And then, there’s the baby. The tiny ball of life growing inside of me, Xavier’s precious, little girl. The future heir to the Throne of Ridgeland.
I’ve come a long way from that smelly apartment in Ethel’s building in Copper Heights. And the best part is having the love of my life beside me every step of the way.
I’m so insanely grateful for my good fortune.
I kiss Xavier again and this time, it gets intense. I’m straddling him, my dress bunched up at my waist as his cock grows solid in his lap beneath me. I rock back and forth as he does the same. Things are about to get poppin’.
Right then, Thomas sticks his head into the doorway. “Oh, excuse me. Sorry. Sorry. I don’t mean to interrupt.”
Xavier looks over that way and grins. “Come in, Thomas. It’s fine.”
I slide out of Xavier’s lap and adjust my dress. Thomas gives me a cheeky grin before turning his attention to the king. “Sir, annual invitation to the Mating of the Brown Bottom Geese ceremony.” He sets the envelope on the desk.
Xavier rolls his eyes. “Confirm that we’ll be attending,” he says on a heavy sigh. He hates these events but they’re a necessary evil. Good for building morale among the citizens.
The secretary continues. “Also, I received another letter from your father. He’s requesting that you come visit him in prison.”
“Not gonna happen,” Xavier says stubbornly as he does every month when the request comes. As far as he’s concerned, Edmund is lucky to spend the rest of his days rotting behind bars when he could have legitimately lost his head a long time ago for attempting to murder the Queen.
Thomas nods and makes a note on his pad of paper then turns his eyes to me. “Your Highness, your shipment of dollar store brand beauty supplies has arrived. I’ll have it sent to the residence.” He tries not to turn up his nose in disdain but I catch it anyway.
I laugh. “Thank you, Thomas.”
The man bows quickly and ambles out of the room.
Xavier smacks my butt. “What did I tell you about ordering those damn dollar store products? I’m banning them from this palace.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I tell him challengingly. “When my moustache gets out of control, it’ll be all your fault.”
He shrugs. “I’d still love you just the same. In fact, your moustache kind of does it for me, darling..."
My heart gallops and Baby Charlene flips over, pushing her foot into my bladder. "Awww...Your moustache works for me too, babe."
We laugh and we kiss again. And my heart riots madly as it always does each time I kiss my rebel king.
Xavier and Sadie’s Wedding Epilogue
Sadie
My thoughts drown in the chime of the church bells and the cheers of the well-wishers lining the streets as the Rolls Royce approaches St. Jude's Cathedral. Purple and white flash with red, white and blue as the flags of Ridgeland and the United States wave side by side in the crowd. And there are flowers--so many beautiful, fragrant flowers--everywhere.
My heart rocks as against my ribcage as the car rolls to a halt on the cobblestone road right outside of the church's massive wrought-iron gates. Two red-tuniced guards approach and my father steps forward, looking dapper in his classic double-breasted morning coat with a satin vest underneath.
The guards salute me as they open the door and I'm still not used to that stuff. Don't they know I'm just a barista? A girl who, eight months ago, “couldn't even afford her tuition? This is all insane. Can't wrap my mind around it.
I give my dad the widest grin as he reaches a hand out to me. I peer at him from beneath the gauzy lace of my veil. "Are you crying?" I snicker as I lay my gloved palm against his.
He rolls his watery, green eyes. "I'm not gonna apologize. You try marrying off your only daughter to some bigshot who lives halfway across the globe."
"Such a softie," I mumble and give his fingers a squeeze.
I'm totally not gonna cry today. I'm gonna strut into that cathedral and Xavier's gonna be waiting at the other end of the aisle and we're gonna get married and claim our happily ever after. And I am not gonna cry.
Because he's the prince I never realized I was hoping for and this is the fairytale no one was expecting. But we fit together. We belong together. Even if he had decided to give up this enitre kingdom and move into my shack in “Copper Heights, I would be ecstatic because any ending that has me and him together is a fairytale.
All I want is to hand my heart over to him and have him place his in my palms.
A flurry of red curls and emerald-tone satin comes barreling down the cathedral steps. My eyes drift over my father's shoulder and I see Nat, eyes glassy and smile sparkling as she comes at me.
And what was that I said about not crying? Wetness instantly springs to my eyes.
I take slow clumsy steps to meet her, my enormous, pouffy dress tangling around my legs.
"You look gorgeous," she mouths as she hands my bouquet of white wildflowers to me.
If the whole world weren't watching, I'd fling myself into her arms and smudge up all my makeup and be a snotty mess but I've got an etiquette coach now. And that little woman don't play. I would not want to get on her bad side.
My best friend busies herself draping my train over the carpeted stone steps leading through the gates. Then she pauses and gives me an approving onceover. "Gorgeous..."
“Oh, Nat," I sigh, too overwhelmed to say much else. And the tears spill over her eyelids and down her red cheeks.
She straightens her shoulders and gets all bossy. "Wave for the crowd," she orders me.
I bring my attention to the adoring masses and try not to lose my nerve. A trembling hand comes up and flutters in their direction like a damn pageant contestant. They roar.
"Good girl," she says as my father moves into place beside me. "Now, let's go get your man.”
Xavier
I crane my neck toward the doorway, so eager for a glimpse of my Sadie. Feels like I've been waiting here forever. Waiting for her forever. Waiting for my reason for rolling out of bed each morning, for setting one foot in front of the other.
She's been worth the wait.
The sound of a horn fills the echoey room, announcing her arrival and my heart takes off like a wild stallion. I feel a bead of sweat traveling down the back of my neck into the fabric of my hot-as-hell military uniform. The choir begins to serenade and I catch sight of her. She seems to be a mile away at the other end of that long-arse aisle, escorted by her father. And I just want to run to her, to scoop her up and gallop to the altar with her in my arms.
That damn etiquette consultant, though...
Sadie approaches slowly, drifting down the aisle, sheathed in white lace and silk like something from out of a dream and my enthusiastic heart must be swollen from banging so hard in my chest.
“And finally, she's right next to me in front of the archbishop, beaming and beautiful. About to say her vows. About to promise me her heart for all of eternity. And everything falls into place all at once. And I just know...
I can do this.
I can lead this country. I can head the monarchy. I can be king. Because Sadie Nichols is about to become my wife. And I'll make her my queen.”
Sadie
I can't make out a single face in the crowd and I can't decipher a single sound. But there's so much abuzz in the air. Excitement, hope, possibility...love. As I stand on the balcony of Folkshire Palace overlooking the adoring crowds and surrounded by the Queen and hand-selected members of the royal family, I feel love.
All my life, I've struggled with finding my place in this world and these beautiful masses have embraced me like they've been searching for me, too.
It's so subtle but I feel Xavier's hand settle on the small of my back. I look up into his smiling face and I know that I'm home.
He reaches for my hand and slowly begins to pull the glove from my fingers. "What are you doing?" I ask, panic rising as my inked skin is slowly exposed. My stylist w
as adamant about hiding them today. "M-my tattoes..." The etiquette consultant had turned up her nose while iterating how inappropriate it would be to show them off to the world.
But now, here is Xavier tearing those gloves off and flinging them into the crowd. He grins at my concern. "These are my “He grins at my concern. "These are my people. And you are my wife. They will accept you just the way you are."
Hysteria breaks free on the grounds below. I throw a nervous glance over at the Queen. To my surprise, she has her head tipped back slighty and gleeful sounds pour forth from her mouth. Her eyes twinkle with amusement.
Xavier's hand comes up to my cheek, directing my attention back to him. His mouth comes close to my ear. "Put your hands on me, darling. Put your hands on me and kiss me."
Heart thudding, my fingers brush over the medals decorating the lapels of his ceremonial military uniform. When his arms come around me and our lips touch, I feel fireworks in my chest.
The kiss is sweet, chaste, a tender press of mouth on mouth. Xavier growls and it's for my ears only, a promise of things to come once he gets me alone.
“I giggle against his lips. "You really are Prince Charming, you know that?"
"And you are even better than in my wet dreams."
He said that a little too loudly. The people around us giggle at the intimate comment. The Queen clears her throat and glares. Or at least she tries to.
One corner of Xavier's mouth lifts into a naughty smile. "Err, you're even better than in a fairytale. That's what I meant to say."
Yeh. Sure.
Xavier
I'm sitting anxiously on the edge of the bed wearing a T-shirt and boxers when she emerges from the bathroom. And god, she looks like an angel in a tiny white slip of lace and her hair tumbling around her shoulders like a cascade of silk.
Sadie, my beautiful bride.
Impatience takes over and I rise from the mattress and intercept her halfway. She yelps as I swoop her into my arms. I melt her with one hell of a kiss.
She's weak-kneed and bruise-lipped when she pulls away. "Is that...?" She tilts her head to better hear the song playing on low in the background.
I nod.
Daniel Bedingfield's If You're Not The One.
“And mostly, I just want to see her smile. I just want to know that she's happy and I'll do what I have to in order to secure that result.
So as much as I want to strip her bare and take her body over the edge of pleasure, I wait. I hold her in my arms and sway with her until she's the one yanking my shirt over my head and pulling my boxers down my legs and taking my cock into her hot, wet mouth. She's the one begging me to fill her and to fuck her until her body can't take any more. And because I'm a goddamned gentleman, I give her exactly what she's asking for and more.
Keeping this woman as happy as she is right now for the rest of her days...That's my definition of happily ever after.
Will Sophia finally get the man of her dreams?
Thanks so much for reading Rich Boy. I hope you love Sadie and Xavier as much as I do :)
What’s next in the Blue Collar Bachelors Series? Dream Boy, the conclusion to the Blue Collar Bachelors Series is here. Yes—Poor Sophia finally gets her happily-ever-after. (I know I put her through a lot. Sorry. Lol.) Anyway, if you think you’ve got Sophia figured out, think again. Dream Boy has got all the plot twists and all the feels. Keep flipping the pages!
Dream Boy
Dream Boy (The Blue Collar Bachelors Series – Book 6)
Copyright © 2018 Cassie-Ann L. Miller
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents appearing therein are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be interpreted as real. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status of the various products referenced in this work.
Amazon’s Kindle Store is the only authorized distributor of this ebook. If you have downloaded or purchased it from any other distributor, please note that you have received an illegal copy. This not only violates the author’s copyright, deprives the author of royalties due and puts the book at risk of being removed from Kindle distribution, but it also exposes you to computer viruses, theft of your personal information by book pirates and potential legal prosecution.
Created with Vellum
About Dream Boy
He was the handsome stranger at the bar. I was the jilted bride sobbing into the train of my wedding dress. It was supposed to be one night...Fate had other plans.
"Come up to my room with me..."
The invitation came in a deep, husky voice as I was sobbing into my floral arrangement and consuming all the alcohol during the lowest night of my life. I should have said 'no'. It was wrong to accept the handsome soldier's offer. But I was hurting. I wanted those rough hands and those soft lips and that sculpted body on me. To ease the pain.
Just for one night.
I was never supposed to see him again. But two years later, he's here—in Copper Heights, Illinois—just as tall, rugged and charming as the night we met.
Meanwhile, I've got green pea puree in my hair, dark circles around my eyes and I can't remember the last time I changed out of these yoga pants.
Yup—things are different now. I'm different now. I'm a mother. Overworked, sleep deprived and running on an empty tank. Plus, I have a business to run and I'm determined to prove that I can do it on my own.
But he's a distraction. He's staring at me, his dark, compelling eyes raking my rumpled figure like I just stepped off a runway. I must be dreaming because there's no way he's attracted to me.
Agreeing to let him work at my daycare is a terrible idea. I'm his boss in the day. But at night, he's in my bed and he's calling all the shots.
The charming tower of a man has his secrets and I've got mine. I should really keep my distance.
This is going to be a nightmare...so why is he watching me like I'm his dream come true?
Dream Boy is a steamy, laugh-out-loud, secret baby second chance romance set in small town Illinois. It is the much-anticipated conclusion to the Blue Collar Bachelors series.
Prologue
Sophia
Las Vegas
Two years ago, 6:49 P.M.
"Come up to my room with me..."
The stranger beside me delivers the invitation in a deep, gravelly baritone that slices through the buzz of music, conversation and laughter animating the crowded, neon-lit bar.
I misheard him. I’m absolutely positive about that.
Because we haven’t exchanged names. Actually, I haven’t even scraped up the energy to lift my eyes from the empty martini glass in front of me and look in his direction.
The only interaction we’ve had up to this point was him, asking if the seat beside me was taken and me, releasing a low-pitched howl of anguish as I listlessly flung my bouquet of wilting freesias from the barstool to make room for him.
So, no. He’s not inviting me to his hotel room. Especially not when I’m sitting here with tear-stained cheeks and a dirty wedding gown. People don’t do that kind of thing.
I misheard him.
Still, I can feel his energy pulsing on my periphery and his gaze lingering on me. As if he’s waiting for an answer.
Slowly, I shift my face away from the fistful of satin-trimmed lace I’ve been sobbing into and give him my full attention.
My fuzzy, martini-infused thoughts snap into focus when my eyes land hard on his face. Oh my…Oh. A rush of goosebumps whips over me and the gauzy, white veil slips from my fingers to the grimy floor.
They say you should never look directly at the sun. It does screwy things to your vision. That same warning should apply to this man. Because he’s kinda magnificent-looking.
His hair is nearly black and cropped close to the scalp. Dark stubble adorns his square jaw and frames his supple, smiling lips.
Even his ears are bizarrely attractive.
But it’s his eyes that really spool me in. Dark and brilliantly intense irises aimed squarely on me. There’s nothing subtle or indirect about his stare. And for a fraction of a second, I’m completely distracted from the hurt and humiliation of standing in the dressing room of that awful, gaudy chapel for nearly two hours, waiting for my asshole would-be-groom who never bothered to show up.
The bartender appears out of nowhere and snatches my empty glass from the sticky countertop. He replaces it with my third top-up of the night. The thud of the glass landing heavily on the enameled bar top is what snaps me from my trance.
I shake my head slightly to loosen the grips of the striking attraction. "E-excuse me?" I manage to hiccup.
His smile widens and a pair of dimples pop up on his cheeks as he repeats his offer with unflinching confidence. "I just invited you to my room.” His teeth bite playfully into his bottom lip. Like he’s aware of how outrageous this whole thing is but he’s doing it anyway. He arches his brow expectantly. Still waiting for my answer.
The nerve of this guy…
Confronted by his unapologetic boldness, I give him a thorough top-to-bottom. He’s wearing the hell out of the black suit jacket spreading flush across his broad shoulders and the swatch of tanned skin at the unbuttoned collar of his white shirt looks good enough to lick. I can see his necktie stuffed carelessly into his pants pocket.
The Blue Collar Bachelors Box Set: The Complete Blue Collar Bachelors Series Page 105
