The Unmasked CEO (Captured by Love Book 7)

by Miranda P. Charles

  Geri laughed out loud, punching his arm lightly.

  The rest of their journey was filled with more jokes and laughter.

  But Geri never answered his last question.

  Simon glanced at Geri out of the corner of his eye, pleased that she was enjoying their walk around Woolloomooloo after their dinner of pies and hot dogs. He didn’t mind feeling the cold of a clear winter’s night with only a light jacket on. Playing tour guide to Geri without Ingrid with them was worth it.

  If he wasn’t concerned that they might bump into people he knew, he’d take Geri for dessert in one of the posh restaurants at the ground level of the renovated Finger Wharf. But the residential apartments atop the historic wharf were home to a number of popular celebrities and well-heeled Sydneysiders, some of whom flew with Alexander Jets several times a year. He’d hate to bump into any of them tonight.

  “I think someone’s trying to catch your attention,” Geri said, her gaze trained towards one of the boats berthed at the marina.

  Oh shit. His heart hammered fast even before he saw who she was referring to. Argh. Just as he’d feared, it was one of his regular clients having a party on a small yacht. Tom Clough’s guest consisted mostly of women, two of whom he recognised as they waved to him.

  “Simon!” Tom yelled. “Come join us!”

  “Not tonight, but thank you!” he said, waving back before ushering Geri away. Why the hell had he thought it was a good idea to take Geri for a walk around here?

  “A friend of yours?” Geri asked.

  “I’ve driven him around a few times, so we’re on a first-name basis. But he’s not a friend.” That was the truth. He didn’t consider Tom a friend. He was merely a client he’d have a fun conversation with when they’d compared Simon’s mile-high playboy reputation with Tom’s high-seas one.

  “That’s good,” Geri murmured under her breath.

  “Why’s that?”

  She blushed deeply, keeping quiet.

  Now he was intrigued. “Tell me.”

  Geri sighed. “Well, I suppose since he’s not your friend, you won’t be offended by what I think.”

  He raised his eyebrows at her.

  “He’s obviously a player,” Geri said with distaste, glancing back at the direction of Tom’s boat. “He seems to be the only man there, and the girls are wearing skimpy clothing even on a cold night like this.”

  Simon felt his face flush. Well, Tom was worse than him. At least he only had one girl at a time as opposed to Tom, who preferred several. Would that make him look better in Geri’s eyes when the time came for him to confess to her?

  He frowned. Was he already assuming that he and Geri would be an item after the month was up?

  “You’ve gone all quiet,” Geri said, glancing up at him.

  He flashed her a smile. “I know what you’re saying about Tom being a player. I just don’t want to say anything bad behind his back when he’s a good client.”

  Geri’s mouth curved. “I guess that’s why they like you a lot. You’re loyal and discreet.”

  “And I’ve seen them all naked,” he quipped.

  Geri snickered, bumping him with her shoulder.

  He grinned. He liked that.

  “If you want,” Geri said, peering up at him through her lashes, “you can join them until Mrs. Lawrence calls. I’m happy to walk around by myself.”

  Was she testing him? He placed an arm around her shoulder and hugged her to him briefly. “Nah. Tonight, you’re my favourite client.”

  Geri’s smile told him she hadn’t minded his gesture. Good. He’d wanted to send a signal that he didn’t want their relationship to be strictly work-related, and she seemed okay with it.

  “Hey, Simon!”

  Simon froze as he recognised the voice. Of all the friends he had to bump into, why did it have to be Zach Carmichael, who Geri might recognise as the CEO of one of the largest Australian companies?

  “How’re you doing? Long time, no see,” Zach said as they man-hugged each other.

  “I know. Been busy, as I’m sure you’ve been.” He was distracted as he watched Zach’s wife, Rebecca, introduce herself to Geri. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Geri give only her name and not their working relationship.

  “Where are you guys off to?” Zach asked. “Bec and I are meeting Rick and Lexie for dinner.”

  “We actually have to get going,” Simon answered vaguely. “We’ll catch up soon.”

  They exchanged goodbyes with the couple before it got any worse. Zach and Rebecca might unknowingly give the game away if they continued talking about Lexie and Rick. Geri would get suspicious if she learned that Simon was best buddies with one of the references he’d given her.

  “Zach and Rebecca look so familiar,” Geri said, glancing back to get another peek at the couple.

  “Do they?” He kept his voice casual even as nerves poked him.

  “Yeah. And I think I’ve heard their names before, but I just can’t place them.”

  Simon pretended to busy himself with checking out the traffic so they could cross the road to their car. He didn’t want to respond to her comment.

  “Nah, I couldn’t possibly have met them before,” Geri said dismissively.

  He let out a relieved sigh. Thankfully, Geri wasn’t a fan of some of the gossip magazines that had loved speculating about the lives of the successful and very good-looking Carmichael brothers, or she most certainly would have recognised Zach and Rebecca. And she probably didn’t have any reason to read the more respectable business magazines that had featured Zach. Lucky, that.

  Even though it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that a mere chauffeur counted uber-rich people as friends, he didn’t want Geri to be impressed by the company he kept. He didn’t want her attraction to him to grow due to outside influences any more than he wanted her wanting him because of his money. He wanted Geri to like him for himself.

  He smirked. Simon Alexander, hotshot playboy, had developed self-esteem issues when it came to women. Unbelievable, but true.

  Then again, he’d already established that it was his own fault. He’d sought out the wrong type of girls.

  He glanced at Geri. She was definitely not the wrong type, and he’d love to get to know her better. Hell, he was already more attracted to her than he’d ever been to any other woman. And he’d bet one of his jets that she was equally attracted to him.

  He hadn’t known her long at all, but he could already tell there was something between them. It wasn’t just instant lust, because he knew what that was like, having experienced it a few times with different women. This thing with Geri was different. Even though he’d never felt this kind of immediate connection with a woman before, he instinctively knew it was something special—because it felt special. When he was with her, his chest expanded with some good feeling he couldn’t define while his groin stirred with desire. Funny how he wasn’t scared of whatever this was. In fact, he couldn’t wait to explore it further.

  But he couldn’t risk letting Geri know who he was yet, especially after her comment about Tom Clough being a player.

  Well, he had four weeks before he had to out himself. He hoped that was enough time to convince Geri that Simon Alexander was worth liking.

  Chapter 5

  “I’ll wait for you guys here.”

  “Okay,” Geri said as Simon pulled the car to a stop at the pickup zone in front of the five-star hotel where Justin was staying. She grabbed the door handle to let herself out, but hesitated. “Um, Simon…”

  “Yeah?”

  “I don’t think we should be too playful with each other in front of Mrs. Lawrence. She might not appreciate it.”

  “Of course. So how often can we stay away from Mrs. Lawrence’s watchful eyes?” Simon asked with a lopsided grin.

  She chuckled, although it was somewhat mirthless. “Not often at all, I’m afraid. She hardly goes anywhere by herself, and I don’t see any reason for us to go on an errand togethe
r without her.”

  “Too bad. Maybe I should kiss you now while I have the chance, huh?”

  Her heart skipped. Simon had sounded teasing, but his eyes gazed at her intensely.

  She didn’t know what had gotten into her, because she wasn’t usually this impulsive, but she grabbed his collar and kissed him on the lips. Before she knew it, Simon was kissing her back with passion that took her breath away.

  “We better plan some alone time in our trips,” Simon murmured against her lips.

  Reluctantly, she broke the kiss. “Simon, I can’t jeopardise my job. Mrs. Lawrence trusts me with everything. I’m not going to start making plans that are not in her best interest just so I can fool around with you.”

  Simon ran a knuckle along her cheek, making her even more breathless. “Don’t worry. We won’t do anything that will make you look bad in her eyes.”

  “And,” she said, swallowing hard as she straightened in her seat, “I want you to know I don’t usually make out with our chauffeurs.”

  “I should hope not,” Simon said, his tone hardening.

  Her lips tugged up. Was he feeling the same magnetic pull she was feeling? It was so strong that it would be impossible to pretend it didn’t exist. Besides, it seemed that it had already caught her it its grip. She doubted she’d be able to deny its power even if she wanted to.

  And surprisingly, she didn’t want to. It was crazy and, perhaps, foolhardy, but she found herself not caring that things between her and Simon were developing at an uncontrollable speed.

  “We’ll figure something out,” Simon said softly.

  “Okay. I’ll be back with Mrs. Lawrence soon.” She got out of the car before she was tempted to give him another peck on the lips. Goodness, what had that man done to her?

  She stopped by the ladies’ room to quickly check that she didn’t look just-thoroughly-kissed. Upon learning that Geri was picking her up with Simon, Ingrid had said she wanted her to meet her grandson, and Geri needed to look respectable.

  After quickly powdering her face and reapplying her lipstick, she made her way to the restaurant inside the hotel, as Ingrid had instructed. She was underdressed for the place, but she hadn’t expected this meeting.

  A waiter escorted her to Ingrid, who was chatting animatedly with a good-looking blond-haired man. Ingrid had mentioned to her a few times how proud she was of her handsome grandson. Clearly, her employer hadn’t been lying about the handsome bit. Justin was indeed a looker.

  Not as good-looking as Simon.

  She mentally rolled her eyes even as her lips curved upwards at the thought of Simon waiting outside for them.

  “Geri, there you are,” Ingrid said, seeing her approach.

  “Hi, Mrs. Lawrence,” she greeted, then smiled at Justin, who stood up to shake hands with her.

  “I’ve heard so much about you,” Justin said while the waiter brought another chair to their table.

  She hid her dismay at having to sit down. Wasn’t Ingrid ready to go? “I hope it’s all about Mrs. Lawrence being happy with me,” she said lightly.

  “Of course it is,” Ingrid said, putting the last spoonful of dessert in her mouth. “Do you want something to eat, Geri? Or something to drink?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine.” She didn’t want Simon to wait for longer than necessary.

  “I have some good news,” Ingrid said. “Justin will be joining us a couple of times in the next month.”

  “That’s great!” she said, pleased for Ingrid.

  Justin nodded. “It will most likely be the last two weekends of your New South Wales trip. I can fly from Hobart and meet up with you guys wherever you are. Grandma said that you’re organising the next few weeks’ activities with your chauffeur?”

  “Yes,” Geri said. “Simon’s from around here, so he’s familiar with places in and out of Sydney.”

  “Grandma gave me your phone number so I’ll be in touch with you in the next few days so you can include me in your bookings.”

  “Make sure you give Geri the dates early,” Ingrid said. “Anyway, excuse me while I go to the restroom.”

  Justin turned to Geri when Ingrid had left. “How are you enjoying travelling with my grandmother?”

  “I’m loving it. I’m a very lucky girl to have this opportunity. I’m really grateful to Mrs. Lawrence.”

  “And I think she’s very lucky to have you. She tells me how organised and efficient you are with everything—putting up with last-minute changes, making sure all her bills are paid, answering emails from the media and people interested in doing business with her, not to mention looking after her dog and being a travel companion she can share new experiences with. Grandma said that she’s having the time of her life because you’re there ensuring every day is smooth and enjoyable for her.”

  “Thank you. Honestly, it’s not hard work at all. You’re grandmother’s a pleasure to work for.”

  “Geri, I hope you won’t take this the wrong way,” Justin said, leaning close to her, “but I’m wondering why a beautiful girl like you doesn’t have a man wanting you to be home with him.”

  “Well, at this point in time, I’d rather get paid for travelling around Australia than have a boyfriend who’d keep me at home,” she said with a laugh.

  “I guess it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, huh?” Justin said with a smile.

  “It is.”

  “What’s your new chauffeur like? I wasn’t happy that the last guy recommended by a friend of mine had resigned. Now I’m worried that you two ladies have an unknown man staying with you at night.”

  “I’ve thoroughly checked Simon’s references. I’m sure he’s trustworthy, given the calibre of the people who spoke very highly of him.”

  “Well, Grandma did say you grilled his references like a professional inquisitor. But if you have any doubts about him at all, let me know, okay? Sometimes you just never know.”

  “Sure. Thank you.”

  Justin started talking about the reason for his trip in Sydney and Geri relaxed. For a while there, she’d thought Justin would pry more about her personal life. And she kind of resented his insinuation that Simon might be untrustworthy, although she could understand his worry for his grandmother.

  When Ingrid came back from the bathroom, announcing she was ready to go, Geri was relieved. Justin signed off on the bill and walked with them to the car.

  Simon was standing by the Lexus, patiently waiting. Geri’s heart skipped a beat when Simon smiled as they approached.

  “This is my grandson, Simon,” Ingrid said as he opened the back door of the vehicle for her.

  Simon offered his hand. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”

  Justin shook it, scrutinising Simon. “Grandma, I see you’ve surrounded yourself with young people.”

  “Yes, because you hardly spend time with me,” Ingrid quipped from inside the car.

  Justin laughed. “Remember, I’ll be making up for it soon. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.” He kissed Ingrid on the cheek, closed the car door, then turned to Geri. “I’ll call you soon.”

  “Okay,” Geri answered.

  Justin placed a hand on the small of her back as he escorted her to the front seat. She wanted to check Simon’s reaction to Justin’s unexpected gesture, but she didn’t dare. Last thing she wanted was for Ingrid and Justin to guess that something was going on between the two staff members. She didn’t want them to lose faith in her professionalism.

  Geri burrowed her head under her pillow, groaning in annoyance. She’d been tossing and turning for two hours now and she still couldn’t sleep. What should she do? Read a book? Drink warm milk? Go for a swim?

  Ah, yes, she should go for a swim. She could do with a few minutes of calm and relaxation in the pool.

  She got up and rummaged for her swimsuit in her luggage. No way she wasn’t wearing one when Ingrid was in the house. And Simon was probably already asleep anyway.

  Oh, God. Did she really want to be caught naked
by Simon again?

  Yes.

  She exhaled harshly. Truth be told, she couldn’t sleep from thinking of Simon. They hadn’t had a chance to chat after coming home from the hotel. Ingrid had been energised by her dinner with her grandson and she’d invited her and Simon to watch a movie in the living room. Simon had declined, retiring to his bedroom. But she’d stayed with Ingrid, feeling it was her responsibility to keep her employer company when it was requested.

  But all night, she’d been thinking about Simon’s suggestion to find some alone time for the two of them. She couldn’t see how unless they told Ingrid about them—which she really didn’t want to do. Gah! She didn’t even know if Simon wanted to date or if he was just interested in a fling.

  She changed to her one-piece swimsuit, her spirits sagging. Much as she was attracted to Simon and would like see where things could lead, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, so they’d better stop their flirting. A casual affair was all she could see them having, and the fun she’d get out of that wasn’t worth the risk to her livelihood. She wasn’t even into flings anyway.

  She padded out of her room, hearing Rolf let out a soft whine as she passed Ingrid’s bedroom, where he slept. She stilled for a few seconds, waiting to see if Rolf would make a sound again in case it meant he wanted to go to the toilet. He didn’t, and she continued on down the stairs. Rolf had been sleeping straight through the night in the last few weeks without needing to pee. He was so lovable that Geri knew it would break her heart when the time came to say goodbye. Ingrid still planned to end her trip-of-a-lifetime in less than two months and go back home to Hobart. Geri would have to resign then unless her Damon problem miraculously disappeared.

  She shook her head, refusing to think about it. Not yet. Not now. She didn’t want to wallow in the thought that after this job, she’d be practically homeless. She wouldn’t even have friends she could speak to. Damon had paid each of them a visit, asking for information about her whereabouts. Then he’d told them she’d disappeared because she’d stolen Tricia’s money. But the worst part of it all was Tricia confirming Damon’s story when her friends had confronted her sister about it.