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  “Whoa! I think somebody is at your apartment. You want to come stay at my place? Talk some more?” Ashley slowed to a stop in front of my building. Three black SUVs with tinted windows stood collecting snow in the visitor parking. I bit my lip and played with the ripped pocket on my coat. I didn’t want another run in with the press like at the airport, but I didn’t see much of a choice.

  “I don’t have anything but my suitcase full of bathing suits,” I said slowly as a gust of wind flung snow at the windshield. “I’ll be fine. Besides, my landlord loves calling the cops. If she gets the chance to throw somebody out, it’ll make her week. Thanks for the ride though,” I said, zipping my jacket up under my chin like a suit of armor.

  “Okay, but if you need anything, you call. Hey, Emma,...” Ashley eyed the SUVs and then turned and gave me a hug. “Be careful okay? I know I sound all excited that you married a billionaire, but he is known as a playboy. He is responsible for a lot of broken hearts. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Aw, Ashley. Thanks. I think I’ll be okay though. This was only supposed to be a vacation fling anyway. I’m sure it will all blow over in a couple of days.” I gave her an extra squeeze and then pulled the collar of my jacket up to brave the cold.

  “Lunch tomorrow?” Ashley asked as I prepared myself to open the door into the freezing storm.

  “I have work, but what about drinks after? I’ll tell you all about my trip.”

  Ashley beamed. “It’s a date.”

  I fought to open the car door, the snow and ice blowing angrily around the heat of the car. I grabbed my bag and lugged it up the front steps, tucking my head like a turtle into the collar of my coat. The keys were freezing in my bare hands, but I opened the door and stepped inside, turning to wave at Ashley. No reporters yet at least.

  Ashley waved back and slowly pulled out of the lot and off towards her house once she saw the front door unlock. A huge man in a black suit stood at the entrance to the hallway, but he made no move to stop me or take my picture, so I ignored him. The hall to my door seemed lonelier than usual, but my hands were too cold for me to care. I fumbled with the keys again and pushed open the door to my apartment, ready for a hot shower and some food.

  Chapter 10

  “You made good time,” an attractive woman said as I walked in the door. She stood gracefully, a fitted pinstripe suit accenting her tall frame. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun, her stylish square glasses accentuating her jaw line. The door swung on its hinges behind me as I forgot to close it. The suitcase clattered to the floor and I stood there facing at the official looking woman in my living room.

  “Who are you? How did you get in here? And what the hell is going on?” I wanted to scream. I wanted to run into my bedroom and lock the door. I was jet lagged and travel weary, and my head was still spinning from the airport; a stranger in my locked apartment was not something I wanted to deal with right now.

  “My name is Rachel Weber. I’m Jack Saunders’ personal assistant. Your landlord, Mrs. Jenkins, let me in. She was very nice, though very eager to tell me she would call the police if there was any trouble. What ‘the hell’ is going on is that I am here to bring you to New York.” She said it as though it were all very simple and straightforward. I could feel my jaw hanging open again.

  “You work for Jack?” Saying his name seemed to invoke some courage within me.

  “Yes. He sent me here to come get you.” Rachel smiled, looking professional and calm. I, on the other hand, felt like a nervous wreck.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand,” I said slowly. Rachel guided me onto the threadbare couch. It looked very drab compared to her nice suit, but I collapsed into the chair anyway.

  “Due to the publicity surrounding your ‘wedding’, the Saunders family would like you to come out to New York until the dust has settled. Mr. Saunders sent me to personally escort you.”

  “But I can’t go to New York. I have work tomorrow,” I said. Rachel patted my knee gently.

  “That has already been taken care of. Your employer was very understanding.”

  “But how will I make rent? I can’t go. I don’t have enough saved up and—” Rachel cut off my panicked sentence, her voice full of patience.

  “You will be compensated for your time. Besides, you are now the wife of a billionaire. I’m afraid this is non-negotiable.”

  My mouth hung open for a moment as I took in what she was saying. I was going to have to leave again, but I was going to get to see Jack! A thrill went through me at the idea of seeing him again, followed quickly by a burst of fear. We had said our goodbyes. He had fallen for vacation me and I was now back to regular me.

  “Oh. I guess I should go pack then,” I said, standing. I wanted to go into my room and pretend to put things in a suitcase to give myself a moment to think. The world was spinning too quickly and I needed a minute to catch up.

  “That won’t be necessary. I have already packed your bags with clothing I deemed appropriate,” Rachel said matter-of-factly. She inclined her head toward a small handbag by the door. It was only about the size of a plastic grocery bag. “The rest of your attire will be purchased for you in New York.”

  “I guess that’s one way to avoid baggage fees,” I murmured looking at the small bag. I sat down again, overwhelmed. This was a lot to come back to after a long flight and the way things were looking, I had more travel time in my future. “Are you the secretary that went on vacation with him?” I asked, my brain skipping like a stone on water. I could barely keep two thoughts from running into one another.

  Rachel’s dark brows pinched with disgust. “No. That was his secretary, Brandy. I’m his personal assistant.” She made sure to enunciate the words as though there were a very clear difference and that a personal assistant was much more important.

  “Oh. Are you sure I have to go to New York?” I asked, suddenly feeling very nervous and tired. As much as I wanted to see Jack again, the idea of New York City was a bit terrifying. I really wanted to sleep for a little bit. This was all happening so fast. Rachel looked at me as though she were waiting for a child to realize that her parent’s decision was final.

  “Yes. Here, Mr. Saunders asked me to give this to you. He said he promised you a copy,” Rachel said, handing me an envelope. I opened it carefully to find a 4x6 photograph. It was the wedding photo he had taken on his phone. I looked so happy, and he was so handsome. It was much better than all the tabloid photos. I touched his face and could almost feel his strong arms around me. For a brief moment, the joy of that moment surrounded me. I could do this. I could do this for him. I turned to Rachel and smiled, drawing strength from the photograph.

  “When do we leave?”

  Chapter 11

  It wasn’t easy, but I convinced Rachel to let me take a quick shower, begging her to let me get warm before hopping on another plane. She finally relented and even had a PB&J sandwich ready for me when I got out. I felt better after scrubbing the travel grime out of my hair, but she had me out the door and into a dark SUV before it was even dry.

  We didn’t go back to the Des Moines International Airport, but instead to a small local private airport. I had driven past it a million times on my way to work, but never thought I would ever take a flight from there. We drove right up to the plane and security barely glanced at us before stepping onto the luxury jet. I sat down cautiously on an oversized leather seat that looked like it belonged in someone’s living room rather than on a plane. Rachel spoke to the pilot for a moment and then sat across from me in a matching oversized chair as she powered through something on her phone.

  We sat in awkward silence as the plane taxied to a runway and the engines powered up. I felt like a creature under a microscope as Rachel tapped on her phone and yet somehow watched my every move. I could tell she was evaluating me, weighing and measuring me to see if I was fit for her employer. I felt like squirming, but I held still and instead observed her.

  She was tall, and n
ot from the heels she was wearing. She had dark brown hair and infinite dark brown eyes. I guessed her age to be mid-forties, but she had an agelessness to her that made it difficult to guess. She set down her phone on the console next to her chair and pulled out a file from a bag leaning against her chair. Her face was unreadable; I decided I should never play poker with her. My lips suddenly felt very dry and I struggled not to lick them.

  “I looked into you, Emma Jane LaRue of Ankeny, Iowa. Your father is a dentist, your mother his assistant and you have applied to eight veterinary schools in the past month. You won the vacation through a random call into a radio station and you have no ties to any large business.” She listed off the main points of my life as though they were nothing more than a simple report. I gulped hard.

  She held up the file and I could see my name stenciled neatly on a corner as she flicked through it. I wondered what the other pages could possibly contain considering how boring my life was.

  “You live alone and work as a veterinary technician at the local vet. You are not currently in a relationship and it has been some time since your last one. I know that you met Mr. Saunders on the beach during an emergency and that you handled yourself well.” She paused and closed the file, setting it on her lap. “What I want to know is your intentions with my boss.”

  “I don’t have any intentions,” I answered truthfully. “I had intended to never see him again.” Except maybe in my dreams and fantasies. “I had intended to never tell a soul what happened on my vacation. This was supposed to be a secret for the two of us—something that was supposed to be only ours that we never had to share. I have no idea how anyone got those pictures and I have no clue what I am currently doing or what I intend to do.”

  Rachel pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair. She settled the file back into the bag.

  “Good. You are honest. I like that. He said you would be, but I wanted to see it for myself.” A small smile slowly crossed her features. “I’ve actually never seen him smile as much as he does when he talks about you, Ms. LaRue. He gets a light in his eyes that twinkles straight from his soul.”

  I could see that she cared for him, like an older sister looking out for a younger brother. A little nervousness left me as I realized that she wasn’t a romantic threat.

  “I will be watching you Ms. LaRue, or I suppose it should be Mrs. Saunders. If you try to hurt my boss, know that I am worse than a mother lion. There will be nothing left of you. Do you understand?” The smile turned predatory. No, not a romantic threat... but still a threat.

  ***

  Night had covered the world in darkness as we landed at another private airport. I could see the lights from the city starting to sparkle and shine, twinkling glimmers in the cold winter night. I could see a bridge I knew had to be famous lit up like a summer sky, but before I could even ask what bridge it was, Rachel was hurrying me onto a helicopter.

  My interest in the bridge was quickly overpowered by the noisy machine as I climbed in and sat down. Rachel calmly put the headphones over her ears and pointed to a set for me. I couldn’t help it, but my hands shook as I put them over my head. I sat glued to the window as we flew into the heart of the big city. I didn’t dare blink or I would miss something. Buildings taller than my imagination emerged from the darkness as we floated through the air, the lights shone like glittering beads. The entire city looked like an elaborate piece of giant’s jewelry shimmering in the dark.

  After only a few moments, the helicopter landed on the roof of a building. I couldn’t even guess how many stories above the ground we were, the building was far taller than anything from my hometown. Rachel carefully nudged me out of the helicopter, comfortable even with the blades whizzing above her head as she herded me toward a strong iron door. As we approached, a suited arm pushed it open and we stepped inside.

  The quiet of the stairs hummed after the noise of the helicopter engine. I could feel my hands still shaking, but I tried my best to hide it from Rachel. I never thought I would ride on a helicopter, but I certainly thought I could get used to it.

  The suited man who had opened the door escorted us to a large wooden desk with the DS Oil and Gas logo printed on the wall behind it. It was well after the end of a normal workday, so no secretary sat in the chair, but Rachel walked past it to a large doorway with two giant wooden panels. She knocked confidently once, and motioned me over. I stumbled over my feet, but made it next to her by the time a voice called out to come in.

  Rachel turned and straightened my jacket, brushing several flyaway strands of hair out of my face before giving me a quick smile and opening the door. She stepped in confidently, and I followed, trying desperately to mimic her confidence. I suddenly realized I had no idea what I was going to say to him.

  Jack sat at a large mahogany desk, papers and electronic pads scattered haphazardly across the large wooden surface. His back was to the door, a phone up to his ear as he spoke in a clipped voice. Every word oozed dominance and surety. This wasn’t the boy I met on the beach. That voice didn’t laugh and giggle, drinking margaritas in the sand. The man in front of me was cold and full of authority and power.

  The phone conversation ended, and he turned abruptly to face the two of us, annoyance and fatigue painted on his face. However, as soon as he saw who had invaded his office, that smile I knew lit up his features. I could see the Jack I met on the beach in that smile, the business man banished to the shadows for a moment.

  “I expect you two had an uneventful trip? Good,” he said as he stood and began to walk around the desk. “Thank you Rachel. I’m sure you have things that need to be taken care of.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Rachel said formally. She turned, and as she passed me on the way to the door she said quietly, “I’ll be at the desk down the hall to the right when you are finished.”

  I nodded shallowly, unsure of what was going to happen next, and I bit my lip as I watched her close the door carefully behind her before turning to face Jack.

  “I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble,” I said quickly. He stopped in his tracks, shaking his head and smiling.

  “If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you. If I were a normal person, this never would have been front page news.”

  “I’m still sorry that this must be a press nightmare for you. How did they get those pictures?” I asked quietly. He finished walking around to the front of his massive desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms and looking at me with dark eyes.

  “My secretary. The one who came on the trip. She was angry and looking for a way to make me pay.” His eyes somehow darkened further, turning into deep pools with no bottom. “She is no longer in my employ.”

  “What are we going to do?” I asked. There was a space between us. It wasn’t more than a couple of feet, but it felt like miles. We were two very different people. He was wearing designer pants and a button up shirt, the suit jacket carelessly hanging on the back of his chair. The jacket alone was probably worth more than my car. I stood in sale-priced shoes and a torn coat, wondering what in the world was going to happen next.

  Jack sighed and his arms tightened. I wanted to touch those muscles again, but at the same time, he was so different from the man on the beach, I wasn’t sure if I could. He spoke easily, as though I were a client and this wasn’t our lives, but instead a business transaction.

  “My father is furious. He feels that this celebrity status is distracting from business and distracting me from my work. He holds no animosity towards you, but this is not how he planned this transition to go. He wants to do nothing, to let it all blow over and focus on the transition,” Jack stopped and caught my eye. “But I couldn’t leave you to the mercy of the paparazzi hounds by yourself though. You will be staying with me in my home and under the safety of my security team. I heard the paparazzi were a bit rough with you at the airport.”

  I realized I was playing with the torn pocket of my jacket and I quickly dropped it. “I’ll live. Thank you t
hough.”

  “This should all blow over soon. I want to make sure you are safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Emma.”

  My name on his lips made my body go warm. Something uncoiled deep in the pit of my stomach, asking for more, but before I could decide what to do, the phone began to ring. Jack glared at it for a second before leaning over and answering it curtly. He listened for a moment and then told the caller to wait a minute as he pushed a button and set it on the desk.

  He was across the room to where I stood in less than two strides. “I have to get back to work, but I want you to know that I’m glad you’re here Emma. Despite the circumstances, I’m glad.” I could hear the truth in his voice and I couldn’t help but smile. I was glad to be here too.

  Jack leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine. This kiss wasn’t the same as the ones from the island. This was reserved and formal, but it still fanned the heat growing inside of me. He stepped back, a devilish grin spreading across his face as I flushed. The smile stayed on his face until he sat down in the large leather chair and picked up the phone. I knew that was my cue to leave, and I slipped out the door as the businessman’s mask slid over his face.

  Chapter 12

  Jack’s home was the most beautiful living space I had ever seen. It was as if a giant had placed a fully furnished house on top of a skyscraper. The entryway was dark, but I could see city lights through the towering glass windows in the main room. Rachel closed the door softy behind me and offered to take my jacket. I shrugged out of it, glad the room was warm after the cold March air outside. I stood, glancing around, trying to figure out how big Jack’s home really was.