The Wrong Fiancée: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Marriage by Contract Book 3)

‘You made her cry?’ I asked for clarification when Dante told me that Elika had shed tears.

‘No, asshole. She cried all on her own. Apparently, she thinks I’m nice.’

‘She obviously has shitty instincts when it comes to people,’ I stated. ‘I mean, she hooked up with me.’

‘She’s got grit.’ Dante raised his glass as he watched her serve drinks. ‘Since you’re engaged, do you mind if I ask her out?’

‘Yes, I fucking mind,’ I snapped.

‘But why? I think she’s a better option than the Italian virgin my grandfather wants me to hook up with.’

I stared at Dante. ‘You want to marry Elika?’

He shrugged. ‘Well, I’d like to date her first. Get to know her.’

‘No fucking way,’ I growled.

You have no right, Dean. You’re marrying Felicity, remember? Do you actually remember that?

‘Why?’ Dante looked confused.

‘Dante,’ I warned.

He grinned cheekily. ‘I get why you thought Elika wasn’t your intellectual equal ’cause she’s superior to you. That woman is all heart and strength.’

‘I—‘

‘Darling.’ Felicity slipped her arm around my waist. ‘Isn’t this party fabulous? Daddy and Mummy are about to give a speech, and they want us to say a few words, too.’

I understood business and networking. My parents had drilled that into us at an early age, and using an engagement to show off and bring people together was absolutely something they would approve of. But for some reason, it felt wrong, almost vulgar.

You just don’t want to celebrate it in front of Elika.

Or at all!

I admitted that seeing Elika again had shifted something inside me. It reminded me of how much I had liked her, how much I had wanted her. It also made me realize that what I had with Felicity wasn’t on the same level. The passion was different, less intense. Seeing Felicity outside her polished, professional persona—just as the daughter of the wealthy—made me question whether I really knew her at all.

Dante excused himself.

‘Fee, you need to talk to your mother,’ I told her.

She cocked an eyebrow. ‘About?’

‘About how she talks to Elika. What she said to her at the buffet crossed all lines of decency. And warn her that Dante is going to speak with her as well. Another incident like what happened today, and he’s going to ask us to leave.’

She looked shocked and then tittered, ‘Is this some kind of joke? Do you know how much my father pays Giordano Hotels & Resorts every year?’

‘I think Dante doesn’t think there’s enough money to let you treat one of his people the way⁠—’

‘What’s it with you and her? Seriously, Dean. Are you having an affair?’

I was taken aback by that. ‘What?’

‘Are you sleeping with her? She’s got a reputation, you know? Fucks the guests. Didn’t Dante tell you?’

Before I could ask her to explain herself, Sam was on the dance floor, banging his finger on the microphone to unnecessarily test it.

I felt my temper rise. But my anger was directed at myself. What the fuck was wrong with me? How had I not seen who Felicity was?

‘Welcome, welcome, all,’ Sam announced. He had a slight slur. Well, he’d been drinking all fucking day, so, no surprise there.

The scent of smoked meat and tropical fruits filled the air, blending with the gentle hum of island music, toned down to allow Sam’s voice to rise above the cacophony of the party.

Games were set up across the grounds—corn hole boards, coconut bowling, even a small volleyball net near the beach where a few of the younger guests were already splashing into the surf. The whole thing was perfectly curated—casual enough to feel laid back but so obviously luxurious that no one could forget what kind of party this was.

I wanted out! I wanted out now.

‘As you know, we’re thrilled that Dean Archer is going to be our son-in-law very soon. You all know the Archers; both Tate and Marcella are sorry not to have made it today. Still, I have it on good authority that they’ll be coming here before the summer is over, so we’ll have an excuse to do this again.’

Everyone applauded.

‘Fee, baby girl, Dean, come up here.’

Felicity grabbed my hand, and I let her walk me to the dance floor.

Ginny took the microphone from her husband. ‘We’re so thrilled that Felicity and Dean will be married soon. Don’t they look lovely together?’

More applause. My eyes wandered to land on Elika who stood at the bar, a smile on her face as she poured a drink for a guest.

But even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew I was lying to myself. She cared—just like I did. The idea of Dante going anywhere near Elika tore me apart. So how must she have felt, walking in on Fee and me having sex?

Sam and Ginny hugged us, putting on a show of how close we all were to the world.

‘Dean and I have been talking about our wedding,’ Felicity looked at me, her eyes bright, ‘and we’ve decided that we’ll marry here in Kauai. Our home away from home.’

I kept a smile on my face even as I felt anger race through me. How dare she make such an announcement without discussing it with me? We had not talked about wedding dates. We’d talked about having a long engagement.

‘So, keep your calendars clear for next Spring,’ she continued.

She knew I wouldn’t challenge her in public and risk humiliating us both, which was exactly why she pulled this stunt. I knew Felicity well enough to know that when she felt she was losing, she had no problem playing dirty. She suspected something was going on between Elika and me, and she was right; something was. Our past was catching up with us.

Once we were off the dance floor and finished dealing with the congratulations that everyone wanted to shower us with, I gently tugged Felicity aside, guiding her away from the crowd. The soft glow of the tiki torches flickered, casting long shadows on her perfectly made-up face. The ocean breeze tousled her hair just enough to make it look like it had been artfully styled that way, and the distant sound of laughter and clinking glasses filled the air. But all I could focus on was the tightening in my chest.

‘What the fuck was that about?’ I kept my voice low and controlled.

She smiled up at me, that dazzling, calculated smile as if nothing was wrong. ‘Dean, darling, now’s not the time. Everyone’s so excited for us.’

‘No,’ I insisted. ‘Now is the time.’

Her eyes narrowed just slightly. She wasn’t used to me challenging her like this, especially not in the middle of a perfectly curated social event. I could feel her bristle, but I didn’t care. Not anymore.

‘We haven’t discussed a wedding date,’ I hissed. ‘We talked about a long engagement, remember?’

Felicity’s smile didn’t waver, but I saw the flicker of irritation in her eyes. ‘I just thought it was time we made a decision,’ she replied smoothly, her voice honeyed but sharp underneath. ‘Everyone’s been asking, and you know how important it is to plan ahead for something like this. Kauai is perfect. It’s the logical choice.’

‘Logical?’ I repeated, a bitter laugh escaping before I could stop it. ‘Felicity, you didn’t even consult me. This is our wedding, not just yours.’

Her expression shifted, the mask slipping just enough for me to see the frustration behind it. She looked around, and even though we were away from people, I was certain our demeanor didn’t impart a happy, engaged couple. ‘Dean, please. Don’t make a scene. We can talk about this later.’

‘We’re not getting married next spring,’ I told her.

We’re not ever getting married.

‘Dean,’ she began and then fell silent when she saw the look on my face.

‘This is not how I do relationships.’

Her eyes filled with tears. ‘How do you do them? You’ve been insulting my mother and⁠—’

‘I have been tolerating your mother,’ I gritted out. ‘The fact that you don’t have an issue with her behavior makes me wonder about you.’

She gasped. ‘I can’t believe you just said that.’

‘I can’t believe you just announced a wedding date.’

She swallowed and closed her eyes for a moment. She opened them and flung herself at me. I had no choice but to catch her.

‘I love you,’ she whispered in my ear. ‘I love you so much, and I know. I know…I know, Dean, and I forgive you.’

I grabbed her wrists and pulled them off from around my neck. ‘What the fuck are you talking about now?’

‘You slept with her, didn’t you?’ Her lower lip trembled like she was holding on to her hurt.

‘Since we met eight months ago, Fee, I’ve only been with you,’ I said deliberately slow. ‘Only you. I don’t cheat.’

Her chest heaved. ‘Stop lying. Someone saw you with her in your car and⁠—‘

‘I gave her a ride because her bicycle had a flat tire,’ I cut her off. But I felt guilty. Horribly so. I hadn’t physically cheated on Felicity, but my heart and mind had wandered toward Elika more than I was comfortable admitting.

‘You didn’t? You really didn’t?’

She looked so relieved that it was painful. What the hell was I doing? I was hurting her. I was hurting Elika. I was a fucking asshole. I was engaged to this woman. I’d made a decision about her, and now one whiff of Elika and I was once again panting after her. This wasn’t who I was. This wasn’t who I wanted to be.

‘No, baby.’

She touched her mouth to mine, and I kissed her, letting her feel safe with me. I was so confused—and I didn’t know how to fucking fix how I was feeling.

‘I love you, Dean.’

I cupped her face. I loved this woman. I knew myself. I would have never asked her to marry me otherwise. I needed to get a grip. ‘I love you too, baby.’

But I wasn’t sure that I did.

As soon as we walked back to the party, I glanced over the crowd, my eyes scanning for her, though I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like she’d be looking back.

Elika.

Her name had become a quiet thrum in the back of my mind lately, growing louder each day, each time I saw her.

‘Felicity, make it clear to your parents that there is no firm date, okay?’ I warned her.

‘Dean,’ she whined. ‘Don’t you want to marry me?’

I saw her engagement ring flash in the dark. ‘I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t.’

‘Then why wait?’

‘Because I think it gives us time to….’ To what, asshole? ‘I don’t want to rush this.’

Her eyes flashed resentment. ‘What exactly does that mean?’

My chest tightened. ‘We can talk about this later,’ I threw her words back at her with a calm that surprised even me. ‘But a wedding date and location isn’t a decision you get to make on your own.’

Felicity held my gaze for a moment longer, her eyes cold now, calculating. Then she smiled, the perfect hostess once again, smoothing down the front of her dress as if nothing had happened. ‘Fine, darling,’ she said sweetly, turning back toward the party. ‘We’ll discuss it later. But for now, let’s just enjoy the evening.’

Right! There was no chance of that happening. As engagement parties went, this was a debacle of epic proportions since I was trying to ignore the thought that I had the wrong fiancée.