The Exception
Sandi Lynn
The Exception
Copyright © 2016 Sandi Lynn Romance, LLC
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used factitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Photo & Cover Design by: Sara Eirew @ Sara Eirew Photography
Models: Mat Wolf & Sheina Loubier
Editing by B.Z. Hercules
Books by Sandi Lynn
If you haven’t already done so, please check out my other books. They are filled with heartwarming love stories, some with millionaires, and some with just regular everyday people who find love when they least expect it.
Millionaires:
The Forever Series (Forever Black, Forever You, Forever Us, Being Julia, Collin, A Forever Christmas, A Forever Family)
Love, Lust & A Millionaire (Wyatt Brothers, Book 1)
Love, Lust & Liam (Wyatt Brothers, Book 2)
His Proposed Deal
Lie Next To Me (A Millionaire’s Love, Book 1)
When I Lie with You ( A Millionaire’s Love, Book 2)
A Love Called Simon
Then You Happened
The Seduction of Alex Parker
Something About Lorelei
One Night In London
Second Chance Love:
Remembering You
She Writes Love
Love In Between (Love Series, Book 1)
The Upside of Love (Love Series, Book 2)
Sports:
Lightning
Table of Contents
Books by Sandi Lynn
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
About The Author
Chapter One
Jillian
I could hear the soft music play as the guests started to gather inside the church and took their seats in the wooden pews that were beautifully decorated with white satin bows and white roses. My mother and my bridesmaids were shuffling around, making sure that everything was to perfection, including me.
“Giorgio, darling. Come here and fix Jillian’s eye shadow,” my mother ordered as she snapped her fingers.
“Of course, of course,” he spoke as he came running over to me.
“My eyeshadow is fine, Giorgio. Please step away from me before I lose my shit.” I casually smiled.
His eyes widened as he set down his shadow palette and slowly walked away. I took in a deep breath as I stared at myself in the full-length mirror, dressed in white from head to toe, in a wedding dress that I hated. A dress my mother picked out. This day had been planned since I was born and I should be happy, right? After all, it was my wedding day. The day every girl dreamed of.
The girl staring back at me was someone I didn’t recognize. I didn’t know her. Everyone who had ever known me knew her. But to me, she was a stranger. As everyone was hustling and bustling around, I slipped out the side door of the room and made my way down the hall, where I looked out into the church and saw Grant standing at the altar with his best man, Paris. I was numb. Completely numb with no feeling inside me. When I looked down at my engagement ring, it had no meaning. As I removed it from my finger, I looked around and saw the side exit door of the church. This was my chance. It was now or never. I slipped back inside the dressing room.
“There you are, darling. It’s time to line up. The ceremony is about to begin.”
“I’ll be out in a minute, Mom. I just want to be alone for a few minutes to calm my nerves.”
“Now, Jillian dear, there’s nothing to be nervous about. You’ve waited your whole life for this day.”
I flashed her my fake smile. A smile that I had perfected over the years.
“I know. I just need a few moments. Okay?”
“Okay. We’ll be outside the door, waiting for you.”
As soon as everyone left, I grabbed my purse, took my phone out, and dialed a cab to pick me up at Pier 59. After doing a factory reset on my phone, I threw it down on the chair and laid my ring next to it. Turning around, I took one last look at the stranger in the mirror. Ripping the veil off my head, I quietly slipped out the other door and left the church without anyone noticing me. Nerves flooded throughout my body as I ran to the limo, climbed inside, and told the driver to step on it.
Pulling up to Pier 59, I climbed out of the limo and straight into the cab.
“Where to, lady?” the driver asked as he gave me a strange look.
“The Travelodge on 6th Avenue. And I’ll need you to wait for me because I’m going to the airport.”
“Sure. Okay.”
As soon as he pulled up to the hotel, I told him that I’d be a few minutes and took the elevator to the second floor. Inserting the key card into the lock, I stepped inside the room and stripped out of my wedding dress. Unzipping the suitcase that was lying on the bed, I changed into a black maxi dress, slipped my feet into my black flip-flops, unpinned my brown hair, threw it up in a ponytail, and grabbed my other purse, which had my wallet and new phone in it. I took my luggage down to the lobby, handed it to the cab driver and climbed inside.
The reality of what I’d done finally set in and tears began to stream down my face. The emptiness I’d felt inside me for so long was still there, even though I was free. Free from the rope that my parents had tied around my neck since the day I was born. My mind was cluttered with chaos and racing a mile a minute, and the perfect wedding that was twenty-four years in the making was ruined. It wasn’t my fault. How could I marry someone I didn’t love? I could no longer pretend to be the happy, perfect Jillian Bell that everyone believed I was. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders and a new life was about to emerge. A life that I would be solely responsible for creating.
As I walked through the airport, pulling my carry-on behind me, I realized that I hadn’t eaten a single thing all day. My mother had told me that if I ate before the ceremony, I would bloat and that was the only thing the guests would be focusing on. I was starving, so I stopped at La Pisa Café and ordered a panini and a bag of chips. As I was sat down and took a single bite of my panini, I pushed the button on my phone to check the time. Shit. My fli
ght was already boarding. Setting my panini down on the plate, I shoved the bag of chips into my purse, grabbed my carry-on, and headed to my gate. When I reached the gate, I noticed it said the flight was going to Houston, Texas. Looking at my boarding pass, I asked the attendant behind the desk where the flight to LAX was.
“That flight was moved to Gate C24.”
“Since when?” I asked abruptly.
“About thirty minutes ago.” She politely smiled.
“But that’s all the way at the other end of the airport and it’s boarding now!”
“Then I suggest you run. An announcement was made overhead.”
Shaking my head, I started to run through the airport to gate C24. This was my punishment, my karma for leaving Grant at the altar. Instead of sitting down with him and my parents, I took the coward’s way out and ran and I was still running. This was unbelievable. Who does that sort of thing? A person who’s been held a prisoner all her life for far too long and snaps. That’s who. Just as I made it to the gate, they were getting ready to close the doors.
“WAIT!” I shouted breathlessly as I handed the attendant my boarding pass.
“You’re lucky. You made it just in time.”
Stepping onto the packed plane, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the person who was in the seat next to mine.
“Ah, shit,” I silently spoke to myself. This was definitely my punishment. Dark hair, business suit, face of a god punishment.
Taking in a deep breath, I opened the overhead and he looked up at me, his dark brown eyes locked on mine through my sunglasses.
“I don’t think there’s any room up there.”
“I can see that,” I spoke as I shut the overhead.
Suddenly, a flight attendant approached me and took my carry-on from my hand.
“I’ll find a space for it. Just sit down. We’re taking off now.”
“Thank you. Can I get a glass of wine, please?”
“As soon as we’re up in the air, I’ll bring you one.” She gently smiled.
The man sitting next to me stood up so I could get to my seat with ease. Removing the pillow and the blanket, I sat down and took in a deep breath.
“Are you a nervous flier?” he asked.
Slowly turning my head, I looked at him through the sunglasses that I was still wearing.
“No.”
“Well, just the way you wanted a glass of wine before you even sat down led me to believe you were.”
Seriously? What business was it of his if I wanted a glass of wine?
“It’s just been a really shitty day,” I spoke as I looked out the window.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it gets better for you.” He politely smiled and then went back to looking at his phone.
As the plane lifted off the ground, I stared at the life I was leaving behind. A life that was never truly mine to begin with. My heart started racing and my skin became heated. Reaching up, I twisted the knob to the air vent as the rush of cool air poured down on me and I let out a breath.
“I thought you weren’t a nervous flier,” the man spoke.
“It’s not the flight.” I laid my head against the window.
Chapter Two
Jillian
“Here you go, miss,” the flight attendant spoke as she handed me my wine.
“Thank you.”
I didn’t waste any time gulping down half the glass. I needed it more than I thought I did. Realizing that I still had my sunglasses on, I removed them and set them in my purse.
“You’ve been crying,” the man who was all too fucking nosey, but seriously hot as fuck, especially with that light stubble across his jaw, spoke.
“How do you know that?” I asked with an attitude.
“Your makeup.” He swept his finger under his eye.
Sighing, I took out the compact from my purse and opened it. Ugh. He was right. I looked like a raccoon. So much for the waterproof mascara Giorgio put on me. I got up from my seat and went to the bathroom. After cleaning myself up and reapplying my eyeliner and mascara, I sat down in my seat and looked at him.
“Better?” I spoke sarcastically.
He gave me a small but incredible smile. “I didn’t think it looked bad before.”
Looking down, my heart skipped a beat. This was the last thing I needed; to sit next to a sexy man who was trying to flirt with me just hours after I left my entire life behind and my fiancé standing at the altar.
“So, where are you traveling to?” he asked as I stared out the window.
“Hawaii,” I replied.
“Me too. Are you traveling alone?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Listen, I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but I’m really not in a talkative mood.”
“I understand. Sorry. After all, you did have a shitty day and I know when I have a shitty day, I’m not in the mood to talk either.”
“Good. I’m happy you understand.” I sighed.
I signaled for the flight attendant and asked her for another glass of wine. Bringing my knees up, I placed the pillow against the window and leaned my head against it. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. My mind couldn’t help but wonder what was happening back in Seattle. The look on my mother’s face when she found I was gone. The embarrassment on Grant’s face when I never walked down the aisle. The whispers of the guests who gave up their time to attend a wedding that never happened. A tear ran down my cheek, and not because I was sad about what I’d done. I wasn’t entirely sure why the tear fell from my eye. Maybe it was because I wasn’t a robot anymore, looking at my life from the outside. I no longer had to pretend to be happy, and every smile that crossed my lips from now on would be real and genuine.
“Here.” The man handed me a tissue.
Taking it from him, I wiped my eyes.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t want your mascara to run again.” He smirked.
A smile fell upon my face. A real smile. A smile that made me feel good inside.
“Here’s your wine.” The flight attendant handed me my glass. “May I get you anything else?”
“Is there a meal service on this flight?”
“No. I’m sorry. Light snacks only, but there will be a meal served on your connecting flight from LAX.”
The man reached down in the small bag he had under the seat in front of him and pulled out a protein bar.
“Eat this.” He handed it to me.
“Thanks, but no, I’m fine.”
“Obviously, you’re hungry. Don’t you like protein bars?” He smiled.
“I like protein bars. I eat them almost every day. Thank you for the offer, but I can wait.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself. If you’re not going to eat it, then I will.” He removed the wrapper and took a bite.
“You don’t even know me and you’re offering me your protein bar. Why?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Because you had a shitty day. It’s the least I could do to try and make your day a little better. That way, you can tell everyone that a nice gentleman on the plane gave you his protein bar because you were hungry.”
I let out a light laugh and shook my head. God, it felt good to laugh.
“See.” He smiled. “I think I just made your day a little less shitty.”
I laughed again. “Maybe I’ll just have a piece.”
He broke the bar in half and handed it to me.
“Thank you—” I cocked my head and narrowed my eye.
“Drew. Drew Westbrook.” He stuck out his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Drew. Jillian Bell.” I politely placed my hand in his.
“Jillian. That’s a beautiful name.”
I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks as I thanked him. A heat that I’d never felt before.
“I think I’m going to watch a movie,” I spoke as I took the headphones out of the package the flight attendant gave me.
Looking at his watch, Drew spoke. “You won
’t have enough time. We’re landing in about an hour.”
“Oh. Okay, then I think I’ll just take a nap. Could you please wake me when we land?”
“Of course.” He nodded.
****
Drew
Jillian Bell. A beautiful name for an incredibly beautiful woman. The minute she stepped onto the plane, I took notice of her. Her brown hair with the subtle blonde highlights pulled back in a ponytail and her five-foot-six small-framed but very toned body that sported the black maxi dress she wore to perfection. I hated that she kept on those damn Gucci sunglasses for so long because I needed to see her eyes. When she finally took them off and I saw the ocean blue staring back at me, I was left breathless, even with the mascara stains underneath them. She was broken, that much I could tell, and there was a part of me that wanted to reach out and fix her. A complete stranger. Something I didn’t do. I was curious as to why she was traveling to Hawaii alone. Something happened. A break-up, perhaps? I wanted to know and I was going to find out more about Jillian Bell before our plane landed in Hawaii.
As she rested her head on the pillow, I couldn’t help but stare at her. Even while she attempted to sleep, she didn’t seem at peace. I sighed as I looked down at my iPad and sorted through some emails. Every time she stirred, I looked over at her to make sure she was okay.
Chapter Three
Jillian
I awoke to the soft touch of a hand on my shoulder and the soft whisper of my name.
“Jillian, we’ve landed.”
“Already?” I yawned.
Drew chuckled. “Yes, already.”
Once the plane entered the gate, the flight attendant handed me my carry-on bag and Drew stepped aside to let me out.
“Ladies first.” He gave a charming smile.
“Thank you.”
As I stepped off the plane, I looked around for a monitor to see which gate my next flight was at.
“Jillian?” Drew spoke as he approached me.
“Yeah?”
“We have an hour and a half layover until our next flight. How about we grab something to eat? I know that half a protein bar didn’t do much for you and the idea of dinner on the plane is a little revolting. Totally not my idea of fine dining.”