“Did he end up getting your red hair?” Eddy asked. Her own son Riley had ended up inheriting her red hair rather than his father’s blond.
“He sure did,” I said.
“Give it some time. It will all fall out and grow in dark. I was a blonde when I was a baby,” Toby said.
“He kind of has your face shape, Toby,” Eddy said, placating him.
“What’s he called?” Niall asked.
“I don’t know yet.”
“We wanted to actually meet him before we gave him his name,” Toby said.
“Some of the stuff we brought was too big so we’re just going to have it mailed to Toby’s penthouse,” Brenna said.
“Are you kidding? What did you get us?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” she said with a smile on her face.
“Don’t get too excited babe, there’s no way their gifts are gonna overshadow mine,” Toby said. I looked over at him, confused. “What? You don’t think I forgot to get you a push present, do you?”
“A push present? I told you I didn’t want anything,” I said to him.
“Why didn’t you get me a push present,” I heard Brenna ask Charlie.
“You deserve it. You deserve the world, Maggie,” he said kissing me. Our friends made juvenile whistles and applauded watching us. “Speaking of which, it’s time for all you guys to leave. Go on, get out. Mother and baby need to rest.” He ushered everybody out and closed the door behind them after they had all said goodbye.
“What’s this about a push present?” I asked carefully. I had heard about push presents obviously. Toby had brought it up since given his generosity under normal circumstances, giving lavish gifts was almost second nature to him.
“Well, I know you didn’t want anything, but it just didn’t seem fair. You carried our baby so long and then went through giving birth. You had to give up booze and sushi, your hormones are all over the place and now, he’s gonna be crying all the time,” he said.
“Yes, I know what I signed up for.”
“You gave up more to have him than I did,” he said. “So, I have to make sure life is as easy and rewarding as possible with me.”
“What did you do?”
“I thought about getting you a car but in New York City it isn’t the most useful purchase. You use my cars anyway. So I figured something more practical. You know that little bit of debt you had left over from your degree?”
Little. Only a billionaire could call my remaining twenty thousand dollars in college debt little.
“Yeah, how did you know about that?”
“I paid it off.”
“I’ve never asked you to do anything like that, Toby,” I said. Money didn’t matter to him, it was apparent with how freely he offered it to me. Travel, dinners, gifts, things for our son that I never would have imagined being able to afford. Organic cotton diapers even though the Costco ones were cheaper and would still just get covered in shit anyway. The offer of a full staff: baby nurse, chef, housekeeper, and early childhood expert on call twenty-four hours a day to help with the baby.
He’d turn the world the other way on its axis if it was possible and I loved him for it. I was still a little embarrassed when it came to his money though. I never wanted him to think that it was why I was with him.
“I know, but you should because I want to. Remember that bag you were telling me about from the shoot you did?” he said.
He wasn’t talking about the custom Celine luggage tote that Missy hired for a photo shoot with a celebrity client. I knew he wasn’t talking about that one. It was a rare vintage piece that she had had to call in a favor to use. My interest in fashion had only grown working with her and I had offhandedly mentioned that I thought the purse was nice to him when I saw him after work.
“Yeah?” I said carefully. He went to the pile of gifts that our friends had brought and picked up a shopping bag, handing it to me.
“The designer drove a hard bargain since it’s a collector’s item but in the end, they couldn’t say no.” I opened the shopping bag and saw the purse.
“You’re kidding.”
“No, look inside.” I took the purse out of the shopping bag and opened it. At the bottom was a wallet. I raised an eyebrow at him. “Open it.” I did, opening the wallet to find it full of cash and cards.
“Never give anyone a bag without anything in it,” he said. I couldn’t talk. I didn’t want to count the money but I knew it was a lot.
“Toby… I don’t need these gifts to know you love me.”
“I love giving them to you. It matters to me that you have everything you want. I want to give you the world and since I can't do that, take this instead. I’m never going to stop so get used to it.
I didn’t think I ever would but I was glad that I was with someone so generous.
“Thank you, Toby.”
“Don’t mention it. I love you. I love you more than anything.”
“I love you, Toby,” I said. I was at a loss because I couldn’t give him half the things he could give me. I didn’t know there were people so generous, attentive, and kind out there and that they would want to be with me. I didn’t know love could be like this but now that I did, I was going to be forever grateful. He had changed my life and I was eternally grateful.
If you loved Admit You Need Me, make sure you check out SAY YES TO LOVE
I (fake) married a man who’s (real) married to his job.
That man is also my boss.
It was all fun and games until we were only walking hand-in-hand on the streets of Europe.
Until it was just the two of us.
But Ryan broke more than just the one rule which says that we can’t be together.
He got me pregnant.
GRAB HERE
Excerpt: Say Yes to Love
Description
I (fake) married a man who’s (real) married to his job.
That man is also my boss.
This whole thing was no mistake.
Ryan thought it’d be fun to go to Europe and get hitched.
Why?
Because my charm helped him secure a deal.
It was all fun and games until we were only walking hand-in-hand on the streets of Europe.
Until it was just the two of us.
But Ryan broke more than just the one rule which says that we can’t be together.
He got me pregnant.
Now, a baby would definitely take the fun out of this madness.
Especially one that Ryan would never want… ever.
He’s (real) married to his job, remember?
So, I’ve got two options.
Tell him and risk losing him.
Keep my pregnancy a secret and still lose him.
I end up with a broken heart either way.
Unless a miracle saves our fake marriage and our futures from collapsing.
Prologue
Kellie
Fairy tales do come true. That was the thought that came to mind as I looked out of the window from the five-star Parisian hotel, overlooking the lights of the city, and the Eiffel tower.
But not for forever.
As magical as this whirlwind trip through Europe had been, it was coming to an end. Tomorrow I’d be heading back to my old life in San Diego, California as the assistant to Ryan Strong.
For a moment, I pushed that reality away and reflected on this once in a lifetime experience. Italy. Switzerland. The Netherlands. France. San Diego and California had a great deal of beauty, and even history, but it was nothing like what I saw in all these marvelous countries. The food was delicious. The art was equally as stunning. The pictures in books and on the Internet didn’t do it all justice.
But even more glorious was the man that had introduced all this splendor to me. Ryan Strong turned out to be much more than the savvy, focused, driven businessman I’d gotten to know as his assistant. Sure, his money meant he could afford the finer things in life, but he was cultured in other resp
ects beyond his wealth. There was his vast knowledge of history. His appreciation of art. The dedication to his company, which was an extension of his love for his family. And, there was the fact that he was very handsome and sexy beyond words.
Long fingers slid over my shoulders, sending a sizzle down my spine. Soft lips brushed along my neck.
“Enjoying the view?” his low baritone voice whispered in my ear.
“It’s amazing. All this is going to make my tiny apartment back home seem like a cardboard box.”
His fingers stopped kneading my shoulders briefly, and then started again. “I ordered in tonight to relax before our flight back tomorrow. But if you’d rather go out—”
“No. I want to stay in.” As much as I loved traveling and seeing the sights, the romantic dinners out and the dancing through the streets, on my last night, the only thing I wanted to indulge in was him. I wanted the fantasy for one more night before having to return to my normal life.
I turned in his arms, looking up into his stunningly blue eyes and my heart rolled over in my chest, welling with emotion. I was in love with him. In love with my boss. I wondered when it had happened. But more than that, I was already heartbroken because when we returned to San Diego, I’d have to go back to being his assistant. I’d have to pretend not to love him. So, this night was my last time to live in the dream.
I lifted up on my toes and pressed my lips to his.
“Dessert before dinner?” he murmured against my lips.
“Yes. Do you mind?” I knew he didn’t. His erection was making itself known against my belly.
“Not at all.” He swept me up into his arms and carried me to the large bed. Yes, this was a fairytale.
His lips consumed mine while his fingers unzipped the lovely flowy dress that he’d gotten me. I shucked it off as quickly as I could, greedy to feel his hands and lips on my skin. He didn’t disappoint. He expertly undid my bra and cast it aside. He lay over me, settling in like he planned to worship my breasts forever.
He licked one nipple and gently blew his breath over it. The sweetest ache filled my breasts as the nipple distended.
“I love your tits,” he said as he licked the other one and gently blew. His words always shocked and thrilled me. I never thought I’d be one for naughty talk, but from his lips as he touched me, it made me so hot and needy.
“I want to touch you,” I said on a gasp as I tried to undo the buttons of his shirt. Frustrated, I pulled the hem from his slacks and ran my hands up his back.
He laughed. “You’re desperate tonight.”
“Don’t tease me, Ryan.”
He sat back on his knees, yanking his shirt off. Immediately, my hands went to his belt buckle and undid his slacks. He finished undressing, and I did too, tossing my panties aside.
Still on his knees, he looked down on me, his eyes dark with desire as their gaze drifted over my body. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Kellie. Did you know that?”
I didn’t. Not that I thought I was ugly. But the way he looked at me made me feel more beautiful than any of the art we’d seen on our tour through Europe.
He bent over and kissed me again. I widened my legs, wanting to feel him inside of me. His dick teased my pussy, but didn’t press in, making me whimper with need.
“I’m going to make you come so many times tonight,” he said. I wondered if he was recognizing that tonight was our last night together too, and wanting to make the most of it.
He moved his body back down, sucking my nipples, pinching and kneading them too until I was writhing beneath him. I’d never known my nipples had a direct line to my pussy until him.
“Ryan, please,” I begged as my fingers clung to him, pulling him to me.
His lips trailed down over my stomach, my hip bone, my inner thigh. I moaned in anticipation.
“Please,” I begged again.
He pushed my thighs open, settling his shoulders between them. He inhaled a breath and made an “mmm” sound.
“You’re wet baby. So wet.”
I lifted my hips, tired of waiting for him to please me. He slid his hands underneath my buttocks and held my pussy to his mouth.
“Hold on baby, I’m going to drive you mad.” His tongue swept through my folds, and I cried out as pleasure zinged through my blood.
My fingers gripped his head, wanting to make sure he didn’t stop. “Yes…. Ryan…yes.”
His tongue swirled around my clit and I started to buck as the sweet torture built.
“You like that, don’t you, Kellie? You like that when I suck your clit.” He did it again.
“Yes…Oh God…yes.”
Then his lips wrapped around my clit and sucked.
“Ryan!” I screamed his name as he shot me to the edge. He held me there as he gently sucked and tongued me. When he released my clit, I whimpered. My release was right there, so close.
“I’m going to fuck you with my tongue. Do you want that? Tell me you want that.”
“Fuck me with your tongue,” I managed to say.
He groaned at my words and then his tongue plunged inside me.
My hips began to rock of their own accord.
“Yes, yes...” I chanted. “I’m going to come…make me come Ryan.” I prayed he wouldn’t tease me. That he’d keep fucking me with his mouth until I was drowning in my orgasm.
“Give me your sweet juice, baby,” he murmured. Then his tongue slid inside me, flicking along my pussy walls as his thumb rubbed my clit.
Fireworks shot off and flashed in my brain as pleasure electrified my body. I long feral moan escaped me as the orgasm consumed my body, my soul.
“So sweet,” he murmured. “So fucking sweet.”
1
Ryan
I sat back and rubbed my eyes. They’d started glazing over all the paperwork strewn on my desk. I was excited about taking the family’s footwear company international, but the amount of red tape and hoops to jump through were enough to make my head explode.
Giving my head a shake to ride the cobwebs, I refocused on the task at hand; secure a European distributor. I hoped the teleconference I was having with Christian LaMont would close the deal and we could move forward with our expansion.
There was a knock and then my door opened. My brother Hunter poked his head in. “Gran wants a meeting.”
“I have a call shortly.”
He shrugged. “She says it's important.”
I checked to make sure I had all my notes and data for the call ready on my desk for when I returned. Then I followed Hunter to the conference room.
My grandmother was already at the head of the table with her trusted assistant Andi by her side. In her late seventies, my grandmother still carried the sharp mind and quick wit of a woman half her age. She was a force of nature who we all loved to death. We all appreciate the vision she had as a young woman when she developed a sandal business from her garage that today was a billion-dollar company. She’d built it from nothing into the nationally known and highly respected footwear company it was now. My goal was to take it international.
I walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning Gran.”
“Good morning, Ryan.”
“I hope this won’t be too long,” I said, taking a seat at the table. “I have a call with Christian LaMont soon. It’s nearly closing time in France so I don’t want to keep him.”
“This will be quick,” she assured me.
Hunter was already sitting across from me enjoying a bagel. Carter, my other brother, entered, and like me gave my grandmother a kiss and took a seat at the table. All my brothers and I went wide-eyed when our youngest brother, Noah walked in wearing his signature leather jacket and jeans. He was trained enough to kiss granny on the cheek, but not so well that he’d maintain his manners. He sat in a chair and kicked his feet up on the table. I frowned. My other brothers shook their heads.
Granny scowled but ignored the gesture. She probably knew Noah’s behavior was
done to annoy her and she wasn’t one to let her buttons be pushed.
“The time is coming near, boys—”
“They’re men, Margaret, well, except for Noah. We’re not even sure he’s human,” Andi quipped. Andi was pretty much my grandmother's id, saying what my grandmother was probably thinking but wouldn’t speak aloud.
Noah smirked at Andi.
“The point is, I’m going to be retiring soon and I need to know that I’m leaving the company in good hands,” my grandmother stated.
This wasn’t a surprise and yet, it was unexpected at this time. I suspect deep down, I thought she’d live and run Strong Incorporated forever.
“What are you going to do with your free time,” I asked, not able to imagine her knitting or taking strolls on the beach to collect shells. She was business through and through. I took after her in that respect and I didn’t know what I’d do with myself if it weren’t for the business.
“I don’t know yet, but I’m not worried about it. All I know is that I’m ready to move on. I know you boys…men can handle the job of carrying on the company. So today, I’m announcing your new positions. They’ve been chosen to play to all your strengths.”
“Noah doesn’t have strengths,” Carter joked, throwing a balled-up piece of paper at our youngest sibling.
“He’s a strong slacker,” Andi said.
We all laughed. Noah shrugged it off. He didn’t care. I admired that about him even as it made him annoying.
“Ryan, you’ll be the Chief Operations Officer,” my grandmother said, ignoring the joking going on around her.
“That’s because you’re bossy,” Noah quipped.
I thought about saying he was fired, except he didn’t actually work at Strong Incorporated like I and my other brothers did. He took after my dad in that respect.
“Hunter, you’ll be the Chief Marketing Officer,” Gran continued.
That made sense. Hunter was creative and already worked in marketing.
Admit You Need Me: A Secret Pregnancy Romance (Irresistible Billionaires Book 4) Page 21