The Billionaire Next Door (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) (8 page)

…and just a little bit guilty.  He could have hired
someone to come in to monitor him - he had more than enough money to take care
of that – but that someone would not have been anything like Solie.  She was
the one he’d wanted dropping by, fluffing his pillow, playing boss. 

As thoughts of Solie filled Ransom’s mind he smiled,
braced back in his chair and rested his feet on the edge of the desk.  Sweet
memories came floating back and, busy or not, he had no desire to stem them.

One evening he’d had a splitting headache and although
he’d hated to bug her he’d called and she’d come right over.  Then she’d
proceeded to pamper him, pressing a cold compress against his forehead, almost
making him forget that he was a gentleman when she leaned over and he was
blessed with the sight of her full breasts thrusting against the soft fabric of
her blouse.

He could see her nipples, hard and pointy, tempting him,
teasing him and it was all he could do to keep from tilting his head to cover
those ripened buds with his lips.  She was so tempting she made his mouth water
and, as if the sight of her weren’t enough to break down his defenses, her
womanly fragrance - a mixture of spice and springtime - was driving him up a
very rough wall.  He’d had to clench his fists to keep from reaching up and
dragging her down on top of him.

Another time she’d come over with a macaroni and cheese
pie and barbecued chicken.  When he opened the door to her she’d gone straight
to the kitchen and was in there quite a while, banging plates and sounding like
she was ladling out enough food to feed an army.  He decided to go in and check
on her.

Solie was busy in the kitchen, all right.  She’d made a
big bowl of salad and from the bag of flour and the eggshells he could see on
the counter he could tell she’d whipped up something for the oven.  But she was
nowhere in sight.

Ransom entered the kitchen and walked over to the island
in the middle of the spacious room.  It was when he circled it that he saw the
delectable creature.  The rear end of her, that is.

Solie was bending over, peering into the oven, giving
Ransom a close up view of her jeans-covered behind.

He was enjoying the scenery when she pulled back and
slammed the oven door shut.  She straightened and, clearly not realizing he was
in the room, in one fluid movement she turned and stepped forward, slamming
right into his chest.

On reflex his hands shot up to hold her, keep her from
falling, and as he pulled her close she gasped and grabbed onto his upper arm. 
Solie looked up into his face, her eyes wide, her lips parted, her breath
coming in quick gasps.  She looked ready to be kissed.

Ransom was never one to pass up on a perfect
opportunity.  Arms sliding around her, he lowered his head, intent on capturing
those pink lips, now soft with surprise.

“Uh, sorry.  I…didn’t mean to bump into you.”  Exerting
pressure on his upper arms Solie pushed herself back and out of his embrace.

“No problem.”  Ransom dropped his arms then shoved his
hands into his pockets, watching as Solie stepped back then lifted a hand to
brush a stray lock of hair from her brow.

For a second she’d looked flustered but soon, with him out
of her personal space, she was back to being Miss In-Control.  The moment of
surprise past, the cute pout returned to her lips and she gave him a crooked
smile.  “Hey, what’re you doing in my kitchen?  You never come in here.”  A
slight frown creased her brow.  “I was making a surprise for you but now you’ve
gone and spoiled it."

Ransom put up his hands in self-defense.  “Hey, I’m
sorry.  You never told me to stay out.”

Solie gave him a rueful grin.  “You’re right.  I should
have, shouldn’t I?”  Then she shrugged.  “Better yet, I should have done this
at my house…” then she grimaced, “…except that my oven conked out all of a
sudden.”

He gave her a sly grin.  “Lucky me.”

Solie raised an eyebrow.  “How so?”

“Now I have a beautiful woman hanging out in my kitchen,”
he said in a low, slow voice, “and who could ask for more?”

For a moment she looked nonplussed, a hint of color
rising in her cheeks, then she seemed to catch herself.  Eyes narrowed, she met
his stare head on.  “You know what?  Get out of my kitchen and don't come back
till I call you.  No men allowed.”

Ransom did not move.  He just stood there watching her,
seeing the color rise in her face, feeling the tension build.  Then, his point
made, he gave her a relaxed smile.  “No problem,” he said softly, “but don’t
take too long or I’ll come and get you.”  Then, releasing her wary gaze, he
turned and walked out of the room.  Before this he’d kept his attraction to
Solie to himself but he’d had enough of being decent.  Now it was time for his
lovely little neighbor to get to know the real Ransom Kent. 

***

“I told you, there’s nothing going on.  I’m my same old
dreary self.”  Solie reached up to pull a box of gloves out of the cupboard
then turned to the nurse who stood by, arms folded, a cheeky grin on her lips. 
She glared at the woman.  “Will you leave me alone?”

“No, I won’t,” Jen’s smile widened,  “not until you tell
me everything.  Who is he?”

“Kyra.”  Solie turned to her friend in desperation. 
“Will you tell Jen to leave me alone?  She’s getting on my last nerve.” 

Kyra swiveled around in her chair to regard both women
then her face broke into a smile even wider than Jen’s.  “Sorry, Sol. No can
do.  Hey, I’m curious, too.  I wanna know.”  She rubbed her hands together like
a kid getting ready to raid the cookie jar.

“Oh, no.  Not you, too.”  Solie couldn’t help but sigh. 
She could see that both Jen and Kyra were determined to back her into a corner
and dig as much information out of her as they could.  Well, too bad for them. 
They’d soon find out there wasn’t any information to get.

“So who is he?”  Jen pressed.  “Who’s this new guy in
your life?”

“Oh, please.”  Solie rolled her eyes.  “Obviously, you
guys have too much time on your hands.  Do you sit at your stations daydreaming
or something?  Where did you get this crazy idea?”

Kyra shrugged.  “Well, you
have
been a lot nicer
lately.”

“I’m always nice.”  Solie glared at her.

“Yeah,” Jen said with a chuckle, “right.”  Then she
cocked her head to one side.  “Seriously, though, you’ve changed over the past
couple of weeks.  I caught you humming yesterday, for goodness sake.  Now if
that isn’t a sign that there’s a new man in your life, I don’t know what is.”

Kyra frowned.  “You’re right, Jen.  All of a sudden
she’s ‘Little Miss Cheerful’.  Now talk before I move in at your place till I
can figure out what’s going on.”

Seeing that she could not convince them otherwise Solie
drew in her breath and let it out slowly.  “All right, there’s a man.”

“I knew it.”  Jen punched the air, eyes gleaming.  "What’s
his name?  Does he work here?  Do I know him?”

Kyra on the other hand, looked confused.  “You’ve really
got a man?  And I don’t know about it?  How is that possible?”

Solie rolled her eyes again.  “No, I don’t ‘got’ a man. 
Not really.”  She bit her lip, feeling stupid.  The fact was, she didn’t have a
man at all.  Who was she fooling?  But she had to give them something, anything
to get them off her back.  “I…don’t have anyone but there’s this guy I met…he’s
tall with dark hair and he’s got the most intense deep brown eyes you ever
saw…”

“Woohoo, your kind of guy.  Tall, dark and mysterious.” 
Jen was practically hopping in her excitement.  “Who is he?  Do you have a
photo?  Give me your cell phone so I can see your pictures.”

Kyra gave her a scorching look.  “Calm down, Jen.  Let
the girl speak.”

Solie shrugged.  “That’s it.”

“That’s it?”  Kyra looked disappointed.  “You can’t just
leave us hanging like this.  Where did you meet?  When did you start dating?”

“We aren’t dating.”  Solie shook her head in
exasperation.  “Weren’t you listening?  I said I don’t have a man.  I just have
a…guy I sort of like.”  Then she paused and a naughty grin tickled her lips. 
“I think he…sort of likes me, too.”

“Aaw, that's so sweet.  They’re in 'like' with each
other.”  Jen gave her an indulgent smile. 

Instead of smiling Kyra gave her a look of concern. 
“That’s great but, come to think of it, are you sure you’re ready for this?”  

Her words made Solie’s heart tighten.  She knew exactly
what Kyra meant.  Her friend had been there for her when she’d been devastated
by Raul’s betrayal.  She knew Kyra didn’t want to see her get hurt again.

But why did she have to bring him up, just when she was
beginning to lose herself in the fantasy of Ransom Kent?  Kyra’s question was
all it took to bring her back to earth with a bump.

And with her return to land came that low feeling in the
pit of her stomach, that heavy feeling of dread every time she thought of Raul. 
She knew what he was capable of and she would do everything in her power to
stay as far away from him as possible.

Her mood changed, she just wanted to get away.  She
pulled out a pair of latex gloves and slapped them against her palm.  “I’ll
talk to you guys later,” she said, her voice cool.  “Right now I’ve got to get
back to work.”

Before either of the ladies could argue Solie stepped
past them and headed off down the hallway.  Just for a little while she needed
to be alone.

She needed to process the thought that had just crept
into her mind…a depressing thought because, she realized, as long as Raul was
stalking her there was no way she could bring Ransom Kent into the picture.

CHAPTER NINE

December nine.  Five whole days since she’d last seen
Ransom.  Solie rested her chin in her palm and stared out the bedroom window,
out into the backyard and across the hedge that separated her yard from his.

Ay,
Dios
.  What
was happening to her?  Here she was, moping like a love-sick child, all because
her neighbor had gone about his business and hadn’t made it a point to get in
touch with her…as if she had any right to expect that.  How pathetic could you
get?

As she sat there staring at the leaves of the mango tree
shaking in the evening breeze Solie knew she was in trouble.  Within a couple
of months of meeting Ransom she’d gone from ignoring him to not liking him to
resenting him, to being totally pissed with him.

Until she got to know him better.

Then over the last several weeks she’d been his nurse
then his bully, making sure he took his meds, then his food supplier and then,
before she realized what was happening, she’d become his friend.

And now she was being forced to admit that what she’d
begun to feel for him was way past what you should feel for your ‘friend’.  God
help her.

Solie put a finger to her lips then pulled it back when
she realized she’d begun to nibble at the nail.  That was one habit she
definitely did not want to pick up again, not when she’d found a man who
stirred her insides, made her want him even though they hadn’t so much as
shared a kiss.  But they’d almost…

Solie’s mind raced back to that day she’d bumped into
him in the kitchen, the day he’d held her in his arms, so close she’d felt the
firm muscles of his abs as they pressed into her.  That had almost been her
undoing.  Right then all she’d wanted to do was slide her hands up his arms
then up to his nape where she could slip her fingers into the jet-black silk of
his hair.  Then she would press against the back of his head, ever so gently,
until he tilted his face toward hers and covered her lips with his.

There in his arms she had a feeling that he wouldn't
have needed much convincing.  She remembered how he’d been looking down at her,
lids lowered, his lips slightly parted.  She knew he was about to kiss her and,
wimp that she was, when he’d begun to lower his head she panicked.  She’d
blurted something out, she couldn’t even remember what, but it effectively
doused the flame lit between them and then she’d pulled away and escaped fast.

She wanted him, God knew she did, but how could she give
in to her desire when Raul was trying to force his way back into her life?  How
could she add another complication?  And, even more important, how could she
know for sure that Ransom meant her any good?  What if he saw her as a conquest,
a woman to conquer, take to bed and then kick to the curb?  And, horrors, what
if he ended up being like Raul?

At the thought a shiver ran through her.  No, she
wouldn’t even go there.  She could not put Ransom and Raul in the same category. 
There was no way-

The chime of the doorbell cut that thought short and
Solie frowned.  She wasn’t expecting anyone.  Then her heart did a tiny hop. 
What if it was Ransom?

To her chagrin the idea of Ransom at her door brought a
smile to her lips.  She was being an idiot to react like this.  If Ransom was
there it was probably because he needed a cup of sugar for his tea.  It was
definitely not because he was missing her.  She knew all that but still she could
not wipe the smile from her face.  Instead, the nearer she got to the front
door, the wider it grew.