The Billionaire's Secret (11 page)

She loved him.

***

Evan was still trembling from the most emotional, erotic experience of his life. Since Margie’s eyes had been closed for so long, he knew she was feeling it too. He’d tucked her close to his body and watched her sleep.

When she finally opened them to gaze back at him, he couldn’t smile. His heart pulsed in deep beats of pleasure, but it felt larger than any other organ in his body, as if it had undergone some remarkable transformation.

And it had.

He still didn’t want to put a name to it. He might as well have discovered a new element on the Periodic Table.

All he could do was lean forward to sup at her lips, explore their texture until she let out a quiet sigh. Snuggling closer, she put her hand on his chest, and they just lay that way.

Neither of them said a word. It was like both of them understood no words were needed after what had happened between them. That there
were
no words for what had happened.

Soon, she kissed him on the mouth and left the bed. He watched her pad naked across the bedroom to the French doors. Ballerinas would have envied the pure perfection of the muscles in her back from all her baking. He knew she wasn’t going far, so he didn’t call her back. He only ran a hand through his messy hair. She came back into the room with the plates of food he’d ordered earlier.

He settled back against the headboard, tucking a sheet around his waist. She sat beside him and grabbed the rest of the sheet, which she fitted around herself like Venus might have after an amorous rendezvous. He scooted closer until their bodies touched. She reached for the remaining part of the baguette he’d placed on the bedside stand.

Once again, she tore off a hunk of the bread she’d made and fed it to him. His chest grew tight again, tasting all the love, intention, and dreams she’d kneaded into the dough. Tasting it was no different than tasting Margie’s skin, he realized, and he leaned over to kiss the top of her shoulder.

They ate in bed after he fetched the champagne, and then they made love again. This time, he slid over her, slid into her, and didn’t stop until she cried out his name. Only then did he let his release pour forth.

He watched the alarm clock march on, ticking off the minutes until their time together ended, until she had to go to the bakery to make more bread. She would draw him back with kisses or a gentle caress, and he would fall back into the space where time didn’t seem to exist.

Even when they weren’t making love to each other, everything they did was a prelude to it. He learned every rise and curve of her body, the sweetness of the sweat on her skin, and the unbearably erotic scent of cinnamon between her legs. She, in turn, laid him bare with her slow, gentle caresses and her soft, slumberous green eyes as she traced the planes of his chest and thighs and the desire he felt for her.

When they could ignore the time no longer, he stood beside the bed and reached for her hand. She rose with a soft smile and then gasped as he swept her into his arms and carried her into the shower. As the water rained down on them, he slid down her body like the drops, inviting her to take more pleasure, as much as she was willing to receive. Then she slid herself around him, and together, they discovered even more ecstasy.

She dressed in the bakery-appropriate clothes she’d brought in her overnight bag: white cotton pants, a white shirt, and some black Crocs. Even now, she didn’t speak, only raised her hands and shoulders in an adorable shrug as if to say, do you like my outfit?

He pulled on his earlier clothes, holding her gaze.

“You don’t have to walk me to the bakery,” she finally said.

“Try and stop me,” he only responded.

Fortunately, she didn’t fight him, only took his hand as he led her out of the quiet hotel and into the soft glow of St. Germain’s streets. Due to the lateness of the hour, they encountered only two other people on their walk.

When they reached the bakery, he pulled her into his arms. His heart hurt suddenly, and it took him a moment to realize why.

“I’m missing you already,” he whispered against her neck.

“Me too.” She squeezed him tight. “I’ll text you the minute I finish if you’re free.”

“I’ve rearranged my schedule so I’ll be free whenever you are,” he told her.

Her eyes were dark as she edged back, but he could still see the single beam of light emanating from them, almost like he was seeing into her soul.

“Tonight was one of the best nights of my life, Evan.”

His throat grew thick with emotion. “Mine too.”

She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him again. “See you soon,” she said and turned to rap on the door.

He stepped back as a bald man’s bulky shape appeared in the doorway, realizing he was about to meet her boss. He’d been too caught up in the throes of their evening to let reality intrude.

When the door opened, the soft light from the bakery’s interior painted the man’s face. “Bonjour, ma petite. Are you ready to make more magic?”

“Bonjour, Andre,” Margie said brightly, reaching for Evan’s hand. “Andre, I’d like you to meet Evan.”

Stepping into the shadows wasn’t an option, so Evan extended his hand in greeting. “Bonjour, Andre. It’s good to meet you.”

“You as well, Evan,” the baker said.

“I will let you two get to work,” he said, stepping back now. “Have a wonderful time, Margie.”

When she went inside with Andre, he felt oddly bereft. For the past few hours, he’d felt a oneness with Margie he’d never experienced with another person—a oneness so powerful only touches and gazes were needed to know the other person’s thoughts.

As a scientist, Evan had read studies about telepathy, and he believed it was possible under the right conditions. He’d experienced that with Margie just now. It fired up his imagination and his interest in the topics science still didn’t fully understand. He wanted to call Chase, but knew this would be too woo-woo for his friend, especially after their earlier conversation.

Instead, he detoured to his penthouse apartment, eager to investigate telepathy more as he continued to work on his newest invention.

And as he walked down the street, he reached into his pocket for the last slice of Margie’s baguette, the one he’d appropriated from the remains of their dinner. Taking a bite, he fell into the sensation of being fed by her all over again.

It was as though she was with him as he journeyed through the dark night.

Chapter 6

Margie was exhausted by the time Andre told her to go home. It was only eleven o’clock in the morning, and yet she had barely slept the night before.

Not that she wanted to sleep now.

Her time with Evan was too special to waste on sleep. She would go back to her apartment and take a shower and a short nap. She couldn’t wait to be with him again.

Belle was reading a fashion magazine in between customers. Most of the baskets and shelves displaying their bread were empty, and Margie felt a spurt of pride as she thought about all the people her loaves would be feeding tonight.

Andre had taught her how to mix the ingredients for the bread they baked. Her baguette dough hadn’t bubbled quite like Andre’s, but he’d told her to have patience. It took some time to develop a proper relationship with the yeast. The farm bread had been the easiest for her, but it was the sourdough that fascinated her most. Andre had showed her the white ribbons of yeast floating on top of the water with the apples and pears.

After all the mixing, she’d kneaded and formed the bread under Andre’s watchful eyes, each loaf more precise than the last. Then she’d taken time to get to know the ovens, feeding the bread into their fiery bellies, watching them rise and turn golden brown from the heat.

“Your apprentice bread is selling very well, Margie,” Belle said. “Tomorrow we will likely remove the sign and simply sell it with the rest of our offerings.”

“Wonderful!” she said, stretching her stiff back. “I
want
to keep getting better.”

“And you are,” Belle said, setting her magazine aside and coming around the counter. “Andre told me to keep my nosiness to myself. Is that how you say it in English?”

“Close,” she said, her brain fried. “What are you nosy about?”

She pressed her hands to her cheeks. “You did not mention that your man in Paris was Evan Michaels.”

“Michaels?” she asked, her head darting back. “Andre must have misunderstood.”

“No,” Belle said, reaching for the fashion magazine and thumbing through it until she exclaimed, “Ah, here it is. Evan Michaels, no? Andre recognized him from all the magazines I leave around the house. He is quite the catch, ma petite. And very handsome.”

Margie’s head started to pound as Belle thrust the magazine at her. In the two-page spread, Evan was pictured with a gorgeous French model at a party. The article read: “Super Models at Play.”

“You are very pale all of the sudden, ma petite,” Belle said in an alarmed tone, rubbing her back.

Margie grabbed the magazine from Belle’s hands and started to translate what she was reading in her head.

Paris’ hottest fashion model, Chloe, was seen with billionaire inventor and Paris local, Evan Michaels, at Huntley Haverstock’s three-day party on his yacht, The Calypso, in the Mediterranean. The model, known for her pouty lips and dramatic cheekbones, was modeling outfits from Givenchy, Chanel, and Christian Dior. Since the billionaire always dresses with style, the two made a beautiful couple, we thought.

She fell back a few steps in shock as she examined the photo more closely. The man had on black designer shades and a white suit with a tan shirt. While he didn’t have a beard, she knew instantly it was Evan.

Her stomach twisted, and she bent over as the hurt washed over her. He was a billionaire! And he hadn’t told her. Her breath came out in hard pants, and she heard Belle distantly calling her name over the buzzing in her ears.

A billionaire!

Now the incredible suite at the hotel made sense. He could more than afford it. He could buy it outright. He’d referred to his income as comfortable. What an understatement!

Then she flashed to her memories of their time together in Dare Valley. She’d made fun of his inventions, but apparently he’d made billions on them. He’d told her his inventions had made him a good living, but she could never have imagined this.

Then shame filled her. She’d paid him fifteen dollars an hour to paint her bakery, and he hadn’t said a word. He’d lived in a spare bedroom in her home and rented a crappy car.

Why would he do that? Why had he come to Dare Valley at all?

Then she remembered how weird Rhett had been about Evan, the way he’d warned her to be careful. Rhett must know about him being a billionaire. Did Jane know too?

Betrayal made her gasp. Why wouldn’t they tell her?

“I can’t believe this!” she whispered. “Oh, God!”

“You did not know who he was?” Belle put her arm around her and led her to the chair behind the counter. “That scoundrel!”

Scoundrel was right.

He’d given her the most intimate and sensual experience of her life, but he hadn’t told her who he was. And after she’d shared her whole life story with him…

She’d fallen in love with another man with secrets, and he’d broken her heart.

***

To see what else happens between Margie and Evan in Paris, check out
THE BILLIONAIRE'S COURTSHIP
, Volume 3 of the Dare Valley Meets Paris mini-series.

Here's a snippet of the story:

Margie Lancaster knows the truth about Evan Michaels and all his billionaire bad-boy ways. Despite the secret looming between them, she seeks to understand why he would gamble away a month of his life in a card game to become a “normal” person again. Soon, she discovers the man who supposedly has everything really isn't happy. As she learns more about this genius inventor hiding behind a lifestyle that secretly bores him to death, she falls even more deeply in love since Evan is doing everything in his power to court her in the City of Love herself. And the clock is ticking on her remaining time with him in Paris before she must return to open her new bakery in Dare Valley.

And if you've missed Ava's other books, here's the rest of her connected series.

The Dare Valley series:

NORA ROBERTS LAND (Meredith & Tanner)

FRENCH ROAST (Jill & Brian)

THE GRAND OPENING (Peggy & Mac)

THE HOLIDAY SERENADE (Abbie & Rhett)

THE TOWN SQUARE (Arthur & Harriet)

THE PARK OF SUNSET DREAMS (Jane & Matt)

THE PERFECT INGREDIENT (Elizabeth & Terrance)

THE BRIDGE TO A BETTER LIFE (Natalie & Blake)

DARING BRIDES (a short story collection)

The Dare Valley Meets Paris Mini-series:

THE BILLIONAIRE’S GAMBLE

THE BILLIONAIRE’S SECRET

THE BILLIONAIRE’S COURTSHIP

THE BILLIONAIRE’S RETURN

The Dare River series (connected to Dare Valley):

COUNTRY HEAVEN (Tory & Rye)

COUNTRY HEAVEN SONG BOOK

COUNTRY HEAVEN COOKBOOK

THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN (Tammy & John Parker)

THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN: A MAGICAL TALE (children's book)

FIREFLIES & MAGNOLIAS (Amelia & Clayton)

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author Ava Miles burst onto the contemporary romance scene after receiving Nora Roberts' blessing for her use of Ms. Roberts' name in her debut novel, the #1 National Bestseller NORA ROBERTS LAND, which kicked off her small town series, Dare Valley. Ava's books have reached the #1 spot at Barnes & Noble and ranked in Amazon and iBooks' Top 10. Both NORA ROBERTS LAND and COUNTRY HEAVEN have been chosen as Best Books of the Year. Ava has also released a connected series called Dare River about the power of love and family. She's fast becoming a favorite author in light contemporary romance (Tome Tender) and is known for funny, sweet, emotional stories, sometimes with a touch of mystery and magic. Ava's background is as diverse as her characters. She's a former chef, worked as a long-time conflict expert rebuilding warzones, and now writes full-time from her own small town community. Ava is a big believer in living happily ever after and writes about her own journey on The Happiness Corner blog every Friday on her website. If you'd like to connect with Ava or hear more about her upcoming books, check out the links below: