The Billionaire's Secrets (20 page)

She knew she wanted it to be more. She thought back to her first night at Widow’s Cliff. That night she’d been willing to risk everything for one night with him. She felt that way now and knew if he should offer to share his bed with her, she would.
Without hesitation.
For her the doubts about him were gone. To love him before meant to love a man she thought had no feelings for his own daughter, but she had seen him tonight and knew beneath the dark surface this was a man who could love - deeply and gently. She would go to him gladly.

The room was as a honeymoon suite should be. There was a heart-shaped hot tub, a heart-s
haped bed, a gas fireplace, and on a table
a bottle of champagne on ice. The hotel was one of the tallest buildings in St. John’s
,
and below them the lights of the city
sparkled
. Beyond lay
the dark expanse of the ocean.

Wordlessly,
Gaelan
helped her out of her coat and hung it in the armoire beside his own.

Chloe stood where he left her, feeling awkward in this room that was so obviously for making love.

“Champagne?” he asked, spotting the bottle on the table. “We may not be on our honeymoon, but we can toast the fact you and
Sophia
are safe.”

Chloe nodded her approval
as the cork popped out of the bottle
. Perhaps a drink would make her feel less awkward. She wished she could think of some conversation, but other than confessing her meeting with Bowen, she could not. And she didn’t want to explain that. Not now. She would explain later, and she would make him understand.

But then suddenly she knew she had to confess. If anything should happen between them tonight, she could not let this stand between them. She wanted the air to be free so she could give herself wholly and completely, no secrets.

“
Gaelan
, there’
s something I sho
uld tell you about the accident,
”
she said, taking a glass.

“Not now,” he said softly. “You and
Sophia
are safe. T
hat's all that matters to me.”

He
clinked
his glass against hers and Chloe sipped her champagne, conscious of his dark eyes on hers and the closeness of his body. It was going to be okay. It was going to be wonderful.

“I think I’ll take a shower,” she said. She was aware of the dirt on her clothes from the accident
,
and she wanted to feel clean again, to wash away the scent of Bowen’s car and the smell of the hospital.

Gaelan
had
a mischievous glint in his dark eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to try out the hot tub?” he asked slyly.

She blushed, and as fast as it had appeared, the mischievous glint was gone from his eyes and he
was looking
at her with a hungry intensity. He touched her face, his strong fingers tracing the outline of her lips like a kiss, and she trembled under his touch.

“Take your shower then,” he said in a low voice. “I’ll be here.” He moved away and went to the window. Chloe went to the bathroom and stripped off her clothes with
shaking
hands. She stood under the hot needles of water and felt purified, ready, and nearly crazy with desire.

She stepped from the shower and without drying the water from her body wrapped herself in the white silk bathrobe that hung on the back of the door.

He was standing by the fireplace wh
en she came out of the bathroom and
walked toward him on trembling legs. “God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured as he looked at her with dark eyes that could see into her soul.

She remembered how rough and greedy his kisses had been that first night. But this was different. His mouth savoured hers in deep warm kisses that said
we have all night
...
.

His hands explored the planes of her face and the curve of her throat. Tracing the neckline of the silk robe with enticing slowness, his fingers found the rise of her breast before moving to follow the line of her spine, the curve of her back...

“I want to make love to you all night,” he murmured into her ear. “Is that okay?”

“Yes,” she breathed against his chest.

“You won’t slap me across the face then?” he whispered teasingly.

In response, Chloe put her arms around his neck
and
,
buryin
g her fingers in his thick hair
,
brought his mouth back to her own, her kisses demanding fulfilment.

He pulled her against himself, and she felt his hardness against her. He moaned, a soft sound of desire breathed against her lips.

She found the buttons on his shirt and unfastened them, wanting this barrier removed from between them. Her hands found his warm skin
and
the hard muscles of his abdomen. She had never felt like this with Shawn or any other of her so-called lovers.
She had never felt this level of need or hunger for another man’s body, nor had another man ever desired her so much. She could feel it in his touch. There was
an urgency
i
n his body, but there was also
restraint, and Chloe knew that before the night was over she would go to heaven and back.

His mouth still on hers,
Gaelan
lifted Chloe in his arms and carried her to the ludicrous heart-shaped bed. Tearing back the satin cover, he laid her on the cool satin sheets, seating himself on the edge of the bed. He broke off the kiss and untied her robe, opening it slowly, his breathing heavy with expectation. “You are so beautiful,” he repeated. His voice, barely a whisper, was full of awe and delight, and Chloe had never felt so beautiful in her life. He touched her
reverently,
his hands and eyes exploring her body with an amazement she knew would last all night.

He stopped and removed his shirt, and she lifted a hand from the sheets to touch the hard muscles of his chest, longing to feel his weight on hers. Her body arched towards his in anticipation.

She cringed when the phone in the pocket of his shirt, now lying on the floor, rang, intruding on their lovemaking with its insistent demand to be paid attention to.
Gaelan
looked at it as if he might throw it through the window, then he swore.

“Damn, it's Windy.
I forgot to phone her and tell her
Sophia
was doing better. The poor woman has probably been sitting by the phone worrying
herself
sick.” He dug the phone out of the pocket and kissed Chloe on the lips. “I’m sorry
. R
emind me after where I was.” He glanced at the phone display, confirming it was Windy before lifting it to his cheek.

“Windy, I’m so sorry,” he said. “She’s fine. She’s going to be alright.”

There was a pause. Chloe could not hear
Windy’s
voice. “Yes,"
Gaelan
said, "I’m with Chloe. We're staying in St. John’s for the night. We’re going back to the hospital
first thing
in the morning.”
Gaelan
look
ed into Chloe’s face and smiled - the first time he had smiled at her -
and Chloe knew she could not bear a life that wasn’t rewarded with
Gaelan’s
smile.

But suddenly the smile was gone.
Gaelen
rose sharply from the edge of the bed
and turning his back to Chloe
strode to the window. He raised his fist
,
and for a moment Chloe thought he might put it through the window. He did bring it against the w
indow
but in a controll
ed anger that knew its strength
,
his fist landing noiselessly against the glass. Chloe felt frightened and twisted her body into a sitting position, unconsciously pulling up the covers to conceal her nakedness.

Gaelan
wheeled around to face her, his eyes full of
anger and disgust. He threw his
cell into an arm chair, and Chloe wondered for a moment if
Gaelan
was capable of physical violence after all.

“Bowen!” He nearly spat out the word at her. “Does that name mean anything to you?”

Chapter 6

Chloe looked at
Gaelan
, and her heart fell. “I...
,
” she stammered, wondering how she could prove her innocence and knowing that it was useless. His eyes that had been so tender only moments before were now hard and cold.

“Oh, don’t bother. Windy said the police reported Bowen as driving the car.” He strode over to the bed. Afraid, Chloe scrambled to the other side, still holding the covers over her body.

He leaned over and scooped up his shirt from the carpet. He straightened and put it on, his eyes never leaving Chloe. “I guess
I should congratulate you. You’
re pretty good. Not only did you have me convinced, you fooled Marcus too. When I think of how many things could have gone wrong with your plan up until now - well it’s pretty remarkable you got this far.” He did the buttons of his shirt and tucked it in
, then
picked up
his
cell from the chair and dropped it in his pocket. “So who are you really, Chloe Winters? One of Bowen’s acting friends?”