Free The Billionaires Love Curves 2 - a BBW BWWM Billionaire Romance by Cj Howard

large, shining diamond that caught the light and sparkled.
     
    “Put it on her,” someone said.
    Lacey held out her hand and Cole slipped the ring onto Lacey's finger.
    “Cole, it's perfect.” Lacey reached up and hugged Cole around his neck, kissing him passionately to the loud applause of the crowd. The music began again as Cole danced Lacey around the floor. The people cleared a space for them, Lacey threw back her head and laughed.
     
    Cole's parents came to congratulate them.
     
    “Welcome to the family,” his father said, kissing Lacey on the cheek.
     
    His mother hugged Lacey.  “I'm so happy for you both. Congratulations.”
     
    Elaine stumbled over to Lacey.
     
    “Let me see?” she said as Lacey held out her left hand. “Wow, that is some ring, Lacey. Congratulations you, guys.” She put her arms around Lacey and Cole and began dancing with them both.
     
    Lacey's brother found his way over. He shook hands with Cole and then threw his arms around Lacey.
     
    “That's some great news, sis. I'm really happy for you. Really happy.”
     
    “Thank you, Lucas.”
     
    “Come on, kid brother,” Elaine said, putting her arm through his. “Let this old lady teach you how to dance.”
     
    She pulled him across the floor in a tango move. Lacey and Cole smiled. He turned to Lacey and held her hands.
     
    “Are you happy?” Cole asked her.
     
    “Very.” Lacey replied.
     

Chapter7
     
     
    Cole insisted that he and Lacey spend the next day together, it was, after all, Lacey's actual birthday and Cole said he didn't want her out of his sight.
     
    Come Monday morning they both showed up late for work. As they both arrived into the office, the staff had all gathered in the reception area and gave Cole and Lacey a round of applause as they walked in. This was very closely followed by the popping of a champagne cork.
     
    “This is amazing,” Lacey said. “How did you all know?”
     
    “News travels fast in this business,” one of her colleagues said, handing Lacey a glass of champagne, still frothing over the edge. “By now, the whole of the publishing industry are up to speed on your engagement. You must know that.”
     
    “Right,” said Lacey, and she immediately thought of Nate. He must know she's engaged and what would he make of it?
     
    It had been a strange sensation when Cole proposed to her. She was happy and accepted straight away, swept away by the occasion and all the fuss people were making of her, it never occurred to her to say  “no” or even to stop and think about the proposal itself. But an image of Nate's face did flash across her mind the second Cole got down on one knee, and for a strange and eerie moment she felt Nate standing next to her, a feeling of foreboding on his face.
     
    Cole's arm circled Lacey's waist as they stood in the reception area and snapped her from her thoughts.
     
    “Why so serious?” he asked her.
     
    “Not serious. Just wondering how I'm going to concentrate on my work with all this champagne. I don't think I've got yesterday's champagne breakfast out of my system yet.”
     
    “You want to go home, Lacey?” Cole looked concerned.
    “Not at all. I've got lots to do.”
    “Well, you won't have to worry about deadlines soon.”
    “What do you mean? It's not like I'm about to give up work,” Lacey said, looking puzzled.
    “We don't have to talk about that now,” Cole said, quickly. “We've got a wedding to plan.”
    “We do, don't we? But not now. Now we need to get back to work.”
    “You heard her,” Cole laughed to everyone. “Let's all go take the publishing world by storm.”
     
    The week seemed to go by in a blur. Cole would often walk into Lacey's office talking flowers for the church, five tier wedding cakes and asking Lacey if she would wear a veil.
     
    “Maybe a wedding in the Caribbean?” he suggested one day.
     
    “Look,” Lacey dropped her pen onto the desk. Cole was leaning over the other side of it and had