The Maid A Family Secret And The Billionaire (Billionaire Bachelor Cove Book 4) Read online

  The Maid, a Family Secret, and the Billionaire

  Billionaire Bachelor Cove

  Erica Penrod

  Copyright © 2019 by Erica Penrod

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  The Maid, a Family Secret, and the Billionaire

  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

  Also by Erica Penrod

  About the Author

  The Maid, a Family Secret, and the Billionaire

  Selene would do anything for her daughter…

  Even working for her ex-boyfriend…

  If only she’d known who her new employer was before she showed up. Then she might have been able to steel herself against the flood of emotions seeing Rio released. No matter how hard she wishes, she couldn’t go back to a time when they’d planned to spend their lives together; a time before a secret tore them apart. Now, she’s the maid and he’s her billionaire boss.

  For Rio, The Cove and Seattle were new distractions from his old heartache.

  Forced to face the past and the desire he still carries for Selene in his heart, Rio wants nothing more than to turn her away.

  Then he meets her daughter.

  He can’t deny a single mom and her child a place to stay.

  The secret haunts Selene and she’s not sure Rio will want her in his home once he knows the truth.

  She’ll risk everything to find out.

  Invitation

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  1

  Selene stood at the edge of the pool, where turquoise water rolled in soft waves, and a hot wind tussled her long black hair. She brushed the strands from her face and watched as the boy she loved swam beneath the surface, more fishlike than human. The New Mexico summer heat stifled the air around her, yet the suffocating temperature had nothing to do with why she couldn’t breathe.

  She was about to break his heart.

  Rio burst from below and grinned as water splashed over her feet. His body bobbed in the water as unruly blond hair, subdued by the moisture, clung to his sun-kissed forehead. Selene tried to swallow, but her throat couldn’t remember the motion. His blue eyes beamed up at her like an electrical current coursed through his veins. Everything about Rio Silcox was bigger, brighter, and more alive than anyone Selene had ever known. “Hey, pretty girl.” He gripped the edge of the cement. “I thought you had class today.”

  Her hands shook, and she tucked them in the front pockets of her cutoff jeans. Selene’s stomach tossed as an ache settled in her chest, something she’d carry with her from this moment on—a souvenir of her first love. “We got out early.” She bit her quivering lip. “Can I talk to you?”

  His brow furrowed as if he sensed the tension in her throat. “Sure.” Rio hopped out of the pool, reached for the white towel flung across the sun chair, and rubbed the water from his hair. Selene stole a glance of his bare chest, each muscle clearly defined, and she burned the image in her mind. Rio leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, like he’d done almost every day for the last two years, but she didn’t dare meet his gaze.

  If she got lost in Rio’s eyes now, she’d forget all the reasons why breaking up with him was the right thing to do. It was the right thing to do, wasn’t it? Her pounding heart argued with her mother’s voice. “Selene, you come from two different worlds, and you will never fit into his. Trust me, it’s better to break his heart now than for yours to be destroyed in a few years.”

  Selene’s eyes blurred as she replayed the argument with her mom. She’d defended her relationship with Rio since the day he’d kissed her. In the first week of their junior year in high school, their childhood friendship turned into something more, but now they’d graduated and real life had begun. She was taking summer classes at the local community college, and Rio planned to attend the University of New Mexico in the fall. Her mom wasn’t wrong. She and Rio were from two different worlds: him with an oil family’s wealth, and her without. That never bothered her before. But that was before she knew her mother’s secret.

  “What’s up?” Rio’s voice lacked its usual confidence. He tossed the towel to the side and turned to her. The smells of chlorine and sunscreen permeated the air around them.

  Maybe now wasn’t the time. She didn’t feel capable of walking away from this boy who was like the blood pumping through her heart, vital and necessary for life. Selene didn’t know if she could bypass what they shared and go on living. Selene reached down deep and clung to the courage she found hidden beneath the doubt. “I think we need to take a break,” she blurted.

  His brow furrowed, and confusion clouded his eyes. “A break from what?”

  If she’d never be enough, like her mother said, how could she not give him up? Rio deserved the best life had to offer, and she loved him enough to let him go. “Us.” That one word tore through her heart like a thousand blades.

  “What are you talking about?” He touched her arm. “I don’t understand.” His tone dropped as his temper rose. Selene knew this about him, and she’d loved him for it. Rio’s passion for life manifested in every emotion, and when he was hurt, anger was his self-defense.

  “I think we need to break up. We’re too young to be tied down.” Selene looked down at blank cement, knowing he’d see the lie written in her eyes.

  He exhaled as if he were trying to defuse the situation. “You feel tied down?”

  Of course not. Selene had never felt freer than when she was with Rio. She’d tried new things: auditioned for the dance team, aced an AP class, and gained an appreciation for asparagus. With his love to back her up, her life was limitless. That’s why she couldn’t limit his.

  The past couldn’t be undone. Selene couldn’t go back and unhear her mother’s confession, so she’d pay for Rio’s happiness and forced herself to nod.

  “I don’t think that’s true.” Rio lifted her chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look at him. “You don’t love me anymore?”

  “I care about you.” Her throat tightened as she fought back the tears. “But we’re kids. This was a high school thing, and I’m not even sure we know what real love is.”

  His chin jutted back as if she’d struck him across the cheek. “A high school thing?” His eyes narrowed. “What’s between us is more than that, and you know it.” Crimson red colored his face, but moisture collected in his eyes and then fell like raindrops from a blue sky. “Where is this coming from?” He pushed the tears aside. “Why are you saying this?”

  This was it; the point of no return. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.” She blinked, surprised by the callousness in her voice, but she had to make him believe her.

  “Then I guess it’s over.” Rio stepped back and searched her face as if she were a stranger.

  Selene t
urned and ran. It would never be over for her. No matter how far she got, she’d never outrun the pain. Rio Silcox was a part of her, and always would be.

  2

  Ten years later …

  Rio Silcox stopped the Land Rover at the bottom of the drive. “Now this is what I’m talking about.” He surveyed the four-story house at the top of the hill and released the air from his lungs. The modern structure, with clean lines and sharp angles, appealed to the obsessive cleanliness in him. Room-sized windows on both levels provided an incredible view of the lake on the south end of the property. Twenty-three acres of prime real estate were all his, and he planned to make the most of his new home in Seattle.

  “So, you approve?” Koven Kent’s voice came through the SUV’s speakers. Rio’s childhood friend had contacted him a little less than a year ago about an open lot at The Cove, a high-end gated community with exclusive amenities, including private security.

  “More than approve.” Rio had flown to Seattle to check it out for himself. The neighborhood impressed him, and he was thrilled to find out his home would be one of the first houses in Phase II of The Cove. After a quick meeting with Adam Moreau, developer of the community, the deal was made. Another flight to Seattle to see the framework done four months later was the last time Rio had set foot on the Washington soil. “The house is awesome. So much more than I imagined.”

  He’d had weekly video check-ins with the developer and builder, but to see the house in real life was a thrill.

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Koven sighed. “Sky and I will have to come over for a tour.”

  “For sure.” Rio eased off the brake and pressed the gas pedal. Slowly, the SUV climbed the paved drive as he imagined what was behind the dense tree line. “Married life treating you well?” Rio had heard the rumors about his friend’s spontaneous Vegas wedding to a woman he hardly knew, but he’d never discussed the details with Koven. The man must’ve been out of his mind—which, from what Rio was told, wasn’t far from the truth.

  “It’s the best.” Koven’s enthusiasm rang through the speakers.

  Rio screwed up his face like he’d bitten into an onion. “If you say so.”

  “Still not ready to settle down?” Koven chuckled.

  “No, and I don’t ever plan to be.” Shaking his head, Rio grinned. “I’m looking forward to some of Seattle’s finest, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I do, and I’m glad it’s you and not me.”

  “Right back at you.” Koven stopped in front of the garage and realized he didn’t have the code. “Hey, I just pulled up to the house. I’ll talk to you later.” He picked up his phone and scrolled through the emails. Nothing from his secretary. She must’ve forgotten to forward the information from Bravo Security, The Cove’s private company, to his personal email about how to open the garage. Rio hopped out, eager to see his new home. He’d get the code later.

  Up close, the house was even more impressive. The shaded windows against the stark white stucco called to him. He’d kept in contact with the interior decorator and anticipated seeing the end result.

  He walked up the steps and paused at the custom black iron door with tempered glass. Good choice. Rio applauded himself as he stood before the facial recognition scanner. The lock clicked, and he put his hand on the handle. Man, he hoped the inside of this place looked as good in person as the pictures online.

  The house wouldn’t be empty; a small staff would be there to greet him. A trusted friend of Koven’s had arranged for a chef and a housekeeper to arrive a few hours earlier through the employee entrance. Rio pushed as someone pulled from the other side. The door slowly opened. “Hey.” Rio barged in, ready to be impressed.

  Instead, he was blindsided by the vision in front of him. Unable to move, he blinked as the world closed in. His lungs heaved, fighting for air as the floor beneath his feet seemed to quake. It wasn’t the twenty-five-foot vaulted ceiling nor the original artwork on the wall that arrested his body, but the woman holding the door.

  Selene.

  * * *

  Selene thought she could do this, work for her ex-boyfriend, which made her a bigger fool than she’d ever believed possible. She hadn’t been this close to Rio since the day at the pool when she’d lied and said she didn’t love him.

  “Hello, Mr. Silcox.” Her unsteady voice betrayed her determination to remain undetached. A shock wave rippled through her body. Selene’s heart fought to be free, free to love the man she’d sworn to never think about, while her mind fought for control over her emotions.

  Rio’s blue eyes narrowed in on her. “What are you doing in my house?” The words seethed from his tongue. She didn’t expect open arms, but Selene didn’t think he’d hate her this much after ten years had gone by without a word between them.

  “I can explain.” She closed the door and hid her trembling hands behind her back. “I took the job before I knew it was for you.”

  “You took what job?” He stepped back and crossed his arms.

  Selene tried to calm herself. She didn’t want him to know that seeing him again after all these years affected her. It was the rush of memories, painful and sweet, the anguish of what might have been. Especially now, when her life was in such a mess. “The housekeeping position.”

  A notch appeared between his brows. She knew that notch well; it was part confusion, part frustration. “You work for me?”

  She nodded her head as she glanced down at her black uniform and white apron. “I needed a job, and my grandma works for Jamon and Gemma West.” Her face heated, and Selene gazed up. “She mentioned my name to Gemma.”

  “Oh.” He exhaled as he looked her over, as if he hadn’t noticed the uniform until that moment. “Gemma hired you.” Koven’s friend. There was no way she could have known the history between him and Selene.

  “I trusted Gemma, so I took the job without asking questions.” Selene should’ve gotten more information, but she’d had so many other things on her mind, like her daughter’s well-being. Her grandma, Sophia, raved about The Cove and the kind of neighborhood it was all the time. A snippet of a conversation came to mind, and she felt the need to disclose it. “Gemma mentioned something about Koven’s friend, Rico. I swear I had no idea it was you. Is it some kind of a nickname or something?”

  The storm in his eyes quelled as he glanced down at the floor. A hint of a smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, that’s the nickname Koven gave me when we were at summer camp. He said I was smooth with the ladies and started calling me Rico Suave.”

  Selene smiled softly and nodded. As a kid, she’d missed him for those two weeks every summer and had to play with Kiley Mathews in Barbie purgatory or Legos with her brother until Rio got home. “I think I remember you talking about Koven.”

  He stood up tall, like he’d reinforced his defense at the mention of their past together. “I’m still not sure how this happened. Surely you’d want to know who you’re working for.”

  She wouldn’t tell him everything. “My move to Seattle wasn’t something I planned, and I needed to find a job quickly.”

  Rio gave her a slanted look as if she were a puzzle to solve. “You wanted to be a nurse.”

  Moisture collected along her brow as she looked down at the tiled floor. “I didn’t get that far.” She met his gaze. No, her life hadn’t gone exactly the way she wanted, but not all of the past ten years were bad. Rio Silcox could think what he wanted about her. She had someone more important to worry about. “I’ll let Gemma know this isn’t going to work, and as soon as she finds a replacement, I’ll be gone. This isn’t your fault, and I don’t want to leave you in a bind.”

  “Since when do you care about what happens to me?” The verbal jab stung, but she saw something else in his eyes. Some wounds didn’t heal with time.

  Her throat tightened as she choked back the emotions; the pain of the past allied with the turmoil in her life today. She needed this job. “I’ll call Gemma right away and get this re
solved as soon as possible.”

  “I think that would be for the best.” Years ago, Rio had brought warmth and sunlight to her life, but the cold in Rio’s voice hung like an icicle over her head.

  “Of course.” Selene bowed her head and moved past Rio. Sobs threatened to erupt from within her chest, like a once-dormant volcano spewing fire. Her love for him had always been beneath the surface, even though she’d built a new life for herself. That life had fallen apart too. She had to get away.

  “Mommy?” Her five-year-old daughter’s voice echoed off the pristine walls. Selene looked up to see Mesa coming around the corner.

  “I’m right here, sweetheart.” She opened her arms as Mesa ran to her. She pulled her close, breathing in her baby shampoo smell, and then released her. “There’s someone I want you to meet.” Gazing up at Rio, she took Mesa’s hand. “Mesa, this is Mr. Silcox.”

  Rio’s slack jaw and wide eyes reaffirmed her suspicion. Everyone had told her that after they’d broken up, Rio went on with his life as if Selene never existed. He didn’t know anything about her, probably didn’t care to find out. But what about the hurt she’d noticed earlier? Maybe she was wrong, and he’d changed into the playboy the media made him out to be. She must’ve imagined the pain in his eyes or saw something she wanted to see.

  “Hi.” Rio knelt and offered his hand.

  Mesa clung to Selene with one arm as she extended the other to Rio. “It’s nice to meet you.”