Billionaire's Love Suite (8 page)

And no grand dame wants to age, Shana thought.

The Blackberry vibrated again. Justin sent a reply requesting her to
bring the latest figures to their lunch.

Shana answered his text message.

Then he sent another message. “Is the steam room operational?”

Shana gaped at the message and felt an electric shock zing through her
body. A vision of Justin stark naked sitting in the steam room filled her mind.
The pressure of Justin’s lips on hers was a memory she’d been fighting all
day. It was bad enough she couldn’t sleep due to dreams about making love
with Justin, but going through her day trying to keep her mind on the task at
hand was nearly impossible.

There was no question in her mind that Justin only wanted facts related
to the work progress in the hotel. She was certain that memories of her in the
steam room did not haunt him. He had plenty of gorgeous women to help
him erase a simple kiss from his head. It was Shana’s guess that in a given
week, Justin probably had dozens of kisses, hundreds even, from several
others. He was a player and in her book, that was the same as a criminal. She
thought of all those women he’d known. There was no question in her mind
that he’d left a string of broken hearts. Such a man could never be trusted.

“None of which should matter to me in the least,” she told herself.
“Justin and I have a business relationship. Nothing more. Nothing else.”

Shana is stone
, Justin thought to himself as he looked at the beautiful
woman sitting across from him on the banquette at L’Absinthe. He had hoped
the very Parisian décor and the French menu would have put a romantic
tone on their conversation, but Shana was all business. She kept her eyes so
focused on the budget sheets, he didn’t think she’d looked at him once.

The frosted tulip sconces cast a soft glow onto Shana’s blonde hair,
which she’d clipped to her nape. She told Justin she’d walked from the hotel
to the restaurant, which was no short distance and he saw the tote bag that
carried her Nike’s that attested to the truth of her statement. He guessed the
brisk walk was the cause of the still damp tendrils that had escaped the clip
and now dangled down the back of her neck.

Justin suddenly had an urge to kiss that creamy column of flesh. He
wanted to see if there was any response to him. Then he felt himself start
to get hard. He fought the blast of erotic sensations he felt as he listened to
Shana’s soft, melodious voice fill his ears. He tried not to linger on fantasies
of what he might have done, could have done in the steam room with her
had he not lied to her.

He stirred in his seat. He drank a huge slug of icy cold water. Then he
looked at her neck again. It was ivory white as if it had never seen the sun
a single day. He knew her skin was soft because he’d touched her breast
before.

My God, this is insane
! He thought to himself.
She thinks she is just my
employee. She doesn’t know that I need her to be my wife. Get a grip, man.
Don’t blow this before you start
.

She had asked him a question. Again with no response. Shana stared
at Justin. “You’re preoccupied with something. Maybe we should do this
later,” she suggested good -naturedly.

“I am,” he admitted with a slow smile. “I confess I was thinking how
beautiful you look today.”

Shana stared at him as if she hadn’t heard him. A compliment was just
about the last thing she’d expected from Justin’s lips. “What? Uh, I mean
thanks?”

He chuckled and sat back in his chair slipping his arm over the back,
which caused his suit jacket to open and reveal an expensive white silk shirt
that was cut close to his muscular chest that she remembered with incredible
clarity. Involuntarily, she licked her lips and then instantly caught herself.

Justin saw it and smiled more broadly. “You don’t believe you’re
beautiful?”

Shana got the impression he was teasing her now, which was fine in and
of itself, but why was he moving the conversation off business? He was the one who requested this meeting. Shana was confused and unfortunately, it
showed. “I suppose I do. I never gave it much thought, really.”

“Surely people have told you that all your life,” he said flashing her a
smile that could easily melt glaciers.

“Not really. Most of my childhood I was chubby and wore glasses and
endured a series of retainers and finally braces over a seven year period.
Trust me, beautiful was not what the kids called me.”

“What did they call you?”

“Four eyes,” Shana replied with a stabbing pain she’d thought had been
long ago buried.

“I’m sorry,” Justin said with such soft empathetic tones, Shana looked
up into his trusting blue eyes. For a long moment she wondered what her
life would have been like, if anyone had been there for her when she was
a child going through those terrible times. “I would have beat them up for
you,” he said jokingly. “What did your Dad do?”

Shaking her head and glancing away, Shana realized she was fighting
tears. “He had died by that time. There wasn’t anyone to help me. In fact,
my Mom was working the Inn all the time and I was expected to help her out
and that meant taking care of my three younger sisters and two brothers.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that would have been for you,” he said with
so much caring in his deep voice that Shana felt warm all over. Her tears
receded. ”How did you manage?”

“You know, I think we did very well. Because there was always so much
work to do at the Inn, we never had fights or bickering. We all just pitched
in to help my mother. She made a success of the Inn and she and my sisters
are still running it today.”

“And your brothers?”

“Harry just passed his bar exams and Sam has his own video game company.
I’m proud of them both.”

“I’ve always wondered what that would be like to be part of a large
family. Fun, I would suspect.” He stopped himself the instant he realized
he’d vocalized his innermost thoughts. Shana’s eyes were filled with disbelief
and he immediately realized his mistake. To cover himself, he changed
the subject. “Your siblings should be very proud of their older sister,” he
said giving her a look of deep sincerity.

His gaze was unwavering and Shana believed it came from his heart.
Just as had his little confession. She’d never thought about the pleasures
and pains of Justin’s childhood. He was a billionaire as if that were his only
defining characteristic. What’s more, he apparently seemed truly interested
in her family and her past.

She couldn’t help wondering what it would have been like to have known
Justin or someone like him when she had been the victim of those childhood
heartbreaks and skirmishes with the older kids at school who mocked her
relentlessly. Her revenge had been to escape and move to the biggest cities
she could find where she could lose herself in her work.

Justin reached across the table and touched her hand. Shana knew she
should have snatched her hand back and not allowed the gesture of familiarity.
She was afraid her body would betray her again and she would feel
sensual sensations. Instead, she found the comforting touch a friend gives
a friend. How was that possible? Justin wasn’t her friend. He was the man
who had lied to her. He was a playboy. And he was her boss. She could
never expect friendship from Justin, she told herself.

She looked down at his hand and discovered that despite her mental
warnings, she reveled in the feel of his hand over hers. It was a strong hand
with long fingers and short, precise nails. With his forefinger he stroked the
inside of her thumb and forefinger. He didn’t ask for words. He didn’t push
her into a response of any kind. He appeared to be content just as he was,
touching her hand, letting her mind run to a place of calm and ease. She felt
like a young puppy that rolls over expose their belly for soothing strokes
from its owner.

Am I rolling over for this guy like a slave puppy? What’s the matter
with me?

“You’re self-reliant,” he said squeezing her hand and then releasing it.
He sat back in his chair again and then scoured her face with intense eyes as
if assessing her anew. “I greatly admire that in an individual,” he said with
objective tones as if he were speaking of someone he didn’t know. “I have
worked all my life to overcome the kind of lack of integrity my father exercised
too often in his business,” Justin said and then paused as his reflections
on the past came to mind. “And in his personal life, I’m afraid.”

“Really?” Shana asked too quickly because she noticed his eyebrow
arch instantly.

“Don’t sound so shocked.”

“I’m not,” she replied, but already she realized that Justin’s own reputation
had obviously impressed her more than the scathing gossip about Peter
Yates.

“Okay, let’s get it out in the open,” he said firmly. “What have you heard
about me that causes these jitters I see in you every time we talk.”

She exhaled a sharp breath of ire. “I have never had jitters. Around you
or anyone else.”

“Fine,” he replied folding his hands on the table and nailing her with a
pointed gaze.

Shana had always prided herself on being straightforward. She had no
intention of being any less with Justin. “It is true that I have heard and read
about your father’s arrogance and ego. I have also heard even more about
your own reputation for using women for sex.”

Justin’s head snapped back. He didn’t know what he had expected to hear
but this wasn’t it. Not that he doubted her. Justin knew his father planted tall
tales about his “playboy” son throughout the staff and most of his affiliates
in the hotel industry. He just hadn’t realized how damaging the rumors had
become. “I have never ‘used’ another person in my entire life. I like to think
that I’ve helped most people I’ve come into contact with. Men and women.
I know my father thought I needed to settle down, but I have certainly never
been a Lothario. Frankly, I don’t feel I’ve done anything more or less than
the next single guy in New York.”

Shana folded her arms across her chest as he made his excuses. She’d
heard this line before and he’d have to do a lot better to convince her.

“You don’t believe me.”

“I’m certain in your mind, you’re very fair minded.”

His eyes pierced her. “Exactly how did you come by this gossip about
me?”

“First hand, actually,” she said.

“Impossible. What’s her name?” he challenged.

“Kimmie.”

Justin stared at her blankly as if he had no clue who she was talking
about. Shana watched him for a long moment wondering how many names
in his long list of lovers he would have to check off before he got to Kimmie.
What if there was more than one Kimmie? She had no idea how players
kept their women straight.

Justin started laughing. Then he laughed some more. He threw his head
back and roared with laughter. He hugged himself trying to stop laughing.

Shana looked around. The other patrons were staring at them as Justin
laughed louder and harder. Under ordinary circumstances, she would smile
because he had a truly wonderful laugh. But because he was laughing at her,
it reminded her far too painfully of the cruelties she’d endured when she
was a child. She frowned. She sent him a blistering glare.

Justin’s eyes were closed as he swiped his hand over his face trying to
stop his laughter. When he opened his eyes, he saw a pair of glacial blue
eyes staring at him.

“You probably don’t remember her, but she was in your office when
you were flying back from Beijing. I left a note for you,” Shana bit off her
words.

“I’m sorry, Shana,” he said as the last snicker escaped. He held up his
palms in a surrendering act. “It’s not you. I’m not laughing at you. You
couldn’t know. Kimmie is my cousin. She came by to thank me for paying
her college tuition.”

“Your…?” Shana snapped her mouth shut. Of all the things in the
world she expected to hear, his explanation wasn’t one of them. “I’m so
embarrassed.”

“Stop. Don’t be.”

“I’m curious, though. Why would you be paying for her tuition? Your
family is…well, rich.”

“Kimmie is my mother’s sister’s child. Mom was not from money.
In fact, that side of my family is a lot like your family. Hardworking and
honest. Kimmie wants to be a fashion designer and I think she has talent.
Once she graduates I intend to continue to help her.”

“I’m impressed.”

He smiled. “Enough that all those misgivings about me are erased.”

Shana was silent a breath of a moment too long.

“So, you have something else you want to ask me?”

Shana didn’t blink before asking, “There’s the story about a log that was
kept on you.”

Justin sat up feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. “Log?”

“Of your trysts.”

Justin was so angry he had half a mind to storm out of the restaurant, but
he didn’t. Fortunately for him, Shana was curious, nosy or both, enough to
relate the hearsay about him so that he had a chance to confront the allegations.
“And the origination of this log was…?”

“My predecessor.”

“Felicity.”

“Cummings. Yes.” Shana finished for him and then waited.

“I can only tell you it’s a lie. Felicity and I dated for a short while. She
did everything she could to trick me into marriage including a claim that she
was pregnant. I exposed her and the truth won out.”

Shana didn’t think she could be easily shocked at this point in her life,
but she was. She didn’t like to think that anyone of her sex would stoop to
such meanness. Sadly, too many people truly did use others to accomplish
their goals or satisfy their empty souls.

“I’m sorry for you,” Shana said lowly with such sincere tones that Justin
paused. “I can’t imagine how heartbreaking that would have been to think
that might be bringing a child into the world and then to find it was all a
scheme.”