The Unforgettable Ex (Captured by Love Book 5) (Volume 5) (23 page)

“We all have to go there to hear the news,” Lexie said, gesturing for everyone to go to the poolside. “But no one bring any prawns over there, please. Don’t ask, just leave your plates if you have prawns on them. And honey,” she said to Rick, “you stay here for the meantime.”

“Why?”

“Please?” Lexie said, tiptoeing to kiss her husband. “You’ll know soon enough.”

“Okay,” Rick said, pouting a bit.

Natasha chuckled, feeling sorry for Rick and grateful for Lexie.

“So what’s up?” Marilyn asked.

Natasha turned to Cassie. “How are we gonna do this?”

“Say it at the same time?” Cassie asked.

“Okay,” she said. “What do we say?”

“We’re pregnant,” Gavin and Carter said at the same time.

Shocked gasps came from their friends. Soon, they were surrounding them, giving their congratulations.

“This is so exciting,” Jade said.

“I know,” Erin said. “Ari’s team is gonna have a challenging time making my bridesmaid dresses with you girls being in different stages of your pregnancy.”

“It’ll be only you and me at your bridal party with flat tummies, Erin,” Marilyn said. “Unless you plan on getting knocked up too before the day.”

“No,” Erin said with a laugh. “I’m happy to wait until after the wedding to try for a baby.”

“I’m glad we’re all here today,” Marilyn said. “I can make an announcement of my own.”

Everyone stopped talking as they all stared at Marilyn.

“I just want to say that... Gavin is the new winner of our Captured by Love game!”

Everybody cheered, clapping their hands.

Natasha smiled, blushing a tad. She didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that the bachelor had to have proposed first to win. Marilyn could change the rules as she saw fit, anyway.

*****

“
Who are you betting on for the next round, Marilyn?” Natasha asked as she reclined on a deck chair.

“I don’t know,” Marilyn said with a sigh. “We only have Tristan, Simon and Derek left, and I don’t really like the odds of any of those guys getting into any relationship in the foreseeable future.”

“What about Jarryd?” she said, watching her friend’s reaction closely. “He’s definitely single.”

Marilyn shrugged, shooting Jarryd an unfriendly—or hurt—gaze.

“Care to tell me what happened?” she asked softly.

Marilyn sighed. “I don’t really know. Four months ago he was so keen to go out with me. After I learned that you weren’t interested in him—which was the only reason why I was trying to avoid him—we went out for about three weeks.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.”

“You know how it is. We wanted some privacy in the beginning.”

She nodded.

“I thought things were going well. We were getting along fine, having great sex, then when I started opening up more about my life, he just decided it wasn’t working.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she murmured, frowning in Jarryd’s direction.

“I do have an idea why he started to avoid me, but maybe I’m just thinking it so I’ll feel better about the whole thing.”

“What’s your guess?”

“Well, everything was great between us until I started telling him about my family. He seemed very interested at first. But when I confirmed to him that my parents are the Grants who own the company Grant Ace Holdings, that was when he said it wouldn’t work.”

“Did you ask him why?”

“Yes. He just fobbed me off, saying he didn’t think there was a spark between us. I don’t believe that. Sparks were flying left, right and centre when we got together—at least from my perspective. What I think is that he’s intimidated by the fact that I come from a very wealthy family. But you know me, Tash. I don’t give a toss about a guy’s net worth as long as he’s a decent person. And I’ve never given him reason to think I was looking for more from him when he only took me to movies and we didn’t go Gold Class, or when we ate at restaurants that were on the cheap side. I don’t care that he doesn’t own a Porsche or a Ferrari or any other luxury car. And so what if the apartment he owns is small? I didn’t mind any of those things. In fact, I had the best time with him because he wasn’t trying to impress me with money.”

“Maybe you should keep getting him to talk to you about it?”

“It’s been two months and he acts as if whatever attraction he used to feel for me is completely gone. And maybe that’s the truth, and I’m just fooling myself so I won’t get too hurt by his rejection.”

She reached out for Marilyn’s hand and pressed it. “Then he’s obviously not the one. If he were, he wouldn’t have let you go.”

Marilyn smiled sadly and lapsed into silence.

She felt for her friend. Marilyn was a great person who deserved to find happiness. But even with her beauty, generosity and wealth, lasting love eluded her. Natasha could only hope things turned around for Marilyn soon in the love department.

Her attention was caught by Gavin walking towards her. “Is everything okay?” she asked, searching his face.

He grinned. “Yes.”

She smiled back, letting go of her worry. Gavin had been inside the house, talking to one of his detectives on the phone for a good half an hour.

He held his hand out for her. “Come.”

“Where?”

“Just over there.” He indicated a lovely area near a flowering frangipani tree.

She frowned but went with him. When they reached the spot, she heard a whistle. It was Carter, motioning for everyone to be quiet—and pointed towards them.

Then Gavin went down on one knee.

Tears immediately sprung to her eyes.

“My beautiful Tash, there was a period of time when I thought I was doomed to be lonely for the rest of my life, because if I couldn’t have you, then I’d rather not have anyone. But here we are—together, and about to have a baby. Nothing in the world could make me happier, except for you to be my wife and grow old with me. I love you so much, sweetheart. Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she said with a sniff, beaming at him, as their friends applauded and cheered.

Gavin kissed her hand before he dipped into his pocket and produced the most beautiful ring.

Her eyes widened. “Where did you get that from?”

“I bought it, baby,” he said with a laugh as he slipped it on her finger.

“When?”

He grinned as he stood up and kissed her lips. “I ordered it three weeks ago and got it last week.”

“Oh,” she said with a happy smile. So he’d planned to propose before they’d found out she was pregnant!

“I wasn’t really inside the house talking on the phone,” Gavin said. “I went home to pick this up. After your news today, I thought it was a great time to do it. Plus, we get to celebrate with everyone.”

Their buddies took that as their cue to rush towards them and give them hugs and kisses.

“Woohoo!” Marilyn said after the congratulations had died down. “Gavin really is the winner of this round’s Captured by Love game.”

Gavin bowed to everyone’s applause.

“The next round is open, people,” Marilyn said. “And we have Tristan, Simon and Derek in the running. I’m so excited to see who among these guys will be tripped by love.”

“Hey, Jarryd has to be a contestant too,” Lucas called out.

“Me? I don’t even know what this is about,” Jarryd said.

Lucas clasped Jarryd’s shoulder. “I’ll explain it to you, dude, But you have to join since you’re now part of the gang.”

“Okay, fine,” Marilyn said, her voice losing some of its enthusiasm. “Don’t forget to give me your bets before you go home.”

Natasha wrapped her arms around Gavin’s waist. “I’m going to vote for Jarryd,” she said in a voice only he could hear.

“Any particular reason?” Gavin asked.

“Because I want him and Marilyn to get together. Don’t tell anyone, but Marilyn really likes him. Unfortunately, Jarryd’s intimidated by her family’s wealth. Funny how that’s an issue for some guys.”

“Who told you Jarryd’s intimidated by the Grants’ wealth?”

She told Gavin what Marilyn had said.

Gavin brows furrowed. “Okay, don’t tell anyone this, especially Jarryd. But I did a background check on him after he asked you out to the Esda party. That was around the time when I got that new threat that Amber wrote and I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t someone I should worry about when it came to your safety. From what I’ve gathered, he’s well-off. And I mean, filthy rich. So I don’t think it’s a case of him being intimidated by anyone’s money.”

“Really? I never would have guessed he’s rich. He certainly doesn’t present himself that way.”

“Yeah. I wondered about that and came to the conclusion that he just doesn’t want people to know how much he’s really worth.”

“I wonder what his reason is for dumping Marilyn, then?”

“Maybe he’s just not into her.”

She pursed her lips. Somehow, she doubted it.

“I’m glad you’re into me,” Gavin murmured against her hair.

She grinned. “I’m more than into you. I love you.”

Gavin cupped her face and kissed her. “And I love you. So very much.”

###

T
hank you so much for reading!

The Unknown Billionaire (Captured by Love Book 6)
is the next book in this series, and it’s about Marilyn and Jarryd!
Click here to find out more about
The Unknown Billionaire
.

*

I
f you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on the site from which you got your copy. Reviews help get books discovered by new readers. Thank you!

*

T
he
Captured by Love
series started with Lucas and Jade’s love story. To get your copy of
The Unwilling Executive (Captured by Love Book 1)
, please click
here
.

*

I
f you’re up-to-date with the
Captured by Love
series, you might want to check out the
Secret Dreams
series, which includes the love story of Dylan Summers and Ari Mitchell, the
Captured by Love
women’s wedding dress designer.

To enjoy the first chapter of Ari and Dylan’s story in
Secret Designs
, please turn the page.

Ari Mitchell and Dylan Summers

CHAPTER ONE

A
rielle Mitchell shook her head, unable to believe the passionate woman who had been unleashed last night. Was that really her? She'd never been that responsive, energetic, or—okay—damned horny with anyone else before. If she hadn't known Dylan Summers beforehand, she might even suspect he had put an aphrodisiac in her drink or something.

Well, come to think of it, she really didn't
know
Dylan. She'd only met him once before, when her friend Jasmine Allen had pleaded with her to accompany her to his birthday party six weeks ago. They'd only stayed for fifteen minutes, so she hadn't even talked to him that much.

Yes, Dylan could very well be someone who would put an aphrodisiac in a woman's drink. What else could have made her so lustful last night?

She snorted at her ridiculous thoughts.
Don't blame someone else for your wild and wanton ways, Ari!

Okay, then. The truth was Dylan turned her on—
really
turned her on; turned her on enough that she found herself doing things she'd never done before.

"Hi, Ari!"

Ari jumped at the sound of Jasmine's voice on the other end of the line.

Oh, right. She'd almost forgotten the phone against her ear—almost forgotten that she'd called Jasmine. To confess.
Geez.

"Hi, Jaz," she responded. "Am I calling too early? Am I disturbing you guys?" She grimaced at the thought that Jasmine's boyfriend Kane might be listening in on their conversation.

"No, it's fine," Jasmine answered. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's okay," she replied, trying to sound casual. "I just want to tell you something before you hear it from someone else."

"Okay."

Ari inhaled deeply, then spilled it out. "Last night when I went out with my workmates for Friday night drinks, I bumped into Dylan, Kane's brother. And, uh... well... I slept with him."

"What?" Jasmine asked in surprise.

"It was just a one-night stand," she explained hastily. "We're both very clear on that and we're both okay with it. I wanted to tell you because I'm not very good at keeping these things to myself. And it was already starting to bother me that you might hear it first from Dylan or one of his friends instead of me."

"Okay," Jasmine responded, still shocked from the news.

"You're fine with it, right, Jaz? And Kane would be okay with it, too?" she asked worriedly.

"Of course. As long as you and Dylan are okay with it."

"Yes, definitely. Like I said, we're both very clear it was just a one-night stand and we're both totally fine with that," she replied, feeling the need to repeat herself.

"Then there's no problem," Jasmine stated.

"Good. Well, I'll let you go. Please let Kane know what I just told you. I'll see you in a few days."

"Okay. Bye."

Ari placed the phone down on her coffee table with a relieved sigh, glad that was out of the way. She stood up from the sofa and stretched. As she walked to the kitchen, the stiffness of her muscles and the delicious soreness between her legs made her blush. Unbidden, her recent physical exertions played back again in her head. Where the hell was the stop button for her memory banks?

Enough already
, she berated herself as desire continued to unfurl within her.

"It was just a one-night stand, Ari," she said out loud as she poured granola, then milk, in a bowl. "Forget about him. It won't happen again. It
can't
happen again."

She plonked in a chair with a heavy exhale and knew it wouldn't be easy to push away the last ten hours from her memory. The image of a gorgeous, dark-haired, blue-eyed guy with a seriously hot, muscular body loomed large in her thoughts. Dylan Summers was way too hot to be forgotten quickly—especially when he'd just given her the best night of sex in her life.