Holly nodded. “Thank you for making it possible.”
“I don’t want to hide anything from you.”
“I’m glad. And now that I’m an IR, I have to get stronger and fitter. You have to train me on Obstacle H until I’m excellent at it.”
He frowned. “Obstacle H?”
“Yes. That one.” She pointed to the obstacle course in his backyard.
He snickered. “Since I approved the design, I think it should be called Obstacle J.”
“Well, I’m the one who uses it a lot. You still like training on Obstacle X more than this one.”
“Because Xavier beat my time again. You know how we are. Always competing on that course.”
“See? So we should leave this one as Obstacle H. Also…”
“What?”
“I’ve just given a magazine interview about how I keep fit, and I’d already called it Obstacle H there,” Holly said sheepishly. “I’ve also sent them a couple of pictures of me on it that they can use.”
He laughed, and a bright idea popped into his head. Holly had just created the perfect timing for something he’d been trying to plan for days.
“Tell you what?” he said, nuzzling her cheek. “We can keep the name Obstacle H forever if you agree on one thing.”
“What?”
“Marry me.”
Holly pulled back, eyes wide in shock. She stared at him for the longest time.
Damn it, maybe this was the wrong move. It was just that he’d been racking his brain for where and how he’d propose to her, and nothing had inspired him except the thought that he’d need to do it when they were alone, given Holly’s public profile. Still, he should have prepared for this rather than going off-the-cuff.
Finally, Holly blinked and stood, crossing her arms.
His heart stopped. Fuck, she was going to say no.
He gulped, his eyes misting. God, he couldn’t breathe. His chest was suddenly too tight.
“That wasn’t a real proposal, was it?” Holly asked in a disappointed tone.
“What do you mean?” he croaked.
“You’re just mucking around,” Holly said with a sad pout. “You didn’t really mean it, did you?”
His jaw dropped, then laughter bubbled out of him from sheer relief. What a moron he was for not giving her the romantic proposal she deserved.
He stood and took her hand. “Come with me.”
“Where?”
“Inside.”
Holly frowned but went with him to the lounge room.
“Hey,” Eve said. “We’re just about to play Monopoly. You guys joining us?”
“Sure,” Jaxon said. “Let me bring out more wine.”
He rushed to the apartment downstairs and opened the kitchen cupboard containing non-essential stuff. He reached for the little box he’d hidden at the back and checked its contents before putting it in his pocket. Then he took a bottle of champagne from the fridge. Good thing he’d thought of readying one, just in case. He hadn’t planned for today to be the day, but he was excited now—and still fucking nervous.
He went back upstairs and noticed Holly’s pensive expression as she sat with the others around the dining table. Oh, no. He better get this done quickly.
“Champagne!” Aidan said, spotting the bottle in his hand. “What else are you hiding downstairs?”
He chuckled. “I thought we might enjoy this today since it’s a special day.”
“What’s so special about today?” Holly muttered, not looking at him.
He placed the bottle on the table, his heart hammering in his chest. Then he lifted Holly’s chair—with her on it—so that she was facing him.
“What are you doing?” Holly shrieked in surprise.
He set her down and pulled out the box from his pocket. Then he got down on one knee.
Holly let out an audible gasp, while the others fell silent.
“Baby, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you,” he started a tad shakily, opening the box and presenting it to her. “You’re the most beautiful soul I’ve ever met, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so very much. Will you marry me?”
“You got a ring,” Holly said with a sniff.
“Yes. Do you like it?”
She dabbed the corners of her eyes. “It’s beautiful.”
Suddenly, Jaxon was unsure again. Why hasn’t she said yes yet? “So, will you marry me?” he repeated, fear starting to take over. God, this was more nerve-racking than anything he’d ever faced.
Holly wiped more tears from her face before sending him the brightest, happiest, most loving smile he’d ever seen. “Yes,” she said clearly.
And he could breathe again.
He kissed her passionately as everyone clapped and cheered around them.
“I was so sad,” Holly whispered against his lips.
“Sorry, babe. I should have planned a more romantic one.”
“No! This is perfect,” Holly said between kisses. “When you said we were joining the game and you went downstairs to get wine, I thought for sure you didn’t mean it.”
“Of course I did. I wouldn’t have even brought it up if I didn’t.”
Holly pulled away, and his breath hitched at the sheer happiness on her face.
“Can I have my ring now?” she asked.
Grinning, he placed it on her finger.
“I love it so much,” Holly said, holding up her hand for a better view. Then she looked at him. “And I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” he breathed, pulling her closer for another kiss.
“You’re not gonna kick us out yet, are you?” Xavier asked dryly.
“We do want to play Monopoly,” Eve quipped.
“And we’re thirsty for this champers,” Aidan said, making to shake the bottle.
“Don’t!” they all exclaimed.
Bryce grabbed the picture of Emma from the table. He stared at it for a long moment, before putting it in his pocket.
Jaxon narrowed his eyes. What did that look mean? He shook his head. So what if Bryce thought the woman was attractive? The important thing was that Bryce did his job as an IR well, and he’d be on hand to help his brother go through the initiation phase.
Aidan popped the cork and started pouring the bubbly in glasses.
Holly curved her arms around his waist. “Are you ready to tell the public we’re engaged?”
He kissed her forehead. “Since I don’t want you taking that ring off, yes, I’m ready. Are you?”
She grinned at him. “Yes. Everyone will be so shocked when I start walking around wearing an engagement ring.”
He laughed. Frankly, he was looking forward to reading the news articles.
“I can’t wait to tell the world you’ll be my wife,” he declared.
Holly sighed blissfully, and he vowed to keep her happy for the rest of their lives.
###
Thank you for reading!
Bryce and Emma’s story is next on Bryce: The Project.
To infiltrate a gang of criminals intent on taking down the Indie Rebels, Bryce starts to date the daughter of the gang’s leader. But can he stay loyal to the Indie Rebels when he starts falling in love with her?
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Want to read the
story of the owner of Alexander Jets—the private jet service mentioned in Chapter 19 of Jaxon: The Assignment?
Simon Alexander stars in The Unmasked CEO (Captured by Love, Book Seven). This steamy, fun and heart-melting novel can be read as a standalone.
He is tired of being a gold-digger magnet.
Simon Alexander, the CEO of a private jet service, is ready to lose his Mile-High-Playboy image. Keen to break the cycle of attracting gold-diggers and being rejected by decent women because of his reputation, he pretends to be Simon James, a freelance chauffeur. When he meets the beautiful Geri Blaine, his new boss’s personal assistant, he believes he’s finally met the right type of woman. But will Geri stick around when he comes clean about his real identity?
She has no choice but to keep the money that’s not hers.
Geri Blaine’s job as a personal assistant and travel companion of a wealthy seventy-two-year-old lady is perfect for her. Needing to hide from a ruthless ex-convict who is after her sister’s money, travelling constantly with her employer was an ideal situation. She quickly finds herself falling for Simon James, their new chauffeur. But what will Simon think of her when he discovers that she’s on the run with the money her sister accuses her of stealing?
* * *
Turn the page to read Chapter One of The Unmasked CEO.
The Unmasked CEO Extract
CHAPTER ONE
* * *
Simon Alexander folded his arms across his chest, annoyed at the uncomfortable feeling being stirred up by the lovefest happening before his eyes. Why did he have to feel envious of his loved-up buddies?
He hid a smirk as Marilyn Grant canoodled with Jarryd Westbourne right in the middle of Brad and Erin Mead’s living room. Well, melt was more an apt term for what Marilyn was doing in the arms of her new fiancé. Heck, the two of them were in the clouds, their faces radiating with a kind of bliss that Simon was certain he’d never ever experienced.
Today was supposed to be Erin’s birthday party and, once again, the celebrations had included an engagement. For some reason, his male friends had a habit of getting down on one knee in one of these get-togethers. It was kind of… motivating.
Simon suppressed a snort at his thought. Him proposing to a woman? What a hoot.
He had to admit, though, that for a while now, a part of him had been wanting some of the love potion these couples had obviously ingested. He was someone who always sought—and got—the best that life could offer, and he couldn’t help but want what they were having.
Problem was, he doubted his ability to stick with one woman forever. He’d sure as hell get bored eating the same food every day, no matter how delicious it was. Wouldn’t that same argument apply to tying himself to the same girl for the rest of his life?
But then again, he hadn’t really tried. It wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?
Cassie Garrett, one of three new mothers in this gang of close-knit friends, sprung to her feet, glancing at the baby monitor that was in a pouch hanging around her neck.
“I got her, honey,” Carter said to his wife.
Cassie flashed an adoring smile at her husband, who was quick to make his way to the guest room where they’d left Chelsea, their five-week-old baby daughter, to sleep.
“I better check on our princess too,” Rick Donnelly murmured, kissing his wife, Lexie, on the temple before following Carter to see to his own eight-week-old, Lara.
“Hey, bring them out here if they’re awake,” Simon called out. He wouldn’t mind carrying the too-adorable infants again. He’d been terrified the first time, seeing how small and delicate they were. But he had the hang of holding babies now.
“Are you getting clucky, Simon?” Lexie asked teasingly.
“No,” he said, sending a comical grin to Julian, Jade and Lucas Renner-Bilton’s four-month-old son.
“You wanna hold him?” asked Natasha Redford, who’d been playing with Julian and successfully getting chuckles out of him.
“Sure.” He took the baby from the very pregnant Natasha, who placed a hand on her full-term stomach, as if feeling something.
“You okay, babe?” Gavin Redford asked his wife, instantly alert.
“Yeah. He just kicked, that’s all.”
Simon couldn’t help but watch as Gavin sat Natasha on his lap, awed at the tenderness on Gavin’s face as he rubbed his wife’s belly.
And that envious feeling poked Simon again.
Honestly, he couldn’t understand himself. He sure as hell wasn’t ready for babies, much less getting hitched to anyone. Maybe he was just so taken by his friends’ lovable kids? Fortunately, he could hand them back to the parents when he’d had enough.
But, yes, he wouldn’t mind having little ones of his own in the future too.
Wooo. Big fucking admission for Simon Alexander, Mile-High Playboy. Maybe he was getting clucky, after all. He never thought that happened to men as well.
Julian started to cry in his arms.
“Hey, little guy. What do you want? You wanna fly on a jet?” Simon made a whooshing sound as he pivoted around.
Julian stopped whimpering and stared at him.
“Aha! You do want Uncle Simon to fly you on one of his airplanes, don’t you?” he said with exaggerated wonder. “Where do you want to go?”
Julian smiled widely, letting out a gurgle.
“You’re a natural with kids, Simon,” Marilyn said with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll bet on you for this round of our Captured by Love game after all. I wasn’t going to, since you made me lose a few times before, but it looks like you’re ready for a family now. You just might beat Tristan and Derek in getting engaged next.”
He shook his head, pulling a funny face for Julian’s benefit. “Like I said before, Marilyn, I’m not after a wife yet. I just don’t want to get turned down again by the nice girls I ask out.”
“I still can’t believe it,” Tristan Grant said in a goading tone. “Mr. Mile-High Playboy Simon Alexander rejected by the last three women he wanted to date. Three rejections in six months. Who would have thought that would ever happen?”
“Hey, don’t forget about the seven who asked me out during that time,” Simon said defensively.
“Yeah, the playgirls, the immature ones, the gold-diggers,” Derek McCarthy quipped, tongue firmly in cheek.
Simon sighed. Those were his words, not Derek’s. And, yes, he was getting sick of the women who sought him out because of his reputation—that of a rich, hunky playboy who liked giving sexy ladies mile-high experiences.
He’d enjoyed that image for years. How could he not, when even some beautiful celebrities and models specifically asked for the owner of Alexander Jets to accompany them to their destinations? Since his clients’ satisfaction was his number-one priority, he was more than happy to comply with their wishes. And, of course, the women were always more than satisfied with him.
But, lately, he’d been getting tired of the kind of girls who clamoured for his attention. They’d been very demanding not only of his time and presence, but also of his generosity. Especially of his generosity. They weren’t even real girlfriends and they had the audacity to threaten to drop him when he’d refused to take them on a luxury trip somewhere or declined to take them shopping.
Pfft. As if he’d cared when they’d upped and left to find someone else willing to fund the extravagant lifestyles they wanted.
Seriously, if he was to keep a girl around, then he’d want someone like his close female friends: caring, smart, independent women who loved their men for who they were, not for the dollars in their bank accounts.
But how could he meet someone like these ladies when their kind was keen to avoid a known playboy like him?
He’d been so seduced by his fast and fun life that he hadn’t been willing to give up his freedom for anyone or anything. Now, karma seemed to have bitten him on the ass and was making him pay for his own emotional immaturity by making him attract only the players and the gold-diggers. His reputation
had cloaked him like a bad smell. When the three nice, relationship-material ladies he’d recently asked out had turned him down, each had said something along the lines of “I’m not that kind of girl.”
What a huge blow to the ego and a big wakeup call! Who’d want to be constantly shunned by nice girls and used by gold-digging players? So, yeah, it was time to distance himself from his playboy image. Thirty-two was old enough for that.
Julian made a gurgling sound and Simon made another funny face, bouncing the baby in his arms. To his delight, Julian laughed.
“Aww, look at that,” Rick said, walking back to the party with Carter, both of them clearly smitten by the precious bundles each was carrying in their arms.
Simon smiled. Fatherhood suited the guys. “So,” he said to no one in particular, “what do you think of my planned experiment to go incognito so I can woo a nice girl without my playboy reputation and financial status tainting how she sees me?”
“Do you already have a girl in mind?” asked Brad, who’d been a busy bee making sure that his wife didn’t lift a finger at her own birthday party.
“No. That’s why I want to stay outside of Sydney for a while, where I’m not well known. If I meet someone who has no idea who I am, I can start with a clean slate. And since I seem to be a magnet for gold-diggers these days, I don’t want to be seen as being rich at any level. So my first option is to pretend I’m just an employee pilot working for Alexander Jets. I can service the regional areas where women wouldn’t know me from Adam.”
“Pilots earn above-average salaries, and Alexander Jets is known to be the top private jet service in Australia,” Natasha pointed out. “That can still be attractive to those wanting a boyfriend only for his money.”
“Hm, true.”
“Why don’t you just pick a country town and look for a casual job there as a farmhand?” Tristan quipped. “You’re a smart guy. You can learn how to milk a cow quick smart.”
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