Torn:Billionaire Bachelors Club #2(30)

That always freaks them out.

I force myself into the shower, perking up considerably once I stand  beneath the hot spray of water for a solid ten minutes. I emerge from  the bathroom a little over twenty minutes later to find the smell of  coffee calling to me.

Dang. I should ask Ivy to move in with me.

We sip coffee and talk, Ivy telling me about Archer wanting to take her  to Hawaii before the baby is born and how she really doesn't want to go.  I tell her she's crazy, they need to savor all the alone time they can  get before that baby comes and totally changes their lives.

Ivy agrees.

We're finally on the road in Ivy's car, ready to head to the spa resort  when she turns toward St. Helena, a neutral expression on her face.

"Where are you going?" I ask her, my voice quiet, my thoughts a jumbled-up mess.

I miss Gage. My mom is thrilled we're finished and wants to talk about  what a jerk he is, but I told her any discussion about Gage is off  limits. Dad leaves me alone because he knows I'm heartbroken and Mom  gave him the same talk I gave her.

No talk of Gage in the house. Ever.

But I want to talk about Gage. How happy he made me. How passionate we  were together, both in bed and out of it. He made me think, he made me  want to achieve something. Anything. He made me strong.

And now I feel weak and lonely without him.

"I needed to pick up something first," she says vaguely, waving her hand.

Huh. I don't like where this is going. I remain calm, though, and notice  the colorful bunches of balloons hanging in front of . . . the bakery.

A giant crowd of people are waiting outside, and I see my familiar  chalkboard easel, the words GRAND REOPENING written in bold script  across the front of it.

No way. I had no clue the bakery was being reopened. Gage sure did move fast.

And doesn't that leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Ivy drives by the bakery slowly, coming almost to a complete stop so I  can see everything. God, she's obvious. "I wonder what's going on in  there?" she asks innocently.

I don't know how she can keep a straight face. "Gee, I don't know, Ivy. Maybe we should go inside and see what's going on."

"That's perfect!" She claps her hands together and then parks the car.  She's practically leading me by the hand toward the café, and my feet  are dragging. I so don't want to go in there. I don't want to see the  new owners, though I have my suspicions the only owner is Gage.

Still. I don't want to deal with this. Deal with him.

Not only is the outside of the café and bakery overflowing with people  waiting in line to get in, but the inside of the café is packed too.  Somehow, the determined pregnant lady gets us inside and I'm immediately  shocked by all the changes.

The entire interior has been repainted, and Gage ordered all new tables  and chairs, giving the location a cleaner, simpler feel. A new glass  case has been installed, as well as new countertops, and I can't help  but gape at everything, too stunned to study any of it for too long for  fear it'll up and disappear.

"The kitchen is revamped too," Ivy says close to my ear so I can hear  her. The chattering crowd is absolutely deafening. "You should go check  it out. There's all state-of-the-art appliances. Your aunt is in seventh  heaven."

"Wait a minute. Gina is working here?"

"How do you think they're able to have the open house if they have no  one here to bake all the goodies? Yes, she still works here. And she's  loving every minute of it, despite Archer wanting to steal her away. Not  that I can talk about it." She clamps her lips shut and does the  universal sign for lock-them-up-and-throw-away-the-key. "Archer will  kill me if he finds out I told you he's desperate to take Gina."         

     



 

Yeah right. Like Archer would ever lay a hand on Ivy. "Take me to the  kitchen," I tell her, needing her with me so I won't have to confront  any of my fears-as in Gage-alone.

She escorts me back there, and the closer we get to that swinging door,  the more heavily I lean on her. My heart is racing double time, my feet  feeling like they have lead weights on top of them, and I stop just  before we go through the door so I can look at her.

"There's no spa day planned, is there?"

"This is it." She throws her arms out, a silly smile on her face for a  moment before it slowly starts to fade. "I hate nothing more than seeing  my two favorite people in the entire world, besides the man I'm going  to marry, so miserable without each other."

I hang my head, breathing deep. I hate that we're so miserable too.

"You two need to talk and listen to each other. He never meant to hurt you, Marina. I hope you've finally realized that."

Slowly I nod, not wanting her to see me. I feel weak and blink back the tears that are threatening to spill.

Ivy moves in closer so she can whisper in my ear. "Let him spoil you.  He's so in love with you it's disgusting. He would do anything to make  you happy." With a gentle shove, she pushes me through the swinging  door, and I lose my footing, sending me nearly sprawling as I tumble  inside the kitchen.

My gaze goes wide as I drink everything in. The layout is the same, but  the appliances are all brand new. Big, gorgeous, stainless steel-and all  top of the line.

That had to have cost a pretty penny.

"You like it?"

I whirl around with a gasp to find Gage standing before me, clad in an  Autumn Harvest T-shirt, much like the one I used to wear, and a pair of  jeans. He looks delicious, tired, happy, sad, and worried.

I can relate to him on every single thing except the delicious part. I'm not feeling very delicious.

"It's beautiful, Gage," I whisper, bracing myself when he approaches me.

"I did it for you." He reaches for my hands and holds them loosely in  his. "I did it all for you. The revamp of everything, the grand  reopening, all the new advertising materials, all for my girl. The local  paper is going to do a write-up about you too. You'll be famous."

I'm only stuck on a few choice words he mentioned in that pretty speech.  God, I missed him so much. Having him in front of me, so handsome but  looking so unsure, makes my heart swell with overwhelming emotion for  him. "Your girl?"

Slowly he nods, his fingers tightening around mine. "You're mine.  Whether we're together or apart, I know it. I think you know it too." He  takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. "I've been miserable without  you in my life. I need you, Marina. I need you by my side, working with  me, laughing with me. Loving me." His eyes glow as he steps closer, and I  hold my breath, waiting for him to say something more. "Tell me you  still feel the same."



Gage

I WAIT WITH near unbearable anticipation to hear what she has to say.  Ivy bringing her here to see the bakery and me is a good sign. If she  hated me, she wouldn't have come in.

At the moment, I'm looking for any sort of positive sign-I'm that desperate.

"What you've done here is so beautiful." She smiles at me, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. "Thank you. I don't deserve this."

Ah, that's where she's wrong. She deserves all of this and more. So much  more. "I know we've gone through our ups and downs. We've both made  some dumb choices. But I don't ever, ever regret meeting you. Arguing  with you. Having angry sex with you." My voice lowers. "Falling in love  with you."

Her lips part, a shaky exhalation leaving her, and I pull her in,  slipping my arms around her waist so I can crush her to me. I never want  to let her go.

"Oh, Gage." She presses her face against my chest and begins to cry, leaving me feeling helpless by her tears.

"Don't cry," I whisper against her hair as I stroke it with my fingers. "I love you."

"I love you too," she sobs into my shirt.

I smile despite her tears. What she just said is a good thing. A very,  very good thing. "I want you to marry me," I whisper close to her ear.

She withdraws from my embrace but I don't let her go too far. "What did you say?"

"I want you to marry me. We'll live here in St. Helena in the little  house I'm having renovated and we'll keep the San Francisco house for  all the cars. They all can't fit here. We'll only have a single-car  garage," I say, earning a smile.         

     



 

"Only if you promise to build a garage so we can keep a few of your cars  here. I'd want to take them out for a test drive." She nibbles on her  bottom lip, driving me wild just watching at her. "You know. Just for . .  . fun."

Ah, damn this woman. She is just perfect for me in every way. "You've got it. Whatever you want," I vow.

"What about your real estate business?"

"I can do that from here." I have been for almost two months and  everything's worked out fine. "We're not too far from the city so I can  drive in when needed. It'll all work out. As long as we have each other,  we can make it work."

She smiles up at me, her pretty eyes sparkling at me. "What about that proposal you mentioned."