His Secretary: BBW Romance (Her Second Chance Book 2) Read online

  “I thought we could take some food, and some wine. And have ourselves a picnic on the beach. The sea here is wonderful. I would like to take you snorkelling, but there isn’t time. Perhaps we could come back in a month or so. Bring your children.”

  She looked up sharply. “Please don’t make promises to them that you might not be around to keep.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “You don’t think I’m strong enough to last long? What kind of trials are they going to put me through in their attempts to get rid of me?”

  “No. I don't mean it like that. Sorry. It’s a touchy subject, that’s all.”

  “Will you tell me about it?” he asked gently.

  She lifted her eyes to his, and saw his honest interest, laced with sympathy. Reminding herself that he had some idea of what she was going through, she decided to share her fears with him.

  “Joel.” She hated even saying his name. “My husband.” That didn’t sit well with her either. She would rather use deserter, idiot or other words that were more than a little offensive. However, she didn’t want to come over as the poor jilted wife full of anger and scorn.

  With Oliver, she wanted to move past that. Raise herself above the pathetic creature she had become.

  Sensing her unease, he placed his hand on hers, and squeezed it reassuringly. “It’s OK, Helen. I know he hurt you. But I’m here for you. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s all right with me. Whenever you’re ready to open up. I’m here.”

  She smiled at him weakly. “I struggle not to get upset when I talk about him.”

  “That’s understandable. You must still have feelings for him.”

  “Oh, I have feelings for him. But not the kind you’re thinking of. These are more of the ones where I’d like to cut off a certain part of his anatomy.”

  Oliver smiled. “A woman scorned.”

  “No. Not because of what he’s put me through. I’m strong. I can cope. But it’s the way he promised the girls things. He told them we would go to Disney. Got brochures and everything. They were so excited. And then he left. I can’t believe he had it planned for so long. Why do something that cruel? Tear their dreams away from them like that.”

  Oliver sighed, and stroked her hand with his thumb. “One thing I’ve learned, is people can do the strangest things, and for the strangest reasons. I don’t expect he meant to be so cruel.”

  “That’s the thing. I know he did. He was stringing us along. We had opened this savings account. I put every spare bit of money we could scrape together into it. It was our holiday fund. The holiday of a lifetime, he said. Well, yes it was for him. That was the account he cleared out when he left. Every single last penny.”

  “You really think he was that malicious?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I do. Which is why I feel so unsure about myself when it comes to judging people and their motives. I’m a sucker.”

  “I don't believe that at all. Don’t let it ruin your life, Helen. I swear to you that I will never make a promise I don’t intend to keep.”

  “I can’t believe I’m telling you all this.”

  “I’m glad that you trust me enough to talk to me.”

  “I do Oliver. Now let’s have some fun.”

  Chapter Four - Oliver

  He left her to dress, going back to his room to change. For once, he opted for casual. Had he known how things would turn out? After all he usually only packed formal suits. He couldn’t remember the last time he had done the whole tourist thing. However, he wanted to jam as much as he could into this morning for her. Take the yacht and head out to a private cove he knew. There they could relax, get to know each other before the madness started.

  Yes, it would be mad. He must be mad. Once back in England he would be bombarded by work. Shareholders wanting a part of him, wanting to make sure they had his ear. That he was worthy of their trust and support. He sighed, pulling on a t-shirt and shorts, slipping his feet into deck shoes. Feeling like an alien. This wasn’t him. He should be on his plane, returning to London, getting a head start on business.

  For once, he had found something more important than work. Words he had never thought he would use, especially for a woman. He smiled when he thought of her, and his clothes seemed to suit him a little better. She made him feel freer than he had for some time. He knew she was capable of changing the focus of his life. A thing he was ready for.

  The ghosts of the past might try to raise their heads. But he had his eyes fixed firmly on the future. There were going to be some serious challenges for him in the next few weeks. He wasn’t sure if the biggest was going to be the bank, or getting Helen’s daughters to accept him.

  He might need to go to Max for advice. She had become part of Helen’s family. He guessed she wasn’t exactly the maternal type. From what his uncle had told him, she had successfully climbed the corporate ladder. Only since meeting Dan had she decided to settle down and soon they would be married.

  Come to think of it, he might have to get to know her better. The board trusted Max, in the same way his uncle did. Yes. As soon as they touched down and he had Helen safely home, he would be calling Max. Hopefully he could get what he needed from her without appearing to be out of his depth. If she went crying to the board, they might lose faith in him.

  “Forget work,” he told himself. Closing his suitcase securely, he went around the room once more, to check he had everything. Although he knew, he hadn't missed anything. He had spent enough time living out of hotel rooms to be an expert when it came to packing. Nothing left behind.

  Satisfied, he placed his suitcase on the bed. The clothes he would be travelling in lay next to it, ready for when he returned. Feeling self-conscious, he went out into the hallway. When he knocked on Helen’s door, she opened it, looking radiant. It took all his self-restraint not to take her to bed there and then.

  “Ready?” he asked, deciding it was better not to even set foot in her room. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thanks,” she said, but her face told him she thought he was only saying that to humour her.

  “Really,” he said, pulling her towards him. “I might have to find somewhere private to moor up so I can take that dress off you.”

  “Outside?”

  “Oh yes. I can see I have a lot to teach you about the decadent ways of a billionaire.” She blushed beautifully and then giggled. “What’s so funny?”

  “A couple of days ago I thought you were an arrogant jerk. Too stinking rich for your own good. Now I can see you are just a playboy with too much time on his hands. I think my daughters are going to teach you a thing or two about life.”

  “You know. I think I might just enjoy those lessons. Although it terrifies me.”

  “So it should. One thing I can tell you. There is no hiding from the stern gaze of a six year old.”

  She came out of her room, and he pulled her into his arms, pushing her back against the wall. Her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened. “Oliver.”

  “I was just living up to your image of me. An arrogant jerk.” His lips kissed her neck; his hand went to the small of her back and pulled her tightly into him. “Damn I want you Helen. No woman has ever been honest enough with me to tell me exactly what she thinks. You are such a refreshing change.”

  “I just hope you don’t tire of my honesty.”

  “Never, Helen. Promise me you will always be honest with me. Don’t butter me up. If I upset you, tell me.”

  Her breathing was heavy, her breasts heaving against his chest. She was aroused, heat emanating from her body. Damn, his grip was starting to slip. It would be so easy to tell her to open the door, for them to go back into the room.

  “I promise, Oliver.”

  She kissed him, so gently, and in that moment, he had to stop himself making her a promise. A promise, which entailed a ring on her finger. But it was too soon. Much too soon.

  Chapter Five - Helen

  He was looking at her strangely. Her heart raced
, she had seen that look before. On the face of her missing husband. This was too much too fast. She pulled away from his arms. Instead, she took his hand, putting some distance between their bodies.

  “Shall we go?” she asked.

  He coughed, clearing his throat and the look disappeared, leaving her relieved. Perhaps she had made a mistake. How could he be that in love with her? Because this was new to him. A game, or perhaps a distraction from his corporate life. She needed to slow down, to take a breath. But the romantic in her wanted him to sweep her off her feet.

  “Yes. There should be food waiting for us down at reception. The yacht is ready, and the weather is beautiful, as usual. So let’s go have some fun.”

  “Can you remember what that’s like?” she teased.

  “I’m not sure. But I hope you are going to teach me.”

  “I don't know if I can remember,” she admitted. “This is the longest I’ve ever been away from my kids. Fun when I’m at home is a trip to the park, or the zoo. I can’t remember the last time I had adult fun.”

  They were in the elevator now, travelling down to the ground floor. Luckily, they were alone. He leaned into her and whispered in her ear. “Isn’t that what we had last night? Adult fun.”

  She laughed. “Flattering. There was me thinking we had made a connection. And you think it was adult fun.”

  “It’s the most fun I’ve had for a long time.”

  “Well I hope that’s about to change. I have a few more hours until I go back to being a full time parent. My expectations are high, Oliver Pierceson.”

  The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. He took her hand and kissed the back of it as they exited. “Then fun is what we’ll have.”

  They collected a picnic hamper, which Oliver carried. Leaving the hotel, she was swept away by the day. It was perfect, warm, but with a light breeze coming off the sea. As they strolled down to the beachfront, they could be any other couple in the world. Here to take a vacation in one of the most beautiful places along the coast.

  As they walked, she took in his relaxed body. Her eyes starting with his tanned legs, which looked as perfect in shorts as they had in his business suit. His t-shirt clung to him in just the right places, showing off the contours of his toned chest. Unlike most men they passed, he hadn’t hidden his eyes behind sunglasses. She liked that; it made her think he hadn’t anything to hide from her.

  With his dark skin, he looked tanned and relaxed, compared to her pale white skin. Her blonde hair reflected the sun, and she was once more reminded of how opposite they were.

  “Down here,” he said, turning off and heading along a short jetty. At the end two men stood, watching the couple walk towards them. As they approached, one man rushed forward and took the hamper from Oliver.

  "Thank you," Oliver said.

  The man hurried ahead to put it into the boat. Or yacht. Helen was no expert, so she didn’t know much difference. Both went on the water. All she did know was that seeing it in the light, she could tell it was worth a lot of money. More than her house had cost; she was sure. The difference in their circumstances came back to her with a jolt.

  “Is this yours?” she asked as they climbed aboard and Oliver started the engine.

  “No. My uncle hired it for the week. It seemed sensible to borrow it seems as how he isn’t in any fit state to use it.”

  She let her breath out. “It must be worth a fortune.”

  “Not as much as my fortune.”

  She felt a little bit queasy, and not from the rocking of the boat. It wasn’t polite to ask him how much he was worth. But he had said billions. Had that been a figure of speech?

  He pushed the throttle forward and the boat smoothly left the jetty. Turning, he grinned at her, and she smiled back. Deciding to forget all about everything other than the here and now. There was just the two of them in their world for a couple of hours. Time to relax with him.

  “Where are we headed?” she asked.

  “A couple of miles along the coast. A friend of mine has a private beach. I rang him this morning and he said it would be OK for us to spend a couple of hours there. We could have used the house, but it seemed ridiculous for him to ask his housekeeper to come and open it up for us.”

  “So he doesn’t live there?”

  “No. It’s a holiday home. He uses it for a couple of weeks in the summer. I expect he’ll let me borrow it when we come back. It has a pool, and there is the private beach. Perfect for Jess and Laura.”

  “I would be afraid to stay there in case we broke anything.”

  He laughed. “He has kids himself. Don’t worry about it.”

  “He must be very rich to have a home here that he doesn’t live in.”

  “I guess. He has a couple of other houses, along with his main residence in the US.”

  “Is that where you live?” She’d never really thought about it, he hadn’t got an accent. Still perfectly English in every way.

  “I have an apartment there and offices. But I travel a lot. I use hotels, and friends’ houses. This job with the bank will be the first time I’ve settled in one place for a long time.”

  “Why is that? Just because of work?”

  “No. And yes. I never really felt comfortable having a home. What would I do with a house? Rattle around on my own. I’d have to hire a housekeeper, and a gardener. It just seemed too much hassle. I think of myself as a nomad.”

  “A very rich nomad.”

  “Yes,” he said, increasing the speed of the boat now they had moved away from the shore. “No one said you had to be a poor nomad.”

  His voice was swept away as the boat leaped forward, powering through the water. Spray from the sea coated her skin, the breezing whipping her hair away from her face. She clung to his arm, and he grinned at her again, his teeth white against his tanned skin as his lips spread into a wide smile.

  “You did that on purpose,” she gasped.

  “I did. I don’t think that counts as an adult game though.”

  “No. That was most definitely childish.” She wiped the spray from her face.

  “But fun right?”

  “Yes. How fast does this thing go?”

  “Let’s see.”

  She screeched in delight as he pushed the boat to its limit, nearly falling over as it took off, skimming the waves. He took them out to sea, the land disappearing behind them. Then he slowed, sweeping in a large curve to head back inland. The houses appeared like jewels along the shore. The mountains rising up behind them as they drew closer.

  “Which house are we heading for?” she asked, skimming her eyes along the shore.

  “That one there,” he answered, pointing to an imposing house.

  “Wow. Impressive.”

  “It’s just a house.”

  “To you. But look at it.”

  “It’s perfect. I agree. But if you don’t live there. It’s just a house.”

  “You mean rather than a home?”

  He looked at her deeply, slowing the boat down as they neared the jetty, which stuck out from the beach. “Exactly. When you look at me, you see a man who has money, maybe everything he wants.”

  “I did. Before I knew you.”

  He nodded. “Now you know me, you can see my life isn’t perfect. Money hasn’t given me happiness. It’s given me choices. But I’m just as capable as screwing up those choices as the next person.”

  “That is deep. For an arrogant billionaire, you actually make sense.”

  “Thank you. Philosophy lesson over with.” He manoeuvred the boat alongside the jetty. “Here, hold this. It’s just like driving a car. Steer it in, and then cut the engine. I’ll tie it up.”

  “I’m not so sure about this.”

  “You’ll be fine.” He grabbed the rope, and hung over the edge of the boat while she took it in as close as she could. Unfortunately, she bumped it a little too hard, and he lurched forward. For a moment, she thought he was going to end up in the sea. That would be a g
reat start to their romantic morning together. But he grabbed hold of the side of the boat, crouching down until he had his balance back and then jumped onto the wooden jetty.

  “Sorry,” she called. After she shut the engine off the only sound was the slosh of the water against the side of the boat. It was so peaceful.

  “No problem.” He came back onto the boat, looking confident and handsome. Nothing appeared to faze him. He looked at his watch, and said, “We have around three hours.”

  “Do you live your life by your watch?” she asked, passing him the picnic hamper and finding a rug for them to sit on.

  “Yes. I’m sorry, but I have to see my uncle before we leave.” He climbed back onto the little jetty, and held out his hand for Helen. She took it, hating the feeling of having to rush, but knowing they had no choice. This could be the last time they spent together alone for days. She figured she had used up all her babysitting favours for the next few months in one hit this week.

  “I know. I guess I’m trying to see how your life works, in the same way you need to know how you will fit into my life.”

  “I’m going to say that with me you get quality, not quantity when it comes to my time.”

  Helen laughed. “Now I see why you’re an eligible bachelor instead of being settled down. There are few women who would not take that as an arrogant statement.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “Surprisingly, I’m probably in the same position as you. I’m not going to have too much time to spend alone with you, Oliver.”

  “We make the perfect couple then. Shall we?” He took her hand and they strolled along to the beach, each relaxed in the other’s company.

  Chapter Six - Oliver

  His soon forgot all about his watch. That was the affect she had on him. The sun was warm on their skin, and the sea beckoned. After setting the rug out, and placing the basket on it, they both stripped down to their swimsuits and headed for the water. So blue, so inviting. Although he could see, that Helen was a little self-conscious about her body.

  "Oh, it's not as cold as I thought it would be," she said, braving the water.