Lalita replaced the folder, closed and locked the drawer and re-hid the key behind the clock on the mantle. Her pulse raced and a bead of sweat trickled between her breasts despite the in-house air-conditioning. She picked up a draft copy of the second quarter profits report. Her hand shook so violently the figures were a blur, forcing her to replace the paper on the desk. Head in hand, she read the document twenty times before she could make sense of the information.
Her pulse had finally returned to normal when fifteen minutes later, her mother strode into the room. She half expected her parent to demand to know what she’d been up to alone in the house. It was odd how being in her family home for the first time in years could make her feel she was still a child.
“Lalita, would you please put down that report and come join the rest of us.” Julia Evans used her resistance-is-futile voice and Lalita dropped the paperwork and followed her mother out of the home office. Lalita’s bare feet sank into the deep pile carpet. Her own home was all tiled and she enjoyed the unaccustomed pleasure of softness under her toes.
Lalita walked into the informal family sitting room where her two sisters were deep in conversation. The cream paint had been freshened but aside from that, the room hadn’t changed since Lalita was a child. She eased herself down on the well-worn sofa, sure a Barbie doll misplaced from her youth would stick her in the backside if she plonked herself down.
“If you’re discussing wedding plans or colors for the baby’s nursery, I’m not sure I have anything to contribute,” Lalita said. She reached for a frosty glass of iced tea that sat on a tray on the battered coffee table.
“You always have wonderful ideas, darling. But no, we’re not talking weddings or babies, at least not directly. We want to find out what you’ve been up to. Is there a wedding and babies in your future?”
“I don’t think there are any more Johnson brothers left, are there?” Lalita addressed the question to Jessica who was sprawled on the opposite sofa with a pile of bridal magazines at her feet.
“Ha, ha, Laly. No, there are just the two. However, they do have cousins and of course there is Robert’s delicious friend, Jeremy Lakewood. I actually fancied him myself until I got to know Wesley better,” Jessica confessed.
“Jeremy Lakewood? He’s Robert’s friend?” Lalita struggled to keep her voice neutral, glad the fall of her hair hid the warmth she could feel invade her face. She gulped down the rest of the cold drink.
“Yes, Jeremy’s mother was the housekeeper when Robert was growing up. Jeremy used to help out around the house after school and I believe he even tutored Robert and Wesley in English. Robert helped Jeremy get a scholarship to attend university and the two have been best friends ever since. Had you come to my wedding, Laly, you would have seen Jeremy was the best man.” Jane tried for an annoyed stance with her hands on her hips.
Damn, the wedding photos. Jane had emailed them to her but they had been accidentally deleted. She’d meant to contact Jane and get her to resend them but had been dealing with a crisis in the Hong Kong office at the time and had forgotten. By the time that had settled down it seemed too late to ask for a duplicate copy. God, she was the worst sister — ever.
“I promise to come to your next wedding, Jane, if you vow never again to bring up my absence from your first one.” Lalita stuck her tongue out at her older sister.
“That’s the Laly we know and love,” Jane replied. “You’re so stuffy these days, don’t you ever let loose and have some fun?”
“Obviously not the kind of fun you’ve been having,” Lalita retorted as Jane rubbed her baby bump. “But yes, I have fun. It’s just I’m not really on holiday at the moment, this is a business trip for me. I promised to take two weeks off when I come for Jessica’s wedding and I’ll even let you confiscate my laptop.”
“That’s not for another six months,” her mother complained.
“Six months will go fast. You have Jane’s baby to gush over next month and, of course, Jessica’s wedding to fuss about. You’ll hardly notice I’m not here. Plus, something none of you ever seem to consider, airplanes fly in both directions, you know. It wouldn’t hurt any of you to come over and visit me.”
“What’s the point when all you do is work?” Jessica put in.
“Aargh, I see I’m not going to win this argument. Tell me about your plans for the wedding, Jessica. You’re not going to make me wear some hideous green dress are you? I’ll look like a tree,” Lalita quipped. She refilled her glass from the pitcher on the table.
“No, of course not.” Jessica said with a laugh. “I’m thinking pale blue, it will suit both you and Jane.”
“Are you sure you want me in your bridal party? I won’t be offended if you don’t. You know I’ll muck up the alignment of your photos, being taller than anyone else.” Lalita took a swig of her drink.
“I’ll get Jeremy to stand at the other side. You can be like bookends.”
Lalita choked on her iced tea, almost spewing it across the room. She grabbed a napkin and coughed the liquid out of her lungs.
“Jeremy is in the wedding party, too?” Lalita gasped out, tears streaming down her face.
Oh, great, not only do I have to resist him for the next few weeks, he’s then going to be at my sister’s wedding.
“Well, I had to find someone taller than you. You don’t want to walk up the aisle with a short guy, do you? What have you got against Jeremy?”
It’s not what I’ve got against him, it’s what I want to get against him that’s the problem.
“Nothing, I’m sure he’s a nice guy. The thing is, he’s now a work colleague. I don’t like mixing business and pleasure.”
“I’m not asking you to sleep with the guy, Laly. Just stand next to him, get some photos taken and maybe a dance or two. I’m sure that won’t desecrate your work ethics,” Jessica remarked.
“No, of course not. Sorry, I don’t know what’s got into me. It sounds like a lovely wedding. Are you having the reception at the Savoy?” Lalita racked her brains for more details of Jane’s wedding. When her older sister was engaged, Lalita had been working night and day trying to live up to her father’s standards. She’d barely spared a second thought for her sister’s nuptials. Yup, worst sister, ever.
“No, we got Leeds Castle, in Kent. It’s going to be my dream wedding. I only wish you were here to help me pick out my wedding dress.”
“That’s sweet of you, Jessica. However, I’m sure Mummy and Jane will do a marvelous job. You know me, I’d say get the first one you try on and have done with it.”
“You wait, Lalita. Your day will come when you’ll agonize for weeks over the perfect dress and shoes.” Julia cast a benevolent smile over all her daughters.
“No, I won’t. I’ll have you three to tell me which ones they are.” The four women were still laughing when John Evans entered the room.
“That’s what I like to hear. My special women enjoying themselves,” John commented, after he kissed his wife.
“You’d hear it a lot more if you would transfer Lalita back to the UK,” Julia retorted.
“Darling, we’ve been through this a million times. I’ve offered Lalita every job going, including mine, to get her to return to Europe. She claims she loves Asia.”
“I can’t help it. I feel I fit in there.” Lalita shrugged.
“You fit in here, too, honey.” Julia hugged her middle daughter.
Chapter 3
Jeremy gazed across at his travelling companion. Lalita had fallen asleep, laptop still on, reading glasses perched at the end of her nose. She had warned him that she fell asleep almost as soon as the plane took off. At least she had stayed awake for a few hours to relieve his boredom. Jeremy envied her ability to sleep anywhere. He usually had to resort to sleeping tablets to adjust to far-flung time zones.
He gently re
moved Lalita’s eyewear and shut down and stowed the computer. Leaning across her, he pushed the button on her chair and maneuvered it into a reclining position. He had to bite his lip to stop from pressing a soft kiss on her cheek.
The last ten days, Lalita had been all business. She’d attended the directors’ meetings and sat across the boardroom table from him, never once betraying that they had exchanged anything other than a professional handshake. Her strategic view of the future direction the company should take was both bold and insightful. He’d admired her determination as she’d held her own during a heated discussion with the other directors, her father never taking sides, allowing her to fight her own battle.
It wasn’t the professional businesswoman he was interested in, however. He wanted Lalita, the passionate woman, the one she tried to hide behind the cool, detached façade she presented to the world. And he wanted her with a desire that bordered on obsession.
He was beginning to doubt, however, that once would be enough. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to spend. By the time he’d packed his bag for the flight, he was eagerly anticipating spending a few weeks with the enigmatic Lalita Evans.
He wondered whether she was still available. Discreet enquiries had yielded nothing. Evidently Lalita kept her personal life very private.
• • •
Lalita stepped into the lobby of Raffles hotel where she was meeting Jeremy for dinner. Wiping her damp palms on her grey dress, she glanced around. She had hoped to keep all their business dealings within the confines of the office. However, she’d been so busy the past two days, they hadn’t had time to sit down and confirm their travel schedule. Her father had insisted that she accompany Jeremy on his tour of the Asian offices.
Lalita had an inkling that her father knew something of her past dealings with Jeremy. She had caught John scrutinizing them whenever they were close. But Jeremy hadn’t made any more suggestive comments or attempts to even touch her, so maybe it was all her imagination. Lalita, however, had been acutely aware of Jeremy’s presence. The magnetic pull she experienced whenever he was near became stronger with each passing day.
Since arriving in Singapore, the feeling of inevitable intimacy had become even harder to deny. Jeremy was in her territory now, so she should feel more confident, more at ease. The opposite was happening.
Lalita had put Jeremy in the office farthest from her own. Yet she still knew when he came in each day. Her toes curled when she heard his deep voice greet the receptionist or when he made small talk with the other staff in the hallway. More than once, she’d had to force herself to remain at her desk and not go out to see him.
Now, standing in one of Singapore’s oldest and most prestigious hotels, her heart rate tripled. The gentle air conditioning did little to cool her flushed skin. The staccato click of her three inch heels on the marble floor echoed through the opulent lobby until she gained the sanctuary of the massive Persian carpet. Despite the light, airy feel imparted by the three-story vaulted ceiling, Lalita still felt the need to draw in a deep calming breath.
She sensed Jeremy’s eyes on her even before she spotted him. He was leaning against the second floor balcony gazing down at the lobby. When she recognized his face, he signaled that he would come down and join her.
Expecting him to be alone, Lalita was taken aback as he strode down the burgundy carpeted stairs in company with three other men. She scanned the faces of his companions and her stomach sank when she recognized Damian Lindstrom among the group, wondering what he and Jeremy had been discussing.
Her mind flashed back to the photo of her and Damian in her father’s file. They had dated for six months a year or so ago. The breakup had been mutual, time constraints with both their busy careers and the fact that Lalita hadn’t wanted to sleep with Damian contributing factors. Damian had turned to greener pastures, an Australian air hostess based in Singapore, and Lalita had thrown herself into her work.
Wishing for once she had a shot of whiskey to give her courage, Lalita approached the group as they arrived at the lower floor.
“Lalita, I met an acquaintance of yours.” Ice had invaded Jeremy’s eyes, turning them glacial blue. It gave her a moment’s pause.
“Yes, Damian. How wonderful to see you again. How are you?”
“Better for seeing you,” Damian replied before kissing Lalita on both cheeks. “May I introduce you to Brad Cooper from our US branch and I think you’ve met Terry Panioutou from the London office before.”
Lalita shook hands with both men.
“How’s your mother, Damian? She still enjoying her retirement?”
“Yes, and threatening to come and spend six months here with me.” Damian made a face like a toddler told he had to eat his vegetables.
Lalita laughed. “Well, when you next speak to her, give her my love.”
“Of course. If she does visit, you’ll have to join us for dinner.”
“I’d like that.” Lalita had always been comfortable with Damian. There was none of the turmoil that unsettled her like when Jeremy was near. And that was the problem.
Jeremy took her elbow in a very firm grip and turned toward the other men. “It has been a pleasure to meet you. However, Miss Evans and I have a lot to discuss. If you’ll excuse us … ”
“Of course,” Damian replied with a smile. “I’ll call you, Lalita.”
“Please do,” Lalita replied over her shoulder as Jeremy steered her toward the restaurant entrance.
“Damian’s split up with his girlfriend. Are you thinking of going out with him again?” Jeremy locked his gaze on Lalita’s as he sat across from her. The maître d’ had seated them at a small table in the corner of the restaurant, more suited to a romantic dinner than a business discussion.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Damian and I got along very well. It was more an issue of our busy schedules not allowing us to spend quality time together. I’m not sure that that has changed much.”
Lalita hid behind her menu. Seeing Jeremy next to Damian had been an eye-opener. In a good-looking-guy line up they’d probably place equal. But one smile from Jeremy and her clothes were in danger of falling off. Whereas she and Damian had dated for six months and she hadn’t once felt the desire to divest either of them of their clothing.
• • •
Jeremy wished he could see her expression. Lalita had the menu up high and appeared to be reading it as if it contained instructions vital for life.
“In my experience when you want something bad enough, you move everything to get it.”
“Perhaps we didn’t want it bad enough, then,” Lalita conceded. She shut her menu with a decisive snap.
“And now?”
“I don’t know. Certainly for the next two and a half weeks, I will be travelling with you. Shall we discuss our itinerary?” Lalita opened her bag and handed him a piece of paper — the tentative travel schedule her secretary, Grace, had prepared.
Jeremy suppressed a groan of frustration when Lalita once again turned the conversation back to business. He had met Terry Panioutou before at a previous job and when Jeremy had mentioned he was meeting Lalita Evans for dinner that Damian jerk had gotten a wicked gleam in his eyes and implied he was intimately acquainted with Lalita. Jeremy had to hold on to his rather volatile temper and resist the urge to punch the smug smile off the other man’s face.
A woman as beautiful as Lalita was sure to have a score of ex-lovers, but Jeremy had not been prepared to come face-to-face with one within days of his arrival in Singapore. And he had not been prepared for the overwhelming jealousy that swept through him. It did no good to reason with himself that he had no right to be jealous, that Lalita didn’t belong to him. Every instinct in his body rejected such an argument.
Lalita kept the focus on business the entire dinner.
“Well, that�
��s all settled then. Shall we go have a drink and celebrate? I understand Singapore is famous for its nightlife.” Jeremy hoped to spend time with her not discussing business, getting to know the woman behind the suit.
“Sorry, I have a call scheduled with my father in a half hour. I could text Damian and you could go out with them. I’m sure they’d show you places I’ve never even heard about,” Lalita offered.
“No thanks, I want to get to know you, not your ex-boyfriend.” Jeremy gritted his teeth. Could she have cooled toward him? Had seeing her former lover brought back her feelings for the other guy?
“You know me. We’ve seen each other almost every day for the past three weeks.” Lalita’s eyes were wary and Jeremy could see her shrink within herself.
“I know Ms. Lalita Evans, Director of Asian Operations. I don’t know Lalita, the woman behind the title.”
“She doesn’t exist. What you see is what you get. I am all business, twenty-four seven.” Her voice was chilled and her spine so straight she made a suit of armor look like it was slouching.
“I don’t believe that for a minute, Lalita.” The passionate woman he’d discovered five years ago still existed, he could feel it. Over the past week he’d caught her eyes on him more than once, and the heat of her gaze had ignited a similar inferno within him.
“Please, Jeremy, don’t push. She doesn’t exist. I’ve dedicated the last five years to being the perfect Director of Asian Operations, the ultimate DAO. There’s nothing else.” Lalita’s voice was soft, almost pleading.
“That sounds like a challenge, unearthing the woman buried beneath business suits.”
“It’s not a challenge; it’s a statement of fact.”
We’ll see about that.
• • •
Jeremy stepped out of the lift on the twenty-ninth floor of the Republic Plaza building and stopped short, causing the man behind him to run into his back. Murmuring an apology, Jeremy didn’t take his eyes off the scene before him. He was earlier than usual, at last having adjusted to the time difference. The receptionist wasn’t at her desk yet and he couldn’t see anyone else in the office.
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