Page 43 of The Billionaire's Temptation

He leaned in, looking her directly in the eye. “Clarissa, if you want to start a charity that drains every penny of your inheritance, then that’s your right. He can’t stop you from doing so.”

She smiled shyly up at him. “That’s what Mandy told me. But she was very…discreet about her advice. We met at a coffee shop across the street afterwards and she slipped me her phone number. The next day, I called her and asked her to explain everything properly to me. Ian didn’t even want me to take the big notebook filled with accounting information out of the building, but I insisted that I needed to look over everything on my own.”

“Good. That’s what they are there for, to give you the information you need and then let you peruse it in your own time and get back to them with questions.”

“That’s what I thought. And by the end of the meeting, after they’d been throwing complicated accounting terms at me for two hours straight, I was fed up and angry enough to assert myself.” She sighed. “I’ll admit that I was more than slightly intimidated by that meeting initially. But by the middle, I could tell they were trying to confuse me so I wouldn’t ask questions about what they were doing or how much money I had in cash versus in stocks versus other types of assets.”

“Please tell me that you’re going to fire them!”

She laughed, relaxing slightly. A good sign!

“Yes. I’m going to fire them, as soon as I can find someone to replace them.”

“What about the accountant you called to explain everything? Was she able to answer all of your questions?”

“Yes. She was very patient and was able to offer me explanations for everything in a way that I could understand.”

“Why not hire her as your accountant?”

She tilted her head slightly and it took all of his concentration to focus on her eyes and not on the soft sweetness of her neck. He’d kissed that neck the other night and she’d moaned, arching into him.

Shaking his head, he concentrated.

“If there were forty people helping me with my accounting before, how is one person going to get everything done?”

“Well, I assume that you have accountants for each of your businesses.”

“Actually, I don’t know, but yes, I guess each of different entity would have to have an entire accounting department. A commercial property can’t really operate without one, right?”

“Accounting personnel are essential.” He touched her arm, bringing her back to the sofa. “But this person, Mandy?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you suggest that she become your accountant? With the fees that you’ll pay her, she could start her own firm. If she already has enough knowledge about your businesses that she was able to answer all of your questions, she sounds like the perfect person to take over the task. If she’s interested, that is.”

Clarissa pressed her lips together, thinking hard.

Then she nodded. “You’re right. Thank you. I’ll ask her.” She looked up at him. “Is there anything else I should set in place to avoid losing control of my father’s businesses?”

He moved closer. “I think the first thing you should do is to start thinking of it asyourmoney. Your father is gone. He abandoned you and your mother after she got pregnant so everything that you have now is rightfully yours.”

She took a deep breath, then slowly let the air out. “I didn’t earn this money. I don’t feel as if it is right to think of it as my own.”

“Fine,” he teased, leaning a hip against the conference room table. “So, whose money is it?”

Clarissa was stumped by his question. He was right. If it wasn’t her money, then why was she trying to protect it?

“Okay, so it is my money, but I want to do something good with it. I want to use it to make the world a better place.”

He shrugged slightly and she couldn’t stop her eyes from moving over his broad shoulders.

“That’s a nice idea. What’s your plan?”

“First, I want to buy the apartment building that I used to live in and renovate the apartments so that they are livable. And then I want to kick out everyone who is bad so that I can move in people who need the help.” She bit her lip in obvious nervousness before stating her next goal. “Next, I want to buy up a large piece of land and build small houses on it. I want to bring in families that work hard, but can’t seem to get a break. In the middle of the homes will be a community center, where the kids can get tutoring help, access to college applications, medical care, and even a grocery store that’s filled with fresh fruit and vegetables at a price people can afford.” She took a slow breath, turning back to him. “I know that there are dollar stores all over the country that are stocked with junk food at ridiculously low prices. If there was a grocery store that was convenient, that was filled with real, healthy foods, and a safe space with someone who can help watch the children while the parents shop, or, even better, while the parents were at work…that would give them an advantage, right?”

“Yes,” he replied, nodding his head.

“I remember how difficult it was for me and my mother. If there had been someone to give us even a small break, I’m sure I could have finished college years ago. If my mother had been able to afford a car, then she could have quit her crappy job and earned more money somewhere else.” She took a deep breath. “I want to hire a social worker and a private investigator to find people who just need a little help.”

---