Daddy’s Billionaire Chef: Age Gap Instalove Short Romance (Billionaires) Read online

  Daddy's Billionaire Chef

  Age Gap Instalove Romance

  By Haley Travis

  Copyright 2021 Haley Travis. All rights reserved. Edited by Rosemary Stewart. Cover Design by Lexie Renard.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted or duplicated in any form whatsoever without express written permission of the author. This book is intended for sale to adults. All main characters are over 18. This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual people or specific locations or details is completely coincidental, or intended fictitiously.

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  ***

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1 ~ Julia

  Chapter 2 ~ Matt

  Chapter 3 ~ Julia

  Chapter 4 ~ Matt

  Chapter 5 ~ Julia

  Chapter 6 ~ Matt

  Chapter 7 ~ Julia

  Chapter 8 ~ Matt

  Chapter 9 ~ Julia

  Chapter 10 ~ Matt

  Chapter 11 ~ Julia

  Chapter 12 ~ Matt

  Chapter 13 ~ Julia

  Chapter 14 ~ Matt

  Chapter 15 ~ Julia

  Chapter 16 ~ Matt

  Epilogue ~ Julia

  Other Books

  Chapter 1

  _____

  Julia

  Cleaning the kitchen always made me remarkably calm. There was a routine, a system, that made everything orderly.

  I filled the dishwasher, hand washed the pots that didn’t fit, and wiped down the stove and counters. Then I gave the floor a quick sweep, and turned the dishwasher on. It was all methodical. Peaceful.

  Feeling productive was incredibly important to me, and kitchen work was a wonderful constant. No matter what else was happening in my life, I could do this the same way every single time.

  So much had changed during the past two months that my head was nearly spinning. I had switched jobs from Dad’s law office to my brother’s interior design company, which was incredible for me professionally, but awkward for my family.

  I’d also been missing my best friend a bit, since Olive had somehow ended up dating her father’s wealthy investor. It had all happened so suddenly. One moment we were joking that his name was Imaginary Larry, and the next thing I knew, he was flying her to other cities just to take her to dinner or something.

  I was ridiculously happy for her, but let’s just say it was in sharp contrast to my own string of underwhelming first dates over the past few months, which had left me exhausted and maybe a little depressed.

  The college business courses I took didn’t leave me with much free time, but I tried to date. Nobody kept my interest enough to warrant a second meeting, though. Over the past summer I had tried to go out with anyone who seemed like a genuinely nice guy, I really had.

  They all seemed to fall into one of three categories. Cocky guys who assumed I’d be easy, dorky guys who couldn’t believe I’d gone out with them in the first place, and super boring guys who didn’t know how to hold a conversation.

  With three older brothers, I was daddy’s little girl, and the only child still at home. Even though I was twenty-one now, it was a big enough house that I had my own space and didn’t feel any rush to move out right away.

  Since Mom moved across the country when they divorced three years ago, I wasn’t just the lady of the house, I was the nearest family to Dad now. My brother Ethan lived across the city, and came by for Sunday dinners at least once a month. Adam and Stewart both lived several hours away, and we didn’t hear much from them.

  After drying my hands on a dish towel, I grabbed my laptop and folder full of paperwork and went to the dining room. Dad and I used the huge table for big projects like brainstorming, the occasional Sunday afternoon puzzle, and planning his annual fall fundraiser.

  For the past several years, I’d been busy with school in the fall and had barely helped at all. This year I was trying to get ahead of everything, and do more than my fair share, especially since things had been a bit strained since leaving Dad’s law firm to work at Ethan’s company.

  Paperwork was paperwork, to some degree, but I’d rather be my most productive self in a more interesting environment.

  At least, that was how I put it to Dad, and I think he understood. I also needed to stand on my own, and be a woman instead of someone’s little girl. Sure, Ethan was still my boss, but that was a lot different than answering to my father.

  It put some distance between Dad and I, and I liked that. So I hadn’t even mentioned that I was working on an incredibly cool restaurant project, and being given more responsibility.

  Today, though, I was ready to channel my energy into Dad’s annual fundraiser. Every fall he threw a gala to raise money for our local food bank. He’d volunteered there when he was younger, and saw how important it was, especially for families with small children.

  Spreading the pages across the wooden surface, I was excited about this project. This year’s theme for the event was already picked, and the decor and entertainment booked. All that was left this week was to double check everything, and make adjustments when things inevitably shifted at the last minute.

  A minute after I heard a car in the driveway there was a sluggish tap at the front door, and I ran to answer it. As soon as it was open a huge plastic box was shoved in my face. Grabbing it awkwardly, I couldn’t even see who was behind it.

  “Take that to the kitchen,” a deep voice barked.

  I was so taken aback that I simply did as I was told. By the time I got back to the front door, I could see the stranger’s face as he approached again.

  Except he wasn’t exactly a stranger.

  Matt Swansea. The now world-famous chef who had been catering Dad’s gala for the past ten years.

  Naturally I’d seen his face on the programs, but he’d always looked cold, posing for an official headshot. The clip I’d seen recently on a national morning show of him promoting his latest book was far more flattering. Yet nothing could capture the fiery intensity of the man in front of me, shoving another box into my arms.

  He didn’t even seem to see me, as I took it and trekked back to the kitchen to set it on the counter with a thump.

  “Hey — careful,” he snapped.

  I’d assumed Matt would be sending an assistant over with the sample menu. It had never occurred to me that he might come himself.

  When his third book made number one on every single best seller list, and his TV special received several awards, I’d wondered if he would even still do the event this year.

  I heard the door shut, and turned to see Matt carrying two boxes toward me, setting them on the kitchen counter. Then he finally turned to me, and froze.

  It was strange just staring at each other. Those thick, muscular arms, and the fact that he was at least six foot two didn’t register on the photos at all. He was...striking. Those dark green eyes were fascinating. There was no way to explain the energy in his gaze. It was as if he was staring at a ghost or something.

  Finally he said, “You’re not Roberta.”

  “No. I’m Julia.”

  His mouth fell open as he blinked hard, then began to chuckle. “I’m so sorry, Julia. One of my assistants was supposed to beat me here. I didn’t mean to order you around.”

  He held out his large hand, and I noticed the slight burn mark on his wrist. “I’m Matt. Connor speaks of you so highl
y. It’s lovely to see you again after all these years.”

  I’d shaken many men’s hands before, especially while working at Dad’s law office. The ones who didn’t try to crush your bones held a lady’s hand daintily, as if she might break.

  Matt’s touch was extremely different. Instead of pumping my hand up and down, he simply held my palm, as if trying to read my energy through the simple contact. It was oddly intimate.

  He stared into my eyes as if he were trying to peer into my soul. “I had no idea that Connor’s daughter was so…” He shook his head and finally released my hand.

  He quickly checked his phone, giving me a few more seconds to admire his chiseled profile and thick dark hair. There was a huge difference between those postage stamp sized photos and the gorgeous, powerful man standing in front of me.

  “Roberta canceled at the last minute,” he said in a low rumble. He looked around the kitchen. “Everything is prepared, but some things need to be heated.”

  I cleared a few things from the counter, and the kitchen table. “What can I do to help?”

  Matt smiled as if I had impressed him. “What time will your dad be here?”

  “Theoretically, five minutes ago.”

  There was something in his dark chuckle that made my knees soften. He opened the oven, checking to make sure it was empty before preheating it.

  When he saw my puzzled glance, he chuckled again. “You’d be shocked how often people use their ovens for storage.”

  I laughed lightly, surprised by the cheeky twinkle in his eyes.

  After moving my paperwork so that most of the dining room table was cleared, I assisted Matt by directing him to utensils and cookware.

  By the time Dad arrived, I felt hyper from being in Matt’s presence. He was so sexy, with such a powerful energy. It felt like it was spilling over onto me.

  Dad sat in the dining room, going through the papers I’d laid out, while I tried to help Matt without getting in his way.

  When he was speaking with me, he was very sweet, answering my questions and smiling with a lovely sparkle in his eyes. Yet when he was in the middle of assembling something and needed me to hand him a whisk or a serving spoon, he was sharp. Almost bossy. As if he was in the zone and nothing else mattered, even manners.

  It felt very different from the lawyers who snapped at the underlings simply to feel powerful. Matt just needed to get the job done correctly, and some things required his complete focus.

  His intensity was inspiring, and his brash demeanor uncovered something within me that had never truly seen the light of day before.

  Lust.

  I could feel it every time I looked at him. It was disconcerting. Unfamiliar. Maybe even a bit dangerous.

  And I was already in love with this new sensation.

  Chapter 2

  _____

  Matt

  I knew that my brusque tone might come off as slightly rude, but I was trying to put these tasting dishes together without distraction.

  Yet it was impossible not to stare at Julia. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was...ethereal. Magical. Some sort of sexy pixie sent to bewitch me. My head was swimming slightly, as if I’d just had a few shots of vodka.

  Blonde hair. Hazel eyes. Perfect pink lips that I just couldn’t stop staring at.

  Finally I sent her out to sit beside her father so I could serve them a selection of small appetizers.

  “This is incredible,” Connor said, rolling his eyes dramatically as he took his first taste of the chicken satay. He had taken off his jacket and tie when he got home from work, and looked much more like my old friend instead of a partner at a law firm.

  Every year, people asked why I took such a personal interest in catering such a small event. The truth was, Connor had completely saved my career ten years ago.

  After working like hell for several years and saving every penny, my best friend decided to partner with me to open a small restaurant. Then, a month before opening, he got cold feet and dumped the project entirely. If I hadn’t found a lawyer who would work for eternal free dinners, I would have lost everything.

  I suppose I could have started again from scratch, but it might have crushed my spirit forever.

  But somehow Connor managed to wrangle all of the legal details so that I could retain full ownership, and even lent me the money to buy my partner out, so that I could maintain complete control.

  Even though I paid him back in full within two years, I still felt like I owed him a huge debt. I always thanked him in the dedication of each of my books, and at the opening of every single one of my dozens of restaurants.

  Last year when my accountant told me that all of my business holdings and investments had hit the ten-figure mark, I came to this very house to share a bottle of incredibly rare whiskey with the man who enabled me to start my own little empire.

  Now I was having wildly salacious thoughts about his breathtaking daughter whom I hadn’t seen in years.

  “What do you think about this one, Julia?” I asked. “I served something similar at another event, but noticed that the women didn’t enjoy it as much. Any idea why?”

  She looked at me strangely, pursing her lips. Then she shook her head. “The flavor is great. But you can’t eat this if you’re on a date.”

  “What?” Her father and I asked at the same time.

  “Seriously,” she continued, “women will pass on any appetizer that ruins their lipstick, or that they have to chew a lot. If they’ve been together a long time, and they’re completely comfortable together, it’s likely fine. But if it’s an early dating situation, we’re trying to look as elegant as possible.”

  I fell into a chair beside her. “I can’t believe I never thought of that.”

  “I’m betting you’ve never had to worry about your lipstick”, she joked. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to mess up your menu. But I assume you want the truth, right?”

  “Absolutely.” My fingers drummed on the dark mahogany table. “Hold on.”

  Dashing to the kitchen, I chopped the chicken into bite-size pieces, plating each one with a touch of sauce in a tiny bowl with a long toothpick.

  Returning to the dining room, I passed them to her. “Try it like this.”

  Julia’s eyes lit up as she daintily stabbed the chicken bites, easily popping them into her mouth. “See?” She grinned. “This way it doesn’t have to touch my lipstick, if I were wearing any.”

  I had definitely noticed that her beautiful pink lips were bare, since it was nearly impossible to tear my attention away.

  “Actually,” Connor said, “I think we get a bit more sauce this way. I like it.”

  I brought out a few more appetizers. “We’ll have these constantly passed around, changing the selections every thirty minutes, just like last year.”

  Julia looked down at the array of hors d’oeuvres, biting her lip slightly. “If you have an idea, I’d love to hear it,” I said.

  “It’s another date thing,” she said sheepishly. “Sometimes when you’re in the middle of a conversation, you don’t want to have to stop and ask the server exactly what it is. Or they’re walking by quickly and I don’t want to bother them.”

  “But that’s why they’re there,” I said. “They are told all of the ingredients, and they’re there to help you.”

  She shrugged those slim shoulders. “Still. Sometimes people get a bit shy. I’ve always liked it when events have big platters of food with little signs saying what everything is and you can just walk by and steal a piece of cheese now and then.”

  “Julia, honey, we can’t ask Matt to change everything at the last minute,” Connor said.

  I stared out the window at the back lawn for a moment, visualizing the menu and dividing things up. “What if we did both? All of the hot food will be passed around, and anything else can be set out.”

  In the paperwork at the end of the table was a room layout chart. I pulled it across the table and pointed. “We can have food and
flower arrangements, here, here, and here.” I pulled out my phone to take a few quick notes.

  “That’s perfect,” Julia said with a dazzling smile. Her hand was so close to mine as she gestured. “Passing by some food on the way to the ladies room is a great way for shy girls to stuff their faces without feeling embarrassed.”

  Connor laughed along with me. “Honey, when have you ever been shy?”

  Julia shot him a look of pure shock. “Are you kidding? Try being a twenty-one year old girl attempting to date. There are plenty of times.”

  My back teeth ground together slightly at the thought of her dating, especially boys her own age. I knew what animals they were. I’d never felt so suddenly protective of anyone before.

  “I honestly appreciate your input, Julia,” I said. “I’m surrounded by so many people who just say yes, and are afraid to tell me the truth. If there are any more secrets, I’m all ears.”