The Billionaire's Bauble Read Online Free PDF

straight in the eyes for the first time. He appeared surprised.
    As he snatched the envelope, she smiled and he blushed crimson. “Sorry, I was so rude. Mr. Grant has been waiting. It’s not your fault.”
    “I am sorry to have kept Mr. Grant waiting, but I came as soon as I was handed the documents. I don’t drive a Maserati, like some people.” She winked conspiratorially, one underling to another.
    The young man rolled his eyes and said, “I’m Nate. I’ll be right back, I hope.”
    Sloane held up both hands and crossed her fingers. They grinned at each other, and he turned and disappeared down the hallway. Sloane meandered into the next room, where she had been instructed to wait.
    So David was here. She wondered if he would sense she was in his home. She wondered if he’d even thought about her once since hanging up on her the night before.
    Maybe she was just a blip on his calendar. Nothing more. Sloane didn’t want to doubt her instincts, but this house and its stark modern furnishings made her feet go cold. Not one portrait or family memento could be found. The room was filled with abstract sculpture and leather and chrome, just like the offices of Grant Oil.
    That was it: the home’s interior resembled an office building. The outside exuded charm as well as wealth, but the inside, though it gleamed exorbitantly, lacked warmth and personality. Surrounded by what only millions could buy, Sloane still felt a twinge of melancholy. She decided to step out onto the terrace as Nate had suggested.
    The balcony spread like an unfurled flag over the land and water. Stepping to the outermost edge, Sloane felt as if she were on the prow of a ship. The warm wind buffeted her face, and she unbuttoned her sweater and took it off. The day, bright and crisp, reminded her of a time in her own past when things were easier, but far less exciting. Picking berries, swimming in the pond, bicycling down quiet country roads: these were the activities of summer in rural New York, but here in Alaska, where the roads could be avenues for moose, grizzly, or caribou, outdoor activities proved a bit more challenging.
    Sloane considered the spectacular views of thick timber and clamoring river. Breathing in the clean, fresh air rejuvenated her, and she realized it was lunchtime and she hadn’t eaten since her banana on the way out the door to Forster. Her stomach growled, and she put her hand to it. She needed food.
    As if on cue, a small woman in a beige dress appeared with a tray of assorted fruits and bread and cheeses. A bottle of water and a small carafe of coffee completed the repast.
    “Thank you so much,” Sloane gushed to the quiet woman setting the tray down on the mosaic table near the center of the terrace. Sloane immediately sat in a wrought iron chair and popped a strawberry into her mouth.
    “You’re welcome, Ms. Porter,” the maid said as she slipped back through the doors into the house.
    Sloane wondered how she knew her name. From that thought came the realization that David knew she was at his home.
    “Hello, Sloane.” The deep baritone filled Sloane’s body like a much anticipated kiss. Thank goodness she was sitting down or her legs would have collapsed like old tent poles.
    David approached her, a smile on his handsome face. With the bright sunshine illuminating his rugged good looks, he looked even better than she remembered. He had on an immaculate gray suit that showed his lean form to its best advantage. She stood to greet him with her hand extended.
    His eyes gleamed as his brilliant brown eyes flitted over her face, finally landing on and capturing her eyes. He took the hand she proffered and brought it to his lips. He kissed the knuckles with moist lips, then closed his eyes. He turned her hand over, and her palm involuntarily opened. Placing it to his cheek for a moment, he leaned into her soft hand before letting go. The gesture was gallant and intimate, but it also made Sloane’s insides turn to