She was the fairytale. She was the magic. Kyle shifted a little. “I missed your birthday.”
Annie toyed with the necklace she wore, a beautiful piece he didn’t recognise. Jealousy barbed inside of him. Had it been a gift from someone else? From another man?
“Yeah,” she shrugged. “It was months ago.” The day after she’d lost their baby.
“I wondered about you on the day. I thought about you and what you were doing.” He ached to hold her to his chest. “Did you celebrate with Adam and Juanita?”
“No,” she hedged, thinking back to the sterile linoleum-floored hospital room. She hadn’t wanted to see anyone, especially not the glowing Juanita. Not because she resented Juanita’s happiness but because she knew her loss would touch Juanita in an insupportable way. Annie hadn’t wanted to grieve her sister-in-law. And how could she open up to them, anyway, when they’d be left to wonder why her husband wasn’t with her?
“I wish you’d been with me.”
She flicked him a small smile. “It was just a birthday.”
He nodded, his emotions off-kilter. “I guess there’s next year.”
Annie didn’t respond. How could she? Everything was in such a state of flux, she couldn’t see what she’d feel like in a day’s time, let alone in a month’s or a year’s. She finished her tea and then spun to go inside.
“I think I should go to bed. To sleep. I ... I’m tired.”
His lips twisted in lazy amusement. “Afraid I’m going to maul you?”
“No,” she responded quickly and honestly. “I’m not afraid of you.”
He ground his teeth together and moved towards her with a slow intensity. “You should be. The way I feel about you terrifies me.” He caught a clump of her hair between his forefinger and thumb and lifted it to his mouth. He kissed it and then brought the same hand to curl around her cheek. “But you’re right, Annabelle. I’m not going to rush you back into bed.”
Her cheeks flushed pink. “Did I give you the impression this afternoon that you’d have a fight from me?”
His laugh was soft. “You and I are more than just sex.” He kissed the top of her head and felt his whole body leap in awareness. “I want you to know that I want all of you back in my life. Not just your body. You. Everything you are.”
His dark eyes were shining with intensity. He moved his head closer and brushed his lips against hers. It was a chaste kiss but little fireworks of desire began to tingle along her spine.
He wrapped his hands around her waist and began to move slowly, dancing to the sound of their beating hearts in amongst the tumbling snowflakes.
Annie lay her cheek against his broad chest and inhaled deeply. Were it not for their past she would have believed this moment to be perfect. She let her fingers curl around his back, feeling the warmth through his shirt. Only he shouldn’t have been warm. She lifted her head to ask him a question and caught such a look of feeling on his face that she startled.
“Kyle? What is it?”
He immediately shifted a mask into place; his smile was back. Calm and reassuring. But Annie had glimpsed a deep torment and it made her ache to comfort him. “I missed you,” he said simply.
Annie frowned. It was more than that. She nodded at the admission though and placed her head back on his chest. She could hear his beating heart and her own ran in time with it.
“You must be freezing.”
“I’m fine.” His voice was deep and gravelly. “Annabelle?”
She stopped swaying her hips in time to his and nodded.
“I never realised that the hours I work might have been a problem to you.”
Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. “You were gone pretty much all the time.”
“It’s just the way I am,” he commented. “You know where I come from. You know what motivates me.”
“I do.” Her smile was wistful. “I understood why you spent so long at your office or travelling for business.”
“It’s not why you left me?”
She bit down on her lip. “I didn’t say that.” Her breath was burning in her lungs. “It ... it didn’t help,” she murmured quietly. “Maybe if I’d seen more of you I would have remembered what I loved about you more.”
He felt arrows of hurt needle his sides. “I had no idea.”
“I know.” She pushed away from him slowly. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re just not made for marriage. And definitely not marriage to someone like me.”
“Thanks,” he remarked cynically.
Her expression wore a silent apology. “You’ve met my parents. They’re so completely boring and normal and so happily married. That’s what I thought our marriage would be like. I thought we’d eat together every night. That we’d wake up in bed together and read the papers; bake bread and play board games; spend weekends doing little trips to the markets to buy interesting antiques.”
“So you thought you’d married a gay guy, basically.”
She stifled a laugh but the conversation was too serious to feel any relief. “Do you know how women look at you?” She asked after a throbbing pulse of emotion had passed between them. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be your wife?”
“We’ve covered this,” he said thickly. “I have only wanted you since I met you.”
“I just find it impossible to believe,” she said seriously. “I saw the way women fawned all over you. I saw the way you talked to them as though they were the centre of your universe.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “I’m not naturally prone to jealousy but I had reason to feel it during our marriage.”
“Don’t say ‘during our marriage’ as though it’s over.”
She bit down on her lip. “I need to think.” She ran her hands over her stomach again. “I ... I’ve missed you too. A part of me wants to ignore all of the reasons we’re a disaster and just be with you in the here and now. But Kyle, getting over you was so hard. And I know I won’t be able to do it again. I’d be stupid to get caught in your web.”
“I am listening to everything you’re saying. I want this marriage to work for us now.”
There was too much between them though. Annie thought of the way he was – his incessant need to succeed professionally. The beautiful women who littered his past and were vying to be in his present. The power he exerted over her that made Annie willing to forget everything she owed herself. And finally, she thought of the baby they’d made and lost and the anger he’d feel at her for keeping that information from him. A future with this man, with that secret shame buried deep in her heart: how could she do it?
It all tumbled around her like barbed wire, making her gasp. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I just ... I just can’t.”
His eyes drew together in surprise and consternation. “Annie ...”
“I’m going to bed.” She paused at the door and without turning around said softly. “When you’ve finished whatever business you have in Aspen, I’d like to go back to New York.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“We need to talk.” He barked the words into the phone clasped under his ear.
Adam Smith was silent for a moment and then with a forced air of relaxed calm he responded. “Sure thing. What about?”
Kyle flicked the lid off his pen and shook his wrist watch into view. The manager of the hotel was two minutes late and Kyle’s patience was already stretched to breaking point.
It had not helped that Annie had chosen to sleep in a different bedroom the night before. He hadn’t gone to her, no matter how badly his body had begged him to. She had been at breaking point when they’d spoken and he’d been genuinely terrified.
“The money you’ve been skimming off payroll.”
Another long pause of silence. “Kyle ...”
Kyle felt a roll of satisfaction at the other man’s obviously instant state of panic.
“I can explain ...” The British man’s voice had lifted an octave.
“I highly doubt that.” Kyle flicked his pen
against the edge of the glass conference table. “I’ll be back in Manhattan this afternoon. Come to my office at five.”
“Kyle,” Adam’s tone was begging. “What for?”
“To talk.”
“Holy hell. How did you ...”
“How I found out is not your concern. Come to my office and we’ll talk about the next step for you.”
Kyle disconnected the call and stood as his manager bustled in, her expression apologetic. “I’m so sorry, Mr Anderson. I had a guest incident to sort out.”
Kyle nodded but his mind was already half-focussed on Annie, New York, and the marriage he desperately wanted to get back on track. Suddenly nothing else seemed to matter.
* * *
“Annie? Where are you?”
Annie blinked her eyes open and stared at the weak sunshine making intricate patterns against the far wall. “I’m ... Adam?”
“Yeah. Annie, I need to speak to you.”
She pushed up from the far-too-comfortable bed and ran a hand through her hair. What time was it? Her head felt thick and groggy.
The glass of water she always balanced on the bedside table before bed called to her; as she turned to lift it to her lips, she saw a note propped against it.
“I’m meeting Adam today.” Her eyes dropped lower, to the smooth glass coffee table and she saw her engagement ring lying carelessly on its beautiful side.
She picked it up distractedly and stared at the rock at its centre.
“Annie? This is important. Are you even listening?”
She shook her head and grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Yeah, that’s tough, Annie, but some of us have real problems.”
She ignored her brother’s acerbic remark. He was obviously freaking out and she was pretty sure she could guess why. “Yeah? What’s going on?” She prompted with an attempt at sounding casual.
“He hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what?” She asked, playing dumb.
There was a beat of silence while Adam worked out how best to play his sister to his advantage. “Your husband just called me,” Adam said stiffly.
“Uh huh?” Annie felt a string of apprehension tighten around her. She lifted the ring a little higher, watching the light kaleidoscope across the room as it bounced off its multi-faceted sides.
“Damn it, Annie. Why are you making this so hard?”
She frowned. “I’m just waiting for you to spit it out, Adam. What are you calling me about? What’s going on?”
He groaned. “Annie ... I don’t want you to get all serious on me, okay?”
She compressed her lips. “Go on.”
“I did something. Stupid. A few weeks ago.” He swallowed. “It’s the baby. I guess I just want to make sure we have everything we could possibly need. I know Juanita’s worried about the space in the apartment, and our neighbourhood’s not the best. And she hasn’t been away in ages; I wanted to take her somewhere good.”
“Yeah? That sounds normal. So what’s it got to do with Kyle?”
There was a longer wrap of quiet and contemplation before Adam continued.
“I worked out a way to take a little bit of money from every single one of his employees. Nothing. Nothing that anyone would miss anyway.”
She knew this already, but hearing her brother say it in such a matter-of-fact way turned her blood to ice.
“That’s stealing, Adam.”
“It’s not like it would make a difference to any single person.”
“My God, are you actually defending this?”
“It wasn’t a big deal. It was like a small levy on everyone’s pay. Just for a few weeks... a month.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “How much?”
Adam cleared his throat. “A few bucks from each person. A little bit more from executive level. Nothing.”
“I mean: how much did you take? In total?”
“Does that matter?”
“Are you calling me because you want my help?” She snapped into the phone, though a sea of worry was dipping around her.
“Yeah.” He coughed. “Just under a mill.”
“A mill? Holy Heaven. You mean a million dollars.” Her heart began to hammer against her ribcage. “That’s a small fortune.”
“From the woman who was given a penthouse on Fifth Avenue as a wedding present,” he growled and Annie stiffened at the obvious resentment in his voice.
“If you were worried about money, I would have helped you. All you had to do was ask.”
“I didn’t need help. I wanted to do this on my own.”
“By stealing from my husband?” She pounced sceptically, her stomach in knots at the unpleasant conversation.
“Not directly from him,” Adam winced.
“I happen to know you’re on a great salary so I don’t buy your story about needing money for a single second,” she said, finding it important to make sure her brother knew that there was no justification for what he’d done.
“You have no idea what the real world costs,” he grumbled and Annie fluttered her eyes closed.
Adam couldn’t have known that Annie had spent the last six months paying rent, buying groceries and making ends meet just like the next person. True, she had a great savings account with a healthy balance though her hospital bills had taken a sizeable chunk out of those.
“I can’t believe you did this,” she said softly. “How are you going to fix it?”
“Well, I’m going to show up to your husband’s office at the time he demanded I appear.”
Annie’s face was pale. She heard Kyle return to their suite but didn’t shift from the bed.
“So what does it have to do with me?”
Kyle appeared in the door looking devilishly handsome in a dark suit and crisp white shirt. His eyes clashed with hers and then dropped to the engagement ring she was holding. Curiosity danced on his features.
“I need you to talk to him,” Adam said slowly, as though Annie had problems with basic comprehension. “I need you to make him understand that I did this because I was worried about the costs of having a baby.”
“Thousands of people do that everyday without resorting to theft,” she snapped, her eyes locked to her husband’s as though they were glued.
“Okay, okay, you can get off your flipping high horse now? I said I was sorry.”
“No, you didn’t,” she corrected stiffly. “But you’re going to have to.”
“You’ll talk to him for me? You’ll make sure he doesn’t ... do anything stupid?”
“Like what, Adam? Call the police?”
“Or tell Juanita?”
“No one’s telling Juanita a thing,” Annie promised. “Not until she’s had that baby anyway.” Her defensiveness for the unborn child might have sparked curiosity in Kyle were he not completely captivated by his beautiful wife in the morning sunshine with eyes that sparkled like her diamond, and a face that was as grim as mud.
“But you’ll speak to Kyle and make him see? I need you, Annie. I need you to do whatever it takes to help me fix this.”
“Give the money back,” she said simply, startling as Kyle began to cross the room towards her.
Wordlessly, he reached down and took the ring from her.
“I can’t. I’ve already spent most of it.”
“A million dollars?” She stuttered in disbelief. “What on?”
“A down payment on a bigger place. A few trips. Baby stuff. You know, it all adds up.”
“You are unbelievable!” She closed her eyes and then blinked up at Kyle. He reached for her hand and lifted it a little higher, so that he could study it for a moment.
“Promise me, Annie. My life won’t be worth living if Kyle’s an arse about this. Please promise me you’ll talk to him.”
She swallowed her bitterness and grief and nodded. “It’s okay, Adam. I’ll do it. I’ll talk to him.”
“And you’ll do everything you can to make this go away
?”
Annie bit down on her lower lip. “Yeah. I’ll do whatever I can.”
And slowly Kyle slid her ring back on her finger, his eyes glowing with the same sense of achievement she’d seen in the past when he’d accomplished huge business deals.
She disconnected the call and dropped her phone to the bed.
“Adam?” He queried, though no answer was necessary from his wife. He eased himself onto the bed, kneeling in front of her.
Annie stared at the ring, her heart about to break and her throat clogged with emotion. That bloody ring.
The ring that had transformed into a shackle. It had mocked her and she’d loathed it. “He said you’re meeting him this afternoon.”
“Did he?” Kyle prompted, his eyes scanning hers thoughtfully.
“What are you going to say to him?”
Kyle lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a kiss in her palm. “I’m going to sort it out.”
“He’s terrified, Kyle. He’s absolutely scared witless.”
“As he should be,” Kyle responded with barely concealed anger. He made an effort to soften his tone for his wife’s benefit.
“I know that,” she responded quickly though. Her eyes shone with determination. “I said as much to him. You know I don’t condone his behaviour.”
Kyle’s voice was soft. “I know.” He ran a finger over the back of her hand. “This suits you,” he nodded towards the ring.
Annie didn’t respond to his statement. “Kyle, you know Juanita’s pregnant. I don’t want her upset. Whatever you do, please promise me she won’t be affected by my brother’s stupidity.”
A muscle jerked in his jaw. “I’ve got no interest in ruining her life.”
“I know that. But they’re married. What you decide to do to Kyle will affect her.”
“And you’ll do whatever it takes on their behalf, right?”
Her cheeks glowed. “You know I will.”
Kyle stood up and paced to the other side of the room. He looked out at the snow-covered landscape without seeing its luxurious folds of white and the magical swirls of frozen air.
“I don’t want you to stay with me because of your brother.” His words were torn from deep inside of him. “I want you to stay with me because you want to be here. Because you know that we have something great and worth fighting for.”
The Billionaire's Ruthless Revenge Page 9