Running from Fate

by Connelly, Rose

  “Is something wrong?” Mira asked hesitantly when they stopped suddenly. She looked up at him and shivered with a mixture of fear and excitement. His blue eyes burned with an inner heat in a face drawn tight as if in immense pain. Captivated by him despite the fear, she unconsciously leaned forward and parted her lips.

  He lowered his head.

  The door next to them suddenly opened, spilling light and sound into the night. Two young men stumbled out, weaving so drunkenly that they would have fallen without the support of each other.

  Mira released James’ hand and stepped back, trying to be appalled by what had almost happened. She had known James years ago as a beautiful, uninhibited young man. She didn’t know the hard, controlled person standing in front of her. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to know him. Besides, while Kim was in the picture she had to stay back. She did not poach.

  Damn it, James thought, that had been either way too close or not nearly close enough. His overheated body couldn’t decide. Either way the mood was ruined. He sighed and looked at the nearby pub. Alcohol wasn’t a substitute for what his body really wanted, but it was better than nothing. He glanced at Mira. She stood shivering with her arms wrapped around herself. “Come on,” he said. “I think we could both do with another drink.”

  She shrugged. “Why not.”

  **********************************************************

  “When did you see ole Jonathan again?” James said. He carefully opened the door to the black cab and pushed Mira inside. She collapsed onto the seat.

  “What are you talking about?” Mira forced her eyes open and looked at him. His face swam and split into two. Her stomach shifted as well and she closed her eyes tightly in defense.

  He slid into the cab next to her and shut the door. “The Dorchester,” he said to the driver. When they were safely underway he turned back to Mira. She was leaning against the opposite door almost asleep. That wouldn’t do. He still had something he needed to ask her. Oh right, Sir Jonathan Ashton II. What a pussy name. He snorted in derision and then recalled his question. “You said you saw Jonathan twice. When was the second time?” He prodded Mira in the side.

  She jumped and glared at him. “If you must know, it was on my honeymoon with Kevin.” In a quick mood shift, she laid her head on James’ shoulder and smiled dreamily. “We stayed at The Savoy and every morning we went running in Hyde Park.”

  “You met him in the park?” James asked quizzically. He couldn’t conceive of that elegant, polished man doing something as human as sweating.

  “Of course not,” Mira giggled at the thought. “I went running with Kevin. I saw Jonathan at the hotel when we were having dinner. He said congratulations and that was it. I haven’t seen him since.” She sighed and snuggled into James.

  He put his arm around her shoulder and leaned back. “Did you love him?” he heard himself ask.

  “Jonathan?” Mira asked sleepily. “No.”

  “Kevin. Your husband.”

  “I thought so,” Mira mumbled sleepily, “but we were so young and we only knew each other for a short time.”

  The next thing she remembered was being tucked carefully into bed. She vaguely felt someone take of her shoes and socks and pull up the blankets. She thought she felt a light kiss brush across her lips, but she couldn’t respond even if she had wanted to, sleep was dragging her down. She snuggled deeper into the pillows.

  “Are you really what you seem to be?” James asked softly, as he watched sleep take her. Her hair spread across the pillow, a deep, rich halo around her face. Seemingly of its own volition his hand lifted and his fingers combed through the soft strands. When his hand pulled free individual strands clung to it and followed, as if reluctant to lose the gentle caressing. “Do you know how much I want you?” he whispered. “It’s like a fire in my blood.” Normally, he wouldn’t say such things, let alone admit to such emotion, but here in the dark and quiet of the night, it seemed right and natural. “If I decided to have you,” he murmured as his finger ran along the graceful curves of her face and, finally, stopped to slowly trace her soft lips. “I promise you will give no thought to running. But if you betray me,” his voice hardened and deepened, “there won’t be any second chances.”

  Something about the dark warning penetrated Mira’s sleep drugged brain and she shivered, snuggling deeper into the blankets, searching for warmth. Moments later the door closed and all was silent.

  Chapter 14

  Raleigh, NC

  The sound of ringing phones assaulted James’ ears and intruded on his concentration. He reached up and rubbed his temple where a steady throb had developed. Through his open door he could see Mary sitting at her desk nodding her head, as if to some internal melody, as she industriously typed on her computer. The phone rang again and she paused in her typing to pick it up.

  “EcoSpace Industries, Mr. Kelly’s office. How can I help you?” She nodded her head and glanced at the calendar on her desk. “I’m afraid that we’re booked solid for the rest of this week. I can pencil you in for sometime near the end of next week if that suits you. Hold on a minute.” She pressed the hold button and reached for a pen only to discover that it was tucked behind her ear. When she had finished using it the pen went right back.

  As soon as she had laid the phone in its cradle James got up and leaned out the door. “Hold all my calls for a few hours will you Mary? I need some uninterrupted time to finish reviewing this contract.”

  “Sure thing,” she replied.

  He stepped back and quietly shut his door. He had been trying to get through the bulky contract for over an hour now with little luck. He was too restless. The pile of papers sitting on his desk seemed to glare at him accusingly as he bypassed his workspace and walked over to stand in front of the bank of windows. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared out at the gloomy sky.

  Things had been incredibly hectic since he had gotten back from London two days ago. There had been the groundbreaking for a new development of high-end, environmentally friendly condos and a glitch with one of his suppliers was holding up the delivery of some solar panels. He hoped that it wouldn’t require a trip to California. In addition to that, they had just been awarded the contract to build Mr. Ashton’s corporate resort and retreat.

  Normally, the more hectic it became, the more he thrived but, recently, he had just felt edgy. He sighed, pulled the blinds shut, and walked back to his desk. He still had work to do and it wasn’t getting done this way. Exerting his usually iron-willed control, he blocked everything else from his mind and got down to work. He was just signing the final page of the document when Mary came on the intercom.

  “I know that you said you didn’t want to be disturbed,” she rushed out, “but Miss Roberts is on the line. She says it’s urgent. Something about a lunch date.” Disapproval tinged her voice.

  He thought about putting Kim off because he really didn’t want to deal with her dramatics today, but they had some things to talk about and he might as well get it over with. He picked up the phone. “Put her on.” He arranged to see her, hung up, and grabbed his coat. He was on the way out the door before he could change his mind.

  They met at a small, but trendy café in downtown, Raleigh. It was lunch time so the place was crowded, which was perfect as far as James was concerned. He knew that Kim was perfectly capable of causing a scene but, hopefully, an audience would make her think twice about throwing a tantrum. She wouldn’t want word to get back to her daddy and risk getting her allowance cut off.

  He wove through the crowd and grabbed a back table, ordering a coffee to hold him while he waited. Kim was always late. He stood up when he finally saw her cherry red convertible pull up at the curb. She sauntered in the door wearing a red silk dress that clung to her body like a second skin and ended well above her knees. Her blond hair fell down her back in perfect curls and a large ruby on a gold chain rested in the valley between her breasts. Other male dinners were turning and starin
g at her in slack jawed amazement. He could almost hear the blood pressure in the room rising.

  A month ago he would at least have felt some masculine pleasure at being in the company of such a lush beauty. Today, all he felt was a slight annoyance at the necessity of this meeting.

  When she stopped next to his table he leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips against her cheek before pulling out a chair for her. She looked a little disappointed by his lackluster greeting, but she didn’t say anything.

  “It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you,” Kim gushed in her overly sweet voice. She rested her elbows on the table and bent forward. She was obviously trying to attract his attention to her overly abundant chest, but he was just afraid that her breasts would pop out and knock over his coffee. The table was miniscule after all.

  He cleared his throat and tried to erase the ridiculous image. “It’s been less than a week Kim.”

  “Well it seemed much longer.” Pouting, she put her hand over one of his where it was laying on the table and batted her lashes, gazing into his eyes in what she though was a provocative manner. “I’ve missed you terribly.”

  He pulled his hand away from hers and sat back, picking up his coffee. “I have a very busy day scheduled, but I agreed to this lunch because I have something to talk to you about.”

  “If it’s about the Stanley’s dinner party,” she interrupted, “you don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ve already accepted for both of us and I found the most darling dress to wear. Mrs. Stanley is a bit of a prude so I couldn’t get what I really wanted.” She winked. “But I think you’ll like it. Plus, you should see the underwear I got to go with it. I’ll model it for you after the party tonight.”

  “I told you that I have a very busy day, Kim. I’ll probably be working into the night. There’s no way I can go to a party.”

  A waiter came up to take their order and Kim looked ready to snarl at the poor man for the interruption. He was young, however, dark haired, and muscular and he couldn’t seem to get his eyes above her chest. Her expression immediately changed. There was nothing Kim liked better than being admired.

  “Yes,” she purred.

  “Um,” he stammered and swallowed audibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “What can I get for you?”

  “I’ll just have a salad and a bottle of water,” she told him. “I have to watch my figure.” She turned to James. “Honey, what would you like?”

  “Just another coffee for me,” he said.

  The waiter nodded and backed away, trying to keep his eyes on Kim. He backed into a customer’s chair, almost knocking it over. Only when the woman seated there poked him in the back did he swivel around and head for the kitchen.

  Kim smiled smugly and then turned back to James. “What was it you were saying about tonight’s party?” she asked. “Surely you can take a few hours away from work for me.”

  The conversation was really starting to get away from him and James could feel his patience straining. He was begging to wonder what he had ever seen in her. “Forget about the party for a second,” he almost growled. “I didn’t even know about the damn party. I came here to discuss something entirely different.”

  “Fine then Mr. Grouchy, what is it you want to talk about?”

  He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the worst. “Our relationship was advantageous for both of us, at least for a while, but I know that it was never exclusive.” She looked away in seeming guilt. “I think that the time has come to end it.” He waited for the explosion.

  “End it, end what?” Her face at first showed confusion then it cleared as she realized what he was saying. “End it!” she screeched. “Why you son of a bitch! I do the breaking up not you!”

  The other customers were starting to stare and James briefly considered trying to calm her down. From personal experience, though, he knew that it would be an almost impossible task. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

  She stood up abruptly, sending her chair clattering to the floor, and poked a manicured fingernail in his chest. “I don’t need you anyway. I already have someone better.” With that parting line she flounced away.

  “Where did she go?” the waiter asked forlornly several minutes later when he showed up with the salad. He obviously hadn’t heard the commotion.

  “I’m afraid that something came up.” James’ mouth quirked in amusement. “And she had to leave suddenly.”

  **********************************************************

  Five hours later he found his car turning down Mira’s street with no clear memory of how he had ended up there. He had meant to stay at the office and get some more work done, but he had been too distracted. His mind kept wandering back to the time in London. Considering his intense reaction to Mira, he had been a little wary of spending an entire weekend in her company.

  Despite his apprehension, however, the weekend had gone extremely well. Not only had they secured a lucrative contract, but she had been surprisingly good company. He couldn’t remember the last time he had acted so foolishly or had so much fun.

  Maybe it was thoughts of her that had brought him here, but as long as he was in the neighborhood he might as well stop. There was some business that he needed to discuss with her anyway.

  He pulled into the driveway, cut the engine, and sat there. This is stupid, he thought. He was just fooling himself. From the moment he had climbed in his car and headed here, he had known that it had nothing to do with business. Mira touched something in him. When he was with her he felt more like the man he used to be, before the betrayals and the selfishness of the world he lived in had hardened him. He knew that could be dangerous to him, but the appeal was strong and he wanted her — badly.

  He got out of his car and stood for a moment, absorbing the atmosphere. It had been too long since he had even noticed nature’s beauty. The sun was shining, brighter since the earlier rain, a warm breeze was blowing, and there was music on the air. At first he thought the noise was coming from a bird but, after listening for a second, he realized that it emanated from the somewhere else. Curious, he turned from the door and headed in that direction.

  The music was coming from a large, open window at the back of the house. He drew even with it and peered into what appeared to be the kitchen. Looking around, he spotted a portable CD player sitting on a counter. A bouncy, lively beat was coming from it, something he had never heard before. A movement caught his attention and he turned his head. His body stilled and he was momentarily immobilized, transfixed by the unfolding scene.

  Mira was standing in front of the refrigerator, rooting through its contents. She was wearing a faded green t-shirt and short, ragged denim shorts. Something about the way she stood and the tilt of her head prodded his memory. He froze, teetering on the brink of some revelation.

  The tempo of the music increased and Mira’s body picked up the rhythm. Hips pumping and breast swaying, she executed a turn and pushed the refrigerator shut with an enthusiastic twitch. James felt his mind empty as his body was seized by a hot bolt of lust. He felt a familiar heaviness grip his lower body and, wryly admitted that he hadn’t come over here to talk about business. He would remain in control, he vowed, and keep his emotions separate, but one thing was certain. He would have her and it would be on his terms.

  Turning around, he walked back to his car. It was time to plan his strategy. The beautiful Miss Anders didn’t stand a chance.

  Chapter 15

  It had been a busy and frustrating week for Mira, but it was finally Thursday so the end was in sight. It had only been a measly four days since she had returned from London, but it felt like months had crawled by. She kept expecting something to happen. Before the trip she had a difficult time even getting in to talk to James, now he seemed to be everywhere she went. He came in at the same time that she did, parked next to her so that they walked to their cars together, and randomly showed up at her desk to ‘check’ the progress of her wor
k. If he accidentally brushed up against her one more time she was going to go crazy.

  When she had started this job she would have probably killed for that kind of attention from James but, now, it was just interfering with her work. She was constantly on alert for the tread of his footsteps or the sound of his voice. The sad part of it was that if she thought he had any actual feelings for her she would have probably melted in a puddle at his feet already. As it was, she thought as she pressed down too hard and broke another pencil, she felt like this was all some kind of sick game that he was playing on her.

  From the gossip around the office she had discovered how much of a playboy that he actually was. Apparently, Kimberly was the last in a long string of vapid, beautiful, socially prominent women that he had dated or, rather, had short, meaningless affairs with. It was rumored that all the women had ended up with were a selection of expensive jewels and a titillating story to tell at the country club. Even if he weren’t still seeing Kim, she angrily told herself, there was no way that she would willingly become just another notch on James Kelly’s bedpost.

  Mira was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear the footsteps until they had stopped right behind her.

  “Is there something I can help you with?” James asked in amusement as he stared down at Mira’s mutilated sketch.

  She jumped up at the sound of his voice and swung around. He was standing so close that she actually bumped into him. She knew that she shouldn’t let him affect her this way, but as his heady, masculine scent assaulted her over stimulated senses, her heart rate picked up and her palms turned sweaty. It was all she could do to keep breathing. A little distance might help, but the worktable was right behind her so she couldn’t even move, but she certainly wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how strongly he pulled at her. There was only one thing to do. Brazen it out.