Redeeming The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 5) Read online

  “Security.”

  “This is Trent Sherbrooke. How long until the power is restored? I’m stuck in the elevator with a business associate.”

  “I’m not sure, Mr. Sherbrooke. The entire block is out. Maintenance is trying to contact the electric company. It may be a while.”

  “Bad news?” Addie asked when he hung up the phone. She stood near the back wall, her arms crossed just above her waist.

  “The whole block is out.” He placed his briefcase on the floor along with his suit jacket. In the distance he heard the hint of thunder or at least he assumed that was it. “They know we’re in here and are working on the problem.”

  “Last winter an ice storm took out all the power in the city. It took them days to get everyone up again,” she said with the barest hint of a catch in her voice.

  He’d spent the worst of the winter months in England working on a land acquisition project so he’d not been affected. “I’m sure it won’t take them that long to get us out.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Addie answered. Thanks to the security lights in the elevator he could see her face and her facial expression revealed her true feelings on the matter.

  In a few short steps he crossed to her. “Like I was saying, my house was built in 1911 for Madeline Curran. Her father made his fortune in the shipping business and the house was a wedding present to her,” he explained as a way to distract her.

  Outside, a streak of lightning lit up the sky, followed soon after by a distant clap of thunder.

  “Sounds like the storm is moving away.” Addie moved next to him, her arm bumping up against his.

  “Counting the seconds between the flash and the sound? I do that sometimes, too.”

  “Knowing how close or far away it is helps,” she said. “Too bad it hasn’t rained yet. We could use it. My mom has complained all summer about her grass not getting enough water. She’s a bit obsessed with her yard. She loves to garden. Her roses are her pride and joy.”

  Trent latched onto the everyday topic. “What about you? Do you enjoy gardening as well?”

  “I kill everything I try to grow. I once even managed to kill a cactus,” she said with a hint of humor in her voice.

  He looked over at her profile. “How did you manage that? I thought those were easy.” Plants weren’t his thing, although he knew a great deal about them thanks to his mom. His mom had adored flowers. She’d had a whole greenhouse full of beautiful plants at their estate on Martha’s Vineyard when he was a child. His father’s second wife had cleared the entire thing out not long after they married.

  Addie dropped her arms to her sides. “So did I, but I overwatered it. Now the only time I have flowers, they come from the florist in a vase or they are made of silk.”

  With no idea how long they might be stuck, Trent lowered himself to the floor, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Then he took his suit jacket and spread it out next to him. “You might want to get comfortable. Or as comfortable as possible.” He gestured to the suit jacket he’d spread out. “Have a seat.”

  “You probably don’t want to use your jacket like that.”

  She looked down at him as she spoke and for a moment he couldn’t look away from her eyes. A blue much lighter than his own, they reminded him of the oceans off of Hawaii. “I’m not worried about it.”

  Addie didn’t offer any further argument. Instead, she lowered herself to the floor, then smoothed down her dress. “Okay, but I’m not paying for the dry cleaning,” she said in a playful tone.

  “Fair enough,” he said with a laugh. “So if you weren’t stuck in here with me what would you be doing tonight?” As he spoke, he tried to ignore the hunger pains in his stomach.

  Her shoulders brushed against his as she shrugged and clasped her hands in her lap. “Depends. Sometimes I work on contracts. Other times I help out at the bakery.”

  Although he knew she wasn’t involved with anyone at the moment, thanks to Marty, he’d expected a different answer. Most people he knew their age devoted their weekends to pleasure. Then again, most of the people he associated with had few responsibilities to begin with.

  “What about you?” she asked as she turned her face toward him. “Actually, never mind. Forget I asked that.”

  “Why? I just asked you the same question.”

  “It was an inappropriate question to ask a client.” Her voice took on a more formal tone, indicating she’d forgotten at least for a moment that he’d hired her for a job.

  “Trust me, it doesn’t bother me. You may not have noticed, but my social life is often public knowledge.” His stomach growled again. This time so loud the security guards on the first floor probably heard it.

  “Hungry?” Addie asked, reaching into her bag.

  “What gave it away?”

  “I figured it was either that or the thunder is getting closer again,” she teased, her voice losing some of its formality again. “Here, this should help.” She handed him a high protein bar. “I have two more in my bag if you want them.”

  He accepted the snack and tore it open without even looking at the flavor. “Thanks. Do you always prepare for being stuck in elevators?”

  Next to him, she pulled out a bottle of water. “I started keeping snacks in my bag when I worked in Boston. Sometimes traffic would be so bad it would take me forever to get home and I’d often get hungry.”

  He bit into the dense chocolate-covered bar. Though not at all how he planned to spend his night, getting stuck in the elevator with Addie was proving beneficial. It allowed him the perfect opportunity to learn more about her. “You commuted into Boston every day from Rhode Island?”

  Addie licked a drop of water from her bottom lip and Trent’s eyes followed its path. Once again he noticed how plump and full her lips were. In fact, he could imagine just how they’d feel against his.

  “No, when I worked in Boston I shared an apartment with a friend in Marlborough. I moved to Cumberland when I started work in Providence.”

  Overhead, the lights blinked a few times; then after the third time they remained on. “Finally,” Addie said, the relief in her voice audible.

  Trent stood and reached down to help Addie to her feet. “I apologize if I made such terrible company.” He infused some humor into his voice, but judging by her straight face, she’d missed it.

  “No, not at all.” She slipped her hand into his and allowed him to help her up. “Stuck in here with no power—”

  His mouth curved into a smile. “I was kidding, Addie.” Before then he’d used her full name but recalled that her family called her Addie for short. Using the nickname now gave the situation a touch more intimacy. He took a step closer. “I’m glad the power is on again, too, although I enjoyed our conversation.” He contemplated kissing her. To fulfill Marty’s timetable he needed to push things forward. And he’d been known to kiss women he’d known even less time than Addie. Hell, he’d made love to women he’d known less time than her. Even so, he held back. Not because his mouth didn’t ache to taste her, but because she was different from women he spent time with. If he kissed her now, who knew how she might respond?

  The elevator stopped and chimed just before the door behind him opened. “Looks like we made it,” Addie said, her voice soft and clear as she held out his suit jacket, which she’d picked up from the floor.

  Releasing her other hand, he accepted the jacket and then grabbed his brief case from the floor. “After you.”

  In silence they exited the elevator and crossed the main lobby to the glass doors. Outside only a handful of vehicles passed by as most people had already left the city prepared to put the workweek behind them.

  “Looks like leaving the city should be easy tonight,” Addie remarked as they stood outside.

  “Let me walk you to your car.” Although the storm had passed, the night sky remained darker than normal for the time of day.

  Addie took a step away from him. “I’ll be fine. I’m just in the gara
ge around the corner.”

  “Me, too.” He moved forward so that once again they stood less than an arm’s length apart.

  It took only a matter of minutes for them to get from Trent’s building to the garage and the third level. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Addie stopped next to a white Toyota but made no attempt to get in. “If it’s easier for you I can meet you in Newport.” She finally opened her trunk and deposited her bag inside.

  Not on your life. A car ride together to and from Newport would provide him with the perfect opportunity to further Marty’s plan. “I’m looking forward to the company.” He pulled open her car door.

  Addie stepped into her car. “Okay. See you tomorrow,” she said before she closed the car door.

  Trent watched until the taillights disappeared around the corner; then he took the stairs to the lower gated level where he’d parked.

  Chapter 6

  No, that doesn’t look right either. She looked ready for Easter dinner. Addie pulled the dress over her head and tossed it on the bed. Already a small pile of outfits covered the mossy green bedspread. Not many options remained in her closet. She’d already pushed aside her typical business clothes. He’d told her to dress casually. But casual for her meant cut offs and a tank top. She couldn’t meet with a client dressed like that no matter what he said.

  “What happened in here?” Chloe asked. She’d stopped by before breakfast to use her laptop for a paper because her apartment had not regained power yet.

  Addie pushed aside the dress she’d worn to a cousin’s graduation. “I’m meeting with a client today, and nothing seems right.”

  Chloe pushed the clothes closer to the center of the bed and sat. “Must be some client. I’ve never seen you worry this much about dressing for your clients.”

  Without responding, she grabbed a lilac colored skirt from a hanger. If she paired it with a white tank top and wore her white silk blouse over it she might be casual enough while still maintaining the look of a professional. Pulling the tank top from its hanger she held it and the skirt up against her body and turned. “What do you think if I wear this and add my white blouse? You know the one I usually just knot in the front?”

  Chloe leaned down and scooped up a top from the floor. “It’ll look fine. So who’s this client anyway? Must be someone important for you to get this crazy about how you look.”

  She’d never overthought how she looked for a client. As long as she appeared professional, a blue skirt was just as good as the gray one next to it. But today no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t lump Trent in with her usual clients and not just because of his bank account and good looks. When she was near him, a million butterflies took flight in her stomach and she found it hard to sit still. She once again felt like she did when she’d been a freshman in high school and Ben Smith, a senior, tutored her in science. Every time she met Ben at the library for a study session, she turned into a bumbling mass of nerves that could put no more than two words together. She’d been both relieved and disappointed when the school year ended and Ben graduated. Since then no guy had made her feel like that again. At least not until now.

  After she slipped on her clothes, Addie pulled open the window blind and took a quick glimpse outside. “Was that car out there when you got here?” she asked, her gaze on the small black sedan parked across the street.

  “The black Honda?” Chloe asked, as she slipped hangers into Addie’s discarded clothes. “Yup. I figured they were visiting that nosy neighbor of yours across the way. Why?”

  Addie turned her back on the window. Her cousin was probably right. Just because she’d only seen the car around this week didn’t mean it wasn’t a friend of Beverly’s. “Just curious.” Despite her dismissive answer, she couldn’t shake her unease. Not once had she seen anyone go into or come out of Beverly’s house that week except Beverly herself.

  “How’s the paper coming along? You haven’t done much work since you’ve been here.”

  “Once you leave I’ll finish it. So you never answered me. Who’s this client you’re meeting this afternoon?”

  Outside a car door closed and a moment later her doorbell rang. Without answering her cousin, Addie crossed the room and went downstairs. Before she reached the door she took a slow measured breath. He’s just a client, nothing more, nothing less.

  The moment she opened the door the swarm of butterflies in her stomach multiplied and grew some extra long wings. Holy wow. Dressed in a suit and seated in his office he’d looked fabulous. The very image of power and wealth wrapped up in a handsome package. Today though, in khaki pants and a short-sleeved blue and white-striped polo shirt with his sunglasses dangling from the front and the sun dancing across his dirty blond hair, he looked godlike.

  “I’m a few minutes early. It didn’t take me as long as I thought to get here. I hope that’s okay,” he said, the first to speak.

  Addie took a step back so he could enter. “Not a problem. Please come in. I just need to grab my things and we can go.”

  She took another step back and bumped into a body. “Chloe, sorry,” she said as she glanced over her shoulder.

  “No biggie.” She pinched Addie in the back, a clear signal she wanted an introduction.

  “Trent, this is my cousin, Chloe.” She nodded in her cousin’s direction. “Chloe, this is Trent Sherbrooke. I’m redecorating his office and perhaps his house in Newport.” Addie stepped away from her cousin. “I’ll be right back.” She retreated up the stairs, leaving Chloe and Trent to exchange pleasantries while she grabbed her things. Once in the safety of her room, she glanced one final time in her mirror and grabbed her bag with her laptop and her purse, then returned to the front door. “I’m ready.” She walked past her cousin. “If you need any extra paper for the printer, it’s in the bottom draw of my desk.”

  “Thanks. See you later.”

  In silence she descended the stairs and started down the walkway, but before she reached the car she stopped when she thought she saw someone or something move inside the sedan across the street. It’s just a shadow. A person would be nuts to sit in a parked car on a day like this. Already the thermometer on her tiny deck read ninety-five and that didn’t take into account the humidity.

  Next to her Trent pulled open the door to a silver Mercedes with heavily tinted windows. Without a word she sat, the leather soft and warm against her legs. Unable to help herself, her eyes followed Trent as he crossed in front of the car and then slid behind the steering wheel.

  “You look surprised. Is something wrong?”

  Addie folded her hands in her lap. “No, I just... well, I expected something else.”

  “I like to use this sometimes because it draws less attention than my other ones.”

  His answer reminded her again just who sat behind the wheel next to her.

  “The controls for your seat are right here.” He pointed to some dials near the glove box. “You can make the seat as warm or cool as you want. The dial all the way to the right controls the lumbar massage in your seat.” He started the car, but kept it in neutral. “You can also control the air temperature on your side.” He pointed to another dial above the stereo controls. “Please make yourself comfortable.” Checking the rearview mirror, he put the car in reverse and backed into the street.

  “I could get used to a massage every time I drive.”

  The corner of Trent’s mouth inched up. “It’s a nice feature for longer drives.”

  Once underway, she grabbed onto the only topic they had to discuss: his office. “So I ordered the office furniture last night. The distributor promised it in two weeks. And I left a message with my painter. I expect to hear back from him today or tomorrow.”

  “Excellent. I’m eager to have it done.” Trent merged onto the highway, then dropped the car into fifth gear.

  “I’ve been looking forward to this since last night.” Addie grimaced when she realized how her statement must sound, and heat warmed the back of her neck. “That
didn’t come out right,” she said as a way to clarify her statement. “I meant I’ve been looking forward to seeing your home. This morning I did some research on the property and found a few older photos but nothing recent.”

  From the driver’s seat Trent sighed and looked over at her for a moment. “And for a second I thought you liked my company. I should’ve known.”

  Wonderful, not only do I look like an idiot but I insulted him, too. “It’s not that. I do but—”

  A deep rich chuckle filled the car. “I’m giving you a hard time, Addie. Relax. You look about ready to jump out.”

  In front of them a minivan cut them off without using a directional and Trent swore his voice barely audible.

  “I hate when people do that,” she said, grateful the other car had distracted him from their conversation.

  “You and me both.” Trent reached out to adjust the temperature on his side of the car. “So does your cousin live with you?” he asked, starting up another conversation.

  ***

  Trent stopped the car in front of the three-story mansion. From the outside it looked pristine, nothing like it had during his last visit more than a year ago. Thanks to the maintenance company he’d hired, the exterior received regular maintenance now. He assumed the inside looked just as flawless. After updating Marty on the situation, he’d hired a service to come in and clean the interior from top to bottom in anticipation for Addie’s visit.

  Salty ocean air washed over him when he got out of his car and he paused for a moment just to savor it. There was just something about the air near the ocean. It brought back memories of his childhood long before his mom died, when he’d run around Cliff House with his brothers and cousins or visit Martha’s Vineyard and spend hours outside while his mom tended her flowers.

  “It looks like you’ve already done work here,” Addie said when he opened the car door for her. “In the pictures I saw the house looked a little run-down and the grounds overgrown.”