Yours Completely (Billionaires and Brides 1)

The cab had to stop about a quarter mile from the house due to traffic. I paid the man and pulled my carry-on bag behind me. The entry to the house was packed with cars that cost more than a standard American house.

I paused in the driveway, suddenly unsure of what I was supposed to do next. I hadn't planned this far, and I certainly hadn't planned for there to be this many people. And TV reporters, I thought as I watched a TV crew enter the house.

My original plan of walking up to the front door and knocking suddenly seemed incredibly naive. I looked down at my wrinkled blouse and realized my khaki pants had a nice ketchup stain on them. Bastian was a billionaire. He wasn't going to answer the door. With this many people, it was going to be some security personnel that wouldn't know me from Kate Winslet. I was doomed.

“YOU CAME BACK!”

I turned to see a happy blur of Charlotte speeding toward me, her brown hair flying as she leaped from the front porch and wrapped me up in a giant hug. I didn't know how she managed it in heels, but she did.

“I'm glad to see you, too,” I replied with a laugh, hugging her back. She released me and grinned. Charlotte looked great. She had on a sheer, white silk blouse and a black skirt that accented her waist and made her look feminine and in charge at the same time. Something about her face looked happier, too. I wondered if something had changed between her and Leo. I would have to ask later. Now wasn't the time.

“Bastian's going to flip,” Charlotte told me. “He's been absolutely no fun since you left. One of the auctioneers told him that you were never coming back and he's been awful since. I knew you'd come back, though.”

I dry-washed my hands. I had a feeling I knew which auctioneer had said that. My hands were cold and clammy despite the tropical heat. “Where is Bastian? I need to talk to him.”

“I'm sure you do,” Charlotte replied with a wink, but then she shrugged. “But he's not here.”

“Oh.” My heart sank right through my toes and down into the sand. He was gone. I had missed my chance. “Of course. I should have checked before I came...”

“But he'll be back for the gala tonight,” Charlotte added. “He's out doing business stuff.”

“Oh, he'll be back...” I laughed nervously, feeling relieved for a moment. He wasn't off the island and I hadn't just been through travel hell for nothing.

“You are coming to the gala tonight, right?” Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “It's how we're showcasing everything for the auction.”

“Gala?” I pulled out my ticket. It now had a giant fold from being in my pocket all day, and I was glad it was on expensive paper or I would have worn it down to shreds by now. “I totally missed there w

as a gala on there.”

“Do you have anything to wear?” Charlotte asked, eying my very small carry-on suitcase. I shifted my weight nervously. I hadn’t brought anything even remotely acceptable to wear to a gala. I had a nice pant suit for the auction, but I had a feeling that the gala was more of an evening gown kind of event.

“Um...” I bit my lip. Maybe I could find something in town. I looked around at the Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and a couple of Rolls-Royces. Even if I managed to somehow find a dress shop, there's no way in hell I would be able to afford anything that would let me even remotely fit in. I was going to stick out like a sore thumb if I tried. This was why I had tried to leave. I wasn't any good at these rich events. I didn't want to embarrass Bastian by showing up as a ragamuffin.

“Oh, good! You didn't bring anything. That makes this so much easier,” Charlotte answered for me, a knowing grin crossing her face. She looked like a cat in the cream. “It's always better to work with a blank canvas anyway.”

“What?” I was now imagining an Emperor’s New Clothes scenario. I was not going naked. I was okay with being a blank canvas, but not a naked or semi-naked one.

“I've got just the designer for you,” Charlotte said, looking me up and down and practically cackling with glee. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”

I looked at her confused and she just grinned wider. Taking my arm in hers and grabbing my bag, she dragged me into the house. There were people milling around looking at all the pieces up for display before the auction. They stared as she pulled me along, but Charlotte just kept going like they didn't exist.

“I am going to make you the Belle of the Ball,” Charlotte promised as we started up the stairs. She turned and grinned, her eyes bright with mischief. “Come with me.”

***

The girl staring at me was wearing a dress that had come straight out of a fairytale. Or a dream. Or both. The girl looked like a princess.

The dress was made of soft gold that flowed over her hips and made the woman in front of me appear lush and slender at the same time. A gold lace overlay started right at her hips and continued down the length of the gown to create a train that was both romantic and stunning. Her dark red hair was pulled back and clipped with a gold comb that matched the dress and brought out the shimmer of the woman's hair.

I swallowed hard and the girl staring back at me swallowed too. I made a face at the mirror and the princess in the amazing dress made the same face back. It was difficult to believe, but I cleaned up pretty good.

The three hours in the hair and makeup chair had done magic, and I was fairly sure that Charlotte had switched out the mirrors in the bedroom with magic ones to make me look this good in a dress. I no longer looked like the small-town girl from nowhere and instead looked like a movie star.

I looked like someone who could be with a billionaire.

“Holy crap,” Charlotte whistled, peeking her head in the door. “I do good work.”

Charlotte opened the door wider and came in. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder gown with a subtle mermaid tail in royal blue. With her dark hair and eyes, she was breathtaking.