He’ll give her everything

Corporate raider Joshua DeLong is at the top of Miami’s list of most eligible bachelors, and happy to stay there. Always playing to win in the boardroom and the bedroom, he intends to shake up the refined Millionaire Moguls. Josh has big plans for their next benefit—especially once he meets the charity’s beautiful, buttoned-up PR director, Becca Wright.

Although independent overachiever Becca isn’t looking for a bad boy with big bucks, she needs to convince Josh to support her foundation. That means visiting his yacht and accompanying the sexy tycoon to glitzy events. Suddenly Becca’s letting her hair—and her guard—down...and starting to see beneath the trappings of Josh’s success. Is she just the latest challenge for a man addicted to conquest, or the first to make him dream about forever?

“If I ever marry, I need a woman who’s going to challenge me in ways I’ve never been challenged. A woman who wants me to walk beside her as we go through life, but is independent and filled with vigor and passion.”

He was so close that all Becca had to do was turn her head and their lips would be centimeters apart. Her heart was beating so fast that she couldn’t hear anything else. She chanced a glance in his direction and was taken aback by the look she saw in his eyes.

“For this night to be about business,” she said, “we sure are talking about a lot of nonbusiness-related topics.”

“Is this just about business?” Josh asked. “Because this feels like a lot more than just business.”

She turned to him then, filled with questions that she refused to ask and answers he’d never give. Don’t get lost in those baby blues. She wasn’t sure if it was the moonlight hitting his profile perfectly or the sound of the waves crashing on the shore in the distance, but the energy around them became even more electric.

“If we take this any further, it would be wrong.”

“I disagree, Ms. Wright.” Josh’s eyes bounced from her eyes to her lips. “I think stopping here would be the real tragedy.”

Dear Reader,

Although well-off, successful characters are a trademark of mine, millionaires were a new venture. I was drawn to a world of opposites in which two people start off in completely different places in life and cross unspoken boundaries, landing them exactly where they were destined to be.

Bad-boy millionaire Joshua DeLong may appear to be self-centered, but he earned his money and lifestyle through hard work while also breaking the rules along the way—a devilish trait that left him vulnerable to the dynamic and limitless Becca Wright. Becca’s a destined debutante who left her lavish life behind to achieve more rewarding goals. She knows Josh’s type, which means she’ll do anything to ignore their chemistry...

I laughed out loud while writing Josh and Becca’s story. My obsession with the little flaws that make people wonderful and perfect for one another made writing this book enjoyable and entertaining. Hope you enjoy it!

Much love,

Sherelle

authorsherellegreen@gmail.com

@sherellegreen

A Miami Affair

Sherelle Green

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SHERELLE GREEN is a Chicago native with a dynamic imagination and a passion for reading and writing. She enjoys composing emotionally driven stories that are steamy, edgy and touch on real-life issues. Her overall goal is to create relatable and fierce heroines who are flawed just like the strong and sexy heroes who fight so hard to win their hearts. There’s no such thing as a perfect person...but when you find that person who is perfect for you, the possibilities are endless. Nothing satisfies her more than writing stories filled with compelling love affairs, multifaceted characters and intriguing relationships.

To Auntie Mickey, an independent, amazing and fun-loving woman whom I’ve always admired. I’m not sure if you remember this, but I recall that one of the first books I ever got as a little girl came from you. It was called The Rainbabies, and I read that book so many times that the binding weakened. You always understood my love for reading, and even as an adult, you’ve supported me in all my endeavors. When asked why I’m so creative, I often say it’s because of you. Every family has that one hidden treasure who passes down traditions and values while ensuring that everyone remains close-knit. For our family, you’re that person, and because of your generous and selfless spirit, every single family member always feels like they have you in their corner rooting them on. Saying thank you doesn’t seem strong enough to portray just how much I appreciate having you in my life. You mean so much to me and I am honored to be your niece.

Acknowledgments

To Auntie Val, a woman whose smile and laugh is as infectious as her warm hugs. One of my fondest memories is with you and Auntie Mickey on one of our infamous shopping trips. I learned at a young age that having aunts who I felt so close to was something I would always cherish. One of the qualities that I’ve always admired about you is your ability to teach a life lesson in such a creative way that oftentimes your nieces and nephews don’t realize they’ve been taught a lesson at all. You always give good advice, and it’s obvious to anyone that meets you that you keep your strong faith and family values close to your heart. Thank you so much for always being a sound voice in my life. I feel so lucky to have you as my aunt.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

“You’ve reached The Aunt Penny Foundation. Sorry, we are unable to take your call at the moment. Please leave your name, number and a detailed message, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”

Joshua DeLong cringed at the sound of the annoying beep indicating that he had to leave yet another message for Becca Wright, the director of public relations for The Aunt Penny Foundation. It was even more frustrating that he didn’t have Ms. Wright’s direct cell phone number, forcing him to call the main line. Just as he was about to leave a voice mail, he got another call.

“At least someone is calling me back today,” he said right before he switched to the incoming call. The call went precisely how he wished most of his business calls would go. Brief and in his favor.

Josh welcomed the light breeze that twirled through his curly cocoa-colored hair. It was the perfect Miami June morning to spend outside on the upper deck of his luxury yacht that was more of a home to him than his condos in New York and LA. Maybe he preferred his yacht more than his other homes because it was the only one that offered the opportunity to escape reality whenever he wanted to. It’s not that Josh normally needed a break from his everyday life, but lately he hadn’t found solace living in any place that wasn’t gently rocking from the waves made by boats leaving the private South Beach marina.

Josh placed his iPhone on the polished teak table and picked up his iPad while scoffing at his sunny-side up eggs and crisp turkey bacon. A quick glance at the time indicated that the morning was already getting away from him. He needed to leave for LA in the afternoon, so he had to be productive this morning. Unfortunately, Ms. Wright played an important part in that. Last night, he’d emailed a couple contacts to see if they could get ahold of Ms. Wright’s personal cell number, but he hadn’t heard back yet.

He scrolled through the articles about The Aunt Penny Foundation he’d bookmarked yesterday and began reading where he’d left off last night. It was an interview with Becca Wright and the founder of the organization, Haley Adams. Although both women had impressive résumés, it was Becca’s that had caught his eye. Ivy League graduate with years of charity and fundraising experience. Accomplished violinist. A host of academic accolades. Given what he’d briefly read about Becca in two other articles, he wasn’t surprised by those details.

A calendar reminder popped up on his iPad prompting him to call his friend and fellow Prescott George member Daniel Cobb. Josh remembered a time when he’d been building his brand as a corporate raider, hoping for an exclusive invitation to join Prescott George—or the Millionaire Moguls as they were informally known—a prestigious, all-male national organization that was as powerful as it was discreet. However, he’d always assumed it was wishful thinking. Prescott George didn’t invite just anyone to join, especially a man of his caliber, who was considered a nouveau riche tycoon instead of an old-money legend. The latter were handed invitations into the organization based on their last names or historic financial statuses. When he’d finally gotten invited, by another member of the nouveau riche, he’d jumped at the opportunity to join Prescott George.

Staring at the calendar reminder once more, Josh reset the notification to have it ping him in another hour. He scrolled a little further through the article he was reading until he landed on a picture of Becca Wright. She was wearing a white collared shirt buttoned to the neck underneath a black suit jacket that appeared two sizes too big for her. Either that or she just had broad shoulders. He couldn’t tell.

Josh opened another tab on his iPad to Google images of Becca. More pictures appeared, each one more conservative than the next. One photo made him pause. In it Becca was wearing a beige cardigan over a plain white top. Her hair was pulled atop her head in a tight bun and her large black-rimmed glasses were a tad too big for her oval face. She was wearing little makeup and although she was smiling, her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Have I seen her somewhere before? There was something vaguely familiar about her photo, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Grabbing his phone, he decided to call the foundation once more and leave another voice mail. Once again, he was greeted by the beep.

“Hello, this is Joshua DeLong from Prescott George calling for Ms. Wright, again. As you know, The Aunt Penny Foundation has been chosen as the charity beneficiary for our annual fundraising gala this summer. As I stated in my previous voice mail, I have to go out of town this afternoon and therefore...” His voice trailed off as he realized why Becca looked so familiar. She looked exactly like Ms. Perkins. His horrible middle school principal. Although according to his research Becca was only twenty-eight years old, Josh had no doubt that his middle school principal—who was much older than Becca—had been dressed in the exact same shirt and cardigan, with the exact same hairdo and glasses, for one of their school pictures decades ago.

“We need to meet this morning,” Josh said, abruptly ending the call. He had definitely planned on leaving his cell phone number and a couple other details in his voice mail, but he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that Becca reminded him of the woman whose office was still etched in his memory, since Josh had always found himself in some type of trouble.

He obviously knew that he hadn’t been leaving a voice mail for Ms. Perkins, but the minute the realization had hit him, he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling. Ms. Perkins was probably the meanest woman he’d ever met in his life, and that was saying a lot since Josh had met his fair share of unpleasant people.

“I couldn’t stand that lady,” he said aloud to no one but himself. “She made my childhood hell.” He shivered as he glanced at Becca’s photo once more. He could only hope that he wasn’t dealing with Ms. Perkins’s clone.

* * *

“Ten, nine, eight, seven...” Becca Wright tried her best to calm her rattled nerves as she shuffled through stacks of unruly papers and file folders on her desk. “Six, five, four, three, two, one.” She stopped what she was doing and took a deep breath. She’d been doing intervals of ten while trying to organize her desk for thirty minutes straight, then taking ten-second breaks in between.

Ever since the receptionist for The Aunt Penny Foundation suddenly quit last week, Becca had been under more stress than she’d ever been before. Usually she was great at multitasking and managing several projects simultaneously. However, the temporary receptionist that had arrived yesterday had spent more time chatting on the phone with her friends or stepping outside for cigarette breaks than actually doing the work she’d been hired to do.

“Stacy!” Becca yelled after her short break was over. “Where is the file for the incoming students who arrived yesterday?”

After several minutes, Stacy strolled around the corner, loudly smacking her gum. “Um, what do you expect from me? I just started a few days ago, so why would I know where it is?”

Becca rapidly blinked her eyes. Teenagers today... I’d never talk to my boss like that. “Well, yesterday your only project was to enter the information for the new students who just joined The Aunt Penny Foundation into our intranet. It was a simple job.”

Stacy gave her a blank stare.

Becca waved her hands in frustration. “Never mind. Just tell me where you put my messages. I’m expecting an important call.”

“Don’t you have a cell phone?”

“Yes,” Becca said through gritted teeth. “But not everyone has my cell phone number and it’s your job to answer the phone. I haven’t heard it ring off the hook for a while, so at least you’re doing that.”

“Oh no, I’m not.” Stacy flipped her long black hair over her shoulder. “I took it off the hook because I couldn’t hear my phone call over the loud ringing. A Jonathan Delaney kept calling.”

Becca went through a mental checklist of important calls she was expecting and couldn’t recall that name. Nor did she find it in her Rolodex.

“You know,” Stacy continued, “you should think about getting rid of the landline and only using your cell phone. No one uses landlines anymore. They don’t keep business cards, either. Everything is online now.”

Unbelievable. “I’m surprised you even know what a landline is.” Normally, Becca would have had some more choice words for the young woman, but for now, she just needed to check her calls. Haley was working offsite with a few students, which meant Becca had a lot to accomplish with zero help from the useless temp. She wanted to confirm her appointment tomorrow with the Prescott George representative she was scheduled to meet. What was his name again? She scrunched her forehead and snapped her fingers when it came to her. Joshua DeLong.

“Oh no,” Becca said as she rushed out of her office to the main desk. What are the odds that Jonathan Delaney is actually Joshua DeLong? She hoped her inkling was wrong, but given her week so far, she feared he was the one who’d called before Stacy had taken the phone off the hook.

The front desk was even more unorganized than hers was. She moved Stacy’s oversize book bag from the desk. After a little more digging, she finally found the phone and was able to listen to the messages. She skipped a few until she heard the deep, silky voice of a man who introduced himself as Joshua DeLong. He’d called twice and the last abrupt voice mail he’d left was from an hour ago.

“Stacy!” Becca yelled again. And yet again, Stacy took her sweet time strolling to the front desk. “Don’t you remember me mentioning yesterday that I was expecting an important call from Joshua DeLong? Did you even stop to think that maybe you heard his name wrong when he called?”

“Oh, that explains it,” Stacy said, nodding her head. “He sounded even more annoyed during his last voice mail.”

“You listened to his messages and didn’t tell me?”

Instead of responding, Stacy just shrugged and walked away. Becca jotted down the number Joshua left and called him back.

“Hello, this is Joshua DeLong.”

“Mr. DeLong, it’s Becca Wright with The Aunt Penny Foundation. I want to apologize for not receiving your voice mails until now.”

“It’s quite all right. I still have a couple hours before I have to go to the airport. Can you meet today?”

“Sure, just name the place and time.” Meeting Mr. DeLong today as opposed to tomorrow was a bit of an inconvenience, but the foundation needed the assistance of Prescott George so rearranging her schedule was a necessity.

“So I’m meeting you at the Southern Royal Yacht Club in South Beach?” Becca was a little taken aback by the location. One had to be a member to even enter the gate of the high-class boutique marina. Members included the rich, famous and elite.

“Yes. I’ll meet you at the clubhouse gate entrance. And in case you have any apprehensions, rest assured that you’ll be fine. We Royal yachtees get a bad rep since we’re so exclusive, but we’re just regular people.”

Yeah, right. “Okay, not a problem. I can be there in forty minutes.” She ended the call a little less frazzled than she’d been before. She was sure Mr. DeLong was unaware of her upbringing since she rarely discussed her family’s social or financial status in interviews. However, she knew exactly what type of members frequented the Southern Royal Yacht Club and regular was not the word she would use to describe them.

“Oh, he is hot.”

Becca turned at the sound of Stacy’s voice. “What did you say?”

Stacy tapped her phone a few more times before walking over to Becca. “Have you seen the photos online of Joshua DeLong? I Googled him while you were on the phone.”

“You can’t do any work, but you can eavesdrop on my calls?”

Stacy didn’t respond, but instead passed her phone to Becca. Mercy. His deep blue eyes were the first feature she noticed. They were striking against his toasted-caramel complexion and curly cocoa-brown hair.

“Hot, right?” Stacy asked. Becca stared at the photo a little longer before passing Stacy back her phone.

“Listen, I have to meet Mr. DeLong and I don’t trust you to be here by yourself, so I’m locking up the office. Why don’t you just come back tomorrow.”

“I still get paid for today, right?”

Becca glared at Stacy. Note to self: call the temp agency after my meeting with Mr. DeLong.

“Stacy, just pack your things so I can lock up.” Becca needed to be fresh and alert for her meeting with Mr. DeLong and the only good thing Stacy had done since arriving was showing her that photo.

On the drive to the marina, Becca recalled everything she’d read about Joshua DeLong. Thirty-five. Never been married. No kids. Recently named one of the most influential black men in America. Built his fortune from the ground up as a corporate raider. Despite his accomplishments, she also recalled another article that named him one of the most ruthless men in America. Judging by what she knew about corporate raiders, she had to agree with some of the statements in the second article. Building your career on the misfortune of others was hardly admirable. Especially since Becca had spent the majority of her life on the opposite end of the spectrum by trying to provide fortune to the misfortunate.

As she neared the yacht club, she noticed a tall male figure standing just outside the main gate wearing basketball shorts and a white tee. Hardly the outfit one would wear for a business meeting.

She parked her car in an open spot and made her way to Joshua DeLong. The closer she got, the more nervous she got. Oh, come on, Becca, you’ve seen attractive men before. She couldn’t even make out all of his facial features since he was wearing Ray-Bans and a baseball cap, but just the way he was standing was enough to make her take notice. His posture was confident. Self-assured. He may have looked casual in his clothing, but his aura seemed anything but.

“Hello, I’m Becca Wright,” she said as she approached. “It’s nice to meet you in person, Mr. DeLong.”

“Please, call me Joshua or Josh.” He extended his hand.

“Only if you call me Becca.” She accepted his warm handshake and was rewarded by a smile that displayed a brilliant set of white teeth.

“Please follow me, Becca.” Becca had assumed they were meeting inside the clubhouse, until Josh walked past the building and began leading her down a ramp toward the boats.

“Where are we going?” she asked after several minutes.

“To my yacht.”

She quirked an eyebrow even though he couldn’t see her. “Your yacht? As in your own private yacht?”

His head slightly turned over his shoulder in her direction. “Yes, my own private yacht.”

She frowned. “Wouldn’t it be better if we conducted business in a more public place like the clubhouse?”

“No.” Josh continued to walk, offering her no additional explanation.

“No? That’s it?”

She was so busy trying to keep up with him, she hadn’t noticed that he’d slowed his stride. “We’re here.” He motioned for her to walk up a ramp that led to a beautiful three-story white yacht. There wasn’t much that left Becca speechless, but the sight before her hijacked her words. The yacht was grand and one of the larger vessels in the marina.

When she arrived on the first level, she noticed two packets placed on a sleek wooden table.

“Please, have a seat,” Josh said as he pointed to an L-shaped timber sofa with black cushions and white pillows.

She didn’t hesitate to take a seat, secretly eager to feel if the cushions were as lush as they appeared. Even more lush, she thought, adjusting herself in her seat. Josh took a seat adjacent to her.

As Becca was relishing her comfort, Josh removed his baseball cap and ran his fingers through his brown curls. I wonder if they’re as soft as they look.

“Okay, shall we get down to business?” Josh shuffled through some papers before he removed his Ray-Bans and glanced at her. Oh my. He smiled in a way that she assumed made women drop their panties instantly. Of course, she didn’t feel the effects of his smile, but she could see how many women would.

“Yes, let’s get started.” She tried her best to focus on the packet in front of her instead of his stunning eyes. If Becca were the type to swoon over a pretty face, Joshua’s would have had her in a puddle on the floor. Fortunately, she’d met plenty of handsome men who were gorgeous on the outside but ugly on the inside. The verdict was still out as to whether that described Joshua DeLong.

Chapter 2

Josh smiled as he watched Becca concentrate on the packet he’d given her. He got the feeling that she was the type to never act too affected by a man, but he hadn’t missed the hint of appreciation reflected in her eyes.

“I apologize if you had to change any plans to see me today. As I stated over the phone, I wanted to meet before I head out of town. I have big plans for the benefit, but I want to make sure my ideas work for Aunt Penny.”

“I guess I should explain the foundation in a little more detail,” Becca said, turning toward Josh. “Unless you prefer to dive right into the plans.”

“No, please continue. I’d like to hear more about the foundation.”

“Well, as you know, I’m the director of public relations for The Aunt Penny Foundation, which was founded by Haley Adams. Haley and I aren’t just colleagues, but friends who share the same vision. And while Aunt Penny is a real person, she doesn’t actually work at the foundation or oversee its activities.”

“But Aunt Penny contributes financially, right?” Josh asked. “I believe I read an article about her being a key sponsor for the foundation.” Josh reached for the water bottles he’d placed on the table before Becca had arrived and offered her one.

“Thank you,” she said, opening the water bottle and taking a sip. “Yes, Aunt Penny is definitely a key supporter and the reason the foundation exists in the first place. Aunt Penny was Haley’s next-door neighbor when she was growing up and although Aunt Penny isn’t actually Haley’s blood relative, she became somewhat of a surrogate grandmother to her. Aunt Penny’s emotional encouragement and financial support are the reason Haley earned an Ivy League diploma.”

“Aunt Penny sounds pretty special.” Josh hadn’t had the benefit of meeting his paternal grandmother, but he imagined that she would have been like Aunt Penny. Unfortunately, he couldn’t say the same for his mom’s mother, who didn’t have a nurturing bone in her body.

“She is.” Becca nodded her head in agreement. “There will always be a special place for Aunt Penny in my heart, too. One day, Haley came to me and said that she wished every girl could have an Aunt Penny, and thus, the foundation was born. Our nonprofit organization helps students who otherwise couldn’t afford it raise money for college. We provide mentoring, as well.”

Josh knew what the foundation did and had researched them at length, but it was nice to hear the words from Becca directly. “That’s a great story and one that I believe should be shared at our upcoming Prescott George meeting. The history of the foundation is also one that the media would truly love.”

Becca squinted. “Haley and I would be happy to share the foundation’s story with the organization, but I’m confused. I don’t recall any of the previously chosen charity recipients receiving media coverage.”

“That’s because they haven’t. But I’ve thought at length about your foundation and the increased number of donations you would receive if we invite celebrities to the gala. Celebrities will not only be willing to break out their checkbooks, but also speak with the media about the event and your organization.”

Josh vaguely thought about the fact that the Prescott George board had yet to understand his vision for the gala. However, in due time he was hoping a few key members would begin to see things his way.

“I’m all for increased revenue, but I don’t want The Aunt Penny Foundation to be subject to a paparazzi circus, either.”

“More paparazzi mean more donations.”

“I’m surprised this is the route Prescott George wants to take.” She was studying him carefully, but Josh didn’t care. He was confident that publicizing the gala was the right move and getting Becca to agree would only help him pitch his argument to the board.

“Sometimes, in order to get the larger population to donate to a cause, you’ve got to take risks.”

“Sometimes the risk isn’t worth the reward.”

“And other times it is.” Josh sat up straighter in his seat. “We have less than two months before the gala, so we need to act fast on a few of the ideas I have if we’re going to solidify the appearance of celebrities.”

Seeing the skepticism on her face, Josh thought she’d probably get along with Ashton extremely well. Both were afraid to take chances. Ashton Rollins was the current president of Prescott George and Josh had no doubt that Rollins would host operations out of a dark cave if he could. Ashton lived and breathed boring traditions and was never willing to take risks that could potentially benefit the organization.

Becca pushed her packet aside and turned her entire body toward Josh. “Would I be correct if I assumed you’re one of those people who believe that there is no such thing as bad publicity?”

“You’d be correct,” Josh said with a smile. “As long as you’re leading an honest life, you should have nothing to fear from the media. Photos and articles about me pop up on newsfeeds all the time. Something about me is constantly floating around on some form of media, whether it be false or true information. Yet, instead of letting what’s portrayed define me, I use the media to my advantage. The publicity only fuels my success.”

Becca was already shaking her head in disagreement. “I can’t imagine every part of my life surfacing on newsfeeds. Especially if it’s depicted in a negative or false manner. If I wanted to be in the media all the time, I would have taken up acting.”

Josh laughed. “In today’s connected world, you have to be willing to put yourself out there. In regards to the gala, we would control media coverage as opposed to the media controlling us.”

“I understand your point, but I’d much rather be known for what I accomplish, and based on coverage I’ve seen where celebrities attend fundraisers, it’s more about who they may be dating or what they’re wearing rather than the cause.”

A quick glance at the time let him know that he needed to wrap up the meeting. He should have ended it ten minutes prior, yet strangely enough, he was enjoying his debate with Becca too much to end the conversation there.

“Becca, I can promise you that Prescott George has The Aunt Penny Foundation’s best interests in mind.” He leaned a little closer to her. “What you and Haley are doing for less fortunate students is admirable and I appreciate the vision and history behind your organization. I only want to help others see the amazing work you’re doing. You don’t just have the support of Prescott George for the gala. You have our support in all your efforts for the future.

“If you allow me to implement some of my publicity ideas for your foundation, I promise that you will not be disappointed. So what do you say? Are you on board?”

For a few seconds, he wondered if she’d been listening to what he’d said. She was looking directly at him, but her mind seemed to be miles away. The silence gave him the chance to observe her a little more closely. She looked a lot better in person than she did in her pictures.

“Okay,” she finally said. “If you think that having the media present will result in additional donations for the foundation, then I’m willing to give it a try. I’m sure you have to leave for your flight soon, so I’ll review the rest of the packet and discuss it with Haley before getting back to you.”

“Sounds good. I’ll also send you the information electronically before my flight.” Josh extended his hand to her.

Becca glanced at his hand, but didn’t shake it. “If I disagree with any of your ideas, then we’ll rework the plan before you take action, right?”

“I’ll agree to that.”

“Good. Then we have a deal.” She finally shook his hand and when she did, he briefly relished how soft it was.

After he led her off his yacht and back through the gate, he smiled as he watched her walk away. You surprised me, Becca Wright. He couldn’t quite place his reasoning, but he had a feeling he’d just met his next big challenge.

* * *

Becca glanced at the clock on the wall. 9:00 p.m. She should have left the office hours ago, but she still had a mountain of paperwork to enter into the intranet and loads of mail to organize before she could call it a night.

“I think I’ve zapped all my brain cells for one day,” Haley said, standing near the doorway of Becca’s office. “I think you should tackle the rest of your to-do list tomorrow.”

Becca ran her fingers down her face. “I wish I could, but I forgot to call the temp agency about Stacy and I really want to get some more work done.”

“I figured you’d say that.” Haley walked to the front desk and came back with two cupcakes and two coffees.

“You read my mind,” Becca said accepting her coffee and cupcake. “Is this from the new bakery down the street?”

“Sure is. I asked Leanna to get it for us before she left.”

“For this, I can take a break.” Becca cleared a small space on her desk as Haley took a seat across from her. As usual, they were the last two in the office. In the span of one year, The Aunt Penny Foundation had gone from twelve dedicated employees to five, including Becca and Haley and the part-timers. In a way, Becca couldn’t even blame their receptionist for abruptly quitting. To say that the foundation had seen better times would be an understatement.

Becca took a bite of the cupcake. “Oh my God, this tastes so good.”

“It does,” Haley agreed. “Gooey red velvet goodness. The perfect carbs for a long day. Which reminds me... The temp, Stacy, showed me a picture of Joshua DeLong this morning. Does he look as sexy in person as he does in the photos online?”

Becca frowned. “We can’t get the temp to do actual work, but she shows off Josh’s picture with the same amount of dedication that we wished she’d put into her job?”

“Oh, so you’re already on a first-name basis with the Millionaire Mogul?”

Becca laughed. It was a well-known fact that the Prescott George organization was often referred to as the Millionaire Moguls. “Have you read the articles online about Josh?”

“Of course I have.” Haley took a sip of her coffee. “Stacy was eager to have me read a couple articles, as well.”

“Tomorrow I’m calling the temp agency for sure,” Becca said, shaking her head. “Anyway, most of the articles portray him as a cocky, arrogant corporate raider who can somehow ease the worries of even the most skeptical client. Those qualities—combined with his charm—are what make him a force to be reckoned with.”

“Did you get a different impression?” Haley asked. “Was he less impressive than what the articles say?”

Becca thought about the meeting she’d had with Josh, from the moment she introduced herself to him all the way to the moment he walked her back to the gate. “I wouldn’t exactly call the articles false.”

Haley raised an eyebrow. “Okay, bestie, what aren’t you telling me?”

Even now, Becca could feel those vibrant blue eyes watching her walk to her car. “He was exactly how one would imagine Joshua DeLong to be...cocky, arrogant and charming. He spent the majority of the meeting trying to convince me that inviting celebrities to the gala would give our foundation an opportunity to receive even more donations and offer unprecedented media coverage.”

“That sounds awesome,” Haley said enthusiastically. “I knew I had a good feeling about working with the moguls.”

“You would be okay with all the publicity? What if all the media coverage doesn’t truly capture the essence of The Aunt Penny Foundation?”

Haley shrugged. “Isn’t it better to give ourselves the free publicity and take every chance we can to try to save the foundation?”

That was exactly what Josh had said. “If you’re okay with it, then I’ll email you the information he sent me so that you can review it, as well. I’ll admit he has some pretty good ideas. I just want to make sure I understand his angle.”

“I know that look,” Haley said. “You don’t trust him.”

“I barely know him.”

“Exactly. So you don’t trust him?”

Becca thought about his perfect white teeth, soft-looking curly hair and grand yacht. “I’m just skeptical, and Josh is a smooth talker. By the end of our conversation, he almost had me convinced that I should just hand over the reins and let him drive the entire time.”

Haley’s eyes softened. “Listen, Becca, we both know that the past couple years have been difficult for the foundation. We aren’t getting the sponsorships and donations we were before. Economically, we’re facing a crisis, and you and I didn’t both get Ivy League educations and quit our corporate jobs to see The Aunt Penny Foundation fail.”

“We’ll figure something out before it comes to that,” Becca said as she reached across the table and touched Haley’s hand. “Do you remember what we used to say in college?”

Haley smiled. “‘At the end of the day, there’s always chocolate and coffee’?”

Becca laughed. “Not that one. I was thinking about when we used to say that one day, we were going to accomplish something that would change the lives of others.”

“Of course I remember. In college, we were bright-eyed and ready to conquer the world.”

“And now we’re doing just that. After only a few years, we’ve already helped over one hundred students get full scholarships to colleges and universities. That’s not even including partial scholarships. We’re making a difference every day at The Aunt Penny Foundation and we will continue to do so for years to come.”

“Then try to keep an open mind when it comes to Joshua DeLong,” Haley said. “Regardless of how you feel about him, keep your mind on the prize. I know how skeptical you are with men like him, but now is not the time to let your prejudices cloud your judgment. We need this, Becks.”

Whenever Haley used her nickname, Becca knew Haley was nervous or anxious about a situation. In this case, it was in Becca’s best interest to take her friend’s advice and focus on all the good that would come from being Prescott George’s charity recipient.

“Don’t worry, Haley. We have the opportunity of a lifetime right in front of us and I have every intention on The Aunt Penny Foundation reaping as many benefits as we can.”

Even if I have to work with a man like Joshua DeLong.

Chapter 3

“It’s about time,” Josh said as he crashed onto the long black sofa in the living room of his condo. He’d been in LA for a couple days, in back-to-back meetings with the shareholders of the latest corporation he’d invested in. Last night, he thought they’d finally reached an agreement, just to be sucked into an even longer debate.

The last time he’d been in several consecutive all-day and all-night meetings that concluded with little solution to the problem had been during the early stages of his career. Josh was usually better at conducting his business meetings, but this tech company wasn’t as agreeable as he’d hoped. Times like this really made his job difficult. Josh didn’t have any misconceptions about the type of work he was in, but in some ways, it still took a toll on him when he least expected it.

Since his meetings had run longer than expected, he’d also missed a call from Daniel Cobb, a Millionaire Mogul he’d been playing phone tag with. He really needed to set up a time to see Daniel in person. Their discussion about the current state of Prescott George couldn’t wait any longer.

Lately thinking about the organization left a bad taste in his mouth. As the Moguls grew across the nation, so did their rigid and old-school values that didn’t allow for much growth within the organization. According to the unspoken rule, a man like Josh would never be chosen as president of the organization. Current president Ashton Rollins—or Mr. Bland and Boring, as Josh secretly referred to him—was just another example of birthright rising to the top. The same affluent families holding the positions of power, subjecting the Prescott George members to the same snooze-fest that was guaranteed to keep the organization stagnant. Josh was ready to change all that.

It was no secret that Josh wasn’t the typical PG member. While most of the men followed the strict dress code and proper forms of speech when attending their meetings, Josh was the complete opposite. He wore what he wanted, how he wanted. Said what he wanted, when he wanted. His actions made many members feel as if he didn’t belong. However, Josh was learning that there were quite a few members who were just as fed up with the status quo as he was. Including Daniel Cobb.

It was past time for PG to have some new blood running the organization. Even though Josh was unhappy with their traditional values, he was still proud to be a member of Prescott George. The Moguls continued to do good work by providing college scholarships to less-fortunate students and funding to inner-city organizations. Honoring an organization such as The Aunt Penny Foundation was just icing on the cake. Being in charge of charity outreach and public relations for PG meant that Josh was able to make an impactful difference in the lives of others.

The gala could be the turning point Prescott George needed. Not only that, but The Aunt Penny Foundation would reap the benefits. Josh knew that Becca was skeptical, but he had no doubt in his mind that gaining media coverage would bring the foundation to the next level.

Josh yawned and took a long stretch before turning on his side on the sofa. He was more restless than he had been in months. Ever since he was a kid, he’d experienced nervous energy. His parents had noticed that he’d often had a difficult time concentrating on one thing at a time, but had thought it was something he’d grow out of. Josh could still remember all the doctor’s appointments when they were trying to diagnose him with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It had taken years for his teachers and parents to realize that he wasn’t suffering from ADHD, but rather wasn’t being challenged enough in school. His IQ was considerably higher than that of the average student his age and he was able to skip two grades.

Usually, Josh would call a woman he often contacted when he was in LA to see if she wanted to stop over and help ease his restlessness. Strangely enough, after a night like he’d had, there was only one person he wanted to see.

Without thinking about it, he pulled out his phone and began scrolling through the contacts on his Skype app until he found Becca’s contact information. Being that it was early in the morning, he didn’t expect her to answer, but surprisingly she did. And from the looks of it, she was wearing what he assumed was her normal work attire.

“Hello, Becca. I’m glad you answered.”

“Hello, Josh.” The way she’d said his name sounded a lot friendlier than the look she was currently giving him. “You didn’t strike me as the type to give 4:00-a.m. wake-up calls. Is everything okay? Are you calling about the questions I had regarding the paperwork?”

Shoot. Josh had seen her email come through about twelve hours ago and had been unable to review her questions. Typically he wouldn’t reach out to someone until he had answers for them.

“I’m sorry. I just got out of a consecutive forty-eight-hour meeting, so I haven’t gotten a chance to look at the email you sent yet.”

Becca leaned out of the screen and returned covering her mouth, obviously chewing. “I understand. Please excuse my chewing. I haven’t eaten for hours and I just got home from work not too long ago. I haven’t even been to sleep yet.”

“Wow! I didn’t know charity work could keep you up until the wee hours of the morning.”

Becca frowned. “I guess in your world, Mr. DeLong, what I do is of little importance and couldn’t possibly keep me up at this ungodly hour.”

Ouch. He was usually a lot smoother with the ladies. “Once again, I find myself apologizing to you, Becca. I misspoke. It wasn’t my intention to offend you. What I meant to say was that I’m curious about what you do at the foundation and I’d be interested in learning more. I can tell you’re very dedicated.”

“I am very dedicated, Mr. DeLong.” Her mouth clenched. “I’m intelligent too, so I know very well what you meant.”

Josh didn’t mean to laugh, but the way she was formally addressing him proved that in the course of twenty seconds he’d managed to piss her off. “I must say, Becca, it usually takes longer than a few seconds for me to rub someone the wrong way.”

“I’m sure your charm may work on most. However, you can’t insult me and then assume that an apology will make me forget those words ever came out of your mouth.”

“Jeez,” Josh said, still laughing. “Tough crowd.”

He watched the line in her forehead indent even more than it had seconds prior. Although she was annoyed with him, there was something cute about the way her nose crinkled when she frowned.

“Maybe I’m overreacting a little.”

Josh raised an eyebrow. “Just a little?”

“It’s been a long day, so I’ll just blame my mood on lack of sleep.”

“No worries. I should have thought about what I said before I said it. But as you stated, it’s been a long day.”

“Speaking of a long day, I was about to finish my food and go to bed. Is there anything I can help you with beforehand?”

Josh usually thought quickly on his feet, but there was something about Becca that made him pause and really think about the words he said next. “I don’t mind if you eat while we chat. I didn’t want to speak to you about anything in particular.”

She looked skeptical, but took another bite of her food. Josh liked the way her mouth moved. She was a slow chewer, which made the movement of her mouth downright hypnotizing.

“I’m being honest. I called you because I was exhausted, and for some reason you’re the only person I wanted to talk to. So if you need to hang up, it’s fine.”

If they hadn’t been on Skype, he wouldn’t have gotten a chance to see her almond-shaped eyes widen and her lips slightly open in surprise.

For a couple minutes, neither of them said anything. Josh welcomed the silence and took the moment to observe Becca more closely; she appeared to be observing him, as well. Staring into a woman’s eyes for more than a minute—especially one whom he’d just met—wasn’t a regular occurrence for Josh. As cocky as it sounded, when he set his sights on a woman, looking deeply into each other’s eyes for an extended period of time wasn’t a part of the deal. It tended to send women the wrong message and then they got attached too quickly. Yet Josh felt as though he could look into Becca’s light brown eyes all night.

Even though she was fatigued, her warm golden-mocha complexion glowed under the dim lighting of what he assumed was her bedroom. He could only see the edge of a white pillow propped behind her back and the corner of what appeared to be a nightstand where her plate of food was sitting. When Becca adjusted herself, displaying a little more of her clothing, Josh forgot about the pillow as his eyes dropped to her blouse, which was slightly open.

It wasn’t gentlemanlike to look down a woman’s shirt, but in his defense he hadn’t expected the top two buttons to be undone. He’d expected her blouse to be buttoned all the way to the neck, the way it had been in all the photos he’d seen of her.

He must have been staring too long, because Becca glanced down at her shirt and then proceeded to cover up her chest as if she was exposing too much skin. Josh hadn’t even seen a hint of cleavage, but he assumed it was still more than Becca wanted him to see. When she met his eyes, she shook her head at him.

“What?” he asked, feigning innocence.

“Nothing,” she said, taking another bite of her food. This time when she chewed, her food must have gone down the wrong pipe because it sent her into a coughing frenzy.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m okay,” she said, still coughing. “Sometimes, when I put something large in my mouth too fast, I choke. I should have done it slower.”

Does she have any idea how sexual that sounded? Amusement must have shown on his face because she choked even more.

“That came out wrong.”

“No, I think it came out right.”

“I didn’t mean to say that I’m always putting big things in my mouth. I meant to say that sometimes my throat has to get adjusted before I swallow.” Becca gasped and quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late. Josh had already heard her and was unsuccessful at stifling his laughter.

“Okay, that came out wrong, too.” Becca placed her hands in front of her as if she were bracing herself before she continued speaking. “I’ve had issues with gagging if I don’t properly prepare myself.”

Josh chuckled even more than he had before. On one hand, he was actually surprised that there was reasoning behind why she was chewing so slowly. He should have asked her to explain to indicate that he was indeed listening. Yet the situation was much too amusing.

“This is by far the most amusing conversation I’ve had all day, Becca.” He wiped a few tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes from laughing so hard. “Thanks for the laugh. I needed that.”

“I’m here all week.” Her smile was tight-lipped, causing him to laugh as hard as he had before. Eventually, she started laughing along with him. Josh liked the sound of her laughter. Instead of being high-pitched like he’d assumed it would be, her laugh was smooth as velvet.

They talked for a few more minutes before disconnecting their call. Josh didn’t bother to get up and head to his bedroom. Instead, he spent the next twenty minutes thinking about Becca before he drifted off to sleep on the sofa. He’d worry about why the buttoned-up PR director was on his mind later.

Chapter 4

“Please tell me that you didn’t tell one of the sexiest men in Miami that you had a gag reflex problem?”

Becca looked up from her desk at Leanna Timmons—part-time program manager for The Aunt Penny Foundation. Leanna had been the first employee to join the foundation and had been an asset to Haley and Becca over the years. Leanna also owned her own hair and beauty salon down the street from the office. Today, her blond hair was cut in a chic bob and highlighted with pink and black streaks that matched her black tank and pink skirt. On any other person, the style might have looked crazy, but on Leanna it made her look like a rock star.

“That’s not how the conversation went.”

Leanna crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh really? When I talked to Haley this morning, she said you basically admitted that you suffer from a sensitive gag reflex when something large goes into your mouth.”

Becca sighed. She’d told Haley not to mention what had happened, but apparently her best friend hadn’t listened. She couldn’t even chastise Haley because she was on a business lunch.

“Okay, I may or may not have mentioned something like that to Josh, but I hadn’t cut my apple into small enough pieces and I was talking to him at the same time. You know I have to chew my food slowly and in small portions.”

“Couldn’t you have at least waited until after a few more meetings before you mentioned the word gag to Joshua DeLong?”

Becca had to admit that she’d come across pretty pathetic on the Skype call with Josh. However, he’d seemed amused and his laughter had been contagious. I’m still not even sure why he called me. True, he’d claimed that she’d just been on his mind and he had to call her, but come on. This was Joshua DeLong—the ultimate playboy. Why would he be thinking about Becca at all?

After their meeting on his yacht, she’d researched him a bit more, and in several photos he was pictured beside actresses, models, or women with high cheekbones and perfect figures who had probably never sucked in their stomach a day in their lives. Becca was hardly his type, which was why she had a hard time believing his admission.

“Becca,” Stacy said, knocking on the door. “There’s someone here to see you.”

The fact that Stacy had actually knocked was enough to shake Becca from her thoughts.

“Who is it?”

“Joshua DeLong.” Of course it’s him. That explained why Stacy was on her best behavior. “He wants to take you to lunch.”

Leanna squealed. “This is perfect! You can redeem yourself from your last conversation.”

“I’m not going to lunch with him. I have too much to do.” And I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one week.

“You have to go,” Leanna said as she coaxed Becca out of her chair. “He probably finalized the paperwork and just wants to go over it with you.”

“She’s right,” Stacy said. “He mentioned some kind of paperwork, too.”

Just great. She’d only known Josh for a week and already he was disrupting her predictable lifestyle.

“But look at what I’m wearing.” Becca glanced down at her black slacks and simple black blazer that covered her beige blouse. Her outfit was hardly suitable for having lunch with a man like Joshua DeLong.

“You’re a beautiful woman,” Leanna said. “Here, let’s just make a few changes.” Leanna pulled off her jacket and unbuttoned the first three buttons of her blouse.

“That’s too many,” Becca said as she buttoned up two of the three.

Leanna frowned. “Can we compromise at unbuttoning at least two?”

Becca nodded her head. “I can work with two.”

“Well, I definitely want you to ‘work it,’ but how about we just focus on getting you through the lunch for now. Here, let’s change shoes. I think we wear the same size.” Leanna kicked off her black heels.

Becca glanced down at her beige ballerina shoes. “What’s wrong with my shoes?”

Leanna blinked rapidly. “Sweetie, you can’t dine with a man like Joshua DeLong wearing flats.”

Becca shrugged. “I suppose you have a point.” She easily slipped her feet into the heels. She wasn’t a stranger to high-heeled shoes, and putting on Leanna’s reminded her how much she’d missed them.

Leanna stepped back and admired the wardrobe changes. “Perfect. Now all you have to do is take your hair out of that tight bun.”

Becca swatted Leanna’s hands away. “No way I’m taking down my bun. My hair will not cooperate in this Miami summer heat right now without my products.”

“Hello? I own my own hair and beauty salon.” Leanna lifted the bag on her shoulder. “I always bring hair reinforcements with me.”

“Sorry, hon, but your magic bag of tricks is going to have to make an appearance at another time. I refuse to change my hair for a business lunch.”

Leanna and Stacy shared a look. “Okay, I guess this is good for now,” Leanna said. “Now go out there and redeem yourself from the last conversation.” Leanna slapped her butt for good measure, causing Becca to laugh. Unfortunately, her laughter was short-lived, because she turned the corner and focused her gaze on Josh, who was standing near the reception desk.

You can do this, she thought as she approached. Unlike their first meeting, he was dressed in business casual clothing—maroon slacks with a light blue button-up and his Ray-Bans. His blue suede shoes complemented the entire outfit. When Josh saw her, he removed his Ray-Bans and once again, she was temporarily entranced in his beautiful baby blues.

“Hello, Becca,” he said as she approached. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Hello, Josh.” Try not to stare so hard at his pearly whites. “What brings you by our office?”

“I was hoping that we could have lunch and go over the final paperwork.” He briefly glanced over her shoulder at something behind her. Becca figured it was Leanna and Stacy, who were ready to jump in if she declined his lunch offer.

“Sure, I’m available for lunch.”

“Great, I’m parked right outside. If it’s okay with you, I’ll drive us to the restaurant and drop you back off after.”

“That’s fine.” She briefly waved at Leanna and Stacy as she followed Josh outside. The minute she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she froze.

“Oh my God,” she said, walking toward the gorgeous vehicle parked in front of her office. “Does this breathtaking beauty belong to you?”

“Um, yes,” Josh said with a laugh. “This is one of my vehicles.”

One of? Becca had a few guilty pleasures, and luxury cars had to be in her top five. “May I?” she asked, itching to run her fingers across the smooth steel.

“Sure.” Josh didn’t look phased by her request, which only increased her boldness. She felt like her hand moved in slow motion as she touched the exterior of the car.

“I take it you like luxury vehicles?” Josh asked. “It’s a—”

“French blue Bugatti Chiron. It goes as fast as two hundred and sixty miles per hour and is one of the most powerful luxury vehicles in the world.” Becca hadn’t meant to cut him off, but she was salivating over the car. She walked around the entire Bugatti and admired the detail.

“I wish the vehicle was see-through,” Becca said, more to herself than Josh. “If it was, I imagine I’d see a sixteen-cylinder engine with double-powered turbochargers and a frame so sexy it would make me want to cry happy tears and thank the inventors for creating such a beautiful piece of art.”

After a few more minutes admiring the vehicle, Becca finally looked at Josh. He was standing on the sidewalk with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

“Sorry,” she said. “I guess you can say I have a bit of a car fetish.”

“There’s no need to apologize.” He walked over and opened the door for her. “If I was the type of man to get jealous, I’d have stopped you from admiring my car minutes ago. Instead, you just made me more curious about how you developed your love of cars.”

Becca smiled as she got into the car, and Josh followed. Neither of them spoke for the first couple minutes of the drive.

“So are you going to make me beg?”

Becca turned to Josh. “Make you beg for what?”

“Are you going to tell me how you know so much about cars, or are you going to make me beg for the details?”

Becca’s laughter echoed throughout the car. “Something tells me that a man like you has never had to beg for anything a day in his life.”

As the car stopped at a light, Josh met her eyes. “Something tells me that you’re the type of woman who would make me beg.” His look was intense and one that she hadn’t yet seen. “And something tells me that I wouldn’t mind begging.”

Is he flirting with me? There’s no way Joshua DeLong is flirting with me. Yet the minute his lips curled into a side smile, she disregarded her previous thought. For whatever reason, he was flirting with her, and for an even more insane reason, she was liking it.

* * *

“Is French okay with you?” Josh asked as they were taken to one of the best seats in the upscale restaurant. Even in the daytime, the dim lighting in the restaurant provided an intimate ambiance.

“French is fine, but I wasn’t aware that this was going to be such an extravagant lunch.”

Josh glanced around. “This restaurant has the best French food in Miami. The head chef just won another prestigious award.”

“I’ve heard great things about this place,” Becca said as she opened her menu.

“I meant to tell you,” Josh said, opening his menu, as well. “You look really nice today.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. He noticed that her black-rimmed glasses seemed smaller than the ones he’d seen her wear in her online picture. He actually liked these glasses a lot. They fit her.

He couldn’t quite place what was different about her today, but she looked less restricted than he’d seen her look before. He’d meant to comment on it when they were leaving her office, but her enthusiasm over his car had caused him to forget.

If he hadn’t needed to discuss the paperwork, he would have been content with watching her admire his Bugatti all day. The excitement he’d seen on her face was enough to keep him entertained for hours. He still wanted to see just how deep her knowledge of cars went, but she’d grown quiet in the car after he’d asked her, so he would wait to bring it up again.

After they placed their order, he took out the paperwork. “Here’s the agreement with your suggestions incorporated in the document.”

Becca accepted the packet of information and began scrolling through the pages. “Everything looks good.” She took out the single sheet of paper. “What’s this?”

Josh took out the same sheet from the paperwork sitting in front of him. “Since you and I weren’t seeing eye to eye on the gala being widely publicized, I composed a list of celebrities that are not only heavily involved in charity work, but that truly believe in the mission of the organizations they support.”

Josh waited patiently as Becca read through the details. She lifted her head from the sheet when she was finished. “This is pretty impressive.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Josh hadn’t known how much he wanted her approval until he’d received it. “I was also thinking that—with your approval—we could reach out to a couple friends I have in the media to get some good publicity for The Aunt Penny Foundation before the gala. When I researched the foundation, it looked like you haven’t had any media coverage in at least a year. It would be great practice and help spread the word about all the good you and Haley do.”

Josh wasn’t sure if Becca really grasped how much he wanted to help The Aunt Penny Foundation in any way he could, but he hoped she had a better idea today than she had before.

“So what do you think?” he asked since he couldn’t read her expression. This woman probably excels at poker.

“I must say that after our first meeting, I wasn’t quite sure that you even knew the definition of ‘treading lightly’ when it came to the media. But after reading everything you’ve presented in this paperwork, I’m confident that your ideas are what’s best for the foundation right now.”

Josh did a mental fist pump. “I’m happy to hear that. I only see brightness in the future of The Aunt Penny Foundation.”

They put the paperwork aside just as their food arrived. As usual, lunch was fantastic, and judging by the appreciative sounds coming from Becca, she was enjoying the food just as much as he was.

“Are you really going to make me beg?” Josh asked between bites.

“Are we back on my car fetish?”

“Can you blame me for asking again? It’s not every day that someone knows almost as much about my car as I do.”

“That’s because the Bugatti Chiron is not just any car.” Becca took a sip of water. “Any luxury vehicle enthusiast should be able to name one in the top ten just based off a five-second glance.”

“Only five seconds? What about a solid twenty?”

“Nope,” Becca said, shaking her head. “Would your mother have to stare at you for twenty seconds before identifying you as her child?”

Josh contemplated his answer. “My mother wouldn’t need twenty seconds, but some circumstances may be different.”

“People who love luxury vehicles love them as if they were their children. They shouldn’t need twenty seconds to identify their child.”

Josh took another bite of his food before continuing. “It’s not always black-and-white. For example, what if a child was kidnapped at birth, but reunited with their family as a teenager? The parents would need more than twenty seconds to identify that child.”

Becca shook her head. “Come on, you know very well what I mean.”

“Another example,” Josh said snapping his fingers. “A child given up for adoption and reunited with their birth parents after twenty years.”

“Not a good one,” Becca said. “One of my close friends was given up for adoption and when she reunited with her birth mother at twenty-five, her mother knew who she was immediately.”

“So based off what you’re saying, if it would have taken you twenty seconds to identify a luxury car, you could have had your title of luxury vehicle enthusiast revoked?”

Becca leaned forward. “It never takes me twenty seconds to identify a luxury car. Ten seconds tops, and even then it’s probably because the car was passing by too fast for me to get a good look.”

Josh smiled at her confidence. He’d always been a fan of a good debate and it was refreshing to meet a woman who could keep up with him. He glanced out the window of the restaurant at the parking lot. There were numerous vehicles in the lot that he could ask Becca to identify to test her theory. The prestigious restaurant was crawling with money, and with money came expensive cars.

“If you’re going to ask me to identify one of the luxury cars in the parking lot, don’t bother,” Becca said as she took a sip of water.

“Why not, Ms. Wright? Afraid you’ll misidentify a vehicle and prove your theory false?”

Becca leaned back in her chair. “Quite the contrary, Mr. DeLong. The reason I told you not to bother is because I already identified all the luxury cars in the parking lot in the thirty seconds it took for us to exit your vehicle and enter the restaurant.”

Josh shook his head. “Yeah, right. I’ll believe it when I hear it.”

The smirk that crossed Becca’s lips gave him fair warning that he should prepare to be wowed. “I’ll skip your French blue baby and start with mentioning the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the far right corner of the lot. Then there’s a Mercedes-Benz E-Class two cars down from it. Two BMW 4 Series—one gray and the other white. A brilliant yellow Lamborghini Aventador parked next to the white BMW. A Lexus ES parked in the left corner two spaces away from a classic 1966 Jaguar. And although I’m sure, just like you, most of the owners of the vehicles used valet parking, the smartest owner is the one who probably paid the valet extra to park his or her sexy red 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider in the only semi-discreet spot in the parking lot. That spot also happens to be the closest to the valet desk. You don’t leave classics like the Ferrari unattended for long. The Jaguar owner should probably take notes from the Ferrari owner.”

Josh tried his best to keep a straight face. Who in the world is this woman? He was rarely speechless, but Becca had completely stolen the words from his mouth. There was something about her that challenged him, and finding a woman who truly challenged him had been so difficult, he’d often thought that such a woman didn’t exist. At least, she hadn’t existed until Becca Wright.

“In case you haven’t done the math, it should have taken me forty-five seconds to name all nine luxury cars in the lot, but you and I both know it didn’t take that long to walk into the restaurant.” Becca took another sip of her water. “And there’s no need to tell me that you’re impressed because I can read it in your eyes.”

Her satisfied smile was wide and it caused him to smile right back. Everything she’d said was right. He was impressed. More than he had been in a very long time.

Chapter 5

“Earth to Josh? Are you going to stare at that basketball all day, or are we actually going to hoop with it?”

Josh turned to face his youngest brother, Logan. “The others aren’t even here yet.”

“Exactly. Which means we can practice until they get here.”

Josh threw Logan the ball. At least twice a month, Josh met up with his three younger brothers for a two-on-two basketball game in the outdoor court down the street from their childhood home, before they all headed to their mother’s house for Sunday dinner. As usual, his brothers Ryan and Sebastian were late.

“Is everything going okay with work?” Logan asked. “You’ve seemed distracted since you got here.”

“Work’s been crazy.” Josh rebounded for Logan as he shot from the free throw line. “Do you remember that tech company I was telling you about?”

“The one that you just had to do a massive layoff for?”

“Yes, that’s the one.” Josh and Logan switched places so that Josh was the one shooting. “Most of the employees loved the management team, so letting go some of the key players wasn’t easy. I’ve been in numerous meetings with the remaining management staff trying to defuse the situation. The culture of this company is great and I really don’t want to change it. Unfortunately, the staff don’t understand my decisions yet and until they do, there are a lot of growing pains ahead.”

“Don’t sweat it, big bro. You’ve had to make some difficult decisions throughout your career, but you’re doing what’s best for the company.”

“I wish they saw it that way, because right now I feel like I’m demolishing dreams and breaking what was otherwise a close camaraderie between colleagues.” And turning friends against each other. Just this morning he’d had one of the executives call him to rat out one of his friends and fellow executives who he believed had been secretly stealing money from the company years ago. Josh had his team investigating the situation, and he had a feeling the outcome wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Hey,” Logan said, getting his attention. “Do you remember when I was ten and you were fifteen and you walked me to my friend’s house because he was moving after his dad lost his job?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“When we arrived at their house, we walked right into an argument. My friend’s dad was trying to explain to his wife that some investors had just begun cleaning house and laying people off without even meeting with the staff first.”

“That’s right.” Josh went for another shot and missed. “He also mentioned that the main investor was a corporate raider who didn’t give a damn about anyone or anything as long as he was making money.”

“And after that conversation you said there was no way you’d ever become a corporate raider and change the course of someone’s life without giving your decisions a second thought.”

Josh stopped shooting the ball. “And lo and behold, I became the exact person I claimed I would never become.”

“No, you didn’t,” Logan said. “Bro, despite what some of those articles may say, you actually care about what happens to the companies you invest in. True, you’ve had to be somewhat ruthless to get where you are today, but that’s just the nature of the business. For years, you’ve managed to maintain your dignity while also keeping your emotions out of the situation. Don’t start doubting yourself now that you’re at the top of your game.”

Josh let Logan’s words sink in. His brother had basically summarized all the fears he had in that one statement. “You’re right. I need to get out of my headspace.”

“Better yet,” Logan said, “maybe you should find a sweet honey to help you get out of your headspace.” Josh’s thoughts immediately went to Becca, as they had a lot lately.

“Are you sure you’re not the older brother?” Josh asked, finally landing a shot without even hitting the backboard.

Logan pretended to smooth out his hair and T-shirt. “I’ve been trying to tell you for years that I’m the most fly DeLong man in the family, but y’all don’t want to listen.”

“That’s because you’re too full of yourself,” Ryan said as he walked onto the court with Sebastian. “Men who really have swag don’t need to vocalize the fact that they have swag. They just exude it.” All four brothers dabbed fists and prepared to start the game.

“I just have to make a quick call.” Josh walked over to his gym bag that he’d placed on the steel bleachers and pulled out his phone to call Becca. She answered on the third ring.

“Hey, Josh.”

For a second, Josh soaked in her warm voice. “Hey, Becca. How are you?”

“I’m fine. Just busy as usual. How are you?”

“I’m good, but I’d be even better if you’d accompany me to an exclusive black-tie movie premiere at a waterfront estate in the North Bay Road neighborhood on Tuesday.”

“A movie premiere? So it wouldn’t be for business?”

“It would be great for networking and spreading the word about The Aunt Penny Foundation,” Josh said, although he hadn’t been thinking about business when he’d decided to invite her. He’d simply wanted to spend some more time with her. He really liked her. However, he wasn’t sure if it was just the challenge that amused him, or if it was more. He needed to find out and the more time they spent together, the quicker he’d figure it out.

“Also, the host of the movie premiere is a business associate, so I have to make an appearance. I’d be honored if you’d attend with me because I really don’t want to go stag.”

Since he couldn’t see her in person, he couldn’t gauge if she was leaning more toward saying yes or no. His brothers motioned for him to join the game and he waved them off.

“Okay, I’ll go with you,” she finally said.

“Great,” Josh said with a big smile. “I’ll email you the details. Would 6:00 p.m. work?”

‘‘Yes, that’s fine.”

Josh disconnected the call and joined his brothers on the court. Now that Becca had agreed to accompany him to the movie premiere, his week was already looking better.

* * *

Becca tried her best not to elbow the strangers who were rudely pushing past her in the crowded sandwich café as she and Haley made their way to the table where Leanna was already seated.

“Jeez,” she huffed when they sat down. “Why is it so packed today?”

Leanna laughed. “Well, besides the fact that it’s lunchtime on a Tuesday, they’re also handing out free red-and-blue sandwiches in honor of Independence Day this week.”

“Ew,” Haley said. “That sounds disgusting. I’m afraid to even ask what’s in it.”

Leanna took a sip of green tea. “You’ll see for yourselves when they bring ours to the table. When I ordered our usual, they asked if we wanted to try the sandwiches and I agreed.”

“If you two don’t like them I can bring them to Stacy.”

“So you went from being ready to fire her to bringing her sandwiches?” Leanna asked. “I must be working at my salon too much, because last time I was in the office, Stacy wasn’t doing much work.”

Becca shrugged. “She’s growing on me. When I called the temp agency, they mentioned this job would be her last strike, and by the end of their apology I was telling them we would keep her on.”

Becca still needed to have a serious talk with the teenager about her work ethic, but she was hoping after that conversation Stacy would work harder.

“Okay, so enough about that.” Haley clasped her hands in front of her. “Are you going to tell us more about this event that Josh invited you to tonight?”

Becca knew the minute Haley asked if she wanted to meet Leanna for lunch that they would ask for details about her conversation with Josh. “Since I had a feeling you both would ask me a ton of questions, I printed out the event invitation he emailed me.”

Leanna and Haley both reviewed the sheet of paper. “Oh my God,” Leanna said. “You’re going to that exclusive movie premiere that everyone is talking about? It doesn’t even release for another few months.”

Becca nodded her head. “Yeah, and I love action movies, so it will definitely be a treat.”

“And it’s a black-tie movie premiere in the North Bay Road neighborhood?” Haley exclaimed. “I know I don’t need to remind you that only the rich and famous stay there. I can’t believe you’re going to such a high-profile event and you seem so unfazed.”

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