Then I looked up. Oh my God.
It was Finn, staring at me. He had a wild look in his eyes, and he was breathing heavily, as if he had been running. He slowly walked up to me.
“Amber,” he whispered. I stood up, as if in a dream.
“Why are you here?” I whispered back.
“Don’t leave me.” He looked at me, tears in his eyes. “I couldn’t bear it. I’ve been so stupid. I’ve only just realised that I’m in love with you.”
“You love me?” I breathed.
He nodded, slowly. “I’m an idiot. I should have known, before now. I think I’ve been fighting it. It was just so hard, to open my heart up again. After what happened with Erin.”
He pulled me into his arms, caressing me. “I just know that I couldn’t bear to lose you. The thought of you getting on that plane, and flying out of my life, drove me crazy.”
He tilted my face up to him, staring into my eyes. “I love you, body and soul, Amber.”
“I love you, too,” I whispered. “It had just become too painful, once I realised. I couldn’t stay here, pretending to be your fiancée and fighting my feelings.”
“You love me?” He looked at me, then grabbed me, twirling me around. “You love me!”
He set me back down on the ground. He took my face in his hands, and kissed me, long and hard. I responded, ardently. We forgot where we were, for a moment. The sound of clapping brought us back to reality. We looked around, dazed. People were staring at us, smiling and grinning.
“How romantic,” said a woman, to her companion. We smiled back, a bit sheepishly.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but the next thing I want to do with you shouldn’t be done in a crowded airport.”
I took his hand, not fully believing what was happening.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
We turned the central heating on as soon as we got inside, and he poured us both a drink. He wouldn’t stop touching me, as if he couldn’t believe that I was actually here.
“It’s fate,” he said. “If I had have been half an hour later, I would have missed you. You would have boarded that plane and be flying out of my life.” He shook his head. “Oh, Amber. I couldn’t have borne it.”
“I think it is fate,” I said. “I had my boarding pass. There was no reason why I hadn’t walked through Customs. It was like I was waiting for you, without even knowing it.”
He leaned over me on the sofa, kissing me passionately. It was like we needed to do it, to seal our connection. We had almost lost each other. It had been so close.
We made love like we were drowning, and the other was the only thing saving us from going under. I never knew such passion could exist. When he was inside me, it was like coming home.
A home I never wanted to leave.
Afterwards, as we lay in each other’s arms, he sighed.
“Amber, I need to say this.” He stroked my face. “I know what I want, now. It has never been clearer to me. But I don’t want to stop you from living your dreams. If you want to return to the States, and finish your studies, you should do it. I will provide you with the money you need.”
I looked at him. “You would do that for me?”
He nodded. “I would. We could relocate to the States, the three of us, while you do it.”
My eyes shone with tears. “Finn, you have given me a gift. But let’s not decide, for now. There are law schools in Australia. That’s always an option.”
He smiled, tenderly. “Either way, Amber my love, I want you to be my wife. For real, this time.”
“Is that a proposal?” I smiled at him.
“It is.” He got down on one knee, looking up at me. “Amber, will you be my wife?”
“I will be your wife,” I answered, slowly. “Nothing would make me happier in this world.”
He kissed me. “I think we should go shopping, tomorrow. For an engagement ring. A real one.”
I smiled, looking down at my hand. “Oh, Finn, you don’t have to do that. I already have one.”
“You do,” he agreed. “But that was given out of convenience. I didn’t even pick it. This time, I want us to go together, and we can choose a ring which we both love.”
“Okay,” I said, smiling.
I couldn’t believe it. My fake fiancée was now my real one. I couldn’t wait for our life to begin. With Finn, my one and only love, by my side. Forever.
THE END
Epilogue
Cara
I was shocked as I cleared Customs, walking into Arrivals at Melbourne Airport. There was a throng of people pressed against the gate, jostling signs and shouting. It really unnerved me.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. It had been a long, long flight. Amber had told me, of course. But the information obviously hadn’t entered my brain. I had just crossed two time zones and I felt as if I was a zombie, like I had never slept and would never sleep again. I had never experienced jet lag this bad before.
I scanned the faces in the crowd, confused. Then, I suddenly saw her.
Amber. My closest friend, smiling brightly, jumping up and down. I steered my luggage trolley through the throng towards her.
“Cara! You’re here!” Amber threw her arms around me, almost knocking me to the ground. “What was the delay? I’ve been waiting over an hour!”
“Beats me,” I shrugged, returning the hug. “We didn’t take off on time from Singapore. That might be it.” I looked my best friend in the face. “That was brutal, Amber. The longest flight of my life.”
Amber laughed. “I did try to tell you.” She paused, carefully looking at me. “You look beat. Do you want to have a coffee before we go, or do you want to get straight home? I imagine you just want to hit the sack.”
“Coffee,” I declared. “I want to chat with you, alone, before I meet your beloved. It’s been so long.”
We found a café in the airport, sipping our lattes as we watched the world go by.
“So.” I stretched, feeling the caffeine hit my bloodstream, revitalising me. “Tell me everything! When is the wedding?”
Amber gave me all the details, her face betraying her happiness. “I’m so glad you came. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my bridesmaid. And you will love Finn, and Lilah, of course. I can’t wait for you to meet them.”
“Neither can I,” I said. “Wow! I can’t believe that you are about to get married. And to an Australian! What am I going to do, with my bestie living on the other side of the world?”
Amber frowned. “I don’t want to think about it. I will miss you so much. But you’re here now, that’s all that matters.”
Amber’s cell phone suddenly started vibrating on the table in front of us. She picked it up, mouthing to me that it was Finn. I zoned out while Amber took the call. It wasn’t just the long flight. My mind was in a whirlwind, thinking over all the problems I had left behind in San Francisco.
My medical studies, which I didn’t think I could continue. I had hit a wall, unable to work the long hours of an intern and still work my part time waitressing job. I had felt I was on the verge of a collapse.
Then Amber had called, begging me to come to Australia to be her bridesmaid. I had jumped at the opportunity. A break was definitely what I needed. I had to think long and hard about where my life was going.
Amber ended the call, looking at me in surprise. “That was Finn,” she said. “He was calling about his best friend, Bryce. You know, the one I was telling you about? Turns out Bryce has landed himself in some hot water. One of his old girlfriends has suddenly died.”
“Why has that landed him in hot water?” I asked. “Did he kill her?”
Amber laughed. “No, of course not! Bryce is a pussy cat. He might think he’s the playboy of the Western world, but inside, he is a softie. No, it turns out the ex has a child. And the child is Bryce’s! He had no idea. He is absolutely shocked.”
“What’s he going to do?” I sippe
d my latte.
“He doesn’t really know.” Amber frowned. “But Finn thinks he will take his son in. What else can he do? But it’s a bit of a dilemma. He works from dawn to dusk, plus he’s just taken a secondment to work on the Gold Coast, in Queensland. He’s going to need some help.”
“I’m sure he’ll work it out,” I said.
Amber sat up straighter, looking at me intensely. “You should do it, Cara! Become his nanny.”
“What?” I looked at Amber as if she had just lost her mind. “What are you talking about? I live in the States! I’m just here visiting for your wedding.”
Amber looked excited. “No, but it’s perfect! You said you’re exhausted, not knowing where you’re going with your medical studies. This way, you would have time to think, while earning money. And we would be in the same country!”
I shook my head. “Amber, I don’t think so. I don’t know the first thing about nannying, for a start. And you’re jumping the gun a bit, aren’t you? You don’t even know what this Bryce character is intending to do with this long-lost child. And he mightn’t approve of me as a nanny, anyway.”
Amber smiled. “I can talk him around, and so can Finn. Cara, just think about it, will you?”
I finished my latte, looking at Amber. “I’ll think about it. But not now. Can we please go to your beautiful mansion, so I can get some sleep?”
Amber laughed. “Of course. Let’s go, sleepyhead.”
On the car trip through Melbourne, I went over what Amber had said. It seemed unlikely, anyway. I might not even get along with this Bryce. But if I did, it could be a good opportunity to clear my mind. See what I really wanted to do with my life.
Things weren’t going well in California. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had slept properly. It was becoming a real issue.
I toyed with the idea, a little. Then I abruptly fell asleep, pressed up against the glass of the passenger side window.
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Royal Deal: A Billionaire Romance
Chapter One
The heat slams into me as I step down off the plane onto the private tarmac; oppressive and heavy. A far cry from the cool, crisp temperatures of the air-conditioned cabin of the corporate jet, the Washington humidity is relentless. Beads of sweat immediately form on the nape of my neck, causing my hair to curl. Desperate to escape the brutal heat of the July sun, I hastily made my way to the waiting limo.
Sliding to the far side of the vehicle, I breathe a sigh of relief at once again being in the comforts of air conditioning. Pulling out my compact, I tried to comb my fingers through my hair willing it to straighten back out. With a sigh, I clamp the compact shut; resigned to the fact that the time spent meticulously straightening my naturally wavy locks, had been in vain. Thankfully, my father had deemed it pertinent that we arrive in D.C. a day early to prepare for the upcoming contract negotiations. I would have time tomorrow morning to re-tame the wild tendrils.
The car door opened once more, letting in another blast of heat as my father and his Vice President of Defense Operations, Alistair Todwick, joined me. As the CEO of Aughton Securities and a royal descendent, Michael Sheffield was an imposing figure. A career military man, he spent a decade in the Royal Welsh Regiment before building his defense firm from the ground up. He carried himself with a certain poise. His dark eyes; keen with intelligence and scrutiny, could command your attention from across the room.
Where my father was tall, dark, and formidable; Alistair Todwick was his polar opposite. With fair skin, blue eyes and light hair, Alistair literally paled in comparison to my father. Despite being of royal blood, my father came from humble beginnings. His great-grandmother had been the Countess of Essex and sixth in line to the throne, but she had fallen in love with a commoner. Bucking tradition, she had opted to marry her sheep farmer.
Giving up the life of luxury that the palace provided, she and her husband tended the sheep, worked the farm, and raised their family away from the spotlight. It was the kind of romance that fairy tales were made of. They ended up having five children and 14 great-grandchildren, one of those being my father.
As a sheep farmer’s son, my father had worked his way through college mucking stalls, and working the family farm before setting out to build his dream. Aughton Securities was one of the most prominent defense firms in the U.K. and he also held a position as a member of the Welsh Parliament. He carried himself with an innate hardness and determination.
Whereas Alistair’s family had money, tons of it, and he grew up the pampered prep-school boy with a silver spoon. Attending Eton and later Cambridge, Alistair was brilliant, but he was weak and soft, and carried himself with an air of entitlement. I didn’t understand what my father saw in him, but father continued to praise his work and requested that he accompany us on this trip.
Alistair made every effort to look like the devoted employee in my father’s presence, but behind his back, he scoffed at having to take orders from a ‘hired hand.’ Alistair couldn’t get past the scandal of my father’s great-grandmother not marrying royalty. He could only dream of having the lineage that my father had. He felt that the success of the company was due to his endeavors and efforts rather than my father’s hard work. He also took his sense of entitlement too far, making inappropriate comments and requests to his staff, particularly to the females. He had very strong opinions about a woman’s place; their time better spent on their backs than in the office. Having been on the receiving end of his unwanted advances, I couldn’t stand to be in the same car with him let alone be spending an entire weekend working with him. He made my skin crawl.
Already having a natural disdain toward women, he took particular exception with me and my position as Chief Legal Counsel, despite my qualifications. I had worked my way up through the firm, never accepting a helping hand from my father. Not that it was offered. My father didn’t believe in handouts. No daughter of his was going to be given a free-ride, regardless of bloodline or royal heritage. Nor did I want one.
I was proud of my lineage, but I didn’t want any favors. Technically, my father was the Viscount of Essex, which made me the Baroness of Essex but I never used the title. I wanted to earn my way, rather than have it be handed it to me because of a title. I started as a legal intern in the corporate office at Aughton Securities as I studied contract law at Oxford. Graduating in the top ten of my class, I was offered lucrative partnerships in prestigious law firms across the U.K. and abroad. Instead, I chose to stay and accept a junior associate position in my father’s company.
I still remember the gleam of pride in his eye when I formally announced that I would be following in his footsteps at the company. He had never once engaged me as to what path I should choose upon graduation. I was his only child, his baby, yet he stepped back and let me decide for myself. I respected him so much more for that. In the end, it was an easy decision for me. I wanted to continue the legacy of what he had built. But, I was determined to make a name for myself on my own merit, out from under the shadow of my father.
Over the years, I had worked my way up from junior associate to partner, and now to Chief Legal Counsel. Alistair resented my rise in the company, especially now that my title and position was above his own. Deciding that the only way to gain true control of the company was to be Michael’s son-in-law, Alistair launched a ridiculous campaign to court me. Recognizing him for the lecherous snake that he was, I quite publicly stymied his advances. Letting it be known in no uncertain terms that I was not, nor would I ever be, interested in any kind of involvement with him.
When his efforts to win control of the company through marriage failed, his animosity and cruelty only continued to grow. In the company of my father, he portrayed the perfect touch of admiration, respect, an
d willingness to collaborate. But behind closed doors and out of my father’s earshot, he looked for any opportunity to sabotage or belittle my accomplishments.
Scooting over to make room for them in the limo, I thought about how quiet things had been of late. It could only mean one thing. He was planning something, something big.
Chapter Two
The ride to the hotel was relatively uneventful. That is if you exclude Alistair’s repeated attempts to invade my personal space. Upon climbing into the limousine, rather than take a seat opposite me, he proceeded to slide all the way over to my side so we were touching. Bile rose in the back of my throat as he pressed his thigh firmly against mine. Aware of my discomfort he simply sneered, offering a trite apology.
“Pardon me, Angelique.” But he made no attempts to slide back over.
Refusing to be baited, I simply smiled and said, “Oh, it’s no problem Alistair. I’ll just move over to this side to make room for Father.” Before he could think of a retort, I quickly added, “I know you mentioned wanting to go back over the contract negotiation strategy for tomorrow, and this will give me the space to pull those documents.”
Consciously aware of the length of my skirt, I maneuvered over to the opposite bench seat, careful to keep my posterior away from Alistair’s lecherous gaze. Other than the slight clenching of his jaw, he gave away no indication of his feelings over being thwarted yet again.
Before he could have an opportunity to play musical chairs, I quickly hoisted my briefcase and laptop onto the seat next to me. Continuing the pretense of wanting to peruse the contracts, I pulled out several copies of the draft proposal.
“That’s an excellent idea,” my father said as he climbed in next to Alistair. “I want to make sure that we are well prepared for tomorrow. Ingenix is known for being shrewd negotiators, and I want to make sure that we are all on the same page.”
His Takeover: An Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 35