Yours Truly (Billionaires and Brides #2)

by Krista Lakes

  “I want to fit the dress,” Kat said. “That, and with how this pregnancy has been, I didn’t want to puke half-way down the aisle either.”

  AJ patted her hand. He’s been amazing the whole pregnancy. He held her hair back on the many, many trips to the bathroom. He made sure that even the tiniest food craving was immediately seen to, even though they rarely stayed down. He rubbed Kat’s swollen feet at night and massaged her aching back every morning. Kat couldn’t even count the number of pregnancy pillows he’d purchased her to try and find a comfortable position to sleep in at night. It was a good thing he was a billionaire, because it had been a lot of pillows.

  “I still would have liked to get married before the baby came,” he said quietly. “But, I want you to be happy more. This baby is going to be loved regardless of his parents’ martial status.”

  “Damn straight.” Kat grinned at him and then grimaced as another contraction hit.

  “You’re doing great,” the nurse told her. “Next question, would you like to have the chaplain come visit you?”

  Kat looked over at AJ. Neither one was terribly religious.

  “We’ll let you know,” Kat finally answered.

  “No problem,” the nurse replied. “There is always one available here, any time day or night if you change your mind. Next question, any allergies?”

  Day slipped into night as the contractions slowly became stronger and more regular. The flower bud opening visualization was no longer working as well as it had been before and the pain wasn’t stopping. Where Kat had originally thought she might be able to do this naturally, the pain of each contraction was quickly become more than she bargained for.

  “Seven centimeters,” the nurse informed her. “You’re almost there. Another couple of hours, and you’ll be ready to push.”

  Kat wasn’t sure if she could tolerate another couple of hours of visualizing a stupid flower bud opening. That flower was getting old and she was about ready to take some pruning shears to the damn thing.

  A new contraction hit and she groaned. AJ’s hand gripped hers as she focused on trying to breath through the pain.

  This wasn’t fun. This wasn’t the beautiful, magical experience she’d seen on TV. Those TV shows had lied. This hurt like hell and was taking a lot longer than it ever did for those actors. She had a sneaking suspicion that the baby wouldn’t be nearly as clean as those TV babies, either.

  “I’m not sure I can do this,” she whispered.

  “You are the strongest woman I know,” AJ whispered back. “I know you can do this. Besides, it’s not like you have much of a choice at this point.”

  Kat chuckled just before another contraction hit.

  “I want to marry you,” she said as the pain ebbed. “I don’t want to wait. I want this baby to come into this world with you and me legally together.”

  A huge grin split AJ’s face. “You got it.” His grin faltered slightly. “Except it’s now one in the morning. It’ll take a little bit to get someone here.”

  “The chaplain is available,” the nurse reminded them as she input Kat’s most recent vitals into the computer. “There’s someone here twenty-four hours. Jeff is on tonight. He does a great wedding.”

  Kat beamed. “Call him. I want to get married.”

  “Are you sure?” AJ asked, taking both her hands. “It’s a hospital gown instead of a wedding dress.”

  “I just want to marry you,” she told him, gazing into those blue eyes that she adored. “Besides, we can still have the big wedding later for our families. This one can be just for the three of us.”

  AJ’s smile threatened to split his face in half. “Call the chaplain. We’re getting married.”

  Ten minutes later, they were having a wedding in Kat’s hospital room in between her contractions. One of the nurses had found a bouquet of roses and Kat gripped them tight. She suspected they were left over from another baby, but she didn’t care. They were beautiful and made the moment feel more real.

  “Do you, Andrew Jacobson, take this woman, Ekaterina Ryder, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, until death do you part?” Jeff the Chaplain asked.

  “I do,” AJ promised. He smiled at Kat, his eyes so full of love that Kat was sure the room was going to explode with joy.

  “Do you, Ekaterina Ryder, take this man, Andrew Jacobson, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, until death do you part?” Jeff the Chaplain asked her. She had to wait for the next contraction to finish before answering.

  “I do,” she gasped. The promise fell from her lips without hesitation or fear. She knew that AJ was the love of her life. He was the man she had always dreamed of. She didn’t need his billions of dollars. Just him. With him and their son, she knew they could survive anything.

  “Then, by the power vested in me, I proclaim you husband and wife,” Jeff the chaplain told them with a grin. “You may kiss your bride.”

  AJ leaned over the bed side-rail and planted a kiss on Kat. She held him close, savoring the moment before another contraction hit.

  “This is the happiest day of my life,” she whispered once she could speak again. “Some people say it’s their wedding day. Others say it’s the birth of their children. I get both today.”

  “I love you, Kat. This truly is the best day of my life,” AJ agreed.

  One hour, thirteen minutes and many kisses and swear words later, Kat and AJ welcomed their little boy into the world. Andrew Jacobson, Jr. was born weighing seven pounds five ounces and was twenty inches long.

  “He’s perfect,” Kat whispered as the little boy snuggled into her chest.

  “He is,” AJ agreed, fixing the little boy’s white hat down around his head. “Our family is perfect.”

  Kat smiled and looked on at her husband and son, knowing that her world really was perfect.

  “I’m yours truly,” she whispered to them both.

  Thank you!

  Thank you for reading Yours Truly! I’d like to invite you to read another of my novels, Sandcastle Kisses!

  About Sandcastle Kisses

  When Isabel Baker agreed to moonlight as a bartender at a private party, she never imagined she'd get anything more than tips. However, on this resort island, nothing was ever that simple.

  After tending bar with the deliciously handsome Noah who was flown in for the party, Izzy realized that she was about to break her number one rule: never fall for a tourist. But with his quick wit, charming smile and passion for marine life, Noah was the kind of guy that she couldn’t resist. At the end of the night, she barely managed to turn him away from coming home with her.

  Noah had only come to the island for one of Jack Saunders' famous parties. Yet once he met Izzy, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. After one steamy night together, he knew that he would do almost anything to keep her.

  Theirs should have been an easy love story, complete with a happily ever after. Except Noah was also moonlighting as a bartender that night and his true identity threatened Izzy’s research. When his billion-dollar company and her marine research project collide, their entire relationship crumbles into the sand. Will they be able to rebuild their beautiful sandcastle together, or will it be washed away by the rising tide, forever just a memory?

  “Did you know that my back porch has the best view on the island?” he asked quietly. I smiled. The man knew how to change a subject.

  “Is that so?”

  “Best view on the island.” He crossed his arms with a smug smile.

  “And you've been everywhere on the island to check this?”

  Noah grinned, standing up and offering me his hand. I couldn't refuse the opportunity to touch him, so I took it and followed him out onto the back porch. He only let me go so that he could close the door behind us.

  I leaned up against the railing, looking up at the moon. Her silver light reflected down on the ocean w
aves, turning their white tips bright. The sky was dark purple now, and the air was humid, dark, and full of promise.

  “Yup, definitely the best view on the island,” Noah whispered, making me turn. He wasn't looking at the night sky or the ocean. He was looking at me. It was slightly cheesy, but I enjoyed the compliment.

  Noah moved forward, gathering me up in his arms. The masculine scent of his light cologne was exhilarating. His mouth slowly slanted to mine, sending small thrills up and down my spine. He went further, tasting me with his tongue like I was something to be savored. A low moan escaped my lips as he pulled me closer to him, his arms strong and demanding around me. His kiss was sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell.

  I didn't want to fall for another tourist. You're not falling, I told myself. You're simply enjoying. I knew he was going to leave and I would be sad. But I would also be far more disappointed if I missed this. His kiss was insistent, intoxicating, and driving me insane. I wanted to melt into him and let him melt into me. I wanted to kiss every inch of his skin. Every inch.

  I had never been so turned on by a kiss before. It was as if Noah knew everything I loved in a kiss and was delivering and then some. I had never felt this sort of connection with another human being before. I didn't want to get hurt, but I wasn't going to miss this either. Just one last tourist...

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  Author's Note: This book takes place at the same time as Saltwater Kisses, but is completely stand-alone.

  Sandcastle Kisses: Chapter 1

  I peered out of my dirty car window at the big mansion and had to consciously raise my jaw back up off my chest. I knew houses like this populated the island, but I hadn't actually been this close to one before now. Perfect white marble columns were flanked by lush tropical greenery, and scenic balconies hung out at regular intervals. The place was huge. Grandiose. Palatial. It belonged in a movie. And according to my roommate, it was actually one of the smaller mansions of the island. Key Island was the home of two extremely exclusive resorts, a smattering of multimillion dollar homes, and some locals to help run it all. The island was known as the island for people with more money than they could spend.

  I shook my head as I eased my ancient little Corolla away from the circle of expensive cars in the driveway. My boss hadn't told me much about the job, just to show up and tend bar. I didn't even know who was officially even throwing it. He said there was a place for me to park to the side of the house and then to find Rachel.

  Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and Jaguars lined the round-about in front of the house, and the worst part was that most of them were dirty. These people used ridiculously expensive cars as their everyday mode of transportation on the island. If using my entire research grant as a way to get to a party wasn't the epitome of wealth, then I wasn't sure what was.

  I followed a delivery truck into a little parking lot off to the side of the house. It had an easy slope up to the big doors of a kitchen and was shaded from view of the house by palms and bushes. At least my little car didn't look quite as out of place as I parked it next to a sensible little blue Honda that was only a year or two younger than mine.

  I pulled the keys from the ignition and checked my hair and makeup one last time in the rear-view mirror. My strawberry blonde hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail but with cute little tendrils that framed my face. My hair was now mostly blonde after being in the sun and ocean all day, but I thought it suited me.

  My eyeliner was perfect and smooth, making my green eyes pop. I hadn't bothered to try and cover up the smattering of freckles across my cheeks, trusting in my old college roommate who said they were cute. She had taught me how to do my makeup in college and had gone on to become a professional makeup artist, so I figured she had to know what she was talking about.

  I practiced a flirtatious smile one more time, checking my teeth in the mirror. With the top button of my white shirt just low enough to display cleavage but not appear slutty, I got out of the car. I tugged on my little black vest until it was straight and took a deep breath. Black pants and some sensible shoes completed my bartender outfit. I hoped I looked cute enough to get some good tips.

  The tropical air of the Caribbean island was warm and humid against my skin. It was late afternoon, and the sun was just starting its slow descent down the sky toward blue waters. Birds chirped in the trees, and the beat of dance music started and stopped as someone inside the house worked on getting the sound system set. I felt a tingle of excitement run down my spine. This was going to be a good night.

  Just inside the double doors of the kitchen, I found a woman directing traffic. She had on an expensive gray suit, and her dark brown hair was pulled up into a neat bun. Small square glasses were perched on the end of her nose as she peered down at a clipboard and tapped a pen against her lips.

  “Are you Rachel?” I asked, stepping up to her. Hers was the only name my boss had given me. She smiled warmly and glanced down at her clipboard.

  “Yes. You must be Isabel Baker,” she greeted me warmly. I nodded and shook her hand. A man with a keg on a dolly nearly ran me over before Rachel pulled me out of his way. “That goes upstairs on the patio!”

  “Do I follow the keg, then?” I asked, my gaze trailing after the man with the keg. Rachel shook her head.

  “Nope. You go down to the 'Man Cave.'” She rolled her eyes slightly at the reference, but her smile told me she just thought it was a silly name. “The boys requested to have a real bartender down there tonight. That's where the party will be.”

  “Oh.” I felt a bubble of nerves. This place was incredibly fancy. I hoped I was up to their rich standards. I could feel my palms beginning to sweat.

  “Don't worry about them. They just want to relive their glory days,” Rachel said warmly, referencing what had to be billionaires like they were her little brothers. “Just don't let them get away with too much. Have fun and don't worry about the booze. Just keep filling up their glasses and smiling, and they'll be happy campers.”

  “Glasses filled. Got it,” I replied.

  “If they give you any trouble, just let me know.” The dark-haired woman smiled at me and handed me a form to sign. “This is a standard non-disclosure agreement. Your boss said you'd be fine with it.”

  I quickly scrolled through the form. It seemed pretty straight forward. Don't tell people who you met here or what they said. I could understand that famous people wouldn't want to be outed on their vacations or have their drunken ramblings posted across the internet. Signing was easy enough. I handed her back the papers.

  Rachel tucked my form behind several others. “Besides that, I'll pay you at the end of the night. Any questions?”

  “Just where the 'Man Cave' is,” I answered. Rachel's smiled broadened.

  “Down that hallway, and then you'll see stairs on your left. Follow the sounds of the boys from there, and you'll find the bar. Remember, have fun. Just tell the guy in the Hawaiian shirt that you're the bartender,” she said as a smirk passed over her face at mentioning the Hawaiian shirt.

  “Okay, thanks!” I said, but she was already back to her clipboard and chasing after a man wearing a catering uniform. I shook my head. She reminded me of my mom chasing after my little brother and his friends at a birthday party.

  I followed Rachel's directions, easily found the stairs, and descended down. “Man Cave” was an excellent term for the room. A tattered but comfortable-looking couch sat in front of a TV big enough to fit in a theater. I could see all sorts of game consoles plugged in and neatly arranged in a massive entertainment system. There was a much-loved pinball machine in the corner and cozy chairs were scattered through the room. The bar took up the far wall, all wooden and shiny with various neon signs overhead. I could see another adjacent room where the DJ equipment was set up. Two men, one blonde and one with sandy hair, were the onl
y party guests I could see so far.

  When I stepped from the bottom stair, a large man stepped directly into my path, his arms crossed and an unhappy look on his face. I gulped hard and looked up at his piercing blue eyes. He looked like a sword: thin, limber, and deadly as hell. Then I noticed the brightly patterned shirt with red parrots and blue drinks. It didn't look right on him. It was like a tiger wearing a tutu.

  “Um, I'm the bartender,” I squeaked. Somehow the man grew taller. Scarier. He was the big bad wolf from the fairytales and he was going to eat me alive. “The woman upstairs told me to tell the guy wearing the Hawaiian shirt...” my voice faltered.

  “Quit scaring the poor girl,” someone from the party said, putting a hand on Hawaiian-shirt's shoulder. Hawaiian-shirt winked at me, allowing a hint of a smile peek through his tough facade. I nearly giggled with relief.

  “Don't mind Dean. He's just mad that we made him dress up for the occasion,” my savior said. “I'm Jack. The bar's this way.”

  “Izzy,” I replied. “Nice to meet you.”

  I slipped behind the bar and promptly ran into a solid mass of man muscle. I watched in horror as our collision spilled the glass of ice in his hand down the front of his shirt.

  “Oh crap! I'm so sorry,” I apologized, reaching for some napkins. I found a dry bar towel and held it out to him. He dabbed at his black t-shirt and laughed.

  “Don't worry about it. At least it was just ice,” he said and handed me back the towel. “I'm Noah. I'm going to be helping you out tonight.”

  He held out his hand to shake mine. It was warm and strong. My eyes traced from his hand, up perfectly sculpted biceps to a strong jaw and dark hair. His eyes were what made me lose my train of thought, though. They were robin’s egg blue and held depths that made my knees weak. Words left my brain. He was flipping gorgeous.