The Millionaire's Secret Wish

by Leanne Banks

  “I don’t know what happened between you two in college, but he’s a good guy,” she said earnestly.

  Alisa felt conflicted. Lately it seemed she always felt conflicted. “I’ll figure it out,” she said, and hoped like the dickens she would do it soon.

  “Nick, use both hands on that sliding board,” Amy called, rising to her feet. The newspaper she’d brought with her dropped to the ground. Alisa picked it up and saw the society column. She narrowed her eyes at the photo of Dylan.

  Amy glanced down. “Oh, did you see that this morning?” she asked, sitting down again. “Can’t blame the photographer. The man really does great things for a tux.”

  “Why is he in the—” Alisa broke off when she saw the write-up on the charity function. She skimmed the article. “‘Charismatic Dylan Barrow made an appearance. No lovely lady by his side, but plenty of eager volunteers,”’ she read and turned up her nose. “No surprise there. He always drew the women like bees to honey.”

  Amy arched her eyebrows in inquiry. “Now that you mention it, I seem to recall he usually had a different female escort whenever the occasion called for it.”

  “Yep,” Alisa said, briskly closing the newspaper. Irritated by his ease with women and the fact that she cared, she folded the newspaper again.

  “I guess that means he never got serious with any of them,” Amy mused.

  “I guess,” Alisa said mildly.

  “I don’t think he ever got engaged or anything, did he?”

  “Not to my knowledge,” Alisa said, desperately wanting to change the subject.

  “But you were engaged, weren’t you?” Amy asked pointedly. She glanced at the kids on the playground equipment. “Two hands, Nick. One, two,” she said to the little boy, then turned toward Alisa. “You were engaged, weren’t you?”

  “Yes,” Alisa said. “He was older, very stable, very conservative.” Everything Dylan wasn’t, she thought.

  “Do you remember why you didn’t marry him?”

  “I didn’t love him enough,” she admitted. Although she’d tried not to compare her relationship with her fiancé to her relationship with Dylan, she’d ultimately been unable to deny there’d been something missing.

  “Hmm,” Amy said. “Wonder what Dylan thought of that.”

  “We never discussed it,” Alisa said, and wished she wasn’t discussing it now.

  Amy shrugged and smiled. “Probably doesn’t matter now. The other reason I invited you here was to ask a big favor.”

  Alisa saw that Amy had suddenly turned nervous. Curious, she watched her. “What’s the big favor?”

  “If you can’t do it, I’ll understand.”

  “Okay. What is it?”

  She made a face. “I hate to ask people to do things for me. Justin’s always fussing at me about it.”

  “Amy,” Alisa said. “What is it?”

  Amy exhaled. “Justin and I would like to go away for a long weekend, but we need someone to take care of—”

  “I’d love to take care of the children. Just tell me when,” Alisa said.

  Amy’s eyes filled with unshed tears, and she threw her arms around Alisa. “Thank you. It’s a lot to ask, but they’re basically good kids. We wanted them to feel as secure as possible before we took a trip together, but with this round of chicken pox, Justin and I really want to get away.”

  Alisa remembered that Amy had adopted the children after her sister and brother-in-law had been killed in an automobile accident. She admired the woman for her strength and determination. “I’m glad you asked me. When are you planning to go?”

  “In two weeks,” she said, and put her hands together as if saying a prayer. “As long as everyone stays well. A minihoneymoon in Belize,” she said, and her eyes glowed with anticipation. “I’m so excited I don’t know what to do. But I’m sure Justin will help me think of something.”

  Alisa felt a pinch of longing at the obvious love on Amy’s face. “You really turned Justin around, didn’t you?”

  Amy turned thoughtful. “He turned me around, too. I used to think that being alone meant strength. Self-reliance was the most important thing to me. Justin taught me that it was okay to count on someone else. We both got lucky. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, that’s for sure.”

  Alisa’s mind turned to Dylan. Once in a lifetime, Amy had said. Her heart squeezed tight. She wished things could have been different. She wished—She broke off the dangerous, seductive thought. Wishing could get her into trouble.

  “I’m warning you. He isn’t going to pose,” Dylan said as he tussled with Tonto on the Florida room tile. “Ouch!” he said, and pulled his hand away. “Puppies may be cute as hell, but their teeth are like razors.”

  Tonto immediately looked forlorn and tried to push his head up under Dylan’s arm.

  “Come here, gorgeous,” she said, kneeling. The dog perked up his ears and rushed her. Her drawing supplies spilled all over the floor. Tonto grabbed a brush in his teeth.

  “Oh, no, you don’t,” she said, and the puppy began a game of tug-of-war. “Don’t you have a sock for him or something? This dog needs some toys.”

  “Toys?” Dylan poured a basket of dog toys on the floor. Distracted, Tonto abruptly dropped the brush.

  “Thanks. Sheer volume often works with males,” she said.

  Dylan tossed her a sideways glance. “Are you speaking of toys or something else?”

  Alisa shrugged. “Just about everything. Toys, cars, women.”

  He nodded toward Tonto as the puppy burrowed through the pile of playthings. “He has a favorite. Watch,” he said. “He’ll pass up all the others to get his favorite.”

  Sure enough the dog stopped searching when he found a squeaky rubber cat. Tonto plopped down on the floor and gnawed the toy.

  Dylan met her gaze. “You were saying something about volume?”

  Alisa dodged the question. “I think it might be best for me to take some photos and just watch him for a while. Can I borrow your camera?”

  “Sure,” he said with a thoughtful expression that let her know she hadn’t fooled him with her change of subject. Alisa accepted the reprieve and spent the next half hour taking pictures of the puppy indoors and out.

  “How does he know not to leave the backyard?” she asked when she observed that Tonto stayed within a specified area.

  “Electric fence,” Dylan said. “After I chased him all the way to the horse barn, I knew I had to do something. He’s coming along,” he said. “You made a good choice.”

  Alisa was quietly pleased that her impulsive gift to Dylan had enriched him. She glanced over the beautiful green acres of his estate and felt a twinge of homesickness. Impossible, she told herself. She didn’t feel as if she belonged here. Especially with him.

  “I should go,” she said.

  “Why?” he asked.

  Irritated, she noticed that he asked that a lot lately. “Because I’m done taking pictures and observing Tonto.”

  “So now you can relax with me,” he said, moving close to her.

  Alisa’s heart thumped. What a joke. She couldn’t relax with Dylan. She opened her mouth to refuse, but he covered her lips with his fingers.

  “Tell me a secret,” he said in a low seductive voice that reminded her of the hot nights they’d shared in his bed. “Tell me how to persuade you to stay.”

  Fighting the steamy memories and a shot of panic at the way her mind was wandering, she stiffened her knees and her resolve. “I’m not going up to your bedroom with you,” she said breathlessly.

  Surprise lit his eyes. He grinned that terrible grin that disabled women by the droves. “I wasn’t going to ask you,” he said.

  Feeling immediately foolish, she covered her hot cheeks with her hands “Oh, well—”

  Dylan covered her hands with his. “I’m waiting for you to invite me to your bedroom.”

  Her contrary mind zapped her with a quick, hot visual of Dylan naked in her bed, filling her mind, filling her
body. “Don’t hold your breath,” she said.

  He tilted his head to one side and considered her. “You’re remembering what it was like when we made love in my room, aren’t you? You can do more than remember, Alisa.”

  Flee, flee, flee temptation! She backed away from him. “Save your flirty come-ons for your droves of admirers. They don’t work with me. I’m not sweet little adoring Alisa anymore.”

  His gaze darkened. “I know by firsthand experience that you’re not little Alisa anymore. Even without that experience, I’ve seen what’s in your lingerie drawer. No angel wings there,” he said. He lowered his face to within an inch of hers. “As for my droves of admirers, I haven’t noticed them. I’m too busy with you.”

  Shaken, but determined not to show it, Alisa lifted her chin. “Well, you can consider yourself unbusy with me,” she said, and turned on her heel. She felt his hand circle her wrist, and he spun her back around.

  “All these sly comments you keep making about my imaginary harem could get pretty damn old.”

  “Women are like potato chips to you, Dylan. You can’t eat just one.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re so clever. Here’s a news flash. Just like you’re no little adoring angel, I’m no player, no—”

  “Cheat?” she suggested in a cool voice.

  “That’s right,” he said, clenching his jaw. “And the sooner you accept that fact, the better we’ll get along.”

  “We don’t need to get along,” she told him.

  He took a breath as if he was struggling for patience. “That’s where you’re dead wrong,” he said. “But you’ll learn. It may be the death of me, but you’ll learn.”

  Alisa left his house angry enough to spit. She dropped off the film at a quick developer on the way home and decided to wait. After she collected the film, she grabbed a bottle of wine, some brie and bread, and a candy bar.

  As she walked through the door of her apartment, she headed straight for the kitchen, got a glass for the wine and a knife and plate for the brie and bread. Making a face at Dylan even though he couldn’t see her, she took her goodies to her bedroom. It was the one room where she felt most comfortable.

  Plopping down on the bed, she poured a glass of white wine for herself and took a long cool swallow. “Delicious,” she said, relishing the pleasure and telling herself that Dylan wasn’t a necessary ingredient for her to enjoy her life. When she thought of sensual pleasures, however, her mind stubbornly visualized Dylan.

  Wrinkling her nose, she shook off the mental picture and resolved to replace it with real pictures of Tonto. She opened the freshly developed photos and smiled at the friendly retriever. The dog was a handful, but a beautiful handful. Like his owner?

  Alisa chuckled to herself. Dylan would love being compared to a dog. She flipped through the photos and caught sight of one with Dylan laughing. Something inside her pushed her toward him. She lingered over the sight of the light in his eyes, his white teeth, and his heart-melting features. She scanned the next two photos and found another of him, his gaze thoughtful, intense. She’d seen that expression on his face many times. He was a complex man. Not everyone knew that about him, but she did. He was fascinating. There had been a time when she couldn’t know him enough. She still had more than her fair share of curiosity about him.

  Why? she wondered, frustration picking at her. She knew more about Dylan than most anyone else. Why was there more she wanted to know?

  She poured another glass of wine and nibbled on the brie and bread as she looked through the photos again. After a few moments she picked up her pad of paper and began to sketch. But it wasn’t Tonto’s image that appeared on her pad. It was Dylan. She started with one image she’d gleaned from the photos and sketched Dylan. She looked at it critically and frowned. It wasn’t quite right. It didn’t capture the essence of him. Remembering another facial expression that had intrigued her, she ripped the first sketch off the pad and let it fall to the floor. She began again. Hours later her pad was empty and her floor full of sketches of Dylan.

  Dylan continued to join her when she ran in the mornings. Alisa tried to snub him, but the effort made her feel small. Another way the accident had changed her, she supposed. Dylan may be the question mark in her life that never got answered, but he didn’t deserve poor treatment.

  The time drew near for her to take care of the children for Kate and Justin. Alisa was looking forward to a weekend filled with children’s books, finger painting, Disney movies, popcorn and cookies. She packed a bag and heard children’s voices and the sound of a piano playing as she rang the doorbell at Amy and Justin’s home.

  The three-and-a-half-year-old twins answered the door and stared at her. “We can’t let you in,” Nick said.

  Jeremy nodded. “We’ll get in trouble.”

  “Can you get Amy?” Alisa asked.

  “She’s real busy,” Nick said, and Jeremy nodded.

  Alisa sighed. The first thing she would need to cover with Amy was the temporary transfer of power or she was going to spend a lot of time standing on the front porch this weekend.

  “What about Justin?” she asked.

  “He’s not to be ’sturbed cuz he’s playing stocks and making lots of money,” Nick said.

  “Emily?” she asked doubtfully.

  The boys lit up and yelled at the top of their lungs. “Emily, Alisa wants you!”

  Emily appeared at the door and smiled.

  “Any chance I can come in?” Alisa asked.

  Emily nodded and immediately opened the door.

  Nick gasped. “You’re gonna get in trouble. You’re not supposed to let people in the house.”

  “I won’t get in trouble. Alisa’s taking care of us while Aunt Amy and Justin go on a honeymoon.”

  “I wanna go on a honeymoon,” Jeremy said glumly.

  “You’re still gonna get in trouble,” Nick said.

  “Will not,” Emily said.

  “Will, too,” Nick said.

  “Will not to infinity,” Emily said, silencing him with her advanced retort.

  “What’s infinity?” Nick asked suspiciously.

  “It’s bigger than the biggest number you can think of.”

  “I wanna go on a honeymoon,” Jeremy said.

  Alisa could see the beginning of separation sadness in the small boy and felt a tug on her heartstrings. She put her arm around him. “I brought cookies for everyone who isn’t going on a honeymoon.”

  Jeremy’s eyes widened. “Cookies? Lots of cookies?”

  She gave him a quick squeeze. “Lots, but not enough to make you sick. We can finger paint and read and play games and watch movies.”

  “And go horseback riding,” a deep voice from behind her said.

  Alisa whipped her head around to see Dylan just inside the front door. How had he gotten in so easily after she’d stood on the porch for four minutes? She stood. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m helping take care of the kids while Justin and Amy use my condo in Belize,” he said calmly.

  “That’s not possible,” she said. “Amy asked me to take care of the kids this weekend.”

  “And Justin asked me,” Dylan said.

  Alarmed, frustrated, Alisa shook her head. “But—”

  “Hey, these kids are great, but they’re a handful. I’m guessing Justin and Amy decided two heads would be better than one.”

  He shrugged. “Looks like we’re both baby-sitting. I’ll let you have the master bedroom,” he told her, and leaned closer to speak in a voice just for her ears, “but don’t even think about sneaking into my bed in the middle of the night.”

  Alisa opened her mouth to protest, but he continued whispering.

  “Just because we’ll be together for three nights doesn’t mean you should remember what it was like for me to touch you and you to touch me. It’s a waste of time for you to remember how good it was when we made love to each other.”

  He pulled back. “Don’t even think about tr
ying to seduce me or distract me. I need my sleep,” he told her and strode past her as she watched him with her mouth hanging open.

  Eleven

  Alisa’s visions of a cozy weekend with the children got flushed straight down the toilet. Glancing at Dylan’s broad back, she scowled. She didn’t want to spend an entire weekend with the man she was trying to stuff in a box.

  Amy appeared in the den with a suitcase and cast a nervous glance at Alisa and Dylan. “Sorry about the mix-up on the arrangements,” she said. “Justin asked Dylan and I asked you, and after we thought about it, we thought this crew might do better with two adults. Do you mind too much?” she asked Alisa more than Dylan.

  “We’re fine,” Dylan said before Alisa could speak.

  Alisa surreptitiously shot him a disagreeable look, then took a deep breath. Amy was clearly nervous about leaving the children. Alisa didn’t want to add to her uneasiness. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  Justin sauntered into the room jingling his car keys and carrying his suitcase. All smiles, he shook Dylan’s hand. “A weekend in Belize at your condo. I owe you for this,” he said.

  “My pleasure,” Dylan said. “Drink a Beliken beer for me.”

  Nick and Jeremy raced in front of Justin and Amy. “We’re gonna go horseback riding,” Nick said.

  Emily trailed behind her brothers.

  Amy knelt down in front of the children. “You are going to have so much fun,” she said. “Now make sure you do everything Alisa and Dylan tell you to do. And don’t fight with each other.” She gave each child a tight squeeze. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  “When will you be back?” Emily asked.

  The uncertainty in the little girl’s voice made a lump form in Alisa’s throat. The children had lost both their parents in the same accident, and the loss they’d battled was tremendous.

  “Monday,” Amy said, stroking Emily’s hair. “You can call me anytime. Dylan has the phone number. You help Alisa, okay?”

  Emily nodded and clung to Amy. Jeremy returned for a second hug. “Can I go on the next honeymoon?” he asked.