The Secret (Billionaire Secrets Series, #1) Read online

  “Don’t bother trying to get close to him,” Linda said. “It’ll only lead to heartbreak. And that’s if all you’re looking for is friendship with him. Simon doesn’t do relationships. Of any kind.”

  That much had changed since high school. Sure, he hadn’t been very popular before high school, but after girls started noticing him when he was a sophomore his social life completely changed. Suddenly he had popular friends, girls fawning over him. Plus, his relationship with her had blossomed into a full-blown romance. What had happened to make him so solitary again?

  “I completely understand,” Heather said. “Everything has to be professional.”

  “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, what else do you want to know?” Linda asked.

  Grateful to get away from the awkward topic of Simon, Heather started asking Linda more professional questions. After she got a ton of useful information from her, Heather started to go over Simon’s speech with Linda.

  After about an hour in Linda’s office Heather was done, so she headed back to her office to work on sending out reminder emails about the upcoming Dover, Inc. conference. With that task done, she got down to filing and color-coding documents that her predecessor had neglected.

  At the sound of her cell phone ringing she answered eagerly, a secret part of her hoping to hear Simon’s voice.

  “Hello?”

  She tried to suppress a groan at the sound of her ex-husband’s voice, but it was futile. “Gary? Where have you been?”

  “Look, babe, I got sidetracked,” Gary said smoothly.

  Heather hated it when he called her ‘babe’. “Sidetracked by what? Or, should I say, who?”

  “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. Tiffani needed me, and I figured you’d just take Finn to school like you usually do anyway.” Gary had a new girlfriend and, though Heather sure as hell wasn’t jealous, she hated that Gary used his new relationship as yet another excuse to not spend time with their son. She didn’t expect her ex to live like a monk, but his new girlfriend really was the worst.

  “You didn’t think to call to warn me? Or to at least talk to your son?” She started gnashing her teeth in annoyance.

  “Babe, you’re always so hung up on rules,” he said. “You’ve got to live a little. Stop taking everything so seriously. Finnley’s okay, isn’t he?”

  “No, he’s not okay,” she snapped and then closed her eyes, rubbing her temple. She lowered her voice. “Our breakup has really hurt him, Gary. I’m trying to make this transition as smooth as possible. I need Finn to know that both his parents still love him and will be there for him no matter what. What am I supposed to tell him when you won’t even call to let me know you won’t be coming?”

  Gary sighed loudly. “Oh, Heather. Always so overdramatic. I’m sure Finn’s okay. He’s a boy, for shit’s sake.”

  Her ex was always so dismissive of her and her concerns. Always made her feel like she was too serious. Too tightly wound. She fought against the insecurity he often managed to pull out of her, and she sat up straighter in her swivel chair. “You can make things okay by picking him up this afternoon,” she said.

  “Can’t,” he replied. “That’s why I called. I’m going to be with Tiffani all day and—”

  “So, what am I supposed to tell our son?” she demanded, hating that she was getting angry again.

  “You’ll figure it out like you always do. Later, babe.” Gary hung up before she could get another word out.

  Resting the urge to call him back and let him have it, Heather forced out a loud sigh. There was no use getting into it with Gary on the phone. If she wanted to protect her son, she was going to have to hash things out face to face with her ex and their respective lawyers. Right now, she had primary custody, while Gary had visitation. But with the way things were going, Gary wasn’t even trying to see Finn. That had to change.

  Before she could compose herself, Simon stuck his head into her office.

  Despite her swirling emotions, her heart fluttered at the sight of him. Just seeing his handsome face made her suddenly giddy.

  Simon stared at her gravely, making her heart sink like a stone. “I’ve just been on the phone with Linda. And she’s told me your big secret.”

  Chapter 5

  Heather looked white as a sheet.

  “Secret?” Her voice wavered. “She told you about that?”

  “Heather, I was exaggerating about the secret thing.” Simon raised an eyebrow, surprised by her reaction. “I didn’t know you had a kid.”

  “Oh. Is that what Linda told you? That I have a son?”

  He nodded. “Yes. She called me to say she forgot to tell you about the company-provided childcare we have here at headquarters.”

  “I see,” she said.

  Simon couldn’t be certain, but it sounded like Heather was letting out a sigh of relief. Odd. He had only spent one week with his new assistant, but she seemed to be in control of her emotions always. Maybe even too much in control, truth be told. For some reason, that control intrigued him.

  Heather seemed just as committed to hard work as he was, though she had a habit of saying exactly what was on her mind. That kept him on his toes more than anything. Heather Hall might look like a withdrawn wallflower, but she was no pushover.

  That was why he was starting wonder if he was going crazy. Heather Hall looked so much like the Heather he had grown up with, but her personality wasn’t the same. This Heather was more assertive despite her prim, bespectacled appearance.

  He stepped into the office, now even more fascinated by her flustered reaction. “What secret did you think she told me?”

  “Nothing,” she said with a shrug. “I’m an open book. No secrets here.”

  “Anyway, if you need help with childcare, let me know,” he went on. “We’ve got a great program.”

  “Well, Finnley’s in school now, so I don’t have to worry too much about that,” she said. “Is the program open during the summer? I might need more help then.”

  “Absolutely,” he replied. “Holidays are the busiest time, and everyone brings their kids in since school is out.”

  “Thanks for letting me know,” she said. “It’ll probably be a lifesaver once summer starts.”

  “It must be tough being a newly single parent,” he blurted out.

  Startled, her incredible hazel eyes went wide. “What makes you say that?”

  Mentally, he kicked himself. Heather’s personal life wasn’t his business. He had no idea why he’d even push the issue. Maybe his feelings for his high school sweetheart had transferred to his assistant. That had to be the reason he was overly concerned about her. Best to stop that in its tracks before it complicated things further. “Never mind. Forget it.”

  “I’ve got my ex-husband to co-parent,” she said. “I’ve been very lucky. It won’t take away from my work.”

  An awkward silence settled in the office. It brought him right back to his terrible pre-teen years. The years when he had a massive crush on the girl next door, and didn’t have the guts to do much about it. Not even when she had initiated that awkward, mind-melting kiss. Thank goodness for that growth spurt and the confidence that came with it in high school.

  Finally, he cleared this throat. “We should talk about the speech in my office. Then go over the logistics for the conference.”

  “Okay, sounds good.”

  Together, they headed into this office and sat down at the conference table to go over speech details. Try as he might, Simon couldn’t ignore Heather’s captivating presence. His gaze kept landing on her lush, pink mouth. And then, whenever he caught himself, his eyes would wander upwards. To the graceful arch of her slender neck.

  Things got worse when he accidentally glanced down at her breasts. Staring for just a moment didn’t stop the desire that shot straight to his groin. Heather was wearing an ordinary blouse, but he couldn’t get the swell of her breasts against the fabric out of his head.

  “Where do you want
me?” she asked.

  “What?”

  The air conditioning in his office was on, but it felt like the temperature in the room was boiling. This was insane. Clearly, his fond memories were messing with his mind. Bringing back old, lustful feelings that he was projecting onto his new assistant.

  He hadn’t reacted to a woman like this in a long time. Only Heather from high school had evoked stronger feelings in him. Which meant that if he didn’t figure out how to switch this off, he was in deep trouble.

  Getting distracted by anyone, especially a subordinate, was out of the question. He had a company to run. Not to mention he had spent years keeping people at a distance. Relationships for men like him were too messy.

  “On the day of your speech,” she replied. “Do I sit in the audience or somewhere else?”

  “There’s a place offstage,” he explained. “I’ll be using a tele-prompter, but I need someone backstage with a copy of the speech in case things go wrong.”

  “Good idea,” she said. “The speech is great, by the way.”

  “Really? It doesn’t make me sound like too much of a mystery?”

  She laughed. “No. There’s a lot of passion in it.”

  “Well, it was really because of you, Heather,” he said.

  “It was?” she asked in surprise.

  “After lunch the day that I hired you, I started tinkering with the speech,” he admitted. “I thought about what you said and decided I’d try out your idea. Turns out my speech needed improvement. So, I included a little about my childhood.”

  Her entire face lit up, making his chest tighten at the sight. “That was my favorite part.”

  The fact that she could be so open and honest with him made him feel closer to her somehow. After she had been critical of his approach earlier, it meant a hell of a lot to get good feedback now. Yes, she was a subordinate, but he valued honesty from people. Even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

  Maybe it was best for him to indulge the lust after all. Stop fighting it and admit that it was there. Eventually, this scorching desire would have to burn out. He was a man in complete control of one of the most important companies on the planet. If he could handle Dover, he could master this attraction for his assistant and get over it quickly.

  “I was thinking of adding a bit more to the speech,” he said. “Instead of just talking about the product, I’d like to add more about the people who have helped me along the way. Show how cooperation and teamwork have made Dover a better place.”

  “I’m sure it would be great,” she said.

  “I’m glad you think so, because I was thinking of including an anecdote about my old high school friend, Heather Monroe,” he said. “The girl you remind me of.”

  Her face fell. Went ashen. “I...”

  Simon gave her a hard stare, suddenly suspicious about her reaction. “Is something wrong?”

  She shook her head forcefully. “No. Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that maybe that might be a little too personal.”

  “You’re the one who wanted me to be less mysterious,” he reminded her.

  “I did say that,” she conceded. “But I did also suggest the mysterious billionaire angle would be good.”

  “As I recall, you said it would work as a fallback and nothing more.” Simon narrowed his eyes, still not satisfied with her response.

  Heather chewed her bottom lip and averted her gaze.

  Simon might not spend much time around people in a social capacity, but he knew evasion when he saw it. The same way he had known that his former assistant, Xander, had been lying to him.

  And, just like his former assistant, his new assistant was hiding something. He could sense it.

  “I’ll add more to the speech,” he said finally. “I’m going to need you to make some confirmations with the reporters—”

  “On it.” She rushed to her feet. “I’ll start sending follow-up emails to members of the press who will be sitting attending the speech.”

  She practically flew out of his office, leaving him behind in stunned silence.

  The background check he had ordered was still being processed, but patience had never been his strong suit. Simon crossed the room to sit at his desk and started doing some searches online for his assistant. Nothing out of the ordinary. A couple of social media profiles that hadn’t been updated very often. Mostly photos of his assistant with her son.

  Seeing the photos of her smiling with her kid made his guilt suddenly hit home. He had promised to keep the background check professional. Digging through her personal life was totally unlike him. But he had to know. Had to know why he had this nagging feeling that his assistant was lying to him. Maybe the fallout from finding out his former assistant had been a liar was getting to him.

  Simon pushed the guilt aside and looked through some more photos. Nothing seemed strange until he stumbled upon some older photos. Of his assistant as a teenager. The resemblance between his assistant and the Heather of his childhood was remarkable. In fact, the photo looked so familiar to him he was sure he had seen it before: A photo of Heather making goofy faces for the camera.

  Could the Heather of his past and the Heather of his present actually be the same person?

  “That’s crazy,” he muttered under his breath.

  He started doing more searches, looking for evidence of what Heather’s maiden name was. Nothing. Asking his assistant for that kind of information now would just make things even more awkward. Plus, the background check would get all that easily.

  Getting to his feet, Simon headed out of his office. He couldn’t imagine his assistant telling such a bold-faced lie, but if it was down to his assistant simply not remembering him why would she react so strangely? Heather Hall and Heather Monroe being the same person would explain her reaction.

  He stepped into his assistant’s office, but it was empty. As he headed back out he spotted one of the engineers. “Have you seen my new assistant? Heather Hall?”

  The engineer shook her head. “Sorry, Simon. Can’t say that I have.”

  Suddenly, he spotted a familiar slender figure walking out of the elevator at the far end of the hall.

  Should he confront her? No. At least not yet. He only had one shot at this, and if he wasn’t completely certain that she had lied to him making accusations could backfire. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself or his new assistant.

  Still, it couldn’t hurt to ask some subtle questions about her background. As Heather approached him, he noticed that she was holding an enormous bouquet of flowers.

  She brought the bouquet to her nose to inhale and smiled. A raging, unexpected jealousy grabbed him by the throat. A man had sent her those flowers. Heather had told him she was divorced, but maybe she had a boyfriend. Or maybe she and her ex-husband were giving it another go.

  It was only natural for an attractive woman like her to have admirers. But that didn’t ease his jealousy one bit. Whoever had put that smile on her face was a lucky man.

  With his jealousy getting this out of control, now was the wrong time to try to get the truth out of Heather.

  Chapter 6

  Heather tossed the bouquet of roses into the trash. She was still holding the note that had been attached to the unexpected delivery.

  Sorry for this morning. Gary.

  In annoyance, she tossed the note into the trash can by her desk and sighed loudly. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The nerve of her ex-husband. An unexpected delivery of flowers like this meant that Gary was up to no good. Knowing him, this wasn’t an apology at all. It was probably just another one of his manipulative tactics to get something out of her.

  On top of all of Gary’s nonsense, she had screwed up badly with Simon. His announcement that he would be mentioning her in his speech had completely caught her off guard. Ordinarily, she would have appreciated it for the generous gesture that it was, but what if she risked being found out by the press because of it?

  Still on
edge, she decided to head downstairs to the lobby to go over some details with the security team.

  “Hey, babe.”

  As she walked towards the front desk, her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. What the hell? It couldn’t be.

  Heather’s ex-husband was standing by the front desk, grinning.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  “There you are,” he said. “We were just about to call you so that I could see you.”

  She crossed her arms and raised her chin. “What do you want?”

  “Did you like my flowers?” Gary leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek. The gesture evoked nothing from her but scorn. She couldn’t believe she had fought to stay married to him, but she had wanted her son to have his father in his life.

  “They were nice,” she muttered. “Not my favorite, of course, but it’s not like you ever cared about what I liked.”

  “Bitterness doesn’t suit you, Heather.”

  “I’m not going to ask you again,” she hissed. “You need to leave.”

  Gary held his hands up. “Okay. Okay. I’m here because I wanted to ask a favor.”

  “I knew it,” she said. “You only ever bought me anything when you wanted something from me. Well, out with it.”

  “I’d like you to pet-sit for Tiffani,” he said.

  She blinked. “That’s what this fuss is about? Are you insane? I barely know your new girlfriend.”

  “I know it’s short notice, but hear me out,” Gary said. “Tiffani and I are going on a little vacation and she’s bringing her kids along. But we can’t bring her dog, and she doesn’t have many options.”

  “So, you suggested that I would do it,” she said icily.

  “You’re the most responsible, giving, generous person I know,” he said, his voice all syrupy-sweet.

  With a roll of her eyes, she took a step away from him. “So, you’d spend time with Tiffani and her kids, but not your own son?”