Yours Completely: A Cinderella Love Story (Billionaires and Brides #1) (37 page)

Charlotte bit her lip. “You're really sure?”

“Yes.” I grinned at her. “Drink too much and kiss that man. Please.”

Charlotte giggled, lightening my heart a little.

“How much do I owe you for dinner, Charlotte?” I asked, reaching for my purse. She stopped me halfway through the motion.

“Nothing. My treat.”

I hugged her. I had known her for three days and I loved her to pieces already. I hoped she had the time of her life with Leo and finally got to make something of her crush. I couldn't wait to hear all about it in the morning.

I turned to look for Elijah, and saw him standing further down the porch talking to another man. If two men could look anything more like hunting lions, I would have eaten my shoe. I was very glad that at least one of them was on my side as Elijah strode back over.

“I'll take you home, Ava,” Elijah said. “Murdoch will watch Charlotte until I get back.”

I looked over at the other big man. He had to be Leo's bodyguard. The man looked just as competent as Elijah and possibly more deadly. Bastian wouldn't be able to complain about that.

“Okay, let's get going,” I replied. I gave Charlotte another hug. “Thank you again. I'm so sorry to ruin girl's night.”

“Not your fault,” she replied, hugging me back. “It just means we'll have to do it again. Give your dad a hug from me and keep me updated.” She held up her phone. “I'll be there in two seconds if you need me. Okay?”

“Thank you,” I said, meaning it from the very tips of my toes.

Elijah put his hand on my shoulder and guided me to the waiting Lamborghini. Charlotte waited to go back inside until the car rolled out of the lot. I sincerely hoped that she had the time of her life with Leo. It would make such a wonderful story for something like love to come out of my leaving early. I was still incredibly touched that she was willing to leave with me, though. She was a real friend.

Elijah handled the car with ease and even sped just a little. Not enough to get in trouble or pulled over, but just enough that it made the ride home that much faster. Even with that, I was still a nervous mess when he pulled up to the front of the house to drop me off.

“Take care, Ava,” he said, waiting for me to exit the car so he could go back to Charlotte.

“Thanks, Elijah,” I replied and then quickly turned and ran into the house to find my dad.

L
ight fluttered on my face and woke me from an unpleasant dream. In my dream, Dad and Bastian were sitting on the beach, but Chad kept chasing me away from them. No matter how much I ran, he never let me get to them. Then the flying pineapples came, and I was just glad I had woken up.

I stretched my arms up over my head, but they caught on the arm rest of the couch. I sat up slowly, my back groaning and complaining as I shifted my weight and figured out where I was.

I was on the couch in the room with the Morisot painting. I didn't remember falling asleep, but my computer was tucked up neatly on a coffee table with the rest of my gadgets and supplies and there was a light blue blanket draped over me.

I scrubbed my face with my hands, feeling dirty and exhausted. I still had on the same clothes from the bar the night before. The last thing I remembered was sitting down on the couch to try and get some work done while Dad rested. I had thought I was too ramped up on worry to sleep, but apparently I had been wrong.

I looked down at the blanket and knew I hadn't brought it to the room. Someone else must have come by and seen me passed out on the couch and covered me up. I smiled. It was probably Charlotte. She'd be that sweet.

I stretched again, feeling the bones in my spine attempting to realign themselves. For being such an expensive couch, it wasn't that comfortable and I had slept poorly. I stood up and shook my legs out before hurrying down the hallway to my father's room.

I slowly opened the door and peeked inside. My dad was asleep in the giant bed, still attached to the monitors while Dr. Verner snored gently in a big reclining chair beside him. The monitor beeped softly and steadily. No charges had been given.

I closed the door and sagged against it. Last night, Dr. Verner had said my father needed to go to the mainland hospital today. Bastian had already granted Dr. Verner access to his private jet to do so. I wished I was going with them, but dad had insisted I stay. I had to finish the job. He promised he'd be fine and Dr. Verner promised hourly updates. I was hesitant on both their promises, but I said I would stay.

If I didn't finish the job, Fairchild Auctions and Appraisals would be finished, and that really would kill my dad. I didn't really have much of a choice.

The front door rattled and I heard a curse before the door slammed. I walked quickly down the hall to see who was making such a ruckus. Charlotte stumbled in, looking hungover and absolutely miserable.

It took me a moment to hurry down the staircase to where Charlotte sagged in the main entrance. Her dress was lopsided and her long brown hair was pulled back, but terribly messy.

“How'd it go?” I asked cautiously, moving slow so I didn't startle her.

“It didn't,” she mumbled. She closed her eyes and sighed.

“What happened?” I took her hand and started leading her toward the kitchen. She looked like she needed a cup of coffee and a hot bath.

“After you left, I was so nervous, I chugged my drink,” she explained. Her voice caught. “I puked all over him about thirty minutes later.”

“Oh no!” I exclaimed, feeling absolutely awful for her. That was not at all what I had hoped would happen.

She looked up at me, the morning light glinting off her pallid skin. “How is it that I can handle Bastian's incredibly complex scheduling needs and telling investors to go suck it, but the minute I see Leo, I turn into a mush-brain?” She paused and then sobbed. “And now I'm hung over, too.”

“Let's get you some coffee,” I coaxed, pulling her toward the kitchen. She collapsed at the wooden table and cradled her head in her hands as I looked around the kitchen for coffee.

It only took me a moment to find it, as everything was neatly organized. I could see Bastian's hand in the kitchen. It made sense to me now that the kitchen felt homey while the rest of the house didn't. This was where Bastian spent his time, and thus he had redecorated it to suit his tastes. I certainly liked his tastes better than the stuffy, overdone opulence of the rest of the house. There was such a thing as too much luxury.

I opened up the fridge and pantry, finding eggs and a coconut while the coffee brewed. I was going to make poor Charlotte something that would make her feel better.

“Thank you for the blanket last night,” I told her as I started the stove. “I can't believe I fell asleep on the couch.”

“What are you talking about?” Charlotte half raised her head from her beneath her arms to look at me, but her gaze was unfocused. “Leo brought me home and I passed out in the guest house. I'm surprised I'm even moving right now.”

“Leo brought you home?” Bastian repeated, striding into the kitchen. He was wearing a full suit again, this time in a beautiful gray charcoal that made the blue in his eyes pop. His hair was still wet from his morning swim and it made butterflies fill my stomach. “That explains why you didn't answer your phone this morning and why Elijah was such a grouch this morning.”

“Hangry,” I supplied, and Bastian nodded. Considering the way Elijah had wolfed down his sandwich the other morning, I could only imagine how grumpy the bodyguard would be without one. Especially after being out all night.

“Yeah, Leo brought me home, but only after I puked on him,” Charlotte groaned, putting her head back down. He sat down at the table next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. His face was creased with concern and brotherly love. It completely melted my heart and made me like him that much more because he so obviously cared for his little sister. Despite the initially cold exterior, he had a warm and caring heart.

I realized that he must have been the one to put the blanket over me last night, and I nearly turned into a puddle on the floor. Dad and Dr. Verner hadn't left the room all night, and Charlotte had been out puking on Leo. He was the only one who had been home.

To distract myself from turning into complete mush, I turned to start cooking up the eggs. I remembered that Bastian liked his scrambled and I stirred the yolks before I could stop myself. I hoped he was hungry, because scrambled eggs were one of the few things I actually knew how to cook well.

“Would you like some eggs, Bastian?” I asked, thrilling at his name. It was silly and I knew it. I was crushing hard, but I couldn't help it. At least I hadn't made out with my pillow, imagining it was him.
Yet.

He held up two fingers. “Two please. I didn't get my sandwich this morning, either.” I added a couple more eggs into the pan, letting them melt into the butter while I added my seasonings. Then, it was just to keep stirring them until they were done.

I picked up the unopened coconut. “Do either of you know where a nail is?” I asked after a moment of searching. “The milk will make you feel better, Charlotte. It's one of the best re-hydrating liquids around.”

Charlotte groaned, burying her head further into her arms. Bastian gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze before he stood up. “Here, I'll do it.”

He came around the center island, holding out his hand for the coconut. My own hand shook a little as I gave it to him, and I froze as he reached behind me, his hand going just past me, close enough to touch my hip but not quite. I could smell his shampoo, fresh and clean and I could barely stand it.

He pulled back, a wine corkscrew in his hand. I wondered if he knew just what his presence was doing to me, and he grinned. He knew. Those eyes seemed to always know. With practiced ease, he “uncorked” the coconut and poured the milk into a glass, setting the rest of the coconut on the counter for later.

Bastian set the glass of coconut milk in front of Charlotte. She raised her head just enough to look at it sideways, turning a little bit green in the process.

“Drink up,” Bastian said cheerfully. “You have work to do today.”

Charlotte pouted, but dutifully took a sip before putting her head back into her arms. Bastian winked at me, and I giggled as I finished cooking the eggs. He wasn't going to actually make her work, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

The silence as we waited for the eggs was comfortable, as if mornings like this were how things were supposed to be. I let out a happy sigh and just let myself enjoy it for a moment. If I closed my eyes, I wasn't working, or worrying about Dad, or rushing to meet a deadline. I was just making breakfast for people I cared about. I was where I was supposed to be.

The eggs finished and I scooped them onto the plates, leaving some in the pan. I had made far too many, but I figured I would just bring some up to Dad or eat them myself later. Bastian was sitting next to Charlotte, so I put my plate across from her and sat down to eat.

Charlotte peeked one eye up over her forearm and glared at the plate. “I hate food.”

“Eat it,” Bastian coaxed. “It will make you feel better.”

With a pained expression, she took a tiny bite of egg and then put her head back on the table. Bastian and I made eye contact and I couldn't help but giggle. Poor Charlotte. She was absolutely miserable.

“Smells good down here,” Dr. Verner announced, entering the kitchen. His dress shirt, this time a light green, was wrinkled, but he looked remarkably awake for having slept in a chair all night. His short brown hair stuck up at odd angles, but had damp spots from where he had obviously tried to smooth it down.

Just seeing him made me think of my father. Worry hit me like a physical punch in the stomach. “How is he?”

“Still sleeping,” Dr. Verner answered, going to the coffee pot and getting himself a cup. “Our flight is scheduled for noon and I'd like him to rest as much as possible until then. We have a busy day once we get to the hospital.”

I swallowed hard against the growing tightness in my chest. I felt like a terrible daughter for not going with them. Seeing my face, Bastian reached across the table and squeezed my hand. The butterflies that lived in my stomach didn't know whether to continue being worried about Dad, or if they should jump and dance because Bastian touched me.

“Thank you, Dr. Verner. I appreciate you taking care of him,” I whispered. I looked up and into Bastian's gray eyes. “And Bastian, I don't know how we'll ever repay you.”

“No need,” he assured me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

“What about me?” Charlotte asked, her words muffled as her head was still wrapped in her arms.

“Thank you for being such a good friend, Charlotte,” I told her, patting her elbow. She made a noise that sounded happy. It made me smile and shake my head.

“Would you like some eggs, Dr. Verner?” I asked, looking at Charlotte's rapidly cooling plate. “I made too many and it doesn't look like Charlotte's going to eat hers.”

“I'd love some. And she should eat them.” Dr. Verner sat down in the empty chair beside me. “The cysteine in the eggs breaks down acetaldehyde, the yucky headache-causing chemical that’s left over when the liver breaks down whatever you had last night.”

Charlotte looked up. “Give me the eggs, Ava. Give me all the eggs.”

I laughed and pushed her plate toward her before getting up to put the extra eggs on a plate for Dr. Verner. He attacked them like a starving man, leaving Charlotte holding her fork above her own plate and staring at it like she was preparing for battle.

“These are wonderful,” Dr. Verner congratulated me, snarfing down the eggs.

“Agreed,” Bastian added. I was glad to see his plate was empty. “Best eggs I've had in a long time.”

I blushed slightly at the compliment. I took a bite myself and decided that they were pretty good. Maybe not my best batch ever, but pretty close. Charlotte's phone started to ring, vibrating and skittering along the wooden table. She grabbed it and just slid it over to Bastian stuffing a bite of eggs into her mouth before she could think about it.