Page 30 of The Billionaire's Housekeeper

“Abbi, don’t go.” His voice was stern and authoritative.

She paused at the door but didn’t want to look into his captivating and sexy eyes. She was afraid she’d melt into his arms again but she had to be strong.

“I’m leaving, Chase Belmont. Please leave me alone.”

With those words, she walked out the door and out of Chase’s life. She would have to close that chapter for good. Maybe love and Abbi was not a good combination. But what Chase didn’t know was that she was angrier with herself than with him.

Either way, it was over between them. Forever.

Chapter 19

“It’s over,” Chase said to his brother Brandon the next day, bringing his glass to his lips, sipping on the water and tasting only the bitterness and emptiness he felt inside. The men sat at the bar by the poolside at the ranch resort. “She’s leaving. We’re done.”

“What do you mean over?” Brandon said, leaning forward. “What happened between you two?”

“The truth.”

“The truth?”

“Yeah. She found out I’m a Belmont. The charade is over.”

“I don’t get it. Weren’t you going to tell her anyway?”

Chase sighed heavily, his gaze intense on the oceanic view before him. “Yes. But not yet.”

“How did she find out?”

“She didn’t say exactly,” Chase offered. He turned to his brother and noticed Brandon pulled out his cell phone and keyed in some information.

“What are you doing?” Chase asked, curious.

“I’m pulling up whatever information I can get on this chick.”

“Oh, no.” Chase dropped his glass on the bar counter. “You’re doing no such thing.”

“And why not? Don’t you want to find out what her real story is?”

“I know her real story or at least enough to know she’s a decent and honest girl.”

“I know, but-”

“What I want you to do is find out everything you can about this crazy ass ex of hers. Eduardo. I mean everything about the dude. I have a feeling he’s up to no good. Even if we don’t end up together, I want him to stay clear away from her. He really messed her up emotionally.”

“Well, we know who’s been up to no good around here.”

“Eduardo?” Chase’s lips curled up in disgust.

Brandon nodded. “You got it.” Brandon’s face was stony. “Remember there was a guest, Lizzy with her sick daughter?”

“Yeah, the nice lady over in cabin seventy-five.”

“Well, I thought I’d pay her a visit when you told me that night that’s she’d been videotaping about her daughter’s…final days.”

“You what? Why did you do that?”

“Relax, bro. You know I’m very sensitive about stuff like that. I wouldn’t dream of doing or saying anything that could disrupt her peace.”

“So what came of it?”

“Well, I just figured that she’d probably have some valuable footage on there without even realizing it.”

Chase’s stomach knotted. He had a hunch about what Brandon was about to say.

“As we’d suspected, that piece of scum has been up to no good. I was about to fill you in on the details this afternoon. Just waiting on a fax to come in from the south.”

“Up to no good? Like what? Sabotage?”

Brandon nodded dangerously slowly. Chase could tell his brother was seething as much as he was inside. Then his mind ran back on all the crazy stuff he’d seen happening around the ranch resort. “You know, I remember when one of the corral gates was left open a while back and tons of other stuff that could have been catastrophic. Yeah, that would have been real great for the hotel guide publications—not to mention the safety of all our guests. That creep is not getting away with it.”

“The guy’s been very sneaky out there knowing we don’t have cameras outside each of the cabins, which by the way, is something that’s gonna change real soon. I already ran it past Dad. The old owners might not have thought it was worth it, but in these times we’re living in, better safe than sorry.”

“I agree,” Chase said firmly. “We need to make sure everyone is safe at all times and at least have surveillance in the wooded areas around the cottages. I understand lovers come out here to be private and all but…”

“I know. That’s the slippery slope or the fine line we have to cross. Anyway, what are you going to do about Abbi?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not just going to let her go that easily, are you? You really like her, don’t you? You’ve been so different lately since she came into your life. The past couple months have been crazy for you. Like you’re a whole new man.”

“I know,” Chase said quietly, his chest heaving. The emotional rollercoaster he caused her by lying to her was all too great for him to bear. He never thought he’d ever feel this way about a woman. But Abbi really was different. The last thing he’d wanted to do was to ever hurt her. She meant the world to him. Why didn’t he tell her up front? God, the last thing he’d wanted was for her to find out through somebody else about his true identity.

What irony. Chase wanted to meet a girl who liked him for who he was and not for what he had. Now that he’d met such a girl, she didn’t want to have anything to do with him because of what he had and who he was.

He shook his head at the thought.

“Just let me know what you want me to do about Abbi if you change your mind. In the meanwhile, I’ll get on this Eduardo character,” Brandon said.

“Good. Thanks.”

An hour later, as the men sat and soaked in the summer sun at the ranch resort, Brandon’s cell phone rang and he answered it.

“Yeah, what have you got?” Brandon said to the person on the other end of the phone.

Chase scrolled through his email messages on the screen of his own cell phone while he waited for Brandon to finish his conversation.

When Brandon ended the call, he got up. “I’m just going over to the office. I’m expecting a fax.”

“That was fast. Got something on Eduardo already?”

“Well, no, not quite.”

“Then what?”

“Some information on your gal there.”

“Hey, what did I tell you? I don’t want any info on Abbi.”

Brandon sighed. “I know that’s what you said, Chase. I’m just going to check in on some things. I’ve had a feeling about Abbi from day one. She seems nice and all but I just wanted to do something on my own.”

“Well, whatever you find, keep it to yourself.”

“You don’t really mean that.”

“Yes, I do. I wish you wouldn’t go digging up information on a girl I like.”

“If I’d done that with Giline, you wouldn’t even be in this emotional mess right now, not trusting women.”

Chase gave Brandon a look. “Whatever.”

Brandon got up and walked towards the office.

Chase sat thinking of what a mess he’d ended up in with the whole situation. Abbi would be leaving soon. Should he try to stop her? He just couldn’t believe she would be walking right out of his life soon. He’d never see her again. But she’d made it quite clear she didn’t want anything to do with him. He’d deceived her about who he was. Of all the times to lie, even if for a seemingly good cause, he ended up lying to the wrong woman who could have very well been the right woman for him.

Brandon came back to his seat at the bar beside Chase. His expression was stony.

“Well?” Chase asked.

“Never mind the girlfriend business. I have a lead on the creeps trying to shut down the ranch.”

“You do?”

Brandon sighed. “Man, I hate to be right. You’re not going to believe this.”

Great. The last thing Chase needed was more drama. First Abbi, now his rival.

“What have you got?”

Brandon handed Chase the sheets of faxed printouts.

Chase froze, his core body temperature dropped. “I’m going to kill him.”

Chapter 20

Chase hurried up to the second row of suites as quickly as he could. His heartbeat pounded hard and fierce in his chest.

Compose yourself, Chase. You’re a businessman not a thug.

When he got his hands on Eduardo he was going to rip him apart.

He knocked hard on the door and it opened. Abbi stood there at the door, a confused look on her face. “Chase,” she said, “what are you doing here?”

He walked in without a word, his dark gaze intent on hers said it all. “Where’s Eduardo? Where’s your ex?”

“He…he’s n-not here.”

“I don’t believe you,” Chase said, looking around. “Where is he?”

“Chase…I…”

Chase stood before Abbi. He was torn right now. The feelings he’d had with her were still there but he had to ask her one question. He had to get things straightened out.

“Chase, what is going on?”

“You lied to me!” His tone was cold and void of emotion.

“L-lied to you?” Abbi’s eyes widened. She looked as if she was going to faint.

“Yes, you lied to me,” he said, his silky tone cool as ice. His dark gaze penetrated her and she felt the scorching heat from his deadly stare.

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