The Billionaire's Secret: Billionaire Obsession (Tycoon Billionaires Book 5)

by Farrell, Julie

  He should’ve said no last night when she’d invited him for this coffee. Hell, he never should’ve even intervened when Graves had been hassling her. But she was captivating, and he was intrigued by her. She pretended to be so hard and professional superficially, but that vulnerable woman who’d cried in his arms last night could easily wrap him around her little finger with those big blue eyes…

  He shook himself out of it and paid for the coffee, wishing his conscience would go fuck itself. He needed to pull himself together and stop being so goddamn emotional. It was that stupid family reunion that had done this to him. He’d never cared about anyone before, but now suddenly he had people who were showering him with love. And he adored his twin sister Clara and his little brother Joseph more than anything on this planet. More than himself – which was unheard of.

  Family just made you feel… guilty. Because that was another thing – he ought to be upstairs with his brothers right now. That’s why he’d actually come here – to tell Dylan and Adam about the email to Astrid he’d intercepted after he’d gotten home last night. Apparently some insurance broker had informed her that an employee of Graves’ had possibly been injured – then bribed into silence. Jake could tell this whole scheme was shady, but it wasn’t his job to give his brothers business advice. He was just here to report the facts. If they decided to go ahead and invest in the project after he’d given them his info – most of which had come from eavesdropping on Astrid’s emails and calls – then that was their choice.

  He grabbed the coffees and took them over to Astrid, who was typing on her phone.

  “Thanks,” she said, dropping her phone in her purse.

  “You’re welcome. Enjoy the muffin.”

  She chuckled. A warm silence drifted between them as they shared a smile, then she glanced up at the window, where the rain was lashing down hard.

  “Hopefully that rain will stop soon,” she said.

  He smiled. “Hopefully.”

  He could see she was nervous, and he guessed it was probably because she liked him. But truthfully this couldn’t happen between them, not while he was investigating her from afar. There was too much at stake. His loyalties lay with his newly reunited brothers. How would they react if they walked in now and caught him having a coffee with the woman they were paying him to trail?

  Unless he pulled out of the case and stopped working for them…

  He shook away that stupid thought. Why would he give up this well-paid job for a woman he hardly knew? Besides, he wasn’t the sort of guy she was looking for. And he couldn’t let anyone get too close to him. Not unless he wanted to end up revealing the dark secret he’d been harboring all these years. Which he didn’t. He’d rather be alone. He’d always been a loner and he was happy that way – well, not happy, but it made things easier. Having his new family around was enough to deal with. He didn’t need the hassle of a woman in his life…

  She sipped her coffee and absentmindedly licked her lips, making her look incredible. Then she stuck her fork in the chocolate muffin and groaned orgasmically as she tasted it.

  Jake was grateful he was already sitting down…

  “Good?” he asked.

  “Amazing,” she said. “I love chocolate. Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  They exchanged a smile. “So,” she said. “What do you do for a living?”

  “Uh…” Jake faltered. He’d never been good at small talk, and this question wasn’t one he was keen to answer. Not least of all because he already knew everything about her since he’d spent the last two weeks reading her emails and listening to her phone conversations. Maybe a double-bluff would throw her off the scent.

  He grabbed a sugar packet and poured its contents into his coffee. “Well, I’m actually a secret double-agent. Don’t tell anyone. Lives are at stake.”

  She laughed. “Oh, okay! And who are you investigating at the moment?”

  He smirked. “Someone in this very room.”

  She bit her lip and suppressed her giggles, happy to play along. She opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of a guy shouting at the counter grabbed their attention.

  “Hand over the cash now!” the guy yelled.

  Jake glanced over and saw a scruffy young man waving a gun in the cashier’s face. The cashier was frozen to the spot. She could barely speak, but managed to splutter, “Please don’t hurt me.”

  A ringing silence gripped the room – even the walls and ceiling seemed to hold their breath. Without thinking, Jake stood and drew his gun, pointing it at the back of the guy’s head. He knew the guy could see him in the mirror behind the counter, so he stared directly into his eyes. Jake realized this kid was young – and from the look of him, he was withdrawing from drugs.

  “Drop it, asshole – unless you want me to decorate the wall with an interesting shade of brain – which you won’t be around to appreciate.”

  Jake could see the gun shaking in the guy’s hands. This armed robbery was clearly some desperate attempt to get money to fuel his habit. But at this moment, Jake had no sympathy. He couldn’t let anyone die... Never again.

  Jake stepped forward. “I said put the gun down. Now. Slowly…”

  The kid was wavering now, unsure what to do – this hold-up had gone very wrong. He hadn’t factored-in the ruthless armed ex-cop in the coffee shop…

  Jake took another step forward. “Put the gun down.”

  The tense atmosphere smothered the air. Jake watched the kid for another tense few seconds, waiting to see what he planned to do. Jake opened his mouth to tell him again to put the gun down, but something inside the kid shifted. His posture softened slightly and he slowly lowered the gun to the counter – seemingly relieved it was over.

  “Put your hands where I can see ‘em or I’ll blow your fucking brains out.”

  The terrified kid held up his shaking hands.

  Jake launched himself and landed on the guy – knocking him forward. He pushed the kid’s head down to the glass counter, then he grabbed his gun.

  He wriggled in Jake’s grip. “I’m sorry,” he wailed. “I didn’t want to hurt no one.”

  Jake glanced at the lady behind the counter. “You okay, ma’am?”

  She swallowed and nodded in a daze. “Think so.”

  “Good.” He tightened his grip on the struggling kid, who was thrashing around like a fish on the shore. “Could you call the cops please?”

  Another server grabbed the phone on the wall and made a frantic call to the NYPD. Jake grabbed the guy’s shirt and flipped him around on the counter, then he growled into his face. “You need to sort your life out, kid. This is your last chance. Don’t fuck it up.”

  He nodded frantically. The police arrived five minutes later – but it wasn’t anyone Jake knew from his time with the NYPD. They led the guy away in handcuffs, asked Jake a few questions, then left.

  The coffee shop exhaled with relief, and slowly eased back to normality – back to the business of selling hot drinks and cakes. The chatter trickled in, and Jake looked around for Astrid, expecting for her to have fled now she knew he was the sort of guy who carried a gun.

  But she was sitting there, bolt upright, glaring at him.

  He slid back onto the seat and took a sip of his coffee. “Urgh, it’s cold.”

  One of the servers called over. “I’ll get you another one, sir. On us.”

  Jake smiled modestly. “Thanks.”

  Astrid didn’t take her eyes off him. “You want to tell me who you are? You’re a cop, right?”

  He sighed. “I’m an ex-cop.”

  “An ex-cop… meaning you currently work as…?”

  He never told anyone what he did for a living – confessing was not only a sure way to jeopardize his cover, but it also prevented people from acting normal around him. But there was something about Astrid… he wanted to tell her everything. He was tired of lying and pretending. He leaned forward and spoke quietly. “You can’t tell anyone.”


  She shook her head. “Discretion is part of my job, Jake.”

  “Yeah… well, I currently work as a private investigator.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means – since they kicked me off the force – I follow people around for living, watching them, intercepting calls, checking emails, that kind of thing…”

  He let this hang in the air. Would she guess that’s why he’d been nearby last night when Graves had been hassling her? Perhaps the unconscious reason he was telling her all this was so he could confess the truth and she’d tell him to take a hike. That would solve the problem of him liking her way too much.

  She stared at him. “Why did they kick you off the force?”

  “You don’t wanna know.”

  “I do. It’s okay. I’m tougher than I look.”

  He gazed pensively at her.

  “I won’t tell anyone,” she said. “You can trust me.”

  “I know I can… I don’t know why, but I’ve got this feeling about you… All right. They kicked me off because I killed some scumbag drug dealer during a raid. He was unarmed. They said it was unnecessary force. And that was the end of my career with the NYPD. I was on track to be a detective. So I guess this job seemed ideal.”

  “And you still carry a gun? Is that really a vital piece of equipment for stalking people?”

  Irritation cracked in his chest. This was why he never talked about his work or even got close to people. They wanted to pick and pick away until they got down to that slimy festering sludge behind the wall he’d constructed to protect himself against this sort of assault.

  The server brought over his coffee. He thanked her, then focused back on Astrid. Usually he would just walk away from questions like this – to sever all ties and never see the person again. But with her for some reason he felt compelled to defend his position. “Look, I know it’s not the perfect career, but we’ve all gotta pay our bills and it’s not like I’m an assassin. I haven’t shot anyone for years… Well, there was this one guy in Texas with my brother… But look, I don’t want to do this forever. Just until I find my fortune.”

  Her expression remained totally blank. “And how are you planning to do that?”

  He sipped his coffee. “I’ve got a map. A treasure map.”

  He expected her to laugh in his face, but actually she smiled excitedly. “That sounds cool.” Her stern posture softened and she smiled into his eyes. “Look, what you did just now – saving the day – it was a bit of a shock, but most people wouldn’t ever dare to do anything like that. You’re a hero, Jake.”

  “Nah, not really... Do you think so?”

  She laughed. “Yes. And your treasure map sounds fun. I wish you luck with it.”

  “Thanks.”

  They shared a smile. He wanted to tell her more, to open up to her – she really seemed to understand him. But how could he tell her everything? That he’d been spying on her for his brothers. He felt like a slimeball.

  She leaned forward. “Jake, you know when we kissed last night…”

  “Jesus, how could I forget?”

  “You seemed so tender… passionate. Gentle yet strong. It made me tingle all over.”

  He laughed. “It made me more than tingle, Astrid.”

  She bit her lip, making her look adorable. “If two people are very lonely, and just want to take comfort in each other’s arms, there’s nothing wrong with that. Is there?”

  He gazed sadly at her. He was desperate to take her up on this suggestion – to carry her off into the sunset and make love to her all night. Even just once, to know what it was like. But there was no way… “Astrid, I’ve gotta be honest with you. I can’t give you what you’re looking for.”

  Her expression morphed to disappointed. “You don’t know what I’m looking for.”

  “You’re a nice girl. You want commitment. A dependable, reliable guy who can give you his all. But I can’t. That’s not what I’m about. There’s too much…” He shook his head.

  “Too much what?”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Don’t you think you deserve to be happy?”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t.”

  He rubbed his brow. “I’m sorry… I can’t.”

  She hardened her posture. “Okay. Message received.” She stood up. “I guess I’d better get going.”

  “Sure, okay.”

  “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “No problem.”

  “And for saving the day.”

  He shrugged. “Just doing what I was trained to do…”

  She gazed at him and opened her mouth to speak, but then she closed it again. Jake wanted to tell her how much he liked her, but how could he? He wasn’t the right guy for her. She was perfect. That was the problem. With his lifestyle and background, he’d only end up hurting her. She was too sweet. Too lovely.

  He opened his mouth to say goodbye, but she suddenly leaned forward, threw her arms around him, and kissed him passionately on the lips – taking him by surprise and jolting him back to that gorgeous place she’d sent him to last night.

  She stood back and studied him for a moment, then she walked away, pushing through the crowd, biting back the tears.

  Jake’s body flashed to life and he realized how full of passion and opportunity that kiss had been – he couldn’t let that walk out of his life. He stood and rushed after her, catching up with her by the revolving glass door that led to the real world. It was pouring with rain outside, and she was rummaging in her purse for her umbrella.

  He halted in front of her. “Astrid, wait.”

  She didn’t look at him. “It’s okay, Jake. I think we understand each other.”

  She darted past him and hurried toward the revolving door, where people were now running in from the rain. She stepped into a compartment, and the door revolved away from him, so he stepped into the next compartment, hot on her heels.

  One thing Jake was good at was trailing people, and he wasn’t letting this one go.

  She strode ahead in the rain, click-clacking away – still trying to find her umbrella in her purse. He caught up with her again.

  “At least let me drive you home. You can’t walk two miles in this rain.”

  “I don’t mind walking.”

  “It’s pouring. Come on.”

  He gently grabbed her arm. She halted. They were both getting drenched now. He realized she had tears running down her cheeks, mingling with the rain water.

  “Oh god, I’m so sorry – you’re crying.” He reached out and pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms. “Did I do this? Did I make you cry?”

  She shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder. She spoke, but her words were muffled and he couldn’t understand.

  “Come on,” he said. “My car’s in the parking garage. This way.”

  With his arms around her, he guided her to his beloved Ferrari and opened the door for her. Then he climbed into the driver’s side. They were both soaking wet, and Astrid looked miserable and dejected. He felt terrible, but here was the proof that he’d been right. He’d feared he would hurt her, and he already had.

  He started the engine and drove out of the parking garage. “Astrid, what–”

  “I don’t want to talk about it. Just take me home. You know where I live because you took me there last night. Let’s just go – we’ve nothing to discuss.” She twisted around and gazed out the window, so Jake drove them in silence for ten minutes through the heavy traffic until he pulled up outside her place.

  She didn’t look at him. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “You gonna be okay?”

  She threw him a tight smile. “Sure.”

  “Look, I know I don’t express myself too well, but I never wanted to hurt you. I never would intentionally.”

  Her expression softened. “I know. It’s not you – not really.”

  She was so beautiful and affection crackled between them. Jake r
eached out and caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes. “Don’t, Jake.”

  She made no attempt to move. He leaned forward, unable to resist, and planted a kiss on her soft lips – which acquiesced. The kiss grew stronger – Jake pressed his lips against Astrid’s, and eased his tongue into her gorgeous mouth, sending dazzles of lust through his body. With the rain pouring hard outside and the wipers thrashing, they kissed and kissed – tongues intertwining and lips hungrily writhing. Astrid tasted exquisite – of chocolate and coffee; she was warm and comforting. She groaned gently as he pulled her close, kissing her with ever-increasing passion.

  “I want to make love to you,” he said between kisses.

  Her breath caught in her throat. “I want that too. I’m so attracted to you.”

  He kissed her again. “As you said, there’s nothing wrong with two people taking comfort in each other’s arms.”

  “No. I heard you when you said you’re not they guy I’m looking for. And perhaps you’re right. But now is now.”

  “It sure is.”

  “And we’re here.”

  “We are.”

  “No strings.”

  “No.”

  She eased herself out of his arms and opened the car door against the rain. He hooked his fingers over the steering wheel and watched as she jogged up the front steps to her apartment building – he didn’t want to follow – he knew this shouldn’t happen. But as she opened the door and turned around in the doorway to gaze at him, he couldn’t resist.

  He quickly parked up, then climbed out and followed – pulling her close and kissing her passionately in the foyer.

  “I need to fuck you senseless,” he said. “I want to make you come harder than ever before.”

  She burst into laughter – probably unused to being spoken to like that. “It’s a deal.”

  They held hands and rushed up to her apartment, both alive with the passion of the moment – energized by the driving rain.

  She slammed the front door and they kissed again. She couldn’t believe she was about to do this with such a gorgeous guy. But somehow his reckless lust for life was rubbing off on her.