Nobody's Girl

by Love, Michelle

  “Like I said,” Ivo laughed, “It was a military operation. I was going to hire people to do it for us, but Peony and the kids insisted.”

  Sofia felt close to tears again and she hugged the children. “You three are amazing, I love you so much.” She kissed their cheeks and the boys made disgusted faces and ran off, but Peony flushed with pleasure. She had always adored her step-mother, who had, after all, helped her mother give birth to her and Sofia adored her, telling her often, that when she, Sofia, had a little girl, she wanted her to be just like Peony. Clemence encouraged their friendship – she and Sofia had grown as close as sisters in the years that had passed since Peony’s birth.

  Sofia chatted to everyone, and when it came to eat, they sat around the long table under the pergola and ate and talked and laughed. Sofia looked around the table at all the people she loved and felt so overwhelmingly lucky that she felt the tears coming again.

  “Hey, hey,” said Ivo in a gentle voice, but she smiled at him.

  “Happy tears, I swear, baby. Thank you so much for this, for everything.”

  Ivo kissed her. “I love you, baby, so very much.”

  Sofia felt her emotions overwhelm her and she buried her face in Ivo’s neck to hide her tears. She heard an ‘aww’ go around the table and chuckled as she felt a laugh rumble through Ivo’s big body. She wiped her face. “Ignore me, I’m just hormonal or something. Thank you all for being here.”

  “Speaking of which, time for a speech,” Ivo said and she looked at him in surprise. Ivo wasn’t one for public speaking, even amongst friends.

  He raised his glass and took Sofia’s hands. “Today, we come together to celebrate your thirtieth birthday, baby. Nine years ago, I went swimming and found a mermaid.”

  Sofia groaned and Ivo laughed. “Listen, wife, better get used to the cheese because there’s more of it coming.” He gave a discreet nod to Jonas, who smiled and left the table. “Sofia…you have given me the world, two incredible sons, and also you had a big hand – so to speak – in bringing our beautiful Peony into the world too.”

  “Hear, hear!” Clemence raised her glass and Peony beamed at her step-mother. Ivo smiled at the both then turned his eyes back to his blushing wife.

  “I could never have dreamed that I would be lucky enough to find someone like you,” Ivo said, the emotion clear in his voice. “That terrible day, all those years ago, when I thought you were lost to me, to us, was like a living death to me.” His voice broke and he took a moment to gather himself. “But, of course, I should not have worried. You are a warrior, Sofia, a fighter, a survivor and I love you so very, very much. Happy birthday, my darling.”

  There was a chorus of ‘Happy birthdays’ as her family and friends raised a glass to her, and then Sofia saw Jonas lead in an elderly man she didn’t know. Ivo went to meet him and helped him towards Sofia. “Sofia, this is Giovanni Menti, the owner of this villa. Giovanni, my wife, Sofia.”

  The elderly man smiled at Sofia. “I see young Ivo didn’t exaggerate your beauty, Bella. Happy birthday.”

  She kissed his cheeks. “It’s wonderful to meet you, sir, your villa has been a haven this past week.”

  Giovanni shared a grin with Ivo. “I’m glad you think so.”

  He nodded at Ivo and Ivo smiled at Sofia. “Darling, Giovanni’s come here today to help me with the last part of your birthday gift.” Giovanni handed Ivo an envelope and Ivo gave it to Sofia. She opened it and drew out some legal documents. They were written in Italian, and Sofia tried her best to make head or tail of them. Finally, she looked at Ivo, who grinned.

  “Baby, these are the deeds to this villa. As of today, it belongs to you.”

  Sofia’s hand flew to her mouth, so utterly shocked was she and laughter broke out around the table. “Ivo…I…can’t believe it.”

  She stood, rather shakily, and almost fell into his arms. He held her tightly. “I knew pretty quickly you’d fallen in love with the place so I called Giovanni. He was more than happy to sell it to me. It’s yours, sweetheart.”

  “Ours” she said, and kissed him fiercely. “Thank you thank you, thank you.”

  Later, when most of their guest had gone, Sofia and Ivo showed the boys their new home. They quickly chose the bedrooms they wanted, and were telling Peony about their plans. “Ad you choose yours too, Pea,” Sofia said, “And you can come whenever you want to, if your mom says it’s okay.”

  Peony grinned and went off to explore. Outside, Jonas and Camille were trying to round up their brood, and Desiree was chatting with Clemence. Sofia stood at the window and shook her head as Ivo slid his arms around her waist, and kissed her shoulder. She turned in his arms, gazing up at him. “You have given me the world, my love.”

  “You are my world.” he said simply, and pressed his lips to hers. Sofia took his hand and pressed it to her belly, watching his eyes widen.

  “I took four of the tests we bought,” she whispered softly. “Congratulations, you’re going to be a daddy again…”

  And she kissed him, knowing that their family was complete.

  The End.

  Billionaire Games

  By Michelle Love

  Billionaire Games

  A Billionaire Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Novel

  What began as a game ended up changing lives …

  Three men enter a bar, seeking out pawns for their sex game.

  Three women are chosen, who happen to be sisters and the bar owner’s daughters.

  Ethan, Phoenix, and Griffin think they have it made with the sexy women they’ve chosen to play their little game with.

  Only they have no idea that Kel, Cait, and Jess know what they’re up to and plan on playing games with them.

  Passions flare, seduction is key, and sexual prowess is a must when playing to win.

  Let the games begin …

  Chapter 1

  Even though rain was falling in sheets, the press still stood outside the Boston funeral home where the heiress to Captain Jack’s Seafood Company, thirty-year-old Julia Loveless, was resting peacefully for the first time in her short life.

  One tryst too many had found the beautiful young woman the victim of a hit and run. No one was sure who had done the evil deed, but many speculated that the wife of Judge Sanborn, a man Julia had been seen about town with, might have had a hand in it.

  The private car Griffin Houser had been picked up from the airport in coasted into the area where a canvas tent had been erected to see the mourners stay dry as they made their way into the large funeral home.

  Griffin was a thirty-year-old billionaire from old money. His family’s cattle company in Montana had gone in a new direction that had sent them from merely millionaires and into the billionaires’ category.

  Montana Matrix was a prize-winning bull sperm operation. Griffin was supposed to be a salesman for his family’s fertile business. He seldom sold a thing, preferring to wine and dine women who didn’t have a thing to do with the cattle industry.

  Griffin didn’t have anything to worry about. His wealth was secure even if he never sold a single vial of the liquid that had catapulted his family into a new tax bracket.

  Julia had been one of his clients. Tall, legs for days, with hair that changed color with each passing month, Julia was an heiress he had liked to have fun with on occasion when visiting the East Coast. Her passing was sad news, but he had known the day would come when her promiscuity would catch up to her. Her early demise was inevitable in his eyes.

  Griffin made his way into the packed parlor where Julia’s body rested center stage, spotlight included. A platinum coffin, a spray of red roses covering the bottom portion, held her in cushioned comfort. Her hair was a shade of blonde that matched well with her surroundings. He could see she was wearing a red dress.

  Even in death, still the naughty vixen.

  When a grin flowed over his face, he shook his head to stop thinking such inappropriate thoughts on such a grim occasion. He took a seat next to a
tall man with long black hair that was pulled back into a queue. A Native American, Griffin was sure.

  Though the music was quietly playing a sad song meant to pull the tears out of those who had congregated, Griffin tried to ignore the song and extended his right hand to the man he sat next to.

  “Hello. Griffin Houser, Montana Matrix.”

  The man shook his hand. “Phoenix Nelson, Texas oil. How’re you doing today?”

  “Sad, I suppose, is the right thing to say to that,” Griffin said, then chuckled a bit. His action had people shushing him and giving him terrible looks. “Sorry. Inappropriate.”

  When he was met with a grin from the man sitting on the other side of Phoenix, he was not only surprised but glad to see another human in the room who wasn’t so distraught. When he held his hand out, Griffin took it. “Ethan Southern,” came the man’s words, which were heavily laced with a Scottish accent.

  “Griffin …”

  “Yeah, I heard ya,” Ethan interrupted as his attention turned to Phoenix. “How’d you know Julia?”

  Phoenix cleared his throat as he looked down and a grin had found him too. “In the Biblical sense,” came his answer.

  “Aye, me too,” Ethan said, then looked at Griffin.

  Griffin nodded and looked down as a man in the front, wearing black, asked them to pray. A long prayer that had nothing to do with Julia was said by the preacher, then the rest of the funeral proceeded.

  The three men fidgeted a bit as the service went on and on. Many people got up and told stories about the woman they had known as quite the she-wolf. The only thing was, none of the stories they told were anything any of those men knew about the woman who lay in the coffin.

  Tales of how generous she was had the three men smiling with their secret thoughts. Griffin could attest to that. Julia had been generous, all right. He didn’t know if she’d been generous with her money, but with her body … oh yes, she had been incredibly generous with that!

  When the last speaker spoke about how Julia had given to charities all the time, the service ended, and it was time to file past the coffin and the lifeless body. Griffin stood in line, followed by Phoenix, then Ethan. One by one, the people looked down at Julia as they waited for their turn to lay eyes on her one last time.

  The three stopped and took their turns at the same time. “Lifelike, huh?” Griffin asked the other two men.

  “Her hair was red when I was with her,” Ethan muttered.

  “It was pink when I saw her,” Phoenix recalled. “And she’d worn purple contacts. She was something else.”

  Griffin ran his hand over her cheek, lightly. “Bye, Julia. Thanks for the education. You will be missed.”

  “That she will,” Ethan agreed.

  Phoenix nodded, then the sound of a man clearing his throat had them shuffling along. A man in a cheap blue suit was near the door where everyone was exiting; he held out a box of tissues to the three. Each took one.

  “I don’t need this for anything more than to remind me of her,” Griffin said.

  “I have a napkin from a bar we’d meet at,” Phoenix said as they walked outside.

  They all looked up at the brilliant blue, cloudless sky. “It stopped rainin’. Can you imagine that?” Ethan said in wonder.

  “She doesn’t want anyone to feel blue. She never did,” Griffin said. “And on that note, how about the three of us go get some lunch? We can talk about her and what she meant to each one of us.”

  “Count me in,” Phoenix agreed quickly. “I don’t know another soul here anyway. The company would be much appreciated.”

  “Me too,” Ethan chimed in. “I could use a stiff drink.”

  Griffin led them to his waiting private car, and they all piled inside. “How about seafood?” When Griffin got two nods, he called out to the driver, “Neptune Oyster, please, driver.”

  The men all were feeling exceptionally comfortable with one another. A certain comradery was felt between them all as they chatted lightly about this thing and another.

  Ethan Southern was also a billionaire, the heir to Redhead Scotch. The thirty-two-year-old did little more than party his life away. Phoenix Nelson had stumbled into his fortune. He was the illegitimate son of a candy billionaire who had left him a few hundred acres in a tiny place called Karnes County in Texas. He had struck it rich when oil was found on the property not once, but 27 times. It seemed the men were all billionaires, and Julia had been the one to come on to them all.

  As they got into the restaurant and were seated, the three laughed as they ordered the same drink, a Rob Roy. It had been the first step in how Julia had introduced herself to each of the men. She’d send one over, and a bit later she’d have them come to her table where she always sat alone.

  Griffin mimicked the way Julie had wiggled her finger to get him to come to her. The others laughed as they too had been wrangled in by a mere drink, a corny pick-up line, and the wiggle of a single finger in their direction.

  “How do you think the woman was able to pick out three men with massive amounts of money?” Phoenix asked as he sipped on his cocktail.

  “She was a witch,” Ethan said with a hearty laugh. “I believe that with all my heart. She could turn a man inside out and make him beg for more. But somehow, she left him without a tear shed being shed between either party. She had to be a witch. There’s no other plausible explanation.”

  The three clinked their glasses together. “A toast to the enigmatic female who knew how to reel a man in and set him free, all without ever harming his fragile ego or feelings,” Griffin said.

  “Hear, hear,” the other two added.

  A kinship had been found amongst the three men who shared the knowledge a young woman had given them. It was possible to have unimaginable sex after knowing each other for only a few hours, without having to hand your entire soul over to another human being. It could be done with no one being hurt.

  With the realization that all three came to at the same time, an idea was born between them.

  A terribly fantastic idea!

  Chapter 2

  “Are you two gentlemen busy tomorrow?” Ethan asked them, then popped a fried mushroom into his mouth after dipping it in ranch sauce. His auburn waves hung to his shoulders and danced around them as he nodded and moaned with how good the food tasted.

  “I’m never busy,” Phoenix replied. Then he picked up a shoot of fried asparagus and plunged it into the creamy white depths of the dip.

  “Me neither,” Griffin added. “Why do you ask, Ethan?”

  “Because I too am never busy and I have an idea. But it would require an overnighter.” Ethan drank the last of his Rob Roy and motioned to the waiter for a refill.

  “What kind of idea?” Phoenix asked with curiosity.

  “You know how Julia lured us all in, having her way with us so easily,” Ethan said with a grin as he recalled some of those times he and she had had.

  Griffin nodded as his lips pulled into a sly grin. “I do.”

  “And you do recall hearing about how she gave to various charities?” Ethan asked as he took the drink the waiter had brought to him.

  “I do,” Phoenix said. “Can I have a beer? The cocktail isn’t hitting the spot for me.” The waiter gave him a nod and pointed to Griffin’s nearly full glass.

  “Anything else for you, sir?” he asked Griffin.

  “Bring me a beer too. I never did like this drink,” Griffin confessed. “I ordered it just to remember someone.”

  “Beer me too,” Ethan added. “I don’t really know why I ordered another one of these. They’re much too sweet for me.”

  As the waiter walked away, Phoenix asked, “So, what about the charities? Do you think we should donate to some of them?”

  “I do,” Ethan said. “But I think we should make it interesting. I believe we three should make a bet. One that will remind us of Julia.”

  “Like what?” Griffin asked as he watched a tall blonde woman walk behind Ethan and g
ive him a double take.

  “Like find a small bar and see who can get laid first,” Ethan said with a huge smile. “You know, using the tactics Julia used on us. The whole thing—the cheesy drink, the wiggle of one finger, the terrible lines. We all fell for them.”

  “I suppose the two that don’t win have to make the charitable donations,” Griffin said. “In what amount? That needs to be decided.”

  “Can you two do a million each if you lose?” Phoenix asked.

  When the others nodded, the three reached out to the middle of the table, placing their hands on top of the others.

  “So, it’s on,” Ethan said. “The first one to score wins, and the other two make million dollar donations to the charities the winner chooses.”

  “Agreed,” Griffin and Phoenix said in unison.

  A pact was formed between the three men. An agreement that would mean some poor women might well become unsuspecting pawns in their little game. Griffin added a bit more detail to their bet.

  “To make sure things are fair, I think one of us should choose for the other. Like I can pick who Ethan can go for; Phoenix can find me a woman; and Ethan can find one for Phoenix. We can make sure the women look like the type that’ll give us a good fight. It’s no fun if we all pick tramps.”

  Nods had the other men agreeing to the terms, and Phoenix felt like he should add something to the arrangement as he said, “And if no one scores tonight, we keep playing the same women until one of us does score. You know, no trading out. I think that makes it more interesting, don’t you?”

  Ethan raised one thick brow as he contemplated what Phoenix had come up with. “That might mean we have to spend some time in the same place. Let’s choose a place wisely.” He pulled out his cell and searched the names of places near Boston. When a particular word caught his attention, he said, “Middlesex County sounds fun.”

  “It sure does,” Phoenix agreed.