by Amy Brent
But everything fell to the wayside when Thomas dropped down onto one knee and pulled a box from his pocket.
“I’ve seen your suspicious looks for the past few weeks, and I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if I was seeing someone else. If I had somehow given up on us but didn’t want to let you go because of your money.”
“Thomas,” I said breathlessly.
“And it’s all right you thought that. I promise. But it’s not what you think.”
He cracked the box open to reveal the most beautiful diamond ring I had ever seen. The three-carat ring had one light pink stone in the middle with beautiful yellow ones cascading down the sides. It glistened in the moonlight as tears rose to my eyes, and my hands flew to my face while Lacey squealed with delight in the background.
“You are, without a doubt, the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Moving into that home with you and creating this life with you has been one of the best blessings my life has ever received. I see you with Lacey, and it warms my heart. I watch you laugh with my parents, and it brings a joy to my soul I’ve never experienced. I hold you close to my body at night, and I bury my face into your hair, and the moment I wake up, my heart is filled with every single emotion a man in love could feel.”
“Thomas,” I whispered.
“There are no words to describe what you’ve brought to my life, but I do have the words to tell you that I don’t want to let you go. I don’t want another day to go by where you question where my loyalty lies or where my body lies. I don’t want another moment to go by where you question what might happen in the future or what will happen if this falls apart. I love you, Bridget Meyers, with every single part of my being. Will you marry me so I can spend the rest of my life protecting you and giving you exactly what you deserve?”
“And what is it I deserve?” I asked.
Thomas stood up and plucked the ring from the little velvet case, taking my left hand within his before he poised the ring at the tip of my finger. I could feel his hands shaking around mine, with all of his energy flowing directly into this very moment while he hung onto every word that flew from between my lips.
“The world,” he said.
“Yes,” I said, nodding relentlessly. “Yes, yes, yes! I’ll marry you!”
He slipped that beautiful ring onto my finger, and I threw my arms around his neck. I heard his parents clapping as he picked me up and swung me around, but when my feet hit the sand, I felt a small hand tug at my dress.
“Bridget?” Lacey asked.
“Yes, baby?”
“Will you be my mommy?” she asked.
Tears streamed down my face as I picked her up and swung her around. I planted kisses all over her face while she giggled and kicked in my grasp, and then I set her down and cupped her beautiful face with my hands.
“I would love to be your mommy,” I said.
I wrapped her up in my arms once again before Thomas wrapped both of us up in his. I didn’t know how I could’ve been so stupid as to think this beautiful man would wander off on me like that, but as his grip tightened, I realized I would never feel anything but this for the rest of my life. I felt beautiful, loved, and protected in the arms of this man, and I’d spend every waking moment of my life making sure Lacey was happy and making sure Thomas knew how happy he made me.
Every single day and every single night.
“Come on, you guys!” Mr. Jeffries called out. “I’m hungry!”
“Not gonna lie, but I kinda am, too,” Mrs. Jeffries said.
“How about it?” I asked. “You hungry, Lacey?”
“Always!” she exclaimed.
“What would you like to eat?” Thomas asked her.
“Could we have macaroni and cheese and popsicles?” she asked.
“We can do a popsicle when we get home,” I said.
“But macaroni and cheese for dinner, right?” Lacey asked.
“Whatever you want,” I said.
“Exactly,” Thomas said as my eyes fluttered up to him. “Whatever you want.”
And as his eyes stared directly into mine, I rose up on my toes and captured his lips in a kiss underneath the light of the ocean moon.
***
Thank you for reading ‘Show Stopper.’
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Bonus: No Limits
A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance
Chapter 1
Ellison
“How’s that leg coming, Michael?” I asked.
“Complete bullshit, that’s how it’s coming,” he said. “That trip is a hell of an important one, and now I can’t even fucking go.”
“Well, we gotta figure out who’s gonna replace you,” I said.
“There isn’t anyone, you know that. I know this company inside and out, L. Who the hell do you have that knows this like I do?”
“Well, if you’d kept your balance while you were on top, you wouldn’t be in this position,” I said, smirking.
“I didn’t fucking break my leg fucking my girlfriend, L. I broke it falling down the stairs.”
“She was that good?” I asked.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’d like those details, wouldn’t you?” he asked.
“Hey, you get all the details of my life.”
“Not that I ask for them,” he said.
“Oh, come on. You use my moves in bed all the time,” I said.
“What the hell’s wrong with you, L? I wouldn’t use your fucking moves if I was—”
“You sayin’ your girl isn’t good enough for my moves?” I asked.
“Jesus! Forget it, L. So, who the hell are you gonna take on this trip?” he asked.
“Only two choices I can see—Sheila Brown or Charlene Simpson,” I said.
“Are you kidding? You mean our premier VP of sales or some new chick that just got promoted? Sheila would hit it out of the park with potential investors. She’s also hot as hell, so she could shove her tits up and mesmerize them, then hit them with some numbers that would practically stroke their cocks hard. They’d sign their money away to us just for a chance at sticking their cock between her tits.”
“You’re horrible, stop it. And besides, if that’s really the deciding factor, Charlene’s tits are bigger than Sheila’s,” I said.
“So, you’ve been eyeing her,” Mike said, smirking.
And honestly, who the hell wouldn’t? Charlene had vibrant red hair with freckles sprayed all over. Her milky skin probably had the same tint as the juices I knew I could coax out of her with my tongue, and for a moment I daydreamed about her thick lips around my cock. Her fierce green eyes always stared directly through me whenever she was talking with me, and I knew if I could get her on this trip, she’d be a shark.
This woman had quickly worked her way up the ranks of my billion-dollar company, and she didn’t suck one dick to get there. She worked her ass off day and night to get where she was, and she never once had to flaunt her body in order to do it. But, I knew what was underneath all those clothes. Her pencil skirts smoothed over an ass I wanted to take a bite out of, and her tits sat underneath fluttering clothes. She might have kept her cleavage to herself, but I knew the round, perky nipples that were underneath those clothes.
If I could get her on this trip, I could probably get her to slide out of them just for me.
“Look, you know I don’t do interoffice relationships. That’s not my thing. So, it’s probably better I take Charlene with me anyway,” I said.
“But Sheila would be a spitfire. She’d be sure to close this thing. You sure you wanna take on some bullshit with a newbie?” Mike asked.
“I’m sure. Charlene could use the international experience, especially moving up in the company as fast as she did. That woman puts in hours I’ve only pulled on my longest days in the office, and if I could groom her to be a shark, she’d be a better tool than Sheila any day.”
“Plus, Sheila wants to hop on your d
ick, and you don’t like that,” he said, grinning.
“I’d turn her your way if I didn’t think she’d break your other leg,” I said.
“For the last time, I didn’t break my leg screwing my girlfriend, L.”
“So you say, Mike. So you say.”
“But really, you sure she can handle these kinds of investors?” Mike asked.
“If we’re judging it by the size of their tits, it’s a definite yes.”
“I’m serious now. You think she can do this?” he asked.
“I can handle the investors. You forget I was the one who built this company. She needs this international experience if I’m gonna have someone who can come on these trips with me.”
“My leg’s not gonna be broken forever,” he said.
“You’re a shark, but you’re my only shark. If I could groom another one, I could have one on the home front as well as internationally. The two of you could switch off trips, and I’d have someone to fall back on if you broke your hip while licking your girlfriend’s pussy, and it would be better for the company in the long run. Plus, it would give me a chance to see how she works, just to make sure she’s right for the position before I solidify her spot in the company.”
“For the last time, L—”
“Good shit, take a joke,” I said, chuckling. “I just need your concurrence, Mike.”
This international trip to Helsinki was a big deal. Investors from all over the world would meet up with us, and if we played our cards right it would be the only time we’d have to do this all year. I could close with the old investors and snag some new ones, and in the process I could see if I could work my way underneath that tight little pencil skirt of Charlene’s. Yes, I frowned upon interoffice romances, but if she wanted to suck my dick to thank me for letting her come on this trip, I wouldn’t turn it down.
Not if I could get a sweet look at that rack she was carrying.
“I think all that sounds good, as long as you can promise that some of these investors will be snagged. I know they can if I go, and I know they’d practically beg if Sheila went, but I’m not so sure with Charlene,” he said.
“What the fuck am I, chopped liver?” I asked.
“If you’re comfortable with it, than so am I. Just update me every once in a while.”
“Yes, Mom. I can do that,” I said, grinning.
“So, if you aren’t wanting to wiggle your way underneath Charlene’s clothes, things must be going well with that supermodel of yours. What was her name? Jodi?” he asked.
“Eh, she’s already gone,” I said.
“The fuck? L, she was smoking hot. Legs for days, sun-kissed skin, tits that just fell into the palm of your hand. And she wasn’t afraid to eat.”
“You’ve always liked women with appetites,” I said.
“Hey. I like feeding them food. So what?”
“That how you broke your leg? Trying to dig a strawberry out of her asshole or what?” I asked.
“Holy shit, L. I fell down the fucking stairs. Get over it.”
“You’re just such an easy target,” I said.
“So was Jodi. So, what the hell happened?”
“She’s just like the rest, dude. Wants my money, wants all the presents, wants me to pamper her. Gets pissed when I have to break dates to work for the money I’m spoiling her with. I want a real partner. I’m over women thinking they can suck my dick then drain my bank account. I feel like I’m hiring legal hookers.”
“Any other man in your position would be ecstatic at that proposition,” he said.
“And I was, for a while there. Women fall all over me and practically beg for a piece of this. But, then they want to steal my checkbook and buy themselves a car or bullshit like that. I don’t want a fucking gold digger,” I said.
“You’re just bored. You’ve slept with all the supermodels Miami has to offer, and they aren’t switching them out fast enough for your dick.”
“I’m bored, but not with the women. That entire scene is played out. You know I tried to take Jodi on a romantic nighttime helicopter flight over the ocean while we ate chocolate-covered fruit? Fucking full moon and all this bullshit, and her? She was pissed that I didn’t take her to dinner.”
“Did you lick her pussy to apologize?” Mike asked.
“Nope. Didn’t wanna break my hip,” I said, chuckling at my own joke.
“I give up,” he said.
“Exactly. I’m over the gold diggers, no matter how hot they are. Find me a woman who wants me for more than my money, and I’ll show you a man who will lick her pussy every damn morning just so she wakes up with an orgasm.”
“Aren’t you supposed to do that anyway?” he asked.
“I don’t fucking know anymore,” I said.
“L, everything’s gonna be fine. You’ve broken up with Jodi because she pissed you off during one of the most stressful times of your business year. Take the trip with Charlene, see how she works, snag some new investors, schmooze the old ones, then come back and get Jodi a gift that will make her wanna drop to your knees and pull your dick out right there. You can’t expect a woman to date a billionaire and not wanna be spoiled.”
“Your girlfriend demands your money like that?” I asked.
“Only when I can keep my balance in bed,” Mike said. “Just think about it. Put your mind to the task at hand, try not to fuck the new girl, then come back and go get Jodi. You know she’ll take you back.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll think about it. Take care of that leg, Michael.”
I cut the call with him and leaned back in my chair. The flight manifest put me leaving in the morning and I still had to inform Charlene she was going with me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to get those beautiful tits out of my mind when my secretary walked in.
“How’s Mr. Jeffries, sir?” she asked.
“Doing alright. Listen, contact the travel agency and let him know there’s been a change to the manifest. Instead of Michael Jeffries traveling with me, Charlene Simpson will be. Then, notify Miss Simpson and tell her she’ll be traveling with me in the morning,” I said.
“Yes, sir. Anything else?” she asked.
Get me some bleach so I can get the imprint of her body out of my mind.
“Put a hold on the rest of my meetings until I get back.”
My secretary turned on her heels and walked out of the room while I sat there in my chair. The first thing I needed to do was go home, take a cold fucking shower, and then pack for the trip. If Charlene was coming with me, I needed to make sure I took my power suits so every person in that damn meeting knew exactly who was controlling this thing.
I also wanted to make sure Charlene understood who was in control as well.
“Sir?” my secretary asked.
“Yes?”
“What time should I tell Miss Simpson to be ready by?” she asked.
“Tell her the flight leaves at 10:06 AM. She can pick up her ticket at the airline kiosk when she gets to the airport. We’re taking an international flight, not the private jet.”
“Any reason why, sir?” she asked.
“It’s above your pay grade,” I said, murmuring.
She ducked out of the room and I got up and walked to the windows that lined my office. I had to mentally prepare myself for the meetings now. Michael would have taken the lead, but since he couldn’t go, that task would fall to me, and that meant I needed some time to myself.
Right after I got the image of Charlene’s body out of my mind.
Chapter 2
Charlie
Oh. Holy. Shit. I couldn’t believe it. The secretary to Mr. Ellison James himself had just called and informed me that I was to accompany Mr. James on his business trip to Helsinki. What the fuck was happening? I had just been promoted in his damn company, and already he was wanting to throw me to wolves?
Pull yourself together, Charlie.
I got on my laptop and searched the weather for Finland. What the fuck
kind of weather did they have in Finland? Cold. It was fucking cold in Helsinki, Finland. It was the middle of January with temperatures in numbers I didn’t think existed, and the more I read the more pissed off I got. If we were lucky, there would be six full hours of daylight for each day we spent there.
Six. Fucking. Hours.
How the hell were we supposed to drive around and see? Miami was so toasty and warm, and the sun shone down on the ocean. It reflected more light than it ever soaked up, and the palm trees were so soothing. The warm breeze would rush by my window and it would cause me to throw open the shutters while my nose inhaled the salty scent of the beckoning ocean.
Who the hell would wanna exchange that for six hours of daylight and a biting wind so cold you have to protect yourself against frostbite?
I threw open my closet and dug around for cold weather clothes. I’d lived in Miami pretty much my whole life, and except for the occasional pair of jeans, everything I owned was geared towards Miami weather. T-shirts and tank tops, bikinis and flip flops. Shorts, leggings and sunglasses. None of this was appropriate for a business trip, but even my business clothes weren’t appropriate for a business trip to the fucking North Pole.