He shook his head at her tone. ‘I hope you’re not serious.’
She opened the cupboard and pulled out a tin of baked beans. ‘About which part?’
His cheeky smile reached from ear to ear. ‘About the favourite nightwear part. I’m hoping you’ve got something much more appropriate than that.’
Had he really just said that? He must have because tiny electric sparks were currently shooting down her spine and making her toes curl.
She opened the tin of beans, poured them into a bowl and started to nuke them in the microwave. ‘Why do I think you’re going to be a pain in the neck to have around?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘You seem to have been hit with a sass attack. Exactly how much wine did you drink?’
‘Obviously not enough.’
‘Wow.’ Reuben mocked being hit in the chest and fell against the wall. ‘What’s happened to you?’
She shrugged. ‘I had an adrenaline surge when I thought someone was breaking in. You know, the old fight-or-flight thing. Then when the police arrived I started to panic.’ She turned the bacon over in the grill pan. ‘Both those things have left me now. It’s late. I planned on being asleep around an hour ago. Instead, I’m playing hostess in a kitchen that isn’t mine and plotting an elaborate lie to tell Caleb about his award.’
She stuck some bread in the toaster and walked back over to the coffee machine. ‘Now, pick your poison or learn how to work this yourself.’
He laughed and walked over next to her. ‘You know, the giant pink teddy bear is losing her appeal.’
‘That’s fine. I never wanted to be a cuddly toy.’ She pressed some buttons and coffee and milk steamed out of the coffee maker.
‘I’ll have what you’re having,’ he said quickly. He obviously didn’t want to miss out on the chance of coffee and would drink anything.
She made another latte, put the bacon on a plate on the middle of the kitchen island and lifted the steaming-hot bowl of baked beans from the microwave. The toast popped and she took the butter from the fridge and put everything down in front of him, handing him a plate and some cutlery and sitting at the other side of the island.
She could feel the intense brown eyes on her again. Part of her wondered what he was thinking. Part of her was too scared to even think that far.
He started buttering his toast. ‘I thought I asked for a sandwich.’ He kept buttering.
She could feel her anger starting to smart. This guy was a royal pain in the neck. The tranquil time she’d expected to get here had been ruined. Two weeks to get her head together and make some plans for when she came back from her holidays—hopefully enough time to secure another tenancy somewhere.
‘I made an executive decision. Bread would be too squishy.’
The edges of his mouth turned upwards. He was trying to keep a straight face. He lifted the bacon onto his toast and grabbed a spoon for the beans. ‘Squishy.’
‘Squishy,’ she said again as she put her bacon in the middle of her toast and spooned some beans onto the side of her plate.
She lifted the toast towards her mouth. ‘Now I’m going to watch you eating that without getting beans all down the front of your white T-shirt.’
‘That sounds like a challenge.’
‘You bet it is.’
* * *
Things were beyond odd. He was beginning to like the pink teddy bear more and more—particularly now she was showing some added spark.
He could tell his mere presence annoyed her. Under normal circumstances he’d probably feel the same way. When Caleb had offered him somewhere to stay while his building work was done he’d been relieved. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough money to check into a hotel—he could have done that easily. But then he would have been constantly around people when what he really wanted was some peace and quiet in order to negotiate a deal with a troublesome sports star.
Even though Addison didn’t really approve of him, his days of being a bad boy were more or less over. He just didn’t have enough hours in the day any more.
He watched as Lara poked at her plate with a fork, trying to spear the baked beans individually.
‘Slippery little suckers,’ he said as he tried to hold his sandwich together. She glared at him as he took a bite. After a few seconds he spoke again. ‘Okay, you got me. I’ll admit it. It tastes great.’
She gave a hint of a smile. ‘It is pretty good.’
‘Better than chocolate and wine?’
‘Never.’
This girl was fun. Or she could be fun if she’d just let her guard down a little.
‘So, how did come to be working for Caleb and Addison?’
She sat back on her stool at little and sipped her coffee. ‘I met Addison through a mutual friend. She was looking for a nanny at short notice and I had just got back from Australia.’
‘What were you doing out there?’
She gave a little shrug. ‘I went to see the world but ended up only seeing Perth. I met someone when I got there and ended up working as a nanny for a family there for nearly ten months.’
‘Why did you come back?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘My visa was going to expire and I hadn’t met an Australian I could con into marrying me.’
The more she shot at him the more he liked her. ‘I don’t believe that for a second.’
She shook her head. ‘The guy I met, Josh, was English. Let’s just say I don’t have a good record with guys. If he’s a loser, I’m attracted to him. If he’s a cheat, I can’t spot it. If he’s bad for me in any way, shape or form I seem to fall for him hook, line and sinker.’
Now he was definitely curious. ‘You staying here—is this about a guy?’
She let out a sigh. ‘Let’s just say after today’s Sliding Doors moment it looks like I’m going my dream holiday on my own.’
‘Sliding Doors?’
‘Yes, as in the movie.’
‘Never seen it. What do you mean?’
‘You’ve never seen it?’ She shook her head. ‘Where have you been? The girl gets out of work early and runs to catch the tube. In one version she makes the train, in the other she doesn’t. In the version when she gets home early, she catches her boyfriend in bed with someone else.’
He sat back, bacon and beans forgotten. ‘And that happened to you?’ Maybe he should actually start watching these chick-flick movies.
She sighed again and nodded.
‘Ouch. Blooming fool. Who is he? Do you want me to go and sort him out?’
Her head shot up. She looked surprised. ‘Of course I don’t.’
He shook his head. ‘Oh, please. Don’t tell me you still love the guy?’
She leaned her head on her hands. ‘I’m not sure I ever really did. I just feel as if I’ve got “Mug” stamped across my forehead in big letters. I just shoved everything I could into a case and left.’
‘How long did you stay together?’
‘In London? Just the last six months. I met him when I went travelling to Australia and we rented the flat together when we came back.’ She toyed with her coffee cup. ‘Not that he actually paid any rent. He was...’ she lifted her fingers in the air ‘“...writing” apparently. I guess that wasn’t all he was doing.’
Reuben frowned. ‘And who was the other woman?’
She groaned. ‘The next-door neighbour. I couldn’t even punch her. She’s built like an Amazon and could probably squash me beneath one of her size-eight feet.’
He couldn’t help it. He let out a laugh.
She picked up the dishtowel and flicked it at him. ‘It’s not funny!’ His coffee cup tipped and few dark brown splashes splattered his white shirt.
He looked down. He’d been travelling for hours and was feeling grubby anyway. Perfect
time to change.
He shook his head and started laughing as he undid the buttons. ‘Tell me there’s a washing machine around here somewhere?’ Every white kitchen door looked identical. He had no idea what lay behind any one of them.
Lara had started to laugh but it seemed to die somewhere in her throat. He looked up to see what was wrong. Her eyes were fixed firmly on his chest. It was an automatic reaction. He sucked in his abs—even though he had no need to. He hadn’t even thought twice about taking off his shirt. Maybe she was shyer than he’d thought?
‘Give me a second till I grab a T-shirt,’ he said quickly, walking back out and getting his bag from the hall. He rummaged around and grabbed a black T-shirt, pulling it over his head as he walked back in. ‘Now...’ he smiled ‘...where were we?’
Lara hadn’t moved. It was as if the words were stuck somewhere at the back of her throat. She gave a little shudder and fixed him with her eyes.
Her very blue eyes.
He hadn’t been paying enough attention.
He’d already noticed the hint of curves beneath her nightwear. While her blonde hair was currently piled on top of her head he could imagine it sitting in long waves past her shoulders.
He could also imagine her in a really sexy dress and heels.
He said the first thing that came into his head. ‘You didn’t have anyone else you could stay with?’
It was an innocent enough question. Trouble was, it made her insides curl up a little and made her feel a bit pathetic.
But he wasn’t finished. ‘Isn’t it a bit strange to come and stay with your boss?’
She should have stopped to think for a second. But thinking wasn’t really Lara’s style—particularly not when she’d just had a glimpse of mind-numbing abs. ‘I haven’t been in London that long. I originally came from Sheffield so all my friends are up there. And because of the job—looking after Tristan—I haven’t really had time to make any good friends since I got here.’ She bit the inside of her cheek. ‘To be honest, I’m not quite sure what I would have done if Addison had said I couldn’t stay.’
She could feel the rush of heat into her cheeks. She felt a bit embarrassed and was definitely squirming. This was rubbish. She wasn’t the person who had done anything wrong here. Not like Josh-gets-into-bed-with-the-wrong-woman or Reuben-breaks-into-houses-Tyler. It was time to turn the tables.
‘Reuben?’
‘Yeah?’ He was trying to appear casual as he finished his coffee.
‘How, exactly, do you know Caleb?’
She’d stood up to clear the plates away and started loading the dishwasher.
‘Why do you want to know?’
‘I guess I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to let you stay, or if I’m going to phone the police again.’
He rolled his eyes and gave a casual wave of his hand. ‘I knew him years ago.’
She banged the dishwasher closed and pressed a few buttons before sliding back onto the stool across from him. ‘Where did you know him?’
He sighed. ‘What’s with the interrogation? Isn’t it about time to go to bed?’ He didn’t mean it to come out that way but his voice just naturally inclined upwards as he spoke. It gave the sentence a hint of cheekiness.
Lara’s cheeks flushed with colour as she pointedly ignored his comment. ‘You asked me how I got the job. It’s only fair I ask you how you know Caleb—particularly when I’ve never seen you around here before.’
Reuben held onto the worktop and leaned back on the stool. His back was beginning to seize up. He really needed to lie down.
‘Caleb and I went to school together.’
‘Really? What school?’
He cringed. He knew exactly what came next. ‘Eton.’
Her mouth fell open. ‘Eton?’ He should feel insulted. The surprise wasn’t because Caleb had gone to Eton, the surprise was definitely directed at him.
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘What can I say? I was a posh boy.’
The colour was starting to die down in her cheeks. It was obvious she was curious. ‘It’s a long way from Ireland,’ she said. It was a natural thing to say but he barely blinked.
‘Yes, it is.’ It was almost as if he were drawing a line in the sand.
She put her elbows on the worktop and leaned towards him. ‘You said you just got back from the US on business. What is it that you do?’
‘A bit of this, a bit of that.’
She waggled her finger at him. ‘Oh, no. Don’t give me that. What is your job title exactly?’
‘I’m a businessman.’
She waved her hands. ‘And so says the entire population of London.’
‘I’m a sports agent.’ He said quickly, in the hope it would stop her asking questions.
Her eyes widened. ‘You mean you’re Jerry Maguire?’
He shook his head. ‘If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard that...’
She perched back up on the stool. ‘I like movies but I’m not what you’d call a sports fan. Well, truth be told, I hate sport, but will I know anyone you manage?’
He shrugged. ‘If you hate sport, probably not. A few footballers, a few cricketers. One tennis player. Also some basketball and baseball players. A few big-name American footballers.’
She gave him a curious stare. ‘So that’s why you jet around?’
He paused for a second. ‘Most of the time. I have clients in the US, Italy, Spain and England right now. And I’m always looking for the next big signing. Things get a bit crazy at times. It’s a mad world out there and sometimes the whole business of a team is based on who they sign—and more importantly how that person behaves. One stupid interview comment can make a team’s shares plummet. I sometimes have to do some troubleshooting or some collateral damage limitation. That can take me pretty much anywhere. The US this week, Spain last week. For the next two weeks I’m in London.’
‘Lucky me,’ she said quickly. He sucked in a breath. For a second he wasn’t sure if it had been sarcasm or wit, but then the edges of her mouth turned upwards.
She leaned her head on one of her hands. ‘So, if you and Caleb are such lifelong friends, how come you haven’t been to see him once in all the time I’ve worked here?’
He paused to swallow the last of his coffee. ‘While it’s true that Caleb and I go way back, it’s not the same with Addison. Though she’s far too polite to come out and say it, I have a strong suspicion that she might not like me very much.’
Lara frowned. Sure, Reuben was annoying, verging on arrogant, but what possible reason did Addison have to actively dislike the man enough to discourage his presence in her home? Should she be worried?
‘Why do you think it is exactly that Addison doesn’t like you?’ She strove to keep her tone neutral and the wobble out of her voice.
He took a few seconds before he answered. ‘Let’s just say I knew Caleb when we were relatively young guys—long before Addison came on the scene—and we might have been involved in a few...’ he paused to think of the right word ‘...boisterous activities.’
‘Boisterous activities? That’s it? That’s all you’re giving me?’
He nodded. ‘I think that would be best.’
She folded her arms across her chest and looked through the kitchen window into the darkness. ‘Looks like a long, rainy night out there to me...’ She let her voice drift off.
‘You’ve got to be joking? You’d actually ask me to leave?’
She started walking around the kitchen. ‘Absolutely. And just think, there’s a lovely king-sized bed up there, with fresh, clean sheets just waiting for you to jump in and ease your tired bones.’ She folded her arms around herself and rubbed her hands up and down them. She knew exactly how to play him.
He sat down his coffee cup. ‘You’re a man
ipulator.’
‘And you could be a murderer, a drug dealer or...’ she scrunched up her nose ‘...even worse, a wannabe.’
‘A what?’ He couldn’t hide the surprise in his voice. ‘What are you talking about?’
She waved her hand. ‘You tell me you’re a sports agent, then you tell me you have to sort out badly behaved sports stars. You might just want to hang around them. You might even bring random dubious sport stars back to this place. They could wreck it.’
He shook his head. ‘You honestly think I want to hang around these guys? Some of them are worse behaved than two-year-olds.’
She folded her arms across her chest again. ‘Then give me a straight answer. Explain your “boisterous activities”.’
Boy. She was good. He’d practically walked right into that one.
He stood up, put both hands at his waist and arched his aching back. ‘Fine. We did some cliff-jumping, some free running. There might have been a little police involvement back in the day. Then there was the usual girl stuff. That’s probably why Addison doesn’t like me. She probably thinks of me as a bad influence or something.’
Lara leaned against one of the white cupboards. ‘Why? Because you encouraged her husband to take part in extreme sports, or because of the girl stuff?’
He ran his fingers through his hair. Jet-lag was definitely hitting right now. ‘Truth? Probably a bit of both. But, remember, this was all before her time.’ It wasn’t exactly the truth. But that was as much as he was willing to say.
Lara gave a nod. She’d finished cleaning the kitchen and it was back to its original sparkling white show-home-kitchen appearance. The kind of kitchen that looked as if people didn’t actually live in the house. ‘Well, that’s okay, then.’
She was still watching him with those wary blue eyes. He was trying not to think about the idiot who’d cheated on her and was obviously short of a few brain cells.
Holiday with the Millionaire Page 3
