Title: The Billionaire's Wedding
Author: Geoffrey Knight
Series: My Billionaire #2
Genre: M/M Romance, Rom-Com
Release Date: August 18, 2018
Summary:Italy’s Amalfi Coast, overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, is the dream location for the perfect wedding, and billionaire Calvin Croft is determined to pull out all the stops to make his marriage to Matt Darcy a day that nobody will forget.
But before Matt and Cal can walk down the aisle and say ‘I do’, someone uninvited turns up out of the blue… and turns Cal’s life completely upside-down.
Will Matt ever get to marry the man of his dreams? Will Cal be able to come to terms with his past and get on with his future? Or will an unwelcome guest put their romance on the rocks forever?
You’re invited to the wedding of the year as Matt, Cal, Mrs. Mulroney, Mr. Banks, Tilly and Angus return for more hilarious antics, swooning romance and a surprise that none of them will see coming!
From the balcony of our suite I watched the reflection of the stars twinkle on the water and the lights atop the fishing boat masts bob and sway like fireflies in the night. I stood for a long, lingering moment staring at the view while the warm sea breeze played with the hem of the hotel bathrobe I was wearing.
I could hear the shower running from inside the suite and I imagined Cal standing beneath the running water, sparkling rivulets trickling down his perfect body.
I turned from the view to face our palatial suite with its four-pillar king-sized bed, antique marble writing desk, crystal chandelier and the lavish eighteenth-century Italian sofas with satin trim. On an ornate coffee table between the sofas sat a tray containing the remains of the most delicious cheese platter I’d ever eaten. Leftover figs, crumbling, aged cheddar and gooey gorgonzola lay among the scattered ruskits and biscotti I wastoo full to finish.
In that moment there was no denying I was truly, utterly content.
Sure, there had been other times in my life when I could remember being happy, but not like this.
I was standing on a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, full to the brim with fine wine and cheese, listening to the shower run and knowing at any moment it would stop and the love of my life—the man I was about to marry—would step out of the bathroom wearing a hotel robe… or perhaps just a towel… or perhaps nothing at all, before crossing the room and kissing me on the lips.
If this was a dream, I would have done anything to never wake up from it.
The shower stopped.
My heart fluttered with anticipation.
I saw Cal’s shadow moving about the bathroom.
And then he appeared in the doorway.
Yes, he was naked.
Sort of.
On his head he had a towel wrapped around his hair like a woman from a 1950s beauty salon.
On his feet he paraded two ridiculously fluffy white slippers that looked like stuffed rabbits, compliments of the hotel.
“What do you think?” he said with a grin, gesturing at the slippers as he stood there completely naked between his forehead and his ankles.
I had to smile.
Then I had to laugh.
“You don’t like them?” he asked, feigning offense.
I shook my head. “You know something. Even when you strive to be imperfect, you do it perfectly.”
“I don’t even know what that sentence means.”
“I’m not entirely sure I do, either.”
“Then why don’t you stop being a writer and start making your way over to the bed, my future Signor Croft-Darcy.”
“That’s future Signor Darcy-Croft to you, thank you very much. We’ve had this chat.”
“Just so long as our names are side-by-side that’s all I care about. I want the world to know you’re mine.” He kicked off the slippers and pulled off the head towel and strutted confidently over to me, standing before me on the balcony naked and unafraid who might see.
“Aren’t you worried the paparazzi might be watching through a telescopic lens?”
He pretended to be offended once again. “What are you saying? That someone needs a telescopic lens to see my cock?”
“Good Lord, no,” I grinned, reaching down for his flaccid dick before I began stroking it. “Although right now it’s seems to be a little short of its full potential.”
“That can be rectified,” Cal said, taking hold of the fluffy cords on my robe and pulling me back into the suite toward the bed.
I could hear the shower running from inside the suite and I imagined Cal standing beneath the running water, sparkling rivulets trickling down his perfect body.
I turned from the view to face our palatial suite with its four-pillar king-sized bed, antique marble writing desk, crystal chandelier and the lavish eighteenth-century Italian sofas with satin trim. On an ornate coffee table between the sofas sat a tray containing the remains of the most delicious cheese platter I’d ever eaten. Leftover figs, crumbling, aged cheddar and gooey gorgonzola lay among the scattered ruskits and biscotti I wastoo full to finish.
In that moment there was no denying I was truly, utterly content.
Sure, there had been other times in my life when I could remember being happy, but not like this.
I was standing on a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, full to the brim with fine wine and cheese, listening to the shower run and knowing at any moment it would stop and the love of my life—the man I was about to marry—would step out of the bathroom wearing a hotel robe… or perhaps just a towel… or perhaps nothing at all, before crossing the room and kissing me on the lips.
If this was a dream, I would have done anything to never wake up from it.
The shower stopped.
My heart fluttered with anticipation.
I saw Cal’s shadow moving about the bathroom.
And then he appeared in the doorway.
Sort of.
On his head he had a towel wrapped around his hair like a woman from a 1950s beauty salon.
On his feet he paraded two ridiculously fluffy white slippers that looked like stuffed rabbits, compliments of the hotel.
“What do you think?” he said with a grin, gesturing at the slippers as he stood there completely naked between his forehead and his ankles.
I had to smile.
Then I had to laugh.
“You don’t like them?” he asked, feigning offense.
I shook my head. “You know something. Even when you strive to be imperfect, you do it perfectly.”
“I don’t even know what that sentence means.”
“I’m not entirely sure I do, either.”
“Then why don’t you stop being a writer and start making your way over to the bed, my future Signor Croft-Darcy.”
“That’s future Signor Darcy-Croft to you, thank you very much. We’ve had this chat.”
“Just so long as our names are side-by-side that’s all I care about. I want the world to know you’re mine.” He kicked off the slippers and pulled off the head towel and strutted confidently over to me, standing before me on the balcony naked and unafraid who might see.
“Aren’t you worried the paparazzi might be watching through a telescopic lens?”
He pretended to be offended once again. “What are you saying? That someone needs a telescopic lens to see my cock?”
“Good Lord, no,” I grinned, reaching down for his flaccid dick before I began stroking it. “Although right now it’s seems to be a little short of its full potential.”
“That can be rectified,” Cal said, taking hold of the fluffy cords on my robe and pulling me back into the suite toward the bed.
Who are some of your favorite authors and/or books to read when you need to relax?
When I want to relax I’ll pick up one of two kinds of books. I’ll either go for something really funny and lovely, like a book by Ethan Day or TJ Klune or Amy Lane… something with some really great snappy dialogue and lovable characters and a sweet happy ending. Or I’ll go to the other extreme and pick up something really deep and stoic and resounding like ‘Call Me By Your Name’ or ‘Giovanni’s Room’ and put on some gentle classical music. I know it sounds weird but sometimes – ironically – heavy reading is the most enlightening and relaxing. For a writer those books are always full of great lessons: how to twist a phrase or feeling in a way that’s never been described before.
If you were approached to have your book made into a film, who would you cast?
Oh, I love this question and I definitely know who I’d cast as Matt the narrator in the ‘My Billionaire’ series. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the TV show Schitt’s Creek, I think it’s so clever and hilariously acted and Daniel Levy who plays the son, David, is the perfect Matt. He’s so witty yet has so much self-doubt, there’s a really fine balancing act between letting your insecurities overshadow what little confidence and wit you have and I think Daniel Levy does that brilliantly. As for Cal, the billionaire, I kinda can’t get the guy from the book cover out of my head when I write his character now. He’s gorgeous! He probably can’t act but I don’t care… he’s pretty ;)
It's often asked what is your favorite part of being a writer but what is the easiest or most natural part of the creative process for you?
For me the easiest part is writing the last couple of pages of a book. By the time you get there, you’ve had those pages in your head for soooooooo long, letting them marinade and stew and boil down to the perfect way you want to close your story. By the time I get to those last few pages I’ve written and re-written that part in my head so many times it practically writes itself. Of course, if you do the flipside and you haven’t rehearsed that final chapter in your head a zillion times, then it inevitably becomes the opposite of being the easiest part of the creative process and proves to be torturously difficult. I avoid that at all cost and always go in prepared. To be honest, I can’t really start writing a book without knowing how it’s going to end.
Is there any one character you've created that is most like you? If yes, who and why?
I think it would definitely be Matt, the narrator in the ‘My Billionaire’ series. Writing him is so effortless, and I think that’s because I’m writing myself to a large degree. He’s just your average gay guy with the same insecurities most of us have, but he sizes his neurotic nature up with a good dose of humor… which we all need to do if we want to get through this crazy thing called life. He never stops questioning his self-worth, which is something I constantly do, but he also never stops trying to make things work, even when he totally screws things up. He’s a character who has no idea what the right thing to do is in any given situation, so he’s just going to make it up as he goes and let his honesty, kindness and humor guide him through. There’s no guidebook in life so what else can you do?
If you could go anywhere (finances, time, & obligations not an issue) where would you go and why?
I’d love to see South America from top to bottom and it’s definitely on the bucket list. I’d love to climb up to Machu Picchu and see the floating villages on Lake Titicaca and take tango lessons in Buenos Aries. I’ve actually done a lot of traveling and I’ve been to most of the continents, but South America is one place I’ve never seen. I think traveling is hugely important. As humans – as thinking beings – it’s vital that we constantly step outside our realm and experience other people and places to try and understand the world from someone else’s point of view. It’s the greatest lesson in empathy and humility. There’s so much we need to learn from one another, and living in a privileged society with cars and computers and decent employment, we’re lucky enough to have the chance to get on a plane and see other places and remind ourselves we’re not in this alone. We need to look after each other and appreciate our differences. Respecting someone for their differences is one of the greatest lessons we can learn.
When I want to relax I’ll pick up one of two kinds of books. I’ll either go for something really funny and lovely, like a book by Ethan Day or TJ Klune or Amy Lane… something with some really great snappy dialogue and lovable characters and a sweet happy ending. Or I’ll go to the other extreme and pick up something really deep and stoic and resounding like ‘Call Me By Your Name’ or ‘Giovanni’s Room’ and put on some gentle classical music. I know it sounds weird but sometimes – ironically – heavy reading is the most enlightening and relaxing. For a writer those books are always full of great lessons: how to twist a phrase or feeling in a way that’s never been described before.
If you were approached to have your book made into a film, who would you cast?
Oh, I love this question and I definitely know who I’d cast as Matt the narrator in the ‘My Billionaire’ series. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the TV show Schitt’s Creek, I think it’s so clever and hilariously acted and Daniel Levy who plays the son, David, is the perfect Matt. He’s so witty yet has so much self-doubt, there’s a really fine balancing act between letting your insecurities overshadow what little confidence and wit you have and I think Daniel Levy does that brilliantly. As for Cal, the billionaire, I kinda can’t get the guy from the book cover out of my head when I write his character now. He’s gorgeous! He probably can’t act but I don’t care… he’s pretty ;)
It's often asked what is your favorite part of being a writer but what is the easiest or most natural part of the creative process for you?
For me the easiest part is writing the last couple of pages of a book. By the time you get there, you’ve had those pages in your head for soooooooo long, letting them marinade and stew and boil down to the perfect way you want to close your story. By the time I get to those last few pages I’ve written and re-written that part in my head so many times it practically writes itself. Of course, if you do the flipside and you haven’t rehearsed that final chapter in your head a zillion times, then it inevitably becomes the opposite of being the easiest part of the creative process and proves to be torturously difficult. I avoid that at all cost and always go in prepared. To be honest, I can’t really start writing a book without knowing how it’s going to end.
Is there any one character you've created that is most like you? If yes, who and why?
I think it would definitely be Matt, the narrator in the ‘My Billionaire’ series. Writing him is so effortless, and I think that’s because I’m writing myself to a large degree. He’s just your average gay guy with the same insecurities most of us have, but he sizes his neurotic nature up with a good dose of humor… which we all need to do if we want to get through this crazy thing called life. He never stops questioning his self-worth, which is something I constantly do, but he also never stops trying to make things work, even when he totally screws things up. He’s a character who has no idea what the right thing to do is in any given situation, so he’s just going to make it up as he goes and let his honesty, kindness and humor guide him through. There’s no guidebook in life so what else can you do?
If you could go anywhere (finances, time, & obligations not an issue) where would you go and why?
I’d love to see South America from top to bottom and it’s definitely on the bucket list. I’d love to climb up to Machu Picchu and see the floating villages on Lake Titicaca and take tango lessons in Buenos Aries. I’ve actually done a lot of traveling and I’ve been to most of the continents, but South America is one place I’ve never seen. I think traveling is hugely important. As humans – as thinking beings – it’s vital that we constantly step outside our realm and experience other people and places to try and understand the world from someone else’s point of view. It’s the greatest lesson in empathy and humility. There’s so much we need to learn from one another, and living in a privileged society with cars and computers and decent employment, we’re lucky enough to have the chance to get on a plane and see other places and remind ourselves we’re not in this alone. We need to look after each other and appreciate our differences. Respecting someone for their differences is one of the greatest lessons we can learn.
Author Bio:Geoffrey Knight is the author of more than 30 gay fiction novels, novellas and short stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense and gay comedies. He is the recipient of two Rainbow Awards including Best Mystery Winner and Best Overall Gay Fiction Runner-up. His work has been featured in several anthologies including Best Gay Erotica 2013, and he appeared as Guest of Honor at the inaugural Rainbow Con in Florida, 2014.
Geoffrey has worked in advertising, politics and journalism, but nothing is as fun as telling stories. He lives with his partner, their baby daughter, two dogs and two cats in a rambling old house in North Queensland, Australia, where the paint is fraying and life is good.
EMAIL: skipnrope@iinet.net.au
The Billionaire's Wedding #2
Series
