The Billionaire's Ruthless Affair (Rich, Ruthless and Renowned)

by Miranda Lee

  ‘Who knows?’ Alex said casually. ‘Maybe you’ll fall in love one day.’

  ‘What?’

  Alex laughed. ‘You should see the look on your face.’

  ‘Well, it isn’t every day that one of my best friends says something to me so outrageous. I would possibly tolerate it from Sergio, now that he’s about to embrace wedded bliss. But I expected better from a fellow dedicated bachelor.’

  ‘I was only joking. Come on, finish up that coffee. Then we’ll go pick up Sergio.’

  Dragging Sergio away from work was not an easy task, but Jeremy managed it when he promised to tell Sergio some fascinating news, but only once they were on their way to Lake Como. Alex knew exactly what he had in mind, but went along with it. After all, if he was going to bring Harriet to the wedding, Sergio had to know about her.

  ‘Okay, out with it!’ an impatient Sergio demanded within thirty seconds of leaving the factory. Jeremy leant forward from where he was sitting in the back seat, kindly having given Alex the passenger seat.

  ‘Alex brought a girl with him. No, no, strike that. He brought a woman.’

  Sergio shot Alex a surprised look. ‘A woman, eh? What happened?’

  ‘I finally grew bored with dating dolly-birds whose IQs were smaller than their bra size.’

  Jeremy chuckled. ‘That’s a good one, Alex.’

  ‘So how did you meet this woman?’ Sergio asked.

  ‘Through work. She’s in real estate.’ He’d instructed Jeremy not to mention she was his PA.

  ‘What’s her name?’ Sergio asked.

  ‘Harriet.’

  ‘Classy name.’

  ‘She’s a classy girl.’

  ‘I thought she was a woman.’

  ‘She is. But she’s not that old. Late twenties.’

  ‘Around Bella’s age, then. I presume she’s attractive.’

  ‘Very attractive,’ Jeremy jumped in. ‘Brunette. Slim. She’s also nicely independent. I met her at the airport.’

  ‘So where the hell is she?’ Sergio asked.

  ‘By now she’s settled in at the Villa Accorsi. You know it?’

  ‘Of course. But why is she staying at a hotel when we have plenty of room at my place?’

  ‘She didn’t want to stay there. To be honest, she didn’t even want to come to the wedding, but I talked her into it.’

  ‘Are you serious about this Harriet?’

  ‘Silly question, Sergio,’ Jeremy intoned drily. ‘Alex is never serious about any girl.’

  ‘But it’s clear this one is different. He wouldn’t have brought her all this way if he didn’t at least like her a hell of a lot.’

  ‘I do like her a hell of a lot,’ Alex confessed. ‘But we’ve only been dating a short while. She’s also just getting over a broken engagement. When Harry told me she’d always wanted to go to Italy, I impulsively asked her along—something I’ll start to regret if my friends start harassing me over my intentions.’

  When Sergio fell broodingly silent, Alex worried that he might have come down a bit heavy.

  ‘Look, I’m sorry, I—’

  ‘It’s your PA you should apologise to,’ Sergio broke in sharply. ‘Did you honestly think I wouldn’t remember? You called her Harry that night at dinner a few weeks back. The odds of both your new girlfriend and your PA being called Harry are at lotto-winning level, so let’s cut the crap and tell the truth. You’re having sex with your personal assistant—most likely on the sly—and you’re using this trip as an excuse to have some more.’

  Alex sighed heavily, whilst Jeremy remained conspicuously silent, both of them having been on the end of Sergio’s disapproval more than once over the years.

  ‘It’s not like that,’ Alex said defensively.

  ‘Then what’s it like?’

  ‘We’re just having some fun together. It’s nothing serious.’

  Jeremy’s snort didn’t help.

  ‘Harry needs some fun right now,’ Alex went on firmly. ‘I would never hurt her.’

  Now Sergio snorted.

  Alex decided he’d heard enough. ‘Hey, just cut it with the “high and mighty” stuff, buddy. From what I’ve heard, your intentions weren’t exactly pure as the driven snow when you invited Bella to stay at your villa.’

  Sergio had the grace to apologise.

  ‘I was just thinking,’ Jeremy piped up. ‘We should have your stag party tonight. That way we won’t be hung over for the wedding. What do you say, Sergio?’

  ‘I say good thinking. I still have half a case of that gorgeous red you sent me last Christmas.’

  ‘Great. And we’ll order in some of those fantastic pizzas we ate last time. You like pizza, don’t you, Alex?’

  ‘I like good pizza.’

  ‘These are the best. So that’s settled. Another bonus is it leaves Alex free to spend tomorrow to do some sightseeing with Harriet. He could even stay the night with her. Then they can come to the wedding together the next morning.’

  ‘You’d better watch it, Jeremy,’ Alex said. ‘You’re turning into a planner.’

  ‘You could be right,’ he agreed. ‘Like I told you, since I bought my book business I seem to have developed a strange compulsion for being organised. When I was working for the family bank, I didn’t give a damn about nine-to-five, or even turning up at my desk at all. I did most of my business via my phone. Now I’m getting obsessed with marketing meetings and publishing deadlines and all sorts of weird things.’

  Both Sergio and Alex laughed.

  ‘We’ll make a businessman out of him yet,’ Alex said.

  ‘Stranger things have happened, I suppose,’ Jeremy remarked.

  ‘About tomorrow night,’ Sergio piped up. ‘With the wedding at eleven, I’d be more comfortable if you spent that night with us at my place, Alex. I don’t want anything going wrong.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ Alex said. ‘How will Harriet get to the wedding, then?’

  ‘I’ll book her a water taxi to pick her up at the hotel around ten. They have their own jetty.’

  ‘Okay.’ Alex didn’t mind. He would have all day with her, more than enough time to show her some sights and have late-afternoon delight in her hotel room. He wondered what Harriet was doing right at this moment. Hopefully, she was having a good rest and not feeling lonely or abandoned. He would call her later. Or perhaps he would just text her; tell her they were having their stag party tonight and that he would join her tomorrow morning. Yes, perhaps that would be better. He didn’t want her thinking he simply had to hear the sound of her voice.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  WHEN HARRIET WOKE, she wasn’t sure where she was for a split second. But then she remembered. She was in Italy, in a gorgeous hotel on the shores of Lake Como.

  Unfortunately, she was also alone. Harriet pulled a face. What she would not give to have Alex by her side at this moment.

  Thinking of Alex had her rolling over, picking up her phone and turning it back on. Good Lord! It was almost seven o’clock. She’d slept for hours. She hoped he hadn’t tried to ring her. She quickly checked. No. No missed calls, but one message, informing her that they were having Sergio’s stag party that night so that they wouldn’t be hung over for the wedding. This would also leave tomorrow free for him to spend with her.

  Harriet’s spirits immediately lifted.

  ‘Ring me when you wake up,’ he’d added before signing off.

  She did so straight away, just the sound of his voice filling her with joy.

  ‘Did you have a good sleep?’ he asked.

  ‘Very good.’

  They talked for ages, Alex telling her of all the places he planned to take her the next day. Sergio had offered the use of his speedboat. It sounded wonderful. Still, she would enjoy going anywhere with Alex.

  ‘Hey!’ She heard a deep male voice call out. Jeremy, no doubt. He did have a distinctive voice.

  ‘Girlfriends aren’t allowed at stag parties,’ he said. ‘Not even via the phone.’


  Harriet’s heart turned over at the word ‘girlfriend’. It sounded wonderful as well, though she’d better not get used to it. That would only be her title here, in this fantasy world, on this fantasy getaway. Once they got back to the real world at home, she would revert to being Alex’s PA, plus his secret bit on the side.

  It was a depressing thought.

  Then don’t think about that, Harriet, she lectured herself. Live in the moment. That was the order of the day.

  ‘I’d better go,’ Alex said. ‘See you tomorrow morning around nine-thirty.’

  ‘That early?’

  ‘Don’t worry. I won’t be drinking too much. I’ll leave that up to Sergio and Jeremy. I’ll give you a call when I’m on my way. Bye, sweetheart.’

  That evening seemed endless, despite the excellence of the meal she had in a local restaurant. She kept thinking about Alex, then about tomorrow. She could hardly wait.

  She woke very early the next day, already excited. Unfortunately, it was still over three hours before Alex was due to join her. Showering, dressing and titivating took up a good hour and a half, and Harriet used up another hour having a leisurely breakfast out on the huge back terrace that overlooked the lake. The day promised to be warm again, but not too warm, with a smattering of cloud in the sky. She was lingering over a third cup of coffee when her phone pinged. Snatching it up, she read the message from Alex with a pounding heart.

  I’m on my way, it said. Be on the lookout for the boat. It’s red, so it should be easy to spot.

  Harriet stood up and made her way over to stand at the stone railing that enclosed the terrace. Her eyes scanned the lake, looking for a red speedboat. There were myriad assorted craft on the water. Ferries, water taxis, sailing boats, jet skis and, yes, several speedboats, none of them red.

  And then she saw it, cutting across the wake of a ferry, jumping the waves, Alex at the wheel, his fair hair glinting golden in the sunshine. He arrived like a hero from an action movie, Harriet only then noticing the hotel jetty at the bottom of some stone steps. Spotting her watching him from the terrace, he waved, jumped out of the boat, tied a rope around a post, then dashed up the steps towards her, dashingly handsome in white shorts and a navy polo. He gathered her to him and kissed her thoroughly, uncaring of the other guests sitting at tables nearby. When he finally let her come up for air, Harriet didn’t care, either.

  ‘You’re looking good for a man who should have a hangover,’ she said, cupping his face and pretending to inspect his eyes. Lord, but he had beautiful eyes, blue as the sky overhead, and with lashes that any woman would kill for.

  ‘I told you I wouldn’t drink much.’

  ‘Have you had breakfast?’

  ‘Would you believe that I have? Maria insisted on cooking an omelette.’

  ‘Who’s Maria?’

  ‘Sergio’s housekeeper. She wanted to pack me a picnic lunch, but I said no to that. So, are you ready to go? First, we’re going over to Bellagio. You can’t visit Lake Como without visiting the town of Bellagio. It’s called “the pearl of Lake Como”.’

  ‘Sounds lovely.’

  ‘It is. Very old, of course, but fascinating. Seeing all the main places of interest there will take us all morning. We’ll have lunch there, too. Their restaurants are second to none. Then after lunch we’ll motor down to Como. That’s a beautiful town. After that I’ll take you for a leisurely drive around the whole lake. You can see a lot from the water. I’ll show you Sergio’s villa, plus the one next door, the countess’s. It’s very grand. That’s where they’re having the wedding and the reception afterwards.’

  ‘It’s not going to be a big wedding, is it?’

  Alex laughed. ‘Hardly. Counting the celebrant and the photographer, there’ll be just eleven of us. So don’t start stressing that it’s some huge celebrity shindig, because it isn’t.’

  Harriet had to admit she was relieved. She hadn’t packed a dress suitable for a seriously formal do. But she had brought along her red cocktail dress, the one Alex had admired. That would do.

  ‘Now, are you ready to go? You look ready. And you look very lovely, might I add. If I hadn’t had our itinerary all worked out, I’d whisk you off upstairs for a quickie.’

  ‘I don’t much like quickies,’ Harriet said, doing her best to ignore the wild jab of desire coursing through her veins.

  He chuckled. ‘You are such a little liar. I’m almost tempted to show you just how much. But I think I’ll make you wait.’

  ‘I can wait,’ she told him. ‘Provided you give me a little taster occasionally.’

  ‘And what would that involve?’

  ‘Nothing much. Just hold my hand and kiss me at regular intervals so that I don’t go cold on you.’

  ‘Done!’

  * * *

  Alex hadn’t enjoyed himself so much in years. He’d been to Lake Como a few times as Sergio’s guest, and he’d seen the various sights on offer, but there was something about seeing them through Harriet’s delighted eyes which made the experience even more pleasurable, and infinitely more satisfying. Of course, it didn’t hurt holding her hand or kissing her more times than he could count. By the time they docked at the hotel jetty in the late afternoon, he was more than ready to steer her up the amazing staircase to her room without further ado.

  She made no objection to sharing a shower with him, or having what turned out to be a quickie under the jets of hot water, Alex coming with a speed that bothered him a bit, knowing that Harriet had been left panting and unsatisfied. Still, he made it up to her afterwards with an hour of leisurely love-play in bed, during which she came three times before he reached for a condom once more.

  ‘Hate to love you and leave you,’ he said afterwards, ‘but I don’t want to drive that boat across the lake at night. Sergio is a nervous enough bridegroom without my adding to his worries, so I promised I’d be back before dark.’

  Harriet propped herself up on one elbow and watched him dress.

  ‘How am I getting to the wedding?’ she asked.

  ‘Sergio’s booked you a water taxi for ten. It’ll bring you to his villa. I’ll meet you down at his jetty and we’ll all go over to the countess’s place together.’

  ‘I still can’t believe how amazing her place is. I mean, Sergio’s villa was grand enough, but hers is like a palace.’

  ‘It is magnificent, but it’s not as big as it looks. The setting up against the hillside makes it look larger.’

  When Harriet reached for her phone and took a photo of him, he groaned. ‘Will you stop doing that? You’ve already taken heaps of photos of me today.’

  ‘Yes, but none with your shirt off.’

  ‘I hope none of them shows up on social media,’ he warned her.

  Harriet shrugged. ‘I’m not into social media on a personal basis. It has its uses, but I don’t particularly want to give other people—even friends—a blow-by-blow description of my life.’

  ‘Sensible girl. But, to be on the safe side, perhaps you’d better not take any snaps at the wedding tomorrow. Sergio has a passion for privacy.’

  ‘In that case, he shouldn’t be marrying Bella, should he?’

  Alex laughed. ‘You could be right there. Okay, I’ll reassure Sergio that any photos you take are for your personal use only. They won’t be gracing the glossies, or anywhere else.’

  Harriet smiled. ‘Good. Because I really want to take some photos. Not just of the bride. I especially want one of you and your two friends together.’

  Alex bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ‘I’d like that. Have to go now, Harry. Sorry I wasn’t able to take you out to dinner tonight.’

  ‘No worries. I’ll have room service, then read one of the books I downloaded onto my tablet back home before I left.’

  ‘What kind of books?’

  ‘Mostly thrillers, with a few romances thrown in. What do you suggest I try?’

  ‘Not a romance. Romancing you is my job.’

  ‘And you’re ve
ry good at it, too. Lord knows what I’m going to do when you grow bored and don’t want to have sex with me any more. I’m already seriously addicted to your unique brand of lovemaking.’

  ‘I wouldn’t worry about that, if I were you,’ he said ruefully. ‘There’s no danger of my growing bored with you for a long time yet.’ And wasn’t that the truth!

  It was actually a relief to hear that Harriet didn’t envisage ending their affair any time soon. Alex couldn’t bear the thought of her telling him one day that it was over between them. It would happen, of course. She didn’t love him. Basically, she was just in it for the sex. Same as him.

  Are you sure that’s still true, Alex? questioned that inner voice that had been plaguing him ever since Jeremy had brought up the subject of love. Are you sure that your feelings for her haven’t already changed to something far deeper than a combination of liking and lust?

  Alex clenched his jaw down hard, refusing to listen to such rubbish. It was all Jeremy’s fault, which was ironic, considering his attitude to love and marriage. Alex decided that it was the romantic setting that was making him feel things he didn’t normally feel. Paris might be called the city of love, but Italy was the country of love. He would have to watch himself tomorrow at the wedding, and then in Venice. If he wasn’t careful, before he knew it he’d be asking Harriet to marry him. Which was pretty stupid, considering he was the last man on earth she would marry. So just put all these thoughts of love back into Pandora’s box, Alex, and get yourself out of here. Pronto!

  ‘Must fly,’ he told her, and with one last peck on the cheek he was gone.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  HARRIET COULD NOT imagine a more perfect wedding. The lack of a church filled to the brim with guests didn’t seem to matter, despite her own dream to have that kind of traditional wedding. Or it had been, till she witnessed this one. Admittedly, the setting for the ceremony was idyllic, on the wide stone terrace of a magnificent villa overlooking Lake Como. Plus the weather was beautiful, the skies blue overhead and the summer sun not too hot.