Rebecca Winters - The Renegade Billionaire

After a pause his lips twitched. “There’s a thought.” His amused tone played havoc with her breathing.

Andrea had visited the Dragon Cave months ago. It contained amazing stalactites and stalagmites. She’d seen the stalactite shaped like a dragon. “The literature says the cave hasn’t been fully explored.” Fear clutched her heart to think Darren might be foolish enough to penetrate a danger zone.

“I’ll check there first. There’s no time to waste.”

“Kyrie Konstantinos—” She thought he was about to walk away and wanted to stop him. He eyed her with such a penetrating gray gaze, she felt he could see right through her. This important man was ready to drop everything to look for a boy he didn’t know. With the police already doing a search, he didn’t have to do it and no one would expect it of him.

On top of his overwhelming male attributes, there was a goodness in him she could feel. The combination startled Andrea. She felt drawn to him in ways she couldn’t explain and would have to analyze later. “I’d like to go with you and help.”

He looked stunned. “Why would you want to get involved?”

“Because in a sense this is my fault. I’m the one who asked the quarry manager if we could bring our tours here. These quarries have been worked for a thousand years, yet many tourists still aren’t aware of their existence. I find them fascinating and convinced my boss to agree to the idea of a tour here in the first place.”

His head reared back in surprise. “ Your idea?”

“Yes. I can only imagine how much you wish your quarry manager had said no to me. I realize everything is a risk, but you could have no idea how responsible I feel now that this has happened on your company’s property. And to be honest, there’s another reason...”

She felt his gaze travel over her. “What would that be?”

“Eighteen months ago I lost my fiancé. He was a mountain-climbing guide who’d gone up on Mont Blanc with some other climbers. They were caught in a terrible storm. When it was discovered he was missing, I was told I couldn’t assist in the search because it would be too dangerous.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. Immediately, his eyes softened with compassion. She could feel it.

“I had to wait ten agonizing days until they found his body on a ledge. When I think of this boy’s parents hearing the news that their son is missing, I can’t stand by and do nothing.” Her eyes smarted with unshed tears. “Even if I’m not able to do any good, I want to help in the search for him.”

She heard him inhale sharply. “You can add me to that list of people who feel responsible because I’m the person Gus appealed to for permission to allow tours here.”

A small cry escaped her lips. “I knew he would have to go through channels. What a surprise to find out it was you .” Incredible.

“I’d say today has brought several surprises. But I don’t regret giving permission, not even under these circumstances.”

She took an unsteady breath. “Neither do I. Hundreds of students and teachers have benefited from what they’ve learned here.”

“That’s been my hope too.”

His words warmed her. She sensed he was a man she could trust. It was her own unexpected attraction to him she didn’t trust. “Whatever the outcome, please don’t worry that you’ll be liable. The tour company will take full responsibility.”

In the silence that followed, she took it to mean he was thinking about a possible lawsuit from the boy’s family once their attorney found out the Konstantinos family’s worth was in the millions. She wouldn’t blame this man for having no use for today’s litigious society. It was also apparent he wasn’t keen on her help.

Disappointed that she couldn’t be of help, she started to walk around his car to get to hers.

“Despinis Linford?”

Andrea whirled around.

“You’re welcome to come with me. But we could be out all night.”

All night alone with him? Her heart thudded for no good reason—except that wasn’t true. She knew exactly why it was thudding. She wanted to be with him. “I don’t care about that. If we can find Darren, that’s all I ask.”

“Then we’ll have to go back to my house for a few provisions.”

“Thank you. I’ll follow you.”

She got back in the rental car. En route, she called her boss and told him what was going on. Then she phoned Georgios and explained that she was going to help in the search for Darren and would keep in close touch. He thanked her in a shaken voice before they hung up.

The fact that Darren was now eighteen meant he was no longer a minor. Maybe his parents had given him this tour for a birthday present. To Andrea, his disappearance was more troubling than ever. As an adult, he could do what he wanted.

Andrea didn’t think she could handle it if anything happened to him before he was reunited with his parents. It hadn’t been that long since Ferrante’s death. Being hired by PanHellenic Tours had saved her life and she was doing better these days. But Darren’s disappearance triggered remembered pain from that terrible ten days when she’d waited for word.

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