The Billionaire's Smile Book 2: His Desire
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B. E. Harmel
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201K
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16
Chapter 1
Book 2: His Desire
I found myself leaning against the counter in my private office, soaking in a rare moment of tranquility. The gentle hum of the clinic beyond my door was a comforting reminder of the life I’d created here. Transitioning into this new role hadn’t been a walk in the park.
I never envisioned owning a clinic, but when Elliot presented me with the keys, his smile so infuriatingly perfect, I couldn’t resist.
Naturally, being in charge of a clinic came with a never-ending list of duties. I had patients to care for, schedules to oversee, and staff to calm when the paparazzi decided to camp outside. The constant presence of cameras, headlines, and prying eyes was a new addition to my life.
Most of the time, I managed to tune it out. But on days like today, when a tabloid decided to feature me under the headline, “The Billionaire’s Flame: Dr. Duppont’s Life of Luxury,” it still hurt.
Luxury? They had no idea about the late nights I spent scrubbing stubborn stains off the sterilizer or the extra hours I put in to help a nervous teenager through her first root canal.
I was passionate about my work. It was an integral part of my identity, and I planned to keep it that way.
Elliot was my knight in shining armor, my closest confidant. Transitioning from friends to lovers had been a beautiful journey—like we had a solid foundation to rely on. And the fact that the sex was mind-blowing? That was just a bonus.
The sound of the door creaking open snapped me out of my reverie.
“Dr. Duppont?” my receptionist, Sara, called out, her eyes wide with anticipation. “Mr. Vince is here.”
I let out a sigh, a smile tugging at my lips. “Thank you, Sara.”
As I stepped into the waiting room, the sight of him still took my breath away. Elliot Vince, looking devastatingly handsome in his suit, was casually lounging on the waiting room couch as if he were an ordinary patient. His mere presence radiated a confidence that had everyone in the room hanging on his every word.
God, I was so in love with him.
The moment I walked in, his blue eyes met mine, and his smile brightened the room. “Helena.”
My heart fluttered; I still wasn’t used to this.
“What brings you here during working hours, Mr. Vince?” I asked, crossing my arms playfully.
“I missed you.” He stood and closed the distance between us in a few strides. “And I wanted to make sure you weren’t overworking yourself.”
“I’m not.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You skipped lunch, didn’t you?”
I opened my mouth to protest but quickly closed it. Damn him.
“Thought so.” He grinned, wrapping an arm around my waist and leading me back to my office. I could feel the curious gazes of my staff following us down the corridor.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind us, Elliot spun me around, gently pressing me against the desk.
“I thought we could go out for lunch,” he suggested, his voice low and playful. “Or we could order in and…make the most of the wait.”
“You’re impossible,” I retorted, but my voice lacked conviction.
“And you’re irresistible,” he whispered, leaning in to brush his lips against mine.
I melted into him, my hands instinctively finding their way to his shoulders. His kiss started off slow and teasing, gradually deepening. Whenever he touched me, the rest of the world seemed to fade away.
But before we could get carried away, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
“Don’t,” I murmured, pulling him closer.
He groaned but pulled away, resting his forehead against mine as he retrieved his phone from his jacket. “I have to. It’s my grandmother’s nurse.”
His expression changed as he listened, his face turning pale. “What happened?” he asked, his voice strained.
I reached out to touch his arm, a wave of concern washing over me. Elliot rarely discussed his family, often steering the conversation away when the topic arose. But recently, he’d mentioned that his grandmother had been feeling unwell.
“She fainted?” His eyes met mine, filled with worry. My heart dropped. “I’m on my way. Keep me updated.”
He ended the call and let out a shaky breath. “Helena, I—”
“Go,” I urged him. “Do you want me to come with you?”
Elliot ran a hand through his hair nervously. “No. I don’t know exactly what’s happening, and…” He sighed. “I’ll call you if I need you and keep you posted.”
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
Elliot hesitated for a moment before nodding. He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering as if trying to ground himself before pulling away.
“Thanks,” he murmured, then he was gone, leaving a whirlwind of worry and longing behind him.
I watched him retreat, but he paused at the doorway, turning back to give me a weak smile. “Helena, don’t forget to eat.”
I nodded, sensing the burden he carried. Elliot—the man who was always so solid, so unflappable—seemed to be crumbling. He felt distant now, needing room to breathe. He always handled family issues solo, and he must have had his reasons.
After he left, I couldn’t concentrate on my work. My thoughts kept circling back to Elliot, replaying the tension etched on his face.
A pair of knocks at the door yanked me from my reverie. Sara walked in, a bag in her hands. “Your lunch is here.”
“Lunch? I didn’t order anything…” My voice trailed off as it clicked. I smiled, accepting the bag from her. “Thanks, Sara. Can you clear my schedule for the rest of the day?”
“Absolutely, Dr. Duppont.”
I peeked into the bag and glanced at my phone.
I knew you wouldn’t eat. Hope you’re in the mood for Chinese.
You’re a lifesaver. How’s your grandmother?
His response took longer than usual.
Not good.
Do you want me to come over?
No response.
I was in the middle of some paperwork when my phone buzzed again.
“Helena…” His voice wavered. “She…she passed away.”
His words felt like a lead weight, filling the room and pressing against my chest.
“Oh, Elliot,” I whispered, my heart aching for him. “I’m so sorry.”
There was silence on the line. I waited, giving him room to talk if he wanted to, but he didn’t.
“I can meet you at the hospital,” I suggested gently. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“No,” he said, his voice rough but resolute. “It’s…complicated.”
Complicated. The word stung more than I wanted to admit.
“I’ll go home,” he added after a pause. “Meet me there?”
“Of course,” I replied softly. “I’ll be there.”
After we hung up, I still didn’t fully grasp why Elliot was so guarded about his family. He kept that part of his life walled off, only letting me catch glimpses through tiny cracks.
I collected my things, and Sara knocked lightly on my office door. “Dr. Duppont, Mr. Vince’s driver is here.”
“Thanks, Sara.”
Hans was waiting for me outside, his face unusually grave. He opened the car door without a word, and I slid into the back seat, my mind spinning with worry.
When we reached Elliot’s house, it was dark, the driveway lit by faint lights along the stone path. I stepped out of the car, the night air cool against my skin.
Hans gave me a small nod before driving off, leaving me alone with the weight of whatever I would find inside.
The door was unlocked. I stepped inside quietly, the soft sound of my heels echoing in the grand entryway.
I found him in the living room, perched on the edge of the couch with his elbows on his knees. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the sculpted lines of his chest, and he held a glass of whiskey loosely in one hand.
His blond hair was tousled, as if he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly.
For a moment, I just observed him. The lamp’s light cast a golden glow on his flawless face, but his expression was shadowed—lost. He looked so different from the composed, commanding Elliot Vince the world knew.
His sky-blue eyes found mine, softening as soon as they met mine as if I was the salve to soothe his raw grief.
He set the glass down and rose, his movements slow and heavy. “Helena,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
I closed the gap between us without a second thought, rushing into his arms. He held me tight, his hold firm but slightly shaky.
“I’m here,” I whispered against his chest, my arms wrapped tightly around him.
He lowered his head, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. The gesture was so tender, it brought tears to my eyes.
“I didn’t know it would hurt like this,” he confessed, his voice raw.
“It’s okay to hurt,” I said, pulling back just enough to look up at him. His eyes were shiny, and my chest tightened. “You don’t have to do this alone, Elliot.”
He shook his head, a faint, bitter smile flickering across his lips. “I’ve always done it alone. It’s easier that way.”
“Perhaps. But it doesn’t make it any better.” I reached up, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “Let me be there for you. Let me help.”
Elliot shut his eyes briefly, as if he was soaking in my words, then exhaled a shaky breath. “You already are.”
I led him to the couch, gently prying the whiskey glass from his hand and setting it aside. He didn’t put up a fight, just followed my lead as if he was too drained to resist.
We sat in silence for a bit, his hand clutching mine as if it were his only anchor to reality.
When he finally found his voice, it sounded far away, as if he was dredging up words from a place he seldom visited. “She was the only one in my family who got me. Everyone else…they see me as a walking ATM, not a human being. But my grandma never did. She was proud of me, no matter what. She didn’t give a damn about the money or the business. She just cared about me.”
I tightened my grip on his hand, my heart aching for him.
“She brought me up,” he went on, his voice wavering slightly. “When my parents couldn’t—or wouldn’t—she stepped in. She taught me how to tie my shoelaces…”
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them back, staying silent so he could continue.
“And now she’s gone. The one person who truly understood me is gone.” He looked at me, his eyes brimming with pain. “What if I can’t be the person she believed I could be?”
“You don’t have to prove anything,” I said, my voice steady. “You’re already someone she would be proud of. I’m proud of you, Elliot.”
He exhaled a shaky breath, pulling me closer until our foreheads touched. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Yes, you do,” I said, my thumb caressing his cheek.
His lips found mine in a gentle, lingering kiss, filled with gratitude and something deeper—something left unsaid.
“I need to go to my family’s house,” he said, his voice heavy. “They’re reading the will this weekend and…” He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture betraying his dread. “They’re scavengers, Helena, but I have to go, and…”
“I’m going with you,” I said without a second thought. He needed me, and I wasn’t about to let him face this alone.
“Helena,” he said, his voice low and conflicted. “They’re terrible people. I don’t want you anywhere near them—”
“Is that why you never mention them?” I asked softly.
His shoulders slumped, and he nodded, cradling my face in his hands. His thumb brushed my cheek, his touch gentle even though his expression was tense. “That’s part of it,” he confessed. “Listen, Helena, you don’t have to go. You’re too good for people like them, and—”
“I’m going,” I said firmly. “You need me there, and I’ll be there for you.”
He sighed, his forehead resting against mine for a moment. “Promise me something,” he said, his voice grave. “Promise you’ll listen to everything I say. Never leave my side. And don’t let them mess with your head.”
A shiver ran down my spine at his words, the seriousness of his warning hitting home. For the first time, I felt a twinge of fear, but I nodded. “I promise.”
Elliot gave me a weak smile and kissed me again, softly, but there was a tension behind it. As he pulled away, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that we were about to step into a nightmare.
