Free Saltwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (The Kisses Series Book 1) by Krista Lakes Page A

sandals.
    “It’s a good thing I wear covered toe shoes at work,” he murmured glaring at the offending foot. The toes stopped tapping. “I need to tell you something.”
    I played with the zipper on my suitcase for a moment before standing. I had a feeling something like this was going to happen. We had been far too happy, this vacation too perfect for it to not have some hidden secret. I had been watching him all morning and knew he was fighting with a decision. I could tell from the way his jaw clenched tight or the fact he ordered plain black coffee that he was nervous about something. We had only been together for less than a week, but I could read his subtle tells like I had known him my whole life.
    “The secretary you came with... she’s actually your wife, right?” I said straightening up to face him. I had been running scenarios of what he was going to say all morning. That was the most plausible one I could come up with. There were others, but asking him if he was a spy for the American government seemed a bit much.
    Jack barked a short laugh. “No, not by a long-shot.” His face darkened, and he stood up and took my hands in his. “I haven’t been completely honest with you about what I do. I’m the new CEO of DS Oil and Gas.”
    I snorted. That was not one of the many scenarios I had concocted. “I knew you had money, Jack, but a billionaire? Be serious.”
    “I am serious. My father is the founder and owner of DS Oil and Gas. This is my last vacation before going back to take over the company. When my father steps down, I’ll be in charge of the company.” His eyes were dark and pleading. I could feel my brow furrowing as I shook my head and took my hands out of his.
    “DS Oil and Gas? What are you talking about Jack?”
    “I love that you don’t know that. Here,” he said pulling out his phone and pulling up a video. He placed it in my hands as the screen loaded. It was a commercial I had seen a thousand times, played on all the TV shows my parent’s watched. The jingle was one of those stupid songs that had the instant ability to stay stuck in my head for days. DS Oil and Gas... It’s a blast! On the last frame an attractive teenage boy came and stood by a distinguished older gentleman looking at an oil well. It was very obviously the teenage version of Jack with a man who could only be his father.
    Jack gingerly took the phone from my shaking fingers when the video ended. “The video is a little old, but it’s the one everyone knows. DS stands for Daniel Saunders, my father.”
    I looked up at him, confused. He reached out and gently pushed my chin closed; I hadn’t realized it was hanging open. “I don’t know what to say. I had no idea that was you.”
    “I think that's why I like you so much. You never saw me as a meal ticket or anything other than another human being. You didn’t see a billionaire playboy, you saw a normal person. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
    My hand went to my throat, feeling the cool silver dolphin charm. “That’s why you didn’t hesitate to buy this, and why you didn’t want any pictures at the wedding. If you’re a billionaire, then you’re famous too, right?”
    “I never meant to lie to you Emma. I loved the way you looked at me. I loved your honesty and how genuinely wonderful you were without knowing who I was. I’m surrounded by fake people who only want my money every moment of every day, but you, you were different. I wanted to tell you, but I was terrified you would look at me like they do.”
    “So you’re a billionaire who spent his last vacation with a dirt-poor girl in a free hotel room,” I said slowly. I moved away from him and sat down on the foot of the bed. My thoughts were racing, and every time I thought I caught one, it would slip through my fingers and speed off before I had time to process it.
    “This was more than I could ever ask for,” he said quietly. Jack knelt before me on the floor, his hands