So she was ready when, at eleven-thirty, she saw the entourage from Forrester walk in. Two women and a man, not too scary, she thought to herself. Tal beckoned her over, and she walked into the boardroom with them all. They introduced themselves; Beth Richards, the deputy CEO, was a kind-faced, dark-haired middle-aged woman whose eyes were sharp with knowledge and humor; Savannah Mills, buyer, was sharply dressed and elegant, and Ben Sandoval was a tall Native American with an easy smile and quick wit. Ben was head of design. ‘Arlo will meet us at the restaurant,’ he said, ‘He prefers to let us do the preliminary work ourselves.’
Tal nodded and indicated they should all sit. ‘We’re very happy to have you with us. Cosima will be your main liaison and architect for the new hotel…shall we start by telling you our initial thoughts?’
An hour later, with her brain spinning with ideas, Cosima followed the party down to the waiting town car for the five-minute drive to the restaurant. It had been a long time since she’d been this excited about a work project; from what Forrester’s people had told her, Forrester himself was open to any ideas. ‘He wants something that will fit in with the aesthetic of New Orleans obviously but not be derivative. No voodoo dolls on the nightstand,’ Beth had joked. Cosima, relaxing in their presence, had pretended to screw up a piece of paper at that, throwing it over her shoulder. Tal gave her an encouraging wink as they laughed.
Now as they walked into Arnaud’s, Cosima could relax. She loved this place, loved the food, and now she felt at ease with these people, she felt a wave of confidence come over her. This really was it, her big break, and the project she could showcase her talents on.
They ordered some wine, and she sipped it gratefully. They had been at the restaurant for only a few moments when Ben said, ‘Ah, good, here he comes.’
Cosima looked up curiously – and nearly squeaked with surprise. Oh my God…
It was him. The tall, glorious handsome man in an exquisite, expensive suit, the slightly smirking man walking towards them was Adam. Or rather was Adam aka Arlo Forrester. He never took his eyes off her as he approached the table. Only when he was introduced to Tal, did he politely smile at Tal and shake the older man’s hand. ‘So good to meet you at last, I’ve heard wonderful things.’
Tal smiled. ‘And talking of wonderful things – if you’ll excuse me, dear – ' he grinned at a flustered Cosima, ‘Mr Forrester, please meet Cosima Bedi, your architect for this project.’
Arlo Forrester had the nerve to shake her hand like his cock had never been inside her, that his tongue hadn’t driven her almost insane with pleasure. Suddenly she wanted to giggle.
‘Cosima,’ he said, his dark green eyes intense on hers, ‘An absolute pleasure.’
Why did she feel naked when he looked at her like that? ‘Mr. Forrester, I’ve heard so much about you.’
Arlo Forrester winked at her. He winked at her. She didn’t know whether to laugh or freak out. She settled on a knowing smile. ‘We were just about to order, Mr. Forrester.’
‘Please, call me Arlo.’ The twinkle in his eyes was too much.
Please, call me Arlo. Cosima turned a snort of laughter into a cough as they sat down. Somehow, Arlo managed to snag the seat next to her. ‘So,’ he said, ‘what’s good here?’
‘The Mahi-mahi is something special,’ Tal said, completely oblivious to the turmoil raging inside his young associate. ‘Cosima, didn’t you say you’d had a spectacular meal in the Maldives, some sort of curry dish with Mahi-mahi?’
Cosima nodded. ‘I had a lot of delicious things while I was in the Maldives,’ she said, with a serene smile.
Arlo cleared his throat and out of the corner of her eye, she could see him smirking.
Luckily, the others kept the conversation going, and Cosima was distracted by the arrival of their food. Arlo had ordered the same as she had, and they shared a conspiratorial look. God, he was so damn good looking; memories of their time together in her villa, on the beach, in her bed came flooding back. Arlo…Adam….now she thought about it, Arlo suited him better.
She almost dropped her fork when she felt his cool fingertips drift up her inner thigh. He was talking to Tal and Beth, explaining something, gesturing with his fork, but his other hand was warm and soft against her thigh. God, how many weeks had she dreamed of his touch? She leaned forward to shield his arm from view and engaged Ben and Savannah in conversation. But all the while, she was aware of the soft, sensual brushing of his fingers against the soft flesh of her thighs. God, I want you, she thought, but two can play at that game, mister. She slid her hand onto his lap and cupped his cock, squeezing it gently, feeling him start a little. She smiled, not looking at him as he turned to gaze at her.
‘So, you’re the big honcho on this project? Good…I’ll be taking care of this one myself so we’ll be working closely together,’ his green eyes were amused, and she grinned back.
‘Um, boss? We didn’t know you were going to be so closely…’ Ben looked confused, exchanging looks with his two colleagues. Arlo smiled – remarkably controlled seeing as Cosima’s hand was stroking his cock, which was diamond hard against the fabric of his pants.
‘Well, now, I did say I wanted a project. I get bored of sitting in my ivory tower sometimes, and this is perfect for me.’ He turned to meet Cosima’s gaze. ‘And I’ll be living in New Orleans for the duration of the project so I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.’
Cosima felt a jolt. God, why hadn’t she seen this? This wasn’t a happy coincidence….Arlo Forrester had found her. On purpose. He’d hunted her down, broken their agreement – how? Because he was a goddamned billionaire of course. Suddenly she felt sick. God, woman, how stupid are you? The man thinks you can be bought with a job offer – this was planned. She withdrew her hand and concentrated on finishing her meal. Arlo’s hand stroked her thigh, drifted higher but she rammed her legs shut, causing him to jerk his hand free.
Later, at the office, they finalized all of the details and the Forrester entourage left. At the door, Arlo turned and looked at Cosima. She nodded, stone-faced and frowning, he left, his confusion obvious. Tal went back to his office, and Cosima followed him. ‘Tal, can I talk to you a second?’
‘Sure thing, Cos, have a seat.’
Cosima sat and chewed her lip for a second. ‘Tal, I have to ask you a question.’
‘Go ahead.’
‘Why did you offer me this job? I mean, why hire me? I know I had a lot of good recommendations but even so…Jenny told me you put her through the ringer before she even got a second interview.’
Tal smiled. ‘Cosima…what do you really want to know?’
She steeled herself. ‘Did Arlo Forrester recommend me for this job? What I mean is: did he tell you he would give you this major project if you hired me?’
Tal frowned. ‘Absolutely not. Cosima…you were hired because you were the best candidate. Yes, I put Jenny through the ringer because, although she was supremely talented, she needed fire in her belly. You already have that. Now, I take it from your question, you and Mr. Forrester are acquainted…and yet you made no indication of it at dinner. Either of you.’
Cosima flushed. ‘Tal…whatever acquaintance we may have had is nothing to do with how I will handle this project, but now that you know, maybe it would be best to put someone else on it.’
Tal shook his head. ‘No. I trust you, Cosima, I trust you to keep anything personal out of office hours. Apart from that, you’re both adults.’
Cosima started to smile, noticing the gleam in Tal’s eye. ‘Talmidge Hunt…are you matchmaking?’
He laughed. ‘Cosima, I’m old, I’m not dead. Nor blind, I saw the chemistry between the two of you.’
She shook her head, laughing, as she got up to leave, relieved that she’d got the job on her own merits. ‘Whatever you say, boss. Look, I’m going to get started…anything else you want me to know?’
Tal was still grinning. ‘Yes. I want the gossip, Cos; I want to live vicariously throug
h you.’
She burst out laughing, looking at the old man fondly. ‘Tal, you are the worst – and the best.’
She was the last to leave the office that evening, switching off the lights just after eight o’clock. As she walked out to her car, she was alarmed to see someone leaning against it. Then as she stopped and her eyes grew used to the low light, her heart started pounding but not from fear.
Arlo Forrester grinned at her as she approached him. ‘Good evening, Miss Bedi. I think we have some unfinished business.’
Sabine Karlsson stared at Cole Trent in disbelief. ‘Cole…what the fuck are you talking about?’
Cole ran a hand through his short red hair. ‘Sabine…we never said we were exclusive. How could we be when you were still fucking Arlo right up to the moment he found out about us?’
Sabine got up and crossed to the window. ‘What difference does that make? I was never going to marry Arlo…but, in less than three months, you decided you wanted to marry this other woman?’
Cole looked tired. ‘Sabine…I love Lana. She knows all about you and me and has from the start.’
Sabine stared out over the Bay. The fog was rolling in, obscuring her view of Alcatraz. Shit, she thought, everything’s turning to shit. First Arlo, now this. She had counted on Cole being her fall back, the other billionaire on her string. But Cole’s guilt over the affair, over betraying his oldest friend, had done for them, she knew that. Still, he’d been the net to the tightrope she’d been walking for the last five years and now…
‘So she gave you an ultimatum: her or me?’
‘No.’
‘Of course, she did. Is she knocked up?’
Cole gave a frustrated hiss. ‘Believe it or not, not everyone operates on the same moral code as you, Sabine. No, she’s not pregnant, nor did she give me an ultimatum. I love her. That is all.’
Sabine gazed at her reflection in the window. The clear glass gave her a much kinder, softer face than the one she saw in the mirror. Nearly forty and alone. Damn you, Cole. Damn you, Arlo. Damn you all.
She turned back to Cole with a chilly smile. ‘Then I guess this is goodbye.’
Cole got up and walked to the door, turning back to her before opening it. ‘Sabine…we had a good time, we did. But I’ll never forgive myself for what I did to Arlo. In the end, both of us lost. I’m going to try to make up for that mistake for the rest of my life. I suggest you do the same.’
And he was gone. Sabine flipped her middle finger up at the closing door. ‘Damn patronizing moralizing asshole.’ Fuck. What now?
Then she smirked to herself and looked back out of the window, over the city she’d come to as a teenager from Stockholm, all those years ago. Well, Cole, I might just take that advice of yours. I might try to redeem myself, and as far as I can see, there’s only one way to do that. Arlo Forrester.
Sabine smiled to herself. ‘I’m going to get you back, baby.’
***
Cosima sat opposite Arlo in the small bar. The room was semi-crowded, but thankfully, the noise wasn’t overwhelming. Cosima sipped the cocktail Arlo had ordered for her.
‘That good?’
‘Yes, thank you.’
Arlo grinned at her. ‘So…hello.’
‘Hi.’ She gave him a half-smile. Arlo nodded, reading her expression.
‘Sorry for blind-siding you but…I had to see you.’
Cosima drew in a deep breath. ‘So you hunted me down? That’s not what we agreed.’
Arlo nodded, his smile fading. ‘I know, and I’m sorry. I wouldn’t use the word ‘hunted’, more ‘searched for’.
Cosima nodded, her expression tight. Arlo sighed. ‘Look, Cosima…I did my due diligence. I know your story. Believe me; I took every precaution to protect the information I found, to protect you.’
‘Arlo…why didn’t you come to me directly? Why get involved with my work? I guess I’m wondering if you think you were doing me a favor by hiring my firm. That smacks of control and I’m really not up for that. My life is already regulated enough by other people…my sister, my mother, the FBI. My work is mine, do you understand?’
Arlo nodded. ‘I do, and I have no answer for that other than I thought it would be a good way to contact you. I thought turning up at your door might scare you.’
Cosima stared out of the window at the crowds of people milling around the Quarter. ‘Was I easy to find?’
Arlo smiled. ‘No. I covered the tracks too, so you’ll be even less visible. Like I said, I know your story.’
‘And yet I know so little about yours,’ she sighed and rubbed her eyes. ‘Look, Arlo, the time we spent in The Maldives was incredible, but if we’re going to work together, we can’t just pick up where we left off. I take my job very seriously.’
‘Good,’ Arlo sat back, ‘Because I’m serious about wanting the best for this new hotel. Cosima, your reputation precedes you; your artistic flair, your commitment.’
She studied him. ‘Then…’
‘Then we’ll be colleagues, and friends. For now. Eventually, you’ll be mine, Cosima Bedi. I fully intend on marrying you.’
She gave disbelieving snort. ‘Oh really?’
‘Absolutely. I knew the moment I touched you, the moment I ran my fingers over that glorious, soft skin of yours, kissed those rosebud lips.’
Cosima felt her body react to his words, a burning longing for him, but she pushed those feelings down.
‘Mr. Forrester…I don’t know what you’re used to, but here in the twenty-first century, women aren’t so easily acquired. Just because we fucked,’ she spat the words to illustrate her annoyance, ‘it does not give you the right to lay claim to me.’
‘I’m doing nothing of the sort. I would never coerce you into something you didn’t want; that idea is abhorrent to me. I just know, with every cell in my body, that we belong together. I’ll wait, Cosima. Forever if necessary.’
She was staring at him now. ‘You don’t know me.’ Her voice was a whisper.
Arlo inclined his head in agreement. ‘No, I don’t know all of you. And maybe I’ll be proved wrong – but I don’t think so. I spent fifteen years with a woman who, it turns out, I didn’t know at all. I learned more about what it means to love someone in five days with you than I ever did with her.’
Cosima couldn’t help but smile at that, and Arlo chuckled. ‘I know what you’re thinking; pretty words.’
She shook her head. ‘No, I was thinking that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.’
‘I’m glad.’
‘But we live in the real world, Arlo. I mean it about my job; I love it, I earned it, I worked my butt off to get here. If you know anything about my family history, then you know that I got here the hard way.’
‘I do know that, and as I say, I’ll wait. While you’re working with me on the hotel, nothing should happen. But when it’s over…’
Cosima, her cheeks a deep scarlet – God, she wanted to touch him so badly – nodded. ‘When it’s over, we’ll see.’
He walked her back to her car. ‘I guess I’ll see you in the morning.’
She nodded. ‘I guess so.’ He gazed down at her, stroking her cheeks with his fingers.
‘Cosima…’ He was going to kiss her, and she couldn’t bear it knowing that if he did, all her words would mean nothing and she would beg him to screw her right here, right now.
No – she was being adult and professional about this – but, damn, if the scent of his cologne wasn’t driving her crazy. She fumbled behind her and opened her car door. ‘Well, goodnight.’
Arlo smiled. ‘Goodnight Cosima.’
Driving home, she glanced in the rearview mirror, checking behind her to see if she was followed – it had become second nature since they’d gone into hiding but now she wasn’t looking for potential assassins, now she was looking for him.
And was disappointed that the road behind her was empty.
When she got home, Harpa was sitting on the couch painting
her toenails. She looked up and grinned, and Cosima was relieved that her sister seemed to be in good mood. She had been so angry lately, about everyone and everything. A delicious smell permeated from the small kitchen, spicy, rich.
‘Hey, sis. Before I forget, Handsome Jack called. He needs to see us tomorrow. I said you’d call him back and arrange a time because I’m free all day, but I didn’t know what your schedule was. You hungry?’
‘Starved.’ And she was, all of a sudden. ‘Let me change first – what did you make?’
Harpa was a fantastic cook, especially when it came to Indian food. ‘Prawn and cod biryani with paratha nan,’ she said, ‘And I made way too much as usual.’
Cosima grinned. ‘Good, bet you I can finish the lot.’
Harpa laughed. ‘I’ll take that bet; you always think you can eat more than you actually do.’
Cosima went into her bedroom to change, and as she changed into her sweats, she called Jack Hampton, their FBI liaison. Harpa had a huge crush on the man – hence the ‘Handsome Jack’ – but Cosima couldn’t see it. He was tall, blonde, rangy and was an efficient and friendly liaison. He worked tirelessly to protect the two Bedi women and when they were forced to leave New York, his intervention and friendship had made the change more bearable than it would have been.
‘Hampton.’
‘Hey dude, it’s Cosima.’
His tone changed from professional to warm in a second. ‘Hey you, how’s things in the Big Easy?’
‘Sweaty, sultry and wonderful. How’s the Apple?’
‘Sweaty, sultry and morose. Or that might be just me,’ he chuckled. ‘Look, I need to come down and check in with you – I know it’s short notice, but my schedule got cleared for tomorrow, so I thought maybe…?’
Cosima chewed her lip. ‘I do have to work, but maybe I can skip off early. Do you want to come to the apartment and we’ll feed you? I know how little the FBI pays you.’
He laughed at her joke. One thing she knew about Jack Hampton was that he came from old New England money, had eschewed the family banking business and went to Quantico in the hope of making people’s lives better. It was one of the reasons he was more of a friend to them than a protector, but Cosima trusted him implicitly.
TORN: A Billionaire Romance Series (Contemporary Romance Novel) Page 3