Billionaire's Blackmail Bride: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ridge's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) Read Online Free Page B

then turned toward him.
“We’ve known each other about a year.” He wasn’t prepared to say much more than
that. He’d already spilled his guts to Rafe. He wasn’t about to give his other
brothers reason to start bugging him. Rafe was a risk-taker so he was cool but
Ransom and Ryder? Too uptight for anybody’s good.
    Ryder, who’d propped his butt against the stool by the breakfast
bar, was watching Ridge with an amused smile. “I still can’t believe this is
happening. You’re such a joker, when you told me you were getting married in
two weeks I thought this was one of your usual pranks and I told Mom so. Boy,
you proved me wrong this time.”
    “And nearly gave Mom a heart attack in the process,” Rafe said with
a chuckle. “For days she was running around like a chicken without a head.”
    “But I told her I was handling everything,” Ridge said. “It wasn’t
like I needed her help in planning this thing. I had my team taking care of
everything.”
    “Yeah, but you know Mom,” Rafe said with a shrug. “Everything’s got
to be just right.”
    “Miss Perfectionist,” Ryder said in agreement. “But it’s a good
thing, since Dad’s such a sloppy organizer.”
    Ransom smiled. "Opposites attract.” He jerked his chin toward
Ridge. “That the case with you and Lani?”
    Ridge grimaced. “Maybe. She doesn’t seem to find my jokes all that
funny.”
    “Jokes,” Ryder asked, his tone skeptical, “or pranks?”
    Ridge shrugged. “Whatever.” But then he thought about it. “It would
be kind of great if she had more of a sense of humor.”
    Instead of agreeing, Ransom shook his head. “Be careful what you
wish for. You just might get it.” Then he jerked his head toward the door.
“Come on, guys. Time to go make a good man out of this beast.” And, not even
waiting for them to make a move, Ridge’s best man strode out of the suite,
leaving the rest of them to follow.
    Later he made up for his nonchalant behavior, though. As Ridge stood
at the front of the church waiting for his bride, sweat beading his forehead
and his upper lip, it was Ransom who dabbed his face with a folded
handkerchief. He even whispered a few supportive words that helped Ridge calm
down a bit.
    He had no idea he would have gotten so nervous just because he was
attending a little old wedding. His own, but still. If he’d known it would be
so nerve-wracking maybe he would have ditched the whole idea and just gone in
front of a judge with a couple of witnesses. But the really weird thing was, he
had no idea what he was so nervous about. After all, it was just Lani, right?
    And then he saw her. She was standing there at the entrance, her
hand on the arm of a stately-looking gentleman with graying hair. The look in
the man’s eyes told Ridge that he was the proud ‘give-away’ father. But it
wasn’t that gentleman who made Ridge’s heart jerk in his chest. When Lani
looked away from her father and turned to face front Ridge’s breath caught in
his throat. She was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. Even through the
diaphanous veil that covered her face he could see the soft petals of her
rose-red lips and the brilliant sparkle of her onyx eyes. The veil she was
wearing was held in place atop her head by a circular band decorated by a
garland of tiny white flowers. As tiny as she was beside her very tall papa it
made her look like a bewitching little fairy, so exquisitely beautiful he
couldn’t tear his eyes away.
    Then, as if she hadn’t entranced him enough, she started down the
aisle on her father’s arm, moving with such style and grace that he couldn’t
have pulled his eyes away if his life depended on it. Since the day he met her
Ridge knew Lani was beautiful but was this the same woman who seemed to wear
nothing but slacks and loafers? In heels that were so high he feared for her
safety Lani practically floated up the aisle, her poise making all heads turn
in obvious admiration.
    And then she was