The Sweetest Kiss: A Billionaire Love Story (13 page)

I
slapped
him as hard as I could. I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to come up and do that.

“Holy crap, what was that for?”

“What was it not for, you mean? You are the bane of my existence, Markus. You always have been. Nothing but trouble. You are like a weasel that finds its way into every nook and cranny.”

Upon opening the door to him he gave me some cock-and-bull story about how he had broken up with Stephanie, not the other way around. That he couldn’t live without me and how the moon and sun didn’t rise without me in his world. I gagged and wanted to toss up my lunch. What did he think I was? Stupid? Apparently he had seen the magazine and it had stirred up a range of emotions. He had an epiphany that he hadn’t realized when he was screwing Stephanie. When the reality was he was jealous that I had found love in the arms of a billionaire. Had it been anyone else, I wonder if he would have shown up. He believed that I really had got married. That was what was so hilarious. I listened to him give his sob story about how no woman really understood him like I did. That’s when he planted the kiss on me. I couldn’t have got out of his bear hug even if I wanted to, but I was in no way kissing him back. After a good swift kick to the groin, and a slap, I was feeling a hell of lot better. Not that he could say that. It took him all of ten minutes to get back up off the floor.

“You are a little too late, Markus.”

“Come on, Hayley, give me another chance.”

I slammed the door behind me, leaving him out there to pout.

Hanna high-fived me like we had just won a rally for women’s rights. It took an hour before Markus finally gave up and crawled back under whatever stone he came from. I was still waiting for Ethan to show up. I placed another call to James who informed me in no uncertain terms that Ethan had planned to show up. It was then I made the phone call to him. It went to voicemail.

“You think he decided not to come? You know, maybe just bailed at the last minute?” I asked.

“Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know, maybe he thinks I will bite his head off.”

“Or kick him in the nuts?” Hanna replied with a smirk.

“Markus deserved it. Maybe one day he will come to his senses and realize that women don’t deserve to be treated like crap.”

“That’s when pigs will fly,” Hanna added.

We chuckled and kept on watching TV together. By the time the evening rolled around. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to show up. I had left four messages on his phone, none of which had been answered.

I
spent
a few weeks in New York before returning to the island. I had all but resolved that whatever the magazine article had been about, it would like all news blow over in a matter of a week or two. Yesterday’s news became tomorrow’s fodder.

Though I will say those days were trying. I had been approached numerous times by photographers wanting to get my side of the story. On the second day I ventured out in hat, dark glasses, and a scarf. Now that it had warmed up, walking around the city with all that on got me some strange looks but then again most of the people in New York were strange. It wasn’t uncommon to see people talking to themselves on the subway trains or singing and dancing around.

The flight and boat journey back to the island was appalling. I once again found myself reaching over the edge and wishing that death would take me. Once I got my feet on solid ground, I noticed they felt like jelly. Upon arrival at the cottages, I was pleased to find that all of the work had been completed. It was looking beautiful both inside and out. If this was how Emily saw it when she was here, I could see why she didn’t want to give it up.

I was tempted to go over to Ethan’s cottages but resisted the urge. I unpacked and freshened up. I stole a glance outside the window, hoping I might spot him but he wasn’t there. Several days passed without any visit from him. I eventually went over to the cottages and knocked. To my surprise I found that they were already being rented out and that no one besides tourists were staying there.

Where was he?

I had to admit I felt strange about it. I had this whirlwind romance with a guy that was gorgeous. I had experienced what few other women did and now he was nowhere to be found.

On my way over to the north side I spotted Jamaal. He waved from his jeep and I gestured for him to stop. When he pulled up beside me I enquired as to where Ethan was.

“You haven’t heard?”

“What?”

“He left the island. Yeah, very out of sorts to him. He loved this place.”

“Did you speak to him?”

“Only briefly. He was on his way to the boat.”

“How did he look?”

Jamaal leaned back in his jeep. “You know, Ms. Fields. I have never seen him look the way he did that day. I mean, I’ve known him a long time to have seen his ups and downs but something changed him.”

“But was he happy, sad?”

“He looked down or maybe just busy. I can never tell.”

He let out a chuckle.

I nodded mindfully. As I returned to the cottage I went on a short detour to the area where we had said our vows. I knew it wasn’t real but the chemistry between us was. At least to me it was. In the same place was the garden arbor. It was being used by another couple who were renewing their vows. I watched as they looked lovingly into each other’s eyes. A few tears streaked my face and I turned to leave.

I
had notched
it all up to a brief fling. A beautiful one but a fling. How else could I look at it? She was back in the arms of someone else, and who would blame her? I had forced myself not to go to the island. I knew she was back but I couldn’t bring myself to go there and face her again. Not after the article. Not after seeing her.

It probably didn’t help that I had received the ring back in the mail.

I flew out to see my sister Darla. She was in Malibu. She had been DJ’ing of all things. I wondered how long that would last. She was like a bee going from one flower to the next. She could never seem to figure out what she was good at.

That weekend she had invited Jace and Connor to visit for a family get-together but they couldn’t make it. In good old Wayland fashion, they were too busy working. So it was just me and Darla. She kind of figured I would want company so she had invited over one of her harebrained friends in the hopes I would hook up with her. But I wasn’t interested. The truth be told, I hadn’t stopped thinking about Hayley. I didn’t want anyone else except her. The number of times I had thought of our time together. The passion, the heat, and the smell of her body.

Now I had dated many women before. Those who had wiggled their way into my heart. But none of them had depth to them like Hayley. There was something different in our conversations. The time we had spent together. Even when neither of us said anything and we sat in silence. It never felt like we needed to say anything. Everything about our interactions didn’t feel forced.

As the night wore on I sat out in the hot tub gazing up at the stars. The girl Darla had introduced me to soon got the hint that I wasn’t interested. Sipping on beer and listening to the sound of the waves break on the shore, my mind drifted back to our time together. Making love and saying our vows. I reached over to my jeans and pulled out the ring. I moved it around between my thumb and fingers.

“She really did a number on you, didn’t she?” Darla said, joining me in the hot tub.

“No, I think it’s the other way around, Darla.”

She let out a laugh. “Why would you do that? I mean I’m not judging you, hell, I’ve done worse. But seriously, brother, playing the marriage card?”

“It was a mistake. But how I felt for her wasn’t. I rushed into it and well, my head was clouded by the tension between me and dad. I just thought…”

“You didn’t think…”

“Okay. I admit it. I didn’t think it through. I fucked up.”

“It’s not me you have to apologize to.”

I stared at her before wincing. “I’m not sure she would listen now anyway. I saw her with another guy in New York. Guessing it was Markus but I might be wrong there.”

She chuckled. “Let me see. You just walked away without asking, right?”

I hesitated before replying. “Well, yeah.”

She punched me on the arm. “I love you, brother, but some days I could slap you silly.”

“What?”

“Do you ever read supermarket magazines?”

She reached over and pulled across the
Enquirer
. She began thumbing through it and then handed it to me.

“You know I don’t read this fodder.”

“You should.” She leaned over and put her finger halfway down on the page.

It was a follow-up article that was written by none other than Hayley herself. A photo of her standing in front of the cottages was the first time I had seen her since it all went down. God, she looked beautiful. Just the way I remembered.

The headline read:

M
arried to a Billionaire
: The Truth Behind It All

I
n the article
she answered the most common questions that the media had hounded her about. It was meant to be a tell-all to get them off her back. She had made a point that it would be the last article she would be writing for the
Enquirer
. After, she would return to running her business.

“Smart girl. Used the
Enquirer
to advertise her business by piggybacking on the wave of publicity she had got over the last article.”

In the article she answered the question if she was single or not. She had made it clear in no uncertain terms that she was completely single. She wasn’t seeing anyone and had no plans for the future but if the right guy came along, maybe, just maybe she would consider dating again.

Hayley then answered the one question that the media had. “Did you love him?”

“Yes,” she replied in the article.

I
put
down the magazine and blew my cheeks out.

“Well I guess that’s it.”

Darla burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me? You still don’t get it?” She reached back over to the magazine and ran her finger along the answer Hayley had given about dating. “She’s hoping you will show up. I guarantee it. Read it again, if the right guy comes along she might consider it.”

“Darla, I’m not the right guy.”

“Ethan. No guy is. You made a mistake but your heart was in the right place. All a girl wants is someone who will fight for her. Stand with her and let her know that she is loved. Get your ass out of this hot tub and go get her.”

I opened my eyes wide.

“Don’t make me smack you with this magazine.”

I chuckled as I slid out of the tub. I started drying off my body.

“Oh and Ethan, you might need this.”

She passed the ring that I had left on the side of the hot tub. I squeezed back into my jeans. “Thanks, sis.”

“That’s what I’m here for. One last thing. I want an invite this time.”

I winked. “You got it.”

A
few more weeks passed and
I got used to waking up alone. The final article in the magazine had brought in a flurry of tourists. All of the cottages were booked up for the next six months. I had to wonder if they were coming to the island to see it, or just to shake the hand of the woman that married the billionaire. Who for a brief moment got to experience life on the other side. Was it that people wanted to see someone break through the barriers that life put up? What was it about money that made people think you had made it?

The reality was I was running a viable business now. I was making good money, living on a beautiful island, and eventually I would be ready to date again. But for now I was content. Or at least I had told myself that. Truth was I missed him. It was not just about his body or money. It was him. His character, his company, and the way I felt when I was around him.

I hadn’t lost a great lover, or even a make-believe husband. I had lost a friend. I would have given anything to have that back. To start again.

Mornings now were spent checking that my guests had everything they needed. I would drink a cup of coffee and check my computer before getting started on the little cleaning that I had to do. The work was very little. I just had to make sure their beds and rooms were clean. That the little fridges were stocked with alcohol and water. That the guests had enough fruit to eat and all the rest was taken care of by the restaurants in the area.

I had heard rumors that Ethan had been spotted on the island. It was of course just that. As I hadn’t seen him. I had no clue what I would say to him if I did. I mean, we had slept together, made love. Experienced something that few did in such a short time.

I brought up my emails checking for new bookings.

There were two. I replied to the first and gave them a date. The next was very unusual. They had requested that they have a place today.

Of course I immediately emailed back telling the person that there was no room and that the cottages were full. I was about to log out when a reply came back almost instantly.

“What about your place?”

Mine? Is this person insane? I placed my coffee down and typed out a response. Unfortunately, I needed a place to sleep. So that wouldn’t be happening but maybe they could find a room on the north end.

They immediately responded back. “How much do you want to let me stay where you are?”

Great, another person with more money than sense.

“Zero,” I replied. The room was not available. I don’t know why but I sat there waiting for a response. I kind of figured they would reply. Sure enough my email dinged and there it was. However, this time they were getting even more pushy.

“Name your price. There must be something you want?”

“There is nothing I want and if you continue to spam me I will have to block your email.”

A response flashed up again.

“Oh come now. Are you sure there is nothing you want?”

“Oh there is something I want. I want you to stop emailing me.”

“Last chance,” they replied.

Wow, this person was pushy.

“Yeah, there is something I want…” I was in the middle of typing when another message came in from them. This time it had an attachment.

I stopped typing and opened the email, then clicked on the attachment.

It was Ethan. On one knee. Outside my cottage.

I smirked, then narrowed my eyes. I got up and strolled to the front door. I swung it open and sure enough there he was.

“Whew, I was wondering when you would open up.”

I put my hands on my hips and shifted from one foot to the other.

“I miss you. I’m sorry. Please marry me for real this time,” he said.

I scrunched my nose up and was searching for the words to say.

“You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“Scrunching your nose up. Don’t do that. That’s my weakness.”

“Really?”

“That and your adorable bubble butt. But that’s for another time.”

I stifled a laugh.

“I can’t marry you,” I blurted.

He frowned and got up off his knee.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m already married to you.”

“What?”

“Seems what you thought wasn’t legit, actually was.”

I learned inside to a small table where I kept all my bills and important paperwork. I pulled out a piece of paper. I unfolded it and handed it to him. He stood there reading it. The guy he had hired to come and do the ceremony was actually an ordained minister. The paperwork he had him sign was real. I had been sitting on it since it had arrived.

“Well, how about that?”

“Yep, who would have thought?”

“Well, you know what this means, don’t you?” he said.

“What?”

He took a step forward. I took one back.

“Ethan?”

“Mrs. Wayland, I think you and I have a honeymoon to enjoy.”

“Uh, stop right there, dude!”

“What?”

I pulled a pen from my back pocket. I took the paperwork from him, told him to spin around. I placed it on his back and signed it.

“There, now it’s official.”

He smiled, turned, stepped in, and wrapped his arms around my waist. He stared longingly into my eyes. His deep blue eyes looked like the ocean. His lip curled up at the corner.

“This time, I’m not letting you go.”

He leaned in and kissed me.