Good morning! Sorry my time for posting has shifted so much. I’m sleeping in a little more to make up for the late hours of writing. I hope you’re enjoying Episode 9!
Charisse backed out the door, terrified that she’d brought on another heart attack. Continue reading
Inside the hospital, the lights were too bright like they were trying to cover up all the sickness inside. A family stood at the information desk with worried expressions while a toddler zoomed around oblivious to concerns. Other people slumped in chairs in the expansive lobby.
She clicked on the texts from Marie and found the room number. As she rode the elevator up, she put lip gloss on and scrunched her hair, more out of habit than a last ditch attempt to impress her mother. Maybe Gianna wouldn’t be there.
The doors opened on Daddy’s floor, and she asked a nurse which way to the room.
“I’m so glad you made it,” said the nurse, who was short and round with happy crinkles at the corners of her eyes. “He’s been asking for you.” She showed her to the room.
Charisse took a deep breath and stepped inside. No Gianna. No Marie. Just Daddy with an IV in his arm. He looked like he’d aged ten years.
“Princess,” he said, lighting up.
“Daddy,” she said, rushing to his bedside and giving him a hug.
“I was so worried you wouldn’t come. I’m sorry about everything: the salon, the investigator, everything. Becca called and told me she didn’t really believe Conor killed his wife. She was just angry and blaming him for the loss of her sister. I was only trying to protect you.”
Charisse had never heard her father gush out an apology. She pulled away but held his hand. “The salon is all mine, so I’d like to put that behind us. I don’t need your protection anymore. I need you to be honest with me. Do you have any idea how devastated I was knowing I couldn’t trust you anymore?”
“It was all to keep you safe, but I know. I’ll be different from now on. I promise.”
Charisse had her doubts, but he seemed genuine in trying to make amends. “And Conor’s my boyfriend, so you’ll have to be nice to him.”
Daddy started to bluster and then saw her arm. “Be nice to him? Did he do that to you?” He pointed a fat finger at the bruises and scratches.
Charisse released his hand and held her arm to cover it up. “Josh did that.” Her pregnancy hormones were trying to get the better of her by making tears spring to her eyes. It suddenly all felt overwhelming. Just yesterday she saw Josh, and now her dad was in the hospital and her mom was back. And Conor was on his way to China.
“Josh? What the hell is he doing here?”
The machine monitoring his pulse started to beep like crazy.
“Daddy, calm down. It’s over. I’m fine.” She was so stupid. She hadn’t even thought about covering up her arm to see him.
The machine kept beeping faster, and a couple of nurses rushed in.
“What happened?” asked the one who’d greeted her.
“It’s my fault. I said something to upset him.”
“Why don’t you go out for a minute?”
Good News!!! With a lot of hard work and a lot of coffee, I’ll be sending out all of the personalized copies of Nails for a Billionaire today and releasing it for sale! I’ll post here when it’s available, so come back this afternoon.
She decided to go upstairs to change. It was a conversation for normal clothes and not lacy negligees. She heard him say hello as she reached the stairs. To her surprise he said, “Marie? Yeah, she’s right here.”
With a curious expression in his eyes, he held the phone out to Charisse. She took it and said, “Marie?”
“There you are. I’ve been freaking out calling you all morning. Daddy’s had a heart attack.”
“A heart attack?” Charisse went numb. “Where is hee
“We’re at Mount Sinai hospital. Can you get over here?” Marie sounded on the verge of tears.
Conor placed an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She should be emotional like Marie, but at the moment she felt nothing. “I’m in the Hamptons, but I’ll leave right now.”
“There’s something else you should know,” said Marie, sounding calmer—almost detached.
“What else?” Charisse heard panic in her own voice. At least she didn’t sound like a robot anymore.
“Mother’s here. She showed up at Daddy’s favorite breakfast place. And then he had the heart attack.”
Charisse swayed. Conor tightened his grip on her. She didn’t know how long she stood there without speaking.
Marie said, “Are you still there? Did you hear me?”
“What is Mother doing there?”
Conor’s body tensed against hers.
Marie said, “I don’t know. Mother’s either in the room with us like she’s a worried wife, or she’s out getting coffee. She hasn’t really spoken to me. I need you here.”
Charisse took a deep breath. Anger and fear started to battle inside her. Maybe it’d be better to stay in shock. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Hang in there.”
“Okay. Mother’s coming back. Maybe she’ll talk to me this time.”
The line went dead.
Charisse stared up at Conor, dropping the hand holding the phone to her side.
He cupped her face. “Are you okay? Did Roy have a heart attack?”
She nodded. “I, I have to go.” She turned away from him and headed up the stairs.
He followed her and said, “I’ll have Raul bring the car around. Do you want me to go with you?”
She stood in the doorway of his room, unable to think where her clothes were. “You have to go to China.”
He slipped the phone out of her hand. “I can send my lawyers ahead and stay with you until you see Roy’s going to be okay.”
She recalled all her clothes had been unpacked and put into drawers. She headed over to the dresser, opened a drawer and pulled out underwear, jeans and a top. Her mother was back without warning or explanation.
She tossed the clothes on the bed, sat down on it and started unbuckling her sandals.
“Did you hear me, Charisse?”
She dropped a sandal to the floor. It hit with a thud against the hardwood.
“My mother’s here,” she said.
Conor ran his fingers through his hair and sat on the edge of the bed, appearing nervous.
When he didn’t say anything, she went back to changing her clothes. “She won’t even talk to Marie. Why did she suddenly show up if she’s not going to talk to us?” She yanked her jeans on and shoved her arms into a black t-shirt.
“It might not be as sudden as you think,” said Conor slowly.
Sorry I’m late posting today. I’m still exhausted. I’m gearing up to produce all the custom copies of Nails for a Billionaire and then uploading it on vendor sites. So I might be late posting for awhile.
In the scene that you missed, Conor asked Charisse to move in with him and her phone has been ringing on and off while they made love. You can read the missing scene here!
Charisse didn’t know what had happened to her when Conor asked her to move in with him. It was as if all her love for him had drowned out her ability to speak. She’d never experienced love so intense. She imagined it was because he’d asked her to move in before he even knew about the baby. She hadn’t really thought he’d do anything out of a sense of duty, but the desire to live together had meant more to her than she would’ve ever guessed. Continue reading
Good morning! The sex scene comes fast in this episode, so to speak. I’ll be skipping over it tomorrow, but you can read it here:
Charisse woke to find Conor gone. Glad for a moment to collect her thoughts, she slipped her hand to her belly. To tell or not to tell. He’d be gone to China soon. Though it would be a joyous way to part, she wanted to be able to spend time planning and basking in the happiness together. Continue reading
Good morning! Sorry for being MIA. Uploading all the books took it out of me as well as a super busy personal schedule. I’ve still got my fingers crossed for a May release of Nails for a Billionaire, but it might be the last day of May.
Please enjoy Episode 9:
Conor woke up to diffuse light on either side of the blue drapes in his cottage bedroom. Charisse faced away from him on her side with her brown curls spread out behind her almost close enough to tickle his cheek. His cock was hard and ready for her, but he had something to do before she woke up. Plus, he wasn’t sure if she’d be up for lovemaking.
He stared at the scarlet scratches against the bruises on her right arm and clenched his jaw with a fresh surge of anger. She’d been attacked in his house by someone he’d invited. A sheet covered her body, but he drew the comforter over her arms and shoulders to ward off the chilly morning. And so he wouldn’t have to see the bruises and scratches. It was over. She’d stood up to Josh and given him back some of his own. But he worried about what would happen while he was gone, especially if Becca broke up with Josh.
He pushed aside his worries by recalling last night. They’d cuddled on the couch and listened to music after dinner. They hadn’t talked much, but it was a comfortable silence with the contact of their bodies being what they needed most. He kissed her cheek gently, glad when she made no indication she was waking up.
Reluctantly he rolled away from her and slid out of bed. He grabbed his jeans and shirt from last night and slipped out to put them on downstairs.
When he was dressed, he located the box that had contained the rose necklace he’d given to Charisse and lined it with damp paper towels. He grabbed the pruning shears from below the sink and went out behind the house where there were still many miniature roses on the branches. A breeze chilled him, but he stood close to the bushes and studied each one carefully, trying to find three perfect roses to be immortalized in gold.
When Raul pulled up he’d managed to find two roses to clip.
Raul got out and walked towards him.
“Good morning, sir.”
Still studying the roses, Conor said, “Good morning. I told Charisse last night that you were staying behind to be her personal assistant. She’s fine with it.” He actually wasn’t sure how fine with it she was. She’d put up a brief protest until he suggested hiring a bodyguard instead.
Raul didn’t answer him. He probably didn’t believe him.
After a moment Raul said, “Did Charisse give you a prescription for me to fill?”
Conor frowned. All the roses seemed too flawed. He stepped to a new section. “No, she said she’d get it in the morning.”
Silence answered him again. He turned and faced Raul, wondering what Raul thought about Charisse claiming she had an ear infection. Raul held the small ice chest he’d requested.
Conor lowered his voice. “I’m worried there’s something she’s not telling me. The whole thing with her ear doesn’t seem right.”
Raul gave a glance towards the side of the house like he was checking to see if she was there. He said, “She had a rough afternoon, but she didn’t sound like herself when she was talking about the doctor’s visit. I was hoping to know better what was going on before you left.”
“Me too.” Conor turned back to the roses. He didn’t want to leave her, not while she was so vulnerable.
The situation in China wasn’t his fault, but he still needed to go. He couldn’t allow the company to crumble—there were too many jobs at stake. He needed to remove the CEO and a few people close to him, but the termination laws in China were a mess. He was taking a team of lawyers with him to make sure he got everything right. More importantly, he needed to choose their replacements.
As he went through possible solutions to his problems, he found a rose with symmetrical petals and no blackened edges. He clipped it and set it in the necklace box with the other two.
“This one’s for the ring,” he said, pointing to the rose he’d just picked, “and the other two are for earrings. They seem to be close to the same size.” He gently closed the lid.
Raul took the box and paused.
“Is there something you have to say?” asked Conor, wary of Raul’s opinion.
“You know I adore Charisse, but a ring so soon after everything she’s been through…”
Conor shook his head. “I know. I plan to hold off for as long as I can, but I know I won’t want to wait until these roses bloom again.”
Raul smiled and shook his head. “Very well. But I know you. You’ll ask as soon as it’s in your pocket.”
Conor had no defense. He gave a grin and shrugged. He always went after what he wanted. “Be sure the earrings are done and to New York by Tuesday. He’s already agreed to do it as a rush job.”
Raul set the ice chest down, opened it and took out two acai bowls wrapped in plastic. He handed the bowls to Conor and took the box, setting it on top of the ice. After he closed the lid, he stood up. “Your private plane will be ready to leave at noon. Darnell and his team confirmed they would be there.”
Conor sighed. “That’s not very much time. How much do you want to bet Charisse won’t want to talk about what’s really going on until I get back?”
“You’re very persuasive, Mr. Grishin.”
Conor shook his head, walking back to the front door carrying the breakfast bowls. He could be persuasive in a business deal, but everything with Charisse seemed too fragile right now. Still, they were a couple. A real couple. She needed to open up to him.
He walked inside, determined to get to the bottom of whatever was wrong with Charisse, but when he stepped towards the kitchen, he nearly dropped the bowls.
Charisse stood with her back to him, fixing a pot of coffee. She’d changed from her knit pajamas into a violet lace camisole with her perfect round ass peeking out at the bottom. Lust surged and took over his thoughts. Round one to Charisse.
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A synopsis for those of you just tuning in:
Charisse is still reeling from a miscarriage that tore her relationship apart last year. Her only focus is making her beauty salon a hit in Manhattan.
Conor is still recovering from the death of his wife three years ago. He spends his days orchestrating corporate takeovers.
Charisse and Conor want nothing more than to be left alone.
But when Charisse’s dad loses three of Conor’s ships at sea, negotiations begin that land Charisse under contract to Conor.
Excerpt from The Complete Serial:
Charisse’s insides heated like a curling iron. She knew her skin betrayed her with goosebumps and a furious blush, but there was no denying she desired Conor. She feared she even wanted him more than her salon at the moment. When he offered her the salon if she agreed to be his for a month, her mind and body declared war on each other.
Her mind won, demanding details. She said, “What do you mean? How would I be yours?”
His hand tightened at her waist. He drew his other hand down to cup her breast and nuzzled her neck with his tender lips. His thick erection pressed against her hip demanded her attention. She wanted to take him in her mouth until he cried out her name during climax. But she stood still and relished the moment when he tugged the neckline of her dress below her nipple. He twisted it between his thumb and forefinger and pinched.
She bit the side of her mouth to prevent herself from gasping in pleasure. To her surprise, he tucked her breast back into the dress and slipped his hand up to wrap around the back of her neck.
He said, “If I tell you to take a day off, you take a day off. If I say we’re going to Puerto Rico for a week, you drop everything and pack your bags. If I decide I want you to be my assistant for the day, you get your ass over here.” His hand slid up and crushed her curls against the back of her head. “And you always wear your hair down.”
His demands roused her core to the breaking point, but her mind still clutched at control. She turned her head and forced herself to look him in the eye, something she’d rarely been able to do with Josh. She drank in the power of eye contact, of seeing him waiting for an answer. He wanted her to say yes, maybe so much that she could make her own demands.
The Beautician and the Billionaire The Complete SerialOn Sale for only $4.99! By: Evelyn Aster | Other books by Evelyn Aster Available in: Mobipocket (.mobi), Epub, Adobe Acrobat |
This is the complete romance of Conor and Charisse!
Charisse is still reeling from a miscarriage that tore her relationship apart last year. Her only focus is making her beauty salon a hit in Manhattan.
Conor is still recovering from the death of his wife three years ago. He spends his days orchestrating corporate takeovers.
Charisse and Conor want nothing more than to be left alone.
But when Charisse’s dad loses three of Conor’s ships at sea, negotiations begin that land Charisse under contract to Conor.
He watched her as he slowly slid his tie out from beneath his collar and undid the top buttons of his shirt. To keep herself from undoing the rest, she turned away and pulled out a towel from a shelf behind the sink.
Steady girl. You’re not ready for a relationship, especially with a tycoon like Conor Grishin.
But the words in her mind echoed hollowly throughout her head as she concentrated more on the way his body eased into the chair. Fantastic butt and broad shoulders just as she liked them. She tucked the towel around his collar and pressed on his shoulders to indicate he should lean back. She didn’t speak for fear her voice would shake like her hands.
But he understood and leaned back with his eyes closed. She drew her hands away slowly as he’d done when he touched her arm early. Turning on the water, she sprayed it over her hands until it was hotter than she’d had it get yesterday. She guessed by the way he drank his coffee fast while it was scalding, he wouldn’t want the water lukewarm.
The water cascaded over his head. “Is that too hot?”
“Not at all,” he said. His voice already sounded drowsy. He must not take much down time. She combed her fingers through his hair and raised the bottom of his head up to make sure the back got wet too. When she began massaging the shampoo into his head, she relaxed the muscles in her arms and allowed her connection to him to guide her fingertips.
He exhaled a long breath. His face appeared serene. The Mozart music made her recall her fantasy of walking through the gardens of Versailles. But France was so far away. They should start with dinner. No, he’d just asked her to shampoo his hair, not go on a date.
Her gaze trailed down his chest, broad like his shoulders, over his slim torso and right to a large bulge in his pants.
Her hands froze for just one moment. Then she drew back and turned the water on. So maybe dinner was an option. Or maybe he was hoping to get down and dirty at the sink. She stifled a nervous giggle. He was probably just hoping she hadn’t noticed. But how could she not? He was huge.
Today is the end of Episode 8. Thanks for reading this far with me! Episode 9, the last episode will be released in online stores on Thursday. I’ll start blogging it on Monday. I can’t believe we’ve come to the end!
Conor sat on the loveseat with his arm around Charisse, staring back at Becca. She sat in an armchair, still wearing her party dress. She smoothed out her skirt, glanced around the room and finally settled her gaze on Charisse. Continue reading
Thanks to everyone who’s reading an ARC of the compilation! Episode nine comes out this Thursday!
Conor buttoned up a fresh shirt, frowning towards Charisse. She had already changed into jeans and a red v-neck shirt. The short sleeves didn’t quite cover up the bruises that were appearing on her arm. Continue reading
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