by Lauren Wood
I didn’t want to think about it because even just a sideways thought made my chest tighten up and a lump in my throat forms. I didn’t want to think that this could happen, but now I had to know. I had thought Raphael loved me as well, but I was so wrong that I didn’t even really trust myself anymore. I had to know one way or another how everything was going to be. Then I could move on.
Dad left Keenan’s house. He had a meeting with him later. The look on his face when I had suggested it told me that he wasn’t really sure or not if Keenan would go for it. I think in a way also, he didn’t want to lose his son-in-law. He had always wanted a son, different than my brother and now he had found someone like him, where nothing was ever enough.
“Call me when you know something.”
“I will Gemma.” That was the last thing that he had said to me and I knew that he wanted to tell me no. But how could he after he had done so much to get rid of Raphael? He really couldn’t and even though now I know it was a favor, I hoped that this time would be different.
I paced most of the time and even though I knew that I should stop worrying about it because nothing was going to change with my worry, there was no part of me that could think of anything else. I couldn’t see our future in my mind anymore, not until I knew the truth.
It was almost an hour before dad called me and it sounded like he was out of breath.
“I did what you asked Gemma.”
“And?” He was killing me, he really was. Did he know how much I wanted to yell at him?
“He refused me in a very rude and vulgar way if you must know. I think he hates me. He stormed out of here like a bad out of hell. I wish you wouldn’t have made me do it Gemma.”
I felt bad, a little bit, but I knew that it had to be done. Whether it was crazy or not, I had to know and now that I did, I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. Now dad was upset about Keenan’s reaction, but I wouldn’t have been any happier with any other scenario, not that I could think of anyways.
“Thanks dad. I will try to smooth it over.”
He wasn’t sure I could. “You don’t understand Gemma. I thought he was going to lose it.”
“How much did you offer him?”
“Enough.” Ronald didn’t say anymore and I had a feeling that his enough was more than I could imagine. It meant that there was nothing more to say or think. Keenan really did love me and I felt bad for going through all of this to find that out. I should have known, even if it was hard to imagine after being so wrong before.
About the time I got off of the phone with dad, I could hear Keenan coming through the front door. It was hard to miss it because he slammed it on the way in so hard that I thought he was going to break something.
“What’s the matter baby?”
Keenan looked at me and I could see he was still steaming from the conversation with my father. I was starting to think that telling him that I had him do it was not the best thing to do. I had to, but I certainly wanted to feel this out first and if nothing else, I had some surprise news that I would throw in if I had to.
“I don’t want to talk about it Gemma. I am so upset right now.”
“Do you want a glass of wine?”
“Whiskey and you have a deal.”
I grinned at him and told him that I would get him some. It didn’t take him but a sip to act like he was feeling a little better, but then he realized that I wasn’t drinking with him.
“Oh, I guess I am just not really feeling like it right now. You go on though. It looks like you have had a long day. Was it work?” I hated lying to him, or what felt like lying to him, but I wasn’t ready to tell him what part I had played in his bad day.
“No it was your father. Gemma, I know he is your dad, but I can’t work with him anymore. I don’t want to even be around him anymore and I think that we should rethink our holiday plans.”
He really was mad and soon he was going to have us moved away. Was he that made at the mere suggestion of it or was it something else.
“You are going to have to tell me what happened before we change plans Keenan.’
“But I am your husband, who would you choose?”
He was looking at me earnestly and I was floored at the fear that was in his eyes. What in the world did he have to be afraid of?
“What are you talking about?”
“I need to know that if something happens between me and Ronald that you will choose us.”
“Of course I would Keenan. You are my husband and I love you.”
“I love you too, but I just want you to know that not everything is as it appears. Your father…”
I stopped him with a hand up and told him that I knew.
“You know?”
His eyes squinted at me and I felt the guilt wash over me again. “Yeah, I kind of had him do it.”
“What do you mean?”
I felt like he was never going to talk to me again if I didn’t get it all out. I wanted him to see that I had to and that meant that I had to tell him about Raphael.
“Because I found out that Raphael isn’t dead at all. He was paid off by my father to disappear and he did.”
“So, wait, what?”
It was hard to hear. I knew that it had hit me hard.
“Yeah.”
“So when did you find this out? You never told me about it?”
I bit my lower lip and looked down. I didn’t want him to know that I had kept that from him for so long.
“For a while. And then I started to think about it and…”
“And you had your father do the same thing?”
I shook my head and I still couldn’t meet his gaze. I knew that he was mad at me and I knew that he had every reason to be mad. I had done something that was stupid. I would be the first to admit to it. I had messed up, but I didn’t want him to be mad. I wanted him to understand that I had to or I was always going to wonder.
“I just had to know Keenan. I mean, you did marry me to make more money.”
He started to say something, but stopped. “That was before we were us.”
My heart melted a little and I told him that I knew that, but I just had to know. It was for my own peace of mind.
“I wish you wouldn’t have done that Gemma. That was low. I thought you knew me better than that.”
“I just had to know.”
“Why?”
“Because we are having a child and I don’t want you to be with me for any other reason than that you love me. I had to know before I decided anything.”
“Wait, you’re pregnant?”
I stopped and smiled at the look on his face. He was awestruck and I was even more smitten. He smiled so big and picked me up suddenly and twirled me around.
“I should have known when you turned down a drink.”
“That is why I had to know. Please don’t be mad at dad. It was my fault and I am sorry for doing it.”
“I can’t even think about that right now. All I can think about is the fact that we are going to have a baby.”
“Are you happy?”
I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear him say it. He really did have a way with words.
“I am happier than I ever thought possible Gemma and it is all because of you. And if you have to do these kinds of things until you realize it, that’s okay. I will always love you Gemma, forever.”
He bent down to kiss me and all of the worries washed over me and were gone. It was going to be okay, as long as I had him with me. Now we were going to start a family together and I knew that it was going to be just what I always imagined and more.
THE END
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I hope you enjoyed BE MY BRIDE. For more enjoyment, I have included some bonus stories along with previews of my other books. Please check the table of content to choose what to read next.
And don’t forget to read Exclusive Steamy Romance "DIRTY Neighbor”. A HOT Never Before Published Full Length Novel
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br /> BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE COLLECTION
STALKING BY THE BILLIONAIRE
Chapter 1
A moment like this doesn’t come around often and April knew that her finances would never cover the cost of such an extravagance. She had been fighting the good fight for a long time by jumping from job to job in the food industry. She loved to create and felt stunted by those menus that really didn’t meet up to her standards.
“I wish that I could help you. I don’t really have a penny to spare not with the twins on the way. I need every dollar to make sure that I have enough to live comfortably and be able to send my kids to college. If you had asked me a year ago before I got involved with Lindsey, I might have had a different answer for you.” Conner Mackenzie was the executive chef of a very swanky restaurant on Park Avenue. He was not usually put into position of offering advice to one of his up and comers.
“I knew that it was a long shot. I just don’t know what I’m going to do and that kind of money is not easy to come by. I always feel like I’m fighting a losing battle. When I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I know that something’s going to come around to stop me from achieving my dream.” She was wearing her chef’s jacket and cutting the vegetables in preparation for dinner service. “I want to quit and go out on my own to make the meals that will bring my clientele to my front door. I can’t do that by sitting on my hands and waiting for the world to provide. I’m not foolish to think that fate actually exists. I believe it’s what you put into it that you get back. That’s the reason why I donate my time and my services to local soup kitchens without expecting anything in return.” She’d found that giving back was one of those rare moments that put a smile on her face.
“You are one of the best that I have and to be honest, I never want to lose that. I can see that nomadic spirit and that need to strike out on your own. I would gladly invest in you. I think that I might be able to help you, but it might be a little hard for you to digest. I have one client that would like to remain anonymous that has a real desire when it comes to food. You could call it a fetish.” He didn’t think that she was going to bite on the offer, but it was worth the risk. This girl had all the right curves in all the right places and the kind of sunny disposition that would have that client eating out of the palm of her hand. She was that amazing young talent that would make a certain client very happy to attain her services.
Standing at close to 5’8 and carrying 160lbs had allowed her otherwise prominent assets to be on display for everybody to see. She knew that her main attractive quality was her breasts. They were a natural D cup and had those silver sized nipples that could easily be seen through any fabric that she wore. It didn’t matter if she was wearing a bra and those things had a mind of their own.
“I don’t know if I like the sound of that. My parents might find it a little disrespectful that I trade favors for money. I don’t think that I’ve ever heard any kind of fetish that revolved around food and if I had, I’m not sure that I want anything to do with that.” April was pulling on her blond hair. It was a nervous habit that she had picked up when she was younger and had never grown out of it. She actually found herself biting her bottom lip. She had no idea how she had found the courage to raise her voice long enough to ask for an investment from her boss. It was a sizable donation and not one that didn’t come with some kind of conditions. “I feel like I’m going nowhere quick. It’s like I’m stepping in concrete and eventually it’s going to weigh me down until I can’t breathe. I can see that he’s waiting for an answer and maybe I didn’t make myself clear. He can’t possibly think that I would give in sexually in some lame attempt to satisfy a hunger that has gone unfulfilled.” April wanted to say an unequivocal no to the offer in question, but that was not what was coming to mind.
“I’m not suggesting that you prostitute yourself with food. However, what happens behind closed doors between consenting adults is their business. This man has been coming to my restaurants for over 10 years. He was the one that broached the topic with me and I thought that he was distasteful for even coming up with the idea. I’ve had my fair share of catering to the elite, but this really does go above and beyond. I wouldn’t even mention it, but you seem desperate enough that you would try just about anything.” Conner was that dark Irish transplant that had the accent that would make most girls swoon at his feet. He was always clean shaven and had that smirk as he went around to every table to make sure that they were satisfied. Before Lindsey, he was always finding those groupies looking to make their own splash in the business by doing whatever it took. He had his own version of the casting couch back in the day.
April had been in this business for too long and chasing that dream was becoming a monotonous cycle. She never thought that she would have a chance to own the very restaurant that she had her eye on from the moment that she came into the trade 5 years ago. She didn’t have enough money to go to culinary school, but she always wanted to get her accreditation from the Cordon Blue academy in Paris. That was secondary. The one stumbling block to getting her dream restaurant was $250,000. It might even be substantially less than that since it was already in receivership with the bank. “I feel that I have no choice and that maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he’s making it out to be. It’s not like I’m just going to throw myself at any available man. It has been some time since I’ve been satisfied. Three years doesn’t sound like so much, but my body has been craving the touch of the opposite sex.”
It was getting close to dinner service and Conner could see that she had made a momentous decision that was going to change the rest of her life. He wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to do this, but the 10% finder’s fee would definitely help with the buying of diapers and all those things that a baby or two babies would need. He didn’t feel good about it, but this would benefit the both of them.
“This is your chance. I know how important this is to you. Your father used to own a restaurant and you were the one that he taught everything he knew. I know that you didn’t feel right and that his need to have a son has been a black cloud over your relationship. I think in his own way that he loved you and only wanted the best for you. I could certainly throw you some extra shifts, but it wouldn’t come close to what you could make in one night doing special catering. Besides, you are already working 12 hour shifts and anything more would burn you out.” Conner didn’t want that to happen to April. He’d seen too many young chefs reach for the stars and be burned by getting too close to the sun. Those that had come before her were nothing compared to the genius that was ready to be unleashed within April’s hands and her creative mind.
April debated for a few minutes, mulling over what this might entail and decided that it was in her best interest to at least see what it was all about. It wasn’t like she was some kind of high priced call girl that would bend over backward to please a man with money. She’d been through some hard times with relationships in the past and decided to go cold Turkey for an indeterminate amount of time. It didn’t stop her from using her own talent with her own hands to do what guys very rarely were able to accomplish. She did have to admit that the need did creep up in the middle of the night when it was least expected. “I want to believe that Conner would never put me into a position where I was trapped or felt like I had to scream and not in a good way. I’ve only known him for a short time, but I’ve learned through observing that he only does something for someone else if it’s beneficial to him. I’m not sure what that could mean in this case, but I guess that really doesn’t concern me.”
“I don’t want you to make up your mind right now and there’s always time to revisit this tomorrow or some other day. I don’t want you to take my suggestion as any kind of pressure and I would never want to put you on the spot like that. However that being said, you did say by your own admission that this restaurant will be snapped up by some investor looking to get a foothold in the neighborhood. The only reason why these people are selling in the first places is
because they are retiring to Boca Raton. I would love to buy it for you and have you run it for me on the condition that you pay me back gradually, but all my money is kinda tied up at the moment.” He meant every word that he said. He would have gladly invested high dollars for the chance to ride her coattails.
“I really do appreciate the job and the advice. I am going to need about 24 hours to think about this. That’s the only time that I have and the bank will be fielding offers by the end of the week. I don’t even care if I own the place out right. I would gladly give part of the profits to whoever gave me the money. I would pay them back in interest, but that remains to be seen if I’m going to find somebody like that. I don’t even know where to look for an investor and maybe you can put out some feelers for me.” “I knew that I would survive without the restaurant and that Conner would never get rid of me for somebody inferior. I didn’t want to brag, but my food did speak for itself. The ravings that I got from critics were favorable and I could tell that they were quite impressed by my genius in the kitchen. I just didn’t get the chance to put my own spin on things.”
“I want you to take all the time that you need, April. I don’t want to lose you and I could throw a monkey wrench into your plans, but I won’t do that. I could easily get my uncle to foot the bill for the new restaurant, but he will want 50% of the profits and I’m not sure that you want to take that path. He would probably do it for me, but think that your best bet is Brad Johnson. Oh hell… I didn’t mean to tell you his name and now I’m going to have to put a contract out on your life.” He was only kidding and made that clear by punching her lightly in the arm in a jovial manner.
“You must make one hell of a poker player and I never know when you are bluffing or not. Your expression never changes and I think that Lindsey should be very careful about keeping you happy in the bedroom. You could easily have an affair and the guilt would not eat you up or show any signs through your outward appearance. That’s a very dangerous gift to possess and one that most likely was passed down from one generation to the next. I hope that your commitment to Lindsay is forever and both of you mean the world to me. Without the two of you, I’m not sure where I would be and crashing on your couch the last couple of years have been a godsend. I am glad that I finally got out on my own, even though the place is pretty much barren and doesn’t have much decorative appeal.” “It’s a one bedroom loft upstairs. Conner’s brother in law owns the building, but he doesn’t live here.”