The Renegade Billionaire Read Online Free PDF Page A

wear it as a badge of courage rather than a curse.”
    A curse. That was exactly what it had been like, but she made it sound like something to be proud of. A different way to look at himself? How did she manage to do that without even being aware of her power? The thought was daunting because he realized he could really care about her. That was a complication he didn’t need right now.
    â€œYou’re fortunate to have a father who approves of you.”
    â€œYou mean yours really doesn’t?”
    â€œAfraid not.” His voice grated. “Your incredulity tells me how different our fathers are. In my whole life, we’ve rarely seen eye to eye on anything. Unless it’s his way, it isn’t right.”
    â€œBut you’re obviously successful!”
    â€œNot in his eyes.”
    â€œThat’s horrible.” Her voice shook. “How painful for you.”
    â€œI’m used to it.”
    â€œEven so, I can hear the hurt in your voice deep down.” Her keen perception astounded him. She studied him for a minute. “For what it’s worth, I approve of you.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œWhen we first met, you were ready to give me a full interrogation at the quarry. But after I introduced myself, you listened, and in your unique way, you apologized and let me look for Darren with you. I find that admirable and think I like you much better now.”
    Andrea Linford, where did you come from?
    Little did she know he already liked her to the point he was ready to carry her off to an unknown location where they could get to know each other for as long as they wanted, undisturbed by anything or one. It shocked him that he would entertain such a thought when he’d only just met her.
    They’d neared the trail that led to the cave. It was getting too dark for tourists to be out. Stavros had been watching for anyone walking along the winding stone road bordered by heavy underbrush.
    He pulled to a stop. “We’ll have to go on foot from here. Grab one of the parkas. I know it’ll drown you, but it will also keep you warm. The temperature inside the cave is always cooler, especially at night. Darren might not be here. If he isn’t, then let’s whisper once we get inside while we wait and turn off the flashlights. In case he does show up, we don’t want our voices and lights to scare him off before we approach him.”
    â€œUnderstood.”
    Andrea understood about a lot more things than he could have imagined.
    They both got out and put on a coat. She reached for two bottles of water she could carry in the pockets of her parka.
    He handed her the smaller flashlight, making sure it worked, then turned on the big one. After throwing a blanket over his shoulder, he locked the Jeep. Before he knew it, she’d gone down the path ahead of him. Because of the overgrowth of mountain foliage, it grew so narrow in spots that they had to proceed single file. So far, they hadn’t seen anyone.
    Soon, they came to the large mouth of the cave. It looked like a dark hole. He moved past her, flashing his light around the interior for any sign of the teen. They went deeper, until the shaft of light lit up the dragon-like stalactite. Though it was always dark in the cave, the night gave it added menace.
    If Darren intended to hide in here, Stavros doubted he’d go much farther for fear of getting lost. He turned to Andrea and put his lips close to her ear. Again, he was assailed by the delicious scent of her. Maybe it was the shampoo from her wavy dark blond hair, which fell loose to her neck. “Let’s sit here awhile and see if he comes.”
    * * *
    Andrea nodded and edged away in order to counteract the feel of his warm breath against her skin. He hadn’t touched her, but he didn’t have to for her to be intensely aware of him. After he spread out the blanket, she sat down cross-legged. In the next moment he’d taken the same position