Billionaires & Babies: The Complete Series

by Leslie North

  “I love it,” she finally said. “It’s great. I just…” I just miss the ever-living hell out of you. “Extra responsibility takes some getting used to.” A pleasant moment of silence settled, and she wracked her brain for what came next. “Am I keeping you?”

  “No.” Nick flashed a dazzling smile. One that would have had her ripping his pants off, if they were in his sex attic.

  “Well, good.” She batted her eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from flirting if she tried.

  “So. You might like to know that your former colleagues are still using Married Ever After,” he asked.

  Her stomach tightened. “That’s great!” She gnawed on the inside of her lip, wondering if she should admit her latest move. “I’m finally on it, too.”

  His brows shot up. “Really?”

  “Yeah. Figured I should give my own code a whirl.” She shrugged. “See if I can’t find my blackened, charred heart its soul mate.” She snorted, searching his face for a response. Any recognition of the words she’d used in his bedroom the evening she walked out. His face remained neutral.

  “Well, good luck with that,” Nick said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Interest didn’t register on his face. Nothing other than good-natured friendliness. Her smile drooped a little. This is supposed to be where you tell me you want to be my married-ever-after.

  “Thanks.” She tucked some hair behind her ear, then crossed her arms over her chest. “I better get back to work. Lots of things to do. Lots of wealth dispersal to coordinate.” She backed up slowly, offering a smile. Nick’s eyes glittered with humor as he watched her.

  “Good seeing you, Haley,” he said, his voice softer. Or maybe she was just imagining the tenderness there.

  “Yeah. You too.” She turned, but her heel wobbled. She stumbled and caught herself on the wall. She grimaced, looking back at Nick. He was fighting to keep in a laugh. Which in turn made her snort.

  “I know how to walk,” she said, straightening.

  “Yes, I see that.”

  She laughed into her fist. This, right here…this was the energy that had always flowed between them. Fully best friends. Able to laugh at each other. With each other.

  “Okay, I’m leaving now.” She waved over her shoulder, focusing on keeping one foot in front of the other. “Bye, Nick.”

  She didn’t look back at him as she strutted toward her office. Once the door was safely shut behind her, she collapsed into her chair. And then she allowed all the emotions to storm through her: the relief of seeing him, the intense warmth of just looking at him again, the sizzle of their connection, the embarrassment of stumbling in front of him. Like a schoolgirl waiting for her one chance to impress her crush. She laughed to herself as she tried to refocus on work.

  Nick didn’t leave her mind for the rest of the day. It hurt being left with so many questions—When will I see him again? Is he still with Anna? Why hasn’t he texted me yet?—but she’d done all she could do and still maintain a sense of dignity. She’d talked to him, slipped him a clue that she was single and ready to mingle, and nearly fell flat on her face.

  Somehow, that had to be enough.

  17

  Days dragged on after running into Nick at her office. Each night, after dinnertime and bath time and story time, Haley revisited her profile on Married Ever After. Checking out the matches. Scoping the scene. Readying herself to finally put herself out there again.

  Almost as frequently as checking the app, she checked her personal email. Hoping that Nick might send that holy grail response, three months later. Something like: Can’t stop thinking about you since I saw you again. Have divorced Anna. Please come back up into my sex attic.

  Wishful thinking.

  As Haley entered another solo Friday night with the baby in bed and Netflix keeping her warm, Married Ever After lit up with a new match. It pulsed urgently, as though hurrying her. She swiped into the matches screen and saw only one result.

  Odd. There had been four there before, consistently, throughout the past weeks. But now, simply a Walter H. No profile picture. Well, that was hardly exciting. She opened up his profile, finding a long, honest description: soulful male, eager to connect, money is no object, desperate for the deeper stirring of the heart.

  Before she could finish reading his profile, the app alerted her there was a new message. Walter H. had written.

  “Please excuse my rude, possibly unwanted introduction. This app tells us we would be very good together, and I must know more.” The app blinked three dots as he composed a second message. “I’m Walter, by the way. Who, and how, are you?”

  Haley grinned. This was an interesting start, at least. She tapped out a quick response.

  “Haley. Very well. And curious. Are you my future husband?”

  Walter wrote back quickly. “Anywhere else, that question would have a guy running for the hills. But I’m strangely aroused by the idea.”

  She snort-laughed. “I guess that’s what we’re both here for. Maybe we should just elope now, and save the face-to-face introductions for after the wedding?”

  “Hang on. Calling my friend, who’s an ordained minister from weddings-r-us.com. Very trustworthy. I’ll have us married in ten minutes flat.”

  Haley and Walter started an epic text-a-thon. While she snuggled under a blanket, letting the Netflix welcome screens cycle through approximately four hundred times, she and Walter chatted for hours. She only called it quits when she had started yawning every thirty seconds. When Walter asked if she would be open to a date on Saturday night, the only logical answer was yes.

  Haley slept fitfully, memories of Nick mingling with dreams about this mysterious, faceless Walter. When she awoke the next morning, antsy and eager, that’s when she made the connection: Walter reminded her of Nick.

  Maybe it was just her overactive imagination, seeing Nick everywhere because she wanted him so badly. Their brief interaction in the hallway earlier that week might have scarred her permanently. She would imagine Nick everywhere, for the rest of her life. She was doomed.

  Even so, she prepared for her date with enthusiasm. Donning a form-fitting dress that showed off her curves in all the right places, she topped it off with a denim jacket to make it a little more casual. Fun and flirty. Just one of her many styles.

  Haley dropped off Amanda at her mom’s house, and after an extended goodbye with lots of kisses and hugs, her mom stopped her with a warning.

  “Don’t fall in love too fast,” she said, winking.

  “Oh, please, Mother,” Haley said, sneaking in one last peck to Amanda’s forehead. “You’ll be lucky if I fall in love at all.” Though you did once. With Nick. “Don’t give me any crap if Amanda’s stay turns into a sleepover, okay?” She blew one last kiss as she pushed out the front door, heading for her car.

  Butterflies swarmed her belly on the drive downtown. For some reason, this felt like her first ever date all over again. Walter H. Who the hell might he be? Balding, portly, too tall, maybe bad breath? The faceless match was a risk. Men who insisted on relying only on their intellect weren’t to be trusted. And Haley had already taken the bait.

  She and Walter had agreed on a little coffee shop in a cute row of bookstores and parks. It seemed like an innocuous place to start: busy enough that they could be in the flow of people, but not so busy that they couldn’t sit and really talk. When she’d pressed him on who—or what—to look for, he’d diverted the conversation back to her. She would be the landmark, he’d said.

  She walked quickly down the tree-lined sidewalk, heading for the café. Little round tables, large enough for two people to knock knees together, dotted a wrought iron fence that separated the coffee house from the rest of the world. Most of the outdoor tables were occupied. Many were couples.

  But one table had only one occupant. A man with black hair, expertly styled. Barely long enough to betray a little wave in the front.

  She slowed, squinting to see.

  Freaking Nick Hunte
r.

  Haley stopped mid-stride, unable to believe her eyes, but also hesitant to believe that Nick could actually be Walter. This might be a cruel twist of fate. This might be a prank. This might just be more poor timing all over again.

  She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, and resumed walking. Nick’s gaze had found hers. The corners of his mouth lifted.

  The closer she got, the more urgent it was to see him. What if he’s here with Anna? It didn’t matter. He was alone now, and maybe this was her only chance. She entered the café patio, knocking into a chair on her way toward the table, unable to take her eyes off him. He stood.

  When the space between them shrank to mere feet, she didn’t know what happened other than she seemed to fly into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her forehead into his chest. Every cell of her body sighed with relief. They stood there for a long time, hugging, not saying a word.

  When she looked up at him, she had tears in her eyes. She didn’t care if he saw.

  “Seems you know what Walter looks like after all.”

  A burst of laughter escaped her, and she swatted his arm. “It was you! I knew it. I even had a dream last night about it.”

  “I tried to disguise my charm and good looks,” he murmured into her hairline. “But it’s impossible.”

  Her body shook with laughter. “I’m so glad it’s you.”

  “I’m so glad you’re you.”

  Haley swallowed another knot of emotion, wiping away a tear with a shaky finger. “What happened to Anna?”

  “I dumped her a while ago.” They’d started swaying, lost in their own world, oblivious to the people around them drinking coffee or strolling by. “She wasn’t you.”

  Another wave of tears arrived. All she could do was wrap her arms around his waist and squeeze him for all her worth. Nick coughed.

  “Easy there, tiger.”

  “I don’t even have words.” She took a deep inhale of the manly scent of him, relishing his solid warmth, the way his arms fit around her perfectly.

  “Then I’ll make it easy,” he said, snagging her chin with his thumb and forefinger. He tilted her head up to look at him and wiped away another tear with the pad of his thumb. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

  A second flood of tears welled up. She nodded emphatically. “Please. Yes. Of course. As long as you’ve forgiven me for being so dumb.”

  “Forgiven. Forgotten.” He cupped the sides of her face and pressed a long, tender kiss to her lips. When they parted, she felt the haze of seduction descend.

  She drew a fortifying breath, remembering their surroundings. She sniffed hard, wiping at her cheeks. “This is a pretty nice place you picked out. What do you say we leave immediately?”

  A smile spread across his face. “My place?”

  She nodded. “Sex attic.”

  Nick let out a whopping laugh and led the way.

  Epilogue

  Applause filled the sweetly humid air. A small crowd of people had gathered this evening to help open San Diego’s newest rescue center. This time, at Haley’s urging, he allowed his name to be on the building. The Nick Hunter Dog Rescue was officially here.

  He smiled out at the group. Off to his side, the director of the center, a few employees…and then, Haley and Amanda. He waved at Amanda from behind the podium before he began his speech. She giggled and pointed.

  “I’d like to thank you all for being here today,” Nick said, once the applause had died down. “This rescue center has been a long time in the making. It was an idea that started years ago, but only when my beautiful girlfriend here finally agreed to start dating me…” He paused to let some laughter die down. “Only then did I start to work seriously on bringing this center to life.”

  Nick went through his short speech, mentioning the rescue center’s origin in his back yard, his love for dogs, and some statistics on abused and abandoned dogs. Midway through the speech, his heart rate picked up. He’d been planning this speech for what felt like forever, but what came at the end of the speech…he’d been planning for even longer.

  His palms sweat as he looked back toward Haley. She winked at him.

  “I don’t normally do things like this,” Nick went on, gripping the sides of the podium. “Dedicating rescue centers…it’s not in my wheelhouse. So I figure, while I’m outside my comfort zone…I’ll add on one more thing.”

  Now his heart rate kicked up even further. He rubbed the side of his jaw, looking out at the curious, confused faces. It had to be now. The press was here…lots of cameras…it was the only fitting way to ask the question. The question he’d known he was going to ask Haley since the day he posed as Walter.

  Nick reached into his right pocket, fingering the ring box. He looked back at Haley, who looked confused as her gaze darted between him and the whispering audience.

  “I wouldn’t be here, or even half the man I am now, without this woman. Her name is Haley Renault. But if I’m lucky, today she’ll agree to change her name to Haley Hunter.”

  Shouts and applause started as Nick abandoned the podium. Haley’s face registered pure shock as he made his way to her, grinning. Amanda hopped up and down at her side, clutching her mom’s hand.

  Nick stopped in front of her, never breaking her gaze, and got down on one knee. The cheers and conversation of the audience shrank to a murmur as he revealed the ring box. He’d selected a round-cut, five-carat diamond on a platinum band. It was elegant but packed a punch. He knew Haley would love it.

  She gasped when the ring was revealed. The cheers from the audience intensified.

  “Haley,” he said, his throat tightening. “Will you marry me?”

  Haley burst into tears and sank down onto the ground, wrapping her arms around his neck. She clung to him, blubbering into his ear. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, except for one important thing: “Yes!”

  Nick gave the thumbs up sign to the crowd as he held her, and more applause erupted from behind them. He smiled into her hair, relishing the feel of her in his arms. He stood, wrapping his arms around her, spinning her in a circle while she laughed and cried and laughed.

  When he set her down gently, she looked up at him with red eyes.

  “Seriously?” She shoved his shoulder. “You hijacked your own dedication speech to get engaged to me?”

  People filed past them as the rescue center opened to the public. Almost everyone offered congratulations or a clap on the back.

  “Of course.” He cinched her by the waist. Amanda danced in a circle around them, pumped up from all the attention and hullabaloo. “Our history is forever with this center now. Besides, Renault—go big or go home. Or maybe I should say Hunter now.”

  Her grin spread ear to ear. “God, it’s sexy when you call me by my new last name.”

  “Haley Hunter.” He tutted. “It has a ring to it.”

  “Oh my god. The ring.” She scrambled to locate the box in his hand. She moaned softly as her gaze found the huge diamond. “It’s gorgeous, Nick. It’s just what I would have picked.”

  He popped it out of its velvet box and slid it onto her finger. The two of them admired it together. Amanda hopped up and down. “Mommy, I want to see!”

  Haley held out her hand for her daughter to examine. Amanda shrieked and ran a finger over the ring.

  “I want to marry Nick, too!” She stamped her little foot.

  Nick laughed, bending down to pick Amanda up. He hoisted her onto his hip, and Haley fell into his arms once more.

  “You can’t marry me, little one,” he said, pressing a kiss to Amanda’s forehead. “But don’t worry. We’ll make sure you find your own perfect match.”

  Haley smiled up at him, a dreamy look in her eyes. “That’s what we are, huh? A perfect match.”

  “More perfect would be impossible.” With Amanda in his arms and Haley at his side, truer words had never been spoken.

  End of Matchmaking the Billionaire

  Billionaires & Babies
: Book Two

  Blurb

  Donovan Fitz lives by the saying: Go big or go home. And what could be bigger, and draw more attention to him and his mega-billion-dollar video game business, than creating a reality TV show about his quest for a wife? He’ll just have to deal with the distraction of his sexy producer, Melissa Hampton, and try to forget the amazing night they spent together. It’s all about the show, the attention, the ego-building blaze of publicity…until he finds out Melissa’s pregnant with his baby. Now all Donovan wants is her. But the plot twist of becoming a father while still looking for a wife is ratings gold and could be the big-break Melissa deserves. If only he can convince the camera-shy Melissa that putting their story out there would be good for both of them.

  Melissa is terrified—and excited—at the prospect of becoming a mother. And if she’s honest, Donovan’s excitement about becoming a father is sweet. What’s not sweet at all is the pressure to use her pregnancy as a dramatic twist in their reality show. She craves a quiet life at the edges of show business and doesn’t want anything to do with the spotlight. In the end, though, Melissa knows she can’t hide completely if their show is going to bring in the ratings. Too bad that means she can’t trust a thing Donovan says to her while the cameras are rolling.

  The reality is, though, she’s fallen in love with him, despite her determination not to. And now Donovan must figure out which will crush her less: killing her career-making show or letting her ignore just how right they are for each other.

  1

  Donovan looked out at the boardroom full of television producers. All attention was on him. It sizzled and spread through him, giving his confidence a big push.

  He was here to not only pitch his idea but get that yes he needed. Not just for his company, but for his personal life.