Discovered by Her Billionaire

by Sophia Summers

  Discovered by Her Billionaire

  Dana Rae Summers

  Sophia Summers

  Contents

  Read all books by Sophia Summers

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Read all books by Sophia Summers

  Read all books by Sophia Summers

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  Or go to her website: http://www.sophiasummers.com

  Her Love and Marriage Brides Series

  The Bride’s Secret

  The Bride’s Cowboy

  The Bride’s Billionaire

  Read all the books in The Swoony Sports Romances

  Hitching the Pitcher

  Falling for Centerfield

  Charming the Shortstop

  Snatching the Catcher

  Flirting with First

  Kissing on Third

  Her Billionaire Royals Series:

  The Heir

  The Crown

  The Duke

  The Duke’s Brother

  The Prince

  The American

  The Spy

  The Princess

  Her Billionaire Cowboys Series:

  Her Billionaire Cowboy

  Her Billionaire Protector

  Her Billionaire in Hiding

  Her Billionaire Christmas Secret

  Her Billionaire to Remember

  Discovered by Her Billionaire

  Her Single Holiday Romances

  Taming Scrooge

  Chapter 1

  The helicopter pilot leaned back and looked over his shoulder at Jack. He raised his eyebrows. “We have a big storm coming in, are you sure you want to do this?” He handed Jack his phone with the weather site pulled up. “I will not be able to fly back in and get you until this storm passes, and it looks like we are going to have one right after the other. Could be two weeks.”

  Jack was determined to get away. Away from his life, his so-called friends, the pressures of his family empire, and his responsibilities. “Yes!”

  “Okay, the forecast has two big record-breaking blizzards coming across the North West. We are talking feet, not inches of snow.”

  “I’ll make it down and hang out in one of the mountain villages until you can get back in here.” Jack loved extreme sports. The more extreme, the better. It seemed that as the pressures and dissatisfaction with his life increased, so did his desire to push the limits. It was a way to break out of a rut and feel alive and free.

  “Okay, Jack, I will drop you at the highest point of that range.” He pointed away from the coming storm. “It’s more remote, but it’ll give you a head start on the storm.”

  The side door of the helicopter opened and Jack moved into position. “I’ll circle once and then come back in for the drop.”

  Jack nodded. “Thanks, Doug. I know the routine.”

  Doug circled, having trouble holding steady as the wind increased.

  “Here we go. Good luck!”

  Jack dropped from the helicopter into a free fall. His stomach leaped and a heart-pounding adrenaline rush coursed through him. He landed on a steep slope into deep powder billowing up to his thighs and billowing out in all directions.

  “Yeah, this is what I’m talking about!” He loved the freedom and rhythm of the back and forth of his slalom freestyle as he pushed off and carved a path down the side of the mountain. The powder was so deep he felt like he was skiing on clouds. This was the best drop yet. He was so far out into the wilderness he doubted anyone had ever skied this slope. At one point the powder was so high only his upper body was above the snow line. He looked like the abominable snowman as the spray from his turns left clouds of snow behind him on either side. This was like cutting through cream. There were no hard-jarring bounces, just a smooth as silk swish from side to side.

  As he looked across the valley, he could see the white wall of the storm heading his way. Jack stopped and took off his backpack to brush off the snow and change to his snow goggles.

  He looked around and enjoyed the silence. The beauty was incredible. The strong wind was liberating the tree limbs of their heavy snow. He caught a glimpse of another canyon farther away from the storm and decided to traverse this canyon to reach it. As he made it to the rim, he laughed in victory. “Now, this is more like it.” The slope was nearly vertical and provided Jack with a perfect jump. “Off we go.” He jumped over the side of the cliff, falling just to the edge of the canyon where his skis caught long enough to propel him into the air. His howl of delight echoed across the canyon as he sailed through the air.

  That’s when he heard the rumbling. He turned to see a wall of snow start to fall from the top of the ridge. The avalanche was moving fast toward him. “A race. You’re on.” He knew he was crazy, but he smiled at the challenge before him. He pointed his skis away from the rumbling snow and started to race the avalanche. He tried to stay as far uphill as he could on the side of the canyon wall, hoping to miss the heaviest snow of the avalanche. He had seen the remains of a skier who decided to go straight downhill into the center of the valley where the majority of the snow covered him for months.

  Jack turned to look behind him, smiling. It looked like he would miss the rumbling snow if he continued to climb the side of the canyon wall. However, his skis hit something solid, propelling him in the air another ten feet within the path of the snow. His mouth went dry as he envisioned the remains of a skier not so lucky. He really didn’t want to become that unfortunate guy. He could hear the rumbling closing in on him as he scrambled, crawling as far up the slope as he could with his hands and feet digging into the snow and propelling him closer to a grove of pine trees. Just as Jack reached the pine trees, a wall of snow slammed into him, throwing him back against the tree behind him and knocking him out.

  Maggie had been watching satellite TV late the night before and awoke to the sound of rumbling. They usually had a couple of avalanches a year in the steep canyon next to her property. This rumbling sounded like another one. There was a high ridge that separated the two canyons, but she had to check each time to make sure there was no damage. “Timber. Let’s go check the fence lines.” She rolled over to pet Timber as he stretched amid the down comforter and the many pillows that decorated the bed. It’s a good thing I have a king size bed, or I would never have enough room with this big baby sleeping with me. He was in the habit of stretching out to his full length on the bed, and sometimes she found him flat on his back with his legs hanging out on each side. Maggie laughed. She loved Timber. He was a great companion and certainly a big improvement over her last boyfriend.

  “You’re beautiful, Timber.” Maggie scratched his forehead. His silver-white fur set off his dark blue eyes. She had found him as a pup west of her property two years ago. It was hunting season, and normally hunters never got this far into the forest, but this year she heard the gunshots one weekend in October. As evening approached, she went in search of what damage they might have done. She often checked to make sure campfires were out, and trash contained. As she came upon the camp, she was sickened to see the body of a wolf, skinned and beheaded. And worse yet, three little pups had been skinned as well.

  Maggie couldn’t help the tears as they streamed down her cheeks. She was about to leave when she heard whimpering under one of the pine trees. Carefully, she pulled back the branches, and there sat a wolf pup; one the hunters had missed. The pup growled as ferociously as he could, and the ef
fort caused him to lose his balance and roll down a little slope. Maggie laughed and picked him up to cuddle him in the warmth of her jacket. “You are scary for sure, but I’m just going to take care of you anyway.” She did her best to spoil him and didn’t let the rangers know she had him. They would have put him in a refuge until he was old enough to be set free. She felt his chances for survival, under those circumstances, were slim. Now, after two years, he was as domesticated as any dog could be.

  The cabin was luxurious as far as cabins go. Maggie’s father spared no expense when he had it built. It was solar, but there were also two wood-burning stoves; one in the main living area and one in the master bedroom, although she hardly ever used that stove. She often wondered how her Dad found this place. It was 100 acres of private land in the middle of the largest national forest in the North Western United States. If you wanted to be remote, this was the place. An 8-foot high fence surrounded the property. Her father had installed high tech security and had a safe room in the basement, which could only be accessed from a large coat closet in the back of the cabin.

  He never talked about it, but she knew her father had worked for the government in some clandestine program, and this cabin was his safe house during those days. Why she was here was a mystery of sorts. Something happened, and her Dad showed up at her work one day and asked to go to lunch with her. Before she knew what happened, she was on a helicopter heading for the North West. All he would say was people were after him and would hurt his family to get to him. If she could stay for six months, everything would be cleared up, and she could leave. That was two years ago. When it came time to leave, Maggie wasn’t ready. The truth was her father had taken her out of a very unhealthy relationship, and she had no intention of going back. Staying away from men felt like a happy, healthy thing to do. She needed the peace of the mountains, and it was the perfect place to write her dissertation.

  A small barn next to the cabin was full of cut firewood, her truck, and a snowmobile. She opened the door and put on her down jumpsuit with helmet and gloves. There was a shovel and rope and other equipment attached to it. She also pulled a sled that came in handy if she had to move anything out of the way. Her father’s cabin was outfitted with the best equipment. She had never had a time when the snowmobile didn’t start right up on the first try. “Okay, Timber, let’s go!” Timber ran ahead on the road around the property. With the amount of snow coming down soon, he would not be able to plow his way through. But if they hurried, they could make it once around before they were literally snowed in. The snow was really starting to come down in clumps. Maggie loved running the fence line. There were two places where she could jump the river that ran through the property. The weather was not good today, however, and her helmet kept fogging up. The wind was blowing hard. As they rounded a corner, Timber stopped at the fence, barking.

  “What is it, Timber?” As she got close to the fence, she saw a snow ski. She recognized the brand; Boehm France, a handmade ski. This skier obviously has money but no brains. Who would come way out here in the worst blizzard in five years? Must be a helicopter drop. Maggie was irritated with the ignorance of some people when it came to the wilderness. She had learned to be safe, but she often shook her head when she heard about the risks people took. The wilderness wasn’t their backyard they were playing in. They could get killed.

  She drove the snowmobile another twenty feet to the corner gate. “Okay, Timber, let’s find him. Go find him.” Timber took off across the avalanche. He made a beeline to the other side and stopped under a clump of trees. She had helped the park rangers do some rescues, so she had a pretty good idea of what was in store for her. Maggie stopped the snowmobile and sat down on the sled to put on her snowshoes. She then carefully hiked over toward the trees, carrying a shovel and pulling her sled. Timber was already digging.

  “Hello, anyone there?” The avalanche had pushed the smaller trees almost flat with the amount of snow on them. Maggie called out again as she started shoveling. She carefully pulled the trees back up as she shoveled the snow pinning them down. After three shovels full, she broke into an air pocket. Well, this was good news. At least this person might have had air. Once she had opened the top of the hill of snow, she could see an opening out to the side where she could crawl into the base of the tree. Looking down, she saw a man’s legs, but the rest of his body was still covered with snow. “Timber, this way.” She knew if she didn’t get that snow away from his face, he might suffocate. She moved to the side and continued to shovel, trying to create an opening large enough for her to get to him. Timber ran around to the side and started digging and barking as well. Maggie pushed her shovel with all her strength, and the rest of the snow blocking her path fell away. She crawled into where the man lay and cleared the snow away from his face. He had a large bruise and bump on his forehead. Touching his chest, she could feel he was still breathing. His ski goggles were smashed, but they probably saved his eyes and maybe his life. She pulled them carefully off of his head. Something about the peaceful expression on his face pulled at her heart. Who was this man, and what in his life would drive him to take such risks?

  Well, whatever it was, she was now stuck with the aftermath of his decisions, and that was irritating. She pushed her sled next to the man, and after checking him for broken bones, carefully rolled him over onto it. With her rope, she tied him down securely and turned around to look back. “I can’t see anything.” The snow was blowing across the canyon. “Timber, come.” Timber came bounding over to her and nearly knocked her down. He was having a jolly good time bounding through the snow. Maggie tied the rope through his harness. “Okay, boy, go home.” Slowly, they made their way back to the gate in the fence surrounding her property. There, she found the other ski and tied both to the side of the sled.

  Once the sled was attached to the snowmobile, she slowly drove back to her cabin. Timber bounded along beside her as if this was the most excitement he had had in months. Well, the truth was this was the most excitement she had had in months as well. Maggie smirked, wondering what this guy’s story was.

  Once he was in the spare bedroom, she called the rangers. “Hey, Bill, I found a skier hit by an avalanche in Cross Bow Canyon.”

  “What the devil was he doing out there in this weather?” Maggie had to move the phone away from her ear; he was yelling so loud. “How is he?”

  “I don’t know. He’s unconscious and has a bump and bruise on his forehead. Is there anyone close by?”

  “No way, Maggie. With this storm, we can’t get anywhere near you for at least another week.”

  “Okay, I‘ll do whatever first aid I have here and hope for the best.” Maggie walked into the room and sat down by the man. A closer look showed his right jaw was swollen as well. Something about his face drew her in. He had dark hair, but from the tan on his forehead, she could tell he usually wore a cowboy hat. “So, we have a skiing cowboy on our hands, Timber.”

  Maggie opened the backpack she had taken off of him to see if there was any ID. This guy must have been in a hurry. He certainly packed light. She had removed his jacket and most of his winter clothes, down to his thermos. They would have to serve as pajamas. She covered him with a huge down comforter and a furry coyote throw. Timber sat on the floor at the head of the bed, on guard.

  Maggie wanted to call her Dad but knew he would send his “friends” to come and check him out. In some magical way, they would be able to get to her regardless of the weather. But now that the “situation”, as her father referred to it, was cleared up, she had no further need for them. She decided to make a big pot of veggie stew. That sounded perfect. She liked to make it like minestrone with beans in it as well as typical stew meat ingredients.

  Jack rolled over to his side, wincing from the pain he felt everywhere. He felt like he had been body slammed. On his side, he looked directly into a pair of big, blue piercing eyes. “Where am I?” He tried to lift his head, but the animal bared his teeth. No growl, it just raised
its upper lips. So he lowered his head. The animal lowered its lips. The teeth itself were pretty threatening. So, what do I do now? Jack tried smiling at the animal. It looked like a wolf; could that be possible here in this bedroom? Maybe he was a husky type of dog.

  Its lips raised again, this time with a deep shallow growl. “Okay, you win.” He supposed someone who is here in this cabin will come in soon. He could smell something wonderful cooking. He was reminded of his grandmother’s homemade soup. He had to smile. She insisted no one could replicate her soup and made it herself each winter and when someone in the family had the flu. She and the cook had had a rivalry going for years.

  Maggie peeked around the corner. “So, you’re awake.” She pulled the chair away from the bed and sat down, but she didn’t call off Timber. Jack noticed the distance she put between them. She had her hair pulled back into a very long ponytail. Her eyes were also piercing blue, almost the color of her wolfdog’s eyes. She looked cute in skinny jeans and a very large Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt. Even though her figure was well hidden under the huge sweatshirt. He wondered if it belonged to a friend of hers. What was a beautiful woman doing out here in the middle of nowhere?

  “I feel like I was body slammed.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She had sandy blond hair and her eyebrows were raised at him as if judging him in some way. What had he done to upset her? She looked like the outdoorsy type. He tried to pull himself up to sitting, but the wolfdog went wild. It stood on all fours and growled like it wanted to bite his neck. “Can you call off the dog?”