The Billionaire's Hideaway

by Marie Higgins

  Still, she missed him. Missed the way his eyes darkened whenever his gaze swept over her. She missed the way her heartbeat hammered out of control whenever he was near. And she missed how tenderly he held her and stared deeply into her eyes.

  Tonight she’d dressed in one of her long, white summer dresses, hoping to feel cooler. It worked a little. But she had wanted to see the look in his eyes when he saw that their minds were aligned as they wore the same color of clothes. Then again, men usually never thought of that.

  After dinner, someone suggested a night game of volleyball on the beach. Erin enjoyed some sports, volleyball being one of them, but she wasn’t in the mood to play a game tonight. Only seeing and talking to Cole would cheer her up.

  As she walked toward her bungalow, her mind went back to what she’d found in Cole’s office. The addresses to other resorts that she had found only had one thing in common. Mr. Jonathan Hunt. That, of course, only told her that Cole was using Mr. Hunt’s office while he was out. Sadly, she hadn’t found anything new in her article search. In a few days, she’d return to New York with no story at all... and no promotion.

  But she couldn’t give up yet. She had to try to get more answers out of Cole. And... she’d tell him the truth to why she was there. Cole would know more than anyone about wealthy people. He’d worked at these resorts and hotels since he was in high school. Erin was sure he had stories of his own about wealthy women and getting his heart broken.

  Her stomach fluttered with nerves. She prayed he wouldn’t become upset when she confessed her true identity. If that happened, she’d have to try to make it up to him... and hopefully, he’d let her.

  She returned to her bungalow a little more hopeful. She’d find Cole tonight after he was finished doing his duties, and she’d have him take a midnight walk on the beach with her, hand-in-hand, hopefully. The mood would be set, and she prayed everything would go according to plan.

  Erin glanced at her handbag. Immediately, she remembered the article about the billionaire’s messy divorce that she hadn’t read yet. She sat at the little table and searched through her handbag, finding it quickly.

  The article talked about a wealthy woman suing her billionaire husband for half of his worth. The woman’s name was Carmen Allen, and the billionaire’s name was Jonathan Cole Hunt.

  Her thoughts came to a screeching halt and she sucked in a breath. Cole? It couldn’t be...

  Her heart pounded quicker, remembering the conversations she had with Cole about Mr. Hunt. When Cole described the owner of the resort, he gave his attributes.

  At first, her heart wrenched, feeling as though he’d lied to her. But then she realized that he was probably protecting his identity from the staff and guests. He must have a really good reason to pretend to be the supervisor when in reality he was the man who owned the resort.

  Mixed emotions filled her, and she moved away from the desk to pace the floor, wringing her hands against her middle. She loathed rich men, and her main purpose for coming here was to write a demeaning article about how they lied to women. If Cole and Mr. Hunt were indeed the same person... she’d found her story!

  But then, the man she’d gotten to know and have feelings for wasn’t the billionaire. Had she been wrong to judge wealthy men just because of her few bad experiences with men who had money? Was Cole a sweet, kind man underneath all of his billions?

  One way or another, she needed to talk to him about this, and of course, she’d confess to him who she really was, too.

  She quickly peeked in the mirror to make sure her hair wasn’t out of place before leaving the bungalow. A small wind blew off the ocean and felt wonderful. The sunset was so very lovely this evening. Orange and yellow colored the sky, giving the ocean a bluish-green contrast. It was the most beautiful scene she’d ever seen. There was no way she couldn’t take advantage of this by not being with Cole.

  When she glanced across the beach, she saw a familiar form and her heartbeat raced. It appeared Cole was taking in the spectacular scenery as he treaded the shoreline. A grin stretched across her face. It was as if they were meant to be together tonight.

  A high-pitched laugh broke through the soft sound of the wind and water slapping against the tide, and Erin glanced at Mrs. Capelle who had her arm hooked around her assigned assistant’s arm, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked toward the group of bungalows. The woman appeared slightly intoxicated.

  It struck Erin as odd since the guests knew the rules about not getting involved with the staff, just as much as the staff knew them. But then Cole had broken the rules. Maybe they didn’t apply to the resort’s owner.

  Erin pulled her focus away from the odd woman and concentrated on Cole in the distance. Hurrying her step, she walked toward him. He looked to be in deep thought as she slowly walked along the beach, kicking at the wet sand from time-to-time. Not once did he look up, and Erin was able to come right up to him without him even noticing.

  “Are you looking for something?” she wondered.

  He snapped his head up as surprise registered on his face. His gaze moved over her as he smiled. “Nothing now. I think I found what I was looking for.”

  She chuckled. “Well, I think you were looking in the wrong place. I’m not in the sand.”

  He caressed her arm lightly. “Are you feeling better? I heard you had a headache this morning.”

  “I’ve had a headache most of the day.” This time when she said it, it wasn’t a lie. “But I’m feeling better now.”

  “No more body aches?”

  “None. Your magical massage made them all disappear.”

  “I’ll admit, I’ve never had anyone fall asleep on me, though.”

  She laughed. “I’m sorry, but after the relaxing Jacuzzi soak, and then your massage, my body just couldn’t stay awake another moment.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He motioned toward the beach. “Would you like to walk with me?”

  “You’re not busy?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve decided to take the rest of the night off.”

  “You won’t get in trouble?”

  “Not really.” He shrugged. “There’s something I haven’t told you about me and the boss.”

  Her heart hammered quickly. Would he confess now? It would save her from having to tell him she knew who he was. “What is that?”

  “I’m...”

  She held her breath.

  “I’m... well, the boss and I are really good friends. I don’t think he’ll fire me.”

  Blowing out her breath, she tried not to frown. Although she wanted him to trust her enough to tell her, it looked as if it was up to her to start this sensitive conversation.

  “Good, because I was hoping to spend some time with you.” She hooked her arm around his. “I missed you today.”

  They took slow steps as they walked. He looked down at her, and his expression appeared relaxed. “I’ve missed you, too, and... I’ve wanted to talk to you.”

  “About what?”

  “Us.”

  Her stomach fluttered with nervousness. “Us? Because we are close, and we’re not supposed to be?”

  “Yeah, that, too.” He paused briefly. “You see, you are unlike the other guests, Erin. You are the only guest who has become interested in the people who work here instead of the others who are here on vacation.” He stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “Why is that, I wonder?”

  She took a deep breath, ready to tell him, and praying that he understood.

  “And I also wonder,” he continued as if he didn’t want her to explain, “how a woman like you could afford coming to such a luxury resort, especially since you didn’t win the trip from a radio station.”

  She sucked in a shocked breath and stopped. He knew? “What? How did you... why did you..”

  Cole nodded, dropping his hand. “Erin, when I’m interested in a woman and something doesn’t seem right, I have my investigator friend check them out.”

/>   Inwardly, she groaned. “So, you probably know that my name is Erin West, and that I work for a New York magazine called, What Women Want, and that I’m here to do research on my next article.”

  He nodded, scrubbing his hand over his chin. “I didn’t really know if you were here to write an article, but I figured as much when I found out where you worked. I also realized that was why you were asking such odd questions to the resort’s guests.”

  She inhaled a shaky breath as she clasped her hands together. “Cole, I’m sorry I had to lie to you. I didn’t think anyone would talk to me if they knew why I was really here.”

  “And you are correct.” He folded his arms. “Most people come on vacation to get away from the worries going on in their world.”

  “Exactly. But I have one week to write an amazing story.”

  “What is your topic?”

  Silently, she groaned. Although she didn’t want to tell him, she also didn’t want to lie to him anymore. “Why rich men lie – or something along those lines.”

  His eyes widened, and he threw his head back, laughing. But this was a different laugh. It wasn’t the easy-going tone she’d become familiar with. In fact, his laugh almost sounded forced now.

  “Then I’m sure you struck a goldmine by coming here and finding out that the owner of the resort is pretending to be one of the staff.”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t know you were Jonathan Hunt until today.”

  “Yes, I know. I saw you on my security camera when you searched my office.”

  He didn’t look happy at all. Of course, who’d blame him? But to be caught... Her stomach lurched. It appeared she would be cutting her vacation short now. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  His jaw tightened. “Do you know I could have you arrested?”

  Frowning, she dropped her gaze to the sand and the water slowly sneaking toward their shoes. She blinked back the tears burning in her eyes. “Yes, and I would deserve everything you charge me with.”

  Silence stretched between them for several seconds, and it became uncomfortable, but she was too afraid to look at him. Her heart was breaking, and she wished things hadn’t turned out this way. Could she have done things differently when they first met? Probably, but then it was like he said – the guests and staff wouldn’t have wanted to talk to her if they knew why she was really here.

  “Was this between us part of your disguise?”

  The emotional doubt in his voice tugged on her heart. She lifted her gaze and met his, and her heart wrenched again. His dejected expression let her know his feelings.

  “Cole, you can’t look at it that way. After all, you were also in disguise, so I could ask you the same thing.”

  “You came onto me first, remember?”

  “True, but... you didn’t try to stop it, either.”

  Cole inhaled deeply and pushed his fingers through his hair. “Just be honest with me, for once, Erin. Was there any feeling behind your kisses, or was it your purpose to try and flirt with me in hopes that I’d tell you about the owner of the resort?”

  Her heart continued to break as she watched his frustration. She couldn’t stop her tears from filling her eyes. “Oh, believe me, there was a lot of feeling behind my kisses. You were the best kisser, and you made my heartbeat soar quicker than any other man has done before. In fact, I’d wondered a few times if I was falling in love... but I won’t lie. My original intent was to flirt with you to get you to like me in hopes of gaining information—”

  He growled and threw his hands in the air, turning away from her. “I knew it.”

  “Cole, please. Don’t be mad.”

  “Don’t be mad?” His voice lifted in anger as he looked at her again. “Why shouldn’t I be upset? You came here under false pretenses, broke into my office to snoop around, and then charmed me until I kissed you... merely so that you could have a story for your precious magazine.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, lady, but you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t understand why you think I should be calm about this.”

  He turned and started walking away. Panicked, she hurried after him, grabbing his arm. “Cole, it wasn’t like that. Please let me explain.”

  He stopped and she almost ran into him. The look he gave her made her catch her breath.

  “Tell me one thing, Erin. Are you going to write the article? Is my picture going to be plastered on the front of the magazine? Will you slander my name and reputation just to get your precious story?”

  Frowning, she dropped her gaze to his chest and blinked quickly, trying to stop her tears. “The reason the magazine sent me here was to find a story... one that would sell.”

  “Did it ever occur to you why I have tried to keep my life private? How dare you keep prying when it’s obvious that Jonathan Hunt doesn’t want to be bothered.”

  Emotion clogged her throat, and her heavy chest made it difficult to breath. “I’m sorry, Cole. I didn’t set out to hurt you.”

  “Your lies are what hurt, Erin.”

  Growling, he spun away and marched back toward the main office. Tears fell down her eyes, but she didn’t try to stop him. She’d ruined things terribly, and she didn’t know what to say to make things right again.

  But then, maybe that was just impossible. Long-distance relationships never worked out.

  TWELVE

  Tears streamed down Erin’s cheeks as she stuffed her clothes into her suitcase the next morning. She hadn’t gotten any sleep, and she knew it was what she deserved. She’d hurt Cole, and her heart was breaking knowing that she’d hurt someone she had deep feelings for. As she had lain awake last night, she wondered why she had allowed him into her heart, knowing that she might never see him again. She had fallen for him so quickly. Love at first sight happened – she’d heard stories. Out of all the breakups she’d had with her boyfriends over the years, already this one was the worst. Cole would be a hard man to get over, especially when she’d thought of him as being nearly perfect. He had been the man she’d wanted... until the truth came out.

  Swiping the back of her hand across her face, she rushed into the bathroom to gather her things. In the mirror, her attention rested on the Jacuzzi tub, and the wonderful memory she’d always treasure of him selflessly coming to her aid to help with her bath and then giving her a massage to relax her tight muscles.

  She tore her gaze away from the tub and concentrated on packing. Everything that happened here must be forgotten. If not, it would rip her heart to shreds.

  Wasn’t it enough her editor would kill her once Anne discovered Erin wasn’t going to write the story? Groaning, she buried her face in her hands. She had to write a story. Without it, there would be no promotion, and Erin deserved a promotion. She’d been working for them for six years, for heaven’s sake!

  Pounding on the door jerked her alert and she snapped her head toward the door. Her heartbeat hammered against her ribs. There was only one person who could knock with such a fierce hand.

  She took a deep breath and ran her hand over the yellow summer dress she’d dressed in this morning. Slowly she walked to the door, taking deep breaths to calm her fierce pulse.

  As she opened the door, Cole’s arm had been raised to knock again, and lingered in the air. When their eyes met, sparks flew all around them, the same way it’d always done. This morning he wore a pair of faded Levis and a white-silk buttoned shirt with the first two buttons undone. He definitely didn’t look like any resort staff member now. He looked like a casual billionaire.

  Her throat turned dry, so she swallowed. “What do you want?” she asked softly.

  “You never answered me. Are you going to write that story?”

  A knot of emotion formed in her throat as his sad eyes sapped her strength. “It’s my job, Cole. Writing articles for the magazine is what pays the bills.”

  He dropped his arm and leaned against the doorframe. “Tell me truthfully. Was everything between us for your story or was any of it real?”

 
; Her chest tightened. She swept her hand in front of her and motioned for him to enter. He hesitated before walking in. After closing the door, she faced him, pressing her back against the wood and lifting her chin in defiance. “Are you asking if I was falling in love with you?”

  “Yes.”

  She nodded. “I couldn’t help myself. You were the kindest man I’d ever met. I was attracted to you immediately, and you made me feel things that I’d never experienced before. I found that whenever we were apart, all I could do was think of you and when I’d get to see you next. And when we were together, I never wanted to leave your side.”

  “How long have you known about my true identity?”

  “I didn’t know until after snooping through your office and finding the newspaper article about your divorce. Your full name was written in the article.”

  His eyes widened. “Really? Not before?”

  “I promise. I only discovered it then.”

  The lines of anger on his expression relaxed as his mouth turned up into a small smile. He stepped toward her and she held her breath. He stopped directly in front of her. The musky scent she’d always loved clung to him, making her want to bury her face in his neck and breathe deeply.

  “Those times when we were kissing and holding each other, you only thought of me as someone who worked at the resort?”

  She nodded. “Of course. You were just a normal man to me, even though there wasn’t anything normal about you since I’d never met anyone like you before. Why would I think differently?” She shook her head. “Have you forgotten when I told you that money doesn’t impress me? That’s why none of the male guests were able to get close to me.” She breathed slowly as irritation flowed through her. “Men! You’re all alike. You all think that I only want you for your money. Gads, I hate that. Why don’t you stop to think that I can love you for your sweet personality, your melting gaze, and your addicting sense of humor? When I look at you, I don’t see dollar signs. I see a man who went out of his way to help people... to help me when I was nearly thrown from a horse, and when my muscles ached so badly, I almost couldn’t walk. I see a man who is caring... and kisses with such passion that it takes my breath away.”