Billionaire Romance Boxed Set (9 Book Bundle) (65 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Deborah

Alone
in the suite after Stewart left, I knocked on Dianna’s door needing to talk. I
heard a bit of a commotion on the other side of the door, then a male voice and
a woman giggling.
Did she change rooms
without telling me?

Dianna
opened the door a crack, her hair disheveled and a sheet wrapped around her
body. My mouth dropped open in surprise.

“I
know, I know!” She said as she pushed me further into my room and closed
the door behind her. “We met yesterday. His name is Jean-Marc and I swear
I’m already in love.”

“Well
that explains that giant smile on your face,” I said laughing. “I
just never thought you were such a slut!”

“Slut?
Me? No! I followed the three date rule. We had lunch together, then dinner and
then drinks. See, three.” She raised her brows at me and giggled again.

“Where
did you meet him? Last I saw you were surrounded by models.”

“He
came to our room. He’s a design assistant for Gucci and they sent him out to do
some grunt work but he needed to borrow something. We just clicked. Even if we
can’t understand everything we say to each other. Hmm, maybe that’s why we
clicked,” she said before bursting into laughter.

“I’ll
try to not keep you away for too long, but I wanted to talk to you about
work.”

“He
has to leave soon anyway, they have a lot of work to do too. Plus I can’t wait
to hear about your day with Will.”

“That’s
the thing, Dianna, it was the worse day of my life.”

I
broke into tears I didn’t realize were waiting at the surface. Dianna tried to
hug me while still holding onto her sheet. The sight of her waddling towards
me, one arm outstretched made me laugh, ending my tears. Quickly telling her
what I thought I could, I explained the day’s events.

“And
now Will is gone. He’s back in Canyon Cove and I can’t think about anything
else but going to him. He needs me. I know it.”

“And
what about the show? This was your dream and you worked so hard on it,”
she said.

“I
know, and I’m torn but to be honest I almost don’t care. He means more to me
than the show. I did it once, I can do it again. I’ll get another show.”

“Sure
you won’t regret leaving?”

“Right
now when I think about staying, I see myself regretting not being with
him.”

“Then
you know what to do.”

She
was right. I did know what to do. I had to be with him. Even if being with him
only meant waiting for him to open up again.

“He
left the jet. I’ll ask Stewart about getting it ready so we can go. At least
you’ll get to ride on the fancy jet.”

“Thanks
Deb, but I’m going to stay. I have my plane ticket and I don’t mind slumming it
on a commercial line. I need to see where things go with Jean-Marc. I’ve never
met anyone else like him.”

“Well,
I’m going to need details,” I said jokingly, echoing what she said to me
the day before. “Call me when you get back. I know I don’t have to tell
you to have fun.”

“You
know it!” She said as she grinned widely and waved before heading back
through the door to her bedroom.

I
heard giggling then squealing almost immediately and laughed as I distanced myself
as much as possible from her door.

***

Stewart
was able to get the jet ready for us to leave later that day. As I sat in my
seat across the aisle from him, I wondered where I was going to go once we got
back. I didn’t have my apartment and all my things were at Will’s.

“You
look like you have something on your mind,” Stewart said as he closed his
eyes and leaned his chair back.

I
sighed. “Yes, I do. You brought all my things to the house. What if Will
doesn’t want me there anymore? I just realized I don’t have anyplace to
go.”

“I
know Will better than anyone, Deborah. I also know you feel closer to him
because of everything you both went through. I’m sure he feels the same.”

“Yes,
but—”

“But,”
he said interrupting me, “just because you haven’t heard from him doesn’t
mean he’s not thinking of you. Trust me on that.”

It
was hard to not trust anything Stewart said. While normally a man of few words,
he never said anything unless it was true. Although Will’s father made the
wrong choice of abandoning his son, despite his reasons, I definitely thought
he made a good decision when it came to who raised him. Stewart was a dangerous
man, but at his core he was one of the best men I knew.

***

It
was late when we finally landed at the Canyon Cove airport, but I couldn’t help
but think about my cat Trap and wonder how he was doing with Ashley and Xander.
I sent her a text figuring that if she was asleep she wouldn’t respond until
morning, but instead she called me back.

“Hello?
Ashley?”

“You
sound surprised,” she said as she laughed.

“I
was worried it was too late. It’s 10pm and you have a baby.”

“Exactly,
I have a baby. That means I don’t sleep. I’m kidding but seriously I’ve always
been a night owl. Ten is too early for sleep. Is everything ok? I didn’t expect
to hear from you while you were away.”

“I
just got back. I’m actually still on the plane. I was wondering how Trap was
doing without me.”

“He’s
great. I’m not sure he even realizes you’re gone.”

“Damn
cat. That sounds about right,” I said laughing.

“What’s
really going on, Deborah? You’re home early, Fashion Week hasn’t even started,
and all you’re talking about is your cat. I’m not stupid.”

“Fine,
yes you’re right. I just…don’t want to go home just yet. That’s all.”

“Come
over. I’ll make some hot chocolate and you can stay in the guest room and take
Trap home in the morning.”

“You
sure? I don’t want to intrude. It is late.”

“It’s
not that late and I could use the company. Xander had to go away overnight on
business.”

“Ok,
I’ll see you soon then.”

***

As
I turned onto the gravel driveway of the Boone’s home, I was surprised by how
noisy it was. If they weren’t awake before, I definitely woke them now. Ashley
stepped out of the old Georgian mansion with a large blue crocheted blanket
wrapped around her shoulders and her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail.

“Hurry
up!” She said. “I’m already heating up the milk.”

I
followed her through the house to the long kitchen where she turned off the
stove and portioned it into a couple of large mugs then dropped pieces of
chocolate inside.

“This
is how my mom used to make it when I was real little,” she said smiling.
“I’m trying to redo all the things I remember fondly of her.”

As
I sat down at the kitchen table, I felt the familiar nudge of Trap against my
leg and reached down to pet him.

“Spill,
Deb. what’s going on?”

“It’s
so complicated I really don’t know what to say.”

“What’s
complicated?”

“Will.
Paris. Now. I don’t even know if he wants to see me. For all I know he wants
nothing to do with me. I mean its ok, I’m not going to go psycho or anything. I
respect his decision, but I just wish I knew what to do.”

“You’re
really not making any sense. Back up.”

I
told Ashley how Will gave me my own room in his mansion and how I let go of my
apartment and moved all my things there. Then I told her a brief version of the
trip, steering clear from giving her too many details and focusing on Will’s
departure almost two days ago.

“That’s
pretty much everything. I guess I just don’t feel comfortable showing up at his
house when he couldn’t even be bothered to leave a note to say good bye. What
if things changed?”

“Then
don’t. Stay here as long as you want to. But can I say something?” I
nodded to answer her before she continued. “If you really love him, you
should go to him. You don’t know what he’s going through right now. He might
think he wants no one around, but I bet that’ll change once he sees you came
back early. Have you tried calling him?”

“No,”
I said softly. “I was afraid he’d tell me to fuck off.”

“Listen,
I don’t know exactly what you’ve been through, but the Deborah I know is the
one who tells people to fuck off, not the other way around. Sleep here tonight,
but I really think you should see him in the morning. It’s the only way you’ll
know for sure what he’s really thinking.”

Ashley
was right. I wasn’t acting like myself. I didn’t know if it was the trauma of
the kidnapping, or the residual affects of the drug, but I needed to move on
from this selfishness and be there for the man I loved. First thing in the
morning I would head over to King Manor and find him.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Deborah

I
left Ashley’s in the morning, ready to face whatever might happen at Will’s. I
couldn’t avoid it any longer and I didn’t want to. It was time to see how he
really was doing and see how I could help, if he would let me. Unsure what to
expect, my hands felt moist and my stomach turned a little, but I wasn’t going
to back down.

Slowing
down at the entrance, I was surprised to find the gate wide opened. My first
thought was of the men who kidnapped us in Paris and I worried for Will’s
safety as I felt a chill overtake me again.

The
loud honk behind me startled me out of my fear and back to the King Manor
driveway. I quickly moved my car over to the side as a plumbing truck drove
past.

“That’s
odd, I wonder what’s going on,” I said.

As
I reached the circular part of the driveway with the fountain, I couldn’t
believe how many trucks were there. Parking closer to the garden than the
house, I surveyed each of the trucks as I tried to guess why they were there
but couldn’t come up with anything.

Walking
up the path to the house, I noticed a man in jeans and a button shirt directing
the contractors to different locations on the first floor and outside.

“Excuse
me,” I said as I tapped his shoulder hoping to find out where Will was.

“Deborah!”
Will exclaimed as he turned around. “I was hoping you’d come home.”

He
picked me up and spun me around then kissed me by dipping me back, leaving me
breathless and woozy.

“What’s
going on here? And where’s your suit?” I said teasing him.

“Come,
walk with me,” he said slipping his arm around my shoulders and pressing
me against him. “I want to show you something.”

We
walked past the gardens and towards the furthest part of the property, away
from the mansion. Following a stone path that curved through the fields, I
wondered where he was taking me.

“After
everything that happened in Paris, I had to leave. I needed to get as far away
as possible. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I needed some time alone to think
about things.”

“I
figured that’s what happened, Will. But I was still really worried.”

“I
know. And for that I apologize. My whole life came into question. Everything I
believed about my father was wrong. All this time I thought he was dead, I
remembered his words to live life without regrets and I did the complete
opposite. I hid away not wanting to feel loss again. I let the danger he put me
into rule everything I did. Instead of living without regrets I regretted not
only everything I did, but even the things I didn’t do.” He stopped and
turned to look into my eyes. “That is until I met you.

“That
first day I saw you in the store changed everything for me. Suddenly I wanted
to live, to be a part of something. You were so full of life it was contagious.
I began changing things and letting myself be vulnerable to you was one of
them.

“When
you got upset on the plane, I almost came home. I realized how hard everything
was and I didn’t want to deal with it. It was easier to hide and be alone, but
I realized I’d regret if I never spent another minute with you so I waited for
you to stop being so stubborn and realize what happened wasn’t that big of a
deal. Even if I was wrong and should have told you exactly who I was,” he
said with a lopsided grin.

“Jeez,
if this is an apology, I think it needs some work,” I said grinning back
at him.

“Just
listen to me. I took that commercial flight back instead of my jet because I
didn’t want to be Will King for once. I just wanted to be like everyone else.
What I saw while I waited were families and couples. I watched how they were
with each other and I understood that my father faking his death wasn’t a
selfish act like I first thought, he did it because it was the only way he knew
how to protect me. He had just lost his wife and didn’t want to lose his son
too.

“The
ironic thing is what he did kept me from having my own love. But I didn’t
realize I was missing that until I met you.”

We
arrived at a large clearing where bulldozers and other construction vehicles
were digging and moving dirt around as they flattened the area. Behind the
clearing was the gentle slope of the lush green valley just beginning to change
colors for fall and in the distance I could see the ocean.

“Oh
wow, what a gorgeous view!” I said. “What’s going on here?”

“The
night I lost my parents, my father wanted to show me my future. He said that
future was Hargrove’s and he was right. If it wasn’t for Hargrove’s and that
particular store, I would have never met you.”

Will
took both my hands into his as he spoke. The world stood still as I listened to
him intently over the noise of the construction, lost in the glittering green
flecks of his eyes.

“You
are my future, Deborah Hansen. In the past two days I’ve been home, I’ve begun
transforming the original mansion and the grounds surrounding it into an art
museum to show off all of my mother’s collections. I also started this,”
he said as he waved his hand to point to the construction. “I only have
preliminary sketches so they can begin clearing the land, but I want us to
design a home together for us to live in. It can have whatever we want. If you
want a design studio then we can build one there too.”

“I…I
don’t know what to say—”

“Don’t
say anything at all, I’m not done. You are incredible, you know that? I love
how you’re so passionate about things that you can sometimes get irrational and
crazy. I love how you’re so stubborn that even though you know you’re being a
little nutty, you won’t apologize for it.”

“Umm,
I’m not sure I like where this is going,” I said as I crossed my arms in
front of me.

He
laughed and took my hands back and held them. “Bear with me. I’m not used
to talking about my feelings.”

“Ok
then, keep talking.”

“See,
right there. I love how your brow furrows whenever you’re not sure about
something. Or how every single thought is reflected on your face. I love how
you know you’re talented, but refuse to accept it at the same time. And I love
your body, your curves, your softness.”

He
lowered himself down on one knee as he looked up at me. Letting go of my hands,
he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small Tiffany ring box. My
hands flew to my open mouth in surprise as I held my breath while Will opened
the box. It was the longest two seconds of my life.

The
ring had an oval deep blue sapphire surrounded by a halo of small glittering
diamonds. It was set in platinum and sparkled as if it had a life all its own.

“My
world began when you entered it and it would end if you left it. I can’t
imagine my life without you. Deborah, I love you. Will you marry me?”

“Yes,
oh yes!” I said as I wrapped my arms around him, knocking him off balance.
“I love you too, Will. Oh my God, yes!”

He
laughed and kissed me, making my heart pound wildly in my chest.

“I
went shopping for it as soon as I got home. I know its not a traditional
engagement ring, but as soon as I saw it, I knew you would love it.”

“You’re
right, its the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen. Its absolutely amazing!”

I
admired the ring as we sat on the ground in front of where our new home would
one day stand. The sun caught the blue stone and reminded me of my ocean blue
chiffon gown. I made the right decision coming home, but if I could be in two
places at once I would. Will leaned back as he examined my face, his head
tilted.

“Wait
a second. What about Paris? I never meant for you to come home early,” he
said.

“I
was worried about you. I couldn’t stay without knowing how you were. You went
through a lot. We went through a lot in our short time out there. I don’t know
that I could do my best with the collection if my head was out here with
you.”

“Then
you have to go back. Take the jet. I couldn’t forgive myself if you let your
dream go because of me.”

“I
don’t have time to do all the alterations. Even with Dianna still out there, I
have my samples here.”

“Then
find another assistant. Surely between the three of you, you can do it. I’ll
call Mimi and see if I can get your slot switched.”

My
mind raced.
Another assistant?
The only other
person I really knew was Ashley and she couldn’t fly out to Paris with me.
But
wait, maybe…

I
pulled out my cell phone and found the number I had added in just a few months
ago. Joshua Cane was my only hope.

“Hi,
Joshua. Its Deborah Hansen. I don’t know if you remember me, but—”

“Of
course I remember you, sweetheart. I’ve been keeping tabs on you since we met.
How’s Paris?”

“I’m
in Canyon Cove.”

“Did
something happen?”

“Yes
and no. Its a long story. I need a favor that involves you flying with me back
to Paris today. Any chance you can get away and help me out? You did say us
designers needed to stick together.”

“Sweetie,
you had me at Paris. Give me a couple of hours to take care of things here.
We’ll make sure your designs look fabulous on that runway.”

***

Will
was able to get me a one day extension because another designer dropped out due
to time constraints. Joshua and I worked the entire flight using Dianna’s
measurements, but it still wasn’t enough. We took alterations all the way to
just before the show. While Dianna took care of planning hair, makeup, and
accessories for the models, Joshua and I finished any last minute fixes right
on the models as they wore the clothes.

In
the end the models looked perfect and no one had any idea that we took it down
to the wire. Dianna, Joshua, and I watched the show from a back stage monitor.
The models worked it on the runway. Just like Joshua foretold, they looked
fabulous.

As
I watched the models strut down the runway, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from
them. The clothing looked even better than I ever imagined. I had a permanent
smile on my face and the day would have been perfect if Will had been there
with me.

We
only had enough models for my original collection, but I couldn’t let my new
design go ignored. Knowing that as the designer I’d be going down the runway, I
wore the Eiffel Tower inspired cream colored dress. The last model wore my
ocean blue chiffon gown and as she came back up the runway, I stepped out and
walked with her as we led the rest of the models back out. The crowd applauded
as my models lined up.

Looking
out at the faceless crowd for a moment, I thought about how lucky I was that I
didn’t fall on my face as I walked with the models. That was all I needed, to
become fashion roadkill at my first show.

Before
turning back, the model next to me bent down closer to my level and pointed
into the crowd. I looked where she pointed and had to blink in disbelief. Will
sat in the crowd next to Amanda Cunning and Tim Ross and the three of them rose
to their feet as they clapped. Humbled, I lowered my head and curtsied,
thanking them from afar. It was my dream come true.