Heart's Paradise

Heart’s Paradise

by

Olivia Starke

Heart’s Paradise

Copyright © 2015, Olivia Starke

ISBN: 9781940744667

Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.

Electronic Publication: February 2015

Editor: Kelly Anderson

Cover: Fantasia Frog Designs

eBooks are not transferable. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Back Cover Copy

Can Phoebe trust Jonathon with her biggest and most precious secret?

Phoebe Heart struggles to keep the bills paid with her survivalist training courses while raising a preteen daughter. When a producer approaches her about starring on the survival show
Paradise
she’s hesitant. Hasn’t she spent a lifetime trying to stay out of the spotlight of her famous mother? But the money is too good to pass up, and Phoebe will do anything to provide a stable future for her child.

Billionaire playboy Jonathon Breck is always up for a new adventure. When he’s offered a starring role on
Paradise
he jumps at the chance. In return for spending twenty-five days on a tropical island, using only his wits to survive, he’ll receive a nice big check, which he plans to donate to his favorite charity. So with two months training under his belt, he’s dropped off on a lush oasis. He knows it’ll take skill to find food, water, and shelter on the deceptively beautiful island.

Each of them expect to be on the island alone, so they’re shocked when they discover the producers have thrown in a surprising twist. Phoebe and Jonathon find themselves teamed up. Jonathon is intrigued by the sexy woman, but he can’t shake the feeling he’s met her before. Phoebe is appalled she’s paired off with the man she had a drunken college one-night stand with.

Passion ignites while they share in the trials of
Paradise
, but disaster strikes, leaving them facing life or death. And Jonathon learns the truth that Phoebe desperately hoped to keep hidden from him—they share a child.

Now Jonathon faces the biggest challenge of his life—convincing Phoebe to let him be a part of their daughter’s life. Can Phoebe trust the notorious playboy with her young, impressionable daughter’s heart? And can she trust the feelings she has for the charismatic billionaire?

Content Warning: contains graphic language and explicit sex

Dedication

This is dedicated to all of the heroes and heroines I’ve fallen in love with over the years.

Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank all of my readers for their incredible support in my writing efforts. It’s because of you that I continue to work in the career I love, which is being an author.

Prologue

Eleven years ago…

“He is so totally checking you out. Go talk to him.”

Phoebe Heart scowled at her roommate. “Are you kidding me?” she shouted over the loud thump of the speakers. “What’s a guy like him going to do with a science nerd?”

Katie shook her head before flashing Phoebe a megawatt smile. “I’d say he’ll probably do a
lot
with you.”

Phoebe’s face heated. She was glad her roommate wouldn’t be able to see the telltale shade of red coloring her face. Around them drunk college kids clustered, plastic cups and beer bottles in hand, while awful pop music blasted from giant speakers set against the walls. The frat party was in full swing, the first one she’d attended since starting college three years ago, and never had Phoebe felt so out of place. Not that she hadn’t been to a few raucous parties in her life—her mother threw ones that had been known to last for days.

At least
this
time she wasn’t the curious daughter of a famous pop singer. The awkward teen with braces and a bad complexion hiding on the outskirts while her mother tried to draw out her introverted offspring. She was simply Phoebe, who nobody in particular seemed interested in, because nobody cared about the awkward offspring of famous parents here. They were a dime a dozen. The kids of movie stars and politicians alike rubbed shoulders at an East Coast university—one of the top in the nation for academics.

She was happy being nobody. That was until this guy had shown up. He
did
seem to be looking her way, even now as she met his light colored eyes. They glowed beneath black lights suspended overhead, giving him a vampire-ish quality. Little shivers raced over her skin. She had a thing for vampire movies as of late. A new secret addiction to help her deal with the stressors of studying.

“You know who he is, right?” Katie shouted, breaking into her thoughts.

Phoebe dug around in her brain, coming up empty. She shook her head, trying her best to look casual and not ogle Mr. Hot Across The Room.

“It’s Jonathon Breck. His family is super wealthy.” Katie gave her an even broader grin, stretching her pretty face until she looked like the Cheshire Cat. “Big shot oil people, sort of like that show
Dallas
from back in the day.”

Phoebe lifted a shoulder. She’d grown up with money. Cash didn’t impress her, but Jonathon’s looks did, she couldn’t deny that. Tall, with broad shoulders, a clean-cut look, and eyes that could melt Antarctica—more shivers raced over her skin. He wore a dark colored polo shirt and slacks, a preppy look many at the elite university carried. He lifted his beer bottle and nodded at her. She felt her face flame hotter and she quickly looked away, wanting to vanish in the shadows. Unfortunately, Katie was there to run interference.

“Go talk to him.” Her roommate gave her a gentle push.

Phoebe balked, no way would she approach a guy like that. Sure, Cybil could, her mother would’ve been in bed with the guy by now, but Phoebe wasn’t nearly so brave.

Katie pushed harder, and Phoebe staggered forward then froze. Jonathon was heading her way.

Oh my God!
More people had poured into the house, crowding around her, corralling her in place even as she sought an escape route.
Maybe he wants to talk to Katie instead?
she briefly considered. After all, Katie had modeled to help pay her tuition. But Phoebe just as quickly realized that those glowing eyes were focused solely on
her
.

Maybe he recognized her as Cybil’s daughter? A knee-jerk thought that left behind a bitter taste. How many friends and boyfriends had she lost over the years for that same reason? Too many.

Jonathon stopped in front of her then flashed a smile which dimpled his chin and made her hands tremble. He leaned down, close to her ear. “Hi there.”

His baritone voice easily carried over the music. Warm breath brushed her earlobe from his words, and her nipples hardened in response. Phoebe swallowed. She blinked, staring at his chiseled features, gawking like a deer in headlights.

“I’m Jonathon,” he said.

Her mouth opened then closed, a similar greeting lodged in her throat. Jonathon’s lips drifted down slightly as she peered into his face like an idiot.

“Can I get you a drink?” He lifted his beer bottle.

“Phoebe,” she blurted out. He gave her a quizzical look. “My name is Phoebe, and I don’t drink,” she stuttered in a voice much too high.

He looked down at the cup she’d nursed all evening. Some fruity mixed drink that stank of vodka. He lifted an eyebrow. “Fair enough. Why don’t we find someplace a bit quieter so we can chat, eh?”

She looked over her shoulder, searching for Katie, needing a reason to escape this gorgeous man’s attention. But Katie had vanished into thin air. “Great,” Phoebe muttered to herself.

Then, as if she didn’t need another reason to be uncomfortable,
My Sexy Teddy Bear
blasted through the room. Excited shouts filled her ears, and Phoebe wanted to melt into the floor. It was her mother’s latest release, a graphic song about her recent cougar exploits. God, who wanted to hear their parent crooning about great oral sex?

“Where do you want to go?” she asked, wanting out of the mob of dancing people.

Jonathon reached out and took her hand. “Upstairs.”

Their fingers laced together, and Phoebe’s heart rate kicked up.
Maybe he’ll think my damp palm is condensation from my cup?
She followed along behind him, up a flight of stairs, and down a long hallway.

“Hey, Liam,” Jonathon said to a passing guy carrying a duffle bag. The other man only frowned and gave a brief nod in reply as he passed by them.

Jonathon tried a couple of doors, finding them locked, until he came to the last door down the hall. It appeared locked as well, but Jonathon jiggled the knob until she heard a click. The door opened.

“I’m sure he won’t mind us using his room to hang out in.” Jonathon glanced down the hall behind them. “I really should tell him about this broken lock sometime.” He looked down and shot her a wink. “All the better for us though, eh? We could use mine, but it’s a mess with graduation and moving out. I’m not sure where the floor is at this point.”

They walked into the room, and Jonathon closed the door. Phoebe stared around the intimate space. A desk was placed in one corner with a computer and printer. Notes were tacked to a corkboard behind it, while near the opposite wall sat a neatly-made bed. Her gaze darted from the bed, and all the illicit things it suggested to her overactive mind. A painting leaned on an easel. Yellow, black, red, and gray coated the canvas. A street scene of some sort. She studied it, distracted. Jonathon placed his hand on her shoulder and she jumped.

“If you’re not comfortable with this, we can leave,” he said. “I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything to be alone with me.”

She looked up, finding his smile in place, along with the adorable dimple in his chin. A lamp glowed by the bed, and though his gaze had lost its unearthly radiance, it still sent waves of heat through her body. She’d never seen gray of quite the same color in someone’s eyes. His tanned complexion and dark shag of hair heightened the effects.

She licked her lips. “No, I’m okay. I’d rather be here than downstairs to be honest,” she replied. She took a deep breath, inhaling his clean, masculine scent. A reprieve from the obnoxious mix of alcohol, BO, perfumes and colognes downstairs.

Jonathon walked over to the bed and sat on the mattress, crossing an ankle over his knee, adopting a casual pose. Though his eyes were anything but casual. God, they burrowed right into the heart of her, igniting a slow burn that settled deep within her core. Eyes like his were made for seducing women.

“Tell me about yourself, Phoebe,” he said.

Stage fright hit, and Phoebe found herself staring at him like an idiot again. Honestly, she’d expected him to maul her once they stepped into the room and shut the door. That way she could be sorely disappointed with all men, rebuff his drunken advances, and be on her merry way, a bit more jaded in life.

“Uh.” She cleared her throat. “Like what?”

“What’s your major?”

She licked her lips, her heart racing. “I’m, uh, um… I’m a biology major,” she stammered out. Her face heated for no other reason than needing to voice her nerdiness out loud to someone like Jonathon. “What about you?” she asked.

“Cultural anthropology. I’m graduating in a few days.” His gaze drifted down her body, leaving fire in its wake. “I’m heading to London in a month.” His eyes found hers again. “Smart women are a turn on for me.”

She swallowed hard, and the drink sloshed in her cup. Her ears still rang, and the walls and floors barely muffled the music thumping from below.

Jonathon’s tongue darted out, moistening his lips, and she squeezed her thighs together. She should leave now, before it was too late and she made a giant fool of herself. After all, she had a secret not even her roommate knew about. A big secret her mother often teased her about.

She caught sight of her reflection in a mirror on the wall. A platinum blonde pixie hairstyle which didn’t belong on her, wide eyes shining with the truth beneath too much eyeliner. How did he not see what was written all over her face?

“You’re a beautiful woman, Phoebe,” Jonathon said, pulling her from her rambling thoughts. The rumble of his voice slipped inside her, left her trembling with rising desire. “I won’t lie, I’d love to touch you right now.”

A squeaking sound escaped her throat, and the room drifted around her in a slow circle. Perhaps she was a bit tipsy after all. “Really?” passed her lips and she cringed at the silly response.

He purred, an obscene sound that set off fireworks within her libido. “Really,” he replied. “With my hands and my mouth. From your lips, to your toes, and back up again, stopping at all the interesting places in between.”