Baby for the Billionaire - By Maxine Sullivan Page 0,80
just like that, his heart stopped.
In that moment, his wife-to-be had to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her hair had been pulled back from her face and allowed to tumble in an abandoned riot of curls down her back. Her wispy veil was anchored in place by a circlet of gold and silver, the craftsmanship of the leaf-and-diamond-encrusted piece drawing attention to her vivid eyes. Her ivory gown was perfectly suited to her tall, lean figure, the bodice fitted, the sweeping skirt complemented by a long flowing train. She looked like a fantasy creature from another era, and yet he knew just how real she was.
Isabella also wore an ivory gown with lace insets that matched the trim on Annalise’s wedding gown. As far as Jack was concerned, his niece resembled nothing more than a small angel. Instead of a veil, she wore an adorable wide-brimmed bonnet that framed her apple-cheeked face. Gold-tipped brown ringlets peeked out from the edges and bobbed in the gentle breeze. She beamed with excitement.
Instead of carrying her Nancy doll—something he rarely saw her without—she held a basket full of ivory and blush-pink roses. Then, much to his amusement, he noticed the doll perched at the base of the tree near where he was standing. He grinned. His adorable niece had dressed the doll for the occasion in a gown and bonnet that, even to his untrained eye, appeared identical to the one Isabella wore.
An instant later, the two joined him beneath the weighty fuchsia blossoms of a crape myrtle, and the minister spoke the traditional opening words that would soon join them together as husband and wife. The ceremony took no time at all. One minute he was a man who’d sworn never to take a wife. The next instant he was married to a woman who gazed at him with such a wealth of emotion that it took every ounce of self-control to keep himself from sweeping her into his arms and carrying her off to where they could spend the next twenty-four hours in uninterrupted seclusion.
That wasn’t part of the plan, he reminded himself. This marriage had nothing to do with his new bride and everything to do with the child standing at their side. And he’d do well to remember that.
The minister cut across his thoughts, speaking the timeless words to conclude the ceremony. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Jack didn’t require any further prompting. He cupped Annalise’s face and tilted it upward. Her veil fluttered like a flag of surrender, while her curls shivered in protest. But her eyes, those glorious honey-gold eyes, gazed at him with undisguised want. Was she even aware of how much they gave away? He doubted it. If she had the least suspicion, she’d have done everything in her power to tuck the truth away behind that serene facade she clung to with such determination. He hoped Taye and Derek didn’t notice her expression. That was his, and his alone, something he refused to share with anyone else.
Slowly he lowered his head and captured her mouth. Her lips were softer than the roses in Isabella’s basket and tasted of sunshine and warmth. He filled his hands with the glorious weight of her hair and the silken curls twined around his fingers, anchoring them together. She sighed against his mouth, the sound one of sweet surrender. If he could have gathered up all the various scents and sounds and tastes and preserved them for all time, he would have given his fortune to do so. But moments like this didn’t last, and their kiss was no exception.
From the direction of the house a great booming woof broke the spell and the ground shook beneath their feet. Madam erupted from the kitchen and spilled onto the patio. Catching sight of the three of them, she gave her widest, most delighted grin and charged across the lawn.
The minister uttered a word that Jack was fairly certain couldn’t be found anywhere in the Bible he held and scurried behind the nearest tree. The string quartet grabbed their instruments and made a beeline for the gate exiting from the yard, toppling chairs in their haste to escape. Taking a cue from them, the minister made a speedy departure, as well. Only Taye, Derek and the photographer didn’t budge. While his friends burst into shouts of laughter, the photographer simply kept snapping pictures as the beast joined in the festivities.
With a thundering bark of excitement, Madam reared back