Page 24 of Betrayal of a Billionaire

“Why don’t we stop talking about Lydia and try to enjoy this day?” Grant suggested as the car pulled to a stop in a marina.

“Excellent idea, Daddy.” Sierra grinned at him before she climbed from the car into the bright sunshine and shielded her eyes against the glittering water. “You know, Julia, it’s kind of pretty here.”

“It’s very pretty here,” Julia answered as Sierra snapped a few selfies with the view.

“It looks almost as good as I do.”

“Almost,” Julia answered as they strode down the pier. “Which tour company did you book with?”

“Ummm, Captain Luke,” Sierra said.

Grant didn’t miss Julia’s reaction. The smile slid from her face as her footsteps slowed. “Julia?”

“Uh, suddenly, I’m not feeling so well. I think I’ll stay back and–"

“Here it is!” Sierra shouted as she poked a finger at the boat.

A second later, a blur of black and white fur leapt from the boat onto the dock and blazed past them. The dog barreled toward them, showing no signs of stopping.

Grant was about to shove Julia out of the way, afraid the animal may harm her when she dropped to a knee and opened her arms to the wild creature.

“Duchess! Hey, girl!” She rubbed the dog’s ears before she scratched her chin.

“OMG, Julia!” Sierra shouted as she hurried back to them. “Are you okay?”

Julia glanced up as the dog gave her cheek a lick. “Yes, I’m fine. She’s friendly.”

“She doesn’t look friendly,” Sierra said with a shake of her head.

A new voice filled the air as a man hopped to the wooden dock, slicking a dark lock of shoulder-length hair behind his ears. “Hey, folks, you must be the Harringtons. Sorry about Duchess, she’s not normally–" His voice cut off when Julia rose to her feet, eyeing him.

Grant noticed the man’s look of surprise. They must have known each other.

“Juju?” Shock laced his almost-whispered words.

“Hey, Luke.”

Grant flicked his gaze between them, an uneasiness growing in his gut. The way he was looking at her suggested something more than a simple friendship. That look was intimate and personal. A pang of jealousy twisted inside him, unfamiliar and unsettling.

He shifted to eye Julia’s reaction. It sent his unease tumbling into near-panic. The way she looked at him suggested they had unfinished business. Did she still have feelings for him? The exchanged glance threatened everything.

Within seconds, the happy moments they’d shared this morning tumbled into blackness. In the past year, they’d faced murder charges, kidnappings, explosions, scandals, and even a near-fatal car accident that threatened to rip them apart. But for the first time since they’d met, Grant’s wavering confidence plunged to nothing.

Of all the threats they’d encountered, none of them had been her past. And none of them had the power this man seemed to have. He shifted his gaze back to the boat captain, realizing hewas staring at the one thing that could rip Julia away from him easily.

A storm brewed inside him. While composure wasn't always his forte, he typically maintained enough cool to handle any situation. But this time he felt unsteady and off-balance as an alarming anger bubbled within him.

A chilling realization dawned on him. This was no longer about protecting a contract; it was about the woman he loved. At that moment, he faced a disturbing fact–Luke was the biggest threat he’d ever faced.

CHAPTER 6

JULIA

Butterflies flitted inside Julia’s stomach as she rose, hoping her knees held her.

“Juju?” Luke asked, the surprise on his features obvious.

Julia offered him a slight smile, unable to avoid the moment she’d fretted over since her arrival in Harbor Cove. “Hey, Luke.”