The Billionaire's Secret Boxed Set (5 page)

“So,” she continued after a moment, changing the subject, “If you don’t live up here, what are you doing here?” 

“I have a cabin about fifteen miles from here.  I’m up for the weekend.” 

“What do you do in the city?” she asked. 

Now it was his turn to hesitate.  For some reason, he did not want her to know right away what he really did for a living.  Most of the women he met were of a certain type.  They knew who he was, they were impressed by his money and success, and they expected a certain level of treatment that made him wonder about what they really wanted in a relationship.  Love was demonstrated by money, usually in the form of expensive gifts.  Nathan, though he appreciated the freedoms that his money could acquire for him, was at heart not a particularly materialistic man, and none of the relationships he had had with these women had ever lasted very long.  Gazing furtively at this gorgeous, genuine woman beside him, he wanted fervently to believe that she was different. 

“I’m a… a carpenter,” he replied. 
“You?” 

“Right now I’m basically a secretary, for a builder.  I’m planning to go to school next year for interior design.  That’s been my dream for a long time.”

“Are you going back to college, or is this your first time?”

“Kind of both,” she admitted.  “My parents both died when I was
little, and my grandparents raised me.  They didn’t have any money to send me to college, so I’ve had to make my own way.  I went to community college for a year to get some of my generals taken care of, but at the end of the year I ran out of money, so I had to quit and find a job.  It’s taken me a while to get financially stable enough to consider going back, but my plan is to start next fall.” Rebecca surprised herself by telling him more than she had intended to; normally, she was much less forthcoming with strangers about her private life.  For some reason, she felt comfortable around him, and she told herself sternly to be careful, and not to make any assumptions about Nathan Steele.

As Rebecca talked, they arrived at the city limit sign announcing the next small town, with a population of less than a thousand.  “If we can find me a hotel here, then I can figure out what to do next,” Rebecca said, hoping to sound more confident than she felt.  They scanned for any sign of a hotel as they drove through, finding only a small, dirty-looking motel on the other edge of town.

“This will be fine, I’m sure,” Rebecca said doubtfully as they pulled into the deserted parking lot. 

“I don’t know, it looks kind of iffy,” Nathan frowned.  “Let’s go take a look, though.” 

They got out of the car and walked toward the front office.  The smell of stale cigarette smoke and dust greeted them as they walked through the rickety screen door.  No one was at the front desk, but they could hear noises coming from a back room.  “Hello,” Nathan called. 

A large, unkempt man in his early fifties lumbered out to the front desk.
“Yeah? Can I help you?” he grunted.

“Do you have a vacancy for tonight?” Rebecca asked politely.  The man guffawed.  “What do you think?  Of course I do. 
For the two of you?  I don’t take couples ‘less you’re married,” he said gruffly as he eyed her ringless left hand.

“No, no, just for me,” Rebecca corrected, blushing a little. 

“Alright,” he said, getting out a ledger and reaching for a pen.

“We’d like to see the room first,” Nathan said firmly.  The man looked up at him with veiled hostility.  “Don’t know why you care,
seein’s you’re not stayin’ in it, but okay.”  He grabbed a key off the pegboard and waddled around the desk.  “Come on, then.”  They followed him out the door and down a row of doors until the man stopped at one and stuck the key in.

The room smelled even more strongly of stale smoke than the office did.  Stained, dark beige carpet vaguely matched the bedspread of a nondescript, questionable color.  The walls were covered in
an ancient wallpaper that was beginning to peel in places.  At the back of the room, a door led to what was probably the bathroom, and Rebecca cringed at the thought of bathing herself in this place.  Still, she had no options; this was the only hotel in town.  “Okay, it’s fine,” she said, trying not to let her disgust show in her voice. “I’ll…”

“No, you won’t,” Nathan said firmly.  “I’m sorry to have taken up your time, sir,” he said to the man.

“No skin off my nose,” the man replied dismissively.  Without waiting for a reply, he simply turned walked out of the room.  “Shut the door when you leave,” he called behind him as he disappeared out the door. 

Rebecca turned to him and began to protest: “Nathan…”

“No, absolutely not,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument.  “This is ridiculous.  You can’t stay here.  It’s filthy.  If I left you here, it would be worse than leaving you by the side of the road.  Listen,” he continued.  “Why don’t you come with me to my cabin.  It’s only ten miles from here.  You’ll have your own room, your own bathroom, and I promise you complete privacy. I’m staying until Monday evening, at which time I can drive you back to the city myself.  In the meantime, you can charge your phone, and enjoy a relaxing weekend without the dickhead who left you by the side of the road.”  He saw her hesitation. “Please,” he said gently, looking into her eyes.  “Let me do this for you.”

The look Nathan gave her seemed to bore straight through her.  The expression in his eyes was a mixture of concern, kindness, and something else that she couldn’t identify but which turned her insides into melted butter.  For a moment, all she could think of was what it would feel like for him to take her in his arms and kiss her, passionately, deeply, their tongues seeking one another.  A little breathlessly, she consented.
“Alright.  Thank you, Nathan.”

He brought his hand to her chin and gently raised her face toward hers.  “No, thank you. 
Sincerely. For letting me do this for you.”  She reddened and looked down, uncomfortably warm.   He dropped his hand, and silently, they walked back to the car.

Nathan again held the door open for her as she got in.  They didn’t speak for the remaining miles of the drive.  Rebecca looked out the window, finally able to relax enough to enjoy the beauty of the lush, diverse foliage.  A few minutes later, he turned into a long gravel
drive that continued for half a mile through the trees.  At the end of the drive, the trees parted, and Rebecca found herself gazing at the most gorgeous log cabin she had ever seen.  It was two stories, with a large deck and floor to ceiling windows on the second floor.  The cabin was much larger than she had anticipated, and she could glimpse a beautiful, pristine lake behind it, with forest all around.  “You must be some carpenter,” she murmured in amazement.

Nathan smiled.  “You like it?”  He pulled up to the front door and shut off the car.  “Come on, let’s get your things, and I’ll show you around.”  Popping the trunk, he grabbed Rebecca’s bag and a smaller one, then ushered her up the stairs.  He chose a key from his keychain and unlocked the front door, swinging it wide on its hinges.  “Be my guest,” he said.

Rebecca walked into a large, open space that took her breath away.  The space was rustic yet elegant, with exposed beams and large windows that reached from floor to ceiling, letting in pools of light that bathed the room in a warm glow.  A large stone fireplace stood to one side, with a large, inviting rug in front of it, and a large, coemfortable-looking leather couch facing it.  The furniture in the room was eclectic, but all impeccably chosen to create a harmonious whole that was more than the sum of its parts.  “Oh, it’s beautiful!” she breathed. 

“Thank you,” he replied courteously, his grin betraying that he was pleased at her reaction.  “I had it built myself, about four years ago.  This place is my refuge – where I come to escape the parts of the city that I don’t like.  You’re the first person who’s ever been here besides me, actually.”

“Really?”  She was suddenly aware of how much of an imposition she must be.

“Well, except the installers, of course,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.  “But yes.  This place is my sanctuary.  I don’t bring just anyone here.”

“I’m grateful you were willing to let me stay here,” she said, bowing her head a little.  “I promise I won’t be any bother to you.”

“It’s no bother,” he said gently, stepping forward and cupping her chin in his hand.  He raised her face toward his.  “It’s my pleasure. 
Really.”  For a moment, they stay like that, not moving, and Rebecca wondered with a thrill if he was planning to kiss her.  Then he dropped his hand and turned.  “Come,” he said,” let me show you the rest of the house, and your room.” 

She followed him up an elegant wrought-iron spiral staircase to the second floor.  Walking down a short hallway, he stopped at a door on the right.  “Here is your room,” he said, motioning with his head for her to enter.

The bedroom was as gorgeous as the open room downstairs.  More than a simple bedroom, it was actually an L-shaped en-suite, with a sitting area in the lower part of the L that held a couch, two chairs, and windows on two sides with a gorgeous view of the pristine lake.  In the main part of the bedroom was a sleigh bed, large and comfortable –looking, with a russet-colored duvet and large pillows.  Nathan set her bag down on the bed, and motioned toward a door to the side.  “Your bathroom is through there.  There should be any toiletries you need, and fresh towels, as well.  Please let me know if you need anything.”

“I thought you said you’d never had a guest before,” Rebecca said, looking at him quizzically. 

“Always be prepared,” he said with a dazzling grin that made her insides flutter.  “You never know when it will be your lucky day.”  Moving toward the door, he said, “I’ll let you get situated.  I imagine you might like to rest after this difficult day.”

“I am dying for a shower,” she admitted.  She felt hot and dusty, and she was getting hungry.  She realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.  “I don’t want to be a bother, but is there any food?  I could eat a horse.”

Not nearly as easily as I could, my dear
, he thought, and smiled to himself.  “What?” she asked, catching his expression. 

“Oh, nothing.
  But food will be one thing I’ll need to deal with.  I hadn’t realized I’d be entertaining, of course, so I didn’t bring much with me.  There’s a town that’s larger than the last one about ten miles in the opposite direction.  Why don’t I run over to Albertville and pick up a few things while you’re settling in?  I’ll only be gone an hour or so.”

“That’s really so kind of you – thank you.  I feel like such an imposition!” she cried.

“Please, please don’t,” he said, smiling at her.  “And please, stop thanking me.  I do mean it when I say it’s my pleasure.  I find your company very pleasurable.”  She opened her mouth to protest, but he placed a finger softly to her lips.  The unexpected contact sent an electric jolt through her.  “Please.  Promise me you’ll stop thanking me, and stop apologizing.”

She frowned at him in consternation, and then nodded. “Okay.  I promise to try.” 

“Wonderful,” he said happily.  “Now, enjoy your accommodations, please make yourself at home, and I’ll see you in an hour.”

“Okay.  See you soon,” she smiled.

Chapter Two

Nathan descended the staircase, and then the front door opened and shut, his key turning in the lock.  A few seconds later, Rebecca heard his car start, and then the engine noise disappearing in the distance.  Rebecca wandered to her bedroom door, and then out into the hallway.  She counted five bedrooms in all.  The last one, at the end of the hall, was the largest, and she recognized his bag sitting on the bed.  This bedroom was decorated in a similar fashion to her own, with a larger sitting area and a fireplace.  A door on the side facing the lake opened onto a spacious balcony. 
So beautiful
.  How did a carpenter afford this place and a gorgeous car like that?  Maybe he had had an inheritance.  At any rate, it was none of her business.  She determined not to think about it anymore.

Rebecca went back to her bedroom and dug in her bag until she found her cell phone and charger.  Plugging it in, she pressed the power button and glanced at her messages. 
Two from Matt.  She briefly considered whether to listen to them, and then, frowning, hit “play.”  The first one was a continuation of his swearing tirade from earlier.  Not bothering to listen to the rest, she pressed delete and jumped to the next one.  This time, his tone had changed to conciliatory.  He said he was worried about her, and asked for her to call him. 
No
, she decided. 
I’m done being treated like shit
.  She pressed delete again, muted the ringtone, and tossed the phone on the bed. 

Rebecca closed the door to the bedroom and then wandered into the bath, peeling off her dirty clothes as she went.  Inside the bathroom, she found a selection of shampoos, soaps and conditioners.  There was a large, beautiful shower with a rain shower head, and on the other side, an enormous, inviting slipper-shaped bathtub.  Rebecca had been planning on just a quick shower, but she immediately abandoned that idea in favor of a bath.  She turned on the water, selected a bottle of fragrant bath gel, and poured some in.  Soon the room smelled luxuriously of jasmine and vanilla.  Sighing with contentment, she waited for the tub to fill up and slipped in, moaning with pleasure as the water welcomed her body.

*   *   *

Where is that bitch?!

He had checked the phone tracker app a dozen times in the last hour.  Still nothing.  And she hadn’t answered either of his messages.  He’d be damned if he’d leave her another one. 

When Matt had gone back to the place where he’d kicked her out, he had imagined he would find her there, sobbing her eyes out by the side of the road.  He had imagined that she would beg him to let her back in the car.  And that she’d have learned her lesson not to fuck with him.  But she was nowhere to be found: not on the road, not at the nearest farmhouse.  Part of him worried that something had happened to her, but most of him was just mad.  How dare she just disappear like that? 

Matt pulled over and hit his parents’ number on his phone.  He told his mom that they had had car trouble, and they weren’t going to be able to make it there until the next day.  He hung up and then checked the locater app again: There it was!  She must have finally turned on her phone.  He looked at the pulsing red dot on the map and frowned.  What was she doing in the middle of the woods?  He noted that the location of her dot was about fifteen miles from where he was now.  Shifting his car into gear, he pulled back onto the highway and headed toward the dot.

Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the driveway and slowly drove until he could see Nathan’s cabin in the distance.  He whistled:
Some place. Wonder what the hell she’s doing here?
  Realizing she couldn’t possibly have walked this far on her own, Matt dimly recognized that someone, probably the owner of the place, had picked her up.  There were no cars to be seen in front of the cabin, which meant that either the car was hidden somewhere, or the person who had picked her up had left.  Either way, Matt was in danger of being seen.  He slowly reversed his car back out onto the road and looked for a place to park.  About an eighth of a mile away, he noticed a level spot where he could drive off the road and hide his car in some tree cover.  The car hidden, he got out and walked back on foot through the trees toward the cabin to get a closer look.

*   *   *

“Rebecca?” Nathan called, setting the bags of groceries on the floor in the entryway.

“Here!” she cried from upstairs.  “Did you have any luck?”

“Yep!  I got us some wine, as well.  Hope you like red!”

“Love it,” she said, coming down the staircase. “But I’d better eat something first, so I’m not drinking it on an empty stomach.”

Nathan gazed up at her as she descended.  She had changed into a loose button-down shirt and clean pair of jeans, which she had rolled up, exposing shapely ankles and a hint of calf.  She was barefoot, her hair still damp, and she looked beautiful, relaxed and happy.  Nathan tried not to stare.  Clearing his throat, he said: “I got you some hummus and pita to tide you over.”

“Oh, thank you!” She eyed the grocery bags ravenously.  Grabbing one, she headed to the kitchen, a bounce in her step.  “Let’s get the hummus open right away – I’m starved!”

He laughed and followed her into the kitchen with the other bag.  Soon, they were sharing hummus and pita, twin glasses of wine sitting on the kitchen island as he unpacked the rest of the groceries and put them away.  She moved as if to get up and help him, but he stopped her.  “No.  Eat.  Tonight I do all the work. You can make breakfast in the morning, I promise.”

“Deal!” she cried happily, holding out her goblet of wine.  He laughed, and they
clinked glasses in agreement.

*   *   *

A figure stood in the shadows of the trees, watching the two figures in the kitchen through the open window. 
Sure didn’t take very long for her to start opening her legs to someone else.
  Fury contorted his features.  He heard laughter, and then the clink of glasses. 
He watched for a little while longer, and then quickly pulled himself back into the trees when he saw the man gaze out the window, seeming to look directly at him.  Moving back through the trees toward his car, his head pounded with rage as he tried to think what to do next. 
I’ll show that bitch. She’s gonna be sorry she fucked with me.

*   *   *

Nathan stopped talking mid-sentence and walked to the window to peer out.

“What is it? Rebecca
asked, her glass in mid-air.

He frowned, an expression of concentration on his face.  “Nothing,” he said after a minute or so.  “I just thought I
sm… saw something out there.” He stood there for a few moments more, absolutely still.  Finally, he shook his head.  “Probably nothing,” he murmured, turning back to Rebecca.

They feasted on steak, jacket potatoes, a green salad, and French bread.  After dinner, they retired to the couch in the great room, where Nathan had made a fire in the fireplace against the cool of the evening.  The wine had made Rebecca more playful, and she decided to ask him some of the questions that had been on her mind.  Staring into the fire, she asked: “Why have you never invited anyone up here, Nathan?”

He looked at her and said honestly: “This is a special place for me.  A place I come to be myself, not what others expect of me. Up until now, I haven’t felt comfortable sharing this place with anyone.”  He smiled wryly.  “As you can imagine, that has caused some problems in certain kinds of relationships.”

“I imagine so,” she laughed.  “And yet, you allowed me here, even though you don’t even know me,” she mused. 

“Yes,” he said, looking serious.  “Because I
want
to know you.  I want to know you much, much better.”  He cupped her chin gently, turning her face to his.  His lips came down to meet hers in a gentle, searching kiss that nonetheless contained the promise of heat behind it.  Rebecca tasted the wine on his lips, and tilting her head back, she opened her mouth to his.  A flame seemed to shoot through her as their tongues met, and a deep, low moan escaped her.  Tearing his mouth away from hers, he pressed his lips against her neck and whispered urgently, “Rebecca… God, you’re so luscious, so alive.  I can’t get your scent out of my mind.  I want to give you such pleasure…”

His lips burned a path down her neck to her breasts, stopping at the curve just before it disappeared into the collar of her shirt.  Reaching a hand up, he cupped her breast, softly stroking the nipple with his thumb as she gasped with pleasure.  She reached up and twined her fingers in his hair, arching her breasts toward him. With a growl, he unbuttoned her shirt and exposed the creamy-white skin of her breasts to his burning lips.  He tugged at first one nipple, then the other, licking and suckling as she moaned and writhed.  Then Nathan had her in his strong arms and had laid her back against the couch. 

He moved on top of her and she could feel the heat and stiffness of his length as it pressed against her.  Her body responded instantly as Rebecca felt herself growing wet between her legs, throbbing with her urgent need.  She opened her thighs and pressed against him, and he responded, moving his hips exquisitely slowly against her aching sex.  Her body responded instinctively, moving with his as they both lost themselves to pleasure.  Soon, she felt him moving downward, kissing a trail down her stomach to the top of her jeans.  His hot breath tickling her skin, he undid the button, then the zipper, and then her jeans were sliding off of her, exposing the black, lacy underwear she had somehow had the good sense to put on. 

“
Ohhhh…” Nathan breathed, sitting back on his heals as he stared in admiration and lust at her almost-naked body.  “Rebecca.  You are a goddess.”  Pulling off his own T-shirt, he lay back down on top of her to kiss her deeply again.  The heat of his skin and the scratchy feel of his chest hair teased her nipples, and she felt the throbbing between her legs grow even more intense.  Oh, she wanted him, so, so badly: she had never wanted anyone so badly before.  Rebecca felt herself falling, succumbing to what her entire body was crying out for.  He felt so right, so perfect…

Suddenly, Rebecca was struggling to sit up.  “Nathan,” she said breathlessly.  “Please.  I need to stop.”

Nathan immediately sat up, a bewildered expression on his face.  “What is it, darling?” he said, alarmed.

“Nothing,” she stammered.  “I mean, well… it’s just that…”

“Rebecca,” he said softly.  “It’s okay.  Please just tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s just that… Well, the guy who left me by the side of the road today. He was my boyfriend.”  She looked at him briefly,
then stared out at the fire.  “I thought he was a good guy at first, but then he turned out to be… not what he seemed to be.  And I told myself as he drove away that I was going to be more careful in the future, and not get involved until I really knew that the guy was what he said he was.  It’s not that I don’t… want to,” she continued, turning to him and looking at him with searching eyes.  “Please know that.  But, I don’t know you.  And I want to get to know you.  But… I need to go a little slower.  Okay?”

“Okay,” he smiled back at her.  “Of course okay.  Rebecca, I want you.  I’m sure you can tell that.”  He grinned, looking down at the evidence of his obvious attraction.  “But you are definitely worth waiting for.  I can do that, for as long as it takes.”  He sat next to her and put his arms around her, kissing her hair gently. 

“Thank you, Nathan,” she whispered, and leaned her head against his chest.

They put away the food and left the dishes for the next morning.  Rebecca turned to him once more and, kissing him deeply, tuned and padded upstairs toward her bedroom.

Nathan waited until he heard her climb into her bed and turn off the light.

And then he walked outside to the edge of the forest, shed his clothes...

And ran.

Chapter Three

Rebecca woke the next morning feeling refreshed, alive as she hadn’t felt in months.  The sunlight streaming in the window announced a beautiful morning.  Stretching luxuriously, she glanced at the clock on the bedside table: time to get up and make Nathan the breakfast she had promised him. 

She padded to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.  Standing in front of the vanity mirror, she caught her own gaze and smiled a secret, happy smile as she thought of last night.  Maybe this time, this man would live up to what she hoped he was.  Maybe this time, he would be exactly what he seemed to be…

About forty minutes later, Nathan came down the stairs and into the kitchen to find Rebecca cooking eggs, bacon, and hash browns.  She glanced up at him and smiled.  “Good morning! How did you sleep? You look a little tired.”

Nathan ran a hand through his tousled hair. “I slept fine. 
How about you?”

“Like a baby.  That bed is really comfortable!” She poured him a cup of fresh coffee.  “Do you take cream or sugar?”

“No, just black,” he replied, taking the cup from her.

“Me, too.”
  She motioned to the dining room table.  “Breakfast is almost ready, if you want to sit down.”

They sat down to a companionable breakfast, each of them thinking of, but not mentioning, the events of the previous evening.  When they had finished eating, Nathan insisted on cleaning up.  “You go sit out on the deck and enjoy the view of the lake,” he commanded over her protests.  Rebecca meekly agreed, and wandered out to a chaise lounge with her coffee.  The sky was a deep shade of blue already, and though the air was still cool, it promised to be a warm, sunny day.  Rebecca closed her eyes and let the sun warm her skin.  The sounds of Nathan working in the kitchen were comforting and homey.