Page 12 of A Bride for the Billionaire

“Well you can spend as much time out here as you like. I’m guessing you aren’t working at the moment.”

“Well, isn’t that what I’m doing here? Working. Getting paid by you.” I sneer at him.

“Take a seat, Cora. Clearly, we need to have this talk now so that we can move on from whatever is happening here.”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Caleb. I loved you and you left. What did I miss out?” I turn and walk back inside.

He’s a couple of steps behind me and I hear him close the door. I move down the stairs quickly and he’s close, I can feel him.

Moving toward my room, I get within a hair’s breadth of it and he reaches out and touches my arm. “Cora, please. We need to talk about the assignment, I need you to talk to my housekeeper about food, allergies and other things. But I want to get this out in the open so that we can move on, put it behind us or whatever we decide to do.”

I look down at his hand, hoping he will remove it. I’m not going to tell him that it’s burning a mark on my arm. I know what his hands feel like on me and I don’t want to feel that right now. I need to channel my inner bitch right now.

“Okay, whatever.”

He turns and follows me. I take a seat at the dining table and cross my arms.

He sits opposite me, crossing his arms too. “Let’s put our cards on the table.” He unfolds his hands and leans on the table.

Chapter Seven

CALEB

Sitting opposite Cora is not something that I ever expected to be doing on a Monday morning. I always wanted to talk to her and explain myself, but I knew that she would never give me that time.

“I’m sorry, Cora. I loved you too. I just…,” I don’t know what to tell her. I left her for a job opportunity and I couldn’t face saying goodbye. That doesn’t sound quite right.

“Caleb, let me speak first. We had a great relationship, or so I thought. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, but I guess it was one-sided. When you left, you broke my heart. It took me a long time to get over you, so I am still questioning my sanity here, but I am hoping that we won’t see a lot of each other because you’ll be working. I don’t need to know why you left, it’s probably best if we just forget it. Let’s start this assignment as if it’s our first meeting.”

I look at her, talking about the past is going to stir up a lot of feelings, maybe it’s best to leave it for another day. “Okay.” I put my hand out for her to shake. “I’m Caleb, pleased to meet you, Cora.”

I watch as her top lip turns upward slightly. She shakes my hand. “I’m Cora.”

“So, Marion, my housekeeper, is going to be here in about half an hour. She wants to know what kind of food you like and what your plans are. Then we will need to go over our relationship and how we are going to play it for the wedding.”

“Oh yes, the wedding. Of your ex. She made it further than I did, anyway.”

“Ouch. Tillie was someone who slid into the role very well. It’s like she was born to be a trophy wife. She was only after the money and that suited me. But then she cheated on me with Daly Foster.”

Cora starts laughing and I watch her. Her face lights up when she tips her head back and laughs. I remember I used to always watch her face, it would light up at the smallest thing. She’s very expressive and so beautiful.

“Daly Foster, from kindergarten?” Cora went to school with us, so she knows him well. She also knows that we have always hated each other. On the football pitch, in the classroom, and with girls.

“Yes, I know. Karma’s a bitch, right?” I laugh with her.

“For sure.” She looks at me and I think we are going to be okay.

Just then the elevator door opens and it’s Marion. I stand up and walk over to her to take the bags that she is carrying. She hands them to me as she does every day when I’m. “Morning, Caleb,” she says with her high pitched voice.

“Morning, Marion, I want to introduce you to Cora, my wife.”

She looks at me with joy. I told her what was happening and that Cora is going to be playing the part of my wife, so we need to pretend at home just in case someone comes over.

She walks over to Cora, who has already started to walk toward her.

Cora holds out her hand, but Marion ignores her hand and hugs her instead. She whispers in her ear. “I’ve heard about you over the years, you’ve always been the one who got away. I hope it works out for you. I’m here for you.” But of course I hear her.

I clear my throat. “Marion, let me make you both coffee. Take a seat.” Marion looks at me then smiles and takes a seat. I leave the two of them chatting as I walk into the kitchen.

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