Jennifer Greene - The Billionaire’s Handler

But his absolute, unrelenting kindness was the stunner.

My God, she was falling in love with him. But it wasn’t her fault. If it hadn’t been for that pain-in-the-keester inheritance, she’d never have met him. He was so one of a kind. She’d never known anyone who worked so hard to hide positive character traits like kindness and compassion and caring. He put on such a strong front. How could she possibly have initially known that he was a man so worth loving? So full of love?

So alone.

“Hey, trouble.”

Maguire, for a blissful twenty minutes, had been napping next to her in the aisle seat. She glanced away from the window, back at him. “Could you conceivably be speaking to me?”

His grin was as crooked as a thief’s. “Uh-huh. I just wanted to ask-do you ever plan to take those shoes off?”

“Don’t be silly, Maguire. A girl doesn’t buy shoes like this and hide them away.”

“Did you actually sleep in them last night?”

She heard the teasing. He thought the shoe thing was hysterically funny. Naturally she had to encourage him. “Let me put it this way. Where I go, the shoes go. If I’m not wearing them, then they’re on their own pillow.”

He took a sip of her drink and grimaced when he discovered it was without alcohol. “I just brought up the subject of the shoes again-”

“Because you can’t let it go?”

“No. Not that. Because I thought you might want to consider that just possibly they don’t necessarily go with every type of attire.”

“Of course they do.” She glanced out the window again, distracted when the jet dipped low and started circling. Below was Monaco. It looked far more like a fairy tale than anything real. The city of Monte Carlo was wedged between aqua sea and mountains, with big white yachts framing the curve of the Côte d’Azur. The late-afternoon sun had drenched the background mountains in wet gold. Castle tops came into view, with their turrets and turquoise roofs, and endless splashes of flowering gardens and fountains.

When she turned back to Maguire, Carolina realized yet again that she must have lost her mind…because she’d rather look at him, concentrate on him, than that fabulous scene below.

“You didn’t tell me how long we were going to be here.”

“Because I’m not sure. The plan is only for a couple days, but we could stay a little longer, if you want. Tonight I had in mind dinner at the Ship and Castle restaurant, one of those landmark places right on the Côte d’Azur. The food’s a little on the exotic side, but honestly, it’s one of the best places on the planet. After that, I figured we’d make a run on the Monte Carlo Casino, where we’ll see what a gambler you are.” He sighed. “You don’t have to drip diamonds at either place, but I’d say you’d feel the most comfortable in, like, a black dress kind of thing.”

“Believe it or not, Maguire, I could probably have guessed that without coaching.” She had to grin as he wiped a hand over his face.

“I was trying to help, I swear. I just wasn’t sure if you’d want to wear those shoes with a formal black dress.”

“They’re not leaving my feet, Maguire. Get used to it.” Her voice was firm, but her eyes softened when she looked at her feet. The red patent-leather lace-ups were Versace, cost in the ballpark of four hundred dollars. They weren’t, even remotely, the most expensive shoes she’d looked at, but the cost still put them way, way up there in the Disgrace level. Still, they were the cutest thing she’d ever owned.

“Now,” she began, thinking that now Maguire was finally awake, she had things to discuss with him. Her brain hiccuped when she caught Maguire staring at her shoes, too. Or possibly not at her shoes. His gaze seemed downright riveted on her calves and ankles.

“Now,” she began again, but Maguire’s fascination with her legs sent a ball of fire straight to her belly, distracting her. “I was wondering,” she started for a third time, “whether the woman in your life isn’t having a problem with your spending so much time with me.”

Maguire didn’t even blink. “Well, yeah, of course she has a problem. But she’s so well trained and obedient that she wouldn’t think of expressing it.” He kindly reached over to thwack her back when she started choking.

Thankfully she recovered quickly, even magnanimously resisted the urge to elbow him in the ribs. “So,” she said, “there are no serious women in your life right now, huh. How could that possibly be?”

“Maybe…most women have better judgment in men than you do?”

“Can’t be that. I have superior judgment in people,” she informed him.

“Right. Pit you and a lamb against a lion, and the lamb’d probably be tougher. Way tougher.”

“Good insult,” she praised him. “But you’re digressing. Were you ever married?”

“Did I realize that you were nosy before this?”

“Really? Not even married once?”

He glowered at her. “You were way, way easier to handle when you were deaf.”

She was on to him. If she let him get away with his nonsense, it was the same as enabling the devil. So she stayed dogged on the subject. “I’ll bet quite a few women gave you a run for their money.”

“For my money, maybe. I’ve never gone after a woman for hers.”

“Aha. You let some information slip out there, Maguire. You’re losing your edge.” She winked at him. “Want to look at my gorgeous legs again?”

“Hey, did your parents never spank you? No one ever said, honey, don’t touch a hot stove? Don’t open the cage door of a bear?”

“Did yours? Is that how you got so wary? You’re just too adorable to be alone, Maguire. There should be women snapping at your heels, doing inventive things to capture your interest, thrilled to make sure you never have to sleep alone at night.”

He squinted at her in the sunlight, just as the pilot announced their imminent descent into Monaco. “You’re getting way, way stronger faster than I thought you would, Cee. I’m beginning to think the shoes are a factor.”

“Me, too. Think what red shoes did for Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Of course, all she wanted was to go home to Kansas.”

Maguire said quietly, “And that’s all you want, too, isn’t it? Your reference point isn’t Kansas. But you want the same thing Dorothy did. To find your way back home.”

She thought about that on their drive to the hotel. Maguire was right. This crazy journey he’d taken her on was all about becoming strong enough to go home.

And the truth was…she felt stronger every day. Maybe she still had no clear plan about how to face all the dragons waiting for her at home, but she was starting to feel. Starting to stand up. Starting to own her heart again.

But she wasn’t ready to leave Maguire.

Even if a broken heart was at the end of this journey, she’d come far enough-become strong enough-to be absolutely certain how important he was to her. She had no illusions that he felt the same. She only knew she wanted whatever time with him she could beg, borrow or steal. Maguire at his worst challenged her heart more than any man ever had.

Carolina didn’t expect to see Maguire at his worst quite so soon, but walking into the hotel turned into an eek. A half-dozen messages were waiting for him, all marked Urgent. The hotel rooms he’d wanted weren’t ready. Nothing was right.

Maguire didn’t do frazzled, of course, he just went into hypermanagement mode. She was given a temporary room, with a couple hours free to nap and change clothes before they met in the lobby for dinner. He took over an office somewhere. It all worked out.

Actually, it more than worked out. Four hours later she was seated in a magical place. The restaurant had the look of a castle, washed in glowing gilt as the sun went down. They ate outside, their table on the veranda with the bay just below. From the white tablecloths to the sparkle of crystal, the atmosphere was elegant. Tables filled up, but conversations were muted, with others-mostly couples-enjoying the sights and sounds and smells of the fabulous scenery, fabulous meal. Carolina had never before seen more jewels in one spot. There were enough dazzling diamonds to cause neck and earaches.