Stranded With the Billionaires

Book 5 of the Mating Season series.

Shipwrecked on a deserted island, Amber finds herself deep in danger. Falling for the billionaire alpha werewolves stranded with her is even more dangerous.

Facing a dead-end in her life, Amber joins a ship crew as a private chef to the ship’s mysterious bosses. But before she can even show off her culinary skills, she finds herself stranded and alone on an island with only a mischievous golden retriever for company.

Except she’s not alone, as the two gorgeous shipmates she bumped into earlier are stranded with her.

Nicholas and Constantine are sailing across the Atlantic to an important business meeting in Spain when a sudden storm sinks their ship. They wake up on the beach, with their dog missing, and nothing to arm themselves except their will to survive.

Then they find the delicate woman who kept crashing into them. Despite the danger surrounding them, they have everything they ever need in life, a purpose to live, and a woman to protect. But the more time they spend with Amber, the more they realize that their time together is going to come to an end.

Can they survive long enough to make it off the island, or will their desire for each other doom them forever?

This is a standalone story with a HEA. Each book in the Mating Season series features a new billionaire werewolf MMC duo and new FMC. All of the Mating Series books can be read independently in any order.

Excerpt

AMBER

With a grunt, I heaved my heavy suitcase out of the storage compartment of the bus. Without a further look back to make sure I was out of the way, the bus driver took off, blowing a cloud of dirty dust from the street in my face. I pulled the heavy suitcase behind me as I made my way from the bus stop to the port where I was to report for my new job. My new job that I was going to be late for because I had to take the bus. My flaky mother was supposed to drive me this morning, but as usual, she ended up going to the casino with her new boyfriend and forgot all about me.

But first, I had to cross the busy road in front of the port security gates. A long line of semi-trucks carried freight along the road in a never ending march. Finally, the traffic light turned red, and it was my turn to cross the road. I made it all the way to the opposite side and tugged my suitcase up onto the sidewalk. The wheel on my luggage caught on the edge of the curb and snapped off. It rolled around before circling back and dropping into the nearby storm drain with a clink.

“Argh!” I screamed. My frustration at everything that’s happened to me today boiled over. I tossed my luggage to the ground and gave it a kick. I wanted to cry and rage, but there was no time for that. The thought of having to move back in with my mom gave me a sudden surge of strength.

Picking up my broken luggage, I pulled it all the way to the gated entrance. The security guard posted inside the gate house looked down as he scrutinized me. I blushed as I realized that I was drenched in sweat from walking so far, and my ratty suitcase didn’t exactly help make a good impression.

I cleared my throat. “I’m looking for the Northriker.”

“I’m sorry, but we do not allow your kind of solicitation at the ships.” Disdain dripped from his voice.

“Wh–what?” I sputtered. Oh my gosh. He thought I was a prostitute. I reached into my jacket and pulled out my phone. Scrolling to the hiring email, I held it up and displayed it to him. “I’m working on the Northriker as a chef.”

The guard grunted and pulled up a clipboard. “Name and ID.”

“Amber Sparks.” I dropped my passport under the glass partition. Holding up the passport, he glanced back and forth from the outdated picture to my face. I had no idea what he was looking for, but after a while, he was finally satisfied. He slid the passport under the partition back to me and pressed a button to open the gate.

“You better hurry, the shuttle is going to leave in two minutes.”

Right. “Thanks, you’re a ray of sunshine,” I muttered. The guard grunted and waved me off dismissively.

I pulled my suitcase behind me as I entered the port area and rushed toward the port shuttle. The shuttle took me to a building where an immigration official checked all of my documents and examined every last bit of my belongings.

By the time I managed to repack everything, the zippers of my suitcase were about to burst open. I rushed back to the shuttle, and we took off once again, zipping through the maze of metal shipping containers around the port. This time, the shuttle dropped me off in front of a giant monster of a ship stacked so high with brightly colored shipping containers that I had to crane my head all the way back to see the very last one at the top.

“Wow!” I looked over at the tiny gangway where I guessed I was supposed to board the ship and wondered how I was going to drag my stuff up there. By now, my biceps were burning and weak. Some of the sailors around the port looked at me. I could feel the judgment in their eyes, that a woman like me didn’t belong on that ship.

Well, I was going to show them. Despite the pain in my arms, I picked up my suitcase and heaved it behind me, step by step toward the gangway. I was almost at the start of the plank when suddenly, a golden retriever ran around my legs in a circle. He wagged his tail happily as he tried to play with me. Unfortunately, each lap he ran wrapped his leash around my legs.

“Nice, doggy!” I tried to step over the leash, but I ended up tripping and stumbling over my feet.

“Oof!” I fell backward, but landed unexpectedly on a soft, but firm and warm surface. Large and warm dark brown eyes looked down and met my gaze. My cheek rested on his impossibly muscular chest. I couldn’t resist taking a deep whiff of his scent. Fresh ocean air and a bit of sage.

If I had a choice, I would rest here, in the arms of this man for the rest of my days.

“Are you alright, miss? I’m so sorry about Bunny. He gets a bit too excited when he meets new friends.” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. He helped me back on my feet, and I had to suppress a sigh of disappointment as I stood on my own two feet and was no longer wrapped in his warm embrace.

“That’s because you spoil him, Nicholas,” said another man. I turned around to meet another pair of soulful brown eyes framed by high cheekbones and a golden tanned face. His mouth was beautifully sculpted and lush, and his jaw strong and chiseled. Those lips quirked, and I quickly realized that I was gawking at him. He kneeled over my suitcase, which had popped open in the commotion. All of my belongings were spread across the ground.

I spotted a bit of faded lilac fabric in his fist, and heat rushed to my face. Those were the granny panties I wore during that time of the month.

“Oh!” I kneeled across from him and snatched the panties out of his hand, stuffing it in the bottom of the suitcase. “I’ve got it from here, thanks.”

“Please, it’s the least we can do,” he replied. Both of the men rushed around, grabbing bits of fabric as they helped me repack my suitcase.

“I think that’s about it.” As he spoke, Nicholas dropped a black lacy bra on top of the pile.

I wanted the ground to split open and swallow me up.

“Thanks!” I squeaked out. Slamming the suitcase shut, I tugged on the zipper. Wishing this moment would end, so I could scrub the memory from my brain already.

“Are you traveling on the Northriker?” asked Nicholas. He picked up my suitcase and indicated toward the gangway.

“Yes. I’m working on the ship.”

Their eyes lit up. “So are we,” said the man with the luscious lips. “I’m Constantine, by the way.”

“Amber,” I replied. Constantine picked up Bunny’s leash and urged me to follow Nicholas with a light touch on the small of my back. A jolt of electricity shot up my back from where he touched me.

“You should bundle up as soon as you get to your quarters. The wind out at sea can be intense,” he said.

Since they had my belongings, I had no choice but to let Constantine and Nicholas guide me up to the deck of the ship.

An officer came out to greet us as soon as we stepped aboard. “Come along, Miss Sparks. Your quarters are ready, and the galley manager is waiting for you to start your shift.”

Nicholas handed my suitcase to the officer.

“See you around, Amber.” The two of them gave me a mock salute and a cheeky grin before they headed down the deck in the opposite direction from where the officer was going with my stuff.