Wrong Time, Right Solemate: A Steamy Secret Billionaire Romance

By Jess Thick

EMMA

Noah Ross is just my type. Dazzling blue eyes, a dimpled grin, and a physique built to pin me to the wall.

But that’s my past. I’ve dated guys like him. They’re never in for the long haul.

I’m here for one thing and one thing only: to get my life back in order, starting with getting in shape for my sister’s wedding.

He’s my personal trainer; I’m his client.

No matter how much I want him to kiss me.

NOAH

Emma Daniels might just be my biggest mistake. She’s gorgeous. Training her will be a disaster.

Girls like her - determined, smart - deserve happily ever afters. She’s got her shields up. Somebody already hurt her, and I’ve never been one to commit. I can be professional.

It isn’t like I’m going to fall in love with her, right?

A sweet journey of self-discovery and self-recovery as two people burned by love find their happily ever afters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.B. Black
• Release date: Sep 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005678494

Jess Thick

Jess adores the steamy side of romance, exploring the quick scenes that leave your heart fluttering as strong, fertile heroines find their Happily Ever Afters!

Book preview

Chapter One

Emma

Bouncing between my monitors, I matched up the coloring coding on our current projects, trying to find that barest bit of space where we could squeeze in the latest short-notice fix-it job my boss sent my way. Challenges like these were why I loved my job. Without me, this company would become a jumble of ideas in a trenchcoat. There was a reason they put ‘director’ in front of my name on the door of my corner office.

Hey, Emma? Greg knocked, leaning in with a tired smile. I’m heading out.

Have a nice night!

Frowning, he stepped into the room. That means you’re the last one out of the office again tonight. You know, you have an assistant for a reason.

I’ve got dinner with my sister, I explained, offering a smile.

He grinned, snapping his fingers. Oh, right! The chef!

Exactly. We’ll grab a late dinner, and since her restaurant is on this side of the city, it’s just easier if I keep working, I told him, scrolling through the schedule into the next month. Wait! Before you go, do you know what Clark’s B project is?

Sucking in a breath, he squinted as if accessing a deeply buried memory. Something about a disaster with a franchise moving into India?

Another beef fiasco? I frowned. Is he specializing in those? I swear, he’s had the same B Project for the last two years.

Greg shrugged, ducking out with a wave. You’ll have to ask him on Monday. Night!

Night, Greg! Have a nice weekend.

And there I was. Alone in the office with only the glow of my monitors and rainbow color coding to keep me company. A quick text to Jeremy to remind him I would be late because I had dinner with Olivia, and then back to work.

Every other boyfriend I had would have complained about how late I worked but not Jeremy. Though he hadn’t had a job in a couple months, he understood the importance of putting in the extra hours for the climb to the top. Since he moved in, things were even better than they had been before. We didn’t go out as much, but a date on the couch with take-out or delivery was just as good as one in a fancy restaurant. Plus, with Jeremy out of a job and having moved in with me because he couldn’t afford rent, it just made sense to cut back. It just meant more to save up for a house — or a wedding.

By the time I had finished, I had a half hour to spare, but that was perfect. A nice leisurely walk sounded so good. I hadn’t gotten to the gym in months. Probably since I started dating Jeremy honestly, and everything had started to feel a bit tight. Which was bound to happen. Happy people often gained weight. Jeremy had different eating habits, and with him doing the shopping, which was fantastic and so sweet of him to do, the pantry wasn’t exactly what I was used to, but he was all about treating himself, so what were a few extra treats on hand rather than my boring produce. I could always grab what he forgot when I hit the farmers’ market.

Which I hadn’t hit in months. A burst of fresh air struck me as I stepped onto the street, and it was like a slap to the face. How long had it been since I did anything outdoors? Work took up a lot of my life, but didn’t Jeremy and I used to go on hikes.

No, that was Liam who screwed his secretary and video called me to break up while she was still getting dressed in his office.

See, guys like Jeremy wouldn’t do that. Sure, we apparently never went anywhere, but cozy cuddling home time was adorable. I had never been more caught up on the latest shows and movie releases. My watercooler talk finally hit top tier level, and maybe it was a bit shallow, but a guy who never wanted to go out wasn’t the sort of guy who was going to walk out on me.

If a half-hour walk of a few blocks left me a bit more winded than I remembered, that was just exhaustion. It was late. I got into the office early, so I had no reason to be worried. High heels certainly didn’t help.

Emma! Olivia greeted, bouncing up and down when she saw me.

She practically jumped into my arms, hugging me tightly. Sisters were the best. Hey, sweet pea, where did you have in mind for tonight?

Well, last week, we went to that new gastro place, but it was kind of a miss, so I was thinking, she drew out the word, opening the door behind her, why don’t you get a sneak peek of our new menu!

Laughing, I followed her inside. That sounds great!

Fantastic! And Marshall made us one of his seasonal cocktails. They go so well with the new amuse-bouches! Olivia exclaimed, reaching back to take my hand and almost drag me through the restaurant.

Her dark hair was high in a loose top knot with her side swept bangs bouncing with her every step. My little sister never stopped moving. First, it was around the globe. Most of the photographs in my apartment came from her travels, and for a long time, our family thought she’d never stop, but a love of travel turned into a love of cooking, and she quickly found her way into one of the trendiest restaurants in the city.

At the bar, two scarlet cocktails in coupe glasses waited. Olivia scooped them both, holding one out to me as she said, I hope you’re ready for a lot of seafood and cheese.

And fruit? I added, studying the small plates as I took the offered glass. It smelt floral and sweet. Are these petals?

Dried flowers, Olivia confirmed.

Getting into spring. Exciting!

She laughed, biting her lip as she took a seat. Okay, before we get into this tasting, I have some big news!

When she set down her glass without drinking, my big sister sense went wild. Was she sick? She didn’t look sick. Though not nearly as tan as she was when she traveled, her skin had a healthy rosy glow. Olivia practically glowed. Maybe she was pregnant? Was I going to be an aunt? Dante, her boyfriend, was an extremely sweet, family-oriented guy, so he would definitely support her, and I would be there however she needed me, but Marshall had made her a drink too, and he hated alcohol going to waste, so that probably wasn’t it. I took a seat beside her at the bar, setting my drink down too. Focusing all my attention on her, I smiled encouragingly.

Taking a deep breath, Olivia brought her hands to a chain around her neck, and lifting it, she pulled a diamond ring from beneath her shirt’s collar. Dante proposed! I’m getting married!

Oh my god! That’s amazing! Congratulations! I cried, pulling her into a seated hug. How did he do it? Did he ask Dad? Let me see the ring!

Undoing the clasp, she slid the ring free and set it upon her finger, holding out with a giggle. Apparently, he asked Dad a month ago, back when our trip to Puerto Rico got canceled because of his studio getting flooded, and he was trying to set something else up, but everything is so crazy right now, and he didn’t want to wait, so yesterday, he made me breakfast in bed and popped the question!

The ring was gorgeous. Sweet and simple — a classically beautiful ring which suited Olivia wonderfully. She glowed in happiness, and I almost wept to see my little sister so overjoyed.

Wait? Yesterday? I asked.

She laughed, taking a sip of her drink. It took everything not to call you. Dante knew we were meeting up today, but Friday’s are his busiest days. I debated calling you, but I wanted to tell you in person! I haven’t even told Mom and Dad yet.

They are going to be so excited! Beyond that even. Olivia’s dating record was almost as bad as mine before Dante, so they had rolled out the red carpet when a genuinely good man had found his way into their younger daughter’s life. Dante is such a great guy, Olivia. I’m so happy for you both!

You’ll be my maid of honor, right? Olivia asked, pulling a plate forward.

Of course!

Good food and a lot of ridiculous joke wedding planning later, I found myself in a taxi on my way home with a strangely sober and sinking feeling as my reflection stared back. Weddings meant photos. Suddenly, the person looking back at me in the taxi’s window wasn’t somebody I remembered. My hair was a mess. There were circles under my eyes, and though I assured myself it was just the result of a few late nights, the press of my pants into my stomach just left me all the more uncomfortable.

When I arrived at my apartment building, I went with the stairs. It wasn’t for the exercise. I needed time to think, but after the fourth floor, I huffed with my heels in hand and sweat between my breasts. Though I never had Olivia’s slim physique, I used to be in shape enough that stairs weren’t a problem. Running a few blocks in heels never winded me before, yet walking tonight had. My eyes itched, and when I finally got up to my floor and entered my apartment, all the lights were off. Jeremy had already gone to bed. Which made sense. It was late, but that gave me extra time. Time to look in the mirror and face whatever this was head on.

So, I had let myself go a bit. I still fit in my clothes, but they weren’t comfortable, and the circles under my eyes weren’t great. With a regular sleep schedule, I could fix that. Working out, now that wasn’t something I ever particularly liked, and it had been so much easier in college. I used to go out with some friends to the latest dance class or yoga at the park, but when was the last time I even hung out with anyone? Outside of work, the only people in my calendar were Oliva and Jeremy.

Okay, so this was a bit worse than I thought. Better sleep schedule, hire a personal trainer or something, and figure out how to make up for being a bad friend for the last few months. I could do that. Most of my job involved fixing things, so if I just treated my life like my work and plotted the time into place, everything would fall into place by the time Olivia and Dante married.

Olivia hadn’t set the date yet, but that would give me a solid goal. Knowing her, it would be this winter. Once Olivia decided on something, she steamed ahead.

Jeremy’s in bed with his phone out, typing away or playing a game. Hey, babe!

Guess what? Olivia’s engaged! I told him as I changed out of my work clothes and into pajamas.

His brows furrowed, and for a moment, I couldn’t help but wonder if he thought I wanted him to pull out a ring. It probably wasn’t the best sign that my gut churned at the thought. Jeremy was nice. Sure, he lost his job recently, but that happens, and he was looking. Plus, he did freelance online.

Also, having a job wasn’t the most important thing in a guy. Jeremy was reliable. I knew where he’d be and never had to worry about him cheating him on me.

Maybe that was another thing I should change? The way I thought about our relationship couldn’t be healthy. Jeremy deserved a girlfriend who loved him, not one who got nauseous at the thought of marrying him.

Figuring the awkward pause between us went on too long, I added, I’m going to sign up for a gym membership, but don’t worry, I’m cutting back my office hours, so I should actually be home more!

The furrow vanished, replaced by raised brows as he set his phone down on the bedside table. A gym membership? But you hate working out.

I don’t hate it, I retorted. And I just — I just don’t like how I feel in my own skin.

Jeremy shook his head with a sigh. You’re just going to wind up not going.

Well...you could join me, I offered.

Instantly, his eyes rolled. You’ll give up in a week. It’s a waste of money, and I’m not gonna pretend it would be any different for me. Plus, isn’t there a workout room in the building?

Climbing under the covers once I had changed, I set my phone down on