Page 1 of Billionaire's Runaway

Prologue

Luke Cassel

I stood next to my brother, Fray, on the happiest day of his life, his wedding day to Emerson Blake, the woman he’d been obsessed with for months. I was sure the entire crowd there noticed the scowl on my face. I didn’t care how I looked. I was too busy glaring daggers at Emerson’s maid of honor, Laura Moretti.

It kind of shocked me she’d actually showed up at this wedding. She’d been running from me and everyone else for a month, but now, she was trapped on a boat with me for the weekend. Too bad for her. There was no way in hell I’d let her get away again.

When she’d broken off her joke of an engagement to a man she’d never met, I’d been crystal clear she should immediately come to my family in New York for protection. But she hadn’t come. And I’d been worried sick about her though I barely knew her.

It didn’t matter. Just like my brother, Fray, I’d fallen in love at first sight.

As much as I teased him about falling for Emerson the first time he’d seen her, I’d been a total hypocrite. Though I wasn’t fully convinced I was in love with Laura, I was utterly fascinated bythe exotic beauty currently glaring daggers right back at me from across the aisle.

Though she stood just feet from me, she might as well have been an ocean away. I hadn’t so much as glimpsed her since boarding the ship, not until moments ago when she’d walked down the aisle in front of Em. I’m sure my future sister-in-law looked beautiful, but I hadn’t been able to focus on anyone but Laura.

Her black hair shone in the sunlight streaming through the windows of the ship’s chapel and the black bridesmaid dress with silver beading she wore was low cut in the front, and featured a thigh-high slit on one side. Otherwise, it hugged every one of her delicious curves. She looked so damn sexy, I’d had to fold my hands in front of my crotch to hide my body’s obvious interest.

She was here. My woman, my destiny, was here. And she couldn’t be more of a captive than on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Once the ceremony was over, I planned to drag her to my room and… Well, I wasn’t surewhatI planned just yet. Half of me wanted to put her over my knee and spank her for scaring me with her disappearance.

Except, she wasn’t mine to worry about, was she?

Yet.

She would be.

A sharp nudge to the ribs brought me out of my inner musings.

“Can you maybe wait until after I’m actually married before you drag Laura to bed?” Fray growled through his teeth, his voice low, for my ears only. “You’re aterriblebest man.”

“Sorry,” I whispered.

“Give me the fucking ring,” he whispered back.

I fought a blush as I pulled Em’s wedding band from my pocket and handed it to my older brother. When I looked up at Laura again, she was hiding a smile behind her bouquet, but I could tell she was amused by my mistake.

Her grin vanished when she caught my narrowed gaze across the aisle. What was happening to me? I’d never believed in love at first, or second, sight. In fact, I’d teased Fray mercilessly while he’d pined for Emerson after their first encounter. But look at them now. Getting married, starting the rest of their lives together. And I wanted that for Laura and me.

Could you really know you wanted someone forever before you really knew anything about them? Yes. As I gazed at Laura, I believed you could. I did. And I couldn’t make Laura fully mine soon enough.

Finally, Fray and Emerson were announced properly wed, and they headed up the short aisle together. I strode over to Laura and took her arm in mine. I’d forgotten how much smaller than me she was. Even in heels she barely came to my shoulder.

I stooped to murmur in her ear. “I hope you’re not planning on running off again.”

“First chance I get,” she confirmed, meeting my gaze as she hurried us after the newly married couple. “Truth be told, I’m pretty tired of men I don’t know telling me what to do. So, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll back the fuck off.”

Damn it, that was entirely too true of a statement. I didn’t have an argument for that at all. After all, she was escaping an arranged marriage she didn’t want at all. One being forced on her by her parents. Lately, she’d done nothing but try to escape people trying to force her into something. And directly after her escape, I’d demanded where she go and what she do. Just like that fake fiancé of hers.

“I apologize,” I told her. “That’s not what I was trying to do.”

We reached the corridor outside of the chapel, and she allowed me to steer her aside, letting the rest of the people from the ceremony exit and head toward the reception area.

“No one is evertryingto,” she said, crossing her arms under chest. “Everyone just seems tothinkthey know what’s best for my life. And I don’t need some billionaire asshole trying to weasel his way into doing the same.”

“Whoa!” I glared at her. “I was just trying to help. You needed a place to stay, somewhere safe where no one would look for you. I had that place available. I wasn’t telling you what to do.”

“Tell her to come here,” she spat, quoting what I’d told Emerson when Laura had called her in a panic after running away from home.

“Yes, because, as I said, you needed someplace where you could be protected.”

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