Rock Me: A Billionaire Romance (Billionaires, Brides and Babies Book 1)

by dos Anjos, Maria

  “I wish we had time to paint your toenails, too, but I’m afraid they would smudge when you put your shoes on.” Beth frowned as if having unpainted toenails was the worst thing I could do.

  “What if I put on a pair of shoes with open toes first, and then you can paint my nails without worrying about ruining the polish?” I suggested

  Beth loved the idea. I put on a pair of black shoes with high heels and open toes that fastened around the ankle with a thin strap and a silver buckle.

  Promising not to take my shoes off until the end of the night, no matter what, I allowed Beth to apply polish to my toenails even though it tickled a little when she missed and got pink enamel on my skin.

  “I’ll clean that up when I’m finished,” she said.

  It tickled even more when she went after the overspill with a cotton swab soaked in nail polish remover, but I had to admit that it looked good once she was finished.

  She offered to do my makeup, too. At first, I was a little worried that she would take the 1980s theme too far by coating my face in a year’s worth of cosmetics at once, but I needn’t have worried. Beth did a great job highlighting my eyes and cheekbones, lining my lips and filling them in with a subtle shade of pink that complemented my dress and nails.

  “Where is he taking you tonight?” Beth asked.

  “Um, if he mentioned it, I forgot.” I giggled nervously.

  “I think they call that pregnancy brain,” Beth said. “It’s one thing to forget where he said he was taking you, but forgetting whether he told you or not is something else entirely.”

  “That’s okay. I like surprises.” I looked at the clock. “It’s almost seven.”

  If Beth didn’t leave soon, it would be the first time that she had seen Dom in person since he had told her to eat the wedding cake she had baked for his non-wedding to the crazy one-night stand. Brandi was her name.

  I frowned, not liking any reminder of Dom’s rock star lifestyle when it came to bedding a different woman at every tour stop. I wondered why so many famous musicians behaved that way. It was probably just because they could.

  Suddenly feeling downcast and insecure, I turned to Beth. “What am I doing? What makes me think I can hang with a rock star without getting hurt?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea, but you’re already pregnant. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “I can get my heart broken.”

  She shrugged again. “It wouldn’t be the first time. What makes you think you wouldn’t get over it in record time? Look how quickly you managed to get over Jeff.”

  My frown deepened. “I only got over Jeff that soon because I had a hot rock star to take his place. What are the odds of that happening two times in a row?” I knew the answer to that question. The odds were slim to none. Who was I kidding? It was definitely none.

  “I have no idea,” Beth said. “But if I had known that Dom was single, I would have asked him out myself when he came to the bakery to pay for the wedding cake. You know, Jenny, I feel a little bit guilty.”

  “Really? Why?” Beth was the most honest person I had ever known. I couldn’t imagine what reason she would have to feel guilty about anything.

  “That cake was already paid for. Remember? I told you Brandi always paid cash.”

  I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. He didn’t have to go all the way to the bakery to cancel your services. He could have just called or sent one of his people to do it. It sounds like he wanted to make up for the inconvenience.”

  Beth visibly brightened. “I was inconvenienced,” she agreed. “Do you know how much publicity the bakery would have gotten if I had supplied the cake for a rock star wedding?”

  “I can only imagine,” I said. “So, how do I look?”

  “You look like a rock star bride circa 1984,” Beth said. “I swear. Hot pink is your color.”

  “I’ll try to remember that. Seriously, do you think a famous rock star could love someone like me?” Even though Dom said he loved me all the time, my own personal insecurities made me doubt it sometimes.

  “If you mean do I think a famous rock star could love someone who is beautiful, humble, smart, kind and smart, then the answer is yes.” Beth always knew the right thing to say, even if she didn’t always say it.

  “You said smart twice.” I raised my eyebrows.

  “Then I take it back. You’re smart, but you’re not that smart.” Beth laughed. “I’m just kidding. Maybe you are smart-smart.”

  “Thanks-thanks.” I said. “If I’m so smart. How did I end up single and pregnant?” I lightly patted my stomach, which was barely rounded beneath its covering of frilly hot pink ruffles.

  “A lot of women end up single and pregnant. There’s no shame in it, and being smart has nothing to do with it. If I had the choice, I’d much rather be single and pregnant than single without the option of becoming pregnant, ever.” Beth’s expression grew serious, and the sparkle left her eyes.

  I reached out to touch Beth’s shoulder. “When the time is right, you’ll become a mother. Maybe you won’t be the one giving birth, but you’ll become a mother just the same. You know, becoming a mother without actually going through labor and childbirth sounds pretty good right about now. I would change places with you if I could.”

  “So would I,” Beth said. “So would I.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Beth left just before Dom arrived, preventing an awkward meeting. Then again, maybe it wouldn’t have been awkward. Beth was so happy for me, and she could see that he was making me happy. Plus, it wasn’t his fault that some crazed groupie had ordered a wedding cake and planned a wedding without his knowledge.

  I pushed thoughts of Brandi out of my mind. To the victor go the spoils, and Brandi was not the victor. I was. Thoughts of other women weren’t going to help me be the best person that I could be, and they certainly weren’t going to improve our fledgling relationship.

  Relationships need to be nurtured, not smothered. I pledged to remember that.

  Before Dom could even raise his hand to ring the doorbell, I opened the door. My anxiety over appearing too eager was overcome by my desire to see him. It had already been far too many hours without him, and his tour was creeping closer and closer by the minute,

  I didn’t know how I was going to survive for half a year without him when we were still getting to know each other. It hardly seemed fair.

  The thought had crossed my mind that I could ask him if I could tag along. After all, I was unemployed except for the weekly yoga class I taught, and there was no reason why I couldn’t travel.

  I looked down at the ruffles covering my lower body from my waist to my knees. Deeply hidden beneath ruffles, flesh and bone lay my reason for not traveling. There was a baby growing inside me. Now and then, I nearly forgot.

  It wasn’t easy to forget completely. The outward changes in my body were still very small, but on the inside the baby factory was kicking into high gear. I couldn’t always sleep through the night thanks to an increased urge to urinate, and my head always felt a bit like I had been out drinking the previous night, which certainly was never the case.

  “You look beautiful,” Dom said from his place on the front porch. “May I come inside?”

  “Yes,” I whispered. I stepped aside to allow him to enter. “Please do.”

  It wasn’t until we were in my kitchen that I realized he hadn’t come empty handed. I noticed a long, thin box in his hand, and it took a tremendous amount of willpower to ignore it.

  “I have something for you,” Dom said. He handed me the box. “I hope you like it.”

  “If it’s from you, then I’ll love it,” I said.

  He looked confused. “Who else would it be from?”

  “It’s just an expression,” I replied. “Oh, it’s stunning.” I opened the box to reveal a gold chain that was home to a glittering diamond. The diamond was perched in an incredibly delicate setting that trembled when I lifted the chain from
the box.

  “It’s the hottest new trend in precious jewelry,” Dom said as he unlatched the clasp and set the diamond at the base of my throat. “The setting allows the diamond to float and move so that it catches the light. Even your heartbeat is enough to make the diamond flutter and reflect the light from different angles.”

  “Wow. That’s incredible.” In my head, I was thinking ‘another diamond.’ It wasn’t that I was ungrateful, it just seemed like too much. I couldn’t stop thinking about the tabloid magazine article calling the diamond ring on my finger a million dollar engagement ring. Now this?

  “I know you’re a famous rock star and everything,” I said. “But I’m not sure you should be spending all this money on me. Maybe you should save a little something for retirement.”

  He laughed as if it was the world’s biggest joke. “Would you feel better if I assured you that I have plenty of money left over even after buying you two tiny diamonds? My retirement is perfectly well funded, I promise.”

  “Well, okay,” I said doubtfully. “It’s just that I read an article once about child actors and one hit wonders who made a lot of money while they were young and wound up broke.” I didn’t want Dom to go bankrupt because of me.

  “I’m neither a child actor nor a one hit wonder,” Dom said seriously. “To be honest with you, I’m not all that young either. The story you read has nothing to do with me. Does that make you feel any better?”

  “How old are you?” I asked. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. I was ashamed for not asking sooner. He was going to be my husband.

  “Thirty-two,” he replied. “I hope that won’t make you suddenly change your mind about me. Are you a little more interested in immature frat boys than a man who has his shit together?”

  “I’ve never been interested in immature frat boys,” I admitted.

  “Good. If you’re ready, I’d like to take you out to dinner. I know just the restaurant where those diamonds won’t seem out of place.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Roscoe drove us to an amazing restaurant downtown. I had never been there before, which wasn’t surprising considering the prices were so high that they didn’t even appear on the menu. From our table, we could look out at the lights of the city through a long glass window. It was so romantic that I couldn’t wait for the food to come to give me something to do. My nerves were humming with anxiety.

  “Will you be okay while I’m away on tour?” Dom asked as he buttered a piece of bread and set it down on my plate.

  “I don’t usually eat bread.” I eyed the carbs and fat on my plate suspiciously. “It’s too fattening. Butter, too. I can’t remember the last time I tasted butter.”

  “It’s amazing,” Dom said with a perfectly straight face. “Just wait until you taste it. You won’t be able to get enough of it. Besides, you’re too skinny. I’m not a doctor, but I think it would be good if you gained a few pounds. You know? For the baby.”

  I definitely didn’t need a reminder of exactly how much fatter I would be by the time Dom returned from Europe. “To answer your question,” I began. “I am not looking forward to losing you to the concert tour. The fact that it’s going to be in Europe makes it even worse.”

  “That’s sweet,” he said. “If it’s any consolation, the tours always seem to fly by so quickly. One minute, I’m packing my bags, and the next minute, I’m already back home.”

  “Where is home anyway?” I asked. “Do you live in Providence?”

  He laughed. “I don’t live in Providence, but I suppose I need to give living here some serious thought now that we’re going to be married. I recently sold my New York City apartment and gave up my Los Angeles lease. You could say I’m between homes right now.”

  “So, it’s like I’m dating a homeless person,” I joked.

  Dom’s face grew serious. “I don’t like to joke about people who are less fortunate than I’ve been. My brother is very active in helping underserved communities, such as the local homeless population. I suppose I’ve learned a lot from him about what things are like for some people.”

  “Sorry.” I felt stupid for trying to make a joke. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Obviously, you’re not homeless. I don’t know why I said that.” I poked at my bread with my fork.

  “You can eat it with your fingers. This place is fancy, but it’s not so fancy that you have to eat your bread and butter with a fork and a knife.” Dom said, eyeing my plate.

  I appreciated him trying to lighten the mood, and I should have just let it go. “This place looks expensive,” I said. “If they turn down your credit card, we’ll be washing dishes in the kitchen for a month.”

  “They won’t turn down my credit card,” Dom said. “Even if they did, I have plenty of cash to cover the cost of dinner and dessert. I plan on leaving an extra-large tip, too, just in case you were wondering.”

  I shook my head. “No, I wasn’t wondering,” I mumbled. “Tell me more about your brother.”

  “Are you thinking about the homeless comment again?” Dom smiled, and his expression softened. “Don’t worry about it. I think I feel guilty sometimes because I’ve been so fortunate. My brother is the same way, but he actually takes the time to go out and do something about it. I really respect him for that.”

  “My sister and I were nearly homeless after our parents died,” I blurted out.

  Dom didn’t answer. He just leaned forward and listened intently as I spoke.

  “After the accident, my sister and I were both hospitalized for weeks. The medical bills were mounting, and we didn’t even know anything about paying the mortgage. When we got back home, I was still in a wheelchair. Beth wasn’t doing much better.”

  I took a bite of my bread and wiped my hand on the cloth napkin in my lap. “Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with all the details, but we nearly lost the house. If it wasn’t for an attorney who represented us pro bono, I don’t know where we’d be. He made sure we got our parents’ life insurance and fair settlements from the insurance company for our injuries, and he got the bank off our backs until the checks came in.”

  Dom’s eyes clouded over, and I thought he was going to cry. “I had no idea,” he said.

  “How could you? We just met.”

  At that moment, the waitress came back with our meals. She placed a plate of lamb rib chops in front of me and a heaping serving of lobster macaroni and cheese in front of Dom. “Is there anything else I can get you?” She addressed Dom directly. “How about a bottle of wine?”

  “No, thank you. I think I have everything I need right here at the table,” Dom said, ignoring the way she was undressing him with her eyes.

  “And for the lady?” she asked. Her gaze lingered at the diamond on my throat before moving to the diamond on my left hand.

  “I’m fine. Thank you.” I lowered my gaze and wondered whether she recognized me from the magazines.

  “Very good,” she said. She took a few steps before returning to the table. “You are Dominic Angelchance. Aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Why don’t you check with reservations,” Dom said with a wink. “I’m sure that’s the name I gave them when I called.”

  “I knew it.” She looked as if she’d like to pull up a chair to our table. “I told the guys in the kitchen that it was you, but they said no way.”

  “Congratulations. You won the bet,” Dom said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone with my fiancée.” He smiled broadly to take some of the sting out of his words.

  “Oh. Of course.” She scurried from the table, only looking over her shoulder at us once or twice before disappearing through a swinging door at the far side of the dining room.

  “You’re a popular guy,” I remarked.

  “Did you ever doubt it?” Dom asked. “Did you see how many people were at the venue on the night that we met?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who do you think they were there to see?” He reached over and took my hand. “I�
��m not trying to be narcissistic or anything, but it’s a known fact. I’m a big deal.”

  For a split second, I was horrified, but then I realized that he was just kidding. Even though there was more than a kernel of truth in his words, he wasn’t really that shallow. I laughed, and then he laughed.

  We sat there holding hands and letting our food get cold.

  “I think we should dig in before your lamb chops turn into hockey pucks.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll just eat some of your lobster macaroni and cheese.” I reached across the table with my free hand and retrieved a steaming forkful of cheesy lobster and pasta from his plate.”

  “That’s not fair,” he said. “I don’t eat lamb chops.” He released my hand.

  “Your loss,” I mumbled around a mouthful of food. “There’s a reason why Mary had a little lamb. It’s delicious.”

  “Those things belong in a petting zoo, not a frying pan,” Dom teased. “Stay away from my lobster. No one would ever accuse lobsters of being soft and cuddly.”

  “You’re just trying to make me feel bad,” I said, helping myself to another huge bite of his dinner.

  “I love that dress on you, by the way,” Dom said. “You remind me of Cyndi Lauper.”

  I paused with my fork halfway to my mouth. “It was my mother’s,” I said.

  “Oh.” He put down his fork. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Jenny, I don’t even know what to say.”

  “She loved Cyndi Lauper,” I said. “I think she would be so pleased that you said that.” I meant it too. My mother would have been delighted. “But I’m taking another bite of your lobster macaroni and cheese anyway, just to teach you a lesson.”

  “The only lesson I’m learning is not to order the lobster macaroni and cheese when you’re around.” Dom cut off a tiny sliver of one of my lamb chops and put it in his mouth. “Oh, no,” he said in mock distress.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “It’s delicious. I feel so guilty; I wasn’t supposed to like it.”

  “Since you do, I don’t feel bad about eating more of yours,” I said, gleefully scooping up more of his dinner with my fork.