Читать онлайн книгу «Holiday With The Millionaire» автора Scarlet Wilson

Holiday With The Millionaire
Scarlet Wilson
Destination: romance!Lara Callaway has been cheated on for the last time. She’s enjoying a peaceful stay at her employer’s London townhouse before embarking on the holiday of a lifetime…alone! Until the unexpected arrival of Reuben Tyler throws her senses into overdrive…The rebellious millionaire becomes her unlikely travel companion and somewhere between romantic Venice and glamorous Monte Carlo, he is beginning to make Lara feel beautiful again. But can Lara return the favour and show cynical playboy Reuben that he too is worthy of love?


In this exciting new duet by
Scarlet Wilson
discover these
Tycoons in a Million
Romance in a rich man’s world …
Friends Reuben Tyler and Caleb Connor have chosen very different paths in life. Caleb married his sweetheart whilst Reuben played the field, but they both climbed to the dizzying heights of success!
Now, with the world at their fingertips, these millionaires can have anything they want. But when it comes to love Reuben and Caleb realise there are some things money can’t buy …
The Connors’ nanny Lara Callaway is a breath of fresh air for rebellious Reuben in
Holiday with the MillionaireAvailable now!
And can the Connors save their seemingly perfect marriage?
Find out in Caleb and Addison’s story…
Coming soon!
Holiday with the Millionaire
Scarlet Wilson

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
SCARLET WILSON writes for both Mills & Boon Romance and Medical Romance. She lives on the west coast of Scotland with her fiancé and their two sons. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached via her website: www.scarlet-wilson.com (http://www.scarlet-wilson.com).
This book is dedicated to my auntie, Margaret Wilson, and my honorary auntie, Mary Hamilton. Doris and Daisy with their holiday antics are based on you two!
Contents
Cover (#uc3173ed7-fca6-5856-9fa3-72159a859f20)
Introduction (#ue0173749-804b-5c70-9f9d-6b94343817e3)
Title Page (#u23c7e0ff-c3ec-516b-a038-50eecac58048)
About the Author (#u071c05ed-4f42-5c26-82a5-c67cc5b4e16b)
Dedication (#u38dbc915-58a3-573c-b169-efe8367d0c54)
CHAPTER ONE (#ud24f5090-31ef-5efc-8ed6-5a81defe5736)
CHAPTER TWO (#uce031ed7-0a23-5908-a424-11f49f5a546b)
CHAPTER THREE (#u1f029a0c-df44-5a26-8452-fd69c3c5d624)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u8c12f0fb-d370-58c1-bbd5-8383ed0bf9ad)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_5b3aa0f3-19d5-52de-beba-46cedf89d79f)
LARA TRIED TO hide her sniffles as the door opened and Addison’s chin nearly hit the perfect hardwood flooring.
‘Lara? What on earth...?’
She didn’t wait for her to finish. Rain was dripping off the end of her nose and running down her back as she tried to bump her impossibly heavy case over the entranceway of the house. The case gave a squeak and one of the wheels catapulted merrily into the air, spinning off down the front steps and along the exclusive London street.
She swallowed the impossible lump in her throat. It pretty much summed up her life right now.
Addison pulled her by the elbow and slammed the door behind her. ‘What’s wrong? What’s happened?’
Lara’s stomach coiled up. She hated this. She hated turning up like this. Even though she tried to hide it, she knew Addison was stressed enough without adding anything else into the mix. Her pretty face had been marred by a permanent frown for the last few months Lara had been acting as a nanny for her and her husband, Caleb.
She took a deep breath. She was still in shock and the words just seemed to come out of nowhere. ‘I had a Sliding Doors moment,’ she breathed, before dissolving into tears.
‘A what?’ The frown was back. Addison had no idea what she was talking about.
Lara shook her head, her blonde hair sending raindrops splattering all around them. ‘I went home earlier than he expected. I caught the earlier tube.’ Her voice wobbled.
Addison took a deep breath and stood up a little taller. ‘And?’ She could be scary when she wanted to be.
‘And Josh was in bed with the next-door neighbour.’
She wobbled and Addison caught hold of her elbow and steered her through to the kitchen. ‘I’m sorry, Addison. I know you’re just about to go on holiday but I had nowhere else to go. I just stuffed everything into my case and left.’
Addison flicked the switch on the coffee machine. ‘That ratbag. How dare he? You’ve paid the rent on that flat for—how long? And he does this to you?’
She opened the cupboard and pulled out two cups then sat down on the stool opposite Lara. ‘What are you going to do?’
Lara hesitated. The timing was, oh, so wrong. ‘I’m sorry, Addison. I know you’re leaving in the next few hours. This is the last thing you need.’ It was the absolute last thing. Although to outsiders Addison and Caleb Connor had the perfect life, Lara could tell that things were strained. Their son, Tristan, was a dream to nanny, a happy, well-mannered little boy with the biggest smile in the world. But things in the household were far from happy. Addison had been strangely silent these last few weeks, and Caleb’s presence had been virtually non-existent. Lara had the distinct impression this month-long holiday was make or break for the couple.
She bit her lip. ‘I wondered...can I stay for the next couple of weeks? Just until I try and sort things out? I’ll need to find somewhere else to stay.’
Addison didn’t hesitate. ‘Of course you can. No problem at all. Caleb and I will be gone in the next few hours. You can have the place to yourself and take some time to get sorted.’
She pressed some buttons on the state-of-the-art coffee machine. She frowned at Lara, ‘Double shot?’
Lara nodded. Addison pressed a few more buttons for the extra shot for Lara and decaf for herself and the steaming hot lattes appeared in seconds. She held up two syrup bottles. ‘Gingerbread or caramel?’
‘Vodka,’ Lara groaned. It might only be three o’clock in the afternoon but after the day she’d had she wanted to cut straight to the chase. She pointed over at the one in Addison’s left hand. ‘Caramel.’
Addison poured a healthy amount of pure sugar syrup into the latte before adding the tiniest dash into her own.
She looked Lara straight in the eye. ‘What are you going to do about your holiday?’
The holiday. Of course. Lara pressed her head down on the counter worktop. ‘Oh, no.’
Addison reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘You’ve been looking forward to this all year. Don’t let him spoil this for you. You deserve a holiday. You need a holiday. Spend the next two weeks sorting yourself out, then go and lie in the sun. Relax. Chill out.’
‘By myself?’ The holiday she’d been looking forward to for months had instantly lost its shine. There was something really wrong about going on a cruise on your own. Talk about awkward.
Addison’s glare had a steely edge. ‘Yes, by yourself. Why not? You don’t need a man to determine who you are in this life. You’ve saved hard for that holiday. Go and enjoy it.’ She picked up her latte. ‘Now, I need to finish packing. Will you be okay?’
Lara shifted on the stool. She really needed to get out of these rain-soaked clothes. Her stomach was churning. She could sense the tension in the air around Addison. It wasn’t like her to say something so direct. She usually kept all her cards played safely close to her chest. Still, it wasn’t her place to say anything. The line between employer and employee still existed and she shouldn’t cross it. Her only concern should be Tristan, and from all her observations he was a happy, healthy little boy. Whatever was going on between the adults was up to them to solve.
She nodded her head in grateful relief. ‘I’m not right now, but I will be. Thanks, Addison. I promise I’ll take good care of the place.’
‘I know you will,’ Addison replied, with the quiet reassurance she always possessed. She paused for a second, ‘I won’t be able to call or email you. The place we’re going—it doesn’t have a phone line or internet.’ She paused and gave a sad kind of smile. ‘You’ll be fine, Lara. You don’t need him. He didn’t deserve you—not at all. It’s amazing how strong you can be on your own when you need to be.’ She held Lara’s gaze. ‘The world needs good people like you. Look after yourself.’ She gave a nod of her head and disappeared out into the hall.
Lara sucked in a deep breath, looked around the immaculate show kitchen and put her head back on the counter.
Two weeks to sort herself out. Perfect.
* * *
It was almost midnight. Reuben fumbled with the key in the lock yet again and swore under his breath.
Maybe he shouldn’t have had that extra drink but his flight had been delayed six hours, jet-lag was kicking in and he’d decided to stop to try and get something to eat before he got back to the house.
Only something to eat had turned into something to drink. The takeaway hadn’t looked too appetising and the pub across the road had stopped serving food at seven p.m. So he’d just had a drink. That had turned into another. And then another. Watching a football match in a pub had that effect. After five minutes everyone was your best friend.
The key finally clicked into place and he shouldered the door open, falling over the front step and landing in a heap on the hardwood floor. The entrance hall was so big the noise echoed around him.
He picked himself up and tried to feel his way along the wall, seeking a light switch. When was the last time he’d been in Caleb’s house? Must have been over a year ago—Addison wasn’t exactly welcoming. She didn’t seem to like her husband’s bad-boy friend.
The light switch wasn’t beckoning. All he felt was the flat walls. His eyes tried to adjust to the dark. If he remembered correctly the kitchen was to the right and the living room to the left, looking out over the exclusive London street.
He sighed and headed towards the living room. He’d collapse on the sofa and watch TV for a bit.
He froze in mid-step. What was that? Was that a noise?
He held his breath for a second. Caleb, Addison and their son should be on holiday. Caleb had said he could stay here for the next few weeks while his house was getting roof repairs. He tipped his head to the side and listened again.
No. Nothing.
He dumped his bag at his feet and walked over to the outline of the door to the living room and pushed it open. All he really wanted to do right now was sprawl out on the sofa.
But everything was wrong. And the jet-lag meant that all the senses in his brain were firing in slow-mo.
If he’d been firing on all cylinders he would have noticed immediately the glowing television on the wall, the sweet wrappers and wine bottle on the living-room table and the duvet on the sofa. His sofa.
Instead, all he noticed was the flash in the corner of his eye and the thudding pain at the back of his head. As he made contact with the floor and looked upwards all he could see was something pink and fuzzy.
Then everything went black.
* * *
She couldn’t breathe. There was a tight strap across her chest and her heart was thudding wildly in her ears.
One minute she’d been lying half-dozing on the sofa, watching Saturday night TV, the next she’d heard footsteps walking across the entranceway. She’d gone into autopilot—years of watching too many TV shows—and picked up the nearest thing to hand. It was one of Caleb’s awards and it was currently lying broken on the floor next to the burglar in black.
She picked up the phone and dialled the police. ‘Emergency services. Which service do you require?’
‘Police.’
‘Police, how can we help you?’
‘There’s a burglar. In my house. I’ve hit him.’
‘What’s your name?’
‘Lara. Lara Callaway.’
‘Can you give me your address, Lara?’
‘Seventeen Crawford Square, Belgravia.’
‘Where is the suspect now, Lara?’
She gulped. ‘At my feet.’ Police, she’d asked for the police. Maybe she should have asked for an ambulance?
‘Lara, what do you mean, the suspect is at your feet? Are you in any danger?’
Her mouth was suddenly dry. Maybe she shouldn’t have drunk all that wine? ‘No. I don’t think so. He’s unconscious. I hit him.’
The operator spoke slowly. ‘Without putting yourself in any danger, can I ask you to check that he’s breathing? I’m adding an ambulance to the dispatch call.’
Lara bent her knees and squinted at the guy on the floor. He was lit only by the TV glowing on the far wall. His chest was rising and falling slowly.
She took a deep breath. For a man who was breaking into people’s homes he was actually very handsome. He didn’t have that furtive, shady look about him. There was a hint of suntan under the shadow along his jawline. He gave a little groan and she jumped back.
‘Yes, yes, he’s breathing. But I think he’s going to wake up.’
‘Lara, take yourself to a safe place. The police are on their way and will be at your address in under two minutes. Keep this phone with you. You can keep talking to me if you’re scared.’
She backed off out of the room and headed to the front door. Her head was starting to throb. This was turning into a nightmare.
Maybe this was her fault. This was a prestigious London address—of course they would be at risk of housebreaking. The house had a state-of-the-art alarm system—which she hadn’t put on yet. She would have done on her way to bed. She just hadn’t got that far yet.
Something struck her as strange. How had the burglar got in? The front door was still closed. None of the windows seemed open. What if he’d damaged the house somewhere? Through the window the glow of blue lights in the distance made her breathe a sigh of relief.
How was she going to explain this to Addison?
* * *
This was the worst jet-lag ever.
‘Sir, can you open your eyes for me, please?’
And why was this bed so hard?
‘Sir?’
‘Yeow!’ Someone had nipped the soft flesh on his hand. He sat bolt upright, ignoring the pounding headache.
Wow. He swayed. Dizzy. That was a new experience for him. He hadn’t been dizzy since that time he’d been knocked out while playing football ten years ago.
Knocked out. He narrowed his gaze as the pieces started to fall into place. Two policemen. Two green-suited paramedics—one male, one female. And another female dressed in a pink fuzzy pyjama suit with her blonde hair in some kind of weird bundle on top of her head. She looked like some kind of giant kid’s toy.
He lifted his hand to the back of his head and winced. ‘Someone want to tell me what on earth is going on here?’ He frowned and turned to face the pink teddy bear. ‘And who the hell are you?’
The teddy-bear face looked indignant. He could tell she was trying to place his Irish accent, which got thicker the angrier he was. ‘Who am I? Who are you? You broke into my house!’
One of the policemen stepped forward but Reuben held up his hand. ‘Wait a minute—you’re not Addison. This isn’t your house.’
He stood up and dusted himself off. ‘And I didn’t break in anywhere. I have a key...’ he pulled it from his back pocket ‘...because I am supposed to be staying here. So who are you exactly?’
The policeman looked from one to the other. ‘It would probably help if you could both identify who you are.’
The paramedic stepped forward. ‘I’m not finished yet.’ She held up a penlight and shone it into Reuben’s eyes. He flinched but didn’t object. He knew better. After a second she gave a nod. ‘Both pupils equal and reactive.’ She stepped back to write some notes.
Reuben pulled his wallet out from his back pocket and handed it to one of the policemen. ‘Reuben Tyler. I just landed from LA a few hours ago.’ He folded his arms across his chest. ‘My own apartment is under repair. It took damage during the recent storm and when they went to do repairs they discovered asbestos in the roof.’ He turned to glare at the teddy bear again. She really was quite cute. If he hadn’t been having such a bad day he might have been quite taken by her strange get-up, perfect skin and mussed-up hair. ‘My friend Caleb Connor, who owns this place, said I could stay here while he and his family were on holiday.’
The policeman turned towards the teddy bear, who was shifting uncomfortably on her feet at the mention of Caleb’s name. ‘And you are?’
‘I’m Lara Callaway. I work for the Connors. I’m their nanny.’
Ah, their nanny. Things were starting to fall into place in his brain. Caleb had said the last nanny had left and they’d hired someone new.
‘And I can verify this with the Connors?’
He watched as she gulped and glanced at the clock. This was a girl who obviously wasn’t used to being around the police.
‘Well...not right now. They’ll be midway across the Atlantic—and they’re going to a place with no phone or internet.’ She turned around to look at Reuben. ‘You’re not going to take him at his word, are you? I’ve never seen him before—and I’ve never heard Mr Connor mention his name. He could be anyone.’
Reuben rolled his eyes and sighed. The teddy bear was starting to get annoying. He glanced about the living room, his eyes fixing on a distant photo frame. He stalked across the room and picked it up, thrusting it towards the policeman while glaring at Lara. ‘Here, photographic evidence. That’s me and Caleb at an awards ceremony around five years ago. And...’ he pulled his phone from his pocket ‘...here’s a text from Caleb, telling me how to switch off his alarm.’
He ran his eyes up and down Lara’s fuzzy-covered frame. She might be wearing the most unsexy nightwear in the world but it still gave a hint of her curves. She wiggled her pink painted toes as if she could sense his gaze on her. ‘And as for the nanny...’ he gestured with his head towards her ‘...I’ve never heard of her. According to Caleb, I would be the only one staying here.’ He gave a little laugh. ‘As for no phone and no internet? I’ll bet Caleb didn’t know that before he left. He might be on the other side of the Atlantic but I’m pretty sure we’ll hear him blow up from here.’
All he really wanted to do was get his head down—and maybe find something to eat. His head ached and he couldn’t believe the commotion. So much for some quiet downtime.
Lara looked flustered by his words. ‘I’ve worked for the family for the last six months. The nanny before me left. Addison—Mrs Connor—said I could stay here for the next couple of weeks. I’ve had a bit of a...misunderstanding and she agreed at short notice.’
Reuben’s ears pricked up at her words and he couldn’t stop a smile appearing on his face. She was obviously easily flustered, not used to being around the police and feeling distinctly uneasy. Then again, she was in her nightwear—even if it did cover every part of her body—and it was obvious she’d decided to have feast in front of the TV. Probably not the scene you wanted all these people to see.
‘What was the misunderstanding?’ he pressed. He was amused now. ‘The one that made you hit me over the head with something.’
He looked around the floor to see what she’d hit him with and saw the remains of something on the floor. He bent down and picked up the broken marble and gold trophy. His mouth fell open. ‘You hit me with the Businessman of the Year award? Oh, wow, Caleb will be mad.’ He pointed over to the photo of Caleb and himself, showing Caleb clearly holding up the award with pride.
If she’d been flustered before she looked positively pained now. ‘But I didn’t know who you were. And I thought you were a burglar. I thought you were going to attack me.’ Her voice started to wobble and her eyes started to fill. ‘I didn’t know what to do.’
The policeman put a hand on her arm. ‘We understand, but Mr Tyler does have a right to press charges.’
‘Charges?’ She could barely get the word out and he could see her start to shake.
‘For assault.’
She wobbled. She looked as if her legs were going to give out completely.
Enough. He needed this to be over with.
‘There won’t be any charges. Not from me anyway. I’m sure Ms Callaway will be able to speak to Caleb about replacing his award.’ He looked towards the other policeman, who’d been talking quietly into his radio. ‘Have you verified us yet? Can we finish this?’
The paramedic raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Actually, no, we can’t. You were knocked out, Mr Tyler. We should really take you to hospital to be checked over.’
‘No. No. I definitely don’t want to do that.’
But as he shook his head he realised how dizzy he was. It was all he could do not to sway. He eyed the sofa for a second, wondering if he should sit down.
‘We’re obliged to take you, Mr Tyler. There can be serious repercussions from a head injury. It will only take a few hours.’
‘In London on a Saturday night? You’ve got to be joking. Every A and E around here will have queues out the door.’ He waved his hand. ‘I’m fine.’
The paramedic frowned and her lips thinned. This woman was formidable. It was time to take a different tack.
‘Look, I’ve just got off a long flight from the US and I’m tired. I just want to find something to eat and get to sleep. I haven’t slept in the last thirty-six hours. You said my pupils were equal, surely that means I’m okay?’
She hesitated and glanced at her partner. ‘After a head injury some symptoms take a while to appear. You might feel okay now, but in a few hours it could be different.’
The policemen were exchanging glances. The only person in the room who couldn’t look at him was Lara—the giant teddy bear.
‘I really don’t want to go to hospital,’ he said steadily.
The paramedic glanced from him to Lara. ‘Well, I’ll have to get you to sign something. Then I’ll give you a final check and leave some head-injury instructions. You can’t be left alone. There needs to be someone around you in case you feel unwell later and need to go to hospital.’
A smile broke across his face. ‘Oh, I’m sure Ms Callaway will oblige.’
Her head shot up. ‘What? Me? No!’ She turned towards the policeman. ‘You’re not actually going to let him stay here, are you? I don’t know him. I don’t want to be left in a house with a stranger.’ Her indignation made him smile even more.
The policeman looked at her. ‘Then perhaps you’d like to stay somewhere else? You did say you made this arrangement at short notice. Maybe there’s somewhere else you can stay?’
She cringed. ‘What? No.’ She was starting to look a bit panicked. But there was no way at this late stage that Reuben was going to ring around friends to find a bed for the night. He’d made this arrangement with Caleb and he was sticking to it—whether Ms Teddy Bear liked it or not.
The paramedic stood in front of Reuben. ‘Can you sit down for a second while I do some final checks?’
She couldn’t possibly know how grateful he was to sink down onto the comfortable overstuffed sofa. His stomach gave a little growl as he noticed all the sweet papers on the coffee table. The smell of chocolate and cheese and onion crisps was drifting in his direction. He didn’t care who it belonged to. As soon as he got rid of these folks he was eating the entire lot.
A paramedic made a few final notes and handed him a clipboard and pen. ‘Sign here.’
He scribbled his name and took the leaflet she proffered. She gave him a suspicious glance as she stood up. ‘If you have any of the symptoms on the card you must attend the nearest A and E.’ She gestured with her head. ‘It’s St David’s, about a mile in that direction.’
He gave her a nod. ‘Thanks.’
The policemen headed towards the door. ‘We’ll file a report but I take it things are settled now?’
Lara stood with her mouth gaping. She looked shell-shocked. ‘But—’
‘I’m sure everything will be fine,’ the other policeman cut in. ‘Goodnight, Ms Callaway, Mr Tyler,’ he said, as all four people filed out the front door.
Reuben stood again, waiting for them all to leave before finally closing the front door behind them. His legs felt heavy, but nowhere near as heavy as the thudding in his head.
He stalked back through to the sitting room, collapsed on the couch and tore open one of the chocolate bars, grabbing the TV remote.
Lara hadn’t moved. She was still rooted to the spot.
He grinned at her wickedly. ‘Well, then, I guess it’s just you and me.’
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_0444e682-5f60-5376-a110-aa60897479cc)
THIS COULDN’T BE HAPPENING.
An hour ago she’d been watching one of her favourite eighties movies as she’d sipped wine and eaten her body weight in chocolates.
Now it felt as if the Terminator had just invaded her comfortable living space. Except this terminator had an Irish accent that was almost musical to her ears.
Not that Reuben Tyler looked like Arnie. And with his black jeans and leather jacket he was maybe a little too stylish for a burglar. She was trying not to stare. She was trying not to look at him at all. What on earth was she going to do?
‘So, do you always dress like a giant teddy bear?’ he said as he flicked through the channels.
‘What?’ She stared down at her favourite nightwear. Oh, no. In all the chaos she’d forgotten how she was dressed. Hardly a good look for a first meeting.
She scowled at him and stuck her hands on her hips. ‘Well, it wasn’t like I was expecting guests, was I?’
The corner of his mouth turned upwards. ‘Evidently.’
Okay, this guy could make her blood boil but was he a tiny bit hunky? She stole another glance. When he wasn’t angry, he might be described as quite handsome in a rugged sort of way. His dark hair was thick and a little dishevelled. His white T-shirt showed off his tan—doubtless from his stay in the US since it had rained solidly for the last month in London. No wonder she was keeping her pale flesh covered. But it was those eyes that could probably melt the hearts of the female population of the city. Dark brown, like coffee or chocolate—both were her vices.
She gave a little shudder. What on earth was she thinking? She didn’t know a single thing about this man.
‘You can’t possibly stay here. Addison told me I’d have the place to myself for the next few days.’ She folded her arms across her chest. She was grasping at straws but Addison really hadn’t mentioned a word about having to share the place with one of Caleb’s friends. Which most likely meant that Addison hadn’t known that Reuben would be here...
Darn it. There went the little shudder again. All of a sudden he wasn’t so much a dangerous intruder as a slightly intriguing handsome stranger. But sharing the house with someone she didn’t know still made her feel uncomfortable.
Reuben seemed completely uninterested in her comments. He grabbed a bar of chocolate from the table and started eating it. ‘I think you should be more worried about smashing up Caleb’s trophy. He was very proud of that.’
The trophy. Her eyes went to the floor. It was broken into three solid parts. No super-strength glue in the world could put it back together. She sagged down into one of the armchairs. ‘I’ve no idea what to do about that,’ she murmured.
Reuben sat up a little straighter. He gave his head a little shake and winced. ‘Do you have any painkillers?’
She nodded. ‘Come through to the kitchen. There are some in the cupboard.’
She flashed her hand over the light for the hall and it came on, flooding the entranceway with light. Reuben frowned and bent down. ‘What on earth is that? I couldn’t find the light switch when I came in.’
She walked past. ‘It’s one of Caleb’s new inventions. Light switches you don’t touch. Just the motion of your hand switches it on. Do you know that light switches and doorhandles are the biggest places that harbour germs?’
She couldn’t believe she was having a normal conversation with a guy she’d thought was breaking into the house. It was all so surreal. Maybe this was a dream? Maybe she’d drunk a little too much wine and fallen asleep in front of the TV? Because, truth be told, Reuben Tyler did look a little like a dream.
She stubbed her toe on the way into the kitchen. ‘Youch!’ She definitely wasn’t dreaming. That had hurt too much.
She waved her hand over the switch to turn the light on and walked to the cupboard on the far wall to retrieve the tablets. Reuben sat on one of the stools at the kitchen island and gave a little sigh.
She grabbed a glass and filled it with water. ‘Here you go.’ She hesitated then added, ‘I’m sorry about your head.’
He looked up at her through lazy, tired eyes. ‘Yeah, yeah. I’m sure I’ll get over it.’
He was looking at her with those chocolate eyes. The stare was so intense it almost felt as if it was burrowing through her thick pink onesie. It was definitely heading for the bin after this. His gaze made her feel uneasy and she started to ramble. ‘There are a few free bedrooms upstairs. I’m on the second floor so I’d appreciate it if you could sleep on one of the other floors. Maybe the third? Since Addison, Caleb and Tristan all sleep on the first floor.’
‘You’re pushing me into the servants’ quarters?’ His voice was a lazy drawl.
‘What? I am not.’
‘Yes, you are. Don’t you remember that in all these Georgian houses the servants stayed in the attics?’
‘Did they?’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘I wasn’t much of a history buff, more a geography girl myself.’ She waved her hand. ‘Anyway the rooms upstairs are lovely. The biggest one has an en-suite bathroom, I’m sure you’ll be comfortable there.’
He was still watching her, almost as if he was trying to size her up. But what alarmed her most was the fact there was a twinkle in his eye. He swallowed the painkillers and took a gulp of the water. ‘Maybe I’ll just crash on the sofa—next to your midnight feast. Were you actually going to eat all that?’
Colour heated her cheeks. She was about to be offended, but from the twinkle in his eye it was almost as if he was trying to bait her. She’d recovered enough from the shock of earlier to play him at his own game.
‘I was going to eat all that. And you owe me. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you swiped one of my favourite chocolate bars.’ She wagged her finger at him. ‘Touch anything else and I’ll give you more than a sore head.’
He surprised her. He threw back his head and laughed, just as his stomach growled loudly. He shrugged his shoulders. ‘What can I say? I’m starving.’ He stood up and started prowling around the kitchen, staring at the uniform white cupboards as if he didn’t know which to open first. ‘Is there anything to eat around here?’
Lara watched him for a few seconds. That was definitely a pair of well-fitting jeans. They hugged every inch of his thighs and backside, even though she could see the waist was a little loose. His white T-shirt was rumpled and there was tiny hint of curling dark hairs and flat abs. It was all she could do to tear her eyes away.
She sighed. ‘As I was a late arrival too and Addison had run down most of the fresh food, there’s only what I bought tonight.’ She opened the fridge. ‘I have bread, bacon and baked beans.’
He was smiling again and counted off on his fingers, ‘And wine, and chocolate, and crisps, and some kind of cake I didn’t even recognise.’
She smiled and shook her head. ‘Don’t even think about it—all of those are out of bounds.’
He leaned against one of the cupboards. ‘Well, I’ve thought about it. I know how you can make it up to me.’
‘Make what up to you?’
‘The fact you assaulted me with one of Caleb’s trophies.’ He put his hand on his chin. ‘I’m thinking a bacon-and-baked-bean sandwich might just cut it.’
‘You don’t put bacon and baked beans in a sandwich.’ She shook her head in disgust. ‘Especially not at one in the morning.’
The glint remained in his eyes as they swept up and down her body and he lifted his hand to his head. ‘Ouch.’ He gave the back of his head an exaggerated rub. ‘I think one o’clock in the morning sounds a perfect time for a bacon-and-baked-bean sandwich. Hours past dinner and hours until breakfast.’
She pursed her lips. He was getting to her. He was definitely getting to her. She wasn’t quite sure if it was the guilt trip working or the rising tension she could feel in the air between them.
‘Fine.’ She turned around and flicked a few switches on the coffee machine. ‘What do you want to drink?’
He stared at the machine as his brow creased. She hid her smile. The first time she’d seen the coffee machine she had been bamboozled by it. It had taken a few attempts to finally get it right.
‘What does that do—make coffee or beam you up?’
‘Oh, if it could beam you up I’d press that button right away,’ she said smartly, as she walked back over to the fridge, pulled out the bacon and fired up the grill.
He folded his arms across his chest. He looked amused, maybe even intrigued by her sparky response. ‘So, now we’re getting to see the true you.’
‘As opposed to what?’
He laughed. ‘As opposed to the crazy ammunition-wielding giant pink teddy bear I met when I arrived.’
She glared at him as she put the bacon under the grill. ‘Let’s see.’ She counted off on her fingers. ‘You’ve ruined my night. It seems like you’re going to interrupt the two weeks of sanctuary I was expecting to have here. You’ve insulted my favourite nightwear. Scared me half to death. Stolen my chocolate and blackmailed me into making you something to eat.’ She folded her arms back at him. ‘Why, Reuben, you’re my favourite person in the world right now.’
He shook his head at her tone. ‘I hope you’re not serious.’
She opened the cupboard and pulled out a tin of baked beans. ‘About which part?’
His cheeky smile reached from ear to ear. ‘About the favourite nightwear part. I’m hoping you’ve got something much more appropriate than that.’
Had he really just said that? He must have because tiny electric sparks were currently shooting down her spine and making her toes curl.
She opened the tin of beans, poured them into a bowl and started to nuke them in the microwave. ‘Why do I think you’re going to be a pain in the neck to have around?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘You seem to have been hit with a sass attack. Exactly how much wine did you drink?’
‘Obviously not enough.’
‘Wow.’ Reuben mocked being hit in the chest and fell against the wall. ‘What’s happened to you?’
She shrugged. ‘I had an adrenaline surge when I thought someone was breaking in. You know, the old fight-or-flight thing. Then when the police arrived I started to panic.’ She turned the bacon over in the grill pan. ‘Both those things have left me now. It’s late. I planned on being asleep around an hour ago. Instead, I’m playing hostess in a kitchen that isn’t mine and plotting an elaborate lie to tell Caleb about his award.’
She stuck some bread in the toaster and walked back over to the coffee machine. ‘Now, pick your poison or learn how to work this yourself.’
He laughed and walked over next to her. ‘You know, the giant pink teddy bear is losing her appeal.’
‘That’s fine. I never wanted to be a cuddly toy.’ She pressed some buttons and coffee and milk steamed out of the coffee maker.
‘I’ll have what you’re having,’ he said quickly. He obviously didn’t want to miss out on the chance of coffee and would drink anything.
She made another latte, put the bacon on a plate on the middle of the kitchen island and lifted the steaming-hot bowl of baked beans from the microwave. The toast popped and she took the butter from the fridge and put everything down in front of him, handing him a plate and some cutlery and sitting at the other side of the island.
She could feel the intense brown eyes on her again. Part of her wondered what he was thinking. Part of her was too scared to even think that far.
He started buttering his toast. ‘I thought I asked for a sandwich.’ He kept buttering.
She could feel her anger starting to smart. This guy was a royal pain in the neck. The tranquil time she’d expected to get here had been ruined. Two weeks to get her head together and make some plans for when she came back from her holidays—hopefully enough time to secure another tenancy somewhere.
‘I made an executive decision. Bread would be too squishy.’
The edges of his mouth turned upwards. He was trying to keep a straight face. He lifted the bacon onto his toast and grabbed a spoon for the beans. ‘Squishy.’
‘Squishy,’ she said again as she put her bacon in the middle of her toast and spooned some beans onto the side of her plate.
She lifted the toast towards her mouth. ‘Now I’m going to watch you eating that without getting beans all down the front of your white T-shirt.’
‘That sounds like a challenge.’
‘You bet it is.’
* * *
Things were beyond odd. He was beginning to like the pink teddy bear more and more—particularly now she was showing some added spark.
He could tell his mere presence annoyed her. Under normal circumstances he’d probably feel the same way. When Caleb had offered him somewhere to stay while his building work was done he’d been relieved. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough money to check into a hotel—he could have done that easily. But then he would have been constantly around people when what he really wanted was some peace and quiet in order to negotiate a deal with a troublesome sports star.
Even though Addison didn’t really approve of him, his days of being a bad boy were more or less over. He just didn’t have enough hours in the day any more.
He watched as Lara poked at her plate with a fork, trying to spear the baked beans individually.
‘Slippery little suckers,’ he said as he tried to hold his sandwich together. She glared at him as he took a bite. After a few seconds he spoke again. ‘Okay, you got me. I’ll admit it. It tastes great.’
She gave a hint of a smile. ‘It is pretty good.’
‘Better than chocolate and wine?’
‘Never.’
This girl was fun. Or she could be fun if she’d just let her guard down a little.
‘So, how did come to be working for Caleb and Addison?’
She sat back on her stool at little and sipped her coffee. ‘I met Addison through a mutual friend. She was looking for a nanny at short notice and I had just got back from Australia.’
‘What were you doing out there?’
She gave a little shrug. ‘I went to see the world but ended up only seeing Perth. I met someone when I got there and ended up working as a nanny for a family there for nearly ten months.’
‘Why did you come back?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘My visa was going to expire and I hadn’t met an Australian I could con into marrying me.’
The more she shot at him the more he liked her. ‘I don’t believe that for a second.’
She shook her head. ‘The guy I met, Josh, was English. Let’s just say I don’t have a good record with guys. If he’s a loser, I’m attracted to him. If he’s a cheat, I can’t spot it. If he’s bad for me in any way, shape or form I seem to fall for him hook, line and sinker.’
Now he was definitely curious. ‘You staying here—is this about a guy?’
She let out a sigh. ‘Let’s just say after today’s Sliding Doors moment it looks like I’m going my dream holiday on my own.’
‘Sliding Doors?’
‘Yes, as in the movie.’
‘Never seen it. What do you mean?’
‘You’ve never seen it?’ She shook her head. ‘Where have you been? The girl gets out of work early and runs to catch the tube. In one version she makes the train, in the other she doesn’t. In the version when she gets home early, she catches her boyfriend in bed with someone else.’
He sat back, bacon and beans forgotten. ‘And that happened to you?’ Maybe he should actually start watching these chick-flick movies.
She sighed again and nodded.
‘Ouch. Blooming fool. Who is he? Do you want me to go and sort him out?’
Her head shot up. She looked surprised. ‘Of course I don’t.’
He shook his head. ‘Oh, please. Don’t tell me you still love the guy?’
She leaned her head on her hands. ‘I’m not sure I ever really did. I just feel as if I’ve got “Mug” stamped across my forehead in big letters. I just shoved everything I could into a case and left.’
‘How long did you stay together?’
‘In London? Just the last six months. I met him when I went travelling to Australia and we rented the flat together when we came back.’ She toyed with her coffee cup. ‘Not that he actually paid any rent. He was...’ she lifted her fingers in the air ‘“...writing” apparently. I guess that wasn’t all he was doing.’
Reuben frowned. ‘And who was the other woman?’
She groaned. ‘The next-door neighbour. I couldn’t even punch her. She’s built like an Amazon and could probably squash me beneath one of her size-eight feet.’
He couldn’t help it. He let out a laugh.
She picked up the dishtowel and flicked it at him. ‘It’s not funny!’ His coffee cup tipped and few dark brown splashes splattered his white shirt.
He looked down. He’d been travelling for hours and was feeling grubby anyway. Perfect time to change.
He shook his head and started laughing as he undid the buttons. ‘Tell me there’s a washing machine around here somewhere?’ Every white kitchen door looked identical. He had no idea what lay behind any one of them.
Lara had started to laugh but it seemed to die somewhere in her throat. He looked up to see what was wrong. Her eyes were fixed firmly on his chest. It was an automatic reaction. He sucked in his abs—even though he had no need to. He hadn’t even thought twice about taking off his shirt. Maybe she was shyer than he’d thought?
‘Give me a second till I grab a T-shirt,’ he said quickly, walking back out and getting his bag from the hall. He rummaged around and grabbed a black T-shirt, pulling it over his head as he walked back in. ‘Now...’ he smiled ‘...where were we?’
Lara hadn’t moved. It was as if the words were stuck somewhere at the back of her throat. She gave a little shudder and fixed him with her eyes.
Her very blue eyes.
He hadn’t been paying enough attention.
He’d already noticed the hint of curves beneath her nightwear. While her blonde hair was currently piled on top of her head he could imagine it sitting in long waves past her shoulders.
He could also imagine her in a really sexy dress and heels.
He said the first thing that came into his head. ‘You didn’t have anyone else you could stay with?’
It was an innocent enough question. Trouble was, it made her insides curl up a little and made her feel a bit pathetic.
But he wasn’t finished. ‘Isn’t it a bit strange to come and stay with your boss?’
She should have stopped to think for a second. But thinking wasn’t really Lara’s style—particularly not when she’d just had a glimpse of mind-numbing abs. ‘I haven’t been in London that long. I originally came from Sheffield so all my friends are up there. And because of the job—looking after Tristan—I haven’t really had time to make any good friends since I got here.’ She bit the inside of her cheek. ‘To be honest, I’m not quite sure what I would have done if Addison had said I couldn’t stay.’
She could feel the rush of heat into her cheeks. She felt a bit embarrassed and was definitely squirming. This was rubbish. She wasn’t the person who had done anything wrong here. Not like Josh-gets-into-bed-with-the-wrong-woman or Reuben-breaks-into-houses-Tyler. It was time to turn the tables.
‘Reuben?’
‘Yeah?’ He was trying to appear casual as he finished his coffee.
‘How, exactly, do you know Caleb?’
She’d stood up to clear the plates away and started loading the dishwasher.
‘Why do you want to know?’
‘I guess I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to let you stay, or if I’m going to phone the police again.’
He rolled his eyes and gave a casual wave of his hand. ‘I knew him years ago.’
She banged the dishwasher closed and pressed a few buttons before sliding back onto the stool across from him. ‘Where did you know him?’
He sighed. ‘What’s with the interrogation? Isn’t it about time to go to bed?’ He didn’t mean it to come out that way but his voice just naturally inclined upwards as he spoke. It gave the sentence a hint of cheekiness.
Lara’s cheeks flushed with colour as she pointedly ignored his comment. ‘You asked me how I got the job. It’s only fair I ask you how you know Caleb—particularly when I’ve never seen you around here before.’
Reuben held onto the worktop and leaned back on the stool. His back was beginning to seize up. He really needed to lie down.
‘Caleb and I went to school together.’
‘Really? What school?’
He cringed. He knew exactly what came next. ‘Eton.’
Her mouth fell open. ‘Eton?’ He should feel insulted. The surprise wasn’t because Caleb had gone to Eton, the surprise was definitely directed at him.
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘What can I say? I was a posh boy.’
The colour was starting to die down in her cheeks. It was obvious she was curious. ‘It’s a long way from Ireland,’ she said. It was a natural thing to say but he barely blinked.
‘Yes, it is.’ It was almost as if he were drawing a line in the sand.
She put her elbows on the worktop and leaned towards him. ‘You said you just got back from the US on business. What is it that you do?’
‘A bit of this, a bit of that.’
She waggled her finger at him. ‘Oh, no. Don’t give me that. What is your job title exactly?’
‘I’m a businessman.’
She waved her hands. ‘And so says the entire population of London.’
‘I’m a sports agent.’ He said quickly, in the hope it would stop her asking questions.
Her eyes widened. ‘You mean you’re Jerry Maguire?’
He shook his head. ‘If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard that...’
She perched back up on the stool. ‘I like movies but I’m not what you’d call a sports fan. Well, truth be told, I hate sport, but will I know anyone you manage?’
He shrugged. ‘If you hate sport, probably not. A few footballers, a few cricketers. One tennis player. Also some basketball and baseball players. A few big-name American footballers.’
She gave him a curious stare. ‘So that’s why you jet around?’
He paused for a second. ‘Most of the time. I have clients in the US, Italy, Spain and England right now. And I’m always looking for the next big signing. Things get a bit crazy at times. It’s a mad world out there and sometimes the whole business of a team is based on who they sign—and more importantly how that person behaves. One stupid interview comment can make a team’s shares plummet. I sometimes have to do some troubleshooting or some collateral damage limitation. That can take me pretty much anywhere. The US this week, Spain last week. For the next two weeks I’m in London.’
‘Lucky me,’ she said quickly. He sucked in a breath. For a second he wasn’t sure if it had been sarcasm or wit, but then the edges of her mouth turned upwards.
She leaned her head on one of her hands. ‘So, if you and Caleb are such lifelong friends, how come you haven’t been to see him once in all the time I’ve worked here?’
He paused to swallow the last of his coffee. ‘While it’s true that Caleb and I go way back, it’s not the same with Addison. Though she’s far too polite to come out and say it, I have a strong suspicion that she might not like me very much.’
Lara frowned. Sure, Reuben was annoying, verging on arrogant, but what possible reason did Addison have to actively dislike the man enough to discourage his presence in her home? Should she be worried?
‘Why do you think it is exactly that Addison doesn’t like you?’ She strove to keep her tone neutral and the wobble out of her voice.
He took a few seconds before he answered. ‘Let’s just say I knew Caleb when we were relatively young guys—long before Addison came on the scene—and we might have been involved in a few...’ he paused to think of the right word ‘...boisterous activities.’
‘Boisterous activities? That’s it? That’s all you’re giving me?’
He nodded. ‘I think that would be best.’
She folded her arms across her chest and looked through the kitchen window into the darkness. ‘Looks like a long, rainy night out there to me...’ She let her voice drift off.
‘You’ve got to be joking? You’d actually ask me to leave?’
She started walking around the kitchen. ‘Absolutely. And just think, there’s a lovely king-sized bed up there, with fresh, clean sheets just waiting for you to jump in and ease your tired bones.’ She folded her arms around herself and rubbed her hands up and down them. She knew exactly how to play him.
He sat down his coffee cup. ‘You’re a manipulator.’
‘And you could be a murderer, a drug dealer or...’ she scrunched up her nose ‘...even worse, a wannabe.’
‘A what?’ He couldn’t hide the surprise in his voice. ‘What are you talking about?’
She waved her hand. ‘You tell me you’re a sports agent, then you tell me you have to sort out badly behaved sports stars. You might just want to hang around them. You might even bring random dubious sport stars back to this place. They could wreck it.’
He shook his head. ‘You honestly think I want to hang around these guys? Some of them are worse behaved than two-year-olds.’
She folded her arms across her chest again. ‘Then give me a straight answer. Explain your “boisterous activities”.’
Boy. She was good. He’d practically walked right into that one.
He stood up, put both hands at his waist and arched his aching back. ‘Fine. We did some cliff-jumping, some free running. There might have been a little police involvement back in the day. Then there was the usual girl stuff. That’s probably why Addison doesn’t like me. She probably thinks of me as a bad influence or something.’
Lara leaned against one of the white cupboards. ‘Why? Because you encouraged her husband to take part in extreme sports, or because of the girl stuff?’
He ran his fingers through his hair. Jet-lag was definitely hitting right now. ‘Truth? Probably a bit of both. But, remember, this was all before her time.’ It wasn’t exactly the truth. But that was as much as he was willing to say.
Lara gave a nod. She’d finished cleaning the kitchen and it was back to its original sparkling white show-home-kitchen appearance. The kind of kitchen that looked as if people didn’t actually live in the house. ‘Well, that’s okay, then.’
She was still watching him with those wary blue eyes. He was trying not to think about the idiot who’d cheated on her and was obviously short of a few brain cells.
‘I’ve got an idea,’ he said, as he walked back through to the sitting room and picked up her half-empty bottle of wine and glass. ‘Let’s have a toast.’
‘A toast to what?’ She looked completely bewildered.
‘A toast to the fact we’ll need to share this house for the next two weeks.’
He poured some wine into her glass and handed it to her before she could object, then lifted the bottle up towards her. ‘To an interesting two weeks.’ He clinked the bottle to her glass before lifting it to his lips.
Her eyes never left his. ‘To an interesting two weeks,’ she repeated.
CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_b5d98183-2f14-5ef0-9175-6d7509333fad)
IT WAS THE weirdest feeling. Somewhere in the space up above her there was another body breathing in and out.
She’d bet Reuben wasn’t having trouble sleeping. At first she’d thought she was too hot and had discarded the thick onesie. After tonight she’d probably never wear it again. Then she’d realised she didn’t have PJs—and sleeping in the nude with a stranger in the house just wasn’t an option. So she’d done something she’d never even thought about before and crept along the corridor to Addison and Caleb’s room and rummaged through a few drawers until she’d found something suitable.
But it wasn’t entirely suitable. Addison’s sleeping apparel seemed to be short satin nighties—a whole variety of them. Even lying in bed she kept trying to tug it over her backside as it left her feeling strangely exposed. Or maybe that was just because Reuben was overhead.
She couldn’t help it. She’d done an online search on him. Who wouldn’t?
He seemed to be the darling of the acidic football critics. He’d brought two young, unknown Argentinian footballers to a Premiership team and had virtually saved it from bankruptcy. He’d negotiated a change of coach three times for his tennis player, which had helped him shoot up the rankings. He’d had seven baseball teams fighting over one of his players. And the dollar signs for his latest basketball signing made her eyes water.
Then there were the photos. Plenty with the latest sports star but she was more interested in the ones with a beauty by his side. Granted, the beauty was never the same twice. But all were considerably more glamorous than she was—even when she was wearing one of Addison’s satin nightdresses.
Eventually she heard noise downstairs. Had she slept at all? It didn’t feel like it. It felt as if she’d tossed and turned all night, her head full of dark-clothed strangers breaking into the house.
By the sound of it Reuben was banging through all the cupboards in the kitchen. Lara sighed and threw back the bedclothes. She sat up, the cooler morning hair hitting her barely covered skin. She glanced around. She wasn’t going to go downstairs dressed like this. She hesitated in the doorway, peering along the corridor before stealing down the corridor to Addison and Caleb’s bedroom again in search of a dressing gown.
She should have guessed. There was a perfect matching bright pink satin dressing gown to the nightdress she was wearing. Bright pink trimmed with purple lace. She didn’t even want to think what it had actually cost. She wrapped the dressing gown around her. That was much better. It covered all the parts of her it should, skimming just above her knees.
With a bit more confidence she opened the door to head towards the kitchen and almost barrelled straight into tea-bearing Reuben.
‘Oops, sorry.’
She jumped back as the tea sloshed onto the carpet.
Caleb’s eyes swept up and down her more exposed body. ‘Nice change,’ he said quickly. ‘So you don’t always dress as a teddy bear.’ He squinted behind her. ‘Is that Caleb’s room?’
Heat flushed into her cheeks. How did this guy do that to her? She bit her lip. ‘Caught. Just don’t tell. Let’s just say I didn’t bring a lot of nightwear with me.’
He looked as if he were going to say something but stopped and gave his head a shake. He held the tea out towards her. ‘I made you tea.’
She stared at the cup. ‘What are you up to?’
He gave her a smile. ‘What makes you think I’m up to something?’
‘It’s written all over your face.’
He sighed. ‘What are your plans for today?’
Her eyes dipped downwards to her pink-painted toes. She hadn’t realised it but they actually matched her nightdress and gown. Her toes curled. ‘I’m not actually sure.’
‘You would have been on holiday, right? What were you going to do?’
She bit the inside of her cheek and said nothing.
This time it was Reuben’s turn to blush as he realised her obvious change of plans. ‘Oh, right. You were planning on spending time with that numbnut that you called a boyfriend. That means you’re free for the next two weeks.’
Her head shot up. ‘What did you call him?’
Reuben shrugged. ‘A numbnut—which he obviously is. Does the guy think he’s some kind of superhero? How dare he cheat on you?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Want to get thinking creatively? We could plot some hideous revenge.’
Her hands closed around the cup of tea. ‘Revenge means thinking about him—I’d rather not.’
Reuben nodded. ‘I have some work to do. Do you fancy coming with me?’ What was wrong with him? He had a mountain of work to get through. He knew there were six hundred emails in his inbox. But he had some other things to do. And he was feeling sorry for her. This time his eyes lingered on her curves and long bare legs.
‘I suppose I’d better register somewhere to try and find a new rental in London.’
‘Do you have the name of a reputable agency?’
She nodded. ‘The one I used the last time was great. I guess I’ll just register with them again.’ She sighed. ‘Once I’ve done that, I think I need to do a little shopping.’
‘Food or clothes?’ He’d already checked out the kitchen. After last night’s feast there was hardly anything left.
She sighed again. ‘Both, I suppose.’
‘Well, come and hang out with me for a while, then we can do some shopping.’
She looked at him suspiciously.
He lifted his hands. ‘What? It’s only fair I foot the bill for shopping. I ate all your food last night.’
She nodded. ‘Okay, then. Let me drink this tea and find some clothes.’
He gave a cheery nod and wandered back down the corridor. She watched his retreating back, but her eyes were drawn downwards. He was still wearing well-fitting jeans and a snug grey T-shirt.
Her two weeks of misery seemed to be looking up.
CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_96673255-0f84-5f91-9a15-8ff5c0a56b3f)
HE MUST BE CRAZY. Why on earth had he invited Lara out for the day?
Sure, she was cute. Sure, they had to share a house for the next two weeks. But that didn’t mean he had to try and be her new best friend.
But there had been something about her. When she’d been telling him about her ex and the pain had been etched in her eyes. The guy was clearly a fool.
He’d cringed last night when she’d asked him why Addison didn’t like him. He tried his best not to think about that night at all. But Lara had seemed placated when he’d padded out his story with a little detail.
Too bad he’d left the biggest detail out.
Caleb had shrugged off what had happened between them. He knew how damaged Reuben had been by his parents’ relationship. But Addison had no idea. He still wasn’t Mr Popular with her.
She probably didn’t even know that Caleb had invited him to stay here.
He finished sending a few emails as Lara walked into the kitchen. She was wearing a pink sequined T-shirt, a pair of hip-hugging blue jeans, black heeled boots and a fitted bright pink raincoat.
Her hair was soft and shiny and hanging in waves around her shoulders. She walked across the kitchen, smiling, pulled a pink lipstick from her pocket and painted it on her lips. ‘Reuben, what exactly did you plan today? I should remind you, I’m not exactly a sports fan.’
He laughed. ‘It will be fine, I promise. I need to visit one of the nearby football stadiums but I’ll be less than half an hour. Then we can sort out some food and anything else you need to buy.’
She gave a thoughtful nod. ‘I might have left some of my things behind.’
‘Things like what?’
She sighed. ‘My whole summer wardrobe. Just about everything I need to put in my case for my holiday is still at the flat. It’s ready to be picked up. It’s all sitting in another case.’
He blinked. ‘No problem. We’ll swing by later and you can collect it.’
Panic streaked across her face. ‘But... I don’t think... I’m not sure...’
‘Calm down.’ He reached over and took her hand, trying to ignore the little pulses he could feel in his palm, ‘I’ll go and get your things.’
Her eyes widened, flooding with relief. ‘You will?’
How on earth could he say no? ‘Of course I will. No problem.’
He picked up his car keys. ‘Now, can we go?’
* * *
For some strange reason the car seemed to be parting the traffic in London. Lara had never managed to get through the London streets so quickly—but, then again, she’d never been in a car like this one before either. The dark red colour alone seemed to command attention but it was so low, so sleek against the road that she wondered if she’d ever be able to get out again.
Reuben handled the car with ease. In the streets of London she would be terrified to drive a hundred yards but he took every corner without a second thought, pulling up outside the vast stadium only thirty minutes later.
He signalled to her to get out and she climbed out, looking up at the glass-fronted stadium. ‘Come on, I won’t be long,’ he said, as he walked into the reception area, waving at the reception staff. ‘Lydia, Carrie, where’s the chairman?’
‘Downstairs in the changing rooms. He’s talking to the manager.’
Reuben gave a casual wave and opened a door to a flight of stairs. Lara struggled to keep up with his long strides, almost running to keep up as he turned corner after corner through a warren of tunnels underneath the club.
He paused outside one of the doors. ‘Wait here,’ he said, smiling. ‘Don’t want you to see anything you shouldn’t.’ He disappeared through the door.
She sighed and leaned against the concrete wall. This wasn’t exactly her idea of fun. How long would this take?
A few seconds later there were shouts and one of the footballers came stomping along the corridor. His eyes only briefly brushed over her before he pulled his top over his head and banged through the changing-room door.
She sucked in a deep breath. Footballers were known for being temperamental, weren’t they?
A few seconds later the door opened and another footballer came out. This time he had a hint of smile about his face. Which was just as well, since he wasn’t wearing much. Lara sucked in an even deeper breath than before and fixed her eyes on her hands. This guy slammed through another door with ‘Physio’ emblazoned across it.
Then came another, then another, each man wearing a little less than the one before.
Did the players always walk around here practically naked? She had about a hundred friends who would think this a fabulous dream. Pity she wasn’t one of them.
Lara focused on her fingernails. They weren’t great. When was the last time she’d taken time out for a manicure? It had been on her to-do list. It would need to move further up. There was another bang. She couldn’t possibly ignore it.
Her chin bounced off the floor. It was the team’s star mega-million-pound footballer, with painted-on sculpted abs, a pair of teeny-weeny white tight briefs and the best spray tan she’d ever seen. His eyes looked her up and down lasciviously, making her stomach roll over—and not in a good way. His ego was so big there was barely room for the rest of him.
‘Hey, baby,’ he said, as he slid along the corridor towards her.
She gulped. Oh, no. Her worst nightmare. She was so out of her depth right now.
The door opened behind her and an arm slid around her shoulder. ‘Chris, are you being a prat again?’ He turned towards her. ‘Sorry, Lara, I should have warned you about these guys. If there are any females around they like to do walk-bys with each one wearing less than the previous one. Ignore them.’ Reuben had a wet towel in his hand and he flicked it at Chris, who leapt into the air like a big girl.
‘Ouch!’ He rubbed his thigh and stormed back into the changing room, muttering expletives under his breath.
Lara shook her head. ‘You’re joking—that’s what they do?’
Reuben nodded. ‘Every time. They can’t help it. The average mental age around here is about twelve.’
He hadn’t moved his arm from her shoulders and she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it. Exactly how many women did he bring here with him—and why did that matter to her? ‘Can we get out of here now?’
He smiled. A white straight-toothed smile that reached all the way to those big brown eyes she was currently staring up into. It was odd. But it was one of the most genuine smiles she’d seen. Before, he’d been amused by her or he’d been sarcastic. This time it felt real and it sent a little wave of pulses skittering over her skin. Just what she needed while her brain was mush.
She gave a little shudder and put her head down as they walked down the corridor. But Reuben stopped. ‘Hey, what is it?’
Her footsteps had stopped but she hadn’t lifted her head. He stepped in front of her, his fingers reaching down and tilting her chin up towards him.
It seemed such a personal touch—an almost intimate touch. Or as intimate as you could be in a place filled with staff while you were fully clothed. ‘What’s wrong, Lara?’
It was the way he said her name. That Irish lilt that was guaranteed to turn any woman’s legs to jelly. This guy could be Colin Farrell’s brother.
Her body wanted to tremble. But she wouldn’t let it. No way. No, sir.
She lifted her eyes to meet his. ‘Let’s just say I have an image from yesterday imprinted permanently on my brain. It keeps flashing back in there when it’s least wanted.’
He gave a visible shudder. She didn’t need to give an explicit description. He knew exactly what she was getting at.
He swung his arm back around her shoulders. ‘It’s time to move things on. Let’s go and collect the stuff you need for your summer holidays and that way you’re done—finished. For ever. You can forget about the loser and look forward to your holiday.’
He guided her back along the corridor. ‘I meant to ask—where are you going on holiday anyway?’
He pushed the door open and held it for her. ‘I’m booked to go on a cruise,’ she sighed. ‘I always wanted to cruise around the Med so I saved all my spare pennies for it.’ She waved her hand. ‘And if you’re going to cruise, you need the clothes for it.’
He smiled as if an idea had just blossomed in his brain. ‘You certainly do. Where does the ship sail to?’
She was starting to feel a little more comfortable around Reuben. Talking about travelling meant that they were on neutral ground. Small talk was about all she could handle right now. She smiled. ‘Everywhere I’ve always wanted to visit—Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Pisa, Marseille, Sicily.’ A little edge came to her voice. ‘I’m not going to let him spoil it for me.’
Reuben nodded. ‘And we won’t. Let’s get this over and done with.’
* * *
If someone had sat him down before he’d boarded the flight to London and told him what his next twenty-four hours would be like he wouldn’t have believed them. Not for a second.
He rapped the door of the Camden flat once again, glancing down to the street to where his car was idling. Even from here he could see Lara’s hands turning over and over in her lap.
There was a noise—a grunt—and the door finally opened.
Reuben blinked. Really? Lara was definitely hovering around a ten. This guy? He was lucky if he was a four. What’s more, he could almost smell the arrogance coming from him. His fingers automatically balled into fists.
‘Who are you?’ said Mr Barely Dressed. That paunch really wasn’t attractive. There was a tittering noise behind him. Great. The neighbour was still hanging around.
‘I’m a friend of Lara’s. I’m here to pick up the rest of her stuff.’
The guy’s brow furrowed. ‘A friend of Lara’s? I’ve never met you before.’
‘And you’ll never meet me again. Now, she wants her case with her summer clothes in it. Give it to me and we’ll be on our way.’
Now the guy looked really pleased with himself. ‘Well, it’s too late. I flung the rest of her stuff out of the flat yesterday after she stormed out. The bin men have already been.’ He folded his arms across his chest.
‘You what?’ He couldn’t stop himself. He had Mr Smarmy pinned against the wall in an instant. ‘You did what?’
The guy panicked. ‘Well, she was gone. And it’s not like she’ll be coming back. Why would I want to keep her stuff?’
Reuben shook his head. ‘It’s not bad enough you got caught in bed with another woman, you didn’t even give Lara the chance to collect all her things. How dare you?’
The guy was still against the wall but he lifted his hands, doing his best impression of a shrug. ‘Well, she was screaming and shouting yesterday. Calling me all kinds of names. There was no way she’d be back.’
A woman appeared at his elbow, holding a phone in her hand. ‘If you don’t get out of here now I’m calling the police.’ She turned her nose up in a sneer. ‘Tell Lara she’s not welcome here.’
There was so much he could say. His temper was bubbling just beneath the surface. What a pair of low-lives. The woman was running her eyes up and down his body. It made him feel positively unclean. Both of them did.
He could feel adrenaline surging within him, closely followed by a red mist descending. Just like he had the night he’d punched out Caleb. Was it any wonder Addison didn’t like him? He flinched. He didn’t want to be that guy any more. He was trying not to be that guy any more.
He released his grip on the guy and looked at him in disgust. ‘You two deserve each other. Lara’s worth ten of you.’
He turned on his heel, ignoring the shouts that followed him. The guy made him mad. The girl made him mad. Their utter disrespect of Lara made him mad. How had she ended mixed up with these two?
He strode back to the car, jumped inside and slammed the door, not thinking for a second about what he was going to say to her.
Her eyes widened at the expression on his face and she stared at his empty hands. ‘Didn’t you get my stuff?’
It was the wide-eyed innocence that made his stomach curl in knots. On a few fleeting moments Lara had appeared quite street savvy, but right now? He felt as if he were just about to grab her heart between both hands and squeeze hard.
She’d already told him she’d saved hard for her dream holiday—and from what he’d seen he could take a guess that the guy upstairs hadn’t contributed at all. Just how much would it cost her to replace her entire summer holiday wardrobe?
‘I’m picking your stuff up later,’ he said quickly.
He turned the car onto the main road. ‘Now, let’s go and food shop.’
* * *
She wasn’t quite sure when the house burglar turned into her kind of guardian angel. All she knew was thirty minutes after telling her they’d pick up her clothes later he pulled his sleek car up outside one of the most famous department stores in London with its gold and green sign.
Reuben walked around and opened the door for her. Her head flicked from side to side. ‘You can’t leave your car here...’
Her voice trailed off as a uniformed man slid into the driver’s seat and the car mysteriously disappeared.
He smiled at the expression on her face and gestured towards the door. ‘Let’s hit the food court. We need to buy supplies.’
She watched the dark red car disappear around the corner, shaking her head as he slung his arm back around her shoulders and steered her towards the entrance. ‘I didn’t even know they did that,’ she murmured.
‘What can I say? I’ve friends in high places.’
What on earth did that mean? She looked down at her clothes. Jeans and a pink t-shirt. And come to think of it her boots could do with a polish. If she’d known they were shopping in style she might have dressed up a little.
They walked down the stairs to the food court. Even two steps down the aroma of everything expensive came up to meet them.
Reuben was smiling already, crossing over to the glass display cabinet of fine meats and truffles and foie gras.
‘What do you like?’ he asked.
She wrinkled her nose. ‘Chicken.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Chicken?’ You’d think she’d sworn out loud.
She nodded. ‘Chicken. I like chicken.’
She looked around at the massive department.
‘And raspberry jam. And freshly baked bread—maybe a croissant or two. And some more bacon and eggs.’
Her legs had started walking, following her nose as she glanced from side to side.
‘I love the chocolate digestives from here, and the rose and violet shortbread— Oh...’ She spun round and put her hand on his chest. ‘And those tiny dark chocolates filled with orange. Now, where on earth will they be?’
He put one hand on his hip as people filed past. ‘We’re in one of the finest food stores and you want bacon. And eggs. And raspberry jam.’ His chest was right in front of her nose and now every time she breathed in she didn’t get the wonderful food aromas around her, she just got Reuben Tyler. Every masculine, woody scent of him. If she could sell that aftershave she’d never have to work again.
She breathed in, trying not to look like a teenager. Her hand was still resting on his chest. Through his thin T-shirt she could feel the warmth of his skin and the roughened hairs underneath the palm of her hand. Her brain tried to make sense of things.
This time yesterday she hadn’t known this man. She hadn’t even known he existed.
‘Chicken.’ The word came out of nowhere. ‘You forgot the chicken.’
She tilted her head and smiled up at him. Her nose was directly across from his chest. Too close for comfort really. Especially now she could see the tiny shadow along his jaw line. Why did her hand want to reach up and touch it?
His arm folded around her waist and he pulled her closer and spun her around as a large group of tourists swept past. He was looking down at her with those deep brown eyes. It was almost as if he knew she was a little mesmerised. Truth was, he must be used to it.
‘Didn’t want you to get trampled.’ He laughed as his accent played havoc with her senses. ‘And chicken.’ He shook his head again. ‘Let’s not forget the chicken.’
He reached behind her, his chin brushing against her hair, and plucked a thin cylindrical box from a stand. ‘Your orange creams, I suppose?’
She closed her hands around the tube. ‘Perfect.’
He paused. It was almost as if something else flitted past his brain. He was leaning over her, seeing every part of her up close and personal. If he tilted his chin down just a touch...
She wished she’d put on more make-up—heavier foundation instead of her usual tinted moisturiser. Longer-lasting lipstick rather than her light lip tint.
She could almost feel herself disintegrate under his gaze. What did he see? And how did she compare to what he was used to?
She tried to squeeze that thought from her mind. Why should she care? She barely knew him. So what if he’d just gone out of his way to help her? The truth was he was still invading the space she’d thought she would have for the next two weeks. Her skin was prickling under his intense gaze. There was a whole wave of sensations sweeping across her. And she couldn’t fathom any one of them.
Reuben gave a little shake and stepped back. It was almost as if nothing had happened. He pulled up a trolley next to them and started loading up his selection from the counter. He pointed to item after item and she blinked at the price tags. Chicken stuffed with haggis and wrapped in bacon. Chicken with chorizo and a tomato sauce. Chicken with peppered sauce and mushrooms all packaged up before her eyes. If she hadn’t been hungry before she was definitely hungry now.
And it seemed once Reuben started to shop he could do it like a pro. Sirloin steaks—enough to last the fortnight. More pepper sauce. Salad. Fresh bread, pastries and croissants. Her raspberry jam. Bacon, eggs and sausages. A whole heap of vegetables. Biscuits, chocolates and a really, really good-looking fresh cream gateau.
Lara looked at the groaning trolley and nudged him.
‘What?’ he asked.
‘I don’t think people really do their weekly shop in here,’ she whispered, her eyes taking in the other customers, who had maybe one or two items in their hands. ‘At this rate we’ll need to remortgage Caleb’s house for the food bill.’
He looked surprised. ‘I’m covering the food bill. Don’t worry. You didn’t expect me there and I should contribute something.’
He made it all sound so reasonable, while her purse was currently screaming out in relief. There was no way she could pay half of a bill like this. ‘Fancy a bottle of wine?’ he asked, as they walked further along.
She glanced at the nearest shelf. Two hundred pounds a bottle. ‘Er...no, thanks.’
He moved the trolley forward then stopped again. ‘It was rosé you were drinking last night, wasn’t it?’
He put three bottles in the trolley before she had a chance to answer, then he picked a bottle of red and one of white too. She could feel herself breaking out in a cold sweat at these prices. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t footing the bill.
She leaned forward and hissed in his ear, ‘Put those back. You can buy wine for less than ten pounds a bottle in the supermarket down the road.’
The corners of his lips turned up in amusement. He walked over to the nearest cash register and handed over his credit card without anything being run up. The cashier nodded, swiped it and handed it back, taking a note of the ticket for his car.
He slipped an arm around her back and led her to the stairs. Lara’s head was turned backwards, staring at the cashier. ‘Really? You don’t even put in your PIN?’
He shook his head. ‘I trust these people. By the time we want to leave the car will be loaded up and ready to go.’
She shook her head as she climbed the stairs. The jewellery section was right in front of them. ‘Let’s go upstairs for a coffee. Food shopping makes me hungry.’ Now, that she could agree with.
She wandered through the jewellery department—most of the jewellery didn’t have price tags, which told her everything she needed to know. While she didn’t know how much things actually cost, she could just do her little-girl-in-a-shop state of mind and pretend that they could all be hers.
She stopped suddenly and Reuben walked right into her. She hadn’t realised he was so close. ‘Sorry,’ she murmured.
He followed her eyeline to the side and pointed. ‘You’re looking at that?’ His face was screwed up in that a-guy-will-never-understand kind of way.
She nodded. ‘It’s gorgeous. It’s like something Cleopatra would wear.’ She moved a little closer but resisted the temptation to touch the glass. Interlocked flat panels of white, yellow and rose gold. One of the fashion magazines would probably describe it as a showstopper. And it was.
She moved further along and stopped and pointed at a large square-cut pink diamond surrounded by white diamonds. She was too scared to even breathe next to it. ‘Bet we’d really need to remortgage Caleb’s house for that.’

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