Praise for Ruthless Billionaire
This was a fun short story, the second in the Billionaire Knights series (no cliffhanger) featuring Ben Knight and Jenna Molloy. Ben needs a date for his sister’s wedding, which happens to be tomorrow, to satisfy his mother - the matriarch of the family. Finding a suitable date in a hurry seems like a long shot until Ben quite literally runs into Jenna Molloy who is helping her sister set up decorations for the big wedding. Despite the recent bad luck Jenna has experienced (her flower shop recently burned to the ground) she has a wonderful sense of humor, is just snarky enough to keep Ben on his toes, and agrees to being his nostrings-attached date for the wedding (especially since he’s willing to pay her to do it). But what appears simple isn’t: there’s one crisis after another for Ben, his family and Jenna to contend with. But who shines through it all with her charm, humor and grace? Jenna!
by Kym Reads
Ruthless Billionaire
Billionaire Knights
Cheryl Phipps
Copyright © 2017 by Cheryl Phipps All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Ruthless Billionaire
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Thanks
Restless Billionaire
Reluctant Billionaire
Also by Cheryl Phipps
About the Author
Ruthless Billionaire
One wedding. Two romantically deficient guests, and a bunch of interfering family.
Billionaire, Benjamin Knight, has to have a date for his sister’s wedding. He’s got twenty-four hours to find one and no spare time.
With her florist shop burned down, Jenna Molloy, is desperate for money. When Ben offers to pay her for one day’s work she can hardly refuse. Even though her head is telling her to run as far away as possible from the far too sexy and formidable eldest Knight.
When the wedding of the year turns into a disaster, the only good thing to come from it is one night of passion.
Or is it?
Chapter One
“Benjamin, don’t argue with me. You will not upset your sister on her big day.”
It wasn’t what his mother was saying, it was how she said it. As always, this was a key to her mood.
She was sitting at the small table in her suite, and Ben leaned down to kiss her still-smooth cheek. A hint of lavender made him smile, and without her knowledge took the bite out of her words. That smell, more than anything else, meant home, safety, and love.
“I wouldn’t dream of doing either of those things, Mother.”
Eloise Knight, with her ramrod-straight back and her set of “rules,” was a formidable figure, unless you knew her. Even then, there was a line in the sand one did not cross. Right now was apparently a step too far. She frowned at him above the rim of her reading glasses.
“Cut the sarcasm. You’re not too big to give your ears a yank.”
Ben grimaced at a remembered pain, even if the last time was over a decade ago. He recalled that he’d deserved a lot worse, when he’d disobeyed a curfew and done a few other things that he was ashamed to think about.
Sighing heavily, Ben slipped into the chair beside her. “I can’t be sorry that Angela isn’t coming. You know why, and be honest, Mom; you didn’t really like her either.”
His mother gave him another taste of “the look” and he knew he’d already lost this battle of wills. How the hell did that happen to a man who managed companies and people all over the world? People who actually listened when he said no.
Feeling the need after a very long week, he filled a coffee cup from the pot that sat close to her hand and was constantly replenished. His mother might not drink all of it, but she liked it ready when she wanted it. Just like her children.
“Okay, I get that the timing wasn’t great, but what would you like me to do about it?”
“Get a date. Today.”
The cup wobbled dangerously on its way to his mouth. “What? You can’t be serious?”
“My darling son, you get yourself a date, or I’ll get one for you.”
This was a scary prospect. The last woman his mom had tried to fix him up with had turned out to be a borderline stalker. In fact, he’d only just gotten rid of her. Not in a “hide the body” kind of way, but he’d had to be brutal. Angela wasn’t a horrible person, just that clingy, needy type who had to know every detail of his life and be there to witness it.
The bizarre relationship had only lasted a couple of months, and had been hell for most of it, since he’d realized they were a major mismatch early on. Ruthless in business, this was harder than any deal he’d negotiated. Getting her to understand they were over, without hurting her feelings, was a nightmare. In the end blunt had been the only way. She’d been devastated, yet crazily convinced he would change his mind if she made sure they ran into each other. Often.
It still sent shivers up his spine, and not in a good way.
“But why do I need one?”
“Sarah doesn’t want a gap at the bridal table.”
“Just remove a place setting.”
“Benjamin, that won’t work. You’re giving the bride away and you need a partner.”
That was the second time she’d used his whole name, which also meant that she was deadly serious with no margin for negotiation.
When Ben was younger, he’d believed it was his father who had the iron hand, but after his sudden death ten years ago, his mother had stepped up and out into the light as the force she’d always been. Equal to the task of raising five kids and running a multinational company.
At Knight Industries, she may have to answer to the board—which he and his siblings sat on—but at home there was no such intervention. Primarily she was the law, and she used the same tactics for both.
“So, you’re happy for me to bring a stranger to San Francisco’s most important event of the year?”
“I am. Your sister’s wedding has been planned within an inch of its life. It’s been a stressful time for Sarah, and I won’t allow you to add to that over something you can easily fix. There’s a dozen women we both know who would jump at the chance to have a date with you.”
Ben was sure that those women his mother was thinking about would be more interested in attending a Knight wedding on the estate than a date with him, but Sarah in the midst of a meltdown was not something he wanted to be responsible for.
He drank his coffee to stall her, but his mother merely waited for him to cave. Which he did. “What’s the brief?”
His mother patted her neatly coiffed hair, giving him a satisfied smile. “Someone pleasant, who can put up with your faults and dresses nicely. Now, get out of my bedroom so I can get dressed.”
Ben was happy to oblige. The pinkness of it made him feel slightly nauseous. Of course, that might also be attributable to the long night he’d had with his friend Andrew Fisher. If she’d heard about that, as she always seemed to, his mom refrained from mentioning it. He sighed. She’d be saving that roasting for another moment.
Time was ticking. He had twenty-four hours to find a date
, which wasn’t impossible, but he’d need his phone which he’d left in his bedroom.
“Ben? Ben!”
Why did the women in his family feel the need to yell at him?
“I’m right here, Sarah.”
He rounded the hall and found his sister red-faced.
“Please go down and tell them that the arch is too far forward. We’ll never get in all the chairs if it stays there.”
She waved a plan in front of him which he snatched from her hand. At least if he was outside he wouldn’t hear Sarah’s ever-increasing demands. To be fair, she was a pretty cool sister, who did a fantastic PR job for the company. It was out of character that she’d turned into bridezilla, and Ben couldn’t cope with it right now.
“Leave it to me.”
He received a tight-lipped smile, then she went back into the office that their father had used. It still gave Ben a pain in his chest when he went in there. Everything remained the same, if you didn’t count the mess that Sarah had created over the last year. His sister had everything one could imagine in a wedding in either picture or miniature form, although she’d made most of her choices months ago.
He went downstairs to the family room, then outside via the French doors. A huge tent stood in the middle of the lawn. Walking through this he found the smaller one being used as a kitchen and food preparation area almost hidden at the side of the small hedge. Down a slight incline was the area where the ceremony itself would take place. The arch Sarah had mentioned held the vista of San Francisco behind it. She was right; it was too far forward.
He went back to the main tent to find someone to move it. As he walked from bright sunlight into the darker interior, he tripped over something and fell flat on his face.
“Oww! Watch where you’re going, buddy.”
Ben rolled to his side and found one of the workers cross-legged on the temporary floor, with a handful of decorations and a glint in her deep green eyes.
“Buddy?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know your name.”
“Ben.”
“Well, Ben. I’m hardly invisible, and you nearly squashed me.”
“Sorry, I had no idea that anyone was there.”
“Fine.”
It clearly wasn’t fine, as she snubbed him and went back to making decorations. She leaned to the side to fetch scissors and some kind of raffia from a table. Her shirt lifted to flash a portion of a very trim stomach, and her jeans hugged her backside. With her hair tied in a ponytail, she was both cute and sexy. She stretched once more, and he was leaning more to the sexy part, about then.
“You’re staring, Ben.”
“Yeah, I guess I am.” He got to his feet as a compelling idea burst into his brain. “Are you a nice person?”
“Pardon?” she screwed up her button nose.
“Do you eat with a knife and fork, and are you pleasant to be around?”
Her eyes widened. “Are you having some sort of breakdown? Should I call someone?”
Ben grinned. He liked her spirit, and he could have phrased it better. Especially to a stranger. “I really do need your help.”
“Look, I’ve got my hands full and I’m new to this, so let me get on with my work and find someone else to annoy.”
“Jenna! For goodness’ sake.”
She turned to face a woman who was all shades of pink, and yelled back. “What now?”
The embarrassed woman pointed at him. “That’s the boss, Benjamin Knight. The owner of this place.”
“Oh.”
Ben watched her study him. “Actually, my mother is the owner.”
The cursory look she’d given before made way for a more interested one. Here it comes, he thought. Once a woman knew he had money, the dynamics changed and suddenly he became more appealing, which did little for his ego.
“Well, sir. I respectfully suggest you let me get on with this, otherwise your wedding might not be ready for tomorrow, and my sister may be inclined to kill me.”
Renee gasped, while Ben couldn’t help laughing at Jenna’s attempt at civility, while maintaining her unimpressed stance. She was right back in the cute category.
“It’s okay,” he waved at Renee. “I’ll leave her to it in a minute. I just need her advice on something, if that’s all right?”
“Ah. Sure, Mr. Knight.”
Renee, who appeared to be charge of everything except Jenna, went back to the job of checking the rest of the paraphernalia that Sarah had demanded for her wedding.
Ben was more determined to get Jenna to say yes to him.
“Now that we’ve established I’m not a weirdo, will you help me?”
Chapter Two
Embarrassed that she’d been so short with him, Jenna had done the only thing she could, and that was to carry on in the same vein. After all, just because he was rich didn’t mean that he could insinuate himself on her, especially since he was getting married tomorrow.
“I’m not sure anything of the kind has been established, but what do you have in mind?”
What could he want that wouldn’t be out of line for a rich dude? A quick fondle behind the tent? Help to rob a bank? No, it wasn’t likely he needed money.
His blue eyes twinkled, and with surprise she realized that Ben was rather handsome. Hot actually. Very. Pity he was spoken for. Even if he wasn’t, he was way out of her league.
“I need a date.”
Jenna ripped the paper bouquet right down the middle. “Now look what you made me do.”
“I only asked …”
“I heard you. Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t date you.”
“Actually, it wouldn’t even be a date, and I’m desperate.”
Jenna folded her arms. “Charming. On so many levels.”
He gave her a wry grin. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
Ben had a great smile. Jenna dug her fingernails into her palm. There was no way she was going down that track again. Good-looking did not equate to good anything else. Nor did having more money than a person knew what to do with it
“Don’t you think it’s incredibly tacky to be hitting on me when you’re about to get married tomorrow?” she glared at him.
“What? Oh, you didn’t know. This is my sister’s wedding. I promise I’m not hitting on you, but I really do need a date.”
This was marginally better, but not enough to make a difference. “As flattered as I am, no thanks.” She stood up to collect more paper flowers.
“Hear me out. Please.”
He was so earnest, Jenna stopped trying to wrestle a new bunch out of the box. “Make it quick then. As you can see, I’ve got a lot to do.”
“The woman I was bringing to the wedding is no longer available, and my mother insists I have a date. It would purely be a business arrangement. I’d pay you.”
Regardless of how bizarre his request was, there was a major reason for Jenna to consider it. Her mind was already doing sums. “How much?”
“What do you think a date with me is worth?”
She looked him up and down. From Polo logo, dress jeans, and tan leather boots, he was perfection. She bit her lip. That had no bearing on anything. This place, and how he dressed, meant he had to be worth a fortune. Still, it wouldn’t do to be too greedy. He was waiting. Should she?
“I thought you said it wasn’t a date.”
“It’s not really, but for the sake of my family and the other guests you’d need to pretend that it was.”
She worked in retail; she could pretend. “One thousand dollars.”
“Done.”
Darn it, by the smug look, she’d bet he wouldn’t have flinched for double the amount.
He held his hand out for her to shake. What had she done? She should tell him no. But, it was a thousand dollars. She could certainly put that to good use. There was one major issue.
“I wouldn’t have anything to wear.”
Ben shrugged. “No problem, I’ll pay for a dress. Naturally, o
ver and above the thousand. Let’s go get one.”
“Now? I can’t. Renee would definitely kill me if I deserted her.”
Ben looked slightly flustered, then determined. “Okay, tell me what to do.” He waved at the decorations. “I’ll help, then we can get out of here sooner.”
Getting done faster would be great, since working with fake flowers, no matter that they were from Italy, grated on her more than she’d thought possible. But, shopping with a stranger? This was too bizarre.
“Do we have a deal?”
With the mortgage due, Jenna was boxed into a corner. “I guess.”
Ben was as good as his word, once she’d explained what he had to do to get the right effect. They finished making and tucking gold bouquets into the bows at the back of the chair wraps in half the time she’d been hired for. She hoped Renee wouldn’t deduct anything.
Having finished checking every place setting, her sister was hovering nearby, not sure what to make of Ben and his helping hand. Jenna called her over.
“Is that all we need to do?”
Renee raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “It’s all you needed to do.”
“I was happy to help.” Ben gave Renee a smoking grin, which had the desired effect.
When Renee smiled back at him, her eyelashes were doing some crazy fluttering, which had Jenna swallowing laughter.
“If Jenna’ s finished, I’m taking her shopping.”
“Shopping?”
Renee almost choked on the word, and this time Jenna couldn’t contain her laughter. The situation may be weird, but seeing her sister so dumbfounded was hilarious.
“Yes, Ben and I are going on a date.”
“How? When?”
“It was love at first sight. He insisted we go shopping to celebrate.”
While Renee couldn’t comprehend what she was saying, Ben had gone a little pale.
“Oh come on, you two. I’m just joking. Renee, Ben desperately needs a date for his sister’s wedding tomorrow, and I drew the short straw. We’re going to buy a fancy dress so his family won’t be embarrassed by me turning up in my worn out jeans, and you know I can’t afford to buy anything suitable myself. Okay?”
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