Impulse (Billionaire Secrets Series, #5) Read online

  She had thought that after the custody trial with Gary things might slow down. Yet now, with Simon dealing with his father and a potential documentary on the horizon, it was starting to look like her life was going to be as chaotic as ever.

  Chapter 4

  It was rare for Simon to ask for personal advice, but as Heather entered his office he knew he couldn’t connect with his father without her help.

  “What’s on your mind?” she asked as she stepped inside.

  He motioned for her to join him on the sofa. “This isn’t work-related, but I’m at a loss.”

  Heather took a seat beside him and placed her hand on his thigh. “You okay?”

  Her touch was like an electric jolt through his body. Nothing could ever affect him the way she did. If he didn’t have so much on his mind, he’d pull her close and kiss her until she was breathless. Tearing his gaze away from her lovely face took a hell of a lot of effort. And it took everything in him to force himself to focus. “I don’t know how to deal with my father.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked. “I thought you were going to try to get to know him.”

  “That’s what I want to do, but I don’t know where to begin.” He raked a hand through his hair.

  “Have you talked to him since you saw him?” she asked.

  He nodded. “We’ve exchanged texts since he stopped by this weekend. But it feels... I don’t know.” Rubbing his eyes in frustration, he let out a heavy sigh. “It doesn’t feel like what I have with you, Heather. It doesn’t feel natural.”

  “Simon, what you have with me is going to be different from what you have with other people,” she said. “Your father is your family. There’s so much history that you’re both going to have to sort out.”

  “But that’s just it. I’m closer to you than I am to anyone,” he murmured. “You’re more my family than my own father, and that scares the hell out of me.”

  She stared at him for a long moment, the heat in her eyes turning them from a dazzling hazel to indescribable gold. Simon had never seen her radiate this kind of intensity. Maybe revealing the depth of his feelings for her had come as a shock to her. If she was shocked, she shouldn’t have been. He loved her more than he could ever express in words. Heather was by far the most important person in his life. More important than his work at Dover. Hell, if he was being honest, more important than him. Heather’s life meant more to him than his own.

  “Why does it scare you?” she asked slowly.

  “It scares me because, even though you and I didn’t see each other for years, we managed to just click,” he said. “I haven’t connected with my father on that level.”

  “Simon, you’re forgetting that when we first reconnected I lied to you, and we’ve had our share of differences,” she reminded him. “Don’t forget all the hard things we’ve gone through. All the hard things we’re still going through. You and I aren’t perfect.”

  “No, but when I talk to you I don’t feel like I’m talking to a stranger,” he said. “I’ve seen the way you talk to your parents. Everything is so effortless with you guys. And I’ve seen how you are with Finn. I don’t have that with my father.”

  “Your father hasn’t even been back in your life for a week.” She pulled her hand away and studied him. “Maybe you’re forcing this too much.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean by ‘forcing’?”

  “I just think you might be trying too hard to get his approval,” she said with a shrug. “That’s all.”

  The judgment in her tone aggravated him. “How so?”

  “You let him have a five-thousand-dollar-a-night room,” she said.

  His jaw went tight as he battled his rising anger. “He’s my father. I’m not going to let him sleep on somebody’s couch.”

  “That wasn’t your only option,” she pointed out. “You could have insisted he stay in your building. Or, you could have taken him to a cheaper hotel.”

  “Heather, how I spend my money is really none your business.”

  She flinched and turned away from him.

  Damn it. He hadn’t meant for this to turn into an argument. Now he had managed to alienate and offend her, when that was the last thing he wanted. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “No, you’re right. It’s none of my business,” she said harshly. “Spend your money however you want. Waste it. Give it away. Why should I care?”

  With a contradictory mix of regret and indignation settling in his stomach, he reached for her. Placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping that she was still willing to hear him out.

  “It is my money, but all this time you’ve tried to advise me to spend it wisely. You’ve never asked for a dime. Most of the time I’ve begged you to take what I offer.” He squeezed her shoulder gently.

  “It isn’t my money.” She let out a weary sigh.

  “No, but I shouldn’t have said it wasn’t your business. Especially since you’ve shared so much of your life with me,” he said. “You’ve let me into your home. Into your family. I’m sorry.”

  She turned to face him, sadness etched on her face. “All I was trying to say was that I don’t want you to get taken advantage of. You’ve always kept people at a distance, and even though I’ve worried that you took that too far sometimes I see the wisdom in it in this case.”

  “You think my father is trying to squeeze money out of me.”

  “I’m not trying to accuse him of anything,” she explained. “But don’t you think it’s strange that he just happened to forget his wallet? Some of the things he said don’t add up.”

  “I know that you’re having a hard time trusting him, but he’s my father,” he murmured. “What do you expect me to do? Turn him away when he shows up on my doorstep?”

  “No. Of course not.” She shook her head. “I just think you should be cautious because he’s your father. You’ve kept most people at a distance because you’re not emotionally invested in them the way you are with your parents. I worry that your father will use your love for him against you.”

  For years he had thought that opening himself up to people was a liability. A vulnerability he couldn’t afford if he hoped to hold on to his company and his wealth. Other people had tested him. Coworkers, venture capitalists, past girlfriends. The only person who had managed to get through was Heather. What if his heart softening to her had made it easier for his father to get through to him?

  He shook that thought away. No. After that last fight with his father, he never thought he’d have a chance to fix things. To start over. Now he was getting an unexpected second chance. He had to see this to the end. Wasting this opportunity wasn’t an option.

  “What if someone had said the same thing about you?” he asked. “Like you said, it’s not like our reunion was completely honest.” Simon hated using her own words against her, but it was the truth. When he first interviewed her for a job a Dover she had totally lied about who she was. She had let him think she was a completely different person.

  She went quiet, suddenly deep in thought. After several moments she said, “I guess you’ve got me there.”

  “I’m not trying to use anything against you. Just try to be more understanding with my father,” he said. “Besides, you said you were going to give my father a chance. I hope you meant that.”

  “I did mean it,” she said. “I just don’t want to see anyone take advantage of you.”

  Even though she insisted that she was going to give his father a chance, it was obvious that she still had her doubts. Which stung far more than he’d expected.

  “I appreciate that,” he said carefully. “I guess I got my father that hotel room because I was trying to impress him.”

  “Simon, you’re one of the richest men in the world. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

  “I do. You weren’t there for that last fight my dad and I had,” he said. “It was bad. Some of the things we said to each other were terrible. Especially the things he said to m
e.”

  “Do you want to tell me about it?” she asked.

  He paused. “Honestly, you’d just hold it against him. It would be another reason for you to dislike him, and you have enough reasons already.”

  “Okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Only, the way she said it made it sound like she was more hurt that she wanted to let on.

  But he didn’t want to dredge up the past. Not right now. He didn’t want to give her ammunition against his father. At least, not until he got the chance to have a real conversation with him.

  Simon took her hand. “I don’t want to fight with you.”

  “And I don’t want to fight with you.”

  “These past few days have been stressful for both of us.” With the father of her child taking off, and his own father suddenly showing up, Heather was probably not in the best place at the moment. What they both needed was some time to themselves. Time to recharge and spend some time alone together. “Why don’t we do something this weekend?”

  “Just the two of us?” she asked.

  “Yup. We can have the whole weekend to ourselves,” he replied. “I’ve got this incredible houseboat on a lake. You’ll love it.”

  Her hazel eyes lit up. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “I don’t know why I haven’t taken you there,” he said.

  “Things have been so hectic around here lately,” she pointed out. “After our trip to Florida the custody trial took up so much time. Plus, we never got a vacation to ourselves.”

  “There’s no problem if you want to bring Finn along,” he said. “There’s plenty of room.”

  She smiled. “Thank you, but it really would be nice if it was just the two of us.”

  “I can set up childcare if you need help with that,” he said. “Dover has some great people who can babysit for extended periods.”

  “My parents would never forgive me if I didn’t at least ask them to watch Finn,” she said.

  “I’ll arrange everything and we can head out early Friday. Taking a half day off wouldn’t hurt,” he said.

  “Sounds great,” she said.

  Suddenly he started to wonder if she was hesitant to accept his father not simply because of her own history with absent fathers. Instead, maybe Heather was worried that his father would take his attention away from her. Push a wedge between. If that was her fear, this weekend was the perfect opportunity to remind her that nothing could ever change how much he loved her.

  He gave her a smile, and for the first time since his father had shown up Heather seemed to relax.

  THE WORK WEEK FLEW by quickly and suddenly it was Friday morning, and Simon was helping her put her luggage in his car. They both got into the car and were off, taking the 30-minute drive down to Simon’s houseboat.

  As they walked up to the houseboat, she found herself thinking of Finn. After Simon had suggested getting away for the weekend she had been a bit worried about leaving her son for a few days, but as luck would have it he had been invited to a sleepover at a classmate’s house. It was probably good for both of them to get out of the house for the weekend, especially since Finn seemed to be making new friends despite issues with his dad.

  “Simon, this place is stunning,” she said excitedly as he led her through the entrance of the houseboat.

  The day was mild and warm and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. From the entrance she got a terrific view of the surrounding lake as boats and kayaks passed by.

  “It’s great out here, but every time I visit I’ve only done it to clear my head for work,” he admitted.

  “I’m glad you’re using it for some time off,” she said.

  He leaned towards her and pressed a tender kiss to her lips. Warmth spread across her skin, the gentle kiss making her stomach flutter. “And I’m glad I get to spend time here with you.” Simon set aside their bags and took her hand. “How about I show you around?”

  “I’d love that,” she said with a nod. “Lead the way.”

  The houseboat was absolutely lovely. The floors and the walls were made of a cheery light-colored wood that seemed to brighten up the space. Natural light and a cool lake breeze blew in through the numerous windows. The houseboat wasn’t as large as a regular house, but the fireplace and ample seating gave the entire space a cozy feel.

  Heather loved the living room area the most with its nautical décor, blue accents, and a plush, expansive sofa set that was lined up against two entire walls. The sofa was so huge she could probably sleep on it comfortably and never miss having a bed.

  As Simon focused on lighting the fire, she crossed into the kitchen area to see what kind of food had been stocked in the refrigerator. “Whoa, there’s so much food here we could eat for weeks.”

  “There’s a caretaker here who I hired to clean the place up and stock it with food,” Simon explained as he headed towards her from the living area. “Most of the food has already been cooked, or needs minimal prep.”

  She closed the fridge and started opening the kitchen cabinets. “You really have thought of everything.”

  The unexpected pressure of his strong arms wrapping around her from behind was his response. “I wanted everything to be perfect for you.”

  Leaning back against him, she allowed herself a smile. “I love you, Simon.”

  Heather couldn’t see the look on his face, but from the way his arms tightened around her she knew that he was smiling, too. When he nibbled on her earlobe her breath hitched, the tension of the past week giving way to excitement.

  As she melted against him she knew things might still be tense between them, but she was determined to enjoy every minute of this weekend with him.

  Chapter 5

  The sensation of Simon’s lips kissing a trail down the column of her neck already had her shivering.

  “Do you want to come with me into the bedroom?” he asked, his voice a low growl.

  “Yes.” She bit her lip, a blush heating her cheeks.

  With his strong arms he spun her around to face him, and without even a hint of effort he hooked his arms around her thighs and lifted her up off the floor.

  “Simon.” She let out a breathless giggle. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m going to show you how much I love you.” His blue eyes pierced right through her, making her heart quicken at the sight of his face. No man had ever looked at her like this. Like there wasn’t anyone or anything beyond the walls of this tiny space. Like they were the only two people left in the world and nothing else mattered.

  The words she wanted to use to respond to his intense declaration escaped her, so she clung to him and pressed her mouth to his. A soft groan sounded in her throat the moment their lips met and she felt him carrying her out of the kitchen to the bedroom on the far side of the houseboat.

  When he carried her into the bedroom, he shut the door with his foot and let her fall down onto the soft bed. Landing on the bed was like landing on a cloud and she gazed up at him, allowing herself to marvel at the fact that someone could love her so completely.

  “Could you help me out of my clothes?” she asked softly. What she wanted more than anything right now was to feel his big, strong hands on her body. She always felt so safe when he took command of her body. When he showed her without uttering a single word that he would do anything for her.

  “Gladly.” Simon obliged her, reaching to unbutton her blouse.

  She propped herself up on her elbows to make it easier for him to undress her, and with a few eager tugs he pulled her blouse away from her, revealing the light blue satin bra beneath.

  His fingers skimmed across the flimsy material, his touch scorching her through it. “How is it possible for you to get more and more beautiful each day?”

  More heat rose in her cheeks and she reached for his hands, guiding them until he slipped his hands behind her, his fingers right at the clasp of her bra. Before she even had time to blink he expertly unhooked her bra and tossed it aside, exposing her
breasts to his intense, hungry gaze.

  His gaze alone was enough to set her aflame, bands of heat radiating through her body. The place between her legs clenched, her arousal making her so wet she could barely stand it. He always looked at her with such stark desire in his eyes, and seeing how much he craved her took her breath away.

  When she undressed in front of him he always made her feel cherished, and sexy, and beautiful. With him she really was a different person. Different, and yet completely herself. Braver, but also more vulnerable somehow.

  Feeling more brazen now she kicked off her shoes, unbuttoned her jeans, and tossed them off.

  All she had on now was a tiny pair of satin panties.

  “Lie down,” he commanded.

  Heart pounding, she lay down flat on her back, resting her head on one of the fluffy pillows. She was eager to discover what he had in store for her.

  As he reached into his pocket for condom and stripped down to his boxer briefs, she let her gaze wander across the expanse of his chiseled chest. She was dying to touch him. To splay her hands against his skin and feel the muscles ripple beneath her fingertips.

  Simon slid into bed beside her and placed his huge hand on her quivering stomach. “I’m going to kiss you.” he said.

  She nodded, biting back the plea that was ready to roll of her tongue. The plea that would have her begging him to touch her more intimately. “Yes.”

  His mouth, hot and demanding, pressed against her forehead. Then Simon dragged his lips across her skin, kissing her cheek, then down to her neck. That sensuous mouth of his brushed against her throat, where her pulse was no doubt racing as fast as her pounding heart.

  Lower went his mouth, until he was taking one of her nipples between his teeth and sucking greedily. She gasped at the delightful pressure and arched her back in needy response. When he took her other nipple between his fingers, she very nearly came apart. It was like he knew what she wanted even before she knew. As if his body was made for her, and hers for his.