Tempted by the Billionaire Next Door

by Therese Beharrie

  He’d wanted it to be a holiday home for them. A place they could come to for some R&R. The renovations had taken a year to complete, and then they’d had their wedding and a brief working stint in Dubai and it had never been a good time to return.

  Until now, she thought. She couldn’t have planned it any better.

  ‘Dylan?’

  ‘Hmm?’

  ‘I think we should go see my parents.’

  Dylan shifted against her and when she looked at him she saw concern in his eyes. ‘Why?’

  ‘Well, it’s been five years and... I don’t know.’ She sighed. ‘I keep thinking back to what you told me after we left this place three years ago. But I wasn’t ready to see them then. I didn’t have anything, and I was afraid—’ she turned onto her back, let her fingers flutter up to play with his hair ‘—I was afraid that going back would break me because I had nothing. But now...’ She smiled at him, pushed up for a kiss. ‘Now, I have everything. And it seems like the right time.’

  Jess didn’t want to carry around the weight of the negativity she felt towards her parents any more. They were always in her thoughts, the hurt she’d once feared always lurking in the recesses of her mind. She wasn’t the same person she’d been when she’d left them—that hurt no longer had the same power over her—and that alone gave her the courage to speak with them. To finally get some closure, and accept whichever form it came in.

  Good or bad.

  And though she didn’t think that they deserved the chance—especially after they hadn’t responded to the wedding invitation she’d sent them—Jess now knew that she deserved it. She deserved to know whether they regretted their decisions. She deserved to leave them behind if they didn’t.

  She had a family now, and she wasn’t so completely desperate for their love any more. She could move on if she had to. She had moved on. But she wanted the opportunity to tell them that she was happily married, successful in her career, and that...

  ‘I’m also pregnant,’ she said in a rush, ‘and it feels like it’s a good time to move on from the past and clear up all the what-ifs.’

  She held her breath as she watched the stunned expression on his face.

  ‘You’re pregnant?’

  ‘Yeah. And it’s our baby,’ she joked. It was a lame joke, she knew, but she was desperate to break the tension that had suddenly fallen between them.

  ‘I’ve only known for a few days, and I know we haven’t thought about it in some time, so I didn’t want to tell you immediately, and we were coming here, and I thought that it would be the perfect time to tell you.’ She paused, but he still didn’t speak, so she continued, ‘I guess I shouldn’t have just blurted it out. I should have done something cute and filmed it and put it online.’

  She barely paused to take a breath. ‘And I shouldn’t have sprung it on you after telling you I wanted to see my parents. But I was thinking about our child, and how we’d feel if some day they didn’t speak to us. Of course, it’s not the same, but—’

  He cut her off with a kiss, deep and filled with so much passion and emotion that she felt raw. When he pulled back, he leaned his forehead against hers.

  ‘You’re pregnant.’

  ‘Yeah,’ she replied, her breath ragged.

  ‘I... I’m going to be a father.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘We’re pregnant,’ he said again, and this time he laughed and gave her another kiss. And when he sobered he said, ‘I have no idea how to be a father.’

  ‘I have no idea how to be a mother. But we’ve figured out a lot together, my love. I think it’s going to be okay.’

  ‘Me, too,’ he said with a smile.

  ‘So...you’re not mad?’

  ‘Why would I be mad?’

  ‘Because...we haven’t spoken about it.’

  ‘Recently,’ he added. ‘But we spoke about it after Jessie was born. And again, after we got married. Life’s been so busy since then...’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t know how to be a father, Jess. And heaven knows I had the worst example in the world. But I’ll be there for this baby. Our baby.’

  He set a hand on her abdomen, and the heat of it—the sweetness of it—seared through her body. His eyes met hers and what she saw there made her heart fill. ‘Our baby, Jess. Yours and mine. We’ll figure it out together. And if you need to talk to your parents to help you figure it out, we can.’

  She smiled at him. ‘I never thought this day would come for me. Where I’m a part of a family that’s not broken, about to have my own child. You made that possible for me.’

  ‘I could tell you the exact same thing.’

  ‘Yeah, you could.’

  He chuckled and pressed his lips against hers.

  This time neither of them pulled away.

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Therese Beharrie

  FALLING FOR HIS CONVENIENT QUEEN

  UNITED BY THEIR ROYAL BABY

  THE MILLIONAIRE’S REDEMPTION

  A MARRIAGE WORTH SAVING

  All available now!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from SWEPT AWAY BY THE ENIGMATIC TYCOON by Rosanna Battigelli.

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  Swept Away by the Enigmatic Tycoon

  by Rosanna Battigelli

  CHAPTER ONE

  JUSTINE SURVEYED THE peaceful tableau lazily. The waters of Georgian Bay were calmer today, and she watched the gentle undulations with pleasure, letting her senses revel in the rugged beauty before her.

  The clear blue water, shimmering with pinpoints of reflected sunlight, was dazzling—mesmerizing, really. The water lilies clustered along the water’s edge looked like they were straight out of a Monet painting, their crisp white petals and yellow centers resting among dozens of flat, round, overlapping green pads. Occasionally the seagulls announced their monopoly on the sky with their shrill, almost human-like cries as they swooped and glided, tail feathers outspread, but even that wasn’t enough to disrupt Justine from her contemplative mood.

  She breathed in the fresh July air and congratulated herself again for exchanging the smog and humidity of the big city for this...this nature lover’s paradise on Georgian Bay. She had made the right decision in accepting her parents’ offer, Justine assured herself again as she rubbed sunscreen over her legs. Their proposal had come at the perfect time.

  Working in the Toronto law office of attorney Ro
bert Morrell had become too stressful—she’d had no choice but to resign. The memory of how she had trusted him in the first place still caused her pangs of remorse. Her mouth twisted cynically. How naive she had been, falling for a man who was going through a turbulent divorce.

  After leaving her resignation notice on his desk she had immediately headed home to Winter’s Haven. As she’d pulled into the driveway, seeing her parents sitting together on the porch swing holding hands had made her burst into tears. Why couldn’t she have been so lucky? In all her years at home she had never doubted her parents’ trust, respect and devotion to each other. And to her. With such loving role models how could she settle for anything less?

  Their love and support had cushioned her for the next four days, and then the morning she had thought herself ready to drive back to Toronto, eyes still puffy and shadowed, they’d made her an offer that took her breath away.

  They had talked extensively, they’d said, and had decided that the time had come for them to retire from managing their cottage resort and to enjoy their golden years. They wanted to travel around the world while they still had their health and energy. If Justine were willing, they would sign Winter’s Haven over to her and move into the smallest of the twelve cottages there. Justine could enjoy her inheritance early, and they would be delighted that the business would stay in the family.

  “Take your time to think it over, sweetheart,” her father had said, hugging her tightly. “But we have every confidence in your skills—business or otherwise.”

  Her mother had nodded and joined in the embrace, her eyes misting, and after kissing them both Justine had left, her own eyes starting to well up.

  A month later the lease on her apartment had been up and she’d headed home to Winter’s Haven for good.

  The sting of Robert’s deceit had begun to subside, and although she still had down days, feeling alternately embarrassed and angry for letting herself be fooled, she had come to terms with the end of their relationship. Taking over from her parents would occupy her time and her energy, and Justine was looking forward to exploring new ideas for the business while enjoying the more relaxed pace of the area.

  Now, two months after her return, Justine could flick away any thought involving Robert almost nonchalantly. Usually followed by any number of silent declarations.

  I am so over it! I’m done being a bleeding heart! Done with men and their games!

  Justine closed her eyes and listened to the gentle lapping of the waves. She allowed herself to be soothed by the rhythmic sounds, enjoying the touch of the sun over her body as she settled back on the chaise longue. Tilting her sunhat to protect her face, Justine felt the familiar magic of Winter’s Haven ease the stress out of her, and with a contented sigh she allowed herself to drift into a peaceful nap.

  The sound of typewriter keys and a telephone ring jolted her awake. She fumbled for her cell phone, by her side on the chaise. Squinting, she read the text.

  Good God, Justine! Where the heck are you? Did you forget the two o’clock appointment I arranged for you?

  Justine sat up, her heart skipping a beat. It was one fifty-five. She’d never make it in time.

  She leapt up and ran the short distance from the beach to her house, not stopping until she reached the washroom on the second floor. She usually enjoyed taking leisurely showers after a soak in the sun, but on this occasion she was in and out in less than five minutes. Her shoulder-length hair would have to dry on the way there. And there was no time for make-up.

  She hastily put on a flowered wrap-around skirt and a white cotton eyelet top, and made a dash to her car. She usually walked to the main office, but she wanted to avoid any further delay.

  She had managed this place efficiently since her parents had turned over the business to her two months earlier. “I’ll run this place as smoothly as you did,” she’d promised them before they left for their retirement travels, and she had done just that—except for today.

  Justine had never been late for anything in her life. She’d have to make sure it didn’t happen again. It didn’t make her look very responsible. She should have never given in to Mandy, who had uncharacteristically scheduled an appointment on her day off.

  The sight of a sleek silver-green Mustang convertible in the parking lot dashed her hopes that her visitor might be late.

  She took the steps to the office two at a time and entered the building, taking deep breaths. Mandy Holliday, her friend since high school and her assistant and office receptionist, smirked at her from behind the wooden desk, cocking an eyebrow toward the double doors leading to the diner.

  “He’s been waiting there thirty minutes. The last time I checked he was talking to the Elliots in Cottage Number One.”

  “Of all the times to doze off on the beach...” Justine grimaced. “I wonder why this Forrest man has insisted on seeing me. If he wants to rent a cottage, you could have dealt with him. I wish you had been able to squeeze some information out of him.”

  She adjusted the tie belt on her wrap-around skirt.

  “I hope he’s not one of those pompous business types. You know—the punctuality nuts, the arrogant ‘you must be as perfect as I am’ professionals who—” She stopped at the sudden furrowing of Mandy’s eyebrows.

  “Perhaps you should reserve your judgment until after our meeting,” a cool voice suggested directly behind her.

  “I’ll be in the diner if you need me,” Mandy murmured, before retreating hastily.

  Justine turned around stiffly to face her visitor. He was not at all what she’d expected. But what had she expected after hearing that ice-tinged drawl?

  She tried not to reveal her surprise as her gaze smacked into the chest of his impeccably tailored gray suit before moving slowly upward to his face. His height topped hers by at least a foot. Her pulse quickened as her eyes took him in. A five o’clock shadow she suspected he wore permanently. Dark brown hair with burnished bits, styled like someone out of GQ. Chestnut eyes with flecks of gold.

  She felt sweat on her upper lip. To her horror, she ran her tongue over her lips without thinking. She felt like combusting.

  How could he look so cool in that suit? She almost felt like suggesting he remove his jacket or tie... And then her mouth crinkled slightly, nervously, at the thought of how such a suggestion would sound to him.

  He caught the crooked smile, but didn’t return it. He looked down at her imperiously, his jaw tense.

  He’s angry, Justine thought, unable to tear her gaze from his face. It was so male and rugged, with a straight nose and firm, sensual lips clearly visible under the meticulously groomed shadow. At second glance she caught a slight curl in his hair, and his eyes, unwavering, were disturbingly hypnotizing.

  “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I was irritated at myself for being late. It’s not like me.” She extended her hand, forcing herself to offer him an apologetic smile. “I’m Justine Winter.”

  For a moment, he just stared at her, and Justine was about to withdraw her hand in embarrassment when he finally took it, his long fingers closing around hers completely in a firm clasp.

  “Apology accepted,” he replied, motioning abruptly for Justine to sit down.

  She did so and he pulled up a nearby chair.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Forrest?”

  “Forrester. Casson Forrester.”

  Her eyebrows shot up at his name. “Yes, of course. You made an appointment with Mandy to see me, but you didn’t state your reasons. Are you interested in renting a cottage? Did you want a tour of the grounds and facilities before making a reservation? We may have an opening, depending when it is you want to stay.” She paused, realizing she was babbling.

  His lips curved slightly. “Yes, I’m very interested in the cottages. You see, I’ve just purchased the adjoining land on both sides of your proper
ty.”

  Justine frowned. “I can’t believe the Russells have sold their properties—” She broke off, stunned. The Russells’ ancestors had been among the original homesteaders in the area.

  “I made them a convincing offer.” He was unable to conceal the satisfaction in his voice. “Our transaction was mutually profitable.”

  Justine looked at him warily. “I don’t suppose you arranged this appointment just for the sake of meeting your new neighbor...?”

  He laughed curtly. “You’re perceptive, if nothing else.”

  Justine flushed, her mouth narrowing. She didn’t like the negative implication of “if nothing else.” “Why don’t you come right to the point?” she suggested sweetly, trying not to clench her teeth.

  His eyebrows arched slightly at her directness. “I have development plans for both lakefront properties,” he explained brusquely. “However, your property, being in the center, poses a number of problems for me. It would seem that the ideal solution would be for me to purchase this property in order to maximize the success of my venture.” His eyes narrowed. “Just name your price. You’ll have it in your bank account first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Justine couldn’t prevent the gasp from her lips. “You can’t be serious!”

  “I’m not the joking type,” he countered sharply. “Nor do I intend to play any money games with you, Miss Winter. Negotiations aren’t necessary here. I’m willing to pay whatever you feel is an optimum price for this place.”

  Justine felt her eyes fluttering in disbelief. “I’m not interested in selling—no matter what you offer, Mr. Forrester,” she stated as firmly as she could muster. “It’s not a matter of money; it’s a question of principle.”

  She stood up, both palms on the table, willing him to leave.

  A muscle flicked at his jaw. He made no move to stand, let alone leave. “Kindly explain yourself, Miss Winter,” he said evenly.

  Justine took a deep breath. “I would not want to see the natural beauty and seclusion of this area spoiled by a commercial venture. That’s what you have in mind, don’t you?” She put her hands on her hips, her blue-gray eyes piercing his accusingly.