Seducing the Billionaire's Wife

by Marquita Valentine

  The café was mostly empty, only a few employees milling about. “Any turkey and bacon subs left?” she asked Tony, the café chef.

  He grinned. “I might have saved one just for you.”

  She kissed his paper-thin cheek. “You’re a lifesaver.” Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out some cash to pay. “When’s Layla starting?”

  Tony always lit up when he talked about his granddaughter and her new position as publicity manager at The Majestic Dunes. “In another week or two—once she gets settled into her new place. The resort might be closed, but she will be hard at work for next year.”

  Hannah smiled. “I can’t wait to see her again. And what she comes up with.”

  “Me, too. Price includes chips and a drink, you know,” he reminded her. “And scintillating conversation provided by yours truly.”

  Hannah laughed. Tony always had something flirty, yet completely complimentary—about himself—to say to each customer who shopped in the café. He’d been doing it since before she was born.

  Peeling off the butcher paper from around the sandwich, she took a huge bite and said, “I’ff woff to, but snaff neetin in nifntin nuhtues.”

  Tony gave her a strange look. “Is it just for house staff?”

  She shrugged, swallowing down the delicious sandwich before grabbing a bag of chips and a bottle of water. “Thanks, Tony!”

  “Don’t run with your mouth full,” Tony called out with a laugh.

  Out of habit, she slowed down. Nearly all the staff treated her like she was their daughter. They’d fussed, praised, and lectured her all the way from elementary school to high school.

  Some people wouldn’t like the extra sets of parents or even understand, but this place and the people who worked and lived here during the high season were a second home to her. Generations of families stayed, just like hers.

  Well, her mother hadn’t, but she’d let some man sweep her off her feet and carry her away. Hannah was determined not to let that happen to her. It was why she’d chosen to work full time and attend a local college part time, while selectively dating guys who never intended to leave the Outer Banks.

  Except that left her with very few choices, and it had been ages since she’d last had a date. Last had the touch of a man… she smiled wryly, if she could call Fischer a man. He was like an overgrown boy most of the time, living up to his name.

  Fischer loved to fish more than anything else in this world. He knew more about surf reports and what was running than he did times for dates or her favorite flower.

  She finished her sandwich and started on her chips, taking sips of water along the way.

  But they had parted on amicable terms a couple of years back, and she hadn’t had the time to find someone new. While there were opportunities at the resort to date, she knew to never mix business with pleasure. So, she didn’t mess around with staff or guests.

  Throwing away her trash, she eased into the conference room where staff meetings were usually held and sat down in the first high-backed chair. Looking around, she was surprised to see that she was the only one there. Sure, she was normally on time, but she had never been early in her life. There was always something that had to be finished first.

  She checked the ship’s wheel clock and confirmed that she was, in fact, on time. With a frown, she glanced around the room again and started to rise.

  “Ms. Miller.” The voice came from the other end of the table.

  “Yes?”

  The chair spun slowly around, revealing a devastatingly handsome man with dark eyes. Recognition tugged at her brain, but she could quite place him. Rudely, she stared at him. At his sensual mouth, the way he sat so confidently in his chair and radiated sexual charm.

  His gaze was intent. Assessing. He made her hyper-aware of how she looked. How a loose strand of hair sliding across her cheek made her shiver. How her uniform felt suddenly tight across her breasts.

  Hannah blinked. She wasn’t the type to fall for men like him, and certainly not over some guy in a suit. No matter how well it fit him, no matter how well it was cut to show his lean body to perfection.

  And dear Lord in Heaven, she had to stop.

  “Can I help you?” she finally asked.

  His mouth quirked, a dimple appearing briefly, but it was enough for everything to click. “I certainly hope so.”

  “Drew!” She shot to her feet and shoved her chair back, so happy to see her old friend that she didn’t notice he stayed seated as she threw herself at him and hugged his broad shoulders. “Oh, my word. I can’t believe you’re actually here. It’s been so long. I missed you.”

  His large hands rested on her back, and she could feel the heat of his palms all the way down to her skin. He felt different than he had at nineteen. He was all filled out now. All man. With a little sigh, she inhaled his masculine scent and fought against sitting in his lap.

  That would be totally inappropriate.

  Who cared? This was Drew!

  He seemed to care because his hands fell away, and he cleared his throat a couple of times before she finally got the hint and let go of him.

  “Sorry. Old habit for an old friend,” she said with an embarrassed smile as she straightened to her full height. Still only five feet two inches, but it was what it was. “What brings you here?”

  He glanced up at her, peering through heavily lashed forest-green eyes. She inwardly sighed dreamily. Some thing never changed, and her reaction to him certainly hadn’t.

  “Business meeting,” he said in a low drawl that had her heart pounding against her chest. His gaze roamed her face, her clothes… her body. A warm flush covered her neck, spreading upward. “You look… well.”

  For some reason, his tone made her take a step back, or maybe it was because she felt completely goofy for the huge helping of affection she’d just given him. “So do you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. How’s Connor? London? Your parents? Still living in Charlotte?”

  “Everyone is great. My mother, however, succumbed to breast cancer three years ago.”

  Her heart went out to him. “I’m so sorry, Drew.”

  He nodded tightly. “How are things with you?”

  “Good. My grandparents are still the managers, and I’m head of maid services now.”

  “I know,” he said.

  She swallowed. When she would allow herself to envision reuniting with Drew, this was so not how it went. Put the poor man out of his misery, she ordered herself.

  “Well… now that I stuck my foot in my mouth, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to before this staff meeting that was supposed to take place actually takes place?”

  He indicated that she should sit in the chair directly to his right. Though she wasn’t expecting him to ask her to spend more time with him, she sat down and let hope bubble up in her chest.

  “Buying companies, securing websites, stock trading. Dealing with international hackers.”

  “Sounds exciting.”

  The barest hint of a smile lifted his mouth at the corners. “It can be.”

  “Are you staying very long? Because we’re closing for winter.” She leaned forward a bit in her chair. “In fact, the new owner is coming…” Her eyes rounded. “You’re the new owner.”

  “I am.”

  Shaking her head, her mouth twisted slightly. “I can’t believe it. I should have known. Why else would you be here?”

  “To see you,” he said, and her heart stuttered, making her feel lightheaded.

  “You came to see me?”

  His dark gaze never left her face. “Yes.”

  The craziest, most unimaginable thought entered her head and exited her mouth. “Did you buy this resort just so you could see me?”

  “Actually, I did.”

  “You’re kidding,” Hannah said, breaking into a peal of laughter. “Oh, gosh. Of course you are. No one buys a hotel just to—” Drew wasn’t laughing, she realized. His
face was totally serious. Her stomach flipped. “You could have just called me,” she finally managed to say in a whisper-thin voice. “It’s a lot cheaper.”

  He tilted his head to one side. “I have something important to discuss with you, and I didn’t think it would be appropriate to do so over the phone.”

  “But you thought it was super okay to buy an entire resort in order to call a staff meeting of one to talk to me?”

  That dimple of his appeared again. “Touché.”

  “That’s just a little over the top, Drew.”

  He shrugged. “It’s a good investment, and I have fond memories of this place. You.”

  She blushed. “Stop joking around.”

  “I didn’t lie to you when we were kids, and I’m not about to start now.”

  Okay, she’d bite. Curiosity was killing her anyway. “What was so darn important that you couldn’t talk to me over the phone? You need investment advice?” she teased.

  “I need to get married.”

  A sharp pain slashed at her chest. It was stupid, really. She hadn’t seen him in years, yet obviously, she still had feelings for him. Or at least, they lingered.

  “Shouldn’t you discuss that with the woman you want to marry?”

  He leveled her with a look. “I am.”

  Chapter Five

  ‡

  “You want to marry me?” Hannah asked, her pretty, gray eyes wide. She didn’t laugh this time. Instead, she grew silent and sat back in her chair.

  Drew hadn’t been sure what to expect when Hannah walked into the room, and he sure as hell hadn’t expected to react to her so viscerally.

  She was… stunning. The girl he knew had grown into a woman he wanted to know, wanted to discover, and wanted to take to his bed. She was still tiny, but her body had filled out with gentle curves and full breasts that were made for his hands. Her lips were still wide, still lush and laughing. Pink in color, they made him think of all the naughty things he could do with them.

  He’d gotten painfully hard because of those thoughts and her nearness.

  Which was why he had to sit, even when she’d run over to him and given him a patented Hannah hug.

  She’d always hugged him at the beginning and the end of summer. It was just her way, and something he’d always treasured. She’d always been an affectionate little thing, and it seemed that hadn’t changed about her either.

  Except for that erotic little sigh she’d made when her arms had wrapped around him. Yeah, that hadn’t helped, and it had taken every ounce of his self-control not to pull her down into his lap.

  God, she probably would have run out of the room screaming.

  “Drew?” she said, and he refocused on her.

  “Here’s the deal. My father is retiring, and I need to take over Montgomery Industry. However, he’s insisting that I can’t until I get married.”

  Her eyes widened even more. “He can do that?”

  “It’s his company.”

  “You could always start your own, but I’m guessing you put a lot of time and effort into your family’s business to just walk away, huh?”

  Always such a smart girl, and now a smarter woman. “Exactly.”

  She licked her lips, a small, quick movement of a cute, pink tongue that nearly had him groaning. “What if you say no?”

  “Then thousands of people will lose their jobs.”

  “Oh.” Her brow furrowed. “But if you start your own company, you could hire them.”

  He cocked his head to one side, studying her. “True, but that would be a PR nightmare. I would have to hire an entire team to explain why and how things with me would be better than it ever was with Montgomery Industry. My biggest competitor is already embroiled in something similar. His employees have taken a hell of a beating. I’d rather not do that to mine—job stability increases work production.”

  She nodded slowly. “I still don’t understand why you would pick me of all people. Aren’t you dating someone, or know someone who would better fit the image of a corporate wife?”

  “You beat them out. Besides, the majority of them only want to be the wife of a billionaire,” he said flatly.

  “And the jokes just keep coming,” she muttered.

  “I’m serious.”

  “I know you have money, Drew.” She glanced around the room. “Obviously, it’s a lot.”

  “We’d have to sign a prenup,” he said, putting it out there. “I can’t marry anyone without one of those.”

  Hanna shook her head. “This is unreal. I can’t wrap my mind around it.”

  He leaned forward, lightly wrapping his hand around her delicate wrist. “It’s the truth, Hannah. I need to get married. I need you to be my wife.”

  “I—I need time to think,” she said, and he relaxed a little. She hadn’t said no. She hadn’t said yes either.

  “As much as I would love to give you all the time in the world, we don’t have the luxury of time.”

  “Can’t your billions buy time?” she said with a little, teasing smile that eased more of the tension that had built up in his shoulders and neck. Hell, his entire body was tense from the situation and anticipation of seeing her again.

  “Afraid not.”

  “What will you do if I say no?” Her gray eyes searched his face. So pretty, her eyes. Soft and light like a rainy day.

  “Oh my gosh.” Those pretty eyes narrowed when he didn’t answer. “You don’t know, do you, because you assume I’m going to say yes? You’re still cocky. What if I were married already?”

  “You’re not.”

  “What if I were dating someone?”

  “You’re not.” He held up a hand, forestalling any further objections from her. “There is nothing standing in the way of us getting married except… that you have no interest in me.”

  Her nose scrunched. “Interest in you? You’re not a product.”

  Letting go of her wrist, he ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. “I didn’t want to have to do this.”

  “Then don’t.”

  He fished a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. “You owe me for saving your life.”

  “What?” she all but squeaked.

  He spread the IOU on the conference table and slid it over to her. “I’m cashing this in.”

  Her mouth fell open with a gasp. “You kept my IOU?”

  “Yes, and I’m cashing it in. You said I could have anything I want, and Hannah, I want you.”

  Drew’s green eyes fairly blazed at her while she sat there, her gaze bouncing between him and the over-a-decade old IOU. “I was only thirteen,” she whispered. “I had a crush on you then. Puppy love, my grandparents called it.”

  “I know.”

  “This isn’t a legal document,” she said, tracing the bubbly lines of her name. Hannah Coral Miller. She’d written it like that to make it more official sounding.

  “Know that, too.”

  “Then why in the world would you try to use it against me?”

  “I’m not trying to do anything. I’m hoping that you’ll make good on this.” He looked so serious, so determined to make her understand, that she took pity on him. She couldn’t help it. This was her Drew. The boy who saved her life, never lied, and gave her her first kiss. They had known each other for years… almost for as long as they’d been apart.

  And she had loved him from the time she was eight years old until… Well, she wasn’t sure when she stopped loving him.

  Or if she ever had stopped loving him.

  The heart wants what the heart wants. The old saying whispered in her mind.

  “We only have to stay married for five years,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. “After that, you can do what you want, and I’ll make sure you’re compensated for your time.”

  “You’ll compensate me for five years of marriage?” Her mind whirled.

  His mouth thinned. “Name your price, but I do need to keep the majority of my earnings, and you can’t have M
ontgomery Industry.”

  “I’m not calculating.” Pushing her chair back, she stood and began to pace. “I’m trying to figure everything out. You come here out of nowhere, buy a freaking resort, and then ask—Oh, I’m sorry, not ask—you tell me that you’re here for me, but only as a temporary fix to your problem.”

  “It’s not a temporary fix. Only the marriage will be,” he said evenly.

  “How is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “Again, Hannah, thousands will lose their job if you don’t agree.”

  She froze. The truth of his statement hit her hard. She couldn’t be responsible for anyone losing a job. Drew had no right to put that kind of pressure on her.

  “Thousands, sweetheart. Men and women with families, with medical bills, mortgages, and college tuition to pay.”

  “Stop saying that.”

  “It’s true.” He stood, crossing the small distance between them and taking her hands in his. “I’ll give you this resort as a wedding present. In fact, I’ll tear up the IOU.”

  “Drew,” she began with a thick sigh, “I don’t want your money.”

  “I know you don’t. It’s one of the reasons why I want you so bad.”

  She gazed up into his handsome face, her heart slamming against her chest. “What are the others?”

  A wicked smile covered his face. “For starters?”

  Nodding, she said, “Yes.”

  “I still remember the way you taste.”

  Taking a step back, she began, “Our marriage,” triumph gleamed in his eyes, but she rushed on before he could speak, “wouldn’t be in name only?”

  “Would you want to stay celibate for five years?”

  She gave him a half-hearted smile. “Does three years count?”

  He muttered a curse. “I want you in my bed, and I promise to be faithful.”

  Her pulse sped up. “What about me? Don’t you want me to promise to be faithful, too?”

  Running a finger down the side of her neck, he dipped his head. “No need. I already know you’d be faithful.”