The Billionaire's Email-Order Date

by Vivi Holt

  She smiled. “I think so. It’s almost over, and my feet are killing me.”

  “Do you think Cameron would mind?”

  “No, I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do. Everything’s sold. I’ve talked to every single person in here. My job is done.” She grinned and released her hold on his neck.

  His hand found hers, and together they walked out through the back of the gallery to the lot where he’d parked.

  “I’m glad you came to my place first and we rode here together,” he remarked.

  She quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “That way you have to come home with me, and I can work on convincing you to stick around a while longer.”

  She laughed. “You don’t have to convince me. If you make some of those delicious cinnamon buns like you did last time, you’ll have to chase me away.”

  “Done,” he promised, then he looped an arm around her waist and squeezed her close.

  The past month had been like a dream for her. She spoke to Tamera almost every night and even to her sisters every now and then. She’d seen Chris most days, and he seemed devoted to her in a way she could never have anticipated. He bought her gifts and flowers, took her to the movies, to dinner, and out with friends. He’d even done one of her art classes, and they’d stayed late after all the other students left to talk about art and kiss while they listened to Norah Jones on an old beat-up CD player.

  It’d been heavenly.

  And now she’d had a successful art showing. She couldn’t believe the way everything in her life was turning around. All it’d taken was one Christmas on a snow-dusted ranch in Montana as a billionaire’s email-order date.

  She shook her head as she climbed into his Porsche. Her dress slid on the smooth leather seat, and she fixed the air vent so the heat wouldn’t blast her in the face.

  “Let’s go home,” he said, as the engine hummed to life.

  She smiled. “It’s your home, but I do love it there.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Maybe it’ll be your home one day too.”

  Her heart jumped in her chest, and she inhaled sharply. She wanted that, so badly. Every time she said goodbye to Chris, her world felt dull and lonely. Her heart hurt. She hated when he left her apartment, or she had to pull out of his long driveway. Being away from him was like having the sunshine disappear behind a cloud. Cold and dim.

  Chris peeled the tube away from the cinnamon rolls and placed them on a tray. Then, he pushed the tray into the oven and set the timer.

  “Coffee?” he asked.

  She nodded and crossed one long leg over the other. Her dress had a high split up one side, and her lithe, pale, stockinged leg showed through. His gaze traveled down to her nude pumps, and he swallowed.

  It’d been hard to keep some distance between them over the past month. Every day, his feelings for her grew stronger, and every day, he’d wanted more, more of her, more time with her. Even his work had begun to suffer. Janet was happy. She’d never smiled more. He’d been leaving the office early, coming in late, blissful and relaxed. She told him whatever he was doing, to keep doing it. And when Kate had come to the office for the first time, his assistant had gushed over her like she was the Queen herself.

  He smiled at the memory. Then he took Kate’s hand and led her outside. They stood on the porch and looked out at the moonlit night. A horse whinnied from the stables, and another out in the field returned its call.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” she said.

  He stood behind her and circled his arms around her. Her hair drifted in the breeze and tickled his nose.

  “I’m glad you like it. Hey, do you want to have a picnic here tomorrow?”

  “That sounds great.”

  “I thought we could ride the horses. There’s this great little spot by a creek…”

  “Ride the horses?” She swiveled in his arms until she was facing him, her brow creased with a frown.

  “Sure. I know how much you enjoy that.”

  “But I thought these horses were only for breeding,” she said with a satisfied smirk.

  He chuckled. “I used to ride them, and I’ve decided it’s time to start doing the things that I love again. And riding is one of those things.”

  “Wow, I wonder where you could’ve gotten an idea like that.” She was smug and adorable all at the same time.

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “Someone very wise, and very cute, showed me how important it was to cultivate my happiness.”

  She laughed. “You should listen to that person more often.”

  “Oh, I intend to.”

  Kate dug her heels into the horse’s sides. It leapt forward and continued at a trot, following along a winding trail behind Chris’s horse. She patted the animal’s neck and scanned their surroundings.

  Chris had five acres tucked in the middle of a sprawling metropolis. In the distance, the hum of an expressway filled the air. Close by a robin chirruped, a woodpecker tapped away at a tree trunk overhead, and the scent of wet grass filled her nostrils.

  It’d rained the night before, and everything was clear, clean, and damp. The sky above was a freshly washed deep blue, and Kate hummed beneath her breath. It was a beautiful day. A perfect day.

  Chris had packed a picnic lunch and had it strapped in a backpack to his back. She’d never been on a horseback picnic before, and the excitement of the day buzzed in her stomach.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  He glanced over his shoulder with a smile. “Not far. There’s a little creek up here, the one I told you about last night. I go there to fish sometimes. I thought we could sit on the bank to eat.”

  She nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She hoped he wasn’t going to make her fish today. The only time in her life she’d ever caught a fish was on a family holiday in Florida. Dad had stowed the fish in a cooler, and she had to listen to its tail flap against the inside of the container for the entire drive back to their condo. The experience traumatized her so much that she’d never fished again.

  “Um…we’re not going to try to catch anything today, are we?”

  He laughed. “No. I take it you’re not an avid fisher?”

  “Definitely not. Although, I have to say I enjoy waiting for the fish to bite. But I don’t like eating them.”

  “Well, if I ever take you fishing, you won’t have to worry about it. I never keep them. I just fish for the fun of it.”

  Before long, they reached the creek. Cool, clear water bubbled over smooth, dark rocks. An oak tree shaded a grassy rise, and Chris tied up the horses to graze there. Then, he unfolded a red and white picnic rug, and laid it on the ground.

  She sat, leaning up against the trunk of the tree with a sigh. “What a view.”

  He smiled as he unpacked the picnic bag. “I thought you might like it. It’s so peaceful here. It’s one of my favorite places in the whole world. It’s actually the reason I bought this property. I walked the boundary line, and when I discovered this creek, I knew I had to buy it.”

  “It’s hard to believe we’re so close to the city.”

  “Very close to my office in Lawrenceville. Which was another plus. I hate having to drive too far each day. Especially in bad traffic.”

  They ate cheese and crackers, followed by tuna salad sandwiches, potato chips, and pickles. By the time Chris pulled two slices of chocolate cake from the backpack, she was stuffed.

  “Coffee?” he asked, opening a thermos.

  Steam rose from the top of the thermos, and Kate nodded. “I can’t believe you did all of this. You thought of everything. And it’s all been delicious.”

  He grinned. “I’m glad you approve. It’s nothing fancy, but I like simple food.”

  “I do too.”

  He poured them each a cup of coffee and handed her a slice of cake on a white paper plate. She sipped her coffee and ate the cake slowly, savoring each bite.

  They talked about the success of her art show and the fact
that Cameron had already booked her for another showing in six months. They discussed his work and how close he was to finalizing the acquisition he’d been working on. The conversation was easy, fluid, and gave her a warm, satisfied feeling deep in her gut that spread throughout her entire body.

  There was only one thing that still caused her unease. The misunderstanding with his family. She finished the cake and set the coffee mug down on the ground. Then she lay back on the rug and stared up at the sky between the oak’s knotted branches.

  “Have you spoken to your folks lately?”

  Chris moved to sit behind her, lifted her head, and placed it in his lap. He took one of her hands in his, laced his fingers through hers, and traced a circle on her palm with his thumb.

  “I called them yesterday.”

  She tensed. “And?”

  “And I explained everything to them all over again. I told them what happened, and they were fine with it all. They know the truth. And they care about you—I told you that.”

  “I know, but I just want to make certain. You know, before we visit at Easter.”

  He sighed. “Are you sure you want to go up there at Easter?”

  “Yes, I’m certain. Tamera was meant to come to Atlanta, but Leo wasn’t able to get the time off. So, I want to go up there to see them and your family. I still feel terrible about how we left things.”

  He chuckled. “If that’s what you want to do, then that’s what we’ll do. But just so you know, Mom and Dad are fine with it all. They’re just happy we’re together now. Happy for both of us. They really like you.”

  “I’m glad.” Still, she’d feel better seeing them face-to-face.

  “And there was another reason I called them as well.” There was a serious tone to his voice that hadn’t been there before. Her stomach churned.

  She sat up, spun around, and faced him. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  He laughed. “Nothing’s wrong. But there was something I had to tell them.”

  “Oh?”

  “That I’m going to marry you.”

  She frowned, and her eyes narrowed. “You are?”

  “Yes, if you’ll have me.”

  “Are you asking…?”

  He smiled, his eyes sparkling with love. “Yes, I am. Kate Grant, will you do me the distinct honor of becoming my wife?”

  “You’re not doing it right. You’re sitting under a tree on a picnic rug, and I’m pretty sure there’s grass in my hair…” she protested with a laugh.

  He rolled his eyes then shifted onto one knee and plucked a piece of grass from the back of her head. He took hold of her hand again and drew it close. She stood unsteadily to her feet, her heart thundering in her chest.

  “Is this better?”

  She nodded, her eyes flooding with tears.

  “I love you. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’m so glad I met you and invited you home for Christmas. You opened me up to happiness and life again. Without you, I’d still be walking around in a daze. I can’t imagine a single day without you by my side. Will you marry me?”

  A tear wound its way down her cheek, quickly followed by another. She sniffled and nodded her head frantically up and down. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!”

  He rose to his feet and tugged a small box from his jeans pocket. When it snapped open, a diamond ring sparkled in a bed of black velvet. She gasped, pressing a hand to her heart.

  “It’s stunning!”

  He took it out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. “You’re stunning.” His voice wobbled, and his eyes gleamed with moisture.

  She stood on tiptoe and used her fingertips to wipe a tear from his eye before it escaped. Then, he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers. Her pulse accelerated, and her heart swelled as his lips explored hers. Her arms wound their way around his back, and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight against him.

  Kate had never felt so loved, so accepted and adored. She knew she was right where she was meant to be, and together they’d be a family. The kind of family she’d dreamed of for many years but had never dared hope for. And it’d all come about because of a misunderstanding about a Christmas date on the front steps of the house that would now become her home.

  Keep reading…

  THE BILLIONAIRE’S EMAIL-ORDER BRIDE

  Read on for an excerpt from the next book in the series, The Billionaire’s Email-Order Bride. Or, buy it now.

  HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

  Read on for an excerpt from another sweet Christmas romance by the same author, Home is Where the Heart Is. Or buy it now.

  Coming soon…

  Releasing April 2019

  The Billionaire’s Email-Order Wife

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  Excerpt: The Billionaire’s Email-Order Bride

  Email-Order Romance series

  Chapter One

  John Russo combed fingers through his dark hair, setting it standing on end then patted it down automatically. Sweat beaded across his forehead, and he tugged at the tie cinched tightly around his neck, loosening it then rethinking and pulling it free and shoving it into his jacket pocket.

  He strode down the long hall to the soundtrack of heels clacking across the polished timber floor, printers whirring off in the distance, and voices murmuring in conversation.

  As he walked through the open office, the conversations that had previously buzzed, filling the space with life, hushed almost instantaneously. He hated that. Hated the way his very presence sent people into a panic. Made them change and retreat behind walls he couldn’t scale. He’d never planned to be that kind of boss, but that’s how it’d worked out. Was there any other way to be when you were responsible for thousands of employees, and billions of development dollars across three continents?

  He pushed his lips into a half-smile and nodded at a group of staff huddled around a desk. They nodded back, then continued their conversation. He wanted to join them and see how things were progressing on the construction of a football stadium in Florida. But he knew his mere presence would bring their creative exchange to a crashing halt.

  He was grateful for his executive team who didn’t share the staff’s fears. They were open and honest with him and had their fingers on the pulse of the company. Through them, he’d find out what was going on. Though he’d preferred to have the personal contact with each team himself, he knew that wasn’t possible. Not anymore. The company had grown since he’d taken it over after his father’s retirement, until he no longer knew the names of everyone that worked for him. It was a strange feeling. Exhilarating at times, terrifying at others.

  His office was at the end of the hall. Two walls of the space were long, rectangular windows that looked out over the Atlanta cityscape. The view was pretty at dusk, though he hardly ever took it in. He’d purposely arranged his desk so that his back was to the window, otherwise he’d find himself staring off into the distance and forgetting about the work he had to get done. Lacy, his assistant, had once asked him why he bothered with the windows at all if he wasn’t going to enjoy them, and he’d shrugged: the CEO of a billion-dollar company was supposed to have a
corner office with a view. It was the way things were. He didn’t make the rules, he just followed them.

  Not that he was a rule follower in general. Any entrepreneur worth his salt knew he had to forge his own path if he wanted to be successful, but perhaps his grandfather was the rule breaker, the pioneer, and John and his father had merely followed in his footsteps. Did that make him an entrepreneur or simply a good follower? He shook his head as he strode through the office, calling over his shoulder to Lacy who sat straight-backed at her desk, fingers clacking on her ergonomic keyboard.

  “What have I got next?”

  She jumped to her feet and followed him into the room. He sank into his black office chair, and leaned back, hands linked behind his head.

  She smiled. “You’ve got a break until ten-thirty, then a meeting with Rupert Easton.”

  “Remind me…?” He arched an eyebrow.

  “It’s about the building you’re buying in Buckhead.”

  He nodded. “Right. 2435 Peachtree?”

  Her head inclined slightly. “Rupert Easton is the lawyer involved. The building’s owner isn’t coming.”

  His eyes narrowed. It always made things difficult when an owner didn’t want to sell. But if they’d gotten themselves into a financial situation that made selling their only option, it was hardly his fault. That didn’t usually stop them from taking out their frustrations on him and his staff, though.

  A stack of mail sat neatly on the left side of his desk, fanned out so he could see the return address for each item. Lacy dealt with most of it, but she always set any personal mail on his desk unopened.

  He picked up the first letter in the stack, then spun in his chair absently, staring out over the city. He really should enjoy the view more. He should enjoy a lot of things more than he had allowed himself to in recent years.