Page 22 of Meeting the Billionaire Boss

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well… I really would like where we’re going to be a surprise so… Could you wear this?’

I look down and see that he’s holding a blindfold. It’s a black silk one, the kind you wear for sleeping.

‘You want to blindfold me?’

For some reason the thought sends a thrill shooting through me. Edward is asking to be completely in control. I have never allowed a man to dominate me in any way because that would mean handing over my trust and after what my father did, I’ve been opposed to trusting men. But Edward has given me no reasonnotto trust him. I find that I want to put my faith in him. He’s done all this for me, bought me this beautiful dress, shoes and necklace. He’s shown that he’s thoughtful, kind and caring. So somehow, deep down, I find the courage to put my faith in him and I know that it’ll be OK. It does cross my mind that this could be because we’re going to the type of club I thought about previously, but I decide to wait and see.

‘Not for long, I promise.’ He smiles, sealing the deal for me, so I take the blindfold and slip it on, taking care to keep it loose at the front so it doesn’t ruin my eye makeup.

My other senses now take over and I feel the motion as Jeff stops the car and opens the back door. There is a rush of air as Edward gets out then he takes my hand and helps me out too. Every time I take his hand, I get a jolt of electricity up my arm that leaves me breathless. It’s ridiculous really, feeling this way at just the touch of a man’s hand. But then it’s been a long time since a man held my hand. A long time since a man touched me anywhere. How would it feel if Edward touched me in other places? If he ran his fingers over my breasts or slid a hand up my thigh… That’s a thought I push away because it’s never going to happen, even if right now I wish it would.

I hear Jeff start the engine and drive away then Edward asks, ‘You OK?’ He is close to me, his breath tickling the skin of my cheek, my neck, waving the tendrils of hair near my ear.

‘I’m OK.’ My voice wavers so I clear my throat.

He slides my hand through his arm and I’m pulled closer to him. There’s the swish of a sliding door and the cool of an air-conditioned lobby, the click of my heels on shiny tiles.

‘Good evening, Mr Cavendish.’ A deep voice from our left.

‘Good evening, Blake.’ Edward leans closer to me. ‘A security guard I know. We’re going to the lifts now, Ava.’

With him guiding me, I walk as confidently as I can in the heels and without being able to see. There’s another swish and then we step forwards and Edward turns me then takes my hands and places them on two walls either side of me. I’m guessing that I’m facing out into the lift but I can’t be sure.

‘I’m going to remove the blindfold now,’ he says and I feel him move closer. I can sense him standing very close to me and my whole body tingles. If he was to touch me now, to brush his hands over my breasts, would I try to stop him? Somehow, I don’t think so.

My imagination is running away with me and so, when he gently touches the sides of my head where the blindfold sits and lifts it away, I experience a flicker of disappointment. The fantasy of having Edward touch me all over while I am blindfolded is one I will have to store away for a different time when I am alone.

I blink at the brightness while my eyes adjust.

‘Where are we?’ I ask, looking around. Our reflections dance around us in the mirrored walls, and above us on the ceiling, images flash. A screen high on the wall shows an outline of a building and then I realise where we are. ‘The Shard?’

‘Yes.’ His eyes search my face. ‘Have you been here before?’

I snort. ‘No. I couldn’t afford to come to a place like this.’

‘It’s not that expensive, surely? I mean, for a trip in the lift along with a drink and a bite to eat?’

‘Not for a billionaire, no.’ His face falls and I shake my head. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just that… we didn’t have anything spare for days out and… and things like this.’

‘Were things that tight for you?’ A tiny line has appeared between his brows and I want to smooth it away. I don’t want to be the cause of his frowns.

‘I thought you looked into my background.’

‘I did. But not forensically. My guy… he checked that you didn’t have a criminal record, social media accounts or a best friend who’s a journalist and yes, I knew that your finances weren’t in great shape but—’ He meets my eyes. ‘I’m sorry. I know that sounds bad but see… I needed to be sure about you. Joe needs someone we can rely on to care for him, not one of those nannies who’ll sell his baby photos to the papers, who’ll make up stories about me and my family and post our private moments all over Instagram. I’ve seen it happen before to people I know and it's never pretty. Lives can be ruined. Businesses destroyed. So while I had an overview of your life, I didn’t see the bare bones of it. I don’t know what your childhood was like in any great detail or what you had for dinner every day.’

‘Oh.’ I exhale and feel myself sag slightly as my reality enters the lift space with us like the Ghost of Christmas Past.

I’m aware of what we look like together this evening. A wealthy couple dressed in their finest. Me in my designer dress and heels, a precious stone at my throat; him in his black suit with a crisp, white shirt open at the collar and his devastatingly handsome face. We look like we have money and a good life. We look like we belong together. But our realities are incredibly different. Edward has money and an affluent lifestyle. I have a life of struggle. Of worrying about where the next meal will come from. Of not knowing what tomorrow will bring if I screw up this opportunity.

But then it hits me.

Edward might have money but he has lost the woman he loves and no money can make up for that.

‘Hey, what is it?’ He gently takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger and raises it. ‘Don’t be sad on your birthday. Let me show you a good evening. Please. I know… of course I know… that money can make a lot of things in life easier, but it can’t buy happiness. Not unless you share it.’ He strokes my chin with his thumb and my nerve endings tingle. It would be so easy to kiss him now and to encourage him to slide his hand lower. The hard pulsing between my legs yearns for his touch and the relief it would bring.

But I do neither. Instead, I take some slow, deep breaths and try to calm my racing heart. Edward is right. We’re here at The Shard. We have a pleasant evening ahead of us and I am not going to let anything ruin it. It’s time to enjoy this birthday present and to look forward to a future that will be very different to the past.

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