Page 62 of Undercover Billionaire

When he was finished, he brought his cup over and handed her another cocktail umbrella. This one was yellow.

‘I give you a month,’ she said even as a little corner of her heart melted.

He just smiled and walked away.

* * *

Much to her dismay, the man lasted a month. Then he lasted two. Two months of coming into the café every day, leaving her umbrellas, running into her on the beach or at the grocery store.

But it was worse than that. In two months he’d paid for Jaidyn’s wheelchair, had a new coffee machine installed in the café and given the local council the money to erect a completely new jetty.

Not only was heeverywherebut he was a bloody hero toeveryone. They’d be throwing him a goddamn parade soon.

Worse still was thespeculation.About her and Ari. The whispers and the nudges and theadvice. She’d heard they were even running a book on how long it would take for them to get together at the local pub.

It was madness and it had to stop.

He needed to go back home. She wasn’t in the market for a guy or for screwing her life up again. Yeah, she loved him. But she didn’t trust herselforher instincts any more. And she’d rather be alone the rest of her life than go through another soul-crushing disappointment.

She was done with love. And rich, sexy Greek men could just move along.

13

Ari was on the beach. It was windy and a line of thundery clouds swelled up from the horizon. He’d just completed a meeting with the mayor over the new jetty and was passing time skipping stones before his next meeting.

The Pelican’s Belly should open soon, allowing him to grab his coffee fix and be back in time to meet with the head of the company that had been engaged to build the jetty.

Coffee fix… Who was he trying to kid? He was going for his daily Kelsey fix.

It had nearly killed him to take it this slow. He knew she didn’t think he’d last. That he’d get sick of the chase and give up. And that was his fault because his actions – hislying– had only compounded her trust issues.

So he was taking it slow. Rebuilding her trust. Proving to her he wasn’t like Eric. That he didn’t want anything from her and he wasn’t going to cut and run.

Proving he was a stayer. Proving himself worthy.

He had totryanyway. Because she may look at him like whatever they’d shared was dead, but she hadn’t asked him to leave either. She hadn’t told him to forget it and ordered him back to Greece, and he was clinging to that, hoping it meantsomething.

Like maybe there was still a spark. One he could fan with his patience and his presence and his persistence. Because he’d already lost one great love; he wasn’t going to lose another. Not because he hadn’t tried hard enough, anyway.

He was here for the long haul. For whatever it took.

‘Ari?’

Ari turned at his name and smiled at Gail, Kelsey’s mother. They’d already met and spoken on a few different occasions. She’d been cool but polite and Ari was in no doubt Gail knew all the sordid details of his and Kelsey’s backstory.

Naturally she was on team Kelsey, which meant he had to woo Gail as well. And he was totally here for that.

‘A storm’s coming,’ she said as she approached with her cane.

‘Looks like it,’ he agreed.

‘I don’t usually see you about so early.’

‘I’m meeting with the mayor and the builder.’ He tipped his chin at the jetty. ‘About the new plans.’

Gail smiled. ‘You’ve been very generous.’

Ari shrugged. ‘What’s the use of having money if you can’t spread some joy with it?’

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