Swept into the Rich Man's World(15)

But the shoes had unwittingly hit a raw nerve with her.

He cursed out loud when he remembered the raw pain etched on her face  when she had described her ex's betrayal. No wonder she was slow to  trust him. Not that it hadn't stung to hear her admit it.

But knowing what she had gone through strengthened his resolve that  nothing could happen between them. He had to suppress his attraction to  her. She had just come out of a destructive relationship. The last thing  she needed was to be hurt again. And a messy relationship with him was a  sure way for her to get hurt.

She needed practical support right now-not a lover. Not all the  complications and misunderstandings and raw emotions and intimacy that  went with that.

He opened the door from his office out on to the terrace and walked to  where she was now sitting, on a wooden bench on the first tier of the  terraced garden. The grass muffled his footsteps and when he called her  name she looked up in surprise.

'I saw you taking some photos.'

Angling the camera towards him, she asked, 'Would you like to see them?'

He sat beside her and watched the images as she flicked through them on the viewfinder.

'They're beautiful. Will you use them in your work?'

'Probably. They will look great in silk.'

As she kept on flicking the pictures of the sky disappeared and a family portrait appeared in the viewfinder.

With a fond laugh she said, 'Welcome to my family.' She zoomed in  closer. 'That's my mum and dad. My brother Fionn.' Then she flicked  through another few photos until she found a close-up of a family of  three. 'And this is my brother Gavin and his wife Tara, with their  little girl, Milly.'

In the photo Gavin and Tara gazed down at their baby with utter  devotion. Something kicked solidly against his gut. And kicked even  harder when Aideen flicked on to a close-up of Milly.

'Isn't she so beautiful? I never realised just how much I would fall in  love with her. The day Gavin rang to say she had been born...' She  paused and shook her head in wonder. 'I honestly have never been so  happy. You might even have heard my screams of excitement all the way up  in Ashbrooke!'                       
       
           



       

Aideen's enthusiasm and love for Milly slammed home just what he was  going to miss. He was never going to get to know Orla's baby. He coughed  as a sharp pain pierced his heart.

She looked at him in concern and said, 'Are you okay?'

What was it about her that made him want to tell her? Was it that he was  tired of holding in all the hurt and anger inside himself? Was it that  she was so open herself?

'My sister Orla is expecting a baby. Next month, in fact.'

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. 'Really? That's fantastic. You must  be so excited. Oh, wait until it's born. It really is the best feeling  in the world. You wi-'

He cut across her. 'It's not that straightforward.'

'What do you mean?'

'Orla and I haven't been getting on.'

'Oh, listen-I argue with my brothers all the time. You'll be fine.'

Her exuberance and happiness were too much. How could he explain to her  just how bad things were between him and Orla? How he had failed her?  How she didn't trust in him? How she threw everything he did for her  back in his face? It was easier to pretend that she was right.

He answered without looking at her. 'Perhaps.'

'Have you bought anything for the baby yet? I went on a crazy spurge  before Milly was born. I bought her the most exquisite hand-knitted  blanket in a shop in Mooncoyne. You could buy Orla's baby one, too.'

'I transfer money to Orla every month. She can buy whatever she needs.'

She swung forward on the bench to catch his eyes, horror in her own.  'Please tell me you're joking. You're Orla's only family. You have to  buy her a present.'

He gave her blistering look. 'Now who's being dictatorial?'

She backed off, hands raised. 'Okay. Fair enough.' She paused for a  whole five seconds. 'But still-you have to buy something for your... Is  it a boy or a girl?'

Frustration ate into his stomach at her question. He didn't know, and it  was humiliating and painful all at once. 'I don't know.'

'Oh. Does Orla know?'

He had no idea. To avoid answering her he looked at his watch. 'I have some calls to make.'

As he stood up she said with concern, 'It's gone eight thirty at night-do you really have to make calls now?'

He simply nodded, indicating that he did, but as he went to move away her hand reached out and stalled him.

'Will you just wait for a minute? There's something I want to say to you.'

He was about to argue, but there was a warmth to her eyes that had him sitting down beside her again.

* * *

He looked at her suspiciously and she knew she just had to come out and  say what was on her mind. 'Can I be a nag for a few minutes?'

He asked warily, 'Can I stop you?'

'The crazy hours you work...'

Something shuttered in his eyes and tension grew in his jawline.

For a moment she was about to apologise for overstepping the mark, but  she stopped herself in time. Maybe he needed to hear some of this.

'I know I annoyed you the other night, when I said you just wanted to be  in control of everything. It wasn't a fair comment. I understand you  have a lot of responsibilities, and I admire how hard you work and  everything you have achieved. What I was trying to say was that I reckon  you really need more of a balance in your life.'

He crossed his arms on his chest. 'Pot...kettle...black.'

He had a point, but that wasn't going to stop her. 'You're right. We  both need to get a life. Stop working such crazy hours and start having a  bit more fun.'

His jaw worked and he fixed her with a cool gaze. 'I have a life. One that I'm happy with.'

'But your life revolves around just work. You must need downtime. A way  of relaxing, blowing off steam. Answer me this-have you dated recently?'

His answer was curt. 'No, I've been too busy with work.'

She rose a sceptical eyebrow.

'What about friends and family? Do you get time to see them?'

'Occasionally.'

'So basically your life is just work? That can't continue. You seem to  be very hands-on with all your different subsidiaries-perhaps you should  delegate more? That would free up your time and allow you to have a  better balance. Time you could spend with those close to you.'                       
       
           



       

'Are you trying to tell me again how to run my businesses?'

His voice was ice-cold, and it stung to be on the receiving end of his  displeasure. Who was she, anyway, to tell a successful billionaire that  he needed more in his life?

It would be so easy to change the topic. But she was the only person in  his life right now, and someone needed to say these things. And she  cared for him-possibly more than she should.

Her heart thumped in her chest at his obvious irritation but she  ploughed on. 'No, I'm not telling you. I'm just suggesting. Look, I know  that you are super-successful, and that I lost my business last year,  but that doesn't mean I can't have an opinion. I admit I might be wrong,  but at least give it some thought.'

His gaze, rather astonishingly, slowly turned from furious to quizzical  to mild amusement. 'I have to give it to you, Aideen. You're pretty  tough underneath all that beauty and happiness. I have managing  directors of multinational companies who would probably agree with you  but wouldn't have the nerve to say so.'

She threw her eyes heavenwards, trying to ignore the pulse of pleasure  his words evoked, telling herself he was only joking. 'Well, I can't see  how pretending it's otherwise will help you.'

'You think I need help?'

He sounded incredulous. What did he think? That he was the only one who  could help others? That he was the only one capable of being a knight in  shining armour?

'You say you're happy, but my guess is that you could be happier... God knows, I know I could be.'

He looked at her quizzically. 'What do you mean?'

How could she tell him that she was sometimes lonely...sometimes scared  about facing life on her own? It would sound so needy. And it would  probably set off all types of alarm bells in his brain.

So instead she leant back into the bench and said, 'I miss being  spontaneous-living life for the moment. I have been so bogged down in my  business for the past five years I think I've stopped knowing how to  have fun.'

Giddy relief ran through her body when he gave her a rueful smile.  'Spontaneity? I haven't had a lot of that in my life in a while.'

Something in his smile freed her. 'Let's do something now!'

'It's getting late...'

She laughed at the incredulous look on his face. 'Let's go clubbing.'

'I don't think there are many clubs in the village,' he pointed out with a laugh.

'We could go into Paris.'

'Yes, but I have calls I need to make... I won't be finished before midnight.'

'Cancel them.'

'I can't.'

She folded her arms primly and said, 'I told you that you don't know how to have fun.'

For a while he considered her with a smile. But in the silence a tense  awareness blossomed between them. His smile faded and darkness entered  his eyes. He leant closer and her heart began to thunder again. She  looked up into his eyes, barely able to breathe. He came even closer and  his whole body seemed to eclipse hers.