The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc Book 3)

by Avery James

  "So what happens now?" she asked. "What about the race?"

  "Forget about the race. It doesn't matter, and forget about the press. They don't matter either. The only thing that matters is that we love each other, and I don't want you to doubt that for another second. We're starting a family, Charlotte, and you have to be my top priority."

  Charlotte was at a loss for words. Finally she managed to say, "Does this mean Big Greg wins?"

  Jack laughed. "No," he said. "I've already seen to it that he'll never run for public office again. "

  "What about Maria and little Jack?"

  "Maria's moving to DC. She got a job offer and she's ready to start a new chapter in her life. I think it's time we put my family's money to use."

  "You're starting to sound like your sister."

  "Actually, it was her idea. We're going to start the Coburn Family Foundation, and I want you to be part of it. It will give me a chance to actually help people without worrying about polls or elections or any of that. Most importantly, it will allow me to spend as much time as possible with you. So what do you say?"

  "Where do we begin?" Charlotte asked.

  "First, we have to make a statement so that the press will go away, and we can finally get some peace and quiet. I'll have to spend the next few weeks mending fences. In exchange for their silence, I told the party brass about my father's infidelity and Big Greg's attempted blackmail. They seem to think they dodged a bullet with things working out the way they did. I'll endorse Gerry and step out of the spotlight. Gerry's a good man, and he should have been the pick from the start."

  "Then what happens?"

  "Then we start our life together. I want to be with you every step of the way. The pregnancy, labor, everything after, every baby step, first word, birthday party, every scraped knee and homework assignment, I want to be there for all of it. I don't want to miss a moment with you, or any of our children."

  "Children? More than one? One step at a time," Charlotte said. "I've been thinking about names. If the baby is a girl..."

  "We'll name her Emma," Jack said. The look in his eyes said, And you thought I had forgotten.

  "What about names for a boy?"

  Jack grinned. "I think anything other than Jack will do."

  Charlotte leaned in and kissed him. "Sounds good to me, but I don't think we'll have to worry about that." She placed his hand on her stomach. "We're going to have a girl, I have a feeling about this."

  Jack took both of Charlotte's hands and helped her to her feet. He kissed her on her forehead, then her lips. "A girl, huh?" he said. "My mother and sister are going to insist on buying her more dresses than you could imagine."

  "Jack, are you sure this is what you want? You said you didn't want a permanent marriage," Charlotte said. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to."

  "I want you," Jack said. "Whether that's as Charlotte Coburn or Charlotte Crowley, I don't care. As long as I have you, I'll be the happiest man alive."

  "Of course you have me," Charlotte said. "I am yours and you are mine."

  "Then let's go introduce our baby to the world," Jack said.

  "And then we can be in private?" Charlotte asked.

  "Then we can be in private for the rest of our lives. After today, all I want in the world until my dying day is to have you and Emma and the rest of our children by my side."

  Jack took a step towards the front door, still holding Charlotte's hands.

  "Are you coming?" he asked.

  "Sure thing Congressman Coburn," Charlotte said.

  "I think I'm going to go by Mr. Coburn from now on. Let's go, Charlotte."

  "I believe you meant to say, "Mrs. Coburn," Charlotte said. She smiled and stepped outside with her husband, hand in hand, ready to begin their new life together.

  Epilogue

  Jack stood before the crowd, smiling and holding the microphone in his hand. Charlotte watched the warm light of sunset fall across his face. He looked more happier than she had ever seen him. She followed his gaze out across the crowd of family and friends who sat assembled on his family's Cape Cod yard. The ocean lulled behind him as he cleared his throat to speak.

  "Since I left office, I haven't had to give many speeches. So forgive me if I'm a bit out of practice. In four years as a member of the US House of Representatives and in ten months as a candidate for Senate, I gave hundreds of speeches. I gave speeches on employment and infrastructure, conservation and progress. I've given speeches about so many important issues, but I've never given one about the one thing that matters most: love."

  Jack turned to Charlotte as he continued, taking her hand. "Charlotte, when I met you two years ago, I didn't believe in love. I didn't know its mystery or majesty or its redemptive power. I didn't understand how it could take root in someone's heart and mind and just never let go. Of course, that all changed the day you walked into my life, and while I wasn't willing to admit it to myself then, I was in love with you from the moment I saw you. It took a little while longer to convince you to give me a chance, but I thank God every day that you did.

  As hopefully everyone here knows, Charlotte and I married last January in a small ceremony in DC. We did it because we wanted a marriage without all of the fuss and attention of a big wedding. We didn't want the speeches and the toasts or any of that, but today, we're here to stand tall and shout for everyone to hear that we love each other."

  Jack shifted, and looked deep into Charlotte's eyes. He might no longer be a politician, but he hadn't lost his affinity for giving speeches, she thought. She wanted him to keep going forever. She never tired of hearing him say how much he loved her. Charlotte gave him a little wink and a smile

  Jack continued. "Before I met you Charlotte, I thought I knew what family was. I thought I knew who I was, but you've shown me that life can be so much more, and that I can rely on you and the rest of my family for a strength I could never have alone. You've shown me what it truly means to be part of something bigger than myself. You are my everything, and I love you now and forever." He slipped the microphone into Charlotte's hand. "Your turn," he whispered.

  Her pulse quickened as she looked to the crowd. Her parents were standing next to Jack's mom, and her sister was with Jack's siblings. Her mother was holding baby Emma in her arms. Charlotte found it hard to remember a time when the Coburns and the Crowleys weren't one big, happy family.

  Both families had spent the week at the house in the lead up to the renewal of vows. Unlike her first visit, the house had felt alive with laughter and conversation. Every morning, after Charlotte would come downstairs to her father and Jack's mother having spirited debates about politics, or to everyone fussing over baby Emma. The week had been such a success that Angela had already insisted on having her parents back for two weeks the next summer.

  Even Jack and Caroline were getting along better than ever. After Jack left politics, he and Caroline co-founded the Coburn Family Foundation. They had spent the past year and a half working together to fund projects that were near and dear to their hearts. Jack had brought several members of his congressional and campaign staff to jumpstart the organization. Caroline was able to use her social connections to raise even more funds and awareness for the foundation's core causes: conservation, education, and assistance for single mothers. Whit even helped set up a micro lending program in the Caribbean.

  Jack had resigned from political life in order to prove his love for Charlotte, but he ended up saving his relationship with his family as well. It was like he had freed them from the ghosts that had haunted them for years and years. By choosing to move on with Charlotte, he had helped them to move on too. Charlotte couldn't help but think that they had never looked happier than when they joined hundreds of family and friends to witness Charlotte and Jack renew their vows.

  Jack squeezed Charlotte's hand. "You've got this love," he said. She smiled and looked down at her simple white dress. She thought about the beautiful home they had built together, the j
oy of waking up next to Jack every morning and all the times they had taken turns to soothe baby Emma back to sleep in the middle of the night. Jack was right. She had this. She had everything she could possibly want.

  Charlotte turned to the crowd. "I used to have this theory that you could see true love, that two people who loved each other could light up a room with the raw power of their love, but now I know for sure. As I look to all of you today I'm so overwhelmed by love that I feel like my heart might burst." She turned to Jack. "'Every day I watch you light up the lives of the people you love, family and friends and, most of all, me. I can't imagine what it would be like to spend another moment without you, and I never want to find out. Jack, I love you more than I knew possible."

  "I love you too," Jack said. His voice broke halfway through his words, and Charlotte could see the tears welling up in his eyes. "Now that's how you give a wedding speech."

  Charlotte laughed and kissed him. She felt like she could slip into the warmth of that kiss and stay there forever. Forever, she thought, that sounds just about right.

  ***

  Thank you for reading The Billionaire's Temporary Bride. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you did:

  1. Help other people find this book by writing a review.

  2. Sign up for my email list so you can find out about upcoming books as soon as they're available.

  3. Like my page on Facebook for updates and more.

  I'm already hard at work at the next book, and I can't wait to share more details about it once I'm a bit further along. Thanks again for reading! If you haven't read the first two books in the Scandal, Inc series, I've included an excerpt from the first novel below.

  An excerpt from:

  The Billionaire's Marriage Contract (Scandal, Inc)

  Ethan Cole sat at the bar and looked at his reflection in the mirror as he reached into his briefcase. He studied the lines on his face. He wasn't getting any younger, he thought. He wondered if the stress of his job was starting to get to him. For over a decade, he had been the toast of the tech world, but he wondered if the world was finally catching up with him. By the time he fished the small box out of the bottom of the leather briefcase, he had gone from looking at his forehead to inspecting the small lines that were starting to form next to his eyes. As he spun the box around in his fingers, he turned to look toward the door. No sign of Amy yet. He let out a little sigh of relief and turned back around. He motioned to the bartender.

  "Ready for a drink?" the bartender asked.

  "Just let me know when the attractive brunette comes in through the front door."

  Ethan opened the box and gazed down at the ring inside. "This is just a business deal," he whispered to himself. "Don't try to make it anything more than that." He pulled the ring out of the box and inspected it in the dim light. It had been in his family for two generations and was the only keepsake he had left of the grandmother who had raised him. He looked at the sapphire set in the center of the ring. It was barely half a carat, but it was worth more to him than almost anything in the world.

  As Ethan began to think back, the bartender pointed to the door. "I think your friend is here," he said.

  Ethan put the ring back in the box and slid it into the bottom of his briefcase. He gazed back toward the door to catch a glimpse of Amy as she looked around the dining room. She was as stunning as ever, and Ethan felt his pulse jump as he looked at her. Here goes, he thought. He turned back to the bartender. "I'm ready for that drink." He reached into his wallet and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. "Her drinks are on me, too."

  ***

  It took Amy almost a minute to spot Ethan at the back corner of the bar. She was surprised it had taken her so long. Even across a dimly lit room, he had a brightness to him, an inner light that had a tendency to make him the center of attention. By the way he had positioned himself at the bar, Amy could tell he wasn't interested in gaining anyone's attention but hers. She watched him as he said something to the bartender. Then she waved off the hostess and began to make her way over to him.

  Crossing the room, she felt excitement rising up inside her stomach, a nervousness that tied itself in knots. She was a consultant to movie stars, to moguls and kings, and yet she felt nervous even being in the same room as Ethan. Amy shook her head as she approached him. Buck up, she thought. Just find out what he wants and then head out. He was probably just trying to get a rise out of her. How sensitive could this proposal be? When she reached his side, she cleared her throat.

  Amy was used to men like Ethan. They always had to win, and getting her to agree to meet him for a drink was just another form of winning. Whatever proposal he'd have would be some other game for him to win. She had wanted to be the one in the seat as he arrived, but he had denied her that, too. As annoyed as she was with him for that, she couldn't deny the waves of nervousness that rushed through her body as he stood up to face her. He reached over and pulled out the chair for her. Amy laughed. "Really?" she asked. "I can get my own seat, Ethan."

  "I know," he replied. "Doesn't mean I shouldn't make the effort."

  "This is a meeting, not a date." Not that I can remember what it's like to be on a date, Amy thought.

  "Well, agree to disagree," Ethan replied with a smile. He looked her over again as he waited for her response.

  "No," Amy replied. She pursed her lips and opened her eyes wide as she tried to express just how little patience she had for Ethan's games. He was doing it again, getting under her skin. "I don't date clients. I don't get personally involved with clients."

  "And why is that again?" Ethan asked. Amy watched his grin grow wider as he waited for her response. She's going to kill me when she hears what I have to say, he thought.

  "I know my clients. You're all the same. You all want one thing, and I'm not about to let you make me the center of a scandal myself."

  "I promise I won't try to sleep with you," Ethan said.

  "Ha," Amy said. "Like you'd even have a chance. I meant you want to win. It's hard-wired into you."

  "How?" Ethan replied. "How does a drink with a colleague equate to needing to win? And how is it a scandal? It's hardly tabloid material."

  "When the colleague is female and around your age, and while you're still tabloid gold, it is."

  "You forgot attractive," Ethan added.

  "What?" Amy replied. Was he actually hitting on her after everything she had just said or was he that self absorbed that he was still talking about himself? "Did you just call yourself attractive?" Amy asked.

  "No. You know what I meant," he replied. Besides, if you weren't attractive people would just assume you were my secretary or sister or something."

  "You date supermodels."

  "And as far as I know, you don't date anyone. So like I said, I think we're safe. What are they going to say? Ethan Cole spotted in public with a nun? I have half a mind to find out if you're wearing a chastity belt under that dress."

  Amy laughed. "I swear if you make a nun joke."

  "I try not to make a habit of it."

  Amy shook her head and laughed before lowering her voice. She reached out, placed her hand over Ethan's and asked, "Why are we here?"

  "I'm thinking about getting married."

  "Are you really?" Amy asked with a grin. She wondered which South American supermodel had managed to pull the fleece over his eyes. "Let me guess, you want me to do some preemptive damage control."

  Ethan looked down and then met Amy's glance, he had a sheepish smile on his face, like he was purposely leaving out some important detail. "Yeah, something like that."

  "Tell me you didn't get her pregnant. It doesn't do much for your image if you're off knocking up Ms. Venezuela. What is she, seventeen or something?"

  "No," Ethan replied, "She's about my age."

  "You're using protection, right?"

  "We're not even having sex yet."

  "Really?" Amy replied. "She must be worth the wait."

&
nbsp; "I think so," Ethan replied, he couldn't help but smile. He felt like he was in the eye of the storm, watching the calm before all hell broke loose. Of course, hell breaking loose was the whole point of this meeting.

  Amy watched his grin grow even wider. "What am I missing here?" she asked. "What is so funny? Do I know her?"

  "Better than I do, believe it or not," Ethan replied. "Though I'm guessing you don't know her as well as you'd think. She's in her thirties, a colleague of mine actually, a bit of a departure from the women I've been dating. Truth be told, a bit of a departure from pretty much everyone I know."

  "I know her, and she's not a bimbo? Interesting. And you like her?"

  "Yeah, I do," he replied. "She's honest and smart, and she calls me on my bullshit. Very few people do that."

  "I do that," Amy replied. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she said it.

  "I know."

  "How long have the two of you been together? I mean, the media is going to have a field day with this. You know that right? The playboy billionaire settling down. It will be the marriage of the century."

  "We've had a thing for years, and the media will never catch wind. It's all going to be quiet. I think she'll like it better that way."

  "Think?" Amy replied. "You mean you haven't discussed it with her?" Amy picked up her glass of wine and took a deep sip. "So you're going to propose to someone I know, and you haven't even dropped a hint that you might be interested in marriage?" She leaned back in her chair a bit and waited to hear Ethan's explanation of this one.

  "Oh, I've been dropping hints all night," Ethan replied. "And we're talking about it right now."

  "What do you mean?" Amy asked.

  "Amy, I'm asking you to marry me."

  As she listened to the words, Amy forgot all about her glass of wine and let it fall from her hand. She watched as it cracked off of the bar and shattered, spraying wine forward. As the sound rang through the bar, everyone else fell silent. Amy felt like her heart had stopped, and then everything flew into motion as she realized what was going on. "You're joking, right? Is this a joke? Did my sister put you up to this on the phone this afternoon?"