“I’ve always been afraid of relationships, Summer,” I say softly, “I didn’t have very good examples growing up. It’s made me afraid of putting my heart on the line. But with you, for the first time, I want to be brave. I want to stand by your side. I want to kiss you every day.”
“That’s what I want too,” she whispers.
I can’t help the smile spreading across my face. Every gentle word she says seems to set off firecrackers in my soul.
“Summer, you make me happier than anything ever has. I want to focus on this journey with you. I want to focus on our dogs. I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for, but you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and I don’t intend on ever letting you go as long as you’ll have me.”
When Summer tips her head back, joyous tears sparkle in the corner of her eyes. “I feel the same about you. I have for a while, but I’ve been afraid to say so.”
“There’s something else I’ve been thinking about . . .” I add, my fingers smoothing over her soft cheek. “I figured out Pup’s real name.”
She smiles, swiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Oh?”
“I want to name him Turtle.”
“Turtle?” she repeats, head thrown back with laughter. “Are you serious? You want to name your dog Turtle?”
The dogs start to gather around us at the commotion, barking and jumping and wagging their tails. Little Turtle puts his paws on my calf and I scoop him up with a nod.
“I want to name our dog Turtle,” I correct, kissing Summer when she smiles again. “Turtle as in Turtle Pond. The place where I first met him . . . and the place where I realized I was falling in love with you.”
Summer instantly quiets, her hands flying to her crimson cheeks in surprise. She moves closer, again searching my eyes. “Say it again,” she whispers abruptly. “I want to hear you say it again.”
I set Turtle down, wrapping my arms around Summer tightly. “Summer, I am falling in love with you. I’m falling hard. Every minute I tumble further and further head over heels but I don’t care, I’m enjoying it every inch of the way.”
“I’m falling in love with you too, Cooper!” she cries, leaning up onto her tiptoes.
My heart swells even more with happiness. Never once did I imagine I would feel such joy. We embrace, lips crashing joyously together. The dogs circle us, barking just as happily, and I’m more certain than ever that every kiss following this one will be sweeter than the last.
Epilogue
Summer
“Suzette is walking the dogs with her kids and Mrs. Donnell, so we’ve got the whole apartment to ourselves for a while,” Cooper grins, pulling me against him on the couch.
I curl up to his broad chest, running my fingers over the cotton fabric of his shirt that hides his strong body from me.
Turtle, now six months old and even more energetic today than he was when Cooper first adopted him, demands near constant attention not only from both Cooper and I, but from the other dogs as well. We were all happy to oblige—he’s too cute and sweet not to want to pamper.
Rosco adores Turtle, as do Sadie and Lola. The young Corgi brings a cheerful, playful energy to the older dogs and he certainly brightens our lives as well. Always chasing after his newest friend, Rosco’s anxiety and nerves have been immensely curbed. Rosco might as well be a new Husky. He’s so much more social and friendly, even with strangers on the street.
I still tend to our dogs, keeping the herd well fed and well played with, which is nearly a full-time job. In fact it’s because of Mrs. Donnell that I’m able to take on any new clients at all, as she and I have partnered together for Central Bark Dog Services. She dog sits and I dog walk and together we’re doing well for ourselves. I know she appreciates the time spent with the pups, her eyes always gleaming with joy when I bring her a new one. She might have been lonely before, but she certainly isn’t anymore. Her sister chose to move in with her after her health scare subsided, which has made Mrs. Donnell all the more pleased.
Suzette also finally let her sons adopt a new dog at one of the latest adoption fairs that Cooper and I volunteered at together. All in all, the last six months have been the best of my life and things are only looking up from here.
Cooper reclines against the cushions, pulling me closer. Time alone together is rare, and though we make sure to enjoy every second, we’re always glad when the dogs return. The home we share together is oddly quiet without the sounds of our fur balls filling every corner.
I began moving in almost immediately after Cooper asked me, though we took our time with the process. It was a whole month before I was completely moved in, and I didn't give up the lease to my apartment until recently just in case we needed space to grow. Fortunately, that was completely unnecessary. Cooper and I can’t get enough of each other.
“I love you, Summer,” he murmurs, the words used as freely as a breath of air.
Despite the frequency at which we say those three little words, they still make my heart race every time I hear them.
Cooper wraps his strong arms around me as he speaks, lowering his lips so his breath is on my ear. I shiver, goose bumps prickling up my arms. Heat pulses in my core as his teeth softly graze the skin of my neck. I tilt my head, allowing him access. He presses a warm kiss in the hollow of my neck, fingers sliding under the hem of my shirt.
“I love you, too,” I whisper throatily back, tone husky with desire.
He tilts my head toward him with his large palm, fingertips brushing my hair as his mouth descends on mine. He greedily steals kisses that I’m all too happy to surrender. I sigh against his lips, fueling the fire crackling between us. Our kiss, heated with love, slows and deepens.
If I thought our passion would fade with time, I was wrong. If anything, it’s only gotten stronger. Our hands constantly wander toward one another, heady glances exchanged even in the company of others. The feeling of being loved by him is perfection, as is waking up next to him every morning and falling asleep to the sound of his soft breathing every night.
Now, Cooper’s breath is filled with tenderness as he whisper’s my name. One of his arms snakes gently around me and we collapse back against the couch cushions. I lay against his chest while he caresses my cheek. When my lips part to kiss him again, he smiles and it takes my breath away.
“Life with you is more beautiful than I ever imagined,” Cooper whispers, voice deep with emotion, his breathing still shallow. “Summer, you’re the love of my life. I never thought I would find the woman to help me become the man I want to be. With you at my side, I feel like I can do anything. I feel like I’ve found the other half of my soul.”
Tears well in my eyes. I cup his face, his strong jaw resting in my palm. “That’s how I feel about you too, Cooper. I’ve never been able to truly trust a man, not in the same way I trust my dogs . . . but with you, I feel completely safe and completely cherished.”
His lips again descend upon mine. This time the kiss is slow and gentle. We curl up together, drawing a blanket over us, still pressed chest-to-chest. When I close my eyes, I can feel his heart beating in time with my own.
I’d always thought I was happy before, and I believe I was. But little did I know just how much more joy I would find. The day that Cooper walked into my life, everything changed.
Every day that passes I find myself grateful that I left my door unlocked allowing Cooper to wander in. I didn’t think I was ready to trust again, but that only proves that sometimes we stand in our own way. We’re stronger than we know and we can heal and move on to much better things.
I certainly have.
All I know is my life has completely changed for the better. I am so eager to follow this path together—me and Cooper and the four-legged heartbeats at our feet.
— E — N — D —
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Also
by Christina Benjamin
THE BILLIONAIRE BOYFRIEND SERIES
Sebastian: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 1)
Cooper: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 2)
Donovan: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 3)
Eric: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 4)
Jacob: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 5)
YOUNG ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
(All Boyfriend Books are Stand-Alone Novels and can be read in Any Order)
The Practice Boyfriend (Book 1)
The Almost Boyfriend (Book 2)
The Goodbye Boyfriend (Book 3)
The Holiday Boyfriend (Book 4)
The Stand-In Boyfriend (Book 5)
The Maybe Boyfriend (Book 6)
The Accidental Boyfriend (Book 7)
The Summer Boyfriend (Book 8)
The Wedding Boyfriend (Book 9)
The Winter Boyfriend (Book 10)
Coming Soon: The Lost Boyfriend (Book 11)
About the Author
Author, Christina Benjamin, lives in Florida with her husband, and character inspiring pets, where she spends her free time working on her books, eating chocolate and drinking wine.
Christina is best known for her bestselling Young Adult romance novels, The Boyfriend Series, which proves that book boyfriends are like chocolate... you can never have enough. Check out the Boyfriend Series for fast, fun, YA romance reads. These destination novels let you fall in love in a new city with new characters, every time.
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For more information visit:
www.crownatlanticpublishing.com
Donovan: A Clean Billionaire Romance
Chapter 1
Donovan
“To you, Donovan!” Eric announces with a boyish grin, lifting a shot glass off the polished surface of the table between us.
The leather of the bench behind me sticks to my tailored suit as I shift in place, smirking at my oldest friend through the hazy dark of the impossibly crowded bar. There’s a red velvet rope looped carefully around us, keeping me and my friends separated from the sweaty bodies of the dancing crowd. Usually there’s an endless line to get into Club Thorn, but one phone call from my office was enough to book us a VIP table and bottle service for the night.
Perks of being a guy with a bank account bigger than this place’s entire revenue, I guess.
Lights swirl overhead, making Eric’s tan face and brown eyes glow alternately purple and neon green. The bass of the music playing thuds along with the rhythm of my heart, making it hard to hear my friend speak.
Eric slurs just slightly, having already made ample use of the booze available. The rest of our friends chuckle and scoop up their own shots of dangerous amber-colored liquor, joining in the toast as the overhead lights cascade through the glasses and onto the table. Just looking at the liquor makes my throat clench.
“To Donovan!” the group echoes.
When I knock the shot back I can feel the fire of the alcohol searing my tongue. It’s a delicious burn, but a burn nonetheless.
Eric arches an impatient eyebrow, chin jerking toward the second shot still waiting for me on the table. I’m not eager to take it. A night out is rare for me, as is this amount of alcohol.
“What’s the rush?” I ask with playful condescension.
“Down the hatch, Donovan,” Eric chides. “Tonight, we celebrate.”
“What are we celebrating?”
Eric grins. “I heard through the grapevine that your nonprofit was just offered a pretty solid merger. That’s cause for celebration, man!”
My stomach abruptly knots like it’s twisting in on itself, my intestines replaced by the gleaming flesh of a slithering serpent, but my smirk stays solidly in place. I can’t help the corners of my mouth from turning down, however.
Eric seems to notice, his glazed eyes curiously monitoring the change in my expression. “Unless it’s not a reason to celebrate?” he asks tepidly, the shot bobbing slightly in his hand as he speaks. “The nonprofit can’t be easy to manage when you also have your corporation to juggle.”
I clear my throat. “No, I’m just surprised that you heard anything. I figured it’d be a while before that news got out.”
Eric laughs loudly, having to set down the shot glass for a second to keep from spilling it. “Donovan, you are anything but coy. Don’t tell me you’re growing a sense of modesty all of a sudden.”
“Hardly. I’m just not one to brag before the ink on a contract is dry.”
Rolling his eyes, Eric again lifts the shot glass toward me. “Well, it leaked fast. You have to remember you’re a big name now. People are watching your every move, wondering what you’ll do next. It’s your own fault for being so damn successful.”
“Careful, Eric. Your jealousy is showing.”
We stare at one another from across the table, jaunty smugness etched into both of our faces before we burst into laughter. Eric can give as well as he can get. He’s hardly one to have his feelings hurt. Growing up around him and his snide sarcasm is probably what’s given me such thick skin as I have—not that I would ever allow him the satisfaction of knowing such a thing. Neither of our egos could stand to swell further or our heads wouldn’t fit inside this bar.
“Come on now,” Eric continues, “I’m hardly jealous. I want you to do well so you continue sinking riches into footing the bill for tonight.”
“I foot the bill every night since you’re not exactly a rock star yet.”
Eric laughs again in spite of himself, the sound thunderous and easy. “To Donovan!”
I nod with an eagerness that my friends don’t notice is forced. But to be honest, the last thing I want to do right now is celebrate. I’d been wondering why Eric called me after lunch today to demand that I meet up with him and our other college buddies at the exclusive and expensive Club Thorn. I thought he was going to tell us that he finally managed to sign with a music label or something.
The last thing I expected was for him to have gotten wind of my merger offer. It’s a rumor that I’m going to have to get on top of before it can spread too quickly. Though, if it’s already at a point where Eric, who has no ties to my industry, has heard it . . .
I try massaging the stress from my temples.
Eric is right to assume that balancing my nonprofit charity and my CEO position at my company is difficult. I severely underestimated the challenges that awaited me with taking on such a task.
Gritting my jaw, I grab another shot glass with decisive fingers and lift it up toward my friends. They cheer as I down another shot, liquor splashing over the rim of the small cup and coating my fingers as the strong scent stings my nose.
What am I doing?
I agreed to come out just for a drink, not to pound shots until I can’t hear myself think.
Even though we graduated college over six years ago, sometimes it seems as if my friends are still caught up in our old frat life. It doesn’t help that Eric is still living his high school dream of playing in a band. He seems confident enough he’ll find a label but we’re almost thirty.
If he was going to strike it big wouldn’t it have happened by now?
Eric refills our glasses and we clink roughly, more liquor splashing down on the table. In synchronous time we tip our heads back, eyes lifting toward the glowing beams overhead. The shot burns like fire down my throat. I feel it the entire way until it dissolves like a plume of lava in my gut. When I finally lower my chin, Eric’s face is all twisted up and he takes a generous gulp of water as a chaser.
“Can’t handle your tequila?” I tease, smacking my lips despite the lingering sear of alcohol on my tongue.
Haughty stoicism is part of my image, my reputation, my brand. It always has been. I can’t show a s
ingle weakness or chink in my armor. It doesn’t matter whether I’m in a business meeting or simply hanging out with friends, I have to be confident and resolute all the time. I never know who’s watching and my business depends on me . . . people depend on me.
Eric sucks a lime, grimacing despite the top shelf label of the booze. “Maybe I’m getting old,” he chuckles, dragging the back of his hand across his lips. “I turn the big three-oh in six months. Where’d the time go?”
For a second, Eric looks almost mature as he laments his upcoming birthday, his eyes wistful. It lasts only until the waitress comes sidling back in her tight shorts and low-cut shirt, turning Eric is a horny teen again.
She giggles as she approaches, seductively weaving around the crimson ropes to our special table, carrying another tray of shots. She swivels her hips to the music in the hopes that her exposed cleavage will convince us to part with more cash. If I wasn’t the one footing the bill then it surely would’ve worked. The guys can hardly manage to pick their jaws up off the floor as it is.
“Yep, you’ve got one foot in the grave already, Eric,” I mutter, making his dark eyes glint.
If I’d been hoping to distract him from gawking at the waitress, I failed. Then again, I think he’s just trying to keep himself from thinking about turning thirty.
A whole two years separates his age from my own. From the first day we met on the elementary school bus, he lorded the fact that he was my elder over me. Recently he seems to regret being the one to forge into our third decade of life first. I think he’s reluctant to accept that he has to grow up.
That’s a stark difference from myself, who accepted it early on.
Cooper: A Clean Billionaire Romance (The Billionaire Boyfriend Series Book 2) Page 10