The Billionaire Renegade

by Catherine Mann

  She rested her head on his shoulder, the scent of him so familiar now. They were sinking into a relationship, a real one, in spite of all her attempts otherwise. He was getting through to her. And as much as she wanted to trust him—to trust herself—that was easier said than done. Her heart had been broken beyond repair.

  Felicity tried to enjoy the steady rise and fall of his chest. Tried to let the happiness of this moment touch her. Conrad ran a gentle hand up and down her spine, wrapping closer to her.

  But she couldn’t shake the fear of what came next. Of the way the boundaries needed to be drawn before irreparable damage touched her soul again.

  She couldn’t risk losing herself in this man. Not after how hard she had fought for her peace, her quiet but meaningful life.

  She needed to get through to him—and herself—that this couldn’t last.

  * * *

  An hour later, Conrad drew Felicity to his side, their legs tangled in the sheets. He’d been honest with her about never having brought anyone here before. He’d never been one to mix business and pleasure.

  Something about Felicity had him throwing out his personal rule book from the first time he’d seen her.

  The sex between them had been as amazing as ever, but he sensed something was bothering her. And with their timing running out, Conrad knew he needed to attend to the issue now.

  She shivered against him and he pulled the downy comforter over them.

  “Is that better?” he asked. A second fireplace sputtered dulled orange flames, bathing them in subdued light. The night sky glowed with winking stars and remnants of northern lights. He couldn’t have asked for a better, more romantic setting on the spur of the moment.

  “Perfect,” she said, tipping her head back to smile at him. “I’m glad you brought me here.”

  Her words reassured him. Maybe he was just imagining that she was pulling away, just a flashback to his ex, which wasn’t fair to Felicity. “And just in time. The place will be going to Ward Benally once he starts with the company. He made it a condition of accepting the job. Apparently, he’s that much of a workaholic.”

  She laughed softly. “And you’re not?”

  His hand slid to cup the sweet curve of her bottom. “Work is the last thing on my mind right now.”

  “Luckily, we’re on the same page.” She teased her fingers along his chest.

  “Hold that thought,” he said, dropping a quick kiss on her lips before easing away. He slid from under the comforter, leaving the bed to get his briefcase from the living room. He returned, enjoying the way her eyes followed his every move.

  “Is it something with work?” She sat up, hugging the sheet to her breasts.

  Her loose hair in the firelight made her look like a statue of the goddess of the hunt. But this goddess was all flesh and fire.

  He shook his head, dropping the briefcase on the foot of the bed. He typed in the password, then pulled it open. Anticipation pumped through him as he pulled out a long jewelry box with a ribbon.

  “Another gift?” Her eyes lit with curiosity as she tentatively stroked the ribbon. “You already gave me the chocolate pretzels today.”

  “And I helped you eat most of them.” He laughed a bit sheepishly as he sat on the bed.

  She squinted at him, the blanket falling from her slender shoulders. Shadows danced across her bare body. His gaze skimmed from the soft curve of her breasts to the smile on her face. Damn. Mesmerizing didn’t even begin to explain the effect Felicity had on him.

  “We shared.” She took the package from him tentatively. “Thank you. You’re going to spoil me.”

  “I’m certainly trying.” In countless ways, this woman astounded him.

  She helped so many people; he enjoyed pampering her. He waited while she tugged the ribbon slowly, taking her time like a kid drawing out the excitement. She creaked open the box to reveal the gift.

  A pearl lanyard for her hospital badge.

  Her eyes lit with surprise—and appreciation. “Oh my goodness, this is so gorgeous. And truly thoughtful.”

  She drew the lengthy strand out of the box and slid it over her neck. The necklace settled between her breasts, the pearls luminescent against her creamy skin.

  Conrad joined her in the bed again, knowing he would carry this vision of her in his mind every time he saw her wear it. “I’m glad you like it. I saw it when I picked up a gift for Everett.” He grinned, thinking of the newest member of his ever-growing family.

  “What did you choose for him?” She linked her fingers with Conrad’s.

  “A silver bank shaped like a bear.” The baby had improved beyond even the doctors’ best expectations and was going to be released from the hospital by the end of the week.

  “That sounds precious.” She draped a leg over his, leaning against the leather-padded headboard with him. “I know you’ve been a huge part of your nieces’ and nephews’ lives. But do you ever wish you had children of your own? You didn’t answer when I asked earlier.”

  An image of a very different time clouded his mind. When he’d lain in bed with his fiancée, kissing her as they dreamed about having a full house, at least four kids, she’d laughed as she kissed his ear. How full his heart had been in that moment.

  Despite the pain, Conrad considered Felicity’s question. After a moment, he answered in a quiet voice. “My fiancée and I had planned on a large family, but when she walked away...” He shrugged. He hadn’t been interested in revisiting an emotional shredder.

  “It’s not too late for you. Men have less of a biological clock than women.”

  He couldn’t help but wonder... “Are you asking me to father a child with you?”

  “No!” she said quickly, almost insultingly so, “no. I was just making conversation.” A flush creeping over her face, she pulled back, swinging her legs off the bed. “I’m going to get something to drink. Can I bring something for you?”

  He recognized her move for what it was—avoidance. He clasped her elbow. “Wait. Let’s keep talking about this. You mentioned wanting to adopt an older child. Did your ex-husband object to that?”

  She hesitated so long he thought she would leave anyway.

  Then she sat on the bed again, hugging a pillow to her stomach. “He was on board with as many children as I wanted.”

  “But...?”

  Pain flashed through her hazel eyes, so intense it weighted the air and had him reaching for her.

  She shook her head, her hold on the pillow tightening. “He was a drug addict.”

  Her grip on the pillow intensified. Even in the dull light, Conrad could make out the whites of her knuckles as her fingers dug in.

  Shock stilled him. He’d known their marriage was troubled, but he never would have guessed this. He stayed silent, sensing she was on the edge of bolting if he said the wrong thing.

  She chewed her bottom lip, then continued, “I didn’t know for a long time because he was also an incredible liar. We’d been going to counseling for years and he even managed to fool the professionals...for a while. I know too well how a person can be manipulated into believing falsehoods. The lies are so insidious over time, the liar hones their skills, you start to doubt yourself and your perception of reality. It’s frightening. And it’s real.”

  The strength of her conviction—the old anger—leaped from her words, a hint of what she’d been through. He touched her arm, feeling inept to deal with the depth of her pain. Wishing he had more to offer. He barely stemmed the need to find her ex and make the bastard pay for hurting her.

  “Felicity, I’m so sorry.”

  “That’s not my point. I’m sharing it now to help you understand Brea as well—”

  “We’re not talking about Brea. This is about you.”

  “That’s my past.” She blinked fast, her face molding into the neutral expression
that he’d seen her adopt for work.

  In the past? Clearly it wasn’t given how insistent she was on keeping him at arm’s length.

  “Are you so sure about that?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You’re not in a position to preach about letting go of the past.” She held up a hand. “Never mind. Forget I said that. I need to go home.”

  The pillow carelessly discarded, Felicity moved past him. A coldness descended in the room. A draft that rivaled the Alaskan weather outside. She walked back to the living room, and he followed to find her gathering her clothes.

  He considered calling her on her avoidance, but outright confrontation didn’t seem in his best interest, given the set of her shoulders. “It’s late to be on the road.”

  “I’m an adult,” she said, stepping into her panties and pulling on her bra. “I know how to drive in snow.”

  He could see the determination in her eyes, but no way was he letting her get behind the wheel when she was this upset. “And I’m a gentleman. I’ll drive you.”

  She exhaled hard, deflating the pain as she gave a small nod.

  Even as he saw the acceptance in her expression, he knew without question, when he took her home, she wouldn’t be inviting him inside. He recognized the distancing look in her eyes all too well. He’d seen it before.

  In the eyes of his ex, just before she’d walked out of his life.

  Ten

  Intellectually, Jack understood that he and Jeannie had so much to celebrate with the grandbaby’s recovery and the company soon to settle in with a new CEO, which would give them all more time to enjoy their growing family.

  Unfortunately, the intellectual understanding didn’t reassure him the way it should.

  As he sat in the hospital cafeteria with Jeannie for lunch, waiting for the doctor to finish checking Everett, Jack struggled to will away the impending sense of doom dogging him since he’d come across Jeannie sorting through that box of old letters. With each day that passed and no word from Brea or her lawyer, the frustration grew.

  He needed to do something to fix things with his family. He just wanted peace and normalcy for all of them.

  Cradling his coffee cup, Jack focused his attention on his wife. “Would you like me to get you something else to eat?”

  Stress lined Jeannie’s face, dark circles under her eyes as she picked at her salad. “This is fine, thank you. I’m just not that hungry.”

  “We can try somewhere more appetizing after we visit Everett.”

  She nodded noncommittally, dodging his gaze. Then her eyes widened as she looked past him and waved.

  “Felicity?” Jeannie called, appearing grateful for the distraction. “Come join us.”

  The hospital social worker paused at the elevator, then strode toward them, carrying a small blue basket. She stopped at their table, lifting the gift. “I was going to drop off some things for Trystan and Isabeau, snacks and a little present to welcome Everett.”

  “That’s thoughtful of you,” Jeannie said. “We’re going to plan a baby shower after Everett’s released and settled in. I hope you’ll be able to attend.”

  “I would like that, thank you.” Felicity smiled warmly, but there was something...off...in her eyes that Jack couldn’t quite pinpoint.

  Something to do with Conrad?

  A buzzing incoming text distracted Jack from their conversation and he glanced at his cell. A message from Brea’s lawyer. Jack’s heart hammered with wariness.

  He read through the message, then read it again in surprise.

  Hope tugged at him like a magnet. Unease and mistrust jerked him back. The warring emotions cinched his shoulders tight, jaw tensing.

  Jeannie touched his wrist. “Is everything alright?”

  “It’s a text from Brea’s attorney.” He tucked his phone back into his pocket, his body on autopilot. “She wants to attend the hospital charity dinner.”

  Jeannie gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “I don’t know what to say, what to think.” She turned to Felicity. “What’s your opinion?”

  Felicity cradled the basket in her lap, her eyes concerned. “Are you asking me as a friend?”

  Jack leaned forward with a heavy sigh, wanting to believe this was a positive sign but remembering too well the unrelenting anger in Brea’s eyes. “I would welcome your feedback based on experience.”

  Felicity looked from one to the other, waiting as a couple walked past. Once their conversation was private again, she said, “Just so we’re clear, I’m offering an opinion as a counselor, but not as your counselor.”

  Jeannie pushed away her salad. “What do you mean by not being our counselor?”

  “I’m too close to you all to step into that role,” she said apologetically. “I thought I made it clear when I attended the first meeting that it was with the understanding the family would look into long-term counseling with someone else.”

  “And we will,” Jack reassured her. “Once we’re all a family again, we realize we will have a lot to work through.”

  Felicity leveled a steady, no-nonsense stare at them. “Sooner rather than later would be best for everyone. Every time you see her is going to be fraught with stress for all of you and you’re going to regret it if you feel you haven’t done everything possible to get through this.”

  Jack heard her, but still wrestled with why this needed to happen now. Brea was back and reaching out. “We understand she’s not thinking clearly...but given time, now that she’s heard the truth...”

  “Jack,” Felicity said, her voice taking on a professional calm. “She has been gone from you longer than she was with you. She was so young when she lost you all. Keep in mind it’s highly doubtful her adoptive parents didn’t hear about your family’s tragedy. It’s my impression the crash was big news in that area.”

  “Yes...” He remembered the days after the crash in flashes. Headlines. Newspaper clippings. Sound bites on local news sources. A horrifying reel of images from the wreckage.

  “But do you understand she was in essence a kidnap victim?” Her blunt words sliced through the antiseptic air. “Just because we have no reason to believe she was physically abused by them, that doesn’t take away from the psychological trauma. Have you heard of Stockholm syndrome?”

  Jeannie gasped. “Brainwashing by a captor?”

  “Basically, yes.” Felicity nodded, leaning closer. Careful to keep her voice low so it wouldn’t echo in the room. “How you behave now is more important than I think you realize, not just for getting her back, but for facilitating her healing.”

  Her words resonated, deeply, offering Jack the first real hope he could actually do something. Strange how he hadn’t thought of how counseling for himself and his family could help Brea. He’d been more focused on her needing to seek a professional.

  Felicity pushed back from the table. “You have an incredible family. I know you’re facing some unthinkable challenges, but together? My money’s on you all.”

  Smiling her reassurance, Felicity stood, grasping the gift basket to leave.

  As she walked away, Jack turned his attention back to Jeannie. “I think it’s time to take Felicity up on the offer to speak with someone about how to reach out more effectively.” He squeezed Jeannie’s hand. “My heart is being torn in two thinking about how scared my little girl must have been, how those people took advantage of that and stole...”

  His throat closed with anger and pain just talking about it, affirming all the more that he needed help seeing this through.

  “Jack, I’m here for you,” Jeannie said, holding tight. “Whatever you need, however I can help. We’ll face this together.”

  “Thank you,” he said, so grateful not to be alone any longer thanks to his beautiful wife, always at his side. How had he gotten so damn lucky? “Jeannie, have I told you lately how grateful I am y
ou took a chance on me?”

  He stroked a thumb along her wrist, their wedding bands glinting.

  Smiling, she stroked his cheek. “I seem to recall you saying it a time or two.”

  “I just want to make sure you know that no matter what happens with Brea, I love you.” He couldn’t imagine a future without her.

  Tears filled her blue eyes. “Even if—God forbid—it turns out my brother and sister had something to do with that awful tragedy?”

  The words clawed at his soul. It would hurt if that was the case. And he could see it already hurt her. He couldn’t bear to see her in this kind of pain. Felicity was right that he hadn’t fully grasped the toll this was taking on all of them. He needed to rectify that. Jeannie—and what they shared—was too precious to risk.

  “No matter how much our family means to us, we can’t control their actions. I do know that if they are guilty of something, you had no knowledge of it. That’s all that matters. Whatever shakes down, we’ll deal with it. Together.”

  He lifted her hands to his mouth, pressing a kiss over her ring with a promise of forever he looked forward to fulfilling.

  With Jeannie at his side, he could face whatever the future held.

  * * *

  Felicity sank down into her chair behind her desk, her emotions raw from visiting baby Everett. Seeing Trystan and Isabeau’s happiness had blindsided her in a way she hadn’t expected. She didn’t begrudge them their joy, but it made her think of those dreams she’d had during her marriage. Reminded her of the depth of her ex-husband’s betrayal.

  Of course, seeing the baby was only half the reason for the resurgence of those emotions. The bigger part of the equation was her exchange with Conrad about having children. He was getting under her skin, burrowing his way toward her heart, making her feel things she couldn’t afford to feel.

  She gripped the edge of her desk, willing her nerves to ease. She’d taken a couple of days away from Conrad in hopes of regaining some distance, some objectivity. Because he was becoming too important to her, too fast.