Cozumel Escape (Destination Billionaire Romance) Read online

  Of course Brooks followed her. She stopped and folded her arms across her chest, watching the waves softly rolling onto the shore. She loved the peaceful Caribbean waters.

  “Are you okay?” Brooks asked from behind her.

  Sydnee shook her head, really not sure. Why had she agreed to this dinner? This man was too much for her. She wanted to believe that since she hadn’t been around an attractive man for so long, her body responded like this just because of her lack of male companionship. Yet she’d gone home for a few weeks this summer and spent time with her large family and her friends. Jace had taken her on some fun dates. He was a great guy, and she’d had fun seeing him. She had even let him give her a quick kiss goodbye, but she felt nothing like she was feeling right now.

  “I really can’t do this,” she finally managed.

  Brooks walked around in front of her so she had to face him. “Do what, pretty girl?”

  “Exactly! I don’t want you giving me compliments. I don’t want you kissing me.” She blushed, and he grinned. “And I don’t want you trying to get into my pants!”

  “Whoa.” Brooks took a step back and lifted his hands. “The compliments come because I think you are a work of art. The kissing will come because you want me whether you’ll admit it or not.” He winked, and she couldn’t have looked away from the sparkle in his dark eyes if she’d tried. “But I would not begin to try to get into your pants.” He pulled a cross out from under his shirt. “Christian.”

  “What?” Maddie grabbed at his silver cross and stared up at him. “You’re a Christian?”

  He nodded.

  “When?” He didn’t want to get into her pants? He wasn’t a player—well, at least not to that extreme. He needed to get talking and explaining.

  “When?” he asked.

  “When did you convert? Have you always been filthy rich? Why the orphanage when you don’t want to interact with the children? Why do you live on Cozumel when you’re obviously American?” The sight of the cross had opened a gate in her wall. A wall she’d thought was pretty well built—except for this one admission that let Brooks slip through. She’d been raised strong in the faith, and the devoted Christian men she knew were the type of men she could trust.

  “Maybe one question at a time.” He arched an eyebrow. “Simple explanation—I wouldn’t be giving this much to the orphanage if I didn’t believe in a higher power.”

  She nodded and saw him in a whole new light. “The Lord directed you to help?”

  “He gave me all of this.” He gestured to the property behind them. “The least I can do is help others.”

  “You’re not what I expected, Brooks Hoffman.”

  Brooks gave her a compassionate smile. “Somebody’s changing their opinion of the big guy.”

  “Maybe.” She startled as she realized how quickly she’d let her guard down. Anyone could claim to be a Christian. “We’ll see.”

  He pointed back toward the patio. “How about we eat dinner and get to know each other a little bit?”

  “Okay.” She walked by his side through the sand and up the patio steps. “But I’m still not giving you a kiss tonight.” She blushed. Why did she have to bring the conversation back to that?

  His eyebrows arched up. “We’ll see.”

  4

  Brooks popped a bite of coconut shrimp in his mouth and savored the zest of the sauce and the crunch of the flavorful shrimp. The little lady had warmed considerably since she’d seen the cross around his neck. Interesting. Why hadn’t he thought of that before?

  Shame scratched at his conscience. Mr. Hoffman had taught him better than that. The cross was a symbol of his love for the Savior, and he used it to remind himself of who and what he needed to be, not to get the praise of man or woman.

  The sun had long set, but soft tiki lights lit the beach area, and candles were scattered around the patio. They talked about the children at the orphanage, and he shared the different connections he had with his friends who worked for him. He also talked a little bit about Zack and Maddie and their three children, two of whom were adopted from Belize and one who was Zack’s niece.

  Luckily, he avoided much of his back story by simply telling her he’d been raised in Fresno, and a rich benefactor had started him in the world of hard money loans where he’d increased his fortune. He’d never told a date about his lack of a childhood, his adoptive father, his conversion, or the inheritance. Though, he was tempted to share more with Sydnee than was smart when she looked at him with those big blue eyes.

  “Do you miss your family?” he asked, more because it was the right follow-up question after she’d talked about her huge extended family than because he wanted to hear about an intact family unit. Maybe some with his background would be curious how a whole family interacted. He was not.

  Sydnee set her fork down and stared out at the dark ocean. “I do. My brothers and sisters are great, and my parents worked hard to raise us all with love and opportunity. I love them, but these children are too important to me. They are my family now,” she said.

  Brooks didn’t know how to respond to that. She’d been raised with love and opportunity and was trying to give the same to these children who had none of that. He gave money because it eased the guilt of not being able to interact with children who had been through trauma like him, but the only little people he ever enjoyed being around were Zack and Maddie’s kids. He’d grown to love Chalise, Izzy, and Alex, but children who didn’t have families made him uncomfortable. No, uncomfortable wasn’t strong enough. The very word orphan brought a cold sweat to his forehead and reminded him of the misery, darkness, and fear of his youth. He couldn’t go back there.

  “How’s your pasta?” he asked.

  “It’s wonderful. Thank you.” Sydnee’s eyes narrowed, but thankfully she didn’t comment on the redirection.

  “Thank you for giving me a chance to impress you.”

  She laughed, and he realized that he couldn’t risk a follow-up date with this woman, no matter how badly he wanted to kiss her. She was much too caring and made him remember all the things he used to believe he wanted out of life. Stability, charity for others, love. He had a good life with friends who worked for and with him, dating different women on the island, and tourists who came in on the ships. He’d flirt, laugh, spoil the ladies with gifts, and then kiss them goodbye. He wasn’t ready for a woman who had so much … heart. His heart and life had been shattered at five years old. He wasn’t going to rebuild it at thirty-two.

  5

  Brooks’s business partner, Evelyn, was the closest thing to a mother he’d ever known. As he walked out of the security area of the airport, he saw her waiting for him in her standard silk shirt and dress pants. Her once-smooth skin showed a few age spots and smile wrinkles, but she looked as put together as usual.

  “You flew commercial?” was her first question after she released him from a long hug.

  “I’ve got this girl who’s driving me nuts, making me rethink everything, and for some reason I felt guilty chartering a flight.”

  Evelyn’s perfectly plucked and dyed brows squiggled. “Brooks, you have a different girl every other day. You’re actually allowing one to affect you?”

  “No.” He shook his head vehemently and hefted his bag into the trunk of her Lexus. He’d spent most of the flight trying to focus on the meetings he needed to attend over the next week, but Sydnee kept intruding on his thoughts. “No,” he said again.

  “Methinks you protest too much,” Evelyn said lightly.

  Brooks opened the passenger door and escorted her in. He shut it, then walked around to the opposite side of the car. Evelyn didn’t mind driving, but he knew she preferred that he navigate through Fresno’s busy traffic. They talked about the company they were acquiring as he steered the car toward his estate outside the city.

  Darren was on guard duty and welcomed him home as he opened the security gate.

  Brooks drove the car expertly onto the front circ
le, and looked up at the three-story mansion his adoptive father had bestowed on him ten years ago, along with more money than Brooks could ever spend. He tried to be a wise executor of the estate, but Evelyn basically ran everything and seemed to enjoy it. After graduating with a master’s degree and learning all the ins and outs of his businesses, he’d relocated to Cozumel to give her the space to expand their business and investments the way she wanted without him constantly looking over her shoulder. He wondered how he’d manage everything when she decided to retire.

  He jumped from the vehicle and hurried around to get her door.

  “Thank you.” She patted his cheek.

  Brooks couldn’t resist pulling her into a hug again. She was tall and still in good shape for a sixty-year-old woman.

  “You miss him?” she guessed.

  “Always.”

  “He would’ve been very proud of you.”

  Brooks tilted his head and eyed her. “Would he?”

  “Yes. You’re a good man, Brooks.” A twinkle appeared in her blue eyes. “The only thing that would make both of us prouder is if you’d settle down and have babies.”

  Babies. The very word could induce a panic attack. Settling down was one of those phrases he hated to hear, especially out of someone he loved and respected as much as Evelyn.

  She laughed. “You should see your face.”

  They walked slowly up the wide sidewalk, trimmed with Mr. Hoffman’s prized rose bushes. Evelyn kept the maintenance crews busy taking good care of the mansion, but she hadn’t changed paint colors or furniture since Mr. Hoffman had passed.

  After walking through the grand entry, they headed straight for the kitchen. Lou-Lou was whipping something up on the stove that smelled strongly of spicy Cajun seasoning. Oh, yes.

  She saw Brooks, squealed, and dropped the spatula. Brooks hurried to meet her, picking her up off her feet and swinging the round woman in a circle.

  “Laws, son,” she tittered. “You get bigger every time I see you. Guess I’d better cook double.”

  “Yes, you should.” Brooks released her, and she immediately turned to the fridge and got him a glass of lemonade.

  Mr. Hoffman had found Lou-Lou in the slums of Oakland only a handful of blocks from where he’d found Brooks. They were all family now, and though Lou-Lou’s dark-brown skin was wrinkling, she didn’t look like she’d aged much in the past twenty years. Brooks hoped she and Evelyn would live forever. It was hard enough to lose Mr. Hoffman.

  “Let’s take our drinks out back,” Evelyn suggested.

  Brooks loved this part of coming home. Talking with Evelyn, knowing Lou-Lou was cooking all of his favorites. He felt like a teenage boy with no worries. He needed a mirror to make sure the acne hadn’t returned.

  They settled into plush chairs on the beautiful rock-inlaid patio overlooking the gardens and pool.

  “I miss him too,” Evelyn admitted after a few minutes of listening to the birds twitter and the wind rustle through the acres of grape vines that spread out beyond the two acres of grass, trees, and flower gardens.

  Brooks turned his shoulders to focus on her. “Why didn’t you ever marry him?” The question had never occurred to him until the past couple of days, when he couldn’t get Sydnee and crazy thoughts of settling down out of his mind. Why hadn’t Mr. Hoffman ever remarried? Especially when it was obvious how much he and Evelyn cared for each other.

  Evelyn took a prim sip of her drink, sighed, forced a smile, and whispered, “I did marry him.”

  “What?” Brooks dropped his drink. It splattered across his shoes and the patio. He jumped up and started toward the house. He’d find something to clean this mess up and hide out until he was ready to deal with Evelyn’s revelation.

  “Sit down,” Evelyn instructed. “James will wash off the patio, and Angelina can clean your shoes later.”

  Brooks stared down at her.

  “Sit, Brooks. Your face is much too expressive today.” She smiled benevolently at him. “What am I saying? Your face is always expressive.”

  “When?” He sat, but felt coiled like a tiger ready to spring.

  “We loved each other for years.”

  “I know.” He swallowed and admitted, “I always thought of you as my mom.”

  “Thank you.” She nodded and squeezed his hand. “I wanted to be there for you all the time, but after the fiasco with his first wife …” She shook her head. “It took him years to buy her off and legally bind her from ever acquiring his assets.”

  Brooks nodded; he knew about all of this. Mr. Hoffman’s first wife had been horrific. It’d cost several million dollars and legal fees nobody wanted to remember, but she could never touch Mr. Hoffman’s, now Brooks’s, money.

  “He loved you so much.” Evelyn wiped away a tear.

  Brooks had to look down, lest he cry himself. The man who had rescued him and raised him had been strict and proper enough that Brooks never even called him dad, but he still knew that his adoptive father had loved him.

  “When did you marry him?” he finally drummed up the courage to ask again. He felt slighted that he hadn’t known. He was their child. Sort of.

  “When you were eighteen, we did it in a secret ceremony.”

  “Why wouldn’t he give you his name? Tell the world?” Tell me? He clenched his fist.

  Evelyn took another sip of her drink. “I also have a horrible ex-husband and a daughter who I’d be embarrassed for you to meet. If either of them caught wind of the money I was part of, they would leech on to you like nothing you’ve ever seen.”

  “Mr. Hoffman was brilliant. He could’ve set things up to protect the money.” There was so much they hadn’t told him. Why? Couldn’t he be trusted?

  She shrugged. “He did set up legal paths that would protect you, but we both felt it would ensure less headache and stress in your future if no one ever found out we were married.”

  “Why was he so concerned about protecting me?” Brooks scuffed his dirty shoe along the brick patio. “I’m nobody.”

  Evelyn gripped his hands so hard it hurt. “Don’t you ever say that again. You were everything to him, and you’re everything to me. I love you so much … son.”

  Brooks stood and pulled her up, gathering her into his arms. From living on the streets, being a gang member, and almost being killed in a knife fight in Oakland at ten years old, to this mansion and Mr. Hoffman and Evelyn loving him. He was truly blessed. What would Sydnee think if she knew about his past? She’d warmed considerably after she found out he was Christian. His adoptive father had hidden a wife so that Brooks could have every opportunity in the world. Would Brooks be that selfless for a child, for anyone? He really didn’t think so.

  6

  “Tag, you’re it!” Sydnee screamed. She dodged away from Mario, but Daniel and Alejandro sandwiched her between them. She cried out in protest, but they held on to her until six-year-old Mario could tag her. Sydnee dropped to the grass and pulled them down with her. It quickly turned into a wrestling match.

  She had discovered one thing about boys that no human development class had fully prepared her for. They needed to get out their aggression, and it was much better to do it with innocent games, sports, and wrestling. They also needed physical touch, but didn’t usually want to admit it. Impromptu wrestling matches killed two birds with one stone. Daniel launched onto her back, about knocking her to the ground. He was the oldest boy, and he’d had a growth spurt the past few months—he definitely outweighed her and was almost as tall. She had a pretty good grip on Alejandro and was tickling his armpits when she heard her name.

  “Sydnee? Camila needs you to run into the shopping center. She’s got a list.”

  The boys groaned and pushed to their feet to help Sydnee up. “Why me? She usually does the errands.”

  “She said she’s too busy today and thought you could use the break.”

  Sydnee hadn’t left the home since her date with Brooks two weeks ago. He hadn’t come by or contacted
her; he simply deposited her at the orphanage that night with a handshake, a smirk, and a thank-you. She’d gone on the date planning to tell him off and offend him so he’d leave her alone, but she’d changed her mind between the shrimp and the tres leches. She enjoyed talking with him and loved the way he treated everyone around him.

  Now she really wanted to get to know him better. If he had tried some of his romantic moves at the end of the date instead of the beginning, she would’ve stood on tiptoes and kissed him until his staff pulled them apart. But he hadn’t, and luckily, the kiddos had kept her busy the past two weeks so she could stay in her sheltered spot, doting on them and ignoring the fact that it hurt that Brooks wasn’t interested. It hurt a lot. He’d probably dropped her like a hot rock because she hadn’t draped herself all over him like every other woman. Christian? Yeah, right.

  She left the boys playing soccer with Rosmerta and changed into a white tank top and a simple pink peasant skirt. She almost walked away without jewelry and touching up her makeup, but her mother’s influence was too strong. Adding a long silver necklace and pale pink lipstick, she hopped into the low-rider pickup truck and slowly made her way into town. Many tourists out on scooters or in jeeps slowed her progress.

  The truck was covered in rust spots, and they had to throw a blanket over the seats or sit on springs, but it ran well. She knew Brooks gave a whole dump truck full of money to the orphanage, but Camila was very smart and frugal. They didn’t drive nice vehicles or eat steak every night. Camila put a lot of money away in case of emergencies—emergencies meaning Brooks deciding not to help them anymore. Sydnee kept worrying after the date that he would pull his sponsorship, but Camila hadn’t said a word about it, and she would have been a stress case if that had happened.

  Sydnee parked behind the open market. The streets were packed today, the high smoke stacks and spires of two cruise ships looming over the port. Sydnee didn’t mind the crowds. It always made her smile to see people from all over the world descend on the little island and enjoy themselves.