The Billionaire's Pursuit: Billionaire's Clean Romance (The Tycoons Book 1) Read online

  The Billionaire’s Pursuit

  The Tycoons Series Book 1

  Clean Billionaire Romance

  By Marie Higgins

  Edited by: Lynda Floyd, Veronica Mesia, and Cherub Angel

  Copyright © 2018 by Marie Higgins

  Edition License Notes

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Other published stories from Marie Higgins

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  READ BOOK #2 – The Missing Billionaire

  Author’s Bio

  Other published stories from Marie Higgins

  “Bargaining With a Rogue” – Regency Romance

  “Finding the Perfect Man” – Romantic Comedy

  “Stealing the Duchess” – Regency Romance Suspense

  “Secrets and Lies” – Victorian Romance Suspense

  “Haunting Secrets” – Victorian Paranormal Romance

  “Love Lost in Time” – Victorian Time-Travel / Suspense

  “Waiting for You” – Paranormal / Time-travel Romance

  “Aim for the Heart” – 1920’s Romantic Suspense

  “Becoming a Lady” – Regency Romance

  “In the Arms of Danger” – Romantic Suspense

  “Crazy For You” – Romantic Comedy

  “My Heart’s Treasure” – Victorian Romantic Suspense

  “Protecting the Heart” – Contemporary Short Story

  The Tycoons Series (Billionaire Romance)

  “The Billionaire’s Pursuit” – book 1

  “The Missing Billionaire” – book 2

  “The Irresistible Billionaire” – book 3

  “The International Billionaire” – book 4

  Sweet Savannah Home Series (American Historical)

  “Surrender Your Heart” – book 1

  “The Reluctant Widow” – book 2

  “Lawfully Won” – book 3 (not yet available)

  “Love Heals All” – book 4 (not yet available)

  The Gifted Series (Regency Romantic Suspense – touch of paranormal)

  “Madison’s Gift” – book 1

  “Katrina’s Sight” – book 2

  “Felicia’s Spirits” – book 3

  Your Every Day Hero Series (Romantic Suspense / Romantic Comedy)

  “Prince Charming is a Liar” – Romantic Comedy / Suspense

  “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Altar” – Romantic Suspense / Romantic Comedy

  “Dangerously Close” – Romantic Thriller / Suspense

  Where Dreams Come True Series (fairy tales)

  “The Witch Hunt” – Young Adult Fantasy

  “Champion” – Robin Hood / time travel

  “Her Very Own Godmother” – Modern-day Cinderella, romantic comedy

  “Keep on Believing” – Historical Cinderella

  “Once Enchanted” – Rapunzel romance

  Christian Historical Series

  “A Walk in Heaven” – book 1

  “Touching Heaven” – book 2

  “Reach for Heaven” – book 3

  Regency Romance Series – Sons of Worthington

  “The Sweetest Kiss” – book 1

  “The Sweetest Touch” – book 2

  “The Sweetest Love” – book 3

  “The Sweetest Secret” – book 4

  “The Sweetest Challenge” – book 5

  “Sweet Memories” – book 6

  Regency Romance Suspense Series – Heroic Rogues

  “Pretending You’re Mine” – book 1

  “After the Loving” – book 2

  “Wonderland by Night” – book 3

  “Worth Fighting For” – book 4

  Victorian Romance Series

  “Love Me Always” – book 1

  “Charmed by Knight” – book 2

  “True Love’s Deception” – book 3

  “Belong To Me” – book 4

  “Love Comes Blindly” – book 5

  Christmas Stories

  “A Thrill of Hope” - Contemporary

  “Dreaming of You” – Romantic Comedy

  “Love Lost in Time” – Victorian Time-Travel

  “Her Own Fairy Godmother” – Romantic Comedy

  “Becoming a Lady” – Regency Short Romance

  “Worth Fighting For” – Regency Short Romance

  “Dangerous Kiss” – Contemporary Short Romance

  “Snow Angel” – Contemporary Short Romance

  “Mistletoe Magic” – Contemporary Short Romance

  Why not judge a book by its cover? I mean, look at him! He's gorgeous!! Why not read his story now...

  When Nicole Adkins tumbles into billionaire Mick Remington’s lap and looks into his smoldering eyes, she all but stops breathing. He looks like the sexy model on the front of a romance novel cover. Unfortunately, she’s heard about his brazen reputation with women and she’s not about to let herself be taken in.

  Nicole’s grandfather is nearing his last days on earth, and his poor health has taken its toll on the family business – her inheritance. But when Mick Remington shows up in town, she fears the worst. He’s here to take control of her grandfather’s business. The company is ripe for a takeover, and Nicole isn’t about to let that happen no matter how sweet and charming Mick pretends to be.

  Mick claims to want to help, but with her entire future on the line, Nicole doesn’t know whom to trust. As she spends more time with Mick, she begins to fear her heart may be as at risk as her company.

  ONE

  Finding the man she’d planned to ruin wasn’t easy. The Country Club’s lounge was packed with people tonight. Nicole Adkins rolled her eyes. Great! Perhaps she wouldn’t have to worry about this after all.

  Nicole shook the negative thoughts out of her head. She would do this. It was the only way, and she was desperate to put a stop to Mick Remington.

  She blinked several times, trying to get her vision adjusted to the room’s dim lighting. It was imperative that she find her man. Well, Mick Remington wasn’t exactly her man, but he was the only man she was after tonight.

  She glanced down at her black, short-sleeve mini-dress with a keyhole neckline collar that hugged her petite figure. With a groan, she tugged at the hem of her dress that ended three-inches above her knee. Her grandfather had purchased this dress for her five years ago, but she’d never had the occasion to wear it.

  Tonight was certainly not the right occasion, either, but wearing something so daring would get Mick Remington’s attention. She released a tiny groan. If her father could see her now, he’d wonder where he’d gone wrong. Her father had raised her
with high standards, it just so happened that this evening she’d have to put some of her religious beliefs on hold so she could save her inheritance.

  If only there was another way.

  Thanks to the tabloids, Nicole knew Mick Remington dated fancy-dressed, beautiful women. Although Nicole didn’t consider herself beautiful, she thought this expensive dress might get his attention. Tonight it was important to convince him to spend some time with her, if only for a few hours or however long it took to get information that she could use against him.

  She just prayed her angel father wouldn’t judge her right now.

  If only her friend hadn’t forced Nicole to go along with this outrageous plan. If it was up to her, she’d find a much prettier woman, dress her up like a model, and make her charm the billionaire. Growing up as the pastor’s daughter, Nicole was the exact opposite of enticing.

  A few patrons glanced her way – both male and female. The men’s ogling stares made her uncomfortable, especially when their female dates elbowed them in the ribs and shot Nicole a warning glare.

  Losing her nerve, Nicole scampered down a shadowed hallway toward the bathrooms and pressed her back against the wall. With her heartbeat in overdrive, she tightened the cell phone in her hand and dialed her friend’s number. Her friend answered immediately.

  “Mary,” Nicole kept her voice low, “I can’t do this. I feel so... cheap.” Her friend’s fit of laughter was so loud, Nicole pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment. When the sound died down, Nicole gritted her teeth. “I mean it, Mary. You picked the wrong woman.”

  “First off,” her friend said with a light voice, “you’re definitely not cheap, especially since you’re wearing a Trina Kurk’s designer dress. And no, I didn’t pick the wrong woman. You are perfect for this role.”

  “But wearing this dress makes me feel like I could charm the socks off any man who walks by.”

  “Great, Nikki. Go with that and use it to your advantage.”

  Nicole grumbled underneath her breath. “But this isn’t me. I don’t wear fancy clothes like I’m going to one of Paris Hilton’s parties. I’m more comfortable in a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt and flip-flops.”

  “Nikki, don’t worry about what you’re wearing. Keep in mind that you’re a woman on a mission. You must stay focused.”

  Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and slowly. “Yes, I’m on a mission, but I don’t want that man to think I’m like most women with loose morals who regularly hits on him.”

  “You’re not,” Mary reasoned. “All you’re trying to do is catch his eye and make him want to date you. Just keep in mind that you should be nice to him until after you’ve found the information we’re looking for.”

  “Yes, I hope we can, too.” Frowning, Nicole opened her eyes and sighed. Mick Remington was in town to buy out her grandfather’s company... a company that was going to be hers one day. She couldn’t let Remington take this away from her.

  “Nikki? Are his associates still with him?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him yet.” Nicole moved out of the hall and back into the main lounge. She scanned the bar before studying the booths. “Remind me what he looks like again.”

  “Seriously, Nikki? Can’t you remember seeing him on that tabloid magazine two months ago?”

  “Well, I think I remember,” Nicole muttered.

  “Mick Remington is probably the hottest guy in the lounge tonight. Six-foot-four, broad shoulders, dark brown hair, and a trimmed goatee. The article I read about him mentioned his gray eyes will make any woman drool.”

  Nicole snorted a laugh. “Well, I can guarantee he won’t make me drool.”

  She continued searching for the man her friend had described, but she couldn’t find anyone who fit that description. Mary’s boyfriend had insisted Remington was here, so she didn’t dare leave just yet. The longer she studied each person in the room, ease began to settle her nerves. Could she hope he had already left?

  “He’s not here,” she told Mary, trying not to feel relieved that she wouldn’t have to go through with this after all.

  “No, he’s there. I just talked to Kent.”

  Nicole stepped into the lounge a little further, continuing to hold the phone to her ear. Out of the corner of her eye, a handsome man with broad shoulders and dark brown hair captured her attention as he walked away from the bar and to a booth, holding a drink. He scooted on the seat and set his drink next to a folder of papers on the table.

  Crap! Nicole frowned. He was here. “I think I see him.”

  “Is he still with his associates?”

  “No. Remington is by himself.”

  “Great!” Mary’s voice lifted with excitement. “Now make your move, babe. Strut your stuff in front of him.”

  Nicole rubbed her forehead, but it didn’t relieve the pain knocking against her skull. “Mary, I don’t—”

  “Stop it, Nikki. Tell yourself you can do this. You must. Kent is there and will help you, I promise. As soon as we hang up, I’ll call him to make sure he’s ready.”

  Nicole glanced at the four cowboys standing at the bar, flirting with the cute server girl wearing tight leggings. “I see Kent and his friends. They’re near Remington’s table.”

  “Perfect. Give me a minute to call, and then you can make your move.”

  Nicole clicked off her phone before sliding the cell into her purse. Sucking in a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. Mary was right. This must be done. It didn’t matter how underhanded the plan; someone needed to stop this man.

  Wealthy businessmen like Mick Remington were parasites. The only reason men like him were billionaires was because they destroyed people’s lives. She had no other choice. She must stop him from ruining more people in his pursuit of money and glory.

  Mick Remington had learned from the best. His father had been the destroyer feared by all large business owners. Whenever they heard Remington was in town, every business doubled up on their shareholders. Now his son held the destroyer title since she’d heard the elder Remington was retiring.

  She wrung her hands against her waist, mentally going over her checklist. She’d charm Mick and convince him to tell her about his next business takeover. If that didn’t work, she’d go against her morals and let him take her to his hotel room and she’d slip a sleeping pill in his drink. Once he was passed out, she’d look for information that would help them fight the takeover of Adkins Dev-Tech, her grandfather’s company. And, if that didn’t work, Mary was ready with her camera to take pictures of Remington to sell to the tabloids. It was rumored that Mick hated to have his picture taken without consent.

  Nicole shivered with anxiety. She prayed it wouldn’t come to that. Would she even know what to do at that point? Besides, blackmailing a successful businessman like Mick Remington could be dangerous.

  From over at the bar, Kent’s phone chirped, and Nicole swung her gaze in his direction. He pulled it from his pocket and answered it. As Nicole focused on the four cowboys, Kent’s gaze met hers as he talked to Mary. He gave Nicole a nod.

  Everything was set just as they’d planned.

  Nicole’s heart pounded so hard, it threatened to bruise a rib or two. Maybe, break one. This was it. It was now or never.

  Taking a deep breath for courage, she ran moist palms over her dress to help dry her skin faster. She also tried to pull the hem of the dress down to cover more of her bare legs, but the material wouldn’t budge. On shaky three-inch high-heels, she headed toward Mick Remington’s table, keeping her focus on the back of his brown head of hair and wide shoulders.

  With each step, she clenched her jaw a little tighter. How could she act sweet and docile toward him when she loathed the very ground he slithered upon? What if he found her attractive? He’d want to touch her. The very thought of being so intimate made her stomach roll.

  Nicole’s plan had to succeed. Grandpa James’s disease had grown worse. He had one foot in the grave, and she would inherit t
he company after he was gone. But not if Mick Remington sank his uncaring claws into it first. If that man took over, the town’s very existence would be depleted.

  Yeah, no pressure. It wasn’t like everyone in Maple Springs source of income rested heavily upon her shoulders.

  As she passed Kent, he laughed out loud and jumped back. He stomped his cowboy-booted heel directly on her foot. Crying out, she stumbled away from him... and fell right into Mr. Remington’s lap. The man’s muscular arms wrapped around her waist as a gush of air escaped his mouth, brushing her cheek. He smelled like mints – not alcohol. How refreshing.

  The throbbing pain in her foot brought her back to what she was doing on his lap in the first place. Tears gathered in her eyes from the pain Kent had inflicted upon her. He knew how small her feet were since he’d teased her about them. Now she worried he’d broken some bones.

  “Uh—sorry Miss,” Kent slurred and returned to the bar, chuckling.

  Tomorrow she would make him pay dearly for this. But at least she had Remington’s attention.

  Nervously, she turned and met Remington’s dark stare. Worry etched his handsome expression at first, but within seconds, kindness replaced it as his gaze practically caressed every inch of her face.

  A sharp breath caught in her throat. This couldn’t possibly be Mick Remington. From what she’d heard, the man didn’t have an ounce of kindness.

  Nicole blinked a couple times and focused back on the dream-man still gazing at her with a look that didn’t fit his reputation. Had she fallen on the wrong person?

  Sweeping her gaze over his features, she double-checked to see if he was really Mick Remington. He resembled the man Mary had described, but somehow his skin seemed darker as if he’d just returned from enjoying the sandy beaches of Jamaica. Definitely, a possibility since Mick constantly traveled all over the world – according to the tabloids, anyway.

  She swallowed hard. “I’m... I’m sorry for falling for you... I mean on you.” Embarrassment heated her face. Had she really said that? What an idiot she’d been... a very confused idiot.

  Nicole struggled to move off his lap, but when she put her weight on her injured foot, the pain intensified. Stumbling, her shoe fell off in the process, and she sank back to his lap. “I can’t seem to stand.”