Tempted by the Billionaire: A Hometown Hero Series Novel by Clare Connelly

completely.
    “Any word on Annabeth?” Matt asked Isaac, while beneath the table, his knee brushed against Willow’s.
    “Nothing.” Isaac grimaced. “I don’t know how the hell a four year old can disappear into thin air like that, but she seems to have. For the moment.”
    “What does that mean?” Willow asked, leaning forward unconsciously. “Does that make you suspect foul play over her just wandering off?”
    He compressed his lips. “It’s impossible for her to have left the campsite.” He dragged a hand through his hair, and beneath his eyes, he had dark purple smudges. “Our first theory was that she’d gone sleep-walking. Apparently she has a habit of doing that, so on day one, we searched the area thoroughly, believing she might have just wandered off in the middle of the night.”
    “And you know now that she didn’t?” Willow pressed, her heart heavy for the girl.
    “Yeah. There’s no way she could have been missed in the search we’ve conducted.” He expelled an angry breath. “Her mom described her as a ‘super fish’. Apparently not a day goes by when she isn’t paddling in their pool. We’ve checked the water courses. I mean, that would make sense right? But there’s no sign of her.” His frown deepened and his eyes clouded over. It was obvious that his mind was flicking through the case file. “She was wearing her favourite pyjamas and a green beanie. So she’s either still wearing them, or they’re somewhere. But where? Not even a snag of fabric has been found in the bush, which there would have been if she’d wandered off in the middle of the night.” He shook his head from side to side. “I will never stop looking for her.”
    Anna squeezed his hand. “You’ll find her, honey.”
    “I will,” he agreed, and there was such a tone of fierce determination in his voice that no one present doubted it for a second.
    Anna, aiming to lighten the mood, made a sound of delight as she tasted the chicken. “This is too good, Matt.”
    His smile was tight. His mind was singularly focussed on the woman to his left. He hadn’t felt such overwhelming need in a long time, if ever.
    “Glad you like it,” he murmured quietly, reaching for his wine and sipping it contemplatively. Would a relationship with Willow be so very bad? His eyes drifted from her beautiful profile to the couple opposite. They were his dearest friends. They’d stuck with him over the years, and they were sticking by him now. How would they feel if he went after their next door neighbour and friend? It wasn’t like he could offer her anything serious or permanent. He was still technically married, and his life was on the East coast.
    So what was he doing?
    What did he want?
    “Is it your mom’s recipe?” Anna asked, as she bit into another piece of chicken with a groan of pleasure.
    “Meghan’s mom’s,” he responded with a distracted shake of his head.
    But something made Willow’s instincts click into gear. “Well, your mother in law is one heck of a cook,” Anna responded with a smile, tucking into another piece of the crispy meat.
    Willow had a sense of blinding panic. She felt like she’d been whacked in the solar plexus. Mother in law? He was married? Her heart turned over, but outwardly, she retained a veneer of calm. Though it cost her dearly, she managed to lift her fork to her lips, and even to chew the mouthful of food.
    Married!
    How had she been so stupid? Twice ?!
    At least this time, she’d stopped herself before it was too late.
    Only she hadn’t. If Matt had kissed her out on the deck, she would have kissed him right back.
    She closed her eyes, her dark lashes fanning against her honey skin. Still, she chewed. She even managed to pretend an interest in the conversation that was swirling around her. But inside, she was numb.
    As soon as they’d finished eating, she pushed back her chair and lifted her plate. “That really was delicious, but I have to get home now.”
    Matt’s