The Billionaire's Secret

by Lorana Hoopes

  Shortly after hanging her dress and unzipping the bag, a knock sounded at the door and Peyton peeked her head in.

  “Hi, Peyton.” Alyssa opened her arms and Peyton ran into them. “You look beautiful.”

  Max had done a good job getting her in the dress and keeping her clean before the ceremony, but her hair lay flat on her head.

  “I’m on it,” Roxy said, reading her mind and extracting the curling iron from her bag. Roxy had thought ahead and packed a curling iron, blow dryer, extra hose, and makeup in her bag just in case.

  As Roxy began curling Peyton’s hair, Alyssa pulled out the dress and slipped it on. She opted for something simple, so the dress was an unpretentious white shift that pooled on the floor. A delicate lace beading covered the bodice and a satin belt connected the bodice to the creamy white skirt.

  Lifting up the skirt, she stepped into the Cinderella shoes she had bought. They weren’t real glass slippers, but they were see-through, so they looked like them. Cinderella had been her favorite fairy tale growing up, and she and her mother had often discussed the glass slippers she would wear when she married. As her mother wasn’t here to share the joy, Alyssa had made sure to have something that made her feel close to her. She blinked back tears as she remembered the many conversations with her mother.

  “She’s watching from Heaven,” Sandra said, noticing the shine in her eyes.

  “I know; it’s just hard on days like this.” Alyssa sniffed and pulled back her shoulders, determined not to cry out of sadness on the happiest day of her life.

  Twenty minutes later, the rest of the girls were ready, and they led the way down the hallway. Helen stood outside of the sanctuary doors manning the guest book table, which also held their bouquets. She smiled at Alyssa and waved to Peyton as the girls grabbed their flowers and Alyssa handed the basket of petals to Peyton.

  “Now, just like we practiced, remember? Small handfuls as you walk down the aisle.”

  Peyton nodded, her face focused and serious. “I have it, Aunt Lyssa.”

  “You look beautiful.”

  Alyssa turned at the voice of her father and smiled. “Hi Dad.” She had been worried he wouldn’t make it, but with him here, her shoulders felt lighter.

  The music started, and Helen and Aunt Sandra made their way inside after one last hug.

  Stewart appeared a moment later and escorted Callie in. Then Justin showed up to lead Roxy down the aisle. Peyton went next, and Alyssa smiled as she watched her through the cracked door. Peyton was not only dropping the flower petals but waving at each person she passed.

  “I’m so proud of you, and I know your mother is too,” Alyssa’s father said as the music changed to the wedding march.

  “Thanks, Dad. I’m so glad you could make it.”

  He squeezed her hand as she placed it on his arm. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

  As he opened the door, Alyssa’s eyes scanned the room and landed on Max. His smile was a beacon of light and like a tractor beam, she felt locked in his gaze. The connection never broke as she stepped forward.

  When she reached the front, she hugged her father and handed her bouquet to Roxy before taking the final step to stand in front of Max. He grabbed her hands and a feeling of warmth and security surged down her arms.

  “Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.”

  As Pastor Bill began to speak, Alyssa’s mind focused solely on Max, tuning out everything else around her.

  Max couldn’t believe how lucky he was as he held Alyssa’s hands and stared into her beautiful eyes. His life was now so different from where it had been going a year ago, but it was better than he ever would have imagined. His faith in God had rekindled his relationship with his parents and even his brother had made the trip to see his wedding. Now, if he could just reach Stewart, but that was a thought for another day.

  Before he knew it, it was time to slide the ring on Alyssa’s finger. He turned to get it from Justin and smiled at his friend. He had thought when he became a believer that their friendship wouldn’t last, but instead it had inspired Justin to become a believer too and change his life as well.

  “With this ring, I thee wed.” The words were like lightning as he slid the ring on her finger. He felt a sense of security in his soul and knew he would never forget this feeling.

  “With this ring, I thee wed,” Alyssa said, sliding the gold band on his hand.

  He had thought it would feel funny, like an anchor dragging him down, but it was light and liberating.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Max smiled as he leaned in and placed his lips on Alyssa’s. It had been hard waiting to be intimate with her, but he knew tonight the relationship they shared would be more special than any of his other nights combined.

  As the crowd cheered, he grabbed Alyssa’s hand and they ran down the aisle and out of the sanctuary. The wedding planner had set up another room for them to go to directly after leaving until it was time to enter the reception and he led her there now. She was laughing as she ran beside him, one hand holding his and the other lifting the front of her skirt, so she didn’t trip.

  He opened the door and shut it behind them. Alyssa collapsed on one of the chairs in the room.

  “That was fun, but I wish you had told me you planned on running. I did not wear my marathon shoes.” She held up her feet and wiggled them, showing off the see-through Cinderella-esque heels.

  “I promise I won’t make you run again, at least not until you get better shoes.” He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms wound around his neck, bringing her body closer to his. He could almost feel her heart beating against his chest. “I am so glad I met you and that you agreed to marry me.”

  “Me too,” she said with a smile, “though I’d have never believed it if someone had told me the first day.”

  He laughed as he shook his head. “I was so clueless.”

  “And helpless,” she added.

  “But we make a good team,” he finished.

  She nodded and parted her lips as she looked up at him. They were perfect and pink, and he needed to feel them again. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head until his lips were on hers. Though the kiss started slow, he could feel a raw need, a passion boiling inside. He knew if he didn’t stop this soon they wouldn’t make it to the reception.

  Begrudgingly, he pulled back, breaking the connection. “We better go greet our guests.”

  Alyssa sighed, but nodded and followed him out of the room and down the hallway.

  The church had a large room with an attached kitchen which was where Max and Alyssa had decided to have the reception, so people wouldn’t have to drive to two places.

  As they entered the room, a large cheer went up and the DJ announced them over the speakers. “Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell Banks.”

  Max blinked and shook his head. He would have never thought there would be a Mrs. Banks.

  “Daddy, Mommy.” Peyton ran at them, a blur of pink as her little legs pumped.

  Max swung her into his arms, placing a kiss on her cheek. “You were wonderful, Peyton. You tossed those petals like a pro.”

  “And waved, did you see me wave?” she asked, her head bouncing up and down.

  “Future Miss America right here.”

  “Are we a real family now?” she asked.

  “Yes, Peyton. We’re a real family,” Alyssa said. “I’ll be there every night to tuck you in and I’ll be there when you wake up.”

  Peyton reached out her other arm, enveloping Alyssa’s neck and creating a hug triangle between the three of them. Max couldn’t remember a time he’d been happier.

  The End!

  * * *

  Want to know where Alyssa and Max are now? Check out The Billionaire’s Cowboy Groom and get a peek.

  It’s not quite the end!

  Did you enjoy this story? If you did
, please leave a review. It really helps.

  You won’t want to miss a look at the next book in the series!

  Turn the page for a sneak peek!

  Author’s Note

  The Billionaire’s Secret was originally the fourth book in the Heartbeats Series, but about the time I decided When Hearts Collide should be two stories, billionaires were huge. Max had already been written as rich and it was an easy switch to turn him into a billionaire and rebrand the cover.

  The main story remains the same though and is one of my father’s favorite books. I hope you enjoyed it as well.

  And if you’ve enjoyed reading this author’s note so far (and really, how could you not?) I am offering, for today only, a page where you can sign up for my weekly newsletter for the low, low price of absolutely nothing.

  Included in this weekly newsletter are many wonderful things like pictures of my adorable children, chances to win awesome prizes, new releases and sales I might be holding, great books from other authors, and anything else that strikes my fancy and that I think you would enjoy.

  Even better, I solemnly swear to only send out one newsletter a week (usually on Tuesday unless life gets in the way which with three kids it usually does). I will not spam you, sell your email address to solicitors or anyone else, or any of those other terrible things.

  Join me here and receive a free novella as my thank-you gift for choosing to hang out with me. It’s fun and entertaining. I promise.

  Prayers and blessings,

  Lorana

  Not ready to say Goodbye yet?

  Max and Alyssa will return in a later book, so you can check up on them, but until then, I hope you’ll enjoy the next book in the series, Brush with a Billionaire. This book was originally a novella titled Love Breaks Through in the Kindle World, but when the Kindle World shut, we were given back the stories and I felt like Sam and Brent needed more.

  Brush with a Billionaire

  He’s an actor who wanted some time away…

  Unfortunately, his car breaks down in a small town and he’s forced to room with a stranger until it gets fixed

  Alyssa Miller has been tasked with making sure Peyton is okay…

  But dealing with Maxwell Banks is harder than she thought it would be and her issues with trust aren’t helping.

  A misunderstanding ….

  May ruin everything Max has been working so hard for.

  Read on for a taste of The Billionaire’s Secret….

  A Brush with a Billionaire preview

  DING!

  As Brent glanced at the display, a stream of curses tumbled out of his mouth. This was the last thing he needed. The check engine light gleamed, its orange glow mocking him for not taking the car into the shop last month for its regular inspection. Usually, he was a stickler for those things, but he had just finished filming a movie and his most recent breakup, Tricia, had been blowing up his phone since the breakup. It was only natural that a small thing like car maintenance had slipped his mind.

  And the timing was impeccable, of course. The last major city was approximately ten miles back, and nothing but sagebrush passed by his window now. Dusty, dirty, yellow and brown sagebrush. Why had he thought going to a cabin in the middle of nowhere would help him relax? Oh, right, it had been Julia’s idea.

  Julia had been his agent for years, so he knew better than to argue with her when she told him he needed to get away and take some time to regroup. It hadn’t really been his fault he lost it with the most recent director. The script had been terrible, and Brent was tired of roles that held no substance. But, he should have rented a cabin in the mountains or the penthouse of some nice hotel on the beach. With his money, he could have afforded either and been closer to humanity. But no, Julia had insisted a cabin out in the middle of nowhere would be preferable.

  “Come on, baby,” he urged the Porsche, hoping they had a good enough relationship she would get him to the next town. The size didn’t even matter as long as it had a working phone. His cell phone had lost reception after the last big town. A mechanic wouldn’t hurt either.

  “Stella, if you get me to the next town, I promise I’ll take you to the best shop when we return.” Brent had named her Stella after the girl he had been dating at the time - a high maintenance ex-girlfriend. The girl, a penthouse owning, designer wearing, Tiffany’s lover hadn’t lasted, but the car had, until now.

  His hands glided over the grey leather covered steering wheel, sending positive energy and good thoughts to Stella. Perhaps his touch would spur her to limp another two miles to… what was the name on the last sign? Soda Spurs? An odd name for a town, but in Podunk Texas, he expected no less.

  But, it was not to be. With a final stutter and a plume of blue smoke, Stella died on the side of Farm Market Road 1276. He glared at the asinine GPS that had recommended this shortcut in the first place and sighed. He should have stayed on the major highway. The city traffic was terrible, but at least a city would have guaranteed a tow truck and a mechanic in case of the unexpected. Now, he was stranded in the middle of nowhere with a hot, two-mile walk ahead of him.

  As he popped the hood—hoping she had simply overheated and would work when she cooled down—more smoke billowed out from underneath. Brent was no mechanic, but smoke was never a good thing and probably meant a major fix. He checked the phone one more time in hopes the gods would show him pity, but it had no bars. Useless! It landed on the passenger seat as he swung open the car door.

  The oppressive heat sent beads of sweat trickling down his back. Brent hated being sweaty unless he was at the gym. Even then, he always kept a towel close by. Salty stings in his eye while lifting heavy weights was not only annoying but dangerous.

  He wiped a hand across his face before waving the smoke away and peering under the hood. A series of black and silver tubish things stared back at him, looking like a puzzle in a foreign language. He was not a car guy. Brent liked fancy cars – driving them, owning them, showing off in them, but he didn’t care how they worked—that was why he paid other people. It was one of the many benefits of having money.

  With a raised hand to shield his eyes, he scanned the road. Nothing but brown—unmoving, silent brown. A dirt plume at least would have meant a car was coming, but no dirt stirred along the road. He slammed the hood down.

  With a heavy sigh, Brent snatched his worthless iPhone from the passenger seat, and jammed it back in his pocket. What good was having the latest technology if there were still parts of the state that had terrible service? Perhaps he needed to see about buying a few cell towers. There was a chance there would be cell reception in Soda Spurs though he doubted it.

  He grabbed his laptop bag and then glanced into the backseat of the car to see if he needed to grab anything else, but there was nothing worth stealing there except his travel bag and it only held his clothes and toiletries.

  A final thought urged him to grab the lukewarm bottle of water from the cup holder. His mouth turned down in disgust at the thought of swigging the warm liquid, but it was all he had.

  After locking Stella, he flashed her one more longing glance, slung his bag over his shoulder, and began the trek. The dust from the road soon covered his expensive black loafers, turning them an ashy color. He would have to purchase new ones when he returned to civilization.

  Sweat pasted his short dark hair to his head, and beads ran in little rivulets down his back and sides. Stains developed under his arms, and the heat coupled with the weight of the bag rolled his shoulders forward. He would be sore tomorrow, but he pushed on.

  Relief flooded him as the first signs of life appeared. Small run-down houses dotted the side of the road. The faded paint on them crackled and curled, and the boarded windows kept their secrets locked inside. His gold Rolex told him he had been walking for eighteen minutes though it felt much longer.

  Another few minutes yielded a green sign welcoming him to Soda Spurs, TX. Population 5003. 5003? He sighed, certain that many people lived in a c
ity block alone in Houston, but the houses looked a little newer, not expensive, but more cared for, which ignited a small sliver of hope. Newer paint and open windows allowed the light breeze to flow in and rustle the curtains.

  He approached a blue house with white trim where a lone figure rocked in a chair on the porch. The gray of her hair suggested an elderly age, but her hands nimbly moved the needles she worked as the chair tilted forward and back. It emitted an odd creaking sound in the silence of the street.

  “Excuse me, ma’am.” Brent poured out the charm his mother had taught him to use at a young age. He didn’t have to use it as much now as people flocked to him because of his money, but he could still whip it out when necessary. “Can you tell me where I might find a phone or mechanic?”

  She frowned at him, wrinkles crisscrossing her face, though the beauty underneath was still visible. In her youth, she must have broken hearts left and right. Her hands slowed as her eyes narrowed. Perhaps his charm had lost its touch, or else maybe his ragged appearance was causing her concern.

  “I don’t mean to scare you, ma’am. My car broke down about two miles back, and I had to walk. Is there anyone in this town who can help me? A mechanic or a tow place or something.”

  The stare continued another long minute before his answer seemed to satisfy her, and she leaned back in her rocker, needles clicking again. “Sam’s auto shop is up the way. Turn left at the gnarled tree.” Her leathery hand pointed to the right. “Norma’s is on the way. She’ll give you a bite to eat if you stop in. Tell her Fanny sent you.”

  Her head dropped back to whatever she was making in her lap, and the rocker began its rhythmic motion again. Brent raised his hand in a thank you, wishing he had a cowboy hat to tip her direction. He hadn’t worn one in ages, not since leaving the small town he grew up in, but an image of his mother flustered and blushing as a man tipped his hat at her flashed into his mind. The cowboy hat held a mysterious power over some Texas women, and it would have come in handy now.