Untouched Heart (Heart City Billionaires #2)

Chapter 1

Chapter one

“So I said to him, sweetie, there’s not much in life I can’t afford, but my standards are what keep me rich.”

“Mmhmm.” I nod along as my baby sister details the latest disastrous date she was subjected to.

“He was the one who asked me out; therefore, he should pay. To imply that I pay simply because I’m a billionaire?” She scoffs. “Could you imagine what an actual relationship would be like? He definitely wouldn’t be a giver.”

“Ahhh, and that’s the end of storytime.” I wince as we pass through the doors to the private terminal.

I usher Beth in first while I drag her suitcase behind me. We’ll only be in Royal Harbour for two nights. I’m not sure why she needed a whole-arse suitcase, but I also know my sister, so I didn’t dare question her on it.

We’re travelling to pitch my new whiskey lounge to the owners of the biggest casino chain in Australia.

They have a theatre connected to the premises here in Heart City that’s about to be knocked down.

Instead of turning it into a car park, I want to turn it into an exclusive club.

For that, I need my sister, who’s an interior designer, and my brother, who runs the family investment and business consulting company.

Speaking of, where is Caleb? I look around for our older brother, but instead, my eyes lock in on a woman sitting on one of the lounges.

Her legs are folded underneath her as she looks down at her phone. She’s wearing a pale yellow oversized jumper, and golden ringlets are piled on top of her head with a burnt-orange scarf.

I snatch the strap of Beth’s crossbody bag, dragging her back to me. “Beth, who’s that?” I hiss as I tip my chin to the woman.

Beth frowns at me. “Who? Isabelle?”

Fuck. That’s Isabelle? That’s the woman who Caleb put in charge of marketing for my new club?

We’ve spoken on the phone a few times. She was so goddamn nice.

I can’t handle nice. I just make things uncomfortable, and then people write me off as a dick.

I’d rather just start out that way instead of ruining people’s expectations.

“That’s Isabelle?”

“Have you never met her?” Beth asks, then smacks my chest. “She’s a real sweetheart. You’ll love her.”

Of course, she’s a sweetheart. She looks like goddamn sunshine.

I watch as my sister crosses the room, calling out Isabelle’s name as she goes. She looks up, and holy hell, those eyes are blue. They’re so big and bright with a smile to match.

“Why are you standing here blocking the door?” I jump when Caleb stops beside me.

“Ah, I thought I left something in the car.”

He raises an eyebrow at me but doesn’t say anything more. It’s just before six a.m., we’re about to spend four hours flying across the country, and my brother is already in a three-piece suit.

“Did you manage enough beauty sleep last night?” I tease.

He came into my bar, The Wayside, last night, to sample a whiskey a local distiller had brought in for me. Before he was able to leave and claim a full night’s rest, he ran into a redhead and left with her instead.

“Not exactly,” Caleb mutters.

My brother gets around. A lot. He’s not someone to settle down.

He’s way too focused on building his company and furthering the reputation the Heart name carries in the business world.

Our grandmother and her sister already earned billions with their mining company.

Our grandfather started a successful investment company, which Caleb now runs.

It’s a fortune that passed onto our dad, their only child, and again to my siblings and me.

At the foundation of our wealth is family. There’s nothing more important.

Our name and financial status tend to attract less-than-honest people. Caleb’s been burned once before, and won’t let himself be taken for a ride again.

I have my own reasons for not letting people get close.

I give in to my physical needs on occasion.

Not often, and it’s normally only at a club where no one knows my face or name.

Caleb is a lot more open and eager in his pursuits.

He looks unusually torn and ragged this morning. Must have been a really late night.

“Good morning, Mr Heart. We should be ready for take-off in five.” Caleb nods to the flight attendant, then walks over to Isabelle, sitting beside her and smiling.

I wheel Beth’s suitcase to the door to the hangar, then make my way over to one of the lounges, further away from Beth and Isabelle.

“Gage, come meet Izzy.” Fucking little sisters.

I roll my neck and take a deep breath as I turn around and walk over to them. I do my best not to look like a total dick and offer Isabelle a small smile.

“Izzy, this is Gage,” Beth says, then leans into Isabelle’s ear. “I promise he’s not as scary as he looks.”

Isabelle smiles at my sister before standing and extending a hand out to me. Jesus, I feel like a giant compared to her. There’s easily over a foot between us.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Gage.”

I nod and take her hand, noticing how soft and delicate it looks when it’s swallowed by my calloused and tattooed one.

“You too.”

“Are you nervous, Iz?” Beth asks. “This is your first big pitch meeting, right?”

Isabelle looks over at Beth. “I’ve done plenty of meetings with important people, but this is the High Rollers. I’ve heard stories about them. They seem… intimidating.”

“Don’t let them sense your fear, and you’ll be fine. Romeo is probably the easiest one to win over. He’s got a one-track mind if he’s in the same room as a woman.” Beth rolls her eyes.

“I have complete faith in you, Iz,” Caleb says before taking a sip from his travel mug.

“We’re ready for you now,” the flight attendant says. Beth stands and slings her bag back over her shoulder. Caleb stands, gesturing for our sister to go first, before his eyes find mine, or more accurately, where I’m still holding Isabelle’s hand.

“Shit. Sorry.” I snatch my hand back, shoving it in my pocket.

“It’s okay.” She giggles, and the sound sends goose bumps prickling up my arm. I gotta get out of here.

I hurry past Caleb and grab the handle of Beth’s suitcase as I step out the door.

I hear Caleb stop and talk to the pilot before we head up the staircase to our private plane. Beth is halfway up already, and when I look over my shoulder and see Isabelle not far behind, I stand aside, letting her go ahead of me.

She only makes it a few steps up before I notice the way she’s struggling with her bag. Carrying it awkwardly in front of her, and bashing her knees with every step before throwing the duffle bag over her shoulder. She huffs a curl from where it’s fallen in front of her face.

Before I can even think it through, I’m walking over to her and gently laying a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

She freezes, head whipping around to look at me.

Those pretty eyes make the pit of my stomach feel like I’m falling.

I shake off the feeling as I loop my fingers under the strap and pull it from her hold, slinging it over my own shoulder.

“Thank you.” She smiles, and it pulls slightly higher on one side, revealing a dimple. My hand clenches over the strap of her bag as I offer a nod.

She turns and heads upstairs, disappearing into the plane, and the weight on my chest releases, allowing my breath to return. The smell of orange and roses wraps around me as her perfume lingers in the air.

With a shake of my head, I make my way on board, stowing my bag, Beth’s suitcase and Isabelle’s duffle in the luggage closet.

By the time I make it down to the other end of the plane, where the seats are, Beth and Caleb are sitting in the single chairs, facing each other.

Caleb’s head rests in one hand while Beth rambles.

On the other side is another set of single seats facing each other.

Isabelle is tucked into one, with a book on her lap as she watches my siblings with a soft smile.

I could sit in the next section, but that would be an arsehole thing to do in the most obvious way. My skin feels tight, like flames are scorching the surface as I step closer and drop into the seat opposite Isabelle.

I can’t take my eyes off her. She looks so content. So perfectly uncomplicated. Wonder what that must feel like. To not be plagued by your mistakes. Your guilt. It’s been ten years of fighting, clawing back at the demons that consume me, drowning out the thoughts of helplessness.

I close my eyes and breathe in for five.

One. It wasn’t my fault.

Two. It was an accident.

Three. I did the best I could.

Four. I can’t change the past.

Five. Focus on what I can control.

I breathe out and open my eyes, only to find cornflower blue ones staring at me. I definitely can’t control the way my heart skips at her attention.

I throw one leg over the other, turning my head to watch my siblings instead.

“How long will the meeting go for, do you think?” Beth asks. “Will I have time to have a decent meal beforehand? What time are we meant to land again?”

“Jesus, Beth!” Caleb shouts, the lid of his patience finally bursting, and we all freeze in surprise. My brother almost never loses his cool.

“Excuse me.” Beth’s calm and menacing voice slices the air like a blade. “It wasn’t my idea to fly before the sun, so how about you just redirect that anger elsewhere.”

“I have no problem with the early morning,” Caleb says evenly.

“Pretty sure he was just up too late.” I smirk.

“Eww.” Beth scrunches her nose with a grimace.

“You’re not usually so highly strung after your late nights, OG,” Isabelle says, and Beth relinquishes an unladylike snort.

“OG?” she questions.

“Yeah, cos he’s so old and grey.” Isabelle smiles behind her hand. I didn’t realise she was so comfortable around my big brother. I’m not sure how long she’s worked at Heart Assets. I guess I have heard him mention her name a few times before he suggested she be the one to take on Smoke and Barrel.

“I’m only thirty-four.” Caleb huffs, calling my attention back to him.

“Yes, I know. You remind me every time I laugh when you put your reading glasses on,” Isabelle says in her soft, musical tone.

She and Beth join in laughter, and it feels like my heart is dancing to the tune.

My phone vibrates in my back pocket, so I lean to the side to fetch it.

BETH:

Isabelle calls Caleb, OG, and I vote we all use this new moniker.

MASON:

Who’s Isabelle? Is she hot? Should I meet her?

MASON:

Btdubs, gangsters a bit of a stretch for the old boy.

I glare at my phone while I type a response to our baby brother.

ME:

No.

MASON:

No, she’s not hot?

ME:

Drop. It.

BETH:

I think Henry may have already moved in, Mase. And, it’s OG as in Old and Grey *crying-laugh-emoji*

MASON:

So, she’s smart and hot? …I’ve updated my phone, this mastery needs to be put in writing.

I scowl over at my sister for using my birth name. The little shit loves to use it to piss me off, so it’s only fair when I get back at her with Elizabeth. She always starts it anyway.

ME:

I have not. And don’t call me that.

MASON:

So she’s available then?

ME:

NO.

I don’t know why I care. But, Jesus, Mason’s just as bad with women as Caleb. Isabelle doesn’t look like the kind of woman who’s after a fling, which is all she’d be getting with either one of my brothers.

She looks like the kind of woman who wants a soft and sweet love.

To be someone’s entire world, and she’d love you right back just the same.

All that warmth and brightness, so overwhelming that it seeps from your pores.

Not that I’d know anything about that. I’m not interested in letting another person down.

The flight attendant comes over to announce we’re ready to take off. I tighten my seatbelt and press my head into the headrest, telling myself to keep my eyes up and not drop to the woman seated in front of me.

The plane taxis down the runway, and my hands grip the armrests.

Don’t look at her. Don’t look at her.

Then again, what’s the harm in looking?

Just as the plane leaves the ground, my stomach jumps and my resolve caves.

Shit. I looked.