Freedom (Billionaire Secrets 2)

“I don’t want to just ditch work,” she said, putting her glasses back on.

“You’re not ditching work. You know what? Take the rest of the day off. I’m here if you need to vent, so don’t worry about heading back to Dover for the afternoon.” His stomach tightened because he knew his motives weren’t entirely altruistic. Simon wanted to soothe her, but he also wanted to be alone with her. Get her to let her guard down while he tried to get information out of her.

He hated that he wondered if Heather’s reaction to her ex was genuine, or if she was making up some sob story to play Simon instead. Maybe she was using a made-up argument with her ex-husband to illicit sympathy she could use against him while she spied on him and Dover.

His thoughts were spinning in crazy directions.

“Are you sure, Simon?” she asked. “I don’t want to put you out.”

Her concern for him despite her own troubles shouldn’t have made him suspicious, but they did. Paranoia was making him question everything she did now. Heather’s kindness seemed nefarious to him now that he had been given reasons to suspect her. The evidence was all circumstantial, but the more he observed her the deeper his suspicions grew.

“I’m sure,” he said. “We can go to my place. It won’t look suspicious if you’re over during office hours.”

She sighed. “I left my car at work.”

“I can always drop you off at Dover when it’s closing time,” he offered.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT his apartment, he led her upstairs and let her inside.

Having her over might very well be dangerous if she really was a spy, but if he was going to solve this he needed to keep her close. That way he had a better chance of getting her to slip up and accidentally reveal something.

“I know we still have to talk about us.” She sank onto the sofa in the living room and let out an exhausted sigh. “I’m not avoiding it, I promise. It’s just, after finally telling you everything at the gallery, I’ve had to grapple with my feelings now that everything is out in the open.”

“I get it.” He sat down beside her and took her hand. “You’re also dealing with Gary.”

“Dammit, I’ve made such a mess of things.” She groaned. “First I get into a fight with you and now Gary.”

He frowned. That was a strange coincidence. Was she playing him against Gary and Gary against him? Maybe she thought she’d get his sympathy if she gave him Gary to focus on as an enemy. He had definitely let his guard down around her every time the subject of Gary came up.

“It’s probably the pressure of the media scrutiny.” He kept his eyes on her, watching for a sign. Searching for anything that might give away what she was really up to.

She bit her lip. “Gary did mention that he didn’t like the reporters. He thinks they might have a negative effect on Finn and, honestly, I think he has a point.”

“That doesn’t mean that Gary has the right to take Finn away from you,” he said. “If he’s so worried about Finn, why doesn’t he make the effort to spend more time with him? You’ve got joint custody. Why doesn’t he make the most of that?”

“Because he probably sees joint custody as a win for me,” she said. “Me getting to have Finn means that I’ve moved on with my life. It means I’m getting on just fine without him. But if he takes Finn, then he knows I’ll never be okay. I’ll never be fine. Finn is my life and Gary knows that.”

“It’s cruel.” In spite of his suspicion about her, he squeezed her hand reassuringly. His trust in her might be eroding, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about her. It was almost like his feelings for her were pure instinct. Seeing her in pain destroyed him on the inside, and even when he wondered if she was faking it he couldn’t help but react.

She inhaled sharply, as if suppressing a sob.

Watching her in pain felt like a knife plunging into his heart over and over. “Heather.” Simon pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, getting the scent of her feminine, flowery shampoo. Her fragile, delicate body started to shiver in his arms, the heat of her burning right through him. Holding her this close was already making him aroused and he felt like an ass for getting a hard-on while she was in this state.