Merging with the Billionaire

by Jenna Brandt

  Tiffany tried to pull away from her father. “Do you need to sit down, Dad? You’re not making any sense.”

  Though still fighting an illness, her father was stronger than he looked. He didn’t let her leave, holding on to her tightly instead. “You need to hear this, Tiffany. As I’m nearing the end of my life, I’ve realized I’ve made a lot of mistakes, mostly where my family was concerned. I spent too much time focusing on my company and not enough time on all of you. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes as me.”

  “Dad, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

  “I know you are, Tiffany, but that’s part of the problem. All of the years your mother and I were busy with anything other than parenting, resulted in your thinking you didn’t need anyone. That’s just not true. You need to find someone to spend your life with, the right someone.”

  Tiffany shook her head. “Well, that’s never going to happen. I’m horrible at relationships. Besides, most men want a woman to dote on them, to give up their career for them.”

  “Not the right man,” her father corrected. “The right man will love that about you, and will encourage you to follow your passions, wherever they may lie.”

  “Apparently, I haven’t met him yet then,” Tiffany stated snidely, remembering that Artie constantly talked about the day when she would quit working for the company once they were married. It was the largest source of contention between them, that and his cheating.

  “I think you might be wrong about that,” her father gently rebuked, delivering her to the side of the dance floor where Conrad came into view. Her father leaned forward and added in a whisper, “He could be right in front of you.”

  Her father gave Conrad a firm handshake. “I need to sit down for a rest. Do you mind dancing with my daughter for the next song?”

  Conrad nodded, reaching out to take Tiffany by the hand. He escorted her onto the dance floor. “I didn’t plan this, I swear, but I can’t say I mind it. I love feeling you in my arms again.”

  “All of this is so overwhelming,” Tiffany stammered out. “One minute I’m talking with my father, and the next you’re dragging me onto the dance floor.”

  “I hardly think I was dragging you,” Conrad teased. “You seemed to come pretty willingly with me.”

  “I suppose it just felt that way then,” she reluctantly admitted. “I’m not even sure why I let you bring me out here.”

  “You know why; you secretly want to have an excuse to be close to me.”

  She wanted to argue with him, deny that it was the case, but she couldn’t manage to find the words to do it. The truth was, Conrad was right. She did like having the excuse. It felt good to be held by him again.

  Tiffany let herself lean into his frame, enjoying his strong hold and signature scent of earthy notes with a hint of mint. The stubble along his jaw tickled her face, causing her cheek to tingle from where their skin touched. She found herself getting lost in the sway of the dance, the rhythmic sound of the music, and the intoxicating affect Conrad had on her.

  “Who was that guy you were talking to earlier? You seemed to be upset with him.”

  Tiffany leaned back and looked up at Conrad. “It was my ex, Artie Frankhurst.”

  “What did he want?”

  “He wants me back, but that’s never going to happen,” she stated firmly.

  “Why is that? Is there a chance your interest lies elsewhere now?” Conrad probed with a hopeful smile.

  Was that the case? Did she have feelings for Conrad? Tiffany wanted to keep herself from dwelling on Conrad and their secret kiss, but no matter how hard she tried to push it from her thoughts, it was always in the back of her mind.

  “To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel right now,” she whispered, her eyes fluttering with anticipation due to the look of desire she saw in his eyes. She could see he wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted him to.

  The sudden jarring sound of the New Year countdown reminded them both where they were.

  “Six, five, four—”

  Conrad’s grip around her waist and at her hand tightened, his eyes tapered, and his lips parted slightly.

  “Three, two, one.”

  His mouth came down to meet hers, and just like before, it was like a bolt of lightning hit them, electrifying everything around them. This time, Tiffany didn’t pull away, knowing she could blame it on New Year’s Eve—it was a requirement after all—to kiss whoever you were with, and she was lucky enough to be with Conrad Gaines.

  Tiffany let herself melt into the kiss, reveling in the amazing sensations his kiss evoked in her. Never had she felt like this before; never had she hoped and wished for another kiss so much and been rewarded so abundantly when it happened.

  Someone tapped her on the shoulder, causing the kiss to end. As quickly as the moment came, it was gone, both of them being pulled away by well-wishers for a happy New Year.

  For the rest of the night, all Tiffany could think about was how good it felt to be held and kissed by Conrad. She wasn’t sure how or when the opportunity would arise, but she couldn’t wait for another reason to let it happen.

  7

  The following week, Conrad couldn’t wait to get into Boswell Oil and see Tiffany. He had debated all weekend whether he should call or text her but thought he would be better not to press it. Like Boswell Senior pointed out, Tiffany was going to need time to adjust to the idea of being open to a new relationship.

  He brought with him another round of coffee, knowing that at least this time he wouldn’t have to convince her to drink it.

  As he entered Tiffany’s office, she raised her hand to make sure he didn’t interrupt.

  “That’s right, yes, we’ll be ready to meet your demand by the time you’re rolling out your next line of homes.” There was a long pause, Tiffany looked up and rolled her eyes, then gave him a smirk. She focused back to the call a moment later. “Agreed, it will make your homes fully eco-friendly, which will entice the newer consumer who worries about carbon footprints. All right. Sounds good. I’ll talk to you at the end of the month.”

  Tiffany stood from her desk and came around to greet Conrad. “I’ve never been so glad to see a cup of coffee in all my life. She reached out and took the hot drink. “It’s been a long morning.”

  “Already?” Conrad questioned, glancing down at his Rolex. “It’s only 8:30 AM.”

  “I’ve been here since seven, trying to talk our first solar client into not backing out. He heard that my father took a turn for the worse after the wedding, and he’s threatening to pull out. He’s worried that I won’t be able to handle the company, especially the new division, with Roger away on his honeymoon.”

  “When did he leave?” Conrad inquired, leaning against the edge of the desk.

  “He should be taking off today. He had to get everything situated with my nephew.”

  “Who’s watching him?”

  “I am,” Tiffany admitted, taking a sip of her coffee before continuing. “He’s at preschool for most of the day and then with the nanny until I get home for dinner. My mother offered to let him stay with them, but with my dad’s constant shifting in temperament, Roger and I agreed it would be better for Marcus to stay with me. We were busy all day yesterday getting him settled into my apartment so that Roger and Celeste can take off today for St. Barts.”

  “Are you up for taking care of a small child? That seems like it could be a lot,” Conrad pointed out.

  She shrugged. “He’s my nephew—I like spending time with him. As an added bonus, it probably pleases my parents to no end. They want nothing more than for me to settle down.”

  “Why’s that?” Conrad asked with curiosity.

  “Because Boswell women have their whole lives planned out from conception. Elite nannies until private prep school. Then socially and economically beneficial marriages for the sole purpose of producing lots of heirs. You wouldn’t believe how furious my dad was when I announced
that I had gotten into Harvard on a full-ride scholarship and planned on attending, even if he didn’t approve. He literally said, ‘That’s not the plan for my daughter. You know what’s required of you. Why are you striving for more?’”

  “He shouldn’t have said that to you,” Conrad rebuked in anger. “You’re so much more than an incubator for babies. Doesn’t he know how rare it is to have someone with your brains and intuition wanting to work for his company? You’re an asset to this place, and your vision to turn Boswell Oil into Boswell Energy is genius.”

  “Well, considering we were creating a division strictly to handle solar energy, it made sense to rebrand ourselves in the process.”

  “You know, I get being underestimated because of the role you were born into. People didn’t expect much from me since I was a foster kid,” Conrad admitted with a shake of his head. “They just assumed I would end up never amounting to anything. You don’t know how many times I had someone tell me to just accept what I had and not strive for more. In a way, it’s what made me so determined. I wanted to prove all of them wrong.”

  “Well, you did. You’re one of the youngest self-made billionaires in all of the world and have the largest energy company in the world—next to mine of course,” she added with a wink.

  “It’s why the merging of my solar panels into your new energy division makes so much sense. With your company’s contacts in big oil, and mine in solar, together, we can dominate the industry.”

  “And the world would be better for it if we can convince the largest energy users to convert over to alternative energy sources. Wouldn’t it be amazing to find a way to get to a place where the world didn’t thrive on fossil fuels but sustainable energy resources like solar and wind?”

  The spark of passion he saw in her eyes made the blueness twinkle like the stars in the night sky. She was way too tempting, and before he knew what was happening, he was moving towards her. “I agree, sustainable energy is the new future, and your family’s smart to want to move into the space now while there’s still so much room.” Reaching out he pulled her against him. “I guess I should say, you’re really smart, since it’s your idea.”

  “What…what are you doing?” Tiffany stammered out with shock. “Someone could see us.”

  “I can’t help myself. There’s nothing sexier than a woman who knows what she wants and goes for it.”

  Without being able to contain himself, his mouth found hers, claiming possession without a second thought. The feel of her soft lips against his own was like caressing the softest silk. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  “Hmm, hmm,” Conrad heard a male voice say from behind him. With dread, he realized the voice belonged to Roger.

  Tiffany’s eyes snapped open in fear as she quickly pulled away, brushing her mouth with the back of her hand. Conrad slowly turned around to find Roger glaring at him. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his cheeks were red with anger.

  “We need to talk, Tiffany, privately,” Roger growled out. Then turning his attention to his enemy, he added, “You should leave, Conrad. Before my fist decides to knock the living daylights out of you.”

  “Roger,” Tiffany gasped with shock. “Don’t threaten him like that!”

  “It’s not a threat,” Roger vowed. “If he doesn’t leave right now, I’m not responsible for what happens next.”

  Realizing Roger meant what he was saying, Conrad looked over his shoulder at Tiffany and mouthed the words, ‘I’m sorry’ before exiting the room. He hated leaving her there to face Roger alone, but the last thing she needed was for a fight to break out. It would surely cause a scandal that the Boswell family didn’t need on top of everything else.

  Tiffany had never seen her brother look so angry. She knew if he had found out about what had been going on between her and Conrad, Roger would be furious. She just didn’t know it would be this bad.

  “Go on, I know you want to comment on what you just saw,” Tiffany said, gesturing towards the door.

  Roger closed it and came over to stand in front of Tiffany. “Seriously, Tiffany, Conrad Gaines? I heard you kissed him at my wedding, but I thought it wasn’t anything more than a New Year’s obligation. But after seeing the two of you together just now, I know it’s more than that. Of all the men in the world, you had to go and get involved with him. I mean, Artie Frankhurst was bad enough, but Conrad is even worse. You don’t want to get mixed up with him.”

  Tiffany didn’t like Roger drawing a comparison. Though she’d only known Conrad for a short time, she was sure of one thing, he wasn’t a liar or a cheater like Artie. Her brother’s objection stemmed from his encounters with the man when they were in college together.

  “If this is simply about your rivalry in college, you’ve both changed and grown up since then. You’ve asked everyone to give you a second chance, maybe you should think about doing the same for Conrad.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Roger stated firmly, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

  “Why not?”

  “If it was isolated to when we were in our youth, I would concede you have a point, but he hit on Celeste at Bryce and Lana’s wedding,” Roger disclosed, seething anger clearly written on his face as well as heard in his voice. “I didn’t think it relevant until now, but if he’s kissing you, it’s because he thinks you’re a way to get at me like Celeste was because she was my nanny. You can’t trust him.”

  Tiffany had no idea Conrad had done that to Celeste. Did that mean she didn’t know the man as well as she thought she did? Conrad didn’t seem like the sleazy type, but then, neither did Artie at first. Was she just as wrong about Conrad as she was about her ex? Was she incapable of telling a good guy from a bad one? She’d always prided herself on being a good judge of character, but maybe she shouldn’t trust her judgment when it came to romance when clearly, she kept picking the wrong men.

  “Are you listening to me, Tiffany? Whatever is going on between you and Conrad, you need to stop it. If you can’t manage it, I’ll take over the energy division.”

  “You can’t do that. You’d be completely lost,” Tiffany objected. “Besides it’s my project. Father put me in charge.”

  “Then act like it. Be in charge, and don’t let Conrad Gaines take advantage of you.”

  Tiffany’s mind drifted back to all the nice things Conrad had done for her, the kisses they shared, and the fact her father had acted like they would be a good match. Had she been mistaken about all of it? Standing up for her and bringing her coffee could have simply been a tactic to win her over, the kisses could be chalked up to attraction—nothing more, and her father had Alzheimer’s. It wasn’t fair to hold what her father said to any standard; he simply could have been mixed up about what he thought he saw between her and Conrad.

  “Okay, Roger, you win,” Tiffany relented, her shoulders slumping forward with defeat. “I’ll keep everything with Conrad strictly business from this point forward.”

  “I can see from your reaction, you’re upset about this, but it’s for your own good, Tiff. You’d only end up getting hurt again if you got involved with Conrad.”

  Wanting to change the subject, Tiffany asked, “What are you doing here anyway, Roger? Aren’t you supposed to be heading to your honeymoon?”

  Her brother nodded, handing her a Spider-man backpack. “I realized we forgot to pack a few of Marcus’ favorite toys. I wanted to bring them over to you before we left town.”

  “Thank you.” She placed the backpack down on a nearby chair. “Have fun on your honeymoon.”

  “We will,” Roger said, reaching out and pulling his sister into a hug. “I appreciate your taking care of Marcus for us.”

  After Roger took off, Tiffany finished up a couple of things before deciding she didn’t want to be at the office any longer. Her assistant wasn’t at her desk, but it didn’t matter. Tiffany didn’t want to wait until she got back. A solid work-out was what she needed, that and a tall glass of wine, but t
hat would have to wait until after she handled the rest of her work from her home office.

  Tiffany passed the break room where Conrad was sitting with a cup of coffee in his hands. He wasn’t drinking it, simply staring at it. She waffled, debating about saying anything to him. Wouldn’t it be better if she just left? Wouldn’t that make it clear where they stood?

  “Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Boswell?” Kari, the front desk receptionist asked, coming up beside her. She looked from her to Conrad, and then back. She leaned towards her and whispered, “This doesn’t have anything to do with the kiss you two shared at your brother’s wedding, does it?”

  Tiffany’s head snapped to the side. Kari hadn’t been at the wedding, as only the highest-ranking employees had been invited. “How do you know about that?”

  Kari must have realized she made a mistake about bringing up the matter because her cheeks tinged pink and she looked away. “I hate to be the one to tell you this, Miss Boswell, but everyone at the office knows about it.”

  Great, just what Tiffany needed on top of Roger catching her with Conrad earlier. How was she going to put out this fire now that it had spread so far? She was good at damage control, but this seemed like it might very well do in her career. Should she get a fixer to cover it up? Roger probably knew someone, but she didn’t want to bother him with it while he was headed out of the country. What about her father? He probably used to, but who knew if he was even capable of talking with her about it. What was she going to do?

  “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t contribute to the spread of false information,” Tiffany reprimanded her employee before turning away from the break room to leave. “My assistant isn’t at her desk, so let her know I won’t be back until tomorrow.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Kari said with a nod before scurrying away.

  Tiffany didn’t get very far before she heard Conrad behind her. “You’re not just going to leave? Shouldn’t we talk about what just happened?”