Bombshell: A BWWM Billionaire Amnesia Romance Suspense Novel by Mia Caldwell Read Free Book Online

As soon as she was seated, she grabbed a throw and wrapped it around her shoulders. Merrick could see that she was trembling, and Joann glared at him.
    When the girl lifted her face to wait for his response, he saw that her eyes were wide and wet. He could read her now. She wasn’t faking anything; she wasn’t trying to rub anything in his face. She didn’t know who she was, and it scared the hell out of her.
    When her lips began to quiver and Merrick heard the rattling of her teeth, he made a decision. Moving to the couch, he scooped her into his arms. She burst into tears, shaking as she cried. He held her, his chest expanding as he breathed in her heady scent and compressing as he imagined the fear and confusion she had to be going through.
    “Don’t stress, honey,” he said as he kissed the top of her head. “You had an accident, that’s all, and you hit your head pretty bad. It’s just a little memory loss. Everything will come back to you soon. I promise.”
    When the sobbing slowed, Merrick released her and thought about giving her some space. But, when he started to get up, the girl grabbed for his hand, gripping his fingers like she was drowning and his hand was the only thing keeping her alive. His Irish white hand interlaced with her rich honey fingers, and he squeezed them tight, letting her know he was there for her.
    She looked at him with sad, innocent eyes. “Please tell me my name.”
    Merrick gulped. He didn’t know her real name. He only knew one name for her.
    “Bombshell,” he blurted, before realizing how idiotic that sounded.
    “That’s a funny kind of name. Bombshell.”
    She fixed Merrick with her gaze, then she dropped her head. “I feel so bad about this,” she began. “I know you said that we’re engaged, but I… I can’t remember your name either.”
    He should be explaining that she had heard wrong. That they had never been engaged, that she had been under the influence of pain meds when she’d misheard him. He should have taken that opportunity to set things straight and then work on convincing her to go back with him for logical reasons, such as furthering her career and avoiding a lunatic sheriff. But she seemed so miserable, and so fragile, he couldn’t do it. And when her lips quivered, all he wanted was to kiss them still. Hold her. Never let her go.
    He brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, calming her.
    “Please don’t worry about that, sweetheart, I understand. My name is Merrick, Merrick Flynn.”
    Upon hearing his name, the girl seemed to relax. A tiny smile appeared on her face and almost reached her eyes. “So, that means I’m going to be Bombshell Flynn?”
    “Sugar, I’m sorry, Bombshell is just your stage name, not your real name,” Merrick blurted before realizing what that meant.
    “What’s my real name, then?” she asked. Merrick had no idea what to say. Why couldn’t she have just stayed Bombshell? Well, it was too late now. He glanced at Joann, desperate for some help. She shrugged, equally perplexed.
    Merrick peeked surreptitiously about the room and focused on the mini framed masters. He spotted the Mona Lisa , a van Gogh and a van Dyck. “Uh, your real name is Mona Lisa – Mona Lisa Van Dyke.”
    “Mona Lisa Van Dyke,” the girl said. She repeated the name over and over again, rolling it around on her tongue like a lemon drop. “I like it, it sounds rich. Am I rich? Are my parents rich?”
    A warning flag snapped in the back of Merrick’s mind. Was she playing him? Did she know he was a billionaire? Was this all part of some elaborate gold digger con and he was the mark? He watched her face carefully. No tells. If she was conning him, he’d have to keep her out of the poker room.
    “Merrick?” the girl said, looking at him.
    He realized she was waiting for an answer. He forgot her question. Oh yes, she wanted to know if she was rich and if her parents were rich. How would he answer that? If they were engaged, he couldn’t just