The Billionaire's Secrets (5 page)

"I don't want you to go!"
Sophia
sounded desperate and close to tears.

"That's what I have to talk to your daddy about. So go to bed and try not to worry, okay? I'll come in and say goodnight in a little while."

"But what if I'm asleep?"

"I'll say good
night anyway, and you'll hear me in your dreams." Certainly
Gaelan
would allow that much.

That seemed to satisfy
Sophia
, and she went off meekly to find Windy. No hugs or kisses from her father, Chloe observed grimly. He didn't even say goodnight! Chloe strengthened her resolve to stay. What a poor little rich girl
Sophia
was! Isolated in this great big house with no school friends, no mother, and a father who was so cold he did not even allow her to call him Daddy.
I
f the child were prone to temper tantrums, it was no surprise - she was starved for affection!

"I overheard you speaking with
Sophia
," Chloe said in the neutral professional voice she used in parent-teacher interviews. "I thought it best not to get her hopes up that I was staying."

"I see. Well, you turned her into a good advocate on your behalf," he said cynically.

"I can assure you that
was
not the intention. I was simply trying to spare her feelings."

"Yes, I'm sure." He sounded unconvinced. "Come into my study
.
I'd like to have a drink."

He led the way to a room on the main floor and, as she entered, Chloe realized it was directly below her bedroom, the alcove surrounded with windows part of the same turret. The rest of the room looked like the sort of study
seen
in movies set in manor houses in the English countryside, all dark paneling and leather furniture. He closed the door behind her and lit a fire under the logs in the fireplace before pouring a drink from a bottle on the mantle. He did not ask her to sit, and she stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Would you like a scotch?" he asked, and it occurred to Chloe it was perhaps the first polite gesture he had made toward her.

"Yes, please," she said.

"I don't have any ice."
I
s that an apology?
she
wondered.
Perhaps there’s
a man with a heart under there after all
, she thought sarcastically
.

"That's fine. I like mine neat."

"Not very schoolmarm-like of you," he said, pouring her a glass.
"Although I approve.
Good scotch should never be watered down." He held the glass out toward her, and she left her post by the door to take the drink from his hand. He did not relinquish the drink immediately, holding it for a moment as he looked at her critically. She was very aware of his closeness. Her head did not quite reach his shoulder, and she was looking at the button of his ivory
-
coloured shirt. He smelled of the outdoors, of the ocean air. She could sense the power of his body and was again reminded of the ocean, so powerful, moody, and restless. It was attractive and seductive, she couldn't deny that, but it was also dangerous, full of pitfalls, susceptible to sudden storms.
Definitely someone not to get involved with.
Not if yo
u didn't want your heart broken…

He relinquished his hold on the glass and she stepped back as if to remove herself from the field of magnetism, daring to meet his eyes. He was looking back at her with a somewhat triumphant gleam in his eye, as if he had just proved something. She wondered what. She turned away and studied the photographs on the wall over the mantle. They were nature photographs, with whales, birds, and icebergs as the main subjects. They were excellent, and she was surprised to see they were signed
G. Byrne
. These photographs showed a sensitive side to
Gaelan
Byrne that he didn't seem to care to show any other way.

Gaelan
moved to his desk and picked up the receiver of his phone to check his messages. He only half listened to the
m
, most of his mind concentrating on Chloe
,
who was still watching the fire.
Or at least pretending.
He knew she was thinking about something else entirely. He could feel it only moments ago as he handed her the scotch. Felt it himself too.
The unmistakable tug of attraction.

She certainly
is
beautiful
, he thought. Not in the glamorous model way like Colleen, but in a more classic way, like a Victorian painting, all soft
,
enticing curves.
Made him wonder if he shouldn't just go for it - a teacher for
Sophia
, a mistress for himself.

It wasn't natural, this self-imposed celibacy. He missed the feel of a woman's body beneath his hands and the
touch of her lips on his skin….
Damn
, he thought
as his body started to react to these erotic thoughts
.
I
f only it were that easy
. He remembered his attraction to Colleen. It had seemed so easy then, too - no premonition of the horrors to come.

The last
message
was from Marcus.
"Just checking my book,
Gaelan
.
I m
ade a mistake.
Sophia
's new teacher
arrived in Newfoundland today. I d
on't know
how I got the dates mixed up. I h
ope she's not
still
standing at the airport,
although I'm sure she found a way to get in touch with you." There was a pause
,
and
Gaelan
heard the smile in his
friend’s
voice as he continued. "I know she's not quite what you're expecting - but she'll be perfect for both of you. Talk to you soon."

Christ
,
Gaelan
thought. H
e was going to kill Marcus! But first he had to get rid of this woman.

Chapter 2

Gaelan
slammed the receiver into its cradle and looked up to see Chloe eyeing him nervously.
Good
, he thought, with more satisfaction than he cared to admit to himself,
she's scared of me. This'll be easy
. In a few minutes he would be able to forget about this woman, sexy curves and all.

“M
s
.
Winters,” he began in a calculatingly cold and formal voice. “I’m a busy man, and I’d like to keep this brief. I cannot possibly employ you, and I think it would be best for everyone if you left first thing in the morning.”

He ex
pected her to nod,
give up
,
and leave. He knew he was being a bit cruel - was even willing to feel sorry for her - but he believed in efficiency.  However, instead of giving up, she d
rew herself up to her full five-and-a-
half feet and addressed him in a haughty voice. “I think it
’s
only fair that you explain to me why you can’t employ me. I came a long way to take this job."

Her tone infuriated him, making him lose all his previous sympathy. “I don’t have to explain myself
to you,” he said aloofly. "I’
ve met you
,
and I don’t want you here. End of story.”

But Chloe didn't give up. “Why did you let Marcus do the hiring if you didn’t trust his judgement?”

“Did you not hear me? I think I've made it perfectly clear that I do not have to explain myself." He wasn't used to having his decisions questioned, and he couldn't believe she was criticising how he ran his affairs! Well, anything that steeled his resolve to get rid of the woman was welcome. "This meeting is over, Ms. Winters. You will be taken to the airport first thing tomorrow.”

Gaelan
threw back the contents of his glass of scotch and looked longingly at the bottle on the mantle. It had been the sort of day that made you want to end it in a drunken oblivion.  Certainly one more wouldn't hurt. He went to the mantle and refilled his glass before returning to his position behind the desk.  She was watching him, and he suddenly found himself thinking how kissable her lips looked. He changed his mind about getting drunk. One more scotch and he wasn’t going to be able to concentrate.

“Isn’t it a breach of contract to dismiss me like this?” Chloe’s voice penetrated his thoughts. “I was, after all, hired for a year.”

“Ar
e you threatening me with a law
suit?" he said, her kissable lips quickly forgotten.

“I didn’t say that,” Chloe objected sharply. "I was asking you a question. I have rights, you know." It was such a naive statement that
Gaelan
found himself wanting to laugh.

“Well, I wouldn't suggest that you try and exercise them, my dear, as I have sufficient funds to mop the floor with you, should you try." She had that look of
Oh yes, that's what you think
, and
Gaelan
found himself amused again. She was determined, he had to give her that,
which, of course was why she was too dangerous to keep around. Nonetheless, he felt a grudging admiration. Most women had tried to get into his bed either by
acting
innocent and helpless or by playing the sex kitten. He didn’t know which irritated him the most. This was at least a variation on the theme.