Rena met her eyes squarely and smiled, “I was thinking exactly the same about you.”
***
Later that day, Rena met Nick at the coffee shop near her house. The owners always gave them a strange look when they entered, but that was part of what made it fun to go there. The security officer at the Natural Museum of Science gave them that same look when they visited the prehistoric exhibit a week after their wild romp there.
Rena sipped her coffee and lovingly watched Nick tell her about a business call he’d received. He’d asked her how her day had gone with Maddy and the ladies, and she’d given him a vague answer. He was finally happy and she didn’t want him worrying about his family again. She’d tell him everything, as soon as there was anything concrete to share.
Getting to know Nick’s family was going to be a challenge, but Rena felt up to the task. She may not have agreed with how Maddy and the other ladies approached certain issues, but she didn’t doubt they did what they did out of love.
Even Alethea, who gave off the vibe of being a shark in otherwise calm waters. Her obsession with delving into other people’s private lives was confirmed by the stories the women had shared later that afternoon.
Luckily I have nothing to hide. Well, almost nothing. Rena smiled and imagined what Alethea would discover if she also dabbled in surveillance.
Hey, if she goes there—she deserves what she sees.
When Nick ended his story, Rena leaned over and whispered in his ear, “I’ve never been to a baseball game. We should go to one.”
Nick’s face transformed with a heart-melting, sexy grin, “During the week or on Saturday?”
Rena winked.
And Nick nodded.
Saturday it is.
The End
Read on for an excerpt from Maid for the Billionaire, Book 1 of the Legacy Collection
Acknowledgements
I am so grateful to everyone who was part of the process of creating Home to Me. Thank you to:
Nicole Sanders at Trevino Creative Graphic Design for my new cover. You are amazing!
My very patient beta readers. You know who you are. Thank you for kicking my butt when I need it.
My editors: Karen Lawson, Janet Hitchcock, and Nina Pearlman.
Melanie Hanna and her amazing husband, for helping me organize the business side of publishing.
My Roadies for making me smile each day when I log on my computer. You made this year incredible by coming out to see me at conferences.
Thank you to my husband, Tony, who listens to the story so many times he dreams about the characters.
To my niece, Danielle Stewart, and my sister, Jeannette Winters, for joining me in self-publishing and brainstorming with me along the way. Always better together.
This year I was blessed and spent more time with my fellow authors. If I tried to name all I’m grateful to, the list would double the length of my book. However, there are some who have done so much for me that I could hug the shit out of them each time I see them. So a special thanks to: Bella Andre, Melody Anne, Kathleen Brooks, Liliana Hart, Cali MacKay, Sandra Marton, Raine Miller, Jennifer Probst, and JS Scott. You’ll never fully know how grateful I am for your support. Well, you might have a hint from each time I have that second margarita and start hugging you repeatedly. You are not only talented writers and savvy businesswomen; you’re also generous and warm-hearted women. Thank you for your friendship; not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for it.
Read on for an excerpt from Maid for the Billionaire, Book 1 of the Legacy Collection
Other Books by Ruth Cardello
The Legacy Collection:
*Also available in audiobook format
Book 1: Maid for the Billionaire (available at all major eBook stores for FREE!)
Book 2: For Love or Legacy
Book 3: Bedding the Billionaire
Book 4: Saving the Sheikh
Book 5: Rise of the Billionaire
Book 6: Breaching the Billionaire
Recipe For Love, An Andrade Christmas Novella
Lone Star Burn Series:
Book 1: Taken, Not Spurred
Book 2: Tycoon Takedown
The Andrades
Book 1: Come Away With Me
Book 2: Home to Me
Book 3: Maximum Risk (Coming Winter 2014!)
Book 4: Somewhere Along the Way (Coming 2015!)
Read on for an excerpt from Maid for the Billionaire, Book 1 of the Legacy Collection
About the Author
Ruth Cardello was born the youngest of 11 children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She spent her young adult years moving as far away as she could from her large extended family. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York—then came full circle and moved back to Rhode Island. She now happily lives one town over from the one she was born in. For her, family trumped the warmer weather and international scene.
She was an educator for 20 years, the last 11 as a kindergarten teacher. When her school district began cutting jobs, Ruth turned a serious eye toward her second love– writing and has never been happier. When she’s not writing, you can find her chasing her children around her small farm, riding her horses, or connecting with her readers online.
Contact Ruth:
Website: RuthCardello.com
Email:
[email protected] FaceBook: Author Ruth Cardello
Twitter: @RuthieCardello
Read on for an excerpt from Maid for the Billionaire, Book 1 of the Legacy Collection
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Read on for an excerpt from Maid for the Billionaire, Book 1 of the Legacy Collection
Maid for the Billionaire, Book 1 of the Legacy Collection
Available at all major eBook retailers for FREE!
Dominic Corisi knew instantly that Abigail Dartley was just the distraction he was looking for, especially since having her took a bit more persuading than he was used to. So when business forces him to fly to China, he decides to take her with him, but on his terms. No promises. No complications. Just sex.
Abby has always been the responsible one. She doesn’t believe in taking risks; especially when it comes to men – until she meets Dominic. He’s both infuriating and intoxicating, a heady combination. Their trip to China revives a long forgotten side of Abby, but also reveals a threat to bring down Dominic’s company.
With no time to explain her actions, Abby must either influence the outcome of his latest venture and save his company or accept her role as his mistress and leave his fate to chance. Does she love him enough to risk losing him for good?
Chapter One
By dying now, his father had won again. That old bastard.
Dominic Corisi slammed the door of his black Bugatti Veyron and stepped onto the sun baked Boston sidewalk without giving the million-dollar vehicle a backward glance. The joy of owning it was dead along with his desire to answer the incessant ring of the cell phone he’d ignored since yesterday. Rather than turning it off, he’d muffled the noise by burying the device deep within a coat pocket, maintaining the connection to his life like a distant beacon.
Despite the oppressive heat, he paused at the bottom stair of his old brownstone. There was nothing spectacular about it, outside of its location near the upbeat Newbury Street. If he remembered correctly, its rooms were small and the main staircase had a creak that he never did get around to fixing. It was nothing like the sprawling mansions he now owned in various countries around the world.
But it was the closest thing he had to a home.
His phone rang with a tone he couldn’t ignore. Jake. His second in command would simply call again, killing whatever chance Dominic had of finding a moment of peace inside those brick walls. “Corisi,” he barked into the phon
e.
“Dominic, glad I caught you,” Jake Walton said smoothly, as if he hadn’t unsuccessfully rung twenty times in the last two days. That was Jake, calm and professional, even in the storm of hostile takeovers. Nothing fazed the man.
Normally, Dominic appreciated his even temper, but today it grated on him. Maybe the forty or so hours without sleep were beginning to catch up with him. He fought an impulse to toss his phone over the metal railing. The world wasn’t the orderly, rational place Jake liked to organize it into. It was messy. It was ugly. And, most recently, it lacked justice.
“How is Boston?”
The inane question almost sent Dominic over the edge. “How do you think?”
It was probably too much to hope that Jake’s uncharacteristic silence signaled an end to a conversation Dominic wished he had avoided.
“We need to discuss the China contract. The Minister of Commerce is expecting to meet with you tomorrow to cement the details. This is your dream, Dominic. By next week, Corisi Enterprises will be a major global player. What do you want me to tell the minister?”
“I don’t know,” Dominic said wearily.
Jake made a sound somewhere between a choke and a cough, then was speechless—a revealing response for a man who handled irate international diplomats without missing a step. He was the fixer and navigated the unexpected with ease. Until now.
Poor Jake. Nothing in their shared history had prepared either of them for Dominic’s sudden desire to withdraw from the world. The creators of financial empires didn’t take sudden vacations and they most certainly didn’t hide, especially not after having laid the groundwork for the single greatest business venture of the century. Bill Gates himself had called last week to discuss the ramifications of the negotiations.
“Jake, I need to drop off the radar for about a week. Why don’t you take over the China contract?”
“Okay . . .” Jake said awkwardly. In another situation, Jake’s loss of composure would have been amusing.
“Can you handle it or not?” Dominic challenged. He could barely think past the throbbing of his headache.
Maybe coming to Boston was a mistake. It had been here, at seventeen, that he’d walked away from his inheritance and waited tables to fund the search for his mother. Here, in this very brownstone, that he’d cultivated a hatred for a father who had denied both involvement and interest in the disappearance of his wife.
Jake’s voice slammed Dominic back into the present. “No problem. I’ve followed the progress you’ve made with the Chinese Investment Promotion Agency. They’re eager. I’ll clear my schedule and cover yours. Duhamel will forward all of your calls to me until further notice.”
“Good.”
“Dom . . .” Jake hesitated. “It’s normal to need time to grieve. You just lost your father.”
A harsh laugh escaped Dominic. “Trust me, I’m not grieving his loss.” He leaned a hip on the metal railing and looked up at the building he had instinctively returned to, searching for the man he’d once been and hoping to find something there that would shake off the immobilizing apathy he felt for all he had done since—high expectations for brick and antique wallpaper.
Jake said, “That’s what worries me. No matter what your plans were or what he once did to you, he’s gone now. You’ve got to let it go.”
Jake was asking the impossible. Of course the past mattered. Sometimes it was the only thing that did. “Just do your job, Jake. If you can’t handle it, tell me and I’ll promote Priestly to help you.”
For the second time since they had met at Harvard, Jake lost his temper. “That’s bullshit, Dom. You want to send Priestly to China? Send him. You’re absolutely right—you’ve made me a very rich man. I don’t need this. But heed my warning: you won’t be a billionaire for long if we both step away from the helm. A lot is riding on this contract. The lawsuits alone will freeze your assets if you screw this up. You invested too much of your own and you’re playing with the big boys now. Governments are not very forgiving when it comes to last minute walk outs.”
The speech should have shaken Dominic, but it barely breached the numbness that had settled in since he’d received the phone call from his father’s lawyer. What did all the money matter anyway? He’d wasted fifteen years amassing an empire that would allow him to throw down a forced buyout contract on his father’s enormous mahogany desk. Dominic should have taken action years ago, but no level of prior success had felt like enough. He’d choreographed the day from both sides, building his company while undermining his father’s, always working toward that one absolute win. Dominic had counted on his father’s desperation finally forcing him to confess what had actually happened to his mother.
It was that loss he mourned today.
In its place was a carefully orchestrated set of instructions from his father’s lawyer. No, it wasn’t enough to simply disinherit his only son—Antonio Corisi had also included provisions in his will to ensure that Dominic had to attend the reading. He’d used Dominic’s one weakness, his one regret, to reaffirm his control, even from the grave.
Jake coughed, reminding Dominic that a response was required. What could he say? As usual, Jake was correct in his assessment of the situation. Dominic had used his own wealth as well as that of his investors to back this venture. The risk had seemed worth it. The government contract would crack China’s software market wide open for them while their global influence would double exponentially. It was a daring move that, if carefully implemented, could put Corisi Enterprises on a stratosphere of power few companies ever acquired—a goal that a week ago had seemed imperative.
Jake could handle the negotiations. Dominic had always been the one to charge forward, shaking the situation up and clearing the way. This time would be no different. Jake would merely take over a few documents earlier this time. Priestly was good at the local level, but he was no Jake.
“One week, Jake.” It was the closest to an apology Dominic was able to get out. He hoped it was enough.
Sounding more like an older brother than a business associate, Jake said, “Take two weeks if you need it. Just get your head together. I can wrap up the China contract, but it’ll need your final signature and your presence. I’ll do a press release today and ask the media to respect your need to mourn in private; that should give you at least a few days before they descend.”
“Call Murdock.” The man owes me a few favors.
“Do you mean the Murdock? I thought he’d retired.”
Ah, there is the real difference between us. By not fighting in the trenches of financial warfare, Jake’s business associations had remained above reproach, but he lacked the backdoor connections to those seemingly innocuous individuals who wielded real international influence. Dominic casually gave Jake a number that many would have paid a small fortune to dial just once. “Men like Murdock don’t retire, they delegate from warmer climates. Tell him I don’t even want a good spin on this. It’s non-news. He’ll understand.”
Jake whistled softly in appreciation. “Is there anyone you don’t know?”
“Yes, you if you call me again today.”
Jake laughed, but they both knew it hadn’t been a joke. “Do yourself a favor, Dom . . .” Jake continued in an unusually authoritative tone.
What now? Dominic sighed.
“Put down the Jack Daniels for a night and pick up one of those models you like to date. You’ll sleep better.”
Dominic gave a noncommittal grunt and hung up. If only it were that easy.
Chapter Two
Arms full of bed linens, Abby Dartley froze at the click of the front door opening. Darn it. She couldn’t get caught here, especially in an oversized shirt and jeans instead of her sister’s maid uniform. Lil needs this job. Cleaning the brownstone of a man who never actually occupied it had sounded like a relatively simple, albeit annoying, way to help her sister remain employed.
“Do not let anyone see you,” Lil had pleaded between the fits of sneeze
s that had accompanied her low, but persistent fever. “They’ll fire me in a second if they find out you went in my place.”
“Can’t you just call in?” Abby remembered suggesting hopefully.
“I already used my two allowed sick days for Colby.” And then the tears had come.
A year ago, Abby would have let her sister add this lost job to the long string of employment she’d already tried and failed at and would have covered her expenses until she found a new job. They’d been through this cycle countless times, resulting only in Lil resenting Abby more with each passing year. The closeness they’d shared before the death of their parents was a distant, surreal memory.
Abby had considered asking Lil to move out, hoping that some separation would give Lil the independence she said she wanted, but that was before she’d held her new niece in her arms. It wasn’t just about Lil anymore. Colby deserved a mother with a stable career and Lil was so close to having one. She was one semester from finishing her administrative assistant courses. Even when Colby’s father had walked out at the news of his fatherhood, Lil hadn’t crumbled. For the first time since they’d received the news of the accident that had claimed the lives of both their parents, Lil wasn’t hiding from her responsibilities.
Colby had changed that, too.
It wasn’t Lil’s fault she’d caught the flu. Half the city seemed to be either recovering from it or succumbing to it. More importantly, it had been a long time since Lil had actually requested help, rather than merely grudgingly accepting it. Abby didn’t want to put too much significance on such a miniscule connection, but she couldn’t shake the hope that things could get better between them.