“Thanks, we work hard,” she said. His shoulders heaved as he stood with one hand in his pocket and the other gripping the glass of whisky.
“I can’t believe how much you’ve changed, Nora,” he said. She took in a deep breath and tried to smile.
“It’s not much of a compliment, is it?” she said and the grin on Theo’s face grew.
“It’s not an insult either. It’s just that I never imagined you as a grown up. Just like Andy still doesn’t,” he said and he looked to the side where her father was standing, laughing loudly at one of his friend’s jokes. Nora felt her cheeks flush.
“I can assure you, I’ve grown up,” she said, meeting his eyes again.
“I know,” he replied and a few moments of silence hung between them. “What kept you away for so long, Nora?” he said and she looked away from him to avoid his eyes. There was no way that she could tell him the truth, that was out of the question of course. I stayed away so I could avoid you. I wanted to avoid you because I’ve had a silly teenage crush on you for years.
“I’ve been busy. College and then work and this job is very demanding. I work most weekends,” she knew she was rambling, just trying to fill the blank space in her mind with words so that he wouldn’t probe her too much. “Besides, Dad visits me in New York every couple of months, so I’ve never felt the need to come back here,” she added.
“Of course. There isn’t much back here for you is there,” he said with a deep sigh. Nora tried to think of something to say that would change the subject.
“How is business? I saw your face on the cover of Forbes recently,” she said. Theo rolled his eyes and took another sip of his whisky.
“I really hate all that fuss. It was because I hit my first billion and they made a big show of it,” Theo said. She knew exactly what that article was about; she’d read it at least twenty times and stared at the cover photograph of him for hours before she was convinced that she was going insane and finally buried it under her mattress for good.
“So the company’s doing well then,” she said. Theo shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s doing well enough for me to keep my people employed and manufacture products that are hopefully helpful to the public,” he said. Nora smiled at him, arching an eyebrow.
“Helpful? You invented a medical engineering breakthrough. You’re being modest,” she said and a smile flickered on Theo’s face before he looked over at her father again. She sensed that he was about to walk away, that he had done his part of mingling with her and was now about to stray away to talk to someone else. Or it could have been because she felt that she had embarrassed him with praises. She remembered that he never liked talking about his success. It was why he was such good friends with her dad, because he treated Theo the same way he had done before his major international success. With her dad, he felt like they were just two ordinary guys hanging out.
“Anyway…” she heard him say, and she panicked. She didn’t want him to leave; she wanted to hear his voice for a little longer.
“How’s your wife?” she asked, the words rushing out of her. Theo looked up at her, the grin on his face dropping and Nora noticed how his gaze had hardened a little. Theo took in a deep breath and then smiled. “Violet is well,” he said.
Chapter 3
The wedding was planned for a few weeks after Nora left for college, and even though she would never have admitted it to her dad, she didn’t want to see Theo getting married. Since then, she actively avoided seeing any pictures of the mysterious Violet, and because she’d never actually met the woman; she had formed her own version of who she was and what she looked like.
They’d apparently met on a vacation in Spain and had a whirlwind romance before he asked her to marry him. It had all happened so quickly. Theo was away in Europe for three months and then suddenly he returned with news of a fiancé.
Nora was sitting outside on the porch the morning after her dad’s birthday party, typing away at her laptop and trying to concentrate on work. Theo hadn’t said much after she asked him about his wife and had left soon after, excusing himself on account of an important early meeting the next morning.
“You’re working?!” her dad had emerged out of the front door.
Nora smiled at him.
“The only way I could have taken all of these days off was by promising that I’d still get some work done,” she said. Her fingers hadn’t stopped hovering over the keyboard.
“It’s your first vacation in like four years honey,” her dad said, sitting down on the stool beside her as he tied his shoelaces.
“Going for a jog?” she asked and he stood up, his face beaming.
“Yeah, Theo’s got me into jogging again and now I’m addicted,” he said and just the mention of his name was enough for Nora’s muscles to stiffen.
“Well, you look good, dad. You should keep it up,” Nora said as he started to walk down the steps of their porch. He smiled and waved as he began to jog away from her, and Nora went back to typing on her computer.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Violet. Mrs. Violet Heffernan. She’d always avoided asking her dad questions about Theo or his wife, so she knew practically nothing about her or the relationship. Before Violet happened, Theo had been a confirmed bachelor for as long as she could remember. Everyone in town had taken it for granted that he would never marry, even though his string of girlfriends were no secret of course. Nora didn’t care much about which new hot thing he had on his arm because she had convinced herself that those women didn’t mean anything to him. But when he announced that he was actually marrying someone, she was glad she was going away as she couldn’t bear to see him settling down for good.
Nora couldn’t concentrate on work anymore. The more she thought about Violet, the more her skin crawled. Shutting off her laptop, she jumped out of the chair and looked for the key her father kept under the welcome mat, and locked the door before walking out.
She kept her hands in her pockets as she walked down the neighborhood. Even though she had been away from it for seven years, she still knew the area by heart. She knew just which turns to take and which roads to walk down until she reached the gates of Theo’s home. His house still looked just as majestic and big as it always did.
She had always admired how architecturally beautiful the house looked, which she knew Theo had renovated himself when he bought it several years ago. It was in the style of old Tudor homes, surrounded by a canopy of shading green trees and a beautiful garden, at least ten times the size of her dad’s. The driveway was circular with a marble fountain that was still glistening in the sun and Nora walked through the open iron gates towards the front door.
She noticed the new cars parked in the driveway. Theo had a thing for luxury cars. She tried not to think too much about what she was doing there and why she had gone to his home. The deed was done now. She had walked up to his house already and she might as well just go ahead and knock on the door.
Instead, Nora peered in, her mind racing with a jumble of images of what this Violet might actually look like. Although, of course, the one thing that was certain was that she would be drop dead gorgeous.
Sucking in her gut, Nora knocked on the door lightly. She heard nothing on the other side for a few moments and she was already wondering how bad this idea was. Biting down on her lip, she decided to face her fears. Maybe I actually met Violet, I could get over Theo she thought to herself.
She rang the bell this time, and after a few seconds, she heard the shuffle of feet inside.
Nora stepped back, tucking some stray strands of hair behind her ears and pasted a smile on her face. The door flew open and she saw Theo standing in front of her.
He was in a pair of blue swim shorts and his chiseled torso was damp with drops of water sliding down his pumped biceps as he stood in front of her with a smile on his face.
“Nora, hi,” he said in a casual voice. If he was surprised to see her, he didn’t show it.
; “Hi…hello,” she said, at a complete loss for words. She had assumed that Theo was out on a run with her dad. She had been so sure that his wife would be alone in the house but couldn’t tell him that of course.
“Come on in, I was just hanging out in the pool. It’s a lovely sunny day today,” he said. He turned away from her and left the front door open. Nora swallowed deeply as she followed him in, delicately shutting the door behind her while her heart racing. Confronting her fear of Theo’s wife was the plan, but seeing him practically naked and dripping wet definitely wasn’t.
Chapter 4
The swimming pool wasn’t new to Nora; she’d attended many pool parties there when she was growing up and swam in it at least a hundred times. The only difference now was that she was alone with Theo and he looked like he had walked straight out of one of her fantasies.
Theo had gone over to one of the deck chairs, where a book was lying open next to a glass of iced tea.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked her as he picked up a towel and started dabbing it around his neck. Nora’s throat ran dry again. She tried to not stare at six-pack. He was a man who made sure he stayed in shape unlike the pot bellies of men around his age. For Nora, Theo’s desire to stay healthy and in shape was one of his most attractive features.
“No, thanks, I’m fine,” she said, trying to look anywhere else but at him. In the sun, she now noticed the few strands of silver in his sideburns that glistened in the light. His stubble had grown slightly darker since the previous night and Nora couldn’t help but wonder how rough and tingly it would feel on her fingertips.
“Wanna take a dip? Go on. For old time’s sake,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Nora licked her lips.
“I haven’t come prepared,” she said to him, biting down on her lip as she looked at blue water.
“You don’t have to worry about formalities here, Nora. If you insist, I can go look for one of Violet’s swimsuits,” he said, flinging the towel around his neck. She gulped as she watched his bare muscles move. She couldn’t stop her mind from wandering what lie inside his shorts.
“No need for that,” she blurted out, snapping any fantasies of him at the thought of wearing his wife’s clothes.
He watched her as she undid the buttons of her jeans and pulled them down to her ankles. Thankfully, she was wearing matching underwear that day.
She never swam in lingerie before and she had no idea how well or badly her lace bra and underwear were going to hold up in the water. She wasn’t even thinking straight. She was simply plunging in, taking the opportunity and seeing what would happen…
He was watching her, his green eyes scanning the length of her porcelain smooth legs until his gaze rested on the spot between her thighs. He clenched his jaw and then suddenly gave her a smile.
“I’m jumping in,” he said and in a flash, he dove into the pool making a big splash as he did. She had seen him watching her with a gaze she had never seen before. It was the first time in her life that she felt like he had actually noticed her as a real woman.
She lifted up her t-shirt, pulling it up over her head and exposing her bra. Theo had floated up for air just as she stepped towards the pool. She wondered if her nipples showed through the lace material. Theo swam to the edge of the pool and he looked up at her, pinching the water out of his nose.
Their eyes locked as they stared at each other. He had never seen her this naked before. Not in her adult life at least, and she knew he had definitely not looked at her this way before either. Growing up, she had just been a part of the gang of kids that hung out around his friends. Now he was looking at her like she was an actual adult. A thrill ran down Nora’s spine.
Theo’s face hardened again as his gaze dropped down to her heaving breasts. She was definitely aroused by his eyes looking at her curvy body, and she wondered why he had so suddenly jumped into the pool. It made her wonder if he was turned on as well.
“So, why are you here, Nora?” he asked her in a serious tone.
“No reason,” she said as she lowered herself down and slid her legs over the edge of the pool, soaking her feet into the water. Theo was by her side, their bodies only inches apart. She held his gaze. Her heart began to race because this was probably the first time that they were completely alone. It was almost unreal to her. He hadn’t said anything for several moments and she watched as the water slid down his neck and down his chest.
She could feel the tremble in her hands and the pull in the pit of her belly as it took everything within her snot to reach out and touch him.
“Does your father know you’re here?” he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She couldn’t believe he had just asked her that. After all, she was twenty-five years old and not a child anymore.
“Theo?”
A woman’s voice interrupted them and Nora turned to see his wife walking out of the kitchen sliding doors towards them.
Chapter 5
Violet was stunning to look at; she had brilliant red hair, which was curled and styled to perfection in a smart bob that just about grazed her shoulders. She was even more pale than Nora was, nearly translucent in complexion. She wore a fire engine red lipstick, making it impossible to look away from her. She was in a leopard printed chiffon dress that flowed across her body, reaching her ankles.
She had an oversized black tote dangling from the crook of her elbow and strappy black stilettos on her feet. She didn’t seem to look the least bit surprised to find her husband in the pool with a practically naked younger woman.
“Theo, I’m going to the spa and I don’t think I’ll be back for dinner,” she said, ignoring Nora’s presence in front of her.
“Do you want to say hi to Nora? She’s Andy’s kid,” Theo said, and Nora noticed the subtle way in which he drifted away from her a little.
“Andy?” Violet asked, puckering her lips in a pout.
“Andy Moor. My best friend. The guy who I brunch with every Sunday?” Theo said and Nora thought she detected some venom in his voice, but then again, she wondered if she was just imagining it.
“Oh yes, of course. How lovely to meet you, Nora?” Violet stepped towards her, with her hand held out delicately. Nora wasn’t quite sure what to do with the hand, whether to shake or kiss it in gratitude. She was just used to hugs or pats on the backs when she met someone.
“You must be Violet,” she said, embarrassed suddenly that she was found in lingerie, even though the woman didn’t seem to notice.
Violet took Nora’s hand and gave it a gentle shake, and looked at her husband again with her brows raised. It was almost as though she couldn’t wait to get out of there. Even though Theo was insistent on continuing with the introductions.
“Nora’s the editor of one of those magazines you read,” he continued and Violet turned to her with a look of surprise.
“Which one?” she nearly squealed.
“Sub editor, actually, and it’s Viva Vixen,” Nora said, smiling as politely as she could and Violet squealed with delight.
“I love it! I love you! Oh my God, it’s made my day,” she gushed and to Nora’s surprise, she started walking away, with that same excited expression on her face. Nora’s brows crossed again, she was surprised by the reaction, although realizing now that Violet’s reaction was probably just fake. All she was concerned about was getting to the spa as quickly as possible.
“My apologies for that, my wife is not exactly a people person. Or at least not a polite person,” Theo said and Nora looked at him again.
It was like the spell was broken now, that intense silent moment they had shared just minutes ago; was now gone. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him.
“No worries, we all have our downsides,” she said encouragingly and Theo seemed to take a deep breath in. If there was one thing that Nora had already sensed, it was that the couple were not exactly deeply in love. At least not anymore. There was no sign of affection between them.
“And it’s funny
how you discover these downsides only when you start living with them,” he said and turned, stretching his long muscular arms on the edge of the pool where he was leaning. Nora still had her feet dipped in the water, and she paddled lightly, enjoying the feel of the cool water against her skin. She was even more starkly aware that she was in her lingerie now, and surprised that Violet had made no comment about it.
“You’ve been married for seven years, I’m sure you both know each other’s downsides well by now,” she said, in an attempt to keep the conversation going.
“Yeah, well, I should have known better than to marry someone I knew for three months,” he said and in the next second, he made a huge splash as he dove back into the water and started swimming to the other side.
Nora remained sitting where she was for a few more minutes, watching Theo do laps down the length of the pool. His strokes were powerful and effortless and the fact that he was in impeccable shape was re-affirmed. She realized in a few minutes that he wasn’t coming back to talk with her, and that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from drooling over him.
Eventually, she stood up and started putting her clothes back on again. Theo looked at her in the middle of one of his strokes and Nora waved at him. He gave her a quick wave and went back to doing his laps and she felt rejected all over again. Those same feelings of a lovesick teenager returned and she knew she had to get out of there as quickly as possible.
For a few minutes, she had felt like he had actually seen her and then in the next moment it was gone. Theo was back to being the adult in the room, the one with no time for a silly kid. And also, he had asked her about her father! Right after she had watched him undressing her lingerie with his eyes.
Nora felt the back of her neck burning as she stormed through his house and out of the front door. She now realized how bad of an idea it had been to come to his home. Her feelings for him, her desire for him…had only strengthened, just when she thought that she would be able to survive this trip without breaking down into a messy heap of tears and heartbreak all over again.
Unwrapped by The Billionaire Page 2