Page 45 of The Billionaire's Temporary Governess (French Conquests 2)

“Looks like it.”

“Lookslike it?” He waved her phone angrily around. “Naisha, this man has photos taken on my private land! Of my home. Of my daughter!”

How had he found her, she wondered miserably, and how had he managed to watch her for so long, unseen?

Liam seemed to be asking himself that same question. “Did you tell him where you are? Were you hoping he would come woo you back? Wheedle his way into your good—”

“No!” She was thoroughly pissed off now. She didn’t deserve to be accused like this — didn’t deserve his anger. She’d done nothing to bring this upon herself. Why was he blaming her? “I didn’t tell anyone but my family. My parents and my sister. I left home without alerting anyone. I didn’t even travel here on a commercial flight. He shouldn’t have found out where I am.”

“But he did,” he answered tautly. “You knew it was possible, and yet you came here and said nothing. Gave me no warning. Made no attempt to protect my family from whatever mess you’ve created for yourself. And now my child is involved.”

The graphic nature of the photos had unsettled Naisha. Somehow, in the harsh light of the image, everything that had felt so sweet and wonderful and right now seemed cheap and trashy. Vulgar and obscene. She felt stripped, violated, hating the fact that Abe could have seen her like that.

And now Liam was adding insult to injury, judging her for something over which she’d had no control.

Oh, yeah? Well, she didn’t get this far in her career or her life by being the kind of woman who gives in meekly. If she was going down, she’d go down in a blaze of glory. So she reached out and snatched the phone from his hand, shoving it into her purse and facing him with balled fists and a feisty expression.

“Okay, William, listen up. First, I swear to you that I had no idea that he would be capable of finding me. I still don’t know how he did.” The possibilities made her shiver. “I admit I was wrong for not to say anything, but when I left the States, all I wanted was to put the whole sorry situation behind me. I apologize if I’ve brought the threat of harm to Willa.”

She felt the sharp needles of unshed tears prickle into her eyes. “And since I’ve put your family in jeopardy, I think the best solution would be for me to leave. At once. And don’t put yourself out making arrangements for me. I don’t need a one-way trip on your damn private jet. I’m perfectly capable of flying commercial. I can look after myself.”

She waved in the vague direction of the spot where he’d parked his car. “Now, why don’t you run along home. I can take a cab. Tomorrow, I’ll get my shit in order and leave.”

She was glad that she was so angry, because the pain tearing at her gut couldn’t find a foothold. The idea of leaving him, leaving Willa and the comfortable routine they’d built for themselves, almost killed her. But being mad was a welcome distraction from the hurt.

“A cab? No way—”

She took a warrior’s stance, legs apart, fists at her sides, and stared her down. “Leave me alone, William. Go.”

As much as he wanted to, he had the self-control not to confront Naisha even as she hailed a cab, and badger her into coming home with him instead. She was already visibly upset, and people on the street were throwing them curious glances. She didn’t need him to go all caveman on her and make her come home with him.

At the very least, he allowed her to hang onto her dignity.

Which didn’t mean he didn’t tail the taxi all the way home, just to make sure she got there safely. And in a sense, it worked to his advantage to be alone on the return trip, after what had been the perfect date night. Because it gave him all the time and space he needed to curse himself out for his handling of the situation.

“Connard,”he grunted.“You clumsy ass.”He knew that he’d overreacted. It was clear that whatever was going on with thiscrapuleof an ex, it wasn’t Naisha’s fault. He remembered the horror on her face when she’d seen the photos. That alone cut him to his core. How horrible it must have been for her! To see yourself exposed like that, in such an intimate, unguarded moment, was something no woman should have to endure.

And yet he’d gone ballistic, turning his outrage onto her, to the point where she’d quit. Hell, no. He was not going to allow that. There was no way Naisha was leaving tomorrow, even if he had to buy the airline and ground her flight.

The absurdity of that thought made him laugh grimly.

He pulled the car a respectful distance back as Naisha’s taxi drew up at the side steps. She was way too mad to enter by the main steps, he guessed. He made certain she was safely out of the taxi and that it was on its way off the property before parking. He was pretty certain she threw a dirty look in his direction before disappearing through the door.

So,he thought.She’s still mad at me.

He waited ten minutes, long enough for her to get settled in her room but not enough for her to have fallen asleep, and then got out of the car, leaving the keys on the driver’s seat for Hassan to park in the morning.

In his suite, outside her door, he tapped softly, and then, assuming she wouldn’t open for him, let himself in any way.

She hadn’t changed her clothes, but was standing at the window, hugging herself, looking out into the night. He took a few steps toward her and stopped right behind. “I’m sorry, Naisha. Forgive me for my overreaction.”

She neither turned around nor said anything.

He tried again. “Please, tell me what the problem is. Let me help.”

She took so long to answer he was convinced that she wouldn’t, but eventually, without looking around, she began to talk. He listened without comment, despite the fact that as she spoke, the hairs at the back of his neck began to rise as chills went down his spine. He heard a story about a charming ex-military man, turned law man who seemed to adore her, give her everything. Loved to show her off to his friends, to flatter her, to buy her pretty presents.

And then, he began to resent the demands of her career because they took her away from him so often. Tried to convince her to decline offers of overseas jobs, and when she refused, went so far as to call up clients and threaten them, losing her valuable gigs in the process.

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