He shrugged. “The start-up money is no problem, you know that. The rest can be made up from donations. It could be a non-profit charity. And I have no doubt in my mind that you could run it. You can do anything you put your mind to. The rest is easy; hire the best people to take of the fundamentals. It’s working for me. Look at Sigrid, she rules my company with an iron fist now.”
My head bobbed in agreement. He had a point there, it wouldn’t be like I would be responsible for everything, I would have help… and in turn we could help hundreds, if not thousands, of women and their babies who severely needed support.
My hair tumbled forward as I kissed Drake again, this time I let my lips linger a little longer. “You have really good ideas,” I whispered.
“I’m having another one right now,” he said with a dirty look in his eye, “and it involves you on all fours.”
I blushed remembering that night and what we’d done, then I blushed even more as I lifted my head to look out at the crowd again. I hoped that no one could read minds or they just got a headful!
The mike positioned on the little podium’s desk gave out a tiny electronic squeal as I cleared my throat and moved closer.
“I want to thank you all for being here tonight. As you know we’ve been planning this for a quite a while now; it’s taken a lot of hard work to get here, and I’ll get to my thanks a bit later on. But first things first, I’m delighted that I can finally and formally announce the creation of our new foundation: CHERISH!”
Everyone in the room started to clap.
“As most of you know the non-profit foundation, CHERISH, has been created to support mothers throughout every stage of their pregnancy, and while it’s not all that we do, we will be specialising in one area that is severely underfunded and where many women are lost through the cracks…”
Once I got talking, I started to relax. It helped that Drake was there, of course. Sigrid was, too, as well as Christine. Each of them gave me the support and confidence I needed. And funnily enough the three of us, Sigrid, Christine, and I, had by some miracle become close. Christine had even offered to speak on behalf of the foundation when the occasion called for it since she travelled around so much. She wanted to do everything she could so that women like me and her sister got help as soon as we needed it.
We’d also extended an invitation to Dr. Moreau who’d assisted heavily over the last few months, guiding the foundation and steering it back onto the right tracks when our inexperience led us astray. She sat on the same table as Drake and I gave her a little nod of thanks.
I flipped to the last of my talking cards in the stack and ran through everyone that needed to be thanked. It was a long list, and I could see the attendees were a getting a little restless.
“But now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for—the fun bit—we can get the evening started properly. Please enjoy yourselves, there will be silent auctions running through the entire evening and…”
Suddenly Drake was by my side on the platform. His hand grazed my lower back as he leaned in to monopolise the microphone. “Hi everyone, sorry to interrupt. I won’t be too long and it’ll be worth the wait, I promise. First, I want to make sure credit is given where it’s due.”
Drake took my hand and elevated it up. “Please all raise your glasses for my darling wife. It has been through Viola’s hard work that we’re all here tonight. As well as her courage.”
“Drake, stop,” I whispered in embarrassment.
“Never,” he whispered back.
Every single person in the room took a glass and raised it up in a toast. I felt like my heart was going to burst with joy.
“Thank you,” I said to them all, “Truly, thank you. But I couldn’t have done it without this idiot, right here. My one and only.”
Drake grinned and wrapped his arm around my waist. He will definitely be rewarded again tonight, I thought.
“Now I told you my little interruption was going to be worth it, and I live up to my promises—”
“Drake, what are you doing?” I hissed.
He winked at me but didn’t respond. He kept speaking into the mike.
“I have a very special impromptu auction that I would like to announce, to get the ball rolling. Remember this is for a very good cause, so get your chequebooks ready!
“I have a piece of paper in an envelope in my jacket pocket here,” he said tapping the upper part of his tuxedo jacket. “In it there is a number. It’s a reasonable number, and if we meet that number tonight, then I will ride naked for you all, in the name of a good cause, on the London Eye!”
Mouths dropped… mine probably most of all. “Are you insane?” I said and batted his arm lightly.
People started to laugh and I began to hope that he wasn’t serious. But I knew my husband far too well. He would do it.
“And if you’re thinking I’m joking; I’m not. Start your bidding please!” His arms went wide and he grinned at the crowd. Rich women with money to spare who were sat at the tables glanced at each other and I could see they were game.
Drake looked at me and smirked that devilish way he does and said, “Oh, but could someone maybe make sure my wife loses her chequebook… I think it would give her an unfair advantage.”
Everyone laughed, but then in the commotion one brave lady from the back yelled out a number and the laughter stopped. Everyone gasped instead. Drake beamed, pleased as punch.
He leaned over to me and put his hand over the mike, muffling it so no one else could hear. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you see me naked for free… anytime you want.”
“Anytime?”
He nodded.
“You better get ready to get your kit off in five minutes then.”
“Just say where and I’ll be there.”
I shook my head in disbelief, he was incorrigible, but I loved him nonetheless and I always would.
Our entire family, Leah and Louis.
And especially the new little Bug growing inside me.
No matter what, forever and always.
The End
xxx
Afterword
Yup, I’m not going to lie, this one was a toughie! And I hope you’ll forgive me not only for keeping you waiting but for also letting you ride the roller coaster that poor Viola found herself on. She literally went through hell, and as someone who suffers from depression it was a difficult task to write. There were some days when I just couldn’t. And when I could, I had to take many breaks while working through the story.
But I hope, that while there were intense dark periods that I successfully managed to also show the light, and happy periods in equal measure. There were quite a few sweet moments that made the whole book worthwhile, I think. And fingers crossed you do too!
Additionally, I think it’s important to mention that should you or a loved one experience any of the symptoms that Viola did in this book, then please reach out as soon as you can to an organisation that supports women with maternal mental illness.
And while CHERISH is a completely made up foundation in the book, there are many organisations available and willing to help. For a list of them in your country or area please click here to visit Postpartum Progress. (www.postpartumprogress.com)
❤ ❤ ❤
About the Author
Emilia Beaumont is a full-time writer, originally hailing from England, living in the South of Ireland with her husband and a house full of cats. Surrounded by peaceful emerald fields she always has a pen and notebook to hand ready for when the next saucy idea strikes. Emilia is also an avid comic-book reader, and a wildlife advocate.
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Also by Emilia Beaumont
Billionaire Stepbrother
/> Expecting my Billionaire Stepbrother’s Baby
Snake (a Stepbrother Romance)
Vulture (a Stepbrother Romance)
Shark (a Stepbrother Romance)
Kiss Me Again (a Second Chance Stepbrother Romance)
Hitman’s Revenge (a Forbidden Bad Boy Romance)
Teaser excerpt!
I promised to give my stepbrother a baby.
Devan was everything I longed for in a man: loyal, protective, and strong. After the Navy, he cleaned up his act. He became the perfect guy, the perfect husband; the standard I held other men up to.
Was it too much to ask to have a carbon copy of him… tattoos and all?
But then he ruined everything. He kissed me.
I truly thought he was different than all the rest. Yet no matter how much I wanted him to be mine, I now saw him for what he really was: another bad boy. A cheating snake that couldn’t keep it in his pants.
He’s married, for fucks sake! And to make it even more awkward, not only am I living with the couple but I’ve also made a deal to be their surrogate!
How did my life become so complicated all of a sudden?
Because now, after just one amazing kiss—one I keep reliving—I can’t stop thinking about my stepbrother and the baby I want to give him.
Snake by Emilia Beaumont
Devan
I made myself walk away from her, even though it was the last thing I wanted in the world. For the first time in months, I felt alive next to a woman, and I was sure the feeling was mutual.
It had taken everything to turn away, to not tear away her panties and fuck her right there and then on the steps while my wife was oblivious in the house below.
To take her for my own.
I could’ve done it… I should have. But I’d made a promise to myself a long time ago to never be that guy again – the bad guy whom everyone hates. The man who used pretty girls because he could. Never calling them back, fucking them about, not caring if they got hurt in the process, but always getting what I wanted, when I wanted it. Taking what I thought belonged to me.
No, I tried become a gentleman. The one who opened doors, the one who stayed loyal to his wife even though she hardly gave him a second glance anymore. But deep down perhaps I hadn’t changed at all?
And, fuck! Mila’s deep kiss, her arms tracing the outlines of muscles on my back, and that little whimper she made when I moved away an inch. Mila wanted me just as much as I wanted her and seeing that creep’s hands all over had made me lose all control. He was lucky that I hadn’t crippled him.
And though it was completely irrational: she was mine.
I’m not a fool. I knew what we did was wrong. I knew I’d betrayed my wife’s trust in the worst way possible, and my heart was already feeling the pangs of guilt constricting my chest.
But goddamn it, I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that kiss had made me feel alive. Finally, after months of inner turmoil, I knew I wasn’t the problem.
Mila’s sighs were proof enough. If only that was the only realization of the night. If only it weren’t followed by deep, painful regret and confusion, knowing I longingly wanted to sleep in my stepsister’s bed, not my wife’s.
Continue reading SNAKE (a Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)…
Loving my Billionaire Stepbrother's Baby Page 15
