My Beastly Billionaire (The Grimwood Legacy Series Book 1)

by Jackie Castle

  The line disconnected. Elisa laid her head against the arm of the sofa. She couldn’t lose this job. What else would she do? Crawling onto the bed, Elisa buried her face into one of the soft pillows and cried. She hated when people were angry with her. She’d not meant to usurp Kelly’s business. Or challenge her. Or any of the things she’d been accused of.

  Well, the only thing Elisa could do was to try her best to make it up to her boss. She’d toe the line and do only what was asked of her and nothing else.

  Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of misery as she drifted off to sleep. Deep down, she feared this weekend was going to cost her more than she anticipated.

  “You are my shield and rampart, Lord. I’ll trust in You to take care of me, no matter what happens. But it’s going to be really hard if I lose this job.”

  Chapter Ten

  Duncan stretched his back and rolled the kinks from his shoulders. His eyes burned from lack of sleep, but he was finally on a roll and didn’t want to waste one precious moment. He hung the nearly finished necklace around the velvet bust.

  Tiny ruby and emerald beads were attached to five delicate chains woven together made from different metals. He was pleased over how it was turning out. But his favorite piece was the snowflake necklace with the matching earrings and ring. He was sure this one would be the one to incite the most interest.

  Barbara’s ring tone sounded from his phone. He checked the time under her picture to find half the morning had already gone by.

  “Hello,” Duncan answered, his tone cheery. “You better be calling me from the beach. Did you remember your sunscreen?” he teased.

  “Who is this?” Barbara asked, sounding suspicious. “Did I call the wrong Grimwood? Jeremy, is that you?”

  He could hear shuffling as if she was actually checking the number on her phone.

  “Barb, stop. Seriously, are you enjoying your vacation?”

  Barb still sounded slightly suspicious. “It is you. What’s going on Duncan?”

  He repeated his question with a roll of his eyes.

  “Yes, it’s beautiful here. How are you? You sure sound chipper this morning.”

  Duncan ignored her probing, not sure yet how much he wanted to tell her. Eventually, she’d find out the whole story, anyway.

  “How’s Konner? Has he tried surfing yet?” Duncan found he missed trips to the beach. And skiing, though he’d have to wait longer for his leg to completely heal. One of his first tasks for next week was to hunt down his physical trainer, apologize, and offer him a huge bonus to take him back on.

  He was ready to enjoy life again.

  “Konner is going out this afternoon,” Barbara answered. “But tell me what’s going on with you? I don’t remember there being any wine or other alcohol in the refrigerator, but I might have missed it.”

  “Barb, it’s ten in the morning! I’m fine. I’ve actually had a blast of inspiration. Wait until you see the new pieces I’ve made.” He wondered if he should tell her about his unexpected guest, then decided against it. Barb would probably make more of his attitude if she knew there was a woman involved. And though Elisa had inspired him, he didn’t want to make more out of their friendship than was actually there. He needed more time with her to figure out if there were any real feelings between them.

  “That is exciting. Why do I feel as if you’re not telling me something?”

  “Beats me,” Duncan feigned innocence. “So, what’s up? Tell me you’re not calling just to check on me. Seriously, I told you that I’d be fine.”

  “You can’t blame me for being concerned. You’ve had a rough couple of months and you were so furious over this party. I’ve been concerned, honey.”

  Duncan felt bad overall he’d put his assistant through. “I’m blessed to have you, Barb. I don’t say that enough. And I’m happy to say that I’m feeling much better about this party. Though I’m doubtful that it’ll change anything.” His light mood was starting to grow dim again. He needed to distract himself before he sank back into that pit of hopelessness.

  Things were not hopeless. They were not and he’d not allow himself to think that they were. He was trusting in the Lord for help. Something would come to him soon.

  He hoped.

  That was all he had at the moment to hang onto.

  “Barb, tell me about your trip.” He stood and headed toward the windows, pulling the drapes aside. He didn’t want to discuss his problems again. She knew where he stood.

  The bright sun poured in causing him to blink and shield his eyes. Soon the snow would melt. He should call about getting a plow truck to clear their private road. Except, then Elisa would probably want to leave.

  He wasn’t ready for her to leave. Not yet.

  “Miami has been great.” She paused a moment, then said, “Okay, honey, here’s why I’m calling. I’d wanted to wait until I saw you next week, but I think you need a chance to seriously consider this offer.”

  Duncan sat on the edge of the sofa, bracing himself. This sounded serious. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m looking at an email from Laurence McAlan from Atlas Jewelers. You know he’s had his eyes on your stores for some time. I’ve held him off for as long as I’ve been able while you were recuperating, Duncan, but I’m afraid he’s losing patience. And if you are considering the possibility of selling, then you need to look over his offer.”

  Duncan brushed his hair back from his face. “How can I sell the stores, Barb? I mean, really? What will the others say?”

  “Technically, the decision is up to you. Although, since all the Grimwoods are on the Board of Directors, your plans will need to be run by them for final approval. I doubt any of them will hinder you, they have their own things to deal with, right? So, it comes down to you simply making a decision. What are you going to do about the stores?”

  “Has Mr. McAlan been invited to the Gala?”

  “I believe so. I’ll have to check my guest list when I get back. Are you seriously considering selling?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know, honestly. I’ll need to pray about it.”

  “Pray? Oh, now I have to know what’s happened to you while I’ve been gone. Duncan Marcus Grimwood, you better start explaining yourself. I haven’t heard you talk about praying, or God, or anything else like that in—”

  “Too many years. I’ve…well, it’s a long story.”

  “Humm, well honey, the sun is shining, Konner is out on the boat. I have time to listen. Tell me what’s going on with my favorite boss. Better yet, I want to know what’s going on with my dearest friend.”

  “Ha. Kiss up,” he joked, though he knew she meant her sentiment wholeheartedly. “Well, it all started when I got snowed in with a decorator.”

  * * * *

  Eager to see the house’s transformation during the day, Duncan showered and dressed as quickly as possible. He decided on jeans and a dark red sweater. While dressing, two texts came to his phone, one letting him know that airlift services were back in action, if Duncan had somewhere he needed to go. The second was from the mayor of Knollsville letting him know that the plow trucks were available, and he was sending one to start working on the five-mile stretch to the Manor.

  He sighed when he read the mayor’s note. That meant if Elisa wanted to leave, there was nothing stopping her now. Duncan made a call to the family mechanic, asking if he could fit in a Jeep.

  “Mr. Grims, how’s it going, man?” Ralph from Cooper Auto replied with a chuckle. “Let me check my schedule, buddy. We had a lot of cars to pull from ditches.”

  Duncan didn’t doubt that, considering there was one out on his front drive that needed to be pulled from the ditch.

  Soon Ralph came back online. “A Jeep, did you say? Does it belong to an Elisa Lucken?”

  “Yes, a matter of fact.”

  “Already have the order right here. And a rental car scheduled, too, if it’s needed. Won’t know how much damage there is until we come to get it. I hear they’
re clearing your road today.”

  “That’s correct. Which was why I was calling, but it sounds like my friend has already taken care of everything. Should have known.” Elisa was probably ready to get away soon as she could.

  He took one more look at the pieces he’d been working on all night between catnaps. For the first time since all this began, he wasn’t terrified of showing his work. Finally, he would present something he was pleased with.

  He headed downstairs to see what the others were up to. He also hoped to make himself a turkey sandwich for lunch. The Christmas music still played in the background. The tree was extraordinary, even during the day. From the formal dining room, a sweet voice sang along with Jingle Bell Rock. He followed the melody to find Elisa dancing around the long table as she added little touches to make the centerpiece beautiful.

  Someone came up beside him. When her arm went around his waist, he knew it was Margaret. “She’s been down here for the past three hours adjusting and moving things around. I’m sure she’s trying to keep from getting bored. She’s such a dear, offering to help me with whatever I needed. I’m going to miss her when she returns home.”

  Duncan nodded. So, would he.

  He frowned, wondering if he really meant that. But as he watched her singing and working, he knew that it was the God-honest truth. And he even suspected that it was a divine intervention that stuck her here. Because of Elisa Lucken, he’d come alive again.

  “Probably so. She missed out on spending time with her family. I’d like to do something to thank her for all this.”

  Margaret rested her head against his arm. “I’m sure an extra bonus will do.”

  “You think?” He couldn’t help but smirk.

  “Well, what did you have in mind? That’s what you usually do for your employees.”

  “Yes, that’s true. Except….” Except Elisa Lucken wasn’t his employee. Not really. And she was more to him than someone who worked for a contractor that his assistant hired. Elisa had become dear to him. A friend. A small voice in his mind begged to say that he wished she might become even more than that.

  “I want to do something special. I’m not sure how long it will take for the snow trucks to get out this way, but I could call my pilot—”

  “She doesn’t seem like the kind who’s impressed with grand gestures to me. Is that what you think she’d like?” Margaret surmised.

  “No, I don’t. So, I have an idea. What do we have in the freezer?”

  Margaret smiled. “Oh, I bet there’s something that you can whip up.”

  “Perfect.”

  At that moment, the singing stopped as Elisa realized she was being watched. “Oh hey, what do you think? I wasn’t sure if you’d actually be serving anything at your party, but since the table was here, I thought it should look nice.”

  “My assistant will work on those details,” Duncan said, his mind turning with ideas for that evening. “You’re right though, it is beautiful. The whole house looks wonderful.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, considering her work. “It needs some greenery. Sam said that maybe he’d walk me out to the woods after he finishes blowing off the walkways, but I hate to trouble him.”

  Margaret excused herself, whispering that she’d find something they could prepare for his little surprise.

  Duncan wondered if Elisa would even want to stay if she had the means to escape. “I can take you out on the snowmobile. But first,” he walked over to where she was standing. “I have something to tell you.”

  She didn’t try to move away. They were so close, he could see the golden specks in her green eyes. She wore a pair of jeans with little butterflies embroidered down the sides. A pink matching turtleneck brought out the pink in her cheeks. Her hair hung loose today and he fought back the urge to run his fingers through the silky strands.

  He told her about the snow trucks at work on the road and how the mechanic was ready to get her Jeep.

  “Oh good. My dad promised to work all that out for me. Glad he was able to locate the right people. If that company works for you, I suspect they’re trustworthy.”

  “Very much so,” he agreed. “Also, my pilot let me know that if anyone needs transport, he can have our helicopter out here in less than an hour.”

  Elisa’s eyes widened. “You have your own helicopter? I bet you have one of those cute little planes, too, don’t you?”

  He ducked his head and nodded. “They belong to all of us and we share.” He didn’t want to admit that he did have his own private plane, yet.

  “Ah, well?” She looked around the room, then turned her gaze back toward him. She twisted her hands together nervously. “If it’s not an inconvenience, I was hoping to stay. Until Monday at the latest. I’d like to be here when my boss returns. So, I can explain what we’ve done.”

  Duncan’s brows furrowed in concern. “Are you worried? I’ll meet with Ms. Stewart and let her know you were following my wishes if you think there will be any problems.”

  “Oh no, it’ll be fine. But I think they plan to come for my Jeep Monday. I mean unless you think I should—”

  “No, you are welcome to stay as long as you need to.” Duncan blurted, hoping he didn’t sound desperate. “I’ve enjoyed you—r, um, company.”

  “Thank you, I’ve not wished to be any trouble. I really appreciate your hospitality. I mean that.”

  “I believe you.” The heat started to creep its way up from his chest, gaining speed toward his warm face. Clearing his throat, he quickly changed the subject. “How about that snowmobile ride?”

  Her smile widened and Duncan knew he’d drive to the ends of the earth to keep that smile in place.

  * * * *

  Elisa slipped into the snowsuit. There was a closet of them in the smaller garage where they kept the ATVs and other recreational vehicles.

  Outside, a snowblower roared as Sam cleared the circular drive and walkways. A couple of other men were helping. Duncan said that some of the Manor’s caretakers lived on the property and had driven their own snow machines over to check on them. Sam had immediately put them all to work.

  “Are you sure about this?” Elisa asked, wrapping a scarf around her head. “I don’t want to risk you getting hurt again.”

  He smirked which caused his nose to wrinkle slightly. “I’m tougher than I’ve led you to believe, Ms. Lucken.” The expression was enduring. Something about his mood today seemed lighter and almost jovial. She liked seeing this fun, charming side of him. He was sweet and kind.

  Just don’t let yourself fall for him, goof.

  No, she’d enjoy what time she had left with the understanding that next week they’d part ways. He had his life which was a universe away from her simple life.

  “Very well, Mr. Grimwood. I hope so because machines like this make me nervous. I’ll be hanging on tight, I assure you.”

  Duncan swung his braced leg over first, then adjusted himself in the seat so it could remain slightly straight. His smile was devilish as he told her to get on and hang on as tight as she needed to. He didn’t mind.

  Her heart began to race.

  He’d tied a small sled to the back to secure the pine branches she wished to collect. Once she was sitting behind him, he drove them away from the house, taking it slow at first until the fields opened around them and he put on a burst of speed.

  Elisa’s arms tightened around his waist and she buried her face into his back. He never complained. She didn’t mind either. He smelled of pleasant spices and the jacket smelled like cedar.

  He finally slowed and shouted over the roar of the engine, “Tell me that you don’t have your eyes closed. You’re not going to want to miss this view.”

  They stopped moving and she looked around with a gasp. “Oh my.”

  He’d stopped at the edge of a cliff. A wide river spread out below. White covered the canyons and surrounding pines. “It’s beautiful. Are we still on your property?”

  He cut the engine
. “Yes, the river is the north boundary. The highway borders us to the south. There’s a ridge of hills to the east and west that mark the end but it’s a long drive. I’d rather not go that far away from the house today.”

  “I understand. It’s beautiful land. I love how your family has left it unspoiled.”

  “Well, the Grimwoods started off as ranchers, but over time with the development of technology and the growth of Wall Street, interests changed. We have a few houses that have been built for staff, but yes, other than that, we’ve always liked our privacy and have kept the land untouched.”

  “This would be a beautiful place to live. I guess I don’t really understand why the others don’t wish to be here.” She’d started to release her hold on him, but he managed to placed his hands over hers and kept them in place. She didn’t mind at all. He was helping to keep her warm.

  Though if she got any warmer, sweat would begin pouring down her back.

  “They all have their own lives. My younger brother, Jeremy, likes the city and he manages Father’s investment bank. Same with Suzette, she also has a penthouse apartment in New York near her design studio. And my older brother, Colton lives most of the year on his sailboat with his twin daughters. He owns a chain of hotels but likes to travel all over the place with them and their private tutor. I’m the homebody of the group.”

  “They’re missing out, I think. Not that my opinion really matters all that much. I think this would be a beautiful place to wake up every morning. I live in the city and hate all the noise, though I do appreciate the amenities, I suppose. Well, you can’t have everything.”

  Duncan turned slightly on the seat so he could look over his shoulder at her. “That depends,” he answered ominously. “We passed a patch of trees about a quarter mile back. I’m going to turn around. I promise to take it slower, so you can keep your eyes open and let me know if you see anything that interests you.”