The Billionaire's Seduction (The Billionaire's Temptation #1) - J. S. Cooper Page 0,24
moved here from Florida together to go to school.”
“Did she study drama as well?” Harry’s eyes remained on the road as he spoke and I studied his profile, wondering if he was really interested or was just making small talk.
“No. Just me.” I paused. “I was the crazy one to think I could make it as an actress.”
“Why crazy?”
“Have you seen me in any movies or on Broadway?” I laughed. I didn’t bring up the fact that he’d called me a bad actress as it still stung.
“Not yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you made it soon.” He sounded sincere, and I wondered if he regretted what he’d said previously.
“Yeah right.” I laughed.
“Don’t be so down on yourself, Sarah. I mean, you were able to fool the people at Green & Hall’s.”
“Yeah.” I quickly changed the subject as I was hoping that he would give me another job in his company. “So, where are we going?”
“To dinner.”
“Duh, where?”
“Just wait and see, Sarah.”
“Fine.” I turned and looked out of the window, watching the commuters walk to their apartments from their jobs in Manhattan. I loved how alive and real Brooklyn was, even though I was eager to move to the city as soon as possible. “So, tell me why we are fooling your family again?” I turned back to face him, curious why such a good-looking and rich man would need to fool his family.
“Have you ever watched Home Alone?”
“Hello. Of course, I have. Kevin!” I screamed. “Arrgh.”
“Um, okay. Thanks for that, Sarah.” Harry laughed as his eyes widened. “Well, the family in Home Alone is just a scratch on my family.”
“Okay?”
“And their biggest wish for me is to get married and to have kids.”
“So why don’t you?” I questioned.
“I don’t want to.” His voice was abrupt.
“Why not?” I was curious as to why he never wanted to get married. I was also strangely disappointed.
“I find that marriage just constrains people. I don’t want to be constrained. Plus, I don’t believe in love and most women want that in a marriage.”
“You don’t believe in love?” I was shocked and sad.
“No, not really. I mean, I believe in love of family, love of friends, love of sex.” He turned and grinned at me. “But one true love? Soul mates? Nope.”
“Wow, okay.” I bit my lip, wanting to ask more but not wanting him to think that I cared about his answers. “Is there a reason why you don’t believe in those things?”
He laughed, and his voice had a bitter tinge in it when he spoke. “I’ve had models, actresses, teachers, nurses all tell me how much they loved me, how much they wanted to be with me, when all they really cared about was the money. My billions. And my image. They liked the glitz and the glamour. Me as a person is secondary to them. The status and lifestyle I can provide mean more. If I had nothing, the women would be long gone.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” My voice was earnest. He was hot. Women would want to be with him no matter if he was a pauper.
“Come on, Sarah, even you are only with me now because you want your job back.” He laughed. “Let’s be real here. Women just latch on to men that can provide something to them. Which is fine. But let’s not say it’s love.”
I sat back and thought for a second. What he said wasn’t untrue. I had told myself and him that I was going along for the weekend because I needed the money and because I wanted my job back, but that wasn’t really the only reason I was going. I was going because I thought he was ridiculously hot and because I enjoyed sparring with him. I liked the way he made me feel. And that had nothing to do with his money. “I guess you’ll think whatever you want to,” I replied. There was no way that I wanted him to know that I was more into him than I was letting on.
“See, even you have nothing to say to that.” His voice sounded sad and then he turned on the radio. “Want to listen to some Miles Davis?”
“Say what?” I frowned at him as Jazz music reverberated through the car. “Who’s this?”
“You don’t know Miles Davis?” Harry looked at me and shook his head.
“Is he related to Larry David?” I thought of the bald guy from the TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm.