The Jilted Billionaire Groom

by Jennifer Youngblood

She made a face, pulling back. “You don’t wanna kiss me,” she protested, “I have morning breath.”

  He laughed. “I’ll take my chances.” His mouth came coaxingly down on hers as he pulled her closer and gave her a slow, deliberate kiss, drinking in her softness. A sigh escaped her throat as she threaded her fingers through his hair and melted into him, deepening the kiss. Fire ignited through his veins as his hands moved up the length of her back and over her shoulders. The need for her was intense, making him wonder how he’d managed to exist so long without her.

  When the kiss was over, he pulled back, his hands cupping her jaw. “You are incredible,” he murmured, soaking in the depth of emotion in her rich mocha eyes. He dreaded telling her that he had to go to Dallas this afternoon, especially considering the concern over Nolan Webb. Finley made a mental note to call Percy today to see what he’d found out.

  An impish smile tipped her lips. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She rubbed a self-conscious hand over her hair. “I guess I’d better check on Ian and then get cleaned up.”

  She moved to leave, but he tightened his hold. “What?” she laughed.

  “There’s something I need to ask you.”

  “Yeah?” The sudden wariness that came over her face made him feel for her. She’d been through so much. She deserved some happiness in her life, and he’d do everything in his power to ensure that she got it.

  He couldn’t hold back the smile tugging at his lips. “Should I call you Ashley or Sunny?”

  She chuckled in surprise. “Which would you prefer?”

  He made a show of surveying her as he pressed his lips together. “Hmm,” he drawled. “Would it hurt your feelings if I said Sunny?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Really?”

  “Nope. At first, I couldn’t believe my sister had given me such a ridiculous name—Sunny Day.” She wrinkled her nose. “She said I was too serious and that the name would remind me to take time to enjoy life.”

  “You? Too serious? No,” he said in mock solemnity.

  She shoved his shoulder. “Hey.” The corners of her mouth pulled down. “I know. I can be a little too goal oriented sometimes.”

  “You’re perfect just as you are.”

  She flashed an automatic smile of appreciation, then seemed to get caught up in her own thoughts. A shadow passed over her features. “Now, the name reminds me of Lexi. A connection to her.” Tears glittered in her eyes as her jaw worked. She took in a breath and smiled. “I think I’ll keep Sunny.”

  He touched a lock of her hair, giving her a tender look. “It suits you.” Now was as good of a time as any to tell her he had to leave. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but then he got distracted by her tantalizing lips. He leaned in to claim them once more, but stopped short when he heard a throat being cleared. They both turned, shocked to see the doctor standing in the room. Finley bunched his brows. “How did you get in here?” He could feel the tension radiating off Sunny as she eyed the doctor with suspicion.

  “I knocked, but no one answered, so I let myself in,” Clint explained. “The x-ray equipment just arrived.” He pushed his glasses up higher on his nose and clasped his hands together. “I knew you both would be eager to get Ian looked at as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, we are,” Finley answered.

  “I’ll go and wake Ian up, so we can get started.” Sunny looked down at her oversized t-shirt. “I guess changing clothes will have to wait.”

  It wasn’t until Sunny was halfway out of the room when Finley realized that he’d still not told her about the Dallas trip. He sighed, rubbing his neck. There would be time after Ian was looked after.

  Chapter 11

  It was a relief to have the x-rays done and Ian’s cast on. As they’d all expected, there was a fracture at the distal end of his radius, but it was a clean, simple break and the broken ends were already lined up nicely. Healing wouldn’t be complicated at all. Dr. Clock put a cast on him using local anesthesia and declared it might take as long as four to six weeks for the fracture to heal and three to four months before Ian could resume his normal activities such as skateboarding.

  Shortly after Dr. Clock set Ian’s arm, Finley put him on a plane back to Dallas, this time flying commercially. Sunny was glad to see Dr. Clock go. With any luck, that’s the last any of them would see of the pompous intern. Finley assured her that he’d have Leo, his regular doctor take care of the follow-up visit with Ian.

  “I believe you made a friend for life.” Sunny cut her eyes at Ian who was holding the remote control of his new Xbox with this casted arm and punching the button with his other thumb. His tongue was hanging out of the side of his mouth, his face scrunched as he focused all his concentration on the TV screen. “I’m afraid you’re spoiling him rotten though.” She made a point of looking at the mile-high pile of video games that Finley had purchased to go along with the Xbox. “You’re setting the bar high. At this rate, there’ll be nowhere to go but down from here on out.”

  “Nah. It was nothing. I’m just glad Ian has a way to stay entertained.”

  She made a face. “For now. Although we’ll have to think of something productive to keep his mind occupied besides his online school, which is only capable of commanding his attention for a few scant minutes. Otherwise, he’ll turn into a pile of mush in front of the TV.”

  Finley waved a hand. “It’s only been a couple of hours. Let him enjoy it for a while.”

  She rolled her eyes. “If you say so. This is changing the subject, but what should we do for dinner? I could run to the store and pick up some things for spaghetti. Or we could keep it simple and order pizza.” This thing with Finley was more amazing than she’d ever dreamt, but it was happening fast. She was still trying to get her footing, figuring out how to navigate it. Finley had insisted that she and Ian stay at his penthouse since he had three bedrooms. That was all well and good for now, but soon, they’d need to talk about the future. They couldn’t stay in the hotel forever. Finley would eventually have to go back to his regular life. Ideally, Sunny and Ian could just go with him, but they couldn’t so long as the threat of Nolan Webb was present. One idea would be for her and Ian to move back into the rental house. Sunny got the feeling that Finley would balk at that idea. Maybe she’d wait a few days before broaching the topic. Now that they were getting Ian settled, she was eager to get started on plans for the hotel. While she still felt guilty about Finley just handing her the job, she was well qualified to do the project. It would be nice to have a project to focus on, something to take her mind off Nolan Webb.

  “What do you think about dinner?” she repeated, then got a good look at Finley. Her eyebrows shot down, worry spilling over her. Finley was fidgeting with his hands, his face lined with apprehension. She touched his arm. “What’s wrong?” she asked, bracing for the worst.

  Had Finley gotten bad news from Percy, the detective he’d sent to investigate Nolan? Or worse, maybe he was having second thoughts about their relationship. Cold prickles ran through her. Please don’t let it be that. She took in a breath, pushing aside the negative thoughts. She had to stop doing this to herself. Every time something good happened in her life, she fretted that trouble was just around the corner. Lexi attributed her rationale to their mom deserting them and their dad dying. “You’ve got to learn to open your heart to trust people,” she’d often say. Perhaps that was true. Sunny needed to rewire her thoughts. Finley had done so many kind things for her. Why was she constantly afraid that he’d fail her?

  Finley cleared his throat, his eyes meeting hers. “I’ve got to leave in a few hours to go to Dallas for an emergency meeting.”

  Her heart sank. She wasn’t fast enough to cover up the despondent look on her face.

  He reached for her hand. “I’m sorry. It’s lousy timing. There’s a problem with one of our biggest clients. I’ve got to meet with him in the morning at eight a.m. to resolve his concerns. The good news is that I can hop a plane and be back her
e by tomorrow afternoon.”

  She brightened a little. It wouldn’t even be a full twenty-four hours without Finley. “I’m glad it’s work related.” She made her voice sound light. “For a minute there, I was worried you might be trying to get away from me because my problems are too large to deal with.” She forced a chuckle.

  He frowned. “No, nothing could be further from the truth.” A fierce look came into his eyes, the gold specks shining like a beacon. “You’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. I wish I didn’t have to go to Dallas. I would love nothing more than to stay here with you and Ian.”

  She smiled, touching his cheek. “I was just teasing you. I get it. Duty calls. Ian and I’ll be fine here while you’re gone.” She glanced at Ian. “He can work his way through the library of video games, and I’ll start drawing up plans for the hotel renovation.”

  Finley sighed draping an arm around her, pulling her into his shoulder. “You’re amazing,” he murmured into her ear.

  She rested her head against him. “So are you.” The comfort of his strong, capable arms settled around Sunny like a protective cocoon, which is why she was shocked at the pit that settled in the base of her stomach. She tried to make sense of her feelings. Part of her apprehension was that she didn’t want Finley to go to Dallas, not even for a few hours. She wanted him here with her and Ian. She needed Finley here with her! Crazy how much she’d begun to depend on him in such a short period of time. Her reaction was silly. It was just a few hours. He’d be back by tomorrow afternoon.

  Her heart began to pound. Something bad was going to happen. She could feel it. Was Finley’s plane going to crash? Would Nolan find her? Maybe he’d already found them. Maybe he was nearby, watching and waiting for the opportune time to strike—a time when Finley was out of town.

  She swallowed her fears, laughing inwardly at herself. She and Ian were perfectly safe here. If Lexi were alive, she’d tell her to quit waiting for the other shoe to drop. She’d tell Sunny to be happy, to enjoy this blessed time of falling in love with the man of her dreams.

  But she couldn’t enjoy it, not when disaster was about to happen. She offered a silent prayer, asking for peace and assurance that all would be well. A measure of peace settled over her, but with that peace came some inner knowledge warning her to be super vigilant for the next twenty-four hours.

  Her and Ian’s safety depended on it.

  * * *

  It was a little after seven p.m. when Sunny heard something. She looked at the door and saw the handle move. She and Ian were in the middle of watching a movie and eating popcorn. Sunny leapt to her feet, her heart racing. It couldn’t be Finley. He’d called her right after he landed in Dallas saying he was headed to his parent’s house for dinner.

  Ian picked up on her fears, his face draining. “Who is it?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said, trying to remain calm. Sunny balled her fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. She about jumped out of her skin when the door opened. It was stopped from opening fully by the metal guard on the inside.

  “Hello?” a female voice called, pushing against the door.

  “Who the heck is that?” Ian said, wide-eyed.

  “I’m not sure.” Sunny looked at the door. “Who is it?” she called. Her pulse thrashed against her temples. Should she have said anything? If it was Nolan or one of his goons, she’d just clued them in that she was here. She glanced around wildly, thinking how they didn’t even have an escape plan. The only thing she could do would be to call 911, and then it would be too late.

  “Dede,” the woman shot back, like she was irritated at having to announce herself.

  “Who?” Sunny asked.

  “I’m here for Finley. Open the door,” the woman insisted.

  Relief swept over Sunny. This had nothing to do with her, Ian, or Nolan Webb. “Finley’s not here.” Dede. She rolled the name through her head, trying to figure out who she was. Finley had never mentioned anyone by that name.

  “Who are you?” the woman demanded.

  The woman had a Southern accent. She was haughty, aggressive, territorial.

  “I asked you a question.”

  “It’s none of your business who I am,” Sunny snapped. She straightened to her full height, glaring at the door. Who in the heck did this woman think she was? “Maybe you’d better start by explaining who you are.”

  “I’m Dede Chambers.” She harrumphed. “I don’t know who you are or why you’re in Finley Landers’ room, but I’m going to give you ten seconds to open this door before I get the manager.”

  Sunny barked out a disbelieving laugh. “Be my guest.” She marched to the door and slammed it shut, locking it. She turned, resting her back against the door, her mind spinning. Who was this woman? What business did she have with Finley?

  “Who was she?” Ian asked, but Sunny hardly heard him. She went to the kitchen island and grabbed her phone. She called Finley. The phone rang once, then went to voicemail. “Hey, it’s me. Call me as soon as you get this.” She ended the call.

  Sunny had just sat back down on the sofa beside Ian when there was another knock at the door.

  “Sunny, it’s Drake. Can you open the door?”

  Her chin going hard, Sunny jumped to her feet, strode to the door, and flung it open. “Yes?” she said coolly. Her eyes first went to Drake whose face was beet red like he might combust any minute. Then she looked at the woman standing beside him. She was tall, blonde, and stylishly dressed like she’d just stepped out of a magazine. She had an indignant expression on her beautiful face.

  Drake let out a nervous laugh, rubbing his head. “Uh, there seems to be a mix-up.”

  Sunny folded her arms tightly over her chest, eyeing him as she waited for him to speak.

  “Miss Chambers just flew in from Dallas to see Finley.” He cleared his throat. “She’s under the assumption that he wanted her to meet him here in his penthouse.”

  Dede’s face hardened. “There’s no assumption about it. I’m telling you straight out that Finley asked me to meet him here.”

  Sunny’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s interesting seeing as how Finley just hopped a plane back to Dallas for a business meeting.”

  Dede looked Sunny up and down with scathing eyes, as if Sunny were a bug that needed to be smashed. A haughty smile spread over her lips. “Oh, I see what’s going on here.” She laughed lightly. “You were under the impression that you and Finley …” She gave Sunny a look of pity, shaking her head. “Finley, Finley, what have you been up to while I’ve been away?” she mused.

  Drake looked back and forth between the two women. “I’m sure this can be cleared up with a phone call to Mr. Landers.” He pulled out his cell phone and stepped away from them.

  An invisible fist tightened around Sunny’s chest as she fought to get a breath. Hot needles pelted her and then she went cold. She clutched her throat. “Are you saying that you and Finley are together?”

  Dede raised a sculptured eyebrow, her voice turning to silk. “Let me guess. Finley had to suddenly go away on business, an emergency that only he could handle.”

  The breath left Sunny’s lungs, and she had the feeling that she was suspended above her body, far removed from all that was taking place.

  Dede clucked her tongue. “Finley gets himself into situations and doesn’t know how to get out, so he makes up excuses.” She shrugged. “You have no idea how many times this same scenario has played out before.”

  Drake stepped up to them, frowning. “I couldn’t reach him.” He gave Sunny an apologetic look.

  Sunny’s mind swam as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Dede Chambers was exactly like all those girls she and Ian had gone to high school with at Trinity Academy. They were catty and privileged and expected the world to hand them their every wish on a silver platter simply on the merit of their name. She detested women like Dede Chambers. Sunny was under the impression that Finley liked her because she was down-to-eart
h and real, the opposite of those types of women. Had Finley been playing her the entire time? He was part of Dede Chamber’s world.

  No, that couldn’t be right. Finley had nothing to gain from their relationship. Everything he’d done for her and Ian had been out of kindness and affection. What she and Finley had was real. She gave Dede a scathing look. “You’re lying.”

  Dede chuckled. “That would be convenient for you, wouldn’t it?” She turned to Drake. “Tell her who arranged for me to come here.”

  He coughed. “You’ve made your point, Miss Chambers. There’s no need to make things worse.”

  Ice slithered down Sunny’s spine, her throat going thick. “What’s she talking about? Who arranged for her to come here?”

  “Mr. Landers called a few hours ago and said Miss Chambers would be coming.” Drake hesitated. “Since you and Finley were together, I assumed that meant Miss Chambers would be staying in another suite. I guess I was mistaken.”

  Sunny gulped in a breath, feeling like the floor had slipped out from under her.

  “I’m sorry,” Drake continued, his mouth forming a grim line.

  Dede lifted her chin. “I want this woman out of Finley’s room.” She turned to Drake. “Do you understand?”

  Trembles started in Sunny’s hands working their way through her body. She felt someone touch her arm, realized Ian was standing beside her.

  “What’s wrong?” Ian asked, looking at Drake and Dede.

  Sunny could only shake her head. She felt hollow and numb. And furious! Was that why her previous call to Finley went to voicemail? Was he ignoring her? Maybe Finley had cared about her and Ian initially, but then the threat of Nolan Webb proved to be too great. Yes, that had to be what was happening here. Finley couldn’t think of a way to break it off with her, so he sent this woman here so Sunny would get the message. Well, she’d gotten it. Loud and clear!

  “Let’s not be hasty,” Drake said. He motioned at Ian’s arm. “The boy has been through a lot. He just got his cast put on this morning. Miss Chambers, I’ll put you in another suite until we can sort this thing out.”