Read Billionaire's Island Bride (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) Online
Authors: Judy Angelo
Billionaire's Island Bride (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (20 page)
The BAD BOY
BILLIONAIRES Series (click on the links to go to each book):
BOX SET -
BAD
BOY BILLIONAIRES COLLECTION, VOLS. 1 - 4
Excerpts follow:
TAMED
BY THE BILLIONAIRE
CHAPTER ONE
Roman Steele
stared across the boardroom table at his long-time business associate. “So
basically you’re telling me she’s a spoiled brat.”
The older man
frowned. “Since you put it so bluntly…yes, I guess that’s what I’m saying.”
Richard Van Buren laced his fingers across his stomach and leaned back in the
chair. “She’s getting me worried, Roman. She’s all grown up now. She can’t
keep behaving like this.”
“Don’t you think
you’re being melodramatic?” Roman asked, slightly amused. “You said she’s
grown now. I would think the realities of life would calm her.”
“That’s the
problem. I haven’t exposed her to any of those realities.” Richard shook his
head then sighed. “Ever since her mother died when she was six I’ve been
spoiling Serena, letting her have her own way. Trying to make up for the loss
of her mother, I guess.” His eyes took on a distant look and his voice trailed
away.
“But you went
overboard?” Roman prompted.
Richard grimaced.
“I let her run wild for years. I thought with the supervision of the
housekeeper she would be alright. After all, girls are supposed to be easier
to raise than boys, right? Guess I was wrong.” Richard smiled ruefully. He
reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a brown leather wallet from which
he took a small photograph. He slid it across the table. “This is my Serena
when she was nineteen.” He shrugged. "It's a couple of years old."
Roman picked it up
and found himself staring at the smiling face of a girl sitting on the back of
a shiny black stallion. She was breathtakingly beautiful with long chestnut
hair floating around her heart-shaped face and a pretty pout that drew
attention to the pink petals of her lips. Her eyes were the exquisite blue of
the Pacific Ocean and in them was a bold defiance that spoke of the girl's
confidence and spirit.
Roman raised his
eyebrows. “So this is Serena,” he said, almost to himself. “She’s a beauty.”
“That’s the
problem,” Richard said grimly. “She’s beautiful and she knows it. And she's
also the daughter of a wealthy man who spoils her." His face turned sad.
"This is not how I want things to be. I want my daughter to be prepared
for the world. When I pass on she’s the one who’s going to take charge of the
company and right now she’s not prepared for any of that.”
Roman tore his
gaze away from the photograph and looked back at Richard. “You talk as if you
plan to leave soon,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re as healthy as a horse.”
“Yes, but you
never know...” Richard tapped his silver pen on the table, his weathered face
thoughtful. “Serena is finishing up college in a week. She’ll be twenty-one
with a Bachelor's degree in art history. She didn’t even do her degree in
business like I told her. How prepared can she be to take over the
business?" He shook his head then smiled wryly. "I can’t even rely
on her to find a suitable husband. She’s shown no interest in the guys who've
come knocking. She'll probably keep rejecting them for years to come.”
“So what are you
going to do about this?”
Richard shrugged.
“Short of forcing her into marriage with a man with some business sense, I have
no idea.” Then he grinned at the preposterous idea. "If only we were
back in the nineteenth century."
Roman sat back and
looked keenly at Richard. He could see that despite his attempt at humor the
older man was distressed. They'd just finished up a business meeting where
they'd discussed a possible collaboration between both their companies. They
were considering a partnership in the development of a new line of skin care
products. Out of the blue Richard started talking about his daughter. The
situation was obviously weighing heavily on his mind.
“So let me get
this straight," Roman said, folding his arms across his chest. "You
have a daughter who likes to have her own way. She doesn't listen to you yet
you give her whatever she wants. You’ve been doing this for the past
twenty-one years and now you want her to settle down and get involved in the
business?”
Richard gave a
solemn nod. "I know I've been a terrible parent. And I know it’s late.
I should have been firm with her all those years." He gave a deep sigh.
“She's not prepared, Roman. My daughter needs a crash course in real life.”
Roman released his
folded arms and leaned forward. “I have an idea that could help.”
“Yes?” Richard
raised his eyebrows, obviously curious.
“What if your
daughter worked for me for a while, say for the next six months?”
“You would take
her under your wing, be a mentor to her?”
“Right. I’ll give
her responsibilities that will equip her to help you in the management of your
company. There’s just so much you can learn within a six month period but I
can structure her role and experiences so that they’ll give her a foundation in
business. You can build on that once her internship is over.”
Richard looked
doubtful. “You know she could easily get that experience at my office.”
“True, but how
seriously do you think she'd take her job knowing that she could leave work, go
shopping and never get fired?”
Richard's lips
tightened. “I see your point."
“Now I can’t promise
you that after six months your daughter will be an angel but what I do promise
is that she’ll leave my company with experience in the various aspects of
business.”
“Sounds good so
far,” Richard said, still with a hint of doubt in his voice. “I’m going to
have to figure out the best way to break this to her. I know she had her heart
set on touring Europe right after graduation but now this? She’s going to have
a fit.”
“And you, dear
Dad, are going to sit her down and let her know she starts work at Steele
Industries the first week of July.”
“That’s just a
week after she gets here.”
“What better time
to start? It will be before she gets used to being at home, all relaxed. She
needs to jump in head first.”
Richard nodded
then he expelled his breath and on his face was a look of relief. He rose and
stretched out a hand to his partner in crime. "Roman, as of the first
week of July my daughter is in your hands. Let's shake on that." There
was a twinkle in his gray eyes as he smiled. "I just hope you know what
you're getting yourself into.”
Roman grasped
Richard's hand. “Don't you worry about that. By the time I'm done your Serena
will be a new woman." He smiled, full of confidence, as he released the
man's hand. "You can trust me on that.”
******
If you enjoyed
this excerpt, get the full story by clicking on the link:
And here's a
sample of Volume 2:
MAID IN THE USA
CHAPTER ONE
Celine hummed a
love song as she pushed the housekeeping trolley down the carpeted hallway.
Today was going to be a great day she’d told herself, no matter that she was
stuck in Cambridge for yet another summer when she’d much rather be back home
in France with her mother and two rowdy little brothers.
She smiled as she
thought about Marc and Sylvan. The ten and twelve year olds were probably
driving her
maman
crazy at this very moment with their constant pranks
and rough play. If only she could be home with them. She was the only one who
could keep those two in check.
She stopped at the
door to suite 1206. No time to dwell on that now. She had twelve suites to
clean in the next few hours and she wanted to make a good impression. For the
last two summers she’d worked at small hotels where the pay was minimal and the
hours long. This summer she’d been lucky to land a job at one of the largest
hotels on Main Street. She’d be earning almost fifty percent more than she’d
made at her previous job. It was still a far cry from adequate but if she kept
to a tight budget she might just be able to save enough to go home for
Christmas.
Celine knocked on
the door. No answer. She knocked again just to be sure then stuck her keycard
in the slot and pushed the door open. Gathering up a handful of towels and
tiny bottles of toiletries she tucked them in the crook of her arm, grabbed the
handle of the vacuum cleaner then backed into the room.
The presidential
suite was magnificent with a spacious living room filled with antique furniture
and ornate carpeting. A sparkling crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Celine paused to admire the elegant room. Oh, to be able to live like this.
She chuckled to herself. It would probably take a month’s salary for her to
pay for one night in this suite.
Now where to
start? She had an armful of towels so the bathroom it was. Still humming she
pushed the door and walked into the bedroom.
At that moment she
heard a click and the bathroom door opened. She gasped and the towels fell
from her hands. Standing in front of her, his face hidden by a thick towel,
was a tall, muscular and very naked man.
Celine screamed.
“What the…” The
man dropped the towel and stared back at her in obvious shock. “Where did you
come from?”
“I…I’m sorry,”
Celine said as she backed away. “I thought the suite was empty. I’m so
sorry.”
The man was
staring at her with eyes that were shockingly green. “I was in the shower so
if you knocked I wouldn’t have heard a thing.”
Mon Dieu.
He was standing there, tall and lean and every inch a man, and he
was making no move to cover himself. Celine dropped her eyes, her face hot
with embarrassment. She turned to flee.
“Wait. I want to
talk to you.”
Was he serious?
She would not turn back to talk to a naked man no matter how handsome. She was
back in the living room and had already grabbed hold of her vacuum cleaner when
his voice stopped her.
“Don’t leave,” he
said, his voice imperious and bold. He sounded like the kind of man who
expected to be obeyed. He was standing in the bedroom doorway and this time,
thankfully, he had the towel wrapped around his waist. “Wait for me in the
living room. I’ll get dressed.”
Without bothering
to wait for a reply he turned and went back into the bedroom, leaving Celine
staring at the empty doorway...
***
Get the full
story, 'Maid in the USA' by clicking on the link:
DANGEROUS DECEPTION
CHAPTER ONE
“But Dani…”
“No ‘buts’. Just
tuck it away for a rainy day.” Danielle stuffed the bank notes into her
brother’s pocket.
“But where’d you
get-”
“What did I tell
you, Brian?” She shoved him toward the door. “Now go. I’ll be right down. I
just want to make sure we didn’t forget anything.”
As Brian exited
the door, pulling the large suitcase behind him, Dani turned to look at the
boxes still standing in the hallway. She shook her head. She had no idea how
all that was going to fit into her Chevy Blazer. She'd warned her brother not to
pack too many things but he was taking so much stuff that she almost felt like
he was moving out for good and not just leaving Chicago to head out for his
first semester at the University of Notre Dame. She went into the living room
and then into the kitchen, looking around to see if he had left anything lying
about. Finally, she went to his bedroom.
As she opened the
door a flood of emotions filled her and she blinked quickly, fighting back the
tears. This room had been Brian’s haven for the last four years, ever since
she had moved them to this apartment when their father died from a heart attack.
She had been only eighteen years old but fortunately legally qualified to be
Brian’s guardian. Her mother succumbed to breast cancer when Brian was only
eight and then they lost their dad when he was fourteen. She swore that as
long as she had breath he would not lose her, too. He would never be placed in
foster care. And she'd kept her promise.
