The Billionaire's Marriage Proposal (Billionaire Bachelors Series - Book 4) (11 page)

***

Jennifer woke up and jumped from the bed. She was eager to start her second day as a tourist in the city of Vienna. She didn’t know where they were going, but she knew it would be great. She quickly showered, dressed and then practically ran to the dining area.

Trenton was already seated and drinking coffee and she didn’t even stop for pleasantries. The sooner she finished breakfast, the faster she could be out on the streets, exploring the city more.

“You know you can actually slow down, nothing is going to disappear if you have a decent breakfast,” Trenton told her as she piled the food in. She grinned at him like she was an excited child.

“I can’t wait to get back out. There’s so much more to see,” she told him and then stuffed the rest of her breakfast down her throat and jumped up to grab her coat. “Where are we going today?”

“I thought I’d take you to the Schonbrunn Palace. It’s on the outskirts of the city and where the royal family resided during the summers,” he said, which gained him another one of her full blown smiles.

“That sounds perfect, let’s go,” she said, leaving him no choice but to get up and follow her, or be left behind. She caved in and let his driver take them to the place, since she was so eager to get there.

They walked from one beautiful room to the other and listened to the tour guide talk about the royal family. They talked of Joseph Franz and his wife Elizabeth - known by the world as Sissi. Their marriage had been a political alliance, which saddened Jennifer.

“I can’t imagine having to marry someone to better my country, or because my parents told me I had too,” she said. He was surprised by her naiveté, though he shouldn’t of been.

“Marriages are all about what the other person can bring to it,” he said.

“That’s not true. I know there are still marriages of convenience, even in this day and age, but most marry for love and passion, as it should be,” she told him stubbornly.

“If you want to think so in your naïve world,” he said with a mocking smile. She glared at him, but decided not to let his pessimism ruin her day.

They continued to walk through the rooms, looking at the beautiful ceilings depicting everything from landscapes to haunting scenes, to simple artwork. It was all exquisite and made her gasp repeatedly.

When they entered the room of mirrors, she spun around in delight, trying to look everywhere at once. She could imagine a royal ball going on and twirling through the room on the arm of a prince. Soft music played in the background and Jennifer was surprised when Trenton took her in his arms.

She heard some of the other guests giggle as he swirled her around the room in a dance that could’ve easily been performed there. She stared into his eyes and quickly forgot about everyone else in the room.

They continued to dance, and she felt as if her feet weren’t even touching the ground. He pulled her tightly against him, and she sucked in a breath as he pressed his hips against hers and she felt his obvious desire for her. She could feel her cheeks heating at the intimacy of the moment and as his head lowered toward hers, her only thought was of their inevitable connection.

Trenton touched his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, which quickly heated up. His hands pulled her even tighter against him. She let everything else go, except the priceless moment.

There was a clearing of throats, which snapped Trenton’s head back. Jennifer stared at him in a fog, wanting to know why he stopped, when reality slowly started seeping in. She looked around at the smiling faces and was mortified by her behavior. She couldn’t believe she’d let herself go like that in front of so many strangers.

“Oh, you two are so romantic - you must be on your honeymoon,” one of the ladies said and then she hit her husband, and Trenton chuckled. He felt a bit sorry for the poor man. Jennifer had her head buried in his chest and he could feel the heat from her face through his clothing.

“We just can’t seem to get enough of each other,” he said, and Jennifer’s head snapped up to glare at him, making him laugh harder. “Come on, dear, we’re holding up the tour,” he told her before throwing his arm around her shoulder and pulling her after the group.

Jennifer was so shocked by the situation she let him lead her after the group without saying another word. She found she liked being wrapped in his arms, and let herself pretend for a few moments that they were a couple on their honeymoon. It scared her how much she desired this fictional dream.

They stepped outside the palace walls and she was delighted by the light covering of snow beginning to fall on the ground. It turned the entire area into an enchanted wonderland and she felt tears come to her eyes at the breathtaking beauty of it all. She was grateful they were there in the winter, even though she was sure it was just as spectacular in the summertime, with the flowers blooming all over the place.

There was another Christmas market set up in front of the palace and Jennifer pulled away from Trenton so she could search through all of the homemade crafts and gifts. She once again loaded down his arms with her purchases until he handed them off to be loaded into the car.

They had a romantic lunch at a small diner, where the food was exquisite and she found herself laughing often. The room was barely lit and smoky, as the division for smoking and non-smoking was only a table. Things were so different than back in the states.

She realized as their hands brushed, that she was falling in love with Trenton. She pulled back and his brows rose in question at her instant withdrawal. She knew he wouldn’t understand why she pulled away, but she couldn’t possibly let him know how she was feeling.

She knew it was most likely the magic of being in a foreign land and spending so much time alone with him, and when they got back to the offices things would go back to their normal alienation, but at that moment she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted any other.

They left the café and toured more of the city, but nothing compared to the palaces and the history of the royal families. She entered many shops and was finally satisfied with all her purchases. She’d gotten something for all the people in the offices and many different items for Molly. She loved to give gifts and didn’t feel a need to buy anything for herself. She’d much rather give than have anything given to her.

They headed back to the hotel early. She was far from tired, as they hadn’t done nearly the walking they’d done the night before, and she wanted to go back out to the city. She knew she wouldn’t be able to stay in with Trenton all night, and not find herself begging him to relieve the aching in her body.

“Take an hour or so relaxing and then dress up for tonight. You’ll find a new dress on your bed. I’m taking you somewhere special tonight,” Trenton said, before he disappeared into his own room.

She stood for a few moments, irritated he was so high handed as to simply assume she’d jump at his bidding, but who was she fooling, she wanted to go out on the town. The thought of getting dressed up was even better. What scared her was she wanted to go out with him. She knew a lot of the magic was from her time with Trenton. He knew how to turn on the charm and she was falling fast and hard.

She walked into her room and her eyes widened at the dress lying on her bed. It was the most stunning gown she’d ever laid eyes on. It was a shimmering blue silk, dipping daringly low in both the front and back, and looked as if it would cascade like a waterfall down her body.

She caressed the soft material, almost afraid to even touch it, let alone put it on. She was sure the item cost more than she made in a month. Sitting next to it was a stunning pair of heels that looked as if they had real diamonds glittering on their strappy ties. She’d never owned such a beautiful pair before and wanted to wear them.

She told herself she’d wear the outfit one night, for once feeling like a princess. Then, she’d return them to him. She wouldn’t be a bought woman and she’d make sure to tell him the night wouldn’t end like his normal dates. That thought didn’t sit too well in her stomach, but she’d have to remain strong. She couldn’t be a high priced call girl.

She headed toward the luxurious bathroom, where she soaked in an exquisite bubble bath and let her worries drain away. She tried to tamper down her excitement for the evening to come, but it was difficult to do. She forced herself to take her time in the bath and getting ready.

As she slid the dress over her body, and it clung to her like it was a part of her skin, she couldn’t control the sigh. Oh, how she could get used to dressing in clothes like the beautiful dress. She turned toward the mirror and had a hard time recognizing herself. She figured that was most definitely a good thing.

Chapter Seven

Trenton sucked in his breath at the sight of Jennifer when she stepped from her room. He’d spotted the dress at a fashion show a couple weeks before their trip and knew it had been made for her. He’d purchased it immediately, not knowing when he’d get the chance to present it to her, but he knew no one else could wear it but her. He’d been right.

The dress flowed over her body, accenting every perfection of her luscious figure. She had beautiful rounded breasts, which begged for a man’s touch, begged for his touch, and her slim waist and rounded hips screamed sex. The dress dipped low in the front and he knew it went daringly low in the back and he couldn’t wait to pull her out on the dance floor and run his hands over her bared skin.

The strappy heels made her legs seem to stretch on forever and he had visions in his head of them wrapped around his back. He was thinking he’d have her leave the shoes on when he made love to her, later. He needed her so badly his body was in a constant state of arousal, and he shifted uncomfortably.

She was stunning and what made her even more so was the fact she didn’t realize the power of her looks. She was biting on her lower lip as he slowly examined her, and the nervous look in her eyes told him she didn’t know if he approved or not. He couldn’t see how she didn’t realize her own beauty.

He was used to women knowing exactly what assets to flaunt, and how to keep a man happy. They were good at playing their games, and knew how to get the most they could from their lover. Trenton had the feeling Jennifer had never played one of those games in her life.

“I’m just wearing the dress and shoes tonight. I’m sure they’re too expensive for me to keep,” she told him as he continued to look at her. For some reason her statement infuriated him. He’d actually picked the dress and shoes out for her, and he didn’t like a gift to be thrown back in his face.

“Sorry, but they’re yours. That color does nothing for my complexion,” he said with his mocking tone and a raise of his brows. She glared at him a moment and then turned around and bent over to grab her jacket. He nearly had a heart attack at the sight of her rounded butt sticking out for him so close. He had to grab the chair in front of him to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing her.

She was stunning, and he wanted to show her off in the beautiful city. It would satisfy them both a lot more if he were to simply take her to bed but he wasn’t finished with his seduction. This night would be something she’d always remember.

“It’s not up for argument. I have some accessories for you to wear, as well,” he told her, when he had his temper under control.

He walked forward, and opened a case with a stunning sapphire and diamond necklace and matching earrings. Her eyes widened and he could see her pulse beating visibly in her neck as she gazed down in shock. Before she had time to protest, he turned her body and attached the necklace.

She put her hand against her throat, feeling the cold sapphires and diamonds resting there. He was enjoying her reaction. He wasn’t used to women being so unassuming when presented a gift. Oh, they’d act surprised, but the greed would easily shine through their eyes.

“I can’t wear this. What if it breaks, or I somehow lose it? There’s no way I’m putting on those earrings. Do you know how many pairs I’ve lost?” she said and took a step back.

He followed her, like she was his prey, until she was backed up against the wall. She had her hair up in a sexy knot on her head, with some strands framing her face, so he had easy access to her delicate earlobes. Without saying another word, he took the dangling earrings from the box and attached the first one and then the other onto her lobes.

She glared at him, as her hands trembled. The earrings had a special clasp, so they were difficult to lose, and he saw her try to remove them before getting frustrated when she couldn’t figure out how.

“I said I didn’t want to wear these.”

“Accept them - you look stunning, as they match the dress. If you can’t even figure out how to get them off, then how are you going to lose them?” he questioned. She glared once more, but finally gave up trying to remove the jewelry.

“Well, I’m going to be stressed all night they’ll come off,” she said in a huff.

“I’ll keep an eye out for you,” he told her on a breath of laughter.

“Fine, I’ll wear them for now, but only because I want to go and we’re wasting time,” she conceded and walked toward the door. She wanted to leave, not fight with Trenton about what she would or wouldn’t wear.

“That sounds fine to me,” he said, a little irritated she was being so stubborn. He liked the fact she wasn’t greedy, but he’d taken time to pick her out nice things, and she could be a bit more appreciate and a lot less snarky about the situation.