Her Intelligent Billionaire: A Clean Friends to Lovers Romance (Billionaire Tech Tycoons & Titans Book 4) Read online

  Her Intelligent Billionaire

  A Clean Friends to Lovers Romance

  Gigi Marlowe

  © Copyright 2019 - All rights reserved.

  It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for buying “Her Intelligent Billionaire: A Clean Friends to Lovers Romance.”

  I hope you’ll enjoy the journey into the lives of Jill, Dillon, their friends and family.

  If you like the book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Reviews are especially important to newer authors, like me. I would be ever grateful, and they help me to create the stories you will continue to enjoy.

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  Keep Reading Happily Ever Afters!

  From my heart to yours,

  -Gigi Marlowe

  ALSO BY GIGI MARLOWE

  The Series: Billionaire Tech Tycoons & Titans

  (The Visions they Follow, The Causes they Fund, The Love they Find)

  Each is a stand alone book with a happy ending.

  “Her Homebound Billionaire: A Love Conquers Fear Clean Romance” **

  “Not Another Billionaire: A Clean Second Chance Romance” **

  “Her Billionaire Dilemma: A Clean Romance” **

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  Table of Contents

  ALSO BY GIGI MARLOWE

  Connect with Gigi

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  ALSO BY GIGI MARLOWE

  Connect with Gigi

  Chapter 1

  Jill checked the time excitedly. Dillon should be calling her soon; he’d said he would as soon as he was settled into his hotel suite. Talking to Dillon was her favorite part of the week. The two had met on the first day of middle school fifteen years ago and had been fast friends ever since. They were practically inseparable growing up, and only distance stopped them from still being inseparable today. Hurry up, Dillon, Jill thought to herself. She checked her phone's ringer one more time to make sure that it was on. Thoughtlessly, she ran a finger through her auburn red waves and fixed her eyes eagerly on her home screen. She smiled as she caught a glimpse of her lock screen photo. It was a picture of her and Dillon at a summer horseback riding camp. Jill had pulled her spirited sable mare close to Dillon’s lazy chestnut gelding. A broad grin was plastered across her face. She had begged and playfully bullied Dillon to come to camp with her that summer. Even though she was at least thirteen years older now, she had still set the photo as her lock screen because it reminded her of a simpler time in her life. A time when she wasn’t worried about if she would ever fall in love. Her only concern then was enjoying the warm sun on her back, the smell of worn leather on horse flesh, and the bright laughter of her best friend. Just then, her phone chimed the familiar melody that could only mean Dillon was calling.

  "Hello!" She smiled into the phone. Grabbing her favorite blanket, a Christmas gift from Dillon, she settled comfortably on her sofa.

  "Hey, there beautiful!" Dillon chimed. The warm tenor of his voice brought back memories of football games spent nestled together among their friends and late night study sessions at her parent's kitchen table. He was the only person in the world whose voice could make her feel like she was reliving every happy memory she had ever made.

  "How was your first flight on your grand vacation with Abigail?" A ping of jealousy swept through Jill. She had met Dillon's girlfriend several times since the two had first started dating. It's not that Jill didn't like Abigail. Truthfully, Jill thought Abigail seemed pleasant enough and the other woman had always been cordial to Jill, but even so, she couldn’t help but feeling that Dillon deserved someone better than Abigail. Someone who doted on him. Someone who would give him the world. Abigail seemed more interested in what Dillon could give her. Jill had talked to Dillon about this before, but he had merely reminded her that she had never liked any of the girls he had dated. He was right, she knew that. No girl had ever seemed good enough for her Dillon. She supposed that she felt that way because Dillon was her best friend. Maybe no one would ever be good enough for him.

  "It was great! We landed in London yesterday for our connector flight," Dillon exclaimed.

  “Why London,” Jill asked.

  “Abigail said she wanted a flight with some detours so we wouldn’t have to fly for such an extended amount of time. I know I didn’t have to, but I went ahead and scheduled a day in between our flight from London to Ireland so we could sight see.” He quickly listed all of the different sites they had visited before adding, "Abigail loved it. She seemed more excited to visit the shops on Oxford Street than she is to meet my family."

  "She's probably just nervous to meet such a huge group of Irish people who are constantly acting the maggot, as your uncle Declan would say," Jill giggled as she tried out one of the few Irish phrases she knew.

  "You know you shouldn't imitate that eejit," Dillon laughed, "he's a few cents short of a nickel."

  "Remember when he came down with your cousins and aunt Miriam?”

  "How could I forget," Dillon groaned.

  "We had the hardest time explaining to him how you and I had both been elected Prom King and Queen without going as each other's dates." Jill's cheeks warmed at the memory.

  Back then, she had suspected that Dillon would be crowned king. Even though he wasn't the most athletic guy in the world, he had always had this way of making every person he spoke to feel like they mattered. She used to say that Dillon never met a stranger. During lunch in high school, he would sit with whoever looked liked they needed company and often had convinced Jill to tag along with him. Dillon had been, and still was, simply one of those people who are easy to love. So, when they had announced that he had been elected Prom King, Jill had beamed with a knowing pride. It was only when they had called Jill's name as the elected Prom Queen that her smile had slipped into an expression of pleasant surprise. That night, the two of them had exchanged apologetic glances to their respective dates while they glided on the dance floor for the "royal dance." To this day, Jill struggled to keep the heat from rising to her face as she thought about the feeling of Dillon's hands pressed firmly against the small of her back.

  "Oh gosh," Dillon huffed, breaking Jill's thoughts, "Uncle Declan had paraded us around the house yelling 'Here come the lovebirds!' I swear Jill," Dillon continued confidentially, "I don't think I have ever been more embarrassed in my entire life."

  "Surely, that wasn't as embarrassing as when you had to explain to your nephew that you and I weren't going to get hitched at our graduation party?"

  "I had forgotten about that," he grumbled. "Was that
the same night that your sister sang Don't Believe a Word by Thin Lizzy to the two of us at an open mic?"

  "No, you're thinking of karaoke night at Rock Box." Dillon began softly humming the melody.

  "Don't believe me if I tell you--," he sang into the phone.

  "--I can't believe you remember that song, Dillon!"

  "Of course I remember," he said before he continued singing, "Especially if I tell you that I'm in love with you." He snorted, and it took everything in Jill not to chuckle at his silliness. "One day," he said as his voice took on a more serious tone, "I'm going to sing that song at your wedding."

  "According to your family, you would be singing that at our wedding," Jill joked. For as long as she and Dillon had been friends, his family, and hers, had said that the two of them would get married. Jill loved Dillon more than any man she had ever dated and, she suspected, would ever date. But he was her best friend, not her lover. As good-natured as Dillon was, she had never felt that passionate spark between the two of them.

  Dillon sighed good-humoredly, and Jill imagined him running his hand through his thick, brown hair. "Let's hope that they won't be too disappointed when I tell them you and I won't be able to marry each other, as they had planned. It will be especially hard since," he paused for dramatic effect, "I'm going to propose to Abigail."

  "What?" Jill's heart fluttered to a stop. "But you all just started dating."

  "It's been almost a year, Jill."

  "But is that enough time?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean," Jill stressed, "you barely know each other."

  "I know that she makes me incredibly happy and she says that I do the same thing for her."

  "But is that enough, Dillon? What happens if one day she doesn't make you happy?" Dillon listened quietly. The silence before he answered stretched for so long that Jill wondered if he was still on the other line.

  "I want to be in love, Jill. The kind of love that you have to pinch yourself to make sure is real. I want a wife that I can grow old with and have a family with. Sometimes," Dillon muttered, "I want that so badly it hurts." Jill considered his argument. While he had always been a visionary and Jill the more practical one, she understood the truth behind his sentimental words.

  "I want that too, Dillon." Longing picked at the edges of Jill's consciousness. She was so tired of being alone. Jill had dated a few guys casually, but no one had seemed to get her. She wanted to be with someone who understood the deepest chasms of her soul. More than anything, Jill wanted to be loved by someone who loved her for exactly who she was, not who they wanted her to be.

  "What would you do if you thought you found that in someone? Would you just let them pass through your life, or would you snatch at that chance of being with your soulmate?"

  "What if you're wrong?"

  "You always told me that anything worth having is worth the risk of having your heart broken by it."

  "You’re almost too intelligent for you own good, Dillon. How could I argue with such wise words?" Jill smiled reluctantly. “And where is your potential heartbreak now?"

  "Oh, she had to make a call to her parents. I think it's sweet how close she is to them."

  Jill clucked her tongue in disapproval. She had noticed that Abigail often excused herself to call her parents while she was supposed to be spending time with Dillon. Jill knew how attentive Dillon was and couldn't help but wonder how Abigail could pull herself away from him. Promising to talk with Dillon again soon, Jill hung up the phone and wondered just what Dillon could see in Abigail that would make him want to marry someone like her. Dillon deserved someone who thought that he had hung the moon and stars. Abigail just wasn't good enough for Dillon. But no matter what, Jill thought to herself, I'll be there for him. That's what best friends are for.

  Chapter 2

  Jill listened sympathetically as Dillon explained how his trip was going with Abigail. It had been a week since the two had flown from London to Dublin and then traveled to Cork. Jill could tell by the strain in Dillon's voice, that not everything was going according to his plan.

  "She just seems so," Dillon searched for the right word, "distracted. I had expected her to marvel at the beauty, you know."

  "Maybe she's not a big nature person."

  "It's Ireland, Jill. Even the most stoic person should be flabbergasted by the sheer magnificence of the rolling hills."

  "And castles," Jill added.

  "Castles! She didn't even blink when we saw the castles." Jill heard the floorboards creak as Dillon paced. "You would love it here, Jill, but Abigail," his voice trailed off. "I can't shake the feeling that she's not who I thought she was."

  "Because she isn't interested in rolling hills and romantic, ancient castles?"

  "No, because," Dillon faltered. "My family doesn't like her," he admitted glumly.

  "Not even Grandma Iva?"

  "No."

  "--but Grandma Iva loves everyone!"

  "Everyone but Abigail."

  Jill gasped in shock. She had met Dillon's grandmother twice, and each time, Grandma Iva had welcomed Jill with a warm hug and a soft kiss on both cheeks. Jill had thought Dillon's grandmother was incapable of disliking a single soul.

  "What am I going to do, Jill?" Dillon pleaded.

  "If Grandma Iva doesn't like her, you might want to reconsider the proposal."

  "But Abigail is so different here.She’s nothing like how she is at home. Back home, she was always interested in meeting my friends. You remember how sweet she was when she met you, right?" Jill did remember, although sweet was not the word she would have used to describe Abigail's behavior when they had first met. Abigail had seemed cordially polite, but definitely not sweet.

  "Well, I do remember that she was a little quiet," Jill said carefully.

  "She was shy," Dillon explained. "When we were driving home, she told me how much she loved you. She thought you were witty and charming." Jill had a hard time believing that Abigail had said that, or, if she had, Abigail had done it to appease Dillon.

  "So has she been shy with your family?"

  "Worse. Abigail's been completely withdrawn. She keeps checking her phone for messages. We'll be at a pub with my cousins or sitting around with my grandparents, and she'll go off to the side on her cell. Then she'll excuse herself to the other room and stay there for the rest of the time. Everyone can hear her taking calls when she should be trying to get to know the family of the man she hopes to marry."

  "Maybe that's the problem," Jill sighed. She didn't want to hurt Dillon, but she knew that if he listened to anyone about Abigail, it would be her. "Maybe she doesn't want to marry you."

  "No," Dillon quickly retorted. "No way. She wouldn't have agreed to take off for three weeks and travel out of the country if she didn't."

  Jill knew that she had to change tactics. Even though she didn't think Abigail was nearly good enough for Dillon, she didn't want to be unsupportive. "Okay, so she loves you. But what if she's not ready to get married, yet? What if meeting your family has made her realize that it’s going a little too fast for her?”

  "She wouldn't have to 'settle down.' We could get married and still do everything she ever dreamed of. She has to know that I’ll support her in all of her endeavors. If she wanted to travel the whole world, we could. I don't ever want to try and force her to be someone she's not. That's not what love is. I just want to join her adventure and be her partner in crime. I think she wants that, too." Jill could hear the hope tinging every one of Dillon's words.

  "Abigail has no idea how lucky she is, does she?" Jill thought out loud.

  "Why, Jill Sinclair, do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

  "Oh, no. I think Abigail must be a saint to agree to put up with you for the rest of her life." Jill laughed and tried to turn the conversation towards lighter topics, but she could tell that Dillon was distracted by his thoughts. After they had hung up, Jill considered why she hadn't been honest with Dillon about her feelings. She ha
d been a tad envious of Abigail. It was hard not to be.

  Abigail had everything that Jill wanted for herself. Not only did she have the kind of looks that could strike a man dead, but she also had a man who loved her for more than just that. A man who appreciated her flaws and supported her dreams, even if they differed from his own. With a heavy heart, Jill wondered if she would ever meet someone who supported her as much as Dillon supported Abigail.

  Falling into the trap of comparing herself to Abigail, she contemplated why she hadn't found love like Abigail had. Abigail was a Grecian beauty with bombshell blonde curls and a modelesque statue. Jill, on the other hand, had shockingly red hair that she liked to call auburn and was athletically lanky. She knew she was beautiful in her own way, Dillon had made sure to continually remind Jill that she was attractive, but Jill also knew that she wasn't what the typical guy dreamed of.

  She had always had a willowy figure that seemed boyish to her while she was growing up. This, coupled with her natural talents in track and field, made it easy for her to fall into the role of a tomboy. As she grew older, she had found that even though she did like to pamper herself with spa days and bubble baths, it was much easier for her to relate to guys rather than girls. Especially since her easy-going, likable personality helped her seem more approachable than other girls. But, over time, she had noticed that her friendliness often left her dateless on Friday nights.