by Jill Downey
Secret Billionaire
The Carolina Series Book Two
Jill Downey
Contents
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
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Books by Jill Downey
Secret Billionaire
The Carolina Series
Book 2
by
Jill Downey
Copyright © 2020 Jill Downey
All rights reserved.
Published by Jill Downey
Cover Design Copyright © 2020 Maria @ Steamy Designs
Editor April Bennett @theeditingsoprano.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, copied, shared, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author. The only exception is brief quotations to be used in book reviews. All places and locations are used factiously. The names of characters and places are figments of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to real people or real places are purely a coincidence and unintended.
Dedication
Becoming an aunt has been one of my
biggest blessings in life!
This is for Grace and Finn… love you both so much!
1
Faye served a round of beers to the table of guys still lingering. The place had cleared out. They and the solo patron at the bar, were the only customers left. She set the six beers in front of them and had turned to leave when one of them called her back.
“It’s our boss’s birthday.” The guy nodded his head toward the man Faye had been drooling over the entire night. “Since Jesse here, can’t seem to take his eyes off of you, how about you make his day and give him your phone number?”
Faye grinned at the gray-haired man who’d thrown his friend under the bus.
Hands on her hips she said, “You behave yourself, ya hear. I don’t give my number out…even if it’s an extra hot birthday boy.”
They all guffawed with laughter, then the teasing began in earnest.
“Hear that Jesse? Extra hot!”
“You might actually have a shot,” another one chimed in.
“His name’s Jesse Carlisle, and I’m Stan, his foreman.” He tipped his beer bottle at her.
Faye curtsied playfully and then stuck out her hand towards the embarrassed hunk. “Pleased to make your acquaintance. Happy Birthday. I hate to be the bearer of bad news guys, but this is last call,” she said, as she laid their bill on the table.
Jesse tipped back his chair and looked up at her through ridiculously long lashes and smiled. “Don’t listen to these guys. They’re full of hot air.”
“What business are y’all in?”
Stan answered for them. “Construction. We build houses.”
“Maybe I should take that back then and give Jesse my number after all. I’ve been dumped. I had a construction company all lined up, and they just up and quit on me.”
The five men all looked curiously at Jesse waiting for his response.
He shrugged and said, “That’s brutal. This is the busiest time of year for construction. You’re going to have a tough time finding someone else.”
Faye was not the least bit surprised that he didn’t step in and offer to help. She knew the timing was horrible.
“Don’t I know it.”
The building, once a favorite dive bar for the locals, had been closed and neglected for years. She renamed it The Pelican and had big dreams to bring it back to life with live music, open mic nights, great tasting bar food. Since the kitchen required a major overhaul, her customers would have to be content with peanuts, potato chips and jerky for now. There was still a ton of work to be done and she was trying to be patient. It was hard to not feel overwhelmed.
“My dream is to restore the outdoor seating area. I had hoped to have that done in time for tourist season this year.” She sighed, “Oh well. It didn’t stop you boys from coming in tonight.”
Jesse’s forehead furrowed as he listened to Faye. “I can give you a couple of numbers of some workers I know, but I can’t promise anything,” he said.
She put a hand to her heart. “You’d do that for me?” She laid on the southern charm.
“I’ll drop off a few cards this week.”
“That would be great. Can I use you as a reference?”
His amber brown eye’s crinkled when he smiled at her. “Of course.”
Stan looked out at the pier and said, “It’s a shame to waste that outdoor space. You’ve got the perfect location.”
The deck was adjacent to a marina, and when the renovation was completed, customers would be able to drive their boats up, secure their vessels and come through her own private entrance. However, before that could happen, the covered deck needed repaired, possibly replaced, then stained and sealed. Right now, it was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
They were interrupted by the guy at the bar who yelled, “Can a guy get a fucking beer around here?”
Faye reluctantly returned to the bar to serve him.
“Last call,” she said to him, her voice clipped.
He glared at Faye, waving his hand dismissively. “Yeah yeah, I heard ya.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled a fresh frosty mug from the cooler and filled it from the tap. “Here ya go. Are you ready to cash out now?”
“I’ll wait til I’m done.”
“Suit yourself.”
She glanced over at the table and caught Jesse staring at her. Her cheeks grew warm. He was gorgeous but even more than that, he seemed like a sweetheart. Hopefully, she’d be here when he dropped off those business cards. The guys all reached into their pockets as they divvied up the bar tab. Leaving a pile of cash on the table, they stood up to leave.
Jesse stopped at the bar to say goodbye. “I didn’t catch your name.”
Her pulse raced. “Faye LeBlanc.”
“Nice to meet you Faye.”
“Yeah, you guys were fun. Happy Birthday.”
“Thanks to you it was.” His eye’s lazily ran over her face, briefly settling on her lips, before he turned to follow his friends out the door.
Faye blew out a long breath as she finished wiping down the bar. She turned off the music and the pleasant sounds of the whirling ceiling fans, and the clinking of the pull chain were like a
lullaby. The backdrop of water lapping at the deck only added to her sleepiness. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She’d been up since seven that morning. There hadn’t been that many customers today, but the last three months of renovating a dilapidated building and opening for business were catching up with her.
She couldn’t wait to crawl between her cotton sheets. All she could think about was her soft pillow and cozy bed. The only thing standing between her and sleep was the last holdout, the guy on the bar stool. He was still in no hurry to leave despite the fact that she’d announced last call, turned up the lights and turned off the music. Since he was impervious to her hints, she was going to have to use the direct approach to get him to leave.
Smiling, Faye shrugged apologetically and said, “I’m fixin’ to close. I’m going to have to take your beer if you don’t down it now.”
His bushy salt and pepper eyebrows looked like two fat caterpillars as they drew together in a scowl. “Is that so? I paid for my beer and I ain’t leavin’ til I finish it.”
Her irritation intensified her southern Carolina drawl, “I’m not trying to be rude or anything, but when I announced last call, you had plenty of time to finish a mug of beer.”
He glared at her. “I reckon you think you’re gonna be the one to haul my ass out of here?”
She put her hands on her slim hips and tilted her head, “I reckon so.”
His cheeks, already ruddy, flushed even more. About to argue the point further, he abruptly threw back his head and drained the glass. Banging the mug down onto the bar top, he stood up and sauntered to the front door. As he grabbed the door handle, he snarled, “Oh, I forgot something.” He pulled a few coins out of his pocket and tossed them at Faye. They clattered noisily to the floor at her feet.
“Snake in the grass!” Faye muttered to the empty room as the door slammed shut behind him. Her hands trembled as she locked up. What a jerk! She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. She grabbed an ice-cold bottle of Heineken from the cooler and sat on a bar stool, taking a long pull of the full-bodied beer. The combination of icy cold and strong bitter taste of the import hit the spot. As she relaxed the tension faded along with her headache. Stress. As she looked around, she tried to be happy that the interior at least, reflected her artistic flair with jazzy colors, whimsical marine animals and nautical décor. Her pure grit and elbow grease had paid off.
Faye finished her beer and tossed the bottle into the recycle can. She closed out the cash register and finished cleaning the bar glasses. Grabbing her backpack from under the counter, she turned out the lights and locked the door behind her. Her feet ached from standing all day in flip flops, but she only had to walk a couple of blocks to get home.
She stepped out and took a deep breath, the smell of the briny ocean air at once calming and exhilarating. A chill went down her spine when she saw the silhouette of a man leaning against a truck. As her eyes adjusted, she realized it was the same man she’d booted out earlier. She could see the glow of a cigarette as he took one last drag and ground it out under his boot heel. He took several threatening steps toward her and she backed away, hands suddenly clammy with sweat.
Before he reached her, a low sexy voice coming from the direction of the pier said, “Is there a problem Faye?”
Voice quivering, Faye said, “I’m not really sure.”
The man behind the voice stepped out and stood under a light. She was grateful to see that it was Jesse Carlisle. His leisurely approach couldn’t disguise his protective bearing, almost panther-like, as he sized up the threat.
“You got a reason to be hanging around here after hours?”
“Same as you I reckon.”
“No, I don’t reckon. I suggest you get in your truck and head on down the road if you know what’s good for you.”
The man puffed out his chest and sneered, “Why don’t ya mind yer own business pretty boy.”
Faye was relieved that the threatening stranger was no match physically for “pretty boy”, who happened to be built like a quarterback. Jesse had broad shoulders, bulging biceps, thighs that filled out his faded blue jeans to perfection. The other guy, although burly, had a beer belly and sticks for legs. Besides that, he looked like he hadn’t seen the inside of a gym for a decade plus. She’d place her bet on the hottie.
He must have done his own assessment and had come to the same conclusion, because he held up both hands and said, “Hey now, there’s no need for you to get your hackles up, I was just gonna offer this pretty little lady an apology. I think I mighta outworn my welcome earlier.”
By this time, Jesse was standing slightly in front of her, using his body as a shield. He was so close she could smell him, an intoxicatingly masculine earthy scent of cedar mixed with soap. Her fear had dissipated somewhat, and now she was aware of her pulse racing for a completely different reason.
He crossed his arms and said, “You go right ahead and apologize then.”
“Um, miss, I don’t know yer name…well I’m sorry I was a little short with ya earlier. I didn’t mean no harm.”
She glared, “You mean when you threw the money at me?”
He squirmed shifting from one foot to another as he glanced at her bodyguard and said, “I was teasin ya. I’m sorry if ya took it wrong.” He reached into his pocket again and pulled out a couple of bills thrusting them toward her.
Her hands balled into fists. “I appreciate the gesture, but no thanks.”
“Come on, take it.”
“I think we both heard the lady say no. Why don’t you get in your truck and leave or else I’m going to have no choice but to knock you to the middle of next week.”
He kept both hands up as he backed away, “I’m leaving. No need to pitch a hissy fit.” Turning to Faye he said, “No hard feelins?”
Faye’s lips tightened as she fought the fear that had her gut tied in a knot. “No hard feelings. Drive safely.”
Tipping his red ball cap, he hopped into his truck and drove away.
Faye slumped the minute he pulled out of the parking lot. The adrenaline rush from fear followed by her physical response to Jesse, left as suddenly as it had come.
Seeing Faye sway, he put his arm around her waist and said, “Hey are you okay? He’s gone now.”
“I’m feeling a little dizzy is all.” She clung to him for support.
“Where’s your car?”
“I walked. I only live a couple blocks from here.”
“I’ll take you home. You should never be out alone and walking this late at night, I don’t care how close by you live,” he said irritably. “I know you just met me, but would you at least let me take you home? If not, is there someone you could call to pick you up? I’ll wait with you until they get here. A boyfriend maybe?”
Her eyes glistened with tears and her hands shook uncontrollably. “No boyfriend, and I wouldn’t want to wake my roommate up. I would love a ride home. That was so scary. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up…thank you so much.” Teeth chattering, she held out her trembling hands. “Look at me, I’m shaking like a leaf.”
His large hands swallowed up her delicate fingers, the warmth of his touch both reassuring and jolting at the same time. Her body seemed to respond of its own accord.
“I’m right over here,” he said. She felt his hand curve into the small of her back as he led her over to a motorcycle. “I almost want to lecture you about accepting my ride, and about being too damn trusting.”
Handing her his helmet, Faye pulled it on and fastened the chin strap. “No need for the lecture. I trust my instincts. I’m seldom wrong about people.”
Grinning he said, “Somehow as a defense strategy, ‘trusting your instincts’ doesn’t reassure me much.”
He threw his leg over the bike then she hitched up her skirt and crawled on behind him. Her nose crinkled and she said, “Where do you want me to hold on?”
He glanced back and gave her a devastating smile, “Best if yo
u wrap your arms around me and hold on real tight.”
Her breath quickened as his warm gaze captured hers. “Um…okay.” She reached around him and encircled his waist, her hands flattened against his hard-toned belly. She could feel his body heat as her breasts pressed against his back. His scent made her want to bury her nose into his shirt. With her legs snug against him, she could feel his muscles rippling with every movement. She was shocked at how much she craved the warmth and reassurance of touch.
He fired up the bike. “Where to?”
She pointed. “That way.”
“Hang on tight. Left it is.”
She didn’t know what was going on. Her whole body tingled, and she was overly aware of his body heating her skin where they touched. She had never had such a strong visceral reaction to a man before. She felt excited and alive, her fear forgotten for the moment, replaced with a fluttery sexual tension in her belly. “Turn right at that stop sign, then I’m the third townhouse on the right.”
He pulled next to the curb and shut off the motor. “Nice digs you got.”
“I’m crashing with my best friend right now. All my money is tied up in the bar. You can’t beat the view that’s for sure.”
