Newport Billionaires Box Set

by Amy DeLuca

  He’s made his tech start-up the biggest online payment processor in the world, earned his first billion, and has women throwing themselves at him everywhere he goes. Actually, that last thing wasn’t on his list. The only girl he’s really ever wanted was—and still is—out of his league. And his money means nothing to her.

  But when Hunter and Kristal end up accidentally spending seven minutes in heaven—in this case, a dark room at a high society party—together, he begins to think she might not be so indifferent to him after all.

  And when he learns she’s desperate for a temporary place to live, he concocts a little white lie to convince her to move in with him… and his six housemates. After all, their rented mansion has plenty of room. And there’s no way he’s leaving Snow White out in the cold this winter. Not when there’s even the smallest chance his lifelong crush might finally wake up and see he’s the prince she’s been waiting for.

  The Billionaire’s White Lie is a full-length clean billionaire romance retelling of Snow White. It’s a standalone secret admirer/friends-to-lovers/roommates/forbidden love wholesome romance with no cheating or cliffhangers but plenty of humor and one heck of a happily ever after.

  Enjoy the story…

  One

  Biologically Incapable of Cool

  You can’t completely comprehend the term “flabbergasted” until you find yourself playing an accidental game of Seven Minutes in Heaven with your unrequited lifelong crush at a swanky society fundraiser. – Hunter Bestia

  She looked almost too good to be real, like a mirage—or one of those photoshopped magazine images of models you probably wouldn’t look twice at in real life.

  Hunter Bestia considered taking a sharp detour, cutting across the Newport mansion’s oceanfront lawn and not stopping until he reached his own house several doors down.

  But then she lifted one hand in a tentative wave, indicating she’d spotted him too.

  His heart lurched forward and slammed against his sternum like the cold Atlantic waves crashing against the nearby cliffs.

  Time to man up, Hunter. Talk to her. Show her how you’ve changed.

  He crossed the marble terrace toward her, making his way through a sea of designer dresses and tuxedoes, his pulse thrumming harder than the savage war drums in one of his brother Jack’s best-selling fantasy novels.

  Drawing closer, Hunter confirmed it was no mirage. Kristal Bianco, the girl he’d longed for pretty much every day of his entire middle school and high school career, was indeed real and standing right in front of him, looking even more unattainable than ever.

  Somehow his voice came out sounding normal, though his belly vibrated with nerves. “Hello Kristal.”

  “Hunter!” She rose to her toes and gave him a brief hug, laughing brightly. “I thought that was you. How long has it been? Wow, you look incredible.”

  It took him a few seconds to respond. The combination of her scent, her compliment, the hug, and her utter gorgeousness had fried half his brain circuits, leaving him fumbling for words.

  “Oh, uh… since graduation. So what is that… eleven years?”

  “Twelve. I thought you were a math genius,” she teased. “Wow,” she said again, shaking her head and looking shockingly delighted to see him. “What are you doing here?”

  “My brother Jack and his wife were coming and told me I should make time for it. Support the cause and all that.”

  She nodded, still smiling. “I know the Charity Relief Foundation and my stepmother appreciate it. Still, these things can get kind of dull after a while, can’t they? Same old people, same old small talk.”

  Dull was the furthest word from Hunter’s mind at the moment. Kristal was stunning, even more dazzling up close than she’d been from afar. Back in high school he’d thought she was the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. Now… she was ethereal.

  Her red cocktail dress hugged her curves and perfectly complemented her pale complexion and shoulder-length black hair. She wore matching red lipstick, which only made it more difficult to stop staring at her heart-shaped mouth.

  Stop. Staring. Say something. Anything.

  “Yeah,” he pretended to agree with her comment. “I can see that.” Then he confessed. “Truth be told, I don’t really come to many of these society parties.”

  “Lucky you,” she quipped.

  What Hunter didn’t say was that he didn’t have much desire to socialize with the same people who’d looked down on him, treated him like he was some lesser form of human when he was growing up poor in Newport, Rhode Island, America’s first playground of the rich and famous.

  He’d only recently begun to be invited to rub elbows with Newport’s elite. His wealth, while considerable, was a newfound thing, a result of the recent launch of Chipp, his tech startup. Most of the attendees at these soirees were old money. Kristal’s people.

  No doubt she’d learned ballroom dancing and formal dinner silverware placement at an early age, attending events with her family.

  Her family. Finally regaining some sense of composure, he said, “I was sorry to hear about your dad’s stroke. How’s he doing?”

  Her smile fell. “Not too good, actually. It was a major one, and I happened to be out that night. So was Margot—that’s my stepmother. He was alone and didn’t get to the hospital quickly enough for the TPA to take full effect. His mobility was severely impacted, and he’s basically lost his speech. I can tell he’s really down about it. He won’t even let me take him out in public.”

  “Oh man. That is rough. I’m really sorry to hear that.”

  Kristal’s father, Richard Bianco, was a wildly successful attorney and a partner in the state’s most prestigious law firm. If there was a high-profile case in Rhode Island, his name was bound to be attached to it. He’d made a fortune.

  Losing your speech and a good portion of your mobility would be devastating for anyone, but for a man whose claim to fame was making jury-winning persuasive arguments, it had to be doubly so.

  Kristal’s gaze flitted to the side then up as she appeared to blink back tears. Her long lashes fluttered rapidly as she swallowed. “Yeah. It’s hard—on all of us. I hate seeing him so unhappy… and feeling so helpless to make it better.”

  Hunter’s heart tumbled toward Kristal. It was killing him to see her so unhappy. Though she’d been a member of the rich kids’ crowd back in school, she’d always been kind to him. Of course, he’d realized it for what it was—common courtesy and simple friendliness—more than he could say for a lot of her friends.

  Obviously, Hunter had never asked her out. She would never have seen him as dating material. She’d been so far out of his league it had practically made him lightheaded to even think about scaling those lofty heights.

  So he’d admired her from afar and mustered all his courage just to meet her eyes whenever she’d offered a friendly “hello” in the hallway or classroom. Now, though, he instinctively reached for her hand, compelled to offer some small comfort.

  “I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I know how hard it is.”

  She squeezed his hand and gave an uncomfortable laugh, withdrawing her fingers to swipe quickly under her eyes.

  “Thanks. You’re probably one of the few people who does. We both lost our mothers at such a young age. I guess I’m lucky to have had my dad for this long.”

  Her soft words knocked all the air from Hunter’s lungs. She remembered. It stunned him that she’d paid enough attention to a guy from the poor side of town, a skinny math geek, that she’d been aware of anything personal about him, much less his mother’s death from breast cancer. He fervently hoped she didn’t know about his father’s condition as well.

  He swallowed hard, getting a little choked up himself. “Yeah, well, you know these things do get at least a little easier with time. Not perfect, but better.”

  She nodded. “I just feel like I need to spend every minute with him, you know? While I can. He was always working so much, this is the first
chance I’ve ever had to spend significant time with him. I didn’t even want to leave him to come here tonight, but Margot is the chairwoman, and she insisted I be here. I’m just trying to get through the night, honestly.”

  Taking in a deep breath and letting it out, Kristal shook her head and put on a bright smile. “Let’s talk about something happy. Like your success. It’s amazing what you’ve built. I read somewhere that your company was just valuated in the millions.”

  She’s read about me? Hunter’s heart kicked back into a rapid rhythm, his nerves resuming their jittery dance. A sudden scramble of thoughts started a raucous barroom brawl in his mind.

  Maybe this is my chance to impress her.

  No, don’t brag.

  But… she did ask. Maybe if she understands how successful I’ve become, it would even the playing field. She’s used to successful men.

  “Billions, actually,” he corrected, offering a suave smile. “The Wall Street Journal called Chipp the most innovative, must-have tech of the past two decades.”

  Kristal’s smile dimmed. Her tone flattened. “It must be exciting to see all your hard work pay off.” Her eyes drifted from Hunter’s and across the vast lawn, searching for something. He was losing her attention.

  “And you’re leasing the old Easton place,” she said, sounding almost bored now. “Are the renovations as spectacular as they say they are?”

  “It’s pretty nice.” His shrug masked a growing sense of desperation. He felt like a kid who’d been picked first for the kickball team and then put on the bench without warning. What had gone wrong?

  “We’ve been comfortable there,” he continued, then doubled down on his attempt to impress her. “But I’m looking into buying my own place. Considering that castle on Ocean Avenue with nine acres. It’s only nineteen million.”

  Hunter wasn’t quite sure what orifice he’d pulled that one out of, other than the fact he’d driven down Ocean Avenue yesterday and had noticed the For Sale sign. Man, was he nervous. Honestly, he’d have no use for a place with ten bedrooms, sixteen baths, and an ocean-view tennis court. He didn’t even play tennis.

  Kristal seemed to have barely heard him, literally turning her body away so he was seeing her in profile now as she continued to scan the property.

  “Have you seen Harry McAllen tonight?” Flashing her eyes back to him, she said, “He’s my boyfriend. Remember him from school?”

  He did indeed. Harry had been his least favorite member of the silver spoon club. Hunter remembered him as an entitled jerk who’d moved quickly from one girl to the next without necessarily notifying the first girl in advance.

  When they’d been seniors, Harry had started showing up at the house next door every night, visiting Hunter’s shy but sweet ninth-grade neighbor, Elizabeth. When he’d asked her about it, she’d tearfully told Hunter that Harry had claimed to love her but refused to acknowledge her at school.

  The next time Mr. McAllen had showed up for a cradle-robbing booty call, Hunter had been waiting. He’d challenged him to a fist fight in the front yard. Harry had stormed away, slamming his car door and peeling out of the run-down neighborhood in his new Mercedes.

  But he’d stopped messing around with Elizabeth.

  Hunter and Harry had despised each other from that point on. But that was a long time ago. People changed, right?

  All Hunter could say was that Harry must have really grown up and turned a corner character-wise to be dating a classy woman like Kristal. It probably hadn’t hurt his case that he worked at her father’s law firm and was known as Richard Bianco’s protégé.

  Thinking of the two of them together siphoned the remaining air from Hunter’s already deflating mood. “Um… sure. Yeah, I remember Harry. Haven’t seen him around tonight. You think maybe he went into the mansion?”

  “He said he was going to get us drinks, but he hasn’t come back. I think I’ll go and look for him.” She stuck her hand out and gave him a tight smile. “It was nice seeing you again, Hunter. Congratulations on all your success.”

  He clasped her hand for an all-to-brief moment before she withdrew it, turned, and left.

  “Good to see you too… Kristal,” he called to her back, his voice dying off along with all his stupid hopes.

  Watching her retreating form, Hunter gave himself a swift mental kick.

  Great work, doofus. You really impressed her, didn’t you? Sent her running off in search of Harry-flippin-McAllen, of all people, for more pleasant company.

  When Kristal had complimented his success, he should have brushed it off, said something humble and self-deprecating. Played it cool.

  He was apparently biologically incapable of cool when it came to her. He was no better at talking to her now than he’d been at seventeen. And she was with Harry.

  Fantastic.

  Feeling annoyed with himself, and now with the party in general, Hunter wandered back into the house, looking for Jack and Bonnie so he could say goodnight and drop off a check for the Charity Relief Foundation before leaving.

  Approaching a few people he knew, he asked each of them if they’d seen his brother and sister-in-law recently. He followed their directions, checking the dessert buffet and then the ballroom, but didn’t find the pair. He was about to give up when the woman collecting donations in the grand entry hall pointed at the massive marble staircase.

  “I think I saw them go upstairs just a few minutes ago. Some of the second-floor rooms are open for tours tonight. You should go check them out too.”

  Hunter returned the volunteer’s warm smile, thanked her, and climbed the gleaming turned staircase.

  Like many people who lived in popular tourist areas, he’d never really bothered to explore many of the sights himself, leaving them to the visitors. He’d been to functions at Marble House on the first floor and out on the grounds but had never actually toured the mansion.

  He got something of a self-guided tour as he walked the long second-floor central hallway, peeking into room after room filled with gilded antique European furniture and priceless artwork.

  The second level was basically deserted as far as he could tell. Either the other party guests had toured the rooms on the upper floor earlier or they weren’t interested in anything beyond the food, drinks, and dancing downstairs.

  Hunter didn’t find Jack and Bonnie, but he did spot something that caught his interest in a large bathroom adjoining one of the bedrooms. He’d never seen anything quite like it.

  The 1920’s era bathroom contained the usual fixtures, but there was something extra in this one he wasn’t quite sure how to classify.

  It looked like a very small bathtub, low to the ground, with water spigots above it for fresh and saltwater. He studied it, walking from one side to the other to view it from different angles.

  It wasn’t a bidet—he’d seen those before when traveling in Europe. So what was it?

  Deciding he’d ask someone when he went downstairs again, Hunter left the bathroom and backtracked through the bedroom, heading for the door to the central hallway.

  That’s when the lights went out.

  Two

  Hide and Seek

  Fifteen minutes earlier

  Stepping into the house from the terrace, Kristal moved from room to room, searching for Harry. It seemed strange she hadn’t seen him in such a long while.

  Hopefully he hadn’t spotted her talking to Hunter and gotten angry. Harry had a legendary temper.

  There was certainly nothing going on, but Hunter was a tall, good-looking, single guy. She hoped her boyfriend hadn’t mistaken what he’d seen as something more than two old friends reconnecting.

  It had been really nice to see Hunter—at first. She’d followed his blossoming software design career with interest, so happy for him and not the least bit surprised. She was proud to say, “I knew him when.”

  And she’d always known he’d be successful—at whatever he chose to do. It had been obvious in high school he was brillian
t, maybe even a genius.

  He’d been such a nice guy, though painfully shy. Kristal had actually harbored a bit of a secret crush on him back then.

  Though a little on the thin side, he was very fit, like a runner, not to mention his arresting electric blue eyes. He’d been cute in a geeky high school boy kind of way.

  Being a self-identified art-geek, she’d thought they might make a nice couple. But he’d never asked her out or really even shown any interest in her beyond general friendliness.

  Now she was kind of glad they’d never dated, though admittedly, Hunter had developed into a stunningly handsome man. Kristal almost hadn’t recognized him at first glance with the way he’d filled out and matured.

  But he was such a braggart. She would never have predicted that of him. He’d always seemed so down to earth when he was young. Then again, she hadn’t really known him all that well. Anyway, she had her hands full with Harry—or would if she could manage to locate him. She needed him.

  The air-kisses and chit-chat were wearing thin, and the melancholy she’d been fighting daily since her father’s stroke was starting to creep in again.

  She was craving Harry’s easy laughter and charisma, the mega-watt smile that always charmed whomever was around.

  “Where have you been?” an imperious female voice demanded from over Kristal’s shoulder.

  She spun around to face Margot. Her stepmother’s unnaturally smooth forehead actually creased a teensy bit.

  Boy she really must be perturbed. That skin hadn’t moved in at least a decade.

  Margot wore a flapper-style dress embellished with allover white feathers. A bejeweled headband with a single matching feather adorned her sleek platinum bob.