Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: Most Eligible Bachelor (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Colter Family #2

by N Kuhn

  Ignoring his high-horse feelings about the women that threw themselves at him, he had spent every night of these last months screwing his way through Las Vegas. Any woman who came onto him, ended up in his bed only to be escorted out in the morning by housekeeping. Having a room at the place he worked was great. He could walk downstairs to work, he could use the staff to relieve him of awkward morning-afters, and he could hide. From his sister, from Justin, from everyone. Still, it always left him feeling empty.

  Now, he would be free. Today, Justin’s replacement CEO was coming to takeover. The man was nice enough, easy to work with. Grayson had taught him all that needed to be done. Today was his last day. He would walk out of this office, take his suitcase, and finally head back to Seattle. He had an appointment with a realtor Derek Titan had hooked him up with. The man was supposed to be a whiz at finding just the right place for his client. After weeks of searching, he thought they had it right. Grayson couldn’t wait to see it. From the photos, it was the perfect vineyard. An older couple with no children had let it fall into neglect. A year or two of renovations would get it to where they could harvest and Grayson could then have his dream. It would be time consuming and costly, but they had all the equipment already, and the vines.

  His heart raced as he looked at the clock. He had two hours to get the airport if he wanted to make his flight. His plan was to stop in Seattle for dinner with his parents then head to where his future lay… Edmonds. He lazily scrolled through the photos that had been sent to him by the agent.

  “Mr. Colter, I have your sister on the line,” his secretary paged through the intercom. He pressed down the button.

  “Send her through.” He picked up the phone.

  “Gray, you should check and see how Char is doing while you’re in town.”

  Sighing, he squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing a hand over his temple which now started to throb. “Rob, please, don’t start. I told you, I can’t apologize enough. I’m sorry I kissed your friend, but it’s not going any further. We are not star-crossed lovers, we aren’t longing pathetically for each other. I was drunk, overwhelmed about the new job, angry at myself for hurting her feelings, but that’s it.”

  “Gray, the way you two were going at it, tells me there’s something more.”

  “She’s your friend.”

  “And you’re my brother. If you promise to not hurt her, it would be ok with me.” He growled into the phone.

  “I have to get the airport, Rob. I’m having dinner with Mom tonight. Please, just stop. We aren’t in love with each other. If she thinks she has feelings for me, I’m sorry, but it’s just a school girl crush. It happens. I don’t need to go check on your friend. I love you. I have to go.” He hung up before she could say any more.

  He sat there, eyes scanning the office, but never really seeing anything. A part of him would miss this place. It was easy to admit to himself that it had been hard at first, but he handled the challenge well. He wouldn’t miss the parade of women though. That empty feeling all those one-night stands left behind haunted him daily. They didn’t taste like Char… her sweet warm scent, her soft skin. Those women never felt the same beneath him, or wrapped their legs around him quite the way she did. None of them felt right.

  Of course, he lied to his sister. He could never admit his feelings to her. Hell, they still confused him. He had known Char his whole life, so where had these feelings come from? Sure, it had been a mistake, when he first kissed her. She had slapped him, and it turned him on more than anything in his life. On his ride home that night, he had agonized over the confusing feelings battling inside of him. She had always been the annoying little friend. The girl who followed him and his friends around like a puppy, getting Robin into mischief. Now, she was a beautiful woman, someone who elicited emotions from him no one else ever had.

  That night he had returned to his hotel room and drank his way through another bottle of bourbon. The next morning, he had a nasty hangover and haunting memories of a woman he should have never touched. He could only hope that returning to Seattle, and diving into work on the vineyard he would soon own, would help wash away the nagging thoughts. She was off limits, and that was that. He didn’t need to be entangled with a spoiled young woman, still trying to figure out who she was.

  His sister never told him why she had gotten so upset about what he said. Sure, he meant it as a joke, but when he saw the pain and her reaction, he felt so horrible, which started this whole situation. His head sagged, he stared at the desk. There was nothing he needed more than to push those thoughts from his head. He couldn’t handle them anymore. It drove him insane.

  Glancing at the clock again, it was almost time to go. He had come in at seven that morning to clean out the rest of his personal items and handle some last minute things that he left the night before. Thoughts of Charlene shoved aside, he cleaned up and grabbed his briefcase. Walking out, he saw his replacement coming in. It was eight am, and the man was punctual. They shook hands and said their goodbyes, and before he knew it, Grayson was in the elevator heading down to his car. He scrolled the emails on his phone, catching one from the realtor, confirming their appointment for tomorrow. For the first time since landing in Vegas, he had a genuinely happy smile on his face. He had put in ten years of work to get here. Shown his father he wasn’t another trust fund baby, that he could earn what he had in life. It made him the man he was now, and there was no doubt his parents were proud.

  Grayson couldn’t wait to create that first bottle of wine and dedicate it to them. Climbing into the car, he watched the Las Vegas strip disappear as they headed to the airport. His sour mood was finally lifting. He ran over plans, details and to do lists for what would be Colter Vines. It was finally time. In less than twenty-four hours, he would be walking through his new home, putting in a bid and beginning a new life.

  Chapter 5

  Charlene checked the time and jumped up from her desk. Her pile of bids on a hot commercial property scattered across her desk. Her boss had dropped a file on her desk earlier that day, a VIP client. David Visson’s wife went into early labor, and he couldn’t make the meeting. In the two months she had worked at Visson and Wells, her reputation as a hard worker and great sales agent had grown. This was it. She had finally found something she was good at, a job where she could be a success.

  Her hard rule of not dating, focusing on work had done her well. Robin’s husband found her the job. A college buddy of his needed a secretary. Within a week, she’d been promoted to sales, and from there, she blossomed. Being a people person finally came in handy. Lost in her work, she never took the time to look at anything other than the meeting address. She would have to scan the file once there. Hopefully, she could make it before the client. If she could handle this, maybe her boss would give her some better leads, better chances in the future. It felt amazing, finally being able to pay her own rent. Robin had provided her the first month and deposit, and since, Char had been able to pay her back. In just two months. She couldn’t believe it.

  But in the back of her heart, she was still hurting, still in pain from the rejection Grayson handed her. At night, the look on his face when Robin interrupted them, tore at her insides. His eyes had darkened, and he’d glared at her as if she was disgusting. Char could remember the way his hands felt on her, stroking at her body, the way he made her feel, his mouth against hers, the way their bodies molded together perfectly, as if made for each other.

  He had been her secret crush, someone she was in love with for so long, her whole life it felt like. That was her chance, her one true chance to be with him. At night, she dreamed of him still, his warmth, his taste. Stroking her lips absently with a finger, Char recalled his bitter taste, bourbon lingering on his tongue. She had tried calling him the next day, to find out what she had done wrong or why he was so upset. But the man had ignored her, ignored his sister’s questions, basically written her off. Tears threatened to spill over, welling in her eyes. When Grayson had left Robin’
s that night, her friend had held her. She realized that night, that she needed to make a lot of changes in her life. New city, new job, new her.

  She wanted to shove it in her father’s face, that she was successful at something finally, that she was smart enough to survive on her own. But out of some misplaced pride, she couldn’t bring herself to speak to him. He had been cruel, at a time she needed her family the most. It had taught her a lesson. Just not in a way that showed care, love. It had been a month since she spoke to her mother, whom she used to talk to everyday. It was hard on Char. Every day she missed her, their talks, shopping, but the independence felt so much better. It was even harder since she was now living far enough away from her family, that she could be independent. Edmonds was big enough a city that there was life, but small enough that she felt away from it all. The small town feel was great and new to her. People waved, they said hello. They got to know each other. She hadn’t made many friends yet, but was enjoying her new life. The best part, she wouldn’t have to worry about running into her father in town. It just wasn’t time, she was not ready to see him yet.

  Her hand shook with excitement as she grabbed the file, shoving it into her satchel. Quickly she smoothed down the wrinkles from her A-line black skirt. She had traded in her party girl, college age clothing for a more professional look. Her pale purple button down blouse made her green eyes pop, or so the sales woman had said. Her sensible black flats completed her new look. If only Robin could see her now. She looked like a whole new person, felt like someone else, someone better.

  After climbing into her car, it only took her ten minutes to drive through the Sound to reach her destination. As she pulled up the dusty drive, the view took her breath away.

  Realizing where she was, she didn’t need to look over the file. Over the last two weeks, since being listed, she had studied this property. Her boss had stated that for helping him, if she could close the deal, he would cut her in on his commission. It was certainly a huge commission, so he could spare her some, and it would be enough to live off for half a year. But even more exciting, what appealed to her more, was how breathtaking this property was. Beautiful landscape, vineyard reaching all the way to the cliff that fell to the water below. An old cobblestone home, surrounded by old redwoods, gardens and grand views of the Pacific Ocean. There was a winery barn in the back, fully stocked with equipment, and it reminded her of Italy. When they graduated high school, Char and Robin had taken a week-long trip there, drinking wine, enjoying the culture. There was always something about the vineyards that drew her in—families working the land for generations, staying together, creating something for people to enjoy. She never expressed those feelings to anyone. Being so young, they weren’t concerned about things like that. But a girl could dream.

  She parked behind the black Porsche that was already waiting. She could see the shadow from someone in the driver’s seat, probably on the phone, from the way he was gesturing. She took her time getting out, mentally pep-talking herself.

  I can do this. People like me. I know this property like the back of my hand, and, my passion for wine could make this work.

  Mr. Visson had said the client was iffy on the location, thinking he wanted to be closer to Seattle. She could make the case that Edmonds was sunnier and drier, even though it was on the water. Her knowledge on this place told her they already had vines planted for Pinot Gris and Pinot noir. This would be a breeze.

  She stepped gingerly from the car when she saw the client’s door open. Turning back into the car, she made the mistake of reaching for her satchel while catching a glimpse of him. Jolting suddenly, she smashed her head on the door frame. Pain sparked through her head as she bent over. Her hand rose to her head, eyes watering.

  Grayson Colter. Damn it, why, why the hell was he here? She held her eyes tightly shut, wishing, praying it was just a hallucination. Looking again, she could see the smirk on his face. His sunglasses covered his eyes, but the way those lips curved, she knew he was looking at her ass. Realizing it was sticking in the air, while she hid her pounding, injured head behind the steering wheel. What an asshole. She shimmied her hips anyways, enjoying the way his eyes roamed over her.

  “Do you need some help there?” His gravelly voice did things to her insides that no one else could.

  Anger welled up inside of her. So, he thought her ass was good enough to stare at, but she wasn’t good enough to be with, to have sex with? Her mind flashed back to that night, to the way they’d been so passionately wrapped around each other. She had been filled with hope, it had been her chance, her time, to be with him. She could show him, they would be great together, but he had pulled away, and looked at her like she was a leper. The shock, the disgust on his face had literally ripped her apart, tore her heart in two. She felt helpless, like she was nothing. That fury filled her full, and she snapped up the satchel, pulling herself from the car to stand.

  “How’s the head? That looked like it hurt,” the humor in his voice just made it worse. She used to love that snarkiness of his.

  “I’m fine, Grayson. Let’s get this done.” Turning to face him, she saw the shock written in his deep blue eyes. The lines on his face creased and his skin paled as he realized who she was.

  “Charlene. What are you doing here? I’m meeting someone I don’t have time for this.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Visson couldn’t be here. His wife went into labor. So, you’re meeting me.” She pulled her bag onto her shoulder, slamming the car door shut. Grayson’s eyes widened in shock as she stormed past him, heading to the front door of the home.

  She took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger. He’d dismissed her, and she was just starting to enjoy her new life. There was no way in hell she was going to let him ruin it.

  Chapter 6

  “As you know, there’s twenty acres of planted vines, along with another ten acres of privacy property. There’s the cliff, the beach, the woods, your private drive. There are pinot grapes, and you have top of the line equipment in the barn in the back. Once the vineyard is up and running, you’ll be able to have staff living on site, and you can handle everything from here.”

  Grayson watched as she put in a code to open the lock box that held the key to the house. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. It was like a punch to the gut seeing Charlene. He had spent weeks trying not to think of her.

  When he had gotten out of the car, he saw a round, perky ass in the air, as a head of blonde hair had smacked into the door frame. He had chuckled to himself, but then tried to ignore the fact that his body instantly went to thoughts of Char, his blonde. Forcing himself not to think of her, he allowed himself dirty thoughts of that round backside, the tight skirt the woman had on. He didn’t even think of who she was, or why she was there. He was supposed to meet with David Visson.

  As soon as he realized that it was Charlene, the ghost from his dreams, his nightmares, that kept him up at night, he lost his breath. She looked amazing. From her professional outfit, to the flat ironed hair, instead of the usual curls. She looked grown up, like a woman, not the young girl he ran from in Vegas.

  He had felt awful, after all that happened, even worse since she had tried to call him, probably wanting an explanation, but he’d ignored her. The darkness of the situation weighed on him. Guilt for who Char was, having watched her grow up, guilt for taking advantage of her.

  “Snap out of it Colter,” she shouted at him, pulling him from the reverie. He saw her standing in the open doorway. To his new home. She belongs here. That thought scared him. He was glued in place, unable to move. “Grayson, I swear to you, I know what I’m doing. I know this property very well, and I can handle any questions you have. Can we please just be professional? I need this job, and my boss gave me this meeting because he knows I can handle it as well.” Shaking her head, she spun on her heel, heading inside.

  He was running on muscle memory now. Unable to complete a thought, he followed her inside. Looking around, it already fel
t like home. Marble flooring, elegant, yet homey. The house had five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a newly remodeled kitchen. The grand staircase leading upstairs would be the perfect backdrop for weddings.

  He knew already, from speaking with David, that one bedroom and a bathroom were in a private wing, making this perfect for them to have privacy and still run a full package winery. Them? Rubbing a hand over his face, Grayson tried to clear the fog from his brain. Why was he thinking of him and Char as a them? It wasn’t right. It was improper. They were not supposed to be together. He knew right from wrong. This was wrong, but why did it feel so right?

  Try as he might, there was no escaping his growing feelings for her. She stepped away from him, and he had to move closer before he could breathe again. She gave him a tour of the home. Talking as they moved room to room. He already knew he was buying it. At fifty-thousand an acre for the vineyard, plus equipment, plus the home, the bottling barn, the staff quarters in the back of the barn, and garage, they were asking for three and a half million for it all. That was a deal. He didn’t even want to haggle on price, or put in an offer.

  Grayson came here today, to cut a check, but he wasn’t ready to leave Char again, so he let he go on, leading him around the property. Walking through the vines outside, she had taken her shoes off, walking barefoot through the dirt. Who was this woman? She was not the woman he used to know. Had three months been enough for her to completely change? Not that he wanted her to change, he was having enough trouble fighting feelings for the girl he knew. Then comes along this woman who just, blew his mind.

  He crouched down, checking on the vines. They would need trimming, and lots of care, before they could begin yielding healthy crops for wine. It would be a good, two years, before they would be ready for a good harvest to blend the wines.