by Harper West
Her Irish Billionaires
A MFM Billionaire Menage Romance
Harper West
Contents
Dear Reader
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
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Also by Harper West
About Harper
Dear Reader
Thanks so much for taking a chance on my word baby! I hope you love them as much as I do! I’m still new to this whole writing thing, but I’m hella excited to see what happens and have you join me on this journey!
I hope you love sexy alpha males, and killer romance, as I’m a huge fan, so that’s what I’m writing about. Oh, and menage. I love me some menage, becuase it’s all about her, am I right ;)?
Keep an eye out as I’ve got quite a few books I’ve been holding on to, coming out soon so make sure you sign up for my newsletter to stay informed!
xoxo,
Harper
Chapter 1
Alexia
The airport was a little too crowded for my liking. It’s not as though I was used to empty ones back in the United States, but the one I landed at in Ireland made me feel claustrophobic. People were practically pushed up against each other as they waited in lines, made their way to the baggage claim, and whipped out their cell phones.
Once I shifted and twisted myself past a large group of tourists, who were bundled together talking excitedly, I made my way to the baggage claim. I scooped up my luggage and then found an empty seat on the benches by the door. The walk through the airport had been daunting, and I couldn’t figure out what made me think dressing up on a flight from the U.S. to Ireland was a good idea. The man sitting on the other side of it shot me a creepy smile.
“Ugh,” I said before my bags to a seat far away from him.
My feet were incredibly sore by the time I sat down. I tried massaging my heels, but it was of no use, the shoes were practically glued to my feet. It would have to wait until my red high heels came off.
I pulled out my cell phone and noticed a missed call from my best friend, Cecilia. We’d been inseparable ever since the first day of kindergarten when she hung up her backpack next to mine, told me her name, and then drug me to the sand table.
I leaned back in my seat and called her, putting a finger in my other ear to drown out the noise.
“There you are,” she said. “I was beginning to worry.”
Cecilia was a psychologist and primarily worked with veterans. She was also the one who begged me not to leave the country.
“Plane was delayed by an hour,” I grumbled. “I just wanted to call you back and let you know that I got here, ok.” There was an awkward moment of silence. “Go ahead and say it, I know it’s killing you to hold it in.”
“Alexia, it’s not healthy to run away from your problems.”
“I just needed a change,” I replied. My gut twisted a bit as I said it, knowing damn well Cecilia wouldn’t believe such a lie. “And I think that anyone in my position would have done the same thing, given a chance.”
“Look, losing your grandfather and then getting dumped by that piece of shit at the same time was definitely a lot to handle. But are you sure this is the right choice? It’s not like you didn’t have other things going for you here.”
I closed my eyes and thought about her words. The only good thing in my life was my career as a writer. Everything else had gone to complete shit.
“You know how close I was with my grandfather,” I said, suddenly aware that a woman nearby was eavesdropping. I shot her a look that said, ‘mind your business.’ “He was there when no one else was.”
Especially my deadbeat mom, who abandoned me after my father died.
“And then Seamus stomped all over my heart. I still can’t believe it happened within the same week.” I wiped away a tear and collected myself. “But, at least I inherited a bookstore out of it.”
That was my reason for coming to Ireland. My grandfather had left me a quaint bookstore to run in his will. The bookstore that had been the love of his life, after my grandmother and myself, of course. I used to love hearing stories about it.
“You could have sold it,” Cecilia said.
“How could I sell something that he had to walk away from just to raise me?” I heard her let out a sigh.
She knew I was right. My grandfather had someone else run the bookstore, coming back and forth from Ireland to the states to take care of me. I told him a million times just to move me to Ireland, but he felt it was important I finished out school where I was. I had just gone through losing two parents within a very short time frame. One was just a selfish bitch, the other was a hero. Even though I was running away from my problems, I also felt obligated to keep the bookstore going.
Cecilia lowered her tone to a familiar, comforting one. “Just promise me that if you’re ever unhappy there, for any reason whatsoever, that you’ll come back home.”
“I promise,” I said as another tear rolled down my cheek.
We said goodbye, and I made my way outside.
I hailed a cab and tossed my bags in the back, giving the driver the address. As we drove along, I took in the beautiful, lush greenery that was Ireland. Rolling hills filled with flowers, rustic cottages with sheep grazing nearby, and flower markets dotted the view all around us.
I recognized the bookstore as soon as we pulled up. It was a spitting image of what I’d seen pictures of online. It was made entirely out of cobblestone, with several large storefront windows, and a parking lot on the side. It was also surrounded by beautiful green and white flowers planted in large wooden drums.
After paying the cab driver and unloading my luggage, I looked up at the top floor of the bookstore. It had an apartment that I would be staying in, which was perfect since I wouldn’t have to drive just to get to work or worry about rent.
I opened the door and was greeted by the sound of a metal bell.
“Oh my,” I said, wincing as I shut the door behind me.
It was beautiful and rustic but definitely needed some work. The bookshelves were a bit cluttered, and there was dust everywhere. I let out a sigh and took a tour, looking at the titles of books along the way.
“Hi!” My head shot up from the bookshelves finding a fairly tall man with short brown hair smiling back at me. “You must be Alexia. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Baron.”
He did a curtsy, and I couldn’t help but giggle.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, outstretching my hand.
“I’ve been running this shop by your grandfather’s side for many years now,” he said. “You’re lucky to have come just now. That last customer we had, ugh! Such a wagon. I was sure she'd have taken me soul with her if she could've.”
“Excuse me?”
He let out a laugh as he fanned his face with his hand, and daintily rested it on his chest.
“Pardon me,” he said in his thick Irish accent. “It’s what we Irish call an evil and cruel woman. Don’t worry. You’ll pick up the slang in no time, my dear!”
He whipped a handkerchief out of his pocket and dusted the bookshelf a bit.
I smirked and ran my finger over several of the spines. “Yeah, it’s a bit dusty. But I wouldn’t even know where to start with so many
books.”
He smacked his lips and sighed. “I’d love to dedicate just one day to cleaning, but it’s so hard since it’s just me running the shop ya know?”
“And I hope you’ll stay on for much longer,” I said, leaning against the bookshelf. “Because my grandfather said I am to keep you on for a minimum of five years.”
He jumped up in the air and clapped his hands.
“Oh good,” he said in a more feminine voice. “Because not only do I need the money, but I can tell that you and I are going to get along very well. This shop has been my pride and joy for so long.”
Hooking his arm in mine, Baron showed me around the bookstore, explaining how the rows of books were set up and their filing system. I made a mental note to order some classics that were missing, along with some contemporary ones, so the store could attract different types of people.
“You’re gonna love the apartment,” he said, opening a door in the back.
The stairwell was so narrow, I had to lean against one wall as I lugged my bags up, trying not to topple down backward. “I hope it’s better than this staircase.”
He unlocked the door with a wink and helped me drag my bags inside.
“Impressive,” I said, panting. “Way better than I had imagined.”
The apartment felt spacious, much more open then the book shop below. In front of me was a living room area, and to the right, the old wooden floors flowed right into the decently sized kitchen, complete with light blue appliances.
“Your grandfather loved this color,” Baron said while running his hands up and down the microwave.
Past the kitchen was a small half-bathroom, and straight ahead, the living room split off into a small hallway with two bedrooms on one side, and one on the other. “I thought it was a one-bedroom, but I’m certainly not complaining.”
I placed my bags in the biggest bedroom, which had a breathtaking view of the Irish countryside.
Baron wrinkled his nose, pointing at the floor. “You might be a little surprised by the office, though. And I don’t mean in a good way.”
My heart sank as we went back downstairs and into the office.
“Holy crap,” I gasped. “No computer?”
Baron threw his hands in the air and rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. I loved your grandfather dearly, but he hated technology.”
I picked up a register, and several sheets of paper flew out. A cloud of dust hit my face as I put it back down on the desk. I coughed, waving my hand in front of me. “There’s paper everywhere. It’ll take me ages to get through all of this!”
“The good news is I’m here to help!” He threw his hands in the air and grinned, making me laugh.
As my eyes scanned down to the desk, my smile faded. I picked up a picture of my grandfather, standing with my father in full uniform.
“Oh,” was all I could say.
As I stared at the two most important men in my life, I ran my thumb up and down the glass. A tear rolled down my cheek, and I brushed it away, but not before Baron had his arm around me. “Should I have put that away?”
I shook my head, no. “It’s alright. That’s my father. He died in Iraq. He was a marine. That’s why my grandfather had to come and take care of me.”
Baron didn’t ask about my mother. “He loved you very much.”
I let out a huge sigh and nodded. “And I loved him.”
Baron and I went out into the bookstore, which was empty even though it had been open for hours. I stood behind the front door and looked out the window, picturing my grandfather doing the same thing.
“I can feel him, Baron,” I said. “My grandfather. I can feel his spirit in this store.”
“I’m sure he’ll be here for many years to come. He always said that he’d never leave this place, that it was his heart and soul.” I heard him shuffling some books around in the bookcase. “Just as long as he doesn’t scare me. Girl, I do not need a poltergeist.”
I turned to look at him and smiled. “He was such a loving man, I’m sure that if his ghost is here, he’ll be quiet about it.”
“Good, because let me tell you something. Ain’t nothing good gonna happen if you hear me scream! Windows will be breaking, women screaming, beers spilling. It would be a disaster.”
I laughed and watched him at work. My grandfather was smart, having him stay on at the bookstore. Not only was he proving to be helpful, moving quickly but efficiently through the stacks of books, but he was the comic relief that I so desperately needed.
“So, tell me,” he continued. “Does any man here have your heart? Or did you really just move here for a bunch of dusty stacks and old books?”
I blushed and shook my head. “No, I’m afraid that love hasn’t been too kind to me over the years.”
I decided to wait before telling him about Seamus, my boyfriend of three years who dumped me right after my grandfather died.
“Well, don’t let that stop you from meeting some lads here in Ireland. In fact, maybe the two of us could hit up a bar sometime and see what trouble we can get into. American women love Irish men and let me tell you, there are some hot men out here in this little town.”
Baron sat down behind the desk. He leaned forward on his stool and placed his hands underneath his chin, wiggling his brows up and down.
I feigned shock. “I’m not that kind of woman!”
He rolled his eyes and picked up several books, staking them in his arms. “Every woman is ‘that’ kind of woman. You just have to find the right guy. And when you do, please find one for me!”
I was utterly enamored with Baron and his over-the-top personality. “Actually, I probably should get a taste of Ireland. Seeing as how this will be my new home and all.”
He put down the books with a gasp and skipped over, waving his hands in the air. “That’s the spirit! Now, where should we have our first drink.” He put his fingers to his lips and tapped them, looking off in the distance as he thought of a place. “Aha! I have it. We’ll go to Gideon’s Pub tomorrow night.”
“Um, tomorrow? I mean, I’m still tired from traveling and…”
He put his finger to my lips and shook his head. “Tomorrow night, Alexia. We are going to paint this town green!”
“Don’t you mean red?”
He rolled his eyes. “Honey, this is Ireland. We’re gonna paint it green. Welcome to the family!”
Chapter 2
Ronan
I leaned back in my chair and listened to the board members talking on the phone. They knew I was the type of guy to just listen and give my input when necessary. I stretched my legs out and adjusted my belt, regretting that second helping of potatoes at lunch.
“Ronan, where’s Liam today? He knew we had a board meeting, correct?”
I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. My best friend and partner of Killigan-O’Leary Media, Liam, was noticeably absent from yet another crucial board meeting. I knew damn well that he was out doing some publicity stunt, but I wasn’t about to tell that to any of the board members. “Oh, he’s meeting with a client right now. I apologize for not saying something earlier.”
“That’s fine,” said one of the board members.
I recognized her voice but not her face. Phone conversations were so much easier for me. I hated staring at all those judging faces, and the thought of having several windows of people staring back at me on my computer was too much to handle.
Our board members were all over the globe.
“Just as long as he’s not misrepresenting our company,” Mr. Gregor chimed in.
He was one of the elder members and made it very clear that Liam was a wild child.
“Of course not,” I said. “He would never do such a thing.”
Even I knew that was a lie. Liam was and always had been a troublemaker, the kind of party boy who wanted fame and glory. Whereas I was more conservative and kept to myself.
“Do you know with whom he’s meeting?”
Once again, I was t
hankful they couldn’t see me because my face would have given the whole lie away.
“Nope, he didn’ say.” I pretended to type something just to try and change the conversation. Something told me the board members were onto me. “So, do we have anything else to cover?”
I listened as they talked amongst themselves, discussing numbers and which direction the company was going. The media company that Liam and I had started right after college was going well. Very well, in fact. So well that it made me wonder if it was the calm before the storm.
“I think we covered everything,” I said when everyone stopped talking. “Good conference call.”
“Ronan,” Mr. Ridman said. “Remind Liam that whenever he’s out in public, doing whatever it is that he’s doing, he’s always representing Killigan-O’Leary Media.”
I rolled my eyes before responding. “He knows that, but I’ll remind him.”
I immediately hung up the conference call, let out a big sigh, and dialed my secretary. “Angelina, please hold my calls for the next 15 minutes. I’m taking a break.”
“Of course,” she replied.
Pushing back my chair, I rolled my shoulders and stretched my arms over my head. As I stood, I glanced at my phone to make sure Liam hadn’t texted. There were no missed calls or texts. I walked over to my office window and looked out.
Everything was going great with my career. Our numbers were looking up, I had plenty of money in the bank, and I even got to work with my best friend. My eyes wandered over to my bookshelf and landed on a picture of Erin, my college sweetheart. Her long, red hair and emerald eyes seemed to gaze back at me.