Caught Between Three Billionaire Tycoons

By Willa Hart

Babysitting her boss's kids in the mountains for the holidays sounded like a blast...until three bear shifters decide to claim her.

Whitney Barney is determined to do a good job at keeping her boss’s kids occupied for the holiday in the mountains. Determined! Except she crashes in the snow on the way up the mountain and two hot hunks of bear shifter come to her rescue. Yum! But tension between them and her boss, secret polar bear shifter Aleksy, sets off the drama as they struggle over just who gets to claim the curvy human as his.

Each of the men make her feel special in a different way, encouraging her to trust for the first time since her broken relationship with her ex, and now she’s facing a dilemma—who will she choose to be her mate?

A centuries-old feud between Zavier and Daire’s clan and Aleksy’s clan may be dissolved if the men can find a way to forge a new bond—and it looks like Christmas and Santa may have delivered the perfect woman to change their fates!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryant Street Publishing
• Release date: Nov 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094451701

Willa Hart

Just like everyone else in the world (except politicians and the entire Kardashian family), Willa Hart hates talking about herself. Seriously, what’s she supposed to say? That she’s the most talented author in the world? That Liam Hemsworth, Zac Efron and Michael B. Jordan are knocking down her door for the honor of starring in the big-screen adaptation of her latest romance novel? That readers get into hair-pulling, kidney-punching, nipple-twisting brawls while standing in line to buy one of her books? LIES! Just like every other wordsmith in the world, she’s certain everything she writes (including her own bio) sucks big, fat, hairy donkey danglers. But deep down she hopes and prays YOU are just a little bit delusional and think she IS a great writer, that Liam, Zac and Michael would be idiots to NOT want a part in her movie, and that you’d twist every perky nip you could get your fingers on just to LOOK at her new book. Of course, she’s not holding her breath, but…can’t a girl dream?

Book preview

1

Whitney

I sat quietly in the chair in front of Aleksy Dragos, more nervous than I expected. I took this job to work with him—learn from him.

Still, being close to the man was always daunting. Over the past months, he seemed to seek me out and ask for my input. In one way, that was terrific. It meant all my hard work paid off. In another way, it scared the living hell out of me.

Dragos Inc. was the biggest trader of antiques and archeological artifacts in the game. I had joined the firm to get hands-on experience with the precious, rare items that moved through the firm daily.

So far, I’d done a lot of that. I’d tried to keep myself down on the bottom floor where I could handle the pieces, clean them, and prepare each one for sale. The company brought in billions every quarter. Aleksy had the very best teams on the ground in Greece and Egypt, and he was capable of finding and trading the rarest of items.

Every day was a thrill.

Over the past months, he sought me out multiple times. He put me on organizing the paperwork for sales and working through the items and clients. I didn’t like it as much, so fast-paced, and no chance to admire the pieces themselves.

Still, I took this job to learn the industry, and I suppose that was part of the learning process. One day I hoped to be moving and selling ancient and rare finds, perhaps even visit digs and religious sites myself.

I tried to grasp what Aleksy was saying, but it felt as if there were miles of space between us. That and some kind of sound barrier.

Whitney? He prompted. Are you still there? He grinned and shook his head.

Fuck. It was so hard to focus while Aleksy looked at me. In the sunlight pouring from the window behind him, his hair lit with red, far from the usual dark brown it usually appeared. His golden eyes glinted at me, and I felt like they glowed. Wild like a predator, in some ways.

Yes, sir. My voice was tinier than I intended. I hadn’t learned to be pushy or assertive… yet.

He nodded slowly, pressing his hands together. His eyes flicked to the paperwork on his desk, then back to me. His devices were set to silent, but the laptop, tablet, and phone all blinked and vibrated with notifications.

Everyone wanted original pieces for their offices or homes. Some were private collectors, others were businesses out to impress clients with their very expensive decor. Some were museums and other specialist organizations. The phone never stopped ringing.

He grinned at me, showing his very white, sharp teeth. My stomach clenched as if I was stuck in the room with a grizzly, and he was ravenously hungry.

You’ve been doing excellent work here in the office, Whitney. I’ve never had someone who can work the books and the phones as well as you.

I smiled despite my nervousness. It was charming to hear I was good at my job. Most people weren’t lucky enough to have a job they liked, and were good at, so I counted my blessings.

I decided to strike while he was in a good mood.

Actually, Sir… Mr. Dragos, I wanted to talk to you about that.

His eyebrows shot up, and his gold eyes widened. The way they caught the light and reflected was something like a cat’s, as he focused on me so intently. He tapped his fingers together and nodded.

Go ahead, Whitney. He seemed amused.

Well, when I first started, I spent a lot of time down on the shop floor—

Yes. He nodded, almost apologetically. I apologize for that. Someone with your skills and delicate nature shouldn’t be lifting heavy things, getting dirty and dusty, and scrubbing antiques with a toothbrush.

I had loved cleaning the smaller statues and pieces of jewelry. I once restored a gold bracelet that was set with different precious stones. It was priceless. Touching things like that utterly thrilled me.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate that sentiment, but I really enjoyed working with the antiques. I was hoping to do more of that.

He braced his hands against each other again, frown returning. That’s very interesting. His voice turned slightly dark as he looked away. Because I’ve asked you to come in today to talk about moving up within the company.

I’m sorry? I was sure I hadn’t heard him right.

He smiled gently at me. When I brought you out of the shop floor, I was trialing you on the whole public relations and management thing. You’ve shown excellent ability in managing clients and meetings, and staying on top of filing and distribution. There has not been a single mistake since you began your work up here and that is remarkable.

Okay. I tried to smile gratefully, but my heart sank. I wasn’t going to get to work with the artifacts again.

"What I can do. He reached across the table, shuffled some papers and gave his devices a scowl. Is put you in charge of the oldest and most fragile pieces. They get sent straight up here, so you can clean and catalog them at your leisure. Then you won’t have to work down on that dusty shop floor."

Thank you, Mr. Dragos! My heart soared, and the smile on my face took flight. That’s amazing, I don’t know how to thank you!

Ah, well. I haven’t fully explained the job yet. His eyes glinted with mischief, and the little grin he gave me was downright cocky.

Oh? Now I was worried again.

You have done so well that I want you to stay on as my personal assistant. Basically, it will involve the same duties as before, but you’ll be on call. If the phone rings and it’s me, you drop everything and come running.

A cheeky smile lit my face. As long as it’s not a priceless antique.

He laughed. Yes. Don’t drop one of those.

Okay, so… If I’m going to be on call, how will I still work with the antiques?

You’ll have plenty of time for artifacts. I hired a girl to be my personal assistant, but she’s no good. She’ll take on the phone calls and filing, coordinating with downstairs. You will handle all my private affairs and the most valuable pieces that come through these doors.

I still feel like there’s a catch. I grinned at him.

Well. He sighed and shifted in his seat. I had never seen him look even slightly uncomfortable, so I found this interesting. This is a delicate matter.

Oh shit. What could be so bad?

The thing is, he began. I can’t find a nanny for my kids. You know my children, don’t you?

I do. My smile changed into one of complete warmth. Egan and Adara. I’ve seen them multiple times when they come in after school. We’ve even done some coloring together.

Good, excellent. Yes, I remember now. Okay. This is the tough part.

I tried to brace myself. What the hell was he going to ask me to do now?

I need you to drive them up to my holiday cabin for me. I have to go out and accept a shipment of statues. They are ancient and fragile, and those forklift drivers don’t know what they are doing. If they get even slightly damaged, I’m totally screwed. I’ll head up to the cabin as soon as I can, but the kids shouldn’t miss a moment of vacation time.

I sat for a few minutes, thinking this over. It doesn’t sound like a chore. I love kids. I hope to have a few of my own someday. The trouble is that I worked too hard. I had to get a scholarship to attend the classes I needed, and I still didn’t have a PhD. in archeology or anything like that. I came to Dragos Inc. to get some hands-on experience.

I haven’t had a date in years. I have no idea how I am supposed to meet someone and have kids when my career eats up so much of my life.

As I look at Aleksy, I have to wonder if my lack of dating really has been about time constraints. The closer I’d gotten to him, the more intensity I'd felt. I keep telling myself not to be a damn fool, though. He would never be interested in someone like me.

He’s no doubt set to wed some amazing Grecian princess. Someone poised and well-dressed that looks nothing less than elegant. I spend most of my time in oversize sweaters, messy hair, and with my glasses on crooked.

My gaze flickers to him again, and his gold eyes still glint from the sun behind him. His hair glowed a rich, deep chestnut, and his hands didn’t stop moving the entire time we spoke.

As I stare at him, it seems to me that there is something between us. I realize he is staring at me with almost the same intensity. My heart leaps in my chest, and my fingers twitch in my lap. He smiles as if he knows I’m aroused. I tell myself not to be so damn paranoid.

Surely, I’m projecting. Over the last few weeks, there have been multiple incidents. How Aleksy would lean over my desk, and our shoulders touched. How my hair would fall across his hand as we worked on the books. When our hands touched reaching for the same pen.

It has to be in my mind. If Aleksy feels something, he would've spoken up by now.

He is one of the most dominating and powerful men I had ever met. He got to his current position by grabbing what he wanted and taking it, pushing all others out of the way. Ruthless. Unstoppable.

If he is interested in me, he would say so. I press my lips together and prepare to dismiss my feelings, at least for now.

After blinking a few times, I finally look up at him. His tongue crept to the corner of his mouth, and it was as if I could feel it trace a thin line down my belly. I clear my throat and try to remember what we had been discussing.

So, can you do it, Whitney?

I shake my head slightly. I was lost. I had no idea what he was talking about.

Can you take the kids up to the summer cabin? I’ll be following within a few days, so you won’t have to entertain them by yourself for long. I’ll pay you time-and-a-half, of course.

I let that sink in for a second. Days, not hours of overtime. How many days? I wasn’t sure. It looked pretty good to me. Caring for someone else’s children helped to soothe that place inside me that longed for love and family but believed I couldn’t have what I dreamed.

Yes, Mr. Dragos. Of course, I can handle that. No problem.

I’ll be giving you some devices to take with you and a little bit of paperwork. Don’t neglect the kids, by any means. But take a few moments each day to check the messages and emails. The lists will constantly update as stock moves in and out of the warehouse. All you have to do is track the piece, so it gets to where it's supposed to go, and handle questions from the buyer. Do you think you can do that?

Yes, of course! I was thrilled to still be working, at least. I might not be able to touch the artifacts themselves, but I would see pictures, know where they had come from, and which company or private buyer was interested in which piece.

Okay, Whitney. I’ll get some more details together for you soon. I’ll be leaving for the docks in a day or so, and I’ll make sure you have anything you need for the kids. I’ll stick a black credit card in there too, so you can buy anything you want.

I had trouble maintaining my seat. The room swirled around me, and I planted my feet firmly to stop myself from hitting the floor. The company’s black card! Buy anything I want! Hell. Dangerous instructions, all right.

Do you have any questions, Whitney?

No, sir. Not at the moment, anyway.

You can text my cell anytime, okay? It doesn’t matter what the time is. Just contact me, and I’ll help you sort it out. Those kids can be absolute monsters, you know. Egan is eight, and he’s already acting like a teenager. Adara is only four, but she can be a nightmare. Put them together, and they bicker, and play off each other. You’re going to need a lot of patience.

I couldn’t help laughing. That’s a great way to convince me to do this.

He grinned back. I’m just striving for honesty.

And I appreciate it. When I looked up at him, the gentle humor of our banter created a sense of intimacy. I felt that sensation again, like something connected us.

I told myself not to be so stupid. Aleksy probably dated models and movie stars. I overslept today, and my hair was a tumble of unbrushed curls barely tamed by a hairband. My slacks were old, comfortable, not sexy, and my oversized sweater looked like I stole it from someone’s grandma. He couldn’t like someone like me. He was probably only giving me this assignment because he knew I was a pushover.

He grinned again, and I refused to read anything into it.

I stood suddenly. Well, I'd best get ready to go. Thank you, sir.

He nodded as I rose and strode to the door. The second I moved, he took his devices off silent, and they all screamed. I heard him sigh as he picked up his phone.

Dragos. Yes. No! You tell them they must make room. I don’t care. You can’t leave that piece out in the weather. For fuck sake! Where’s the manager? He didn’t come in? Fuck, I’m surrounded by idiots!

I heard the phone slap the desk. My hand was frozen on the doorknob. I wanted to pull the door open and walk out, but I just couldn’t.

What happened, Mr. Dragos? I turned around slowly, coming back to the desk.

A pharaoh’s sarcophagus came in today at warehouse three. They claim they don’t have enough room to store it, so they left it in the parking lot. Too much sun or even a little rain, and it’ll be ruined. I don’t know what those dicks think they are doing! When I find that manager, his ass is toast.

I leaned on his desk, just gently as I peeked at his documents and paperwork. My mind ran over time as I think this through.

Wait. I pointed at a file folder, then picked it up. I leaned across the desk,

Reviews for Caught Between Three Billionaire Tycoons

[Donna Metterville · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fast paced and straight thru. Loved the story. I do think this book should exspand and it would be a 10

[amulherin6 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

DNFed because one MMC is an artifact looter. Not cool.

[karma Chansy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's was a fun read, sometimes it felt a little rushed. But don't let that stop you from reading