Falling For the Billionaire Read online

  Scott pulled out Paige’s chair and waited until she sat before taking the seat between her and Bebe Fleming. Up on stage, Rose introduced his cousin, and the spotlight followed Derek across the stage. He watched for a moment before turning his gaze back to Paige. When he’d viewed her from up on stage, he thought her attractive. Up close though he realized how wrong he’d been. She was stunning even when her face had been bright red from embarrassment. Actually, he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a person turn so red in his life. He suspected coming up on stage hadn’t been the only reason for her embarrassment. At least she appeared to be more at ease now. Her coloring had returned to normal anyway.

  “I have one bid for five thousand dollars,” Rose said from on stage.

  Scott glanced around the room. Sure enough, Tasha Marshall had her auction paddle up in the air. Derek’s in for it tonight. But better him than me.

  Glancing back at Paige and her aunt, he considered what he’d learned already about her and compared it to what he knew about the Fosters. Although he’d only met Michael Foster once, the man was well known to the Sherbrooke family. He owned a ranch in Texas not far from Uncle Warren and Aunt Elizabeth. Although the older man didn’t socialize often, his two daughters, Iris Campbell and Mary Wakefield, did. In fact, Mary’s husband, Perry, had served in the Senate with Uncle Warren before he won the presidency, and the two of them had regularly attended parties at the house his uncle and aunt had kept just outside of DC. However, never had he heard anyone mention Michael Foster also had a son. Why was that?

  “Twenty-five,” Scott heard Tasha call out, and he couldn’t help but look up at his cousin. Earlier Derek had look unfazed; his expression now told a different story.

  “Someone needs to explain proper etiquette to that girl. She obviously has no idea how auctions are conducted,” Bebe said to anyone at the table who would listen.

  Scott doubted that was the case. He suspected Tasha just didn’t care about etiquette as long as she snagged his cousin tonight.

  “Who is she?” Paige asked the other women seated at the table.

  Interesting. Most people who were in his social circle and who were familiar with New England, which included many of the people in the room, knew of Tasha Marshall and her family.

  “Tasha Marshall,” Mrs. Abington answered, proving his point.

  “She seems determined tonight,” Paige said.

  “That she does,” Scott agreed as he watched his cousin up on stage.

  “We’re up to twenty-five thousand, is anyone willing to go to thirty?” Rose asked the audience.

  From where he sat, it appeared as if Derek was focused on either someone or something in the audience. Scott just couldn’t tell what.

  “Thanks to bidder number eighty-two, we are now up to thirty thousand dollars. Is there anyone willing to go to thirty-five?” Rose’s announcement caught his attention, and he searched the ballroom for whoever was brave enough to go up against Tasha—not that the other bidder stood a chance of winning. Unfortunately, from his seat, he couldn’t find bidder number eighty-two.

  “My prediction is he’ll be going home with Tasha, but it’ll cost her. At least fifty thousand dollars, I say. What are everyone else’s guesses?” Mrs. Abington asked the group.

  He agreed but kept silent as everyone except Paige offered their opinions.

  “What about you, Mr. Belmont?” a woman he didn’t recognize asked him. “Do you think Miss Marshall will win your cousin this evening?”

  Before he answered, Rose spoke again from the stage. “Fabulous. We have fifty-five thousand. Is anyone willing to go to fifty-eight thousand dollars?”

  “Looks like it.” He could just imagine all the thoughts going through his cousin’s head at the moment. Poor bastard. He felt for Derek. But the guy had known what he was getting into.

  As he continued to watch the train wreck happening on stage, Rose patted Derek’s shoulder. “Going once.”

  Scott saw Tasha start toward the stage stairs, and he grimaced. Up on stage, his cousin looked either ready to explode or be ill. It was difficult to tell.

  “Going twice.”

  Sympathy for his cousin filled him. It looked like Derek was about to be saddled with perhaps the last woman on earth he’d ever want to spend time with. And as much as felt bad for the guy, he was damn glad it wasn’t him Tasha had in her sights. He shot a quick look at Paige. He knew very little about her, but he anticipated their time together to be enjoyable and uncomplicated.

  “One hundred and fifty-eight thousand dollars.” The announcement silenced the whispers at his table and silence filled the ballroom.

  He recognized the voice. Scott glanced around the room until his eyes settled on his cousin’s close friend Brooklyn Novak.

  “Didn’t have a plan, huh,” Scott muttered. Derek had arranged for Brooklyn to bid on him all along. No wonder he’d looked so relaxed backstage.

  “Wow,” Paige said, probably echoing the sentiments of everyone in the audience. “I think the other woman really thought she’d won.”

  When Brooklyn made her announcement, Tasha stumbled. Now, as Brooklyn joined Derek on the stage, she stood up again.

  “I feel bad for her. She really seemed to have her heart set on your cousin,” Paige said, speaking to him directly for the first time in a while.

  His first instinct was to say, “don’t feel bad, she deserves to lose,” but he stopped himself. For the most part, people outside the family didn’t know how Tasha flung herself at every single man named Sherbrooke in the hopes of catching one.

  “She’ll be okay. Besides, Tasha knew there was a chance she wouldn’t win.” And my cousin made sure of it, he thought while he watched the photographer snap a few pictures of the couple on stage. He couldn’t wait to bust Derek’s chops on this one.

  “That brings our auction this evening to a close. Thank you all for attending and showing your support for the foundation. Without the generosity of individuals like you the foundation wouldn’t be able to provide the assistance it does every day,” Rose said, causing applause to fill the room. Once it tapered off she continued, “I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as I did and will consider joining us again next year.”

  Not in this lifetime. No matter what his mom said or did, no way was he ever getting on a stage again for something like this.

  “Well, this was fun,” Bebe said, and several of the other women seated there nodded in agreement.

  Not Paige though. Scott caught the glare she sent her aunt’s way. A look that told him she had no intention of attending this event ever again either.

  “But I’m ready to leave. Very busy day tomorrow, and I still need to pack. Are you ready, Paige?” Bebe asked as people all around them started talking.

  He suspected Paige’s answer to Bebe’s question was most definitely.

  “Whenever you are, Aunt Bebe.” Paige looked over at him and gave him a slight smile. Unlike the one she wore when the photographer snapped pictures, this one looked genuine. “It was nice to meet you, Scott. I guess I’ll see you soon.”

  Her voice told him everything. If given the chance, she’d opt out of the dates with him. Oddly it stung his pride. Perhaps it was because women usually both sought out and enjoyed his company. He couldn’t recall a woman not wanting to spend time with him.

  “Definitely. But please let me walk both of you out.”

  “Thank—”

  Before Paige finished her sentence, Bebe interrupted her. “That would be lovely, wouldn’t it, Paige? Thank you.”

  “Yes, it would. Thanks.”

  Paige’s tone gave nothing away this time. So while the women said their good-byes, he slipped his tuxedo jacket back on and waited.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting. You know how it is when women get together,” Bebe said when she finally stood.

  “Not a problem, Mrs. Fleming,” he said, offering the woman his arm.

  Rather than accept it, she gave his forearm a slight tap
with her clutch. “None of that. You don’t belong arm in arm with an old lady like me. Go with Paige.”

  Pink filled Paige’s face, although at least this time it wasn’t as bright as up on stage, and she looked up at the ceiling. He imagined she was counting to ten.

  Except for his two younger sisters and occasionally his female cousins, he avoided arguing with women—especially those old enough to be his grandmother. “Gladly,” he responded, offering his arm to Paige instead.

  They exited the ballroom arm in arm while Bebe walked a slight distance ahead of them. “Smart move. It’s never wise to argue with my aunt.”

  Scott smiled at her whispered statement. “I got that impression. She reminds me of a few of the women in my family.”

  The trip from the grand ballroom to the downstairs lobby took much longer than it should have, as other women stopped Bebe to chat with her. Each time someone stopped them, he noticed none ever greeted Paige by name. Many smiled and said hello, but it was as if no one knew her. He didn’t understand how it was possible. Her grandfather was one of the biggest oil tycoons in the country, while her aunt was a popular socialite. How could someone with relatives such as those go completely unknown? While he managed to avoid the media and the attention of others much more than his cousins, even he couldn’t go many places and not be known by name.

  Seated inside for so long, he’d forgotten all about the record high temperature today. As he waited for Mrs. Fleming’s limo to be brought around, the heat had him wishing he’d left his tuxedo jacket inside.

  “Thank you again for escorting us out tonight, Scott,” Mrs. Fleming said when her limo stopped at the curb. “Please give my regards to your mother. I didn’t get an opportunity to speak with her this evening.”

  “I will.” He watched the woman enter the vehicle. Once she’d moved out of hearing, he looked at Paige, who still had her arm linked with his. “Tomorrow, I’ll make our reservations for the Fourth and I’ll call you.”

  “Sounds good. Have a safe trip back to New York.”

  Although no cameras were around like in the ballroom, at least none he could see, he placed a kiss on her cheek before she released his arm.

  “Good night, Scott.”

  Before he said anything in return, she ducked into the limo.

  Paige waited until the driver closed the passenger door before she looked out the window. On the sidewalk Scott checked his watch before turning and walking back inside the hotel. When he disappeared from view, she turned toward Aunt Bebe. Alone, she could tell her what she really thought about her stunt tonight.

  “Oh, my God! How could you do that?” She hadn’t intended to shout, but all the embarrassment and frustration churning inside her made it impossible to keep her tone normal. “I told you before the auction started that I didn’t want to participate.”

  Aunt Bebe waved a dismissive hand in her direction, the gesture annoying her more. “Where’s the fun in that? These types of events are all about enjoying yourself. Watching everyone else bid and then leave with a gorgeous man wouldn’t be any fun.”

  “You planned on bidding all along, didn’t you? Even when you asked me to come, it was your plan to bid on my behalf.” Her aunt had a shrewd and calculating mind. Sometimes Paige thought Aunt Bebe should’ve gone into politics.

  Aunt Bebe shrugged. “I knew you’d never do it. So I figured if the right man came up, I’d give it a try. See what happened. If I won, great, if not, oh well. Scott Belmont seemed like the right man for you.”

  “Aunt Bebe, you bought me a man. You do realize that’s what you did, right, even if it was for a good cause? Going up on stage tonight and kissing a stranger was the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done.” Before tonight she’d thought walking out of the girls’ bathroom in third grade with her skirt tucked into her tights had been her number-one most embarrassing moment. Tonight’s event had stolen that spot.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Paige. I didn’t buy you a man. I simply arranged for you to spend some time with a successful gentleman. You need to go out more. Have fun. When you’re old like me, you can sit at home with your dog. Trust me, you’ll have a wonderful time with Scott.” Aunt Bebe squeezed her hand. “Wait. You’ll see. You might even thank me later.”

  She wanted to bang her head on the window. Instead she groaned. Aunt Bebe didn’t get it. “They could turn out to be the four worst dates of my life. Scott Belmont could be the biggest jerk alive.” She’d dated her share of jerks in the past. She didn’t need or want to add any more to her list.

  “Pish. Every Sherbrooke male I’ve ever met has been a perfect gentleman. Why do you think I picked him for you and not someone else? At first I considered his cousin, but knew the media attention around Derek would be unbearable.”

  Lucky me.

  “While nothing may develop between you and Scott, you’ll have some enjoyable dates with a nice man. I don’t understand what’s so terrible about that.”

  Where should she start? Listing all her reasons seemed pointless. It wouldn’t change the situation or her aunt’s opinion. “Never mind, Aunt Bebe. You just don’t understand.”

  Aunt Bebe smiled. “It’ll all work out. You’ll see. So where did you two disappear to when you left the stage?”

  “The garden terrace. Have you ever seen the view from there? It gives you an entirely different perspective on WaterFire and downtown.”

  “No never. But I hope you didn’t only admire the city view while outside.”

  Her aunt’s comment could be interpreted in a few different ways. For her own peace of mind, she decided her aunt referred to also talking while looking at the view. “We had a nice conversation.”

  “Excellent. When will you be seeing him?”

  “Fourth of July.”

  “Perfect, it’s not far from now. You’ll have to let me know how it goes.”

  Did her aunt expect a report after each of their dates? Some questions were better left unasked. “Sure. So what time does your flight leave tomorrow?”

  She’d had enough of the bachelor auction and Scott Belmont for one night. In fact, she didn’t plan on thinking about him again until she had to.

  Chapter 3

  Scott finished his reply and hit Send. It had taken him over an hour but he’d answered all the emails in his in-box. He didn’t like calling it a day without taking care of those, and he disliked doing it at home. Most days he would’ve tackled it long before now, but he’d spent much of his morning and afternoon either in meetings or on the phone with the London office.

  “Have you recuperated from the auction?” Dylan Talbot asked from the doorway, causing him to look away from his computer.

  “I think so.” He gestured for Dylan, who was not only the CEO of Sherbrooke Enterprises but also a longtime friend and his cousin Callie’s husband, to enter. “What are you doing here so late?” Before his marriage, Dylan had spent more hours than anyone at the office. Since getting married and having a son, he limited how much time he spent at work.

  “Callie and James left this morning for Virginia. She’s visiting Lauren and her husband.”

  He’d met Lauren once. She’d been Callie’s maid of honor. He didn’t think she’d been married at the time.

  “Since she and James are gone for a few days, I decided to handle a few issues now rather than put them off until tomorrow.” Dylan sat on the leather sofa across the room. “How was the auction last week? Callie told me Tasha tried hard to win Derek, but he managed to escape.”

  “He made sure of it.” Scott suspected Brooklyn had strong feelings for his cousin but doubted she’d ever act on them. Although perhaps she should, because she and Derek belonged together, and unfortunately his dimwitted cousin hadn’t realized it yet. Either that or he for whatever reason refused to acknowledge it.

  “Callie said something similar. She didn’t recognize the woman on stage with you, but thought she was sitting with Bebe Fleming.”

  Scott stood, went to the liq
uor cabinet, and poured himself some whiskey. “Want one?” he asked, holding up the bottle.

  “Sure.”

  He filled a second tumbler with his favorite whiskey. “I didn’t know her until Friday night either.” Scott handed Dylan his glass and then sat in the chair across from his friend. “Her name’s Paige, and she came with Bebe Fleming.” He took a sip of the amber liquid, enjoying the smoky taste. “I got the impression Paige didn’t want anything to do with the bidding. That it was all Bebe’s doing.”

  Even if he’d missed the interaction between the two at their table, Paige’s reluctance to join him on stage provided enough evidence.

  “Are they related?”

  “Bebe is Paige’s aunt.” He’d asked his sisters, both of whom knew everyone who was anyone in New England, if they’d ever met or heard of Paige Foster. Both had said no.

  Dylan raised his glass to his mouth but stopped just short of tasting it. “And you looked confused by that. The Flemings are a large family. Bebe’s husband has six brothers. I imagine Bebe Fleming has numerous nieces and nephews.”

  “She probably does, but Paige isn’t a Fleming. She’s a Foster. Michael Foster, as in Foster Oil, is her grandfather.”

  His friend raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. I didn’t realize he had a son.” Dylan took another sip from his glass.

  “Neither did I.”

  “And rumor has it Foster plans on handing the reins of the company over to his grandson in the next year or two. He seems like the type to put his son in charge first, assuming the son is still alive.”

  Scott hadn’t considered death as a reason he’d never heard anyone mention Paige’s father. “I suppose he could be deceased. Paige and I didn’t speak long at the auction.”

  “If it bothers you so much, do an Internet search on Michael Foster, or try my mum. She’d know, and I think she’s back in DC.”

  Dylan’s mom, his Aunt Elizabeth, would know. Her and Uncle Warren’s property in Texas bordered Foster’s ranch. Calling the First Lady, even if she was his aunt, for this seemed extreme. Not to mention a waste of Aunt Elizabeth’s time. And to him an Internet search felt like a breach of Paige’s privacy. “Aunt Elizabeth has more important matters. Besides, it’s not a big deal. If Paige wants to share the details she will. It only struck me as odd because you’d think someone would’ve heard of her. Everyone in New England seems to know each other.” Scott sipped his whiskey and dismissed the mystery of Paige Foster from his mind. Regardless of her family tree, they’d be going on a few dates together and then never see each other again.