Share
166
Related chapters
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 167
I told you that what I’d felt when I saw the photographs was indescribable.This instant was like that, but times ten.And in the completely opposite direction.Joy.My heart breaking – in a good way.I wanted to cry – in a very good way.I felt as though happiness was swelling inside me so fast I might burst.And terror. I was terrified – of how fast it was happening, of what it meant.But mostly I was astonished that he’d said it, that he’d actually said it.Overwhelmed.Dizzy.Desire. I wanted him, I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to make love to him – Caution. He was drunk, he had to be drunk, that’s why he was saying it, would he be saying it if he hadn’t had half a bottle of scotch in the last two hours?I stared at him, my mouth open, trying to swim through the raging torrent of emotions threatening to drown me.His smile faded slightly, and his face grew worried. “Lily…?”I burst into a gigantic smile as tears filled my eyes.“I love you, too,” I whispered.As soon as I said it
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 168
After we made love, Connor lay on his back and I nestled against his side, my head on his chest.“So you knew you loved me when you couldn’t pay me off,” I said.He chuckled. “I guess so.”“That’s sooo romantic,” I said sarcastically as I poked him in the side.He laughed, then tickled me in retribution until I shrieked. After I had quieted down, he said, “At least I realized it.”“True,” I admitted.“When did you know?”“Earlier than that.”“When?”I blushed, glad that he couldn’t see it. “…on top of the ferris wheel.”He stroked my hair. “That was an amazing day, wasn’t it?”I nodded with my eyes closed and smiled. “The best.”“Actually, I was probably in love with you then, too, I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.”My eyes flew open. I lifted my head up to look at him. “What do you mean?”He shrugged. “Just what I said: I probably knew earlier, I just didn’t want to call it that.”“Why not?”He looked intensely uncomfortable. “I don’t know.”I kept staring at him until he ga
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 169
I awoke to the sound of the shower. Somewhere in the muddled fog of my brain, I thought about getting up and going in to join him… but the bed was so soft… and he would be coming out soon……so that he could go on Good Morning America and talk about the sex scandal.A shot of adrenaline ripped through me. I jolted up on my elbows, my heart pounding.Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…After the magic of last night, I had forgotten all my pain and problems for a while.HA haaaa, as the bully on The Simpsons would say. Back to the real world.I lay back down and tried to breathe.Everyone was going to know soon. Everywhere across America, people were waking up and seeing those photos of me and Connor on the front page of newspapers, or on the internet, or on the television…I was going to have to call my parents today.SHIT.I spent another fifteen minutes in a semi-panic attack until the bathroom door opened and Connor stepped out.He had turned off the light before he came out, so I could only
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 170
By the time I’d collected myself and cleaned up the coffee, Connor was on TV.A strange mixture of fear and tenderness coursed through me when I saw him.He looked amazing. I could see the strain around his eyes, but only because I knew him. Otherwise he was picture-perfect, from his $5,000 suit, to his confident smile, to his stunning good looks. On another day, in another context, he could be running for the Senate, or maybe even the Presidency – an incredibly handsome man, powerful and assured, young and full of vigor, about to change the world. It was like JFK’s spirit had been reborn in a shell that was ten times better-looking, and without the Massachusetts accent.He was in some sort of studio with wood paneling and potted trees in the background. He looked like he was relaxing and enjoying himself – definitely not undergoing a nationwide sex scandal.The screen cut back to the female host, and her voice filtered into my consciousness. “…billionaire investor and philanthropist
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 171
Connor said his goodbyes to the GMA host, then they cut to commercial.I remembered something about Fox, and flipped through the New York channels until I found the cable news station. I didn’t have to wait long before the whole rigmarole started again.There were the pictures, the ‘shocking scandal’ quotes, Connor’s introduction as a billionaire. There was a slightly different tone this time – the hosts were more combative, and seemed to view him with self-righteous smugness and more than a little mistrust. Especially when he brought up the solar company.“Wait, wait – are you saying there’s something wrong with the coal and oil industries?”“They were appropriate for their time,” Connor said, “which ended as soon as the researchers I’m funding found an easy, inexpensive way to harness solar power and distribute electricity. No pollution, and energy independence from the Middle East. Surely you’d like our country not to have to depend on the whims of OPEC and countries that don’t hav
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 172
Something else unexpected happened, too: the villains entered the fray.I saw Miranda by chance as I was flipping through the channels.“…these accusations against me and his parents are slanderous, they are defamatory, and we WILL be suing him in court. Frankly, everything he’s saying is bizarre. Augustus Templeton and I would never stand in the way of progress in America. We support green energy initiatives, we support solar. This is just Connor ginning up a bunch of outrage to promote his own greedy, illegal schemes to defraud the people of Nevada and steal federal land. Which, by the way, Nevada state officials and Congressional members are helping him do solely because he’s lining their pockets with cash. The man has no shame, and anyone helping him is a criminal. I think you can see why I left him eight months ago – not just because Connor Templeton is a liar, but because of his sleazy sexual proclivities.”“You fucking BITCH,” I screamed at the TV.She was good, I have to give
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 173
Connor, Sebastian, and Johnny didn’t get back until almost 7 o’clock. Johnny was wary, jumping at shadows. “Damn, you would not believe how many people came rushing up, getting in Connor’s face and snapping pictures,” he said wearily. “It was a nightmare. Nobody bothered you up here, though, right?”Sebastian was jubilant, like a conquering king – or maybe the power behind the throne after a successful campaign.“Who is a genius?” he beamed, his arms outspread, inviting the adulation of an invisible crowd. “Who snatched victory from the jaws, not just of defeat, but utter disaster? Whose media strategy crushed that backstabbing skank and that evil old son-of-a-bitch? Moi, that’s who. Thank you. Thank you.”Then he frowned at me in my robe. “Good God, aren’t you ever going to get dressed?”Connor was smiling when he walked through the door, which relieved some of my tension.He came over and immediately hugged me, pulling me close, his arms wrapped tight around me. My fear ebbed away,
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 174
After a few moments he pulled away and smiled sadly at me. His hands were still cradling my head, and he wiped away the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. “Come on,” he whispered, “let’s sit down for a minute.”He led me over to the couch and we both sank down onto the cushions. I leaned against him, my head against his chest, and he encircled me with his arms.“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I just…”“It’s okay,” I whispered.“No, it’s not. I meant it when I said it, I just… I got a little freaked out this morning when I woke up. With everything that happened yesterday, and how much I hate my family, and you’re so good, you’re such a wonderful person… Jesus, Lily, seeing what they were going to do to you, and you were so brave, telling me to go ahead even though you knew what was going to happen… I’d never felt like that towards anyone, ever. And I meant every word.”But it was as obvious as a neon sign that he wasn’t saying it now.I was silent for a few seconds.“I didn’t ask yo
Latest chapter
