Yours Completely: A Cinderella Love Story (Billionaires and Brides #1) (17 page)

“Are you sure this is a helicopter?” Ella asked as they stepped inside. She looked around. Some of the rooms at the inn weren't even this nice. This was no ordinary helicopter.

Jace laughed. “If you put on the headphones, you'll be able to hear the pilot.”

Ella grinned and sat down in one of the chairs by a window, pulling a pair of headphones over her head. She could hear a male voice calling out words to someone sounding very official. Jace laughed at her childlike enthusiasm, putting a headphone set over his head as well. He then showed her how to fasten the five-point harness that would strap them in. Ella tried not to think about why they would need such a big seat belt.

“You ready? We're about to take off,” Jace informed her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. Ella nodded, a terrified grin about ready to split her face in two. Suddenly, the idea of flying in something that looked like a fancy car didn't seem like such a good idea.

The helicopter blades started to whir. For a moment, she wasn't sure how the physics of the blades beating the air would lift such a massive piece of machinery into the air, yet upwards they floated. Ella giggled as the ground slowly fell away. The whole thing was far smoother than she had imagined it would be.

This isn't so different than being in a car, she thought to herself, looking out the window. The bushes and trees slowly melted into something the size of toys, making her dizzy.

Jace held her hand as the helicopter rose up over the inn and sped across the lake. The blue water sparkled in the sun and suddenly became far smaller than Ella remembered. She'd lived next to the water for her whole life, but now, for the first time, she could see the entire thing. It was smaller than she expected, but far bluer.

“How fast are we going?” Ella asked, watching the ground below zip away at incredible speed. It made her stomach flip to think about it, so she turned away from the window. Without the ground to give her perspective, she could pretend it was just a car ride and that they weren't floating hundreds of feet in the air.

“About one-hundred-fifty miles per hour,” Jace replied casually. He leaned back in his leather seat, looking incredibly comfortable. “We can get up to one-hundred-sixty-seven. I have another that can go faster.”

“Another? Faster?” Ella shook her head. The idea of going faster was kind of scary. That's what planes were for. “Considering my car barely does fifty, three times that is pretty impressive.”

“Impressive?” Jace grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. “Then I better take you in my jet next time. It can make the flight from New York to LA in less than four hours.”

“Now you're just showing off,” Ella replied, grinning at him. “Next you'll tell me your car can do two hundred miles per hour.”

“Two hundred and twenty four the last time I tried.” Jace flashed her a self-satisfied smirk.

“Well, at least I'm glad you're not as fast in other things.” She wiggled her eyebrows to imply just exactly what those other things were.

“That's about self control, not speed,” he murmured, leaning forward so his breath tickled her cheek. Pleasurable shivers ran up and down her spine. She wondered for a moment if the pilot could see them back here. Probably not, as billionaires seemed to like their privacy.

A gust of wind rocked the helicopter. Her hand tightened around Jace's and she suddenly wasn't thinking of his self control anymore. The gust wasn't very strong, but it reminded Ella that their feet weren't firmly planted on the ground. Despite the luxurious interior, they were still flying.

“Does it do that a lot?” she whispered. Ella prided herself on her ability to stay calm in any situation, but the idea of falling thousands of feet to her death had her uneasy.

The helicopter lurched again.

Jace squeezed her hand. He radiated calm, which Ella appreciated. “It's just a crosswind coming up from the lake,” he assured her. “I've been through thunderstorms in this thing. This is perfectly safe.”

“Sure,” she agreed, but her heart wasn't in it. Ella decided that she wasn't a huge fan of helicopters. “How much further?”

“We're almost there,” Jace told her. He then clicked on his headset and said something to the pilot before turning back to her. “Don't worry, I have the pilot going straight there.”

“Thank you.” Ella nodded weakly as the helicopter banked left. She was ready to get off this contraption that felt like it might fall to the ground at any moment. Helicopter rides were not quite what she had expected. “Thunderstorms, huh?”

“Big ones. I'm pretty sure we went upside down at one point.”

Ella narrowed her eyes. “Now you're just making crap up. You've never gone upside down in this.”

“Says who?” Jace grinned at her. He was doing a great job of distracting her from the helicopter.

The helicopter shifted slightly and the tone of the engines changed. It reminded Ella of the sound her car made right before the engine stalled out. Her heart thudded so hard it hurt her stomach and closed her eyes, trying not to imagine the helicopter plummeting from the sky.

“How often do helicopters break down?” Ella asked, focusing on her breathing. The last thing she wanted to do was look weak in front of Jace. She did her best to smile, but she knew her lips were pinching too tight and her eyes were too big to make it convincing.

“Never.” He squeezed her hand a little tighter. “I'll never let you fall.”

“Okay.” Some of the tension left her stomach. Her smile became just a little more genuine.

He glanced out the window. “There'll be a slight bump as we land. Nothing to worry about.”

Ella nodded and gritted her teeth, ready for a landing that would rattle her bones. Instead, it was actually incredibly gentle, which was better than the crash Ella had been afraid of. Ella let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It was going to take some getting used to flying in a helicopter.

Getting used to...

Would she even have the opportunity to get used to this? To Jace? Or was this just a weekend fling for the both of them? Ella wanted to believe it was more. They had so much chemistry, both in and out of the bedroom, that she wanted it to be more. Yet, he was a billionaire and she was just a maid at a struggling inn.

She pushed away the thought. They could have that discussion later. For right now, she wanted to enjoy her day off with the handsome man who claimed to fly upside down in helicopters, not worry about what was going to happen tomorrow. Tomorrow would come whether she wanted it to or not, but she could focus on enjoying every minute now.

Jace hopped out of the helicopter first, offering her his hand. She loved how her hand fit so safely inside of his, like it was meant to fit there. He would never let her fall, even if they went upside down in a helicopter.

E
lla blinked at the bright sunshine as she stepped out of the helicopter and onto solid land. Despite the beauty of the helicopter's interior, she was glad to be out of it. The blades were slowing as they exited, but she still felt the need to duck as they moved away.

The country was lush and green, and Ella could see plants growing in rows upon rows. “Where are we?” Ella asked, looking around.

Jace didn't answer. Instead, a smiling woman in jeans and a cowboy hat greeted them over the roar of the dying helicopter blades. “Welcome to Jacobson Vineyards and Winery. We're so glad you're here, Mr. Connor.”

Jace shook her hand. “We're glad to be here.”

“Excellent,” the woman replied, broadening her smile. “If you're ready, we can begin the tour.”

Jace took Ella's hand in his as they followed the woman toward rows of green plants. Ella loved how natural it felt to have his hand in hers. Her heart fluttered with pure joy. It was a simple happiness. One that felt like it could endure forever, not just the length of the walk.

“Here's where we grow our Cabernet grapes. Unfortunately, it's still too early in the season to eat any of them, but you can see them just starting to grow.” The tour guide motioned to the rows of plants growing in neat rows on trellises behind her. Ella hadn't even been paying attention to whatever the woman had been saying, so she just nodded.

“When will they be ready to eat?” Jace asked. Apparently he was paying more attention than she was.

“Not for a few more months,” the woman explained. She smiled. “That's basically it for this part of the tour. Feel free to walk around and take in the sights. At the end of each row is a marker displaying the type of grape and the wine it will make. Whenever you two are finished out here, just head on over to the main house and we'll start the wine tasting portion of the tour.”

“That sounds great,” Jace replied. “Thank you.”

Ella murmured a 'thank you' as well and the woman turned and headed away toward a large building several rows of grapes over. The stillness hung over the two of them like a warm blanket. Insects hummed, but they were distant and unobtrusive. Everywhere Ella looked was blue and green. Just like Jace's eyes.

“So, what do you think?” Jace asked. He raised his eyebrows and his hand tightened around hers. If he wasn't a billionaire CEO, Ella might have thought he was nervous. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Ella assured him. “I've sent hundreds of guests here for tours, but I've only been here once for a wedding. And it was nothing like this. There were a lot more people.”

“We have the whole place to ourselves,” Jace replied. “I rented it out just for us.”

“Then I have definitely never been here when it's like this.” Ella laughed. “No wonder it's so quiet. It's perfect.”

“Good.” Jace's smile solidified. “I wanted you to have a great day off. It sounds like you don't get many.”

“The company is really what's making it good so far,” Ella replied. She squeezed his hand again.

“Luckily for you, I planned to keep you company all day,” Jace said, squeezing her hand back. “Want to walk around? Since you've been here, you can show me around.”

Ella laughed. “I was sixteen and it was my cousin's wedding. I think I spent the whole time trying to convince my stepmother I wasn't going to drink anything.”

“Are you telling me you didn't want to drink anything?” Jace asked, leading them into the vines. Everything was peaceful and calm, like time was standing still while they wandered and talked.

“I would have loved to have sneaked a glass with my cousin, but...” Ella shrugged. “Making Delores happy was more important at the time.”

Jace paused. Ella turned to look at him, seeing a frown spread across his face. “Why should it matter to you what she thinks? She obviously doesn't care what you think of her.”

Ella reached out and toyed with one of the green grape leaves. It was strong yet flexible in her fingers as it grew, reaching for the sun. “I was sixteen and Delores was the only parent I had left. My father had always wanted us to be a family, and...” Ella trailed off. “It sounds stupid and childish now, but I wanted her to like me. To treat me like her daughter.”

“It's not stupid or childish to want someone to love you.” He reached for her hand and drew her eyes away from the plant and back to him.

“I used to secretly hope that one day she would wake up and see how much I tried to be a good daughter, and that she would treat me differently,” Ella said with a shrug. “I know that's not going to happen now, but it's a hard habit to shake.”

Jace nodded. “Family ties are a powerful thing.”

“It will all be over once I have my birthday. Things are going to be different.”

“I believe in you.” His words were simple, but they rang with truth. Ella's heart felt like it might explode. No one ever asked her what she wanted. Yet, when she looked into Jace's eyes, she knew he really was interested. It wasn't just that he was being kind or courteous, he honestly wanted to know.

“You think I can do it?” Ella asked, her heart threatening to stop at any moment.

“From what I've seen?” Jace nodded. “Definitely. You managed to put on a million-dollar wedding and make it look easy. I've been to several big weddings, and none of them have gone this smoothly or been as well planned. And I'm not just saying that. I mean it.”

Ella beamed. “So, you'll recommend me to all your friends, right?”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “In a heartbeat. I've already had three people ask me where to sign up for services here.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. And that was even before last night.” Jace wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh. “I left out the personal service you showed me.”

“Not everyone gets that particular service,” Ella informed him. “You have to be extra special.”

Jace grinned. “I am rather unique.”

“Quite,” Ella agreed.

Ella loved how easy it was to talk to Jace. When she spoke, Jace listened. He really listened, taking in her every word and paying attention to the details. She found herself wishing that they could stay in the vineyard forever, just talking and walking among the green leaves.

“What about you, Mr. Billionaire,” Ella asked, resuming their walk. “I've told you my dream. What's yours? What do you want to do? Or, are you doing it?”

Jace's face went thoughtful and he paused. His blue-green eyes evaluated her for a moment. “I followed my father's footsteps into this job. I enjoy it, and I'm obviously good at it, but it isn't my life's dream.”

“What is?” Ella asked, genuinely curious.

“I don't know.” Jace shrugged. “This is all I've ever known. The only thing that I am sure of, is that I don't want to end up like my father.”

“He walked your sister down the aisle, right?” Ella thought of the tall, older man on Madelyn's arm. The hair and facial features were similar to Jace's, though the eyes were different. “He didn't seem all that bad.”

“Compared to Delores, he's a saint,” Jace agreed. “But, he's not happy. He's on his fourth marriage, two heart attacks, and he drinks like a fish. The love of money is the only thing that motivates him, but he's so rich it doesn't seem to matter any more.”

“He seemed proud of your sister last night,” Ella said quietly. “I've seen a lot of fathers walk their daughters down that aisle, and he fit in with all of them. Nervous and proud.”