Yours Completely: A Cinderella Love Story (Billionaires and Brides #1) by Krista Lakes
Authors: Krista Lakes
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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
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
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