Falling for the Secret Millionaire (12 page)

‘You kissed me back on the beach,' he said softly. ‘I think that means something.'

She flushed. ‘Temporary loss of sanity. That's what kite-flying does to you.'

‘We're not flying kites now. And we're back in London.' He raised an eyebrow. ‘What would you do if I kissed you again?'

‘Panic,' she said.

She'd been straight with him. He couldn't ask for more than that. ‘Thank you for being honest.' But he needed to be sure about this. ‘Is it me, or is it all men?'

‘I...' She shook her head. ‘I'm just not good at relationships.'

He took her hand. ‘He must have really hurt you.'

‘He never hit me.'

‘There's more than one way to hurt someone. It could be with words, or it could be by ignoring them, or it could be by undermining their self-esteem and constantly wanting to make them into someone they're not.'

‘Leave it. Please.' Her eyes shimmered, and she blinked back the tears.

‘I can't promise I won't hurt you, Nicole. But I can promise I'll try my very best not to hurt you. If I do, it definitely won't be deliberate.' He lifted her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. ‘I have no idea where this thing between us is going. And I'm not very good at relationships. But I like the way I feel when I'm with you.' He owed her some honesty, too. ‘I didn't want to meet Georgygirl in case she wasn't the same in real life as she was online. I didn't want to be disappointed.'

She looked away. ‘Uh-huh.'

Was that what her ex had said to her? That she disappointed him? ‘When I met you, I thought you were this hard-headed businesswoman, cold and snooty.'

She still didn't meet his eyes or say a word.

‘But,' he said softly, ‘then I got to know you a bit better. And in real life you're the woman I've been talking to online, late at night. You're clever and you're funny and you sparkle. That's who you really are.'

This time, she looked at him. ‘So are you the man I've been talking to? The one who's full of sensible advice, who makes me laugh and who seems to understand who I am?'

‘I think so. Because I've been more myself with you than I've been with anyone. For years and years,' he said.

‘This is a risk.'

‘You took risks all the time at the bank. You're taking a risk now on the Electric Palace.'

‘Those were all calculated risks,' she pointed out. ‘This isn't something I can calculate.'

‘Me, neither. But I like you, Nicole. I like you a lot. And I think if we're both brave we might just have the chance to have something really special.'

‘I'm not sure how brave I am,' she admitted.

‘It's harder to be brave on your own. But you're not on your own, Nicole. We're in this together.'

* * *

Could she believe him?

Could she trust him—and trust that he wouldn't let her down like Jeff had?

She thought about it.

Gabriel could've taken advantage of her in business. But he hadn't. He'd been scrupulously fair. Pushy, yes, but his ideas really did work for both of them.

He'd also completely fried her common sense with that kiss on the beach.

And she'd been honest about her life right now. She was going to be crazily busy with the cinema. She didn't have time for a relationship. It was the same for him, getting the hotel next door up and running.

But they could make the time.

‘OK. We'll see how it goes. No promises, and we try not to hurt each other,' she said.

‘Works for me.'

She looked at him. ‘So does that mean you're going to kiss me now?'

‘Nope.'

Had she got this wrong? Didn't he want a relationship with her after all? Confused, she stared at him.

‘You're going to kiss me,' he said. ‘And then I'm going to kiss you back.'

Could it really be that easy?

She's a cold fish.

Nicole shoved the thought away. She didn't feel like a cold fish with Gabriel. He made her blood heat.

Slowly, hoping that she was going to get this right, she leaned over and touched her mouth to the corner of his.

He made a small murmur of approval, and she grew braver, nibbling at his lower lip.

Then he wrapped his arms round her and opened his mouth, kissing her back.

And Nicole felt as if something had cracked in the region of her heart.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed there, just kissing, but eventually Gabriel stroked her face. ‘Much as I'd like to scoop you up right now and carry you to your bed, I don't have any condoms on me.'

She felt her face flame. ‘Neither do I.'

‘I've dated a lot,' he said, ‘but for the record I'm actually quite picky about who I sleep with. And it's not usually on a first date, either.'

‘Is today our first date?'

‘Maybe. Maybe not.' He stole another kiss. ‘Can I see you tomorrow?'

‘You work next door to me. The chances are we'll see each other.'

‘Not work. After,' he corrected.

‘A proper date?'

‘Give me a while to think up something to impress you.'

‘Clarence,' she pointed out, ‘wouldn't try to impress me. He'd just be himself.'

‘And if I tried to impress Georgy, she would probably be so sarcastic with me that I'd have a permanent hole in my self-esteem.' He stole another kiss. ‘See what we feel like after work? Drink, dinner, or just a walk along the waterfront?'

‘Sounds good to me.'

‘Tomorrow,' he said. ‘I'm going now while I still have a few shreds of common sense left.'

‘OK. And thank you for today. For the kite and the ceiling and...everything.'

‘I liked the kite. I haven't done that in years. Maybe we could do that again—say on Parliament Hill.' He kissed her one last time. ‘See you tomorrow, Nicole.'

‘See you tomorrow, Gabriel.' She saw him out.

Later that evening her phone pinged with a text from him.

Sweet dreams.

They would be, she thought. Because they'd be of him.

CHAPTER EIGHT

T
HE
NEXT
MORNING
, Nicole came out of the shower to find a text from Gabriel on her phone.

Good morning :) x

She smiled and called him back. ‘Don't tell me you're at work already.'

‘No. I hit the gym first; it clears my head for the day. I'm walking to the hotel now. What are you doing today?'

‘Talking to a builder.'

‘Want some back-up?' he asked.

‘Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine.'

‘OK. But let me look at the quote—and the contract, when you get to that stage,' he said.

Her old suspicions started to rise, but quickly deflated when he added, ‘I write contracts like this all the time, so it'll take me all of ten minutes to look over them. And my rates are good—I'll work for coffee and a brownie. Maybe a kiss.'

His candour disarmed her. ‘OK. Thanks. Though I saw contracts all the time in my old job, too, you know,' she pointed out.

‘I know, but you were more interested in cash-flow and gearing than anything else,' he said. ‘I bet you can analyse a balance sheet in half the time that I do.'

‘Says Mr MBA.'

‘Yeah, well. Has anyone replied to your post, yet?'

‘I don't know. Hang on a sec.' She switched on her laptop and flicked in to the site. ‘Oh, my God.'

‘Is everything OK?' He sounded concerned.

‘There's... Gabriel, take a look for yourself. There are loads and loads and loads of replies. I can't believe this.' She scrolled through them. ‘So many names I recognise, and they all want to be part of it. Some people are offering me photographs. A few want to come and have a look round, in exchange for putting a bit of paint on the walls. I've got someone who used to be a projectionist, and offers from people who want to be ushers, and there's a couple of people who say they can't manage going up a ladder or holding a paintbrush because their arthritis is too bad but they'll come and make tea for the task team and do fetching and carrying and stuff.' Tears pricked her eyes. ‘I don't know if I'm more humbled or thrilled.'

‘I'm not surprised you've had that kind of reaction,' he said.

‘Why?'

‘Because people like you,' he said. ‘Your posts are always thoughtful and considered, and people respect you.'

People actually liked her? Nicole couldn't quite get her head round that. In real life, she'd tended to keep part of herself back, particularly since Jeff's betrayal; but online, behind her screen name, she'd been more who she really was.

Would they all change their minds about her when they met her? Gabriel hadn't. But the doubts still flickered through her.

‘I think,' he said, ‘I take it back about it being a big ask to be open in July. I think you're going to do it, Nicole, because you've got the whole community behind you. Including me.'

‘Thank you.'

‘Good luck with your builder. Call me if you need back-up.'

‘I will.' She had no intention of doing so, but she appreciated the offer. ‘Talk to you later.'

She went onto the forum to type in a reply.

I'm overwhelmed by everyone's kindness. Thank you so much. I'm going to be at the cinema most of the time, so do drop in and say hello if you're passing. I've got power and lights working now, so I can make you a cup of tea. And thank you again—all of you.

At five to eight, Patrick, Nicole's potential builder, arrived at the cinema. She made him a cup of tea and showed him round, explaining what she wanted to do with each room.

‘That roof is stunning,' he said when he was at the top of the ladder in the upper room. ‘Tin. That's not very common—but I know a guy who specialises in this stuff. The bad news is that he's booked up for months in advance, so you might have to leave the upstairs for a while until he can fit us in. Until you get rid of that lead paint, you're going to fall foul of regulations if you open it to the public.'

Just as Gabriel had warned her. ‘I thought you might say that,' she said. ‘The plan is, I want to use this room as a multi-purpose place—I'll have a proper screen so we can have a cinema, but also I want flexible staging so I can use it for a band and as a dance hall, or as a conference hall, or hire the room out to clubs or craft teachers.'

‘Sounds good. What about the downstairs? With that mouse problem...'

‘I've had the pest people out already and they've been back to check—they tell me that the mice are gone now,' she said, ‘so it's just a matter of fixing the damage they've already done. But I'm not going to restore the seats quite as they are.' She explained about the sofas and tables.

‘That sounds great. It'll be nice to see this place looking like she did back in the old days—or even better.'

It sounded, she thought, as if Patrick had fallen as much in love with the building as she had.

‘You'll need a French polisher to sort out the bar, and there's a bit of damage to the glasswork that needs sorting out.'

‘But it's all fixable,' she said. ‘There is one other thing. I want it up and running in eight weeks.'

Patrick blew out a breath. ‘You definitely won't get the upstairs done for then. Even downstairs might be pushing it—there isn't that much structural stuff, apart from the flooring once we've taken the old seats out, but there's an awful lot of cosmetic stuff.'

‘I've, um, had offers of help from people who want to see the cinema restored,' Nicole said. ‘If you have a site manager in charge, can they come and help?'

‘Do any of them have experience?'

She grimaced. ‘Um. Pass.'

‘As I said, a lot of it is cosmetic. The more hands you have on deck, more chance you have of getting it done in your timeframe—as long as they do what the site manager asks and don't think they know better, it'll be fine,' Patrick said. ‘So this is going to be a bit of a community project, then?'

‘It looks like it.'

‘They're the ones that make this kind of job feel really worthwhile,' he said. ‘OK. I'll go and work out a schedule of works and give you a quote.'

‘I hate to be pushy,' Nicole said, ‘but when are you likely to be able to get back to me? This week, next week?'

‘Given that you want it done yesterday—I'll try to get it to you for close of business today,' Patrick said.

She could've kissed him. ‘Thank you.'

‘No problem. And thanks for the tea.'

‘Pleasure.'

When he'd gone, she went next door to see Gabriel.

‘How did it go?' he asked.

She beamed. ‘Patrick's a really nice guy and he loves the building. He's giving me a quote later today—and he's fine about everyone coming to help.'

‘Sounds good.'

‘I know I'm supposed to get three quotes, but I think I'd work well with him.'

‘It's not always about the money. It's about quality and gut feel, too.' He gave her a hug. ‘I still want to see that quote and the contract, though. Have you thought any more about furniture? The average retailer isn't going to be able to deliver you the best part of two hundred sofas in the next six weeks—they won't have enough stock. You'll need a specialist commercial furnisher.'

‘I'm getting pretty used to eating humble pie around you,' she said. ‘So if that was an offer of a contact name, then yes, please.'

‘Better than that. If I introduce you, you'll get the same terms that Hunter Hotels do—which will reduce your costs,' Gabriel said.

‘Is this how you normally do business, getting special deals for neighbours?'

‘No. And it's not because you're my girlfriend, either. If we do the weddings and conferences, together, then if you use my suppliers I know your quality's going to be the same as mine. This is total self-interest.'

She didn't believe a word of it, but it made it a little easier to accept his help. ‘It's really happening, isn't it?'

‘Yes, it's really happening.' He kissed her. ‘This is going to be amazing.'

* * *

Nicole spent the rest of the day finalising her lists for what needed to be done next, including applying for a wedding licence. Several people from the Surrey Quays forum dropped in to see her, some bringing photographs that she could borrow to have enlarged, framed and put on the walls in the reception area. She ran out of mugs and had to go next door to borrow some more mugs and coffee, to the amusement of Gabriel's team.

‘So if you inherited this place from Brian...would your mum be Susan?' Ella Jones asked.

‘Yes.'

‘I always liked her—she was a lovely girl,' Ella said. ‘Brian wasn't the easiest man. I always thought he was too hard on Susan.'

‘He was but it was his loss, because my mum's amazing,' Nicole said.

‘And so are you,' Ella's husband Stephen said. ‘Most people would've thrown their hands up in the air at the state of this place and sold up. I bet him next door wanted this,' Stephen added, jerking his thumb in the direction of Gabriel's hotel, ‘because the space would make a good car park for the hotel.'

‘Gabriel Hunter's actually been really nice,' Nicole said. And if they knew he was Clarence... But it wasn't her place to out him. ‘He's been very supportive. He's got a real eye for architecture and he sees the potential of this building, so he's working with me.'

‘But that company—it just guts buildings and turns them into soulless hotel blocks,' Ella said.

‘No, they don't. I've seen what he's doing next door and he's trying to keep as much of the character of the building as he can in the reception area, restaurant, bar, and conference rooms.'

* * *

Gabriel overheard the last bit of the conversation as he walked into the cinema foyer. And it warmed him that Nicole was defending him.

‘If anyone here wants a tour next door, I'm happy to show you round,' he said. ‘Oh, and since you pinched half my mugs, Nicole, I assumed you could do with some more supplies.' He handed her a two-litre carton of milk and a couple of boxes of muffins.

She smiled at him. ‘I could indeed. Thanks, Gabriel.' She introduced him to everyone. ‘They've lent me some wonderful postcards and photographs.'

‘That's great,' he said. ‘I'll go and put the kettle on and then take a look.'

Later that evening, he said to her, ‘Thanks for supporting me when the Joneses seemed a bit anti. I thought you saw me as a shark-in-a-suit.'

‘I know you better now. You don't compromise on quality and I think you'd be very tough on anyone who didn't meet your standards, but you're not a shark,' Nicole said. ‘Oh, talking about being tough—Patrick emailed me the quote and contract. You said you wanted to look them over. How about I order us a Chinese takeaway while you do that?'

‘Great,' he said. ‘Let me have the surveyor's report as well, so I can tie them up.' He went through the documents carefully.

‘What do you think?' she asked when he'd finished.

‘Not the cheapest, but it's a fair price and he's been thorough. It matches what the surveyor said. And you said you felt he'd work well with you. I'd say you're good to go with your instinct.'

* * *

Once she'd signed the contract and agreed the work plan, a new phase of Nicole's life started. She ended each day covered in paint and with aching muscles, but she was happier than she could ever remember. She'd got to know more people from the Surrey Quays forum in real life, and really felt part of the community.

And then there was Gabriel.

They were still taking things relatively slowly, but she was enjoying actually dating him—everything from a simple walk, to ‘research' trips trying different local ice cream specialists, through to dinner out and even dancing. If anyone had told her even six months ago that she'd be this happy, she would never have believed them.

The one sticking point was that Patrick's predictions were right and the ceiling specialist was booked up for the next few months. Gabriel had tried his contacts, too, and nobody was available: so it looked as if the grand opening of the Electric Palace was going to be the cinema only and not the room with the amazing ceiling. Weddings and conferences were off limits, too, until the room was ready. And now she'd finally decided to work with him, she wanted it all to start
now
.

‘When you want something done, you want it done now, don't you?' Gabriel asked when she'd expressed her disappointment.

‘You're just as bad.'

‘True.' He kissed her. ‘Maybe the dates will change on another project and the specialist will be able to fit us in, but even so we can still use the upstairs foyer as the café, the downstairs bar, and the cinema itself.'

‘It's going to be done at some point. I just have to be patient.' Nicole stroked his face. ‘You know, I'm actually working longer hours than I was at the bank.'

‘But the difference is that you love every second at the cinema.'

‘I love seeing the changes in the place every day,' she said. ‘And really feeling part of a team.'

‘Part of the community,' he agreed. ‘Me, too.' Other people had chipped in with information about the spice warehouse. ‘And I've noticed that everyone's the same in real life as they are online. I wasn't expecting that.'

‘And there's no snarkiness, nobody competing with each other—everyone's just getting on together and fixing things,' she said. ‘I'm going to thank every single person by name on the opening night, as well as unveiling the board.'

‘I'll supply the champagne to go with it,' he said.

She shook her head. ‘You don't have to do that.'

‘I know, but I want to. It's not every day your girlfriend manages to do something as amazing as this for the community.'