Reckless Billionaire

by Cheryl Phipps

  It was lunchtime and she’d been told Matthew was in his room so she knocked gently on his door. No answer. She tried twice more with no better result. Worried now, she turned the handle and went inside. His bed took up a large portion, but the room was still twice as big as her whole apartment.

  Matt lay on the coverlet, breathing deeply. She’d been in here before to assist his washing and dressing, but never while he was asleep. He looked so young, so innocent. Looks were usually misleading. Her hand crept on its own accord over to his cheek and brushed back several stray hairs, even as her eyes were diverted to his chest. He was tall like Ben, but his chest and shoulders were narrower, like his hips. Lean he might be, but his muscles were well-defined. The leg and arm which had been broken were getting stronger and filling out nicely.

  She licked her lips and then jerked upright. Matt was watching her with a very interested look.

  He raised his head. “Come back here.”

  “I was just…”

  “Looking at me? I don’t mind.”

  “I do. I’m the hired help. It’s hardly professional.”

  “Let me be the judge of that.”

  “You?”

  “Sure. I’ve been the subject of a lot of woman’s glances—from all professions.” His eyes twinkled at her.

  “How can you say stuff like that with such a straight face?”

  “Are you saying it couldn’t be true? That hurts.”

  “I’ll hurt you in a minute if you don’t stop with this rubbish.”

  He laughed and got up to stretch. “I think we should get out of here.”

  She agreed. Despite the teasing and looking like he did, all tousled and sexy, Matt’s bedroom had suddenly become more intimate than was acceptable.

  They ate a quiet lunch and afterwards Aimee broached the subject of having more to do.

  “I don’t know what to say. I’m feeling well and I imagine I’ll be back to normal in a couple of weeks.”

  “Then what? You won’t need me at all.” She should have been delighted by the prospect, but she wasn’t.

  “I like you being here, but I can’t manufacture things for you to do. Unless…” He looked very mischievous.

  “Should I be scared?”

  “You will be,” he said, ruefully.

  “Go on. Hit me.”

  “How about we take a trip to the east coast? I really want to see what Evan’s doing with the marina, and I think you’d get on with Macy. She’s got your sense of humor.”

  She was about to say no, but she could see the excitement and longing on his face. He had to have something to look forward to or this wasn’t going to work. “I’d feel like I was having a real vacation.”

  “So? Why can’t you enjoy this time out from your job? What’s the worst that could happen?”

  She snorted. “I can think of plenty of things.”

  “You know, I used to think you were such an optimist. Seems I was wrong.”

  She glared at him, knowing he was trying to bait her. “Tell me how we’d get there.”

  “We’d take the company jet. Our pilot’s nearly as good as me.”

  He looked like he was telling the truth, but it didn’t help. “Is that the only way?”

  “It’ll be less than five hours if we fly. It would take days to drive there.”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure I can do it.” The words sounded equal parts familiar and pathetic,

  “From the pictures Evan sends, the marina has awesome views of the ocean, and the sand is as white as this salt.” He waggled the shaker at her.

  Aimee felt sick, but she would like to see those views, “If you really want to go, then I’ll come. Do we need to check with your mother?”

  He sighed. “I guess so. Let’s go talk to her.”

  They found Eloise in her pink sitting room. Her coffee pot took pride of place beside a laptop. She glanced up when they entered. “This looks serious.”

  Matt explained what they intended while Aimee admired from her place beside him the elegance of the room. Everything about Eloise was elegant.

  “I think that’s an excellent idea. I would come with you, but we’re having issues with a company imploding and I need to head out myself.”

  “Ben can’t go?”

  “He has something on with Jenna this weekend and I wasn’t doing anything.”

  “I could see to it.”

  “You’re going to Heaven Bay. To me that’s more important.”

  “So, am I grounded or not?”

  “How can I ground a grown man? You just can’t come back to work until the six months is up.”

  Matt was looking flustered so Aimee stepped in. “I’m happy to pay my own way.”

  “You’re still on the payroll, so don’t worry about anything like that. The plane is available and you’ll have accommodation I believe. Have fun and behave yourself, son.” She rose to kiss Matt on the cheek and then did the same to her.

  Feeling confused, nervous, and a little excited, Aimee went to pack. Matt had given her an hour. It was barely enough time, and as she wheeled her bag to the top of the stairs, the butler was waiting to take it down. Matt was at the door with another man who turned out to Eloise’s driver. The staff count must be huge. There again, the place would warrant it.

  The driver took them to a small airfield outside San Francisco where a smart-looking jet was out on the tarmac. Her heart was likely to push through her chest the way it was beating. She felt a little wobbly as she took the stairs. A man in a white suit greeted them.

  “Aimee, this is Gary, our pilot.”

  “Good afternoon, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to have you both on board. We’re awaiting clearance for takeoff. The flight should be smooth, and Willa will make sure you have everything you need.”

  Willa was a gorgeous hostess, with a wonderful southern accent “This is your seat Ms. Parker. When the captain says you can remove your seat belt, you’ll find the facilities at the back of the plane, should you wish to freshen up. May I offer you some champagne?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Matt was looking at her funny. “I’ve never seen you drink.”

  “I’ve never flown before either. Seems like a good time to start.”

  “What bothers you the most about flying?”

  “It’s way up high, and I have no parachute.”

  “Gary’s been flying for years. I promise that we are safe in his capable hands.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  He raised his hands in surrender as he raised his glass to hers. “Cheers.”

  She took a long swallow and coughed hard. The bubbles tickled her nose, but it did taste nice. She took another sip then a gulp as the plane began to move.

  He must have seen her panic. “Right now, we’re beginning to taxi. It’s going to give us enough speed to take off. We’ll go up on an angle until we reach the height we need to fly out. Next we’ll level out and then you’ll feel like you’re on a bus.”

  “A bus could never look like this.”

  He laughed. “It’s not so bad, is it?”

  At that moment, the plane tilted upwards and she felt the moment the wheels left the tarmac. “I’ll let you know when we touch down at Heaven Bay.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Matt had stopped at two drinks. Not so, Aimee. She had become drunk very quickly, and cute as it was, he was worried. Fear made a person do weird things.

  He asked Willa to help him settle her in the bedroom, and for once Aimee was happy to oblige. He pulled a blanket up to her chin. “Have a nap. We’ll be there before you know it.”

  She ran a finger down his cheek as her hazel eyes turned a deep green.

  “You are one sexy man, Matthew Knight.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  “Me? No, I’m damaged goods, like you, but different. Destined to be alone.”

  Matt couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re beautiful. I
bet you’ve got men lining up to take you out.”

  “Sure, but they wouldn’t if they knew about me.”

  Andy had done a thorough investigation. Nothing terrible had turned up apart from the business with her mother’s death. Was that it? “Tell me what happened.”

  She shook her head. “Never. It’s my secret until I die. Is that going to happen today?”

  “No. I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”

  She nodded, then touched his skin above the v of his shirt, causing a shiver all the way down his front.

  “I haven’t kissed a lot of men.”

  “Oh.” It was good to hear, but her earnestness made him want to laugh.

  “Bet you have,” she continued

  He snorted. “I can honestly say that I’ve never kissed even one man.”

  She slapped his arm which brushed against her breast. “You’re silly. I mean women.”

  “I’ve kissed a few. Probably not as many as Evan, but maybe more than Ben and Andy.”

  “You boys are so competitive. It’s no wonder you’re lost.”

  That had him confused. “I’m right where I should be. With you.”

  Her eyes were getting heavy. “I wish you could be with me forever.”

  Matt kissed her gently on the lips and she smiled so sweetly that it brought a lump to his throat. There was room on the bed so he lay beside her, watching her sleep, wondering if it was simply alcohol that had made her say such a thing. How could she want him if she thought he was so damaged, and what had happened to make her feel she wasn’t worthy of being loved?

  They woke to the announcement that the plane was about to descend. Aimee’s eyes which had been blinking sleepily shot open. She sat up and looked wildly about her.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “You got drunk and fell asleep. I was keeping a close eye on you.”

  She got off the bed. “Close seems a massive understatement.”

  “We can discuss semantics after we buckle up.”

  “I need to freshen up, I look a mess.”

  “We’ll have plenty of time before we have to disembark to get you shipshape.”

  She reluctantly followed him to their seats, watching him warily, but Matt flicked through a magazine. He’d done nothing wrong. Of course, he was guilty of wanting to do all kinds of wrong things, but he was the only one who knew it.

  The plane landed smoothly, and Aimee flexed her hands, letting out a heavy sigh.

  “How did you like your first flight?”

  “Where’s that bathroom?”

  He pointed and she practically ran there, her hands to her mouth. Uh-oh.

  She eventually came out with a damp cloth against her forehead, her face pale and Matt felt guilty for teasing her. He sincerely hoped it was the alcohol and not the flight that had made her sick. They still had a return trip to do.

  “Are you okay?”

  She faced him with red-rimmed eyes. “I’m dying.”

  Matt couldn’t help the grin that slipped out. “Perhaps two firsts in one day was a bit much.”

  She glared at him.

  “Sorry. Take it easy and I’ll find out if the car’s here for us.”

  She leaned docilly back in her chair and he instructed Willa to bring Aimee some water which she carefully sipped.

  Before he could leave, a gorgeous brunette came aboard

  “Hi there. You have to be Matt.” She gave him a hug. “I’m Macy. Welcome to Heaven.”

  He was bowled over by her friendliness, and hugged her back. Any woman who could tame his restless brother was a winner in his book. “I thought it was called Heaven Bay?”

  “That’s where the marina is. Heaven is the town itself. Named after my great-great-great-granddaddy.”

  “Thanks for meeting us. Where’s Evan?”

  “He had a wedding cruise. Our other captain had personal issues. He’ll be back later tonight.”

  Aimee gingerly rose and came forward.

  “Macy, this is my…friend, Aimee Parker.”

  “Nice to meet you. My father’s gone to visit my sister so you two can have his room.”

  Aimee flinched. “We’ll need separate bedrooms.”

  “Oh, sorry. Typical of Evan not to tell me everything. It’ll be the couch for you, I’m afraid, Matt.”

  “We can stay in a hotel.”

  “But Evan’s looking forward to having you. He’ll want to see you tonight, and it’s a comfy couch.”

  Matt compromised. “How about one night?”

  “That’s fine, and I do understand. We’re probably not what you’re used to. He still has the lease on a place in town where Evan stayed when he first came here. Your welcome to use it, and there’s two bedrooms.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Let’s go then, and get you home.”

  Matt tried to help Aimee from the plane, but she was determined to put on a brave face, even though she clearly felt ill.

  Aimee hadn’t been able to wait up to meet Evan. She’d slept soundly under a handmade quilt, on what looked like a handmade bed. The whole place was rustic and wonderful.

  After waking, she took the liberty of making tea. The house was empty and she had no idea where Matt and the others had gone, so she wrote up some notes that she wasn’t sure she would ever need at the dining table.

  When Matt came through the open door with a wide smile, he looked different. His tan was deep and his hair sun-bleached. Plus, he had no scar on his bronzed arm.

  “Morning, Aimee.”

  “You’re not Matt.”

  He laughed loudly. “Well done. Even our staff get it wrong from time to time, and they’ve known us for years.”

  He sat beside her and shot a quick look at her paperwork. She flipped it over and he laughed again, with Matt’s laugh, which was weird because she knew it was Evan. This might take some getting used to.

  “It’s uncanny. I can’t imagine having someone look and sound like me.”

  Evan shrugged. “We don’t know life any other way, although we have some distinct character differences. Or so everyone loves to tell us.”

  “Such as?”

  He gave it some thought. “I like to move around a lot, Matt’s a homebody one minute and a daredevil the next.”

  “Yet you’ve committed to the marina?”

  He nodded. “I know. I’m amazed too, but this is what I’ve been looking for. A job I can get my hands dirty, but also have that freedom on the water. It doesn’t get any better. Hey, anyone ever tell you that you’re easy to talk to?”

  She blushed. “I guess listening is a by-product of the nursing occupation.”

  “Sure. So, what do you think of our place in the sun?”

  “I love it. The views are amazing from up here. I didn’t get a chance to look properly last night, but the marina looks stunning too.”

  “We have to do a lot of work to get it back to where it once was, but hopefully it’ll be attracting more tourists soon.”

  Evan took a seat at the table beside her, looking uncomfortable, but determined.

  “I want to say thanks for looking after Matt, and ask if you think he’s doing okay.”

  She could feel his scrutiny even before she answered. “His scars are healing nicely and his limbs are slowly getting their strength back. He should be back to normal in a few weeks.”

  “That’s not what I’m asking.”

  The question of Matt’s mental health hung between them, and because it was like she had him beside her she had a bizarre desire to talk it through. But, that wasn’t right. If the brothers were that close then they could have the conversation between themselves.

  She lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “That’s all I’m prepared to say.”

  He grinned. “Andy was right—you’re a smart lady.”

  “Andy doesn’t really know me.”

  He looked amused by that, which was a little annoying.

  “Matt also said you were tough.
I can see that too.”

  “What do you want, Evan?”

  “I want to know how you’re going to fix my brother.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Give me strength. Do you think you’re the first person to ask me that? I’ll tell you what I told them. I am not here to fix him. He’s not broken. He’s just mixed up, like a lot of people.”

  “But you are talking to him about his issues?”

  “Evan, if you want to know how Matt really is, I suggest you ask him,” she said, pointedly.

  He looked down at his hands, big and strong, like Matts.

  “Mom said I wasn’t to bug him when he came here.”

  “Seriously? That’s the best you’ve got?”

  His feathers were definitely ruffled. “Mom’s the best and none of us will apologize for not bucking her very often, since she’s usually right.”

  She felt a pain in her chest. The situation with Matt being ‘grounded’ had appalled her initially, but after a few weeks surrounded by the Knights, she was jealous of their closeness; their total dedication and belief in Eloise Knight making the right decisions.

  It should be bizarre, yet it wasn’t. Insisting they work in the business until they found their passion was a brilliant idea. They got insights and skills that others would never have the opportunity to attain. Added to the old-fashioned notions that ‘mom knows best’ and ‘family is everything’, the younger Knights had somehow found their way. Except for Matt.

  Which made her think of her own lonely existence. She blamed so much of who she was on her past, and even though the future had not yet been written, she’d already discarded it. It was a shame that she wasn’t more like Matt in the risk taking. Just a little.

  The silence had grown, and Evan finally spoke.

  “Aimee, we don’t often demonstrate our feelings openly in this family, apart from Caris. It’s a legacy from my father, potentially not one of his better ones. We tend to show our affection in other ways.”

  She frowned. “Teasing and general put-downs?”

  He gave her a wry smile. “I guess we could do better, but we do love and look out for each other. It’s killed me not to be with Matt, and if he needs me to come home, I will. Tell me what to do.”