Modern Romance July 2019 Books 1-4. Sharon Kendrick
she said as she shook it.
‘Happy to meet you, Emily Green. You know, I’m looking for someone who might be interested in sailing away for a year and a day.’ He smiled. ‘And I’ve always had a thing about a woman in a red dress. Could I interest you in the position?’
‘That’s a terribly kind offer,’ said Emily sweetly. ‘But I’m afraid I’m not in a position to sail anywhere right now—and I’m a terrible sailor anyway.’
‘I could teach you. We Swedes make great teachers—didn’t you know that?’
Emily smiled back in spite of herself. ‘I’m afraid I’m beyond teaching.’
‘Nobody is beyond teaching.’ Marcus plucked two glasses of champagne from a passing waitress and handed one to Emily and, although she had diligently stuck to fizzy water all evening, she couldn’t resist a sip of the fine wine.
‘So, back to Sabato,’ he continued. ‘You’re saying he’s just...?’
‘Just wondering why you’re monopolising my newest member of staff,’ interjected a voice of steel, and Emily looked up to see that Alejandro had extricated himself from his adoring audience and was standing in front of them, surveying her and Marcus with an unfathomable look darkening his green eyes.
‘You were ignoring her, so I stepped in,’ said Marcus, giving an unabashed shrug. ‘I was simply being chivalrous.’
‘Is that what you call it?’ queried Alejandro drily. ‘Surely you have plenty of women to choose from, Marcus—especially when you own a yacht this size.’
‘Not when you’re in the vicinity, man. And surely you must know by now that it’s not the size of someone’s yacht which interests them. Nice to meet you, Emily.’ Marcus grinned. ‘Don’t waste your time falling for him.’
‘I don’t think there’s much chance of that happening,’ Emily answered crisply, watching as the Swede raised his glass in a mocking toast and sauntered across the deck, before turning her attention to Alejandro. ‘Were you listening to a word I said to you earlier?’ she questioned exasperatedly.
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Surely I’m the one who should be feeling aggrieved, since I’ve just found you flirting with one of my oldest friends.’
‘I shall flirt with whoever I please. You seem to have no qualms about doing the same. And please don’t try to change the subject, Alejandro. I’m serious.’
He could see that. She had assumed a disapproving expression, which seemed at odds with the woman who had briefly come to life like a firecracker in his arms a couple of hours ago. In her he had seen glimpses of the old Emily, who would thrill to his touch just as he would thrill to hers.
But he hadn’t really known her at all back then, had he? He’d attributed to her all kinds of qualities she didn’t possess, probably because she’d been an innocent virgin who had made him feel old-fashioned and protective towards her. She had destroyed his idealism with a few cruel words and, because of his dalliance with her, his mother had been summarily dismissed from her job.
He felt a beat of anger as he remembered his impotent rage when he’d heard about his mother’s sacking, but anger was a pointless emotion. Desire was something he was better equipped to deal with. And revenge, of course. A primitive reaction but a very satisfying one, nonetheless. He hid his flicker of anticipation behind a bland mask of social concern.
‘Would you like some food?’ he questioned.
‘No, thanks. I’m allergic to caviar. I’m going to head back to the hotel and do a little work before getting an early night.’
‘I’ll come with you.’
‘No, Alejandro,’ she said, in a low voice. ‘You stay on here. People will be disappointed if you leave now. You’re obviously the guest of honour and you don’t need me hanging around. Besides, that actress you were talking to has been staring at you with moony eyes for the last five minutes.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘I thought you told me women were off limits?’
‘Women in the plural, not the singular! If you...’ She drew in a deep breath and seemed to be having difficulty finding the right words. ‘If you’ve decided you want to enter into a normal relationship with someone, that would be...fine. In fact, it would be more than fine and I can’t see that having an actress as a consort would act as a deterrent to your political ambition. It’s hardly mould-breaking, is it?’
‘So you’re giving me your consent to date her?’
Her mouth flattened. ‘You don’t need my consent to date anyone. You’re as much of a free agent as I am. Just try not to make too much noise if you decide to bring her back to the suite tonight, will you? I’ll take your car to the hotel and send the driver straight back. Goodnight.’
With that, she was gone, giving him a brief smile as she turned to leave, and Alej was left feeling distinctly outmanoeuvred as he stared at her retreating form. Shiny strands of dark blonde hair were dangling at the back of her neck and her skirt was a scarlet sheen as it swished enticingly against her bottom.
The actress was heading towards him but he barely noticed her—he was too outraged by Emily’s liberal attitude as a myriad previously unknown and buttoned-up prejudices came flooding to the forefront of his mind. Was she really giving him the thumbs-up to bring another woman to his bed tonight, when he had been doing some fairly intimate things to her a few hours earlier? Especially when she was sleeping just a few yards down the corridor? His mouth hardened with disapproval. Was that the type of free-love world she operated in these days?
‘Alej?’
It was the classically trained voice of Kate Palmer, her short Grecian-style dress showing a lot of honed and gleaming thigh. Slanting him a slow smile, she ran her fingers through her defining fall of hair with the deliberate nonchalance of someone who spent much of her life being watched.
‘I wondered where you were.’
‘Standing right here,’ he said. ‘As you see.’
‘Do you fancy going on somewhere else?’ she questioned, just a fraction too casually. ‘I’ve been invited to a party in Kooyong and we were all thinking of going on to the casino later. Should be a good crowd.’
Alej studied her. She had the twin cachet of beauty and fame and most men wouldn’t have thought twice about accepting an offer he suspected she didn’t have to make very often. His indifference towards her wasn’t feigned and yet it infuriated him that all he could think about was Emily and the insouciant way she’d left him standing there. Was she playing games with him, he wondered—or did she still get off with the kind of foreplay which threatened to drive a man insane?
He realised that the actress was still looking at him with confident expectation and curved his mouth into a regretful smile—because who was to say he mightn’t take her up on her offer sometime in the future?
‘Not tonight, I’m afraid. Early night for me,’ he explained. ‘It’s the big race tomorrow.’
She quickly recovered her obvious disappointment and slanted him another smile. ‘Of course. Good luck. Isn’t one of your drivers in pole position?’
His heart wasn’t in it but he forced himself to continue the predictable conversation about his team’s chances, giving her time to beat a dignified retreat before he left the bobbing yacht and went in search of his car. The city was alive with a pre-race buzz of excitement and people were spilling out of bars and restaurants, but all Alej was aware of during the journey back to the hotel was the insidious invasion of desire. It heated his blood and licked at his skin. It was making him distinctly uncomfortable as his trousers strained over the throbbing hardness at his groin. His mouth was dry and his heart was racing as he entered the hotel and when the elevator deposited him in the penthouse suite, he found himself hoping against hope that Emily hadn’t gone to bed.