Her Dragon Billionaire (5 page)

“Why?”

“Because I would feel like a jerk when one day you remember everything and you had someone special in your life before you met me.”

“I don’t think I have.”

“How can you be sure?”

“A hunch?”

“Mm.”

“Liam?”

“Yes, babe?”

“Would you…hug me?”

“Babe…” Liam drew her into his arms. She nestled in. Her body was perfect, as if she was made just for him. She hid her face in his chest. Warmth spread from her. It was…heavenly, having her like this. So close. Intimate. Comforting. Nothing else mattered at the moment. Slowly, he felt himself hardening. She noticed it too.

“Liam…” She slipped a hand on his boxers, groping his erection.

God. Naughty girl…

“Eva,” he croaked.

“I know you want me.”

“I do…”

“So?”

How could he explain to her that he had lied to her… about almost everything? Their faked marriage. Her past? It wouldn’t feel right if he bedded her after all the lies he’d shoved down her throat. Except when he told her he loved her. He had meant that. And he still did. He’d fallen in love with her the moment he cared her back to life. “We’d better wait.”

Eva sighed in disappointment.

Liam took her hand and bestowed a kiss on it. He found her lips and kissed her passionately. She returned it with the same heat. So full of hunger. The heat turned into full-blown lust. Liam broke the kiss. “Lean on your side,” he ordered.

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

She did what he asked. Liam scooped himself behind her; he snaked a hand underneath her nightgown and up to the juncture of her thighs. She stiffened.

“Liam…”

“Shh.”

Eva lay on her back and kissed him on the mouth. He slipped his hand beneath her panties and petted her pussy. He parted her curls and found her clitoris. She sighed happily. Liam captured her nub with his thumb and forefinger. He tugged and twisted it in such a way that she bucked with the rhythm. She tore from her kiss.

“Liam…”

“Do you like it?”

She smiled shyly and nodded.

“Good.”

Liam inserted a finger inside her. She was very wet. He could smell her femininity even through the panties and the nightgown she was wearing. It hit him like a potent aphrodisiac. His cock became impossibly harder. It took all of his will power not to pull her underneath him and claim her on the spot.

In due time
, he thought.
When she gets better
.

But at the moment, there was nothing wrong in pleasuring her.

Eva ground her sex against his palm. Pure heat seared his hand. He slipped another finger into her depths. The slick curves of her pussy were saturated with her own luxurious oil, bathing his fingers. Liam stroked deeper and curled his finger so he hit that coveted special spot. It wasn’t hard to find hers. The moment he rubbed it, her body tensed and went rigid. Three, four, and five strokes, then she shuddered exquisitely. She came hard.

“Liam!”

“Shh, love. Come for me.”

Eva seized his shoulder and hid her face in the hollow of his throat. Her pussy gripped his fingers. He kept stroking her as she rode the ecstasy. Her cries subsided as her climax faded away. He withdrew his fingers. Her scent permeated the air and he couldn’t resist tasting her luxurious juices. “Yum,” he told her.

Eva blinked and smothered him with greedy, starving kisses. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“For you, love, I’ll do anything.”

* * *

Liam had gone when she woke up in the morning. A note was left on his side of the bed.

Hey, beautiful. Gone to do some errands. Will be back before lunch.

Love,Liam

Her heart gave a little dance.
Love, Liam
. He thought she was beautiful. And he loved her. How thrilling. Eva scooted to his side of the bed, looking for his warmth. He had been gone long obviously. She took a peek at the clock. Ten. Boy, she was sleeping in late. But she could still smell him. She didn’t know why but a whiff of his masculine fragrance calmed her. She felt loved and protected. She didn’t feel they were strangers anymore. She still couldn’t remember much about him, but somehow she felt connected.

They were married. He loved her. He might have married her for custody reasons, but she felt she had a lifetime to know him. He was all she had. She was one lucky girl.

Eva decided to take a shower and get dressed in new clothes that Rosa had bought her. This morning she chose a pretty yellow sundress with little straps on the shoulders. She removed the tag after widening her eyes at the price. Four hundred bucks. For a dress. Eva was pretty sure in her former life she had never spent that much money on a single dress.

However, she looked pretty in it and was quite pleased with her appearance. Rosa greeted her warmly when Eva flounced into the kitchen.

“Good morning, sunshine. How did you sleep?” Rosa asked.

Her cheeks heated. “I slept soundly.”

Rosa chuckled. “Have some breakfast, won’t you?”

“I
am
hungry.”

“Good. I’m going to make you my killer omelet.”

“Goodie.”

Eva pulled out a chair and sat as Rosa busied cracking eggs and whipped her a delicious fluffy omelet. She served her breakfast with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Nothing store-bought in Rosa’s kitchen. It seemed she liked everything fresh.

Eva shoveled her food with gusto. “This is delicious, Rosa.”

“Why thank you, child.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever tasted an omelet this good.”

“You flatter me.”

“I’m not. I’m pretty sure of it. Even though I’m still hazy about everything.”

“You still don’t remember anything?”

“Sadly, no. I do know I like pink and an omelet is my favorite food.”

“You poor child.”

Eva grinned. “How was she? Natalie?” Eva was curious.

“Her?” Rosa snorted. “She’s not worth mentioning.”

“Well, I just want to know why Liam and she decided to get divorced.”

“She cheated on Mr. Caderyn.”

Eva widened her eyes. “She did? But why?”

“That, child, I don’t really know. Perhaps she was bored of him. Perhaps she was into Mr. Caderyn’s money.”

“Oh. He’s pretty well off, isn’t he? He could afford a private physician.”

“He is. And Doctor Hall is a family friend. He’s supposed to come and examine you today.”

“Liam left a note. Does Liam have siblings?”

“A younger sister. Caitlyn. She lives in North Side.”

“North Side?”

“Winnetka. She has a cute son, Brandon. That little button was two years old last month. Mr. Caderyn babysits him once in a while.”

Good-looking. Kind. And good with kids. He was definitely a keeper. “What about Liam’s parents? Are they still alive?”

“Sadly no. Mr. Caderyn Senior died in a car accident a few years back. Mrs. Caderyn was heartbroken and died soon after.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“Me too. They were really close. Soul mates, I’d say.”

Eva shoveled a mouthful of eggs and chewed. “Do you believe in soul mates?”

“Of course I do. Caderyns always marry their soul mate. Except for Natalie, of course. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. They looked perfect from the outside, but you never truly know a person’s heart.”

Soul mates. Eva still didn’t know much about Liam. But when they were together, it felt so right. Were they soul mates? Thinking about him made her blush. Rosa noticed it. She laughed and patted Eva’s hand.

“He’s good for you. Make him happy and you will be happy too for the rest of your life.”

“He’s so kind to me.”

“And he’s not bad-looking too.” Rosa winked. “I know he can drive women crazy with one look. Oh, does he have fans.”

“Does he?” Eva laughed with her.

“Before he turned into a recluse.”

Eva sipped the juice. It tasted so fresh. “Why did he do that?”

“Because of the scandal with Natalie. It was all over the news, you know? The press wouldn’t give him a break. They hounded him night and day. It was a circus.”

“Really?” Eva shook her head. “I don’t understand why someone would leave a man like Liam.”

“Like I said, you never know inside one’s heart.”

So true. Eva couldn’t imagine leaving a man like him. Her heart ached just by thinking about it. “I’m so lucky to have him.”

“And he’s lucky to have you. Be good to him, won’t you? He has been through a lot.”

Eva blushed again. “I will.”

* * *

Liam called just before lunch to say that he was going to be late. He asked her how she was feeling. Eva went bubbly with his attention. She felt special and she didn’t think she was special before…before she lost her memory. She didn’t miss it. Not one bit. She had him. It was more than enough to make a woman happy.

“Do you want anything before I drive home?” he asked on the phone.

“No, I’m fine.”

“You sure. Maybe you’re in the mood for something. Pizza? Fruits? Godiva chocolate.”

“Chocolate sounds good. Do I like chocolate?”

“Babe, every woman loves chocolate.”

Eva laughed. “See you when you get home.”

“Love you.”

She paused. “Love you too.”

Silence stretched on the other end. “Do you mean it?”

“I do, Liam.”

“You’re so cute.” Then he disconnected.

A rush of giddiness surged through her. He loved her and he thought she was cute. She volunteered to help Rosa make dinner, but Rosa said she didn’t need help. Eva then played with Hades while waiting for Liam to get home. She chased him from room to room while admiring the house. Out of all the rooms, Liam’s bedroom was the barest of all. Others were nicely furnished without being tacky. Liam’s home office looked grand with wall-to-wall rich walnut wainscot and intricate moldings. A set of leather chairs graced the fireplace. His desk was rather bare. Only a laptop and a book were on the surface. Eva stepped closer. There were photos stacked on top of the book. She looked closer.

Hey, it was photos of her!

She grabbed them and started to leaf through them. A photo taken on the beach; she was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, laughing. Somehow she just knew it was Coney Island boardwalk. Another picture snapped at what seemed to be an office. Her office. No, more like a library. Hey, how did she know that was a library? Eva scrutinized the other people in the photos, trying to refresh her memory. Everything was blank. Those people were as much strangers as Liam was.

A frisson of trepidation shot through her.

Why had Liam lied? How did he get her things? He said he found her in the water. Did he know who she was? She tried hard to remember but nothing came to her. He said he’d hired a private investigator because she wasn’t showing up in any system. If she was just a regular Jane Doe, how did he get hold of her personal items? If she was found in the water, she wouldn’t bring photos with her, would she?

Eva snatched the book; it was a diary. She started reading. She recognized the handwriting as hers. Just to make sure, she scoured Liam’s desk for a pen and paper. She scribbled on it and compared it to the diary. No doubt. This was her handwriting. The diary was hers.

Sitting on Liam’s chair, she devoured its contents. There wasn’t much of it. Only three pages long, dated from late May. After she finished, she was filled with a thousand more unanswered questions. Dread seized her by the throat and was ready to shake her like a rag doll. The diary might not tell her much, but it contained some important information. She had just started a new life. She worked in the Arcana Foundation, restoring old documents, and she had a confidante named Ms. Jones.

Did Liam know about the Arcana Foundation? His private investigator could go there and ask who she was.

What about Ms. Jones? Why did this woman give her money? And why did she fear for her safety?

Eva drummed her fingers on the surface of the desk. She could confront Liam when he got back, to see what he had to say.

Or she could find out where the Arcana Foundation was and show up there to see if anybody recognized her.

She really should wait for Liam, but damn it, she was curious.

Curiosity or safety.

Damn.

Curiosity won.

Eva opened Liam’s laptop and powered it on. A password-protected login prompted her. She clicked around and found out she could login as guest. After her access was approved, she opened up a browser and searched for the Arcana Foundation. It was a private library located in downtown Chicago. She got the address and jotted it onto a pad of paper.

Now, there was a problem as to how to get there. She could call a cab, but she didn’t have any cash.
Liam could pay it
, a part of her suggested. Have the cab pick her up and let the meter run while she went in and made some inquiries. Then, after she finished, the cab could take her home and have Liam pick up the tab. He wouldn’t be pleased she sneaked around like that, but hell, this was her life. She needed to know. Not being able to remember anything was driving her insane.

Sounded like a plan.

Eva researched for a cab company and placed a call. She waited outside, sneaking away from Hades and Rosa. Twenty minutes later, the cab came. Before she left, she had scribbled a note for Liam. She hoped he wouldn’t be angry with her, but finding out her identity was important to her. He should understand.

Liam had a bad feeling when he pulled into the driveway. Rosa was waiting for him under the portico with Hades on a leash. Her face looked worried. She tapped the window as Liam put the car in park. He rolled it down.

“Ms. Eva has gone,” Rosa said. She didn’t wait until he took off his seat belt. “She called a taxi and went to a place called the Arcana Foundation.”

“What? When?”

“About twenty minutes ago. I tried to call you but you didn’t pick up your phone.”

“I was busy. How did she know about the Arcana Foundation?”

“I read a note she left on your desk.”

“What did it say?”

“That she needed to meet some people where she once worked, then she would go straight home.”