Kandy Shepherd - The Tycoon And I

“That’s not true.” She held up both palms, feigning an innocent expression. “At first, I didn’t recognize you in your boxers. I guess I was a bit distracted.” Color rushed back into her cheeks. “The more important question is what will this reporter do with the photo?”

He shrugged. “My guess is he’ll sell it to the highest bidder—”

“But he can’t. If it gets out people will think that you and I are...uh—”

“Involved.” He wasn’t used to women being repulsed by the idea of being romantically linked with him. “Is the idea of people thinking we’re a couple so bad?”

“Yes.”

Her snap answer stung. He didn’t know what to say, so he leaned back in the driver’s seat. Maybe he should be relieved by her lack of interest, but he wasn’t. And that knowledge only aggravated him more.

“I’m sorry.” She fidgeted with her purse strap. “I didn’t mean for that to sound so harsh. I’m just not used to the paparazzi. And I really don’t want my picture in the news.”

Now that he could understand. His family had been making headlines longer than he’d been alive and he still wasn’t comfortable with it.

“Most likely something more newsworthy will come along and they’ll forget about us.”

“Oh, good.” The stress lines eased on her pretty face.

He didn’t really believe it, but there was always a sliver of hope. And right now, Kate looked as if she could use some positive thoughts.

* * *

Later that evening, Kate made sure to double-check the dead bolt on the door. She glanced out the window, relieved to find that no one had followed her.

“Anything wrong?”

She jumped at the unexpected sound of Lucas’s voice. “Umm...no.”

Had she imagined someone had been watching her at the hospital? Definitely not. She might be a lot of things but paranoid wasn’t one of them.

“Listen, if you’re stressed about what happened between us earlier, don’t be.” He shuffled his feet and wouldn’t look her in the eyes. “It was all my fault and it won’t happen again.”

Kate didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved. She hadn’t been able to forget that kiss either—that mind-numbing, toe-curling kiss. And he was right—there shouldn’t be a repeat.

“If you don’t make a big deal of it, neither will I.”

He looked as if he wanted to say more, but then he turned away and headed for the kitchen. “I ordered pizza, if you’re hungry.”

She followed him. The aroma of tomato sauce and sausage wafted across the kitchen. “Smells good. Did you by chance order a salad to go with it?”

“Yes, I did.” He looked very proud of himself as he pulled a bowl from the fridge.

“Thank you.”

She sat down at the counter, still unsettled. She kept going over the memory of that man lurking in the hallway at the hospital. She hadn’t thought anything of him at first. But as the evening wore on, she’d noticed him again.

Lucas waved a hand in front of her face. “Kate?”

What had he said? She hadn’t been paying attention. “Umm...sure. Whatever.”

He placed a slice of the thin-crust pizza on a plate and pushed it in front of her. She didn’t make a move as she kept replaying the events from the day.

“I wasn’t going to ask,” Lucas said, “but you obviously aren’t going to eat until you resolve whatever has you so distracted.”

“There was a man lurking in the pediatrics unit this evening. At first, I thought he was there to visit someone, but he stayed in the shadows and sort of watched everyone. I wasn’t sure about leaving, but when I mentioned him to a nurse, he just sort of vanished.”

“I hired him,” Lucas said in a low, even tone.

That news had her sitting up straighter. “You hired someone to spy on me?”

“He was there to protect you.”

“Protect me?” Her voice rose. “From what?”

“Remember the photographer outside the hospital?” Her hands pressed the countertop as she nodded and he continued. “I didn’t want him or any other reporters to bother you with questions, so I sent an off-duty security guard from Carrington to make sure that didn’t happen.”

“I thought you said the press wouldn’t make a big deal of it.”

“I just wanted to be sure they left you alone.”

“So you do think they’ll go ahead with the photo?”

He wanted to assure her that she had nothing to worry about, but he couldn’t lie to her. “Probably.”

Her eyes lit up. “You can stop them.”

“Me? How am I supposed to do that?”

“Pay the guy off. Bid on the photo. I don’t know. There has to be a way.”

“Even if I wanted to stop him, I don’t have the man’s name.”

“How am I supposed to throw myself on people’s mercy and ask for money after my name and face have been tangled up in some tabloid scandal?”

“So you’ve come up with a plan to raise the money?”

She sat back with a huff. “We’re thinking of making it a costume party. Something unique. Your aunt offered to help.”

“You’ve been talking to my aunt?”

“Since I don’t know anyone else in this city except you, I approached her to help me organize the fund-raiser. Your aunt seems to know everyone, and if she doesn’t know them personally, she knows someone who does. Your aunt loves to talk. We even talked about this house.”

His eyes widened. “What exactly did you tell my aunt about the house?”

“Not much. Just that I found this place fascinating. The house is rich in architecture and history. I find it almost as intriguing as its owner.”

“You do?” He searched her eyes as she smiled at him. Was she flirting with him? He gave himself a mental jerk. He didn’t need to hook up with her. He just needed her professional expertise. “I have a proposition for you.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

LUCAS HAD BEEN considering his plan all day. Kate obviously needed some immediate monetary assistance plus a roof over her head. And he needed someone to oversee the mansion’s repairs—someone who appreciated its old-world charms. Kate fit that bill perfectly—if only he could forget how tempting her lush lips were.

She eyed him up tentatively. “What sort of proposition do you have in mind?”

“Since you like this place so much, what would you say if I offered you a job working here?”

Confusion reflected in her brown eyes. “You want me to work for you? Even after the run-in with the photographer?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll bet the article will be a small, obscure piece. Hardly anyone will notice it.” He crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels. “As for the arrangement I’m proposing, it can benefit both of us.”

She paused, glancing around the house. He could practically see the wheels in her mind spinning. He’d hired enough people to know when they were eager for a position.

“I...I can’t. My daughter is in the hospital and I need to get this fund-raiser off the ground.”

She did have a very valid point. But there had to be a compromise. He could see how tempted she was to work on the house, and he knew from his experience with stressful situations that a diversion would do her some good.

He cleared his throat. “The thing is, I have a couple of projects with Carrington Gems that are going to take all of my time.” He stopped, realizing his responsibilities paled in comparison to hers. “The real truth is I can run a business, but I don’t know how to turn this mess into a home again.”

A smile touched her lips and her shoulders straightened. “What makes you think I can turn this place around?”

He didn’t want her taking this the wrong way, especially after she thought he’d hired someone to spy on her. He’d have to phrase this carefully. “You got me to really think about this mansion and what my neglect is doing to it. And you mentioned that you have interior design experience. So I checked out some of your prior work. It’s good.”