The Winter Bride

  Alexa Riley

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  Christmas Vows

  Chapter 1

  Read Me Romance

  Stalk the Author

  Copyright © 2021 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to riley_alexa@aol.com

  http://alexariley.com/

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Edited by Aquila Editing

  The Winter Bride

  by Alexa Riley

  Boone Adler is new to Hollow Oak, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a plan. He’s found his bride and paid handsomely for her. Now he’s just got to keep her safe.

  Phoebe has grown up in a privileged world, but as she’s handed off to her new husband, she realizes her world was all make-believe. The good news is her new husband is obsessed with making her happy.

  Warning: Happy means something dirty, doesn’t it? You bet! Welcome back to Hollow Oak for another set of brothers and brides!

  To finding your forever… at Christmas.

  Chapter One

  Phoebe

  “Is that him?” Marley peers over my shoulder at the picture of my soon-to-be husband, and I nod. Most of the articles I’d found on Boone Adler were over a few years old. Except this one is from a few months ago.

  Sure, there were tons of business articles on him but nothing with pictures and things about his personal life except this one. It’s for some benefit his company puts on each year to end world hunger. It was the first time he’d ever been spotted with a date. The gossip blogs here in Texas were all over it.

  Boone Adler is a bit of a mystery to the elite here in Houston. A black sheep it seems from the things I could find. He wasn’t born into this world. His last name didn’t carry a weight to it. That will change, I’m sure, once he has his first heir. My stomach tightens at the realization that I might be the one to carry that heir.

  Boone’s whole life changed when he struck black gold. That had done the man well, but what really put him on the map were his real estate ventures and his luck in the financial world. I personally don’t think it’s luck at all. The man is clearly brilliant, from all the articles about him I’d found and devoured. He might not show up in the gossip blogs, but his name is all over the finance news. What girl wouldn’t try to find out everything they could about the man they're supposed to marry within a matter of hours?

  “Who’s the woman with him?” She leans in closer, her purple hair falling over my shoulder.

  “Why can’t he marry her?” I mutter.

  Why is bitter jealousy swirling inside of me? I shouldn’t care, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it hurts a bit to see him with her. She’s beautiful. To say she’s the opposite of me in every way is the understatement of the century.

  “Wait! That's a supermodel! Christy Campbell!”

  “Of course it is.” I close the screen of my laptop, not wanting to look at them together any longer.

  “We can run away,” Marley suggests.

  “Where to?” I snort.

  I might have gone to fancy private schools, but my street smarts are zero. I am smart enough to know I’m naïve about the world, especially when it comes to men. The most I know about relationships is what I’ve read in the pages of romance books and from my parents. The last thing I’d ever want is my parents' marriage.

  “I don’t know.” Marley falls back dramatically onto my bed.

  Most things she does are dramatic. Marley and I became fast friends the first day I met her. That was because she bugged the heck out of me, intruding into my bedroom and making herself right at home. We were six at the time. Her mom Joan brought her to work one day. Joan watched over me and kept our home in order.

  When Joan found her daughter in my bedroom, I knew she was in big trouble from the look she shot Marley, because I’d gotten that look a few times when I was doing something I wasn’t supposed to.

  I don’t know why I’d rushed to say I’d invited her in and asked her to play when I’d found her odd and annoying at first. After her mom let her stay with me while she finished cleaning, Marley declared that we must be friends.

  “You’ve really never met this man and you’re supposed to marry him? What if he sucks in bed or has a tiny dick?” Marley makes a horrified face. As if she knows what a bad lay is.

  “We met once,” I admit. Our encounter lasted less than a minute.

  “When?!” Marley pops up to sit on my bed, knocking one of my half-packed bags onto the floor. “Tell me everything.”

  “There isn’t much to tell. I doubt he remembers it or put it together that day that I was Paul’s daughter. I’d been taking Beau out for a walk, and I wasn’t paying attention when I stepped off the elevator downstairs and I ran into him. He told me to watch where the fuck I was going.” I’d been looking down at my Kindle trying to finish the page I was on.

  Marley’s eyes widen.

  I’d run right into him. I don’t know how I’d missed the man to begin with because he was built like a freaking tank. He’d snapped at me before all but pushing me back off him. I’d almost fallen on my booty, but he reached out and grabbed my arm.

  He stared down at me for a long moment, and I was sure he was going to tell me he was sorry, but nope. He went on to say something about how little girls shouldn’t be out wandering around the city alone.

  “What a jerk-off.”

  “Yep,” I agree. A handsome jerk-off with a face and green eyes I couldn’t forget.

  I’d only realized he’d been in the building to see my father when I’d gotten back from walking Beau. I heard his voice in my father’s office, so I went and hid in my room until he left. I hadn’t heard a thing about the man since that day. Well, until today.

  My father called me into his office and told me a few hours ago to pack my bags because I was getting married. At first I was certain he was messing with me. Not that he’s one to joke around, but still. It felt so out of left field. Married? He sent me to an all-girls school here in Houston my whole life. I’ve never been allowed to date. Now I’m getting married.

  “Your world is so weird, but you know this isn’t super uncommon. You marry within the circle of wealth.”

  “I don’t think my father has any wealth left. He said if I don't do this we’re done for.”

  “Holy shit,” Marley whispers loudly.

  Part of me was shocked when he said that, but another part of me also knows my father loves to gamble, and his vice is horse racing. I’ve also heard him and my mother fighting a lot lately over money. He used to never care what she spent. Now he’s pissed if she comes home with even one bag.

  Beau must sense my distance because he jumps up from his bed and comes over to lay his head in my lap. I don’t even know if I will get to take him with me.

  “You know you don’t have to do this,” Marley says. “You can’t be sold off.”

  I’d said pretty much the same thing. That’s when my father had gone from telling me I was doing this to begging me. He said he owed some bad people a lot of money. I’d never seen my father actually look scared, but he did today.

  He said to marry Boone Adler now and then get out in a few years. That I owed him this for all he’s done for me. He’d actually had a list of all the money he’s ever spent on me since I was born. Part of me agreed to this insanity to get the heck away from him. I’ve never been so hurt in my life. My father might not have been the best dad out there because he wasn’t around a lot. But hearing that he kept a running tally on what I cost him cut deep. Even so, I didn’t want to see my father be hurt.

  “I’m going to do it.”

  “I already knew you were going to say that, Phoebs.” Marley gets up from the bed to come over toward me. “Your loyalty is one of the many reasons I love you. It’s also one of your best qualities, but don’t forget sometimes your best quality can be one of your most detrimental too. Not everyone is worthy of your loyalty. I want you to remember that.”

  She wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. “I love you too,” I tell her, knowing I’ll miss her more than anything else.

  Chapter Two

  Boone

  “This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.” Curt walks right past me and goes over to the bar in my study to pour himself a drink.

  “I don’t remember asking you.” I don’t look up from my computer as I click on the security cameras at the gate to see when Phoebe Hawthorne arrives.


/>   The property is located on the edge of Hollow Oak. The land was inexpensive but a good investment at the time. I had this house built out here so that I could get away when I didn’t have pressing business in the city. A long driveway, over a mile long and lined with trees, leads up to the house, so I can’t go out and wait on the front steps for her. There will be an alert when someone is at the entrance, but I want to know the moment she’s here.

  “Her family is in debt up to their eyes and everyone knows it.” I hear him take a drink, but I don’t respond.

  I wonder what she’ll be wearing. Will she have on a wedding dress? I didn’t specify when I said I wanted her delivered today for the ceremony. Some think it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, but I can’t wait.

  “Are you even listening to me?” He takes a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of my desk.

  “No,” I answer and don’t look up.

  “Boone,” he barks, and I sigh as I lean back in my chair to look at him.

  “She’s well bred, I’ll give you that.”

  “Watch it,” I snap.

  “You know what I mean. She comes from a family with a history of wealth. That’s the only thing that’s saving her father from the loan sharks right now. And the fact that he’s agreed to pass his only daughter off to you like a used sofa.”

  “Enough.” I slam my hand down on my desk. “She’s about to be your sister-in-law, and my wife, so I suggest you bite your tongue.”

  He glares at me and then looks away as he takes a drink. “I’m just letting you know this is a mistake.”

  “It’s mine to make.”

  “You’re obsessed,” he cuts in, but there’s no way I’m denying it.

  One look at her and I couldn’t let her go. Her golden eyes haunted me like nothing else. I’ve been good with money, investments, property—literally everything I’ve touched has become a success. But I’ve never been knocked to my knees by a woman before.

  I’d gone to her dad’s office for a meeting he’d begged for. I wasn’t going to go, but I did him a favor because a few years ago he’d given a generous donation to my charity. I thought if anything I owed it to him to hear him out. After Phoebe nearly knocked me over, I went up to his office with my head spinning. making a plan on how I could find this little slip of a woman.

  Then I saw a photo of her on his bookshelf and a plan began to form. I looked into his business and found out that everything he owned was leveraged against his gambling debts. It was enough that there’s no way he could get out without declaring bankruptcy. Unless someone like me came along and offered to make all his problems go away. All I had to do was bide my time until Phoebe could be mine.

  “And what will you do once you’ve gotten it out of your system, huh?” Curt asks. “You’ll get your nut and still be stuck with her.”

  “Say it again and I’ll cut your tongue out.” My voice is low and cold, and for once Curt sees that I’m serious.

  “What is wrong with you?” He genuinely looks concerned. “I’ve never seen you this way before.”

  How can I explain to him what I’m feeling when I’m not even sure? All I know is that I’m on the edge of insanity, and if I don’t have her under my roof soon, I’ll burn her father’s business to the ground and make him scoop up the ashes.

  The chime on my monitor goes off, and I see the Rolls Royce Phantom pull up to the gate. I stand and straighten my suit as I look down at my brother.

  “It’s my wedding day, and you’re going to stand beside me and witness this,” I say, clenching my jaw. “Then when it’s over you can get the fuck out and leave me with my bride.”

  “Boone, don’t do this,” he pleads, but I glare at him.

  “Do I need to get a member of the staff to witness this instead of my own flesh and blood?”

  Curt stands, and we’re eye to eye. Both of us are built almost the exact same at six foot five. His shoulders sag a little when he sees I’m not budging on this.

  “Okay, let’s do this.” He relents and gulps the rest of his whiskey.

  I turn and walk out of the office, not waiting to see if he follows behind me. After only a beat of hesitation, I hear his footsteps on the hardwoods.

  The house is sparse because I don’t need much, and when I’m here I like to work outside on the land. I’ve even camped a few times by the lake when the weather is nice. This is the place where Phoebe and I will stay so that it’s private and away from prying eyes. I have a small staff that comes once a day, but at night we’ll be totally alone. I’m hoping I can keep media attention away from this, at least for a short time while we settle in.

  “Everything is ready for you, sir,” Mrs. Birch says once I enter the foyer.

  “Thank you.” I asked her to prepare a small meal for Phoebe and me for after the guests leave. I’m not making an effort to invite them to stay any longer than necessary. There is a minister on the terrace waiting to perform the ceremony as soon as we’re all in place.

  The double doors to the front of the house are opened just as the Rolls Royce pulls up to the steps. I walk down them and feel Curt at my back as the driver comes around and opens the door. First I see Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne, who silently nod hello and then step out of the way. Then Phoebe holds out her hand for the driver to help her out of the backseat, and I don’t like it.

  “Move,” I bark at the driver, and he quickly does as I command.

  I take Phoebe’s hand in mine and look down at her in the long white dress. She’s so beautiful that I have to look away or I’ll take her right here on the ground.

  “Let’s get this done,” I say as I keep hold of her hand and walk into the house.

  I’m not about to let her father give her away, because she’s already mine. If anyone is her daddy now, it’s me. The only reason they are here is because I’m allowing them to witness the transaction.

  She’s silent as we walk through the home, but I’m too anxious to let her stop and look around. We step onto the terrace where the minister is waiting, and I nod to him as we wait for everyone to take their place. My brother is behind me and her parents are behind her as the ceremony begins.

  It’s thankfully short, and the only vow we have to say is “I do” before I place a ring on her finger. It’s a seven-carat oval cut diamond and a matching platinum wedding band that I slide on all at once. When it’s her turn, her fingers shake, and I hold her wrist to steady her as she does it.

  I stare into her golden eyes as everything around us melts away and it’s just the two of us. This pull I feel toward her and this overwhelming need feels like it might consume me if I don’t have her soon. As the minister says the last of the words and then holds out the paper for us to sign, it’s my turn to shake. Only mine is from excitement.

  After I scratch my name across the paper, I watch as she does her pretty loops and even makes a heart on the last letter of her name.

  “Is that it?” I ask, and the minister nods. Turning with Phoebe’s hand in mine, I look directly at her father. “Your check is by the front door. Good night.”

  Chapter Three

  Phoebe

  Boone is quick to dismiss my parents. I think they are as shocked as I am at the coldness he throws at them. I stare at my mother, expecting her to say something, but all her attention is on Boone’s brother. I think his name is Curt if I remember right from one of the articles I read. Boone hadn’t bothered to introduce me to him.

  I’m not sure how to take that. Who am I kidding? I don’t know how to take any of this, especially how Boone is behaving since I’ve gotten here. I almost think he’s mad. If he’s so angry about having to marry me, then why did he push for this? Not only that, push for it so quickly. I was barely out of the car and he was pulling me down the aisle.