Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (16 page)

I
awoke with a start, nearly
falling off the couch as the front door buzzed. I hadn't meant to doze off and
the afternoon crept up on me. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, glancing out
the window. It was raining again, the room bathed in a gray light. The intercom
buzzed again and I got up to answer it.

I hit 'answer' only to be met with
static.
Right
, I remembered,
the buzzer's broken. Have to go down and
answer it in person.
I pulled my hair up into a messy ponytail, not even
bothering to put on shoes for the quick trip down the stairs.

I hurried down and pushed open the
locked main entrance door, not expecting the wind to rush out of my body and my
heart to jump in my chest.

Owen stood in the entrance. He was
wearing just simple jeans and a white button-up short-sleeved shirt, but he
looked like a knight in shining armor to me. He gave me a crooked smile as I
opened the door.

"Hi, Kaylee," he greeted
me, running a hand through his rain soaked hair. Little droplets of water went
flying, sparkling like diamonds as they fell.

"What are you doing
here?" I gasped in amazement. I was sure he was going to disappear at any
moment, that I was going to wake up and be back in my bed alone.

"I told you that I'd be back.
I just had some things I needed to do first." His smile lit up my world. I
took a step forward, afraid he would shimmer and fade like a desert mirage. He
stepped forward and took my hands in his. They were wet from the rain, but
still warm and strong.

"There's something I need to
tell you, Kaylee." His blue eyes searched my face, their crystalline
depths holding me captive. "I quit my job."

"What? Why would you do
that?" I asked in surprise. He smiled down at me and brushed a tendril of
hair from my face.

"Because it wasn't making me
happy anymore.
You
make me happy. I couldn't bear the thought of taking
another trip without you."

I pulled back slightly in surprise.
"But you love your job!"

"No, I love the
challenge
of my job. The job itself is immaterial. Without you, it wasn't fun anymore.
When I was away from you, all I did was miss you. I don't want the job anymore.
I just want you." He said it simply, as though it were nothing but fact,
but it made my heart pound in my chest.

"What about the sheik? And
Jack?"

"Oh, you heard about
that?" Owen flushed slightly as he shrugged. "Publicly, Jack is going
to fire me. Privately, I quit. It saves face for Jack and the company, the
sheik gets what he wants, and I get what I want. You."

I opened my mouth, but couldn't
find any words. No one had ever made me as happy as Owen did with that one
small word:
You.
He wanted only me.

"There is one down side,
though," he said, giving me a thoughtful look. "It does mean that we
will have to be slightly frugal. I won't have the paychecks from Jack's company
rolling in anymore."

"I'll pick up extra shifts at
the hospital," I said, only half-joking. I would do whatever it took. I
wasn't letting go of him ever again.

Owen laughed and pulled me closer.
"Not that frugal! I still have a stake in the company, but we should
probably just borrow Jack's private jet instead of buying our own."

"That's fine by me. I hate
flying anyway." I could feel a silly grin spreading across my face, happiness
bubbling up inside of me.

“In the meantime, though, I am
going to need a job. I was wondering if you were still interested in opening
that bed and breakfast. Maybe even having some help from your husband?“ he
asked.

My mouth dropped open. “Is this some
kind of proposal?“ I asked.

Owen leaned down, not answering the
question. His hair dripped rainwater onto my face as he kissed me softly. My
heart soared in my chest, every fiber of my being taking flight. Owen was mine
and I was his. We didn't have to be apart anymore. “Yes,“ I said, not waiting
for him to repeat the question. “A thousand times yes.“ I leaned back in and
kissed him again.

Owen broke the kiss, and smiled
down at me. "Jack and Emma met on vacation.
You
are my vacation.
You are the person that makes me feel relaxed and wonderful. Wherever you are
is home to me."

I reached up and touched his cheek,
losing myself in his cobalt eyes. "I love you, Owen Parker."

"I love you, Kaylee
LaRue."

And then he kissed me.

I
stand anxious at the back of
the church, smoothing the satin of my dress with sweaty palms. I'm not anxious
about what I am doing; I'm anxious that I am going to trip or stutter in front
of all these people. I was meant to be with him, and this ceremony is just to
show the world what we already know. There is no anxiety about what I am doing
when it comes to Owen.

The organ music starts, filling
the church with a beautiful melody. I hold my bouquet of plumeria to my nose
and inhale the delicate flowers once more. These flowers are Owen's and mine.
They represent our love. Beautiful and sweet. I smile, and step through the
ornate wooden doors.

Mom and Dad walk on either side
of me, the two of them beaming with pride as we move in time with the music.
Mom is crying, but she keeps dabbing a Kleenex to her eyes so her mascara
doesn't run. Dad's lips are tight, but it's to keep them from quivering as he
walks his oldest daughter down the aisle. I know they're proud of me.

Everything disappears. I don't
see anything or anyone but Owen. The old church with its intricate
stained-glass windows, the pews with red satin seats, the bridesmaids and the
groomsmen, they all just seem to fade away. The only person that matters is
standing there, grinning, waiting for me to join him.

I kiss my parents, whispering
that I love them as they let me go. Dad shakes Owen's hand and claps him on the
shoulder. I know I'm blushing as Owen reaches out his hand to help me up onto
the dais. Owen's hands are as clammy as mine, and we grin at one another. I'm happier
right now than I ever thought possible. In this moment, everything is perfect.

The minister begins speaking,
but I'm not looking at him. I'm looking at the man I'm marrying, the man who
holds the key to my heart. I glance out at the people watching us, noticing
them for the first time, and seeing only smiles and tears of joy.

I can see my sister from the
corner of my eye, smiling as a tear runs down her cheek. She doesn't bother
wiping it away, unashamed at her joy. Marissa and Allie stand behind her, the
two of them grinning like this is the best day of their lives. I know it
certainly is for me.

The minister asks Owen a
question, and he looks at me with eyes more blue than I've ever seen. "I
do," he says, his voice shaking with emotion but full of confidence. Jack
hands him a ring, and Owen carefully slides the stone onto my left hand. It
sparkles in the light, full of hope and promise.

The minister turns to me, and I
make the same promise, Emma handing me a platinum man's ring. Owen mouths,
"I love you," as I slip it on his finger. I smile and almost kiss him
right there, but catch myself just in time.

I lose myself in Owen's eyes,
surprised when I finally hear the words I've been waiting my whole life to
hear. Owen grins, happiness radiating out of him as he reaches for me and our
lips meet. I can hear people cheering, but it's nothing compared to the joy
inside my head.

I capture this moment in my
mind, treasuring every detail like a precious jewel. Someday, I will tell my
grandchildren of this moment and how, even though we were indoors, it tasted
like rainwater kisses.

K
rista
Lakes would like to thank you for reading and enjoying "Rainwater Kisses:
A Billionaire Love Story". Check out
my mailing list
,
like my
Facebook page
, and
my website
for
more information about me and my books. At the end of August, we'll be going
back in time, to learn the stories of Rachel and Dean in "Champagne
Kisses". Hope to see you there!

––––––––

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on't
forget to join my mailing list as well for updates! (clickable link)

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