Page 1 of The Billionaire's Secret Kiss

Chapter One

Ella

Iwas late. I'm never late.

Twenty minutes to get to campus. I had a two o’clock appointment with my thesis advisor. Oliver was trying to see if he could get me put back on our project even though I wasn't currently enrolled in the Master’s program.

It was a long shot, and I didn't want to blow it by being late.

I hated to interrupt a meeting, but I’d told my bosses I needed a few hours off this afternoon, and I had to hand over my charge before I left. Cradling baby Rosie against my shoulder, I nudged the door to the office open with my hip, saying, "I'm so sorry to interrupt, but it's one forty and—"

I looked up, and my breath froze in my lungs.

Noah Endicott was sitting across the room. He lounged in the chair opposite Vance's desk, his brown eyes wide with surprise and fixed on mine.

"Ella?"

That was all he said. JustElla.

I wasn't much better. I didn't say anything. I just stared.

It was Noah, but notmyNoah. My Noah wore faded T-shirts with geeky engineering jokes. My Noah's dark hair was long enough to fall into his eyes. My Noah had a sweet smile.

My Noah had broken my heart.

The man in front of me may have looked like my first love, but I doubted they had anything in common.

This Noah had short hair and lines around his eyes.

This Noah wore an expensive designer sweater instead of a T-shirt and hoodie, though the faded jeans and black-and-white Converse high-tops were heartbreakingly familiar.

"Ella?" Maggie asked, concern heavy in her voice. "Are you okay? Do you and Noah know each other?"

I looked at my bosses and tried to get my head back in gear. Vance and Magnolia were both staring at me with concern. I needed to get myself together before they decided I was losing it. Vance and Maggie had hired me as Rosie's nanny a few months before, and thanks to them, I might be able to save up enough money to go back to school.

That was my plan. Work for Vance and Magnolia. Save every penny. Go back to school.

Noah had no part in any of that.

"I'm so sorry, Maggie. I thought Rosie would fall asleep on her walk, but she’s still up, and I have to go."

Maggie stood and scooped the baby out of my arms. "I lost track of time, Ella, or I would have come to get her. Don’t worry about it. We’re good. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off after your meeting?”

"Thanks so much," I said, half over my shoulder, as I escaped the room without another word. Behind me, I heard Noah say, "Ella! Ella, wait!"

No way. I'd spent enough of my life waiting for Noah Endicott. I'd learned my lesson.

As fast as I could without running, I walked down the hall to get my purse and keys from the kitchen. A few more seconds and I'd be in my car on the way to school.

My purse was not on the counter where I left it. Dammit. I didn't have time for this.

My heart thundering in my chest, I scanned every flat surface in the kitchen for my red purse and silver key ring.

I wasn't sure whether I was rushing to my appointment or just desperate to escape Noah.

Noah.

How was Noah at Vance and Magnolia’s? He was in California. As far as I knew, he hadn't been back to Georgia since three months before we’d broken up.