Billionaire's Vacation: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (Billionaires - Book #13)

by Claire Adams

  I snuck down the hall and stopped as I reached the kitchen and realized there was someone standing by the window, looking out toward the lake.

  "Clay?" I turned and smiled as he glanced my way.

  "Hey, Cora. How are you?" He walked over and gave me a friendly hug. "Did you leave the oaf in there asleep?"

  "Yeah." My heart constricted as I glanced back down the hall. "Tell him that I needed to get back to my own bed?"

  "Sure, but that's a weird message to leave him." He chuckled. "Is your bed so much better than his?"

  "It's far safer." I laughed, but the sound fell flat. "Anyway, I should be going."

  "Cora." Clay reached out and gripped my wrist likely. "You know that you don't have to care about him just because he cares about you. He's a big boy. If you don't want this thing between you-”

  "What?" I smirked. "Why would you think that?"

  "I don't." He crossed his arms over his chest. "But I can tell you that he does want it. He's not stopped talking about you since you guys bumped into each other at your cabin the first day."

  A smile lifted my lips. "You know he had some hot little number pressed to my car, trying to convince her that the car was his?"

  He smiled. "That sounds a lot like my old friend, but not so much like my new one."

  "What's that mean?" I gripped my keys in my hand as emotion raged deep inside of me.

  "It means that people can change. Just like you might be a great girl today, and tomorrow you could make one mistake that ruins everything. People make mistakes. All of us. You included."

  I nodded. "I agree with that. I've made plenty of my own and certainly have suffered at the hands of a few mistakes made by others around me."

  "Right, but on the same token, people who live their lives full of mistakes and bad choices can change in a heartbeat, too. It just takes the right person coming into their lives, and they want to be someone different. Not for themselves, but for that special someone. You know what I mean?"

  Tears burned my eyes. "I think so. I'm just not sure that's me. I'm honestly terrified of letting someone like Brody into my heart. It wouldn't be a fling that I could just discard as summer fun, Clay. It would be so much more."

  "Yeah. It would be fucking amazing." He smiled and touched my shoulder. "You would be amazing for him, and man, do I think he would rock your world, too."

  I chuckled and let a few tears roll down my cheeks. "Alright. I'm going home. I need to think things through a little more. Tell him to call me when he gets up?"

  "Absolutely." He winked and let me go without another word.

  I drove down the few blocks to our cabin with indecision rushing through my heart. I knew what the right answer was, but it seemed like a huge risk to take on someone I didn't know that well. I'd been straightforward with Brody over the fact that I really wasn't a fling-type of girl. And, I wasn't. I wanted long-term again, but I knew I wouldn't be much good at it until I could process everything that had happened with Brandon.

  "Or maybe that's just an excuse." I growled and pulled into our driveway. My phone sat in the cup holder beside me, and before I chickened out, I reached down and grabbed it to call my mom.

  She answered on the first ring, which was a little surprising seeing that it was so early.

  "Baby? What's going on? Are you hurt?" The concern in her voice was enough to melt me.

  I let out a soft sob and sunk back in my seat. "I'm fine. Just so torn right now, Mom."

  "About what, Cora? Talk to me. Do I need to come get you?" She cared. I could hear it for the first time in a long time.

  I wiped at my eyes. "No. I just met someone and he reminds me so much of Brandon, but I don't think he's anything like him. I want so badly to figure out if there's something between us, but I need more time, Mom. Coming home is something I'm doing for you and Dad, but I don't want to live my life for you guys, anymore. I'm almost twenty-three. I want to live it for me."

  "Oh, Cora. Why didn't you just say something? Your father simply thought you were being timid about coming to work because you're so unsure of yourself with all this legal stuff. Remember last summer when you helped us out and you were scared like hell you were going to mess something up?" she laughed softly.

  "Yeah. Who wouldn't be scared? Dad fired some poor guy the first five minutes I was there." I reached for a napkin in my glove-box and wiped at my nose. "I just don't want to let you guys down, but I really like this guy, Mom. I need more time. More time to spend with him, to make sure he's the one before I do something stupid."

  "Then take it, baby. I'll talk to your dad about all of it when he wakes up."

  "He's going to be upset. I don't want him taking that out on you." I sniffled and got out of the car as the darkness started to give way to daylight. The sunrise was sure to be beautiful and seeing that I was never up this early, I didn't want to miss it.

  I walked down to the pier and let my eyes move across the lake as my mom's voice filled my ear.

  "Get mad at me?" she laughed. "That wouldn't happen in a million years. You only see the demanding side of your father, baby, but he treats me like a queen when no one is around. We're just old school. I love him and would follow him anywhere. If I could have more time at the lake when we were younger, I'd have upset my parents and his, too, without thinking about it." She laughed again.

  "Really?" I crossed my arm over my chest.

  "Absolutely. Stay out there and we'll tape everything for you. We support you and your decisions, too, Cora. You just need to start making more of them with your future in mind. The future you want." She sighed. "I love you, baby. Call me later, and we'll chat some more."

  "Okay, Mom. I love you, too." I slid my phone into my back pocket as realization washed over me. I'd completely seen what I wanted to with my mom and dad. He was demanding and seemed to always be in charge where she or any of us were concerned, but to hear it from her... she liked it that way.

  "Cora." Brody's voice was thick and full of emotion.

  I turned and smiled, walking toward him and sinking into his embrace. "Hey, baby."

  "Why did you leave?" He leaned down and touched the side of my face. "Was it something I did? Something I didn't say?"

  He was so precious in his navigating our relationship. I needed to keep that in mind as we moved forward.

  "No. It was me needing to think through what I wanted most for my future." I lifted to my toes and brushed my lips by his. "My parents are good with me staying the rest of the summer. I told them I might have a chance at something really great and I wanted to explore it more."

  "Oh, yeah?" A smile broke out on his face that would rival the beauty of the sun rising across the lake just behind me.

  "Absolutely. Let's figure this out." I squeezed him tightly to me.

  "You figure it out for yourself. I already know that I wanna try this thing between us. I want to see if forever is really what they say it is." He brushed my hair back and gave me a cheeky grin as my heart melted in my chest. "You know what?"

  I smiled and watched him closely. "What, baby? Tell me."

  "We are totally a chick-flick right now."

  "Or a horror movie?" I laughed as his expression changed.

  "Never. Not in a million years." He picked me up and pressed his lips to mine. Even though I was scared to death to take another risk, a larger part of me was far too afraid not to.

  It seemed to right. Too good. Like so much more than a summer fling.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  Cora

  "To us." Clay lifted his beer in the air and smiled around the table as we all sat on the patio of the restaurant we'd gathered at.

  "To us." We all called out and lifted our beers to hit them against one another.

  It'd been a year since we all met on Lake Havasu. A long year. A great year.

  Brody wrapped an arm around my shoulders and leaned down to kiss me. I lifted up to meet him halfway, pressing myself against his side and
deepening the kiss until we got the usual catcalls. I moved back and smiled at everyone.

  "Why are we back here at the lake eating at a restaurant instead of having our own personal chef whip us up something good?" I glanced over at Cindy, who was sitting in Derek's lap. They'd gotten engaged a few months back, much to all of our surprise. Their plans of expanding Derek's parents’ ranch and starting a small restaurant at the front of the property had panned out over the last year, and they were great together.

  Clay and Emily had moved in together and were looking at rings, but nothing had been planned just yet. Emily was extremely particular about the idea of what her wedding should look like, which shocked the shit out of all of us, seeing that she was the least likely to act like a bridezilla. They were sitting side by side, reading something on the beer bottle Clay held between them as I glanced their way.

  Dedra was already off to dance with a handsome football type, and Daniel wasn't able to join us due to something related to his schooling. He had already started to pull away from the group, but the guys almost seemed to expect it.

  I'd taken on the burden of the apartment myself, but I was rarely alone, seeing that the junior high football coach down the road seemed to like the idea of rocking my bed most nights of the week. I glanced up at him to find him watching me like a hawk.

  "What?" I smiled and took a quick sip of my beer.

  "You. You're what." He glanced around as his smile widened. "This place brings back so many fucking memories. I can't imagine my life without last summer... without you."

  He was a different man. One completely committed to me, and if my mom thought my father treated her like a queen, she hadn't seen anything yet. Brody was at my beck and call, no matter what was going on in his own life. We supported each other in a way that made my other friends jealous and left me breathless when I thought about it.

  We hadn't talked much about marriage and kids, though I knew our turn was coming up sooner rather than later. It was just the natural progression of things.

  "What's for dinner?" Clay stood up and stretched. "You guys wanna order a big platter of ribs and chicken and go out on the patio?"

  "Sounds good to me." Derek stood up and wrapped his arm back around Cindy. There was rarely any space between the two of them when they were together. They'd have kids on the way before any of the rest of us, no doubt.

  The thought of kids caused my pulse to race. It was a subject that I would be bringing up soon just to figure out exactly what my handsome boyfriend thought of it.

  "The baked potato casserole is stupid good, too." Brody picked up a menu and glanced down at it. "And the green beans. Let's just get a family style platter thing and eat until we're stuffed.”

  "And then, we can go back to mine and Derek's cabin. I made a few desserts this afternoon before coming up here." Cindy smiled at us, looking far too cute for her own good. She'd put on a few pounds, which actually made her even more attractive.

  "Come dance with me." Brody tugged at my arm and I turned, following him onto the dance floor. I wrapped my arms around his waist and smiled up at him.

  "I'm glad we get these two weeks. I need it." I pressed a kiss to his chest and snuggled against him as he moved us around the room.

  "We can come out here any time you want to, baby. I've been thinking that once you get your license, we could look at building a house out here. A log cabin like we both want." He brushed his lips by the top of my head just before I moved back and looked up at him.

  "I would love that. The commute would be a bitch, but I'm thinking we could work something out with my parents to stay with them when we were in the city for cases and meeting with clients."

  A thought brushed by my mind.

  "Wait. What about your job? You love what you do with those kids." I ran my hands over his strong back and forced myself not to squeeze his butt, though I wanted to so damn bad.

  "There are schools out here, too. Did you see that one on the left just before we pulled into town? They're going to have an opening in the fall. I want to apply for it. If you're down with moving out here with me."

  "Are you asking me to move in with you? To build a house with you?" Warmth flooded me as my heart skipped a beat in my chest.

  "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm asking." He stopped moving and cupped my face. "I'm so scattered. Building a house together is a little out of order, hmm?"

  He turned and winked at someone, catching my attention. I gazed to my right to find Clay walking toward the DJ booth.

  "What are you guys doing?" I turned back to find Brody on one knee in the middle of the floor. Our friends crowded around us, and I realized that the trip to the lake hadn't been Clay's doing, but Brody's. The handsome man on his knee before me had pulled everyone together and set everything up for this moment.

  "I never in a million years thought that I would find someone powerful enough to make me want to give up my wanton ways and settle down. The moment I laid eyes on you a year ago, I knew without a doubt that you were her. I'd never been so damn scared in my life. Well, except now."

  Everyone chuckled as I tried to catch my breath.

  "I love you more than words can express, Cora Ross. Marry me and make me the happiest man in the world. You're that woman, baby. The only one I see anymore." His eyes were filled with unshed tears, and I let out a soft sob as I took the ring and shook my head.

  "I wouldn't be with anyone else," I mumbled.

  He stood up and pulled me into a tight hug. "Good. I'd hate to have to kick some dude’s ass."

  We laughed, and he spun me around before letting me slide down his hard body.

  "I love you, Cora." He pressed his lips to mine, swallowing my response and overwhelming me completely. He moved back and smiled.

  "I love you, too. Only you. Forever."

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  25 DAYS

  By Claire Adams

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams

  Chapter One

  Chloe

  "I honestly have no clue why you're bitching," Seth grumbled as he flopped down on my roommate's bed. "I'd give my left arm to spend Christmas in Aspen.”

  "That's a lie and you know it." I turned back to the mirror and ran my brush back through my long blonde hair as I ignored his jab. He had it far better than any of us, seeing that his father had not only paid for everything from the minute he stepped on campus at UCLA, but was willing to pay the school to bend the rules to get him through.

  "It's not. I love skiing and snowboarding." He sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. His messy blond hair and regal good looks were the only reason I dated him. Nothing else about us made sense. He was a meathead jock with a bend toward beer and any game on TV, while I was a designer, a swimmer, and hated team sports with a passion.

  "I'm talking about you giving up your left arm." I swirled around in my chair and smirked. "You're going to be a big football star, remember?"

  "Yep, and you'll be sorry you left me." He shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair.

  "Speaking of..." I wanted to push the topic of us breaking up, but the last time I did, the poor guy broke down in tears. It was ugly.

  "Not this again." He stood and moved toward me. "You know how I feel about us."

  "Yeah, but I'm moving on with my life, Seth. I care about you, I really do, but we're headed in separate directions. It's been a great ride, though."

  He slid his arms around my waist and snuggled his face against my neck. "It doesn't have to stop, Chloe. Just because you're going to your Dad's for a month doesn
't mean shit. You'll come back, and we can just pick back up. Let's just consider it a break for now."

  "And, what if you meet someone while I'm gone?" I pushed at his chest, wanting to see his dark blue eyes once more before I ejected him from my life.

  He chuckled and touched the side of my face. "Then you're shit out of luck, toots. She's here, and you're not."

  I couldn't help but smile. His warped sense of humor was appreciated, but in all honestly, I hoped like hell he would meet someone while I was gone. Breaking his heart seemed impossible, but our time together was over.

  His additional year at UCLA was going to be good for him, and I had a battle to fight in the middle of the arctic with my old man. I shivered at the thought of the cold weather before pushing Seth's hand away.

  "Alright. Get out. I have to finish packing and catch my flight. I'll see you after Christmas for graduation."

  He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine before jogging to the door. "No falling in love while you're gone. I'm going to be a big star one day, and I need a hot blonde beside me. That's you, baby doll." He winked, and I rolled my eyes.

  There was no way in hell I was going to be some man's arm candy. I had too many dreams for that drama.

  Yeah, our relationship was over. He could call it a break if that helped him.

  The door clicked closed, and I got busy finishing my packing for the trip. It had been a good semester for a final semester. My college career was ending six months early because of the classes I picked up the summer before. I was getting weary of studying and drawing designs only to have them downgraded and torn apart piece by piece in the name of education.

  I was grateful when the buzzing of my phone pulled me from my thoughts. School had been a bitch, and I was glad to have it done and over with.

  "Hello?"

  "You all packed up?" It was my sixteen-year-old brother, Parker.