Daddy’s Billionaire Best Friend: Older Man Younger Woman Instalove Short Romance (Billionaires) Read online

  Daddy's Billionaire Best Friend

  Older Man, Younger Woman 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 ~ Nora

  Chapter 2 ~ Ethan

  Chapter 3 ~ Nora

  Chapter 4 ~ Ethan

  Chapter 5 ~ Nora

  Chapter 6 ~ Ethan

  Chapter 7 ~ Nora

  Chapter 8 ~ Ethan

  Chapter 9 ~ Nora

  Chapter 10 ~ Ethan

  Chapter 11 ~ Nora

  Chapter 12 ~ Ethan

  Chapter 13 ~ Nora

  Chapter 14 ~ Ethan

  Chapter 15 ~ Nora

  Epilogue One ~ Ethan

  Epilogue Two ~ Nora

  Other Stories

  Chapter 1

  _____

  Nora

  The satisfying click as my suitcase snapped shut sounded quite final as it echoed around my tiny dorm room.

  Three years of books and studying and living far away from Greenville was long enough. I was incredibly excited to come home to my parents’ cozy house and relax for a couple of weeks before I began work.

  I rolled my two suitcases to the door, then went down the hall to throw out one last bag of trash from scrubbing everything this morning. My roommate had found a cheaper flight home and had to leave in a rush yesterday, leaving the cleaning to me.

  I didn’t mind stepping in to save her some cash. Most of my belongings had been packed up and shipped a week ago, when Dad had been able to borrow a pickup truck and took my things home for me.

  I noticed that many of my university friends were super close with their moms, and called them every day to check in. Mom and I got along quite well, but I talked to Dad just as much for support.

  He was the one who encouraged me to follow my heart and study English literature. He was the one who encouraged me to go to the school of my dreams instead of whichever one was cheaper or more convenient.

  I had been expecting him to pick me up to take me home tonight, but got a call this morning that Mom had gone to bed with one of her air pressure migraines , and he didn’t want to leave her.

  Luckily, his best friend Ethan was driving through here on his way back to Greenville, after having flown directly from Europe to Davenport, the home of his specialty car dealership.

  For some, it might be odd to sit in a car with a stranger for four hours. But Ethan’s been on my radar for years. We’d only briefly met at a Christmas party when I was seventeen, and I barely remembered him, yet Dad talked about his wealthy, hilarious friend and his adventures all the time. He’d been in Europe for a few years, and Dad had gone to visit him twice. Now, after living all over the planet, apparently he was moving back.

  I was happy Dad’s friend would be back in town so they could shoot pool and go to that weird restaurant they apparently love, but was also selfishly delighted that Ethan happened to be driving my way.

  I had to take the bus home once, and it was unbelievably unpleasant. Screaming children can’t be helped. But the seats looked clean yet felt greasy, and the stale air gave me a headache.

  Quickly brushing my hair and adding a little lip gloss, I heard my phone beep.

  Unknown number: Hi, Nora. This is Ethan. According to the bossy navigation lady’s voice, I should be there in a few minutes.

  Me: Thanks – I’ll be right down.

  Quickly saving his number as a contact in my phone, I grabbed my suitcases and hauled them downstairs. A huge, well-built man held the door for me.

  “Thanks,” I said, dragging the suitcases through the door.

  I was surprised for a second as he picked them up, then took a better look. My mouth actually fell open in shock.

  It was not the Ethan Rankin I remembered, but it must have been him. Tall, dark, and gorgeous didn’t begin to describe the man standing in front of me looking casually breathtaking in plain black jeans and a fitted black t-shirt.

  He was lightly tanned, with a short scruff of dark beard. His most striking feature was incredible steel gray eyes. As they locked onto me, I could feel his gaze like an icicle slipping down my spine.

  Although he was dressed casually, I could tell by the shoes, the watch, and the perfect haircut that he really was every bit as wealthy as Dad had said.

  He set down a suitcase and held out his hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Nora.” His voice was rich and deep, with the slight twinge of an accent that I couldn’t place.

  “Hi.” I felt strangely tingly just from the firm touch of his hand. “Thank you so much for driving me.”

  “It’s no trouble at all,” he said smoothly, guiding me to the unbelievable sports car parked in front. It was impossible to tear my eyes from those huge shoulders and trim physique as he stashed my bags in the back seat.

  He held my hand to help me into the low seat of the car, and I didn’t want to let go. Something about the close proximity to Ethan was making my palms sweat and the back of my neck prickle. He took his time adjusting the seat for me, making sure that I was perfectly comfortable for the long ride.

  I’d been attracted to good looking men before, but never experienced this sort of full body reaction. As Ethan carefully shut the door then walked around the car, I realized the key difference. I’d always stared at boys my own age, but Ethan was all man.

  Even the way he slipped into the car, checked my seatbelt, then pulled smoothly out into the driveway was total confidence.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I kept sneaking peeks at his broad, square jaw, and the thick brown-black hair that had just a touch of wave at the back. As we rolled to a stoplight, those piercing eyes turned to me. “Are you hungry, Nora? Should we stop and get some dinner along the way?”

  My belly didn’t rumble from hunger, but from the unusual feeling that this man seemed to want to care for me.

  At this crossroads of my life – finishing school, moving back home, and starting a job – finding a guy was just not on my radar. Yet being so close to Ethan in this small car was making me think all sorts of wild thoughts.

  Would he be interested in a girl so much younger than him? From the way his eyes continually darted to my cleavage and each inch of my thighs that were revealed when my skirt shifted, I thought there was a definite possibility.

  I already knew from Dad’s stories that Ethan was brilliant, dedicated, hilarious, and adventurous. But I’d never heard of a wife or girlfriend, at least not that I remembered.

  Then there was the trickiest question of all, the one that should shut my ravenous libido down for good. What on earth would Dad say if I considered getting involved with his best friend?

  Chapter 2

  _____

  Ethan

  Staring into Nora’s beautiful hazel eyes, it was physically difficult not to
reach out and stroke her cheek. She was an absolute doll – a pretty face with honey blonde hair and delicate pink lips that I couldn’t take my eyes away from.

  Before she could answer, I turned back to the road. “You need food. There used to be a decent place that’s halfway to Greenville, so we can stop there.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  Her light, airy voice sounded like an angel speaking. Thin bracelets rattled as she tugged on the hem of her short skirt, as if she knew that I couldn’t stop staring.

  I guided the car out onto the highway, then said, “If you want to plug in your phone and listen to music, there’s a cable in the glove compartment.”

  Nora leaned toward the center of the car and fussed with the knobs. “You have satellite radio. Let’s see what they’ve got.”

  In the close proximity of the small car, I could detect tiny hints of rosemary and lavender from her shampoo or skin cream.

  A strange soundscape of piano jazz and crunchy lo-fi beats pulsed through the air. “ How’s this?” she asked, smiling as if she desperately wanted my approval.

  I’m not sure why that filled my heart, and it likely shouldn’t, but it did. “It’s fine,” I replied, almost relieved when she shifted back to sit in her seat properly.

  “Brian told me that you graduated near the top of your class,” I said, hoping that bringing up her father would help suppress my desire for this sweet, sexy girl.

  “Yes,” she said with a mixture of shyness and pride. “It was a lot of work, but I think it was worth it.”

  “Hard work is always admirable. Congratulations. English literature, right?”

  Brian spoke of his daughter quite a bit, but I hadn’t always paid attention to every detail. She was just some person in my friend’s life that I never thought much about. Until today.

  Now it felt like there had been a hole in my world just waiting for Nora to step into.

  I dated a bit in University, and through my mid-twenties, but I’d never felt a real pull toward a woman. Maybe I was a romantic at heart who’d watched too many movies as a kid and wanted that feeling of magic.

  I’d spent the past ten years alone, having given up on the notion that true love could ever be in my future.

  With Nora, one look and I was hooked. It felt like I was suddenly grounded in my body properly for the first time ever. Like the early evening sunset was shining on us alone, and every other human in this world was some sort of background character in our movie.

  It didn’t make a lick of sense, but I just knew, through and through. Straight to my bones.

  Of course, I had no idea how Nora would feel about a guy who was nineteen years older than her – constantly busy, always traveling, without the slightest clue how to treat a woman properly.

  But I could learn. I’ve always picked up everything quickly. I always looked for clues, and found ways to get people what they needed. I fixed problems, always.

  As the strangely energetic but tranquil music filled the car, I snuck another look at Nora’s gorgeous profile. She looked like a doll who had been brought to life. A precious little angel who needed a tough guy to protect her from the big, bad world.

  “So, an English lit major, huh?” I said again, trying to think of something to talk about beyond how much I wanted to run my hand along her thigh.

  “Yes,” she said softly. “You can learn a lot from a culture by the books it produces at various times.”

  “That’s a lovely way to look at it,” I said. “What kind of work are you hoping to get into?” I loved the tiny smile that played across those perfect pink lips.

  “I already have a job lined up, actually. In two weeks I start as an office assistant at Special Memories Books – it’s a small press that specializes in memoirs.”

  “Impressive,” I said, tapping the brake to let a tractor trailer merge. “That’s great that you have a job right out of school.”

  “Yes, well I worked for them over the summers, plus a bit of freelance work here and there. It’s a great company.”

  I was glad to hear that she didn’t just take her father’s money and screw off to the French Riviera or something for her summers, like so many young people did. A person’s early twenties should be for work and finding themselves.

  “What do you do?” Nora asked, shifting in her seat to face me. “Dad says that you travel around the world for business, but didn’t get into details.”

  My right hand gripped the steering wheel firmly as my left ran through my hair. “That sounds like a simple question, doesn’t it?” I began.

  “It’s not?”

  I shot her an eye roll and we laughed together. It felt so good to be lighthearted and free with someone who had no expectations. Refreshing.

  “I’m a venture capitalist. I dig around for incredible inventions that need a shot of cash to make them a reality. I grow the business with them, then set them up with some of my people, and move on to the next project.”

  Looking over, Nora was curious. “Do the people who originally come up with these inventions stay involved with the company?” she asked.

  “Absolutely. Usually they’re fifty-one pecent shareholders. Often they’re creative or technical sorts, who don’t necessarily have a clue about marketing, production, or even how to get their product out to where it’s needed.”

  I realized that it was too tempting to keep glancing over at her, and tried to keep my eyes glued to the road ahead.

  “There have been a few instances where an inventor has no idea what they truly stumbled upon. One guy thought he made a pressure valve that would be good for swimming pool filters. We ended up licensing it to the military for…” I paused dramatically. “An amount of money that I can’t even say out loud without having you sign some security papers.”

  Nora laughed lightly. “You can’t be serious.”

  “When it comes to money and investments, I’m extremely serious. But since I’m the one in charge, I can arrange the rest of my life however I like.”

  “And you’re going to be staying in Greenville?” she asked.

  “It’s going to be my home base now, yes. There are some deals that I’m working on in New York and Toronto, but it’s too early to know what’s happening there.”

  “It sounds lonely,” she said, her index finger dragging slowly along the center of her lower lip thoughtfully. “Moving from city to city, it must be hard to have friends. No wonder you’re still so close with my dad.”

  I nodded. “That’s true. But also those two years we were roommates in the university were a very special sort of bonding time.”

  I changed the subject to the weather, the music, then we chatted about movies for a while. I didn’t want to talk about Brian while I was trying to figure out how to get his exquisite daughter to go out with me.

  The knowledge that it was an extremely stupid idea had already been locked up and shoved firmly to the back of my brain. Knowing that Nora was meant to be with me was a deep, almost electric pressure that was overtaking the rest of me completely.

  If she liked me, if she was attracted to me, I was going to find a way to make it happen.

  Chapter 3

  _____

  Nora

  When Ethan said he knew a spot where we could have dinner, I assumed we would pause at a truck stop or diner on the way. Instead, he left the highway and drove into Clinton.

  It ended up being much more than a simple pause for food. At a beautiful table tucked away in a corner, Ethan had peppered me with questions. He seemed fascinated with every single aspect of my life – from the friends I was close with to every single way I passed the time.

  He seemed delighted that I did my own form of meditation for an hour every Saturday morning – needlepoint. Sitting cross legged on my bed, I would completely zone out as the world shrank to nothing but my embroidery hoop and the slow, precise motions of my needle.

  I had no idea why that seemed to amuse him so much, or why he made me describ
e it in such great detail.

  It was thrilling that he wasn’t treating me like his friend’s daughter. He truly was behaving like this was a date, trying to get to know me as quickly as possible.

  As we finished the last few bites of our incredible meal, he even reached out to hold my hand on the table as if he didn’t care whether anyone saw us. The idea of being publicly seen as his…I couldn’t even finish the thought. It made me too jumpy.

  “Tell me, Nora, what are you going to do with your two weeks of absolute freedom before you start work?”

  I returned his huge smile. “I had planned to have a bunch of little adventures with my friend Ashley, but her parents whisked her away for a vacation in Miami.”

  His hand squeezed mine and he watched me carefully. “I’m so sorry you’re disappointed, Nora. What were these adventures?”