Read Barefoot Bay: The Billionaire's Convenient Secret (Kindle Worlds Novella) for Free Online Page B

different. Here, a man’s net worth hinged more on his willingness to help others than the size of his bank account. The goodwill he’d earned by simply agreeing to fill in for his aunt was enough to guarantee his anonymity among the local populace. For now, he could trust them to keep his secret. His lips thinning, he considered what might happen if the whole story about Charity’s trip ever came out. No doubt, it would generate just the sort of buzz he wanted to avoid. He crossed his fingers and hoped no one ever learned the truth. At least, not until he learned what he needed to know. It wouldn’t take long. Just the weekend and not a minute longer.
    An hour later, with responsibility for the evening shift in the hands of Charity’s longtime assistant manager, Josh headed for his aunt’s house. There, after checking his email and tending to the details of running a multimillion-dollar business he hadn’t delegated to his own staff, he showered and dressed, ready to put his plan into action at the Casa Blanca Resort.
    On the drive to the opposite end of the island, he noted changes. Once, little more than sand dunes had stretched from the water’s edge to dilapidated beach cottages that lined the main road. Most of those old houses had been torn down, making way for an influx of homes with million-dollar views and prices to match. At the entrance to Casa Blanca, he slowed, lifting his foot from the gas as he got his first glimpse of the resort that had triggered a surge of economic growth in the community.
    He whistled low and long. Whoever the designer was, he wanted to shake their hand, he thought, taking in the tree-lined entrance to a main building that blended perfectly with its surroundings. He sniffed the air, drawing in the heady mix of flowers and salt. Shimmering lights flickered from an inviting pool that reminded him of the villa he’d stayed in during his last buying trip to Tuscany.
    At the valet stand, he stifled a grin at a uniformed teen’s reaction to his car. The kid gingerly shifted gears, babying the vehicle along as if he was afraid it would disintegrate before he got it parked. Josh supposed the boy would much rather slide behind the wheel of the slick Porsche 911 parked in his condo’s garage, but his aunt’s old rattletrap had been sitting, unused, in her driveway, rendering his usual need to hire a car and driver unnecessary. Besides, he told himself, driving the not-so-gracefully-aging sedan provided an important detail in his poor-store-clerk persona.
    He pocketed the claim check, surprised that, despite the area’s growth, he’d made good time on his way across the island. With a few minutes to kill before he met Charlie, he chose one of the paths that meandered through the resort. Studying the plants that grew in abundance wherever he looked, he wondered if the soil in the area was as fertile as it looked. Ever since he’d unpacked his bags in the guest room of Aunt Charity’s little bungalow, he’d been toying with the idea of expanding The Grape onto Mimosa Key. In his mind’s eye, he pictured the new store surrounded by a small vineyard. The possibility called for a scouting trip, and he added it to a growing list of items he planned to accomplish before he headed home to Atlanta.
    The sound of waves breaking on the beach drew him when he’d reached what appeared to be the northernmost tip of the property. Standing at the end of the path, he scanned the nearly deserted beach, his gaze homing in on a slender figure walking barefoot in the wet sand.
    Charlie.
    Unaware of his presence, she danced into the waves. Rushing water pooled and eddied around her ankles, and his mouth went dry. Her long blond hair shimmied across her shoulders, the movement stirring a longing below his belt. The urge to cross from the shade of the tall palms to her side surged through him. Only the sternest of reminders kept him in place. As tempted as he was by Charlie’s curves, he couldn’t afford