Soliman, Wendy - The Name of the Game (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Wendy Soliman

  “Yes, that keeps his bank balance stoked. His wife, by the way, is strictly NHS. Doesn’t approve of hubby dipping his toe into the private sector.”

  “Dr. Seymour returned from her holiday early and looked as though she was under some sort of pressure.”

  “We’re thinking that she found out what her husband’s been up to,” Matt said. “If she’s legit, then it would play on her conscience.”

  “Possibly,” Nate agreed.

  “Anything else?” Matt asked, clearly frustrated that Nate’s initial enquires hadn’t brought anything more interesting to light.

  “Well, Andrews is a decent golfer.”

  “Golf?” Matt sat a little straighter.

  “Yes, why? Is that important?”

  “It could be. Where does he play?”

  “Ashdown Forest.”

  “Then we’ve found the connection.” Matt thumped the arm of his chair. “Roker is a scratch golfer and also plays at Ashdown.”

  “In that case, it might be significant that Andrews was accused of cheating in a tournament at the club.”

  “In golfing circles, isn’t that akin to committing murder?” Ashley asked.

  “Yes, it is,” Nate agreed. “In the normal way of things, even being suspected of underhand tactics would be enough to get a member blackballed. But in Andrews’s case there wasn’t even a hearing and the charges were dismissed.”

  “Had it been otherwise,” Matt said, “Andrews would have been out on his ear, socially disgraced, and no one would have wanted to know him.”

  “Right,” Nate said. “But the chairman of the ethics committee decreed that there was no case to answer.”

  “And let me guess,” Matt said. “Roker’s that chairman.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Right first time.” Nate’s tone resonated with disgust. “So much for being a family friend. The guy’s obviously trying to screw you.”

  “Yes, but at least now I know what I’m dealing with, I can tackle Dr. Andrews, give him the chance of avoiding jail by telling what he’s done.” Matt’s expression was grim. “By the time I’ve laid it on the line, social ruin will seem tame by comparison.”

  “Shouldn’t you involve the police?” Nate asked.

  “Probably, but I want to try and avoid that, at least for now. I can settle the claims, confront Roker, and—”

  “And sweep it under the carpet?”

  “No, Nate, never that. The buck stops with me, and I’ll take responsibility for any fall out. But I’d like to talk to Roker’s partners, to see if we can salvage the amalgamation. Whether or not they want to involve the police is up to them, but whatever happens, the story’s yours to do with as you wish after that.”

  “Thanks, Matt. I won’t print anything you’d rather see suppressed.”

  “I know that, but just wait until I give you the word.” Matt clasped Nate’s shoulder as the men stood, and Matt lead the way to the door.

  “Bye, Ashley.” Nate turned to shake her hand, changed his mind, and kissed her cheek instead. “It was good to meet you. Best of luck.”

  “Thanks so much for your help.”

  It seemed very quiet after the American left. Matt and Ashley stood there, just starting at one another, assimilating all they’d just learned.

  “So, now we know,” Matt said, sighing heavily.

  “Yes, we do.” Ashley paused. “I’m sorry, Matt. I know you didn’t want to believe it of Phil Roker. He’s a friend of yours, or at least you thought he was, and that makes it tough to take.”

  “You saw through him at once.” Matt grimaced. “What does that say for my judgement?”

  “You trusted him. He knew that and played on it. Just as Eve knew of the animosity between you and Charlie and fed it.”

  “I’d give a hell of a lot to know why Phil’s doing this to us.” Matt paused, staring out the window, his back to Ashley. “To me. It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “I dare say he’ll take pleasure in telling you when he knows he’s been caught.”

  “Undoubtedly.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and flipped it open. “I’d better tell Charlie the glad tidings.”

  They had a brief conversation, from which Ashley gathered that Charlie was already with Roker and couldn’t talk freely.

  “Call me back when you can.”

  Matt closed his phone, turned toward Ashley, and smiled at her.

  “Right,” he said, “first a slap-up room service meal, and then I have investigations of a different nature to undertake.”

  Ashley tilted her head, her expression flirtatious. “Whatever do you mean, boss?”

  “You know damned well.” he said, choking on a laugh. “That suit.”

  “Ah yes, how could I forget?”

  “It’s new? I don’t recall seeing it before.”

  “Yes, I couldn’t bear to wear anything I have down here. I know it’s stupid, but Eve unpacked it all, so it feels contaminated. Besides, I needed a confidence boost.”

  “Let me pay for it.”

  “You don’t need to.”

  His mouth curved in a wicked smile. “I insist. That way I get to claim owner’s rights and can peel it off you any way I choose.”

  “I might have let you do that anyway, but thanks.” Ashley laughed up at him. “I’m starting to feel like a kept woman.”

  “Get used to it, baby.”

  “Just so that you know, the suit was ridiculously expensive.”

  He pretended to be affronted. “You think I’d dress you on the cheap?”

  Ashley stood on her toes and placed a delicate kiss on the cleft in his chin. “You’re more concerned with undressing me. You just admitted it.”

  “Ah well, you’ve got me there.”

  They ate, sitting at a table in the suite that overlooked the harbour. Only candlelight illuminated the room, soft music adding to the charged atmosphere. The food was delicious, but Ashley barely tasted it. Instead, she was acutely conscious of Matt’s fingers constantly brushing against hers, of their knees touching beneath the table, of his eyes, devoid of all strain now, making love to her as he fed her from his own fork. She pushed all thoughts of Eve to the back of her mind. That situation had to be tackled.

  But not tonight.

  They took their time when they finally fell into bed because, for once, time was something that they had an abundance of. No more snatched nights or interrupted liaisons. No more hiding.

  No more pretence.

  Matt’s heightened passion, his determination to give her pleasure at the expense of his own, tugged at her on a level she had no control over. Power, strength, and total control appeared to guide him as exquisite shards of sensation brought her alive. She squirmed beneath his marauding hands, desperate for him, her breathing ragged as his tongue worked its way through every crevice, lingering, exploring, tasting her.

  “I love you, Ashley.”

  His eyes were alight with tenderness as he finally gave in to her pleadings and entered her.

  She wrapped her legs round his waist and closed her eyes. “Tell me again,” she said, lifting her hips to meet him and groaning as pleasure enveloped her.

  “I love you so damned much that it hurts.”

  “Not good enough.”

  She pushed at his shoulder, sending him tumbling sideways. Still joined, he flopped on his back, and she straddled him, riding him hard.

  “I can’t think about anything, other than you, and what we’re doing right now.” Matt groaned and gave a savage thrust upward. Ashley anticipated it and sank down to meet him halfway. “Not even when the future of the whole bloody company I’ve worked so hard to build is at stake.”

  “Hmm, better.”

  “Marry me, Ashley Wilde. Just as soon as I’m free, you’re gonna marry me.”

  “Is that a proposal?”

  Ashley closed her eyes and tossed her head sideways, consumed by pleasure both physical and cerebral. They’d discussed a future together
, but he’d never suggested marriage before. If she’d had any doubts about his integrity, they evaporated at that moment.

  “It sure is.”

  She opened her eyes, a triumphant smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Then ask me again when you’re thinking with your brain.”

  “You want a grand romantic gesture?”

  Ashley didn’t answer. She couldn’t because he kissed her, and she exploded mere seconds after his lips claimed hers.

  They slept locked in one another’s arms, but woke early, ready to face the realities of the day. The shared the shower, made love for the third—or was it the fourth?—time, and then breakfasted in the suite. For some reason, Ashley was ravenous.

  “I want you to go back to Reigate straightaway,” he said as they ate.

  “All right. Why?”

  “There’s no need for you to be down here anymore. Go back to the flat, pack your things, and go straight home.”

  “What’s going on, Matt? What is it that you’re not telling me?”

  “I’m going to confront Eve today,” he said tersely. “I’d rather you were safely out of the way when I do so.”

  “Shouldn’t you see what Dr. Andrews has to say for himself first?”

  “Charlie’s going to do that whilst I’m with Eve. We agreed on that when he called me back last night.”

  Ashley thought about it. “I can see the sense in that. I’ll go home then, but ring me as soon as you’ve spoken to Eve.”

  “Of course.”

  “Good luck,” she said, kissing him as she readied herself to leave the suite. “I’ll be thinking of you.”

  “I know you will.”

  * * * *

  Ashley drove back to Reigate, unable to rid herself of the feeling that she’d overlooked something important about Roker’s relationship with Matt’s family. Unless she missed her guess, something more than mere ambition drove him. On a whim, she changed course and headed for Lingfield. No one was expecting her back at Reigate, so she wouldn’t be missed. Matt had mentioned that Sophie and Philip Roker used to be close friends. She was curious to see if Sophie could shed any light on the reasons for his actions. At the very least, she probably knew more about his background than Matt did. Matt hadn’t been around in the early days when Roker worked at Interactive. Besides, women were generally more intuitive. She phoned Sophie as she approached her house.

  “Sophie, it’s Ashley.”

  “Ashley.” Sophie’s voice brightened. “How nice to hear from you.”

  “I’m on my way back to Reigate and wondered if I could stop by.”

  “By all means. It would be lovely to see you.” She paused. “You sound a bit grim. Has something happened?”

  Only then did Ashley realize that what she knew about Eve would distress Sophie. She’d indicated that she didn’t much care for Matt’s wife, but still, her first thought would be for her grandchildren, much as Matt’s had been for the boys, too. Did she have the right to tell Sophie? Probably not. She’d do what Matt did with Nate the previous night and tell it all, leaving out any reference to Eve, and see where it led.

  “Well yes, I’ll tell you when I get there. But there’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Then I won’t worry.” Ashley could hear the smile in her voice and admired the older woman’s ability to remain calm when she knew so much was at stake. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

  As soon as Ashley stepped out of her car, she was enveloped in a hug by Matt’s mother.

  “It’s lovely to see you, my dear.” Sophie frowned. “But you look a little frazzled, if you don’t mind my saying so. Have you had a bad time of it?” she asked sympathetically.

  “Yes and no.”

  Sophie laughed. “That doesn’t tell me much.”

  “Sorry, but I—”

  “Come on through to the conservatory. We’ll have coffee and you can tell me all about it.”

  “That sounds good.”

  Once they were settled, Ashley repeated the story Matt had given Nate, almost word for word. Sophie didn’t once interrupt. She appeared surprised, but didn’t get upset or overreact.

  “I’m glad it wasn’t Charlie,” she said. “I tried to convince Matt that it couldn’t have been, but there’s so much animosity between them that he wouldn’t listen.”

  “Well, they seem to be reconciled now.”

  “That’s good. They were like brothers when they were younger. Always up to mischief.”

  “Yes, Matt said the same thing.”

  “Perhaps I’ll see more of Charlie, now that they’ve cleared the air.” Sophie smiled at the prospect. “He’s like another son to me.”

  “So I gather.”

  “But Philip Roker.” Sophie shook her head. “I find it hard to believe.”

  “So does Matt.” Ashley stirred her coffee, wondering why Matt’s family was so keen to defend a man whom she’d distrusted almost from the first. “What made him do it, do you think?”

  “What’s Matt’s opinion?”

  “He says he doesn’t know.” Ashley shrugged. “I thought he might harbour resentment at the way Matt came back to take over the company after Roker had run it alongside your husband for so long. It would be a natural enough reaction. I believe Roker had expectations about taking over.”

  “Nothing was ever said.”

  Ashley thought she sounded evasive. “No, that’s what Matt told me, and he said Roker was quite happy to go his own way.”

  Sophie looked at Ashley for a long time without speaking. Ashley sensed that she knew a lot more than she was saying and was trying to decide whether or not to confide in her.

  “It would be better to tell me,” Ashley said quietly. “I won’t repeat anything you say to Matt, unless you want me to.”

  “Yes, it would probably be best if I did.” Sophie offered her a kindly smile. “Secrets have a way of turning sour if they’re kept for too long.” She paused to pour them both more coffee, sighing wearily. For the first time since meeting her, Ashley thought she looked her age. “Philip Roker and my husband got along well. So, too, did Philip and I. He’s only twelve years younger than me, but I still looked upon him as a surrogate son, I suppose.” She flashed a brief, humourless smile. “I have a natural tendency to nurture.”

  “But he mistook your interest?” Ashley had a horrible feeling she knew where this was going.

  “Yes, my husband’s death was quite unexpected, you see. I had no time to prepare, if one can ever be prepared for such a thing, and I rather fell apart for a while. Oh, he’d had that initial stroke, but he’d made a good recovery, and we were led to believe that he had a lot of years left to him.”

  “Matt was running the company by then?”

  “Yes, but Philip really did seem to be fine about that. Or at least he said he was,” she added, so quietly that Ashley barely heard her. “Matt wanted him to stay on, for them to run the company together, but Philip had an opportunity to move to Stevenson’s and decided to take it.”

  “But he still kept in close touch with you all.”

  “Oh yes, he was quite part of the family.”

  “That’s what Matt told me.”

  “When David died, he was a tower of strength. He shouldered a lot of my burden and helped me through the grieving process. Matt was busy with the business and dealing with his own feelings toward his father, not to mention a young family.”

  “So you and Roker were thrown together.”

  Sophie nodded. “He kept calling, long after I’d started to recover, and I didn’t think twice about it.” She paused. “Until he proposed.”

  Ashley almost dropped her cup. She’d suspected an affair, which made her think poorly of Sophie—until she remembered that she was hardly in a position to sit in judgement.

  “He proposed!”

  “Yes, and didn’t take it well when I turned him down.” Sophie stared out at the garden, without appearing to appreciate its beauty. Ashley doubted if she was even seein
g it. “He said he thought I knew how he felt about me, and was convinced I returned his feelings. He says that’s why he left Interactive. His feelings got too strong for him to hide them, and he didn’t think it was right, not when David was still alive.”

  “Well,” Ashley said crisply. “I expect he got that right.”

  “He said that if I didn’t marry him, he’d never marry anyone else.” She expelled a long breath. “He certainly kept his word about that.”

  “But you still saw him?”

  “Oh yes. He continued to call as though nothing had happened.”

  “Staring at you through those soulless eyes,” Ashley surmised, shuddering.

  “I didn’t know how to put him off without offending him more than I already had. I’d obviously led him on, without realizing it. So, in the end, if he called, instead of feeding him, I pretended to be going out. Eventually he got the message.”

  “And started plotting his revenge, I expect.”

  “Well, if he did, he’s waited a long time to exact it.”

  “Yes, but as an outsider with no emotions invested, it seems to me that he has a long memory and the patience of Job.” Ashley paused, tapping her fingers on the arm of her chair as she thought it through. “It would explain why he’s doing this to Matt. He probably felt that if you’d accepted him, he would be the head of Interactive because he knew Matt didn’t really want the job. He would gladly have given it up in favour of your new husband. Interactive is a sounder business proposition than Stevenson’s, and he probably feels that he came off second best. Again.”

  “So he blames me for that as well.”

  “Not necessarily, Sophie.” Ashley moved across and covered the older lady’s hand with her own. “He made assumptions he had no right to make. He read something into your maternal interest in him that simply wasn’t there. It’s not your fault.”

  “Then why do I feel so responsible.”

  “Perhaps because you are.”

  They both whipped their heads round, startled by the intrusion. They’d been so deep in conversation that they hadn’t heard anyone else arrive.

  Ashley gasped, suspecting that her face was as white as Sophie’s, when she saw Philip Roker standing in the doorway, pointing a gun directly at her head.