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

  If her mom found out about the engagement from a social media post rather than from Courtney, it would devastate her. As it was, she was going to be disappointed she wouldn’t be able to help Courtney plan a big, elaborate wedding similar to her cousin’s the previous summer.

  Josh nodded and picked up his coffee as she ran through their plan for any other holes or possible complications. “It’s up to you, but it might help sell this whole thing if you move in here before news of our engagement goes public.”

  He drained the coffee left in his mug before he answered. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I don’t have a lot with me. I’ve been staying with Evan all week. I’ll have to go up to Maine and get more clothes.”

  “Or we can go together this weekend. Either way, tomorrow bring what you have at Evan’s here.” She’d never been to Bar Harbor, but she’d heard it was a beautiful seaside town. A short getaway up there could make for an enjoyable weekend. “Do you have any plans for Saturday?”

  With everything else today until she mentioned the weekend, she’d forgotten about her conversation with Addie over lunch. She’d agreed to join Addie, Trent, and Addie’s brother for dinner. If the world was going to learn she and Josh were engaged this week, she better show up Saturday night with him by her side or not go at all.

  “No.”

  You do now. “I’m supposed to have dinner at Trent and Addie’s. There is no way I can show up alone once news of our engagement goes public. You’ll have to come with me.”

  Since Addie knew about her little fling with Josh last month, she assumed Trent knew as well even though, much to her relief, he hadn’t mentioned it to her. She didn’t know if Trent had reached out and discussed it with Josh, but if he had, Addie hadn’t shared the information.

  “It’ll be nice to see them. I haven’t talked to Trent in months.”

  Courtney added letting her cousin’s wife know to expect one more on Saturday as well as coming up with a good story to explain why she didn’t tell Addie she was still with Josh this afternoon to her growing to-do list.

  “We can’t wait too long to make our engagement public.” Josh interrupted the various storylines running through her head that would explain why she had lied to Addie. “Any idea of when Pauline can release a formal statement to the media?”

  She wasn’t looking forward to the conversation, but the sooner she told her parents they were engaged the better, especially since, as of tomorrow, people would see Josh entering and exiting the Mayfair.

  “Let’s plan on Wednesday. I’ll tell my mom tomorrow, and she can let my dad know.” She’d call her sister and brother as well. Whether she’d get a hold of either of them before they read about it somewhere was anyone’s guess. “Are you going to tell your family beforehand?”

  Other than his brother, Evan, she’d met no one in his family and knew little about them. Josh might not care how his parents learned of his upcoming marriage.

  “In the morning, I’ll give Dad and Laura a call. I have no idea where my mom is and getting a hold of her can be hard. If she doesn’t hear about it from me, she’ll learn about it like everyone else.”

  He sounded rather indifferent to the idea his mom might read about their engagement on a social media site, and she wondered what kind of relationship the two of them had.

  “We should decide on exactly when and how we met,” Josh said.

  “Your publicist said no one has seen you with another woman since before you left for New Zealand. When exactly did you travel there?”

  Rather than pull the information from memory, he took out his cell phone and opened the calendar on it. “I flew out of Los Angeles on June 28 and stayed there until July 18. Then I spent about a month and a half on location in New York before heading down to Louisiana.”

  “How long did you stay there?” If this was going to work, they needed to get everything straight.

  “Only two weeks before heading back to L.A. I remained there working until I flew out to Hawaii.”

  “It’ll work best, I think, if we tell everyone we met while you were in New York. It’s not unusual for me to head into Manhattan for a weekend, so I know my family will accept it. And if we do that, it’ll appear as though we’d been together for almost five months before you proposed in December.”

  Five months wasn’t a long time to be in a relationship before getting engaged, but she’d heard of shorter ones. And it was far better than telling everyone they’d spent all of two weeks together before getting engaged.

  “Whatever you want. Any ideas about the how we met?”

  Considering how much he had a stake, she would have thought he’d come up with a whole backstory long before their meeting earlier. “It might be easiest if we say we were both staying at the same hotel and met by the pool. It’s at least somewhat close to the truth.”

  “When I call Pauline, I give her the details so she knows how to answer any questions that come up.”

  Stifling a yawn, she checked her watch, expecting it to be much later than it was. She rarely went to bed before eleven, so she shouldn’t be tired. Perhaps it’d been the stress of the day or the fact she’d gotten up much earlier than normal. Whatever the reason, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and fall asleep.

  As if reading her mind, Josh stood. “It’s getting late. I’m going to head back to Evan’s. What time should I come by tomorrow?”

  “Plan to meet me here around six.” Courtney added getting a key for Josh and making sure a guest room was ready to her mental list as she walked him to the door. As tempting as she might find him, at least for the time being, they were not sharing a bed.

  Her fingers wrapped around the doorknob, but Josh’s hand came down over hers before she could turn it. His green eyes searched her face for a moment. “I... thank you.” Stepping closer, he kissed her cheek. “See you tomorrow night.”

  Five

  Despite their different career paths and lifestyle choices, when it came to food, Josh had a lot in common with his older brother. So after selecting a box of Lucky Charms, just one of the many sugary kinds of cereal intended for kids lining the kitchen cabinet shelf, he filled a bowl while listening to Pauline.

  “Do you care who I share the news with first?” she asked.

  When it came to entertainment news sites, they were all the same to him. “You decide. But it can’t go out until tomorrow.” Opening the milk, he drowned his cereal before adding some to his coffee. “Courtney wants a chance to tell her family first.”

  “Did you decide on a wedding date?”

  “No, but it’ll be soon. When we decide, I’ll let you know.” If it was up to him, they’d get married this weekend, but he wasn’t going to suggest that. She’d agreed to help him, so the least he could do was let her determine the where and when of their wedding.

  “Okay. Keep me informed. Talk to you later.”

  Josh set aside his cell phone and managed to get a spoonful of cereal in his mouth before his brother walked into the kitchen. When he’d arrived back at Evan’s last night, his brother was still out.

  Although Evan was dressed in a suit and tie, he grabbed the Lucky Charms still on the counter and poured himself a bowl. “How did it go last night?”

  When he’d shared that he planned to visit Courtney last night, Evan advised against it. He thought she might feel pressured into helping Josh, thus hurting the chances she’d go along with their plan.

  “Will you be my best man?” Like all brothers, they disagreed from time to time, but there wasn’t anyone else he’d want standing next to him when he got married.

  Evan pulled out one of the barstools around the kitchen island and sat. “She agreed?”

  “Yesterday, weren’t you claiming you were confident she would?”

  “Yeah, but after she asked for some time to think about it, I thought it would be a few days before she gave you an answer.” Evan ate a spoonful of cereal, then washed it down with some coffe
e.

  “Me too, but I’m not complaining.” Josh followed his brother’s lead and reached for his spoon.

  “I’ll pick out a ring today.”

  “No need. She has that covered. And tonight I’m moving in with her.”

  Although he’d assumed they’d live in or around Providence after they got married, he hadn’t expected Courtney to suggest he move in now. When she did though, he didn’t need to think twice about his answer, and not because it would help sell their story. He wanted to once again be a part of her life in every way—or at least in every way she allowed. He’d understood her question last night perfectly well. She’d wanted to know if he expected them to have sex while married. While he sure as hell hoped so—the two weeks they’d been intimate had been like nothing else he’d experienced—he wasn’t stupid enough to tell her that. Instead, he’d been upfront and let her know what he’d decided before even proposing the plan. Whether they continued their sexual relationship was up to her.

  Leaving his seat, Evan popped two slices of bread in the toaster. “Want some?”

  Some toast covered with strawberry jam sounded like the perfect companion for his cereal. “Yeah, sure.”

  “Did you already let Pauline know?” While his brother waited for the toast, he grabbed both the strawberry jam and the butter from the refrigerator.

  With a mouthful of Lucky Charms, he nodded. “So will you be my best man?” He expected Evan to agree, but he’d never answered Josh’s earlier question.

  “Just tell me where and when,” he answered.

  The where he didn’t care much about, but he’d like to know the when. Last night hadn’t been the time to push for a specific date. She’d agreed it would be soon. He couldn’t ask for much more than that.

  For the next several minutes, their conversation switched to Evan’s plans for the weekend. Since it was his girlfriend’s birthday, he’d intended to take her to Valley’s Edge, a ski resort on Stratton Mountain in Vermont. Prior to this week, Josh had never met Gemma, but from the way his brother talked about her, their relationship seemed serious.

  “I’ll make arrangements to donate the funds to the foundation,” Evan said, adding his cereal bowl and plate to the dishwasher.

  He’d taken care of getting the money to the foundation even before Courtney walked in his brother’s office. And while Josh was sure she’d agreed to help partially because of the combined two million dollars they were donating to the foundation, he wanted to believe it wasn’t the only reason.

  Evan finished his coffee before putting the mug in the dishwasher as well. “Are you going to tell Mom and Dad or let them read about it like everyone else?”

  Getting hold of their dad would be easy; their mom was another story. “I’ll call them both later. For now, don’t mention our engagement to anyone. Not even Gemma.” He didn’t want Evan’s girlfriend finding out about his engagement and posting the news on some social media site before Courtney told her parents.

  “Good luck with Dad.”

  Yeah, he already expected one of his dad’s well-known lectures regarding some aspect of Josh’s life his dad disagreed with. Usually, the lectures revolved around Josh’s inability to commit to a woman and keep his name out of the tabloids. Occasionally, they involved the frivolous ways he spent money. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind the fact he was going to marry a woman he’d known less than a year would set his dad off. At least in this instance, he didn’t blame the man. If Josh had a son who planned to do what he was about to, he would share his opinion too.

  Evan clapped him on the shoulder as he walked past him. “I won’t tell anyone. Since you won’t be here when I come home, call me if you need anything. And maybe next week the four of us can get together.”

  Josh polished off another bowl of cereal and two more slices of toast before following his brother’s lead and adding his dirty dishes to the dishwasher. Then he grabbed his cell phone and pulled up his dad’s number. The sooner he got the lecture out of the way the better.

  Courtney had climbed into bed as soon as Josh left. But rather than succumb to the exhaustion she’d felt while sitting on the sofa, she’d tossed and turned, her mind unwilling to turn off. After an hour of staring into the darkness, she’d thrown in the towel and switched on an old black-and-white sitcom. One had turned into another. Exactly at what point in the second one she’d fallen asleep, she wasn’t sure. She knew when her alarm went off she had about as much energy as a rock and a cramp in her neck. A hot shower and coffee had helped with her energy problem; unfortunately, neither did a thing for her neck. The way she saw it though, the cramp was the least of her problems.

  Setting down another cup of coffee, Courtney logged into her email as she again considered the best way to drop the news on her mom—just one of the many things that kept her up last night. It was either spend time thinking about her upcoming conversation or focus on Josh’s answer to her question regarding how real he expected their marriage to be and the fact that in a matter of hours he’d be sleeping just down the hall. Like he’d done with all of her questions, he’d given her the perfect answer and promised the final decision was up to her.

  Despite answering all her emails before leaving the office the previous night, a new batch required her attention now. Personally, she considered reading and responding to countless emails a major pain, which was why she always tried to tackle them as soon as she started her day. She much preferred to address issues and make plans either face-to-face or via a phone conversation. Considering the number of emails she got daily, she assumed she might be the only one though.

  She got through the first five before her mind started wandering. Even though she’d given him the answer he wanted, he’d warned her about the media attention she’d face by being with him. Although it probably hadn’t been his intention, the fact he’d given her a good reason not to agree with his plan told her something about him. He might be one of the biggest playboys in Hollywood and unable to commit to a woman for more than a few weeks, but he was honest. She’d rather be with an honest man who might be gone in a month than spend her life with one who lied and kept secrets.

  “Focus.” She was meeting with her mom in a little while. She needed to get as much done now as she could, because she didn’t know how long she’d be in her mom’s office. Considering what she needed to discuss, she might be in there for the rest of the day.

  Six emails later, she pulled out the portfolio Evan had presented to her yesterday. At least on the surface, the partnership sounded like a win-win for the foundation as well as his company. Then again, she hadn’t paid as much attention to the presentation as she should have—a fact that annoyed her because she prided herself on being not only professional at all times but competent and able to multitask. With Josh across the table from her, it had been all she could do to simply follow along rather than stare at the man.

  Courtney hadn’t gotten any further than the first page when someone knocked on her office door. The words “come in” were barely out of her mouth when the door opened and Addie entered. Occasionally, they’d meet for a late-morning coffee, but Addie always called to see if she was free; she never just showed up.

  “What’s the matter?” Various emergencies ran through Courtney’s head that could explain Addie’s unexpected visit. “Is Kendrick sick again?” A few weeks earlier, Addie and Trent’s son had had bronchitis. She’d never seen anyone more miserable than the little boy.

  Addie closed the door as she shook her head. “Kendrick’s fine. I just wanted to talk to you before I leave to meet a client.” She placed her coat on the back of a chair before sitting down.

  With Addie sitting there, it would be as good a time as any to tell her about Josh joining them on Saturday night. Besides, running the story she’d come up with to explain her sudden engagement by Addie before she dropped it on her mom might not be a bad idea. It’d be like a trial run, allowing her to find any problems with it.

  “Did you know
Josh is in town?” Addie asked before Courtney could decide on the best way to begin.

  Okay. How did Addie know Josh was in Providence? Last night he said he hadn’t talked to Trent in months. Rather than answer the question, Courtney asked one, because she didn’t want to believe he’d lied to her. “How do you know he’s around?”

  “Tracey…” Addie paused for a moment. “You remember Tracey, right?”

  Courtney nodded. She’d met the nanny who took care of Kendrick during the day while Addie and Trent were at work, but she couldn’t imagine how the woman would know Josh was in Rhode Island.

  “When she arrived this morning, she mentioned it. She’s a big fan of his and she regularly searches for any posts with the hashtag JTWilliamson. This morning a picture of him with a woman showed up. I don’t remember the exact wording, but the caption said something like ‘Look who I ran into at the Mayfair.’ Tracey said the person tagged Providence as the location.” Addie pulled her phone out of her purse and scrolled through the apps on the device before selecting one and handing the phone to Courtney.

  A picture of Josh and a woman she’d never seen filled the screen. Sure enough, the caption attached to it read ‘Look who I ran into at the Mayfair. JT Williamson!’

  “Was he visiting you?” Judging by the tone of her voice, Addie had already decided he had been.

  Closing the app, Courtney handed the cell phone back. “Yes.”

  Addie’s face lit up, and she smiled. “So you called him? Or did he call you?”

  Here goes nothing. “Neither, actually.”

  A moment ago she’d been fine; now her mouth felt as if someone had filled it with cotton balls. Picking up her coffee, she took a gulp of the lukewarm liquid and grimaced. Coffee needed to be either hot or ice cold. Once it hit the stage in the middle, the best place for it was down the drain.