Matt smiled. Jeremy was great. Sure enough, he noticed three figures on the second level. Jeremy saw him and shook his arm at them so hard Matt feared he might topple into the fountain, but Will's hand was on his shoulder, his other arm around Harper. Will would never let either of them fall.
"What about Susan and Bob?"
"Over...there." Daniel pointed.
Standing by the fountain, Susan waved at them. Bob had his hand at her back and Matt thought his foster father looked a little overwhelmed by the press of people.
"Honey, I'm so glad to see you." Susan threw her arms around Matt in a huge hug. He remembered all the years as a pipsqueak kid when her hug was the only thing that made him feel safe. He would love her forever for that.
They moved in close to hear each other over the voices and laughter. "Sebastian and Charlie will be so happy you made it."
She sparkled with joy. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."
"It's all she's been able to talk about," Bob agreed. "That and wedding plans."
But Matt knew Bob was equally focused on getting everything ready for Harper and Will's wedding. Susan had revealed he was already working on the trellis. It would be a white Christmas wedding in Chicago with a small gathering, the nuptials to take place in Susan and Bob's living room.
"And now we have another wedding to plan." Susan was in her element, her eyes starry with the thought of more grandchildren. She adored Noah and wanted more, more, more.
Susan gave her son a huge hug while Matt clapped Bob on the back in greeting. "This is a real swanky place," Bob said, lifting his gaze to the sky above. "When are you boys moving in?"
The Maverick Group was taking the twenty-ninth floor. "Next week."
"How's Noah? You didn't bring him today?"
Matt spread his arms to encompass the packed lobby. "I didn't want to risk losing him in this crowd. Will let me drop him off for a few hours with Mrs. Taylor." Will's housekeeper was a very sweet lady, and Noah adored her chocolate chip cookies. Come to think of it, they all adored Mrs. Taylor's chocolate chip cookies. "You'll see him at the barbecue tomorrow."
"Mrs. Taylor?" Susan's antennae had popped up. "Oh dear, what happened to your latest nanny?"
Matt felt the darkness rise up in him again, and he clenched his fists to tamp it down. "I caught her yelling at Noah when he knocked over a glass of milk."
Matt wasn't a violent man, but when he'd walked in on the woman's tirade, he'd been closer to losing control than at any time in his life. Even with all of Irene's crap, he'd never felt that kind of rage.
No one abused his kid, not ever.
"I'm glad you fired her ass."
He laughed. Susan always knew how to defuse the tension. "Yeah. I fired her ass. So now I need another nanny."
"Oh, sweetie." She gave him a hug for all his woes.
"You must have tapped out all the nanny services in town," Daniel drawled beside him.
It was the unfortunate truth. He didn't know how he'd managed to find every bad caregiver in the area--but he had. He'd have to look farther afield and hope the candidate wanted to move.
Above the din, the tinkle of metal on glass gathered attention. The sun was a foot from the fabulous fountain. Matt glanced at his watch. It was closing in on noon.
Rapping his champagne flute with a spoon, Sebastian stepped onto a small dais erected by the fountain. As the crowd began to quiet, he pulled Charlie up beside him.
"Oh my," Susan said in a breathy voice. "She's absolutely beautiful."
Matt had to agree. Her black dress was short and flirty, her back draped with strands of pearls, her red hair pulled up. Even from here, he recognized adoration brimming in Sebastian's eyes.
"That must be her mother." Bob indicated the elderly woman seated close by in a chair brought especially for her. "Sebastian told us her story, and she's a marvel. Even with her terrible arthritis, she walks a mile every day."
"I can't wait to meet her." Susan said. "I have so much to thank her for. Raising such a marvelous woman who's so perfect for Sebastian."
Sebastian held up his hands, and the last of the noise died down. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate the opening of my new headquarters here in San Francisco. In a few moments, the sun will be at its zenith, and you'll all see why I chose this space. Because it's a special spot, I needed a special sculpture to do it justice." He put his arm around Charlie, kissed her temple. "In the process I found this very special, brilliant woman who has agreed to be my wife."
The crowd erupted with oohs and aahs, and Susan wiped her eyes.
It was then that Matt saw Whitney, to Sebastian's right, with Evan slightly behind her. If looks could kill, every last one of them would be dead. Whitney didn't like all the attention going to anyone else. Sometimes Matt wished he could fire her ass too.
But only Evan could do that.
"Step back, folks," Sebastian called out. "The sun's coming."
Those closest to the fountain shuffled back as the sun crept up the first tiles and they burst into glowing rainbows of color.
"I present to you The Chariot Race by Charlie Ballard." Sebastian waved his arm, and the silk drape was whisked away, disappearing somewhere above the mezzanine.
A pin dropping in the fountain's waters could have been heard at the other end of the lobby. Four magnificent stallions strained against their harnesses, racing into the sky. The fountain's waters began to churn and hiss, billowing up like the dirt and dust beneath the animals' charge as they dragged the broken chariot behind them. They were triumphant while their driver had been lost in defeat.
As the sun hit the metal, the splendid animals came to life and Matt could almost hear the roar of their hoof beats. With no driver, the reins blew wild in the wind, and their copper tails flew out behind them like flames. Everything was awash in color, even the mosaic gleaming on the platform of the fallen chariot as it was exposed by the oncoming light. The spectators were utterly in thrall of the sculpture's power as the sun moved over it.
He heard whispered words like genius and brilliant. On the other side of the fountain, Charlie glowed as brightly as the chimera she'd created. Matt was in awe that she could produce such beauty from all its disparate parts--pitchforks and bicycle wheels, tractor seats and pipe fittings. She made sense out of senselessness. And in turn gave power and strength to everyone who gazed at her masterpiece.
The sun revealed new facets like diamonds sparkling in radiant light. His gaze followed its path until he saw a woman beyond the fountain, hidden in the shadows until the sun found her.
Her long blond hair turned a fiery gold as the light hit her, and she was suddenly the only thing Matt could see, young and lithesome, pretty and wholesome, pure and sweet.
It was the girl from the group home, the one who'd played with Noah. Ariana.
Noah had adored her, and she'd been so good with him, endlessly patient, her smile angelic as they played in the dirt. Would she want to be Noah's nanny?
Matt usually had older caregivers for Noah. Young women wanted to date, they could be flighty, or they moved on too soon. But he sure hadn't been batting a thousand with anyone he'd hired so far.
Maybe it was wishful thinking. Maybe it was something extraordinary about this young lady that set her apart from every other woman who'd walked through his front door. Maybe he'd been alone way too long.
Whatever the reason, when Ariana suddenly turned, her gaze met his like a lightning strike. He had no idea what her story was, or if she'd even consider becoming a nanny, but he put down his drink and headed straight for her. Damn good thing a Maverick always knew how to get what he wanted. Because today, Matt knew exactly what--and who--he wanted.
Ariana.
--------
THE END
--------
BREATHLESS IN LOVE, the first book in our Maverick Billionaires series about Will Franconi, is out now! FEARLESS IN LOVE (Matt's story) will be released June 15, 2016!
--------
/> For news on Bella Andre's upcoming books, click https://BellaAndreFans.com/Newsletter to sign up for Bella Andre's New Release Newsletter.
--------
For news on Jennifer Skully's upcoming books, click https://bit.ly/SkullyNews to sign up for Jennifer Skully's New Release Newsletter.
*
Enjoy an excerpt from BREATHLESS IN LOVE, Will's story...
--------
Will Franconi has a dark past that he's kept a closely guarded secret--very few people have ever heard his real story and he plans to keep it that way. After surviving a hellish childhood, he's now living the dream life where everything he touches turns to gold. But something's missing. He doesn't quite know what, until a simple letter from a teenage boy brings Harper Newman into his life--a woman who just might fill up the empty places inside him...if only he could ever be worthy of her love.
When a man has more money than he could spend in five lifetimes, Harper has to ask herself what Will Franconi could possibly want from a woman like her. She's learned the hard way that rich men always get what they want no matter the cost. If it were only herself she had to worry about, Harper would manage, but she's guardian to her younger brother, who depends on her for everything. After he nearly lost his life in a car crash, she's vowed never to let anyone hurt him ever again.
Still, sometimes Harper can't help but long to change her story from that of the always cautious woman to an adventurous tale of a heroine who's wild and free...especially when Will's kisses and caresses make her utterly breathless. And as he begins to reveal his story to her, she discovers that he's so much more than just another wealthy, privileged man. He's kind and giving, and he fills up all the spaces inside her heart that have been empty for so long. Together, can they rewrite their stories into a happily ever after that neither of them would have believed possible?
--------
Harper was utterly gorgeous, the sun sparkling in her wind-tossed hair, ecstasy glowing on her face. She didn't shout or cheer--but she did hold up her arms. And she smiled.
The most beautiful smile Will had ever seen.
He wasn't even near freeway speed, yet the shriek of the motor, the rumble of the pipes, and the open sky above them made it seem as if the car were flying at over a hundred miles an hour.
Just as he'd promised, he took her around only once. He didn't want to push her limits.
Not yet, anyway.
While harnessing her in, it would have been so easy to touch her, to let his fingertips graze her gorgeous skin. His heart had hammered with the desire to put his hands on her. Even now, his fingers sizzled with her heat, and her sweet scent filled his head. But he could tell that she wasn't like the women he usually spent his time with--women who knew the score and were in it for what they could grab before he moved on.
Harper Newman was different. And he liked that, liked knowing that wooing her would be unlike anything else he'd ever done in his life. Even if a voice in his head reminded him that he shouldn't be looking for anything more than a quick roll between the sheets with her.
Not because she didn't deserve more, but because she did. So much more than a fundamentally broken man like Will could ever give her.
He slowed after the last turn, heading back to her brother. Back to sanity for both of them.
For now.
She let her arms drop, and her sleeve brushed his arm as she said, "That was fast."
She was trying for a noncommittal tone, but he could hear the breathlessness she was trying to hide. She might normally be good at hiding her feelings, but Will was too interested in her to miss one single thing. Especially the thrill of the speed still coursing through her veins.
"Too fast? Or just right?"
Her eyes met his and sparks jumped between them again. Sparks that had been there from the very first moment they'd looked at each other.
Finally, she admitted, "It was good," her words a little huskier than he imagined she wanted them to be.
Ahead of them, Jeremy was hopping, skipping toward the car. He looked so happy. Which, Will was glad to see, made Harper very happy, too.
They rolled to a stop and he said, "Let me give you a hand."
But she didn't wait for his chivalry, simply unbuckled before he could help her and said, "I'm fine, thanks," then turned to grab the roll bar and hoist herself up.
Jeremy ran over to them. "Wasn't it cool, Harper?"
"I enjoyed it."
Her answer was far too tight-laced, but Will knew that for a few moments out there, she'd been one with the car and the rush of speed. Just as he had.
"But once was enough," she added, smoothing her jacket, then her skirt, and finally her hair.
"Once is never enough," he said softly.
Despite how hard she was working to rein herself in, he heard her breath catch on the slightly sensual undertone to his words. Will knew that if her brother hadn't been standing right there, he would have done something crazy, like grab her and kiss her.
No, he wasn't good enough for her. But that knowledge didn't keep him from wanting her. If anything, he was even more powerfully drawn to the good in her, to the sweetness and warmth she shared with her brother.
"I don't have to be anywhere special for another couple of hours. I can show you the Aston Martin at my place."
In truth, Will had a dozen important things to take care of today, but Jeremy was like a bright, mystical sphere that beckoned him closer, a breath of something clean that made him feel young instead of jaded.
And then there was Harper.
Beautiful, unique Harper with all that tightly leashed passion inside of her just waiting to be set free...
--------
...Excerpt from BREATHLESS IN LOVE by Bella Andre & Jennifer Skully (c) 2015.
--------
Buy BREATHLESS IN LOVE
MORE BY THE AUTHORS
--------
BOOKS BY BELLA ANDRE
--------
The Sullivans
The Look Of Love ~ From This Moment On
Can't Help Falling In Love ~ I Only Have Eyes For You
If You Were Mine ~ Let Me Be The One
Come A Little Bit Closer ~ Always On My Mind
Kissing Under The Mistletoe ~ One Perfect Night
The Way You Look Tonight ~ It Must Be Your Love
Just To Be With You ~ I Love How You Love Me
All I Ever Need Is You
--------
The Morrisons
Kiss Me Like This ~ Tempt Me Like This
--------
The Maverick Billionaires
Breathless in Love Reckless in Love Fearless in Love --------
Game For Love series
Game For Love
--------
Take Me series
Love Me ~ Take Me
--------
Stand-alone Novels
Candy Store ~ Ecstasy ~ Red Hot Reunion
Tempt Me, Taste Me, Touch Me
--------
Love on Rockwell Island
Cape Cod Kisses ~ Cape Cod Promises
--------
Hotshot Firefighter series
Wild Heat ~ Hot As Sin ~ Never Too Hot
--------
Bad Boys of Football series
Game For Anything ~ Game For Seduction
--------
BELLA ANDRE writing as LUCY KEVIN
Lucy Kevin is the "sweet" pen name of Bella Andre. Lucy Kevin books are fun, flirty and romantic--without the steamy scenes.
--------
The Walker Island Series
Be My Love ~ No Other Love
When It's Love ~ All For Love ~ Forever In Love
--------
The Four Weddings and a Fiasco Series
The Wedding Gift ~ The Wedding Dance
The Wedding Song ~ The Wedding Dress ~ The Wedding Kiss
--------
Stand-alone Lucy Kevin novels
Falling Fast ~ Sparks Fly ~ Seattle
Girl
*
BOOKS BY JENNIFER SKULLY
--------
Cottonmouth Series
She's Gotta Be Mine ~ Fool's Gold ~ Can't Forget You
--------
Stand Alone Novels
Baby, I'll Find You ~ Twisted by Love ~ Drop Dead Gorgeous ~ Sheer Dynamite
It Must Be Magic ~ Be My Other Valentine
--------
BOOKS BY JENNIFER SKULLY WRITING AS JASMINE HAYNES
--------
Max Starr Series
Dead to the Max ~ Evil to the Max ~ Desperate to the Max
Power to the Max ~ Vengeance to the Max
--------
The Jackson Brothers
Somebody's Lover ~ Somebody's Ex ~ Somebody's Wife
Jackson Brothers: 3-Book Bundle
--------
Open Invitation
Invitation to Seduction ~ Invitation to Pleasure ~ Invitation to Passion
Open Invitation: 3-Book Bundle
--------
West Coast Series
Revenge ~ Submitting to the Boss ~ The Boss's Daughter
The Other Man ~ Pleasing Mr. Sutton
--------
Prescott Twins
Double the Pleasure ~ Skin Deep
--------
Let's Misbehave
The Naughty Corner ~ Teach Me a Lesson
--------
DeKnight Trilogy
Past Midnight ~ What Happens After Dark ~ The Principal's Office
--------
Courtesans Tales
Yours for the Night ~ Hers for the Evening ~ Mine Until Morning
--------
Fortune Hunter Trilogy
The Fortune Hunter ~ Show and Tell ~ Fair Game
--------
Anthologies
Unlaced ~ Laced With Desire ~ Anthology: Beauty or the Bitch & Free Fall
--------
Stand Alone Stories
Take Your Pleasure ~ Take Your Pick ~ More Than a Night
Not in the Game ~ Wives & Neighbors: The Complete Story
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
--------
Having sold more than 5 million books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre's novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world. Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan magazine "Red Hot Reads" twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her "One of the top digital writers in America" and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and, most recently, in Time magazine. She has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America, on her publishing success.