Page 59 of Undercover Billionaire

Ari nodded. He did know. He knew exactly. The kind of laugh Kelsey had drawn out of him.

‘I was a fool. I almost passed up fifty-five wonderfully happy years – seven children, thirty grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren – all because I was gun shy. I thought a one-woman man meant one woman forever. But it doesn’t.’ He shook his head. ‘The notion that in a whole world full of people there’s onlyoneperson for everyone is ludicrous. We don’t just get one go at this,’ he repeated.

‘Pappou.’ This was different. ‘We were together for a week.’

Andtogetherwas stretching it.

His grandfather turned his head, and Ari could feel those old eyes on his profile. ‘And how soon did you know you loved Talia?’

Ari didn’t answer the old man. He’d fallen for Talia at first sight and they both knew it. Yanis’s big gnarly fingers settled over top of Ari’s once more.

‘Love makes you vulnerable. I know that well. But…’ His grandfather squeezed his hand. ‘Love is everywhere, Aristotle. You’ve just got to let it in.’

With one last squeeze, he turned and left, leaving Ari’s gut churning. Was his grandfather right? Was it possible to have fallen in love with Kelsey in a week? He knew love at first sight was real – he’d been there, done that. The concept didn’t scare him. He just hadn’t thought he’d get another turn at a grand love.

Butcouldlightning strike twice?

Ari didn’t know. But with his pulse throbbing through his head, he knew with sudden and absolute clarity that he had to find out. Turning away from the rail, he picked his way around people with single-minded focus, finally making it inside, the cooler shadows of the interior an instant balm to the residual tension from his headache.

‘Aristotle,’ hisyiayiacalled as he reached the front door. ‘Where are you going?’

‘Australia,’ he said as he opened the door and stepped outside.

* * *

Almost three months post AristotleCallisthenesthrowing a bomb into her life, Kelsey had finally reached the stage where she didn’t think about him every damn minute of the day.

Maybe only a dozen times a day now.

Who knew? Perhaps by the end of the year she’d have that down to five or ten. And by the time her number was up, maybe she’d have it down to only once a week.

It wasn’t because she loved him. Or waspiningafter him. It was because anger burned harder and longer – she already knew that from the Eric debacle. And she was hanging on to it because while it boiled in her gut, she wasn’t crying. She’d shed about a million tears over Eric – she would not waste a single one on another lying bastard.

Not that she was angry atAriany more. Ironically, shecouldsee that he’d been trapped in a lie of his own making and shedidbelieve he hadn’t set out to trap or hurt her.

No… she was angry withherself.

Angry that she’d let her guard down and trusted a guy again after vowing she wouldn’t. Angry that she’d picked wrong again. Angry that she’d brought this disaster down on herself by crossing a line she should never have crossed.

Karma really was a bitch.

But… Kelsey sucked in a deep breath of sweet, sea air and lifted her face to the sun. She hadthis. Her toes in the water, sand on her feet and the Pacific Ocean framed in her windows.

Her and her motherhadtaken their sea change. Theyhadmoved to Pelican Cove. Theyhadbought the cottage – even if they were in more debt than Kelsey had planned and they couldn’t afford the modifications yet.

But they were here. In Pelican Cove.

Their new town wasn’t one of those trendy weekend café-latte hot spots. It was still a little old and faded around the edges. A relic from the seventies that hadn’t yet beendiscovered. One of those secret little places overlooked for shinier places nearby.

Which suited Kelsey just fine. She loved the slow pace, the slightly dented charm, the lack of pretence. And she loved her job at the Pelican’s Belly Café. She may not be earning a fortune but they were doing okay.

They were happy.

The light breeze ruffled her hair and she let the natural calm of the scenery wash over her. Things might not have gone exactly to plan but look at what had gone right. She had more time with her mother, a community that had welcomed them with open arms and a lifestyle they’d been dreaming about for years.

She was lucky,damn it. She didn’t need Ari-fucking-Callisthenes.

Reaching the rocks at the end of the sweeping crescent-shaped cove, Kelsey retraced her steps, the golden sand soft and crunchy beneath her feet. She had to get home. Her mother’s painting class would be over soon and she was picking her up then heading to work.

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