by Lexi Aurora
“You need to marry a rich man to take care of your loans,” Casey said, looking up at the ceiling, her voice dreamy. “That’s what I’m looking for.”
I laughed, but didn’t respond. The truth was, I’d had my eye on only one man my entire life and it was Casey’s brother, Travis, who was completely off-limits. He was also ridiculously rich, but I had fallen for him far before he had made his fortune, back when we were kids and he had given me my first kiss on prom night.
It was then that Casey’s phone went off, and she reached into her purse to pull it out and look at the screen. I glanced at it to see Travis’ face, waiting patiently for her to pick up a video call. I felt my heart flutter in my chest, something like panic course through me as I quickly snuck my hands up to my face and pushed my hair back, smoothing the front of my shirt down. I hadn’t seen Travis since that last night he’d kissed me, but I’d thought about him ever since.
Casey answered the called and the screen widened to show Travis, a grin on his handsome face. I kept myself out of view. I was nervous to talk to Travis, especially in front of Casey. Throughout high school, Casey always got extremely annoyed whenever any girl mentioned that they thought her brother was hot. She had been glad to make friends with me knowing that I didn’t have any interest in him, that I was her friend alone. I had kept my crush on him private for that reason, and wasn’t sure that I would be able to hide my feelings for him if I had to talk to him for the first time right in front of her.
“What’s up?” said Casey, her voice excited. She and her brother had always been close, and I knew that they had these video calls at least once a week while they were apart in separate cities.
“Hey, sis,” Travis said, and just the sound of his voice made something shift in my body, made my stomach feel light and fluttery. He was so handsome—his dark hair was pushed back from his face, his hazel eyes sparkling with light. Casey caught me off-guard by turning the camera toward me then, and I watched Travis’ face light up when he saw me. It made my heart do a flip in my chest and for a second I could only stare at him. I hoped to god that Casey didn’t notice the pause between us as we drank each other in for a moment.
“Hi,” I said to him finally, breaking the silence.
“Jenna,” he said. “Wow.”
“Um, I was just over here visiting Casey. How are you?”
“I’m good,” he said, looking over at Casey, then back at me. “How are you guys?”
“We’re good,” I said, my throat dry. I had to look away from the screen. I felt his eyes on me for an instant before Casey started to speak. He was studying my face intently, making me blush under his gaze. I only hoped that Casey didn’t notice my reaction; not only would it be embarrassing, but I was sure that she would be angry at me if she found out how I felt about her brother, that I had always carried a torch for him even when we were kids.
“So are you ready for this big family bash, Travis?” she asked. “It’s going to be crazy.”
“It is going to be interesting,” he said, rubbing his hand over his mouth. His eyes were still on me even as he spoke to his sister, and I prayed that he would look away from me before she noticed how focused he was. I knew then that he was remembering that kiss, too, the first one we’d had. It had been prom night and I hadn’t had a date; we’d gone home to Casey’s after the dance and she’d fallen asleep after a long night of dancing, but I had stayed up. Travis had been outside when I stepped out for some air and we had barely talked before he leaned his face down to kiss me, a kiss that was soft and sweet before he pulled away. He had left for college the next day.
“Why don’t you come, Jenna?” Travis asked. I blinked at him, looking over at Casey. I had zoned out and wasn’t sure what he was talking about anymore, hadn’t been focused on anything but the memory of our first kiss.
“Come where?”
“On vacation!” Casey said. “It’s my mom’s fiftieth birthday. She would love it if you were there.”
“I don’t know, I—”
“Come on,” said Travis. “It’s a private island in the Florida Keys. Beautiful place. You’ll love it.”
“You definitely need a rest,” Casey said. “You said you were exhausted.”
“I guess I could go,” I said, realizing that neither of them were going to let me say no anyway. A vacation did sound great, even if it meant being around Travis in person for a few days.
“Good,” said Travis, who was chewing on his lip as he looked at me. “Good girl. Case, make sure you bring suntan lotion this time, you know—”
“Okay, dad,” Casey said, rolling her eyes.
“I’m just saying,” he said with a grin. “I’d better go. I’ll send you the final details later today. See you later.”
“Bye, Travis,” I said softly, and he winked at us before he hung up. I was still feeling fidgety and warm as I had been while he was on screen. I looked at Casey, studying her face to find out if she noticed how I had been affected by Travis on the phone. She didn’t look like she noticed—she was smiling and bouncy, excited that I was going to go on the vacation with her. I was excited, too. It meant that our couple of days together was going to expand into the full week. It also meant that I would have to see Travis in person, which I imagined would be much more difficult than seeing him smiling on a phone screen.
Chapter 2: Travis
I SAT BACK IN MY LEATHER office chair, spinning in a slow circle as I put the phone to my lips and thought of Jenna. I hadn’t seen her since we were in high school. I had just graduated, actually, and the next day I headed away to college for a year before dropping out and starting my business. I remembered vividly the kiss we had shared outside before I had left—it had been soft and sweet, perfect; I’d wanted it to go deeper, to taste her mouth, but she had been so young and delicate that I knew I couldn’t go that far with her. She wasn’t a young girl anymore, though, and she hadn’t looked remotely delicate to me on the screen. Her strawberry-blonde hair was full, thick, and curly around a heart-shaped face. Those green eyes had been focused on me more intently than my sister had probably realized, and I knew in an instant that she was thinking the same thing I was.
I stood up and left my office, going next door to see my business partner. His door was open, and I went inside and shut it behind me. My partner, Arthur Monroe, was also my best friend and my closest confidant, other than my sister. But this wasn’t something that I could talk to my sister about—I could never let on that I had feelings for Jenna. Casey would be heartbroken, I knew, and feel betrayed by the both of us. I couldn’t stand the thought of it being that way between Casey and I, not when she was one of the most important people in my life.
“What’s up?” Arthur asked, propping his feet up on the desk.
“I may have just done something really stupid,” I said.
“Again?” He was grinning. I nodded; I had to give him that—I was prone to making impulsive decisions that didn’t always lead to the best of consequences.
“Does it have anything to do with a girl?”
“Yep,” I said. He shook his head. “Always. That’s why I don’t date women.”
“Right. That’s why.”
He chuckled. “So what did you do? Who is she?”
“You know my sister Casey? It’s her best friend. We’ve known each other since we were kids. I saw her on a video call with my sister and I invited her to our family vacation next week.”
“Why’d you do that?”
“I want her,” I said. “Seeing her again brought it all back. I had the biggest crush on her in high school and now she’s even more perfect.”
“So what’s the big deal?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest. “She married? Got a kid?”
“Casey would never go for it. She would hate both of us.”
Arthur rolled his eyes. He had never been the type of person to care much about how other people felt about his decisions, which was why I had chosen him as my partner. He was a
ruthless businessman, intent on getting what he wanted, and was the only person I’d met who matched me in terms of ambition and drive.
“She would get over it.”
“I can’t take the risk,” I said. “I just—the moment I saw her again, I knew I had to have her. I have to.”
“So do it,” Arthur shrugged. “Keep it a secret while you’re there. It’ll make for some killer sex.”
I knew that was true. I could only imagine Jenna’s body now since I hadn’t gotten to see it, but I imagined that it had filled out as she’d grown into it just as her face had. I wanted to touch her no matter how she had grown up—my main desire was to see that look in her eyes again, wide and caught off-guard, surprising her by showing her all the things I could do to her body. But it didn’t feel like it was just about sex; I wanted to talk to Jenna again. She had always been so funny and sweet that being around her as a teenager had been agonizing knowing that I had to keep a respective distance.
“Is she coming with your sister to the island? How are you going to make it work?”
“I have a private jet and property on the island with plenty of room, so it’s not like we’re going to have to squeeze her in.”
“That’s kind of too bad. It’d be nice if you had to share a room.”
I laughed. “Probably wouldn’t happen.”
“I think you should go for it. At least have some kind of fling. Feels good to get someone you’ve wanted for a long time.”
“I think I will,” I said. I had been meek back then, timid. But I wasn’t a teenager anymore—I had become a billionaire, built my business from the ground-up because I was capable and determined. I took what I wanted. And I wanted Jenna.
“I have to get back to work,” he said. “Let me know how it goes.”
“I will,” I told him. “Wish me luck.”
He gave me a thumbs-up and I stood up, leaving his office and going back into my own. I felt good now that I was determined I was going to make Jenna mine. It wasn’t just about the kiss or her body, but the fact that things had felt so pure between us before. I didn’t know how it was going to go over with Casey, but I tried not to think about it as I finished my day out excited for the upcoming vacation.
Keep reading the rest of The Forbidden Billionaire – it is available online, check Lexi Aurora’s author page for its availability.
PREVIEW: Keeping Secrets from the Billionaire by Lexi Aurora
Chapter One- Julie
T he red neon light for the motel was going bad. It buzzed and blinked all night long, turning my dingy two-bedroom room into a disco party. Tyler had danced himself into exhaustion, but then, that kid could sleep through anything. It was a blessing that he’d been a quiet baby, or I probably would have fallen apart. While I couldn’t even begin to imagine my life without him, the circumstances of his birth hadn’t exactly been the highlight of my life.
When morning came, I dragged my exhausted, sweaty self out of bed and into the shower. The water was as cold as the air was hot, but even the lack of hot water and air conditioning wasn’t enough for me to try to find somewhere else to live. With my budget, the fact that the place was relatively bug-free and came with a mini-kitchen was more than I could ask for.
“Baby, are you up?” I called out as I brushed my wet, strawberry-blonde hair into a ponytail. With a four-year-old son to chase after and very little money, I didn’t bother with make-up. It’d simply melt off anyway. I’d made my way to California thinking I could raise my son in warm and sunny climates, but Las Pameros was mostly desert, and the sun baked everything in its path.
“Momma, did you get some blueberry Pop-Tarts? I think I’d like some blueberry Pop-Tarts.” My ever-so polite son rubbed his eyes as he walked into the bathroom and stared at me. With his blue eyes and blond hair, he was almost the spitting image of his father.
Pretending to think it over, I narrowed my eyes and studied him. “If I remember correctly, I told you yesterday that I would only get some blueberry Pop-Tarts if you could recite the information that I gave you.”
“My name is Tyler Garner Dennings. My mother’s name is Juliette Christie Dennings. I am four years old.” He went on to correctly announce his address and the new phone number that I’d given him to memorize since I’d lost my phone three days ago and had to get a new one. My stomach twisted as he correctly recited the number for the local police and went over the stranger danger rules. In a year, he would be five, and I’d have a decision to make. It wasn’t fair to keep moving him around when he started school, but it was also dangerous to stay in one place as well.
My kid was smart, and I wasn’t just being a biased mother. He picked up things quickly, and he absorbed everything around him. It was almost a little terrifying.
Stumbling over a few of the numbers, he righted himself and looked at me with hopeful eyes. “Well,” I declared loudly. “I think that might get you two blueberry Pop-Tarts!”
“Two!” His eyes shined with excitement, and I nodded my head as he skipped from my bathroom into the kitchen. It was a good thing that he was already ready because I was running late.
Pulling on a pair of jean shorts and a button-up plaid top, I slipped my sunglasses on my face and grabbed my things. My only friend and pretty much savior, Crystal, lived two doors down. Crystal didn’t have any kids, but she worked out of her motel room and was more than happy to keep an eye on Tyler for me while I was at work. There was some sort of unspoken rule around here about not asking people why they’d ended up at the Sunny Side Up Motel, so I never asked Crystal her story, and she never asked me mine, but I’d felt obliged to give her some details. She did look after my son, and there was always the slightest chance that his father might turn up.
Crystal was about my age, twenty-seven, with the perfect body and a gorgeous face. I couldn’t help but sigh with a little jealousy when she opened the door and her perfect rack bounced ever so slightly when she bent to give Tyler a hug. While I had those childbearing hips and an ass that I still claimed carried some baby-weight, my tits were pretty small.
Not like there was a damn thing I could do about it.
“Are you giving me half of your blueberry tart?” Crystal gasped as she accepted the gift. “Well, that’s so sweet. You must know that I have something special planned for lunch.”
“What’s that?’ Tyler asked while I whipped out my phone and connected with Crystal’s Wi-Fi. The motel internet was a joke, and Crystal had her own separate connection that she let me use.
“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise!” Crystal looked up expectantly. “Long day ahead of you?”
I knew that she thought my job was weird, and the truth was that I knew it was a little strange myself. I needed a cash-under-the-table kind of job, and I found it when I’d answered an ad for someone to run errands. By errands, my boss basically wanted to pay me a sliver of what she made to do her job. Darleen Mason was the personal assistant for the sinfully wealthy and handsome Graham Porter, but it was obvious that Darleen wasn’t as interested in the work as she was the man. So while Mr. Porter paid her to keep his personal life organized, I was the one actually doing the work.
The truth was that it was a helluva lot better than some of the other jobs I’d done in the past, and Darleen never missed a payment.
“It looks like Darleen’s boss has a birthday coming up.” I’d signed a non-disclosure agreement, so I wasn’t allowed to say who I was working for, but Crystal knew that it was some bigwig. “I have to pick up a present for him.”
Crystal pursed her lips in disapproval. “I keep telling you, Julie. Something doesn’t smell right about this job. How do you know you’re not working for some mobster or drug kingpin?”
“You should be a writer,” I laughed. “I’m fairly certain that isn’t the case because things like that don’t happen to me. Tyler, baby, I’ve got to run. Come give me some sugar.” As always, when I left him, my emotions ran a little high, and my old Texas twang showed its u
gly head. I’d worked hard to keep that accent down, but it popped up far more often than I would have liked.
My perfect son ran into my arms and gave me a big kiss on my cheek. I held him tight and inhaled deeply into his hair. He was the reason that I still breathed, and the reason that I was even doing all of this.
“Crystal says she’s got something special for lunch,” he whispered in my ear. “Last time she did that, we got McDonalds!”
God help me when things like McDonalds thrilled my son. I let him go and paid Crystal for the day. The damn sign for the motel was still buzzing and blinking as I started my piece-of-crap car and drove to the boutique shops on Quarter and Main.
When I first started working for her, Darleen had given me a credit card to authorize expenses. I worried that someone would ask to see some identification, but it would seem that all the employers on the strip knew Darleen by heart and were told that I wielded her card. I hated using it. While Darleen had given me a job and paid me on a regular basis, that woman had a mean streak a mile wide. She threatened hell on earth if I ever used the card for personal reasons or if I ever told her boss what was really happening. When we did meet, the woman did nothing by criticize me up and down, but I tried not to mind. After all, I wasn’t doing this for me.
I was doing it for Tyler.
Stepping into Matheson and Sons, the curio shop, my eyes immediately landed on a gorgeous wooden model ship that was encased in glass. The raw beauty of the ship spoke of someone’s love and expert craftsmanship. It was unique, and it’d make a perfect ship for Mr. Porter. Generations ago, his family had made billions off the shipping industry, and while they had their hands in different pies now, I knew from my research that Graham Porter had a thing for ships.
