She glanced back at him. ‘Why is she finding it so hard to transition to retirement?’
A weight settled on his shoulders. ‘MA was her life.’ And it was clear he wasn’t living up to expectations. She’d had enough disappointment in her life without him adding to it.
Christy’s hair fanned about her face when she shook her head. ‘I don’t get that. I mean, I love Beach Monday. It’s my baby, I created it, and a part of me can’t believe I’ve sold it.’
He straightened. Was she regretting their deal?
‘But when I think how I’m now free to focus on what I love—I find myself getting excited about the future.’
She didn’t look excited. Unease rippled through him. She could’ve had both. All she’d needed to do was find a business partner. He pushed the unsettling thought aside. She’d considered all her options.
‘And there have always been things more important to me than Beach Monday—my mother, my health, my causes. So Denise’s attitude is totally foreign to me.’
Balance wasn’t something his mother could be accused of. ‘Look, I know my mother is difficult to like. But there are reasons for that. For starters, my father broke her heart.’ His hands clenched. ‘She loved him, truly loved him. No man has ever come close to touching her heart the way Conrad did. She still misses him. I know she does—every single day—although she never talks about him.’
‘Oh, but...’ Amber eyes filled with instant sympathy. ‘The papers said Conrad kept up his playboy ways after his marriage—that he continued with his drinking and womanising.’
‘He did.’
‘I thought...’ She glanced down at her hands. ‘I mean, I figured it was one of those dynastic marriages that was good for business—a mutually beneficial arrangement.’
His stomach churned. ‘She married for love. And she thought he’d married her for the same reason. It’s not an illusion she held onto for long.’ It was why Jamie was not letting love into his life. Love ruined lives. He wanted nothing to do with it. He expected to marry—heirs were a duty. Hopefully a joyful one. But his marriage would be based on mutual respect not love. He wasn’t raising his children in the same volatile, incendiary environment he’d been raised in. They’d have calm and peace and tranquility.
She pressed a hand to her chest. ‘Poor Denise.’
He could barely imagine his mother young and vulnerable now. Her disillusion must’ve been shattering.
‘She never asked for a divorce?’
He was silent for a moment. ‘I think she thought—or at least hoped—he’d grow out of his philandering ways. Don’t they say love is blind? Maybe she felt trapped. Her parents didn’t believe in divorce, so she’d have not had any encouragement from that direction.’
‘So she waited and hoped.’
‘And threw herself into saving Molto Arketa from ruin, hoping she’d win his approval that way.’
Her hand fluttered about her throat. ‘What a horrible situation. For you too.’
He’d been protected by nannies and housekeepers and boarding school, but the sadness in Christy’s face made his heart burn. ‘Obviously this isn’t a story with a happy ending. Her waiting and hoping didn’t pay off. When I was twelve, my father and I were in a car accident. He was driving, the car slid on ice and we went down a ravine.’
Her head jerked up. ‘I knew he’d died in a car accident, but I didn’t know you were there too.’
‘My mother managed to keep that out of the papers.’ He stared out of the window, but barely noticed the view. ‘Somehow I was flung free of the car, but he was trapped and I couldn’t get him out. He was bleeding badly from a cut on his thigh. I didn’t know how badly at the time. I eventually flagged down a passing motorist but by then it was too late.’
She reached across and slipped her hand into his. ‘I’m sorry, Jamie.’
He wanted to reassure her, let her know he was fine, but his ability to smile had fled. He hadn’t spoken about this in a long time and remembering had everything inside him clenching up tight. ‘He remained conscious right until the end. We talked. He told me he wished he’d lived his life differently. He said...’ His heart pounded in his throat. He forced it back down into his chest. ‘He said he wished he’d spent more time with me, and had treated my mother with the respect she’d deserved.’
‘Oh, Jamie.’ Her words were little more than a whisper.
‘He made me promise to not make the same mistakes he’d made—to not tarnish MA’s reputation like he had, to value and appreciate my good fortune rather than taking it for granted like he’d done. He told me his wild ways hadn’t brought him happiness. And he asked me to tell my mother that he was sorry for everything.’
Her grip on his hand tightened.
Despite all of his wealth and privilege, Conrad had never been happy, and that knowledge tormented Jamie. He would never be able to change that fact or make a difference to his father’s life. Not now. But he could at least keep the promise he’d made to his dying father and hope it somehow balanced the scales.
‘I know it was too little too late, but...’ His lips twisted. ‘I guess it was better than nothing, right?’
She nodded, but the tears in her eyes had his throat aching. ‘I can only imagine how devastated Denise must have been,’ she choked out.
The edges of his vision darkened. ‘She changed afterwards. Became hard. As if the worst thing that could’ve happened had happened. Rather than crumble with grief, she threw herself into the business. She took control of the board and steered the company through a seriously difficult time. Under her leadership the company has consistently achieved the highest profit margins in its history.’
Christy released his hand and eased back in her seat. The smile she sent him was warm and full of sympathy, but her eyes remained troubled. ‘She found a new purpose.’
‘I admire all she’s achieved. She had very little support from the board in the early days and has survived three takeover attempts. If she were a man she’d be feted for what she’s achieved, but because she’s a woman she’s called vile names and considered unnatural.’
And now he was letting her down too. MA was the only thing left that mattered to her. He had to find a way to keep control of the company. It’d crush her if he didn’t. And she’d been crushed enough already by Conrad’s indifference.
‘You’re right. It’s unfair,’ Christy said slowly.
He blinked himself back into the moment. ‘But?’ he prompted when it became evident she had more on her mind.
She flattened her lips, tracking the progress of a passing speedboat. ‘She made a company her life. Companies aren’t...’ She shook her head, meeting his gaze again. ‘I mean, they can’t love you back.’
He stared, waiting for more.
‘Since Conrad died, it’s as if all Denise has let herself care about are profit margins and share prices and sealing deals, rather than flesh and blood people.’
His mother’s heart was in deep freeze and he couldn’t say he blamed her. ‘After seeing what my father put her through, I’m not the least interested in love either.’
She froze at his words, something in her eyes looking suddenly dark and stricken. But then she shook herself and sent him a glassy smile. ‘While I’m the opposite and believe people can fall in love and make a lifelong commitment to each other. I’d like to have that. One day.’
Everything inside him tensed. He bit back a curse. He had no right kissing this woman! They wanted different things from life. Very different. She was... He swallowed She was lovely. Utterly lovely. But he wasn’t interested in love or lifelong commitments. Which meant he had no right messing with her life or her heart.
In another couple of days they’d have gone their separate ways. His heart kicked in protest, but he ignored it. The sooner this Singapore interlude was over, the better—for both their p
eace of minds.
CHAPTER NINE
‘YOUR MOTHER IS WRONG.’
Jamie glanced up from his rendang curry—delicious—to focus on Christy’s face. Always a mistake as he found himself once again getting caught up on the shape of her lips and the arch of her eyebrows.
Half an hour ago they’d explored the magnificent statuary in Batam’s awe-inspiring Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Temple, before retreating to the temple’s vegetarian restaurant for much-needed refreshment. Christy had been remarkably quiet as they’d toured the extraordinary complex. Sensing that she was out of sorts, he’d given her space, resisting the urge to engage her in conversation.
His stomach gave a sudden lurch. Was she regretting their deal? Was she having second thoughts?
He set his cutlery down. ‘What is it my mother has wrong?’ He was careful to keep his voice pleasant, but things inside him clenched. It wasn’t fair to say his appetite fled whenever his mother became the topic of conversation, but there was no denying that his enthusiasm for his curry had vanished.
‘Yesterday she said that she hadn’t forgotten the promise you’d made to your father even if you had.’
Those words had been like a lash of a whip.
‘She was implying that if you weren’t CEO you’d be breaking that promise.’ Her frown deepened. ‘But that’s just not true.’
Was she serious? He’d been given a business empire. It’d been handed to him on a platter without him having had to do so much as lift a finger. It didn’t seem too much in return to tend to it, look after it...protect it. What kind of selfish ingrate would he be to do otherwise?
Her brow pleated. ‘You didn’t promise your father you’d be CEO. You promised not to make the same mistakes he had, you promised not to drag MA’s name through the mud. And you’ve kept your word.’ Her chin was thrust out—testy and belligerent. ‘You know what? If she continues to give you grief about your social equity policies you can tell her that what you’re doing is keeping your word to your father. Not having a progressive social equity policy would blacken MA’s image.’
He might not agree with the first part of her statement, but he loved her latter point, and found himself suppressing a grin. Had she spent the last hour and a half in her own head defending him to his mother? It left him absurdly touched. ‘Nice point.’
She stared at him for a moment and her face relaxed into a smile. ‘Glad we got that sorted.’
He hesitated. She gave so much of herself and it seemed wrong to mislead her in even the smallest way. And despite all of the internal warnings from the cold and sensible self that resided inside him, he wanted her to understand. ‘I don’t believe my family’s expectation that I become CEO of MA is unreasonable.’ It was a duty he meant to perform to the very best of his ability. ‘It’s not a burden.’ Liar. ‘It’s a privilege.’ That at least was true. ‘So while it might look like my mother and I are at odds, we’re still on the same team. We both want the same things.’
Her smile disappeared and she abruptly turned back to her food.
‘You don’t agree?’
She merely shrugged. ‘I’ve no right to comment on your relationship with your parents.’
Something in her tone made him frown. ‘I’m aware you’re not the kind of person who tries to create mischief or cause trouble.’ His every instinct told him that. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want her guarding her tongue around him. ‘Whatever you say, I know it comes from a good place.’
She stiffened. ‘Of course I don’t want to cause trouble!’ Whatever she saw in his face had her hesitating though. Eventually, she pushed her plate away. ‘I just think there should be give and take in families. From where I’m sitting it seems to me you’re the one who’s been doing all the giving, Jamie. I think your parents have been...infuriatingly selfish. I want to shake the both of them. And I don’t care what made your mother the way she is—she should be proud of you regardless. What you care about should...’ Her hands clenched. ‘It should mean something to her. She doesn’t have to understand it, but she should treat it with respect.’
He blinked. ‘I—’
‘Have they ever asked you what you want? No!’ she continued, answering her own question. ‘They’ve laid this path at your feet and demanded you follow it.’
She broke off, breathing heavily. Conflicting emotions pummelled him. He wanted to argue with her, tell her she was wrong. But she wasn’t—not completely. His parents hadn’t ever asked him what he wanted. But being CEO of one of the world’s leading fashion brands—that was an honour. Couldn’t she see that?
Was it, though? The thought felt despicably disloyal and reeked of ingratitude.
‘Your mother wants to mould you in her own image. But as her choices don’t seem to have brought her much happiness, I can’t see that they’re likely to bring you any either.’
Whoa. ‘Now hold on a moment—’
‘And that’s not in the spirit of the promise you made your father.’
He froze.
‘He told you the path he chose hadn’t made him happy. What if he wasn’t warning you against a playboy lifestyle, Jamie? What if he was telling you to be happy?’
His father had regretted taking the MA legacy for granted, and had died before he could rectify his mistake. Jamie wasn’t going to let history repeat. Some sense of self-preservation scrambled to the surface then because she was trying to dismantle the very foundations his life stood on. She hadn’t heard the anguish in his father’s voice. She hadn’t seen the way Jamie’s hand-on-heart promise to his father had brought solace to the older man.
‘Is all of this senseless supposition because I told you I’m not interested in love? Because, from where I’m sitting, you’re drawing an awful lot of conclusions on very little evidence.’
Her eyes flashed. ‘You’re joking, right? There’s ample evidence. What do you have in your life other than MA? Nothing! You’re in danger of becoming as obsessed with the company as your mother is. But a company won’t keep you warm at night.’
‘I didn’t say I wasn’t interested in romance. And romance can keep one warm—very warm—’ he kinked a deliberately suggestive eyebrow ‘—at night.’ He wanted to hurt her in the same way her words were hurting him. He loathed himself for the impulse, but couldn’t seem to help it.
She waved his words away with a laugh, but the humour didn’t reach her eyes. ‘Romance is fun but shallow. While love...’ Her brows crinkled and her eyes darkened. ‘Jamie, love is a normal human emotion.’’
‘I wouldn’t describe what happened to my mother as normal.’
She tilted her head to stare directly into his face and then eased back, shaking her head. ‘My mother had her heart broken too, but that didn’t turn her cold and bitter. Lewis broke my heart and my trust when he stole my artwork, but I’ve not tarred every man with the same brush. Love is a risk, yes. But it’s one worth taking.’
‘I’m afraid I don’t share your opinion.’
Colour mounted in her cheeks. ‘Funny, I never took you for a coward.’
He leaned towards her, deliberately icy and arrogant. ‘Is all of this because you had some stupidly romantic hopes about the two of us?’
It he’d been hoping his ugly words would make her backtrack, he’d have been sadly disappointed. She leaned forward too and the scent of vanilla butter cake rose up all around him, leaving him famished. ‘We had a tiny romantic interlude, Jamie, nothing more. For a little while I did think it had the potential to develop into something more, something deeper—’ she swallowed ‘—but I was wrong.’
Things inside him started to ache then with a ferocity that made no sense.
‘I’m disappointed,’ she continued, her amber eyes flashing. ‘But I’m not devastated. And certainly not bitter.’
He desperately wanted to rewind this conversation and his own reactions
to it.
She glanced at her watch. ‘Heavens! Look at the time. If I’m going to the theatre tonight I should catch the next ferry back.’ She stood. ‘Coming?’
‘I’ll catch a later one. There’s still more to see here.’
With a ‘Have fun!’ she was gone. And Jamie sat there aching and sore, as if he’d just gone a round in the ring with a heavyweight prize fighter.
* * *
After a night spent tossing and turning, Christy rose at daybreak. Unable to face the thought of remaining in the apartment when the walls felt as if they were closing in on her, she tugged on her tennis shoes and headed for a walk by the river. Being near water—rivers, lakes, oceans—usually made her feel better.
But not today, apparently.
She had a feeling nothing could make her feel better. Because yesterday she’d lied when she’d told Jamie she wasn’t devastated. Everything inside her felt shattered and broken. Jamie didn’t love her—and he never would—and it’d been the height of foolishness for her to have gone and fallen in love with him in the first place.
That forced a laugh from her throat. As if she’d had any say in the matter! She’d no more been able to stop falling in love with him than she could stop the tide from coming in. Her trip to Singapore certainly hadn’t gone to plan. One thing was certain, though. Her Singapore idyll was at an end. The minute she signed that damn contract, she was leaving. She’d go home, tell her mother what she’d done, and then she’d lick her wounds in private and make a new plan for the future. If only she could find a single flicker of enthusiasm for the future.
She’d been walking for an hour when her phone pinged. She pulled it out. And then swallowed as she read the message. Her lawyer had just given the go-ahead on the contract.
She stared at the screen and then at the river. She was selling Beach Monday?
Squaring her shoulders, she turned around and retraced her steps back to the apartment. She’d print off the contract, sign it and then she’d pack and go home.
Singapore Fling with the Millionaire Page 14