The Billionaire Princess
Christina Tetreault
The Billionaire Princess
Christina Tetreault
Copyright © 2013 by Christina Tetreault
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 978-0-9883089-3-0
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without expressed written permission in writing from the author.
Dedicated to My Friends Who Are Helping Me Through This Journey Called Parenthood and My Wonderful Beta Reader Donna Seger Kilroy
Table of Contents
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
Epilogue
Sneak Peek
Chapter 1
Outside the window, the runway rapidly approached as the family jet touched down. No matter how many times Sara Sherbrooke traveled by plane it never ceased to amaze her how something so large could take off and land with such ease. As the plane rolled to a stop, she released the death grip she had on the armrests and checked her smartphone for any text messages before tossing it into her Coach bag and then waited for the plane door to open.
“Do you require any assistance, Ms. Sherbrooke?” Michelle, the private flight attendant for the jet, asked.
Sara moved toward the exit. “I'm fine, Michelle. I'll let you and Peter know when I'm ready to leave. When you are both done here go ahead and check into your hotel and enjoy yourselves.”
Without waiting for an answer Sara walked down the stairs and out into the warm Hawaiian sun. As always it was a gorgeous day. It didn't seem like Hawaii ever had any other kind. At least every time she'd been here the weather was perfect and today seemed to be no different.
A few feet away Sara spotted the limo her brother Jake arranged and started toward it, her curiosity running rampant since yesterday when she’d received Jake's call insisting she come to Hawaii immediately with no explanation. She'd told him she had responsibilities and couldn't just up and leave without a good reason. All he said in response was to reschedule her meetings and then promised to have someone waiting for her at the airport.
“Once you’re seated, I'll put your luggage in the trunk; we can leave once Mr. Hall arrives,” the driver said opening the door for Sara.
At the mention of Jake's best friend and former college roommate, Sara's curiosity went into overdrive. Just what was her brother up to anyway?
Climbing into the car, Sara made herself comfortable and waited. The temptation to call Jake lurked in the back of her mind, but knowing her big brother the way she did, it would be pointless. When Jake was ready, he'd tell her what was going on and not a minute sooner.
As Sara sat sipping a bottle of sparkling water, the door opened again. Silently, she watched as Christopher Hall climbed in. If she hadn't seen him countless times on the web, she never would’ve recognized the man who'd climbed in the limo as her brother's Cal Tech roommate. She recalled meeting the tall skinny kid with shaggy light brown hair and glasses when her family moved Jake into his dorm freshman year. On the few occasions she had seen him back then he'd been dressed in jeans, Converse sneakers and t-shirts with hard-rock bands emblazoned on them. The man seated across from her now seemed to be someone else entirely.
Today his light brown hair was cut fashionably short and there was no sign of the glasses he used to wear. And those were not the only changes she noticed. There was no missing the way his broad shoulders filled out his dress shirt.
For a second Sara sat speechless and stared at the man, as her pulse kicked up a few notches. Before he noticed her staring, Sara regrouped and pasted on her best society smile. “Hi Christopher. Did Jake tell you what is going on?”
Christopher shook his head. “No. He just said to get out here, but I have a guess.”
Sara expected him to continue and let her in on his suspicions. Instead he grabbed a soda water for himself. When several minutes passed and he didn't say anything else, she couldn't keep herself from asking her next question, “So, what is your guess?”
Christopher paused with the bottle halfway to his mouth. “My money is on a wedding, but it's just a guess.”
“A wedding? No. Charlie and Jake wouldn't do that. Our parents would be furious.”
“Like I said it's just a guess, but I know Jake and an out-of-the-blue wedding wouldn't surprise me at all.”
Would her brother do that to their parents? Sure a sudden unexpected wedding might be something Jake would talk about, but not something he'd ever go through with. Jake Sherbrooke and Charlotte O'Brien's wedding would be a huge affair much like Dylan and Callie's the year before. Considering the size of the Sherbrooke family and the fact that the American public seemed so fascinated by them, how could it be anything less?
But if not a wedding like Christopher predicted, what other reason could Jake have for asking Christopher and her to Hawaii on such short notice? Other than an impromptu wedding like Christopher suggested nothing else made any sense.
“Have you met Charlie?” Sara asked in an attempt to start a conversation. Over the years they'd had few conversations so Sara figured she could either ask him about his company or the one thing they had in common, her brother.
Christopher returned his water to the holder near the door and Sara's eyes watched the way the muscles in his upper arm flexed and moved. The sight sent her hand toward the air vent, which she redirected toward her face.
“I met her last year at Jake's office and we've all gotten together several times since. I like her. She seems perfect for him.”
“I think so too.” Sara reached for more water. “She's definitely the right woman for my brother.” She took a sip from the bottle and then asked him about his company.
About twenty minutes after leaving the airport, the limo arrived at The Sherbrooke Resort and Spa, one of Sherbrooke Enterprises's finest hotels in Maui. Upon entering the resort Christopher and Sara crossed the lobby to the private elevator behind the hotel concierge’s desk and in silence they rode the elevator up to the penthouse apartment, which occupied the entire 21st floor. When the doors opened they walked directly into the living room.
“Good, you two are here. Everyone else is out on the balcony.” Jake crossed the room toward them.
Sara dropped her Coach bag onto a nearby table and embraced her older brother. “Care to tell us what's going on?” Before letting go she dropped a kiss on Jake's cheek.
With a devilish smile Jake moved toward Christopher and slapped him on the back. “Why don't you both come outside and join everyone. Then I'll tell you what's up.”
“Who else is here?” Sara fell into step alongside Jake and Christopher.
“Charlie, of course, Maureen, Callie and Dylan.” He didn't wait for a response before stepping onto the balcony that ran the entire length of the building.
Immediately, Sara thought of Christopher's remark in the car about a wedding. His guess must be right. What other reason could they have for inviting Charlie's mom?
While Jake walked over to his fiancée, Sara took a seat near Dylan and Callie. They sat on an extra-wide padded lounge
chair. Dylan's arm rested across Callie's shoulders and their hands were clasped together. Sara fought hard to suppress an eye roll in their direction. Since meeting Callie, her no-nonsense workaholic half-brother had become quite the romantic.
“So are you going to tell us what's up or should we guess?” Christopher asked the very question on her mind.
“Charlie and I are getting married tonight.”
“You'd better be joking or Mom's going to kill you!” Sara looked from Charlie to Jake waiting for one of them to answer her.
“I'm not joking. Dylan and Callie helped us arrange everything. We getting married tonight at five o'clock.”
Even though her brother and his fiancée had been engaged since New Year's Eve they hadn't set a wedding date or to her knowledge even started to make formal plans. She guessed they were in no rush.
“What about Mom and Dad?” Sara glanced around at the other people present. No one but Maureen seemed the least bit surprised by Jake's announcement.
“They don't know. And we want to keep it that way,” Jake answered.
“Have you lost your mind?” Sara came to her feet. “You cannot get married without them here, Jake. Mom will never forgive you.” She knew her brother liked to do things his own way, but she never thought he'd go this far.
In response Jake gave a slight shrug. “It's not about them. Charlie and I don't want a huge affair like Callie and Dylan. That's not us.”
Sara couldn't argue with him on that point. She did find it hard to picture Jake and Charlie having such an elaborate and formal wedding. That didn't mean she couldn't see them having something grander than this. And not to have their parents there felt wrong.
“If Mom knew about this she'd insist on making it a big event and then the media would descend. We don't want that. She'll be angry, but eventually she'll get over it.”
The way she saw it, saying their parents would be upset was the understatement of the century. At the same time though, she couldn't disagree with her brother that Elizabeth Sherbrooke would insist on turning the wedding into a grand event for the whole world to see.
“I still think that you're crazy.” Sara looked over at Callie and Dylan who had remained silent so far. “And why didn't you tell me about this Dylan, if you both knew.” It hurt to think Jake trusted them with the secret but not her.
“Need to know. He needed me to help arrange things. Otherwise he wouldn't have told us either,” Dylan answered. “We didn't say anything because we figured the less that people knew, the less likely someone would slip. And it’s not like it’s been planned for long. We finalized things about three weeks ago.”
Dylan's answer made her feel a little better, but not much. She knew how to keep a secret. Their plans would've been just as safe with her. “When do you plan to tell Mom and Dad? I might make plans to be out of the country when you do.”
Jake laughed. “I'll warn you before I do. But since they are leaving the country tomorrow it'll be a while.”
Christopher watched the exchange between his best friend and the other guests. Jake's announcement hadn't surprised him in the least. Actually, he'd expected something like this since Jake had told him about the engagement. An impromptu wedding near the beach fit the couple in question perfectly. But, judging by their expressions, Charlie's mom and Jake's sister hadn't expected anything like this.
As Sara and Jake discussed their parents, Christopher tuned out the words and watched the emotions on Sara's face, unable to tear his eyes from her. No one could deny that she was an amazingly beautiful woman.
He'd thought the same thing the first time he'd met her his freshman year at Cal Tech. She'd accompanied her parents when Jake moved in, and when she walked into their dorm room, he thought he was seeing a living angel. Even at sixteen, she'd taken his breath away. Not that she noticed him though. At eighteen he'd been tall and lanky, and his personal grooming had ranked low on his priority list. Thanks to the gym and Jake's help, his appearance had drastically changed in the years since they first met. Today no one would recognize him as the geek from Wisconsin and not just because of the changes to his outward appearance.
Sara had changed as well. She'd gone from a beautiful sixteen year old to a gorgeous woman. Though being his best friend's sister meant she was off limits to him. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't admire her from afar. He suspected few men could be in her presence without drooling all over themselves.
“I doubt this surprises you.”
Jake's voice broke into Christopher's thoughts and he found himself grateful that his dark sunglasses concealed his eyes. “Not at all. I just thought you'd do it sooner. I told Sara on the ride here I thought we were going to a wedding.”
“And she disagreed. What was her theory?” Jake asked with a hint of laughter in his voice.
“She didn't have one or if she did she kept it to herself.” Christopher let his eyes travel back to Sara. “But this suits the two of you.”
“Thanks for coming.” Jake slapped him on the back. “It means a lot to me.”
“Hey, I figured if my guess was right I couldn't miss seeing Prince Charming himself get married,” Christopher answered, making reference to the title the media had given Jake years before. “Besides, when my sisters hear that you got married they are going to want all the details.”
Jake opened his mouth to speak, but Christopher beat him to it. “Don't worry I won't tell them anything until it goes public. If I told them, it would be all over the Internet in an hour.”
Jake nodded his appreciation. “I don't think you've met Maureen. I'll introduce you.”
Christopher glanced over at the older woman who was now in a conversation with Charlie and Sara. In silence he and Jake crossed the rooftop to where the three women stood.
“Maureen, I'd like you to meet Christopher Hall,” Jake said interrupting.
A wide friendly smile crossed Maureen's face. “You must be Jake's college roommate Charlie told me about. It's nice to meet you.” Maureen extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you too. Jake tells me you make the best apple pie he's ever tasted.” Christopher extended his hand toward the older woman.
Christopher and the others remained outside. After lunch Christopher retreated to his own bedroom. In addition to having a private elevator, the penthouse apartment had a full kitchen, living room, five bedrooms, and access to a private rooftop pool. During lunch he'd received several text messages from work and he wanted to handle them before the ceremony began.
A few hours later Sara stood between Christopher and Maureen, as Judge Fallon began the wedding ceremony on the deserted beach just feet away from the rolling waves. Sara had to admit the setting of the ceremony fit her brother and Charlie to a T. They both adored the ocean and spent as much time as possible out on Jake's sailboat. The entire feel of the ceremony, in fact, fit the couple. It was low key and informal. There was no over-the-top wedding gown or a tux with tails. And while the ceremony fit the couple beautifully it was far from what she dreamed of having some day, assuming that day ever came. With each failed relationship, Sara began to doubt more and more that she'd ever find the right man. So far she'd managed to find herself attracted to men who only saw her last name—a name with the right business and political connections.
Without intending to, Sara sighed, drawing Christopher's attention. For a moment his dark chocolate brown eyes studied her face and her heartbeat sped up. After a second or two he looked away, and Sara's heartbeat returned to normal.
Did her brothers know how lucky they both were? They'd both found their perfect matches and neither woman expected anything in return. Although she'd never told Callie or Charlie, she admired them for that. They were both able to see her brothers for the men they were on the inside. Not many people seemed able to do that. At least not many of the ones she'd met.
In front of her, Jake pulled Charlie into his arms and kissed her, signaling the end of the short civil ceremony. Next to her Cha
rlie's mom wept. Without a second thought, Sara wrapped an arm around the older woman's shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked, wishing she had a few tissues on hand.
Maureen nodded and wiped at the tears sliding down her cheek. “I just can't believe my baby girl is married. I'll be fine. Go on and join the others.” Maureen patted her on the arm and motioned to the others with her head.
Sara hesitated for a second but then moved forward to join the others as they congratulated the happy couple. She listened as both Callie and Dylan welcomed Charlie to the family and then turned to Jake. As children, with only a two-year difference between them, they'd always been close. They had grown apart a bit through the years, since they'd both been sent off to different boarding schools. Yet she still considered him one of her closest friends, the one person she could trust no matter what. So before anyone else could approach him, she moved in and hugged him.
“Congratulations,” she said before dropping a kiss on his cheek. “But I still think you're nuts for not inviting Mom and Dad.” She couldn't stop herself from adding the last part.
“I'll deal with them later. Besides now they can make an even bigger deal of your wedding when the time comes.”
Sara merely shook her head in response. Her brother never cared what their parents thought. Sometimes she envied him for that. “That's more like if rather than when, Jake.” She tried to hide the sarcasm from her voice.
“You're wrong. You'll see. I promise,” he said in his annoying big-brother-knows-all tone.
“”I'm not going to argue with you on your wedding day.” She gave him another hug and moved away before he could offer anymore brotherly wisdom, something he loved to do. He insisted it was his job as her older brother, but she suspected it had more to do with wanting to annoy her.
Whatever the reason, she really didn't want to discuss that particular topic any further. It'd only put her in a bad mood, and she didn't want to ruin the day for her brother and Charlie. Instead she moved toward the bride to congratulate her.
Although Jake and Charlie had been together for almost a year now, Sara didn't know her that well. Charlie and Jake lived in Virginia, while she lived in DC, which should've made visiting easy. But, Charlie was a doctor, and her schedule didn't fit well with Sara's hectic schedule on the Hill.
“Congratulations, Charlie. You look gorgeous.” Sara stepped in front of Charlie and hugged her. Today Charlie wore a simple but elegant white gown that ended just above the knee. Her red hair was pulled up with a simple silver comb holding it in place. A simple white gold necklace with an emerald pendant hung around her neck and matching emerald earrings hung from her ears.
Charlie's face beamed with happiness as Sara pulled back. “Thank you. I'm glad you came. Jake was worried you wouldn't make it on such short notice.”
“I wouldn't have missed this for the world.” Even if she'd been on the other side of the planet, she would've found a way to get to Hawaii when Jake asked her. “Are you two going on a honeymoon?”
“We're spending a few days here, but then I need to get back. In the fall we're going to Scotland and England.”
Both were beautiful countries she'd visited many times, but neither were places she'd pick for a honeymoon. “You're going to keep working at the hospital?” Charlie had retired from the Navy and taken a position at a hospital in Virginia the previous fall.
“I love it there, so I see no reason to leave.”
Sara mentally nodded in approval. She already knew that Charlie loved her brother and not his money or powerful family name, still Charlie's decision to stay at the hospital further reassured her.
If only she could find a man who'd look past all that too. It seemed as if every man she dated saw her as a dollar sign rather than a flesh-and-blood woman. Perhaps men weren't capable of seeing beyond money and power. After all, the only two people she knew who truly didn't seem to care about those things were Charlie and Callie. Neither had been drawn to their spouses because of material goods. Maybe only women could look beyond what someone had and see the real person, though both of her brothers had dated their share of gold diggers before meeting their spouses.
While Sara pondered the differences between men and women, Charlie told her about why they'd chosen Scotland and England for a honeymoon rather than somewhere more exotic. As she did, the skin on the back of Sara’s neck tingled. At first she dismissed the sensation. When it didn't go away she shot a quick glance over Charlie's shoulder, but it revealed nothing out of the ordinary. A large portion of the beach had been closed off to other guests, and any people on the beach were much further down. So far down in fact, she doubted they would be able to tell who had just gotten married.
Still the feeling remained.
Automatically, Sara nodded in response to Charlie's words as she looked over toward her brother, her eyes locking with Christopher's. For a second or two their eyes stayed connected, his expression unreadable.
What did he see when he looked at her? Did he see the daddy's-little-princess that many of Jake's other friends imagined her to be? Did he see her as some political pawn like her last boyfriend? Breaking contact, she focused back on Charlie and their conversation.
Since she first met Charlie at Dylan and Callie's wedding the year before, she'd tried not to make the same mistakes with her that she'd made with Callie when they'd first met.
“Your brother couldn't come too?” Sara asked. She knew Charlie had an older brother although she'd never met him.
“We invited him but the Victorian Rose expected guests this weekend. He didn't want to cancel those reservations. Jake offered to compensate him for the loss, but Sean insisted canceling at the last minute would be bad for business.”
Sara nodded, a negative review on a website somewhere could ruin a small bed and breakfast.
“Ma will tell him all about the wedding when she gets home, and we're visiting them in two weeks.”
