July's Fourth (BBW & Billionaire) Read online

  “You’re welcome, Tiff,” I said, as the safety announcements started.

  We took off right over the Strip, and as I looked at Lake Mead and all of the desert beneath us, I couldn’t stop thinking about Beau. Was it really something more than a fling? I’d been hurt so many times before that our whirlwind relationship just seemed like it couldn’t be real.

  It was too good to be true. Based upon all of his investments and the few internet searches I’d done, it appeared that Beau was a billionaire. And he was so ridiculously handsome that it hurt to look at him sometimes. For the first time since I’d met him, the doubt crept in. What would he want with someone like me?

  “Hmmmm,” I sighed, looking out the window, feeling sorry for myself.

  “What is it?” said Tiff.

  “Oh God, I didn’t realize I was doing that aloud,” I laughed.

  “He’ll be back,” she replied.

  “What?”

  “That guy you were hanging out with. I mean, I was completely plastered when I saw you guys walk out of The Vault, but you were really cute together. I can tell he likes you a lot.”

  Now I was totally flabbergasted. Tiffani had never been the most caring co-worker in the world. But this trip had definitely highlighted some interesting qualities in all of us.

  “Thanks, Tiff,” I grinned. “I hope so.”

  “Yeah, he seemed really sweet,” Erica said. “Like the antithesis of stupid Nick.”

  “You are going to stay away from him, aren’t you?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I’ve learned my lesson,” she said, shaking her head. “Some guys are just all about getting the attention.”

  “Sad but true,” I agreed.

  And for the rest of the flight, the girls and I talked. They really weren’t as bad as I thought. I began to suppose that perhaps even women who were in Bitch Brigades had feelings, and reasons for acting the way that they did. By the time we touched down in Milwaukee, I felt like I had a much better understanding of them.

  We all grabbed our carry-on luggage and proceeded to march off the plane. As stupid as this sounds, part of me was disappointed that Beau wasn’t waiting for me outside the terminal when the plane landed (I know, this isn’t Love Actually! What’s wrong with me?). But it would have been oh-so-romantic to see him waiting for me in the exact place we’d met.

  No dice. It was dark outside, and it was time to go home. But a smile played on my face as I passed the bar where he’d whipped out his Amex black card. The guy was a character…I just hoped we could sustain something.

  Chapter Eight

  The Epilogue

  “Dangerously Curvy Designs! This is July!” I chirped into the phone.

  My company had only been in business for a few months, but our sales had been off the charts. It turned out that I wasn’t the only curvy woman in the world who dreaded finding cute dresses and clothes while on vacation or business trips in other cities.

  With a combination of strategically placed boutiques and express mail order options, we had been a huge hit since Day 1. My experience in advertising had helped a great deal, and the media had really grabbed onto the story, generating a huge publicity blitz for me.

  Before I knew what was happening, I found myself on morning shows, afternoon talk shows, and even business segments. Everyone wanted to know what Dangerously Curvy was going to do next. It also didn’t hurt that I’d recruited the hottest designers in the game.

  Eschewing the normal “plus-sized” uniform of floral prints, we were able to develop a lot of designs that were both sexy and functional, within an affordable price range. All of my dreams were coming true.

  “Hey!” I said, as Mirabelle the cat jumped on top of my desk. “Ah, the perils of having a home office,” I grumbled.

  “You better stop complaining, or your angel investor will pull out!” I heard from the next room.

  “Really?” I said, getting up from desk and walking into the hallway.

  Getting used to the beautiful view from the penthouse was still an issue for me. I simply couldn’t believe that I lived somewhere this amazing…in the great city of New York, no less! It was like a dream come true.

  Beau was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee. I walked over and straddled him.

  “Hey, you’re gonna make me spill my coffee!” he cried, his blue-green eyes crinkling at the corners.

  “Well, you threatened to pull out,” I whispered in his ear.

  That was all it took. Within a few seconds, he was dragging me back down the hallway to our luxuriously appointed bedroom.

  “I’ll show you the perils of having a home office,” he said, pulling down my jeans.

  “Oh, please do,” I sighed, as I felt his lips on my bosom. “I pay special attention to my angel investors.”

  As the city bustled outside, we made languorous love on top of the wildly expensive covers.

  And I had to admit, I really did strike it big in Vegas.

  Chapter Nine

  Thanks!

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read July’s Fourth. It was so much fun to write, and I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it!

  This is my Amazon author page, which you can check for recent publications and updates.

  http://www.amazon.com/Alexis-Ayres/e/B00ILDE0L8

  To be notified of future releases, please send me an email at [email protected] and I will add you to the mailing list.

  Some of my other works include:

  Lusty Leprechaun, the tale of BBW mall manager Katie O’Flaherty and her gorgeous new boss, Liam Burke.

  April’s Fool, the story of BBW building manager April Andersen, who is the brunt of an April Fool’s Day joke that culminates in a trip up to mysterious tenant Massimo’s penthouse…

  ***Ella’s Easter Eggs, the story of stunning plus-sized model Ella, who finds herself in the clutches of designer wunderkind Dash De Maio.

  Also, I’m on twitter! https://twitter.com/TheRainbowHelix

  XO

  Alexis

  ***Titles enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. If you’re a KU member, you can access them for FREE with your membership!:

  The Rainbow Helix, Book One of Rainbow Jumpers Trilogy:

  http://www.amazon.com/rainbow-viking-romantic-Rainbow-Jumpers-ebook/dp/B00IDAHFV6

  The Rainbow Adventure, Book Two of Rainbow Jumpers Trilogy:

  http://www.amazon.com/rainbow-adventure-romantic-Rainbow-Jumpers-ebook/dp/B00LYLWPXY

  Ella’s Easter Eggs:

  http://www.amazon.com/Ellas-Easter-Eggs-BBW-Billionaire-ebook/dp/B00JTEEWDY

  Chapter Ten

  Copyright

  Text Copyright © 2014 Alexis Ayres

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Special note: This book is a fantasy, and the characters don’t always use protection. In real life, please play safe and use protection!

  XO Alexis

  Chapter Eleven

  Recommendations

  Friends’ Stuff Enrolled in Kindle Unlimited:

  Hypoxia: A Thriller

  By Wolf White

  Planes have been disappearing, and no one knows why. The public is starting to tire of the official excuses—engine failure, pilot error. Clearly something bigger is at work here.

  When mountain climber Amelia "Sky" Burke sets out to climb Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen, she has no idea that the expedition is preparing her for an entirely different battle.

  Meanwhile, a shadow organization operates within the NSA, and the man behind it will stop at nothing to annihilate everything in his way.

  Too bad Sky Burke is in his way....and she's also used to getting everything she wants.

  What happens when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, but everything you do is right?

&nb
sp; Warning: humor, cuss words (gasp!), references to drugs and sex, a Sun Tzu loving villain, and all manner of mayhem.

  http://www.amazon.com/Hypoxia-Thriller-Wolf-White-ebook/dp/B00LANEVZG

  Promo Girl Edition

  By Agnes Webb

  Elsie Faber has a problem. She wants to be an actress, but it's taking longer than she expected to become a movie star. How does a young woman in exorbitantly expensive Los Angeles support herself without the help of a trust fund or sugar daddy?

  Promotions!

  This book is for anyone who's ever wondered about the girl who gave them a free shot or branded keychain at the bar. This is her story.

  Warning: One sex scene, some drugs, lots of drinking and even more Hollywood debauchery.

  Promo Girl Edition is part of The Day Job Diaries series but definitely can be read as a standalone novel.

  Approximately 80k words, or 225 pages. Perfect for the Vegas to Philly flight!

  http://www.amazon.com/Promo-Girl-Day-Job-Diaries-ebook/dp/B00ER8DLPW