Single Mom for the Billionaire (Alpha Billionaire Romance Book)

by Davis, Alexa

  SINGLE MOM FOR THE BILLIONAIRE

  By Alexa Davis

  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 Alexa Davis

  From the Author

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  Chapter One

  Alexander

  Monday

  I tapped my foot angrily on the floor as I waited for Ryan to arrive for a round of golf on my brand-new course. It drove me crazy that he was always late, especially when he knew how tight my time was. I wouldn’t usually be able to take a whole afternoon off in the middle of a new prestigious Gold Resort opening, but I absolutely had to test out this golf course... I was actually looking forward to it.

  If he ever arrived!

  I had known Ryan for most of my life – he’d been through a whole lot with me. That was probably the reason I kept him around, even when he drove me crazy.

  As I stood in the lobby of my brand-new hotel that was about to open the next weekend, I watched as the son of one of the contractors ran up to him and dove into his arms as if he was the best person in the whole damn world. I would never admit it, but there was a part of me that yearned for that. I never let anyone know how much I wanted the family life, but the desire burned brightly in my chest.

  At thirty-eight years old, I had found success in every single area of my life. I was Alexander Trainor, businessman extraordinaire. I had money, women falling at my feet, respect, success...

  But I hadn’t found a woman I wanted to settle down with. I was beginning to think I would never find the person who would become the love of my life. I had offers for sex all the time, I even had women who wanted to be with me, but they didn’t know me. That was all for the money and nothing else.

  Maybe I was destined to be a playboy bachelor forever more...as empty a life as that was.

  I sighed loudly, imagining myself with a little bundle of joy in my arms. Ever since my father left my mother and me when I was only eleven years old, I knew that I would be better. I looked forward to having a family of my own because I actually wanted to care for my wife and baby. I wouldn’t put alcohol first, I wouldn’t cheat, I wouldn’t leave my child at a vulnerable age for a life that I thought more exciting...

  I knew that I could be better than him; it just hadn’t ever happened for me.

  “Hey, man!” Finally, I heard Ryan calling out from behind me, shaking me from my depressing thoughts. “Are you ready?”

  I turned and rolled my eyes at him. “Ready? I’ve been waiting here for twenty minutes.” I glanced my eyes up and down his body. He had linen shorts on and a turtleneck. He looked odd, but I could tell he was trying to make an effort. He wanted to look the part, but in typical Ryan style, he hadn’t quite gotten it right. “Looking good, man. Let’s get out there.”

  “This is what I love about your business,” he commented idly as we walked outside into the warmth of the spring sunshine. “Trying out all this awesome stuff before anyone else gets a chance.”

  “It has to have some perks,” I chuckled, already forgetting about my bad mood. “I work my ass off to make this happen.”

  “Yeah, and that’s why you’re so fucking rich. Honestly, you complain so much for someone who has millions of dollars in the bank.”

  Billions , I thought inside, but I didn’t bother to say that aloud. Ryan and I had a difference of opinion when it came to money. We were both very wealthy and had worked hard to get there, but I didn’t think that made me a better person than anyone else. I’d opened my businesses, I’d made a success of myself, but still, I was just a human. Ryan had done well to turn himself into one of the most successful lawyers in New York City, but I didn’t think that gave him the right to look down on people that weren’t wealthy. He assumed they were lazy and didn’t bother to try.

  Not that I could argue with him about that again. It was just pointless – we would never agree on it.

  “Whatever, Ryan, let’s just play golf. I have a shit ton of paperwork to get done this afternoon.”

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever...”

  As we hit balls around the course, I felt myself relax. The tension flew out of my shoulders, the pressure lifted from my chest, and I could actually feel a genuine smile forming on my face. This was why I needed Ryan – he pulled me out of workaholic mode every now and again. The only problem was the details of his last date that he was insisting on telling me. I did not need all the graphic information and wished that he would just stop.

  “Her butt was just perfect, man. Honestly, you should have seen her!”

  “How do you get all these women to sleep with you?” I chuckled and shook my head. “Do they not see you for the idiot that you are?”

  “Obviously, I don’t turn on the charm for you! If I did, you’d see.”

  “Don’t ever do that, please. I would not like to see you on form.”

  Ryan laughed and took his next shot, before changing the subject completely. “So, this is resort number...what?”

  “Eighteen,” I replied proudly. “All over the US. Before long, I’ll have one in every single state.”

  “That’s pretty incredible considering you came from nothing.”

  It wasn't anything; we just weren’t loaded. My mother struggled, but we weren’t exactly living on the streets or anything. We always had food on the table at the very least, even when times were really hard. My father lost a lot of my family’s money before he fucked off, but there was no point in saying that to Ryan. If it wasn’t millions, it was nothing.

  “You’ve done well for yourself, man.”

  “Thank you. It feels good. Once this one is open, I can relax again for a little while...”

  “As if you ever relax,” he scoffed. “You’re always working on or planning the next one.”

  “True, true. But maybe I’ll have to take a little time out. Mom isn’t so good these days; I think she needs me around a lot more.” I pressed my lips together in a thin line as I thought about how much she was struggling. “Her hip is playing up a lot, and she can’t move around much.”

  “Oh God, I bet she hates that!” Ryan got it; he knew my mother so well. “Katherine loves her independence. What do you think it is?”

  “The doctor said she hasn’t quite recovered from the operation on her leg yet. Her bones are weaker now, and she might be left with fibromyalgia.”

  “Ooh, sounds nasty; what is that?”

  “It’s long-term pain; they think it’s as a result of the original break in her leg. She just needs help, but as you said she’s independent. She doesn’t like to accept any assistance.”

  I sighed loudly and shook my head. I loved my mom – she was the best woman in the world – but she was completely frustrating in her determination to look after herself, even when she couldn’t. Even with a broken bone, she was cleaning the house and painting, even doing DIY projects. I told her not to, her doctor told her not to, but she wouldn’t listen. Stubborn to the freaking end.

  “Anyway,” I continued, trying to lighten the mood before I ended up really stressed again. “I’m supposed to be rel
axing out here. I don’t want to think about everything that’s winding me up... This is just you trying to put me off my game, isn’t it?”

  “There’s no need!” Ryan practically yelled with glee. “You suck. I’m kicking your ass.”

  I should have known he would be keeping score. We said we wouldn’t, but he was too competitive for that. It made him a great lawyer, but a bad person to play sports with.

  “Hey, is that your phone?” Ryan nodded towards me. “I can hear a weird noise. It’s been going off for a while now.”

  “Hmm, is it?” I tugged it out my pocket just to see that I’d set it to the much quieter meeting mode earlier in the day and forgotten to change it back. Shit, that was going to be a fucking nightmare , I thought . I probably had emails and voicemails coming out my ass. I pressed the phone up to my ear. “Alexander Trainor speaking, how may I help you?”

  “Hello, Mr. Trainor, I’m calling you from Bellevue Hospital.” My heart fell into my shoes, I’d had this call before, and it never turned out well. “I have your mother, Katherine Trainor here.”

  “What’s happened?” I jumped in quickly, not giving her the chance to get there on her own. My heart thundered anxiously in my chest as my stiffened back tried to prepare me for the worst.

  I got like this every time a doctor or the hospital called; it was almost as if I was trying to adjust to what it would be like completely alone. Once my mother passed, although God willing that wouldn’t ever happen, I would be completely by myself. I hadn’t had any contact with my father for decades. “Is she okay?”

  “She has had a fall. I’m not too sure of the details, but the doctor believes she has broken her leg...”

  “Again?” I tugged on the ends of my hair as stress raced through my system at a million miles an hour. “Is it bad? Is she alright?”

  “I think it’s best if you come here. I do not have the full details on hand. I have just been told to call the emergency contact.”

  That wasn’t good. I needed to get going. I needed to get to Mom quickly; she needed me.

  “Thank you; I am on my way. Goodbye.”

  I hung up the phone and gave Ryan a desperate look. “Is it your mom?” he asked, full of concern. “Is everything okay? Is there anything I can do?”

  “She’s in the hospital. I have to go; I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not.” He patted my arm reassuringly. “You do whatever you need to do. Just know that I’m on the other end of the phone if you need me. Anything you need done here?”

  Yes, everything! I wanted to scream, but I didn’t. There was a lot that needed to be done, but it wasn’t stuff Ryan could do. I was only me who knew how to get everything done to the right standard. I was a control freak to the end; maybe that was why I worked so many hours in a week...

  Not that it mattered. I wasn’t about to self-examine right now. I needed to get going. Mom was in the hospital again, and that was where I needed to be. I felt like I was stalling, despite the fact that it had only been a few moments.

  “No, it’s okay. Thanks, man. I’ll let you know how Mom is when I know myself.”

  I raced from the golf course, scrabbling in my pockets for my car keys as I did. I had done well with my life, I’d earned a damn good living, but I still couldn’t seem to help my mother as much as I’d like. She helped me my entire life – I wouldn’t have been the man I was without her. I wanted to do whatever I could, to take all her pain away, but I couldn’t.

  That was the one area of my life I couldn’t control, and it drove me crazy.

  Chapter Two

  Elle

  Monday

  Urgh, people are pigs! I wiped the thick sweat from my forehead and let out a deep sigh. I hated my job in this shit hole of a motel, it was disgusting. It truly showed me how horrific humans could be.

  I wanted to leave. I needed to get somewhere new to work, but it wasn’t easy – the job market at the moment sucked. On the plus side, this place was just around the corner from me. Why would you leave semen-stained sheets in the middle of the room?

  At least it was nearly the end of my shift. I couldn’t wait to get home to see my baby girl, Delaney. She’d just turned six years old, and she was the sweetest thing in the whole world. She made all the hardship of this shitty job worth it. When I looked into her eyes and saw what I was doing this for, it didn’t feel quite so hard.

  I was just lucky that I had my best friend, Terran, to look after her.

  “Elle?” the stern voice of Frank called around the bedroom door. “Once you’re finished here, I need to speak with you in my office.”

  “But that’s the end of my shift...” I just wanted to get home. I didn’t want to listen to Frank rambling on about health and safety requirements. “I need to get back for my daughter.”

  “It won’t take long.” The sound of his voice gave me a shudder up and down my spine. “It is essential.”

  For fuck’s sake! As Frank left, I rolled my eyes and blew out an angry breath. This was the last thing I needed. I scanned my eyes around the room, deciding that it was good enough. I’d done the majority of the work. I certainly wasn’t paid enough to stay longer than my shift, so it was fine. There wasn’t any dirt in the room anymore, and the semen was gone. That was a win as far as I was concerned.

  I shoved the cleaning bucket back into the cupboard and yanked my apron up over my head. It didn’t do much; the clothing I had on underneath was grubby as all hell, but it hardly mattered. It wasn’t like I had anywhere good to be. Home and work, work and home, that was all I did these days.

  “Okay, Frank,” I announced angrily as I shoved open his office door. “What’s going on? Is this some new legislation? Can I just get a worksheet or something to learn from?”

  “Oh no, this isn’t that.” He tapped his fingers together in an intimidating gesture. “This is something else. Please, take a seat.”

  I folded my arms across my chest and did as he commanded, all the while mentally planning how long it would take me to get back home. I wanted to be there before Delaney went to bed so I could say goodnight to her. That felt much more important than this was...whatever this was.

  “Okay, Elle, as I’m sure you’re aware there are some changes that need to be made around here.”

  “There are?” I hadn’t noticed anything being changed in the eighteen months I’d worked here. A lot of things needed a spruce up, but I couldn’t imagine that ever happening. “Like what?”

  “Well, mostly our staffing.” Uh oh . That made my heart sink a little. Changes to staffing didn’t seem to be the best way to start a meeting. “The motel has been losing money over the last year, and to recoup the costs we need to reduce our workforce.”

  “Wouldn’t doing the place up a bit help?” I asked, desperation coursing through me. I could see the way that this was going and I didn’t like it one bit. “Maybe attract a better clientele.”

  “That takes money, though, doesn’t it?” He cocked his eyebrow at me as if I was stupid. “We don’t have money.”

  “Oh, okay.” I felt chastened and silenced. “I see. So, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that you are one of the unfortunate cuts that we have to make. We don’t really have a need for you anymore.”

  “You don’t need someone to clean?” Shit . I could feel panic tearing through my system. Somehow, I had to make this stop before it went too far. “You have to have someone cleaning the place; it needs it...”

  “You aren’t the only maid we have on the books,” he said pityingly. “And you are the newest one in, so, unfortunately, the first one out.”

  “But... But I have a daughter. I need the job.” My mind raced like crazy as I desperately tried to work out how to win Frank over. I hadn’t ever been necessarily unpleasant with him, but I wasn’t overly nice, either. I didn’t make any effort, despite the fact that he was my boss – and now I regretted every moment of that. “I can’t lose it, not just like that...”
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  “Well,” he pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I suppose there is something I could do.”

  “Yes, anything. I’ll do anything.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He tucked his hands behind his head as he slid his chair out, then he shot me what appeared to be a suggestive smile. “Because I’m sure there is something we could do...”

  “What...” I gulped nervously as the atmosphere in the room shifted completely. “What do you mean by that?”

  He puffed out his chest and nodded downwards. My eyes slowly drifted to where he was indicating, and revulsion washed over me as I spotted a hardness in his pants.

  Did he think I was some eighteen-year-old bimbo who didn’t know better? Did he not realize that I was a thirty-two-year-old woman with self-confidence, self-respect, and a desire to make money in a way that looked after me? Not this, never this.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” I exclaimed as I bolted into a standing position. “Are you serious? You think I would do that to keep my job here, cleaning this shitty motel? No chance!”

  “Fine, good luck on the job market then.” His tone turned ice cold. The air was so thick it could’ve been cut with a knife. “I’m sure you’ll get a new position in days.”

  I pressed my palms onto his desk and stared intensely into his eyes. I needed him to see the rage in my gaze. I wanted him to understand just how angry he’d made me. “There are plenty of things I would do to give my daughter a good life, but that is not one of them.”

  With that, I spun on my heels, and I stalked from his office. He was still making rude comments behind me, but my heart thundered so loudly in my ears I couldn’t hear any of them.

  Fuck that, I thought angrily to myself. I don’t need to be treated like that; there’s no way in hell I would behave in such a way. I’d rather spend a few days broke than go anywhere near that disgusting man’s...thing.

  It wasn’t until the ice cold night air hit my face that reality came crashing down with it. Without a job, it would be more than a few days being broke. I absolutely had to get another position – and soon, too. Delaney needed me to.