The Tycoon's Reluctant Cinderella

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He frowned. ‘Why? Can’t you direct me to where we’re going?’

‘I can, but that won’t give you the experience we’d be giving potential investors. And that’s what you want, isn’t it? That’s why we’re here?’

‘I suppose so.’ He signalled and pulled off to the side of the road.

They switched seats, and for a moment Callie just enjoyed the sleekness of the car. A car she would be driving for the day. She resisted the urge to giggle—and then the urge disappeared when she became aware of the other things sitting on the driver’s side meant. The heat of his body was almost embedded into the seat. She could smell him. She traced her hands over the steering wheel, thinking how his had been there only a few moments ago.

She cleared her throat, willing the heat she felt through her body to go away. After putting on her safety belt, she pulled back into the road and aligned her thoughts. But they stuck when she realised he was looking at her.

‘What?’ she asked nervously. ‘Am I doing something wrong?’

‘No.’ He smiled, and it somewhat eased the tension between them. ‘I just didn’t think this was how the day would turn out. You driving me around in my car.’

‘Are you disappointed?’ Callie turned left, a plan forming in her mind for their day. It was more of an outline, but she was sure it would suffice for something so last-minute.

‘No. You’re doing quite a remarkable job—especially considering I’m not a fan of being a passenger.’

‘Really?’ She glanced over in surprise. ‘I thought you would be used to being chauffeured.’

‘When the need arises, yes. But I try to keep those occasions to the minimum.’

‘Because you like to be the one in control?’

He frowned, and for a minute Callie thought she had gone too far.

‘Maybe, though I think it has more to do with my father. He loves his cars, and couldn’t wait to share that love with me. So I like to drive him when I can so we can talk about something other than the hotel.’

Callie felt her heart ache at the revelation she didn’t think Blake knew he had let slip. And, though a part of her urged her to accept the information about his relationship with his father without comment, she couldn’t help but say, ‘It must have made him proud that you took over his legacy. The hotels,’ she elaborated when she felt his questioning glance. ‘I read the article Corporate Times did on the two of you when he retired.’

She didn’t mention that she’d read it—and many others—just a few weeks ago, when she’d heard Blake would be coming to Cape Town. When he didn’t respond, she looked over and saw a puzzled expression on his face. Nerves kicked in and she felt the babbling that would come from her mouth before it even started.

‘I just meant that he must be proud of you since he loved the hotel business so much. And since you’re also, in some ways, his legacy, it’s like his legacy running his legacy...’ She shook her head at how silly that sounded. ‘Anyway, that’s why I said he must be proud.’

Blake didn’t respond, and she wondered if she’d upset him. She should probably just have left it alone, she thought as she drove up the inclined road that led to Table Mountain. But it wasn’t as if she was prying. Okay, maybe it was. But she’d only said something she thought was true. Surely he couldn’t fault her for that?

‘I think you might be right.’

He spoke so softly that she was grateful the radio was off or she might have missed it.

‘He doesn’t talk about it much, but I think maybe he is.’

Callie nodded, and was amazed at how those few words confirmed what she’d suspected earlier about his relationship with his father. She considered pressing for more information, but he asked her a question before she could.

‘Where are you taking me first?’

She bit her lip to prevent her questions about his family from tumbling out. ‘Table Mountain. Our number one tourist attraction, and also an incredible experience if you live here. This would be the first place I’d want to see if I hadn’t been to Cape Town before.’ She frowned. ‘But, since you have been to Cape Town before, I’m sure this trip is redundant for you.’

‘No. I haven’t been up the mountain.’

He shrugged when she shot him an incredulous look.

‘I’ve only been here for business or to visit my family. I don’t do touristy things.’

‘But...’ She found herself at a loss for words. ‘Don’t you and your family go out together? I mean, this is the best outing for a family.’

‘For certain kinds of families, yes, I suppose it is. But our family isn’t one of those.’

Again, Callie felt an incredible grief at his words. They’d been driving for less than twenty minutes and already she knew that Blake didn’t know if his father was proud of him or not, that their conversations mostly revolved around business, and that his family didn’t do outings together.

She didn’t know what was worse, she realised as she parked. Having a family—parents—and not having a great relationship with them, or having no parents but wonderful memories of them. She had always known that her parents were proud of her. And suddenly, for the first time since they’d died, she was grateful for those memories she had of her parents, no longer pushing them away.

CHAPTER FIVE (#u06b914d6-08fb-5a27-a24b-996affef23e6)

‘IT’S BEAUTIFUL, ISN’T IT?’

Callie’s voice was soft next to him, and he turned slightly to her, not wanting to move his eyes from the view.