The Billionaire's Heir: Billionaire Obsession (Tycoon Billionaires Book 4) Read Free Page B

natural. His hat and his thick dark beard obscured his features. The mystery of him excited her.
    “So why have you been following me around for three weeks? Did Mr. Langdon put you up to it? Spying on me, is he?”
    “Three weeks? Not me, ma’am. I only arrived yesterday.”
    She frowned. “Really? Well, someone who looks like you has been following me.”
    “It wasn’t me, Samira, I swear.”
    She jolted with shock and almost spat out her water. “Alright, who the hell are you? No one here knows me by that name apart from Mr. Langdon.”
    The man studied her from under his hat for a moment, then he inhaled to speak. “I don’t want to freak you out, but I… there’s no easy way to say this…”
    She watched – captivated – as he reached up and to remove his hat, then – as her eyes fell on his face – reality warped like a crumpled tin can. Her jaw dropped, but no words came out. Her heart thrashed desperately in her chest, pinning her to the chair with terror and delight.
    Ivan gazed into her eyes, saying nothing. His face was more rugged than before and he looked tired; his beard was scruffy and unkempt, but there was no doubt about it…
    “Ivan?” she whispered. “It can’t be… you’re dead.”
    His serious expression morphed into a grin, but he quickly suppressed his simmering elation, knowing she needed an explanation. “I’m so sorry, Samira. I faked my death to protect you and my family. Just like Tariq did. Didn’t you suspect?”
    Samira’s skin tingled with confusion. Ivan was alive . She yearned to embrace him, but she feared he’d disappear – just as he had done so many times in her dreams, come morning.
    He gazed at her. “Say something, baby.”
    “I… I can’t believe this. Ivan… you’re...”
    “I’ve been searching all over Texas for you, sweetheart. Jesus, it’s so good to see you – I’ve missed you like a hole in my heart.”
    As if in a daze, Samira stood on trembling legs, feeling lightheaded. Ivan stepped in front of her and ran his fingers down her cheek, causing her body to fizz all over. Her heart fluttered and her breath caught in her throat, flooding her mind with elation and affection, as well as sensuous lust.
    “Still so beautiful,” he said, wrapping her in his loving gaze. “What are you doing here? On this ranch?”
    “The funding was cut for my course – I was told to leave the country. But I couldn’t do that. So I ended up here.”
    “Thank goodness you found somewhere to stay and wait for me.”
    “Wait for you… Ivan, I thought you were… gone forever.”
    “I would’ve found you wherever you were in the world. It’s so good to see you.”
    “Oh god…”
    She was desperate to kiss him, to touch him, to make love to him. She closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her, but – behind her eyes – she was assaulted with a flash of the wrenching agony he’d put her through.
    Bastard!
    A wave of fury zoomed into her heart. Faked his death? Her eyes flicked open and she glared at his kind, loving face. “You asshole!”
    “What?”
    “You could’ve told me the truth – would it have been so hard? Just to tell me? We could’ve… we could’ve… Or perhaps you don’t trust me?”
    “Samira, of course I–”
    “But no, instead you thought it would be much easier to put me through the agony and devastation of thinking I’d lost you forever! And now you think you can just waltz back into my life? I don’t think so…”
    Ivan opened his mouth to defend himself, but Samira’s emotions cracked. She pushed away his hand, pulled back her fist, and punched him hard in the face with all the force of her bubbling anger.
    Ivan stumbled in shock. “Samira, what the fuck…?”
    “You asshole! You’ve been alive all this time. How could you do this to me?”
    He held out his hands. “Look, I know it was–”
    “You have no idea what the hell you’ve put me through! And you think you can just come back and sweep me off my