Falling for the Billionaire's Daughter - Lori Ryan Page 0,19
pictured team building exercises that no one really wanted to do and a bunch of people talking about their boss when he or she wasn’t around to hear it.
Instead, there was Jack Sutton, the CEO of the company, juggling not just his own children’s marshmallow sticks, but those of two other kids in the group as well. She would have thought this was a family reunion if she didn’t know better.
She felt Kaeden before she saw him. He stood across the fire watching her as he made his way around the outside of the group. He smiled and nodded greetings at the others when they spoke to him, but he was steadily making his way toward her.
And damn if that didn’t make her stomach flip. Stomach, heart—hell, all of her.
And then he was there.
“Is this seat taken?” His voice was low and sexy and raked over her body in a way it shouldn’t. But she loved it.
She looked at the space next to her. It wasn’t really a seat. She shifted over on the large log she was sitting on. “Nope. Have at it.”
He grinned her way as he sat. She could see his eyes skimming over the group. He was checking and double checking everything. In fact, she was surprised he’d gotten here late. It wasn’t like him to let the interns handle any event without him, even for a short time.
“You’re late,” she commented, bumping his shoulder with her own as she sent him a teasing smile.
His careless shrug almost convinced her he wasn’t bothered by the fact he’d missed the start of one of the group activities he was in charge of. “Had to make a phone call.”
They were quiet for a few minutes before he leaned in close to her. “So, tell me the rest of your story. There has to be more to it.”
She was startled to realize she wanted to. Luckily, she wasn’t that stupid. It was only the fact she’d been so cut off from everyone for over a year that made her feel that temptation. “No story. Just working for a living. The lodge is a good place to do it.”
A great place, actually. She loved Carl and Evelyn and she hated that she needed to leave. Maybe if she told them she had to go instead of just taking off, they’d let her come back someday. Would it hurt her to return in a couple of years?
Exhaustion hit her then. Would she still be running in a couple of years? Would Turner have given up and left them in peace by then? How would she know? It’s not like she could take a chance.
The thought of keeping this up for five, ten—even more years almost swamped her.
“Yeah, there’s something more there. Something you aren’t telling me,” Kaeden said so quietly she didn’t know if he meant for her to hear it. His words snapped her back to him and she realized he was watching her intently. There was more than curiosity there. He was angry that she wasn’t being honest with him. He was trying to hide it but she could see it there.
Well, he could get as mad as he wanted. It didn’t change the situation. She took a deep breath and swept away the cloud in her thoughts, plastering a bright smile on her face. “Like in the movies? I’ve got a big bad secret I can’t let anyone know.” Truer words and all that.
“Do you?” His eyes said he believed she did.
Joy forced a laugh. “Maybe you’ll find out I’ve buried the bodies of ten people out back. I target control-freak businessmen who don’t know how to let their hair down and you’re my next victim.”
Now he scowled but she saw a playful edge to it as his frustration with her seemed to flicker. “I can let my hair down just fine, thank you.”
A grin played on her lips at that.
“You didn’t answer the question.”
Joy sighed. “No big secret. I’m just a woman working for a living.” The lie came easily. She was used to it now.
He grinned and looked to where some of the couples in the group were slow dancing even though there was no music. “Dance with me.”
Joy was so surprised she didn’t answer for a minute.
He raised a brow. “Dare you.”
Well, damn, now she had to.
Like it’s going to be a hardship, the catty little internal dialogue in her head said.
He held out a hand and she stared at it for a few seconds,