The Billionaire's Elusive Lover Read Free Page B

seems like a horrible life to be stuck in an office all day, never really getting outside and seeing what’s going on?”
     
    “I guess you get to do a lot of that in your line of work?”
     
    She smiled and nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes. I love watching people and making up stories about them. Sitting in the park or at a coffee shop, I get to see so many people, all of them rushing around, working or just reading something as they relax. Sometimes I catch interesting people through my camera and I can’t wait to get back to my flat and develop the pictures to see if I captured their expressions in the same way I saw them on the street.”
     
    “You make up stories about them?” he asked, stunned at the possibility.
     
    “Of course.” She looked at him with a curious expression. “Don’t you?”
     
    “Never. What kinds of stories to you make up about the various people you see?”
     
    Helen looked out the window of the limousine, a dreamy smile on her face as she thought about some of the people she’d seen today. “Oh, I don’t know. Lots of things. If there’s a couple, I look at their body language. If they’re stiff and smiling politely, I assume they’re on their first date and wonder about the conversations they’re having, what new information they’re finding out about their potential life mate. If they’re angry, then they’re having a fight about which school their kids should attend or maybe about the color of the sofa they want to purchase…” she stopped and looked back at his face, noting the ever present amusement. “Don’t you ever wonder what other people are thinking?” she asked, more curious now than angry.
     
    “No.”
     
    Helen scowled back at him. “Of course you don’t,” she said, obviously miffed. “You don’t like people very much, do you?”
     
    Alec hesitated on his answer, not wanting to disillusion her on the pretty way she viewed others. “Let’s just say that I get to see a different variety of people in my day to day life that don’t lean towards possible romantic outcomes.”
     
    Helen surveyed him and saw the cynicism in his eyes and felt sad for him. Odd, she thought as she looked at his dark, mysterious eyes, ten minutes ago she wouldn’t have guessed that she’d actually feel sorry for a man as obviously strong and wealthy as Alec. “I guess you see the bad in people a lot.”
     
    Alec didn’t answer, but simply shrugged.
     
    “And that’s why you have the security detail?”
     
    Alec was suddenly uncomfortable with the perceptiveness of her comments and the way she was looking at him, as if she could see some sort of hurt inside him that simply didn’t exist. He didn’t really answer her question but said instead, “I protect my privacy.”
     
    Helen grinned. “You mentioned the paparazzi. Are they really that bad? Are you some sort of movie star?”
     
    Alec laughed. “I guess you don’t get to the movies very often, do you?”
     
    She grimaced. “Not really. People on the street or in a playground are much more interesting than a group of actors spewing out the lines someone else wrote for them to speak. Life is too interesting as it happens.” Then she realized she might have insulted him and looked worried. “You’re not really an actor, are you?” she asked, pained to think she might have hurt his feelings.
     
    Alec couldn’t believe what a soft heart she had. He was shocked to watch the mischievous look turn to true concern over the possibility of him being upset at her words. “No, I’m not an actor.”
     
    She instantly relaxed. “Whew!” she said and leaned back against the soft leather seat. “I was worried for a moment.”
     
    “We’re here,” he said and couldn’t believe he was actually disappointed. The truth was, he wanted to stay and talk to her in private. She was fascinating and he was concerned that she would change once they were in a more public setting. Having no alternative, he stepped out