Best Friends With the Billionaire (The Rochesters)

When an innocent deal between friends turns sinful…

Cassie Cooper has never been the kind of girl noticed for her looks. But around billionaire Kirk Rochester, her best friend from college, Cassie wishes she could turn just one head—his. So when Kirk asks her to be his pretend girlfriend to thwart another woman’s unwanted advances, Cassie embraces the opportunity to prove to him that she does have a feminine side.

Disillusioned by a rough marriage that had an even rougher end, Kirk values friendship more than romance. He’s always had a good thing going with Cassie. But he can’t ignore how sexy she is now playing the role of his girlfriend, and soon he’s fighting a dangerous attraction to her. Even though their time between the sheets is scorching hot, he refuses to take it beyond “friends with benefits.” He’s learned the hard way that loving someone is the first step to destroying his heart, and he won’t risk losing the best person in his life by falling in love with her.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Coleen Kwan. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at
www.entangledpublishing.com
.

Indulgence is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.

Edited by Lydia Sharp

Cover design by Heather Howland

Cover art from Shutterstock

ISBN 978-1-63375-611-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition April 2016

Chapter One

The bright yellow-and-red neon sign of the Golden Palace restaurant glowed like a welcoming beacon in the early evening dusk. At the entrance, Cassie Cooper paused to take a deep breath before pushing her way inside. The delicious scent of Chinese food wafted over her, along with the swirling hubbub of talk and laughter. When she reached the bank of fish tanks, she hesitated, scanning the half-filled dining room.

There he is.

Her heart thumped a deep bass note in her chest, and she involuntarily squeezed the strap of her purse. Oh God, why did Kirk still have such an effect on her? He sat near the window, arms folded on the table. Light from the paper lanterns gleamed on his thick dark hair and his impossibly handsome face. He’d taken off his suit jacket and tie, and the sleeves of his pale blue shirt were rolled up at the wrists, revealing muscled, tanned forearms. He was gazing out the window, his expression pensive, hooded eyes giving nothing away.

What was that look about? Was he thinking “Hey, I sure hope my best friend Cassie shows up soon because I can’t wait to see her”? Yeah, right. She could dream.

He turned his head toward her, and their eyes met across the crowded room. His face brightened, and a tight sensation bloomed in her chest as she smiled back at him. She strode forward, right into the path of a waiter bearing a dish of noodles. “Aiya!” the waiter hissed before scurrying past.

Kirk stood, grinning wide. “You would’ve looked funny with chow mein on you.”

Her breathing was all over the place. “I didn’t see him.”

Because all her attention was focused on him. Kirk Rochester. Her best friend since college. He’d been the hottest guy on campus, while she’d been the blue-haired, six-foot misfit. Now, he was still the hottest guy in San Francisco, and she was still six feet tall, though the blue hair had long since disappeared. As for the misfit part, well, that had abated during her years abroad, but after just four days in her mother and sister’s company the feeling was back with a vengeance.

Kirk wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. A loose, friendly, how-ya-doing hug. It lasted only two seconds, but that was enough for her to feel his hard body, his broad chest and strong arms. Enough for her to breathe in the heady scent of him, warm and spicy and so sexy. He had three inches on her, and about fifty pounds, and a masculinity that was quite overwhelming.

Get over it
, she told herself. Sure, she’d harbored a crush on him—as had twenty thousand other women on campus—but she knew her place in his life. Their friendship had begun in a student share house, forged while cooking spaghetti Bolognese, discussing modern American history, and watching baseball games on TV. She’d been friends with all their housemates. Kirk just happened to be the one she’d spent the most time with. He’d helped her with her essays, cheered her on at her hockey games, consoled her when things went wrong. He’d done so many things for her, but he’d never made a pass at her.

“It’s great to see you,” Kirk said as they sat at opposite sides of the table. “It’s been too long.”

She lifted an eyebrow at him. “Too long? We saw each other two nights ago.” She’d met all her old college friends for drinks two days ago, soon after she’d landed in San Francisco, and Kirk had been there, too.

“That was just an icebreaker.” He shrugged. “And there were too many people there. We didn’t really get a chance to talk.”

Cassie had made sure of that. She didn’t mind admitting to herself she was nervous about seeing Kirk again after what had happened the last time she’d been in San Francisco. Meeting him in a crowd had been a good way for her to get over the initial awkwardness. She’d stuck herself in the center of the group, and it hadn’t been hard to stay there because everyone wanted to know what she’d been up to, how she liked living in Sydney, and whether she was ever moving back to San Francisco.

She adjusted the spoon and chopsticks lying on the table cloth, avoiding Kirk’s eyes. He didn’t suspect her of deliberately avoiding him, she was sure. Still, she needed time to practice looking at him without drooling. He was too devastatingly attractive for her own good. That hadn’t changed in the two years since she’d last seen him. In fact, he was even more attractive now.

And free, too.

She squashed that thought and snatched up the menu. “Let’s order, huh? I’m famished.”

“Me, too. That’s why I already ordered for us.”

“You did? Did you ask for pot stickers?”

“Of course. And beef ribs, hot and spicy tofu, kung po chicken, and salt-and-pepper shrimp.”

Cassie’s heart hitched before it began to melt. “Oh, you remembered…”

“All your favorite Chinese dishes? Yeah, how could I ever forget?”

She blinked, ambushed by memories. At least twice a month she and Kirk and whoever else was at home at the time would trek to Chinatown and gorge themselves on hot, delicious food. They’d always chosen down-to-earth, inexpensive restaurants where the locals ate, like here at the Golden Palace. Everyone in their share house was on a tight student budget, except for Kirk.

The Rochesters were seriously, insanely wealthy. Jubilee Holdings, their family-run company, was worth billions; the family had endowed millions to the university; and Kirk had a trust fund that ensured he’d never have to lift a finger his entire life if he didn’t want to. But in college he’d seemed almost embarrassed by his wealth and connections. He didn’t belong to any fraternities, drove a nice but nondescript Honda, shopped at The Gap, and did his share of the chores in their student house.

“What’s up?” Kirk asked, interrupting her memories. “Did I order too much?”

“Too much food is never enough.” And when she was with Kirk, food always tasted better.

“Glad to see your appetite hasn’t changed.”

“I’m a big girl,” she quipped. It was true. Her excessive height hadn’t come with a gazelle-like frame. Instead, she was solidly built. Like a Mack truck, people used to say. People like her mother. Adolescence had been a nightmare for Cassie—too tall, too clumsy, too pimply, too surly.

“Besides,” she added, “I’m starving because my mom’s put me on a diet. I’ve been existing on lettuce and prune juice for the past three days.”

“A diet?” Kirk’s gaze roved over her, and she couldn’t help feeling a little self-conscious. “You don’t need to diet.”

Cassie felt a flush rise in her cheeks. This must be the first time Kirk had ever made a direct comment about her appearance, and she didn’t know what to make of it. Did he mean he thought she had a good body? Or that no amount of dieting could help her?

“Um, well, apparently I do,” she said. “We went for a fitting the other day, and my dress is a bit tight under the arms. I don’t think it’s an issue, but my mom insists I lose five pounds before the wedding.” She rolled her eyes.

Her sister Lillian was getting married in two weeks’ time, which was why Cassie returned to San Francisco. She had never been close to her younger sister, possibly because Lillian was everything Cassie wasn’t. Lillian was petite, beautiful, and popular. She could also be shallow, vain, and materialistic, in Cassie’s opinion. But what she thought never mattered in their family because Lillian was their mother’s favorite, a fact which Audrey Cooper never bothered to hide from anyone.

Cassie had long ago resigned herself to being the black sheep of their little family. Six years ago she’d moved to Australia, and it had been the best decision she’d made. She’d manage to build a good life away from her mom and sister—and away from Kirk, too—and she’d thought she was immune to Audrey and Lillian. But after four days in their company, she could feel herself reverting back to the rebellious ways that caused so much friction between them.

As if on cue, her cell phone beeped with an incoming text. She read it and blew out a sigh that lifted the bangs of her shoulder-length hair away from her eyes.

“Unbelievable.” She groaned. “My mom is reminding me that I’m only allowed five hundred calories for dinner.”

“What does five hundred calories get you?”

“About one frigging shrimp cracker.”

Her mouth watered as a waiter began loading their table with hot, fragrant dishes.

“Mm.” Cassie breathed in the aroma. “You know what? Screw five hundred calories. There’s no way I’m going to pass up a spread like this.” She held up her phone to take a photo of the succulent food in front of her then tapped out a reply to her mom. “I sent her a picture of what I’m going to eat.” With a mischievous grin, she turned off her phone and slipped it back in her purse.

Kirk laughed as he handed her the pot stickers. “I thought you were over the up-yours-Mom phase.”

She loaded up her plate and then sank her teeth into a pot sticker. “Me, too,” she said after a few blissful moments of chewing. “But maybe I’ll never be over it.”

The up-yours-Mom phase had begun when she’d gone to college. High school had been a disaster, and she didn’t want a repeat when she went to Berkley. Dispirited by her failed attempts to live up to her mom’s expectations, she’d decided it was time to rebel. She’d put in a nose stud, cropped her hair, and dyed it electric blue. Instead of being embarrassed by her build, she’d embraced her athleticism and joined the college’s field hockey and basketball teams. She’d thrown away all the trendy clothes her mom had bought her and gone around in baggy jeans, rude T-shirts, and Doc Martens. Her mom had been suitably horrified.

Cassie sighed as she reached for the beef ribs. “I thought being away from them for so long would’ve made a difference. You know—absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. But it seems the opposite’s happened. I just don’t get along with Mom and Lillian. I see that clearly now, and they’re driving me up the wall with their obsession with this wedding. Honestly, this afternoon we spent two hours discussing wedding favors and how Lillian’s hand-sewn, hand-stamped linen bags were so unique and ‘it.’ I made the mistake of asking if it wouldn’t be easier buying ready-made bags, and I was told I didn’t know anything about weddings.”

Kirk made a sympathetic noise. “Can’t you do something else when they’re doing all this wedding stuff that drives you nuts?”

“I’m trying to fit in, don’t you see? I’m making a last ditch attempt to be a good daughter and sister.” And if she did, maybe her mom and sister would be more accepting of her. She used to think she didn’t care what they thought of her, but when Lillian had asked her to be a bridesmaid, she’d been touched to the core. She wanted to be part of the family more than ever before; she wanted their love and approval. “But I’m afraid if I have to spend all my days and nights with them for the next two weeks, I won’t be able to contain myself. I’m going to explode and say something unforgiveable. They’ll hate me, and that will ruin everything.”

The thought depressed her. She scooped up a mouthful of rice to distract herself.

Kirk set his bowl down, and his eyes gleamed. “I have a solution to your problem. Move in with me.”

She inhaled in surprise, causing a few grains of rice to stick in her throat. She choked and spluttered, eyes watering as she groped for her napkin. Oh great, she must look wonderful spitting out rice in front of Kirk.

He poured her a glass of water, pushed it to her, and waited until she’d regained control.

“I-I’m sorry.” She wheezed. “Did you say I should move in with you?”

He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, looking suave and nonchalant as she wiped up the last of the rice from her chin.

“Yes, why not? I have room in my house, and your family is driving you up the wall. It seems like a sensible solution to me.”

Cassie took another deep gulp of water to give herself time to think. On the surface, it did seem like a sensible solution. She was clearly irritating her mom and sister, and vice versa. She and Kirk were friends, and they’d lived in a share house before, so they knew each other’s foibles. And it was only for two weeks. And it would give them more time together…

Her heart contracted at the last thought. More time together for what? To have a repeat of what happened the last time she’d been alone with Kirk? No, she couldn’t go through that kind of hurt again.

She licked away a grain of rice that had stuck to her finger. “That’s very generous of you, Kirk,” she said steadily. “But I, um, think I should stay at my mom’s place.”

Kirk rested his elbows on the table. His eyes, gray-blue like a mountain stream, were bright and clear on her, as if he could read her thoughts. God, she hoped not.

“You know I’ve moved,” he said, the casualness of his tone belying the underlying meaning of his words.

Her stomach seized in response. She wiped her fingers on the napkin slowly, carefully. “No, I didn’t know.”

“I bought a place in Pacific Heights. Nothing fancy, just a small house.”

In Pacific Heights “just a small house” could mean a multimillion-dollar estate, but she guessed everything was relative to a man as rich as Kirk. And nothing could be as fancy as the great big mansion he’d last lived in. With Alison. His late wife.

Soon after Kirk had married Alison—impossibly gorgeous Alison with her water nymph figure and mermaid hair—Cassie had flown to Sydney for a long vacation that had extended into six years. So she hadn’t had much opportunity to visit Kirk in his marital abode, which had been her plan. On her brief visits back, she’d met him on neutral territory—bars or restaurants—and always in company. Only after Alison died two years ago had she called in at his mansion, and what happened then had made her want to stay away from San Francisco for a long, long time, until her sister’s unexpected invitation to be her bridesmaid.

Cassie forced herself to look at Kirk—to look at him with all the compassion she felt for him and none of the hurt she’d hidden for so long.

“It must have been hard for you to move,” she said softly. “I know how much Alison meant to you.”

A memory from his wedding day flashed through her head. Kirk dancing with his new wife, a gold ring glinting on his finger, a smile on his lips. A smile meant only for his wife, blocking everyone else out. Including Cassie. She’d never forget that moment when her heart had frozen over, when she knew that that smile would never be meant for her. When she finally acknowledged she was in love with her best friend.