The Birthday Deadline (Billionaire Brides) Read Online Free Page A

the billionaire forcefully from my mind for the remainder of the afternoon after he’d left my shop, but now, in this quiet stillness, it was all I could think about.
    I would be getting married within the week. I would be a married woman. I would be wed off to a billionaire who would save my shop like a gallant knight, or something.
    Roughly, I pinched down on my arm, flinching at the pain. I was still awake, this wasn’t something that I’d hallucinated. Yet, it felt so unreal, so dreamlike.
    Why had Sebastian picked me? What made him stumble into my shop? What did he see in me that made him want to propose? Was it just the fact that he deemed me desperate enough to go for it? Or was there another reason?
    I suppose I would have the rest of our lives to figure that out.
    Forever.
    What a strange concept. I would spend the rest of my forever beside a man who I didn’t know. Did he snore? Did he leave his clothes in a pile on the floor? Could he cook? Would he hate that he most fancy meal I could make was tacos? Did he hog the pillows and blankets?
    Would he hate me?
    I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force the questions from my mind. I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I didn’t want to imagine all of the things that could go wrong in making such a strange deal as this. I didn’t want to imagine how hard it would be keeping our wedding contract a secret from everyone.
    I shook my head violently, squeezing the pillow harder over my head as though I were trying to smother myself. Outside my bedroom walls, I heard Trisha squeal loudly once more in laughter.
    To the sound of her infatuated giggles, I managed to eventually fell into a restless sleep.
    When my eyes blearily opened, I was on a boat.
    It tipped and swayed beneath my feet while grey clouds swirled overhead, angry flashes of light darting between the clouds. I winced, covering my face with my hands.
    “Where am I?” I asked desperately, whipping around to gaze at the people who surrounded me. They stared back at me blankly, as though they didn’t even see me.
    “Where am I?” I asked again, reaching forward to grab at one of the people.
    White sleeves lined my arms. As I gazed downwards, I took in a billowy, white dress that whipped back and forth in the violent ocean wind. My hair blew into my face, choking me, cutting out my vision.
    I twisted around, staggering forward.
    There, several steps in front of me, stood Sebastian. He stared down at me coldly, green eyes piercing the grey of the storm like a beacon. He was taller than I remember, looming over me like a giant.
    “Come here.” He commanded, reaching out a hand to me.
    Gingerly, I slid my fingers onto his, allowing him to yank me up to his side. His hand clenched down on my wrist so tightly it ached, no longer gentle.
    “You’re hurting me.” I whispered, pulling at my arm, but his hold remained strong as a statue’s, unbreakable.
    “Do you take this woman to be your wife?” An officiant suddenly asked, glaring at me, eyes dropping over me, “Even though she is poor and ugly and stupid?”
    My mouth gaped open, eyes forming a glare at the man, “How dare you!” I said, yanking at my arm once more.
    Still, Sebastian held me, “I suppose so…even though she is rather plain, don’t you think?”
    “Sebastian!” I said, glaring at him now, though I had no argument for that one. I was rather plain, after all. Definitely too plain to be standing with a billionaire at the altar.
    Several of the people in the audience began booing wildly, hissing at me in displeasure.
    “Too plain!” They cried, “Too ugly! Too stupid! Too poor!” They chanted, again and again and again, until I tried desperately to cover my ears and close my eyes. I didn’t want to hear their cruel words any longer.
    “Stop!” I gasped, staring up at Sebastian, “Stop this!”
    “They’re right, you know.” He finally sighed as he looked at me in disappointment, “I’m afraid I was about to make a huge