Billionaire's Match

by Walker, Kylie

  Tommy had commented that they both were cute, but Shane only ever had eyes for Holly – despite anything he might have pretended to the contrary to appease his brother. But, ultimately, it had been Tommy’s stability that caught Holly’s attention. And why not? Why would a girl with a perfect GPA be attracted to a boy who was constantly in and out of trouble? Shane wasn’t surprised when she gravitated towards Tommy – who looked exactly like him but was so fucking different.

  But he was hurt.

  It was that hurt, perhaps, that drove him to seek other ways to satisfy himself.

  But he sure as hell didn’t want to think about that just now. Not when he stood in front of Tommy’s house…and Holly’s.

  Shane got relatively little out of his old man about Tommy’s widow. Thomas hadn’t been in contact with her, and his excuse for shunning his grandchild was that an automotive repair shop was no place for a child. Since Shane had settled into the loft above the shop a month ago, he’d pried his father about Holly and Madison several times, only to have the cranky old fuck tell him that if he was so goddamned interested, he should just go visit them himself.

  And so, here he was.

  Completely unprepared – wondering how he could possibly fit himself into the lives of two people he knew next to nothing about. He was incarcerated when Maddy was born, and even if he had been close to Holly when they were in school, nearly a decade had passed since then.

  Everything had changed.

  So what, Shane challenged himself, was he going to do? Stand there in the street like a pussy, or go down and introduce himself? He could skulk back to the shop and trade banter with his dad until the man keeled over, but he highly doubted that would bring him any closer to mending the rift between him and his family. No, he needed to get the old man involved.

  Which meant he’d have to be involved.

  Fuck it all.

  With a low growl, Shane swung free of his bike, putting up the kick stand before checking himself in the rearview mirror. He’d tried to dress as respectably as he possibly could. Beneath his beat up leather jacket, he wore a navy polo shirt and a pair of khakis he’d bought with his first paycheck.

  And Christ, if prying that money from his father’s hands hadn’t been like squeezing blood from a goddamned turnip.

  Running a hand through his hair, Shane straightened. He shoved his hands in his pockets before deciding he’d dawdled entirely too fucking long. He forced himself to start up the driveway, and by the time he reached the front door, his hands were clammy.

  What the hell was wrong with him?

  In prison, there were nights where he woke up to men trying to choke him out. He’d seen knife fights, riots, drug overdoses – and through it all, he barely flinched. Now, one woman and her little girl were making him sweat bullets.

  Taking a deep breath, Shane reached up and rang the bell.

  The metallic, buzzing tone made him flinch. How the hell had Tommy ever stood for that?

  “Give me a minute!” At the sound of a familiar voice, Shane stiffened. Holly sounded almost exactly as she had ten years ago. He would have known those sweet, dulcet tones of hers anywhere.

  Almost exactly a minute passed before the sound of the latch being undone punctuated the air. The door swung inward.

  Before Shane could say a single word, his mouth dried and his brain effectively self-scrambled in his skull.

  Holly.

  Little Holly Johnson had grown up.

  Her gorgeous, gleaming honey eyes still caught him just as off guard as they always had. In those eyes, he could see the entire world laid at her feet, ripe for the taking. There was a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose that hadn’t been there when she was younger – years in the sand and sun no doubt – but that mouth…it was just as full and sweet as he remembered. Her breathtaking face was framed by a fall of dark hair that hung almost to her waist in soft waves – and Shane tried, he really fucking tried, to keep his thoughts from going anywhere less proprietary than that.

  He failed. Horribly.

  Shane didn’t know much about the female form, but he did know that babies tended to…soften it. More curves to hold, thicker thighs and lusciously full breasts – Holly had received all those blessings and more. While her waist was still wonderfully trim, the pretty yellow sundress she wore showed off the swell of her ample breasts and flared out at the succulent angle of her hips.

  Did those long, long tanned legs of hers ever end?

  She was barefoot, he noticed immediately, her toes painted a bubble-gum pink that contrasted tantalizingly with the caramel hue of her skin, and he found himself struck with the insane urge to kiss each tiny digit and see how she squirmed.

  Holly’s sharp intake of breath jerked his attention back to her face, where she was gazing at him, her brown eyes as wide as if she’d seen a ghost. When she opened her mouth, he knew full well what he expected to come out of it.

  And in that respect, she surprised the hell out of him.

  **

  If it weren’t the middle of the day, the cool, bare tile of the foyer beneath her feet, Holly would think she were dreaming. When she first opened the door, she had almost fainted.

  Those eyes…that mouth…that face. For the briefest moment, she thought her Tommy had come back to her and the notion had almost brought her to her knees.

  But Holly’s brain worked quickly. Within a few seconds, she realized how obvious it was that the man before her was not her husband.

  Tommy was dead – and in any event, the man on her threshold certainly wasn’t him. Tommy’s hair wasn’t slicked back from his face and cut short on the sides, emphasizing the strong lines of his face. Tommy never wore more than a day or two of stubble on his face – the man before her sported a carefully trimmed face of scruff that lent him a rugged allure that made her heart pound. He wore a beat up leather jacket pulled tight across a broad chest lined with muscle – something the polo he wore couldn’t even start to hide. While Holly’s husband had taken care of himself, he wasn’t one to spend hours in the gym. The body before her was a work of art, carefully hidden in presentable clothes that she suddenly ached to yank from it. The intensity of the desire took her breath away – and as her eyes locked with a green pair both familiar and foreign, they widened in recognition.

  “Shane?”

  He was obviously surprised that she remembered him – even if that surprise couldn’t possibly compare to the shock that enveloped her at finding the man on her doorstep.

  Wasn’t he supposed to be in prison?

  Before either of them could say anything more, however, a wild, joyous cry filled the air.

  “Daddy!”

  Like a streak of lightning, Maddy hurtled down the hall, throwing herself at Shane’s midsection. There was no time for Holly to protest – only to inhale sharply; and then, Shane crouched, catching Maddy’s tiny form safely in his strong arms. “Daddy, you came back!” Madison immediately flung her arms around Shane’s neck in a vicelike grip as Holly’s face flamed in embarrassment.

  Shane had never even met his niece…and now she thought he was her father. “Maddy…” Holly immediately reached for the small girl, trying to rectify the situation. “Maddy, come here. This isn’t your Daddy.” The moment she touched the eight-year-old, however, Madison wailed as if in physical pain, and Holly jerked back, alarmed.

  She looked from her daughter to Shane’s astounded expression and then back again, at a loss for words. “Shane…I’m sorry. She’s been upset ever since Tommy died, but never thought you would…” She trailed off, searching for the right words,” She would…” Oh hell. How was she supposed to fix this? Cursing under her breath, Holly merely reached for Shane’s arm to tug him into the house. “Just come in.”

  Once he stepped into the foyer, she shut the door behind him, her mind awhirl. She hadn’t seen any news about prison breaks on the television lately, which meant that Shane’s sentence must have finally ended. As she led
the tall man down the hall towards the family room, she had to wonder how long had he been out. Had he come to their house first? Somehow, she didn’t think they distributed expensive polo shirts and khaki pants in prison. He must have stopped somewhere.

  Hell, for all she knew, he’d been free for months.

  And now, he was here. Looking for…what, exactly? Holly had nothing to give. What she had was a slew of problems that seemed to compound every week. If anything, Shane had picked the worst possible time to return to her life.

  At least, that’s what her head told her. As Shane slid past her to take a seat on the couch, Maddy still firmly wrapped around him, Holly caught a whiff of leather, engine oil and aftershave that made her thighs clench and her throat dry.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so instantly, viscerally attracted to a man.

  Perhaps she never had been – not even when she was with Tommy.

  “Nice house.” Shane’s grunted statement forced her back to the present where her daughter still clung to the man as if she’d transformed into a human octopus.

  “I’m sorry?”

  Shane’s intense green eyes focused in on her and, despite herself, Holly felt the tips of her breasts perk in interest against the silky lining of her bra. “Nice house. It’s cozy.”

  “Thank you,” she managed to stammer, clearing her throat before she leaned forward to make another attempt with Maddy. “Madison, sweetheart, come back to Mommy. This isn’t Daddy. His name is Shane. He’s daddy’s brother.”

  For the first time since she’d launched herself at him, Maddy’s head popped up and she stared, hard, at the man that held her. “He looks like Daddy.” Her childish tones were accusatory and Shane blushed. Actually blushed.

  If Holly hadn’t been so damned flummoxed, she might have thought it was cute. “I’m Tommy’s twin.” Before she could explain, Shane beat her to the punch. “You know what a twin is, kid?”

  Solemnly, Maddy shook her head, her eyes never leaving Shane’s face. “It’s when two kids are born at the same time and they look exactly alike. Just like me and Tommy.”

  There was silence as Madison seemed to consider this theory for a moment before she buried her face in Shane’s neck once more. Even though her words were muffled against his beard, Holly heard them clear as day. “Daddy.”

  She clearly wasn’t buying the twin explanation. Holly had seen the look in her daughter’s eyes when she threw herself at Shane. As far as she was concerned, Tommy had come back to life, and nothing was going to convince her any differently.

  Which was going to mean a whole lot of trouble for her.

  With a frustrated sound, Holly took her daughter’s shoulders in a firm but gentle grip. “Maddy, come on now. Listen to Mommy. Let Shane go.”

  Madison shook her head wildly, her grip on Shane tightening until he choked slightly, and Holly’s face flamed. “Jesus, Shane. I’m sorry. Just give me a minute-”

  “Its fine, Holly.” To her surprise, Shane’s tone was low and sure. “Let her be. I’m alright.”

  Despite his words, she hesitated. There were very few people in the world she trusted with her daughter – and a man who spent eight years in jail wasn’t high on her list.

  But this was Shane. Shane who had threatened anyone who teased her in high school. Shane, who got extra tater tots at lunch even though he hated them, just to give them to her.

  He had always been a little rough around the edges, but had never hurt her or anyone he cared about.

  At least, not physically.

  “Madison.” Shane spoke softly to the little girl wrapped tight around him. “I don’t mind you hugging me, but I can’t breathe too well. I need you to be gentle.”

  Almost immediately, Maddy loosened her grip, looking up at the stranger incredulously. “But you got so strong while you were gone, Daddy. Are you scared I’ll break you?”

  Biting her lip, Holly swallowed the tears that threatened. His expression utterly serious, Shane nodded slowly. “You might break me. You don’t want that, do you?”

  Solemnly, Maddy shook her head. Her hands slid from around Shane’s neck to replace themselves as far around his chest as they could reach. Maddy plopped down in the man’s lap, making him grunt, and made herself perfectly at home in the folds of his jacket.

  Holly tried her best not to be mortified.

  Clearing her throat, she spoke again. “How…how long have you been out?”

  Shane’s brow furrowed at her question as his mouth turned downward in obvious displeasure. “A few months. I’ve been working at Dad’s shop…acclimating slowly.” His expression darkened. “I heard what happened to Tommy.”

  A year on, Holly thought she might finally have heard the end of those intent on expressing their sympathy for her husband’s death. It hurt less and less as time passed, but she couldn’t even begin to lie and say she wasn’t still affected. At least once a week, she still woke up in a cold sweat, remembering the night Tommy died. “Dad wrote me,” Shane continued, “They find out who did it yet?”

  Slowly, Holly shook her head, her heart hammering against her ribs. She couldn’t remember how many countless times Detective Benson had expressed her condolences for her inability to find Tommy’s assassins. In the weeks and months she’d taken to heal, Holly hadn’t blamed her.

  Of course, all that changed when Tommy’s problems came back to haunt his widow.

  The organization that had buried her husband in debt, extorted him and murdered him was right under their nose, and they still failed to see the clues laid out before them. Kirk Luckston walked right into Tommy’s every two weeks, down to the hour, and Holly could say absolutely nothing.

  Not one word. Not unless she wanted everything taken from her.

  “Fucking hell, everything is so messed up.” Two red spots appeared high on Holly’s cheeks.

  “Shane.” She glanced down at Maddy, who had contented herself playing with the lapel of the man’s jacket.

  “Shit, sorry.” Immediately, he reached down to cover Maddy’s ears with large hands, his face flaming. “I mean sorry.”

  Despite the gravity of the situation, Holly found herself struggling to hide a smile. It was obvious that Shane had never been around children in his life – and his inexperience was coming back to bite him in the ass.

  Thankfully, before Holly had to admonish him more, Maddy interjected again. “Ooooh, what’s this?” She tugged a swathe of brightly colored material from Shane’s inner breast pocket. It was a long, thin package, covered in pink wrapping paper spotted with purple hearts. There was enough tape on the thing to bankrupt an office supply store, and at the sight of it, Holly arched a brow.

  “What is that?”

  Shane cleared his throat, taking the package carefully from Maddy. “Well…it’s a…a thing.” He poked his thumb through the thin wrapping paper, easily rending the thick layer of tape down the side with a flex of his bicep that took Holly’s breath away. When he peeled the wrapping paper from the package, a long, slim box containing a slender, dark-haired Barbie-look alike was revealed.

  Maddy’s face immediately lit up. “A Tara doll!” Immediately, she snatched it from Shane, tugging at the top of the box eagerly.

  “Yeah,” Shane replied gruffly, moving to help her open it. “Obviously. It’s a Tara doll.” Holly watched, utterly nonplussed, as Shane plucked open the plastic ties that held the doll firmly inside the box. The moment it was free, Maddy hugged the doll desperately to her chest, smiling more widely than she had in the past year. “Thank you, Daddy!” She squeezed Shane around the waist tightly once more, and Holly looked from him to her daughter and back again.

  Shane bought Maddy gift?

  That was something Holly had never expected. Before Shane was locked away, he wasn’t the type to voluntarily spend time with children. When Tommy revealed that she was pregnant at the tender age of eighteen, Shane was utterly flummoxed that they would even consider having a baby when they were
all but children themselves.

  And yet, here he was.

  “Hey, Maddy, why don’t you take your Tara doll and introduce her to you other dolls upstairs?” The moment the suggestion left Holly’s mouth, her daughter beamed.

  “Ok!” And just like that, she was gone just as quickly as she had appeared, leaving her stunned mother and winded Uncle in her wake.

  For a long moment, Holly stared after Madison, her heart amazingly light. God, she’d almost forgotten what Madison’s smile looked like. She hadn’t seen that impish grin in ages, and even though she told herself it would return one day, there were days that were so difficult, she found herself doubting.

  “She liked it, yeah?” Shane’s question drew Holly’s attention back to him. The man was leaning back against the couch as if he’d just run a marathon. He even seemed winded, despite the fact that he had only moved from the door to the living room.

  “She loved it. Thank you, Shane.”

  “Thank God.” The man drew a hand down his face, and when it came away damp, Holly’s eyes widened.

  Shane was nervous. About coming to see her and Madison. The minute the notion occurred to her, she realized how obvious it was. Letting Maddy choke the life out of him, his being on pins and needles when she saw her present…the man was scared as hell.

  The realization was more than a little humbling.

  When he’d entered the house, Holly was convinced he wanted something. Money, a place to stay – the man was fresh out of jail and she hadn’t seen him in almost nine years. Why on earth would he come to her?

  Holly felt no small amount of guilt as she realized how she’d misjudged him.

  When Tommy had been alive, he spoke little of his brother, and when he did, it was with bitterness. Holly wasn’t sure exactly what had happened between the two of them that they no longer spoke, but Tommy made no attempt to visit his brother in prison, and there were no letters from Shane. Not even when Maddy was born. She’d thought it better not to ask – to simply assume that Shane’s crime was unforgiveable in Tommy’s eyes, and he cut his brother off.