The Billionaire's Secret Love Child(13)

It wasn't a stone, it was a tiny pebble, she thought. How the hell did the window break? It must be wafer thin. She didn't mean to. Then she imagined Ryan coming down the driveway and telling her off. She'd only been at the house for a couple of minutes, and already she'd caused trouble. Not a good start young lady, she told herself.

When she saw Ryan, he was walking down the drive way dressed in a pair of white chinos and a navy blue shirt. From his point of view, she looked like a prisoner behind bars. She was holding the bars of the gate, looking at the huge security guard on the other side. He was standing with one hand on his hip, the other swirling the baseball bat in eager anticipation.

''Open the gate and let her in,'' Ryan shouted. ''And put the baseball bat down, what do you think you're going to do with it? Hit a defenseless young woman?''

Th guard reluctantly opened the gate and let Alina in. Ryan shook her hand. ''I'm sorry about this,'' he said. ''Just bear with me a moment.'' He turned to the guard. ''Why do you thing the window is cracked?''

''Because the lady here threw a stone.''

''Correct. But why?''

''Er...'' The guard began to think of an excuse.

''Because you were asleep. Asleep on duty. It's not the first time is it? I pay you great money to look after the place, and all you can do is sleep.''

''Sir, I'm sorry it won't happen again.''

''Darn right it won't, you're fired. Take your things and leave.''

Alina gasped. It was all her doing; she certainly hadn't meant to get the poor man fired. ''Mr. Jacobson, it was my fault.''

''No, you did what anybody would have done. Try to wake the guy up. No, I've had enough, he's history.''

Alina wasn't going to argue any more, but she felt desperately sorry for the security guard. Where she came from it was extremely difficult to get a job. Little did she know that in LA, the man would have another job the next day.

''Here, let me take you bag,'' Ryan said.

''It's heavy I'm afraid.''

''Do I look like a weakling?'' he asked. No, he certainly didn't Alina thought. He looked strong and so fit. His shirt was open, and when he picked her bag up, she saw his bronzed chest bulge slightly. ''Heavy?'' he joked. ''Light as a feather.'' She looked at him shyly. In the soft evening air, Alina could smell his aftershave. It made her want to put her head to his chest and breathe in the real scent of him. Jesus, stop it, he's your boss, you've only been here a few minutes, she told herself. But it would be fun wouldn't it? Imagine him, so rich and handsome, on top of you, kissing you. She tried to banish the thoughts she was having, but they kept coming back, each time with Ryan more naked than before.

Okay, you're horny, she told herself. It's not surprising is it? When was the last time you had a guy? She tried to remember. More than a year ago, she concluded, a guy called Jeff. She'd been to high school with him, and he'd called her out of the blue. He'd told her he'd always liked her and that at school he'd never had the courage to ask her on a date. She'd found his excuse charming. He told her it was because he thought she was way out of his league.

''I'd have gone on a date with you, Jeff,'' she'd told him. She remembered it was she who'd taken the initiative after the movie. In the car on the way home, she'd reached across for his zipper and slowly pulled it down. He'd almost crashed the car. Both of them knew the area well and decided to drive down to the creek, where they got out and made love in the cool evening air. But you didn't come, she reminded herself. He was so quick you didn't get any pleasure out of it. Hell, even more, reason to feel horny. When was the last time you came? To her shame, Alina couldn't remember.

''There, what do you think of the place?'' Ryan asked, snapping her out of her train of thought.

''Wow it's beautiful. It's so nice of you to put me up. I could have stayed in a hotel for a few nights until I got sorted out.''

''The place has twelve bedrooms. You could live here for years, and we'd never meet,'' he said. ''Besides, I get lonely sometimes.'' She looked at him in disbelief. A billionaire like him lonely. How? It was quite an admission for a man of his type to make, she thought.

They had just rounded a bend in the driveway, the place where the house suddenly came into view. It was the point where most visitors looked on in awe at the mansion. It was unlike anything Alina had ever seen. Sure, she'd seen such houses in magazines and on TV programs, but never with her own eyes. It was beautiful, but she also found it imposing. The great front door, guarded by two stone lions wasn't welcoming. If she were his wife, she would take the lions away and replace them with stone troughs full of flowers. What she did like were the window shutters. They gave the place a European feel.

She caught another wave of Ryan's aftershave and the thoughts she'd had before, all came flooding back. ''Come in,'' he said putting his weight against the giant oak door. ''This is John. If you want anything while you are here, just let him know. You won't understand what he says thought.'' Alina gave Ryan a puzzled look. ''He's Scottish,'' he said, clearing the mystery.