Cozumel Escape
Destination Billionaire Romance
Cami Checketts
Contents
Copyright
Introduction
Foreword
Your Free Book Awaits
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Free Book
Check out these other fun Destination Billionaire Romances
Preview of The Angler, the Baker and the Billionaire
Preview of The Reclusive Billionaire
Also by Cami Checketts
About the Author
Copyright © 2016 by Cami Checketts
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
Introduction
I was one of those kids that always wanted to eat dessert first, but it was never allowed. Now that I’m an adult, I often do! The Destination Billionaire Romance Series reminds me of dessert because it allows you to get right to the good stuff—exotic locations, billionaires, and plenty of passionate kisses that take your breath away. I love the freshness of this series and how the characters are as unique as their locations. Like a smooth, creamy, delectable dessert, I savor each tender love story and eagerly await the next one. So, sit back and relax. Fall in love again and again. Because, let’s face it, everyone needs a little dessert. And this time, you can eat it first!
Jennifer Youngblood, author of Love on the Rocks (Hawaii Billionaire Romance Series)
Foreword
I’m thrilled to introduce you to Cami Checketts’ new Destination Billionaire Romance, Cozumel Escape. If you’re familiar with Cami’s storytelling, you’re going to love this one, too. Fans of Cami’s Caribbean Rescue will be happy to catch up with some favorite characters, and new readers will enjoy a story with chemistry that sizzles, and feel the warm Cozumel air that’s thick with attraction.
As a fellow writer, I appreciate that Cami tackles characters in unusual circumstances, giving them vulnerability that she treats with compassion and well-placed humor. As a fellow mom, I admire her for keeping up with a busy family of boys while creating romantic stories. That’s impressive!
One of the things I’m enjoying about all the Destination Billionaire Romances is that I get to take a little vacation, and this story doesn’t disappoint. Cami has a knack for bringing her readers into the place she’s writing. Cami Checketts’s books are the perfect contribution to Destination Billionaire Romances.
Happy reading!
Amberlee Day, Author of Sweet Penny Cove Romances
Your Free Book Awaits
To get your FREE BOOK,
The Busy Woman’s Guide to Getting It All Done, click here.
To my parents. Thank you for your unconditional love.
1
Brooks Hoffman whistled as he walked along the touristy marketplace of Cozumel. It was a beautiful eighty degrees with a slight breeze coming off the ocean, and since there wasn’t a cruise ship in town today, the market was a bit quieter than usual. That meant fewer women, but there were sacrifices he was willing to make for a peaceful shopping trip before Christmas.
He’d already found toys for Zack and Maddie’s three children, but he wanted to find something pretty for Maddie, and he had no clue what to buy Zack. His closest friend was taking his family to New York for the holidays to be with his parents. If Brooks wanted to give them presents, he’d have to be ready when he went to visit them on their island for Thanksgiving weekend.
A gorgeous, pint-sized blonde breezed in front of him, tossing him an intriguing smile, her blue eyes sparkling. She ducked into a women’s clothing shop before he could turn on the charm.
What was that little dream doing on his island? No cruise ships in port meant she was staying for a week or beyond. Dare he hope she was here for longer than a week? He tsked at himself. He’d never dated any woman longer than a week, so what did it matter? His grin grew. This one was intriguing enough that it might take longer than a week to tire of her.
He followed her light scent into the women’s shop. Apparently, this was the place Maddie would receive her Christmas present from this year.
“Can I help you?” the young attendant called out while folding a cobalt-blue shirt. She glanced up and smiled at him. “Ah. Señor Hoffman. So good to see you, sir.”
“You as well.” Most of the island knew Brooks by name. He hired a lot of locals, and they’d become his close friends. What could he say? This was his kingdom. Of course they revered him.
He glanced around for the woman. She was in the back, sifting through long dresses on a rack. He sidled his way up to her, bent down, and murmured, “The blue would match your eyes beautifully.”
She jumped and took a swing at him.
Brooks stepped back quickly to avoid getting smacked by the woman. She was so small he could bench-press her without raising his heart rate, but her punch had been quick and sure.
“Oh, sorry!” Her cheeks reddened. How intriguing, a woman that blushed easily. “I didn’t hear you approach, and all of a sudden you’re, like, whispering in my ear.”
Brooks arched an eyebrow. He liked the way she talked—blunt, and with a Southern accent that could drive a man to buy unnecessary jewelry.
“How in the world did you sneak up on me? You’re stinking huge!”
“Training.” He was never going to elaborate. “So, South Carolina? Maybe Georgia?”
“Alabama.”
“Ah. I like it. Here for a week, or can I persuade you to stay longer?” He winked, and she blushed again. Ah, innocence. It could never be bested in his opinion.
“I live here.” Her lips turned down and she brushed by him. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Brooks reached out and gently gripped her arm. She glared down at his fingers, then up at him. How could a woman this interesting live here and he not know about it?
“I don’t know if I can excuse you.” He took his voice to the depth he knew drove women crazy. “I haven’t seen eyes that brilliantly blue in years and find myself quite drawn to you. Dinner tonight?”
“No, but thanks all the same for the invite,” she said, with just the right amount of sauce in her voice, like Southern barbecue—sweet and tangy.
“You can thank me later,” he murmured.
Those blue eyes snapped up at him, and her pretty pink lips puckered as if she’d licked the salt off of a margarita. Hmm. Salt, margaritas, and her lips. He liked it.
She tugged her arm back, and he released her because he was a gentleman first and foremost. As a child, he’d seen too many men take advantage of women. That would never be him.
She speed walked to the front of the shop. Luckily for both of them, he was quick as a panther. “At least tell me where you’re staying. If you’re lucky enough, I could convince you to have drinks with me.”
She whirled, and her eyes went up his body, down, and up again. Brooks flexed his arms slightly, certain she would like what she saw. A man doesn’t spend hours in the gym every day for his health.
Tilting her head to the side, she let that luscious blonde hair spill over her toned and tanned shoulder. He looked forward to an opportunity to pick her up and kiss her until she begged for more. Ah. His life was good.
“I don’t drink.”
“Oh? Dinner then.” He dusted his hands off. It was settled. “When and where shall I pick you up?”
She took a step closer to him, and he couldn’t hide a smile of triumph. She’d come around quickly. They always did.
“You can come have dinner with us. I believe our cook is whipping up somethin’ special tonight.” That accent was being applied thick as frosting. “Tortillas and beans.”
Tortillas and beans? Was she kidding? Any child on the island could make tortillas and beans. “Hmm? Yes, while that does sound appetizing …” She was appetizing, but her dinner offer definitely was not. Yet, it was an opportunity to spend time with her. Sometimes good food had to be sacrificed to woo said lady. “Where is this dinner to be held?”
“Bethel Orphanage. You might’ve heard of it, just a half mile inland from here.” She whirled and stomped from the store.
Brooks’s jaw unhinged. Sheer terror rushed through him at the idea of setting foot in the building. The orphanage? He donated vast amounts of money to that orphanage, but had never made it past the wooden front door. The memories of hunger and pain would crash around him, and someone might find out that the mighty Brooks Hoffman was simply a scared little boy who had buried his past rather than deal with it.
“Are you going to go?” The smooth-skinned shopkeeper was by his side.
Brooks pasted his confident smile back on. “Ah, no. I’ve had enough tortillas and beans to last me a lifetime.” He threw his shoulders back and strutted out of the shop before she asked any more questions.
2
Daniel sighed, giving the exhale all the attitude a pre-teen should have, and bared his teeth.
“You flossed, too?” Sydnee wasn’t fooled by his fake grumpiness. He was a great young man and loved her as much as he loved and watched out for all the younger children.
The twelve-year-old nodded, but Sydnee waited. The director liked to utilize Sydnee to teach the children English. Sydnee figured it was because she struggled with Spanish with her Southern accent, always distorting what she meant to say. She’d overheard her college Spanish teacher telling his assistant that Sydnee might as well have been speaking with a rag stuffed in her mouth, and that no local would ever understand her.
She reassured herself that English was a great skill for the kids to acquire. It opened up opportunities for the older children with work, school, and chances to leave the island that they wouldn’t have otherwise. Daniel spoke extremely well, but she still encouraged him to use English as much as possible.
“Yes, ma’am, Mees Sydnee.”
“Good job, bud.” Sydnee loved how the children said Mees instead of Miss. Adorable. She gave Daniel a side hug and ushered him toward the boy’s room. “Go say your prayers and I’ll come sing to the little ones in a few minutes.”
Daniel smiled, ducking his head in embarrassment at the hug, but she knew he needed the physical touch.
“You’re almost as tall as me,” she exclaimed.
His smile grew. “Not hard to do.”
“Ha. Go!”
Daniel gave her a quick squeeze, then darted down the hallway. Sydnee glanced around at an empty bathroom. The sink was covered in toothpaste, but at least all the boys had clean teeth tonight. Thank heavens the cleaning crew would be by in the morning. Sydnee and Rosmerta expected the children to pitch in on day-to-day pickup and wipe-up, but the deep cleaning done by some local ladies each week was help they needed and appreciated.
She wondered if Rosmerta had had as good of luck with the girls’ teeth. They rotated assignments putting the boys and the girls to bed each night. Sydnee loved them all and just wished there was more of her to go around. They needed more hugs, more love, and more training. They especially needed male influences in their lives. The orphanage was extremely well funded from a private donor on the island. Without that generous funding, they wouldn’t be able to run the orphanage, let alone afford cooks and maid service. And without that extra help around the house, Sydnee, Camila, and Rosmerta wouldn’t have nearly as much time to hug and teach.
Sydnee had asked the director, Camila, many times if she couldn’t meet and thank the man. Camila always insisted that the man was adamant about remaining anonymous, or he would pull his funding. What an odd duck. But the three women were grateful for him nonetheless. Without his money there wouldn’t be a Bethel Orphanage, and Sydnee couldn’t imagine where these children would be without a loving home.
She could hear the girls still brushing and laughing with Rosmerta in their bathroom. The boys were a lot quicker to get ready at night. It was awkward without a man around to help the boys with their toiletries. Even though they could offer a decent wage, they hadn’t found a man they were comfortable with around the children. Human trafficking was a huge problem with orphanages, and they’d heard of several terrifying stories throughout Mexico. So for the time being, it was just three women and eighteen children ranging from six months to twelve years old.
The orphanage was tucked half a mile inland, so they didn’t usually see tourists and were hopefully off the traffickers’ radar. The privacy was nice, especially away from overconfident men like that muscle-bound guy from the clothing store today. Sydnee couldn’t help but smile as she thought of the interaction. He may have been a jerk, but he was a handsome, witty jerk.
Sydnee walked down the hallway to check on the nursery before she went to sing the boys to sleep. Camila had thought it was odd to spend time singing children to sleep when Sydnee first came to volunteer three years ago during summer break from New York University. When Sydnee returned to the island full time after college graduation fifteen months ago, Camila admitted she’d implemented singing every night. The children went to sleep easier, slept through the night better, and seemed to wake up happier.
Voices drifted from Camila’s open office door.
“Gracias, Mr. Hoffman, gracias. It is such a pleasure to finally meet you and be able to thank you. We would have to close our doors without your funding.”
“Glad to help.” The deep bass seemed familiar to Sydnee. Curiosity to see their donor and to figure out how she knew that voice had her creeping closer to the private conversation like a fox stalking the chicken coop.
“I just can’t express enough how grateful we are for your funding. It has saved us and made it possible to help and love the children rather than spend our days trying to drum up money to provide the basics.”
“Good, good.” The man sounded uncomfortable. Who wouldn’t be under that kind of praise? “I was hoping …” He paused and cleared his throat. “Do you have a beautiful little blonde working for you now?”
Sydnee flattened her back against the wall. The guy from the dress shop! No way. He was their benefactor? Her cheeks flushed just thinking about his handsome face with the strong cheekbones, square jaw, piercing dark eyes, and the most beautiful lips she’d ever seen on a man. His hair had been dark and longer on top, with just a little bit of curl to it. His body was … well, it was obvious he worked out . . . a lot. The biceps and triceps revealed by his short-sleeved shirt had left her mouth dry. He’d been far too flirtatious, so she’d run as fast as possible. She had no problem with men, but she didn’t like empty flirtations. At least, she hadn’t until today, when the man in her boss’s office had brought all kinds of color and imagination to her life. She’d daydreamed about him throughout the rest of the day but was certain she wouldn’t see him again. She’d been here for over a year and rarely had time to leave the orphanage or meet anyone beyond these walls.
“Well,”
Camila said, her voice cautious, “Sydnee is petite and has long, blonde hair.”
“Does she now? Can I please speak with this Sydnee?”
“Of course. Anything you want, Mr. Hoffman.”
Anything he wanted indeed. Camila, and really all of them, owed this Mr. Hoffman the roof over their heads, the food on their table, and every opportunity they had for the children. If he wanted Sydnee to do the rumba for him, Camila would demand she do it.
Sydnee pushed away from the wall and ran for the nursery. She’d hide out in there. There was no way she could face that man again, especially now that she knew who he really was. She was grateful to him, but not sure she was prepared to do anything he wanted. She’d dated a lot of great guys in high school and college, spending most of her free time with her semi-boyfriend, Jace, but she’d never dated someone with the looks and charisma that their benefactor possessed. He was … overwhelming.
Since she’d been on the island, she’d hardly gone on a date. There had been a few men who’d expressed interest, but she was too busy with the children. They had to come first in somebody’s life, and thankfully Camila and Rosmerta were as dedicated as Sydnee was to teaching and loving them.
She shut the nursery door softly behind her. There were only three cribs in use now, as Mateo had turned three and insisted he be in with the big boys.
Her heart calmed immediately as she listened to the soft breathing of the babies. Brushing her fingers over Tomás’s wispy curls, she couldn’t resist leaning down and kissing his soft cheek. He smelled as yummy as any six-month-old baby should, and she felt another surge of gratitude for Mr. Hoffman. He may have been an overconfident flirt, but the man spoiled them all financially. She knew most orphanages couldn’t afford to keep their children clean, well fed, and well dressed like Bethel could.
Cozumel Escape (Destination Billionaire Romance) Page 1
