Fortune's Secret Heir Read online

  A Change In Fortune

  Cool, confident and in control: that’s Ben Robinson, the billionaire COO of Robinson Tech. With his imposing height and sharp blue eyes, he can convince anyone to do anything, but suddenly he feels like a fraud. The handsome Texan has just discovered his entire life has been a lie.

  With the news that his father might actually be a long-lost—and very prodigal—Fortune, Ben trains his laser focus on determining the truth. He persuades sweet, earnest Ella Thomas to help him in his research; no one would ever suspect the part-time college student of subterfuge. Ella is sensitive and highly intuitive...in other words, Ben’s total opposite. And as she digs for his Fortune roots, she may also uncover the billionaire’s long-shuttered heart...

  MEET THE...FORTUNES?

  Fortune (?) of the Month: Ben Robinson. Ben Fortune?

  Age: 33

  Vital statistics: Six foot two, eyes of blue, and nerves of steel. You don’t want to get in his way.

  Claim to Fame: He is COO of Robinson Tech—and quite possibly a legitimate heir to the Fortune dynasty.

  Romantic prospects: He could have almost any woman he wants...except the one he wants.

  “I knew Ella would make the perfect assistant, even when she was mixing lousy drinks at Kate Fortune’s birthday party. Ella is bright, sensitive and discreet. She’s also gorgeous and sweet and all wrong for me. I am a work-obsessed, bottom-line man—and I’m selfish. Maybe too selfish to walk away, even when I know I should...”

  THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS: ALL FORTUNE’S CHILDREN—Money. Family. Cowboys. Meet the Austin Fortunes!

  Dear Reader,

  My family recently rejoiced in the birth of our first grandchild. He is a wonderful, albeit constant, reminder of just how quickly time flies.

  And here, in the Special Edition family, we’re celebrating another reminder of how quickly time flies...the twentieth anniversary of the Fortune family. I never stop counting my blessings that I’m fortunate enough to be part of the Special Edition “crew,” as well as having had the opportunity to be part of several of the Fortune family series. And I feel particularly blessed to lead off this twentieth anniversary celebration with Fortune’s Secret Heir.

  Ben is a man used to success. He was born into it and he’s confident in growing that success. But that’s on the business front. When it comes to personal matters—families in particular—he’s almost a babe in the woods. Now he’s learned his heritage is broader than he’d ever dreamed, and he’s going to lead his brothers and sisters into successfully following that heritage—whether they’re in agreement or not. Will all of that take a backseat when he meets a certain young woman named Ella who has had no success so far in business, but a lot of heart—most particularly when it does come to families?

  Settle in and find out. I hope you’ll have as much fun with them as I did. Then keep checking back for the next five books, written by authors with whom I’m honored to share this Fortune family world. I promise you...the time will fly!

  Best wishes and happy reading,

  Fortune’s Secret Heir

  Allison Leigh

  Allison Leigh, a frequent name on bestseller lists, claims her high point as a writer is hearing from readers that they laughed, cried or lost sleep while reading her books. She credits her family with great patience for the time she’s parked at her computer, and for blessing her with the kind of love she wants her readers to share with the characters living in the pages of her books. Contact her at allisonleigh.com.

  Books by Allison Leigh

  Harlequin Special Edition

  Return to the Double C

  One Night in Weaver...

  A Weaver Christmas Gift

  A Weaver Beginning

  A Weaver Vow

  A Weaver Proposal

  Courtney’s Baby Plan

  The Rancher’s Dance

  Montana Mavericks: 20 Years in the Saddle!

  Destined for the Maverick

  Men of the Double C

  A Weaver Holiday Homecoming

  A Weaver Baby

  A Weaver Wedding

  Wed in Wyoming

  Sarah and the Sheriff

  The Fortunes of Texas: Welcome to Horseback Hollow

  Fortune’s Prince

  The Fortunes of Texas: Whirlwind Romance

  Fortune’s Perfect Match

  The Fortunes of Texas: Lost and Found

  Fortune’s Proposal

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  For handsome young Koda Kole. Welcome to the world, my love.

  A beautiful adventure awaits.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Excerpt from A Marine for His Mom by Christy Jeffries

  Prologue

  A strong arm came around her from behind, sliding comfortingly and familiarly around her waist. “Are you sure about this, sweetheart?”

  She smoothed her hand over his and the charms on her bracelet jangled softly. Also familiar. Also comforting. Seeming to remind her of all that had gone before.

  She leaned her head back against her husband’s chest and nodded. “Absolutely certain.”

  She felt, more than heard, his low laugh. “I needn’t have asked. When are you ever uncertain?”

  Her lips twitched. She pulled his warm hand up to kiss before moving out of his arms. Careful not to disturb any of the wrapped gifts piled high around its base, she stepped close to the massive Christmas tree—nearly fifteen feet of perfectly fresh Fraser fir—and automatically adjusted the hang of one of the glass globes. Custom-made during one of her trips abroad, it was gloriously beautiful. But the angel hanging above the globe that had been handmade by one of her great-grandchildren just a few years ago meant just as much to her. So many memories. Every ornament on the fragrant tree held a memory. A history. And in her family, there was a lot of history.

  For a moment—only a moment—a sliver of uncertainty burrowed under her skin. That wasn’t familiar at all. Whether her plan would be greeted by cheers or jeers when her family soon arrived and she shared it with them, it nevertheless had a purpose. And given everything they’d lived through, accomplished and triumphed over, particularly in the past twenty years, she knew there was no point in hesitation. She’d been on this earth nine decades.

  She touched the handmade angel, marveling a little at that very fact.

  Definitely no point in hesitation. Not at her age.

  So, regardless of their reactions, it was time to act. Time to move forward. It was the right thing for the family. The right thing for the company. If she had any dissenters, they’d soon see things her way.

  Uncertainty yanked out by mental tweezers as if the sliver had never been, she continued to the side table, where she’d left the invitations. She didn’t bother fanning through the elegantly addressed linen envelopes. She’d already checked them, twice, against her carefully prepared list. She
could only imagine the responses they’d elicit when they were opened by their intended recipients.

  If she was in the same position as her guests, she wasn’t sure she would bother to attend a gala if she didn’t know its purpose or even the identity of the person who’d issued the invitation. Why should they? But then, everyone was usually intrigued by a little mystery. On that, she was counting. That, and the financial incentive of donations being made to their favorite charities if they intended to attend. And at this point, it was paramount that word not get out. Lord only knew the chaos that could ensue.

  She left the stack of invitations untouched and picked up the two plane tickets sitting beside them, then looked over her shoulder at her husband. A day never went by when she didn’t take pleasure in the sight of him. So dear. So distinguished. Her other half, though she’d lived two thirds of her lifetime before realizing it. “You with me?”

  He gave her a look. “Always.”

  She smiled fully then. Not just because she couldn’t resist the way his eyes crinkled when he gave her a smile like that, but because she heard the sound of a door opening followed by voices and laughter and excited footsteps racing across the marble-floored entry.

  After all this time of thinking and preparing, her plan was finally going to be set in motion.

  “Well, then, darling—” she set the plane tickets beside the invitations “—Texas, here we come!”

  Chapter One

  The line of people waiting to get past the security guard was finally dwindling. It had definitely taken long enough.

  Ben Robinson stepped into the sphere of golden light bathing one of the stone pillars leading toward the entrance of the house and joined the line, nodding briefly to the man in front of him as he glanced back.

  “Long line,” the guy said ruefully, waving the ivory invitation in his hand. He was dressed in a tuxedo that sat uneasily on his shoulders. The woman in a cashmere shawl beside him seemed equally nervous about the diamonds circling her neck, considering the way she kept checking them.

  “Yes.” Ben’s black suit was Tom Ford. Not a tux, but not exactly off-the-rack, either. And he was comfortable in it. The only difference that mattered between him and the line of guests in front of him was that they all held one of those ivory invitations that allowed them entry to this highly exclusive event.

  An invitation he himself did not possess.

  The man in front of him hadn’t turned his attention forward yet. “Suppose it’ll be worth it?”

  Ben shrugged. He was counting on it, but the invited man in front of him didn’t need to know that. “Guess we’ll find out.”

  “Honey.” Diamond Necklace touched her mate’s arm excitedly. “That woman getting out of the limo?” She discreetly waved toward the long vehicle that had just stopped nearby in the circular drive fronting the opulent house. “That’s Lady Josephine Fortune Chesterfield,” she said under her breath. “I’d recognize her anywhere. You know she spends a lot of time in Texas now. Her daughter, Lady Amelia, got married in Horseback Hollow—that’s where they opened Cowboy Country last year. Remember? Oh, my goodness, she’s here right now! Doesn’t she remind you of a young Audrey Hepburn? It’s so romantic that she chose a rancher to marry, but she was engaged to an earl. I wonder if her sister, Lady Lucie, is—”

  The guy gave Ben a wry look and focused again on his companion, cutting off her excited chatter. “Let me guess. You read all about them in those magazines you love.”

  “Don’t make fun of me, Mr. Smarty Pants,” she warned. She waved her hand at the palatial estate and the line of guests still in front of them. “You’re worried this whole thing was a recipe for disaster. But I’m more convinced than ever that this is some big deal about the Fortune Foundation. Maybe they’re going to open an office in Austin.”

  “Who sends an invitation like this without saying who they are? And why would the Fortune Foundation keep quiet if this was their doing?” The guy flipped his invitation lightly against her nose, sending Ben a look, as if expecting agreement.

  Ben shrugged again. He hadn’t seen the actual invitation. But he had damn sure done his research. He, at least, knew who the chef was of this particular dish. And it was not the Fortune Foundation, which was a nonprofit headquartered out of Red Rock, Texas, a few hours away.

  The line moved again then, and Necklace didn’t entirely succeed in holding back a squeal as she grabbed Smarty Pants’s sleeve and pulled him up to the guard, whose suit didn’t disguise either the muscles or the sidearm beneath. Ben moved more leisurely, but soon enough he was in front of the guard. With the dwindling line, there was only one now. When Ben had first arrived and begun scoping out the situation in person, there had been three guards at the door.

  “Your invitation, sir?”

  Everyone had always told Ben he was just like his father. He didn’t need times like this to know how damned true that was. Gerald Robinson had nerve to spare. And so did Ben. He smiled smoothly and pulled his Robinson Tech ID from his lapel and held it out with an expectant look.

  The guard returned it with one caught halfway between surprise and suspicion. “Uh, Mr. Robinson.” He obviously recognized the badge. And Ben’s name. “I don’t have you on—”

  “The list. There hasn’t been enough time. When I heard there might be a computer breach between the ranch here and the headquarters in Minnesota—”

  The guard paled a little, stealing a quick look at the state-of-the-art Robinson model computer propped on a stand beside him. “Breach?”

  Ben clapped the guard reassuringly on the shoulder while returning his company ID back to his lapel pocket with his other hand. “Don’t worry, man. I’ll have it ironed out in no time.” He could feel the guard’s tension and smiled confidently, even though he was lying through his teeth. “I know the system is secure. My own people put it in. But you know how your boss is. Never entirely trusting someone outside the network without a few tests slipped in along the way.”

  It was a calculated and accurate assessment, and almost immediately, the tension Ben felt under his hand eased. Knowing he’d succeeded, he let his hand drop from the guard’s shoulder and stepped through the opened doorway into the house, even before the guard waved him along. He wasn’t surprised at being passed through.

  Whether a result of being Gerald’s firstborn or being the chief operating officer of the company his father had founded, there were few people Ben encountered who didn’t tend to see things the way he wanted them to.

  He bypassed the long table set to one side of the high-ceilinged foyer, where guests were finding their name tags, breaking up the tidy rows in which they’d been arranged, despite the efforts of the two young women dressed in plain black dresses who were clearly assigned the job of assisting.

  The tags were fancy. Gold. Preprinted. But even so, they looked wholly prosaic among the proliferation of tuxes and jewels. Nevertheless, he found them handy as he made his way deeper into the palatial house, following the directions provided by even more party attendants. Because the tags assigned faces to names that, up until now, had been only that.

  Names.

  James Marshall Fortune of JMF Financial out of Atlanta. His older brother, John Michael Fortune, who’d founded the telecommunications giant, FortuneSouth. One of their sisters, Ben knew, was the Lady Josephine whom Diamond Necklace had been so excited to spot. There were power brokers, movers and shakers in attendance, as well as folks like Mr. Smarty Pants and Diamond Necklace, who’d struck him as pretty salt of the earth.

  Yet all of them—save the help—had been invited because in one way or another they were part of the Fortune family.

  His lips tightened and he tamped down the resentment that had been seething inside him for longer than he wanted to think about.

  Invited.

  But not Ben. And none of hi
s seven siblings, either. He’d only learned about the party in the first place because he’d had the family under a microscope ever since his sister Rachel dropped her little bombshell.

  He finally arrived in a soaring room cleared of typical furniture in favor of round banquet tables draped in heavy gold silk and topped with crystal and candles. He wound through the exalted invitees, who’d begun clustering in small groups of twos and threes around the open areas of marble floor, and stopped near one of the three bars set up in the corners of the room. He chose the bar at the far rear because, from that position, he had a good view of all entrances into the room.

  He’d been intent on gaining access.

  Now that he’d done so, he was pretty much flying by the seat of his pants. He intended to speak to the party’s hostess. One way or another. How he accomplished that...well, that was yet to be decided.

  “Good evening, sir. What can I get you?”

  He hadn’t been interested in a drink. Just the right spot. He glanced over his shoulder at the young woman behind the bar. She was dressed in the same nondescript tailored black sheath all the other female party attendants wore, yet he found his attention lingering on her. The display of bottles on the table behind her slender hips said there was no limit to what libation a person might desire.

  He might as well fit in. There didn’t seem to be a guest there who didn’t have a glass in their hands, either obtained from one of the bars or from one of the attendants circulating through the room with gold trays and crystal flute glasses. “Dry Manhattan.”

  He caught the quick dismay in her expression before she nodded. “Certainly.” She quickly turned to face the array of liquor bottles, her hand hovering but not exactly reaching.

  She had auburn hair. And once upon a time he’d had a weakness for redheads.

  But no more, he reminded himself. Plus, no matter how her curves filled the dress, she looked like she wasn’t even old enough to be serving alcohol, anyway. The dark red tresses were pulled back in a high, youthful ponytail that revealed the pale skin at her nape above the collarless black dress. She had a cluster of faint freckles there that struck him as ridiculously young.