The Billionaire's Heart

by Christina Tetreault

  Even with all the travel he did, Gavin never left a bag packed. No matter the time when he got home from any kind of trip, he made a point of emptying out his suitcase or overnight bag right away. Now he left the bag he’d packed for their getaway on his bedroom floor and only removed the diamond ring he and Erin had picked out.

  Flipping up the cover, he looked at it. Instead of sitting inside a box, it should be on Leah’s finger. Thanks to Harry, that might never happen. Opening his mouth and suggesting their father asked him to get involved with Leah was one thing. Doing it in a place where anyone could walk in and overhear the conversation was another.

  He’d never loved Harry the same way he did Vivian or even Piper. Since Harry’s mother had been the other woman when his parents were married, it was understandable. Especially since Mom filed for divorce when she learned that not only was Dad cheating on her but he had another baby on the way. At least it was understandable in Gavin’s eyes. Still, he’d never disliked Harry.

  All that changed yesterday.

  Now his emotions toward the guy bordered on hate.

  Gavin closed the ring box, shoved it in a drawer, and hoped the old adage “out of sight, out of mind” would work this evening.

  He’d promised her all the time she needed. Gavin intended to honor his promise, which meant calling her less than twenty-four hours after uttering those words was not an option.

  But damn, he wanted to hear her voice.

  Tell her he loved her.

  Hear her say the same back to him.

  “Not happening tonight.”

  Watching and waiting for the phone to ring accomplished nothing useful, so Gavin left his cell on his nightstand and retreated to his office. Work had always filled his days and nights before, but he’d never needed it to do that more than he did this evening.

  If work didn’t distract him, there was always the kitchen. Although he didn’t often have the time to do it, he found cooking almost as therapeutic as physical activity. A few hours experimenting with some recipes had an added bonus exercise didn’t: he’d have some food ready to eat in his refrigerator this week.

  ***

  “Hello.”

  The knife almost missed the onion on the cutting board and landed on his finger instead.

  Onions might make a person cry, but not hear voices. If Leah was here, she’d made her decision.

  Please let it be the decision I want.

  Grabbing a towel, Gavin wiped his hands and checked the time on his watch. Almost ten o’clock already? He’d been working longer than he’d realized. Unable to get anything useful accomplished in his office, he’d given up around six and made a trip to the grocery store for ingredients. He’d been cooking ever since.

  Gavin tossed the towel aside and lowered the flame beneath the pot on the stove. “I’m—”

  “Cooking,” she said, entering the kitchen. “And whatever you’re making smells amazing.” She stopped behind one of the stools near the counter.

  “Just playing around. I needed something other than work to focus on when I got back from dropping off Erin,” he admitted.

  He didn’t care if it made him sound pathetic or not. It was the truth. No matter how hard he tried to focus, his mind had kept replaying the afternoon they’d made love in his office.

  She gripped the back of the barstool and moistened her lips. “I sent you a text before I came, but when you didn’t answer, I assumed you were still on the road. I planned to wait if you weren’t here when I arrived.”

  “No, I’ve been home for a while. I left the phone in my bedroom, and I haven’t checked it since. Sorry about that, but I’m glad you came.” He moved in her direction, intent on pulling her close and not letting go again until tomorrow.

  Common sense kicked in before he reached her. Just because she stood in his kitchen didn’t mean she was about to give him the news he wanted to hear. Some people preferred to deliver both pleasant and unpleasant news in person.

  “Last night you told me to take all the time I needed,” Leah began, getting right to the point. “I don’t need any more time, Gavin. I don’t know about you, but last night I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about us and about what Harry said. I did the same all day today.”

  Is she intentionally stalling or is it me?

  “When I found Harry here with Amy, it made me angry. Not because I loved him but because he betrayed my trust. But it didn’t hurt. When he suggested you were only with me because of your father, it was like he’d dropped a granite boulder on me. Honestly, I couldn’t think past the pain or the idea that, if it was true, you’d betrayed me too.”

  He got the pain part. When he’d seen her in the doorway, it’d been like a bomb exploded in his chest.

  “I think your dad is a jerk for asking Harry to stay with me because it’d give him some connections.” She paused and shook her head. “No, jerk is too mild a word. He’s worse, and so is Harry for agreeing. But I was wrong yesterday. I should’ve known better. You’ve never given me any reason to doubt you. And I know you’re nothing like Harry or your dad. I realized that back in the winter, and I should’ve reminded myself of it yesterday, but the shock overwhelmed me. And I know even if your father asked you to do something like Harry described, you wouldn’t agree.”

  His feet moved again. This time they didn’t stop until he rounded the kitchen counter and stood an arm’s length away. “When it comes to my father and his behavior, trust me, it’s better I don’t give you my opinion. But you’re right, if he’d asked me the same thing he did Harry, I wouldn’t have agreed. But believe me when I tell you he didn’t. The only reason I want to be with you is because I love you.”

  His mind and body found it unacceptable to be this close and not have her in his arms. Gavin closed the gap between them, and his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist. “I love you,” he repeated, because saying it once wasn’t enough.

  She parted her lips to speak. Gavin hoped she intended to tell him the same, but either way she’d have to wait. Leah wasn’t pushing him away, and all day he’d wondered if he’d ever get a chance to kiss her again. With her in his arms, he planned to do it now.

  Even though he wanted to pick her up and carry her down the hall, Gavin forced himself to keep the kiss tender and closemouthed. Right now he needed it to communicate his love, not his desire.

  They’d shared everything from sweet kisses to passionate ones and everything in between. This one, though, melted her soul. Told her without words what was in his heart.

  When he pulled his lips away, she cupped his face in her hands. “I love you too.” She gave him a peck on the lips. “And I think whatever is in the oven is burning.”

  When she’d walked in, the smell of meat cooking and spices had filled the air. Now it contained a hint of smoke as well. She wasn’t an expert in the kitchen, but she knew smoke wasn’t a good sign.

  He let go as if she was the one on fire instead of the oven’s contents. “Damn it.”

  Gavin opened the door, and as a billow of smoke poured into the kitchen, he immediately switched on the exhaust fan over the stove.

  He set down a pain holding the charred remains of something it might take a forensic scientist to identify.

  “I know you said you were experimenting, but I hope this dish isn’t intended for any of Culloden’s restaurants because I don’t think it’ll be a customer favorite.” She moved closer in case a better look might help her identify the blackened mass. It didn’t help.

  “It was supposed to be edible, right?” she asked trying not to laugh.

  “Started off as venison cottage pie. There’s no hope of salvaging any of it.” He turned off the flame under a pot and moved it to the back of the stove. “I was working on making some soup too.”

  Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body into his. “It’s okay. I’m not hungry.” She stretched up and kissed the back of his neck. “How about I help you clean up
this mess up and then we go to bed.” Leah left a trail of kisses along his neck and to his ear.

  “I’ve got a better idea. We go to bed now, and I’ll deal with this tomorrow.”

  She released the button on his shorts and then slipped a hand inside to touch him. “Your idea sounds much better.”

  Epilogue

  New Year’s Eve

  Back in July when Leah had invited him to the annual Sherbrooke New Year’s Eve party at Cliff House, Gavin never imagined he’d be asking her to marry him. It was his plan for this evening.

  Several times since August he’d considered proposing, yet somehow the timing never seemed quite right. Tonight he was done waiting.

  With Leah still in the bathroom applying makeup, he pulled the jewelry box out of his suitcase and slipped it inside his tuxedo jacket.

  “I’m almost ready,” she called to him through the closed door.

  She’d said the same thing half an hour ago, so it was anyone’s guess how much longer before she was done. Any other night he wouldn’t care how long she took getting ready, but each second that passed right now equaled a lifetime. He had no reason to doubt she’d accept his proposal. Regardless, until he heard the words and slipped the ring on her finger, the knots in his stomach weren’t going anywhere.

  His fingers brushed across the box in his pocket. “No rush. I’ll be in the other room.” What else could he say? Get your butt out here now so I can ask you to be my wife? Not exactly the most romantic proposal ever.

  Gavin opened the suite’s sliding glass door and stepped out on their hotel balcony. Although they’d been invited to stay with several of her relatives in Newport, including her parents, they’d decided to book a hotel suite instead. Already the temperature outside was cold, and it would only get colder as the evening wore on. It didn’t faze him. Actually, it was just the opposite. He felt his body relaxing. The knots in his stomach loosened and the tension he hadn’t even realized he had in his shoulders started to melt away as he listened to the waves.

  “Aren’t you freezing out there, Gavin?”

  His stomach clenched back up. She’ll say yes, he reminded himself before he turned around.

  “No, I—” Whatever else he intended to say made a mad dash out of his head when he caught sight of Leah. He’d seen her dressed elegantly on other occasions, most recently the night her brother won the election, but nothing prepared him for the vision standing before him. “You look incredible,” he managed once he found his voice again.

  “And you look cold. You’re going to freeze to death out there.” She moved closer to the door but didn’t actually come outside.

  With her standing there looking like that, there was no chance of it happening. “I’m fine.” He stepped back inside and closed the slider behind him. Gavin pulled at the tie suddenly making it difficult to breathe while his other hand clenched around the box in his pocket.

  “It just started and I’m done with winter. When Erin comes to stay with us for February break, we should take her someplace warm instead of skiing,” she said.

  Although he still had his condo in the city for the nights they both worked late or simply didn’t feel like fighting traffic, Gavin had officially moved into her home in Connecticut in September. And like Leah had during the summer, she helped Erin redecorate the bedroom she used when with him.

  “If you can convince her to skip a week of skiing, I’ll change our reservations for a hotel on the beach in the Bahamas.”

  Leah put her arms over his shoulders and smiled. “Consider it done.”

  Erin loved skiing almost as much as he did. Getting her to change her mind would take considerable effort. But if anyone could do it, Leah could. An amazing relationship existed between Leah and Erin. Occasionally he even felt a little left out on the weekends they were together. And although she’d never come out and said it, Gavin knew Erin considered Leah to be another mom.

  Releasing his death grip on the box, Gavin pulled his hand from his pocket. “I know you want to leave.” He placed his palms on her waist as he spoke. “But—” A strong knock echoed through the hotel suite. “Expecting someone?” he asked, because he certainly wasn’t.

  “You could say that.”

  Confused, he watched her walk away.

  When it came to proposing, the man bought the ring and did the asking. At least that was what books and movies wanted you to believe. Maybe it was true for most couples. It didn’t work for Leah. This was the twenty-first century, and honestly she was tired of waiting for Gavin to get around to asking. She knew he planned to eventually; thanks to Erin she knew he had a ring. Two weeks after Piper’s birthday party, she’d gone with Gavin to Providence for his weekend with Erin. While Gavin was out picking up pizzas, Erin asked if she wasn’t wearing the beautiful diamond ring Gavin bought her because she didn’t like it. She then went on to share how they’d gone to a ton of stores and that Gavin let her help pick it out so she really hoped Leah liked it.

  Ever since, she’d been waiting for Gavin to pull the ring out. Almost four months of waiting was long enough. The time had come for her to take things into her own hands.

  She signed the receipt and handed the portfolio back to the gentleman after he set the tray down and opened the wine bottle for them. “Thank you,” she said, following him to the door and closing it behind him.

  Until this very moment, the idea of proposing hadn’t bothered her. Crossing back toward him, her hands shook so much she worried the wine would spill out.

  When she reached him, she didn’t hand him a glass. Instead she set them on the nearby end table and tried to unglue her tongue from the top of her mouth.

  Gavin’s gaze darted to the drinks and then back at her, wearing perhaps the most adorably confused expression she’d ever seen.

  “Gavin,” she began.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but she placed a finger against his lips.

  “Gavin,” she repeated, suddenly feeling sympathetic for her brothers, who’d both proposed to their girlfriends earlier in the month. “Will you marry me?”

  She’d spent the week picturing this moment in her head. She’d envisioned him kissing her, or saying yes and then kissing her. He did neither.

  He laughed.

  “You’re not supposed to laugh.”

  Pulling a box from his pocket, he opened it. “Before we got interrupted, I was about to ask you the same thing.” He plucked the ring out and tossed the empty box on the table.

  Taking her hand, Gavin slipped the ring on her finger and then kissed her. “Yes, I will marry you. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. You’re my perfect partner and a wonderful mother to my daughter. I love you.”

  She glanced down at the ring on her finger. Erin and Gavin definitely had good taste in jewelry. “Erin was right. It is beautiful.” Leah handed him a wineglass.

  “She told you about it? When?”

  “In August. She wanted to know why I wasn’t wearing it.”

  Gavin appeared a little shell-shocked as he set the glass down. “You never even hinted you knew about it.”

  “Oh, believe me, I wanted to, but I assumed you would ask when you were ready. But I got sick of waiting. And so you know, I want a short engagement.”

  “Whatever you want,” he agreed.

  She hoped he’d say that. “How does Valentine’s Day sound?” Corny or not, she’d always thought a wedding on Valentine’s Day would be romantic.

  “You want to get married in seven weeks?”

  “I already checked the dates. Erin will be with us that weekend anyway, and I know Uncle Mark will perform the ceremony.”

  He touched his glass to hers. “Then Valentine’s Day it is.”

  The End.

  I hope you enjoyed Leah and Gavin’s story. Be on the look out for more Sherbrookes in 2019.

  Other Books By Christina

  The Sherbrookes of Newport

  Loving The Billionaire

  The Teach
er's Billionaire

  The Billionaire Playboy

  The Billionaire Princess

  The Billionaire's Best Friend

  Redeeming The Billionaire

  More Than A Billionaire

  Protecting The Billionaire

  Bidding On The Billionaire

  Falling For The Billionaire

  The Billionaire Next Door

  The Billionaire's Homecoming

  Love On The North Shore

  The Courage To Love

  Hometown Love

  The Playboy Next Door

  In His Kiss

  A Promise To Keep

  Elite Force Security

  Born To Protect

  About The Author

  USA Today Best Selling author, Christina Tetreault started writing at the age of 10 on her grandmother's manual typewriter and never stopped. Born and raised in Lincoln, Rhode Island, she has lived in four of the six New England states since getting married in 2001. Today, she lives in New Hampshire with her husband, three daughters and two dogs. When she's not driving her daughters around to their various activities or chasing around the dogs, she is working on a story or reading a romance novel. Currently, she has three series out, The Sherbrookes of Newport, Love on The North Shore. and Elite Force Security. You can visit her website www.christinatetreault.com or follow her on Facebook to learn more about her characters and to track her progress on current writing projects.