Island Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (The Kisses Series Book 9) (36 page)

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Authors: Krista Lakes

BOOK: Island Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (The Kisses Series Book 9)

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A special thanks to Marina Maddix

M
arina Maddix was consulted
for all the sailing scenes. I could not have done this without her.

M
arina Maddix is
a romantic at heart, but hates closing the bedroom door on her readers. Her stories are sweet, with just enough spice to make your mother blush. She lives with her husband and cat near the Pacific Ocean, and loves to hear from her fans.

V
isit Marina's Amazon
page for her books!

I
f you enjoy
bad boy billionaires, you might also enjoy:

V
egas Knights

A
fter a passionate public
encounter with a mysterious and very sexy biker, big girl Kelly Saunders finds herself on the ride of her life. Her 'Knight on shining armor' -- Rick Knight, billionaire heir to a motorcycle legacy -- whisks her away from her soul-sucking corporate job to Las Vegas, where she finds the road to love is treacherous.

A
s urgent business
matters demand more and more of Rick's attention, Kelly is left to wonder about the future of their relationship. A ruthless betrayal throws her life into turmoil, and a devastating discovery threatens to pull them apart. Is their love just so much Vegas glitter or is it strong enough to survive beyond the dazzling lights of Sin City?

If you liked this story, please check out my other series!

Y
ours Completely
: A Cinderella Love Story

M
aids don't ever get
to go to the ball... do they?

Jace Connors:

Stretched thin from running a business and organizing a wedding, the last thing Jace needs is the world's most eligible bachelorettes trying to sneak their way into his bed. When he meets Ella grooming the inn's horses, though, she leaves him breathless. Jace knows that he can't let her get away...

Ella McDaniels:

What starts as an almost-kiss in the barn ends up captivating Ella, even though she knows that the richly dressed Jace is out of her league. However, when he keeps showing up wherever she is, her attraction to him grows. And if she can outwit her wicked stepmother, she just might be able to dance with him at the wedding reception ball. There's only one problem...

What if Jace is actually the groom?

* * *

“
D
o you have a hard brush
? I'm done with the curry comb,” Jace announced, stepping back to view his work.

“Of course.” Ella picked up the heavy wooden brush and thought about just handing it over iron bars separating the top half of the stalls, but she didn't. Instead, she went to the door and walked around, entering Commander's stall with Jace.

She didn't know why she did it. She knew she should keep her distance from this man since he was a guest, but her body moved on its own accord and suddenly, she was standing very close to him. She had meant to say something clever and cute, but now that she was actually within touching distance, her brain went blank. Commander stood quietly to the side, watching the two of them with uninterested ease as he waited for the rest of his grooming.

Her mouth went dry. “Here,” she said, holding out the brush, her heart pounding for no reason that she could come up with.

He took a step toward her, closing the small distance between them in half a heart beat. She could smell the soft scent of his aftershave. It was a nice clean scent, something with pleasant cedar notes that reminded her of camping under the stars. It was hard not to get melty when a guy smelled that good.

“Thank you.” He was suddenly very,
very
close. His hand closed around hers and the brush. The first time they'd touched had nothing on this. This time, her entire body tingled and goosebumps spread down her arms. She was sure he could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest.

His eyes were so blue they physically made her ache. The green accents deep within them only made her think of dark water and wonderful secrets, but it was the warmth with which he was looking at her right now that had her gasping for breath.

Commander shuffled his feet, unhappy with the lack of brushing. His rump ran directly into Ella's shoulder and knocked her off balance. Her arms flailed as she tumbled toward the ground, but she didn't fall. Jace caught her. As if in slow motion, his hand moved to her waist, pulling her in close to him. His strong body steadied hers, holding her upright and against him. Her hand splayed out on his chest, pressing against the firm muscle under his fine-linen dress shirt.

A tantalizing surge of desire to kiss him welled up inside of her. How would he taste? Would his face be smooth or prickly with a day's growth? Her lips needed to know, to reach out and touch him. Somehow, probably instinctively, she knew without a doubt that kissing him would be like tasting heaven.

Ella's brain worked in slow motion, desire warring with reason. She just met this man and he was a guest. She shouldn't be leaning in, rising up on her tiptoes, closing her eyes and holding her breath for him to do the same. Yet, all she wanted in this moment was this kiss. This perfect kiss...

Check out my other works!

B
illionaires and Brides

Yours Completely: A Cinderella Love Story

Yours Truly: A Cinderella Love Story

T
he "Kisses" series

Saltwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

Kisses From Jack: The Other Side of Saltwater Kisses

Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story

Freshwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

Sandcastle Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

Hurricane Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story