The Billionaire's Kiss (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 14)

by Christina Tetreault

  Tiegan kicked a small rock on the sidewalk as they walked. “It was good, but I think I liked the first one better.”

  Designed as a trio, the first of the series had come out the previous summer. The last installment was due out in the fall, and he was anxious to see how the writers tied up all the loose ends. “Me too.”

  The Beatles’ song “Twist and Shout” greeted them when he pulled open the diner’s door. While the food was delicious, and you’d find everything from burgers and fries to vegan and gluten-free options on the menu, you would not find any modern music at George’s.

  Today, like any other Sunday afternoon, people occupied roughly half the booths and tables. Several customers also sat at the counter. Unlike many restaurants in the city, there was no hostess waiting to seat you when you walked in. Instead, if you saw an empty table, you took it.

  He picked a booth near the door and grabbed two of the menus placed at the end of the table. “What do you think you’re going to get to eat?”

  “Either fried chicken or a mushroom cheeseburger.” She opened her menu, then looked up at him. “Can I get a milkshake?”

  His sister made sure Tiegan ate healthy at home, so one milkshake with him wouldn’t make a difference—besides, it wasn’t like his niece sat around on the couch all day eating potato chips and playing video games. She might not participate in as many sports as his nephew, but the girl was constantly on the go, either dancing around the house or riding her bike outside.

  “Go for it.”

  He was deciding whether to have a steak and onion sub or a bacon double cheeseburger when Christine Cote, someone he’d graduated high school with and the owner’s daughter, approached their table, notepad in hand ready to take their order.

  While Christine’s mom owned the diner, her grandparents had actually opened it back in the 1950s. And although her mom still played a role in the business, Christine oversaw many of the day-to-day operations, and everyone in town knew it was only a matter of time before the older woman turned the reins over to her completely.

  “Hi, Aaron,” she greeted. “I haven’t seen you in weeks. How have you been?”

  They’d never dated, although during freshman year he’d wanted to ask her out. Unfortunately, Dwayne Cote got to her first. However, they had run cross-country together all four years of high school and gone to the prom together as friends their junior year.

  “Good. How is everyone?” Although Christine and Dwayne broke up for a short time during junior year, they’d gotten back together the summer before senior year. They’d been together ever since and now had two children, a son Tiegan’s age and a two-year-old daughter.

  “Oh, everyone’s fine. Are you two ready to order?”

  Tiegan spoke up before he could answer. “Can I have a mushroom cheeseburger with onion rings instead of french fries and a chocolate milkshake with whipped cream?”

  Christine glanced at him as if to ask if it was okay for her to order that, and he nodded. His niece had stopped ordering off the children’s menu a long time ago.

  “I’ll be right back with your drinks,” she promised after he ordered a bacon double cheeseburger and a vanilla milkshake. He’d planned to get an iced coffee, but as soon as his niece mentioned a milkshake, he’d started craving one too.

  No longer needing it, Tiegan returned her menu to the holder on the table and turned her eyes on him. While she resembled his sister considerably, she had her father’s eyes—a man he’d love to hunt down and beat some sense into. Even after almost a year, Aaron found it impossible to comprehend how Eric could just up and walk out not only on his wife but also on his daughter. Perhaps even worse was the fact he didn’t bother to stay in contact with Tiegan. Aaron could count on one hand the number of times Eric had reached out to her since he left town.

  “Is there anything else you want to do before we head home?” He enjoyed spending time with his niece, but it wasn’t the only reason he was asking. The way he saw it, the longer he kept Tiegan out of the house, the longer his sister could study without any interruptions.

  She didn’t hesitate to reply. “Can we go shopping for some new clothes?”

  Aaron didn’t have any objection to spending money on his niece. But he did have an objection to stepping foot in the mall. Even when he needed to purchase items for himself, he tried to do so on the internet rather than venture to the mall. “You should probably go shopping with your mom or Nana.”

  “Yeah, I guess. You don’t know anything about girls’ clothes.” She propped her chin on her hand. “When we get home, can we take Clifford for a walk?”

  Even before Candace and Tiegan moved in, his niece and Clifford had been best buds. Now they were practically inseparable. The dog even slept in her room every night. And while he recognized she was far more mature than most children a few weeks shy of eleven, both he and Candace had agreed she needed to have an adult with her if she took Clifford for a walk in the woods.

  His niece’s words conjured up the image of Juliette smiling this morning, but he pushed it aside because the last person he needed occupying his thoughts was her. “If you want.”

  Christine returned with a milkshake in each hand. “Here you go, Tiegan.” She placed the chocolate concoction down near his niece before setting his vanilla one down. “Did you hear Holly Lambert is in town? Or at least she was. She came in on Wednesday with her mom for lunch. It was the first time I’ve seen her in at least two years.”

  Aaron’s thoughts immediately returned to the other celebrity currently in Avon. No questions about it, Juliette Belmont was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. “My mom mentioned she saw her last week.” Christine didn’t need to know where or with whom Holly had been with at the time.

  “She looked fantastic. But of course, she probably has a personal trainer and nutritionist telling her exactly what to do.”

  What was the proper reply to that? Especially since there wasn’t anything wrong with the way Christine looked. Sure, she appeared a little tired, but she worked full-time and had two kids, so that wasn't surprising.

  “Well, Mrs. Lambert seemed happy. I know she wishes Holly would come home more.”

  His mom said the same thing about his sister Elise. He imagined having children—regardless of their age—who lived more than an hour or two from home could be tough on parents.

  “Christine, can I get another coffee?” the older gentleman with his wife at the next table asked, putting a temporary halt to their conversation.

  “Sure thing, Martin,” she replied before looking back at Aaron. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Who’s Holly Lambert?” Tiegan asked.

  One thing he’d learned since she and Candace moved in with him was that the girl hated to be left in the dark. It didn’t matter the topic or the situation.

  “Just someone your mom and I went to school with. I think she lives in New York City now.” Honestly, he didn’t know, and he didn’t care, because where she lived didn’t affect his life in any way.

  “Nana said Juliette is from New York City.”

  Considering who she was and what she did for a living, that made sense, though much like with Holly, he didn’t care.

  “I really want to go to New York. I’d love to see the Rockettes or the New York City ballet. Do you know it’s one of the best dance companies in the world? I read a book about it for my nonfiction book report.” While Tiegan enjoyed playing basketball and softball, her real passion was dance. Unfortunately, at the moment she wasn’t able to take any classes.

  “You don’t have to go to New York to see the ballet. There’s a professional ballet company in Boston. If you want, I can see if they are performing anything you might like and get you and your mom tickets for your birthday.”

  Tiegan nodded, a grin stretching across her face. “That would be awesome. Can you and Nana come too?”

  If she wanted to see a basketball or baseball game, he’d tag along in a heartbeat. Hell, he’d tak
e her himself. Ballets were another story. He attended a performance of The Nutcracker while living in Boston because a woman he’d been dating at the time loved the ballet. He had no desire to see another show. At the same time, he hated disappointing the girl across the table from him. “We’ll see.”

  Juliette stopped at the thermostat on her way to the sofa and turned up the heat. She tended to keep the temperature set somewhere between sixty-eight and seventy at home. The temperature inside right now was nowhere near that. Before sitting down, she glanced at the woodstove. Maybe she should call Valley Landscaping and have them deliver some wood so she could use the thing. She could give them her credit card info over the phone, and they could leave the wood outside. How hard could it be to carry in a few pieces when she needed them?

  “Oh, yeah, great idea. I’ll probably burn the cottage down trying to get a fire going.”

  Talk about a fabulous way to call attention to herself. She could picture the headlines already on Today Magazine or the Star Report. Juliette Belmont, President Warren Sherbrooke’s niece, destroys home owned by Maggie Wright, a lifelong resident of Avon, New Hampshire. Knowing her luck, she’d not only burn down this cottage but all the ones around her too. Yeah, it was safer to leave the woodstove alone and simply rely on the central heating, even if it wasn’t as efficient as she’d like.

  Kicking off her sneakers, she grabbed her e-reader off the end table. Her cousin’s second novel was due out in November, and she still hadn’t read his first one. As far as she knew, she was the only member of the family who hadn’t read Fatal Deception. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to support Curt, but from the little she knew about the book, it wasn’t her type of story. She enjoyed books with either a lot of humor or a happily ever after. Novels filled with plot twists and turns or crazed psychopaths didn’t appeal to her. Regardless, she planned to read it before she started anything else, and now seemed as good a time as any to start.

  She flipped open the cover and pressed the power button before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “Okay, Curt, let’s see why everyone thinks this book is so great.”

  Her cousin’s book had hit all the major lists, and both Curt’s fans and family members were clamoring for its sequel. Adjusting the pillow behind her back, she winced when she drew her knees up in front of her. As she’d expected, she had an enormous bruise on her knee from when she tripped. The way she saw it, a bruise was far better than a sprained ankle or a broken bone. Next time she went walking through the woods, she needed to be more careful. She’d had her fair share of both when she danced, and she had no desire to experience either again. Hot chocolate in one hand, she dove into the story.

  Five chapters later, Juliette understood why so many people loved Fatal Deception. Never in a million years would she have guessed her cousin was such a talented storyteller. In her opinion, he’d wasted way too many years in Boston working in the financial world. Setting her e-reader down, she rubbed her eyes as she stood and then stretched her arms over her head. After she grabbed something to eat and another hot drink, she’d get back to the book.

  Despite her empty stomach, movement outside had her walking toward the windows rather than the kitchen.

  Aaron and Tiegan were walking his dog along the lake. Unlike earlier, he had on a dark blue ski jacket and jeans. Not that it mattered. She could easily picture the way his muscles had moved as he ran this morning. The man took care of himself. The last thing she needed right now was to get involved with anyone, especially since her stay in Avon was temporary. Still, it didn’t mean she couldn’t look and appreciate a man. And at least in the looks department, there was a lot to appreciate when it came to Mr. Aaron Wright.

  Her eyes lingered on him for another second or two before moving over to Tiegan, who at the moment was talking and making hand gestures as her uncle listened. The girl was, in a single word, striking. Juliette didn’t know what her dad looked like, but considering how attractive the few members of her family she’d met were, it wasn’t a big surprise. Without any trouble, Juliette could see the girl doing photoshoots for the biggest names in pre-teen clothing or walking the runway during New York Fashion Week.

  When she joined the family for dinner, maybe she’d offer to put Tiegan in contact with her agent, assuming the girl was interested and Candace approved—something the woman might not do. Her parents had refused to let her pursue that particular goal until she was seventeen. In fact, it was the only thing she could remember her parents ever refusing to let her try as a kid. But if Candace gave the okay, there wasn’t anyone better to represent Tiegan than Pierre. As annoying as he could be at times, the man knew the business inside and out. More importantly, he looked at the talent he represented as more than just a commodity he could use to make money. Not to mention, he was always on the lookout for the next breakout model, a title she believed Tiegan could easily earn.

  Before they disappeared from view, she glanced back at Aaron. Yep, she could spend a lot of time appreciating Mr. Wright.

  Juliette stayed by the window until she could no longer see Aaron and his niece. Was the man single? Holly might know, and if she didn’t, she could find out from her mom. According to Holly, in Avon everyone knew everyone else’s business, and secrets never stayed that way for long.

  And what if he is? She’d come here to escape the media, which she’d done so far, and make some decisions about her life—a task she was still working on. Neither of those things required a man. It was probably in her best interest to maintain a look-but-don’t-touch attitude when it came to the campground owner’s son. Or anyone else in town, for that matter.

  Despite telling herself not to worry about Aaron’s relationship status and simply appreciate him from afar, she found herself pulling up Holly’s contact information in her phone instead of picking up her e-reader again when she finished lunch half an hour later.

  Holly answered on the third ring. “I was thinking about calling you today. How are things?”

  “Okay. Are you still in Maine with your cousin?”

  “Yeah, I plan to stay for a few more days, and then I’m going to head back to Avon.”

  She’d expected Holly to return to New York after seeing her cousin. “Really? You’re not going back to the city?”

  “Nah, I’m staying with my parents for another week or so. Before I left for Maine, Marc told me he plans to propose to his girlfriend. He already bought the ring.”

  She’d last seen Marc in late October when he came to visit Holly. At the time, he’d come alone, and she didn’t remember him mentioning a girlfriend. She didn’t recall Holly telling her Marc had a girlfriend either. “I didn’t know he was seeing anyone.”

  “Neither did I. I can’t believe he never told me. I’m his twin, for crying out loud.”

  Juliette didn’t tell her siblings about every man she dated. Then again, few of her relationships ever lasted more than a month or two. But if one did or if she was with someone she thought she might have a future with, she made sure everyone in her family met him. “How long have they been together?”

  “Since January. They haven’t even been together for three months, and he’s going to propose. It’s crazy. And trust me, I told him that.”

  Oh, Juliette didn’t doubt it. When it came to sharing what was on her mind, Holly held nothing back. Her twin seemed to be the same way. At least that had always been the case when she’d been around Marc.

  “Just because he bought a ring doesn’t mean he plans to ask this month.”

  Holly laughed. “You know my brother. The guy has the patience of a two-year-old. He’ll ask before the month is over. Convincing him to wait until they’ve been together longer will never happen. So I’m going to spend some more time in town and get to know her.”

  As interesting as their conversation was, she hadn’t called to hear about Holly’s brother and his engagement plans. “Speaking of meeting someone, I met your high school crush this morning.”

  “I haven
’t seen him in at least two years. Please tell me he’s still panty-melting hot. And if he has a beer belly and no hair, just lie to me.”

  Juliette adjusted her position on the couch, grimacing a little when she stretched her bruised leg out straight. “Your panties would be sufficiently melted if you saw him.” She wasn’t lying. The man had most definitely caught her attention both times she’d seen him. “It’s kind of why I called. Do you know if he’s single?” His sister and niece lived with him, which made her think he wasn’t married, but it didn’t rule out anything else.

  “No clue. But I can find out. I’m sure my mom or sister knows. Do you want me to call them?”

  “Nah, don’t worry about it. I was just curious.” Until the media moved on to something other than her and Daniel, it was probably best she didn’t get into another relationship.

  “Curious or bored?”

  Except for her walks, she hadn’t left the cottage, so she should be bored, because it wasn’t like her to sit around at home for days and days. Oddly, boredom hadn’t struck her once.

  “Instead of bored, maybe I should have asked if you’re lonely and looking for someone to pass the time with while you’re there. And if Aaron looks as good as the last time I saw him, I don’t blame you for wanting to spend your lonely nights with him.”

  Despite the lack of company, she hadn’t been lonely since she’d checked in. “Curious. Until pictures of Daniel and me stop popping up everywhere, I think it’s better I don’t get involved with anyone.” Heaven knew how they might drag someone she started spending time with into the little drama.

  “It might be a while before that happens. But if you change your mind, I can get you an answer in a matter of minutes.”

  Thanks for the reminder.

  “Have you checked the Star Report website recently?”

  Juliette groaned. “Before you even ask, that’s not me and Daniel having sex. He must have been seeing someone besides me.” If he’d been getting some from another woman, it explained why he’d been willing to wait as long as he had to sleep with her.