Her Billionaire Secret Part 3: An Alpha Billionaire Romance by Jenna Chase, Elise Kelby
Authors: Jenna Chase, Elise Kelby
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Chapter One
SUNDAY
CLAIRE
Tevis didn’t understand and she couldn’t rip open old wounds, not even for him. His face as she told him she was leaving would haunt her.
To bring back the circumstances of her mother’s death would put her right back to being the terrified fifteen-year-old Fay Tyler.
She knew he wouldn’t let it drop. He wouldn’t be the man she’d learned to love if he did. Tevis Drummond wasn’t the giving up kind. It was up to her to keep it together and walk out of this house. If she didn’t they’d be besieged in days. Once the press realised she’d gone, the hue and cry of Fay Tyler staying in Tevis Drummond’s house would die down. If wouldn’t help her but it would help Ellie.
The elevator doors slid open.
“What the hell?” He wasn’t angry, but he was demanding an answer. He faced her with his hands on his hips.
Claire sighed. “Did you run all the way up the stairs?”
“Yes, I fucking did—all four flights.” He stepped into the elevator and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t you ever do that to me again.”
“Make you run up the stairs?” she mumbled into his chest. Okay, she was being deliberately obtuse, but to be honest it was a hard habit to break. It was her old coping mechanism kicking in.
“You know what I mean.” There was pain in his voice as he stroked her hair. “You shut me out and I want to help, to be at your side.”
Don’t. I can’t do this if you’re nice to me. I need you to be an arrogant cocky bastard, full of bullshit.
She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away.
“Claire?”
She couldn’t look him in the eyes. Keeping her head down, she ducked around him and out of the lift. “I have to pack.”
He was two paces behind her all the way to the bedroom and still with her as she entered the dressing room. Claire refused to acknowledge his presence as he placed his hand on the wall next to her head. After a couple of minutes spent frantically searching through the rails, she acknowledged defeat.
“I can’t find my clothes.”
“You have a wardrobe full of them.” His voice held a hint of confusion.
She looked at Tevis properly for the first time since she’d told him she was leaving. “They’re not mine. I want the clothes I arrived in.”
His glance at all the clothes Christine had brought, and the way he cocked one eyebrow, told her that he thought she was being ridiculous.
“I want my own things. I’m not taking these.” Claire flicked her fingers across the line of dresses.
“Josie probably sent them to the laundry.”
“You see, that’s why we’re incompatible. I wash my dirty clothes—you send yours away!”
“What makes you think we are incompatible? From my perspective, we were getting on very well. And not just in bed.” He studied her closely and for some reason she couldn’t look away. “Are we talking about your washing or are we really talking about your problem with the magazine?”
“I…” Claire closed her mouth again. She didn’t know what she was doing anymore. Seeing the white roses had been enough to shatter the illusion of being safe. Having Tevis by her side made her feel secure, but she would never put him through the chaos her life would certainly become in a few short days.
“I can’t bring all this down on you. I can’t. You don’t know what it’s like.” She could hear the helplessness in her voice. It was difficult to hide how she felt.
“I’ve got a pretty good idea,” he smiled wryly. “My life is an open book to the press. They take what they want and change all the details to suit their story. Having money doesn’t make me immune.”
“You’re dirty washing isn’t like mine, Tevis.”
She walked away not knowing what she was doing, only that she needed some space. He followed her through to the bedroom and watched her pace the floor.
“Why don’t you tell me about it?” he asked.
“Because that part of my life is a deep black hole I
SUNDAY
CLAIRE
Tevis didn’t understand and she couldn’t rip open old wounds, not even for him. His face as she told him she was leaving would haunt her.
To bring back the circumstances of her mother’s death would put her right back to being the terrified fifteen-year-old Fay Tyler.
She knew he wouldn’t let it drop. He wouldn’t be the man she’d learned to love if he did. Tevis Drummond wasn’t the giving up kind. It was up to her to keep it together and walk out of this house. If she didn’t they’d be besieged in days. Once the press realised she’d gone, the hue and cry of Fay Tyler staying in Tevis Drummond’s house would die down. If wouldn’t help her but it would help Ellie.
The elevator doors slid open.
“What the hell?” He wasn’t angry, but he was demanding an answer. He faced her with his hands on his hips.
Claire sighed. “Did you run all the way up the stairs?”
“Yes, I fucking did—all four flights.” He stepped into the elevator and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t you ever do that to me again.”
“Make you run up the stairs?” she mumbled into his chest. Okay, she was being deliberately obtuse, but to be honest it was a hard habit to break. It was her old coping mechanism kicking in.
“You know what I mean.” There was pain in his voice as he stroked her hair. “You shut me out and I want to help, to be at your side.”
Don’t. I can’t do this if you’re nice to me. I need you to be an arrogant cocky bastard, full of bullshit.
She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away.
“Claire?”
She couldn’t look him in the eyes. Keeping her head down, she ducked around him and out of the lift. “I have to pack.”
He was two paces behind her all the way to the bedroom and still with her as she entered the dressing room. Claire refused to acknowledge his presence as he placed his hand on the wall next to her head. After a couple of minutes spent frantically searching through the rails, she acknowledged defeat.
“I can’t find my clothes.”
“You have a wardrobe full of them.” His voice held a hint of confusion.
She looked at Tevis properly for the first time since she’d told him she was leaving. “They’re not mine. I want the clothes I arrived in.”
His glance at all the clothes Christine had brought, and the way he cocked one eyebrow, told her that he thought she was being ridiculous.
“I want my own things. I’m not taking these.” Claire flicked her fingers across the line of dresses.
“Josie probably sent them to the laundry.”
“You see, that’s why we’re incompatible. I wash my dirty clothes—you send yours away!”
“What makes you think we are incompatible? From my perspective, we were getting on very well. And not just in bed.” He studied her closely and for some reason she couldn’t look away. “Are we talking about your washing or are we really talking about your problem with the magazine?”
“I…” Claire closed her mouth again. She didn’t know what she was doing anymore. Seeing the white roses had been enough to shatter the illusion of being safe. Having Tevis by her side made her feel secure, but she would never put him through the chaos her life would certainly become in a few short days.
“I can’t bring all this down on you. I can’t. You don’t know what it’s like.” She could hear the helplessness in her voice. It was difficult to hide how she felt.
“I’ve got a pretty good idea,” he smiled wryly. “My life is an open book to the press. They take what they want and change all the details to suit their story. Having money doesn’t make me immune.”
“You’re dirty washing isn’t like mine, Tevis.”
She walked away not knowing what she was doing, only that she needed some space. He followed her through to the bedroom and watched her pace the floor.
“Why don’t you tell me about it?” he asked.
“Because that part of my life is a deep black hole I
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