CHAPTER 1
"What're you going to do Zach?"
"I don't know," Zachary Collins replied to his friend Gideon. "I know that I'm not going to marry Abigail Stapleton, and I'm not letting my inheritance be donated to charity."
"You will if you're not married within the next four days," his friend Colin said moving over to the huge bar in their hotel suite and pouring himself a drink.
"I can't believe my father would put me in such a situation," Zachary said joining Colin at the bar and pouring himself a drink.
"I wasn't surprised," his friend Aaron said.
"Of course you weren't," Zachary said picking up a pillow off the couch and throwing it at Aaron.
"Your father was my father's solicitor, and you witnessed his will. You knew about this before I did."
"Yes, I did," Aaron said dodging the pillow, "but professional ethics wouldn't allow me to tell you about it."
"I can't believe it's been almost six months already since my father died," Zachary said, "and since the reading of his will, ruining my life."
"I don't think your father was trying to ruin your life," Colin said. "I think he was trying to get you to take your life more seriously and to settle down."
All the men looked at Colin and after a few seconds everyone broke out laughing. Everyone except for Zachary who was looking at him like, he wanted to kill him.
"You don't have to get married," Aaron said to Zachary, "you could allow the money to go to charity."
"There's no way I'm going to allow over fifty million pounds to go to charity," Zachary said looking at Aaron, as if he'd lost his mind. Zach's cell phone rung. He looked at his screen and saw that it was Abigail Stapleton calling. Against his better judgment, he answered the phone.
"Hello," he said his tone flat and not hiding the fact that he didn't want to talk to Abigail.
"Hello, hubby," Abigail chimed her voice cocky and confident, "are you heading back home soon? Everyone is preparing for our wedding day that's only four days away. When can we expect the groom home?"
"I'll be home soon," Zachary said, "but we won't be getting married."
"We will be getting married Zachary Collins," Abigail said her voice showing her determination to have Zachary as her husband. "I can't see you letting one hundred million pounds go to charity."
"The money's not going to charity because I'm already married," Zachary lied tired of her cocky attitude.
"You're what?!" Abigail screamed.
"I'm married," Zachary said. "So you and my mother can stop with your wedding plans because the wedding has already taken place."
"Whom did you marry?" Abigail demanded to know.
"Our connection seems to be failing Abigail," Zachary shouted into the pone holding it away from his ear.
"What is the woman's name?!" Abigail shouted.
"I'll talk to you when I return home!" Zachary screamed. "The connection seems to be getting worse."
Zachary pressed the button on his phone that ended the call.
"Have you lost your mind?" Colin asked after Zachary hung up his phone. "Why did you lie to Abigail?"
"Because she was getting on my fucking nerves," Zachary said. "She's so bloody sure that she's the one, I'm going to wind up married to. I'm not marrying that cow! I'll let the money go to charity before I let her get her claws into me."
"What're you going to do now?" Aaron asked.
"You've only got four days before you either get married to a woman you choose, to a woman of your mother's choosing or your inheritance goes to charity."
"I'm going to get me something to eat," Zachary replied.
"You're what?!" his friends said in unison.
"I'm going to get something to eat from the restaurant downstairs," Zachary said heading for the door to his suite.
"How can you think of food at a time like this?" Gideon asked. "You need to think of a way of getting out of the lie you just told Abigail."
"I'll think of something after I've filled my stomach," Zachary said. "Are you gentlemen going to join me or shall I eat alone?"
All of his friends stood and headed out of the room, into the hall, towards the elevator. "Do you think they'll serve anything we're going to want to eat?" Alexander asked.
"We're in Atlanta, Georgia, Alex," Zachary chuckled, "not Saudi Arabia and this is my hotel, of course we're going to serve something we're going to want to eat."
"You just bought this hotel, Zachary," Alexander pointed out. "You haven't had time to make changes to the menu."
"True," Zachary agreed, "but I'm sure things have improved a great deal since the Civil War and there will be something on the menu that'll appeal to our British sensibilities."
Everyone laughed as they entered the elevator.
"Stop it guys," Zachary said as the elevator made its way down to the lobby. "You want everyone to think we don't have the good breeding and class everyone expects British citizens to have?"
"You're right Gideon said. "We mustn't forget the good breeding and manners we're known for."
"You better hope they never see you after a night of partying and hard drinking," Aaron said. "That image would blow it for every British citizen on the planet."
"That image would blow it for the British citizens that haven't been born yet," Colin said.
They were all laughing as the doors of the elevators opened. They exited the elevator and made their way to the hotel restaurant.
As they were entering the restaurant Zachary's cell phone rung again. Zach told his friends to go get a table, and he would join them after he handled the call.
He took out his cell phone and looked at the screen and saw that it was Abigail calling him again. He sent the call to his voice mail and turned his phone off.
Deciding to order a drink before he joined his friends Zachary made his way to the bar. He ordered himself a gin and tonic. While he was waiting for the bartender to prepare his drink the conversation of two women sitting to his right drifted into his ear.
From what he could hear of the conversation the two women were, sisters and one sister, was in dire need of the other sister's help. But, the sister didn't seem to be in a sisterly mood to help the other.
"Brie, please let Emilee and I stay with you for a few days," Zach heard one of the sisters, plea.
"Ciara you know Emilee doesn't get along with Carl," the other sister replied, "and Carl doesn't like it when people stay over. He likes to come home and relax. And he can't do that with other people in the house."
"All I'm asking is that you let Emilee, and I stay for a few days," Ciara said. "I'll talk to Emilee and we'll stay out of Carl's way. I promise."
"I can't do it," Brie said. "I wish I could but I can't. You should have prepared for this Ciara."
"I did prepare for it," Ciara said. "I saved up money, but the money is gone now."
"You lost your job three months ago, Ciara," Brie pointed out. "I can't believe you haven't found another one by now."
"I've been looking for another job," Ciara said, "but the job market is very competitive right now and finding another job isn't as easy as you think."
"Isn't this something," Brie said her tone smug and superior thinking of the ironic turn her sister's life had taken. "Everyone thought that since I was the "wild one" that I would be the one to get pregnant before getting married. That turned out to be you. They thought you would be the one that would always have a job because you went to college and got a diploma in computer science and computer programming, but look who's without a job and looking for a place to stay. I bet momma and daddy are turning over in their graves."
Brie started laughing and it was more than Ciara could stand. She got up from the table and rushed out of the restaurant.
As he listened to the two women talking, an idea took root in Zachary's mind. It was a crazy idea, too crazy to be considered under normal circumstances, but he wasn't operating under normal circumstances.
He was in a fix and the woman sitting beside him was in a fix. The solution he came up with would benefit both him and the lady. But, only if she would agree to go along with it.
Zachary followed the woman out of the restaurant catching up with her as she stepped out of the lobby doors, calling out to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Excuse, me," he said as the woman stopped, and turned to face him.
Ciara turned to see who'd tapped her on her shoulder. She was surprised to see a strange man standing behind her.
Ciara put his height at about six feet, six inches tall, his weight about two hundred to two hundred ten pounds. His facial features made him very appealing to look at with his brown eyes, shoulder length dark brown almost black hair. He had a roman nose, strong chiseled chin. His physique was very appealing as well featuring broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His clothes covered his tanned body fitting him like what they obviously were tailor-made and expensive.
"Excuse me," Zachary said.
"Yes?" Ciara replied stepping away from the stranger standing in front of her.
Zachary observed the woman standing in front of him.
Ciara Walker stands five feet eight inches tall, weighs one hundred forty-five pounds, her eyes were the darkest shade of brown Zachary had ever seen, they were red because she had been crying, and sat above the cutest pert nose, he'd ever seen. Ciara's hair was braided, pulled back in a ponytail, came to rest just pass her shoulders. Her skin reminded him of a Reese® cup. Her lips full and kissable were turned down, sad and began to tremble. Her figure was covered up by the large novelty T-shirt that read; If I'm still alive, I can still win, written across it in big white letters, loose fitting jeans, and she wore white sandals on her feet.
"Are you alright?" Zach said asking what he knew was the stupidest question he could ever ask her at this moment.
"I'm fine," Ciara lied reaching up to wipe away a tear from the corner of her eye before it fell, then turning to leave.
"Would you mind if I bought you a drink?" Zachary asked.
"I don't accept drinks from strangers," Ciara said turning to leave once again.
"My name is Zachary Collins," Zachary said introducing himself to Ciara, holding his hand out so that she could shake it. "My friends call me Zach. Only don't call me that in front of my mother it makes her angry."
"Ciara Walker," Ciara said chuckling at his little joke and shaking his hand.
"Will you join me for a drink now, Ciara?" Zachary asked.
Ciara looked at the man a few seconds trying to gauge whether she got a good or bad vibe off the man standing Zach.
"I assure my motives, are non-threatening," Zach said smiling at her.
Ciara didn't return his smile, she just continued looking at him suspiciously.
"I give you my word that I'll be a gentleman the entire time," Zach said holding up his right hand and making the sign of a cross over his heart. "Cross my heart."
Because she didn't get a bad feeling from him, Ciara agreed to join him for a drink. Zach held out his arm to lead her back into the hotel.
"Where are we going?" Ciara asked.
"Back inside if you like," Zach replied.
