The Sweetest Kiss: A Billionaire Love Story (10 page)

“
I
was hoping
you would say that.”

Before I knew what was happening he was down on one knee. He gestured to his right. I looked to my left as four men came down to the beach playing violins. Behind them two women with straw baskets were tossing white rose petals onto the sand.

“Hayley. I may not have known you a long time but I have never been more certain about this. Hayley Fields, will you marry me?”

He pulled a small box from behind his back and cracked it open. Inside was a gorgeous diamond ring. My mind was a flurry of thoughts. Yes, no. What the hell am I doing? Now I had made some crazy decisions in my life. Most of which were usually after having drunk a considerable amount of alcohol but this one was right up there on the list.

“So?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

It was like the world around me stopped. In that moment all I felt was passion and desire for this man. He rose up and pulled me in tightly. We kissed there on the beach. The sun dipped its head beyond the horizon and the waves lapped against the shore. There was applause from the men playing instruments.

“Where now?”

“Where do you think?”

He turned me towards the path of rose petals that led up the beach into a small rocky cove. We walked along behind the band of violinists who remarkably were still able to play even while they stumbled across the sand. Once we came around the corner I saw it. A beautiful arbor covered in white flowing drapes at the corners. Set in a hidden cove. Behind us the glistening turquoise ocean and powdered white sand was perfect. A small path had been created up to it with red roses almost like a red carpet. On either side were small lanterns lit up.

It was hard not to get caught up in all of the beauty.

As we stood there beneath it, a Caribbean man led us in our vows. I felt like pinching myself. It was hard to comprehend that I was doing this.

A few minutes later he uttered the words, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Ethan stepped forward. His hand slid up the back of my neck. Just the look on his face made it all worthwhile. I know in that moment I wasn’t thinking about all that meant. I was swept up in the romance of it all. But I didn’t do anything that any other woman wouldn’t have done. Well, maybe some who liked to argue things to death. But that was neither here nor there. In that exact moment I felt loved, respected, and valued. What tomorrow would bring would have to wait. For now, I was going to relish this, and the man standing before me.

He pressed his hot mouth over mine and leaned me back. My breath caught in my chest as he held me. I felt his tongue slip in and I tasted him again. It was a whirlwind. Without a doubt I could have never imagined this when I had stepped onto that plane or tossed my lunch over the side of the boat. But it was happening. It was real, even if I fully didn’t realize its weight on my life.

“A photo perhaps?” I heard her voice first but didn’t register it.

It was only after the blinding flash from the camera that I saw who had taken the shot. It was Stephanie. Oh my god. She gave a big grin.

“What a beautiful moment. Wow, this is going to be a great shot for the front page.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I’m joking,” she said. Though I couldn’t help think she was lying. She knew she had a shot that would be worth a fair price. Who wouldn’t want to know about one of the Waylands marrying a young woman from New York? It was the stuff of fairy tales, but in the hands of the
Enquirer
, it was the stuff of nightmares.

I wanted to tell her to delete the picture right then and there. But I didn’t want to cause a scene. Everything had been so perfect up to the moment the witch showed up. How the hell did she even know about this? Was she following me?

I looked at Ethan who looked equally disturbed by the fact that she had taken a photo. I wasn’t sure what that meant. Was he on the same line of thinking as I was? That this was not going to look good, especially in the hands of someone who had come down here specifically to get a story that would nail her a promotion. She knew what she was doing. She knew that what Max had given us that afternoon was crap. There was no way we were going to be able to twist it without it sounding forced. But this, oh this was perfect. Billionaire marries pauper.

“Don’t mind me, congratulations,” Stephanie said before turning and hurrying back up the beach. I wanted to chase her down, dive on her, shove her head in the sand, and turn her into a human sand castle. But it wasn’t going to be.

Now maybe it was stupidity. Call it what you will. But it dawned on me that within a matter of hours James would have a photo of us, unless of course mine got there first.

I reached into my purse and pulled out my cell phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Who else is going to capture the moment?”

Ethan looked off into the distance. Before he could object I held it out, leaned in, and kissed him. The flash blinded us and it took a few seconds to stop seeing light.

Ethan pulled me in close and as quickly as that I slipped the phone back into my bag. I couldn’t care less when he had his arms around me. Something about being with a man that truly loved you made you believe that whatever storm came your way, you could survive it. The question was, would I be able to survive what Stephanie had in store? That bitch could whip up one mean hurricane. On the outside I was calm, smiling, and the picture of happiness. Inside my stomach was in knots. What was I afraid of? The thought that she could land the promotion? What did I care, I was married to a billionaire now. I shook my head at the thought. It was hard to take it all in.

Ethan led me by the hand up the beach to a waiting jeep. Jamaal congratulated us. Which meant everyone was in on it and knew about what was going to happen. He planned on proposing and marrying me even if I hadn’t told him about what his father had offered. Did that mean he really wanted to marry me, regardless? It sure seemed that way.

T
hat night
we didn’t go back to the cottage. On the north side of the island was a private cottage that was used specifically for those who wanted to get married or renew their vows. It had a spectacular view of the ocean. It was positioned just on the edge of a hilly part of the island. Nestled in the trees. Made of stone, it was beautiful.

Ethan carried me over the threshold and we made love that night. Long into the night I awoke and looked over at him. I watched his chest rise and fall. I slipped out of bed and hustled over to my purse. I pulled out the cell phone and looked at the photo. I looked back at Ethan. I was conflicted by it. On one hand James probably already had the photo that Stephanie had sent. On the other the idea of sending in mine seemed not only pointless but desperate. Idiotic even. This was my wedding night. My husband. I paused a second to swallow that thought.

My husband. Ethan Wayland was my husband. I was now Hayley Wayland.

If I sent in this photo, I would only be shooting myself in the foot. I was one of them if only by marriage. My thumb hovered over the delete button. It was the only record of our marriage besides the paper we signed. But there was something about having that photo on my phone that bothered me. The motivation for why I had it.

I hit delete.

There, it was gone. And so was any chance of using it for some stupid newspaper.

I immediately sent a text to James telling him that if Stephanie had sent him a picture of us getting married, he was not allowed to publish it. If he did, I would make sure that Ethan sued the newspaper. I didn’t receive a reply back immediately which meant he was probably asleep.

I returned to the bed and slipped in beside Ethan. I placed my hands over his chest and let them run down to his abs, then around his ass. Damn, he had such a round hard ass. It was beautiful. His skin was tanned and flawless. I smiled at the thought of him being my husband. Or was he? Had the person who married us really been someone who could perform marriages? It niggled at me. It had seemed rushed, a lot like the way we had met. Maybe it was just a dream.

But there was no denying that night had been wonderful. The way he used his hands and tongue, and embraced me. It was hot and wild and only the beginning of what was to come.

At some point I must have fallen asleep as when I awoke Ethan was gone. He was standing outside on the balcony. He was wearing a white pair of pants. Nothing else. His skin looked even more tanned in contrast to the white pants. He turned after hearing me stir.

“Morning, hon, did you sleep well?”

“Yeah,” I said, gazing at his muscular chest.

He came over and slipped down beside me. His fingers began tracing up my skin and I felt myself squirm beneath them. “You were amazing last night.”

“Back atcha,” I muttered.

“You want to go take a dip in the ocean?”

“But won’t it be freezing?”

“Ah, live a little.”

“I thought I was marrying you last night.”

He grinned and pulled me up. I was still naked. As I went to grab something to wear he pinched my naked butt. “Got to get me some more of that later.”

I smiled. It didn’t take me long to find my bra and panties. “I don’t have a swimsuit.”

“Third drawer down on the left.”

I frowned then went and checked. Sure enough there were several. I pulled them out and tried one on. It was a tan color, it fit… just. As we ventured out into the warmth of the morning he lifted me up off my feet and carried me down.

“You know I might get used to this and have you carry me everywhere.”

He chuckled. “Even when you are pregnant?”

“Especially when I am.”

We stood before a glistening turquoise ocean. Waves kissed the shore as he held my hand. “Okay, you ready?”

I nodded and we ran at the ocean. As soon as the water hit my legs I rushed back the other way while he dived in. When he came up, water dripping off his Spartan physique, he was laughing. “Come on now. Don’t make me throw you in.”

“Ethan, it’s freezing.”

“It’s not that bad.” He splashed water at me playfully. I moved slowly towards him. Within a split second he grabbed me. I shrieked as he swept me up and tossed me in. I came up gasping then doubling over with laughter.

“I will get you for that.”

“Oh I hope so.”

Eventually my body adjusted to the temperature and I lay back allowing myself to float on the top of the slow-moving waves. I looked around and Ethan was gone.

“Ethan?”

Shoot, were there sharks in here? I forgot to ask.

Then I felt his arms wrap around me. “Oh you devil,” I said.

There in the shallow part of the ocean we encircled each other. He held me and pressed his lips against me. I tasted the salt of the ocean and felt a surge of desire and love for this man. I could get used to this. Everything about it. I had never felt so stress-free, at least when I was with him. Was this what it would always be like with him? I imagined what we might be like years from now. Would we still feel the same? Had we rushed into this without really getting to know each other? People always said that life was short. You needed to grab the bull by the horns and embrace life fully and yet the same people spoke of being sensible and not rushing into things. Could you really be both or only one? I wanted to believe he could be everything I needed.

“You want to go back inside?” he asked

I could feel him getting hard beneath the surface of the water.

I nodded, feeling the passion between us intensify. He put his hand in mine, and our fingers entwined. Back in the warmth of the sun, white sand stuck to our feet as we raced back towards the cottage. Before we had got even within a few feet his hands were all over me. Feeling and stroking down my back, all of which sent a shiver up my spine.

“We need to wash off. We are both covered in sand.”

“I’ll run the shower.”

I heard the hiss of the water as I padded into the kitchen and downed a couple of glasses of water. When I joined him in the washroom the room was full of steam. The mirror was fogged up and he was standing there completely butt naked. I came up behind him and placed both hands on his cheeks. He chuckled, spun around, and nibbled my ear before dropping slowly and pulling my bikini off me. I snapped the bra open and tossed it to one side. We slipped into the shower literally as the floor was soaking wet. Nervous laughter pervaded everything we did.

There underneath the rush of warm water he ran his hands down the center of my back while he kissed and bit at the side of my neck. I leaned back against the wall as my nipples hardened at his touch. I groaned feeling his hand slip between my legs and over my warm mound. I gasped as he teased my breasts with his tongue then mouthed them. The shower itself was built from tiles and rock. It even had an area where a person could sit. Ethan dropped down until he was level with my belly. He reached around and groped my ass as he kissed and licked my belly, occasionally biting it which sent shock waves up and down my body.

“You are divine.”

I had never heard a guy say that about me. Okay, I wasn’t what some would consider ugly, but divine? I just hoped the bubble didn’t burst on his fantasy as it had for others I had dated.

He ran his hands over my hips, his fingers raking down and around my ass then up between my legs. He was teasing me with his tongue and fingers. My pulse was racing faster and faster as he slowly moved up between my legs going between my folds. He gazed up watching my reaction as I tilted my head back and gave in to the pleasure. His face buried into me and my eyes rolled back. I gasped and my body became tight with excitement as he pleasured me and brought me to an orgasm. Every touch, every stroke gave me shivers.

Seconds, minutes passed and then my body came, a sweet release followed by waves of pleasure. I gripped the sides of the walls as my body shuddered within his grasp.

He came up, kissed me, and hopped out of the shower for a second. I saw him through the fogged-up glass, then heard him open a condom packet. Seconds later he reappeared and his hands were all over me. I saw the desire, and hunger in his eyes. I turned around and bent slightly at the hips, spreading my legs so he could get between. Then I felt him push deep into me and his hands grip my waist. Moving back and forth I held him in tightly, placing my hands around me and pulling him in. Waves of pleasure coursed through me as he ground his hips into me. Rocking back and forth, we groaned and gasped in pleasure. He leaned forward, licking the back of my neck and reaching around to grope my breasts. The heat in the shower seemed to intensify as I felt his hot breath on my back and rocked back into him. Faster and faster, then I felt him shudder. He laid his head at the top of my back and held me tightly.

As we untangled I turned and squeezed tightly into his arms. He kissed my head and held me. We stood beneath the shower and let the water rinse away the sand, and ocean. My eyes filled with water, I ran a hand over my face. He lifted my chin and pressed his lips against me.