Lukas caught his breath at how lovely she looked. The short, deep purple dress was deceptively simple. But it clung subtly to her curves and hugged her waist and her pale skin was luminous in contrast. He must have stared too long without comment.
‘Do you like it?’ she asked, a note of uncertainty creeping into her voice.
‘Yes,’ he said.
She pointed her foot in front of her like a dancer. ‘And the shoes? Do you approve?’
The dress was discreetly sensual but the shoes were sexy as hell—a staggeringly high-heeled stiletto in narrow, multi-coloured leather stripes that buckled around her ankles.
He had to clear his throat to answer. ‘Yes,’ he said again, unable to choke out anything more.
‘I’ll take that as approval,’ she said with a curve of a smile to him and a nod to the sales associate. ‘Please tell me you’re not just saying that because you’re sick of shopping?’
‘No. Just buy the dress. And the shoes.’
Then the sales assistant—no doubt scenting a generous credit card—came bearing a selection of glittering jewellery—semi-precious stones but still expensive.
‘May I suggest these?’ The woman fastened a necklace of large purple stones set in silver around Ashleigh’s throat, a smaller version around her wrist. The jewellery lifted the simple dress and was perfect with her blue eyes and red hair.
‘She’ll take them,’ he said.
‘Thank you,’ she breathed. ‘Thank you, darling,’ she remembered to add.
Ashleigh’s new look was classy and discreetly sensual—a most appropriate look for his consort. Tina Norris couldn’t possibly imagine he could be interested in another woman when she saw him with Ashleigh. He couldn’t endure the thought of having to repel unwanted advances from the older woman. It brought back all those unpleasant, frightening memories.
‘Is that it?’ he asked Ashleigh.
‘I...uh...I still need to buy the right underwear for this dress. I can get it here.’ She flushed high on her cheekbones and couldn’t meet his gaze.
What kind of underwear? A sheer, lacy bra cupping her breasts, the triangle of skimpy panties defining her hips? Or might she emerge from the fitting room in nothing but a tightly laced black corset, a tiny thong and those high-heeled black boots—then do a slow twirl and ask him, all wide-eyed: What do you think?
Lukas clenched his fists by his sides. Damn it. If he hadn’t first seen her wearing nothing but bubbles, thoughts like this might not plague him.
Perspiration broke out on his forehead and he had to drag a finger around a collar that felt suddenly tight. The shop was overheated. He had to get out of here. She needed a watch to replace the chunky digital thing more suitable for a tracksuit than an elegant dress. Time could be saved if he chose one for her.
‘You get what you need—’ he couldn’t actually utter the word underwear ‘—while I shoot out to another shop.’
The associate held up an unstructured wool coat in a delicate shade of lavender that would complement the dress perfectly. ‘Yes to that too,’ he said. ‘And leather gloves.’
Ashleigh leaned forward, giving him a glimpse of the swell of her pale breasts in the clinging dress. She wasn’t wearing a bra. Her fresh sweet perfume wafted up to him, heady and exciting. ‘Are you sure about the coat? It’s expensive and not really necessary for one night and—’
‘Just get it,’ he said through gritted teeth before he strode towards the door.
By the time he got back with the watch in the pocket of his coat, Ashleigh was covered up again in her new black trousers and top. But once he’d imagined what she might look like in her underwear it was difficult to get the sensual images out of his head.
He paid for Ashleigh’s purchases and picked up the collection of heavy paper bags emblazoned with the designer label. ‘I’ll carry these out to the car.’
She put her hand on his arm to stop him. ‘Please, let me,’ she begged. ‘I’ll probably never shop here again in my life and I want to enjoy every bit of the experience.’
Ashleigh walked back out of the shop in triumph, bearing her haul of bags like trophies for all the other well-heeled shoppers to take note. She seemed exhilarated, cheeks flushed, eyes glinting in triumph and Lukas realised she was on a shopping high, fired by a pleasure that was almost orgasmic.
He had to force away thoughts of what she might look like flushed with ecstasy in his arms. He gritted his teeth. This awareness of her as a woman rather than a pawn in his business strategy with Tina Norris could not go on.
Lukas signalled to his driver and the car pulled up in front of them. With her hovering around him, he placed Ashleigh’s parcels in the boot, obeying her admonishments to be careful with the precious cargo.
Then he turned to her. ‘This is where I leave you,’ he said, more abruptly than he’d intended. He didn’t know whether to be pleased or perturbed at the disappointment that drooped her expression.
‘Where are you—?’
‘I have business to attend to in the city,’ he said.
‘Oh. I can catch the bus back to Chelsea,’ she said. ‘That is, if it’s okay for me to be there while you’re not there. I—’
Lukas put up his hand to halt her flow of words. He’d known enough high maintenance women to realise that getting the clothes right wasn’t the end of it.
‘The driver is at your disposal. First to take you to a hairdresser and beauty salon in Mayfair, just near here, where I’ve made you an appointment. Then back to Chelsea.’
He was treated to the full dazzle of her dimples. ‘Seriously? I was worried about my hair; it really needs styling and I—’
‘Get done whatever you need to get done,’ he said with a dismissive wave. ‘The driver knows where to take you. Just be home in plenty of time for our dinner date with Tina Norris.’
‘Of course I will. I mean, that’s what it’s all about. Your business deal.’
He turned to walk away but was stopped by her hand on his elbow.
She looked up at him, her cheeks still flushed pink with excitement. ‘Lukas? I know this will all be over in the morning. But thank you. This has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Like a fairy tale. I’ll never forget my day shopping on Bond Street with my fairy godfather.’ She paused. ‘Well, not fairy godfather. I didn’t mean you... Heck, you know what I mean.’ Then she flung her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Just thank you.’
He was too bemused to do anything but watch while she slid gracefully into the car as if accustomed to being driven in luxury around London. Shoppers brushed past him but for a long time he just stood there, remembering the warmth of her arms, the touch of her lips, and feeling dazed and inexplicably bereft. Then he turned on his heel and strode into the crowd.
CHAPTER SEVEN
POWERFUL, POISED AND PREDATORY—that was Ashleigh’s first impression of Tina Norris.
The glamorous forty-something woman narrowed her eyes when Lukas introduced her as his girlfriend. There was speculation and suspicion there, but also a flash of disappointment. Ashleigh smiled a greeting but immediately felt on guard. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. An award-winning performance would be required of her tonight. Thank heaven she was dressed for the part, with her new designer clothes and the confidence of newly styled hair and professional make-up.
As a child, Ashleigh had known of Mayfair in central London as the most valuable stop on the board in the game of Monopoly. Since then, she’d heard the area described as a haven for the international super-rich. That certainly fitted the description of Lukas. And while Tina was as British as could be, she too was very wealthy. Lukas had chosen the restaurant for tonight’s dinner because Tina had an apartment nearby, although her home and company headquarters were in Liverpool.
; And then there was Ashleigh Murphy—recently of downtown Bundaberg, more recently of no fixed abode, tomorrow to have no abode at all.
As the waiter led them from the bar area where they’d met Tina to seat them at their table, Ashleigh managed to catch Lukas’s eye. The message was clear—they’d better get their story right.
The critically acclaimed restaurant was elegant, the Christmas decorations subdued in shades of silver. Their table was set with crisp linen and gleaming crystal, the floor carpeted so it was quiet enough for a non-shouted conversation. Unobtrusive waiters glided silently between tables.
‘Nice,’ said Tina, looking around her with critical brown eyes. ‘Although I’m not too sure what to expect from the Scandinavian-Japanese fusion menu.’
‘It’s not a cuisine I’ve tried,’ said Ashleigh.
‘I don’t think too many people have,’ said Tina.
Did that imply criticism of Lukas for his choice of restaurant? Ashleigh decided to let the comment go. It was her role to support her pretend boyfriend, not to be combative on his behalf. She would just watch, listen and play her part when required. And not order the fried fish skin.
It didn’t take long for Ashleigh to decide Tina was a little too much—too blonde, too tanned, too much cosmetic intervention and too blunt for comfort. Did that bluntness come from an overdose of self-assurance or because Tina knew it would put her on edge? The older woman started her inquisition as soon as they were all three seated at the circular table. ‘So why have you kept Ashleigh a secret, Lukas?’ she asked.
Lukas looked stunned at such a directly personal question so early in the evening. Ashleigh jumped in to rescue him. She placed her recently manicured hand over his where it rested on the table.
‘Hardly a secret,’ she murmured. ‘It’s just so new we’ve wanted to spend all our time...well...alone together.’ His hand was warm and strong under hers—she liked the feeling. Liked it too much.
Tina’s perfectly pencilled brows rose. ‘How new?’ she asked then back-pedalled as if she realised her question could be construed as intrusive. ‘I mean, when I do business with people I like to get to know their partners. I wasn’t aware you had a lady in your life, Lukas.’
‘I didn’t until recently,’ he said.
Ashleigh had decided that the closer to the truth their story, the better it would stick. ‘We’ve only known each other for three weeks,’ she said. ‘I was meant to be in London for a two-week vacation. Then I met Lukas quite by chance.’ She curled her hand over his and edged as close as she could to him. Would it be too much to drop a kiss on his cheek? Perhaps it would be overkill at this early stage. ‘I decided to stay in the UK.’
‘As you would,’ said Tina with a cynical twist to her mouth that made Ashleigh cringe. The implication was clear. Gold-digger. ‘Where did you two meet?’ The question was quick and direct, as if intended to put Ashleigh on the spot. Terror choked her and she was unable to answer. Tina didn’t believe them.
‘At the bar in The Shard,’ said Lukas smoothly. ‘She’d practically just got off the plane when I spotted her.’
His confidence allayed her fears. They could do this. ‘I was dying to see that view of London,’ said Ashleigh—which was no lie. ‘Then I saw him and forgot all about the view.’ He was a view worth gazing at all on his own. She looked up at Lukas in what she hoped was besotted admiration. Resisted the temptation to bat her eyelashes. Or to giggle at the thought of what this tough executive would think if she told her that her first view of Lukas had been from his bathtub.
‘Me too,’ he said. ‘I was smitten. We’ve been together ever since.’ Well done, Lukas.
Tina’s eyes narrowed shrewdly. ‘I didn’t take you for the “love at first sight” type, Lukas. You struck me as more of a lone wolf. A challenge to the single women of Europe, with your good looks and fortune being quite the prize.’
Lukas froze. Ashleigh gripped her wine glass so tight she thought it would snap.
‘Really?’ he said. Ashleigh had known him long enough—was it really only twenty-four hours?—to know Lukas was stalling. Immediately, she took over.
She leaned over the table to engage more with Tina. The trouble with dinner for three was the risk of someone feeling excluded. And she didn’t want that person to be Lukas’s prospective partner in the deal he so badly wanted to close.
‘Sometimes it comes when you least expect it, doesn’t it?’ she said. ‘That bolt from the blue, Cupid’s arrow, whatever you want to call it. You’re not looking for love but it finds you. Then everything else falls away. You just want to be with that one special person. You feel only half alive when you’re apart. You live for them.’ Her voice trailed away.
Ashleigh had only ever felt that craziness once. She’d broken up with Dan when they’d both graduated from high school and left Bundaberg for different universities. In her first year she’d had a ball, making new friends, dating different guys. Then in second year she’d taken drama as an elective and met Travis. Gorgeous, heartbreaking Travis. They’d been cast in the same production, playing lovers. Travis. The love of her life—in real life as well as on stage. It had been like an addiction—frantic, feverish. Nothing else had mattered except being with him. Not her studies, not her friends. She’d barely scraped through her other subjects. Then the play had ended. No sooner had the audience applause faded than Travis had dumped her.
Now, she realised she was clutching Lukas’s hand way too hard. It was a wonder he hadn’t yelped at the pressure on it. She released her grip. Thinking back to Travis always brought a rush of pain—even though it had been so long ago.
She looked over to Tina, saw a flash of what looked like regret in her eyes. Tina pursed her unnaturally full lips. ‘I remember that feeling,’ she said slowly, then briefly closed her eyes as if returning to a happier past. She’s lonely, Ashleigh thought. ‘But it’s all stuff and nonsense,’ Tina brusquely added, shattering the momentary illusion of vulnerability.
Ashleigh refused to be cowed. ‘I don’t think it’s nonsense at all,’ she said. ‘I feel like that about Lukas.’ She looked up at him, smiling, though she felt her smile was a bit wobbly at the edges. His eyes gave away nothing. ‘He feels the same about me, but I don’t expect him to say so in public.’
‘Uh...no. I’m not good at that kind of stuff,’ he said. ‘But yes. I...I feel the same.’
His hesitation made it seem more authentic, Ashleigh thought with relief. They hadn’t rehearsed anything like this. But it seemed natural to kiss him, her lips pressed lightly against his. She meant the kiss to be brief—mere punctuation to her confession of infatuation for her pretend boyfriend. But Lukas held the kiss, increased the pressure on her mouth until her whole body responded in a wave of dizzying awareness. She broke away, shaken, but determined not to show it. She should not have enjoyed that so much. But she had. If she wasn’t in a posh restaurant under the narrow-eyed scrutiny of a dragon lady she would not have stopped the kiss.
She looked away from Lukas, not wanting him to see her confusion, and then back to Tina. ‘So I guess whether you’re a lone wolf like Lukas or a runaway bride like me, you don’t know when Cupid’s arrow is going to hit and—’
‘Just hold it right there,’ said Tina, her eyes gleaming. ‘You’re a runaway bride?’
Why the heck had she brought that up? Lukas’s barely audible groan only echoed the groan Ashleigh felt inside. Her salacious bridal history was hardly relevant to Lukas’s business deal with Tina.
‘You actually bolted from the altar?’ said Tina. ‘In your wedding gown? I’ve never known anyone who actually did that.’ Was that a sneer or genuine interest from the older woman?
‘It wasn’t quite that scenario,’ said Ashleigh, not daring to look at Lukas. She explained to Tina how she’d cancelled everything just weeks before the wedding then run away to London to
escape the flak of being in a town where everyone seemed to know her and Dan and have an opinion about her action.
‘Good for you,’ said Tina. ‘It takes a special kind of guts to do that. Like knowing when to pull out of a business deal your instinct tells you is not going to work. Less messy in the long run.’
Lukas paled under his tan at her words and their possible implication. Ashleigh cursed under her breath. Had her impulsive words ruined the deal for him?
‘Does that mean...?’ she asked Tina, her eyes imploring the older woman not to blame Lukas for her indiscretion. Tina was obviously used to having power and knew how to wield it.
Tina frowned. ‘What? You think I’m referring to my doing business with Lukas? Of course I’m not. I’m still doing due diligence before I come to any final decision.’
Ashleigh couldn’t help her sigh of relief. ‘I’m so glad to hear that. I...’ She was going to say she knew how important the deal was to Lukas but realised that might be construed as showing his hand.
‘You’re being so supportive, agápi mou,’ Lukas cut in, as if he had guessed she could be heading towards a blunder.
‘And very entertaining,’ said Tina. ‘A runaway bride! Who knew?’
Ashleigh’s mouth felt dry and her heart started pounding. Was Tina mocking her? She had a horrible feeling the older woman was trying to undermine her in front of Lukas. ‘You...you wouldn’t tell anyone about that, would you?’ Ashleigh said. ‘I came here to put it behind me.’
‘You mean “Billionaire Greek Tycoon Romances Runaway Bride”—that type of headline?’ Tina said with gleeful exaggeration.
Ashleigh couldn’t help her gasp. All the deception would come out under media scrutiny. She didn’t dare look at Lukas. Why, oh, why hadn’t she kept her mouth shut?
But Tina continued. ‘Trust me, my lips are firmly zipped when it comes to scurrilous gossip. I’ve been burned by it myself.’
Tina seemed totally genuine. Again pain shadowed her eyes and Ashleigh thought about the nasty divorce Lukas said she had endured. She felt really bad she had called her a cougar. ‘Thank you,’ she said. But still, she knew she wouldn’t be able to relax until the evening was done and her role played out.
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