The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 1) (11 page)

It felt so good to be in his arms once more. Once she'd explained, how could she find the strength to leave him again?

“It’s in my note,” she said helplessly, staring up at him, committing every detail of his face to memory.

He shook his head. “Not everything.” A muscle pulsed in his jaw. “Carol doesn’t know the full story.”

“But I won’t let you lose the ranch. And you will if—”

He placed a warm finger against her lips. “No. I won’t.”

Her eyes widened, hope fluttering in her heart.

“Let me explain.” His eyes gleamed with love and passion.

She nodded, wishing she could stay in his embrace forever.

“My grandfather did write a will, leaving his grandsons nothing if we married or were involved in a permanent relationship. My brothers and I knew about it the whole time we were growing up. And we were all determined not to let that man rule our lives.” Garrett sighed. “He was a very bitter old guy. He’d always been difficult to live with, but he got worse as he got older. My grandmother, who was a wonderful woman, eventually couldn’t take any more. She fell in love with a schoolteacher in town, and they moved to Pennsylvania. My grandfather couldn’t accept what had happened and made that stupid will.”

He threaded his hand through her loose hair, her spine tingling at his sensual touch. “Sweetheart, we all knew we’d have to make our own way in life. The estate pays us a generous sum every month, as long as we’re not in a relationship. But none of us care about the money.” He grimaced. “It did come in handy for college, and afterwards, when I was getting started, but as soon as I could I gave it all to charity. And I still do. Every month.”

“But what about Farley?” Maddie whispered. Was it possible they
could
be together?

A shadow crossed his face. “Farley’s death was a blow, but I’m hardly bankrupt. When I said I could support you, I meant it.”

She gazed up at him, her arms tightening around his back. “And your father?”

Garrett chuckled. “He runs a bed-and-breakfast with Mom in Vermont. My grandfather cut him out of the will completely because he took my grandmother’s side when she finally left him.” He added ruefully, “My parents refuse to take money from any of us, even money we‘ve made ourselves.”

Maddie’s brow wrinkled. “So you hired me to clean cabins that you didn’t really need cleaned?”

He wrapped her more firmly in his embrace. “You have no idea how many times Carol asked me what I was going to do with those cabins. When I met you, I knew those cabins would be a good excuse to spend time with you.” He smiled down at her. “I couldn’t let you wander Wyoming in your wedding dress.” His hands tightened around her waist. “As soon as I met you, I wanted you. I had to hope you felt the same - in time.”

“I did,” Maddie breathed. “I mean, I do. I love you, Garrett.”

“Good.” His lips claimed hers, his tongue demanding entry, which she gladly gave. Maddie lost herself in his kiss.

“Come home with me,” he murmured against her lips.

She nodded, her pulse pounding as he ravished her once more. Garrett finally dragged his mouth away, cupping her face. “But first, I have to ask you something.”

Maddie held her breath as she watched him get down on one knee on the side of the highway. He pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket. Garrett took her hand, her spine tingling with excitement and anticipation at his touch.

He looked into her eyes, his emotions laid bare. “Maddie Stanton, I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

For a second, she couldn’t speak. Then she gripped his hand. “Yes,” she breathed. “Yes!”
Garrett loved her. The reality was even better than her fantasies.

Garrett stood, still holding the box as he pulled her to him.

“I already said I’d marry you two weeks ago.” Maddie smiled and looked into his face, joy flooding through her. She finally knew exactly how Garrett felt about her. All her hopes and dreams had come true! “I love you.” She tugged his head down, knowing she would never grow tired of saying those three little words to him. Kissing him for all she was worth, she was reluctant to come up for air.

Flashing a grin, Garrett brandished the box in front of her. “You haven’t seen the ring yet.”

“I don’t care about a ring.” Her tone was serious. “All I want is you.”

“Sweetheart, you’ve got me for the rest of your life.” He kissed her swiftly, then opened the box. Nestled inside, a huge solitaire diamond engagement ring with a platinum band sparkled at her. She had never seen a diamond so large. Fleetingly, she wondered if it was even bigger than the Hope diamond.

“As soon as I proposed the first time, I ordered the ring to be custom-made. It should have arrived a week ago,” he grumbled, lifting it out of the box. “It got here this afternoon, after you’d gone.” Concern was etched on his face as she remained silent. “If it doesn’t fit, we can get the band resized.”

Maddie’s lips parted, but no sound emerged. She realized Garrett was waiting for her to say something. As if in a dream, she held out her hand so he could slide the ring on her finger.

“If you don’t like it—”

She blinked, coming out of her trance. “Garrett, it’s so big!” She watched the light play against the facets, admiring the beauty of the stone and the workmanship. “But it’s stunning.“ A smile teased the corners of her mouth. “And it fits perfectly.” She lifted her gaze to his, the expression on her face becoming worried. “Are you sure you can afford it?”

He gave a shout of laughter. “Hell, yeah, I can afford it.” Gathering her in his embrace, he confessed, “Maddie, my brothers and I are collectively billionaires, not including our grandfather’s estate.”

Her knees started to sag, and she was glad that he held her so securely. “B ...billionaires?” Maddie’s eyes widened as she gazed at him.

“Yeah.” He looked a little discomfited. “Right now, my net worth is half a billion dollars. It’s not something I advertise. My brother Alex is a genius playing the stock market. I combined his know-how with my business studies and,” he shrugged, “I made a nice chunk of money. Enough to buy the ranch. Alex and I still sometimes invest in the same business deals.”

The mysterious conference calls.
“So that’s what you do in the study. But ... I overheard you one day, saying you wanted to consolidate,” she confessed, a blush tingeing her cheeks.

He smiled. “I decided to streamline a little, that’s all, so I could spend less time in the study and more time with you. I was going to tell you, sweetheart, once the ring arrived.” He stroked her hair. “I was a goner as soon as I saw you on the highway. But I wanted to find out if you could have feelings for me without knowing how much I was worth.”

Maddie nodded. After discovering the real reason why Howard wanted to marry her, she totally understood Garrett’s reasons. She certainly didn’t expect him to hand out a card to everyone he met that said Garrett Trask, rich man.

She trailed her finger down his cheek, a hint of stubble grazing the soft pad of her fingertip, sending a tingle of electricity through her.

“How could I not fall in love with you, Garrett? You’re everything I've ever wanted in a man.” She gestured at the junction in the distance. “I was going to turn around and come back, to talk to you, to see if there was some way we could save the ranch and be together.”

“Maddie.”
He crushed her to him, holding her as if he would never let her go. “You have no idea how much I love you.” His expression became serious. “Promise me you’ll never run off like that again. No matter what, we’ll talk things through. When I realized you’d gone...” His lips tightened. “I can’t go through that again, sweetheart.”

“I promise.” Love shone in her eyes.

He swept her up into his arms. Squeaking with surprise, she clutched his shoulders, realizing they stood on the side of the highway. The helicopter had landed neatly on the shoulder of the road, so cars could still pass, unimpeded.

“Then let’s go home to the ranch.” Her lips tingled from his passionate kiss.

Garrett helped her into the helicopter, and tossed the pilot the car keys. “I’ll fly us back, if you drive the car,” he told the wiry, middle-aged man.

“Yes, sir.”

Once seated at the controls, Garrett turned to her. “When we get home, we’re going to set a wedding date. For next month.”

“Next month!” Her eyes widened, then she laughed. She couldn’t think of anything better than marrying the love of her life - the sooner the better. Her eyes sparkled up at him. “How about next week?”

“How about tomorrow?” His wickedly sexy grin made her heart race. “We can fly to Vegas in the morning.”

“Perfect.” And Maddie knew with utter certainty that marriage to Garrett would be absolutely wonderful.

The End

J
enn Roseton believes that romance and happy endings go together. When she's not writing, she indulges in delicious gourmet chocolate.

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Other Titles by Jenn Roseton

Curves and Cowboys: BBW Romance Boxed Set (Coldwater Springs 1-4)

Curves and the Cowboy (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 1)

Curves and the Sheriff (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 2)

Curves and the Rancher (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 3)

Curves and the Rodeo Star (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 4)

A special free
very
short story featuring Chase and Sarah from Curves and the Cowboy is now available through my website at:

www.jennroseton.com/free-reads/

I hope you enjoy it! (Note: it's a little spicier than Curves and the Cowboy, Curves and the Sheriff, Curves and the Rancher and Curves and the Rodeo Star.)

BBW Needs Hot Sex (BBW Erotic Romance)

Hot and Sexy 1: Seductive Persuasion
- should be free on Amazon. If it isn't, please visit
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to find out where you can download it for free

Hot and Sexy 2: Bridal Jitters

Seduced by the Boss 1: Pent-Up Passion

Seduced by the Boss 2: Spanking Miss Jones

Seduced by the Boss 3: For Her Pleasure

Seduced by the Boss 4: Loving Miss Jones