Yours Completely (Billionaires and Brides 1)

“Seriously?” she asked, honestly surprised. “You aren't going to make fun of me for it? Tell me it's impossible? That it will cost too much or never be worth it?”

“Why would I make fun of you?” he asked. “You have a dream. From what I've seen of this place, it's doable. You have the space and the amenities. It'll be a lot of work, but it's not impossible.”

Ella openly stared at him. Her stepmother always ridiculed her plans. The other maids told her she was too ambitious and to aim lower. Allison, her stepsister, would just sigh and shake her head. No one ever believed she could do it. But Jace did. Jace thought she could.

Hope blossomed in her chest, finally finding a source of encouragement. Ella knew it didn't really mean much. He was just a random wedding guest. What could he actually know about running or managing an inn and resort? Yet, his kind words touched her in a way that few words had.

“Do you have a hard brush? I'm done with the curry comb,” Jace announced, stepping back to view his work.

“Of course.” Ella picked up the heavy wooden brush and thought about just handing it over iron bars separating the top half of the stalls, but she didn't. Instead, she went to the door and walked around, entering Commander's stall with Jace.

She didn't know why she did it. She knew she should keep her distance from this man since he was a guest, but her body moved on its own accord and suddenly, she was standing very close to him. She had meant to say something clever and cute, but now that she was actually within touching distance, her brain went blank. Commander stood quietly to the side, watching the two of them with uninterested ease as he waited for the rest of his grooming.

Her mouth went dry. “Here,” she said, holding out the brush, her heart pounding for no reason that she could come up with.

He took a step toward her, closing the small distance between them in half a heart beat. She could smell the soft scent of his aftershave. It was a nice clean scent, something with pleasant cedar notes that reminded her of camping under the stars. It was hard not to get melty when a guy smelled that good.

“Thank you.” He was suddenly very, very close. His hand closed around hers and the brush. The first time they'd touched had nothing on this. This time, her entire body tingled and goosebumps spread down her arms. She was sure he could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest.

His eyes were so blue they physically made her ache. The green accents deep within them only made her think of dark water and wonderful secrets, but it was the warmth with which he was looking at her right now that had her gasping for breath.

Commander shuffled his feet, unhappy with the lack of brushing. His rump ran directly into Ella's shoulder and knocked her off balance. Her arms flailed as she tumbled toward the ground, but she didn't fall. Jace caught her. As if in slow motion, his hand moved to her waist, pulling her in close to him. His strong body steadied hers, holding her upright and against him. Her hand splayed out on his chest, pressing against the firm muscle under his fine-linen dress shirt.

A tantalizing surge of desire to kiss him welled up inside of her. How would he taste? Would his face be smooth or prickly with a day's growth? Her lips needed to know, to reach out and touch him. Somehow, probably instinctively, she knew without a doubt that kissing him would be like tasting heaven.

Ella's brain worked in slow motion, desire warring with reason. She just met this man and he was a guest. She shouldn't be leaning in, rising up on her tiptoes, closing her eyes and holding her breath for him to do the same. Yet, all she wanted in this moment was this kiss. This perfect kiss.

She was glad she rescued him from the vultures.

Chapter Three

A soft giggle from the dark on the path outside the barn caught her attention. Jace and Ella froze, their lips so close Ella could feel his breath. The soft sound of high-heels on rock steps brought her down from the happy high she was on. The giggles grew louder along with a “let's check that barn again.”

Speak of the devil.

They stopped, a breath away from what promised to be an amazing kiss.

The magic spell that wove them together evaporated like mist on the wind. Suddenly, they were just two strangers standing a little too close.

“They're back,” Jace said, his shoulders creeping up and his eyes darkening. He released her, but kept his hands on her waist as he stepped back, moving closer to the shadowed corner of the stall. “I wish they would just leave me alone.”

His voice was calm and even, but Ella could sense the desperation seeping into his words. She didn't know how she knew it- from the outside he looked perfectly calm and collected, yet somehow she knew.

“You really don't want them to find you, do you?” she murmured, more to herself that to him.

“You have no idea.” His blue eyes pleaded with hers. “It's absolute torture to be around them. Please.”

“Don't worry. I'll be your knight in shining armor.” She smiled softly. As if she could say no to him and those eyes, especially after he had just told her that her dreams weren't crazy. She reluctantly pulled away from his touch. “Stay low in the stall.”

Her words had barely left and his head ducked down when the beautiful blonde's face popped out of the dark and into the warmly lit barn. Perfectly long-lashed eyes glanced disdainfully around the barn's interior. Her manicured hand moved from the barn door and she carefully wiped it on the hem of her short dress as though simply touching the barn had dirtied her.

Ella stepped out of the stall, taking her time to walk toward the intruding woman. “Can I help you?”

“You sure you haven't seen a tall, dark, and devilishly good-looking man wandering around here?” the blonde purred. She gave Ella a once over glance from head to toe, contempt flowing from her perfect doe-eyes. She waved a dismissive hand. “If you'd even notice that kind of thing.”

Ella's own hand went to her hair, smoothing it back in her ponytail. A piece of straw came out in her fingers and she tried not to blush as she tossed it on the floor. Raising her chin up a little higher, she locked eyes with the blonde and motioned to the two occupied stalls behind her.

“The only good-looking males in here are in those stalls. So, unless you're looking for a stallion, I'd look elsewhere.” She smiled so sweetly her teeth hurt. “Maybe try the bar.”