The Billionaire's Disgraced Virgin (Billionaire Knights Book 2) (8 page)

“
I
… I don’t know why you should think so,” she stammered. An ice-cold hand suddenly gripped her heart, talons sinking deep and preventing her from breathing. God, had he discovered what was going on? Had she inadvertently given herself away or had he found out some other way?

“Just a hunch,” he told her, and when she looked up at his face, she found his expression betraying absolutely nothing. What did he know? Who told him?

“The way we broke up precludes any chance of us becoming lovers again.”

He took a sip from his burgundy. “So what you’re saying is that you want him but he doesn’t want you?”

Her hands were shaking, she knew, so she placed them in her lap. She was so horrible at telling a lie. Even though her entire life was a lie she still found it agonizingly difficult to be untruthful, especially to Mike. Why that should be so, she didn’t know. Because he was her boss, of course. If he caught her lying she was out of a job, or worse. And even though she’d been ready to throw in the towel, now she knew that if there was even a slim chance that she could hold onto the life she’d constructed she’d have to do so. She simply couldn’t bear to have to start all over again. Without Mike. Now where did that thought come from?! Of course she could do without Mike. She simply couldn’t muster up the strength to start a new life, with or without Mike.

“Nothing of the kind. There’s nothing between Lewis Dixon and me and there never will be.” Except for the fact that she was now working for him.

“How did you meet?”

“I… I had some photographs taken some years ago,” she told him, glad that she’d found a way not to have to lie. “He was the photographer.”

“And that’s when you became lovers. From his art studio into his bed.”

The statement hit her where it hurt the most. “Yes,” she allowed, her voice faltering. “But that’s all ancient history. Quite a long time ago now, in fact.”

Mike eyed her darkly. It was obvious to him that she was lying. Why that should affect him so he couldn’t say, unless it was because it made her less reliable to work with, her loyalties divided between her employer and her lover.

“Just make sure you don’t allow this relationship to cloud your judgment,” he grated out harshly. Too harshly, but then he had a lot riding on this deal.

She glanced up at him, and he could see the pain and consternation in her eyes. She was really in love with the guy, he acknowledged, and the dislike he’d already felt for the man only increased. “I won’t,” she assured him softly.

“Well, see that it doesn’t. Your loyalties lie with me, Miss Ross. If I so much as suspect they’re not, it’s the end of the line for you. Is that understood?”

“Of course,” she responded, her voice barely above a whisper.

A fleeting desire to worry her lips with his came and went, and then he was the consummate professional again. Emotional involvement with any woman could only lead to disaster. He’d seen that firsthand when his father had gone down a very public and very painful road to destruction. He would make sure he’d never be emotionally involved with anyone, lest they manipulated him onto a path of destruction himself. His brother had found love only recently, but that was a chance in a million, and Kirsty Walker was an exceptional young woman. Chances of himself finding that kind of happiness were exceedingly rare to the point of nonexistent. And most definitely not with a woman in love with another.

His lips were a forbidding line, Chloe saw, and she wondered what he was thinking. Probably that the moment these negotiations were over he would fire her anyway. She’d proven a liability, and not the asset he thought she’d be. How had it all gone wrong so fast? Only yesterday she’d been the rising star of the accounting department and now she was on her way out, deceiving the head of the company into striking a suboptimal deal. At least he would never know the truth. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if he knew about her sordid past.

The afternoon passed quickly, as introductions were made and positions outlined. It appeared that a lot of preparation had already gone into making this deal happen, and that now it all came down to the main principals of both companies to reach an agreement. To hammer out those final, crucial details.

Later that night, as she prepared to go to bed, she stood gazing out the window at the full moon as it rose majestically over a perfect fairytale landscape, the twinkling brook in the distance clearly visible as shafts of moonlight lit up the eddying waters. The same moonlight fell on her, but the waters of her inner landscape were more in turmoil than the peaceful brook. She wondered where she would find the strength to go through with this ordeal and then her eye fell on the silver-framed picture portrait of her parents. It occupied a central position on the nightstand. A tear stole from her eye as she thought of the warm nest she’d grown up in, until Dixon had taken her sweet innocence and turned it into something sordid and perverse, tainting her entire life.

She gasped when a knock sounded on the door and it instantly swung open to reveal the leering face of the man who’d never stopped haunting her nightmares.

“What do you want?!” she demanded, quickly wiping away the tear and wrapping her dressing gown tighter around herself.

His eyes had dipped down, sweeping over her with the same lasciviousness she should have recognized back then but hadn’t due to her innocence. “Just making sure you’re still on board,” he drawled, then quickly looked behind him before stepping inside and handing her a memory stick.

He tapped it smartly. “This contains all the data I want you to feed Mike.”

“What’s on it?” she managed to ask, even though his mere presence chilled the marrow in her bones.

He grinned. “Let’s just say it paints Press Corp Group in a somewhat more roseate light than the official numbers would. Enough to drive up the purchase price by several million and ensure myself a nice, fat bonus in the process.”

She was inclined to throw the stick back in his face but of course she couldn’t. He must have caught her look of defiance for he suddenly grabbed her wrist and gave it a painful squeeze.

“Don’t try anything funny, Gwen.” He gave her a warning look. “You tell Mike and I’ll make sure the world knows all about Chloe Ross’s tawdry past.”

She stared at him, her defiance dwindling. No way could she stop this man.

“Hey,” he added, letting go of her wrist and lifting her chin. “Don’t look so sad, honey. We had a lot of fun back then, didn’t we?”

She jerked herself away from him, and snapped, “You destroyed my life, Lewis. You took advantage of an innocent young girl in the worst possible way.”

His grin faded and he shrugged. “Grow up already, will you? Life’s no bed of roses. And if you haven’t figured that out by now, I pity the hell out of you.”

And with those words he turned on his heel and slunk out the door. She stared at the stick for a moment, and was tempted to aim it out the window, as far as she could throw it, but then her arm dropped and she stumbled to her laptop. She was going to have to do this, and she’d better do it now, before she lost her courage… the courage to deceive and betray Mike.

Mike, who’d just reached the landing after enjoying a nightcap with Roderick Holmes and his team, caught Lewis Dixon as he snuck from Chloe’s room. Anger lanced through him so violently that he had to restrain himself from going after Dixon and punching him in the mouth. But that was crazy, of course. Chloe was his employee and nothing more. If she wanted to get back together with the likes of Lewis Dixon, that was her business. And yet he found that he was crossing the landing to Chloe’s room and yanking open the door.

“Mike!” she cried, startled as she turned away from her computer screen.

He strode over to her and took her arm in a viselike grip. “Come,” he grated.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

Was that a look of panic in her eyes? And what if it was? “I’m taking you to my suite,” he announced, dragging her to her feet. Out in the corridor his fingers entwined in hers as he purposefully set foot for the other end.

“Mike! Why—why are you doing this?!”

“Your room isn’t safe,” he growled. “There’s an electrical malfunction.”

“What?!”

“It was only brought to my attention now. It might cause a spark.”

She looked at him wild-eyed. “A spark?”

“A fire, all right?!” he ground out. “If you stay there you might be in danger. Trust me, if I’d known sooner I would never have put you in that room.”

They’d reached his suite and he opened the door and propelled her inside. “From now on you’ll be staying here.” She simply stared back at him, befuddlement written all over her face. Her dressing gown had fallen open, revealing the nightgown she was wearing underneath. It was pink and sheer and entirely too sexy for the way he was feeling right now. He shoved his hands into his pockets and glared at her. “I’m sorry to spring this on you but safety first.”

“But isn’t there another room?” she asked, absolutely bewildered.

He pursed his lips censoriously. “No, there isn’t,” he lied. “What with Holmes’s people this is the only sleeping arrangement I can offer you.”

Why was he doing this? Because he couldn’t risk this tryst she was entertaining with Dixon to affect her judgment in the upcoming negotiations, he told himself. If he needed to separate them to do that, then so be it.

He gestured to his own bedroom, with its spacious double bed. “You can have the master bedroom, I’ll take the spare.”

She nodded a little breathlessly, color seeping into her cheeks. She looked delectable, he decided, and would look even better in his bed, her hair spread out across his pillow while he acquainted himself with every inch of her body.

Mike was looking at her as if he was absolutely angry with her, Chloe thought, and she could see why. He must have caught Dixon sneaking out of her room. Did he suspect their collusion? Was that what this was all about? Did he want to keep her close so he could keep an eye on her? Too late she thought about the memory stick which was still attached to her computer.

“I—I need my laptop,” she suddenly burst out, starting toward the door. He cut her off, confirming her worst suspicions.

“I’ll get it for you,” he told her, a strange look in his eyes as he did so. Panic raced through her at the thought of Mike discovering the stick, but he was already walking away from her with powerful strides, lithely moving to the door. She sank onto a nearby settee, covering her face with her hands. This ordeal had just gotten a lot worse. Even though she didn’t want Mike to discover her lurid past, neither did she want him to discover her subterfuge. But now, it seemed, he already had. Visions of the police arriving at the castle and taking her away in handcuffs shimmered before her eyes, even though she didn’t even know whether what she’d done was punishable by law.

Moments later Mike returned, carrying her laptop and her suitcase, which she hadn’t even fully unpacked yet. After a penetrating look he placed the laptop on the desk she assumed was his own, and carried the suitcase into the bedroom that was now apparently hers. He gave her a curt nod. “I put your luggage in the dressing room. There’s an en-suite bathroom as well, so you won’t have to worry about privacy issues.” He gestured with his head to a second door leading off the sitting room. “I’ll sleep in there.” And with these words he stood gazing at her for a beat, then added, “I’ll go and get the rest of your stuff now.”

She bounced up from the settee, “No, I’ll do it.” She was so relieved that he hadn’t discovered the memory stick that she couldn’t bear watching her employer cart around her luggage as if he were a mere footman.

His eyes darkened. “You’re staying put,” he growled, and then he was gone.

It was obvious he was suspecting her of foul play but hadn’t been able to pinpoint exactly what she was up to, she understood. By keeping a closer eye on her he was making sure she wouldn’t deceive him. Just as well. The deed was done, and now even Mike couldn’t stop Dixon from realizing his dirty scheme.

With her as his unwilling accomplice, she added bitterly.

T
he next day
was the official start of the negotiations between Press Corp and Knight Enterprises, as represented by their respective owners. As she’d already understood, a great deal of pre-negotiations had already taken place, and this weekend was all about ironing out those final crucial details, and most importantly agreeing on a takeover price that would satisfy both parties.

Which was why Mike’s team consisted only of Chloe, though he had his legal department on standby so he could always involve them. They would also have to go over the final document, and look for any loopholes or potential hiccups.

When the contracts were finally signed they would hold a joint press conference to announce the merger to the world. The mention of the word press had Chloe blanching, and she’d asked hesitantly if she had to be present. Mike had eyed her curiously but had admitted that the media people would obviously put the spotlight on him and Holmes. She’d sighed with audible relief. She did not want her face appearing on the news—she was certain that even though Holmes hadn’t recognized her, and neither had anyone else in the five years since she’d changed her identity, there might be someone from her hometown who would—people she grew up with and knew her intimately as Gwen Parker.

The day passed uneventfully. There were some discussions about minor issues, and Mike had wanted to go over the numbers again—the numbers Chloe had provided him with—and she’d held her breath when Mike remarked Press Corp was having a record-breaking first quarter, really going from strength to strength. She had felt her face burn with anguish at this, especially at the look of triumph on Dixon’s face and the slight bewilderment on Roderick Holmes’s.

Wasn’t the tycoon in on this? He must be. Dixon would never do this on his own.

They took a long break right after lunch, and as she stood on the terrace, trying to calm her screaming nerves by basking in the warmth of the sun, a deep voice sounded in her rear. “Walk with me, Miss Ross.”

It was Mike, and the sensation of his breath on her skin sent shivers of delight coursing through her. She had to stop an involuntary reflex to lean into him, his lips replacing the touch of his breath as he feathered kisses from that sensitive spot behind her ear along her neck to the curve where it met her shoulder. She was even tilting her head in a reflex movement, whipping her hair aside to expose that special spot, before she caught herself. He’d walked past her and when she felt his fingers on hers fire licked at her skin, charging it erotically, bringing life to areas of her body that had hitherto lain dormant.

They strode onto a flagged path that led into the gardens, past a series of regal-looking statues and a stone fountain that bubbled pleasantly. And then they were in the rose garden, a wizened old gardener avidly pruning the stems and scowling from beneath a straw hat at a recalcitrant gang of aphids wreaking havoc.

“I used to play here all the time,” Mike suddenly told her in his sonorous voice. “Me, Stu, Steve, our cousins. This was where the family used to convene every summer and every other possible occasion. Birthdays, holidays…”

“It’s a lovely place,” she acknowledged.

“It is, isn’t it?” There was a wistfulness in his voice that made her turn and look at him. His profile was straight as an arrow, the hard lines of his face suddenly softened by emotion. “But then tragedy hit and none of us felt like coming together much after that. The family kind of fell apart to an extent.”

“Your… your mother?”

“She died when I was nine. Dad was heartbroken, as we all were. Mum was… the most loving person you can imagine. Losing her affected us all.”

Her heart bled. She could only imagine what it must have been like to lose his mother. She’d lost her own parents, but she’d been eighteen, on the cusp of adulthood. He’d only been a small boy. She reached out a hand in a comforting gesture, but when he looked up sharply she immediately withdrew it. He was still her employer, she admonished herself, not her lover or even her friend.

“Father then started fooling around, and not with the most suitable women either. He got involved with the London celebrity set. Party people,” he spat with contempt. “They introduced him to a world of drink and drugs, and soon we lost not only our mother but our father as well. While we were away at boarding school he was a front-page fixture. White Knight, they called him, due to his preference for cocaine. When he married Caroline Popping we were already hardened by the stories of his lurid escapades, and when he died in that horrible car crash it was the culmination of a long and tragic episode in our lives.”

Mike didn’t know why he was telling her all this. Normally he never shared the details of his personal life or his past with anyone, nor let them look too deeply into his soul. But somehow he felt as if he could entrust her with the secrets of his past. Of course, they weren’t really secrets. She’d probably googled his family history. Still, apart from Stu and Steve he’d never confided his personal response to the events that were emblazoned on the public forum, and found he enjoyed telling her, though whether it was wise to confide in a member of his staff elements of his personal life he didn’t know. Human resources consultants would probably advise against it. He didn’t care. It felt right.

“I lost my parents too,” she suddenly offered, and the hurt in her voice had him glance over. Her face, usually so pale, had regained a little color. Going for a stroll, with the sun and the fresh air, was obviously doing her a world of good.

“What happened?” he asked softly.

“There was a house fire.” She looked off into the distance. “Mum had forgotten to turn off the stove when they went to bed. The place was torched to the ground. Fire investigators told me they hadn’t suffered. The smoke must have knocked them out before the fire…” She halted, grief breaking her voice.

“I’m sorry,” he told her sincerely, and she nodded. He hadn’t known that about her. It wasn’t an element mentioned in her personnel file, but then usually those files only listed the more superficial elements of a person’s life. He suddenly felt a kinship with her that stretched beyond the professional. So she’d also suffered a terrible loss. Something like that defined a person. It made one wary of connecting to others or even committing to intimate relationships.

Commitment? Why was his mind suddenly jumping to the personal aspects of his relationship with her? He watched as she stood there, rose in hand, eyes averted, a picture of beauty and grace. Something churned in his gut, a sensation he’d never before experienced so he was hard pressed to identify it. There was a deep melancholy and at the same time a powerful longing.

“We better start heading back,” he told her, “or Holmes’s delegation will be wondering if we’re having second thoughts about this deal.”

He meant to bring some levity to the unexpected heaviness of their conversation, she knew, and she awarded him with a smile. Something flickered in his eyes. Was it… recognition? Kinship? Of course not, even though they’d both been hit by tragedy at a relatively young age, and his family, too, had suffered from a media scandal that had torn them apart. She wanted to respond that perhaps he should walk away from this deal, but that would have given away her duplicity so she refrained from doing so.

In silence, they walked back, the summer sun wrapping the world in its warm embrace, but in her heart there was a cold chill. She’d just discovered that she enjoyed Mike’s company more than the mere relationship between an accountant and her boss allowed. So much so that her deceit was adding to her sense of guilt to the extent that she was wondering more and more if she shouldn’t simply confide in him.

But before she could make up her mind they’d returned to the house, and she caught Lewis’s admonishing look. He was clearly not prepared to let her off the hook. And why should he? He apparently stood to gain significantly if Mike paid a higher price for Press Corp.

The roiling turmoil was back in full force as she stood between Mike and Lewis for a moment, and her heart bled for the man who’d just confided in her. Shouldn’t she have confided in him? And watch the look of compassion she was sure she’d seen in his eyes turn to disgust? She wouldn’t be able to live with that. Not from Mike, she realized. She’d rather die than have him turn away from her. So she had to go on playing her part. There was simply no other way.

Mike had caught Dixon’s anxious look and it inspired him with an angry jealousy that rocked through his frame like a hurricane. For some unknown reason he suddenly wanted to lay into this guy and lay claim to the woman he’d spurned. Hearing her talk about her family like that had touched his heart—a place no woman had ever entered. He’d barricaded that sacred space a long time ago. After his mother had died, and then years later his father, he’d told himself that never would he allow anyone to hurt him like that again. With a suppressed groan he wiped any semblance of compassion or any other emotion for Chloe Ross from his mind. She had no place in his life. She was Dixon’s, and besides, he wasn’t in the market for romance. Not with Chloe. Not with any woman. And when Eileen Holmes joined them on the terrace, a bright smile on her face, he smiled back, but not from the heart, only out of habit and courtesy.

“What a lovely day,” she said, batting her eyes at him. “And what a lovely place you got here, Mike. I’m sure you come here all the time?”

“These days very rarely,” he admitted, his eyes drifting to Chloe and Dixon.

Eileen had threaded her arm through his and was dragging him away. “Once this deal is signed I’m sure we’ll be working together very closely,” she was purring in his ear. “I will be the new CEO of Press Corp, after all.”

“Well, that’s your father’s prerogative.”

She pouted. “Hasn’t Roderick told you? The moment the ink on the contracts is dry he’s announcing his retirement, appointing me his successor. So we’ll be seeing quite a lot of each other, Mike.”

Chloe watched Eileen take possession of Mike with a sinking heart. Was that jealousy she felt? Surely not. It could only be sincere compassion for Mike as a woman who was not unlike Caroline Popping herself was trying to seduce him. She looked like a real live Barbie doll, she thought unkindly.

“They make a wonderful couple, don’t you think?” Dixon murmured.

“No, I don’t,” she reciprocated.

She realized she was giving away far more than she’d wished when he chortled, “So you’ve got the hots for your boss now, huh? Good for you, honey. Good for you.” Suddenly he took her elbow in a tight grip and leaned in, his close-set eyes exuding scorn. “Don’t go getting any ideas. The likes of you don’t mix with the likes of Mike Knight. He is, after all, a billionaire while you—”

“Chloe? Shall we?”

Mike’s voice cut into Lewis’s vicious harangue, and never had Chloe been so glad to see him. She gratefully took Mike’s arm and let him lead her inside, both Lewis and Eileen’s eyes burning holes in their backs.

“Colluding with the enemy?” Mike asked once they were out of earshot.

A vicious jolt knocked into her. His words had hit very close to home indeed. And then there was his proximity, his body heat causing ripples of pleasure eddying through her and stirring up all kinds of unwanted but definitely delicious sensations in her lower belly, the fire sweeping up once more as she became aware of the musculature of his arm, its sheer power making her feel giddy.

“I—I was merely—”

“Reminiscing about the good old days?”

She wanted to tell him that the only emotion Dixon’s presence stirred was loathing, and the only memory her own downfall, but of course she couldn’t.

“Your silence tells me all I need to know,” he said softly—too softly, for there was a marked edge to his voice.

“I—I don’t see what this has to do with anything,” she riposted lamely.

They’d entered a small anteroom and suddenly he swept her close to him so they were face to face. “You’re on my team, Chloe,” he growled. “So there will be no more mooning over Dixon, talking to Dixon, or inviting Dixon into your room in the middle of the night. Am I making myself clear?”

His eyes were boring into hers, the cold gray infused with a hint of steel. So he had seen Dixon sneak into her room—that’s why he’d been so eager to transfer her to his suite. Lucky for her he simply thought she was pining for her old lover. If only he knew!

She was panting slightly, the sudden proximity bringing back memories of the kiss they’d shared. She’d never known what real passion was until Mike had kissed her like that. She’d never even known she was capable of responding with so much feverish ardor, her body coming alive with a passion and a fury that had taken her by surprise. And again the same thing was happening. She was responding to him as if he were going to kiss her, her mouth opening, her tongue moistening her lips and her breasts tightening painfully, her nipples hard as they tented her blouse, her back arching in an effort to press her soft curves into the hardness of his wide chest.

But he wasn’t going to kiss her, was he? Not this time. For he was, after all, merely her employer telling her to get in line or else. So she nodded. “Crystal clear,” she breathed softly. And as she saw his expression change, his eyes turning molten, the breath caught in her lungs as his lips crashed down on hers, hard and unyielding. It was obvious from the way he was kissing her that he was punishing her, reminding her where her loyalties lay.

If only he knew her loyalties lay with him, and so did the rest of her!

On a soft moan she parted her lips to allow him entrance into the hot wetness of her mouth and then his tongue was on hers, sweeping and stroking her into oblivion. Her hands swept up of their own accord, for her fingers to lace behind the nape of his neck before sliding into his short dark hair. The sweeping sensation she’d felt in the pit of her stomach turned into a thunderous sensation that wiped her out completely, and then she was pressing her breasts into him, her nipples puckering eagerly through the layers of fabric dividing them, willing him to undress her—to lay his hands on her—skin on skin—flesh on flesh.