He rummaged around in his drawer for jeans and a T-shirt then strode into the bathroom to shower.
The table was already set for the two of them, but she checked everything again. She wanted it to be perfect for Justin, to welcome him home like she used to do with Robbie.
He strolled in about ten minutes later. Freshly showered he looked like some pagan warrior. Lilly made a beeline toward him. This time on her two feet. Justin laughed, putting out his hands to catch her when she staggered. “Hey, careful you don’t fall.” He supported her with his hands under her arms.
“If you’re ready to eat, I’ll put the food out.”
Holly’s voice held no emotion now, just a dull flatness as if all the life had been squeezed out of her.
“I’m ready.” He came over and sat at the table. “Sorry about before, I can be surly sometimes.” It wasn’t only what he read in her eyes, but what she might have read in his that panicked him.
“It’s your apartment. You’ve paid for me, so be as rude as you like.”
“Damn it, I’ve apologized. What more do you want me to do?”
“Nothing, absolutely nothing.” She thrust the seafood cocktail at him before sitting opposite. She had worked hard all day preparing a nice meal for them, but it might as well be cardboard for all the taste it had. Why let him get to her? They had a deal. Being pleasant to her and appreciating what she tried to do for him didn’t come with the package. She was a fool to think they could ever share anything more than sex.
When they finished eating their entree, she gathered up the dishes and went to get the next course ‑‑ steak and salad, served with hot miniature rolls. It had been a labor of love, done because she had wanted to please him. It proved a wasted effort though. He had ruthlessly put her back in her place because he didn’t want her to make a home for him, only wanted her to share his bed.
They ate their meal in a fraught silence. The steak tasted succulent. It was the best that money could buy and cooked to perfection. The mixed salads had turned out even better than she anticipated.
Dessert was a masterpiece; light, fluffy crepes served with a sweet passion-fruit sauce. Even though Lilly had already eaten, Holly fed her some of the crepe off her spoon as the baby leaned against her knee.
“I enjoyed the meal, thank you,” he said quietly. “I’ve got some work I want to do in the study.” He stood up. “By the way, I normally use a cleaning service to keep the place tidy. Do you want me to still get them to come in?”
“No,” she shot back. “While I’m here I’ll attend to it as part of our arrangement. Call it a bonus.” She turned away from him and collected the dirty dishes. From the corner of her eye she watched him stalk off.
***
Justin, who had become engrossed in his work, heard the shower running. He glanced at his watch, ten o’clock. He yawned and stretched. He usually retired late but rose early, four or five hours sleep was enough for him to function, not that he had any intention of sleeping now. He wanted a long session of hot sex with Holly.
She was still in the shower when he stepped into the steamed-up bathroom, but he could see her wraithlike figure outlined against the frosted glass.
The temptation to rip off his clothes and join her under the water proved to be almost irresistible. Instead, he peeled off his T-shirt and unbuckled his belt. Fantasizing about what he wanted to do with Holly made his groin tighten. Watching her run the soap over her breasts, her flat stomach and the golden fluff between her thighs, made his flesh harden to such an extent he unbuttoned the fastening on his zipper to ease the pressure.
As she turned around and exposed her trim little backside, the breath caught in his throat, but it almost choked him when she bent over to pick up the face washer that lay on the shower cubicle floor.
He wanted to yell at her to hurry up. Unless she’d just gone blind, she would know he was watching. Was she deliberately tantalizing him, or prolonging the moment when she had to join him? He would have given up a huge chunk of his fortune to know for certain.
She turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. “Inspecting the merchandise? Making sure you’re getting value for money?” The raw bitterness in her voice struck him with rib-cracking force.
Damn it, if that’s the way she wanted to carry on, he could live with that. “Yeah, I am.” He handed her a towel and she dried herself.
“Do you want me to wear the black nightie?”
“No,” he growled. “I want you naked.” Reaching across with one hand he loosened the ribbon tying back her hair. With his other hand he whipped away the towel and dropped it on the floor.
“For God’s sake, don’t keep me waiting any longer.” He swung her up in his arms and strode into the bedroom.
A long time later, she lay curled up in Justin’s arms as he slept soundly, completely satiated, and why shouldn’t he? She had given him everything he asked for and more. She turned herself into a sexual vamp to please him.
He was a master seducer, a talented lover. No, a sex expert. She would do well to remember love didn’t come into it for him. He knew exactly how to arouse her to the point of madness ‑‑ as she did to him. They played each other like some impassioned maestro conducting a rousing symphony.
Chapter Eleven
After Justin left for work early in the morning, Holly brought Lilly into bed and fed her. The man was a workaholic. It was Saturday, and he still couldn’t pry himself away from his business empire.
“What are we going to do today, Lilly Pilly?”
“Juju.” The baby eyes searched the room for Justin.
“He isn’t here, darling,” she soothed. “He’s gone to work.”
A large open-air market flourished not too far away. They would go there to while away a few hours. With plenty of people around, she felt safe. They would blend in and throw any English bloodhounds off their scent.
She dressed in jeans and a blue singlet top with lace trim around the neck and arms. It was going to be hot. She didn’t bother with a hat for herself but put a bonnet on Lilly even though the hood of the stroller would shelter her delicate baby skin from the burning rays of the sun.
Justin’s apartment was air-conditioned like the rest of the building, so the heat hit them as they ventured outside. It felt glorious having the sun on her bare skin. She inhaled the intoxicating smells of a thriving, busy city, petrol fumes and all, as she walked along pushing the stroller.
She loved the hustle and bustle of the market. Vendors yelled out about their wares as they tried to entice more customers over. The fruit and vegetables were fresh, a mere fraction of the price demanded by the department store. She didn’t have the benefit of using his account, but luckily did have some money in her purse.
Tropical fruit salad for dessert, she decided, splurging out on a pineapple, mangoes and watermelon. During a brief respite from their frantic sex when they were trying to regain their breath, he casually mentioned having a barbecue set up on his rooftop garden. Until then, she didn’t even know about his rooftop garden.
Passing a second-hand bookstall she stopped to browse for a moment. A yellow covered paperback with black writing on the front caught her eye. ‘Give your man sexual variety.”
Casting a furtive look around, she picked it up and handed it to the stallholder. “Could you put it in a bag, please?” How embarrassing, to be caught carrying such a book. The two dollars would be well spent if it helped her entertain Justin.
She would buy their meat at the department store, top quality steak and imported continental sausages were beyond her modest means, but Justin expected the best, and she would provide it.
When they arrived back at his building, Holly decided she would have to take her market shopping up to the apartment before venturing into the department store for their meat. Management wouldn’t appreciate her bringing in lowly market bought produce in case it somehow tainted their expensive, imported fare.
When she stopped for a moment t
o chat to John, the security guard, he offered to mind the stroller while she bought the meat.
“Thank you, I’m still a little wary of that fancy lift,” she confessed.
“Nothing to be frightened of, it is state of the art. Everything in this building is high tech. Justin Devereux wouldn’t live here otherwise.”
“Have you worked for him long?”
“Most people moved into this building about three years ago. I’ve been working here since it opened. Before that, I ran security in one of his office blocks. I joined Devereux Enterprises when I left the army about ten years ago.”
“You were in the army?” That explained a lot of things about him. “My husband served in the army, too.”
“Really? Where is ...” Embarrassed, he trailed off.
She picked up Lilly before answering. “He was killed in Afghanistan.”
“Oh?” He sounded like he didn’t believe her.
“He served in the English army.” She tried to keep the wobble out of her voice. “He was with the Americans and their plane got shot down. There were no survivors.”
“I’m sorry, love.” His eyes were full of sympathy. “I didn’t realize.”
“It’s all right. I suppose the pain of losing him will lessen with time,” she said sadly. What must he think of her, a widow moving in with a rich man with her soldier husband barely cold in his grave?
She didn’t need to read the condemnation in his eyes. She already felt weighted down with guilt, but she defended herself staunchly. “I’ve got Lilly to think of. The government pension isn’t worth much, and I don’t have any relatives. Justin has been kind to us.” That was the pitiful part. She wanted him to be more than just kind.
Was she mad? It was one thing having people suspect she might be sleeping with Justin, another thing to actually admit it. She cursed her runaway tongue.
“I understand. Off you go and get your meat. I’ll watch the stroller. Sorry I can’t offer to mind the little one though.”
“Thanks, I’ll take her with me.” She picked up Lilly and dawdled to the department store. She hated going in there, hated the condescending looks cast her way by the haughty staff. In the meat section, she bought two pieces of eye fillet steak, and a selection of imported sausages.
When she returned for the stroller, John gave her a friendly smile. “Got what you wanted?”
“Yes, thanks. Justin mentioned a rooftop garden. How do I get there?”
“Ah, that’s easy.” He chuckled. “He gave a staff Christmas party there last year. You access it through that bay window of his.”
“Oh, I thought it opened on to a small balcony.”
“No, you follow the balcony along to the end of the building, turn left, go down a couple of steps and you’ll run straight into the garden. It’s been designed for complete privacy.”
“Thanks, John. Catch up with you next time I’m down here.”
When Lilly went down for a nap, she decided to explore the rooftop garden. Opening the frosted glass door she entered the little room. With a comfortable chair, a colorful floor mat and, perhaps a table, it could be a cozy little bolt hole; her own special space. She propped the outside door open with her shoe, so it wouldn’t blow shut and lock her out.
Justin’s apartment finished almost at the end of the building. They were up so high the cars driving along in the street below looked like toys. It was both scary and exciting.
It wasn’t more than half a dozen paces along the balcony to the steps leading down into the garden. She couldn’t believe her eyes. There were built up garden beds along three sides containing numerous native shrubs and clumps of bamboo. Several trees stood in enormous fancy clay pots. What an oasis, a little piece of green paradise fifty stories above the city pavements.
A state-of-the-art brick and stainless steel barbeque had a grill and rotisserie. The whole area would be about the size of a tennis court, perfect for their meal and the other things she planned.
She wanted to keep him happy. For her own and Lilly’s sake, the longer they stayed with him, the more of a nest egg she could build up with the government pension money. The more chance she had of him feeling... Fool, he’s only feeling toward her was of the sexual variety. Variety being the operative word. He would quickly become bored with bedroom sex because he had no emotional attachment to her.
The paperback book she bought from the market ‘Give Your Man Sexual Variety,’ had been an absolute eye opener, and she wanted to put some of her newly acquired knowledge to the test.
***
Justin arrived right on six o’clock. She met him at the door with a kiss.
“No,” he growled, when she went to pull away. “I’ve been longing to taste your lips all day.” His mouth closed over hers, hard, urgent, demanding a response, which she willingly gave.
He strained her close, pushing his knee between her jean-clad thighs. “Where’s Lilly.” He eased his knee away but arched her body into his erection, keeping her there with his hands clasped tightly across her bottom.
“Playing with her toys in the bedroom. Not now, Justin, she might come out. Anyway, I’ve got something special planned for later.”
“Oh yeah?” He angled his head back and stared straight into her face. His eyes were deep, unfathomable slate-gray pools, but his nostrils flared ever so slightly. His exquisite, well-shaped mouth was pursed in query.
“It will be worth the wait,” she promised.
“I hope so.” He gave a feral growl and goose bumps of sensation pebbled her arms.
Lilly must have heard him arrive home. She toddled up to him, arms outstretched. “Juju,” she babbled excitedly.
Laughing, he bent down and picked her up. “How have you been, little missie?”
She put her arms around his neck and started wetting his face with slobbery kisses. “Ugh.” He gave a theatrical shudder.
“Lilly, leave Justin alone.” Holly suddenly noticed he wore casual attire, tailored beige sports pants and a burgundy, short-sleeved shirt without a tie. “Sit down and I’ll get you a drink. Wine?”
“Yes, thanks.” He sat down and perched Lilly on his knee. “What did you do today?”
“We went to the market.”
“I don’t think you should be wandering all over the place on your own.”
“I’m careful. We blended in with the crowd. I wanted to get some fresh fruit and vegetables.”
“You can buy them at the department store.”
“They’re fresher at the market, and much cheaper.”
He gave an annoyed snort. “How did you pay for them?”
“I’ve got some money of my own. I...”
“How much did you spend?” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket.
“No,” she said, amazed that he felt obliged to pay for everything. “I wanted to buy something for you out of my own money. I decided fresh fruit would be nice. I’m going to make it up as a special treat.”
She came up to him. “Don’t be angry.” Resting her hand on his shoulder, she stood staring down at him. “Let me give you something. I want you to know how I appreciate you taking us in like you did.”
“My motives weren’t purely altruistic.”
“Juju.” Lilly swiped at his face with a chubby hand.
“What’s she saying?”
“She’s calling you by your name. Juju is the closest she can come up with I guess.”
“I’m flattered.”
Holly moved away. She didn’t want him to read the pain in her eyes, the hopelessness of the situation. Lilly would never be able to call any man Daddy. Robbie was dead, and Justin, the only man who could ever take his place, saw her and Lilly as only a temporary diversion. She would have given up twenty years of her life to hear him say. “Call me Daddy.” But why should he?
“I thought we could have a barbeque,” she said from the kitchen as she chopped up the salad vegetables. “It’s such a fine evening.”
He shrugged. “If you w
ant to. I’ll go and light it.”
“That would be good. I’ve fed Lilly, and she’s ready for bed. I think our shopping trip tired her out.”
He stood up, still holding Lilly. “Do you want to come outside and help me check the barbeque over?” He tickled her belly and she gurgled with laughter.
“You will watch her. I mean she’s a good climber.”
“No way could she fall off that garden roof. There’s a five-foot wall around it. I’ll make sure she doesn’t come to any harm.”
“I know, but I can’t help worrying.”
“You’ll end up with ulcers or a nervous breakdown worrying all the time.”
As Holly made her way to the garden with the meat, she could hear Lilly’s excited shrieks.
The sun, setting between the skyscrapers, turned the sky into a picturesque pink and red tapestry, but it wasn’t the sunset that caused her heart to give a painful jolt. Justin, with Lilly on his shoulders, galloped up and down pretending to be a horse, neighing and pawing at the ground with one foot. How heart rendering to watch a man who had such a natural rapport with children yet didn’t have any of his own.
He looked up and gave a rather sheepish grin. “She’s a demanding little thing, isn’t she?” He lifted her off his shoulders and placed her on the ground, but she tenaciously clung to his legs. “I’ve lit the barbeque. Have you got our meat?”
“Yes.” Holly handed it to him. He had already pulled down a foldaway table attached to the wall. Two chairs were set out also.
“I didn’t notice those chairs before.”
“There’s a shed up here behind the trellis work. I keep a few things in it, along with the gardener’s tools.”
“Gardener?”
“Yeah, I don’t have time to water the plants or maintain them.”
“How does he get up here?”
“There’s a lift operating during office hours. It services all the other floors, he uses that. The back door is locked, but he’s got a key and the code numbers. All very secure. Why? Were you thinking of sunbathing topless?” he teased.
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