Read Online An Unlikely Bride for the Billionaire by Michelle Douglas - Free Book Online

her help.
    He took her notepad and pen and put them in his pocket. ‘You won’t need those.’ He pushed the stack of sandwiches, a can of soda and a couple of chocolate bars towards her. ‘Eat up while I talk.’
    She fixed him with those moss-green eyes, but after a moment gave a shrug and reached for the topmost sandwich. She didn’t even check to see what it was.
    He gestured to the stack. ‘I didn’t know what you’d like so I got a variety.’ He’d grabbed enough to feed a small army, but he’d wanted to make sure he bought something she liked.
    She shrugged again. ‘I’m not fussy. I’ll eat pretty much anything.’
    He had a sudden vision of her in prison, eating prison food, and promptly lost his appetite.’
    â€˜Dylan?’
    He snapped his attention back. ‘Sorry, I’m a bit distracted.’
    She bit into her sandwich and chewed, simply waiting for him to speak. It occurred to him that if he wanted her help he was going to have to be honest with her.
    A weight pressed down on him. Yesterday afternoon she’d looked at him with such gratitude and admiration—as if he were a superhero. Nobody had ever looked at him like that. He didn’t want to lose it so quickly.
    Not even for Carla’s sake?
    He straightened. He’d do anything for Carla.
    He opened his can of soft drink and took a long swallow before setting it back down. ‘I’m ashamed to admit this, but over the last twelve months I’ve neglected Carla shamefully. She and Thierry have only been dating six months, and the news of their engagement came as a shock. This will probably sound ridiculously big brotherly, but... I’m worried she’s making a mistake.’
    Mia stared at him for a moment. ‘You and Carla seem very close.’
    â€˜We are.’
    â€˜So why haven’t you spent much time together recently?’
    How much of the truth did he have to tell her?
    He scrubbed a hand through his hair. ‘There’s an older family member who I have...difficulties with. It’s impossible to avoid him when I’m in Australia, and I’ve wanted to avoid a falling out, so...’
    â€˜So you’ve spent a lot of time overseas instead?’
    â€˜Rather than putting up with said family member, I flitted off to organise parties. There was a Turkish sultan’s sixtieth birthday party, and then a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary celebration for a couple of members of the British aristocracy. I did some corporate work on the Italian Grand Prix. Oh, and there was a red carpet film premiere that I did just for fun.’
    She blinked, as if he’d just spoken in a foreign language. In some ways he supposed he had.
    â€˜So there you have it—I’m a coward.’
    He lifted his arms and let them drop, waiting for her eyes to darken with scorn. She just stared back at him and waited for him to continue, her gaze not wavering.
    He swallowed. ‘I came home for Carla’s birthday...and for two days over Christmas.’ It hadn’t been enough! ‘That’s when she announced her engagement. That’s when I realised I’d spent too long away.’
    But Carla had finally seemed so settled...so happy. She’d refused to come and work for FWE, preferring to focus on her charity work. Nothing had rung alarm bells for him...until he’d met Thierry.
    Mia didn’t say anything, but he could tell from her eyes how intently she listened.
    â€˜When I heard what he said to you in the reptile house I wanted to knock him to the ground.’
    She halted mid-chew, before swallowing. ‘I’m very glad you didn’t.’
    It had only been the thought that Gordon would somehow bring the blame back to her and she’d lose her job that had stilled his hand.
    â€˜What he said to you...’ His hand clenched and unclenched convulsively around his can of drink. ‘I’m sorry you were