Billionaire to One (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Kris Royce

“Congratulations,” Samuel told her.

  “Thank you.”

  Tina about choked on her dessert. Tegan beat her on the back and narrowed her eyes at her. Her cousin was acting very strangely tonight. Once she stopped coughing Tina was more talkative than ever. Tegan blamed it on the sugar.

  “So you are from our hometown?” Tina asked.

  “Yep,” Samuel said with a smile and then glanced at Tegan.

  “And you knew Tegan’s mother Anne before she married that sorry bastard Thomas Ryann?”

  It was Samuel’s turn to choke on his coffee. Ash frowned at Tina and beat Samuel on the back until he lifted his hand, letting him know he was all right. Samuel wiped his mouth with his napkin and turned his attention to Tina.

  “Yes. We were very, very close and dated in high school. We kept it quiet because of her parents and because Anne said they would not approve. You know how small towns are. Someone saw us together and told her parents. They went off the deep end for her dating me. They and the Ryanns wanted their children to marry. They wanted Anne to marry someone who had money like they did. Anne was always sweet and timid. She had didn’t want to marry Thomas, but her father gave her no choice. I left town and joined the military when Anne’s father threatened to have me brought up on charges if I didn’t stay away from her,” Samuel said and turned to look at Tegan.

  Tegan’s eyes widened as she slowly laid her fork down and swallowed the piece of chocolate dessert in her mouth as Samuel spoke. Her throat felt like it was closing up with each word that came out of his mouth. She grabbed her wine glass with a shaky hand and downed it. Ash grabbed her other hand and squeezed it, but she didn’t look at him.

  Realization came over her when Samuel finished speaking, and she knew. She knew who he was to her. She knew everything he had said was true as she looked into his eyes that were the same color as her own. This man was her father, her real father. Not Thomas fucking Ryann but Samuel Dalton. He had loved her mother, but did he care anything about her? It hurt her to think he didn’t.

  “Why didn’t you ever try to see me? Why wasn’t I told?” she whispered, trying to keep the tears from her eyes and failing.

  Samuel reached across and took the empty glass from her, set it down, and then took her hand.

  “I actually did come to see you a few times, but you didn’t see me, except once when you were in second grade. I came to the school and spoke in front of the class for Casey on professional day. I even spoke to you for a little while. Do you remember?”

  Tegan shut her eyes. Jesus, she did remember him. He had been the handsome soldier in uniform. It had been so long ago, but she remembered the nice man with Casey who had told her that she was the smartest and the prettiest girl in the whole school. She nodded and squeezed his hand before opening her eyes.

  “What happened when Mom told you she was pregnant?” she said.

  “She never told me, Tegan. I don’t think Anne even realized she was pregnant with you until after I was gone. I didn’t even know about you until you were four years old. I was overseas when my mother wrote me and told me she had seen you at the school. She knew the second she laid eyes on you that you were mine. She even sent me a picture. I carried it for years and still have it along with many more she sent me. I was thrilled to death when I learned about you. I wanted nothing more than to come home and keep you with me, but there was nothing I could do. I had three years left in the service, and I was overseas. I couldn’t come home, so my mother went to see Anne. Anne cried and tried to deny it at first. Then she broke down and told my mother that yes, you were mine. By then Thomas had given you his name and forbid her to speak of it ever again.

  “When my mother asked to visit you, Anne refused her. Thomas came home and found my mother there. He knew what she wanted. He told her to leave, that she was to never come back or he would see her in jail. Then he hit Anne in front of my mother as she was leaving.

  “When I came home Thomas and I had it out. I beat the shit out of him and ended up in jail for two days over it. The only reason I got out was because the deputy was a friend of my family. He told me Thomas was trying some really underhanded shit to get me sent to prison. I went to see you before I left that last time. You were running to catch the bus.

  “I am sorry, Tegan, that I was never able to be part of your life, but it wasn’t by choice. When I left I tried my best to convince myself you were better off without me, but I found I couldn’t stay away. When I would return to see my family I always made it a point to see you, too. I was there when you graduated high school, and I was there when you graduated college.

  “I want you to know I have always loved you. I loved your mother, too. When you were seven I caught Anne in town and asked her to get you and both of you could leave with me but she was too terrified of what Thomas would do. Tegan, I would like to stick around if you will let me. I want more than anything to get to know you, to be part of your life. I can’t ever make up for all the years we lost, but I can promise to be there for you if you need me from now on.”

  Tegan let go of his hand and pushed back her chair. She stood and walked around the table.

  Samuel stood as she reached him. She stunned him when she threw herself in his arms and hugged him tight. He hugged her back and kissed her head. When she pulled back she swiped away the tears and gave him a smile before taking his hands in hers.

  “There is nothing in this world I would like more than to get to know you,” she told him.

  Tina, of course, flashed them as she took a picture with her phone. Everyone turned to look at her.

  “What? Hey, it was a Kodak moment,” she told them as she wiped the tears of joy from her own cheeks.

  Tegan had a hundred questions as she sat back down. They exchanged phone numbers and promised to get together the next day since Ash had to go back to work.

  When they walked outside Samuel embraced Tegan one last time before he jumped on his Harley and drove off. They took Tina and Marc back to their apartment and headed home.

  Tegan snuggled against Ash on the ride there.

  “How did you know?” she asked against his chest.

  “I told you, kitten. I knew you were mine the first time I ever laid eyes on you. I wanted to know everything about you, and that means I uncovered the truth about your family as well.”

  That was all he said. He waited for her to ask if he knew the truth about her years of abuse, but she didn’t. He hoped that one day she would open up to him about it.

  “So you had me investigated and you have known this whole time that Thomas wasn’t my father?”

  “Yes, does that bother you?”

  Tegan was silent for a minute before she spoke.

  “No, not really but you could have told me about Thomas, Ash.”

  “Well, I planned to in time, but I thought I would wait for us to get to know one another a little better first. I didn’t want you to think I was a stalker.”

  Tegan giggled. “You can stalk me anytime, cowboy. Ash, thank you for Samuel. Thank you for caring enough to bring him here. That means a lot to me,” she said, lifting her head and looking up at him.

  “I love you, kitten.”

  “Oh, Ash. I love you, too.”

  Tegan just remembered her cell phone or her lack of it. She had remembered the last time she had it and shuddered.

  Ash’s arm tightened around her.

  “What is it, kitten?”

  “I just remembered my cell phone and the last time I had it. I dropped it when they grabbed me.”

  “Don’t think about that. We will get you a new one.”

  “You know what? You are right. I think today has been one of the best days of my life. First I woke up with this really sexy man having his wicked way with me. Then that same sexy man asks me to marry him, and of course, I can’t refuse. Then my wonderful fiancé introduces me to a man who is the father I had always dreamed of having instead of the one I have. Oh yeah, I would say this ranks up there as
one of my best days ever. The only thing that would make it better is if you took me home and made love to me and let me fall asleep in your arms.”

  “I do believe I can grant you your wish, kitten.”

  “Why thank you, Mr. Stone,” she told him with a kiss.

  Ash kept his little wild woman up half the night. He stayed awake long after she had fallen to sleep. Contentment washed over him. She was really here with him, in his arms. Tegan was his. How long he had waited for that to be so.

  Chapter 20

  The next morning she was still sleeping when Ash kissed her and then left her. His security team would watch over her now and keep her safe while he was gone. He hated leaving her, but he had things to do that couldn’t wait. In the car he smiled, thinking of the gift he had left her and hoping she would like it.

  He didn’t have time to wonder when his phone rang.

  “Hi, kitten. I see you found my gift.”

  “Oh, Ash, it’s great. I love it, but you are going to show me how to work it. It took me a while just to figure out how to call you. You should have woken me up, cowboy. I wanted to kiss you good-bye.”

  “You needed your sleep. Promise me you will not overdue it today, and I will promise to show how your phone works. That way you can send me some sexy selfies.”

  Tegan giggled. “Oh, I think I might be able to figure it out. Don’t be surprised if you receive some sext from me.”

  “I would love to get sext from you. Just make sure you send them to the right number, kitten. I don’t want nude pictures of you sent to anyone else,” he told her.

  “Oh God, don’t even say that,” she groaned.

  He grinned because he knew she was blushing.

  Tegan told him she loved him and got off the phone. She decided not to even try sending a picture until Ash showed her how to work the awesome phone he got her. Tegan sat on the bed staring at the phone. Suddenly she wanted to talk to her mother. She wanted answers. Tegan put the phone down and took a shower. When she walked out she glanced at the phone again and then walked to her closet. She was distracted by the fact the closet was full of more new clothes for her. That made her think of Ash, and she smiled. He needed to stop doing stuff like this.

  An hour later she had cleaned the bedroom and the bathroom and started a load of clothes, dried them and put them away. Every time she walked by she looked at the phone. Now she had nothing else to do because Ash had a housecleaning service and the place was spotless. She grabbed the phone and walked to the living room. She dialed her mother, but she didn’t answer.

  She was determined not to let it bother her. So she called Tina, but she was getting ready for a shoot so she couldn’t talk. She thought of Samuel, so she called him. He answered on the second ring and seemed really glad she called, which made her feel a lot better.

  He asked her if she wanted to go to lunch and she accepted. He told her to wear something appropriate for riding a motorcycle. The thought of riding a motorcycle, something she never done before, had her excited. Then it hit her that she was having lunch with her dad, and she laughed, already feeling much better.

  Tegan ran to the bedroom and quickly found her a pair of designer straight-legged jeans. She even found a black leather jacket. The jacket was thin and not made for a motorcycle, but it would have to do. She found a red sweater and a new pair of black leather boots that she just loved. She would have to remember to thank Ash properly when he got home.

  She couldn’t find a purse, and it made her wonder what had happened to hers. Then she remembered she had left it at Tina’s. She made a mental note to ask Tina. Ash hadn’t given her a key card so she may have to wait until he came home to get back in. She shoved her new phone in her pocket and left.

  Samuel was waiting for her when she walked out.

  “Hi, gorgeous girl,” Samuel said with a smile and gave her a peck on the cheek.

  “Hi, Samuel,” she said, returning his smile.

  “Ready?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  He slipped a helmet onto her head and fastened the strap. Then he got on, and she got on behind him. He showed her where to put her feet.

  “Hang on, sweetheart, and don’t worry. I would never let anything happen to you.”

  “Okay.”

  He started the bike, and Tegan grinned as they took off. Before they had made it five blocks Tegan was hooked. She loved it. She was still grinning as Samuel drove up to a restaurant, and they hopped off.

  “So what do you think?”

  “It was great. You know I have never been on a motorcycle before, right?”

  “Actually no, I didn’t know that. At least I was here for your first experience.”

  “I am glad you are here. I’m starved. Let’s go eat,” she said, looping her arm through his.

  They walked in laughing, drawing lots of attention, but neither one cared. They spent an hour eating, talking, and having a good time getting to know one another.

  “I’m not ready to go back to the apartment yet,” Tegan told him as they walked out.

  “Good, I was hoping you would say that. Hop on, and we will go for a ride.”

  He took them all over the city. It was one thing to see it from a limo and quite another to see it from the back of a motorcycle. By the time Samuel took her back to Ash’s building she was more than ready. She had had a great time, but she was so tired. They had just parked and were stepping off when someone grabbed Tegan’s arm and swung her around. She looked up at a very pissed-off Ash.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  She was stunned as she jerked her arm away and took off the helmet. Samuel tried to step in between them, but Ash glared him down.

  “Stay out of this. This is between me and Tegan.”

  “Calm down, Ash. I was with Samuel, and I was perfectly safe,” Tegan said, trying to defuse the situation.

  “Safe? Fuck, Tegan, Marsh may be locked up, but his men are not. He may have given an order concerning you before he was put away,” Ash snapped at her.

  Tegan paled.

  “Stone, that’s enough,” Samuel said as he pulled Tegan away from Ash and hugged her, which pissed Ash off even more.

  “You all right?”

  “Yeah. Yes, I am fine. Thanks, Samuel. I had a really good time. I need to go. People are staring at us. I will call you tomorrow,” She hugged him once more before walking past Ash without looking at him.

  Ash nodded to Samuel and followed her in. He ran his hand through his hair. Max had called him and told him Tegan was with Samuel on his fucking motorcycle. He had almost fucking lost it in a meeting but had forced himself to calm when Max told him she was fine and they had her. A couple of hours later when Max called him back and told him Samuel had lost them, he left work to come find her. He had been so relieved when he saw she was safe. He didn’t know whether to hug her or ring her pretty little neck. His temper had gotten away from him, and he had acted like an ass.

  Now she wouldn’t even look at him, and she was standing as far away as she could in the elevator. When they reached his apartment he made her walk out first and he followed. Both of them came to a screeching halt when they reached the sunken living room.

  A blonde woman was there wearing nothing but her high heels and one of Ash’s ties. She was the same woman who had been at the after-game party, the one who had told Tegan that Ash was hers.

  “Oh, Ash, darling, you are home, and I see you brought a little friend with you,” the woman said as she ran her hands over her perfect breasts. Her long, bright-red fingernails stood out against her flawless pale skin, just like the red lipstick she was wearing.

  Tegan couldn’t look away just like she wouldn’t be able to look away from a train wreck. Her stomach clenched, and she felt sick. She felt lightheaded and disgusted. Her chest hurt as if someone had stabbed her.

  The blonde took the look on her face as sexual interest, which was the furthest thing from the truth. She stood and walked toward
them. Ash hadn’t said anything. It was like he was in shock.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Ash finally asked her.

  Tegan didn’t wait for her answer. She turned and ran to the elevator that was just closing and slipped in. She turned to hear Ash yelling at her, and she could see the woman grab his arm and kiss him.

  Tears streamed down Tegan’s face as she stepped out and ran through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk. She remembered her phone and called Tina as she walked.

  Tina could hear how upset she was. She could hear the panic in her voice, and she told her she was coming to get her. That was when Tegan saw two really big men shoving people out of the way coming toward her. She remembered what Ash had said about Marsh. Fear coursed through her so she ran. She rounded a corner and went into the first store she came to. Trying not to panic Tegan ran past the surprised clerk. Tegan could see the exit sign over another door in the back and headed to it. She ran out into an alley. After looking both ways she ran to the right and back out onto a crowded sidewalk.

  That’s when she heard Tina yelling into her phone. She had forgotten she was still on there.

  “Tina, I think someone is after me. Now I don’t know where I am,” Tegan said, almost hyperventilating.

  “Tegan, honey, calm down for me and breathe deep. Now look around you. Tell me what you see and keep walking. Stay around people and don’t cut through any allies.”

  Tegan didn’t tell her it was a little late for that as she tried to get her breathing under control. “I…I see the store we were at the other day. Alena’s Intimates.”

  “Good, go there and watch for a taxi. I will have the taxi park at the curb and you come get in, okay? Oh, Ash, is on the other line.”

  “No, Tina. Don’t answer that.”

  “Okay, Tegan. Breathe for me, Teg. I’m coming for you.”

  Tegan heard Tina telling the taxi driver the address and told him to step on it.

  “I always wanted to say that,” she told Tegan.

  Tegan had no more than stepped in the store and turned, and Tina was there. Tegan ran out and jumped in. Tina pulled her shaking and crying into her arms not caring that the driver was watching them.