by Lucy King
‘Armed robbery. She was involved in a jewellery heist that went wrong. She spent seven years inside.’
‘Sounds intriguing.’
Bella frowned. ‘Yes, well, it wasn’t to me. It was awful. I ended up being shunted from one place to the next, never really being in one place long enough to settle.’
‘What about your father?’
She bit her lip. ‘I have no idea who my father is. Neither does my mother.’
‘Fathers can be overrated,’ Will muttered, his thoughts momentarily derailed by the images of a young Bella trudging forlornly from one place to the next that were now flying around his head and making his chest contract in the strangest way.
‘I agree. But I could have done with one, especially during my teens. On the whole I was well looked after.’ She shrugged. ‘I guess I ended up hating always being on the move and constantly living out of a suitcase. I certainly hated the lack of stability.’
‘Commitment doesn’t necessarily mean stability,’ Will said as the knowledge he held about his ancestors flashed across his mind. ‘Or security.’
‘It does to me. So you see that’s why I had to cancel our date. This … You and me … Whatever it is … would never work.’ Bella shrugged and caught her lower lip with her teeth.
Completely transfixed by her mouth, Will reached forwards, cupped her jaw and ran his thumb over her lip. She let out an involuntary gasp and desire roared through his body. ‘You think?’ he murmured.
‘I know,’ she said sharply, jerking back.
Will dropped his hand before he could slide it to the back of her neck, pull her against him again and make a mockery of her assertion and simply stared at her, his pulse hammering.
Who was she trying to kid? It wouldn’t work? That was the most nonsensical thing he’d ever heard. Of course it would work. They were dynamite together. Totally explosive. Did she even know how rare the kind of chemistry that they shared was? Not to indulge in it, however briefly, would be a crime against nature.
All he had to do was get her to see things his way. Show her that a short-term fling needn’t interfere with her long-term goals. Or his.
Will’s mind raced as desire and need drowned out reason and logic. Oh, he had no doubt it wouldn’t be easy. Bella wasn’t going to change her mind, roll over and hand herself to him on a plate. But that merely added to the challenge, and he’d never been one to shy away from a challenge.
Attrition. That was the thing. He’d gradually erode her resistance until she was desperate, begging him to make love to her and willing to agree to anything he suggested.
‘I see your point,’ he said as adrenalin surged through him at the thought of having Bella in his arms, panting and pleading for release.
‘There are bound to be hundreds of other women out there you can have incredible sex with.’
‘Bound to be,’ he said vaguely, his brain switching into gear and formulating a plan. Because if this evening had clarified anything it was that right now he didn’t want sex, incredible or otherwise, with anyone else. He wanted it with her. Lots of it.
‘Oh,’ she said, blinking and sounding delightfully taken aback. ‘Good. Well. I’m glad you agree.’
‘I couldn’t agree more.’ He flashed her a grin and wrapped his hand round her elbow. ‘Now I think we should be getting back before someone sends out a search party, don’t you?’
CHAPTER NINE
THE following morning, after twelve hours of solid sleep, Bella felt like a different person. All was now well with the world. At least with her world, which she’d chosen to decorate with denial and to view through rose-tinted spectacles.
After the turbulent conversation and mind-blowing kiss outside the loos, she and Will had gone back into the restaurant to find the table empty. The waiter removing the empty glasses and the unused cutlery had murmured discreetly that their dining companions had given up waiting and had informed him that Will and Bella would take care of the bill.
Will, as surprisingly unperturbed by this as he’d been by her revelations about her parentage, had brushed aside all her efforts to at least split the bill, and had handed over his card. Then he’d bundled her into a taxi as if he couldn’t get rid of her fast enough, and had vanished into the night.
Very possibly to go straight round to Rosie’s to get some of that incredible sex she’d stupidly assured him others would be only too happy to provide.
God, what on earth had possessed her to say that? she wondered, switching the oven on and taking a couple of croissants from the freezer. She’d only tossed it into the conversation as a throwaway comment, so naturally it was the one thought that had dominated her journey home.
As much as she’d tried to tell herself that she really couldn’t care less, she’d arrived home slightly confused, greatly unsettled, and too exhausted to do anything other than flop into bed and pass out.
But this morning she was revived. Ravenous, but revived. And heartily relieved that everything was back to normal. Because it was, wasn’t it?
And if a tiny part of her was still a bit preoccupied by the idea of Will and Rosie together, and if another even tinier part of her was faintly put out that Will had agreed with her about the futility of pursuing any kind of relationship with her with quite such alacrity, well, it was simply hunger messing with her head. That was all.
Bella dropped the croissants onto a tray and shoved it in the oven, her mouth watering and her stomach rumbling.
Oh, yes. All was indeed well with the world.
Except for one thing.
Bella frowned, straightened and bit her lip. As much as she was enjoying patting herself on the back at how well she’d managed to extricate herself from a situation trickier than a magicians’ convention, she couldn’t help but feel appalled at the shoddy way she’d treated Sam.
It had been jabbing away at her conscience all morning and as a fresh deluge of guilt washed over her her stomach churned with shame. She didn’t deserve freshly brewed coffee and delicious hot buttery croissants; she deserved lukewarm water and thin grey gruel. Because basically she’d used him, hadn’t she? And that had been a lousy thing to do.
Hmm. If she was to enjoy her badly needed breakfast at all, she had to fix things. Before the timer pinged.
Picking up the phone and dialling Sam’s number before she had the chance to chicken out, Bella leaned against the counter and concentrated on the rings instead of the ball of nerves and shame tangling in the pit of her stomach.
‘Hello?’
‘Sam?’ she said. ‘It’s Bella.’
‘Ah,’ he said knowingly, and she inwardly cringed. ‘And how are you this morning?’
He sounded intrigued and Bella closed her eyes for a second. ‘Fine. Better than I should be. Look, Sam, I’m so sorry about last night.’
‘Don’t be.’
‘Please let me apologise. It was unfair of me to use you like that and I shouldn’t have done it.’
‘Did you see me complaining? It was the most fun I’ve had in years.’
Huh? Her eyes snapped open at the chuckle that came down the line. Crikey. If that was the case then he needed to get out more.
‘Nevertheless,’ she said, guilt still swilling around her insides, ‘it was unforgivable to abandon you like that.’
‘I imagine you and Will had things … to discuss.’
‘We did,’ Bella muttered, and determinedly ignored the memory of the exact nature of their ‘discussion’. ‘But that’s no excuse.’
‘Well, please don’t worry about it. I have a date with the lovely Rosie next week so all in all I had a great night. Really.’
Oh. Relief flooded through her, although whether at the fact that Sam really didn’t seem to mind or at the fact that if he and Rosie were going on a date then the odds of her and Will having spent the night together had just dropped dramatically she didn’t want to know.
Whichever it was, Bella felt the anxiety gripping her body ease and blew out
a breath. ‘OK, if you’re sure … ‘
‘I am,’ he said. ‘But I appreciate the thought, so thank you. So what about you? How was your night?’
‘I’ve had better,’ Bella said dryly, and then jumped at the sound of the buzzer ricocheting through her flat. ‘Hang on,’ she said, clutching the phone to her chest and picking up the intercom. ‘Yes?’
‘It’s Will.’
For a moment Bella’s heart stopped and she went cold. Then it started up again at double its usual rate and she went so hot she nearly passed out.
Oh, God, she thought, her brain racing. What was he doing here? He was supposed to have exited her life so why had he pitched up outside her flat? Fate really did seem to have it in for her.
‘What do you want?’ she said, sounding none too friendly but too wired to do anything about it.
‘Can I come up?’
Agh. Resisting the temptation to say no and then hide, Bella muttered beneath her breath and buzzed him in. Her heart beating annoyingly fast, she stuck the phone back to her ear. ‘Sorry about that,’ she said.
‘I don’t know whether to be shocked or impressed by your vocabulary,’ said Sam. ‘I take it your visitor isn’t welcome.’
‘Not particularly.’ She sighed and briefly closed her eyes. ‘I swear Will Cameron’s sole purpose on this planet is to torment me.’ She could hear the sound of muffled laughter coming down the line. ‘It’s not funny,’ she said huffily.
‘I think it’s hilarious,’ he said and she could practically see his grin.
Huh. He really did need to get out more. ‘I’m delighted you think so.’
‘Good luck.’
‘Thanks,’ she muttered. ‘You too.’
Bella hung up, and, at the sound of footsteps thumping up the stairs, stalked along the hall. Resisting the urge to see what she looked like in the mirror that hung above the console table, she opened the door. It was a Sunday morning and she was off work, so Will could take her as he found her.
Ah. Maybe that wasn’t such a good choice of words. A vision of Will pushing her up against the wall, ripping off her clothes and taking her exactly as he found her slammed into her head and she went dizzy.
Hmm, she thought, taking a deep breath and willing her heart rate to steady. As her brain was behaving like a loose cannon maybe she ought to disengage it. Maybe she ought to keep everything nice and easy and simply deal with the facts.
Yes, that was it. Tugging her shoulders back and setting her jaw, Bella channelled her inner calm. She’d focus on the reason he’d come and not the hope that he was planning to continue where they left off last night.
She froze, her heart skipping a beat. The hope? No, that was wrong. The fear. That was what she’d meant. Yes, the fear that he’d try and carry on where they’d left off. Better remember that.
‘Good morning, Bella,’ said Will, reaching the top of the stairs and giving her a dazzling smile.
Hmm. It would be a damn sight easier to remember that she didn’t want him to continue where they left off last night if he didn’t look quite so good. This morning he was wearing a battered brown leather jacket, jeans and a red jumper that looked so soft she wanted to rub her cheek against it.
And what did he have to be so cheerful about anyway? she wondered, biting on that cheek and stamping out any ideas it might have about snuggling up to his chest. Had he just come from a sexathon with Rosie? Not that she was interested, of course, and not that she’d ever ask, but still. Something had certainly put a spring in his step, and the odds they’d spent the night together—which had dropped so dramatically while she’d been on the phone to Sam—rocketed.
Utterly thrown by the weird tangle of stuff churning around inside her on top of the dazzling smile, Bella fought back a scowl and mustered up a bright smile of her own.
The facts, she reminded herself. Stick to the facts.
‘Please, do come in,’ she said, standing aside, releasing her grip on the edge of the front door and hoping her knees had enough strength to keep her upright.
Will brushed past her and Bella’s breath caught in her throat. God, if she’d thought he robbed her shop of oxygen, here it felt as if the walls were imploding in the vacuum.
‘Would you like some coffee?’ she managed, pointing him in the direction of her kitchen. The kitchen had windows. The kitchen had air.
‘That would be lovely.’
Will sat down and Bella busied herself pouring him a cup, grinding her teeth and trying to ignore the sensation that his eyes were boring into her back. ‘Croissant?’ she muttered, setting the cup on the table and glancing at him.
Will shot her another smile. ‘Why not?’
If he hadn’t wiped all rational thought from her head, she was pretty sure she’d have been able to think of a whole number of reasons why not. Instead, she found herself fishing the butter from the fridge and decanting some jam into a bowl.
With breakfast set out on the table Bella sat down and ignored the fact that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d shared breakfast with a man.
‘So how’s Rosie this morning?’ she said and went still. Oh, damn. More interested than she’d tried to kid herself, then. What had happened to focusing on why Will was here?
He arched an eyebrow. ‘Fine.’
Bella blinked and felt as if someone had thumped her in the stomach. So he had gone round to see her after he’d left her in the restaurant. It really shouldn’t hurt so much. ‘I’m so glad,’ she said, her voice cracking a little. Then she rallied and resisted the urge to snatch the cup of coffee from in front of him. ‘So’s Sam,’ she said with a bright smile. ‘Fine, that is.’
His jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. ‘I see.’
Several long slow seconds ticked by. ‘So that’s good, then. That they’re both fine, I mean.’
‘Isn’t it?’ Will threw the contents of his cup down his throat, seemingly impervious to the heat.
The buzzer pinged and Bella shot to her feet as if her chair had unexpectedly caught fire. Grabbing a tea towel, she whipped the croissants out of the oven and slid them onto a plate.
‘So,’ said Will, watching her every move, ‘are you seeing him again?’
Unlikely, seeing as he was going on a date with Rosie, but maybe Will didn’t know that. She sat back down and vaguely waved a hand. ‘Oh … Ah … Well, I might. I don’t know.’
‘Right.’ He nodded, looked as if he was about to say something else but then changed his mind, and instead broke open the croissant.
‘What about you and Rosie?’ she asked, every one of her facial muscles aching with the effort of maintaining her smile.
‘What about us?’
‘Are you seeing her again? Did you see her again? Maybe after you put me in the taxi?’
Will glanced up and stared at her, stunned incredulity written all over his face. ‘What? Of course I didn’t.’
‘Yet you know she’s fine … ‘ Dammit, why couldn’t she let this go?
‘Because that’s what she said when I called her this morning to apologise for leaving her in the restaurant like that.’
Bella’s eyes jerked to his and relief spun through her. ‘Oh, thank heavens for that. I thought … Well, you probably don’t want to know what I thought.’
For a moment there was utter silence, then Will thumped his hand on the table and she and the crockery jumped. ‘God, Bella, what kind of man do you think I am?’
Not the sort of man she’d been thinking he was, clearly. She felt herself go red and a fresh wave of mortification washed over her.
‘OK, I’m sorry. I just assumed … ‘ She trailed off and shrugged. ‘Never mind.’ God, what was wrong with her?
‘I went straight home. I assumed you did too.’ His jaw tightened and his face darkened ominously. ‘Now, though, I find myself revising my assumption.’
‘Don’t,’ she said quickly. ‘I mean you’re right. I came straight home too. And I only know that Sam’s fine becaus
e I was on the phone to him earlier, when you buzzed. Apologising as well, funnily enough.’
Bella thought she heard him mutter something like ‘bloody games’ but then he pulled himself together and visibly relaxed. ‘Did you hear they’re going on a date together?’
‘So I understand.’
One corner of his mouth hitched and Bella’s stomach flipped. ‘A couple of regular little cupids, aren’t we?’
‘Aren’t we just.’ She wrapped her hands around her cup of coffee, took a sip and reminded herself that Cupid had no business popping up anywhere where she and Will were concerned.
The facts, on the other hand … Bella set her cup back down and forced herself to concentrate. ‘So why are you here, Will?’
‘I need your help.’
Her eyebrows shot up. ‘Oh? With what?’
‘Remember my jewellery collection?’
‘How could I forget it?’ she said dryly.
‘Quite. Well, I need to get the fake stones replaced with real ones.’
‘Why?’
‘Because the collection is to go on display.’
For a moment there was utter silence. Bella opened her mouth then shut it and stared at him as he calmly buttered his croissant. ‘But it can’t,’ she said, appalled.
‘I know.’ He shrugged and added a dollop of jam. ‘However, it is. In approximately three weeks.’
Three weeks? ‘How?’ she said, her head swimming with questions and bafflement. ‘Why?’
Will took a bite, swallowed and sighed in appreciation. ‘If you remember the collection,’ he said, ‘then I imagine you’ll remember my aunt.’
Bella tried to focus. How could he eat at a time like this? Her own appetite, which had previously been enormous, had vanished. ‘Of course.’
Will sat back and looked at her. ‘I discovered last night that she promised the director of the Grayson Museum that they could exhibit the collection.’
Bella frowned. The Grayson was one of the finest private museums in the country. Under any other circumstances it would be a major coup. For both parties. Under these circumstances, however, it was a disaster of epic proportions. ‘Why on earth would she do something like that?’
