The Billionaire’s Heart
The Sherbrookes of Newport book 12
Christina Tetreault
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Other Books By Christina
About The Author
The Billionaire’s Heart, ©2018 by Christina Tetreault
Published by Christina Tetreault
Cover Designer: Amanda Walker
Photographer: JW Photography
Cover Model: Daniel Rengering
Cover Model: Kristen Lazarus
Editing: Hot Tree Editing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author. This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. For more information on the author and her works, please see www.christinatetreault.com
Digital ISBN: 978-1-7329429-0-5
Prologue
April Fools Day
Leah paused at the sound of her ringing cell phone and fished the device from her purse. Before answering she checked the caller ID, because after the day of travel she’d experienced, there was only a handful of people she was willing to talk to. Her cousin Courtney’s name was displayed across the screen. A call from Courtney or anyone else in her family, she’d take.
“Hey,” Leah greeted, entering the luxury condo building when the doorman opened the door for her.
Courtney didn’t give her a chance to say anything else. “Did you know?”
“I know a lot of things. You’ll need to be more specific, Court.” Since she was in no rush and Harry wasn’t even expecting her tonight, Leah crossed the building’s main lobby to one of the leather sofas rather than continue to the elevators.
“Right, sorry. Did you know your brother is C.S. Hilton? I didn’t find out until this afternoon. Curt stopped by my mom’s house to wish her a happy birthday, and he mentioned it.”
Shoot. She’d reminded herself yesterday to call Aunt Marilyn today and wish her a happy birthday. After the delays at the airport caused by the weather and then the awful plane ride, it had completely slipped her mind.
“Yes, I knew. Curt told me not long after Fatal Deception came out.” When he had confided in her, her reaction had been first shock, followed by amazement and pride because it had been a fabulous novel. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so eager for an author to release a second book. Unfortunately, the last time she asked Curt about it, he hadn’t even finished writing the next one.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. We even talked about the book after we both finished it.”
Leah remembered well. More than once she’d almost blurted out the truth during their conversation. “I wanted to tell you, but it wasn’t my secret to share. And Curt didn’t want too many people to know. Not even family.”
“Fair enough, but I still can’t believe Curt wrote it,” Courtney replied. “Did you also know he left Nichols Investment?”
Leah’s jaw all but fell into her lap. She along with everyone else in the family knew Jim Burke, the current CEO of the Boston-based investment firm, was grooming Curt to take over for him at some point in the near future. “He did?”
“Yep. He told us that at least for the foreseeable future he plans to do nothing but work on his next novel and remodel the house he bought.”
Another fixer-up? This had to be at least his fourth. She’d expected Curt’s interest in renovating old homes to have dwindled by now. If he’d not only bought another one but also left the firm so he could dedicate more time to working on it, it was the opposite.
“He plans on living in it too while he does the work,” Courtney continued. “The house is somewhere up in New Hampshire. I forget the name of the town, but he said it’s just over the Massachusetts border.”
Obviously her big brother had been inhaling too many paint fumes while doing all these renovations. She’d have to call him later and try to set him straight. He had a gorgeous place in Boston and a house right on the beach in Newport. He didn’t need to live in a run-down house in New Hampshire, no matter how much he enjoyed doing his renovation projects.
“Anyway, I’m heading out to Greenwich to visit Callie and Dylan this weekend. Do you want to meet in the city Sunday and do some shopping?” Courtney asked, referring to their cousin and her husband.
Anyone who’d ever seen the inside of Leah’s closet knew there weren’t too many things she loved more than a good shopping spree, especially if she had company while she did it. And with the expectation of maybe Paris, there was no better place to shop than New York City in her opinion. Even Los Angeles paled in comparison.
“I’ve been in California all week for work, and before that I was in Utah for three days. I just got back today. Let me make sure Harry doesn’t have any plans made for us this weekend, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Sounds good. Talk to you soon.”
Rather than toss her phone back in her purse, Leah pulled up Aunt Marilyn’s contact information. When she didn’t answer, Leah left a message wishing her a happy birthday and promising to call again soon.
“Hey, stranger,” a male voice she recognized well greeted. “Where have you been?”
Zipping her purse closed, Leah smiled up at Gavin Kincaid, Harry’s half brother. She’d first met him about a year ago at a fundraiser, but over the past two and a half months she’d gotten to know him well, since Harry and Gavin were currently sharing one of the building’s luxury condos while Harry’s new home was being built. Although how they managed to coexist in the same space, she didn’t know. They seemed to be polar opposites. They didn’t even share a family resemblance. While Harry was tall and lanky with blond hair and hazel eyes, Gavin had dark hair and dark eyes like their father. And the word lanky wasn’t an adjective anyone would associate with Gavin. At perhaps a little over six feet tall, he had a build perfectly suited for doing underwear ads.
“First Utah and then California. I just got back today.” Leah gestured toward the suitcase Gavin held. “Looks like I’m not the only one who has been traveling. Business or pleasure?”
“People travel for pleasure?” Gavin asked, feigning a shocked expression.
“Occasionally. You should give it a try sometime.”
Unlike her boyfriend, who did the absolute minimum at the office, Gavin was the stereotypical workaholic. In fact she’d only met one person worse than him: longtime family friend Dylan Talbot, before he met and married her cousin Callie.
“I’ll keep it in mind. Are you heading upstairs or are you on your way out?” He tipped his head in the direction of the elevators.
Standing, Leah smoothed down her skirt and slipped the purse straps over her shoulder. “Heading up. I wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow morning, but I wrapped things up in California and caught an earlier flight home. I thought
I’d surprise Harry tonight. Assuming he’s home, anyway.”
Gavin pretended to check his wristwatch. “Well, it’s after six, so we both know he won’t be at the office. But if he’s not home, you’re welcome to hang around until he gets back.”
They kept up a steady conversation as they crossed the lobby to the elevators, and not for the first time she wondered why Gavin remained single. He was easy to talk to and even easier on the eyes. Actually, the only major flaw he seemed to have was that he worked too much. As far as flaws went, it wasn’t the worst one a person could have. Given the right incentive, it was also one a person could overcome. She’d witnessed that firsthand.
“Will you be traveling again soon?” Leah asked, exiting the elevator when the doors opened. Perhaps it was time she took a page out of her best friend’s handbook and tried her hand at matchmaking. A man like Gavin deserved to have someone special in his life, and she had plenty of female friends and relatives to pick from.
Gavin unlocked the door and turned the handle. “I have no plans to go anywhere right now, but we both know things come up.” He pushed the door open and allowed her to enter first. “What about you?”
Leah made a mental note to review her list of single friends and relatives soon. If Tory, her cousin, could play Cupid, so could she. “Thankfully, I won’t be going anywhere either.” While she loved traveling, she hated doing it for work. “Unless it involves a trip to a sandy beach with a fruity—” At the sight of the wedge sandals near the leather sofa, her lips froze. Unless Harry had decided to give ladies’ footwear a try, a woman was visiting him, because those were not her shoes.
Don’t jump to any conclusions. Harry did have two half sisters, although judging by the size of the sandals, they couldn’t belong to Piper. She was only ten years old and, although tall for her age, there was no way those sandals belonged to her.
That doesn’t rule out Vivian, she reminded herself. Doubt settled in because she couldn’t imagine Vivian visiting Harry; while they were half siblings, she got the impression the two didn’t get along well.
“On a beach with a fruity what?” Gavin’s question suggested he’d either not noticed the feminine footwear or knew who the shoes belonged to.
Before she could answer his question or pose one, the owner of the sandals called out from across the condo, “Hey, Harry, where do you keep the bottle opener?” The woman’s voice contained a lyrical southern accent.
Definitely not Vivian. She’d met Gavin’s twin sister. Like Harry and Gavin, she’d grown up in New England and sounded nothing like the woman searching for a bottle opener in the kitchen.
“Should be in the top drawer next to the wine fridge.” Harry’s voice came from the direction of the bedrooms.
Harry’s visitor came into view carrying a bottle of wine and dressed in a New England Rebels T-shirt—a shirt Leah had seen Harry wear—and nothing else. When she realized Gavin and Leah were standing there, she stopped and smiled.
Taking in a deep breath, Leah counted to ten and resisted the urge to stomp out like a child. She’d known going into their relationship that Harry had dated a lot of women. She hadn’t held it against him. She’d had a fair number of boyfriends herself. However, she’d assumed that despite his long list of past girlfriends, he’d be faithful. The redheaded bombshell standing a few feet away showed just how wrong she’d been.
Idiot.
“Hi, Gavin,” the redhead greeted.
Why it bothered her that Gavin knew the half-dressed woman standing in front of them she couldn’t say, but it did.
A lot.
Curious to see how’d he react, Leah shot a look in his direction.
Either he’s a fabulous actor, or he really doesn’t recognize her.
“We met in the elevator last month,” the redhead continued when Gavin didn’t reply. “You had a suitcase with you and mentioned you were flying out for business.”
“Still can’t find it, Amy?” Harry entered the living room before Gavin confirmed he remembered the encounter. Unlike his female guest, he wore jeans but no shirt.
Something between shock and concern crossed Harry’s face as he came to an abrupt stop. “Leah, I thought you weren’t getting back until tomorrow.”
Various curses passed through her mind, but rather than call him every vile name ever invented to describe two-timing jerks, she tilted her head in Amy’s direction. “I can see that.”
Without waiting to hear whatever response or excuse Harry might come up with, she turned on her heel and walked out.
If Amy wants you, she can have you.
Later he’d give Harry a piece of his mind, but first he wanted to make sure the woman his brother had just betrayed was okay. After giving his half brother a dirty look, Gavin bolted out the door.
“Leah, wait,” he called as she pressed the button for the elevator. “Are you all right?”
She turned and faced him, a forced smile if he’d ever seen one painted on her face, but at least she wasn’t crying. He never knew exactly how to handle crying women.
“Peachy.”
“I’m serious. What Harry—”
Behind her the elevator doors opened. “Really, I’ll be fine, Gavin, but thanks for asking. And while finding out like this stinks, it’s better I learn what a jerk Harry is now before I waste any more time on him.”
Half brother or not, Gavin could’ve told her the day she walked into his condo what an asshole Harry was when it came to women and relationships. No doubt about it, the guy was following in their father’s footsteps. The only real difference between them was that Donald Kincaid cheated on both his wives and girlfriends while Harry had been wise enough to keep away from the altar.
“Have a nice weekend. And don’t forget to try taking a vacation sometime. I think you work too much.” She stepped inside the elevator and gave him a little wave. “See you later, Gavin.”
The doors closed before he could offer up a reply. Crossing the hall, he entered the condo in time to hear Amy call his half brother a dirtbag. An appropriate if tame name for Harry. Soon after she stormed across the living room dressed in her own clothes.
“Amy, c’mon, wait a minute. I can explain,” Harry called, following her into the room still only wearing his jeans.
After grabbing her sandals, she continued toward the door without even stopping to put them on. “Yeah, I bet you can,” Amy tossed over her shoulder before opening the door and walking out.
“Damn it.” Harry raked a hand through his already disheveled blond hair. “I need a drink. Do you want one?”
“You need a drink?” Gavin advanced on his half brother, his hands clenched into fists. He never resorted to violence, but damn he wanted to punch Harry. “Your girlfriend just walked in on you with another woman, and you’re the one who needs a drink? How the hell do you think Leah feels?”
With a shrug, Harry entered the kitchen and went straight for the fridge.
Pain shot through Gavin’s cheek, and he relaxed his jaw as he stormed into the room. “If you feel a great need to take after Dad in some way, try emulating his boardroom skills instead.” Their father had a lot of faults, but he knew how to run a successful multimillion-dollar business.
“Who do think encouraged me to stay with Leah this long anyway?” Harry opened a beer and took a swig. “If it’d been up to me, I would’ve dumped her weeks ago. She might be pretty, but she’s a prude. Why do you think I’ve been hooking up with Amy or Satin whenever Leah’s not around?”
He’d known Harry was lazy but hadn’t realized he was stupid too. Gavin had been attracted to Leah Sherbrooke from the moment he met her at a Clean Water Matters fundraiser a year ago. Unfortunately, at the time she’d been involved with someone. When Harry showed up at the condo they were temporarily sharing back in January with her on his arm, Gavin couldn’t believe his rotten luck. If he had known Leah was single, he would’ve reached out to her long before her cousin Tory introduced her to Harry.
&nb
sp; Despite her being with his half brother, Gavin’s attraction hadn’t disappeared. In fact it had grown over the past two and a half months. Thanks to all the time she’d spent at the condo, he’d gotten to know her as a person rather than just another member of the wealthy and powerful Sherbrooke family.
“Dad wanted you to stay with her?” As far as he knew, their father had never cared whom any of his children got involved with.
“Yeah. Since we were together, he expected to finally have a connection to the Sherbrooke family so he could get Culloden restaurants into their hotels.”
At times like this, Gavin wondered how it was possible Donald Kincaid was his father.
“He’s going to be pissed when he finds out we’re no longer together.” Harry swallowed another mouthful of beer. “Do me a favor and don’t say anything to him. I’m not in the mood for one of his friendly chats.”
Gavin had been on the receiving end of Dad’s chats, and he knew there was nothing friendly about them. All things considered, he couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of one than Harry, but he was a little old to be tattling on his younger brother.
“I’ll leave the honors to you. But let me know when you plan on giving him the news, so I can turn off my phone.”
Since they were living together, Dad would find some way of placing part of the blame on his head—as if he’d ever been able to influence Harry’s decisions. Regardless, ever since they’d been kids, whenever Harry screwed up, Dad found a way to transfer some of the responsibility onto Gavin’s shoulders. Maybe if Dad had forced Harry to deal with things more, the guy would be more of a responsible adult today.
“Hopefully I can convince Leah to give me a second chance and keep Dad off my ass.” Harry opened the fridge and pulled out a pizza box. “I’ll give her a few days to cool off and then stop by her house.”
His half brother had a better chance of reaching the top of Mount Everest naked in the middle of a blizzard than of convincing Leah to take him back. Other women might fall for Harry’s promises, but not her. Unlike a lot of the women Harry dated, Leah had a brain in her head.
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