Billionaire's Second Chance (sam, bella and Kate Book 2) (9 page)

He sighed
. “It was a lot harder than you will ever know Bella.”  The sincerity in his voice ate deeply into her as she wiped the tears from her eyes, not sure how they had so quickly got onto the subject of the past.

For several seconds both went silent, both lost in their memories before she gently touched his arm.
  “Your wife’s illness must have been a shock”, her voice suddenly soft and sympathetic as he regarded her somberly for a few seconds before once more lifting his mobile and flicking through some pictures.  Handing it over, she admired the stunning blonde smiling into the lens, sadness behind her eyes.

“When Allisa contacted me about being pregnant, I was shocked”
, a gentleness in his tone. “I was even more shocked to find out that she had cancer and was refusing treatment because she was not prepared to hurt our baby.”  Seeing the moisture gather in his eyes, her hand flew to his, “I... I had no idea”, she muttered softly, his eyes resting on her hand before closing over it as though drawing strength from her touch.

“She was an amazing woman Bella.  She knew that I didn’t love her
, but she wanted the best for our baby, and as you said, marriage between us seemed the best solution.  Then when Lucy was born...”  She saw as his face glowed with love for the small child.  “Well she is the most wonderful child you can ever imagine.”  Smiling, she squeezed his hand. “But it was too late for Allisa.  She was beyond the point that treatment might have helped and all I could do was watch as each day she died a little more.  Until finally…”  His voice cracked slightly.  “She was a good person”, he repeated.

With another comforting squeeze
, she nodded, “Do you have a picture of Lucy?”

Her soft question seemed to bring him around as he gave a warm smile.  “Oh
– a couple of hundred.”

Bella smiled softly as he flicked through more pictures until finding one showing the most beautiful little girl, her blonde hair falling to her shoulders, blue eyes laughing as her big red mouth smiled into the camera.  “Oh Philippe.
She is... perfect.”

He nodded proudly, still clinging to her hand,
“Yes, yes she is, and I love her with everything in me”, his eyes full of that love.  “She is three.  Smart, funny, a total princess and...”

Bella chuckled, “Can wind you around her little finger?”, she finished for him, his smile answer enough as he nodded, her eyes suddenly much gentler, “I guess that you made the right decisions all those years ago
.”

His look once more held hers.  “Then why do I feel that I lost the chance for something so special?” 

There had been silence for several seconds as both looked at the other, his eyes full of sadness, her teeth savaging her lip, before with a sigh, she looked away.  “I guess that there is no point in looking back. As my dad tells me all the time, ‘what is for you won’t go by you’”

A small
half-laugh left him as he nodded, “I guess not.”

Looking at her watch, she gave a
groan, “I have to go Philippe.  I have meetings all afternoon.”

He nodded just as a text arrived
. Philippe opened it with a smile before showing it to Bella.  “Looks like Dante agrees with you.”

Bella winked playfully at him, “When I’m right
, I’m right”, rising from the table after Philippe settled the bill.

Together the two moved to the exit, Bella frowning slightly
, wondering why things seemed so different between them from when they arrived.  Then it had been awkward, uncomfortable and now the two looked warmly at the other, Bella realising that she felt better, better than she had for four years.

Outside, she made to shake his hand
. “Thank you Philippe.  I guess that we both needed this – at least I did.”

Her eyes shone with honesty as he smiled, nodding back, “Yeah...
I guess we did”, his tone lower as she looked around. 

“I will grab a taxi...
If you could get the measurements to me that would be great.”

Frowning softly, he shook his head.  “I will drop you off.
  You will be lucky to get a cab at this time of day.”

Bella gave a small sigh
, seeing no cabs with lights on before smiling back at him, “Well only if you are sure.  I don’t want to keep you.”

A small smile flickered on his lips, “You can keep me as long as you want
.”

The valet quickly brought his car around as
Philippe once more held the door open for her.  Inside, he grinned over at her, listening to the address of her next appointment before moving smoothly into the New York traffic.  Bella was relieved to find that the next meeting was not so far away, giving Philippe a thankful smile as he pulled to the curb.

As she made to leave, his hand stalled her.  “Bella
, have dinner with me.”

Surprised
, she gave him a nervous smile back, “After what we just had, a snack will do me.”

Philippe persisted
, “Then a drink... I would really like to just talk to you some more”, his eyes full of pleading.

“I...
I didn’t really bring anything formal with me to wear”, adding quickly with a chuckle, “Even wangled a bridesmaid’s outfit for myself”, seeing as his mouth quirked.

“What if I promise you will have the perfect outfit on?”  Bella wavered slightly as he sensed an opening
. “I will pick you up from your hotel at seven.  Drinks and a snack.  And have you back in bed nice and early.”

Pausing, she seemed unsure, “I have a lot...”
 

His voice soft, “I PROMISE to have you in bed early...
I will not stall you.”

With a small laugh she finally nodded
, “OK then.”

Philippe’s dazzling smile once more made her stomach flip as he leapt from the car, moving around to open her door.  “Till tonight then”, his tone like smooth silk ran down her spine, Bella
nodding as she moved into the building, groaning.  Why had she agreed to see him again?  Surely no good could come of it, she thought, suddenly angry with herself.

At six that evening she returned to her hotel room, content with all that had been achieved that day.  The meetings progressed well, plans running even smoother than she could have possibly hoped for, telling herself for the first time since hearing of the wedding that it was indeed doable.  The invites had all been ordered while she was in the UK, and Anna that day ensured they were delivered, many by personal courier.

While the time was short, the wedding of Dante Durant was one that attracted a great deal of interest, especially from the press, and Bella moved up in the elevator, her mind pondering a way of perhaps taking the pressure off the couple for the wedding itself.

Entering her suite she gasped seeing the dress that was draped over her bed, a small note attached
.
Promised you the right outfit. :)
Did not know your shoe size so got them all (the others can go back
.  Looking at the side of the bed, she saw five boxes, all of the same shoe, Bella feeling the laughter bubbling up in her as she shook her head, a large grin on her face.  Lifting her phone she quickly sent him a text, smiling as she sent it,
You should have been a lawyer the way you manipulate word
s, a return smile the only answer as she moved to the shower.

At 6
:50 she was ready.  Looking in the mirror, she admired the long beautiful cocktail dress.  The cornflower blue complemented her eyes so well as the sleeveless design showed off her creamy shoulders.  She looked elegant – stunning.  With a smile she had been impressed with his ability to choose something she herself would have chosen, even the open-toed heels, dainty yet comfortable to wear, a matching clutch bag included by him. 

She had taken more time with her makeup that night, her eyes standing out so well, as had her lips with the glossy red lipstick, darker than her usual, really showing her large wonderful mouth to its best.  Frowning softly
, she wondered why it felt so important to look good for him, telling herself that she did not care, her eyes staring back at her in the mirror full of the truth - liar.

The small knock on the door made her jump, Bella expecting that he would call
up from the lobby.  Taking one last look, she grabbed the clutch bag and wrap and moved to open it.  Philippe stood with a flower in his hand, his mouth dropping as he stared at Bella.  “You are so beautiful”, he managed, his voice husky as she gave him a shy smile, her own eyes all over him.  Wearing a tuxedo, the darkness of the suit showing off his dark colouring so well, she needed to swallow the small groan that arose within her.  As he extended his hand, she took the flower from him, closing the door of her suite, he still stood with eyes full of fire.

“You look good too.
  Very good.”

His eyes blinked as he stepped back giving a half-laugh, “Well thank you
ma’am.”

Bella inclined her head as she grinned back.
  As they moved down in the elevator she thanked him for the dress, her eyes sparkling with fun asking if he had picked it himself. Philippe gave an embarrassed smile as he admitted that he had, this thought pleasing to Bella, giving him a small sincere smile back.  “You have good taste”, before once more laughing at the fact he had gone to so much trouble with the shoes. 

Chuckling, he admitted that while he had a good idea of women’s dress sizes, shoes were foreign to him.  The conversation seemed to flow so naturally between the two as they slipped back into the natural way they had been all those years ago, he making jokes and she responding with her own quick one-liners.

Reaching the street, she gave an appreciative whistle at the stretch limo that sat outside the hotel, Philippe giving her a wink as the driver opened the door for them.  “Well you have to ride in one of these babies at least once”, he chuckled as she gazed around the luxurious interior, flicking him a mischievous look.

“
Oh, I am all for new experiences.”

As the car pulled out he handed her a glass, opening a bottle of champagne
, “Now you are not working, and I am not driving.”  Bella smiled widely at him as she allowed him to pour her a glass of the delicious wine.  “To new beginnings”, he murmured softly.

A
small frown furrowed her brow as she looked over at him adding, “To friendship”, seeing the way his lip twitched softly.

“Of course.
  To the beginning of a new friendship.”

Sitting back, the two talked happily, the years slipping away as they updated each other on their lives, Bella finally sitting forward, her eyebrow
s raised.  “Exactly where are we going?”, she chuckled as the car pulled onto the docks.  More cars lined up before what appeared to be a floating restaurant.

Smiling he gave her a wink, “Well, knowing how much you like boats.
  I thought we might relive our first excursion together, only better dressed and with perhaps better food, seeing as you found my cooking lacking.”  Chuckling, excitement filled her features, her teeth pulling in her bottom lip as she looked out of the window seeing the many other guests as they waited lined up in their vehicles, before having doors opened by the uniformed staff moving along a red carpet which spanned the gangplank.

“A little different from our first boat trip”, she joked, as he bent down smiling back
.

“Oh
, I am on a mission to make everything we did then so much better.”  Giving him a small wobbly smile, she held back the comment that rose to her lips, not prepared to bring up the night they spent at his home.

Bella enjoyed the evening, the couple being seated at a small table close to the area which
was designated for dancing.  The two had been invited to many other larger tables, Philippe knowing many of the other guests, thanking them as he shook his head, whispering to Bella, “I have no desire to talk business tonight.  Not when I have an old friend to get to know again.”

She looking down
, as her lips twitching, “Well put Sir.”

As the band started, the two moved to the dance floor, Bella’s hand wrapping around one of his shoulders while Philippe pulled her into his arms.  Moving one hand around her waist the other took her hand, holding their entwined fingers against his shoulder.
A shudder once more ran through her as their bodies met, Bella having to drop her head to hide the way her eyes closed softly with the pleasure that rushed through her.  He held her closely to him, his cheek against the top of her head, a soft sigh leaving his lips as the two swayed softly to the music.

“Did you talk to Tim today?”

His question caught her off-balance as she stiffened.  “No... No, I didn’t get a chance.  By the time I finished work it would have been nearly midnight”, her voice trailed off weakly as he nodded.

“I see.
  Although in his place, I would have been happy to hear from you at any time.”

Before she could stop herself, the words were out
, “I once felt the same.”  Groaning, she realised what she said, looking up at him her face full of apology, “I... I’m sorry.  There was no need for that.”