by Miranda Lee
‘I can understand why you’re worried,’ she said.
‘Thank God someone agrees with me. Jeremy has some doubts, but he believes that they’re genuinely in love.’
‘It does happen, you know. People do fall in love.’
‘Not that quickly. It’s nothing but lust. Which is not a recipe for marital happiness. You need to be best friends as well as lovers. Soul mates, for want of a better word.’
‘In an idealistic world, perhaps. Life is not always quite so accommodating.’
‘I suppose so. I have an awful feeling that Sergio loves Bella, but that she’s only in it for the money. Being a billionaire is not always an advantage when it comes to finding true love.’
‘Well, you don’t have to worry about that, Alex. You’re not interested in finding true love.’
‘You are absolutely correct. That kind of love is not for me.’
Harriet wondered just why Alex was so against falling in love. He must have been badly hurt at one stage to feel so strongly about it. Before she could come to any conclusion, he turned and smiled at her.
‘The turn-off for Taree is coming up. What say we get off the freeway and go have some lunch?’
Chapter Fifteen
IT WAS AFTER five before Alex pulled up outside her flat. Harriet was annoyed with herself when she asked him if he’d like to come up for a cup of coffee. What had happened to her resolve to keep some control over their affair and her own silly self? To invite him into her home was a foolish move. But it was done now.
Of course, he said yes, that big, bad wolf smile on his face.
At least he carried her bag up the stairs for her, her flat being on the second floor of the rather ancient red-brick building. There were eight units in all, hers at the front of the building facing east, though not with an ocean view, being a couple of streets back from the beach.
‘Nice place you’ve got here, Harry,’ Alex said even before she’d shown him inside. He knew she owned it. She’d said so when he’d interviewed her.
‘I like it,’ she replied, fishing out her key and opening the front door.
‘Very nice,’ he said once he went inside and glanced around.
His compliment pleased her, Harriet being on the house-proud side, something she’d learned from her mother, who had instilled in her daughter good habits when it came to keeping her home clean and tidy. Harriet’s good taste in furniture and furnishings, however, was something she’d learned for herself after coming to Sydney. Selling expensive real estate did give one a yearning for having nice things around.
Her two-bedroomed flat wasn’t overly large, but by painting all the walls and ceilings white, and not overfurnishing the rooms, she’d achieved the effect of making it look larger than it was. Both the kitchen and bathrooms were white, but that was not her doing. They’d been renovated shortly before she’d bought the place.
‘Could you point me to the bathroom, Harry?’ Alex asked.
She did, reminding him that the light in there wasn’t working due to her poor DIY skills.
‘Give me a bulb, then,’ Alex said. ‘I’ll fix it while I’m here. You go make the coffee.’
He joined her in the kitchen a couple of minutes later. ‘All fixed,’ he said.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I didn’t realise you would be such a good handyman.’
He laughed. Not a happy laugh. More a dry one. ‘When you grow up living in government housing, you learn to do all minor repairs yourself. If there was one thing Dad did teach me growing up, it was how to change light bulbs and tap washers. I can also fix leaking toilets and blocked drains. So, if your kitchen sink ever gets blocked up...’ he added, smiling wryly.
‘I will call a plumber,’ Harriet finished for him, at the same time wondering if Alex had called his dad today like he promised last night. She hadn’t heard him do so. Still, it really wasn’t her business to remind him. It wasn’t like they were at work, when she often reminded him to do things. He could be forgetful at times. Oh, Lord, maybe she should say something...
‘You’re frowning,’ he said. ‘On top of that, you’ve stopped making the coffee. What gives?’
Harriet turned to look at him. ‘I’m worried that you might have forgotten to ring your dad. You promised him last night that you would call him today.’
Alex shook his head at her. ‘I should never have told you about him.’
‘Well, you did,’ she replied, feeling quite angry with his attitude. ‘And I’m glad you did. Now at least I know that you’re human, with personal problems like the rest of us.’
His eyebrows lifted. ‘Wow, Harry, you have quite a temper on you, don’t you? Something you’ve managed to keep hidden from me all these months.’
‘A PA doesn’t lose her temper with her boss. But a secret mistress is another thing entirely. Tamper with a woman’s emotions and you have to pay the price.’
‘I don’t want to tamper with your emotions. Just your body.’
‘Same thing, Alex. I’m a woman. Our bodies and our emotions are linked. Unlike men. It always amazes me how some men can compartmentalise their lives. Work over here and women over there. In the past, you’ve cleverly chosen to sleep with empty-headed young things who haven’t given you any trouble. Let me warn you in advance, Alex, that I might give you trouble.’
His eyes narrowed on her. ‘Are you warning me that you might fall in love with me?’
‘I certainly hope not,’ she said quite truthfully. ‘But don’t expect me to be entirely happy with this...relationship. Yes, I love having sex with you, and yes, I love working for you. But I’m going to find it increasingly hard to separate the two. Please appreciate that I might have to quit in the end.’
‘Quit work or quit me?’
‘Both.’
‘I won’t let you.’
A shiver of alarm ran down her spine at the sheer arrogance of him.
‘You won’t have any choice in the matter.’
‘We’ll see about that,’ he ground out. ‘Forget the coffee. I’m going home. But first a little taste of what you can expect next Friday night.’
Five minutes later, he was gone, leaving Harriet reeling with shock. She sagged back against the kitchen counter, her legs weak with desire. What a cruel devil he was, kissing her like that, then touching her like that, bringing her to the brink of release, then just abandoning her, his eyes glittering with a chilling resolve when his head finally lifted.
The week that stretched ahead of her would be unbearable. But of course Alex wanted it to be. That was why he’d just done what he’d done.
I should never have challenged him like that, Harriet conceded as she levered herself away from the kitchen counter, pulled her bra back into place, then did up her jeans. She’d known from the start that she was way out of her league, tangling with someone like Alex.
Try as she might, however, Harriet could not regret going to bed with him. How could she regret something which had brought her so much pleasure? Alex excited her as no man had ever excited her. He was a fabulous lover, with a way about him that was both seductive and oddly romantic. The compliments he’d made about her body last night were so sweet. Harriet knew she wouldn’t be the one to call it quits. But he would one day, and this inevitability would happen sooner rather than later if she didn’t lighten up a bit. She really had to stop acting the way she had earlier today. And just now. She had to start doing what Alex suggested. Live for the moment. Concentrate on just having fun!
It came to Harriet that she’d never been a ‘just have fun’ girl. She’d always been so serious. But it wasn’t too late, surely? She could do fun, couldn’t she? Not every relationship had to be about finding Mr Right. After the fiasco with Dwayne, that could definitely wait for a while. As for that stupid checklist of hers, that was definitely going to be thrown out the window.
Satisfied with her new resolve, Harriet made her way back into the living room, where Alex had left her bag. She had just picked it up
when her phone rang. Dropping the bag, she walked over to where she’d placed her handbag on the dining table, retrieved her phone, then groaned. It was Emily. Oh, Lord. She had a sinking feeling that Emily might have found out about Dwayne.
‘Hi, Em,’ she said with false brightness. ‘How’s it going with the holiday?’
‘Don’t you say hi to me like that, Harriet McKenna. Why didn’t you ring and tell me that you’ve broken up with Dwayne? All those text messages about work and not a single word about what’s really important.’
Harriet scooped in a deep breath, then let it out slowly before answering.
‘Why do you think?’ she finally asked. ‘I knew you wouldn’t be on my side and I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture.’
‘Don’t be silly. Of course I’m on your side. You’re my best friend. Dwayne doesn’t mean a thing to me. Okay, so I thought you and he were a good match, but it’s what you think that really counts. Obviously, you decided he wasn’t the right man for you.’
A huge lump had filled Harriet’s throat at this unexpected show of support from Emily. She’d been so sure that she would be critical.
‘No, he wasn’t,’ she choked out. ‘I...I...’ Her voice cut out as her whole chest filled with emotion, tears threatening. Silly, really, given she’d already realised she hadn’t loved Dwayne.
‘Oh, Harriet. Hon,’ Emily said gently. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’
Harriet gulped, then cleared her throat. ‘I thought you’d be mad at me.’
‘Never. I just worry about you, that’s all. I want you to be happy.’
‘I want to be happy, too.’
‘Then perhaps you should stop looking for Mr Perfect to marry and just have fun for a while,’ Emily suggested. ‘You’re still young, Harriet. Plenty of time for you to get married yet.’
‘You’re so right, Em. I’ve been thinking exactly the same thing.’
Chapter Sixteen
‘GOT ANYTHING SPECIAL planned for this weekend?’ Audrey asked Harriet.
Friday night had finally arrived and the two women were sharing a bottle of white wine at the nearby hotel where the staff of Ark Properties gathered for drinks every Friday night after work. Audrey and Harriet were sitting at a quiet table in a dark corner, whilst the boys were gathered at the bar drinking beer and watching the Friday night football game. Alex was noticeably absent, as he’d been from the office most of the week, finding any and every excuse to go out—minus his PA—from business lunches to doing site-checks of all their current building projects. He’d claimed he had to have everything on track before leaving for Milan the following week, though Harriet suspected he just didn’t want to be around her lest he be tempted to go back on his word.
When she’d arrived at work last Monday morning, a bagel already in hand, she’d made Alex coffee and taken both into his office, where she’d apologised for being so uptight the other night. She’d promised to lighten up in future, adding that she didn’t want to live her life according to rules, and it would be all right with her if he wanted to see her before Friday night. He’d stared at her for a long moment, then told her that he would prefer to wait till Friday as they’d originally agreed upon. Although surprised and a little hurt, the new live-for-the-moment, just-have-fun Harriet simply smiled and said fine. Whatever.
But it had been a long, long week.
‘No, nothing special,’ Harriet told Audrey, hoping the lie didn’t show in her eyes. ‘I might try to catch up on housework. I usually give the flat a thorough clean on a Saturday, but I was away last Saturday.’
‘That’s right. You were up north with Alex. How did that go, by the way?’
Harriet shrugged. ‘Okay. I think Alex was annoyed that the rain had delayed things so much. No way is that golf course going to be open by Christmas.’
‘It’s supposed to rain all next week, too,’ Audrey said. ‘Not just here in Sydney, but all the way up the coast.’
Harriet groaned. ‘He’s not going to be too thrilled with that.’
‘Nothing you can do about the weather,’ Audrey said. ‘Where did you stay?’
‘Oh, some place near Coffs Harbour. Quite nice, really. You know Alex. He wouldn’t stay at a dump.’
‘Why should he? I mean, he’s seriously rich. And seriously sexy. I would watch yourself with him, if I were you.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You know what I mean. Now that Dwayne’s out of the picture...’ Audrey shrugged, then took another sip of her wine.
No way did Harriet want any of the staff ever to know about her affair with Alex. Though they might twig after she resigned. But it wouldn’t matter then.
‘He’s not really my type,’ Harriet said. ‘But I know what you mean. He is handsome, but personally I don’t like arrogant men.’
Audrey frowned at her over the rim of her glass. ‘I thought you liked Alex.’
‘Well, yes, I do. And to be fair, he’s not all that arrogant. But he can be annoying at times.’
‘Yes, I can see that. Rich bachelors like him are not used to considering other people’s feelings. They don’t mean to be selfish or self-centred, but they are.’
‘You’ve got it in one,’ Harriet stated, thinking that was Alex’s biggest flaw. His selfishness. At the same time, however, he could be kind, generous and even rather sweet. She would never forget what he’d done for Romany.
But he should never have pursued her. That had not been kind, or sweet. It had been seriously selfish. He could have slept with just about any other woman in Sydney, but he had to pick her.
Such thinking suddenly annoyed Harriet, who’d determined to put aside the critical habits of her old, serious self and embrace a more easy-going attitude to life and men. So, instead of criticising Alex in her head, she focused on his good points. He gave oodles of money to charity, was a caring son and a fabulous lover. This last fact reminded her that in less than two hours she’d be in his arms again, being made love to in ways she’d only ever dreamt about. The anticipation of what was in store for her tonight had her shifting restlessly in her seat. Her phone suddenly ringing startled her, the identity of the caller startling her as well.
‘Hi there,’ she answered, careful not to say Alex’s name.
‘I presume you’re still at the pub,’ he ground out.
‘Yes, I am.’
‘Don’t say my name,’ he warned her sharply.
‘I won’t. What’s up?’ If he was calling to tell her not to come, she would just die.
‘Is there any chance you can make it before nine?’ he asked.
Nine was the time he’d designated before he’d left the office that morning, giving her a key-card at the same time so that she could access the building and the private lift to the penthouse.
‘I’m going insane here,’ he added thickly.
The passion and the urgency in his voice was both flattering and arousing. Not that Harriet needed arousing. She was already burning for him.
‘Me, too,’ she said quietly.
‘Have you eaten?’
‘Not yet.’
‘Then don’t. I’ve organised something for later. Can you come straight away?’
‘I should be able to. I’ll catch a taxi and meet you there ASAP. Bye.’
Putting her phone away, she rose and threw Audrey an apologetic smile. ‘Sorry to abandon you so early, but I’m needed.’
‘Oh?’
‘A married girlfriend of mine has the chance of a rare night out while her husband minds the baby, so we’re off to a movie together.’
‘What are you going to see?’
‘Have no idea. Have to go. See you on Monday.’ And she bolted before Audrey could ask her any more awkward questions.
The hotel was within walking distance of the taxi rank down at the quay. Harriet didn’t have to wait too long before she was climbing into the back seat and giving the driver Alex’s address. But it was Friday night, of course, with Friday night traffic. Her lev
el of frustration rose when it took ten minutes to go three blocks. She sent Alex a text message explaining she was on her way but the traffic was heavy.
No sweat, came his reply. I’ll meet you downstairs.
He was standing on the pavement by the time she climbed out of the taxi, dressed in a black tracksuit with a white T-shirt underneath and white trainers. Harriet still had on the tailored black suit and white silk blouse that she’d worn to work, actually having planned to go home before coming here tonight to shower and change into something more feminine. She’d also planned to put on the new sexy black underwear that she’d bought this week.
During the ride in the taxi, she’d regretted not having the opportunity to dolly herself up for Alex, but at the sight of him she no longer cared. The way he was looking at her made her not care about anything but being here with him.
He didn’t say a word, just took her arm and urged her through the revolving glass doors inside the foyer, which was modern and spacious with a large reception desk, behind which sat two burly security guards studying computer screens. They didn’t even look up as Alex steered her across the vast expanse of marble tiled floor to an alcove which housed the lifts. There were four in all, Alex choosing the one marked for private use only. The doors opened immediately, Alex ushering her into the lavishly appointed lift that had lots of brass and glass, along with far too much lighting. Harriet could see her reflection everywhere, forcing her to note her flushed face and her over-bright eyes.
‘How long have you lived here?’ she asked him in an effort to break the tension which was almost killing her. If her heart beat any faster, she was sure it would explode.
Alex pressed the button which had the lift doors closing with barely a sound before he turned and answered her.
‘About three years. I bought it off-plan five years ago before it was even built and before the market went crazy. God, but it’s been a long week. I have to kiss you, Harry. I simply can’t wait.’ He pulled her into his arms and kissed her right there in the lift. Even when it reached its destination, and the doors slid quietly open, the kissing didn’t stop. By then he’d rammed her up against the mirrored back wall, the coldness of the glass seeping through her jacket. Not that she cared. She was way too hot to care about such a small discomfort. By then her handbag had fallen from numb fingers and her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. His hands were much busier, hitching up her skirt, pushing aside her panties.