Entwined With My Billionaire Enemy

By Ashlyn Hayes

The day that Noah Strong showed up was the day my life changed forever.

 

All I ever wanted was to have my own cafe.
And the perfect place to open it was here in my hometown.
The problem is a billionaire developer is threatening my business by building his huge chain restaurant across the street.

 

I can't compete with his money or corporate world.
What I can compete with is having the locals on my side.
If he wants a fight, then it's on.

 

But he's super hot.
And I have to admit watching him from across the street makes me have daydreams about him that would make anyone blush.

 

However, I can't let his good looks and charm distract me from the fact that he could run me out of business.

 

The complication... the night we ended up in bed together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashlyn Hayes
• Release date: Nov 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223949350

Book preview

Entwined With My Billionaire Enemy

An Off Limits, Enemies to Lovers Romance

Ashlyn Hayes

Copyright © 2023 by Ashlyn Hayes

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

1.Kendall

2.Noah

3.Kendall

4.Noah

5.Kendall

6.Noah

7.Kendall

8.Noah

9.Kendall

10.Noah

11.Kendall

12.Kendall

13.Noah

14.Kendall

15.Noah

16.Kendall

17.Noah

18.Kendall

19.Kendall

20.Noah

21.Kendall

22.Noah

23.Kendall

24.Noah

25.Kendall

26.Noah

27.Kendall

28.Noah

29.Kendall

30.Noah

31.Kendall

32.Noah

33.Kendall

34.Noah

35.Kendall

36.Noah

37.Kendall

38.Kendall

39.Noah

40.Kendall

41.Pismo Beach Weekend Reader

Epilogue

Also By Ashlyn Hayes

Chapter one

Kendall

Kendall Martin looked down at the chicken rosemary sandwich in front of her. The grilled chicken breasts, marinating in a fresh rosemary and garlic brine of her own creation, was grilled to perfection, with melted Swiss and honey maple bacon encased on top. The baby spinach leaves were fresh and crisp, the beefsteak tomatoes firm and colorful. The thin spread of Caesar dressing would give the toasted baguette some moisture, and a squeeze of lemon would give the sandwich its tang.

She set the sandwich onto a plate and pulled the basket of fries out of the fat. She shook them to drain them, then poured them out onto a hot tray and salted them, tossing them and covering the plate before setting them on the counter and hitting the bell.

Four years, she thought, and I'm demoted from owner to cook?

When Ralphie ran off with that hitchhiker and left The Upper Crust, a good substitute failed to show up. But such things did tend to come up in the restaurant business, even in a little town like Pismo Beach, California, where the Pacific met the 101. And there is a thin pool of talent to draw from, unlike many of the bigger towns, not to mention the big cities. Even in Oxnard or Santa Barbara, there would be more talent to choose from.

Things happen, Kendall told herself, eager to retain a bright outlook. Better me than somebody who gets it wrong and ruins our rep. Not going to stay at Pismo Beech's favorite sandwich place long if word gets out that we've let things slip. The right person will come along. If I got through the pandemic, I can get through a temporary vacancy in the kitchen.

Grace came and picked up the plate, hustling it quickly to the table. She never stopped working, impressing Kendall at every turn. When it was quiet, Grace would clean. When it was busy, she never let the stress get to her. But Grace never stood around doing nothing. Kendall knew that if she had someone like her at the grill, the place would be rolling along on all pistons.

Jeffie waddled between the tables, wiping them down and collecting the plates and glasses. He had a wicked sense of humor, which surprised most people. He always impressed Kendall, not letting his disabilities stop him from doing a good job or being popular with the locals.

When asked, What's up, Jeffie? he always had a different answer.

The sun!

The sky!

My dander!

Sometimes he'd be even more spicy than that, but he'd always make sure to be quiet and that no kids could hear.

On that spring day, business was brisk. But it was the promise of what would be an onslaught in the upcoming summer. With normalcy returned to life in the United States, people were ready to get out and eat, get out and play, and be out. Pismo Beach was a summer town, and this summer was going to be huge.

Have to find someone before May, Kendall told herself. That gives me six more weeks.

It seemed like plenty of time, but it would pass quickly. The foggy spring would give way to hot, bright afternoons, and if The Upper Crust wasn't ready for the season, it wasn't likely to have another.

One bad thing could ruin a business, especially a tiny restaurant. Word spread fast in a small town like Pismo Beach; people had little enough to talk about. Kendall looked back on all the work she'd done to open the shop, the long hours, the extra expense to keep the place clean and earn an A rating. She'd created her own sandwiches, and her friends and neighbors had so embraced them that they'd give them names, which Kendall had then turned around and officially put on the menus. The move had made her customers feel like they were part of the business, and, of course, they were.

That was something Kendall wasn't going to forget. She'd always had a dream of owning such a tiny place. But she wouldn't have it anywhere but her hometown, where she knew the people and the people who knew her.

It was her home; the people were like her family, the only family she had left. So to know that they loved the sandwiches and even delighted in naming them brought Kendall the kind of fulfillment that little else could.

The new chicken sandwich, soon to be rechristened the Pismo Beast, would take its place among other Upper Crust specialties, such as the Cod Squad Crispwich, the Roast on Toast, and the I Love Loosey loose-meat pulled-pork sandwich, which was almost called Piggie's Broken Glasses before cooler heads prevailed.

The Pacific Ocean churned outside, not far from the shop. The salty sea breeze wafted in to mix with the smells of mustard and fried fish.

Grace was also handling the cash register, which Kendall would have done were she not subbing for Ralphie. It was stressful, but it was worth it. At the very least, being so busy kept her from having to think of other things.

And suddenly, there wasn't time to think about anything.

Aaaaaaahhhhh!

Kendall looked over to see that an existing party had left the front door open, and a giant seagull had just flown in. Customers screamed and ducked, a woman covering her daughter's head with her own and her own with her arms.

Raaaaaaaghghghgh! The bird's cry was thunderous in the confines of the little restaurant.

The bird landed on somebody's table, one of several local surfers. He scattered backward, saying, Woah, dude! No way!

The bird started to pick at his sandwich and fries, folding its wings and enjoying the free meal. Grace stood nearby, her pretty face shocked, her milk-chocolate complexion going even pale.

Poor Jeffie hid under one of the tables, looked up, and then covered his eyes.

Kendall acted fast. She stepped out from behind the grill, ready to make quick work of the intruding animal, and made sure it never returned.

The customers and her minimal staff watched as Kendall grabbed a glass and a fork. She marched out to face the big bird. It stood on the table eating, not seeming to care about her or anyone else.

She clanged the fork against the glass. Chngk-chngk-chngk-chnkg …

Get outta here now, Kendall shouted.

Chngk-chngk-chngk-chnkg …

The seagull turned to face Kendall, opening its big beak and screaming another earsplitting cry.

Go on, git!

Chngk-chngk-chngk-chnkg …

Raaaaaarrr!

Chngk-chngk-chngk-chnkg …

The seagull cried out again and extended its wings, stretching seven feet or so. Kendall stepped back as the bird flapped down to the floor and then waddled out of the café, offering another cry as a rude parting insult.

Kendall pulled the door closed. The customers broke out into a round of applause, and Jeffie crawled out from under the table.

Thanks, everyone, thanks, Kendall said. Um, we're going to want to clean up the place, so … these are all on the house if you don't mind taking them to go?

Kendall turned to Jeffie. Time for you to shine, Jeffie.

Time for you to help! They shared a little chuckle and got ready to see the customers out and mop up the floor and tables.

Chapter two

Noah

The rotors in the chopper were loud, even in the Augusta Westland AW119 Ke Koala cabin. It was only a charter, allowing for the lack of total soundproofing.

Thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp …

Noah looked out over the coastline as they flew north from Santa Barbara. The jagged cliffs and churning blue ocean were truly appealing, as attractive a piece of Earth as any he’d ever seen. There were stretches of coastal California to rival Hawaii or New Zealand, or anywhere else, in Noah’s eyes. Yet he rarely went there or anywhere else. His business didn’t take him until his business took him there.

Thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp …

Noah searched his memory for something he’d done purely for fun, sport, and recreation. He was surprised to find so little. He’d had a few flings, but they’d gone poorly, even with his money. That was all his women wanted, and there was hardly a bigger turn-off for him than a goldbrick. And the women he knew were so boldfaced and obvious about it; it was enough to turn into a hermit or perhaps a monk. Noah knew he could go the rest of his life and be perfectly happy without ever hearing a girl’s voice wine, What are you going to buy me?

Maybe after this, Noah told himself, get the restaurant going, then take a trip just for the hell of it. I still haven’t seen Ecuador, the rainforest, probably should while it’s still there.

Deedee McFadden looked over from her chair on the other side of the airplane cabin. Her attention was on her computer tablet, as it was so often. I smiled, glad to have Deedee along. She was hardworking, dedicated, and loyal. She was also older than him by ten years, about twenty pounds overweight, and the odds of any jury supporting any accusations against him would be steep. Deedee wasn’t about to try to get him into bed and then sue Noah for it. She cared more about Noah than his money in an almost maternal kind of way. Ultimately, Noah knew Deedee hoped to be well-rewarded, and she would be. Until then, she didn’t have to steal or con or do anything other than be one of the few decent people in Noah’s life.

She asked, You okay?

Yeah, Noah’s quick to answer, fine. It’s a valid enough answer if deliberately imprecise. That’s the way Noah preferred it.

Thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp …

Deedee said, We can stay for the presser and then just turn back if you like.

Maybe, Noah said. Pismo Beach … y’know, I’ve never been.

Deedee shrugged. I’ve driven past it. It’s nice, fine. Not quite Carmel by the Sea, but it’s cute. It’s where the 101 hits the Pacific, so I’m sure a Ratherthan’s will be a huge hit there.

Yeah, well, that’s what we want, right? It’s sure what our investors want.

Speaking of that, Deedee said, Jameson Johns called, wants to know if he should come down. I think he just wants to be there for the presser tomorrow, but it might make sense to let him have a moment in the spotlight if that’s what he wants.

Can he do that?

Deedee answered with a question. Legally?

Physically. Can people with albinism come outside during the day?

Oh, stop it, Noah. Anyway, I’m sure he’ll wear that white suit with the fedora.

Yeah, Noah said, the guy looks like the ghost of 1886. They share a little chuckle. Still, he’s an investor; the man has a right to an opinion.

Is he an investor, Deedee asked, or an unnamed partner?

That time, it was Noah who shrugged. In the end, what’s the difference? I suppose I should have stopped taking investors years ago, but there’s no arguing the marketing model.

Nor arguing its success either, Deedee said, looking around at the chartered helicopter.

Noah said, What? I didn’t buy it. He glanced out the window. How many more of these damned things do I need?

Deedee nodded and swiped the screen of her tablet. House is all settled, opened, and waiting for us. When we land, I’ll call the realtor; she’ll meet us there with the keys.

Good, very good.

It was an excellent buy, Noah. She tells me the yearly rental alone doubles the cost. And it’s empty now, so stay as long as you like, and we’ll turn it over to her when we leave.

Nice. Noah glanced out the window again. What about the presser?

Deedee answered, Set for the site at noon tomorrow. I’ve got everybody I could, local press and papers. It’s a bit far removed for the big boys; even Santa Barbara is blowing us off. But we’ll have plenty of coverage, I think.

Good, Noah said. Publicity is central, Deedee. What people think of you is truly what matters, shame as it is to say. You could be skinning orphans and selling rat sandwiches, and if the public thinks you’re a good guy, it won’t matter. They buy tripe sandwiches from a clown just because they can only do it four weeks a year.

Deedee nodded. Ratherthan’s is a good chain, though, Noah. You don’t have anything to be ashamed of, nothing to worry about other than bad publicity, I guess.

Exactly.

Deedee shrugged. I’ll do my best.

That’s all anyone can ask, Noah said, and all anybody can do. Thanks, Deedee; well done, really. Hey, how long has it been since you’ve had a vacation?

Me? Well, um, funny you should mention that.

Noah searched his memory only to realize he’d kept her engaged and busy just as he’d done himself.

Oh, Deedee, why didn’t you say something?

She shrugged. I’ve been so busy; I guess it slipped my mind.

Noah smiled, but he shook his head. Okay, after this, as soon as we mutually agree, you’re on vacation … double, paid, with a bonus.

Oh, well, Noah, I … thanks, but … I don’t want to leave you shorthanded.

You won’t, Noah said, that’s part of the mutual agreement. They share another little chuckle. Fair enough?

More than fair, Deedee answered. So, let’s hit the beach!

Chapter three

Kendall

The next day, the Upper Crust was open for business, and there was more than