“Top ten.”
“Holy shit, Duchess.”
Harold, her parents’ long-time butler, opened the door, and glanced at Kate, giving her a wink before her parents walked inside. “I think you mean, holy shit, Princess.”
“Dear God,” her mother gasped.
The baron glared at Noah. “Who told her?”
As Noah grasped her hand and gave her a little squeeze of support, Kate smiled and tipped up her chin. “Mother. Father. Let’s talk.”
Epilogue
‡
Two Years Later
Noah held his infant daughter in his arms. All of six months old, she gazed up at him, listening as he talked.
“Then the duchess and the cowboy slayed the dragons together, and they all lived happily ever after. Of course, he built the beautiful lady a castle.”
“While she adored him for the rest of her life,” Kate said from the doorway of their bedroom.
Noah glanced up, smiling in pleasure as Kate moved to stand beside him. With one hand, he took hers in his and kissed the top. “I think Mary Alice liked the story.”
“Of course she did.” Kate took their daughter from him and cooed, “Didn’t you, my darling? One day you shall be as lucky as I am and find a man most worthy of you.”
“Only if her daddy approves,” Noah countered with a mock scowl.
Kate smiled lovingly at him. “Her daddy shall be the standard by which all others will be weighed and measured against.”
“What you do to me when you talk like that, Duchess.”
“Very naughty things, I should hope.”
The naughtiest. But as she lay their daughter in the bassinet in the corner of their room, an overwhelming love for them both washed over him.
“One day we will have to let her sleep in her crib.”
“But not today,” his wife murmured, caressing Mary Alice’s cheek. “She’s still too little.”
He knew her hesitation stemmed from so many years of being left alone. But this child…their daughter would never be alone.
None of them would ever be alone because they had one another. His life couldn’t get any better than this—not major land deals, dining with royalty, or travelling the world eclipsed what he had with his little family.
“Do you know how much I love you?” He nuzzled Kate’s throat.
“Not nearly as much as I love you,’ she said, turning to wrap he arms around him.
*
Thank you for reading Noah and Kate’s book. Please consider leaving a review to let other’s know what you think. Don’t forget to sign up for my new release and book sales list.
Keep reading for a sneak peek at Haven and Heath’s book in The Temporary Bride, coming May 12th.
Sneak Peek of The Temporary Bride
Haven Crawford needs a husband—but only temporarily—in order to keep her grandparents’ inn in the family. Her well-meaning, but old-fashioned grandparents’ will requires her to marry if she wants to keep running Chesson House. The last person she’d ask to help is her childhood enemy, Heath Ambrose. Unfortunately, he’s the only one she can trust to keep his promise to divorce her and not take the inn when he leaves.
Star catcher Heath Ambrose needs relief from his meddling mother and the jet-set lifestyle that accompanies his sudden rise to fame as the face of the newest national baseball team, the Greenville Buccaneers. As the last single Ambrose sibling, his mother is determined to marry Heath off, but he’s not ready to settle down. Especially not after watching the woman he loved run off to Scotland with another man. So when Haven proposes, Heath jumps at the chance for some peace in his life.
Only a temporary marriage to Haven is anything but peaceful—not to mention that they can’t keep their hands off one another. But when the will’s conditions have been fulfilled and baseball season starts up again, will Heath and Haven be able to say goodbye when hate turns to love?
Haven fisted her hands on her hips, glaring at Heath. “Just because we’re married doesn’t mean I like you now.”
Heath didn’t say anything, just gave her this cocky smile that reduced her to a hot mess. On the inside, anyway. Still, she couldn’t resist asking, “What?”
He stepped closer, smelling of sunshine and that elusive male scent that made smart girls crazy. Or was it his athletic physic? Either way, she need to high-tail it out of the room. “I was just thinking of last night.”
Her cheeks began to burn. “I really don’t remember last night,” she lied.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, so close that she could see the ring of grey in the center of his baby blue eyes. She was a goner, and all she could think was kiss me now. She’d die if he didn’t. His lips came close to hers, then bypassed them all together and bumped against her ear. She could feel him smile as he said, “Do you think the video we made will help jog your memory?”
Then he let her go, shoved his hands into his pockets and swaggered his way out of her house.
Books by Marquita Valentine
Brides of Holland Springs Series
The Billionaire Bride
The Temporary Bride
The Forgotten Bride
The Christmas Bride (December 1st, 2015)
Lawson Brothers Series
Love So Hot
Love So True
Love So Irresistible
Love So Tempting (August 18th, 2015)
Seducing the Billionaire Series
Seducing the Billionaire’s Wife
Seducing the Billionaire’s Secretary (September, 2015)
Seducing the Billionaire’s Brother (September, 2015)
Holland Springs Series
Drive Me Crazy
Driving to You
Twice Tempted
Third Time’s a Charm
His Christmas Wish
Just Desserts
Not Over You
Be Mine
Boys of the South Series
Live For You
Only For You
True for You
All For You
Wish For You
Burn For You
Melt for You
Take the Fall Series
Take the Fall (July 21st, 2015)
When We Fall (November, 2015)
After We Fall (March 2016)
Acknowledgements
There are so many people I would like to thank for helping me with The Billionaire Bride. Autumn Hull, Cynthia Shepp, and Rose Holub for their amazing attention to detail and suggestions.
Thanks to Andris Bear, Carly Phillips, and Jen Frederick for their critiques and suggestions!
Special thanks to the Martinis! You ladies are so amazing. Thank you for your support. And a big shout out to my readers, as always, you make what I do each and every day worthwhile.
And last but not least, my family, as always, for supporting me. I love y’all so much.
About the Author
Marquita Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Holland Springs, Seducing the Billionaire, The Lawson Brothers, and Boys of the South Series.
Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012 to self-publish, Marquita Valentine has sold over a quarter of a million books around the world. She’s appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble. She’s been called “one of the best new voices in romance” (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being “a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read” (The Book Queen).
When she’s not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.
www.marquitavalentine.com
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; Marquita Valentine, The Billionaire Bride
The Billionaire Bride Page 11