Taming the Carefree Billionaire - Marie Higgins Page 0,43
around them, trying to pass. Once she was able to drive without having to worry about running over someone, she shifted to a higher gear.
Slowing her bike, she prepared to turn a corner, when a shiny red Nissan Titan truck with big wheels zoomed up behind her. Her first reaction was to cuss the reckless driver since sneaking up on cyclists like that was very dangerous. But then the Titan zipped around to the side of her.
She took a quick glance at the driver. Thomas! She should have known since he was driving something shiny and new.
He motioned for her to follow him. She nodded and let him move ahead. He drove to the parking lot of a strip mall before stopping. She turned off the engine and pulled off her helmet just as he moved up to her.
“I’m really surprised to see you here, even though I shouldn’t be,” he said.
The first thing she noticed was that he wore jeans and a regular blue t-shirt. His hair was messy, and he had black soot on his hands and spots on his face. She’d never seen him so dirty, and especially, smelling like smoke.
“Yeah, I was here to take pictures of the fire.” She glanced over him once more. “What are you doing here... and driving a truck?”
“Hey, I drive a truck from time to time.”
“Really? From the looks of it, I bet you’ve only driven it twice since you bought it.”
“Well, technically, three times.” He chuckled. “But when I heard Deccon’s winery was on fire, I thought I’d lend support.”
“Were you able to talk to Mr. Deccon?”
“No. It’s a Saturday, and he was at his home sleeping when he got called about the fire.”
“Does he have enemies that you know of?” Morgan asked.
“Everyone in the wine business is in competition with each other, Morgan. So, yes, I’m sure he has enemies, just as I do.”
Morgan reached out and touched his arm. “Thomas, I’m still worried about your winery.”
“Oh, my sweet Morgan.” He took hold of her hand. “I told you, it’s well guarded around the clock.”
Morgan’s stomach flipped from his kind gesture. She didn’t even care that he was dirty. “Aren’t most wineries well-guarded?”
“I would think they were, but I only know about mine. In fact, come with me back to my vineyard and I’ll show you, to ease your worries.”
Morgan found herself nodding at his suggestion. Thomas released her hand, and it was all she could do to keep from taking hold of it again. She was really starting to enjoy the closeness between them.
“Do you remember the way?” he asked her.
“Of course, I do. But I’ll follow you, just in case.”
He winked at her before climbing into his truck.
All the way back to Napa Valley, her mind tried to figure out why she was even following him in the first place. He was – and would always be – a careless billionaire. Right? But then, she’d noticed a few changes in him. He hadn’t consumed any alcohol last night, even though he had every opportunity. And, although he’d kissed her neck while they were on his motorcycle, he didn’t try to push the issue and kiss her again later when they’d gone their separate ways. And today... he actually helped someone in need – a competitor, no less.
Had he been a nice guy all this time and she’d just believed what the tabloids had created? Then again, he did break her camera the first time she’d seen him. However, he had tried to give her a brand new one, and when she refused that, he gave her money. Nobody had ever done that before.
But... if he was just pretending with her, and he really was an irresponsible billionaire who didn’t care about anyone else but himself, he would definitely break her heart.
THOMAS KEPT ONE EYE on his rearview mirror to make sure Morgan was following him. He had hopes that he’d find her there at Deccon’s Winery, especially since he knew she was quite interested in this topic. He was happy to see her before their date tonight.
That mesmerizing woman still had him baffled. He couldn’t quite figure out why Morgan didn’t melt in his arms like other women did. Most women he dated wanted him to do everything for them, but Morgan wasn’t like that. She was very independent and stubborn about it. Perhaps that’s what made her stand out in his eyes. It also made him want to try harder to win her over.