Instant Heiress

Instant Heiress DEEP DARK SECRETS BOOK TWO J.J. LOVE Contents 1. Jax 2. Amelia 3. Jax 4. Amelia 5. Jax 6. Amelia 7. Jax 8. Jax 9. Amelia 10. Amelia 11. Jax 12. Jax 13. Jax 14. Amelia 15. Amelia 16. Jax 17. Jax 18. Amelia 19. Jax 20. Amelia 21. Jax 22. Jax 23. Jax 24. Amelia 25. Jax ARC Sign Ups Before You Go… Freebie Friday Book Shark What Do You Crave? About the Author Instant Heiress Copyright © 2023 by J.J. Love All rights reserved. First Print Edition: May 2023 Crave Publishing Kailua, HI 96734 www.cravepublishing.net Formatting: Crave Publishing ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-663-5 No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental. CHAPTER 1 Jax “What can I get ya?” the bartender asks, setting down a napkin in front of me. “A Jameson on the rocks when you have the chance.” He nods and walks away, tending to a couple on the end in the same manner. Seeing the two make me think of my sister Kylie and Johnathan, and I can’t help but feel a pit of jealousy in my gut. It’s only been a year since Kylie came to live in Manhattan, and she has already managed to surpass me in every way. She’s moved into Johnathan’s huge penthouse, and her career seems to be going well, even after the investigation. Johnathan put her in charge of some departments, and of course she’s still his assistant. She even managed to have a kid before me. Mom gave me an earful when she heard the news, and I’ve been getting interrogated about my own love life ever since. I slump a little in my seat, feeling a bit sorry for myself, and I can’t help but wonder… Is this really how my life is supposed to go? A subtle essence alerts my senses, bringing me back to the present as the most incredible woman walks past me and takes a seat a few stools down. The bartender returns with my drink, but I’m too enamored to notice. Her presence is a little unnerving. She’s clearly unlike any of the women I’m used to seeing around here. It’s almost like her being in the room makes this a better place. And from the looks she’s getting from the other patrons, they seem to agree. I tear my gaze away before she notices. That’s all I need. To be known as the creepy guy at the martini bar. Staring at the iced liquid, I take a sip of my drink and let the alcohol soothe me, eyeing her from my peripherals. She seems to ignore the attention she draws in effortlessly for the most part, scrolling through her phone. Texts? Social media? Or work? Her green, form-fitting dress and stiletto heels would have me assuming she’s here to meet someone. But after working on Johnathan’s investigation for so long, I don’t take anything at face value anymore. I watch her the best I can without drawing attention to myself, but she doesn’t notice me at all. She begins rubbing her temple with one hand as she continues to scroll through her phone with the other one. I do recognize that look; it’s definitely work related. She adjusts herself slightly as the bartender approaches her. “A glass of red. Samantha, if you have it, please.” My ears perk up at the name. This must be a sign from the universe. I chuckle to myself at the thought while swirling my ice cubes around my glass. “Something amusing?” I look up from staring at my glass. Is she talking to me? I look around, but we seem to be the only two people at the bar, and the bartender seems to have disappeared for the moment. “Yes…I was talking to you.” She smiles in a way that almost makes me forget my name. “Uh, yes, I mean no.” She laughs a little clearly amused by this dumb idiot who can’t put two words together. “Just thinking about something.” I try quickly to recover from the horrible first impression I’m clearly giving off. “Well?” The bartender returns just in time, setting a glass of the house red wine in front of her. It gives me a minute to gather my thoughts. “Oh, it was nothing. Nothing important, anyway.” I clear my throat so I don’t sound like a sixteen-year-old boy. Catching me off guard seems to have caused my voice to go up a few octaves. Which I didn’t know was actually possible. “I see.” She turns back to her phone. “Actually, I couldn’t help but overhear your wine choice.” I turn to face her. “What about it?” she says, her voice short as she turns her attention back to me. Her thick lips grip the edge of her glass as she takes another drink, and I clear my throat again before continuing. “Samantha is the name of my niece. I thought a wine named after her would be a nice present for my sister.” “Oh.” Her eyes are so piercing I can almost feel her trying to touch my soul. I can tell she’s trying to get a read on me. Not that it would matter anyway; she’s definitely way out of my league. “Well, this isn’t it. But there’s a red wine from Samantha’s Winery. Probably the best wine I’ve ever had.” “Really?” I can’t believe she’s actually talking to me. “Where’s it from? Jersey? Philly?” “Ireland, actually.” The faintest smirk appears on her face. Every word she speaks puts me farther under her spell. Only