The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby(8)

"Oh, never mind. Leah found the info." He frowned at the phone. "Damn.  Says we have to wait at least twenty-four hours." He glanced at her and  she shrugged. "Well, I guess that gives you some notice if you want to  come. Leah and I are getting married tomorrow evening. I'll let you know  where when we figure it out."

He hung up the phone while Cole was still shouting something  unintelligible. Not surprisingly, Kiersten called Leah moments later.

Brooks took her hand. "Ignore it for now. We'll call anyone we want  there once we've got the details in place. First, we need to get a  license. You ready?"

Her stomach took a roller-coaster trip around her body, sending her head spinning. "Not even a little bit."

He pulled her into his arms and planted a quick kiss on her. That sent  her heart rate racing for a whole different reason. It did halt the  panic in its tracks, though.

"Stop overthinking this. You need a husband. I'm available. End of story."

"I still think this is a bad idea."

He grinned. "Probably, but sometimes those are the best ones."

She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, then nodded. "Okay."

Instead of letting her go, he pulled her closer. But this time when he  kissed her, there was nothing quick about it. He set about a leisurely  exploration of her mouth that had her holding on to him for support. She  knew she should push him away. Kissing like that was going to lead to a  lot of other things and that had been the one and only rule. No sex.  She'd been the one to make the rule. And if he kept kissing her like  that, she was going to be the one to toss it right out the window.

But she'd never been kissed so well and so thoroughly in her life. All  the damn songs finally made sense. All the cheesy romance novels she'd  ever read where the heroine melts in her hero's arms while stars and  little cupids float around her head weren't so cheesy anymore. She was  melting all right, right into a big puddle of quivering, wanting desire.  Some rational part of her brain kept her from climbing him like a  high-school gym rope, but just barely.

When he finally released her, her brain floated in a fog of raging hormones that even rational thought couldn't touch.

He stared down at her, his heart pounding against where her fingers lay  on his muscled chest. "We are renegotiating the honeymoon terms."

Her brain started screeching danger, Will Robinson! But the only  response she could muster was a nod. Was it a terrible idea? Oh hell,  yes. Did she care? Nope.

Brooks aimed a grin at her that sent every cell in her body into energized overload.

He took her hand. "Come on, wifey. Let's go get hitched," he said, towing her toward the door.

She managed to keep the "hell, yeah" inside and muttered something along  the lines of "okay" as she followed him to his car. Even she had to  admit, as far as necessary evils went, Brooks Larson might not be such a  bad choice. She hoped.

It looked like she was about to find out.





Chapter Six

The driver opened Leah's door and she looked around the back alley as she climbed out of the car.

"Why are we sneaking in the back door?" she asked Brooks, who chuckled  and took her hand, leading her to the door, which opened like magic as  they approached.       

   





"If we went in the front door then someone might recognize me and then  there'd be cameras and questions, and I assumed you'd prefer a more  private shopping experience."

She did, indeed. And the fact that he'd thought of her sent a little  tingle of warmth through her body. It didn't, however, ease the riot  currently happening in her stomach. Skulking into the back room of a  jewelry store for a wedding ring wasn't exactly how she'd envisioned the  whole getting engaged thing. Then again, nothing that had happened in  the last few months, and certainly the last few days, was anything like  she'd ever envisioned. At this point, she needed to stop trying to make  sense of anything and just go along for the ride.

They were led into a lavishly decorated private showroom and seated in  gold brocade chairs that probably cost more than she made in a year. She  perched on the end, not wanting to crinkle the fabric. Brooks, on the  other hand, sprawled into the chair and hooked an ankle over his knee,  looking for all the world like he was in his favorite recliner about to  watch a game.

A sharply dressed man entered, followed by four employees who reminded  Leah of flight attendants. Only these attendants weren't carrying open  cans of soda and tiny bags of pretzels. They carried black velvet trays  covered in glittering rings.

"All of this isn't necessary," she said, eyeing the huge rocks spread on the tray.

"Of course it is," Brooks said, looking over the selection. "You're my  fiancée. People will be taking pictures, and most of those pictures will  be zooming in on your left hand. I have a reputation to uphold. I am  many things, but cheap isn't one of them." He winked at her. "Besides,  there are relatively few perks to marrying me. Might as well get  something out of it."

"I've already told you, I don't need or want anything from you." She  tried to speak quietly as the store manager was looking at them with a  confused and curious expression. As well he should. She was pretty  confused herself.

"I don't think that's totally true." He gave her a heated look that shot  a raging torrent of desire straight to her core, and brought her hand  to his lips, nipping at one of her fingers.

She jumped and yanked her hand away, her cheeks flaming hot.

Brooks sighed. "You don't have to fight me over everything."

She couldn't stop the small grin. "I know."

He smiled back and shook his head. "Just pick something."

She glanced at all the rings, each one easily three carats or more. "Don't you have anything a little smaller?" she asked.

The jeweler looked at Brooks with surprise. "Most ladies prefer to see something larger," he said.

"Oh, she's already seen-"

"Don't say it," she said, jumping in before he could finish the  pornographic thought. It might be impossible to instill some sort of  public decency in him by sheer willpower, but she'd damn well try.

He grinned at her and then turned back to the jeweler. "She's not most ladies."

Just when she'd reached her bullshit threshold he went and said something sweet. He'd be the death of her.

"Really, a plain wedding band would be fine," she said, hoping to appeal  to his chivalrous side. "I'm not trying to be difficult, but it really  is what I'd prefer."

Brooks looked like he was going to argue, but instead sighed deeply and turned back to the jeweler.

"Can we see a selection of wedding bands?"

"Of course, sir." The jeweler waved over his assistants. They  disappeared through the door and quickly returned, each sporting a new  velvet-clad tray.

Leah looked over these with growing dismay. Most of them were nearly as  bejeweled as the engagement rings. How could any of them be remotely  comfortable to wear? The stones would press into her skin and drive her  nuts. Not to mention the fact that she'd be terrified to wear it  anywhere without an armed guard. But she did finally see a few bands  that were a little less ornate. She chose a thin white gold band set  with several round diamonds evenly spaced around the circumference.       

   





"Could we do something like this … only without the diamonds?"

The jeweler looked at Brooks, obviously at a loss for words.

"What if we made the diamonds smaller? Or added some sort of design?" Brooks said. "Like an engraving."

The jeweler nodded, somewhat mollified. "That would be easy enough. Did you have something in mind?"

"Maybe a flowering vine that wraps around the band?"

"I think that would be lovely, sir," the jeweler said, nodding his approval.

Brooks glanced at Leah. "Would that be acceptable?"

She nodded. It sounded quite beautiful, and simple enough not to embarrass her. "It sounds very nice, thank you."

Brooks turned to the jeweler with a smile of triumph. "Well then, I  guess that will be all for today. But make it in platinum instead of  white gold."

"Excellent, sir." The jeweler jumped up before Leah could protest.

Brooks held up a finger. "Oh, and make mine a matching platinum band without the design, please."

"Why do you get a plain band?" Leah whispered at him.

"Shhh," he said.

The jeweler nodded again, but his affable expression disappeared when  Brooks said, "We'll need these by tomorrow afternoon. Actually, morning  would be better."

The jeweler's face paled, but he nodded with a forced smile. "Of course,  sir. I'll have these ready for you first thing in the morning."

"Wonderful." Brooks stuck out his hand for a handshake and then turned to take Leah's hand to lead her back out the door.

"I'll have to give him a massive tip or buy you a nice wedding present  from here," Brooks said. "Compensate him for the time he's going to be  spending tonight getting those rings ready."