The Billionaire’s Big Bold Woman: A Single Father Instalove Romance (The Billionaires’ Club)

‘You’re quitting?’ I gape at my best friend, a little shocked. She flew to Florida a few days ago to meet with Adrian Kane. He used to play football, but he’s now a big romance author. He’s also Stella’s biggest crush. She’s been in love with him since he saved her from bullies when she was a teenager.

She looks different today. There’s a gleam in her eyes that I’ve never seen before, a bone-deep sense of worth that’s new. It’s like she went away a little bit timid and came back a warrior. I love seeing it. Stella was bullied mercilessly as a kid because of her weight. It made her a little gun shy, especially around men.

I was worried that her meeting with Adrian wouldn’t go well, especially after the way their phone call went. It was a little bit of a disaster. But telling Stella no is next to impossible. Not loving her is equally as impossible. She’s adorable and funny and so genuine.

She’s been my best friend for a long time. I love her so much.

‘Yes,’ she whispers, glancing around to make sure no one is eavesdropping. ‘I’m, um…I’m moving to Florida with Adrian.’

I blink at her and then notice the blush climbing up her cheeks.

‘Stella Renae Quinn,’ I say, my eyes at risk of falling out of my head. ‘You’re in love.’

‘So in love,’ she whispers, hiding her face in her hands, which makes me giggle. ‘He is so amazing, Jenna. He’s sexy and bossy and so sweet to me. And I think I want to marry him like right now and have his babies.’

‘Good for you,’ I whisper, flinging my arms around her in a big hug. I’m so happy for her. Both because she deserves to be treated like a queen and because she’s getting out of this place. Our boss is a dick to her. Well, he’s a dick to everyone. But he’s an even bigger dick to Stella.

I honestly can’t wait until the day he gets fired for sexual harassment. He’s a pervert. He treats Stella like crap because she turned him down when he asked her out. He acts like he was trying to do her a favor when everyone knows she’s lightyears out of his league. Just because she’s a bigger girl like me doesn’t mean she’s desperate.

‘You’re not mad?’ she asks.

‘Of course not. I want you to be happy. And, um, I’m not sure if I’ll be here much longer either,’ I admit. The more I think about it, the less I want to be here. My job is important to me, but that doesn’t mean I have to do it here. There are other newspapers and other opportunities closer to Mac and the girls. I don’t know how he would feel about me finding a job closer to Chattanooga, but I want to talk to him about it.

I’ve been so worried about hurting the girls or moving too fast. But I think I might be hurting them anyway. They want me there. Mac wants me there. A job working for a man I don’t like and an apartment that’s cold and lonely doesn’t even hold a candle to them. I don’t want to go home to my empty apartment after work every day. I want to go home to them. I want to play pirates with the girls and make love to Mac and fall asleep in his arms.

Maybe we are moving fast. Maybe there will be bumps in the road. But I’d rather navigate those bumps as a family than leave my heart behind every time I have to drive away on my own. Seeing the girls so sad yesterday made me feel horrible.

‘What? Why not?’ Stella asks.

‘I may have met someone,’ I say, treading carefully. The last thing I need is for someone to overhear and run to our boss. He’s already pissed that I didn’t bombard Ian with questions about Marion. If he finds out I’m sleeping with Mac, he’ll never let it go.

This time, it’s Stella’s turn to gape. ‘Seriously? Who?’

‘Mac Sterling,’ I whisper. Just saying his name makes my heart flutter and twist. I miss him and the girls so much. It’s only been a day, and I’m already miserable without them. I cried when I got home yesterday. Mac and I talked on the phone last night for a couple hours. Okay, we had phone sex last night. He’s a wicked, wicked man and I love it.

He called me this morning too. I think he misses me as much as I miss him. He’s up to something though. I’m not sure what, but he was vague and weird this morning. I trust him though. Whatever he’s doing, I know he’s doing it for me and the girls.

‘Holy crap!’

‘Shh!’

Stella slaps her hand over her mouth. ‘Sorry,’ she whispers. ‘You just surprised me. You’re seeing Mac Sterling?’

Seeing him? More like head over heels in love with him.

‘I spent the weekend with him.’

‘We are never going this long without talking again,’ she says.

Aside from a few texts, we really haven’t talked much since she flew to Florida. I guess we were both busy falling in love. It’s funny though. We’ve always done everything together. It makes sense that we’d fall in love at the same time too.

‘Catch up tonight?’ I ask.

‘Tomorrow,’ she says and then tries to waggle her brows. All she manages to do is squint and twitch her nose. ‘I’m going to do very dirty things to a romance author tonight.’

I giggle and then hug her again. ‘I missed you so much.’

‘I missed you too.’

‘Promise you’ll come and visit as often as possible?’

‘Promise,’ she says.

‘Good. Now, go tell Don Scarva to shove this job up his butt,’ I demand, smiling at her. ‘And please record it so I can watch it a million times and feed my jealous little soul.’

She laughs at me and then heads across our cubicle farm to his office. I wait until she’s gone to turn back to my computer. My profile on Ian is finished and ready for print. He even sent me a photo of him, Holly, and Finn to run with it. The story turned out great. But it’s just not satisfying. I don’t feel accomplished like I normally do when I finish a story. I just feel…sad. Lonely.

That’s because you don’t belong here anymore, a little voice in the back of my mind whispers.

It’s not wrong. I don’t belong here anymore.

Mac was right the other day. Home is where your heart is, and I didn’t leave just a piece of it with him and the girls. I left the whole damn thing with them.

‘Holy shit,’ Trina Moss says, nearly spilling her coffee down her shirt as she gapes at something on the opposite side of the room. ‘What is he doing here?’

‘Who?’ I ask, looking up at her. She’s standing beside my desk, trying to get the scoop on where Stella is going and with who. I haven’t told her anything. It’s not my news to share. But gossip travels fast around here. Stella has only been gone an hour and the entire office already knows she quit. They’re dying to know why. I think they all wish they were going with her.

‘Mackenzie Sterling,’ Trina says.

For a second, I’m not sure what she’s talking about, and then realization dawns.

Mac is here.

I jump up from my chair and spin so fast I make myself dizzy. Sure enough, my man is here. He’s on the far side of the room, striding toward Don’s office, looking far too damn good in his suit and tie. His jaw is set, his ocean eyes glittering with determination. He looks like he’s getting ready to go to war.

He glances in my direction as if sensing my eyes on him. They connect across the room. A heatwave rolls over me, scorching everywhere. Just that easy, I get lost. We’re no longer in the middle of my office with twenty sets of prying eyes watching. It’s like we’re in his room again, tangled up in his sheets as he thrusts into me.

Keep your eyes open, princess. Let me watch it take you.

Touch your pussy, Jenna. Pretend it’s my hand.

Ride me, baby girl. Don’t stop until you’re dripping cum all over me.

I bite my lip, fighting the urge to whimper.

He holds my gaze until Don opens his office door.

Mac looks from me to my boss. I know instantly that Mac doesn’t like him. I told him about Don and how no one can stand him. Mac wasn’t impressed. He’s even less impressed now that he’s standing in front of the horrible little man.

Don is all smiles, reaching for his hand to shake it.

Mac ignores him and turns back to me.

‘Jenna.’

The entire office goes quiet.

‘Come here, princess,’ he says, holding out a hand toward me.

I go to him, practically floating across the silent office. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me as they try to figure out what’s going on, but I don’t pay them any attention. All I see, all I can think about is Mac and how damn happy I am that he’s here right now.

As soon as I reach his side, he takes my hand, clinging to it. I fight the urge to throw myself into his arms in front of all of my coworkers and my boss. Don is scowling now, pissed that Mac isn’t paying him a single bit of attention.

He is not having a good day. First, Stella leaves with Adrian’s story, and now Mac is here, ignoring him. It must be hard to realize you’re not the center of the universe.

I don’t feel even a little bit sorry for him.

‘We need to talk,’ Mac informs Don, pulling me with him into Don’s office. He doesn’t even wait for Don to move. He just backs him into the office, clearly not giving a shit if the smaller man gets out of the way or not.

Maybe I shouldn’t have told him about my sexist, pigheaded boss.

Once we’re over the threshold, Mac closes the door, effectively shutting out the rest of my coworkers. His gaze runs over the small space, taking it all in. Don’s office is a shrine to himself. His walls are literally covered in awards and headline articles bearing his name. He wants everyone to know that he’s an important man. Except…he’s not. He’s just a sexist jerk who steals ideas and calls them his own.

‘Jenna needs to work remotely,’ Mac says.

I do? I blink at him, surprised by this revelation. Is this what he meant earlier? I texted him after Stella left and told him that I wanted to move closer. He told me he would handle it. I thought he meant he was going to talk to the girls about it. I guess I was wrong though. There’s no way he had time to drive here since then. It was only an hour ago!

‘All of our reporters work out of the office,’ Don says.

‘Not anymore. Jenna will be working remotely until she’s ready to quit.’

‘Well, I…’ Don splutters, clearly at a loss for words. No one ever tells him what to do. This is his kingdom and he lords over us like the despot he is. But he’s no match for Mac. That’s true authority. True power.

‘In exchange, I’m willing to give a single interview,’ he says.

‘Mac, no,’ I gasp.

‘It’s okay, baby girl,’ he murmurs, looking from Don to me. ‘I’m ready to move on with my life. If talking means getting you home where you belong sooner rather than later, I’ll talk. All fucking day if that’s what it takes.’

He means it. I know he does. He really plans on following through and telling his story for Don to publish. Except, I can’t let him do that. He isn’t a news story, and neither are the twins. They’re a family who were battered and bruised by a woman who made horrible choices. They don’t owe anyone answers or insight or anything else.

My job here doesn’t matter. My career isn’t that important. What matters is Mac and the twins. And they deserve a chance to leave the past where it is. They deserve to move on with their privacy intact and Marion’s bad deeds packed away. They’ve been turned into news stories for long enough. I won’t let Don Scarva turn them into another one, not for me. Not for any reason.

‘I quit,’ I blurt.

Mac stares at me, shocked silent.

‘I quit,’ I say, looking from him to Don. ‘You can give me a bad reference or whatever, but I quit. You’re not asking him a single question or getting a single answer from him.’

‘Jenna,’ Mac says.

‘I mean it, Mac,’ I say, dismissing Don. ‘You aren’t a news story. I won’t let you turn yourself into one just to get me to Chattanooga. If you want me to move in with you and the girls, I’ll move in right now. Today. But I won’t let you do this to get me there.’

‘Fuck,’ he mutters.

‘I love you and the twins,’ I whisper. ‘I don’t want reporters bugging you or asking you questions they have no right to ask. You don’t owe anyone answers, least of all Don Scarva.’

‘Well,’ Don huffs, offended. I don’t really care. Let him be offended. It’s the least he deserves for all the crap he puts people through around here.

‘I can find another job. I can break my lease. Whatever I have to do,’ I tell Mac. ‘You and the girls are what matter to me. You guys are where I want to be.’

Mac growls quietly, pulling me into his arms. His mouth comes down on mine in a hard kiss. He doesn’t care if Don is watching. I don’t think he’d care if the whole world was watching. He kisses me like it’s been five years since he last tasted my mouth.

A weight lifts from my chest. The knots in my stomach unravel. For the first time since I drove away yesterday, I feel like I can breathe.

Once he’s satisfied, he pulls back, looking at Don.

‘She quits,’ he says.

‘I quit,’ I confirm, not regretting my decision even a little bit. It’s the right one. I feel it in my soul.

‘Mac,’ I moan, writhing against the wall as he pumps his hips, pounding into me. We barely made it through the front door of my apartment before he was all over me. We didn’t even take time to get undressed. We were both frantic, both desperate.

‘Give it to me, Jenna,’ he growls in my ear, bouncing me up and down his cock at a punishing pace. He strikes so deep I feel him bumping against my cervix. Each time, I moan his name as the initial lick of pain flows into a powerful blast of pleasure.

His hands dig into my cheeks, gripping me tight. He kisses me, thrusting his tongue in my mouth in time to his thrusts. Within seconds, I’m on the edge, desperate to go over. He feels it coming and groans my name.

‘God, yeah, princess. Come all over me.’

I do, biting his shoulder to stifle my cries as the waves crash over me, splintering me apart. Bright lights flash behind my eyes in a brilliant display. My heart pounds against my ribcage, speeding like it’s trying to win a race.

Mac slams me down on him and roars my name, following me over.

Feeling him spilling into me sends another shockwave of pleasure through my system. I swear, there’s nothing sexier than this man coming in me. It’s warm and sticky and somehow exactly perfect. I moan, writhing in bliss as he does his best to get me pregnant here and now. It’s not really the right time of the month, but I’m not telling him that.

‘Fuck, Jenna,’ he growls in my ear, breathing hard. ‘You keep coming on me like that, we won’t be leaving this apartment for a year.’

‘We have to,’ I say, laughing softly. ‘I want to see my girls.’

‘Your girls, huh?’ He pulls back to look at me, his expression soft.

‘I’m kind of hoping they’ll want to be my girls too,’ I admit.

Marion will always be their mom, and even if I don’t agree with the things she did, I would never try to replace her for them. People make mistakes. Maybe one day, Marion will be ready to face up to hers and mend fences with Isla and Bella. Maybe one day, she’ll be ready to be the mom they deserve. If that day comes, I won’t stand in the way. I won’t try to come between them or try to keep her from making amends. I want what’s best for the girls, and I know what it’s like to grow up without a parent. If there’s a chance of Marion being in their life in some way even while she’s in prison, I want them to have that.

But I’m kind of hoping they have room in their hearts for me too.

‘I mean, if that’s okay with you,’ I say, not wanting to make him feel like he has to agree.

‘Yeah, princess,’ he whispers, pressing his forehead to mine. ‘That’s more than okay with me.’

I exhale a relieved breath, glad he didn’t tell me no. I would have respected his wishes, but it would have hurt a little if he didn’t want me to share them with me. All I want is to love them, all three of them. They deserve it so much.

‘Bella asked if they could call you mommy.’

‘Mac,’ I whisper, tears welling in my eyes.

‘They love you, baby girl,’ he says. ‘Seeing you sad about leaving yesterday didn’t sit well with either of them. They asked if I could marry you so you could move in with us.’

‘Really?’ Bella said it before, but I didn’t think she really meant it.

‘Really,’ he confirms, chuckling. ‘So if you’re still worried about moving too fast and upsetting them, I’m going to need you to get over that, princess. Because they’re going to be pissed if I come home without you tomorrow.’

‘Yeah?’ I don’t know how it’s possible to smile and cry at the same time, but I am. ‘They really want me there?’

‘God yeah,’ he says, pulling back to dry my tears. Those ocean eyes meet mine, tangling me all up in love with him again. ‘We need you with us, Jenna. You’re the best damn thing that ever happened to us. I always thought that I failed them when I didn’t leave Marion, but you made me realize that I was wrong.’

‘You were wrong,’ I say, sobbing. They’re happy tears. The best tears. He’s always so good to me, making me feel like the center of the world. I didn’t know how amazing that could feel. But it does. It feels so damn good to be loved by this man and his girls.

‘Failing them would be letting you walk out of their lives,’ he says, making me cry harder. ‘You are exactly what they need. What we all need. There are going to be conflicts and tantrums and we’re all going to muddle along and probably fuck up a thousand times, but don’t ever doubt that you are exactly what we need, baby girl. Even on bad days, you’ll still be the best thing that ever happened to us.’

‘Mac,’ I sob, burying my face in his shoulder. I already love him so much, and he just keeps making me love him more. Until I feel like I’m going to explode apart at the seams because I can’t hold it all inside.

He rubs my back. ‘We need you. Hell, I need you, baby girl. So goddamn badly it hurts.’

‘I love you,’ I say through tears, clinging to his broad shoulders.

‘Then let us love you back,’ he says. ‘Stop worrying that you’re going to upset the girls and move in with us. Make our family complete, princess.’

Mac Sterling and his girls don’t fight fair. They won the war before I even knew we were fighting. I’m theirs now. No takebacks.

‘Yes,’ I whisper.

‘Yeah?’ He pulls back, those beautiful eyes running all over me. ‘You mean it?’

‘Yes,’ I say, laughing, crying. Flying. So damn high I don’t ever want to come down again. ‘Yes, I’ll move in with you and the girls, Mac.’

‘Fuck,’ he whispers, crushing me to his chest. He kisses me hard and deep, pouring his gratitude into it, into me. And then he pulls back, resting his forehead against mine. ‘I was worried I was going to have to move in with you if you turned me down. The girls told me not to come home without you. I’m pretty sure they meant it.’

I laugh, shaking my head at him. ‘Then take me home to them, Mac.’

‘Tomorrow,’ he growls, hefting me in his arms and stumbling deeper into my apartment. ‘Tonight, it’s King Mac’s turn to play with his princess.’

‘Mac,’ I moan, perfectly okay with this plan. Just so long as we leave early in the morning.