The Billionaire’s Secret by Julie Farrell
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Copyright © 2015 by Julie Farrell
Billionaire Tycoons, billionaire brothers, billionaire bachelors…
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Contents
The Billionaire’s Secret
Chapter One
Shivering against the September chill, Astrid tugged her suit jacket around her ribcage and stepped into the dark silent side-street. Her body was as tense as the starched collar of her crisp cotton shirt; as rigid as her neat black ponytail. Her pounding fear yelled at her not to come this way, but she couldn’t bear the thought of walking through Times Square – that would mean facing a far worse terror than any tramps or junkies down here.
In her tight skirt she stepped over a strewn garbage bag, holding her breath as the smell of trash assaulted her nostrils. There was light at the end of the street indicating that civilization was only thirty yards away, so she put her head down and strode as fast as she could, click-clacking in her high heels. Fifty-story-high skyscrapers loomed up on both sides, hemming her in, making her feel constricted…
She pushed away the dizzying sensation and tried to distract her mind by thinking about the job she was currently working on. Anger replaced her anxiety – the Quinlan Brothers were a couple of arrogant, pushy assholes. Adam and Dylan – pah, they were so full of themselves. She was brand new to this role – she’d only been employed as a federal health-and-safety officer for six weeks. But she refused to let them know how–
A crack behind made her flinch. There was someone following her. Her heart pounded hard and she willed herself not to have a debilitating panic attack. Ever since she’d taken this job she’d felt creeped-out – wondering whether Adam and Dylan had employed a guy to watch her every move. She wouldn’t put it past them. But she was probably being paranoid – she was still shaken after her ex-boyfriend Simon’s terrible treatment over the last year, which she’d finally managed to escape by taking this position.
She headed toward the end of the street, but her fear surged another notch as she saw a black Mercedes steer around the corner, shining its headlights in her face. Now she was trapped at both ends – by the car and whoever was following her. Shit. She squinted in the September twilight, trying to make out the face of the driver, but she’d already guessed it was going to Cole Graves – the owner of the project she’d been appointed to investigate. She gripped her fists, bracing herself as the Mercedes crawled down the empty street and parked beside her.
She was struck with an urge to flee to the end of the road – to freedom – but the sidewalk was slippery from where it had rained earlier, so she knew if she tried to run in these shoes she’d fall flat on her face. And anyway, her knees had turned to mush, so she couldn’t run even if she removed her heels.
She glanced over her shoulder. If there was someone following her, perhaps they could help. Unless they were also working for Graves...
The back window of the car slithered down and she saw Mr. Graves sitting there, smiling coolly. He was handsome, but slimy – even more of an asshole than the Quinlan brothers, with his sharp suit and youthful features, wrapped around a steel core that wouldn’t allow the likes of her – or the law – to prevent him from doing whatever he wanted.
“I thought I might bump into you here, Astrid,” he said in his cool New York accent. “I’ve been dying to talk to you alone.”
She forced her voice to remain calm. “I’m not allowed to talk to you about the project, Mr. Graves. You’ll receive my official report at the meeting tomorrow – as you’ve been notified.”
She held her head high and started to stride away from the car, but he flung the door open and clambered out, blocking her path. “Stop this nonsense, Astrid.” He gestured to the luxurious leather backseat. “Get in – I’m sure we can come to an arrangement. Everyone has their price – I’ll bet I can find yours.”
“I’m not bribable, Mr. Graves. Now I really must say goodnight.”
Astrid turned to face the way she’d come – hoping to escape in that direction – but the dark shadowy shape of a man blocked her path. Her mind raced with panic. How the hell was she going to get out of here?
Graves suddenly grabbed her wrist – his nice act slipping away. “I said, get in the car!”
Astrid tugged against him, stepping backwards, and crunching on broken glass. She squirmed in his grip. “Let go of me!”
He pulled her close and snarled in her face. “I’ve heard a rumor you’re planning to reject my project.”
“I can’t talk about it. Leave me alone!”
Astrid fought with the fear that was threatening to make her blackout with terror. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She wanted desperately to knee him in the balls, but her fear crippled her.
Graves pushed her roughly – causing her to topple toward the car. She stumbled, realizing there was no hope – he was going to overpower her. She grabbed ahold of the car door, not giving in, when a man’s voice shouted. “Leave her the fuck alone, asshole!”
Astrid saw a man seemingly made of muscle appear from behind, grab Graves, and throw him easily to the sidewalk like a mannequin.
“I said leave her alone!”
Strewn on the dirty ground, Graves glared at the man. “Who the hell are you?”
Gasping for breath, Astrid gazed at her hero – he was handsome, tough, and rugged. She didn’t know who he was either, but she was sure glad he was here.
The man draped his arm around her shoulders, and she melted with relief at his safe, secure embrace.
“I’m her boyfriend,” he growled. “Now get the fuck out of here before I rip your fucking balls off.”
Graves scrambled to his feet. “Oh really?”
The man stepped forward – planting himself between Astrid and Graves, protecting her. “I said get out of here. Or you’ll be sampling the local hospital food through a straw.”
Realizing he’d lost, Graves stepped toward his car. He was a typical bully – happy to torment women, but not willing to tackle the six-foot wall of muscle that was now looming over him. He straightened his designer suit. “This isn’t over between us, Astrid. I’ll be paying you a little visit at home later.”
Her mind flashed with worry. “You know where I live?”
“I do.” Graves started to climb into his car, but – halfway in – he turned and eyed them suspiciously, knowing he was now a safe distance.
“Get out of here,” the man growled. “And if you go within a mile of her home, I’ll tie weights to your ankles and throw you in the goddamn Hudson.”
Graves didn’t move. “Funny, I didn’t realize you had a boyfriend, Astrid. From my research, I thought you were single.”
Losing his patience, the man lurched at Graves like a wild animal, making him stumble into the backseat. Graves scrambled to close the door, locked it, then gazed at them from inside.
Astrid glanced up at her hero. She realized she was shaking with fear. “He said he knows where I live.”
The man shot her a mischievous grin. “I guess we’d better make our relationship look convincing then, huh?” he whispe
red. “Don’t want him paying you a visit.”
“What do you mean?” Astrid asked.
“Trust me.”
He gazed deeply into her eyes. She studied his handsome features and gorgeous lips – losing herself in his perfect face. She was jolted from her trance as he threw his arms around her and pulled her close. Astrid understood what he was doing, and instantly relented. Her heart pounded double-time and she tensed as he lowered his face and kissed her hard on the lips – causing passion to flood over her body, making her feel light and weak – this time from lust, not fear. The world spun around her, fading into nothingness until there was only them and this glorious kiss, which she melted into like a warm winter bathtub.
The dank street fell away and the kiss increased in intensity – beyond what they needed to do for the benefit of convincing Graves they were together. The man pulled her even closer, and Astrid felt herself unwind into him. She groaned – causing their lips to vibrate together. He eased his tongue into her mouth, whooshing pleasure through her body – and unlocking a pent-up desire that had been dormant for far too long.
Their tongues clashed and writhed with passion. He tasted manly – and he smelled of masculine cologne, which bypassed Astrid’s rational mind and aroused her animal lust.
Behind her, Graves’ car drove away with a roar and a rev of the engine – embodying how frustrated he was. She realized they no longer needed to continue kissing, so she stepped away – her body trembling gently with the aftermath of the assault – or was it with passion from this incredible man?
She gazed at him and frowned, confused at the way he was staring at her – as if she was a goddess. That couldn’t be right…
She pulled herself up to her full five-five height, refusing to let him know the effect he’d had on her. “Thanks for helping me.”
The man caressed her cheek. “You’re very welcome.”
Her body tingled and she was overcome with the urge to elope with him. But she was far too sensible for anything like that.
“You all right?” he asked.
She nodded, trying to stop herself from shaking. He made her feel like a teenager in the presence of a rockstar. He was so strong and masculine. Yet there was a spark of kindness behind that tough expression.
She glanced at where Graves’ car was now wheeling around the corner, disappearing – leaving her alone. For now… But he knew where she lived!
“I’m Jake,” the man said, grinning. He held out his hand for her to shake.
“Astrid.”
They shook hands and laughed at this surreal formality – after such an amazing kiss.
She suddenly felt awkward, not knowing what to say. She didn’t want to say goodbye, but she could hardly ask him for his number, could she? He’d only kissed her to shake off Graves. It was unlikely that a guy like this would be interested in a woman like her. She knew from the amount of male attention she received that she was pretty, but this guy seemed like he’d flown in from an action movie – and she was a boring health-and-safety officer with anxiety issues and a crazy ex-boyfriend.
She gazed into his eyes. “Thanks again for helping. I guess I should get going…”
He placed a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder. “You look like you could do with a drink.”
She chuckled, trying to hide her apprehension at going home after Graves’ threat. “Yeah, I’ll probably crack open the vodka when I get back.”
He laughed. “Come on, there’s a bar on the corner of this street – let me buy you that vodka. Okay?”
She rubbed her forehead, feeling her mind unravel. “Graves said he knows where I live.”
“I know. I can see how shaken you are. Come on, let’s have a quick one, then I’ll take you home in my car and make sure he leaves you alone. You can trust me. I promise.”
Astrid nodded. For some reason she did trust this guy – there was something sincere about him. And that kiss had been mind-blowing. Her knees were still shaking...
“All right,” she said. “But I’m not sleeping with you – if that’s what this is all about.”
He burst into laughter at her candidness. “It’s not, I swear. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
She smiled gratefully. “All right. Where’s this bar then?”
Chapter Two
As a private investigator, Jake was confident that he’d always get his man. And he usually always got his woman too. Right now his body and mind were hooked into Astrid… kissing her had only served to make him hunger for her even more. The fact that she was strictly off-limits suddenly seemed irrelevant, but Jake knew the truth wasn’t going to ingratiate him to her…
He’d been in this bar for a beer a few times before, and he was happy to be here with her now. It was a typical sports bar, with huge TVs suspended from the ceiling, rock music blaring, and baseball paraphernalia dotted around the walls. It wasn’t busy inside – just a few groups of guys were gathered at the far end, eyes glued to the game. Jake led Astrid down to a quieter area – away from the loud music and rowdy men.
He pulled back the wooden chair for her, and she eyed him up suspiciously, clearly not used to being with a gentleman.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Take a seat.”
She eased herself into the chair, still shaken from Graves’ assault. “Thank you.”
Jake sat opposite, playing it cool. “Hopefully Graves should leave you alone now. He looked shit-scared, right?”
She frowned at him. “You know Graves?”
Jake’s expression didn’t flicker. He shrugged. “Sure – he’s getting quite a name for himself in the industry papers.”
“Is he? And what industry would that be?”
Jake opened his mouth to make an excuse, but luckily the waitress came over to take their order.
“Double Scotch, neat,” Astrid said. “And a glass of water with one slice of lime and no ice.”
Jake grinned at her precise order. “I’ll just have a beer.”
The waitress walked away, and he gazed at Astrid. “Neat double Scotch?”
She shrugged. “You said I needed a drink to calm my nerves, so there we go.”
They shared a smile as she relaxed, letting her defenses down slightly.
He tapped his fingers on the table to the tune in the background. “So you’re new to New York City, huh?”
“I’ve been here six weeks. How did you know that?”
“You’ve got a freshness about you.”
He smiled, wishing he could tell her the truth. He wanted to say ‘I know everything about you, sweetheart. I’ve been falling for you deeper and deeper since my brothers asked me to follow you, listen to your calls, read your emails… I’ve never met a woman like you before. All those little things you do make me want to fuck you all night long, to hold you under the covers… talk about life and the world with you, laugh about stupid stuff. I love how you twirl your ponytail around your fingers when you’re pensive. How your face lights up when you smile. How you always give money to that homeless guy on your block when you walk past him. I love how you try so hard to be professional on the phone, but you pull stupid faces and roll your eyes... How you bend over so innocently, with no idea what effect you’re having on me… you little minx… I love your fantastic body and beautiful face, and I want to take you home right now and fuck you senseless, just to know what it’s like. Just once. I need to know what you taste like…’
Astrid smiled coolly – oblivious to any of this. “Thanks. This is my first proper job since I graduated. I was doing an internship for a year, then this came up and I couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown.”
Jake knew this already. The asshole ex-boyfriend… “Oh yeah? How come?”
“My ex wasn’t exactly the nicest guy in the universe.”
Jake clenched his fists. “What happened?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about him. How long have you lived in the city?”
Jake shrugged
. “A while.”
The waitress brought over their order so they clinked glasses. Jake laughed as Astrid downed her drink in one.
It seemed to go straight to her head. She exhaled slowly and her posture mellowed, then she held eye contact with him. “You know what, I hate men. They’re all bastards. Why are they all bastards?”
Jake chuckled. “Not sure.”
She picked up her water and sipped it. “Thanks for… you know. Coming to my assistance.”
“Anytime, Astrid.”
She called the waitress back. Jake studied her delicate bone structure and blue eyes. Right now he wished he wasn’t a private detective, in the employment of two of the most influential and powerful business tycoons in the city. Adam and Dylan Quinlan. Who also happened to be his recently-reunited older brothers.
He wasn’t sure what was happening to him. He’d always successfully managed to maintain his distance when dealing with targets. But there was something captivating about this one… He knew her routine well now – she left for work at eight in the morning and walked down the backstreets, avoiding the crowds of Times Square for reasons Jake didn’t yet fully understand. She rarely went out in the evenings. Her intercepted emails were professional to the point of being curt. But when she was walking, listening to the music on her headphones, she would sing to herself and smile. There was a vulnerable person behind that hard exterior and Jake wanted to get to know her better – to unravel that enigma.
He knew he shouldn’t have interfered when Graves had approached her back there, but there was no way he could’ve just stood back and let him assault her. He didn’t consider himself a hero, but men who hurt women topped the list of things Jake wanted to destroy in this world.
What he needed to do right now was to stand up and walk out of here, otherwise he was in danger of blowing his cover. But how could he leave her in this state? And what if Graves did know where she lived? And that kiss had been something else…
He opened his mouth to ask her again about her ex. Apart from the fact that she now had Graves on her back, he was genuinely worried for her safety because of this ex-boyfriend. Jake hadn’t seen the guy, but he’d heard Astrid talking to him on the phone – and apparently the ex was desperate to find out where she’d moved to and to get her back – with force. When he’d heard Simon talking to her like that, Jake had felt his role change from stalker to protector.
The Billionaire's Secret: Billionaire Obsession (Tycoon Billionaires Book 5) Page 1