Five Dates with the Billionaire - Alyssa J. Montgomery Page 0,62

feel unnoticed.’

‘Which made you feel safe.’

She nodded, sat down and enjoyed the water moistening her dry throat as she swallowed.

‘Do you think Correlli will realise who you are?’

‘I’m afraid he won’t give up until he’s figured it out.’

‘Let’s hope he’s got more pressing issues to think about.’

‘I’m not certain my appearance alone would make him link me to Mum. The necklace caught his attention. Mum didn’t have much in the way of valuable possessions, but she almost always wore this necklace given to her by her father. The jewellery box was her favourite gift from her mother. I took those two things and they’re the only physical things I have that belonged to Mum.’

Mia touched the pendant. ‘I rarely take this off, but it’s normally hidden beneath my clothing. If I’d thought about it being a distinctive piece, I would never have worn it.’

Connor sent her a gentle smile. ‘Thank you for telling me the truth, Mia. It stops wild conjecture running through my mind.’

‘What did you think was going on?’

He moved one hand dismissively. ‘Honestly, I didn’t know what to think. But, when Tony told me there was no trace of a school record from your younger years and that the passenger list on the flight over India had been tampered with, I knew you were involved in something serious.’

‘You found all that out tonight?’

‘Yes.’ His fingers scratched along the stubble of his jaw. ‘Tony suggested you were either in witness protection or possibly a spy.’

Her eyes widened. ‘A spy?’ She gave a small laugh. ‘Oh, Stanley would laugh at that one!’

He knelt before her, taking her hands in his. ‘Sweetheart, you might’ve thought these last few days were only about sex but you’re wrong.’

What was he saying?

‘We agreed on a short-term affair for a reason, Connor. It suited both of us.’ He couldn’t know how much she’d love it to be more. His hold on her hands was very distracting. She needed to sever this link between them—both physically and socially—so she eased her hands out of his.

‘Connor, I can’t have anything more when my life is based on a lie.’ She willed him to understand. ‘I can’t build on that sort of foundation. Nobody can ever know who I really am.’

He sent her a puzzled look. ‘But I know who you are. You’re Mia Simms and although Callie has been left behind, she’s still very much part of you.’

‘A part I can’t talk about.’

‘Sweetheart, you’re so tied up in knots about this, the obvious has escaped you.’

She sent him a questioning look.

‘You’ve talked about it now. I know about your past so we go forward on a solid foundation.’

‘Forward? No. We have no future.’ She shook her head. ‘Are you saying you still want to keep this going until it reaches an “organic” ending as you term it, even though you know your life could be at risk?’ She couldn’t expect it of him. She wouldn’t ask it of him.

‘My life won’t be at risk. If Stanley thinks it’s necessary, I’ll hire a team of bodyguards to keep us both safe. You may as well accept that I won’t take no for an answer.’ There was no way she could let him do it. ‘We may not have known each other long, but you’ve shaken my priorities up, Mia Simms. Every time we’ve made love, my world’s been rocked off its axis.’

She was dumbstruck. She wanted to rejoice, but she couldn’t. He was talking about great sex, but he didn’t love her. If they kept this going she’d never survive when they eventually broke up.

‘You’ll find I’m not so easy to get rid of when my mind is set on a particular course of action, Mia.’

‘You and Violet both!’ The pair of them were like steamrollers, smoothing over any bump in their path.

This may be what you want most of all, but you know you can’t have it.

‘My answer’s still no, Connor.’

He raised both eyebrows in an expression of bemused disbelief.

‘I know it’s not a word you’re used to, but it’s my final word and you need to accept it.’ When he would’ve objected, she put up her hand. ‘I appreciate what you’re prepared to do for me, but this…’ Find a word that doesn’t reveal how much this has meant to you. ‘This… fling over the last couple of days is at an end. It’s all I ever wanted and you need to accept it.’

‘We’ll see.’ Completely unperturbed, he reached out and tucked a loose strand