The Billionaire's Forbidden Desire (6 page)

He closed his eyes as everything inside him clenched tightly. She was the only woman he’d ever slept with who’d seen him appear weak. He didn’t believe in giving anybody a glimpse of his vulnerable moments. The death of his grandmother had hit him hard—she was the only person he’d really loved—and the fact that Sophia
Reed
was the one who’d seen him in his lowest moment made his head buzz with conflicting thoughts and feelings.

The strongest and loudest of them was that he should go over there, squeeze her hand and comfort her.

Except that would be an utter disaster.

Without a word, he turned back. No more indulging in his ridiculous sentimental moments, thinking about their night in Mexico. He was scrubbing her out of his memory, starting now.

Even if she hadn’t witnessed him at his most vulnerable, she would still be off limits. She was Betsy Ford’s daughter. Geraldine would never stand for it, and she was the only person Shirley had asked him to be kind to.

* * *

Sophia wiped her tears with the heel of one hand, heedless of appearances. She couldn’t believe her father was truly gone. Nor could she believe some of the whispers she’d overheard.

Drunk all the time. Obnoxious. Erratic. Probably doing drugs.

There were even rumors that he’d taken one too many sleeping pills on purpose, although the coroner hadn’t declared the death suicide—just an accidental overdose.

I should’ve been there for him
.

She’d had no idea he’d had problems, but they explained why he’d been so distant in the last two years. Since her return from Mexico, she’d been so busy wrapped up in her disappointment, and with college… And there was the memory of Dane too…

The coffin was lowered to the dark, wet hole, and she swallowed. This was it. This horrible finality.

Her heart twisted painfully.

“Hey, hang in there, champ.” It was George, Libby’s older brother and her father’s protégé, squeezing her shoulder. Still quite young, he was an angel investor who funded promising startups, and he credited her father for helping him get started.

She managed a nod and dragged in some rain-cooled air. Clearing his throat, Chad stepped closer. She looked up, her neck muscles tensing. He never positioned himself in that particular way unless he’d noticed something that seemed off. It seemed—

Goose bumps rose all over her body, stealing her breath, and her nerve endings electrified. It wasn’t the creepy sensation she’d gotten when she’d had stalker problems. This was just like the moment she’d been caught by…

Dane.

She snapped her head up, looking around for a sign of him. Maybe he was a family friend. Her father knew lots of people. A sea of solemn faces surrounded her, their attire stark and black, but none of them had the unforgettable blue eyes or the unsmiling mouth that tormented her in her dreams.

“What’s wrong?” Libby said.

“I thought…I thought I saw someone.”

George stepped forward and almost bumped into Chad. “Who?”

“I…” She couldn’t explain it, not without sounding like she’d lost it. “I need to use the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back. Excuse me.”

She ran as hard as she could. Chad shouted and ran after her. The cold rain drenched her. Her hip ached, but she ignored the pain as she dashed across the meticulously maintained grounds.

But no matter which way she looked, there was no sign of Dane.

“Ladies room, my ass,” Chad said, finally catching up and putting the umbrella over her. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought I saw…” She shook her head. How crazy and pathetic would it sound to say that she was looking for the man she’d had a one-night stand three years ago? Chad knew the score: Dane never wanted to see her again.

She was the only one who cared. And even if she were to see him again, what was she going to do? What was she going to say?

“What?” Chad prompted, when she didn’t continue.

She shook her head. “Nothing. I must’ve just imagined it.”

He let out a sigh. “Let’s get this over with and get you dry. I don’t want you getting sick.”

“Okay.”

Even as she let him lead her back to the crowd, she couldn’t help but take another look over her shoulder, just in case.

But the only things there were the rain-soaked trees.

“Hey, listen. I have to leave.”

Sophia glanced up at Chad’s voice. She put the day’s mail down on the dining table. “Okay. You going to run some errands, or…?”

He was looking at her sorrowfully. “No. I mean
leave
leave.”

“What? You’re…quitting?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat, shifting his weight. “Just wanted to say goodbye before I took off.”

“But why?” She frowned, then suddenly a realization dawned on her. “Oh no. Is your sister okay?” His sister’s cancer had gone into remission a few years ago, but there was always the chance it could come back.

“Uh, no, she’s fine.” Chad cleared his throat again.

“Then…?”

“Can’t really talk about it.” A frown fleeted across his face, then a small smile replaced it. “Ask George.” Chad stepped forward and hugged her tightly. “Sorry. This is awkward, and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, but I couldn’t leave without seeing you one last time.”

She hugged him back even as her internal alarm went off, the same one that had gone off when her doctors had hemmed and hawed before telling her she’d never compete again.

Brisk and efficient as always, Chad didn’t linger after they were finished with their hug. She watched him go, knowing that he’d never tell her anything. She’d have to talk to George.

The drive took about half an hour from her place. She parked her car haphazardly in front of George’s pricey mansion. He almost always telecommuted unless he had meetings, and he never scheduled a meeting for the afternoon.

The house was tastefully decorated with expensive leather furniture and dark wood. She inhaled beeswax and paper, and let her slippered feet sink into the thick rug as she marched into his home office. George had been helping her figure out her father’s estate since her mother wasn’t interested. Within a month of the funeral, Betsy had remarried, this time to a wealthy Russian businessman. They’d just finished their honeymoon in the south of France and gone to Moscow to start their new lives.

Sophia pushed down the familiar resentment bubbling inside her. Betsy was the official executor, and she knew the most about how things lay with the estate. But somehow it was too much for her to stay put for a few months to help out. Every time Sophia met with George, she couldn’t decide if she should cringe or try for a smile…even though it would probably come off as a horrible mixture of embarrassment and gratitude.

But still… If he’d had anything to do with dismissing Chad, she wasn’t going to sit back and pretend not to notice.

“Sophia. What a surprise,” George said, rising from behind his large desk. He looked good in a crisp white dress shirt and charcoal gray slacks.

“Hi. We need to talk.”

“I agree. Please.” George gestured at a couch in front of a huge bookcase full of heavy leather-bound tomes.

She perched at the edge of the soft cushion, her back straight. The heavy faux-bronze lamp on a table next to her cast a cool glow about the room. She adjusted her skirt and waited for him to retake his seat at the desk.

Instead, the couch dipped under his weight and she tensed slightly. He’d never done anything inappropriate, but her instincts had been tickling her with a warning every time he got too close over the past few weeks. She squashed the feeling. It was unfair to be skittish and stiff around a man who’d done so much to help. Besides, he was Libby’s older brother.

“What is it you’d like to talk about?” George said.

“Did you let Chad go?” she asked. “He said he had to leave and asked me to talk to you if I had any questions.”

He pursed his lips. “I did. But I had no choice.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you think he would stay without getting paid?”

“Why wouldn’t he get paid? Is there a problem?”

George watched her, his eyes hooded. “I’m sorry, but your father’s estate is broke.”

“I don’t understand.”

“There’s no money. He left you penniless, which explains why your mother was in such a hurry to remarry.”

She stared at him. Words like “broke” and “penniless” didn’t apply to her family. “Dad had five vacation homes alone.”

“Mortgaged to the hilt. The debtors were notified of his death, of course, and now everyone wants their money back. It’s pretty bad.”

She clasped her shaking hands together. “How bad?”

“Net negative, really. Thankfully, you aren’t responsible for his debt. But…” Letting out a heavy sigh, George reached over and took her hand. “Unless you have your own income, keeping Chad isn’t an option.” He leaned forward. “The man can’t work for free. You know that.”

Did she ever. It had been seven years since Chad’s sister had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and he’d been helping her out financially ever since.

Biting her lip, she rested her forehead against her palm. She had no income. She’d only completed two years of college, so she didn’t qualify for any job except flipping burgers…unless she found a way to get a coaching or choreography job with figure skaters. But she hadn’t kept in touch with anybody from that world. And it wasn’t like there were lots of promising skaters just dying to get a new, untried coach.

“Don’t.” George put a hand on her shoulder and turned until he was almost embracing her. “It’s not that bad.”

“How can it not be bad?” Sophia said, looking at him.

“I can take care of you. That’s the least I owe Rick.” His hand tightened around hers like a lasso while his eyes glittered. “And Libby would want that too.”

“I can’t let you do that. I’ll just call my mom and see if she can help out.”

“Her new husband won’t be thrilled to have to fund another man’s grown-up daughter.”

“What choice do I have?” she snapped, suddenly furious with her situation. Her world was falling apart, piece by piece, and she couldn’t imagine what else could possibly go wrong now.

“Me.”

“You?”

She didn’t get a chance to resist as he suddenly pulled her forward, crushing her to him in a python embrace. He shoved his mouth against hers, his lips cool and damp. Her heart knocked against her ribcage so hard she thought she might faint. Clenching her teeth, she turned her head away. “No, don’t!”

“Come on. You know you want this,” he ground out. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited. I’ve been watching you for years.”

Cold panic froze her.

This wasn’t just any man, but
George
. How could this happen?

Then her competitive spirit kicked in. She wasn’t going down without a fight.

She twisted, and they crashed onto the floor. He landed on top of her with a grunt, and she bucked against him, trying to get him off her.

“Stronger than you look,” he grated.

“Get off me!”

“Stop it,” he said. “I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

“Are you crazy? You’re hurting me right now! Stop!”

His erection rubbed against her, and bile rose in her throat. She twisted and turned and bucked, trying to claw away from him. But George wasn’t some couch potato whose only strenuous activity involved going to a fridge for more beer. His fingers dug into her thighs as he pushed them apart. Then before she could pull them together, he pressed himself between her legs.

Terror clogged her throat, and she could barely draw in any air. She searched for anything she could use as a weapon. So many heavy books but they were all out of reach.

Come on
,
come on!
There had to be something…

The lamp!

He was kissing her neck as she snaked a hand out and yanked on the rubber-coated wire. The lamp crashed to the floor, and she grabbed it and smashed it against his head.

He yelled, pulling back. She kicked him away, jumped to her feet and swung again. Blood spread on his head instantly, matting his hair. He was on his hands and knees, but she didn’t trust him to stay down. Clenching her teeth, she stepped forward and hit him a third time, hoping she wouldn’t kill him by accident. She wouldn’t be able to deal with that even if he tried to…

Finally he groaned and collapsed on the floor. The sound of her own harsh breathing filled the room as she stared at him. His back rose and fell slowly. He was still alive, at least for the moment.

The lamp fell from her shaking hand. Covering her mouth to contain a sob, she grabbed her purse and fled downstairs, stumbling and bumping against the walls. She wanted to get as far from the place as possible.

What to do? What to do now?

She accelerated out of the mansion grounds and onto the road. There was nobody to turn to—Libby was out of the question now, Chad was gone, and her mother was not only not interested, she was half a world away.

Still, Betsy was her only option now. Sophia pulled over and dialed the number with trembling fingers.

Her mother picked up after what seemed like forever. “Hello?”

“Mom!”

“Sophia. My lord, what on earth has you calling at this hour?”

“I need help,” she said, trying to draw in air more evenly. “I need a place to stay.”

“Isn’t there a hotel…?”

“There’s no money in the estate. Dad was broke.”

A beat of silence. “You just figured that out?”

“You
knew?
” Sophia hadn’t really believed George about her mom, especially after the attack.

“Of course I knew. Your father was a lot of things, but good with money wasn’t one of them. He only got to enjoy the lifestyle he did because he was lucky.” Betsy sighed. “I can send you a bit to tide you over, but only this one time. Dimitri doesn’t like it when I’m frivolous with his money.”

Sophia covered her mouth and swallowed a hysterical laugh. “This isn’t about money. I need a
safe place to stay
.”

“Can’t believe the banks got to all your father’s houses already. Damn vultures.”

“Not one of Dad’s places.” George would know all of those. “Someplace else. Outside the family.”