Billionaire's Second Chance (sam, bella and Kate Book 2) (3 page)

Shaking his head at his fanciful notion that she was different, he vowed to enjoy Bella Smith, already feeling the way that only the memory of that kiss was causing his body to tingle with arousal, glad that he
had joined Dante, as the two well-known trouble-makers moved towards the two girls his best friend had met earlier.

The next morning Dante and Philippe met once more at the car park, Dante confirming that he had organised for the boat to be ready at the marina.  Walking towards the villa where the girls waited, he felt a strange sensation of nerves, looking over and, much to his surprise, seeing a similar look on Dante.  “You like Samantha?”, he asked softly.

Dante gave a quick half
-smile, a strange expression on his face, “Yeah, I really do.  Maybe a bit more than I had planned to.”

Chuckling, Philippe nodded, “Between me and you
, I think I know what you mean.”

In the villa, Bella and Samantha
picked out their nicest yet most casual looking tops, not wanting to appear too eager for the men they had met the previous evening.  Kate however, who had not long returned, pulled on a minidress, rolling her eyes at the shocked look of her two friends.  “Give me a break.  I want them to invite Thomas... Best to give them some eye candy to seal the deal.”

Bella pursed her lips as she marched Kate to her room to change.  “Nobody
– especially you – is outdoing us.  Got it?  Now... Unsexy up lady.”

Kate laughed as she looked back at her two friends, “Oh my God...
You are both ‘in love’”, making swooning gestures as she moved into her room, appearing seconds later in shorts and a t-shirt like her friends, holding her arms out for their approval.

The knock on the door caused the two younger women to turn to each other, their eyes alive with expectation as
, looking at her friends with a disapproving shake of her head, Kate opened the door. She welcomed the two in, Kate’s eyes moving down Philippe as the men stepped inside the villa, both having only eyes for the women before them.  Kate comically gave approving signals to her friends, holding back the laugh as they tried to glare at her.

“I understand we are going fishing?”
  She pouted softly, moving to join the other girls, Dante and Philippe dragging their eyes from their dates to look politely at her.  “Would it be OK if Thomas was to come?”

As though relieved, Dante nodded with a big grin on his handsome face, “The more the merrier Kate”
, Philippe also glad to know that nobody was going to feel left out.

The walk to the marina was fun.
  Philippe again insisted on holding Bella’s hand, his quick smile filling his features as she allowed his fingers to intertwine with hers, the two chatting comfortably as they moved down the small quaint streets lined with the same whitewashed houses.  The brightly coloured shutters lining them were thrown open to allow in the morning breeze, the only other sound that of the birds, and children laughing.

Reaching the dock, the girls regarded the small fishing boat of typical Grecian construction with wary eyes, not sure if it would do well with so many people on board.  The large sleek cruiser beside it was hardly noticed by anybody other than Kate, who was drooling over it as Dante dropped the bombshell none of them had seen coming.  Not the traditional fishing boat, but the modern incredibly expensive cruising boat was his.  Almost at the same time
, the young man Thomas joined them, Kate hardly able to contain her excitement as she moved quickly up the gangplank, the others following slowly.

Looking
down at Bella, Philippe for the first time could see the wary look behind her eyes as she nibbled nervously on her bottom lip.  “You said that you and Dante worked abroad... What exactly do you do?”

Philippe gave another of his heart-stopping smiles.  “Well
, we both own businesses.”

Frowning softly for a second, she continued, “I take it that Dante’s business does better than yours?”

Philippe chuckled, “Actually, according to the stock exchange, we are both pretty even, but neither of us really likes to make it a contest”, leaning in with a mock conspiratorial whisper, “But I think I’m slightly ahead.”  With his brows furrowed with concern he took in the change in Bella, she suddenly seeming to pull back from him, flicking him a concerned look as they stepped onto the gleaming deck of Dante’s boat.  Quickly, the two Greeks moved around in an obviously practiced drill as they prepared the large cruiser for departure. Dante moved to the cabin; the engine roared to life as Philippe cried instructions to him, guiding him out to the safety of the open water.

Finally having finished his duties, with Dante safely at the helm, he offered to show the rest of the group the boat, all staring open-mouthed at the opulence of the cruiser.  With its two large bedrooms complete with en
suite facilities, fully fitted galley and seating area in which all modern conveniences were installed, including top-of-the-range sound and TV systems, it was stunning.  Returning once more to the upper deck, Sam quickly disappeared to the control room to be with Dante, Kate throwing herself onto the large sun-bed sunk into part of the raised area of the deck with Thomas lying down beside her, his eyes ogling every perfect inch of her. 

Bella moved to the bow of the boat, enjoying the feel of the wind as it rushed through her hair
, the sensation like long fingers separating the strands, the memory of Philippe’s doing the same making her shiver slightly.  “Are you cold Bella?”

His velvety voice caught her by surprise as she jumped, giving him a half-smile as she shook her head
, “No... It’s perfect.”

M
oving to sit beside her, his legs wide as his arms rested on them, a concerned look on his face, “Did I offend you in some way?  You seem upset.” 

Bella shook her head instantly, “No
, of course not.”

He smiled back.  “Then what is it?
You are definitely uncomfortable about something.” 

With her large eyes turned to hold his, her teeth
again savaged her bottom lip before with a sigh she dropped her look, turning once more to watch the way the waves would break onto the boat, the sound of gulls filling the air.  “It... It is just that, well I had no idea you were so... Rich”, her discomfort obvious, Philippe surprised.  Normally both his and Dante’s wealth attracted women, not sent them running, he aware as she seemed to physically be shying away from him, reminded once more that Bella Smith was most definitely not a typical woman.

“Would it make you feel any better if I gave it all away to charity?”, his voice full of fun, rewarded seeing the way her mouth twitched as she shrugged holding back the laugh.

“It might”, her eyes once more quickly darting to his, Philippe seeing how hard she was trying to hold back the laugh.

“OK
, then we should give it all to needy Hooters girls – help those girls through college.”

Bella was unable to hold back the silvery chuckle as she threw an arm dramatically over her eyes.  “You are such a humanitarian...
And how WILL those girls show their appreciation?”

Philippe joined in the game.  “Well I will bear their thanks with everything in me”, the tension seeming to leave the two as Bella grinned broadly back at him, the moment diffused with laughter, Philippe feeling the strangest sense of relief fill him. 

Smiling at her, he took her fingers into his, she allowing him to as his expression became more serious.  “Dante and I both grew up on the island, we didn’t have much, nor did our families”, his look flicking to where he knew Dante was steering the boat.  “In many ways I had a much happier childhood”, his tone thoughtful and sad before giving a deep sigh, “But we both had the drive to do better and I guess we have both been lucky.”

Looking at the man beside her Bella shook her head gently.  “I somehow doubt that.  I imagine that the two of you have had to fight for everything you have
.”

He looked back at her with surprised eyes, pulling her hand up to drop a gentle kiss on it.  “Maybe
.” 

For the rest of the journey he opened up to Bella, telling her of growing up and the way the two had started their businesses.  She sat silently, her face alive with interest as he spoke, Philippe not sure why he felt the need to
confide in this woman.  Feeling the boat stopping he looked quickly at his watch, surprise on his face, not believing how quickly the journey to the bay had passed.  “True what they say”, he chuckled,  “Time really does fly when you are having fun.”  Bella smiled sweetly back.

As Dante secured the boat to the buoy that bobbed in the clear waters, the others looked over the railing at the water below, all amazed at the clarity of it.  Philippe pointed out fish, naming them as Kate and Bella laughed, Bella moving closer to him to see what he was pointing at, chuckling
.  “Now you are not really going to try and tell me that that fish is called wheresmynosus”, looking at the blue fish with the flat face as he grinned back.

“It might be”, his answer, making her laugh louder.

“There are two rooms... Girls in one, boys in the other for all those wanting to change.”  Dante’s strong voice pulled them all round.  Kate shook her head declaring that she came prepared, as slowly she began to peel her shorts and t-shirt off to reveal the smallest bikini either of the girls had ever seen, both looking at each other with laughter in their eyes.  Thomas however, was smitten as he lay down beside her, declaring that his shorts too were swimming ones. 

The four moved together down into the belly of the boat, Philippe making them laugh as he offered to share with Bella if it would help her get ready any faster, she throwing him a withering look before feeling her lips curl as he stuck his tongue out at her.

Together the girls changed, Bella laughing as Sam for the first time she had known her wore a bikini, gently teasing her friend as to why, Sam making a small ‘pfft’ sound, her eyes full of humour.  “Like you are any different with Philippe.”

Bella gave an
‘I have no idea what you are talking about look’ as Sam threw a towel at her, the girls laughing together. 

Finally ready, they moved back up on deck, Bella finding herself unable to stop staring at Philippe
, a small groan swallowed down as her eyes drank in his perfect body.  Broad-shouldered with his hair-splattered chest leading down to a well-toned slim waist, his long back curved to the swim trunks he wore.  She averted her eyes, feeling the blush on her face, not aware at the way he too stared at her.  Philippe moved towards her, his voice no longer full of laughter but more hoarse as he looked down into her eyes, a strange glowing light deep within his dark blue ones,  “
Bella
Bella”, his smooth voice husky as he took her hand in his.

Dante, who seemed to be having a similar problem
, pointed to a group of rocks by the bluff, “There is a cave over there.  Worth exploring if anybody is interested.”  Bella and Sam nodded enthusiastically as Kate shook her head insisting that she did not want to get her hair wet, Thomas so enamoured with her that the others did not even think he heard the question.

Moving to the side, both men d
ove cleanly into the water, resurfacing as they called for the girls to follow.  As the two girls also dove perfectly, the men looked at each other with surprise, more used to women who could at best manage a belly flop.  Complimented on their diving skills Bella chuckled, “Well, we were both on the school swimming team.”

Sam smiled back, “Well I was on it.
  Bella was school champ”, Philippe gave her an approving smile.

The four then swam towards the outcrop of rocks, Dante and Sam quickly falling behind Bella and Philippe.  Bella gave a small smile as the Greek slowed down to be beside her friend.  Looking over at Philippe, his strokes clean and leisurely she knew that he too was holding back, this giving her a strange sensation of warmth and protection, the feeling surprising Bella.

Reaching the cave, the two waited for Sam and Dante, Sam tired as Dante told the others to continue while he rested on a small outcrop with her.  Giving her a small wink, Philippe led the way further into the dark cave – the smell of fish becoming overpowering in the small area before the cave opened out, shelving to shallower depths.  Bella gasped seeing the large stalactites which hung down from the roof of the cave, a small hole in the ceiling bathing the area with a foggy half-light. 

Able just to stand on the ledge under the water she gasped with wonder, her large blue eyes moving to take in the sight.  “Oh Philippe, it is so beautiful”, her look
flying to his, hearing the small groan from him as he moved closer to her, his eyes solely on her face.

“Yes...
Very beautiful”, before with no more warning his mouth descended, his arms moved around her, hauling her hard up against him, lifting her off her feet in the water.  Bella’s arms flew around his neck as she returned the kiss, lost in the desire to be once more in his arms.  As his hands spread, one around the base of her spine and the other moving to cup her bottom, she knew she should push him away, demand for him to stop, but instead her legs moved around his waist, allowing him to support her in the water as she kissed him with a fire equal to his, her fingers raking through his hair.

Pulling his mouth from hers, their eyes locked onto the other
’s, unspoken words of need flying between them as with a masculine growl his head once more dropped, this time to kiss down her neck, a shaky sigh leaving her lips, sinking under the desire for this man.  The intensity of her need was both wondrous and terrifying, Bella knowing that she wanted more – much more.