Priceless Treasure Read online

  Table of Contents

  Priceless Treasure

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Other Books by Melody Anne

  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

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Epilogue

  The Tycoon’s Revenge

  Priceless Treasure

  Book Four in the Lost Andersons Series

  by

  Melody Anne

  Copyright

  © 2015 Melody Anne

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  This is dedicated to my niece Brianne who has grown up to be an incredibly kind, beautiful, amazing young woman. I love you with all my heart.

  Other Books by Melody Anne

  Billionaire Bachelors:

  The Billionaire Wins the Game

  The Billionaire’s Dance

  The Billionaire Falls

  The Billionaire’s Marriage Proposal

  Blackmailing the Billionaire

  Run Away Heiress

  The Billionaire’s Final Stand

  The Lost Andersons:

  Unexpected Treasure

  Hidden Treasure

  Holiday Treasure

  Priceless Treasure

  Baby for the Billionaire:

  The Tycoon’s Revenge

  The Tycoon’s Vacation

  The Tycoon’s Proposal

  The Tycoon’s Secret

  The Lost Tycoon

  Surrender Series:

  Surrender - Book One

  Submit - Book Two

  Seduced - Book Three

  Scorched - Book Four

  Forbidden Series:

  Bound -Book One

  Broken - Book Two

  Betrayed - Book Three

  Burned - Book Four

  Rise of the Dark Angel:

  Midnight Fire: Rise of the Dark Angel - Book One

  Midnight Moon: Rise of the Dark Angel - Book Two

  Midnight Storm: Rise of the Dark Angel - Book Three

  Midnight Eclipse: Rise of the Dark Angel - Book Four - December 8th, 2015

  Unexpected Heroes:

  Her Unexpected Hero

  Her Hometown Hero

  Her Forever Hero - February 23rd, 2016

  Safe in His Arms - Novella - Baby, It’s Cold Outside Anthology

  Who I am With You - Novella

  Following Her - Novella

  Taken by a Trillionaire

  Collection of Three Novellas - Melody Anne, Ruth Cardello, J.S. Scott

  Novels and Novellas:

  Finding Forever - Novel

  Safe in His Arms - Novella - November 30th, 2015

  Prologue

  Have we pushed Ashton too far?”

  Richard Storm took a large gulp of good scotch and looked toward the ceiling as he thought about his words.

  “What do you mean?” Joseph asked.

  “He’s not the same man he was a few years ago,” Richard said, a heavy sigh showing the even heavier heart inside.

  “But the goal was for him to grow up,” George pointed out.

  “Yes, to grow up, but not to turn into this hard-nosed robot he’s become. I barely even recognize my son anymore.”

  “I hate to admit it, but I agree. I feel like we’ve all pushed him too hard,” Joseph said.

  Richard sighed. “He’s been busting his ass for four years now trying to prove that he’s not just another trust fund baby, that he is worthy of the Storm — and of course Anderson — name. But in that war he’s been waging, a piece of his soul has gone missing in action.”

  “I love that he wants to make you proud, Richard,” George told him.

  “He wants to make all of us proud, but this isn’t what I want. Yes, I’m eager for him to marry and give me grandbabies, but above all, I want him to be happy,” Richard said, then realized his glass was empty. “I don’t know how much longer I can take this stress.”

  Richard’s two brothers stared at him in concern. The two Anderson patriarchs had been separated from him at birth, and they’d only met decades later, but his pain was their pain. After all, their DNA was almost identical.

  “You should look on the bright side, though,” George said. “He used to be a devil-may-care bartender, and now he’s running a wildly successful business.”

  Joseph piped in. “And didn’t you tell us that he used to be Mr. Playboy, just tomcatting all around both coasts? And now he’s engaged to be married. That’s another step in the right direction.”

  “You’ve met his fiancée,” Richard snorted. “Yes, she has a fancy-schmancy name, and makes regular appearances in the society column. But she’s really nothing but a gold-digger out for alimony. Wouldn’t give him the time of day until she found out about his net worth. Sure, she bats her tinted eyelashes, but she’s no prize — unless you want to call her a prize witch.”

  “But what can we do?” George asked.

  “I did what I could. I found the perfect match for Ashton. I gave a card to that lovely woman I mentioned before, Savannah Mills, but she never applied for the job I set up. That was two years ago, and now she has a master’s in oceanography. I can’t see her taking a job down at the docks after that.”

  “Oh, yes, I remember that now,” Joseph said. “We’ve been so busy with the other kids, I’d temporarily forgotten. I’m not getting any younger, I’m afraid.”

  “Do you think we ought to move on from this Savannah?” Richard asked. “She really seemed to be The One, so I hate to give up.”

  “No,” Joseph boomed — that’s what he always did. BOOM. “When love is meant to be, it’s meant to be. If she just finished her master’s and she’s set her sights on a PhD, you still have three months before the fall term starts. Maybe now is the perfect time for her and Ashton to finally meet up.”

  “But he’s still got that fiancée of his,” Richard growled.

  “She won’t last,” George said. “Think about it. If Ashton sees Savannah, he’ll have to make comparisons, and the gold-digger will flame out. Your son isn’t that stupid, is he?”

  “I wish I could be sure,” Richard replied, and a frown took over his face. “As I said, Ashton’s track record with women isn’t the best. And now, with him trying to pr
ove something to himself or to us, he’s making even bigger mistakes.”

  “Ah, those boys, all of them, know how to put on a mask. I know Ashton has a heck of a lot more soul and a lot more character than he’s letting on. Somewhere deep down inside him, the real Ashton is still alive and kicking,” Joseph assured them.

  “I hope so, brother, because I’m beginning to think that son of mine won’t figure it out until it’s far too late,” Richard said.

  Joseph threw him a determined look. “We never give up on the people we love. Sometimes we just have to bring out the electric cattle prod.”

  Richard finally had a ghost of a smile. “Then let’s start planning. I happen to know that Savannah is more intrigued than ever before over sunken treasures. If she can get some free boat rides out to a site where a ship full of treasure is rumored to have sunk, I can see her finally taking that job down at the docks.”

  “Hmm. Good thing Ashton does private cruises, isn’t it?” George said with a laugh.

  The three men bent their heads together.

  Chapter One

  A breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean glimmered before her as Savannah Mills stood at the top of the private docks and gazed at another spectacular sunset.

  The scents, sounds, and sights of the West Coast had always filled her with joy. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced in the whole United States — heck, the entire world, for that matter. Okay, dammit, she’d never traveled beyond these Western Coast states, but who was counting? Completely beside the point. She’d looked at the photos on the Internet, and that had to count for something.

  When she began moving forward, she stumbled on the dock, nearly face-planting before she managed to get her balance back. Being a first-class klutz wasn’t what she prided herself on, but nobody’s perfect.

  When she reached the gates barring the way down to the docks on the beautiful Orcas Island outside of Seattle — one of the San Juan Islands — Savanna pressed in the code she’d been given. The gates opened without a hitch.

  Maybe Savannah loved the ocean because it was endless. If you were on it, you could run away from the rest of the world, never to be found again — unless you wanted to be. That freedom was priceless to her.

  She’d been in school for what felt like forever, so this summer was her break. She was going to resist cracking a single book … nah. She knew herself better than that, and she wouldn’t last two weeks on such a ridiculous mission. But still, she was going to make it at least one single week. Plus, she was about to begin a dream job for the summer before she was locked away again in the classroom, the lab, and the library.

  Yes, she loved school, obviously, or she wouldn’t have a bachelor’s in biology and a master’s in oceanography, and she wouldn’t be pursuing a doctorate once three short months passed by. But in the summer all she wanted to feel was fresh wind on her cheeks and seawater lapping over her feet. Did that make her a bad person?

  Nope. It made her free. Free of classes, free of homework, free of late-night studying. Free!

  She made her way down until she was standing before the boats. Some were smaller than others, but they all were well taken care of, and they all had Sea Storm Enterprise written in bold blue letters across them.

  Ha! Catchy, though a bit scary, but since Storm was the owner’s last name, it was pretty dang cute. And the owner obviously had cojones to use a name like that.

  This was a business that catered to those who wanted anything from the best private boating to the experience of a smaller but more luxurious cruise line. And she was now going to be a part of that world for the next three months. She reached out to caress one of the boats … and she was nearly startled into face-planting again.

  “Care to tell me what you’re doing on these docks?”

  A shiver rushed down Savannah’s spine at the sound of a deep, dark voice behind her. But after nearly jumping out of her skin, she was immediately tempted to kick herself for her fear. Negative emotions would no longer hold her back, not in this lifetime. She’d had enough of all that.

  When she turned, she faced a muscled chest barely hidden from her view underneath a tight button-down white oxford shirt. It took her a little while to lift her head and look into this man’s bright blue eyes. Along the way, she hadn’t missed his lips, still compelling even if they were pressed together in a scowl.

  “Are you mute?” he had the effrontery to ask.

  She was instantly ticked off.

  “Whoa. That was rude,” Savannah said, finding her voice. One hand on her hip, she sent this man a look that had made other males cower before her. No man would speak to her this way again, not as long as she was breathing.

  “I’m generally rude to anyone who trespasses on private property — even a woman who obviously thinks that because she’s pretty, she can go wherever she damn well pleases.”

  “I was invited here,” she said. “I don’t think your boss will be too happy with you when he finds out how you’re treating his other employees,” she told him with a mocking grin. There was the attitude she’d been searching for.

  She refused to let this man belittle or intimidate her. No freaking way. Yeah, he had shoulders that seemed to go on and on, a chest half the size of Texas, plus a chiseled jawline that sculptors would drool over … and she was more than sure he was aware of all that. Why was it that great-looking men thought they owned the whole damned world and could treat other people like dirt? Because they usually did. Whatever. His attitude was greatly reducing his attractiveness — in her eyes, at any rate.

  His full lips turned up as he took a step toward her, and Savannah felt her heart slam against her rib cage. She stumbled backward a few inches, before she was able to stop herself. Dammit. She wasn’t going to retreat.

  “And please tell me who hired you. I’d like to pass the information along,” he said, coming even closer, way too far into her personal space.

  “Mr. Storm,” she said. In your face, pig!

  “Oh, really? You spoke to Mr. Storm in person?” the man asked.

  What a strange thing to say.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. He approached me at my university and said I was a perfect fit.” She felt good in her righteousness. This man was obviously a disgruntled worker. “As a matter of fact, he spoke to me not only once, but twice.”

  “What did Mr. Storm look like?”

  “Why all these questions? I’m sure you know what the boss looks like,” she told him.

  “I assure you that I do know what the boss looks like. But I’m not so sure you know how to speak the truth.”

  Man, this guy had something up his nether regions. And who in the world spoke to people this way? Ugh! “Are you accusing me of something?” she asked.

  “Isn’t that clear?” he said, and he didn’t even try to hide the smug smile spreading across his lips. “In case I need to make myself even more clear, I think you’re a liar. I don’t think you’ve talked to Mr. Storm.” He took another step closer. “I also can’t figure out what you’re doing on these private docks.”

  “I told you I was hired. Why else would I be here?”

  “Because you’re after something,” he said.

  “Do you think I plan on taking off with one of the boats?” she asked him.

  “Maybe. Wouldn’t be the first time someone tried.”

  Damn, he was an arrogant ass.

  “I’ve never been so insulted in my life,” she snapped.

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  His smirk was insufferable. Savannah almost decided that working on the ocean, as much as she loved the idea, wasn’t worth it if it meant dealing with this monstrous man. She glared at him, but she refused to yell. That would give him too much satisfaction. And before she did something as stupid as quitting a job that paid well and provided extra benefits she desperately needed, she took a calming breath.

  “I assure you,” she said, “that Mr. Storm is going to have words with
you.” The man she’d met would never want people like this to be the first face a new employee saw. No way. Mr. Storm had been kind and enthusiastic.

  There was also no use in continuing this conversation. The man was obviously convinced he was king of the docks. Something he would soon be assured that he was not. He was most likely just a grunt worker with an inflated sense of his importance.

  “I somehow doubt that Mr. Storm will be in the least bit upset when you get kicked the hell off these docks,” he almost purred. And he reached for her.

  Hell, no!

  Savannah panicked. She didn’t want this man to touch her. She scooted backward … and quickly realized her mistake, but it was already too late. There was no more dock behind her.

  It was funny how she noticed the man’s eyes widen as she felt air beneath her foot. She was going down — and it was going to be cold.

  Chapter Two

  Ashton Storm froze as this mysterious woman fell in what seemed to be slow motion. But the moment she hit the water, he was galvanized, and he immediately kicked off his deck shoes and dived in just as her head popped up against the lapping surface of the ocean.

  He reached her within seconds, but he almost wished he hadn’t decided to rescue her. She began pushing against him, not to get closer but trying to get away.

  She seemed to be something of a swimmer, but the shock of landing in the Pacific Ocean, which was far from warm, had him frightened for her. Would it make her muscles seize up? Would she sink back below the surface? He had to be practical. His ass was on the line and this was a lawsuit waiting to happen. Maybe that had been her plan all along. Women, women, women.

  “Stop fighting me!” he blurted out after a few moments of struggling with her. She’d been flailing, and she’d hit him in the head more than once.

  Surprisingly enough, this wretched woman, a nonentity who hadn’t seemed to hear a single thing he’d said up to this point, did what he’d demanded. She said nothing as he pulled her to the ladder and pushed her onto it. He enjoyed the outraged gasp when he gave her a little push — right on her round little ass. Damn, the woman was beyond fine in the rear part of the department store.