Stolen:The Billionaire Deception(19)

"Aw, my poor Grant. Here you are, actually trying to do what's right and   getting punished for it and I'm doing everything wrong and getting   rewarded."



He put down the ice cream and swung his legs down and sat up. Putting   his arm around me, he said, "You are doing what you're doing to get back   what should have been yours to begin with."



"And in the process, I'm using the first man that I've ever had real   feelings for. He's …  God Grant; he's just everything I ever wanted. I   couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect man. Here I am shopping for a   gown so that I can fit in at this ball meanwhile planning to sneak   around and go through his father's personal things. What a horrible   person I am."



Grant pulled me into his shoulder and kissed the top of my head. "You love this guy?"



I felt the tears begin to fall on his bare shoulder as I nodded and   said, "I think I am. I've never been in love before. I'm not sure what   it's supposed to feel like."         

     



 



"So what does it feel like?"



"I can't think straight when he's around. He makes me laugh, he makes me   feel safe, and he makes me feel beautiful and smart and funny … "



I was sobbing by then and Grant lifted my chin so that he could look at   my face when he said, "That sounds like love to me, baby."



"What should I do?" I asked him.



"I can't tell you what to do, especially not about this. Everything   you've done for so many years has been to get where you are now. Seth   was a complication to say the least. But now, if you really want to be   with him and you want it to work …  I'm afraid that you're going to have   to choose."



"Between him and my company?"



"Think about this," he said. "If it works out between the two of you and   you end up in wedded bliss with two point five children, you could   always tell him then. From what you've told me, I doubt that he'd choose   the old man over you."



I knew that he was right. I also knew that I couldn't choose. I was in   love with Seth, I was sure of it. I didn't know how to walk away from   that. I didn't want to. I didn't know how to walk away from my company   either. I didn't want to. So, after considering Grant's words all week I   got ready for the party Saturday night in a jumble of nerves. I knew I   wasn't ready to tell Seth the truth. I knew I wasn't ready to give up  on  my legacy. I wanted it all.









CHAPTER FOURTEEN









I was shaking by the time Seth rang the doorbell to pick me up Saturday   night. Grant was out, thank goodness. It seemed lately that every time   we talked, I ended up baring my soul and dissolving into tears. Poor   Grant was probably wishing for a tough guy roommate for a change. When I   opened the door my breath was taken away. Seth was wearing a dark blue   suit. It looked like it had been handmade and hand-tailored. It fit  him  perfectly and accentuated his gorgeous, hard body. The lapels were a   dark gray color, the shirt underneath matched the lapels and his tie   matched the suit that perfectly matched his eyes. When I could find my   breath I said, "Hi there, handsome."



He looked as taken with me as I was with him. I had worn my hair mostly   down. I had the top done in a twist that pulled the front and sides  away  from my face. I had a sapphire necklace that used to belong to my  mom.  It was one of a very small handful of things I was able to keep  when I  was forced to leave my home. I felt like a princess in my dress  and the  way that Seth was looking at me made me feel that much more  beautiful.  At last he let out a long, low wolf whistle.



"God, you are perfect."



"Thank you," I said. "So are you."



"Are you ready?"



I was and I wasn't. "Yeah, I'm ready," I said, grabbing my bag. Seth and   I took the elevator down and once again, my breath was taken away when  I  saw the limousine waiting for us outside my building. Even working  for  these people, I had failed to wrap my head around the extent of the   money that was involved here. I wondered if James Hunter ever felt  even a  little bit guilty about having so much while a thirteen year old  girl  had grown up with so little.



As we drove along I noticed that Seth was unusually quiet and even more   out of the ordinary, somewhat fidgety. "What's wrong?" I asked him,   finally.



"Nothing," he lied.



"Are you sure? You seem so nervous." He reached over and took my hand.



Intertwining his fingers with mine he squeezed and said, "I'm sure. I'm   fine." When he relaxed the squeeze I could feel his hand shake. My   arrogant, self-assured, CEO was a nervous wreck, whether he wanted to   admit it or not. His relationship with his father had to be even worse   than he'd let on.



We rode along in virtual silence. The trip was long and by the time the   limousine began its trek up the long, windy road that led to the estate  I  was almost ready to call the whole thing off. I watched out the  window  as the rolling green hills turned into a magnificent waterfront  estate.  It sat right on Mecox Bay. I couldn't help it, I had to ask.



"How many acres is this estate?"



"Eleven," he said, simply.



"Wow," I said. I looked out across the water that was lit up by the   twinkly light strung across it and saw a huge white yacht sitting off in   the distance. I didn't ask, but I was sure that belonged to them as   well. "When was this built?"



Seth looked completely uninterested, but he was polite enough to   continue answering my questions. "In the 1920's sometime, I think. It's   been added on to and renovated about a billion times."         

     



 



"Did you grow up here?" The limousine stopped and Seth stared up at the estate like it was the first time he had ever seen it.



"When I wasn't away at school."



The chauffeur came around and opened the doors for us once we were   parked on the circular cobblestone driveway in front of the house. I   stepped out and looked up. It almost hurt my neck to be able to take it   all in at once. Seth took my arm and led me up the stone steps with the   wrought iron railing that led up to the huge double doors. Before we   went inside I had to ask one more question.



"How many square feet is this home?" Seth chuckled and I said, "I'm   sorry. Too many questions, I know. I've just never seen a house this big   up close. We had a large home when I was a kid, before my parents  died.  It was 10,000 square feet. That house would fit down inside of  this  one."



"Don't be sorry," he said. He leaned over and kissed the side of my   face. "I think you're adorable. It was about 22,000 at the last   renovation in 2006 I believe."



"Wow," I said again. I could feel the rage begin to seep through my body   and build in my chest. This man stole everything from me and here he   lives in this lavish home that could house ten families comfortably.   This is what he already had when he felt the need to take everything   from me. I was no longer ambivalent about taking this man on. I would do   my best to make sure that Seth didn't get taken down as collateral   damage, but I knew I had to move forward with my plans.









CHAPTER FIFTEEN









Seth had me on his arm as we walked into the midst of the party but he   had a distant and anxious look on his face and I had to wonder if he   even remembered that I was here.



"Hey, there he is." An older man with a smart-looking platinum haired   woman at his elbow spoke to Seth as we passed by. Seth was suddenly   focused and I marveled at the quick transformation.



"Howard! Louise! It's great to see you both. Louise," he said, turning   towards the older woman and taking her hand. He brought it to his lips   without taking his eyes from hers as he said, "You get younger every   time I see you. What is your secret?"



Howard laughed a deep, hearty laugh. His wife gave him a dirty look and   then with a brilliant smile in Seth's direction she said, "Well, it's   certainly not the company I keep. How are you dear?"



"I get better every day," he told her with a wink. "Let me introduce   this lovely young lady to you. Howard and Louise Barker this is Erin   Summers."



It was Howard's turn to flirt. He took my hand and made a grand play of   kissing it the way Seth had done with his wife's. Then he said, "I'm so   delighted to meet you."