“You fell for a billionaire? For Aiden Hayes?” Kathryn repeated it like I had just admitted I was guilty of murder. She tightened her grip on my hands to get my attention. “You need to be careful not to get attached to him, Lena. He isn't exactly known for his loyalty to his girlfriends. You're too good for the likes of him.”
“What?” I tried to shake my hands free, but Kathryn held tight. Her lips pressed to a thin line. “He wouldn't do that...”
Kathryn evaluated my face and sighed at what she found there. “Just, take your time with him. I suppose it's good that you thought he was an assistant. At least you know your feelings for him are genuine and not bought. Just be careful. The last girl in your position with Aiden didn't fare well when he left her.”
“What do you mean?”
“He dated a secretary a while back. Not his own- not even in the same company, but still a secretary. When his father found out it was getting serious, he had her fired. She had to move to a new state because no one would hire her after that.” Kathryn glanced from side to side, making sure we were alone. “Gerald Hayes wants the best for his eldest. Flings he will tolerate, but the woman who will bear his grandchild... it's incredibly hypocritical given his own past, but that's what it is.”
I tried my best to absorb that blow without it knocking me off my feet. “So, it's not Aiden, so much as his father that I should be afraid of?”
Kathryn sighed. “Yes and no. Aiden didn't stand up for the girl. He let her go. I heard he got her a better job elsewhere, but my point is that he didn't fight for her.”
Would he fight for me? When he found out I wasn't what I had claimed to be, I knew he wouldn't. Yet, that didn't diminish what I felt for him. How much I ached for his body and just wanted to talk to him for hours.
My hands fell to my sides when Kathryn released them. Without Kathryn as my anchor, my world was spinning out of control with new information. I just wanted to go take a shower and sit by myself to think things out for a bit. I just needed to think.
“Make sure if you pursue him when we are no longer in the safety of the Caribbean that he will fight for you.” Kathryn stepped back, opening up the path for me. “I can only protect you so much. Gerald Hayes has more influence than I do.”
I nodded slowly. “I understand. Thank you, Kathryn.”
Kathryn leaned forward as if she were going to hug me, but stopped short. She was a lawyer and being touchy wasn't her strong suit. I had never seen her give anyone more than a polite handshake. She skipped the hug and just patted my shoulder instead. “Of course,” she said and then quickly turned and headed for the gym.
I walked to my room in a daze. The door beeped open and cold air rushed out into the tropical morning as I arrived. I stood in the doorway, letting the air escape. I didn't move until the air conditioner kicked on and surprised me with the new noise. Stepping inside, I closed the door and leaned against it, listening to the electrical whine of the motor cool the room. My mind bounced from thought to thought, but kept coming to settle back on one.
Aiden was a billionaire.
Chapter 18
I sat outside on the resort's restaurant patio, staring at the melting ice at the bottom of my cup. Lunch had been hours ago, but I hadn't moved yet and had no intention of doing so. My plate was only half eaten, but as long as I pretended to keep munching, the busboy left me alone. It was quiet here with the other diners all off exploring the resort. I needed to think.
Kathryn's big meeting had gone well, and despite my brain being elsewhere I had managed to take decent notes for her. I couldn't say exactly what the meeting had even been about, but I had three typed pages of information. I'd figure it out when I typed up the minutes later.
Instead of paying attention to if the current measures to prevent litigation were working, I had been thinking of Aiden and the fact that he was a billionaire and what that meant for us as a couple.
All the signs that he was more than just an assistant had been there, but I had just been too enamored to see them. His clothes and shoes were nicer than even the things Kathryn had bought me for work, but I had just thought he had worked at his job longer and had earned better clothes. I had excused his renting a boat and the ability to drive it as quirks. Even his super swanky suite I had let myself believe was his boss's. All the facts had been there. I had just been blind and stupid.
He never said he was an assistant. I had assumed that. Granted, he hadn't done anything to change that opinion by telling me all the expensive activities were comped. I shook my head, feeling like an idiot. I had told him the romantic dinner on the beach had been too much. That had been pocket change.
A billionaire. I couldn't get my head around it. That much money just didn't seem even possible to me. He never had to worry about rent or the price of gas, or even if he had to pick between the sale toilet paper and the brand name. Hell, he probably had chinchilla fur toilet paper. I was having trouble just trying to imagine what kind of opulence he must be used to. He was so far out of my league, we weren't even playing the same sport anymore.
If he had chinchilla fur toilet paper, what did he see in me? No wonder he wanted me to be a lawyer. A lawyer could understand his world. What hope did a nearly broke paralegal have of understanding the life of a billionaire? It was like a fish trying to understand the life of a bird.
I shook the ice in my cup. It would be completely melted soon. Did his money change the way I felt about him? That was an easy question to answer. No, it didn't. I had fallen for him long before I knew he had money. Just thinking of those hazel eyes and the way his whole face lit up when he smiled, I knew I loved him. I had thought he walked on water back when I was sure we were in the same tax bracket.
My eyes widened as I realized what I just admitted to myself. I loved him. I had loved him from the minute he had taken my books and walked me upstairs. It didn't matter to me if he was a billionaire or a hundredaire.
My hand shook as I set the cup down. I loved him. I had never been in love like this before and that scared me more than his money. I felt so deeply for him that it made my whole body ache. The fact that he had a history of abandoning women like me was terrifying. If he left me, I would shatter. I needed him in my life like I needed the sun.
But he was a billionaire and I was close to broke. He probably spent more money on that chinchilla fur toilet paper than I made in a year. He deserved someone better than a girl just struggling to make rent and working like crazy for a scholarship. It didn't matter to me what the size of his bank account was, but I wondered if the size of mine mattered to him.
“Is this seat taken?” Aiden's voice cut through my thoughts like a hot knife through butter. I looked up to see him haloed in the sunlight.
“As long as the guy I'm dating doesn't see you,” I replied. I couldn't help but smile when I saw him. With him in front of me, I could almost forget what he was. “But you look stronger than him, so you can probably take him in a fight.”
“It's just because I ate my Wheaties this morning,” he explained taking the seat across from me. Sunlight still highlighted his hair, turning it to honey gold. “How'd your meeting go?”
“Fine.” I chewed on my lower lip. I needed to confess to him and get the billionaire issue out in the open. It was the only way I was going to stay sane for the next three days on the island with him. “I ran into Kathryn when I came out of your room this morning.”
“Okay...” He shrugged like running into my boss was nothing and popped one of the fries from my plate into his mouth. His nose wrinkled up in disgust at the cold, soggy fry. “How long have you been sitting here?”
“She informed me that I had just come out of Mr. Hayes' room. The Mr. Hayes that run Travel, Inc. and is worth billions.” I picked at the cuticle on my thumb, nervous at what was going to happen next. “It kind of gave me a surprise this morning.”
Aiden put down the second french fry that was on its way to his mouth . “And?”
“I thought
you were an assistant,” I admitted, feeling exponentially more stupid with every word that left my mouth. “I thought Ben the bodyguard was your boss.”
Aiden's eyes focused completely on me as he settled into his chair. “I wasn't completely sure you didn't know until this moment, but I suspected.” He paused and then smiled. “It was actually refreshingly wonderful that you didn't know.”
“Wonderful? How could not knowing who you are be wonderful? I didn't know the one thing that everyone else knows does.” I looked up at him, feeling lost. Everyone else on this island knew who Aiden was and gave him the respect he deserved. I told him that he spent too much on dinner.
“It's the one thing I wish people didn't know,” Aiden explained softly. “People see me and think that I'm a walking ATM. It's worse than just being wealthy, because every single person knows I can afford anything, so they don't even bother pretending to be polite about it. Do you know how many people tell me not to spend my money on them? One.”
“Who?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
The corners of Aiden's eyes crinkled with warmth as he smiled. “You.” He reached across the table for my hands. It felt good to be touched by him. “You are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time.”
“So, you're actually okay with having a dumb girlfriend that doesn't recognize the signs of a man with money?” I asked. I still felt stupid for being so oblivious.
“You are not dumb,” he assured me. “And I'm very okay with it. Are you okay dating a billionaire?”
“Honestly, I'm still processing it.” I looked up to see his smile falter and my heart dropped. “I thought you were a normal guy and I just found out that you make my year's salary in an hour. It's just kind of a rough transition. I'm having to change my expectations a little.”
His brow tightened. “What do you mean?”
“I was imagining you picking me up in a five year old car with a banged up headlight, and now I'm trying to imagine a helicopter. I was thinking that date night would be dinner at a drive-thru and then cramming into a crowded movie theater instead of five-star dining and opera.” I looked up at him and shrugged. I felt incredibly overwhelmed by his wealth. “I don't even know how to ride in a limo, let alone a helicopter.”
He squeezed my hands and smiled. “Limos are just like cars, only bigger.”
“It's just...” Here was the hard part. Here was where I had to tell him that I didn't fit in his world. I couldn't look at him. “I don't know how to handle helicopters and opera. I don't know if I'm good enough for you.”
He didn't immediately say anything and I could feel the silence like a weight. I had just given him an out and now I had to wait for him to take it. I didn't want him to, but I needed to give him the chance.
He let go of my hands and stood. My stomach tightened into a cold ball. He was going to leave and he had every right to. I wasn't worthy of a billionaire.
Instead of leaving, though, he came and knelt by my chair. I stared at the ground, heart pounding and head unsure. He dipped his beautiful head until he was in my line of sight and I had to look at him. He was smiling.
“You are more than good enough for me,” he said softly. He touched my cheek so tenderly my heart was ready to explode. “If anything, you're too good.”
I let out a nervous breath that sounded almost like a giggle. “You're okay with dating a girl with about three hundred dollars in her bank account? It's going to make it a little tough for me to split the bill at the opera.”
He grinned. “The guy's supposed to pay anyway on a date.”
I wasn't sure if he kissed me, or if I kissed him. Either way, our lips connected just the way they were supposed to. It was the sweetest kiss I had ever had. It was love.
He returned to his chair, grinning at me as he picked up the cold french fry again. “You know, I can get you fresh ones,” I offered as he made a face as the second fry was no better than the first.
“Where's the fun in that?” he asked with a laugh and picked up another. I shook my head at him. He held up the fry in midair, a question crossing his brow. “You only have three hundred dollars? I thought lawyers made more than that.”
I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how to say this. I needed to tell him that I wasn't the lawyer he thought I was. This was my chance to make sure all our secrets were cleared out before they came between us and ruined things.
“I'm sorry,” Aiden apologized, mortification filling his face. “That was incredibly rude of me to ask you about your money. You don't have to answer that.”
“No, it's actually something I need to tell you.” I swallowed down the fear. He would understand. He just said that he cared for me. I loved him for him and not his bank account. He loved me and not the fact that I was a lawyer. I could do this. I took a deep breath.
“There you are!” Kathryn exclaimed, interrupting the pulsating silence between us. Her normally calm demeanor was gone and she looked about ready to melt into pure panic at any moment. “I've been looking everywhere for you! The plane's being prepped right now. We have to go.”
“Plane?” I repeated, confused. “What plane?”
“Smith had a heart attack last night,” Kathryn explained as she grabbed my hand to pull me up from my chair. “I just found out after the meeting because for some god-forsaken reason, the second chair thought he could handle it and didn't call in Ward or let the judge know right away.”
“Holy shit,” I gasped. This was bad. Super bad.
“It just gets worse from there. The news is calling it the 'Dallas Disaster.'” Kathryn let go of my hand once I was standing. “It's an all-hands-on-deck emergency. I had someone pack your bags and they're already on the plane. We have to leave right now.”
I looked over at Aiden. I couldn't leave things like this. I had to tell him the truth. I was so close. “But...”
“Go. They need you. You can tell me whatever it was later.” His face was pure understanding. He was a wonderful man, no matter what had happened between him and that secretary.
“I'll be right behind you,” I promised Kathryn. She pursed her lips unhappily, but nodded. She started walking and I knew I only had a second or two to catch up.
I knelt by Aiden's chair, searching for the magic words that would tell him everything I needed him to know. I didn't have time. Instead, I put my hands on either side of his face and kissed him. He leaned into me, taking everything I had to give. I put all my emotions, all the things I wanted to say and couldn't find the words or the time to tell him into my kiss, hoping he would understand.
“I love you,” I whispered as my lips left his. He tensed slightly under my fingertips, but I didn't stop my words. “I love you not because you're a billionaire, but because you're Aiden. I love who you are, not what you are.”
I didn't stop to see his reaction. I just turned and ran before he could answer and break my heart. I didn't stop running until I caught up to Kathryn. She was already in a taxi and on her phone. I was breathing hard as I hopped inside. The car door had barely shut when the cab driver hit the gas.
I looked back at the way I had just come. No one was there. I had this romantic notion in my head that he would be there. That he would follow me when I told him I loved him. I didn't want him to push me away, and I suddenly regretted saying the words that were best guaranteed to do so. I closed my eyes to keep the tears inside as I tried not to think of what his absence meant.
Chapter 19
I buckled my seat on the private jet and stared numbly out the window. I knew he wouldn't come, but I kept hoping Aiden would show up out on the runway to show me he cared. I kept staring down the long runway, searching for his face as he came to tell me he loved me too.
Kathryn finished her phone call and went straight into the next, only pausing to transition to the jet's phone instead of her cell. I knew I would have a few more minutes to myself before she would be ready to give me a list of things to do.
My lapt
op was already charging in a little docking station next to my seat. I opened it, found the jet's wifi. I had stayed on top of my work emails using the resort's internet connection, but I had specifically avoided using my computer for anything but work.
I pulled up a search page and paused, my fingers hovering over the keys.
All I had to do was type in Aiden's name and I would know everything about him. I would have pictures and newspaper articles and everything the cyber-stalker in me could want. I would know all the secrets he had told me the night before, but this time they would be printed in black and white.
I typed his name and hit enter before I could stop myself.
Search results filed in and the pit of my stomach dropped.
I had been expecting news articles on Travel, Inc., business reports, perhaps some charity work, and even some photographs from galas and events. Instead, almost every entry was for his latest flavor of the week model or actress.
Page after page of photos of him with various beauties. Stunning, long-legged girls that made me look like a chubby freak. Three girls getting out of his limo with their hair mussed . Twins sitting with him at his center court seats. Aiden front and center at a premier lingerie show. His smiling face looked up at me from the computer screen. They all hung off of his arms like decorative jewelry, but never the same girl twice.
I found an article about the secretary and clicked on the link, unsure of what I hoped to find.
...Aiden is a great guy,” Stephani Zaptos said in one of her rare interviews. “I just didn't fit into his world. It really worked out for the best and I'm appreciative of everything he's done for me.”
Inside sources theorize Stephani was paid off by Aiden Hayes' overprotective father, Gerald Hayes to keep her from gold-digging. As Hayes Sr. has several embarrassing and expensive sexual liaisons recently come to light, it would only make sense that he would try and protect his sons' from the same thing.
Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story Page 14