Billionaires Dollar Series

She reads a passage from the book to rapt silence. It’s an excerpt I’ve heard many times before-she’s been practicing this reading with me as her audience-and still… I want to burst with pride.

She accomplished her dream, and I know it’s only the beginning.

I join in on the feverish applause as she finishes up. Her smile, shy and proud at the same time, makes me ache inside. Hard to believe she’s all mine, sometimes.

“Cole!” Timmy pushes his way through the crowd to me. “There you are!”Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

I pull him in for a half-hug. “Man, you get taller every time I see you.”

He straightens a bit. “I know. I’m getting faster, too. Yesterday at practice I managed to get two home runs.”

“Yeah. I had to tell you.”

“That’s impressive.” I put a hand on his shoulder and he beams up at me. Two years with Skye has also meant two years with her family, and while Isla and I still don’t see eye to eye, Timmy is mine to the bone.

“We’re still going to the game on Saturday, right? You and me?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I say. Timmy and I go to most games by ourselves now. Skye joins occasionally, but she’s just as happy to send us off for what she calls “guy time.” I don’t mind at all. In fact, I’m currently in talks with the team to organize a meet-and-greet with the players for Timmy’s birthday.

Isla joins her son and shoots me a polite smile. She shares Skye’s brown hair and hazel eyes, but she wears the features so differently that they hardly look related. “This is beautiful, what you’ve done for Skye,” she says.

“Thanks,” I respond, “but she wrote the book by herself. Got it published herself, too.”

Isla smiles, but there’s a glint in her eye that tells me she’s not convinced. I swallow my anger and look for Skye in the crowd again. She’s glowing. As the months have gone on, she’s learned to tune out her older sister’s negative energy. As for myself, I only grow more and more incensed by it.

“Oh, I’m sure,” Isla says. “She’s worked very hard. But then again, having you as a boyfriend certainly can’t hurt.”

She says it with a wink, but there’s nothing humorous about the implication. As Skye’s success has bloomed, Isla’s little comments have grown in rancor. “Fiancé,” I correct. “And if I’ve given anything, it’s only been moral support.”

Isla snorts good-naturedly, but it doesn’t fool me. She’s not convinced. I leave her behind in search of my fiancée, finding her halfway through her first glass of champagne and with a beautiful flush of excitement on her cheeks. I slide an arm around her waist. “The reading went so well.”

“It did, didn’t it?” In her heels and her sleek dress, she’s somehow professional and irresistible at the same time. It reminds me of how she’d looked at Legacy, the first time I’d seen her. Mysterious and alluring. “I’ve signed so many books, too. Do you want your own copy?” she asks, eyes glittering. “Who should I make it out to?”

“Dear stud,” I say.

“Oh, of course. I can’t believe I even needed to ask.”

“I forgive you,” I say. “I’ll accept ‘to my future husband,’ too.”

“I like the sound of that.” She stands on her tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “Should we head to dinner soon? I don’t want to keep Blair and your mom waiting.”

“We can go now,” I say. “Do you feel finished here?”

“I do. I’m not sure how much more attention I can take.” Her voice is playful, but the sentiment is genuine. Being the center of attention-having a function revolve entirely around you-is tiring as hell. I’d know.

I take her hand in mine. “Then come on, baby. Let’s get out of here.”

We make our way out of Between the Pages and the Skye Hotel, out to where Charles is waiting with the car. I open the door for her and she slides into the backseat. Charles gives her a warm hello, shooting me an excited smile. He’s in on the surprise.

“I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for you tonight,” Skye says.

“Yes. For handling all those press conferences and interviews without breaking a sweat.”

“Well, I’ve had a fair bit of practice.” Reaching over, I put a hand on her knee. “And I hope you’re not completely worn out. We’re making a surprise stop before dinner. I have something to show you.”

“You do?” Her eyes instantly alight with mischief, a smile on her lips. I press a kiss to her temple. Two years in, and those eyes still get me going.

“Just something to celebrate my author wife.”

“Author fiancée,” she corrects. “We’re not married yet.”

“Because someone can’t decide on a venue.”

She tugs at my arm, mock outrage in her voice. “Try finding a place that will fit two hundred people and still feel intimate.”

“I would be happy eloping,” I say. “I’ve said that since the beginning.”

Skye rolls her eyes at me, scooting over until she can rest a hand on my thigh. “You say that, but then I ask you about guests, and you rattle off a list a mile long. I know what you’re doing, you know.”

“What am I doing?”

“Using our wedding as a chance to network. It’s like you’re giving out favors to people, because you know they’ll appreciate being invited, and they’ll inevitably be more positive to your developments because of it.”

I open my mouth to argue, but what’s she’s saying is too spot on. Skye grins in triumph. “See? And I don’t object, but that means I’m inviting a dozen authors and half the publishers in Seattle.”

I wrap an arm around her. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

“No,” she lies. “Tell me again.”

I murmur it against her ear. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Will you please tell me where we’re going now?”

“Good try, but no.”

“Torturing someone with suspense isn’t a very loving thing to do.”

I laugh, my hand tightening around her waist. “You’re not the least bit tortured.”

“Perhaps I’m just good at keeping it all inside.”

Her hair smells like flowers underneath my lips. “You did well tonight. I’m so proud of you. The bookstore. The book. The reading. You’re born for this, baby.”

She’s quiet for a few moments before she murmurs “thank you” into my neck. It’s muffled with emotion, and this, this right here is what I love the most with Skye. It’s always real between us. Every word, every touch. Not once have I had to wonder if she cares about me, and I’ve done my best to make sure she never wonders it about me.

Trust. Communication. Love.

All the things I never had in previous relationships. Experiencing it with Skye now, it’s obvious how false my last one had been. To believe I’d ever missed Elena!