The Billionaire's Kiss (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 14)

by Christina Tetreault

  Aaron raked his hand across his hair. Yeah, if he couldn’t get past who Juliette was and the people she associated with, then letting their relationship continue wasn’t fair to her. While it might be the right thing, it sure as hell wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have. Or one he ever expected to have.

  Maybe I should have dropped off the wood. If he’d brought in the firewood and showed her how to use the woodstove that Saturday afternoon back in March, perhaps he wouldn’t be sitting here this morning. “A little late now.” He dropped his head back against the sofa.

  “Hey, have you been up long?”

  Counting to five, Aaron reminded himself he was only doing what was best for both of them and looked at her. Last night, wearing a dress that looked as if it’d been made just for her and probably cost more than he made in a month, it’d been easy to remember people everywhere knew who she was and that her family owned one of the largest hotel chains in the world. Right now, wearing shorts and a top that read Not Until After Coffee, she could have easily been someone he’d met while eating lunch at George’s Diner or bowling.

  “Yeah, I’ve been up since about three o’clock.”

  “You’re going to be exhausted later.”

  He knew it wasn’t the only problem he’d have later.

  “I’m going to make myself some coffee. Do you want some?”

  Caffeine wouldn’t make what he needed to say any easier, but it wouldn’t hurt anything either. Plus, it’d buy him a little more time. Coward.

  “Yes, please.” He watched her walk into the kitchenette and switch on the single-serve coffee maker.

  “Looks like we have dark roast and a breakfast blend. Do you have a preference?”

  As long as it wasn’t decaf, which in his opinion was just a step above dirty water, he’d drink anything. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

  Sooner than he wanted, Juliette handed him a coffee cup and sat down next to him.

  “Have you ever been to Emilia in the North End?”

  Aaron sipped his coffee before he answered. “I don’t think so.”

  “It’s up to you, but I thought we could eat breakfast here and then make reservations there for dinner.” She didn’t wait for him to comment before opening the room service menu. “What do you think you want to eat this morning?”

  Stop stalling. Waiting until he finished his coffee or ate breakfast wouldn’t change what he needed to say. He took one last gulp of coffee and set his cup down. “We need to talk.”

  Pressing her lips together, she set aside the menu. “About last night? Aaron—”

  He tried never to interrupt a person, but he did it now anyway. “Last night, I realized how different our lives are.” Since he didn’t know how to explain without sounding like the biggest ass, he’d do the best he could as he went along. “Your family owns one of the biggest hotel chains in the world. You have one uncle who lives in the White House, and another who hires valets to park cars at his private house party. I don’t know your address in Manhattan, but it’s probably somewhere on Billionaire’s Row.”

  “What you said about my family is true, and I can’t change it. But soon I’ll be living and working in Avon. So the other stuff doesn’t matter.”

  For how long? The question popped up in his head again. Like in the past, he pushed it aside. “I know, and I’m not asking you to change. But last night’s fundraiser won’t be the last event like that you’ll need to attend. In June you’ve got your cousin’s wedding. I can only imagine the names on the guest list. And I doubt any of them work as a cybersecurity engineer while sharing a house with their sister and eleven-year-old niece.”

  “My cousin’s fiancé is one of Addie’s older brothers and a Marine. Their three older brothers are also in the military, so I think the guest list will be more diverse than you think, Aaron.”

  Perhaps he deserved her slightly sarcastic tone. “I didn’t know that.” Hoping to dislodge the baseball stuck in his throat, Aaron swallowed.

  “Not—”

  “Not everyone is like the Casellas. I know, but it doesn’t change the fact you and your family are used to a very different lifestyle than I am. And I’m not sure it’s right for me.” The baseball in his throat turned into a softball. “Believe me. This isn’t easy. Part of me wants to lock us in the suite and not come out again until tomorrow. But I need time to figure out if—”

  This time she cut him off. “You want me in your life.”

  He loved having her in his life. “No, if I can fit into yours. There’s a huge difference there.”

  Juliette sighed and brushed away the moisture gathering in her eyes. “Fair enough. I’ll change and leave. Maybe I’ll stay at my parents’ house for the rest of the weekend.” Standing, she picked up her coffee. “I’ll be gone in a few minutes.”

  She walked past him, and the unshed tears in her eyes tugged at his heart.

  “Juliette, I….” He stopped before he told her to forget everything he’d said. Before he told her he loved having her in his life. Maybe even loved her. If he uttered any of those words, perhaps she’d sit back down and kiss him. And at least for the weekend, they’d both be happy. But it wouldn’t solve the problem of whether or not he could fit into her life.

  “I’m sorry. And you’re more than welcome to stay here. I can go.”

  Both Candace and Mom knew of his and Juliette’s plans for the weekend. If he arrived home this afternoon alone, he’d get a lecture and a half from both of them. Much like him, they cared about Juliette and enjoyed having her a part of their lives. If they thought he’d somehow hurt her, which, based on her expression, he had, they’d be pissed at him.

  She brushed her fingers across her eyes again and seemed to consider his offer. “No, I… um… I’ll stay with my parents or maybe my sister in Providence tonight and then drive back to Avon tomorrow.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Juliette left, taking not only her suitcase but also a piece of his heart with her. If he’d had workout clothes with him, he would have headed out for a run. For whatever reason, running always helped clear his head so he could focus. And now more than ever, he needed to focus. Since he couldn’t run, he changed into his bathing suit and headed down to the hotel pool. Maybe if he got lucky, it’d be empty. But he wasn’t counting on it after the way the weekend had gone so far.

  Numerous times, Juliette had given a boyfriend the it’s-not-you-it’s-me speech. Until today, she’d never been on the receiving end of it. Then again, she was the one who’d always ended her past relationships. And while she might not admit the actual number to anyone, she’d dated a lot of men. But she’d never cared about any of them the way she did Aaron.

  Love, you mean. Ignoring both the thoughts and the hand squeezing her heart, she jabbed the elevator button marked lobby even though she’d rather march back down the hall and jab Aaron. Maybe if she jabbed him a few times, he’d get his common sense back.

  Seriously, he didn’t know if he could fit into her life because of who her family was and who they associated with? Maybe if her family resembled one of the mafia families portrayed in the movies, she could understand his reluctance. And she’d give him that sometimes she interacted with people she’d rather not be in the same room with. But everyone had to do it from time to time. It was merely part of being an adult.

  When the elevator doors opened, she stepped out. Before, her first thought had been to stay at her parents’ house for the night. But she didn’t need to be in Avon at all this week. She could spend a night or two at her parents’ or a few days visiting her sister. She could even go back to New York until the following week.

  “Juliette.”

  Preoccupied with her and Aaron’s conversation and where she should spend the next few days, she didn’t see Anderson Brady until she almost walked into him. She’d known the actor for what seemed like forever, and they often attended many of the same parties. At one time, she’d even considered pursuing a romantic relationship with him, but w
henever she’d been single, he’d been with someone and vice versa.

  “Anderson, how are you?”

  “Good. I thought I’d see you at the fundraiser last night.” Much like his father, Anderson was a big supporter of Uncle Warren.

  She’d spotted him taking to Drew McKenzie and his wife and had planned to go over and say hello at some point and introduce them all to Aaron. “I was there, but something came up, and I had to leave early.”

  “I’m going to be in Boston until Tuesday. Are you going to be around?”

  “No, I’m checking out.” Well, maybe checking out wasn’t totally accurate, but she was leaving the hotel.

  The cell phone in his hand rang, and he glanced at the screen. “I need to take this. But I’ll call you when I get back to New York, and we can get together.”

  Yesterday she would have told him she had a boyfriend. Now, she nodded. “I’ll see you later.”

  An hour and a half later, Juliette found herself not at her parents’ house but instead at the Hillcrest in Providence and riding the private elevator up to Trent’s penthouse—not that it had been her original destination after leaving the hotel. When she’d headed for Providence, she’d planned to visit her sister and her husband. She’d talked to Courtney on the phone, but she hadn’t seen her since the wedding in February. Unfortunately, no one was home when she arrived at Courtney’s place. When she called her sister, Courtney informed her they were picking up Josh’s daughter and would be back later. Although she had a key, and Courtney insisted she let herself in, she felt uncomfortable doing so. Coming and going as she pleased when her sister lived alone had been one thing, but Josh lived there now. So rather than go in, Juliette called the first person who came to mind—Addie.

  “I thought Aaron would be with you,” Addie said, hugging Juliette after she walked inside.

  “No. He’s still in Boston.” Well, she assumed he was. Maybe he’d checked out too and gone home.

  “Oh.” The why hung in the air, but before Juliette could explain, Trent walked in, his almost two-year-old son Kendrick perched on his shoulders. Jake was right behind him with his own mini-me in his arms, and it was evident they’d all been downstairs swimming.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?” Trent asked.

  “Visiting.”

  “I can see that. Where’s Aaron? Based on the way you two were looking at each other, I figured you’d spend the weekend locked up in your hotel room.”

  “We had a slight change in plans.”

  Trent looked at his wife and then back at her. “Is everything okay? Aaron looked upset last night, and when you rushed out, we were all worried.”

  “It’s complicated,” she admitted. “Can I get something to drink? All I’ve had today is a few sips of coffee.”

  “Of course. You can have whatever you want,” Addie answered.

  “I’ll be back after Kenrick and I are changed,” Trent said.

  Five years ago, if anyone had told her Trent and Jake, two of the worst playboys in the world, would both be happily married and fathers, she would have told them it would never happen. Yet, that was precisely the case. Not only that, but neither of them had ended up with society women. Instead, they’d both fallen for women who didn’t have powerful connections or wealthy family members. Actually, Addie, Charlie, and Curt’s fiancée, Taylor, had backgrounds similar to Aaron’s.

  She’d never asked any of them simply because it’d never occurred to her, but she wondered if they’d struggled the same way Aaron was now.

  Addie followed her into the kitchen but remained silent as Juliette poured herself a large glass of lemonade.

  She drank down half the glass and then refilled it. “Is Charlie here too?”

  “Yes. They spent a few days in North Salem with her family and are staying here until Monday.”

  “Good. Hopefully, the two of you can help me with something.” Nothing she did would change Aaron’s feelings or his ultimate decision, but she’d like a better understanding of where he was coming from. Addie and Charlie might be able to give her that.

  She’d just started sharing the reason they rushed out the previous night with Charlie and Addie when Trent and Jake entered the room with their sons. While her cousins joined them, their sons immediately forgot about the adults in the room and went to the train table.

  “I’m not sure I would have been able to just walk out last night if I’d been in his place,” Trent commented, speaking for the first time since sitting down.

  Jake nodded in agreement. “Last night makes a lot more sense. But I thought the two of you were spending the weekend in Boston.”

  The fist around her heart squeezed tighter as she filled them in on what transpired this morning.

  “What do you need Charlie and me to help you with?” Addie asked when Juliette finished.

  “Understanding his problem with our family. It’s not like we’re all part of a cult.”

  Addie and Charlie exchanged a look, one she couldn’t decipher.

  “Being a part of this family takes some getting used to,” Charlie said.

  “That’s one way to put it,” Addie agreed, drawing her husband’s attention her way. “Don’t give me that look, Trent. Your family isn’t exactly like most, and you know it.” She looked back over at her. “Some people might have a hard time fitting in.”

  “Then, you both had reservations about being with my cousins?”

  Charlie conveniently took a sip of lemonade at that exact moment, leaving Addie to answer first.

  “In a way, but not so much because of your family. It had more to do with Trent’s reputation. Before we met, I’d see pictures of him on magazine covers with a different woman every week when I went to the store. Not exactly the type of person you get involved with if you want a serious relationship.”

  Trent put his arm around Addie and kissed her temple. “I didn’t realize my reputation bothered you so much back then.”

  “I tried not to think too much about it in the beginning. And later, we had other issues to deal with.”

  Juliette didn’t know what issues Addie referred to, but clearly, they’d worked them out.

  “Jake’s reputation was more of an issue than his family for me too. Well, that and getting used to the media attention.”

  “If you want, I’ll tie him to a chair and force him to listen to me telling him about what a great family this is until he comes to his senses. And believe me, with four brothers, I can tie a knot he’ll never get out of,” Addie said.

  “I’ll help you,” Charlie added.

  Jake glanced at his cousin. “Trent, remind me never to make our wives mad.”

  “You have no idea.” Trent’s comment earned him an elbow in the side.

  “Don’t waste the money buying rope, Addie. I recognize the signs. Aaron is in love with Juliette already. The poor guy just hasn’t realized it. He’ll be knocking on her door in a couple of days and asking her to forgive him,” Jake said.

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this.” Trent looked like he’d bitten into a lemon. “But Jake’s right, Juliette.”

  It might be unique, and its members definitely drove her crazy, but she wouldn’t trade her family for any other. “Maybe we—” Her ringing cell phone interrupted her, and she dug the device out of her purse on the floor. Pressing the green icon on the screen, she greeted her mom.

  “Paige’s water broke. Your dad and I are on our way to New York.”

  Given the circumstances surrounding her nephew’s birth, she hadn’t met Scott’s son until he was over a month old. It wasn’t going to be the case this time. “I’ll see you there.”

  Chapter 18

  Tuesday afternoon, Aaron walked back up toward his house for the second time that day. Hoping to catch her before she headed over to the dance school or went out to take care of some other errand, he’d walked down to Juliette’s cottage around nine o’clock. When he didn’t see her car, Aaron assumed he would see her when she
came back, and he returned home to work—or try to work. His mind had other ideas, much like it had ever since Juliette left his hotel suite. Regardless, he stayed in his office. And while he hadn’t accomplished much, it’d allowed him to avoid his sister, which he’d been doing as much as possible since coming home from Boston.

  Either his expression had given him away or Candace had developed mind-reading abilities because she’d known something was wrong when he walked in the kitchen early Sunday afternoon. To her credit, she’d let him share that not only had he put his and Juliette’s relationship on hold but his reason for doing so. Once he finished, though, she held nothing back.

  She’d been giving him dirty looks or reminding him what an idiot he was every time she saw him since then. Tonight over dinner wouldn’t be any different. Maybe instead of joining Candace and Tiegan, he should sit on Juliette’s steps and wait for her to come home.

  If he didn’t eat for several hours, it wasn’t like he’d starve. And if he hung around down there, he’d be guaranteed to see Juliette tonight. Aaron stopped in the driveway and considered the two options.