Tempting: A Cinderella Billionaire Story

by Sophie Brooks

  “It is indeed.”

  Wonderingly, I ran my hand over it. The material was very thick and durable. It was light-years better than that flimsy plastic thing I’d bought. Though plaid wasn’t my favorite color scheme, I had to amid it was a very nice blanket. After all, this blanket was indirectly responsible for Zoe meeting her grandmother for the very first time. We’d only gone to Ellen’s’ house because Blake wanted to retrieve it.

  “Wait here while I set everything up. That way, you won’t get your shoes dirty.”

  That didn’t make much sense because I’d still have to walk over the grass to get to the blanket, but I was more than happy to enjoy the beautiful day while Blake did all the work.

  Once he had the blanket laid out, and the picnic basket, plates, and other things set up, he came back for me. He offered me his hand, as if he was asking me to dance, and I took it.

  The glint in his eye was all the warning I got before he bent down and slid his arm under my thighs, scooping me up in the process.

  “Blake! Put me down.” Laughing, I squirmed in his arms, trying to make sure that my skirt was covering everything it was supposed to.

  “Of course, sweetheart.” Grinning, he lowered his right arm, causing me to tilt toward the ground headfirst.

  “No! Not like that.”

  “Then maybe you’d better stop squirming. Tonight, in bed, I’ll make you squirm. Big time.” He said that last part with a wink.

  At last we made it to the picnic blanket, and he set me down—feet first, fortunately.

  To my surprise, the picnic consists of chilled champagne, finger sandwiches, and little skewers of cubed fruit. It was delicious, but fun as well. Blake enjoyed feeding me pieces of fruit one at a time, and I even drank half a flute of champagne. Since I wasn’t nursing as much anymore, it seemed all right.

  When we were done, Blake treated me to the same service, carrying me back the pavement and then packing everything up himself. “Care to take a little walk?”

  “Sure.” It had been a lovely day and I wasn’t eager for it to end—though I did want to see our little girl soon.

  Blake took my hand and we walked along a paved path, through the trees and past babbling brooks. Soon, the woods gave way to more landscaped areas, flower beds and trimmed bushes.

  “This is part of the gardens, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. We came through a side entrance.”

  “It’s beautiful.” We were headed toward a central area with a large fountain surrounded by park benches. A row of tall hedges lined the far end of the clearing.

  Blake pulled me to the edge of the fountain and I leaned forward, letting the cool water cascade over my hand. “You look beautiful like that. In that dress with the fountain behind you. Can I get a picture?”

  He pulled out his phone and I was touched. He didn’t usually make requests like that.

  A little shyly, I perched on the concrete wall, the falling water at my back. Blake took one shot, moved a bit to his right, and took another. “Now tilt your head up and close your eyes, like you’re basking in the sun. The way the light’s hitting your hair makes it look like pure gold.”

  Aww, that was romantic of him. I did as he asked, leaning back and lifting my face to the sky, my eyes closed. The sun did feel good on my skin. Warm, but not too hot. “Did you get it? Did you take the picture?”

  When there was no answer, I opened my eyes, looking where he had been before. He wasn’t there. Blinking in the bright light, I looked around, confused. Then a gentle hand touched my knee, and I looked down.

  At Blake.

  Kneeling in front of me.

  Oh.

  My.

  God.

  He smiled at me as he took my hand. “Penny… we’re already a family. You’re the mother of the child I love so much. But you’re also my soulmate. The woman I love. I want you with me, by my side, for the rest of my life. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  My breath caught in my throat as Blake held up a small, velvet box. Inside was a beautiful ring with a single diamond. It was elegant. Classy. And beautiful.

  “Yes,” I said. It was all I could say without bursting into tears, but it was enough. Blake leaped to his feet and pulled me up with him. His arms wrapped around me and suddenly, he lifted me off my feet, twirling me around.

  I clasped my hands together at the back of his neck and our lips met before even before he put me down. The man I loved—and the man my child loved—wanted us with him for the rest of our lives. It didn’t get any better than that.

  Finally, Blake set me on my feet. He plucked the ring out of the box and brought it briefly to his lips, kissing it lightly. “Let’s see if it fits.”

  I held out my left hand and it did, perfectly.

  “It belonged to Ellen’s mother. She wanted you to have it.”

  “I’m so glad,” I said, and it was true. Ellen was a part of our family too, and she was a wonderful grandmother to Zoe. From time to time, even Blake remarked on the change in his mother.

  Holding my hand up, I watched the diamond sparkle in the light. “It’s beautiful.”

  “You’re beautiful. Let’s get you home so you can show Ellen and Zoe.”

  “Okay,” I said eagerly, taking his hand.

  He pulled me down the path, but I slowed as we approached the tall row of hedges. There was an archway in the middle of them, but it was closed off by a white fence. “This isn’t the way we came, is it?”

  “Hmm? Sure it is.” Blake looked around.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Oh. Well, if we go this way, I’m sure we’ll find the car eventually. I was too nervous before to pay attention to where we were walking.”

  I giggled. “You were nervous? Were you that worried about my answer?”

  “A little,” Blake admitted. “Not much, but yeah, a little.”

  “Well, then, I guess it’s a good thing I said yes.”

  “A very good thing.” A glint appeared in his eye. He continued before I could wonder much about it. “Because if you hadn’t, this next part would be pretty awkward.”

  “Next part? Blake, what next part?”

  He didn’t answer. He’d already turned away and was busy sliding back the white fence blocking the archway.

  “Wait, it says there’s a private function. We can’t go in there.”

  “Let’s be party crashers. Come on, Future Mrs. Hollister… let’s live a little.”

  “Blake!” I said, but he’d already slid through the opening between the fence and the hedge. All I could see was the hand he held out, waiting for me. I wasn’t quite sure what we were intruding upon, but I took placed my hand in his and followed him to the other side.

  I gasped when I emerged. There were rows of chairs and people everywhere. Children in their Sunday best ran past the flower beds. The pavilion was adorned with white balloons. It was set up for a wedding.

  “Blake,” I whispered, trying not to draw attention to ourselves. “We shouldn’t be here. This is a somebody’s wedding.”

  He turned to me and grinned. “You’re right, it is.”

  “I know, so we’d better…”

  “Do you know what day it is?”

  What? He was asking me that here of all places? “It’s June tenth. But—“

  “Right. The day my mother reserved the pavilion at the gardens for us.”

  “Yes, I remember, that time we went over to her house for lunch. You were so mad…” My voice trailed off as I looked around. It was hard to see in the bright sunlight, but… but… I knew these people. Most of them, anyway. Vera was here, and my coworkers from the office. And was that Ellen, up front? And Hazel, sitting in the front row, holding a crutch.

  “This… is this… is this our wedding?”

  Blake smiled down at me and kissed the tip of my nose. “You said you’d marry me. Are you changing your mind already?”

  “No, but… we’re getting married? Right now?”

/>   “Right now.”

  “Oh my god.”

  “Don’t start crying!” At the familiar voice, I turned and saw Jana rushing toward me in her floral dress. And in her arms was my precious little girl—wearing a dress made out of the same material.

  I couldn’t believe it. “But you just bought that dress today! How can you match?”

  “Because the Maid of Honor and the Flower Girl have to match. It’s wedding magic.”

  Looking from my best friend to my future husband, my vision blurred with tears, but I refused to let them fall. This was turning into the best day of my life, and I wanted to witness every second of it through clear eyes.

  Jana must’ve been in on the plan the whole time. The spa day. Her steering me toward a dress that was so pale it was nearly white. And now she handed Zoe to Blake and she helped affix a filmy white veil to my hair. When she was done, she plucked a bouquet of flowers off a nearby chair and handed it to me.

  “There. The bride’s ready… now let’s see about the groom now.” She put two fingers in her mouth and emitted a loud whistle, suitable for herding school children or summoning the three tall men who emerged at Blake’s side. I recognized Ryan, whom I’d met several times, but not the other two. Something about the way they were standing together, something about their easy camaraderie clued me in.

  “You guys wouldn’t, by chance, be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?”

  Blake grinned, and the other men laughed.

  “At your service,” Ryan said with a little bow.

  “If it’s all the same to you, could you please hold off ending the world until after my wedding day?”

  “Sure thing.” Ryan winked at me. “You can trust me—I’m Death. And this is War.”

  A man with light brown curly hair shook my hand. “But my friends call me Adam.”

  “And that’s Pestilence.”

  “I’m Tyler. Nice to meet you.”

  Tyler was holding a silver suit coat that he handed to Blake. I took Zoe from him, and he rolled down his sleeves and put it on. Jana placed a boutonniere in his front pocket and then stood on her tip toes, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

  “Hey now,” I said, in a mock stern voice. “That’s my fiancé.”

  “Not for much longer,” she said with a giggle. “Come on. Let’s get you guys in place.”

  Clearly she was in charge, so we all followed her to the pavilion. She took Zoe from me, and they looked so sweet together in their matching dresses. To my surprise, Hazel stood and crutched her way over to stand behind Jana. Her dress wasn’t made of the same floral material, but the coloring matched.

  “Are you sure you should be standing?” I said.

  “I’m fine. You focus on marrying that handsome man of yours before I’m tempted to marry him myself.”

  Jana giggled and placed her hand on my shoulder, turning me around to face Blake. Looking at him made it hard to breathe. He was so damn gorgeous in his suit. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.

  Behind him stood his three best buddies, first Ryan, and then the other two. They had his back, and I was glad. But wait a minute. “You’ve got three groomsmen.”

  “Horsemen,” Blake said with a grin. “What about them?”

  “I’ve only got two bridesmaids.”

  “You’ve got Zoe, too. That’s two and a half.”

  I shook my head. “She’s not on my side, she’s on both our sides. I need another bridesmaid.”

  Blake laughed, but then his smile faded. “Are you serious?”

  “I am,” I said. I saw the minister come to stand between us out of the corner of my eye, but there was something missing. Someone missing.

  Finally, I spotted her, sitting in the first row of the grooms’ side. Quickly, I walked over to her. “Ellen? Would you do me the honor of being my bridesmaid?”

  She blinked up at me in the sunlight. Then her face broke into a radiant smile. “The honor would be mine, dear girl.” I took her hand and led her over to stand next to Hazel.

  Then I returned to my place opposite Blake. “Now I’m ready,” I said, beaming at him.

  The minister’s clear baritone voice carried out over the assembled witnesses, meshing with the distant sound of running water, chirping birds, and children playing. Halfway through the ceremony, Zoe started fussing, but Blake reached around me and took her from Jana’s arms. My sweet girl looked very pleased at the view from her tall father’s arms, and she was quiet, at least until the minister began the vows.

  “Do you, Blake Hollister, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do.” The look in his eyes left me no question that he did. It was still hard to believe this was happening, but it was, and it couldn’t possibly have been any more perfect.

  “Do you, Penelope Jenkins, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do,” I breathed.

  “Do!” Zoe cried out, and our friends and family laughed.

  “We do,” Blake clarified, smiling at the minister.

  “Then by the power invested in me, I now declare you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Applause broke out as Blake took me in his arms, our sweet little girl between us. As he bent his head to kiss me, Zoe leaned forward, and we both ended up kissing our daughter on her chubby little cheeks.

  Everyone laughed, and Blake winked. “You owe me a kiss.”

  “I do,” I said, and Zoe shouted “do” again.

  We turned and faced the crowd, our daughter between us.

  There would be plenty of time to share our first kiss as a married couple later. Just like there would be time to see our little girl grow up with two parents. To start school. To grow into the wonderful young woman I knew she’d become.

  Maybe there’d even be time to give her a little brother or sister. And this time, Blake would be by my side every step of the way.

  We had our whole lives ahead of us. Our whole future.

  Right here, right now, I had everything I’d ever dreamed of. I couldn’t wait to begin my life as Penny Hollister—wife, mother, and businessperson.

  And the luckiest woman in the world.

  A NOTE FROM SOPHIE

  Thank you so much for reading Tempting! I hope you enjoyed it and that you’ll leave a review. Wait, what’s that you’re saying? You’re asking how could Michelle get away with doing all the terrible things she did?

  Good point! She definitely doesn’t deserve to live happily ever after with a diamond necklace, does she? But I wanted to end this book with romance, not revenge. However, I agree… Michelle should not get off free and clear.

  Therefore, I plan to release some bonus material that fills us in on how Blake, Penny, and Zoe are doing. It’ll also include a scene of Michelle getting what she deserves. Please sign up to my mailing list to receive this bonus material when it’s ready.

  Mailing List: Sign up HERE to be notified of new releases and special pricing. Once you sign up, you’ll get Private Instruction for free.

  BONUS NOVELLAS

  On the following screens are two free bonus novellas.

  Wicked Bet features a married couple going through a tough time. They make a bet to see who can do the best job of spicing up their marriage and bringing them closer together.

  Naughty Nights features a young woman who falls for the hot night manager at her hotel in her new town. When they accidentally fall asleep in her room, the forced proximity causes some problems… but also makes some of her dreams come true.

  Both these novellas are from my collection called Bad Boys By Nights. It contains three other novellas as well. I hope you’ll check them all out!

  Novella: Wicked Bet

  Wicked Bet Blurb

  Ian is the
perfect man for me. He’s incredibly handsome, smart, and ambitious. Every time I look at him, I’m amazed he’s mine. Or at least he’s supposed to be mine.

  Despite being newly married, we hardly ever see each other. Ian’s a rising star at his advertising firm, and he works over seventy hours a week. My career as a busy lawyer doesn’t help, either.

  When our close friends break up, it’s a wake-up call for me. I don’t want my marriage to end after just eighteen months. Luckily, I know the one thing that drives Ian more than anything else.

  Competition.

  When there’s a bet on the line, my husband turns into a relentless alpha male. Which is why I challenge him to see who can come up with the naughtiest way to turn up the heat.

  My plan works—Ian’s in it to win it. The hints he drops about the hot-as-hell adventure he’s plotting drive me wild. But does he realize it’s not just a game that’s at stake, it’s our marriage?

  I'm thrilled at the idea of reconnecting with him in such a wicked way, but I'm also just a little terrified. Ian can be intense. Demanding. And capable of pushing every one of my carefully constructed limits. Every. Single. One.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  Chapter 1

  I CROUCHED BEHIND a low wall, aiming a gun at the tall man facing away from me. Was I really going to shoot him in the back? Hell yeah I was. Squeezing an eye shut, I pulled the trigger—once, twice, three times. He spun in surprise, registering the hits while his eyes went in all directions.

  “You’re dead, Shane,” I cried, popping out from behind the crumbling brick wall. It was tempting to shoot again, but he was done and he knew it. A moment later a disembodied voice from an overhead speaker confirmed it, and he slunk away, defeated. Hmm ... this laser tag thing was growing on me.

  Moving on, I looked for my next target. It was employees versus spouses, and I’d already taken out two of Ian’s colleagues. Carefully, I moved along an alley, keeping an eye out for cover in case someone from Ian’s team showed up. I’d always pictured laser tag as people running around in the dark wearing glow-in-the-dark vests. But this was different. It was the ‘largest laser tag arena in eight states’ according to the boring speeches we’d heard earlier.