by Alexa McLean
She took it upon herself to rummage through my drawers and find herself a shirt. I wanted to lash out at her but she just looked so cute, I didn’t have the heart to do it.
“No, why should it upset me?” She cocked her head to the side as she buttoned up my shirt.
I couldn’t help but stare at her cleavage, nipples poking through the thin fabric.
“Because you won’t be here with me.”
She laughed. “And, what’s stopping you from coming with me? You have all the money in the world. You probably have more money than you know what to do with. Why don’t you come out to Montana with me?”
For some reason, I hadn’t considered that as an option. When I was younger, travel was a part of my daily life. Now, in my thirties, I preferred to stay at home and read a good book. But, maybe, it was about time for me to break out of that rut and do something a little different.
I stepped forward and pulled her close. With my hands on her hips, I kissed her lips, letting them linger for a moment so I could savor the true extent of her taste.
She smiled and looked up at me.
“Never leave me,” I whispered.
“I won’t.” She promised.
We stood there for a while simply gazing into each other’s eyes. Every second spanned into an eternity and honestly, I wouldn’t have minded spending the rest of my life trapped at that moment.
Her smile deepened before she rose onto her tippy toes and kissed me.
I tightened my grip around her waist and pulled her back into a nearby chair. There, she settled onto my lap, head on my chest.
“But, I want to know exactly what happened all those years ago.”
“Like I said, I had college debt hanging over my head. I was desperate to graduate debt free so it wouldn’t haunt me for the rest of my life.”
“You know, most people get a part-time job or something,” I said. “What made you think it would be a good idea to steal?”
“At the time, I had a roommate named Lisa. At first, I thought she was my friend. She was always helping me and I depended on her. But, then I came to realize that she was only trying to hurt me. She convinced me that she had shoplifted from your store before and that it was near impossible to get caught. I believed her. Look where it got me.” She paused, contemplating her words. “Although, in a sense, maybe I should thank her because if it wasn’t for her trying to destroy me, I wouldn’t have met you in the first place.”
“Funny how the world works, isn’t it?” I chuckled. “Does she still give you a hard time?”
“Oh, all the time. She’s one of the biggest trolls on my blog. I’m always going around deleting all her comments.”
“Have you tried blocking her?”
“She just makes another account and continues to harass me.”
“That isn’t right.” I shook my head. “If you’d like, I can get my lawyer on the case.”
“Your lawyer has enough to deal with.” She said. “Speaking of which, did they ever find your wife?”
“Ex-wife.” I corrected. I cringed just thinking about Tina. “And, as far as I can tell, there’s no word on her whereabouts. She’s probably lost in the forest somewhere.”
“Aren’t you worried?”
“Not really,” I admitted. “I know that sounds horrible to say but I really don’t have any feelings left for that woman.”
“The break up was that bad, huh?”
“She just sucked the life right out of me. I couldn’t stand it. She’s incredibly rude. Rather dimwitted. And, at the end of the day, all she cares about is money. She would bath in it if she could.”
“Oh, I saw that first hand. She was practically drooling over the jade we found in the shaft.”
“It was intolerable.” I held her close. “That’s what I love about you. Money isn’t your prerogative. You just care about going out into the world and enjoying your best life.”
“That’s right.” She smiled. “And now, that best life involves you.”
Buzz! Buzz!
“Billy?” I asked.
“No. A comment on my blog.”
“You get a lot of traffic?”
“A decent amount. Enough to pay the bills and keep me traveling so I’m not complaining. So long as things remain the way they are, I’ll be happy.” She logged into her account. Over her shoulder, I read some pretty nasty comments.
What kind of stupid photography is this? A three-year-old could do better.
Stop ruining the pictures with your face.
Try buying some shorts that actually fit you, you cow.
Anger boiled inside of me. How dare they say such awful things.
“Don’t listen to anything they say.”
“Oh, I don’t. I used to in the beginning but it’s not worth my time.”
I took her face and forced her to look at me. “They don’t know what they’re talking about. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. They’re just jealous that you’re gorgeous and they aren’t.”
She blushed crimson and looked down. She was so incredibly cute when she became bashful like that.
“And, if they don’t see that, well, then, they’re blind.”
“Oh, stop it. I’m not that great.”
“You are!” I protested. “Right now, you’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me,” I spoke without thinking. I was high off the feeling of being with her, the fire inside my soul igniting something that had laid dormant for so long: passion.
And, maybe it’s all too good to be true but I didn’t care. I wanted to ride on the hope that maybe, just maybe, this was real and the start of something beautiful.
Epilogue (Kylie)
Two years later.
“This is your captain speaking. We are just moments away from landing in Ponta Delgada.” I drowned out the voice of the pilot and looked over at Roy.
He was fast asleep, mouth open and ready to catch some flies. In front of him, his tray was open with his sketchbook on display. I glanced over, admiring his drawings. He was working on a brand-new collection due to launch in the spring. So far, the hype around it was building up quite nicely. I had no doubt it would be a huge success for the company.
I overhead the stewardess telling flyers to put their things away so I saved Roy the burden and slipped his sketchbook into his bag along with his various assortment of drawing utensils.
As I did so, my engagement ring got caught on the zipper. I shook my head. I told Roy that it was too big but he insisted I wear it. I mean, it was gorgeous – like something straight out of a fairy tale – but it was hardly practical.
I still couldn’t believe he had asked me to marry him. Did it back in Jade Cove, too, where it all began. I smiled and closed my eyes thinking of the night where he popped the question.
“Are we landing already?” He asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
“Yup. Glad you could join us, sleeping beauty.”
“That was quick.”
“Yeah, time really flies when you’re snoring.”
“I wasn’t snoring.”
“Oh, yes you were.” I wagged my finger at him. “I got it on camera so you can’t even call me a liar if you wanted to.”
“You didn’t.”
“Mhm. So, just remember, if you piss me off one of these days, I’m uploading it onto my blog.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
He laughed. “You’re such a little rebel. I love it.”
“Good, because I love you.”
He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. As the plane made its descent, he took my hand and squeezed it.
SOON, WE WERE HIKING through the island’s verdant hiking trails. Occasionally, I’d stop to take a picture or two but for the most part, we walked hand in hand, enjoying the scenery just like everybody else.
Halfway through our hike, we discovered a hot spring. A few couples were bathing in
the orange-tinted water.
“Want to go for a dip?” He asked.
“I’m not going to say no to a hot spring.” I grinned. “The changing rooms are right here.”
He nodded, grabbed his trunks from my backpack and disappeared.
I slipped into the bathroom and rummaged through my bag. At the bottom, I found what I was looking for. It was a makeup bag filled with my toiletries. Mixed in with the mess was something I had picked up at the pharmacy a few weeks ago. I had been meaning to use it earlier but never really got around to it.
But, at this point, my period was already two months late. Taking a deep breath, I read the directions on the side of the box and proceeded to follow them.
Those few minutes of waiting were absolutely agonizing. I paced around the small bathroom.
Beep!
My heart was racing as I picked up the pregnancy test.
A little pink plus sign looked back at me.
My eyes widened.
I was pregnant!
With Roy’s child.
I didn’t even bother to change before I rushed out of the bathroom to find my fiancé.
He was waiting by the hot springs when I jumped into his arms.
“What’s gotten into you?” He asked, staggering with the suddenness of my action. “Are you trying to get us killed?” He glanced at the boiling body of water behind us. A sign nearby read DANGER.
“No. I’m just excited.”
“Excited about what? You’re not even in your bathing suit yet.”
“Forget about the bathing suit.”
“Huh?” He scratched his head, clearly confused by this whole situation. “What are you going on about?”
I took out the pregnancy test and waved it around like a magic wand.
He grabbed it out of my hand. His eyes looked like they were going to pop right out of his skull. For a while, all he could do was look at me and then the pregnancy test and then back at me again. He was clearly in a state of shock.
“Aren’t you happy?” I asked, getting a little nervous. We hadn’t really talked about kids but I wanted to believe that he wanted to start a family with me. Just the thought of raising a beautiful child with this man filled me with joy. Surely, he felt the same way.
Suddenly, he took me into his arms and kissed me – hard. So hard that it took my breath away. My body became weightless as I floated in a state of euphoria.
His lips danced against mine as they moved in perfect unison.
When he broke away, his eyes glowed with excitement. “This is real, right?”
“Of course, it’s real! Why would I lie about something like this?”
“I just can’t believe it. We’re going to have a baby – we’re going to start a family.”
“Mhm.” Tears threatened the corners of my eyes. My heart felt like it was going to burst right out of my chest.
“You don’t know how happy that makes me, Kylie.” He kissed me one more time.
“I want to settle down and raise this child with you, Roy. I want us to buy a house together and live the American dream.”
“But, what about your blogging career?” He asked.
“I can still run a blog but first and foremost, I want to be the mother I’ve always dreamt of becoming.”
He kissed the top of my head. “And, you’re going to be a fabulous mother. I’m proud to call myself your future husband.”
I smiled and knew, at that moment, that my life couldn’t get any better than this. I had found my dream guy. I was about to get married. And I had a family on the way.
What more could a girl ask for?
Bonus Story
Description/Blurb
AN ACCIDENTAL MEETING. Followed by disaster after disaster.
I came to the city thinking my life would turn around.
And things were looking good: new job, nice apartment, decent neighborhood.
Or so I thought.
I was whisked away by my childhood sweetheart – Robin Thornton – bad boy turned handsome billionaire.
How was I supposed to resist?
It’s hard to reject a man in a tailored suit.
Trust me.
But, I should have gone home.
I should have stayed the night with her.
Instead, I allowed old emotions to guide my actions.
I fell for him and I fell hard – maybe too hard.
Now my grandmother’s in the hospital and she doesn’t even know who I am.
And it’s all his fault.
He’s the one that got me mixed up in this mess.
An ugly past coming back to nip him in the butt and it’s taking me down with it.
How am I ever going to get out of here?
Will my knight in shining armor come through for me or will he turn out to be a tinfoil joke?
Title: The Irresistible Encounter
Subtitle: A Billionaire Bad Boy Friends to Lovers Romance
By: Alexa McLean
Chapter 1 (Julia)
Okay, Julia, don’t mess this up. It’s your big day. Let’s make this count. The little voice in my head chimed as I stood in front of The Chop Shop, one of New York’s high-end beauty salons. Its renown was known worldwide, attracting the rich and famous.
Breathe, I told myself. My heart thumped inside my chest.
“This is it,” I whispered to myself. “What you’ve been working toward for the last ten years of your life.”
The door swung open and a preppy young woman with bright pink dreadlocks smiled at me. “Hey! You must be Julia. We were wondering when you’d show up.”
“Sorry.” I quickened toward her.
“Don’t worry. Most of our stylists talk to themselves before their shifts.” She chuckled. “Totally normal. I do it all the time.”
“I wasn’t talking to myself.” I protested.
“Honey, I saw you.” She stepped back. “But, seriously, don’t worry about it. I get it. New job jitters. Happens to the best of us. Now, come on, we’ve been dying to meet you.”
“So, I’ll be working with a bunch of zombies then?”
She laughed. “Oh, that’s funny. Keep that up and you’ll fit right in. We love a good laugh around here.”
I smiled, feeling better now that I had broken the ice with at least one of my co-workers.
Once inside, I stopped, blown away by the décor. It was absolutely stunning. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Dark hardwood lined the floor. Cutting stations were decked with marble countertops and top-of-the-line hair products. All the mirrors sparkled brilliantly. “Wow, this place is amazing,” I said, mouth agape with wonder.
“Oh, honey, it has to be. We serve the best of the best and they don’t settle for anything less than the best.” She placed a hand on the small of my back and guided me forward. “My name’s Michele, by the way.”
“I’m Julia.” I returned, holding out my hand.
“Oh, I don’t shake.” Before I knew what was happening, she had me in a tight embrace, smothering me into her chest. It was difficult to breathe. I tried to tell her, but she was suffocating me with her dreadlocks.
“Shelly.” A stern voice sounded through the salon. “Let go of the poor girl, you’re going to kill her.”
It took her a moment, but she eventually complied, stepping back with a bashful look on her face. “Sorry, Bea, couldn’t help myself. She’s a cuddly one.”
“Don’t let Joey hear you say that. You know how jealous he gets.”
“Joey?” I asked.
“My boyfriend.” Michele clarified. “We’ve been dating for seven years.”
“Oh, wow, that’s impressive. Congratulations.”
She shrugged. “I just don’t know how to get rid of him.”
“Don’t let her fool you, they’re head over heels in love with one another.” The older woman held out a small handbag.
“What’s this?” I cocked my head in question.
“Your cutting set. Best scissors an
d combs money can buy. Instead of keeping them at the station, our stylists keep them on their person at all time – because as a stylist your tools should be an extension of yourself.”
“That’s right.” Suddenly, Michele whipped out one of her scissors. “Never go anywhere without them. I practically sleep with these things.”
“Maybe you should.” The woman countered.
“Um, I don’t mean to be rude but who are you?” I asked, my head spinning trying to keep up with their conversation.
“I’m Beatrice, owner of this place, and, as a result, your new boss. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”
“Word to the wise...” Michele leaned in, whispering into my ear. “... don’t get on her bad side. She can turn into the Wicked Witch of the West in a heartbeat. It’s a miracle I still have my job.”
“A miracle, indeed.”
Ding!
A few more people walked in through the front door. All of them wore a handbag on their hip.
“Hey, everyone, I want you to meet our newest member, Julia Goodwin.”
They waved their greetings before disappearing into the back.
“So, if I remember correctly, you have plenty of experience.”
“Yes, over eight years.”
“And you graduated top of your class?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I’ve wanted to become a stylist for a long, long time.”
“Ah, a childhood dream, then?”
“Mhm.”
“Well, I wish you the best of luck.” She said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “But, I want you to know that I don’t tolerate anything other than the best. If you show me anything less, you will be cut from the team. Is that understood?”
Beads of sweat formed at the back of my neck. I could tell this woman was a hard-ass. Someone who demanded perfection. While I prided myself on being a good stylist, I was suddenly doubtful of my abilities. What if I didn’t perform up to her standards?
“Understood,” I answered, trying my best to appear confident. Beatrice seemed like the kind of woman who could smell fear from a mile away.
“Good.” She brought me over to the front desk where a shy-looking redhead was tidying up a pile of receipts. “Missy?”