by Aimee Duffy
‘I suppose that was my fault too?’ she asked, folding her arms across her breasts in the hope of hiding her arousal. Bloody hormones.
‘No.’ His voice sounded rough. With his back to her, he went on, ‘That can’t happen again. You and I…’ Ric shook his head.
Alexa rubbed her chest in the hope it would take away the pain. She was too young to have a heart attack. ‘Would be a mistake,’ she finished for him. The words sounded right and it was what she really wanted. It didn’t stop the hurt though.
A part of her mind wondered if Sarah had been right, if her feelings for Ric would grow into something more. No.
He turned to her, his gaze searched her face. Twice he’d seen her almost naked and he’d still managed to reject her. Nothing like that to give a girl a complex.
‘Yes, it would.’
He looked relieved by her agreement. Maybe the turmoil inside didn’t show on her face. ‘You lost the bet.’ Just like she knew he would.
Ric nodded, a sober expression on his face. She turned and went back to her room. Sinking into the silky sheets, the bed didn’t make her want to purr this time. Everything was going to hell and nothing made sense any more.
He wasn’t who she thought he was, or at least not completely. What man could walk away from a willing woman when he’d been so aroused? And he had been, she’d felt it hard against her stomach. She pressed her face into the pillow to muffle her scream.
Even the thought of dragging him to Water World didn’t cheer her up. He’d surely hate it but what was the point in goading him? She couldn’t sum up the will to torture him even though he was torturing her. And now she knew he’d prefer to go without rather than sleep with her.
Rolling over again to find a comfier spot on the bed, Alexa wondered what it was about her that repelled him so completely. She didn’t have a petite frame but, from that first day he’d caught her here in his penthouse, she knew her body wasn’t the problem. That only meant that it had to be her reputation and personality.
Squeezing her eyes shut she tried to summon her earlier anger but she felt like a balloon that had just been popped. Alexa knew these three weeks would probably be the longest of her life.
Chapter Eight
By Friday morning, Alexa hadn’t seen Ric once since the kiss. She didn’t know whether to feel disappointed or elated but her heart swayed toward the former. Running two hands down the front of her pencil skirt, she smiled, knowing that this was a skirt he’d approve of. It was long enough to hide the navy plaster on her knee.
She pushed the door to the bistro open and gave the server her name. He escorted her past linen covered tables through to the terrace at the other side. The summer sun had cooled off a bit today, so the suit jacket wasn’t too much to lunch in and she wanted to look as respectful as possible for this meeting. Charm, innocence and making a better second impression.
Mr Santos rose from the table and pulled out the chair opposite. With a warm smile, Alexa slid into it and did her best to ignore the butterflies swarming in her stomach.
‘It seems you are just as beautiful in a suit as you are a dress, Miss Green.’
Her stomach dipped remembering the dress and the way she’d acted at the first function Ric had taken her to. Hoping she could change his mind by showing a different side of herself, she said, ‘Thank you, Mr Santos.’
He nodded and then filled her glass with wine. ‘I am surprised to have received the request to meet after our last encounter, but I can’t deny my curiosity.’
Bringing the wine to her lips, she sipped the fruity liquid wishing she could down the whole lot. Maybe then her hands would stop shaking.
‘I wanted to personally apologise for my behaviour at the party.’ And now that she had an idea of how much it meant to Ric, she wanted Santos to reconsider and come to the charity ball.
Mr Santos nodded. ‘I accept, but is that the only reason you asked to meet?’
He gazed at her over the rim of the glass and she knew he was assessing her body language. Fighting the urge to swallow she smiled.
‘Not the only reason. I’d like you and your wife to reconsider Mr Castillo’s invitation.’ She had a freshly printed one in her bag, sans the ‘fun’ part.
‘Miss Green, my wife thinks associating ourselves with you will taint her reputation.’
Alexa’s heart thumped out an unsteady beat. She wished the stick insect was there so she could pitch the remainder of her wine over her peroxide mane. Instead, she smiled warmly.
‘I understand. The British media love a good story and I’ve never given them a reason not to follow me.’ For the first time in her life, she wished she could grab her eighteen year old self by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. ‘But the worst of what they printed happened years ago. I’m not that silly little girl any more. I run my own business in London. The last picture taken outside of a nightclub was unfortunate. A reporter caught me stumbling when the heel of my shoe snapped.’
‘I can’t say I’ve seen any of the pictures, but my wife is adamant that you are a renowned party girl.’
After another sip of wine, he smiled warmly at her—the same one he’d given her when they’d met. Her shoulders relaxed.
‘But between you and me, my wife is prone to exaggerating the truth.’ He winked at her before polishing off the remainder of his glass. She grinned back. ‘Why don’t we finish this bottle?’
‘I’d love to.’ The tightness in her chest evaporated and she enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with Mr Santos who insisted she call him Pablo.
The elevator doors opened. Ric took a deep breath before he stepped into the penthouse. Tonight would be the first time he’d laid eyes on Alexa since Wednesday evening and he had no idea how she’d react to him. Luckily, he’d been needed more and more at the building site and emails regarding the charity ball were the only communication that passed between them. The formal way they’d been addressing one another didn’t sit well with him, but when the alternative led to him kissing her, he didn’t want to stir things up. Leaving his home at the crack of dawn and returning after midnight meant he’d never had to see her, even though he felt the pull to her stronger than ever.
Ric knew he owed her an apology. He almost stripped her naked then rejected her. Where the control had come from to stop, he had no idea. The look on her face haunted him all week but he didn’t know whether bringing it up again would rock the boat.
When he walked past her room, he hesitated. His hand itched to twist the knob and enter but he knew after Wednesday that he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her if he found her less than dressed. The angry words she’d thrown at him and the talk of sleeping with other men had jealousy crashing through him and all he’d wanted to do was show her that she belonged to him, no one else.
He made his way to his own room and showered. Alexa didn’t belong to him and he didn’t want her to, but his primal instinct, the attraction he felt toward her mixed with the tension vibrating through the air between them had made him lose control. Something he didn’t wish to do again.
Control had been his lifeline since the Castillos took him off the streets. There was a time in his late teens when he needed to feel something other than all the nothingness, and thought partying and dangerous sports were the answer. He soon realised then that adrenaline wasn’t the thing he longed to feel. Years on he still hadn’t figured out why he felt so empty.
Once changed, he made his way to the kitchen for a drink. Alexa perched on one of the stools by the table. A floor length purple gown encased her beautiful body. There wasn’t a hint of leg or even cleavage, the dress cut across her collarbone demurely. With her wild bob tamed into smooth curls, she looked like a different woman. He swallowed.
‘Hi,’ she greeted him, her expression wary.
‘You look…’ He couldn’t find the words.
She smiled. ‘Sensible?’
‘Beautiful.’
Alexa turned back to the steaming c
up on the table. ‘Thank you.’ She picked up the mug and sipped.
He noticed the dress cut down her back, but not as deep as the gold one had. The teaser of bronzed skin heated his blood more than the one which exposed more of her body. He wondered why she chose this dress, one so much more conservative than the last, but thought it was better not to ask. Chances were she’d picked it so he wouldn’t pounce on her again. A stab of disappointment hit him.
‘Are you ready to go?’
Alexa nodded and then rose. She picked a clutch bag from the table and waited until he gestured for her to leave first. His mind whirred as he wondered what she was doing. Where had the woman gone who did what she liked when she wanted to? Where was the woman who irritated him so much he wanted to strangle her? And got him so hot he kissed her like an animal, even pushed her up against metal surfaces?
She was quiet in the car on the way over, only offering information when asked about work or the charity ball. The air was thick with her discomfort, and he wanted more than anything to take it away. Since he’d opted to drive rather than have his driver take them, he couldn’t read her face properly.
Ric escorted her into the club. It was notoriously a club for rich men to drink scotch and smoke cigars, but tonight they held one of their rare events when wives were permitted to join their husbands and the chat extended further than acquisitions, shares or the economy.
He remembered Antonio bringing him years ago and the feeling he didn’t quite fit in hadn’t left with time. Everyone there then and now came from old money. Ric didn’t know what he came from, but he doubted he’d be greeted with warm welcomes if they knew what he’d done before the Castillos had taken him in.
By the time he’d introduced Alexa to a dozen or so couples, he wondered where she had disappeared to. The woman he knew had been replaced with a polite, warm stranger who was the pinnacle of class. Coupled with the dress and her family name, she fitted in. If it wasn’t for the stiff muscles in her back and the discomfort she still exuded, Ric would have sworn she was a different person.
He remembered the first time they’d met, when she’d told him her father dragged her to functions like this all the time. He could tell then she’d hated them, maybe even hated her father a little for it and he wished he could understand why. Maybe then he could understand why she acted differently tonight than she had at the first function.
When Mr Santos crossed the room without his wife and beamed at Alexa, Ric’s suspicions rose.
‘Alexa, how lovely to see you.’
She offered her hand to him. ‘Pablo, the pleasure’s all mine.’
Pablo? When had she started calling him that?
‘And Ric, always a pleasure. You should come here more often.’
Stumped, Ric shook Santos’ extended hand. He eyed Alexa for an explanation but she looked away so quickly he wondered if he’d imagined the guilt in her expression. His stomach took a dive.
‘Alexa’s told me all about the ball you’re hosting Ric, and I have to say I’m impressed with the attendance you’ve managed to secure. Most couples here tonight will come solely for the networking opportunities and I’m sure you will be able to squeeze a lot from their wallets for your charity.’
Ric gaped at Santos. What had Alexa done?
‘My father and his associates are looking forward to making your acquaintance,’ Alexa told the old man.
To anyone else, she appeared to be simply stating a fact. If every muscle hadn’t tensed under his palm, Ric might have believed her father’s attendance didn’t worry her.
‘He must be extremely proud to have a daughter like you,’ Santos added.
Her shoulder’s stiffened but she smiled warmly.
‘I’ll let you two mingle,’ Santos said. ‘I’ll see you soon, novio. Ric.’
He nodded farewell to the older man then turned to Alexa. She looked around the room, everywhere but directly at him.
‘Come.’ He steered her toward an empty table and held out a chair.
She slid into it, never meeting his gaze. ‘Thank you.’
Ric took the seat across from her, forcing her to look at him. ‘Dare I ask how you pulled that off?’ He was half-joking but he was obviously missing something important.
Alexa swallowed, only increasing his unease. ‘I asked him to meet me this afternoon so I could apologise. Show him I wasn’t the girl the media loves to paint as the wild child.’
‘And he just believed you?’
Her eyes blazed and he caught a glimpse of the Alexa he knew beneath the polished facade. Ric smiled.
‘Yes,’ she ground out through clenched teeth. ‘Because that’s not who I am any more.’
Ric almost laughed. She was still wild; a fancy dress and her demure appearance wouldn’t change that. But he didn’t. He remembered the first night he caught her coming back with her friends. She hadn’t been drunk, not even giddy. And again when he found her with Daniel outside Beaches. She had switched to water and sobered up by the time he reached her. Maybe she had grown up and maybe the media did exaggerate for the most part.
Ric decided to change the subject. ‘Why did you invite your father?’
Her whole body froze before him and her expression shuttered. ‘He has friends in high places.’ She shrugged, the movement too jerky to be blasé.
‘Why don’t you get along with him?’
A woman hired for the evening began to sing in a quiet undertone, relaxing the atmosphere, but it did nothing to ease the built up tension in Alexa. She didn’t answer for a long moment and he wondered if she would when the second verse of the song began.
‘He sees me as something he owns. A pretty face to have on his arm after my mother died.’ Alexa stared at the table. ‘He wants me to marry into money, into class. He wants me to marry a man like him, but I won’t. I don’t want to end up like my mother. I’d rather be single and free.’
Understanding dawned and his chest swelled painfully. Her father used her, just as Ric had allowed himself to be used through his teenage years. Now he could understand her rebellion, the refusal to do what was asked of her if it wasn’t something she wanted to do.
He realised with horror that he was doing exactly the same. He’d given her no choice and was using her to help organise the ball. How could she ask her father and his friends to come after the way Ric treated her? It seemed now he had two things to make up for.
‘Ric, dear,’ his adopted mother, Maria placed a hand on his shoulder, halting his questions.
Alexa lifted her gaze to smile at the woman.
‘Hello, Alexa.’ She slid into the chair next to Ric.
He forced himself to smile at Maria as Alexa had. It wasn’t easy, not when the only person who knew the things he’d done, the things he’d had to do to survive, still looked at him without any disgust whatsoever.
‘I wanted to say hello before you disappeared, I know you don’t like these events.’ She placed a hand on his arm. His chest warmed at the touch and the fact she spoke in English in case Alexa couldn’t speak their tongue made his smile more real.
‘No, I don’t.’
Maria’s eyes filled with compassion and he felt Alexa’s gaze burn a hole in the side of his head.
‘A beautiful girlfriend deserves to be taken out more often. You should bring Alexa over for dinner.’
His eyes widened at her assumption, but before he could correct Maria, Alexa beat him to it. ‘Ric and I aren’t involved, Mrs Castillo.’
‘Alexa is helping me organise the ball at the end of the month,’ he added.
Maria studied his face. She shook her head, a smile curved her lips. She said in Spanish, ‘You can’t fool an old fool.’
He opened his mouth to insist she had it wrong but she gave him a look that said she could see right through him, and maybe she could. Whatever pulled him toward Alexa had only grown stronger the last few days.
Maria rose and kissed his cheek. ‘I’ll let you two sneak away now.’ After b
idding Alexa a warm goodnight and throwing Ric an expectant look, she left them.
Alexa’s gaze focused intently on his face. ‘Why does she make you so uncomfortable?’
She watched as every muscle in his body tensed beneath the penguin suit. His face morphed into an emotionless mask. Maybe she’d pushed him too far with the question, but if he was going to make her talk about Robert the least he could do was give a little back.
‘Instead of thanking them for adopting me, I wasted my allowance on wild nights out and as many dangerous sports as I could.’
‘That’s why you work so hard for them. You feel like you let them down.’ She could understand that. After all, she’d let her father down more than once.
Ric frowned. ‘I think we’ve spoken to everyone we need to. Let’s go.’
Her curiosity burned but she let him escort her out of the club. He’d said his life was none of her business. On the way back to the hotel, Alexa wondered why he couldn’t see that it didn’t matter to Maria what he did. After all, he was making up for his mistakes now and Maria obviously cared about him. Love had filled her eyes as soon as she’d looked at Ric.
Back at the penthouse, Ric walked straight to the kitchen and she heard the familiar thud of a bottle hitting the counter. She went to her room, intent on letting it go, but she couldn’t ignore the sound of his pained sigh and her feet carried her through to him.
With his broad back to her, his hands rested on the counter and he stared at the glass in front of him. Her heart thudded painfully. She crossed the room and went to reach out but lowered her hand before she could touch him. He’d rejected her already. If he pulled away now, she was sure she’d form that complex.
Alexa swallowed against the lump of emotion lodged in her throat. ‘Are you going to drink all that yourself?’
He turned, half his mouth curved and he silently handed her his glass. He pulled another from the cupboard and filled it with whiskey. She didn’t drink the stuff, it always burned her throat, but after tonight she knew the tension in her body and the discomfort she felt at the party wouldn’t be cured by a hot bath or a good night’s sleep. Nor would the dread of having her father in Spain, judging and assessing her every move and taking control of her.
