Taming the Carefree Billionaire - Marie Higgins Page 0,67

but he brushed off the feeling. After all, they were used to him not caring at all.

Silently, he moved around the field, surveying the damage. As he walked over by the gate, a shiny object on the ground caught his eye. He squatted lower to move the charred branches and found a silver-blue bead. Frowning, he studied the object, wondering how that had gotten here in the vines. He then noticed an imprint in the dirt of what looked like a woman’s high-heeled shoe.

Thinking back over the events that happened yesterday, he could only remember two women being in the field, or at least close to the field. Morgan, and his father’s secretary, Tasha. Morgan didn’t wear high-heeled shoes, however, Tasha...

The revving engine of a motorcycle jerked Thomas out of this thoughts and he spun around toward the sound. A familiar white motorcycle drove into the parking lot and came near the field. His heartbeat faster as his legs ate up the space between them.

She dismounted and took off her helmet before meeting him halfway. Immediately, he gathered her in his arms and kissed her. She smelled like flowers, and her kiss was as gentle as a rose petal. When he withdrew, he smiled and gazed into her hazel eyes.

“I missed you,” he said.

Her grin broadened. “It’s only been an hour.”

He shrugged. “It seems so much longer.”

She nodded toward the fields as her smile disappeared. “How bad is it?”

“I think,” he began, keeping one arm around her as he led her toward the gate, “that back field will still be good. However, the specialty grapes are destroyed along with the front area.”

“Will you allow me to take a few photos?” Morgan asked.

“You can, and when I finally get to look at the security footage, I’ll send you some pictures from that, too.” He winked. “You’ll have the best pictures, and you’ll get that promotion you’ve been hoping for.”

Her smile was more relaxed this time. “Thomas, I don’t care about a promotion. I care about trying to catch the person responsible for doing this to your vineyard – and the other vineyards out there.”

He cupped her face, his soul melted while gazing into her eyes. “You are always thinking of others. Is it any wonder I’ve fallen in love with you?”

She sucked in a quick breath as her eyes widened. That’s when it hit him... He’d said those meaningful words – words he never thought he’d tell a woman. And yet, he’d spoken the truth with Morgan. The acceleration of his heartbeat let him know that he’d never felt this way about a woman, and he never wanted any woman besides Morgan.

“You... love me?” she whispered.

He nodded. “I can’t believe it myself, but I do. The moment you entered my life, you’ve taken all of my thoughts and my heart along with it.”

She blinked as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Thomas. I... I...”

She threw her arms around him, pressing her mouth to his. The kiss was so emotional, it left his mouth dry and wanting more. Of course, they were still outside with watching eyes. He wouldn’t doubt that the paparazzi were somewhere nearby, too. They always were.

“Oh, Thomas,” she mumbled against his lips. “I love you, too.”

He pulled away and cupped her face again, loving the glow in her beautiful eyes. “Thank you for loving me so much.” He kissed her briefly before pulling away. “Unfortunately, out in the open isn’t the best place for this conversation, so I suggest we have dinner tonight and we’ll do this all over again, somewhere very private.”

Her eyelids lowered and her grin stretched wider. “You’re reading my mind.”

Chuckling, he turned them toward the fields again. This time when he looked at the burned vines, there was a ray of hope in his heart. “Everything will grow back again. In fact, I’m sure it’ll grow better than before.”

“Of course, it will.” She nodded. “With you in charge, the vines will grow beyond your wildest imagination.”

She pulled out her camera and took some photos. He turned to stare at his upcoming project. He now couldn’t wait to get started on it. But since he’d never had to rebuild after a fire, he didn’t know the first thing about what needed to be done.

“I’ve finished.” Morgan stood beside him and pulled out the flash drive from her camera. “Do you have a few minutes? I want to show you something.”

“Of course, I have a few minutes.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her