Chapter Nine

Devon

 

Devon would have been content to hold Kylie and kiss her for as long as she’d let him, but he was keenly aware of eyes watching them. A loud whistle from the front entryway, along with a woman’s gasp, broke through their intimate moment. He reluctantly pulled back from the kiss and lifted his head. Sure enough, Laurene and Noah were cheering and clapping their support.

“Wow, you don’t waste any time, Dev!” Laurene stepped forward with a smirk on her pink lips. “I see you managed to convince Kylie to give you a second chance.”

“Hey, guys,” Kylie greeted them with a smile. “Actually, he’s the one who gave me another chance.” She squeezed Devon’s hand and looked up with tenderness in her eyes. “Thank you for that.”

“No,” he insisted with a shake of his head, “thank you. I’ve never been happier.”

“Whatever the case may be,” Laurene stated, “Noah and I are both thankful we don’t play golf. How anyone can get a ball into such a small hole is beyond me. I say it’s time to wrap things up here and get moving. There’s so much more of the island that we haven’t explored.”

“You mean so many shops you haven’t gone to yet,” Noah joked with adoring eyes. He turned to Devon and Kylie and asked, “How about it, guys? Gabe and Sera just called to let us know they’re coming for the weekend. They’ll be landing in an hour. Do you want to join us, or do you need some alone time together?”

Devon chuckled as Noah wiggled his eyebrows. He wrapped an arm around Kylie’s shoulders and drew her to his side. “What would you like to do?”

She leaned into him and sighed. “I’d love to hang out, but I have to deal with real life. I need to find a way to fly back home then look for a new job. You go ahead, Dev. You should enjoy the rest of your vacation.”

He frowned. “There’s no way I could enjoy any of it without you. Leave your worries to me. I happen to know someone who owns a growing company. I’m sure he’ll be able to find a job suitable for you.”

“Dev, that’s nepotism.” Kylie shook her head adamantly. “You can’t make up a position just for me.”

“Don’t think he won’t try,” Laurene piped up. “Hey, Kylie, I’m not sure what your situation is like, but maybe we can help each other out? I’m in need of someone with an artistic eye who can help design a logo and other promotional material for my new nonprofit organization. I remember you did an amazing job with our school yearbook. What do you say?”

“Are you serious?” Kylie’s eyes widened. “I don’t want you to offer me the job out of pity.”

Laurene scoffed. “Pity? No way. The only thing I’d pity you for is having to deal with my little brother. He may look like a grown man, but he’s a big kid at heart. Anyways, it makes me happy to see him happy. I have you to thank for that.”

Kylie laughed as she gave Devon’s chest a playful pat. “I do love his heart. I think I’ll take my chances with him. I’d love to take your job offer, too,” she added with a bright smile.

“Great! We’ll talk details when we go shopping later.” Laurene grabbed Noah’s hand and pulled him toward the door. As they stepped outside, she called over her shoulder, “We’ll meet you guys back at the villa.”

Devon waved to Laurene and Noah then gave Kylie a kiss on the top of her head. “Look at that, your problems are solved.”

Kylie smiled gratefully. “One of them, at least. I still don’t know how I’m going to pay for my plane ticket home.”

Devon stared at her, not sure if she was serious or not. Didn’t she know he had the means to provide for that and more? “Kylie, I can fly you home on my private jet. We could even take the yacht we went out on last night, although it would take a couple of days. Whatever your heart desires, I can make it happen.”

She wrinkled her pert nose. “I can’t ask you to fix all my problems, Dev. They’re mine to deal with.” She hesitated and turned to face him. “I don’t want you to think I only want to be with you for your money. That’s not the case at all. You know that, right?”

He lifted a finger to caress her cheek. “I know. You took a chance on me before I had any riches. But now that I do, I want to provide for you. All the money in the world means nothing if I don’t have someone to share it with. I want to share mine—and my life—with you.”

“Oh, Dev.” Kylie’s bottom lip trembled with emotion. She gave him the most tender smile, her eyes welling with tears. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you. Your heart is worth more than gold. I promise to be careful with it this time.”

That’s all Devon needed to hear. “I know you will.”

His bank account might have been full, but more importantly, his life was now complete as well. He had what money could never buy, the heart of the woman he loved. He truly was a wealthy—and happy—billionaire.