More Than a Billionaire (4 page)

“I thought we could visit for a little while before dinner.” Abby preceded him into the living room where his dad and sister sat deep in conversation. “Mathieu planned dinner for seven o’clock.”

The mention of Kiera’s dad brought her to the forefront of his mind, something that had occurred several times since his brother’s wedding.

“He promised he’d prepare one of your favorite dishes.” Abby took a seat next to his dad.

Gray sat, listening as his father and sister continued their discussion—or perhaps he should call it a disagreement. While he’d missed the beginning of the conversation, he caught enough to know his sister planned to move to Virginia and start working with their cousin, Jake. His dad wasn’t onboard with that decision. He wanted her to remain at Helping Hands Foundation, one of Sherbrooke Enterprises charitable foundations that was based right there in Providence.

While his dad argued that Helping Hands and their Aunt Marilyn needed her expertise, Gray suspected his dad disagreed with the decision because it would mean his only daughter would move several hours away. Dad might come across as a hard-ass judge in the courtroom, but when it came to family, he was anything but.

As the disagreement continued, Gray sat back and let his mind wander.

“Are you still leaving Friday?” His dad asked and Gray realized the conversation between Allison and his dad had ended.

“I think so.”

The flight crew expected him at the airport tomorrow. The idea of boarding a plane and flying back to New York City excited him about as much as Kiera’s neighbor had on Monday afternoon.

He’d kept busy this week. One afternoon, he’d had lunch with Aunt Marilyn, and another, he’d driven out to Connecticut to visit his cousin. Last night, he went out with his brother Derek, and William, an old college friend who lived in the city. However, his lunch with Kiera had been the highlight of the week. Prior to that lunch date, he hadn’t realized how much he missed her.

Gray had never lacked for friends, yet there had always been something special about his and Kiera’s friendship. Perhaps it was because they’d known each other their entire lives. They’d been born a month apart, and although her parents worked for his, they’d played together from the moment they could crawl.

His mother had loved gardening. She’d enjoyed working in her green house and in her many gardens alongside the gardeners more than she’d liked sipping tea with other wealthy women. Both he and Trent had spent hours outside with her as she worked with Annette Renault, In fact, thanks to his mom and Annette, he now knew more about plants and flowers than any man should.

As children, he, Trent, and Kiera had done everything from climbing trees to digging up worms. At the time, he hadn’t realized how strange it was that Kiera played alongside them. He didn’t view her parents as employees, but more like extended family. Not until he’d started going to friends’ homes did he learn how others interacted with their household staff. By that time, it was too late. His friendship with Kiera had been established.

They stayed close friends right up until the summer after ninth grade. He’d arrived home for the summer and gone looking for his mom in the green house. When he walked inside, rather than finding his mom, a cute ass and legs that went on for miles greeted him. His fifteen-year old body had taken immediate notice of her. Before he could do anything except stare and drool, Annette had walked in and asked the cute backside if she’d finished repotting the flowers. Then, like in a movie, Kiera had straightened up, turned around, and smiled at him.

All the breath had left his body. He’d muttered something that resembled a greeting and beat it. For a solid week after that, he avoided Kiera like the plague, opting to spend his time in the ocean, wondering how she’d changed so much while he’d been away at school.

After a while, he stopped avoiding her and began tossing round the idea of asking her out. A visit by a school friend killed that idea when his buddy so eloquently reminded him that it was okay to screw the help, but not date them.

Not once had he considered asking Kiera out again, and while they remained friends, their friendship changed that summer. He hadn’t intended for that to happen. However, it’d been the only way for him to handle the unwanted desire she evoked every time she came within ten feet of him.

Something she’d once again managed the night of Trent’s wedding and again on Monday afternoon.

“If you change your mind, stop in and visit Richard. He was asking about you over lunch this week. He was disappointed he didn’t get a chance to speak with you at the wedding.”

Richard Marshall had been a friend of his father and Uncle Warren since boarding school. Gray and his siblings considered the man an uncle.

“If I stick around, I’ll try.”

Gray doubted he’d venture even to Richard’s neighborhood unless he knew for certain that Richard’s youngest daughter, Tasha, was far far away. For the longest time, she’d been infatuated with his brother. Then, she’d set her eye on his cousin. After his cousin’s engagement, though, she decided he was the Sherbrooke for her. Much like his brother and cousin, he had no interest in Tasha.

“How long will Trent be gone anyway?” If he did choose to stick around longer, he doubted his brother would want to return from his honeymoon and find him still in his guest bedroom.

“Addie and Trent will be back on the twenty-seventh,” Allison answered. “Trent pressed for a three week honeymoon, but Addie refused. She said she had too many projects to complete before the baby came.”

Good.
That gave him more than a week to crash at his brother’s if he wanted.

“I take it she doesn’t let Trent call all the shots.”

“No. She keeps Trent in line better than I ever did.” His dad laughed. “I only wish they’d met sooner. I might have fewer white hairs.”

Since Trent had called and dropped the news on him, he’d wanted to get to know the woman who’d won over his playboy brother. His father’s comment strengthened that desire. Maybe, with a little luck, his work schedule would cooperate over the next few months and he’d get the opportunity.

***

First thing Friday morning, he called the flight crew and informed them of his change in plans. New York City would still be there in a few days. With that phone call out of the way, he hung around his brother’s apartment, simply enjoying the down time and the quiet—neither of which he got much of anymore. Sometime well after breakfast, he’d showered and headed out, unsure if the destination he had in mind was a good idea or not.

Regardless of his indecision, fifteen minutes later, he found himself knocking on Kiera’s apartment door.

Without so much as a, “Who is it?” first, the door opened.

“Gray.” His name came out as half statement, half question. “What... I thought you were headed home today.”

“Changed my mind.” He feared he’d wake her. Thanks to their conversation earlier that week, he knew she was scheduled to work every night that week. Since she answered the door immediately, and stood before him in well-worn jeans and an oversized sweatshirt, he guessed she’d been awake for some time.

She titled her head “How did you get in? The people in this building aren’t big on letting strangers inside. Some won’t even let my parents in, and they’ve been visiting me since I moved in last year.”

“It must be my charming personality. I just said hello to the woman walking out and mentioned I was here to see you.”

Kiera rolled her eyes at him and laughed. “You’re not
that
charming. More likely, they recognized you and figured you were harmless.” She pulled the door open wider. “Come on in before Alexa hears you’re in the building and offers to do a pole dance for you.”

“I hoped to run into you neighbor while I was here and that does sound entertaining. Which apartment is hers again?”

Kiera pretended to close the door on him. “She lives right next door in apartment twenty-five.”

Gray took a step forward, crossing into her personal space. “Good to know. Maybe I’ll stop over later. Does she really have a pole in her apartment?”

“Men. You’re all the same.” Her tone bordered on annoyance, but the smile he glimpsed before she walked away hinted at amusement.

“You’re not busy, are you?” He followed her into the loft apartment.

“Actually, you’re interrupting my very important date with my DVR.” Kiera plopped onto her sofa. On the television, a woman remained frozen, about to clean up spilled milk.

“Well then, I can always come back after Alexa gives me that private show, if you want.”

Kiera made a great show of considering his words, and then switched off the television. “She’s probably still in bed. She gets home later than me most nights. You might as well stay here and stop by her place before you leave. That would be the considerate thing to do.”

“Always thinking about others.” Gray sat next to her and patted her thigh. “I’m glad that hasn’t changed.”

Kiera pulled her legs up and rested her arms on her knees. “So, how much longer did you decide to stay?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe just a few more days. I haven’t taken time off in a while.”

Kiera snorted. “This is me, Gray. You don’t have to lie. I don’t care how much you do or don’t work. And I’ve seen those party pictures that pop up all over the magazine covers. You seem to have plenty of fun.”

Her comment stung on many levels. Okay, sure, he’d made it a point to cultivate a certain persona since he started his real job. He found that it came in handy if people believed he was a carefree, laid-back, rich guy who did as little work as possible. However, just the opposite was true, but Kiera wouldn’t know that.

“Thanks. I’m glad I know how you really feel.” He hoped his sarcastic tone masked the hurt her words caused.

Kiera’s teasing smile vanished. “I didn’t mean it like that, Gray. You know how I feel about you.”

Actually, no he didn’t. Which was the problem. He assumed she considered him a childhood friend. After all, that was how he’d thought of her for most of his life. Then he’d seen her again at Trent’s wedding, and, well, now he wondered if he couldn’t do now what he’d considered that summer so many years ago.

“But you do seem to travel a lot. And go to a lot of social events.”

Kiera’s voice pushed his wayward thoughts aside.

“Three of four months ago, I read in some magazine that you were spotted in London with some actress. Or maybe she’s a model. I don’t remember. And last month, you were in Mexico according to Trent.”

“That was all for work.”

She didn’t say the word
liar
, but her expression did.

“All my travel in the past year has been for work.” It just hadn’t all been for Sherbrooke Enterprises. In fact more than half of it had been for the Agency.

“If you say so.” She looked away then back at him again. “Who was the woman with you in London? It’s driving me nuts that I can’t remember her name. She’s a model, right?”

He didn’t want to discuss any of the women he’d been spotted with over the past year. “Neither. But she wants to get into acting. Her father is the new Russian Prime Minister, and her family owns several businesses, including numerous resorts and casinos around the world. We met at one of them. And for the record, Nadia asked me to the movie premier.”

“She’s beautiful.”

He saw no reason to comment on that statement. After all, she was right; Nadia Danilova was gorgeous. Just not his type.

“You’re the first woman I’ve asked out in a while.”

Kiera bit down on her lip, but her smile still escaped. “Too busy?”

“That’s part of it.”

He worked hard, but that didn’t mean he had no social life. Instead, it was more a case of not meeting anyone he cared to get to know better. In fact, the desire he’d experienced dancing Saturday—and again on Monday—had been the first he’d felt in a long time.

“What about you?” They’d discussed many things over lunch, but not once had she mentioned a boyfriend.

“My job isn’t all that conducive to an active social life. I dated someone in Paris for two years, but he didn’t want to move here with me. We’re still friends and text sometimes.”

No guy in her life; he shouldn’t like the sound of that, but he did. A lot.

“Since we both have no social life, do you mind if I hang out here for the afternoon and watch television? I’ll even buy pizza later.”

Both her grandfather and father might be gourmet chefs, but the girl he’d known all his life loved pizza. Especially pepperoni and mushroom.

“You, my friend, have yourself a deal.”

For what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon, Kiera shot a look at Gray, then looked back at the super heroes on her socks. Man, she wished he’d called rather than just show up. Then she wouldn’t be sitting there in jeans so old they could buy a ticket to a PG-13 movie and socks decorated with super heroes. Okay, maybe her jeans weren’t
that
old, but they had holes in both the knees and she’d had them since before she’d moved to Paris. Granted, she didn’t have to impress Gray, but that didn’t mean she wanted to look like a slob, either. Especially considering he looked great today as usual.

The jingle for a popular snack food company started up, and Kiera realized the television show had gone to another commercial.

“Does anyone watch commercials anymore?” She hit Fast-Forward.

“Someone in the marketing department could answer you better than me, but that commercial is making me hungry for cake. And
some
one in this room did promise they’d make me cupcakes if I wanted.”

She’d baked enough that she could whip up cupcakes in her sleep. “So I did. And you promised me pizza.” Kiera switched off the television. “I’ll get started on my end of the bargain if you handle yours.”

“Deal.”

Gray smiled at her and an overwhelming urge to put space between them sent her toward the kitchen.

“There’s a take-out menu in the drawer next to you.”

She liked cooking and experimenting with dishes too much to order take-out often. Still, she pulled out the too-lazy-to-cook card at times and called for delivery. Since she’d moved to Lincoln, she’d tried several different places and the pizza restaurant located on Mendon Road in Cumberland was, by far her favorite or at least her favorite that would deliver.