Kurt, p.17
Kurt, page 17
“I’m the man who took out the ad, yes.”
“My name’s Paige Dutton and...”
Kurt could not bear the suspense. “You know Cinderella?”
“Yes.”
Joy, overwhelming and complete, expanded Kurt’s lungs like helium. “Who is she, where is she? Tell me.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.” Paige laughed.
“Why didn’t she call me herself?”
“Well, that’s why I’m calling. See, there’s a problem.”
“Problem?” Kurt sank back in his chair, his heart skipping frantically.
“It’s silly really, and I’ve tried to convince her otherwise, but you’ve got to know Bonnie. She’s a bit shy.”
“Bonnie?”
“My friend, Bonnie Bradford. She’s a dead ringer for Elizabeth Destiny.”
Bonnie. What a beautiful name! And it fit her perfectly. Bonnie. He repeated it to himself. Bonnie.
“Tell me about her,” he said.
“She got her memory back.”
“That’s wonderful. Does she still remember me?” Anxiety tightened his gut.
“Yes.”
“And...?”
“She doesn’t think she’s good enough for you.”
“What!”
“Silly, I know. I mean if you love someone, it doesn’t matter if they’re not rich or they are a quiet homebody, does it?”
Love? Bonnie loved him? Hope filled every cell in his body.
“Where is she?” Kurt demanded, fisting one hand.
“At work.”
“Where?” He wanted to crawl through the phone and drag the words from Paige’s throat. Instead, he picked up a pencil and waited.
Paige gave him the address. Miraculously, it was only three blocks from his office. The whole time Bonnie had been just down the road.
“Thank you, Miss Dutton.”
“Hey, I did it for Bonnie. It’s about time she had a good man.”
Without even taking time to say goodbye, Kurt hung up the phone. He tucked the chocolate box under one arm and grabbed one vase of roses with his other hand.
“I’m going out,” he shouted to Phyllis as he zoomed through the lobby and struggled to punch the elevator button.
Bonnie, he thought. Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie.
By the time he reached the street, he was running. People stared, but he didn’t care. Only one thing dominated his mind—to get to the woman he’d quickly grown to love, beg her forgiveness, and ask her to give him a shot.
Panting, he entered the building at the address Paige had given him. His palms were so slick with perspiration, he almost dropped the vase of roses.
The elevator slid to the ground floor with a muted ping. Kurt got on it, feeling strangely surreal. Blood whooshed in his ears. His knees shook. His stomach twisted.
Bonnie. Exiting the elevator, he marched down the corridor.
A receptionist greeted him. “May I help you, sir?”
“Bonnie Bradford, please.”
“I’m sorry, sir, she’s in a meeting with Mr. Briggs. Would you like to leave a message?”
Kurt saw Mr. Briggs’s name on the door behind them. “Nope,” he replied, smiling pleasantly. “I think I’ll just pop in and see her right now.”
“Sir”—the receptionist got to her feet—“you can’t go in there.”
“Watch me.” He winked. Without missing a beat, he moved past the desk and opened the door marked Mr. Briggs.
An older man sat at a desk, talking to Bonnie who was taking notes. He looked up, surprised.
Bonnie was hunched over her notebook computer, her blond hair pulled up in a bun. She didn’t see him at first.
Kurt caught his breath.
“May we help you?” Mr. Briggs asked.
“Sir, my name’s Kurt McNally, and I’d like a moment alone with your secretary.”
“Kurt McNally, the billionaire philanthropist?” Respect and admiration flickered across the lawyer’s face.
“Yes, sir.”
Kurt noticed Bonnie’s hand had frozen in midair, suspended above her notepad. Slowly, she turned her head to look at him, those endearing glasses perched on the end of her nose.
Her eyes met his, and Kurt’s heart melted.
“Will this take long?” Mr. Briggs asked, getting to his feet.
“That all depends on Bonnie,” Kurt said, his eyes never leaving her sweet, dear face.
Mr. Briggs tapped his watch. “Five minutes, Ms. Bradford.”
“Could you make that ten?” Kurt asked.
Mr. Briggs nodded and left the office, the door clicking closed behind him.
“WH...WH...WHAT ARE you doing here?” Bonnie stammered. She eyed the roses and the box of chocolates, and her pulse started hammering wildly. Her eyes drank in the sight of him.
“These are for you.” He set the gifts down on the desk.
“Thank you,” Bonnie said, feeling swept off her feet.
“That’s not all.”
“No?”
“Bonnie Bradford, I know things happened fast between us, but I want a real shot with you. I want to be with you.”
“Me?”
“You.”
“But you don’t even know me.”
“I know you better in ten days than I ever knew Elizabeth Destiny in a year of being engaged.”
“I’m not her.”
“I know. You’re the one I want.”
Stunned, Bonnie simply stared. The whole scene was like something from a romantic movie.
“Bonnie,” he said, sinking to his knees in front of her and taking her hand. “I love you.”
She tugged her hand from his and dropped her eyes to her lap. She’d waited so long to have a man profess his love for her. But she could not agree to the arrangement. Not until Bonnie was sure she was the woman Kurt truly loved. She could not, would not, live in another woman’s shadow.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
Looking as if she’d slapped him, Kurt rocked back on his heels. “I understand. I came on too strong. I shouldn’t have told you I loved you so soon.”
“No, oh no! I love you too. With all my heart.”
“Then what did I do wrong?” He kneeled in front of her, his eyes searching her face.
“You don’t even know me.”
“Yes, I do. You’re the kindest, most honest, most sincere woman I’ve ever met. Bonnie Bradford, you’re the woman I’ve been searching for my entire life.”
“You thought I was Elizabeth Destiny.”
“A foolish mistake on my part.”
“I fear she’s the one you really love.”
Kurt threw back his head and laughed.
“Why are you laughing at me?” she asked, wounded.
“Honey.” He took her hand in his again, rubbing it tenderly. “Do you know what she did?”
Bonnie shook her head.
“She came to my office pretending to be you. She saw my ad on Facebook. I knew very quickly that she wasn’t you, and I threw her out of my office.”
“You did?”
“Yes. Bonnie, no one smells like you, all strawberries and cream. Your hair feels like spun silk. In my arms, you’re soft and real. Bonnie Bradford, you’re the woman I love. I can’t wait to start discovering every little thing about you.”
“I’m not rich,” she said, “or glamorous. I’m not cultured or well versed in world affairs.”
“Those things aren’t important to me.”
“Really?”
“I want you to share my home, my heart, my love. I want to build a future with you, Bonnie, and I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.” He caressed her palm with his thumb.
What woman could resist?
Bonnie looked into those hazel eyes and knew what she’d known the first time he’d walked into that hospital room. This man was her soul mate. Her better half. The yang to her yin. She had, at last, found her home.
A joy unlike anything she’d ever felt bubbled inside her. The experience was so much richer than any romantic movie scene she’d ever watched.
“Yes,” she said and wrapped her arms around him. The man she’d thought lost to her forever.
“Bonnie, my love, I’ll make you the happiest woman on earth.” He pulled her out of the chair and into his arms.
They sat on the floor, entwined in each other’s arms. Kurt rained kisses like snowflakes on her nose, her cheek, her chin, her eyelashes.
Bonnie inhaled his scent, burrowed into his arms, and sighed her contentment. Then his mouth caught hers, and he took her straight to paradise.
“Well, Cinderella,” he said, several minutes later. “It seems the shoe fits.”
“A very comfortable fit,” she agreed.
“How’s your head?” Kurt lightly fingered the area on her temple where she’d been struck by the board.
“Fine.”
“From now on, you’re going to have to avoid getting hit on the head.”
“Oh.” Bonnie stared, mesmerized by this man. “And why is that?”
“I don’t want you to ever forget who I am.”
“No?” she teased. “Wait a minute, my memory is getting fuzzy. What did you say your name was?”
“Prince Charming,” he drawled, his mouth lowering to hers again. “And don’t you ever forget it.”
Did you love Kurt? Then you should read Nick by Lori Wilde!
Pretend to love, honor and obey that infuriating Nick Nickerson? Impossible! But policewoman Michele Mallory was stuck with the assignment--and a hunky new "husband"...
Disguised as newlyweds, Nick and Michele set out to investigate the Triple Fork Ranch in Rascal, Texas. Acting the loving couple by day, they attempted to ignore their nightly temptation. And wondered what would happen once "Assignment: Marriage" was over...
Nick is the third book in Lori Wilde's heartwarming, small-town series, Texas Rascals. Buy your copy today.
Read more at Lori Wilde’s site.
Also by Lori Wilde
Texas Rascals
Keegan
Matt
Nick
Kurt
Tucker (Coming Soon)
Watch for more at Lori Wilde’s site.
About the Author
Lori Wilde is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 85 works of romantic fiction. She’s a three time Romance Writers’ of America RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Readers’ Choice Award. She has won numerous other awards as well. Her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than four million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her breakout novel, The First Love Cookie Club, has been optioned for a TV movie.
Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University. She holds a certificate in forensics, and is also a certified yoga instructor.
A fifth generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World; where they run Epiphany Orchards, a writing/creativity retreat for the care and enrichment of the artistic soul.
Read more at Lori Wilde’s site.
Lori Wilde, Kurt
