Billionaire Lust Or Love?

By Vesta Romero

Losing her is not an option. Billionaire meets Down on Her Luck.

 

Holden

I'm a billionaire and a last-minute decision to check out one of my holdings before selling it off has brought me to Arelis Springs. Since getting my heart broken, I have avoided getting close to any woman. I just want to expand my empire with no entanglements.

My decision is practically made until l meet her. Kara, the curvy woman who turns my world upside down in the blink of an eye and has me doubting it all.

I want to wipe those tears away and protect her forever. I want her to be mine, and mine alone.

 

Kara:

I've been a faithful wife for many years. Now, I've been passed over in favor of a former friend. Will l ever be able to trust any man again? An accidental meeting changes everything.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vesta Romero
• Release date: Oct 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215685556

Vesta Romero

Vesta Romero writes short and sweet romance books featuring curvy women and men who love them. She believes in HEA so everyone gets their happy ending. Always.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

HOLDEN

I am jolted awake by the sound of the alarm. The first time l’ve ever needed the damn thing, but after the dinner that turned into a long night of drinking and toasting our new venture, I knew I would need it if l was to make my appointment this morning.

Max, my best friend and l had been celebrating our latest acquisition, a manufacturing plant just outside of Munich in Germany. The company makes components for automobiles and was poised to make us a shitload of money.

For as far back as l can remember, l had always wanted to be rich. Being part of lower class, watching from the sidelines as the rich seemed to get richer while the poor people all around me, including my family, continued to struggle was very painful.

That was not going to be my destiny. Putting myself through community college, using the meager savings my parents had left me upon their death in a tragic accident was an ordeal in itself, a hardship that still haunts me sometimes. A lifetime ago, it seems now.

Coding was, and still remains my passion, and therefore, focused on it exclusively while in school, self-teaching while supporting myself with part-time gigs at one of the big box stores.

One of the software apps I came up with had somehow miraculously ended up in the right hands, and a major tech company paid me a lot of money for it. A whole lot of money. Nothing like being right in the middle of the tech craze.

This seed money got me rolling and before long, my empire expanded to include real estate, manufacturing plants and just about anything that could make me stupendous amounts of money.

The old saying goes that the first million is the hardest. My goal had been the first billion, and once I hit that, it became easier to multiply.

Having been voted one of the young up-comers by various magazines as well as one of the world’s most eligible bachelors more times than necessary, l no longer pay attention to any of that.

Women however, seem to be enamoured with my money and practically throw themselves at me each and every time the opportunity arises, especially after they find out my net worth.

This has made me suspicious and so wary of commitment. Settling for casual one night stands with no complications was my decision, especially after my ultimately bitter relationship with Lacey, a girl that tore my heart into pieces. I learned my lesson then, no more trusting women for me.

Even thinking about it now brings me much sadness. I had trusted her completely, and there was nothing l wouldn’t have done for her. Alas, that was just wishful thinking on my part. For her, it had been all about the money. Anyway, that’s all in the past. I buried myself in work, and still do for the most part.

A quick shower and shave, and I was good to go. Being blessed with natural good looks and an air of confidence definitely help make grooming faster. I don’t think I’m being vain by stating matter-of-factly that I am a handsome man, women seem to appreciate my looks, and l work hard at keeping in shape.

Donning one of my new hand tailored suits freshly made in Florence, one of my favourite places in the world made me feel dapper. One of the perks of having money is being able to order up a suit before arrival and have it waiting for you in your suite.

I rarely pack when traveling, relying instead on purchasing new threads upon arrival. This makes me feel more at home because l blend more into the surroundings. I am currentIy staying at the Leaflee Hotel, one of several hotels in my ample portfolio. I am here in Arelis Springs, a somewhat quaint little town in Colorado.

An impulse had made me fly here. My intention is to sell this hotel to some foreign investors who want to build a huge shopping mall, the first in this town, and it would net me quite a big profit, something usually first and foremost on my mind. Making money is a game to me, one that l enjoy.

It was either sell, or take on the project myself, something that mildly interests me. My vision being to knock it all down and make room for condominiums because of its prime location. I must admit, however to having second thoughts. The past week that l’ve spent in this charming town is making me waiver and doubt this decision.

Part of me feels that ultimately, it would take away from the charm. Seeing that in other places, l’m beginning to regret my part in all of that. I think it’s important to keep much of the beauty that remains in the world since it’s dwindling, not turn everything into a giant collection of fast food and bland retail spaces.

The though of settling in this town has actually been tugging at me, enough to make me think about settling down here, making it my new home. Perhaps part of the reason is that it still reminds me of past times when things were a bit simpler. Normal Rockwell times.

One of the reasons that Italy fascinates me so much is the fact that it is steeped in history and you get to walk amongst it on a daily basis, structures that have stood for thousands of years, and still continue to. A return to this calmer lifestyle has become a prominent thought lately. The fresh air and wide-open spaces brings me a sense of contentment, something that has been missing in my life lately.

This is a new feeling for me, London and Florence have been my bases for the past couple of years. Before that, It was Tokyo, and before that, a whole lot of other cities that have blurred together in my mind as l seek to emblazon my name on just about every part of the world.

This town though, located in the central part of the states, has wormed its way into my heart. In fact, it has so charmed me that I