bestselling author Janice Maynard
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The Billionaire's Legacy
by Reese Ryan
Prologue
“Benji? Oh, my God, is that you?”
Benjamin Bennett shifted his attention to the source of the husky female voice he knew as well as his own.
“Sloane.” He hadn’t seen Sloane Sutton in nearly a decade yet he recognized her instantly. The passing years had been good to her; she was even more beautiful than he remembered. “I wasn’t sure you were coming to the wedding.”
Sloane wrapped him in a hug that seared his skin and sent electricity skittering down his spine. He released her reluctantly.
“I just decided a couple of days ago.” Sloane smoothed down the skirt of her brilliant blue, floor-length gown. It hugged her heart-stopping curves, showing off the glowing brown skin of one toned shoulder. “I didn’t even tell Delia I was coming.”
That explained why his sister hadn’t mentioned it.
“Well, it’s good to see you, Sloane. You look...incredible,” he stammered, his face and neck warm. The passage of time hadn’t lessened Sloane’s effect on him. He was as tongue-tied in her presence now as he’d been at fifteen.
His crush on her began the moment he’d first laid eyes on her. He was five years old and Sloane was ten.
“Thanks.” Sloane beamed. “You look pretty darned handsome yourself.”
“Blake must’ve been glad to see you.” Benji nodded toward the groom. He loosened the collar of his shirt, which suddenly seemed too tight.
“It’s good to see Blake so happy.” Sloane’s gaze softened, but sadness suddenly crept into her voice and clouded her brown eyes. “Savannah seems really sweet, and their baby, Davis, is adorable.”
“He’s a cute kid,” Benji acknowledged, shoving his hands in his pockets and shifting his weight to his other foot. “And Savannah is really sweet. You’ll like her.”
Getting to the altar hadn’t been easy for his cousin and Savannah. When they’d first met, Savannah was on a mission to infiltrate the company founded by Blake’s grandfather to prove that half of King’s Finest Distillery belonged to her family. But somehow, they’d managed to move past the pain and distrust to find love and happiness.
Sloane caught the eye of someone on the other side of the room and nodded. She turned back to him. “I’d better go, but we’ll catch up later.”
“Count on it.” Benji watched as she walked away.
Sloane Sutton.
Growing up, he’d adored Sloane. She and his sister, Delia, had been thick as thieves. He’d spent countless nights as a boy kept awake by their girlish giggles, heard through the thin wall between his and Delia’s bedrooms. Sloane had been everything to him, but she’d seen him as an honorary little brother.
She’d been a beautiful girl, but she’d grown into a stunning woman. When they were young, she’d had the toned body of a farm girl who was no stranger to physical labor; her lean, athletic body had given way to softer, fuller curves. The hair she’d worn in a thick, black braid down her back was now cut short on the sides with thick, glossy curls piled atop her head.
A small, barely there diamond stud adorned her left nostril. And when she’d turned to walk away, he’d noticed shooting stars tattooed on the back of her neck. The tattoo disappeared beneath the fabric, which dipped low between her shoulder blades.
“Better close your mouth and stop drooling or everyone will know you’ve still got a thing for Sloane Sutton,” Parker Abbott, his best friend and first cousin, said matter-of-factly.
“I didn’t have a thing for Sloane Sutton.” Benji straightened his navy tuxedo jacket, hoping he wouldn’t be struck by lightning for the whopper of a lie he’d just told.
Of course he’d had a thing for Sloane.
He’d been a red-blooded teenage boy and she was...well, she was Sloane Sutton. Confident, beautiful, funny, slightly irreverent.
She hadn’t thought him strange because he preferred Star Trek marathons and sci-fi books to spending time playing outside. Nor had she ridiculed him for his fascination with computer programming and astronomy or his love of data. Instead, she’d told him how smart he was, and that one day he’d change the world. She’d said it with such confidence, she’d made him believe it, too.
How could he not have had a thing for her?
“I know that reading people isn’t my thing,” Parker said, “but if that wasn’t the very definition of having a thing for someone, I’ll marry Kayleigh Jemison.” He nodded toward the woman he’d escorted down the aisle during the wedding ceremony.
Parker and Kayleigh had been at each other’s throats for as long as Benji could remember. But since Kayleigh was close friends with Parker’s new sister-in-law, he’d been charged with escorting her down the aisle.
“Speaking of having a thing for someone.” Benji chuckled.
“Me? Have a thing for Kayleigh?” Parker’s cheeks colored, though he dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. “You must’ve fallen and banged your head.”
The wedding photographer beckoned them, indicating it was time to join the rest of the wedding party for some group shots.
Benji was thankful for the distraction. Still, he couldn’t help scanning the crowd, hoping to catch another glimpse of Sloane.
* * *
Sloane nibbled the gloss off her lower lip as she studied Benji from across the room. He took another sip of his beer, then laughed at something Parker said.
She could hardly believe that the incredibly sexy man whose muscular frame filled out his fitted tuxedo in ways that did wicked things to her was the shy, sweet little boy she’d once known.
When his gaze captured hers again, an inexplicable warmth settled low in her belly and her breath caught.
“Are you all right?” Her best friend, Delia, tilted her head. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were staring at someone at the bar.”
Delia turned to look over her shoulder, but was distracted as her father approached with her daughter in his arms. The two-year-old girl was as beautiful as Delia and generally just as sweet. At this moment, though, she was crying hysterically, demanding her mother
.
“Evie, what’s wrong, sweetie?” Delia stood, taking her daughter into her arms.
“Your mother says she feels warm.” Richard Bennett said. “We were going to offer to take her home with us, but she’s insistent that she wants her mama.”
“It’s okay. Thanks, Dad.” Delia kissed the girl’s face and she seemed to immediately calm down. She leaned over and kissed Sloane’s cheek. “Sorry about this, hon. We’ll take up this conversation later. How long will you be in town?”
“I’ll probably head back to Nashville tomorrow, but don’t worry about me. We’ll talk later. Just take care of Evie.”
Sloane watched as Delia and Mr. Bennett made their way through the crowd. She sighed, eyeing her half-finished glass of bourbon punch.
With Delia gone, she felt alone—even in a room filled with people she’d known her entire life. Her family and the Abbotts didn’t run in the same circles. She just happened to have hit it off with Blake Abbott and his cousin Delia Bennett when they were in grade school. Blake was preoccupied, and Delia was on her way home with little Evie.
There was no reason to stay.
Sloane gulped the rest of her drink, returning the glass to the table with a thud. She stood, bumping into a solid expanse of muscle.
Benji.
He gripped her waist to steady her.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She took what she hoped was a subtle step backward. Just out of his reach, but still close enough to savor his provocative scent.
“It was my bad.” Benji revealed the sheepish smile that had been his trademark as a kid. He rubbed a hand over his dark brush waves.
Sloane couldn’t help smiling, remembering how obsessed Benji had been with perfecting them.
“It was good seeing you again, Benji.” Sloane turned to leave, but he placed his strong hand on her arm.
“You’re not leaving already, are you? I’ve been patiently waiting for a chance to catch up with you. My sister has been monopolizing your time all evening.”
“You know how we are when we get together.” Sloane smiled. “Not much has changed. We’re still basically those same two giggling teenage girls.”
“I’d say a lot has changed.” Benji’s heated gaze drifted down the length of her body, before returning to meet hers.
“I guess you’re right.” Sloane cleared her throat.
Some things certainly had changed.
Benji had always had a crush on her. There was nothing unusual about a little boy having a crush on his older sister’s best friend. Back then, she’d thought it sweet. But Benji Bennett wasn’t a little boy anymore. He was a grown-ass man and a fine one at that.
What she saw in his intense dark brown eyes wasn’t the misguided admiration of a little boy. It was lust, plain and simple. The same feeling that crawled up her spine and made her heart beat faster.
His confident smile indicated that he could sense her attraction to him.
Pull it together, sister. This is little Benji Bennett you’re gawking at here.
Benji had gone to college in Seattle, where he still lived. He’d started his own tech company in his junior year. A company he’d just sold for more than two billion dollars, according to Delia.
Benjamin Bennett was a catch by anyone’s standards—even before you factored in his healthy bank account. But he was her best friend’s little brother. And though he was all grown up now, he was just a kid, compared to her.
Flirting with Benji would start tongues wagging all over Magnolia Lake. Not that she cared what they thought of her. But her mother and grandfather still lived here. So did Delia, for most of the year. If the whole town started talking, it would make things uncomfortable for the people she loved.
Sloane tore her gaze from his and scanned the room. “I’d better go.”
“Don’t go. Please. Just one dance.” Benji held up a finger, his eyes warm and pleading, his smile sexy and sweet. Then he extended his hand. The same one she’d held when she’d helped him across the street on the way to school when he was five.
Sloane looked at him, then glanced around the space as she nibbled her bottom lip, her heart racing. No one was paying attention to them. The other guests were wrapped up in their own conversations and enjoying the open bar, courtesy of the Abbotts, owners of King’s Finest Distillery.
“I guess one dance won’t hurt.” She placed her hand in his much larger one and let him lead her onto the dance floor.
Benji walked to the center of the dance floor and held her in his arms. He swayed to Jeffrey Osborne’s smooth vocals on L.T.D.’s “Love Ballad.”
“God, your parents loved this song. They played it so much that your sister and I hated it. Which is a shame, because it’s a pretty perfect song.”
“It is,” he agreed. “You still working for the record company in Nashville?”
“I am. I love what I do, but I’ve got my eye on a spot on the management team.”
“You’re the most determined girl I’ve ever known.” Benji smiled. “If you’ve set your sights on it, it’s as good as done.”
“Is that a nice way of calling me stubborn?” It was a familiar put-down from the older folks in town.
“No.” His tone was apologetic. “I hated when people said that about you.” He sighed softly. “I liked that you were determined. You wanted to move to Nashville and work in the music industry, and that’s exactly what you did. I’d say your determination has served you well.”
Warmth filled Sloane’s chest. Benji had grown up to be extremely wealthy and incredibly handsome, but at his core, he was the same sweet, thoughtful guy she’d always known. His gift for making her smile was still intact.
“Thanks, Benj. That means a lot.” Sloane was slightly unnerved by his intense gaze. “Which reminds me, I haven’t congratulated you on your big deal.” She was eager to turn the conversation away from her. “I should be asking for your autograph. Never met a billionaire before.”
The muscles of Benji’s back tensed beneath her fingertips and the light in his eyes dimmed. “I’m the same guy I was before I signed the big deal, Sloane. The same guy I’ve always been.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it.” She’d only meant to tease him, but she’d struck a nerve instead.
“I know you didn’t.” He sighed. “I’m just a little fed up with people treating me differently. You wouldn’t believe how many obscure business ideas I’ve been pitched tonight.”
She hadn’t considered that there might be a downside to becoming a multibillionaire. But for her, never having to worry about how she’d pay second mortgages on her condo and their family farm would outweigh the disadvantages. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with that.”
“Don’t apologize. You’re just about the only unattached woman in the room who doesn’t see me as a golden lottery ticket.” He nodded toward the gaggle of women in the corner of the room, whispering to one another and staring at him. “Not one of them would’ve given me the time of day back then. Their only interest in me was whether I could hook them up with one of my wealthy cousins. Now they’ve been stalking me all night. But you—I had to beg you to dance with me.”
A knot tightened in her stomach. She had a good job and owned a cute little condo that she was slowly renovating in one of the hottest neighborhoods in Nashville. But she was in debt up to her eyeballs. Not because she was a frivolous spender addicted to retail therapy, but because she’d sunk every penny of her savings into helping her mother save their family farm. Then there were the bills that had been piling up since her grandfather’s costly heart surgery.
Her budget was so tight it had practically squealed when she’d purchased the fancy dress she was wearing, despite finding it on the clearance rack at a designer dress shop.
If there was one thing she’d learned from her grandfather, Atticus Ames, it was pride
. She’d work three jobs and sell plasma before she’d ask Benji or anyone else in this town for a handout.
“I told you that one day they’d regret ignoring you.” Sloane grinned. She honestly couldn’t have been prouder of Benji if he’d been her own flesh and blood.
“You did.” A soft smile played across his handsome face. “I was an awkward kid trying to figure out my place in life. But you always made me feel that just being me was good enough. You said that everyone else was just slow to catch up. That eventually they’d figure it out. You made me believe it, too.”
Sloane’s heart swelled. She was moved by his confession. “You were a special kid, destined for great things. I always knew that. And look at you... You’ve exceeded my wildest expectations.”
He smiled, looking bashful, yet deliciously handsome. Her heart beat a little faster; she needed to change the subject.
“Evie’s gotten so big, and she looks just like Delia. I’m surprised your parents aren’t urging you to settle down and give them more grandchildren.”
“You know them well.” Benji grinned. “My mother sneaks it into the conversation whenever she can. Don’t get me wrong. Evie’s a cool kid and everything, but 3:00 a.m. feedings and dirty diapers just aren’t for me.”
Sloane understood exactly how Benji felt. The primary reason her ex had filed for divorce was because he was ready to start a family but she wasn’t. Though, truth be told, it was just one of the many reasons their marriage had failed.
“What about you? Are Davis and Evie giving you baby fever, too?” Benji teased.
“Me?” She forced a laugh. “Between rehabbing my condo and being completely focused on my career, I forget to feed myself most days.”
True. Still, holding little Davis, with his chubby little legs and sweet baby scent, made her think for the briefest moment about one day having a baby of her own. A thought she dismissed immediately.
Finally, the song ended.
“Thanks for the dance.” Sloane slipped out of Benji’s embrace, determined to banish the inappropriate thoughts that had commandeered her brain and made her body ache for the warmth and comfort of his strong arms.
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