Yours Completely (Billionaires and Brides 1)

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“Will you clean up when you're done?” she asked, motioning to the brushes and pointing to the spot where they belonged.

“Of course,” he replied with a nod. “It would be my pleasure.”

She had to go. Delores would know if she was late or if she arrived back smelling like horse and she'd never hear the end of it. Yet, her feet didn't want to move. She forced herself to pat Commander one last time, and then to move her feet away.

As she walked to the barn door, she knew Jace would clean up and make sure that the two horses were ready for the evening. She knew it as surely as she knew her own name. She just wished she had a better excuse for when she eventually came back here later this evening, hoping to still catch him here. He'd be long gone by then, but she still knew she'd come check. Not on the horses, but for him.

“Ella?” Jace's voice caught her as she pulled open the door, making her stomach do back-flips and her heart flutter. She turned, seeing his blue eyes over the stall door. “Thank you.”

His gratitude was palpable and it made her chest ache. It was the first time in a long time that someone had legitimately thanked her for something more than a fresh set of towels or a cleaned room. It felt wonderful.

“You're welcome,” she whispered, not really trusting her voice. Before she could do anything else she would regret, like kissing an engaged man, she hurried out the door and into the deepening night.

As she ran along the path back toward the inn, she hoped that scrubbing down the kitchen, starting the laundry, and all the other chores she still had to do would distract her from thinking of those blue-green eyes and soft smile.

But she had a feeling they wouldn't.

Chapter Four

Jace was the only thing on Ella's mind.

She didn't want him to be, but like a splinter that she couldn't quite remove, he was in her thoughts. All night, her imagination had revolved around him. She could smell the soft woodsy scent of his skin, the way the light reflected blue and green at the same time in his eyes, and the soft curve of his lips as he bent to kiss her.

Except he had never actually bent to kiss her. That was all in her mind. It had to be. The man was supposed to be getting married tomorrow. Yet, as much as she tried to push him out of her head, he just stayed firmly put.

With a determined breath, Ella focused on her day's work. The odds of running into him were low and if she just avoided the barn, she would get everything prepped for this wedding and life would go back to the way it was. Just, hopefully with more customers.

The lobby was full of people that Ella had never met, yet she recognized most of them. A-list actors, sports personas, and at least three musicians lounged on the over-sized couches around the bar. Teams of men in dark suits with enough firepower to take out a small country sat at every doorway protecting their famous employers.

Considering that Ella had been coordinating everything for the past two weeks with just about every security firm on the planet, she knew that this was probably the safest place on earth. The logistical nightmare of getting every firm on board with the overall security company hired by Connor Conglomerate had been massive, but the checks made it worthwhile.

She hurried past the glittering starlets and musicians, heading off to gather her cleaning supplies. With the importance of the wedding, Ella was the only person that Delores trusted enough to clean the bridal suites properly during their guests' stays. Considering that Ella was the person Delores loved chastising the most, the irony was not lost on Ella.

The door to Delores's office was cracked open. The inn had a tendency to be drafty at times, as old historical buildings often were, and Delores was always complaining that the door never closed right. It was one of the few things that Delores and Ella agreed needed to be fixed. Standing in front of the big desk was Allison, Delores's biological daughter, looking positively miserable.

Ella didn't hate Allison. If anything, she wished the two of them could be closer, but Delores had made sure the two of them never spent any time alone. As far as Delores was concerned, Allison was too good for Ella. Over the years, the two had simply stopped trying to be friends, finding it easier to simply live their separate lives and not upset Delores.

“I'm trying, Mother,” Allison's exasperated voice came through the open door. Ella knew she shouldn't listen, but for once, someone else was getting in trouble.

“You need to try harder!” Delores's hand slammed down on the desk, rattling the pictures and making a pen fall to the floor.

“Do you have any idea how many other girls are here trying to get his attention?” Allison crossed her arms. With her arms crossed, Allison's cleavage was about to explode out of the obviously new designer threads.

“Then work on the sister,” Delores advised, sitting in her high backed chair and glaring at her daughter. “Get in there somehow, Allison. You need to capture that billionaire's heart, or at least be in his pants long enough to get access to his wallet. Do you understand? This is our chance to be rich again. To be what we're supposed to be. Do not let me down.”

“What do you think I'm doing?” Allison indicated to her cleavage. “It's just not that easy.”

“The man is a known player.” Delores's voice was low and dangerous. “When I called the Miramont Hotel, the owner reported seeing at least three of his staff come out of that man's room at late hours. Throw yourself at him a little harder. The man's an easy target.”

“I'm not just sitting here twiddling my thumbs, Mother.”

“You think that's what I'm doing? Twiddling my thumbs?” Delores snapped back. “I'm working on the father. He's worth nearly as much as the son and just as big a player. You want to switch? While I doubt the young son would be interested in me, I'm sure the father would jump at having you.”

Allison's mouth opened and closed as her cheeks flushed. She shuffled her feet and stared at the floor as if she wished she could just disappear. “Fine, Mother. I'll try harder.”

Ella had heard enough. It was no surprise to her that Delores was scheming to get a billionaire. Given that it was Delores, Ella wouldn't have been surprised to find out the older woman was willing to sell her soul to get a billionaire, but to get Allison involved felt cheap. Even for Delores.