Page 241 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 5-8

The room seemed to sway a little. Here. Now. The terms of the deal had been clear from the start. Nothing had changed, and everything had. She watched him shrug on his jacket to complete his transformation back into the billionaire tycoon she had met in New York.

He glanced over at her, his forehead creasing. ‘I can make sure you’re taken care of. I can make things happen for you. Good things. You have excellent skills so maybe so if you still want that job at McIntyre—’

‘You’re offering me a job?’ She felt dazed, drunk almost. ‘I don’t want to work for you, Tiger.’

‘That’s fine. If you’d prefer to work for another company, I can make a few calls, put in a good word for you.’

She was shaking her head. Her whole body was shaking. ‘I don’t want to work for you and I don’t want you to put in a good word for me. I love you.’

She had said it before but not understood what it meant. Now she did, and she felt it spinning inside her like sugar turning to candyfloss. ‘I love you,’ she said again. Because he was worth the risk. They were worth the risk.

But Tiger was staring at her as if she had said a different kind of four-letter word. A shadow slid across the curve of his cheekbone. ‘I’m sorry, Sydney. I think you are an incredible woman—’

‘Don’t do this, don’t pretend—’

‘But this is pretend,’ he said flatly. ‘It’s only ever been a pretence, a performance.’

‘I don’t believe you.’ Her chest felt tight, and heavy. ‘I know you. I know this is real.’ It was difficult to breathe, to speak, but she had to try. ‘You’re not your father, Tiger.’

‘Maybe not, but I can’t be what you need, what you deserve.’ His eyes were dull like beaten metal. ‘I’ll call my lawyersen route.’

‘No, I’ll find another way.’

His gold eyes were darker than a solar eclipse. ‘Do me a favour. Maybe stay here until the stuff with Harris blows over.’

He stared at her for a moment and then he turned and walked swiftly through the door. Outside, she could hear the waves splashing against the shore. The world was still shifting, moving, breathing. But as she slid to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest, she knew she would never be a part of it again.

CHAPTER TEN

SYDNEYHADN’TSTAYEDon the island.

Tiger shifted back in his chair and stared across his office, remembering that first time he’d seen her out of the corner of his eye, all light curves and red hair.

Because that was the problem: there was too much to forget and so much he wanted to remember.

About an hour after take-off, he’d swallowed his pride and made a call to Silvana. Even though he’d still been piqued by her outburst as he was leaving. It was the first, the only time, he could remember his housekeeper losing her temper with him, and in English.

‘Why are you leaving?’

‘Because I have a business to run,’ he’d countered.

Silvana had folded her arms across her body and stared at him. ‘And what about Ms Truitt?’

He’d frowned. ‘What about her?’

Her eyes had narrowed. ‘Why is she not with you?’

‘She’s not with me. She never was. This was only ever a short-term thing.’

Silvana had snorted. ‘Short term? I saw how you looked at her when she came downstairs before the ball. That is not how a man looks at a woman who is short term to him.’

He had been rooted to the spot. With fury and fear. Because he could still remember how he had felt.Felt.So many feelings roaring through him, and he hadn’t recognised half of them, and hadn’t known what to do with any of them. Or what it meant that he felt them for Sydney.

‘I know you are scared of loving.’ Silvana’s face had softened. ‘And it is scary because loving hurts but losing her will hurt worse. So don’t leave her here. Stay or take her with you. That is what you want. She wants it too.’

‘I can’t do that.’

‘Then you are a fool.’

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