Tinley felt a little uncomfortable then decided the truth was the best way to go with this guy. ‘In all honesty…I think Charlie always had a problem with Richard. Charlie and Lila grew up together, they protect each other like siblings, and they fight each other like siblings. They were street kids, you know? So Charlie isn’t impressed with wealth. I believe he was of the opinion that Richard thought he could buy Lila.’
‘Again, Rich – ‘
‘Oh I know. Richard proved himself over and over but, hey, you know…Lila’s Charlie’s responsibility – at least that what he thinks.’
Harry nodded. ‘Got it.’ He sighed, looked around at the busy streets. ‘Look, I don’t particularly want to go back to that bar but what say I meet you for drinks tonight somewhere else?’
Tinsley smiled. ‘That sounds great; I was hoping you’d stop by. I guess this means you’re going back to Melbourne soon?’
Harry gazed down at her, her bright, blue eyes so kind and warm, a faint flush of pink on her cheeks, her hair all mussed up from working. Something shifted inside him and he found herself smiling back at her. Tentatively, he stroked her cheek – just a tiny movement but their gazes locked – and held.
‘Soon but not just yet. I’d like to see you…what say Mona’s at eight?’
Tinsley grinned widely and Harry felt his cock twitch, aroused by her loveliness. HE could imagine taking her in his arms, her lithe body curving around his, her small breasts against his chest…
‘I’ll be there…look, I have to get back or Riley will have drunk the profits. See you tonight.’
With a wave, she was gone, darting quickly away from him and disappearing into the crowds.
Don’t get too involved, Harry told himself, it’s a nightmare waiting to happen.
But he walked back to his hotel with the biggest smile on his face.
6.
Manhattan
Lila sat on the edge of the bathtub in her new apartment and closed her eyes. She counted three minutes out in seconds, carefully not thinking about anything else but the seconds ticking by. Definitely not thinking about what she thought was happening to her; the days and days of sickness and pain. Definitely not thinking about what she would do. And most of all, definitely not thinking about what it could mean to every single relationship in her life.
One-hundred-and-eighty-seconds. Done. She opened her eyes and looked down at the small plastic stick on her bathroom cabinet.
Oh shit. Oh shit.
***
Noah had been in New York for two days and hadn’t found her. If he was being honest, he didn’t even know where to begin looking for her. Well, that wasn’t exactly true; there was one way but he’d exhaust every other option before he got in contact with Charlie Sherman. Although he’d had very little contact with the man, his fierce big brother stance made Noah wary of going to him. What would he say? Oh, hey man, just checking in on my old patient…Sherman would see through that immediately and his guard would go up. No, there must be some other way.
Noah had a few friends here, some connected with his family. Maybe one of them had an ‘in’ with the Carnegies? Now you’re thinking, he told himself, ‘let’s do this.’
Now that Lila lived only a couple of blocks from the bar, Tinsley could go there after work and see her friend. She handed over to Mikey now and snagged her bag from the backroom.
‘Going to see Lila,’ she hollered as she left.
‘Give her my love,’ Mikey shouted back and Tinsley grinned. They were her little family away from home. When Lila had been stabbed, Tinsley had been heartbroken, scared, and she visited Lila almost as much as the Carnegie family. They were such a sweet family that she felt immediately at ease with them. And now there was Harry Carnegie…
Just friends, she told herself firmly. Just two Aussies going out to bond over their homeland. Yeah, Harry wasn’t really an Aussie but fifteen years in the country – she reckoned that counted. And it truly, truly had nothing to do with his warm brown eyes, his broad shouldered body, and those big, gentle hands. Nope, nothing.
When she got to Lila’s building, she rode the elevator up to the third floor and made her way to Lila’s apartment. She carried a bottle of tequila Mikey had given her, and she word a huge smile as Lila opened the door, which faded when she saw Lila in tears.
‘Hey, hey, honey, what’s the matter?’
Lila burst into fresh sobs and Tinley couldn’t make out a word she was saying. She wrapped her arms around Lila, kicking the door shut behind her. She steered Lila towards the couch and let her cry herself out.
‘Ssh, ssh, just tell me, what’s wrong?’
Lila, her face awash with salty tears, looked at her with desperate, hopeless eyes. ‘Oh god, Tinsley…I have fucked up. I have fucked up royally and I don’t know what to do…’
As she cried, Tinsley hugged her tightly, her own heart thumping. Whatever it was, it had scared the crap out of Lila and Tinsley wondered if it was something she could come back from, or if her friend really was in trouble…
7.
Upper East Side
‘Dr. Applebaum?’
Noah turned to see the tiny redhead looking up at him. Cora Carnegie. He smiled. ‘Hello, again, Cora, how lovely to see you.’
His face remained smooth but inside, his heart began to thump expectantly. What if Lila were here too? He’d felt bad, finagling a last minute invitation to brunch as the guest of some of his parent’s oldest friends but they had warmly welcomed him, showered him with questions about the older Applebaum’s, and the food was incredible, piles upon piles of fresh bakes pastries, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs with truffles scattered liberally on top of them. Noah had started to enjoy the gathering almost separately from his plan but now; Cora Carnegie was standing in front of him.’ She was even thinner than he remembered, the skin of her face pulled taut, her eyes almost sunken. Noah’s heart went out to the young woman. ‘I was so sorry to hear about your brother,’ he said in a soft tone, ‘I can’t begin to imagine what it’s been like. How are your mother – and Lila?’
He hoped his question didn’t sound desperate but Cora didn’t pick up on his eagerness. ‘Mom’s okay, getting through it. She’s here, somewhere, I know she’d love to see you. What are you doing in New York?’
Where’s Lila? Where’s Lila? ‘Just here for a few days seeing old friends,’ He nodded to the hosts, ‘my parent’s best friends, really. Have you eaten?’ He stopped himself from telling her she should but she nodded.
‘Like a horse,’ she smiled suddenly, ‘I know you doctors – but don’t worry this,’ she gestured to her slender body, ‘is just from stress. It always happens when something awful happens; I just can’t keep weight on. But I promise you, I do eat.’
Noah smiled ruefully. ‘Sorry, it’s none of my business. Talking of doctoring,’ - Ugh, dude, really? That’s the best segue way you can come up with? – ‘How’s my actual patient? Lila?’
Cora’s smile faded. ‘We don’t know.’
Noah frowned. ‘What do you mean?’ Cora looked as if she were about to cry and Noah gently steered her into an outer room. ‘Sit down, sweetheart. Here’ some water.’ He found a pitcher and poured her a glass. She sipped it, smiling at him gratefully.
‘I’m sorry, Dr. Applebaum.’
‘I’m not on duty, Cora, call me Noah.’
‘Noah,’ she said shyly and sighed. ‘It happened about a week ago. Her friend, Tinsley…did you meet her?’ Noah shook his head, his heart thumping with rising panic. ‘Well, Tinsley went to her apartment and Lila was crying and rambling about how she had ‘fucked something up’ and that it was really bad and she didn’t know what to do. Tinsley tried to talk to her, find out what was going on but Lila wouldn’t say, just kept saying she had screwed things up so bad.’
Noah’s heart was beating out of his chest. ‘So what happened next?’
Cora leaned forward, hugging her arms around herself as if her stomach hurt. ‘Tinsley said that all
of a sudden, Lila just got calm – I mean, way too calm for how upset she’d been. Told Tinsley she loved her but she needed to be alone now. So Tinsley left – oh, and went on a date with my brother but that’s another story – and the next day, Mom and I went to see Lila – and the apartment was empty. I mean empty, empty. She’d asked the super to let us in if we wanted and we found a note.’
This was not good. ‘What did it say?’
Cora hesitated and then reached for her clutch. ‘Read it. I can’t stop looking at it.’ She handed him a letter. It was written on a heavy cream, obviously expensive paper, and Noah couldn’t help be thrilled at Lila’s scrawling handwriting.
Dear…Everyone,
I am so sorry about this but I can’t think of anything else to do but go away. From New York, from all of you. Know that I love you all, so, so much and I will forever be grateful for your love and your generosity.
I did something I can’t undo. Please don’t worry, it’s not illegal or life-threatening but I have to do it alone. Maybe one day, I’ll be brave enough to tell you.
Please, don’t try to find me.
I love you all,
Lila
Noah reread the letter three times. ‘There was a separate letter for Charlie but it was in a sealed envelope. He hasn’t told us what it said.’
Of course not. Not for the first time, Noah felt irritated with Charlie Sherman. At the same time…Charlie had known Lila for much, much longer than he had – and how well did he, Noah, know Lila anyway? One fuck does not make you soulmates. But the way he felt about her….
‘Noah? You look upset?’
Shit. He smiled at Cora. ‘I’m just concerned. It’s only a few months since she was stabbed; she shouldn’t be on her own. If there are complications…’ He trailed off, realizing he wasn’t helping Cora’s anxiety. ‘Look, she’s an adult, I’m sure she’s fine. Sometimes people just need space. Let’s hope that’s all it is.’
Cora nodded, again tears were threatening. ‘Dr.….Noah, would you stay in touch? I feel better talking to you; the rest of us are way too close to her.’
If only you knew. Noah nodded. ‘Of course.’
Later, Noah drove around to where Cora said Lila’s old apartment was and parked outside, looking up at the darkened windows. Where are you? He felt like a stalker, flying across a continent for a woman he’d slept with once. What the fuck am I doing? He started the car and drove back to his hotel. Forget her. You don’t want this drama.
Except when, later, he lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, all he could think about was Lila. That day, in his rehab studio, when she’d made it clear she wanted him; there had not been a doubt in his mind that making love to her was all he wanted. And the feel of her skin under his fingertips, the softness of her thighs around his waist as he moved inside her…
‘For the love of God!’ He rolled onto his side and gaze out of the window at the night. ‘Where are you?’
Don’t try to find me. Well, Lila, you didn’t write that note to me so, beautiful, I can ignore your wishes.
I will find you…
8.
Upper East Side
‘Okay. Let’s try this again…third time lucky.’ Harry grinned at Tinsley as they sat in the small cocktail bar. Tinsley laughed, shaking her head ruefully. Their first date – sort of date – was a wash. After she’d been with a distraught Lila, Tinsley had been distracted and subdued. At the end of the date, he’d driven her home and she’d apologized profusely.
A couple of days later, unable to get her out of his head, he called again and now, smiling at her, he tapped her glass with his.
‘I promise, this time, no annoying cop friends, no freaking out over Lila,’ she said/
‘Still not heard from her?’
Tinsley shook her head. ‘She doesn’t want to be found and I respect that. I miss her, of course, we all do, but she’s doing what she needs to do.’
Harry took a slug of his beer. ‘Can I be honest? I’m a little pissed at her. I don’t think she realizes what her taking off has done to my family, especially Cora. My sister is fragile and she loves Lila like a sister.’
Tinsley nodded. ‘I know. Lila’s not perfect, by any stretch but because, most of the time, she’s so level she gets tarred with that brush. Don’t judge her too harshly; she’s been through hell.’
Harry sighed. ‘In that case…why don’t we change the subject? I want to know about you, Tinsley.’
Tinsley grinned. ‘What do you want to know?’
‘Everything. Family?’
‘Mum, dad, two older brothers called Tyler and Joseph. Both are a pain in my ass but I begrudgingly love them.’ Her smile said it was more than begrudging love. ‘They’re typical surfer types; really, if you described a stereotypical surfer dude, that’s Ty and Joe.’
‘What about you?’
‘Went to college near home, came here to start art school. Dropped out when I got interested in managing a bar instead. Mikey sold me half the business last year. I love it.’
Harry nodded. ‘That’s great, finding your dream.’
Tinsley nodded. ‘I know it’s not everyone’s dream but I love the life. I’m a night owl, and a people person, I love meeting new people. Hell, I even enjoy a good bar brawl.’
Harry grinned. ‘Suddenly I’m having flashbacks to the wild west.’
Tinsley chuckled. ‘Red Dead Redemption, actually.’
‘You game?’
She nodded. ‘You?’
Harry looked embarrassed. ‘The whole thing passed me by, if I’m honest.’
‘So what’s your dream?’
He smiled. ‘Building boats and by that, I mean, catamarans, sail boats, that type. Getting my hands covered in varnish, and jammed full of splinters from good wood.’
Tinsley’s eyes were wide. ‘That, I wasn’t expecting.’
Harry grinned. ‘What were you expecting?’
‘Well, just, you know, your brother was more about the bling – not over the top and crass, but as much as he tried to hide it, Rich liked his cars, and his penthouse and his Saville Row suits. You seem to be the plaid wearing step-child,’ she added with a wicked grin.
Harry laughed. ‘Is that the hipster version of the redheaded-stepchild?’
‘It is, except you’re not a hipster.’
‘Thank god. Well, I guess, me and Rich had a lot of differences. He was more spontaneous. I like the slow burn.’
It wasn’t intended but at his words, their eyes met and held. Tinsley’s cheeks colored a little but she raised her chin and her sapphire eyes twinkled. ‘You do, huh?’
God, she’s delicious. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
She smiled as she sipped her drink. ‘I like that.’
He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and she leaned into his touch. ‘Tinsley…I had all sorts of reservations about getting involved with someone. I have those reservations. I can’t promise anything…I want to go back to Australia; it pulls me back, constantly, something deep in me. But I like you. A lot.’
She nodded. ‘I understand, I really do. I’ve never done long-term, not even with Charlie. I’m not sure I’m able to do commitment. But I can do fun.’
Harry smiled. ‘We’re on the same page.’
A small smile played around her lips. ‘Almost. I’m a contradiction. I don’t sleep with anyone on the first date.’
Harry chuckled. ‘This is our third date.’
‘The first two were disasters, they don’t count,’ she waved her hand dismissively and he laughed loudly.
Tinsley leaned forward, and with a finger, traced a line down his inner thigh slowly, lightly, until she placed her palm over his groin. Harry felt his cock responded but he smiled lazily at her as she cupped him through his jeans.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing more of you,’ she said, ‘but forgive me if I want to explore that slow burn.’ She removed her hand, and threw back the rest of her drink. ‘Pick me up tomorrow,
my place. We’ll see if that slow burn is more of a flash burn.’
She winked at an astonished Harry and walked away. He watched the sway of her hips as she sauntered out of the bar, the way she looked back at him and grinned. Confident. Sexy.
He was looking forward to the next night. Flash burn indeed….
8.
San Juan Island, Washington State
Was it stupid, coming back here? Was it too obvious, would they come looking? Lila had avoided – painfully – going back to Seattle so she picked a place up on San Juan Island, somewhere where she could walk around without being recognized but was still close enough to civilization. She wanted to be alone, not isolated.
Alone. Did she really want that or was she in Washington State because at least this way, she could be near to Noah. You’ll drive yourself crazy, she remonstrated with herself. Stop thinking about him. Noah Applebee was not an option. Not now.
She sat on the porch of the little cottage she’d rented, that looked out over the Haro Straight. There was a decent bit of land with the property which she loved – privacy. Every morning since she had come here, she had taken her breakfast out on the porch, sitting at the small wrought iron table with her cereal and her tea. It was so quiet, so serene. She would periodically see orca in the water, marveling at their graceful movement despite their size.
It was almost heavenly. She sighed now, placing her hand over her belly, still not quite believing that a tiny being was inside there. Noah’s baby. The day she had found out, she had flipped, lost it. It couldn’t be, not now, not with all this going on – what the hell would she tell the Carnegie’s? Oh hi, yeah, we’ve just buried your son and my fiancé but guess what? I’m having my doctor’s baby! Surprise!
The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance Page 107
