Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (21 page)
Read Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story Online
Authors: Krista Lakes
I kissed him again, wanting only to feel his heart beat with mine.
He loved me and I him. Together we would keep one another's candles lit with love and barefoot kisses.
I
take a deep breath and slip into my shoes.
They aren't the shoes that brides usually wear on their wedding. These shoes are just simple black flats with sand stuck in the cracks near the toes.
“You ready?” My sister Louisa asks, peeking out through the door.
“Ready as I'm ever going to be,” I say. Now that I have the shoes on, my nerves are settling. I know he loves me because these shoes prove it.
My mother fusses one last time with my dress. It's satin and lace and possibly the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen. I'm sure all brides think that of their dresses, but for mine, I'm sure of it.
I hear the music start inside the church.
“I love you, sweetheart,” Mom says, giving me a kiss on the cheek. There are tears of pride in her eyes. She wipes the lipstick from her kiss off my cheek.
“I love you too, Momma,” I whisper. She presses her lips together as tight as she can to keep from crying as she hurries out to take her seat.
“She's so beautiful,” I hear her tell my dad. He's waiting just outside the door. Once Darcie and Louisa leave, it will be my turn.
“See you up there,” Darcie says with a grin.
“Hey,” Louisa whispers. She fixes my veil and smiles. “If this is what it got you, I'm glad you missed dinner last year. I've never seen you so happy.”
I nearly cry. It was a year ago that Aiden bought me dinner after a terrible day and a missed date with my sister. I hug her close, glad to have someone as wonderful as her in my life.
She pulls back and wipes at her eyes. “Don't make me cry or Darcie's going to beat me up.”
We both laugh because we know it's true.
I follow her out the door and Dad takes my arm.
“You sure you want to do this?” he asks, guiding me to the back of the church. “I'll go get the car right now if you say the word.”
“I love him, Daddy. A lot.”
“I know. I just have to ask.” He smiles, but there are tears welling up in his eyes. “You will be my little princess, forever. You know that, right?”
I wrap my arms around him and hold him tight. I am glad I'm still his little girl, even though I'm standing in a church in a wedding dress.
The wedding march begins and my stomach flutters. It's time.
I hold my father's arm as he walks me down the aisle. I glance to the sides, seeing friends and family. To my right, I see Noah and Izzy, waving and smiling. On my left, my cousin Emma and her husband Jack watch with huge smiles. My other cousin, Kaylee and her husband are at the front of the church trying to reign in a very boisterous little flower girl while Aiden's brother, Logan, makes silly faces at the child.
They all fade away as soon as I see Aiden.
I don't see the suit that I helped him pick out. I don't see the boutonniere that my mother insisted upon. I only see his smile and the love he has for me in his eyes.
I give my father one last hug and kiss. He shakes Aiden's hand before reluctantly letting me go.
I'm smiling so wide it hurts and I'm afraid my heart is going to burst out of my chest at any moment its beating so hard.
“Dearly Beloved,” the minister begins. I know the words. These are the words that are going to bind Aiden and I together so that we will never have to be apart again. The promises that we make here today to one another will be what guides us for the rest of our journey together.
The ceremony is short and sweet. I honestly am too excited to remember much of it. I put the important parts, the things I want to tell my children about someday firmly in my mind.
The way the ring felt when Aiden slid it on my finger and promised to love me for all time.
How easy and right it was to give him his ring and promise to love him.
The way the candles flickered as we each picked up our own solitary wick and joined them together to light a new candle. A candle that would burn through the night and chase away the dark.
But mostly, I know I will remember the kiss. The cocky smile Aiden wears when the minister tells him he may kiss me. How he reaches for me, drawing us together like magnets. In that kiss, I know that we are meant to be together forever. That this is fate.
All too soon the ceremony is over. I hold Aiden's hand as the church goes wild. Darcie's husband holds their tiny son, but he just smiles instead of waking up to the noise. Kathryn and the other lawyers cheer so loud it hurts my ears. It's almost as if there is a competition between my old law firm and the law students from my school.
Aiden and I dance down the aisle. Everyone is cheering. My mother is crying and my father is stoic, but I can see tears in his eyes. Even Aiden's father looks pleased. Darcie flashes me a thumbs up and I laugh. We escape out the back door. Ben motions us to follow him, a smile plastered across his face. He guides us to a small room, and turns to guard the door.
Aiden and I giggle and sneak inside. This might be the only moment we get to ourselves for the rest of the night. We have a big party planned, and while I'm excited to celebrate, I'm eternally grateful to Ben for giving us this moment to ourselves.
“I love you,” Aiden whispers, caressing my cheek with his hand. “More than anything.”
I lean into his touch, reveling in the soft stroke of his skin. I stand up on my tip toes and kiss his smile. He laughs, wrapping me up in his arms and lifting me up in the air.
My shoes slide off my feet but I don't care. I'm kissing the man I love. The man who is not only my best friend, but now my husband.
He sets me down and I sneak in one last barefoot kiss before he helps me slide my shoes back on.
Then together, we go out to meet our fate.
I
'd like to invite you to read some extra content from my books which can only be found at my website,
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T
he "Kisses" series
Saltwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story
Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story
Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story
Wishful Kisses: A Fountain of Love Novella
Freshwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story
Sandcastle Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story
Hurricane Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story
––––––––
O
ther Novels
Wolf Six's Salvation: A Shifter Love Story
Burned: A New Adult Love Story
Curves of the French Riviera Trilogy
––––––––
T
he Woman of the Billionaire's Dreams
The Woman of the Billionaire's Dreams
The Woman of Her Enemy's Nightmares
The Woman of Her Adversary's Desires
––––––––
T
he Arrangement Fan Fiction
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on't forget to join my mailing list as well for updates! (clickable link)
Did you love
Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story
? Then you should read
Saltwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story
by Krista Lakes!
When small-town girl Emma LaRue won a vacation to an exclusive tropical island, a last minute cancellation meant she would be going by herself. Shy and studious, she never had time to fall in love, and often wondered if she was just meant to be alone. However, that all changed when a handsome stranger literally walked into her life while on the beach and sparks began to fly.
New York's most eligible billionaire bachelor Jack Saunders thought this vacation would be the perfect escape, one last hurrah, before taking full control of his father's company. When an innocent Emma didn't recognize him, he figured that he might get a chance to have a vacation from being rich. He didn't tell her about the cars, the yacht, or the penthouse. All he did was let her fall in love with him.
Soon, Jack found that he was the one falling in love with Emma. When they enjoy a fantasy marriage ceremony on the beach, they thought it was a bit of harmless fun before returning to their normal lives. A bittersweet goodbye was supposed to be the end of their perfect vacation romance, but when photos of the ceremony were leaked to the press, everything changed.
Feeling lied to and thrust into a world of wealth and privilege, Emma must choose between following her dreams or following her heart. Will she be content at being nothing more than the billionaire's wife, or will she return to her normal life with only memories of saltwater kisses?
He pushed me back until I bumped against the door. His mouth skimmed my jaw, down to my throat, his teeth grazing my skin and his five-o-clock shadow scratching gently. He pressed a thigh between my legs, sending heat through my belly and then south. I whimpered for more, the noise low in my throat.
“You want to invite me in?” he whispered in my ear. Goosebumps ran down my arms, but not from cold.
“Why? Are you a vampire?” I asked with a wry smile.
He didn’t answer but instead kissed me again, drawing me to him like a magnet. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled on my waist, guiding me through the open door. He released me and I felt woozy on my feet from his kisses. The door thudded softly shut and I licked my lips.
He was perfect in the moonlight. His shoulders were broad, tapering into a tight waist and an ass that my fingers itched to squeeze. The darkness and the wine made me bold, my desire growing by the minute. His eyes caught mine and he smiled, knowing that I was checking him out. Those eyes turned up the flame growing in my belly, now spreading north and south, filling my core with need. The sexual tension wrapped around us like taut guitar strings, filling the room with vibrating desire.
His hands grabbed my hips again, pulling me into him with strong fingers. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, tangling my fingers in his hair as we stumbled towards the bedroom. A part of me told me that I should stop, that I should think this through, but the other voices in my head quickly drowned her out; I wanted him more than I wanted to breathe.
Read more at
Krista Lakes’s site
.
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Krista Lakes is a newly turned 30 year old who recently rediscovered her passion for writing. She is living happily ever after with her Prince Charming and her bouncing baby boy.
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