Rocked by the Billionaire: A Billionaire's Club Story
Page 10
The bell rang and a swarm of older kids and teachers flooded the playground, reminding him of a concert crowd. The teachers worked together, herding the kids to where they needed to go while keeping them on task. Organized chaos. There was probably a song in there somewhere …
“I need to get the kids on their busses.” Not even her tone betrayed her emotions. Good Lord, she was killing him! Kayleigh took a slow step backward and then another. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
A slow breath of relief deflated Luke’s lungs. “Don’t go anywhere” was a hell of a lot better than “fuck off.” He’d taken Ryder’s words to heart, and was ready to do things right this time. He’d settled that bullshit with Minnie, and met with the guys about the future of the band. Some of it had been positive and proactive, but there’d been a shit ton of negativity and disagreement, too. After everything was said and done, Luke was happy with the decisions he’d made. He’d made choices that were for his music and career, but more importantly, he’d done what was right for his life.
A smile grew on his face as he watched Kayleigh usher all of her little rug rats to their respective busses. The smile on her face as she helped one with his backpack, and another with a loose shoelace, caused his chest to swell with emotion. The woman was fucking spectacular. It showed just how far lost he was to her that he could stand there and watch her wipe runny noses and zip up jackets all day.
The playground began to empty until every kid was either on a bus or in the care of their own parents. Even the teachers dispersed, heading back into the building like horses trotting back to the barn.
Luke strolled over to the swings, not far from where Kayleigh was talking with a mother whose little girl was tugging on her jacket. He squeezed himself into the U-shaped rubber seat and pushed back, setting the swing in motion. When the little girl apparently became too impatient to wait another second, Kayleigh gave a little wave, watching as the two walked toward the parking lot.
A peaceful calm settled around him. Kayleigh stood staring out at the parking lot for a few more minutes and Luke gave her the space she needed to gather her thoughts as he continued to sway back and forth, his knees almost up to his chin in the tiny swing. She turned, that same impassive expression on her face, and made her way to him, taking a seat in the swing beside his.
“I had to go to court today.” Nothing like addressing her ex’s broken nose to start off a conversation.
“Oh yeah?” Her voice bore a hint of playfulness and Luke’s heart soared. “Was the judge anxious to throw the book at the infamous Lucifer Blackwell?”
“I got community service,” he said with a laugh. “I look good in an orange vest though so it’s no big deal.”
“Sort of hard to pick up trash when you’re supposed to be a few thousand miles away, isn’t it?”
“Yep, which is why I bought a house here.”
The swing stopped abruptly and she turned to face him, her brow furrowed. “What?”
Luke smiled. “Familiarity can be nice. My mom’s already planning family dinners and it’ll be cool to be closer to Jase and Ryder.” He stopped the sway of his own swing and turned in the tiny bucket seat to face her. “I never should have shown up out of the blue like a selfish asshole, demanding to pick up where we left off without so much as a conversation. I won’t apologize for wanting you, Kayleigh. I’ll always want you. But I should have been mature enough to explain myself and let you decide what you wanted instead of putting so much pressure on you.”
“What about the band? Your career? Luke, you can’t just walk away from it.”
“I’m not.” He’d found a way to make it work, though this year would be more of a trial run. “I don’t have to live in L.A. to make music. I’m going to build a recording studio here. Chase, Toby, and Eric are staying in California and that’s cool. I’ve agreed to commute when I need to. We’ll still tour. But we’ll record our music here. I know it’s not ideal, splitting my time like this. But I think it’s a decent compromise. I used to think that I couldn’t have it all. But maybe I can. Maybe …” He reached over and took her hand in his. “Maybe I can slow down and enjoy the ride for a change. I could take you out to dinner again sometime. I promise not to punch anyone.”
Laughter bubbled in Kayleigh’s chest, her amusement growing to the point that Luke wondered if she’d finally snapped. Hell, for all he knew she was already back with Spencer, and he was much too late for compromises and sentimentality.
“I quit my job last week,” she said through another bout of laughter. “I was planning to move to L.A. over the summer. To prove to you that I could step out of my rut. That I could brave change and the prospect of sharing you with other people. I shouldn’t have walked away from you that night, Luke. I should have been more understanding. I thought that if I could go where you needed to be for your career that we could try to make this work. I’ve missed you so much. I don’t want to live another day without you.”
He grabbed the chain that suspended her swing, pulling her until they faced each other. His mouth found hers in a slow, tender kiss that set him ablaze with want, uncontrollable lust, but most of all, love. “I love you, baby,” he murmured against her mouth. “I’ve always loved you.”
“I love you, too, Luke.” Her lips found his and he deepened the kiss. He’d never, ever get enough of her and for the first time since he’d left her, Luke felt the final piece of the life he wanted click into place. “And I’m ready for anything, as long as we’re together.”
“Baby,” he smiled against her mouth, “you aren’t ever gettin’ rid of me.”
There was definitely a song in there somewhere.
Read all three parts of the fabulously intense Billionaire’s Club: Texas e-series!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mandy Baxter lives in rural Idaho. She’s a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshipper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. She loves black clothes, pink appliances and thinks junk food should be a recognized food group. In the summer, she can be found sitting by the lake, enjoying the view from her dock. She also writes urban fantasy under Amanda Bonilla.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
“Rocked by the Billionaire” copyright © 2014 by Mandy Baxter.
All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
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Cover digital illustration © shutterstock.com Author photo © Kimberly Minter Photography
eISBN 978-1-4668-5881-7
First eBook Edition: December 2014
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