Persuading the Billionaire (Sweet Billionaire Romance Book 3)

by Eliza Boyd

  He pressed his lips together, debating what to say next. Before he could think better of it, he asked, “Bad breakup?” Inwardly, he rolled his eyes at himself. For some reason, he was begging to become distracted with someone else’s problems this week. That was not what he needed.

  “Something like that,” she answered cryptically. Then, after a still moment, she lifted a finger in the air. “Sorry. I should tell him that, not you.” She pressed a button on her screen and lifted the phone to her ear. “Gabe?” she asked, but then she squinted and brought her phone down to look at it. “I missed the call, but it’s going to voicemail.” With the phone back at her ear, she froze, her face going pale.

  Maxwell did not want to have to rely on this woman. She was clearly going through some things, and he needed to be focused this week. Focused on figuring out if this gigantic purchase would be good for his net worth—which was already in the billions, but being a businessman was in his blood. He wouldn’t stop just because he’d reached the top. Not while the getting was good.

  “Why don’t you wait for Phillip to come back and meet with him later to go over everything I need?” he asked when she’d slipped her phone back into her purse. “Deal with whatever you need to deal with first and then we’ll reconvene. If you still want to do this.”

  “Yes!” she exclaimed entirely too quickly. “Yes, more than ever.” Her face was still a shade of white he’d never seen before. After a gulp, she said, “Have Phillip come get me when he’s back. I have to make a phone call.” With a single nod, she booked it to the door, and then she was gone.

  Unable to deny it, he was curious. This woman had intrigued him with her refusal of his money. Her confidence and persuasion had reminded him of himself in the boardroom. But something had her crumbling at the edges, and a part of him—the one that couldn’t throw money at this to fix it, as she said he did so often—felt helpless.

  Which made him want to fix this even more.

  When Phillip returned to the resort, Maxwell had done a thorough check of the presidential executive suite. If he bought this place, the first thing he’d do was shorten that name. It was a ridiculous mouthful.

  “How’s Ana?” he asked his personal assistant.

  “She’s on her way back to California, sir. As soon as the plane arrives, a car will take her to the hospital and the plane will return,” he said. “The crew would like to spend some time in Hawaii before we all head back on Sunday, and I thought they’d earned some time for that last-minute trip. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course.” Maxwell reached for his phone in his dress slacks pocket. “They can stay all week if they want. Put it on my account.” He went to pull up Alexis’s number but realized he never got her information. His shoulders fell as his eyes closed.

  “Is everything okay, sir?” Phillip asked.

  Maxwell opened his eyes. “It’s fine. But can you call the honeymoon suite and get Alexis’s phone number? I’ll need it to stay in contact with her this week.”

  Phillip raised one eyebrow. “Alexis?”

  As Maxwell started to respond, he remembered that Phillip had no idea about Alexis. “My new assistant for the week while Ana’s out.”

  “You found a replacement? I could have done that.”

  Maxwell waved that off. “She kind of…came out of nowhere,” he answered, which almost made him chuckle. She really had. “You’ll remember her as the one I accidentally hit with the car.”

  Phillip’s eyes lit with recognition. “Ah. Why would she want to be your assistant when you’re the one—”

  “I know,” Maxwell said over him. “That’s a good question. She said I’d be doing her a favor by allowing her to do this, and it sounds like she has experience in this field, but…”

  “I’ll look into it, sir.” Phillip retrieved his phone from his own pocket and made a phone call, stepping away to do it privately.

  Maxwell hadn’t realized how suspicious the whole situation felt until he’d discussed it with Phillip. This was why he kept him around. Well, it was one of the many reasons. Maxwell let things cloud his judgment sometimes, and he shouldn’t have made the decision without Phillip’s input. But if he knew one thing, it was business. And he needed someone to help him this week to make sure he made a good business decision.

  He hoped her brand of help would actually be, well, helpful. But he couldn’t deny that part of him had said yes because he wanted to help her. Especially after the scene earlier. Who’d been on the phone? Why had it caused her to change so suddenly? He wasn’t sure, but during this week together, he planned to find out. Which was exactly why he should have said no.

  He needed to keep his eye on his business, not a woman he’d just met. A woman with beautiful long, brown hair and pretty green eyes. A woman who kept him on his toes and stood up to him. A woman who’d actually refused his money.

  What kind of harm could her help be?

  He hoped none, but there was one thing he could see getting in harm’s way.

  His heart.

  5

  Alexis paced the honeymoon suite, her phone clutched in her hand. She’d thought she’d covered her bases, but she’d missed one tiny detail. Too bad that tiny detail had turned this trip into something less than relaxing and more like a nightmare.

  Gabe knew she was there. On their honeymoon. At this resort. Without him.

  She was supposed to cancel everything. And she had. Except this trip. Because who got cheated on days before their wedding and didn’t get to still go on the vacation? Seriously, she’d earned it.

  What she hadn’t earned was the earful of a voicemail wondering why he’d received a welcome email from the resort when he wasn’t on the trip. Yeah, she hadn’t thought that through.

  But the bright side was that Maxwell had a place for her to stay should Gabe decide to be a most complete jerk and fight the resort charge on his credit card. Alexis wouldn’t put it past him, but Gabe also hadn’t been the one to end the relationship. So maybe he’d let her stay. It was yet to be seen.

  For now, she’d do as Maxwell had asked. She’d take full advantage of the room and its many amenities—and she’d started with that tub.

  With Gabe out of her mind, the soak was most relaxing. After that, Phillip called to make sure Maxwell had her phone number should he need to reach her. Then she fell asleep on the luxurious bed while wrapped in the softest robe she’d ever put on. It was such a deep sleep that she slept all through the night. Now, the sun was streaming through the windows, bathing the room in a warm glow.

  She was appreciating the gentle waking when her phone blared her generic ringtone, which meant someone she didn’t know was calling her. There was a chance that it was Maxwell, so she reached across to the nightstand to answer it.

  “Hello?” she asked, stretching over the sheets.

  “Good morning.” It was indeed Maxwell. “I hope you had a restful evening and you’re ready to get settled into your new position today.”

  “Sure.” She sat up, peering around until she found her suitcase. She’d kept everything packed in case Gabe pulled anything ridiculous, but no one had woken her up in the middle of the night to yank her from the room, so she assumed he hadn’t. Yet. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Breakfast. We’ll eat and discuss pertinent details. I’ll have Phillip come get you in ten minutes.”

  As shock set in, her eyes flared wide. “Ten minutes?” she squeaked, her hand flying to her bed-mussed hair.

  “Yes. Will that be a problem?”

  Opening her mouth to say yes, she decided better of it. If she wanted to keep this job to make sure she didn’t sulk all week, she needed to be ready in less time than it took to shower on a normal day. “No. I’ll be ready.”

  “Good. See you then.” Then he hung up.

  Short and to the point. Already getting started for the day. He was a businessman after all, and she knew lots about that type. So she shouldn’t have been surprised. But she’d bee
n so relaxed that she was almost used to slow mode. Now, it was time to speed things up. So much for vacation.

  Ten minutes later, she was as ready as she was going to be. Very little makeup, a similar outfit to what she’d worn the day before, and her hair up in a ponytail. That’d have to do.

  Phillip retrieved her and brought her up to Maxwell’s suite. He didn’t speak during the elevator ride, quietly standing there with his hands clasped instead.

  When they arrived at the suite, the whole kitchen table was covered in fruit, pastries, and bagels. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she needed food to live. Baths and long, restful sleeps were good, but she’d die without eating. She almost lunged at the spread, but she managed to keep herself composed as she took a plate and helped herself.

  “This looks amazing,” she said. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Maxwell’s voice sounded behind her as she used tongs to put fruit on her plate. “Please make yourself at…”

  She turned toward him to smile her thanks, but his words trailed off as she caught his gaze. She wasn’t sure why, but she hoped she wasn’t being rude. “I appreciate it. I forgot to eat last night, so I may make up for that right now.” After a light laugh, she faced the fruit again and piled it on. Then she snagged a bagel and took a bite.

  “No cream cheese? Peanut butter?” he asked, a bit of disbelief in his tone.

  “Nope,” she answered around a mouthful, taking a seat at the other end of the table. “It’s delicious the way it is already.” Grinning, she took another bite.

  He settled in next to her. She noticed that every single hair on his head was in its place. The stubble on his face looked like it’d been meticulously groomed, and his clothes screamed expensive beachwear. He was trying to be “on vacation” while still embracing his rich lifestyle. Though it should have repulsed her—Gabe was similar to all of this—she thought it worked for Maxwell.

  Really worked, in fact.

  “While you eat,” he said, shaking her out of those thoughts, “I’d like to go over the plan for this week.” He removed a sheet of paper from a black binder. “I already have some excursions booked, so I’ll have them change the reservation from Ana to you. I booked Ana to check one of them out by herself, so I hope you’re okay with that. It’ll be on Friday. I couldn’t make that one work with my schedule.”

  “Which one’s that?” she asked, using her fork to eat a piece of pineapple.

  “Snorkeling. It’ll be in a group, so you won’t be alone.”

  Shrugging, she said, “That’s fine. I was going to do that by myself while I’m here anyway.” Then she dropped her gaze to her plate. “I was going to do everything by myself while I’m here. So it’s okay.”

  As she chewed, she tried not to think about Gabe and his poor, life-altering choices. But it was hard not to. Her entire life would be different when she got back to Montana. When she left paradise and returned to reality. She almost sighed, but she managed not to.

  Maxwell cleared his throat, which made her look at him again. “Can I ask why you’re here alone? It sounds like you weren’t supposed to be.”

  “And you’d be correct,” she answered, spearing another piece of fruit with her fork, pretending it was an interesting feat. “But that’s all I want to say about that.”

  He stayed quiet for a few moments. She wanted to lift her gaze and peek at him, but if she did, she was going to spill her guts. And this man had made it clear that he only wanted to focus on his business. She wasn’t sure why he’d asked, but she wasn’t supposed to dwell.

  “Okay. Then take a look at the schedule and make sure it works for you,” he said, sliding the piece of paper toward her.

  It didn’t matter what the schedule was. Her week was free and clear, which was the last thing she needed. So she’d honor that schedule and stick to it like white on rice. Anything to keep herself busy and not think about her sleazy ex-boyfriend. She wouldn’t let him ruin this for her too.

  “It works,” she replied without looking at it.

  “But you barely checked it over.” He pushed it closer to her.

  With her fingers, she slid it out from under his but still didn’t gaze at it. “I don’t have to. I have nothing else planned while I’m here. I told you—I’m yours all week. Whatever you want me to do is fine. This schedule,” she said, wiggling it around in a small circle, “is fine.”

  Looking like he wasn’t quite sure what to believe, he licked his lips and took out another piece of paper. “Okay, then. Great. We’ll start with a drive around the entire property led by the resort staff. Then we’ll convene for a dinner tonight to taste one of their specialty dishes. I believe the schedule calls for at least one meal a day to be shared in their main restaurant, but we’ll have to see how the others stack up as well.”

  “Perfect.” She stabbed another slice of fruit and held it up near her mouth. “I love eating.”

  If she wasn’t mistaken, he cracked a hint of a smile. And when she saw it, she had no problem not thinking about Gabe. In fact, the only problem she had was liking that hint of a smile too much. Somehow, the barest of smiles suited him perfectly.

  She almost feared what a full-blown smile would look like on his handsome face.

  Because he was handsome. She couldn’t deny that. And he didn’t allow room for Gabe to take over her brain, which was helpful. She just hoped that it wasn’t too helpful. She didn’t need Maxwell to take her brain over instead.

  “Speaking of,” she said to keep the conversation moving in a better direction, “aren’t you going to eat?”

  “I already did.”

  “Without me?” She scrunched her face.

  The barest of smiles returned to his lips as he said, “I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Alexis gave him her full-blown smile, trying to keep things light. “Thanks. Eating by myself is weird.”

  “But weren’t you going to do that here anyway?” he asked, his head down as he perused whatever was on the paper in front of him.

  When she didn’t reply, he lifted his gaze to hers and did a double take.

  “Sorry.” He appeared genuinely apologetic even though his expression was minimal. “I won’t keep bringing that up.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” With her stomach only half full, she pushed her plate away. “So, when will we go for that drive?”

  “If you’re ready, we can go now.” He stacked his papers together and closed the black binder.

  “Yep. Let’s do that.” She folded the schedule and tucked it into her purse.

  Her fingers hit the tube of her favorite lipstick, which she hadn’t swiped on her lips yet. She excused herself to go to the bathroom and fix that. When she pulled it out, though, she remembered how Gabe used to comment on how different she looked without it—and not in a good way. In fact, he’d preferred her with all of her makeup on.

  As she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she barely recognized her reflection. But not necessarily because she hadn’t made herself up. It was more because she couldn’t believe she was a woman who’d let herself be cheated on.

  Tears caught her off guard. One slipped down her cheek before she could will them back. As she wiped it off her face, not wanting to cry another moment over a man who hadn’t honored their commitment, a knock sounded on the door.

  “Everything okay? The staff is ready to take us on the tour,” Maxwell said through the wood separating them.

  “Just a second,” she replied, her voice hitching the smallest bit. She hoped he didn’t notice.

  Instead of putting that lipstick back in her purse, she tossed it into the trash. She didn’t like who she’d become while wearing it. So she’d figure out who she was without it.

  And without Gabe.

  6

  As Maxwell stepped out of the open lobby, he put his sunglasses on. No matter how many homes he had or cars he’d purchased, he’d always wear his Oakleys. It didn’t matter to him if they w
eren’t as expensive as his designer beachwear. They held up, and that was the important part.

  He couldn’t help but wonder how this working relationship with Alexis would hold up if he couldn’t get her to talk though.

  She’d been locked up tight ever since they’d left the suite. That was twenty minutes ago. They’d had to wait for a last-minute staff change, which hadn’t endeared him to the idea of buying the resort, but that kind of thing could be worked out after the change in management. He wanted to see what this place had to offer besides the people who worked there.

  Which meant he had to stop worrying about why Alexis had clammed up after her visit to the bathroom.

  Maybe it had something to do with how he kept bringing up the fact that she was there alone. He was there alone too though. Things like that happened in life. However, most people didn’t check into a honeymoon suite by themselves. Not unless they were like him and thinking about buying the property. She clearly wasn’t there to do that. So something had happened, and he wanted to find out what that was.

  The moment they got into the vehicle that would take them around the grounds of the resort, he said, “I’m glad it’s a beautiful day.”

  But all she said was, “It’s Hawaii. Isn’t every day here beautiful?” as she settled into her seat.

  From the front passenger’s side, Phillip chimed in to say, “Actually, no. Statistically speaking, the Big Island only has sunshine forty-one percent of the year. This island, Maui, gets sixty-seven percent.”

  Maxwell nudged Alexis with his elbow. “See? We’re lucky that it’s a beautiful day.”

  She grunted as she put her seat belt on. “Two-thirds are good odds,” she said, shrugging.

  He wanted to chuckle under his breath, but he knew he shouldn’t. He didn’t want to make her mad by laughing at her bad mood, but it was ridiculously cute to him. So he turned away and gazed out the window, doing what he should have been doing anyway.