Page 7 of Tempting My Billionaire Master

“I promise, Chloe,” I vowed, squeezing her hand. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Now, stay close to me. We’re almost there.”

We carefully re-entered the grounds and made our way towards the small private pier. It was dark already and the moonlight cast eerie shadows across the landscape, heightening my senses and hiding our approach.

I held Chloe’s hand tightly as we snuck past a bodyguard who had been left behind to patrol the area around the house. Her breath hitched when she saw him, but she remained silent—trusting me completely.

As we crept past the bodyguard, muffled voices mixed with radio static caught our attention.

“Yo, we found the cop. He’s out cold, but still breathing,” the voice said.

“Fucking idiot. How the hell did Hamilton see through him?” another voice responded.

“No idea, but we’re widening the search area with the county police’s help. They’ll be keeping an eye on the roads and highways,” the first voice reported.

My blood ran cold as I realized the gravity of our situation. So it wasn’t a corrupt cop or two. Whoever ordered this invested a lot of money. The good news was that they were looking in the wrong place.

Chloe and I continued to move along the wall of the house, our backs pressed against the rough stone as we crept towards the rear of the house. Every rustle of leaves underfoot, every creak of wood in the distance, made her jump and squirm.

As we passed by the large window we had escaped through earlier, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. The shattered pieces of glass were a stark reminder of the careless life we had left behind.

“Can we go inside for a moment?” she asked in a hushed tone. “I need to get my phone.”

“Chloe, we don’t know if anyone else is still inside,” I responded. “Our first priority is to escape. We’ll figure out the rest later.”

She hesitated, but ultimately nodded in agreement. We continued on, sneaking past a second bodyguard who was patrolling the riverbank. Finally, we reached the small motorboat moored at the pier. The river was too shallow for any of my yachts and this motorboat was mostly used by staff to get supplies.

“Quickly, get in,” I urged, helping her onto the deck. Once we were both aboard, I started the engine, casting one last glance at my home before pulling away from the dock.

As we sped off into the night, the bodyguard on the shore took aim and fired at us, but thankfully missed. I let out a shaky breath, relieved that Chloe was out of immediate danger.

“Thank you, Ethan,” Chloe murmured, wrapping her arms around me and pressing a tender kiss to my cheek. I didn’t understand why she was thanking me, the cause of her suffering. “Now, let me take care of your wounds.”

“Chloe, I need to concentrate on driving the boat,” I told her, gently pushing her away. “You should rest.”

“Promise me you’ll let me help you later,” she insisted, her eyes filled with worry.

“Promise,” I agreed, smiling softly at her concern. She nodded and relaxed on the passenger seat next to mine. Despite the growling of the motor, stress took its toll and she was asleep in minutes.

As I guided the boat through the dark waters, I glanced over at Chloe’s sleeping form, taking in her beautiful features bathed in moonlight. She thought it was over, but I didn’t want to spoil her rest with the harsh truth. She was my responsibility and I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe, even if it meant protecting her from herself. And I knew just the place to hold her.

Chapter Three

Chloe

“Chloe, wake up,” a gentle voice whispered near my ear. I slowly opened my eyes to find Ethan’s handsome face just inches from mine, his green eyes filled with concern. A tiny shiver of excitement ran through me at the sight of him so close, but then memories of the previous day’s harrowing events came flooding back. The assassination attempt, our frantic escape, and the realization that we were still in the motorboat hit me all at once.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Ethan murmured, sensing my sudden panic. “Soon we’ll be somewhere secure. Somewhere we can rest.”

Somewhere secure. I breathed a sigh of relief, nestling closer to his warmth and he wrapped his arms around me protectively.

I looked up at Ethan, taking in the cuts and bruises on his handsome face, the bloodstains on his ruined suit. How was it possible that I felt so safe with this man, a near stranger, after the trauma of yesterday?

After a few more moments spent in his embrace, we climbed out of the boat onto the riverbank. Ethan pushed the boat further downstream, while I stared at the dense forest before us.

The chilly morning air raised goosebumps on my skin. I shivered, and Ethan draped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

“Come on, let’s get going,” he said. As we walked deeper into the woods, mist hovered above the ground, clinging to the foliage in delicate droplets. An eerie silence prevailed, as if the world was holding its breath.

His once pristine suit was now bloodied, and cuts marred his strong face. Yet, he remained impossibly attractive. I couldn’t help but think that under normal circumstances, I would never have been able to get this close to a man like him. Still, I couldn’t deny the comfort I felt in his embrace. I breathed in his scent, musky and masculine, finding solace in his strength.

---