Boxed Set: The Billionaire’s Desire Complete Collection (Books 1-3 and Bonus Books 1 and 2) (Submitting to the Billionaire) (18 page)

            I gathered my thoughts for a minute before speaking.  "I just have a feeling that she did what she thought was best for him at the time.  I bet if they see each other things will pick up right where they left off."

            "I'm not so sure about that."

            I silently was a bit nervous for Jake now.  I hoped I'd given him the right advice.

            "We should get dressed and go back to our rooms.  Mother will be looking for us at breakfast time.  We should make sure we are presentable."

            We got dressed and I was a little sad that we were leaving.  I enjoyed feeling set apart from everyone else and spending time alone with Joshua.

            "Oh, I meant to ask you.  Why did we come to the guest house instead of going to one of our rooms?"

            "I had planned to have some alone time with you, and being with you here is more appropriate than being together under my mother's roof, given the nature of our relationship."

           
The nature of our relationship?  What did that mean?

            "You look offended.  Did I say something wrong?"  He seemed genuinely concerned.

            "No, no.  Well, um, what do you mean by the ‘nature of our relationship’?"

            "Oh, no.  It's not anything bad.  I just meant that if we were husband and wife we could have been together under mother’s roof.  But since we're not, I think it would be disrespectful to have relations in her house."

            I was relieved by the explanation and a little bit charmed.  It was an old-fashioned way of thinking and I thought it was sweet. 
This gorgeous billionaire continues to surprise me.

           
"Sarah?"

            "Yes?"

            He hesitated and I could see the angst in his eyes.

            "I've really enjoyed spending this time with you."  He wouldn't hold my gaze.

            My heart sank. 
Is this the end?  Is he getting ready to tell me our arrangement is over?

            "I've enjoyed this time with you as well."  I was afraid to see what his eyes would tell me as sadness enveloped me.

            "Can I...," he sounded extremely nervous, cleared his throat and then looked at me.

            "Would you allow me to take you out on a proper date when we get back to New York?"

            My eyes flew up to his, filled with tears of relief and joy.  I couldn't hold back the smile that spread across my face.  I gave him a big hug as I whispered my answer in his ear.

            "I would love nothing more."

           
CHAPTER 9

10 YEARS LATER

            If you would have asked me where I thought I would be in 10 years the day I started my internship at Hunter International, I would never have guessed here.  Let me back up a bit.

            After our trip to California, Joshua and I returned to New York and started dating exclusively.  We were extremely discreet at work and the only person who knew was Jake.

            I shadowed a very bright female partner at the company for six months.  There was no way Joshua would have allowed me to shadow a male partner!  I worked my butt off making connections and making myself available to partners who needed extra help with anything.  I worked late more nights than I could remember.  My reports never had errors and I never said no to anyone about work.  My hard work paid off because, in nine years instead of five, I became a partner at Hunter International.

            Joshua surprised me on our one year anniversary with a trip to Florence, Italy.  We spent a week there and I was able to see original works of art by all of my favorite Renaissance artists.  We went to the Uffizi Gallery and I was able to see works by Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Titian and Botticelli, among many others.  It was so surreal for me to actually be where I had only dreamed of going all my life.

            Joshua surprised me one night and rented a Vespa for us.  We rode all around Florence and were able to see so much more than if we just walked and took taxis.  One of the highlights of the trip was riding by the Pitti Palace at night.  It was so beautiful.  On the last night of our trip, we were standing on the Ponte Vecchio bridge looking out over the Arno River when I turned and saw that he was down on bended knee:

            "
Never in my wildest fantasies could I have imagined a woman so perfect for me in every way.  I love you with all that I am.  I promise to make you happy, be faithful to you, respect you, be a supportive partner, communicate openly, build a family with you and love you forever.  Sarah Catherine Vaughn, will you marry me?

            The ring was so beautiful and so perfect.

            Tears filled my eyes as I looked into the beautiful face of the man I loved.

            "Yes!  Of course I will marry you!"  I flung my arms around him and he couldn't stop kissing me.  We were snapped out of our bliss by the sound of people clapping.  I looked around and giggled as I hugged Joshua.  "We have an audience."  I smiled at him, my eyes filled with love.

            His eyes searched mine, as he gently wiped away the tears that were falling down my cheeks.  "I love you Sarah."

            I smiled as my tear-filled eyes searched his.  "I love you too Joshua."

***

            We've been married for eight years now and living in ultimate bliss.

            As we sat at the dance recital for our six-year-old twin girls, I looked over at Joshua and Bunny and reflected on how amazingly wonderful my life turned out to be.  I married my best friend, we have two beautiful daughters, I have an amazing career and a lovely mother-in-law.  I wouldn't change a thing.

***

To be continued…

Sarah thought she had the perfect life with her gorgeous billionaire Joshua Hunter.  She thought that nothing ever could, or would, come between them.  She thought they had a bond that was unbreakable, until the day she thought it had been broken.  Suddenly Sarah's seemingly perfect world is shaken and she doesn't know what to believe.  Is Joshua the faithful, trustworthy man she thought he was or has she been oblivious to what may have been right in front of her the whole time?

The Billionaire’s Desire

Bonus Book 4:  Part 1 of 2

Breakable Bonds

(Submitting to the Billionaire Series)

by

Ashley Blake

***

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Copyright, 2013 by Ashley Blake.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

            There were some days where I still literally pinched myself to make sure that my life was real.  Joshua, me and our girls had recently moved into what I can only classify as my “beyond my dreams” home.  It was a four-story building that had been renovated into a single-family home with five bedrooms, a gym, a private garage, an elevator and too many other great things to mention, located right in Tribeca.  Never in a million years did I think I would have a gorgeous home like this right in the city of Manhattan. 

            After the girls’ dance recital on that beautiful Sunday afternoon, Bunny came over for lunch.  Bunny had moved to New York right after our girls were born so that she could spend more time with us and be with her grandchildren on a regular basis.  She still had her house in California and she had also purchased a townhome that had an elevator on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  We got together with her at least once a week and the girls loved spending time with her.

            Jake and Lauren weren't able to come to the girls’ recital because Lauren was due to give birth any day now.  Jake and Lauren got married shortly after we all figured out that Vivienne had been lying about being pregnant with Jake’s baby.  They had been trying to get pregnant for nearly 6 years.  Lauren had suffered three miscarriages and she and Jake were both ecstatic that she was finally able to carry the baby to term.  It killed Joshua and I to see Lauren and Jake go through so much heartache.   I loved Lauren like a sister and I was so happy for them that they were finally going to have a baby.  I remember the day she told me she was pregnant again.  She told me that this one felt different to her.  She couldn’t explain it but she just knew that this baby was going to be okay.  I guess it was mother’s intuition because she had a fairly easy pregnancy and all of her tests showed that the baby was developing normally.  She and Jake were really excited to be parents and Bunny was over the moon happy and couldn’t wait to meet her new grandchild. 

            We had all just finished lunch and Bunny went upstairs to put the girls down for a nap.  Joshua grabbed my hand, entwining his fingers in mine, and led me to the study.  He closed the door and made drinks for us and then joined me on the couch.  He put his arm around me and I laid my head on his shoulder, taking in a few moments of peace and quiet. 

            “Abby and Claire did so well for their first recital, didn’t they?”  I was beaming with pride as I thought about our girls.

            “They were perfect and they looked so beautiful, just as beautiful as their mom.”

            I looked up at him and gave him a quick wink.  I noticed that he looked melancholy so I knew something was wrong.  “What is it Joshua?  I can tell that something is bothering you.  What’s wrong?”

            “I have something to tell you and you’re not going to like it.” 

            I sat up, feeling very concerned, and looked him squarely in the eye as I held his hand.

            “What is it honey?”

            “I have to go on another long business trip, this time to Paris.”

            “No!  Joshua, do you have to go?  You just returned from Japan two months ago!”

            “I know sweetie, but you know we’re trying to buy Lemlin Corporation and we have a huge presentation scheduled in Paris.”

            “When do you have to leave and how long will you be gone?”

            “Well, that’s another part that you won’t like.  I leave next week and I will be gone for three weeks.”  He playfully ducked when he said that last part, knowing that I would be even more upset.

It took everything in me not to whine like a little girl, but I couldn’t fight back the sadness that overwhelmed me as I looked at the floor and my voice became very small.  “I hate this, I hate when you leave.”

            Joshua put his arm around me and gently lifted my chin with his finger, my eyes meeting his.

            “I’m sorry, Sarah.  You know I wouldn’t go if I didn’t have to.”

            He was right.  There were several business trips that he had cancelled for me and for the girls.  I would just have to suck it up and be understanding.  I didn’t want to put any undue stress on him because I knew he had been fretting over acquiring this new company.

            “I know you wouldn’t.  Okay, well the girls and I will just have to stay busy until you come home.  Lauren will probably have her baby by then so I'm sure we'll be over at their place a lot."

            Joshua and I had made an agreement after the girls were born that I would stay home with the girls instead of travel on long business trips.  We decided that it was best if Joshua went on the trips and I stayed home with the girls so that at least one of us was here with them at all times.

            "Paolo Santorini, from our Milan office, will be coming to work with Brad and Michael on developing strategies to increase our revenue in Italy.  He'll be here for three weeks so if you could show him around and make sure that he has everything he needs that would be great.  Also, can you make sure that the company takes him out to dinner at least twice a week while he's here?”

            "By the company I assume you mean me, Jake, Mike, Brad and a couple of others?"  Mike and Brad were senior partners next in line beneath Jake.  I gave him a tiny smirk knowing that this meant I was going to have long work days while Mr. Santorini was here.  Thank goodness for our live-in nanny, Mara.

            "Well at least you, Jake, Mike and Brad.  Make sure that someone is always with you when you are with Mr. Santorini because it will not look good if you are dining alone with a male colleague.  The gossip columns will have a field day.  The only person it is acceptable for you to dine alone with, aside from me, is Jake.  I want Mr. Santorini to feel welcome while he's here, so it's important that we show him impeccable hospitality.  It's also very important that he interacts with partners socially so that he will feel very comfortable with decisions that might be made.  He is an extremely important asset to the company and we should make sure that he knows that we feel that way, but I want a clear line drawn that you are not to dine alone with him.  You belong only to me.  Understood?"  The familiar fire flashed across Joshua’s eyes and it was as intense as the first time I saw it all those years ago.

            "Yes, understood.  When will he be here?"

            "He will be arriving the day that I leave in one week."

            "Okay, I will let Mara know that I will be home late a couple of nights a week for about a month.  I'm sure Bunny will love to have the extra time with the girls."

            Just then there was a light tapping on the door to the study.

            "You can come in mother."

            Bunny walked in looking worried that she may have interrupted an important conversation that we were having.

            "Mother, I have told you a million times that you do not have to knock when we are in the study.  Usually all we are doing is relaxing and enjoying a few moments of peace and quiet."

            "Exactly.  I didn't want to interrupt anything, especially if you are trying to have a few moments of peace."

            "You're not interrupting anything mother, what did you need?"

            "I just wanted to let you know that I was going to go home.  My book club is meeting at my house this evening so I wanted to take a quick nap before everyone arrived."

            Bunny walked over and gave both of us a kiss goodbye and we told her that we would see her soon.  I gathered our glasses to take them to the kitchen and Joshua settled in at the desk, shuffling folders.

            “Well, I have some paperwork to catch up on so I am going to be in here if you need me.  Close the door behind you, will you?”

            “Okay sweetie.”  I closed the door and went to the kitchen to put our glasses in the dishwasher.  I was standing in the kitchen munching on a cookie when the phone rang.

            “Hello?”

            “Sarah!”  I recognized Jake’s frantic, hurried voice and I knew it was time.

            “Oh my gosh!  Jake we will meet you guys at the hospital!”

            I ran upstairs to tell Mara that we were going to the hospital and to call us if she or the girls needed anything.  I then ran back downstairs to the study, and flung open the doors, startling Joshua.  "Honey!  Lauren’s having the baby, we have to go!  I'm going to call Bunny to let her know that our car will swing by and pick her up!"

            Joshua dropped everything, grabbed his jacket and wallet and we were out the door in less than five minutes.  When we got to the hospital we didn't even have time to see Lauren and Jake because she was ready to have the baby minutes after they had arrived at the hospital.  We were all a nervous wreck, but Bunny was the most nervous.  She was pacing back and forth, unable to sit for more than a few seconds, silently praying that everything would be okay.  I walked over to her and put my arm around her and reassured her that Lauren and the baby would be fine.

            "Everything will be okay Bunny, I just know it will be.  That baby is so excited to meet us that it didn't want to wait inside Lauren any longer, it was ready to come out!”

            Joshua walked over to us and also put his arm around his mother.  "Another grandchild mother, can you believe it?  The girls are finally going to have a cousin to play with!"

            We were all standing there with our arms around each other when Jake finally came out to see us.  "It's a healthy little girl!"

            “Oh Jake!”  Bunny threw her arms around her youngest son and started balling like a baby.  It was so nice to see her showing so much love.  Bunny composed herself while Joshua and I also hugged and congratulated Jake.

            “How is Lauren doing?”  Bunny looked very concerned.

            “She is exhausted but she is okay, she’s dying to see all of you and I’m sure Emily wants to meet you too.”

            Bunny and I turned huge grins toward Jake and we spoke in unison.  “Emily?”

            “Yes, Emily Rose Hunter.”

            “That is a beautiful name Jake.”  I linked my arm through his as we walked to Lauren’s room.

            We gently opened the door and poor Lauren looked spent as the nurse was washing the baby on the other side of the room.  “Hi Mommy, how are you feeling?”  I reached down and gave her a big hug. 

            She turned her weary eyes to me and smiled.  “I’m feeling okay, just a bit sore and exhausted.”

            Bunny followed me and held Lauren’s face in her hands.  “You did it!  I am so happy for you both, well, all three of you!”  She kissed her on the cheek as the tears rolled down Lauren’s face.

            “Thank you Bunny, it means so much to me that you are here.”

            “I wouldn’t miss this for the world dear.  Now, when is your family coming?”

            “Their flight lands this evening so they should be here shortly after that.”