Page 32 of Billionaire's Surprise

Luke perked up. “Laura?”

“Yeah. My best friend. We were celebrating her engagement the night I met Fray.”

His expression darkened. “Is she married yet?”

“Not yet.” My phone rang then, and I pulled it from my purse then laughed. “Speak of the devil.”

“Speak of an angel,” he muttered.

Shaking my head, I took a few steps away. “Laura? Merry Christmas,” I answered.

“Hey, Em. Are you back in Chicago?” she asked, a frantic tremor to her voice.

“Not exactly.”

“Crap. Well, when will you be back? I kinda need a place to stay.”

“What’s going on?” I asked. Concern leaking into my voice, and Fray must have noticed. He came up beside me and wrapped his arm around my waist.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

I shrugged, unsure of what was happening while I listened to my friend, who sounded more and more upset.

“I left home. Told them I wasn’t marrying some guy they arranged for me. He was supposed to show up today, and mydad locked me in my room because he said I was damn well marrying Matteo. I had to break my way out!”

“Tell her to come here,” Luke said from my other side, and I realized Laura was so agitated both Fray and Luke had heard her, too. “If they know where you live,” he continued, “they’ll look for her there. They won’t look here.”

“You’re right. Laura, listen…” Quickly, I told her where I was and explained she should come here and why. Then Fray took the phone and gave her directions.

“She was almost to Chicago. She’s turning around and she’ll be here tomorrow morning,” he told me, handing back the phone. I stuck it away and took his hand. He pulled me close, resting his head atop my head. I looped my arms around his waist. I tipped my face up to peered at him. I loved the easy intimacy and knowing I belonged to him.

“Guess it works out that your maid of honor will be here, since I don’t want to wait for the wedding.”

I sighed, albeit happily as contentment filled me. “You have a one-track mind.”

“When it comes to you? Yes, I do. It’s you and me forever, babe. Knew it from the first second.”

I rested my head on his chest, absorbing the sound of his steady heartbeat, the sound of my future. “I know. I think I did, too.”

Epilogue

Emerson

One Month Later

Fray:Is it time yet?

Em:Ten minutes.

Fray:Too long.

Em:You’ll live. Just stay out of the water, okay?

We were back on a ship. Crazy, right? I know Fray thought I’d lost my mind when I told him I wanted to get married on the ship where we’d had our Christmas cruise. What could I say? It felt like full circle to have the wedding there. Plus, okay, I wanted to see the baby turtles again.

I’d probably never love the water, but Fray made me not hate it so much. Actually, truth be told, my fear had lessened immensely since I’d “saved” him on Christmas Eve.

“Have I told you how much I love that dress?” Laura asked.

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