“Tell me everything.”
Her eyes flickered and she sagged.
“Now.”
“I don’t know…”
He sneered and stepped to her, she stepped back. “Don’t test my fucking patience. I will end your career, I will ruin your life, but for one chance. Tell. Me. Everything.”
She swallowed and shifted to the little glass table. She sat and gestured for him to sit. She poured him a coffee.
In that other life, they might be lovers still, sharing brunch, but she’d ruined that, and it had all fallen apart. He was glad of it.
“Maddie was livid. She wanted the earrings, she was upset for me about you. She thought we should be together. I tried to tell her that it was no good. She wouldn’t listen. She wanted those earrings, and she wanted shot of the girl.”
“Rebecca.”
“Rebecca. I told her everything that had happened between you before we went to the house, she had only wanted to talk you round, I tried to tell her that wasn’t going to happen. When you threw us out, it made her so angry. She came up with the plan. She said we had to make it so she left. I asked how we would involve the police. She’s still friends with Craig Brown, from school, she said he’d always wanted in her knickers, and that she’d persuade him to help. He’s a police sergeant now.
“So. She asked me to wait up the road watching the house while they were looking for the earrings. She took her phone while Craig was rooting through her stuff. I did what was asked. The riskiest part would be convincing her. She knew that she wasn’t…brash or…I don’t know but, she cares what people think, she takes things to heart. She’s sensitive. It was a gamble, but Maddie is good at reading people, she was right, she told me that Rebecca just caved.
“I watched the house, and followed her when she left. I took the letter she dropped at yours from the post box at the front gate, and she stayed at mine.”
“Do you have it?”
“Yes, and her phone, I turned it off.”
“Why?”
“Maddie told me to throw them away, I couldn’t. I think I hoped one day that I’d have the courage to tell you. I went along with it all, and at the time I was unsure, but it got harder, seeing what it did to you. I thought in time you’d come back to me. I was wrong. Maddie couldn’t believe that you wouldn’t give her the earrings. She’s still angry.”
“You tried to ruin Rebecca’s life, my life, and neither of you got what you want. I found her.” Victoria looked up.
“I’m glad for you. You look better.”
“I will be, but you sent me crazy, I can’t even put into words what I’ve been through, I haven’t slept in months, I saw her face everywhere.” He shook his head, his body tense from anger. “What you’ve done to her, making her think that everyone thought she was a criminal, was evil.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You hate her.”
“Hate? No, I wanted you, I’d do anything to have you back. I never thought about the consequences. I am sorry.”
“I want the letter and the phone.”
She got up and he stood, stretching out the tension. She came back with them, and handed them to him. He took them and left without another word.
He drove home. He read the letter as he sat in the driveway. His heart broke at her words, pleading for him to believe that she didn’t steal from him. He thought about the watch all those months ago. She’d left it on her dresser.
He fetched it from the wooden box on his chest of drawers. It was nestled in with his own watches. He ran his thumb over the dome of glass and smiled. He checked his phone and seeing her text asking what to wear. He told her comfortable but nice, and to pack an overnight bag, if she wanted to.
Rebecca’s heart was in her throat. She looked at her underwear and picked out her nicest set. She tried not to panic.
She wore a linen sundress, hair on top of her head, and only a little makeup, it was going to be too hot for anything else. She wore her nice leather flip-flops. She jiggled her knee as she leant against the kitchen work surface looking out the window looking for his car.
It was two minutes after one.
He cursed the roadworks on the ring road, and tried to keep calm. He text her that he was in traffic. She relaxed as she read the text.
“I think he’s ditched you.” Stella was trying to sound indifferent, she failed.
She said nothing, but ten minutes later, he pulled up.
She didn’t even buzz him up, she just left.
He kissed her before she said anything.
“Everything all right?”
“Yes birthday girl.” He eyed the bag she threw on the back seat.
“Where are we going?”
“Shopping and lunch?”
“Shopping?”
“I want to treat you.”
“Arthur you don’t have to spend your money on me.” He only raised a brow, and she sat back, a little annoyed.
He pulled in the carpark of Berkley House. “You said once you’d love to be able to have free reign at the boutiques in the square.”
“You’re not serious?”
His smile said he was. “I’m wealthy. You know that. I have no one to spend my money on. I want to treat you. If it’s only this once, then so be it. But I really want to treat you.”
“It’s too much.”
He unbuckled his seatbelt and leant over to her, he held the back of her head, and kissed her, she relaxed into him. He was needy and demanding, her hands went over his shoulders and she shifted to get closer, she just wanted to go back to his. She moaned when he pulled back. “Let me do this, just to indulge me, please.”
“I’ll do anything you ask me to.” She was breathless.
He muttered something and kissed her again. “I need a minute before I get out the car.” He looked upward and she tried not to smile.
They walked hand in hand through the Saturday crowd. He pulled off his sunglasses and hooked them into his shirt. He led her into the fashionable shop and she noticed how he demanded the attention of others.
The sales assistants came over, all three of them, she may as well not been there.
He smiled and oozed confidence, while she spent ages being handed various outfits trying them on. Arthur looked her over smiling at every one, even if they were awful. She stood in the changing room trying to decide between a couple of dresses.
“Rebecca?”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing, you’ve been ages?”
“Choosing which ones I want.” He stood up from his chair and handed his coffee to the assistant, opened the curtain of the changing room, and closed it behind him, she was only in her underwear.
She just looked at him.
“Which ones to do you like?”
“These four.”
“These four it is.” He took them from her, picking a few other items up. “Don’t hold back. Free Reign.”
“Fine.” She huffed, grabbed a couple of the other outfits, and handed them to him.
“Good.” He pressed her into the wall and kissed her, he held the clothes to one side, and pressed his body into hers, it was intense but brief.
Her eyes went wide when she saw the total, she was about to protest when he turned and held her with a pointed look.
She sighed.
He held her hand as they walked along the shop fronts, laden down with bags. He stopped in front of the lingerie shop and stared at the window display.
“Well, if you’re paying, you can pick me out what you like.” Her words were teasing, but he frowned.
“Don’t think that you’re obliged to choose things I like. They’re for you.”
“Underwear like that is for both of us, don’t you think?” she nodded her head at the window.
She reached up and lightly pecked his lips. She watched him lick his lips and stare at her mouth. He followed her in. The shop was quiet, he asked for a seat while the sales assistant picked out her sizes
in virtually everything.
He wasn’t allowed to see, except he saw a fine printed silk robe while was sat, and asked the girl to wrap it up.
Rebecca only hesitated for a moment. The beautiful, sexy, designer items were expensive, and unnecessary, but it would please him, and she might feel a little more suited to his status. She didn’t hold back.
She felt guilty and chewed her lip when he paid. He only shrugged.
“Shall we have lunch?”
“I’d love to.”
“One last stop.” She sighed but smiled when they went into a shoe shop.
Only there did he pick out a few pairs for her to try, and thinking of the look he gave her last night, she bit the inside of her cheek. He liked shoes.
She turned her ankles this way and that, strutting to and from the mirror. His was flexing his jaw. She looked at him, and raised her eyebrows. Her eyes sparkled with knowing humour.
“We’ll take all of them.” His face didn’t waver and he looked almost dangerous.
Eight hundred pounds worth of shoes.
“No Arthur, it’s too much.”
He whispered in her ear. “These are for me.”
They were laden down with bag upon bag when they sat down to lunch. She was knackered already.
“We should talk.” He was still looking at the menu.
“I guess so.”
“Right then.” They ordered, and when alone he got right to it. “I sold the business for a lot of money. I mean, a lot. If I’m honest with myself, I hadn’t been happy for a while. I realised it when I bought some little company, and it was a nightmare.”
“I remember, you were so stressed.”
“My heart wasn’t in it anymore. I only set up the company to be successful, make some money, so that even though he was gone, I’d make my father proud.
“I’ve done that. Meeting you, I started to want more than my work. I’ve not felt that before. It took a really long time to make that choice, but when mum…I just made up my mind. I thought we could do whatever we wanted. See the world, do all the things you dream about but never get round to, then I was an arse, I know, and I’m sorry.
“When we talked about what we were going to do, I’d had all these plans, I wanted to start ‘us’, but you put the brakes on, I didn’t see that you were right for a while, I was angry, I was grieved. By the time I had realised, it was too late. I thought I had pushed you too far, I thought that last conversation was you saying goodbye.” He sat back. “I’d stay in bed all day, or I’d madly look for you. I kept thinking about mum, and the house. I wanted to back out of the sale, in case you came back.
“I didn’t just sell the company on a whim. I had an offer much higher when I went to London, I’d handled some big contracts for them, but I wanted to protect the people there and what we did. It was a lower offer in the end, but I didn’t need the extra money, I have more than I could ever spend. Do you know what I do when I’m not looking for you? I trawl social media, and crowdfunding sites, and I pay for people to...I don’t know, get medical treatment in the US. Buy kids wheelchairs. Community projects, anything.
“I’d speak to the police every week, I’d look for you in hotels, God, anywhere, that café, that Kate girl, the cinema. Joe and I would go to pubs and clubs looking for you. He said I should let you go, that you didn’t want to be found. I knew I should, I just couldn’t.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t say that. I spoke to Victoria. I went this morning. It was Maddie’s idea. The policeman was at school with us, would do anything for Maddie.”
“Shit.”
“She told me everything. They stole your phone and the letter. She gave them to me. I read it.”
“I see.”
They were quiet and their food came. She ate half her sandwich and began.
“I left and went to the flat I told you about, with Stella. I cried all the time once I got over the shock. Slept for days. I bought a new phone, checked my email, got one of the jobs I’d applied for. That’s it really. I felt terrible, shamed, I was really angry with you, then just sad, and no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t change how I felt about you. I just came to accept that I’m the kind of person that people think is scum. Like with your family. You were so distant after the funeral, I could only think that you were so angry with me still that it was easy for you believe I could steal from you.”
They were both quiet while they finished their lunch. The shift in reality had been a shock, and the truth a relief.
“Would you like to come back to mine?” he looked up, there was a needy look about him.
“I’d love to.”
His house was new and sleek. It was white rendered, and double fronted. The centre was set forward, made of glass, and the door was a double door of wood.
The hall was painted white, and the floor was stone tiled, all the fixtures looked oak, all beautiful. But it felt like a show home in a magazine. He led her past the stairs to the large kitchen diner, the same tiles all the way through. The kitchen was handmade, but modern, the white marble work surface was immaculate. He made them coffee.
“I forgot how beautiful your house is.”
“Thanks.” He gave her a look. “But it’s not you is it?”
“No, and it’s not you either.”
“Just a house I bought, an investment. Not a home. I wanted to ask you something, and it’s okay whatever the answer is.”
“Okay.” She looked leery.
“Stay here.”
“Hey, I bought my overnight bag.”
“No. I mean stay here. Don’t look for another flat.”
She’d half expected it. She went to respond but he cut her off, suddenly unsure.
“I’m not trying to rush this, hear me out. This place is massive. It was hard to only go to mum’s a few times a week, it felt…so comfortable, easy, and I just wanted to be with people I love, all the time. This place is lonely. We could actually potter about and not see each other. There’s the den, and the front room, I have an office, and there’s here.” The dining area in the kitchen had a couch and a TV on the wall. “There are five bedrooms, the second master is the other side of the house to mine, and is en suite. Leave Stella’s and come here, have your own room. I can take you to work, pick you up. You don’t have to spend time with me, you can do your own thing, I just want you in my life.”
She nodded. “Is that all you want?”
“No, I want you. I won’t rush this though, you need a new place to live, but I need you. I have the space. At least think about it.” Think about it? They’d been fannying about for two years, she wasn’t throwing a gift horse of another chance away.
“No, I don’t need to think about it. We can go get my things tomorrow, if you really want this.”
“Really?”
“On one condition.”
“Name it.” She stood up and moved round the island to him.
“Only if I sleep in your room.” He smiled at her bravado, but her blush made her look nervous. He kissed away her nerves, and pulling away, with a little smile he showed the bedroom.
Arthur insisted she have her own room. He put all of her bags in there, and the bathroom persuaded her, it was large with a big deep whirlpool bath.
She kissed him, trying to get him to stay in her room, but he left her.
“I need to go shopping, I have nothing in. Why don’t you have a nice bath, or settle in a bit. We can have a glass of wine, a light dinner later.”
“And then?”
“Whatever you want.”
He asked if there was anything she wanted, she asked for ingredients for a cake.
She took that bath. It had been a strange day, and she wasn’t sure about the change about her, but it was nothing compared to being with him, it was too important to quibble over money.
She put her clothes in the large wardrobe and drawers. She dressed in a black set of underwear, pretty, and the bra did wonders for her boo
bs. She put on a dusty blue dress, the front was a deep vee from the wrap, a tailored silk, and went to her knee. She paired with the pair of stilettos that Arthur had insisted on.
She smiled thinking that these things didn’t really matter to him, he didn’t care if she had them, he just wanted her to feel good. She did. She looked great. She left her hair down, and wore only a little makeup.
She was in the kitchen, familiarising herself with it when Arthur arrived, laden with bags of shopping.
“Bloody hell, did you buy the whole shop.” Arthur didn’t move, he just looked at her. His brow was damp from the heat, and something else.
“Why don’t you go and freshen up, I’ll put the shopping away.” He nodded, tearing himself away.
At least she seemed to have the effect she had hoped for. She started putting everything away with a smile on her face.
He hadn’t come down after half an hour, and she perched on a chair at the table wondering what to do. She couldn’t take anymore and went up. She knocked on his door. He was lying on the bed, only a towel around his waist. Out cold.
She frowned and tilted her head to the side. She looked around his room, it was neutral like hers, but with hints of masculine taste. The linens and curtains were slate. Darker tones for the walls. She hadn’t paid any attention to the room before.
His breath caught and he shifted. She sat on the edge of the bed.
“Arthur.” He opened his eyes and looked confused.
“Hey.” His voice was sleepy. “I’m sorry, I’m so tired.”
“Is everything all right?”
He rubbed his face and shifted so he sat up, she tried not to look away from his face. He looked thinner, more toned. She wondered if he wasn’t eating properly, and working out more. He had devoured his food like he was starved when they had lunch. She was going to feed the hell out of him.
“I really haven’t slept well for months.” He ran the back of his hand over her arm. “I feel like all the worry is gone, and I could sleep for a month, even with you just in the house.”
She just looked at him, tears in her eyes.
“Don’t cry, please.” He sat forward and pressed a kiss to her lips, one of comfort. She wanted more than reassurance, but was afraid to ask for it.
Getting a Life (New City Series Book 1) Page 18
