The Protective Billionaire

by Christine Kersey

  The plane came to a halt, a rolling staircase appeared outside the plane’s door, and the media surged forward, cameras rolling. Aubree let Maya out of her crate, put her leash on her, then handed the leash to the steward, who had opened the airplane’s door.

  “Ready, Mrs. Shah?” Cameron asked. Then he half-smiled. “I mean, Ms. Nichols.”

  Returning his smile, Aubree put her shoulders back, drew in a deep breath as she centered herself, then nodded. To add authenticity, she took Cameron’s hand. “Ready as I’ll ever be, Mr. Shah.” Then she and Cameron stepped into the sun.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Cameron held tightly to Aubree’s hand. Though her smile was radiant, he could feel her trembling and he knew she wasn’t enjoying this. Even so, he had to admit that he was. Not that he wanted to see her uncomfortable in any way, but having her by his side…something about it filled him with pride.

  He gazed at her and he could tell she was doing her level best to throw herself into this role. Her smile was dazzling and the way she looked at him…he almost believed she was a newlywed in love with her husband.

  Would Tyler buy it? Then a startling thought came to Cameron’s mind. What if Tyler was here? The news release had gone out to many places, and who was to say her stalker hadn’t gotten wind of this development?

  Aubree had shown him a picture of Tyler and Cameron found himself sweeping the crowd with his gaze. He didn’t see Aubree’s stalker, but for all he knew, the man could be in disguise.

  The assembled media began shouting questions as he and Aubree stood at the top of the stairs, but Cameron ignored them. Instead he lifted Aubree’s hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the tender skin on the back. Then, to his utter shock and surprise, she slid her free hand around his neck and tugged him toward her. Her lips were right there and he knew this was their big moment. The one where they would show the world they were in love.

  Taking his cues from her, he released her hand and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her in tight against him. Then, after gazing into her eyes—and boy if he didn’t feel the brightest spark ever as he looked into those emerald green pools—he lowered his mouth to hers as his eyelids fluttered closed.

  Her lips were soft and pliable and her body seemed to melt against his as he held her securely in his arms. His heart hammered in his chest as his pulse shot skyward. This woman did things to him that no woman had ever done to him before.

  For a moment he completely forgot that cameras were rolling and pictures were being taken and that this kiss would be seen all over the world. How could he even think about that when he felt such a connection, such intimacy with Aubree? Everything else had fallen away.

  A moment later Aubree drew back. She gazed at him with a mixture of passion and panic, which yanked him right back into reality. Aubree had been acting. Their kiss had all been for show.

  Disappointment, sharp and bitter, slammed into him, because that had been the most real kiss he’d ever experienced.

  Still, he thought he’d seen something in her eyes. Something meaningful. He needed to know what was going on in her head, but first, he needed to get her out of the spotlight and to safety.

  Taking her hand, he led her down the stairs and directly into a waiting SUV. Several burly men—the security he’d arranged for—kept the media at bay, and a moment later the steward arrived with Maya. Maya jumped into the back with them before the car pulled away from the crowd.

  To his pleasure, Aubree’s hand still gripped his.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he watched her. Her entire body was tensed like she was ready to flee at the slightest provocation and her other hand was resting on Maya’s back.

  “What?”

  She pulled her hand from his and stared at him, her eyes wide.

  Aubree was having trouble concentrating. All she could think about was that kiss. That amazing, fantastic, hot, yet completely fake kiss. But it wasn’t completely fake to her. No. She’d felt something. Something powerful. Something that shook her to the core. And the way Cameron had looked at her… She knew he’d felt something too.

  But she couldn’t deal with that. Not now. Not when she was on the cusp of making her career dreams come true and not with the dark cloud of Tyler hanging over her head.

  “Are you okay?” Cameron asked again.

  Aubree gazed at the man who was willing to put his life on hold for her, the man who had lit a spark in her heart, and she pushed a smile onto her lips as she nodded. “Yeah. I’m great.” Then she thought about that kiss again. “Do you think they bought it? That we’re married and in love?” Because she would have if she’d been watching. Without even seeing the pictures, she had enough acting experience to know when she had chemistry with her co-star that had translated well to screen. And with that kiss with Cameron just then? Yeah, there was enough chemistry to blow up a high school chem lab.

  “Yeah,” he said, “they bought it.” Then one side of his mouth quirked up. “You’re, uh, quite an actor.”

  Was he teasing her? Or had he felt the reality of their kiss, of her emotion?

  With her eyebrows bunched, she said, “Thanks?”

  He laughed, then he shook his head, but he kept his focus on her. After a moment he said, “Tell me. What were you thinking when we ended that kiss?”

  Why was he asking that? Not sure what he was looking for, she stayed silent.

  “I mean,” he went on, “that look on your face.” His eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to bolt or go for another kiss.”

  Had her emotions been that plain? “Uh, I was just wondering what Tyler would think. You know, if he’d be convinced.”

  Cameron nodded, but his face had gone serious. “Yeah. Me too.” He tilted his head. “You didn’t see him there, did you?”

  It hadn’t occurred to her that Tyler would be there with the media. The thought sent a shiver across her skin. “I…I didn’t look.”

  Appearing calm and relaxed, which helped settle Aubree’s nerves, Cameron said, “I’m sure he wasn’t there.”

  That sort of helped, although the thought of Tyler getting too close was always in the back of her mind. “What if he comes to your house?”

  “I’ve arranged to tighten security, so there’s no way he’ll be able to get to you.”

  A sense of safety washed over her, and without thinking she slid her hand into Cameron’s. “Thank you so much. You have no idea the weight you’re taking off of my shoulders.”

  His hand went over hers and warmth spread throughout her body. Was it the warmth of feeling safe and secure, or the warmth of attraction? She wasn’t sure, but she pushed it aside and focused on the man beside her.

  “I’m glad I can help,” he said.

  Gently pulling her hand from his—she had to keep some sort of distance between them—she lay her head against the back of the seat as she thought about this journey she was about to take. She’d dreamed of being in a movie since she was a little girl and now it was about to happen. Albeit with some complications. Why couldn’t this be simple?

  “We’ll be home in about an hour,” Cameron said, pulling Aubree out of her thoughts.

  She turned to him with a smile. Home. He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. And to him it was. But to her it was just a pretend home and a pretend marriage. Even so, she found herself looking forward to getting settled in.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “This is it,” Cameron said as they pulled up to a beautiful white two-story house. Plush green grass carpeted the space in front, trees bursting with leaves lined the perimeter, and a stone walkway led to the front door.

  This was where she was going to live? Aubree smiled as a feeling of serenity swept over her.

  The man driving the SUV pulled up to a space in front of the first of four garage doors, then after shutting off the engine, he opened the door beside Aubree. Maya jumped out first, and then Aubree slid out of the backseat, and when he
r feet touched the cobblestone drive, she looked toward Cameron, who had climbed out of his side of the car and was walking toward them.

  “Welcome home, my love” he said with a grin.

  Startled for a moment, when she remembered that their driver was standing right there, she got into character, walking toward Cameron and taking his hand. “Thank you. It’s gorgeous.”

  He grinned. “I’m glad you like it.”

  Hand in hand, they walked away from the SUV and toward the front door with Maya on their heels. Cameron unlocked and opened the front door, and then to Aubree’s stunned surprise, he swept her into his arms and carried her across the threshold and into the entryway before setting her on her feet.

  She’d hardly had a moment to enjoy the feeling of being held in his strong arms before he’d set her down.

  “Well,” she said as a blush climbed her cheeks, “that was quite an entrance.”

  He chuckled. “Wanted my new bride to get the full treatment.”

  She glanced around, and after making sure they were alone, she looked at him with a teasing smile. “No one was around to see that, you realize.”

  His lips tugged upward. “And?”

  Deciding she wasn’t ready to discuss their developing attraction toward each other, she responded with a “Hmm,” then walked past Cameron into a spacious living room. With white walls and a white coffered ceiling, beautiful dark wood floors, and floor to ceiling windows along one wall offering a breathtaking view of the valley below, the room was beyond gorgeous.

  “Wow,” Aubree said on a soft exhale. Then she turned to Cameron, who looked pleased by her reaction. “This place is…” She shook her head as she smiled. “It’s stunning.”

  Cameron was glad she liked it, but to him the only reason the room was stunning was because Aubree was standing in the middle of it. He thought about her reaction when he’d carried her over the threshold and held back a smile. He hadn’t planned to do that, but it had somehow seemed like just the right thing to do.

  Now, as he watched her take in the view from the windows, his couldn’t stop his smile at her child-like joy. Most of the women he dated were either too jaded to show a reaction like hers or were trying so hard to not act impressed that they came off jaded. At any rate, he liked the way Aubree didn’t try to hide the way she felt. Except maybe the way she felt about him. Had she felt the same spark he had when they’d kissed? He’d thought she had. Or had it all been in his head?

  “Would you like me to show you where your room is?”

  She spun around and looked at him, her expression a mix of chagrin and hope. Was she having second thoughts about this? He hoped not. They weren’t terribly far into this charade, but already he felt an overwhelming need to protect her.

  “Yes,” she said. “Thank you.”

  He gestured toward the entryway, which led to the staircase. “This way.”

  She walked past him, and a floral scent followed in her wake. Inhaling it, Cameron followed her and Maya up the stairs, and when they reached the top, he said, “To the left, and then the second door on the right.”

  Aubree followed Cameron’s directions and moments later she entered a room worthy of royalty. Beautiful wood floors, a large bed with a pretty white bedspread, a couch nestled under huge windows that held an expansive view of the valley below. It was beautiful, yet warm and inviting. And in the corner was a large pet bed on which Maya immediately walked over and curled up.

  Suddenly, it felt like too much. Like Cameron was giving her so much for nothing in return. It wasn’t right. She couldn’t accept it.

  She turned and faced him. “I can’t do this.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “What’s wrong?”

  Glancing around the space, she spread her arms out before turning to him. “I can’t…” She shook her head. “You’re being so generous but I have nothing to offer in return.” Softly sighing, she shook her head again. “It’s not right.”

  Cameron’s expression smoothed out. “Put your worries to rest, Aubree. I want to do this, okay?”

  That didn’t alleviate her guilt at him giving her so much when she had nothing to contribute. “But why?”

  He gazed at her, his blue eyes intense, then he smiled. “Can I be honest?”

  She wanted nothing more. “Of course.”

  “Okay. Well, I can’t really explain it, but I feel this…connection…with you. And I want to keep you safe. I have to keep you safe.”

  At his look of sincere concern and maybe something deeper, Aubree felt her heart hitch. She felt a connection too. Should she admit it? She wanted to. She really did. But that would complicate things, wouldn’t it?

  Cameron was silent, perhaps hoping she would reciprocate his feelings, but when Aubree didn’t respond, he said, “Can you accept that? Is that a good enough reason?”

  She nodded. “Yes.” Then, to show she appreciated all he was doing even if she wasn’t ready to state her growing attraction, she smiled. “Thank you.”

  Cameron opened his mouth to speak, but Aubree’s phone rang. Wanting to step back from the conversation with Cameron, she grabbed the phone out of her back pocket and looked at the caller ID. “It’s my mom,” she said, glad for her mother’s timing.

  Cameron nodded. “I’ll get your luggage.”

  “I can get it,” she said as her phone continued to ring.

  He shook his head and pointed to her phone. “Talk to your mom. I’ve got it.” Then he turned and left the room.

  Aubree watched him go, then swiped her phone to answer. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hi, sweetheart. You made it to LA?”

  Smiling, Aubree said, “Yep. And it was a very comfortable flight.”

  Her mom laughed. “I’ll bet. Too bad my flight won’t be as nice.”

  As Aubree imagined seeing her mom, she realized she missed her more than she’d realized. “Well, I’m excited you’re coming.”

  “Do you really mean that?” her mom asked in a tone of voice that showed she really wanted to know.

  “Yes. I haven’t seen you in months.” She paused. “I miss you.”

  “Oh, baby. I miss you too.” Her mom paused a beat. “If you give me the address, I’ll take an Uber.”

  “No. I’ll pick you up.”

  “That would be nice.” Another pause. “How are things going? How is this man treating you?”

  Aubree pictured Cameron’s face, thought about his sincere desire to help her, to protect her. Thought about her growing attraction. A smile blossomed on her lips. “Cameron is very sweet, Mom. You’re going to like him. I know it.”

  “Well, I’m still not sure about this whole setup.” A brief pause. “I saw a video of you. At the airport. Kissing him.”

  The memory shot a bolt of desire right through her and she found herself nearly breathless. “Uh-huh.”

  “Aubree. You had me convinced that you’re married and in love.”

  Not wanting to tell her mother how she really felt, she said, “I am an actress, you know.”

  “A very good one. Or, was it acting?”

  She drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “I’ll be honest. I don’t know yet.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Just wait until tomorrow, okay? You can judge him for yourself.”

  “Oh, I will.”

  Aubree chuckled. “I know.”

  “I’ll text you my flight info.”

  “Okay, Mom. Love you. See you tomorrow.”

  “I love you too. Bye.”

  Aubree disconnected her phone, then a new thought occurred to her.

  What if her mother didn’t like Cameron? What if she wanted to put an end to this whole scheme? Or what if Cameron didn’t like her mother? Would he kick her out?

  Worried now, Aubree chewed on her lower lip, then went to help Cameron with her luggage.

  Chapter Thirty

  Cameron rolled the last piece of luggage into the entryway and closed the front door. Aubree certainly had a lo
t of stuff, but from what she’d told him, she’d gone to stay at her friend’s cabin without knowing how long she’d be there. Of course she’d had to be prepared for a long stay.

  “Let me help you with that,” Aubree said as she descended the staircase.

  Cameron lifted his gaze, and as he took in the way she seemed to fit right into his house, he smiled. He liked having her there. Something about it felt right.

  She reached the bottom and grabbed the handle of one of the larger suitcases.

  “I’ll get that one,” he said, not about to let her wrestle the beast up the stairs. “You take a smaller one.”

  Her lips stretched into a grimace. “Sorry I have so much stuff.”

  He laughed. “Why? Do you think I’m not up to the challenge of carrying them all?”

  Softly chuckling, she smiled. “No. It’s just…” She laughed. “Never mind. It is what it is, I guess.”

  He grinned. “Indeed it is.” With that, he hefted the two largest suitcases and began the climb up the stairs. Aubree followed with a smaller suitcase and another bag that held mysterious items. Make-up or some such, he assumed. When they reached her room, he set the bags inside the spacious walk-in closet then stepped back into the room. “I’ll let you take it from here.”

  She smiled her dazzling smile. “Thank you so much, Cameron.” She set the bags down that she’d been carrying, then turned to face him. “By the way, my mom’s flight comes in tomorrow afternoon. I need to pick her up, but, uh…” Her eyebrows rose. “My car’s still at the cabin.”

  She hated to ask for anything more from him, but she wasn’t about to make her mom take an Uber.

  “You’re welcome to use any of my cars,” Cameron said.