Yours Completely (Billionaires and Brides 1)

“Um, yeah...” she answered absently, shoving the phone in her pocket. “I have to go. Work. Excuse me.”

Without pausing, she walked past him, worry and fear etched clearly on her delicate features. Tension and anger were already welling up in his shoulders. He wanted to protect her from whatever it was on that phone that was making her so pale. He just didn't know what it was.

Her steps stopped as she reached the dirt path back to the inn. Slowly, she turned. Her hazel eyes, met his and he felt like he could get lost in them forever and not care. He could drown in those eyes and die happy.

“It was great to see you again, Jace.” The way his name rolled from her lips made him warm. “Good luck tomorrow. Madelyn's a lucky girl to have you.”

Before he could come up with a response, she turned and started running down the path. He watched her for a moment, completely at a loss as to what to do. It had been a long time since a woman had effected him like that.

His hand tingled from where he had touched her cheek and his body ached to hold her. He wanted so much more than just a simple touch and a smile. There was something about her that intrigued him and made him want more. When most women left him, he was glad to have a moment to himself. When Ella left, he found himself counting the minutes until he could see her again.

And he was going to see her again. That was a given. She wasn't someone he could just forget. At least he had the whole weekend to unravel the mystery of why she appealed to him. Hopefully longer if he had his way.

Chapter Six

Ella didn't just run to her stepmother's office. She sprinted.

It wasn't just the text simply stating “Office. Now.” that made her run. No, that would have gotten a fast pace walk, maybe a light jog. It was Jace that made her run. She had come so close to kissing him. Again.

Her cheek still sizzled from his touch. His hand had felt so damn good on her skin. The simple act of him tucking hair behind her ear had sent her heart to pounding so hard she was surprised she hadn't passed out. It had felt so good...

He's getting married tomorrow. To Madelyn. Ella reminded herself.

It hurt to think it. He couldn't have been leaning forward to kiss her. That was her imagination. He was just a great guy who she shouldn't feel anything for. Because he was getting married at her inn tomorrow and she was a professional.

Which is why she ran. She had to. If she had actually kissed him, if she had let her own emotions take control... She could have ruined everything. No one would ever go to a place where staff kissed the groom the day before the wedding. Well, not the type of clients she wanted.

Still, the message from Delores had her moving quickly. The last time she got a message like that, she had been stuck scrubbing tile floors with a toothbrush for two days because an important client complained that their room service wasn't taken away quickly enough.

She took a deep breath at the entryway to Delores's office. She smoothed the front of her uniform and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” The voice was cold and calculating on the other side. Cold sweat broke out on Ella's forehead.

The doorknob slipped in Ella's hands, twisting on the cold sweat of her palms as she opened the door. It took her two tries to get the door open.

“Took you long enough.” Delores didn't even bother to look up from signing a paper on her desk. She finished and stacked it neatly in a box labeled “complete.” Several of them were labeled with an IRS stamp and didn't look anywhere near “complete”.

Ella was still breathless from running all the way here, so she kept her retort silent. Instead, she simply moved to stand in front of the desk, assuming the meek position she always did whenever Delores was angry. Hands clasped in front, head lowered, eyes down.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Delores looked up at her, fire in her eyes. Ella had never seen her this angry before. It wasn't loud and big angry- that she could have stood up to. This was quiet, slow burning anger that only meant that terrible things were in her future.

“Um...” Ella's thoughts were wild. Technically, she shouldn't have been at the gazebo right now, but there was no way Delores could have known she was there. She did leave the laundry room light on last night, but that was for the night shift... Could Delores have possibly seen Jace in the barn? Guests weren't allowed in there, but...

“Wooing the Connor family is supposed to be Allison's job.” Delores glared at her, green eyes staring daggers. “Not yours.”

“The Connor family?” Ella was completely lost. The only wooing she wanted to do was with Jace, and she was trying very, very hard not to do that.

“Imagine my surprise when Madelyn Connor calls me and asks that Ella, the maid Ella, be her personal wedding liaison,” Delores continued. She stood from her chair, putting both hands on her desk and leaning forward to better assert her dominance over Ella. “Again, I ask. What the hell do you think you are doing?”

“Madelyn did what?” Ella gasped.

“I'm so glad you two are already on a first name basis,” Delores sneered. “How could you do this to your sister?”

“Do what to my sister?” Ella asked, still utterly confused. Why in the world would Madelyn ask for her? She certainly had never asked or even insinuated Madelyn should do anything of the sort. The last thing Ella wanted was to do anything that would jeopardize the wedding plans for the inn.

“Allison has been working so hard on making sure everything for this wedding goes perfectly, while you sit on you ass and leave the light on in the laundry room. I can't believe you would usurp your only sister's chance at leaving this hellhole by sabotaging her like this. Sabotaging me like this.” Delores stood straight and made a disgusted sound. “And using your mother's wedding dress to bribe her, Ella- it's deplorable.”

“I didn't-”