Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story

by Krista Lakes

Dean slides a ring onto my finger. A diamond catches the sun, sparkling with a thousand rainbows. My heart speeds up, threatening to dance out of my chest. I've never felt this happy before, this complete. I slip a thick silver band onto his hand, the two of us now linked. Our rings bind us so we will never be apart again. All I can see is Dean's smile.

  Dean raises the veil, carefully revealing my face. His own is beaming with joy. All I want is to kiss him, and as he leans forward, my wish is granted. Our lips touch, and he pulls me in to him. The sunlight sparkles through the trees, and I close my eyes, taking everything in. This moment is ours, just mine and Dean's, forever.

  I barely notice the walk back into the house. I'm so happy holding onto Dean's strong arm that I barely notice the steps. Inside, the house is cool and quiet, just the two of us. I giggle, and Dean kisses me again, his lips sweet and wonderful as they merge with mine. I could kiss him every second of every day and love every minute of it.

  He gives me one of his mischievous grins, pulling me to a small table. A bottle of champagne and two glasses sit, ready to be drunk. He hands me one, taking the other in his fingers. With a gentle clink, he taps them together and whispers, "To making new marriages."

  The champagne bubbles in my mouth, tickling my nose and making me smile. I want to kiss him again, and because we are now married, I can.

  I kiss him, tasting the effervescent champagne still on his lips. We share our champagne kisses, knowing we will have many more. I kiss him, feeling my heart soar in my chest, remembering our first champagne kiss. It took twenty years, but Dean and I are finally together. Everything is perfect.

  Thank you for reading "Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story" by Krista Lakes

  If you'd like to read more about Jack and Emma Saunders and how they met, please pick up Saltwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story, and if you like that book, its sequel Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story. Both are also available on audiobook!

  Saltwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

  When small-town girl Emma LaRue won a vacation to an exclusive tropical island, a last minute cancellation meant she would be going by herself. Shy and studious, she never had time to fall in love, and often wondered if she was just meant to be alone. However, that all changed when a handsome stranger literally walked into her life while on the beach and sparks began to fly.

  New York's most eligible billionaire bachelor Jack Saunders thought this vacation would be the perfect escape, one last hurrah, before taking full control of his father's company. When an innocent Emma didn't recognize him, he figured that he might get a chance to have a vacation from being rich. He didn't tell her about the cars, the yacht, or the penthouse. All he did was let her fall in love with him.

  Soon, Jack found that he was the one falling in love with Emma. When they enjoy a fantasy marriage ceremony on the beach, they thought it was a bit of harmless fun before returning to their normal lives. A bittersweet goodbye was supposed to be the end of their perfect vacation romance, but when photos of the ceremony were leaked to the press, everything changed.

  Feeling lied to and thrust into a world of wealth and privilege, Emma must choose between following her dreams or following her heart. Will she be content at being nothing more than the billionaire's wife, or will she return to her normal life with only memories of saltwater kisses?

  He pushed me back until I bumped against the door. His mouth skimmed my jaw, down to my throat, his teeth grazing my skin and his five-o-clock shadow scratching gently. He pressed a thigh between my legs, sending heat through my belly and then south. I whimpered for more, the noise low in my throat.

  “You want to invite me in?” he whispered in my ear. Goosebumps ran down my arms, but not from cold.

  “Why? Are you a vampire?” I asked with a wry smile.

  He didn’t answer but instead kissed me again, drawing me to him like a magnet. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled on my waist, guiding me through the open door. He released me and I felt woozy on my feet from his kisses. The door thudded softly shut and I licked my lips.

  He was perfect in the moonlight. His shoulders were broad, tapering into a tight waist and an ass that my fingers itched to squeeze. The darkness and the wine made me bold, my desire growing by the minute. His eyes caught mine and he smiled, knowing that I was checking him out. Those eyes turned up the flame growing in my belly, now spreading north and south, filling my core with need. The sexual tension wrapped around us like taut guitar strings, filling the room with vibrating desire.

  His hands grabbed my hips again, pulling me into him with strong fingers. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, tangling my fingers in his hair as we stumbled towards the bedroom. A part of me told me that I should stop, that I should think this through, but the other voices in my head quickly drowned her out; I wanted him more than I wanted to breathe.

  Don't forget to join my mailing list as well for updates! (clickable link)

  About the Editor

  Krista Lakes' editor, Mel Finefrock, is a recent graduate from the University of North Texas. She has worked behind the scenes with Krista during the making of both Rainwater Kisses and Champagne Kisses. In addition to being a grammar Nazi, Mel is a total lit nerd and always enjoys a good love story. When she isn't in Red Pen Mode, Mel dabbles in a bit of art herself. She sings and plays guitar, as well as writes songs and poetry. She even takes pictures, despite the fact that she can't see! You can find her music on her Youtube page and her other artwork on DeviantArt.

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  Deacon and Leah might as well be from opposite worlds.

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  Part of that reality being someone he never, ever wanted to see again.

  Bethany Sommer: Deacon's first love. The girl who stole his heart, then tossed it away.

  Now, due to some impossible to foresee circumstances, Leah and Deacon will both have to suffer through the torturous memories of his past.

  Can they make it through in one piece, or will it prove to be too much?

  Me, Cinderella? - Aubrey Rose

  One kind deed can change your life forever...

  Brynn Tomlin could never afford to follow her heart. But when she sees a stranger shivering in the snow outside of the college library, an inexplicable urge leads her to buy him a hot cup of coffee. It's just a small act of kindness, a few words of conversation. Brynn should be focusing on her finals, after all, not on the man who looked up at her gratefully with piercing blue eyes.

  He could have been anyone - a janitor on break, a graduate student, a bum. But the man standing outside in the cold turns out to be Dr. Eliot Herceg, one of the most brilliant minds in mathematics and heir to a fortune. After years of reclusive isolation, he now finds his heart awakening to the kind girl whose name he does not know.

  Brynn has spent her life trying to forget her desires, and Eliot's deep wounds have taken nearly a decade to heal. After so much hurt, will either of them be able to open their hearts again?

  The Billionaire's Ultimatum – Cerys du Lys

  Screwing up on her first day of a one-day job is the last thing Jessika Fevrier wanted to do. Worse yet, she's managed to infuriate Asher Landseer, the young, handsome, reclusive and eccentric billionaire CEO of Landseer Enterprises. His idea of work performance punishment is unorthodox to say the least, but Jessika finds herself intrigued by this singularly unaffected man nonetheless.

  She was only supposed to clean Asher's office, but before she leaves for the day he has another job he'd like to offer her. Revealing that his wife is infertile, Asher asks her to consider becoming an egg donor for his family. He's always wanted children of his own, but the fates have plotted against him, it seems.

 
Asher's marriage is of necessity, rough and possibly loveless, but his desire for children is genuine and real. His absoluteness and certainty in himself and his surroundings, despite everything, captivates her. Jessika finds herself charmed by this dominant, enigmatic man who seems to know everything about business and nothing about love.

  Behind the scenes, there's more than the fates plotting against him. Someone has it out for Landseer Enterprises, and they're going to do everything within their power to cause Asher's downfall. Between dealing with Asher's conditions and requirements, the cruel gaze of his spiteful wife, and corporate sabotage, Jessika finds herself lost in a world completely different from the one she's used to.

  Can she rediscover herself and come to terms with her impossible feelings for a man she can't have? Or in her attempts to satisfy His Absolute Need will she inadvertently become the catalyst that leads to his (and her) ruin?

  Lost – Nadia Simonenko

  Sometimes you need someone else to help you find your way.

  Maria's life was torn apart when she was fifteen, and for seven years she's kept her terrible secret hidden from the world. Now, in her final semester of college, she still struggles against paralyzing fear just trying to speak up in class, and the terror and helplessness linger on in her nightmares.

  Across campus, Owen sees his scars in the mirror every morning while he gets ready for class. They remind him of the broken home he left behind, the father he hates and fears, and the little sister he couldn't protect. Now, in his final semester of college, he's scared that he may have to return to the hell he called home after staying away for almost five years.

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  Hard Rock Arrangement – Ava Lore

  Chronic loser Rebecca Alton is penniless, homeless, and sleeping on her sister’s couch. She needs a job, fast, but in this economy finding one is easier said than done. When she accidentally walks into the wrong office and finds herself auditioning for the role of fake girlfriend and very real babysitter to Carter Hudson, the out-of-control lead guitarist of an up and coming rock band, can she pull it off? And considering who her boss would be–Carter's brother and the band’s bassist, manager, and undisputed king of bad attitudes Kent Hudson–would she even want the job?

  Rebecca isn’t sure. In fact, she’s not sure of much in her life, except three things: Kent wants her, she wants him back, and the underlying animal attraction between them may be too white-hot to keep under wraps.

  Rock Me: Crazy – Arabella Quinn

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  Tommy, drummer for the band Cold Fusion, is used to partying hard. Every night there’s a new woman in his bed, and that’s the way he likes it. From the moment they first meet, Livvy intrigues him; she’s so different from all the other girls. Despite his reluctance for ‘repeat sex’, he is drawn in by her crazy antics.

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  Check out my other works!

  Novels

  Saltwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

  Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

  The Woman of the Billionaire's Dreams

  Teasing the Billionaire (free)

  The Woman of the Billionaire's Dreams

  The Woman of Her Enemy's Nightmares

  Curves of the French Riviera

  Curves of the French Riviera (free)

  Curves of the French Riviera Trilogy

  Worthy of the Billionaire

  Worthy of the Billionaire's Attention (free)

  Worthy of the Billionaire

  Don't forget to join my mailing list as well for updates! (clickable link)

  Did you love Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story? Then you should read Saltwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story by Krista Lakes!

  When small-town girl Emma LaRue won a vacation to an exclusive tropical island, a last minute cancellation meant she would be going by herself. Shy and studious, she never had time to fall in love, and often wondered if she was just meant to be alone. However, that all changed when a handsome stranger literally walked into her life while on the beach and sparks began to fly.

  New York's most eligible billionaire bachelor Jack Saunders thought this vacation would be the perfect escape, one last hurrah, before taking full control of his father's company. When an innocent Emma didn't recognize him, he figured that he might get a chance to have a vacation from being rich. He didn't tell her about the cars, the yacht, or the penthouse. All he did was let her fall in love with him.

  Soon, Jack found that he was the one falling in love with Emma. When they enjoy a fantasy marriage ceremony on the beach, they thought it was a bit of harmless fun before returning to their normal lives. A bittersweet goodbye was supposed to be the end of their perfect vacation romance, but when photos of the ceremony were leaked to the press, everything changed.

  Feeling lied to and thrust into a world of wealth and privilege, Emma must choose between following her dreams or following her heart. Will she be content at being nothing more than the billionaire's wife, or will she return to her normal life with only memories of saltwater kisses?

  He pushed me back until I bumped against the door. His mouth skimmed my jaw, down to my throat, his teeth grazing my skin and his five-o-clock shadow scratching gently. He pressed a thigh between my legs, sending heat through my belly and then south. I whimpered for more, the noise low in my throat.

  “You want to invite me in?” he whispered in my ear. Goosebumps ran down my arms, but not from cold.

  “Why? Are you a vampire?” I asked with a wry smile.

  He didn’t answer but instead kissed me again, drawing me to him like a magnet. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled on my waist, guiding me through the open door. He released me and I felt woozy on my feet from his kisses. The door thudded softly shut and I licked my lips.

  He was perfect in the moonlight. His shoulders were broad, tapering into a tight waist and an ass that my fingers itched to squeeze. The darkness and the wine made me bold, my desire growing by the minute. His eyes caught mine and he smiled, knowing that I was checking him out. Those eyes turned up the flame growing in my belly, now spreading north and south, filling my core with need. The sexual tension wrapped around us like taut guitar strings, filling the room with vibrating desire.

  His hands grabbed my hips again, pulling me into him with strong fingers. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, tangling my fingers in his hair as we stumbled towards the bedroom. A part of me told me that I should stop, that I should think this through, but the other voices in my head quickly drowned her out; I wanted him more than I wanted to breathe.

  Read more at Krista Lakes’s site.

  About the Author

  Krista Lakes is a newly turned 30 year old who recently rediscovered her passion for writing. She loves aquatic life and running marathons. She is living happily ever after with her Prince Charming and her bouncing baby boy.

  Thank you for supporting an indie author. Anything you can do, whether it be writing a review, or even simply telling a fellow reader that you enjoyed this, helps keep my baby in diapers. Thanks!

  Krista would love to hear from you! Please contact her at Krista.Lakes@gmail.com or friend her on Facebook!

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