This is Love (High Stakes Billionaires)
Page 1
Table of Contents
This is Love, Book Description
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
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Take Me, Sneak Peek
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
This is Love
High Stakes Billionaires
CJ Thomas
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2018 CJ Thomas
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and/or publisher. No part of this publication may be sold or hired, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the writer’s imagination and/or have been used fictitiously in such a fashion it is not meant to serve the reader as actual fact and should not be considered as actual fact. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
cj@cjthomasbooks.com
About the Author
CJ lives in the Green Mountains of Vermont. You can find CJ skiing, hiking, and spending time with family when not typing away on the latest hottest read.
Connect with CJ:
cj@cjthomasbooks.com
Contents
This is Love, Book Description
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
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Take Me, Sneak Peek
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Afterword
Also by CJ Thomas
Acknowledgment
This is Love, Book Description
Billionaire Nolan Foster made it impossible for me to say no.
From the moment he laid his eyes on me, I knew it was love at first sight. My life was a wreck, and I didn’t deserve the attention. When my weekend getaway to the Colorado Rocky Mountains quickly turned into something it shouldn’t have, I wondered if he was too good to be true.
Nothing in this world was by chance, and it didn’t take me long to realize there was more to him than I’d originally thought. But when I learned he was predestined to be with another woman, the earth beneath my feet crumbled. If only heartache didn’t feel so bad, then maybe I would have believed that this was love.
1
Sophia
Those assholes were lucky I didn’t kill every last one of them.
Feeling my knuckles go white on the wheel, I took my exit, my chance at finding the reason behind what happened. It was ugly, what they did to me. And I still couldn’t believe how it had all gone down.
No matter how hard I tried to push it to the side, I was still reeling with the consequences of where it would take my future. This wasn’t how I’d planned it. Then again, it never was.
Flipping on my blinker, I merged off the highway still feeling lightheaded with regrets piling one on top of the other. Or maybe it was the elevation or dehydration that had my head spinning. No, it was definitely the feeling of remorse still coursing through my veins.
Each beat of my heart sent a pulse of anger zipping up my spine. And though I’d let myself go, bawling out a river of tears, the faucet had all but dried up. Now there was only wide-eyed shock as I began to process everything that had brought me here to the mountains.
Leaving in a hurry had been my only option. The only way to save face when staring down humiliation. I had been deceived before, taken for a ride, but nothing like this. Nothing as embarrassing as what happened to me today.
Rolling down my window I inhaled the cool, crisp mountain air, completely forgetting that I was still on Bluetooth with my best friend.
“You’ll get through this.” Sienna broke through my thoughts just as I was pulling off the highway.
Coming into the small resort town tucked between the white snow-capped Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I started to question if leaving the city so suddenly was the best thing to have done. “Men are such pigs.”
“There must have been some women in on the decision-making process.”
I snorted. “Not a single one.” I heard her sigh as I continued to make my way into the center of town. I was following my GPS so knew that I was close to arriving at the condo I’d managed to score only hours ago. “I was going to shatter that glass ceiling. Disrupt the status quo and do great things for the company.”
“I know, hun.”
“I don’t know what happened. They promised me the position.” My stomach tightened as I remembered the after-work drinks I’d had with a couple of higher ups a month ago. All the signals were there. All I had to do was continue over-delivering on my current project and the middle management position be mine. Signed, sealed, delivered.
Sienna was silent on the line an
d I felt bad for bringing her in on my own damn drama.
“You and Monica should be here with me,” I said.
“No. You should be with us.” Sienna’s voice was firm. “After all, you are my best lady and I need you to make sure that I have the most kick ass wedding either of us has ever attended.”
I did have the attention to detail. The foresight to see the bigger picture and anticipate every little thing that could go wrong. Hell, that was one of the reasons I should have been given the promotion instead of that asshole who showed up to work late. I was what they needed, what they were looking for. I had it all.
“We’ll make do. It just won’t be the same without you.” I could hear Sienna frown.
I loved Sienna, but I couldn’t wait for her wedding to be over with. Of course, I would never tell her that—at least not until the day had passed. I wasn’t always against people getting married and had my fair share of fun memories that came from weddings. But, lately, it just seemed like the cool thing to do. Everyone was either engaged, getting engaged, or set to be married—except me—and it was making me gag.
“You’re not mad at me, are you?” I asked as I slowed to a stop. I knew she wanted me there with her. She had every right to be mad at me for skipping town after I’d promised she had full access to me all weekend. But I needed to leave, hide out for just a little while, and do it without the risk of showing my face in public after being humiliated by a group of undeserving men. “Because you sound disappointed.”
“Would you turn around if I said I was?”
I looked to my left, then right before turning away from the four-way stop. “After driving two hours already, the soonest you’ll be seeing me is tomorrow morn—” My foot slammed on my brakes when suddenly I was driving into the front end of a large pickup truck.
My head flew forward as my belt caught, digging deep into my shoulder. The sharp pain caused me to curse. “Shit.”
“Sophia. Are you all right?”
I barely heard Sienna’s voice as I lifted my head, feeling my hands tremble once again. It didn’t take much for my nerves to take off, their engines already warm from earlier when I’d stormed out of the office with my head held high.
“What the hell just happened?” Sienna tried to get my attention again.
My heart hammered in my chest and my palms were slick with sweat. But I felt grateful I hadn’t been in a true accident, being able to walk away from something that could have been so much worse. The headlights were so close they seemed to be coming into my tiny sedan. One more inch, and they certainly would have. And I couldn’t help but feel resentment as I let my gaze travel over the ginormous grill that stared me down like some macho boss of a man trying to intimidate me into backing off.
“I didn’t see him coming,” I said through a shaky breath.
“Are you hurt?” Sienna gasped. “Is everyone okay?”
Through the sun’s intense glare, I found the friendliest saddle brown eyes fixed directly on me. His dark hair spilling out from beneath his baseball cap caught the sun and lit up my vision.
“No. I’m fine. We didn’t actually hit.”
The man rolled down his window and stuck his head out. Sienna was still talking so I couldn’t actually hear his voice, but it didn’t matter. I was busy reading his lips I couldn’t look away from. They were strong and full and perfectly made for—
My eyes squinted and I cursed him under my breath the moment he apologized. The balls he had to think that it would make things instantly better. That was all I heard today from men. Apologizing, saying they’re sorry that the position wasn’t given to me. I didn’t need an apology. It was about principle and following through with what they’d promised was mine. I needed them to take responsibility…
Just like he was doing.
Sticking my fingers through the crack of my window I waved at him without smiling, wanting to just get on with my day and get to my condo so I could kick my shoes off and relax. “Shit, that was close.”
“I take it you’re in town then?”
I watched him back up and drive around me, smiling like it was no big deal. He was the epitome of mountain-town culture where nothing could erase the smile from people’s faces. It was half the reason I decided to book this weekend getaway. I knew that was the exact recipe I needed—easy going, without a care in the world. Yet I still found it annoying—mainly because it was another man getting in my way and preventing me from getting to where I wanted to go.
“I just arrived,” I said, checking my rearview mirror. A line of cars was patiently waiting. Feeling bad that I was stopping traffic, I glanced back at the dark pickup truck once more before letting my foot off the brake.
“You need this. I get it. Besides, Vail is incredible and you shouldn’t feel bad about canceling our original plans.”
When the GPS told me to turn, I double checked my surroundings—just wanting to get there safely and without another incident—before pulling into the condo complex.
“Do you think I made a mistake in breaking up with Raymond?” My mouth turned down as I slumped further in my seat.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Do what you’re doing. You’re just saying that because your job didn’t work out as you hoped.”
I took the first empty space I could find and, once parked, turned off the engine and continued to mope and question my past decisions.
“Focus on yourself, girl. Make this weekend about you. You can’t live your life second guessing every decision you’ve ever made. You’re a smart woman. The decisions you’ve made have all been with reason. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t. But don’t go thinking that what you did to Raymond would have changed anything about what is happening with your career.”
I closed my eyes and silently nodded. Sienna was right. Raymond loved me more than anything, but I was more interested in climbing the ladder and exceling in my career than settling down.
“Raymond was madly in love with you and you denied him of that.”
A tear fell from the corner of my eye. “I know.”
“He’s moved on, Soph. And so should you.”
We sat there in silence for several minutes before I said, “It’s only a short two-hour drive. If you and Monica pack your bags now, you’ll be here just when the bars are filling with cute mountain men.”
Sienna burst out laughing. “They’re all yours, but I still love you.”
“And I love you more.”
“It won’t be easy to forget about us.”
I lifted my head and stared at the enticing entrance to my soon-to-be mountain chalet.
“There’s a surprise waiting for you inside.” Her voice raised an octave. “Complimentary from your two baddest bitches.”
I laughed. “It better not be a fucking guy.”
“Just something to take the edge off.” Her voice was light and full of compassion. “To make you forget how miserable you feel.”
I groaned but smiled. I should have known Sienna would have stayed one step ahead of me, always seeming to know exactly what I needed and where I needed it.
“And to make you regret not sticking around to plan my wedding with Monica.”
And as we said our goodbyes, promising to call each other in the morning, my mind wandered to what surprise she had waiting for me inside.
2
Sophia
Tipping my head back, I closed my eyes and soaked up the sunshine.
Breathing in the fresh dry air, I was rejuvenated with excitement. Sienna had given me hope just when I needed it most. God, that woman was amazing. Gary had no idea what a catch he landed when she agreed to marry him.
Feeling my lips curve at the corners, I wasn’t going to let my problems follow me here. Not when I was surrounded by beauty and luxury. I knew that wasn’t going to be easy. I had worked so hard, put in the hours and made sacrifices, with the confidence of knowing that it would eventually pay off.
>
Sucking back a deep breath, I blew out a heavy sigh and pulled my hair back, tying it off into a ponytail.
The heels of my boots clacked over the pavement as I headed in the direction of the entrance. “Enjoy the weekend,” I whispered to myself. “It’s time to move on.” And it was the truth. I had to walk away from those thoughts and be confident in knowing that I had the power and knowledge to get through it—no matter how difficult the obstacle seemed to be.
Feeling breathless, I was eager to know what the girls had waiting for me inside.
Pulling the glass door open, I was welcomed by an empty reception.
Glancing around, I let the large canvas photos fill me with inspiration as I leaned over to smell the bouquet of flowers that seemed to bring the outside in. And that’s when I found the envelope with my name on it, Sophia Monroe.
Curious by the lack of formality that came when checking into a rental, I opened the top and peeked inside. The silver glitter of keys jingled at the bottom as I slid a handwritten note out from the inside.
Sophia Monroe,
Welcome to your mountain retreat. You’ll find your keys inside along with a map directing you to your condo. We hope you enjoy your stay and let us know if there is any way we can make it even better.