Restless Billionaire
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.
Dedication
To all of you who took a chance on love, and won—isn’t life wonderful?
And, to those who didn’t, and might not try again—possibility and vulnerability go hand in hand. It’s scary, no doubt about it, but the end result can definitely be worth it.
Good luck, my friends.
Cheryl x
Contents
Restless 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
Thank You
Ruthless Billionaire
Reluctant Billionaire
Also by Cheryl Phipps
About the Author
Restless Billionaire
Evan Knight knows who he is. Which is not the same as knowing who he wants to be. Then he finds heaven. Macy Heaven, to be precise.
Long-legged, plump lips, and eyes the colour of the sea, she bewitches him. Unfortunately, she’s not interested in a man who makes the kind of deals he’s renowned for.
Is it possible to change your life so radically, on a mere possibility?
Chapter One
Evan Knight was escaping San Francisco. It was only for a few days, but he felt like he’d won the lottery. He also felt guilty, which was crazy since the family business, Knight Industries, was sound, and he did his fair share of the work.
Finding companies in trouble and bringing them to the boards attention was something he was good at. Most of the time he enjoyed it. At least he used to, but now he wanted something more. He needed it.
As much as he loved his family, and had no intention of deliberately hurting them, this desire to be his own man was weighing heavy on his heart. He didn’t think they were aware of how restless he felt about his life, and how long he’d been merely going through the motions.
He boarded the company jet with a great deal of enthusiasm and a larger amount of hope that he would find what he was looking for. Headed to the east coast, where the small packaging company could be an interesting diversion, or something more permanent.
Buying and investing were the roles he and his twin, Matt, played in the family company. They each had their own style but both got spectacular results. And they weren’t at all competitive. Yeah, right. The Knights lived and breathed competition, whether it was amongst themselves or against other companies. It had been fun when they were younger.
Now, he felt more restless than usual. Nothing he did, or achieved, satisfied him for long. It was hard to pin point exactly why, or what had brought about this change. He worked long hours, travelled extensively, and had done so most of his adult life. It was as puzzling as it was unsettling.
Evan couldn’t deny that the most appealing thing about the company he was investigating, was that it was situated near a place called Heaven Bay.
He alternated between the file he had on Pearson Packaging, and the one he’d prepared on Heaven Bay. One certainly had more of his interest. The white sands, clear water, picture perfect surrounding bays with brilliant fishing and sailing, was the stuff of his dreams.
The sea had always called to him and this time he was listening.
Macy had a dream that she would sail the world one day. Any fear of doing it on her own was beaten into submission by the knowledge that ‘one day’ seemed to be a long time in coming.
All day, every day, she worked at the Heaven Bay Marina, which she and her father ran. He’d loved it when her mother was alive. Now he was a shell of a man, who wasn’t capable of contributing to much of the work load. It wasn’t his fault the business had been heading on a slippery downward slope. Not entirely.
He’d made a couple of bad decisions, when he wasn’t thinking straight, which had cost them dearly. It had cost her far more than money. Now that she’d taken charge of everything, the independence she craved had to be pushed into the dark recesses of her mind, along with her dreams.
There was also the promise she’d made to her mother prior to her death, that she would look after her father. A promise which wasn’t so hard to keep, because she loved him.
More fortunate in her career choice, her elder sister Chantelle, had gotten out as soon as she could. Spotted by a talent agency, she had starred on the Laguna Beach series for a few shows before being relegated to merely one of the cast.
Chantelle was as selfish as she was beautiful, and she wasn’t coming home anytime soon. Although she regularly sent money home—money which was needed to keep the business afloat. If only she could come and give Macy a break now and again.
She stroked the bow of Serenity, her small sailing boat, which was out of the water for a clean. This was her baby, her pride and joy.
Her father put a hand on her shoulder. “She was a beauty in her day.”
“She still is.”
“You need a bigger one. This one’s for children.”
Macy shook her head. “I need a lot of things, but another boat to care for is not on my list.”
“I’m sorry I’m so useless, sweetheart.”
She saw the slump of his shoulders. He was having one of his down days and she felt bad about her griping. “Don’t mind me, Dad. I’m a bit tired, that’s all.”
“The marina’s too much for you, on top of managing cruises and sailing lessons.”
“With you dealing with the berths and lockers it takes the pressure off me, and you’re an expert at it, Dad.”
“I should be after all these years, but I don’t do half of what I used to. And it doesn’t change the fact that I’m worried about you.”
Macy hugged him. “No need to worry. I’m tough, like you. I’d better get back to the kiosk. I’ve got someone coming in at ten to pick up Maggie for the day. I bet they’ll love her. How could they not?”
She kissed her father’s grinning face, glad she’d made the effort to make those worry lines disappear. The boat was named after her mother and just the mention of her had the power to make her father happy.
Her parents had been so in love, so devoted, and Maggie represented their hours alone together.
Not being able to save his wife when she’d had a heart attack haunted her father and sometimes he simply wasn’t himself. Then the previously jovial captain of his own marina would disappear for hours at a time, descending into a deep depression. Macy would do anything she could to avoid that.
Hurrying down the length of the marina, she could see a tall, dark-haired man waiting by the kiosk.
“Mr. Knight?”
“That’s me.”
He gave her a grin as he came towards her, so she reciprocated. Nice-looking and friendly. Not a bad way to begin.
She pointed to the sailboat berthed a few feet away. “This is Maggie.”
His grin got a whole lot bigger. “She looks perfect.”
Anything else he could have said would mean far less, and she knew she was going to like this Mr. Knight.
“You’re a bit early, and I was about to give her a final check. I hope you don’t mind waiting?”
“Not at all. Can I come aboard while you d
o it?”
“Sure. You may as well hand me your ID and I’ll process it as soon as I’m finished.”
He pulled out his wallet and handed her his driver’s licence.
“Evan Knight,” she read.
“The one and only. Nice to meet you, Miss?”
“Macy Heaven.”
The grin was let loose once more. “What a great name.”
“It’s been the bane of my existence. Everyone has a joke or innuendo, and I’ve heard them all.”
“I’m sure you have,” he said, with a straight face.
They shook hands, and he held hers for a moment longer than necessary. She blushed a little. Used to the men around the marina who teased her mercilessly because they’d known her since birth, and rich people who ignored her on the way to their launches which could house half of Heaven Bay, she wasn’t used to a man who looked like Evan Knight. A man who had money and dressed accordingly, but was pleasant.
Casual opulence, she decided. It was the way her sister dressed, only she wasn’t as friendly.
She gave herself a mental shake. A leather jacket and expensive jeans meant nothing. The cost of his outfit could feed a small village somewhere. That wasn’t something to be proud of.
“So, if you’re Macy Heaven, then this town is named after your family?”
“My great, great—I can’t remember how many greats—grandfather found the bay, and the town began to call itself by the name. A bit of superstition, or good luck, I suppose, but it stuck.”
“What a cool story.”
For some reason, she blushed again, then led him below where she checked off the safety equipment, including flares and lifejackets. The first aid kit had been stocked yesterday. She put aside her clipboard.
“Okay, let’s go over the procedures.”
“I do know how to sail.”
“I should hope so, especially since you filled in the online form stating that. Maggie is a special boat, and I wouldn’t lease her to anyone who couldn’t sail. But I still need to be sure you know how to handle her and that’s part of the agreement.”
He looked suitably chastised. “Of course.”
As she explained the process of untying Maggie and of leaving the harbor he listened intently. His striking blue eyes fixed on her mouth were particularly disconcerting.
“Any questions?”
“Will you be here when I bring her back?”
“I will. Are you worried about bringing her in?”
“Not at all.”
“Oh.” She was pretty sure she wasn’t imagining things. Evan Knight was flirting with her. It did happen a lot, because she was usually the only woman around, and she prided herself on being immune to it. “In that case, I’ll add your details and let you be on your way.”
“I’d be happy to have company.”
Her chest had a little flutter going on despite her best attempts at casual dismissal.
“Sorry, I have a few other boats to take care of.”
She handed him back his license and his fingers touched hers. A tingle reached up her arm, making her shiver. She took a step back.
“You’ll find lunch and drinks as requested in the galley. Have a nice day.”
He looked at her oddly and she hoped he hadn’t heard the huskiness in her voice.
“Thanks, Macy. You have a good day too.”
Chapter Two
Once Evan had stowed his bag into the small cabin, Macy untied the boat and stood back with her arms folded across a very nice chest. Maybe she didn’t fully trust his capabilities. Or maybe she liked what she saw. He knew he did.
He pulled gently away from the berth and headed out to the breakwater at the required speed, thinking that a few days on the east coast didn’t have to be boring, and it was shaping up to be anything but.
When he looked over his shoulder, Macy was heading back to the small kiosk. She was a cutie. Dressed in cut-offs and a t-shirt which hugged her womanly curves, with legs that went on forever, perhaps cute wasn’t the right word. She was the kind of woman who made a man’s blood heat in a short amount of time. He’d felt it instantly.
Another, larger, sailboat was leaving at the same time. A group of four men were loudly shouting instructions to each other, and one yelled over to him.
“Hey bud, where you headed?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Follow us if you’re looking for great fishing.”
“Thanks. I might do that.”
They waved and the man who’d spoken opened the throttle, moving away a lot faster than the speed limit. Evan had noticed the men had already begun to drink. Drinking heavily and sailing did not go well together. He probably wouldn’t be joining them.
The wind pulled at his hair, making him smile. He tilted his head back, savoring the feel of the movement of the boat, the salt peppering his skin, and the exhilaration as he finally unfurled the main sail.
He shouldn’t be here. He had a pile of work pending back in San Francisco, but he’d orchestrated this weekend away to check out new business opportunities out on the coast. The company didn’t need it, but thankfully, his job was all about investigating promising tips of businesses in trouble. He’d found a small company, Pearson Packaging, which was floundering, and was positive it would benefit from a Knight Industries takeover or investment.
He’d been to see the owners earlier today, and had another meeting tomorrow, which was how he’d managed to slip in this sail. A day to himself was a luxury and one which was long overdue. But that didn’t mean he didn’t feel guilty.
Surely he was entitled to a few hours to do something he loved? Something he was passionate about, and reminded him of time spent with his father. It had been their thing, and since he’d passed away Evan had missed sailing more than he liked to admit, even to himself.
This was freedom. Something he yearned for. He and his siblings had felt the pressure to be involved in the family business since they’d been in college. Several years later and they were firmly ensconced in Knight Industries in each of their chosen fields.
At times, prior to this, Evan had wanted to buck against it, but the love and loyalty ingrained in the family was hard to ignore. Hard to fight. Hard to refuse.
He spent the morning cruising the harbor, familiarizing himself with the small bays. He didn’t know much about the area and he felt like an explorer.
When he got hungry, he pulled into the closest bay and found the lunch which had been provided, and downed a soft drink while he ate. If he had someone else with him, someone like Ned, his best friend from school, he would have managed a beer or two, but a one-man show meant he had to be sensible. Another legacy from his father.
Just then the boat with the group of men he’d seen on his way out of the marina, sailed into the bay and anchored beside him. After lowering their fishing lines, they began drinking in earnest. He hoped for their sake that one of them was going to remain relatively sober. It was a lot of boat to handle back into the dock, especially if the weather changed.
The pot-bellied man who’d spoken to him earlier leaned way out over the side of the boat. “Hey, bud, you want to come over and have drink?” he asked, in a slurred voice.
“No, thanks.”
“You didn’t want to fish with us, and now you’re refusing our hospitality. What’s the matter, you too good to hang out with the locals?”
“Not at all, but I’m in the mood for some quiet, if you don’t mind?”
“Sure. We’ll be as quiet as church mice.”
The fool winked at the rest of the men, which Evan could clearly see. He sighed, and tried to ignore them.
When he could no longer handle their cussing and loud drunken laughter, he pulled up the anchor to the sound of their catcalls.
“Idiots,” he muttered, and moved Maggie to another bay. A quieter bay. He let out a sigh of pleasure at the fact he was the only boat around, and anchored there for the remainder of the afternoon.
He
swam, fished and swam some more. He caught nothing and cared less, feeling more relaxed than he had in months, which was exactly what he’d needed and why he’d come here. Far from San Francisco and his loving but demanding family.
With his allotted time almost at an end, the sun caressing his damp skin, and the taste of salt on his lips, he reluctantly headed back to the marina. The plus side was his sense of excitement at seeing the brunette again.
Had she been thinking about him too?
He had a few days to get a more personal overview of Pearson Packaging. The company was a little outside of town, so travel was minimal. Nothing he had to do would potentially run into his evenings.
How could he fill them?
Several ideas slipped into his mind. Ideas that made him smile. Ideas he hoped would be of interest to Macy Heaven.
Chapter Three
Macy was cleaning Charlie II after a boozy group had returned her in an awful mess.
The man who’d made the booking, Sean Whittle, had turned out to be a pig and Macy was uncomfortable knowing he was still on board. She was finding it very hard to be polite.
“Well, it’s just you and me now, Macy. Seems a while since that happened.”
“You’re all paid up, and good to go, Sean. Thanks for sailing with Heaven’s Charters.”
“No need to be so formal.”
His boozy breath fanned her face when he spoke, making her angrier about having to put up with people like him.
“Unfortunately, I will be adding a cleaning fee, just so you know.”
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