see right through schemes. If anyone is treating any other girl with disrespect, or is doing anything to game the system, Lucas and I will find out and you will be thrown out. You won’t have a chance at being one of Lucas' eligible wives.”
    After hearing, “eligible wives,” I almost picked up one of the waiter’s plates and put Brent out of his misery. It would be for his own good. What happened to the jolly drunk I met in Bermuda? He'd become a billionaire’s pawn.
    Hell, I wasn't going to be one, either. The thought made me sick. I needed to leave in a hurry.
    As soon as I left the room, I heard Brent's droning stop, but he picked up once again.
    “One is out the door already,” I heard a girl remark, followed by catty laughter.
    Good riddance. I headed down the hallway, in a daze, my feet seemingly carrying me there without any effort on my part. I was too out of it. Too sickened. My only thought was escape.
    Taking a right, the hallway took another turn, which meant I circled back toward the main room. I feared that I would once again meet them, where I would have to explain why I thought the whole idea revolting. I knew I would speak up. Brent wouldn't appreciate it.
    Voices boomed in a long dining area with curved entrances, a natural harmonic chamber. A man, staring at the ocean, leaned against the wall. He listened absentmindedly, but his eyes darted from the beautiful shoreline as soon as I appeared.
    Pool boy? That's what I thought at first. He seemed too fit, too normal to be the owner of the house. Too old for the pool boy, however. He only wore a muscle hugging, thin, white t-shirt, able to catch the breeze easily. He wore khakis and a thick, black belt. His hair was golden, in far contrast to his pale, otherworldly eyes. The afternoon sun shimmered