My Bereaved Billionaire: A Clean Billionaire Romance (My Billionaire A-Z Book 2)

by Katie Evergreen

  She also knew that wouldn’t have been fair. He lived miles away from her, in a world that was so different from her own that she didn’t recognise it. There was the motel to think about, her job to think about, but most importantly, her dad to think about. Her future was here, and if she had given in to her desires and kissed Nate, she would have taken away his opportunity to live a free life.

  If what he said had been true, then they wouldn’t be able to go public with their relationship or people would accuse him of being callous for finding love so soon after his wife passed away. She knew she had certainly jumped to conclusions herself. By doing that she would be taking away his opportunity to not live a lie anymore, wasn’t that what Nate had so desperately wanted? To not have to lie?

  Liberty dragged herself away from the window and perched on the end of the bed. Her hand reached out and began absentmindedly stroking the blankets he’d so neatly folded for her. Even in midst of anger and hurt he still proved to Liberty that he was thoughtful and kind. It hurt her to think it, but she knew he wouldn’t be single for long. There were hundreds of girls just like his brothers’ wives who would jump at the chance to date a billionaire.

  A puff of air escaped from between her lips. That’s exactly what those girls wanted, a billionaire to fund a lavish lifestyle, not a man to love. Wasn’t that what Nate had been saying to her on the beach? That he was worried he would be used for his money now. The money had never even crossed her mind, because she’d had no idea he even had any. She had simply fallen for him, Nate, the person. Now she knew about his money, that was what was pushing her away from him.

  The expensive clothes, the fake faces, the helicopter transport. Liberty couldn’t deal with all of that. She could barely deal with her own life right now, let alone trying to fit into a life she definitely didn’t belong to. No. She knew she’d done the right thing even if it had caused her so much pain. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered hysterically.

  The door to the bathroom rattled in the breeze from the bedroom window. Liberty looked up. In the bathroom, the fluffy white towels were as neatly folded as the bed linen, left in a stack on the painted wooden floorboards. The linen wasn’t going to wash itself. With a sigh, Liberty gathered it all up and walked out of room one, clicking the door shut behind her. Room two sat just down the small stairs, so Liberty decided to strip those sheets and towels while she was walking past. She dropped what she had in her arms on the floor outside and unlocked the door.

  Even her old bedroom wallpaper couldn’t calm Liberty’s nerves today. This room looked much the same as Nate’s had, Tilly had stripped the bed and folded the linen. Padding across the carpet to the bathroom, Liberty saw that the towels were folded and ready to be laundered here too. The rooms looked spotless, but they’d need a good polish and vacuum before the next arrivals tomorrow. She’d get Fred and Ginger on the job once she’d sorted the laundry.

  A small piece of paper fluttering on the nightstand caught Liberty’s eye as she was heading out of the room.

  Dear Liberty,

  Thank you so much for your hospitality. I must apologize profusely for the incident that followed the funeral. Nathaniel is beside himself. But I do not think that is entirely down to the events of last night. He is urging me to leave early this morning, and I am assuming this is down to him not wanting to see you. Please, whatever it is that has happened, don’t write him off. He’s a loyal, kind, generous, and loving man. He’s been without love for so long, although I know me telling you this will anger him. I saw the way he looked at you. And I felt the electricity in the air between you.

  Please don’t let him end up with a girl like the ugly sisters.

  Give him a chance.

  Tilly

  16

  The computer screen in front of him flashed impatiently, trying to get his attention, but Nate didn’t care. Even the view from his penthouse office suite wasn’t enough to lift his spirits. Everything was wrong. The pool water that morning had felt cold and unyielding against his skin, the sun burning too bright overhead. Nate wasn’t sure if he was coming down with a fever, or if he was simply love sick. He’d always laughed at the idea of love causing someone to be physically ill, but now he was eating his words.

  A loud knock came at his office door and roused him from his stupor. Nate looked up at the last person on earth he wanted to see.

  “You’re not welcome here, dad,” Nate said through gritted teeth.

  His dad ignored him, as usual, and slapped him on the back before perching on the corner of the large, oak desk.

  “Come on, you’re not upset with me, are you?” his dad said. “Have you not seen all the publicity? It must be doing wonders for your figures.” He pushed himself off the desk and started pacing the room, air quoting with his fingers. “Poor widowed billionaire goes crazy at his wife’s funeral. You’ll have them swarming soon, all those women desperate to help poor, sweet, lonely Nathaniel Parker though this difficult process. You lucky devil. Wish I was in your position.”

  Nate saw red.

  “How could you ever be in my position, dad?” he shot back. “You’re so busy chasing tail and cheating you’ve never even had time to fall in love.”

  “That girl really does have you in a state,” his dad said, a smug smile on his face.

  Anger drove Nate to his feet, the chair spinning behind him. He wanted nothing more than to knock that smile off his dad’s face. Before he could make a move, though, the office door swung open and Tilly walked in. She stood between him and his dad, flashing Nate a warning glance.

  “You’re okay, Nate,” she said, a statement rather than a question.

  Nate sat back down in his chair, nodding.

  “Mr Parker.” Tilly turned to face his dad. “I think it’s time you left.”

  Nathaniel Snr held up his hands. “I haven’t done anything.”

  “You’ve done more than enough,” Tilly replied shaking her head. She held up a sheet of paper. “I’ve just had an email from Pebble Cove. They want to know what to do with all the stuff you left in your room.”

  “What?” Nate looked like a dog who had just spotted a bone. His face lit up with the mention of the motel’s name.

  “Bin it,” said his dad. “I don’t need it. There is no way I am setting foot back inside that flea pit. Not when we were treated so badly.”

  “What?” Nate said again. “Bin it? Bin all the clothes you took with you? You really are a piece of work. You weren’t treated badly. You all acted like spoilt brats. And you… you…”

  “Ruined whatever chance you had with that waitress?” Nathaniel Snr shook his head scornfully. “Nate, I did you a favor. You can’t go getting involved with a waitress.”

  “She’s not a waitress,” he said. “And so what if she was? She made me happy. You’re a vile person. They’re a struggling business that can’t afford to pay its bills, and you’re telling them to throw away probably ten thousand dollars’ worth of gear like it’s nothing.”

  His dad shrugged his shoulders.

  “Shouldn’t go into business if you can’t afford it.”

  “Like you, you mean?” Nate said. “How many times have I bailed you out? I bought your lifestyle, don’t pretend you’re any good at anything except hurting people, dad. Now get out.”

  A flash of hurt caught Nathaniel Snr’s eyes. He swung the door open with such force it hit the glass wall behind it. Everyone winced as he stormed through the rows of desks, heading for the elevators. Tilly gently closed the door and handed Nate the email he was so desperate to read. If he was expecting a message from Liberty, he was disappointed.

  “It’s not from her,” he said quietly as he handed Tilly back the piece of paper.

  “No,” she replied, sitting on the chair opposite. She leant her elbows on the desk and looked Nate in the eyes. “Do something about it, before it’s too late.”

  Nate chewed his bottom lip, remembering how Liberty had walked away from him. It still stung
like seawater in a cut.

  “I can’t. She doesn’t want me. I can’t make her want me.”

  “I saw the way she looked at you, Nate. It’s not that she doesn’t want you. It’s something else. Something that you can fix. Now go and do something about it, before it’s too late.”

  She slid the paper over the desk toward him and tapped it with her immaculately manicured forefinger.

  A slow smile spread across Nate’s fatigued face.

  “Okay,” he said in barely a whisper.

  Almost three hours later his Cadillac was pulling up outside Pebble Cove. A sick feeling had settled in Nate’s stomach a hundred miles ago, and it was edging ever closer to his throat. He swallowed thickly and tried to keep breathing. The motel looked as derelict as it had when he had arrived the first time around. He couldn’t quite believe that was only two days ago. It seemed like a million years had passed since he had first set eyes on Liberty. Another wave of nausea hit his stomach when her name entered his mind.

  The birds were in full song tonight, filling the air with their music. He felt as though they were serenading him as he stretched his back and locked the car. Everything in his being was shouting at him to turn around and drive straight back to the city, where things were safe and under control. The thought of being turned down again was almost unbearable. But he knew in his heart that Tilly was right, that he was right. There had been a moment between him and Liberty, and he owed it to both of them to find out what had gone wrong.

  Well, he knew what had gone wrong. A pretend wife; a philandering, disgusting father; brothers who hated him; their wives who hated him even more but spent his money like it was going out of fashion; and a media presence wherever he went. Yep, all of those things were more than enough to put anyone off.

  But what if Tilly was right? What if there was something else? Something that he could fix?

  With a heavy heart, Nate took the broken staircase to the porch and treaded carefully over the crumbling floorboards to the front door. Fred was standing by the desk as he walked in. His eyes widened as Nate smiled at him.

  “Hi… I uh,” Nate fumbled his words. He wanted to say he’d come to speak to Liberty, but those words stayed firmly stuck in his throat. “I’ve come to collect my dad’s stuff.”

  “Right,” Fred said, picking at his teeth with his thumb nail. “And your dad is…?”

  “Oh, sorry.” Nate felt his cheeks flush, he knew the boy was just making life difficult for him. Liberty must have told everyone about his lies. “We stayed here the night before last. I was in room one, my assistant room two, but I’m not sure which room my dad was in. He’s Nathaniel Parker Snr.”

  “Room five,” Fred replied almost immediately. “His stuff is in bags in the office. I’ll bring them out to you.”

  Fred stood upright and went to get the bags. Before he’d gotten very far, Nate’s voice had betrayed him.

  “Is Liberty around at all?”

  Fred’s lips curled. “Maybe.”

  Nate heard a soft slap. It seemed to be coming from behind the front desk.

  “Ow.” Fred flinched. “I mean no, Liberty is definitely not around.”

  Fred nodded his head overdramatically, pointing down at his feet. It took a while to sink in, but Nate finally realized what the boy was trying to say. Fred looked relieved, and a bit dizzy from all the nodding.

  “Definitely not around,” the boy said again.

  “Okay,” Nate said, a little louder than was needed. “Please can you pass on a message from me? I will be going out for dinner while I’m back in Little Norwich and I would like her to join me. I want to make up for the awful things that happened while my family was staying here. Please can you recommend a place to go?”

  “Trattorias. The only place to eat out in Little Norwich.” Fred twitched slightly as he spoke, and another couple of soft slaps echoed out from behind the desk.

  “Thank you,” Nate said, trying not to smile too much. “And please can you ask Liberty to meet me there at…” He checked his watch and ignored Fred’s low whistle when he caught sight of the Patek Philippe. “…half eight?”

  “She’ll be there,” Fred said before jumping so high Nate thought he’d been electrocuted. “Ow!”

  Fred winced, and went off to get Nathaniel Snr’s bags.

  17

  “When Fred said this was the only place to eat in Little Norwich, I didn’t realise he was being literal.”

  Liberty watched as Nate picked up a slice of Hawaiian pizza and practically inhaled it.

  “Sorry,” he explained. “It comes from having two brothers. If I didn’t eat quickly enough I’d lose it.”

  The restaurant was situated in the town square, a stone’s throw from the motel. Red and white gingham was splashed throughout the booths inside the building, which was flanked by a deli on one side and a homeware store on the other. A green and white awning covered the entrance. Liberty and Nate were sat outside the front of the building, under the awning, at a plastic table. The tables were on the sidewalk, but they were hidden by a huge sign displaying the menu. It was quiet here, the only other people in sight an old couple who were sat on the bench in front of the town clock, nursing what looked like a hot chocolate with whipped cream on the top.

  Liberty was glad she had opted for a pretty, ditsy print, summer dress as the air was still humid despite the sun dropping. She had also decided to let her hair escape, for a change. It now sat gently on her tanned shoulders, the corkscrew curls partially tamed by some serum. She was worried that at midnight it would magically spring back to its haphazard natural state, like Cinderella, but she wasn’t planning to be out that long. She’d slicked on a little lip gloss, too, but had immediately wiped it off with the back of her hand, which still felt sticky. She didn’t want to give the impression she was trying too hard.

  As soon as Fred had given Nate his dad’s belongings, and the motel was once again quiet, Liberty had shot out from under the front desk and punched Fred, fairly gently, in the arm.

  “Did you not get my hints?” she’d asked him, as he tended to his bruises.

  “What, you mean ducking down behind the desk at first sight of him and hitting me whenever I said your name? Nope, didn’t get those hints.” Fred had a wicked glint in his eye. “He seems like a good guy, Liberty. What’s the harm in one meal?”

  Ginger had shouted an agreement from the landing, where she stood with a feather duster in one hand and a vacuum in the other.

  If nothing else, this whole episode had brought Fred and Ginger out of their shells. It was the most either of them had spoken to Liberty since her arrival at Pebble Cove, and Fred had even used her name. She was so used to being called ma’am, it had felt like she had passed some kind of unwritten twin test.

  What was the harm in one meal?

  Liberty knew the precise answer to that. As she’d sat under the front desk listening to Fred and Nate and trying to ignore all the cobwebs, Liberty thought maybe it was a good thing Nate had come back. At least now she would have the chance to tell him face to face why it could never work between them.

  The chance was upon her right now. Across the little round table sat a man who was more beautiful than she’d remembered, even while he was stuffing his face with pizza. He’d opted for jeans and a navy henley, and obviously hadn’t had a chance to shave that morning. Liberty could feel her brain start to hurt. She knew she should just be honest now and save a lot of heartache later. The bags he’d driven all this way to collect wouldn’t have cost him a lot of money to have shipped, she knew he’d used it as an excuse to see her. The least she could do for him now was tell him straight. But the joy on his face as he picked off pieces of pineapple and popped them between his kissable lips was too much to bear.

  “Your brothers must have been animals,” she said, opting for conversation instead of heartache.

  Nate nodded, his mouth too full of fruit to talk.

  “Did your parents not referee between
you all? I can’t imagine what that must have been like. It was always just me growing up, no one wanted to steal my food.”

  Nate finished his mouthful and dabbed his face with the cloth napkin he’d placed on his lap.

  “You know when we were in the gardens of Pebble Cove?” he said. “After funeral-gate? You said that your dad made up sayings and phrases to make you feel happier, especially when you were feeling sad about your mom.”

  Liberty licked the tomato sauce and cheese from her fingers and nodded. Normally on a first date—not a date, Liberty!—she would have been self conscious about every move as she tried to impress, but for some reason she felt utterly at ease around Nate.

  “Why would you have been feeling sad about your mom? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  Talk about going in at the deep end. No small chat here. Liberty paused for a moment to fully take in the question. She picked up her napkin too, wanting something to do with her hands.

  “She died when I was eleven,” she said, feeling the rough edge of the cotton with the tips of her fingers. “Freak accident. It was a wave, right there on the beach in front of the house. She was a strong swimmer, too. Dad used to laugh when we’d all head out together because he’d be left behind, every time. But she wasn’t strong enough this time. It swept her off her feet and she hit her head on a rock.”

  She looked down at the napkin and the red patch on her finger.

  “I haven’t been in the ocean since.”