Yours Royally: A Cinderella Love Story (Billionaires and Brides Book 3)

by Krista Lakes

  I looked at her, tears still streaming down my face. I felt so lost, even with my friends on either side of me. Marissa sighed. "I can throw some more cliches at you if it will help you feel better."

  I knew she was hoping to get a smile out of me, but I couldn't find one to give. Allie gave me a squeeze.

  "It sucks right now. And it's gonna suck for a while. It will get better though. You'll get your happy ending someday, I promise." Allie gave me a hug. I knew they were trying their best, but there were no magic words that could fill the hole in my heart. I wished to heaven there were, but I knew it was just going to take time.

  "I'm going to go get you some more wine. I think you can use some drunk time," Marissa said, putting a hand on my shoulder as she stood. She gave me a squeeze and headed off in the direction of the wine tent. I leaned my head back against Allie's shoulder, her blonde hair mixing with mine.

  "After this, we'll head back to my place and drink crappy wine, watch crappy movies, and eat good ice cream. Okay?" Allie kept smoothing my hair with her hands, and I closed my eyes to her soothing touch.

  "No skimping on the ice cream."

  I felt her smile as she looked down at me. "I would never even dream of such a thing."

  I sat up, remembering all the cleaning and baking I had done. There was no way I was going to eat all those cookies myself. "How about we do it at my place? It's actually clean for once."

  Allie nodded and let me put my head back on her shoulder. She resumed gently stroking my hair as she whispered, "Sure, Kaylee, anything you want."

  Chapter 21

  My head buzzed as I sat up, the room unfamiliar. Slowly, I realized I had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the TV. The menu of a DVD was on loop, the instrumental song starting over every twenty seconds. I hit the power button, the pain in my head decreasing as the annoying song went away.

  I glanced at my watch, glad to see it was a little past ten instead of hours before dawn. Maybe my jet lag was finally wearing off. Marissa was snoring peacefully on the couch, the slight wheeze and chuckle rather endearing. I looked around for Allie, finally finding her curled up in the papasan chair, a blanket draped over her head. I smiled at my friends, then frowned as I looked around at the mess they had made.

  Pizza boxes littered the floor, empty beer cans hiding among them. Three empty wine glasses sat on the coffee table, a row of shot glasses lined up neatly beside them. How the shot glasses got there was a complete mystery to me, but I was sure I would hear about it once the girls woke up.

  I picked up the pizza boxes, stacking them in a pile by the door. I went to my room and threw on the first pants I found, and a light blue shirt. I stepped outside, humidity hitting me in the face like a wet towel. I was glad I had good air conditioning in my apartment. It was already hot and muggy, the sky threatening to burst at any time.

  Back inside, Allie and Marissa were up and putting the glasses in the dishwasher, moving slowly but nonetheless getting things done. Allie gave me a big grin as I came back inside, then she grabbed her stomach and looked a little green. Marissa laughed at her, but the motion made her grab her bright red hair and grimace.

  "I think the shots might have been a mistake," she groaned.

  "No kidding. How are you up and moving around, Kaylee? You were slamming them back as fast as we were," Allie groaned, closing the dishwasher. I opened the fridge and gave them each a sports drink.

  "I guess I just hold my liquor better than the two of you. I don't remember doing shots, though," I answered.

  "That's because you didn't. You were passed out on the floor when someone decided it was a good idea." Marissa took a big sip of her drink and leaned against the counter, glaring at Allie.

  Allie blushed. "I guess I really overdid it if I didn't realize Kaylee wasn't drinking hers. No wonder I feel it today."

  "You two look like you might pass out or barf any minute now. Go sit on the couch and relax. I'll get the rest of this. You guys took care of me last night. I can take care of you this morning." I shooed them toward the couch, but Marissa stopped me.

  "Honestly, I just want a shower and to crawl into my own bed. Thank you, Kaylee, but I'm going to head home. Besides, your shampoo sucks." Marissa gave me a weak smile to show she wasn't trying to be mean.

  "I'm with you on the going home," Allie said quietly, holding her stomach like it might fall out if she let go. "Thanks for the offer, Kaylee, but I want to be miserable in my own bed."

  "All right. How about I bring you two soup later then? It's the least I can do," I said, helping them gather the last of their things.

  "That sounds fantastic. Make that chicken dumpling one for me?" Allie asked, seeming to perk up a little bit. I nodded and promised as the two of them staggered zombie like down the hall. They were going to need a lot more than soup to make those hangovers better.

  Back inside my own apartment, I cleaned up the last of our sleepover and organized the kitchen. It wasn't long before my phone chirped with a message from Allie that they had both made it home safe and sound.

  I played with the phone in my hand, toying with the idea of sending a message to Owen. I opened a message three times, stared at the blank page with no idea what to say, only to close it again. What could I possibly say to Owen that would make this better? I just had to deal with the fact that there was no easy way to fix this. Owen was gone.

  Thunder rumbled outside, making my neighbor's dog bark. Technically the building didn't allow dogs, but somehow the dog was still there. I knew Emma would know how to calm the dog down from the storm. I smiled at the thought of my sister, then looked down at the phone. I was already on my speed dial page, my thumb poised over her number.

  "Hey, Kaylee, how're you doing?" Emma's voice was music to my ears. I should have called her first thing when I got back instead of waiting this long.

  "Crappy. I assume you've heard all about it," I said, settling into the couch.

  "Yeah, but I'd rather hear it from you. I just had a meeting cancel on me, so I've got some spare time." I could just see her in my head, spinning around in an office chair and smiling at the phone.

  I started by telling her about Dubai, the skyscrapers and the hotel, then the dinner at the sheik's house. I told her how uncomfortable the sheik's son made me, how he leered and made my skin crawl.

  "I should have known something was off about Roger, but I thought he was harmless. Creepy, but harmless." I sighed. "The next day he got in my hotel room, Emma. He just walked right in like it was nothing."

  "I heard about that. I'm glad Dean got there in time. I'm so sorry this happened to you," Emma said softly. I didn't trust my voice to answer right away.

  "Emma, it's all so messed up. I told Owen that we can't be together. His life is in Dubai and I won't, I can't, ever go back there. That fucking prick messed everything up." I was surprised at my own anger, especially since I almost never cussed, but it felt good to call him a name.

  "Well, I can completely understand why Owen told the sheik off about it. What his son did was completely inappropriate."

  "What do you mean, 'Owen told the sheik off?'" I asked confused.

  "You mean he didn't tell you? It's all Jack's been able to talk about for the past few days. Owen went completely berserk on him."

  As Emma told me what happened, I could see it all clearly in my head.

  Chapter 22

  Owen clicked the phone shut. If he could have slammed the receiver down like on an old corded phone, he would have. His hands shook as he held the phone in disbelief. He'd heard news reports of how Western ex-pats had been mistreated in Dubai, but nothing like this. He walked out of the private room where he had excused himself to talk to Dean, intent on giving the sheik one chance to make this right. One chance.

  In another moment, he was back at the negotiation table with the sheik. Owen's usual poker face was gone, and the sheik noticed immediately. "Is something wrong?"

  "Yeah, something's wrong alright. Your son just
tried to assault my girlfriend," Owen said.

  A flash of anger crossed the older man's face for a moment before it softened again. Anger at his son's actions, Owen hoped. "That's a serious accusation, Mr. Parker. An accusation that you shouldn't make lightly."

  "I'm serious as a heart attack right now. I have two witnesses, and probably the room service guy as well. What are you going to do about this?" Owen's eyes burned like fire.

  al-Saffar shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure the hotel staff will be more than happy to tell us what really happened later tonight. In the meantime, let's get back to the negotiations."

  Owen slammed his hand against the table. "We'll be dealing with this right now, before you have a chance to get the hotel staff to change their stories, or these negotiations are over."

  The sheik turned red, practically shaking with barely contained rage. "I'm not sure I appreciate your tone, Mr. Parker."

  Owen stood up, walking to the window. The Burj Khalifa gleamed in the distance, a sand storm preparing to engulf it from behind. "It's a beautiful sight, the tower. The tallest structure in the world. The crown jewel of Dubai."

  "Please, let's just return to negotiations for now? We can talk about this later," al-Saffar said.

  "But it wasn't able to be completed by just Dubai," Owen continued, looking out the window. "Dubai ran out of money and needed to be bailed out by the United Arab Emirates, and so what was supposed to be the Burj Dubai was renamed the Burj Khalifa to honor the Khalifa family for their support."

  Sheik al Saffar remained silent. This was a sore spot for all of Dubai, and both men knew it.

  "But I'm not sure 'Burj Khalifa' is the right name for it either. I think that you owe way too much to the West and that it's time you recognized that. I was thinking, maybe you should rename it the 'Burj British Petroleum'. Or maybe 'Wells Fargo Tower'."

  "How dare you..." the sheik said from behind him.

  Owen cut him off. "Or, you know, maybe just convert it to a Marriott hotel. Either that or just let Wal-Mart buy the whole thing; I'm sure their sign would look great on the 150th floor."

  "Listen here..." the sheik started.

  "No, you listen here," Owen said, his voice rising as he turned around. His finger shot out, pointing straight at the older man. "I've noticed your son flirting with Kaylee, and I've noticed the looks he gives her when he thinks she's not looking. You either get him under control, or these negotiations are over."

  al Saffar jumped to his feet, his own voice roaring. "I think you've forgotten who you're talking to, Mr. Parker. I think you've forgotten that your name isn't Daniel Saunders."

  Owen laughed. "Perhaps you haven't heard, but the owner's name is Jack now." He walked to the table and picked up his briefcase. "These negotiations are over. Either call me when you've come to your senses and have your son under control, or call Saunders and let him know that the deal is off." He walked toward the door.

  "You have no right-" the sheik yelled after him, cut off by the sound of the door slamming behind Owen.

  Chapter 23

  "He really did that?" I asked, flabbergasted. I knew Owen had been angry, but I had no idea that he would go to those lengths.

  "Yeah. The sheik was pissed. He woke Jack up at 3 in the morning to tell him what Owen did."

  "What did Jack do?" I hoped that Owen wasn't going to get in too much trouble over this, but I had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

  "Well, Jack was furious at first. This could ruin years of business negotiations. Billions of dollars lost. I've never seen Jack that angry." Emma paused for a moment before continuing. "But when he calmed down enough to think straight, he realized he would have done the same thing in Owen's position."

  "What's going to happen to Owen?" I asked, breathless.

  "I'm not sure. The sheik demanded Owen's immediate dismissal, but I don't know how Jack is going to take that. Owen and Jack have been locked in Jack's office for the past two days. I haven't even been able to bring Jack his hamburger today." I could practically hear Emma shrug her shoulders. "I wish I could tell you what's going to happen, but I don't have a clue myself."

  "Will you let me know if anything happens?"

  "Sure, but won't Owen tell you first?"

  "Um, well, we haven't talked since I got back to Iowa," I said quietly.

  "What? Not even a text?" Emma was shocked. I knew her eyes would be wide open and her mouth would hang open just a little.

  "I told him we couldn't be together. I wish I would have known that he had confronted the sheik though." I leaned my head back and looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what I should do. I couldn't think of a good answer.

  "Oh, KayKay," Emma said with a sigh. "I'll tell him to call you next time I see him. I've gotta go back to work now. Are you going to be okay?"

  I grimaced and rubbed my eyes, emotions tumbling around inside of me. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for talking to me."

  "Anytime. I'll give you a call tomorrow, okay? Love you!"

  "Love you too, Emma." I hung up the phone and just stared at it in my hand.

  Wave after wave of emotions washed through me, each one pummeling the one before it until I wasn't sure what I felt anymore. Awe that he had stood up for me like that. Love because he would risk so much. Anger that he hadn't told me. Fear for what would happen to him. Despair that he was gone. Hopelessness for what would never be.

  I lay down on the couch, curling up into a tight ball. I didn't know what else to do, so I just closed my eyes and prayed for sleep.

  Chapter 24

  I awoke with a start, nearly falling off the couch as the front door buzzed. I hadn't meant to doze off and the afternoon crept up on me. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, glancing out the window. It was raining again, the room bathed in a gray light. The intercom buzzed again and I got up to answer it.

  I hit 'answer' only to be met with static. Right, I remembered, the buzzer's broken. Have to go down and answer it in person. I pulled my hair up into a messy ponytail, not even bothering to put on shoes for the quick trip down the stairs.

  I hurried down and pushed open the locked main entrance door, not expecting the wind to rush out of my body and my heart to jump in my chest.

  Owen stood in the entrance. He was wearing just simple jeans and a white button-up short-sleeved shirt, but he looked like a knight in shining armor to me. He gave me a crooked smile as I opened the door.

  "Hi, Kaylee," he greeted me, running a hand through his rain soaked hair. Little droplets of water went flying, sparkling like diamonds as they fell.

  "What are you doing here?" I gasped in amazement. I was sure he was going to disappear at any moment, that I was going to wake up and be back in my bed alone.

  "I told you that I'd be back. I just had some things I needed to do first." His smile lit up my world. I took a step forward, afraid he would shimmer and fade like a desert mirage. He stepped forward and took my hands in his. They were wet from the rain, but still warm and strong.

  "There's something I need to tell you, Kaylee." His blue eyes searched my face, their crystalline depths holding me captive. "I quit my job."

  "What? Why would you do that?" I asked in surprise. He smiled down at me and brushed a tendril of hair from my face.

  "Because it wasn't making me happy anymore. You make me happy. I couldn't bear the thought of taking another trip without you."

  I pulled back slightly in surprise. "But you love your job!"

  "No, I love the challenge of my job. The job itself is immaterial. Without you, it wasn't fun anymore. When I was away from you, all I did was miss you. I don't want the job anymore. I just want you." He said it simply, as though it were nothing but fact, but it made my heart pound in my chest.

  "What about the sheik? And Jack?"

  "Oh, you heard about that?" Owen flushed slightly as he shrugged. "Publicly, Jack is going to fire me. Privately, I quit. It saves face for Jack and the company, the sheik gets what he wants, and I get
what I want. You."

  I opened my mouth, but couldn't find any words. No one had ever made me as happy as Owen did with that one small word: You. He wanted only me.

  "There is one down side, though," he said, giving me a thoughtful look. "It does mean that we will have to be slightly frugal. I won't have the paychecks from Jack's company rolling in anymore."

  "I'll pick up extra shifts at the hospital," I said, only half-joking. I would do whatever it took. I wasn't letting go of him ever again.

  Owen laughed and pulled me closer. "Not that frugal! I still have a stake in the company, but we should probably just borrow Jack's private jet instead of buying our own."

  "That's fine by me. I hate flying anyway." I could feel a silly grin spreading across my face, happiness bubbling up inside of me.

  “In the meantime, though, I am going to need a job. I was wondering if you were still interested in opening that bed and breakfast. Maybe even having some help from your husband?“ he asked.

  My mouth dropped open. “Is this some kind of proposal?“ I asked.

  Owen leaned down, not answering the question. His hair dripped rainwater onto my face as he kissed me softly. My heart soared in my chest, every fiber of my being taking flight. Owen was mine and I was his. We didn't have to be apart anymore. “Yes,“ I said, not waiting for him to repeat the question. “A thousand times yes.“ I leaned back in and kissed him again.

  Owen broke the kiss, and smiled down at me. "Jack and Emma met on vacation. You are my vacation. You are the person that makes me feel relaxed and wonderful. Wherever you are is home to me."

  I reached up and touched his cheek, losing myself in his cobalt eyes. "I love you, Owen Parker."

  "I love you, Kaylee LaRue."

  And then he kissed me.