A Billionaire for Breakfast Read Online Free PDF Page A

was
rich.”
    “No, but you’ve been implying that
you were to several young women in our crowd. Are you hoping to start a career
as a gigolo, Jack?”
    “No, I only wanted to marry well.
What’s wrong with that?”
    “Well, if I have to tell you …”
    “You’d better look to your own before
you accuse me, Patrick, old man. Your new daughter here came down to the
Caymans for the same reason. She’s just like Gayle!”
    “Who’s Gayle?” Tess questioned.
    “No one important,” Patrick mumbled.
“Leonardi, I expect you to leave my house. I won’t have you spreading ridiculous
rumors about Tess!”
    “I’m afraid he’s right, Patrick.”
    He looked at her with hurt eyes. “You
don’t mean it.”
    “It’s true. Kylie asked me to come
along so we could both find rich husbands. I wasn’t serious about it, seemed
like a good way to get a vacation to me.”
    “Lucky you, finding a Sugar Daddy
instead.”
    “Shut up, Jack! Tess, come into my
den, please. Meg should be here soon.”
    She nodded, almost crying at the
expression of disappointment on his weathered face.
    “I’m worried about Kylie. I wonder
how she’s taking the breakup with Jack.”
    “I’m sure she’s fine. That woman
could probably talk her way out of murder.”
    “No, she puts on a big act but deep
down she’s just a scared little girl, like me.”
    He led her to a leather sofa. “What
are you afraid of, child?”
    “Of never being loved, of growing
old, alone and bitter, like my mom. All sorts of things. Aren’t you ever
afraid?”
    “Yes, certainly. At my age a man
begins to examine his existence rather harshly. I’ve lived a selfish life, my
exes can attest to that. But I was driven always by the pain of losing your
mother. She was life to me, and passion and strength. Her spirit was as
unbreakable as iron, and I envied that. I was weak. I let my parents rule me. They
told me she accepted money to stop seeing me. I should have realized that
wasn’t true. And I never knew about you. If I had, Heaven and Earth couldn’t
have kept me from her side.”
    An ear-splitting sob echoed
throughout the cavernous den. They turned to see Tess’ mother dropping to the
floor. Patrick ran to her, swept her up in gentle arms and laid her upon the
leather sofa.
    “Mom, are you okay?”
    “Yes, oh yes. Patrick, I can’t
believe it! When I walked in and saw you with Tess, and heard everything you
said … I was shocked! My head is reeling. It is you? I’m not insane?”
    “It’s me, darling!” He drowned her in
rapturous kisses, mumbling endearments Tess felt embarrassed to hear. She
backed out of the room gracefully and crept outside.
    “Driver, could you take me to the Swan
House?” she inquired of Patrick’s chauffer, an attractive young black man with
dreadlocks pulled back into a bun.
    “Yes, I can. Hop on in!”
    She nodded; he started the limo,
swerved it out of the drive and onward towards the other side of George Town where Swan House sat prettily upon
the hill.
    Once inside, Tess searched the rooms
frantically, feeling in her gut that something was horribly wrong.
    “Kylie? Where are you?”
    Silence answered her. She peeked into
the downstairs rooms then took the steps in bounds after discarding her heels.
Kylie’s bedroom door stood open. Tess could hear water running. She glanced
over the disheveled bedroom then hurried to the bath. The tub was filled with
water and rose petals, the faucet pouring an endless stream out onto the floor.
Tess came nearer, her heart caught in her throat as she saw the blonde hair
floating like sea grass in the water.
    “Kylie, no!’ Tess grabbed her, yanked
her up out of the water and over onto the tiles. Then she started CPR; time
became suspended, minutes dragged on. Finally Kylie began to sputter and cough
and vomit water all over her nightgown. “Dammit, girl! Jack isn’t worth this!”
    “It wasn’t him,” Kylie cried. “I
drank too much, and lost my senses. I guess I can’t