Law #1: Never Bet on Love: A Sweet Billionaire Love Story (Laws of Love)

by Agnes Canestri

  I lean down to her and let my mouth melt with Eva’s. The time slows as our breaths mingle, and my body lights with the wish for this moment to never end.

  Then I realize I don’t have to fear what comes next anymore. This isn’t just the most ecstatic kiss of my life. No, it’s a kiss that holds a promise. Of a new beginning and the most surprising and unexpected happily-ever-after. One I never could have had if I hadn’t been so cocky and foolish as to bet against love.

  Epilogue

  (Eva)

  I turn the corner of the street leading to Liberty Square, and my heartbeat quickens.

  I haven’t been to this square since the night of the ball. I’ve been so busy with Nathan, my dance studio, and the renovation projects we began in Abuelita’s house. I haven’t had much chance to stroll around in the outskirts of San Sebastian.

  But as I listen to my hammering ribcage, I know a lack of time isn’t the only reason I’ve avoided setting foot here. The memories of that horrible evening when I thought Nathan didn’t love me are something that—even after a year—I still don’t like to revisit.

  Why did Nathan ask me to meet him here exactly?

  Nathan notices me before I see him and bolts to me.

  “Eva, love! You’re late. I was beginning to worry. What took you so long?” He wraps me in a tight embrace and plants a feathery kiss on my lips.

  “I took the bus but didn’t realize that the stop got moved.”

  Nathan smiles. “Yes, it’s part of the Power Kids’ sanitation project. They decided it’s safer if the kids play on the grassy areas without risk of their ball rolling under the bus.”

  “Grassy areas?” I repeat dumbfounded because, as I recall, the park on the square only houses a dark jungle and heaps of rubbish. Not a place I would want any children to enter.

  “Yes. Check them out.” Nathan brushes a strand of hair behind my ear, then steps aside so he isn’t blocking my view anymore.

  That’s when I see it. My jaw drops.

  Instead of the savage bushes, uncut trees, and dirty benches covered with crumpled wrappers and empty liquor bottles, there’s a neatly manicured garden with clipped hedges and mature trees trimmed back by expert hands. Wide gravel pathways run among the age-old birches, so people can stroll beneath their soothing shade.

  When did this all happen?

  I’ve heard from Alejandro, who jogs around our barrio each morning and is more aware of the newest state of the battle-juvenile-crime program that there have been major cleanups all over the place. I just didn’t think about it in this magnitude.

  I study the big, grassy clearing where the bus-stop previously stood. They transformed it into a paradise for kids. There are, in fact, a handful of youngsters having fun on the silky lawn right now.

  A dark-haired boy kicks a ball and screams triumphantly when it rolls between two lean bushes that probably represent the goal. His excited tone is somehow familiar to me. When he turns, he winks at us, smiling.

  My glance darts to Nathan. “What is Juan doing here?”

  Nathan’s grin widens. “Is he the only one you recognize? Wow, you must be more bewildered by how different the park looks than I anticipated.”

  I quickly pivot back to the square and scan the area. I gasp loudly as I realize exactly just how blind I’ve been.

  Beneath a thick-trunked magnolia tree there’s a large picnic table set with a white damask tablecloth. I spot Abuelita, Tia Maria, and Nathan’s aunt rubbing shoulders and busying themselves filling it with various steaming dishes.

  A few feet from them, I discover a small artificial pond with grackles nibbling along the edges. Holly and Malcom are sitting on a checkered blanket with my sister on its shore. Holly reads a book to Espie, who rests her head in Nathan’s mother’s lap like a purring kitty.

  “Five to three. We’re winning, little bro!”

  Alejandro’s voice makes me focus my attention on the clearing again.

  Ale claps hands with Juan then glances up. His eyes meet mine and his arms shoot in the air as if he’s celebrating. He leans to Juan, tells him something, and rushes over to us.

  “Welcome, sis! Finally. I’m famished. Abuelita wouldn’t let anyone touch the food until you got here,” he jabbers in one breath.

  Nathan pats Ale’s back. “Give your sister a minute. I think she’s kind of overwhelmed by our surprise.”

  Overwhelmed? That’s the biggest understatement of the century.

  The transformation of Liberty Square took my breath away already. I mean, the place used to be a hotspot for junkies, and now it’s a park worthy of a Disney cartoon—really, I could totally picture talking chipmunks and squirrels jumping around in it. But on top of this, my entire family and all Nathan’s relatives are gathered to celebrate an impromptu picnic?

  I finally find my wits and ask, “Why are our families here? I thought you wanted to do a quick lunch together before heading back to the office?”

  Nathan shrugs and smiles. “It’s rare that our folks can get some quality time together, no?

  Hmmm, not really. Holly and Malcom adore my siblings, especially the cheeky little Espie—I guess Holly always wished for a daughter too—so they invite us over for lunch more weekends than not.

  Nathan must notice the doubtful wrinkle on my forehead, because he adds, “You know that your grandmother wanted to have Mother and Malcom over for the past few months, but with the painting works still all over the place, she can’t use her house to organize a special event. So Alejandro and I helped her plan this.”

  “And?” I add, sure there’s something else. I can feel it by the gushing smile Alejandro and Nathan are trying to suppress.

  Nathan and Ale exchange a glance.

  Nathan nudges Ale between his ribs with his elbow. “You tell her.”

  Ale blushes, a sight that is rare on him. “I’ve passed the test of Phase Two!”

  “Oh, heavens, really?” I jump into Ale’s neck and hug him tight to me. “That’s wonderful news.”

  And it is. Phase One and Phase Two are the longest and hardest in the Fresh Start traineeship. Nathan designed it this way, so any candidates that get through them are truly motivated and forged for all the challenges that await them. After Phase Two, Alejandro will be able to start college classes in his chosen paths, Finance and Accounting, while integrating into the suitable department at AMEA. Yes, my little brother will be a number freak —who would have thought? He’s already helping me with bookkeeping for my studio, which is great because the earnings are so good, it’s hard to keep track of them.

  I blink at Nathan.

  My love can’t usually stop raving about his mentoring work, so I’m almost as familiar with what his mentees are doing as with my own dance students. It must’ve cost him a lot of self-discipline to hide Ale’s success. He must have done it so that he could surprise me.

  My heart swells, and I snake an arm around Nathan’s waist. “Thank you for organizing this.”

  Nathan gives a kiss to the tip of my nose. “You’re so welcome.”

  “I’ll go tell everyone we’re ready to eat then,” my brother says and walks to the magnolia tree with hasty steps.

  “So what do you think of it all? Power Kids did a good job with the square, right?” Nathan asks.

  “A good job? No, it’s absolutely fabulous. As far as I can remember, this park has never been used by the inhabitants of my barrio. And look at it now! It’ll become the center of life, no doubt. Oh, Nathan.” I peer up at him. “Without you and your family, this couldn’t have happened. Thank you.”

  Nathan grabs my hand and twirls me around so that I land face to face with him. “Eva, you’re mistaken. It’s you without whom this would never have been possible. You challenged me to become a better version of myself. It might’ve been my transformation that induced this change, but you prompted that in the first place.”

  Nathan bends down to kiss me, but just before our lips meet, Murphy’s jovial voice calls out
from behind us. “Hey, my two favorite people in the world, how is life going?”

  He walks toward us holding hands with a smiling curly-haired woman, who must be Clarissa, his new girlfriend. I haven’t met her yet, so I quickly wiggle out of Nathan’s embrace and greet both of them properly.

  While Clarissa and I chat about my dance school—apparently she would love to come and do a try-out course—the brothers speak about the latest police developments with Fernando’s gang.

  My ex and his entire band moved to the closest nearby town shortly after Power Kids started with their project. Fernando’s gang was afraid their market would suffer due to the stronger community support and neighborhood surveillance initiatives in San Sebastian. But they didn’t count on the fact that in Lakewill there was already an established group of dealers. Fernando’s suppliers pulled their support from all the small-class criminals to avoid a war, so Fernando and his buddies were forced to steal drugs to sell. They got busted and arrested within a few months.

  “Everyone, the burritos will get cold if we wait any longer.” Abuelita’s voice carries over to us and we stop our chatter.

  “Let’s move over there before your grandmother gets upset.” Murphy winks. “She’s the kindest lady on earth, but she also takes the temperature of her burritos very seriously.”

  Murphy and Clarissa start out, but I pull on Nathan’s hand to stay back.

  “What?” His grey irises widen.

  “This,” I whisper and lean close to him. “You didn’t think you could escape from it.” I moan when my mouth is on his.

  “I would never want to, my love,” he says, closing the distance between us.

  Our breaths unite in a delicious kiss that I’d love to prolong as much as I can, but I know Murphy is right. If there’s one thing that can bring my good-tempered grandmother to her limit, it’s when her cooking is served cold.

  I saunter hand-in-hand to the table with Nathan.

  While everyone gets busy with filling up their plates, I stay a few feet back and observe them.

  I let my eyes wander from face to face, and silently thank all the wonderful people who played a direct or indirect role in my happiness with Nathan. As I observe Holly tenderly patting Nathan’s cheek, the realization that my relationship with Nathan is not only the best thing that happened to me, but probably the best thing that ever happened to his family too, makes its way into my mind.

  I glance over to Alejandro. He boasts proudly about his future courses to Aunt Marjorie and Murphy, and I can’t suppress a smile. My love with Nathan changed our whole family for the better.

  A rustling noise makes me look up.

  A little squirrel sprints across a branch above my head. My smile is a full-stretched happy grin now. Perhaps this animal can’t speak, but if it could, I know what it would say. Sometimes a silly bet can have far-reaching consequences for an entire town. If it weren’t for our love story, San Sebastian could have never started on the road of becoming a safe and enticing place, even for the poorer inhabitants.

  Suddenly my chest feels like bursting. And that’s when I know that if anyone asked me now what the first law of love should be, I’d instinctively answer my hard-earned but satisfying truth:

  Always bet on love…

  It doesn’t have to end here…

  Do you want to see more of Eva and Nathan ?

  Then join my Reader Club and get the Extended Epilogue of Law #1 right now. Go to:

  www.agnescanestri.com/lol1-bonus

  Also don’t miss out on how Laia, Eva’s romantic cousin, helps a notorious playboy redeem his faith in true love…

  Get book two in the Laws of Love series now!

  Law #2: Don’t Play with a Player (mybook.to/lol2)

  Is there any actual proof that mixing business and pleasure is a bad idea? Asking for a friend…

  Author’s note

  Enjoyed this book?

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  If you’ve enjoyed this book I’d appreciate your honest review on Amazon. It can be as short as you like.

  Thank you very much!

  OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  Laws of Love Series

  Law #1: Never Bet on Love

  A billionaire. A salsa dancer. And a bet that might mean losing their hearts..

  Go to: mybook.to/lol1

  Law #2: Don’t Play with a Player

  Is there any actual proof that mixing business and pleasure is a bad idea? Asking for a friend…

  Go to: mybook.to/lol2

  Law #3: Don’t Fall for the Athlete

  He broke her heart. She won’t let him do it again...

  Go to: mybook.to/lol3

  Law #4: Don’t Trust the Bad Boy

  She thought she knew what she needed in her life. Can this bad boy show her she might have she been wrong all along?

  Go to: mybook.to/lol4

  Cirella Bay Series

  Big Flames & Small Lies

  She thought nothing unexpected ever happened in Cirella Bay. Oh, how wrong she was…

  Go to: mybook.to/cirella1

  Dark Secrets & Sweet Kisses

  Solving this small local mystery will be all fun and games. That’s if she can keep her heart safe from her sidekick’s —the snarky but handsome detective’s— charms…

  Go to: mybook.to/cirella2

  Gems of Love Series

  Gems of Love BOXSET

  All five books in one collection. The BEST DEAL on the series. Go to: mybook.to/gol-boxset

  Loving the Boss

  It could be her fresh start. If only she can avoid falling for her boss…

  Go to: mybook.to/gol1

  Gambling with the Billionaire

  Love was never on the menu…

  Go to: mybook.to/gol2

  Fake-Dating the Single Dad

  It was the perfect plan. Until their feelings turned all too real….

  Go to: mybook.to/gol3

  Saving the Brother’s Best Friend

  It was only a simple favor between friends. Until it wasn’t…

  Go to: mybook.to/gol4

  Falling for the Undercover Agent

  She was just a job. Until she wasn’t …

  Go to: mybook.to/gol5

  Other Books

  Saving His Heart (Jackson & Hole Firefighters)

  Rule #1: Don’t date a fireman.

  Rule #2: Don’t fall for your best friend.

  Rule #3: Never forget rules one and two

  Go to: mybook.to/saving-his-heart

  A Lesson in Love (Standalone forbidden love story)

  Sometimes what’s forbidden can’t be ignored…

  Go to: mybook.to/alessoninlove

  About the Author

  Agnes Canestri writes sweet romance for all ages. Her home on the internet is https://www.agnescanestri.com. Agnes is also a psychologist and the mother of two. Agnes is passionate to understand what makes people tick especially when it comes to love. She adores capable heroes, witty heroines, and bone-tingling kisses. After living in five different countries, she is now settled in Germany with her Italian husband and her children.

  You can connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/agnescanestri and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/agnes.canestri using the icons below.

  Whenever the mood strikes you, you should send her an email at agnes@agnescanestri.com. She loves to hear from her readers and answers all emails personally.

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2020 by Agnes Canestri

  www.agnescanestri.com

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents e
ither are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Editing by Danita Mayer, Niche Editing.