The Protective Billionaire Read online

  Joy exploded within him and a smile burst upon his mouth.

  “But I’m not ready to get married yet,” she added.

  That made him throw his head back as he laughed.

  She grinned. “I know. We are married. At least as far as the world believes. But I’m nowhere near ready for the real thing.” She grimaced “Not as long as Tyler’s out there. I just…I can’t go there with you. With anyone.”

  This conversation was running ahead of itself. If he wasn’t careful, she’d tell him she wanted an annulment on their fake marriage and his chances with her would be over. “I was just…” He waved one hand, then said, “looking into the future.”

  She nodded, then he took her hand and they continued their tour.

  When they were done and had reached the house, she said, “Thank you for showing me your beautiful grounds.” Then, “I think I’d better call it a night.”

  The sun had set and he was sure she’d want to talk to her mother. “Okay,” he said as he walked her to the base of the staircase. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She nodded. “Good night, Cameron.”

  “Good night.”

  She went up the stairs and he stared after her, wondering if once the Tyler issue was resolved if she really would be ready to move forward with their relationship or if she would come up with another obstacle.

  Amazed by how quickly things were progressing between her and Cameron, Aubree fairly floated up the stairs. When she reached the top, she walked right past her room and went directly to her mother’s, knocking on the door before opening it and walking in.

  Her mom was reading a book but set it down at Aubree’s entrance. “How was the backyard tour?”

  A smile blossomed on Aubree’s mouth as she sat on the bed and faced her mother. “It was…very nice.”

  “I think there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “Why do you say that?” Aubree was all innocence.

  “I know you well, my love. Something happened.”

  Aubree thought about Cameron’s pronouncement that he was going to make her his real wife one day. She’d been beyond stunned, but also thrilled. This amazing man, this kind and sweet and rather perfect man, wanted her to be his wife. His real wife. She’d been honest when she had told him she was nowhere near ready for something like that, but just knowing he wanted it, wanted her, staggered her.

  “He told me he wants to marry me some day.”

  Her mother’s eyebrows went into her hairline. “But you hardly know each other.”

  She hated when her mom pointed out the truth.

  “Mom. We’re getting to know each other.”

  Sighing, her mom tilted her head. “Aubree.”

  “Yes?”

  “You need to slow things down.” Then she shook her head. “I mean, the world already believes you’re married. Isn’t that enough for now?”

  “He said some day. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not even this year. There’s plenty of time for us to figure this out.”

  Now her mom smiled. “All right. Fine. I do trust you, you know.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “I do. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stay quiet when you tell me things.”

  Aubree leaned forward and kissed her mom on the cheek. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  They said their good nights and Aubree went to bed, curious what the next day would bring.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  “Good morning,” Cameron said to Aubree before squatting to give Maya a scratch.

  “Good morning.” It always warmed her heart when Cameron gave Maya attention, and this morning was no exception. She took in Cameron’s shorts and slightly damp t-shirt as the two of them stood in the kitchen. “Looks like you just got back from a run.”

  He stood and faced her. “Yep. I go just about every morning.”

  Aubree admired that. Yoga was more her thing, but maybe she’d like running. “Maybe I can go with you one of these mornings.”

  He smiled. “I would love that.” Then he glanced behind her. “Is your mom up yet?”

  “Yes, but she’s still getting ready. She’ll be down soon.”

  “Great. I want to make breakfast for you both. How does French toast sound?”

  Aubree loved French toast. “That sounds delicious.”

  “Perfect. Let me grab a quick shower and then I’ll get started.”

  “Okay.” She watched him go, and then she took the liberty of setting the patio table for three.

  Later, as the three of them enjoyed breakfast—Cameron had added a bowl of fresh fruit to the menu—Aubree said, “I can’t believe I start filming tomorrow.” The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. It was so important to impress everyone tied to this film.

  “I’m still beyond impressed,” Cameron said as he poured syrup on a slice of his French toast.

  “You’re going to be amazing,” her mom added.

  “Thanks,” Aubree said.

  “Did you ladies have anything in particular you wanted to do today?”

  Aubree looked at her mother, who shook her head.

  A smile tugged at one corner of Cameron’s mouth. “Would you like to go shopping?”

  “What?” Why was he asking that?

  “This morning I received an invitation for us to attend a charity dinner on Saturday. It’s black tie so I thought you’d like to get a gown for the event.” He paused a beat. “Assuming you’re willing to come.”

  That sounded fun and scary at the same time. “Of course I am. Assuming I don’t have to work.”

  “Right.”

  She looked at her mom, a woman who would choose shopping over sleep, then she turned to Cameron. “That sounds great, but I, uh, I don’t really have the money to buy a gown. Not yet.”

  Cameron’s eyebrows rose. “As your husband, any and all purchases will be on me.”

  “Oh.” That hadn’t even occurred to her. “Wait. What do you mean any and all? I just need one gown, right?”

  “You’ll need accessories too,” her mom chimed in. “Shoes and earrings and…” Her words trailed off but her smile was bright.

  Aubree slowly nodded. She liked to dress up as much as the next girl, but shopping hadn’t always been her favorite activity. “Right.”

  Cameron looked confused at her less-than-excited tone. “I can have some gowns brought to the house if you prefer. I just thought—”

  Her mom jumped in. “Aubree’s not a big fan of shopping. But I’ll help her out.” Her mom’s smile grew. “I’ll be her personal shopper.”

  “Aubree?” Cameron asked, his tone uncertain.

  “Are you coming with us?” she asked. She would rather spend the day with him quietly at his house than on Rodeo Drive.

  “Actually,” he said as his mouth stretched into an expression of chagrin, “I have some work I need to do today.”

  “I see how it is,” Aubree said, her tone teasing. “Send us off to shop so you can work.”

  Cameron chuckled. “You’ve figured me out.”

  If he had to work, she didn’t want to be a distraction. “Okay then. My mom and I will go shopping. What’s the budget though?” She wasn’t about to spend too much of someone else’s money.

  Cameron’s gaze shot to Aubree’s mom before going to Aubree. “I have no idea. I’ve never bought a gown before.”

  Aubree laughed. “Then how am I supposed to know how much to spend?”

  Cameron reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet before holding out a credit card. “Use this. And, uh, use your best judgement.” His gaze locked onto hers. “I trust you, Aubree.”

  Touched that he was willing to put his complete faith in her judgement, she took the credit card and tucked it in the pocket of her jeans.

  “And don’t worry about security,” he added. “I’ll have the team take you wherever you want to go.”

  Being cared for so completely was kind
of overwhelming. “Thank you, Cameron.”

  He reached out and placed his hand on hers. “You’re welcome.” He smiled. “Let me know when you’re both ready to go and I’ll make sure the car’s ready.”

  An hour later Aubree and her mom were on their way.

  “I’m liking him more and more,” her mom said with a grin.

  “That’s because he gave us his gold card and no budget.”

  Her mom laughed. “That didn’t hurt.” Then she sobered. “Really though. He’s a very nice man.”

  “I know.”

  “May I see that credit card?” her mom asked.

  Softly sighing, Aubree took it out of her purse and handed it to her mother, who examined it closely.

  “You realize this card is actually made of gold, don’t you?”

  “What? That’s crazy.” Aubree took it back and looked at it with furrowed brows. Her mother was right. The card looked like it was made of actual gold with Cameron’s name and account number etched into its surface.

  Tucking it back in her purse, she clutched her purse tightly against her. Certain there was no credit limit, she was suddenly terrified someone would steal it from her and she would be responsible. “I’m not going to spend very much.”

  “That’s fine. In fact, I’m glad. I raised you to be frugal, after all.”

  Soon enough they entered a fancy boutique—one that Cameron had heard was recommended. In her jeans and blouse, Aubree wasn’t sure the salespeople would take her seriously, but to her surprise, one of the women hustled right over.

  “Welcome, Mrs. Shah. What can I help you with?”

  They recognized her? Then she realized she shouldn’t be surprised. Cameron was a billionaire. News of him getting married would be something these people would be on top of. And she didn’t even care that they hadn’t called her Ms. Nichols.

  Aubree looked at her mother, whose face was lit up with pride. Then Aubree’s gaze swept over all the fancy clothes. “I, uh, I need a ball gown for a…a dinner.” Why did she feel like such a fraud? Oh yeah. Because she wasn’t actually Mrs. Shah.

  At least not yet, she reminded herself, thinking of Cameron’s pronouncement the night before.

  Allowing a small smile to blossom on her mouth, she glanced toward the entrance where her security team sat in the SUV parked at the curb. Glad they hadn’t come inside, nevertheless she felt safe with them close by.

  “If you’ll both follow me,” the saleswoman said, “I’ll bring you some gowns to try on.”

  Aubree nodded, then followed the saleswoman to a back area where she and her mom sat in comfortable chairs in a well-lit room. Then she tried on dress after dress. Most looked fantastic on her, but when Aubree saw the price tags, she just couldn’t get them.

  “Aubree,” her mother said when they were alone waiting for the next batch of gowns, “you’re going to have to choose one of these gowns.”

  “Maybe we can go somewhere else and find one that’s less expensive.” Even as she said it she grimaced. She was already exhausted and ready to go back to Cameron’s house.

  “If that’s what you want to do, then we can go,” her mom said.

  “No. You know I’m pretty much done already.”

  Her mom smiled. “That’s what I thought.”

  “But, mom, they’re all so expensive.”

  Her mom leaned close to her and whispered, “The man’s a billionaire. And he did suggest this shop.” Then she straightened. “And remember, this will be your first appearance as husband and wife. You want to make him proud, don’t you?”

  There was no doubt that she did. “Yes, of course.”

  “Okay then. From now on, focus on the how the gowns look on you and do not look at the price.”

  She wasn’t sure she could do that.

  “Aubree. Promise.” Her mom’s eyebrows rose. “Do you want to be here all day?”

  That was a definite no. “Okay. I promise.”

  Her mother smiled. “Good.”

  By the time they’d finished shopping and had had lunch, it was mid-afternoon.

  “Your flight’s in only a few hours,” Aubree said as they pulled into Cameron’s driveway. “I hope you’re not too exhausted from shopping.”

  Her mom laughed. “Unlike you, shopping energizes me.”

  Glad someone had enjoyed it, when their driver opened her door, Aubree climbed out. And when Cameron walked out of the front door, Aubree was surprised at how thrilled she was to see him.

  I missed him, she realized. It had only been a few hours, so what did that say?

  “How’d it go?” he asked as he walked toward them. “Find anything you liked?”

  Before she had a chance to answer, her mom said, “Taking this girl shopping isn’t easy, but we found a beautiful gown.”

  “That’s great,” he said. “What color is it?”

  “Green,” Aubree said.

  “Emerald green,” her mother added.

  Aubree looked at Cameron’s unsuspecting face and pictured what his expression would be when he got his credit card bill. When they’d rung up her purchase—the gown, a pair of heels, and a matching bag—she’d nearly choked.

  “I’ll pay you back,” she said. “As soon as I get paid.”

  He laughed. “What are you talking about? I told you I was buying your gown.”

  “But it was too much.” Embarrassment at spending so much of his money, especially with all he was doing for her, poured over her.

  He stepped right in front of her and placed his hands on her upper arms, staring right into her eyes. “Stop, Aubree. It’s a gift.”

  It still didn’t feel right, but all she could do was nod. “All right. Thank you.”

  He smiled at her, his blue eyes dancing. “Besides, I can’t have people thinking I’m not generous with my lovely new wife.”

  She remembered the way the sales clerk had known who she was the moment she’d walked in. Everyone would be looking at her at the dinner on Saturday and she knew she would be a reflection on Cameron. He was better known than she was. That might change once the film she was doing was released, but for now, he was the famous one.

  She wanted to make him proud. He was such a wonderful man. A man she was falling for and falling hard.

  “I need to get ready for my flight,” her mom said. “I’ll meet you inside.”

  Aubree nodded, and once her mom had gone inside, she smiled at Cameron. “Thank you for bringing my mom here and giving us such a lovely day together.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  As she looked at his handsome face, she knew he meant every word.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Late that afternoon the front door opened and, eager to see Aubree, Cameron met her in the entryway. “Your mom got off okay?”

  Aubree’s lips curved into that smile that dazzled him every time. “Yes. Thank you again for bumping her up to first class. She was very happy.”

  “Least I could do for my mother-in-law.”

  Aubree laughed, then her eyebrows rose. “She liked you.”

  “That’s good news.” Actually, he was thrilled, because he wanted to be with Aubree all the time. And having her mother on his side was a huge plus.

  They walked into the family room and Aubree stopped and faced him. “Do you have time to practice self-defense with me? I want to see what I remember from yesterday.”

  “Of course.” As if he’d say no. “Get changed and I’ll meet you out back.”

  She smiled. “Great!”

  Five minutes later they stood face to face in the shade of his backyard. “Do you want me to surprise you with what I’m going to do?”

  She chewed on her lower lip. “Yeah. I guess so.”

  “That’ll be the best way to test your skills.”

  “Makes sense.” Then, with a tentative smile, she turned her back on him.

  He looked at her from head to toe, appreciating every bit of her. And then he thought about her stalker attacking
her. Adrenaline pumped into his veins. He had to stop admiring her and make sure she was prepared.

  Without uttering a word, and trying to be as silent as possible, he came up behind her and stopped.

  Aubree knew Cameron was standing right behind her. Between the scent of his musky cologne, the barely audible sound of him breathing, and the heat that came off of his body, she knew he was there. Though she knew this was just practice, she was still on edge as she braced for his attack.

  Heart pounding, the longer he stood there without doing anything, the more tense she became.

  “You have to relax,” he murmured behind her. “In a real attack you won’t be expecting anything. Right now you’re waiting for something.”

  She knew he was right, but it was still hard to convince herself to relax.

  I’m an actress. I can do this. With that, she rolled her shoulders and thought about filming tomorrow, imagining how the day would go. She was so caught up in her thoughts that when a pair of arms wrapped around her, she gasped, then froze. But only for two seconds. Blinking, she remembered all that she and Cameron had practiced the day before. Without any further hesitation, she leaned forward slightly before moving her head back in a gesture of head-butting him. He released her and she turned to face him.

  “Very good,” he said. “Although you hesitated at first.”

  “You caught me off guard.”

  He smiled. “Good. In that case, your hesitation was pretty short.”

  His praise warmed her. “Let’s do another angle. Like, coming at me from the front.”

  “Okay. Stay there.” He backed up about fifteen feet, then he strode toward her, his eyes lasered in on her.

  With his focus so intensely on her, she nearly forgot what they were doing, so when he reached her and grabbed her wrist, it took her a moment to react, but she twisted her arm against his grip and broke free.

  “Good,” he said with a grin.

  They went through several more moves, and by the end Aubree felt even more confident than she had the day before. “Did I earn a gold star again?” she asked with a smirk.

  “Actually,” he said as he reached into his pocket.