Again, she said nothing. He could hardly look at her. Letting her go was the last thing he wanted to do. He was in love with her. Vidar listened to the declaration in his head with surprise. He hadn’t been able to love anyone for a long time. Yet here it was laid bare in front of him. Fallon had stolen his heart and leashed him to herself. There was no other woman for him but Fallon. He turned around to face her and confess but she was already gone. Feeling defeated, he loosened his bow tie and poured himself a scotch. He sank down in one of the white leather chairs to down it in one swallow, while he inwardly cursed his stupidity.
Fallon kept to herself the next day while they travelled to Bergen along the fjords. He wanted to spend the day with her and show her more of the beauty of his country but she stayed in the cabin. At one point, he ventured to knock on the door of the cabin and ask her to stay but he could hear her on the phone laughing and talking to what his insecurity perceived as another male. The sound of his voice on the end of the phone coming through loud and clear when she placed the call on speaker confirmed his suspicions making Vidar walk away.
Finally, they reached Bergen and the car came to take Fallon to the airport.
“She wants to be taken to Paris,” Mark told him quietly.
He had asked Mark to deal with her departure and to make sure she had everything she needed. “And she won’t take any of your money to help her get started again.”
“How is she going to manage? Make sure she has credit cards and all she needs. Force her to have them, if you must. I took everything away from her I…”
“She doesn’t need your help, Vidar. I have tried, believe me. I have even pleaded your case. I know you don’t want her to leave and just haven’t had the guts to tell her.”
Vidar glared at his friend who shook his head at him. It was the first time he had seen Mark appear frustrated with him. Mark was right, of course.
“She doesn’t want to stay. She made that pretty damn clear the night before.”
“If I remember, she said nothing. You did all of the talking.”
“Where is she going in Paris? I heard her talking on the phone to a man yesterday.”
Mark raised one eyebrow.
“Jealous, are we?”
“No. It is over between us. I am simply curious. Who is he?”
“A friend and business associate. Fallon told me he has been wanting her to run the oil division of his company for a long time. I believe they had a relationship at one point. He wanted more but she wasn’t ready after her divorce. I would think Fallon will want more this time.”
Vidar felt his body tense.
“Who is he?”
“One of your own business associates, a Billionaire like yourself. Lucien Barbour.”
Vidar widened his eyes in surprise.
“I don’t understand. She could have got him to help her at any time. She could have left but…”
“But she stayed to help you find your sister,” Mark finished for him shaking his head again. “And she doesn’t want you of course,” he said sarcastically. “Stop being an arse and talk to her. Find out for sure,” Mark told him quickly when they heard Fallon’s voice as she thanked one of the staff for taking her bag up the stairs.
When Fallon appeared, she was dressed back in the business suit she wore when he had first met her and appeared every bit the professional he had always taken her for. He had to admit she looked sexy, strong, and capable. He loved the submissive side of her more but this persona also had its delicious attractions.
But here she was going to another world with another man. Could he really expose himself and risk rejection after all that had happened? He wasn’t sure. Maybe this would be a good change for her. He wondered if she would ever have been able to settle down with a man who had kept her captive anyway. It was best for her if he just let her go to start over again.
He noticed she only had a small bag and didn’t appear to be taking any of the clothes he had handpicked and provided for her before he had taken her from the office. It pinched a nerve. She clearly wanted to eradicate anything that reminded her of her short time with him.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.”
She smiled when she spoke. He searched her eyes that appeared a little glassy but she was hiding any hurt behind them with the beautiful smile on her face.
“I will travel to the airport with you.”
She nodded and turned to hug Mark.
“Thank you for arranging everything, Mark,” she gushed.
“Take care, Fallon. Maybe we can catch up some time.”
“I’d like that.”
Vidar led her off the yacht and to the car. He opened the car door for her ahead of the chauffeur and then got in himself on the opposite side.
He at least, this time, managed to make small talk on the way to the airport but after a while it drove him nuts. He wanted to know about her relationship with Lucien Barbour, how strong it was and whether there was going to be more going on with it. To his frustration he was jealous, very jealous. She belonged to him not Lucien Barbour.
“Lucien Barbour wants you to work for him?” he asked as the car travelled around the Old Wharf and the picturesque traditional wooden buildings of all colours lining the Eastern side of the Vagen harbour in Bryggen. He’d planned to take her around the world heritage site in Bergen before taking her for lunch. But now they were not together anymore and it would
