“Okay, that’s six songs already,” Hayden said, staring up at Sabine with a concern in his eyes. “I’m gonna drag her off the stage.”
He took off without another word and I smiled. He was so protective of Sabine lately, I knew that he was driving her nuts. I supposed it came with the territory though. Men in love will do strange things.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” I said to Damian and Aaron without looking at them. I made my way to Judy until I was flush against her backside. Her movements caused lust to shoot through me. I was suddenly ready to leave.
“Oh my, Mr. Stallworth. Is that cucumber in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”
“A cucumber?” I laughed.
“What? That’s flattering!”
“You are crazy,” I said, laughter clear in my voice.
“All the best people are.”
“Let’s go back to my place.”
“We can’t miss the fireworks!”
“Really?” I groaned. “You’re torturing me.”
“No, if I wanted to torture you, I’d tell you that this dress is the only piece of clothing I’m wearing right now.”
“You mean?” I ran my hand over her hip and, sure enough, felt no panty line.
“Yep.” She grinned.
“To hell with fireworks.”
Letting out an animalistic growl, I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder. Judy laughed with delight and I made a beeline for the exit. Fifteen minutes later, I could hear fireworks going off in the distance, but we were already in the backseat of my car, enjoying a couple of explosions of our own.
Epilogue
In all my travels, and there had been plenty since SXz took off and I began making money hand over fist, I had never been to Barcelona. Located on the Mediterranean sea and bordered by a mountain range to the west, it was magnificent. The whole city was like a piece of art. The architecture reflected a blend of modern and ancient.
The castle that Damian and Gigi had chosen for their wedding was a perfect example of Romanesque architecture. The pointed arches and thick buttresses gave the building sense of history and beauty. The hand-chiselled masonry work was exquisite.
The ceremony itself was taking place just within the entrance, in the large open space beneath an arch. A string quartet was set up to one side of the room and white lilies decorated the area.
I was standing behind Damian as he recited his vows, promising to love Gigi for the rest of his life. There was no hesitation in his voice and I finally understood why. When you were with the right person, there was no doubt about it, even if you tried to resist like I did.
My eyes were trained on Judy during the whole ceremony. Her hair was in an elegant updo and the dress Gigi had chosen for her was a soft lilac color. It hugged her body and flowed smoothly to the floor.
The last three months with her had changed my life. I hadn’t noticed that something was missing before, but now I felt complete. I had something outside of my career for the first time. Judy provided me with substance that no job, no matter how successful, could.
As Damian kissed his bride, I knew that I would eventually do the same. We weren’t there yet, but I knew now that I had found my forever. I was just beyond lucky to figure that out before it was too late.
* * *
The reception was in a great room in the castle immediately following the ceremony. Damian flew over the couple’s closest friends and family for the wedding, so there were only about 30 of us. It was intimate and comfortable, no need to worry about press or dealing with business obligations or boring small talk.
I was holding my niece, two-month-old Camille, while her parents spun around on the dance floor. She was tiny in my arms, sleeping soundly.
“You know, there’s something about a man with a baby,” Judy’s voice came from behind me. She was holding two pieces of wedding cake and wearing a soft smile.
“You mean it’s a turn on?” I asked, grimacing.
“Not really. It’s more heartwarming than anything. You don’t know that ladies go gaga for a man with a baby?”
“I’ve never heard of that.”
“It’s a scientific fact,” she said. “I’m sure it’s an evolutionary thing. Something in our brains make us seek out a man with paternal instincts.”
“Whatever you say.”
Sabine and Hayden approached us.
“She’s still asleep?” Sabine asked surprised.
“Hasn’t so much as stirred,” I replied, carefully handing her off to Hayden. I grabbed a piece of cake and dug in.
“Well, that figures. She woke up four times last night.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t name her after me,” Judy said, pouting. “After all the help I gave you during the beginning of your relationship.”
“We’re thinking about getting a dog. You want us to name it after you?” Hayden asked.
“You’re getting a puppy!” Judy’s face lit up in excitement. Hayden rolled his eyes at her.
“You have your hands full,” He said to me. I just laughed.
“Says the man with a baby in his arms.”
“Speaking of, let’s go grab of a piece cake before she wakes up to feed,” Sabine suggested.
“Have I told you how amazing you look?” I asked Judy once we were alone.
“Yeah, but I never getting sick of hearing it.”
“At least you’re humble.”
“Humble is overrated. I like knowing I have a bit of awesome. That’s how I landed you.”
“True,” I conceded.
“I love you so much,” she said, suddenly serious.
“I love you more,” I replied, pressing a kiss to her lips. I had never been so happy.
THE END OF BOOK THREE
Hard Bargain
A Billionaire Enemies-To-Lovers Romance
Chapter One: Jenny
Holy crap. That’s all I could think as I pushed open the door to my grandpa’s office and saw the mountain of a man standing across the room. He was only a few inches taller than my grandpa, who I knew stood around 6 feet tall, but he had broad shoulders and bulging muscles that were easy to see despite the suit he was wearing.
Both men were standing with their backs to me, looking out of the large, floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the entire wall behind my grandpa’s desk. There was a breath-taking view of the Golden Gate Bridge and on a day like today, with clear blue skies and sunshine glimmering off the water, it was a sight to see.
I closed the door behind me and both men turned in unison. They were holding tumblers of whiskey in their hands and … wow. This guy’s front is even better than the back. He had olive skin and dark eyes that nearly matched his black hair, which was swept back off his face. And what a face it was. Everything about him seemed carved out of stone, with his chiselled jawline and defined cheekbones.
“Ah, here she is,” my grandpa said, beckoning me forward with his free hand. “Aaron, I’d like you to meet my granddaughter. This is Jennifer.”
“Jenny, please,” I said, holding my hand out for him to shake. To my surprise, instead of shaking my hand, he turned it over and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss to the back. Are you serious?
“Bill, you didn’t tell me your granddaughter was so beautiful,” Aaron said, while continuing to stare at me.
“Yes, our little Jennifer has always been a heartbreaker,” Grandpa replied. I felt my cheeks heat in embarrassment. After Aaron finally released my hand, I adjusted my glasses and tucked some hair behind my ear, needing to do something with my hands. I wondered why I had been called here. “And she was second in her law school class at Yale. Did I tell you that?” Grandpa asked, sounding every bit the doting grandparent that he was.
“Wow. Beauty and brains. Someone hit the genetic lottery,” Aaron replied, throwing me a wink. Who is this guy?
“Uh, thanks. What can I do for you guys?” I asked Grandpa, turning to look at him fully. I could still feel Aaron’s eyes
on me.
“I wanted you to meet Aaron here. Have you heard of him? Aaron Sanchez?”
“No. Should I have?”
“I’d be surprised if you had. Not big on the spotlight, are you, Aaron?” Grandpa chuckled and clapped Aaron on the shoulder, before addressing me. “Aaron here owns SXz.” I racked my brain. I’d heard of SXz, of course. Who hadn’t? It was only the most popular music streaming service out there, after all.
“I thought the guy that founded SXz was named Damian something?” I vaguely remembered seeing a lot of that guy on the news; the billionaire playboy turned devoted husband over the last couple of years.
“Yeah, Damian and I are two of the founders. There were four of us who started the company 10 years ago. The rest is history,” Aaron said with a smirk.
If that was true and this guy had an ownership stake in SXz, then he was seriously loaded. He might be even richer than Grandpa.
“Are we going to do some work at SXz?” I asked curiously.
It was a reasonable question. We were a consulting firm that worked with a variety of Fortune 500 companies, as well a number of Silicon Valley tech firms.
“No. Aaron is interested in buying the Titans.”
“What?” I asked sharply. I must have heard him wrong. He can’t be thinking of selling our football team.
“The San Francisco Titans. You know, the NFL team your grandfather owns,” Aaron said, clearly thinking I didn’t know who the Titans were. How dare he?
“I’m well aware of that,” I told him with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, I stopped noticing how attractive this guy was. “Can we talk in private?” I asked Grandpa. He nodded.
“Please excuse us for a minute, Aaron.”
“I’ll be right outside,” Aaron said, throwing back his tumbler to swallow the last bit of his whiskey and placing the empty glass on the wet bar against the wall as he walked out the door. As soon as the door swung shut behind him, I rounded on my Grandpa.
“Why would you even consider selling the team to him — to anyone?” I asked, slightly hurt. “I thought I would take over the team one day.”
“It’s a lot of responsibility, Jennifer. More than most people realize. Are you sure you’d be up for that while also running Condliffe & Company?”
“Absolutely,” I responded without hesitation.
Grandpa sipped his whiskey, seeming to mull over my words. His blue eyes, so similar to my own, regarded me thoughtfully. Standing there, with the bright sunlight streaming in through the window, I noted that he looked tired today.
“I’m thinking maybe it’s time I retire,” he said. This didn’t necessarily surprise me as he would be 75 in a few months. He could’ve retired decades ago, with the massive amount of money he made when he sold his cell phone company back in the 90s to AT&T. But he loved to work, loved being in the game and started consulting. He’d built Condliffe into one of the 20 largest consulting firms in the country.
In the middle of all that, he’d bought the Titans. He’d loved that, too.
“Okay. So, I’ll take over the team,” I said.
“Maybe. Let’s give Aaron a chance, though.”
“Why?” I asked, agitated.
“Just trust me, Lil’ Bit,” he said, using the nickname he had given me when I was born. He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. There was a twinkle in his eye.
I sighed heavily.
Grandpa went to the door and called Aaron back into the room. I remained standing by the window, my arms crossed over my chest and hip cocked. Aaron flashed a grin at me, showing off pearly white and straight teeth. Does this guy have a single flaw? His physical perfection annoyed me. I didn’t return the smile.
“How’s it going in here?” he asked, leaning against the edge of Grandpa’s desk, completely at ease. “We ready to talk purchase price?”
“Not so fast Aaron. I’m willing to entertain the idea of selling to you. But here’s the deal, I don’t sign anything that my granddaughter here hasn’t signed off on.”
“Really?” Aaron asked, his smile slipping a little. Ha. You thought you were just going to waltz in here and take what’s mine? You were wrong.
“I’m afraid so. If you want to buy the team, you’ll have to convince her.”
As Aaron looked at me thoughtfully, I finally returned his smile. I wanted to laugh. So, it was my decision? In that case, he’d never take the Titans from me. No way. No how.
Chapter Two: Aaron
Seeing the fire in Jenny’s eyes, I knew I was in trouble. This woman was not going to hand over the team easily. I wasn’t sure yet why she would deny me; I mean, I could afford to pay whatever they wanted, but I could tell she was going to make this difficult. What is her stake in this?
I ran my eyes over her form. It was difficult to make out the shape of her body under her clothing. The black skirt she was wearing flowed loosely around her legs and her matching suit jacket covered her too well. She had chestnut-colored hair that was smoothed back into a bun. Dark-rimmed glasses framed icy blue eyes and light freckles, barely visible, were scattered across her cheeks. She fit the image of the professional corporate lawyer well. It was … cute.
“Well then,” I said, clapping my hands together briskly. “I suppose we ought to get to know each other.”
“You think so?” she asked, a challenge in her voice. I couldn’t help but smile. I loved a good challenge.
“Matter of fact, I do. How else can I hope to talk you into approving my purchase of the team?”
“Getting your hopes up is probably a mistake.”
“Lunch?” I asked, ignoring her words. She was underestimating my charm.
“That’s a great idea,” Bill interjected just as Jenny opened her mouth to respond. She was surely about to shoot me down, and I almost wished that Bill hadn’t stopped her. I liked her fiery attitude. It was entertaining. “Jennifer, take the rest of the day off.”
“Oh, no. I don’t need the whole day —”
“Nonsense,” Bill cut her off, waving away her concerns with his hand. “Enjoy lunch, make it a long one if you’d like,” he added, with a mischievous grin. I frowned. What is that about?
Deciding I didn’t know enough about their relationship to figure it out, I ignored it and led the way to the door. “It’s settled then,” I said, holding the office door open and looking back at her.
Jenny was still standing by the window. She shifted her weight and looked at her grandfather before sighing and walking toward me. She shot me a side-eyed glare as she strode right past. Stopping at the elevator, the cute lawyer pushed the down button and tapped her foot impatiently. She didn’t look back at me, but I could feel aggression radiating off her.
“Well, I guess I’ll be in touch, Bill,” I called back to the old man as he settled himself in the chair behind his desk.
“Are you coming or what?” Jenny asked impatiently as the elevator doors opened.
“Good luck,” Bill said with a chuckle. I shrugged and pulled the door shut behind me. I strolled over to the elevator, purposefully walking slowly just to irritate Jenny as she stood holding the elevator doors open. She scowled at me.
“Thanks for waiting,” I said as I entered the elevator. She didn’t say a word in response, just pressed the button for the first floor and avoided eye contact.
We rode all the way down to the first floor in silence that should have been uncomfortable due to her obvious irritation, but it wasn’t. I was more amused than anything. Most people tended to bend to my will right away, whether it was because of my money or my looks, which were an asset I’d learn to deploy to get what I wanted. I could tell it wasn’t going to be that easy with her, though. This spitfire of a woman was clearly unimpressed.
When the elevator stopped on the first floor, I made a grand gesture with my arm to indicate that she should exit before me. “Ladies first.”
She rolled her eyes but went out ahead of me. Her heels clicked against the glossy lobby floor as
she walked, seemingly unaware of the various men in the area that watched her from the corners of their eyes. I hurried to catch up to her.
“So, where would you like to have lunch? Since Bill gave you the rest of the day off, I figure we can go crazy.”
“What do you mean?” she asked as she pushed open the glass doors and walked into the sunshine. Her freckles were even more visible in the natural light.
“Let’s do it big. I have a private plane at my disposal. If you’re craving some genuine New England clam chowder, we could go to Boston. Deep dish pizza? Then we got to hit up Chicago. Seafood Gumbo? We’ll head to New Orleans. That one might not be the best idea, though. The Big Easy tends to bring out my wild side.”
Jenny was staring at me, eyebrows raised. “You are ridiculous.”
“What?” I asked, taken aback.
“Firstly, this is not a date. It’s a business lunch. Secondly, do you expect me to be awe-struck by all that?”
“Uh…” The answer was yes, but I didn’t think it was a good idea to be honest here.
“Well, I’m not. Save it for your next hook-up. We’re going next door,” she said, nodding toward a small, glass-fronted building 50 feet away.
“Queenie’s?” I said, reading the sign on the front of the building.
“Yep. Refers to Queenie Roberts, owner and chef,” she said, leading the way to the building. “Grandpa loves her tiramisu, so I can bring some back for him.”
I smiled at that. “Good choice then.”
I held the door open for her and her expression softened a bit. Okay, that’s a good sign. There was a hostess stand just inside the door and we were greeted immediately by an enthusiastic young girl with braces. Jenny responded to her warmly and it was clear that she recognized Jenny. She had to be a regular here.
As we were led to a table, I looked around. We were in a small restaurant with white walls and big windows on all sides, making the place bright and welcoming. There were red tablecloths on the tables and the smell of cooking meat made my mouth water. When we reached our table, I pulled out a chair for Jenny.
Tech Titans: The Complete Billionaire Romance Series Page 30