Page 33 of Marrying a Billionaire

“No. These are my relaxing clothes.”

She folded her arms. “You’re staying here?”

“Well, actually, we”—he motioned his hand to his chest and then hers—“are expected at our wedding tonight.”

Her eye widened. “Wedding?”

“Yeah. Mom wants us to do this before Mason ups his wedding date.”

Lillian chewed her lip as she raised her hand and rubbed the back of her neck. “Okay. Well, I guess it’s probably better to just get it over with.” The excited glint in her eye had disappeared.

Reed’s heart squeezed a bit. He didn’t want to upset her. For some reason, he had a desperate need to make her happy. He glanced over at her. “Hey, why don’t we go out this morning. We’re not needed until five, so we have plenty of time. We could go somewhere and spend some time away from everything. I could show you my version of a pottery studio?” He shrugged as she studied him. Was it terrible what he was asking?

She folded her arms. “What do you have in mind?”

His heart picked up speed. She didn’t hate the idea of spending time with him. That was positive. “Why don’t you take a shower and get ready. I’ll arrange it all.”

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. “Okay. That’s probably a good idea.”

He nodded as she passed by him. When she shut her door, Reed pulled out his phone from his back pocket to call Sondra, his housekeeper at his Hampton home.

She answered on the second ring. “Good morning, Mr. Williamson,” she said.

“Sondra, I just wanted to let you know that I will be spending the morning and part of the afternoon there.” He paused. “And perhaps the evening. Late.” If Lillian loved the home as much as he did, she might want to spend the evening of their wedding there.

Sondra clicked her tongue. “Perfect. I will prepare the house. Will it be just you?”

Reed shook his head. “No. It will be me and my fiancée.”

There was a choking sound on the other end. “Oh, congratulations, Mr. Williamson. Wow. That’s amazing. I’m happy for you and Hannah.”

“No. Not Hannah. Her name is Lillian.” As he studied the door frame that he was standing in front of, a strange feeling crept into his chest. Hearing Hannah’s name did nothing for him. It was as if he’d forgotten about her. Besides the few mentions here and there from his mom, he hadn’t thought of her once. Lillian had taken up more of his thoughts than anything else.

He swallowed as his emotions rose in his throat. What did that mean?

“Well, wonderful. I can’t wait to meet her. I will have Jackson fix a few meals and leave instructions for you on how to prepare. I’m guessing it will be a do not disturb situation?”

Reed’s stomach lightened at what Sondra was implying. Thoughts of Lillian’s smooth skin rushed into his mind. He cleared his throat when he realized that Sondra was expecting an answer. “Yes, that will be fine. Thank you.”

“Of course, Mr. Williamson. The house will be ready for your arrival.”

After they said goodbye, Reed hung up the phone and called his helicopter pilot. After he arranged their pickup, Lillian emerged from her room looking refreshed. Her wet hair was pulled back in a low bun. She had on a bohemian style dress that hit her right below the knees. She was wearing a heart locket that accentuated the hollows of her neck. Reed couldn’t help but stare at her. Every time he saw her, she got more and more beautiful.

As if sensing his approval, Lillian reached up and rested her hand where his gaze had lingered. She glanced over at him. “Cassie picked it out. It’s not really my style,” she said, pulling up the skirt a bit and moving it around.

“It should be. It looks as if that dress were made for you.” Heat raced to Reed’s cheeks as he pinched his lips shut. He hadn’t meant for his voice to come out that low or for him to sound so intense. Hoping to make up for his blunder, he shot her a smile. “That’s Cassie for you. She has a way of making everyone look amazing.”

Lillian nodded as she slipped on a pair of sandals and shouldered a large bag. “Where are we going?”

Reed reached out and tucked his wallet into his back pocket. He grabbed his sunglasses and glanced over at her. “Do you have a swimsuit?”

“We’re going swimming?”

He nodded. “Something like that.”

Lillian studied him for a moment before she walked back to her room. She returned a few minutes later and patted her purse. “Got it.”

He started walking toward the door but paused. “And we should probably bring your wedding dress. Just in case we are running late. We’ll just have the helicopter drop us off at my grandfather’s estate.”

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