Reckless Billionaire

by Cheryl Phipps

  “I hear a ‘but’ coming.”

  She folded her hands together. “You’ve had several accidents lately. Something’s wrong, and I want to know what it is.”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I was tired from my visits to our clients. I’ve got more, now that Evan’s over on the East Coast.”

  His mother frowned. It did sound like he was making excuses, and that wasn’t his way.

  “I admit I should have stayed near the airport since I was so tired. I was too focused on getting home to ride safely and it was irresponsible. This was my fault, but there’s nothing else going on for you to worry about.”

  There was a faint tinge of sadness in her tone. “I want to believe you.”

  “So, why don’t you?”

  His mother sighed, settling back into her chair with a heaviness he hadn’t seen before. “You’ve been flying too low, racing too fast, jumping your horse too high, thrown yourself off cliffs, and probably a lot of other things you’ve never told me about. And here you are again, in a hospital.”

  “How do you know all that? Ahhh. Let me guess. Andy, our resident snoop, has been filling your head with my misdemeanors.”

  “Don’t you sass me, son. Or bad-mouth Andy. That man is always looking out for us. He’s a part of this family whether you like it or not.”

  Matt immediately felt remorse for his outburst. “Sorry. You know I think Andy’s awesome, but he shouldn’t be telling you this stuff.”

  She stiffened. “I would hate it if he didn’t. If Andy’s worried, then there’s every reason for me to be the same. That being the case, I’m grounding you.”

  Matt laughed, until the look came his way. That look could melt an argument set in stone, and he was not immune, but she couldn’t be serious. “You’re grounding me? From what, and how?”

  “Well, you won’t be doing much of anything with a broken arm and leg. So, I think once the casts come off and you’re all healed, let’s say six months.”

  “You lost me. Six months of what?”

  “Six months of doing nothing.”

  “Mom, please. You know I can’t do nothing.”

  “It’s time you learned that being reckless is going to kill you. If that happened, I would never forgive myself. Not when I could have intervened.”

  She was guilt-tripping him into accepting, and he didn’t like it one bit. “I’m a grown man. How can I get you to see reason?”

  “Prove to me in those six months that you don’t have a death wish. That you have the life you want or are going to make.”

  She made it sound so easy, but he knew there was no way he could do it.

  “I’ll go mad if I’m stuck at Knight Stables for six months, and with Evan gone, you need me elsewhere.”

  “What I need is a son who’s whole. I’ve been thinking about this for some time. Knight Industries will cope without you for that long. Your brothers and sisters will help out. Besides—is being at home for a while really such a bad thing?”

  His mother stood. “I’m going to find a bathroom. I won’t be long.”

  Matt was suddenly bone tired. His mother, even upset, wasn’t going to give an inch, no matter what he said. It was there in the set of her face and body. Besides, the guilt had dug in deeper, and he couldn’t bear to see her like this.

  He was known for his ability to find solutions to big problems, so if he had to do six months of nothing to prove to her he wasn’t suicidal, he’d somehow manage it, but he was going to need help to make that time go by.

  His twin brother, Evan, wasn’t going to be any use, since he was living on the East Coast with his new girlfriend. Benjamin wouldn’t want to, and would probably have to pick up most of the work that Matt’s absence would create.

  Sarah’s time was taken up with William and her role as head of Knight’s PR, and Caris was studying hard. They were busy people already, and were not going to be impressed by having to cover his work load, but they would do it.

  He had no girlfriend. There were no friends whose company he enjoyed enough to have come live at Knight Stables for six months to babysit him. Evan was his best friend, and he wasn’t available. There had to be someone who’d be good company, not a talker, liked fun and was sporty.

  He had it! Andy was his best shot, and what do you know, he chose that moment to reappear. It must be a sign.

  “Sorry, Matt. I called the family, and you know how it is, everyone will be here soon.”

  Matt groaned. That’s all he needed right now; the clan descending on him, telling him what an idiot he was. Still it wasn’t Andy’s fault. “Never mind. I know what they’re like. Nothing could have kept them away. What are you up to for the next few months?”

  His foster brother raised an eyebrow at the abrupt change of subject. “I’ve got some buddies leaving the forces and they’ll be joining my company. That means a lot of retraining. Why?”

  He told him of his mom’s decision, and annoyingly, Andy didn’t look surprised. “Did you happen to know about this?”

  His face was a mask of innocence. “There was some discussion.”

  “I see.”

  “I don’t think you do, but like your mom, I hope you will.”

  He could be offended, but Andy never said anything he didn’t mean. They stared at each other awkwardly, until Matt looked away. He had some thinking to do, because his last hope of rescue had been extinguished. His brain hurt, so he closed his eyes. They meant well.

  He heard his mother come into the room. A gentle kiss on his forehead and the smell of her perfume made him sigh.

  “We’ll get coffee and let you rest until the doctor comes by.”

  His mother’s voice was soft and soothing as he drifted off.

  Chapter Four

  “Mr. Knight, are you ready for a ride on your charger? It’s not white I’m afraid, and it won’t go nearly as fast, but you will get a change of scenery.”

  A red flag had leapt out at Aimee, as she’d watched Matthew Knight’s behavior with his family over the last few days. Having had experience with depression, she could see that he was struggling. Visitors or not, there was always time alone for a patient when they invariably took stock of their limitations. This morning was such a day.

  It had started with a lack of appetite and a lot of pain. He didn’t complain, but seemed bent on staying in bed. For the active man, she believed him to be, the idea of being inhibited by two casts for several weeks must be frustrating, and she was not about to let that turn into something worse.

  Matt lifted his head from the pillow and glanced at the wheelchair she’d brought in. The bruises were changing color already, and the whiteness had gone from around his mouth. He was mending. Physically, at least.

  He lay back. “I don’t think so.”

  Aimee tapped her foot. “It was a rhetorical question. I’ve got half an hour, so hurry up.”

  “I don’t believe you talk to your other patients like this,” he said, as he eyed her curiously.

  “True, but they don’t give me grief like you do.”

  His eyes widened. “What grief?”

  “Feeling sorry for yourself, and not getting in the darn chair.”

  “That’s a bit harsh. Look at me. I’m a mess.”

  She took him at his word and her gaze travelled the length of him. “It’s not pretty, I grant you, but bones heal and bruises fade. Meanwhile, you need to lighten up, and consider how lucky you are.”

  A light went on behind his eyes and he tilted his head a little. He was brewing something Aimee knew she ought to be worried about.

  “If I come with you now, can I call you Aimee?”

  His teasing was a good sign and she was determined to keep him in that zone. “Call me whatever you like, just get a move on.”

  With a few mutters, and a lot of maneuvering, they managed to get him in the wheelchair. Aimee covered him with a light blanket and soon they were strolling through the corridors and then out into the sunshine.

  “
Isn’t this a beautiful day?”

  “I guess it is, Aimee,” he said, innocently.

  She took a path that led to the garden outside the children’s hospital and parked him near a couple of families.

  “What are we doing here?”

  “Appreciating what we do have.”

  Matthew raised an eyebrow, but to his credit didn’t complain, as they watched two bald boys, about ten years old, playing a game of checkers on a huge board that they could walk on.

  They were thin, apart from their chubby cheeks, which were steroid induced, yet they behaved like children everywhere. Teasing and celebrating with glee when they made a good move. They waved to her, as did their parents sitting nearby.

  “What are those beads they’re wearing?”

  Aimee stared straight ahead, fighting a small lump in her throat. “Every bead denotes a procedure.”

  “Operations?”

  “Some, but also blood tests, chemo, etc. They’re rather brave, when you consider what they have had to endure.”

  Matthew shook his head in disbelief. “Can we go?”

  “Sure.”

  He looked thoughtful rather than upset, and this gave her hope that it had been a good idea to bring him here.

  “You were right, Aimee. I’m going to be fine. I hope they will be too.”

  Aimee smiled. “Both boys are in remission, which is always good. And, you’ll get to do all the things you want to do again real soon.” She pushed him back along the path, imagining what a man like Matthew Knight might like to do.

  “I could probably ride a horse with a cast?” he asked, hopefully.

  “Dream on. You’ll need to walk before you can ride.”

  Matthew snorted, and twisted so he could see her. “You’re an unusual nurse, did you know that?”

  She shrugged, enjoying the way he looked at her. “I have been told, in fact I’m often in trouble because of it.”

  He laughed, and she wondered why she would have told him that.

  “I can imagine. It does seem at odds with the serious nurse you try to portray.”

  “Goodness, you make me sound like an old fuddy-duddy.”

  This time he laughed. “Fuddy-duddy? Where on earth did you get that from? Never mind, no-one could say that about you. You’re special, for sure.”

  “Special, am I? That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

  “You know it is. From where I sit, you are one of those people who has to care about others, even when it’s a pain in the butt.”

  “Like you?”

  “Hey, I was being nice.”

  “Now, that’s a matter of opinion.” She helped him back into bed, glad to see the sun and the children had worked some magic and brightened Matt up.

  “Will you take me for a spin again?”

  His face was so close to hers, as she rearranged his pillows. His mouth just an inch or so from her cheek.

  She gulped. “Let’s see how you behave.”

  “Between you and my mother, I don’t think I can handle all this fun.” He teased, his eyes never leaving her.

  Standing up, she shook her head. “Stop, you’ll have me in tears. See you tomorrow.”

  “I look forward to it, nurse Parker.”

  He was in hospital for a few more days, spent mostly on his back, apart from when Aimee took him for a ride in a wheelchair. He was already itching to be free of the casts and if it hadn’t been for the company of his favorite nurse, he would have gone mad with the tedium of hospital life.

  He’d been offered a room in the more lavish private part of the hospital, but he’d asked to stay because of Aimee, and had no complaints apart from the food. With no drips and the pain meds decreasing each day he was beginning to feel like his old self.

  She was here now, giving him a bed bath—not the worst thing in the world.

  “So, you’re going home tomorrow?”

  He felt his face contort. “I can’t wait.”

  She lifted his hand and washed each finger, her touch sending shivers up his arm.

  “That wasn’t terribly convincing.”

  He shrugged. “You know how it is. Family.”

  “Actually, I don’t,” she said, matter-of-factly, as she washed and rinsed each limb as best she could with so much plaster. Moving down his torso her hands felt like a caress, and things were about to get awkward. When she leaned over him, he tried to think of something that would stop his body’s reaction to her touch.

  “Sometimes I wish I didn’t.”

  “That’s a terrible thing to say.”

  Her annoyance helped his embarrassment immensely, and he hadn’t meant it, but he loved to tease Aimee. The woman was far too serious for someone so young. “Not if you knew my family.”

  She stole a look at him, registered he was messing with her, and shrugged. “I almost feel like I do. They’re always here.”

  He gave her a wry grin. “Yep, it’s like a tag team.”

  “They care. I think it’s lovely.”

  Matt winked at her. “It would be nice if they cared a little less.”

  Aimee laughed. It was such a genuine sound and it never failed to make him smile when he heard it. He shifted uncomfortably, since her hands were very close to the part of him that was behaving inappropriately once more.

  Aimee stopped and adjusted his towel with complete nonchalance. “I’m going to give you the cloth and you can do the rest.”

  He knew the drill, but was still a little disappointed when she went through the curtain to update his notes. Then he felt annoyed with himself. He was a sorry excuse for a man, behaving so clichéd around a woman in a nurse’s uniform. She was a professional and he was a mess.

  “Tomorrow, you can get up and shower. There’s a seat in the bathroom and a nurse will tape up the casts.”

  He frowned at her shadow. “You won’t be here?”

  “It’s my day off. I’m looking forward to a sleep-in. Actually, any sleep-in general is appealing. It’s been a long and demanding week.”

  He tried not to take that personally. He’d miss her bright and witty repartee. None of the other nurses chatted with him like she did. “You do work long hours, don’t you?”

  “Most weeks. It’s usually my choice, though.”

  “It must be great to love your job that much.”

  There was a short silence and he wondered if she’d heard him, then she answered in a clipped tone.

  “No one likes everything about their job, but I do like to help people.”

  “You’ve certainly helped me.”

  “How nice of you to say so. All finished?”

  He quickly—if a little awkwardly—dried himself, then placed the towel back across his hips. “Ready.”

  Aimee helped him put on clean pajamas that had been modified to allow for the casts. She was very discrete. As she slipped his top on, she was so close he could feel her breath on his cheek. When she did up the buttons, he imagined sliding the zip of her uniform down. Her breasts pulled at the fabric and—

  He quickly averted his gaze. All this time in bed was playing havoc with his manners and he needed to stop it. She was a nice woman, doing her job. She wasn’t interested in Matthew Knight, the idiot who was being treated like a child by his mother. If that wasn’t a passion killer, he didn’t know what was.

  And there it was. The reason he spent hours fantasizing about her. Wanting what he couldn’t have was an unusual experience for a Knight.

  When she had him settled, she cleaned up and got ready to leave.

  Matt coughed. “Well, I guess this is goodbye. Thanks for looking after me and keeping me company.”

  “It’s all part of the job, but you’re welcome. Good luck with everything when you get home, and take it easy on the bike when you’re up to riding again.”

  He smiled at her, drinking in the last look of his own Florence Nightingale. Tomorrow was the beginning of his sentence, but the bars were already falling around him the sense of b
eing trapped made him sweat.

  Chapter Five

  Aimee pulled her bedroom curtain back a little. A knock at the door had woken her from a deep sleep and she was going to read the riot act to whoever it was. She screamed as a large man looked back at her. He shrugged and nodded to her door. What? He wanted her to open it? A stranger? Make that a huge stranger. No way.

  As if she’d said that aloud, he folded his arms and leaned back against the concrete wall, looking like he had all the time in the world and certainly no cares. In that repose, she recognized his face. She dropped the curtain, jumped out of bed and threw on her dressing gown. She pulled the sash tight before opening the door, prudently leaving the chain on.

  “Andy, is it?”

  He moved closer. “Yes, ma’am,” he said in his Texas drawl, touching the brim of his Stetson which made him look even taller.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “The Knight family would like to offer you a job.”

  She frowned. “I have a job.”

  He nodded. “It would mean taking a leave of absence from the hospital and coming to work for Mrs. Knight at Knight Stables.”

  None of what he said made any sense to her sleep deprived brain. “That’s not possible. We’re short-staffed, so the hospital wouldn’t allow it.”

  He raised a thick eyebrow. “They’ve already agreed.”

  Aimee clutched at her robe, still unable to comprehend. “What? That can’t be.”

  “I assure you, they are happy for you to help out one of San Francisco’s oldest families.”

  That made her annoyed again. This was presumption taken to a new level. She crossed her arms, trying to look taller than her five foot-six. “Well, I don’t want to.”

  “The pay is excellent, as well as having other benefits.” He cast his eyes around the cheap apartment block. “It would be safer too.”

  “I’m safe right here.” She nodded at the chain.

  “Ma’am, I don’t mean to frighten you, but that chain can be snapped in seconds.”

  “I’d have to open the door first.”