Miranda gulped, like she had difficulty swallowing. She looked comical with her eyes opened wide in amazement and her mouth agape.
“You love me?” she asked foolishly.
“You love me,” she repeated the words, lost in disbelief.
“You love me!” It was a shriek of jubilation as she hurled herself at him and threw her arms tightly across his neck. Ace toppled backwards, with her on top of him. They rolled on the floor as their laughter filled the room.
They weren’t sure when the seeds of love first sprouted between them, but they were absolutely certain their love would be true till the end of time.
*****
THE END
Billionaire’s Competition Bride
Ding! Dawn jumped a little, hearing her phone go off with a notification. She looked at it and cringed, seeing her ex-boyfriend’s picture on the screen. It had been almost a year and she still couldn’t bring herself to un-follow him on Facebook. Pumped for the San Diego Tournament! No way I can lose! The message turned her blood cold as she was suddenly struck by a flashback of the day they had broken up.
It had been a day just like this one. The sun was at its highest point, shining down on the long expanse of sandy shore. The water had been calm, the soft murmur of its gentle breaks soothing to the soul. That day, however, had been anything but calming.
“I’ve had it with you, Dawn!” His voice was as sharp as a shark’s tooth, ripping into her soul. She cringed as if his words had manifested themselves into actual projectiles, piercing into her with his every syllable. “I don’t even know how I put up with you all this time. I left Australia for you. Maybe I’m the crazy one.” He paced back and forth, his feet making imprints in the wet sand. His fingers moved through his slick hair, his eyes now dark and foreboding.
“Well, if that’s what you think then just leave. I’m not forcing you to stay. I never needed you anyway! Why do I need a man who just thinks he’s all that? You think I’m crazy… You haven’t seen anything yet! Trust me, you don’t want to be around when I’m actually angry.” Dawn had to do everything in her power to control herself, her mouth filling with an awful coppery taste she just couldn’t get rid of. “How was I stupid enough to even go out with you in the first place?” Her words were venom, her cheeks now red with emotion. “I was a fool. A complete and utter fool.”
The man just shook his head, droplets of water falling from his hair onto his chiseled chest, sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. “No. I was the fool.” His jaw locked as he took a step toward her. “I should’ve realized you would be a waste of my time from the very beginning.”
Dawn just stared at him, her anger getting the best of her. She felt herself choke on her own words, her hands clenching into tight fists. “Mark my words, Todd, you’ll regret it if you ever set foot on this beach again. You’re a douchebag, just remember that. Too blind to see what you’re missing out on.” With this statement, Dawn puffed out her chest just a tad and straightened her posture. “When you come back here, you’ll regret ever leaving me because I’ll be happily married.”
The man just scoffed. “I pity the man that decides to marry you.” He chuckled, amused by the thought of some guy forced to be by her side forever.
“Fuck you.” Dawn spat, her temper rising. She had the irresistible urge to lunge forward and attack this man, but she couldn’t let herself stoop down to his level. She had too much pride for that. He looked at her one last time, his head shaking before he turned around, leaving his footprints in the sand as he left her alone.
Dawn would never admit it, but she had slumped down to the ground, tears in her eyes the moment he had left. Tears of anger. The man was an asshole. A complete and total asshole. She couldn’t believe she had even put up with him for so long. She hugged her knees tightly, remembering all the times they had fought late into the night. Maybe she was a little temperamental, but she wasn’t crazy. She’d like to see how he would turn out if he had to live his whole childhood moving from home to home, never to find a family to call his own.
Bile formed in her mouth, threatening to make her sick as thoughts of her past clung to her mind. Countless nights of hearing foster parents drink until they were smashed, yelling and screaming, all while she prayed under the covers, hoping they wouldn’t come into her bedroom. Or the constant bullying she received at school when she arrived in ragged clothes. When she was able to go to school, that is. Her life had been hard. The least Todd could do was cut her some slack, but all he did was yell at her, accusing her of being insane. She didn’t need that in her life. She didn’t need some two-bit man with an ego complex.
Dawn groaned and finally managed to snap out of her daydream. It would be so humiliating if Todd came back and saw her single. “I have to find someone… I can’t let him win…” She whispered to herself, her teeth grinding together in frustration. She had wasted so much time being hung up on him during the last year that she hadn’t even bothered to step back into the dating scene. Now with the tournament but a week away, what could she possibly do?
Suddenly, her eyes grew big when she saw a man in the ocean, waving his hands and struggling with the water. She hadn’t seen anyone on the beach all day. How had he gotten past her? Her body froze for a moment, picturing that the man who had his arms flailing about as her ex-boyfriend. The thought was almost overpowering, but somehow, she managed to remind herself to focus.
She quickly jumped down and grabbed one of the lifebuoys. Her long, lean legs propelled her toward the water’s edge. Her auburn hair was pinned up in a tight ponytail, keeping it out of her soft, round face. Her beautiful blue eyes now shone with determination to save whoever was drowning. Her large, full bosom heaved as she took a deep breath, just about to dive into the water. She hesitated a moment, the sun beaming down on her hourglass figure. Her red, lifeguard bathing suit hugged her curves to perfection, making her look like someone out of Baywatch. That wasn’t Todd. It was someone else, she kept reminding herself before finally diving into the water, her body turning into a perfect arch.
She moved like a well-oiled machine, propelling her forward until she got closer and closer to the man. A large wave appeared in front of her, obscuring her vision momentarily. When she looked back to where the man had been, he was gone. Her eyes grew big and she dove underwater. Her eyes stung, her eyesight blurred due to the high concentration of salt in the water. To her relief, however, she spotted a blur of color in the water and swam towards it. Just as they were approaching the ocean floor and her lungs were starting to burn, she grabbed hold of someone’s arm. Using all her might, she towed them upward, feeling fatigue wrap around her entire body.
She took big, deep breaths as she broke the surface. The lifebuoy was still idly moving along the water, within arm’s reach. She grabbed it and tied it around the man she had saved before kicking them back to shore. She struggled to pull his large, muscular body onto the sand.
“Oh god…” She whispered to herself, seeing his pale skin. His eyes seemed sunken, and his thin pink lips were turning blue. Without hesitation, she moved on top of him, straddling him, her hands on his chiseled biceps. She couldn’t help but stare at how well-defined they were for a moment before she shook her head and forced herself to focus. Gently, she pried his lips apart, leaning forward and locking her lips with his. She breathed into him, trying to get some air into his lungs.
When he didn’t respond, Dawn started to pump on his chest, doing everything she could to save him. “Come on…” She whispered, trying to urge him back to life. She doubled her efforts, her arms getting tired from all the compressions she was doing.
Suddenly, the man started to cough and retch, his whole body jerking as it tried to expel the saltwater from his lungs. Dawn fell off, landing in the sand, her eyes still locked on his body. His every muscle was tense and on full display. His coughing caused his abs to pop out of his stomach, making them very well-defined. She gulped, struck by how attractive he really was. Her tranc
e was quickly broken, however, when he suddenly gasped, his eyes opening up wide. He sat up with a start. “What happened?” He ran his fingers through his black hair, moving some of the beach curls out his eyes.
His eyes fell on Dawn, noticing the word lifeguard printed across her chest. He narrowed his eyes, a look of disgust on his face.
“I just saved you from drowning,” Dawn said proudly, a smile on her face, now that she was reassured he was alive and well. “You can thank me with a—”
“I’m not thanking you for anything.” He suddenly cut her off. “I didn’t ask you to save me, did I? I was perfectly fine.” He spat, getting up and wiping away the sand from his body angrily. “I sure as hell didn’t need some girl to save me. Who do you think I am?”
Dawn got up, unable to believe her ears. Her cheeks were already turning red with anger. “What the hell is wrong with you? I just saved your life and you’re yelling at me?” She stepped forward, her hands moving to his chest, pushing him back. “What, you think that just because I’m a girl, I’m not as good as you are? That you’re better than me? Well if that’s the case, you got another thing coming, buddy.” She nearly growled. “Maybe I should’ve just let you drown!”
“You should’ve left me the hell alone, that’s what you should have done.” The man shot back. He turned on his heels, looking out at the ocean. “You made me lose my surfboard.”
“On top of everything you have the nerve to blame me for losing your board? Well, maybe you should’ve been a better surfer then.” Her voice was venom. “You surfers are all the same. Egotistical douchebags.” Without another word she walked away, climbing back to her lifeguard post, refusing to take another glance in the man’s direction. God, why were all men such jackasses?
***
Luckily, Dawn had the following day off work. At least now she had the opportunity to be by herself and stay away from all the crazy men that somehow managed to show up in her life. And then they thought she was nuts. Still, she couldn’t get the image of the man she had saved out of her head. His luscious black hair. His chiseled body. His broad shoulders. He was one of the most attractive men she had even seen. Why were the hot ones always the worst?
At least the weather was great, making her feel a bit better. The sun was high in the sky, cloaking everything in a dazzling radiance. It wasn’t too hot or too humid. Dawn had even let her hair down, allowing her natural beach curls to bounce with every step she took through the sandy shores. The white sand sparkled like little stars on the ground, dancing before her feet. The water was the perfect shade of azure. Nearby palm trees swayed with a gentle breeze. The day was perfect. Seagulls hung overhead, idly riding the wind. Thankfully, they were rather quiet that day, adding to the little beach’s serenity.
“Come on, Max.” Dawn couldn’t handle thinking about the mysterious man any longer. It was too good of a day to waste. She lunged forward, moving toward the large rock face on the far side of the beach where they often climbed to the top, just to take in the impeccable view of sail boats, paragliders, and other aquatic sports. The large Portuguese Waterdog rushed after her, kicking up sand in its wake. Dawn laughed and picked up the pace, causing the dog to chase her. “I have a treat for any dog that can catch me!” She teased, holding out a bone in her hand.
The dog’s face instantly lit up and his speed nearly doubled, causing Dawn to shriek and lunge forward. Her lean legs worked hard to outrun the dog, her feet splashing against the water’s edge. Suddenly, he tackled her, forcing her to the ground, licking her face, trying to persuade her to give up the bone.
Suddenly, he straightened up, taking a whiff of the air. He quickly caught scent of the bone and followed his nose to her bag, where she was hiding it. Furiously, he began to dig in the sand, getting it all over her. “Max! No!” She squealed, closing her eyes and squirming. She was just about to give up and give him the treat when the dog started to bark. A moment later, he dashed off along the beach.
Dawn sat up, startled. It wasn’t like Max to give up on a treat and run off like that. She got up in a rush and looked around, trying to spot him. Suddenly, she saw him, frantically moving around the legs of a stranger, barking up at him. The man leaned down petting the beast’s head, causing him to shake his leg in glee.
Dawn stopped dead in her tracks. It was him. How had he gotten onto the private beach? Only the locals knew about it. She stepped forward, approaching him. “What are you doing here? There’s no lifeguard on duty. You might drown.” Before she could stop herself, the words spilled out of her mouth. It was only after she heard herself that she realized how cruel it actually was.
The man looked up at the sound of her voice, taking in her image for the first time. In his rage yesterday he had overlooked her beauty. Her long, wavy auburn hair. Her gorgeous blue eyes. Her perfect complexion and that cute button nose. He found himself stunned, standing there with his jaw slightly agape before he finally managed to snap out of it. “I told you yesterday, I don’t need anyone to save me. I can take care of myself, thank you.”
“If it wasn’t for me, you’d be a corpse floating along the Pacific.” Dawn stood her ground. She wasn’t about to let this man deny the fact that she had saved his life. “Just admit it.” She pressed, determined to break him.
The man stared at her before he bent down, playing with the dog. Max, eager for the attention, rolled over, exposing his white-furred belly to the stranger. Dawn watched in awe as the canine interacted with the man as if he had known him all his life. “Whose dog is this?” The man inquired.
“Mine. Why?” Dawn asked suspiciously.
“He’s a cute dog.” The man answered, running his fingers through the dog’s thick fur. “What’s his name?”
“Max.”
“Here Max, do you fetch?” The man reached for a piece of driftwood and tossed it across the beach. Max barked and dashed after it, going as fast as his legs would take him before he stumbled and somersaulted into the sand, causing Dawn to gasp. But before she could move to help him, he got up and shook himself off, spotting the stick once more. He lunged forward, grabbing it and then obediently brought it back to the stranger. “Good boy.” He rubbed the dog’s side, a smile on his face. “See, you don’t have to save everything you know.”
Dawn shot him a deadly glare. “Let go of my dog.” She said, cruelly. All she wanted out of her day off was some nice, peaceful time at the beach and now this guy was about to ruin everything.
“Why should I?” He challenged. “Let the dog be with whoever he likes.”
“Fine,” Dawn called over her dog, but he wouldn’t budge, now laying down by the man’s feet.
“Maybe I’ll consider handing him over if you do something for me.” The man said, flashing a set of pearly white teeth in her direction, causing her to freeze in place, her heart suddenly hammering. She gulped, feeling the grasp of attraction wrapping around her body. What was it about this man that was so breathtakingly alluring? She ground her teeth, trying to get herself together.
“What?” She asked through gritted teeth.
“Ride with me?” He asked, picking up a surfboard off the ground.
“Why should I?” She narrowed her eyes at him questionably. For a man that had seemed to hate her from the moment he had laid eyes on her, it seemed odd that he now wanted her to go surfing with him. “So you can push me off and leave me in the middle of the ocean?”
“Now, why would I do that to such a beautiful woman?” His voice was sensual. “I promise I’ll behave.” He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. She bit her lip, wondering what she should do. Deep down, she didn’t trust this man, but as Max barked unceasingly, she had no choice but to reconsider. If her dog trusted him, surely he couldn’t be all that bad. Besides, he was incredibly hot. Worst case, if he did end up pushing her off, she was a good enough swimmer to make it back to safety. After all, she was a lifeguard for a reason.
“Fine. But if you start drowning, I’m not saving you t
his time around.”
“Fine by me.” He whispered, suddenly behind her, his hot breath against her ear, making her shiver. Her heartbeat quickened even more, her skin crawling with electricity. It was like a switch had been flipped inside of her. One moment she was hating this man’s guts, and the next she found herself burning between the thighs, almost swooning over him. What was going on? In a daze-like state, she took his hand, letting him guide her to the water.
Once they were waist-deep, he placed his board on the water before lifting her by the hips and sitting her on it. “Hold on to the sides, okay?” His voice was level and calm as he was now in his element. “Have you ever surfed before?” He asked, staring into her gorgeous blue eyes. He bit the corner of his lip, wondering how he had missed her beauty before. If he had noticed how pretty she really was the day before, maybe he wouldn’t have been so rude.
“No.” She said, her fingers firmly wrapped around the edge of the board.
“Well then just relax, enjoy the ride, and do exactly as I say…” He paused, his lips dangerously close to her ear. “And you won’t get hurt.” There was an underlying threat in his words, making her shiver, but at the same time, she felt an inexplicable surge of excitement running under her skin, making her smile.
“Alright, but only if you find me a really big wave.”
“Oh, a daredevil. I like that.” He grinned, paddling them out to sea where the water was rougher. From the shore, Max had settled himself on a high standing rock, watching the two of them, his tail wagging.
“Now when I say stand, you stand.” His voice was a command, his body now pressed up against hers. She could feel the hardness of his abs, making her blush. Her grip on the board tightened even more, her eyes looking out at the horizon. “Here we go…” He murmured, his eyes locked on the formation of a large wave. “You asked for this.”
The Billionaire's Fake Marriage (A Romance Collection Boxed Set) Page 4