His grin this time was much less sweet, much more the look of a man who could bend the press to his will. “You merely generated some PR, that’s all. And there’s no such thing as bad PR.”
“That’s not— What?”
“Don’t let the guessing games that complete strangers play hold you back, Whitney. Don’t let a manufactured scandal keep us apart.”
“But—but—but your life is here. And I need the sun. You said so yourself.”
“The Beaumonts are here,” he corrected her. “And we’ve already established that I’m not a very good Beaumont.”
The thing that was hope began to grow inside of her until it was pulsing through her veins, spreading farther with each heartbeat. “What are you saying?”
“Who am I?” His voice was low and serious. It sent a chill up her spine that had nothing to do with his wet shirt. “If I’m not a Beaumont, who am I to you?”
“You’re Matthew.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. “It never mattered to me what your name is—Billings, Beaumont—I don’t care. I came here thinking it’d be nice to meet a man who could look at me without thinking about Whitney Wildz or all the headlines. A man who could make me feel sexy and wanted, who could give me the confidence to maybe start dating. Who could show me it was even possible.”
He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. “And?”
“And...that man was you. Eventually,” she added with an embarrassed smile, remembering the first time she’d fallen into his arms. “But now the wedding’s over. And I—” Her voice caught. “I can’t be another mess you have to manage, Matthew. And I can’t ever be perfect. You know I can’t.”
“I know.” For the briefest of seconds, it felt like a book being slammed shut. “But,” he added, “I don’t want perfection. Because I’ll never get it. I can try and try to be the perfect Beaumont until I lie down and die and I’ll never make it. That’s what you’ve shown me.”
A little choked sob escaped her lips. No matter what she did, she’d never be perfect, either. Not even to him. “Great. Glad to help.”
“Be not perfect with me, Whitney. Let me be a part of your life. Let me catch you when you fall—and hold me up when I stumble.”
“But...the press—the headlines—”
“They don’t matter. All that matters is what you and I know. And this is what I know. I have never let myself fall in love before, because I’ve been afraid that loving someone else will take something away from me. Make me less of a man, less of a Beaumont. And you make me more than that. More than my name. You make me whole.”
The impact of his words hit her hard. Suddenly, those tears that she hadn’t allowed herself to cry because the disappointment and shame were always to be expected— suddenly, those tears were spilling down her cheeks. “I didn’t expect to find you. I didn’t expect to fall in love with you. I don’t—I don’t know how to do this. I don’t want to mess this up. More than I already have.”
“You won’t,” he said, brushing his lips over hers. “And if you try, I’ll tie you to the bed.” She giggled, and he laughed with her. “We will make this work because I’m not going to let you go. You will always be my Whitney. Although,” he added with a wicked grin, “I was thinking—you might want to try out a new last name. Maybe something that starts with a B.”
“What are you saying?”
“Marry me. Let me be there for you, with you.”
“Yes. Oh, God—Matthew.” She threw her arms around his neck. The tears were coming faster now, but she couldn’t hold them back. It was messy and not perfect but then, so was life. “You see me as I really am. That’s all I ever wanted.”
“I love you as you really are.” He swept her feet out from underneath her and began to climb the stairs back to his room. Their room. “Love me back?”
“Always,” she told him. “Always.”
* * * * *
If you loved
A BEAUMONT CHRISTMAS WEDDING,
Don’t miss the rest of the BEAUMONT HEIRS trilogy!
NOT THE BOSS’S BABY
TEMPTED BY A COWBOY
Available now from Sarah M. Anderson and Harlequin Desire!
Keep reading for a special excerpt from THE SECRET AFFAIR by Brenda Jackson.
Ten years ago one devastating night changed everything for Austin, Hunter and Alex. Now they must each play their part in the revenge against the one man who ruined it all.
Austin Treffen has the plan… Hunter has the money… Alex has the power!
Read each of their stories in the captivating Fifth Avenue trilogy,
only from Harlequin Presents:
Avenge Me by Maisey Yates (June 2014)
Scandalize Me by Caitlin Crews (July 2014)
Expose Me by Kate Hewitt (August 2014)
And don’t miss the Fifth Avenue prequel that started it all, Take Me, by Maisey Yates!
Order your copies today in ebook format.
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One Colorado family, limitless scandal!
Looking for more titles in Sarah M. Anderson’s The Beaumont Heirs series? Then look no further!
Book 1: Not the Boss’s Baby
Chadwick Beaumont is tired of doing what everyone wants him to do. It’s time he did what he wanted. And he wants his secretary, Serena Chase—pregnant or not!
Book 2: Tempted by a Cowboy
Rebellious cowboy Phillip Beaumont meets his match in horse trainer Jo Spears. He’s never had to chase a woman, but the quiet beauty won’t let him close—which only makes him more determined to tempt her into his bed….
Book 3: A Beaumont Christmas Wedding
As best man and PR specialist, Matthew Beaumont needs his brother’s Christmas wedding to be perfect. Then former wild-child Whitney Maddox becomes a bridesmaid. Will she ruin the wedding? Or will Matthew discover the real woman behind the celebrity facade?
Order your ebooks today only from Harlequin Desire!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
SPECIAL EXCERPT FROM
Here’s a sneak peek of
THE SECRET AFFAIR
by New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author
Brenda Jackson
Dr. Aidan Westmoreland entered his apartment and removed his lab coat. After running a hand down his face, he glanced at his watch, frustrated. He’d hoped he would have heard something by now. What if…
The ringing of his cell phone made him pause. It was the call he’d been waiting for. “Paige?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Is Jillian still going?” he asked, not wasting time with chitchat.
There was a slight pause on the other end, and in that short space of time knots formed in his stomach. “Yes, she’s still going on the cruise, Aidan.”
He released the breath he’d been holding as Paige continued, “Jill still has no idea I’m aware that the two of you had an affair.”
Aidan hadn’t known Paige knew the truth either, until she’d paid him a surprise visit last month. According to her, she’d figured things out the year Jillian had entered medical school. She’d become suspicious when he’d come home for his cousin Riley’s wedding and she’d ove
rheard him call Jillian Jilly in an intimate tone. Paige had been concerned this past year when she’d noticed Jillian seemed troubled by something that she wouldn’t share with Paige.
Paige had talked to Ivy, Jillian’s best friend, who’d also been concerned about Jillian. Ivy had shared everything about the situation with Paige. Which had prompted Paige to fly to Charlotte and confront him. Until then, Aidan had been clueless as to the real reason behind his and Jillian’s breakup.
When Paige had told him about the cruise she and
Jillian had planned and she’d suggested an idea for getting Jillian on the cruise alone, he’d readily embraced it.
“I’ve done my part and the rest is up to you, Aidan. I hope you can convince Jill of the truth.”
Moments later he ended the call and continued to the kitchen, where he grabbed a beer. Two weeks on the open seas with Jillian would be interesting. But he intended to make it more than just interesting. He aimed to make it productive.
A determined smile spread across his lips. By the time the cruise ended there would be no doubt in Jillian’s mind that he was the only man for her.
Find out how this secret affair began—and how Aidan plans to claim his woman in THE SECRET AFFAIR by New York Times and
USA TODAY bestselling author Brenda Jackson.
Available December 2014, wherever Harlequin® Desire books and ebooks are sold!
Copyright 2014 © by Brenda Streater Jackson
ISBN-13: 9781460341865
A Beaumont Christmas Wedding
Copyright © 2014 by Sarah M. Anderson
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