The Billionaire's Embrace: A Billionaire Romance (The Hampton Billionaires Book 2)

by Erika Rose

  Success had never been something Cole flaunted with, although the comfort and reputation it brought with it had made him one of the wealthiest investors in Manhattan; and one of the most popular when it came to the ladies.

  Speaking of ladies, Cole opened mail from a lady he had spent one night with a week ago, imploring him when they were repeating their night together.

  His lip curled in a cocky way as he briefly answered the mail.

  Although the night we spent together would always remain with me, I am not ready for commitment which would be inevitable with a wonderful woman like you. It would be unfair of me to take you from what you deserve when I could never be the man to provide it.

  After he hit the send button a small flicker of guilt passed through his system. It was the same explanation he gave to every woman he had slept with, only the word order varied slightly. The fact that he knew it by heart hardly ever made him feel guilty. He wasn’t sure why it did now.

  He didn’t have time for dating, sweet romances or relationships. He made that clear whenever he met a woman, it was her choice whether or not to spend the night with him. To Cole’s delight none had ever declined him. At least he was honest; he placated the niggling voice in the back of his mind saying it was cruel.

  He sat back, beer in hand and looked at the other houses on the street. All the houses were designed the same, only the color of the shutters and the landscaping differed. When he had decided on investing in property in his home town a secure gated estate seemed like a better investment than a standalone on the beach.

  When he was away like he had been for the past year, he didn’t have to worry about a break-ins and free-loaders because of the security the estate provided.

  Although he would’ve liked to be on the beach, he thought as he noticed movement across the road. It was the brunette he had noticed last year moving in the front window of the house. He remembered her living there with a man, presumably a boyfriend or a husband. Since Cole wasn’t your usual interested neighbor, he had never met her. He had merely seen them when coming and going from the house.

  The front door of the house opened and she stepped into the dusky evening light, chocolate brown hair falling over her shoulders. Even if she wasn’t your usual Manhattan beautiful, there was something about her. From his vantage point Cole could see her eyes were as brown as her hair. She smiled at the dog yapping at her from next door as she hefted a large black bag alongside her.

  Where was the man Cole had seen last year?

  She didn’t even notice Cole on the porch across the road as she struggled with the bag to the garbage can. As she hefted it to put it in, something sharp inside slit the bag open scattering its contents on the sidewalk.

  “Shootin’ Fiddlesticks!”

  Her voice rang clear in the quiet neighborhood and Cole couldn’t help but laugh at her choice of words. He stood up from his seat on the porch, closed his laptop and sauntered over the street to where she was now crouching and picking up trash.

  “Shootin’ Fiddlesticks?” Cole asked as he bent and picked up an empty milk container and tossed it in the can. “Are you a primary school teacher or something?”

  She lifted her head and looked at him with a frown before smiling. On both her cheeks a dimple popped before her generous lips spread in a smile. “No a paralegal, but when you’ve got a voice that carries in an open office you learn alternatives to swearing at work.” She stood up and brushed her hands on her thighs before holding one out to Cole. “I’m Rose Adler.”

  “Cole Matthewson.” Cole answered as he noticed he was wrong. Her eyes weren’t the same color of her hair. The edges were but there were speckles of caramel and hazelnut causing them to appear lighter.

  “I know.” She shrugged as she bent and quickly grabbed an empty box of female hygiene products. When she met his eyes again a blush colored her cheeks as she tossed the box in the can. “Emmaline told me.”

  It was Cole’s turn to frown. “Emmaline?”

  “My neighbor.” She cocked her head to the left. “If you need to know anything about anyone on this street, you ask Emmaline. She was the first one to move in when the Estate was built. The original property belonged to her and her deceased husband. She says it is in the interest of the real estate agents to keep her informed.” The dimples Cole had noticed earlier were now prominent.

  “Sounds like a clever woman.” He said as he bent and started gathering more trash.

  Rose crouched next to him, collecting the last few items. Her soft scent drifted over to him, she smelled like a rose with a hint of something else. Soft and floral. The scent was both enticing and fascinating.

  As they both tossed in the last few items their hands accidentally brushed. The touch had heat shooting through Cole. There was attraction here, and it was strong. He thought about the email he had just sent and took a step back.

  “Weren’t you living with a man last year?”

  Rose frowned. “Yes, but he moved out ten months ago. Is that the last time you were here?”

  “Yes, I live in the city. I just came out this weekend for a family reunion. So you’re not together anymore?” Cole smiled charmingly hoping he didn’t seem like the nosy neighbors he always avoided.

  “Well it was expected after he cheated on me twice in one month and I broke the engagement. I’ve thought about getting a roommate to help me pay the mortgage but I’ve decided to rather just sell and move on.”

  She looked over her shoulder at the tidy house before turning back to Cole. “This place doesn’t hold too many happy memories for me, and besides it’s too big just for me. At least I got to keep it when I threw him out.”

  “Makes sense. At least you found out about the cheating before the wedding.” Cole said lifting a shoulder.

  “Probably. Still wasn’t fun finding out though?” She smiled mischievously and leaned closer to Cole. “Throwing all his belongings on the front lawn was a lot fun though.”

  They both laughed as their eyes met. Rose sobered and tucked her hair behind her ear.

  Cole’s interest had always leaned more toward blonde, tall and lean but there was something about the short brunette with curves that made him want to spend more time with her. There was a quirkiness he hadn’t come across too often in Manhattan. The women he knew back in the city wouldn’t even step outside their bedroom without make-up. Taking out the trash in sweatpants and a tank top would be considered social suicide for them.

  Rose seemed comfortable enough in her own skin to not even warrant an explanation for her attire.

  “I was just sitting on the porch having a beer, would you care to join me and you can tell me more about Shootin’ Fiddlesticks and lawn decorations?”

  Rose smiled shyly and swiftly looked towards Emmaline’s house. “I’d enjoy that but I promised Emmaline I’d help her tonight.”

  “Are you going to update her database of neighbors?” Cole joked.

  That friendly smile spread across her face again. “Actually no, we’re going to move her living room. She likes to start each season with a different vantage point.”

  Cole lifted his brows and nodded. “Sounds like an interesting view and an interesting woman.”

  “She is.” Rose said fondly as she started to back away. “See you around Cole.”

  As Rose walked back into her house Cole found him walking across the street alone feeling left out. An odd feeling for a man who always left first.

  I hope you enjoyed this teaser! Click HERE to keep reading the next story in the series.

 

 

 
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