MAID in the USA (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) Read online

  By now Pierce had swum back to the surface and still sputtering, was staring at her through the water streaming down his face. The glitter in his eyes told her he wasn’t about to take that without a response. He shook the strands of wet hair from his face and fixing his dark eyes on Celine, ducked down into the water, his body, mouth and nose below the surface. Like a crocodile stalking its prey, with only his eyes and the top of his head above the surface, Pierce streaked toward her.

  Although she knew it was in fun, and although she was fully aware that this was a man and not a beast, an unreasonable fright filled Celine and she shrieked. The game was becoming too real. She scooped Kylie up and swam quickly toward the steps, intent on getting out of the pool and escaping her stalker’s clutches.

  She was almost out when a woman’s high-pitched voice cut through the air. “Well, what have we here?” As one, they spun in the direction of the voice. And there stood Sophia Redgrave looking cool and crisp in a pant suit of white linen. In her arms she gingerly held a tray on which lay a colorful cake cover.

  She gave them a tight little smile. “I was ringing the doorbell but when there was no answer I decided to come around. Did I break up a party?”

  Her eyes flashed with something akin to anger as they swept over Celine and Kylie. But then her face softened as she turned her attention to Pierce. “I brought you something special,” she said, her face softening into a smile. “I’ll take it to the kitchen. Come see.”

  Pierce raised his eyebrows then he smiled and swam to the side of the pool where she now stood looking down at him.

  “What do you have there?” he asked, his voice full of amusement.

  Sophia shook her head and gave him a teasing frown. “I’m not telling. Only if you’re a good boy and follow me.” Without waiting for a reply she minced her way up the path in her high heeled gold sandals, her bottom swaying seductively as she went.

  Pierce watched her go then he turned to Celine and Kylie who had not moved from the edge of the pool where Sophia found them. He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Who doesn’t like a surprise?” he said with a shrug. Then he put his hands on the side, hauled himself out of the water and loped up the cobbled path to the house.

  With each step Pierce took up that path Celine’s heart slid lower and lower. When he finally disappeared into the house she felt like her heart was a rock that had rolled to the bottom of her belly.

  How could she have been so stupid? How could she have forgotten about Sophia Redgrave?

  She’d had her doubts when the woman implied that she and Pierce were more than just friends. She hadn’t heard Mrs. Simpson mention her so then she’d thought the woman was probably exaggerating. Maybe she just wanted Celine to think they had something going on.

  But if she’d had any doubts about the veracity of the woman’s statement she didn’t have any such doubts now. The way Pierce’s face lit up, the way he’d run off after the woman told her all she needed to know. Pierce D’Amato was taken and if she knew what was good for her she’d stay as far away from him as possible.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Next day Pierce flew out to Texas and it was another four days before Celine saw him again. Not that she minded. She needed time without him near, time to build up her defenses and accept that Pierce was her employer and that was all.

  Who was she kidding? The man was a billionaire. Why would he want her? Women like her were just playthings for men like him, toys to be used and discarded when you got bored. Sophia, on the other hand was in his class. She had lots of money, Celine was sure, and she certainly had the attitude.

  She, on the other hand, had nothing. How could she compete?

  That evening when Pierce got home Celine was prepared for him. Her heart was encased in a steel vault and nothing he said or did would have any impact on her. She would keep her face neutral and she would greet him with a professional smile. As hard as it was, for the sake of Kylie and for the sake of her own sanity she would divorce herself from her emotions. She would be as cool as you please and she would be the perfect employee. Nothing more, nothing less.

  That was her plan.

  But when Pierce walked in the door the look of dejection and sadness on his face dashed all her well-made plans.

  Shocked, she rushed to his side. “Are you alright?” she asked, searching his face. What in the world could have happened for him to look so terrible?

  “I need a minute,” he said and dropped his bags on the floor. His eyes swung past her to Kylie who seemed to have sensed that something was wrong. She hadn’t come running to jump into her Uncle Pierce’s arms. She just stood there, her fingers twisting the sash that hung from her dress, her blue eyes huge in her pixie face.

  Pierce straightened and as he did so he took a deep breath and looked at Celine.

  In that moment she knew. No words were exchanged between them but the anguish in his eyes, the extreme exhaustion on his face, were all she needed. The worst had happened. Sweet, gentle Kylie had lost her mother.

  Celine’s lips trembled and even though she’d never met the woman she felt like she would burst into tears. When she felt her face begin to crumble she bit down on her lip and inhaled slowly. No, she would not break down. This was not her moment. This was Pierce’s loss and more than anyone, it was Kylie’s.

  “What do you want me to do?” Celine whispered as she looked up into Pierce’s grief stricken face.

  “Take her,” he said. “I need a few minutes. Just take her to her room and I’ll be up soon.”

  Celine nodded and went over to Kylie and took her hand. “Come, Sweetie,” she said in a soft, soothing voice. “Uncle Pierce will come visit you in your room. Let’s just give him some time to rest for a bit.”

  Kylie said nothing. For a moment she continued to stare up at Pierce then she nodded, her face now looking far older than her four years, and turned with Celine and walked away.

  Kylie Nichols was the bravest little girl Celine knew. Like a miniature soldier she sat quietly, her hands in her lap as Pierce told her how he had gone away to visit her mother after receiving an urgent call from the hospital. Unfortunately, she’d slipped away before he arrived. But the nurses told him she’d passed peacefully, just like falling asleep for a very long time.

  “Is Mommy in heaven now?” Kylie asked in a barely audible whisper.

  “Yes,” Pierce said, his eyes shiny with emotion. “The angels are taking care of her now.”

  Only then did Kylie’s tears begin to flow. As Pierce kneeled on the floor in front of her he opened his arms. She walked into the hug and laid her head on his shoulders. Then her tiny body shook with her sobs.

  Pierce let her cry and as she did he rubbed her back soothingly and crooned soft words of comfort into her ear. It took several moments before the crying stilled and Kylie lifted her face to look into Pierce’s eyes. “I wish Mommy could have stayed with me,” she said with a sigh, “but I think Daddy needed her more. I know they’re together now.”

  When Celine heard her utter those words she felt like pulling her into her arms and bawling. What a stoic little four year old. She was acting with a maturity far beyond her years, handling her tragedy with a courage that many adults would not have been able to muster.

  That night Kylie slept in Celine’s bed, in her arms. There was no way she would have let her sleep alone. As the child slept she stroked her hair until she, too, drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

  Days later Pierce flew them out to New Haven in his private jet where Kylie said her final goodbye. For her sake it was kept a quiet affair with only close relatives and friends attending. She spent the entire ceremony sitting on Celine’s lap, wrapped in her arms.

  When they returned home they were especially nice to Kylie, never letting her spend much time alone but allowing her enough space to grieve. Even Sophia went out of her way to be nice, bringing her toys and a book about angels. Still, it took a few days before the first smile appeared on Kylie’s face and even
more days before they heard her laugh. It would take a long time for her to heal but Celine knew that her little soldier would pull through.

  ***

  “I want a change of environment for Kylie. Since the funeral she hasn’t left the house. She needs to get out, to breathe again.” Pierce folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the marble top island in the middle of the kitchen.

  He’d been thinking about it for some time now. He wanted to take her to a place where she could play and laugh again, somewhere that didn’t remind her of her loss.

  “Disney World?” Celine rested her chin in her palm as she stared up at him. Today she’d forgone the ponytail and let her dark hair fall gently onto her shoulder.

  Pierce gave it some thought then shook his head. “No, a bit too much for her I think. Sort of from one extreme to the other, you know?”

  “What about a Caribbean cruise? One of those that caters to children?” Celine asked with a slight tilt of her head. She looked so cute when she did that.

  He wrinkled his forehead. “Hmm, no. That’s just more of the same.” He released his arms and stretched them wide to loosen the kinks in his back. “I want to take her somewhere different but I want it to be a more gentle change of environment. Not so fast paced.”

  Then a thought came to him. Celine had spoken with such animation each time she’d mentioned her kid brothers and her mother. Would a week or two in the company of a loving family be the change that Kylie needed?

  “What about a trip to Europe?”

  At his words Celine’s brows lifted and she looked up at him with just a hint of excitement in her eyes. “Europe?” she asked. “So far away?”

  Pierce chuckled. “A seven hour flight? That’s not bad. Try fourteen or eighteen hours. I’ve done lots of those. Now that’s far.”

  There was a faraway look in Celine’s eyes. It was clear that she was thinking of home.

  Pierce decided to press home his point, get her on board while she seemed to be in a nostalgic mood. “How would you like to go see your family?”

  Celine turned wide expressive eyes to him. “Do you mean it?” Her voice was a breathless whisper, almost as if she were afraid to utter the words.

  “Of course. You’ve talked so much about Marc and Sylvan that I feel I almost know them. I’d love to meet them.” He was smiling as he walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. He sat down across from Celine. “More importantly, it would be great for Kylie. Being around other children is probably what she needs right now.”

  Celine began to worry her bottom lip with her teeth. “I don’t know. I would absolutely love to go home for a visit but…the boys and Kylie? I’m not too sure. They can be a bit rough.”

  “Don’t underestimate the depth of understanding that kids can show. And even though they’re boys,” he said with a chuckle, “they can be compassionate. Hey, boys aren’t that bad. I know. I used to be one.”

  At that comment her face relaxed and her lips curved in a smile. Her liquid brown eyes sparkled as she looked back at him. “You’ve convinced me. I would love to take Kylie to meet my family.”

  He put on a mock frown. “What about me?”

  Celine burst out laughing. “And you, too, Pierce. I’m sure they’ll all love you.”

  ***

  “So this is Mr. Pierce D’Amato. Bienvenue, Monsieur.”

  Claire Santini took his hands in hers then stood on tiptoe to kiss him on both cheeks. She was a diminutive woman with raven black hair caught up in a bun on the crown of her head. Her dark eyes shone in her rosy face and her lips told of much laughter and mirth. She reminded Pierce of a sprightly little sparrow, full a lively energy that could never be extinguished.

  She was something of a contrast to her daughter. Where she was tiny and slightly plump with eyes as black as night, Celine was of slender build with deep brown eyes a man could lose himself in. Even though she was of medium height she was at least four or five inches taller than her mother.

  When Claire released his hands Pierce looked over at Celine as she stood in the middle of the modest living room. “So where are the young men I’ve heard so much about?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Hiding I’m sure, just waiting to play a prank on us.” But then she smiled broadly and her eyes flashed with eager anticipation. She put her fingers to her lips and tiptoed to the door that led into the kitchen. It was slightly ajar and, without warning, she reached an arm around and came back with a boy, now howling with laughter.

  “Marc, what do you have there?” She demanded as she pulled a huge water gun from his hands. “You were going to soak us, you naughty boy. Tu es si mechant.” She deposited the toy on the floor. “Come, you naughty boy. Give your sister a hug.” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed the top of his head.

  “Ugh, kissing. Gross. C’est pas bon.” Marc struggled out of her arms but his flashing dark eyes showed that he was loving the attention.

  “Marc, not like that, mon petit. Behave.” Claire shook her head and gave him a stern look. “Now go and get your brother. Tell him enough with this hiding.”

  Sylvan had obviously been listening to everything because at his mother’s words he peeped round the door then stepped out into the living room. With his huge brown eyes and dark hair he was like a male version of Celine. More subdued than his brother, or maybe wishing to seem more mature, he approached his sister with a small smile which widened into a huge grin. Obviously he was unable to contain his joy at seeing his sister again.

  “Sylvan,” Celine cried. “You’ve grown so tall.” She gave him the same treatment she’d given Marc, hugging him close, but he was almost as tall as she was so she ended up kissing him on the cheek. Unlike his brother, he showed no objections.

  Then Celine went over to where Kylie stood hiding behind Pierce. “Come, cherie. Don’t be shy.” She took the little girls hand. Gently, she pulled her forward. “Guys, this is Kylie. Come on over and say hi.”

  Kylie clung to Celine with one hand then stuck the thumb of her free hand in her mouth. She stared up at the boys with huge, tired eyes.

  Marc grinned and gave her a quick wave. “Hi,” he said then shoved his hands into his pockets.

  Sylvan, though, took a different approach. He must have seen Kylie’s uncertainty at being in a strange house with three strangers who talked funny. He crouched low and looked into her eyes. With a smile he extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mademoiselle Kylie.”

  For a moment she hesitated then, not letting go of Celine with her left hand, she popped her thumb out of her mouth and extended her right hand to Sylvan. He took it, wet thumb and all, and shook her hand. “I know we’ll be good friends,” he said.

  Kylie said nothing but she nodded slowly and slipped the thumb back into her mouth.

  Claire must have seen how exhausted the child was because she patted her hands together and proceeded to shoo the boys out of the room. “Time to rest now. The travelers are very tired.”

  Her words triggered a feeling of weariness in Pierce and if he felt so tired he could imagine how the others felt, and especially Kylie who was not used to flights several hours long. Although she’d slept through most of the journey she would not have slept as soundly as when she was in her own bed.

  What made it worse, where it would now be the middle of the night back in Massachusetts it was bright daylight in France. It would take at least twenty-four hours for their body clocks to adjust.

  After a light meal Claire bundled them off to bed, Celine and Kylie sharing Celine’s bedroom and Pierce occupying Marc’s room.

  Celine’s home was a small, neat bungalow in the tiny village of Thomery-By just outside of Avon, the nearest town of any significant size. As for Paris, they’d traveled almost an hour from Charles De Gaulle Airport to get here. It had been a long journey but as far as Pierce was concerned it had been worth it.

  Here in this village, far away from the bustle of the city, he knew Kylie would find healin
g. As he lay back in the bed listening to the birds whistling in the branches that hung by the window he could imagine her running across the grassy meadows with the boys or picking the flowers that lined the winding pathways they’d seen on the way here. Everywhere you looked there were flowers. Gardens bloomed in front of the little houses and Pierce could sense the pride of the inhabitants in their beautiful little town.

  He smiled in contentment. He was looking forward to a relaxing, peaceful stay in this sleepy village.

  Next afternoon when they had fully recovered from the plane ride Celine decided to introduce Pierce and Kylie to her hometown. They embarked on a walking tour of the village which took all of two hours. They stopped to meet the butcher who was hanging a string of sausages in the window then they moved on to the shop of a seamstress who sat by the window humming as she worked on what looked like a wedding gown. When she saw Celine she dropped the fabric, clapped her hands together then ran outdoors to greet her. Celine got the same response at the post office, the pharmacy and the tiny library she told him had been like her second home. It was obvious that she was known and loved in her community.

  They continued on, enjoying the crisp air and bright sunlight, until they got to the local grocery store now operated by Celine’s old piano teacher. Tall, thin and reedy, he looked like a bespectacled stick insect. He kissed both Celine and Kylie on their cheeks. When he turned toward him Pierce took an involuntary step back but the man only extended his hand in greeting.

  “Bonjour,” he said, eyeing Pierce suspiciously.

  “Bonjour,” Pierce replied and but with cool reservation. Where did this guy come off looking at him like that?

  The man turned back to Celine and began an animated conversation in French of which Pierce understood only two words, fiancé and mariage.