Billionaire's Sweet Challenge

Chapter 8

What the heck is wrong with you, Lexi?

Lexi grimaced, stepping out of Kris' bedroom and closing the door behind her. What the hell had she been thinking ogling at him like that? It wasn't like she'd never seen men naked.

But damn, she had to admit that his nude torso was just as she'd imagined; perfect and hands down drool-worthy.

Kris finally came out a few minutes later, dressed in a simple, plain no-butoon T-shirt that fitted his torso on top of white black shorts. She'd never seen him in casual wear, but Lord, only this man could make casual look so damn exquisite. Lexi forced herself not to oogle again.

“Shall we?” He asked, a smug smile on his face. Lexi rolled her eyes and they walked down the long hallway side by side.

When they got to the stairs, Kris placed his hand at her waist. The touch was even lighter than the ones from earlier and yet it made relish run through her. If she was going to get through this in one piece, she was going to have to keep her reactions around the man in check.

Most downstairs were looking up at them with smiles on their faces and enthusiasm. Lexi could just hear their thoughts; they look so beautiful together. She couldn't resist a scoff.

“Oh dearie, I told you to rest if you needed to.” Cornelia said, meeting them halfway through the living room.

“Oh no Mrs. Reynolds, I'm not that tired.” Lexi assured her. “I want to be with you guys.”

Waving Lexi off, the woman bestowed her a mock stern look. "Don't you dare add the 'Mrs' tag here, dear. Come on, just call me Cornelia!"

“Of course, Cornelia.” Lexi smiled, already loving the woman's down to earth nature.

"Abel dear,” Cornelia called out to a child of about ten who was walking by. “Please tell Chleo to bring us an extra bottle of champagne. My daughter in law needs some refreshment after her trip."

Abel nodded enthusiastically before running off towards the kitchen. Lexi offered Cornelia a smile. "Thank you, Cornelia.”

“Mum, where's Ana. Don't see her anywhere.” Kris asked his mum.

Cornelia grimaced, waving her hand dismissively. “You know that girl. Never puts her butt down whenever she comes to California. Always going to this friend or the other. Anyways, I called her to tell her you'd arrived and she said she's on the way.”

Right then, as if summoned by Kris' enquiry, a high pitched screech carried over even through the already present cacophony of voices. “Kris!”

Lexi looked in the direction of the yell to find a young woman running towards them. She had dark blonde hair like her mother and Kris's. and she was just as beautiful. It seemed to run through the family.

She flung herself at Kris, making him stumble and grunt disapprovingly. Lexi stepped aside to give them space. “Ana, ease up, will you?”

Despite his words, he wrapped his arms around his sister and pulled her closer, his face and eyes lighting up. This was the sister he'd been talking about. Kris had told her how they'd each loved to get the other in trouble growing up. They seemed to have a fine relationship. It reminded Lexi of herself and her sister.

“Anabelle, let go of that boy and greet your sister-in-law.” Cornelia muttered impatiently. Lexi almost cringed at the reference.

Ana pulled back from the hug and turned to look at Lexi excitedly. "Mother won't stop talking about my brother bringing over his girlfriend ever since I arrived. Nice to finally meet you. You're so beautiful, my God! You deserve more than my brother, you know.”

“Thank you very much, Ana.” Kris said sarcastically. “Your sisterly love is very refreshing.”

Both Ana and Lexi chuckled as they eased into a hug. "Thank you, Ana. The pleasure is all mine." Lexi smiled after they'd pulled back from the hug.

Apparently, they weren't the only ones who hadn't arrived early to the reunion. Before long, Lexi was introduced to so many people that she knew she was just going to forget the names attached to some faces, and she wondered whether the mansion was going to accommodate them all. No doubt it could. 'Huge was probably an understatement to describe it's size.

Finally, Cornelia announced that dinner was ready. Lexi hadn't realized how hungry she was.

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Dinner was a pleasant but rather raucous affair as everyone, mostly the elders around and across the main long dining table and the three other makeshift ones, talked and laughed, recalling bright moments of the past and sharing aspects of their present, individual lives the other had missed.

When his mother diverted the conversation to something more general and asked for Lexi's opinion, the woman contributed to the conversation like a natural.

Lexi had never had a problem blending in with people, even with those of different age ranks and social status, and Kris had always admired that thing about her ever since they begun working together about a year ago.

Occasionally, they smiled at each other 'lovingly' albeit pretentiously. He took her hand and kissed it once in a while, feeling it quiver in his. The slight responses of her body was almost heady.

"So Kris, cousin," His cousin, Ramiro, who was fond of unintentionally causing trouble for him most of the time, spoke over the loud chatter. "Tell us your love story."

He had a smirk on his face, and Kris glared at him subtly, wondering if he'd seen through his and Lexi's act, and to think he'd thought they'd been pretending so well.

"Well, yes bro. I wanna know too." Ana chipped in enthusiastically.

"We met eight months ago at the opening of his hotel in Albany." Lexi begun so smoothly Kris wouldn't have believed it was a lie had he not been the co-mastermind behind it.

"She was among some of the people who were invited to taste the dishes in the restaurant. She complimented some of the dishes and was brutally honest with the ones she thought needed some improvement. I was enthralled by her beauty and personality."

He gazed at Lexi and wiggled his brows. She did the impeccable act of blushing, but only he saw the look in her eyes and he nearly cringed. "When we parted, I didn't think I would see her again till..."

"Till we met at a cafe in Rockford." Lexi completed his statement with a smile.

The attention everyone seemed to be paying was a bit unnerving. "I couldn't have missed that beauty anywhere. I approached her, we talked, I took her number, and here we are."

He and Lexi had thoroughly discussed the story to tell when they were asked how they met, but he was marvelled by how a lie could sound so real.

"You must be feeling so lucky." Ramiro mused. There was a hint of mockery behind his smirk and words that had Kris tensing.

"Aww, that's so beautiful." One of his aunts drawled with a dreamy look that made her husband laugh.

"It is!" His mother squealed, smiling as she turned to his father. "Raymond, you remember how we met?"

"How could I ever forget?" His father crooned, wiping a corner of his mother's mouth with his thumb lovingly. "You'd come for an interview for a chance as my secretary."

"And you'd been such an asshole." His mother added, a reminiscent smile on her lips.

"Funny you fell in love with this same asshole." His father laughed, capturing his wife's lips with his before whispering, "I love you."

"Aww, you guys should stop being so sweet." One of his aunts chastised teasingly, pointing her chin towards the children and the teenagers, who sat a bit far from the adults around one of the long dining tables, gazing at Kris's parents with sheepish faces. "I'm still too young to get diabetes."

Chuckles mingled across the tables, after which a whole new chatter begun with mostly his aunts regaling them with tales of how they'd met and fallen in love with their husbands while the men chipped in whenever necessary.

As Kris watched his parents, so in love even after spending 32 years together, he couldn't help the sense of longing that washed over him. The longing for a love and marriage that could endure for so long, for forever.

Inexplicably, he found his gaze drawn to the woman beside him. She had a similar look of longing on her face, except there was something about it Kris couldn't explain.

Lexi remained silent throughout the rest of the meal, which compounded Kris's suspicion that something was wrong. The chatter resumed after the plates were cleared and they retreated to the living room, until his mother suggested that everyone get some rest and resume the talk tomorrow. It was a welcome suggestion. His muscles were pleading for a good night sleep anyways.

His mother pulled him to the side after the exchange of goodnights and the dispersing of some of his relatives to their assigned rooms. "Alexa is such a nice girl. I'm sure she'll make a good wife."

"Mum, Lexi and I are still going steady. It's too soon to talk about marriage right now." He pointed out, feeling guilty once again.

"Whatever. Just take care of her. I feel you will be losing a lot if you let her go."

If only you knew, Kris thought. If only you knew about her penchant for f*****g different men.