Billionaire Husband Test (Billionaire Online Dating Service)

Billionaire Husband Test

by Elle James

also writing as Myla Jackson

This book visits Myla Jackson’s

 
Ugly Stick Saloon

Welcome Back!

Copyright © 2012, Elle James. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Editor: Layla Chase

Cover artist: Elle James

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter One

“Don’t leave love up to luck. With the help of my firm and heavily tested computer algorithms, you will have a ninety-nine point nine percent chance of finding your perfect match.” The attractive young woman, wearing a soft gray business suit and standing in front of the white board, clicked a hand-held remote control. A picture of a couple embracing at sunset on a beach materialized on the white surface. “What do you think? Willing to give my program a shot?”

“I don’t know.” Cooper Johnson sat at the conference table with the other members of the Billionaires Anonymous Club. “Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?”

“Mr. Johnson—” Leslie Lamb began.

“Call him Coop. All his friends call him that.” Maxwell Smithson grinned.

“For the sake of argument, give my friend Leslie the benefit of the doubt.” Taggert Bronson rose to stand beside the presenter. “Think about it. Didn’t we all make the same plans? Work hard, work smart, make our first million by thirty, start a family by thirty-five…We’re all on track—only better–instead of millions, we made our billions by thirty.” Tag pointed to Gage Tate. “How’s that media empire going?” He nodded toward Sean O’Leary. “Your oil speculating has you sitting pretty, doesn’t it, Sean? And Coop, you and I are making billions on our financial investments. Have any of you even thought about the next step in our plan? How many of you are even dating?”

Sean raised his hand. “I’ve been dating.”

“The same girl more than once?” Tag asked.

“Using a computer to find a mate just doesn’t seem right.” Coop pushed back his chair and rose. “When I find the woman I want to marry, I’ll do it the old-fashioned way.”

Tag snorted. “And meet her at a bar?”

“Any of you have any luck lately going to a bar and not being slammed by the paparazzi?”

Gage sighed. “Though I hate to admit it, the man has a point. I can’t step outside my condo without being hit by at least a dozen cameras, much less go to dinner with anyone without being bombarded.”

Leslie smiled. “That’s the beauty of BODS—”

“Seriously?” Sean shook his head. “BODS?”

The woman drew herself up to her full five-foot-three inches and stared down her nose at Sean. “Billionaire Online Dating Service—BODS. It’s an acronym, so sue me. As I was saying, the beauty of the system is that the communication is all done anonymously. You meet real woman, not money-grubbing, limelight-seeking gold-diggers.”

Gage frowned. “They won’t know that we’re loaded?”

“Financial status is not one of the questions we ask on the online data collection system. I perform a background check on each entrant and the computer does the matching.”

Tag spread his hands. “Don’t you love it? And the match is all based on your own personality profile.” He dropped his hands when none of the others spoke. “What have you got to lose?”

Shaking his head, Coop grumbled, “Our dignity. Participation is admitting we’re hopeless at finding a date.”

Leslie shook her head. “Not at all. The program gives you a better chance of finding someone who truly fits the life-style of your dreams. Tell you what. As my first customers—”

Gage shot to his feet. “Whoa, wait a minute. First?” He stared across at Tag. “I thought you said this system was proven?”

“It is…on volunteers.” Tag held up his hands. “Leslie hasn’t yet charged for her services. Calm down.”

Coop crossed his arms, ready for the meeting to be over. “I don’t relish being someone’s guinea pig.”

“You aren’t.” Leslie sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “Tell you what, how about I let you use my service free? If you find the woman of your dreams, then you pay me what you think the experience was worth.”

“Can’t get fairer than that.” Tag grinned. “Who wants to be first to sign up?”

“I think you should be.” Cooper pinned Tag with a challenging stare.

“I’m already in the system and aiming for a date next Friday.” Tag’s eyes narrowed. “How about it, Coop? Or are you afraid?”

Hell yeah
, Cooper was afraid. What kind of loser would the computer match him up with? Then again, he wouldn’t admit to any of them that the idea of dating was worse than public speaking…and he hated public speaking. That’s why he worked the financial market and stayed behind the scenes. He lived on his ranch, raised his horses quietly—no fanfare and no paparazzi as long as he didn’t step out on a date. So far, the arrangement had been very lucrative with no distractions. Lonely, but lucrative, about summed up his life.

“Look, Leslie is in a situation no different than we were when we started out.” Tag continued, “Give her business a chance. One date. That’s all she’s asking.”

“Fine,” Cooper said. “Anything to get this meeting over with.”

Leslie’s face bloomed with a huge smile. “I’ll take you in Tag’s office, one at a time to enter your data and show you the ropes. The process won’t take long and you’ll have your match. You won’t regret your decision. I promise.”

Cooper was already regretting his agreement, and he hadn’t even been matched yet.

* * * * *

Emma Jacob’s cell phone vibrated, indicating a text message. Sitting at a stoplight, she glanced at the message and sighed.

Set an extra plate at dinner
. The message was from her oldest brother, Ace. More than likely, the guest was another attempt at fixing her up with a man. For the past month, all four of her brothers had taken it upon themselves to find Emma a husband.

Great, that’s all she needed, more husband candidates forced on her by the worst matchmakers ever in Jacobs family history. Granted, her four brothers meant well, but really? If she’d wanted another man in her life, she’d have gone out and chosen one herself.

Truth was she was happy just the way things were. Well, almost. She’d have been much happier if the love of her life had lived long enough for them to be married, have children and grow old together. But that hadn’t been in the cards. Not once Marcus was deployed, got hit by an improvised explosion device and died before being transported back to the states.

Her throat tightened and she twisted the diamond engagement ring on her finger. For two years, she’d been mourning his death. You’d think her brothers would let it be, instead of telling her she should get back in the saddle.

Emma slipped the ring from her finger and tucked it into her wallet. Maybe removing the ring would lead her brothers to think she was ready to move on, even if she wasn’t. That and her trip to Dallas and a meeting with the one friend, Leslie Lamb, she’d made in her grieving group would set her plan in motion. Emma had a special favor to ask of her friend. One she hoped would solve all her problems with her brothers.

“You want what?” Leslie leaned across her desk an hour later, tapping her pen against the notepad she’d been scribbling on.

“I want you to set me up on a date with a man that will completely fail to impress my brothers.” Emma ticked off on her fingers. “He has to be nice looking. That fact will throw off the boys. Preferably someone who makes his living sitting behind a desk.” She’d pictured a pasty computer geek, but didn’t want to be that crude in front of Leslie.

“Let me get this straight. You want this date to fail?” Leslie shook her head. “I’m building a business, not tearing it down. How will that look to the guy I’m setting you up with if I match him with someone totally wrong for his preferences?”

Emma sat back, frowning. “Hmm, sorry. That’s pretty narrow-minded, thinking only of myself.” She chewed on her lip for a moment. “I guess I could go find some other online dating service and play Russian roulette.” She sat up. “I’m sorry, Leslie, the idea was stupid. Just forget I asked. I know how hard you’ve worked to put together the business plan and line up investors for your dating service. I wish you lots of luck.” Emma gathered her purse and stood. “I have to get back to the ranch before feeding time.”

“Wait.” Leslie left her chair and rounded her desk, laying a hand on Emma’s arm. “Do me a favor first and fill out a form on my computer. Be honest, don’t fudge the data and let’s see what happens.”

Already shaking her head, Emma backed toward the door. “I don’t want to set you up for failure. I’m really not interested in finding love. I had it.”

Leslie squeezed her arm. “I know. Thinking of loving anyone else is hard, isn’t it? I know exactly where you are. I haven’t even tried, yet.”

“Yet. At least you might some day.” Emma shook her head, pain pinching her throat. “Not me. I had the love of my life. I don’t want second best.”

“At least, give the system a chance to find a match that closely suits you. Give him one date, and maybe your brothers will get off your back.”

“I don’t know. I don’t like leading someone on when I don’t want it to go anywhere.”

“Just do it and keep an open mind. We screen our clients and do background checks. At least, you know you won’t be getting an ex-con or child molester. You won’t regret it, I promise.”

Emma chewed on her lip. Leslie’s proposal might do the trick. She just didn’t want her friend’s matchmaking business to suffer the consequences. “The date is doomed to failure. Are you sure you want to take the hit?”

“Be honest with the data. The system will do the rest and I’m willing to take the risk.”

For a long moment, Emma stared into her friend’s hopeful face. “Anyone ever tell you saying no to you is hard?” She laughed. “If you keep that up, you should get lots of business.”

Leslie nodded, a smug smile on her lips. “I plan on it. I only want others to have a chance at the love you and I have both known. I wouldn’t have missed the experience for the world.”

Emma sighed. “Me either.” She let Leslie lead her into a spare office where she could use the computer to enter her data.  Emma made a point of putting it all out there—the good, the bad and the not so attractive. If the system found someone to date her, the result would be a miracle. And once out at the ranch with her brothers running him through his paces, any prospect would soon learn no one would equal their expectations.

She’d be off the hook and free to pursue her own goals and dreams. Which included purchasing Old Man Rausch’s one-hundred-and-fifty-acre spread on Willow Creek. The place would be all hers, paid for with the money she’d been saving from her work as a horse trainer for the T-Bar-M Ranch. Once she lived on her own, her brothers couldn’t interfere with her life.

A good plan, and one she intended to see through.

As she stepped into her truck to make the long drive back to the Rockin’ J Ranch, a cool breeze swept across the parking lot, lifting the hair off the back of her neck, surrounding her like a caress. She glanced at the sky. No clouds. Weird. The temperature read-out on the bank sign on the corner listed ninety-nine degrees. Heat waves rippled upward from the black pavement, and Emma had yet to switch on the truck AC. So where had the cool breeze come from? She could swear she smelled a faint hint of musky aftershave, the kind Marcus liked to wear when they’d gone out on dates.

Emma’s chest tightened and she sat still, trying to recapture the scent. Finally, she gave up. She had to be imagining the smell. All this talk with Leslie about having loved the man of their dreams had played havoc with her memories. Nothing a good round of stall mucking wouldn’t cure.

She’d never told anyone she thought Marcus’s spirit lingered around her, keeping her company when she was lonely or afraid. Her brothers would have her in a shrink’s office quicker than she could say
lickety-split
. At night, when she lay in bed, missing him so badly it hurt, a light breeze would stir the curtains and waft around her. She’d stare at the picture of them laughing on the beach at South Padre Island and sigh. Marcus was everything she’d ever wanted in life. With him gone, she didn’t have anything to aim for, except the ranch and her independence.