by Marie Kelly
“I worked evenings and week-ends and put myself through college, and then was lucky enough to get picked for the exchange program…. And then I met you” she said softly.
“The night you never showed up my father arrived at my dorm. I couldn’t believe it I just screamed at him to get out and leave me alone. He said that he had a business proposition for me, but I wouldn’t listen…… I just wanted him out…….that was the last time I ever saw him” she said
With a small ironic laugh she added “I guess I know what the business deal was now”
He nodded gently, “When I turned on you in Caesars…. It was because your father turned up at the hotel”
The look on her face was genuinely shocked “He…he turned up at the hotel we were staying at....why?”
Craig stroked her back gently “From what I could see, he was getting ready to talk to you……..I’m sorry Kira I thought you had both planned it……….that’s why I behaved……”
There was a cold look in her face
“I would never have anything to do with my father….. He killed the most wonderful person in my world – my mother and I will never forgive him” she said with a frank honesty which Craig could only blink at
“Oh my God” he said in a low anguished voice
“I’ve hated you for all these years and….” He pulled her in tightly against him her arms going once more around his neck
“What I almost did tonight…” She heard the pain in his voice
“But you didn’t” she said softly “you didn’t and that’s what makes you so different from my father”
Kira moved to kiss his lips softly at first and then deeper as the burning fire between them leapt once more to grip them both. Craig lifted her in his arms and still kissing her moved to the bedroom placing her on the bed to once again be lost in his need for her. They spent the night returning to each other over and over bringing each other to new heights of pleasure, until finally as the dawn broke they fell asleep in each others arms both exhausted and happy.
CHAPTER NINE
At mid-day the ringing mobile by her bed made Kira wake suddenly. Looking at the time she swore softly grabbing the phone and answering
“Hi, I’m so sorry… I slept in” she laughed softly “we went to a party last night. Didn’t get back till late… you didn’t pick up”
Craig shifted beside her raising himself up to his elbow to watch her.
“Hi sweetie” she said softly. He listened as she waited for somebody to finish speaking
“I’ll be home tomorrow, promise” He frowned at this
She looked over at him her eyes holding his.
“I love you sweetie….. See you soon”
Craig looked at her with a surprised expression on his face.
“What the hell is going on Kira” he said his eyes confused and questioning
“You said that you didn’t have a boyfriend…. ” suddenly doubts rose within him. Had she been lying to him last night too
She watched him silently for a second
“I don’t have a boyfriend Craig… I promise you that”
“Then who…” he asked
“Please, Craig.”She pled
“I’m asking you to trust me. I promise that I’ll tell you everything” her eyes looked widely at his
“I need you to believe me that there is no other man in my life…..just you…..there never has been” she finished softly
He wanted to ask her more questions, but something in the way she spoke silenced him. He would have to wait until she was ready to tell him. Some sense told him that she would, and that was enough for him at that moment.
He reached over pulling her down to kiss her softly
“OK,” he said thickly “take as long as you need”
The look she gave him back was one which made him gasp his heart fluttering wildly.
As he took her for a final walk along the beach he pulled her into his arms looking down on her soft features which looked back up at him
“Stay here with me Kira. Don’t go. Whatever it is we can deal with it from here, I can’t stand to lose you again”
She sighed a deep longing sound. “I have to” she said her eyes looking back into his blue ones.
As he looked away she added
“But I want you to come home with me Craig…..there is something you need to know. Someone you need to meet”
He looked back at her his eyes thoughtful and questioning
“Is this part of the secret you can’t tell me?”
Kira nodded slowly.
“Yes…. But you need to know. I know that now”
“OK” he answered quickly, happy that at last she seemed to be opening up to him. Placing his arm around her shoulder he led her back into the house, stopping at his office to make some phone calls. She jumped up and down with pleasure as he organised for her and Bill to be upgraded to fly first class with him. Flashing her a warm smile he had chuckled wickedly
“Seems the least we can do for poor Bill……I’ve had my people running him ragged for the past few days” he added with a twinkle in his eye
“Didn’t want him calling you all the time since you insisted on keeping that damn mobile”
She chuckled back
“Didn’t stop him trying though” she said
He looked at her in surprise
“You’ve talked with him”
Kira gave him a pained look
“Of course not… I promised I wouldn’t”
With a need to be honest with her he added
“I wanted to make him pay too”
Her raised eyebrows made him continue
“I thought you two where lovers”
She sighed
“Craig… Bill and Marissa Thomson are the closest things to parents I’ve ever had since my mum died. He has always been the father that I never had…. You really chose well when you decided to go after Bill”
Nodding slowly he added
“I saw the video of him leaving your room that first night. I saw him hugging you and I assumed that you had been…”
Kira sighed softly looking at him with those wonderful honest eyes
“When you appeared at my room I didn’t expect to see you…and there you were….three years later, you were suddenly in my room. I was upset and he stayed to make sure I was OK. He only did what any decent father would”
He moved around the desk to kiss her softly
“Maybe you’d better phone him now to let him know you’re OK”
She looked up at him in surprise
“But you said….”
He shook his head
“I hope we’ve put that all behind us now” his eyes were intense and pleading, and Kira groaned a long sensual sound and moving into his arms she purred
“How much time do we have before the plane comes?”
He smiled throatily, adding against her lips
“Enough”
Before picking her up and returning to the bedroom.
At 4 in the afternoon they found themselves taxiing away from the island that Kira had grown to love in such a short period of time. This time the return journey saw the two of them cuddled together laughing and joking so much a part of each other.
Craig had arranged for a stretch limo to pick them up before taking them to the Superior. Standing in the foyer Kira thought back to that first day that she had witnessed him walking through. So much had happened since that time and her heart was overflowing with happiness. Seeing her look he had understood what she was thinking and winked conspiratorially at her. As they had entered several managers had been waiting to meet him.
“Sir Mr Buchanan is in the bar waiting for you…”
“Sir I’ve rescheduled your meetings as you asked ….”
“Sir the contractors need to speak with you…”
She heard these and many more from different voices. Hearing his name she was glad to finally be able to see Bill. C
raig had nodded barking out commands quickly and decisively to each person as they fired questions at him, all the time holding her close his hand gently guiding her through the crowded foyer. She had been impressed with his quick mind and ability to make decisions on the spot, and finally the voices all disappeared moving off with their orders to fill.
He sighed “God its hard being the boss” he laughed down at her as she looked back at him with a mocking sympathetic look
“Poor little multi-millionaire baby” she laughed as he chuckled back at her tickling her back causing her to jump forward with a giggle.
“That would be millionaire with a b” he said laughing as she scrunched up her nose at him
As they entered the bar Bill came rushing forward from the seat he had been occupying for over an hour as he waited impatiently for her to arrive
“Kira you OK” he asked looking warily at Craig
She flashed him a dazzling smile
“I’m great Bill” she had replied “Good week?”
Bill looked at her in bemusement. He had been imagining all kinds of terrible things all week, given how upset she had been in just a few moments of Craig’s company, but she was glowing, with total happiness shining out of her face. With relief a small smile lit his lips for the first time.
Craig stepped forward his hand outstretched
“It’s great to meet you Mr Thomson” he said smiling brightly
“I must apologise for my rudeness the last time we met” he added
Bill had shaken his hand with a firm grip, laughing off the apology with a quip
“Well I guess it’s good to be the king” he said a smile hovering on his mouth
Craig had chuckled liking Bill already
“My people tell me what a great job you’re doing” he said
With a look in his eye which said that he had understood what was going on Bill had added
“Yes, they seemed to be determined to keep me busy”
Kira dropped her head biting her lip to keep the giggle from escaping her mouth as Craig looked contritely back at him
“Yes, I must apologise for that too” he admitted looking at Kira with smiling eyes
“Not to worry” Bill said “We actually achieved rather a lot….. What about you Kira?” he asked innocently
With that Kira started to laugh her hands flying to her mouth to smother the sound
“Oh Bill, we’re so sorry……well Craig is anyway” she added as Craig nodded his head sheepishly beside her
Looking from one to the other a smile spread over Bills face
“Well no harm done” he said “and like I said we did actually get a lot done….tell you what, why don’t I buy you both a drink” he said with a twinkle in his eye
“Apparently I have a free tab” he said smiling at Craig
“Wonder who organised that”
Craig smiled back
“Seemed the least I could do” he said softly.
Bill noticed the way the two of them stood beside each other, their bodies instinctively moving closer to each other. For the two years that he had known her he had never seen her with a man. He had often despaired at the solitary life she seemed determined to live, never allowing any man, and there had been many who had tried, to get close to her. Now her whole being cried out happiness as the two of them stood so close together.
They moved to the bar, where they were instantly served as the bar staff had recognised Craig.
“Wow” Bill Thomson whispered “I should take you out drinking more often Craig”
He had laughed back and the two men had instantly relaxed in each others company.
Kira watched as the two talked about the new refurbishments. Bill and Kira both impressed with the amount of information he already had about their progress and plans. He had flashed her a smile
“And you think I never listen…”
As Kira had chuckled, scrunching up her nose playfully to him. As she excused herself to go to the bathroom Craig caught looks between the two, looks which he couldn’t understand. Bill had looked intently at her his gaze looking briefly at him and she had shaken her head slightly. Whatever was being said Bill had frowned. Craig wondered what that had been all about, not liking secrets, especially those from Kira.
As she disappeared from the bar Bills demeanour changed. No longer the laughing kindly man, he had straightened up and was looking at Craig with a severe look on his face
“OK son” he had said making Craig feel suddenly very young and slightly nervous and seeming to have completely forgotten that Craig was his boss. He had looked at him with surprise, but Bill seemed intent on saying more
“I don’t know what the hell went on this week, but Kira is like a daughter to me and nobody, and I mean nobody … not even you” he added silencing Craig who had opened his mouth to say something
“Is going to upset her…. Do I make myself clear?”
Craig clamped his mouth shut and nodded
“Now the only reason that you and I aren’t having this conversation outside is that she looks happy”
He ignored the younger mans surprised look and the fact that he was obviously very fit and at least 3 inches taller than him
“But let me make myself very clear Craig… that if you hurt her I will come after you… she deserves to be treated like the lady she is and I expect you to do just that.”
“Do I make myself very clear?”
Craig nodded, his eyes looking back at Bill with surprise, but also with a deep respect. There had been very few men who had ever stood up to him, and given that it was out of concern for Kira he suddenly felt very ashamed of what he had thought of Bill Thomson
Holding out his hand which Bill had taken they had shaken hands
“You have my word Bill that the last thing I ever want to do is hurt Kira”
With a nod the harsh look in his eyes had disappeared and once again he had begun laughing telling jokes which had Craig smiling. Craig however, was suddenly very aware that while Allan Rothman might be her biological father the man before him now was truly the man who cared for her like a real father. This was the scene which greeted Kira when she returned. She smiled at the two men who looked at each other with an understanding in their eyes.
An hour later they found themselves in a stretch limo on their way to the airport and once there they had bypassed the usual lines and were soon comfortably settled in the waiting room. Bill had pulled out some papers to work on, leaving the two of them to chat privately. Kira had been sharing with him her vision for the Superior’s refit, and was delighted that he was interested enough to make real worthwhile suggestions. As she giggled at one of his more outlandish ideas she had noticed him stiffen. Suddenly his body was rigid and his face black with anger as he stared disbelieving ahead of him.
“Are you OK Craig” she asked in surprise before her eyes followed his to see what had made his mood change so dramatically. Seeing her father sitting watching them from the other side of the waiting area she had gasped, grabbing his arm in panic
“Oh my God….” She whispered in total shock
Craig suddenly aware of her shock had looked deeply into her eyes seeing the fear and disbelief in them.
“It’s OK Kira” he said, his voice tight “Ignore him”
Pulling her eyes from her father who sat stonily watching them she looked deeply into his, hers full of such confusion
“What’s he doing here” she asked her voice a whisper
“It doesn’t matter…he can’t hurt you” he said softly, his eyes becoming more reassuring
However, as she looked at him nodding gently another voice cut in
“Hello Craig…..Hello Kira. I see you still have a problem keeping your hands off my property Craig” he said unpleasantly
Kira swung her eyes around to look at the man before her with no attempt to conceal the hatred in them.
“I’m not your property” she said coldly
With a
cold smile he had said “No kiss for your dad Kira”
“Get away from me” she snarled leaning in closer to Craig
The man before her laughed nastily
“You never did know how to show respect…..just like your mother” he said looking at her in complete contempt.
Before she could respond, Craig had stood between her and her father his voice controlled and cold
“Which rock did you crawl out of Allan” he had asked softly
“Perhaps you should turn around and crawl back under it”
Allan Rothman had laughed unpleasantly
“As charming as ever eh Craig. I see you don’t ever learn your lesson. My….daughter” he spat out the word with distaste “does have a way of attracting you doesn’t she….then again she always was a whore…..just like her mother”
As Kira gasped in horror Craig had stepped up even closer to him
“Be very careful how you speak to her Rothman” he growled angrily “One more word, and I swear to god that I will make you even sorrier than two years ago” his voice contained undertones which Allan Rothman caught making him scowl.
“In fact if anything you should thank her….she was the only reason I didn’t finish you then….but you never learn do you?” Allan Rothman glared at him.
“I know that you are behind it” he said his voice angry
“Don’t think that this will save your precious friend Paul” he finished
Craig smiled the smile cold “Really…are you so sure of that Rothman……seems to me you’ve made a lot of enemies” he said his voice low
Kira was not sure of what the two were now talking about, only aware that the subject seemed to have changed to something which was enraging her father
“I will fight this Craig, you won’t win”
“I think we just might Allan” he had said his voice sure and angry still
“I will make sure that you are never in any position to come after anybody I care about again” he had added, briefly looked at Kira as he said this.
“Well we’ll see about that” Allan Rothman had spat back before without another look at his daughter, moving angrily away towards the departure gate for the American flight.