by Tara Bond
I was deliberately being cruel, hitting at what I knew were sore points—his relationships with his father and Giles—but I’d had just about enough of him in the last few days. With that parting shot, I turned and walked out.
As he’d promised, Giles was parked outside the apartment block, waiting for me. We’d agreed it was better for me to come down to meet him, rather than him risk having a run-in with Alex. Though I had a feeling I’d managed to stir things up there, anyway.
Giles was as charming as ever, holding open the car door for me, and complimenting me on my appearance. But to be honest I was too distracted to really care. I’d already been dreading the evening, and now the conversation with Alex had rattled me further.
Ten minutes later, we were driving through the streets of Chelsea, passing elegant white townhouses and manicured squares. As we pulled up outside Duncan Noble’s house, I tried not to show how impressed I was. The five-storey building was set on the crescent of the road, making it one of the most expensive houses on the most expensive street in London. So this was what running a successful luxury leisure group got you.
It was just after seven when we arrived. Duncan was there to greet us. He looked less formal than when we’d first met, in chinos and a blue shirt. Now that he and Giles were together, I could see the resemblance between them even more keenly.
“Nina, I’m glad you could make it.” He kissed me on both cheeks. “Come through, will you?”
I followed him along the corridor to the drawing room. I perched on the sofa as a waitress dressed in a black pencil skirt and fitted white shirt brought round champagne and canapés. I stuck with water, deciding I’d need to keep my wits about me.
“Now,” Duncan said to me once she’d withdrawn from the room. “I was aware that I was a little abrupt at our last meeting, so I was hoping we’d have a chance to get to know each other a bit better tonight.”
“Great,” I said, trying to look as though I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.
“So on that note, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to?”
Given that I’d hidden the details of my mum’s alcoholism from him, it wasn’t the easiest of conversations to have. But I spoke a lot about April, and somehow we managed to fill the time.
Three-quarters of an hour later, we finally went through to a formal dining room. A long table made of polished mahogany dominated. It could have easily seated twelve, so it felt a little empty with just three of us there. But I didn’t have time to dwell on the awkwardness, because Duncan Noble was already firing more questions at me.
We had just finished our starter of scallops, and the last plates were being cleared, when the doorbell sounded. I saw Giles and his father exchange looks—this wasn’t the type of area where visitors just dropped in. The maid had obviously answered the door, and we could hear muffled voices—her high-pitched female tone, followed by a deeper man’s voice. Then there was the sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway, and a second later Alex swept into the room.
He’d made no effort to shave or tidy himself up, and was wearing what looked like his oldest pair of jeans and a T-shirt that was ripped at the neck. I could smell the alcohol off him from all the way across the room.
“Deepest apologies for my tardiness,” he said. “Car wouldn’t start.”
It was so obviously a lie, that it was hard not to laugh. I could feel a snigger rising until I caught sight of the look of fury on Duncan Noble’s face. I managed to bite it back.
“I didn’t realise you’d be joining us, Alexander,” Duncan Noble said. His tone was chillier than the Arctic.
“Family dinner?” Alex pulled up a chair and collapsed into it. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Such a shame I had to hear about it second-hand, though. I presume your PA forgot to call me.”
Duncan Noble winced at this. He was obviously aware that Alex was peeved about not being invited, and that his son had come here tonight intent on payback.
“No need to worry, though,” he went on, his gaze moving to me. I could see a wicked playfulness in his eyes. “Nina was kind enough to fill me in on the details.”
Duncan’s jaw tightened, and he looked between us. “Oh? You two know each other?”
I went very still, unsure how to respond. I remembered how adamant Giles had been about not letting on to Duncan about my connection with Alex. But if he wanted to tell his father, there was nothing I could do about it.
“Well, of course I know Nina,” Alex said, a little smirk playing on his lips. “She works at Destination. I was bound to run into her.”
There was a silence. I felt Alex, Giles and their father exchange looks, but I had no idea why. Fortunately at that moment, the waitress came in with the main course of guinea fowl. She said that the cook was making up a plate for Alex, and while I marvelled at being in a house that had what appeared to be a whole range of staff, Giles took the opportunity to move the conversation on to more neutral topics.
For the next hour, we stayed on current affairs. Alex was surprisingly well versed in world events, and the debate was animated, though without the heat of the more personal subjects.
I’d almost managed to relax, but just as coffee was being served Duncan turned to Giles. “I reviewed your plans for renovating Destination, and I have to say so far I’m impressed.”
“I’m glad.”
“I just have a question on cost. It seems a little higher than I’d anticipated, and we don’t seem to be using our usual contractors.”
Giles nodded along as his father spoke, as though he’d been anticipating these questions.
“I basically went for quality over cost savings. I thought this new firm would create a better finish.”
Duncan nodded approvingly. “Good thinking.”
“The golden boy strikes again,” Alex said softly, but still loud enough for his father to hear.
His head snapped round to glare at his son. “Yes, Alexander, you’re right—we’ve heard quite enough from Giles tonight. Why don’t you fill us in on your latest achievements instead? I’m sure everyone at the table is dying to hear how you’re spending your time.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Oh, Father, give it a rest, will you?”
“Still no thoughts on joining us in the world of work, then?”
Alex took a sip of wine before answering. “Not really my scene.”
“No?” Duncan raised an eyebrow. “So what is your ‘scene’ these days? Falling out of clubs drunk with whatever girl happens to be flavour of the week? Does that constitute a ‘scene’?”
Alex put down his glass. He looked serious, and far more sober than I’d realised. “Actually, I have been working on something. A pop-up restaurant with guest chefs. I’m just looking for investors at the moment.”
“Oh? And let me guess—you want me to fund you?”
Alex’s jaw tightened. “When have I ever asked you for a penny? I’m doing this on my own. Without any help from you.”
For a moment, Duncan looked surprised. Then he recovered. “That’s very admirable. I just hope you stick at something this time.”
I cringed. Somehow he’d managed to compliment Alex and put him down at the same time.
Alex reached for his wine glass again, and Duncan frowned. “I hope you’re not planning to drive after that.”
Alex drained his glass, and then set it on the table. “Actually, no, I’m not planning to drive. I got a cab here, and I’m going to get a cab back. But it’s always good to know what a low opinion you have of me.”
Instead of apologising, Duncan said, “Well, can you blame me? I’ve given up counting the number of times you’ve been selfish and reckless over the years.”
Alex gave a harsh laugh. “And you wonder why I don’t come to family dinners more often?” He looked round at me and Giles, and shook his head. “You know what? I don’t need this. I’m out of here.”
With that, Alex pushed his chair back from the table, and left the roo
m.
I didn’t think twice. I stood up and hurried after him. But he was too fast for me. He was already at the front door while I still had one flight of stairs to go.
“Alex, wait,” I called.
His hand was on the handle of the door. I saw him grip it for a moment, and then he released it, and turned back to face me. For once, there was no humour in his eyes, only irritation. “What do you want?”
I came to a halt on the bottom step, suddenly lost for words. I’d expended so much energy getting down that it hadn’t occurred to me what I was going to say when I got there.
“I . . .” I began, and then stopped. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry about what happened in there,” I said eventually.
“Why?” He shrugged his large shoulders. “It’s not like you were the one saying all that stuff.”
“Maybe not. But I still thought it was wrong of him.”
“Really?” He cocked his head to one side, studying me through narrowed eyes. “I’m surprised to hear that. I’d have thought you’d be the first to agree with him. After all, weren’t you the one who called me selfish and reckless?”
I winced at that. I suddenly understood why he’d been behaving the way he had. He’d been good to me, and I’d repaid his kindness by criticising him just like his father always did. No wonder he’d gone out of his way to prove me right since then. While I didn’t like his behaviour, I could understand it.
I tried to hold his gaze for as long as possible, but I’m sure it wasn’t a surprise to either of us that I was the one who looked away first.
“Yeah.” He gave a harsh laugh. “That’s what I thought.”
He turned to leave, and this time I made no effort to stop him. The front door slammed shut behind him, rattling my teeth with the sheer force of the bang.
I stood there for a moment, staring after him. Then I heard someone clearing his throat to make me aware of their presence. I turned to see Duncan. He didn’t look happy.
“I’m guessing from what I just heard that you and Alex know each other better than I’ve been led to believe.”
I dropped my eyes, choosing to study a spot on the ground.
“I understand if you don’t want to tell me what’s going on. But as you can see from tonight, my youngest son can be difficult. You need to be careful, Nina. I’d hate to see you get hurt.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Now,” he said briskly, clearly changing the subject. “I don’t think anyone’s in the mood to continue this evening, so I’ll get Giles to drive you home.”
We were both subdued on the journey back. I couldn’t help worrying about how Alex was going to react to the events of the evening. If his recent behaviour was anything to go by, I could expect another all-night party. The thought was exhausting.
When Giles pulled up outside the apartment block, I thanked him for the lift home. He leaned over, and I assumed he was going to kiss me on the cheek like before, but instead he bent his head and kissed me full on the mouth.
I was so shocked that I didn’t react at first. Then my hands came up to his chest and I pushed him away.
Instinctively I looked around, and I knew I was searching for Alex, concerned that he might have spotted us. But fortunately he was nowhere to be seen. Then I turned my attention back to Giles.
“Why on earth did you do that?”
“Why do you think?” He was looking at me as though I was mad.
I blinked. It hadn’t occurred to me that Giles felt anything for me other than friendship. His behaviour had seemed almost big-brotherly—nothing else. And as much as I liked and admired him, I didn’t feel anything romantic at all. It was a shame. He was hard-working and reliable—the kind of guy I’d always hoped to end up with. But unfortunately it turned out my heart wanted something entirely different.
And to be honest, I wasn’t convinced he felt anything for me, either. I imagined a well-mannered upper class girl was more his type than someone like me. I couldn’t help wondering how much of this sudden interest was to do with being competitive with his brother, whether he realised it or not.
“I’m sorry, Giles—” I began.
He swore under his breath, cutting me off. “You’ve spent all this time protesting that you don’t want anything to do with Alex, but nothing could be further from the truth. At least be honest with yourself.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say to that. Clearly Giles didn’t deal well with things that didn’t go his way, and the best I could do was leave him to nurse his wounded pride. So I got out of the car, and watched as he drove away.
* * *
It was nearly two in the morning when I heard movement in the apartment. I had been asleep for almost an hour by then, and the sound of someone moving around in the living room downstairs made me jerk awake.
Lying in the dark, I listened to the heavy footsteps on the stairs, and Alex’s bedroom door slamming shut. It sounded like he was alone.
I lay there thinking about what to do. The sensible part of me knew I should go back to sleep, but deep down I had no intention of doing that. After everything that had happened tonight, I needed to see Alex.
Before I could give too much thought to what I was doing, I pushed the duvet back, got out of bed and made my way to his room.
Outside, I paused. I could feel my heart thumping in my chest, and my stomach had that cold, nervous feeling I hated. Swallowing down my fear, I knocked on the door.
The hollow sound seemed to reverberate around the high-ceilinged mezzanine. I waited for a long moment, but there was no answer. I debated what to do. It felt like I’d come too far to turn back now, so I knocked again. This time, when there was still no answer, I twisted the handle down and pushed the door open a crack.
“Alex?” I said tentatively into the darkened room. I could just about make out his shape lying fully clothed on top of the covers. All I could hear was the sound of his breathing. “Alex?” I repeated.
There was silence for a moment, and then, “What?”
Knowing he was awake emboldened me, so I stepped into the room. From there, I could see him stretched out, one arm thrown over his eyes. “I just came to check that you were all right.”
“Well, as you can see, I’m fine. Job done. So you can run along.”
I paused for a moment, and then instead of leaving I went over and perched on his bed. He hadn’t bothered to close the electronic blinds, so the room wasn’t in total darkness, just more of a shadowy gloom. It let me see the way his jaw tightened as he felt my weight press down the mattress. With a sigh, he moved his arm from his eyes, so he was staring up at me.
“It’s been a long night, darling.” As he spoke, I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He must have been drinking—heavily—for the rest of the evening, but he was still coherent. “So why don’t you tell me what you want, so we can all get some much needed sleep.”
I didn’t bother to answer. Instead, I touched my hand to his cheek, allowing my thumb to gently caress his skin. I watched as he frowned in confusion. Then, a second later, I lowered my mouth to his, in a soft, light kiss.
After a second, I drew away a little to gauge his reaction. He stared up at me with a blank expression on his face, and I noticed his arms were firmly by his sides. It wasn’t quite the reaction I’d been expecting, but I could guess what was going through his mind—I’d rejected him so many times. Now, he was going to make me work for it.
I’d never really thought of myself as someone who liked playing games, but suddenly the idea of being in control, of having to seduce him, appealed to me.
“Fair enough,” I murmured. “If that’s the way you want to play it . . .”
I bent my head, and began to kiss him again, harder this time. Once more, he stayed totally still, but this just spurred me on. My lips prised his apart, my tongue moving against his. The more unresponsive he was, the more I wanted to push him. I was hardly aware of what I was doing as I moved so I was kneeling on the bed, straddling hi
s thighs. I grabbed his arms, and pinned his wrists above his head, so I was kissing him furiously, my soft breasts pressing against his hard chest.
That was it. He gave what sounded like a groan of defeat, and his arms closed around me, pulling me to him, and he was kissing me back, his mouth rough and demanding.
He might have made a point of not being engaged at first, but now it seemed he was determined to take control. In one effortless move, he flipped me over onto my back. He pulled his head away briefly, his eyes searching mine in the semi-darkness.
“What the hell’s got into you?” he murmured.
“Why?” I have to admit that I was enjoying the look of confusion on his face. “Are you objecting?”
A smile crossed his face. “Not at all.”
He bent his head, and his lips found mind again. After a while, I felt him unbuttoning my pyjama top, touching each breast until the nipples hardened. I squirmed a little as his hand trailed down across my stomach, finding its way under the waistband of my pyjama bottoms, and moving lower and lower. And then his fingers found something—so pleasurable that I gasped, my nails digging into his back.
As Alex’s touch deepened, my eyes fluttered closed and my whole body tensed and stretched, poised deliciously on the brink of something I’d never felt before.
Right then, I wanted him more than anything in the world. I didn’t care if it was just for one night.
But through the haze of good feelings, a nagging voice was telling me that this was a bad idea. The rational side of me was screaming out to put the brakes on. It was all moving so fast. Everything felt like it was getting out of control. This was my first time—did I really want it to be this way? With some guy who would probably have forgotten about me by tomorrow?
Finally I pulled away, struggling to catch my breath.
“We can’t do this.”
“Why the hell not?” He was breathing hard, too. His eyes swept mine. He sounded impatient, frustrated, and I didn’t blame him. I’d started this, and now I was telling him no. He deserved an explanation.
I just didn’t know where to start. There were so many reasons. We were from different worlds. I worked for his family. People I trusted kept warning me to stay away from him . . .