The Dom's Hostess E-Book

Michelle Love

• Herausgeber: Michelle Love
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

I run empires, and I don’t bend—until her.
A fiery hostess at the resort, she defied me at every turn.
I saw a challenge, so I made her a deal: give me the summer, and I’ll show you who’s boss.
She agreed, but she didn’t play by my rules. I left her behind, thinking I’d won—wrong move.
Now I’m back, and she’s hiding something that binds us forever.
I thought I called the shots, but she’s holding all the power.
She’s mine—I know it, she knows it—and this time, I’m not leaving without her.
No one tames me, but damn if she doesn’t try.

Keywords: Guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers, happily ever after. billionaire, bad boy, office romance, steamy romance, contemporary romance, love books, love stories, new adult, alpha male, romance, action, adventure, steamy romance, small-town secrets, hot, alpha hero. free book, free novels, romantic novels, and sexually romantic books.

Leseprobe

THE DOM’S HOSTESS

A BILLIONAIRE SECRET BABY ROMANCE

(Island of Love Series Book 1)

––––––––

By Michelle Love

©Copyright 2024 by Michelle Love

All rights Reserved

In no way is it 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. All rights are reserved.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

Contents

THE DOM’S HOSTESS

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Blurb:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Sneak Peek - Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

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Blurb:

I’m a man of order. Control.

I prefer things to be exactly as I want them.

And with the amount of money and power I have,

That’s never an issue.

Until I met Nova Blankenship,

The tempting hostess at the tropical resort I’m staying at.

It’s been a while since my urges to dominate have been awakened,

And Nova is exactly the kind of woman that could use a man’s strong hand to soothe out her rough edges.

Work hard, play harder.

Those are the only words I live by.

But the more I try to break down her barriers,

To own her body and soul...

The more I realize that in the end,

She might be the one owning me.

Chapter 1

Nova

I walked along the sandy white beach, watching as the crystal clear water lapped at the shore. I was on my way to an important interview, but I couldn’t resist taking my time to take in the tropical beauty. 

Leaving my work family at Club Contiki, the bar I’d worked at in the Florida Keys for years, wasn’t something I’d ever considered before, but when you get an invitation to interview for a job at a new Caribbean resort for one of the world’s most renowned billionaires, you’d be stupid to pass up that opportunity.

Galen Dunne, best known for developing cutting-edge automobile software, designing marine vessels that looked like they came straight out of a James Bond movie, and planning expeditions into space, was working on something a little different for his next project. The enigmatic billionaire now owned an island of his very own—and they were hiring. 

Mrs. Chambers, the woman who’d contacted me through my work e-mail, told me they were searching for just the right people to staff this island. Galen wanted it to become a resort for the wealthiest of the wealthy, and they needed people with experience to run the place.

I’d been working as a concierge at Club Contiki for the last few years. Before that, my family had run a small resort inland. I’d grown up catering to guests. Making sure that everyone had a good time or that they were left alone to relax—came naturally to me. I was great at helping people achieve whatever they wanted. 

When my parents retired, I looked for work in the same industry. Club Contiki took a chance on me, putting me in housekeeping at first. Their clientele—mostly celebrities—demanded they hire only people who knew how to control themselves around famous people.

Although I’d grown up catering to average people, ones with regular social status and normal jobs, I have a knack for regarding everyone for exactly what they are—human. In short, I’m not one to fawn over someone just because of their net worth or fancy career.

Treating all people with respect and judging them based on their character has been my motto. So far, it’s worked in my favor. After one summer of housekeeping, I moved forward to guest services. That meant I was doing much more interesting things than simply making beds and sweeping sand off the floor.

I’d had lots of fun working at Contiki, but maybe I’d have even more fun working at this new, mysterious-sounding resort—especially because that resort happened to be in the gorgeous Caribbean. 

That’s why I’d accepted Mrs. Chambers’s invitation and invited her to be my guest at Contiki for the weekend. 

With the summer season still a few months away, there were plenty of empty suites available. One perk of working there was being able to have guests from time to time when availability afforded it.

One of the hostesses had seated Mrs. Chambers at a table near the water, making sure she had a tropical cocktail in her hand. Her blonde hair flowed behind her in the warm breeze coming off the ocean, and she looked regal as she sipped the blue cocktail from the slender glass.

“Hello, Mrs. Chambers,” I greeted her with a warm smile. “I’m Nova Blankenship.”

Rising to a full six-foot-something, she reached out to shake my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Blankenship. Thank you so much for making me your guest this weekend. I have to say that no other candidate has offered such a gesture for me throughout this interviewing process.”

Motioning to the chair she’d gotten up from, I moved to take the one on the other side of the small table for two. The high bar-style chairs had my feet dangling over the sand while her long legs reached all the way to the ground where her bare feet trailed in the sand. “Please, let’s sit and get to know one another.”

With a nod, she picked up her drink again. “This is delicious, by the way. Thank you for having it sent to me. Is that a hint of mango I taste?”

“The bartender is a master of concoctions. He uses coconut water as the base and all sorts of tropical fruit-infused rums.” I crossed my legs at the ankles, propping one foot on the bar under the chair and leaning back to take in a nice deep breath of sea air. “I would love to know more about this private island Mr. Dunne purchased.”

“It’s gorgeous,” she said as she beamed at me. “He’s a genius, as you’ve likely already heard. His ideas are beyond compare, and this one is no different. His plan is to establish the private resort as a haven for the world’s wealthiest people.” She waved her long, elegant hand through the air as she shook her head. “I’ve already told you that in the e-mails we’ve exchanged this last month. I hate to waste time saying the same old things. Don’t you?”

“It bears repeating, I would think,” I replied with a smile. Molly, the waitress serving our table, walked up to one side of me, capturing my attention. “Good afternoon, Molly.”

“Afternoon, Nova.” She smiled and nodded at my guest whom she’d met earlier. “Mrs. Chambers, are you enjoying your drink?”

“I am.” Mrs. Chambers took another sip. “When you get a chance, another would be great.”

“Of course,” Molly said before turning her attention to me. “You’re not on the clock, Nova. Care for anything?”

“Why not? I’ve got the weekend off to spend time with my guest.” I figured I could relax a bit myself. “Bring me one of the same, please, Molly.”

“I’ll be right back.” She looked over her shoulder at me as she walked away. “Should I make a reservation for dinner tonight for you and your guest?”

I’d already made all our plans for the weekend. I wanted to let Mrs. Chambers see what I could do. “That’s not necessary, Molly. I’ve already taken care of all the arrangements myself. Thank you for offering, though.”

As Molly walked away, Mrs. Chambers’s expression looked to be one of approval as she gazed at me. “I’ve got to tell you that I adore your style, Miss Blankenship.”

“Thank you. And please, call me Nova.” I didn’t much care for formal names.

“Okay. Then you must call me Camilla.” Reaching across the table, she placed her hand on top of mine. “I don’t often ask anyone to call me by my first name.”

“I’m honored.” I meant that, too. I could tell the woman had a lot of credentials to back her up. I admired her already. “I’ve told you about my background in guest services, but what I haven’t told you yet is what I want for my future. Care to hear?”

“Please.” She sat up, curiosity filling her pretty face. The woman had excellent bone structure. She couldn’t have been more than forty, and she’d kept herself in shape, too. “What does the future look like for you, Nova?”

Running my hand through my hair to move it out of my eyes, I looked up at the cloudless blue sky. “I love to work hard, and I adore living in paradise. I love what I do, and I want to keep moving ahead with this line of work. I want to move up and up until there’s nowhere else to go. I want to take college classes and gain a degree so that I can one day earn a management position with a resort.” 

I thought about how I wanted to pay for my schooling and added, “I don’t want to get into debt to get my degree, though. That’s what I’ve been planning since I began working here three years ago when I was just twenty years old. Out of every paycheck, I’ve put ten percent into an account to be used one day for tuition. And I would probably like to continue working as much as possible while taking classes.”

“Smart.” She picked up her drink and drained the last drops from it.

Molly returned with our drinks, replacing Camilla’s and placing mine in front of me. “Here we go, ladies. Is there anything else I can get you two?”

“How about some lobster nachos?” I asked as I looked at Camilla.

“Sounds yummy.” She licked her lips.

“Okay. Molly, an order of the nachos for two, please.” Picking up my drink, I took a sip. “This is so good.”

“I’ll let William know that you’re both enjoying the cocktails,” Molly said as she turned to leave. “I’ll get those nachos and be right back.”

Camilla cocked one brow at me. “And when you have enough money saved to go to college, will you need to be inland to do that?”

“No, ma’am. I’m going to take online classes.” I’d already researched everything and planned it all out. “I’ve already got the college picked out and everything. I’m just waiting on that savings account to fill up.”

Camilla chewed her lower lip, seeming to think about what she wanted to ask me next. Then it popped out, “You wouldn’t want to tell me what you’re making now, would you?”

Moving the drink off the cocktail napkin Molly had placed it on, I pulled a pen out of my pocket and jotted my salary on it before pushing it toward her. “There it is.”

“Hmm,” she mused. “I can see why it’s been taking you a while to get that savings account fattened. At this rate, it’ll take you at least three more years.” Tapping her chin with one long, pink nail, she looked deep in thought. “I can assure you that you’ll have what you need before a year has passed if you take the job I’ve got to offer you.”

“A year?” I asked with enthusiasm. I knew she was right; it would take at least another three years to save enough to start taking classes—and that was only if no emergencies came up to deplete the savings. “Okay, may I ask a few questions about this job?”

“Ask away.” Camilla’s eyes widened when Molly set down a heaping plattere of nachos. “Oh, my goodness. That looks and smells delicious!”

“I can promise that you won’t be disappointed, Mrs. Chambers,” Molly said with a grin.

Popping a lobster-covered tortilla chip into her mouth, Camilla moaned. “So good.”

“Thank you, Molly,” I said. “They do look especially great today.”

“I’ll be back to check on you ladies in just a bit. Enjoy,” Molly said, then left us alone.

Ignoring the food for a moment, I asked, “What exactly would I be doing at this job?”

“You would be making sure our guests have everything they need to have an enjoyable time.” She picked up another chip. “But that doesn’t mean you’d have to do anything that you don’t want to do.”

“So, this isn’t the kind of job where I’d have to accept any...positions that I might not want?” I wanted to make sure we were talking about the same thing. Sex.

With a nod, Camilla scooped up a good amount of the creamy lobster sauce. “Sex isn’t restricted between staff and guests. That said, we won’t allow our staff members to accept money or gifts in exchange for it, and we’d never ask it of them. We’re only hiring adults. Our guests will mostly be adults. We understand that these things might come about naturally, but some guests may bring younger family members or friends. Obviously, underage sex is a no-no, but as far as staff and adult guest relations go, Mr. Dunne hasn’t restricted interactions between them.”

“I don’t like to mix business with pleasure in that regard,” I let her know. “It makes for hard feelings and is bad for business, in my opinion. I wouldn’t be having any relations of that sort with any guest or coworker at your resort.” Her description was giving me a better idea of what the job really was. “What you want is a concierge. Is that right?”

“Um,” she put the sauce-laden chip into her mouth as she contemplated my question. Swallowing it down, she took a drink, then answered, “We don’t want to call you by that title. We want to make things simpler. Your title would simply be hostess. You would be expected to treat everyone as your guest and make them feel welcome. It would essentially be what you’re doing for me this weekend: showing me around, planning activities—whatever the guest desires. And I’ve got to say that you’re treating me extremely well. 

Nova, I think you would be perfect for this job. You’re much more impressive than anyone I’ve interviewed so far. So, please tell me what you’re thinking about all of this?”

Everything sounded great so far. “I would need to give my boss a month’s notice. He’ll have to find a replacement for me, and I would need to train them for at least a week or so.”

Getting up from her seat, she came around the table to stand next to me. “I would love to meet this boss of yours and be at your side when you tell him that you’re giving notice and coming to work at Paradise Resort as soon as he can spare you.” She leaned in close to whisper the salary to me, and my head began to spin.

“Really?” I had to ask.

She laughed, throwing her head back. “Nova, things are about to change for you, my dear girl.”

Excitement filtered in, past the shock of being offered a great job with a salary I never would’ve expected. “I’m ready for that, Camilla. Count me in. Let’s go see my soon-to-be ex-boss.”

Chapter 2

Astor

I gazed down into the sparkling azure waters of the Aegean Sea as I leaned against the balcony railing. Coming to my office in Athens, Greece, always feels like coming home to me. I’ve been traveling for business for the better part of the year, and my family was pestering me to take some time for myself. I was finally contemplating doing just that.

Mama and Papa had no idea how much time and hard work it had taken to become the wealthy man I was. At thirty-three years old, I’d probably put in more hours than most retirees. Traveling took most of my time, and meetings with investors and partners negotiating deals took up the rest of it.

All that work left no time for Astor to play.

In my younger years, I’d be deep in the BDSM scene, taking on submissives to help me relax after a hard day’s work. After all, there was nothing like great sex to help blow off steam. But my business grew as I made more and more connections all over the world. My time became too precious to spend molding young females into prime submissive partners.

In the end, I let it all go by the wayside. The last few years had been filled with new endeavors to distract me—one being the construction of an entirely new resort in the Caribbean. My good friend Galen Dunne, whom I’d partnered with in many other business ventures, had bought himself a private island. After spending a couple of years on the island alone, he wanted to make it into a resort.

Galen wasn’t like most people—few people achieved such success. Being a genius who could make money doing almost anything, Galen didn’t want a typical tropical island resort. No, my friend wanted the best of the best. And only people with a similar lifestyle to his would be invited.

One great thing about being friends with Galen was that between he and his friends, no money would ever change hands at his resort. Instead, we traded work for our time on the island. I’d done my part by having the swimming pools and various waterscapes built for the island. Five of the most outstanding pools I’d ever designed went a long way toward making the place he’d named ‘Paradise’ the most beautiful place I’d ever seen. And I’d seen more than my fair share of resorts.

Marble mermaids leaped out of a cavernous waterfall to greet guests as they walked up the pathway to the main building and lobby. Other waterscapes featured a giant squid, seashells, and even a sailboat. My team of builders had done me proud by the end of the project. Galen agreed that he’d never seen such beautiful work.

It had been a few months since I’d been on the island. Once we’d finished the work, I had other things to tend to. I’d been in China after that for a little while, and now I’d finally had a chance to come home to Athens for a bit.

My parents lived in a palatial estate that I’d bought for my family after I’d secured my first huge contract. My father had made his living as a butcher in Athens, and we’d grown up in a modest home in a neighborhood full of working-class families. 

When I made my first million, I told him to retire and to come live in the large home I’d bought for them. They’d all gushed over the home, a six-thousand-square-foot masterpiece of architecture that one of my new colleagues had designed and built in his younger days. He wanted to sell it as he’d built his family a new, larger home.

When I made my first billion, I told them I wanted to sell the house they’d grown to love. Amidst the grumbling of my family, only Mama trusted me. “You all be quiet and let your brother speak. He’s never let us down before. Why should we think he would now?”

When I took them to the new home, a sprawling mansion with the first swimming pool I’d ever designed right in the middle of it, they all forgot about the other home and instantly fell in love with the new one. The looks on their faces had made it all worthwhile. That’s one of the reasons I worked as hard as I did.

The other reason was that I gave my everything to making money. Well, I simply loved it. I loved the excitement of making deals: haggling to get the best price, the best cut of meat, the best materials—you name it. I wanted the best of it. And I became damn good at bargaining to get the best. 

It brought me so much satisfaction, being able to save money on behalf of the people I’d invested in. It made it possible for them to get the best materials they needed for their projects at the best prices. The savings are always funneled back into other parts of the projects, often allowing them to do the best work of their careers. 

So yes, I worked hard so I could provide for my family, but I did it for me as well. By working alongside my father at the butcher shop, I paid my way through a business degree, not wanting to burden him with the cost. As the oldest of six children, I saw it as my responsibility to help my family out—and that meant all of them.

Throughout the years, both of my brothers had married and moved their wives into the home. Nieces and nephews soon began to fill up the massive halls. My three sisters, younger than my brothers and I, waited a few years before marrying. But all of them had. And all of them had moved out to live with their husbands, letting their men provide homes for their families. 

As a Greek man, I knew that my brothers-in-law had pride that would never allow me to provide for the families they’d made. But I gave my sisters and their children extravagant gifts that ensured none of them would ever do without anything they ever wanted.

I could see how happy my siblings were with their families, but I knew that that life just wasn’t for me. Married to my business, I’d made peace with the fact I would never settle down and become what my brothers had grown into loving husbands and devoted fathers.

I loved women, but most of them—other than a submissive—thought me too stern to be a suitable romantic partner. And I agreed. I didn’t care about romance, didn’t have time for love. And certainly no time for all that sappy love talk I’d heard from my brothers and brothers-in-law at times.

No, that didn’t come naturally to me. I’d always been a man who got to the point. If I wanted a woman, I let her know. If she didn’t care for my way of speaking or acting, then she let me know fairly quickly as well. If she liked my stern ways, that was easy to determine as well.

There is no need to complicate things with pretty words or emotions. That’s how I liked it.

As I took in a deep breath of the salty sea air, I thought about what I wanted to do next. So many projects were on the table; it was a daunting task to decide which one to go for next.

When the phone rang and I saw Galen’s name on the screen, I swiped to answer his call. “Galen, hello! It’s nice to hear from you.”

“Glad to make your day, Astor,” he spoke with an Irish accent. Being from Dublin, Galen had made quite the name for himself on the Emerald Isle he called home before moving on to the rest of the world. “I’m callin’ to invite ya to paradise. Next week, we’re having our first guests, and I want ya to be one of them.”

“Next week?” I asked. “So soon?”

“Yes, so soon.” He laughed the hearty way only he could. “Leave your business behind ya for the summer, lad. Ya deserve the break. I’ve got chefs comin’ from all over the world to cook for us this summer. And the staff has been preparing for our arrival, too. Prepare to get pampered, my boy.”

“Pampered,” I echoed him. “Not something that happens too often to me, Galen.” The thought of taking the entire summer off had my blood running enthusiastically. “But spending the days lazing in the sun, swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean does sound pretty wonderful...”

“And invigorating,” he added. “So, when can I expect to see ya?”

“I’m not sure.” Loose ends always needed to be tied up before going anywhere. “I think my assistant has papers for me to sign, and then there’s a meeting I should attend in New York. I think that’s in a week or two...”

“Nonsense. Tell them all you will see them in August. Your May, June, and July are taken up with other things.” He let out another laugh that sounded as if it came straight from his belly. “Things like relaxing on the beach, drinking exotic potions my bartenders are coming up with as we speak, and maybe even a woman or two.”

“Women?” I asked as I laughed. “I doubt I’ll find anyone to have a fling with. Who else have you invited?”

“A handful of people. There will be plenty of eligible women in paradise, you know. After all, what would paradise be without them?” he asked.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had a fling. I don’t know if I remember how to flirt.” I’d never been big on flirting anyway. Flirting didn’t get to the point quick enough.

“Well, the drinks will help ya with that chore, Astor the Greek. I’ll make a note that I’ll be seeing ya on the first day of May in Paradise. Be there or be square.” He laughed at his old joke.

Even though I’d yet to decide whether I’d be going or not, the man had me laughing, something I didn’t often do enough. “You know what? I think I will take you up on this offer, my Irish friend. I’ll see you on the first day of May.”

“I’ll be waitin’ for ya with a cold drink in my hand,” he said. “Or, better yet, I’ll have a beautiful lass waitin’ for ya with a cold drink in her hand. I’ve given each of my esteemed friends their own personal host or hostess. And I’ll pick out just the right gal for you, my friend.”

“Don’t go trying to be a matchmaker, Galen. And don’t have any drink ready for me, either. I’ve given up alcohol and sugar per my personal trainer’s advice.” I also worried he might be offended if I refused the woman he picked out for me to use while on his island. “And I like to pick out my own women if you don’t mind.”

“Oh, I don’t mind a bit. You can pick out of any of them ya like. I just want to give my guests the star treatment by giving them a host or hostess to make sure they get to experience all paradise has to offer. I don’t want any of you to miss out on a thing. There’s so much to do and see—you’ll need a hostess to see to that.”

He’d settled my mind, and now I felt nothing but excitement at the idea of my impending vacation. “You know what? I think this might be just what I need. Thank you, my good friend. I can’t wait to get to paradise for the summer.”

Chapter 3

Nova

The day had finally come. The island’s first visitors were booked to spend the summer in Paradise and would be arriving the very next day. Camilla Chambers had all the hosts and hostesses lined up, ready to receive her news of who would be taking care of which guests. 

“I’ve got the list right here.” She sorted through the stack of papers she held in her hand but looked up as someone entered the lobby. “Mr. Dunne! Hello! What a surprise. I didn’t know you’d be here today. I thought you were coming tomorrow?”

Even though I now worked at the man’s island, I still found it hard to believe that Galen Dunne himself was strolling into the lobby. “Mrs. Chambers, it’s nice to see ya. I wanted to get here early to greet my first guests.” He scanned the line of employees, his blue eyes stopping abruptly on me. “And your name is?”

Grasping the empty spot above my left breast, I realized I’d forgotten to put my name tag on. When Camilla put her hand on her forehead, I knew I’d drawn Mr. Dunne’s attention for the infraction. Hosts and hostesses were always supposed to be wearing their name tags. “Sorry, sir. My name is Nova Blankenship. I didn’t know anyone would be coming today, or I would’ve had my name tag on.”

“Not a problem, lass.” He smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Thank you, sir.” Even though the man was a legend, I felt we’d get along well. “I’m excited to be working for you.”

Cocking one dark brow, he asked, “Are ya now?” His Irish accent put a smile on my face that wouldn’t go away.

“I am, sir.” Vaguely aware that everyone was looking at us, I went on, “I was raised in this business. My parents ran a vacation resort on the Florida coast—I was put to work catering to the guests as soon as I could walk and talk. It’s in my blood.”

“So doing things for our guests will be like second nature to ya then,” he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know who Mrs. Chambers has assigned you to, but I want you to take care of my good friend, Mr. Christakos. He’ll be here in the morning. He designed the many swimming pools and waterscapes around the island.”

My breath caught in excitement. I’d admired the pools and outdoor design; to me, they should be considered works of art. “That would be my great privilege, sir. His work was the first thing I noticed when I got here—and I’ve been captivated ever since. Making sure he has a great time at Paradise would be an honor.”

He patted my shoulder. “Good. I’m glad to make you so happy, lass. I’m sure you’ll show him a wonderful time this summer.”

“Oh, I will. You don’t have to worry about that.” I turned to find Camilla with a paper in her hand.

“Here you go. These are the notes on Astor Christakos and the things he enjoys doing. You can use these notes to make an itinerary for him. I did have you hosting someone else, but I can make this change easily enough.” Camilla leaned in to whisper. “Watch yourself when you meet him. He’s just about the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. But his demeanor takes some getting used to.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.” I folded the paper, putting it into the pocket of my shorts.

Mr. Dunne made sure to greet each host, making conversation with each of us before excusing himself to go to his bungalow to freshen up for lunch. He told us that he looked forward to meeting the rest of the staff before the summer holiday got started. I found him to be much more down to Earth than I thought a man of his stature would be.