The Billionaire From Her Past
The tycoon she never forgot…Mila Molyneux had always harboured a secret crush on her childhood friend Sebastian Fyfe – until he married another woman. She buried her feelings and moved on, knowing it was best for everyone…Meeting Seb years later – now widowed and gorgeous as ever – their long-lost connection is as deep as ever. Only now difficult emotions challenge not only Seb but Mila as well. Dare she hope they can now find happiness – if she can confront the hold this brooding tycoon still has over her…?
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The tycoon she never forgot...
Mila Molyneux had always harboured a secret crush on her childhood friend Sebastian Fyfe—until he married another woman. She buried her feelings and moved on, knowing it was best for everyone...
Meeting Seb years later—now widowed and still gorgeous—their long-lost connection is as deep as ever. Only now difficult emotions challenge not only Seb but Mila, as well. Dare she hope they can now find happiness—if she can confront the hold this brooding tycoon still has over her?
There wasn’t much space between them. A meter... maybe a little less.
Mila still held his gaze. He wished hers was unreadable, but it wasn’t—not any more. He was sure his wasn’t either.
All he had to do was reach for her...
And that would be it.
And it would change everything.
Their friendship—the friendship that was so important to him, that he needed so badly— would be altered for ever.
And Mila...
Was this really what she wanted?
‘I just want tonight,’ Mila whispered, reading his mind.
And with that he was losing himself in those eyes, falling into their depths.
He needed to touch her. He needed Mila. There was no going back.
Next year will be my twenty-year high school reunion (how did this happen?), and I’m lucky to still be very close to two of my friends from high school.
Through interstate and overseas moves, marriage and children, our friendships have shifted over the years. Right now, we catch up with a backdrop of exuberant children, or—even better—over a glass of wine. Quite the contrast to the nights we wore satin trousers, midriff tops (it was the ’90s!) and drank cheap sparkling wine as we tottered about Fremantle! While I’m glad those days are behind us, much of our friendship remains unchanged. We still talk for hours, we still support each other unconditionally and we still laugh and sigh at rom coms at the local cinema.
I’ve always thought there’s something special about childhood friendships that endure, and that’s where Mila and Seb’s story came from. Mila and Seb’s friendship has drifted, but a tragedy brings them back together—until a long-forgotten attraction makes things very complicated!
I hope you enjoy Mila and Seb’s journey as the boy—and girl—next door discover that their childhood connection has become so much more.
Leah xx
RITA® Award–winning author LEAH ASHTON never expected to write books. She grew up reading everything she could lay her hands on—from pony books to the backs of cereal boxes at breakfast. One day she discovered the page-turning, happy-sigh-inducing world of romance novels...and one day, much later, wondered if maybe she could write one too.
Leah now lives in Perth, Western Australia, and writes happy-ever-afters for heroines who definitely don’t need saving. She has a gorgeous husband, two amazing daughters and the best intentions to plan meals and maintain an effortlessly tidy home. When she’s not writing, Leah loves all-day breakfast, rambling conversations and laughing until she cries. She really hates cucumber. And scary movies. You can visit Leah at www.leah-ashton.com or Facebook.com/leahashtonauthor.
For my dad, Jeff.
Whether it be for a tennis match, dressage test, job interview or career decision, you have always supported me with your wisdom, your positivity, your love—and your ability to reverse a horse-float. Thank you for always being there for me. I love you. Go Freo!
Contents
PURPLE.
That was what Mila Molyneux remembered.
And bubblegum-pink. Crocodile-green. Little-boy-blue.
So many colours: primary and pastels, and in stripes and polka dots. Everywhere. On party dresses, balloons and pointed party hats. Or scrunched and forgotten in the mountains of desperately ripped and dismissed wrapping paper that wafted across the lawn.
A rainbow of happy, excited eight-year-olds beneath a perfect Perth sky.
But Stephanie had definitely worn purple to her birthday party all those years ago. Purple tights, purple dress and glittering purple cowboy boots.
Mila remembered how excited her best friend had been that day. She remembered how excited she’d been, too—what eight-year-old girl wasn’t excited by a birthday party? It had been years before their dreary Gothic black high school days, so Mila guessed she’d been wearing some shade of red—her favourite colour—but that detail of her memories had faded. As had the memory of what Seb had worn, but he’d been there, too. Three friends, neighbours all in a row, although back then Seb had most definitely still had ‘boy germs’.
But that had changed later.
As had Stephanie’s backyard.
Today there were no balloons in Mr and Mrs van Berlo’s garden. No patchwork of forgotten wrapping paper. No mountain of presents or shrieking of excited children.
