The Missing Billionaire

by Christine Kersey

  Chapter Thirteen

  Carrying a large box of donuts the next morning, Nathan walked past two trucks that were parked in the long driveway of his house as well as Chloe’s car. A dumpster sat at the top of the driveway near the front door, and as Nathan approached the open door, he heard banging and crashing.

  Excited to get to work, he walked inside to find controlled chaos, most of it in the kitchen. Three men were taking down cabinets and tearing out the countertops. Nathan’s eyes went to Chloe, who was overseeing it all.

  When Chloe saw Nathan walk in wearing dark jeans and a blue t-shirt, she was surprised to feel her pulse increase, and when his eyes met hers and his lips curved into a smile that would melt the coldest of hearts, her pulse pounded harder.

  He’s a client, just a client.

  That mantra seemed to be losing its effectiveness, but she repeated the words in her head nevertheless.

  “Good morning,” Nathan said to her, nearly shouting to be heard over the ruckus of the demo. Then he walked right up to her and held out the box of donuts. “Lots of chocolate raised in here.” He’d lowered his voice, but she could still hear him clearly.

  “Thanks,” she said, taking the box from him, then she turned to the workers. “Who wants a donut?”

  Two of the men stopped what they were doing and took a donut from the box. The other man was in the middle of pulling a cabinet down.

  “Let me help with that,” Nathan said to the man before grabbing one side of the cabinet and helping him yank it off of the wall.

  Keith walked into the kitchen. “More help,” he said with a smile as he approached Nathan. “Awesome.”

  Chloe couldn’t tell if Keith was being facetious or if he really was happy to have Nathan there.

  “I’m ready to work,” Nathan said at a normal volume. All three workers were eating donuts so the work had briefly come to a standstill and the room had quieted.

  Keith looked skeptical. “Are you sure? We have plenty of people to do the work.” Then he chuckled. “That’s what you’re paying us for.”

  Nathan’s lips quirked up. “I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.”

  Chloe couldn’t help but wonder if Nathan would be so eager to take on the physical labor if she wasn’t there.

  “You’re the boss,” Keith said with a tight smile. Then he turned to one of the men. “Steve, give Nathan what he needs and show him what to do. Brian, come with me.” Then Keith and Brian headed upstairs to work on tearing out the bathrooms.

  Nathan reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves before tugging them onto his hands. The gloves looked brand-new. Chloe held back a smirk as she pictured him buying them after she’d seen him the day before.

  “That wall needs to come down,” Steve said, pointing to the wall between the kitchen and the large space on the other side. Then he handed Nathan a sledgehammer.

  Somewhat amused, Chloe watched Nathan take the sledge from Steve. Nathan held it horizontally so that the top of the sledge’s head was pointed at the wall. Ramming it into the wall, he created a hole then moved down the wall, creating a kind of daisy-chain of holes.

  “Nice,” Steve said, clearly impressed with what a man he probably thought of as a spoiled billionaire could do.

  Nathan barely glanced at Steve, instead focusing on his task.

  Chloe stayed out of the way, but she found she couldn’t drag her gaze from Nathan as he worked. Biceps flexing, he methodically worked, tearing the drywall down. Then, without being told, he scooped up an armful of drywall from the floor and carried it out to the dumpster. Steve and the other worker helped and soon the kitchen was wide open, except for the posts holding up the ceiling.

  The physical work of removing the wall felt great. While Nathan had been stuck on that island he’d had to survive by his wits, which had meant working hard to gather any food he could find. He’d climbed trees to yank ripe fruit off of branches, created make-shift fishing poles to catch fish, and had rapidly rolled sticks against other pieces of wood to create enough friction to start a fire. It had taken enormous trial and error to make all of those things happen, but his survival had depended on it and he’d risen to the occasion.

  Now, he was surprised to discover just how much he actually missed the physical labor he’d engaged in every single day on that island. Maybe he was in the wrong line of work. Maybe he should leave Hewitt Consolidated and go into construction.

  Holding back a smile at the thought—he might miss physical labor, but that didn’t mean he was ready to do it day in and day out—he surveyed the now-empty kitchen that was open and spacious. The other workers had all gone upstairs.

  “Nice work,” Chloe said as she joined him.

  Glad she appreciated what he’d done, he turned to her with a grin. “Thanks.”

  Then she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t remember you being so enthusiastic about manual labor back in college.”

  Did she really think he hadn’t changed at all? Suppressing a frown, he said, “I’m not the same person I was back then.”

  She stared at him a moment. “Can I ask you a question?”

  Thrilled that she was initiating a conversation, he hid his eagerness as he slowly nodded. “Sure.”

  “What was it like? On that island?”

  He gazed at her as memories poured into his mind and heart. “Lonely.”

  The pain and sadness in Nathan’s eyes arrowed right into Chloe’s heart and she had no doubt that he was telling the truth about being stuck on that deserted island for a year. She tried to imagine how she would have felt if she were completely alone for that long. It sounded horrible and she didn’t know if she would have been able to go on. Especially not knowing if she would ever be found. But Nathan had had no choice. And he’d survived.

  Even if Lisa hadn’t.

  Swallowing over the knot that clogged her throat, Chloe had to look away from Nathan. His experience would forever be tied to the loss of her sister and she didn’t know if she could ever get past that to see the man in front of her.

  “I should probably get to the office,” Nathan said when it became obvious that Chloe was done chatting. Not that it had been much of a chat. Still, it was a start.

  Smiling, Chloe said, “I hope you enjoyed smashing that wall. It looked like you were having fun.”

  “I was, actually.”

  She smirked. “Maybe Keith should hire you to be on his crew.”

  Nathan laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind if I need another job.”

  Chloe shook her head, but she was smiling, so that was good.

  “Now that the kitchen’s empty,” he asked, “what happens next?”

  “When all the demo’s done we’ll start creating each room.” She paused a beat. “I’ll need to show you some options for finishes like flooring, cabinets, countertops, backsplashes. That sort of thing.”

  Glad there would be a new excuse to spend time with her, he smiled. “Okay. When do we do that?”

  “The sooner the better. Especially the kitchen cabinets. I need to get those ordered as soon as possible.”

  “I can make time tomorrow.”

  She nodded. “Okay. There’s a custom cabinet maker I want to use, so I was thinking we could go by his shop and look at some of his work.”

  Nathan could see this turning into a good opportunity. “All right. I’ll pick you up from your office at ten thirty tomorrow morning.”

  She hesitated, like that hadn’t exactly been the plan she was going for, but he’d gotten smarter and knew he needed to lock down what he wanted before she had a chance to change things up.

  “I’ll be ready,” she finally said, and with that, he told her good-bye before walking out the door.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next morning as Chloe sat at her desk waiting for ten thirty to arrive, she felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation. The last time she’d been alone with Nathan had been in his office—a place that felt neutral.
Today though, they were going on more of a field trip. Still a neutral location, but they would be together in Nathan’s car. She’d wanted to meet him at the cabinet shop, but when he’d said he would pick her up, she’d reminded herself that he was the client and that it would be rude to tell him no.

  Now though, she half-wished she’d gone ahead and told him she would meet him there. Then again, why did it matter? He was her client! Why couldn’t she get that through her head?

  “Good morning,” a familiar male voice said from behind her.

  Startled, she nearly gasped, but she held it together and turned her head to find Nathan standing behind her. Getting to her feet, she turned and faced him while pushing a professional smile onto her lips. “Hello.” Then, as she took in his casual slacks and button-down shirt with the top button undone, an image of his flexing biceps from the day before jumped into her head.

  Remembering how sexy she’d thought he looked, she felt a blush climbing her cheeks. To cover that, she turned away and opened a desk drawer to retrieve her purse. “Ready to go?” she asked into the open drawer.

  “Yep.”

  Once she’d gathered herself, she closed the drawer and straightened to face him, but his handsome face and confident smile nearly undid all the gathering she’d just completed. Softly clearing her throat, Chloe glanced toward the front of the office which led to the exit, then she met Nathan’s eyes. “Would you like me to drive?”

  He shook his head. “I’m having too much fun with my new car.”

  “You bought a new car?”

  “Why does that surprise you?”

  She pictured the Range Rover he’d had in college. “What was wrong with the car you had?”

  He grinned. “Not a thing, but I wanted to celebrate my new license with a new car.”

  “Your new license?” Now she sounded like a parrot.

  He laughed. “The DMV thought I was dead, so my license expired. Had to get a new one.”

  That made sense in a terrible sort of way. And it also reminded her that her sister actually was dead.

  Not wanting to think about that, she said, “Oh.”

  Nathan swept an arm toward the front of the office. “I’m parked out front.”

  With a nod, Chloe led the way, and when she stepped onto the sidewalk, she couldn’t miss the metallic blue Lamborghini convertible parked at the curb.

  “Yours?” she threw over her shoulder.

  He was grinning. “Like it?”

  She did, although it made her think that he hadn’t actually changed at all, that he was still all about fancy cars and having fun. “Pretty color.”

  He walked with her to the passenger side and lifted the door, which opened like a wing. After she’d climbed inside and settled into her seat, he closed her door and got in on his side. Then he flipped up a small cover that hid the ignition switch before pressing the button. The engine roared to life.

  The summer day was gorgeous and the sun shining on her felt wonderful. “Nice day for a convertible.”

  He chuckled. “In LA, most days are convertible days. Now, where are we going?”

  She gave him directions and off they went.

  As much as Nathan was enjoying his new car, it was much more fun when Chloe was in the car with him. He’d spent enough time alone on that island.

  Glancing at her in the passenger seat, Nathan let a smile of satisfaction curve his lips.

  “What?” she asked, obviously noticing his expression.

  “Just enjoying the beautiful day.” He glanced at her again. “And the company.”

  Her lips twitched like a smile was forthcoming but she was preventing it from blossoming. “It is a gorgeous day.”

  Noticing that she’d focused only on the weather, he threw his head back and laughed.

  Now a smile did form on her lips. “The company’s not so bad either.”

  Thrilled that they were making progress, Nathan let that stand and turned his attention to the road.

  Once they reached the cabinet shop, Nathan helped Chloe from his car and they walked inside together.

  Being with Nathan wasn’t the worse thing in the world, but it did surprise Chloe that she was liking it so much. In fact, the more time she spent with him, the more she found herself enjoying his company. It was almost like the old days. Almost.

  “Hello,” she said to Bryant, the owner of the cabinet shop. “This is Nathan.”

  Bryant stepped forward, his hand outstretched to Nathan. “Mr. Hewitt, welcome.”

  “Call me Nathan,” Nathan said with a smile.

  Bryant nodded, then looked at both of them. “What can I help you with?”

  “We’re remodeling Nathan’s house,” Chloe began, “and we would love to have you build custom cabinetry in his kitchen.”

  “Wonderful. Why don’t you come this way and I’ll show you some of my work.”

  With that, the three of them went to a showroom-like space where Bryant had several cabinets on display. He talked about the different styles of cabinets as well as a variety of woods, including stains and colors.

  “I also have a portfolio here,” he said as he pointed to a thick binder, “where you can see some of the kitchens I’ve completed.”

  “Thank you,” Chloe said. “We’ll look around and I’ll let you know if we have any questions.”

  With that, he left them alone. They sat side by side, thumbing through Bryant’s portfolio. Chloe jotted down notes on the cabinets she thought would work best. Finally, she turned to Nathan. “Is there anything we’ve seen that stands out to you?”

  With a sardonic grin, he said, “You’re the designer. You tell me.”

  Rather pleased that he recognized her expertise and trusted her, she turned the pages of the portfolio until she found her favorite. “What about this one?”

  He studied the image, reaching out to touch the page as if he could feel the wood. “I like it.”

  She laughed. “Just like it? I want you to love it.”

  He turned his eyes to her, drawing her in in a way that caught her off guard. “Okay. I love it.”

  Desperate to get her suddenly frantic pulse under control, she shifted her eyes to the photo. “Are you just saying that to placate me, or do you mean it?” Then she realized that this wasn’t the way she normally interacted with clients. This was more like flirting.

  Just a client. Just a client.

  “Chloe,” he said, his voice low and intimate.

  She lifted her eyes to his, and when she saw the intensity there, she nearly caught her breath.

  “I don’t really care about the cabinets.” His voice was soft and his expression sincere, then he paused and the moment was filled with an electric current. “I care about you.”

  Chloe didn’t know what to say. As much as she tried to deny it, he was much more than a client.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Nathan could tell his words had some sort of effect on Chloe. The question was, what would she do now?

  “I…,” Chloe began, but then she turned away.

  That wasn’t good enough. He had to know what she was feeling.

  “What?” he asked. “What were you going to say?”

  Her forearms rested on the table, the portfolio binder in front of her, her eyes pointed at the page with the cabinet she’d selected. She tapped the page. “This is the one. This is the cabinet that will go in your kitchen.”

  Disappointed that she’d left his words hanging, but glad that she was still sitting beside him, Nathan put aside the feeling of being rebuffed. Baby steps, he had to remind himself. We’re taking baby steps.

  “Perfect,” he said.

  She turned to him with a smile that held a hint of relief. Because he hadn’t pushed her?

  Okay. Maybe with time she would come around. Already they’d made progress.

  “I’ll make the arrangements with Bryant,” she said, then she stood. “But later. It will take some time and I don’t want to keep you.”
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br />   Glad she was handling that part of the process, he said, “I think we should celebrate this big step toward finishing my kitchen by grabbing some lunch.”

  She tilted her head like she wondered if he’d planned for them to go to the cabinet shop mid-morning so that they’d finish up at lunch time.

  Well, yes. In fact, he had.

  Then, to his surprise and delight, she nodded. “I can fit a business lunch into my schedule.”

  Ignoring her emphasis on the word business, he stood. “Great.”

  She gazed at him a moment with a look that said Don’t expect this to happen often.

  They walked toward the door with Chloe telling Bryant she’d call him later to schedule a consultation. Once they reached Nathan’s Lamborghini, Nathan turned to Chloe. “Would you like to drive?”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Your new car?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You never used to let me drive your Range Rover. And I asked on more than one occasion.”

  He laughed as they stood beside his car. “Maybe I trust your driving skills more now.”

  “Why? For all you know I’ve totaled three cars in the last year.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Have you?”

  She laughed. “No, of course not. Besides, since you haven’t driven anything in the last year except what? Herds of fishes? I have more driving experience than you now.”

  He laughed. “They’re called schools of fishes, and I didn’t actually drive any, but point taken.”

  She laughed right along with him. It was starting to feel a little bit like the good old days. Thrilled, he gestured to the driver’s side, and when she began walking in that direction, he followed, opening the door for her and helping her inside.

  A little nervous to drive such an expensive car, Chloe placed her hands on the steering wheel before attempting to start the engine.

  “You have to press the Start button,” Nathan said with a smirk, pointing to the place where she needed to flip open the cover.