Page 48 of A Millionaire for Cinderella

Easy to do a lot of things with, he thought with a smile.

You, pal, are in deep, aren’t you? For once, he let his subconscious speak freely. He was in deep, and, to his amazement, the thought didn’t set off alarm bells. Why should it? Patience wasn’t Gloria. Patience didn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t or tell him what she thought he wanted to hear. Instead, she was content to be with him—the real him. The one who wore thick glasses and talked about sunset differentials. Even at his most besotted, to steal his aunt’s word, Gloria didn’t make his insides feel light and joyful, the way Patience did. So, Stuart didn’t freak out at the notion he might be falling. In fact, he could see himself falling a lot deeper.

Someone cleared his throat. Stuart looked to the door, saw who it was and cringed. “Hey, Bob. Come on in.”

The overly tall, overly eager looking attorney stepped inside and closed the door behind him. No doubt meant as a gesture of confidentiality, it made Stuart wince nonetheless. “The investigator tracked down the information you needed,” he said, brandishing a thin manila envelope. “I know it took a little longer than expected, but we had a couple big cases come through, and since this was personal and you hadn’t followed up...”

“I thought I sent you an email telling you to cancel the investigation.”

“You—you did?” The color drained from Bob’s face. Associates hoping to be on the fast track hated to make mistakes, Bob more than most. “I didn’t see one.”

“A few weeks ago.” The Saturday following the dinner dance. Stuart distinctly remembered typing out the message before going to bed. Right before Nigel jumped up and demanded attention.

Damn. Was it possible he hadn’t hit Send? Now two people who didn’t need to know were aware of Patience’s secret.

Bob mistook his wiping his hand across his face for displeasure. “I am so sorry. The note must have gotten buried somehow...I...” He thrust the envelope at Stuart. “Are you sure you don’t need this information? I mean, it’s pretty interesting reading, I’ll say that.”

“You read it?”

Again Bob paled. “Um, only to make sure the report was complete. I wasn’t trying to pry...”

Like hell he wasn’t. The investigator’s notes were probably too salacious to pass up. He gave Bob a dismissive look, letting the associate know he was unhappy with his performance. “Doesn’t matter,” he made a point of saying. “I already know everything the investigator might have found.”

“You do?” Bob said. “Even the criminal record?”

Criminal record? Please no. Stuart squeezed the arms of his chair tight enough to snap them. It took every ounce of his control and then some to keep his face free of reaction. “Yes, even that.”

“Oh. Okay. I’ll go finish the brief for Greenwood then.”

“You do that,” Stuart replied. “And Bob?” Man, but it was hard to talk with nausea rising in his throat. “If you ever get a personal project from a partner again? Mind your own business.”

The associate nodded before exiting as quickly as possible. Leaving Stuart alone.

With the manila envelope.

It had to be a mistake. Patience had told him everything, right? And he trusted her.

But what if...the possibility made him gag.

Only one way to be certain. He tore open the envelope.

“Dammit!” He slammed his fist on the desk, ignoring the pain shooting to his elbow. It was nothing compared to the hurt tearing through his insides. There, fastened to the top of the report, was everything he didn’t want to know.

* * *

“All right, Nigel, let’s get this straight. This is Ana’s new bed, not yours. Meaning you will give her space to lie down when she and Stuart get home from the hospital, okay?”

Which, Patience checked the clock on the mantel, should be in an hour or so. She smoothed the wrinkles from Ana’s comforter. The setup might not be ideal, but it would work for a month. Who knows? Ana might decide she liked living on the first floor.

We can be as loud as we want. A delicious shiver ran down her spine as she remembered Stuart’s comment after Dr. O’Hara suggested the new arrangement. “Might as well make the most of what we have while we have it, right, Nigel?” she said, combing her fingers through Nigel’s fur.

Suddenly, the front door slammed with a force so hard it made the frame rattle against the wall. Stuart appeared in the doorway, wild-eyed and out of breath.

“Stuart, what’s wrong?” Instinctively, she took a step backward. He looked like a madman. The pupils in his eyes were blown wide, and while she’d seen them black with desire, she’d never seen them like this. “Did something happen to Ana?”

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