Battling the Billionaire: A Clean Billionaire Romance

by Kate Ashgrove

  “Oh, I think you already have an in. Devon is super into you. I saw a picture of the two of you online, at the food kitchen.”

  “What?” Jenna said, her voice sharp. “Why was there a picture of us online?”

  “Well, he’s a billionaire. Kind of our equivalent of Prince Harry. People care about who he’s dating.”

  “We’re not dating.” Heat crept up Jenna’s neck. One night serving food at a soup kitchen meant they were dating? What would the support group think? She actually met with them on a regular basis to discuss their shared hatred of TrueLife and how to make life miserable for them.

  “Maybe you should be. I mean, I wouldn’t judge you if let him stick around, at least for a while. Thanks to his company, you’ve busted your butt for years and gotten nowhere. Now you’re freaking Cinderella.”

  “That’s the second time you’ve compared Devon Ward to a prince. Princes don’t deny legitimate healthcare claims. At least not the fairy tale ones. And are you suggesting I pimp myself out? Let him buy me stuff and then dump him? In what universe does that sound like me?”

  “I’m just saying I’d like to be in your glass slippers.”

  “He’s not even into me, Tali. Remember when we splattered him with paint? I don’t think he liked that.” Jenna grabbed a jacket and hurried out the door, slamming it behind her. She looked up to see the limo sitting in front of her trailer, and rolled her eyes. Why did he insist on sending a limo to a trailer park? Just to flaunt his money?

  “You never know. Anyway, no guy buys a woman, like, a whole flower store and a house unless he’s super into her. I mean, not that I’d know. I’ve never seen anything like that. Ever. Are you sure he’s, like, evil? Because—”

  “Shut up, Tali.” Jenna was debating whether to get into the limo or take the bus. That would teach him. But when the driver got out and gave her a genuine smile, she sighed. She’d hate to get him into trouble. The guy was just trying to do his job.

  “I gotta go, I’ll keep you updated.” Jenna smiled as the driver walked around the car.

  “I didn’t catch your name,” Jenna said.

  He looked slightly taken aback. “Stan.” He held his hand out to shake hers, then opened the back door.

  “Can’t I sit up front with you?” she asked.

  “It’s your choice, miss. But the other drivers would certainly look down their noses at me.” He gave her a wink.

  “The back it is,” she said, letting him open her door.

  The drive into the city felt like it took forever. She couldn’t stop fidgeting, wrapping her purse string around her finger, touching every button she could find. She tried to make small talk with Stan. He didn’t have a lot to say, apart from asking her how her friend was doing with a slight smile on his normally unreadable face, which made Jenna really curious about what had gone on when Tali had taken the limo.

  Jenna pulled out her notes and went over them again and again. There were so many charities that needed funding. She’d never felt like she had the potential to make such a difference before, and the pressure was crushing and exhilarating at the same time.

  She imagined how her meeting with Devon would play out. Was a company that denied claims to save money really interested in giving more to charity? And if they did up their donations, would that decrease her chances of getting them to change their business practices? How much money would they let slip through their fingers?

  She twisted her purse strap again. She wanted to trust Devon. She remembered the sound of his voice, warm with emotion, when he’d said he wanted to do more. And the way his eyes had teared up at the soup kitchen had nearly convinced her there was no way he was just trying to dupe her. She could hardly believe him capable of ignoring the suffering of those whose claims were being denied.

  But even if Devon wasn’t the heartless executive she’d expected him to be, someone from TrueLife certainly was. She couldn’t let her guard down, and she couldn’t let Devon’s charms, genuine or otherwise, distract her. TrueLife was the enemy, and there were people counting on her.

  When they approached TrueLife’s headquarters, Devon was standing outside, glancing at his watch. He lifted his head, spotting the limo, and smiled broadly. Jenna raised her chin, determined not to let that smile melt her resolve.

  She made herself wait for Stan to come around and open her door. As she stepped out, Devon hurried toward her with his face lit up, like he’d been waiting all day for her arrival. She held her hand out, offering him a firm handshake instead of a more familiar gesture, but even the feel of his warm hand wrapped around hers muddied her thoughts.

  “Are you ready to change the world?” he asked, letting go of her hand.

  “I’m not the one with all the cash.”

  “You know better than anyone that money alone won’t do it. It takes someone like you. Just one evening with you, well—” He looked away, then his eyes met hers. “It changed my life.”

  Jenna swallowed, thrown from her resolve by the sincerity in his eyes. She couldn’t forget that he’d changed her life too. Even with her suspicions that there must be some kind of obligation attached, she’d slept better than she had in years just knowing her mom was being taken care of.

  “Speaking of life-changing, are you ready for lunch?” Devon turned quickly toward a row of shops that took up the lower floors of red-brick buildings that had been there much longer than the towering office buildings that surrounded them.

  “With a lead-in like that, how could I not be?”

  “How do you feel about breakfast food?”

  “I’m glad you’re getting all the hard questions out of the way. Who doesn’t love breakfast at all hours?”

  “I thought you’d feel that way.”

  Chapter 12

  Devon

  Jenna’s eyes widened when she saw the woman in front of her turn around with the largest crêpe she’d ever seen. It was stuffed with cream and cashews and wrapped in paper.

  “That looks like dessert, not that I’m complaining.”

  “The only problem with this place is it’s too close to work,” Devon said. “It takes a lot of discipline not to come here every day.”

  “Why fight it?”

  “I’d have to triple my daily work-out, and who has time for that?”

  Devon stepped up to the counter. He ordered a crêpe filled with raspberries and white chocolate custard, and Jenna chose strawberries with Nutella and whipped cream. As they waited for their orders to be assembled, Devon felt an arm clap onto his shoulder. He turned to see Charles and Peyton standing in line behind them.

  “Funny finding you here,” Charles said, a white-toothed grin spreading across his face.

  Devon forced a smile. Funny indeed. Charles was more of a kale and quinoa kind of guy. He wanted to live forever. Devon’s father had joked that he might just be motivated enough to pull it off.

  “I should have known you’d track me down.” Devon turned to Jenna, even though Charles and Peyton were the last people on earth he wanted to introduce her to. Besides inflaming that little rash of guilt, the experience was much like offering someone the perfect slice of dark-chocolate torte, only to have them mistake it for something you made from a mix. They could never see her true value. “Jenna, this is Charles. Don’t let him fool you. He leaves nothing to chance. And this is his daughter Peyton.”

  Jenna shook his hand. Then she turned to Peyton. Peyton was already tall, but in three-inch heels she practically towered over Jenna, and she smirked slightly as she held her hand out. Jenna held her own, shaking her hand firmly and offering a smile and tight nod.

  “Your schedule included a suspicious lunch date, and I knew right where you’d take someone you wanted to impress—or kill with a heart attack.” Charles grinned at Jenna. “I just had to meet the woman who’s charmed our CEO. If you want to stay on top of things you have to know the people who influence the people in power. It’s exhausting at times, but in this case it was a pleasure.�
� He touched Devon’s shoulder, giving him a wink. “I’ll see you after lunch.”

  Their order was called out, but before Devon could turn to retrieve it, Peyton’s hand took hold of his shoulder and she leaned in for a swift kiss on the cheek. Her lips paused near his ear. “Go easy on the poor girl.”

  Devon stiffened, turning quickly to grab their food, then led Jenna to a table in the corner. His eyes darted back to Charles and Peyton. Peyton was sending a text as they waited for their orders to be assembled, and Devon couldn’t help but wonder what they were up to.

  “Everything okay?” Jenna asked, hanging her jacket on her chair.

  Devon turned to her, trying to forget about why they were here, and pushing down the guilt that had seeped inside him along with Peyton’s words. He wasn’t using Jenna anymore, even if Charles thought he had him on his leash. Still, the idea that he’d ever stooped so low made him feel sick.

  He shrugged and nodded.

  Jenna’s eyes drilled into him. “Ex-girlfriend?”

  How did she read him so well? Or maybe she’d read Peyton, who was not very subtle. “Yeah, it was a long time ago. I was young and stupid enough to believe she was into me because of my sincere heart and irresistibly good-looks, which were greatly enhanced by bleached-blond tips at the time, by the way.” He grinned, touching his hair, and Jenna laughed. “Turns out she was into the fact that I was next in line to run a billion dollar company. When I told her I had other ideas she dropped me like a hot potato.”

  Jenna frowned. “I’m sorry. You can never trust people. That’s why I gave up dating a long time ago.”

  Devon’s guilty conscience kicked in again, and he shifted in his chair.

  “That and I really don’t have the time or energy to put into it.”

  “Maybe you’ll have time now,” Devon said, trying to keep his tone light. “Your mom’s doing so much better. You can think about yourself a little bit.” He looked into her eyes, searching for some sign that she might consider thinking about him too, but she frowned again.

  “Maybe someday,” she said, looking unconvinced.

  There was an ache in Devon’s chest, and he struggled to keep it from reaching his eyes.

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound bitter. Still hungry?” She gave him an embarrassed smile.

  “If you’re suggesting we move on from this particular topic, I whole-heartedly agree.”

  Devon kept his eyes on Jenna, waiting for her reaction as she took her first bite. Jenna was careful, trying to avoid spilling the toppings, but she finally managed to sink her teeth into the over-stuffed crêpe. “See what I mean?” she said, when she was finally able to talk. “Money can do great things. In this case, it purchased pure bliss.”

  “I’m glad you like it.” A sensation of pleasure bloomed inside of Devon as she smiled. It was a feeling he knew he should tamp down. He didn’t know why he cared what she thought, or why he needed her approval. He didn’t know why he craved the fulfillment of putting a smile on her face. He had a suspicion it had something to do with the way the corners of her mouth curled sharply upward at the corners, and how the smile continued in her eyes, making them shimmering blue half-moons. He only knew he was in danger of seeking out the response again and again, like a junkie in need of a hit.

  They ate in silence for a moment, both of them trying to keep the filling from squeezing out onto their faces. They smiled at each other sheepishly, like they were sharing a guilty but totally worth-it indulgence. It reminded Devon of the night they’d met, when they’d shared the delectable peach pie.

  “You’re a foodie, aren’t you?” Jenna asked suddenly.

  “You got me,” Devon said. “That’s what I was doing in Europe, you know. Learning to cook. After I got my degree in business I dumped it all and headed to Europe with grand, naive ideas about being a chef.” He laughed, embarrassment warming his cheeks.

  “There’s nothing ridiculous about that. Sounds like a nice dream. Why did you come back? You don’t exactly light up when you talk about insurance.”

  “When I left, it wasn’t on the best of terms. My father wasn’t exactly thrilled with my life choices. The fact that I wasn’t here when he passed away—I needed to be here for my mom. And then there was Charles, insisting the company needed me. It just felt like it was time to man up.”

  “I guess I can understand that. When you’re a kid you get the idea you can just pick a dream and follow it. You can do anything. Real life sets you straight real fast. And family comes first.”

  “So what was your dream?” he asked.

  Jenna looked down at her crêpe, plucking out a strawberry. “I didn’t say I picked one. I just always thought I could. Then it seemed better not to dream.”

  Devon frowned, guilt making him slightly nauseated after downing all the sugar and carbs. Maybe he hadn’t exactly had his happily ever after, but he’d at least had the chance to dream. He’d had the opportunity to do what he loved, if only for a couple of years.

  “Don’t do that thing with the eyes,” she said sternly.

  “What thing?” he asked, perking up. The idea that she’d spent as much time studying his features as he had hers was compelling, if unlikely.

  “Nothing.” She popped the strawberry in her mouth.

  Devon’s eye caught on a wisp of cream that was stuck to the corner of her lips.

  “What are you looking at?”

  “You just have a little—” He wanted to reach out and lift it away. Instead he touched his own lip.

  “Oh.” She grabbed a napkin to wipe it off. Then she cleared her throat, taking a pile of notes out of her purse. “I think you’ve distracted me for long enough. Time to get down to business.”

  “I’m sorry.” He tried to ignore the hope that sprang up inside him, but couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across his face. “I didn’t realize I was a distraction.”

  “You’re not,” she said sternly. “So tell me. How much does TrueLife donate to charities each year?”

  Devon had caught the glimpse of smile she’d tried to hide. She was trying way too hard to put on an all-business face. He wanted to keep pushing, see if he could make that smile break out again, but he knew it wouldn’t be respectful. He’d asked her here on business, and she deserved to be treated like a professional. “Last year our donations totaled fifty million dollars.” He straightened with pride.

  “You know that Safe Insured donated over a hundred million last year, right? And they’re a prawn next to a company like yours.”

  Devon shrunk a little. “Doesn’t sound quiet as generous now. Look, when I came back here I didn’t want to be in the insurance business. I stepped in, thinking I’d just do as I was told, be the face of the company but let Charles take the lead, make everybody happy. But now—”

  “Now you’ve fallen in love with insurance?”

  “No, I’ve—I’ve met you. I thought all this money was only good for bogging people down, making them lose focus on what’s important. I was just caught up in my own misery. But you kicked me into gear. I’m done wallowing.”

  “So what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying we visit with the financial advisors and see how high we can push those donations.”

  Chapter 13

  Jenna

  Jenna stuffed her notes back into her purse. She felt giddy, and she was sure it had to do more with the success of their meeting than the way Devon was leaning across the table as if the short distance was too much.

  He’d really listened to her, taking notes on his phone as she’d eagerly listed off the charitable organizations that badly needed attention, and her ideas to get employees excited about donating their time. It was the closest she’d ever come to feeling like she had something to offer, and it was something she realized she was truly passionate about.

  She just hoped Devon would listen the next time she brought up TrueLife’s shady business practices. There had to be a reason he couldn’t see what was right in
front of him, and she planned to get to the bottom of it, no matter how much time she had to spend with him—a prospect that no longer sounded like such a bad thing.

  Devon helped her slide into her jacket, then led her to the door, his hand brushing the small of her back. She felt herself slowing, so that the light touch became a firm pressure. When they stepped outside, he didn’t let go as they headed toward the street. She couldn’t help thinking that if he slid his hand a little to the right, she could nestle into his arm.

  They paused, looking for the limo, but it was nowhere in sight. Jenna looked at Devon, wondering if he had other plans. Maybe he wanted to show her around his building or something. That was a tour she could definitely do without.

  Devon looked just as perplexed. “I texted Stan ten minutes ago. He should be here.” He glanced up and down the street.

  Jenna turned her head toward a high-pitched squeal. “There he is,” the voice screamed. Suddenly a mob of photographers crowded in, sticking cameras in their faces. Several girls giggled, trying to worm their way in.

  “What’s it feel like to kiss Devon Ward?” one of the girls asked.

  It wasn’t as if Jenna hadn’t wondered. Her eyes darted to Devon as heat flooded her face. She half-expected to see embarrassment, but instead he gave her an apologetic look. A car backfired in the street, and Devon grabbed her hand, using the distraction to drag her away. They ran down the street, closely pursued by the young girls and photographers.

  Jenna wasn’t sure whether she was mortified or excited. It reminded her of some close calls with the police, when her protests had been a little on the rebellious and possibly illegal side. But this was different. If it looked like she was dating Devon, it could hurt her attempts to point out TrueLife’s wrongdoing. It would look like she was on their side. Then again, so could working with them as a charitable advisor. But that couldn’t have been a wrong choice, right? She felt like she was in the middle of a labyrinth. She wasn’t sure which way was right anymore.