BILLIONAIRE SERIES: HIS AMBER

Chapter 10: Memories

AMBER'S POV

I wondered if I should stop teasing my client, but it was too much fun watching him wiggle and squirm and get so silently perturbed. He really was an introverted man at heart. I knew he wanted me badly. I knew he was denying himself what was technically his for the week. What I didn't understand was why he kept denying it. After all, I was bought and paid for to the tune of six figures that would dip into my pocket alone. Why wouldn't a man who wanted me as badly as Simoun take advantage of everything at his disposal?

It was a question I was shocked to be asking myself, which meant I needed to step lightly. All of this was fake. Simoun wasn't actually my fiancé, and none of this would go past the week.

The car came to a stop, and a thought dawned on me. Maybe it was an ethical decision. Maybe Simoun had a moral code against sleeping with professionals like myself. I couldn't really blame him. It was my job to court men around. In his eyes, I was probably used goods. Damaged, in some way.

Damaged.

That was a good word for me.

"Welcome! I didn't expect the two of you until dinner, but this is perfect timing. Come, come, let me show you the estate," Onel said.

He opened up my car door and held out his hand to help me out. I was glad for the distraction. The last thing I needed to do was analyze my client on why he wouldn't sleep with me. It would only have me traveling down a rabbit hole that would make me feel sorry for myself. I forced a smile and got ready to play pretend, watching as Simoun got out of the car. I slipped my arm into his and smiled kindly up at him, watching as he greeted Onel with a firm handshake.

"Your property is beautiful," he said.

"Let me show you around. I can give you the lay of the land, then the two of you can get settled in your bedroom," Onel said.

I watched Simoun's face pale a fraction, and it made my heart sink. Was it really that terrible to share a room with the likes of me?

Onel walked us up the steps and through the massive double doors. It dumped us into a foyer with two massive staircases on either side of the room. He walked us straight through, showing us where the indoor pool was as well as the hot tub and sauna. He showed us the sprawling kitchen where his personal chef was already preparing for dinner, and he told us to help ourselves to anything we could want. The library really caught my eye, however. Floor-to-ceiling walls with staircases to get to multiple levels of books, two fireplaces to warm the room, along with comfortable seating delicately placed alongside coffee-brewing stations and miniature bars.

It felt like something out of a fairy tale.

"I'll show you around the rest of the grounds later on, but I want to show the two of you to your bedroom. You'll go up this flight of steps and walk all the way down to the door in front of you. I'm sure it will be a comfortable stay, especially since that particular room has a private terrace view of the backyard. You'll be able to see the stables, the running horses, the tennis courts, and the beautiful Tokyo sunset from there," Onel said.

He grabbed the doors and threw them open, and I tried to hide my astonishment. He really wasn't joking. There was a massive four-poster bed with sheer curtains hanging down around it. The French double doors led out onto a massive terrace with wrought iron furniture fit for seating an entire family. I slipped from Simoun's arm and walked over to the door in the corner. I opened it and gazed into the most incredible bathroom I had ever seen. There was a stone walk-in shower, a deeply carved onyx-marbled bathtub with jets, a double vanity with every single want a person would need access to in order to make themselves presentable, and the softest towels I'd ever seen.

I was almost afraid to touch them.

"Well, I can see where you might be spending your time," Onel said.

I turned around and smiled at him before I put on my best charming smile.

"Your generosity is too much. Thank you for such lovely accommodation," I said.

"Only the best for potential business partners. Simoun wined and dined me in his finest establishments whenever I traveled to see him. It is only fair I return the favor, especially when his lovely fiancée is in tow," he said.

I immediately make my way to bow on Onel, thankful gestures. Men like him enjoyed thanks like that. And I figured it would bode well to butter him up more once Simoun opened his mouth about business. The second I stepped into the bedroom, however, I picked up on how nervous Simoun was. He kept staring at the bed, like he couldn't believe the two of us would be in it.

"I'll leave the two of you to settle in. The driver should be bringing your things up soon, and dinner will be ready at six. And just to let you know, no one else will be around you during the evenings. Mine and my wife's bedroom is actually on the first floor on the other side of the estate.

So, don't worry about enjoying yourselves."

I put my hand to my mouth and stifled my laughter as Simoun's face flushed the same shade at my lipstick.

"Talk soon!" Onel exclaimed.

Then he shut the bedroom door behind him and left the two of us alone.

"I mean, what did you expect?" I asked.

Simoun whipped his gaze over to mine as my smile fell into a smirk.

"We're engaged. Which means we will technically be sleeping together," I said.

"I uh, I'm going to head back to the library. I saw a book in there that caught my eye."

And before I could say anything about it, Simoun practically fell over himself to get out of the room.

Teasing him was so much fun, especially when he blushed the way he did. Another thought dawned on me: how much s****l experience did he have? I'd done a little bit of research on him after the painful rejection the other night, and there wasn't anything on him dating. No articles on him courting women around. No gossip columns boasting of a secret wife somewhere. It was as if his love life was nonexistent.

Was he embarrassed because he didn't think he had the skills to pleasure a woman like me?

It was shocking to me when I found that lack of information on him. He was a handsome billionaire, one touted in the media as Metro Manila's most eligible bachelor. He had to have had women throwing themselves at him on a regular basis. So, why was he acting like such a shy child?

I watched the door close behind him, and I jumped as it latched. He really didn't want to be alone with me, and that idea hurt more than it should have. I was getting too attached. Too into the role. Maybe some time apart would do both of us some good, because I apparently needed a reality check.

I went and sat on the edge of the bed, sighing at its comfort. I wondered if Simoun would even sleep with me in it. For all I knew, he'd find some extra bedding somewhere and sleep in the damn tub.

I shook the thought away before I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

"Metro Manila Health Center. This is Suzeth speaking."

"Hey there, Suzeth. It's Amber."

"Well, you're calling in early. Still in Japan?" she asked.

"I am. I wanted to see if you could patch me in to my mother's nurse? I want to check on her and see how she's doing."

"You're in luck, because she just walked by me a few minutes ago. I'll patch you through to her office."

"Thank you so much."

I sat there in the lane and gazed out the terrace windows. Onel's place was gorgeous, and part of me was anxious to get out to the horses. I hadn't gone horseback riding in years, and I missed it. There were these trails my father had built specifically for me, and my horse and I would ride them all the way out to the creek. He bought me this beautiful red-haired horse with a black mane and tail. I called him Bob, and he'd been my best friend for so many years. I'd ride him bareback out to the creek and take snacks with me; then I'd lie against him by the creek and feed him apples and carrots while listening to the babbling brook roll by.

I missed that horse more than I could stand.

"Amber. This is Nurse Dona."

"I'm sorry to call so early. But I wanted to check on my mother after things kicked up a couple of days ago," I said.

"Don't worry. I completely understand. We've been expecting your call. Your mother's doing really well. No other letters have come through, and no one's attempted to come in and access her in any way. Her new sleeping medication is working like a charm as well. We haven't had any midnight episodes in the past couple of nights."

"Have the police said anything about the letter?"

"Only that they're looking into things. But that's all I have for you on that front. I promise you, however, the second we hear something, someone will call you."

"I appreciate it. Tell my mother that I love her, and I'll come see her once I get back into town."

"I'll let her know. You enjoy your vacation, okay? Your mother's safe here."

Vacation. Such a funny word.

"I know she is. Sometimes I just need to hear it, though," I said.

"I understand. And if you ever need to speak with me, call anytime. I'll be here," the nurse said.

"Thank you. I'll talk with you soon."

"Goodbye, Amber."

I hung up the phone and felt a little more relieved. In the back of my mind, I was still worried. But the absence of any other letters made me feel better. I slid my phone back into my pocket and continued gazing out the window. There was no reason for me to sit there and debate the choices I had made in my life. If Simoun could freely explore this place, then so could I. So, I decided to do a little venturing of my own while he occupied his time in the library.

I made my way to the backyard and began walking through the maze of shrubberies.

Everything was impeccably groomed, and I came upon a fountain with an area to sit next to it. Memories assaulted me from all angles. Bittersweet memories of my own home and walking those same types of mazes at my father's side.

Life before my father's death had been beautiful, filled with memories and experiences I would carry with me for the rest of my days. But walking through everything and being reminded of what had been so painfully ripped away from me had tears rushing to my eyes.

I missed having everything at my fingertips.

But I would never go back to the girl I was before. My family's fall from grace has made me into the strong, proud, independent woman I was today. And I wouldn't change it. I'd proven repeatedly that I could rely on myself and not a man to give me what I wanted, and that lesson was invaluable to a girl who grew up in privilege the way I had. I could hold my own against the world. I had confidence in that. And it was a confidence I never would have found within myself had it not been for the tragedies that befell my family and its name.

I continued walking around, feeling the warm Tokyo breeze kick up my summer dress. I ran my hand along the shrubberies and stopped to smell the beautiful flowers that sprouted up from all angles. There were moments where I wished I had a partner at my side. A man to help me make it through the tougher times.

Being the rock for a mother that had spiraled mentally became rough sometimes. I cried myself to sleep alone more times than I cared to admit throughout the week. Being strong on my own was a two-man job, and I was simply one woman with an identity that didn't match the life she lived.

I got to the end of the maze of beautifully cured plants and looked back at the estate, taking in its looming form as my eyes settled on the terrace.

Simoun was standing there. Watching me.

Of course he'd want to be in the room now that I wasn't in it.

I turned my body away from his and continued to walk along the grass. I made my way over to the tennis courts and closed my eyes. I have played so many games with my mother. So many lessons from my father. It had been years since I'd played a decent game of tennis. My mother could've been a professional at the sport. I smiled as I saw her beautiful face, sweating as she dialed my father, grunting and yelling as she whipped his ass in every single round.

It was the only thing my father could never beat my mother at, and she never ceased to gloat about it.

I whipped my eyes open and dabbed at the tears forming in them. Maybe pretending to be engaged to Simoun was doing more harm than good. Maybe it was having this negative effect on me. I needed to harden my heart. I needed to keep the endgame at the forefront of my mind.

Getting Onel to sign that deal at the end of the week was the only reason I was there. I was an article that had been paid for, a prop in the ruse Simoun and I were projecting. For all I knew, that was how he saw me -nothing more than a prop.

Like his choice of a suit or the pair of socks he plucked from his drawer every morning.

I sure as hell didn't feel like a person with him.

And the last thing I needed to do was start wishing my fake life was real.