The Billionaire's Jackpot: Betting on You Series: Book Four Read online

  The Billionaire’s Jackpot

  Betting on You

  by

  Jeannette Winters

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  JeannetteWinters.com

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  [email protected]

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  Author Jeannette Winters

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  Copyright

  Kindle Edition

  An original work of Jeannette Winters.

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my sister Ruth Cardello who has mentored me throughout this journey. Everyone should have a baby sister like her!

  I am also supported by a team of beta readers who aren’t afraid to tell me the truth. Thank you for that!

  Karen Lawson, Janet Hitchcock, E.L. King and Marion Arche, my editors as well as Nicole Sanders at Trevino Creative Graphic Design for my cover, you are all amazing!

  To my readers who brings joy into my life with each and every message. Always keep romance in your lives!

  Drew Navarro believed life was a gamble and he was all in. When it came to money, he’d lay a fortune on the table without hesitation. He’d risk anything to win big. That excitement was all he craved until he met Kathrine.

  Katherine O’Malley spent most of her adult life caring for others as a trauma nurse. After suffering her own tragedy, and losing all she had ever loved, she was left feeling broken and lost.

  To have her, he’d have to break his own rules and put more on the table than he could walk away from—his heart.

  To be with him, she’d have to believe a player was worth the gamble.

  Together they discovered they could have the ultimate jackpot—true love.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Other books by Jeannette Winters

  Chapter One

  ‡

  This can’t be good. Being woken by a call at three in the morning could only mean one thing: someone was in trouble. Think positive, Drew. Trent and Elaine had come by earlier that night.

  “Doctor said five more weeks, but I feel like I could deliver this baby now,” Elaine had said as she’d struggled to get off his low couch. He’d encouraged her to wait till she got home, suggesting that delivering a baby in his living room was going to permanently ruin the bachelor pad feel to his place. Maybe her woman’s intuition had been correct and his friend was now a father. Better him than me.

  Searching for his cell phone on the nightstand in the dark was a poor choice. It crashed to the hardwood floor. Dammit. Throwing the covers off, he turned on the lamp. Really? He dragged himself from the bed and retrieved the phone that had landed almost ten feet away. He’d missed one call.

  His original concerns quickly vanished. Katherine O’Malley. Not someone he expected, but her sweet voice was definitely worth waking for. Drew had been haunted by her soft laugh and enticing crystal-blue eyes ever since he’d met her at the event in Napa Valley a few weeks ago.

  They’d exchanged numbers when he’d walked her to her car, and he’d had every intention of calling her before he returned to New York, but as usual, something had come up and the timing had not yet seemed right. He knew that had only been an excuse. He was his own boss, and timing was what he made it to be. No, it wasn’t anything so shallow. Drew knew himself very well, and someone like Katherine deserved a man looking to settle down and give her a family. No matter how his body reacted to hers, how easy it would be to enjoy her for a short time, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. How he was with other women wasn’t going to be enough for her.

  Don’t start what you can’t finish, Drew.

  She was unlike any woman he had ever met. Not only had she been sexy as hell in that tight pink T-shirt and blue jeans that had hugged her round hips, but she’d carried herself in a way that challenged him like no woman had ever done in the past. She was . . . unforgettable. And he’d spent many nights unsuccessfully trying to do just that.

  Wondering why she would call him, he returned her call. “Good morning, Katherine.” A failed attempt to contain the yawn escaped as he crawled back under the sheets and propped himself up on his pillows. “Sorry. How have you been? I’ve been meaning to call you.” Best you got, Drew?

  “I know it’s late, but I would have bet you were a man who would be up till at least midnight,” she answered.

  “You would’ve won that bet; however, I’m on the east coast.”

  There was a moment of silence followed by, “Oh my God. For some reason I thought you were from around here. Not Napa but I thought somewhere in California. Let me call you back tomorrow, I mean later . . . in the morning at a reasonable time,” she stammered.

  “Katherine, you have my full attention. And I meant it when I said I’ve wanted to talk to you. So unless you have any objections to talking to me while I’m in bed, now works for me.” The last thing he wanted to do was disconnect the call so quickly. Thoughts of how she would look lying naked next to him, her long blonde hair sprawled on his pillow, ran through his mind. Don’t torture yourself.

  “Okay, as long as you don’t mind.”

  “Believe me, I don’t.” There was no way he was going to be able to sleep now, so he might as well enjoy what he could—the sound of her voice.

  “Drew, I still can’t believe you are a businessman from New York. They are usually so . . . stuffy. You know, like they are all made from the same mold. You, on the other hand, well you look more . . . relaxed.”

  What does that mean? He wore his hair longer than the others and always had, but by choice. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t have the same insecurities as his friends. Conforming wasn’t something he did, let alone planned on doing. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you.” She laughed softly, and it echoed through him.

  “It was meant as one. After twelve years in the Marine Corp the last thing I want to look at is another buzz cut,” she teased.

  Good, ’cause this is as short as it gets. There were a lot of topics he wanted to discuss with her, but most would only cause more physical frustration than he already felt. He still didn’t know why she’d call, but he wasn’t sorry
she had. She was a welcomed distraction.

  “How long have you been out?” This should be safe.

  “A little more than two years.” Her voice drifted off a bit as she spoke.

  Was that sadness he detected in her voice? Did she miss it that much? If so, why had she quit? He wanted to know, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for the answer. She had been a trauma nurse. God knows what she had experienced. His heart ached for her, for what she must carry with her every day. Another reason why she doesn’t need someone like me. He could offer her a sweet distraction from reality. After all, he had mastered that daily for himself. “I hear adapting to civilian life has its challenges.”

  “Everyone experiences change throughout their life. Good and bad. It can’t be avoided.” Katherine’s tone was controlled.

  He was excellent at reading people, and it seemed there was a lot she wasn’t saying, yet possibly yearned to share. Was this why she had called? Was she woken by a nightmare and needed to talk to someone? And she’d chosen him? He was used to listening to his friends and giving them advice. He actually enjoyed hearing how fucked up their lives got and letting them know what a dumbass they were. But a woman who needed to share, that was going to involve a skill he had never mastered and had no interest in obtaining.

  “I probably should get to why I called.”

  How I wish it was because you couldn’t stop thinking of me any more than I could you. “Here I was thinking you only wanted to hear the sound of my voice,” he teased.

  “That too.” She chuckled. “I also called because of your friend Ross.”

  What the hell? His body tensed like a bucket of ice water had been poured on him. Ross. Really? The call just took a turn in the wrong direction if she was about to tell him she was interested in one of his best friends.

  “What about him?” he reluctantly asked.

  After a short pause she continued. “It’s more about Jill really than him. It’s really confusing, so maybe I should start from the beginning.”

  Much better. He was already aware that Ross was on a bumpy ride with Jill. Nothing would surprise him anymore. “I think that would be a good idea.”

  “Jill’s asleep on my couch right now.”

  “When did she go to Napa?”

  Katherine spent the next thirty minutes explaining Jill’s last-minute arrival and her plan to get Ross’s attention. He could see how another woman may have found Jill’s initial plan flawed, but a man thinks differently. Or not at all. He wasn’t about to correct Katherine that Jill’s initial plan of texting Ross a hot, sexy naked picture of herself probably would have had instantaneous results without all the fluff Katherine thought was needed. Women. Sharing his honest opinion would not prove beneficial to his relationship with Katherine, or whatever this is, so he opted to stay neutral. Times like this needed diplomacy.

  “That all sounds very interesting.” Not really. “Why exactly are you telling me all this?”

  “Drew, how could you have missed that part?” A heavy sigh could be heard over the phone.

  Thinking back, he recalled her saying something about his role. What the hell was it? He had been lost in thought about what he would do if Katherine decided to text him naked pictures of herself. Oh, I wish. “I think I got it.” Not at all but it really isn’t my problem.

  “Really? That doesn’t sound very confident. Don’t overthink it. You said it was easy. All you need to do is somehow make sure Ross looks for Jill.”

  I said that? He didn’t remember saying one word as she’d shared the entire plot. Katherine was more of a sweet distraction than he had realized if she had got him to commit to actually participating in this fiasco. Letting something slip by him like that was extremely unusual, but then again, so was she. This entire thing was getting too complicated for him to follow. Hence, the sexy picture would have worked. “And what exactly do I get out of this?”

  “He’s your friend, Drew.”

  “That’s the reason why I shouldn’t get involved,” he stated. First Jill had met with him, digging for information on Ross, now Katherine was trying to play matchmaker and recruiting his help. How did I get in the middle of this?

  It was obvious these women didn’t understand the male code. We stay out of each other’s shit. Or at least try to. And when he had gotten involved or given an opinion, it was to his buddies. He was able to say what he wanted, not worrying about hurting someone’s feelings. He was already sucked too far into this to back out now. Might as well soak it for what it’s worth. “So, as I said before, what do I get out of this?”

  He waited and finally the answer came. “How about next time you are in Napa Valley, I’ll cook you a homemade meal? Will that suffice?”

  Now we’re talking. Drew wasn’t about to pass up the open-door invite. “I’ll take you up on that offer. Hope this means you are free this coming weekend.”

  Shocked, she asked, “You’re coming back so soon?”

  I am now. “I have business in the area this week. So do we have a deal or are you backing out?”

  “I never go back on my word.” Her serious tone caused him to laugh softly to himself. If I would have known, I would have bargained for more than dinner.

  She proceeded to give him her address, which he wasn’t about to tell her he’d already researched. “In case you really want to make something special for me, I can’t resist chocolate cake.”

  “You think this earns dessert too?” she joked.

  You don’t want to know what I think it earns. But you might just find out. “I do.”

  Her voice softened. “Guess you’ll have to see what you get when you get here. Now go to sleep. It’s almost morning there.”

  The sun was almost up. Drew opted for hitting the gym to burn off his tension. Later that morning he would reach out to Ross, once he had time to plan it through. If he was going to have to do this, then he was going to make it so he got some enjoyment out of it. After all, that’s what friends are for, right?

  Chapter Two

  ‡

  Breakfast with Ross that morning had been entertaining at least. Drew could have come straight out and told him about Katherine’s call and what Jill was up to, but that wasn’t his style. He almost caved when Ross’s face turned an angry red and said he thought Jill spent the night with another guy. But when Ross added that he thought Jill had accidently sent the pictures to him, he almost burst out laughing. Drew had to dig deep into his acting skills to avoid Ross knowing he was privy to the entire plan. Of course that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to use that information to mess with his friend. Ross looked like he was going to blow an artery when Drew had bet he didn’t know where Jill was right now. Ross, you’ve really got it bad, don’t you? Drew had watched first Jon, then Trent, and now Ross go through the same battle: understanding the opposite sex. It was great watching as a bystander what seemed like hell for his friends. Of course that didn’t mean he didn’t bust on them while he doled out his ever-so-valuable advice. Ross was the worst; he needed someone to shake him up. And Jill was just the person to do it. What kind of friend would he be if he interfered and ruined the little game of chase Jill had planned for Ross? One that wasn’t such a jerk, he laughed softly.

  What happened? In no less than twelve months, all his friends seemed to have fallen into the trap. Drew sat smiling to himself as he stretched out on the couch of his jet. Last man standing. He remembered there had been a bet back in college who that would be. Trent thought it would be Jon, but everyone else, including himself, had put money on it being Trent. Should have put some money on Trent getting hitched; God knows I love letting it ride on a long shot. And that summed Trent up perfectly.

  Drew was fast approaching thirty-five, and surprising to all, marriage had never even crossed his mind. Not once. Every time a woman even looked like she was getting serious he broke it off. It wasn’t intentional; it was something more subconscious. Women all seemed the same and only saw his money and comfortable lifestyle. H
e could ignore how shallow they were as long as the sex was good. If it began to become anything more than that, it was time to move on.

  Katherine, on the other hand, was definitely unlike anyone he’d met before. She carried a confidence, not entirely shocking given she’d been a Marine, but there was something else about her. She presented herself in a way that was refreshing. To describe her in one word? Real. From the moment he’d looked into her eyes, he’d seen it. Maybe that was why he had hesitated reaching out to her. He was a lot of things, but real wasn’t one of them.

  No matter how often he told himself this wasn’t a wise choice, he still flew cross-country to what, have dinner with Katherine? No. His intentions were not so honorable. They never had been. He was a gambling man and always would be. His stakes only got bigger as he got older. His friends considered the way he played the stock market a game. Whatever it was, he was extremely successful at it, and he never needed to put on a damn tie if he didn’t want to. No, it wasn’t a game; it was a challenge. Search out what others couldn’t see, snatch it up cheaply, and wait for the right moment. One thing he had learned over the years: timing was everything. Katherine’s call fell into that theory. What he wasn’t able to adequately predict was the result of this endeavor, and that was uncharted territory for him.

  When she called Drew Navarro it had seemed simple, the only rational thing to do. A friend was about to do something stupid, and she wanted someone to help her stop it. That is what friends do, they watch out for each other. She had only done this for Jill to ensure she wouldn’t become brokenhearted, she’d told herself.

  Of course, once she heard Drew’s voice, her body’s reaction told her otherwise, and she used her friend’s plight as a valid excuse to do what he should have done a few weeks earlier. Make the first move. She’d never been afraid to go after what she wanted, yet that never had included male interest. First time for everything. That also seemed to extend to her name. Since childhood, she’d corrected anyone who called her Katherine. It’s KJ. There were many afternoons spent in detention after school for correcting her teachers as well. However, when Drew had said Katherine in his deep, sensual voice, it had sent chills down her spine. Everyone else can call her KJ the rock, unshakable. But for Drew, she’ll be Katherine the woman.