Romance: The Damaged Billionaire

by Cooper, Jodi

Damn that bad investment.

  I don’t like swimming in debt and that’s exactly what is going on right now.

  I thought that once I had finally paid off my student loans and avoided credit cards, that I would be in the clear, but I was wrong.

  Now I had a twenty-five thousand dollar loan dangling over me and I don’t like it one bit. That was one decision that I wish that I could take back.

  Let every bad decision be a great life lesson, my grandmother used to say. That’s exactly what I had to do with the loan.

  Learn from it.

  “Do you have a husband? Kids?” Archer asks me without looking me.

  He hasn’t even bothered to ask me my name.

  “No, no husband and kids. I haven’t made it to that point in my life yet.”

  “Boyfriend?”

  “No,” I sigh.

  “Good.”

  “Good?” I question but he doesn’t answer, “Mr. Phillips, I’m curious as to why you would want me to be your in-home nurse when you could hire any amount of private nurses?”

  “As I said to the doctor, I want someone with knowledge of my situation already.”

  “I’ve only just read your file, Mr. Phillips. I do not have an intimate knowledge of your situation.”

  “Nurse, I’m sure that you’re qualified or you wouldn’t be working in this hospital.”

  “I am qualified but I as I said I was just curious. Plus, as I’m sure you know, it will only take a nurse a few minutes to familiarize themselves with your file and your care, so I’m almost positive that you’re up to something else,” I say looking at him in the eyes.

  He nods his head, smiles and I look away.

  Dr. Williams walks back into the room with a big smile on his face and I know that it can only mean one thing.

  Archer Phillips was about to have me as his live in nurse.

  “The hospital has agreed to loan nurse Lara out for two weeks granted that you make that sizeable donation to the hospital,” he says as he looks at Archer deep into his eyes.

  Archer smiles.

  “You will have the check in your hands before I leave the hospital today. Nurse, you might want to go home and pack up some things because you will be moving in my penthouse immediately. Hand me your phone so that I can program my address into it.”

  I walk over to his bed and hand him my phone. He puts his address inside of my navigation and hands it back to me.

  “Be at my penthouse by three-thirty tomorrow. Don’t be late or I will take it out of your paycheck.”

  “Um…”

  “Don’t worry nurse. I will pay you very well for your time.”

  I nod my head and walk out of the room.

  What the hell just happened?

  Nobody even asked me if I wanted to do it!

  I can’t believe that the hospital would just loan me out like that… but everything was politics.

  Money meant everything to this hospital and they will get it anyway that they can, even if it meant pimping out their nurses. I guess I couldn’t complain though, I’m sure that whatever he was paying me would be more than what this hospital was paying.

  I step onto the elevator and press the down button to go to the parking garage.

  Maybe my life was finally about to look up a little bit.

  There was always a rainbow after a storm, right?

  Maybe working with Archer would be my rainbow?

  Not that I’m after a rainbow – all I’m interested in is the extra cash.

  Chapter 2

  I walk into my apartment, tossing the keys on my counter and a massive sigh escapes my lips as I pour a glass of wine.

  I still can’t believe that I will be moving in with the billionaire playboy, Archer Phillips – even if it is just for a couple of weeks.

  I go into my bedroom and grab two of my suitcases and begin packing. I pack the essentials: panties, bras, scrubs, regular clothes, shoes, deodorant, soap, and bubble bath. I hear my phone going off and I look at it and see that it’s my best friend, Paula.

  We have been friends since the first day of nursing school when she came into the classroom with a hangover and threw up in front of the professor.

  Right then, I knew that she was my type of girl.

  She was short, had long black hair, super tanned skin, and was very curvy. She kind of looked like a sexy leprechaun but if you ever said that to her, then she would definitely throw an evil stare your way. But her bark was worse than her bite, so it was wise just to keep your cool with her.

  “Hello,” I say into the phone as I throw some more clothes into the suitcase.

  “Hey, girl! I just got on shift and heard that the hospital is loaning you out to the rich billionaire, Archer Phillips,” she says excitedly. “So is it true or is the gossip hotline just going into overdrive as usual? You know sometimes it can be unreliable but in this case I really hope that they do have the news right.”

  “Yes,” I reply, “They’re loaning me out for two weeks because he’s donating money to the hospital and he says that he will pay me very well.”

  I couldn’t help but let out a little giggle when she made a comment about the hospital gossip being unreliable because it had been very unreliable when it came to her.

  There was once a huge rumor going around the hospital that her and Dr. Williams were involved and were expecting twins together. I have no idea who started the rumor but Paula was getting dirty looks for months before she and Dr. Williams finally addressed the rumor.

  “I bet. He has enough money to pay you way more than this hospital does. He could probably pay you double what you make in a whole year and not even put a dent in his daily expenses,” she says.

  “He probably could even quadruple my salary. But any little bit will help pay back that loan,” I say.

  “I told you that I can help you out with the money but you know you, all stubborn and have to be Wonder Woman all the time,” she replies.

  “And I told you that I didn’t want to take your money. I’m not trying to be Wonder Woman, it’s just a matter of pride that’s all.”

  I knew that it bothered her that I wouldn’t let her help me with money but there were some things I needed to do on my own and this was one of those things. It was a lot of money and I didn’t want to have to owe her.

  Especially when I didn’t know when I’d be able to pay her back. I couldn’t do that to a friend.

  “So when do you have to go to the lifestyle of the rich and famous house? I think he’s about to get discharged so that will mean you’ll have to be leaving soon since he’s not going to be able to do much on his own,” she says.

  I laugh. “I have to be there by three-thirty. I’m about to leave right now. He says that if I’m late he will take it out if my paycheck and I need all of the money that I can get.”

  “Alright, well, Kelli is the nurse taking the transport to his house, so you’ll probably see her there. I’ll let you go and good luck.”

  “Thanks. I know that I’m going to need it.”

  “Might not be that bad. Plus I got a glimpse of him when Dr. Williams was in the room and the man isn’t bad on the eyes! I’m sure that waiting on him will be well worth everything he’s paying you plus a lot more.”

  “But I’m not looking for any guy right now! I’m just focused on doing a good job so that I can this money. Besides he’s a patient and those are lines we aren’t supposed to cross. You know, ethics and all that?”

  “Mm hmm - well anyway I’m going to let you go. I have to start my rounds. Make sure you update me. I mean it. You know none of us have ever been loaned out before and I want all of the details,” she says. “Especially when you have to bath him.”

  Oh no. I hadn’t thought about that.

  I’ve bathed hundreds of patients before but this… this is the most eligible bachelor in the country! I’ll just have to keep my mind on the job.

  “Okay… I will update you.”

  “Maybe you could se
nd a photo?”

  “Talk to you later,” I stop her questions going any further.

  “Alright bye. And Lara?”

  “Yes?”

  “Try to have a little bit of fun.”

  I hang up the phone and grab my suitcases and drag them towards the door before I take one last glance at my apartment.

  I won’t be seeing this place for two weeks but I can’t exactly say that I will miss it.

  Chapter 3

  Pulling up to the apartment building forty-five minutes later, I park in the underground garage. I grab my suitcases out of my trunk and drag them over the elevator. Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself as the elevator button lights up on each floor before stopping at the top. The elevator doors open and there is only one door in front of me.

  I buzz the intercom.

  “Who is it?” asks a female voice through the intercom.

  “Hi. It’s Lara, the nurse,” I reply.

  “Come on in,” says the voice.

  I turn the doorknob and drag my two suitcases through the door and kick the door shut behind me.

  I turn to get a view of the penthouse and my mouth falls open.

  Oh wow…

  It is stunning.

  The view out the windows is breathtaking.

  There’s even a waterfall in the middle of the enormous living room.

  Archer is stretched across a white couch and a maid is holding a glass of juice, with a straw in it, to his mouth. I can tell by the look on her face that it isn’t the first time that she has done this for him but I’m sure that she didn’t mind.

  “Hello Nurse Lara, leave your bags right there. One of the maids will take them to your room in the back,” he says. “Have a seat.”

  One of the maids?

  How many does he have?!

  I leave my suitcases by the door and go take a seat beside him. He smiles at me but it looks strained and I can tell that he’s in a lot of pain.

  “When was the last time you took any pain medication?”

  “Right before I left the hospital,” he says and tries to adjust a little bit but I can see that it only causes him even more pain.

  I nod my head and stand up to look him over.

  “You really shouldn’t be lying down on the couch without some type of support under your back because it’ll make your injury even worse and you’ll be back in the hospital before you know it.”

  I grab one of the plush throw pillows from the chair and begin to gently place it under his back. He winces a little but then I see the pain ease away from his face and I sit back down beside him.

  “Waste no time starting the job, huh?” he asks with a smile.

  “It’s what you’re paying me to do. Out of interest, how much are you paying me for this week?” I ask. “Because you never actually said the amount.”

  “Six thousand dollars. So three thousand each week,” he says with a smile.

  My eyes get wide - that is about eight of my checks combined.

  “Wow,” I whisper under my breath.

  “I like to pay the people that work for me very well,” he says as he motions for his maid to go away.

  She moves and takes my bags towards the back of the penthouse.

  I smile at him. “That’s good to know because right now I just need all the money that I can get.”

  “Since you’re going to be working for me and living in my house for a while, I would like to get to know you a little better. I don’t want it to seem as if we’re going to be strangers tip toeing around each other. And since my back is out, I know that we’ll have to be in some pretty intimate positions together and it will be best if we got to know each other now, before any of those situations present themselves. I know that you’re a nurse and professional. And you are trained for this but it still helps to know the person you are going to be treating,” he says.

  I nod my head.

  He is right.

  I would need to be able to help him do a lot of things that he wouldn’t be able to do - like wash him, help him to the bathroom, and get him to bed.

  Not that I was complaining because any glimpse at his naked body was sure to be an extra perk but he had the right to be comfortable around who he brought into his home.

  Besides I really had nothing to hide so it wouldn’t bother me at all.

  “Okay well, ask me anything. I’m an open book.”

  He smirks at me. “Okay. What happened to your last boyfriend?”

  I sigh.

  I guess he really wasn’t wasting time with getting personal with me.

  I consider not answering the question but I did tell him that I was an open book.

  “I had one but it didn’t work out. So I’m official team single. Riding solo.”

  “What happened?” he continues.

  “He left me for my stepsister,” I smile.

  If I didn’t smile about it, I would cry.

  “Your stepsister?” he laughs.

  “My ex-boyfriend stood right in my apartment with her and was like, I’m in love with her and don’t want you anymore. They must’ve thought that I was going to beg him to stay with me but I stood there calmly drinking a glass of wine.”

  “You didn’t cry when he told you?”

  “No.”

  “Interesting…”

  “I didn’t want to give my bitch stepsister the satisfaction of seeing me lose my cool. Especially if it’s because of her,” I say.

  “I take it you aren’t fond of your stepsister?”

  “She’s a bitch.”

  “Did you ever like her?”

  I shake my head and laugh. “No. I never liked her. She’s always tried to one up me ever since we were younger and I guess stealing my boyfriend was just a way to get back at me again. I mean, he was the handsome type. The kind of guy that every girl wants to have but after that I just saw him for the jerk that he really was. I was used to her but from him, I don’t know, I guess I just expected better.”

  “If your boyfriend left you for your stepsister, then he really didn’t deserve you.”

  Archer’s charm is clear.

  “You wouldn’t do anything like that?” I ask.

  “No…” he thinks about it for a moment, “Not unless it was a threesome, but I would never leave a woman for someone in her family. Too messy. Just imagine the talks you would have to have at the dinner table.”

  I smile and shake my head. “Well that’s good to know. It’s fine now. Even before he left me for her, I knew we weren’t going to work out. We wanted different things in life, so it was only a matter of time before we broke up anyway. Besides, as annoying as my stepsister is, I’m sure he’s getting exactly what he deserves. Hopefully he’s getting tortured by her. She’ll probably marry him, just so she can divorce him and take him for everything’s he’s got. She’s a gold digger and will only use him until she can get everything she needs out of him.”

  “She’s that bad?” he asks with a raised brow.

  “Worse than you can imagine,” I say. “You can think of the worst person you know and she will be ten times worse than them.”

  “Glad I haven’t run across her then,” he says with a laugh. “I have enough of my own crazy people running around trying to get close to me.”

  I laugh. “Then you’re the lucky one because she’s a piece of work. No one really likes her, she doesn’t even have any friends outside of my stepmom. She’s just a horrible person.”

  “I think that I will pass on ever meeting your stepsister. She seems like a real piece of work,” he says with a smile.

  “Safe choice,” I say.

  “But I would like to get to know you better… a lot better.”

  Archer’s eyes drift over my body.

  “I don’t think so, Mr. Phillips. I’m a professional.”

  “You have to call me Archer. And I’m sure there are ways that you can remain professional…”

  Chapter 4

  I can’t believe t
hat I’m sitting here getting hit on by Archer Phillips.

  From how he was acting in the hospital, I thought that he was a rich, stuck up jerk but he almost seems normal.

  He seems like he has feelings and actually cares about other people than himself. The magazines never painted a good picture of Archer and I was beginning to wonder if this was who he really is or was it the lifestyle printed up and written about on a daily basis.

  “Tell me something else about you,” he says, staring at me.

  “What else do you want to know?” I ask him.

  “Well besides being a nurse, what else have you done? Written a book? Traveled the world? Eaten strange food? Had sex in strange places? Anything at all. I want to build a picture of you in mind,” he says.

  “Um…”

  It was at this moment that I realized how boring and plain my life is.

  I did nothing but work.

  “Surely there must be something?”

  “Not really. I’ve just racked up a bunch of debt…you know the American nightmare. Okay well, maybe you don’t know, but the other regular American citizens nightmare,” I say.

  “Debt from what? Student loans? Credit cards? Gambling?” he asks curiously. “Although you don’t really look like a gambler so I will guess student loans.”

  I shake my head.

  “No none of that. I made a really bad investment and now I have to pay back a huge loan. I worked really, really hard to pay off my student loans. I saved up a bit of money… and then I made the wrong investment choice.”

  He raises his brow with interest.

  “What’d you invest in? The stock market? You can’t trust those things - they switch every second. It’s better to invest in something safe like real estate.”

  “No, I invested in a technology company. It was cutting edge and innovative. I couldn’t see how it would fail. But it went belly up and so did my money. Apparently the people who ran it weren’t good with money and blew through mine in two weeks,” I say.

  “So can’t catch a break?” he asks.

  “Tell me about it,” I say. “But I’m taking it in strides. Can’t let it get me down, you know?”