The Billionaire's Christmas Cinderella

She’s as pure as winter snow...

Can her innocence redeem him?

Charismatic Manhattan tycoon Abe Devereux is famed for his cold heart. So meeting compassionate nanny Naomi, who’s determined to see the good in him, is a novelty—as is the potency of their undeniable connection! Abe is notoriously merciless, and he wants this shy Cinderella between his sheets by Christmas. But will seducing gentle Naomi be Abe’s biggest risk, or his greatest chance of redemption?

Lose yourself in this captivating Cinderella romance!

CAROL MARINELLI recently filled in a form asking for her job title. Thrilled to be able to put down her answer, she put ‘writer’. Then it asked what Carol did for relaxation and she put down the truth—‘writing’. The third question asked for her hobbies. Well, not wanting to look obsessed, she crossed her fingers and answered ‘swimming’—but, given that the chlorine in the pool does terrible things to her highlights, I’m sure you can guess the real answer!

Also by Carol Marinelli

Their One Night Baby

Claiming His Hidden Heir

The Innocent’s Shock Pregnancy

Billionaires & One-Night Heirs miniseries

The Innocent’s Secret Baby

Bound by the Sultan’s Baby

Sicilian’s Baby of Shame

Ruthless Royal Sheikhs miniseries

Captive for the Sheikh’s Pleasure

Christmas Bride for the Sheikh

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Billionaire’s Christmas Cinderella

Carol Marinelli

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07280-9

THE BILLIONAIRE’S CHRISTMAS CINDERELLA

© 2018 Carol Marinelli

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 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.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

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

Extract

About the Publisher

PROLOGUE

‘I KNOW THAT this is a very difficult time for the Devereux family. However—’

‘That may be the case but it has no bearing on this discussion.’

Abe Devereux interrupted the Sheikh when few people would. It was an online meeting, with Abe in his stunning high-rise New York City office and Sheikh Prince Khalid in Al-Kazan, but Abe would have responded in the same terse manner had they met face to face.

The Devereux family was extending its empire into the Middle East. The first hotel was under construction in Dubai and the site for the next had recently been sourced in Al-Kazan.

Except the landowners, Khalid had just informed Abe, had added several million to their previous asking price. To refuse jeopardised not only the Al-Kazan project—the knock-on effect would be huge. If the Devereuxes didn’t agree to the new asking price, then construction in Dubai might cease.

Abe refused to be bullied.

Khalid was very possibly relying on the fact that he was a personal friend of Abe’s younger brother, Ethan. Or perhaps he had hoped for a rare moment of weakness or distraction, given that Jobe Devereux, the head of the Devereux empire, was gravely ill.

But there would be no weakness or distraction from Abe.

Khalid would soon come to understand that he was dealing with the most ruthless of the Devereuxes.

Abe would never be swayed by emotion.

This was business, and nothing ever got in the way of that.

‘Whose side are you on, Khalid?’ Abe asked the question few would dare. ‘We are supposed to be in this venture together.’

‘I am on the side of progress,’ Khalid answered smoothly. ‘And for the sake of a relatively small sum we risk thwarting the inroads that have been made.’

‘If Al-Kazan is not ready for such progress then we shall look for another site.’

‘Have you discussed this with Ethan?’ Khalid checked.

Ethan was supposed to be here but he hadn’t made it in, which was perhaps just as well, given that he was friends with the Sheikh.

Abe wasn’t particularly friendly with anyone but, even had he been, it wouldn’t have swayed him.

‘Ethan and I are both in full agreement,’ Abe lied smoothly, for he had not had a chance to speak with his brother. ‘The price remains as originally decided or we look elsewhere.’

‘If we could perhaps discuss it with Ethan present?’ Supremely polite, still Khalid pushed his agenda. ‘He was here recently and understands the sensitivities.’

‘There’s nothing more to discuss.’

‘But if we can’t come to a satisfactory resolution, even a temporary one, construction in Dubai may well cease.’

‘In that case...’ Abe shrugged ‘...no one gets paid. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really do have to go.’

‘Of course.’ Khalid nodded graciously, though it was clear he was displeased. ‘Would you pass on my best wishes to your father?’

It was only when Abe was satisfied that they had been disconnected and Khalid’s face had disappeared from the screen that he let out a curse that indicated the gravity of the situation. If the Dubai construction ceased, for even a few days, the knock-on effect would be dire.

Abe was quite sure that Khalid was relying on that fact.

For a couple of million, Abe could resolve this. It was small change in the scheme of things and he was certain that Ethan would be willing to pay up rather than jeopardise the project at this tender stage.

But Abe refused to be bullied.

And threats, however silkily delivered, would not change his stance.

Abe got up from his desk and, from his impressive vantage point, looked out over a cold and snowy Manhattan and beyond. It was a stunning view towards the East River and he drank it in for a moment, barely turning his head when his brother’s PA knocked and explained the reason for his absence from this morning’s meeting.

‘Ethan’s been at the hospital with Merida since last night. Apparently, she’s in labour.’

‘Thank you.’

Abe didn’t ask for details.

He already knew more than enough.

Ethan had married Merida a few months ago, though only because she was pregnant. Abe had, along with his father, signed off on the contract that would ensure that the new Mrs Devereux and her infant would be well provided for when they eventually divorced.

But as clinical as a contract sounded, it had its merits—Abe hoped to God it ensured that the baby would be treated better than he and Ethan had been.

He could not think of that now.

Abe closed his eyes on the glorious December view.

It wasn’t even nine a.m. and it was already proving to be a long day.

He had Sheikh Khalid testing his limits and the Middle East contract on the brink of collapse.

As well as that, in the hospital a few streets away from this very building he had his brother’s wife giving birth in one wing...

And his father dying in the other.

No.

He corrected himself—his father was fighting for his life in the other.

His mother, Elizabeth Devereux, had died when Abe was nine. She hadn’t been in the least bit maternal and Jobe had been far from a hands-on father. In fact, a fleet of nannies had raised the Devereux boys—but Abe greatly admired his father and was not ready to let him go.

Not that he showed it, of course.

For a second so brief it was barely there Abe considered discussing the Middle East issue with him. Jobe Devereux was the founder and the cleverest man Abe knew. Yet Abe quickly decided he could not stress his father while he was fighting just to survive.

Only that wasn’t the real reason that Abe didn’t head to the hospital now—Jobe had never shied from giving his view after all.

It was more that Abe had never asked for help in his life.

And he wasn’t about to start now.

But before he could tackle the work waiting, his private phone rang and Abe saw that it was his brother.

‘A little girl,’ Ethan said, sounding both tired and elated at the same time.

‘Congratulations.’

‘Merida was amazing!’

Abe made no comment to that. The fact that Merida had just had a baby did not suddenly make him a fan of hers. ‘Have you told Dad?’

‘I’m heading over to tell him now,’ Ethan said.

Usually they called their father Jobe, as it helped with the business side of things, but this, Abe was fast realising, wasn’t business.

Oh, there might be a watertight contract in place and the marriage might all be a charade, but a little girl had been born this morning. And that moved him. He thought of his father, about to hear the news that he was a grandfather.

‘Will you be coming in to meet your niece?’ Ethan asked.

‘Of course.’ Abe glanced at the time. ‘Though not until later in the afternoon.’

‘Merida’s friend, Naomi, is getting in at midday. We were supposed to be there to meet her.’

‘Do you want me to organise a driver to pick her up?’

There was a brief stretch of silence before Ethan responded. Neither of the brothers liked asking for help, even from the other. ‘Abe, is there any chance of you going? She’s Merida’s best friend.’

‘I thought she was the nanny?’ Abe frowned. He only knew that because a full-time live-in nanny had been a part of the terms agreed to.

‘Naomi’s both.’

‘Give me her details,’ Abe sighed, and pulled out a pen.

‘Naomi Hamilton.’ Ethan gave her flight details. ‘If she can come to the hospital before being taken to the house, that would be good.’

‘All sorted,’ Abe said, and glanced again at the time. ‘I really do have to go. Congratulations.’

‘Thanks.’

Luckily Ethan was too muddled to ask how this morning’s meeting with Khalid had gone and certainly Abe did not volunteer the information.

Cool heads were needed for dealing with this situation and currently the only Devereux who had one was Abe.

He buzzed through to his own PA. ‘Jessica, could you organise a gift for me to take to the hospital this afternoon?’

‘For your father?’ she checked.

‘No, the baby’s here.’

There was a little squeal that had Abe pulling the phone back from his ear; then came the inevitable questions. ‘What did Merida have?’

‘A girl.’

‘Does she have a name yet? Do you know how much she weighs?’

‘I don’t know any more than that,’ Abe responded. He really hadn’t thought to ask. ‘I also need you to sort out a driver to do an airport run from JFK to the hospital.’ He gave the flight details. ‘She gets in at midday. The name’s Naomi Hamilton.’

Despite his brother’s request, Abe would not be playing chauffeur.

As well as Khalid to contend with, he had the first-of-the-month board meeting to attend. Before that he was meeting with Maurice, the head of PR, to discuss the annual Devereux Christmas Eve Charity Ball.

It was a highlight on the social calendar, but, for the first time since its inception, Jobe Devereux would not be attending.

Tabled on this morning’s agenda was discussion of contingency plans should Jobe die close to, or on, that date.

Not pleasant.

But a necessary task, given that people travelled from far and wide and paid an awful lot of money to attend.

Emotion had to be put aside and unpalatable scenarios played out and usually Abe was very good at that.

Abe wasn’t just cool...he was considered cold.

And not just in the boardroom. His reputation with women was devastating, though that had calmed in recent years. But his aloofness extended also to family.

He had stopped trusting others by the age of four, looking out for his brother and doing his best to ensure that he came to no harm.

Abe kept his emotions in check.

Yet, unusually, this morning he was struggling to do that.

His schedule was always daunting but he thrived on the pressure and handled it with ease. Yet the autopilot he usually ran on felt, this morning, as if it had disengaged.

The news of the baby had punched a hole in the wall he carefully erected between himself and others.

He put a finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose and squeezed hard, then took a long cleansing breath. Pushing all the drama out of his mind, he’d get on with holding down the Devereux fort.

Someone had to.

CHAPTER ONE

‘A NEW YORK CHRISTMAS...’

Naomi smiled as her very chatty fellow passenger told her what a magical time she would soon be having.

‘There’s nothing better.’

‘I’m sure there isn’t,’ Naomi agreed.

It was easier to.

Privately she cared little for the festive season. Well, she made sure it all went smoothly for whatever family she was with but it was just another day for Naomi.

Actually, no. It was a very lonely day for Naomi—it always had been and no doubt always would be.

But she wasn’t going to bore the woman in the next seat with that.

They had got on well.

Naomi was a little on the large side and had tucked her elbows in and tried to make herself very small on take-off. But by the time they came into land, neither had slept and they were chatting away like old friends. Still, there were things even old friends didn’t need to know.

Born on Christmas Eve, from the little Naomi knew her first weeks of life had been spent on a maternity ward before the first of many foster-care placements.

Now a maternity nanny, she looked after newborns and ensured better for her tiny charges. Her job was to look after the mother and infant during this very precious, tumultuous time before the permanent nanny took over.

She wasn’t a part of the family, though.

On a day such as Christmas, her role was to make it as seamless and as stress-free for the new mother as possible. And Naomi usually ate in her room alone.

This year, though, would be different as it was her best friend whose baby she would be taking care of.

Merida, an actress, had come to New York City with Broadway on her mind and, sure enough, had landed a part in a new production called Night Forest.

She had never made it to opening night, though.

Pregnant by Ethan Devereux, she had said goodbye to her acting career and entered into a marriage of convenience.

Although, inconveniently for Merida, she was head over heels in love with her husband.

Naomi had had reservations about accepting the job.

Ethan and Merida had insisted that she be paid, and though they were probably just trying to be nice, it would have been easier on Naomi to have been asked to stay as a friend.

But she was concerned for Merida and that was why she had agreed to take the post.

As the cabin lights were dimmed for landing, Naomi looked out of the small, moisture-streaked window. There wasn’t much to see, just snow-laden clouds, but then her breath caught as jutting up in the distance she saw the iconic skyline rising out from gunmetal-grey water and it sent a frisson of excitement through Naomi. She was here—actually here. And for someone who had never been out of the United Kingdom it was an exciting moment indeed.

The plane banked for its final approach but that first glimpse of the city left a smile on Naomi’s face.

Naomi had freshened up as best she could after breakfast had been served but she took out her compact and checked her reflection. She was excited to see Merida but her reflection showed tiredness. Her dark chocolate curls were limp and beneath her deep blue eyes were dark smudges. Her very pale complexion had turned to pure white.

A sleep would fix that, she told herself.

Naomi was determined to beat jet lag at its own game and stay awake for the entire day.

It was beyond exciting to be here and she wore her smile through baggage collection, though she felt it wane a touch at customs.

All the paperwork had been arranged but still she felt very nervous when she told them that, yes, she was here to work.

‘A nanny?’ the border security official checked, and took the folder containing all of Naomi’s paperwork and had a through read through of it. ‘For the Devereuxes?’

‘Yes, there’s a letter from Mr Ethan Devereux and if there are any problems...’

‘There’s no problem.’

Her passport was stamped and she was on her way.

The ground staff were lively and funny, blowing into their hands and telling her it was bitterly cold as she awaited her baggage.

‘You’ll need a coat, Miss,’ one said as she passed.

‘I’m getting one!’ Naomi called back. ‘I’m headed straight to the shops.’

She had, a few days previously, left her good coat on a train and had been about to buy one for her trip when it had dawned on her she was heading to the shopping capital of the world. Naomi had decided her first stop would be the city’s most famous department store.

For now she had to make do with a rather flimsy jacket and a thick scarf that she would put over her long dark hair before heading outside.

Naomi had a lot of luggage.

Well, two cases and her hand luggage.

It was, though, her entire world that she carried in those bags.

She lived wherever work took her. In between jobs she aimed to take a brief holiday, but Naomi didn’t have a home as such. She had shared a flat with Merida for a couple of years, which had been brilliant, but since then she had lived with the families she’d cared for. Generally, she arrived two weeks before the baby’s due date and stayed between six and eight weeks after the baby was born.

And she was tired of it.

Not so much her work, as exhausting as it was.

Naomi was just tired of living out of suitcases.

As she stepped into the arrivals lounge Naomi scanned the crowd for a glimpse of Merida, who was generally unmissable with her shock of red hair, although, given how cold it was, she may well be wearing a hat. Or, given that the baby was due on December the fourteenth, she may well have not made it to the airport. As she wheeled her trolley Merida saw a sign with her name on it held by an older man in a black suit.

‘I’m Naomi Hamilton,’ she said.

‘Guest of?’ the gentleman asked.

Clearly security was tight around the family, Naomi thought as her status was double checked. ‘Merida Devereux.’

‘Then come this way.’ He smiled. ‘Here, let me help you with that...’ He took over the trolley. ‘Where’s your coat?’

Naomi told him her plan to get one as they walked and it really was freezing outside.

‘Jump in,’ he told her when they reached the car. Naomi didn’t need to be asked twice and sat in the back, watching the world go by as her cases were loaded.

‘Are we headed to the house?’ Naomi asked as they drove off.

‘No.’ He gave her a smile in the rear-view mirror. ‘I’m to take you to the hospital. More than that, I don’t know.’

How exciting!

Naomi was very aware, though, that the next few weeks were not going to be plain sailing. Merida was completely in love with Ethan, who had only married her to give the child his name, and the plan was they would divorce after a year. Naomi was worried for Merida. Also, the patriarch of the family, Jobe Devereux, was seriously ill.

Even if Merida hadn’t been her friend, Naomi would have been aware of that fact. The Devereuxes were a hugely powerful family and Jobe’s health woes had reached the press in England.

Naomi just wanted to make these precious first weeks as peaceful and as calm as she could for the new mother and baby, and would do whatever she could to ensure that.

The car was warm and despite the stop-start traffic it was lulling, and as they drove through a long tunnel Naomi resisted the urge to rest her head on the window and close her eyes. But, given she’d had to be at Heathrow so early, she hadn’t slept last night, neither had she slept on the plane, and as the traffic backed up Naomi found that her eyelids grew heavy and finally she gave in.

‘Miss...’

Naomi startled and opened her eyes, taking a second to gather where she was. In fact, the driver had to orientate her.

‘We’re at the hospital.’

So they were.

The private wing was incredibly warm and as she passed a couple of rooms and saw empty beds Naomi thought about how she would love to claim one and stretch out and sleep; but as she stepped into Merida’s room jet lag was completely forgotten.

‘Naomi!’ Merida was sitting up in bed, looking a mixture of exhausted and happy and clearly delighted by the arrival of her friend.

‘Merida! How are you?’

‘So happy. We had a girl.’

Ethan was holding the precious bundle. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t get there to meet you,’ he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and was rather more friendly than Naomi had expected.

‘Well, you were rather busy...’ Naomi smiled.

‘Is Abe with you?’ he asked.

‘Abe?’ Naomi frowned for a second then remembered that was Abe was the elder Devereux brother. ‘No, the driver brought me. Bernard, I think...’ She was distracted then as the blanket fell back and she caught a proper glimpse of the baby. ‘Oh, my, she is gorgeous.’

Naomi, in her line of work, saw a lot of new babies, and they were all very precious, though for Naomi there had never been one more precious than this little girl. With no relatives of her own, Merida and her very new daughter were the closest thing to family that Naomi had known.

When Ethan handed her to Naomi she found that her eyes filled up with tears as she held the new life.

‘Does she have a name?’

‘Ava,’ Merida said. ‘We just decided.’

‘Oh, but it suits her. She’s completely stunning.’ Little Ava really was, with a shock of dark hair like her father, and huge dark blue eyes and a sweet little rosebud mouth. ‘How was the birth?’

‘It was actually wonderful.’

When Ethan headed off to make some calls, Merida elaborated a touch. ‘Ethan was right there the whole time. Naomi, we’re okay now,’ Merida said, her eyes shining. ‘Ethan told me he loves me and that we’re going to make this marriage work.’

Naomi rather thought it might be the emotion of the birth that had Ethan showing devotion, but of course she didn’t say that to her friend as she popped the now sleeping baby into her little crib.

‘How long do you think you’ll be in for?’ Naomi asked.

‘A couple of days. I feel terrible that you’ll have to find your own way around.’

‘I’m quite sure I can manage. I’ll head off soon and get in some sleep and tomorrow I might do a bit of sightseeing and buy a decent coat.’

‘I can’t believe you’re actually here.’ Merida beamed. ‘Naomi, I’ve got so much to tell you.’

But it would all have to wait.

Ethan returned at that moment and a short while later Jobe, the grandfather of little Ava, came down in a wheelchair, escorted by a nurse. And then came the photos, though not just the family kind—a professional photographer had been brought in for the occasion.

It was clear that Jobe was very ill indeed, yet he had refused to have the baby brought up to visit him and had made a supreme effort to be a part of such an important day.

As the photographer snapped away, even though Jobe had a nurse with him, Naomi helped too, positioning little Ava in his arms and making sure that as soon as he tired she took the baby with a smile.

‘Thank you,’ Jobe said, noting how she had hovered discreetly. ‘You’re Merida’s friend?’

‘Yes.’ Naomi nodded. ‘And also little Ava’s nanny for the next few weeks.’

‘Well, any friend of Merida’s is a friend of the family. It’s good to have you here, Naomi.’

It was such a little thing. She had expected to be daunted by this powerful man, but instead they clicked on sight and he made Naomi feel very welcome and a part of it all. She was used to being the nanny and hovering in the background, but today, on her first day in New York, she’d had her picture taken while holding a tiny little baby who was new to all of this too!

‘Has Abe been in?’ Jobe asked, as Naomi held little Ava, who was close to falling asleep in her arms.

Naomi might look as if she wasn’t listening, but her ears were on elastic. She knew Abe was a force to be reckoned with and wanted to get a feel for things and work out the dynamics so that she could help Merida as best she could in the weeks ahead.

‘Not as yet,’ Ethan said, and Naomi heard the edge to his voice. ‘I specifically asked him to pick up Naomi, but instead he sent a car.’

‘Well, he must have got caught up,’ Jobe suggested.

With little Ava asleep and Merida looking like she needed the same, Naomi decided it was time to head off. ‘I’m going to go,’ she said, and gave Merida a hug and a kiss. ‘Jet lag is starting to creep in and I want that well behind me by the time you bring your little lady home.’

‘We’re staying at Dad’s place for now,’ Ethan explained, ‘while we have some renovations done.’

‘Merida told me.’ Naomi nodded. ‘It’s fine.’

Famous last words.

* * *

‘Dad’s place’ was a huge, grey stone mansion on Fifth Avenue, overlooking Central Park. Naomi had to pinch herself to believe that she was really here. Oh, thanks to her job she had stayed in some amazing residences, but nowhere had been nearly as grand as this.

One of the heavy double doors was opened by a gentleman who said that they had been expecting her, and as Naomi stepped into the foyer an elderly woman came rushing over.

‘Naomi!’ She gave her a welcoming smile. ‘I’m Barb, Head of Housekeeping.’

‘It’s lovely to meet you, Barb.’

The house was even more stunning inside.

The huge foyer with marble floors and archways was impressive, as was the large curved staircase, but it was all made a little less daunting because the first thing that greeted Naomi was the delicious scent of pine.

There in the corner was a Christmas tree, bigger than any she had ever seen.

An undressed tree.

‘We were waiting to find out what Merida had,’ Barb explained. ‘Have you ever seen a tree decorated pink?’

‘No.’ Naomi laughed.

‘Well, you soon will.’

And even with a soon-to-be-pink tree it was sheer New York elegance and this was only the entrance. Naomi could only imagine what lay behind the high doors.

‘Have you seen the baby?’ Barb asked.

‘Yes, she’s very beautiful. She’s got black hair and a lot of it...’

‘Oh, how precious.’

Naomi didn’t reveal her name, or show the photos she had taken with her phone, as she wasn’t sure it was her place to. Not that Barb asked, she was far too busy chatting. ‘It’s fantastic that you’ve arrived on such a good news day. We were just having a little celebration,’ she added. ‘I’ll show you around.’

‘That can wait.’ Naomi shook her head. ‘A bath and bed is all I need right now. Just show me where I’m sleeping and you can get back to celebrating the baby’s arrival. Though if you can show me the alarm system, that would be great. I don’t want to set it off if I get up in the night.’

Barb did so and as they walked up a huge staircase, lined with family photos Naomi told her about the time she’d had to call an ambulance on her first night at a job for the mother of one of her charges. ‘When I let the paramedics in I set the whole house off. It just added to the chaos.’