The Agreement: Book two in the Seattle Billionaires Series

by Nora Ford

  The Agreement

  Book two in the Seattle Billionaires Series

  Nora Ford

  Contents

  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

  The Opportunity

  Chapter One

  The Arrangement

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Text copyright © 2018 Nora Ford

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the Author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Chapter One

  Tessa

  I got up with a heavy heart this morning. Today is not like any other day. It's the third anniversary of Seth’s death. Three years have passed since the day I lost everything. That day I didn’t only lose the man I loved and was ready to spend the rest of my life with, but I also lost a baby I never had the chance to see. And it was all my fault.

  I was the one driving the damned car. It should have been me who died but I survived. I woke up from an induced coma two weeks later to find out that I had lost them both, Seth and the baby. He left me, and I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

  I still don’t know what was worse, not being there when he died or spending the last few days of his short life waiting for a miracle to happen. Seth suffered internal injuries; both his kidneys were irreversibly damaged. He needed an urgent transplant. But life isn't fair; there were no matches from donors. He died a week later.

  Although I recovered and survived the accident, part of me died with Seth and the baby. The doctors said that the accident didn’t leave any serious damage and I could still have babies, however, I knew it wasn’t possible. A baby had to be conceived in love and I couldn’t love anymore. The pain and the loss I felt when Seth died were unbearable. Grief consumed me. I felt guilty all the time, guilty about living.

  After a few months, I stopped crying and began dealing with my loss. I now work, eat and sleep. I even have sex when the mood strikes and my time allows it. But it’s nothing more than a physical act. I am left unable to love.

  I know I wouldn’t survive another loss. Since Seth’s death, I’ve worked hard to put the pieces of my shredded heart back together. There are rules I follow to stay in control of my life and most importantly my heart.

  I don't date or do relationships and never spend the night with any of my one-night-stands. Once the sex is done, I leave their bed. That way I meet my physical need without getting emotionally attached. This is my life and I accept it this way.

  I got used to my new life. Although I never stopped grieving, I learned to live with the pain. Today, however, my loneliness is intense. Thoughts of Seth and the life we had together, the children we’ll never have, flash through my mind all day.

  I usually spend the anniversary working myself into the ground, but it's different this time. This year I am going to the Hamilton’s. I’ve been nervous all week, since my phone call with Grace, about the meeting this evening.

  Grace is Seth's mother. Although three years have passed, I still have a close relationship with Seth's family, especially Grace. She had three sons, Aron, Jason, and Seth. To her, I have always been the daughter she didn't have. I also love her so much and consider her a second mother. She was the reason I chose to specialise in Gynecology.

  Grace was one of the best Gynecolgists in town. After I finished my residency, she wanted me to join her practice. Anyone else would have jumped at that opportunity, but I politely declined. Not because I didn’t want to work with her, but I needed my work at the hospital. I wanted the night shifts and the crazy hours. I had to be busy all the time.

  Even the warm relationship I have with Grace can't change the way Aron and I feel about each other, though. Aron is Seth's older brother, and he hates me. I don't know why, but it was clear from the moment we first met. I used to ignore his hostile attitude towards me when Seth was alive. Now I try to avoid him as much as I can. It's not going to be possible this evening though.

  He is going to be at the meeting. It's about the reading of Seth's will. Seth wanted it this way; for his shares in the Hamilton Group to be finally distributed three years after his death.

  I don't care about the money; I have enough. I own a beautiful apartment, a new car and have a good job. Since completing my residency, I practice as a general obstetrician and gynecologist at the University of Washington Medical Center.

  I loved Seth and not his money, no matter how much I would inherit, it won't bring him back. I wished I could skip this gathering, but I have to attend; Seth wanted me to be there.

  After brooding all day over the meeting, I finally showered and changed and forced myself to drive to the Hamiltons.

  Grace opened the door for me and welcomed me with a warm smile and a hug. “Come in, my dear. Brian, Aron and Jason are waiting in my study.”

  “Am I late? Mr. Collins is already here?” Brian Collins is the Hamilton's lawyer and will read the will.

  “It's fine, dear, he has just arrived,” Grace said and led me to her office. When I entered the room, all three men rose up to greet me. “Ms. Jones,” Brian extended his hand, I briefly shook it. “Mr. Collins. Nice to see you again.”

  I turned to Jason who pulled me into a brotherly hug. “Tessa, long time no see.”

  I gave him a warm smile, “You know where to find me. You’re the one who's too busy chasing skirts.”

  “Honey, I chase no one, they chase me,” he grinned.

  Before I could respond, Aron, who was standing next to Jason gave us an irritated look and said, “If you too have finished, we need to get started. Brian doesn’t have all night.”

  I ignored him and sat on the couch next to Jason. "What's his problem now? How can someone be that rude? He didn't even greet me," I murmured to myself. Jason must have heard me, he squeezed my hand and whispered, "He got up on the wrong side of the bed."

  I nodded as I looked at Aron who was as grumpy as always.

  At that moment, Grace came and sat opposite us. She smiled at me and gave Aron a warning look, “Brian, can we start now?”

  “Sure, but before I start, I need to ask Aron and Ms. Jones a question,” Brian said.

  “Fine, go ahead,” I heard Aron saying.

  “Are you in any serious relationships at the moment?” Brian asked Aron.

  “Not that it is any of your business but, no,” Aron said impatiently.

  Brian nodded and turned to me, “Ms. Jones, are you in a serious relationship?”

  “Are you asking me out?” I gave him a cocky smile.

  “Believe me if I were twenty years younger and not happily married, I would be hon
ored to do that,” he gave me a warm smile. Brian looked much younger than his sixty years of age, and within the constraints of a business suit, he still looked lean and able. If he weren't married, I would have flirted a little more.

  I was about to tell him that, but Aron didn't give me a chance to say anything. He took a deep breath and said impatiently, "I can't see how these questions are relevant to the will reading.”

  “You will understand in a moment how relevant they are,” Brian said shortly and looked again at me. “So, are you in a serious relationship at the moment, Ms. Jones?”

  I felt all eyes were on me, waiting for my answer. I quickly shook my head, “No, I am not in any relationship.”

  “It seems that Seth knew both of you very well. He wanted you to equally share seventy percent of his shares in the Hamilton Group. Mrs. Hamilton and Jason would have fifteen percent each. But there is one condition,” Brian told us.

  “What condition?” Aron asked.

  “Aron and Ms. Jones have to get married immediately and stay married for at least a year,” Brian said, then waited for our responses. Aron was the first to break the silence, “And if we don’t?”

  “In that case, all Seth's shares will go to your cousin Jacob Hamilton.”

  “You can't be serious, Seth knew how Jacob felt about us, the man has been trying to destroy us for years,” Aron growled.

  “I am sorry, but this was Seth's last will. You both have a week to decide. If you don't agree, I have to contact Jacob.” With that the lawyer gave Aron and me two letters. I took mine and watched Aron reaching for his. We both said nothing.

  “I honestly don't understand why Seth did that but read the letters. He might have explained everything in them,” Brian told us.

  “Thanks, Brian, you will hear from me soon. Please don’t contact Jacob before I call you,” Aron said.

  “Sure, I hope you two make the right decision,” Brian finished as he left the room.

  I didn't say anything. I was still in shock. I put the letter in my purse and left the room. Aron and Jason were engaged in a conversation, so they didn't notice me leaving. It was probably better this way – I didn’t want to talk to anyone right then.

  Grace saw though and came after me, “I’ll walk you to your car, dear.” I didn’t object but I didn’t say anything either. I didn't know what to say or how to react. I had to think, and I needed to do it alone. Grace sensed how I was feeling; she didn’t push me to speak. We walked together in silence. When we reached my car, she pulled me into a tight hug and whispered, “No matter what you decide, you will always be a daughter to me.”

  “Thank you, Grace.” I gave her a weak smile as I got into my car and drove off.

  Chapter Two

  Aron

  The moment Tessa entered the room, my body reacted to her the same way it did when I first saw her at a party eight years ago. I was twenty-five back then and doing my MBA at Harvard Business School.

  My stomach growled loudly as I caught sight of her, a stunning dark-haired beauty. Mesmerized by her bewitching blue eyes, I stood and watched her laughing with another guy; her brilliant blue eyes were alive with joy. She took my breath away.

  I saw her small hands adjusting the tiny straps at the shoulder of her sexy-as-sin dress. My cock stirred, as I imagined that delicate hand wrapped around it. Although she wasn’t my type, I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her. She was small and lean with a perfect figure, her rounded breasts weren’t big but large on her petite frame. I hadn’t felt such an attraction to a woman before. When I asked a friend about her, I learned that she was a first-year medical student. She was also Olivia’s youngest sister. Olivia was the girl Jason, my brother was dating at the time. That night I didn’t try to talk to Tessa; the age difference discouraged me.

  I wasn’t the only one who noticed her. Seth saw her too. Unlike me, he wasn’t hesitant to approach her. He left the party with her phone number. A week later they were dating.

  Seth was studying medicine at Harvard as well, but he was three years her senior. After a few months of dating, they moved in together. When Tessa finished her studies, they both moved back to Seattle. They were supposed to get married but the wedding never took place. Seth died two months before their big day.

  All those years, Tessa never knew how I felt about her. Even after Seth’s death, I never made a move on her. It didn’t feel right; to me, she was Seth’s woman.

  I was jealous though, when I saw her flirting with Jason. I gave them a disapproving look and heard myself saying, “If you too have finished, we need to get started. Brian doesn’t have all night.”

  Tessa ignored me and sat on the couch next to Jason, crossing her legs. Her skirt rode high on her thigh, giving me a healthy view of her long legs encased in sheer black stockings. It was a lovely sight. She thought I was rude, but I couldn’t treat her any other way without showing how I felt, so I made it a habit to be on my worst behavior when she was around.

  I wanted this meeting to end and was impatient with Brain asking about our love lives. “I can't see how these questions are relevant to the will reading,” I told him.

  “You will understand in a moment how relevant they are,” Brian said shortly and looked at Tessa again, “So, are you in a serious relationship at the moment, Ms. Jones?” he asked her one more time. I don’t know why but I was relieved when I heard Tessa saying, “No, I am not in any relationship.”

  When Brian dropped the bomb and told us about the condition in Seth’s will, we all stayed silent. Suddenly, the tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I was the first to recover from the shock. I asked Brian, “And if we don’t?”

  “In that case, all Seth's shares will go to your cousin Jacob Hamilton.”

  “You can't be serious, Seth knew how Jacob felt about us, the man has been trying to destroy us for years,” I yelled.

  I was furious. I couldn’t understand what Seth was thinking when he wrote this. Jacob was the enemy. When our grandfather died, Jacob’s father didn’t want anything to do with the family business, so he sold his shares in the Hamilton Group to my dad. The Hamilton name and fortune weren’t as massive then as they are today. Back then we owned only twenty hotels. Unlike my dad, who worked hard and managed to multiply our fortune several times, his brother lost all his money gambling.

  Jacob didn’t take it well; he tried to take us to court, but he failed. After that, he made several attempts to take out loans using our assets but when we stopped him, he threatened us. That was a week before Seth’s accident. We believed he had something to do with it, but the police couldn’t prove it.

  Brian interrupted my thoughts, “I am sorry, but this was Seth's last Will. You both have a week to decide. If you don't agree, I have to contact Jacob,” he said and gave Tessa and me two letters, we took them and said nothing.

  “I honestly don't understand why Seth did that, but read the letters, he might have explained everything in them,” Brian suggested.

  “Thanks, Brian, you will hear from me soon. Please don’t contact Jacob before I call you,” I requested.

  “Sure, I hope you two will make the right decision,” Brian said to Tessa and me on his way out.

  The moment Brian left the room, Jason turned to me and asked, “What are you going to do? You wouldn’t allow Jacob to take our money, would you?”

  “Of course not. I am not paying a cent to that bastard. This is our money. Dad and I worked so hard for it,” I said and meant every word.

  I took over the family business seven years ago, after dad’s sudden death. Back then the Hamilton Group had over two hundred hotels. Now our portfolio includes more than two thousand properties with hotels and resorts in a hundred countries. Last year the Hamilton Group was on Forbes America’s Largest Private Companies List. I will be damned if I let Jacob take thirty percent of all this.

  I looked at Tessa who was staring at the letter in her hand; she was still in shock. Her almond shaped
eyes met mine, but she didn’t say anything. Jason was talking to me, but I wasn’t listening, I was watching her leave. Although I wanted to stop her, I knew it wasn’t wise to speak to her now.

  When Tessa left, I turned back to Jason, “Sorry, what were you saying?”

  “How could Seth do that? I don't understand,” Jason asked confused.

  “I honestly don’t get it either,” I said and looked at the letter in my hand.

  “Aren’t you going to open it?” My mom asked the minute she returned from walking Tessa to her car.

  I looked at the letter again and said nothing, I just nodded and opened it. I took a deep breath then I started reading:

  Hey Bro,

  I know you’re pissed off at me right now. But I don’t have much time, and I couldn’t come up with a better plan to bring Tessa and you together. You will do anything to prevent Jacob from taking our money.

  Don’t be surprised. I know you have had feelings for Tessa since you first saw her. Knowing you so well, I am sure you haven’t acted on those feelings yet. I guess you never will out of a misplaced sense of loyalty.