over to me.
Our vows pass in a blur, and I mean every damn one of the words. Her own words are soft and sweet, full of conviction, and she holds my eyes as she whispers, “I do.”
“You may kiss the bride.”
I gather her in my arms, bend her back, and give her a kiss that makes the few people here catcall and whistle. She flushes and grins, then holds up her bouquet in victory with a whoop and holler that make all of us break into laughter.
She’s mine. I’ve wanted her so badly it’s hard to believe she wears my ring and bears my name, that we don’t have to spend another night apart from each other ever.
“I love you, Miranda Lord,” I say in her ear, as we head over to the yacht, where my team’s prepared a French feast fit for royalty.
“And I love you, Mr. Lord,” she says with a fetching smile that makes me want to whisk her away from our planned honeymoon on the French Riviera and claim her right here, right now, in our room right aboard this ship. But we stay with our small group of friends and family. We dance, we feast, and Shane toasts us with a toast that makes even me wipe a tear from my eyes.
“When Gabriel Lord sets his mind to something, that man gets what he wants,” Shane says, making us all laugh. Then he sobers, uncharacteristically serious. He holds my gaze, his voice husky with emotion. “And when he loves someone, he loves with all his heart. There are few people who can say they were created for one another, but I have to say, Miranda and Gabriel absolutely were.”
“Amen!” her mom hoots, and I can’t help but laugh.
Shane hands the mic to Lexi, who stands in front of us and sings a beautiful, soulful song of love and hopes and dreams. Miranda sighs and rests her head on my shoulder.
“I’ll have to re-do our mantra.”
“Our mantra?”
Her eyes twinkle as she looks up to me. “Mhm,” she says with a self-deprecating wince. “I used to always tell my girls and even myself that our cardinal rule was “never fall in love.” But I’ve gone ahead and broken it.”
I chuckle, lean over, and kiss her cheeks. “You have, Miranda. But I think that’s forgivable.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “I’m eternally grateful that you’re mine,” I say, my chest expanding with pride and victory. “And that you’ll always be my babygirl.”
Thank you for reading Always Be My Babygirl: A Billionaire Romance. Please read on for a preview of the other book in this series!
BE MY BABYGIRL: A BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE
Preview
Be My Babygirl: A Billionaire Romance
Prologue
Darius
I sit in my darkened office, the screens in front of me lit up like a mission control center.
Hell, that’s exactly what it is.
Tonight’s mission: find a tall, lithe brunette with large eyes and pouty lips to wine and dine, seduce her into a one-night stand, and never let her know my name. I smile to myself in the darkness, then shake my head. Jesus, I feel like Batman.
I take a long pull from my beer. Downstairs, in front of others, I drink nothing but the finest whiskey, thank-you-very-much. Scotch and bourbon—select reserve. But up here in the privacy of my penthouse, I like to pop a cold one. Some say beer’s unrefined for a guy like me, but it’s my comfort food, reminiscent of simpler days and simpler times.
I finish the beer, sigh with contentment, and place the cold bottle down. I lean back and prop my feet up on the desk, lace my fingers behind my head, and stare at screen after screen after screen. But the more I look, the more discontent I become.
I stab at my phone, and it sparks to life. My contentment quickly sours when my calendar pops up and two big fucking entries this month flash before me like obnoxious neon road signs. I don’t need the reminders.
I shut my phone off and toss it on my desk. I watch as it slides before it skitters to a halt at the very edge. I get to my feet and stretch, energy vibrating through me. I pace, my eyes on the screens, but I’ve seen these faces so many times it feels like watching reruns.
Poker table.
Buffet line one.
Craps table.
Live performance.
Drag show.
I sigh and scrub a hand across my brow. I need something new, something different. A little excitement. Something that once again sparks the joy I