Page 72 of Filthy Rich

“You are so smart, Caleb. You have thought of everything.” I sat down on the bed and pulled him down to sit beside me. We scrolled through the many photos Nan had taken, until we decided on the one we wanted to share. Caleb sent it off to Victoria with instructions to forward it to the head of PR at Blackstone Global for release to the press with the simple message:

Caleb Blackstone and Brooke Casterley were married this evening in a private ceremony at Stone Church chapel on south Blackstone Island.

The picture was of us in the doorway of the church, the interior backlit with the candle glow, and the scattered rose petals clearly visible upon the floor. Caleb’s lips were pressed to the back of my hand as I smiled up at him with love.

To our close friends and family, we sent a different message:

We took the advice of a very wise man, and decided to hold on to our happiness, and each other, starting tonight. With much love, Caleb & Brooke Blackstone xoxo

After the second text was sent, Caleb powered off his phone and pulled me into his arms.

He showed me how much he loved me, as he had done from the very beginning when we’d first met.

My gentleman lover with the dirty mouth and the romantic sensibilities, who couldn’t remember what a meatball was called, and knew nothing about shopping at Target before he met me.

My filthy rich billionaire, who concerned himself with villages in Africa in need of fresh well water more than how to make the next dollar.

My husband who loved me and who would be the father our future children adored and respected.

My wonderful, amazing, perfect man.

Thirty

CALEB

23rd December

“My cousin, Hannah, runs this huge old manor house as a B&B in Somerset, and she just won’t take no for an answer about us staying the night. Are you going to be okay with that?”

I hoped my wife would tell me the truth about what she wanted to do. Brooke was the most undemanding person I had ever known in my life, so it was a crap shoot on whether I’d get this right or not.

“I will definitely be okay with it if you are, Caleb,” she answered serenely, stretching languidly among the sheets, where she looked far too sexy to even consider letting her leave the bed, let alone our hotel room.

A day ago we were honeymooning in Hawaii, today London, but it didn’t matter to me. I had my Brooke, and I’d go anywhere she wanted. This trip to London was for her, so it was going to play out exactly howevershe decided it would. Once she’d told me she hadn’t been back to the land of her birth since she’d left to live with her grandmother at fifteen, and how much shemissed London, especially at Christmas, I knew where we’d be spending our first holidays together. Being able to give her even the simplest gift of a visit back home to England felt like I was winning.

“I know we said London, but their place is a good three hours by car, I can just call her back and say we can’t swing it this trip if you’d rather just stay in the city—l don’t want to force my family on you?—”

She put two fingers over my lips and pressed down, effectively shutting me up without saying a word—something at which she was an expert. “You never force me to do anything, and I very much want to meet them. I need to know everything about my new husband—who spoils me rotten constantly—and that includes getting to know his English cousins, especially if one of them runs a B & B in a huge old manor house in Somerset.” She moved her fingers away and replaced them with her sweet lips instead. “Now come back into bed and warm me up,” she murmured softly. Her kiss kept my mouth silent, but who needs words when you have the most beautiful wife in the world naked in the sheets, hopped up on pregnancy hormones, with nothing but time to give her what she just asked for?

Have I mentioned what a lucky bastard I am? Or how, for like the first time in forever, I am digging the holidays this year?Merry effing Christmas, and glad tidings of great joy, Blackstone. Don’t fuck with good fortune when your wife needs you to fuck her instead.I am probably going to hell for that filthy thought, but I’ll worry about that at another time. I’m on my honeymoon with the love of my life, who at this very moment has her gorgeous naked body pressed right up against me in the bed.

Say what you will, but one thing about me is never in doubt. I am a man who definitely knows where his priorities lie.

BROOKE

Five hours later

The unusual winter snow draped over the hills and dales like a white fur coat.

Absolutely breathtaking.

Even though winter was probably not the very best season for its full potential of beauty, I still soaked up the sight of the English countryside like drops of water melting into a dry sponge. The surprise Christmas snowfall was merely an added treat. I did not realize how much I’d missed the sights and sounds of home—and because so much time had passed since I’d experienced it—the blast of the reconnection was truly overwhelming for me. I struggled to control the rush of my emotions, and the pull of tears that threatened to spill over as I stared out the window at the lovely countryside of my homeland. The urge to tears was nothing new. I lived with it daily due to my PBA. It was easier to control these days now that I understood what had happened to me in that accident, thanks to Caleb and his endless research. If he hadn’t figured it out, I would still believe I was just an emotionally damaged freak with no explanation whatsoever for my overreactive behaviors.

“Are you okay, baby?” Caleb whispered against my ear. He was so intuitive, and had been from the first. My husband amazed me with his patience and kindness whenever I had one of my “episodes.” Quite simply, Caleb was the very best cure for my unwelcome melancholy feelings, hands down.

I nodded yes and gripped his hand with both of mine. I kept my eyes out the window and focused on the beauty of the scenery. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed... just seeing it—being here. Thank you for bringing me.” I let Caleb’s strength and love support me through the moment until the intense emotions melted away, ever grateful he’d hired a driver to take us to Somerset, so I could have him beside me in the back seat where I could touch him. Caleb’s touch worked miracles on me even though I was dealing with the effects of pregnancy hormones on top of my PBA. The next months were going to beveryinteresting.

“Good. I’m glad we came then. And I will always take you wherever you want to go,” he said as he drew me back to lean against his strong chest, “as long as I can get the information out of you,” he teased.

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