Love Above All: A Billionaire Romance Book 1 Read online

  LOVE ABOVE ALL

  A Billionaire Romance

  Book 1

  Lillian James

  White Deer Publishing

  LOVE ABOUT ALL

  A BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE BOOK 1

  © Copyright 2020 by Lillian James / White Deer Publishing

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. The novel is a work of fiction. Names, Characters, places and plot are all either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  CONTENTS

  CONTENTS

  DESCRIPTION

  INTRODUCTION

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  MORE BY LIILLIAN JAMES

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Find Lillian James

  http://www.lillianjamesbooks.com

  DESCRIPTION

  She swore off men. Until she met him.

  Connor Smith doesn’t believe in anything except work and growing the family business. Despite his brothers’ happy marriages and the constant pressures from his parents, he’s content with one night stands and barely getting to know the women he sleeps with.

  Amelia Stephen is sure she’s done with men. Left feeling hurt and betrayed after a previous relationship, she vowed never to let herself fall in love again. But after fate brings these two unlikely lovers together, an emotional spark between them threatens to change everything.

  With Connor conflicted about his future and Amelia haunted by her past, will their attraction triumph above the walls they’ve built around themselves? And will they be able to overcome their differences to realize the bond they share together?

  INTRODUCTION

  Hey Romance Lover! Thank you for grabbing one of my books. I hope you love it and want more.

  Join my mailing list to get all my latest news, book releases, sneak previews and giveaways.

  Click Here

  Thank you for joining and becoming a part of my romance book family.

  CHAPTER ONE

  "Here is the file, sir," Andre, Connor Smith's secretary, said as he handed the file to him.

  Connor collected the file and scanned the content briefly.

  "Have all these materials been supplied to the factory?" Connor asked.

  "Yes, they have sir," Andre replied.

  "I see. I'll have a look at it," Connor said as he stood and marched towards the entrance of his office while Andre followed closely behind. They left the main office and headed to the SimCo facilities, where the winery plants for Connor’s family’s company were located. Connor had put in more effort to expand the SimCo winery. He knew he didn't have to carry out the constant supervision he always did on the facility grounds because there was someone else in charge of that. But SimCo being named one of the best wineries in the country was something Connor took pride in, so he always tried everything possible to make SimCo stay one of the best. His primary concern at the moment was the new variety of wine he was planning to release. He wanted to ensure that it came out with the best quality like all the other SimCo wines. Hence, the reason he was extra careful with anything that pertained to the release of the wine.

  They got to the winery plant facilities in no time. The workers were a bit ruffled even though Connor’s visiting the factory unexpectedly wasn't new to them. Connor moved swiftly around the plant.

  "Good afternoon sir," Mr. Dan, the plant manager, greeted as he joined Connor where he was standing.

  "Good afternoon," Connor replied, barely giving Mr. Dan a glance. "I heard the new materials have arrived," Connor said.

  "Yes, they have, sir. In fact, they are in the storeroom as I speak. They are waiting for our extended tests before they are released for use," Mr. Dan said.

  "I see. I want reports of the results before they are used," Connor said. He ensured that he got his materials from a reliable supplier. Still, he was careful to take extra precautions with what his company used.

  He walked toward the extraction area and watched the juice being extracted. He was about to go to another department when he caught something out of the corner of his eyes. He moved towards the area swiftly and stopped in front of a female employee. He had noticed that she was on a call, and she hadn't known that he would see her from afar.

  "I'll be there as soon as I'm done for work," the lady said.

  "Tell the person you are already on your way, because you’re fired," Connor snapped. She gasped once she finally noticed Connor's presence.

  "Sir —" she started to say, but Connor was already walking away. He’d made a rule that all calls should be received outside the facilities. Connor hated when his rules weren't followed, and most of his staff knew better than flaunt them.

  He continued his supervision for the next few minutes before moving to the plant where all the winery fruits were harvested. He did his supervision for the next hour and decided to go to his office after finally being satisfied with his full supervision.

  His phone rang just as he stepped into his office. He frowned before removing his phone from his pocket. He picked up his call when he realized it was his mother.

  "Hello, Mom," he said as he crossed to the other side of his office and poured himself a cup of wine before he went back to his seat.

  "Connor," Mrs. Smith greeted.

  "How are you, Mom?" Connor asked as he sipped his wine.

  "I'm surprised you care about how I’m doing as it's been so long you deemed it fit to visit the Smith mansion," Mrs. Smith said.

  At this, Connor rolled his eyes.. "I've been busy, Mom.”

  "That's the same excuse you keep giving," his mom said in an alarmed tone.

  "It’s not an excuse. It's a fact," Connor stated as he continued to sip his wine. He savored the taste of the wine that was produced by his company.

  "Yeah, I know about that. The fact that you’re a CEO," his mother said sarcastically. "Need I remind you that your brothers are also heads of the company and they are also busy, though maybe not as much as you are. However, they are busy and they make time for visits.” Mrs. Smith was referring to Connor’s three younger brothers. They were heads of various departments at SimCo.

  "Mom," Connor heaved a sigh.

  "I'm not asking for much, am I?” Mrs. Smith asked. “You've refused to start your own family, even when I found you a beautiful girl from a responsible home. I'm sure she would make a good wife, but you wouldn’t even try to see that. You won't even make time for the family you have.”

  "Okay. Fine, Mom, I'll come around sometime," Connor said even though he knew he wouldn't go to the Smith mansion. He didn't want to start a discussion about Sarah Russet, the woman his mother had tried to match him with in her quest to get him married. Why would I do that when it’s more fun without a wife? He thought to himself.

  "Why don't I believe your words anymore?” His mother replied. “Oh, let me see. You've made me this kind of promise in the past, which you never fulfilled."

  "I—" Connor started to say before realizing that Andre was standing in his office. Connor dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "I'll come this time." He said after Andre had left.

  "I'll hold you to this," Mrs. Smith said.

  "Okay, Mom," he said as he opened a document on his desk. His mother kept talking about different things with him giving absen
t-minded answers before they ended the call minutes later.

  Connor went back to work and spent the next few hours working and having meetings upon meetings.

  "That went better than expected," he muttered as he ended his final conference call for the day. It had been with one of the major distributors of his wines in France.

  He stretched his aching back when he realized it was past the closing hour.

  "Andre," he called out after he pressed the intercom that connected him with Andre's office.

  "Yes, sir," Andre replied.

  "Tell Henry to get the car ready and bring me the file for this month’s financial reports from the accounting department," Connor said.

  "Okay, sir," Andre said before Connor ended the call.

  Connor packed a few files in his briefcase that he intended to work on later at home. He was still packing for the day when he heard a knock on the door.

  Andre walked in with some files in his hand. "The car is ready, sir. These are the reports you asked for," he said as he passed the documents to Connor.

  Connor opened them briefly to confirm he had the right documents. He placed the reports with the rest of the files in his briefcase before closing it and standing.

  "Will that be all, sir?" Andre asked.

  "Yes," Connor said as he picked his briefcase and started walking out of his office while Andre followed behind.

  "Goodnight, sir," Andre said as Connor stepped into the elevator.

  "Goodnight," Connor replied as he pressed the buttons that would close the door. The elevator took him straight to the underground parking lot, which was accessible to only him and his brothers.

  Connor stepped out of the elevator once it reached the parking lot, and his bodyguards immediately flanked him.

  "Good evening sir," they greeted Connor one by one. One of them opened the door to Connor’s limousine. Connor gave them a brief nod before he entered the back seat. The bodyguard shut the door for him before taking his seat beside Henry, Connor’s driver, while the others went to a second car. Connor sighed as he felt the car move. He rested his head on the headrest with his eyes closed. What a day, he thought as he recollected the additional meetings he had due to the extension of the winery he was pushing for. It had been his routine since he’d set the plans in motion.

  He lowered the partition between him and the front seat.

  "Take me to the yacht," he ordered, and when Henry nodded, Connor pressed the button to close the partition once more . One of the places he used to relieve his stress was his yacht. He had bought it years ago for his personal use. He closed his eyes once more and leaned on the headrest while waiting for the limo to arrive at the yacht.

  He knew they had gotten to his yacht when the limo stopped.

  He heard the slight knock on the limo’s door, his bodyguard signaling that he was about to open the door. Once the door was open, Connor stepped out. He only took a brief moment to admire his luxurious white yacht's beauty, which had cost him millions of dollars, before he marched into it.

  "Good evening, sir," the staff of the yacht greeted him one by one as he strode further in.

  He acknowledged them with a curt nod before he pressed forward. He spent the next few hours relaxing on his yacht before deciding to head home. He did more work as soon as he got home and only called it a night well into the early hours of the morning. This was his usual routine, except on the occasions he had his flings.

  ❖❖❖

  "Amelia, Mrs. Smith just asked for some cookies," Vivian, the housekeeper, said as she entered the kitchen. Amelia Stephen was Gary and Samantha Smith's personal chef. Gary Smith was Connor Smith's brother, who had gotten married to Samantha the previous year. They now had a set of twin babies.

  "Okay, where is she?" Amelia asked Vivian with a smile.

  "She’s in the living room," Vivian replied.

  "Okay," Amelia said before she arranged some cookies on her tray and headed for Samantha. She reached the living room within minutes.

  "Here you go, ma'am," Amelia said, smiling at Samantha as she placed the tray of cookies in front of her.

  "Thank you," Samantha said, smiling back at Amelia before she picked one up and ate it.

  "Mmm, you make the best cookies, Amelia. Correct that, the best meals," Samantha complimented as she closed her eyes in pleasure. Amelia grinned at her boss’s praise.

  "Thank you, ma'am," Amelia replied. She loved cooking and having someone compliment her cooking skills delighted her.

  "You're welcome, but it's the truth. I'll let you in on one thing. You know my friend Mirabel?" Samantha asked.

  "Yes, I do, ma'am," Amelia answered.

  "Well, part of the reason for her frequent visits here is your food. In fact, she told me she was getting addicted to your food. I'm sure she is trying to find a chef that cooks like you do," Samantha said, grinning at Amelia.

  "Thank you, ma'am," Amelia repeated as she turned to leave. Amelia had gotten different compliments from people in the past about her cooking skills. She had realized a long time ago that her talents lay in the kitchen. She remembered how she had brought up the subject to her parents.

  "Amelia, you need to think this through properly," her father had said frowning, after she had broken the news to the both of them.

  "Why would she even think of being a chef for the rest of her life?" Her mother asked, exasperated.

  "Mom, it's what I love,” Amelia responded, equally exasperated. “I only need the support I can get from both of you.”

  "Andrew, speak some sense to your daughter," her mother demanded to her father.

  "What do you want me to do? You can see the determined look on her face. You should know that there is nothing we can say to change her mind. It's made up," her father told her mother, shrugging. They had given their support even though it wasn't the career path they would have chosen for her. She was glad that it had all paid off in the end when she’d started getting fantastic reviews from renowned chefs. She had been the Head Chef at Tasty Bites when Samantha had fallen in love with her food months ago. Gary had immediately offered Amelia a place at their home. He had gone as far as providing her twice the pay. Amelia had accepted the job offer not just because of the higher income, but also because she had experienced the couple's kindness.

  "I had some of your cookies while you were gone. I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist the temptation of having a bite of it," Vivian said apologetically as Amelia entered the kitchen once more. This brought Amelia back to the present.

  "It's fine," Amelia said with a smile.

  "You are the best chef I've ever met," Vivian complimented as she took another bite of her cookie.

  "Thank you, Vivian," Amelia said earnestly.

  "You are one amazing girl,” Vivian continued, studying Amelia. “Not only are you beautiful inside and out, but to crown it all, you are one amazing cook.”

  Amelia blushed at this. Not that she wasn't used to getting comments about how beautiful she was. She was also used to getting comments about her figure.

  "Any man would be lucky to have you. I'm not surprised Duncan sees you as a goddess," Vivian added while Amelia grimaced at Duncan’s name. Duncan was Gary Smith's driver, who had been trying to make her go out on a date with him. Although she had told him repeatedly that she wasn't interested in him or any other man, he hadn't relented. If only I could look past my previous experiences with men, Amelia thought as her mind drifted to her last boyfriend, Andreas, who was a financial analyst. She remembered how they had met and how he’d meant the whole world to her. She remembered how they had dated for two years and how every beautiful thing they had shared had become bitter memories in the blink of an eye.

  She had thought to pay him a surprise visit after she’d returned from a cooking competition. She had tried some new recipes and had thought that having it for dinner wouldn't be a bad idea.

  "Andreas," she had called out as she entered his
apartment. She frowned as she hadn't heard his response, but only moans coming out from their bedroom's direction. She felt as a sense of dread as she moved forward, and then something caught her eye. She moved closer to the object and picked it up. She gasped in shock as she studied the clutch in her hand that was not hers.

  "No, it can't be. It's not Bridget's. There must be a mix up," Amelia had said as she’d shaken her head slightly. It was the clutch she had gotten her longtime best friend Bridget on her birthday three years ago.

  Amelia heard more feminine moans and Andreas’s own groans as she had moved closer to his bedroom. The sound grew louder as she stood in front of the door. Please, let this be a mix-up, she begged to herself as she closed her eyes for a brief second and placed her hand on the door's handle. She pushed open the door and had been shocked at the sight before her.

  "No," she whispered to herself as she saw her worst nightmare. Andreas had clearly been having sex with Bridget. To make matters worse, they had been too far in the throes of their pleasure to notice that she had caught them. She had left the apartment in a daze while the two people she had trusted with almost everything had been stabbing her in the back. That had brought an end to what she’d had with Andreas, and ever since she had tried not to give love any more thoughts.

  CHAPTER TWO

  "Good morning, brother," Gary greeted Connor as he entered Connor's office on Thursday morning.

  "Good morning," Connor replied, as he shifted his concentration from the document he was reading.

  "I've been trying to talk to you for some days now, but it's either you’re at the winery plants or I'm in a meeting of some sort," Gary said as he took his seat opposite Connor.

  "I see. Is it about work?" Connor asked with interest.

  "Do you think of anything else asides work?" Gary asked, sighing.

  "What else should I think of?" Connor asked with a shrug.