The Billionaire's Beautiful Intruder (Billionaire Knights Book 3) (4 page)

S
he was standing before him
, her arms lifted as if she was reaching for something. He frowned. He’d just walked into the kitchen after a tumultuous night filled with nightmares of flames licking not just at his own body but at Molly’s as well. Fire was consuming her and she was screaming for help. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t save her, and before his very eyes she was consumed by the fire, her features melting until there was nothing left but charred bone. He woke up bathed in sweat, quickly throwing off the covers and walking over to the washbasin in the corner of his room to splash some water on his face. Christ. Night after night for the past year he’d had these horrible nightmares, but usually they had to do with the ordeal he’d been through. This was the first time the nightmare had changed.

He’d lain awake for the longest time, staring at the ceiling, and when the first light crossed the horizon, sending beams of light slanting in through the small window, he rose with a groan, knowing sleep wouldn’t come anymore.

He’d walked into the kitchen and that’s when he’d come upon her, standing on a chair, her arms raised over her head. Trouble was, she was wearing some kind of flimsy nightie and knee-length knickers, and each time she shifted, to grab hold of whatever she was trying to reach, her ample breasts wiggled.

He watched the scene for a few moments, the sight of her breasts as they shifted beneath the sheer material of her outfit firing a trickle of arousal along his nerve endings, awakening sensations he’d long thought dormant.

And as the bright morning light lit her up from behind, her heavy breasts were clearly outlined beneath her top, the darker skin of her areolae slightly swollen, her nipples pink and faintly erect. His eyes dropped lower, covering her curvy hips to her long legs and down along her shapely calves to her bare feet, on tiptoes on the wooden chair.

She looked absolutely gorgeous, he decided, and he briefly wondered if the triangle of her sex was covered with the same flaming mass of curly hair as the riot of curls dancing about her shoulders. The thought added to the sudden hardening he felt in an area that hadn’t been susceptible to sexual activity for a very long time. In fact, when he’d only just returned from the war, the doctors had told him it would be touch and go if he would ever be able to have sex again. Now, though, it was obvious that everything was still working perfectly, as his length was quickly rising at the sight of Molly’s jiggling breasts.

Molly uttered a startled cry when she became aware of Steve. He’d shuffled his feet, and when she looked down she could see his massive frame. She couldn’t see his face, obscured as it was by the kitchen cupboards, but what she could see was his naked torso, sculpted to perfection, except for the big surgical scar over his heart. Her eyes dropped to his boxers, slung low on narrow hips, and she noticed the hard girth tenting the material, pointing due North! She bent down, and cried out again when she caught his gaze, directed straight at her boobs!

He was unapologetic, and grunted, “What the hell are you doing up there?”

Getting down from the chair, she explained, “I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d get up and start breakfast. Only, I couldn’t find any pots or pans so I decided to check all the cupboards—you’ve got a lot of… stuff,” she added, cheeks burning.

“Pots and pans are behind you,” he grumbled. “Underneath the sink.”

“Oh. All right.” She quickly averted her eyes from his erection, and more specifically the response it engendered in her. She’d never seen a man like that before. Not that she hadn’t seen a man’s penis before, of course, but not in a non-medical way—outside of a hospital setting. And it had definitely never elicited in her the kind of strange sensations it now did. She was experiencing a sudden lightheadedness, and odd flutterings in the pit of her stomach. And as if that wasn’t enough, there was a definite tightening of her breasts, as if the mere sight of him was telling her body to go on high alert, in anticipation of—of what, exactly? Of nothing, she told herself firmly. Steve was her patient—even though he refused her help—and that was all he was. Nothing more, nothing less.

Only now did she become aware that she herself was also dressed in her sleeping garb, and that her clothes were a lot more revealing than she would have wished. So she quickly turned and started busying herself with the coffeemaker, pots and pans all but forgotten. The coffeemaker was, quite oddly, state-of-the-art. As was the rest of the kitchen equipment. The oven was new, and from a top brand, as were the microwave and the dishwasher, all recently installed and top-notch. The house might have been built by Steve’s great-grandfather, but the kitchen appliances certainly didn’t date from his time.

“I thought we might have a look around the island today,” he began.

She glanced over her shoulder to take in his magnificent torso, all tightly packed male flesh. He was so incredibly… male! Not that she’d never seen a naked man, of course. She saw plenty of them at the hospital, but, just like with the, um, penis, that was different. He was so… well, so hot and… and sexy!

“I, um, yes. Sure,” she managed, ineffectually fiddling with the coffeemaker.

“Just so you know your way around. Since it’s just the two of us on the island it’s important you don’t get lost. Or into trouble,” he told her gruffly.

“Yes. Yes, of course.”

“Let me grab a shower and then I’ll help you make breakfast,” he grumbled, and turned. The moment he did, she gasped in shock, and clasped her hand to her face. His back was one mass of scar tissue, from his neck to his buttocks. Since she worked in the burn unit at Saint-Michael’s she was used to seeing the most horrific wounds, but this was so much worse than anything she’d seen before! The pain must have been excruciating. He didn’t seem to have noticed her reaction, for he kept on walking and then disappeared into the bathroom.

Steve cursed under his breath. He should have worn a shirt, he told himself. Obviously he’d startled her. The thing was, he wasn’t used to wearing shirts around the house. He’d spent months here all by himself and he wasn’t used to dressing up for company. He could hear in her sharp cry that she was quite shocked. Bitterly he reminded himself that from now on she should never see the wounds of his past. She might be a trained nurse, but it was obvious she’d never experienced anything like this before. It reminded him once more why he’d sworn a solemn oath never to seek out a relationship with a woman again.

Shortly after his return, Camille, his girlfriend at the time, had paid him a visit at the hospital. From the moment she stepped into the room, he’d seen the revulsion and disgust in her eyes. It hadn’t been long before she’d broken up with him, and he hadn’t had the will to fight for her. And that was even before the nightmares had begun, and he’d woken up screaming night after night.

It had occurred to him that no woman should have to bear the burden of his pain. He’d brought this upon himself, and the horrors of his past shouldn’t haunt anyone but himself. Isolating himself on this island had been the next logical step. And now this. He cursed himself again as he stepped into the shower. He vowed to restrain himself while Molly was here, and spare her the sight of his mangled back. He was a monster now, and monsters were meant to be shunned, not loved. Why the thought of Molly turning away from him as she invariably would launched a twinge of pain inside his gut he didn’t know. But it did, and he bit it down, just like he’d learned to bite down his pain whenever it reared its ugly head.

Viciously, he turned the water to ice cold, punishing his body with its stinging stream. The scar tissue on his face tingled fiercely, as did the massive scarring on his back. Fortunately he’d covered his facial scars with his beard. At least when she looked him in the face, she wouldn’t turn away in revulsion.

Not that he cared what she thought of him, of course. Or did he?

“
W
atch your step
.”

They’d finished breakfast—just a cup of coffee and a bagel for her—and then she’d quickly followed Steve as he seemed to be in quite a hurry. They’d walked back to where Marco had dropped her off yesterday, and were now picking their way down the steep incline to the beach below.

“I’m afraid you’re in for a disappointment,” Steve had grumbled when she’d pointed to the small strip of beach and asked him if he ever went there to swim.

She had to be careful not to trip over the plant roots or the sharp rocks that littered the narrow path, but then finally they reached the bottom, and she sighed in relief. She wasn’t used to clambering from crag to crag like a mountain goat, and for a moment was scared she might slip and tumble into the abyss.

Steve didn’t seem to suffer the same presentiment, as he deftly picked his way down with practiced ease. She hurried after him, glad she’d brought her hiking boots and a fleece jacket. Even though it was only September, the weather was overcast, with temperatures in the low sixties. Not exactly beach weather!

They arrived on the small strip below, and she saw to her disappointment that it didn’t consist of sand but rocks, and rather big ones at that. Not really the kind of beach to put down a towel and soak up the rays. She ventured no beach umbrellas had ever been set up here, nor families sat down for a picnic.

She gazed out across the water, Steve motionless beside her, and saw it was fairly choppy and not at all inviting for a swim. The beach was located in a small bay, rock faces ominously rising up on three sides, the waves crashing violently on the rocky beach. And judging from their white crests, and the erratic way they rolled in, the bottom was probably uneven and rocky as well.

“I wouldn’t recommend going out there for a swim,” Steve confirmed, as if reading her mind. His hands were loosely shoved into the pockets of his cargo pants, a black T-shirt stretched taut across his wide chest and massive shoulders.

“You mean it’s… dangerous?”

He glanced over, that same scowl firmly in place. It seemed to be his default expression, and she wondered if he ever smiled, and what he would look like if he did.

“It’s pretty dicey the first couple of feet,” he admitted. “There’re some very sharp rocks just beneath the surface. And then there’re the riptides. They can be pretty treacherous. Once you manage to get past those unscathed, you can have a more or less decent swim. Though you have to watch out for the tide. If it pulls you out to deeper waters and you’re not a powerful swimmer, you’re a goner.” He grimaced. “No lifeguards around here, I’m afraid.”

She shivered, her arms clasped around her body. She hadn’t thought the island would be this inhospitable. “What made you pick this place?” she asked.

For a moment he didn’t respond, and she thought he was simply going to ignore her, but then finally he spoke in that deep voice of his, terse and bluff. “I needed a place to lay low for a while. This island has been in the family for decades, so it was a no-brainer, really. Besides, it’s not as if I was in the mood for a holiday at St Barts. I needed some alone time. Some time to think and be all by myself. This place is perfect for that. Unspoiled and undisturbed.”

She nodded. He was right. Tyler Island was indeed perfect for that. Solitude was all you got here, and plenty of it. No one in their right mind would come to this island and disturb its single inhabitant. Nobody but her, anyway, and for the first time she felt that her original opinion of Steve was in need of an adjustment. The more time she spent with him, the more she was forced to admit she’d been wrong to label him an arrogant, entitled, self-absorbed and pampered billionaire. He hadn’t built himself a Club Med here, and he definitely wasn’t living in luxury. And what was more, he genuinely wanted and needed his alone time, to heal from the terrible wounds he’d sustained in the line of duty.

Not only didn’t he want her here, but she could understand why. He needed his space. He was in no frame of mind to be sociable, and being out here by himself was probably doing him a world of good. More so than the hapless nurse who’d been induced to invade his space.

“Let’s head back,” he rumbled. “Unless you want to go for a swim?”

Was he joking? Surely not, for his expression was deadly serious, as usual.

“I don’t think so,” she responded, suppressing a shiver.

“Yeah, not exactly the perfect holiday spot, huh?” he remarked wryly.

She was about to follow him when something caught her eye. It was a male deer, a hart, perched high on top of the rocky incline that towered over them, and it stood watching them intently, its impressive antlers piercing the air.

“Steve!” she hissed, grabbing his arm. “Up there—look!”

He glanced over to where she was pointing, but didn’t seem overly impressed. “The island is full of them,” he confirmed. “Tyler Island is their habitat, actually. We’re the intruders. Come on. The water is rising and soon this beach will be flooded, and then we’re trapped.” Under his breath, he added, “Another reason not to venture out here by yourself.”

His warning came across loud and clear. Not only didn’t he want her here, but he wasn’t about to be her babysitter either. He’d pointed out the dangers of this particular part of the island, and now it was up to her to decide whether she heeded his warning or not. He wasn’t going to come and save her, she knew.

The moment her hand touched his arm, there was a brief thrill that traveled through her body, the warm feel of his muscled flesh permeating her and sending a thrill of heat flooding her system. But he shrugged off her hand, and the sensations quickly died down, the connection abruptly broken.

She followed in his footsteps, making certain she put her feet exactly where he did, and her hands just so. She didn’t feel like tumbling down and breaking her neck. And when she glanced down she saw that the water had already reached the place where they’d just been standing, and was now covering half the beach. Soon, like Steve said, the entire strip would be flooded.

She looked around for the deer, wondering where it had gone, but couldn’t see it. They’d arrived back where they started, with Steve watching her panting and groaning as she managed to reach the summit with considerable effort.

“Tough climb,” she managed between two labored breaths.

He didn’t respond, but merely turned on his heel and led the way back.

As they approached the house that one of the Knight forefathers had built, she now saw that it fit in quite perfectly with the harsh environment. This was no island for holidaying, but one for reflection and for battling the elements that pounded it mercilessly. And as an eagle seemed to hover in the air far overhead, she realized that she wasn’t merely in danger of falling prey to the elements that lurked everywhere, but to the kind of loneliness she’d experienced ever since her family had died. Instead of being here with another human being, it was obvious that Steve wasn’t going to be much company, as he consistently refused to acknowledge her presence, making it absolutely clear that she was a mere nuisance, and far from the succor she’d hoped she would be to him. This man didn’t need her. Didn’t need her and didn’t want her.

She was already tiring of her stay on the island as Steve led her past the house and to the right of it, where a narrow path disappeared into the brush.

She followed him for what seemed like an hour, beneath trees that rose majestically all around them, the forest floor spongy with moss and strewn with decaying leaves. This was an entirely different world from the one down at the beach. Her sense of direction wasn’t very well honed, but it seemed to her they were walking due South, to the part of the island that was uninhabited and covered with trees.

She was a tough cookie, Steve thought. In spite of the vigorous climb and now the hike through the woods on uneven terrain, she hadn’t complained even once. He’d had her pegged for a whiner, but she’d proved far more resilient than he’d given her credit for. And now he found he actually enjoyed her company.

When she arrived here he’d feared she would be an incessant gabber, talking a mile a minute and getting on his nerves. But as they walked on in silence he found himself relaxing, and getting into his natural rhythm—the peace which he’d found here. Being one with nature and at peace with himself. He’d found an equilibrium that was hard to explain to anyone. In living in sync with nature and the rhythm of the island he’d discovered a simple lifestyle that suited him well.

There were no wars to be fought out here, no business competitors to suck up to, no conflicts, no trouble and no strife except for the daily grind. But since he was in the luxury position of having his food choppered out to him, he didn’t even need to worry about that. And as he found his worldly worries slowly fading away, he’d discovered a rare peace within himself. The nightmares hadn’t abated, but they’d become bearable, and he felt he could breathe again.

His brothers didn’t understand, even though Stuart had also stomached two tours of duty. Stu had survived the ordeal relatively unscathed, however, whereas he’d been pretty banged up. He found it hard to talk to anyone about his experience, and had feared that Molly would destroy the delicate balance he’d found within himself. Now, though, as she was silently trudging behind him, the only sound that could be heard, her labored breathing as they traversed the difficult terrain, he was starting to feel at peace with her being here.

He turned abruptly and told her, “Get down!”

She crouched instantly, her movements mimicking his, and then he pointed to a clearing about thirty yards out. She emitted a soft cry of surprise, and a small smile played about his lips. He’d known she’d like this. A herd of deer was flocked together in the clearing up ahead, grazing peacefully, unaware of the humans approaching them, as they were downwind from the graceful animals.

“This forest is their domain,” he rumbled softly. “Much more than it is mine, in fact, but we’ve learned to coexist.”

She gazed out at the deer and thought she’d never seen a more beautiful sight. The sun broke through the foliage up ahead, to light up the clearing, and painted the animals’ tawny coats in shimmering hues of fawn, the proud males sporting impressive antlers, like the one she’d seen before.

And as she and Steve sat crouched side by side, she glanced over at his profile, harsh and forbidding, and was surprised at the softness around his eyes now as he gazed at the deer. He was a soldier, she knew, used to hunting and being hunted, but right now he was just a man, at peace with his surroundings, and she was floored by the sheer strength that emanated from him. He was so powerfully male as he crouched there, his eyes focused on the graceful animals, his features noble and pure, and she was struck for the first time by the thought that he was beautiful, if the word could be used to describe a male.

Then he glanced over, his eyes crashing with hers, and she saw in the deep gray of his eyes his humanity and his compassion for the life around them. There was no need for her to be here, she realized as she locked eyes with him, but then why was she suddenly so glad that she was? To partake in all of this?

And then the most outrageous thing happened. He took her hand and curled his fingers in hers, then whispered, “Come!” and started to lead her away from the small pack of animals.

The touch of his fingers sent shivers up her spine, the sensation curiously intimate, and as she mimicked his movements as he lithely advanced through the undergrowth, ducking branches and vaulting over fallen trees, she was glad of the reprieve from his intense gaze that had briefly captured hers. She could remain locked in those silver eyes forever, no matter how unreasonable that sounded. He had the strength of character to make or break her, she realized on a note of panic, and she was suddenly powered by a strong desire to be her own woman again, and not be dependent on this very male man. Worryingly, it might already be too late for that, his presence affecting her powerfully.

They’d reached the edge of the forest and she was glad to be out into the open. Standing in the shadows of the huge trees, she found herself gazing out at a part of the island she’d only seen from the sky. It stretched out into the valley beneath them, the trees darker and the thick forest more ominous. More sinister.

“You don’t want to go down there,” Steve explained.

“What’s there?” she asked, curious.

“Wild animals,” he growled, and for a moment she thought he was the wild animal.

“You mean…”

“Wild boar, wild goats…” He shook his head. “Best to stay away.”

“Have you… gone down there?” she wanted to know.

He glanced up, and she thought she saw something flicker in his eyes that might have been surprise, but then it died away again.

She was asking him the most curious questions, he thought, and he found that he was fascinated with the way she looked at him, those sparkling green eyes of hers the most amazing sight. It was as if they shifted with every emotion. They could shimmer with fury or fear or surprise… or pleasure? His eyes dropped to her mobile mouth, and he suddenly felt a powerful and all-consuming urge to explore the contours of her lips with the tip of his tongue.

“No, I haven’t,” he told her gruffly. “And I suggest you don’t either.”

“So what do you actually do around here?” she asked, suddenly curious.

He shrugged. “I take it one day at a time, basically. I chop wood, do some chores around the house, prepare my meals… do some yoga… meditation.”

Her jaw dropped. “Yoga and meditation?” Was he kidding her? He definitely didn’t look like the yoga type.

He eyed her intently. “You don’t think a soldier can be into yoga? I find it helps me find peace—a peace I sorely missed when I was fighting a war.”

She nodded. She hadn’t wanted to sound so… astonished, but then he really didn’t strike her as the kind of person who would be into that kind of stuff. He really was defying her expectations. Or should she say her preconceived ideas?

“Let’s start back,” he told her, when the silence stretched out for minutes.