Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby
    The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby
    The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby
    Ebook180 pages3 hours

    The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby

    By Cristina Grenier and Sasha Smith

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Delia Kincaid had escaped a childhood of poverty and the stigma of being the daughter of a murderer. She had gone to college, but hadn't decided what she wanted to do with her life, so she had secured a good job as a lead sales associate in the men's wear section of one of Scottsdale's finest department stores, Peters and Son. Then Ivan Peters entered her department and her life would never be the same. 

    Ivan Peters was orphaned at the age of eighteen. The car accident that killed his parents and younger sister left him unable to father children. He inherited his family's billion-dollar real estate and retail empire and was doing nicely for himself. He lived on a thousand-acre ranch outside of Scottsdale. When his grandparents came to spend the winter in sunny Arizona, he took them shopping in his department store. The salesgirl first caught his eye and then his heart. 

    When his private secretary was killed in a car accident, he hired Delia to come live on his ranch in a guest cottage and work for him. Their relationship quickly blossomed to the point where Ivan was considering proposing to her. But when Delia told him she was pregnant, he was devastated. Even though she swore that he was the only man she had in her life, he knew that he couldn't possibly father a child. So he did the only thing he could do: he sent her away on an extended business trip. 

    Will Ivan discover the truth about Delia's pregnancy? Will he discover the truth about himself? Will an unborn baby bring them back together again? Journey with Ivan and Delia as they work through this crisis and learn that time truly can heal. 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMonster Media LLC
    Release dateApr 2, 2019
    ISBN9781386564652
    The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby

    Read more from Cristina Grenier

    Related to The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby

    Related ebooks

    Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Prevarication Jones

      May 1, 2019

      Prevarication Jones
      16 min read

    • Article

      I Finally Feel That I’m Free

      Jan 29, 2020

      I Finally Feel That I’m Free
      11 min read

    • Article

      Last Love

      Dec 8, 2023

      Last Love
      13 min read

    • Article

      LOST Summers

      Jun 14, 2023

      LOST Summers
      3 min read

    • Article

      ‘Our Secrets To A Lasting Love’

      Sep 4, 2023

      ‘Our Secrets To A Lasting Love’
      6 min read

    • Article

      Exotic Bird In The Paddock

      Oct 16, 2023

      Miles the sheep farmer was coming to Lush Places to fix our leaking water troughs. He sent a text message to say he was here. I hopped over the stile, in my stylish, mud-smeared, sheepbitten paddock shorts and saw him at the far end of our pear orcha

      2 min read

    • Article

      WELCOME TO OZ’S friendliest TOWN

      Sep 7, 2022

      Trudging down the street in 43-degree heat, I felt like I was melting. It was January 2019 and, having just arrived in Leeton from the UK, the heat was exhausting. I’d been keen to move overseas, so when I found a job in Leeton, outback NSW, I jumped

      3 min read

    • Article

      Home Is Not A House

      Jun 1, 2021

      Home Is Not A House
      7 min read

    • Article

      My Country Childhood

      Sep 4, 2019

      AUTHOR AND FORMER executive director of the Australian Writers Guild, Angela Wales, 71, moved from Bondi in Sydney to Walcha in the Northern Tablelands of NSW when she was five years old. Angela’s father, Bob, was to take over a struggling sheep prop

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Wildest Place OF ALL

      Mar 9, 2022

      The Wildest Place OF ALL
      9 min read

    • Article

      Reunited In 7 Hours!

      Oct 26, 2023

      Reunited In 7 Hours!
      2 min read

    • Article

      BITS & PIECES

      Feb 1, 2022

      I was 5 years old in 1937 and “ helping” my dad cut fodder in the field for our hogs and cattle. It was a warm day in August. Dad was cutting the cornstalks with a corn knife by hand, and then throwing them onto the hayrack. The hayrack was pulled by

      4 min read

    • Article

      Your Page

      Jul 20, 2022

      It is late on a Friday evening, and the cool of the season has seen me add a final winter layer to my bed, a lovely plush blanket in a deep grey. As I take my time to flick through the pages of the June issue, I am in awe at how you so perfectly capt

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Love Story For The Ages

      Nov 4, 2020

      A Love Story For The Ages
      13 min read

    • Article

      THE DUKE OF Edinbrough Hotel

      Nov 13, 2019

      THE DUKE OF Edinbrough Hotel
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Light Left Burning

      Jan 13, 2020

      A Light Left Burning
      9 min read

    • Article

      Looking for Home

      May 10, 2019

      Looking for Home
      7 min read

    • Article

      SURPRISE! I FOUND My Long-lost Family!

      Mar 29, 2023

      When am I going to have a sister?’ I asked my mum, Jessie. I was 13, and while I loved my brothers Duncan, then 16, and Robert, nine, sometimes they’d get on my nerves! Mum and my dad, William, had met in 1944, when Dad was on leave from the army. He

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Parent Trap

      Jun 25, 2022

      IF MY LIFE GOES as planned (something it rarely does), my wife and I will have just returned from Alaska when this magazine hits newsstands. I have avoided Alaska for 61 years, there being no compelling reason to go there. But now my younger son, Sam

      3 min read

    • Article

      BITS & PIECES

      Oct 3, 2023

      I come from a large Italian family, and we knew how to celebrate Christmas! We would gather at my grandmother's— the entire clan of aunts, uncles, and cousins of all ages. I remember one particular Christmas Eve when I was about 6 or 7 years old. My

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Boy Who Fell

      Oct 5, 2022

      The Boy Who Fell
      2 min read

    • Article

      Every ACT OF KINDNESS HELPS

      Aug 4, 2022

      Every ACT OF KINDNESS HELPS
      4 min read

    • Article

      HE SAVED MY LIFE then I became HIS WIFE

      Jun 30, 2021

      Ailsa Gawthorne, 93, Central Coast, NSW Splashing around in the pool, my friend Mavis and I giggled. ‘This is fun,’ I said. It was 1945 and aged 17, Mavis’ parents had taken us on holiday. We were spending the day at Lismore Baths, in NSW. I couldn

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby

    3.5/5

    10 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby - Cristina Grenier

      Cristina Grenier Presents

      The Billionaire’s Unexpected Baby

      Sasha Smith

      Want to receive a FREE copy of this

      full length BWWM Romance by bestselling author Cristina Grenier?

      Click the cover below.

      Chapter 1: Boy Meets Girl

      The desert air was fresh and cool as Ivan mounted his favorite horse, a smoke-colored quarter horse officially named Apache Tear. He loved going for early-morning rides when the temps were still reasonably cool. A third-generation real estate tycoon, thirty-two-year-old Ivan Peters lived alone in a southwestern-styled, single-story, sixteen-room upscale home that was situated on a thousand acres of prime desert land northeast of Scottsdale, Arizona, that he had dubbed Shadow Mountain Ranch. The Rio Verde, on its way southwest out of Bartlett Reservoir, ran through a small stretch of the eastern edge of his property.

      His spread was bounded on the northeast by a string of hills, but his compound, as he referred to it, was on a nice flat stretch of about 30 acres. Here were his house, barn, horse corral, and the homes of his household staff, a private tennis court, and of course, his private swimming pool.

      As he headed Apache for the foothills that early fall morning, his cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he saw that it was his grandfather calling. Alexander Peters still lived in the small Oregon town of Forest Grove where his father had first settled when he took his young family and fled the Bolshevik Revolution in 1920. Land was still inexpensive in rural Oregon at that time. Great-grandfather Mikhail Petrov had been a wealthy aristocrat in Russia prior to the Revolution. Thanks to his ingenuity, he had been able to convert his assets into cash. Through secret connections, he sent it out of the country to Switzerland, where he was able to retrieve it before sailing for America.

      Even though things were different in America, Mikhail Petrov, who became Michael Peters when he went through Ellis Island, was a very savvy businessman. He taught his two sons to be the same. He bought up property in Oregon and other places, and eventually owned several city blocks in downtown Portland. His son, Alexander, who was Ivan’s grandfather built on his father’s holdings, and Ivan’s father, Adrian, continued building the empire until he was tragically killed in an automobile accident that also killed his wife Evvie, their daughter Cecelia, and seriously injured Ivan. Ivan was eighteen years old at the time, and with the oversight of his grandfather, assumed his father’s position in the business.

      Hello, Granddad, Ivan said, answering the call. How are you feeling this morning?

      The damp Oregon air aggravated Alex Peters’ arthritis, but so far he had refused to move down to the desert, as Ivan had suggested so many times before. Ivan loved the desert and had made Arizona his home just as soon as he was able.

      Hello, son, Alex replied. I’m doing all right for an old man. But I wanted you to know that your grandma isn’t doing so well.

      I’m sorry to hear that, Ivan said with feeling.

      He adored his grandparents, who had filled in for his own parents after their deaths.

      Is it her arthritis again?

      No. Well, yes, partly. But it’s mostly her lungs. She’s got pneumonia and bronchitis and can’t seem to shake it.

      You know you’re always welcome to come down here, Ivan reminded him.

      Well, that’s what I called for, son, Alex said. We were wondering if we could stay with you for a short time until we can find a place of our own to at least stay there part of the year. Winter’s coming here, and I don’t know if your grandma can take another cold, damp winter.

      You are more than welcome, Granddad, Ivan assured him warmly. Do you want me to come up and get you? I can bring the motorhome and both of you can ride in comfort all the way down. That way there’ll be plenty of room for your things, too, that you want to bring. Will you be selling the home place?

      Oh, no, at least not at this point, Alex said hastily. Your uncle Mike wants to keep it in the family. But it would be nice for you to come get us. We’d like that very much.

      When do you want me to be there?

      Can you come right away? the old man asked.

      I can leave tomorrow, Ivan replied. I think I can make it in two days. I’ll be there by Thursday at the latest.

      Thank you, son, thank you, he said heartily. We’ll be ready for you.

      After the call, Ivan continued on with his horseback ride for about an hour, just enjoying the desert sunrise, the cool morning air, and the scenery. When he arrived back at the house, Mrs. Potter, his cook, had his breakfast ready. As he ate, he made notes on his iPad of the things he needed to do to be ready to leave the following morning. There wasn’t a lot. He liked to keep his life as simple and organized as possible. But he needed to notify all of his staff of his departure, and take last week’s batch of bills and receipts to his accountant in town.

      After breakfast, he sent a text message to all of his staff requesting them to meet in his office in thirty minutes. His office, although part of the house, had an outside entrance that the staff and any other business callers used. In precisely thirty minutes all six were there. His secretary wasn’t due in for another half hour, so he would fill her in when she got there. Mrs. Lindahl was the only staff member that lived offsite. The others all had their own homes scattered around the main compound.

      Good morning, people, Ivan began when everyone was there and seated. "I’m leaving in the morning to go to Oregon to pick up my grandparents. They are ailing and want to come down here for the winter where it’s warmer and drier. Mrs. Madden and Mrs. Randall, would you both please dust and air out the yellow bedroom and make sure that it and its bathroom are clean and ready for them? Also, if they will accept, I’d like for them move into the guest cottage, so if you’ll ready it, too, I’d appreciate it.

      I want them to stay in the house with me for a few days until I make sure they’re all right and to give them time to decide if they want to stay here or find a place closer to town. So, that being said, I’m leaving in the morning, and will be gone about a week or so. It will take me two or two and a half days to get there, and maybe longer to come back. And of course, I’ll be there at least overnight. So you all know what to do, and thank you for doing it. That’s all for now.

      So saying, he dismissed them. Ivan treated his staff extremely well, but he liked to be formal with them to the extent of referring to them as Mr. or Mrs., rather than using their first names. He thought it gave dignity to their otherwise fairly humble positions. He provided housing to each of the three couples, two days a week off, a good salary, and access to his tennis court and his riding horses. Each home had its own swimming pool, so he reserved his for himself and his own guests.

      Three weeks later, Ivan had helped his grandparents settle into a senior housing community in Scottsdale that was close to shopping, restaurants and medical services. They sincerely appreciated his offer of the guest cottage, but preferred to be in town. Grandma Irena was already feeling better in the dry climate and was enjoying the upscale shopping and entertainment in Scottsdale. She might be past eighty, but when she felt good, she was still a woman who loved shopping and the theater.

      Soon after Ivan got them all settled into their new condo, he offered to take them shopping. He wanted to show them around town so they could learn where things were. He also wanted them to see the local Peters and Son Department Store, of which he was justifiably proud.

      The three of them were browsing in the men’s wear department because Granddad wanted a couple pairs of Bermuda shorts and some short-sleeved shirts to go with them. A lovely young woman, whose nametag announced that she was Delia, came up and introduced herself and asked if she could be of assistance. The trio gladly accepted her offer, but didn’t reveal to her who they were. Ivan had learned from his granddad that it was best to enter their business holdings incognito. That way they would get a true picture of how their customers were being treated. If the employees knew that they were the owners, they would fall all over themselves to be extra helpful and polite.

      I’m looking for a couple pairs of shorts, miss, Alex told her. We just came down from Oregon to spend the winter, and I’m afraid that I don’t have appropriate clothing for your wonderful climate.

      Welcome to Arizona, sir, Delia said in a professionally friendly tone. I’ll be happy to help you select what you need. And you, too, sir? She directed this question at Ivan.

      No, thanks, he replied. I live here, so I’m good for now. These are my grandparents that have finally given in and come down to escape Oregon’s cold dampness.

      Ivan watched and admired the way this young woman skillfully guided his granddad around the multiple racks of men’s clothing and helped him find items that suited him. Not only was she very friendly, polite, and knowledgeable, but she was also beautiful. He guessed she was at least part black, but he wasn’t sure to what heritage he could attribute her high, finely chiseled cheekbones. Native American? Maybe. Her skin was a deep golden brown, and her dark brown hair was straight and long.

      After his granddad had been outfitted, Delia skillfully steered them over to the women’s clothing where she introduced them to Debbie, the sales associate in that department so she could assist his grandma. Ivan was sorry that Delia couldn’t stay with them, but the sales associates were trained to stay within their own assigned departments. He took note that he would definitely need some new clothes very soon. Next time he’d come back alone.

      Indeed, it was only two days later that Ivan discovered that his favorite pair of riding jeans were becoming frayed at the leg hems. Right after breakfast he headed for his own department store. He had gotten into the personnel records for the store and perused Delia’s file. He noted her college education and wondered why she was working as a sales associate in his store.

      Delia was with another customer when Ivan entered the men’s wear department. He browsed close enough to her that he could observe her actions without seeming to watch her. She was just as professional and friendly to this customer as she had been to him and his grandparents a couple of days prior. It wasn’t too long before Delia approached Ivan to see if she could help him.

      So, you decided you did need something after all, Delia said to Ivan as she walked over to him.

      Her eyes twinkled in a slightly mischievous way as she smiled up at him. Definitely beautiful, he jotted down on his mental notepad.

      Yeah, I went to put on my favorite jeans this morning and noticed they’re looking a little sadder than usual. Just about the time I get a pair good and broke in so they’re comfortable, they start getting holes in them, he complained. I know holey jeans are acceptable in many circles these days, but I just won’t go there.

      I know what you mean, Delia said. I can’t figure out why people pay good money to buy jeans that look like they’ve been drug behind a horse through the desert for a week.

      Do you like to ride? Ivan asked.

      I do, but I rarely get the opportunity anymore, she told him. Growing up, my best girlfriend had horses and I rode with her every chance I got.

      She likes to ride, he added to his mental notepad.

      These jeans right here look like new jeans should, but they’ve also got that broken in feeling, so they’re comfortable from the first day you wear them, Delia said, holding up a pair for Ivan to see.

      He felt the texture and liked it.

      I see what you mean, he said appreciatively.

      Delia scanned him from the floor to the waist.

      Let’s see … maybe a thirty-six length and a thirty-two waist?

      You are right on, Ivan exclaimed, amazed that she’d guessed his size so accurately. How’d you do that?

      If I told you my secret, I’d have to kill you, she said in a conspiratorial tone.

      Ivan chuckled. He liked this girl. She wasn’t only pretty, she was smart and funny, too.

      I’ll take two pair, Ivan said, reaching for another from the cubicle that held the jeans.

      Anything else for you today? Delia asked. A new shirt to go with the jeans?

      No, thanks, I’m good for today, Ivan said. Besides, if I buy everything at once, I won’t have an excuse to come back and see you very soon.

      He gave her a mildly flirty look, which he thought made her blush. He couldn’t tell for sure, given the dark color of her skin. She lowered her eyelashes demurely, then looked into his eyes as if to see how much he was putting her on. She decided he likely was just a cute guy flirting with her. Nothing more. No problem—she didn’t mind at all. Made the day more fun.

      Ivan was loath to leave, but he knew he’d be back before long. This girl piqued his interest more than any had since … well, since high school days. And Melanie.

      Melanie had been his high school sweetheart since they were both freshmen. At their senior prom, Ivan had proposed to her and she had accepted. Then came the horrible car accident that had taken the lives of his parents and sister and had put him in the hospital for a month while his broken bones and internal injuries healed.

      Melanie had been faithful to visit him in the hospital until the day she learned that his male reproductive organs had been damaged and he would likely never be able to father children. He could function as a man, but the damage rendered him sterile. She told him she was sorry, but that was a deal breaker for her. She went off to college after that, and he never saw her again.

      Melanie had not only broken his heart, but she, as well as the prognosis, had seriously damaged his male ego, too. He had dreamed of passing

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1