Free The Reluctant Heir by Eve Jordan Page A

Shaw had often shown her newspaper clippings of his grandson and this was the same Landen Shaw.
    “I understand him not wanting to leave his children anything,” Landen continued. “But how about the rest of his grandchildren?”
    Her throat suddenly dry, she looked back at those fiery eyes, speechless. Mr. Shaw had more than one grandchild? The whole time she had known him, he'd only talked about Landen.
    “He didn't mention them,“ she began uneasily. “I didn't even know-” She pursed her lips. Perhaps, they had been adopted? She couldn't see Mr. Shaw as the kind of guy who would keep his grandchildren out of the will just because they were adopted. but it was the family home...
    “He didn't leave them anything,” she started hesitantly. “But if you sell the house, you could split the proceeds with them, along with the company shares and the money.”
    When he didn't say anything, she cleared her throat. “Would it be all right if I picked up a few things at the house?”
    Since it was his property now, it hadn't felt right to go without his permission. Besides, she hadn't wanted to go into that big house all alone. Just knowing that Mr. Shaw wouldn't be there to greet her had her heart churning.
    He nodded. “Sure. I'll follow you.”
    “Thanks. I haven't been-” The words choked up in her throat as she broke eye contact to look unseeingly at the road behind him. She didn't want to cry in front of the man.
    “I'll just get my stuff in the church,” she forced out. Before he could see her tears, she quickly turned around and headed towards the church.
     

Chapter Two
    Rebecca's throat tightened as the steel metal gate doors opened to an empty driveway.
    Though it had only been a month since Mr. Shaw had been transferred to the hospital, it looked as if no one had lived in the house for ages.
    The water fountain that had once attracted beautiful birds had dried up. The carefully landscaped garden had lost its color without the proper maintenance. Except for the hum of her car's engine, the whole place was completely silent.
    Landen parked his sleek black car behind her and she couldn't help noticing how the car seemed to amplify the house's lack of upkeep.
    “The gardener and maid haven't been called in after the attack,” she explained as she got out. The house had always been a symbol of wealth for her, something she could attain if she worked hard enough. She hated to see it like this, so empty and bare.
    He threw an uninterested look towards the house. “Maybe if his tastes weren't so expensive, he could've gotten something that required a little less maintenance.”
    Her back straightened. “As the size of your inheritance shows, he was perfectly capable of taking care of the house.”
    “And just how much is this inheritance?”
    “Including the firm's shares, around ninety million pounds.”
    His eyebrows rose. She guessed even to a billionaire, ninety million pounds was nothing to scoff at.
    She got the key from her bag and handed it to him. He unlocked the door and let her in first. The familiar scent of cinnamon and cedar assaulted her senses as she walked in.
    She closed her eyes and for a moment, it was just like old times. Mr. Shaw was in his office, working as the sound of jazz music filled the air.
    But when she opened her eyes to the empty house, she sighed. Everything looked the same and yet it was so different.
    Fighting off the urge to cry, she turned around and saw Landen looking at her strangely.
    “I'll just get my stuff in my room and then I'll be out of your hair.”
     
    ***
     
    Landen's stomach coiled when he saw Rebecca take a blue shirt out of the cabinet.
    He'd fooled himself into thinking that the relationship between Rebecca and his grandfather had been innocent, but it had obviously been wishful thinking.
    His eyes slowly took in her shoulder-length hair, her beautiful face and tempting lips. He couldn't fault his grandfather here. The man had excellent taste in