Tempting The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 13) Read online

  In the years he’d owned the home, only his daughter and Evan had been there. And he’d never invited anyone else except his dad and sister, neither of whom had ever felt like making the drive. He wanted to take Courtney there and include her in a part of his life he didn’t open to anyone else.

  Two months ago, he wouldn’t have imagined he’d be planning to bring a woman to his house in Maine. Since he’d moved in with her, the connection he’d sensed in Hawaii had grown stronger. During the day, she frequently popped into his thoughts. He loved making her smile, talking about whatever popped into their heads, and pleasuring her to the point she called out his name.

  Back in December when he sat down at her table, he’d wanted nothing but some fun with a beautiful woman. And a few weeks ago, he’d proposed the marriage charade so he’d get back joint custody of his daughter, not because he wanted someone to spend his life with. But he no longer wanted Courtney as a means of winning a custody battle or as a sexual partner to pass the time with. He wanted her and everything a real relationship entailed. Given their history, it might take some work on his part to convince her he was no longer acting when it came to them.

  The picnic tonight and their getaway to Maine were his first steps to achieving his goal.

  “What happened in here?” Courtney asked, stopping in the doorway. She’d changed into flannel pajama bottoms and a snug-fitting, rose-colored top that didn’t quite reach her navel. She’d left the top two buttons of the top undone, and his fingers itched to slip the next two free so he could spread the shirt open and get a good look at the breasts he fully intended to taste later tonight.

  “We talked about going on a picnic in Hawaii but didn’t get to it. Since it’s too cold outside, I brought it inside.”

  To give him more room on the floor, he’d pushed aside much of the furniture. Then he’d covered the floor with a blanket he picked up at the mall. While there, he’d purchased both real candles and battery-operated ones, because starting a fire tonight wasn’t on the agenda. The real ones were placed on the various tables in the room, while he’d set the battery ones on top of the blanket along with the plates and flowers.

  “Candles at a picnic?” She moved closer to him, and the scent he now knew came from the jasmine shampoo and bodywash she kept in the shower teased him.

  “First for everything.” He poured them each a glass of sparkling white wine and handed her one.

  Taking a sip, she knelt down on the blanket-covered floor. “Looks like we have a little of everything.”

  He’d entered Press, a trendy café on Benefit Street, unsure of what he wanted. Unfortunately, all the menu items sounded good. He’d walked out with everything from roasted broccoli artichoke dip and prosciutto melon skewers to mini cheeseburger flatbread pizzas and roasted cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella as well as a handful of other dishes. Before returning home, he’d stopped in Ambrosia and picked up some dessert. A picnic wasn’t complete without some sugary treats.

  “Yeah, I should never order food when I’m hungry.” Which he still was. He’d been close to digging into the pizza when his dad called. “My dad and Laura came back early from their vacation. They wanted to get together this weekend.” Josh added as much food to his plate as he could.

  After putting a spoonful of dip on her plate, she added several carrots and celery sticks. Carrots he’d eat raw or cooked. Celery, though, he avoided. Not only did he dislike the taste, it never filled him up and usually ended up getting stuck between his teeth.

  “We can go if you want. You met my family.”

  “Not this weekend. I want to take you up to Bar Harbor in the morning or when you get done with work. We can come back Sunday night. Or if you can work from home for a few days, we can stay longer.”

  “Uh… yeah, I can work from home tomorrow and on Monday. But I have a meeting on Wednesday morning, so we’ll need to be back by Tuesday night.” Her eyes reflected the various questions or maybe they were doubts going through her head. Josh wasn’t sure.

  “If there’s something else you want to do, name it.”

  The questions remained in her eyes as she shook her head. “A weekend in Maine sounds nice.”

  He heard the but in her voice. “Whatever you’re thinking, spit it out. You won’t offend or upset me.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip and added an assortment of foods to her plate. Since her eyes never left his face, Josh doubted she knew what she’d even selected. After putting a spoonful of roasted tomatoes practically on top of a slice of pizza, she answered him. “Everyone is buying our story, Josh. We don’t need to make it look like we’re going on some romantic getaway.”

  Her words stung. But he should’ve expected them. “This weekend isn’t about anyone else. It’s about you and me enjoying some time away from the city in one of my favorite places.”

  He let his words sink in and dug into his pizza.

  Josh was about to try the prosciutto melon skewer on his plate when she spoke again. “What time do you want to leave in the morning?”

  “Traffic shouldn’t be too bad, but it’d be great if we can get on the road by eight.”

  Courtney finished the wine in her glass and reached for the bottle. “Shouldn’t be a problem as long as Aimee Trainor isn’t camped out downstairs again hoping to do an interview with us together.”

  He’d apologized already, but he felt the need to do so again. “Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t give you a heads-up. How bad was it?” He’d dealt with Aimee so many times he knew how to steer her away from topics he didn’t want to discuss. As far as he knew, this was the first time Courtney had dealt with the woman.

  She sighed. “It could’ve been worse, I guess. She probably asked me some of the same questions she asked you, like how we met and kept our relationship a secret.”

  “Yeah, I got those too.” They’d been the first questions Aimee shot off after she cornered him. Then she’d asked how he felt about joining one of the most well-known families in the country. What other questions had she thrown at Courtney?

  “She made sure to bring up your reputation and asked how I felt about it,” Courtney explained, picking up her fork and spearing a tomato.

  Big surprise. If anyone knew about his reputation, it was Aimee Trainor, especially since she’d helped create it. He could check the Star Insider website or watch Aimee’s show in a few days and possibly learn Courtney’s response. But he wanted to know now.

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I lied.” She shrugged and closed her lips around her fork. Once she finished chewing, she sipped her wine and then continued. “I told her I’d seen people change when they fall in love and used Trent as an example. I finished by telling her I knew you loved me. She bought the whole thing.”

  It might have been a lie at one time. Not anymore. What about for her?

  No matter the dollar amount he and Evan had promised to donate, Josh didn’t believe she would’ve agreed to help if she didn’t care for him on a personal level. His belief was first backed up when they’d returned from the night at her parents’ and she’d asked him to move into her room. Courtney’s day-to-day behavior since then reinforced it. If she wanted, she could ignore him. The penthouse was large enough that they could each do their own thing and not bother each other unless they wanted sex. But that wasn’t what they did. Instead, they hung out watching television, playing cards, or sometimes chess. Even on the few occasions he’d put on the basketball game, she’d sat in the room with him and read. They never lacked for conversation. And the previous weekend, she’d treated his daughter like she was her own instead of a temporary stepdaughter who would pass through her life.

  So yeah, he believed she cared about him. But caring about him and loving him was not the same.

  “Can I ask you something?” Courtney asked, intruding on his thoughts. “Actually, a couple of things?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Aimee said Naomi called it quits because you cheated
on her. Did you?”

  He had no proof, but he suspected Aimee had started those rumors to get her ratings up around the same time Naomi ended their relationship.

  “If you did, I won’t back out of our agreement. I’m just curious.”

  She made it sound like it didn’t matter, but it did. He needed her to believe him. To know he wouldn’t cheat on her. “No. Naomi liked the perks of being with me, but she got fed up with the media attention. I’ve done some stupid things, but the only things I’ve cheated on were tests in high school.” If it hadn’t been for Sonya Allen, who sat in front of him freshman year, he would’ve failed the quizzes his history teacher gave every Friday.

  “When she told me, it didn’t seem right. It sounds silly, but you don’t seem like the cheating type.”

  Josh raked a hand through his hair. If her other questions stemmed from her conversation downstairs, there was no telling what they might be. “What else did you want to ask?” The more he set straight now the better.

  “Yeah, it doesn’t matter.”

  Oh, no way she was getting away with that. She’d piqued his interest, and he wanted to know what was on her mind.

  Courtney reached for her glass, but he got to it first and pulled it away. “Come on. Out with it.” He held the glass just out of her reach.

  Crossing her arms, she stared at him. “You do know I can go in the kitchen and get another glass.”

  She had him there. Josh handed the glass over. “There are other things I can withhold tonight.” He skimmed his hand across her breast on his way to the buttons. “You wouldn’t have brought it up if it didn’t matter. So ask.” He slipped the next button on the shirt free. “I don’t want there to be secrets between us.”

  Her hand closed around his wrist before he moved on to the next button. “If Aimee’s right, it’s not a secret.”

  The television host needed to be gagged. “What did she say?”

  A hint of pink spread across her cheeks, and she cleared her throat. “That you’re rumored to have had threesomes.”

  “Has never happened. I prefer to dedicate all my attention to one woman.” He’d heard the rumor too but never cared enough to find out who started it or to try to stop it. Josh lowered his head toward hers and used his free hand to undo the last button. “Anything else you want to ask?”

  “Can’t think of anything.”

  Spreading her shirt open, he cupped her breasts and flicked his thumbs across the already taut nipples taunting him. “I meant what I said about secrets.” Josh touched his lips to hers but didn’t linger. “If you ever have a question, ask.”

  He claimed her lips before she could agree or disagree.

  Thirteen

  After closing the garage door, Josh turned off the engine and turned toward the sleeping woman in the passenger seat. After about four hours on the road, they’d stopped to get gas, use the restrooms, and grab some coffee. Less than fifteen minutes after getting back on the highway, Courtney fell asleep, and she hadn’t made a peep since. If not for the extra-large coffee, he might have fallen asleep too.

  “We’re here.” He gently shook Courtney’s shoulder. Instead of opening her eyes, she mumbled and turned her face toward him. He could carry her inside and then come back for their bags, but unless he had no other choice, he’d rather not. Although Dan, the caretaker who lived in the carriage house with his wife, had cleared the snow from the driveway and probably treated any ice spots, Josh didn’t want to risk slipping on black ice on his way to the door while carrying her.

  Josh unbuckled his seat belt and nudged her shoulder again. “Courtney, time to wake up. We’re here.”

  She blinked a few times and rubbed a hand down her face before focusing on him. “How long have I been asleep?”

  “About an hour and a half.”

  “Sorry.” Adjusting her position, she released her seat belt. “I tried to stay awake. My eyes had other ideas.”

  “Hey, for the last forty minutes or so, I’ve been fantasizing about a nap myself.” Josh reached into the back seat and grabbed his jacket. Inside the car, it hadn’t been necessary, but according to the car’s thermometer, the temps outside were hovering in the low teens. Even the short walk from the garage to the house would be unpleasant without a jacket. “You might want to put your hat on.” While she’d left her jacket on for the ride, she’d removed her hat following their brief stop at the gas station.

  He didn’t wait to see if she took his suggestion. Instead, he exited the vehicle and popped the trunk.

  “I can take my bag.” Courtney met him at the back of the car.

  They’d both packed light. “Don’t worry about it.” After grabbing both bags in one hand, he closed the trunk.

  Cold air hit them head-on when they stepped outside, and once again Josh wished the garage was attached to the house. Despite the chilly temperatures, Josh paused and enjoyed the absolute silence around them. Compared to New York or Los Angeles, Providence was a quiet city. However, even in Providence some type of noise was always around. Here, silence prevailed. And rather than tall office and apartment buildings and paved streets, various trees surrounded the property, providing them with ample solitude.

  “There are a bunch of trails through the woods. If you’re up for it, we can take a walk later.” There was also a rocky, winding path that went down to the water, but while much of the snow from the last storm had melted and the path should be fairly clear, he didn’t want to risk either of them slipping on any ice on the way down.

  Releasing his hand, Courtney pulled her hat down lower and then stuck her hands in her coat pockets.

  “I’ll need my gloves first.” She walked alongside him across the driveway and under the large portico. Frequently, he parked under it when it rained rather than drive into the garage.

  Josh unlocked the door and followed Courtney inside. Less formal than his father’s and especially the Belmonts’ homes, the front door didn’t open into a grand foyer with hallways leading in different directions or into rooms designed to impress rather than to use. Instead, the small entranceway led into a three-story cathedral living room. Windows and glass doors dominated the outermost wall, providing breathtaking views of Frenchman Bay as well as the hundred-and-thirty-foot granite and bluestone terrace with its outdoor kitchen—a kitchen he could honestly say he’d never used. A granite fireplace took up much of another wall. Hardwood floors matching the beams visible throughout the home filled every room on the first floor except the eat-in-kitchen. And if he didn’t want to enjoy a meal in there, he could eat in what was one of Adalynn’s favorite rooms, the breakfast nook. Since it made up the first floor of the home’s turret, it was circular, and no matter where you sat you had a great view thanks to all the windows. No matter the meal, his daughter insisted on eating in there because it reminded her of a castle from one of her favorite stories.

  Courtney looked around the room and removed her jacket. “This isn’t what I expected.”

  He’d spent over a year looking at homes in the area before the listing for this one came up. It’d been described as having a timber frame design. At the time, he hadn’t known what that was, but it had sounded about as different from his house in California as you could get. After one look at the pictures on the real estate website, he’d known the property was just what he’d been looking for.

  “What were you expecting?” he asked.

  Josh left the bags and his jacket near the sofa. Later he’d bring all of it upstairs, but first, he’d start a fire in the fireplace. The previous afternoon he’d called Dan and Tia to let them know he’d be up this weekend so they could get the place ready, which meant there was plenty of firewood on hand and food in the refrigerator. Somewhere in their late forties or early fifties, the couple had worked for the Monahans, the previous owners of the home. When Josh purchased the property, the Monahans had given Dan and Tia a glowing recommendation and suggested he consider keeping them on. He’d taken their advice and hadn’
t regretted his decision once. While Dan took care of maintenance both inside and outside and supervised any contractors hired, Tia took care of the general cleaning and food shopping when Josh stayed at the home.

  “Something more like… I don’t know exactly.” She shrugged and moved closer to one of the glass doors leading outside. “Maybe Sara and Christopher’s place.”

  He’d never seen her cousin’s home. Josh did know Sara and her husband lived in Alicante, a small, wealthy town located about an hour from Sacramento. Considering where it was located, he had a fairly good guess of what she’d been expecting. Actually, the house he owned in Malibu probably would’ve met her expectations. Personally, he much preferred this place. Nowhere other than here did he feel at home.

  Well, maybe that wasn’t 100 percent accurate anymore. Each day that passed, Courtney’s penthouse felt more and more like home. Still, all the other properties he owned felt more like vacation spots, places he stayed when he needed a place to sleep. None were places he wanted to spend any length of time at.

  He paused in arranging the firewood and stood. “You don’t like it?”

  Evan disliked the place and told him so every time he came to visit. He insisted the property’s only redeeming quality was the view. Josh didn’t care what his brother thought. The guy didn’t have to live here. Courtney didn’t have to live here either, and it was possible this would be her only visit. Regardless, her opinion mattered to him. He wanted her to enjoy visiting and feel as relaxed as he did whenever he walked inside.