The Billion Dollar Proposal [#9]

Chapter 12

"No," Camilla said to the reflection staring back at her. She didn't like the flare of the dress on her or the sheer fabric that swallowed up her legs. She wasn't sure she would even be able to walk. "I don't like this."

Olivia rolled her eyes and searched the rack again. "You've said no to seven dresses already. Can we please just pick one already?"

"What about that dress I wore last time?"

"Connor saw you in it already," Athena said. She was flipping through a magazine and sipping on a margarita that Camilla found herself wanting a taste of. "Maybe we can find something similar."

"The wedding is tomorrow," Olivia reminded her friend. "These two only gave us three days to prep and in those three days she hasn't found a single dress she likes."

"Why do I even have to wear a stupid white dress?" Camilla asked, stepping out of the suffocating gown. "I could walk naked down the aisle and Connor would still marry me."

Olivia rolled her eyes, pulled another dress off the rack and handed it to her. "If it took place in your bedroom where no one else had to witness you prancing around in your birthday suit."

"Three days was plenty of time to prep," Camilla argued as she pulled the dress on. She swept her hair to the side to let Olivia zip her up and frowned at her reflection. "I look like a nun in white."

"Oh, Olive," Athena said with the shake of her head. "She's a stubborn girl. Just give her the dress you forced her in last time."

"Connor's seen her in it already," Olivia protested as she helped Camilla out of the dress. "It's bad luck."

"He's a guy," Camilla said, waving her off. "He won't even recognize it's the same one."

Olivia huffed out a breath of frustration and pulled the dress Camilla had once worn off the rack. "Do we need to try this on again?"

Camilla shook her head, satisfied with the decision Olivia had finally made. "Let's bag it up and go home. I need to see my fiancé."

"Look at you, pretty girl," Connor said as he walked across the bridal shop to meet the three women. "I brought breakfast in case my two babies haven't eaten this morning."

Camilla stepped down from the platform in nothing but her bra and laced panties that seemed to have dampened with just the sight of him. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down for a kiss on the lips. "Stephen fed me already, but I'm starving again."

He blinked at her. "Stephen fed you?"

"Here we go," Athena murmured. She got up from the chair she was sitting in and helped Olivia bag the dress before turning to the door. "Olivia and I will head out for our own breakfast."

Connor waited for the two women to leave before backing her up onto the platform. She stared back at him — her eyes ablaze with gold specks of guilt. "You know how difficult it is for me not to lose my shit when he gets close to you, Camilla."

"Maybe you should fix that problem," she challenged him. She swallowed hard when he set the bag of breakfast down on a table and slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

"We didn't fly all the way out here again so he could get too comfortable with my woman."

She bit into her lip and gasped when he pinned her against the mirrors. "Sounds like a personal problem, baby."

His fingers moved dangerously beneath her panties where he could feel the dampness he had caused. "He can't do this to you, can he? He can't make you this fucking wet."

"No one but you," she said through a raspy breath. She moaned when his fingers slid over her erected clit and then down to the opening of her pussy. "Fuck me, Connor."

"Patience, pretty girl," he growled. He found it merely impossible to restrain himself, but he had to. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow after the wedding."

She gaped at him — her eyes wide as he took a step back and brought his fingers to his lips to lick them. "What are you doing?"

"Grab your breakfast," he said, jerking his head toward the table he had set the bag on. "My fiancé needs to rest before her big day."

"Your big day," she corrected. "I didn't even want a big wedding."

He sighed. She was the most stubborn woman he'd ever known. "I only invited our friends and family, Gracie. I did what you wanted."

She flinched at the sadness in his voice and hurriedly followed him out of the bridal shop. She hooked her arm through his, dropping her head against his shoulder. "I'm going to officially sign our marriage certificate in front of our friends and family. I'm excited, Connor."

"Then show it," he said, staring impassively ahead at the rental car. "Show me you give a fuck about our wedding day."

•••••••••••••••

Camilla frowned at her protruding belly and placed a hand over it. She was growing out of her clothes already. She loved to think the being growing inside her could feel her touch, but it wasn't advanced enough into her pregnancy.

"Gorgeous," Stephen said, appearing in the doorway of Connor's old bedroom. He propped himself against the doorframe and looked her over. "I can't believe you're having my brother's baby."

"And I'm marrying him tomorrow," she added. She turned to look at him and forced a smile to her lips. "Olivia warned me about the cold feet and sweating palms. Is it too early to feel that?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about a thing, Cami. Before you know it, the two of you will be married and heading on vacation."

"I can't be alone with him," she confessed to Stephen. She looked down at the floor and rubbed her arm. "I'm afraid to be alone with him on our honeymoon."

His brows drew together in concern. "What's there to be afraid of?"

"I'll be his wife." She looked up to meet his gaze and inhaled a shaky breath. "He and I will officially be married by the law."

Stephen gave her a rueful smile and stepped into the room. "That's the cold feet talking. Trust me, gorgeous. Nothing will change other than the title."

"And my last name."

"You don't want that?"

She looked into the mirror and settled her gaze on the small bump beneath her dress. "I've wanted nothing more than his last name since I was able to admit I love him."

Stephen couldn't lie that those words didn't completely hit him where it hurt. "Then what's the matter? Where's that smile and excitement?"

"Hiding," she murmured. "I'm happy. I really am."

"That's bullshit, Cami."

"What if it isn't cold feet?" she asked him. She was suddenly unable to breathe. "It's selfish, but I believe marriage is something private. I don't want to marry him in front of all our friends and family."

"You don't want to marry me?"

Camilla turned to the voice at the door and immediately ran to him. "I didn't say that."

"Fuck, Camilla," Connor said, releasing an unsteady breath of air. "I should have known when you couldn't show me you care."

"Connor," she called to him. She turned to look at Stephen who only raised his hand in defeat.

They weren't even married yet and she was already causing problems.