The Billionaire’s Secret

by Malone, Nana

  But Theo… Theo was happy. Especially with Zia at his side. He'd already taken care of the company as if it were his own. And the truth of it was the legacy should always have been his. If I could rectify that and give my father a big old fuck you at the same time, then I was all for that. As I watched the old man formally be arrested, I slid my gaze to my cousin. "Thank you."

  Sebastian shrugged. "Look, I'm giving you a shot. Don't fuck it up. For once, someone's asking you to be decent."

  I nodded. "I get that. No one's ever asked that of me before. I've never had family or love. I've never known what it's like to actually disappoint someone who really cared about me. Now that I do, I'm not real eager to do it. So whatever you need from me, consider it done."

  Life had given me a hard road, but I was going to have all the support in the world now. My brother was with me, and I felt like I could conquer anything.

  Epilogue

  Zia…

  I slapped down my dominoes with fervor and screamed out "Make them squeaky!"

  Ah, Team Winston Isles game night. I was more than a little competitive, and it was the third time in a row I'd beaten Roone and Tristan at dominoes. I deserved to be a little cocky.

  Everyone from Royal Elite was there, plus Kyle and Adele. It was a real family affair. Theo and his mom were working on putting their relationship back together, and Derrick had actually been doing a good job of getting to know her.

  Kyle sat back and sipped a beer as he chatted easily with Lucas and Bryna. Hell, even the London cousins were there, though both claimed they had to get back to their wives. Xander’s was in some play, and Alexi’s wife was prepping a gallery opening.

  The point was the whole family was there, and I knew it was just what Theo needed.

  Roone sat back. "Oi, mate, come get your bird before I devise some sort of torture device from the dominoes for her."

  I wrinkled my nose at him. "You know I could take you right?"

  Roone laughed at that. "Sweetheart, you're welcome to try."

  Tristan groaned, “I’m not entirely unconvinced you can’t cheat at dominos.”

  Ariel jumped in to the easy ribbing then. "I trained her. Which means she's just as good as I am and you're going to get your ass kicked."

  Roone groaned. "Who let you have your own bodyguard agency anyway? It gave you a swelled head."

  She grinned at him. "Oh, don't be mad just because I've been your boss several times."

  He pointed the finger at her. "You were never my boss."

  Ethan chuckled from across the room. "Well technically..."

  Roone rolled his eyes. I could feel Theo's gaze on me as I laughed. He apparently was not as good at dominoes as I was.

  Didn't they have dominoes in America? Why was he losing?

  He groaned from his table and called out, "Babe, come help me. I suck at this."

  I giggled at the easy way he said babe. I was his. He was mine. And he was staying.

  Sebastian had already broken the news that the board would be putting him up as the new CEO of Arlington Tech.

  But he still had to decide what he wanted to do. There was still the Philanthro App that he and Kyle wanted to get off the ground, and he didn't really see himself as a CEO mogul type. But I had faith he could do it. He could make both of those things work if that was what he wanted.

  Derrick strolled in with more scotch. "I have come to rescue the party festivities."

  Everyone groaned.

  "What, I brought scotch?"

  The guys all perked up at that.

  Penny scrunched her nose. "I'm as big as a house, and the thing you bring to perk me up is something I can't have?"

  He winced. "Okay now, Penny, I know you cannot drink. So for you, I brought chocolate. It’s Swiss chocolate. That’s got to count for something, right?"

  She scowled at him but still snatched the chocolate out of his hand from her seated position.

  She was about to pop any day now. Poor thing looked so uncomfortable.

  Derrick had cooperated with the authorities. He'd gotten a hell of a fine and a six-month suspended sentence instead of prison time, and he couldn’t go anywhere without reporting to the crown first.

  His father, however, had not fared so well. It seemed there were more instances of fraud than anyone knew about. As soon as the remaining members of the board started doing due diligence, all the dirty dealings came out of the woodwork.

  Timothy Arlington had been stealing from his investors for years. Even with the deals that were on the up and up, the contracts were borderline. And it seemed he hadn't been above using blackmail and extortion to get what he wanted along the way. He hadn't been granted bail, so the billionaire who had caused his sons so much torment was in jail where he had zero power. His money, what remained of it, couldn't buy him out. And as far as I knew, neither Derrick nor Theo had been to see him. It seemed that regardless of all that talk of his legacy and what he saw for his future, he'd left a far different legacy than he ever intended.

  I relinquished my seat at my dominoes table to give it to Xander. He'd flown in for Derrick and Theo's birthday, and it was great watching the men of the Winston Isles form even deeper bonds. I knew how important it was for Theo and for Derrick. Theo had only ever had Adele and Kyle to rely on, and Derrick had never felt like he had family, so I was glad that they knew what that was like now. They had more than just each other. They had all of us.

  When we all switched tables, I intended to pick a different game. Penny wanted to play Monopoly since no one ever let her play because she took it far too seriously. But before I could settle myself, Theo came over and took my hand. "Come with me."

  I laughed. "Where are we going?"

  "I just want to kiss you."

  He dragged me through the doors to the left, into a much smaller office and placed me on the edge of the desk. "How is my beautiful fiancée?"

  "I'm good. And how is my very handsome and sexy fiancé?"

  "I'm happy. It’s always only ever been my mom, Kyle and me. And I don't know… looking up just now, seeing everyone that I love in one room, fighting tooth and nail over a dominoes game, it’s the kind of thing I always wanted growing up. And I can't help but feel like you brought that to me."

  I shook my head. "You brought that to yourself. I mean you said yes to coming here."

  He laughed. "Well technically, Kyle made me say yes. But yeah, my face got me in the door, huh?"

  I laughed. "Well, it's a very nice face."

  "Oh, is it the face you really care about?"

  I grinned. "If I’m being honest, the rest of the package is really good too, though I am partial to the shoulders. Because wow. The things you do for a T-shirt."

  His chuckle, low and growly, made something pull deep down inside me. "Oh, you just like my shoulders. So, you just want me for my physical attributes?"

  I grinned and nodded. "Yes. Hell, yes." I reached for his belt, tugged him closer, and opened my legs wide to accommodate him. "Oh, yes. That's the only reason I want you, frankly. I mean honestly, you talk too much, you're too smart, always having to use thoughts and ideas. You should know when to be quiet and just fuck me already." I laughed as I palmed him.

  He gritted out a choked curse. "Fuck."

  "Yeah, now you're getting the idea."

  He laughed again and slid his nose along the column of my neck. "You are a naughty girl."

  "I know. Someone makes me want to be a naughty girl."

  "God, I fucking love you so much."

  Our lovemaking was both frantic and sweet, neither one of us wanting to waste time. Before I could overthink, he had my leggings down and was drawing an orgasm out of me. It didn’t take much with him.

  There in the darkness, with whispered words, Theo made love to me until we were both panting and sweaty.

  He kissed my shoulder. “From the moment I saw you, you were my little lightning bolt. Feisty, completely electrifying, and every ounce mine. And I am going to c
ontinue loving you like this as long as you will have me.”

  “It’s a deal,” I whispered. I figured we'd quickly get dressed again, go back to the game room, say goodnight, and head back to our rooms for a repeat performance. When I stood, I was shaky. “Oh my God, I think you broke me.”

  "Oh, that's too bad, because you haven't seen anything yet."

  He kissed me deep, sliding his tongue into my mouth, licking the roof of it, kissing me like he was never going to stop. When I pulled back, I smiled up at him sweetly. "Theo Coleman, I love you."

  "Zia Barnes, I love you. And one day soon you're going to be my wife."

  "And I am certainly looking forward to that. Now let's go say goodnight so we can go and do this properly."

  "Mm, kinky. I love a woman in charge."

  "Oh, I'm so glad to hear you say that because I will be in charge of you for the rest of your life."

  "Oh no, you won't. You're not my protector anymore. I'm in charge now."

  "Yeah, good luck with that." I laughed. And then I led him back into the other room. What I expected were rolled eyes and knowing gazes of what we'd been in there doing. But nope. Instead we were greeted by shock, horror, and worry.

  "What the fuck did we miss?" Theo asked.

  Sebastian's arms were crossed. He frowned as he met my gaze levelly. "The sitting monarch of Nomea has been assassinated."

  I frowned. "What the hell?"

  Ethan stepped forward and addressed Theo. "The royal line that deposed your family… Someone's killed him. Someone's killed the king."

  "What does this mean for Derrick and me?" Theo’s voice was soft.

  Xander and Alexi stood, but it was Xander who spoke. "It means there's about to be a fight for that crown, and Lex and I have to get back to London."

  Theo glanced at Sebastian. "Shit does that mean Timothy Arlington is king or some shit?"

  Sebastian shook his head. "No, it means Aunt Stephanie is next in line to be queen. But it means all of you, Xander, Alexi, Derrick, and you, are official Princes."

  "Holy shit." It was about to be a rocky ride.

  * * *

  Thank you so much for reading THE BILLIONAIRE’S SECRET!

  I hope you’ve loved Zia and Theo! They may have found their happily ever after, but Alexi faces danger as the crown for Nomea is up for grabs. And his heart is up for a wild ride as he has to fight to protect the only woman he’s ever truly loved.

  Order LONDON ROYAL now so you don’t miss it!

  And you can read Nathan and Sophie’s story right now! Find out what happens when a seductive, jaded playboy with a filthy mouth meets his uptight neighbor and they strike a little ex payback bargain.

  One-click MR. DIRTY now!

  “Mr. Dirty is a fun and flirty romance with complex characters and a great storyline." - Amazon Reviewer

  Meet a cocky, billionaire prince that goes undercover in Cheeky Royal! He’s a prince with a secret to protect. The last distraction he can afford is his gorgeous as sin new neighbor. His secrets could get them killed, but still, he can’t stay away…

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  Turn the page for an excerpt from Cheeky Royal…

  Sneak Peak of CHEEKY ROYAL

  “You make a really good model. I’m sure dozens of artists have volunteered to paint you before.”

  He shook his head. “Not that I can recall. Why? Are you offering?”

  I grinned. “I usually do nudes.” Why did I say that? It wasn’t true. Because you’re hoping he’ll volunteer as tribute.

  He shrugged then reached behind his back and pulled his shirt up, tugged it free, and tossed it aside. “How is this for nude?”

  Fuck. Me. I stared for a moment, mouth open and looking like an idiot. Then, well, I snapped a picture. Okay fine, I snapped several. “Uh, that’s a start.”

  He ran a hand through his hair and tussled it, so I snapped several of that. These were romance-cover gold. Getting into it, he started posing for me, making silly faces. I got closer to him, snapping more close-ups of his face. That incredible face.

  Then suddenly he went deadly serious again, the intensity in his eyes going harder somehow, sharper. Like a razor. “You look nervous. I thought you said you were used to nudes.”

  I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Yeah, at school whenever we had a model, they were always nude. I got used to it.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “Are you sure about that?”

  Shit. He could tell. “Yeah, I am. It’s just a human form. Male. Female. No big deal.”

  His lopsided grin flashed, and my stomach flipped. Stupid traitorous body…and damn him for being so damn good looking. I tried to keep the lens centered on his face, but I had to get several of his abs, for you know…research.

  But when his hand rubbed over his stomach and then slid to the button on his jeans, I gasped, “What are you doing?”

  “Well, you said you were used doing nudes. Will that make you more comfortable as a photographer?”

  I swallowed again, unable to answer, wanting to know what he was doing, how far he would go. And how far would I go?

  The button popped, and I swallowed the sawdust in my mouth. I snapped a picture of his hands.

  Well yeah, and his abs. So sue me. He popped another button, giving me a hint of the forbidden thing I couldn’t have. I kept snapping away. We were locked in this odd, intimate game of chicken. I swung the lens up to capture his face. His gaze was slightly hooded. His lips parted…turned on. I stepped back a step to capture all of him. His jeans loose, his feet bare. Sitting on the stool, leaning back slightly and giving me the sex face, because that’s what it was—God’s honest truth—the sex face. And I was a total goner.

  “You’re not taking pictures, Len.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

  “Oh, sorry.” I snapped several in succession. Full body shots, face shots, torso shots. There were several torso shots. I wanted to fully capture what was happening.

  He unbuttoned another button, taunting me, tantalizing me. Then he reached into his jeans, and my gaze snapped to meet his. I wanted to say something. Intervene in some way…help maybe…ask him what he was doing. But I couldn’t. We were locked in a game that I couldn’t break free from. Now I wanted more. I wanted to know just how far he would go.

  Would he go nude? Or would he stay in this half-undressed state, teasing me, tempting me to do the thing that I shouldn’t do?

  I snapped more photos, but this time I was close. I was looking down on him with the camera, angling so I could see his perfectly sculpted abs as they flexed. His hand was inside his jeans. From the bulge, I knew he was touching himself. And then I snapped my gaze up to his face.

  Sebastian licked his lip, and I captured the moment that tongue met flesh.

  Heat flooded my body, and I pressed my thighs together to abate the ache. At that point, I was just snapping photos, completely in the zone, wanting to see what he might do next.

  “Len…”

  “Sebastian.” My voice was so breathy I could barely get it past my lips.

  “Do you want to come closer?”

  “I--I think maybe I’m close enough?”

  His teeth grazed his bottom lip. “Are you sure about that? I have another question for you.”

  I snapped several more images, ranging from face shots to shoulders, to torso. Yeah, I also went back to the hand-around-his-dick thing because…wow. “Yeah? Go ahead.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about your boyfriend ‘til now?”

  Oh shit. “I—I’m not sure. I didn’t think it mattered. It sort of feels like we’re supposed to be friends.” Lies all lies.

  He stood, his big body crowding me. “Yeah, friends…”

  I swallowed hard. I couldn’t bloody think with him so close. His scent assaulted me, sandalwood and something that was pure Sebastian wrapped around me, making me weak. Making me tingle as I inhaled his scent. Heat throbbed between my thighs, even as my knees went weak. “Seba
stian, wh—what are you doing?”

  “

  Proving to you that we’re not friends. Will you let me?”

  He was asking my permission. I knew what I wanted to say. I understood what was at stake. But then he raised his hand and traced his knuckles over my cheek, and a whimper escaped.

  His voice went softer, so low when he spoke, his words were more like a rumble than anything intelligible. “Is that you telling me to stop?”

  Seriously, there were supposed to be words. There were. But somehow I couldn’t manage them, so like an idiot I shook my head.

  His hand slid into my curls as he gently angled my head. When he leaned down, his lips a whisper from mine, he whispered, “This is all I’ve been thinking about.”

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