Love on the Rebound (Hawaii Billionaire Romance) Read online

  LOVE ON THE REBOUND

  HAWAII BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE SERIES

  JENNIFER YOUNGBLOOD

  SANDA POOLE

  CONTENTS

  Introduction by Taylor Hart

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Free Book

  Excerpt of Crushing on You by Christine Kersey

  Also by Jennifer Youngblood & Sandra Poole

  About the Authors

  Copyright © 2016 by Jennifer Youngblood

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Visit Jennifer’s blog at jenniferyoungblood.com

  Cover design by Patrick Youngblood

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  INTRODUCTION BY TAYLOR HART

  Dear Reader-

  I’m one of those people who counts down to Christmas with a large amount of chocolate and cheesy Christmas movies. I’m also one of those people who revel in the sweet romance of two people falling in love. Lastly, I’m one of those people who like a little bit of mystery thrown in there, too!

  If you are like me—today is your lucky day! This latest installment of the Hawaii Billionaire Romance Series has all of the things above and don’t forget the swoon-worthy kisses that will keep you coming back again and again.

  I love these authors and I love this series!

  Enjoy!

  Taylor Hart, author of Bachelor Billionaire Romance.

  VISIT TAYLOR HART’S AMAZON page by clicking here.

  PROLOGUE

  Everly turned her face to the sun, liking how the warmth stretched her skin, making it feel tingly and tight. It was mid-afternoon, and the gentle rocking of the boat was lulling her to sleep. Mitchell shifted on the blanket and then angled toward her. Lightly, he trailed the tips of his fingers up and down her arm.

  “What do you say we go for a dive before we head into shore?”

  A lazy haze had settled over Everly, and all she wanted to do was sleep. “Maybe later,” she mumbled.

  “Come on,” he urged. “Just once more, you know you want to.” He leaned over and started tickling her.

  She sat up, laughing. “Mitchell! Stop!”

  “Come diving with me.” His blue eyes were as clear as the sparkling water surrounding them. He thrust out his lower lip in a pout. “Please.”

  “Okay,” she relented.

  He flashed a dazzling smile. “Perfect! I’ll help you get suited up.”

  Minutes later, they plunged into the water. Everly could feel the weight of the water pressing around her as they descended lower into the mysterious world below. Mitchell loved diving, but from the moment she’d entered the water she felt vulnerable. There were so many things that could go wrong, even for experienced divers. She tried to stay close to Mitchell as they explored.

  Time was distorted underwater, but Everly was certain they’d been under too long. She kept pointing to the surface, shining like the moon overhead in the blue abyss. She tried to persuade Mitchell to go up with her. But he shook his head no and took off in another direction. She went after him. But as soon as she got close enough to touch him, he escaped her grasp, like a fish playing a game of tag. Finally, she couldn’t handle it any longer. She started going up. Then she realized Mitchell was struggling. In a flurry, she went back down to help him. His eyes radiated panic through the mask. He was running out of air! She tried to help, but it was no use. Anguish wrenched her gut as she watched him sink into the black nothingness. Then Everly realized she was running out of air. She fought her way to the surface, trying to gulp in what little air her oxygen tank provided.

  She couldn’t breathe! A steel band was squeezing her lungs. She jerked to a sitting position and opened her eyes. It took Everly a second to realize where she was—in her bedroom, her cheeks wet with tears.

  “Mommy?” Jordan scampered toward her. “I’m scared.”

  Had she cried out in her sleep and woken him up? She rubbed her eyes and tried to orient herself to the present as she patted the empty space beside her on the bed. “Come here.”

  He climbed into bed with her.

  Everly lay back down and pulled up the covers as Jordan huddled next to her. The terror on Mitchell’s face had felt so real. A shudder went through her. It had been a few months since she had the nightmare, and she’d hoped she’d finally moved beyond the trauma. It must’ve been brought on by the anxiety of getting ready for the trip tomorrow. She lay there, staring unseeingly at the ceiling, her mind lost in another time. Jordan’s warm body was comforting. As she listened to his steady breathing, she finally drifted back to sleep.

  1

  Conflicting emotions churned in Everly’s gut as she clutched Jordan’s hand and began walking in the direction of the baggage claim. On the one hand, she was happy to be spending Christmas in Hawaii with Jordan … away from the hectic hustle and bustle of her everyday life … and away from the long arm of Roland and his cronies. On the other hand, she dreaded what she might find here.

  From the moment she received the disturbing call from Benny Kai, a private investigator, looking into her late husband Mitchell’s death, Everly instinctively knew she could only gain true peace by eventually come here. Benny claimed there was a man living on the island whom he suspected to be Mitchell. He asked Everly to send him a picture of Mitchell for verification and promised he would call her back as soon as he received it. She never heard from him again. She called Benny back at the number he’d called her from. But she wasn’t able to leave a message because his voicemail was full. Everly called a few more times until she finally got a recording telling her the number had been disconnected. Not knowing what else to do, she Googled Benny and came across the website for his business. She called the number listed, but it was also disconnected. The frustrating part was that she’d been so shocked by Benny’s call that she’d not thought to ask the name of the man he presumed to be her deceased husband. So, she had nothing to go on. The whole thing was absurd. She wouldn’t have given any credence to it whatsoever, but her best friend DeAnna swore up and down that she saw Mitchell at a restaurant in Honolulu while on vacation.

  Five years ago, Mitchell went scuba diving with a work associate and friend in Lake Tahoe. They were on the lake’s west side, near Rubicon Point, in an area where the lake plunges 1600 feet or more. As the pair began their ascent, Mitchell experienced difficulty with his equipment and began sinking. Paul, his companion, tried to help but was running out of air and had to resurface. Mitchell’s body was never found. Coming to terms with the death of her husband had been grueling, especially without the closure of his remains. For months, Everly half-expected Mitchell to walk through the door any minute. When Jordan was born, she poured her heart and soul into him, and that h
elped ease the pain. But she was still having those wretched nightmares, where she was in the lake with Mitchell, watching him plunge to his death.

  During those torturous months when she was grieving Mitchell’s death, his business partner Roland Watson had been her rock. He was solicitous and kind, coming to her aid whenever she needed him. More importantly, Roland took an interest in Jordan. Everly and Roland’s relationship developed until marriage was the next logical step. At first, their marriage had been idyllic, at first. He legally adopted Jordan and treated him as his own child. Everly thought life gave her a second chance at happiness, until she discovered that Roland was having multiple affairs. Again, her world came crashing down. She went through a heart-wrenching divorce that granted Roland visitation rights to see Jordan. Roland was an influential attorney in Charleston, South Carolina. There were few things he couldn’t get. He kept close tabs on Everly and Jordan, to the point of stalking and determinedly ran off every possible suitor that came near her. Just when she felt the situation was pushing her to the breaking point, she got the call from Benny telling her Mitchell might still be alive.

  Everly’s first impulse was to drop everything and fly to Oahu that minute, but that wasn’t possible. She had responsibilities—a demanding full-time job, her five-year-old son, and a mama with cancer to look after. Her mama Florence needed Everly to take her to weekly radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The day after Everly received Benny Kai’s call, her mama was hospitalized for two weeks due to her weakened condition. Miraculously, Florence survived treatment and was now in remission. So, several months later, Everly decided to visit Hawaii during the holidays.

  What did she hope to find here? Closure, maybe? Was Mitchell still alive? Had he been living another life all these years? It took her years to come to terms with his death, and now? Now she felt betrayed … angry. If Mitchell faked his death, that meant he deserted her … left her alone to fend for herself while she was pregnant. And it also meant she’d married two losers. She didn’t even want to contemplate what that said about her judgment, or lack thereof. It was, surprisingly, much easier thinking of Mitchell as dead. She cringed. Had she really just thought that? Odds were that Mitchell did die in that diving accident. Poor Mitchell, here she was desecrating his memory. At any rate, the bottom line was—regardless of whether Mitchell was dead or alive, she no longer loved him. Of that she was sure. Her love for him died many years ago. The two of them started having problems a few months after their marriage, and things worsened when she became pregnant with Jordan. Still, she had a hard time believing he’d fake his death and assume another life.

  Jordan tugged on her hand. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”

  Like most boys, Jordan was a bottomless pit. He’d eaten two packs of airline pretzels and one pack of cookies just before landing. Yet, she wasn’t the least bit surprised that he was still hungry.

  “Let’s get our luggage. I’ve got some granola bars in my suitcase.”

  He frowned. “But my tummy hurts,” he said, eyeing a nearby food stand.

  The fragrant smell of teriyaki chicken wafted through the air making Everly’s mouth water, reminding her that Jordan wasn’t the only one who hungry.

  “It won’t take us long to get the luggage. Remember what we talked about? I need you to be a big boy, okay?”

  He blew out a breath. “Okay.” He switched gears. “When can we go to the beach? I want to build a sandcastle.”

  The excitement in Jordan’s voice made her smile. He was a bundle of energy, and the only time he slowed down was when he was asleep. But he’d captured her heart the moment he was born—the best thing that had come from her marriage to Mitchell. “First thing in the morning, I promise.”

  He scrunched his nose. “Aw, man,” he said slumping his shoulders in an exaggerated manner only a five-year-old could perfect. “I wanna do it today.” He scrunched his eyebrows together. “Please?”

  “We still have to get our rental car and drive to our place. It’ll be dark by the time we get there.” As she watched disappointment cloud his features she softened. “Hey, maybe we can find a pizza place. Would you like that?”

  He brightened. “Pepperoni?”

  “Of course.”

  He started skipping along beside her. Everly wished she had a tenth of Jordan’s energy. Of course, it helped that he’d slept on the plane. But, she didn’t. She could sleep in a car just fine. But, the moment that plane lifted off the ground she was wide-awake thinking about the empty air beneath her feet. The journey was starting to catch up with her. Her legs felt heavy, and the straps of her backpack cut into her shoulders. Everly’s oversized bag felt like lead slung over her arm. Her day started at 4 a.m. when she hustled Jordan out of bed before driving to the airport in Charleston. From there they flew to Atlanta, followed by a 10-hour flight here. A soft bed and pillow sounded divine, but they still had a ways to go. According to Google Maps, it would take over an hour to get to their rental house on the North Shore. She’d booked a one-bedroom, one-bath cottage directly on Sunset Beach. Everly wanted a true Hawaiian experience, away from the touristy hotels. Plus, it would be easier to maintain a low profile, while checking into Mitchell.

  Humidity pressed around Everly like a warm blanket as they walked by sections of walls, open to the outdoors, revealing lush green grass, palm trees, and bushes loaded with large, red hibiscus flowers. Coming from South Carolina, Everly was used to her share of humidity, but not this much. The sweet scent of plumeria flowers filled her senses as they passed a lei stand.

  “Mommy, look!” Jordan exclaimed, pointing at the neat strands of white and pink flowers.

  A pretty Polynesian girl in her mid-twenties smiled. “Aloha.”

  Everly returned the smile. “Aloha.” She turned to Jordan, “The flowers are beautiful, aren’t they?”

  He nodded, his bright-blue eyes wide with wonderment.

  For the first time since they’d left South Carolina, Everly felt a twinge of excitement. It would be nice to soak up some sun. Dig her toes into the sand on the beach. Feel the salty breeze on her face. Play in the ocean and build sandcastles with Jordan. Tomorrow, she planned on spending most of the day on the beach. Eventually, she’d have to search for Mitchell, but she planned to put that off for a few days. She and Jordan needed some R&R. A little downtime to steel her for whatever she’d find.

  Everly’s heart clutched when she saw a familiar face at baggage claim. Hot anger suffused through her as she glared at the man standing two carousels away. A panicked look came over him when he realized he’d been spotted. He ducked back and disappeared into the crowd. Everly’s first impulse was to charge after the man, but she couldn’t very well leave Jordan standing in the airport alone. What was his name? She searched her memory? Briggs. Yes, that was it. He was on her ex-husband’s payroll. She’d seen him lurking around Roland’s office. She should’ve known Roland would have her followed.

  “Ouch!” Jordan yelped. “You’re squeezing my hand.”

  “Oh, honey. I’m sorry.” She relaxed her grip. Dread settled in the center of her stomach. Would she ever be able to escape Roland? Panic steamrolled over her. She’d tried to be discreet about her travel plans. She didn’t even tell Jordan about their trip until they arrived at the airport, fearing he’d tell Roland. She’d not breathed a word to her co-workers at the fitness center. Only her mama knew. Everly only planned to be gone for two weeks. Two measly weeks! And Roland sent his guy all the way here to watch her. A cold sweat broke over her brow. Had Roland somehow gotten wind that she was looking for Mitchell? Did he have a tracker on her phone? Was he having her followed 24/7? She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Roland had a different woman on his arm nearly every week, and yet, he was insanely jealous about her. It was crazy! She glanced around, trying to catch sight of the man, but he was nowhere to be found. Even so, she knew he was nearby … watching.

  2

  It was a perfect morning on the beach. Everly looked up at the sky
, dotted with puffy, white clouds and across the ocean that expanded seamlessly into the distant horizon. The water with its patches of turquoise, mixed with gray and white, reminded her of a giant quilt where the edges attempted to cover the sand. Just when it managed to get a good grip, it got yanked back, only to repeat the same motion again. A gust of wind whipped hair into her mouth. She gathered it into a ponytail and held it up off her neck. There was something awesome about being in the midst of the perpetual motion of churning water, rocks, and sand. Out here, she could almost forget about her problems. Almost being the operative word. She’d hardly slept a wink the night before, thinking of Roland and how he’d sent his man to follow her. She scowled as she placed her hand above her eyes as a shield and scoured the surrounding area. Was Briggs here now … watching them? A shiver shimmied down her spine, as she shook off the depressing thought. She would not let Roland ruin this day. Jordan was busily constructing a sandcastle village, his cherubic face a picture of determination, blonde hair flapping happily in the wind.

  Her eyes followed a man and little girl as they walked from one of the nearby houses and occupied the space about twenty feet to her right. Her breath caught. The guy was immaculately gorgeous—tall with sinewy muscles that moved like a well-oiled machine under his bronze skin. He was wearing sunglasses, and his hair, closely cropped on the sides, was thick and curly on top. A large beach bag and chairs were slung over one shoulder. She watched as he deposited the bag onto the sand and commenced setting up two camp chairs and spreading a blanket over the sand. The little girl was about Jordan’s age. Her dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail. Her bright pink bathing suit accentuated her brown skin. When the guy removed his shirt, Everly’s throat went dry. Wow! Was he real? Decorum dictated she look away, but she couldn’t seem to make herself do it. There was something familiar about the man. What was it? It pricked at her mind, but she couldn’t figure out where she’d seen him before. At that moment, he noticed her attention. A corner of his mouth lifted, and he gave her a friendly nod. She offered a tight smile in response. How embarrassing! He’d felt her watching him. Quickly, she looked away and focused her attention on Jordan. Amusement bubbled over her chagrin. It was nice to know that despite the trauma she’d experienced with the previous two men in her life, she could still find one attractive. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken time out of her busy schedule to notice a man, much less gawk at him. A fact made more impressive by her working at a fitness center where men paraded around like roosters, flexing their biceps. Maybe Hawaii was lowering her inhibitions? Or, mowing them over flat. Geez! Was she that starved for male attention? Besides, he was probably married. He did have his daughter with him. Then again, she had her son with her, and she wasn’t married.