THE BILLIONAIRE'S SURROGATE

CHAPTER TWO:THE COLLISION

It was a cool Sunday afternoon. Levi had never considered himself religious. Since the mishap that occurred that horrible morning, stripping him of his childhood and catapulting him into unknown terrain, he found it hard to believe a loving superior being would permit such a horror to befall a child. But that Sunday he had felt like going to church again, it was a weird and unwelcome feeling. It was probably due to his unsuccessful search for a wife.

After the incident with Daisy and her brothers, he had taken time off to think. Daisy had come close to being perfect for him. She wasn’t a society climber like half the ladies in LA begging for his attention and she was soft and caring, the perfect characters for a good mother but unfortunately the rest of her family was crazy. He knew he had to get married sooner or later. He owed it to his family to continue the family lineage, it was the least he could do. Uncle Mark had drummed it into his head for ages. Yet even as the most eligible bachelor in LA he couldn’t find a wife. The women were either too greedy or too dumb. All the reputable families were doing their best in shoving their daughters into his life in a bid to tie themselves to his endless wealth. He needed children but he couldn’t land a wife. He couldn’t trust any of them to see his children as anything more than a means to an end. Moreover, he couldn’t imagine tying himself to any one woman for the rest of eternity. Women were sly cunning creatures, he couldn’t entrust his life into any of their hands, not after her. And so after much delibration, he decided the best option was to hire a wife for a season, get her pregnant once or twice and separate from her. It had to be someone in a lower cadar, one who didn’t care for his wealth or charms, someone he could have a non complicated business deal with. Unfortunately, the hunt had proven quite difficult.

Perhaps he needed to seek for guidance from God. Maybe God was angry with his lifestyle and was keeping all the goody two shoes Women away from him. Of course he knew he did not deserve a good woman, he had done his own share of evils, would probably make a terrible husband. But that was exactly why he needed a good wife, one that would make up for him also being a terrible father.

Levi had drafted a list of all the women he considered great candidates for wives. Amongst the ever growing list were his cook, his assistant Sophie and Lucas’s housekeeper. The first two had nearly gone into bouts of epilepsy on his approaching them with his proposal. They had respectfully declined. He couldn’t understand why they would refuse, after all he was offering them a life of endless money and comfort in exchange for a couple of years as his wife. Who would reject him, the most coveted billionaire of LA? It was a position over half the ladies of LA were dying for. Why was he suddenly having issues acquiring a woman? He truly needed the help of God in this wife hunt.

He decided to pay Lucas a visit and possibly get his housekeeper alone for a moment to offer his proposal. He was sure she wouldn’t reject him. Levi knew that Cassandra liked him. She hadn’t bothered to hide it each time he was at Lucas’s. She ensured he was as comfortable as humanly possible much to her employer’s dismay as she did not treat Lucas in such a magnanimous way. Her behaviour towards him was almost comedic in nature. She literally swung her hips in a way that Levi thought resembled a kangaroo hopping, not that he would ever tell her that and she smiled at him ever so seductively he struggled not to laugh each time. He laughed at the image, he would get his wife today.

Plan settled, Levi called for Johnny his driver while he made last minute adjustments to his outfit. He always appeared impeccable to wherever it was he was going, even if it was just a friend’s place. After all he had a reputation to uphold as the most dashing bachelor and he wasn’t one to disappoint. As Levi reached for his walking stick he sighted Johnny in the periphery of his view. “Sir I am afraid we won’t be able to take any of the cars out today, the snow’s made it impossible to drive, Johnny said in his usual detached voice. He seemed to be the only one unaffected by Levi’s aura of dominance and volatile temper. If it was anyone else, Levi would have snapped back or replied with wicked sarcasm and get them running to do his bid but this was Johnny, he would be wasting his breath. If he thought the weather was unsuitable for driving nothing Levi said would make him change his mind. “Very well Johnny, you may leave, I need to exercise my injured knee anyway”. Johnny did not respond, he simply walked away.

Walking had been a terrible idea, the weather was insanely cold and Levi had not been exactly dressed for a walk in the snow. His expensive well polished leather shoes were soaked, cold water was dripping from the tip of his hat and splashing on his face in annoying little drops and his injured leg was nearly numb with cold by the time he knocked on Lucas’s front door.

Levi expected the door to be flung open the moment he knocked, after all Cassandra was very efficient at her work. He waited a full minute and his patience began to wane. He knocked again, harder this time and longer too. By this time, he was already vibrating with barely controlled fury, his fists curled tightly, his nails digging ever so painfully in his palms it was a wonder they did not draw up blood. Suddenly, the door was swung forcefully and before he could think to step in, a soft warm body collided with his with a velocity so fast they both went crashing down into the soil drenched with snow and water, the stranger’s body flushed on top of his. His nose picked up her scent instantly, it was nearly impossible not to smell. She had a sweet scent of apples mixed with vanilla. His mouth nearly watered.

“Oh”, Ariel managed to utter as she looked down at the man she lay on top of. She could have as well fallen on the floor. He was hard as rock. She had for a few seconds thought she had fallen on the floor with how rigid and tough his body was. Assured that she hadn’t broken any limbs she opened her eyes.

Levi hadn’t known why he had just remained on the floor. Perhaps he was waiting for the lady to get off him or perhaps if he were being truthful to himself, it was because he wanted to properly see the face that went with the delicious scent.

As Ariel opened her eyes she met the bluest eyes she’d ever seen staring back at her. She quickly scanned the stranger’s face. He had a jawline cut so sharply it looked more like it belonged to a statue not a human. He had a pointed Grecian nose and his mouth….Dear lord what was she doing gawking at him, the poor man probably was waiting for her to get off him. Immediately, she got off his body; carefully dusting away some snow from her coat.

Levi knew it was his cue to stand up as well. It was only after he rose that he began to feel the cold. His clothes were soaked with water and his white shirt was coated quite artistically with spots of mud. His hat had most likely fallen off somewhere as water was dropping into his collar, quickly coating his neck with moisture. He swung his head to face the lady. “Do you not watch where you’re going Miss, you just soiled my evening attire not to mention I can’t find my walking stick and my leg now hurts two times more than before I came here”. The lady’s eyes flashed. They were a compelling mixture of colors. He couldn’t determine which dominated, there was honey and auburn and something so brown it reminded him of chocolate. It was as though the light was playing tricks with her eyes. “Excuse me Mr whoever you are, you were the one who was standing at someone’s front door doing nothing, please excuse me I am in a haste”. Levi couldn’t reply for what must have felt like an eternity. He simply stood just looking at her blankly. Her voice was something else. It was soft yet strong, like the whisper of spring, subtle yet demanding attention. It went straight into his head and muddled his thinking faculties. The voice cut through his temporary haze. He heard her mutter something under her breath before she turned and walked away her.

Levi sat stiffly in Lucas’s gaming room. He had briefed him on his plans to tackle the James brothers but couldn’t remember why he had thought to come over in the first place. His body was still vibrating with a strange current as his thoughts kept drifting to his not so long ago encounter. The clanking sound of ceramic snapped his attention back. He turned to see Cassie smiling at him as he dropped a tray of tea on a nearby table. “Sorry I didn’t get the door quickly sir, you’re soaked”, Cassie said as she drew closer to him a tea cup in hand. “I thought to bring you some hot chocolate to warm you up”. Yes Cassie, he had come here for her. He turned to Lucas and whispered. “Can you give me a quick moment with your housekeeper”? Lucas brows shot together in confusion. He seemed to have considered the idea for a moment before finally nodding and leaving the room.

Levi turned to Cassie who was finishing with setting the tea beside him and motioned that she come closer using his index finger. When she was a mere breath away from him he flashed her a seductive smile and placed his hands on her waist, drawing her into his lap. Her breath hitched ever so slightly, beyond that she made no sound as her round eyes blinked at him in rapid succession. He fingered her smooth locks and brought his mouth close to her ear. "I have something to ask you Cassie, I'm positive you'd be delighted to hear it".