by Judy Angelo
Feeling like someone had just pulled her heart from her chest, she whirled away from the door and ran back to the bedroom where Tessa sat frozen on the bed.
“He’s gone, Tessa. I couldn’t stop him.” She put a trembling hand to her forehead. “How could he think those things about me? How could he think I would do something like that?”
“Easy,” Tessa said. She got up and walked toward Indie and put a hand on her shoulder. “He just heard something that sounded really bad. You and I know what you were talking about but he doesn’t.”
“But what he heard…it was out of context.”
“Exactly. And that’s why you have to go to him and explain what you really meant.”
Indie pulled away from her and walked over to the window. She’d been surprised to see Stone at the door then shocked to witness his rage but now she was angry. “Me? I don’t think so. If he could think something like that about me then maybe I don’t want him to marry me.” She was so angry she wanted to punch something. She walked over and punched the pillow.
“Calm down, Indie,” Tessa walked over and caught her friend's arm then pulled her to sit down on the bed. “I know you’re upset but what you said about not wanting Stone to marry you, you don’t mean that. That’s just the shock and anger talking.”
Indie’s shoulders slumped. She drew in a shaky breath then let it out but still she said nothing. She couldn’t. The lump in her throat had grown huge and if she tried to speak she was going to break down in tears. And Indie didn’t do tears, not for Stone Hudson, not for anybody.
“You have to go to him, Indie.” Tessa reached out and put an arm around her shoulder. “Don’t allow pride to make you lose out on this. You love Stone and I know he loves you, too.”
Indie looked at her friend askance. What did she know? For someone who loved her he’d been pretty quick to walk away.
“I know he does, Indie,” Tessa continued. “From the first time I saw the two of you together I could tell. He couldn’t take his eyes off you. That man adores you.”
Indie bit her lip. Maybe Tessa had a point. She didn’t want to lose Stone, not like this. She had to give it a shot.
She looked over at her friend. “You’re right. I have to talk to him about this.” Then she gave a sad smile. “But after all that he still might not want me. We’d better have a plan B.”
She got up off the bed and walked to the door. Then she turned and looked at Tessa. “I’ll go find him. But just in case he still wants me out of here, start packing until I get back.”
******
The words swirled around in Stone’s mind. Every swear word in the book. How could he have been so stupid? He’d actually thought he’d fallen in love when all he’d been was seduced by a green-eyed witch who turned his insides to mush.
Love? He would never believe in that crap again.
He threw open the closet and began to rip his clothes down from the hangers. He dragged a duffel bag from behind the shirts and threw it onto the bed. There was no way he was going to stay here tonight. He’d told Indie he’d arrange for a ride for her but he would book a driver for himself, too. Even after she was gone this place would remind him too much of her.
Then he paused and stared ahead with glazed eyes. Now he’d have to do the dirty work. He had his parents to call, his brother and sister, his friends. Flights would have to be cancelled, caterers told not to come, the minister to explain things to. Jesus, what a mess!
He was muttering to himself as he turned back toward the bed with his clothes strewn all over it when he looked up and there in the doorway stood Indie.
Stone straightened and stared at her. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice cold.
She took a step forward then stopped. “Can we talk?”
He almost laughed at that. “We have nothing to talk about.”
“You need to hear what I have to say.”
“Why? I owe you nothing.” He glared at her then shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away. He couldn’t bear looking at her. She’d trampled his heart into the dust even though she knew he loved her. And, God help him, he still did.
“You hurt me, Indie,” he said, his voice a low rasp. “Real bad. How can I ever trust you again?”
“Just hear me out, Stone. Please.”
When he looked over at her she was staring at him with huge eyes, sad eyes. Despite his resolve his heart reached out to her. But still, he said nothing.
She drew in a breath then continued. “What you heard was totally out of context. I can’t blame you for what you thought. I can’t even blame you for being angry. But it’s not what you think.”
“Oh?” This was going to be good. What story was she going to cook up now?
“No, it’s not.”
Her voice was bolder now. She was probably thinking she could use her acting skills on him, worm her way back into his good graces. Well, it wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m going to tell you the whole story and if you want to be angry afterward, then fine. But you deserve to know the truth.”
“I appreciate that,” he said, and he did not hold the sarcasm from his voice.
“The money I was talking about wasn’t yours. It was left to me by my uncle.”
He frowned. “Come again?”
She sighed. “I think I’d better start at the beginning.” She glanced over at the armchair in the corner. “Do you mind?”
He shrugged. “Be my guest. I’m looking forward to hearing your story.” He placed deliberate emphasis on the last word.
She walked over to the chair and sank into it with a sigh. Then she spoke. “On September twenty-three, exactly a month before my birthday, I was told by my late uncle’s attorney that he’d left me fourteen million dollars. That’s the money I was talking about.”
“Fourteen mil-” Stone glared at her. “What do you take me for? A fool?”
“No, it’s true. I can give you Mr. Marshall’s number and you can call him yourself.” She sat stiffly in the chair as she stared up at him.
“So what does that have to do with me marrying you?” Stone demanded, still not believing a word of what she was saying. “You said something about me proposing to you in a month.”
Indie sighed. “That’s the part…I’m not so proud of.” She looked down at her hands then she looked back at him, her face resolute. “There was a condition to my getting the fourteen million dollars. I had to get married by my thirtieth birthday in order to get the money.”
Stone almost laughed. “That’s crazy.”
“I know, but that’s what the will says. My uncle wanted to make sure I didn’t carry through on my threat never to get married or have kids. He wanted to maintain the bloodline and I’m the only hope.”
“So you seduced me into marriage.”
“No,” she said quickly then, “well, yes. Sort of. It started out that way, where I was trying to get you to like me because…I already liked you.”
Stone frowned. “You didn’t even know me.”
“I know,” she said, confusion reflected on her face, “but that’s the weirdest thing. From the first day we met I felt this…pull…and I knew if I were to ever get married you were the one I’d want to be with.” She must have seen the disbelief on his face because she continued, “I could have married anyone, Stone. I could have picked a man from the street and married him. But…I wanted to fall in love. And I wanted the man I married…to love me, too.”
“Love?” he scoffed. “You did this all for love? What about the money?”
“I wanted the money, too-”
“I thought so.”
“I admit it. I did. But I wasn’t planning on spending any of it on me.”
“Yeah, right.”
“No, really. Ask Mr. Marshall. In my file are the plans I submitted to him on how the money should be disbursed. All of it will go toward helping children in the countries where I’ve worked. I’d love…” she hesitated then gave him a sh
y look, “I’d love to be able to set up a children’s home like the one you have here.”
For a long while Stone stared down at her then he shook his head. “Your story, it’s so crazy. Is any of it true?”
“All of it,” she said, her voice firm. “The lawyer can verify everything.”
He shook his head again. “Then, Indiana Lane, you are one heck of a woman.” He walked over to where she sat in the chair. “Only you could have pulled it all off.”
She stared up at him then she shook her head. “I haven’t pulled off anything. I’m not married yet.”
“No, but you will be. Tomorrow evening, if you’ll still have me.” He leaned down and pulled her up off the chair and into his arms. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Indie. Will you still marry me?”
She slid her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m sure I could find an available man somewhere around here.”
He chuckled and pulled her close. “I don’t mind,” he whispered then kissed the top of her head. “As long as it’s me.”
******
Next evening, as the setting sun threw red, orange and yellow streamers across the sky, in the company of family, friends, co-workers and children, Stone Hudson and Indiana Lane exchanged wedding vows.
And as they danced together on the carpet of green grass to the sound of African drums, Indie went on tiptoe and tilted her mouth to whisper in her husband’s ear, “I still want my birthday presents tomorrow.”
And Stone’s laughter, rich and deep and strong, echoed across the open plain.
EPILOGUE
“Congratulations, little Mommy. You have a beautiful baby girl.”
Indie’s eyes filled with tears as the nurse laid the baby on her breast. A baby of her very own. Who would have thought? And a loving husband by her side. Could anything be better than this? She smiled down at the little pink-cheeked baby on her breast then she looked across at Stone who was busy videotaping everything.
“Now take it easy,” the nurse was saying. “Remember, you just had a C-section. Slow movements for today, okay?”
“Okay,” she said obediently then turned to look up at the camera. “Put that camera down and come meet your daughter.”
He did. Stone kissed Indie on the forehead then took the swaddled baby into his arms and this time he was more confident as he held the infant, more sure. Maybe it was because he was now a daddy. A real one.
“Now, in addition to your boys, you have a little girl of your own,” she whispered to him. “When we leave Canada to go back to visit they're going to spoil her. You know that, right?”
“I know,” he said, not taking his eyes from his daughter’s face, “and I don’t mind at all. My little Zuri Sky Hudson. She’ll be able to handle them. She’ll be tough just like her mommy. My little warrior princess.”
Indie sank back into the pillows and smiled. She was already thinking of her next major project: how to keep Stone from spoiling their brand new daughter. That was going to be a tough one.
THE END
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The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series by Judy Angelo
Volume 1 - Tamed by the Billionaire
Volume 2 - Maid in the USA
Volume 3 - Billionaire's Island Bride
Volume 4 - Dangerous Deception
Volume 5 - To Tame a Tycoon
Volume 6 - Sweet Seduction
Volume 7 - Daddy by December
Volume 8 - To Catch a Man (In 30 Days or Less)
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Mega-Collection - Vols. 1 - 8
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Collection I - Vols. 1 - 4
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Collection II - Vols. 5 - 8
(Two free stories in the Mega-Collection;
one free story in each Collection I and II;
purchase collections and save)
COMING IN SEPTEMBER:
The NAUGHTY AND NICE Series
Naughty by Nature
(September 18)
[email protected]
VOLUME 1 - TAMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE
THE TAMING OF A PRINCESS...
Serena Van Buren, the privileged daughter of a wealthy businessman, can't wait to begin her three-month tour of Europe with her college mates. Little does she know that fate has other plans in store!
Instead of dancing with handsome Italians and dining with charming Frenchmen Serena finds herself trapped in a six-month internship with overbearing business tycoon, Roman Steele - an arrangement orchestrated by her own father.
Serena is determined to show Roman that she won't yield to the demands of any man, boss or no boss. She's a Van Buren, after all, known to wither a man with one look. But Roman Steele is like no man she's ever met before. Suave, sexy and stunningly handsome, there's something about him that she can't resist. It looks like Serena Van Buren has finally met her match.
A sweet and saucy romance that will have you smiling...
Click on the link to get: TAMED by the BILLIONAIRE
VOLUME 2 - MAID IN THE USA
WHO EVER SAID BILLIONAIRE BACHELORS AND MODEST MAIDS DON'T MIX?
Celine Santini couldn't have been more shocked when billionaire bachelor Pierce D'Amato offers her a job as nanny to his four-year-old charge. After all, he hardly even knows her. But after finding herself thrown into an unexpectedly intimate encounter with him, are they really strangers? Celine is captivated by the green-eyed heartthrob who takes her heart ransom but how can she give in to her feelings when they're from two totally different worlds?
From the first day he lays eyes on the dark-eyed beauty, Pierce D'Amato knows he is lost. He immediately devises a plan to get her under his roof...and it works. But the more he gets to know the sweetly seductive Celine Santini the more he realizes there's a lot more to this woman than he could ever have imagined. Her intriguing combination of sophistication and innocence keeps him forever off-balance and, before he knows it, his bachelor heart turns traitor. The heart knows what the heart wants and it wants Celine Santini...whatever the cost.
A thrilling romance with twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages...
Click on the link to get: MAID IN THE USA
VOLUME 3 - BILLIONAIRE'S ISLAND BRIDE
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRE VERSUS REBEL ISLAND BRIDE - AND THE WINNER IS...
Normally shy and reserved, college student Erin Samuels goes to the island of Santa Marta where she breaks out of her shell and does things that shock even her. And, as if that weren't bad enough, she ends up trapped in a marriage by blackmail!
Dare DeSouza is used to women throwing themselves at him and he lumps Erin Samuels in the same category. Gold-diggers, that's what they all are, but this time he has a plan. He sets out to teach Erin a lesson she'll never forget...and ends up learning the greatest lesson of his life.
An island romance that will keep readers guessing every step of the way...
Click on the link to get: BILLIONAIRE'S ISLAND BRIDE
VOLUME 4 - DANGEROUS DECEPTION
TO CATCH A COMMITTED BACHELOR...
When Dani Swift put on her chauffeur's uniform, with her hair tucked under her hat and her face make-up free, she looks like a clean-shaven young man. It's while wearing her little disguise that she meets the man of her dreams, billionaire businessman Storm Hunter. But how can she compete in his world of wealth and women who will do anything to snag this eligible bachelor?
Storm Hunter loves motorcycles and fast cars. And then he meets Dani Swift. Bold and independent, she's like no woman he's ever met. And when their little game of dec
eption leads to him losing his heart that's when he knows that, in her, he's found his greatest love .
Click on the link to get: DANGEROUS DECEPTION
VOLUME 5 - TO TAME A TYCOON
HOW DO YOU TAME A TYCOON?
Enrico Megalos is bold, brash and a big problem...at least for his staff in the Miami office of Megalos Shipping. And that's where the lion tamer comes in.
Asia Miller, personality coach, is hired to tame the big boss. She takes on the challenge, not realizing until it is too late that while taming him she is also losing her heart...to the one man it doesn't pay to love.
Sun, sea and a steamy affair - a thrilling ride on the sensual side.
Click on the link to get: TO TAME A TYCOON
VOLUME 6 - SWEET SEDUCTION
SEDUCTION SO SWEET...
Jake McKoy moves to a tiny town in upstate New York to escape a painful past. He has no idea that it is here that he will find healing and strength and a new start in life. And that healing comes in the form of a fresh-faced woman who steals his heart.
Samantha Fox was only a month away from her wedding day when her fiance broke the engagement. He'd found a more 'suitable' bride. Haunted by the constant fear that she's not 'good enough', Sam finds it hard to give her heart to another man. And when that man happens to be a billionaire who can't let go of his past, things become complicated indeed.
