The Agent

by Ellen Lane

  Which meant that Russell couldn’t escape Alice.

  She seemed to be everywhere he looked – the papers, the television – she was even on several British billboards promoting her brand.

  And in every image he saw of her, she was more and more lovely.

  He missed her.

  It had hardly been a week since he last saw her, and he wanted to see her again.

  He must have lost his mind.

  Russell contemplated heading out to get his own drink when a flash news report caught his eye, tempting him back to one of the televisions in the lobby.

  “This just in: New sightings of Alice Tate with one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors: Harvey Wells.”

  All at once, Russell’s stomach clenched as a fuzzy image popped up on the screen.

  He recognized Alice instantly. He would have known that glorious fall of Raven hair anywhere, even if the picture quality was bad. It wasn’t the young woman herself, however, that made his stomach turn. Rather, it was the man holding her hand – leading her into a high street shop.

  Russell didn’t know who the hell he was, but he instantly abhorred him. He didn’t think he’d ever heard the name Harvey Wells before, and he didn’t too much care for it. For a long moment, he stared at the TV screen, wondering why on earth it suddenly felt like his insides were going up in flames. He didn’t want to look at images of Alice with another man, but somehow, he couldn’t look away. The longer he looked, the worse the feeling in his gut grew.

  And then, all at once, Russell realized what he was experiencing.

  It was jealousy. Pure, unadulterated jealousy.

  Quite the novel feeling for him. In the years that he’d been dating since he left England, Russell always told himself that if he reached the point of jealousy it was time to move on – this was for both his welfare as well as the woman he dated.

  But just now, he didn’t feel like distancing himself from Alice anymore. He wanted to find her and whoever this idiot was and force them apart. Alice belonged with him and no one else – and the sight of her with another man was enough to make him feel emotions he hadn’t been sure he was capable of feeling.

  Whatever he was trying to avoid, Russell had obviously failed.

  He wanted Alice, but his own insecurities had driven her away, and now he had to watch her enjoy the company of another man. Russell didn’t know which was worse: that he’d have to face her when they both went back to the United States or that he would have to endure a few more days of watching her flit happily around London with another man?

  The decision that he made was instant and unexpected. He would go out and make sure that the runner getting Melanie’s juice did their job properly – just to check on him. Russell was sure that he was somewhere downtown – possibly close to the high street.

  Which was where Alice was with her new beau.

  He would just take a short trip down to check – after all, he wouldn’t want Melanie to be upset with him.

  After sending Mike a quick text to let him know his intentions, Russell grabbed his coat and set out. It was a short walk from the studio to the high street, but once he reached it, he didn’t immediately look for the brilliant bleached blonde hair of Mike’s assistant and runner, Amy. Instead, he searched for the crush of paparazzi he knew would also be present. If they were documenting the Tates every move, then it stood to reason that there would be a Tate wherever they were.

  It was a Friday afternoon and, naturally, the high street was packed full of both British residents and tourists. The moment he arrived, Russell realized that his goal would be slightly harder to achieve than he’d imagined.

  Nonetheless, Russell plunged into his plan with gusto, burning anger fueling his intent. Was Alice with Harvey right now, he wondered? Had they started dating the moment she returned to London? He supposed he couldn’t blame her. Considering Melanie’s behavior in the airport and his own disregard for Alice’s feelings, it wasn’t shocking that she would consider him off the table.

  All he had to do now was get back on it.

  Despite what people might think, the high street was not actually a single street, but a series of streets lined with numerous shops, boutiques and restaurants. Which meant that finding one or two people would be no small feat. In addition to the throng, however, there also seemed to be several sets of reporters milling around, covering different sections of the shopping district. He had to wonder if they were waiting for Tates, or if it was another issue entirely that lured them out.

  Russell wound his way through the shops, trying to appear casual just in case he did run into Amy. The last thing he wanted was for the runner to go rushing back and report to Mike. Of course, with the huge crowds milling about, he found it highly unlikely that such a thing would happen, but he couldn’t be too careful. He’d only just admitted to himself how he felt about Alice – explaining it to someone else promised complications.

  For a good half hour, Russell checked the shops he believed Alice might gravitate towards – windows with designer gowns of the highest quality in the front windows, or jewelry shops filled with elegant, understated pieces like the ones she liked to wear. He was just beginning to think perhaps he should give it up and get back to the studio when he spotted a familiar gleaming ebony mane.

  Somehow, he knew it was Alice on sight. Of course, it helped that there were no less than six reporters swarming around the restaurant where she sat – along with quite a few tourists who had stopped to see what all the fuss was about.

  Of course, the biggest giveaway, however, was that the young woman was sitting across from none other than Harvey Wells. Though Russell had only seen him once, he recognized him immediately.

  Intense dislike immediately snaked through him and forced himself to, instead, focus on the woman across from the man. The moment, he did, Russell felt a strong pang of desire and had to force himself to swallow it. It wouldn’t do for him to lose his composure in such a public place. Casually, he made his way to the shop next to the Italian bistro and busied himself looking occupied inside as he watched the couple.

  Harvey was utterly enamored – that much was clear from the utterly lustful expression on his face anytime Alice said a single word. He held her hands over the table, his gaze never leaving hers, and Russell struggled not to tear from the shop and beat the man utterly senseless. He knew that he himself had no license to feel so possessive, but he couldn’t help it. Alice was his. They worked together, she lived in the apartment he owned, and he felt as if he were the only man who could make her smile and laugh as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

  As if to prove evidence to his claim, even now, Alice wasn’t smiling. She was doing her best, Russell noted, to seem vaguely amused by Harvey’s conversation. But her mouth didn’t curve into that alluring grin that so enchanted him. She didn’t look to be flirting or even, indeed, enjoying herself. Her expression was that of a woman who was tolerating bad company, and upon realizing that she wasn’t, in fact, as in love as celebrity gossip rags portended, Russell allowed himself to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

  He still had a chance.

  If only he played his cards right, perhaps he could win his way back into Alice’s good graces.

  As he inspected a row of shearling winter scarves, Russell allowed himself to bask in the glow of her mere presence. She might not know he was present, but it was almost as if he could sense her. She was utterly breathtaking that day in a lovely camel colored fall dress and a navy sunhat. Gleaming black waves cascaded over her shoulders and halfway down her back, and her lips were painted a vibrant wine color that had him aching to kiss him.

  His guilt be damned, it had been far too long since he kissed her – and when he had the opportunity to do so, he hadn’t done it nearly enough. For a split second, he allowed himself to imagine that he sat where Harvey did. Russell was sure that if that were the case, Alice would be a lot happier.

  If he somehow got her to agree to see him again,
Russell swore that he would choose his words more tactfully. There might be a barrier that prevented him from giving his heart to her, but that didn’t mean he had to act like a complete and total rat bastard.

  Thankfully, the couple didn’t stay long at the restaurant. They looked as if they had just stopped in for coffee and dessert. When they were ready to leave, Harvey hurried around the opposite end of the table to pull Alice’s chair out for her. The cameras flashed eagerly – no doubt the reporters were losing their minds. Alice managed a thin smile as Harvey helped her up, though she released his hand as soon as she was standing properly. As they left, they were flanked by bodyguards, no doubt sent after them to keep reporters from utterly crushing them. The bulky men did their jobs well and ushered Alice and Harvey into a car waiting nearby before the vehicle drove quickly away.

  The moment it disappeared, Russell found he felt oddly bereft. Though he wanted, more than anything else, to get back into Alice’s good graces, there was no guarantee that he could. Which meant that he might not ever get to see her smile again.

  The notion was enough to give him firm resolve. Even if the odds might be against him, he had to find a way. If he didn’t he’d lose the one woman who made him truly feel anything since…well, since April.

  It was hard, even now, to think her name, and Russell paused the moment he realized he’d done it, a dark scarf in one hand.

  April.

  Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before replacing the scarf on the rack.

  He supposed that now it was just a waiting game until they returned to the US. In the few days that remained, he would have to wrangle his newest client, fight his own guilt, and hope that everything came together in the end.

  He could only be so lucky, after all.

  **

  Alice was loathed to go back to work, but all good things came to an end. When Rose and her brother drove her to the airport, she found herself shedding tears as she bid her tiny niece goodbye.

  Perhaps it was just that she was emotionally overwhelmed by the goings on around her – or apprehensive about returning to the States. Either way, she embarrassed herself horribly, prompting Michael to take her aside before she went through security and ask her if she was going to be alright.

  “I’m fine.” She couldn’t remember the last time she had cried so spontaneously. It wasn’t as if she was never going to see Victoria again.

  Though now, she regretted all the time she wasted with Harvey Wells and his insufferable talk about himself and real estate. Certainly, the man was attractive. That was, in reality, the reason why she agreed to go out with him in the first place. But then, he had disappointed her like every man she met since Russell had disappointed her, and Alice found herself somewhat depressed.

  What on earth was wrong with her? It was like since she met Russell she was physically and mentally incapable of giving another man a chance. Her brain shut down and she refused to believe that anyone could compare to him – which was ridiculous, considering the way the man treated her.

  She could do better than him – that seemed to be the consensus of almost everyone she told about Russell. It was unfortunate that, somehow, she couldn’t seem to take their advice to heart.

  “As long as you’re sure.” Michael eyed her skeptically. “If you like, Rose, Victoria and I could come visit you. Just to make sure everything is on the up and up.”

  “Please.” Alice scowled. “Don’t worry about me, Michael. I’ll be fine. I just need some chocolate and a hot bath.”

  Her brother chuckled in amusement at her answer. “Well, see to it that you get both of them in spades then.”

  “I will.” Wrapping his arms around her, the immense man squeezed her so tightly he almost lifted her off the ground, coaxing a laugh from the young woman. “For heaven’s sake, put me down you bloody git!”

  Complying Michael winked at her. “Safe flight, Ali. Call me when you get in.”

  “Of course.”

  Picking up her carry-on, Alice kissed both Victoria and Rose goodbye one last time before she headed towards the security line. Michael needed the jet for Vicki’s first family vacation, and so she was flying first class back to California.

  Though she had resolved not to preemptively dwell on her troubles until she actually returned to the States, Alice couldn’t help but think of Russell the moment she was settled on the plane. The man had all but discarded her and still, she couldn’t forget him. Perhaps it was because Harvey had been so unlike him that it was almost painful. Alice tried to absorb herself in his ramblings about house prices in Northern London and all the properties he owned, but she just couldn’t find any interest in them. Despite this, she’d gone out on no less than three dates with the man in four days. She was trying to give him a chance, as she promised both Michael and Elias she would.

  She had even let the man kiss her for heaven’s sake.

  It was awful. His breath was overly sweet and the moment he touched her, he tried to grope her. That had been it for Alice. She made up some middling excuse and fled, deleting his number from her phone.

  Perhaps this was a sign, she mused. Maybe she simply shouldn’t date at all. She should focus on being herself – finding herself and becoming more secure in her own allure.

  That was complete bullocks. Alice knew full well that she was gorgeous, successful and clever. She loved what she did, and she loved her life. The idea of finding someone to share it with merely seemed impossible. Of course, it made no sense that the only man she was even remotely interested in was as hot and cold as seasons at the poles.

  The best thing for her to do would be to act professionally. Pretend that she and Russell had never kissed and that there was no romantic interest between them. She was working for Lemmy, and that’s all there was to it. This was a work opportunity and nothing more. She could deal with Russell when she had to and leave it at that.

  All the while, fantasizing about what he might do to her if she ever got him alone again.

  Bloody hell, how long had it been since she was with a man? Five months? Six? She was getting antsy. Before Russell, Alice had seen sex as something that relieved stress. Now, she couldn’t fathom being with anyone else except him.

  He was ruining her sex drive, even as he stimulated it.

  It just made her all the more frustrated.

  Scowling, Alice put on her headphones and tried to relax, sipping at the champagne that the stewardess brought her. She needed sleep and to get her mind off her troubles. If she couldn’t do that during an eight-hour flight she was going to feel like absolute shit by the time she got off the plane.

  And that couldn’t be good for her composure.

  She had only a twenty-four-hour window in which to get ready to face Russell again, and she didn’t want to spend the entire period dealing with jet lag. If that meant that she had to get rip-roaring drunk then, so be it.

  It took approximately five glasses of champagne before she was drowsy enough to fall asleep; and of course, when she did, she dreamed of Russell Darwell.

  By the time the designer actually returned to her apartment she was both groggy and hung over. She could do little more than sling her bags onto the living room before collapsing on her bed, where she remained unconscious until noon the next day.

  The moment she woke up, Alice worked herself into a frenzy. In a few hours, Tom would return as well with designs for her new line for her to look over. Before that evening, she had to send Lemmy the most recent drafts of his costumes as well as assure her brother that her plane hadn’t crashed. She suddenly had a mountain of work before her and she’d never been so grateful for it.

  Her to-do list occupied her for the entirety of that evening, late into the night. She allowed herself a three a.m. coffee run, convinced that staying up for the rest of the day would end her jetlag. Her choice, of course, only resulted in her being absolutely haggard by dawn and wanting, more than anything else, to drag herself to bed.

  But then
, unexpectedly, a knock came on her door close to seven am.

  Alice had been nodding at her desk, and jerked to attention at the sound. Who the bloody hell could be looking for her so early? Most of the city wasn’t even awake yet. Slowly, she rose from her chair and trudged to the door to take a look at the video screen next to the intercom.

  And froze.

  Russell was there. Standing outside her door, looking impeccably delicious despite the ungodly hour.

  Someone must truly be trying to punish her.

  For a long moment, Alice watched him. He raised his hand to knock again, and even though the image was in black and white, she could tell that something had him nervous. The discovery gave her a little thrill of satisfaction. Obviously, if he was here so early, it must be for an unexpected reason.

  Which meant that she had the upper hand.

  Alice was sure that she looked an absolute fright, but she straightened her nightgown, tugged the belt on her robe tight and did her best to smooth her hair into place. Then, after taking a deep breath, the opened the door.

  Even though she thought she’d been prepared, Alice realized that nothing could ready her for the jolt of pure want that slammed through her every time she came face to face with Russell. It was unfair that a man should look so amazing so early in the morning, and for the hundredth time since meeting him, Alice was forced to applaud his fashion sense. He was, she noticed, oddly, wearing her scarf once more.

  Which meant he either didn’t know that she designed it or that he was wearing it purposefully.

  Alice gave him a long once over but said nothing. What on earth could she say? The man had obviously proved that he wanted nothing more to do with her – and even if he did, she wouldn’t give in. Not after the way he’d treated her. No sane woman would let him back into her life.