Resident Billionaire

by Cheryl Phipps

  “I’m so glad you’re taking Mrs. Carlile home. She’s been a pleasure to have around, and the others will miss her.” She smiled nervously. “I’m sorry to ask, but could you sign this release form, please?”

  “The manager too chicken?” he growled.

  She blushed and nodded.

  “I’ll do it.” Caris took the papers and began to read through them. He didn’t give a damn if it was legal or not as he headed out to the car, managing to push the unlock button in his pocket and open the back door, without moving her about too much. He laid her inside, then took off his coat to put behind her head.

  She leaned back to watch him, with a weak smile. “Don’t be angry, son. We’re together again. That’s all that matters.”

  Her sweet face lined now, but filled with love the way he’d remembered it, held him in check, when all he wanted to do was smash something. Or someone. “Caris shouldn’t be long.”

  “I’m in no hurry to be anywhere else. Being with you is good enough for me.”

  He coughed, praying that Caris wouldn’t be too long.

  Chapter Ten

  They went straight to the local hospital where Andy’s mother was admitted for observation. He’d called the police and made a statement as soon as they arrived, while Caris spoke to the staff relaying what she knew of Patsy’s condition. Then, she gave her statement.

  The young officers didn’t seem too enthusiastic about the job at first. Caris was still mad at the manager and staff of the nursing home, and in no mood for their cavalier attitude. Putting on a sweet smile she ushered them into the hospital room. A nurse was putting more fluids into the IV, and Patsy was sound asleep.

  In a quiet voice, she pushed the point home, that the nursing home could not continue to operate like it was. “As you can see, gentlemen, Mrs. Carlile is in a terrible state. I can only repeat what I said earlier. If she’d been left for much longer she would have died from starvation and dehydration. I’m sure you both have mothers and grandmothers, and would hate to see them treated like this.”

  One was taking notes and nodding, while the other couldn’t take his eyes off the bed. He was visibly shaken. Caris felt no remorse. Sometimes seeing was believing.

  “I’m not an advocate for revenge, but I’d like to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Unfortunately, there are a lot more men and women in the same environment. The situation needs investigating as soon as you can before a tragedy occurs.”

  ‘We’ll go over there today,” the officer taking notes said, his voice husky with compassion.

  A lump formed in her throat. A lot of people her age had not been confronted with death, but doctors, nurses and police could be confronted with it on any given day. It was good to know these two weren’t unaffected. “Will you contact us with the results? You have our numbers.”

  “I’ll see what I can do and we’ll be in touch after we’ve checked the place out.”

  “Thank you so much. I can’t bear the thought they could carry on like they are indefinitely. Please remember that the young assistant, Rebecca Daniels, appeared to be doing the best she could. Mrs. Carlile speaks highly of her, and Rebecca was helpful and honest.”

  “I’ll remember.”

  They bustled out of the room and Caris turned back to Patsy. Still sound asleep, a smile had slipped onto her face, which was already looking less gaunt, thanks to an IV of fluids and some soup which had given her cheeks a little color.

  “You should check into a motel for the night.” Andy had appeared beside her in his silent way and was also looking at his mom.

  “I can organize rooms for us. Are you staying here for a bit?”

  He nodded “I’ll stay the night. It’s the least I can do. But get one for yourself.”

  “You need sleep too otherwise you’ll be no good to her.”

  “I’m fine,” he said, but his jaw clenched.

  “You aren’t fine. I understand that this has been a big shock, I can see the effect on you.”

  Andy stood taller, making her feel like a little person, as he scowled at no one in particular. “I know you mean well, but you can’t understand how I feel. I’m a private investigator. My first priority, once I got my license, should have been to find my mother. Even before that. If I’d done it years ago, when I was old enough, she wouldn’t have suffered like she has. It’s my fault she almost died.”

  “Andy, think about what you’re saying. You thought she was dead. You had no idea it wasn’t the truth.”

  “But I should have. For years I didn’t believe the lies my sorry excuse for a father told me. Why, out of all the bull which came out of his mouth, did I believe that one?”

  Her heart hurt for him and his inability to see that he wasn’t to blame. She tried a different approach. “I would think it obvious.”

  Andy stared down at her then took her arm and led her into a vacant room a few doors down. “Enlighten me.”

  She closed the door and led him to a couple of chairs. “If she wasn’t dead then it would mean she chose to leave you. Not only that, but leave you with your father. I remember how angry you were when you first came to town. I remember that you believed your mom would come get you. Understandably, it hurt when she didn’t, but neither of you were to blame.”

  Andy slumped in the chair and buried his face in his hands. She hadn’t seen him cry since he was a boy, and it was kind of shocking coming from this six foot seven, beefy Texan, with an attitude. It might make him seem more human, this vulnerability, but she took no pleasure in it.

  She held his hand as she sat beside him, looking out the window so he could get himself together without her watching. She was in love with Andy. She would walk over hot coals for him, but this was something he had to work through himself. Right now, she knew she couldn’t take away his hurt.

  He squeezed her hand gently as he sighed and she felt a small tremor when he relaxed. Even if she couldn’t fix this, maybe she could make it hurt a little less.

  Chapter Eleven

  Andy arrived at the motel just after five in the morning. Caris had managed a few hours’ sleep but had been awake for some time, listening for him and watching the open connecting door.

  He stood in the semi-darkness, and she pushed back the sheet and got out of bed. “How is she?” she asked, softly.

  “So much better. She saw me sleeping in the chair and made me come back here for a proper rest. I couldn’t argue. I’m shattered.” He rubbed his hands through his hair and put his Stetson on the dresser on his side of the door.

  “I’m not surprised. This has been a huge attack on your emotions, and you’re not invincible, Cowboy.”

  “No. I’m not. I’m not immune either,” he growled.

  She didn’t understand, but she could hear something ominous in his voice. Was he angry with her? “Immune to what?”

  “To the fact that you’re standing there in almost nothing.”

  She looked down at herself. The baby doll nightie was more decent on her than it might be on other women due to her lack of height, but it still barely grazed mid-thigh and had a rather low neckline.

  Now she got it, and suddenly her heart was beating faster and her skin began to tingle. “You don’t like it?” she asked, taking a step towards him so she could see his face. He was looking at her with such intensity and something else.

  “Oh, I like it very much. I may still be mixed up about a lot of stuff, but coming home to you isn’t one of them. I want you, Caris. I need you.”

  She didn’t need to hear another word. Running into his arms, he lifted her, as if she weighed nothing. He pulled her legs around his waist as he kissed her throat. Her head dropped back to give him better access, and greedily he devoured the exposed skin.

  She whimpered and clung to him as she showered kisses over his face. Then his mouth sought hers and nothing came close to this feeling of euphoria. Any nervousness she’d had about making love with Andy was subdued. His wanting her now might be partly
due to outside influences, but now was their time, and she would take what he had to offer, regardless of the consequences.

  Andy’s skin began to hum along with the fire in his blood as it pulsed through his body. He’d never wanted a woman this way. Never felt a desire so strong that all reason escaped him.

  Since he’d allowed himself to think of this possibility, things had changed for them. He still had remnants of the feeling that they were doing something wrong floating about in the back of his mind, but there was nothing that could possibly stop him from making love to Caris. Right at this moment, there was no thought of repercussion, only a need which had to be met, or he would surely die.

  “Love me, Andy. Love me now.”

  Her sweet voice issuing the command fueled the already deadly furnace of his passion and he carried her into his bedroom.

  After laying her gently on the bed, she immediately scooted up to the pillows, her breasts pushing against the thin material of her nighty and bulging over the top of it. He was mesmerized for a moment or two until he began to feel decidedly over-dressed. He pulled off his shirt and undid his belt. She licked her bottom lip and his nether regions grew even harder, something he hadn’t thought possible.

  She was leaning back on her elbows, her knees bent. With a cheeky look she slowly parted them. The matching panties barely covered her crotch and were now see-through.

  He certainly wasn’t new to making love, but Caris acting this way rendered him immobile.

  “Are you planning on standing there all day? How about taking off those pants, Cowboy?”

  His hands reacted first, as her eyes devoured him.

  “Can I help you with anything?” she asked in a sweet voice.

  “You can help me with a lot.” He stepped out of his jeans and boxers in one movement, not in the least shy.

  The hunger in her eyes as they trailed wantonly over his body was an incredible turn on, and he began to worry for the first time in his life if his lovemaking would stand up to scrutiny. He needed her so badly that there might not be time to do the moment justice.

  He threaded his fingers through her blonde hair and brought her face to his. Their eyes locked until their lips met and then her eyes fluttered closed as the kiss deepened. It was sublime and he greedily took everything she gave.

  When he released her, it was to cover her breasts with his hands and his mouth. She held his head, encouraging him with gasps and small noises. He crept lower and lower, until he found what he was after. She sighed so deeply that he had to take a moment to get himself under control before he could love that part of her as if he might not get the chance to do so again.

  “Please, Andy,” she begged.

  With those words, said in her sexy voice, there was no longer a question of his being able to wait. He covered himself with a condom and crawled up her body. Holding her hands above her head with one hand, he tried to enter her. A painful gasp made him stop immediately. Surely not?

  “Caris? Why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?”

  “It’s fine, Andy. Please don’t stop, we can talk about it later.”

  Naturally after his initial shock, he was flattered to be her first, but no matter what she thought, this changed things. Instead of taking her the way his body wanted, he took his time building her to a crescendo which had her moaning and pleading with him. This time he was gentler when he entered her, his self-control near breaking point considering his sweet Caris turned out to be a demanding lover.

  Making love to her was everything he’d imagined and so much more. As one they moved, stretching the moment into infinity where they brought each other to the pinnacle and collapsed down the other side. Heaven could not be sweeter.

  Caris could barely breathe, and she didn’t care. To lie in Andy’s arms was a dream come true. To have made love with him was better than any dream.

  As if he’d heard her thoughts, he rolled to the side, but took her with him so that she straddled his hips. Pushing her hair back from her face, he kissed her. “All right?”

  She bit his lip. “It was a little more than all right.”

  He grinned. “I’d give it a solid ten, but that’s not what I meant. I hope I wasn’t too rough for your first time, and I didn’t hurt you too much?”

  Sure enough, her body felt bruised, but it was definitely in a good way. “Hell, no. You were perfect.”

  He nodded. “Like I said, a solid ten.”

  She pinched his nipples between her fingers. “Maybe even an eleven.” Then she moved up and down his body, delighted to hear his breathing hitch. “Want to try for a twelve?”

  He groaned as if he couldn’t manage it, but she felt a hardness nudging at her once more, so it seemed like he did.

  Chapter Twelve

  The flight back to San Francisco was too quick. Andy wasn’t ready to face the Knights yet, but he had no choice. He’d phoned Ben the day after they’d found his mother and had explained some of the details, and that he was bringing her home. Naturally, there would be questions.

  Questions about his mother he could deal with. At some stage, they’d notice the relationship change between Caris and himself, especially when they arrived home together. He’d rather come clean before that happened.

  Caris was chatting easily with his mom, and he loved that they got on so well. It was harder for him to talk to her. A lot of time had passed, and he felt awkward and guilty in equal measure.

  It was wonderful that his mother was looking a lot less frail after only a few days spent at the hospital. And it helped that she was clean and dressed properly.

  They hadn’t gone back for her clothes, but Caris had picked up her personal effects, and then she’d gone shopping and bought his mother a brand-new wardrobe. His mom was wearing a powder-blue dress and sat next to him by the window, beaming.

  She turned to him. “Andrew, I don’t want to pry, but how is it that you have a plane like this at your disposal?”

  It was still hard to explain, so he settled for a short answer. “I got lucky with Charis’s family. They took me in when Dad died.”

  “Andy is part of our family,” Caris added from opposite them.

  “So, you’re like brother and sister.”

  “No!” They both answered. Loudly.

  “Sorry, did I say something wrong?”

  “It’s okay, Mrs. Carlile. Andy and I are in a relationship, only my family doesn’t know about it yet.”

  He stared at her. It was the truth, but it was also the first time either of them had vocalized it.

  His mother sighed. “Oh dear. I thought we were all done with secrets.”

  “If you can give us a few hours, Mom, Caris and I will tell her family.”

  “Mum’s the word,” she winked at him as she pretended to zip her mouth.

  “Thanks. I’m sure you can appreciate how delicate this is.”

  “All I care about is being with you. Although, I can’t help thinking about the others I’ve left behind. The vile manager did some awful and degrading things to all of us.”

  “Is that why you’d given up?”

  Her eyes widened. “I gave up because I had no way of finding you, or so I believed, and when my sister died, my life had no meaning. If I could have stayed in Texas, I would have, because I was sure that when you were old enough you would try to find me. It was a huge decision when my sister got sick to move out east to look after her. I honestly thought I would go back once she was well and prayed the agency the lawyer hired would meanwhile find you.”

  He flinched at the mess it had all turned into. “But she didn’t get better, did she?”

  “No. Poor love, she suffered a great deal at the end, and I can’t be sorry I was there for her. She was so good to me. I didn’t have money, and we used everything she’d saved to pay the rent on her apartment. When she passed away, the money had pretty much gone too, so that was that. I ended up at Happy Valley because it was the only one the government would pay for.”

/>   “Did they specifically mistreat you?”

  “I kept my head down like I tried to do with your father, and that helped. Rebecca tried her best to deflect the manager’s nastiness, but she wasn’t there every hour of every day. I wish I could do something for the rest of them, and for her. Her sweetness didn’t leave, even when the other staff treated her so badly.”

  She paled a little, perhaps at some not so pleasant memories, and Andy decided she wasn’t telling him everything. It could wait because he wanted to bring back the glow she’d had earlier. “Let’s get you settled then we can think of something.”

  “Really?”

  He smiled at her faith in him, and the love in her eyes. “I’ll do my best.”

  When they landed, his Hummer was waiting. He lifted his mother onto the front seat, which was tricky as he didn’t want to hurt her. When she was settled he put the bags in the back.

  She’d never been to San Francisco, so he pointed out the landmarks as they passed them.

  “The Golden Gate Bridge is just as wonderful as I’d heard. You know, the only places I’ve been are Texas and Florida.

  “When you’re feeling better and are settled, perhaps you could choose a vacation destination?”

  “Why would I need a vacation, when all I’ve ever needed was you?”

  If that hadn’t choked him up, then her exclamation at seeing Knight Stables for the first time surely would have. Sometimes it took another’s fresh approach to help you see things the way they really were. Looking at it through his mother’s eyes, he appreciated once more the beauty of the place. It stretched out in front of them, the many windows sparkling in the sun. The fountain in the middle of the circular drive added a touch of grandeur to the gardens in the background.

  “Oh, my. This is like a fairytale palace—so beautiful and peaceful. And, you live here?”