On the run from a devastating discovery, Sophie Vassiliadas was hiding out in a small town, but she always knew he would find her, sooner or later. This is the sequel to "The Billionaire's Secret Desire" also available on obooko.
This ebook is also available for purchase in Kindle format.
Excerpt:
"Do you know what tonight is?" Said Paul, as he turned and locked the doors of the diner. It was a busy day and he was glad that she finished her chores the same time he did. Usually she left sooner, but this time he was able to clean the kitchen before she left. He had just finished locking up after they stepped out into the cool night air when he gathered the courage to ask her out again.
Sophie tilted her head at him in puzzlement.
He turned back to her with a grin on his handsome face, "It"s your nine month anniversary here." He studied her lovely face under the orange amber illumination of the streetlight. He was looking for any sign that the attraction was mutual. He had yet to find one.
"Oh?" she smiled.
"Let me buy you a drink." He added trying to keep the pleading out of his voice. Not one of his girlfriends could attest to him resorting to begging for a date. One thing he didn"t do was pursue women, but Sophie was different. Besides being a stunning credit to her sex, she was as sweet as hell. The most frustrating thing is that she didn't seem attracted to him at all. Her faltering smile just confirmed that.
"I can't..." she clutched her purse and shifted on her feet uncomfortably.
"Sophie," his expression became serious, "I"ve known you from the first day you"ve walked into the diner asking for a job and not once have I seen you go out on a date. I know you"re not gay because God would be that cruel to create someone as beautiful as you in such a way." He smiled when she blushed at his flattery, "But all I want is a drink...between friends."
She pondered his request for a moment.
"It can"t be that hard of a decision?" He said incredulous. He
held up his hands, "I"ll behave, I promise." He added hoping the lie didn"t show on his face.
Forcing a smile she lifted her chin, "I suppose it wouldn"t hurt." Sophie didn't have any friends. She had acquaintances that she"d come to know through her job, but she had kept to herself since she moved there not wanting to draw unneeded attention in her direction. However, she still got it mostly from the opposite sex no matter how she tried to discourage them. If Paul was offering friendship maybe she should set aside her reservations and accept. Yet, there was that niggling in her conscience that would let her be. It didn"t feel right. Maybe it was her upbringing that made her feel like she was betraying someone even if it was all in innocence.
Paul inclined his head, "I"m very flattered that you even accepted."
She eyed him a moment longer, "Just this once Paul and like you said, as friends. I"m not--can"t have a relationship." She rushed out.
"Honey, if that"s all you can offer, I"ll take it," He didn"t know why she was so reluctant and quite truthfully, he knew less about her than he did a year ago except that she made his blood boil with desire every time he laid his eyes on her. Yet, he didn"t miss the slight wince when he called her honey. It was a common endearment used by many people; however she reacted like it was aversive.
She seemed so helpless when she came into his parents" diner last year and removed the ,,Help Wanted" sign from the window. It instantly roused male protective instincts in him-- among other things. He"d asked her out barely a week into her working for them and she"d turned him down. It was done politely enough, but he was still devastated. By town"s standards he was quite a catch, but she rarely looked at him like the other women her age did. She kept her emotions carefully guarded and there was always a sadness about her. He actually hired her hoping that he would find her in his bed one day. That was nine months ago and he was no closer now than he was back then. However, he still hadn"t given up hope and he did feel a little better when she turned down every other man who had asked her out also.
That didn"t stop the suitors though. At least once a day flowers would come to the diner for her, even if it was her day off. Not only that, the patrons became mostly male. She could have screwed up every order and they wouldn"t have minded, and most times she did. It was obvious to Paul that she had some social grace about her and came from money just from the way she walked, talked and greeted people. Yet she was very likable and never acted snobbish which made him rethink his previous assumption. The only other conclusion was that she was hiding from someone or something, and was willing to work as a waitress in a small town greasy spoon to do it. What could be so bad for her to want to disappear? He"d never asked the questions that carved holes in his conscience because for some odd feeling he knew that she would bolt and he"d never see her again.
It really didn"t help that the woman looked like a playboy model either. Her body was a perfect ten. She had an hourglass figure with firm high breasts, tiny waist with flared hips and a face gorgeous enough to stop traffic. He swore that if she let those ebony curls down from the top of her head that they would tumble to her waist and frame that heart shaped face, adorned with pouty full lips and eyes as green as emeralds.
"Come on, there"s a nice pub just down the road." He said smiling.
"I should go home and change." She looked down at her pink waitressing uniform.
