The Billionaire Next Door: The Billionaire Brothers Kent, #1

By JUDY ANGELO

NEVER PIT AN ALPHA MAN AGAINST A FEISTY FEMALE

Soledad Felix doesn't take guff from anyone, not even if that someone is the tall, dark and gorgeous hunk who moves in next door.  Since the day he moves in he's a royal pain in the rear, going out of his way to make himself a nuisance.  But then, as fate would have it, her big, bad and bossy neighbor falls right into her hands.  And with him at her mercy, it's time to make him pay...

Ransom Kent likes to mind his own business and lead a quiet life but tell that to his crazy neighbor next door.  From the first day they meet it's like she's got this thing against him, a crazy vendetta of her own making.  And it doesn't help that she's both beautiful and bewitching, with a whole lot of hot sauce on top.  It's an alluring combination that he just can't resist.  But when he gives in to the temptation and hands her his heart on a platter, that's when he realizes she's nothing like the woman he thought she was.

The epic battle of fire and ice, and only one can be the victor...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Judy Angelo
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497738249

JUDY ANGELO

New York Times & USA Today best-selling author, Judy Angelo, considers herself a ‘traveling writer’. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada but prior to that she called New York and then Illinois home. She has also spent considerable time in the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. She loves to travel as it provides her with interesting and diverse settings for her stories.   Judy fell in love with romance novels as a teenager and has never lost her passion for these stories of love and life, conflict and reconciliation, relationships and family. For her, it was a natural progression from reading romance novels to writing them. So far, she has written over 70 romance novels, including the best-selling Bad Boy Billionaires series. Her other series include The Billionaire Brothers Kent, The Castillos, and the Comedy, Conflict & Romance series.   She hopes to continue entertaining her readers with intriguing stories for many years to come.   Website - www.judyangelo.blogspot.com   I would love to hear from you! [e-mail]

Book preview

JUDY ANGELO

THE BILLIONAIRE BROTHERS KENT

Book 1

THE BILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR

NEVER PIT AN ALPHA MAN AGAINST A FEISTY FEMALE

Soledad Felix doesn't take guff from anyone, not even if that someone is the tall, dark and gorgeous hunk who moves in next door.  Since the day he moves in, he's a royal pain in the rear, going out of his way to make himself a nuisance.  But then, as fate would have it, her big, bad and bossy neighbor falls right into her hands.  And with him at her mercy, it's time to make him pay...

Ransom Kent likes to mind his own business and lead a quiet life but tell that to his crazy neighbor next door.  From the first day they meet, it's like she's got this thing against him, a crazy vendetta of her own making.  And it doesn't help that she's both beautiful and bewitching, with a whole lot of hot sauce on top.  It's an alluring combination that he just can't resist.  But when he gives in to the temptation and hands her his heart on a platter, that's when he realizes she's nothing like the woman he thought she was.

The epic battle of fire and ice, and only one can be the victor...

CHAPTER ONE

OH HELL, NO.

The words exploded from Solie's lips as she stared out the kitchen window.

Ever since that flippin' man moved in next door, he'd been nothing but trouble.  Sexy though he was, with the hint of a beard on his chiseled jaw, and hair so black and rich and thick that she would love running her fingers through it, he was still a real pain. First, his stupid robotic lawn mower smashed up her hedge when he'd been landscaping.  Then, his Great Dane wouldn't stop howling in the middle of the night.  And now this.  A friggin' construction crew in the backyard?

Bristling like a porcupine, Solie flung open the back door and marched out.  What do you think you're doing?  She was yelling the words before she even got to the hedge.  Don't you know there's no construction allowed in this neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon?

The man didn't even have the grace to turn and acknowledge her.  His broad back to her, he waved to a man in a fluorescent orange vest, directing him as he lifted a plank into the air.  Another man grabbed the other end, fitted it against a frame, and proceeded to bang away, not seeming to care one hoot that he was making one heck of a racket. 

Hey, you.  I'm talking to you.  Solie could feel her ire rising, the closer she got to the hedge that separated her yard from his.  She hopped onto a flat-topped rock by the hedge so she could get a better view.  You can't just ignore me.  I have my rights.

That must have gotten his attention because, slowly and deliberately, he turned, then caught and held her glare in a gaze so enigmatic but oh, so magnetic, that she froze in her tracks.  His dark eyes boring into her, he straightened, and she could see that he was well over six feet tall; as if she didn't know that already.  He'd been her neighbor for the past two months and she'd been checking him out from day one.

But that was beside the point.  Ever since he'd moved in next door, he'd been annoying the heck out of her, and now it would have to stop.  Whatever you're doing can wait till Monday when people are out at work.  This is the weekend, for goodness’ sake.  What joy do you get in disturbing your neighbors?

The man's mouth curled in a sardonic, yet almost seductive, smile.  As far as I see, you're the only one complaining.

Yeah, because you don't have a neighbor on the other side of you.  If you did, they'd be hopping all over you right now.

He raised an eyebrow.  Like you're hopping all over me?

Oh, you think I'm hopping all over you.  Not even close.  She screwed up her lips and tried to give him her tough girl look.  Handsome or not, there was no way she was going to let this man off the hook.  You don't want to see me when I'm hopping mad, mister.  Trust me on that. 

To her chagrin, instead of backing off, the man’s sexy smile deepened, and then he responded with a laugh.  So, I'm living next door to a bulldog, am I?  He cocked his head to one side and regarded her for several seconds, a mocking glint in his narrowed eyes.  I might piss you off just to see what you'll do about it.

Solie's breath tightened in her chest.  You think this is a joke, do you?  She took a step closer to the hedge, close enough so the others couldn't hear her, but the words would hit him where it hurt.  You think I won't call the police?  Keep this up and just see if I don't.  It's against the law.

The man chuckled and took a step closer, mimicking her move, then he regarded her with unveiled amusement.  What law?  I'm on my own property.  There's no law that says I can't build a gazebo in my own backyard.

No, but there's a law that says you can't create a heck of a noise nuisance for your neighbor on a Sunday.  This is a day for relaxation and family. in case you didn't know.

He cocked an eyebrow at her.  Oh, really.

Yes, really.  There.  She had him.  He would have to shut this thing down or else he would be in hot water for sure.  She was not going to back down on this one, and she would not be bowled over by any man, no matter how handsome..

And what if I told you, he said, his voice suspiciously gentle, the sardonic smile back on his lips, that today isn't Sunday?

Solie glared at him.  What did he take her for?  Please don't waste my time.  Just shut this thing down right now if you don't want a holy mess on your hands.  She threw him a sardonic smile of her own.  I'm sure you don't want a visit from our friendly neighborhood police. 

Go ahead and call, he said, giving her a confident grin, but I recommend you check your calendar before you put your foot in it.

He was turning to walk away when Solie jammed her fists on her hips and growled, What’s that supposed to mean?

He only chuckled and said, Just do what I told you, And then he was heading back toward the men, barking orders for them to continue working, as if she hadn’t just complained about the noise.

We’ll see about that. 

Solie was grumbling as she whirled around and headed back to the kitchen.  She would have the police out here so fast, he wouldn’t know what hit him.  And if the police wouldn’t come, she knew she could count on the president of the neighborhood association to fly to her rescue.  Sandy Parkinson was nothing, if not enthusiastic about her role as president; maybe a little too enthusiastic, but still...

She was reaching for the phone. when a tiny voice in her head began to whisper, and the whisper quickly grew into a full-fledged nag that made her leave the phone and walk out into the hallway where a flowery calendar hung.  He’d said to check the calendar, so she did...and that was when she saw that he was right.  Today was definitely not Sunday.  What the heck?

Solie’s hand flew to her mouth, and she began to nibble at her nail as she did a fast rewind in her mind.  Over the past four days, she’d done two eight-hour shifts, then a twelve hour one, then another twelve hours which had ended in the wee hours of the morning.  So, she’d come off on Saturday, hadn’t she?  Or had it been Sunday?  Goodness, it must have been Sunday, because the calendar was saying today was Monday. the twenty-first, and not the weekend, as she’d thought.  She blinked.  How could she have missed an entire day? 

And then. her face fell as she realized what she’d just done.  She’d gone and made a dang fool of herself, accusing her neighbor of disturbing the peace when he’d been carrying out a legitimate task on a weekday.  Groan...

Now, she would have to apologize for flying off the handle.  Or maybe she could just hide out in the house for the next few months and avoid the back yard altogether.  Hopefully, he would soon forget about the whole thing.

The problem was, ever since they’d met that first day, there was just something about her neighbor that rubbed Solie the wrong way.  They hadn’t hit it off that day when his moving truck had blocked her in when she was trying to rush out to work, and things had gone downhill ever since.  Mind you, she could have been agreeable and simply asked him nicely to have his men move the truck.  But no, in frustration heightened by her haste, she’d blasted him on the spot, and the fact that he’d paid her back by taking his own sweet time in getting them to move hadn’t endeared him to her one bit.

But the worst thing about the whole situation – honestly, the most annoying thing – was that, from the very first day she’d laid eyes on him, even as she was reprimanding him, her brain was taking in his hotness, and her body was tingling with an awareness she hadn’t felt in the longest.  It was the first time that anything like that had happened to her since she’d gotten rid of her slimy, cheating boyfriend over a year before. 

And the second worst thing – if you could have two worst things - was that this man who’d moved in next door kind of looked like her ex.  And everybody knew that men who were too good-looking were dogs.  Painfully aware of her weakness for tall men with raven-black hair, piercing dark eyes and chiseled jaw line, she really didn’t want one of those living beside her. 

She had absolutely no intention of slipping and falling in attraction or anything else with this man.  And that was why he shouldn’t have moved in beside her.

Damn the man!

OF ALL THE PLACES IN Fort Lauderdale he could have moved to, Ransom had to settle in the house next to the craziest, most cantankerous woman he’d ever met.  Talk about bad luck.  But then again, it wasn’t like he’d had a choice.  His grand uncle had insisted on willing his beloved family home to his only nephew, but with the stipulation that said house should not be left vacant.  It was a home that had been in the family for centuries and his uncle wanted to keep it that way for centuries more, with subsequent generations blessing his legacy.

Ransom shook his head.  He didn’t even know the girl’s name but already she’d needled her way under his skin in more ways than one.  Was there nothing she didn’t complain about?  If it wasn’t the hedge, it was his dog, and now this.  So, he couldn’t make noise either?  And how else was he going to get his construction done?

Well, if she was complaining about that, then she would soon have a whole lot more complaining to do because he’d already planned on having the guys over the following Tuesday to celebrate the start of the NBA season.  As far as he was concerned, October twenty-nine could not come fast enough.

And if a certain dark-haired beauty with flashing ebony eyes and pouty lips had a problem with him and the guys hanging out in his new gazebo, then, too bad.  His crew was not a quiet bunch, and he was not about to apologize for it. 

As he thought about the girl, he was actually smiling as he grabbed his bright yellow hard hat and went out the door, pulling it closed behind him.  At least, she couldn’t be accused of being boring.  When it came to neighbors, she was one of the most interesting he’d ever had, even if not the most friendly.

Ransom had never been one to glory in his wealth and when he’d decided to move out of his penthouse suite in Miami Beach to settle in Fort Lauderdale, he’d had no regrets.  He’d grown up in a humble home in Iowa and it was only through drive, perseverance and sheer luck that he’d made it to where he was, now one of the six hundred billionaires in the United States.  He’d always loved the construction industry and had started his business twelve years earlier, building low-income homes in rural communities.  Despite the economic recession, or perhaps because of it, his business boomed throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century until he was constructing homes in forty states as well as Canada and Mexico. 

His massive break came in 2009 when he landed a huge government contract that doubled his business in the first year, and by year three he’d secured a place in the nation’s exclusive list of billionaires.  The business had him travelling all over North America and he soon ended up with homes in Toronto, Dallas, Washington D. C. and Miami, all of them luxurious, but for this and ditching the image of the grand CEO of Kent Industries.  This time, he was choosing to live in a modest home among regular people just like his hero billionaire, Buffett, had chosen to do, living in the same home he’d lived in since 1958, long before he’d become a billionaire. It was all being made possible by the various security gadgets that Trevor, his employee-cum-security guard had installed.  It was his background in security that made Ransom appreciate his longtime friend, way more than his prowess in sports.

By occupying his grand uncle’s beloved home, Ransom was going back to his roots.  In Fort Lauderdale, his plan was to be ‘hands-on’ and he wanted to live like it, too.  No exclusive dwellings for him.  As much as possible, he would be mingling with the regular crowd.

It was a pity he hadn’t realized that this mingling would include a conflict with a wicked witch on his west side, a pretty little one, at that.  Too bad she had a mean streak that he would do best to avoid.

And he would avoid her, all right, at least until the end of the day.  He would leave his men to their task of renovating and updating Uncle Oscar’s home while he headed for his latest construction site in the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s business district, a fifty-storey building that would house the corporate headquarters of one of the largest clothing retailers in the United States.  At that height, it would become the tallest building in the city’s skyline, beating Las Olas River House by eight floors.

This was a big move for Ransom, stepping out of the construction of residential homes and into commercial buildings, but as far as he was concerned, it was a timely move.  He’d never been one to remain stagnant and was always challenging himself to try new things, and that was part of the reason why his business had grown at warp speed.  With his venture into commercial construction, he could only imagine how much farther he could go in the next ten years.

As he drove, he reached over and pressed the speed dial on his cell phone.

Yeah, boss? 

The voice of