The Protective Billionaire
Page 20
His eyes were riveted to her face, and although she wanted to recoil from his very being, Aubree brushed her hands across his jaw, then she cupped his face with both hands as if she was going to kiss him.
What was Aubree doing? Cameron watched her performance with awe while at the same time trying to figure out her plan. And when her hands cradled Tyler’s face in a lover’s embrace, he had to fight the stab of jealousy that pierced him.
At Aubree’s touch, Tyler’s eyes fluttered close and Cameron watched in amazement as Aubree used her hold on Tyler to move his head back before swiftly bringing it forward while at the same time she thrust her forehead into his nose. A satisfying crunch filled the room as she headbutted him and Tyler cried out.
Beyond proud of Aubree, and not wasting a moment, Cameron flew across the room, and when he reached them, Aubree stepped aside as he grabbed Tyler’s hand that held the gun and slammed it against the door until it fell from Tyler’s grasp. Cameron kicked it away, and then he dragged Tyler facedown onto the floor and pinned his hands behind his back, immobilizing him.
Moments later, the police swarmed into the room and took Tyler into custody.
Ignoring the commotion around them, Cameron’s focus was completely on Aubree. He wrapped her in his arms as relief, sweet and pure, washed over him. She was safe and he never wanted to let her go.
Aubree sank against Cameron, suddenly drained of all energy. She couldn’t believe that she’d walked right up to Tyler when he’d held a gun in his hand and used her self-defense skills to immobilize him enough to allow Cameron to take him down.
Had she lost her mind? But as she relaxed into Cameron’s arms, she knew what had motivated her—her love for Cameron and her determination to keep him safe.
“Are you okay?” Cameron murmured into her ear as the room began emptying out.
She nodded. They were both safe and sound and that was all she cared about.
Chapter Forty-Eight
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Cameron asked Aubree on the drive home.
After things had calmed down, Cameron’s security people had hustled Aubree and Cameron out a back entrance and to their car. She was grateful they’d been able to avoid the paparazzi that were stationed outside the hotel.
“Yes,” Aubree said as she leaned against him. She relished the feeling of having him next to her, of knowing that as long as he was in her life everything would be okay. And now that the dark cloud had been replaced by bright yellow sunshine, she had every confidence that he would always be in her life.
He tugged her against him and she snuggled closer.
“If I ever wondered what kind of actress you are,” he murmured in her ear, “now I have no doubt that you’re amazing.”
Smiling, Aubree tilted her head to look at him. “We made a great team, didn’t we?”
He smiled back at her. “Yes we did.”
She closed her eyes and let her exhaustion overtake her, and when she felt Cameron gently shaking her and whispering that they were home, she opened her eyes and let him help her from the car. Once they’d gone inside and closed the front doors, making the world outside disappear, Cameron drew her into his arms and she lay her head against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.
“I can’t believe I almost lost you,” he said, his voice hitching.
She pulled away and looked up at him. “I can’t believe you were willing to sacrifice yourself for me.”
He ran a finger along her jaw. “You did the same for me.” A smile blossomed on his mouth. “I’m so proud of you for standing up to him.”
Aubree’s heart was so full, she thought it might burst.
Cameron gazed at her, the feelings of his heart clear in his eyes. “I love you, Aubree. With all my heart.”
She smiled at this man who had done all within his power to protect her and who she’d fallen head over heels for. “I love you too.”
He took her hands and ran a finger over the wedding ring she wore on her left ring finger, then he slowly slid it off.
What was he doing? Confused, she watched him, and when he went down on one knee, she knew what was about to happen. Exquisite joy surged through her.
“Aubree,” he said as he looked up at her, “I love you more than I ever thought possible and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.” His blue eyes shimmered. “Will you marry me?”
There was no doubt what she wanted, and with a huge smile, she said, “Yes. I would be honored to marry you.”
Cameron stood and pulled her into his arms and she closed her eyes and sank against him.
After several moments they drew apart and Cameron lifted her left hand. “May I?”
Eager to have that symbol of their love on her finger, she nodded. “Yes.”
Cameron slid the ring back on her finger, then he kissed her tenderly on the mouth. He’d never been so happy. He thought about seeing Aubree at the grocery store that first time. She’d been so on edge that his mere approach had scared her enough that she’d toppled to the floor. But today she’d faced down her greatest fear and had stood up to the man she’d been hiding from. She amazed him in so many ways, and he knew she was the woman for him.
“What do you think the media will say about a second wedding?” she asked with a smirk.
He laughed. “We can say we decided to renew our vows.”
Chuckling softly, she nodded. “Works for me.”
With that, he swept her into his arms and held her against him and knew they would always be together.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Aubree gazed at herself in the full-length mirror. Her wedding gown was stunning, and as much as she loved it, it wasn’t where her thoughts were focused on this special day. That honor belonged to Cameron, her husband-to-be. The world believed they were simply renewing their vows since their first “wedding” had been held in secret, but those close to her knew the truth.
Enveloped in happiness, Aubree took one final look in the mirror before leaving the room. She and Cameron had decided to keep their wedding simple and had chosen to hold it at his house, at sunset, in his beautiful backyard. It had become home to Aubree as well and holding the ceremony there felt right.
As she walked down the aisle on her father’s arm, her gaze went to her loved ones as they stood at her entrance, but then her eyes found Cameron, standing at the front, looking handsome and wonderful in his tux. Love for him brought tears to her eyes. She knew how much he loved her, knew he would do anything for her, even trade his life for hers. He’d proven that in the incident with Tyler, who was going to be in prison for the foreseeable future.
Aubree’s eyes were locked on Cameron’s, and when he smiled at her, she had to force herself to keep her pace slow even though she wanted to race into his arms. He was the man of her dreams and they were about to become husband and wife. She so appreciated him. He’d given her the time and space she’d needed to overcome her fears, even though he’d had no guarantee he would get anything out of it. He was truly the perfect man for her and she couldn’t be any happier. Eager to begin her life with him, when she and her father reached the front and her father placed her hand in Cameron’s, it took all of her self-control to keep the tears at bay.
Watching Aubree walk down the aisle toward him, ready to become his wife, Cameron thought his heart might explode with happiness. She was the love of his life and he couldn’t believe how blessed he was to have found her, and as they exchanged their vows, gazing at each other, the world fell away and it was just the two of them. He had no doubt that she loved him for himself and not for his wealth, just as he loved her for herself and not for the fact that she was on the cusp of becoming a world-famous movie star. They’d already proven their commitment to one another and now they had the rest of their lives to share their successes and failures, their ups and downs. To be together.
Cameron was blissfully happy, and as the officiator pronounced them husband a
nd wife, he drew her into his arms and kissed her with all the love he felt. He held her against him, ecstatic that this was the first day of their journey as a married couple, a journey he wanted to take with no one but her. She was thoughtful and kind and strong. She was the perfect woman for him. She was his.
Thank you for reading The Protective Billionaire. The next Billionaires Find Love romance, The Missing Billionaire, is available now. If you’d like to read the first chapter, turn the page, or if you’d like to get it now, click HERE.
If you’d like to know when I have sales and new releases, make sure to sign up for my mailing list. As a thank you, I’ll send you my two standalone suspense novels in eBook format. You can join by clicking HERE.
Click HERE to see all of Christine Kersey’s free books.
Click HERE to see the books Christine has enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.
To follow Christine Kersey’s personal FaceBook page, click HERE, then click Follow.
To like Christine Kersey’s FaceBook fan page, click HERE.
Visit Christine Kersey’s website: ChristineKersey.com
Follow Christine Kersey on Twitter @CKerseyWriter
The Missing Billionaire Chapter 1
On the hunt for the perfect couch for her design client, Chloe leaned closer to the screen of her laptop, resting her forearms on her desk as she scrolled through the website of a furniture store. Completely focused on her search, when her cell phone rang, she startled. The caller ID said it was Hannah, her best friend. Ready for a break, Chloe smiled as she picked up her phone and swiped to answer. “Hey there.”
“Are you watching the news?”
Tilting her head as if Hannah could see her, she said, “Of course not. I’m working.”
“Turn on the news.”
The request was strange—Hannah knew Chloe didn’t have time to watch TV at work. Still, there must be a reason. Holding back a sigh, Chloe asked, “Which channel?”
“All of them. Any of them.” Hannah almost seemed out of breath.
What in the world could be so important that all the news channels would be covering it? And what would have Hannah so agitated? “Okay. Hang on.”
Curious to find out what was going on, Chloe pulled up the website of her favorite news channel where they were broadcasting live. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, then she turned up the volume.
“…calling it a miracle,” the news anchor was saying. “The heir to Hewitt Consolidated, billionaire Nathan Hewitt, who has been missing and presumed dead for over a year, has been found.”
Chloe’s ears began to buzz and her vision went to pinpoints.
“Chloe?” Hannah said. “Are you there?”
Her phone slipped out of her hand and landed softly on the carpeted floor.
Finding it hard to catch her breath, Chloe squeezed her eyes closed and focused on the air going in and out of her lungs.
Breathe, Chloe. Breathe. In and out. In and out.
When she had gathered herself, she opened her eyes, her gaze skittering back to the news broadcast.
The words the news anchor was saying about Nathan—marooned on a deserted island after his yacht had sunk, rescued by men on a fishing boat—barely slid into Chloe’s brain. All the while she stared at the screen as it showed Nathan. Not the stock photo the news stations had shown when he and his yacht had gone missing one year earlier. No. This was a live shot of the man who was responsible for the death of Chloe’s sister. And he looked fine. Okay, maybe he was a little thinner. But still, he was alive. Unlike Lisa.
Fury, powerful and swift, slammed through Chloe, replacing the shock she’d felt moments before. At the same time, she was stunned that Nathan had been found. And if she was honest with herself, she was a tiny bit relieved as well.
Growing up, she and her younger sister Lisa had been best friends with Nathan, hanging out all the time. But one year earlier, when Chloe and Nathan were twenty-three and Lisa was twenty-two, Nathan had decided to take an extended trip on his family’s yacht. A cruise to celebrate his college graduation. And he’d asked Lisa to go with him. Only Lisa. Chloe had crushed on Nathan for years, so when he’d chosen her sister—a girl who was all about having a good time rather than having any kind of relationship—Chloe had been jealous. And hurt. Why hadn’t he invited her? Then again, it made sense. Nathan and Lisa were two peas in a pod. So alike that it only made sense that he’d chosen her.
But then the yacht had vanished. Several weeks later, after an extensive search, the yacht—and Lisa’s body—had been found. The body of the yacht’s captain had been found as well. Both deaths were due to drowning, and when Nathan’s body hadn’t been found, everyone had assumed he’d drowned as well.
Now though, seeing Nathan walking off of a plane, perfectly intact while her sister’s remains were buried in the cold ground, Chloe wanted to storm over to the Hewitt mansion and confront Nathan. But the thought of facing him also sent her heart into a painful gallop and she knew she wasn’t ready to see the man whose face she had never been able to get out of her mind.
This was nothing like Nathan had imagined. He’d thought he would be ecstatic to come home, but as he walked inside his parents’ house accompanied by his hovering mother and stoic father, all he felt was guilt. And when he saw their staff—chef, housekeeper, driver, gardener—all lined up to greet him, he just felt awkward.
“Welcome home, Nathan,” his mother said as tears filled her eyes. “I never thought I’d have the opportunity to say those words again.”
Focusing on his parents, Nathan pushed a smile onto his lips. “I never thought I’d hear those words.” He drew his mother into a warm embrace. “It’s good to be home.” The lie tasted bitter on his tongue.
“We left your room just as it was,” his mother said after he released her.
Nodding, he kept the smile plastered on his face.
“I just couldn’t…” his mother began, then she pressed her lips together and shook her head. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that you’re home. Safe and sound.”
Which was more than could be said of Lisa. But that wasn’t something he could think about just then.
Nathan glanced toward the staircase that led up to his wing of the mansion before facing his parents. “I’m going to head up, if that’s all right.”
“Whatever you’d like,” his mother said.
With a final nod toward his parents—parents he’d missed very much—he began walking toward the staircase.
“Dinner will be served at seven,” his mother called after him.
The thought of someone cooking for him, waiting on him… It was something he’d gone without for the last year and it was something he didn’t think he deserved. “Right.”
When he entered his bedroom, it was as if time had stopped. He’d been living away from home while going to college, so this room reflected his high school years. The room was spacious—too spacious. Without consciously making the decision, he walked over to his closet and stepped inside.
This is better.
The closet was bigger than the cave he’d been living in on the island, but the cave hadn’t had rows and rows of clothes on hangers. Still, his closet felt familiar.
With a heavy sigh, he sank to the floor and stretched out his legs, then he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall.
An image of Lisa James filled his mind. Guilt swiftly followed. Guilt for surviving when she hadn’t. Guilt that he’d taken her from her family. Guilt that he could never make it up to them.
He desperately wished Lisa hadn’t come on that cruise.
And now he would have to face Chloe.
To continue reading, click HERE.
Click HERE to join my mailing list. As a thank you, I’ll send you my two standalone suspense novels in eBook format.
Click HERE to see all of Christine Kersey’s free books.
Click HERE to see the books Christine has enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.
/> To follow Christine Kersey’s personal FaceBook page, click HERE, then click Follow.
To like Christine Kersey’s FaceBook fan page, click HERE.
Visit Christine Kersey’s website: ChristineKersey.com
Follow Christine Kersey on Twitter @CKerseyWriter
To see all of Christine Kersey’s books, turn the page…
Books by Christine Kersey
Billionaires Find Love
The Protective Billionaire
The Missing Billionaire
Fair Catch Romance
Illegal Procedure
False Start
Blindsided
Pass Interference
Pass Protection
Game On
Park City Firefighter Romance
Rescue My Heart
Hearts On Fire
Emerald Falls Romance Series
Crushing On You: Travis and Gabriella (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book One)
Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two)
Chance Encounter: Gage and Melanie (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Three)
Searching for Love
Falling for You (Searching for Love, Book One)