Trusting the Billionaire (Weston Brothers Book 2)

by C. C. Snow

  At that moment, Elle turned her head and our gazes clashed. My heart fluttered like a teenager’s as she smiled at me. Even from across the room, I saw those caramel highlights in her eyes.

  She cradled my niece in her arms. At six-months old, Phoebe was healthy and thriving, her blue-green eyes bright with curiosity as she regarded the crowd. At the sight of Elle holding a baby, some primal instinct woke in me. Someday, it would be our child in her arms.

  “I’m glad things worked out,” Jake said wryly. “Cora wouldn’t stop calling me a ‘jackass.’”

  Chuckling softly, I glanced at my sister-in-law. She was standing next to Elle and Ethan, admiring the large photograph on the wall.

  After we returned from India, Elle and I told my family about Carter’s blackmail plot. Jake had apologized to Elle for jumping to conclusions and Cora had crowed that she had known all along that Elle had been forced to steal the files. She had been lording it over us for months that women had better intuition.

  Ethan and I were slowly repairing our friendship. Luckily he was not a man to hold a grudge.

  “Elle says I’m just a plain ‘ass.’”

  Jakes rumbling laugh joined mine as we stared at our women.

  “We’re damn lucky,” I said.

  “Yeah, we are,” he agreed softly.

  We started to move toward them at the same instant.

  “Elle, congratulations again on the show,” Jake said. “Your work is inspiring.”

  “This is the first time I’ve cried at an art opening. The photos are extraordinary,” Cora said with feeling.

  Flushing with pleasure, Elle smiled. “Thank you.”

  Ethan elbowed her. “Told you.”

  I curled my hand around her waist. “Did Terrence tell you the show sold out?”

  Her eyes grew huge. “Really?”

  “Why are you surprised? You’re incredibly talented,” I said. When she had shared her work with me, I had been awed by her gift for capturing the human condition. I wasn’t surprised when Slaughter had offered her a show upon seeing the images she had taken in Kolkata. If he had not, I knew many other gallery owners who would have jumped at the chance to “discover” her.

  Elle looked at Jake and me suspiciously. “I’m not going to find out that the buyer was the Weston Foundation, am I?”

  Grinning, Jake shook his head. “No, I didn’t buy a single piece.”

  “Me neither,” I said and then admitted, “In the interest of full disclosure, I did want to buy the photo of Kanta, but there was already a red sticker on it.”

  Eyes misty with happiness and astonishment, Elle beamed. “That means twenty thousand dollars for the women’s shelters.”

  My brother’s eyes met mine and I cleared my throat. “Well, actually there are three million dollars for the shelters.”

  Her brows snapped down in confusion. “What?”

  “The Weston Foundation didn’t buy any artwork tonight, but we are donating funds for new vocational training centers.”

  “Oh.” She looked flabbergasted and then her smile broke out like the sun at dawn. “Thank you. That would mean so much to the women looking for a new start.”

  “Jake and I couldn’t think of a better cause,” I said.

  Phoebe let out a little whimper and all eyes turned to the little princess.

  “I know that sound,” Cora said and reached for her daughter. “We’d better get going before she exercises her mighty lungs, demanding her meal.”

  Amid goodbyes and more congratulations, my brother and his wife took their leave.

  “I’m going to take off, too,” Ethan said, glancing at his watch. “I’m working tomorrow and I need to get up early.”

  “How’s Barbara treating you?” I asked.

  “She’s a great boss.” Ethan shot me a grateful smile. “I can’t thank you enough for getting me the job.”

  I held my palms up. “Whoa. I merely gave her your résumé. You got the manager job on your own.”

  The look he shot me was patently skeptical.

  “It’s true,” I insisted. When a business associate mentioned she was opening up a new restaurant, I knew Ethan would be the ideal candidate to help her run her operation.

  “Well, I appreciate the referral. Next time you and Elle come to dinner, I’ll make sure you get the nicest table in the house.” He glanced at Elle and grinned. “Honey, what’s your theory on no-star restaurants?”

  She chuckled. “I’ll spare you if you give me free dessert.”

  “You got it.” Ethan pulled her into a hug. “The show was fabulous, honey. I knew you’d be a huge success.”

  “Thanks, babe.”

  Ethan shook my hand and took off.

  Surveying the gallery, I saw that only a few guests remained. Terrence was in a corner talking to Jan and his girlfriend, Annabelle. Two other collectors I knew were standing in front of another photograph, this one of a young girl standing in front of a building, her eyes full of hope and sorrow.

  “Baby, I’m so proud of you,” I said. “The work is truly amazing.”

  She leaned into me and looked around the gallery with dazed eyes. “I still can’t believe this is real.”

  I turned her around to face me. “This is very real and it’s all due to your hard work and talent. You’re an amazing woman, Elle Lazzaro.”

  “You’re pretty amazing yourself, Troy Weston.” Smiling, she angled her head to kiss my jaw. “I love you.”

  My heart swelled every time she said those three words. Some days it felt like my body couldn’t possibly contain all I felt for her.

  “I love you too, baby.” I stepped back and took her hand in mine, lacing our fingers. “Come on. There’s something I want to show you.”

  “What is it?”

  “There are some photographs I want to get your opinion on,” I said, tugging her toward the back. As I neared the private room, I started to stiffen with nervousness. What if she hated them? Taking a bracing breath, I opened the door, led her inside, and flicked on the lights.

  The small space, no more than ten by twelve feet, was split into two sections by a moveable dividing wall. Like a row of ants, a series of black-and-white photographs marched in a single file along the wall, disappearing around the divider.

  Immediately intrigued, she moved toward the first frame and I watched her face carefully, absorbing every nuance.

  The first photos of desserts only elicited mild interest. As she progressed to the images of the bottles of whiskey, she gasped and glanced at me, her eyes welling with emotion.

  I nodded at the wall, urging her to continue. Our hands clasped tighter with each image. She laughed joyfully when she saw the photos of banjos and became solemn when she saw the ones of the hospital and the diner. I had contemplated leaving out the painful reminders of our separation, but I wanted to tell our full story—the good, the amazing, and the ugly.

  As we rounded the divider, my heart knocked against my chest. My gaze stayed glued on her beautiful face.

  It took a few seconds for the last image to register. Her eyes widened and her mouth parted on a gasp. Pressing a trembling hand to her lips, she spun to face me, her eyes overflowing with tears.

  Dropping to one knee, I took out the box that had been burning in my pocket for weeks and pointed my chin at the last photo.

  The huge photo of my handwritten note that read: This is the first year of our love story. There are fifty more to go.

  “What do you say, baby?” I asked, my voice thick with hope. “Will you spend the next fifty years with me?”

  I flipped open the box to reveal an emerald cut diamond ring. All the time I spent choosing the ring had been for naught because she never looked away from my eyes as she bobbed her head.

  Realizing she was still covering her mouth, she removed her hand and said in an emotion-drenched voice, “Yes. Yes, I want to spend the next fifty, hundred, million years with you.”

  The rush of joy was dizzying as I sto
od up with face-splitting grin. I reached for her trembling hand and slid the ring onto her finger.

  “Baby, a million years will be too short.” Holding her face, I kissed her, feeling something relax in my gut for the first time since I met her.

  After chasing her around the world, she was finally mine.

  Epilogue

  As soon as I stepped off the elevator, I was greeted by peals of laughter, high babyish squeals and low masculine chuckles, and I smiled like a dope. I pressed a hand to my chest. At moments like this, I was almost scared of how happy I was, like my heart was ready to explode with elation.

  I took off my jacket and hung it in the closet when a noise made me freeze.

  No. I shook my head in rejection. That couldn’t be what I thought it was.

  There it was again.

  Smile vanishing, I moved down the hallway toward the din, my body stiff with dread.

  I came to a stop in the doorway and took everything in at a glance. If I had not grasped the doorjamb with my hands, my gasp of horror would have knocked me on my ass.

  Two sets of aquamarine eyes turned to me, both framed by dark blonde lashes. One darkened instantly with remorse and guilt. The other sparkled with happiness.

  “Baby, I can explain,” Troy said, springing to his feet, his hands held in a calming gesture.

  I ignored him. My eyes honed in on my beautiful baby girl, happily grinning at me, flashing her two bottom teeth.

  In her hands was a toy banjo. A toy banjo.

  She plucked a string and I winced.

  “Oh my God. Who is the sadist that came up with toy banjos?” I asked. Going down on my hands and knees, I covered her sweet face with kisses and then grasped the neck of the devil instrument. “Hey, baby girl. Mommy’s going to take this away and give you a new toy, okay?” I cooed and started to ease it out of her hands.

  Lower lip quivering, Isabella tightened her little fingers on her toy and shook her head, her blonde curls dancing around her head. She ran her fingers over the strings and laughed. Even as the jarring notes made the hair stand at the back of my neck, my heart soared at the sound of her happy giggles.

  I spun my head to shoot daggers at Troy. “Are you kidding me? Cora is still mad at you for buying Aiden that drum set. Now you have our baby playing this…this…” I struggled for the right word. “Thing.”

  Face etched with shame, he squatted next to me and nodded at the banjo. “I took her to the toy store and I swear she wouldn’t let go of this.”

  “Really?” I said, my tone heavy with sarcasm. “Of all the toys in the store, she selects the one guaranteed to drive her mom crazy?”

  His eyes crinkled and I felt that melting sensation in my core. Damn the man for getting sexier every day. It made it impossible to stay mad at him.

  “What can I say? She’s Daddy’s little girl,” he said smugly, leaning down to kiss Bella’s nose.

  Far more interested in her father than in her toy, Bella held up her arms and like the sap he was, Troy immediately responded by picking her up. She nestled her face into his neck and babbled and he listened intently as if she were the Dalai Lama imparting life’s secrets.

  At the sight of Troy holding our baby so tenderly, all my aggravation fled and I silently groaned in defeat.

  As if he knew he had won, Troy grinned at me and held out his hand to help me stand. Pushing his hand into my hair, he dipped his head and gave me a toe-curling kiss. When we pulled apart, we were both breathing heavily. Three years of marriage and a baby had not dampened our passion one iota.

  “Maybe she’ll go down for her nap early,” he said, glancing at Bella with a hopeful glint.

  I snorted. “Dream on. She’s a Weston through and through.” Susan had been right; the Weston gene came with an extra energy pack.

  A large hand stroked my ass and I moaned into his bicep, hunger rising in me. I had a feeling I would always react like this to him.

  “Keep that thought, baby,” he said in strained voice.

  It took two hours to put Bella down for her nap. As soon as she drifted off, Troy and I sprinted to our room.

  Parenthood had taught us to make the most of whatever free time we had. Before we crossed the threshold, we were shedding our clothes. In seconds, we were naked and writhing on the bed.

  “Jesus, this gets better every damn time,” Troy rasped as I stroked his engorged shaft. His eyes were aglow with love and lust.

  I keened in agreement when he rolled my nipples between his fingers. I slung one leg over his hip and aimed his cock at my entrance. “I want another baby,” I said breathlessly. Bella was already a year old and I wanted her to have siblings.

  He stilled for a beat and then with a groan, he thrust into me, stretching me. “Hell yes.”

  My pelvis torqued off the bed to take him deeper and we both gasped at the same time. His cock started to push and retreat and I tightened my thighs around his hips.

  Leaning his forehead against mine, he whispered, “Have I told you how sexy it is to watch you come on my cock? Your pussy squeezes me so tight.”

  Holy shit. His dirty mouth.

  I rocked my hips with more force, already feeling my orgasm teasing on the edges. Lifting my head, I swirled my tongue in his ear. “Have I told you how good your cock feels in me? I love it when you come deep in me, filling me with your seed.”

  “I love your filthy mouth,” he groaned, his pelvis picking up the tempo. “I love you.”

  “Love you.” More than two words was beyond me.

  Minutes later we cried out, reaching our peak at the same time.

  We didn’t get pregnant that time, but a year later, we welcomed our second daughter, Alexandria Gwendolyn Weston into our lives and our hearts.

  The End

  Note from Author

  I hope you enjoyed Elle and Troy’s story. You can find Cora and Jakes’ story in Resisting the Billionaire.

  You can help this independent author by leaving a quick review on Amazon and Goodreads. It will only take a few minutes and your honest review can help new readers find me and keep me writing!

  I live in California. I am a voracious reader of all genres. Put an instruction pamphlet in front of me and I’ll read it. But I love, love, love romance, especially romance with a lot of heat.

  To find out more about my writing, you can check out my blog at:

  www.ccsnowblog@wordpress.com.

  Contact me directly at cc.snow.writer@gmail.com.

  You follow me and find all of my work on my Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/ccsnow.

  You can follow me and connect with me on Goodreads at: www.goodreads.com/cc_snow.