The Tycoon And I: Safe in the Tycoon's Arms / The Tycoon and the Wedding Planner / Swept Away by the Tycoon

“I’m happy there.”

She frowned at him as though she didn’t believe a word he said. “Perhaps then you might consider moving to someplace smaller and selling this house to some lucky family who will appreciate its charms.”

He glanced around at the room. This had been his aunt’s room, back when he was a kid. In this room, he’d always felt safe and accepted just as he was. This house was a scrapbook of memories, some good, some not so good. He couldn’t turn his back on it all.

Ghosts of the past filled his mind. The walls started to close in on him. Each breath grew more difficult. He needed space—air. He headed for the door, ignoring Kate’s plea for him to wait. With his gaze straight ahead, he marched down the hall, his breathing becoming more labored. It felt as though the oxygen had been sucked out of the house.

No matter how much he hated to admit it, Kate had a point. This mansion was in worse shape than he’d ever imagined. His shoulders drooped beneath the weight of guilt. His parents and grandparents would be horrified if they were still around to see the neglect he’d let take place. They’d entrusted him with the care of the Carrington mansion and he’d failed. His chest burned as he rushed down the stairs.

Even if he someday won over his little girl—if she no longer looked at him like a scary stranger—he couldn’t bring her here. He couldn’t show her the numerous portraits of her ancestors that his ex-wife had stashed in the attic. The dust. The peeling and cracking plaster. And most likely mold. It just wasn’t fit for a child—or for that matter, an adult.

In the foyer, he yanked open the front door. The cool breeze rushed up and swirled around him. He stood in the doorway as the rain pitter-pattered on the pavement. He breathed in the fresh air—the coolness eased his lungs.

As his heart rate slowed, his jumbled thoughts settled. Kate was right. The house did need more repairs than he’d ever thought possible. And he was way past putting it off until another day. Then a crazy idea struck him. But could it work?

CHAPTER SIX

UPON HEARING KATE’S approaching footsteps, Lucas turned. “You’re right.”

“I am?” Her pencil-thin brows rose. “Is this your way of apologizing? And perhaps asking me to make those calls for you?”

“Yes, that was an apology.” Why did she make him spell everything out? He thought he’d made it clear from the start.

As for having her involved with the repairs, he wasn’t sure. Guilt niggled at him. Here she was with so much on her plate and she was worried about him...er, rather his house. This was all so backward. He should be offering Kate a helping hand.

Wouldn’t things have gone more smoothly for him when his daughter went missing if he’d let someone in? Instead he’d closed himself off from the world. Lost in his own pain, Carrington Gems had teetered on the brink of disaster. Even today, he was still paying for the poor choices he’d made back then.

Was that the way Kate was feeling now? He glanced into her eyes, seeing pain and something else...could it be determination? Of course it was. She might have had a case of nerves earlier, but he could see by the slight tilt of her chin and her squared shoulders that the moment had passed.

Still, he wasn’t quite ready to throw in with a woman he barely knew...even if his aunt trusted Kate enough to open up his home to her. Still she seemed so excited when she talked about the house. He couldn’t make any decisions now. It’d take him some more thought.

He glanced at his watch. “We should go. You don’t want to be late.”

“But what about the roof?”

“It’ll keep for a few more hours. We can talk it over when you’re done at the hospital.”

He ushered her out the door into the gray, drizzling day. Deep inside he knew that Kate’s appearance in his life was about to alter things...for both of them. He didn’t know how, but he sensed change in the wind. And after years of trying to keep the status quo, this knowledge left him feeling extremely off-balance.

But no one could understand how hard it would be for him to help this woman with a sick child—a child the same age as his own daughter...who no longer even recognized him. Regret pummeled him. He should have been home more and tried harder to work things out with Elaina, if only for the sake of his little girl. Then it would be him she was calling Daddy—not someone else.

Silence filled the car, giving Lucas too much time to think about what he’d lost and how inadequate he felt as a human. He glanced over at Kate. “What has you so quiet?”

“I was thinking about how to raise money for the surgery.”

The streetlight turned green and Lucas eased down on the accelerator. “Do you have any family you can reach out to?”

“No. My family is small and not close-knit. My mother was around when Molly first got sick, but she doesn’t have a lot of patience. The longer the tests and hospital visits went on... Well, now she’s off in Los Angeles, or was it Las Vegas, with the new flavor of the month. She calls when she gets a chance.”

That was tough. Even though his mother had remarried after his father’s death and moved to Europe, he knew if he ever picked up the phone and asked for help that she’d come. She was never a warm and affectionate mother, but she did protect what was hers.

“So without a rich uncle in the family and knowing I won’t qualify for a loan, I’ll have to organize a fund-raiser. Something that can be arranged quickly and without too much overhead.”

He paused, searching for a solution. “I’ll help you as much as I can. You just hit me at a bad time as I’m fully invested in expanding Carrington Gems to the West Coast.” He didn’t bother to add that they’d hit one expensive stumbling block after the other with this project. In comparison to what Kate was facing, his problems paled considerably. “If I think of something that might work, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks. And my offer is still open to make those phone calls. I have some contacts in New York who can hook me up with a reliable crew.”

The depth of her kindness struck a chord with him. “You’d really do that with everything you have going on?”

“Of course I would. You let me stay at your house for almost a week, rent-free...even if you didn’t know it. I owe you so much.”

He grew uncomfortable when people started thanking him. He wasn’t someone special—definitely not a selfless person like Kate appeared to be. He was a workaholic, who’d lost focus on his priorities and wound up with a house of memories and a business in jeopardy because he’d pushed too hard, too fast to gain the expansion into San Francisco.

“You don’t owe me a thing. All I did was let you stay in a leaky bedroom. Not very gallant of me.”

She sniffled. “You could have had me thrown in jail. Most other people who find a stranger in their house would call the police first and ask questions later.”

Lucas slowed the car as they neared the hospital. Once he maneuvered into a spot in front of the main sliding glass doors, he shifted into Park and turned to her. “Listen, you shouldn’t put me up on a pedestal. You barely know a thing about me. Trust me, I have an ex-wife who would vouch for the fact that I’m no saint.”

“You’re far too modest—”

“Don’t let a little kindness fool you. I’m a Carrington. We don’t have hearts—instead, there’s a rough diamond in its place.” His fist beat lightly on his chest. “Harder and colder than any rock you’ll ever find.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true. My grandfather told me. I was too young to truly understand what he meant, but now I do—”

“You definitely have a heart or you wouldn’t have been so kind to me.”

“And you’re too sweet for your own good.”

The way she stared at him with such assuredness made him want to be that man for her. The kind that was giving and thoughtful instead of focused and driven. For a moment, he was drawn into her dream—drawn to her.

When she lowered her face, he placed a finger beneath her chin. He wasn’t willing to lose the connection just yet. Her eyes glinted with... Was it longing? His body tensed at the thought. How could this slip of a woman—a near-stranger—have such an effect on him? And why did he have this overwhelming urge to pull her close and kiss her?

Without thinking of the consequences, he leaned forward. His lips sought hers out. They were soft and smooth. A whispered voice in the back of his mind said he should not be doing this. Not with Kate. Not with anyone.

But when her mouth moved beneath his, logic escaped him. It’d been so long since he felt this alive—this invigorated.

He went to pull her closer, but the seat restraint kept them separated except for his lips moving hungrily over hers. His hand reached out, cupping her face. His thumb stroked her cheek, enjoying her silky, smooth skin. All he could think was that he wanted more—more of her kiss...more of this connection.

A bright flash broke the spell. Lucas pulled back, struggling to catch his breath. His gaze moved to the window. Immediately he spotted a photographer smirking at him. Lucas surmised from past experience that the guy would take the picture and fabricate an eyebrow-raising headline to fit it.

“Wait here. I’ll be back.” Lucas jumped out of the car and started after the photographer. “Hey, you! Stop!”

The reporter had too much of a head start and slipped into a waiting vehicle. Lucas kicked at a pebble on the side of the road and swore.

What had he gotten himself into this time? Of all the foolish things to do. He’d been so touched by her insistence in believing in him that he’d momentarily let down his guard. He hadn’t thought about where they were or what he was about to do. He’d just reached out to her, needing to feel her warmth and kindness.

How was he supposed to know there was a photographer at the hospital? And how could he anticipate that they’d be noticed? Normally it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but with Kate involved it was different. She already had so much on her plate. She didn’t deserve to have to put up with the press. Those news stories, as they loosely called them, were nine times out of ten malicious pieces of gossip—such as the story his ex-wife had read about him being involved with one of the Carrington models. But it had been only one crack in an already crumbling marriage.

Kate hadn’t signed on for any of this media mayhem. She didn’t deserve to have her name associated with some trumped-up story. He just wished he could shield her from the public eye. With a frustrated sigh, he climbed back in the car.

“What’s going on?” Kate’s eyes filled with concern. “Why were you chasing that man?”

“The man was a reporter and he took a picture of us—”

“What?” Her face lost most of its color. “But why? None of this makes any sense. Why would he be interested in me? In us?”

Lucas raked his fingers through his hair. “Normally it wouldn’t matter. And any other time the paparazzi wouldn’t have given us a second look, but last month there was this magazine article—”

“The one announcing you as Bachelor of the Year.”

“You saw it?” His muscles tensed, hating the thought of being played by her. “You knew who I was from the moment we met, didn’t you?”

“That’s not true.” She held up both palms, feigning an innocent expression. “At first, I didn’t recognize you in your boxers. I guess I was a bit distracted.” Color rushed back into her cheeks. “The more important question is what will this reporter do with the photo?”

He shrugged. “My guess is he’ll sell it to the highest bidder—”

“But he can’t. If it gets out people will think that you and I are...uh—”

“Involved.” He wasn’t used to women being repulsed by the idea of being romantically linked with him. “Is the idea of people thinking we’re a couple so bad?”

“Yes.”

Her snap answer stung. He didn’t know what to say, so he leaned back in the driver’s seat. Maybe he should be relieved by her lack of interest, but he wasn’t. And that knowledge only aggravated him more.

“I’m sorry.” She fidgeted with her purse strap. “I didn’t mean for that to sound so harsh. I’m just not used to the paparazzi. And I really don’t want my picture in the news.”

Now that he could understand. His family had been making headlines longer than he’d been alive and he still wasn’t comfortable with it.

“Most likely something more newsworthy will come along and they’ll forget about us.”

“Oh, good.” The stress lines eased on her pretty face.

He didn’t really believe it, but there was always a sliver of hope. And right now, Kate looked as if she could use some positive thoughts.

* * *

Later that evening, Kate made sure to double-check the dead bolt on the door. She glanced out the window, relieved to find that no one had followed her.

“Anything wrong?”

She jumped at the unexpected sound of Lucas’s voice. “Umm...no.”

Had she imagined someone had been watching her at the hospital? Definitely not. She might be a lot of things but paranoid wasn’t one of them.

“Listen, if you’re stressed about what happened between us earlier, don’t be.” He shuffled his feet and wouldn’t look her in the eyes. “It was all my fault and it won’t happen again.”

Kate didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved. She hadn’t been able to forget that kiss either—that mind-numbing, toe-curling kiss. And he was right—there shouldn’t be a repeat.

“If you don’t make a big deal of it, neither will I.”

He looked as if he wanted to say more, but then he turned away and headed for the kitchen. “I ordered pizza, if you’re hungry.”

She followed him. The aroma of tomato sauce and sausage wafted across the kitchen. “Smells good. Did you by chance order a salad to go with it?”

“Yes, I did.” He looked very proud of himself as he pulled a bowl from the fridge.

“Thank you.”

She sat down at the counter, still unsettled. She kept going over the memory of that man lurking in the hallway at the hospital. She hadn’t thought anything of him at first. But as the evening wore on, she’d noticed him again.

Lucas waved a hand in front of her face. “Kate?”

What had he said? She hadn’t been paying attention. “Umm...sure. Whatever.”

He placed a slice of the thin-crust pizza on a plate and pushed it in front of her. She didn’t make a move as she kept replaying the events from the day.

“I wasn’t going to ask,” Lucas said, “but you obviously aren’t going to eat until you resolve whatever has you so distracted.”

“There was a man lurking in the pediatrics unit this evening. At first, I thought he was there to visit someone, but he stayed in the shadows and sort of watched everyone. I wasn’t sure about leaving, but when I mentioned him to a nurse, he just sort of vanished.”

“I hired him,” Lucas said in a low, even tone.

That news had her sitting up straighter. “You hired someone to spy on me?”

“He was there to protect you.”

“Protect me?” Her voice rose. “From what?”

“Remember the photographer outside the hospital?” Her hands pressed the countertop as she nodded and he continued. “I didn’t want him or any other reporters to bother you with questions, so I sent an off-duty security guard from Carrington to make sure that didn’t happen.”

“I thought you said the press wouldn’t make a big deal of it.”

“I just wanted to be sure they left you alone.”

“So you do think they’ll go ahead with the photo?”

He wanted to assure her that she had nothing to worry about, but he couldn’t lie to her. “Probably.”

Her eyes lit up. “You can stop them.”

“Me? How am I supposed to do that?”

“Pay the guy off. Bid on the photo. I don’t know. There has to be a way.”

“Even if I wanted to stop him, I don’t have the man’s name.”

“How am I supposed to throw myself on people’s mercy and ask for money after my name and face have been tangled up in some tabloid scandal?”

“So you’ve come up with a plan to raise the money?”

She sat back with a huff. “We’re thinking of making it a costume party. Something unique. Your aunt offered to help.”

“You’ve been talking to my aunt?”

“Since I don’t know anyone else in this city except you, I approached her to help me organize the fund-raiser. Your aunt seems to know everyone, and if she doesn’t know them personally, she knows someone who does. Your aunt loves to talk. We even talked about this house.”

His eyes widened. “What exactly did you tell my aunt about the house?”

“Not much. Just that I found this place fascinating. The house is rich in architecture and history. I find it almost as intriguing as its owner.”

“You do?” He searched her eyes as she smiled at him. Was she flirting with him? He gave himself a mental jerk. He didn’t need to hook up with her. He just needed her professional expertise. “I have a proposition for you.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

LUCAS HAD BEEN considering his plan all day. Kate obviously needed some immediate monetary assistance plus a roof over her head. And he needed someone to oversee the mansion’s repairs—someone who appreciated its old-world charms. Kate fit that bill perfectly—if only he could forget how tempting her lush lips were.

She eyed him up tentatively. “What sort of proposition do you have in mind?”

“Since you like this place so much, what would you say if I offered you a job working here?”

Confusion reflected in her brown eyes. “You want me to work for you? Even after the run-in with the photographer?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll bet the article will be a small, obscure piece. Hardly anyone will notice it.” He crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels. “As for the arrangement I’m proposing, it can benefit both of us.”

She paused, glancing around the house. He could practically see the wheels in her mind spinning. He’d hired enough people to know when they were eager for a position.

“I...I can’t. My daughter is in the hospital and I need to get this fund-raiser off the ground.”

She did have a very valid point. But there had to be a compromise. He could see how tempted she was to work on the house, and he knew from his experience with stressful situations that a diversion would do her some good.

He cleared his throat. “The thing is, I have a couple of projects with Carrington Gems that are going to take all of my time.” He stopped, realizing his responsibilities paled in comparison to hers. “The real truth is I can run a business, but I don’t know how to turn this mess into a home again.”

A smile touched her lips and her shoulders straightened. “What makes you think I can turn this place around?”

He didn’t want her taking this the wrong way, especially after she thought he’d hired someone to spy on her. He’d have to phrase this carefully. “You got me to really think about this mansion and what my neglect is doing to it. And you mentioned that you have interior design experience. So I checked out some of your prior work. It’s good.”

Surprise lit up her eyes. “Thank you.”

“And I really like your website.”

She smiled broadly. “I built it myself.”

“You’re a woman of many talents. Maybe I should have you consult on Carrington’s upcoming web campaign.”

Interest sparked in her eyes. “Are you launching a new line of jewelry?”

He nodded, not surprised that she was familiar with his company. His father’s lifelong dream had been to make Carrington Gems into a household name. In fact, they still used his father’s slogan—Carrington Gems for the queen of your heart.

“I’d love to see the new jewelry.” Kate’s face lit up with excitement. “Your magazine ads already have a distinctive look. I like that they are never overdone and always tasteful.”

He stood a little taller. Though he had a team that put together the ad campaigns, he was an active member, adding his input here and there. He was after all a Carrington and he had a vested interest in any images that represented his company.

“I’m also in the middle of an expansion project, which needs more attention than I’d anticipated. So you can understand that I won’t be available to oversee things here. However, I’m more than willing to compensate you for your time.”

“My daughter has to be my priority—”

“Of course. We can work around that. Your ex-husband, is he still planning to be at the hospital part of the day?”

Kate nodded. “Actually, I do have a few ideas for the house.”

“What would they be?”

Kate began listing off everything she’d like to do to the house, most of which hadn’t crossed his mind when he’d offered her the job. Yet she had so much passion in her voice that he didn’t want to stop her. The things he’d read about her and her work online didn’t live up to the impressive woman standing before him.

As she continued explaining her vision, he couldn’t believe someone could be so passionate about working on a house. His ex-wife, Elaina, had only ever been this excited about new clothes or jewels. Kate was definitely a different breed.

She paused and looked at him expectantly. “What do you think?”

“If I do what you suggest, will you take the job?”

“A good contractor can take care of everything.”

Lucas shook his head. “I’m not going to let a bunch of people I’ve never met come in here and take over. You’ve already displayed your ability to take charge by getting me to see the condition of the house. You’ll keep those workers in line and make sure that no changes are done without my authorization.”

“I appreciate your faith in my abilities, but I can’t be here every minute of the day while my daughter’s in the hospital.”

He knew he was asking a lot, but he needed to know that his most treasured memories were handled with the utmost care and respect. “You said so yourself—you can’t be there when your ex is with your daughter during the day. I’m offering you a chance to do what you obviously love while earning some money—”

“But what if my ex suddenly decides to skip town, as he’s been known to do in the past?”

“We’ll deal with that if or when we have to. But this will give you something to do besides sitting around, worrying. There’s nothing worse than a day filled with worrisome thoughts and nothing but time on your hands.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.” When he shrugged but failed to add any details, Kate continued. “And what do I do about the fund-raiser?”

He’d thought about this, too. “I think between my administrative assistant, who is practically a party-planning pro by now, and my aunt, who knows everyone who is anyone, you’ll have time to spare. But if you decide to pass on the job, I totally understand. I’m sure I’ll find someone to oversee things...eventually.”

“This isn’t a wait-and-see problem. One more big rain and you’ll have untold damage. You need a new roof, and who knows what else, today.”

“Does that mean you accept the position?”

* * *

Kate was impressed by the speed and ease with which Lucas solved problems. A snap of his fingers and all was right in the world—except for this time.

As tempting as it was to take on this exclusive job and add it as a crowning jewel in her portfolio, she still had a much bigger problem. She needed money for the operation. And though she didn’t doubt that Lucas’s assistant and aunt could throw together a lavish party, it was still her responsibility. And its success was paramount.

“As much as I’d like to, I can’t accept your offer. I have to concentrate on the fund-raiser.”

Frown lines creased his forehead. “How is that going?”

She shrugged. “The location is going to be a problem as there are a lot of spring weddings taking up the prime locations, not that I have enough for a deposit on the plush venues anyway. I have some phone messages in to other places—I’m just waiting for them to get back to me.”

“I’m sure it’ll all work out.”