Secret Billionaire (The Carolina Series Book 2)

by Jill Downey

  “We shouldn’t,” she whispered against his lips.

  “We should.”

  She was still perched on the stool as he tilted her back in his arms. He moved to the hollow of her throat, and then licked and kissed his way around to her neck and shoulder. She gasped with pleasure and buried her fingers in his hair. As he was tugging her tee-shirt up, the front door jingled. Jesse groaned, then straightened and reluctantly pivoted to put his body between her and the door.

  Glancing back and seeing Faye’s dazed expression, he took over, “Can I help you?”

  A young man who looked to be about eighteen, give or take, stood in the doorway. “Yeah. I’m looking for the owner.”

  Faye tugged at her shirt then stood. “Hi. That’s me. Faye LeBlanc.”

  “LeBlanc?” he said, as his brows snapped together.

  Smiling she walked toward him and held out her hand, “Yes, I just bought the bar a few months ago.”

  After releasing her hand, he looped his thumbs in his front pockets. “I’m looking for work. Are you hiring?” There was something about him...Faye couldn't put her finger on it.

  He was a gorgeous young man. His arms were heavily inked, with tribal tattoos disappearing under the sleeves of his tee-shirt. And, despite the fact that he was the one asking her for a job, he came off as if he’d be doing her the favor, almost challenging her as he boldly met her eyes. Despite his cocky attitude Faye was intrigued.

  “Not until business picks up. In another few weeks I’ll be needing some extra hands. What did you have in mind?”

  “I’ll do anything. You won’t find anyone as good as me. I’ll bus tables, wash dishes, take out the trash, clean, whatever you need.”

  “Have you ever worked in a bar or restaurant before?” she asked, her voice gentle.

  His eyes narrowed. “No, actually this would be my first job. But that shouldn’t concern you, I’m smart and I learn fast.”

  Faye said, “If you want to jot down your name and number, maybe we can talk in a couple of weeks. How’s that sound.”

  He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug, “Whatever. Is this a nice way of blowing me off?”

  Jesse had already walked over to the bar and grabbed a notepad and pen. Handing it to the kid, he watched over his shoulder as he jotted down the information. Despite the kid’s outward bravado his hand shook slightly as he wrote.

  “Tyler huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You have references?” Jesse asked.

  His eye’s flashed, “Sure. I can get those for you.”

  “You can bring all that with you when we sit down and have a real interview,” Faye said.

  “Thanks Ms. B-LeBlanc.”

  Smiling she said, “Call me Faye. It’s casual around here.”

  He lowered his head and nodded, “Most folks call me Ty.”

  “Okay Ty it is. Thanks for stopping by, and no I’m not blowing you off. You’ll get an interview.”

  For the first time since he’d arrived the corners of his mouth turned up. “You won’t regret it, ma’am…I mean Faye.” She held out her hand and he shook it.

  “What’s your tat say?” he asked.

  Faye showed him the inside of her forearm. Ty cocked his head and read the delicately scribed words out loud, “Don’t dream your life, Live your dream. Sick.”

  She pulled her tee shirt collar aside to reveal a second elegantly scripted cursive tattoo. It sat right under her collar bone. “This one’s my favorite, Sometimes when you fall you fly…my daily reminder.”

  “True-dat.”

  “See you in a couple of weeks Ty. I’ll be giving you a call.”

  He jammed his hands in his front pockets again and left without another word.

  “Awkward,” Jesse said.

  “He was darling! Just nervous. Poor kid. His first job search,” Faye said.

  “Seemed like a tool,” Jesse argued.

  “He’s young. Aren’t most young guys full of themselves? And don’t you go judging a book by its cover. His bravado is covering up his insecurities.”

  Jesse’s eyebrows rose, “And you got all that from a five-minute conversation?”

  “Yes, I told you I’ve got a sixth sense about people.”

  “If it were me, I’d be crossing him off the list of potential employees.”

  “There was something about him… I can’t really put my finger on it, but I’d like to give him a chance. I have a feeling he hasn’t had too many of those.”

  Jesse’s eyes were pools of warmth, “That’s one of the many things I like about you. Not only do you have looks and brains, but you’re also kind.” He stared at her lips, “He’s probably okay. His timing was a little off, but I won’t hold that against him.”

  Faye felt her cheeks grow warm and her pulse raced, “Well I’d best get going or this day will be shot.”

  “Yeah, you best,” he said in a low sexy voice.

  “I won’t be gone long.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  8

  Jesse made a call to enlist the help of Joe, one of his younger and stronger men on the crew. He explained his predicament and Joe agreed to help. “Hey, could you do me a favor and not mention how busy we are?”

  Joe couldn’t hide his curiosity. “Why not?”

  “Long story. Somehow, she’s under the impression that the reason I have so much time on my hands to help her is because I’m a down-on-his-luck contractor. I haven’t had time to correct her assumption.”

  “That’s a good one. Your secret is safe with me bro.”

  “It’s no secret, it’s a misunderstanding. I’m not sure how it even happened. Nothing I ever said to give her that idea.”

  He chuckled, then said, “The longer it goes on the harder it is to fix. But hey, it shouldn’t matter anyway. It will just be a bonus when she finds out what a catch you really are.”

  “I just want her to hear it from me.”

  “I understand. Women are from a different planet. Ya never know what’s going to set them off.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  “Island’s small, I wouldn’t wait too long.”

  “I won’t, I just won’t have time to talk before you get here to help with this statue.”

  “I’ll be there in about an hour.”

  “Thanks, see you then.”

  He scratched his head as he surveyed the amount of work in front of him. This secret compartment was an interesting distraction, but he had a shit-ton of work to do. He picked up his crowbar and began pulling up more decking.

  Faye loaded her supplies into the basket attached to the handlebars of her bicycle. Her two gallons of paint were stowed in the plastic milk crate attached at the back. She had one more stop before heading back to her bar. The bank. She hated to do it, but she was going to have to dip into her trust fund again. It couldn’t be helped.

  She had wanted to pay Jesse a percentage up front, but he’d insisted that he could wait until the job was complete. He probably didn’t make a whole lot as a contractor. She was shocked at how low his estimate had been. He seemed to be charging her next to nothing. She was going to make him accept a deposit; after all, she was the boss.

  She was also going to tell him that he should raise his rates. Hell, she’d be paying her bar help more than he was charging her, and they mostly relied on tips. But what did she know? It was his business not hers. She’d give him a bonus when the work was done.

  She entered the small hometown bank, and the manager came out of her office to personally greet Faye.

  “Hello Faye! How’s the bar coming along?”

  “That’s what I’m coming to talk to you about. I need to transfer a chunk of change from my trust account into my checking.”

  “No problem. I’ll handle it personally. Come on back to my office.” Turning, she motioned Faye to follow her. “Now how much are you thinking?”

  Faye chewed on her lip. “I was thinking around ten thousand d
ollars. That should cover it for now. I’ve hired a local contractor and I thought I should advance him a little, to at least cover materials.”

  “You’re lucky you found someone. Everyone is booked out for months. The building and remodeling business is booming. Who’d you hire?”

  “Jesse Carlisle.”

  Her eyebrows rose, “The Jesse Carlisle? How’d you manage that at the last minute? He owns one the most sought-after construction companies in the area. In fact, he’s usually booked out a year ahead.”

  Faye’s eyes went wide. “He is?”

  She responded as she continued to enter the information into her computer. “Yes, Carlisle Premier Construction. He’s built many of those expensive condo and townhouse subdivisions in the bay area. Not to mention those million-dollar homes on the north end. Local small-town boy makes good. He went away to school then his dad, Big Hank, had a heart attack, so he quit school and came back to run the family’s’ construction business. Took it from a small remodeling enterprise to the successful business that it is now.”

  She managed to squeak out, “Million-dollar homes? Are you sure we’re talking about the same guy?”

  “I only know of one Jesse Carlisle on the island.”

  Faye was stunned, realizing her mouth had been hanging open, she pressed her lips together. As the shock wore off, she became increasingly angry. He’d deliberately misled her. Her anger obscured her judgement, making her forget her own deception. He’d presented it as if he’d only have to move a couple things around to accommodate her, when in fact he owned one of the largest construction companies around. How gullible am I?

  The stereo was blaring country tunes as Joe and Jesse lifted the heavy figurine onto the deck above them. Voice strained, Joe said, “Damn dude, you weren’t kidding about this being heavy!” Sweat dripped off his brow. After hoisting it out they climbed up onto the deck.

  “It’s cool though, don’t you think?” Jesse said.

  “Yeah and kind of creepy.” Joe’s eyes narrowed as he studied the statue. “The guy looks pretty pissed off to me. Maybe he’ll ward off all the asshole customers for your girlfriend.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Who said anything about girlfriend? Right now, she’s a customer.”

  “Yeah right. That’s why you’re already trying to manage her moods.”

  Jesse laughed at that. “You’ve got a point. That does seem like a boyfriend kind of move.”

  They were both startled when a male voice interrupted them. “That’s a pretty ugly looking statue.” The stranger lit up a cigarette as he looked around appraisingly. Standing below them on the pier, he blew out a stream of smoke and asked, “Is Faye around?”

  “Nope, she’s out running errands,” Jesse said. “Can I give her a message?”

  Rather than answering Jesse’s question, he asked, “Who are you, the boyfriend?”

  Jesse’s hackles stood up, suddenly on the alert. “Do you have a message for her or not?”

  “Just tell her an old friend stopped by. I’ll try and catch her later.” He flicked his cigarette into the water and left.

  Jesse and Joe exchanged a glance and Joe shrugged. “That was weird.”

  “Never a dull moment.”

  Neither heard Faye return until she was standing in front of them, hands on her hips and sparks flying from her eyes.

  In her deepest southern drawl, she said, “Why if it isn’t Jesse Carlisle of Carlisle Premier Construction!”

  Jesse and Joe exchanged a look then Jess said, “Faye, do remember Joe?”

  She glared, “One of your crew?”

  He looked heavenward, “Yeah.”

  Joe smiled awkwardly at Faye. “I was here for the birthday celebration a few weeks ago. Great place. You’re going to kill it. This location is everything.”

  She glared at Jesse before turning to him, “Thanks.”

  Joe tugged at his shirt collar, “Jesse, where do you want this monstrosity to go?”

  “Yes boss, where do you want Joe to put the damn thing?” Faye said through gritted teeth.

  “Faye, I can explain…” his voice trailed off as she turned on her heel and stomped off.

  “Let’s just load it in my truck for now. You can meet me at the shop later to help me unload ‘the damn thing.’ Faye’s friend is going to paint it to match the rest of her bar decor.”

  “I don’t envy you one bit dude. She’s madder than a wet hen. Makes me glad I’m single.”

  Jesse raked his fingers through his hair and expelled a long breath, “Looks like I’m going to remain single. Let’s move this bad boy.”

  After they’d wrestled it to the truck bed, Joe yelled goodbye to Faye from the front entrance, “Nice meeting ya, Faye.”

  “Thanks Joe,” she yelled back, not bothering to come out.

  He rolled his eyes, “Good luck man. Call me when you’re ready to unload. If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

  Jesse looked over his shoulder and gave a lopsided grin. “I may be back on-site sooner than I thought after this.”

  Joe shook his head and practically sprinted to his truck.

  9

  Faye was putting her hair up into a ponytail when Jesse walked into the kitchen. “Faye…” She glared up at him. “Hear me out.”

  “What’s to hear out. You must think I’m a real ditz!”

  “No, I don’t think that. But I honestly don’t know where you came up with the idea that I was underemployed.”

  Crossing her arms, she arched her brows and said, “Oh really?”

  “Really. Can you tell me when I ever said that?”

  “I feel so stupid right now. I’m thinking that I’m helping you out and it turns out you’re rescuing me.” She stomped her foot, “I don’t want to be rescued! I want to make it on my own merit.”

  He tilted his head. “I’m confused, what’s the difference between you hiring me or that other construction company that bailed on you?”

  “They didn’t misrepresent themselves.”

  “Neither did I. If I did, tell me how. What did I say?”

  “How about today…earlier, when I was blathering on about giving you good recommendations? You must have been laughing so hard inside.” Tears shimmered in her eyes.

  “Look I tried to correct you, but you interrupted me. Then the moment was gone.”

  “I’m humiliated, embarrassed…I don’t need your charity.”

  A tear escaped and ran down her cheek. Jesse felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He had to fight not to pull her into his arms. His voice soft and low, he said, “Faye, I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to tell you. I never intended to mislead you. You made the assumptions about me. I could be mad at you for thinking I was some dumb worthless schmuck.”

  She impatiently brushed away her tears. “I don’t even know who you are. Why didn’t you tell me you built all those developments?”

  “Because it never came up. You didn’t exactly ask for my resume. Besides, I still think of myself as a small family business.”

  She glared at him, “Why did you even agree to lower yourself to work on a dive bar?”

  “I’m not going to answer that and bury myself further.”

  “Why? Is the truth that hard for you?”

  “I wasn’t born yesterday. If I tell you why it will only piss you off more.”

  “Was it because you felt sorry for me?”

  “Partly,” seeing her stiffen he said, “Now hear me out. Yes, I felt bad for you. But it wasn’t pity. It was a macho guy thing as much as anything. There may have been some ego involved… I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for a beautiful woman in distress. You’re trying to get something going here. You were desperate and I wanted to help. End of story.”

  “I assumed that since you could rearrange things so easily that you weren’t very busy, and you certainly didn’t say anything to make me think differently.”

  “Let me get this straight. Now I’m responsib
le for your assumptions? I can maybe see where you came up with that idea, but it was never my intention to mislead you. I have a feeling this isn’t really about me anyway. You don’t have anything to prove to me.”

  Her eyes narrowed, “Meaning?”

  “Meaning that you’ve mentioned that your family doesn’t approve, and that you don’t have any support or help.”

  She raised her chin, “That falls under the category of none of your business. And I still find it very odd that you never mentioned you owned a big construction company.”

  “I was sitting in your bar with five guys that told you I was their boss. As I recall, initially I didn’t volunteer for the job. I was going to give you references.”

  Her mouth opened in surprise, then Jesse could see the lightbulb go off. “Oh um…that’s true. You didn’t.”

  “Did I really act like I was trying to hide something?”

  Her shoulders sagged, “I guess not. I’m sorry.” She buried her face in her hands, “Can we please just forget this whole thing? Can you forgive me for jumping to conclusions?”

  “Nothing to forgive. I’m sorry too. I should have pushed it earlier when I realized your mistake…and I didn’t.”

  She peered up at him, “Jesse, can I ask you something?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Do you think I’m crazy to try to make a go of this place?”

  He put his knuckles under her chin and tilted her head up, “You want to know what I think? I think you’ve got gumption. And you know what else I think? You could have yourself a little gold mine here.”

  She gave him a watery smile, “Thank you for saying that. I’m a bit overwhelmed at the moment and I hate feeling so dependent on someone else.”

  “No more or no less than anyone who needs a contractor. You’re already open and selling alcohol. The rest is just the icing on the cake.”

  Still glassy eyed, when she smiled at him it was like the sun peeking through the clouds after a hard rain. “I’m really grateful you agreed to take me on, Jesse of Carlisle Premiere Construction.”