Eluding the Billionaire

Eluding the Billionaire Carlson Dynasty Book Two Copyright Copyright © 2023 by Cate Lane All rights reserved. No portion of this ebook or paperback book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form without the prior consent of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews. All characters and events depicted in this publication are entirely fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Important Note: The following story contains mature themes, strong language and explicit scenes, and is intended for mature readers. A full list of trigger warnings can be found on my website. This ebook is exclusively available through Amazon. Cover Design by: The Book Cover Boutique Editing by: VB Edits Proofreading by: Evermore Editing Dedication To everyone, who chooses to take a leap of faith, and live their lives in full color. Contents 1. Katie 2. Katie 3. Drew 4. Drew 5. Drew 6. Katie 7. Drew 8. Katie 9. Drew 10. Drew 11. Katie 12. Drew 13. Katie 14. Drew 15. Katie 16. Katie 17. Drew 18. Katie 19. Drew 20. Katie 21. Katie 22. Drew 23. Katie 24. Drew 25. Katie 26. Drew Epilogue - Katie Epilogue - Drew Acknowledgments About Cate Lane Also By Cate Chapter one KatiePresent DayThe fast intercity train cuts through the lush green fields of the English countryside, speeding toward London. I’m on my way back from a weekend visit with my old school friend, Sarah. She’s still one of my best friends and lives in Bath, one of my favorite places in England. The weekend was fun. Sarah is always the life of the party and wouldn’t allow anything less. Yet I still remain gloomy.This weekend, I wasn’t in the mood for flirting with random, hot, single guys, even if Bath does seem to have more than its fair share. It’s probably one of the reasons Sarah enjoys living there so much.My head dips sideways to rest against the cold glass of the train window while I continue to stare unseeingly at the blur of passing scenery. The slight vibration as the train zooms along the tracks is, in a strange way, soothing with the consistency of the unbroken rhythm. My eyes drift closed, and my mind wanders off along a well-trodden path of self-reflection.I haven’t felt much like dating for a while, and it wouldn’t take me long to work out exactly when things changed. When everything shifted.I do love living in the UK, in particular, London, with a historic building down every street, a pub around every corner, and the loyal team I’ve built in the new office. Carlson Publishing might be the family business, but my stepdad and stepbrother Hunter, who is the new CEO, don’t give me a free ride.It took a leap of faith for them to agree to let me head up the fledgling London office of our publishing company nearly one year ago now. My stepdad wanted to wait for me to get more experience before throwing me into the deep end. It’s not that he doesn’t trust in my abilities, but more that he’s overly protective of me, like all the males in my family. I have three stepbrothers who take their protective roles seriously. Hunter is the oldest, Blake is in the middle, and Logan is only a few months older than me. Something he never lets me forget.Hunter was the one who convinced my stepdad to give me a chance. He’s my strongest advocate but also the most protective of my three brothers. It’s just the way he’s wired. He has always taken care of us like it’s his life’s mission. He’s the one we ran to as kids when we were scared. The one we still go to when we have a problem.I miss being able to wander into Hunter’s office in Manhattan for a chat. His office door was always open to me.More than that, I miss living in Midtown. It was so cool living across the hall from Logan, with Hunter’s penthouse just an elevator ride away. Even Blake, who doesn’t work for Carlson Publishing, had a place that was only one block’s walk from us.It’s funny how, in my rush to leave the protective bubble of my loving family, I never considered how much I would miss them. The holiday season can’t get here soon enough. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be back in Manhattan for the Carlson Christmas Charity Gala, where I’ll get to see them all again.I release a heavy sigh, and a foggy circle momentarily appears on the train window. I wish it was just a case of being homesick that caused my somber mood. No, my unusually despondent outlook can mostly be blamed on a man. Not just any man, but a man I can’t get out of my head. A man who sucked out some of the enjoyment of living in London, and what makes it worse is that I let him.How many months has it been? I mentally count back to when I last saw Drew.Damn. Five months now. Too long for me to have hope for any kind of future for us, but not long enough to forget him. Not that it’s even an option for me to forget him because in the not too distant future, I will have to face him again for purely business purposes. I’m dreading it which is why I can’t get him out of my head.I can’t believe that after all this time he’s reached out to me only once via email. A business-related email at that, like we were mere professional acquaintances. There has been no personal contact, and certainly no mention of our last time together when we did a whole heap of very unbusinesslike things.It’s become increasingly clear with the passing of each week that, for him, it was all about the sex, and none of it meant anywhere near as much as