Bought by The Billionaire Rancher Read online

  Bought by The Billionaire Rancher

  Marian Tee

  Bought by The Billionaire Rancher (Evergreen’s Mail-Order Brides #4)

  By Marian Tee

  Copyright 2019 by Streak Digital Publishing

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  Blurb

  About the Book

  Also by Marian Tee

  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

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Dear Reader,

  More from Marian Tee

  Blurb

  A nanny with the boss' wedding ring...

  Billionaire oil baron Logan Hardwall may be the last bachelor standing among San Antonio's Finest Eligibles, aka SAFE, but it didn't mean he was ready to get leg-shackled like his other friends and believe in all that true love sh*t.

  When he suddenly found himself in need of a wife to take care of his orphaned nephew, Logan began his hunt for the perfect mail-order bride. She had to be good with kids, but she also had to understand her place in his life, and that was not as his loving wife.

  She might warm his bed, wear his wedding ring, and be able to spend his money at will, but other than that...she was just the nanny, and that was all she would ever be.

  About the Book

  Stick to the timeline. You're still the nanny. I'm still the boss. Or at least that had been the plan. But then he saw the way his male executives were staring at Tilly like she was the pièce de résistance of a ten-course meal, and Logan thought, Fuck the timeline.

  Since the billionaire had made no efforts to silence Tilly's cries of pleasure earlier, and Tilly herself hadn't been the type of lover to just lie back and think of England, Logan had no doubt that every employee working on his floor knew what took place the moment the door to his office closed behind Tilly.

  That such a thing happened in the first place had probably come as a shock, considering Logan's rather notorious rule about not letting any of his former mistresses step foot inside any of his company offices. It was fairly easy to see that his employees were itching to find out what made Tilly different, and it was just as obvious that they were wondering if the very nature of her employment had anything to do with Tilly being the exception to the rule.

  Was she the nanny before she became the boss' lover, or was it the other way around?

  What did the billionaire see in her that they didn't - or was she simply that good in bed?

  How long was the billionaire likely to keep her - and might they have a shot once she was single again?

  Logan's entire vision was fast turning a murderous shade of red. Over my fucking dead body, assholes.

  Tilly almost lost her footing when the billionaire suddenly slipped a possessive arm around her waist as they headed down the elevator at the end of the hallway.

  Logan saw Tilly's startled look and tried not to look defensive as he shrugged in response, saying offhandedly, "I didn't want anyone to notice."

  Tilly blinked. "Notice what?"

  "That you don't have---"

  Realizing what he was about to say, Tilly simply acted without thinking, nearly stumbling in her haste to tiptoe and cup her hand over his mouth. Oh my God, what was he thinking, saying something like that out loud?

  Her horrified gaze flew up to his, and that was when she saw the sexy little smirk playing on the blatantly sensual lines of his lips.

  Tilly choked back a laugh, realizing he had . "You jer---" And then she remembered where they were, and she hastily backtracked. "You just say, um, the most embarrassingly sweet words, Mr. Hardwall."

  Amused approval gleamed in his eyes even as he reached to gently pull her hand down. "Interestingly enough," the billionaire drawled, "an embarrassment is also what you might be suffering from if this isn't remedied." His other hand lazily drifted over her back as he spoke, settling down a moment later just a few inches over the hem of her dress. The hem, which had sneakily crept up when she tiptoed and was now dangerously close to flashing her butt in front of the dozens of executives making up Hardwall Industries' highest management tier.

  OH MY GOD!

  The billionaire chuckled softly at the flare of panic in her eyes. "Relax, babe. I've got you." His hand subtly smoothed the dress down at the same time Tilly slowly and carefully rocked back to her heels, and she nearly slumped in relief when the moment of danger finally passed without her butt suffering any visual casualties.

  "Thank God that's over," she told him feelingly as they resumed walking.

  "And?"

  Huh?

  "I'm still waiting," she heard the billionaire murmur languidly, and Tilly shot him a bewildered glance. Waiting for what?

  A saintly smile unfolded over his lips, making him appear boyishly good-looking for an instance.

  But then he said---

  "For you to grovel in gratitude, of course."

  A choked laugh escaped Tilly even as she came to appreciate the undeniable truth behind the most common of proverbs. Leopards could never change their spots, devils could never hide their horns, and such was the case with Logan Hardwall, who, despite what his utterly urbane appearance implied, could never be trusted to play the gentleman.

  "Just to be clear---" Tilly waited until they were inside the elevator before turning to the billionaire with lips prudishly pursed in feigned censure. "I'm holding you completely accountable over what happened. If you hadn't threatened to speak about certain unmentionables---"

  Logan smirked. Unmentionables? Hadn't that term been retired a couple centuries ago already?

  "There wouldn't have been any risk of exposure in the first place, and so to answer your question---"

  "I didn't actually ask anything," the billionaire pointed out.

  She ignored that, saying, "No, Mr. Hardwall. I am not going to thank you."

  "Because of what I did earlier?"

  "Yes."

  "Which you considered something only a jerk would do."

  "Your words," she said primly, "not mine."

  "But it's essentially what you're saying."

  Her shoulders moved in a delicate shrug.

  "Since you already think I'm a jerk," the billionaire drawled, "then I might as well act like it, don't you think?"

  Tilly was bewildered at first, unsure of his meaning, but when the billionaire actually bent down to reach for the hem of her dress, and she realized he was threatening to flip it up --- she let out an incoherent sound, something between gasping, laughing, and squeaking.

  Logan Hardwall really was a jerk, but God, he could be so cute about it!

  Also by Marian Tee

  Want More Hot Alpha Billionaire and Biker Romances from Marian Tee?

  Enjoy exclusive excerpts about my newest and upcoming releases by signing up for my newsletter.

  Classics Made Smutty

  Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre Adaptation)

  Fair
ytales Made Smutty

  Stepbrother Prince (Cinderella Retelling)

  Standalone Novels

  Savage, Broken, Beautiful

  A contemporary and sizzling-hot retelling of the Beauty and the Beast, this story starts when Arabella sells herself to a mysterious French billionaire who has her whisked to his remote island.

  Eternal Night

  This is a retelling of Hades and Persephone’s love story, but this time the God of the Underworld finds himself falling for a mortal girl.

  Captivated: 4-in-1 Friends Romance Boxed Set

  Enjoy four standalone romances between passionate, domineering billionaires and the women who were their friends first before becoming their lovers.

  All stories have either happy-ever-after or happy-for-now endings.

  His Fair Lady

  Prince Julian knows the blind fortuneteller Cass is everything he wants in a woman, but she can never be his bride.

  Devoured and Secrets

  Back-to-back standalone novels about cynical Italian billionaire Luca Valencia who buys himself a wife in order to give his little girl the mother she needed and deserved. His choice: innocent Vivian Day, who he knew could ill afford to reject his proposition.

  The Marriage Dare

  Quintessential girl Friday Jane can’t ever say no to a dare. And so when her friends challenge her to make out with a beautiful stranger, she does it. And when said stranger dares her to marry him – she does it, too.

  EVERGREEN’S MAIL-ORDER BRIDES (According to Reading Order)

  The Billionaire Rancher She Married (Devon & Hilary)

  The Billionaire Rancher’s Temporary Wife (Sean & Isla)

  The Billionaire Rancher's Unwanted Wife (Nicholas & Tabitha)

  Bought by The Billionaire Rancher (Logan & Mathilda)

  GREEK / DUTCH BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE (According to Reading Order)

  Greek Billionaire Romance Serials

  The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire (FREE!)

  The Art of Trusting a Greek Billionaire

  The Art of Loving a Greek Billionaire

  The Art of Forgiving a Greek Billionaire

  The Art of Wedding a Greek Billionaire

  The Art of Kissing a Greek Billionaire (FREE!)

  The Greek Billionaire and I (Standalone)

  The Greek Billionaire and His Secretary Series

  The Greek Billionaire and His Secretary (FREE)

  Dear Greek Billionaire

  Love, Your Greek Billionaire

  Forever and Ever, My Greek Billionaire

  That One Time (Standalone)

  My Dutch Billionaire Trilogy

  Part 1 (FREE)

  Part 2

  Part 3

  Pollyanna and the Greek Billionaire Trilogy (Innocent and Betrayed)

  Part 1 (FREE)

  Part 2

  Part 3

  Jaak and Ilse: A Dutch Billionaire Love Story (Standalone)

  Acheron's Woman (Standalone)

  Truly, Madly, Deeply (Standalone)

  How Not to be Seduced Series / Mediterranean Affairs (According to Reading Order)

  Nik & Daria

  A Fling with the Greek Billionaire: Prequel (FREE)

  A Fling with the Greek Billionaire: Standalone (FREE)

  Eternally Seduced: Contemporary Romance (7-in-1 Boxed set)

  Included in this bundle: How Not to be Seduced by Billionaires, How Not to be Seduced by Rockstars, How Not to be Seduced by Dukes Part 1

  The Ice Around My Heart (How Not to be Seduced by Dukes Part 2)

  The Rockstar and His Fangirl (Standalone)

  The Rockstar I’ve Loved for So Long (Standalone)

  BBF Series: Christopoulos University (According to Reading Order)

  Warning: Love Moderately Duology (Derek & Jaike)

  Unwillingly Yours (FREE!)

  Meant to Be Yours

  Park & Violet (Standalone)

  Nick & Lilac (Standalone)

  Jason & Keanne (Standalone)

  Prince of Darkness Duology (Reid & Fawn)

  Part 1

  Part 2

  For Angelo (Standalone)

  My Greek Billionaire (Alyx & Nathan)

  My French Billionaire (Christien & Kharis)

  IN BED WITH A BILLIONAIRE Series

  My Russian Billionaire (Sergei & Fredericka)

  My Greek Billionaire (Alyx & Nathan)*

  My Italian Billionaire Part One (Anneke & Marcus)

  My Italian Billionaire Part Two (Anneke & Marcus)

  My French Billionaire (Christien & Kharis)*

  My Arabian Billionaire (Khalil & Harper)**

  *also part of BBF series

  ** also part of the Desert Sheikhs series

  DESERT SHEIKHS Series

  My Arabian Billionaire (Khalil & Harper)

  Malik

  Rayyan

  Tarif

  Altair

  GREEK. BIKER. BILLIONAIRE.

  (Heart Racers: Christopoulos University According to Reading Order)

  Leandro

  Helios

  Kellion

  Yuri

  Andreus Part 1

  Drawn / Russian Stepbrother Romance / Play With Me Sports Romance Series: Christopoulos University (According to Reading Order)

  Drawn (Standalone)

  Russian Stepbrother Romance Trilogy

  When I Moan

  When I Hurt

  When I Love

  Play With Me (Standalone)

  This Round I’m Yours (Standalone)

  Love You Again (A Standalone Sequel to Drawn)

  My Shameful Secret Series

  Voyeur & Stalker

  Visit Marian Tee’s website for her other titles.

  Chapter 1

  Harry, that bitch. Caryn, her boss' wife, had the tendency to mutter the words every time she was in a bad mood. It had Tilly so curious that she actually logged in to her dormant-for-years account on Facebook, just to see who this Harry could be.

  It took a lot of snooping and digging, but she eventually found the person she was looking for, and Harry turned out to be someone previously employed by Sweet Life The real estate agency was where Caryn also used to work, before having met Tilly's boss and eventually becoming Mrs. Lionel Hodge.

  Harry, on the other hand, had apparently quit working for similar reasons, but while Caryn ended up married to a seventy-year-old millionaire, the other girl had tied the knot with none other than Devon Montgomery, a thirty-something billionaire who was as devilishly handsome as Mr. Hodge was wrinkly.

  Having seen Harry's photos, Tilly had no problems guessing why Caryn seemed to violently dislike her former colleague. Caryn was drop-dead gorgeous in every sense of the word while Harry was the cute and curvy girl-next-door type. Vain as she was, Caryn no doubt thought it should've been her who had ended a handsome billionaire's wife.

  "God, I hate that bitch."

  And there she went again, Tilly thought while working on the garnish of the pasta salad she was about to serve.

  The kitchen in the Hodges' home had an open layout, allowing Tilly to observe the two women seated at the dining table as they went through photos posted by a website dedicated to San Antonio's high society.

  "She really is an eyesore, isn't she? I mean, God, would you look at the size of those hips?" Lena, Caryn's best friend, seemed to take the cattiest amount of pleasure in her observation. "I won't blame Devon Montgomery if he feels like he's going to bed with a whale every time he sees her without his clothes."

  Tilly managed not to roll her eyes as she loaded the plates on the tray. Horrible, horrible witches, she thought disapprovingly as she started serving the women their salad. Under their glamorous disguises, with their salon-styled tresses and on-point makeup, that was all Caryn and Lena were, and it was probably why God couldn't yet bless them with men who looked as good as their bank accounts.

  "Look at that smile, Len." Caryn practically broke a nail as she furiously jabbed at the couple's pho
to on her cellphone's screen. "He's obviously faking it."

  "I know, right?" Lena wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I mean, let's face it. Whatever reasons he has for that mail-order bride thing? It's obvious he's realized that they weren't enough to tie himself with a cow for the rest of his life."

  Tilly's ears perked up as she walked back to the kitchen. Mail-order bride thing?

  "I called up Heart's Match, the agency who arranged their marriage? They totally wouldn't talk to me and even threatened legal action if I ever spoke about that bitch in public."

  "Oh my gosh, the nerve!"

  "I know, right?" Caryn's voice was full of bitter resentment. "Honestly, I think that company's a total scam. Like they're really in it for true love."

  "It's always about the money," Lena derided. "But you'll see, Car. That woman's not going to last in those circles. Sooner or later, someone will tell it to her face that she'll never fit in---"

  Caryn suddenly sat up. "Oh my God, I just have the most fantastic idea. What if we write anonymously to the press, let them know about the ugly truth behind their marriage? Can you just imagine what it would do to her?"