The Billionaire's Weekend Bride (12 page)

“I think he's after a very large tip,” Bibi whispered after he'd left their table.

“And it's well deserved. He was great. Why can't all men be that sweet?” Sonia said knocking back her shot of brandy.

“By all men, you mean a certain billionaire,” said Bibi, “whose name we won't mention, but who must be about to touch down in DC.”

“Whatever,” Sonia said. “He's history now.” She stared into the empty shots glass.

“You really mean that?” asked Bibi, a little serious now.

“I do.”

“Well, your face is telling a different story.”

“I'm fine. I'm adjusting.”

“If you say so,” said Bibi. “Okay, I won't mention the D word, but you have to stop looking like you're about to burst into tears at any second.”

Sonia saluted. “I promise.”

They had a lot to drink by the time they left the restaurant. Their favorite waiter ordered a taxi for them and they asked the driver to take his time. The windows were wound down and the girls sat with their faces out onto the street, being intoxicated further by car fumes and the polluted breeze of a summer night in a busy city.

“When will you start your job hunt, Sonia?” Bibi said as the taxi neared their apartment building.

“Monday. First thing.”

“I'll do all I can to help, but can you do one thing for me?”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you're not making the biggest mistake of your life by not trying to call Damian. I mean just to see what could have happened between you guys if the circumstances had been different.”

“Bibi, don't start this now. We've been through it a million times. I can't think long term relationships with Damian.”

“But you've blown hot and cold with your feelings for him since day one. So – right here and now – tell me your reasons why and I'll never bring it up again.”

“Honest truth and no bullshit, Bee. I'm scared.”

“What of?”

“Shall I begin the list?” Sonia said. “I'm scared Damian is a fundamental player and might think he wants to get to know me for now, but then change his mind.  Second, I don't know anything about his life in DC. He's been here doing nothing but lie and plot to get a deal. How can I trust him?”

“You don't know unless you give him a chance, Sonia.”

“That's the booze making you say that, Bee. You're the one who told me to be strong and get closure.”

“But only because that's what I thought you wanted to hear. I swear I'll stick by any decision you make but just make sure you're making the right one. Jesus, even that rich bitch, Mrs.  Merriman, thought you two were an item.”

The taxi slowed to a stop just outside the apartment.

“I've got this,” Bibi said.

“No let me,” Sonia said jumping out first and leaning into the driver's window. “I'm almost a millionaire – even if it is only for one more day.”

Sonia was searching through her purse when behind her, someone cleared their throat.

“Please, allow me to get that.”

When she heard the voice, Sonia turned slowly. The taxi driver got annoyed and shouted: “I don't care which one of you pays me just pay up so I can get home. I've driven the whole Goddamn city and back again, today.”

Bibi got out of the taxi.“Aw, quit you're moaning. You're gonna get paid.”

Sonia smiled at Damian standing beside her with a large bouquet of flowers in his hand.

“You're here,” she said to him.

“And so is my empty hand, lady!” the driver said.

Damian dumped a bunch of notes into his palm. “Keep the change.” The driver looked pleasantly surprised at the wad of cash and happily sped off.

Bibi stood, dumbstruck for a moment on the sidewalk and looked from Sonia to Damian. “Will you be all right on your own?” she asked Sonia.

Sonia nodded but had not taken her eyes off Damian. “I'll be right up.”

“I won't wait up,” Bibi said as she rummaged for her keys and slipped into the building.

“Damian … but how? I don't understand what you're doing here.”

“Isn't it obvious? I came by straight after this morning's meeting,” he said. “I nearly broke your door down but Bibi insisted you weren't home and that I'd just missed you. When I left the building I thought for one hopeful moment that you'd come to the hotel.”

“Really?”

“Silly, I know. I knew you didn't want to see me and that Bibi was covering for you. I guess I couldn't take no for an answer but I gave up. I packed my case and sat there waiting for the time to pass so I could get my plane.”

“What happened? Did you miss your plane?”

“I got all the way to the airport and sat there and sat there. I knew that no matter what the outcome I just had to come back one last time and try to see you.”

“Well, here I am,” she said.

Although slightly sobered up now, Sonia didn't want the fact she'd been drinking to change what she'd just said to Bibi only a few minutes ago. But as Bibi had rightly said, Sonia's feelings for Damian had blown hot and cold since the second they met. She went from sexual attraction to wanting a relationship with him and then to wanting to protect herself from being hurt by him because she knew he was a womanizer – by his own admission. She was convinced she should steer clear, or at least she thought she was.

But there was Damian, towering above her, smelling of expensive aftershave, a sexy amount of re-growth on his strong chin and looking into her very soul with those intense eyes of his. He was making her weak again, without even trying.

“Apart from buying the biggest bunch of flowers in the only flower shop I could see on the way here,” Damian said. “I didn't know what I was going to say to you when I saw you, Sonia. I thought about it and thought about it, but seeing you now, I'm at a loss for words.”

“That certainly isn't like you,” she said, still keeping an air of seriousness about her.

“I know,” said Damian. “But that's what happens when I'm around you.”

“Now
that
sounds like the sweet talking Damian I know so well.” She shook her head.

“Honestly, Sonia, I'm not spinning you a line. I promise. I know you find it hard to believe me, to trust me, and I can't say I blame you after everything you've been through since we met. But before things got complicated, before I made a complete ass of myself, we had something. There was a spark there. I felt it and I was sure you did too. It was something much more than a physical thing.

“Don't get me wrong, I loved making love to you and you do have an exceptional body, but … what I'm feeling goes a lot deeper than that. It was a surprise to me. A wake up call, I guess. Maybe I'm growing up – finally. I don't know. But it's what you've done for me, Sonia. And I couldn't, I just couldn't get on that plane. For two reasons.”

“Which are?”

“Firstly,” he said, “how could I go without making sure you were all right after this morning's fiasco? And secondly, I've fallen for you, Sonia, and I want you to know that. I wanted to say it face to face and whatever you do with that is up to you now.”

Sonia crossed her arms and began to walk to the road, her back to him. She took a deep breath and looked upwards. The air had chilled and she felt it on her bare arms. She also felt the effects of the alcohol wearing away. She turned to face him.

“Damian.”

“Yes?”

“Please get rid of that bunch of flowers,” she said. “It makes it look like you're trying too hard.”

“Sorry.” He looked around for somewhere to deposit them and chose to let them stand in the closed doorway of Sonia's local store.

“Mrs.  Ming will be very pleased to see those tomorrow morning,” she smiled. The smile came easily to her and she found it growing ever wider as she walked up to Damian and held both of his hands. He let out a sigh of gratitude and relief, but he wasn't sure yet what exactly was on her mind.

“Mrs.  Ming will be happy tomorrow morning,” he said, “but what about us? What about our tomorrow morning?”

“Answering that question isn't so easy,” Sonia sighed. “I can't see into the future either, Damian, but I know I'd be really sad if I woke up tomorrow and you weren't there.”

“You mean that?” he said, his smile broadening, too.

“Yes I do. I've stopped being afraid. I've been making my own decisions since I was sixteen. So why stop now? I want to be with you, Damian,” she said. “I don't know how or where that's going to be, but I want you in my arms when I wake up in the morning.”

“And that's exactly where I'll be. I wonder if they still have my room at the hotel.”

They both laughed for a second until the happy sounds dissipated in the late night stillness. Their faces grew serious and they stared into each other's eyes.

Eventually, Damian leaned towards Sonia and gently brushed her lips with his. Her arms wrapped around him passionately and their bodies fused together in an almost desperate embrace. The street around them disappeared and their kisses became deeper and more intense until they both knew that there was only one way to seal this union they had just made. Without words, Damian turned and hooked his elbow so that Sonia could slip her hand into the crook of it.

They began to walk, aimlessly at first and then, with the unified thought that they should jump in a taxi and make their way somewhere. Somewhere they would wake in each other's arms.

From a distance, a yellow cab came into view and they both raised an arm to flag it down. It stopped in front of them. They stopped for one last knowing look before they drove away into the night.

THE END

Message From The Author:

Hiii

I really hope you enjoyed “
The Billionaire's Weekend Bride
”.

As you bought the special edition of this book you now have a
FREE
bonus book to enjoy starting on the next page entitled “
Lust At First Sight
”.

I hope you enjoy that one too!

Love from Kimmy x x

FREE BONUS BOOK

LUST AT FIRST SIGHT

A BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE 

KIMMY LOVE 

About This Book:

Kaya was the opposite of many women. She was not impressed by men with money one little bit. She was sick of men trying to impress her with fast cars, fancy restaurants and fancy gifts.

She just wanted a man who could enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Some normal. Someone down to earth.

So when she met the handsome Henry she thought she had finally found the man she was looking for. An uncontrollable feeling inside of her wanted him right away and left her wondering, was this love at first sight? Or was it LUST at first sight?

CHAPTER 1

Kaya loved the ocean. She loved the taste of the salt in the air, the excited chatter of the tourists on the pier, the arcades and barbeques on the shore and the magnificence of a coastal sunset. That's why when she and her best friend, Suzie, decided to see the world, Kaya wanted to follow the ocean around the border of the United States and see all the major cities that were near the sea.

They'd begun their journey in San Francisco where they'd traveled by cab across the Golden Gate Bridge and strolled in the rain across Union Square. Then they'd gone to Los Angeles, where they saw Hollywood and the Santa Monica Pier.

From there, they went to San Diego and then crossed through Arizona and New Mexico before finding their way to Florida where the lights and glamor of South Beach caused Suzie to beg that they stay there for the summer. So, here they were.

Lying on the beach, feeling the August sun warm her skin and the white sands soft between her toes, Kaya was glad to be able to let out a long, happy sigh and remember that home was a long way away. Lights and glamor weren't new to her. Kaya had been raised by very wealthy parents in her hometown of Long Island, New York, where they'd owned a huge house on a stretch of shore known as the Gold Coast. Affluence and luxury had been afforded her throughout her life, but Kaya was glad to be done with it all. No diamonds or limousines could beat the plain, simple pleasure of the feeling of sand between her toes.

She let out a long, contented sigh as she stretched out and turned to look at Suzie, whose fair skin in its skimpy pin-striped bikini was already going pink in the sun.

"Isn't this amazing, Suze?" Kaya grinned. "Sun, sea, sand. What more could you want?"

"Mmm..." Suze agreed, lowering her sunglasses so that she could peer at Kaya over the rims with her cheerful blue eyes. "It's just a shame we have to work tomorrow. I could easily lie right here on this towel for the rest of my life."

Kaya laughed and held her tongue, even though Suzie was looking at her somewhat hopefully. Suzie sighed when she realized Kaya wasn't going to budge and laid back down on her towel to burn some more. Kaya settled back down as well and chuckled a little at Suzie's attempt to drop a hint.

Sure, Kaya could bankroll the whole trip and they wouldn't have to work a day of it, but that wasn't the
point
of leaving behind her father's mansions and all those luxuries of life that meant she couldn't have a deep thought even if she tried. When Kaya said she wanted to see the world, she didn't mean she just wanted to do a quick tour of the top tourist spots, take a few selfies and claim to be cultured.

No, she wanted to really
see
the world. She wanted to experience it. She wanted to earn things through her own hard work and not her Daddy's paycheck. She wanted to experience the simple pleasures without the distraction of not-so-simple pleasures beckoning from her mother's credit card. She wanted to find out if all those noble and oh-so-well-intentioned world views held true when the rug was pulled out from under her and she was standing on her own two feet.  More than anything, she wanted to meet a man who would really get to know her, rather than thinking he knew who she was based on the label of her designer clothing.

Suzie threw her a knowing glance and let out a little giggle. "Are you thinking about that down-to-earth, yet intellectual, but also humble and profound young man that you're destined to meet just any day now?"

Kaya threw a grape at her for teasing. "I'm allowed to dream, aren't I?"

"Sure, you can dream, but that perfect, wholesome, yet spiritual nomad you're looking for just doesn't exist, Kaya. If you find a man that's handsome, he probably won’t be able to keep up with your smarts, and if you meet a smart guy, he'll probably be too serious for you, and God forbid you meet a
rich
guy and have an easy life!" Suzie shook her head despairingly. "You're just too hard to please. What's wrong with a nice guy with a stable income who can meet your needs?"

"Urgh. You sound like my mother!" Kaya accused. "I don't
want
a ‘nice guy’. I don't want some dull, tailored Ken-doll who thinks that having a relationship means paying for an expensive meal and buying me diamonds."

"You don't? Well, if any of them come calling, send them my way!"

Kaya laughed and looked at her friend fondly. "You wouldn't understand, Suze. You weren't raised surrounded by those types of people. They have no depth to them. I want someone with an open mind and big ideas. Someone who's happy to just let himself go and enjoy life for what it is without always trying to one-up the experience by paying more."

"Too fussy," Suzie repeated. "A gorgeous girl like you could have her pick of men and you do, but you still hold off for some impoverished poet just to make a point."

"It's not to make a point!" Kaya said defensively. "I just want something more meaningful than a vapid courtship and a formal proposal right on schedule. I want a few surprises."

"Well, what about Connor? He's nice."

Kaya thought about the mild-mannered and sweet waiter who worked alongside them at the marina cafe and she smiled with fondness for him. "Yes, he's sweet," she agreed, "but he hasn’t got enough charisma."

"You don't ask for much, do you?" Suzie scoffed. "He can't be rich, predictable, polite or sweet. You're going to end up with some greasy biker or a butcher, or something."

"If he makes me laugh and likes me for who I am, then so what?"

"Well, to each their own," Suzie chuckled. "I'm quite happy to wait for that rich, predictable, polite guy who proposes to me on schedule. Clean and easy."

Kaya rolled over to let the sun get to her back and stretched out lazily once more. Suzie was right. She could have had her pick of men over the years. Kaya was a beautiful young woman, after all. At twenty-four, she'd grown into a stunning heiress of her father's aviation fortune. Kaya was dark-skinned and radiant. She had a natural grace in all her movements that gave her the kind of sophisticated, womanly allure that was often lacking in girls her age.

Her body was slim and well-toned from what had now been months of traveling and she had a certain glow about her now that the weight of her repressive lifestyle had been lifted from her shoulders. She had tightly curled black hair that looked incredible whether she let it flow wild and untamed over her shoulders, or tied it back into a more refined style.

Perhaps her most beautiful feature was her eyes, which were dark and seductive and lined with thick, long lashes that gave almost every one of her glances an almost suggestive air. Kaya always believed that men chased her because she was a young woman of status and wealth, but Suzie knew that Kaya was worrying over the wrong kind of superficiality. Men fell at her feet because she was beautiful.

The two young women used the rest of their free afternoon to soak up the dying sun and before they knew it, the sun was setting and the sky growing darker. The crowds of scantily-clad visitors slowly began to be replaced with locals ready to enjoy the delights of night-time on the beach. Kaya and Suzie pulled on their clothes and sat side by side with their legs dangling from the boardwalk, watching the residents of another city go about their lives.

Perhaps Kaya loved this part of traveling more than any other - people watching. She loved how the fashions almost imperceptibly changed from town to town and how the accents were slightly different in every place they stopped. She liked overhearing the funny little arguments between old couples and watching children play. Right now, her eyes were drawn to one particular face amongst a group of people in their late-twenties who were heading towards the beach with fold-down chairs and a barbeque. Her heart skipped a beat.

The traveler gave her fair-haired friend a furtive nudge and nodded in the direction of the stranger. "He's the one."

The person Kaya was pointing to was a handsome young man, perhaps four or five years older than herself, with fair skin and blond hair that shone slightly reddish in the light of the setting sun. He was wearing a pair of board shorts and a loose shirt and Kaya immediately felt drawn to him. He was grinning widely and laughing with his group of friends and Kaya could almost feel his free spirit calling out to her. Looking at him, laughing and enjoying life, she felt like she was looking at the person she wanted to be: young, free and enjoying the simple things in life.

Suzie followed her gaze and nodded approvingly. "His friends aren't bad either."

The handsome young man was surrounded by a group of other attractive young men and women, all in their late twenties, but Kaya thought that he stood out from them all with his chiseled features and a smile that made everything else fade into the background.

"He's
gorgeous
," she whispered to her friend.

"Well then? Go talk to him!" Suzie urged her, giving her a friendly nudge. "After all that sighing and dreaming, you'd be a fool to become a shrinking violet now Mr. Perfect has shown up."

Kaya laughed lightly. "Who says he's Mr. Perfect?" she sighed. "Speaking to him could just break the spell."

"So we're just going to sit here and watch him for a while, are we?"

"Why not? It's a nice view."

Suzie sighed heavily. "Well, don't say I didn't try and hook you up."

Kaya smiled and simply stared at the man who was now setting up his equipment on the shore with all the others and settling down by the fire they'd managed to get going. He looked even more attractive when the light of the flames caused a mysterious flicker to lick across his face. Then, all of a sudden, as if he could sense her gaze on the back of his neck, the beautiful stranger turned around and caught her eye. Then he smiled widely. Kaya felt herself panic when he stood up, brushed the sand from his thighs and headed in her direction. She grabbed Suzie's arm in a panic.

"Oh my God! He's coming this way."

"Oh really? Because I feel like I could really use a soda about now. Guess you'll just have to get to know him without me."

Suzie mischievously darted away to leave Kaya alone with the stranger and Kaya didn't know where to look as he drew closer. He'd seen her staring and now she felt a heavy blush rising over her cheeks. The stranger came and stood by her, looking down at where she sat on the boardwalk in a slightly transparent, vibrantly colored beach dress, her hair still a little salty from an afternoon in the sea.

She looked up at him and the instant and overwhelming attraction she felt made her throat close up slightly. He was utterly gorgeous with fair skin with a sun-kissed pink glow and bright blue eyes that sparkled devilishly as they looked at her. His loose shirt had an open collar and the sea breeze made the material billow and reveal glimpses of a firm, athletic chest beneath. Kaya felt her heart flutter slightly.

"Where'd your friend go?" The stranger's voice was deep and had a slightly cheeky tone to it, like he was used to spending his days teasing women woman and knew precisely the effect he had on them.

"To get a soda," Kaya managed to reply.

"Oh, well, I can't leave you sitting there on your own. Why don't you come and sit with us?"

Kaya found herself nodding and she accepted the hand the stranger held out to her to pull her up from the pier. As she rose to her feet, she noticed the way his eyes took a moment to throw a quick approving glance over her body. Even in the dying sunlight, she knew that the outline of her bikini was still visible through her dress and his smile almost imperceptibly widened at the sight, making her blush.

"I'm Henry, by the way."

"I'm Kaya."

"That's a pretty name. Kaya. Nice. So, I guess you girls aren't from around here? What's that accent? New York?"

"That's right."

"I've been there once or twice. It's a cool city."

"It is."

He turned to her and grinned with that devilish charm once again. "You seem shy."

"My friend took off."

"We're not going far. She'll find us again."

Kaya realized Henry was still holding her hand. She felt amazed at how bold he was to lead a stranger by the hand, into his world. She noticed some of his friends had spotted them and were whispering to one another. She felt as if she was on show as their eyes looked her over with interest.

It was so different from the behavior of any of the Long Island country club types, who would have to submit a formal application in writing to her father before daring to hold her hand. It made her feel excited to have caught his eye. Maybe he really was the one she'd been waiting for. After all, they'd been drawn together almost like magnets. Hadn't he just sensed her watching him and come to take her hand?

He drew her into the circle of people who'd gathered around the fire on the beach. There was a man who must have been twenty-eight or so, with black hair and almost a dangerous gleam to his dark eyes, although it couldn't be said that he wasn't handsome. There was a third man next to him, with sandy blond hair and a very small, but eager smile.

There were three women with them too, all between the ages of twenty-five and twenty-nine, Kaya would have said, and all beautiful. Perhaps it was the sun-kissed look of their skins or how little clothing they were wearing for a day at the beach. It seemed that each girl was more stunning than the last, like the models in beachwear catalogs, with tans and perfect hair.