Christmas Baby for the Billionaire (South Shore Billionaires 1)

“My client. And my friend.”

“How has his year been rough?”

Jeremy frowned. “It’s not really my place to say, you know? He’s a private guy, and I respect that. But if he wants to be invisible, I’m going to help him get what he needs and make sure it’s a good investment. I don’t think he’ll live here full-time, at least not after a while.” He looked over at Tori. “As his friend, my hope is he’ll put himself back together, and use this place as a summer home. Get back to throwing parties and having fun. He needs to smile again.”

Tori wondered what could be so awful that Jeremy couldn’t talk about it, but she respected his desire to protect his friend’s privacy. “He’s one of your Merrick friends?”

Jeremy nodded. “Yep.”

The drive to Pleasantville wasn’t long, and Jeremy had just finished his coffee when they pulled through iron gates into a long drive.

At the top was a gorgeous gray-shingled house with a three-car garage attached. Tori’s breath caught—it was so cozy looking despite its size. “How much did you say this was?” she asked, scanning the yard, which was covered with a thin layer of snow.

“One point four.”

“It doesn’t seem quite that grand.”

He chuckled. “You wait. It’s three acres on the water, and the bottom floor is a walkout. It looks much bigger from the back than the front.”

He led her to the front door and then opened the lockbox, giving them entry. She stepped inside and gasped. It was so airy and light and beautiful!

She took off her boots and left them on the rug at the door, then stepped onto the silky hardwood. “Okay, so you’re right. It’s bigger inside than it looks from the outside.”

He took her on a walk-through. The kitchen walls were a pale yellow, with white cupboards and woodwork, and granite countertop along the counters and the center island. Stainless steel appliances gleamed in the morning sun, and Tori couldn’t stop herself from oohing over the double wall ovens. Their footsteps echoed through the rest of the downstairs rooms, and then they went up the curved staircase to the next level, where several of the rooms had windows overlooking the water. Even the en suite bathroom was perfectly situated so that one could soak in the oversize tub and look out at the river and a huge tree standing sentinel by a small dock.

“A dock for a boat.”

“Yes. And a short sail down the river to the ocean. What do you think?”

She laughed. “It’s beautiful and ginormous. You’ve seen my cottage. What would I ever do with this much room?”

She could feel his gaze on her as she wandered to the windows of the master bedroom again. “But it is lovely. Truly. And despite the size, it feels like a home. That’s nice.”

They put their shoes back on and wandered around the outside for a bit, and Tori discovered he was right. The house’s most impressive aspect was from the river, looking in. Three stories of large windows shone in the sunlight.

“Kids could play here,” she mused. “It’s just a gentle slope to the water. And gardens. Are there gardens in the summer?”

“Yes, though, of course, we can’t see them now.”

“Wow. Is this the kind of place you always show, Jeremy?”

He laughed. “Yes and no. This type of property would cost a lot more in other areas. And some of the properties in Manhattan would stop your heart.”

“Like yours?”

He shrugged. “I live on the Upper East Side. It’s not known for being cheap.”

She put her hands in her pockets and squinted up at him. “How much was your place?”

He met her gaze. “Just over four.”

“Million?”

He nodded. “It’s pretty modest. I didn’t need someplace huge and empty, you know?”

“Oh, my—”

He burst out laughing then and she joined in, just because it all seemed so incredulous and the sound of his laughter filled her with some sort of strange joy.