The Secret Heiress (12 page)

Pulling her into his arms, he softly kissed her neck and cheeks. “I have no words, Anna.”

She held onto him listening to his heartbeat and breathing. Sex had never been like that for her. She’d had a couple of boyfriends after Sebastian, but neither one could pleasure her in that way. She had thought something was wrong with her.

“You should have mentioned your lack of experience. I would have taken it slower.”

“It was perfect.” She kissed his shoulder.

“After the disaster with Sebastian, you didn’t want to have sex with anyone?”

She didn’t want to think about Sebastian. She hoped never to see him again.

“I dated. But for some reason, sex was awkward and I was beginning to think that it wasn’t the experience that everyone made it out to be.”

He ran a hand down her spine. “I’ll have to show you otherwise.”

“I think you already have.” She watched him carefully and saw his boyish pride.

A few moments of silence passed between them and she snuggled against him, feeling everything was right with the world.

He began a slow seduction all over again and she became lost in his embraces, much later falling into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning when she was watching him dress, he told her, “I confronted Sebastian last week.”

Panic began to build within her. “Why would you do that?”

He sat next to her on the bed and traced the outline of her collarbone with his thumb. “I intended to destroy him but backed off. He has found himself in the middle of a legal mess. He won’t escape from it. This time they have a video of him blackmailing an ambassador’s daughter.”

She held her breath. “How did you find him?”

“He has an unusual first name and he works for Blackly Simonson. It wasn’t that hard.”

Distancing herself from him, she tried to make sense of his words.

He stood up and pulled on his shirt. “He was afraid of getting caught and had destroyed all of the evidence. I offered an obscene amount of money for the video of you, but he said it no longer existed. He was afraid of charges and only wanted extortion money so he never sexually abused you. He had a friend, or so he says, take a video of you, but that was it.”

She sat up and pulled the sheet over her. “He left me naked and drugged on a football field in the middle of the night. Anything could have happened to me.”

He watched her closely. “Luckily, it didn’t. He is being fired from Blackly Simonson and has to deal with these new charges. Maybe it’s time to move on.”

She looked away from him. “At least, I don’t have to worry about the video surfacing one day.”

Alistair sat next to her on the bed and smoothed a strand of hair away from her face. “I’m sorry any of it happened. He is a horrible excuse for a human being.”

She faced him, grateful for the compassion in his eyes. “Did he act at all remorseful?”

Standing up, Alistair continued getting dressed. “He could barely remember the incident. But if he had the video, he would have sold it to me. He did offer to sell me a drug so I could take my own video of you in a compromising position and then extort money. He hasn’t changed.”

Taking a deep breath, she thought about the fact that she wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore. If the charges stuck this time, it wouldn’t be so easy for Sebastian to do it again to some other unsuspecting woman. A chill came over her thinking back to that horrible morning.

Alistair came back to bed and gathered her in his arms. “He will be made to account for his actions.”

“I hope so. At this point, I want to move on and not think about him. I’ve wasted years trying to answer why he would have done that to me and seeking therapy. I’m just ready to let it go.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “I agree. Take a shower and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Alistair left her to shower and walked downstairs to the kitchen to make coffee. Looking out at the view from the kitchen, he rubbed the back of his neck and tried to clear his head of Sebastian Fox.

His anger wouldn’t help in this situation. Anna needed to be able to talk about the incident and to know that Sebastian had been confronted and didn’t have any evidence left. The man was a creep. He didn’t have any clue that other men would find his actions despicable. He must surround himself with like-minded individuals. Alistair relaxed his fists and decided to purge Sebastian Fox from his thoughts. With any luck, Anna would never have to set eyes on him again.

He took out two cups and used the coffee machine to brew a dark roasted blend. His housekeeper had set out a bowl of fruit on the table and he added scones that she kept in a bakery box.

Anna came into the room wearing the same dress from the day before with bare legs and her hair down.

He handed her a coffee. “I thought of visiting a few wineries today, but I can take you home to change or pack a bag.”

She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “If you want me to spend another night, I’ll need a change of clothing.”

He met her gaze. He would much prefer to stay in, but something told him to spend time out in the world with her. She needed time to process what he had told her about Sebastian Fox. And he needed time to adjust to her. Even though he wanted to take her back upstairs, that wasn’t what she needed. He turned away from her and tried to think of something boring or cold. His body was slow to cooperate.

“Do you know which wineries you want to see?”

He placed his cup near the sink and didn’t look at her. “Not particularly. I thought we could explore the area to the north of London.”

He distracted her by having her look up different possibilities on the internet while he packed a lunch for them. His housekeeper always had the refrigerator well supplied with various foods. Locating an insulated bag in the pantry, he packed fruit, several cheeses, crackers and olives. Next he made two sandwiches with roast beef and lettuce.

Stepping outside, he noticed she was smiling at him. Leaning forward, he captured her mouth in a brief kiss.

“We should go before I drag you back inside.”

She laughed openly, and he guided her to the car. Placing the lunch behind her seat, he waited for her climb in and then closed the door.

Walking around the car, he realized that spending time with her was testing his resolve. He couldn’t remember being so hot for a woman. He had desired other women but not with an all-encompassing longing where he had to force himself to do other things.

He could barely look at her. He wanted to trace her bare legs with his hands and explore her body fully. Putting the car into gear, he sped down the driveway.

“I found a wine tour that sounds interesting.”

The day passed in a blur. They stopped at her flat, toured a few wineries and had a leisurely lunch near a river before returning to his house.

“I enjoyed the day.”

He had kissed her several times that afternoon, but it hadn’t been enough. Alistair guided her back to his bedroom. “I have plans for you.”

Anna smiled at him and he couldn’t wait to remove her dress.

Hours later, Alistair held Anna until she fell into a light sleep. They had skipped dinner, but he wasn’t hungry. He was much more focused on enjoying her.

In the early hours of the morning, he ran his hand down her back and she woke up with a soft moan. He encouraged her sensual exploration by gently stroking her breasts. He could feel his desire building as she kissed his jawline and he pulled her closer. Her body was warm and relaxed from sleep. He pushed aside the thought that he was becoming completely obsessed with her.

Two weeks later, Alistair was driving Anna in to London on a Friday morning in insane traffic. She glanced at him and smiled to herself. They had spent a wonderful evening together, but he was going to be late for work again. She needed to figure out her own transportation soon if she continued seeing him.

Anna thought about the coming weekend. Beatrice was turning six years old on Sunday and Olivia had invited all of her friends and family for a party. Their half-brother, William, was even planning on coming in from Ireland. She couldn’t miss the party and had pleaded with Elyse to cover a cosmetics launch. The client was known to be difficult and she hoped Elyse was up for the drama.

“You need to purchase a car or let me buy you one. I can’t keep driving into the city before work.”

“I agree,” Anna glanced out the window, lost in thoughts about this weekend.

She was worried about attending a family event with Alistair. She hadn’t told Olivia and Fionn that they were officially dating. Partly because Gala & More was insanely busy, but in part because she wasn’t sure how long the relationship would last. Alistair had been somewhat hands off since investing and she had been careful not to crowd him.

“My flat doesn’t have parking. I’m trying to locate a reasonable flat near the new office space. After that, I can decide on whether to purchase a car.”

Alistair stopped in the heavy traffic. “I can hire a car service to drive you around.”

She shook her head. “We agreed to take things slowly. I should stay over less often.”

Alistair said, “I don’t see that as a solution.”

“You can stay over at my place.” Anna was busy sending emails from her phone.

His voice rose slightly. “You barely have running water.”

She glanced up from her phone. “For someone who claims to be intimately aware of poverty, you have impossible standards.”

They were stopped in bumper-to-bumper traffic. “Forget the flat. Buy a car and move in with me. The house has twelve bedrooms.”

She kept her voice neutral, not daring to show the eruption of emotions his suggestion triggered. “What happens when you begin to feel fenced in?”

“I’m fenced in by London traffic.”

Horns were blaring and Alistair maneuvered the car down a one-way street.

“Are you planning on going to Beatrice’s birthday on Sunday?”

“There is a fifty-mile bike race that I committed to on that day. I can stop in after.”

Nodding, she began to think about her day. Gala & More needed more staffing. “I have an event tonight. I’ll be quite late, so I’ll go back to my flat.”

He pulled up to her office.

Anna reached over and kissed him. “I’m sorry I made you late again.” She dashed out of the car and up the steps to her office. Before opening the door, she turned and caught sight of Alistair watching her. She waved and went inside.

He surprised her sometimes. For all of his speeches about not being fenced in, he was attentive and interested in her safely arriving at a destination.

Katie and Elyse were working on boxing up the files and computers. Tomorrow movers were taking everything to the new office location.

Katie said over her shoulder, “Your sister called. She said your phone was switched off.”

Walking into the conference room, she turned on her mobile and called her sister.

Olivia answered on the third ring. “Hi, sis. The girls are missing you.”

She felt horrible for avoiding them. “Work has been crazy, but I’m coming on Sunday.”

“I’m looking forward to catching up.” Olivia sounded relieved. “William will be here as well.” After a slight pause, her sister asked, “How are things with Alistair?”

She smiled. “Did I tell you he invested into Gala & More and he selected us not only for the single event but also for all their event management for the next year?”

After a brief silence, Olivia said, “Yes. I think it’s excellent. But I haven’t heard much about your personal relationship with him.”

Instead of putting her sister off, she decided to tell her the truth. “We are dating and spending as much time together as we can. I haven’t wanted to throw that in Fionn’s face.”

“Oh.” She could tell her sister was choosing her words carefully. “Fionn has been concerned you would fall head over heels in love and that Alistair isn’t into long-term. But you are an adult and can make your own decisions.”

She didn’t want to have to defend her relationship with Alistair. She understood that it was flawed. She wanted something steady and he wanted casual.

When Anna remained quiet, Olivia said, “Be careful, Anna. I know you have liked him for a long time and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She wasn’t planning on long-term. “Don’t worry. I’m happy at the moment and I plan on taking it slow. But I really need to get to work. I’ll see you Sunday.”

“Cheers.”

Anna was glad she told her sister that they were dating, but she hoped Alistair didn’t go to the party. Their relationship was too new to withstand family pressure.

The day absorbed all of her energy. They had two events on Saturday and she had to coordinate the move.

Alistair texted her late on Saturday night, suggesting that he pick her up. She responded with the address of the hotel. Gala & More had taken on a society wedding and she cringed when she noticed her mother’s name on the guest list.

Her mother approached her when the event was in full swing.

Anna barely embraced her mother, and the older woman stiffly pulled away. “Welcome back. I heard you were on a cruise.”

Her mother nodded. “I was hoping you would have regained your sanity by the time I returned.”

“No, I’m afraid that I haven’t, mother.” Anna kept her shoulders relaxed and smiled slightly.

Her mother raised her chin. “I’d like you to come for brunch tomorrow.”

“It’s Beatrice’s sixth birthday. I’m sure Olivia sent you an invite.” It was surprising that Olivia tried to include her mother in every celebration even though she never attended.

Her mother picked an imaginary piece of lint off of her dress. “I haven’t gone through all of my correspondence yet, but I’ll probably stay home.”

Her mother was impossible. “I’ll call and maybe we can plan lunch for Wednesday.”

Anna was interrupted with an event question and her mother walked away without another word.

Leaving the hotel at ten o’clock, Anna smiled when she saw Alistair waiting by his car. She dashed out in the light rain and threw herself into his embrace.

He held her tight for a moment. “You missed me.”

Kissing her provocatively, he moved her away from the car enough to open the door for her.

Getting in the car himself, he said, “You need to hire more staff. You shouldn’t be dealing with a wedding.”

She buckled her seatbelt. “My mother was a guest and I thought she would implode.”

“I’ve met your mother previously. Maybe two or three years ago. She reminded me of a tough old bird.”

Anna smiled but looked away. That was an accurate description of her mother. She sometimes wondered what her father was thinking. But then maybe he was attracted to strong, opinionated women.

Happiness surged through her. She wasn’t expecting to see Alistair tonight. “How was your day?”

“I worked out and met a few friends for a game of golf.”

She nodded. “Are you an amazing player?”

“I’d rather bike or play rugby, but I can play reasonably well.” He let a moment pass before saying, “There is something that came up.”

“Something good?” she asked in a teasing voice.

Alistair paused for a moment. “Not exactly. I stayed at the club for dinner and a woman I had been seeing on and off a few months ago ended up joining me. I bring it up because several photographs of us were taken at the restaurant.”

Anna contemplated what she should say to him. “So if photographs weren’t taken, you wouldn’t have mentioned it?”

Alistair frowned. “It’s not a big deal. Let’s not let it become one.”

She tried to hold back but couldn’t. “So, you asked this woman to have dinner with you?”

His voice was low. “I did.”

Anna remained quiet for a few minutes. “Why did you suggest picking me up tonight?”

He kept his voice neutral. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Her hands were trembling and she clenched them into tight fists. “If you would rather continue playing the field, don’t let me stop you.”

His calm voice soothed her nerves. “I had dated her a while ago, but our schedules hadn’t lined up recently so I had not had the opportunity to tell her that I’ve been seeing you.”

She bit down on her lower lip. “I’m not sure what I should say.”

He hesitated for a brief moment and then said, “She belongs to the private club and happened to see me at the bar.”

Anna glanced at him and decided to take his explanation at face value. She needed to be careful and not let her past influence her relationship with him. She had to guard against turning every man into her father. Most men didn’t cheat on their girlfriends and certainly very few men led a double life. Images of her father and mother fighting brought her back to her childhood. Her father had cast her aside for his real family in New York, but it didn’t explain why she had so many memories of her parents yelling at one another. Maybe she should ask William about it. Olivia knew very little about their father.

Alistair disliked having to explain himself, but Anna had cause to feel distrustful. Her father had abandoned her in a very public way. It was gossiped about in certain circles even today. But he couldn’t solve the past for her. He had his own issues with his father refusing to acknowledge him. But at least he had a loving mother; Anna did not have that. Either Anna would decide to put it behind her or she wouldn’t. He couldn’t change that for her and he didn’t want to spend his time and effort trying to get her to see every man was not like Oliver Bolles. It would be a wasted effort.

When they arrived back at his house, Alistair considered telling her that he was worn out and suggesting sleeping in different rooms. But he resisted.

When he had picked her up, she had thrown herself into his arms with such abandon that he felt something. He genuinely was beginning to have feelings for her. His heart had accelerated as he pulled her close.

Getting out of the car, he walked to her side and offered his hand. Anna wore a simple black dress with killer heels and he watched as she climbed out of the low vehicle. Her nearness and touch heated his desire for her. He pulled her towards him and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss. He could feel her clutch the front of his shirt and his desire increased.

He pulled away from her. “Let’s go inside.”

Closing the front door, he reached for her. “I gave the staff the night off.”

She smiled at him. “You are clever and thoughtful.”

Instead of slowly arousing her, he stripped her dress off of her and devoured her mouth. His hands explored her body fully and when he was drenched with desire and she was encouraging each move, he plunged into her on the stairs. After several thrusts, she screamed with release and in one swift movement he joined her.

He had unzipped his pants and she was beautifully naked with clothing strewn between the doorway and the stairs. He kicked off his shoes and pants before carrying her up the stairs. He placed her on the bed and started the shower. Within minutes, he made love to her again in the shower. He was so fully aroused that he couldn’t think.

When they finally made it to bed, Anna fell off to sleep without a word. He was surprised by the roughness in their physical connection tonight, but she had matched his desire at each turn and had even pushed him further.

Watching her sleep, he wondered if he was asking too much of her. He wanted her in his life, but he wasn’t ready for marriage. He needed to be able to work and travel without worrying about someone missing him or feeling neglected.

Anna turned over in her sleep and he tucked the sheet in around her delectable body. She surprised him by being independent and a risk taker. At first, he had thought she was like her father, talented and intelligent but lacking in moral fiber. He had been unfair. She was nothing like Oliver Bolles. She was honest and spoke the truth. She wasn’t consumed by having wealth or being part of a particular social class. Her shoddy flat and shifting careers attested to that. Maybe not having a connection with her father saved her.

The next morning after they had coffee in the kitchen, he called a car service and pulled her into his arms.

“I hope last night didn’t put you off.”

Kissing him on the lips, she said, “I enjoyed every second. But it was a little challenging finding my clothing this morning.”

“You need to leave some clothing here so you don’t have to wear last night’s dress.”

He heard the car service beep. She said, “I’ll stop at my flat to change and then go over to Olivia’s.”

He opened the front door and watched her walk down the path.