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His San Diego Sweetheart
Yahrah St. John
Just say you willPlenty of women have tried to capture the treasurer of the San Diego chapter of the Millionaire Moguls, Vaughn Ellicott —and his impressive bank account. When the ex-naval officer meets a gorgeous stranger in need of help, he surprises himself by offering her a mutually beneficial deal. Career-minded Vaughn tells himself that their business arrangement will get his family off his back. But suddenly that’s not nearly as important as getting his beautiful new bride into bed…Hotel manager Miranda Jensen needs to marry to inherit her grandfather’s fortune. Now the perfect solution to her problem has become handsomely complicated. Between private evenings at Vaughn’s lavish beachfront estate and glittering public events on his arm, she begins to truly fall for their pretend affair. And soon Miranda’s no longer able to settle for less than love. Will Vaughn choose to turn make-believe into passionate reality?
Just say you will
Plenty of women have tried to capture the treasurer of the San Diego chapter of the Millionaire Moguls, Vaughn Ellicott—and his impressive bank account. When the former naval officer meets a gorgeous stranger in need of help, he surprises himself by offering her a mutually beneficial deal. Career-minded Vaughn tells himself that their business arrangement will get his family off his back. But suddenly that’s not nearly as important as getting his beautiful new bride into bed...
Hotel manager Miranda Jensen needs to marry to inherit her grandfather’s fortune. Now the perfect solution to her problem has become handsomely complicated. Between private evenings at Vaughn’s lavish beachfront estate and glittering public events on his arm, she begins to truly fall for him in their pretend affair. And soon Miranda’s no longer able to settle for less than love. Will Vaughn choose to turn make-believe into passionate reality?
YAHRAH ST. JOHN is the author of twenty-seven books. When she’s not at home crafting one of her sexy romances with compelling heroes and feisty heroines with a dash of family drama, she can be found in the kitchen cooking one of her gourmet meals discovered on the Food Network for her husband. Or this thrill-seeking junkie can be found traveling the globe seeking out her new adventure. A graduate of Hyde Park Career Academy, she earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from Northwestern University. St. John is a member of Romance Writers of America, but is an avid reader of all genres. She lives in sunny Orlando, the City Beautiful, where there’s great weather all year round. For more information, please visit www.yahrahstjohn.com (http://www.yahrahstjohn.com).
Also By Yahrah St. John (#ua46da19d-17e9-5a69-9904-2febf6adc2c3)
Two to Tango
Need You Now
Lost Without You
Formula for Passion
Delicious Destiny
A Chance with You
Heat Wave of Desire
Cappuccino Kisses
Taming Her Tycoon
Miami After Hours
Taming Her Billionaire
His San Diego Sweetheart
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
His San Diego Sweetheart
Yahrah St. John
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08272-3
HIS SAN DIEGO SWEETHEART
© 2018 Harlequin Books S.A.
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
“Hope you don’t mind getting dirty,” Vaughn said as the cabdriver drove them to the restaurant. His thigh was inches from hers and he could feel himself getting further and further turned on by this woman and they hadn’t even touched yet.
“I don’t mind,” Miranda said. “In fact, the dirtier the better. Though I do wish I’d opted to change clothes.” She looked down at her attire.
“Why?” Vaughn asked, glancing in her direction. “You look beautiful.”
“But a bit overdressed for the beach, right?” She laughed.
He smiled. “A bit. That’s what makes you so adorable.” He reached across the short distance between them and tucked a wayward strand of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with desire. Vaughn wanted to sweep his mouth across hers and taste her, but the car came to a stop.
“We’re here!” she said brightly.
Yes, we are, Vaughn thought. If the car hadn’t come to a halt, it was a certainty he would have acted on the rampant desire he felt for Miranda.
Dear Reader (#ua46da19d-17e9-5a69-9904-2febf6adc2c3),
His San Diego Sweetheart is an exciting new book in the Millionaire Moguls series featuring three heroes: Vaughn Ellicott, Jordan Jace and Christopher Marland. Vaughn is a former navy man turned sexy surfer with a billion-dollar surfing business. He has no time for love because he never received it growing up as a child, but that doesn’t stop him from risking his heart when he offers Miranda Jensen a marriage of convenience to save her inheritance.
Heightening the drama is a delicious sabotage subplot in the Millionaire Moguls organization. To find out who’s the saboteur, pick up the next installment in the series: Seduced in San Diego by Reese Ryan.
I enjoyed researching San Diego and learning about surfing. With my adventurous streak, I may even try it one day.
For more info, visit my website, www.yahrahstjohn.com (http://www.yahrahstjohn.com), to download my latest ebooks or write me at yahrah@yahrahstjohn.com.
Best,
Yahrah St. John
Acknowledgments (#ua46da19d-17e9-5a69-9904-2febf6adc2c3)
To my newest right hand, Christy Massie. Thank you for the encouragement and morale boost!
Contents
Cover (#u7f99ad13-2b2e-59e2-90fc-53d3b9f672d3)
Back Cover Text (#ub1701318-89ab-539a-bf84-9e925f72eff0)
About the Author (#ua37d2091-e003-51aa-8043-15e8a322b923)
Booklist (#uf020eef8-fce7-5ff0-bf3b-9f6a528ae438)
Title Page (#u3f045515-59ff-577d-bb7d-cb0fa3de0363)
Copyright (#uf62593e1-ab7e-5572-963b-43a873dcfb9d)
Introduction (#ucaaf64c9-2f3f-5051-99d5-f242a75696cf)
Dear Reader (#u42fe1fb9-3cff-50cc-b811-02e0e01877bd)
Acknowledgments (#u4ae1a1bb-a423-53c3-83b0-450408681d7b)
Chapter 1 (#u01aa5bf4-24d2-575c-bc62-cfe10fdfff77)
Chapter 2 (#u99bc8652-038f-5238-a601-8762ab70f377)
Chapter 3 (#u7f4c3603-c59b-5eb5-a3b1-4a745eab2bd4)
Chapter 4 (#ub66d68f6-3428-5f7a-8fb7-5b8086abaf73)
Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 (#ua46da19d-17e9-5a69-9904-2febf6adc2c3)
Vaughn Ellicott, Jr. sliced through the crashing surf at San Diego’s Black Beach on his custom-made surfboard. Surfing was his own piece of heaven and gave Vaughn the freedom he desperately craved after the rigors of Navy life as a lieutenant. For a decade, he’d done as he was instructed because that was what his father, Commander Vaughn Ellicott, Sr., expected of him. But now, Vaughn did what he wanted to do and surfing was as natural to him as breathing, even though at six foot two, he towered over some of the other surfers. When he was in the water, he felt an inner peace with Mother Nature as he challenged himself on the waves. He saw the waves as opportunities to lose himself and find himself at the same time.
And he had found himself. Five years ago, he’d started a company, Elite. After he began designing his own wet suits, other surfers had begun showing interest in his work. Seeing a business opportunity, he’d formed Elite and sold his wet suits online. From there, sales had skyrocketed. His high-end scuba gear company now sold dive computers and any other gear a surfer needed, from surfboards and bags, to leashes and wax. The fact that his business interests mirrored his passion was perfect for Vaughn.
Even though it was nearly the weekend, it was long past time for him to depart the beach. Vaughn should have left thirty minutes ago. He was due to attend a meeting of Prescott George—the Millionaire Moguls club, as the press liked to dub them. The nickname had been given to them because their national organization was comprised mainly of millionaires. The club had been formed in the 1940s by Prescott Owens and George Rollins. Today, Prescott George’s numbers had grown into the thousands and there were chapters all over the world. Vaughn was proud to be a member and the treasurer of the San Diego chapter.
Emerging from the Pacific Ocean carrying his surfboard, Vaughn began peeling off his wet suit when a pair of feminine eyes caught his gaze. She was giving him the once-over. And he didn’t mind the attention; he was used to it. In social circles, he was a sought-after millionaire bachelor with an impressive seaside estate. And on the beach, he was looked up to because of his fearlessness and passion for the sport.
Vaughn had no trouble attracting women. Any kind of woman. So much so that he couldn’t get a moment’s peace. Women adored his physique which he spent a great deal of time honing, and his impressive assets, but Vaughn had yet to find one worth keeping around. They all seemed a little too eager to be with a Millionaire Mogul, and so he dealt with them with a long-handled spoon, engaging only when he wanted companionship or needed physical release.
Vaughn gave the beautiful stranger one final intense stare. Long silky dark hair. Expressive almond-shaped eyes. Tawny brown skin slightly kissed from the sun. Although she was wearing a sleeveless dress, it was a bit too formal and didn’t fit with the unusually warm spring afternoon. Her only admission that she knew she was at the beach was the fact that she’d kicked off her pumps and they lay partially submerged in the sand. Maybe that was why she stood out.
But there was something sad about her though. And as much as Vaughn would love to find out her story, he was late. He purposefully trudged through the sand toward the locker room so he could get changed into business attire. Today was important for the San Diego chapter. Today, the Moguls had visitors. Joshua DeLong and Daniel Cobb, co-presidents of the national chapter in Miami, were in town.
There were rumors that San Diego could be awarded Chapter of the Year. Vaughn certainly hoped that was the case; it would be a prestigious honor. The chapter had been successful in attracting younger members to the organization, but it hadn’t come without drama. Some of the older members of Prescott George were less enthused. They felt like they were being pushed out to make room for a younger, hipper generation, which simply wasn’t true. Vaughn believed in the Moguls motto: From generation to generation, lifting each other up. If they didn’t pull in the next generation, how could they possibly continue providing college scholarships to needy students and funding to inner-city organizations?
All of these thoughts coursed through Vaughn’s mind as he took a quick shower, changed into a designer black suit with pinstriped tie and headed for his Ferrari California T in the parking lot. He smiled when he saw the expensive sports vehicle with its turbocharged engine and drop top. For such a new company, Elite had done quite well in the marketplace and afforded Vaughn the luxury of a fancy car, private jet and a beachside mansion in La Jolla. Before turning on the engine, he glanced back at the beach, wondering why a woman as beautiful as that stranger looked so forlorn. He shrugged. Wasn’t his problem. He had bigger fish to fry. He turned the ignition, the Ferrari roared to life and Vaughn sped away.
* * *
The San Diego Prescott George chapter was located inside a historic brewery near the East Village. Vaughn parked outside the renovated, environmentally friendly building and strode inside. He walked through the offices, glancing around at the exposed brick, loft ceilings and state-of-the-art canopy lighting that made up the Moguls club as he headed to the all-glass conference room. As in other Prescott George offices, pictures of their founding members, Prescott Owens and George Rollins, hung on the walls, reminding them of who started the organization. The meeting was already underway and multiple sets of eyes glowered at Vaughn as he made his way near the head of the table where Christopher Marland, the chapter’s president, sat next to two strangers who Vaughn could only assume were Daniel Cobb and Joshua DeLong.
Vaughn gave a halfhearted smile as he sat down. “Sorry. I was unavoidably detained.”
“By what? A wave?” Another member guffawed.
Several other members at the table chuckled softly at the joke, but they immediately stopped when Vaughn glared at them.
“You might want to wipe off the evidence,” Christopher concurred as he reached across the table and brushed sand off Vaughn’s shoulder.
Darn! He thought he’d caught it all. It wasn’t easy changing into a suit at a beach locker room. Perhaps he should endow the county with a new state-of-the art facility to ensure something like this didn’t happen again?
“Getting back to business,” Christopher said, returning his focus to the meeting. “We’re pleased that the chapter is being graced with such an honor.”
“So, it’s true?” Vaughn interrupted him. “We’re Chapter of the Year?”
“That’s right,” one of his Miami brethren replied. He was tall and fair-skinned with striking blue eyes. Vaughn didn’t know brothers could have eyes that color. “We feel that San Diego has shown not only the vision, but the gravitas necessary to propel Prescott George into the future.”
“Daniel Cobb.” The other gentleman reached across the table to shake Vaughn’s hand. “And that’s Joshua DeLong.” He inclined his head to the fair-skinned man beside him. “We know it couldn’t have been easy. There had to be opposition to change, probably as much as we’ve encountered in Miami.”
“You mean when you ousted a Rollins?” an older member asked from the far side of the table.
“No!” Daniel responded hotly. “Ashton realized it was in the best interest of Prescott George to have some new blood with fresh ideas at the helm. He’s still very much involved in the Miami chapter.”
