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

resting on my knees. His dark eyebrows bunched together, his face full of worry and regret.
    “So what happens now?”
    Jack took a deep breath. “Nothing has changed. We both knew we were going to go our separate ways. We both said we would never tell anyone about this. It’s our secret, something that no one can ever take away from us. I didn’t want you to pick up a magazine and find out who I was that way.”
    I nodded and bit my lip. I could feel tears forming and I struggled to make them stay behind my eyes. I wanted to ask him if I was merely a good time for him, or if he ached for me the way I ached for him. I was afraid it was a fling. That’s all it could ever be. “I still don’t want you to go, money or no money. I think I would have preferred the 'secretary is your wife' scenario. At least that way I would have known I could never have you again.”
    Jack smiled softly and brushed my lips with his. “I want to do something for you. If there is ever anything I can do for you, I want you to let me know. A new car perhaps?” He held a finger against my lips as I started to shake my head. “It will cost me almost nothing, but it will help you enormously. I want to see you happy Emma, and if I can help, I want to.”
    “I’ll think about it.”
    “Please do. It would make me very happy to see you succeed,” Jack said softly. He placed a card in my hand with a number scrawled in black ink on the back. I stuffed it into my pocket and tried to blink tears out of my eyes. I wanted to pull him into me, to make this moment not our last. I was far more attached to him than I had hoped to be.
    A loud knock came at the door and Jack closed his eyes for a moment before standing. He turned silently as a second knock rapped louder. The tears escaped my eyes and trickled down my face as I stood up to follow him, grabbing his hand as he headed towards the door.
    Outside a man in a black tuxedo stood waiting on the porch. Jack opened the door and nodded to him before turning back to me. His eyes were wet as his thumbs smeared the tears off my cheek. He then traced his thumb across my lower lip before taking my chin in his hand and pulling me into a kiss. I could taste the salt of my tears—salty like the ocean—as I kissed him one last time.
    “This was the best vacation I’ll ever have. Thank you Emma,” he said softly, his eyes full of a sadness I understood too well. He started to say something more, but stopped, swallowing his words. I knew what he wanted to say because I wanted to say it out loud too— I love you— but it hurt too much even to think about saying it. If spoken, the pain of leaving would only be worse. This was a fling. A vacation from our lives, nothing more.
    He stepped out into the bright sunshine and then my one-time husband closed the door carefully behind. I felt a piece of my heart go with him as I heard his car drive away.

Chapter 9
    I leaned back in my seat, wondering how my life could have changed so much and yet not changed at all. Everything felt different since I met Jack, but everything was still the same. I was going back to my normal, boring, life and in a few hours this vacation would be nothing but a memory.
    A stylish blonde woman sat next to me with headphones jammed in her ears. I sighed and didn’t bother trying to introduce myself again. She had plugged her ears the moment she sat down. Besides, what would I say? Hi! How was your vacation? I had a great time on the island. I married a billionaire! The idea made me giggle a little as she pulled out a magazine.
    On the cover was a black and white photo of Jack with the tag line: Billionaire Bachelors. Seeing him took my breath away and made my insides ache. I missed him and my plane wasn’t even back in the states yet. The woman flipped to the article, Jack’s eyes catching me from the page. I wished I could take the magazine and hold him close to me again. I didn’t expect to miss him like this. The woman gave me a