by Lacey Legend
“Listen, this room is crowded and the stress you are all causing is not helping Kelsey. So who is the father?”
“Well, technically speaking….” Alan started, but Mason wouldn’t let him finish.
“I am,” Mason spoke up.
The doctor looked back and forth between the two men for a minute and nodded his head as if he understood exactly what was going on.
“Normally the father stays for the birth while all others wait outside. Kelsey, is that okay with you?”
She was breathing heavy and he could tell she was in pain, but she nodded her agreement that he should be the one to stay. Defeat filled Alan’s eyes, but he gave her hand a quick squeeze and then left her side. Her mother gave Mason a scathing look but followed suit with Alan.
Suddenly everything felt very real as Mason stood in the birthing room. Kelsey panting, a doctor ready for his daughter to come out, his daughter actually coming into the world.
“Are you going to come hold my hand or do I have to do this all by myself?” Kelsey’s sarcastic tone broke through Mason’s thought and snapped him back to reality.
Normally he would have bitten something back at her, but he decided against it, knowing that she was clearly already going through enough. Plus it was because of her that he was getting to watch the birth instead of sitting in the waiting room with Alan. So he did as she asked and came up beside her and grabbed hold of her hand. Kelsey glanced up at him and a small smile came across her face in between the breaths she was taking.
“Okay Kelsey, she’s ready to come out. You’re going to need to give us a really great push okay?”
Her hand gripped Mason’s tightly and he watched her as she used every bit of strength that she had to bring his daughter into the world. Mason didn’t know if it was seconds or minutes, but the next thing he knew, a small cry filled the room as everyone bustled quickly around. Instinctively he knew the cry was that of his new little girl and he felt his heart soar with love. Mason continued to hold onto Kelsey’s hand until the nurse came over with a tiny pink bundle and gave her to Kelsey to hold.
Mason took his eyes off the tiny bundle only long enough to watch Kelsey’s reaction to holding her for the first time. He watched her eyes light up and a new expression come over her, one that he hadn’t seen before but immediately knew what it was.
Pure love.
“Beautiful,” Mason breathed.
Kelsey looked at him and smiled. “She is, isn’t she?”
Mason nodded because he could see his daughter was beautiful, with her little button nose and bow lips. But that wasn’t what he was talking about.
“I love you,” Mason blurted out.
Kelsey’s kept watching her daughter, assuming that Mason was talking about the new little girl in his life. But he wasn’t, at least not at that moment. He brushed Kelsey’s hair away that had fallen out of place and he whispered it again. This time Kelsey looked at him and searched his eyes.
“I don’t know if you’re married or not, or in love or not, but when you love someone, you should tell them. I’ve loved you since the first time I kissed you and I’ve never stopped thinking about you. I know I’ve hurt you, I know that I’m not good enough for you, but I was trying to be. And I’m probably too late, but I just wanted you to know.”
Just saying those words felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest.
“I’m not married,” she said to him.
“You’re not? I thought for sure…”
Kelsey cut him off. “I was supposed to get married today. Actually, we were in the courthouse when my water broke. Apparently this little girl didn’t think me marrying Alan was such a great idea.”
Kelsey looked back down at their daughter. Did he still have a chance?
“Do you love him?”
Mason didn’t want to know the answer, but he knew he had to. If she was happy and in love, he’d let her go and focus solely on creating a great life for his daughter and Adam. But if she didn’t love him….
“I wanted to. He’s a great man who wants to give me a wonderful life. I’m lucky to have found someone like that. But there’s something missing with Alan; no matter how wonderful he is, there’s something that isn’t there. Something that I’ve only ever had once, and something I know I can’t live without.”
Mason wasn’t able to breathe with his hopes so high.
“It’s something I’ve only ever felt with you. And if that’s the feeling of love, then that’s a feeling I don’t ever want to live without.” She looked up at him again and he finally saw it… The look in her eyes that he’d been longing to see. Her love for him.
“I don’t ever want to live without you.” She didn’t even need to say those words, but he had to admit they felt wonderful to hear.
Leaning down, he kissed her. He placed his lips everywhere he could find. Her forehead, her cheeks, the tips of her nose, then finally her lips. The electricity that still ran through them, even after everything that happened between them, after all the pain and hurt, the running and the time apart, the connection was as strong as the first time he placed his lips on hers.
There, in the hospital, with Kelsey in his arms and their daughter in hers, he felt as if every piece of his life had finally fallen into place. He’d have never pictured falling in love with someone like Kelsey, a spoiled princess. But she was his spoiled princess and he wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
Epilogue
Kelsey’s wedding wasn’t the lavish one that her mother had hoped for, in fact, it was quite small. Most guests from The Vines made excuses as the why they couldn’t make the wedding, but Kelsey knew the truth. She wasn’t marrying one of her own kind from The Vines, so the wedding wasn’t worth the trouble to them. But that was exactly how Kelsey had hoped it would be.
She stood in front of her mirror and thought back to where she’d been a year before. A year earlier she had been pregnant, living in The Vines, and completely unhappy and unsure of how to stop the track her life was going down. But looking at herself on her wedding day, her veil cascading down over her shoulders and her daughter in her arms in her own little dress, she could look into the mirror and smile. A real, genuine smile.
Her father knocked on the door and she thought back again to a year before when her father had told her all he wanted was for her to be happy. This time when he opened her door, his smile reflected her.
“You look radiant,” he told her.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she said and gave him a hug.
Breaking everything off with Alan had nearly driven her mother over the edge and they fought for months about her decision. There were constant quips her mother would make whenever Mason was over at the house and it started to become a very difficult situation. That was until her father stepped in.
“Can’t you see how happy she is? It’s her life, let her be happy.”
That was all he really needed to say. The little comments stopped and eventually her mother was able to welcome Mason into the family as best as she could. With the money she had saved and Mason selling his house, they had moved to a very cute little cottage house on the outside of The Vines and every day Kelsey would look at her life and she was amazed by everything she had.
In one year she’d gained Adam, her daughter, a house, and the love of her life. She couldn’t even remember her life before which had been so consumed with so many things that didn’t matter. She was proud of herself and the life she’d chosen to live. Alan had taken it quite hard, losing to a bad boy like Mason, but she realized quickly that her reputation didn’t mean much either. Her father was right: it was her life and she needed to be happy living it.
“Are you ready?” her father asked.
Kelsey looked in the mirror and her most genuine smile came out.
“Absolutely,” she answered.
The ceremony was beautiful in a garden with cascading flowers and Mason standing at the end of the aisle underneath a white arch. Kels
ey’s father walked her down the aisle, but instead of carrying her own flowers, she carried her little girl. She didn’t feel one bit of nerves and never once did it cross her mind that she wasn’t making the right decision. There was no doubt that she was making the best decision of her life.
When the officiate finally spoke the words, asking them both to say “I do,” Kelsey put every ounce of her heart into her words, she wanted Mason to know just exactly how much she meant them. She couldn’t wait to be his wife and stand by his side for the rest of their lives while they watched their family grow.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he said.
Mason leaned over and kissed her in the tenderest kiss he’d ever given her. The electricity still raced through her making her heart skip in anticipation of the wedding night and every night after.
{{**}}
Thanks so much for reading my novel. Remember as a special gift you get a free bonus book which starts on the next page, enjoy! :)
MAID
FOR THE TYCOON
LACEY LEGEND
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places or events are entirely coincidental.
Copyright 2015 Lacey Legend
Written by Lacey Legend
ABOUT THIS BOOK
To me, Billionaire Business Tycoon Spencer Lawson was beautiful. Perfect. My secret crush.
But to him, I was probably just “Jenna the Maid”. The hired help who cleaned his Manhattan penthouse, did his laundry and cleaned up after all of the many women he had stay over.
In fact, I doubt he even knew my name since he actually never said a word to me.
But then one day everything changed...
As I cleaned his apartment, I caught him checking me out. He then caught me checking him out. And before I knew it, we were both indulging in flirty banter.
One thing soon led to another and from that point on, we both knew our relationship as we knew it was about to take on a whole new meaning...
Chapter One
Jenna swung open the door of the fifties-style diner. Her hazel eyes scanned the buzzing activity. It was full of hungry breakfast customers wolfing down pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs. Spotting Kelly, Jenna tentatively waved her hand and hoped the expression on her face conveyed to her friend the desire for a quick chat. Kelly tapped the watch on her wrist and held up two fingers to Jenna, signaling she could have a break in two minutes.
Jenna waited by the breakfast counter and slipped onto the first red stool available. Her eyes followed Kelly around as she passed out overloaded plates to grumpy customers and refilled empty coffee mugs. Swinging the coffee jug over the counter for one of her co-workers to collect, Kelly rested her elbows on the cool steel of the bench and dropped her head back, taking a huge breath and closing her eyes as she exhaled.
“Tough morning,” observed Jenna.
Kelly knew the question was rhetorical.
“They always are; doesn’t matter which day of the week. Breakfast shifts are the pits.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You did,” corrected Kelly. “Since you’ve scored this exclusive cleaning job, your life has got a hell of a lot easier.”
“You sound peeved.”
“I am a bit,” confessed Kelly.
The soles of Kelly’s feet hurt. She knew however, no matter how much perfume and deodorant she doused herself in, the beads of sweat would continue running down her face for the duration of the shift. When she got home, she would reek of fried food and hard labor.
Jenna’s heart-shaped face dropped and studied the floor. She wasn’t too sure how to respond to her best friend’s brutal honesty. She twirled a honey gold strand from her short frizzy hair between her fingers.
Kelly felt guilty begrudging her friend’s good fortune.
“Don’t mind me,” said Kelly breezily. “I had a bit of a late night partying. It’s my fault I’m feeling rough today. Nobody forced me to drink and I knew I had the opening shift. I could’ve called it an early night at a reasonable time if I’d had a responsible bone in my body.”
“Still it’s horrible feeling like that when you’ve got no support from the team.”
The girls looked at the team of women who were considerably older than the two college girls, significantly overweight and wearing forced friendly expressions.
“Okay, I’m fuming because I’ve lost my work buddy. The only thing I resent is my laziness in not following your lead and using my initiative to get a decent job to get me out of this cesspool,” confided Kelly. “What are you doing here anyway? You should be making the most of the weather,” her voice lightened as the momentary resentment passed.
“No can do. I have a job to do myself today. Thought I’d grab a milkshake and have a quick chat before I go.”
“What’s he like?” asked Kelly.
“The billionaire?”
Kelly’s blue eyes widened at the prospect of some seriously juicy gossip. “He’s a billionaire?”
Jenna nodded, looking like the cat that got the cream.
“Is he hot?”
“He’s buff and beautiful.” giggled Jenna.
“Is he old?”
“Not like a granddad. He’s,” Jenna paused, “ mature.”
“A father-figure,” teased Kelly.
Jenna pulled a face and wrinkled her nose. Kelly was fully aware Jenna had been raised by a single mother. The thought of her friends assuming she was looking for a father-figure to love was too ridiculously Psych 101 for words.
“No! He’s in his late twenties or early thirties. From what I’ve seen of him on the phone, he’s super charming, super intelligent, super witty and just plain....”
“Super.”
“I sound silly, don’t I?” asked Jenna, relieved her coffee colored skin hid her blushes.
“Super silly and super in love,va” cooed Kelly.
“Oh shut up. I’ve been working there for under a month.”
“And he’s a billionaire? You must be on a bomb. No wonder you aren’t struggling for a wage.”
“I am expected to work,” Jenna defended exasperatedly. “And I’m not paid cash in hand by the boss. I’m employed by an agency, don’t forget. They take a huge percentage of what he’s actually charged. I’m left with little more than you are at the end of the week.”
“If it’s a boutique company that provides a maid or cleaning service to billionaires and that type of social class, I refuse to believe you’re on minimum wage and reliant on tips to cover your weekly expenses.”
“I came here for a girly chit chat, not to have my accounts scrutinized by someone who didn’t even attain the grades to complete a business major.”
Kelly laughed in good humor at the jibe. She knew she wasn’t the brains of New York and Jenna was justified in delivering the cutting barb.
“Forgive me. I’ve put two and two together and got four billion.”
Jenna couldn’t help but guffaw at the ridiculous discussion. “Well I haven’t got four billion,” assured Jenna.
“You’re just working for someone that has.”
“Yes, I am,” sighed Jenna.
“You actually do like him, don’t you?”
Kelly could see from her friend’s face the impromptu visit wasn’t to boast about her hunky new client. She was smitten by the billionaire and looking for relationship advice.
“What’s the plan?” probed Kelly.
“There is no plan. He’s out of my league. He doesn’t even notice me; at least I’m doing my job well.”
“Because he tips big?”
“He doesn’t tip at all. That would be considered gauche by these kinds of people. I mean the fact that I’m invisible, is supposed to be a good thing in this position. When I was interviewed to go on the books of Supreme Cleaning Services, Ms. Princely informed me to embrace the concept of being seen and not heard. I even had to sign an agreement whereby I’m not allowed to disclose or discuss anything I’ve see
n or overheard in the premises that I work on.” explained Jenna.
“It sounds very cloak and dagger.”
“It’s not interesting. I think it’s more to do with respecting the privacy of the high profile clients. If there’s questionable antics or undercover operations taking place, I haven’t been exposed to them.”
Jenna traced her finger in some spilt salt. Subconsciously she drew a heart.
“Kelly. You said two minutes. It’s been closer to ten. Get your fanny back behind the counter and help to pick up the slack. Whatever dream boat you two girls are discussing can wait,” yelled the short order cook.
“Can it wait?” inquired Kelly of her seemingly confused friend.
“Sure it can. Of course, it was silly of me to corner you in a busy period.” assured Jenna.
“What about your milkshake?”
“That’ll have to wait as well. I need to start work soon and I can’t afford to be late.”
“Phone me later?” called Kelly. “I want the full details.”
“I promise I will,” retorted Jenna, as she squeezed through the crowd onto the street to make her way toward the Tribeca area of lower Manhattan.
*
Jenna preferred cleaning Spencer Lawson’s penthouse apartment on a Saturday. It meant she never had to see him and thus couldn’t become flustered and distracted in his presence. Given it was her duty to give the residence a full cleanup she really couldn’t afford to spend half her time with one eye on his gorgeous looks and her mind creating a fantasy where the British billionaire would fall madly in love with her. Without Spencer in close proximity, she could get down and dirty to make the apartment spectacularly clean to the high standards her agency promised.
On weekdays before classes, Jenna was merely expected to ensure the bedroom was tidy, the bed made up, the kitchens, and bathrooms were immaculately cleaned and that she ran a vacuum cleaner around. Saturdays she had to clean every room from top to bottom and do the laundry.
