Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (2 page)

"Thanks, KayKay," she
whispered into my ear. I wiped a tear off my cheek and tried to look at the sky
to make the rest of the tears go back to where they came from as I let her go.
She grinned at me as she sat down, her eyes shining too.

As everyone settled, a well-dressed
waiter came and whispered into Jack's ear. Jack laughed and shook his head,
looking over at Emma.

"For once it isn't one of my
phone calls that is urgently interrupting." The waiter handed Emma a
message. She read it quickly, and then smiled apologetically at the table.

"Excuse me for just a minute.
They can't seem to function without me anymore." She stood, kissed Jack on
the cheek, and ducked into the main building. Through the window, I could see
her pick up a phone.

I wondered what could be so
important that anyone would interrupt her wedding rehearsal dinner. Since
officially moving to New York, Emma had found a way to merge her dreams of
working with animals and living with Jack. She had wanted to be a veterinarian
since we were kids, but if she wanted to be with Jack, that wouldn't be
possible. Every patient would know she had infinitely deep pockets and would
always be looking for a way to get free care or sue for any mistake, no matter
how minor.

But, Emma being Emma, she had found
a way.

She created the "Daniel
Saunders Wildlife and Marine Rehabilitation Program" through Jack's
company using their environmental restoration department. Everyday, she was
able to work with Jack and with rehabilitating animals. She loved it, and it
had been a good way to honor Jack's father, but it kept her as busy as Jack.
Honestly though, I couldn't see her any other way. Emma was just too hard a
worker to stop just because she got married.

Emma came back out the door, her
light blue dress trailing after her in the evening breeze. She smiled at Jack
and sat down to finish her wine, the phone call finished. Jack smiled with
obvious pride at his soon-to-be-legally-married wife. The table was quiet,
everyone sipping on the last of their wine and enjoying the evening.

"Thank you for a lovely
evening, but it is time for us to retire," Mrs. Saunders said as Emma sat
down. She rose and stood behind Mr. Saunders' chair. The old man was struggling
to keep his eyes open, seemingly exhausted by the dinner and toast. Emma jumped
up and gave Mrs. Saunders a friendly hug. She was determined to win Jack's
mother over eventually. Mrs. Saunders returned the affection and Emma bent to
give Mr. Saunders a kiss on the cheek. He beamed up at her, and waved as Jack's
assistant, Rachel, wheeled his chair away. The table watched quietly as they
disappeared around a perfectly manicured hedge and into the deepening night.

"I think we'll hit the hay
too," my dad said as he pushed his chair out. He stood and shook Jack's
hand before giving Emma a kiss. Mom gave them both a hug, her eyes bright. Her
baby girl was getting married, and she was so incredibly proud and excited. She
kissed my head as she walked past. I watched my parents walk hand and hand down
the stone path, still very much in love. I hoped to find a love like theirs
someday.

"I think that leaves just us
young-uns," Jack's little brother said with a grin. "Bring on the
tequila!"

"Sorry, Robbie, I have an
early morning," Jack said. "Technically so do you, but since you just
have to stand there and look pretty, it shouldn't be too hard." He leaned
back in his chair, in no obvious hurry to get anywhere.

"What about the amazing
bachelor party I have planned?" Robbie asked with mock seriousness.

Jack grimaced and Emma laughed.
From what I had heard, the New York bachelor party had been a crazy enough
party for Jack. He wouldn't say exactly what they did, but he had refused to
drink anything besides water and Gatorade for a week.

"What about you, Kaylee?"
Owen asked. He said my name slowly, as though he liked the way it felt on his
lips. To be honest, I liked the way it sounded coming out of his mouth, but I
was not about to do anything to encourage him.

I shrugged. "I'll probably
have an early night. We have a busy day tomorrow."

Owen nodded, his blue eyes intent
on mine. "Perhaps I can interest you in a drink before you go?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came
out. I wanted to say no, but it was as if he was hypnotizing me to say yes. The
way he held his body, his eyes catching mine and the seductive tone of voice,
it was all incredibly hard to say no to. No wonder the guy was a marketing VP.

"Count me in!" Robbie
said with a smirk before I could actually answer. Owen gave him a sideways
glare. The spell was broken.

"You oversold it. Even I was
tempted," Jack said, finishing his drink. Owen gave him a dirty look to
match the one he had shot Robbie.

"If I wasn't marrying this
handsome man tomorrow, I would have been all over that," Emma said and
smiled sweetly at him. Owen raised his hands in defeat. It was easy to tell that
his method of picking up women was a known thing among the four of them.

"Fine, too obvious. Question
still stands though Kaylee. Would you like to get a drink?" Owen asked,
his smile hopeful. I had to nip this in the bud before he could try that
hypnotizing look again. Girls probably fell for him left and right with that
smolder.

"Sorry, no. I've sworn off men
for a little while," I said. I did not want to get burned by a man like I
did last time. "Especially men who buy me drinks."

Possibly forever,
I thought.

Owen tipped his chin down and gave
me the biggest blue puppy eyes I have ever seen. I'm not sure quite how he did
it, but it took a lot of willpower not to give in. When he started to tremble
his lower lip, I almost caved, but then Jack started to laugh.

"Oh Kaylee, I think he likes
you! He never does the puppy thing unless he's desperate," Jack just
barely managed to say before he began to laugh. He and Emma were both snorting
into their wine at the pathetic face Owen was making.

"You guys are seriously
ruining my mojo. This works every time." Owen glared at the happy couple,
sparing an angry glance for Robbie, who was cracking up in the corner.

"I think I'm going to go to
bed," I said, knowing full well those blue eyes would get me if I stayed.
I needed to avoid men for a little while for my own good. Owen smiled up at me
as I stood from the table.

"Would you like me to join
you?" he asked. He practically oozed charm. It wasn't a bad thing. In
fact, it was rather nice to be so obviously desired, but I had no interest in a
random hookup. I wasn't looking for a good time, and I certainly wasn't looking
for a relationship. Not that he was even offering the latter.

"You are persistent! Thanks,
but no thanks," I said, shaking my head. I gave Emma a hug and Jack
surprised me with a hug from him. I was liking Jack more and more.

"You sure? I give excellent
back rubs," Owen tried again. I knew he was just playing so I pretended to
think about it, holding a finger up to my lips.

"Hmm... nope."

"Break my heart!" he
cried, falling back into his chair as though I had wounded him. He grinned and
gave me a wink as I made sure I had my room key. Robbie came around the table
and gave me a big bear hug, practically lifting me off the floor.

"Have a great night, Kaylee,"
Robbie said with a grin before turning to Owen and adding, "and that's how
you do it."

"Well, if that's how it's
done," Owen said, rising gracefully. He stepped close to me and my heart
started pounding in my chest for no apparent reason. I had told myself I wasn't
going to give into him, and I was going to stick by it, no matter how much he
made my insides heat.

"Have a wonderful night,
Kaylee. Dream sweet," he whispered as he wrapped me up in his arms. For
one glorious second, I let myself imagine being his. My body ached to be
touched, to be wrapped up with his. His cologne was masculine but not
overpowering, his arms strong and confident around me. I honestly didn't want
him to let go, but he released me before it could even be considered awkward. I
hoped I wasn't blushing too noticeably.

"You all have a good
night," I managed to stutter before heading down the stone pathway off the
porch. I stepped into the twilight, feeling the warm tropical evening surround
me. The waves shushed in the distance and night insects sang in the bushes
while the stars twinkled above. It was something that I would have typically
enjoyed, but right then, all I could think about was how good Owen had 
smelled.

I
watched as my dad walked my
little sister down the aisle. Or rather, down the beach we had made into an
aisle. Dad kissed her softly before reluctantly letting go. Jack grinned like
the happiest person in the world as she stepped toward him.

Emma was stunning. She wore a
flowing white dress that billowed slightly in the breeze and was just formal
enough for a wedding, but casual enough that it screamed Emma. Her long dark
hair was half up in a complicated series of braids. and the rest blew softly in
the gentle wind. She chose not to go with a veil, instead having tiny white
flowers that matched her bouquet sprinkled throughout the dark braids. She
looked like something out of a fairytale which, considering the man she was
marrying, was appropriate.

She handed me her flowers and
turned to face Jack. Everything about her was glowing. Her happiness was
infectious. I couldn't have wiped the smile off my face if I tried. The
minister began in a deep voice, the audience sitting with rapt attention. My
mother kept dotting her eyes, tears of joy spilling down her face.

"Do you, Emma LaRue, take this
man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in
health, for richer or poorer, for better or for worse, for as long as you both
shall live?"

Emma's voice shook slightly as she
answered, "I do." I knew she was happy, her entire being vibrating
with joy. Jack grinned as she promised herself to him, a boyish enthusiasm
radiating out from him in waves.

I really liked Jack. I hadn't
gotten to spend much time with him up until now, as he was often busy with the
job of heading a major oil company. The transition of leadership from the
elderly Daniel Saunders leading the company to the younger Jack Saunders had
been stressful, but he seemed to overflow with confidence now. Emma and I had
discussed how swamped he had been, and how that meant she didn't get to see him
as much as she would have liked. She had been overjoyed when the transition
period ended and he was able to leave work every night to be with her.

The fact that Jack adored my little
sister made him a good guy in my book. Every time she walked into the room, his
eyes followed her, gleaming with love, and that told me that he was head over
heels for her. I loved the way she smiled and lit up whenever they were
together. The money was an added bonus, but I knew she would have loved him
even if he had been broke.

Jack slid a ring on her finger, the
light catching on a massive diamond that cast a bright fire across the entire
crowd. It was fitting, because their love burned like a fire that cast
happiness across everyone they met.

Still, I hoped she wasn't going
swimming later because with that rock on her hand, she would drown. Owen put
the ring box back into his pocket and caught my eye. We made eye contact and he
grinned at me. My skin went hot, and I looked back at the ring, flustered.

I had dreamed about him all night.
Dream
sweet
, he had said, and sweet dreams I had. I tried to pay attention to the
rest of the ceremony, but I could feel Owen's eyes on me.
And why not?
I
thought. Jack's assistant had picked out a great dress for me, a strapless
coral-colored dress. She had contacted a tailor out in Iowa to measure me and
modify the dress to hug all my contours. I couldn't believe how good it looked
on me, the color accenting my dark hair and the cut making me look like a
supermodel.

I wanted to look back up at Owen,
but I knew if I did, I would blush. The man was too charming for his own good.
Why
is it this hard to just ignore a man?
I thought. I was lost in thought for
a moment as Jack recited his vows.

"I now pronounce you husband
and wife! You may kiss the bride!"

Everyone let out a cheer as Jack
leaned forward and kissed Emma. I let out a whoop and raised my bouquet to the
sky, genuinely happy for my little sister. The cameras flashed and clicked as
the two of them broke apart, grins plastered on their faces. Jack grabbed her
hand, and together they took off down the aisle, the rest of the bridal party
following at a more sedate pace.

Owen met me at the center point and
offered his arm. I took it, and he grinned as he walked me down the aisle. His
arm felt strong against mine, his muscles flexed as he escorted me back toward
the resort. I wondered if the rest of his body would feel as nice under me.

Stop it
, I thought. I had
promised myself no men for a while, and no matter how good Owen looked in a
suit or how much he flirted with me, I wasn't about to give in. I braced myself
for the inevitable flirting that I knew I would endure as soon as the ceremony
was over.

A
s the guests filed their way to
the reception area, Owen continued to walk with me toward the head table. When
we reached it, he pulled my chair out without a word. I smiled and nodded at
him. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, ma'am,"
he replied, a warm smile on his face. He turned and walked to his chair,
waiting for the rest of the party to begin.

I smiled to myself. His overt
sexuality hadn't worked, so now he had decided to be a gentleman.
I'm onto
your little games, Mr. Parker
, I thought to myself. I had to admit though,
it was cute.

The bride and groom stood at the
entrance to the outdoor reception area, thanking each guest who came in. Jack
had invited a lot more people than Emma had, and my parents still hadn't
arrived at their table. I looked for someone to talk to and suddenly found
myself looking in Owen's direction. He was looking right at me, smiling. I
blushed and looked away quickly.
It couldn't hurt to talk to him just a
little bit...

Suddenly, the DJ's voice came over
the speakers. Supposedly they had flown him in from New York as well, so I
expected to get some dancing in later. "Alright, let's get this party
started! Can I get the bride and groom on the dance floor for their first dance
as a married couple?"

I watched as my sister and her
husband walked to the middle of the dance floor and embrace each other as a
slow song started. Both Jack and Emma were usually talented dancers, but as the
music played, they just hugged each other tightly and danced as if they really
had been married for a while now, instead of only a day. Their long, confusing
courtship was finally over and they were able to move on with their lives.

About halfway through the song, a
tired looking Daniel Saunders wheeled his way onto the dance floor. Whispers
were exchanged between father and son, and Jack steadied the older man's
wheelchair as Emma helped him to his feet. Emma held him delicately as they
shuffled along to the music, the elderly Saunders doing his best to keep up
with the slow beat but unable to shuffle fast enough. Jack stood nearby with
the wheelchair, dutifully waiting for his father to finish, a sad smile on his
face. Emma hugged the frail man tightly, and I saw tears in the eyes of several
of the guests as they watched the man struggle.

As the song ended, Jack brought the
wheelchair to Daniel. The DJ spoke up then. "Can we get all the rest of
the fathers out there to dance with their daughters?" My dad moved his way
out to the dance floor, but Daniel held on tightly to Emma. He leaned on his
wheelchair and whispered something to Jack. Jack frowned slightly, but I saw
the fire in Daniel's eyes flare up as he made a demand of some sort. Jack
nodded and went to a nearby table.

There sat Rachel, Jack's personal
assistant. The elderly Mr. Saunders had groomed her since joining the company
to be the billionaire's right hand man. It seemed to me that she probably had
the most tears on her face of everyone at the wedding. Jack extended his hand
to her and she accepted it.

I watched as Dad reached Emma,
allowing her to continue to support the old man until Jack returned with
Rachel. Rachel wrapped her arms around his weak body and he almost fell into
her, but caught himself at the last moment. Emma squeezed his hand one last
time before solemnly turning to face Dad. As soon as Mr. Saunders was safely
entrusted to Rachel, Emma and Dad smiled at them, then danced away.

Daniel no longer shuffled his feet,
he just leaned into Rachel as other couples danced around them. Jack still
stood next to the wheelchair, ready for him. I saw Daniel whisper something in
Rachel's ear, and she burst out in laughter through her tears.

I was surprised that any doctor
would let him travel, but I doubted he really asked permission. This was going
to be his last dance, and he knew it. He would have spent all the billions of
dollars of his company to be here if he had needed to.

As the song ended, I saw Dad dip
Emma, then kiss her on the forehead as she came back up. They embraced each
other deeply. I looked back over as Rachel eased Mr. Saunders back into the
wheelchair, her small frame able to handle his skin and bones with ease. Jack
rolled his father back to his table while my father walked Emma back to her
table.

The music still played, but I felt
like you could still hear a pin drop in the place. My dad tapped me on the
shoulder. "Do you mind if I get a dance from you?" I smiled and
extended my hand, and my father led me to the dance floor.

"You know, I always expected
that you would be the first daughter I'd dance with like this," he said in
my ear as we pivoted slowly.

I nodded. "I know." It
wasn't that Emma was unattractive, but she had always been so studious, so
unconcerned with boys. Sometimes I had envied the fact that no man seemed to be
able to win her heart, whereas many men had managed to steal mine.

We danced until the song ended, and
Dad did another slow dip for me, kissing me as he had Emma. He brought me close
again. "Someday soon, Kaylee. Your prince will come." He squeezed my
hand and smiled.

As I turned around, I was suddenly
face-to-face with Prince Charming himself. "May I have the next
dance?" Owen asked. I looked back at Dad, and he gave me a "go
on" gesture. I shrugged. What harm could one slow dance do?

I felt Owen's strong hands wrap
around me, one on my shoulder and one on my waist, pulling me in closer. Just
as I had before, I wanted him to draw me in completely, to take me.
Stay
strong,
I told myself. I danced slowly with him, trying to make eye
contact, but looking away and blushing every time his blue eyes met mine.

"So you obviously know what I
do. What do you do?" Owen asked finally, the plain question breaking the
tension. Maybe he didn't feel any tension at all. Maybe he was just being
friendly.

"I'm a physician's assistant
in the ER," I said.

"So... like a secretary?"
he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing
like a secretary," I said, a little annoyed at the question. The song was
ending, so he dipped me down low. The form fitting coral dress didn't help the
fact that I felt like I was being thrown into bed, and he lingered for just a
moment longer than I thought he would at the bottom of the dip. Finally he
lifted me back up.

"I want to hear all about
being a physician's assistant," he said.

I opened my mouth, ready to tell
him everything as we began to walk back to the table. Then I remembered that he
knew every trick in the book. "You're just trying to get me to talk about
myself, aren't you? You think that's the key to every woman's heart."

He didn't even bat an eye.
"Yes I am. Is it working?"

I paused.
He's playing with me
,
I thought. "No, but now you're going to have to listen to me talk about
all the gross things that happen at a hospital," I said.

He pulled my chair out for me, and
I sat down. He sat down in Jack's empty chair, put his elbows on the table, his
face in his palms, and leaned in. "I'm all ears," he said, sounding
genuinely eager.

I sighed. "Owen..."

My tone must have said it all. Owen
jumped back. "Say no more. I can tell when I have no chance of making the
sale. If you don't want me to talk to you again, just let me know."

I pouted. "It's not like
that..."

"So you
do
want me to
talk to you?" he asked, a charming smile on his face. I couldn't help but
blush and look away shyly. "Look, I'll leave you be for now. If you feel
like talking later, come find me." With that, he stood up, walking toward
Mr. Saunders. I knew that he'd have plenty to talk about with the
businesspeople at the party, so maybe it really was better that I didn't waste
his time by talking about myself.

I watched him move with the
confidence of a man who knew what he wanted and usually got it. Well not today
Mr. Parker. Today, not even your money could buy what you wanted.

He looked back at me, those
piercing blue eyes catching me in just the right way.
Take me, I'm yours...
No!
The civil war in my brain continued to rage on.

***

F
or the next few hours, I spoke
with my parents or my sister, shooting occasional glances at Owen. Most of the
time, he wasn't looking at me, but sometimes, he was. Every time our eyes met,
I smiled at him.

I drank a couple cups of punch,
danced with a couple of Jack's younger cousins, and enjoyed the festivities.
The DJ they had flown in from New York was worth every penny. When it came time
for Emma to throw the bouquet, I joined the crowd. Emma winked at me as she turned
around. As she threw the bouquet behind her head, I watched it sail in a
perfect arc toward me.
If this was on purpose
, I thought,
then she
must have been practicing her behind-the-back bouquet tosses.
I held out my
hands to catch the bouquet- and suddenly a young teenage girl about sixteen
years old jumped up and snatched it.

The crowd cheered for the young
lady, and my eyes went straight to Owen. His eyes were on me too, and I gave
him my best can't-win-em-all shrug. He walked over to me, drink in hand.

"You were robbed," he
said.

I smiled. "I thought you
weren't going to talk to me anymore," I said, a wry smile on my face.

He shrugged. "You initiated
communication, even though it was nonverbal." I laughed and he continued.
"Besides, you looked bored."

I leaned in and whispered. "I
feel guilty, but I am a little bored. I don't know many people here, and Emma
is so busy talking to people."

He shrugged again. "You know
me. Listen, Jack's brother Robbie has his racing boat parked on a marina right
down the beach. Why don't we take it for a spin?"

That sounds like fun
, I
thought.
You really shouldn't though
. I could feel my resistance
breaking down. "I should really stay here until the end of the
wedding."

Owen smiled. "Jack will look
for any excuse to start his wedding night as soon as possible, if you catch my
drift. The best man and maid of honor leaving would be such a perfect excuse.
Besides, I have to hear all about the gross stuff that happens at
hospitals."

Maybe just a quick boat ride...

Owen continued. "Or, if you'd
like, we can just go straight back to my cabana house," he said.

I grimaced a little.
He just
lost the sale
, I thought. "You know what? I do think I'll call it a
night. It was a pleasure, Owen," I said.

Owen knew he had messed up.
"Of course," he said, gracefully accepting defeat. "Perhaps I'll
see you tomorrow," he added, hopefully.

"Perhaps," I replied
coolly, not counting on him still being interested in me tomorrow. Tomorrow I
would be plain old Kaylee, small town girl from Iowa, not maid of honor at his
best friend's wedding. I went and said good night to my parents and gave Emma
one last hug. I left quickly, looking back one last time. Owen's eyes were on
me as I left, and he raised his hand in a quick, meek wave.

When I got to my room, I took a
nice bath, thinking of Owen joining me in the warm suds. I turned the air
conditioning in the room down to 68 and lay down in bed, watching TV as I
drifted off to sleep. Somehow, even with the room being as cool as it was, I
still writhed uncomfortably in bed as I slept, the thought of the strong, rich
man down at that wedding consuming my every thought.