Yours Forever: A Holiday Romance

by Bella Winters

  “Money is what makes the world go around,” she said shaking her head. “I just don’t know how I am supposed to believe you. I feel like I don’t know who you are. I have seen this Nathan that no one else seems to have ever experienced and now with this, it makes me feel like no one has experienced him because it’s not the real you after all. I feel like I got played hardcore and I can’t figure out why. I can’t do anything for you that you can’t do yourself. I don’t understand Nathan, please help me understand.”

  I stood there for a moment thinking about the right thing to say, knowing in the back of my mind what needed to be revealed. I was nervous, not just about losing Ruby, but being hurt so bad that I went back into my recluse stage, never letting anyone in, and turning my life into nothing but work. I wanted so bad to fix this, but I knew I had to make the right choice in what I was about to say. She deserved for me to be open and honest with her, not shielded by my own fear. I took in a deep breath and stepped forward.

  “No one else has seen me this way for a reason,” I said.

  “Yeah? And what reason would that be?”

  “I love you, Ruby,” I said.

  She stood there staring at me, her arms loosening and falling to her side. I could see her anger begin to melt away, but she also was watching my face, trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. It was the first time I had ever told her I loved her. I knew for a couple weeks those feelings were there, but I was scared to admit them out loud. I was afraid if I said them to her, everything would change. I was scared she didn’t feel the same way, and the last thing I wanted was to scare her away before she had the chance to feel the same way about me. However, the moment she ran off, leaving me in India with Chris, I knew I had to suck up that fear and tell her how I felt. I knew that if I didn’t, if I held it in and never said it, and she decided not to see me anymore, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

  “Ruby, I’ve been in love with you for a while,” I said. “You’ve made me a better man, a more open man, a man that wants to see the sunshine now and not just be locked away in the top floor of my office. I want to travel and see the world, and I want to do it all by your side. I messed up, and I didn’t tell you about the outsourcing thing because I think in the back of my mind I knew you would be upset and that terrified me. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you that I wasn’t interested and was doing it for show, but I didn’t, and I can’t take that back. The man you know is the real me, not some made up person for you. The main point to all of this is I love you a thousand times, I love you.”

  She stood there with her head tilted to the side for several moments before she began to walk toward me. She stood close to my body staring deep into my eyes, tears collecting in the corners of hers and slowly trickling down her cheeks. My heart was racing, wondering what she was thinking, what she was feeling, but all I could do was stand there and wait. It felt like an eternity, a million hours of just standing and waiting for someone else to decide my fate. She cleared her throat as her face softened and she reached out, grabbing my hand.

  “I love you too, Nathan,” she said.

  I waited for the “but,” and it never came. Ruby leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against mine, and I smiled, feeling how much she meant it. This was the love of my life, I already knew it.

  Epilogue

  Ruby

  It had been a year since Nathan had stood in my doorway and told me he loved me. That day had changed my life in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. When he said those three words, it was like everything I thought I knew about myself and about him changed and for the better. I realized that the man I knew was the real Nathan, the one he never let anyone see because he was afraid they would turn their backs on him. He was the man I had been looking for my entire life, and I didn’t know it until that minute.

  Since that day things got better and better and after spending so many days and nights at his apartment in The Avalon, he asked me to move in permanently. I couldn’t have imagined anything more perfect, and I immediately said yes. We put my house on the market, and it sold quickly, giving me just enough time to get my things and move out. We redecorated the apartment and brought both of our tastes into one space. That routine we had settled into after just a month, blossomed and evolved to the point where we were our own little family. We rarely ate dinner out after that, making sure that we cooked at home and spent quality time together. I told him about the organization against outsourcing and all the protests I had been involved with. He immediately made a significant donation to us, helping us take our concerns all the way to Washington. There was a long road ahead for the cause, but I felt so much more optimistic with Nathan behind me.

  As far as Pope Financials was concerned, Nathan went to work creating a plan to expand without outsourcing. He explained to the board why he felt it was the best way, and to his surprise, they all agreed. They wanted to see the expansion, and they had joined his team because they believed in his moral approach to business, something that was pretty much extinct in the industry. They started the project, Chris heading it up, and in the next month or two they will be opening their first office in London. Everything he wanted to do with his company was happening and he felt good about his choices because they were on his terms.

  I stood there in the mirror, staring at myself, and admiring the beautiful diamond necklace he had given me just a couple weeks before. Nathan walked up behind me, and I smiled, feeling him grab the zipper of my dress and pull it all the way up. He leaned over and kissed my neck, sending shivers down my spine. He was taking me to dinner for our one-year anniversary, something that I had been looking forward to all week. He hadn’t told me where we were going, but I knew wherever it was we would have a delightful, intimate time.

  I grabbed my shawl and followed Nathan from the apartment, riding the elevator down to the lobby and smiling sweetly at George as we passed. He had been the biggest cheerleader for me when I first moved into The Avalon and was trying to get used to all the wealthy people that were judging me on a daily basis. After a few weeks, though, they figured out who I was, and they left me alone. Turns out Nathan Pope is known as a very powerful man, even if he thought that was preposterous. I guess money still equates to power, just another thing that drove me nuts about society.

  We hopped in the limo and headed out into the city, staring out at all the lights. I loved New York at night time, it was always so beautiful. The people, the giant buildings, and the sounds of the city made me feel like I was where I was supposed to be. After a few minutes we pulled up out front of the restaurant and he smiled, knowing he had picked one that I had been eager to try. It was the Public, and little did I know when we arrived, but Nathan had rented out the entire roof for our dinner. He continually spoiled me with such lavish surprises, and I wasn’t going to lie, it was heartwarming and made me feel loved.

  We sat across from each other and stared out at the view. It was so gorgeous with all the buildings lit up in the background and the lights on the terrace creating a sexy and romantic vibe. We had our own private server who brought us wine, appetizers, and drinks that Nathan had preordered for the occasion. We sat there like not a day had passed since we first met, drinking, talking, eating, and laughing. He had become my best friend and calmed me even better than my sister was able to do. He smiled and listened as I ranted and raved about something that happened on the news or in Washington and then sweetly reminded me to remember the bigger picture, something I was getting better and better at as time passed.

  After our entrée’s they brought out several desserts and we grabbed our spoons sharing all of them at once. The server tried to hide a smile, but I was sure she thought what we had been told a million times. We didn’t act like your typical billionaire power couple, we acted like regular folks, minus the fact that we had rented out the roof of one of the most expensive places in the city. That aside, we joked, laughed, and acted like children around each other. It was the perfect relationship
for me, one that I knew I never wanted to see end. When we were done with the desserts, I noticed the server disappear back down into the restaurant, leaving us alone on the roof.

  “Ruby,” Nathan said. “I want to tell you something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “When we first met I could not believe there was a woman out there that was not only beautiful, but passionate, intelligent, and motivated,” he said. “You were everything I wanted in a woman but had given up on finding because I felt like it was never going to happen. That night in the bar changed my world forever. You have shown me I can be myself and I don’t have to be afraid or guarded. You have shown me there is much more to life than working all the time. You have shown me how to be compassionate and empathetic toward others in a way that has not only improved me as a person, but it has improved my company as a whole. There is something to the saying that behind every great man, there is an even greater woman. You pull the strings, that’s for sure, but you pull the right ones. There hasn’t been a day that’s passed since India that I haven’t thanked the Universe for allowing me to keep you in my life. I don’t ever want to lose you again.”

  I smiled at him and reached for his hand, but he had already pulled it away. I looked at him curiously as he stood up from his chair and reached into the breast pocket of his jacket. He slowly pulled out a small black velvet box and lowered himself down onto one knee. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands and immediately bursting into tears.

  “Ruby Woods, you are everything in this world that makes me happy,” he said. “Please do me the honor of accepting this ring and becoming my wife.”

  “Yes,” I said nodding my head up and down, tears streaming down my face. “Of course, yes.”

  I stood up as he did and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing his lips and laughing through my tears. I looked down at the ring box that was open, and my eyes widened, the largest diamond I had ever seen was sparkling up at me. He reached into the box and pulled it out, taking my hand and slipping it onto my finger. I spread my hand out and looked at it, amazed at how it sparkled. I turned back to Nathan and hugged him again, this time pressing my lips long, hard, and passionately against his. I could feel the love pulsing through every inch of me, circling us like a bubble on the rooftop. I pulled back and stared him deep in his eyes.

  “I love you, Nathan,” I said. “I cannot wait to be your wife.”

  I knew right then and there that happily ever after was real, and I had found mine.

  The Billionaire’s Nanny

  Part 1: Blurb

  Veronica Lawrence is a simple babysitter, who is content with her life with her boyfriend, Calvin. She has everything she could ever dream of and more- or so she thought. Without her knowledge Calvin sets her up with an interview for a job with the richest lawyer in the city, Frank Davenport, who Veronica discovers is incredibly attractive and alluring, almost to the point of distraction. She surprises both Calvin and herself by actually landing the job. There is a catch, though. If she wants to take the job, she must agree to move onto his large estate.

  While Calvin is reluctant, Veronica decides to take the job, and she finds herself surrounded by opulence and riches. Little did she know, though, that her employer would be quite so impossible to resist.

  CHAPTER 1

  Veronica heaved a sigh, readjusting the strap of her purse as she walked down the sidewalk. She had just finished up a babysitting job for one of the neighbors in her community. She had started doing as a quick way to make money in high school, and she had loved it so much then that she decided that was what she wanted to do for a living. Even as she earned her business degree, she had used babysitting as a way to get her through school.

  Even after she graduated, she had very little interest in picking up a job in the realm of business. Now that she was no longer in school, she had more time to devote to taking care of kids. In fact, in a way, that was sort of like a business in and of itself, and she ran it very efficiently. It didn’t bring in as much money as it could have, because often times the people she babysat for couldn’t pay as much as they had originally thought.

  While Veronica, too, needed the money, she couldn’t bring herself to demand money from people when she could clearly see they were just trying to get by and support their children. Veronica cut a lot people slack, and as a result she often had to live a lean life, but she didn’t mind it.

  That is, until she met her boyfriend, Calvin.

  Calvin was a young social climber, fresh out of law school. He frequented the same coffee shop that Veronica went to, and had taken a liking to her. Veronica had been interested in him as well, on account of his ambition and the fact that he was more than a little attractive. She could hardly resist flirting when he approached to talk with her one afternoon.

  It didn’t take long for them to start dating, and for a while Veronica was fairly happy with their relationship. They made plans for their future together, and Veronica could easily picture herself spending the rest of her life at his side, maybe even having some kids and buying a house. It only seemed natural when Calvin suggested that they get an apartment together and start making a life with each other.

  Veronica’s parents couldn’t; have been more thrilled for her. They loved Calvin, as he was a respectable young man who was steadily moving up in his career, and they knew he would provide stability in Veronica’s life. Veronica was glad they were both so supportive of her relationship with him, and she was eager to see where the future would take them.

  At some point, though, after they had spent about a year and a half together in, Calvin began to voice his true opinions about her line of work. Even now, as she headed home to their apartment, she felt a tension creep into her shoulders as she wondered what he would say when she told him she was short on money again.

  Calvin had a good job at a law firm, so money wasn’t an issue for him. Even so, she could tell it bothered him that she didn’t have what he considered a “real job”. He often tried to pressure her into looking for a job somewhere at an office, or at least to collect the correct amount of money for her services.

  Veronica could only prepare her usual list of responses and pick the most appropriate one for whatever argument he chose to employ.

  Veronica finally made it to their apartment building, and she rode the elevator up to her floor. She then made her way to the door of her apartment and unlocked it. She stepped inside silently, looking around and carefully listening to see if Calvin was home.

  Veronica didn’t see or hear anything, so she heaved a small sigh of relief, turning to shut the door behind her. She placed her small bag on the hall tree just beside the door, and moved into the kitchen, taking a glass from out of the cabinet and filling it up with water from the sink.

  Calvin hated when she did this, as he said the water from the fridge was more filtered. Veronica had been drinking water from the time she could even drink water at all, and it was a force of habit that compelled her to do so even in adulthood. She sipped at it slowly, letting it refresh her.

  When she had consumed all the liquid, she washed the glass and put it back in the cabinet. Another thing that Calvin hated was leaving unwashed dishes in the sink, so she didn’t want to give him any more of an excuse to be irritated when he got home.

  With that done, Veronica decided to go ahead and start dinner. She knew Calvin would be wanting to eat at around seven, and she knew it would take a couple of hours to get it all ready. So, Veronica changed into a set of comfortable yoga pants and a tank top and began the process of making their dinner.

  As she expected, Calvin came home around six. The door unlocked, and Veronica looked up as he stepped through the frame and shut the door behind him, offering him a smile.

  “Hey,” Calvin greeted her, moving over to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

  “Hey,” she replied as he set his things down by the hall tree. “How was your day?”

  “Pretty good,” he answered. �
�Same story different day, as usual.”

  Veronica nodded, looking down into the food she was cooking.

  “What about you?” Calvin asked, moving to lean against the counter beside the stove and cross his arms over his chest.

  “It was good,” she answered simply.

  “Who were the kids today?” he asked, and Veronica tensed, knowing that he was setting her up for another set of inquiries.

  “Toby and Alec,” she answered calmly, though she saw Calvin shake his head a little, pinching the bridge of his nose between this thumb and forefinger.

  “Should I even ask?” he bit out, and Veronica let out a sigh, shaking her head and turning to face him.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say,” Veronica answered calmly. “Every time you ask, the answer is the same.”

  Calvin clenched his jaw and shook his head.

  “That’s exactly what I thought you were going to say,” he sighed.

  “Then why are we even having this conversation?” Veronica shook her head and returned her attention to the food on the stove.

  “Look,” Calvin sighed, his voice calmer. Veronica felt him place a hand on her shoulder, and she turned once more to look at him.

  “There’s something I want to talk to you about, but I need to get showered and changed first,” he said slowly. “Can we talk about it over dinner?”

  Veronica felt a twist of anxiety in her stomach, and she wondered how on earth this conversation was going to go. Still, she knew they would have to talk about whatever it was at some point, and she may as well get it out of the way as soon as possible.

  “Okay, sure,” Veronica nodded.

  “Okay,” Calvin said. “I’ll be out in a little while.”