The Billionaire's Naughty Christmas Bride

I'm staring at my boyfriend of 6 years in his apartment frozen in shock. There's a ring on the table, balloons tied up, a cute banner that says "Will you marry me?" He's on the other side of the room and he's not alone. There's a woman on his waist, kissing him and she's not me. Their clothes are strewn along the floor, hands busy on each other's bodies. She tells him she loves him and he says he loves her back. My feet are stuck up the ground and my heart is beating a mile a minute, trying to deny what I'm seeing.

I had planned a surprise to ask my boyfriend, Max, to marry me so why am I the one getting shocked?

Then it finally clicks.

Max, the love of my life, is cheating on me.

A couple of hours ago, I'd snuck into his apartment to plan a surprise engagement with a ring I got custom made. I'd spent all my savings on it and a good part of my rent. But it didn't matter because we were in love. A lot of things didn't matter to me. The fact that his mom hated my guts and always went out of her way to humiliate me. The fact that he didn't once try to step in for me because he didn't want his mom to be offended. The fact that my mother never respected my relationship and always tried to set me up on dates with old, rich men. The fact that he never showed up in public with me or got me gifts. I didn't care for all that. All I needed was Max.

He was the love of my life.

"Max?" I call out to him, barely able to hold myself up. I can't think. I can't even scream. My body won't cooperate and move like it used to. "Max..." I say and it comes out like a whimper. He turns to me in shock. Lipstick smeared around his lips. He doesn't even try to fix his shirt or wipe it off.

"Fuck." he spits out. I can tell he's annoyed from his tone and the anger burning in his eyes. "What are you doing here, Anesha? What the actual fuck!"

"I–" The words die on my lips.

The woman turns to me, amused. "Wait, is this your little girlfriend? The brokie with the mom who's trying to pump her out?"

I freeze instantly at her words. What? He told her about me. About everything. I grow limp, waiting for him to deny it.

"Shut up, Lilith. This is not funny. I didn't think she'd be here." He says instead, trying to fight back a smile.

"You told her about me? About that?"

"It's nothing serious. Just pillow talk between lovers."

I can't believe my ears. "Lovers? You love her?"

"What do you expect? We've been together for a year now. Mom invited her for the anniversary."

"Oh baby." she croons, delighted.

She pulls him in for a kiss and they get lost in the moment like I'm not there. My heart is beating loudly in my ears, threatening to burst out my chest. His mother knew this? She was in on this. All this while she'd been nothing but a thorn in my flesh for no reason when her son was cheating on me for a whole year.

"Maybe we should hire your little girlfriend to decorate. This is quite the setup." she says to me and sits at the table, fingering the steak. "You seem like a sweet girl. Very homely. Don't worry, I'm sure something is gonna work out for you soon." she snickers as I struggle to get to my feet and rush at her. Max grabs me as they laugh together and throws me, kicking and screaming, out the door.

I slam my empty glass on the table in the rowdy bar. "And that is how my night went." I say drunkenly to the stranger I'd been venting to the whole time. He looks at me, eyes unreadable. Those deep green eyes make me feel hot all over. Or is that just the alcohol? I can see the well-defined muscles on his arms and my mind starts racing with bad thoughts.

I've never been one to feel attracted to an older man but I can't help it.

There's something about him that's pulling me in.

"You've been through quite the ordeal."

His voice, slow and smooth, rolls through me, comforting and understanding. I launch into another rant, tears rolling down my eyes. "Damn right I have! All for the overgrown mama's boy. That retarded, piece of shit! I should have yelled at his mother when I had the chance. Told her her style was wack as fuck and she could shove her dresses up her snobby ass. I should have put him over my legs and beat him up but he'd probably like that. That crazy, no good, lying brute!"

There's a glimmer in his eyes when I'm done speaking. He sips on his drink to hide his smile. I stare at him as best I can. It's hard not to see how handsome he is despite his age. He cocks his brow at me and I smile sweetly. "You're not married, are you?"

"No, I'm not. Marriage isn't on my to do list but it seems like I won't be able to avoid it for long." he says bitterly, downing the rest of his drink.

"Let's get married then." I blurt out.

He looks at me like you'd look at a child doing a trick. "I'm much too old for you, darling."

"I don't mind. The older the berry, the sweeter the wine." I mumble, hiccuping. What the hell was I saying? I just got dumped.

"You don't even know my name."

"I can just call you Daddy till I find out." His eyes darken for a minute. He gives me a slow once over, settling on my lips. I gulp, a heat rising in me that I can swear isn't the alcohol. "Can I call you that? Daddy?" I whisper.

"Deimos." he drawls, eyes finally settling on mine.

"Deimos." I roll the word in my mouth, moaning it softly. It's familiar but I'm too drunk to care where I've heard it. I move towards him, emboldened by the alcohol swimming in my veins. "Don't you think couples should be compatible before they get married? Should we test it out with a kiss?" I reach for his face gently and he doesn't back away. Suddenly I feel nauseated. I turn away from him at the last minute. Toppling the chair as I fall to my knees on the floor and vomit. Pathetic, I think to myself as my eyes close and my head hits the ground.

Anesha's POV

I wake up in a room, drowsy. It's so bright, it hurts my eyes. I groan and pull up the covers. The soft mattress and its clean scent lull me back to sleep. Last night's episode comes to me in bits and pieces. Max and his side piece. My ruined proposal. The handsome stranger at the bar. Falling in my own vomit. I spring up in the bed, swearing loudly. Why am I in a bed? I look around, shocked and confused. There are ceiling length windows letting in the sunlight and a sky-line view of the city. I know for a fact that this place is way out of my paycheck.

I jump out of the covers, cradling my head. I look down and freeze. Whose shirt is this? It falls down to my knees and envelopes me. Did I do something crazy last night? Did he? I don't feel weird so I assume I'm okay. Besides, there's no time to think about that now. I need to make a run for it while I still can. I see my clothes on a chair. They smell clean, not a hint of alcohol on them. I put them on a hurry, leave a note and run like my life depends on it.

My phone starts buzzing the minute I get a cab heading home. My head hurts and my heart is heavy. It hits me now that I had found the love of my life cheating on me. I break down again, tears streaming down my face. I'd spent all my savings on the ring. And yet, he'd cheated. How was I going to pay my rent? Maybe, I could ask my mom. I shake away the thought. Our conversations were more employer and employee than mother and daughter. She was doing fine with her new family and only cared enough to send me on dates with rich men.

The phone buzz violently in my pocket. I pick up without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Anesha, I've organised a date for you at the Estrada. Reservations is at 9pm today."

"Mom? What is this?"

"You have a blind date with someone important at 9pm today. Don't be late."

"No," my voice barely comes out, "I won't go. You don't get to tell me what to do. And I'm having a shitty day already so please just stop. Stop interfering with my life."

There's a silent pause and her voice rings out, clearly. "You wouldn't have a life if I didn't do what I had to do."

I blink back tears in shock. Her harsh words digging deeper into my heart. "How can you say that?"

"Anesha, I am doing the best I can for you. You think I'm a bad parent for this? Do you want to end up like your father? It's time you forget your stupid fantasies and that foolish boy you're seeing. That good for nothing fool would never be the man you think he is." I swallow my retort because she's right. "Get your head out of the clouds and plant your feet on the ground."

"Like you did?" I spit out just to spite her.

"Yes. Like I did." She says without breaking a sweat. "I've arranged for a full beauty experience so head over to Suzuki's. Let her fix you up. 9pm, today. Don't be late and don't embarrass me. This is your last chance." her voice disappears with a click. I wipe my tears and take deep breaths. So much for asking her for help. What was I expecting? I pause and think to myself as I brood about her reply. What if she's right? What if love really isn't for me? Either ways, I know better than to disobey her. Maybe it is time I got serious. I tell the driver the directions to Suzuki's and exhale.

He doesn't look as surprised as I am. Instead, he swirls his wine and takes a sip. Here I am donned in a little black dress my mother picked out, titties out. It felt like a second skin, pulling out every curve. My mother had asked for a soft glam so Suzuki switched the maroon lipstick she'd already picked out for a lighter nude.

All of that, just to end up with the same man I'd met in the bar and left with nothing but a note!

I avoid his gaze as much as I can, hoping the ground would swallow me up. It doesn't. He speaks instead in the same deep voice that lured me to him the night before. "We meet again. Is the wine to your liking? I ordered something light for you."

"Did you know I was coming here?"

"Yes, my assistant gave me your file. I wouldn't beat around the bush. Be my wife."

"What?"

"You're fresh out of a terrible relationship and you're here so I believe you're back in the market. Only this time, you're looking for a man like me. Rich enough to give you everything you need. I'm guessing love is off the table for you because if it wasn't, you wouldn't be here and that's perfect. I don't want someone who'd fall in love with me simply because I bought her a diamond."

"So you just want a trophy wife and I fit the bill?" I say, stung. I didn't think he was this kind of person. I wouldn't have left him a note apologizing.

"Yes. But it won't be anything long term. It'll only last a year, minus our dating period. I get what I want and you get your mother off your back. Afterwards we get a divorce and go our merry ways."

"Now look here, I –"

"10 million dollars."

My mouth falls open. He pulls out a manila folder and pushes it over to my side. "I'll pay you 10 million dollars. That is, excluding your monthly allowance and expenses. How does that sound?"

10 million dollars?! I could be a millionaire in a year?! Just by being his wife? My mouth waters at the thought but I put on my best poker face. There was no way this was true. "What's the catch? I get to have all this just to be your wife?"

He takes another sip of his wine. "As I said, I only want a wife on paper but that's not it. My father's been pestering me to get married. It's been years and he wouldn't let up. Now something's come up and I need a wife. All my life's work depends on this so I have decided to give him what he wants the most from me." he gestures towards me. "A wife."

I can tell that he's dead serious about this. He pulls out a pen and places it on the folder. "So, do we have a deal?"

I think about the benefits. The things I could do with all that money. The places I could go. I scan the document and it's there in fine print.

10 million dollars.

I put it down and take a deep breath. I could get my mother off my case for good. No falling in love, he said. Easy peasy. As much as Max was a piece of shit, I still needed time to heal. I wasn't going to be jumping into anyone's bed anytime soon.

I stare down at the document, and push it back to him. He cocks a brow at me, unimpressed. "No. I can't. I won't. I don't know what gave you the impression that I'm looking for a glorified sugar daddy, he flinches lightly but doesn't interrupt me, "but I'm not. So thank you for your generous offer but no, thank you."

He stops me from leaving, pressing his card in my palm. "Call this number when you change your mind."

I stare down at him, fiercely. "I won't."

My landlord and Amy my best friend are outside my door when I get home. Her eyes bulge when she sees me and then narrow to slits. I know she knows that I went out on one of my mother's dates again and that she isn't pleased.

"You're looking good for a squatter. Hot date with your boyfriend?"

I flinch at his words. What was the hostility for? "What's going on?"

"Your rent's almost due. That's what's going on."

I scoff. "My rent's expiring on the 18th of September. That's next month."

Amy shakes her head, disappointed. "That's next week."

I whip out my phone to prove them wrong and get silenced instead. True to their words, it's September. I look from Amy to my landlord, gripping my apartment key in my hand. Dread settling in my stomach.

I'm about to be homeless.

Anesha's POV

I head to the office Deimos' secretary directed me to. It's a tall building with a giant E on top of it. Weird, I think to myself as I walk in. I go to the receptionist, give my best smile and hand over his card like his secretary had told me to. She takes the card, places a call and after a few minutes, scrowls at me. She gives me a once over and deciding I'm not worth the effort, points me to elevator and tells me to go to the highest level.

I'm too nervous to call her out. I trudge up to the elevator and it drags me up. With each number, my anxiety spikes. I get there in a minute and take deep breaths to calm myself. There's no one at the table so I knock at the door.

"Come in." he says. I try to prep talk myself one last time before I go in.

The office is huge. Rows of bookshelves line the walls. The office looks rustic and dark. A traditional wooden table that looks like it was custom made sits at the back of the space with a clear view of the entire city. He looks up at me and asks his secretary to leave. I swallow my nerves and what's left of my pride.

He gives me a once over, eyes hot on my cleavage. I try not to squirm under his gaze. He stares at me silently. For a minute, I don't think he'll say anything but he surprises me. "I have a meeting in 20 minutes so let's get down to business, shall we? You called."

"Yes," I square my shoulders and try to appear as confidently as I can, "I will be your wife."

He regards me coolly before turning back to the documents on his table. "Unfortunately, I no longer have any need for a wife." What?! There's no way. We just talked about this last night. "Is that all? I'm sure you can show yourself out." he goes back to his computer like I'm not there.

Is this the end? No, I won't accept it. It can't be. "You're lying."

He looks up at me, uninterested. "And why would I feel the need to lie to you? We barely know each other."

The way things were going, I wouldn't be getting that contract and I can't walk out like that. Time to spruce things up. "I know that but you are lying. If you weren't, you wouldn't have asked me to come. You don't look like the kind of man who likes to waste his time. You struck me as someone who was meticulous, strict." I drop my bag on the chair and walk slowly over to him, his eyes watching my every movement. My heart does a deep dive to my stomach. "Someone disciplined. Someone who could discipline... me."

He catches my hand before I can run it down his chest. "You don't know anything about me and for your sake, it's best we keep it that way."

Oh no, he was shutting me out.

I shake my head at him and sigh. "And here I thought I'd found a man who could be my match. I didn't think you'd be just like my ex but I guess I thought too highly of you." I move to leave but his grip on my wrist tightens.

"Your ex?"

"Yes. I thought you'd be different but I guess all men lie. And you're right I don't know you. Perhaps you'd be a sniveling cheat as well." I gasp as he pulls me sharply into his lap.

"Don't think for a second that I'd tolerate those words from you. I am nothing like that welp." he growls.

Something about seeing him this way sets my heart racing and my body on fire. The air feels just as hot and heavy as it was at the bar. I don't know what this is but it feels so good. "You certainly lie like he does so who knows?"

"We'll have to do something about the way you speak to me after we get married. This attitude won't do."

My heart flips. Did he say what I thought he did? I scoff at him. "Who says I want to marry you anymore?"

"You're awfully comfortable in my arms for someone who doesn't. Or is there another offer you came here to make?" I flush at his implications and try to squirm away. He holds me tight, clearly amused. "You came here to sign the contract? Then sign it."

"I need to go back to my seat." I look away, embarrassed. He pulls out the document and a pen and places them on the table.

"You already have a seat, right here. What? Have you lost your spine? Where did all that bravado go?"

I glare at him. Two can play this game. I arch forward, pressing into him as I flip through the papers. My smirk growing as he stiffens behind me. Thick hands falling to my waist. He strokes my sides slowly. I can barely focus on the word on the pages. There's that heat again, pooling inside me. I can feel his excitement beneath me and it sends shivers down my spine.

What's wrong with me? Why am I acting this way with a man I barely know? The plan to seduce him is going a little too well. Not that I'm complaining. I find the page and quickly scribble my signature. I see his name beside mine and I read it out, entranced with the magic of his hands. "Deimos... Escarrá..."

"Say it again, little lamb."

"Deimos..." ESCARRA?!!!

What the hell did I just say?!

I turn sharply to him. "You're an Escarrá?"

He cocks a brow at me, small smile on his lips. "Yes, that isn't a problem, is it?"

"No, of course not." of course yes! I look at the document and back at him. My memories coming back to me. His face in the news. The tabloids. The gossip columns. The Forbes list. Deimos Escarrá, Billionaire Mogul and former big shot Lawyer.

And, Max's uncle.

I just signed a contract with my ex's uncle.