The Billionaire's Birthday Wish Read online

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Locale and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or actual locations is purely coincidental. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email [email protected].

  Text copyright © Jenna Brandt 2020.

  Cover design by Jo Grafford and Jenna Brandt

  The Billionaire’s Birthday Wish

  Jenna Brandt

  Contents

  Billionaire Birthday Club Questionnaire

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peak of The Billionaire’s Reunion

  Sneak Peak of Waiting on the Billionaire

  Sneak Peak of Lawfully Devoted-A Billionaire Bodyguard Romance

  A Note from the Author

  Also by Jenna Brandt

  Join My Mailing List and Reader’s Groups

  The next two billionaire birthday club books

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Praise for Jenna Brandt

  I’m always excited when I see a new book by Jenna Brandt. This very talented author can create an amazing storyline without missing a beat!

  Lori Dykes, Amazon Customer

  Jenna Brandt is, in my estimation, the most gifted author of Christian fiction in this generation!

  Paula Rose Michelson, Christian Romance Author

  Jenna Brandt writes from the heart and you can feel it in every page turned.

  Sandra Sewell White, Longtime Reader

  Jenna Brandt does a good job of pulling you in quickly and creating characters that you care about.

  Kathy Church, Advanced Reader

  I love this author - She always writes intriguing and amazing stories. She can write in any time period and owns it.

  Connie C, Longtime Reader

  Thank you Jenna Brandt for good wholesome novels that focus on Christian values.

  Anonymous Amazon Customer

  For more information about Jenna Brandt, signup for her Newsletter or visit her on any of her social media platforms:

  www.JennaBrandt.com

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  Jenna Brandt’s Reader Group

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  The Billionaire’s Birthday Wish

  What do you give the billionaire who has everything?

  Wade McAllister is a celebrity pastry chef that turned his fame into a billionaire dollar cooking empire. He has everything he could ever want at his fingertips, but something is missing. When one of his friends gives him an exclusive invite to join the Billionaire Birthday Club, he’s intrigued. Could this place finally help him figure out what's missing in his life?

  Tara Wilson takes the concierge position at the elite and very private island resort where the Billionaire Birthday Club is located, viewing it as a stepping stone to opening her own high-end hotel. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for one of her clients, which could jeopardize everything for her, including her heart.

  Will Wade’s birthday wish come true? Will Tara be able to have both love and a career? And what will happen when the news gets out about their relationship?

  Billionaire Birthday Club is an exclusive resort—for the billionaire who appears to have everything but secretly wants more. After filling out a confidential survey, a curated celebration is waiting on the island to make their birthday wishes come true!

  Billionaire Birthday Club Questionnaire

  1.What are your hobbies, or do you collect anything?

  2.Are you a beach, mountain, city, or country person?

  3.Where is somewhere you’ve always wanted to go?

  4.Are you an adventurous eater? What is your favorite food?

  5.If you had one day to do anything, what would you choose to do?

  6.What is something that you’ve never experienced that is still on your bucket list?

  7.Who is your secret celebrity crush?

  8.What is your ideal perfect day?

  9.Where did you go as a child (summer camp, family trips, summer abroad)?

  10.Do you enjoy large parties or intimate gatherings?

  11.What colors do you gravitate toward and why?

  12.What inspires you?

  13.Do you have a pet? Why or why not?

  14.How would you describe your dream vacation?

  15.What’s your guilty pleasure?

  16.What song lyric moves you the most?

  17.Do you have a deserted-island book or favorite quote?

  18.What’s your number one film?

  19.How do you want to remember your experience?

  20.What have you seen at other birthday events that you did or didn’t like?

  -To All those who are stuck inside-

  Don’t stop believing, dreaming, hoping, persevering!

  We can survive this together!

  Chapter One

  “Good job, everyone. We’re finished with this segment,” Wade McAllister heard the director shout out from behind the camera. “Let’s set up for the next one.”

  Wade moved out of the way, letting the TV show staff scurry around him as they prepared the next part of the episode. The show’s makeup artist rushed towards him, using the pause in filming to touch up his face, while a hair stylist brushed his dark brown hair into place.

  “Wade, can you move over to that red mark?” the director encouraged, gesturing to the other end of the counter where the contestants were standing ready to start their soufflés.

  The rest of the afternoon sped by as Wade played his part as the host and head judge of America’s favorite baking show competition. He knew his lines and delivered each one with the handsome smile and endearing charm that was expected of him. As the guy-next-door turned pastry chef icon, he had a very specific image to protect. He couldn’t deviate from it or risk destroying the billion dollar baking empire he had built up over the past decade.

  “Good job, Mr. McAllister,” one of the new production assistant interns said, as she passed by.

  He nodded in return, racking his brain to try to remember her name. Finally, it came to him. “Thank you, Kari. How has your first week been here on the show?”

  “Wonderful, Mr. McAllister, I’ve learned so much and it’s such a pleasure to watch you work. You’re so great at this,” the young blonde woman cooed with a glowing smile. “If you ever have the time, I could really use any private feedback you have about the job I’m doing.”

  Immediately, Wade recognized the shift from professional admiration to veiled flirtation. He pushed down his irritation, then gently replied, “You should go over that information with Paula, the line producer. She’ll be better suited to help you with your job.”

  He hoped what he said made it clear he wasn’t interested in mixing business with pleasure. Truthfully, he didn’t spend a lot of time focusing on pursuing romantic relationships, choosing to put his energy towards business where he found more reward for his effort. The women he met either wanted him for t
he fame or the money, and in some cases, both. They didn’t care to know the man behind the image—the man who would prefer to stay in and watch Star Wars rather than go out and spend time at a trendy nightclub.

  The woman nodded, a look of disappointment clearly displayed on her face. “I’ll do that, Mr. McAllister,” she whispered in a dejected voice, before turning around to leave.

  “Tell me you got her number,” Samuel Butler, his friend and guest judge, asked with a wide grin as he came up beside Wade.

  “You know me better than that; I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

  “Which is a shame. All the best fun comes from mixing those two things together.”

  Wade rolled his eyes. “I’ve worked too hard to ruin my reputation by getting involved with anyone from the show.”

  Samuel shrugged before they both turned around to head towards their dressing rooms to change out of their chef coats and into their regular clothes. “I meant to tell you earlier, you were on point today while filming. It never fails to amaze me how good you are at playing it up for the camera.”

  “What can I say, it’s years of experience. Though I have to admit, I’m getting tired of it.”

  “Does that mean the rumors are true? Is this going to be the show’s final season?”

  Wade shifted his stance, glancing away as he thought about how he wanted to answer his friend’s probing question. Wade had been contemplating retiring from the show for a couple of months now. When he discussed it with his CFO of McAllister Enterprises, it was clear it would cause a huge dip in the company’s revenue, not to mention how it would negatively affect all of the employees that worked for the show. He didn’t have the heart to disrupt everyone else’s lives just because he felt like something was missing from his own. “You know better than anyone not to believe everything you hear. There are always rumors circulating around about men like us.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Samuel lamented. “Just the other day, I saw that one of the tabloids was reporting that I had a secret baby. That was news to me. I’ve been very, very good at making sure that never happened to me.”

  “Which is surprising, considering how you have a new girlfriend—or two, or three—a week.”

  “Hey now, don’t judge me. Just because you don’t make time for the fairer sex.”

  “Sorry I’m not interested in showing off new arm candy on a regular basis. I have no desire to get mixed up with all of what comes with that many women.”

  “You could always just settle for one,” Samuel pointed out as they stopped outside his dressing room.

  “With all I have going on, I’m better off on my own. I wouldn’t expect a woman to want to put up with my crazy schedule.” Then after glancing down at his Rolex watch, Wade added, “Speaking of my tight schedule, I have to change and head to my next appointment.”

  “Really? I was hoping you would go out to dinner with me and a few of my friends. You should take the night off. You know what they say about all work and no play…”

  “I do, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have an appointment I can’t get out of.”

  “You’re Wade McAllister; you can get out of anything you want to. The problem is, you don’t want to.”

  “Funny, you think that’s the case, but even I have things I can’t get out of. How about we rain check dinner for another time?”

  Samuel shrugged, then reached out and opened the door. “I won’t hold my breath; I know how you are. Never a moment for pleasure; always work, work, work.”

  “What can I say, I have a strong work ethic,” Wade said, even though he knew his friend wouldn’t understand. Samuel lucked into his fame, and though he enjoyed it, he wasn’t driven to obtain more like Wade was. Patting his friend on the back, Wade added, “I appreciate you coming on the show today. We’ll talk soon.”

  Wade slipped into his own dressing room. Quickly he switched out of his custom chef’s apron marked with the show’s logo, then put on a fresh navy-blue suit. His phone dinged, reminding him that he had a half hour to make it across town. He didn’t want to be late for his appointment with his realtor, who was helping him acquire the perfectly located building for his next high-end pastry shop in the heart of Manhattan.

  As Wade climbed into the backseat of his Town Car, he went over the plans in his head for his next decadent dessert destination. He planned for his latest endeavor to attract both locals and tourists alike. He already had a dozen shops, but he figured one more couldn’t hurt. He liked the idea of having a baker’s dozen. Besides, between his signature line of bakeware, pastry essentials, and custom cake designers that worked for him, his empire was secure. If that was the case, however, why did he feel like something was still missing?

  Though he had everything he could ever want at his fingertips, he still felt like he needed more. He didn’t like admitting that to himself, but it was true none-the-less. Through the countless years of trying anything and everything, he hadn’t managed to find a way to make the void disappear from his heart. He wished he could figure out why he felt the way he did. He hoped this new shop would be what would make the difference.

  Two hours later, Wade’s meeting was over and he was headed home to his Manhattan penthouse on the Upper Westside. He made his way inside and slipped out of his suit and into a pair of sweats and t-shirt. The media would have a field day if they saw him dressed like that, but since he lived alone and on the twentieth floor, he figured he could take the chance and wear comfortable clothes.

  He picked up his laptop and made his way into the kitchen, where he poured himself a glass of wine before making his way over to his couch. He flopped down and propped his computer on his lap. He clicked the icon for his music app, starting his playlist of classic rock from where he had left off. Two hundred unopened emails were in his inbox, and he’d already checked it earlier in the morning. He didn’t get very far, before he noticed there was one from Samuel. Could it be a thank you for having him on the show? It was time stamped from earlier in the day, making that seem unlikely. He clicked the button to open it and read the contents.

  Wade,

  I knew you wouldn’t agree to go out with me tonight, so I sent this email ahead of time to prove how predictable you’ve become. You need some adventure in your life. Since your birthday is coming up, I decided I was going to give you a gift that would provide the opportunity to live for more than just work.

  Attached is an exclusive invitation to the most elite, most private club in all of the world. The Billionaire Birthday Club is truly one of a kind. You won’t be disappointed if you decide to accept my gift, I promise.

  Your Friend,

  Samuel

  A fancy black invitation with gold details and a diamond encrusted “B” was flashing at the bottom of the email. Wade debated about clicking it. On the one hand, he wasn’t one for surprises. He preferred to know exactly what he was getting into and weighed out all of his choices carefully before making decisions. On the other hand, Samuel had gone out of his way to give him this gift. It would be rude to not at least look at it and decide if it was something he was interested in. Wade clicked the button and it took him to a private site that had the following message:

  Billionaire Birthday Club is an exclusive resort—for the billionaire who appears to have everything but secretly wants more. After filling out a confidential survey, a curated celebration is waiting on the island to make your birthday wishes come true!

  He clicked the next button, which directed him to a questionnaire. He skimmed through the contents and quickly realized the list was created to find out what type of experience he would want. After a few moments of hesitation, he decided he didn’t have anything to lose and started filling out the form. Perhaps, this place could finally help him figure out what was missing in his life.

  Chapter Two

  As Tara Wilson stepped down from the private jet and onto the Billionaire Birthday Club’s private island, a middle-aged brunette in a custom-made,
pink suit rushed up to her with a giant smile on her face. “You must be Tara. I’m Marilyn. I was sent to pick you up and take you over to the main resort on the island.”

  “Thank you,” Tara said, returning the woman’s infectious smile. “You said your name was Marilyn? I think I received an email from you.”

  “That’s right. I’m the resort manager’s assistant. I coordinate the arrival and orientation for all new employees of the club.”

  “That makes sense,” Tara said with a nod. “Do I need to worry about my luggage?”

  Marilyn shook her head. “It’ll be safely delivered to the staff villa. It’s only a few miles away from the resort, and we have a monorail that was installed to deliver you back and forth. There’s a special track that goes to the villa, and other routes that deliver guests all around the island. For those guests who prefer it, though, we have traditional transport as well,” the bubbly assistant explained, as she gestured to the waiting limousine.