Married by Midnight (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series, #12) by Judy Angelo

They’re fit for the grandest ball.”  And before the tears could spill over and embarrass her she reached out and pulled Claire into her arms and hugged her tight.  “Thank you.  Thank you so, so much.”
    Her resolve not to cry was dashed when Claire hugged her back then gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.  “No, thank you, my dear,” the kind lady said, “for all the joy you’ve brought into my life.”
    With those words Claire shattered Golden’s feeble hold, making her dissolve into tears.  It took several seconds before she could let go. Finally, she released Claire then pulled back with a sniff.  “You’re so kind,” she said, her voice hoarse.  “I’ve never had a friend like you before.”
    “You deserve lots of friends, my dear,” Claire patted her gently on the arm, “and I hope this young man will be one of them.  Now hurry up and get on home.  You don’t want to be late for your first date.”
    Quickly, the ladies repacked the boxes and bundled her out of the room.  Golden didn’t even get a chance to hug Therese and Elizabeth.
    But as she hurried home in her faithful old Vauxhall she was all smiles.  Even if nothing else went well on the date tonight she knew she would look spectacular.
    She hoped Reed would notice.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    Y ou’re an idiot.  You’re the biggest fool alive.  Why don’t you just give up ?
    “Oh, shut up,” Reed muttered under his breath as he steered the Aston Martin down the country road toward Golden’s home just outside of North Ockendon.
    He had one part of him spurring him on, telling him to go with his heart, but then there was another part trying hard to drag him back down to reality, a reality he didn’t give a damn about.  Not right now when he was about to spend the evening in the company of one of the most intriguing women he’d ever met.
    It had been just a little over twenty-four hours since he’d last seen Golden but it felt like a year.  He still couldn’t believe how much the girl had grown on him.  He’d spent most of the day on the golf course but all he’d been able to think about was his employee – Golden smiling, Golden busily tapping away at the keyboard, Golden staring off into the distance when she thought he wasn’t watching, looking like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.  God, he was pathetic.  It was like he was sixteen, not twenty-six.
    Looking for some distraction Reed switched the radio on then relaxed back in his seat to enjoy one of his favorite classics, ‘Dancing Queen’ by Abba.  He might be only twenty-six but he was an old soul where music was concerned.  His face broke into a smile at the thought that most of the songs he loved were a lot older than Golden or even himself.  She would probably find him strange, maybe even boring.  Somehow, though, he had a feeling that if even not with music they would find they had a lot in common.  He certainly hoped so.
    When Reed got to Golden’s house he raised his eyebrows in surprise.  Based on her humble demeanor he’d expected her to live in a modest home but the house by which he’d parked was far from modest.
    An old English country manor, it was set in the middle of wide open green fields, the rolling hills behind it forming the perfect backdrop for a picture of perfect peace.  The incongruity of Golden’s home made her all the more intriguing.  Why would she live in apparent comfort and yet seem so modest and frugal?  Her behavior was unusual, especially in one so young.
    But when he knocked at the door and Golden came out to greet him, all questions and musings were wiped from Reed’s mind.  All he could see was Golden in her glory.
    Hair the color of early sunset curling around her heart-shaped face, falling in soft waves over her shoulders and down her back, her sleek body sheathed in a burnt-gold gown that looked like it had been designed only for her, her tiny feet encased in high-heeled gold slippers that sparkled in