Built for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #5)

by Sharon Cummin

  His head fell back against the couch and his eyes closed. It was so quiet. There wasn't a noise anywhere. That was his favorite thing about living alone. He found himself listening for the little sounds his house would make or the sound of animals out by the woods. There was nothing there. It was too quiet. A weird feeling pulled at his chest.

  Heath jumped up, pulled his boots on, and took off out the door.

  Chapter 19

  Heath

  He pulled into Tara's driveway and sent John a text.

  Heath: I'm at Tara's waiting to see if the fucker comes back.

  He instantly got a reply.

  John: That is not a good idea. The cameras I agree with, but you can't stay there. You need to leave.

  Heath: Not an option. I just wanted you to know in case anything happens.

  John: Shit! I'm on my way. I'll get some of the guys.

  Heath: No. Josh is out of town. Gavin needs to be home for Becky.

  John: I'll park down the street. Let me know what you need.

  With his truck parked in Tara's garage, he picked up the ruined wood and put out some fresh. He wanted it to look like work was still being done after what had happened the night before. Then he went into the house, checked the cameras, and sat down to watch them.

  John: We're down the street.

  It had been about an hour since he had last heard from John and was actually relieved to know he had backup.

  Heath: Who is we? Thanks, man. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

  John: I have Ethan with me. He gets it, and he won't tell anyone. We're here if you need us.

  Heath: Thanks!!!!!!!

  He sat for about another hour staring at the screen in front of him, as he waited for the little shit to come back. The entire time he thought about Tara and the boys. She was such a stubborn woman. He had no idea how anyone had ever been able to push her around. When he first met her, she sounded unsure about everything. In the short time that passed, he noticed a huge difference in her. The way she stood up to him about not staying at his house that night shocked him. He thought about Lisa and Tara hanging out and wondered what Lisa was going to think when she found out Tara was staying at his house. He was worried that she might not be pleased and would say something to Tara. In that moment he realized that he was more concerned with Tara's feelings than he was with Lisa's.

  Before he had the chance to analyze his thoughts, he noticed movement on the camera and saw a person with a hoodie walking up the drive. He fumbled with his phone as he watched the figure.

  Heath: Are you in the driveway?

  John: No, why?

  Heath: He's here. I'm waiting to see what he does.

  John: On our way! Be careful.

  Heath shoved his phone into his pocket and walked quietly through the dark house. He heard the doorknob jiggle as they tried a key in the lock. How stupid could he be, Heath wondered? The key didn't work yesterday. What would make the guy think it would then? He had to wonder if it was the same person that had been there the night before. The figure was about the same size as the other one, but hadn't had the time to compare the two.

  Heath watched through a window as the guy got pissed and kicked at the door. His head was still covered with the hood. The guy went into the yard and pulled out a can of spray paint. Heath took a deep breath to try and calm himself. He felt the anger travel through his body. His hands clenched at his sides as he watched the guy spray the wood he had just put out front only hours before.

  Heath went out the back door and quietly made his way around to the front yard. He saw John and Ethan standing in the driveway just behind a car. The guy had his back to the two of them. Heath walked out from the dark and grabbed the guy. The guy dropped the paint and fought to get away. He landed a few good ones to Heath's face before Heath pummeled him hit after hit. John and Ethan were there in seconds. It happened so fast. Heath had the guy on the ground with his knee in the guy's back. He grabbed the hoodie and yanked it from the guys head.

  "Rick," Ethan yelled out. "What the fuck are you doing?"

  When Heath stopped at Ethan's words and looked down, he recognized the guy from Josh and Lisa's wedding and felt his jaw tighten. It was Rick. He was doing it himself.

  "You know him?" Heath asked, as he pushed his knee deeper into the guy's back.

  "I do," Ethan said, as he shook his head before looking down at Rick. "You're the one destroying your wife's house. What the hell. You have kids, man. Why would you pull this shit?"

  "It's my house," Rick yelled.

  Rick cried out, as Heath dug his knee in and twisted.

  "It's not your house, and she's not your wife," Heath growled out.

  "Who the fuck are you?" Rick asked as he winced in pain.

  "I'm the one that owns the shit you're ruining here," Heath said.

  He moved his face down lower toward Rick. John walked up and pulled Heath's arm for him to get off of Rick. Heath grumbled as he took a step back before reaching down, grabbing Rick by both arms, and pulling him to his feet.

  "Are you fucking that bitch?" Rick snapped out.

  Heath pulled back hard on Rick's arms and heard the man scream out in pain.

  "I'm not, but you will not speak like that about her. Do you hear me? One more word and I will beat you so damn bad you'll wish I'd finish you off. How could you do that to your family?"

  "I didn't do anything she didn't deserve," the man whimpered out.

  "Bullshit," Heath yelled from behind him. "You have two little boys that live in that house. What if they saw that? Would you want your kids to live in fear? What would they think if they knew you were the one that ruined their home? You don't care. Why would you? You signed your boys away just so you wouldn't have to give away any of your precious money."

  "What?" Ethan yelled, as he took a step closer. "Are you fucking serious?"

  "Yes," Heath said. "I'm more serious than I have ever been in my life."

  Heath turned Rick around and grabbed him by the neck. He was so pissed and wanted so badly to snap the fucker like a twig. John put his hand on Heath's arm and cleared his throat. Heath looked over at John and nodded.

  "You listen to me," Heath said. "You're going to do exactly what I say."

  "Oh yeah," Rick said with a shaky voice. "Why would I do that? Do you know how much money I have? Do you think the police are going to believe some guy who fixes houses more than they will a multi-million dollar business owner?"

  Heath moved Rick's face toward the house.

  "Because I have your ugly face on camera. Smile for it why don't you. I have proof that you were the one trashing the house. There are three cameras. I have you on them more than once, dumbass. John here is a cop. We have every bit of proof we need to put your ass away. All the money you have won't be able to help you."

  "What would she want with you? She's my wife. I don't get it. Why would she leave the life she had for a damn builder?"

  Heath closed his eyes and counted to ten in his head.

  "Do you really want to push me?" Heath asked. "I have no problem drawing more blood than what is already pouring from your disgusting face. My knuckles have more left in them. I already told you that I'm not with her. She left because you thought being buried inside another woman was more important than being home with your family. That's all on you. That was the dumbest thing you've probably ever done in your life. She's a good woman. Oh wait! Signing those boys over was even worse. They are awesome kids. I can't believe she ever saw good in you. Now, let me tell you what you're going to do. If you don't do what I say, I'll turn every piece of evidence over to the police. Do you think anyone would want to do business with you again? I'm telling you now, I will ruin your ass. What you don't get is that building is my life. I do it because I love doing it. I've got more money than your sorry ass will ever have. Fuck with me, and I'll show you. I will spend every dollar I have making your life hell. Do you hear me?"

  "What do you want?" he asked.


  "You're getting it," Heath said. "Maybe you aren't as dumb as you look."

  "Ethan," Rick called out.

  "Don't think I'm going to help you. Family is everything to me. Heath's one of my best friends. He's one of Gavin's too. Do you really want to do this?" Ethan asked.

  "Fine," Rick said in defeat. "What do you want?"

  Heath held his grip tight as he looked into Rick's eyes.

  "Write her a check for five hundred thousand," Heath said.

  "Hell no," Rick yelled out.

  Heath's grip tightened even more.

  "Fine," Heath said. "Call them, John."

  "Wait," Rick said. "I'll do it."

  "You will apologize to her as well. Then you will leave her and the boys alone. If you ever step foot on this property again, I will ruin your ass one penny at a time. I don't care if I have anything left once I'm done. It doesn't matter to me. You can't do that to them. They deserve so much better than you. Like I said, I have more than you do. The choice is yours."

  "I can't believe she left me," Rick mumbled.

  "You were the one that cheated on her. I can't believe you would expect any different. You will do that tomorrow. Do I make myself clear?"

  "Fine," Rick said, as he spit out some blood that had gone into his mouth.

  Heath released his hold, and Rick stumbled. The guy began walking down the driveway toward his car.

  "Rick," Ethan called out.

  Rick turned back. Heath couldn't see how bad Rick's face was, but he could feel his own knuckles throbbing.

  "Did you sign your boys over after cheating on your wife?" Ethan asked.

  "Yes," Rick answered.

  "Consider your ties with my company cut. You'll have to talk to Gavin about his. I'm pretty sure he'll be right there with me," Ethan answered.

  "Are you serious?" Rick asked with panic written all over his face.

  "Very," Ethan said. "Family is everything to us. Heath and Tara are part of that family."

  Rick got in his car cursing before he slammed his door and spun his tires backing down the driveway.

  Heath and the guys went into the house. They checked the cameras to see every detail of Rick's face. Heath locked up the house, drove Ethan and John to their car, thanked them both over and over, and went home.

  He looked at the clock as soon as he walked in and it said three o'clock in the morning. Without even looking in the mirror, he fell into bed and pulled the covers over him. His eyes closed and he was out.

  Chapter 20

  Tara

  Tara dropped the kids off and turned her car in Lisa's direction. She was the only person that stuck by her side through her marriage and divorce. Not once did she judge her, and for that Tara was thankful. Everyone else was too busy telling her what to do. Her mom reminded her what she had lost by leaving. Even Heath, the guy working on her house, put his two cents in. He was adamant on continuing the work even though she had no idea when she would be able to pay him. When he started on her about putting cameras up, she knew it was useless to argue. She had already learned there were times he was laid back and go with the flow, but there were other times he planned to get his way if he had to fight all day. That day was one of those times. She thought for sure he was going to keep on her about going back to his house, and she couldn't decide if she was happy or disappointed when he didn't. He was right, she couldn't make up her mind. She laughed as she pulled into Lisa and Josh's driveway and shut off her car.

  Tara couldn't wait to see baby Jack. Heath snatched him away at the shower, and she wasn't able to soak up the little guy stage. Her boys were already three and four. She wanted a house full of kids. Rick had said he wanted the same, but she learned quickly that he didn't mean it.

  Lisa tore the front door opened with baby Jack in her arms. He wasn't a tiny baby anymore, but they were all going to call him that until another baby was born. Becky wasn't due for another month or two, so Jack had a little time yet. Tara ran up and scooped him from his mom's arms with a smile on her face. They went inside and sat down in the living room.

  Lisa went on and on about Josh and the restaurants. They hadn't seen each other in so long aside from the shower. Tara had only been over for lunch twice since Jack was born. That was the first time without her boys with her. It was nice to have an evening to herself, but she did find she was missing them so much. When Lisa began asking questions about Tara, her house, and her divorce, Tara wasn't sure what to say. She knew Heath cared a ton for Lisa and didn't want to tell her anything he wouldn't want her to know. Baby Jack watched television and played on the floor while Tara told Lisa details about the divorce and that they had signed the papers. She went on to tell her about her house being trashed and how she thought it was Rick but couldn't prove it. Tara left out the part about Heath being the one doing the work. She mentioned that the builder was still working, and again left out that she was staying at the builder's house. She felt horrible about keeping that out but felt it was Heath's business to tell his friend.

  Tara quickly moved the conversation toward Lisa's new pregnancy and had to wonder if she'd ever be able to have that amazing feel of a life growing inside of her again. Lisa loved talking about being pregnant, and Tara kept her going. She wanted to avoid the conversation moving back to her life.

  Heath was on her mind all night. She felt so bad for being so hard on him when he'd had a rough day. He had been there for her through a few rough days of her own, and not one time was he a jerk about it. She planned to make lunch the next day and take it over to him and the guys. He didn't want the boys there, and she agreed with him on that one. She knew he didn't want her to see anything until he was done, but she couldn't see any harm in surprising them all with lunch. It was her way of apologizing for being a total bitch along with thanking them all for their hard work.

  She stayed in Lisa's guest room but got up early so she could shop for the things she needed. With her trunk full of bags, sodas, and ice, she went to Heath's house excited to surprise the guys. Tara pulled in Heath's driveway at eleven o'clock. She'd have an hour to get everything ready and get it over to her house. Her mom told her she wanted the boys picked up at one, and Tara was looking forward to the afternoon with her little guys. She said so many times it would be nice to have someone to keep them overnight now and then, but while she was gone, she thought about how much she missed them and couldn't wait to hug and kiss those cute little faces.

  It wasn't until she was pulling bags out of her trunk that she looked over and noticed Heath's truck in the grass. She walked quickly to the front door, unlocked it, and put the bags in the kitchen. It took four trips for her to get everything into the house which made her laugh. He would have made it all magically happen in one trip. She didn't have the muscles he did, so it took her much longer.

  She didn't hear a single noise in the house. There was an empty bottle on the counter and carry-out containers in the trash. He wasn't in the garage, basement, or his office. One of the guys must have picked him up, she thought. She pulled out her phone to send him a quick text so the guys wouldn't eat before she got there.

  Tara: What time are the guys eating lunch?

  She put some of the stuff she bought away and kept out what she needed for lunch. Then she began making sandwiches to take with her. She wasn't sure what condition her kitchen would be in and didn't want to count on being able to put things together there. It was her plan to have it all ready and able to put out on a picnic table for them to help themselves. She was finished, and he still hadn't answered her back. Maybe he was that pissed that she hadn't gone back to his house the night before, she thought. He would still answer, wouldn't he?

  When he still hadn't answered thirty minutes later, she went up to change her clothes. She'd put everything in the car to take it over. He'd have to get over his attitude and deal with her. The other guys would be there, and he wouldn't have a choice. She was standing in her room changing and heard a noise come from down the hall. It sou
nded like a moan. Tara quickly pulled a shirt over her head and jeans up her legs before going to Heath's room. She hadn't even thought to check there for him. He was always up early and normally didn't go back to his room until evening. As she pushed the door open slowly, she saw the sheet move. She stood at the door looking at the bed. He was on his stomach, with his arms up and under his pillow, and one leg sticking out of the sheet that was barely covering his ass. The muscles in his arms seemed tight. She hadn't noticed how damn sexy his legs were before that moment. His calf was tight and defined. Her eyes wandered up his leg to where his ass was covered slightly by the sheet. She could see the outline of his boxers beneath the sheet and was relieved the tiniest bit. His back was smooth and muscular as well. Working on houses had done well for him. She was sure the home gym helped as well. When his head lifted and turned to the other side, she heard him groan. His hair was a sexy mess on his head. More than once she wanted to grab onto that hair, which she knew wasn't something she should have been thinking about the man working on her house who was in love with her closest friend. When he moaned again, she walked next to the bed. He was facing away from her and had his head buried in the pillow.

  "Heath," she whispered, and watched his entire body tense. "Heath."

  He grunted, so she knew he had heard her.

  "Are you sick?" she asked. "It's almost noon. Do the guys know you're not there?"

  "Yes," he said.

  Yes what, she thought. Is he sick, or do the guys know?

  "Not going today," he grunted out.

  "Are you okay?" she asked.

  "Yes," he answered.

  "Do you need anything?" she asked.

  "No," he said.

  "I made a bunch of sandwiches for the guys. I'll take them over to the house so they can have a good lunch. I bought other stuff to take too. Do you need anything before I go?"