“Did you really do that for me? Are you being serious? If you're messing with me, it's not funny. I can't let you spend that kind of money on me. Do you know how much that car costs?”
She looked over at him. He had a sexy grin on his face.
“It's no joke, baby. This is your car. I got everything I could think of in it. I hope you like it,” he said looking at her. “You have no idea how amazing you are. I have never met anyone like you. Most women want everything they can get their hands on, but here I am practically begging you to let me give you something.”
“It's not like you bought me a dress or pair of shoes. It's a freaking Ferrari. There's a huge difference. I can't let you do this, Ethan. I love you so much. You know I do. I can't accept this. I have a car already. It works just fine. If I need a car, I'll buy a new one.”
He shook his head and let out a long breath.
“Listen, woman. Everything I have is yours. Do you hear me? You are going to keep this car, because you know you love it and it was a gift from me. I am going to take care of you, whether you like it or not. You're mine and I'm yours. We are together, and that's not going to change. If you are having that hard of a time with it, I can think of a way you can thank me every night,” he said with a laugh.
“Stop it!” Gavin blurted out. “I don't want to hear that kind of stuff about you and my sister. I'm so not there yet.”
“If you don't want the car, I'll take it for you,” Becky said.
“I don't think so,” Julie replied.
She looked at Ethan and hugged him tight as she grabbed the keys.
“I'm sorry that I doubted you. It was hard enough to hear Jenny talk about how hot you are and how much time she wants to spend with you. I wanted to kick her ass, and I like her. When I saw that hot blonde hand you keys to a car you don't even let me drive, and you took them with a huge smile on your face. I couldn't deal with the thought of you being with someone else. You have no idea how much I love you. I used to dream about you in high school. You were my dream guy. I hope you can forgive me for the way I acted. I feel so bad. Everything you did today was to make me happy, and I was a giant bitch. I'm so sorry. I am so going to thank you tonight over and over again,” she said, as she kissed his cheek and ran for the car.
“You coming, Becky?” she shouted behind her.
They both hopped into the car. Julie got back out of the car holding an envelope.
“What's this?” she asked.
Ethan looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. She opened the envelope, pulled out two tickets, and gasped.
“Hawaii?” she asked.
“You better hurry your sweet ass home and pack your bags,” he said with a smile. “You're going to be beneath me, crying out my name for an entire week. I might let you out of the house long enough to go to the beach for a minute. Don't bother packing clothes. Bikini's and lingerie will be more than enough.”
She looked up to see Gavin with his hands over his face.
“I'll have to go buy some new panties first. I don't have many left,” she said with a wink.
“Buy some extra. I plan on ripping every last pair off that fine ass,” he snapped.
“I know you two are doing this on purpose. I'll get even with you somehow,” Gavin snapped as he walked back into the building. He leaned back and yelled over his shoulder. “Be careful with my little mama. Keep her safe.”
Ethan walked up and wrapped Julie in his arms.
“I know you're going back to work soon and we have some rough things to get through. I haven't had a vacation since the cruise I took with the guys. I wanted us to have a nice, relaxing trip before jumping into it all. If you want to go somewhere else we can.”
“I would love to go to Hawaii. All I need is you and the beach. It's going to be so wonderful. Thank you for the car. It really is beautiful.”
Julie gave him the most loving kiss.
“I have some shopping and driving to do before you get home tonight,” she said as she turned to get into her car. “I'm not cooking dinner. Can you pick something up on your way home?” she asked.
He laughed and shook his head. She turned back to him.
“Do something about Jenny in there. She says one more thing about how fine you are, and Gavin's going to need a new secretary.”
Ethan laughed as he walked back into the building. Julie looked over at Becky.
“We've got some shopping to do mama.”
Becky and Julie spent the next several hours shopping for lingerie and swimwear. Both of their men would be pleased when they saw their new purchases. They both drove the new car. Julie couldn't remember the last time she had that much fun with one of the girls. They even drove to Lisa's so she could take the car for a drive. Lisa was so excited about Becky being pregnant. The three of them spent the afternoon talking and playing with baby Jack. Julie dropped Becky off at home on her way.
When she pulled up at home, Ethan was waiting for her on the front porch. She hopped out of the car, grabbed her bags, and rubbed her car before going to greet him.
“It looks like you had a fun day,” he said as she walked up to where he was sitting.
He grabbed her in his arms and pulled her onto his lap.
“I'm so sorry I made it seem like I was up to no good. I really wanted to surprise you.”
She dropped her bags on the ground and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I'm sorry that I doubted your love.”
Julie kissed his cheek and looked into his eyes.
“Becky and Lisa love the car too,” she said with a smile.
“You let them drive it?” he asked.
She shook her head and laughed.
“I love seeing you so happy,” he said. “It makes me feel so good to see a smile on your face. We need to pack for our trip.”
She got off his lap and grabbed her bags from the ground.
“Everything I need is right here,” she laughed.
He got up and went after her.
“Let me see what you bought.”
“No sir, not until we are in Hawaii.”
Julie ran into the house and up the stairs. He caught her just as she made it to their bedroom door. She laughed and squirmed out of his reach.
“No, no, no. Get to packing buddy. We have a plane to catch.”
Chapter 29
Julie felt so good, as they unlocked the door to Chris' house in Hawaii.
“It's been so long since I've been here,” she said.
“I was only here once,” Ethan said.
“I remember being here with you. I had just graduated and was getting ready to leave for college. You were so cute. I remember you out on the beach with your hair all messy, flirting with every girl out there,” Julie laughed.
“I remember watching any guy that came near you, thinking about how I wanted to kick the shit out of them. I missed you while you were at college. It was strange without you around. Who would have thought we would get together this many years later?” he asked.
When she walked into the house, there were flowers everywhere. The house smelled amazing. They put their bags in the guest room.
“How did you do all of this?” she asked. “It's beautiful.”
“Get changed,” he said. “We're going to check out the beach. That way, when I keep you in bed for the rest of the week, you can tell everyone that you spent time on the beach.”
Julie laughed as she went through her bag and pulled out a very cute, small bikini and a pretty, pink cover-up. She went into the bathroom and changed. Ethan was gone when she came out of the bathroom.
“Ethan, where are you?” she called out.
When she couldn't find him in the house, she opened the back door that led to the yard and beach. Her mouth dropped open and she felt her heart race. The site in front of her was beautiful. There was a red runner going from the back door all the way down to the beach. There were roses everywhere and petals all along the ground. Julie looked to the
beach and saw Ethan standing barefoot in her favorite pair of jeans, with the biggest smile on his face. Slowly she walked toward him. There were trees with chairs in the shade around them. He walked toward her. When she was almost to him, he winked and dropped to one knee. Instantly she stopped and her hand went over her mouth. He looked up at her and reached for her hand. Tears instantly began to slide down her cheeks.
“Julie, I love you more than you will ever know. You are everything to me. I have worked for so long to have everything I have ever wanted. I thought my life was perfect just the way it was. I had an amazing group of friends that were my family. I had the business of my dreams and the money to go with it. I traveled on business trips all over the world.”
He stopped for a moment.
“You were my best friend's little sister. I enjoyed going to parties and dinners just to be able to pick on you. Then everything changed. At the wedding, you spoke to me in a way no woman ever has. I was speechless and shocked. Feelings were bubbling to the surface, and I tried so hard to shove them down. Then, you took a risk that nobody ever has. You cared about me enough to come after me that night I left Gavin and Becky's. You knew something was going on. I had never told anyone about my past. For some reason, as we sat on my couch, I wanted to tell you everything. I wanted to share my life with you. When we were together that night, I knew you were meant for me. You were mine.”
She reached down and put her hand on his shoulder.
“We fought our feelings over and over but kept coming back to each other. I tried to tell myself that we could never be together. Time and time again, I was proven wrong. You are mine, Julie. You were made for me. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. Every breath I take is for you. You have made me see that there is more to life than money and business. I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life. You own my heart, baby. I want to have a family with you. I want to chase our babies around together. I want to grow old with you. I want to spend every single moment of my life loving you and showing you how special you are.”
He opened the beautiful box in his hand.
“Julie, will you be my forever? Will you be my wife?”
She dropped down to her knees in front of him as tears flooded her face. Her arms flew around his neck and she pulled him close to her.
“Please tell me that's a yes,” he said nervously.
She pulled back and brushed her hands over her face.
“Yes, I want to marry you. I love you, Ethan. You're my everything.”
He slid the ring on her finger and took her face in his hands and kissed her.
“I have one more thing to ask you,” he whispered.
“What?”
“Will you marry here and now?” he asked.
Ethan stood up, helped her to her feet, and led her down to the beach. Gavin, Becky, Josh, Lisa, Heath, and John walked out from next to the trees. Julie gasped as she looked around at each of them. She looked over at Gavin, Becky, and Lisa.
“You three all knew about this yesterday,” she said as she shook her head.
Gavin walked up and wrapped her in a hug.
“I love you, Julie. I am so glad you two found each other.”
With the sand between her toes and the man she loved next to her, she had no doubt that marrying him was what she wanted in that moment. She looked over at Ethan and smiled.
“Are you sure you want to be stuck with me forever? This is your only chance to run,” he said.
“There is nothing that I want more than to be stuck with you forever.”
They walked hand in hand to the edge of the beach and vowed, in front of the minister and their closest friends, to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. As soon as she said I do, Ethan grabbed her and spun her around as he kissed her. Everyone hugged and congratulated them. He scooped her up in his arms and walked back toward the house. Before they walked through the door, he turned back to his friends.
“I need to go and show my wife how much I love her.”
Ethan turned back toward the house.
“Open the door, woman,” he said, as he kissed her neck and got close to her ear. “I need to feel you wrapped around me now. I'm going to have you screaming your husband's name, loud enough for everyone to hear.”
Julie took his face in her hands and kissed him hard before she reached out and opened the door.
“I love you, Ethan. You are my knight, my prince, and my best friend.”
Epilogue
Their friends went home after a few days, and Ethan spent the rest of the week appreciating every inch of Julie's body over and over. They left the house only to relax on the beach. He helped her cook dinner and make breakfast each day. They enjoyed being with each other and making love every moment. Their last morning there, they relaxed in bed. With her legs wrapped around his, her head on his chest, and her arms over his stomach, she let out a sigh.
“I'm not ready to go home,” she said. “It's so beautiful here. I haven't had a single bad dream the entire time we've been here.”
“I've noticed how relaxed you've been.”
“I'm sure it helps that you've had me beneath you most of the time we've been here,” she said with a laugh.
Julie leaned forward and kissed his nipple before she ran her tongue across his muscles.
“I honestly do love it here, Julie. I think we should get our own place. That way we won't have to ask Chris if we want to stay here. Gavin, John, Heath, and Josh can use it too,” he said.
“Do you really think we are going to be here that much?” she asked.
“I think I'm going to cut back at the office. If we had a place here, our kids could live on the beach. Do you know how much fun we would have chasing them around. We could stay here for weeks at a time. What do you think?” he asked.
“Do you really want kids?” she asked looking up at him. “I know how you feel about things. I don't want you to feel like that is something you have to do. We can wait until later or just enjoy our nieces and nephews.”
“I do want kids. I know that we were meant to be together. We will make it through anything life throws our way. You are going to be an amazing mom and I will be the best dad I can. With you, I know that I can do anything I want. I know that I won't be like him. I'll be like me. Our kids are going to have everything they could ever want. They are never going to go without. I'll make sure of that.”
“I would love to have a place here. This has been the best week of my life. I'm the luckiest woman in the world. I've found my best friend,” she said.
They made love one last time before they left. He made her promise to look for a house with him right away.
When they got home, Julie decided she wanted to have everyone over for dinner. She was so excited. Gavin, Becky, Josh, Lisa, Baby Jack, and Heath were all there. The guys all hung out in the manly living room, which Gavin was very happy Julie had not changed. The ladies all stayed in the kitchen. Julie was so proud of her home and being Ethan's wife. John showed up just as dinner was being served. He was on duty and was hoping to be there long enough to eat. He told Julie how happy he was to have her as his sister. She hadn't really thought about that. Gavin had a new brother and John had a new sister. Just as she was putting dessert out, John got a call. He hugged them all, and ran out the door.
***
John got to the accident as quickly as he could. There were multiple cars, and the scene in front of him looked pretty bad. He got out of his car and ran to the car closest to him. John worked hard trying to get the door open. He could see a woman inside but wasn't sure of her condition. Finally, he was able to get through the door. He moved the woman back in her seat to check on her, and could not believe what he saw. John felt like he couldn't breathe. No matter how hard he tried to catch his breath, he felt like his chest was caving in. His eyes went immediately to hers. She had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. There was no mistaking who they belonged to. John worked to get her
out of her seat belt. She shifted her body and slowly opened her eyes. He heard her gasp as her body froze in place.
“John, is that you? Could that really be you?” she asked.
The End.
Watch for my next novella, part 1 of a 3 part serial – His Assistant Part 1 coming in December.
The one person I loved most in the world was gone. What was I going to do? I had given up the last two years to take care of my mom and be with her until her last breath. She was my best friend.
At twenty-one, I was going back to school. That was what she had wanted for me. I was determined to own my own company one day. It was important to her that I finish school, and I wanted to make her proud. My father had passed away before she could tell him she was pregnant. She had given up so much to raise me alone. I knew she would have done anything for me.
The day after her funeral, I found a box in the attic with my name on it. She told me about the box the day before she passed, but I promised her I would wait to open it. When I opened the box, I found a letter on top. There was nothing that could have prepared me for what I was about to read. As I read the letter, tears fell from my eyes. I dropped the letter to the floor and tore through the box as I sobbed. My life would be changed forever. How could she have lied to me? How could the one person I trusted most have kept such a big secret from me?
There was only one person who could answer the questions I had, and I could only think of one way to get to him. I had to get a job, and there was only one company to work for. The only thing on my mind was getting answers.
One thing I didn't need were distractions.
Then he came along.
He was tall, built, tattooed, and oh so sexy.
In a suit he looked amazing, but in jeans and a tight t-shirt he was unbelievable.
Just when I thought he couldn't get any sexier, I saw him on his Harley.
I was in trouble.
I couldn't keep my thoughts straight.
He was cocky, full of himself, and held my fate at the company in his hands.
Battle for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #3) Page 19