Their Secret Desire: The Reclusive Multimillionaire, #2

By Julia Imari

Their secrets could bring them together or tear them apart.

Jordan Eastbrook is busy making a name in the shark-infested waters of investment. But when an unassuming beauty from his past reappears, he can’t ignore the burning questions he’s been holding back.

Destiny Luna Scott’s mission is to get her injured brother into a sophisticated physical rehab facility. While working two jobs, she dreams of having her invention sold in every store. So, when a contest offering a large financial prize catches her attention, she jumps at the opportunity. Little does she know one of the judges is the man she can’t have, but the only one she’ll ever need.

Their Secret Desire is the second book in The Reclusive Multimillionaire Series. If you like a hardworking heroine and an empathetic hero, you’ll fall in love with Des and Jordan.

Their Secret Desire is a sexy and steamy romance standalone novel.

The first book in The Reclusive Multimillionaire Series (The Eastbrook Boys):

THEIR SECRET DEAL
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: PaulJulia Press
• Release date: Oct 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386101598

Book preview

Prologue

DESTINY LUNA SCOTT had a crush for the first time when she was twenty.

This popular hot guy hung out after class around campus with his entourage. Rumor had it he was a billionaire heir or some other type of big shot. Although she worked part time at the fast food restaurant on campus, news about gorgeous guys flowed to her nonstop whenever female students chatted and gossiped while waiting in line to place their orders. As a cashier, nothing escaped her ears, including the latest news about who had hooked up with whom. At first, she didn’t pay attention to any of the rumors because she was too busy minding her own business.

She also worked several hours a week as a salesgirl for a local hospital supply company—during her sophomore year at the uni. And with the coming summer session, she planned to attend the Advanced Marketing 201 class to complete her credit requirements for the semester. While she plastered a smile on her face at work, it was a different story when she returned home. But, she would get to this later.

So, when he entered the restaurant and came face-to-face with her, Des immediately knew the reasons why girls giggled and treated him like a celebrity. He was a chick magnet. He had everything—dangerously handsome, friendly, respectful and a very likeable personality. He always smiled and maintained eye contact when placing his order. And the girl who never left his side was Lara. She recognized her immediately. They attended Marketing 101 last semester. Lara called, Jordie! Jordie! to get his attention. Now she knew his name.

But, the other day when he entered the restaurant all by himself he wasn’t friendly and outgoing. He was brooding and quiet. At first, she was confused; until a few days later when she saw two, with the same identical faces, enter the restaurant along with Jordie’s entourage. He had a twin brother!

Like any normal hormonally charged undergrad, Des wasn’t immune to his good looks, and like others, she too gawked—a little too long perhaps when he ordered fries. And she was a little too friendly toward him. But, she could only go so far. With too much else on her mind, she couldn’t afford to be on his expanding list of female fans. She would just admire him from a distance. And the sad part was he didn’t even notice her existence. To him she was invisible.

Unfortunately, her stupidity or her hormones got the best of her. For whatever reason, wanting him to notice her turned out to be the best distraction. When she saw him, she forgot about her misery and all the responsibilities she had to shoulder. Her life was in bad shape and she didn’t want to add any more stress. She had to work many hours between the two jobs to pay tuition and fees as she didn’t qualify for a scholarship.

Thankfully, she lived in a nearby apartment with her mom in the Bronx. Her mom had many issues and yet, didn’t want to stop smoking, drinking and changing her poor eating habits. Mom told her she’d rather eat delicious sinful food and die happy.

Oh well.

So Des began the habit of observing beautiful people. Including, Jordie, her new muse. Girls went wild when they were around him and he acted as if he absolutely loved the attention and fuss. His entourage looked expensive. Their clothes were of the latest styles and desirable brands, plus they were flush with cash, which they lavishly spent. She hoped she could be one of them.

Are you gawking at him again? Her friend and co-worker Lauren said from behind.

Des put her palm on her chest. You shouldn’t do that. If I’m carrying hot drinks, you’d end up scalded and in the clinic.

Sorry, Des, Lauren said, smiling. But gawking at him won’t bring you any closer. Do something about your crush, will ya?

She slapped her friend’s arm. Are you kidding? I don’t stand a chance.

What do you mean? Lauren examined her up and down. You’re prettier than the woman sitting next to him.

Des put her finger on her lips. Shhh….

I prefer his twin. He’s quiet and not as rowdy, Lauren confessed, lowering her voice. Plus, he doesn’t seek the limelight of attention.

At least, Des had someone who was as crazy as her. When the lunch crowd began to appear, they went back to work.

Several hours later, when Des turned her head toward his table at the back of the restaurant, Jordie and his fans were long gone. The emptiness inside gnawed at her. His distraction was no longer around and she returned to her reality.

Since her half brother Seth’s horrific accident due to a fall, where he became paralyzed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair, Des tried to learn as much about his injury to help him improve his condition.

Seth seemed to want to sit straight in his wheelchair, but he couldn’t hold his head at the proper angle and in the normal way. Des sought a device or some type of equipment to support his head properly. So far, her search revealed nothing in the marketplace—the product didn’t exist. She even asked the sales manager at the hospital supply company if there was some type of device out there, but to her dismay he shook his head.

Late one night, when she couldn’t get to sleep, she sketched in her notebook a type of device to help Seth. The next day, during her spare time, she began to work on its design. She wished to find someone who knew how to turn her simple sketches into a working prototype or model so she could have Seth test it. This prompted her to register for the Advanced Marketing class with the hopes that she could network with other students.

Networking or being friendly became second nature to her as she used her outgoing personality to its upmost when selling hospital supply products. But, outside of her two jobs, she was a loner. Her mother had broken up with the man who fathered her before she was born. She never had the opportunity to meet him.

Mom had dumped her onto Grandma Molly as a baby. Grams named her Destiny Luna and raised her as best as she could. She loved her name. When she was eight, her half brother Seth was born. He was a super-active boy. When he turned seven he had a freak accident. He had a fall that almost took his life. Because of this, Mom and her current boyfriend, Seth’s father, broke off as they blamed each other for his accident.

Des internalized what she saw and never allowed any man to go near her. She didn’t want to suffer the way her mother did. When Grandma Molly passed away, when she was eighteen, her life had ended as well. She lost all hope. Thank God for the jobs she had. She shattered all records in sales for her company and became her boss’s favorite. She never refused any tasks her boss requested of her, and because of her skills in selling, the company improved its profitability. To reward her hard work, her boss increased her base salary and commission.

Unfortunately, whenever she returned home from school or her jobs her mom wasn’t interested in talking. She had no one to share her day. Mom was completely withdrawn from the outside world and well advanced on her way to self-destruction by drowning her sorrows with alcohol.

When she returned from work the other day, her mom was binge drinking. Des sat in front of her, sighing. Mom, if you don’t stop smoking and drinking, you won’t survive much longer.

Mom waved her hand as if to dismiss her advice. Luna, worry about your studies, not me. Her face looked puffy. No matter what happens to me, you must finish your degree. You hear me?

Des groaned inward. Her mom refused to answer her plea, but she nodded nonetheless; to acknowledge her. She had no choice, but to leave her alone. Feeling lost, she turned her full attention to Seth. He was her best friend and with his quiet stare, he became her source of strength and motivation. No matter how sleepy or busy, Des went over to see him every day at his nursing home for injured and children with chronic conditions.

Mom, however, visited Seth less and less frequently.

One day, when Des couldn’t stay silent anymore, she asked, Mom, do you see Seth as a burden?

Mom closed her eyes, sadness draped over her face. Life is unfair, Destiny.

But, Mom—

You have to learn how to deal with it.

Des exhaled. Not wanting to burden her mom with more questions, she stopped asking. She kept everything to herself, although her loneliness was eating her inside. Mom mentally withdrew more and more until she had a hard time reaching her anymore.

In order to compensate for her misery, she pretended to be somebody else. When she was on campus, she was the jovial Destiny. Her clothing was branded, although slightly faded, but high-quality nonetheless. She wanted to blend in with the crowd and forget about what she couldn’t have. Her summer class would start the next morning and she looked forward to it.

When she woke up, she knew the class would start in two hours. And she hated making a grand entrance into the lecture hall. She never woke up late, but on this particular morning, her body played a practical joke on her. Her mind said she was awake and she believed it. But, when she opened her eyes she was still in bed.

Reaching the lecture hall sweaty, she put her hand on her chest to catch her breath. The class had already started twenty minutes ago! She peeked inside and students were in clustered groups. It’s too late. She stepped back, hesitating to enter the large room. Remember Seth. And her resolve strengthened. Acting as casually as possible, she sauntered in and slipped into an empty chair. She exhaled. What a relief when nobody noticed her. The students were busy talking among themselves; several of them were arguing with Prof. Brown. When she turned to her side, her eyes spotted a familiar looking guy in the corner. Jordie! Sitting next to him was Lara and another girl. They were engrossed in conversation.

It looks like everyone has already formed into groups for an assignment. She stood to approach Prof. Brown.

Yes? Prof. Brown said, lifting his head.

I’m sorry for being late, Prof. Is there a group available for me to join? she asked.

Prof. Brown cleared his throat. What’s your name?

Destiny Luna Scott.

Well, let me see. He scanned his list. Everybody has already formed theirs. I’ll see if any of them want to take you. He tapped the mic. Excuse me for a second. Anyone here want to take another member for their group? Her name is Destiny Luna Scott.

She looked at each of them with hope and expectation. All students turned silent, indicating all groups were full.

Des turned to the professor. No problem, Prof. I can work on the assign—

—You can join my group, she heard a deep voice coming from the corner of the room. Des turned in the direction of the sexy voice. Jordie! The two other women sitting on either side of him stared at her with knitted brows.

Feeling grateful for the offer to join his group, she said, Thank you! She walked over to them as he lifted his backpack off an empty chair.

I’m Jordan, he said, extending his hand. His strong and masculine handshake covered her palm. He smelled so nice with warm spice and citrus.

Hi, Jordan. I’m Des.

He turned toward the two women. "This is Lora and Jennifer."

Hi Lara. Hi Jennifer, she said, waving at both of them. They each waved back with limp wrists.

Their introduction was interrupted by Prof. Brown’s instructions. Each group would start with the assignment proposal. They needed to apply what they had learned from Marketing 101, including topics on consumer psychology. Jordan tapped his pen on the notebook and leaned back in his chair. Damn, he muttered, but she heard the word.

Five minutes before the class ended, the Professor, who authored a bestselling marketing book, announced what he would expect from the groups. Each group will meet with me once a week to brief me with the progress of your assignment. Other than that, this course will have no lectures to attend.

The class burst out with joyful noise.

Don’t get too excited. Without essays or a tutorial, your credit is 100 percent dependent on this project. If you fail in your project, you fail the course. Understand?

Suddenly the class sounded like a hive with too many bees. Everyone murmured at the same time. Des peered at her newfound group and none of the members seemed too pleased with the announcement either.

After Prof. Brown’s instructions, they were dismissed from class and they could now begin to work on their project strategies. All four of them, decided to leave the constraints of the room and sit outside on the steps.

Okay, ladies. Anyone want to lead the group? Jordan asked. His gaze turned to each of them. Lara was pouting. Jennifer shrugged in clueless fashion.

Des didn’t trust Lara or Jennifer to be the leader. With Lara in charge, they would most likely fail the course. I think you should be the leader. What do you say Lara, Jennifer?

I agree! Lara said with a chipper voice.

It’ll be fun, Jennifer added.

Wait a minute. Are you guys sure about this? Jordan asked. He seemed uncertain at first, then he smiled his sexy lopsided grin. But I’m good at it.

Des stared at him. As the leader, you can’t just sit on your throne, you know. We’re all going to work on this. Equally.

Jordan spurted a laugh. Of course I’ll work alongside all of you, he assured her.

After reaching an agreement, the four of them divided up the tasks. Des had to write the proposal while Lara and Jennifer would do the promotion and selling. Jordan had to find the sponsors. And yet, they still needed to determine what type of product or service to promote or sell. They needed to brainstorm at their next meeting. Lara linked her arm around Jordan’s. Let’s go, Jordie. She yanked him to follow her.

Thanks for allowing me to join your group, guys. I appreciate it. I’ll see you all next week.

Aren’t you coming with us? Jordan asked. We’re going to get a bite to eat.

Lara said, She has to go to her next class. Don’t you, Destiny?

Des opened her mouth to respond, but she decided not to.

Des for Destiny…hmm. Jordan said.

She has a gypsy’s name, Lara said.

Or a fortune teller’s name, Jennifer added.

Des chuckled. Yup, all of the above. Have a nice day, bye. She descended the steps toward the street and continued walking away without looking back, but she could sense Jordan’s eyes on her. When Lara and Jennifer described her name, he eyed her with a curious gaze, as if he wanted to know more, but hesitated as if he had thought the better of it.

I can’t believe I finally got the chance to talk to him. So, his name’s Jordan North? His name was written boldly on his notebook cover in capital letters. His generosity to include her in his group only increased her respect for him.

Without any other classes for the remainder of the day, Des decided to go to the library to work on the assignment before heading off to her other job. Taking one of the empty desks in a secluded part of the library, she mulled over what type of product or service the group could sell. She needed to draft the proposal for their project anyway.

Writing a proposal was her strength since she had been doing something similar to this for her secret invention: The Chin Rest. She had been working diligently on it in her spare time—as she wanted to seize the opportunity when it came her way. Who knew what would happen next in her life’s phase after graduation. She had to hone the correct skills right from the beginning, because when the opportunity came knocking, she would be well prepared to grab the winning prize.

So, you don’t have any classes, a voice boomed from behind.

Her heart skipped a beat. She turned her head and Jordan was standing next to her all alone. Before she knew it, he was pulling over a chair. He sat very close; she could feel the warmth of his body. And there it was again, the smell of his fresh cologne surrounded her like a blanket.

She dropped her gaze and smiled. That was awfully fast.

I only had a cup of coffee. He unzipped his backpack and pulled out his notebook. Fishing deep into his backpack, he pulled his empty hand out. Do you have an extra pen? I can’t find mine.

She gave him a pen and he stared at it. It was pink and had a fluffy pink fur ball attached to the end. He looked at her with disgust and snatched the black