The Billionaire’s Big Bold Woman: A Single Father Instalove Romance (The Billionaires’ Club)

Either Ian’s desk needs a better lock or the three of us are expert lock picks because it takes all of ten minutes to jiggle it open with the nail file. And most of the ten minutes was spent arguing over how to pick the lock. I love how opinionated these girls are. They’re both so independent and smart. They forget all about their arguments when the lock slips free, and the drawer opens.

‘Oh, candy!’ Bella says, reaching in to grab a handful of individually wrapped chocolates.

‘Not too many, sweet girl,’ I murmur. ‘Your daddy is going to cook us dinner tonight.’

‘Yuck,’ Isla says, shuddering.

‘He can’t cook?’

‘He can cook,’ Bella says. ‘But I don’t think he should cook, Princess Jenna.’

‘It never tastes very good,’ Isla whispers.

‘We tell him it does though.’ Bella pops a chocolate into her mouth. ‘It makes him feel happy.’

Isla nods, reaching into the drawer. She’s more discerning than her sister. She picks through the offerings and then takes two little peanut butter cups. She hesitates for a second and then grabs a chocolate coin too. When her eyes meet mine, I know she’s worried she’s pushing it with that third piece.

‘Excellent choices, Princess Isla,’ I say, making a show of looking through the candy. Either Ian has a sweet tooth, or he keeps it on supply for the girls. Which is adorable. I haven’t even met him yet, and I already feel like I know a lot about him. He’s a great uncle. ‘Which should I pick?’

‘All of them,’ Bella says, giggling around a mouthful of chocolate.

‘I like peanut butter,’ Isla says.

‘Me too. I think I’ll have one of those,’ I say, reaching out to take one from the drawer. I also take a piece of minty chocolate and a chocolate coin. ‘We should probably only have three each. What do you think, Bella?’

She peeks up at me through her lashes, already unwrapping her second chocolate.

‘We don’t want to get too full.’

She pouts for a second and then reluctantly drops her handful of candy back into the drawer. Her gaze falls to the map Mac made for us and go adorably wide. ‘Princess Jenna,’ she breathes in awe. ‘I think we found your map!’

‘Let me see!’ Isla cries.

‘I think you’re right,’ I say, plucking the map out of the drawer. I’m not sure if the girls are more excited or if I am. Bella dances on her tiptoes, candy forgotten as she waits for me to unfold it. Isla is leaning in close, her little eyes as wide as Bella’s. I’m dying to know what adventure Mac is sending us on and where it leads.

The map he sketched out is simple, but it’s clearly a map. He even wrote treasure map across the top and then put an X to mark where we need to go. My heart flutters, a piece of it waving a white flag of surrender as he slips into place inside it like he belongs there. I think he might. I barely know him, and already, I’m falling for him. He is so good to his girls, and so sweet to me.

For the millionth time, I find myself trying to wrap my mind around why Marion did what she did to him. I can’t imagine him ever doing anything to deserve that sort of betrayal. Ian either, for that matter. Whatever her reasons, she was wrong.

‘We should follow the map, Princess Jenna!’ Bella says, still dancing on her tiptoes.

‘We should,’ I agree. ‘Do you have your sword, Princess Bella? We should take it with us just in case we need it.’

She dances past me and runs across the room, scooping her sword up from the floor where she left it. ‘I got it.’

‘Are you ready, Princess Isla?’

Isla nods.

‘Here,’ I say, holding the map out to her. ‘You can be the map reader.’

‘I don’t know how to read a map,’ she says.

‘Oh, that’s okay. It’s an easy map. See right here?’ I point at the spot on the map that indicates this room. ‘This is where we are now. And this,’ I say, pointing at the X, ‘is where we’re going. It’s not far at all.’

She smiles, letting me know she’s got this under control.

I close the drawer back and grab the baby monitor. ‘Lead the way, Princess Isla. Princess Bella, you stick close in case we have to fight any goblins on our way.’

She giggles and bounces toward the door before peeking her head out. ‘So far so good,’ she says, waving for us to hurry it up.

We cross to her and then Isla takes the lead. Mac’s map leads toward the stairs and then around to the other wing of the mansion. Like the main wing, the rooms are all beautiful. One is decorated for the girls, with a playroom next door. There are toys strewn from one end to the other and shelves full of books. I smile when I see it. Even though there are toys all over the floor, the books are neatly on their shelves, as if the girls take great care with them.

The map leads us into a bedroom at the far end of the hall.

I know immediately that it’s Mac’s room. It smells just like him, all soothing and sexy at the same time. The furniture is dark wood, both masculine and elegant. The bed is a massive four-poster bed, with each post and the headboard ornately carved. It’s beautiful. There’s a little box sitting in the center of it.

‘This is daddy’s room,’ Isla says.

‘Look!’ Bella drops her sword and takes off toward the bed. It’s too tall for her to be able to reach it, so she climbs onto the bench at the foot of the bed and then scrambles onto it.

Isla is two steps behind her, both of them excited to see what he left for them.

I linger near the door, not sure if I should be in his bedroom or not. I watch the girls, smiling at how sweet they are. And at how sweet Mac is to them. Even though he had an important meeting, he drew his girls a treasure map and left them something to discover at the end of it. My ovaries are swooning.

‘Oh,’ Isla whispers, peering into the box when Bella lifts the lid.

‘Ohhh,’ Bella says, flinging the top of the box halfway across the room in her excitement.

She and Isla reach into the box at the same time and pull out two small snow globes. The gold and silver bases are shaped like an old western belt buckle with turquoise jewels. Each has a silver horse inside. He’s on his hind legs, pawing at the air. White flakes of snow swirl around him. They’re small enough for each of the girls to hold them in the palm of one hand, but they’re beautiful.

‘It’s so pretty,’ Bella whispers, staring in fascination as the snow swirls around the horse in hers.

‘Do you think we get to keep them?’ Isla asks, looking toward me with wide, hopeful eyes.

‘Maybe,’ I say, striding toward the bed, hoping he left a note. There’s a small piece of torn paper in the bottom of the box. I lift it out and unfold it.

Home is where the heart is, Princess Jenna. Here’s hoping you’ll be leaving a piece of yours with me and the girls.

xx, Mac

PS: Remind Bella to be careful with her treasure or she’ll break it.

Oh, wow. I swallow hard as I read his note, my emotions all over the place. This man is going to change my life, I already know it. If this is what being seduced by a single dad feels like, I don’t think I want it to end. He’s damn good at it.

‘What does it say, Princess Jenna?’ Isla asks.

‘Is it from the goblin king?’

‘It’s from your daddy, King Mac,’ I say, folding the note and slipping it into my pocket. ‘He says he tried to get my map from the goblin king but the goblin king ran away with it. But he left this treasure behind. King Mac wants the two of you to keep it safe.’

‘Cool,’ Bell whispers, shaking hers again to make it snow.

‘So cool,’ Isla agrees, making me smile. ‘You should stay here, Princess Jenna.’

‘Yeah,’ Bella agrees. ‘You can live with us since the mean goblin king ran away with your map. I bet my daddy would let you stay.’

‘Yeah?’ I smile, unable to help it. ‘You think so?’

‘Yep,’ Bella says, shaking her snow globe again.

‘We can ask him for you,’ Isla says, her voice soft.

If he really wants me to leave a piece of my heart here with him and the girls, he isn’t even going to have to work very hard to make it happen. Because I’m already in love with his girls…and falling fast for him.

‘Daddy!’ Bella cries, waving wildly as Mac strolls into the kitchen an hour and a half later. Flour sifts down on top of her from where she’s got it all over her hands. ‘We’re making you dinner tonight!’

‘So I see,’ he murmurs, his gaze raking over the three of us.

Finn is in his highchair, pounding on his Cheerios with a toy hammer. He’s an adorable little boy with a single front tooth and the roundest cheeks. If he was nervous to see a stranger instead of his mommy after his nap, he didn’t show it. He lifted his arms and let me pick him right up.

We’ve been in the kitchen since, trying to tackle dinner for Mac so he doesn’t have to worry about it. The girls are excited about cooking. Though I’m not sure if that’s because they really enjoy it or if they just really don’t want to eat Mac’s cooking tonight. They don’t seem particularly thrilled with his culinary skills.

Thank God there’s something he’s not good at doing. I was beginning to think he was entirely too perfect. Alas, he’s just human like the rest of us. I’m not complaining. I think it’s adorable that he’s a terrible cook.

‘I thought I was cooking for the princesses tonight,’ he says.

‘After trying to rescue my map from the goblin king for me, and giving the girls treasure to guard? No way,’ I say, smiling at him. ‘You’re our hero, so we’re doing the cooking tonight.’

‘Hero, huh?’ He strolls toward us, stopping to rub his hand across Finn’s head.

Finn gives him a drooly grin and then goes back to pounding his Cheerios into dust.

‘I thought heroes were supposed to get kisses,’ he says, scooping the girls up as soon as he reaches them. He lifts them off their makeshift stools, one in each arm. They squeal with laughter as he plants a big kiss on each of their flour-covered cheeks and then tips his head to each side for them to kiss his cheeks too.

‘You gotta get kisses from Princess Jenna,’ Bella declares once he sets her and Isla on their feet again. ‘She’s a princess too!’

‘Yeah?’ He looks at me, his eyes dark and heated.

‘I…’ I swallow hard as he prowls toward me, Bella and Isla watching intently.

‘You’re right,’ he murmurs to Bella, though his gaze never leaves my face. ‘Princess Jenna should kiss her hero too.’

Oh, lord. This man is going to wreck me in front of his twins and a toddler, and not even feel sorry about it. I take back what I said earlier. He’s not ridiculously sweet. He’s wicked. And he knows it. I see the challenge glinting in his eyes, daring me to tell him no in front of the twins.

I lift up on my toes and place a big kiss on his cheek.

Except he cheats and turns his head, so my lips land against his.

His tongue touches my bottom lip, sending a surge of energy through me.

Before I can even process the fact that he just kissed me, he steps away.

‘Yay, daddy!’ Bella cheers.

I quickly look at Isla, but she’s already back to kneading the pizza dough.

‘What are you princesses making me for dinner?’ Mac asks, sounding far more casual than I feel. His kiss lasted all of five seconds, but I still feel his lips against mine.

When I meet his gaze, I realize that he’s not feeling very casual right now either. He’s burning up with heat. And something I haven’t seen in him until just this moment. Hope.

‘We’re making pizza,’ Isla says.

‘Princess Jenna says we can have our own,’ Bella says. ‘I’m gonna put mushrooms on mine.’

‘Blech,’ Isla says.

Mac scrunches up his face like he agrees with her assessment.

They’re both crazy. Mushrooms are delicious. Especially on pizza.

‘We raided the kitchen,’ I say, going back to cutting veggies. Like the rest of the house, the kitchen is incredible. I could live in it and die happy. ‘The girls wanted to surprise you.’

‘Scared of my cooking, huh?’ he asks, grinning at me. ‘I have it on good authority that I’m ‘not very good in the kitchen’.’

Bella and Isla both giggle, completely unrepentant.

‘You’re not very good in the kitchen, daddy,’ Isla says.

‘Nu-uh,’ Bella agrees.

‘And yet neither of you starve,’ he teases.

‘That’s cause Aunt Holly and Gramma feeds us.’

Mac digs his fingers gently into Bella’s side, making her squeal with laughter.

‘Speaking of your grandma,’ he says. ‘You two are going to spend the night with her tomorrow.’

‘It’s not her weekend,’ Isla reminds him.

‘I know, but I have something important to do.’

‘More work?’ Bella pouts out her bottom lip, clearly not thrilled about this.

‘No, poppet. Not more work. I’m taking a pretty princess on a date. If she’ll go with me.’

I’m not sure whose eyes are wider, mine or theirs. My heart is definitely lodged in my throat though. I feel it beating there.

‘Is that okay with the two of you?’ Mac asks, watching the girls intently.

‘Is it Princess Jenna?’ Bella demands to know.

She doesn’t seem averse to the idea, which is a relief. Well, it is so long as he’s talking about me. If he’s not, it’s going to break my heart. Even thinking about him looking at another woman makes me want to cry.

‘It is Princess Jenna,’ he confirms, soothing both of our fears.

‘Are you going to kiss her again?’

‘Yes, if she’ll let me.’

Bella looks at me as if to ask if I’m going to let him kiss me.

I shrug helplessly, not sure how to answer the question in her eyes. Do I want him to kiss me again? God, yes. Do I want to upset Bella or Isla? Never. I don’t ever want them to think I’m trying to take their daddy away from them or trying to replace Marion.

‘Are you gonna marry her?’ Bella looks at me. ‘You should marry my daddy, Princess Jenna. Then you would be a queen instead of a princess, and we could have sleepovers!’

‘Um…’ I look at Mac, my eyes wide.

‘One step at a time, poppet,’ he says, humor in his gaze.

‘Well,’ she says, thinking over his request. ‘Can they be fast steps then?’

‘We’ll see,’ Mac says. I can feel his eyes on me. They’re doing things to me that they definitely shouldn’t be doing right now. He knows it too. His gaze rakes across me like fire.

He really doesn’t play fair at all.

‘What do you think, Isla?’ Mac asks. So far, she hasn’t said anything, which worries me. I thought she had warmed up to me. But maybe this is too much, too soon. She only met me today, and is very protective of her daddy.

‘I like Princess Jenna,’ she whispers, melting my heart. ‘She doesn’t yell at us or be mean to us like mommy always did. She likes us.’

‘How come mommy doesn’t like us, daddy?’ Bella asks.

No. Oh, no.

My heart cracks right in half for them, tears welling in my eyes. Mac’s heart breaks too. I see it happen. He rocks back on his heels, regret, guilt, and anger welling in his eyes. They sear his expression, turning it stark. He looks so much smaller suddenly, vulnerable in a way I haven’t seen before now. This is his weak spot, I think. The thing that still torments him. He thinks he failed his girls.

‘I will never be mean to you,’ I whisper, my voice shaking with sincerity. I abandon the veggies to scoop the girls into my arms, helpless to do anything but soothe them. I don’t know their mother and I would never speak ill of her in front of them, but she didn’t deserve them. Anyone who could be mean to these incredible little girls doesn’t deserve them. She didn’t deserve Mac either. My arms actually ache to hold him right now too. ‘I already love you both so much. Even if you don’t want me to go on dates with your daddy, I’ll still love you. You know why?’

‘Why?’ Bella asks.

‘Because it’s impossible not to love such brave, beautiful cat-burger pirate princesses,’ I say, meaning it. I love them so damn much already. Even if Mac changes his mind or decides that he doesn’t want to date me, I’ll still love these two. ‘Spending the day with you made my heart so happy.’

‘You made my heart happy too, Princess Jenna,’ Bella says, flinging her arms around me in a fierce hug.

‘Mine too,’ Isla says quietly.

I blink rapidly, trying not to cry.

‘Look at me, girls,’ Mac demands, his voice soft but firm. It shakes with emotion too. 

They reluctantly lift their gazes to look at him.

‘No one will ever be mean to you or yell at you like that again,’ he vows. ‘You did not deserve it. Even if you made messes or cried or threw tantrums or did naughty things, you deserved to be treated with respect.’

‘Okay, daddy.’

‘Okay,’ Bella agrees.

‘Your mom loves you both, but remember what I told you?’

‘She’s not very good at showing it because she forgot how to love herself,’ Bella says, making it clear they’ve had this conversation before. 

Poor Mac. Even though he has every right to hate Marion, still he tries to keep her unsullied in their minds. Still, he protects her memory for the girls as best he can. I can’t imagine it’s easy for him, especially after what she did to him and Ian. But he tries anyway.

‘That’s right,’ he says. ‘People have to learn to love themselves before they can be good at loving others. Your mom is working on that, and it might take her a long time to get it right. But don’t ever think you did something wrong or that you deserve to be treated unkindly by anyone. Understand?’

‘Yes, daddy,’ they say simultaneously.

He stares at them for another minute and then nods, putting an end to the conversation. I see the guilt and pain in his eyes though, and it breaks my heart for him.

I decide right then and there that I’m going to love the three of them with my whole heart. Every little piece of it will belong to this beautiful man and his cat-burger pirate princesses. Even if he never learns to love me back, my heart will be his. Marion hurt them all deeply, but somehow, I’m going to find a way to put all three of them back together again.