Billionaire Blaze, page 1
BILLIONAIRE BLAZE
FAME AND FLAMES™
BOOK TWO
ELIZA LOCKHART
To those who have a love of something creative and getting to work with all sorts of wonderful people ona creative project. Together creativity can do magic.
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This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright © 2024 Florid Romance
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Published by Florid Romance
an imprint of LMBPN Publishing
2375 E. Tropicana Avenue, Suite 8-305
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119 USA
Version 1.00, April 2024
eBook ISBN: 979-8-88878-332-0
Print ISBN: 979-8-88878-903-2
THE BILLIONAIRE BLAZE TEAM
Thanks to the JIT Readers
Veronica Stephan-Miller
Jan Hunnicutt
Lex Robertson
Karla Hull
Editor
SkyFyre Editing Team
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
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Connect with the author
About the Author
Books by Eliza Lockhart
Other Florid Romance Books
CHAPTER ONE
Kit
I frowned as I looked through the airport terminal. Juno had said she’d meet me here, and I couldn’t see her anywhere. Technically, she wasn’t late yet. My luggage was still somewhere in the depths of the airport and its inner workings. No doubt on some conveyor belt somewhere, slowly being moved from the plane to where I now stood.
I’d come a long way already to be followed by my luggage and then reunited with it. And it came with a feeling of dread that the airline had somehow screwed it up, and the bags had gone to Timbuktu instead of New York, where I was.
To make matters worse, I didn’t know if this was the final destination or not. Juno had been cagey about it. And I’d only agreed to visit and be one of her bridesmaids on the understanding that she would be here and help me get the rest of the way. I didn’t travel well, and she knew it.
For the next few minutes, I stood near an empty rotating belt, checking my phone to see what baggage claim I was supposed to be at or if I had a message from Juno letting me know she was late. Then I checked the board above me again. It still said the same thing.
I was in the right place. Had been for the last fifteen minutes. But I couldn’t bring myself to trust it and stop checking. I could just see them sending the bags somewhere else by mistake and not letting anyone know.
Another few minutes rolled by, and I started foot-tapping. Almost immediately, a guy to my right glanced my way. I stopped and looked away, not sure if his angry look was because I had been making an irritating noise or because he was also wondering where the hell his luggage was.
More people came to wait, the slower ones off the plane now catching up as well. I’d paid for priority and upgraded just so I knew everything would be in hand and I wouldn’t have to anxiously wait for anything while I got more and more worked up, and here I was, unable to get my bags and go like I had hoped.
If only Juno were already here. She would know how to handle it, and she’d stay calm. No doubt she’d talk to me, ask me about the flight, and distract me until the luggage arrived, and I could simply take mine and go. Instead, I was anxious, alone, and I didn’t feel as if I could express any of it without annoying my fellow passengers.
Well, one in particular. I snuck a glance in his direction and saw him looking up at the board, his phone in hand and open. Maybe he was just like me and simply anxious. Not wanting to take on his anxiety as well as my own, I kept my glance as brief as possible at first. His demeanor would only affirm there was something to be anxious about.
Feeling a little braver, I studied him for a moment. He was in a well-cut suit, his arms defined underneath the fabric but not so much that the fabric strained. I couldn’t see the front of him, but a white color showed over the deep blue jacket, and he had shiny white shoes that had been polished so much I could see my reflection in them.
I admired him from afar, aware that even if this man wasn’t already thinking I was an irritation to his day, he was way out of my league. I was completely sure that his shoes alone cost more than the entire luggage bag I was waiting for and everything in it. He was probably someone in first class who had a bag in priority anyway because of his status or how often he flew. Might even be an off-duty pilot.
Whoever he was, I knew not to get in his way again, so I turned my attention back to the carousel. Bags were coming out now, but none of them had the priority stickers they should have. He frowned, and I wondered if he was going to cause a fuss. Perhaps if he did, I could follow. Two passengers could get to the bottom of it better than one.
Yeah, keep thinking of ways you might just get a chance to talk to the guy who is otherwise so far out of your league that he won’t even look at you unless it’s to stop you from annoying him.
I tried to contain the sigh of despair that threatened to come out of me and pushed thoughts of him away for a second time. Finally, I spotted the colored band of a priority bag. It was followed by another and another. They weren’t the first unloaded from the plane, but soon enough, I no longer felt the same anxiety.
The fifth bag was the color of mine and looked about right, but my brain made me question it anyway. It wasn’t until I saw the colored ribbon I’d wrapped around the handle and sewn in place that I felt relief.
Manhandling it off the conveyor was another struggle, but I was soon moving back from the crowds, my luggage in tow and the way to the exit fairly clear. Before I could take two more steps, I almost tripped over the bag of a guy rushing past and across me, the guy not even noticing until I did.
“Sorry,” I said without thinking.
He glanced my way and looked me up and down. I couldn’t read his face, but it was Mr. Irritated from earlier. Whatever was bothering him, h
I watched him walk off with no responding apology or even a mutter of aggression. Just…nothing. He went up to someone holding a name on a sign. ‘Mr. Whitby.’ I lifted an eyebrow, sure I’d heard of the name but unable to place it. There was still no sign of Juno. I exhaled and moved closer to the exit so she’d at least be able to find me when she did show up.
Again, the anxiety started to claw at the back of my mind. What if something had happened to her? Images of car crashes, people dying, her tripping and falling, and more innocent things like her not noticing the time flashed through my head. What if she argued with Jack, was upset, and called off the wedding?
Pulling out my phone, I connected to the airport Wi-Fi and checked for messages from her. If the wedding wasn’t happening, surely she would have said something?
There was nothing, but I noticed it had only taken me about forty minutes from the plane landing to get through border control and baggage claim. And my plane had landed early. Juno wouldn’t be expecting me yet.
But as more passengers left or found their signs and were taken somewhere else, I grew more anxious anyway. My palms began to sweat, and I found myself fidgeting with the ribbon on the top of the case, picking at the stitching I had so carefully done.
Another planeload of people approached the baggage claim from the other side, and even more people hurried past me. A few glanced sympathetically my way, but still no Juno.
Finally, I spotted my friend hurrying in from outside as she stuffed sunglasses into a small handbag. She almost dropped it and frowned. It was the first time I had ever seen her with a handbag, and I smiled at how badly she was handling it.
She saw me a few seconds later and gave up trying to get the handbag back on her shoulder. Instead, she hurried over, clutching it awkwardly to her torso.
“Kit! You have no idea how good it is to see you. I hope you didn’t have to wait too long.” As soon as she was close enough, she dumped the handbag on top of my suitcase and pulled me into a huge hug.
I hugged her back, feeling relieved. There was nothing like a friendly face to make everything better. As she pulled back, she took a good, long look at me.
“Let’s get you to the penthouse and settled in. Then you can rest or eat with us or whatever you need. You look tired.”
CHAPTER TWO
It felt good to sink into the back seat of Juno’s car. One of Jack’s drivers shut the door behind us and went around to the driver’s seat. Juno seemed used to having someone take her places, but I still looked wide-eyed at all the fuss. The interior of the car was plush and well-stocked, a little fridge built into the front center of the area.
Juno reached forward and opened it, making me wonder what she was after at this time of day. She pulled out a bottle of water and offered it to me before grabbing another for herself.
“I must admit, I am still not really used to all this, but I won’t deny that it has its perks. Jack makes sure I’m taken care of.”
“Is it weird having someone so rich that he doesn’t think twice?” I asked, not sure how I’d feel about being on such a different level from my partner.
“A little,” Juno replied. “But he listens to me and appreciates that I remind him sometimes what isn’t normal for most people. I’ve helped strip away some of the really unnecessary expenses. It’s very easy to get used to having someone do all these things for you, though.”
I nodded, not sure I would ever get used to it, but it was clear that Juno was happy. After her divorce from Greg and the secrets that had slowly come out about how he had treated her, I was sure she deserved to be happy.
It was strange to think about her doing so well when, internally, I was still hurting over my own breakup. Although it had been longer ago than Juno leaving her abusive partner and finding Jack about six months later, I still carried the hurt inside me.
My friends had always been there for me, and they made it easier to carry on each day, but I’d come away from it feeling like I’d never find someone kind who thought I was worth it.
All my life, I had never been good enough for anyone. Criticized at every turn, I constantly worried and battled with inadequacy. On some level, I knew I couldn’t be as bad as my mind tried to tell me. But when I was caught up in the thoughts, looking at something I had created and unable to see it rationally, it wasn’t any easier to convince myself to let go.
Juno had been one of my biggest supporters. She actively encouraged me to take more risks. Not that it made it much easier, but I appreciated that she tried.
We talked about small subjects for the rest of the journey, Juno occasionally pointing out places to go for food or as a tourist that she hoped to take me to at some point. It was a relief, and I finally relaxed a little. I was nervous about spending time with Jack’s friends, but it wasn’t the first time I’d met most of them.
Alma especially had been wonderful at making me feel welcome. And Juno had spoken very highly of her for helping Juno settle in with Jack and even trusting her when no one else had. I was sad that I hadn’t been there enough for Juno, on one hand, but grateful that this same person had taken a liking to me as well.
I knew they would be at the penthouse when we got there. They were close to Jack, and I knew they wanted to help out with the last few days of wedding prep. Everyone was going out to Jack’s island from New York together after that.
Of course, that was yet more flights, and I was nervous about that too, but apparently, it was all private. Juno had assured me that both I and my luggage were in good hands.
“And we’re here,” Juno suddenly declared, pulling me from my worries about the latter flights and traveling to the current fears of making a fool of myself in front of all Jack’s closest friends.
Our chauffeur opened the door for us again, and Juno got out first, thanking the guy on her way past. I thanked him on autopilot.
“Let me know if you need us again tonight, but I’ll assume not otherwise,” he said to Juno.
She merely nodded at him before taking my arm. I moved to get my suitcase, but she pulled me away.
“They’ll bring it up and put it in your room for you,” Juno told me, anticipating the words I hadn’t spoken. “Try to relax. We are going to take such good care of you that there will be no need to worry about anything.”
I exhaled as June led me into the main atrium past a guy on the door. I wasn’t used to an apartment block having a doorman, but he smiled at Juno and didn’t hesitate to accommodate us. I made a mental note not to leave without saying something to whoever stood there in the hopes they’d remember me if I came back.
Not that it sounded like I would have any need to leave until we all went to the island.
From what I understood, the house and outbuildings had been repaired since the hurricane that had battered it.
Juno didn’t like talking about it, so I hadn’t pried much, but if she was nervous about going back to the island, she wasn’t showing it. Of course, it sounded like she had been there several times since.
The ride up the elevator was quiet, Juno seeming to run out of things to say. I was too apprehensive to know what to ask.
“You know, I took the stairs the first time I came up here,” Juno said when we were still a few floors off the top. “I was so nervous. I wanted to delay being up here.”
“I can understand that approach.” I tried to imagine what it would be like going up this many flights of stairs, and I couldn’t do it. It was insane. I wouldn’t do it, but I could appreciate why Juno might.
A part of me wished I had when I got to the top, and the doors slid open. I was more than a little nervous. As we walked out into the hallway, I gently wiped my sweaty palms on the back of my pants, hoping to clean them off before anyone asked to shake my hand or did anything else.
It was gross, but my body betrayed me more often than I wanted.
Juno swept toward one of the middle doors and opened it as if she knew it wouldn’t be locked.
“I’m back,” she called out as she led me inside. I considered running somewhere very far away, but voices called out in response, and then there were footsteps. I didn’t have time to leave.
Alma was the first to appear, eager and smiling. She wrapped me in a hug before I could object, and then I was swept into the room. Jack was next and did the same, like I was an old friend, and then Kai, Alma’s husband, followed.
