The Billionaire's Birthday Surprise

by Jenna Brandt

  “I didn’t expect to see you here, but I couldn’t be happier about you being a part of my birthday surprise.”

  So, it seemed Samuel didn’t plan for her to be there. With him being the birthday boy, she would have thought he would have been in charge of the guest list.

  “How did I end up here then?”

  “My concierge knew about our encounter at the resort’s lounge. I’m assuming she invited you, thinking I would approve, which I do. I’m glad you decided to come.”

  “My sister was the one who wanted to be here. She loves an adventure, so when the club issued the mysterious invitation, she jumped at it, insisting I come with her.”

  “You didn’t know the celebration was for me?” the disappointment was clear in his voice as he asked the question.

  “I’m sorry, but no,” she admitted.

  “Well, even if you didn’t come for me, I hope you’ll stay because I want you to.” Samuel reached out his hand to her, the earnestness in his eyes urging her to give into his request. “Dance with me, Vanessa.”

  Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his. He pulled her onto the dance floor and gathered her into his arms. Just like New Year’s Eve two years ago, they fit together like a matched set of gloves. As he looked into her eyes, she could feel the fire that had been dormant rekindling, setting her insides ablaze.

  Chapter Five

  Since a small boy, Samuel had been obsessed with trains. The information hadn’t been on his questionnaire. It caused him to wonder if Simone had gotten help from Tara. She’d been able to find out his childhood love of circuses; perhaps Tara found out about the trains, too, and placed it in his file last year. However it happened—as he had walked through all ten cars of the luxury train, transformed specifically to his tastes from the art on the walls to the colors of the décor—he couldn’t help but be astounded at the attention to every aspect of the experience. Not only did it please the little boy at the core of him, but the extravagant details also appealed to his adult tastes.

  When Samuel had walked into the ballroom at the end of the train, he couldn’t believe all of his closest friends were present. It took him nearly thirty minutes to make his way through the crowd. What he didn’t expect was to see a breathtaking woman in a gorgeous red gown catch his eye. Not only was she wearing his favorite color, her gold mask was both mysterious and ethereal. He knew instinctively, he needed to dance with her. It wasn’t until he reached her side and saw the Sazerac that he realized that it was Vanessa. It was as if fate had intervened and granted him the one wish he wanted most for his birthday.

  “You look gorgeous in that dress; red is my favorite color,” Samuel revealed as he pulled her in a little closer.

  “The club loaned it to me. It was waiting for me on the plane.”

  “Well, I’ll have to thank Simone later for doing such a great job. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you once I saw you.”

  They swayed to the music, both expertly following the rhythm of the dance. Samuel spun Vanessa out, then reeled her back in, his fingers tightening at her ribs, before dipping her backwards and looking into her eyes. As he pulled her up, she giggled, her cheeks flushed red from the energetic dance moves. The sound of her laughter was intoxicating, giving him a better feeling than any alcohol he’d ever consumed.

  “You’re really good at this; even better than I remember.” As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, her eyes grew round with shocked regret. He could tell she hadn’t meant to say them.

  Samuel stumbled a bit, confused by her revealing statement. “What do you mean, better than you remember? You never mentioned knowing me. Have we danced before?” Vanessa stiffened in his arms as she bit her bottom lip, her eyes falling to the floor. “You have to tell me. Did we meet before the lounge on the island?”

  “I didn’t tell you before because I thought I’d never see you again.”

  “Well, now you have seen me again, so you have to explain,” Samuel pleaded, hoping that he wouldn’t regret what she was about to tell him. He didn’t have the best track record with meeting women in the city. More times than not, he would often forget about his nightly activities after one-too-many cocktails.

  “We did meet before—two years ago on New Year’s Eve. Your friend, Wade McAllister, hosted the party. I was on holiday break from university, and my sister insisted that I go out with her. We were introduced and you immediately showed interest in me. We spent most of the party together, talking and dancing. By the time it was wrapping up, you were well-beyond drunk. I helped you stumble into a cab before taking another one home. I wondered and hoped you would look me up after, but you never did. I figured you must have forgotten the whole night.”

  It was even worse than he could have imagined. He’d made a fool of himself in front of her. How stupid could he have been to have such an amazing woman right at his fingertips and blow it by drinking too much?

  “I can’t believe I had the best night of my life and completely forgot it,” Samuel lamented.

  Her jade eyes moved up to meet his, her hopeful look stabbing him right in the gut. “How do you know it was the best night of your life if you can’t remember it?”

  Samuel reached out and placed his hand under her chin. “If it was with you, it had to be. I can’t make up for what I did back then, but I can promise you, while you’re with me during this trip, I won’t do anything so foolish again.”

  He could tell she wanted to believe him. She relaxed in his arms as a smile formed on her lips. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I had been debating if it was a mistake to come here after I found out it was your birthday celebration. You’re a risky bet, Samuel Butler.”

  “I know that, but I think if you give us a second chance, you’ll see the risk will pay off.” His mouth drifted down towards hers, the temptation to kiss her plump, red lips was more than he could resist.

  Before he could close the final gap between them though, there was a burst of ‘Happy Birthday’ music and people started to surround them while singing the lyrics. Several of his friends pulled him away from Vanessa as a large cake carved into the number ’30’ was placed on a table in front of him.

  Samuel blew out his candles as everyone clapped and cheered around him. He secretly wished that Vanessa would be open to giving him a chance to prove he could be the man she wanted and deserved.

  The rest of the evening, friends paid court to Samuel, telling him that the beginning of his celebration was phenomenal and over-the-top and they couldn’t wait to see what was coming next. When they tried to pry him for information, he explained that it was going to be as much of a surprise to him as it was going to be everyone else.

  Every time Samuel tried to spend some time alone with Vanessa, another friend would come up and interrupt them. He was grateful that at least she was willing to stay by his side, and didn’t use the endless rounds of small talk to dip away.

  “Would you care to dance with me?” Nate Miller, an up-and-coming music producer, asked as he came up to stand in front of Vanessa. “You’ve been standing here for far too long, listening to these frat boys go on and on. You look bored as nails. I can change that right now.”

  Samuel’s head snapped to the side, his eyes narrowing into slits. Even though Nate didn’t know that Samuel was interested in Vanessa, it didn’t make him any less jealous when the other man asked her to dance with him.

  Having enough of the fawning and flattering, Samuel grabbed Vanessa by the hand and dragged her back onto the dance floor.

  “I was wondering when you were going to do that,” Vanessa stated in a giddy voice. “I haven’t danced nearly enough tonight.”

  “We should remedy that right now.” He gathered her into his arms, letting their bodies move together to the beat of the slow music. “Believe me, I didn’t want to listen to any of my friends any more than you did.”

  “Then why did you?” she countered, with an arched eyebrow. “This is your party after all.”

>   “You’re right; I can do what I want, and what I want to do is spend every moment I can with you.”

  “Just for the record, I wasn’t going to accept his invitation.”

  “Good; I wouldn’t want to punch someone at my party and end a ten-year friendship, though I have a feeling you would be well worth it.”

  The tempo of the next song changed to a faster beat, the bass thumping through their bodies, causing them to separate and change their dance moves to match the style of the pop music. By the end of the second song, their breaths were short and trembling.

  Just as the song ended, Samuel reached over and pulled Vanessa towards him, brushing one of her chestnut curls out of her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. His gaze flickered to her lips, parted now as she took in deep gasps of air in an effort to catch her breath. It was all he could do to keep from leaning down to kiss her, but he knew it would be a mistake. Kissing her right now would ruin the tentative bridge of trust he was building with her, and for some reason, he wanted more than a one-night fling with Vanessa.

  “I need a break,” she whispered breathlessly, stepping out of his arms and turning away.

  Samuel followed her over to the bar where she asked for a bottle of Aqua Deco, and he did the same. They both took a drink of the cool water.

  “Are my eyes deceiving me, or is Samuel Butler drinking water at his own birthday party? What is wrong with you? Shouldn’t you be drinking Macallan Single Cask like you always do?”

  Samuel jerked his head to the side, irritated that someone was mocking him. It was made even worse when he realized it was Harry Belfour. The only reason he invited the other man to the party was because they had all the same friends. It also didn’t hurt that Samuel enjoyed showing off to the pompous jerk, who was more a rival than a friend when it came down to it. They competed against each other for everything. From cooking awards, to women, Harry loved to take whatever he could from Samuel.

  “What can I say, I spent a little too much time on the dance floor with this one,” Samuel explained, gesturing towards Vanessa with his head as he adjusted the bowtie around his neck. “I was parched.”

  “Why don’t you grab a drink and come play with the big boys? Scott and Trip are starting a game of high stakes poker in one of the other cars.” Harry looked over at Vanessa, giving her a wicked grin before turning his attention back to Samuel. “Unless you’re too much of a chicken. You know how badly I beat you the last time we played. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your latest conquest.”

  Vanessa slowly set her bottle of water down on the counter, her eyes narrowing into angry slits as she glared at the other man. In a calm and calculated voice she stated, “You obviously know nothing about me. I’m no man’s conquest. I’m here because Samuel personally invited me to stay. From how you’re behaving right now—trying to goad Samuel into acting just like you—I’m not sure your invitation aboard this train will last until morning.” Vanessa wrapped her arm through Samuel’s and leaned into his frame. “Now that we’re hydrated, why don’t you walk me to my cabin? Between the flight and the dancing, I’m exhausted.”

  Once they were out of the ballroom car, Samuel let out a small whistle, then chuckled. “You sure did let Harry have it. I don’t think anyone has ever spoken to him like that before.”

  “Well, someone should have a long time ago. He’s a complete imbecile.”

  “No argument here. I only invited him out of habit; he runs in the same circle as the rest of my friends.”

  “I think you should break that habit—it’s a bad one. Sometimes, it’s better to have less people in your life, rather than a bunch of so-called friends who only make your life more difficult than it needs to be.”

  They stopped just outside Vanessa’s cabin. Samuel leaned against the doorframe, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his slacks. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

  “I grew up in a very similar world to the one you now live in. I’ve dealt with my fair share of mean girls—or in your case, guys—and they never grow out of it. They just get better at disguising it with subterfuge.”

  “Noted.” Samuel pushed off the door and leaned towards Vanessa, hoping that he might be able to give her a goodnight kiss. Before he could close the final distance, she used her keycard and slipped through the door, saying, “Goodnight, Samuel, I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Goodnight, Vanessa.” Samuel watched as the door shut, putting a distance between them that he didn’t like. Rather than head back to the ballroom, or even the car that was hosting the poker game, he decided to head back to his own cabin. Since he couldn’t be with Vanessa for the rest of the night, he’d prefer to spend some time alone, where he could think about his next steps in showing Vanessa how serious he was about being with her.

  Chapter Six

  The next morning, after Vanessa spent her time reading her daily devotional, she stopped by her sister’s cabin, inviting her to join her for brunch.

  “I don’t feel up to it, Sis. My head is pounding,” Heather whined as she leaned against the door of her cabin.

  Vanessa wasn’t surprised, considering she’d heard her sister partying the whole night, waking up Vanessa in the process since their rooms were right next to each other.

  “If you change your mind, I’ll be down in the dining car before we all head out for the excursion.”

  “I think I will just order room service and spend the rest of the day here relaxing. I hear there’s an excellent spa in one of the cars,” Heather stated dismissively. “I’ll see you later, when you get back.”

  Vanessa made her way toward the dining car. The room was buzzing with chit-chat as Vanessa made her way inside; it was already set up with a sumptuous brunch buffet. With everyone’s masks off, Vanessa recognized some of the guests from the island, others from New York high society, and even a sprinkle of celebrities, sitting at the various tables.

  Vanessa placed eggs Benedict as well as a delicious-looking Monte Cristo sandwich on her plate before taking a seat at one of the tables by a window. As she sampled the world-class food, she gazed out as ancient castles, green grass, and rare wildlife raced by. However, she couldn’t concentrate on the beauty of Ireland while her mind kept drifting back to the night before.

  Samuel had looked as handsome as ever in his tailored designer suit and black mask. Between the Irish classical music, the gowned-women, and the majestic decor, she’d felt like a princess in a fairytale. Their eyes had locked more than once throughout the ball. She was certain the last time they did, by her room, he would have kissed her if she hadn’t ducked into her room out of fear. If she had stayed there a moment longer, there would have been a kiss that would have changed everything between them. She couldn’t let that happen until she was sure he wouldn’t hurt her again.

  What surprised her most about the previous night was when she finally was alone in her cabin, she’d wished she had more time with Samuel. Her mind couldn’t stop from thinking about how good it felt to be in his arms, enjoying his company. When she woke up that morning, she couldn’t wait to see him again.

  Part of her wondered if she was being naïve and ignoring the warning signs from the first time they met. The other part of her wondered if it were possible that he really did want to change.

  “May I join you?” Samuel asked from beside her, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Of course,” she said with a friendly smile. “How did you sleep?”

  “Wonderfully; the humming of the train engine helped me sleep like a baby. How about you?”

  She shrugged. “I always do better in my own bed, but I’ve learned to make the best of it over the years. My parents are huge on traveling abroad, and took my sister and me on long, elaborate vacations several times a year while we were growing up.”

  “That must have been quite the experience as a kid,” Samuel mused. “My family’s idea of a vacation was visiting a theme park for a coup
le of days or spending a weekend at a cheap beach motel. Don’t get me wrong, they did the best they could for my brother and me, and I look back on those trips with fondness.”

  “Are you close to your family now? I don’t remember ever reading about them on the internet or hearing you talk about them on your show.”

  “My parents died in a car crash right after I finished culinary school. My brother still lives in Pennsylvania and has a family of his own, so I don’t get to see him much. Our relationship was never the same after our mom and dad died.”

  “I’m sorry, that must have been so difficult.” She reached across the table and placed her hand on his, squeezing it in hopes it conveyed her sympathy for his plight. “Is that why your concierge picked this as your destination for your celebration? To help you feel close to your roots?’

  Samuel nodded. “I’m sure it is. It’s why I focused my career on Irish cuisine. My mother was born from a long line of Irish immigrants, and my father came over to the US from Ireland when he was twenty. I grew up cooking and eating colcannon and champ, boxty, and black and white pudding. I wanted to introduce the world to the food I knew and loved, while elevating it in a way that made it stand out.”

  “From what my sister has told me, you’ve done exactly that. She watches your show regularly. I’d almost say it borderlines on obsession. I’m not sure why, since she hasn’t cooked a day in her life, but she goes on and on about it all the time. Personally, I think it’s more about watching your handsome face than anything else.”

  “You think I’m handsome?” he teased with a wink.

  “You’re not bad-looking,” she jested back, giving him a flirtatious smile. “I could get used to looking at your face.”

  They spent the next half hour eating and talking about her studies at Yale, his plans for his next cookbook, and what the next part of the journey might hold for all of them.