Yours Completely: A Cinderella Love Story (Billionaires and Brides #1) (6 page)

“I just realized, I never asked your name.” The woman turned and took Ella's hands in her own. Something about her blue eyes was incredibly familiar, but from where, Ella couldn't place.

“I'm Ella.”

“Thank you, Ella. I'm Madelyn.” The woman grinned as she turned back to the mirror. “And you're sure it's okay that I'm wearing your dress?”

“When you look this good in it, how can I say no?” Ella replied, a grin taking over her face.

“I really can't thank you enough. I was afraid I was going to have to get married in jeans and a white t-shirt.” Madelyn let out a sigh that sounded far heavier than just air as her fears over ruining the wedding disappeared. “I promise not to spill any red wine on it.”

“I might have to kill you if you did,” Ella teased, loving that Madelyn laughed without hesitation. The sound was genuine and refreshing.

Madelyn's hands skimmed the fabric, as if her eyes couldn't believe what her hands were feeling. “He's going to love it...”

Jace
. She meant Jace was going to love it. The wonderful, handsome man that Ella had been trying not to think about all day was going to love it. Ella managed to keep the smile on her face without it cracking.

“Of course he will,” she agreed. Ella suddenly didn't want to be watching the bride wearing her dress, planning to marry the man she was dreaming of. “I need to finish my work. I'll have someone come up and clean the dress for you as soon as possible. If you need anything, just ask for me. I'm at your disposal for as long as you're here.”

Madelyn nodded absentmindedly, her eyes glued to the mirror as she took in the dress. “Of course. Thank you, Ella.”

Ella glanced back once before leaving the bridal suite. Madelyn looked so beautiful and happy that it made her heart ache. Ella would never have anything like that. She knew it deep in her bones. She wasn't made for that kind of simple joy.

Ella didn't pick up her cleaning supplies. She just left them tucked off to the side of the hall and hurried outside. She'd come back and finish her job later, but for now, she needed to clear her mind of the mix of emotions circling and tightening in her chest. Her mother's dress. Jace. Someone else's joy.

She needed some fresh air to refresh her heart and the gazebo by the lake was just the place she needed.

J
ace walked along the lake shore with quick, long strides. He was used to walking fast. In the business world, there was always someone to catch up to and someone to outrun. Life was a competition and only the strong and the fast survived.

He sighed. He needed to find a way to stop thinking like that. Madelyn was always telling him that he was becoming more and more like his father. He hated that. His father was a workaholic with no time for his wife or family. A brilliant businessman, but not a good parent and a terrible husband. Jace wanted to be better than his father. It was part of why he was going all out for Madelyn's wedding. The fact that he was putting in so much effort annoyed his father to no end.

He paused on the path, glancing around at the carefully manicured lawn and trees surrounding the lake. He hoped he hadn't missed it. He was looking for the small gazebo, the one Ella had mentioned last night. She had said the path was near the main gazebo, but so far he hadn't found it yet. To be honest, he wasn't really looking for the gazebo, he was hoping that he'd run into her again.

Ella.

Just thinking about her made him smile, which was strange. Jace was no stranger to women. The labels of “playboy” and “superficial” were justly earned. He'd had plenty of lovers and had enjoyed them all immensely. But Ella was different.

She was real. When she laughed, she threw her whole body into it. Her eyes sparkled when she smiled and when she was nervous, her blush was real, too. It was so different than the women he was used to. Plastic and born to manipulate, he was used to women who only wanted access to his pocketbook in exchange for a few good nights. He knew Ella was different.

She was honest. innocent, but not annoyingly so. Her smile and jokes had been real, and not just because he was a billionaire. If anything, for a moment, she had allowed him to feel normal. In just the hour he spent with her, she had him smiling and feeling more refreshed than any other company had in years.

Not to mention the chemistry. When she had fallen and he caught her, her body molded to his like she was made for him. She had felt so good in his arms, so right, that it was good they hadn't completed that kiss. Given how much dry hay was in that barn, any more sparks and the whole place would have gone up in flames. He'd never experienced such instant and strong attraction.

It was strange. And now, he couldn't seem to think of anyone else.

There were enough beautiful Hollywood starlets floating around the place that had he been his usual self, he would have had someone lined up to join him in bed tonight. Maybe even two. But he didn't want that. Not anymore.

He didn't want anyone but Ella.

And that was so unlike him that it made him question his sanity. The idea that a single conversation with a beautiful woman could rock his world so completely threw him off a little. He had always been a player, yet the idea of having only Ella was better than knowing he'd have a harem elsewhere.

A small dirt path caught his attention. It was just ahead and barely visible against the lush greenery of the lake. It could be the path that Ella had mentioned, but she hadn't said it would be so small. He paused, debating if the dirt path was better than the concrete one.

The sound of girlish giggles and the clack of high heels decided him. The guests coming around the bend could just be friends or possibly family, but the very real possibility of it being Rosalind and her gang of clones was too dangerous.

Even before he met Ella, Rosalind and her groupies would have gotten a “no” from him this trip. He'd dated Rosalind once upon a time, but had quickly learned that she was just as cold inside as the money she craved. She wasn't even supposed to have been invited to the wedding, yet here she was. The same with so many other guests. Business and politics ruined everything.

They were like sharks drawn to money instead of blood. Every one of them was husband hunting or searching for a pocketbook and he wasn't interested. He was smart enough to know the difference between a girl looking to put a famous notch in her bedpost and someone looking for a long con. He had given up on finding anyone who didn't want his money.

Again, just like his father.

He darted up the dirt path, hiding himself behind a tree as the gaggle of girls passed. It was definitely Rosalind. He shook his head and let out a sigh of relief as she passed without even glancing his direction. She was on the hunt and wasn't going to waste time hiking up dirt trails.

With a grin, Jace turned and saw the gazebo. It was exactly like the photograph.

Upon the announcement of the wedding, venues from all over the world had sent him requests and offers. The picture containing this small gazebo had fallen out of the envelope and Jace had felt in his bones it was the place for Madelyn to get married. It was this picture that had put Blue Lake Inn and Resort as the top contender.

He thought of the picture. A small, simple gazebo stood out against the bright blue of the lake. It was surrounded by greenery, but it was the couple inside that had caught his attention. A man was down on one knee, proposing to a very happy woman. It would have looked staged if the man's hand wasn't blurry from shaking or the sheer delight in the woman's eyes. The note on the back said it was one of the many hidden romantic getaways on the inn, and that the proposal was that of the original owners, Jonathon and Nancy McDaniels. If
Love
could have taken the image of a photograph, that was it.

The photograph had not lied about the beauty of the place, but it was the woman currently inside the gazebo that stole his breath, not the idyllic picture of the white wooden frame against the bright blue lake.

Ella.

His heart stuttered in his chest and his throat went dry. Somehow, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. He paused, just watching her as she looked out at the lake. She had let her hair down, and the gentle breeze from the lake played with it's dark blonde tresses.

Jace admonished himself for being creepy and just staring at her. He cleared his throat and willed his feet to move forward. She drew him to her like a magnet, his feet gliding along the soft dirt path rather than walking.

“Hello,” he greeted her. His voice sounded squeaky and pre-pubescent to his ears. Heat flamed along the back of his neck, but he smiled the charming smile he knew worked on all women.

Ella started, her hazel eyes going wide as she saw him. Sunlight flashed through her hair as she moved to pull it out of her face.

But she smiled and that was all that mattered.

“Jace...” she gasped. “Hi.”

A slight flush crept into her cheeks and he wondered if she flushed everywhere like that when she was surprised. The almost-kiss they had shared the night before was still heavy on his mind, and just thinking about what he wanted to do with her after kissing her made his core heat.

“So, this is the gazebo you were telling me about?” he asked, trying to distract himself from thinking of her body. He glanced about, noting the beauty of the setting but finding her far more pleasing to look at.

“Do you like it?” she asked. Maybe it was just his imagination, but she sounded breathless. “This is actually where my father proposed to my mother.”

“I love it,” he answered. The lake shimmered behind her in the late morning sunshine. The sky was a clear blue that accented the hazel in her eyes. He was glad the gazebo was just big enough for two people- it gave him an excuse to step closer to her. She was magnetic to him. All he wanted was to be closer to her. “I can't imagine Delores out here, though.”

“Oh, not Delores. My mother was Nancy McDaniels,” Ella explained. “Delores is my stepmother. She inherited this place after my father died.”

That explained why this beautiful woman was nothing like the rather frightening innkeeper. Jace had a suspicion that Ella was the one who sent the brochure with the pictures rather than the pushy older woman. It fit with Ella's kind and loving personality.

The breeze ruffled her hair, sending a stray honey strand across her eyes. He nearly reached for it before stopping himself. Luckily, she moved it herself, smiling shyly before turning away to look at the lake again.

“How is the wedding preparation going?” Ella asked, wrapping her arms around her as if she were cold, yet her smile as she glanced over at him was warm.

“At this stage, there's very little for me to do but put on a tux and look pretty,” Jace replied, leaning against the railing beside her. He was acutely aware of how close she was. The wind caught her hair again and he could smell her shampoo. Lavender. It took everything not to breathe the scent in deeper.

“Ah.” She shifted her weight away slightly, as if trying to put distance between the two of them. He frowned slightly, but didn't push the issue. Women were weird when it came to weddings. And, given that she probably had done a ridiculous amount of work preparing this one, Ella had more reason than most to be weird.

Feeling her drift away from him, he quickly added, “But, I'm actually out here to escape the wedding.”

“Escape?” Her eyes narrowed and suspicion filled in. She couldn't possibly know he was hoping to find her, could she?

“It's peaceful out here,” he explained. “No one's chasing me down and pestering me about what floral arrangements. I mean, really- do you think I care if the roses on the table settings are white or off-white. They're both beautiful and they both smell nice, and no one at the table is going to notice them because they are going to be too busy looking at all the celebrities.”

The suspicion in her eyes vanished and she giggled. Her smile was infectious and he found himself grinning along with her. This was better than he had expected. It was just the two of them leaning against the railing and looking out at the water. They weren't even touching, yet it felt like he was in heaven. She was making sure to stay at least a hair's width away from him. It was him that kept inching closer, trying to close the gap. He could feel her body next to his, distracting him from everything but how loud his heart was pounding.

No one had ever had this kind of effect on him. He felt as giddy as a twelve-year old with his first crush, a feeling he hadn't experienced in over fifteen years. He'd dated plenty of beautiful women, but none of them ever made his brain fog quite like this. It wasn't just her looks or her sexuality that made his heart race. It was something so much more.

“I'm sure you'll be glad when it's all over,” she murmured. “I saw the bride this morning, by the way. She's beautiful.”

“That she is,” Jace agreed. “This is all for her. If I had my choice, I'd get married with just an officiant and immediate family. Maybe even just elope.”

“Really?” Ella sounded surprised. Her eyes went out to the lake and she bit her lip. Good lord, the things he wanted to do with that lip.

“Yes, really.” The idea of Ella and him at a chapel in Vegas popped into his mind, and for the first time he wasn't put off by the idea. “I don't want any of these crowds and white or off-white roses.”

“Me too,” Ella agreed quietly.

Her response made him smile just as she looked up at him. Upon seeing his face, she blushed, tucking her head and letting her hair spill over her face. Her hands pushed the warm strands of hair from her face, and she looked up at him again.

“So why all the hoopla then?” she asked. “If small is what you want, then why have the big fancy wedding?” She indicated to the resort behind her.

“Because it's Madelyn's wedding,” he explained. “I can't say no to her. It's what she has always dreamed of.”

“She's lucky to have you,” Ella remarked, watching his face. Something in her eyes went distant and she quickly looked out at the lake, wrapping her arms around her and leaning away.