《IN BED WITH THE BOSS》


 1

    It was the worst idea she had ever had in her life, Vivian Sanchez thought as she cleaned up the counter.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    It was hical, unprofessional and she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if her n didn¡¯t go as she wanted it to, but she was desperate and she had to try. At this point, she was willing to risk her current job just to have a minute to talk to Scott McCall.


    He was with a youngdy¡­ Vivian guessed he was on a date, but that wouldn¡¯t stop her either. This was a chance she was sure she wouldn¡¯t get again, and she wouldn¡¯t let anything or anyone stop her.


    Scott McCall was an incredibly handsome man, and she was sure that women threw themselves at him every chance they got, but that wasn¡¯t why she wanted to speak to him tonight. He wore formal attire¡­ a ck suit with a white shirt underneath, and he looked so intimidating, Vivian thought as her gaze fell in his direction where he sat at a table with thedy who clung to him like a life support.


    Whatever the oue was tonight, at least she¡¯d know that she tried. She made an effort¡­ and that was all that mattered.


    _________


    Twisting his fingers, Scott McCall raised his powerful arms above his head and stretched. He was bored as fuck. As he stretched, the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt slid a little further up over his bunched muscle.


    He noticed the look his date sent in his direction and  brought his hands down again,ying them t on the top of the table. Without realizing that he was even doing it, he began drumming two of his fingers on the smooth surface of the table. It was the only outward sign that he was irritated.


    The woman seated next to him was Elizabeth Smith. She was a model. Cool, attractive and sophisticated. Her coolness was one of the qualities which had first attracted him to her. She was one of the top models in the country and no one could deny that she was a very beautifuldy.


    She was not married, Scott made sure of that as he hated drama and tried as much as he could to avoid it. When they¡¯d met, her unwillingness to get into any sort of rtionship with him had fascinated him. She seemed to not care about dates, and that had intrigued Scott¡­ mostly because it never happened. Women threw themselves at him all the time, including very beautiful ones just like Elizabeth.


    But over the months Scott had observed that Elizabeth¡¯s act of ying hard to get was part of a game. It was her n to y hard to get and make him chase her¡­ And for a while it had worked. She had sparked his interest and he had gone after her.


    When Scott finally figured her out, he didn¡¯t leave or confront her about it. Instead he allowed himself to join in the game. He wanted to see how far Elizabeth was willing to take it. He knew that she wanted to marry a wealthy man.


    That was funny because he wasn¡¯t really thinking about marriage to anyone. He had seen people get married only to get divorced yearster, and most of them even became enemies to one another, so he asked himself what the point was anyway. Wasn¡¯t it just better to stay single while enjoying the benefits of being in a rtionship? As for having kids, people didn¡¯t have to be married to have children. There were other alternatives and he nned to check them out when he was ready.


    Even if he ever got married, Scott figured the best kind of woman for someone like him was a woman who didn¡¯t expect him to be at her beck and call. He was a busy man and he had no time for that. He needed a woman who made few emotional demands.


    He would want a woman who had a life of her own. Not a woman whose entire life revolved around him¡­ Not some clingy, needy female who couldn¡¯t do anything without him. He was very sure any sort of rtionship with a woman like that would neverst, and if he ever got married, he didn¡¯t want to get divorced¡­ ever. He didn¡¯t see the point of getting married only to get divorcedter. It made no sense and sounded like a waste of time¡­ and he hated to waste time. Time was money in his books.


    Elizabeth seemed to be that kind of woman. In fact, she seemed to fit almost all his exacting criteria. She had her own life. Her modeling career took her ces and sometimes she was gone for weeks¡­ so that meant he didn¡¯t have to be with her all the time. He¡¯d have time for himself. She also wasn¡¯t too emotional or clingy and Scott counted that as a plus.


    Ignoring the gazes of people, Scott stood up and walked into the ballroom, leaving Elizabeth Smith still seated. There was a time when he was fascinated with Elizabeth, but not anymore. Now, almost everything about her bored him to death. Which proved to him once more, that a long termmitment such as marriage wasn¡¯t for him. The women in the room followed his progress with hungry eyes as he continued to walk while looking around.


    The ballroom was filled with scented blooms, and chandeliers dripped their diamond lights¡­ It was so beautifully decorated, he thought as he watched people. Most of them were in groups chatting about God knows what.


    He didn¡¯t fail to notice the stares he got, or the fact that one or two people tried to stop him so they could have a conversation with him, but he simply responded with a short greeting or nod and continued on his way. Now that he was a multimillionaire, people of his tax bracket and social sphere, damn near scraped their chins on the floor with all the bowing and kowtowing they directed his way. Money and power had that peculiar effect. He was thinking that he couldn¡¯t wait for it to be over when a soft, timid voice interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°Excuse me, would¡­. Would you like me to get you a drink, sir?¡±

 2

    Scott McCall turned to find a waitress standing by his side and staring up at him. For a brief moment, he just stared at her. She had a nice voice, he found himself thinking for some reason. She looked so unsure of herself and her voice was as faint as a breath on a still summer¡¯s day. She was chewing at her bottom lip as if she hadn¡¯t eaten a meal in quite a while.


    His eyes moved over her. She had long dark hair which was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. A fringe of ck hair swept over her forehead and dark-rimmed sses perched on her nose, but it didn¡¯t hide the strong lines of her face, the sharp cheekbones, the beautiful, innocent eyes or the lush curves of her mouth.


    His eyes wandered lower, and he found himself staring even harder. In her simple waitress uniform which consisted of a white shirt and ck pants which hugged her body perfectly, she stood out. Even in those clothes, he could see that she was curvy. Her waist was slim and judging by her hips, he knew that if she turned around, he¡¯d find himself staring at a very round ass. The words almost spilled out but he held his tongue. For some reason he didn¡¯t quite understand, something in her bodynguage made him pause. It was a weird feeling, and Scott frowned.


    Vivian stood there helplessly as Scott McCall stared at her with a look on his face that she didn¡¯t quite understand. All she knew was that it made her so self aware and she found herself wondering if there was something wrong with her clothes¡­ or maybe her make up. She had a sudden urge to find a mirror even though she had made sure her outfit was fine minutes ago. His eyes seemed to see through her and Vivian took a deep breath. The little courage she¡¯d spent a long time building seemed to crumble right there¡­. Simply because he was staring at her.


    Scott dragged his gaze away from her body with a strength that deserved a gold medal. But the thoughts she¡¯d incited in him remained. Thoughts that left him throbbing and greedy.


    ¡°Yeah. I would like a ss of water¡± he said finally when she raised an eyebrow questioningly. Apparently, his gaze had made her ufortable. He smiled inwardly.


    ¡°Sure. Right away, sir¡± she said.


    Vivian had no idea how she managed to keep her voice steady, even though inside she felt shaky all over. The man made her so nervous and she tried not to hold his gaze for too long. Damn, if she couldn¡¯t even look at him here, how the hell would she bring herself to talk to him when she finally got the chance. He didn¡¯t know her and he was a stranger to her as well, but she wanted a job at hispany so badly that she was willing to do anything to get it.


    But surely you couldn¡¯t just walk up to a man who was essentially a total stranger and ask for a favor like that? Vivian hid her trembling fingers in her small apron as she quickly turned away-but the impact of meeting Scott McCall in person made her stomach churn and her heart beat so hard that for a moment she really thought she might throw up.


    But she couldn¡¯t afford to back out now. She had to see her n through-to choose a moment to talk to him¡­ and see if he¡¯d give her a chance. And it wasn¡¯t going to be easy, she knew that. Getting an agency cement to waitress at this party had been the easy bit-the hard stuff was yet toe¡­ and judging by this little encounter with Scott McCall, she knew it was going to be harder than she had anticipated.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? What the hell do you think you were doing out there?¡± demanded an elderly woman as Vivian walked up to the bar to ce her order.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Vivian stared nervously at the woman who was the manager and scratched her head. ¡°I just asked  the gentleman if I could get him a drink-¡± she began


    ¡°A drink indeed.¡± The woman snorted at her. ¡°Do you have any idea who that man is?¡¯ she hissed.


    Vivian knew exactly who he was, but the woman didn¡¯t wait for her to reply before she continued. ¡°He¡¯s the life of this party. The man is practically paying your wages. A popr, important and sessful business and if anyone here is going to be offering him drinks then it¡¯s going to be me, not you. Get that into your head, right now. Do you understand me? Now, you can go find some other ce to make yourself useful while I take over his order. What did he ask for?¡±


    ¡°He wanted¡­ just¡­just water.¡± Vivian replied.


    ¡°Still or sparkling?¡± the woman snapped again and Vivian wondered if she was always like that. She seemed to be a very angry person¡­ or maybe this attitude was just for her.


    ¡°He¡­he didn¡¯t specify which one he wanted¡±


    The woman looked at her as if contemting wing her eyes out. ¡°So you are telling me that you didn¡¯t even ask him?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t ask him. I was in a hurry to get it¡±


    Inwardly, Vivian wished the floor would just open up and swallow her up. She hated confrontations like this as they didn¡¯t help her in any way. Especially when she was already nervous. She squirmed beneath the look of rage on the woman¡¯s face. She looked so angry and Vivian was sure that she was about to be fired. This was the end. It was over. Her ns and efforts had already been ruined before she even got a chance to speak to Scott McCall.


    Instead of firing her as she expected, the woman gave her onest re before she said. ¡°Just do your job right. Do what you¡¯re supposed to do and don¡¯t make any more silly mistakes. Since you didn¡¯t ask which one he wants, offer him both still and sparkling, and then after that, I don¡¯t want to see you around him. Make yourself scarce. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for you to do!¡±


    With that, she turned and disappeared to God knows where. Probably to find someone else to yell at, Vivian thought, but she was d to be left alone once again.

 3

    Vivian got the sses of water and approached Scott McCall for the second time that night. She tried to put herself in check, but it was difficult not to react to him on so many different levels. The man had an imposing presence.


    Obviously, the years had not just been kind to him, they had treated him with the deference usually only given to the chosen few. He was incredibly handsome and good looking, and judging by how confident he was, he knew it too. His body was lean and lithe, his skin kissed with the faintest tan. His wavy hair was ck and thick and his dark eyes were narrowed and watchful. He looked-not exactly unfriendly, but he didn¡¯t look like someone who yed a lot either. His eyes were the ckest she had ever seen, and his lips looked hardened as if he pissed just by being in the ballroom.


    Vivian tried not to focus on his hard, muscr body or finely shaped jaw. He had a certain cool distance and carried about him the unmistakable aura of a man with power radiating from every part of his body. Her heart thundered beneath the silk of her shirt as she approached him, but the voice of reason began to mor in her head. None of that stuff she was thinking about mattered, she told herself.


    ¡°Hello, sir. Here is your water, sir,¡± she said when she got to him. She tried to smile at him¡­ just a friendly smile, she thought. And maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so hard to say what she wanted to say. She stood there, silently praying that he would return the smile, but he didn¡¯t.


    She  had this issue whenever she was nervous. She would end up saying more than necessary and over exining, and it was happening now. ¡°I¡­I ermmm¡­ I decided to bring you both still and sparkling, sir¡± she exined, unable to stop herself.


    Scott McCall lifted an eyebrow as he stared at her, making her wonder what he was thinking, before he took one of the sses from the tray. She couldn¡¯t me him. Even she suspected that she was beginning to look crazy with all her rambling and lingering.


    ¡°Thank you¡± He said as he nodded, and then turned his back on her and walked away. Vivian stood there, staring at him as he walked away with her heart full of frustration and regret. She had failed and lost her chance to speak to him. But what had she expected? She asked herself. That he would engage her in some kind of small-talk which would provide the perfect opportunity for her to tell him that she wanted a position in hispany? Did she really think that in this room, filled with so many  sophisticated and important people, he¡¯d stop just to have a conversation with a waitress? Clearly she had not thought this through at all.


    Vivian bit her lower lip. This was a fairytale, and fairy tales never worked out the way you wanted them to, and all you¡¯d end up doing was hurting yourself.


    Should she just give up, Vivian wondered. The stubborn part of her didn¡¯t want to. She had to try again even if she knew that it¡¯d make her look a bit creepy. At this point, she didn¡¯t care anymore. She was just going to have to choose her moment carefully-because she wasn¡¯t leaving this building without Scott McCall hearing what she had to say.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    ¡°You are drunk, Elizabeth¡± Scott said as he and Elizabeth stumbled up to his hotel room. Well, Elizabeth was the one stumbling  while he helped her up the stairs. ¡°Let me take you to your room¡±


    ¡°Ohhh¡­. No, I don¡¯t want that¡± Elizabeth protested. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to your room instead. I don¡¯t want to be alone tonight, Scott. And why did we even book two rooms? It sucks that we are not staying together.¡±


    They stopped in front of Scott¡¯s room and Scott cupped her cheek so she¡¯d look at him. ¡°I told you I need to attend to some work stuff. I just need some time alone so I can concentrate.¡±


    Scott hoped Elizabeth would just listen and leave. He did have some work to attend to, but he also wasn¡¯t in the mood to spend the night with her. The hours with her at the ball were already enough for him.


    ¡°Okay, let me juste in so we can have a ss of wine or two before I leave¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°It¡¯s the least you can do since you¡¯re chasing me away tonight.¡±


    Scott was about to ask her if she didn¡¯t have enough to drink at the bar, but he decided to keep his thoughts to himself. If a ss of wine was all he needed to get rid of her for the night, then so be it.


    He slipped his key card in the lock and flung the door open. They both walked inside, but neither of them expected to see a waitress standing in the middle of the room. Elizabeth gasped as she stared from Scott to the waitress and then back to Scott.


    If Scott McCall was surprised to see her in his room, he barely showed it, Vivian thought as she watched him slip his hands in his pockets and stared at her with little or no expression on his face.


    His date on the other hand, looked as if she wanted to murder someone, and Vivian thought that thedy looked like someone who would actually kill her if she got the chance.


    ¡°Who the hell is this and what is going on here?¡± she asked Scott, who didn¡¯t even look in her direction or make any effort to answer her question. His eyes seemed glued on Vivian and he seemed to recognize her from the ballroom. That was a good thing, right? Vivian thought.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked simply.


    Vivian looked up at him, her voice low and trembling. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry I came up to your room like this, but I just¡­ I needed to talk to you.¡± She stammered. She nced over at the woman who still had hand wrapped around his arm. She was still ring at her. ¡°Alone¡­ I mean¡­ if you¡¯d allow me to¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is this?¡± the woman snapped again.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

 4

    Scott didn¡¯t reply, because he had absolutely no idea who thisdy was or what she was up to. All he knew was that she had served him at the party¡­ and he knew that because he¡¯d noticed her ¨C more than he cared to admit. There had been a few seconds when she came to him where he had very weird thoughts about her but he¡¯d dismissed them almost immediately.


    He narrowed his eyes and let his eyes sweep over her, still wondering what was going on. She didn¡¯t look like the kind of woman capable of any kind of borate or evil n. The expression on her face was pale and sad, and it made him study her more closely. Made him want to hear what she had to say.


    Her eyes were wide open, and she looked as if she was scared and fighting the urge to run out of the room. His eyes roamed again to her breasts as they heaved up and down with her rapid breathing and he hated the way his body reacted.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± he demanded stiffly, clenching his fists together. ¡°And what the hell are you doing in my room.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I needed to talk to you.¡± She stammered, ¡°I was desperate and this was the only way I could think of to see you¡­ and I know how inappropriate it is¡­. I just¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ l¡­. I¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as the words tumbled out of her mouth.


    Scott was pissed. She was right when she said that it was really inappropriate, but there was something about her that made him want to listen to thisdy and know what she felt was so important that she had to do this. In fact, he couldn¡¯t even deny the fact that he was curious.


    He turned to Elizabeth, who was ring at the waitresses and shooting daggers at her with her eyes and prayed that she would be understanding and leave without making a scene.


    ¡°Elizabeth, please could you give me some privacy so that I can get to the bottom of this?¡± he questioned quietly. ¡°You can go to your room and we will have that drink another time¡±


    For a moment, Vivian felt so guilty as she saw the look on the woman¡¯s face and she felt so bad. Any woman would be pissed if this happened to her, but in her haste toe up with a n to see Scott McCall, she hadpletely forgotten that he had a date and would probably be spending the night with her in his room.


    She felt guilty, but a part of her couldn¡¯t help but notice that Scott wanted the woman out of the room too. Oh, this was just terrible, she thought and it was all her fault. She had made a fool of herself and ruined Scott McCall¡¯s date. Anything she said now would fall on deaf ears. She was sure of that.


    She moved her weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. This isn¡¯t how it was supposed to¡­ look, you know, I can just leave ande backter¡­¡±


    She forced her legs to move, but Scott blocked her path with his arm as he red at her. ¡°The hell you can¡­¡± he growled at her. ¡°You are not leaving this room until you and I talk¡­ Elizabeth was just heading out¡­¡±


    Elizabeth gasped and her face stiffened even more. ¡°You are such an asshole, Scott. No problem¡­ have fun with the help!¡±


    She mmed out of the suite without looking back and there was an awkward silence in the room as neither Scott nor Vivian spoke, but she could see anger in his eyes as he continued to re at her.


    Vivian tried to apologize again. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry-¡±


    ¡°You already said that before,¡± Scott snapped at her, as he withdrew both hands from his pockets. ¡°And don¡¯t you for a second think that you can fool me with that, ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ shit because I won¡¯t fall for it. Do you think you can juste into my hotel room and demand to see me when I have no idea who you are, and then suddenly turn around to act like a concerned and responsible person who cares about the trouble she caused along the way? Do you really think so?¡±


    Vivian averted her eyes from his and bit her lip as she stared at her feet. Her heel shoes weren¡¯t too high, but she was suddenly so ufortable in them. She couldn¡¯t me him for being angry. In fact, she¡¯d expected him to be, but she¡¯d been too selfish to think about how he¡¯d feel andpletely concerned about getting what she wanted no matter how she got it. She supposed she deserved whatever he said to her and she had no choice other than to stand there and take it. Maybe if she kept quiet and let him yell out his anger, then maybeter, he would calm down, and hear what she had to say¡­. or maybe he¡¯d kick her out of his room. That was the worst thing that could happen.


    He continued to frown at her. ¡°So are you going to tell who you are now?¡± he demanded furiously. ¡°And why are you really here ?¡±


    She drew a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry once again, and you haven¡¯t done anything wrong to me or to anyone. I just had to see you and I didn¡¯t know when you¡¯d be leaving tomorrow. I just felt like this was the only opportunity I would ever have to see you and that would mean a lot to me¡­what?¡±


    She stopped talking when she saw him smirk. Was that a smile she could see on his face? She wondered what was funny about their situation. She didn¡¯t have to wonder for too long.


    ¡°Oh I get it,¡± he said, suddenly.


    Vivian shook her head.¡± You do?¡± she asked.


    He shrugged, dismissing her question like the answer was supposed to be obvious. ¡°You saw me at the party¡­. Probably saw the way I looked at you and figured you could sneak into my room, have a one night stand and get¡­ whatever¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ money I guess¡­ but I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s just not my thing¡±


    It took Vivian a moment to understand what he was really talking about and when she did, she gasped. Taking a step back as if suddenly afraid of him.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°I assure you, sir. That was not my n at all,¡± she said, her voice shaking with emotion as she got the words out in a rush.

 5

    Vivian understood why he would think that, but she never considered or thought in that direction at all, but now that he mentioned it, she realized that that was how it actually looked to him¡­ and how it would look to everyone else.


    ¡°Then why are you here if my assumption is wrong?¡± he asked, interrupting her thoughts.


    ¡°I¡­ I wanted to ask you for a job at yourpany. Vivian blurted out. She had to tell him that truth. Anything was better than him thinking that she had snuck into his room to have sex with him. The thought alone made her shudder. She had never had a one night stand with anyone and she wasn¡¯t going to start now with a stranger for that matter.


    Scott McCall looked at her like she¡¯d made a weird statement, and it probably was now that she heard herself say it out loud, but then he moved to the table nearby and poured himself some scotch, then he turned back to her.


    ¡°Drink?¡± he asked.


    Vivian shook her head. She had to think straight and drinking wouldn¡¯t help her in any way.


    ¡°So you snuck into my hotel room because you want me to give you a job?¡± Scott asked, as if he hadn¡¯t heard her well the first time.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vivian added, ¡°And I know that this isn¡¯t the appropriate way to do so, but¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say¡± Scott cut in. He took a sip out of his drink, then added, ¡°And do you seriously expect me to believe that, miss? That¡¯s the worst lie I¡¯ve ever heard in my life. At least try toe up with something better. .¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. An expression he could only define as anger red in their depths before she lowered her eyelids, hiding her gaze from him. She almost hissed. There was no point arguing with him if she was still going to get a chance to get what she wanted, although she highly doubted that she would now, but if he kept insinuating that she wanted to have sex with him, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold her tongue.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡± she said as calmly as she could.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡± he cut in, and moved towards her. He was standing right in front of her after two strides. ¡°Perhaps you came to take something¡­and I came in before you could so you had toe up with this story as n B. Tell me, what did youe for?¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t been studying her so closely, he might¡¯ve missed seeing the way her body stiffened and her lips pressed harder together. She hesitated, before she said:


    ¡°Nothing¡± The man was getting out of line, Vivian thought, but she had gone into his room without invitation so she wasn¡¯t really in the clear here. ¡°I¡¯m not a thief. I¡¯ve never stolen anything in my life.¡±


    She shifted away from him and heughed. It sounded like he was mocking her. ¡°You do know that I can get you arrested for this. You¡¯d be fired too¡­. Better hurry up and tell me the truth if you value your reputation. It would make this situation easier for the both of us.¡±


    ¡°I already did. I told you¡­ I wanted a job. I have applied before¡­ to yourpany and so many others, but I was never granted any interview. I¡¯m so tired of being a waitress, and I know that I have so much to offer. I¡¯m very good at being an advertising agent, and I know that I¡¯ll be of great help to you and yourpany. I didn¡¯t want to get rejected again¡­ so I¡­. ¡±


    ¡°You decided to go straight to the top¡­¡± Scottpleted the sentence for her.


    Vivian nodded. He didn¡¯t look angry anymore, she noticed. In fact, she thought she saw concern on his face for a while. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry that I disturbed you like this. I was way out of line.¡±


    She was telling herself not to get her hopes high when he said, ¡°Your story is really hard to believe, but if you are indeed telling the truth, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can help you, miss. I don¡¯t even think there¡¯s any opening at my office at the moment.¡±


    The look of disappointment on her face almost made Scott take his words back, but he shook the feeling away. He didn¡¯t have to feel guilty or sorry about anything . He truly couldn¡¯t help her, and barging into his hotel room to ask for a job didn¡¯t exactly give her points, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he had a weird soft spot for this strange, beautiful waitress.


    Vivian nodded slowly as she epted her fate. This n was a horrible one right from the start, she told herself. That was the problem she had, she always made the wrong decisions.


    She made to leave. ¡°Thank you, Mr McCall¡± she said gravely. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your audience and for not throwing me out or calling the cops on me even when you should have.¡±


    As she took her first step, he stopped her. ¡°Wait.¡± He lifted his arm to grasp her elbow to prevent her from leaving. But at thest moment, he changed his mind and lowered his arm back to his side.¡±I¡­I didn¡¯t get your name,¡± he said.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°My name is Vivian¡­. Vivian Sanchez.¡±


    She reached into her pants pocket and handed him a small piece of paper. Scott reached out and took it. ¡°My number¡± she said softly, ¡°Just in case something opens up¡­ and I¡¯m willing to do anything even if it¡¯s not rted to advertising. I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll catch up fast as I¡¯m a fast learner. Thanks for your time once again¡­. I should¡­ I should leave now¡±


    Scott McCall said nothing, but he nodded and watched as she walked past him towards the door. The door opened and closed behind her but he didn¡¯t turn around. He stood there with the paper in his hand.


    He looked at the handwriting. Beautiful, just like she was, he thought. The woman definitely was crazy toe after him the way she did, but he couldn¡¯t help but admire her guts. The sane thing to do was to throw out the paper and hope not to run into her again, but instead, he found him pulling out his wallet and slipping the paper into one of the slots.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but he just had a feeling that he¡¯d be seeing her again. How, when or why? He had no idea.

 6

    Two weekster¡­


    Scott McCall walked into his office suite. He had been away from the office on a business trip and he knew that he would have a lot of work to do. He said a cheerful good morning to the receptionist but stopped when she practically ran out of her seat and came to stand in front of him. Scott immediately noticed the concerned expression on her face.


    He frowned. ¡°Is something wrong, Betty?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go to your office right now,¡± Betty said quietly to him.


    Scott¡¯s frown only became deeper. He raised an eyebrow when she offered no further exnation for her statement. ¡°Why the hell should not?¡± he demanded, not minding hisnguage.


    Betty pointed in the direction of his office. ¡°Because¡­ she¡¯s in there.¡± she replied. ¡°And she looked really pissed.¡±


    Scott followed her gaze and then looked back at her and her eyes which were weirdly wide open. He almost sighed loudly. He didn¡¯t have time for stuff like this early in the morning. He looked back at Betty and tried to be more patient with her. She was a hard workingdy and she did her job well, but sometimes he just didn¡¯t understand her.


    He took a deep breath. ¡°Okay, Betty . First of all, calm down. Now tell me who the hell is  in my office and how did she get in¡­and also where is Ruth? She¡¯s not supposed to let people in my office, especially when I¡¯m not there.¡±


    Ruth was his personal assistant. She was an elderly woman in her early 50¡¯s and it was unlike her not to meet him as he got out of the elevator. She was his longtime assistant who used to travel with him almost everywhere. She had refused to resign even when Scott tried to make her, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to fire her. She had an apartment not too far away from the office so she was always early to the office. She was also very good at knowing exactly when he¡¯d show up at the office, and was always there, ready to meet him and organize his day as smoothly as possible.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    There was a look on Betty¡¯s face as soon as he mentioned Ruth¡¯s name and he didn¡¯t like that look. It was the look people usually had on their face when there was bad news to tell. ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t get my message, sir, but she won¡¯t being to the office for a while. Ruth¡¯s granddaughter got really sick and was rushed to the hospital yesterday evening. She will be having surgery and Ruth had to travel to be with them. I do not know when she will be back.¡±


    Scott frowned at that information. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t get your message. Just keep me posted with anything thates up¡­. And if it concerns Ruth, make sure that I get it. I want to know when her granddaughter is out of surgery. If they need anything, let them have it¡­ food, amodation¡­ anything¡­ ¡±


    Betty nodded. ¡°I will sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°If anyone wants to see me, please let me know before you send them to my office. With Ruth gone, I¡¯m sure my day is going to be chaotic enough and I don¡¯t want anyone adding to it.¡±


    Scott paused before he asked, ¡°Betty, who is the person in my office?¡±


    She looked up at him and blinked, then said ¡°Oh¡± as if she¡¯d forgotten about that particr topic, ¡°It¡¯s urmmm¡­. Miss Smith¡±


    She began to ramble. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Sir. I tried to stop her but I couldn¡¯t. She was quite adamant and refused to listen to me. She insisted that she would wait for you in your office.¡±


    Scott wanted to bang his head on the wall that instant. Knowing Elizabeth, he knew that it wasn¡¯t Betty¡¯s fault that she could not stop her. The woman was stubborn and it was worse when she was angry, and Scott couldn¡¯t even imagine how angry she was at the moment.


    She hadn¡¯t spoken to him for two weeks since the incident with the waitress in his hotel room. He didn¡¯t have anything to do with the woman, but Elizabeth didn¡¯t care about that. In fact, she¡¯d left the hotel very early the next day and refused to pick up his calls or reply to any of his messages.


    After three days, he¡¯d stopped trying to reach her. It was the right thing to do anyways and he figured it had to happen at some point. Their rtionship wasn¡¯t going anywhere so there was no need to try to postpone something that was inevitable.


    Now she was here, and he wondered why. The only thing that he was sure of was that whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t going to be good.


    ¡°Keep me posted on Ruth¡¯s granddaughter,¡± he said finally to Betty and headed for his office. As soon as he opened the door he saw Elizabeth. She was sitting on one of the sofas and looking out the window.


    ¡°Elizabeth,¡± he said as he dropped his briefcase on his desk. ¡°What a surprise visit. Had no idea I would be seeing you today. What brings you here?¡±


    Elizabeth didn¡¯t stand. Instead she turned so she was fully facing him and crossed her legs dramatically. The motion directed attention to her legs, which was exposed by the ridiculously long slit in her dress. She knew she had beautiful long legs as a model and she never hesitated to show them off.


    Scott wouldn¡¯t lie to himself. She had beautiful legs and they had once attracted him to her, but right now, he wasn¡¯t interested


    ¡°Is that any way to say hello to the woman you¡¯re dating?¡± she asked.


    Scott fought the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn¡¯t in the mood nor did he have the time for this.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that we were still dating¡± he replied as he took off his suit and draped it at the back of his chair. ¡°You didn¡¯t return my calls, Elizabeth. You practically ghosted me for two weeks. I don¡¯t think people who are actually dating do that to their partners.¡±


    Elizabeth rose. ¡°And whose fault is that, Scott.¡± she spat out.¡± You sent me out of your room so you could talk to that tramp who by the way, snuck into your room. I should have made aint to get her fired, but I was so angry that I couldn¡¯t wait to leave. She clearly went in there to seduce you and you let it happen. How the hell was I supposed to feel?¡±

 7

    Scott just stared at her. Part of him wanted to ask her how her brain actually functioned, but he already knew the answer to that.


    Elizabeth didn¡¯t care about anything or anyone. She only listened to herself and whatever she thought was true, she took as fact. Nothing anyone said mattered to her. Did she really think that he¡¯d slept with the waitress?


    ¡°I do not have the time for this, Elizabeth,¡± he said, as he opened his briefcase, hoping that she¡¯d just go away. His wish didn¡¯te true.


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t, but you had enough time for her¡± Elizabeth fired back. Her voice was getting louder and Scott knew that he had to put a stop to it.


    ¡°For God¡¯s sake,¡± he drawled. ¡°Do you really think so little of me that you¡¯d believe that I would just sleep with a waitress who snuck into my room? What the hell do you take me for, Elizabeth? A man who has so little control over his body? Is that really how you see me?¡±


    Elizabeth folded her hands around her body as she red at him. From her expression, it was clear that wasn¡¯t going to listen to his exnation.¡± Well, you gave me no choice,¡±She flushed angrily.¡± No woman would be okay with what you did.¡±


    He made an exaggerated expression of surprise, mming his briefcase shut. ¡°Shocking¡± he said, ¡°But at least some women would at least grant me the opportunity to exin. And since you haven¡¯t asked, I¡¯d give it anyway. The waitress¡­ all she wanted was a job¡­ not me.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A job?¡± she repeated, and once again, Scott fought the urge to hiss and roll his eyes at her.


    ¡°Yes, damn it¡± he replied. ¡°A job¡­ and yes, sneaking into my room was wrong, but that was all that she asked for. She wasn¡¯t there to have sex with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t¡± Scott retorted, ¡°But that¡¯s not the point because it doesn¡¯t matter any more. Look, Elizabeth. These two weeks we spent apart only proved something I¡¯ve always suspected. This rtionship between us¡­ is not working. We are very different people and I don¡¯t see it going anywhere. I suggest we end it now and go our separate ways¡­. It¡¯s always better to end things amicably and still be on speaking terms rather than turn into enemies¡±


    If his statement had any effect on her, he wasn¡¯t sure because the expression on her face remained the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± said Elizabeth. ¡°I suspected that you¡¯d say something like this soon enough. But I won¡¯t me myself at all because it¡¯s not my fault.¡±


    She walked closer to his desk, while Scott just sat there and watched her. ¡°The problem is not with me¡­ it¡¯s you, so I won¡¯t beat myself up. You have a serious fear ofmitment, Scott McCall, and you will do anything to end every rtionship you get into because you simply can¡¯t handle the responsibilities thate with being in one. Good bye.¡±


    With that she grabbed her bag from the sofa and stalked out of his office, leaving Scott to shake his head as he watched her leave.


    Maybe she was right, he thought. Maybe he did have a fear ofmitment, but it wasn¡¯t his fault that people couldn¡¯t really be trusted, and he if rtionship were filled with so much troubles such as this one, then why would he want tomit his entire life to one?


    Whatever the answer was, at least he was sure of one thing. He and Elizabeth didn¡¯t belong together, and he had done the right thing by ending things.


    He unlocked hisptop and went straight to his email. Staring at the number of emails that had been unattended to, he groaned in frustration. There was no way in hell that he was going to have time for all that, he thought.


    There were so many unread messages and he even had some messages from Ruth reminding him of some of the work he missed while he was away the previous week. He never had to worry about stuff like this when Ruth was around. The woman was so organized and always seemed to be on top of everything. She even ended up reminding him of most of his tasks. He frowned when he saw that his calendar was also full. Except for one forty-five-minute window for lunch.


    Now that Ruth was away, he had no idea how he would function without her. The worst part was that he wasn¡¯t even sure when she would be back.


    He had to find someone to rece her¡­. Even if it was only going to be temporary.


    Someone¡­ someone¡­. Someone¡­


    His eyes widened as his mind immediately went to the waitress. What was her name, Vivian¡­ how could he forget? He had kept her number, but hadn¡¯t called her. He didn¡¯t see the point since he had no job opening for her but now he did. He reached into his pants pocket and withdrew his wallet. The neatly folded paper was still in there and he took it out.


    He stared at the number for a while, before he grabbed his phone. He¡¯d known that he¡¯d would see her again, he thought and now it was time.


    ¡°Well, Vivian Sanchez,¡± he said to himself as the phone began to ring, ¡°Let¡¯s see how quickly you can get used to being my personal assistant.¡±


    __________


    The cheesecake shop wasn¡¯t filled up that afternoon, Vivian thought as she cleared the table vacated by some customers minutes earlier, but that was because a lot of people were still at work. She knew that soon people woulde in for lunch and the shop would be busy once again.


    She sighed. Her attempt to get a job at Scott McCall¡¯spany had failed¡­. As expected. Even now, she could not believe she had done something as crazy as sneaking into his hotel room. The look on Scott¡¯s face and worse, his date¡¯s face still haunted her and she couldn¡¯t believe that had made aplete fool of herself.


    Maybe she was just meant to be a waitress her entire life, she thought. Maybe she should stop looking for other things and just focus on the job she had. It wasn¡¯t paying her a lot of money, but it paid for her little apartment and her feeding.


    Lost in thought, she was a bit startled when her phone vibrated in her apron. She looked at the caller ID and realized that it was an unknown number. With a frown on her face, she picked the call and put the phone to her ear.

 8

    ¡°Hello,¡± Vivian said awkwardly, wondering who it was.


    ¡°Well, hello to you too, Miss Sanchez¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Vivian wasn¡¯t sure whose voice she expected to hear, but it certainly wasn¡¯t the deep, baritone one she heard on the other line. Even without him introducing himself, she knew exactly who it was and a shiver went down her spine.


    ¡°This is Scott McCall¡± he continued.


    Vivian shook her head, trying to concentrate. ¡°Well¡­ urmmm¡­ yes¡­. I¡­ urmmm¡­. I noticed. Good afternoon, sir¡± she said nervously.


    She heard him chuckle. ¡°You recognized my voice?¡± he asked, sounding as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Well, that¡¯s ttering. I must have made quite an impression on you, am I right?¡±


    Vivian didn¡¯t reply. She didn¡¯t know what to say as a reply because she didn¡¯t even know if the question was rhetorical. Also, her tongue was tied up in her mouth. She was thinking hard too¡­ wondering why he was calling her. Was something wrong? Had he decided to arrest her for sneaking into his room? Her head was spinning.


    He must have noticed the awkward silence, because he said, ¡°Rx, Miss Sanchez. That was a joke.¡±


    A joke, Vivian thought. Well, good to know that he had a sense of humor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± she said, ¡°Your call just took me by surprise. I really wasn¡¯t expecting it.¡±


    ¡°And I wasn¡¯t expecting to call either¡± came his response.


    Vivian flinched. He also didn¡¯t beat around the bush and was really blunt with his words, she observed again.


    ¡°How can I help you, Mr McCall¡± she asked, trying to be as straightforward as possible. She had already screwed up once in this man¡¯s presence and she wasn¡¯t going to do it again.


    ¡°Oh, the question you should be asking is how I can help you, Miss Sanchez?¡± Scott said. ¡°Are you still interested in a job at mypany?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Was this really happening? Was he really going to give her a chance? She found herself nodding into space instead of speaking, forgetting that she was on the phone.


    ¡°Miss Sanchez?¡± his voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Are you still there?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. I am¡± Vivian blurted out. ¡°And I¡¯m definitely still interested in the job¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯d like to interview you right away. Can you be at my office in an hour?¡± he asked.


    Vivian was shocked. ¡°Now? Right now? Today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Today. Is that going to be a problem?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ no¡­ I mean, I¡¯m at work right now and I really can¡¯t leave until my shift ends.¡±


    ¡°Surely you can make out time for an interview¡­ for a job you imed to want so badly that you snuck into my hotel room¡±


    Vivian winced. She knew what she did and she didn¡¯t want anyone reminding her about it. Forgot some reason it sounded worse when he said it. He seemed to regret hisment because he added. ¡°Fine, where is your work ce? Give me the address and I¡¯ll meet you there¡±


    ¡°You will?¡± Vivian asked, clearly astonished that an important and powerful man such as Scott McCall would meet her at her workce for an interview.


    He didn¡¯t seem to share her surprise. ¡°Yes, why not?¡± he asked. ¡°The position just opened up and I need it to be upied as soon as possible. Text the address to this number right now and I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can.¡±


    Without waiting for her to reply, he hung up and Vivian was left, standing with her phone stuck to her ear and staring into space. The man was just too damn sure of himself. It took her a few seconds toe back to earth, and when she did, she was faced with so many emotions at once.


    Was it really happening? She was confused, excited and nervous all at once. If she did well, she could get a job in a bigpany¡­ but she wasn¡¯t anywhere near ready for an interview. She had not prepared for it at all, and she was still working.  Was she really going to have her interview here at the cheesecake shop¡­ with her uniform on?


    Her mind was racing, but she had to do the most important thing first. She hurriedly texted him the address and hoped that he¡¯d arrive before more customers started to troop in.


    Whatever happened, she¡¯d just try her best.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Scott McCall got out of his car and stared at the cheesecake shop that Vivian had directed him to. It wasn¡¯t a very big establishment, but judging by the number of people going in and out, he guessed it was really popr among the people. He didn¡¯t know for sure because he hardly went to ces like this. He couldn¡¯t deny that he liked the ce though.. It looked so simple and he decided to order something now that he was there.


    He entered the restaurant and looked around before he sighted a table at the extreme. It was unupied and there were no people around. Good, he thought, he wouldn¡¯t be disturbed while he talked to Vivian.


    It was so unlike him to meet a potential employee in a ce like this, and this was the second time he was meeting this woman in a situation that was out of the ordinary.


    Vivian already saw him arrive, and her heart was beating faster than usual. She had already told her friend, Megan, to watch her tables for her while she spoke to Scott. She couldn¡¯t really change out of her uniform, but she tried as much as she could to look more presentable. She had taken the time to smoothen her uniform up a bit, and she even rushed to the bathroom to adjust her hair and even put on a little make up. When she felt like she could keep her nerves under control, she began to walk towards Scott McCall.


    From where he was sitting, Scott could see her approach, and he didn¡¯t take his eyes off her for one second. Vivian was so aware of every part of her body as she approached him, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t miss her step and fall over. How embarrassing would that be?  But God damn, did the man even blink at all.


    He had the same look he had in his eyes the night they met in his room. Like he could see through her and read her every thought. They were hooded and showed no expression at all.


    She managed a smile when she finally got to him. ¡°Wee, Mr McCall.¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how much I appreciate you meeting me here.¡±

 9

    Scott McCall studied her for a few seconds before he replied. ¡°You¡¯re wee, and that¡¯s fine. The vacancy opened up quite suddenly and I need a recement urgently. Well, you already told me that you were interested, so I gave it a shot¡±


    ¡°Ipletely understand, sir,¡± Vivian replied. ¡°And I¡¯m still very grateful. Can I get you something to drink or eat?¡±


    Scott looked around. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I haven¡¯t really been here before so I don¡¯t know what the food is like, so I guess I should trust you. What do you rmend?¡±


    Vivian actually blushed. ¡°Ermmm, the cheesecake is really great¡­. and it would go well with a ss of white wine.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Scott nodded. ¡°That sounds perfect¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll have that¡­¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll be back soon¡± Vivian said, and almost ran out of the restaurant.


    As she turned to leave, Scott took the opportunity to take a good look at her. Never in his life had he looked at a waitress in her uniform and thought that she looked sexy, but that was all he could think of as he watched her.


    He had been right about her, he thought. That backside of hers was just as he¡¯d imagined-Round and perfect. Even in her simple white shirt and short skirt, she stood out. She had a small apron tied around her waist and the ropes dangled behind her as he moved. He found himself wanting to pull and untie them.


    He didn¡¯t know what to do with this inconvenient attraction, but being the kind of man he was, he told himself repeatedly that he could handle it. She was gone, but even now, her scent-the fresh, wild lushness of rain right before a storm and roses in bloom- still lingered, making him imagine being insanely close to her, until his hard body was pressed against her soft, sensual curves.


    He shook his head. Common sense told him to dismiss those feelings. This woman could be working for him soon enough, and being his personal assistant meant that they would be working close together, but he couldn¡¯t stop picturing himself reaching for the thick strands of hair that was still tied into her ponytail. Did she ever wear her hair down? He also noticed that the sses were gone, and that she was even more beautiful without them.


    He pinched himself as he saw hering back to the table. Thest thing he wanted for his thoughts to get out of control. He watched as she dropped his order in front of him, and he heard the slight catch of her breath as she leaned closer to him. Noticed the erratic beat of her pulse at the base of her neck..


    From what exactly? he wondered¡­ Was it nerves? Desire? Whatever it was, his body responded in the way he absolutely didn¡¯t want it to.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bring any for yourself?¡± he teased. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you think it would be weird if you just sat there watching me eat?¡±


    Vivian sat down.¡± Oh that¡¯s fine. I assure you.¡± She said,¡± Besides, this is still a job interview¡­ no matter how different the circumstances are. ¡±


    ¡°You could join me?¡± Scott persisted.¡± Would that be weird?¡±


    Vivian opened her mouth, but no words came out. She saw Scott smile, but itsted for only a second, and she wondered if she had imagined it. But God, did he look good when he smiled. She took the opportunity to have a good look at him and noticed that he had a dimple on his left cheek. It was sexy as hell.


    Dressed in another ck designer suit, he looked spectacr. Everything about him gave him this air of a powerful and sessful man who always got what he wanted when he wanted it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me¡± he said, ¡°I just think that even if we have met only twice, and given how our first meeting went, we have past the point of being embarrassed about anything.¡±


    Vivian leaned back in her seat. ¡°I would like to apologize once again for my behavior that night. It¡¯s not something I do all the time or anything like that¡­ I was just so¡­ desperate. The fact that you are here, willing to give me a chance after all that means so much to me.¡±


    Scott nodded as he took a sip of his wine.¡± That¡¯s alright, and it¡¯s in the past. I¡¯m a man who likes to focus on the present and the future. I¡¯m here now because I found myself in sudden need of a personal assistant. My current assistant is away for the time being, and I have no idea when she will be back. ¡±


    He took a bite of his cheesecake and Vivian tried hard to concentrate on what he was saying rather than how amazing his lips looked. She also noticed that his dimple became even more visible as he chewed.


    ¡°The position is temporary,¡± Scott continued. ¡°Depending on when my assistant returns, but something can be done to make your position at mypany permanent¡­. That is, If you do well. Now I understand that being a personal assistant was not your initial intention when you came to me, so I will understand if you turn down the offer, but this is just the only position open at the moment, and so I¡¯m offering it to you. What do you say?¡±


    Vivian was speechless for a while. It wasn¡¯t exactly what she wanted, but at least it was something. But she also had other things to think about, like her current job at the cheesecake shop. He said the position was temporary for now, and she didn¡¯t want to quit her job without being sure that she had a permanent ce at hispany. She would have to work evening shifts here instead. It was going to be more stressful for her, but at least it was extra money, and she could do with more money at the moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for the opportunity, sir,¡± she said. ¡°And I ept the position.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any experience with bring a personal assistant?¡± Scott asked.


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°No I haven¡¯t.¡± she said truthfully. My only experience is with advertising, but I really am a fast learner, sir and I can also take courses to improve my skills when necessary.¡±


    ¡°Great. I would like you to start tomorrow, because like I said, it¡¯s urgent. Is that alright with you?¡±

 20

    Vivian nodded, making a mental note of the many things she had to do. She wanted a job, and now she had it. First, she he had to talk to her manager about moving her shifts to evening. She had to go shopping for some office clothes. Get her hair done¡­ buy groceries since she wouldn¡¯t have time to cook as much¡­ the list seemed endless.


    ¡°Yes, tomorrow is fine,¡± she agreed. She didn¡¯t want to give him the chance to hand this position to someone else. She knew that he was doing this mostly as a favor¡­ and why he was doing it, she had no idea.


    ¡°Great. You should be at the office by 8am. You will organize my emails, my calendar and itinerary. You will also be handling some of my projects so time management is also very important. Also, please bring a copy of your CV with you tomorrow. I would like to have a look at it.¡±


    Vivian nodded.¡± I¡¯ll be there ¡± she said,¡±I cannot thank you enough for this¡±


    Scott waved his hand. ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± he said, ¡°And if we¡¯re thanking each other, then I should probably thank you for this.¡± He pointed at the cheesecake which was almost finished. ¡°It¡¯s delicious¡­ I have a feeling that I¡¯ll being here more often¡±


    Vivian smiled. He wasn¡¯t really as mean as he sometimes appeared to be. He had a yful side to him, although he obviously didn¡¯t show it quite often.¡±


    After he left, Vivian went to the bathroom and almost screamed her lungs out in excitement. She was so happy¡­ for once in her life, her bad decision didn¡¯t back fire¡­ instead, something positive came out from it.¡±


    She adjusted her hair, then she went to find her manager so she could talk about her shift.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    _________


    Vivian took one hard look at herself in the mirror, before she turned to look at Megan, who sat in the corner of the room, watching Vivian with hooded eyes.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± she asked Megan, who had a slight frown on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re wearing?¡± Megan asked and Vivian swallowed.


    ¡°Yes. Is something wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re wearing?¡± Megan asked again with a voiceced with disapproval.


    Vivian¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I said yes¡± she grumbled, before she turned back to the mirror. ¡°Is something wrong with it?¡±


    She was wearing a ck long office gown. One of the clothes they had bought the previous night after their shifts ended. Louis, the manager had granted her request to move her shifts to evening time, and she and Megan had hurriedly visited stores before they closed for the night so they could get her some clothes that, ording to Megan, were meant for offices.


    Now Megan was staring at her as if she didn¡¯t remember helping her choose this particr dress.


    Megan stood up and moved towards her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the dress,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s just that, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s suitable for your first day at that office. You need to put on something¡­ ssy. Do you have any idea what kind of people you are going to meet in that ce? You have to wear something that says, ¡®I belong here¡¯¡­ Something that will boost your confidence, because believe me, you need that today.¡±


    ¡°I feel pretty ssy in this¡± Vivian said, but Megan scoffed.


    She went to the wardrobe and withdrew a light blue skirt suit with a white shirt and handed it to Vivian. ¡°Here¡± she said, ¡°Try this on¡±


    Vivian sighed, but she took the suit anyways. ¡°I don¡¯t see the point in this¡± she said as she began to take off the ck dress, ¡°I think everything we got yesterday is fine.¡±


    Megan went back to her seat. ¡°Yeah, well I know that but today is your first day. You have to look real good. You¡¯re going to be introduced to the rest of the staff, you know¡­ and how are you going to impress that new boss of yours. You said he was a hottie.¡±


    Vivian began buttoning her shirt and red at her.¡± Yeah I did say that,¡± she said but turned away so Megan wouldn¡¯t see that she was blushing. ¡°But I only noticed that he was¡­ I mean, it would be hard for anyone not to notice that he¡¯s an attractive man. And I do want to impress him, but I want to do that with my skills and not my¡­ outfit.¡±


    She pulled up the skirt and tucked in the shirt before grabbing the suit jacket. Vivian took one look at herself in the mirror once again, and she had to admit that Megan was right.


    The suit fit her perfectly. The skirt stopped just above her knees, and the shirt did show a little bit of her cleavage, but not in a way that made her appear sluty.


    ¡°Well, you can start by looking impressive,¡± Megan chipped in, ¡°And then after that, you can focus on wowing him with your skills¡± She stretched out her hands to Vivian and handed her a pair of ck high heeled shoes. ¡°Put these on too. They go well with that suit.¡±


    This time, Vivian didn¡¯t protest, and she slipped into the shoes. They were not excessively high, and she felt like she would befortable in them. She put on some make up, careful to make it light¡­. A little foundation, dry powder, dark eyeliner and red lipstick. She put her hair in a ponytail as usual andbed her fringe into the ce. When she looked at herself in the mirror again, she felt beautiful. It had been a while since she let herself do something nice for herself like go shopping and put on makeup, and she was grateful to Megan for her help.


    ¡°Should I put on these sses¡± she asked, grabbing it from the table. She didn¡¯t really need them as she didn¡¯t have any issues with her eyes, but she liked how it made her look.


    Megan nodded. ¡°Yes. They make you look more¡­ professional.¡±


    Vivian smiled. She and Megan had been friends for more than two years. They had met at the cheesecake shop and had be very close to each other. Megan hoped to own her own restaurant one day and Vivian truly hoped that her friend got her heart desires. She had always been there for her when she had no one.

 11

    Vivian never knew her mother as she had died when she was little. She had been raised by her father, and when he died four years ago, Vivian had felt so alone. She had some distant rtives, but they were really far away, and Vivian didn¡¯t really feel as if she knew them. Megan had be her family and that was enough for her.


    She grabbed her handbag and the file which contained the documents Scott had requested to see, and said goodbye to Megan.


    ¡°Please lock up for me¡± she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to bete so I have to hurry. Don¡¯t forget to keep my key on top of the light bulb outside¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Megan replied. ¡°Goodluck¡±


    And so with her heart beating with excitement and nervousness, Vivian drove to her new workce.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Vivian drove her small car into Creative Edge constructionpany premises and stared in awe. She had known that it was a bigpany. She had even seen pictures of it when she was doing her numerous research about thepany beforeing up with the ridiculous idea of talking to Scott McCall in person, but as she looked around, she realized that what she saw in the pictures was nothingpared to what she was seeing at the moment.


    A security guard directed her to the road leading to the administrative department, but she couldn¡¯t help looking around as she drove, especially at the really big machines and equipment in the parts where she assumed most of the construction work took ce. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be working there, but she hoped that she would get a chance to visit that part of thepany even if it was just once. She knew that it would be such a cool site.


    The administrative building was quiterge on its own and when she parked her car in the parking lot, she couldn¡¯t help noticing how small it lookedpared to the other cars around hers. She shook the thought away and got out of the car. She was so confused about where to go when she stepped into the building and asked for directions from a woman sitting behind a counter.


    ¡°Good morning. Please what floor is Mr McCall¡¯s office?¡± she asked thedy who wore a red shirt.


    The woman looked up from herptop with a frown on her face and looked Vivian up and down. ¡°Do you have an appointment with him?¡± she asked in a manner that made Vivian feel very unwee.


    ¡°Ermmm, I¡¯m to start work today as his new personal assistant¡± Vivian responded politely.


    Thedy scowled and returned her attention to herptop, then said without ncing at Vivian, ¡°Last floor. Take the elevator¡­. Or the stairs if you want that. Talk to the receptionist.¡±


    Seeing that she had obviously been dismissed, Vivian said a soft ¡®Thank you¡¯ that she didn¡¯t get a reply to, and headed for the elevator. She refused to let thedy¡¯s attitude get her down. This was her first day and she was going to do everything right.


    Thest floor was even more magnificent, Vivian thought when she stepped out of the elevator, and she was even more surprised when she saw that it had a sky lobby which provided a great view of the city. It was so beautifully designed that Vivian fought the urge to look around in awe as she wanted to. She spotted a young woman who she assumed was the receptionist and walked up to her.


    ¡°Hello, good morning¡± she said, bracing herself for another weird and rude conversation, but instead thisdy shed her a weing smile.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am¡± the youngdy greeted cheerfully, ¡°How may I help you?¡±


    Thedy had blond hair which was cut to shoulder length, and had a white shirt and ck pants on.


    Vivian smiled back, relieved and finding thedy¡¯s attitude refreshing. She was beginning to worry that everyone would be mean and stuck up and thest thing she wanted was bad coworkers.


    ¡°I would like to know where Mr McCall¡¯s office is please.¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m to start work today as his personal assistant.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Miss¡­¡± the woman checked herptop for her name¡±¡­. Miss Sanchez. Mr McCall told me you¡¯d be arriving today. Just a moment please, I¡¯ll let him know that you¡¯re here.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Vivian nodded and watched as the woman called to inform Scott that she had arrived. When she turned back to her, she smiled and said,¡±Come with me please.¡±


    Vivian followed her and they had only taken a few steps before the woman said, ¡°I¡¯m Betty, the receptionist on this floor. Wee to Creative Edge.¡±


    Vivian smiled back. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m Vivian¡­ as you know already.¡±


    Betty smiled at her. ¡°Yeah I do. You look so nervous¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice. I just wanted to tell you not to be. Rx. You¡¯ll enjoy working here. Mr McCall isn¡¯t as tough as most people assume¡­. As long as you do your job right, I promise you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Thanks. I am really nervous, but that makes me feel much better.¡±


    Betty stopped in front of a door which had Scott McCall¡¯s name on it. ¡°Here you are,¡± she said, ¡°Wee once again.¡±


    When she left, Vivian took several deep breaths before she raised her knuckles to the walnut finish.


    ¡°Come in¡± His voice snaked out at her. She hesitated, then opened the door and entered the expensively decorated office.


    Scott McCall sat behind a massive walnut desk in the center of the room. Dressed in a business suit, a light veneer of sophistication touched his swarthy features, which were enhanced by the tailored gray suit and a soft blue shirt. His silk tie was loosely knotted. The contours of his chiseled mouth rxed as Vivian scrutinized his hard features. His crisp ck hair glistened and his  jaw looked hard. Creases shed his cheeks, deepening as his white teeth shed.


    Vivian¡¯s hands formed tight fists at her sides as she took a deep breath and nted her shoes firmly on the concrete floor, forcing her expression into immobility. ¡°Good morning, Mr McCall.¡± she said, and hoped that she didn¡¯t sound timid.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Sanchez.¡± The deep voice acknowledging the greeting raised goosebumps on Vivian¡¯s skin. Her scalp tingled and the hand tightened around her bag.

 12

    Scott¡¯s eyes scanned every inch of her likeser beams. His eyes took in her suit jacket and skirt, her handbag, down to her shoes. Then slowly, they returned to her face.


    ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± he said, ¡°And that¡¯s good. Sit down,¡±


    Vivian went to one of the chairs in front of his desk with a casualness she didn¡¯t feel. She sat down and resisted the urge to cross her legs, reminding herself that this was an office and not the restaurant she was used to. She dropped her hand bag beside her. Her ponytail hung across her shoulder.


    There was a brief silence for a few seconds while Scott worked on hisptop while Vivian took the opportunity to look around the spacious, expensive looking office. Suddenly he sprawled in the desk chair and rested his head against its high back. The movement brought Vivian¡¯s attention back to him. He had a very intense way of staring, she thought as blood beat against her skull. Her hands tightly grasped the  arms of the chair as she waited for him to speak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t usuallye to the office this early¡± he began, ¡°but as I told you, there¡¯s a lot of work to be done, and I wanted to help you get started.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Did you bring the documents I asked for?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Vivian replied and handed the file folder she was holding to him.


    He pped the file on the desk and flipped it open. With his bead bent, Vivian watched him as he went through it. Studying the papers intently, a slight frown on his face as he read. Silence spread over the room, disturbed only by the sounds made as he turned the pages.


    Without looking up, he said, ¡°I see you worked for an advertisingpany years ago. Why did you quit? Judging by what I¡¯m seeing here, it looks like you were doing good.¡±


    ¡°Thepany had some¡­ setbacks¡± Vivian replied. ¡°They had toy off some of the staff and unfortunately I was one of them.¡±


    He looked up then, his expression unreadable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir¡±


    He shut the file folder. ¡°Well, as I told you before, you won¡¯t be doing advertising. I see you don¡¯t have much experience when ites to being a personal assistant so we¡¯ll go easy on you. Take things step by step until you catch up. As you know, your job is to assist me and help me make the best use of my time by dealing with secretarial and administrative tasks. You will be scheduling meetings and managing my calendar. You will remind me of my conference calls, Strategy days, Staff briefings and so on. Right now, I have a lot of emails I¡¯d like you to go through so that will be your first task. I¡¯ll give you ess to my email ount and you¡¯ll sort through my mails. There are lots of them and I don¡¯t know where to start from, so you¡¯ll sort them out in order of importance¡­. So we can know which of them are urgent and have to be taken care of immediately. Thest we want to do is lose important clients because we didn¡¯t get to them fast enough. You¡¯re familiar with Google Workspace ording to your CV here so I¡¯m sure you can handle this.¡±


    It was more of a statement than a question but Vivian answered anyway. ¡°Yes I¡¯m sure I can.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scott said and stood up. ¡°Come with me.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Vivian followed him out of his office and down the hall. She walked beside him and couldn¡¯t help but notice how tall he was, even in her heels, he towered over her by a few inches. He smelt so good too, she observed, almost choked by how aware she was of every movement he made. He was just one man, but he had this air about him, like he sucked up the air in the room. He was confident and masculine. So¡­. Attractive.


    Scott opened a door to reveal an office much smaller than his and they both walked in. ¡°You will be working from here.¡± He said, ¡°Since we¡¯re not sure when Ruth will be back, I decided that it would be better to leave her office as it is so you can have this as your office. I had them get it ready for you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s perfect¡± Vivian replied, and indeed it was. The blinds were open and she had a good view of the city. It was so much better than she expected and she was overwhelmed.


    ¡°You should sit¡± Scott said and Vivian did as she was told. He followed her behind the desk and when he bent to use theputer in front of her, she almost gasped. He was close, not too close to the extent of being in her personal space, but close enough to make the hair on every part of her body stiffen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just give you ess to the mail now that I¡¯m here¡± he said, as he pushed down keyboard keys, while Vivian sat perfectly still on her chair.


    Secondster, he stood upright. ¡°You¡¯re set¡± he said, ¡°The emails that are starred are the ones that haven¡¯t been attended to. Go through them, then forward them one after the other to me depending on which one I have to attend to first. I¡¯ll be in my office.¡±


    After he left, Vivian looked around her office. It was beautiful. It had proper lighting and veryfortable air conditioning. She had a great view and so far everything was going well. The only thing she hated was that it was temporary. Whoever his former assistant was, was she a bad person for wishing they wouldn¡¯te back for a while?


    She felt horrible for thinking that way and shook the thought away. Whatever happened, she would give her best here and who knows, maybe Scott McCall would be very Impressed and maybe he¡¯d make her position permanent.


    After slipping her legs out of her shoes, Vivian got to work. Carefully going through and sorting out emails as she had been told. Some included meetings, clients orders, business travel ns, contracts and notifications from otherpany departments. By 12:35, someone knocked on her door.


    She invited the person in and Betty opened the door and peeped inside. ¡°Hello¡± she said, ¡°Busy, I see. I just wanted you to know that it¡¯s time for our lunch break and I wanted to ask if you¡¯d like toe to the cafeteria with us.¡±

 13

    ¡°Us?¡± Vivian repeated, and Betty nodded.


    ¡°Yeah. Just me and some other staff. There¡¯s Linda, George, and Michael. Come on, I¡¯ll introduce you to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but what if Mr McCall needs me?¡±


    ¡°Then he¡¯ll call you¡± Betty replied, ¡°but I doubt he will. He knows you should be having lunch right now.¡±


    Vivian smiled and stood up. ¡°Well, in that case let¡¯s go. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ____________


    Vivian had never worked in a ce so big before, and she couldn¡¯t help looking around. The cafeteria was big enough to contain therge number of staff members and Vivian followed Betty as she pointed out some ces and people.


    After they got their lunch, they moved to a table with three people already sitting in it. Thedy among them simply stared at her while the young men smiled at Vivian.


    ¡°Oh, who¡¯s the newbie?¡± thedy asked.


    ¡°The new assistant I told you about yesterday, duh¡± Betty replied as she took a seat. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have forgotten so early. What the hell do you do with that brain of yours?¡±


    Thedy rolled her eyes. ¡°Huh¡­ work¡± she said.


    ¡°Please sit down and don¡¯t mind her.¡± Betty said to Vivian. After she sat, Betty continued, ¡°Vivian, I¡¯d like you to meet my friends. The talkative here who forgets everything is Linda. This is George, and this is Michael. Everyone, this is Vivian Sanchez.¡±


    ¡°Hello¡± Vivian smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s really nice to meet you guys.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too,¡± Michael said and smiled back at her. ¡°Wee.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He was a handsome man, Vivian thought. His hair was cut really short and he wore a ck shirt and pants. He was tall too and looked like someone who joked a lot. The other guy, George, was also good looking and had red hair. He sat next to Betty, and by the way he looked at Betty, Vivian guessed they might be in some sort of rtionship, but she didn¡¯t say anything. The otherdy, Linda narrowed her eyes as she stared at her.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Mr McCall¡¯s new assistant,¡± she said and curled her lips. ¡°How lucky are you¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Yeah, I guess I am. I¡¯m still surprised that I got hired.¡± she said.


    Betty burst intoughter, much to Vivian¡¯s amazement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s funny?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t mean lucky the way you think¡± Betty exined. ¡°She just has a crush on Mr McCall and she thinks anyone who gets to be close to him, even as an assistant, is a lucky person.¡±


    Vivian blinked, not knowing what to do with that information. ¡°Oh¡± she said.


    Linda smacked Betty lightly on her shoulder. ¡°I do not have a crush on him.¡± she insisted. ¡°I just noticed that he¡¯s a tall, handsome man, with amazing hair and a beard¡­ who is single by the way. I just noticed, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not my fault that he¡¯s attractive, smells good and doesn¡¯t seem to notice anyone no matter how hard they try.¡±


    Everyone burst into theughter, and even Vivian couldn¡¯t help but smile. She couldn¡¯t me Linda because even she had noticed. How could she not? Yes, Scott McCall was a handsome man, but she didn¡¯t have a crush on him and she hoped that it never got to that. It was thest thing she wanted.


    ¡°Sounds like a crush to me,¡± Michael said


    ¡°Shut up, Mike,¡± Linda said. ¡°Anyways, Wee Vivian. If you need anything, please feel free to ask us¡±


    ¡°You cane ask me first and I will be able to assist you¡­. With anything¡± Michael chipped in again and winked at Vivian. Betty pinched his arm.


    ¡°Ow. What was that for?¡± Michael grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s her first day here¡± Betty replied, ¡°At least give her some time before you start to hit on her.¡±


    Micheal grinned. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong in winking at people, is there?¡± he directed the question at Vivian.


    Vivian gave him a small smile. ¡°I guess not,¡± she replied.


    Michael scowled at Betty. Just that minute, thedy who had been rude to Vivian that morning walked by, carrying a tray with her food in it. Betty hissed.


    ¡°That witch,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Now take it easy there,¡± George said to her. ¡°You¡¯re fixating¡±


    Betty shook her head. ¡°No I¡¯m not,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ silently hating.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    She turned to Vivian. ¡°Beware of that woman. If you are not careful, she could be your worst nightmare. Always looking for ways to ruin people¡¯s day¡­¡±


    ¡°I already met her this morning,¡± Vivian said, ¡°She seemed very upset about something when I spoke to her.¡±


    There was a brief silence for a second, then they allughed. Betty took Vivian¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Trust me, honey,¡± she said. ¡°No one upset her. That¡¯s Jessi, and she is just used to being a cranky bitch for no reason. I¡¯d advise you to stay away from her.¡±


    Vivian said nothing. She had already made a mental note to stay away from Jessi, but she also didn¡¯t want to make enemies, especially now she was still new.


    The rest of their lunch was spent talking about work, some office gossip and some personal stuff were also talked about. Vivian didn¡¯t say much. To her, she didn¡¯t have much to say so she just listened most of the time and spoke when a question was directed at her. Soon it was time to go back to work and Vivian and Betty hurried back to their floor.


    When it was finally 5pm and work was over, Vivian was exhausted, but she knew that she still had to go to the cheesecake shop for her evening shift.


    She had no idea if she should just leave, or inform Scott that she was leaving. She decided to do thetter¡­just to make sure that he didn¡¯t need her to do any other thing for him.


    His office door was slightly open when she got there, but she knocked anyway.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Scott¡¯s voice came from within and Vivian pushed the door open.


    Scott stood behind the massive walnut desk in the center of the room, his suit jacket was discarded and his tiey in a heap atop stacks of paper. ck chest hair escaped the loosened shirt and Vivian literally had to force herself to look away from it.


    He looked up at her,rge hands gripping the back of the desk chair, but he didn¡¯t say anything. When she didn¡¯t speak either, he raised an eyebrow.

 14

    ¡°Oh¡­ ermmm¡­ I just wanted to let you know that I was leaving and I wanted to make sure you didn¡¯t need anything else¡± she stammered.


    He nodded. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m good. You can leave. Good night, Miss Sanchez¡±


    ¡°Good night, Mr McCall¡± Vivian replied and turned to go.


    ¡°Miss Sanchez,¡± Scott called and Vivian turned around again, her hands on the doorknob. ¡°You did great for your first day. Well done.¡±


    Vivian smiled shyly, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t see how red her cheeks had be. ¡°Thank you, sir¡± she said, then hurriedly opened the door and almost ran out of the room.


    __________


    ¡°Ohhh¡­. The officedy is here¡± Megan said yfully when Vivian came into the restaurant.


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Move out of my way, I¡¯mte¡± she said as she hurried past her to thedies room to change into her uniform. Her shift wouldst only four hours, before they closed for the day. She was tired, but she still needed to keep this job. When she finally came out, Megan was waiting.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come on, tell me about your day. Hope you didn¡¯t screw up.¡±


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t, thank you very much¡± Vivian replied, ¡°And thanks for helping pick out that outfit. I didn¡¯t feel left out or different in terms of clothing. I can¡¯t tell you how big thatpany is. I met some really nice coworkers too. They are quite¡­. Chatty, but I think they are pretty cool.¡±


    ¡°And?¡­.¡± Megan pressed on.


    Vivian gave her a look. ¡°And what?¡± she asked.


    Megan rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to make me ask? I mean and¡­. The boss guy¡­The handsome Scott McCall. How was he?¡±


    ¡°E¡­ when you say ¡®How was he?¡¯ like that, it sounds like you¡¯re asking how sex was with him¡±


    The thought alone made a shiver run down her spine and it was something Vivian didn¡¯t even want to imagine. It wasn¡¯t even going to happen no matter what. She had seen the kind of women Scott dated and she didn¡¯t evene close to any of them. She hadn¡¯t even forgotten the look of disgust on that woman¡¯s face when they both found her in Scott¡¯s hotel room. He was so out of her league and wouldn¡¯t even look her way twice, but she couldn¡¯t deny that she found the thought of sleeping with him quite appealing.


    ¡°I never said that,¡± Megan replied, ¡°But it¡¯s good to know how dirty your mind is. ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not having this conversation with you right now. I have work to do.¡± Vivian said, tying her apron around her waist, ¡°And please, no more talks about Scott McCall¡±


    And definitely no more thoughts about having sex with him.


    ___________


    It was 10:30 pm when Scott finally shut down hisptop and went out of his office. The building was empty, except for the security guards who stayed to make sure every part was safe.


    It had been a hectic day, but at least it much better than yesterday when he had no one to assist him. His new assistant, Vivian Sanchez had done a great job for her first day. She was a fast learner as she said and had done exactly what he wanted.


    She was also very beautiful too, he thought as he got into the elevator. Beautiful¡­ and curvy. There was something about her¡­ something different from the kind of women he usually went out with.


    Simplicity. That¡¯s what it was.


    No over the top attitude to attract him. No excessive makeup and fluttering eyshes. It wasn¡¯t that he hated those things, he just didn¡¯t like when they were done over excessively.


    She was a bit shy too. He¡¯d noticed that she couldn¡¯t meet his gaze most of the time, and she seemed to be in a hurry to leave the room every time he was around. He smiled. It had been a while since he¡¯d met a woman like that.


    Shy and reserved, but also smart and sexy. Curvy too, he couldn¡¯t forget that. Most women especially the models he often went out with were always obsessed with their weight and did anything and everything to stay very thin, but Vivian Sanchez was different.


    She had a figure he could only describe as ¡®slim thick¡¯. She seemed to have the right amount of weight in the right ces. Not toorge breasts that drew attention to her cleavage, slim waist, thick thighs and a fat, curvy ass. One he couldn¡¯t help staring at when she turned around to leave his office.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Scott got into his car and shook his head. Wishing the thoughts would go away. This was no way to think about his assistant. It was surprising in fact because he¡¯d never thought of anyone he worked with in that manner. He was a man who understood professional rtionships, and always kept it that way. He had to put that professionalism to good use now. No matter how attractive she was, he had to put a stop to his thoughts.


    Although somepany tonight would be great. He hadn¡¯t been with a woman in weeks and since he wasn¡¯t dating Elizabeth anymore, he couldn¡¯t really give her a call. Thest thing he also wanted was to give her the idea that he wanted to get back together.


    On the other hand, there was some else. He grabbed his phone and sent a text to Olivia, one of the women who had been throwing herself at him every opportunity she got. They both had an understanding¡­Nomitments. She kept himpany in times when he needed it , and in return, he simply transferred some money to her. It had been a while since he saw her because he¡¯d been dating Elizabeth, but he knew she¡¯de. Olivia loved money that much.


    By the time he got home and finished taking a shower, Olivia was already at his ce and Scott weed her with a ss of wine.


    ¡°Well hello¡± she said when he let her in, ¡°I was wondering if you would ever call me again.¡±


    ¡°And I was beginning to think you wouldn¡¯t show up¡± he said to Olivia as she dropped her bag and took the ss from him.


    She giggled. ¡°Oh please¡± she said, batting her eyshes. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to see you. It¡¯s been quite a while. Besides, you haven¡¯t been returning any of my calls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Scott said, without feeling any remorse, ¡°But you are here now so I guess I¡¯m forgiven¡±

 15

    Olivia finished her wine in one gulp, smiled and wrapped her hands around his neck. ¡°Oh please. You know I can¡¯t stay mad at you for long¡­ even when I want to. You always know what a woman wants.¡±


    She leaned over for a kiss, and Scott didn¡¯t hesitate. He was all pumped up from thinking about Vivian and he needed to get it out of his system. He figured it was just sexual tension, and the only way to get rid of it was to get some release¡­. With anyone.


    So he kissed Olivia hard and he groaned. A groan that was ragged and so needy it should¡¯ve embarrassed him, but he didn¡¯t care. Maybe it would be embarrassing tomorrow in the harsh light of day. But tonight, right now, he just wanted to get it over with. His tongue twisted and tangled with hers, and he didn¡¯t care. He nipped at her bottom lip, slightly biting it before kissing her again.


    He lifted his head and immediately started to undress her. He got her dress off quickly. Her panties followed and then he stripped her of her bra, baring her to him. His big hands lifted, cupping her, molding her to him.


    Olivia grasped his shoulders, and gasped as he suddenly turned her around. Bending her over the table, he hurriedly unzipped his pants, slipped on a condom and pushed into her in one fluid motion. Scott plunged hard into her body. Over and over, relentlessly. There was nothing tender about the way he took her. He grabbed her hips to keep her steady and thrust until electric pulses crackled down his back, sizzling at the base of his spine. Finally he stiffened above her, his deep, tortured groan echoing in her ear, and rumbling against her chest.


    He pulled out of her immediately, feeling a little release, but not quite enough, but this would do. Without saying a word, he zipped up his pants, then poured himself another ss of wine as Olivia got her clothes back on.


    ¡°You should leave now¡± he said without staring at her.


    She giggled. ¡°Scott McCall¡± she said, ¡°Always the same. Unfeeling and detached. Are you ever going to loosen up and let someone into your cold, dark heart?¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see that happening anytime soon, ¡± Scott replied, as he grabbed his phone from the table.


    ¡°So I can¡¯t spend the night, huh¡±


    ¡°No, you cannot. You know how it goes, besides I have to get to work early tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm¡± said Olivia. ¡°Sure you do,¡±


    Secondster, he looked up at her. ¡°Sent¡± he said simply and Olivia smiled.


    She grabbed her handbag and withdrew her phone, stared at it for a few seconds, then giggled again. ¡°Like I said, you always know what a woman wants.¡±


    She walked up to him, tracing her manicured fingers on his shoulder, she leaned closer and whispered in his ear. ¡°Call me¡­you know, whenever you want to spend more of your money. I¡¯d be d to help.¡±


    Still giggling, she walked out, leaving Scott standing at his table, drinking his wine and staring into thin air¡­. Lost in thought. Few momentster, he retired to his bedroom, but sleep didn¡¯te. He tossed and turned on the bed until he stood up, opened the drawer beside his bed and withdrew the small box where he kept some cannabis. Smoking wasn¡¯t something that he was addicted to, but he couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he liked to get stoned once in a while. It kept him calm¡­. sometimes, it helped him get through the day. He liked the smell too, the feel of the smoke, rolling blunts¡­. That was his preferred method, and on days like this, it helped him sleep when he couldn¡¯t.


    The effect came slowly, obliterating every thought as he sat. He turned on the TV andy down. His favoriteedy series ¡®FRIENDS¡¯ was on and hey down,ughing quietly to the sarcastic jokes until sleep finally enveloped him.


    _______


    He hated that damn noise, and where the hell was iting from?


    Scott frowned, reaching out to shut off his rm that was ruining his much needed sleep. Drowsiness still clung to him, a warmssitude weighing down his muscles, and he wanted to savor it instead of drive it away. He wanted to stay in bed all day¡­ or maybe for a few hours, but that damn rm. It was so fvcking loud.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he swore, and reached for it, but instead of hitting the digital clock on his bedside table, he mmed down on his ashtray and it crashed to the ground. The rm kept ringing.


    He sat up, groaning at the pull of muscle in his lower back. Tunneling his fingers through his hair, he dragged it  down to his face, scanning the room. He had slept off watching TV and the show he had been watching was still on. He wanted to go back to sleep but he still had to get to the office, so he stood up.


    Just as he threw off the covers and left the bed to head for the bathroom, a vibration sound erupted into the room. He looked around. It¡¯d been this that he¡¯d initially mistaken for his rm, but it was just his phone ringing. He strode the few steps back to the bed to get the phone on the table, arching his eyebrows in surprise that it still had power because he¡¯d forgotten to charge it the previous night.


    His phone was almost dead. Only 4 percent, he noted, swiping a thumb across the screen, he picked the call.


    ¡°Hi, Mom,¡± he said, running his hands through his hair and yawning. ¡°Good morning. My battery is almost dead and my phone is going to go off any minute, so I can¡¯t talk for long right now. I know you¡¯re just calling to check on me as usual, but I¡¯m okay and I will-¡±


    ¡°Scott,¡± his mother said, and her worried tone stopped him from speaking further. Anxiety and the first spike of fear speared his chest. He¡¯de to associate that particr note with one thing. And as she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s Sara,¡± his guess proved correct.


    Closing his eyes, Scott braced himself for what she had to say. He already knew that it couldn¡¯t be good. ¡°What happened to her?¡± he asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the hospital. I had to take her inst night.¡± The worry and hurt in her voice tore at him, and Scott fought to keep his emotions in control. He had to be strong for his mother.


    ¡°Scott.¡± She paused. ¡°Bruce Be got engaged, and she saw the news about it on the inte and broke down again.¡±


    A familiar anger awakened in his chest and Scott sighed. ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± he said.


    __________


    Scott left his sister¡¯s private room on the behavioral health floor of the Hospital and quietly shut  the door behind him. Behavioral health indeed, he thought. Those were just fancy words for a psychiatric ward and the thought that someone had caused her to be in this situation pissed the hell out of him.


    Running his hand through his hair and then down his face, he strode through the hall to the waiting area where his mother sat quietly on one of the chairs. She zeroed in on him as soon as he entered the small space with the connected seating and mounted television. God, she looked so sad and exhausted. The same emotions etched on her face made him so mad and angry at the same time.


    ¡°How is she?¡± his mom asked as she stood up.


    Frustration, grief and anger choked him, and for a moment he couldn¡¯t speak. Instead he gathered his mother in his arms and hugged her close.


    ¡°Scott? Talk to me.¡± his mother pressed.


    Sighing, he let go of her. God, he hated seeing her here in this room, the gravity of her daughter¡¯s illness weighing down her delicate but strong shoulders. She didn¡¯t have anyone but the both of them since had raised them alone. Scott never knew his father. ording to his mother, the man had wanted nothing to do with her when she found out that she was pregnant and refused to abort the pregnancy as he¡¯d wanted, so he¡¯d walked away, leaving Emily McCall with twins ¨C a boy and a girl to raise on her own. In Scott¡¯s opinion, she had done a great job with the help of his grandparents who werete now. He loved his mother and twin sister dearly, and the thought of anyone hurting either of them made his blood boil.


    ¡°She is sleeping.¡±he replied to his mother.¡± They have her heavily sedated at the moment,¡± It wasn¡¯t much of an answer and he knew it, but he didn¡¯t know what else to say to make her stay calm.


    ¡°How long will she be here?¡± his mother inquired again, stretching her arm out and sping her his hand fondly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, mom,¡± he said, ¡°The doctor said definitely the next seventy-two hours. Maybe more. They are not sure yet.¡±

 16

    They remained there, silent but connected through physical touch. After several moments, he squeezed his mom¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Can I talk to you about this mom?¡±  Scott asked.¡± I mean¡­ outside.¡±


    She nodded, following him out of the waiting room where they could have more privacy.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he demanded. He realized that the tone of his voice was hard so he tried to soften it by taking her hand in his. Thest thing he wanted to do was to upset his mom.


    ¡°Since the announcement of Bruce Be¡¯s engagement, I¡¯ve tried my best to keep her protected from the news. Even going on herputer and phone and blocking those society sites. But I knew that was only postponing the inevitable. I knew that she was going to find out eventually and it happened.  Last night, she found out and heard her sobbing all the way from downstairs, Scott,¡± she whispered, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°I went up to her room and found her curled up on the floor of her bedroom, crying uncontrobly. She was shaking so much and I couldn¡¯t stop it, so I got scared and called the ambnce.¡±


    Scott tried to keep his emotions in control. He tried to control ache ring along his jaw as he struggled to keep the endless stream of curses that he knew would not only offend his mother but would also be pointless. Nothing he could say would ease the pain Sara was in at the moment. And no amount of cursing could extinguish his anger and hatred toward Bruce Be, the bastard responsible for hurting the kind, loving, fragile woman who¡¯d given him her heart. A heart that Bruce had trampled on, then tossed aside like trash.


    It¡¯d been six months ago, but not to Sara. To her, Bruce¡¯s betrayal might as well as have been yesterday. She¡¯d kept her love affair with Bruce from Scott, because he and Bruce had no love lost between them; they¡¯d been rivals and enemies for years and Scott had never hidden his hatred toward the other man. Which exined why Bruce had targeted her in the first ce.


    He¡¯d gone after Sara to get back at Scott when Scott had gotten a business deal he wanted. His n had worked and Sara had fallen for his deration of love, and promises of a future together.


    Then, when she was ready to go all in with him, he¡¯d cruelly dumped her. But that hadn¡¯t been the worst of it. Sara had been pregnant with his child. Scott hadn¡¯t cared, in fact he told her to get an abortion, which she¡¯d refused to do because she still cared for her child. But in the end, it didn¡¯t matter after all, because she had miscarried and lost the baby.


    Sara couldn¡¯t take the pain of losing both her fiance and her baby. The situation had caused her to sink into depression. Scott and his mother had tried to be there for her¡­ to help her get her life back together, and she was making little progress, and now this had happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Scott.¡± His mother interrupted his thoughts as she cupped his cheek. ¡°I know this has to be difficult for you, too. This whole thing with Bruce Be. And I know you are stressed at work too. How¡¯re you doing? How is it going at the office¡±


    Scott covered her hand with his and then pressed a kiss to her palm before lowering it. He felt like he had to be strong right now. He felt like showing any emotion would only make things worse. He was a man, and his family needed him, so he hid his true feelings and tried to smile at her.  ¡°I¡¯m okay, Mom. You really don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m not the one you need to worry about today.¡±


    Felicia McCall stared at her son. She stood and studied him, not falling for his show. She held his arm. ¡°I¡¯m your mother, Scott.¡± she said,¡± And you don¡¯t have to be that way with me. I have enough concern to spread around evenly. I know you are stressed already, and I¡¯m really sorry that this is happening now and only adding to that stress.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you are not ¡®fine¡¯, Scott. You are allowed to feel and you can talk to me¡±


    ¡°Let it go, Mom,¡± he murmured, sliding his hands into the front pockets of his pants and slightly turning away from her inquisitive gaze. ¡°I am alright.¡±


    Or as least he would be, he told himself over and over again.


    He would never forget what Bruce Be did to his sister. Or forgive it. The stupid man had made it his mission to bring Scott down a peg. And thistest move of his-going after his sister,  deceiving her, getting her pregnant and hurting her this way had been a direct hit. Anger swelled within him. It was such a selfish, narcissistic and uncaring thing to do, especially to a woman who had nothing to do with all of this. A woman who had genuinely loved him.


    In a way he med himself. He was the one Bruce had been trying to hurt, and he had been unable to protect his sister from him. And now she still suffered from his cruelty. It sickened him that he¡¯d failed his only sister this way, despite the fact that he hadn¡¯t known until it was toote. As her older brother, the man in the family, he should¡¯ve been there. Should¡¯ve asked questions. Should¡¯ve stopped it when he had the chance¡­ Damn it. He ruthlessly scrubbed his hands down his face and into his hair.


    Never again. Never again would he let something like this happen to his loved ones, and Bruce Bet wouldn¡¯t get away with this this time, he vowed.


    Bruce Bet would pay, and Scott was going to make sure he did.


    ________


    Scott McCall had not been to the office in two weeks, and although Vivian knew that it was none of her business, she couldn¡¯t deny the fact that she was a little bit concerned and weirdly enough, she missed him. It was ridiculous that she did, because they had no other kind of rtionship apart from the professional one, but she guessed maybe her concern was simply because she was grateful to him for giving her a job she¡¯d desperately wanted.


    She still did her job and he called her to give orders and tell her what he wanted her to get done. Many times she wanted to ask how he was or when he wasing back to work, but she didn¡¯t want to meddle, besides he never said anything abouting back anytime soon. He just called, gave orders and hung up immediately.


    The only advantage was that she got to leave the office earlier so she wasn¡¯t too tired when she went to the cheesecake shop for her shifts.


    It was Monday morning and she¡¯d just arrived at the office. She got out of the elevator and went to say hello to Betty, when she spotted Michael sitting with her.


    ¡°Oh, hi Mike¡± Vivian said cheerfully, ¡°What brings you to our floor today.¡±


    Michael gave her a charming smile as he approached her. He looked quite spectacr, Vivian thought as she watched him. He¡¯d recently braided his hair and had it packed up. The barber had also done well with his carving.


    ¡°Just came by to say hello,¡± Michael replied as he came to stand in front of her. ¡°And I¡¯m d you are here, because I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you for a while. You look very beautiful by the way¡±


    Betty hissed loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t pay him any attention,¡± she said yfully. ¡°He says that to all the girls.¡±


    ¡°Heye on¡± Michael protested and raised his hands while Vivianughed.


    ¡°How can I help you, Mike?¡± she asked him.


    Michael smiled and took her free hand gently in his. He slowly lifted it to his lips and kissed it, not breaking eye contact with her. ¡°I was wondering, Vivian,¡± he began, ¡°If you would like to go out with me sometime¡­ you know, on a date¡±


    ¡°A date?¡± Vivian repeated. Her eyes widened. She knew that Michael always made some flirtyments and gestures whenever they saw each other, but he also did that with almost all thedies he talked to so she¡¯d just assumed that he liked to joke that way. Was this one of his jokes, or was he really serious about it?


    Michael nodded. ¡°You sound surprised. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve made it a secret that I¡¯m really into you. Who wouldn¡¯t be? Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?¡±


    Vivian smiled at him, but she pulled her hand out of his gently. ¡°I¡­ Ermmm¡± she began, but she didn¡¯t get to finish her statement, because at that moment, Scott appeared from the hallway. A frown on his face as he stared at her.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Mr McCall,¡± Vivian breathed as she took a step away from Michael. ¡°You¡¯re back. Good morning, Sir.¡±

 17

    Scott didn¡¯t respond to her greeting. Instead, his eyes narrowed. ¡°My office¡­ now, Miss Sanchez¡± he said, then without waiting for a response, he turned around and headed for his office.


    The concrete vacated by his expensive shoes seemed to smolder as Vivian  looked down at it. She followed him, but her heart was beating very fast. She had no idea what she had done, but she had a feeling that whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t good. He looked so pissed and the thought of what he was going to say to her scared her so much. She had not had this job for long and she was already screwing things up¡­ oh God.


    He had left his office door half open, and when she knocked, he ordered her in with a voice that made her want to flee. She shut the door behind her when she got inside the office and stood, waiting for him to speak. Scott stood behind his desk and red at her through angry, tired eyes.


    Slowly, the glittering half closed eyes traced her face, from her upturned nose to her generous mouth. His gaze inched over her face, down her neck to rest on the curves covered by her shirt, then skid to the short skirt. Thenguorous appraisal traveled with microscopic care upward again until it met her confused stare.


    Vivian shifted her weight and looped her thumbs in her skirt to keep her hands steady. With much care as his, her eyes swept the arrogantly tilted head, the expensively cut suit, down to the custom-made shoes. Then, without a flicker, she met his eyes


    ¡°Sit down,¡± he barked.


    Vivian did as she was told and shifted in her chair, her fingers immediately started aching from gripping the arms. Her heart thumped somewhere in the region of her throat. She had to hold her own, she thought, or she might as well run out of his office and say goodbye to her job. Her tongue swept over her soft lips and his eyes followed the movement.


    Anger showed in every line of his tanned skin, and Vivian tried her best not to be intimidated, but it was so hard.  A muscle tightened in his jaw as he towered over her. The tension crackling between them was almost audible. Vivian¡¯s chin lifted, and she met the ze of his ck eyes with narrowed ones. When she stared nkly at him, he spoke slowly, distinctly.


    ¡°I missed a meetingst Friday with a very important client. He just called me this morning and he¡¯s not happy about it¡± he began, ¡°Care to tell me why I didn¡¯t get a reminder from you when that¡¯s your job as my assistant?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t aware of it,¡± Vivian stammered. ¡°There were so many emails and I must have missed it.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Scott asked. He still spoke slowly, but there was something dangerous about the way he sounded and the way he looked at her. ¡°You are my assistant, Miss Sanchez. You had all the time in the world since I was absent. What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°I was busy with other tasks¡± Vivian blurted out, ¡°And I had to rearrange your calendar too as I didn¡¯t know when you would return to the office.¡±


    Daniel tensed. His fist tightened at his thighs as though he would have liked to wrap them around her neck.


    ¡°And yet you missed the most important meeting that should have been on the calendar.¡± He said. ¡°You should have called me¡±


    Vivian almost mentioned that it would have still been useless if she had called because he hadn¡¯t picked any of her calls during his absence, but she knew that it would be a bad move. He was so angry already, and thest thing she wanted to do was to fuel that anger, so she tried another approach.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Mr McCall¡± she said softly, while trying her best to keep eye contact with him. ¡°I will make sure that it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°You are damn right it won¡¯t happen again¡± Scott thundered. ¡°And while we¡¯re at it, it would be great too if you keep whatever extra curricr activities you have with other staff members out of the office. I do not want unnecessary distractions. You can flirt on your own time. Got it?¡±


    He watched her eyes widen, and the color rise to her cheeks. He knew that he was way out of line¡­ knew that he was overreacting but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to stop. He had spent the past two weeks with his mother and sister, taking care of Sara and wondering if and when she would get better, and he was angry. Angry at Bruce Be¡­ Angry at himself because he med himself and he couldn¡¯t do much to help, and for some reason, seeing Vivian with another man just made things worse. He didn¡¯t know why, but he hated the way Michael had stared at her and held her, and he had felt like walking up to them and ripping them away from each other.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t flirting with anyone¡± Vivian gasped as she felt the blood drain from her cheeks. ¡°I was just¡­.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you were doing, Miss Sanchez,¡± he snapped. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. Just¡­ keep it out of the office premises, will you? You may leave¡±


    The way he dismissed her was so cruel. Now it was her turn to get angry, but she sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to yell at her boss. Her head went up; her jaw jutted forward. She jumped to her feet. The ponytail whipping about her neck. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my office if you need me, Mr McCall, and once again, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± she said as she fought to keep her voice steady. With that, she marched out of his office, telling herself over and over again not to burst into tears. This was part of the job and she had to be tough. The earlier she got used to it, the better for her.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Vivian finished her work for the day, she dreaded going to Scott¡¯s office to tell him that she was leaving, but she was also worried that he might need something or that she had forgotten something again, and thest thing she wanted was for him to yell at her for the second time that day.


    Straightening her clothes and grabbing her handbag, she tried to push her thoughts away and headed for his office. She knocked the first time and got no reply. When she did the second time, she heard a low ¡°Come in¡± from within.


    Vivian slowly opened the door and peeked into the office. Scott wasn¡¯t sitting behind his desk as usual. Instead, she saw him lying on the couch on the left side of his office. His suit jacket was gone and his shirt wasn¡¯t tucked in. He held his tie in one hand, and his other handy across his face. He looked so worn out and for a moment, Vivian wondered if he had really invited her. Did he really want her in here? She thought of closing the door and leaving, but for some reason she couldn¡¯t just leave him lying there. He looked like he needed some help, so she quietly stepped in and closed the door behind her.


    He didn¡¯t move, and for a second, she just stood there watching him. Realizing how creepy it was, she moved closer. ¡°Mr McCall¡± she said, keeping her voice as low as possible. She almost reached out to touch him, but stopped herself immediately.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡± he responded without taking his hand off his face.


    ¡°I just wanted to let you know that I was leaving.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Good night, Miss Sanchez.¡± He replied in a muffled voice.


    This was her cue to leave, but her feet seemed rooted on the spot. ¡°Are¡­ are you alright, Mr McCall¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said. ¡°You can go home¡±


    Vivian looked around the room. His desk was a mess. There was files scattered around the top. Hisptop was still on and open, and his suit jacket was draped on his chair headrest. Ignoring his statement, she gently dropped her bag on one of chairs, headed to his desk and began to clear it up, careful not to mix up any files so she didn¡¯t get in trouble.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    By the time she was through and looked up again, he was in a sitting position, watching her work. ¡°I thought I said you could leave,¡± he said.


    ¡°I know.. I just¡­ I thought you needed some help. Are you sure you are alright, Mr McCall? No offense, but you don¡¯t look alright.¡±


    Scott winced. The concern in her voice even after he had been unnecessarily mean to her that morning made him feel so guilty and he didn¡¯t like it. What was it about this woman that made him so¡­.. He didn¡¯t even know how to describe the way he felt.

 18

    ¡°Have you had anything to eat today, Mr McCall¡± Vivian asked him.


    He hadn¡¯t.


    The truth was that he¡¯d even forgotten about food. Worried about his sister, and concerned about his mother, he¡¯d focused on work, trying to get rid of the anger and the worry. Not that it had helped much¡­


    ¡°I took some coffee in the morning¡± he replied and stood up, brushing it off like it meant nothing. He moved to his desk, grabbed his jacket and put it on. He noticed that she had also packed up his suitcase and grabbed it too. ¡°Thanks Miss, Sanchez¡± he said. ¡°You can go home now¡±


    He didn¡¯t want her to see him this way. In fact he didn¡¯t want anyone to see him this way. He was used to being the tough guy. The one who was always in control. The one who fixed things¡­ but she made no effort to leave.


    ¡°You shoulde with me to the shop¡± Vivian said, like he hadn¡¯t spoken. When he raised an eyebrow, she added, ¡°The cheesecake shop. I¡¯m going over there now¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± he asked.


    Vivian nodded.


    ¡°And why would you be going there instead of going home?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Because I work there. I work evening shifts there¡±


    She said it so simply, Scott thought. As If it was such a normal thing to work from morning to evening and then go out for another shift.¡±


    ¡°You could get something to eat there¡± Vivian continued, oblivious to the thoughts going on in his head. ¡°You said you liked the cheesecake so you can have some¡­. And you really look like you need to get something to eat. You look worn out. Again¡­ no offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± he said. ¡°Fine. I think I¡¯m ready to go.¡±


    Vivian stared at him. His shirt wasn¡¯t tucked in, and it was a bit messy from the way he¡¯d been lying on the couch. He¡¯d put his suit back on in the worst way possible, and his tie was draped around his neck. Standing there with his briefcase, he looked quite hrious and unable to help it, her lips curled upwards.


    He tilted his head to one side. ¡°Is something funny?¡± he asked.


    She shook her head. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be funny, but being a man she was so used to seeing always collected and In control, he looked quite funny.


    ¡°Let me help you with that¡± she said, and without waiting for him to speak, she reached out and took away his tie, then she went for his suit jacket. She helped him out of it, and tried not to gasp when her hands felt the muscles beneath his shirt.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t need these anymore. At least not today. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He stared at her for a moment, then angled his head. ¡°Fine. Can we go now? Now that you¡¯ve mentioned the cheesecake I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Vivian smiled at him. She noticed that the harsh ces which were on his face that morning had softened into an expression she didn¡¯t quite know how to describe. All she knew was that it heated her blood and made her stomach feel like she had butterflies in them.


    Still holding his jacket and tie, she started for the door, aware that Scott was following her closely. The quiet tap of his shoes echoed off the deserted hallways behind her. They got into the elevator and the butterflies in her stomach seemed to increase. Being in such a small space alone with him was torture. She tried not to stare and didn¡¯t even attempt to speak, but she was so aware of him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you quit your job as a waitress when I employed you?¡± he asked suddenly.


    Vivian didn¡¯t look at him. ¡°I¡­ I needed the money¡± she said.


    He turned to stare at her. ¡°And what you¡¯ll be earning here isn¡¯t enough?¡±


    ¡°It is, but I can¡¯t really depend fully on that, besides my job here isn¡¯t secured¡­ I mean, permanently.¡±


    He looked confused. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    She stared at him then. ¡°Well, you said it was temporary¡­ because your assistant would be back at some point, so I wanted to have something to hold on to¡­ and I figured some extra money wouldn¡¯t be so bad.


    He looked away. ¡°Oh¡±


    They got out of the elevator and Vivian could finally breathe again. The door clicked shut behind them and she almost ran across the lot, her need to escape him as strong as that of any convict fleeing from prison. At the main exit, his hand shot out to open the door, and Vivian edged past the heat of his body into the cool of the evening. She had the distinct sense of being escorted by a man who found her delicate, who wanted to protect. She resented the feminine rush of pleasure his gantry gave her. It was such a stupid thing to think, she cautioned herself. He was a boss and entertaining such thoughts about him would do her no good.


    When she headed towards his car, he stopped her by gently grabbing her arm. ¡°Hey,dies first¡± he said, and smirked at her. He reached out and took his jacket and tie from her. ¡°Where¡¯s your car?¡± he asked.


    Embarrassed, Vivian nodded in the direction of her small car which looked even smaller whenpared to his. Still holding his tie and suit jacket in his other hand, he walked beside her to it. She expected him to let go of her arm but he didn¡¯t and Vivian tried her best not to squirm.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get in,¡± he said.


    Stunned, Vivian allowed him to open her door. The hand on her arm urged her into the driver¡¯s seat. He took her hand bag from her and tossed it on the passenger seat. She sucked in her breath as his hand came dangerously close to her breast. He straightened, closed the door, and patted it twice.


    ¡°Come ondy, let¡¯s go¡± he said. ¡°You lead the way and I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    ¡°What should I get for you to eat?¡± Vivian asked as the both of them walked into the restaurant.


    ¡°The cheesecake.¡± Scott replied without hesitating, and Vivian smiled. ¡°Definitely the cheesecake.¡±


    She led him to an empty table, then went out to get his order. She hurriedly changed into her uniform, tied her apron around her waist and returned after a few minutes. When she dropped his cheesecake and turned to go he stopped her.


    ¡°Where are you going? Join me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I have to work, remember?¡± Vivian replied and went out to attend to her other customers.


    Scott sat there. As he ate he watched her move from table to table. She had a way with people, he thought as she watched her deliver orders, taking her time to listen to her customers with a smile stered on her face. He¡¯d never thought once in his life that he¡¯d find staring at a waitress so fascinating and captivating.


    Vivian returned to his table when she was sure that her customers were satisfied and she could take a little break.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you remember that I¡¯m still here,¡± he teased when she returned.


    ¡°Well, how could I?¡± she replied, ying along with his joke. ¡°I think you should go home now, Mr McCall. You still need to rest.¡±


    ¡°Chasing me out, Miss Sanchez?¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­ I just¡­.¡±


    ¡°Rx¡­ I¡¯m kidding¡­. And you¡¯re right. I should get some rest.¡± He said and got up. There was a brief silence, before he said, ¡°Will you please walk with me?¡±


    Vivian nodded and did as he asked and followed him outside. The salty breeze had begun to drain away. The evening sun cast long shadows on the ground. The nting rays of the setting sun gave a warm orange tinge to the sky, and the trees swayed in the gentle breeze. Neither of them said a word as they walked to his car. After he unlocked it, he turned to her and said, ¡°I want to apologize, Miss Sanchez¡­ for my attitude this morning.¡±


    It was thest thing Vivian expected him to say and for a moment she couldn¡¯t say a word. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± she blurted out when she finally found her tongue. ¡°And you were right. I shouldn¡¯t have forgotten about the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I was still way out of line and I¡­¡±


    He stopped talking. He couldn¡¯t possibly tell her that most of his attitude had been fueled by jealousy. It would be the most absurd statement ever and even he still didn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d felt the way he did. But she was standing there, staring at him with wide, beautiful eyes.  A strong gust of wind blew against her face, teased her fringe and ruffled it and Scott watched as she smoothed her hair back in ce with her fingers. He fought to keep his hands to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m dealing with some personal stuff¡± he continued, ¡°And I guess I kinda let it get to me, but that¡¯s still no excuse for the way I spoke to you. I hope you forgive me, Miss Sanchez. And thank you too¡­ for the cheesecake¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

 19

    Vivian smiled up at him, and in that moment he was fine. He realized that since he left the office with her, he hadn¡¯t been worried about anything. Not work¡­ not his sister or mom. He just felt rxed¡­ and happy. She was standing so close, he thought¡­. So close that all he had to do was reach out, grab her waist and¡­.


    Vivian trembled, both frightened and wildly exhrated by the sudden charge in the atmosphere. There was something about the way he was staring at her. Something dangerous¡­ but she didn¡¯t want to run from it. Her body felt unbearably taut and sensitive, and she could not take her eyes from him for a second.


    Scott didn¡¯t think¡­ just did what he wanted to do. He heard her tiny gasp as he reached for her, but it wasn¡¯t really a protest. His beautifully shaped mouth came down on hers, and he kissed her. His kiss was gentle and light. Like he wasn¡¯t sure of what he was doing, but needed to do it anyway.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Vivian didn¡¯t move. She didn¡¯t even think that she could. Her lips were unmoving, but that didn¡¯t stop him. He gently sucked her bottom lip, then pulled away from her slowly. It had happened so fast and it didn¡¯tst for long, that a part of her felt like she¡¯d imagined it.


    Scott drank in a deep, shuddering breath. Every natural instinct urged him to grab her and kiss her again¡­ hard this time¡­just the way he really wanted to, but she was standing so still and staring at him like she¡¯d just seen a ghost, and he didn¡¯t me her. What the hell had gotten into him? She was his PA for God¡¯s sake. All his life, he¡¯d never crossed that line with anyone he worked with. He was furious at his loss of control, and could not work out how it had happened. It was as though his libido had suddenly hit an override button that had switched off all moral restraint.


    ¡°Mr McCall¡­¡± she whispered.


    Damn. Even the way she said his name turned him on. He took a step away from her. ¡°I should go,¡± he said, ¡°Good night, Miss Sanchez.¡±


    She nodded and he opened his car and stepped in while Vivian watched as he drove away. She lifted a trembling hand to her lips which were still tingling and brushed her fingers over them. Did that really just happen, she wondered? Why the hell had he done it? And most of all, why did she like it so damn much?


    _________


    ¡°He did what?¡± Megan asked, and mmed the towel she was holding on to the counter. ¡°He kissed you. How? Was it intense? Like ¡®I gotta have you now¡¯ sort of kiss?¡±


    ¡°Shhhh¡± Vivian shushed her, as she looked around. ¡°Your voice is too damn loud. People are going to hear you.¡±


    Megan didn¡¯t care. A surprisingly mischievous smile curved her lips. ¡°Damn right it is,¡± she said. ¡°And what did you say? What did you do after he kissed you?¡±


    Vivian blinked. ¡°Nothing. I didn¡¯t say anything because I was stunned speechless. He didn¡¯t do anything either¡­ Just got into his car and drove off. It was a light kiss¡­ I don¡¯t think he meant to do it though. Something is going on with him¡­ something personal I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Mabel remarked brightly. ¡°What matters is that he kissed you. I¡¯ve had my treat for the week. You know, I saw his car outside, very impressive it was too.¡±


    ¡°Never mind the car, Mabel. I¡¯m being serious here. He¡¯s my boss for God¡¯s sake, and you¡¯re getting even more excited than me about it.¡±


    ¡°Good thing you brought him here so I could get a glimpse of the man himself!  I¡¯m telling you he¡¯s so hot he¡¯d make a sinner out of any Saint,¡± Mabel cointuned like Vivian hadn¡¯t spoken and groaned, with ascivious look in her eyes, as she cleaned up the ss cups and put them back in their ce. ¡°Guess what, I think he¡¯s a sex God too.¡±


    Vivian had heard enough. ¡°You are making my situation worse. I don¡¯t want to think about him like that. I don¡¯t know what to do, but I¡¯ll be keeping well out of his way from now on. I wouldn¡¯t want to lose my job.¡±


    ¡°If I had the opportunity to work with a man with a face and body like that, I would be tripping over myself to identally fall in his way!¡± Megan gave her a broad wink. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you want to run away from all this. Honestly, I¡¯d get closer to him if I were you. If he fancied you he could take you away from all this and set you up in a house somewhere. You¡¯d be made, because he¡¯s minted! Think of the clothes you could have, and the jewels, and a real macho man in your bed in the bargain. You¡¯re really beautiful, Vivian. If anyone could pull that Mr handsome I just saw this evening, it would be you.¡±


    Vivian studied her in bewilderment, her color rising. ¡°You know I¡¯m not like that, Megan-¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d be much better off if you were,¡± Megan told her roundly. ¡°At least I know how to have a bit of fun and I can enjoy a goodugh. If you don¡¯t try, you will turn you into a dried-up old spinster! Stop being such a goody goody.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ it¡¯s useless talking to you.¡± Vivian said, ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡±


    Having finished her shift for the day, Vivian took off her uniform and changed into her normal clothes. Even so, her thoughts were miles away. She felt so out of step with Megan.


    She¡¯d had rtionships with men, but never a sugar daddy or someone like Scott McCall. If he was just someone she¡¯d met casually, then maybe she wouldn¡¯t have had a problem with getting involved with him, but getting involved with her boss¡­ It just didn¡¯t sound like something she would do.


    But yet he¡¯d kissed her, and she had no idea why. Even now her body still tingled when she thought about it. Was he really into her? Or was he trying to get over whatever it was that was bothering him?


    She had to stop kidding herself. It had to be thetter. Why else would a man like Scott want her? She was way out of his league. It probably meant nothing to him, and the earlier she stopped thinking about it, the better for her.


    But the memory stayed, and even when she slept that night. He was right there in her dreams¡­. Kissing her¡­ except this time, he didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The next day, Scott sprang out of bed at three in the morning and stalked into his luxurious bathroom to take another cold shower. A more primitive male might have believed he had been bewitched by an enchantress no human male could resist, but Scott McCall told himself no suchforting tales.


    As the cooling water streamed down over the heated length of his bronzed, muscr body, he groaned out loud in furious frustration. Never before had a woman disturbed his sleep. But something about Vivian Sanchez had fired his imagination to new erotic heights of creativity. The very idea of her as his lover had be a sexual fantasy he could not shake. Even while he slept his disobedient brain rehashed their brief kiss into an intimate encounter of a wildly uninhibited if unlikely variety that appealed most to the male sex. His inability to control his own subconscious mind infuriated him.


    Resting his arrogant dark head back against the cool stone surround, he thought about  Vivian, with her beautiful dark eyes and amazing body. He suddenly had this feeling that hiring her hadn¡¯t been such a good idea. He should have asked her to be his lover instead, he thought. He didn¡¯t even mind paying her for it.


    Unwilling sexual attraction was no basis for a close working rtionship with the woman. But what choice did he have? He hadn¡¯t been expecting to be bowled over by this damn attraction-it had just hit him out of the blue. Perhaps, he reflected in exasperation, he had be too careful-too fastidious in his refusal to let his libido rule him. Almost certainly he was suffering from the effects of too much stresstely, and the most effective cure for the foolish fantasies assailing him in the middle of the night would be a weing and hopefully very wanton woman.


    And he knew exactly who was most likely to qualify in that department. Olivia¡­ if he called her, he knew she¡¯de. The arrangement suited them both. It always had. She was amusing and strikingly attractive and although he had no feelings for her, he respected her honesty and her survival skills.


    But why was he hesitating tonight? He knew the answer to that question. It was because she wasn¡¯t Vivian and right now, he wanted Vivian. But she was off limits, he told himself. Strictly off limits.

 21

    ¡°I want you know our budget for this project as soon as possible.¡± he shot out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the ount manager,¡±


    ¡°Better had,¡± he agreed evenly. ¡°Because I¡¯ll be back here if I don¡¯t get it on time.¡±


    If anything could be designed to make her act swiftly, it was the thought that this man would be intruding on her space for any longer than was absolutely necessary. The office, which by any standards was a spacious room, seemed suddenly to have been constricted to the dimensions of a shoebox.


    On legs which felt like cotton wool, Vivian rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see to it straight away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡± He watched her graceful movement as she swayed out of the room, the pert line of her bottom thrusting with tantalizing appeal against the material of her gown, and wondered what kind of life she led outside the office. Was she lonely? Or was there a man who ran his fingers through the thick, shiny splendor of her hair in bed at night? There must be. A woman like that did not look as though she was born to be celibate for long.


    A thoughtful look stayed on his face. He was puzzled at the progression of his thoughts and he did not like to be puzzled. Yet he had worked closely with beautiful women before, and not once had he wasted time thinking about what they did or didn¡¯t get up to in the bedroom.


    His mouth ttened. There was a very good rule for not mixing business with pleasure, he remembered. It meant that you could keep your mind on the job. He picked up his pen and viciously began to underline various paragraphs on the page in front of him.


    Vivian left the office hastily, before he had a chance to say anything else, or to look at her again with that coolly quizzical stare, which made her feel as if she¡¯d never been looked at by a man before. And before he could see the color which had made her cheeks feel as if they were on fire.


    Now what was that all about? she asked herself as she headed for her ount manager¡¯s office. No one was denying that he was potent and powerful and attractive, but she knew the dangers of men like that. Men who could just snap their fingers and any woman would go running straight into their arms. She liked gentlemen-gentlemen-not men who looked as though they would drag you to their beds and then kick you out when they¡¯d had their fill of you. Not men who¡¯d kiss you unexpectedly one night and then act like nothing happened the next day. Not men who definitely break her heart.


    ¡°Are you okay, Miss Sanchez?¡±


    Anne, the ount manager¡¯s secretary, was looking at her anxiously. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost!¡±


    Not a ghost, Vivian thought grimly. Ghosts didn¡¯t exude so much sex appeal that it positively radiated off them. ¡°I want to see your boss¡± she said. ¡°I have a message from Mr McCall.¡±


    After a couple of minutes Vivian came back into her office, and she was grateful when she saw that he wasn¡¯t in there anymore, but the scent of his perfume remained. She took several deep breaths and went to sit in her chair, not knowing if she should suck up her feelings or burst into tears.


    ____________


    Jennifer Be smiled up at her server as she epted the ck folder containing the check for the meal she¡¯d just finished. Well, a little more than a meal. Her smile widened at the warm glow of satisfaction radiating inside her chest. A business meeting with the two women who had just left the restaurant, and one that had gone extremely well.


    This had been her reason for ducking out on dinner with Bruce and the rest of her family. As much as her job  bored the hell out of her, she was grateful for it. Without the six-figure sry, she wouldn¡¯t be able to finance her own secretpany-an investment firm that funded innovative, promising start-ups-start-ups founded by women.


    Jennifer made it possible for women to achieve their dreams, and with a percentage of the profits, she was able to continue growing her own business. Margie Investments-named after her mother-was hers alone, without any connection to her family. Even the incorporation documents weren¡¯t in her name. The anonymity-and the NDA she had all her clients sign-allowed her the freedom to use the degrees she¡¯d earned without anyone trying to pigeonhole her. Yes, enduring the time she put in at her brother¡¯spany was well worth it when she could be her own boss.


    If Bruce discovered her secret, he would do more than disapprove of it; he would sabotage it. As archaic as it sounded, he possessed firm ideas about her role in the family and the business. He might have created a lip service position for her at the familypany, but he intended for her to be a replica of their mother-wife, mother, phnthropist, socialite and the perfect hostess. The phnthropist part wasn¡¯t bad, but the rest of it? She mentally shuddered.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Tonight was a reminder of why she went to such measures to maintain her subterfuge. The excitement and joy that had lit Samantha¡¯s and Emma¡¯s faces as Jennifer slid an investment contract across the table had reinforced for her why herpany must continue to thrive without any interference from her brother. The two women could revolutionize the travel industry, and she wanted to be the one who helped them do it. Oh yes, this was well worth missing out on Bruce¡¯s dinner.


    ¡°Good evening, Miss Be. Do you mind if I join you?¡±


    Jennifer Be turned to see a man she didn¡¯t know. She frowned as she watched him. When he slid into the chair across from her, she remained seated, waiting for him to speak.


    ¡°I need to speak to you¡­. It¡¯s very important¡± the man continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m just finishing up dinner, Mr¡­¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°Scott McCall,¡± he said, setting a brown folder on the table. ¡°And I promise not to take up too much of your time. But I believe you will want to hear what I have to say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. McCall, but I don¡¯t know you. Therefore, I don¡¯t believe there is anything we need to speak about. By the way, it¡¯s very rude to just show up like this. So if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± She set her napkin on the table and started to rise from her chair.


    ¡°I know your secret, Miss Be.¡±


    Jennifer froze. Her heart pounded against her sternum like an anvil against steel. Hard. Deafening.


    Slowly, she lowered herself to her seat, forcing her expression into one of calm disinterest. Hiding the fear that coursed through her like a rushing current.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she replied.


    His aloof, shuttered demeanor didn¡¯t alter as he cocked his head and studied her. ¡°Is your brother aware of where you are tonight? Does he know about the meeting you concluded just minutes ago?¡± Scott asked her.


    Wait. What?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Does he know about Margie Investments?¡± he rified , leaning back in his chair. ¡°I must admit, I can¡¯t imagine Bruce Be supporting his sister running apany that is outside of Be Inc. More specifically, out from under his control.¡±


    Unease swirled in her belly. How did he know about her business? Better question, why did he care.


    ¡°Forgive me for not seeing how it¡¯s any of your concern,¡± she answered, ice in her voice.


    ¡°Forgiveness. Oh, we¡¯re so far past that,¡± he murmured, and as she frowned at the cryptic words, he slid the brown folder across the table toward her.


    That sense of unease morphed into dread as she stared at the banded file. She lifted her hand, but at thest moment, she froze, her fingers hovering above it as if it were a scorpion, ready to strike and poison her with its venom. Yet she grasped it, then opened it. Minutester, her heart thudded against her chest wall like a hammer against stone. The pounding ng in her head deafened her. God, she wished it would blind her to what she was reading.


    Report after report detailing shady business deals involving her brother, and even some with his future father-inw, Senator Collins. Bribery for product cement, undercutting bidding contracts, predatory practices, procuring illegal campaign contributions on behalf of the senator. And these were just some of the usations leveled against Bruce and Be Inc.


    ¡°Why are you showing me these¡­these lies?¡± She asked and dropped the stack back on the table as if it singed her fingertips. If it didn¡¯t betray weakness, she would¡¯ve shoved her chair back from the table just to ce more space between that file and her.


    ¡°Lies?¡± Scott arched a ck eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting in the faintest of sneers. ¡°Facts, Miss Be. Your determination to believe they¡¯re false doesn¡¯t make it so.¡±

 22

    ¡°And your determination to believe they¡¯re true doesn¡¯t make it so,¡± Jennifer snapped, throwing his words back at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know you, and I damn sure don¡¯t know the people who gathered this defamatory conjecture.¡± She flicked a corner of the folder. ¡°Let¡¯s face it, Mr. McCall. If any of this was provable in court, you wouldn¡¯t be sitting here across from me at a restaurant table. You would be meeting with the DA or SEC.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± Scott said, a cruel satisfaction glinting in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s amazing how the court of public opinion will try and convict someone much swifter than a court ofw.¡±


    Her stomach rolled, bile churning before racing for the back of her throat. She hated to admit it, but he was right. Good God, if any of this information leaked, it would destroy Bruce¡¯s reputation, his engagement, and irreparably harm the familypany. It wouldn¡¯t matter if the ims couldn¡¯t be proved; the spection alone would be detrimental and the damage irreversible . Since their father died, Bruce¡¯s one goal-no, his obsession-had been to erge Be Inc, to make it even more sessful and powerful than what their father had done. None of that would be possible if even an iota of the data in this dossier was true.


    Not that she believed it. She couldn¡¯t. Yes, Bruce could be merciless and cut-throat. She¡¯d increasingly seen more and more evidence of this, personally and professionally, in thest few years. And it worried her. The glimpses of the brother she¡¯d revered and adored as a child and teen were bing further and further apart.


    But it was those glimpses that gave her hope. That reminded her that underneath the often cold demeanor existed a good man. A man incapable of the things noted in that defaming file.


    And bottom line¡­ She loved him.


    Love and loyalty demanded she believe in him.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked, forcing a calm into her voice that was a farce. Questions, thoughts and fear whipped through her in a chaotic gale.


    This man¡­ He was a stranger. A cold, calcting, beautiful stranger.


    ¡°You.¡± he replied.


    The blunt announcement doused her in a frigid st, stunning her. ¡°Excuse me?¡± she rasped.


    ¡°I want you.¡± He leaned forward, his midnight gaze pinning her to her chair. ¡°More specifically, I want you to be in love with me.¡±


    Jennifer gaped at him. She couldn¡¯t help it. After all, it wasn¡¯t every day that she sat across from a lunatic. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± she demanded, clutching the edge of the table as if it were the only thing keeping her from leaping out of her chair. ¡°We have never met before,¡± she continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know you. How could you believe you love me?¡±


    He flicked a hand, the gesture impatient, dismissive. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t love you, Miss Be. And I don¡¯t need your affection or professions of an emotion that is nothing but an excuse for fools and liars to behave badly.¡±


    Jennifer shook her head, confused. ¡°But you just said-¡±


    ¡°Pretend,¡± he interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re going to pretend to be deeply enamored with me, and our whirlwind rtionship will be as fake as that sentiment.¡±


    ¡°You are crazy,¡± she breathed. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Why would you even propose something like that?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Scott repeated, arching his eyebrow. ¡°Your brother.¡±


    She barked out a harsh crack ofughter. ¡°My brother? Do you really think Bruce cares if I¡¯m in a rtionship with you?¡±


    For the first time since sitting down across from her, Scott smiled. The curling of his sensual lips was slow, deliberate¡­and menacing. ¡°Oh yes. Your brother will care. And he¡¯ll understand.¡± he said.


    ¡°Another enigmatic message, Mr. McCall?¡± Jennifer waved a hand, frustrated. ¡°I¡¯m too old for games.


    Whatever your y is here, make it in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make this very in, Jennifer,¡± he said, using her given name even though she hadn¡¯t granted him permission to do so.  ¡°You can pretend to be my significant other, and convince your brother that you are mine. Or¡­¡± a steely edge that was both lethally sharp and smooth entered his voice ¡°¡­I can let the truth about Margie Investments drop into your brother¡¯sp. Imagine his fury when he realizes the secrets his sister has been keeping. And then, while that little bomb detonates, I will release the information in that file to not just the SEC but to every news outlet and journalist I have ess to. And believe me, the list is long. As would be the jail sentences your brother and his precious senator would face for everything they¡¯ve been up to. What effect do you think the meltdown of your family name andpany will have? How many people will want to ept funds from a woman associated with a man whose name will be synonymous with financial scandal and fraud? Even the desperate will think twice about that. So both of you would be ruined, if everything in that dossier leaks. That leaves us at an impasse, Jennifer.¡±


    He paused, and the import of his words-no, his threat-sank into her like the realization of a floundering person being swallowed by quicksand.


    Slow but no escape.


    ¡°The choice is yours.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Scott inhaled as he entered his mother¡¯s home, and the sense of calm that always settled on him when he was with his family wrapped around him like a warm embrace.


    Though his mother and sister had lived in the six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home for only four years, it was home because they were there. It was as much his sanctuary as his own downtown condominium. As the sound of his mother and Pat Benatar singing about love being a battlefield on her ever- present radio reached him, he shook his head, amending his thought. No, it was more of a haven for him.


    Because family was everything.


    Striding past the formal living and dining rooms with their soaring twelve-foot ceilings, and the sweeping, curving staircase, he headed toward the rear of the house. His mother might have initially balked at him purchasing this home for her and Sara in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods, but there¡¯d never been any doubt about how much she adored the airy, state-of-the-art kitchen. With its wall of windows, restaurant- style ranges and cooktops, top-of-the-line appliances,rge marble ind and butcher block and dual workhorse sinks, she had instantly fallen in love. And it was in this room that he usually found her.


    Like now.


    She stood at the stove, still clothed in her professor outfit-an elegant gray pantsuit with a crimson blouse and hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck-and barefoot. Her slim body swayed back and forth to the eighties¡¯ rock anthem, and Scott stifled a snort as she perfectly executed an arm-and-hip dance move he recognized from the ssic MTV video.


    He gave her a slow p. She whirled around with a gasp, brandishing a tea strainer like a club. ¡°Scott,¡± she scolded, sying the fingers of her free hand over her chest. ¡°Are you trying to give me a heart attack?¡± She reced the strainer in the waiting cup of steaming water and shot him a look over her shoulder. ¡°I warn you, if I go, all of my money has been left to your sister¡¯s Maltese puppy.¡±


    Chuckling, he crossed the room and pulled his mother into a hug. Her familiar scent of gardenias greeted him like a childhood friend. Only with his family could he be Scott McCall, son of Felicia McCall, former cafeteria worker who busted her ass to provide for her children and earn her PhD in educational studies at the same time.


    With them, he could lower the guards he¡¯d erected between him and the rest of the world, especially those who greedily grasped for money, connections, time or sex from him.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    He jealously guarded his moments with his family. Zealously protected them.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he assured her, with a quick kiss to her forehead. ¡°I have the very best legal department, and they would be capable of breaking that will.¡± He smiled as she swatted at him. But then he noted the two cups on the gleaming countertop, and his amusement faded. ¡°How is she?¡± he murmured.


    The light in his mother¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°Better,¡± she answered. She sighed, turning back to preparing the hot tea. ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping more than I like and hasn¡¯t left the house sinceing home from the hospital a week and a half ago. But¡­better.¡± She checked the strainer in the second cup. ¡°I was just about to take this up and sit with her for a while.¡±


    ¡°I can do that, Mom. You obviously just arrived home.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to continue to work as a social sciences and history professor at the University. He was more than willing to provide for her, as she¡¯d done for him and Sara . But Felicia McCall wouldn¡¯t hear of it, and Scott was proud to have one of the most loved professors as his mother.


    ¡°Go upstairs, rx and I¡¯ll take care of Sara.¡±

 23

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Felicia turned, smiling softly and extending her hands toward him. Scott enfolded hers in his, squeezing them. ¡°But no, I want to spend some time with her before I grade papers. Although she always loves to hear you y. It¡¯s been a while since you did that, Scott. Maybe you could bring your guitar with you sometime this week.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± he agreed. His mother had been responsible for him first picking up the instrument. She¡¯d found a battered acoustic Fender at a garage sale, and from the second he¡¯d held it, he¡¯d been enamored. Though extra money had been almost nonexistent during his childhood, she¡¯d still found a way to pay for lessons. No one outside the family had ever heard him y, because it was for him. His peace.


    His way to lose himself and get away from the stresses of running a multimillion dorpany.


    His mother cupped his cheek, giving it an affectionate pat before lowering her arm. ¡°Now, not that I don¡¯t enjoy you dropping by, but is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s something I do need to speak with you about, though.¡± He propped a hip against the ind and crossed his arms over his chest.


    She studied him, then nodded, copying his pose.


    ¡°Okay. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I had a¡­business meetingst night,¡± he said.


    ¡°With Jennifer Be. Bruce Be¡¯s sister.¡±


    Surprise widened his mother¡¯s eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he had a sister,¡± she whispered, then shook her head. ¡°Why, Scott? What could you possibly have to discuss with her?¡±


    ¡°Ourmon interest,¡± he said. ¡°Her brother.¡±


    ¡°Scott,¡± she murmured, tilting her head to the side. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Meeting his mother¡¯s gaze, he ryed his conversation with Jennifer, including his revtion of all he¡¯d dug up on Bruce, the ultimatum he¡¯d delivered and her refusal to give him an answer.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    ¡°What are you thinking, son?¡± she asked, worry crowding her gaze. ¡°She¡¯s innocent in all this.¡±


    Innocent? Innocent was one word he wouldn¡¯t have associated with Jennifer Be. He¡¯d done his homework on her before ambushing her at the restaurant. Twenty-Seven years old. Graduated with honors from university with a bachelor¡¯s in finance and entrepreneurship and a master of business administration. A member of Women in Business and International Business Society. Currently worked as vice president of the Social Development department at Be Inc. And from what he could tell, the position was nothing but a fancy term for event coordinator, and definitely underutilized the education she¡¯d received.  All this information could be found on her socialwork tforms or thepany¡¯s website. Only a deeper dive below the surface uncovered her ownership of Leida Investments. The degrees and obvious intelligence had made her interesting. But this- thepany she owned in secrecy-fascinated him.  This society princess who organized brunches and gs was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. And anything he couldn¡¯t dissect and analyze he mistrusted.


    Tack onto that herst name, and he wouldn¡¯t dare to blink around her, vignt of the knife that might slide into his back in that flick of time. It made him mistrust her even more.


    ¡°She¡¯s a Be, Mom,¡± he said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have clean hands.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the same logic Bruce employed when he went after your sister,¡± Felicia pointed out, and the words struck him in the chest, burrowing into his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing like him,¡± he ground out, lowering his arms and curling his fingers around the edge of the marble top. ¡°He stalked Sara, lied to her, used her, then tossed her aside like yesterday¡¯s trash. I¡¯ve beenpletely upfront with Jennifer ,ying my intentions out and offering her a choice. Bruce stole Sara¡¯s choice from her.¡± He broke off, tipping his head back and deliberately cooling his rising temper.


    ¡°You might not agree with my methods, and I¡¯m sorry for that. But I didn¡¯t do anything when he damn near broke my sister, because you both asked me not to. I can¡¯t let it go this time. I¡¯m not going to allow Bruce Be to continue mistreating women. By the time I¡¯m finished with him, he will have nothing left, and no woman will fall victim to him again.¡±


    It was the guilt that drove him.


    Because it was his fault Bruce had sought out Sara in the first ce. If not for their mutual hatred and ongoing feud, she would¡¯ve been safe.


    ¡°Scott.¡± His mother shifted forward, once more cupping his cheek. ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t agree with your methods. I believe they will more than likely backfire, and not only will an innocent woman be hurt, but you will, too, son. If you have a conscience- which I know you do-there¡¯s no way you can¡¯t be affected by this path. And I wish you would end it now before this goes too far.¡± She sighed, her gaze searching his. ¡°But I also know you. And from the moment you refused to be born on your due date, I figured out you¡¯re stubborn. I¡¯m not going to change your mind, I get that. So just¡­please. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I have everything under control,¡± he assured her, hugging her close.


    She didn¡¯t reply, instead squeezed him tighter. He hated disappointing her, but nothing, nothing could dissuade him from his ns. Not her disapproval. Not Jennifer¡¯s reluctance and refusal to give him a decision. He had one purpose. To bring down Bruce Be.


    And hell couldn¡¯t stop him from aplishing it.


    _____________


    Scott McCall worked like a demon, Vivian thought as she took one look at him sitting behind his desk. All morning long he crunched numbers, building financial models on hisputer, and she stayed in his office, helping him too.


    He decided that it was better she brought in herptop since he¡¯d be needing her help for various tasks and always calling her to his office would only be unnecessarily time consuming.


    His single-mindedness was impressive, Vivian thought as she sat on the other side of his desk, trying not to stare at the way his hair waved thickly around his ear and to concentrate on answering the series of questions he shot at her so rapidly that she felt as if she were taking part in a televised quiz show.


    During the morning his jacket came off. Then the tie. A littleter the top two buttons of his shirt were impatiently opened and Vivian observed these with a horrified kind of fascination. What next? she thought.


    Would he start peeling off his trousers? Would he soon be sitting there wearing nothing but a pair of-undoubtedly-silk boxer shorts?


    He looked up and frowned. ¡°Is something the matter, Miss Sanchez? You¡¯re looking quite flushed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ hot in here,¡± she managed to say.


    ¡°It is-?¡± he asked. ¡°The AC is on.¡±


    Vivian nodded. Realizing how stupid she must have sounded.


    ¡°You can open the window over there if you need some fresh air,¡± he suggested.


    She was surprised he didn¡¯t tack on like a good girl, but she was d of the excuse to turn away and to allow the summer air to wash over her heated cheeks. She prayed that he couldn¡¯t read her mind as she turned back to pick up a sheaf of papers and begin to work through them. So far neither of them had brought up the kiss at the cheesecake shop, and honestly Vivian was almost starting to believe that it hadn¡¯t happened¡­ or at least she tried to make herself believe it because the alternative was just too damn depressing.


    At one point, Betty knocked and poked her head round the door. ¡°Sir, The canteen¡¯s closing soon,¡± she announced. ¡°And they want to know are you eating lunch?¡±


    He didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°Get them to send some sandwiches and coffee over, would you, Betty?¡±


    Betty raised her eyebrows expressively in Vivian¡¯s direction as if to say, Tyrant. ¡°Sandwiches all right for you?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Vivian shortly, and got to her feet as Betty disappeared. ¡°But if I don¡¯t get some fresh air soon, I¡¯ll expire. I¡¯m going to take a walk so I can stretch my legs a little. if that¡¯s alright with you, Mr McCall?¡±


    He looked up then, saw the strained expression on her face and wondered if he had been working her too hard. She lifted her hand to push away a stray strand of hair and her wrists, he noted inconsequentially, were as delicate as the slender ankles. She looked delicate. So delicate she might break. He gave a frowning nce at his watch. And it was getting on for two o¡¯clock-they had worked right through without a single break.


    He rubbed his eyes. ¡°Sure.¡± He removed his hand from the keyboard, stretched, and yawned. ¡°I mighte with you-maybe I could give you a guided tour too.¡± His voice deepened. ¡°If that¡¯s alright with you, Miss Sanchez¡±


    The soft tone momentarily disarmed her even more than the yawn, which gave her a glimpse of a rare moment of rxation. Did he always drive himself so hard, she wondered, and if so-why? He was so rich already.


    She smiled. ¡°Is that an order, Mr McCall?¡±

 24

    ¡°Mmm.¡± Scott replied, then his eyes narrowed. It was, he realized, one of those rare moments when she really smiled at him. She should do it more often.


    Definitely. But there again, maybe she shouldn¡¯t. Not if he wanted to stay sane.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an order, Miss Sanchez, but if you want it to be, that¡¯s okay too.¡±


    Vivian chuckled. ¡°Come on.¡±


    The elevator ride was quiet, which Vivian waspletely okay with. She feared that if they spoke, they¡¯d end up talking about that kiss, and she knew how that conversation would go. He¡¯d say it was a mistake¡­ That he wasn¡¯t really thinking straight that evening. Then he¡¯d probably apologize for doing it, but that would only sound like rejection to her, and she preferred it if they both kept quiet about it.


    They both stepped out of the elevator and walked out of the administrative building. A man walked over to talk to Scott and Vivian moved away a bit to give them some privacy. When the man left, Scott waved for her to join him again.


    He watched as Vivian walked over to join him. The sun was behind her, shining through her, so that she looked like someone caught in a spotlight. The brightness haloed her hair with a silver like shimmer and outlined the lush, young body beneath the shirt and skirt she wore. She looked exquisite-like a goddess, with the world at her feet.


    Scott took her around thepany site, and for the first time since she started working there, she got to see the parts of thepany that did most of the construction work and even most of the equipment.


    ¡°It¡¯s all beautiful,¡± she said slowly at one point.


    Scott turned to look at her. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m a bit surprised that you haven¡¯t looked around since you started.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I guess I just haven¡¯t had the time. I usually just get to work, finish up and then move straight to the cheesecake shop when I¡¯m done.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I still find it weird that you didn¡¯t quit your job there. Isn¡¯t it too stressful¡­ working two jobs?¡±


    ¡°It is¡­ sometimes¡­ but I guess I¡¯m kinda used to it. My dad used to say life isn¡¯t a bed of roses¡­he had lots of sayings like that. I miss him badly.¡±


    ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°Late. He died some years ago. I still think about him a lot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡± Scott replied, ¡°Your mom?¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    She turned away, hugging her arms to her chest as if she were standing there in the dead of winter instead of on a bright, summer¡¯s day. ¡°Ie from a single-parent family,¡± Vivian said, ¡°I never met my mom.¡±


    He nodded and looked away. ¡°Well, so, as a matter of fact, do I!¡± He said, ¡°My father left my mother before my sister and I were born.¡±


    ¡°You have a twin sister? That¡¯s nice. I wish I had siblings¡­ I¡¯m an only child¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s nice to have siblings, but it¡¯s tough sometimes, you know.¡± Scott replied, ¡°I guess, no matter what life brings our way, we all gotta push through somehow.¡±


    She still didn¡¯t look at him. ¡°Yeah I guess so¡± she replied.


    He heard in her voice the hopelessness he had once felt himself, and a feeling like that was never forgotten, so that empathy reared an unexpected head.


    ¡°Vivian-¡±


    It was the first time he had called her by her name. She turned back, and all she could see were the hard nes of his face, the sunlight casting shadows over his features, his eyes glitteringly bright as he stared down at her.


    ¡°Yes, Mr McCall?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She nodded, biting on her lip and hoping he didn¡¯t notice the hint of tears which threatened to spring up at the back of her eyes. For a moment, neither of them moved and Vivian felt the slow burn of unwanted desire.


    Because the frustration at the situation she found herself in was bubbling up into another kind of frustration. She had never felt this way about a man and never before had she wanted so much for someone to take her in his arms and blot it all out.


    He gazed down at her, the message in her eyes unmistakable, and Scott was too experienced in the ways of women not to have read it correctly.


    She wanted him.


    Her softening lips told him, as did the darkening of her eyes. He didn¡¯t need to nce down towards her breasts to know that their buds would be exquisitely tight, longing for the teasing caress of his fingers or his lips. And they were alone¡­ not a soul would know¡­


    She wanted him, and for a moment he was more than tempted. To take her somewhere, to tangle his fingers in the silk of her hair and kiss her deeply. The way he really wanted to.


    But he moved away from her.


    ¡°Come on. We¡¯d better go and eat lunch,¡± he said abruptly, and willed the dark hunger of longing to leave him in peace.


    Vivian nodded and they went back to his office to continue their work after eating. It was five thirty when he finally switched theputer off and looked at her, and Vivian had been wondering whether he intended working right through the night.


    ¡°Had enough?¡± he asked.


    More than enough-but she gave him what she hoped was a coping smile. ¡°Sure.¡± Vivian replied.


    He rose to his feet, towering over her like some dark, avenging angel. ¡°Then I guess you better get going. I¡¯ll rest here if I get tired, but I know you still need to get to the cheesecake shop for your shift.¡±


    She nodded and closed herptop before she stood up. It seemed stupid not to say it- and if it had been anyone else she would have said it without worrying about anything. ¡°What about you?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. Don¡¯t you-don¡¯t you need to go home so you can rest in bed instead. It¡¯d be morefortable¡­¡±


    Scott¡¯s senses sprang into life and just for a moment he allowed himself the fantasy. He knew that she wasn¡¯t offering her bed, but that didn¡¯t stop him imagining it. In his mind, heid her down on a big bed, then slowly took off her clothes, picturing the lush perfection of her body clothed in nothing but silk andce. The secret curves and shadows hidden by outrageous items of underwear. He would not remove them, not at first. He would allow his eyes to feast before his lips and his fingers and¡­


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a good idea, do you?¡± he questioned softly.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± she agreed, but she didn¡¯t ask him why, and the air was tight with a tension so tight that she felt she could snap it.


    ¡°Good night, Mr McCall¡± she said as she walked towards the door.


    ¡°Good night, Miss Sanchez,¡± he replied.


    ____________


    ¡°You¡¯re attending Linda¡¯s birthday party tomorrow night, right?¡± Betty asked Vivian the next day as they gathered in the cafeteria for lunch.


    Vivian stared wide eyes at Linda, then Betty and then Linda again. ¡°Tomorrow is your birthday?¡± she asked. ¡°Tomorrow is your birthday. You are throwing a party and you¡¯re just telling me about it now?¡±


    Linda rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not the one throwing the party. I didn¡¯t even find out about it until this morning. That¡¯s Betty and George¡¯s handwork.¡±


    ¡°Yeah Michael ruined the surprise with his big mouth.¡± said Betty.


    Michael grinned and shrugged. ¡°I have said that I¡¯m sorry a million times, Betty. What do you want me to do? Besides, Linda isn¡¯t pissed about it and the party is for her.¡±


    ¡°Well, you could try going back in time¡± Betty retorted, ¡°And maybe you¡¯ll be able to keep your mouth shut this time.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately I can¡¯t,¡± said Michael.


    ¡°Can you guys please stop arguing about the party?¡± Linda said. ¡°I like it this way, you know. I hate surprises, besides what¡¯s the point. It¡¯s just another day to remind me that I¡¯m growing older¡­I¡¯m one year closer to my grave and yet I haven¡¯t done anything worth doing or even¡­ met the love of my life¡­ So yes, it¡¯s just another day.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you sure know how to suck the life out of a party and it hasn¡¯t even started yet,¡± Michael said yfully.


    ¡°Shut up, Michael,¡± Betty snapped.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ Just tryna lighten the mood with some humor¡±


    Vivian nudged Micheal with her elbow, ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the right time for humor, Mike¡± she said. She had developed the habit of calling him ¡®Mike¡¯ for short and ording to him, he liked it, so the name had stuck.


    ¡°Fine. I won¡¯tugh anymore.¡± he said.


    ¡°Are you alright, Linda?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to party if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Linda took a sip of her juice. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± She said, ¡°Of course I want the party. Just because my life isn¡¯t going the way I want doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t want to get wasted¡­ I definitely want to get drunk¡­ next tomorrow is Saturday so I don¡¯t even have to worry about work¡­. Bring it on!¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Got ya.¡± she said.

 25

    Linda leaned over, ¡°So tell me,¡± she continued. ¡°What¡¯s it like to working for the handsome Scott McCall?¡±


    George and Bettyughed while Michael rolled his eyes and sighed. He looked like he was tired of hearing Linda talk about Scott.


    Vivian shrugged. ¡°I could ask you the same question,¡± she replied. ¡°You work for him too¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. Yeah I know I also work for him, but I meant being so close to him. You¡¯re his personal assistant so you gotta know some things about him apart from work. Is he dating anyone? You know he used to date this woman, Elizabeth Smith¡­she¡¯s a model, and she thinks she¡¯s so special. She used toe to the office to see him then¡­. Urggh¡­ she was the worst.¡±


    ¡°Hmhmmm¡± Betty nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d they broke up¡­ and I know it makes no difference because I can¡¯t date him either, but she doesn¡¯t deserve him.¡±


    ¡°And you do?¡± Michael chipped in.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Shut up, Michael!¡± Linda shot back.


    Vivian watched Betty and George giggling as they always did. Betty had confirmed that they were a couple. Apparently there were no rules against dating a coworker as long as it didn¡¯t affect work at thepany. Her thoughts drifted to Scott.


    She had the weirdest reaction whenever she was with him. Yes she had noticed and dated other men in the past, but no one ever made her feel the way he did. She was so attracted to him, but she knew it was stupid because he was her boss and even if he¡¯d kissed her, it didn¡¯t matter to him. If he did, he would have talked to her about it.


    ¡°Hellooooo¡± Linda called, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°You just¡­ zoned out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was thinking about something I had to do after work.¡±


    ¡°Is Mr McCall seeing anyone? Going on dates? Anyone special visiting him in the office?¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Linda,¡± she replied. ¡°I try to focus on my job and I don¡¯t really care if Mr McCall is seeing someone¡­ or if anyone is visiting him in his office. Also I don¡¯t think I even want to know¡±


    She felt like she was talking to herself instead of Linda but the thought of seeing him with another woman made her ache in a way that was both unfamiliar and annoying.


    ¡°You wille with me as my date tomorrow night, right?¡± Michael asked Vivian. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been serious about going out with you but you always seem so busy. I guess I finally got a chance. Please don¡¯t say no¡±


    Vivian smiled at him. ¡°Sure. Whatever you say, Michael¡± she replied. ¡°But it¡¯s more like two friends hanging out at the party¡­ not dates.¡±


    ¡°You call it whatever you want. It¡¯s a date to me.¡±


    Vivianughed at hisment.


    She stopped at the mall before going to the cheesecake shop that evening to get Linda a birthday present. She had no idea what to get but she finally settled on a beautiful, gold colored bracelet she thought Linda would love. She also got a small wrapper to wrap the box in, then she headed out to the cheesecake shop.


    ________


    Vivian hurriedly brushed her hair as she heard the second knock on her front door. She ran out of her bedroom and across the living room to answer the door.


    She opened the door to reveal Michael, standing on the other side with a huge smile on his face and a wrapped box in one hand which Vivian assumed was a present for Linda. She returned his smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, ¡°I was getting ready.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright¡± Micheal replied, as his eyes took her in. ¡°I can wait. You look stunning by the way.¡±


    Vivian blushed. ¡°Come in¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go grab my bag and I¡¯ll be out in a second. Please sit down.¡±


    She rushed back into her room and threw the things she¡¯d be needing into her tiny bag. A small powder, lip gloss, a small pack of wet wipes, her debit card and phone. She put her hair in a high ponytail and adjusted her lipstick, then grabbed the bag. She was missing something, she thought, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. There was just this nagging feeling that she was forgetting something. Micheal was already waiting and she didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time, so she just hoped that whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t too important.


    She took onest look at herself in the mirror. She had chosen to wear a long, ck jumpsuit that hugged her body and enhanced her curves. The brown, knee high boots she wore made her appear taller than she was and she smiled at herself. It had been a while since she¡¯d attended a party and dressed up this good and sexy.


    Time to go, she told herself and hurried out of the room. Michael was sitting patiently on the couch and he looked up at her with a grin on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have the most beautiful woman by my side at that party¡± he said and grinned even more.


    ¡°Thanks, but if we get therete, Betty is going to kill us. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They went out of the house and into Michael¡¯s car. It was only when they were two minutes into the journey that Vivian suddenly remembered what she was missing, and it was the most important thing.


    ¡°Oh my God, Mike¡± she said, as she cast a nce in his direction.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I forgot Linda¡¯s gift.¡± she replied. ¡°The gift I got for Linda. I don¡¯t have it¡­ Oh¡­ now we¡¯re definitely going to bete.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. No need to panic¡± Michael assured her, ¡°We can just go back and get it. So what if we are a few minuteste to the party.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not there. I left it in the office. I wanted to give it to her this morning but I figured it would be better to do it at her party so I kept it with me. Oh¡­ now I¡¯ve forgotten it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. We can go to the office. I¡¯m sure the security guards will recognize us and let us in.¡±


    They hurried to the office and while Michael stayed at Betty¡¯s seat, Vivian dashed to her office to get Linda¡¯s gift. She pushed the door open and switched on the light, then rushed to her drawer and took out the wrapped box.


    ¡°Got ya!¡± she said triumphantly and closed the drawer.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± a voice said at the door.


    Vivian screamed and looked up, only to see Scott standing at her office door. He was still wearing the same clothes he¡¯d worn to work that morning, but his tie and suit were gone. His sleeves were rolled up to his ankles and his hair was messy, as if he¡¯d run his hands through it multiple times.


    ¡°Mr McCall,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that you were¡­ still¡­ here.¡±


    Scott wasn¡¯t listening. He couldn¡¯t.


    How could he? When she looked so damn breathtaking. Scott couldn¡¯t remember thest time he¡¯d seen a woman look so sexy that he was speechless. But she was so fucking beautiful, so damn sexy that he had to fight to urge to walk into the office and pull her into his arms.


    Since they¡¯d met, he¡¯d imagined what she¡¯d look like out of her clothes, but judging by the way she looked, he realized that his imagination didn¡¯t even do justice to the work of art standing in front of him. He¡¯d known that she was curvy, and that damn jumpsuit proved it, but yet he wasn¡¯t prepared for the rush of desire that welled up inside him. The jumpsuit hugged that body of hers and outlined every damn curve¡­ from the curves of her breasts to her slim waist and wide hips¡­ and then those damn boots. When she took two steps forward, the scent of her perfume drifted up to him and he stifled a groan.


    ¡°Mr McCall?¡± she called, bringing him back to the present, but the naughty images in his head stayed. In fact, he didn¡¯t think that anything could erase them.


    ¡°Why are you here thiste?¡± he finally brought himself to ask and even he noticed that his voice was husky. He cleared his throat.


    ¡°I¡­. I forgot something¡± Vivian replied. ¡°It¡¯s a birthday present for Linda and I couldn¡¯t go to the party without it. I didn¡¯t know you were still here. I¡¯m sorry if I distracted you Mr McCall.¡±


    Sorry? Yeah, she¡¯d definitely distracted him, but this was a distraction he weed with open arms and he didn¡¯t want her to be sorry one bit. The words almost slipped from his mouth, but he held them back, knowing that it would be inappropriate.


    ¡°A birthday party you say,¡± he said, and walked into the room.


    Vivian froze. It suddenly seemed like all the air had been sucked out of the room and as he got closer to her, she felt this urge to take a step back, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot.

 26

    There was something about the way he was staring at her. Something dangerous¡­ and yet she wanted to run towards it instead of away from it.


    His voice was husky¡­ deeper than it usually was, and his eyes appeared darker. His lips were curved slightly upward, like he¡¯d just heard a joke, but Vivian knew that there was nothing funny about that gaze. He stared down at her, his ck eyes slowly traversing her hair, her outfit and down to the boots that added four inches to her height. When his eyes met hers again, she barely caught herself before taking a step back from the heat there. It practically seared her skin.


    Hazardous. Dangerous. She silently chanted the warnings to herself like a mantra. He would set fire to her life and leave her covered in ashes.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry if I disturbed you,¡± she rasped again, before clearing her throat of the arousal thickening it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± Scott said instead of paying attention to her apology.


    Struck speechless by hisment, Vivian could only stare at him. His expression hadn¡¯t changed from the cool, distant mask, but those eyes, and now his voice¡­ If his gaze made her tremble, the low, sensual throb in that dark velvet voice had her squeezing her thighs against the ache deep inside her.


    How did the man manage to look even more handsome with his messed up hair and disheveled clothes? At this point she couldn¡¯t me Linda for having a crush on him because what woman could resist all this?


    He was standing close to her now. Close enough so she could see the dark hair peeking out from his open shirt.


    ¡°Thank you, Sir,¡± she said softly, ¡°I¡­. I didn¡¯t¡­ I thought you left. If I may ask, Why are you working thiste? Did something urgente up? Something I was supposed to help you with?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m just dealing with some¡­ personal stuff. Nothing that concerns the office so you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Oh alright¡±


    ¡°Did you get the gift you came for?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I did¡± she lifted her hand so he could see it. They were talking about something else, but she was thinking about something entirely different and she had a feeling that he was thinking the same thing too. Hot kisses on her lips¡­ down her neck¡­ clothesing off¡­.


    She waited for him to move but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he slid both hands into his pockets and smirked. ¡°So why wasn¡¯t I invited to this party?¡± he asked, ¡°Am I not a part of the team?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Oh¡± she began, ¡°I just thought that¡­.¡±


    He lifted an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡­ well¡­ you are the boss¡± she said, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would want to party with their boss¡­. No offense sir.¡±


    Scott smiled and took another step closer. ¡°Oh I take offense this time, Miss Sanchez. I really do. Are you saying that you would never want to attend a party with me? Well that¡¯s just mean. Do you think I¡¯m a buzz kill or something?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just¡­. I¡± she was stammering so much that it was getting embarrassing so she just stopped trying to exin. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, Mr McCall¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he replied and grinned. ¡°I was just messing with you. You look breathtaking and incredibly sexy, Miss Sanchez. I¡¯d be thrilled if I got the opportunity to attend a party with you¡­And it¡¯s okay if I¡¯m not invited¡­ just save me a piece of cake, alright?¡±


    Vivian nodded, but her mind was wandering. Sexy? Did he really just call her sexy? The way she felt both thrilled and scared her at the same time, but she couldn¡¯t look away from him. His eyes seemed to hold her hostage and she almost melted when he moved even closer and his lips got dangerously close to hers.


    He was going to kiss her. She was sure about it¡­ and she wanted him to kiss her so badly, but then the door swung open and she jerked. They both turned to stare at the door.


    Michael stood there. His hand was still on the door knob and he had a frown on his face. Vivian wanted the floor to open and swallow her up. Was it obvious? Could he tell that if he had note in when he did, she¡¯d have been in Scott¡¯s McCall¡¯s arms¡­ kissing him¡­ Oh God.


    Scott on the other hand looked unfazed. In fact he looked like someone had just interrupted him in the middle of a very important meeting. He stared at Michael for a few seconds before he said with a frown, ¡°Is the party happening here? Why are my employees showing up at the office in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Mr McCall¡± Michael said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I apanied Vivian here.¡±


    Vivian? Scott thought and his frown deepened. So they were on a first name basis now. Just how close were the both of them? He wondered as he stared at Michael and suddenly he realized that he didn¡¯t like seeing them together.


    ¡°Apanied¡­ ¡± he repeated, but it was more of a statement than a question.


    Vivian stepped forward. ¡°Yes¡­ we were attending Linda¡¯s party together when I remembered the present so we had to rush down here to retrieve it.¡±


    She walked past him towards Micheal who was still standing at the door, and shook the small box in her hand. The earlier they left Scott¡¯s burning gaze the better for both of them. ¡°I got it. We can go now.¡± she said.


    Attending the party together¡­


    Those words seemed stuck in Scott¡¯s head. Were they going as a couple? Were they sleeping together? Having sex? Was he going to take her home after the party?


    The thought seemed to make him angry and he had no idea why. Vivian Sanchez was his assistant and whatever she did with her personal life was none of his business. Then why the hell did he feel like crap. Why did he feel like peeling Michael¡¯s hand away from hers?


    ¡°See you on Monday, Mr McCall¡± she said, to which Scott acknowledged with a single nod. The door closed behind them and he stood there, telling himself repeatedly that it would be a bad idea to go after them, order Michael to leave and then pull her onto the couch in his office to kiss her senseless.


    He couldn¡¯t do that. She wasn¡¯t his, and he still had Jennifer and Bruce Bet to deal with. The best thing to do was focus on that, instead of obsessing over his assistant. He returned to his office, grabbed his suit and briefcase, then closed for the night¡­. wondering where all these feelings wereing from and how to get rid of them once and for all.


    _________


    ¡°Bruce, the g is a wonderful sess. You should be proud. I¡¯m certain your parents would be,¡± Senator Paul Wesley praised, pumping his future son-inw¡¯s hand.


    Jennifer Be rolled her eyes at hisment. I don¡¯t know how you can say that, since you never met either of them. She thought, and mentally winced over the snarkyment echoing in her head. God, she really wanted to like the influential man who would soon be part of her family. But he was such a¡­politician. Charming. Affable. And phony. Good thing she never voted for him.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Bruce smiled, then slid an arm around Jennifer¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I wish I could take the credit, but it belongs to Jennifer. She¡¯s the reason we¡¯ve already surpassed the donations fromst year.¡±


    Pride glowed like an ember in her chest, and for the first time that evening, a genuine smile curled her lips.


    ¡°Thank you, Bruce,¡± she said, wrapping an arm around his waist and briefly squeezing.


    ¡°Next year, it¡¯ll be even more of a sess, with Emily by your side. I¡¯m sure she will be more than happy to step in and help organize this special event.¡± Senator Paul announced his daughter¡¯s involvement as a foregone conclusion.


    ¡°Of course I will, Daddy,¡± Emily agreed, tilting her head back expectantly, and Bruce obliged her with a soft, quick kiss on the lips. ¡°Jennifer and I will make a wonderful team.¡± She added.


    Emily turned that wide smile to Jennifer, and even though all the warmth that had filled her faded away, Jennifer returned it with one of her own.


    Bruce¡¯s fianc¨¦e had been nothing but cordial to Jennifer, but again, there was something not quite genuine about her. Emily reminded Jennifer of the ice sculpture in the lobby outside the ballroom. Beautiful but cold. To stand too close would send a shiver through the body.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get through tonight first before thinking about next year,¡± Jennifer said, notmitting to anything. Bruce stiffened beside her, but she ignored the telltale sign of his irritation. Her mind jumped to that dark brown file Scott McCall had slid across the table. She thought about how her brother donated significant funds to the senator¡¯s campaign. And she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if some of that money came from their mother¡¯s organization.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Stop it.

 27

    The sharp order ricocheted off her skull. Damn Scott McCall. She hated that he¡¯d infiltrated her head, and she couldn¡¯t evict him. It¡¯d been one week since that meeting-no, ambush. One week since she was supposed to give him her decision about his preposterous ultimatum.


    Smothering a sigh, she excused herself from their small group on the pretense of checking with the catering staff, and headed across the room. She¡¯d taken only a dozen steps before she saw something that made tingles jangle up her bare arms and culminated at the nape of her neck.


    She sucked in a breath and immediately turned to the source of the unsettling feeling.


    Scott McCall.


    She balled her fist, forcing her feet to maintain a steady, unhurried pace forward. Even as her heart pounded a relentless rhythm against her sternum. Why the hell was he here? She wondered.


    ¡°How did you get in here?¡± she gritted out.


    Conscious of any gazes that might be leveled on them, she kept her polite, social mask in ce, when in truth she wanted to re daggers at him. His aloof expression didn¡¯t change¡­except for the arch of a dark eyebrow. ¡°I expect like everyone else. The front entrance. And paying the seven-thousand-dor-a-te fee.¡± Scott replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Jennifer snapped. ¡°I looked over and approved the final guest list myself. Neither you nor yourpany¡¯s name was on it.¡±


    ¡°Then you missed it. Maybe other matters distracted you,¡± he added. A beat of charged silence brated between them. No need to name the ¡°other matters.¡± They both were well aware of what he referred to¡­herpany.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here?¡± she demanded, and in spite of her resolve, her voice dropped to a  whisper. ¡°To pressure me for an answer?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than a week, Miss Be,¡± he replied, and in that moment, she resented his carefully modtedposure. ¡°I¡¯ve given you one week longer than I¡¯d usually grant anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m ttered.¡± Jennifer replied sarcastically.


    ¡°You should be.¡±


    She clenched her teeth so hard an ache rose along her jaw. ¡°The answer is n-¡± She began.


    ¡°Is this man bothering you, Jennifer?¡±


    Bruce Be appeared at her elbow, and both the venom in his question and his sudden, hard grasp elicited a gasp from her.


    Scott¡¯s gaze dropped to her arm, and anger narrowed his eyes. ¡°Get your hand off of her,¡± he ordered. The volume of his voice didn¡¯t rise, but only a simpleton could miss the warning. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that you¡¯re hurting her, you moron.¡±


    Scowling, Bruce nced down at his fingers pinching her arm, then jerked his hand away. He lifted his regard to her face, and she glimpsed disgust, but also regret. She dipped her chin in a silent acknowledgment of his equally silent apology.


    Turning back to Scott, Bruce snarled, ¡°What are you doing here? You weren¡¯t invited. Leave. Now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Scott said, with no hint of remorse. If anything, satisfaction rang loud and clear in those words. ¡°I paid to attend just like everyone else here, and made a hefty donation on top of that. I¡¯m staying.¡±


    ¡°You can have your money back. We don¡¯t need it,¡± Bruce spat, nearly trembling with rage as he edged closer to Scott. ¡°We both know why you¡¯re here. You lost. Get over it. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time, and it damn sure won¡¯t be thest. Don¡¯t test me, Scott. You know what I can do.¡±


    Fear spiked inside Jennifer¡¯s chest. Good God. She¡¯d never seen her brother this angry. His reaction to Scott¡¯s presence had to be more than a business rivalry. This was¡­personal.


    ¡°Bruce,¡± she quietly pleaded, gently but firmly grasping his arm. ¡°Please.¡±


    Scott shifted his attention from her brother to her. And the same fury that twisted her brother¡¯s face lit his eyes like a glittering night sky. ¡°Have a nice evening. Both of you,¡± he said, though his regard never wavered from her. ¡°It was wonderful seeing you again, Jennifer,¡± he murmured, then turned and headed farther into the room, not toward the exit as Bruce had demanded.


    ¡°What was he talking about, ¡®seeing you again¡¯?¡± Bruce hissed as soon as Scott was out of earshot. ¡°When the hell did you meet him?¡±


    With a lot of effort, she tore her angry gaze from Scott and met her brother¡¯s re. Hurt and hints of betrayal lurked there. And guilt pricked her. For what, though? She¡¯d done nothing wrong.


    ¡°A few nights ago when I had dinner with friends. He was at the same restaurant.¡± She delivered the half-truth with aplomb. God, when did I be such an aplished liar? ¡°He just introduced himself, that was all. What in the world was that all about, Bruce?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he snapped. Then, sighing, he dragged a hand over his closely cropped hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bark at you. Just¡­stay away from him, Jennifer. I don¡¯t want you to have anything to do with him. Do you understand? It¡¯s for your own good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child, Bruce,¡± she murmured, meeting his fierce stare. ¡°And this isn¡¯t the proper ce for this discussion, either. We have guests.¡±


    With that reminder, she turned and strode away from him and the disturbing scene that had just unfolded.


    Oh yes, there was bad blood between him and Scott McCall. Now more than ever, she felt like a pawn in whatever twisted game the two of them were engaged in. And she hated it.


    Whatever it was that was going on between Scott McCall and her brother, she had to know what it was. Her brother¡¯s words were stuck in her head.


    ¡®We both know why you¡¯re here. You lost. Get over it. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time, and it damn sure won¡¯t be thest. You know what I can do.¡¯


    His usation seemed echoed in her head, and yet it made no sense. As did Scott¡¯s reason about why he¡¯d proposed his ridiculous n, that night at the restaurant.


    What the hell was all of this hatred, ckmail, and rivalry for? Her belly lurched, and she fisted her fingers, willing the coq au vin she¡¯d just eaten not to make a reappearance.


    ¡°If I may have your attention, please?¡± Senator Paul Wesley stood, his booming politician¡¯s voice carrying through the ballroom and silencing the after-dinner chatter.


    ¡°Thank you. Now I know this evening is about the Sanctuary, and I speak on behalf of both the Wesley and Be families when I thank you for your generosity in both spirit and donations.¡±


    Apuse rose, and Paul Wesley basked in it, his smile benevolent. No, the evening wasn¡¯t about him, but somehow, he¡¯d managed to make it all about him.


    ¡°I¡¯d just like to take this moment to recognize this wonderful charity, as well as Bruce Be, who has spearheaded it since the passing of his dear parents. I¡¯m so proud that I will be able to call him son in the very near future, as he and my beautiful daughter, Emily , embark on a journey together as man and wife. Bruce¡± he epted a ss of champagne from a waiter who suddenly appeared at his elbow, and lifted it high ¡°¡­congrattions to you and my daughter. You are the son I wasn¡¯t blessed with, but am so fortunate to now have.¡±


    Around them, people hoisted their own wine-sses and echoed ¡°To Bruce,¡± as her brother stood and sped the senator¡¯s hand, his huge grin so blinding, Jennifer had to nce away. The sight of him soaking up the senator¡¯s validation like water on parched earth caused pain to shudder through her.


    Their father would¡¯ve never praised him so publicly-or privately. Jerry Be had been a hard man, huge on demands and criticism, and stingy withpliments. She, more than anyone, understood how Bruce had craved his approval. And it¡¯d been their father¡¯s refusal to give it that had changed Bruce. Their father had been dead for five years, and Bruce still drove himself to be the best¡­to be better than their father. This high regard from such an important man had to be like Christmas to Bruce. A thousand of them packed into one short toast. Oh God. She dipped her head so no one could glimpse the sting of tears in her eyes. She was going to have to cave to Scott¡¯s ultimatum.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Family. Loyalty.


    Those were the ts that had been drilled into them from childhood. Definitely by their father, and even in one of thest conversations she¡¯d had with her mother before she died. She¡¯d stressed that Jennifer and Bruce always take care of one another.


    Family loyalty wouldn¡¯t allow her to let Bruce lose everything. The family name. Hispany. His fianc¨¦e. His future father-inw. There was no one left to protect him, except her. And until she could verify the truth of the information Scott held-and she still doubted the veracity of it, she couldn¡¯t permit her brother to be ruined. Not when the kind but wounded boy she remembered still existed inside him.

 28

    He was her brother. And to keep that happiness shining on her brother¡¯s face, she would have to make a deal with the devil. And Scott McCall was close enough.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to locate him in the crowded room. She found him and gave him a small nod, and he returned it. Exhaling, she turned her attention to the ss of red wine she¡¯d barely touched throughout dinner. Now it, and about four more, seemed like a fabulous idea.


    She would need all the courage she could get.


    _______


    ¡°Can we get this thing started, please?¡± Jennifer asked Scott with a frown on her face as she set the ss on the small table and sat down on the chair. She rubbed her bare arms, and the sign of nerves pricked a conscience he¡¯d believed to be impervious. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already guessed that I¡¯m going to agree to your ridiculous n. Or let¡¯s just call it what it is. Extortion.¡±


    ¡°You have a choice, Miss Be,¡± he reminded her, sipping his bourbon.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed, bitterness coating the word. ¡°Sacrifice myself or my brother to the beast. That¡¯s a hell of a choice.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°But one, nheless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not really this cold and unfeeling. I know you¡¯re not,¡± she whispered, her gaze roaming his face as if trying to peer beneath the mask he chose to let her see. ¡°You¡¯re really not this mean¡­ and wicked.¡±


    ¡°If you need to make up an idea of who I am in order to fulfill the pretense of falling in love with me, then go ahead. Whatever will allow you to deliver an award-winning performance for your brother and everyone else watching.¡± Scott replied carelessly.


    She didn¡¯t understand. This wasn¡¯t about her; it was about another woman-his sister. And that bastard who¡¯d abused her heart and shattered her mental state. An eye for an eye. A sister for a sister.


    But he couldn¡¯t admit any of that to her. Not when he knew that she would no doubt run back and tell Bruce everything.


    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting I know the secret about your job. And I don¡¯t mean that joke of a title at Be Inc. I would be a fool to underestimate you, Jennifer.¡±


    She pivoted and something shed in her eyes, but before he could decipher it, she briefly closed them and pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Can we just get this over with?¡± she asked, weariness coating her voice. ¡°Tell me what you need from me so you won¡¯t burn my brother¡¯s world to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Like I told you at the restaurant. You and I will pretend to be a couple. A real couple, Jennifer. Which means convincing everyone that we¡¯re hopelessly in love.¡± He couldn¡¯t prevent the bitter smile from curving his mouth. ¡°I read that you took several drama sses in college. Time to dust off those old skills and bring them out of retirement. I¡¯ll require you to attend some events and dinners with me, and the same for you. The first time you try to twist out of this arrangement, it¡¯s off, and your brother¡¯s dirty dealings be public.¡±


    This time he clearly interpreted the emotion turning her gaze more green than brown. Anger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll hold up my end of the bargain. But I won¡¯t carry this lie on indefinitely. You have a time limit of six months. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll agree to.¡±


    Six months would be more than enough time to carry out all he had nned, Scott thought. ¡°Fine.¡± he agreed.


    ¡°And at the conclusion, you promise to destroy the report and all copies of it.¡± She added.


    Scott nodded again, although he had no intention of doing that. Only a fool would reveal his hand. Did he feel a twinge of guilt for deceiving her? Yes, it didn¡¯t sit well. But he¡¯d meant what he¡¯d told his mother. His number one goal was to prevent Bruce Be from ever hurting another woman as he¡¯d hurt Sara. This arrangement with Jennifer was only one part of his n.


    ¡°Okay, then.¡± Jennifer inhaled a breath and tilted her chin up at a haughty angle, every inch the socialite. ¡°One more thing. I¡¯m not a whore. We might have to pretend affection for each other, but I won¡¯t have sex with you.¡±


    Scott rolled his eyes. ¡°Rx, Jennifer¡± he said,  ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that because I have no intention of having sex with you. But you need to understand one thing, Miss Be, ande to terms with it.¡± He moved forward. ¡°I¡¯m not the other men you might have had dancing to your tune. For the next six months, you¡¯re mine. And while you might not be in my bed,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯ll act like you are. Which means you¡¯ll pretend to desire my touch, my hands on you. You¡¯ll behave as if you crave what I, and only I, can give you. Pleasure. Passion. A hunger so deep you don¡¯t know how you ever existed without me to take care of it for you. So, even if you loathe me, I don¡¯t care, but those eyes better convince everyone that I¡¯m yours. And you¡¯re mine. Got it?¡±


    She wrenched away from him, stumbling back. His words might have sounded a bit romantic to someone who overheard them, but the anger in his voice and eyes told her that there was no feeling or attraction towards her in any way.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Jennifer replied, tugging her shoulders back, and her stubborn chin went up again. ¡°And for the record. I belong to me. Not my brother. Not Be Inc. And definitely not you.¡±


    She stood up angrily and spun around. Snatching up her coat, which he¡¯did over the back of the chair when they¡¯d entered the small shop, and strode out without saying goodbye. He didn¡¯t deserve it.


    Scott sat there, staring at the closed door, and a small smile yed on his lips. Whether she realized it or not, she¡¯d just issued a challenge. epted it in fact.


    And he more than looked forward to winning.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Vivian got into the elevator with her handbag strapped on her shoulder and a box of cupcakes she¡¯d bought from the cheesecake shop the previous night.


    She was really nervous about seeing Scott after their little incident in her officest Friday. She had asked herself so many questions during the weekend that at some point, she thought her head was going to explode. Just what was it about this man that made it so difficult to get him out of her head.


    That near kiss!


    If Michael hadn¡¯t walked in when he did, would he have gone through with it and kissed her. Would she have let him kiss her? She already knew the answer to that question and she didn¡¯t like it.


    Thankfully, Michael had not noticed anything. At least she thought he hadn¡¯t because apart from asking her if everything was alright, he didn¡¯t ask anymore questions about Scott and she was grateful for that.


    Speaking of Michael, she nned to avoid him at the office too. After the party, he¡¯d driven her home and attempted to kiss her. She had declined politely, telling him that she wasn¡¯t ready for a rtionship with anyone. Truthfully, she didn¡¯t see him as more than a friend, but she didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings. Now she had two men she was trying to avoid at the office¡­


    She got out of the elevator, and hurried towards her office, but she was stopped by Betty.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Betty greeted cheerfully, ¡°What you got there, Sanchez?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Betty¡± Vivian replied. She looked down at her hands and realized that Betty was referring to the box. ¡°Just something for Mr McCall. Michael and I ran into him before we came to the party and he asked for¡­ you know what, I will talk to youter.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Without waiting for Betty¡¯s reply, she rushed to her office. Jeez¡­ now she kinda regretted bringing the cupcakes. She was sure Scott didn¡¯t even really want a cake slice, but she¡¯d gone out of her way to get him cupcakes. It looked like she was trying too hard to get his attention, and maybe she was¡­ she didn¡¯t even trust herself anymore.


    But the cupcakes were already here anyway. All she had to do was hand it over and expect nothing. Scott hadn¡¯t arrived at the office yet, so she had some time to get herself together.


    She settled in her chair, turned on herptop and tired to get some work done, but her eyes kept drifting to the box on her desk. An hourter, she couldn¡¯t take the distraction any more, so she stood, grabbed the box and headed for Scott¡¯s office.


    He was sitting behind his desk, wearing another designer suit and looking as handsome as ever.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr McCall¡± she greeted as she walked in.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Sanchez¡± Scott replied, and stared at her with that gaze of his that always made her feel like he was burning away her clothes.

 29

    He didn¡¯t even smile at her. In fact, he had that look on his face that suggested that he was very unhappy about something, and Vivian had this weird feeling that it was about her.


    ¡°I trust you had a good weekend,¡± he said. It sounded more like a statement than a question, and he seemed to get angrier as he spoke.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I did¡± replied Vivian. ¡°How was your weekend?¡±


    Scott¡¯s frown deepened. He had had an unpleasant week. His sister was getting better thankfully, but this whole thing with Bruce and Jennifer Be was getting to him. To make it worse, Vivian was out, attending parties with other men in the sexiest outfit he¡¯d ever seen on her and it pissed him off. The fact that he was feeling this way about his Assistant only made it worse.


    And yet she stood there, in a sky blue office suit, looking so professional and innocent, that it was almost impossible to believe that she was the same person he¡¯d seen in those damn boots and jumpsuit that looked like sin and he¡¯d found it difficult to stop thinking about.


    He stood from his chair, carrying hisptop and headed for the sofa. ¡°My weekend was fine. I¡¯ve arranged a meeting of the shareholders,¡± He announced as he sat down on it and red at her. ¡°Come over here and take a seat, Miss Sanchez¡± he growled.


    Trying to hold it together, Vivian did as she was told. She wondered what she¡¯d done wrong this time. Had she forgotten something again?


    One delicious thigh rested ufortably close to his, and Scott immediately wished he didn¡¯t invite her to sit. Surreptitiously, he shifted his leg away.


    ¡°When is the meeting?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Next Sunday seems to be the only time we can get everyone together at such short notice.¡± He said, leaning back in the chair and narrowing his eyes. ¡°You should be present too as my assistant. Is that okay with you, Miss Sanchez?¡±


    What could she say? That she would prefer to be at home watching a movie and eating snacks rather than having to endure a grilling between thepany shareholders? She was his assistant and she really didn¡¯t have a choice. And also, why was he glowering at her like that-hadn¡¯t she been sweetness and light all through the previous week?


    ¡°Sunday is fine,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I have alsoe up with some points to save costs too¡± He yawned and opened hisptop. ¡°I will also send you a copy so you can go through it and tell me what you think. Checks for errors and stuff you think the shareholders will be open to. I went through the report from the ount manager and it¡¯s exactly as I first suspected-we aregging way behind the times and need to take a serious look at the overheads-and I¡¯m not just talking about production here.¡±


    She raised her eyebrows.¡±Okay?¡±


    He nced down at theptop screen.


    ¡°For example, hiring a part-time designer for construction projects would be a lot more cost-effective than using expensive design agencies as we are doing at the moment.¡±


    Vivian nodded. It made sense. Such simple sense that she wondered why the ounting department never thought of it themselves.


    ¡°But you know that will also increase the wage bill,¡± she said, biting her lip.


    He dragged his gaze away from her lips. ¡°Yes-but we¡¯ve got enough work so it will be cheaper in the long run,¡± he said gently.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true¡± She looked at him steadily. Rich, handsome and smart too. Was there any quality the man didn¡¯t possess? ¡°It sounds really good and I¡¯ll get to it right away¡±


    ¡°You know, you¡¯ve done many good things since you started working here-¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Vivian said drily.


    ¡°No, I mean it-the way you¡¯ve kept abreast of trends, caught up very quickly-and contributed to ideas¡­ It¡¯s really impressive.¡±


    His praise meant more to her than it should have done, but they weren¡¯t sitting here with the intention of boosting her ego. They were there to work, but the fact that he¡¯d noticed her efforts made her very happy, although she tried not to show it too much.


    ¡°I¡¯m really d that you feel that way, Mr McCall, and I will continue to do my best. Is there anything else you would like me to do?¡±


    His face grew closed. ¡°Well, yes. I also wanted to tell you, Miss Sanchez, that the way you live will really have to be curtailed if you want to continue to work here.¡±


    ¡°Curtailed?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°The way I live¡­. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean that whatever you do with your personal life is your business as I said before, but I don¡¯t want you bringing it to the office. Dating coworkers is not forbidden or anything like that, but it is frowned upon. Do make sure that it doesn¡¯t affect your job or thepany in any way.¡±


    ¡°I will never let my personal life affect my job, Mr McCall.¡± She spat the words out indignantly.


    ¡°Sure. Of course you would say that, but we all know-¡±


    Vivian shifted ufortably. ¡°I¡¯m not just saying it, Mr McCall. Even my job at the cheesecake shop has never-¡±


    ¡°Let me finish,¡± he said coolly, ignoring the fact that she had interrupted him. ¡°I said nothing about your second job, did I? I know how much it means to you- and I would never interfere with it.¡±


    ¡°So what is this about, Mr McCall?¡± she asked.


    He ignored the squeak of horror in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m saying that whatever rtionship you have with Michael should not be brought into the office premises and it should not interfere with your job either.¡±


    That hurt. It hurt because he was so wrong. She wasn¡¯t interested in Micheal at all, but she¡¯d had eyes for him ever since she¡¯d started working at hispany and he never noticed her as anything other than his assistant. He had kissed her for God¡¯s sake, and yet here he was preaching against inappropriate rtionships. If anyone was inappropriate, it was him.


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Just letting you know. Besides, you don¡¯t seem to be denying it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s nothing to deny,¡± she retorted.


    He cradled his dark head in the palms of his hands as he watched her from between narrowed eyes. When their eyes met again, he saw the color rise in her cheeks.


    ¡°If we are done here, I would like to go back to work, Mr McCall¡± said Vivian. She was so mad, and she feared that if she stayed any longer in his office, she would yell at him, and that was a horrible idea even if he deserved it, but she still wanted to keep her job.


    ¡°Yeah you can go,¡± he replied.


    Vivian rose to her feet, her heart beating so hard that she wanted to scream. She walked up to his desk and gently dropped the box of cupcakes on it when she actually wanted to throw it at him.


    Scott¡¯s eyes narrowed. She was pissed. He could see that, and he knew that he was wrong. He¡¯d acted out of nothing but pure jealousy, and he deserved the reaction he was getting, but he wasn¡¯t even upset. In fact he was intrigued. He loved women who were challenging. Women who could speak their minds. Women who couldn¡¯t be intimidated. And Vivian Sanchez was all that¡­A whole package. Fiery, intelligent, dangerous, beautiful and goddamn sexy.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The slice of cake you asked for¡± she replied without sparing a nce in his direction. ¡°You know, from the party I attended with the coworker I¡¯m in an inappropriate rtionship with.¡±


    Without waiting for his reply, she walked out of the office. She intended to m the door behind her too, but it was airtight, so it simply closed softly behind her.


    Scott almostughed.


    Sarcasticments too, he thought. There was no point denying it. He liked this woman¡­. He could admit that to himself now.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Vivian dutifully did her job, and tried as hard as she could to put Scott out of her mind, but it was hard. The man sure had a lot of nerve. She guessed that was what happened when you had a lot of money and lots of people at your beck and call to boss around. She hissed, and she wasn¡¯t even sure how many times she¡¯d done it since she left his office.


    When someone knocked on her office door and opened it, she almost groaned when she saw that it was him. What the hell did he want now? Should she be expecting more false usations from him? She almost blurted out the question, but decided to hold her tongue instead.


    He pped something on her table. ¡°Here, open this. It¡¯s for you.¡±


    Vivian stared at him for a few seconds before she grabbed the white envelope and withdrew the card inside. It was an invitation to a fundraising party. She frowned and looked up at him, clearly confused.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wednesday evening,¡± Scott said-no,manded. ¡°You¡¯ll be attending the party with me.¡±

 30

    Vivian stared wide eyed at him. ¡°Me? Why me?¡± She asked.


    Scott almost winced. She sounded like the thought of attending a party with him was the worst thing she had ever heard. Did she really dislike him that much? Or was it because he wasn¡¯t that Michael guy? What the hell did she even see in him? He had no fucking idea. He hadn¡¯t expected her to scream and jump in excitement at the news, but the look on her face was just hurtful. Almost as if she was scared to be around him.


    He shrugged. ¡°Well, you¡¯re my assistant¡± he said, and hoped that his statement would make enough sense. ¡°Sometimes, you¡¯ll have to attend business events with me. Sometimes even travel trips too. This isn¡¯t just a party. A lot of potential customers and investors will be present and I will need you to be around.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie, but it wasn¡¯t entirely true. Yes, she¡¯d have to attend some events with him, but this particr party wasn¡¯t one of them, but he just wanted her around. He¡¯d even considered asking Jennifer Be, but neither her brother nor Senator Wesley would be at this party so the show would have been pointless.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He wanted to ask Vivian out, and he would have done that already if she wasn¡¯t his employee. This was just the only way he knew how to.


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡± Vivian said as she slowly deposited the card on her desk. ¡°I¡¯ll be there then.¡±


    Could she sound more uninterested? Scott thought.


    ¡°Good¡± he turned to leave, but stopped after taking a few steps. He found her still staring at him, with a look in her eyes and he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was.


    ¡°Thank you¡± he said, then added when one finely carved eyebrow lifted, ¡°I mean, for the cupcakes. I¡­ I like them.¡±


    She smiled then. An actual goddam genuine smile that he liked so much. Why the hell couldn¡¯t she look at him like that all the time? He thought, but he knew why. He hadn¡¯t really been Mr nice guy towards her.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Mr McCall¡± she replied, ¡°It was my pleasure¡±


    Pleasure¡­.


    He wanted to tell her that he¡¯d like to return the favour, but he wasn¡¯t sure that she¡¯d appreciate thement, especially after their not so pleasant conversation that morning, so he simply turned and walked out of her office.


    He had a date with her now. Well, it wasn¡¯t actually a date, but it was something. Now what?


    __________


    ¡°It¡¯s not a date!¡± Vivian said in a stressed voice. ¡°Please don¡¯t call it that¡±


    The thought had crossed her mind after Scott left her office that afternoon, but she didn¡¯t want to think about it that way. She couldn¡¯t let herself think about it as a date for her own sanity. There was no point in thinking about things she couldn¡¯t have. It would bring nothing except pain, but Megan wasn¡¯t making it easy for her not to think about it.


    ¡°Yes it is¡± Megan shot back.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not. I¡¯m not going to keep going back and forth about it with you¡± Vivian replied and headed for the women¡¯s bathroom. Megan followed closely behind her, then shut the door so no one else would hear their conversation.


    ¡°Then what is it if it¡¯s not a date?¡± she asked, a mischievous smile on her face. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t even think about it like that. Not even for a second. Come on, Viv. You can tell me¡±


    Vivian sshed some water on her face before she turned to face Megan, whose smile was only getting ridiculously wider.


    ¡°Okay. Fine. I did think about it,¡± Vivian admitted, ¡°And can you please stop smiling like that.  I realized that I was just being stupid. He¡¯s my boss and I¡¯m his assistant. I guess sometimes I have to be with him for certain¡­ events. Trust me, Meg. He doesn¡¯t even like me. I don¡¯t even want to tell you about the way he spoke to me today because I don¡¯t want to think about it. Now will you help me instead of asking me these damn questions?¡±


    ¡°But what if -¡±


    ¡°No Megan,¡± Vivian interrupted. Her eyes lowered, and Megan saw that she was really down about it. ¡°No buts. He doesn¡¯t see me that way¡­. He never will because he¡¯s way out of my league. All I¡¯m ever going to be to him is his silly assistant. Imagine, he kissed me the other day and he never spoke to me about it till today. He didn¡¯t even address it, Megan. Nothing means anything to him¡­ and this is definitely not a date.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Megan said in a low voice. ¡°You really like him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Vivian almost burst into tears. Just how stupid could she be? She¡¯d spent days denying this fact, but hearing Megan say it out made her feel so bad.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Now are you going to help me with that dress or not? You know I don¡¯t have anything fancy to wear to that sort of event.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing¡± Megan replied, dropping the date topic. ¡°So is he going to pick you up?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°Now why would he do that?¡± she asked, ¡°It¡¯s not a date, remember?¡±


    ___________


    On Wednesday evening, Vivian dressed for the party with inordinate care, using clothes as an armory.


    She wore scarlet. Not deliberately, but that was the gown Megan had given her. It was bright, bold and dramatic. Megan, as crazy as she was, had also given her a blonde wig, insisting that it would go really well with the dress, and after she was fully dressed, Vivian had to admit that Megan was right. The dress was like the color of blood and of life and against it the blonde wig contrasted as pale as the waning moon.


    The dress was not especially revealing, but it clung like a second skin, moulding itself to her hips and the lush swell of her breasts, the skirt swirling a little when she walked in a pair of deliciously high-heeled ck shoes.


    She piled the wig up on her head and secured it with glittery scarlet pins, so that tendrils of it tumbled and twisted around her face. With her dark eyes and her full lips she thought that she looked more like a doll than a living, breathing woman, but she didn¡¯t care.


    She took her car. At least that way she would be independent. No need to stay the night in town, or to be reliant on a train which might or might not run on time.


    But once she hit the city, the traffic was absolutely atrocious. She sat for what seemed like an eternity in a jam and, by the time she drew up close to the venue, she was more than two hourste and wished she had the nerve or choice to turn around and go straight back again.


    Scott had called her twice already and she¡¯d exined that she was stuck in traffic, but she was sure that he¡¯d still be very mad at her. The fucking first time she was attending an event with him and yet she¡¯d messed up¡­. Again.


    Oh, for heaven¡¯s sake, she told herself Crossly. Since when did you decide to start acting like a love lorn schoolgirl? He probably wouldn¡¯t even care that much and she was just over thinking.


    As for her attraction to him, it wasn¡¯t even as though she had anything concrete on which to pin her fantasies, was it? Apart from a sexual attraction which only a fool would have denied-this was the way which every woman on the probably felt towards him. He had done absolutely nothing to encourage her.


    With a heavy heart, she got out of her car outside the building to hear music spilling out. After she passed security, she went inside the hall and came face to face with a young woman in a beautiful gown, clutching a tumbler of lurid-coloured cocktail.


    ¡°Hi!¡± she said brightly, and peered at her rather drunkenly. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Vivian¡­. Mr Scott McCall¡¯s¡­ have you seen Mr McCall anywhere? Do you.. Do you know him?¡±


    The woman stared at her weirdly before she said, ¡°Hmm¡­ Scott McCall¡± she licked her lips and Vivian almost rolled her eyes. ¡°I think I saw him around here¡­. somewhere,¡± she added vaguely.


    Vivian simply thanked her and walked deeper into the hall. The music was throbbing and there were people everywhere. Vivian looked around for Scott, but couldn¡¯t see him. In fact, she couldn¡¯t see a single soul she knew¡­ not that she was expecting to¡­ but that only increased her feeling of istion.


    She headed for one of the waiters, and grabbed a ss of wine from the tray one of them carried, and then made her way into the other part of the hall. Around her, some people were glued together under the guise of dancing while some stood chatting so she guessed that most of the party activities were done with.

 31

    There was room to stand although, and, in an effort to find Scott, Vivian began to push her way forward, when she froze.


    Because he was there.


    Difficult to see, true, because he was surrounded by a nucleus of morous women who seemed to be straining towards him, drawn like iron filings to a ma.


    But his presence was as unmistakable as it was remarkable. That tall, wide-shouldered yet lean body.


    The jet-dark hair and the glittering stormy eyes. And before they could be trained in her direction Vivian fled-making her way back through the hall and out through the exit door, like someone seeking sanctuary.


    The air was surprisingly clean and pure and scented, with only the faint drone of traffic reminding her that she was in the city. Vivian took a sip of her drink, but the wine almost made her choke when she sensed, rather than heard, someone behind her and she spun round to see the tall, dark figure watching her, unmoving , the dark eyes unreadable, and she stood, rooted to the spot, as if she were part of the garden itself.


    He had seen her, of course. Through the smoke and the cloying perfume and the dazzle of the party outfits he had noticed her in the scarlet dress, but she was even more surprised that he¡¯d noticed her so fast even with the blond wig.


    As for Scott, the party had been boring without her. He¡¯d spent a huge part of it wondering where she was and when she had told him that she was stuck in traffic, he had regretted not picking her up. But then she¡¯d showed up finally, and he wouldn¡¯t have noticed her if he hadn¡¯t been paying close attention to the entrance.


    The change in her hair color had surprised him at first, but then a small smile had lifted the corners of his hard mouth as he watched her. Was there anything this woman couldn¡¯t pull off? Their eyes had met and then he had observed her hurried departure from the room. Had she known, or expected-that he would follow her?


    Well, he had.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Sanchez,¡± he said softly.


    Vivian swallowed. ¡°H-hi.¡± she replied.


    Scott felt his heart elerate as he moved towards her. The color of the dress she wore was as hot as a me and yet she still carried with her that cool and untouchable air about her, which was ironic really, considering that she looked as though she had been born just for a man¡¯s touch. His touch.


    His mouth tightened as he drank in the lush curves, the whisper of silk against the endless legs made longer still by the outrageously high heels she was wearing. And those hips¡­.


    He had tried not to think about her for weeks, and yet had done nothing but think about her. She seemed to represent some inexplicable danger and he couldn¡¯t work out why. Was it because circumstances had brought her into his life as an employee? Some people had affairs in the workce all the time, and he¡¯d always thought they were crazy. Never in his life had he thought that he¡¯d ever be in this situation.


    Any kind of personal rtionship with her would be dangerous, but as the days had gone on the danger had seemed to be something to be faced rather than to be avoidable. He hadn¡¯t realized how much he had been waiting for this moment until now.


    Vivian¡¯s heart thudded at the expression she read in his eyes-predatory, sensual, full of promise.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking very¡­ spectacr,¡± he said carefully.


    So was he. Oh, so was he!


    ¡°It is a party,¡± she said equally carefully.


    This close she could see the faint shadow around his jaw, the dark crisp sprinkling of hair revealed by the couple of buttons of his white silk shirt which he had undone.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I arrived sote, Mr McCall. I -¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Scott replied. ¡°You were dyed by traffic. That¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Sir,¡± Vivian replied, noticing how much calmer he was¡­. Almost different in fact.


    He put his ss down on the table. ¡°Your hair¡­¡± he said.


    She gave him a cool smile, and without realizing what she was doing lifted her hands and tugged gently on a tendril. ¡°It¡¯s a wig,¡± she replied.


    ¡°So I gather. It looks really good.¡±


    She gave him a quick nce, thinking she sensed sarcasm, but the expression on his face made him look as though he had meant it.


    Vivian thought how different he seemed tonight. In the office she had caught only glimpses of his devastating sensual nature, but tonight that man was revealed in all his unmistakable glory.


    ¡°Missed me at the office today?¡± he mocked.


    Vivian was confused for a moment, then she remembered that he¡¯d been absent at the office throughout the day, but why would he ask her if she missed him? That was ¨C


    She realized then-he was flirting with her! It was right there in his eyes, and she suddenly felt cold all over. She had two options now. Ignore him and tell him to stop, or throw caution into the wind and flirt right back.


    But she was Vivian Sanchez, and whenever it came to Scott McCall, she seemed to always make the wrong decisions. She met the challenge in his eyes. ¡°What do you think, Mr Mc-¡±


    ¡°Scott¡­.¡± he interrupted.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Call me Scott¡± he said softly. ¡°We¡¯re not in the office right now. At least, tonight¡­. Call me Scott.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Oh okay¡­ Scott¡­¡±


    ¡°Sounds better, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    She swallowed, ¡°Yeah. Yeah. I guess it does. So¡­¡±


    She¡¯d forgotten what she was talking about. He seemed to notice, and he grinned. A crazy, boyish grin as if proud of the attack he was wrecking on her nervous system.


    ¡°I asked if you missed me at the office¡± he reminded her.


    ¡°Oh¡± she nodded. ¡°Yeah, and I asked what you think¡±


    ¡°I think that maybe you did.¡±


    Vivian smiled shyly and shook her head. ¡°You really are unbelievable, Mr Mc-Scott¡± she murmured.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I meant and you know it!¡±  Her eyes looked like they were lit with fire and her mouth was a soft, scarlet invitation. How he had hungered for her, and now his appetite was growing by the minute.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t such a terrible assumption to make, was it, Vivian? It¡¯s just that I missed you and thought that perhaps the feeling might be mutual.¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°You-missed me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Scott murmured. He wanted to reach his hand out and free her hair, clip by scarlet clip. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to, but I did.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to be apliment?¡±


    His dark eyes shone as he shook his dark, ruffled head. ¡°Only if you take it as one. It¡¯s the truth-nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    There was something ominous about that. Nothing more, nothing less. As if he was setting out some guidelines. Instinct told her to get away from him while she still had the ability to do so, but some unfathomable emotion tempted her to stay.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± His eyes drifted over her and when he spoke the one word was delivered so softly that she could barely hear it.


    ¡°Look.¡± She followed the direction of his gaze as he positioned his finger a hair¡¯s breadth away from the tiny goose bumps at the top of her arm and traced an imaginary line right down to her wrist. He wasn¡¯t even touching her and yet inside she felt as if she were turning to jelly. She stared at him.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°See?¡± he whispered. ¡°The evening is warm and yet you¡¯re cold and trembling. And your eyes are shing aplex message at me. On the one hand you look as if you would like me as far away from you as possible, while, on the other, as if there was nowhere else you¡¯d rather be. So which is it, Vivian?¡±


    ¡°The former,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°No,¡± he contradicted.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I nearly called to tell you that I had fallen sick or something just so I wouldn¡¯te¡± she told him.


    For some reason, this stirred him even more. ¡°Well, I did the opposite. I was looking forward to the evening because I wanted to see you tonight¡­ out of the office¡­. and I thought you might look very beautiful. And you do. Very beautiful.¡±


    Vivian despised the frantic beat of her heart which raced in response to the honeyed caress of his voice.


    ¡°You could have told me that clearly then, so I¡¯d know what I wasing for¡±


    ¡°But I prefer the unexpected,¡± he said softly. ¡°I saw you in there way before you saw me, but I waited because I wanted to see the look on your face when you saw me, and I wasn¡¯t disappointed.¡±


    Oh, Lord-did that mean she hadpletely given herself away?


    His eyes were drifting over her now-unashamed predator. He still carried with him the indefinable air of control, but tonight the mask had slipped slightly.

 32

    ¡°Stop it.¡± Vivian said softly.


    ¡°But why,¡± Scott questioned softly, taking the ss from her unprotesting fingers and cing it on the table next to his, ¡°Why do you say that? When you don¡¯t really want me to stop it?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, I do, Mr Mc-¡±


    ¡°Scott¡­¡± he corrected again.


    ¡°Scott¡± she whispered, but he must have read the lie in her eyes and on her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I know it¡¯s been tough at work-but we¡¯re no longer at work. No one from the office is even here so we are free to do what the hell we want. You want me. We¡¯ve been fighting it and I don¡¯t want to fight it any more. I know what you want, honey, ¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± she whispered again, but he took no notice, just gave a lowugh as he caught her by the waist, drawing her behind the scented seclusion of the thick, scrambling honeysuckle and into his arms.


    ¡°Say it once more-with feeling,¡± he whispered.


    Say it? She could scarcely breathe, her senses were so full of him and the heady perfume of the flowers. He pulled her closer and bent his head to look down into her face, his dark features leaning over her with a look of desire which she had dreamt of. But the reality far outstripped the dream. Dreams were cold,fortless illusions while reality pulsed with life and promise. But wasn¡¯t desire on its own wrong? Shouldn¡¯t there be something more than that?


    ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± The protest was blotted out by his kiss, her word drowned by that first sweet, melting contact, and she said his name in a kind of broken assent, and this time, he didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Scott¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± His words were a shuddering sigh as he cupped her face between the palms of his hands and plundered more deeply, coaxing her mouth open with the tip of his tongue until she could bear it no more and her lips finally parted to let him dip inside, into a sweet moistness that made him groan.


    Vivian felt as if she had strayed unawares into an unknown country where sensation ruled supreme. Every nerve ending was screaming in sensory alert, her body flowering into instant life beneath the urgent possession of his mouth. Her blood growing thick and heated. Her heart pounding, threatening to leap out of her chest.


    She gave herself up to it-it simply wasn¡¯t within her power not to as her eyelids fluttered to a close. Somehow her hands had drifted up to grip the broad, hard shoulders, feeling the sinew beneath the thin silk of the shirt he wore.


    One hand had moved from her face to cup her buttock, moving her body closer still, so that they were moulded unbearably close together, her skin on fire where it touched his, her mouth making an involuntary moan as she felt the stark, hard power of him where the cradle of his masculinity pressed unashamedly against her.


    The kiss went on and on until Scott drew his mouth away, staring down into the huge, haunted dark eyes, at the soft, dark blossom of her lips.


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯d better stop this,¡± he managed unsteadily.


    Her breathing was ragged as she gazed up at him in befuddlement, just wanting him to carry on kissing her.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Come home with me, Vivian,¡± he urged softly.


    It took a moment or two for it to register exactly what it was he was saying and when she did it was powerful enough to annihte the terrible longing. Just like that! The cold, hard,mitment-phobe Scott McCall thought that one kiss would have her in his bed within minutes! And if she had been drowning under his kiss, then now was the time toe up for air. And fast.


    She smoothed her ruffled hair back. ¡°Isn¡¯t it mandatory to at least buy a woman dinner first?¡± she questioned drily. His eyes glittered. The untouchable look was back, and somehow that turned him on even more.


    ¡°You¡¯re hungry?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You really do have the most colossal nerve, don¡¯t you, Mr McCall?¡± she demanded icily.


    ¡°No man has ever kissed you at a party, is that it?¡±


    Not like that, they hadn¡¯t, no. ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± she snapped. ¡°Most women require a little more wooing than one kiss followed by the careless suggestion they might like to share your bed! But I guess you don¡¯t care about that. All you do is kiss someone, never talk about it and act like it never happened. Then do it again and suggest that they go to bed with you.¡±


    ¡°You want me, Vivian,¡± he said unsteadily. ¡°Deny that and I¡¯ll call you a liar!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t stupid enough to deny what was as in as the faint outline of the moon which was beginning to appear in the sky. ¡°I might want a diamond ne-but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m automatically going to rush out and rob the first jeweler I see!¡±


    He began tough as she pushed one of the dangling tendrils away from her cheek and began to turn away, afraid that her face would reveal more than he knew.


    More than even she knew, because, surely to goodness, a single kiss shouldn¡¯t make her feel like this- as if she had never known what it was to really feel before?


    Vivian inhaled a breath and tilted her chin up at a haughty angle, every inch the socialite. ¡°I¡¯m not a whore. And I do admit that I¡¯m attracted to you, but I won¡¯t have sex with you.¡±


    Irritation shed inside him, and he took a step closer to her before he drew to an abrupt halt. ¡°Look Vivian, I can promise you that when I take a woman to my bed, she wants to be there. I don¡¯t give a damn about love and any other shit like that, because there¡¯s something much more honest-fucking. There are no lies when a woman ising for me, and I don¡¯t want one in my bed who doesn¡¯t want to be there. If she can¡¯t give me the truth of her pleasure, then I don¡¯t want her under me. And any man who¡¯s satisfied with just getting a woman between the sheets, without giving a damn about her desire to be there, isn¡¯t a man.¡±


    Silence plummeted in the air, and Vivian bit her lower lip. ¡°Goodbye, Mr McCall¡± she said.


    ¡°And where are you going?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Home.¡±


    Back to where she was safe-safe from a man with nothing to offer but his exquisite body. She turned back then, surer of herself.


    ¡°And please don¡¯t try following me!¡±


    He didn¡¯t point out that her eyes belied her words. No woman wanted to be made aware of her own weaknesses.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t follow you,¡± he murmured softly. ¡°Not tonight. I¡¯ve done enough deals in my life to know that you should only act when the moment is right, and that moment isn¡¯t now. I¡¯m good at waiting-I always have been. And I¡¯ll onlye when you¡¯re ready for me, Vivian,¡±


    ____________


    With Scott¡¯s mocking words ringing in her ears, Vivian drove back to her apartment in a highly charged state of arousal and indignation.


    So he woulde back when she was ready, would he? As if she were some package just waiting for him to open her! As if he could walk into her life and find her waiting there with open arms.


    But the memory of his kiss burned on her lips as if he had branded her. As if he had made her his with just that one stamp of possession.


    She fought it all the way home, telling herself that she waspletely in control. He had coaxed her body into glorious and responsive life, but that didn¡¯t mean that she was going to leap into bed with him. In fact, if he meant what he said and he¡¯d followed her home¡­ When he came-If he came-she would just show him the door.


    But he didn¡¯te.


    And somehow, instead of dampening the fire he had ignited, his failure to show only fanned the mes and it was hard to think of anything but him, even though she tried.


    She got home and hurriedly took off her clothes and hopped into the shower. She felt hot and had to stay under the cold water for minutes before she felt better. After she put on her nightwear, she got into bed but sleep wouldn¡¯te no matter how hard she tried.


    She was thinking way too much about Scott and she knew sleep wouldn¡¯te until she found a way to get him out of her head. She turned on the TV and put on an episode of Grey¡¯s anatomy, and after some time, she was dozing off, only to wake up again to the sound of her phone ringing.


    She checked the caller ID and groaned when she saw that it was Scott. He wasn¡¯t helping matters by calling her, but she picked the call anyway.


    ¡°Hello¡± she said, trying to mask her feelings, but she wasn¡¯t sure she was doing a good job.

 33

    ¡°I just wanted to make sure you got home safe,¡± Scott said.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but it was such a sweet gesture that Vivian couldn¡¯t help a smile. She just couldn¡¯t figure the man out. Sometimes, he behaved like an asshole that she wanted to scream at him, and other times, he was such a gentleman. A gentleman who knew exactly how and where to touch her to make her shiver.


    ¡°Yes I¡¯m home¡± she replied simply.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care if I¡¯m home?¡± he asked mockingly, ¡°Damm woman, you know you can be mean sometimes.¡±


    Vivian chuckled softly . Imagine him calling her mean! It was the joke of the century. ¡°Fine, are you home now, Mr McCall?¡± she asked, smiling, and she was d that he couldn¡¯t see her.


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m home.¡± Scott replied, ¡°And please call me Scott, damn it. We¡¯re not back in the office now, are we?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re still my boss,¡± Vivian said, but she was talking more to herself than him. Like reminding herself that she was going down a dangerous route. She¡¯d just made out with her boss, and she knew that nothing good coulde out of having such a rtionship with her employer, but she¡¯d liked it way too much forfort.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be thinking about you all night.¡± Scott continued as if she hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°Such a shame that you refused toe home with me tonight. I wanted to pleasure you hard, Vivian. When was thest time you let a man touch you?¡±


    Vivian gasped. It was such a raw and personal question, and she sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to answer it. It wasn¡¯t any of his business and as far as she was concerned, they had crossed the line they shouldn¡¯t have that night. She couldn¡¯t deny what had happened them, but what she could do was try to put an end to it before they were too far gone.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°I need to hang up now, Mr McCall. You should get some sleep.¡± she said, and without waiting for him to reply, she hung up.


    But sleep didn¡¯te for over an hour, and when it finally did, she was tormented with dreams of Scott McCall.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Two weekster, Vivian stood a good four paces back from the desk and sizzled inside with grim defiant patience while she waited for Scott to acknowledge her presence.


    She was wearing a simple-cut cream linen dress today, cinched in at her waist by a mustard-yellow leather belt, and on her feet she wore a pair of matching shoes.  This particr outfit had been picked off the rail with only one purpose in mind-to challenge Scott McCall to find anything objectionable about it.


    If she thought that he was annoying before, she¡¯d not known just how much worse it could get¡­ after that party she¡¯d attended with him. He¡¯d surprisingly not brought it up at all and she hadn¡¯t either, but she found herself wondering if he did things like that all the time. Kiss a girl, make out with her, ask her to go to bed with him, and then not even try to talk about it the next day.


    He¡¯d not talked about it, but he¡¯d be even more annoying and seemed to always find something wrong with almost everything she did, and just yesterday, the way she dressed took a hit too.


    The man could frame a thousand criticisms with one sweeping nce from his cold dark eyes. And yesterday¡¯s objection had been aimed at the short pearl-grey skirt she had worn with a delicious plum-coloured silk georgette blouse. His sweeping nce of disapproval had taken in the length of leg she had on show and glittered with ice at the see-through fabric of the blouse even though she wore a matching camisole underneath it.


    She had been surprised, because he had neverined about her dressing once since she started working for him. She could have even sworn that she saw his eyes darken with desire at some point, but it had been reced immediately with anger, so today she¡¯d covered up in a dress with a hem that finished primly two inches below her knees. And she¡¯d scraped back her hair into such a tight bun the skin framing her face felt tight, because yesterday he¡¯d also snapped at her when she had to keep pushing the heavy weight of glossy ck waves away from her face each time she¡¯d looked down at her work.


    And she was absolutely certain that he was deliberately making her wait like this to string out the tension by keeping his chair swung facing the window so all she could see of him was the top of his dark head.


    It was all part of the war of attrition he was waging against her, because he was mad at her for turning him down. It almost made herugh sometimes. He was throwing a damn tantrum like a big baby who didn¡¯t get what he wanted. He was never going to forgive her for walking away from him, but she was determined to stick this thing out and  ignore him totally if he didn¡¯t try to talk about it like an adult¡­ even if it killed her in the process.


    Or she killed Scott McCall.


    Scott sat behind his desk with his phone held to his ear, and wondered if Vivian had a single clue that he could read her thoughts through the back of his head. The trouble with Vivian Sanchez was that she had not learnt the art of masking her feelings, and she was too damn stubborn to want to do so if she could.


    Murmuring a response to the man on the other end of the line, Scott kept his brooding dark gaze fixed on the te of tinted ss set between him and the view of the city beyond, though he did not see the view. His attention was focused on the smoked ss itself, onto which Vivian¡¯s image was stamped like a poorly exposed photograph, visible but misted by the daylight filtering in from outside. There but not there, he likened. He preferred her like that, out of focus and out of reach so he could pretend that whatever else kept on charging up between them wasn¡¯t there either.


    His call concluded, Scott dropped the phone, took in a deep mental breath, then swung his chair around. An instant surge of testosterone-charged heat took a leap down his front to gather like a ming knife in his groin.


    The provocative witch, he thought, letting his eyes shutter out the telling gleam he felt spark to life in them while, at the same time, taking in every smooth sleek inch. The dress was a ssy work of formal modesty, the pulled-back hair an insult to its fabulous long and waving length. Everything, even the length of her skirt, was telling him she¡¯d corrected each criticism he¡¯d aimed at her-spoken or unspoken. His jawline flexed. She missed damn well nothing.


    Vivian read the flexing tension as yet another disy of criticism which threatened to crucify her self-confidence as much as it made her blood start to burn. She wished she could adopt the same physical indifference to him that he dealt out to her but she¡¯d tried and she couldn¡¯t. Even though she hated him at the moment and she could not stop herself from responding-inwardly, at least-to the pure male animal maism that poured out of him in such hot sinful waves. He made her feel breathless and snarled up by self-awareness she neither understood, nor could control.


    ¡°So, what have you got there for me?¡± he broke the silence, and even the rich deep tones of his voice made her insides quiver as she walked forward to ce the file she was holding down on his desk.


    ¡°The files you wanted, Sir¡± she supplied.


    Scott nced down at the bulky file, then back to Vivian again, his lengthy ck eyshes flickering in surprise. ¡°That was quick.¡± Reaching forward he slid the file towards him. ¡°Did you stay up all night working on it?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted it by this morning,¡± Vivian reminded him.


    ¡°So I did.¡± Lowering his gaze again, Scott experienced a pang of guilt as he scanned through documents. Maybe he¡¯d worked her too hard and he was damn sorry, but he was frustrated with her. She was the only woman he¡¯d met who seemed to have the annoying ability to mess with his head without even trying at all, and he wanted her so much¡­ more than he¡¯d ever wanted a woman in his life. And she¡¯d walked away from him¡­


    Even now she stood there, head held up high, as if she didn¡¯t care about anything in the world. She didn¡¯t care about him¡­


    He studied the papers intently, his face in shadow as he read. Silence spread over the room, disturbed only by the crackle of savagely turned pages. Suddenly his head jerked up as he snapped the folder shut and tossed it aside. ¡°Dammit woman, don¡¯t you ever talk?¡± he snapped.

 34

    Vivian shifted, her fingers aching from gripping her arms too tight. His anger showed in every line of his tanned skin. But she refused to be intimidated. ¡°I talk. But you have to realize you haven¡¯t asked me anything or any question I have to reply to. You do this all the time.¡± she challenged back.


    She regretted thement immediately, because he suddenly lurched forward, his calm demeanor gone in a single sharp blink of his eyes. ¡°Exin what you mean by that,¡± hemanded.


    ¡°I¡­No.¡± Feeling her cheeks start to heat, Vivian lowered her gaze.


    ¡°You damn well will, Vivian¡± he countered harshly. ¡°And you will do it right now!¡±


    ¡°Why are you angry with me?¡± she queried hotly.¡± You instructed me to go through the documents and I did. Did I do something wrong?¡±


    She knew damn well why he was angry and was trying to divert the subject, Scott recognised, narrowing his eyes as he swung his mind back to the night of the party. ¡°What the hell do you think -?¡± he shot at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Her eyes widened in rm when he came striding around the side of the desk and pulled to a stop only when he towered right over her. Intimidated by the whole macho physicality of his stance, Vivian took a wary step back.


    ¡°W-what is the matter with you?¡± she husked out.


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a question,¡± Scott stepped in close again, halting her next backward step by catching hold of her arms to make her stay where she was.


    Feeling the pressure of his fingers slither a streak of heat over her shoulders, Vivian hurriedly tried to bury the sensation in a rush of speech.


    ¡°Let-Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Why the hell did you walk away from me that night? And don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t want me because I know you did. I got a taste of it the other night. You were like hot silk in my arms when we kissed, woman. And look at me when you talk to me,¡± Scott rasped in annoyance.¡± It infuriates me when you hide your eyes from me like that.¡±


    Pulling in a tense breath, Vivian did as he bade her, found herself shing with a pair of dark eyes, a me in their depths she had never seen there before. For a second she forgot what they were talking about while she absorbed this fascinating moment-


    ¡°Speak,¡± Scottmanded.


    Vivian blinked, borately long soot-ck eyshes a trembling framework around the startling dark of her eyes. ¡°Finally you said what you have been wanting to say since. I got the documents you wanted. Is there something else¡­. work rted that you¡¯d like me to help you with, Mr McCall? Are we done here?¡±


    ¡°You and I are not. I want to know why you walked out.¡±


    ¡°This is all your own fault, Scott!¡± she then red up before he could react. ¡°Women do change their minds, you know. Just because we kissed doesn¡¯t mean I owed it to you to spend the night in your bed. You are the one who started this. First you kiss me and ignore me, then you get mad when you see me with a coworker because you think I¡¯m having an inappropriate work rtionship with them. And now, since that night, you have been doing the same thing. You make me follow you about like a pet dog on a leash! You re at me if I move. You re at me if I smile. You touch my hair, my arm, my fingers if I rest them on the table. You slide your hand around my waist when we walk! Look at you now,¡± Vivian charged up heatedly.¡± You are holding me here in front of you as if you have some special right to do so!¡±


    Scott snapped his fingers from her arms as if she¡¯d burned him. Vivian almost staggered off the heels of her shoes in shock. The stunned expression on his face made her wring out a littleugh. ¡°You don¡¯t know you do it, do you?¡± she choked out unsteadily. ¡°You have no clue at all that you do any of the things I said! Well, you do, and soon people will assume from your behavior towards me that we are -intimate.¡± The word struggled to leave her throat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what anyone else thinks, damn it. You gave me quite a lesson in teasing,dy. You were ready¡± he stated. ¡°I should have¡­.


    ¡°I don¡¯t tease,¡± Vivian sputtered. ¡°And what makes you think you could have?¡±


    Scott turned to stone in front of her. Shaken up by what she had just said to him, Vivian tried to tug in a strained breath. For the past two weeks, Scott had been treating her more like his lowly ve than his personal assistant. He¡¯d dragged her out to every business luncheon he had attended. He¡¯d brought her tumbling out of bed at ungodly hours of the morning to apany him to working breakfasts too. If she spoke he didn¡¯t like it; if she smiled he didn¡¯t like it. If she let her attention drift to take in her surroundings he touched her hand to bring her gaze back to him, then frowned at her as if she hadmitted a mortal sin. Then he let her go home in the evenings-to recover, she presumed, while he went out and-did whatever it was he did in the evenings with whoever it was he did it with!


    ¡°Let me show you then¡­ ¡± he said.


    Her first step backward was herst.  Scott¡¯s arms looped about her to bring her to his chest, pinning her arms to her sides, and sending her handbag across the carpet. Their clothing seemed to dissolve as Vivian felt each button of his shirt imprint itself on her flesh. Hard thighs cradled the softness of hers, a granite brace of muscles and desire that burned her body.


    Scott looked down at her, hisshes throwing webbed shadows on his cheeks. Vivian swallowed nervously, and his gaze flickered down her throat. The grim line of his mouth tightened. His stare returned to her face. His arms loosened slightly, yet he did not permit her to move.


    He wanted to trace her ribcage and slide his hands beneath that damned clothes. He wanted to touch her bare nipples, to feel them ripen with need. The same need that coursed through his own body and made his muscles bunch. But he knew he had to pace himself, to keep his cool andunch a full blown attack on her senses, it was all about breaching her line of defense, tackling every barrier she had put up and turning her on beyond the point of no return. They were so close he could almost taste her breath in the air between them.


    ¡°I know that I could because if I kiss you right now, you wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me. In fact I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want me to.¡± he murmured softly as she squirmed against the masculine shackles that bound her. He leaned back against the desk, then drew her forward against him. Vivian pressed her thighs into the front of the desk. His jet ck gaze slid over her face, touching the parted softness of her mouth.


    She struggled, found it futile, then red at him. ¡°Let me go¡±. She said


    He held her easily, his eyes glittering as her tongueved her dry bottom lip


    The harsh ces of his face softened into a sensual expression that heated her blood. Vivian¡¯s bones began turning to Jell-O, her emotions ying hide-and-seek with the orders of her brain. She groaned, a low sound of frustration. ¡°Let me go, Scott¡± she said again.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°I could take you right now if I wanted to. So can you drop the fucking act.¡± He said, and released her just as suddenly as he¡¯d grabbed her. ¡°Now I want to take away those files on my desk and look through them as well. Also I want you call Senator Adams and tell them I said our deal is off.


    Tuning in toote to catch what he¡¯d said, Vivian saw that he¡¯d moved back round his desk and lowered himself back into his chair again.


    ¡°See to it right away.¡± he instructed, pushing a folder back across the desk.


    ¡°S-see to wh-what?¡± she stammered out warily.


    He lifted eyes to look at her. It was like being pinned to the wall by shards of ck ss. Whatever it was that had exploded inside of him was gone now and the cold hard ruthlessly controlled animal was back.


    ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry,¡± she feltpelled to apologize. ¡°But I did not catch w-what you s-said to me.¡±


    ¡°Do I have a poormand of the Englishnguage?¡± he mocked.


    ¡°N-no.¡± She hated him. ¡°I¡­ I lost concentration f-for a m-moment¡­¡¯


    Scott wondered what she¡¯d do if he asked her to use that delightfully husky stammer she¡¯d just developed, tonight while lying naked beneath him in his bed? She would probably just walk away from him again¡­

 35

    Damn! The silent curse burned its way around his head in protest for letting this thing between them go this far. Two damn long weeks after that night and she was still here driving him crazy.


    A curse locked in his throat. Vivian Sanchez might not like him, but she lusted after him with a fever she was too inept to keep hidden, though he was equally certain that she was not aware that she was so transparent.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She made him think of a living, breathing sexual grenade with the pin dangling halfway out-half precocious woman, half infuriating child. She heat him up like no woman had ever done, and he wanted her in his bed!


    Scott made a grab at the thread of this discussion. ¡°Call Senator Adams ¡°he instructed.¡± Tell him I¡¯m no longer interested in doing business with them.¡±


    ¡°Me-?¡± Vivian gasped.¡±Why? But I don¡¯t -¡±


    ¡°And bring me some coffee,¡± he cut over her  protest and sat forward to  ¡°And remind Anne to tell the ount manager that I will be out for two hours at lunch.¡±


    ¡°But¡­Scott please,¡± Vivian murmured painfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do what you said!¡±


    ¡°Make coffee?¡¯ he incised with a cruelty he actually enjoyed inflicting.


    ¡°Tell somebody a deal is to be broken!¡¯


    ¡°Then you are about to ride yet another steep learning curve,¡± he ryed without a hint of care. ¡°And just for the record, If you feel like I¡¯m touching you too much, then maybe you stop taking swipes at me by the way you dress, or the way you look at me. As for the other night, walking away after kissing me like that was juvenile and very annoying. If you hated it so much, then you wouldn¡¯t have kissed me back. Now I have some calls to make.¡±


    Dismissed, appalled, devastated-whipped by his cold assassination-Vivian picked up her bag, spun away and walked across his office on legs that shook. She rushed to get his coffee, but she was still very angry when she got out of the elevator.


    Juvenile and annoying¡­..


    ¡°I hate him,¡± Vivian whispered as she passed Betty¡¯s desk. ¡°I really really hate him.¡±


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± Betty, who was sitting at her desk, asked her.


    Wishing she was dead or at least far, far away from this ce, Vivian stumbled across to her office, followed closely by Betty, to sink down in the chair behind her desk before her trembling legs crumbled altogether.


    ¡°He¡¯s in a very bad mood today and I hate him.¡± she said.


    ¡°We all do sometimes, darlin¡¯,¡± Betty responded dryly. ¡°Our gorgeous boss is pure sex on legs but can also be as cold as ice. It¡¯s such a waste of good male flesh.¡±


    Sitting back in a chair, blonde curls bounced on her head as she gave Vivian¡¯s pale face the once-over. ¡°Bit your head off, did he?¡± Betty asked.


    More than just my head, Vivian thought tragically. ¡°I don¡¯t know how his previous assistants or even you have put up with him for as long as you have.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s like that all the time. Maybe he¡¯s just having a bad day. Besides, I¡¯m immune. I¡¯ve got my own sexy brute to go home to each evening, and he¡¯s never cold.¡±


    ¡°He wants me to cancel the deal with Senator Adams¡± Vivian said.


    Betty went still. ¡°Really? Mr McCall is throwing away such a lucrative deal. I don¡¯t believe it. Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    His harsh rebuff was still striking her as hard as everything else. It was like being cut off from the main lifeline which kept her functioning. She might hate him sometimes but she reveled in being around him. Why had she told him he constantly touched her? Why hadn¡¯t she kept her big mouth shut?


    ¡°Maybe something personal happened,¡± Betty said gently.


    Blinking her ridiculously long eyshes Vivian brought her gaze into focus on the other woman, read her sympathetic expression and went hot.


    ¡°He wants coffee.¡± Looking away she stood and walked across the office to the window. Then on impulse she begged Betty, ¡°Will you take it to him for me? I don¡¯t think I can stand another visit in there right now.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Betty replied.


    Always rxed, always sunny, Betty came to touch her arm. ¡°Vivian¡­ she posed gently,¡± Take a bit of advice from someone a bit older and so wiser than you are¡­get yourself a man.¡±


    ncing up, Vivian groaned,¡±Oh, Damn. Am I so obvious?¡±


    Betty¡¯s sympathetic smile said it all. ¡°You know, when you first arrived here, it took you barely a week to win us all over. You¡¯re hard-working, sweet and nice, and I¡¯m sure you can surely find someone if you open up¡­. Michael for example¡­¡±


    Vivian started despising herself for bringing this lecture on.


    ¡°He really likes you, Vivian.¡± Betty pressed on her. ¡°I know I tease him a lot when he says it, but he really is into you. As for Mr McCall, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Vivian almost choked on her own saliva. Why was she bringing up Scott in this conversation? Unless¡­. She suspected that something was going on.


    ¡°Why Mr McCall?¡± she dared to ask.


    Betty smiled. ¡°I have eyes, Vivian, and I¡¯m not judging. Trust me. I understand, but I¡¯m just looking out for you. He¡¯s your boss, and I don¡¯t want him to hurt you.¡±


    Vivian felt some crazy need to defend Scott McCall even though he did not deserve it. ¡°But he¡¯s not always an asshole.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Betty couldn¡¯t argue with that. ¡°But he¡¯s never in a stable, serious rtionship with anyone. They all receive a farewell gift after a brief rtionship. By next week another woman just like her will have been put in her ce. It¡¯s the way he works. The way he likes to keep it,¡± Betty stressed.¡±He¡¯s an amazing risk taker in the business arena. An absolute financial genius everybody admires and respects, and he¡¯smendably honest andmitted to any promises he makes-in business-but in his personal life? I don¡¯t think he is ready or will ever be ready to make amitment to anyone¡­. .¡±


    Betty shook her head and continued. ¡°He¡¯s a smooth, cool, bone-meltingly gorgeous sexual predator. He does not connect sex with his emotions-if he has any when ites to rtionships-the jury is still out on that. So take my advice and don¡¯t go there. Don¡¯t even want to go there because if he decides to take you he will spoil you forever. So get yourself a man,¡± she repeated,¡± Another man, and wean yourself off Scott McCall while you still can.¡±


    ¡°Where is my coffee?¡± a voice said behind them.


    Both women jumped guiltily and turned to see Scott standing in the office doorway. By his closed expression there was no way they could tell if he¡¯d overheard them talking about him, but for the first time since she¡¯d started working here, Vivian saw two hot coins of guilt hit Betty¡¯s creamy cheekbones and knew her own cheeks wore the same hot sting.


    Good, Scott thought, tamping down hard on his anger for the second time this morning as he strode across the room to take the tray from Vivian¡¯s table, then strode back out of the office with it without uttering another word.


    Get yourself a man¡­His lipspressed into a tight line as he set down the tray. Why had he not thought of offering Vivian the same piece of advice? The answer to that question was not a nice one. But then, as Betty had just pointed out to Vivian, he wasn¡¯t nice. It rankled-the not-nice part and the man part.


    Throwing himself down in his chair Scott swung it around to face the window. So he was a sexual predator who didn¡¯t respect women. A sh of irritation shot across his face. He did respect them or why the hell did he restrict himself to the kind that preferred to y the game the way he liked to y it? He wasn¡¯t looking for love. He was not looking for marriage, so he steered well clear of the kind of women looking for either or both. And that was respecting them, he determined. He wasn¡¯t sure if Vivian would be open to the kind of rtionship that he wanted, but still, It would have been nice if Betty had recognised that he didn¡¯t disrespect women or preying on anyone. That was the kind of thing Bruce Be did and he was nothing like that bastard.


    Vaguely surprised that there was a dose of hurt rolling round inside him, Scott frowned. He was good to his staff, fair-generous, as Betty had pointed out. He¡¯d believed he had their respect.


    Betty had shocked him with her view of him. It angered him that she¡¯d felt it necessary to warn Vivian off. Was he really that bad?


    He rested a long forefinger along the line of his mouth where the smooth skin covering his lips felt tightly stretched, his eyes narrowed by an unwanted feeling of distaste at the idea of Vivian turning all of that untapped passion on for some other man.

 36

    What if she took Betty¡¯s advice-?


    Scott hated that thought.


    ¡°Damn,¡± he muttered, not liking what was rattling around inside him. Where was the guy who focused purely on business? The guy who barely noticed a woman unless she was stretched out naked on a bed?


    Perhaps that was it. He needed a woman. Sex, he named it. A long night of seething hot passion with the kind of woman who could appreciate what he could do for her without expecting the whole heavy emotional bit by return. He was not possessive. He was not even mildly demonstrative like Vivian had dared to suggest. If he touched her like she said he did, it was done with attention to polite good manners and respect. She was the one who¡¯d misread the signals.


    Okay maybe that was a lie, but he wasn¡¯t excessively obvious about it as she imed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Senator Adams Griffin was at first stunned by  Scott¡¯s decision to pull out of negotiations, then he grew increasingly more angry by Vivian¡¯s apologetic inability to give him answers as to why they were being dumped. Within minutes of her finally managing to put the phone down on the ufortable conversation, several phones were ringing and Sor Adams was demanding to speak to Scott.


    When Senator Adams called Vivian again, she let Scott know and he agreed to speak with him. Vivian put him through to Scott and Ten minutester he was striding out of his office with his too-handsome face locked into an iron-hard mask of contempt. He did not speak as he crossed Betty¡¯s desk where Vivian was also sitting. He did not even cast them a nce. The dismissive tension he left behind him cloyed on Vivian.


    In the end, she couldn¡¯t stand it, and she took herself off to the caf¨¦ around the corner to buy herself some lunch. Betty tried to convince her to join them in the cafeteria but she declined as she needed some space to clear her head. While she sat at one of the small tables trying to eat a sandwich her tense throat did not want to swallow, a man from the ounts department came into the caf¨¦. Seeing her sitting on her own he brought his sandwich to her table and joined her.


    After a shy start to her unexpectedpany Vivian surprised herself by warming to his easygoing brand of friendly humor and began to rx and enjoy herself. They walked back to the office building together and lingered to finish their conversation in the foyer for a minute or two. It was all warm and nice and friendly and fun.


    Striding into his plush grey-and-ck marble foyer, Scott caught sight of Vivian standing there, talking with someone from his ounts team.


    Shock almost brought him to a halt.


    She looked young and beautiful and rxed and alive. Something hard and hot grabbed hold of his chest and hung on. Without knowing he was about to do it, he parted his grim lips to snap out her name, only to mp them shut again when her ¡®pet dog on a leash¡¯ usation leapt into his head.


    He kept himself moving towards the bank of lifts and refused to look at the cosy duo again. Once he¡¯d gained the privacy of his luxurious office, he went straight on the offensive and took out his mobile phone to start flicking through his contact. Five minutester he had arranged dinner for that evening with the beautiful and very eager Olivia and was feeling much better about himself. Olivia was just what he needed¡­. she always had been. She was cool, smooth and practiced in the art of sex just for sex.


    Young and irritatingly naive brtes with more than a hint of fire in their bellies, and with virgin territory stamped all over them, did not and never would do it for him.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    After a long day of work, Scott moved into the parking lot to get his car. He had scheduled a date that evening with Olivia and although he was really thrilled about it, he guessed it would do him some good.


    When he tried to unlock his car, a movement caught his eye. It was Vivian, and she looked like she was struggling with something. When she bent over to inspect her car engine, the pose made his mouth go dry. Obviously she still had that effect on him, and scheduling a date with another woman couldn¡¯t fix it. He was still upset with her because of her conversation with Betty, but he couldn¡¯t just ignore and leave her there.


    ¡°Need some help?¡± he asked as he walked over to her.


    Vivian turned around, surprised to see him. ¡°Urmmm¡­ I guess I do¡±. She replied. One hand propping up the rear hood, red painted fingernails drumming on the metal. She took off her shades and folded them, tucking one earpiece down between the cleft of her breasts. With a frank sweep of her gaze, she studied him. She seemed faintly amused.


    ¡°You know how to fix cars?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Why are you smiling while asking me that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You should answer my question first,¡± Vivian replied.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Scott said. I don¡¯t know the first thing about fixing cars, ¡± he admitted. ¡°Now you answer my question.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me that you don¡¯t¡±


    ¡°So you are calling me spoiled¡­.¡± he said feigning annoyance. ¡°Just what kind of person do you think I really am, Vivian?¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­ Sorry¡± .


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it, though?¡±Scott asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Vivian said, as she rubbed her forehead. ¡°It just refused to start, and I have to get to the cheesecake shop for my shift.¡±


    ¡°Urmmm. I guess I will take you there?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Vivian replied. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so d you showed up¡±


    ¡°No problem¡±. He said, and tried not to stare, but she was gorgeous. With her full lips, hair dark and silky, beautiful eyes andshes even silkier. A single tear drop of sweat trickled down between her breasts. A tiny gold cross on a dainty chainy against her smooth skin. He nearly groaned aloud.


    With a sh of her extravagantly gorgeous legs, she leaned into the driver¡¯s side to grab her things, and Scott forced himself to look away. Together, they got into his car and Scott drove off. The ride was quiet in the beginning until Scott couldn¡¯t take it any more. Anything was better than sitting in such a confined space with her in awkward silence.


    ¡°You worked really hard today,¡± he began, without looking at her. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be going home to rest?¡±


    Relieved that the silence was broken, Vivian was eager to engage in some kind of conversation. ¡°It would be nice, I admit, but I have a shift and no one to cover for me, so I guess I have to go.¡±


    He kept his eyes on the road, ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to keep working there.¡±


    ¡°I told you. I need to keep the job¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Because I¡¯m going to fire you when my assistantes back?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do that, so stop worrying about it. You are good at your job so why would I let you go. Besides, I think  Ruth wants to move to the same state as her daughter so she might not return, and even if she does, we can just move you to another department.. Or something¡­ I¡¯m not going to fire you.¡±


    She risked a nce in his direction. ¡°Thanks, but.. You¡¯d move me to another department if she returns. Don¡¯t you like me being your personal assistant?¡±


    Scott¡¯s hands tightened on the steering wheel. The thing was that he did like her. He liked her way more than he should have. That was the problem, and truthfully, he was still a bit upset over her conversation with Betty.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well, I thought you¡¯d like it that way,¡± he replied, then added. ¡°You see, since I¡¯m this mean asshole who disrespects and discards women when he¡¯s done with them.¡±


    Vivian stared at him, but he refused to meet her gaze. ¡°You heard¡­¡± she said softly. She had suspected that he had, but the confirmation from him only made her feel worse.


    ¡°Of course I heard, Vivian¡± he replied, ¡°I¡¯m not deaf¡±


    There was a brief silence, before Vivian said softly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that, Scott.¡±


    He tried to brush it off like he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Oh screw it. It doesn¡¯t matter¡±


    ¡°It does because you¡¯re clearly upset about it¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset¡± he snapped, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ just¡­ fuck it.¡±


    ¡°Betty and I didn¡¯t mean it like that. The conversation just took a different turn by the time you came it. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t think like this if you¡¯d heard the beginning of the conversation.¡±


    ¡°Fine, and I don¡¯t want to hear the rest of it or the beginning.¡± he said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you and not Betty then. What do you think about me? What kind of man do you think I am? Do you really think that I use and discard women?¡±

 37

    Vivian opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn¡¯t find the right words so she closed it again.


    Scott shook his head.¡± Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    ¡°Scott, you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I think I do, Vivian. Just forget it.¡±


    The car stopped and Vivian looked out the window. They were already at the cheesecake shop. She returned her gaze to Scott, but he wouldn¡¯t even look at her and she felt very bad.


    ¡°Thanks for the ride.¡± she said. ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Vivian.¡±


    Vivian got out of the car and hurried into the shop, feeling even worse than she felt in the morning. Scott watched her as she walked away. Damn her, he thought. Damn her for making him feel this way and putting him in this constant state of confusion.


    Then he withdrew his phone and canceled his date with Olivia.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Jennifer Be stood in the foyer and stared at the front door as the ring of the doorbell echoed through her house.


    Seven o¡¯clock. Right on the dot, she thought and rolled her eyes. It was time to face Scott McCall again.


    The doorbell rang again, and it unglued her feet, propelling her forward. She unlocked and opened the door, revealing her date for the evening. No, correction-the man she was pretending to be madly in love with for the next six months.


    ¡°Seven o¡¯clock,¡± she rasped, ¡°Just as you requested.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I like to keep my word, and it¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re ready too.¡±


    Jennifer nodded. ¡°Hmmmm¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your coat?¡± Scott asked, ncing past her into the house.


    ¡°I have it.¡± Jennifer replied. Get it together, she silently ordered herself as she briefly returned inside to grab her coat off the stand.


    ¡°Here. Let me.¡± Scott stepped inside the foyer and took the cape from her, holding it up while she slipped into it.


    Fastening it, she turned back to him, and was honestly surprised at the nice gesture from him. She was even more surprised when he offered her his arm. She hesitated for a moment, then slid her arm through his and let him guide her out of the house and to his waiting Car. A driver stood at the rear door, but Scott waved him away and opened the door for her himself.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Jennifer said when they got into the car and began to move. ¡°I honestly wasn¡¯t expecting any sort of kindness from a man like you.¡±


    Scott wanted to punch something. What was it with everyone acting like they knew him and could just assume whatever the fuck the wanted about him. He still hadn¡¯t recovered from what he heard from Vivian and Betty. And now this? It made him feel sick.


    ¡°A man like me?¡± he repeated, the sardonic note rying that he understood exactly what she meant.


    ¡°I hate to tarnish your image of me, Jennifer, but you have no idea what kind of man I am. First of all, my beginnings aren¡¯t as rarefied as yours and your brother¡¯s. My mother raised me alone. She worked barely above minimum-wage jobs when I was a kid. My father left her, so she often worked two jobs to provide for us. And as soon as I was old enough, I took any kind of employment I could to help her. I¡¯m not just somepany owner. If you ever need your yardndscaped or your gutters cleaned, I can do those, too


    None of this happened out of blue, got it?¡±


    Shame sidled through Jennifer in a slick, oily glide. She¡¯d unknowingly spoken from a lofty ce of privilege, but her ignorance didn¡¯t excuse it. True, she didn¡¯t subscribe to the idle lives some of those in high society did-she believed in working hard and making a difference in the world-but she couldn¡¯t deny that she didn¡¯t know what it was to go without. To go to bed exhausted from menialbor or worried about how the next bill would be paid.


    Scott¡¯s mother, and even Scott, obviously did.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she murmured. ¡°I spoke out of turn.¡± She paused, debated whether to say anything else, but ended up whispering, ¡°Your mother must be proud of you.¡±


    Scott studied her for several silent, heavy moments. ¡°She is. But then again, she would¡¯ve been proud of me even if I didn¡¯t be apany owner.¡±


    Jennifer digested that, turned it over and analyzed it again. Could she say the same for her parents? No. Her father would¡¯ve easily disowned her. And as much as Jennifer adored her mother, Margaret Be  wouldn¡¯t have been proud of or happy for her daughter if she had been anything less than what her name demanded- respectable, wealthy, connected and married to a man who fit those same qualifications. The certainty in that knowledge saddened her. Did Scott McCall realize how fortunate he was?


    ¡°She sounds lovely,¡± Jennifer said, ready to drop the unsettling subject. But then, because her mouth apparently had no allegiance to her, she blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your father.¡±


    Another heartbeat of weighty silence. ¡°It was a long time ago, and I didn¡¯t even meet him anyways.¡±


    ¡°My mother died fourteen years ago. And I still miss her every day,¡± she admitted softly.


    Slowly, Scott nodded. ¡°I remember,¡± he finally said, surprising her. ¡°Your brother and I went to high school together, andter attended the same college. But I recall when your mother died. The principal came for him in the middle of ss and took him out.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you and Bruce went to school together.¡± Shock whistled through her. ¡°He never mentioned knowing you.¡± Not that he mentioned Scott at all unless it regarded business.


    Or more recently, not unless a blue streak of unttering adjectives followed his name. Guess they were even more than just business rivals. Their history went way back.


    Scott¡¯s mouth curved into a hard, faintly cruel smile. ¡°Your brother and I have a long history. He was decent until that day. I was a schrship student at an elite, private prep school. That already made me a target for most students there. But your brother wasn¡¯t one of them. Until after your mother died. Then he became one of the worst. That he and I were often head-to-headpetitors in academics and athletics didn¡¯t help matters. Neither did the fact that I didn¡¯t take his or any of the other assholes¡¯ shit.¡±


    ¡°He changed after Mother passed,¡± Jennifer murmured, the dagger of pain stabbing her chest all too familiar when she thought about the boy who¡¯d be a hardened man. ¡°She was the¡­buffer between him and my father. My dad¡­¡± Jennifer shook her head, turning to stare at the passing scenery outside the car window, but seeing Lincoln Be¡¯s disapproving, stern frown that was often directed at his children. But more so at his first-born child. ¡°He was demanding, exacting and nearly impossible to please. And Bruce desperately wanted to please him. Which became impossible after our father died. Yet, even now¡­¡± Again she trailed off, feeling as if she betrayed her brother by revealing even that much.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse his behavior,¡± Scott replied, ice coating his voice.


    ¡°No,¡± she agreed, more to herself than him. ¡°But no one is created in a bubble. And no one is all bad or all good. Sometimes it helps to understand why people behave the way they do. And it helps us give thempassion and mercy.¡±


    ¡°Your brother doesn¡¯t deservepassion or mercy, Jennifer. So don¡¯t try to convince me differently with sad stories of his childhood.¡±


    Jennifer kept quiet. She didn¡¯t trust Scott, and she didn¡¯t want to say anything that he could use as a source of ammo in this war he waged with her brother. She turned away. The sooner this thing was over, the better for her.


    __________


    ¡°I feel like a zoo animal in a cage,¡± Jennifer muttered, lifting a ss of white wine to her lips. ¡°They could at least be subtler about the staring.¡±


    Scott arched an eyebrow, scanning therge formal living room. Several pairs of eyes met, then slid away from his, caught ogling the newest couple in their midst. Satisfaction whispered through him. He¡¯d have preferred to attend this party with Vivian, but he¡¯d epted this particr dinner party invitation because of who would be in attendance. Not just business associates, but members of the social circle Jennifer was intricately a part of. Talk of their appearance together would rush through society elite like a brush fire.


    ¡°They¡¯re wondering why you¡¯re with the beast,¡± he said.


    ¡°Probably.¡± said Jennifer.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    He snorted at her quick agreement, earning a dazzling smile from her. He had to hand it to her-Jennifer Be was a brilliant actress. As soon as they¡¯d crossed the threshold into J and Donald¡¯s mansion, she¡¯d immediately charmed his client and her husband. And though he knew the truth behind their arrangement, even he could almost believe Jennifer was smitten with him. He was impressed with her acting. Gentle teasing when they were around people. Special smiles when she knew people were watching. Yes, she deserved an award for her performance. And as their hosts approached them, she slid her arm through his.

 38

    ¡°I should be annoyed with both of you,¡± J Harper said, her smile erasing the reproach from her words. Leaning forward, she dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°But the two of you outing yourselves as a couple tonight has made my little dinner party the social event of the season.¡±


    Jennifer smiled, ncing up at Scott, ¡°I told Scott he should at least give you some warning of who his plus one would be, but¡­¡± She tipped her head to the side and murmured, ¡°The rumors are true about that stubborn nature of his.¡±


    ¡°I find myself giving in to you way too often, though. My reputation might not survive it,¡± Scott replied, ying along. He squeezed her neck and brought her closer, brushing his lips over the side of her head.


    ¡°Well, damn.¡± J said to her husband in an amused whisper. ¡°Honey, I need you to take notes.¡±


    Beside J, her husband snorted lightly. ¡°We¡¯ve been married thirty-two years, darling. My hand is cramped.¡±


    Jennifer¡¯sughter drew more gazes in their direction, and Scott smiled in pure delight at the other couple¡¯s amusement.


    ¡°Dinner is almost ready,¡± J said, shaking her head and throwing Donald a mock-irritated nce. ¡°Let¡¯s go, you.¡±


    ¡°That went well,¡± Jennifer murmured, as soon as they were out of earshot. She slowly released his arm, but before they could recover from their act, they had to put it on again.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t you two look cozy,¡± a new,


    familiar and despised voice drawled from behind them.


    Scott released Jennifer, shifting to her side and slipping an arm around her waist. He faced Emily and Paul Wesley, careful topose his features so they betrayed none of the disgust and hatred that burned in his chest or the disdain he harbored for her and the Senator.


    Underneath those emotions, satisfaction hummed through his veins. Good. He¡¯d been waiting for their arrival. He¡¯d expected Bruce to be with them, but since he wasn¡¯t glued to Emily¡¯s side, the other man must not be in attendance. That was a disappointment, but Bruce¡¯s fiance and her  deceptive father were good enough¡­ at least for today.


    He switched his attention to Emily. There was a calcting gleam in her brown eyes. Given her long dark hair, sensuous features and curvaceous body, he couldn¡¯t deny her beauty, but it was hard, like acquer that distracted from the coldness beneath.


    ¡°I must admit, when we heard the rumors of you being here with Scott, Jennifer, we didn¡¯t believe it at first,¡± Paul said, his tone as amicable as any good politicians. But his eyes zed, yelling the things one would never want heard on an openpel mic. ¡°Your brother didn¡¯t mention you were attending tonight. Or that you were¡­¡± he paused deliberately and shifted his eyes to Scott for a moment ¡°¡­seeing someone new. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be interested to discover this turn of events.¡±


    If the senator had expected Jennifer to quail under his not-so-subtle condemnation, he¡¯d sadly underestimated her.


    ¡°Bruce is a wonderful brother, but he¡¯s just that- my brother. And I don¡¯t require his approval for who I choose to spend time with. Just as he didn¡¯t ask for mine when he decided to engage your daughter.¡± Jennifer smiled, and it could¡¯ve cut ss. ¡°Although I would¡¯ve dly offered it.¡±


    Paul blinked, his mouth hardening at the corners. ¡°Your brother and I have so much inmon. We both admire honesty-and loyalty.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really want to go there, do you, Paul?¡± Scott interjected, arching an eyebrow. He forced his voice to remain even, bored, but injected a thread of steel through it. He¡¯d be damned if he¡¯d let the man intimidate Jennifer or belittle her with his condescending bullshit. Especially not in front of him. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to discuss both with you. At length.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Daddy.¡± Emily chuckled, the sound strained, her lovely features tight.  ¡°There are more people we need to speak with.¡±


    Jennifer waited until her soon-to-be sister-inw and her father were out of earshot, then sighed. ¡°God. This evening just became infinitely longer.¡± She said,


    ¡°I beg to disagree.¡± Scott replied and settled a hand on the small of her back again, guiding her forward. ¡°I believe the fun has just begun.¡±


    _________


    Jennifer breathed deeply as she washed her hands in the bathroom. This moment alone, without the narrow eyed res from both Emily and the senator, or the microscopic attention of the other guests, was a mercy. She hated being the subject of all that spection.


    They¡¯d reminded her of vultures, waiting to see who¡¯d get their pick of carrion. Scott McCall seemed unfazed. But all those sidelong, greedy nces and not-so-quiet whispers¡­ They¡¯d crawled over her like ants attacking a pic. By the time dinner concluded, she¡¯d nearly raced to the bathroom. To be free. If only for a few moments.


    ¡°Can¡¯t stay in here forever,¡± she said to her reflection.


    That was the first sign of losing it, right? Talking to oneself. She smiled, shaking her head as she headed toward the restroom door. Her mother used to do the same, mumble to herself as she puttered around the kitchen when Dad wasn¡¯t there to catch her. God, Jennifer missed her. Missed her hugs, her quiet assurances, her confidence in Jennifer.


    Well, one thing Margaret Be would¡¯ve reprimanded her about was hiding like a coward in the bathroom during a dinner party. Snorting lightly, Jennifer exited the powder room¡­and nearly collided with Emily. Damn. Not again.


    ¡°Hi, Emily .¡± She greeted her brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you had to wait. The bathroom is all yours.¡±


    She shifted to the side, prepared to walk around the other woman, but the futile hope of avoiding a confrontation died a quick death when Emily stepped to the side as well, blocking Jennifer¡¯s escape. Emily smiled in turn, but it didn¡¯t reach her chilly brown eyes.


    ¡°No hurry, Jennifer. I was hoping to catch you alone for a few moments,¡± she purred. ¡°So we could talk about somethings¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re referring to Scott,¡± Jennifer said, resigning herself to this conversation. It wasn¡¯t one she could¡¯ve circumvented, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated having it outside of the guest restroom.


    ¡°You¡¯re a cool one, aren¡¯t you, Jennifer?¡± Emily asked, slowly shaking her head. ¡°You never mentioned that you knew him¡­ or that you were in a rtionship with him. Even your brother doesn¡¯t know about your pretense. What kind of person are you? You know how your brother feels about him.¡±


    Anger flickered to life, crackling like dry wood set aze. ¡°I didn¡¯t pretend to anyone, as you put it. It¡¯s my private life. And like I told your father, I don¡¯t need approval for my rtionships,¡± she said, working to keep the bite of rising irritation from her tone. After all, this was her future sister-inw. Even if more and more she was beginning to question the wisdom of Bruce¡¯s choice. ¡°Now, if I¡¯d known you were attending this dinner party, I would¡¯ve informed you so you weren¡¯t taken by surprise. But I wasn¡¯t aware.¡±


    Several silent moments passed, and a fury-filled tension thickened between them.


    ¡°Your brother always brags about how smart you are.¡± Emily tsked softly. ¡°Jennifer earned this degree. Jennifer graduated with honors from this program. So intelligent. And yet, when ites to men, you¡¯re so naive.¡± Her expression softened with a sympathy that was as false as hershes. ¡°You have no idea what you are doing, do you? Bruce told me a lot about him¡± She chuckled, the sound taunting. ¡°It¡¯s almost pathetic in its transparency. He¡¯s using you, Jennifer. You¡¯re caught up in his little n to make Bruce angry.¡±


    Pain, serrated and ugly, shed at her, the truth of Emily¡¯s words the razor sharp knife. Why did it hurt? She¡¯d gone into this charade knowing the reason behind it. Scott hadn¡¯t tried to deny it. But reason had no ce when humiliation and pain pumped out of her with every heartbeat.


    Forcing her lips to move and her arm to lift, she waved away Emily¡¯s barb tipped ims as if they were petty annoyances. ¡°I don¡¯t see how any of this is your business, Emily. What is between Scott and me is just that. Between us. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡±


    She moved forward again. If Emily chose to get in the way, this time she¡¯d find her ass meeting the floor, she thought. Thankfully, Emily didn¡¯t try to block her, and Jennifer headed toward the dining room with a smothered sigh of relief.


    ¡°Ask him what happened between his twin sister and Bruce.¡±


    Emily¡¯s parting shot struck true. By sheer force of will, Jennifer kept walking.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    But it was with a limp.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Jennifer Be shrugged into her suit jacket, studying herself in her room¡¯s cheval mirror. The slim fit of the gray, pin-striped jacket and pencil skirt were ttering, emphasizing the curves of her waist and hips. The cream blouse with the throat-to-waist ruffle lent it a feminine ir.


    She¡¯d gathered her hair into a loose bun and fastened a pair of her mother¡¯s favorite diamond studs to her ears.


    The whole look was professional, fashionable¡­ And armor.

 39

    Groaning, Jennifer turned from the mirror. It would¡¯ve been so easy to stay in bed today and burrow under the covers. Just pretend that this wasn¡¯t happening. After all, that was her fortetely. Pretend to be in a rtionship. Pretend to be in love with Scott McCall. Pretend she hadn¡¯t just thrown allmon sense and family loyalty out the window.


    She thought about what Emily had told her. Was she really telling the truth? Did Bruce really have some kind of history with Scott¡¯s sister?


    With a sigh, she nced at the clock on her bedside table. Well, no time for breakfast, and she could grab coffee at the office. If traffic cooperated, she would just make her nine o¡¯clock meeting with the event nners for Be Inc¡¯s huge annual holiday party.


    She took a quick shower and got dresses. Grabbing her coat and purse, she descended the steps, her mind already locked on the multiplying items on her to-do list today.


    ¡°Jennifer.¡± a voice called.


    She halted at the front door, shooting Bruce a hurried smile as she set her purse on the foyer table to slip into her coat.


    ¡°Morning, Bruce. I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have time for breakfast. I have a-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to make the time. I need to talk with you immediately. And it¡¯s too important to put off. I¡¯ll meet you in the study.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for her agreement, but pivoted on his heel and strode toward the rear of the house. Bemused, she stared after him. Removing her arm from her coat sleeve, she tossed the garment over her purse and followed her brother.


    ¡°Shut the door, please,¡± he said, when she entered the room he considered his domain. As their father had done before him. Bruce hadn¡¯t changed much in the room. Except for the dark chocte office chair that sat behind the massive oak-and-ss desk, everything else was the same. The tall bookshelves that lined two of the walls, the heavy floor-to-ceiling drapes, the two armchairs nking the big firece. She¡¯d hated being called into this room when her father had been alive; it¡¯d meant she¡¯d somehow screwed up. And she didn¡¯t like it any better now with her brother.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Bruce?¡± she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Another thing she hated. Feeling defensive.


    ¡°Why did I have to find out about you and Scott McCall from Emily and her father?¡± he snapped, stalking around his desk. ¡°Do you know how humiliating that was for me, receiving that phone call?¡±


    Of course. Emily and her father just couldn¡¯t wait, Jennifer thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bruce,¡± she said, truly remorseful.  She¡¯d fully intended to tell him about her and Scott¡¯s ¡°rtionship¡± when she arrived homest night, but she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to, especially after her little talk with Emily. ¡°I wanted you to hear about us from me first.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± he sneered, his hands closing on the back of the chair several feet from her. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t even be an us in the first ce. I can¡¯t believe this. Do I have to tell you to stay away from him,¡± he told her with a narrowed re. ¡°I can¡¯t fucking believe this. You know we are business rivals. ¡±


    ¡°Like I told Emilyst night, the fundraiser wasn¡¯t the ce to discuss my personal life. Especially when you don¡¯t even try to hide your hostility toward him. I¡¯ve been seeing Scott McCall for a while now, but because of who we are, we decided not to make our rtionship public until we knew we were serious about it.¡± Great. Now she was lying about her lie, but she didn¡¯t stop. ¡°But like I also told the senator, I don¡¯t need to run my rtionships by you for permission. I did intend to give you the courtesy of telling you about Scottst night but I was very tired. So again, I apologize if you were embarrassed to discover it from someone else.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your loyalty, Jennifer?¡± Bruce hissed. ¡°Your duty to family first?¡±


    Pain struck her like a fiery dart to the breast. It spread through her until she vibrated with it. Reason whispered that he didn¡¯t know all she sacrificed-was still sacrificing-for him. But it didn¡¯t halt the hurt from his condemnation, his disgust.


    ¡°My loyalty is always to this family,¡± she whispered. ¡°Who I¡¯m seeing socially should have nothing to do with you or my love for you.¡±


    ¡°It does if you¡¯re screwing a man I hate. Have always hated,¡± he snarled.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, lowering her arms and risking a step forward, closer to him. ¡°Tell me why. Scott told me you went to school together.¡±


    That hadn¡¯t been all he¡¯d said, but even as shameful and horrible as her brother bullying him was, surely there had to be more to the story. Especially on Bruce¡¯s end. Yes, he was a snob, but she¡¯d never seen him actively hate someone just because they came from humble beginnings.


    ¡°Yes, we went to school together, and he didn¡¯t know his ce back then, either.¡± Bruce replied.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know his ce,¡± she repeated slowly, not believing that he¡¯d uttered those ugly, bigoted words. Yes, they were fortunate enough to be in that elevated percentage of wealthy people. But that didn¡¯t give them the right to give other people the ¡°you¡¯re not our kind, dear¡± looks. How dare he¡­Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why? Because he was not on your level?¡± she rasped.


    ¡°No.¡± He shed a hand through the air. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about that.¡±


    The vise squeezing her chest eased a little, and relief coursed through her.


    ¡°After Mom died, all I had left was Dad.¡± he began.


    Oh God. ¡°Bruce,¡± she said, moving forward, holding a hand out toward him.


    ¡°No,¡± he repeated, coupling it with another hand sh. ¡°I know you were there, but she was something different to me than to you. She was the shield, the¡­ instion between him and me. When she died, she left me exposed to him. To his expectations, his impossibly high standards, his disapproval. I didn¡¯t get time to grieve for her because I had Dad riding my ass, wanting to make a real Be man out of me without my mother¡¯s babying. His words,¡± he added, his tone as caustic as acid.


    ¡°I know,¡± Jennifer murmured. ¡°I saw how hard he was on you. But, Bruce?¡± She lifted her hands, palms up. ¡°What did that have to do with Scott? Dad didn¡¯t know Scott.¡±


    ¡°But he did,¡± Bruce snarled. ¡°Who do you think funded the schrship that enabled Scott to attend the prep school? One of Be Inc¡¯s charities. And Dad never let me forget it. Sports, academics, even the damn debate team-Scott and I were always head-to-head in everything, and when he beat me, Dad was always right there to remind me that a poor schrship kid was better than me. That maybe he should hire him to run the familypany because he was smarter, stronger, quicker, more clever. He constantlypared us, and it didn¡¯t end with high school, but continued in college and beyond, even following Scott¡¯s career after he graduated. The one thing I¡¯m grateful for is that he¡¯s not alive today to see you with him. He probably would im him as his son, give him Be Inc.¡±


    Shock pummeled Jennifer. She¡¯d had no clue. But now his animosity toward Scott McCall made sense, because she knew her father. Knew how denigrating and belittling and cruel he could be. Especially toward Bruce. Lincoln Be probably didn¡¯t even like Scott, but using him as an emotional weapon against his son sounded like something he would do.


    And Bruce¡­ God, if her brother didn¡¯t let go of his bitterness, he would live trying to prove to their dead father that he was better than a man he might have counted as a friend once upon a time.


    ¡°Do you understand why you can¡¯t be with him, Jennifer? That man has been the source of my pain and unhappiness for over a decade. I won¡¯t allow him in my home or to eat at my table, much less date my sister.¡± He shook his head. ¡°End it.¡±


    I can¡¯t.


    The words bounced off her skull, pounded in her chest. To call off her rtionship with Scott would be to destroy her brother. Bruce¡¯s antagonism for Scott wasn¡¯t his fault-it was their father¡¯s. But with Lincoln Be gone, Bruce had transferred all his resentment and pain to the one who was still alive.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t end it with Scott,¡± she said. Sighing, she moved across the small distance separating them and covered his hand. ¡°Bruce, I-¡±


    He jerked away from her, taking several steps back and ring at her. A muscle ticked along his clenched jaw. ¡°You won¡¯t break this thing off with him?¡±


    ¡°No, Bruce, I won¡¯t.¡± I¡¯m doing this for you, she silently screamed. But the words remained trapped in her throat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this, but you¡¯ve left me with no other choice. Margie  Investments, Jennifer.¡±

 40

    For the second time in the space of minutes, shock robbed Jennifer of speech. Icy fingers of astonishment and dread trailed down her spine.


    Bruce cocked his head to the side. ¡°You believed I didn¡¯t know about your littlepany all this time? Nothing gets by me. And as long as you were discreet, I didn¡¯t see the harm in letting you dabble in business. It didn¡¯t interfere with your responsibilities to this family. But now, your actions are jeopardizing us. If you don¡¯t end it with Scott, I¡¯ll ruin every business that has received money from you. And with my name and reputation, you know I could do it with just a whisper. Now, while you take some time to make your decision about who you¡¯re giving your loyalty to, I¡¯m going to insist you step back from your job at Be Inc. I¡¯ve already asked Emily to take over some of your duties for the next few weeks. Consider it a leave of absence while you choose between a man you barely know and your family.¡±


    With that parting shot, he exited the room, not pausing to spare her a nce. Not even bothering to glimpse the devastation he¡¯d left behind. Not only had he dismissed her easily, recing her with his fianc¨¦e, but he¡¯d threatened herpany, as well as the hard work and livelihoods of those she¡¯d invested in. He would cavalierly ruin others¡¯ lives to bring her to heel.


    Forcing her feet to move, she left the study and retraced her steps to her room. There, she removed her suit and went to her closet for her suitcases. Forty minutester, she once more descended the stairs, not knowing when she would return.


    She couldn¡¯t stay here any longer.


    Not when she wasn¡¯t sure who she was selling her soul to protect.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Get yourself a man¡­


    Vivian considered thisment from Betty as she sat alone in her t, reworking a designer suit to look less high fashion and more office friendly so she could wear it to work next week.


    Weaning herself off Scott McCall was making good sense the more she thought about it. He did not want her, despite the fact that he¡¯d kissed her. In fact, he had gone into great detail to make it clear how much he did not want her!


    Juvenile and annoying¡­ so he¡¯d said.


    Putting her sewing aside she stood with a tense jerk and paced restlessly over to the window to look out. It was dark outside, the night skyline twinkling with lights. It was Friday night and most people were out, but here was she alone in her apartment with her hair stuck in a ponytail, wearing a pair of faded jeans and an old top, and no ns to go anywhere, or anyone to call upon if she did want to go out!


    She¡¯d taken the night off and Megan was at work. Micheal had been avoiding her recently and Betty was with George.


    Right now she would kill to have a man ring her doorbell, or to be getting ready to go out to meet with him. Betty was right. It was time she weaned herself off this infatuation she suffered for Scott McCall. It was time for her to throw off the shy little girl and make good use of the opportunity she had to grow into herself.


    A man¡­a man¡­How did one go about attracting a man?


    Well, not by standing alone here in her apartment, that was certain, but her isted life had not taught her anything about being a young independent woman living on her own in a big city. She sighed, turning to face the room again with its nd walls and nd modern furniture and its television ying softly in the corner forpany.


    I¡¯m going to go out, she told herself.


    The decision sparked out of nothing. It just hit her like a fever in her head and, before she knew it, Vivian had called Collins, the guy from the ounts team she¡¯d had a chat with two weeks ago. They had exchanged numbers and decided to meet up sometime for drinks, but neither of them had called each other for that hangout, so now she was going to do it.


    Collins picked up at the third ring, and Vivian swallowed hard. It wasn¡¯t a romantic date, but she¡¯d never asked a guy out in her life, even if it was just to hang out as friends so she was nervous.


    ¡°Hi Vivian¡± Collins said cheerfully, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    His cheerful attitude helped her feel more confident. ¡°Hi Collins¡± she replied, ¡°How are you¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Doing good. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Look, I was just a little bit¡­ bored¡­so I was wondering if you would like to meet up for drinks somewhere¡­ anywhere¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡±


    He sounded surprised and Vivian felt her heart sink. ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re busy¡± she said hastily.


    ¡°No¡­. No¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­ just tell me where you want to meet¡± said Collins.


    And so a date was arranged. Two minutester, Vivian was striding out of the sitting room and into the bedroom. Fifteen minutester she returned, dressed in a short dusky-lc silk dress with a dipping neckline and tinyce-cap sleeves. A hunt along the rail of clothes had uncovered a fashionablyplicated fitted ck satin jacket she pulled on over the dress as she walked.


    And most important of all, her resolve to just get out there and do something was burning like a fire in her blood.


    Gathering up her purse she let herself out of her house. She was going with Collins to a restaurant and eat out for a change. She wondered why she didn¡¯t even go out alone. Lots of cool independent people in the city dined alone. She¡¯d seen them doing it at the lunches Scott had taken her to so why did it never ur to her to go and do it herself?


    Brave Vivian, she mocked, feeling tense tingles y havoc with her insides in direct opposition to the adventure she was about to embark upon. Because she wasn¡¯t brave. Never had been.


    She had still not fixed her car, so she took a taxi to the spot where she and Collins had agreed to meet each other. Then he¡¯d take her to the restaurant he¡¯d suggested. The sound of a car door opening behind her had her spinning about. Instantly her tingling insides crashed to a fizzing burn when she found herself staring at Scott.


    It just was not fair that he had to show up at this moment, she decided as she stared at him in dismayed shock. He was wearing a formal ck dinner suit that sat smoothly on his long powerful frame. A ck silk bow tie sat perfectly symmetrical across the butterfly cor of his dress shirt. And his hair was still damp, as if he¡¯d dressed quickly after showering. Now the hint of curlsy ck and thick and glossy on the top of his well-shaped head. Every single inch of him looked strong and sleek and formidably exclusive. Her mouth ran dry and her heart started beating too fast as she flickered her gaze up to stare at his recently shaved jaw, then the sensual shape of his unsmiling mouth. And finally-finally she made contact with his eyes.


    He was looking back at her as if this idental meeting had disconcerted him as much as it had done to her. Defensive tension stiffened her stance.


    ¡°On your way somewhere?¡± he spoke first, smooth and cool and, Vivian suspected, carefully pleasant.


    ¡°Yes¡± she managed to say, unaware that her hands had clenched into fists on the ends of her arms held straight like sticks at her sides.


    He nodded, the floating veil of his eyshes sweeping downwards before he turned to close his car door. Vivian finally had a good reason to drag her eyes away from him, though it made little difference, she realized a few secondster, because his image was still stuck in her head. She felt like was standing too close to him. Felt crammed by his superior height and that overpowering sense of presence he always carried around with him.


    Her breath caught again when he moved to stand beside her. The subtle tangy scent of him assailed her nostrils. As his sleeve brushed against her arm she took a step away from him.


    ¡°Going anywhere nice?¡± he enquired casually.


    Keeping her eyes glued to her own feet, Vivian nodded and watched her hair move against the ck satin jacket. ¡°Dinner,¡± she said, her lightly glossed lips part to form the response.


    She didn¡¯t even need to see her eyes  to acknowledge the lurking darkness of deep uncertainty at her impulsive decision to go out like this. Was she mad? Was she stupid?


    ¡°You?¡± she asked because she felt she should.


    ¡°Same,¡± he replied.


    She looked up-not wanting to-and wished she had not when she found him checking out the set of his ck bow tie, chin thrust downwards, beautifully ck-framed eyes as dark as night. Sensation sprinkled like static between fineyers of her skin and she looked away again quickly

 41

    She hoped she didn¡¯t look horrible standing so close to him. Dressed in a dusky-lc shift dress and a ck satin jacket, with a lot of long legs showing and her ankles elevated by the four-inch heels on her shoes.


    Annoying and juvenile¡­ those words began to ring in her head once again. Was he on his way to meet a woman? Was she tall and blonde and heart-stoppingly beautiful and screamingly intelligent and sophisticated? Just like the woman she¡¯d seen with him the first day they met. Was he nning to bring her back to his ce to make wildly passionate love with her while she went home toy alone in her bed and-


    ¡°Where-?¡±


    Her small chin jerked up and their eyes shed; tiny prickles of attraction attacked her flesh.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± she murmured nkly.


    ¡°I was asking where you are going for dinner,¡± Scott enlightened dryly.


    ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t know,¡± Vivian let slip before she could think about it, watched his eyebrows arch, felt a deep inner niggle at the slip. ¡°I am meeting someone,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is taking me to eat.¡±


    Fortunately the cars stopped and it was time for her to cross the road, giving her the opportunity to escape. ¡°It was nice seeing you, Scott¡± she said softly.


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah. It was nice to see you too.¡±


    She turned to leave. Her shiny ck heels tapped on the ground as she crossed the road in her urgency to get away as fast as she could


    Scott stood and watched her. Dinner with a man, he thought¡­ Something hard gave him a kick in his gut. Was she meeting the tall blond clean-cut guy from the ounts team he had seen her with the other day? Or was it that Michael guy again?


    If she was, the damn jerk needed to learn some manners. What kind of man let a young and beautiful woman find her own way to their chosen venue?


    She looked kinda lost. And the weirdest kind of tingling sensation was skittering down his torso and legs.


    She struck off to the right, disappearing out of his sight in seconds. Scott held his stance for a few seconds longer, then he muttered, ¡°Damn it,¡± giving in to what the tingling represented and slid his hand into his pocket to grab his  phone.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Ten minutester, Vivian was hovering outside one of the bistros where she was to meet up with Collins. She was pretending to read the menu list stuck on the window but really she was wondering where the hell Collins was, and the bravado that had brought her this far was now lying dead at her feet.


    She could not go in there alone. She did not know anyone around and she did not know why she had evere up with the crazy idea that she could go out on her own! And the evening was chilly, the ck satin jacket doing nothing to keep the chill at bay and-


    ¡°Been stood up¡­?¡±


    Hearing that deep, mildly sardonic and crushingly familiar voice arrive from somewhere behind her caused a sudden burn of weak tears to flood her eyes. It took every bit of self-control she had to blink the tears away again, then lift up her chin and turn to look at him.


    He was standing across the busy pavement, leaning against the side of his car with his hands resting inside his trouser pockets, his jacket pushed back from his bright white shirt. Tall, dark and so very sexily sophisticated, Vivian observed helplessly. The overhead lights shining amber onto the wet pavement also honeyed the skin of his too-perfect face. It was no wonder most of the women passing across the gap between them stared at him, Vivian thought as a whole clutch of them went by with their eyes glued to his long, lean, supremely elegant stance.


    If he noticed he did not show it. He did not take his eyes from her face. His mouth was wearing a kind of half-mocking smile that stung her pride and made her wish that some other tall, dark, handsome man would just walk up to her and pull her into his embrace.


    Annoying and juvenile¡­the words ran in her head again.


    ¡°No,¡± she answered his question. ¡°He¡¯s just a few minuteste.¡±


    With the ease of a man used to doing everything with grace, she watched him tilt his dark head down and, without removing his hand from his pocket, twist his wrist, shrug back his shirt cuff and somehow manage to disy his watch.


    ¡°This is not the kind of ce a man keeps a woman waiting out on the pavement, Vivian¡± he said when he looked back at her again.


    ¡°Well, you should know since you seem to be doing the same thing to your date,¡± Vivian fired back.


    ¡°I pick my dates up at their door.¡±


    ¡°And yet the first time I went to a party with you, you didn¡¯t pick me up¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I knew you would have freaked out if I told you it was a date. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then please go away and pick up your date.¡± she invited and turned back to the bistro window.


    The seconds ticked by. Her ears pricked and her senses went on the alert for the sound of his car driving away. She found the space around her suddenly swamped by a group of people who wanted to check out the menu too. By the time they¡¯d moved on she was wishing she¡¯d had the foresight to tag on to them.


    Because he was still there. She could feel his silent presence like some dark force trying to drag her back round to face him. After another second or two she heard him sigh, then the sound of his footsteps bringing him close.


    Tension zinged down her backbone and remained there stinging like an electric charge. A secondter he was standing right behind her-she could feel his body heat along her back.


    ¡°Will you go away,¡± she snapped at him. ¡°You are making me feel stupid!¡±


    ¡°Once your date arrives, I will¡± he agreed. ¡°Who is he anyway?¡±


    Keeping her eyes fixed rigidly on the bistro window, she said, ¡°That is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± A hand moved against her spine like a finely brushed admonish ment. ¡°I¡¯m your boss, so that makes it my business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true and you know it, and also, I do not need a babysitter.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Maybe you¡¯re right but you also don¡¯t need a man who ns to sit you down to dine in a ce like this. It¡¯s a bog standard pizza ce, Vivian, with a cheap and fast turnaround.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just meeting him here. He is supposed to pick me up here. It doesn¡¯t mean that this is the ce we¡¯re going to have dinner.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t listening. Instead he went on. ¡°What happens after the date, then? An hour or so in one of the pubs dotted down the street to soften you up with a couple of sses of cheap wine, or will he be expecting to go straight back to your ce to finish off the evening in thefort of your bed?¡±


    ¡°Well, you should know since you are fabled for your fast turnaround,¡± she swung round to fling at him and was very pleased to see that likening his dating skills to a fast pizza restaurant made his chiseled jaw clench.


    ¡°That was not what I-¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your wise advice, Scott,¡± Vivian cut him off mid sentence. ¡°When my date arrives I will be certain to ask him what his intentions are.¡±


    ¡°Or I will¡±


    Sparking up like a firework she gasped out, ¡°No you will not!¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s not only unforgivablyte, but he¡¯s also unfit to date you.¡±


    Half unwilling to believe they were even having this conversation, Vivian stared up at him. ¡°And you believe you have the right to make that judgment?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± he replied simply.


    In other words she was a duty he feltpelled to oversee! ¡°Well, you are not my father-or my idea of what a father figure should be! And in case you have forgotten,¡± she added stiffly. ¡°You went out of your way to tell me to back off from annoying you, so now I am telling you to do the same thing for me, Scott, and just go away!¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    With that she turned to walk off down the high street. His long fingers curling around one of her shoulders held her still.


    ¡°Vivian, this is stupid,¡¯ he sighed out heavily.


    Or annoying and juvenile¡­Why was that cutting remark still stinging her as badly as this? Vivian asked herself. She did not know. She did not understand what she was feeling or even what she was doing any more.


    ¡°Please let go of me¡­¡± She tried to move away from him.


    His fingers tightened gently. ¡°No,¡± he refused. ¡°Look¡­¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m- sorry if I sounded¡­insensitive to your feelings but-¡±


    ¡°Sounded it?¡± she threw out.

 42

    ¡°Was insensitive, then,¡± he altered, the chiseled line of his jaw clenching. ¡°But it does not change the fact that your so-called date has either stood you up or is only too happy to leave you to stand around here like a fool!¡±


    ¡°And that is your sensitive side talking?¡± So close to tears now, she had to push a hand up between them so she could cover her trembling mouth.


    A soft curse rattled from him. ¡°I will take you to dinner,¡± he offered, sounding so driven to say it that Vivian almost snapped the hand up higher to p his face!


    But she didn¡¯t because it would be annoying and juvenile of her to do it! ¡°I can provide my own dinner,¡± she told him stiffly.¡±And you already have a date.¡±


    ¡°I did have a date until-¡± Scott stopped,pressing his lips, then dealt her a glinting glimmer of a look ¡°-until I was stood up too,¡± he finished dryly.


    ¡°You-?¡± It was like discovering he had a chink in his imprable Armour. Vivian was so intrigued by the phenomenon she stopped fighting his grip to stare up at him instead.


    ¡°It happens to the best of us,¡± Scottpounded on his quick-thinking masterpiece of deception. ¡°So shall we find somewhere quieter than this to-miserate with each other while we eat?¡±


    Like amb to the ughter, he mocked, feeling his conscience pinch him when his beautiful personal assistant dealt him a sympathetic look.


    But at least the deal was done.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Twenty minutester they were being shown to a table in a very exclusive restaurant and the waiter was taking away her jacket while Vivian nced around. If this was the kind of ce Scott tended to frequent, then she was willing to be impressed by its softly lit ambience.


    ¡°Have I been here before?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not to my knowledge,¡± he replied.


    Surprising him with a sudden grin she told him, ¡°If you have not brought me here for one of your business lunches, Scott, then I have not been here. These kinds of ces all have a simr look to them, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Do they?¡± He nced around their plush, hushed award-winning surroundings. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°They probably look different in the daylight when they are filled with sharp-suited men and women looking serious and intelligent instead of¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, even white teeth pressing down into her lower lip to halt the potentially provocative word she had been going to use.


    ¡°Intimate.¡± Scott was not so sensitive. ¡°It¡¯s called good business sense,¡± he enlightened. ¡°Not the people but the restaurants,¡± he exined what he¡¯d meant.


    ¡°They change their mood with the mood of the city. By day they provide the sharp suits like me with a ce to work while we eat.¡± A dryness entered his voice. ¡°By night they soften their appearance to provide a more rxed ambience for their more sociable clientele. I love the dress¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Startled by the sudden and totally unexpectedpliment Vivian blushed as she nced down at the lc silk dress. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s just something I threw on.¡± Critical fingers plucked at the dress¡¯s dipping cleavage. ¡°There used to be a strip ofce here but I unpicked it because I thought it looked less fussy without it.¡±


    A young waiter arrived to offer them menus then. Vivian winged him a warm smile and fell into a brief, friendly conversation with him. Veiling his eyes Scott observed the change in her as she talked. Her voice had taken on a warm and earthy vibrancy Scott had not heard before. The young waiter fell in love with her as Scott watched. She had no idea of the power she was wielding, had not even noticed the waiter¡¯s darkened eyes and the raised color in his face. When her slender hands joined in the conversation the waiter was hooked, his eyes fixed on the creamy cleavage on show behind the expressive fingers.


    And Scott felt a sudden blistering urge to punch the young fool! Perhaps he moved, he wasn¡¯t sure, but something made the waiter nce his way. The next second he was rushing out an apology and moving away at lightning speed.


    ¡°He¡¯s such a nice fellow¡± Vivian enlightened him as if he¡¯d not heard their conversation, and with no clue at all what had made the waiter take flight as if someone had set fire to his heels.


    Scott knew. He could still feel the trails of it lingering behind his veiling eyelids.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure he is¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Yes¡± Settling back into her seat she shook the silky fall of her hair back from her face, then picked up her menu.


    When he continued to sit there doing and saying nothing she nced up at him and frowned, then followed it up with a sigh. ¡°OK, what have I done to annoy you this time?¡± she demanded. ¡°Have I broken some very important rule of dining that is likely to earn me a te of cold food?¡±


    ¡°Timothy would call it breaking the rules anyway,¡± he responded impassively.


    ¡°Timothy¡­? What has he got to do with¡­¡± Enlightenment dawned. Vivian flicked a look across the restaurant to where the friendly waiter now stood to attention, striving to keep his eyes away from this corner of the room.


    ¡°You are using me of flirting,¡¯ she said in a hushed breath of stunned disbelief.


    Scott picked up his menu and opened it. ¡°You tied him in knots. For a few interesting seconds I thought he was going to pull out a chair and join us.¡±


    ¡°We were just talking!¡± Vivian impressed upon him in self-defense.


    ¡°I got this really bad feeling that I was about to be sidelined. Not good for my ego at all.¡± Scott smiled. ¡°Lesson one in the use of social skills, Vivian, concentrate solely on the man you are dining with.¡±


    Not quite sure if she was supposed tough at the ridiculous image Scott had constructed of the waiter muscling in on him, he diverted her with, ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Vivian dutifully buried her attention on the menu. A different waiter arrived to take their order. Scott delivered it in the clipped cool tone that did not encourage the waiter to linger.


    ¡°Talk to me,¡± he said abruptly once they were alone again.


    Lifting up her face she asked, ¡°What about?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Anything-the wine.¡± He indicated to her ss.


    Dutifully picking up her wine ss Vivian sipped. ¡°Nice,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Is this another lesson in social dining?¡± she dared.


    ¡°No.¡± He almost let a smile catch hold of his mouth. ¡°It is simply a request for you to extend your answer. Come on, you¡¯re an adult. I cannot believe you don¡¯t have a better opinion about wine than just nice.¡±


    Be interesting, in other words, Vivian thought. Well, OK, she could try to do that, Vivian decided, rxing back into her seat. ¡°When I was much younger¡­ Before my father died, he and I used to make wine from our own grapes,¡± she announced. ¡°It was just a hobby really, but our wine tasted easily as good as this very expensive wine¡­¡± she said with a wave of her ss. ¡°We used to pick and tread the grapes in the traditional manner with skirts held up like so-¡± she gestured, unaware how entirely she had captured her audience ¡°- and weughed a lot-it is supposed to be good for the taste. If it was a good year, our neighbors woulde to exchange other produce for bottles of our wine. We had some really wonderful old oak barrels¡­¡±


    Their first course arrived and Vivian kept talking through it, taking a small forkful of sea bassced with a delicious sauce she had never tasted before.


    ¡°Your life back then is obviously very different from the one you¡¯re living now,¡¯ Scott observed when she paused for a breath.


    Vivian nodded, eyes shadowing as she sat forward to pick up her ss. ¡°Do you visit your family often?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I do. Just my mother and sister though¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s good that they are not too far away¡±


    ¡°You guys must be very close, then,¡± she probed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah. I guess we are. What about you, any other family apart from your father?¡± As neatly as that he turned the conversation away from him and back on to her.


    ¡°Not really. Almost all of them are far away, and I was never really close to any of them¡±  She went on to exin more about her life with her father, in between savoring forkfuls of food. She didn¡¯t notice that Scott barely touched the food on his te, or that he rarely removed his dark eyes from her face. She was not aware that he kept filling up her wine ss or that her tongue was loosening the more that she drank. By the time their dessert arrived she was feeling so mellow she even reached across the table to spoon up a sample of his untouched dessert and teased him with herughing eyes as she ced the stolen morsel in her mouth.

 43

    ¡°I have a sweet tooth.¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°Among other things,¡± Scott murmured oddly.


    About to ask him what he meant by that-


    ¡°Do you want coffee?¡± he got in before her.


    ¡°And spoil the taste of the wine? Thanks, no,¡± she refused.


    ¡°Then if you¡¯ve finished do you mind if we leave now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Vivian tensed, her slender spine arching up on the sudden realization that she¡¯d talked his socks off all the way through the meal! It was no wonder he was wearing that nk expression on his face. ¡°I had lost track of how long we have been here¡­¡±


    ¡°And the restaurant has emptied,¡± Scott pointed out dryly. ¡°We¡¯re thest ones here¡­¡±


    Flickering a surprised nce around the empty tables she noticed the restaurant staff standing around, trying hard not to look impatient for them to leave. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something sooner?¡± she whispered from the depths of a sinking embarrassment.


    ¡°You were enjoying your meal. There was no need to rush.¡± With the merest nce in the waiter¡¯s direction he brought him rushing to his side. ¡°Mypanion¡¯s jacket,¡± he instructed, handing over a credit card. ¡°You have time to finish your wine,¡± he indicated smoothly to Vivian , as if she would dare to take another sip!


    ¡°No.¡± She stood. ¡°I think I¡¯ve had enough.¡± A flush of hot color was burning her cheeks. She wanted to die where she stood-dete like a balloon and disappear altogether. She almost snatched her jacket from the waiter when he arrived with it, so eager to remove herself from here now that she could barely stop herself from doing it at a run.


    The waiter was handing Scott his credit card. Vivian fumbled in her urgency to drag her jacket on and missed slotting her arm in the sleeve.


    ¡°Allow me¡­¡± he said.


    She froze as Scott took the garment from her and politely held it open, ready for her to slip it on. Her hair became trapped inside the ck satin and she used the need to release it as an excuse to keep her head lowered so no one could see how hot her face had gone.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Outside the cool night air hit her like an icy p in the face and she shivered. Scott ced a hand against her lower back to walk her towards his waiting car. A beep sounded as the locks sprang free and his hand guided her into her seat.


    The car growled into life. It moved away from the curb with the sleek prowling grace of a hunting panther. As he began to drive, her gaze was drawn downwards to watch as his long fingers moved the car through its gears, her breath suddenly caught in her throat.


    ¡°What-?¡± Scott asked, so sharp he obviously did not miss anything.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Dragging her eyes away from the dash, she tried to ignore the nausea. Then, without any warning at all, she choked, ¡°I feel sick.¡±


    The stunned silence which followed her announcement held for a second or two, then the car ground to a jerking halt. Scott was out of it and striding round to yank her door open before Vivian could do it for herself. Out in the night air again, she began to shiver so badly he must have feltpelled to offer a supporting arm around her shaking shoulders while she stood fighting a battle with nausea that she was sure had a lot to do with the amount of wine she had drunk.


    Scott felt bad. In fact, he was cursing himself. He wished the hell he knew what he had been ying at back there, feeding her wine by the ssful to draw her out of her shell. What had he hoped to gain from it? An insight into what made his personal assistant tick, or had his motives been fixed somewhere else?


    ¡°It¡¯s usually better to throw up and get it over with than to fight it,¡± he advised, trying to recall thest time he¡¯d deliberately set out to get a woman drunk. There had never been another time. He had never sunk this low before. She got to him and he didn¡¯t like it. She made him think, do and want things he did not want to think, do or want.


    ¡°I¡¯m all r-right.¡± Making an effort to pull herself together, Vivian stepped away from his supporting arm to stand by herself.


    Letting his arm drop to his side he sighed, ¡°I¡¯m-sorry.¡±


    He was sorry? ¡°What for?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I should not have let you drink all that wine.¡± he replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can take my wine, Scott McCall¡± Vivian threw back. ¡°I grew up making and drinking wine. Maybe It was your car that made me feel sick. I will walk the rest of the way-¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, my car made you sick?¡± Grabbing her arm as she went to walk away from him he pulled her to a halt.


    Vivian shivered. Pushing off Scott¡¯s hand, she started walking, needing to get as far away from him as fast as she could. The nausea was churning up her stomach and her arms had wrapped themselves tight around her ribs.


    ¡°Stop, Vivian¡± Scott caught up with her. ¡°Slow down before you twist off those ridiculous high shoes,¡± he instructed impatiently, curling a set of long fingers around her arm.


    ¡°You have forgotten your car,¡± she muttered in the hopes that he would take the hint and leave her to walk home alone.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve forgotten the rules of dating again,¡± Scott responded coolly. ¡°I see mine to their door.¡±


    ¡°We did not have a date,¡± Vivian denied. ¡°You hijacked me in the street.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Same rules apply.¡± Still holding on to her, his attention had diverted to the two streams of traffic moving up and down the street. His fingers tightened. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, ¡°let¡¯s go back to the car.¡±


    She pulled her hand away from his. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it, Scott¡±


    She tried to walk away again, but now Scott was mad. He grabbed Vivian¡¯s arm as she turned away from him. ¡°Stop this right now, Vivian, and don¡¯t you ever walk out on me like that again!¡± he said angrily.


    Vivian let her eyes settle on his hand for a few seconds before she yanked her arm away from his grip. Noticing that she missed his touch, she shook the thought away. ¡°The only time you have the right to tell me what to do is during working hours, and thest time I checked¡­. No one is working right now.¡±


    His eyebrow lifted, as if calling her bluff.  ¡°Really?¡± he asked. One side of his lips curled up in a smirk.


    Vivian didn¡¯t care. She was finding it very hard to keep her mouth sealed at the moment, and she didn¡¯t even try to stop herself.¡± Yes. I am not your employee right now so I can do exactly as I please!¡±


    Something new charged up the atmosphere. It began with a small flicker of his long eyshes as he dropped his gaze to her mouth. He wanted to kiss her. Vivian knew it with an instinct older than time itself. Her heart stopped beating, then started up again at a faster pace because-, she wanted him to-so much.


    He knew he was going to do it. He knew he just couldn¡¯t hold back. She was beautiful, a warm, soft, achingly desirable creature with passion in her angry eyes, and on her softly pulsing mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s funny?¡± He said, but there was nothing funny about the look in his eyes. His mouth hardened with lust. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re going with that, it also means that I can do the same, right?¡±


    Without giving her a chance to respond, he grabbed her waist and he pulled her right up against him-so close that she could feel every hard muscle in his body. His body heat warmed her, and his palm settled at the base of her spine. She couldn¡¯t think straight¡­ Not when he bent and nipped at her bottom lip, then sucked it, soothing and enhancing the sting before returning to devour her mouth. As if she was something he knew he shouldn¡¯t have but couldn¡¯t resist.


    Sliding his fingers into her hair, he stroked a fingertip along the smoothness of her extended throat. Her lips parted, and he felt the growing rush of her blood flow into his own. She swayed even closer, a willing recipient of what was happening. Feeling like a man controlled by a ma, Scott kept totally still as he slid his tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss.


    A car drove past them sounding its horn noisily and they sprang apart like two tightly coiled springs breaking free from their restraints. Dizzied by the pressure that had built up inside her, Vivian stumbled backward a few steps at the same time that Scott broke the grip he still held on one of her arms.

 44

    Staring at him, feeling a sinking sense of confusion assail her, it all suddenly changed to a sense-crawling horror when she realized what they¡¯d done. She spun away in a shaken, horrified need to escape but he stopped her.


    ¡°Just get back in the car so I can take you home, Vivian¡± he said.


    His voice was calmer now, no longer angry, and maybe it was that tone that made her turn and began to move back towards his car. He walked beside her, not saying anything till they got to his car. He opened the door for her and when she got in, he went around and climbed into the driver¡¯s seat.


    The ride was quiet. They turned into the street on which her apartment block was situated, and Scott slowed down. ¡°Was that just about the wine or did I do something wrong?¡± he asked.


    He just couldn¡¯t leave it alone! ¡°Why the sudden interest in my sleazy feelings, Scott?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not sleazy, Vivian,¡± he pointed out. ¡°Believe it or not, but I¡­. I¡­ I care about you, damn it.¡±


    Only slightly mollified by that response, Vivian pulled in a tense breath. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You were perfect in fact¡­ maybe that was it¡­. And I guess the alcohol too.¡± she exined, tightening her grip on her ribcage as if trying to hug her feelings in.


    They arrived at her ce and Vivian got out quickly. Without waiting for him she began walking to the front door. She was so anxious to put her key into the lock so she could get inside before he could reach the door that she missed the lock and had to try again. His arm reaching across her shoulder to do the job for her drew sparks from her muscles as they pulled taut.


    The door swung open. Neither said another word to each other as they both stepped inside. Refusing to look at him, Vivian glued her eyes to  floor. She could feel his presence though, like a fierce wave of energy battering into her and her insides were fizzing so badly she could not even breathe.


    This was the first time he was in her home and it felt so¡­ intimate for some reason. ¡°I have to go¡­ change¡­ and then go to¡­ bed¡± Vivian said, and tried to walk away from him.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Vivian.¡± His quiet voice pulled her to a stop. ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten something.¡±


    Narrow shoulders snapping with tension, she did not want to turn around but stiff pride made her do it. He was standing near the door, his broad-shouldered posture somehow deceptively passive because, even with her nonexistent experience, Vivian was able to detect the prowling sexual pulse beat emanating from him. Wild butterflies were beating their wings in her stomach. Without being aware she was doing it, she brought her fingers together across her front in an anxious defensive pleat.


    ¡°What is that?¡± she prompted warily, and not for the life of her could she look at his face¡­


    Scott wondered how she would react if he offered to finish what they had started down in the street. She looked so damn beautiful standing there, trying hard not to show she was upset. And her innocence pounded at him like a bloody great barrier. It made him want to crash through it and just- Just what?


    Desire was one hell of an aphrodisiac when someone else was feeling it for you, he thought heavily. One unguarded look, the tempting thought of those anxious fingers touching his body, the sensual promise her lush parted mouth had offered him when he kissed her¡­All it would take was a loosening of his self-control and the congration would happen and they might both gain some relief. Shame he had to hold back.


    ¡°Your manners,¡± he responded finally. ¡°It is usual to thank the guy that bought you dinner.¡±


    It was like he¡¯d reached out and cut her throat. So cool, so sardonic, he was even still in lecture mode. Vivian drew her eyes shut as the whole wretched agony of the way he was treating her exploded like a firework of needle-hot sparks which turned to ice as they embedded themselves in her flesh.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she delivered with stiff obedience, ¡°for such-a pleasant evening, Mr McCall¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, Vivian¡± he returned, and even the super controlled Scott McCall could not stop the rueful twitch that took hold of his mouth. ¡°And please let¡¯s not go back to using myst name¡±


    He caught a glimpse of some arrogance in the way she nodded her head at him before she spun away on the heels of her ridiculously high shoes.


    Her chin was high, her shoulders back, her hair a glossy ck stream of loose waves down her taut back. Not a single tremor showed in her body as she walked away from him, and pushed open what he assumed was her bedroom door and stepped inside.


    The door shut with an impressively controlled soft thud behind her. As if it was a sign that he could drop his guard-or whatever it was that was holding him-Scott let his shoulders fall back against the wall behind him and closed his eyes. Not even a damn hug or a kiss goodnight on the cheek, he thought. Vivian Sanchez was fast bing the kind of recreational drug he never indulged in. The kind you only took on if you were looking for total loss of control of your life.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He needed a woman, Scott decided grimly. He should not have blown off his rtionship with Olivia, in favor of chasing after the one he could not have, but he couldn¡¯t get her out of his mind no matter how much he tried.


    Opening his eyes on that lowering confession, mouth turned down at the corners as he dragged himself free of the wall, he speared a final nce at her closed bedroom door, then turned to open the front door and walked out of her apartment.


    Vivian watched from her bedroom window as Scott walked over to his car with the long loose-limbed stride of a man eager to depart. Duty done, she thought miserably. Annoying responsibility returned safely home, now he was going out to catch up on his real life. And he had his phone mped to his ear to find out where that life happened to be situated right now.


    A woman?


    Of course a woman, she told herself, reaching out to snap the blind shut so she could not see him any more.


    _____________


    The sound of her phone chiming out its jingle brought Vivian swimming up from the dark depths of the heavy sleep she had eventually tumbled into after tossing about restlessly for half of the night.


    Stretching out a hand and groping the bedside table to make contact with the t ck contraption, she tucked her arm back beneath the duvet and pushed the phone to her ear without checking who it was, before mumbling,¡±Hello. Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Scott¡± he announced with his usual impatience. ¡°I have to go out of town and you¡¯reing with me. We¡¯re going to San Francisco.¡±


    Sitting up with a jolt, her sleepy eyes opened wide as saucers. ¡°What?¡± Vivian echoed. ¡°W-what for-?¡±


    ¡°Work,¡± came the sardonic answer. ¡°Of the socializing kind.¡±


    Still trying to cast off the heavy mists of sleep, Vivian pushed the tumble of dark curls off her face. ¡°But it¡¯s Saturday,¡± she remembered. ¡°I am supposed to be -¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall promising you would get your weekends free when you came to work for me,¡± Scott rode roughshod over what she had been about to say. ¡°So whatever it is you have nned get out of it. If it¡¯s your job at the cheesecake shop, then I have already told you to quit. It¡¯s interfering with you work for me. I have to go out for a few hours but when I get back I will expect you to be ready to leave. You will need a dress- something formal.¡±


    ¡°Formal,¡± Vivian repeated, stunned by the way he had just discarded her ns. ¡°H-how formal?¡±


    ¡°Red-carpet-best formal,¡± he delivered dryly, ¡°Do you have something like that to wear?¡± he then thought to ask.


    Dragging herself to the edge of the bed and standing, Vivian sent her mind¡¯s eye sweeping down the packed dress rail in the bedroom. ¡°Yeah. I think so,¡± she mumbled. ¡°But-Scott, you know I am not very good at these formal asions,¡± she threw in anxiously. ¡°I don¡¯t think-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your business, not mine,¡± he informed her with the cool thrust of a murderer plunging a knife into her chest. ¡°You came to me for this job, not the other way around, and this is part of your job. Are you telling me that you¡¯re not up to taking on the responsibility-?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Vivian surrendered heavily. ¡°I wille.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he approved. ¡°Pack a bag because we will be staying for a while. See you at one o¡¯clock.¡± He cut the connection before she could find the necessary brain cells to ask any questions.

 45

    Sinking heavily back onto the bed, her fuzzy brain listed: San Francisco, A formal evening dress, an overnight bag or maybe a weekend or an entire week bag. Be ready to go by one o¡¯clock¡­


    Then she was suddenly lurching into panic mode and using her phone to call Megan.


    ¡°Megan, you have to talk to Louis for me¡± she wrung out urgently.


    ¡°Louis?¡± Megan repeated. ¡°Oh, my¡­what¡¯s wrong¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­ I mean¡­ I gotta quit my job at the cheesecake shop. I¡¯d call him myself but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s time. It¡¯s also not fair to him to keep on missing my shifts so I have to quit¡± Vivian said, already feeling the chill of rm skate down her spine. ¡°I¡¯ll send him a messageter and call him, but for now, I¡¯m going to San Francisco¡­.¡±


    ¡°San Fran¡­ what? Why?¡± Megan stammered.


    ¡°Work¡± Vivian replied simply.


    ¡°Oh, is Scott McCall taking you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°Oh wow. That¡¯s nice. I¡¯m sure Louis will understand. That is so cool¡­ Take a brave pill before you go, sweetie,¡± her best friend advised her. ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be huge.¡±


    ¡°Huge¡­¡± Vivian whispered, grappling with theplicated idiosyncrasies of the Englishnguage when spoken with sarcasm like this. ¡°You will have to exin what you mean¡±


    ¡°Come on¡­Do I have to tell you everything? Look, I¡¯m not tryna make you nervous. Have fun. You¡¯ll tell me about your trip when you get back.¡±


    Knowing that there was no time to continue the conversation, Vivian said goodbye to Megan and hung up. At one o¡¯clock to the absolute second, Vivian was ready with her travel bag as per instructions, and the dress she had decided to wear this evening draped over her arm in a cream silk dress bag.


    She was wearing faded designer denims, a thigh-hugging ck T-shirt and fiercely high ck designer shoes. She¡¯d confined her hair loosely to her nape with a big shiny ck clip and her make-up was light. For casual, cool and in strict control of her emotions were the absolute keys to her standing at all. Indeed she¡¯d been a breath away from using the flu bug excuse right up until the moment she¡¯d stepped out of her bedroom door.


    She heard a car arrive and her heart gave a single heavy little thump as she hurried out of her apartment and locked her front door. Scott stepped out. He was dressed more casually than she¡¯d ever seen him, in pale chinos and a gray V-neck sweater worn over a pale blue-and-gray-checked shirt. Big, lean, dark and ssy, Vivian  observed , and had to bite back a bitter grimace when her head gave her another image of him, dressed in a ck dinner suit leaving a famous nightclub with a leggy blonde clinging like a blood-sucking limpet to his side.


    He walked over to her when she began to move forward and their eyes met for a second. Her throat felt so thick Vivian found she needed to swallow but wouldn¡¯t allow herself the relief. Their murmured greetings crossed over each other. She was the one to break eye contact, lowering her eyshes and feeling like the ice woman inside.


    ¡°Here, let me take your bag¡­¡± he said. As he stooped to lift her canvas holdall from where it sat at her feet, Vivian found herself staring at the top of his head where the ck silky thickness of his hair was glossed by the hint of curls. Whatever woman he¡¯d been with had no doubt enjoyed running her long limpet fingers throughst night, Vivian tormented herself with the image she¡¯d evoked.


    ¡°Do you want me to take your dress bag¡­?¡±


    ¡°No-thank you,¡± she managed politely.


    Determined to maintain a professional detachment if it killed her to do it, Vivian walked to his car with her chin tilted down so she did not have to look at him. As far as she was concerned, she had to acknowledge that it was time for her to learn to get over him, and if that meant not looking at him, then she was not going to look at him.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± his deep voice drawled when she remained quiet.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she responded.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worrying about tonight, then-¡±


    ¡°I am not worrying about anything.¡± She replied before he could say anything else. It was only as he forged ahead of her to open the door that she noticed he carried no bag for himself.


    Presuming he must have already put it in his car, Vivian walked past him¡­only to go still when she noticed that it was a brand-new shiny red sports car-something that she should have noticed since if she hadn¡¯t been so focused on him-waiting in the ce of the one she was used to seeing him with.


    Her icy cool faltered. ¡°Y-you  changed your car.¡± she said.


    He shrugged. ¡°Yeah¡± he ryed drily.


    As Vivian walked up to the door he was holding open for her she caught a gleam in his eyes which told her he was waiting for her to make some kind of positive response because he had gone to this much trouble exclusively for her.


    When she said nothing, he grimaced. ¡°You can thank meter,¡± he murmured, ¡°once you¡¯ve recovered from your sulk because I spoiled your ns for today.¡±


    It took Vivian a minute to grasp that he was referring to her ns to meet with Betty. She had mentioned it during their ¡®date¡¯ when she¡¯d been drunk and talked way too much. They¡¯d nned to go shopping and take in a movie but Scott had not given her a chance to tell him that during his phone call this morning. Opening her mouth to tell him, she snapped it shut again. Let him think what the heck he liked. What she did with her free time was none of his business-as his was not any of hers.


    ¡°Seat belt,¡± he issued as he climbed in next to her, and the pleasant tone had disappeared from his voice, Vivian noticed.


    She tried not to watch the way he controlled his new car as if he had been driving it for years. It must be in his blood to know instinctively what to do in any given situation. She¡¯d seen him at work too often not to be impressed with the way he could control most things with an ease that was so breathtakingly natural even those he was controlling did not notice he was doing it.


    It was no wonder he was arrogant sometimes, a bit of a bully when he felt he needed to be. Incisive, decisive, he was used to being right so why not expect other people to just fall in line to his bidding?


    After attempting to kick-start several conversation subjects to which she replied in crushing monotones, he issued a driven sigh. ¡°Quit the chilly sulk, Vivian¡± he told her, ¡°Or I swear I will turn this car around and take you back home again.¡±


    Vivian straightened in her seat. ¡°I am not sulking.¡± she said.


    ¡°No?¡± Stopping at a set of traffic lights he turned to look at her-deep dark eyes, feathered with shes of glinting gold, spun nerve ends alive across her taut profile. ¡°You remind me of a feral cat I once tried to befriend as a kid.


    One minute she was soft and coquettish and brushing her sleek body up against me, the next minute she had her ws in my neck and was spitting at me.¡±


    ¡°I have never brushed up against you!¡± she denied, then felt her cheeks me when she recalled the way she¡¯d moved towards him and kissed himst night. ¡°Nor have I drawn my ws,¡± she added as a quick cover-up. ¡°And if I remind you of your friend the feral cat, then you remind me of our dog,¡± she threw back, sparked into defending herself.


    ¡°Your-what?¡± he raked out.


    ¡°Dany, our dog¡± she supplied. ¡°One minute he was beautifully rxed and amenable, the next he acted as if he didn¡¯t upy the same as everyone else.¡±


    You¡¯re using me of being moody?¡¯ Scott delivered across the gap separating them.


    Vivian fixed her gaze on the traffic lights. ¡°I cannot predict how you are going to speak to me from one minute to another. Dany was the same. Only he did not speak-he just gave the evil eye to say I don¡¯t feel like being nice to you any longer, and so he wasn¡¯t.¡± She added a self-exnatory shrug. ¡°The lights have changed color,¡± she pointed out.


    ¡°A dog,¡± he breathed, steering the car into a right turn, then elerating up the street. ¡°Thanks, Vivian¡± he said with grim sarcasm, and swung the car off the street into a small car park by the banks of the river, killed the car engine and climbed out.


    Vivian hugged a pleased smile to herself as she watched him stride around the car bo with his golden good looks pronounced by the savage look on his face.


    So she¡¯d just insulted him and ruined his day. Good, she thought, because he had ruined hers too! Did she have the right to be angry about that? She did not care if she had no right-she just did!N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

 46

    He pulled open her door for her with more angry strength than the beautifully designed piece of equipment required.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    As she carefully maneuvered her high-heeled shoes over the sill of the car, his grim impatience with her transferred to the long fingers he mped around her arm to help straighten her up. Arriving in front of him with more impulse than was necessary, she ended up almost ttened against him, which shocked her enough into ncing up.


    Their eyes shed-his slightly narrowed and glinting golden warning shots for her to take care what she did or said next, hers sparking with bright  defiance which dared him to make one of his cold, cuttingments gauged to knock her back down to size.


    But he went for a different kind of attack. He rxed the corners of his hard, clipped mouth, slid a hand around her exposed nape, then lowered his head and captured her mouth with a hard, hot, plundering kiss!


    Astonishment thrilled through Vivian. It was so shockingly unexpected and so shockingly intimate she was unable to do anything but just let him explore the contours of her mouth with a sensual fluency that glued her to the spot.


    Knockedpletely for speech she staggered dizzily when he lifted his head again. Breathless and shaking and unable to focus on anything, she just stared up at him through a thick misty ze.


    ¡°Different mood, Vivian¡± he purred down at her like his very own feral cat. ¡°I sincerely hope that Collins is not so adventurous.¡±


    His meaning shocked a gasp from Vivian. As if he felt he deserved her reaction Scott nodded his dark head, then let go of her and turned abruptly to re at the young man who had approached them without her being aware of it.


    ¡°Get the bags out of the boot and give them to my pilot, then take the car back,¡± he instructed, tossing the keys at the other man.


    Still much too stunned to take in the bit about his pilot, Vivian slung a swift nce at whoever it was Scott was talking to, saw it was really Collins and also saw that his eyes were standing out in shock.


    Heat poured into her face like a scorching me. It was bright sunny daylight, and Scott McCall had just kissed her full on her mouth in front of another member of his staff! She couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°You-you did that on purpose!¡± she hissed at him shakenly.


    Scott imed one of her hands and walked her away from the car. ¡°He needed showing where he stands with you.¡±


    ¡°Stands with me?¡± Vivian gasped out. ¡°I don¡¯t understand this stands with me,¡± she told him, having to hurry to keep up with his long stride.


    ¡°He was the date that stood you upst night.¡±


    ¡°He was not my date!¡± she lied.


    ¡°He was your date,¡± he insisted. ¡°And I have just made my point.¡±


    ¡°Will you please exin what it is you are talking about?¡±


    Tugging hard on her captured hand she pulled them both to a stubborn standstill in front of a white building with ss entrance doors. Hot, mortified, her kissed lips burning and feeling shockingly pumped up, still she made herself re up at him.


    He looked down at her, as cold and haughty-looking as she had ever seen him. And his lips were not burning! ¡°I saw you talking with him in my foyer the other day at lunch,¡± Scott confessed. ¡°By the time hees out of his shock far enough to read the message I¡¯ve just given him, he will understand that you are out of bounds from now on if he wants to keep his job.¡±


    Sent totally, utterly breathless by the ruthless steel trap his mind must be, Vivian could not get another single word out. She twisted her head to look towards the red sports car where, sure enough, Collins was still standing next to it as if in shock.


    Her insides shuddered. ¡°You-you set me up for that kiss in front of him,¡± she whispered, finally beginning to catch on as to why that particr employee of his had been roped in to deal with his car.


    ¡°No, Collins did that. Until he put in an appearance I¡¯d decided that merely seeing you going off to spend a weekend with me was going to be enough to put him off thinking he could trying on to you again. Collins upped the ante.¡±


    Tugging her into motion again he sent the ss doors swinging open and walked them into the building, then kept her anchored to his side as he spoke to a receptionist standing behind the desk. Fizzing with fury Vivian wanted so badly to deny what he¡¯d assumed, but she knew that she could not do that because he had actually guessed right. As for Collins, she had nothing to say to him. He¡¯d stood her up and not even bothered to call and give a damn exnation. He deserved to be ignored.


    So she stood simmering beside Scott with her eyes on a level with his wide muscr shoulder, and only began to take notice of her surroundings when she happened to focus through a window and saw the helicopter glinting in the bright sunlight on what looked like a concrete jetty jutting out into the river.


    Her fingernails bit tense crescents into Scott¡¯s palm. She had never traveled in a helicopter before, and she was not sure she wanted to travel in one now.


    Scott tried not to wince as her fingernails bit into his flesh as he signed the necessary documents and felt alive for the first time in weeks. A fire was burning deep down in his abdomen. He didn¡¯t know how she had managed to do this to him, this ck-haired, long-legged, curvy fiery witch, but she did do it to him. If he had been standing in the middle of a wilderness he would be howling now like a mating wolf.


    He¡¯d warned Vivian. He¡¯d even warned himself. But it had taken a story about a dog named Dany to set his natural hunting instinct free from the restraints he had ced around them. Turning back to the ss doors he trailed his captive outside again. His new sports car was nowhere to be seen now.


    Grimacing at the delight he could imagine its young driver was enjoying-the young fool¡¯s damn constion prize-Scott turned them towards the jetty on which his helicopter was awaiting them.


    Vivian was forced to endure his help as he helped her up the steps into the plush cream leather interior, with the bristling impatience of a man who believed he had the right to hustle her around.


    The impression stung like acid through theyers of her skin as she chose a seat on the other side of the cabin and sat down. She refused to look at him as he folded his long frame into the seat farthest away from her. If two people wished to announce they were at war, then their seating choices gged the battle line.


    The door slid shut. Rotor des began to move. The angry butterflies ying havoc with her insides altered to anxious tingles as she felt the contraption lift off the ground. As her heart dipped rmingly she watched with wide eyes and, in what felt like only seconds, she found herself staring down at the river which looked like a silver ribbon glinting in the sun.


    He did not speak. She did not speak. But she could feel the fierce heat of his mood reaching out towards her across the empty gap. And her lips were still burning so hotly from the kiss she found she just had to try to cool them with the moist tip of her tongue. Her mouth suddenly came alive with the taste of him. Shocked that a kiss could leave such an intimate residue behind, she mmed her tongue against the back of her teeth and refused to let it move again.


    ¡°Drink-?¡±


    Vivian forced herself to look at him, only to feel a strange heavy weight descend across her chest. He looked different again-as in dangerously different.


    His lounging posture in the corner of the plush leather seat, with his long legs stretched out in front of him, yelled cool, calm arrogance at her, yet his half-narrowed eyes and the glint emitting from them warned of something new lurking around inside him, as if he¡¯d flung on yet another change of mood.


    Passion-desire, she named it, without knowing how she recognised either thing. Her eyes dropped to his mouth, his wide sensual mouth. Could he taste her as she could still taste him-?


    Vivian shook her head and turned to look at the horizon where the built-up city had begun to thin out and the earth below them was slowly turned into a thousand shades of green as they flew over countryside.


    Across the cabin, Scott was talking on his mobile phone. In front of her, hidden behind a bulkhead, some invisible person was flying them to-she knew not where because she had forgotten to ask where they were staying.

 47

    When they finally began to sink downwards.  Vivian saw a series of ted rooftops forming the shape of arge country house standing in the center of sweeping clipped greenwns sloping down to a tinyke.


    As they settled on the grass a short walk away from the creamy painted walls of the house, she assumed that it must be a hotel. And only realized her mistake when Scott led the way in through the front door and she heard him greet a smartly dressed man, before strolling over to a side table to begin sifting through the small pile of letters she could see waiting there.


    ¡°This is a house,¡± she murmured, pausing to look around the light and airy hallway.


    Scott threw her a nce. ¡°What did you think it was?¡±


    ¡°A hotel.¡± His smile was more of a grimace. ¡°This is my home-or the one I use whenever I¡¯m here¡±


    Eyshes flickering away from the sturdy staircase built of rich golden oak which took up central position, Vivian looked at him, then away again.


    ¡°How many homes do you have?¡± she asked curiously.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Too many, probably,¡± he mocked. ¡°I don¡¯t like hotels,¡± he exined. ¡°I prefer my own space.¡± There was something in the way that he¡¯d said that, which made Vivian frown as she studied his face. She almost mentioned that she had met him at a hotel, but decided not to. The look on his face told her nothing, and he appearedpletely rxed, yet-


    Someone came in through the open front door then, making her turn about.


    It was the man Scott had greeted as they¡¯d arrived here and he was carrying her holdall and dress bag.


    ¡°This is Anthony¡±  Scott made the introductions. ¡°Anthony keeps the house running smoothly. If you need anything while you¡¯re here, Anthony can usually provide it. Miss Sanchez, Anthony,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Sanchez,¡± Anthony greeted her politely. ¡°I will take your things up to your room, then organize some refreshment.¡± He strode off towards the stairs, leaving Vivian chewing her bottom lip as she watched him go. It was all very easy, very polite. It was nothing like she¡¯d seen before. The house was beautiful. It had soft cream walls and a gentle, ssical feel to it. She liked it.


    ¡°Take a look around while I finish reading through these,¡± Scott invited, his attention back on his stack of mail.


    Wandering off, Vivian discovered that all the doors stood open already as if in invitation for her to step into each room. The first one she chose turned out to be a beautiful living room with squashy gold velvet sofas and chairs. A grand piano stood in front of a pair of French windows situated at one end of the room.


    ¡°Do you y?¡± she asked Scott as she walked out of the room again.


    ¡°Sometimes. I y the guitar too, but I don¡¯t have much time these days.¡±


    Wondering why he sounded so indifferent to possessing such a wonderful gift, she crossed the hall to the other side and discovered a creamy book-lined study with arge desk filling the window and olive-green furnishings.


    Stepping out again she saw that Scott had finished with his letters and was now studying her. A frisson ran down through her body. Conscious suddenly that they appeared to be alone here apart from Anthony, Vivian wasn¡¯t sure if she wasfortable with the arrangement, though she tried not to show it.


    ¡°How-how far are we away from the venue¡­ I mean the ce we¡¯re going to tonight?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Five minutes by helicopter, twenty minutes by car. Do you want to see the rest of the house or are you ready for something to eat and drink?¡± he asked.


    She didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do. Her fingers were restlessly pleating together and unpleating again, and for some reason she felt very unsure of her ground where his mood was concerned right now. He was rxed, yes. He was being very pleasant. But there was something different about him that made her want to- What-? Back off? Run?


    He was not offering to show her to her room, which was usually the first thing people did with a guest who was staying overnight. Not that she wanted him to show her to her room, Vivian told herself quickly. But- But what?


    Exasperated with herself, she decided her best choice while she was feeling so unsettled was, ¡°I think I would like to look around some more.¡±


    With a nod of his dark head he led the way towards the back of the house.


    Half an hourter she¡¯d been shown an all-purpose gym and an indoor swimming pool, a very elegant dining room, two more less formal sitting rooms and a huge rear garden that was a ze of color from the early summer flowering bulbs. Not once did Scott rest so much as a hand on her, yet she quivered inwardly all the time as if he was threatening to do it.


    It was the fault of the kiss, she told herself. The knowledge that he hade at her out of nowhere with it and so could easilye at her out of nowhere with something else.


    He was vtile-unpredictable. The kind of man who was aw to himself.


    He fascinated and unnerved her in equal measures, and her awareness of his close proximity yed like a bow across the taut string of her nerves, which in turn kept every sense she possessed honed on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very big house for just Anthony to look after,¡± she remarked eventually.


    ¡°You have no other staff?¡± She hadn¡¯t seen a single other person.


    ¡°Plenty, but they know not to be around when I¡¯m here,¡± Scott said.


    Because, as he¡¯d already said, he liked his own space. His phone rang then and, after taking the call, he murmured, ¡°Excuse me, I have to deal with this,¡± and strode off towards his study, talking in hushed tones.


    It was like being let off for good behavior. Vivian felt herself almost dete with relief. Working closely with him was taxing. Fighting with him was taxing! But being treated to a whole hour of his graciously polite side had worn her out! How did he manage to switch his moods on and off like a light switch? How did he go from impatient boss to hot, angry kisser with serious possessive tendencies that made her insides flip over to amiablepanion? Passionate, pre-calcting, domineering and dangerous, she listed, quivering despite not wanting to react at all.


    What mood was he going to treat her to next? The urban sophisticate wearing his social mask while she hung on his arm? He was tying her emotions in knots with his quick-change mood swings. She needed something to do to take her mind off him.


    Fortunately Anthony appeared as if by magic to offer her the promised refreshment. ¡°It¡¯s such a beautiful day, perhaps you would enjoy sitting out on the terrace? I¡¯m sure Mr McCall will not be long.¡± he said to her.


    Mr McCall could take as long as he liked, Vivian thought as she followed Anthony across one of the rear sitting rooms and outside. The moment she rxed into a cushioned chair and the warmth of the sun touched her face, she felt homesick.


    Anthony unfurled a huge canvas umbre, suddenly dousing her in shade. She knew he¡¯d meant well but she¡¯d been happier to close her eyes and bake for a little while, something she had not had the opportunity to do for a while.


    ¡°Something cool to drink or would you prefer coffee or tea?¡± enquired Anthony.


    A sudden imp inside her made her want to demand arge shot of vodka, just to see how Anthony would react. Anthony and all of this polite care and attention did not fit with the cool, tough, impersonal if-I-can-do-it-myself-I-will nature of Scott McCall.


    ¡°Something cool,¡± she said meekly, smiling wryly to herself.


    ¡°Coffee for me, Anthony¡± a third voice instructed.


    Scott strode out of the house and into the sunshine, then paused for second, lifting up his face as if he¡¯d missed the sun too. His sweater had gone and he¡¯d rolled back the sleeves of his checked shirt, revealing strong muscled forearms smattered lightly with fine ck hair that made his skin look deeply tanned.


    For a timeless moment Vivian was held transfixed by his sheer bronzed beauty. A telling little me flickered into life low down. Then he tilted his chin down again and she dragged her eyes from him, feeling shaken inside and momentarily defenseless against these surges of attraction she kept on experiencing.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to p a no-fly zone over the estate for the evening to stop the uninvited press from flying overhead,¡± he was telling Anthony, ¡°so can you make sure my pilot knows we need to leave to arrive before seven o¡¯clock?¡±


    With a nod Anthony left them alone on the terrace. Vivian fixed her eyes on the garden where an elegant goddess stood gently pouring water from an urn into a circr pond.

 48

    So tranquil, she thought, when there was nothing tranquil about the man who must have had the pool and the goddess positioned there.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± He came to take the seat beside her,zed back and stretched out his long legs.


    ¡°About the house? You must already know that it¡¯s very beautiful.¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°I purchased itst year from a business acquaintance, who needed some heavy cash fast,¡± he imparted casually. ¡°The idea was to sell it on but the current housing market made me decide to hang on to it for a while.¡±


    ¡°That exins it, then,¡± Vivian murmured.


    He turned his head to look at her. ¡°Exins what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Did Anthonye with the house?¡± she responded with a question of her own.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed, and she nodded her head.


    ¡°The decor and the furnishings?¡± His eyes started to narrow, and Vivian felt that needling spark of electricity filter into the air. She had to moisten her lips with the tip of her tongue before she could go on. ¡°Your-stamp is not visible here.¡±


    ¡°Stamp,¡± he prompted.


    ¡°This is a-how do you say it¡­quintessential-? Yes. This is a quintessential model of an Englishman¡¯s country home.¡±


    ¡°What? And just what do you know about quintessential Englishmen?¡± Scottughed. ¡°You¡¯re a farm girl with a dog called Dany for a best friend.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t know things¡± Vivian defended thatment.


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ I know things too¡± Scott tossed back.


    Widening her eyes, she asked, ¡°Do you-?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making assumptions about me without being in possession of all the facts. That¡¯s dangerous around me, Vivian¡±


    And Vivian knew he was right. Then again, everything felt as if it had a dangerous element to it since she¡¯d woken up this morning. And when she could not manage to break eye contact with him, she knew it was getting worse.


    ___________


    Vivian turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror and felt the now almost-permanent quiver going on low in her stomach quicken like mad. She¡¯d spent half the morning shortening the long flow of its near-sheer iced-blue silk skirt. But it was the rest of the dress that made her senses quicken. The strapless style of the bodice draped lovingly around the thrusting shape of her breasts, then went on to hug each slender curve of her body with band after band of exquisitely intricate pleating all the way down to her thighs before the sheer silk flowed to her feet, elevated by the daintiest pair of crystal-studded high-heeled mules.


    ¡°Oh, my,¡± she breathed, stealing the expression Megan had used on the phone that morning.


    Sparkling crystal droplets danced amongst the tight pleating, entuating the shape of her body when she moved or even as she breathed. She¡¯d coiled her hair into a loose pleat at her nape and her skin glowed smooth gold against the pale blue of the gown. A fabulous teardrop ne, given to her by father, rested on its fine chain just above the sloping fullness of her breasts, and matching earrings sparkled at her ears. She had hoped to look elegant and sleek and sophisticated but what she¡¯d seemed to have achieved was-alluringly sensual. She even felt sensual, in ces she did not dare think about in case she made herself blush.


    But she was chewing on her rose-coloured lip gloss and frowning uncertainly because she was just discovering that it was one thing to imagine herself dressing like this to impress a certain man, but it was quite a different sensation to realize she was seriously shocking herself.


    Scott was standing in the hall talking into his mobile phone when Vivian appeared at the top of the staircase. As he nced up and caught sight of her, the deep base tones of his voice stopped mid sentence and he froze, his dark eyes ring momentarily before he hooded them over with his long eyshes, his gaze running in a slow sweep that allowed him to take in every sleek curvaceous inch.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Oh damn, I¡¯m in trouble, was the only thought he was able to register as a familiar heat red low in his groin and somehow managed to mess with his breathing at the same time. Then he became aware that he still held his phone to his ear and he turned his back on her while he finished the call and, at the same time, grabbed a tight mental grip on his rampaging libido. This weekend is about work, he reminded himself. Yeah, tell that to the kiss you can still taste.


    Just watching the way he¡¯d shut down his expression and how his strong jaw had clenched before he turned away was enough to tighten the knot of anxiety toying with Vivian¡¯s stomach. He¡¯d done it again, and beaten her up with his silent criticism. She didn¡¯t know whether to get angry or to weep. She¡¯d reached thest step before he turned around again, wearing his cool urban face.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± he said. ¡°Something urgent the ount manager needed to discuss with me before we left.¡±


    He was walking towards her as he spoke, the absolute epitome of gorgeous handsome man about town in a formal dinner suit again. ¡°You look fabulous,¡± he delivered lightly. ¡°Love the dress.¡±


    Vivian managed a small tense smile in response.


    ¡°Do you have no coat, a shawl or something?¡±


    Offering a shake of her head, she answered, ¡°The evening is quite warm.¡± she replied.


    In truth, she had forgotten to bring anything like a shawl with her, but she was not going to admit that to this man who was floating a final nce over her before he gave a curt nod of his sleek dark head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, then.¡±


    Brisk, businesslike, firing on all pistons, Vivian described as she walked beside him towards the front door. He did not need to say it out loud to remind her that this was all about work. Networking the social scene while pretending to enjoy themselves. She wanted to ask him if she got paid overtime rates, but decided against setting the evening with a sarcasm that was bound to annoy him.


    As they circled down over the Cowell estate, Vivian was genuinely stunned by its ptial splendor. The house was designed to look like a Roman vi with a central courtyard and formal gardens fanning out from three sides of the house. The front of the house was mainly rolling green parnd split by a long sweeping drive. A makeshift car park to one side of the drive was already glinting due to the dying sun on the lines of cars.


    Vivian counted six helicopters parked up on the other side of the driveway and, as they swooped lower, she caught sight of two swimming pools, one outdoors and one contained beneath a dome of ss. Two television crews, and what felt like a thousand photographers, waited to record their arrival. The moment she saw them her heart started beating way too fast.


    ¡°Smile, Vivian¡± Scott instructed softly as he helped her down the helicopter steps.


    Obediently Vivian switched on her smile. Camera shutters began clicking wildly and shbulbs lit up the fading light. Scott maintained his grip on one of her hands as they walked the media gauntlet on a thoughtfullyid carpet of artificial grass where they took pictures and Scott answered a few questions from the media.


    When he saw how nervous she was, he gave a softugh and swapped his grip on her hand for an arm strapped across her back so he could hustle her in front of him into the house. ¡°Stop fidgeting, Vivian¡± he said, ¡°You look beautiful¡±


    Vivian didn¡¯t want to admit it to herself, but his assurance helped¡­ a lot. The next half an hour passed by in a whirl of first-time introductions that more camera crews recorded moment by moment. By the time she was given a chance to draw in a proper breath again, Vivian was feeling dazed.


    ¡°You could have warned me, you know¡± sheined to Scott.


    ¡°Forewarned, there was a chance you might do a runner,¡± he said, catching up two sses of champagne and handing one to her.


    ¡°This ce is amazing,¡± she changed the subject, ncing up at a high vaulted ceiling around which a cantilevered ss walkway seemed to stay up there by will alone. ¡°Well, Augustus Cowell likes to impress us with his structural engineering skills,¡± Scott murmured dryly.


    ¡°I thought the Cowell¡¯s were media moguls.¡± Vivian frowned.


    ¡°Been doing your homework?¡±


    Lifting her chin, she said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s part of my job, is it not?¡±


    The direct challenge. Scott arched an eyebrow because he had not expected her to make it. Like a fool ying a very dangerous game he held on to her deep dark eyes and piled the pressure on the constant tug of sexual awareness that was always present between them now. She looked away first.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, ¡°let¡¯s move on to where the real action is.¡±


    The work angle of action, Vivian saw the moment they stepped inside a vast reception room already crammed with high-end glittering people.

 49

    Theworking started almost straight away. Scott kept her at his side as he walked the room, rarely needing to make an effort to gain attention because people were more eager to meet him. It was the quality of the man and his billionaire kudos, his entrepreneurial brilliance, his stunning good looks and his casually presented charm. He handled people with a low-key edginess that made them work all the harder to earn themselves an impressed nce or an approving smile. Smooth, Vivian described as she soaked him in like the rest of them.


    Then he ruined it for her when he turned to her and said, ¡°OK, this is where I leave you on your own for a while.¡±


    Like a kick in the gut she instantly turned as white as parchment. Scott released a sigh, catching her by the shoulders and turning her to face him.


    ¡°All you have to do is circte and listen. If you know what they¡¯re talking about, join in. If you don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about, then ask questions,¡± he ryed as if it was really that simple. ¡°People don¡¯t mind being asked questions. In fact, they like to show off their knowledge. What they don¡¯t like is someone pretending to know what they¡¯re talking about when they don¡¯t. OK?¡± Pressing the tremor out of her lips Vivian nodded.


    ¡°If they ask you anything too personal shoot them down the way you like to do to me,¡± he went on. ¡°You have spirit, Vivian, use it to your advantage. Always be polite. Always be aware of how much you¡¯re drinking. I wille and find you in, say, half an hour when we are due to go into dinner.¡±


    ncing down at the fine silver watch circling her wrist, she said,¡±OK,¡± with only a tiny scared tremor showing in her voice. Scott heard it though and released a sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK-really,¡± she said and straightened her shoulders. ¡°This is work- yes? I have to treat it that way.¡±


    Still he hesitated, giving her the impression he wanted to say something else, and for some reason Vivian found herself holding her breath. Then he instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t bolt,¡± and walked away.


    For the next half-hour Vivian braved the sharp jaws of socializing. Like Scott had said, it was easier than she expected because people tended to be them drawing her into their conversation rather than her needing to butt in.


    Scott wished he¡¯d found it easy to walk away from her but he hadn¡¯t. He felt as if he¡¯d abandoned a puppy on the fastne of a motorway, but he needed to speak to some people privately. She was good at socializing though, he acknowledged with an inner smile. A set of slender long fingers coiled around his arm.


    ¡°So you¡¯vended yourself a new little cuckoo already,¡± a mocking voice purred beside him.


    ncing down, Scott found a smile for the beautiful model, Elizabeth Smith who¡¯d sidled up against him. Setting his teeth together behind the rxed line of his mouth, he drawled, ¡°Hello, Elizabeth. What are you doing here? Still enjoying ying the heartless bitch, I see¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heartless?¡± Her lovely  eyes opened wide. ¡°I should be the one saying that. Tell me, Scott McCall, how many hearts have you broken since you became sexually active?¡±


    Scott released a dryugh. Elizabeth was a bitch and a brazen one but at least she had a sense of humor. He liked that about her. ¡°That¡¯s too personal, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked.


    Elizabeth shrugged. ¡°Well, I do have a right to know. Since you dumped me for her.¡± she raised her hands, ¡°No hard feelings, though. I understand why¡­ she¡¯s beautiful. I knew she was up to something the first time I saw her.¡±


    Unable to stop himself from ncing across the room to hunt Vivian down. Scott caught sight of her dark head amongst a group of younger people and wasn¡¯t sure he liked the odd stinging sensation that ran down his front. He fought the urge to tell her that he wasn¡¯t dating Vivian. It was none of her business.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°The cuckoo looks different from your usual type, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Elizabeth prodded lightly, following his gaze. ¡°She¡¯s so shy and reserved-just look at the way she¡¯s blushing at whatever Eliot Peter is saying to her¡­¡± Scott was looking.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a clue how to deal with people like us.¡±


    ¡°Like us?¡± Scott was curious enough to pick up on thement.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve already established that I¡¯m a heartless bitch and you¡¯re a ruthless heart-breaker. And there is a room full of both those types here tonight. Elegant, bored, social spinners,¡± she extended candidly. ¡°Men with their egos in their wallets and their pants, and women with theirs in the exact same two ces -and I meant in the men¡¯s,¡± she made clear. ¡°The cuckoo stares at us all as if we are aliens and I don¡¯t really me her.¡±


    ¡°And perhaps she recognises that she¡¯s sauce for tongues like yours,¡± Scott offered up. ¡°Do me a favor, Elizabeth,¡± he said quietly.¡±Keep your barbs out of Vivian.¡±


    ¡°And you will do what for me?¡± she shot back.


    Leaning down, Scott brushed a light kiss to one of her smooth cheeks. ¡°Respect you,¡± he murmured and walked away.


    Vivian saw the kiss and wondered what that was all about. She recognized the woman from the first day she¡¯d met Scott in his hotel room. Thedy didn¡¯t seem to like her very much. She wondered how many other women present at the party had history with Scott. He had beautiful womening out of his pockets, she decided acidly, thinking of who he had been going out withst night before he bumped into her. Did heter meet up with her after he dropped her off at her ce? She pitied herself and the woman¡­ whoever she was. She also pitied the one he¡¯d just kissed and walked away from, she decided as she turned and strode off in the opposite direction. For there was one lesson Scott had already taught her which stopped her short of being jealous of her and the kiss-he left with the woman he arrived with and saw her safely back to her own front door. Or her bedroom door in her case tonight. Or inside the bedroom door if it was anyone else.


    A hand caught her wrist as she was about to continue through the open doors onto the pool terrace. For a brief second she thought it was Scott and a wry smile curved her mouth as she turned her head with the intention of telling him the half an hour was not yet up. But the smile died along with her sinking heart when she found herself staring into the cold silver eyes of an unknown man.


    ¡°I want words with you,¡± he informed her thinly.


    She didn¡¯t like the look on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± she replied. ¡°Trying to pull free from his grip, her wrist hurt when he tightened his hold on it.¡± Let go of me¡± She frowned at him in contemptuous surprise.


    ¡°Not until I get some answers from you.¡± Pulling her away from the doorway, he swung her into a corner of the room behind a giant palm nt. ¡°Right,¡± he said, pushing his handsome face up close to hers. ¡°You need to tell me why you¡¯re here with Scott McCall, clearly as his date and my sister is not¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are¡± Vivian denied, wincing when his hard fingers crunched the tender bones in her wrist.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t know who your sister is either¡­but if your sister is anything like you, then I certainly see why Scott isn¡¯t here with her. I¡¯d want to stay away too.¡± Vivian retorted scornfully, still trying to get away from him and ncing over the top of his blocking shoulder to see if anyone had noticed the way he¡¯d cornered her like this.


    It came as a shock to realize that he¡¯d chosen his spot carefully because the palm nt virtually sealed them off from view. Then she gasped when he pushed in on her, his body pressing her back against the wall.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± he rasped. ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, you won¡¯t let yourself get in the middle of this thing between me and that jealous bastard because if my sister gets hurt, I will do anything to get back to him, and I don¡¯t care who takes the heat!¡± His face was so close to hers that she was breathing in the alcohol from his angry breath.


    ¡°Well tell him yourself, freak!¡± Vivian whipped back, shuddering with distaste. ¡°And if you don¡¯t release me from this corner I will start shouting for help!¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± he jeered. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you and you look lost. I¡¯m sure you are too damn scared of making a scene here. Your date won¡¯t like it.¡±

 50

    ¡°I am not making the scene-you are! Now-let-me-go!¡± With an angry tug she managed to yank her wrist free. As he went to grab hold of her again, she pushed at his body with her two clenched fists and enough angry strength to make him stagger back a small step, giving her just enough space to slither around him and get away.


    Shaking inside with anger and reaction, she hurried out onto the pool terrace. Scared that he might be following her but determined not to look back and check, she made for the first group of people she saw standing by the swimming pool, and with a deep breath to calm her unsteady breathing, she ventured close enough for them to notice her, and smiled gratefully when they widened the circle to invite her to join in.


    What the hell just happened? She had no idea who the man was? And all that talk about his sister and Scott, what was all that about? Her eyes zed and her wrist was hurting, she noticed, carefully rubbing the ce where he had dug into her bones. Someone offered her a ss of champagne. She smiled as she took it, and hoped the thoughtful person could not see the strain in her eyes.


    She thought about taking a sip from her ss but she knew she would not be able to swallow. Her throat felt thick and her nerves were still jangling like mad. It was dark outside now and the air was cooler than it had been earlier. Soft lighting had been switched on to light the way to the marquee set up in the garden and the pool glittered a soft aqua blue.


    She caught the smooth deep tones of Scott¡¯s voice and turned to watch him appear in the doorway leading back into the main reception room. He was nked either side by Augustus Cowell and Michele, his beautiful me-haired wife. All three of them were smiling, rxed-friends by their easy manner with one another.


    Someone called out, ¡°Hey, Michele! When are you going to feed us?¡± And Michele Cowell¡¯s lightughter filled the terrace, making Vivian find a small smile too because theughter was contagious. Then a hand arrived in the center of her back and pushed, propelling her forward. For a moment she teetered like a ballerina on the tips of her toes, fighting the momentum trying to pitch her forwards, her eyes wide as she stared into the lit blue depths of the swimming pool.


    Then she lost the battle and the next thing she knew she was falling, her sharp cry of shock thest thing she remembered before she sank beneath the depths of the cool blue waters.


    Scott was grabbing her arms even as she broke through the surface again, winded and gasping for breath. It was his fiercely clenched face she first focused on, his zing ck eyes, as he hauled her up and out of the water like a quivering, shivering, dripping wet rag.


    Camera bulbs shed in the stunning silence that hung over the pool terrace. Still too shocked to care right now, her fingers clutched at the bunched muscles in Scott¡¯s forearms in an effort to remain standing upright. Her legs had turned to jelly and she¡¯d lost her shoes in the tumble. Her hair hade loose and now it was dripping all over her face, and stinging hot tears were hurting her eyes.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Scott roughed out harshly.


    ¡°I would swear someone gave her a push,¡± a disembodied voice imed, and hearing someone say it out loud like that sent the air choking from her lungs on a broken sob.


    Cursing softly, Scott tried to fold her into the shelter of his arms but she held back. ¡°I will wet you.¡± She said,


    ¡°Do you think I care about that?¡± Arge warm towel arrived around her shoulders and she huddled into it gratefully, shivering badly now as the cool evening air struck deep into her wet skin.


    ¡°Are you all right, Vivian-?¡± It was only when she heard Michele Cowell¡¯s anxious question that she realized it must be her hostess who¡¯d been so quick to produce the towel she was huddling into. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    With a shake of her head Vivian made an effort to pull herself together, found the strength to push her wet hair from her face and discovered that her wrist was still hurting.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK,¡± she shivered out, fighting to slow the pounding pump of her heartbeat. She managed to let out a small shrillugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know how that h-happened but I will not be offended if you believe I am drunk¡± An appreciative ripple ofughter ran around the terrace. After that, people began to rx and talk again, giving her a chance to try and take stock of what she must look like. Staring down she saw that her dress was ruined, her bare toes curling into the cold white tiling in between the solid nt of Scott¡¯s ck shoes.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Let me take care of her, Scott¡± their hostess said quietly. ¡°She needs to get out of those wet clothes.¡±


    It was only then that Vivian became aware of the way he was still holding her and of the fierce tension gripping him. Lifting her face up to look at him she discovered that without her shoes she had a long way to look up. Tall, dark, heart-shakingly gorgeous, it was like looking at the diator she¡¯d first seen at that party, the shing eyes, the fiercely clenched angr jaw, the tightly ttened mouth.


    Feeling her looking at him, his ck eyshes flickering, he tilted his dark head to look down at her with a simmering shot of barely suppressed fury that made her suck in an unsteady breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m-OK,¡± she said again, feeling the strangest need to reassure him. ¡°It was just such a sh-shock to hit the water like that.¡±


    ¡°Were you pushed?¡± he asked.


    Quiet though his voice sounded Vivian still recognised the danger it attempted to suppress. A careful nce to her left and to her right told her that some people were still standing around staring at them. The odd shbulb reminded her that the whole incident had probably been caught on camera a hundred times over. Michele and Augustus Cowell stood close by, and like Scott they too were waiting to hear her response.


    Moistening her trembling lips, she lowered her eyes while she tried to decide how to answer. Did she lie and say she did not know how it happened, or did she tell the truth and admit she suspected that the man who had approached her earlier had pushed her into the pool?


    ¡°Perhaps I slipped.¡± She went for the least sensational option, then frowned in confusion as Scott increased the tension in the grip he still held her in.


    ¡°Come on, Vivian¡± Michele Cowell sounded relieved though, as her arm came to rest across her shivering shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s get you dry and find you something to wear¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call for the helicopter,¡± Scott said.


    ¡°No, you will not!¡± Vivian reacted hotly. ¡°I have no wish for people to think that I am a wimp!¡± she breathed fiercely, unaware that their host and hostess were staring in surprise at her hot, hushed re of temper. ¡°I am wet and bedraggled and I saw the camera bulbs shing. Tomorrow I will be stered all over the papers looking like this, and you wish to turn me into a bigger joke by hauling me away?¡±


    ¡°Augustus will deal with the press, Vivian,¡± Michele assured her quickly. ¡°Oh, do let go of her, Scott, she is not going to fall apart if you do!¡±


    The fact that both Vivian and Michele had snapped at him seemed to wake Scott up from wherever he had gone off to since he¡¯d pulled her out of the pool. With a final flexing of impressive clenched muscles he dropped his arms away and took a step back, allowing Michele to lead her away.


    ¡°My security people are checking film footage to find out what happened,¡± Augustus Cowell informed him quietly. ¡°Fortunately we have a five-minute dy on what¡¯s transmitted on television, so the incident will not go up on the screens.¡±


    ¡°So you think she was pushed,¡± Scott said grimly.


    ¡°You saw the way she went in there, Scott¡± Augustus responded. ¡°She either jumped or she was pushed. Which do you think it was?¡±


    Augustusmoved away, then began ushering his guests down to the marquee, leaving Scott to mull over his sardonic question with his angry eyes shuttered while he reyed the moment in his head. The crush around the pool had been heavy but he¡¯d picked Vivian out of the crowd the moment he stepped outside.


    She¡¯d been looking at him; he could see the way her anxious eyes lit up the moment they connected with his. He could feel them doing it, followed by the sudden jerk of her body and the look of horror and shock before she began to topple over into the pool.

 51

    What he could not see was who had been standing close enough to her to propel her into the damn pool because his full attention had been fixed exclusively on her.


    ¡°So the cuckoo almost drowned and I missed it,¡± a disappointed voice drawled beside him. ¡°What a shame.¡±


    In no mood for Elizabeth Smith¡¯s twisted kind of humor Scott intoned tly, ¡°You lead a sad life, Elizabeth,¡± then walked away, over to the almost deserted pool bar and ordered a drink while he awaited Vivian¡¯s return.


    By the time the two women walked out of the house again he was the only person left on the terrace. As a foil for each other Vivian¡¯s darkness next to Michele¡¯s me was pretty much as good as it could get, Scott observed. Then his full attention had welded on Vivian¡¯s transformation from wet and bedraggled to long and curvaceous, a seriously slinky siren which almost blew his edgy control to bits.


    She was wearing a figure-hugging strapless ck tube of a dress that was nothing short of mind-stopping. For a few seconds he was thrown back to the moment he¡¯d first seen her at that party.


    Heat poured into his body. Desire so fierce he did not know how he kept it from showing on his face. Her wet hair had been slicked back and her makeup barely there except for a fresh touch of gloss to her soft full mouth. Her natural beauty just shone out of her, warm, dark-exotic-exquisite.


    But as they came closer he saw she looked deathly pale and he knew somehow-instinct-that she was more shaken up by the incident than she was trying to let on. Then he noticed the way she was holding her right wrist in the palm of her other hand and his raging libido altered to raging anger that stung like a blister trying to burn a hole in his gut.


    Vivian was responding with a smile to something Michele was saying when she saw Scott slowly straighten his leaning posture from the bar. Her footsteps faltered and her eyes just clung.


    ¡°See, delivered back to you all in one piece,¡± Michele said teasingly. ¡°All you have to do, Scott, is stop ring like an angry bear and perhaps we can join the others and get something to eat!¡± And he was ring, Vivian noticed-ring directly at her! If he said one small word, offered up one single criticism about how she looked, she thought fiercely, then he would be the next one tond in the pool!


    ¡°Why are you holding your wrist like that-?¡± heunched at her.


    ncing down, Vivian was surprised to discover that she was indeed cupping her wrist in the palm of her other hand, ¡°I-I think I hurt it as I fell into the water,¡± she lied.


    Michele let out a surprised gasp. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Too many other things to think about,¡± Vivian said ruefully.¡± And it does not hurt as much as I am obviously making it look!¡± She dropped the wrist to her side to prove her im. Michele did not look convinced and neither did Scott. He was still glowering at her, the tension in his jaw enough to crush rocks in his teeth. Vivian frowned at him, transmitting a message that had his lush ck eyshes veiling his anger and his lips pressing together over whatever he had been about to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving,¡± Vivian said brightly in an attempt to divert attention. In truth she knew she was going to struggle to eat a single thing, and her wrist was really throbbing where it hung limp fingered at her side.


    The three of them walked together down the path and into the marquee.


    People pped when they saw them arrive, making Vivian blush as she offered up a shy smile.


    A quick murmured thanks to her hostess and Michele was rushing off to join her husband. Scott¡¯s hand arriving against her lower back made her arch it slightly at the electric shock contact. If he noticed her reaction he said nothing, guiding her between a series ofrge round tables towards their allotted table. And he maintained that disturbing contact with her back right up until he had seen her into her seat.


    Tension zipped back and forth between them, though Vivian did not quite follow why it did. Whatever the reason, it made her respond over-brightly to the curiosity and interest which flipped backwards and forwards across the table because people were eager to know what had happened to her. She made light of their questions while Scott lounged in the chair beside her with a polite smile strapped to his lips and his dark eyes hidden beneath his lowered eyelids.


    When she could not contain a wince as she picked up her wine ss he did not know how he stopped himself from reaching out and taking the ss from her. A curse rattled around inside him because he recognised that his self-control where she was concerned was on a hair trigger. He wanted to catch hold of her injured wrist so he could inspect the damage. He wanted to brush that stray lock of damp hair from her pale cheek. He remembered what she¡¯d said about him always touching her and the stinging tension of grim eptance to that charge held him trapped like a prisoner, because he was bing more and more aware of just how much and how often he wanted to touch her.


    Giving his restless fingers something to do he picked up his own ss and gulped down arge slug of the rich ruby wine. She was driving him to drink, he mused bleakly. She was driving him to many ces, he extended on that, not even hearing that someone had just spoken to him. It was Vivian who brought his attention back to where it should be by lightly touching his jacket sleeve. A tight sting of awareness shot up his arm and, lifting his eyelids, he looked directly into her eyes. For a second-a finely split millisecond-he visualized leaning forward toy im to her mouth with a soft, hot kiss.


    Her eyshes trembled and she looked away from him. She knew what he had been thinking, and the tension inside him mushroomed while he forced himself to take note of the people sharing their table. Forced himself to join in.


    She was ying this out a hell of a lot better than he was, he conceded as the infernal meal dragged on and on. She only picked at the dishes set in front of her. So did he. Eventually Augustus stood to give a witty speech of thanks to everyone for attending, but Scott found it difficult to raise a smile. And he watched Vivian dip her head a little, exposing the vulnerable length of her slender nape. Tension gripped him, sexual tension. When she lifted a hand to rub at her brow, he watched her fingers tremble, saw as she lowered the hand again that her pallor seemed ten times more pronounced.


    And he¡¯d had enough. The decision came to him that quickly. People were starting to stand and move around the room now, so he used the moment to rise to his feet.


    Vivian was startled when he cupped her elbow and drew her to her feet but she did not protest when he just turned with her and headed out of the marquee without saying a word to anyone. There was a charity auction to follow the banquet, then music and dancing and a cabaret show put on by attending celebrities, which was to be transmitted to the Lake party by satellite link.


    He did not seem to give a damn. He ignored the clicking rush of camera shutters and the TV cameras recording their departure, his long loose stride tempered to suit her smaller steps in Vivian¡¯s borrowed shoes, and his hand was in possession of the curving indent of her waist.


    They walked the path up to the house in taut trammelling silence. As they passed by the pool Vivian could not control a small shiver and he reacted to it by drawing her in closer to his side. He was using his phone to speak to his pilot as they stepped into the house. By the time they stepped out of it again by the front door she could see the helicoptering in to settle on the same patch ofwn it had dropped them off on when they arrived.


    A few minutester, she subsided gratefully into her seat. Her wrist was aching and a tension headache was tugging at the backs of her eyes.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°OK,¡± he said the moment they were airborne. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±


    Casting a nce in his direction, Vivian saw that his mood did not look good at all. He was sitting with his long legs stretched out in front of him and a ck-suited elbow rested on the window¡¯s narrow ledge.

 52

    A set of long fingers supported the golden jut of his jaw while one fingery across the thin stretch of his mouth. And his dark eyes glittered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± she answered, keeping to her decision to y the whole incident down.


    ¡°If you¡¯re lying to me I will find out,¡± he warned her quietly. ¡°Augustus staff is checking film footage as we speak. I saw you fall, and I believe you were pushed. I want to know who you think did that to you and why you believe that they did.¡±


    ¡°It could just have been an ident,¡± Vivian sighed out. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are obsessing on it.¡± For an answer he dipped his hand into his pocket and drew out his phone. She knew without having to ask that he was going to call Augustus and get the information he wanted from him.


    ¡°You are such a bully-put your phone away,¡± she snapped, adding another sigh of weary surrender this time when he continued to hold the phone at the ready, eyes fixed like stubborn cksers on her pale face.


    ¡°I think I know the man who pushed me,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I don¡¯t know his name. He said¡­ he seemed to be mad about the fact that I was there with you instead of his sister¡±


    ¡°Bruce Be¡­¡± he fired a sharp frown at her. ¡°He was there tonight?¡±


    Moistening her taut lips Vivian nodded. ¡°I guess¡­ I mean I don¡¯t know. He -approached me as I was about to go outside¡­¡± Her eyes darkened with anger when she recalled the way he had grabbed her and hustled her into that corner. ¡°He caught hold of me and began throwing all kinds of wild usations at me. He-he said he didn¡¯t mind hurting me if anything happened to his sister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him¡­¡± Scott hissed.


    ¡°Who was he?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°He seemed very angry with you¡­ and¡­. Were you¡­ were you really supposed to be with his sister?¡±


    He had not asked her to be with him as a date. She was there for work, but still, the fact that he obviously had someone he was in a rtionship with hurt her so much. Was she the one he had been going out on a date with the other night before he met her?


    He shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s just someone mad at me because of some work stuff. He doesn¡¯t like to ept defeat.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Vivian couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°So I get harassed and pushed, and you don¡¯t think that I deserve more exnation than that nonsense you just said?¡± Vivian was stunned by the level of both men¡¯s conceit! ¡°I suppose you also think I deserved all I got when Inded in the pool!¡±


    ¡°Come on, Vivian. I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, because you¡¯re not saying what you should say either!¡± So upset now, she pushed up her chin and looked away from him, fighting the tears trying to burn in her eyes. ¡°The both of you are the same, you know. Just two, rich and proud men who only care about themselves. He bruised my wrist too but I suppose I should apologize for not allowing him to throttle me at the same time!¡± she shook out thickly. ¡°Perhaps you could-W-what are you doing-?¡± she broke off to choke out.


    He¡¯d undone his seat belt and arrived across the gap separating them with the speed of an attacking snake! Now he was picking up her bruised wrist and inspecting it, the curses that flooded from him should have turned the dark night air bright blue.


    ¡°I will kill him,¡± he grasped again, going pale with fury when he saw the livid purple fingerprints marking her delicate skin.


    Vivian snatched her wrist back, hurting it in the bargain, but she just did not care. ¡°You¡­men-you are all the same, ready to parade your macho strength when you feel like it,¡± she shook out in burning contempt. ¡°No, don¡¯t touch me.¡± She jerked away when he tried to capture her bruised wrist again. ¡± l am angry with you!¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡¯ Scott said quietly.


    Her face flushed, the tears daring to press against the muscles in her throat now. ¡°I behaved myself tonight-for your benefit! I did not do anything to earn your contempt! It was not my f-fault that a nasty p-person like Bruce or whatever his name was wished to push me in the pool-and you are not my hero just because you happened to pull me out of it!¡±


    The helicopter hade to a standstill without either of them noticing. Vivian undid her seat belt and stepped over Scott, just needing to get out of there before she did something really stupid like bursting into a flood of hot tears!


    She was already halfway to the house by the time Scott had stepped onto the darkenedwn. With a growl of frustration he strode after her and entered the house in time to watch her fly up the stairs. And even in flight the sensual flow of her lush ck-d figure reacted on him with all the gut-grinding promise of a-


    ¡°Oh damn it,¡± he breathed.


    He wanted her. His hand snaked up to grab hold of the back of his neck. He was not her hero, but he had this angry desire to charge up those damn stairs after her and at least be her lover! He remained standing like that for the next thirty control-clutching seconds -until he heard her bedroom door close with a thud. Then with a violent swing of his body he strode off towards the back of the house, discarding his clothes as he went. By the time he reached the door which led into his all-purpose gym he was almost naked but for a pair of ck cotton undergarments that molded his fiercest problem with no conscience at all.


    He used the gym as if it was his own personal war zone, pounding his body through a series of physical drills that did nothing to ease what was really driving him. Giving up on that form of torture he mmed through another door and dived into the glistening blue waters of his indoor swimming pool. Fifty hardpster and he was climbing out again and heading back through the house, grimly gathering up his discarded clothes as he went.


    The exercise didn¡¯t fix everything but it helped. He also intended to get drunk a little, and maybe a little bit of cannabis to get him as high as possible so he could sleep this thing off.


    The moment he reached his bedroom he headed for the bathroom. The heat of the shower made his glistening skin sweat and his chest was heaving from his recent exertions, but one part of him still dominated everything else. Cursing he switched the shower to cold and punished himself by letting the icy water dowse his entire frame. By the time he came out of the bathroom covered by a white toweling robe he thought he was finally beginning to get a grip.


    Then a soft knock sounded on his bedroom door and he knew, even as he walked barefoot across the room, that no matter how hard he¡¯d worked at it, he¡¯d controlled nothing at all. For there was only one person in this house who could be knocking on his door and she was naive enough and blind enough not to know what she was tempting by doing it.


    And there she stood in a short ivory silk robe with her recently shampoed hair a pagan swathe of glossy damp waves around her beautiful face. Her eyes looked anxious. A set of even white teeth were pressing into her full bottom lip.


    ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry to disturb you,¡± she stammered out, ¡°but I n-need¡­¡± The stammer did it; the big dark eyes staring up at him did it, the pearly white teeth worrying her lip. She¡¯d been disturbing him for too many frustrating hours and days and weeks, and he just reached for her and pulled her into his arms, then drove his hungry mouth down onto hers.


    And the hell of it was, she let him. Next thing he knew he was stepping back with her trapped against him and kicking the door shut so he could press her back against it to indulge in the kind of hot sensual embrace that said goodbye to his self-control.


    Vivian fell into the kiss like a starving woman. It was so much what she wanted there wasn¡¯t a single second when she thought to pull free. Her arms had already wrapped around his neck to fasten tightly and she was kissing him back so deep and hotly she did not recognise herself. The feel of his strong hard masculine body pressing against her felt glorious, the flood tide of pleasure that went rushing through her made her gasp and groan and quiver feverishly as he explored her mouth with a deep hot knowing intimacy which had her lips open wider in search for more.

 53

    Her reward was a lusty masculine growl that excited her dreadfully.


    Tightening his arms around her he lifted her up against him and fed her legs around his waist, then just stood there with her mped against him, their parted mouths fused together and the intimacy taking ce with their tongues a shattering mimic of something else he was doing to her.


    His hands were syed across her silk-covered buttocks, the fiercely bold evidence of how he was feeling shocked and excited her in equal amounts. When she moved voluptuously against him she felt his shudder that blew thest of hismon sense to bits.


    Turning to walk with her over to the bed, as theynded on the mattress in a tangle of clinging limbs, he pulled his head back. ¡°What did youe here for?¡± he rasped out.


    Having to fight to try and understand the question, Vivian opened her eyes and just stared nkly up at him. His mouth was barely an inch away, his warm breath scoring her face. She could feel the pounding pump of his heart against her tightening breasts as he waited for her to give him a response. To tell him she hade here to ask for a couple of headache pills was just not going to leave her warm moist swollen tongue. This was more important. She no longer even had a headache!


    When she didn¡¯t say anything, with a softly grated curse he repeated the question, watched her blink slowly, watched her teeth press down into that hot plump lower lip-and lost patience.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m in no mood to stop now,¡± he groaned thickly. ¡°So if you decide that you do want to stop you¡¯re going to have to say it loud and clear.¡±


    But Vivian did not want to stop. And she proved it by running her fingers into his thick ck wet silken curls on his head and drew his mouth back to hers. She could not exin it, did not want to try and exin it. All she knew was that, tough as he was, and hard and cold and dangerous as he was, Scott McCall had grabbed something from her that day she made that decision to sneak into his hotel room and deposited this terrible need for more of him in its ce.


    The kiss drove out any need for more talking; it was hungry and it was deep. And he was so practiced at this she barely felt his weight on top of her or the deft way that he undid her robe belt. The burning pleasure when she felt their naked bodiese together was just about the most overwhelming sensation she had ever felt.


    He knew what he was doing, so she just hung on and followed where he led, reveling in each new and exciting experience. He knew just where to touch her, knew just when to break their mouths apart so he could drive her frantically with slow moist kisses down the length of her body. He syed long fingers around one firm tender breast and teased its shy sensitive bud to flower and tighten, then caught his prize in his mouth.


    Wild pleasure took her over, her body arching and her thighs trembling as she gasped out his name. His fingers stroked her ribcage, trailing a path of fire down to her stomach and, finally, shocking her intoplete stillness when he made that first sweep between the thighs.


    Her breathless stillness brought his head up, eyes drugged and ckened by passion honing on to her face. Her hair flowed across the pillow; her hands still held his head. Her eyes were closed, her soft lips parted, and she was quivering -flesh, muscles, bones all vibrating in unison at the first exploratory caress he made. She did not seem to have any control over what she was feeling. Control, Scott realised, belonged exclusively to him. When her restless fingers trailed his nape, then slithered down his burning chest, he groaned as his body responded violently.


    She shaped the bunched muscles in his wide shoulders as her slender hips arched into his. She held nothing back, and he felt so intoxicated by her he sunk them both down-down into the dark heat of passion until it was all she could do to cling to him and let him dictate the rest.


    It was like being lost, floating on a rocky sea of building pleasure, Vivian likened hazily. When he reared back from her to remove his towel, her heavy eyes drank in the powerful beauty of his body-coveted it, reached out and touched the whirl of dark hair between his bulging pectoral muscles and made him shudder as she scored him with her fingernails.


    He came back to her on a hiss of hunger,y over her, letting her feel the glorious heat of his naked flesh against her own once again. It was power versus weakness, hard versus soft. He nibbled at the corner of her mouth until she twisted her head and anxiously demanded the full onught of his mouth.


    Passion, desire, overrode everything. He made love to her slowly and erotically and intensely, his sensual caresses moving her closer and closer to a ce she had never been before. Her fingers plucked restlessly at his flesh, her teeth fastened on to his throat. He was hot, a film of salty male sweat tasting on her tongue. She could not keep still and she could feel the tense state of his erection pushing against her thigh.


    ¡°Scott¡± she whimpered over and over for some dizzyingly important reason she could not understand. He understood though.


    She felt her first spark of self-consciousness when she suddenly remembered that she was nothing like the long slender women he was used to looking at like this. She had curves. She had a waist and hips and full real breasts, not fakes. As if he was thinking along simr lines an odd twist of a smile curved his lips as his gaze flickered down to that other difference she was suddenly acutely aware of, the triangle of ebony curls nestling at the juncture with her thighs.


    Then he bent down and kissed her navel; it was so shockingly unexpected, her muscles jerked violently in response. One of his hands stretched out, grabbing hold of her hand as it went instinctively to push him away from her, long fingers closing around her fingers as he repeated the kiss with a slow and sensual glide of his tongue lower and lower.


    ¡°Scott, no,¡± she groaned out.


    He ignored her protest and was so ruthless about his intentions that she surrendered to the silky waves of pleasure he was making her feel, her eyelids folding downwards as he traced each moist, hot, swollen part of her. Within seconds he was carrying her way beyond sense, drugging her with the newness of one sensationid on top of another. The way he used his tongue to pleasure her, the way he continued to sp her hand. The way her limbs had gone boneless and restless, the way there was a slownguorous drag of her breathing.


    He knew exactly what he was doing to her as he moved up her body to the t of her stomach, the curve of her ribs, the tight tender peaks of her breasts and finally, with a hungry molding of his lips, to her mouth.


    And with a single lithe move he arrived on top of her, his narrow hips pressing between her trembling thighs and atst she experienced the sense-spinning intimacy of his bold erection sliding into her like hot smooth silk. He entered her with one slow, powerful thrust, im-paling her, making her his and she felt it pierce her almost to her heart as he began to move inside her, almost passing out with pleasure as he began a slow rhythm, touching his lips to hers as he did so. It seemed so familiar and yet so different- and, oh, how could she have forgotten just how won-derful it felt, to be made love to by a man?N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    She wrapped her legs possessively around his back and heard him groan in response.  He lost himself in her dark, warm heat-giving himself up to sensation, but notpletely-watch-ing Vivian, reveling in her own uninhibited pleasure, nearly going out of his mind as she moved in perfect synchrony with him. Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted. And only when did she gasp, once, his name, and her eyes snap open in a kind of startled recognition-did he allow himself to let go, and it went on and on and on. Unknown words were wrenched from his mouth as the sound of her small, gasping cries rang in his ears.


    Vivian stared at the ceiling. Now what?


    Fighting sleep, she stirred a little beneath the weight of his inert body and realized that he had fallen asleep. She shook him, gently, her fingertips kneading into the oiled silk of his skin.

 54

    ¡°Scott,¡± From the depths of some heavenly dream, Scott made a little moan of protest. From some dreams you never wanted to waken.


    ¡°Scott!¡±


    He felt himself stir inside her sweet, wet warmth. He was still asleep! He moved his body luxuriously against the soft, giving flesh which enfolded his.


    ¡°Will you wake up?¡±


    Okay, he was awake, but the reality was even better than the dream. He smiled against her neck, realising that he was still inside her, and he began to grow hard once more, instinctively beginning to move.


    She fought desire. Fought her greedy wish to have him do it to her one more time, but, oh, it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°Scott!¡± she said, as sternly as an irate school- mistress. His eyes opened, taking in his surroundings with a sense of disbelief. Here. In bed with Vivian. In Vivian.


    He groaned as he withdrew, and looked down at her face, all rosy and glowing, dark eyes slit-ted by lids which were heavy and drowsy. She met his impassive gaze and in that moment she felt a million miles away from him-but then, she had to face it, she was.


    Just because they still had that whatever-it-was which made them dynamite together sexually-well, it was nothing more than that. Chemistry. Attraction-call it what you wanted.


    ¡°Vivian¡± he said softly.


    She was not going to be an emotional limpet. She was going to think like a man, even if inside she felt as vulnerable as any woman. ¡°Mmm?¡± she replied.


    ¡°That was¡­ amazing.¡± A tinge of hysteria nearly surfaced. She felt like asking him for marks out of ten, but she didn¡¯t, just kept the dreamy smile of fulfillment pinned to her lips, which wasn¡¯t exactly difficult. ¡°Yes, it was,¡± she agreed calmly.


    He levered himself up onto one elbow, and idly lifted a stray strand of damp hair from her forehead and that one gesture almost broke her resolve.


    ¡°So now what do we do?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°You mean, as of-right now?¡±


    That had not been what he had meant, at all, and she knew it. Left to him there was only one thing he would like to have done after making love to her and that was to make love to her all over again. But he had to be sure of what Vivian wanted or expected-and she had to know what his own agenda was. If she was one of those women who had started thinking hearts and flowers and happy-ever-after just because he had given her a spectacr orgasm, then this would-unfortunately-be the first andst time, however difficult he might find it.


    Usually, his demands were met because he stated them openly and honestly, but this was going to be more difficult. In truth, it felt different from usual, and he didn¡¯t know why. But Vivian had to be certain in her mind that he couldn¡¯t give her more. He bent his head to kiss the tip of her nose and saw her quickly shut her eyes.


    ¡°Vivian?¡± he called.


    She opened them only when she had had time topose herself. Whatever he said next she would deal with. She had no choice. She rubbed the tip of her finger along the outline of his mouth. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is it okay if¡­ if¡­ oh damn it! Shall we be lovers?¡± he asked.


    Her heart lurched beneath her breast. ¡°I thought we just had¡­.¡±


    ¡°I mean again.¡± he cut in.


    She knew that it would be uncool to ask for a timescale, but she needed to get things straight in her mind. ¡°You mean while we¡¯re here¡­.¡±


    Scott narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yeah I mean that, and when we get back home.¡­just between the both of us¡­. We¡¯re adults who want each other and I¡¯m certain this one time won¡¯t be enough¡­ so why don¡¯t we¡­. Be lovers. ¡±


    ¡°What about work?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be inappropriate?¡±


    ¡°Not if we both keep it to ourselves and Ermmm¡­ we stick to rules and understand the boundaries.¡±


    Boundaries¡­.


    Well, that told her one thing-he certainly wasn¡¯t thinking long-term. He just wanted a sexual rtionship. The only question was whether she wanted to be his lover, although it was a pretty academic question. Of course she wanted to be his lover, but could she do it and survive with her heart intact?


    She gave him a considering stare.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you want an affair?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    She could think of plenty of reasons, but none that a man would understand, and especially a man like Scott. ¡°With no strings?¡± she asked.


    His eyes narrowed in a swift look of surprise. ¡°That is supposed to be my line, Vivian,¡± he murmured.


    She knew it was, but she had deliberately taken the initiative away from him. If she let himy down all the guidelines that would give him a position of power and she was only going to allow this to happen if power were shared. As equals.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± she pointed out.


    He gave a soft, lowugh. ¡°Strings are the veryst thing I want, or need.¡±


    With his appetite presumably satisfied, and with her left feeling¡­ what? Regret? But wasn¡¯t life too short for that? After all, she was a mature woman, and she wasn¡¯t dating anyone.


    Maybe an affair with Scott McCall wouldn¡¯t be so bad.  She wasn¡¯t looking for love-and if she was, she certainly wouldn¡¯t go looking for it with him. Neither did she wantmitment-a man living with her, a one-on-one rtionship with all the heavy demands that brought with it. She wasn¡¯t sure she was ready for that either.


    ¡°What about that man I met at the party? He said something about you and his  sister¡± she asked.


    His face grew shuttered. ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°Are you really with her? In a rtionship with her?¡±


    There was silence. ¡°Do you trust me, Vivian?¡± he asked.


    ¡°¡­. I guess¡± she replied.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about him or his sister. It¡¯s totally about something else and I¡¯m not in a rtionship with her. It¡¯s not just something I want to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but Scott -¡±


    He shushed her by putting his finger on her lips and she answered by nibbling at it. He winced, but the slight difort turned him on.


    ¡°Vivian¡­¡± he soothed. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about every other thing. This is just about us¡­ between us¡±


    ¡°You think I want to be hidden away, as if I¡¯m something to be ashamed of! Maybe you should find someone else.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want anyone else,¡± he said patiently. ¡°You are all the lover that any man could want.¡±


    ¡°I sense there¡¯s a ¡±but¡±ing.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°But you know you work for me and we both know how this could look like to the media and everyone else?¡±


    Vivian understood but she still couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking. ¡°Do you usually keep all your lovers a secret?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I try to, but sometimes stuff gets out¡­¡±


    Even his honesty about his other lovers hurt, when it had no right to hurt. What had she expected him to say? That she wanted him to show her off and not keep her hidden? That she wanted much more? And wasn¡¯t that what she would have liked, deep down? Either she took what was on offer, or she turned her back on the proposal without another thought.


    ¡°I am a good lover, Vivian,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Oh, the arrogance, Scott! The conceit!¡± she mocked back. And the totalck ofprehension that women didn¡¯t choose lovers because they were dynamite in bed. Women chose men with their hearts, not their bodies-that was the difference between the sexes and that was where the dangery.


    But the flip side to danger was excitement, and excitement was what Scott was offering her. Yes, there was a risk that she would be hurt, but what was life without risk? A life lived safely to safeguard against possible hurt was surely no life at all.


    His thumb began to stroke at the cool flesh of her inner thigh and Vivian felt herself squirm.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t fair,¡± she said weakly, feeling him stir in response, hard and pushed against the soft cushion of her belly.


    ¡°What isn¡¯t?¡±


    She licked the finger that she had bitten. ¡°Using depraved methods to get me to agree to what you want.¡±


    ¡°Depraved? You think that is depraved? Vivian, you haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡±


    With a smooth movement, he pulled her to lie on top of him and entered her when she wasn¡¯t expecting it, and she sucked in an instinctive breath of protested pleasure.


    ¡°Scott!¡±


    He began to move. ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t given you my answer yet.¡±


    He moved again, and he was taken aback by how good it felt, as good as before. No. He groaned. Better. Much better. With an effort, he opened his eyes, looking up at her to see her caught up in the rapture herself, her neck and breasts still rose-smudged from the time before.


    ¡°Then what is your answer  going to be, Vivian?¡±

 55

    She touched his eyelids with her fingertip. Then his nose and his lips, as if discovering his beautiful face, even while their bodies were joined so intimately, and she was filled with warmth and an unbearable longing.


    ¡°It¡¯s yes,¡± she choked. ¡°You know it¡¯s yes!¡±


    For how could it ever be anything else?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    A sound awoke Vivian as the quiet light of dawn was drifting in through the window. She continued to lie there for a few seconds, grappling to make sense of her unfamiliar surroundings, then she remembered and her heart gave a thump.


    Twisting her head on the pillow she saw that the ce beside her in the bed was empty, and she sat up with a jerk, a hand going up to push her tumbled hair from her face. The sound came again and she focused on Scott, who was standing with his back to her on the other side of the room.


    He was already dressed in one of the dark business suits he favored, and was snapping his paper-thin watch to his wrist. He looked so breathtakingly handsome that tender muscles deep in her abdomen responded with a pulse of awareness at the same moment she picked up the clean male scents permeating the room which told her he had recently showered.


    The sheer novel intimacy in their situation suddenly engulfed her in a rosy hue of shyness. Realizing she was also very naked beneath the thin sheet had her clutching at its fine linen edge and drawing it up to her chin before she could fight a drowning wash of self-consciousness to speak.


    ¡°What-what time is it?¡± she asked huskily.


    The way his wide shoulders tensed at the sound of her voice sent her teeth biting down into her soft lower lip. Something was wrong. She could tell. Perhaps he was not quitefortable with their new situation yet either, she allowed.


    ¡°Five o¡¯clock,¡± he answered without turning. ¡°Go back to sleep-it¡¯s too early for you to get up.¡±


    ¡°You are up,¡± Vivian pointed out to him.


    He said nothing, his long fingers reaching out to pick up his phone, which he ced in his jacket pocket, followed by some other bits and pieces Vivian followed without really registering what they were. Beginning to frown now, it was slowly dawning on her that he did not want to look at her. That the tension gripping his wide shoulders also repeated itself in the sharp movements of his fingers, and from the small amount of his profile she could see, the muscle that angled his strong jaw was clenched.


    ¡°I am about to leave,¡± he announced suddenly, making Vivian blink slowly. ¡°I have business to attend to so we have to cut the trip short. My ne is on standby. Enjoy the rest of your day here if you wish. When you are ready to go back home, let Anthony know and he will have my helicoptere and collect you.¡±


    Every word, every cool t businesslike word, arriving like the cold tip of a knife¡¯s de forced Vivian to recognise what he was doing. He had taken her to his bed; now he was distancing himself. Obviously everything he had saidst night had been nothing but bedroom talk. In true Scott McCall tried-and-tested tradition he was letting her know without needing to say the words that this- this soulless departure in the pale hours of the morning marked the end of what they had shared!


    Beginning to tremble, Vivian shut her eyes, struggling with a nauseating sense of hurt that made her burst forth with the shaken words, ¡°What is going on? Why are you acting that way? Are you seriously doing this to me after everything you saidst night?¡±


    ¡°I had some time to think when I woke up¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t do this to me, Scott¡±


    He moved, twisting the long length of his body tonce her a brief shuttered nce. ¡°Don¡¯t beg, Vivian. It¡¯s unbing.¡±


    Beg-? Her eyes flicked open in time to watch him turn away again, every lean hard elegant inch of him so contained she began to feel dizzy now as well as sick.


    ¡°I am not begging,¡± she denied on a wounded choke. ¡°We-we just slept together!¡±


    ¡°A-mistake. It should not have happened.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°But it did happen.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± He seemed to be inordinately interested in what was inside his wallet now. ¡°However, it will not be happening again.¡±


    ¡°Just like that? Then why did tell me all thatst night when I didn¡¯t even ask you to?¡±


    Beginning to squirm with self-loathing for even trying to discuss this with him, Vivian folded her arms around her knees and crushed them to her chest. ¡°You-you make love to me, then just-just throw me aside as if my feelings do not count?¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Vivian! We did not make love, we had sex!¡± He spun on her angrily. ¡°We had wild hot amazing sex-Vivian!¡± he repeated harshly.¡±Where was the love in what we did in that bedst night? I did not bring it there! And if you did, then you were-¡±


    His nostrils red as he snapped his lips together, drawing back from what he had been about to say next. His dark eyes zed at her frozen expression of horror, then with a muttered curse he turned his back to her again.


    ¡°I was w-what?¡± she prompted sickly, feeling like someone living a nightmare she could not wake up from. She found she could not let him stop there even if the rest was going to break her in two. ¡°Naive? Stupid? Ready for it? Begging you for it?¡±


    His lean profile clenched. ¡°I was not going to say any of that.¡±


    ¡°Then what were you going to say!¡± she fired out.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The liar, the cruel wicked liar! Vivian thought.


    ¡°Look,¡± he began, ¡°The things that I saidst night, I¡­ did want it, but I¡­ I have been thinking about it a lot, and I shouldn¡¯t have said them. It was wrong for me to ask you, my assistant, be my lover. And we shouldn¡¯t have had sex in the first ce¡­ I should have controlled myself.¡±


    Vivian wasn¡¯t listening. She couldn¡¯t. It hurt so damn much and she felt so humiliated. ¡°I hate you so much now I will never forgive you for doing this to me,¡± she whispered. ¡°No doubt you are relieved and pleased to hear me say it!¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not-¡± his voice remained cool ¡°-I¡­care about you, Vivian.


    But I¡¯m a loner. I always have been. I¡¯m your boss, and I don¡¯t do the kind of rtionship you are going to expect eventually. You are just not that kind of woman. You will not believe this right now but I¡¯m doing you a big favor calling a halt now-¡±


    ¡°As you do with all the other women who have shared this bed with you?¡± she flung out. ¡°Take w-what you want from them, then toss them to one side like yesterday¡¯s rubbish?¡±


    ¡°Exactly like that,¡± he confirmed.


    Stunned that he had dared to admit it as coolly as he had, Vivian stared at him for a second, then pushed her face into her knees and hugged self-loathing to her like it was her closest friend. She¡¯d never felt so cheap, so used and discarded. And whatever it was he had tried not to say, the real truth crucifying her right now was she had been asking for it-begging him for it-for weeks before he gave in! Now here she sat in the middle of his rumpled bed consigned to the low ranks of a one-night stand. Which was probably her just deserts for being such an easy tramp!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go,¡± she whispered when she sensed him still hovering.


    ¡°I¡­need to know you are going to be all right.¡±


    So he wanted reassurance now? ¡°I¡¯m all right, Scott. Thank you very much.¡± She gave it to him with the taste of bitterness in her mouth. And still he hovered! Why-? Was he going to ask for a liter or two of her blood next?


    ¡°Look¡­¡± he said heavily. ¡°I¡¯m-sorry I let this happen.¡± He actually sounded it too. ¡°It was all my fault. I should not have given in to what was happening between us. You¡¯re inexperienced in these things but I am not, and I should have¡­¡±


    ¡°Say anything else m-more disgusting to me and I will be sick!¡± Vivian wrenched out.


    ¡°It was wrong!¡± heshed out suddenly. ¡°You work for me and I shouldn¡¯t have¡­. I am in a certain¡­ position of power over you and I-¡®


    That brought her head flying upwards.  ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think that I slept with you because I want something from you.¡± sheshed back, dizzy at the unexpected hot re of awareness she experienced when she looked at him. ¡°How dare you stand there and speak like I¡¯m a child who doesn¡¯t know left from right!¡±


    His taut profile paled. ¡°I did not mean-¡°

 56

    ¡°I do not care what you did not mean! I do not care that you feel guilty now that you¡¯ve had me in this bed! I gave myself to you willingly and freely. It is you who finds this a shameful thing, not me!¡±


    Standing rigid with shock, he looked as if he¡¯d been turned into rock, and Vivian decided she¡¯d had taken enough of this. With an infuriatingly uncontroble sob, she coiled her fingers around the sheet and snaked off the bed, dragging the sheet with her as she went.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Vivian¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she husked out. ¡°Don¡¯t speak another word to me. I hate you. I will hate you forever.¡±


    Those ck feelings vented, she ran into his bathroom and mmed the door shut, then just sank in a puddle of white linen to the floor.


    She had wanted this job so badly. Well, she had gotten a chance and blown it away, for where had her sense of honor been when she had lusted after Scott McCall? Where was it in recognising that she had just turned into a person she had never thought she would ever turn into. And she would never forgive Scott for making her aware that this was what she had done to herself.


    She heard the telltale sound of the helicopter lifting off the ground as she still sat in her huddle on the bathroom floor.


    He¡¯d gone. Her aching heart turned over. He had not bothered to hang around for a second longer than he absolutely had to and she hated him for doing that too.


    Hourster, after she had been delivered back to her apartment via helicopter, then a chauffeured limousine, which left her feeling cynically unimpressed, Vivian called Megan to tell her just how badly the weekend had gone.


    _________


    Scott McCall pulled up in front of the small brick house in the Green Park neighborhood. With its white trim, meticulously manicured frontwn and currently empty flower boxes, the home was cute and obviously well taken care of. But Jennifer Be still had no business being here. Not when she had a home.


    So why had she sent him a text informing him he¡¯d need to pick her up here tonight, as she would be living in this ce for the foreseeable future?


    What the hell was going on? After his weekend with Vivian, he was in no mood for any other drama.


    The questions had burned in his head, then twisted his gut into knots. The need for answers had propelled him out of his mother¡¯s house, where he¡¯d been visiting her and Sara. He hadn¡¯t bothered replying to Jennifer¡¯s text but had entered the address in his GPS and driven directly there. He shut off his car and walked up the tidy side-walk to the postage-stamp-size porch. Maybe she¡¯d heard him arrive, because before he could knock on the storm door, Jennifer appeared in the entrance, wrapped in a cashmere shawl and evening gown. She joined him on the porch, scanning his attire, her gaze running over his peacoat, down his ck jeans to his boots, then back up.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to the ballet dressed like that?¡± she asked, frowning.


    ¡°No,¡± he answered shortly. ¡°Come on.¡±


    Momentster, with her safe in the passenger¡¯s seat, he started the car and drove away.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Jennifer?¡± he asked. ¡°Whose house is that?¡±


    ¡°My best friend, ra,¡± she replied, keeping her gaze straight ahead.


    Impatient, Scott pressed, ¡°And? Why are you staying with her-how did you put it-for the foreseeable future?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Because I left home. And I don¡¯t know when, or if, I¡¯ll return.¡±


    Surprise winged through Scott. ¡°Did you leave or did Bruce kick you out?¡±


    Another sigh, and when he nced over at her she shook her head. ¡°I left. We¡­had a disagreement, and I thought it best if I gave us both space.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to make me drag it out of you, aren¡¯t you?¡± he growled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to make you do anything,¡± she said, every inch of the society princess in that reply. ¡°What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t want you to.¡±


    Quiet settled in the car like a third passenger as he drove to his home. It wasn¡¯t until he pulled into the underground parking garage that she stirred.


    ¡°I can wait here or in the lobby while you change if you¡¯re not going to be long. The ballet starts in about thirty minutes,¡± she said, straightening in the passenger¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± he snapped, ¡°Come inside, Jennifer. It¡¯s no big deal¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for her answer, but shoved the door open. But he still caught her grumbled, ¡°Fine¡­. Since everyone wants to boss me around¡­¡±


    In spite of the anger over Bruce and frustration over Vivian still churning in his chest, he couldn¡¯t suppress the quirk of his mouth. This woman gave as good as she got.


    Minutester, they entered his penthouse, and he took her wrap to hang up for her. ¡°Would you like a ss of wine? Scotch?¡± he asked, stalking into the living room and toward the bar.


    ¡°Do we have time for that? If you don¡¯t hurry and dress, we¡¯re going to bete,¡± she reminded him, following him, but halting on the top of the steps that led into the living room.


    He removed the top of a crystal decanter and poured himself a finger of bourbon. Only after he¡¯d downed a sip did he turn and face her. ¡°We¡¯re not going to the ballet,¡± he informed her.


    She frowned. ¡°What? Why not?¡± She stepped down into the room. ¡°And why didn¡¯t you tell me you changed your mind at ra¡¯s  house?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he repeated, lifting the tumbler to his lips and staring at her over the rim as he sipped. ¡°Because even though you won¡¯t admit it, you¡¯re hurting. Something more than a ¡®disagreement¡¯ had to have urred to make you leave the only family you have left, as well as the only home you¡¯ve known. I¡¯m a self-confessed asshole, Jennifer, but even I wouldn¡¯t make you attend a social event and fake a happiness you¡¯re far from feeling. Especially when your brother might be in attendance.¡± He swirled the amber liquor in his ss and arched an eyebrow. ¡°And as for why I didn¡¯t tell you when I picked you up, that¡¯s simple. You wouldn¡¯t havee with me if I had. Thest thing you need right now is to be alone. And I¡¯m guessing your friend isn¡¯t around which mean you would¡¯ve been very much alone tonight. So that leaves me.¡±


    Her frown deepened. ¡°It¡¯s a little creepy how you know so much about me.¡±


    He shrugged, taking another taste of the bourbon. ¡°Before going into battle, it¡¯s wise to be prepared and know everything you can about your enemy.¡±


    ¡°Enemy,¡± she breathed, then scoffed. ¡°You just proved my point. We¡¯re not friends-far from it. So why do you care how I spend my night? I¡¯m not your responsibility,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°No,¡± he agreed just as softly. ¡°We¡¯re not friends. But can we call a truce and resume hostilities tomorrow? You¡¯re right, you¡¯re not my responsibility. But I am responsible. The argument was about me, wasn¡¯t it?¡± When she didn¡¯t reply, he gently pressed, ¡°Jennifer?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she reluctantly admitted.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± he said, his anger rekindling. ¡°Bruce wanted you to break it off with me and you refused.¡±


    ¡°Correct again.¡± She notched her chin up at a defiant angle, but he caught the slight tremble of her bottom lip. ¡°But if I¡¯d given in to his demand, then it would¡¯ve meant destroying everything he cares about, destroying him. Still, it¡¯s not like I could share that with him. Instead, he threatened to dismantle mypany, starting with ruining all the businesses I¡¯ve invested in. Oh, and he fired me-or ced me on a temporary leave of absence. So those are my choices. End our rtionship and destroy everything my brother loves. Or continue upholding our bargain and lose thepany I love.¡±


    Fury sted through Scott, and for a moment a red haze dropped over his vision. Bruce had not only pushed Vivian at that party, but he had also threatened his own sister? The man just couldn¡¯t stop being an asshole. Scott grasped the tumbler so tightly the beveled edges dug into his flesh. He pictured that thick, brown file in his office safe, and had no regrets about his intentions to expose Bruce. A man like him deserved the hell he nned to rain down on him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let him do that,¡± Scott promised. Soon enough her brother would be too busy trying to pick up the ming pieces of his life to worry about harming herpany.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your concern.¡± She waved a hand, dismissing his vow and the topic. ¡°And you mentioned a truce? I ept.¡± Moving forward, she extended her arm. ¡°Should we shake on it?¡±


    Scott nced down at her open palm before lifting his gaze to meet her eyes, then his hand closed around hers.  ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked, lowering his arm to his side. ¡°I can order in anything you¡¯d like.¡±

 57

    ¡°I¡­¡± She hesitated, shrugged a shoulder and started again. ¡°I can cook if you have something in the kitchen.¡± She said.


    Scott burst intoughter. ¡°You can cook?¡± Dubious, he scanned her beautiful hair, gown and shoes. ¡°In that? Impossible!¡±


    Jennifer snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not starting off this truce thing well. And yes, I can cook.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t been watching her so closely, he might¡¯ve missed the sh of insecurity that was there and gone in an instant.


    ¡°Show me to the kitchen? That is, if you don¡¯t mind me¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, this I have to see for myself,¡± he assured her, and strode past her toward the room he rarely used.


    His housekeeper often prepared dinners for him that she left warming in the stove. So the pantry and refrigerator should both be stocked. ¡°I¡¯ll even supply you with clothes so you don¡¯t get anything on your dress.


    See how amodating I am?¡±


    ¡°Until tomorrow,¡± Jennifer added from behind him.


    ¡°Until tomorrow,¡± he agreed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I hadn¡¯t tasted it for myself,¡± Scott eximed with wonder, staring down at his empty te.


    Jennifer shook her head, smothering a smile, although her cheeks hurt with the effort. Forking thest of the chicken carbonara to her mouth, she tried not to blush under his admiring scrutiny. She was twenty-five and an heiress-needless to say, she was used topliments. Buting from this man¡­ She had to admit that it meant much more, and it was weird because she had no idea why.


    ¡°Can I say something without breaking the tenuous bonds of our truce?¡± Scott asked, cocking his head to the side.


    She met his gaze. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve never pegged you for someone who enjoyed getting their hands dirty in a kitchen. What you did in there-¡± he dipped his head in the direction of the kitchen ¡°-was skill. And spoke of someone who really enjoyed it. You¡¯re a walking contradiction.¡±


    ¡°So your all-knowing file didn¡¯t include that information?¡± Jennifer mocked. Picking up her wine ss, she sipped the moscato, silently debating how much to tell him. This man wasn¡¯t her friend. He was even nning to ruin her brother, but why did she feel so at ease with him? Like she could trust him? She had no idea. Then, before she could make up her mind, her mouth was moving. ¡°My mother loved to cook. We had a personal chef, but when Dad wasn¡¯t home, she¡¯dmandeer the kitchen and cook for all of us. She would let me help, and some of my happiest memories are of the two of us preparing a pot of gumbo or baking a quiche. I learned to cook from her, but I also inherited my love of it from her.¡±


    God, where had all thate from?


    ¡°Anyway, now your dossier isplete,¡± she added flippantly. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up.¡±


    She rose from her chair and, grabbing both their tes, circled the bar and headed toward the sink. As she set the dishes in it, he said :N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Your mother would¡¯ve been very proud of you. Please leave the dishes. You did all the work, the least I can do is clean up. Will you pleasee back and sit me so we can¡­. I don¡¯t know¡­ talk?¡±


    Jennifer turned around to look at him. She didn¡¯t say anything, but he knew what that look meant. She was confused, and so was he. He never anticipated that this would happen when he started out with his n. That he would care about Jennifer and value her presence and opinion as a friend. All he¡¯d wanted was revenge against Bruce for what he¡¯d done to his sister and he¡¯d nned to use Jennifer to get to Bruce. He had not wanted a friend, but he was frustrated and he wanted someone to talk to.


    He¡¯d hired Vivian as his assistant¡­ he didn¡¯t n to be attracted to her, but he was. He¡¯d nned to use Jennifer, and he didn¡¯t n to like her as a friend, but she¡¯d be one somehow. It seemed like none of his ns were going the way he¡¯d wanted. He was bing soft and he didn¡¯t know if he liked it or not.


    Jennifer returned to her seat. ¡°So what would you like to talk about?¡± she asked him.


    Scott shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± he replied, ¡°But the night is still young. I figured you¡¯d spend the night in one of the rooms¡­ if you don¡¯t mind. Unless you¡¯d prefer I take you back home so you¡¯d be home alone¡­ I guess I figured it would be better if you just stayed and we keep each otherpany¡­ I for one know that I don¡¯t want to be alone right now. Too many angry thoughts.¡±


    ¡°About my brother?¡± Jennifer asked with a smile.


    ¡°No¡­ yes¡­ I mean¡­ I don¡¯t really know. I just want to talk about anything¡± he replied.


    Jennifer smiled and nodded.¡± Okay¡­ and yet you have no topic in mind, so let me start. Why are you¡­ Scott McCall, billionaire and sessfulpany owner, spending your evening alone with me when you could be¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ doing something else¡­. Having a date with a beautiful woman perhaps?¡±


    Scott¡¯s eyes narrowed, but there wasughter in his eyes. ¡°Is that a weirdlyplicated way of asking me if I¡¯m single?¡± he asked


    Jennifer smiled. ¡°Well, if you want to put it that way,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m allowed to wonder. So¡­ are you?¡±


    Scott hesitated. ¡°¡­. Yes, I am¡± he replied finally.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem so sure, Mr McCall. What was that pause for?¡±


    Scott looked away. Nothing seemed to pass by this woman. ¡°There was no pause¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Hey¡­. You were the one who said you want to talk, not me. So spill¡­ who knows, maybe I¡¯ll be able to help. I¡¯m a woman, you know and that means I know how women think.¡±


    Scott sighed. Every n of his seemed to be going to hell so why not just go with the flow, he thought. ¡°Fine¡± he said finally. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, okay? I am single¡­ but there¡­ there¡¯s this¡­ this girl¡­¡±


    ¡°Ohhhhhhh¡± said Jennifer, batting her eyelids ridiculously. ¡°There¡¯s a girl¡­¡±


    ¡°You have to stop that if you want to go on,¡± Scott said yfully.


    ¡°Okay¡­I will stop¡­go on¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I care about her, deeply¡± Scott began, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t want to. She¡¯s not the kind of woman I usually go out with so this¡­ attraction is very¡­ new to me.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem if you care about her. She¡¯s not your type? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Scott shook his head. ¡°Oh nothing is wrong with her.¡± he said hastily. ¡°And she¡¯s definitely my type. She¡¯s so damn perfect too¡­ but¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Jennifer insisted. ¡°You say she¡¯s perfect and yet you can¡¯t be with her? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give her the kind of rtionship I know she¡¯ll eventually want. I don¡¯t believe in impossible rtionships¡­ They are not for me and she¡­. She works for me too. She¡¯s my personal assistant, damn it. What kind of rtionship am I going to have with her? I¡¯ve never gotten business mixed with pleasure before and I guess¡­ I guess I just don¡¯t know how to handle it. ¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± said Jennifer. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of stuff that gets worker¡¯s mouths running, you know¡­. Gossip. Can be really messy sometimes.¡±


    ¡°You get it,¡± Scott agreed.


    ¡°But¡­ you sound like you like her a lot,¡± Jennifer added. ¡°Does she¡­ feel the same way about you?¡±


    Scott stared into thin air for a moment. Memories zapped through his brain as images of himself and Vivian tangled up in bed resurfaced. The feelings the mere thought of her invoked bothered him, but the memory of the expression on her face when he walked away from her that morning was much worse. He shook his head. ¡°I¡­. I guess she does, but I¡­ I don¡¯t know. Sometimes I think she hates me so I can¡¯t be sure. Besides, she has told me that she does at some point so I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He got up and paced the room. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. It will never work out¡±


    ¡°Because you haven¡¯t even tried.¡± Jennifer cut in.


    Scott stopped pacing to nce at her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me.¡± said Jennifer, meeting his gaze and mirroring his expression. ¡°Gosh, you men are the same, you know. You care so much about your pride and you¡¯ll do just anything to make sure other people don¡¯t see you miserable. You don¡¯t want anyone to break down those unnecessary walls you¡¯ve built around yourself so you push anyone who can away.¡±


    Scott came back to his seat and red at her. ¡°So you¡¯re not only a cook tonight but also a therapist. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. The point is that you finally found someone who gets to you and you¡¯d rather push her away than let her in. Your reasons are ridiculous if you ask me¡±

 58

    Scott rolled his eyes. ¡°Now you make me regret my decision to open up to you¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re not a real therapist because your patient would leave your office even worse than they came. And now that I¡¯ve opened up to you about my dark, dark secret about my PA, you have to do the same. Why are you alone with me then, anyone special in your life?¡±


    Jennifer shook her head and looked at her feet, ¡°No¡± she replied, but Scott was not deceived.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a horrible person, you know that?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°You give me so much trouble about my romantic life, and yet you have a secret of your own. Now spill!¡±


    Jennifer chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m being truthful. I might have someone I have feelings for but I¡¯m not in a rtionship with her¡­so it doesn¡¯t count¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same situation with I and my PA and you still gave me a hard time.¡± Scott said, ¡°You¡¯re not getting out of this. Spill!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dwelling on the fact that this person is a ¡®she¡¯. Most people would be¡±


    Scott looked genuinely confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡± he said. ¡°Why should I dwell on it?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not something that I¡¯m exactly open about. I mean, I like guys too but like I said¡­. Most people would dwell on it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not like most people. Besides, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a big deal. So¡­ back to the main topic. Who is thisdy and why on earth aren¡¯t you with her tonight?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know that I have feelings for her¡­. And I don¡¯t even know if she¡­ you know¡­ likes girls¡±


    ¡°Oh wow¡± said Scott.


    Jenniferughed. ¡°My situation is worse, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not¡­ I guess. Why don¡¯t you just tell her how you feel?¡±


    Jennifer shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Scott¡± she said, ¡°Remember the friend I told you about? The one whose ce you just picked me from? It¡¯s her¡±


    ¡°Damn¡±


    ¡°Hmmmmhmm¡± said Jennifer. ¡°Crazy I know¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it torture being that close to someone you want, and not able to touch them?¡±


    ¡°It is, but what can I do? Maybe someday I¡¯ll get to tell her, but for now¡­ ¡± Jennifer said as she stood, ¡°It¡¯ste. I think I should go shower and then go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± Scott said as he stood too. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the dishes. Feel free to pick any room you want¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Jennifer said. ¡°I have to tell you Scott, it¡¯s weird, but I enjoyed my evening with you¡±


    Scott couldn¡¯t help a smile, ¡°Yeah. I did too. Thanks, Jennifer¡± Then as she turned to leave, he said, ¡°You should tell your friend how you feel. Good night¡±


    ¡°Good night, Scott,¡± Jennifer replied. ¡°And maybe you should take your own advice¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    After the weekend from hell with Scott, Vivian contemted a lot of things. Should she return to work or just quit? Quitting meant that she had to find another job as she¡¯d quit the one she had at the cheesecake shop, and she didn¡¯t look forward to job hunting again. She could call in sick, but that was of no use because Scott would see definitely through that lie and she¡¯d have toe back eventually.


    Pride alone made her turn in for work on Monday morning to find herself the sinecure for a battery of wary nces and terribly reserved smiles. At the entrance, Jessi gave a very unpleasant look, but Vivian tried to brush it out of her mind. Jessi had never been nice to her since she started working there anyways, but she still wondered why she was getting looks from everyone else. It was only then that she remembered the bruising kiss in a sunny car park which she discovered was now the property of every employer in the building and had effectively wiped out all the natural friendliness she had been gifted with in the preceding weeks. Apparently Collins had told everyone about it.


    Trying not to meet anyone¡¯s gaze, she hurried up to her floor and didn¡¯t even stop to say hello to Betty. She rushed into her office and sat in her chair, trying to make sense of her situation when the door opened and Betty came in.


    ¡°Everyone is talking about me¡± Vivian said in a low voice.


    ¡°What did you expect?¡± Betty asked her. ¡°You can¡¯t indulge in a rtionship with the boss and expect everyone to continue to treat you like one of them.


    What the hell were you thinking? He¡¯s your boss! He¡¯s a billionaire. You¡¯ve confirmed their original expectations of you and now they are enjoying the gossip.¡±


    What could she say in her own defense? That the kiss had been a form of punishment because she¡¯d likened him to a dog called Dany? Or that he¡¯d used the kiss to warn off the Collins because Scott believed he¡¯d stood her up on a date? The first was really stupid and unbelievable in the cold light of a new day. And the second was just as ridiculous.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°You have even more problems¡± Betty added as she handed her phone to her. ¡°Have you seen this? Someone had an interesting time the other night¡± she teased. ¡°Did you go skinny dipping in the Cowell¡¯s pool because you were hot?¡±


    Oh God! Vivian thought as she sank into her chair and closed her weary eyes. So, despite assurances from Augustus, her trip into the pool had found its way into the press.


    ¡°Exin this skinny dipping,¡± Betty requested.


    ¡°l don¡¯t want to¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°OK, so you had all your clothes on,¡± Betty conceded, ¡°but the photo of the great and gorgeous Scott McCall hauling you out of the pool without so much as sshing himself looks impressive, while you looked kind of-wet and helpless and cute.¡±


    Cute. Vivian pressed her lips together because they wanted to tremble.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I-slipped in the crush,¡± she lied. ¡°Is there anything else I should know about?¡± she then asked.


    ¡°Only this amazing picture of you leavingter wearing the sexiest dress I¡¯ve ever seen on you. Was it Michele¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°She has fabulous taste,¡± Betty gushed. ¡°You went from fairy princess in floating blue silk chiffon to wet and helpless to dramatically slinky all in one evening. I wish I could wear a dress like that,¡± she sighed out wistfully.


    ¡°You could if you only stopped trying to hide your lovely figure under meters of fabric,¡± Vivian murmured impatiently.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Vivian. I¡¯m five foot three inches high to your five-eight,¡± Betty pointed out.  ¡°I do not even have your perfect, curvy body. Besides the unnned dip, did you enjoy the rest of the evening or did you need to take the courage pill halfway through?¡±


    Just like that Betty guided the subject away from herself as she always did, Vivian noticed. Then she felt her insides curl up and sink because the rest of the evening did not bear thinking about.


    ¡°The rest of the evening was-OK,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°You¡¯re distinctly unimpressed, then, that Scott spent a cool half-million at the auction on a diamond bracelet.¡±


    He did? Vivian blinked. They had left before the auction had even started! He must have ced his bid before they left, she decided, murmuring out loud and cynically, ¡°Perhaps he collects them to give out to his one-night stands as they leave.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Betty murmured. ¡°Now that sounded bitter.¡±


    Vivian was d to hear it confirmed. She hoped to build on the bitterness she felt towards Scott McCall until it had sessfully wiped out these other feelings of hopeless, useless love and hate and hard, crushing hurt.


    By the end of the week she¡¯d closed herself off inside a steel case of protection so that nothing else could threaten her very shakyposure. Scott had not returned to the office and she had stopped eating. In truth she felt too wounded and raw to eat. Megan was constantly sending her worried nces every time they met. Even Betty noticed the difference in her voice when they talked.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Vivian?¡± she asked her one day.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± she said, and it was a lie. She was still hurt and sad about the trip with Scott, and she was angry with him because he¡¯d not even shown up or at least even given her a call¡­ not even about work. And she was mad at herself because she still cared that he¡¯d not called.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine¡± Betty told her.


    ¡°How can I be when everyone here is always staring, gossiping and judging me?¡±


    ¡°Well, screw all of them¡± said Betty. ¡°It¡¯s none of their business and if anyone says anything to you, and I mean anything, you can let me know and I¡¯ll give them a piece of my mind¡±


    Vivian simply smiled. On Saturday, she bumped into one of her friends from the cheesecake shop in the street. Bethany was a bright, beautiful, lively creature much like Megan. They chatted about the things going on at the cheesecake shop for a while, some of which Vivian could not recall two minutes after Bethany had it exined to her. Her mind was like that right now, unable to sustain any thoughts that did not contain the name Scott McCall in them.

 59

    Bethany invited her to join her and a few other friends for a drink that night and Vivian thought emptily, why not?


    When she arrived at the wine bar the ce was so crowded she almost chickened out and went away again, but Bethany saw her and waved her over. Bethany¡¯s group of friends were lively and noisy and Vivian was surprised an hourter to discover that she was almost-almost-enjoying herself. Most of them were going on to dinner, then a nightclub, but the thought of eating anything made her stomach go queasy so she declined with a smile and some excuse that was something else she could not recall minutes afterwards.


    On Monday morning, she just couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Her head was filled with thoughts of Scott and she couldn¡¯t take it any more. She was sure now that the only reason why she was able to bring herself to work the previous week was because he wasn¡¯t present but she was sure he would be now and she couldn¡¯t face him. Not after his cruel rejection. So, after crying her eyes out, she pulled out herptop and sent Scott an email exining that she¡¯d quit her job so could focus on other things things.


    After she shut down theptop she felt a little better, but soon she began to feel down again. She couldn¡¯t let that happen. She had to keep herself busy, so she began to clean up her apartment, moving around bed frames and furniture. She woulde up with something to rece the job she just lost, she thought over and over again and as for Scott McCall, she didn¡¯t have to set her eyes on him again.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    ¡°I need to go¡­. Out¡± Scott said to Jennifer with a frown on his face. She was supposed to spend just one night at his ce, but they had enjoyed each other¡¯spany so much that she¡¯d stayed with him for days. They had also decided that it would help with convincing people that they were indeed in a serious rtionship with each other.


    Jennifer¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she knew immediately that something was up. There was a frown on his face and she couldn¡¯t decide if what she was seeing was sadness or anger.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°I thought you were not going to the office today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡± Scott replied, ¡°I need to go see Vivian¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Your assistant?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    A smile broke out on her face. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell her how you feel?¡±


    Scott¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°What? No¡­ I¡¯m¡­. I just got an email from her. She quit her job and I¡­ I need to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Wow. Alright. What are you going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just need to talk to her¡± Scott said. He knew he was the reason why she¡¯d made such a hard decision. Vivian was good at her job and wouldn¡¯t just quit. A sane person would be d. After what had happened between them, he should be d that was leaving, but he wasn¡¯t. In fact, the thought of not seeing her again made his blood boil. He wasn¡¯t going to be the reason why she would end up unemployed again. This was his fault, and he was going to try to fix it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Jennifer Be nabbed the slice of bread out of the toaster and spread avocado on it. She ate it leaning against the counter, alternating between sips of fresh coffee. With a nce at her wrist, she realized she didn¡¯t have long before she had to leave Scott¡¯s house. Since she no longer had a position at Be Inc, she¡¯d scheduled a meeting with a potential client.


    Suddenly losing her appetite as she thought about her situation with her brother, she dumped the remains of her breakfast. She needed to get going and return to the real world.


    She was heading toward the closet to collect her wrap and dress when the front door opened. Startled, Jennifer stared as a woman who looked to be about her age entered. With wavy ck hair that tumbled over her shoulders, smooth, unlined skin and a tall, slender frame wrapped in a camel cashmere coat, she was obviously too young to be the housekeeper Scott mentionedst night. But whoever she was, she must be close to Scott to have a key to his house.


    But then the other woman lifted her head, and the truth mmed into Jennifer. With those heavilyshed, beautiful eyes, she had to be rted to Scott. And considering her age, she was most likely his sister.


    ¡°Oh, hi,¡± Sara said, arching a dark eyebrow in a manner so simr to Scott¡¯s, it confirmed her identity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know Scott hadpany. I cane back.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine,¡± Jennifer objected, finding her voice as his sister half turned to grasp the doorknob. ¡°Scott is not home, and I was just leaving, too. You must be Sara.¡± Jennifer moved forward, her hand extended. Scott¡¯s sister stepped away from the door with a smile, her arm lifting. ¡°My name¡¯s Jennifer. Jennifer Be.¡±


    Sara froze, except for the arm falling woodenly back to her side. ¡°Be?¡± she repeated in a tremulous whisper. ¡°Are you rted to Bruce Be?¡±


    Unease crawled through her. ¡°Yes. Do you know him?¡±


    Sara paled, her eyes widening. Visibly trembling fingers lifted to her lips and pressed against them. ¡°I didn¡¯t-no, he wouldn¡¯t-¡± Her fractured sentences made little sense to Jennifer, but the woman¡¯s obvious distress amplified the dread until it was full-out fear.


    ¡°Sara, are you okay?¡± she asked, risking moving closer.


    Sara jerked her head from side to side, tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Scott and I are¡­¡± She paused, unsure of how much to expose. ¡°¡­seeing each other. Would you like to sit down? Can I get you anything?¡±


    Again, Sara shook her head, the tears streaming down her cheeks now. Unable to stand the woman¡¯s pain, Jennifer reached for her, wrapping her in a hug. She half expected Sara to shove her away, but instead, the woman clung to her, sobbing now.


    God. Jennifer tightened her embrace, her own eyes stinging. What kind of agony must Sara be in to cause this kind of reaction? It burrowed inside Jennifer, and she wanted to soothe it, to take it from her. Gently, she guided the crying woman to the living room and lowered them both to the couch. She continued to hold Sara, gently rocking her as her mother used to do when Jennifer ran to her in need offort.


    She didn¡¯t nce at her watch to see how long they sat there. If Sara needed her to remain the whole day, she would. Anything so those awful, tearing sobs would stop. Gradually, Sara calmed, and only when she went silent and the trembles eased did Jennifer slip her arms away. Her shoulders twinged, but she ignored the slight ache. She left for the bathroom. Minutester, after a quick stop in the kitchen, she returned with a box of tissues, a warm, damp cloth and a bot-tle of water.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sarawhispered, her voice hoarse from her tears. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t apologize. It¡¯s okay,¡± Jennifer assured her. The woman¡¯s clear air of fragility stirred a sense of protectiveness in Jennifer. ¡°I¡¯m a stranger to you, and you don¡¯t have to talk if you don¡¯t want to, but I¡¯m here.


    And whatever you say will stay between us.¡±


    For several moments, Sara clutched the bottle between her hands. Though she¡¯d wiped her face with the cloth, her eyes remained stark, her cheeks and lips pale. Jennifer waited, ready to listen if Sara chose to confide in her, ready to just sit with her if she decided not to.


    ¡°I know your brother,¡± Sara finally said, haltingly at first. ¡°I met him a year ago, and we¡­we fell in love. Or at least I did. I don¡¯t know if he ever did love me. But he told me so. And I believed him. I would¡¯ve done anything for him-and I did. He asked me to keep our rtionship a secret because he and Scott were business rivals, and he didn¡¯t want any of that interfering with us. I¡¯d heard Scott mention Bruce before and knew he had no love for him, so I agreed. Also, I figured once he saw how much we loved each other, he woulde around. Especially since I became pregnant.¡±


    Jennifer gasped, unable to contain her shock and dismay. At the sound, Sara lifted her gaze from the water bottle. The grief and unadulterated pain there shook Jennifer, and she wanted to gather the other woman in her arms again. But she didn¡¯t, sensing Sara needed to get this out, likecerating a festering wound so it could heal faster.


    ¡°I thought he would be happy about the news. I was overjoyed. All I dreamed about was marrying him and starting a family. We would be doing it a little out of order, but I didn¡¯t care. But-but¡­¡±

 60

    She paused, and a sob escaped her.


    Jennifer grabbed her hand, offering her support, and Sara went on.


    ¡°When I told him about the pregnancy, he told me he didn¡¯t want me or the baby. To get rid of it because I was no longer useful to him. Then he walked away, like I was garbage he¡¯d tossed out the window. He used me to get back at my brother. At the time, I worked at Scott¡¯s pany as his executive assistant. I was so naive, so snowed by Bruce, that when he asked me questions about Scott¡¯s agenda, who he was meeting with, I gave him the information. He worded it to make it sound like he was only asking about my day, what I had on my te, but he was pumping me for inside information. He never loved me, never had any intention of creating a family with me.¡± She shook her head, her throat working, as if swallowing back another sob. ¡°I refused to end the pregnancy, but it didn¡¯t matter. I miscarried and lost the baby.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Jennifer remained sitting next to Sara, but inside she reeled, enraged screams mming against her skull. Part of her longed to deny the story, tobel Sara a liar, but she couldn¡¯t. Not only could she not vite this woman all over again by not believing her, but deep inside her soul where only honesty existed, she knew Sara wasn¡¯t lying. Her utter agony bore witness to it, and Jennifer believed her.


    Grief assaulted Jennifer, welling up in her, and she silently wept. For Sara . For her pain. For Jennifer¡¯s own pain. For Bruce¡¯s coldness, controlling behavior and dismissal of her hopes, dreams and needs. For her disillusionment about her brother. If Bruce could treat his own sister so callously as well as do something as despicable as take advantage of this woman for personal gain, then what else was he capable of? Maybe those things in Scott¡¯s dossier?


    Scott. Was Sara the reason behind his ns? The night in the restaurant, when he¡¯d first showed her the incriminating file, he¡¯d scoffed at her im that Bruce wouldn¡¯t care who she was dating.


    Oh yes. Your brother will care. And he¡¯ll understand. Then, his assertion had been cryptic, but now, understanding dawned on her. No wonder he hated Bruce and had no qualms about ckmailing her.


    This was more than a business deal; Bruce hade after Scott¡¯s family. If she¡¯d harbored any fledgling hope after spending days with him and having fun as friends that maybe they could have something more than a truce, this knowledge obliterated it. She would always be a living reminder of the harm and damage her brother had inflicted on his sister, his family. There was no forgiveness for that. Not for her brother.


    And not for her, being guilty by association.


    Scott McCall was not her friend, and she had to get that into her head. He was simply trying to get back at Bruce for what he did to his sister, and at this point, she couldn¡¯t really me him.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Finally admitting to herself that cleaning and rearranging furniture didn¡¯t magically make her problems go away, Vivian decided to go for a walk. Thirty minutester, she returned home and her heart skipped a beat. A car was parked directly in front of the house, and a dark figure dressedpletely in ck leaned against it. Her throat dried as she met thatconic, glittering gaze and she felt like someone who had spent days in the desert as she drank in the hard, cold features and the luscious, carved mouth.


    He hade, she thought. To do what? She had no idea. Probably to hurt her some more. As if he hadn¡¯t done enough. She walked towards him, her heart pounding, wondering if her excitement showed, feeling her palms grow damp and mmy as she gave him what she hoped was a nomittal smile.


    ¡°Scott,¡± she said, trying to control her voice so she showed no emotion. ¡°You¡¯re here. This is a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Did you expect me not toe? Especially after that email you sent me.¡± he replied.


    He had tried to keep himself from thinking about her throughout the week, until he couldn¡¯t try any longer, and when he saw her email, he knew that he had to go to her. A hard smile glimmered its way to the corners of his mouth. Excitement began to fizz its way through his veins as he took in the tight trousers, the long, leather boots and the silk shirt, clinging damply to her breasts. ¡°So I¡¯m here¡­ here I am.¡±


    ¡°So I¡­ see.¡± Vivian replied with a nod.


    The dark jeans emphasized the long, muscr legs and the fine cashmere sweater matched his dark, ruffled hair. He was so damned sure of himself. And his arrogance and conceit filled her with a new strength. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. ¡°Why? Why are you here, Scott¡±


    ¡°I thought maybe we could talk¡­ maybe you might like to have dinner with me.¡±


    ¡°Dinner as what exactly, Scott? Dinner as a precursor to sex, I suppose. Is that what you mean? That¡¯s what you always mean¡±


    He feigned outraged surprise. ¡°Vivian¡± he murmured. ¡°You shock me.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re easily shocked,¡± she retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to have dinner because you want to get to know me better as a person¡­. Or talk to me about God knows what.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said unexpectedly. ¡°I do want to talk. Now who¡¯s looking shocked? What¡¯s the matter, Vivian-do you think I¡¯m so crass that I would just let you quit your job like that?¡±


    ¡°After what you did the other day, what did you expect me to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­. I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess I got a little overwhelmed by the heat of the moment and the situation I suddenly found myself in.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Scott. I never asked you for a rtionship or to be your lover. You asked me¡­ all on your own. Only to cast me aside just the next day! That was all you wanted and you got it. One night of bliss, and that was that, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered you think of it as bliss,¡± he purred, before giving his dark head a shake of exasperation when Vivian¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°But, that wasn¡¯t what I nned or at least, that wasn¡¯t the way I wanted it to go¡­. Yes, I did want you, but that night, I guess¡­ it just happened and things got out of control. I freaked out!¡±


    ¡°Out of control? Seriously, Scott? It¡¯s not like I asked you for any kind ofmitment, did I?¡± Now why on earth had she said that?


    ¡°No you did not, but I honestly have nothing againstmitments¡­. as in¡­. exclusive rtionships¡­ as long as you¡¯re not talking wedding bells and happy ever after,¡± he added.


    ¡°Stop twisting it round,¡± she protested. ¡°You know what I mean. It¡¯s not like I proposed marriage to you!¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I¡¯m very relieved to hear it.¡± His eyes drifted across her face, lingering longest on her lips, wanting to kiss them again. ¡°So how about dinner, Vivian? So that we can talk properly about our situation.¡±


    She thought about what it would entail. The drive to the nearest pub or restaurant. The fussing around with drinks and menus. A waitress disturbing their conversation. Onlookers when she wanted to be alone with him. Maybe someone from the office would spot them¡­ as if she didn¡¯t have enough gossip about her at the office. She couldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± she said truthfully.


    There was a heartbeat of a pause, then he said, ¡°No. Neither am I.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s tongue flicked out to slick at her parched lips. There was something so tant about the way he was looking at her. No other man could have got away with such unashamed hunger. ¡°You know, Scott¡­¡± she swallowed ¡°¡­ you wouldn¡¯t win any prizes for subtlety.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking to.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°And subtlety isn¡¯t my style, Vivian. I prefer honesty. I see what I want and I go all out to get it. And I wanted you¡­. Honestly I still do, and I¡¯m not going to lie about it, and if you want nothing to do with me in that way any more, I¡¯d totally understand. But the important thing now is your job. You should have it back¡­. ¡± He paused, then added with a smile,¡± And if you are still open to our earlier¡­ agreement, then I¡¯d very much appreciate it. I was indeed crazy for walking away. ¡±


    She gave a shakyugh. Men didn¡¯te out and say things like that-they might think it, but they didn¡¯t say it! ¡°Just like that? Is this the line you spin to every woman?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually have to.¡± he replied, still smiling.


    Most women would have gone straight back to bed with him.


    ¡°They make it easy for you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Or easy for themselves?¡±


    ¡°Arrogance!¡± But sheughed in spite of herself.

 61

    ¡°Just truth¡± He leaned against the car and the jut of his hips was like an open invitation.


    Vivian looked him straight in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in being one of a long line of willing victims, Scott¡± she said.


    He thought that victim was an unusual choice of word. ¡°I¡¯m not as indiscriminate as you seem to imply, Vivian,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°No? So what was all that? And besides, apart from me, when did youst have a lover?¡±


    He frowned with memory, and the wry knowledge that, having admitted honesty, he could not now refuse to answer her question. ¡°Months ago. I was seeing this¡­dy, but I haven¡¯t been with her in months.¡± He met her eyes. He sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to tell her that she was the reason why he stopped calling Olivia. ¡°Hardly evidence of a man who¡¯s engaged on a mission to seduce every woman in sight-no matter what my reputation. Satisfied, Vivian?¡±


    It was an ironic and poor choice of word. Satisfied was thest word she would use to describe herself, not when he was looking at her with those smoky dark eyes, his thumb hookedzily into the belt of his trousers. Promising everything, promising nothing.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what I¡¯m used to,¡± she admitted. It felt too sophisticated, too calcting. Toocking in emotion¡­ and trust. For him, certainly. But that didn¡¯t stop her wanting it. The only question was, did she dare run the risk of getting hurt?


    He nodded.¡± You want me to send flowers, is that it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need flowers from you, Scott¡± she said.


    ¡°So are you going to y games with me, honey? Tease me a little longer? y the dance of convention? Punish me from walking away from you? Or are you going toe over here and put us both out of our misery? I missed you, you know?¡± He ran his eyes over her with a proprietorial air which made her heart begin to race erratically. She wanted to run straight into his arms, but an instinct for self-preservation stopped her.


    ¡°Just what are you offering me, Scott?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°Honestly?¡±..


    ¡°Honestly?¡± Her directness was almost refreshing- if it wasn¡¯t such a bloody challenge!


    ¡°First of all, Vivian. I¡¯m offering you your job back. We both know that you don¡¯t really want to quit and whatever excuse you put in that email is a lie. You did it because of me, and I¡¯m sorry. And also, I¡¯m offering¡­. A rtionship- if that¡¯s what you want, and I think you do. No strings. No demands. No ties. No questions.¡±


    ¡°Fidelity?¡± she asked.


    His eyes narrowed. ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than a week Scott. If  I hadn¡¯t sent that email, what then? Would you havee to see me, or would someone else have done?¡± Deep down she dreaded the answer to that question, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking anyway.


    ¡°No, Vivian, no one else would have done. It would have been another time, but I would have still ended up having exactly this conversation with you.¡±


    ¡°I should kick you out right here and now,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°But you aren¡¯t going to. Are you?¡± he asked.


    No, she wasn¡¯t. But neither was she going to fall like a ripe plum from a tree straight into his arms. Even though the taut, hungry set of his body told her that this was what he expected. ¡°Would you like toe inside?¡± She gave him her politest smile. ¡°And have some tea after your¡­.. long¡­. drive?¡±


    Scott grinned. She was putting him in his ce, and for a moment he enjoyed the unfamiliar sensation of subordination.


    ¡°How very nice of you.¡± he said drily as he fell into step beside her. ¡°Tea instead of going out for dinner. I like the way you think, woman¡±


    She pushed open the back door. ¡°You¡¯re very wee, but please pull your mind out of the gutter¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I want to do that.¡± he replied, enjoying teasing her.


    But she had bent over to pull off one of her boots and he thought that he might explode when he saw the trousers tighten over the curve of her bottom. It seemed like an eternity before both boots were kicked off in a muddy heap and they tramped through into the kitchen.


    ¡°Indian?¡± she asked, pulling the stic band confining her damp hair and shaking it free. ¡°Or China?¡± The movement of her breasts as her hair came down entranced him and he knew that tea would choke him.


    She turned to face him and he met a look of startled recognition in her eyes, a hunger which matched and fed his own.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want tea,¡± he said huskily and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Any more than you want dinner. This is what you want, isn¡¯t it, honey?¡±


    Of course it was-but still some small voice of sanity tried to reason with her. Pull away, she told herself. Even though he¡¯s strong, he won¡¯t stop you. Even though he¡¯s aroused, he will let you go. But she didn¡¯t pull away. ¡°Scott¡± she said threadily.


    ¡°Vivian¡± he mocked, but his voice was thick with need as he drove his mouth down on hers with a kiss which ignited all the pent-up longing which had been eating away inside him. ¡°Vivian,¡± he breathed against her mouth. ¡°I missed you¡­ and I can¡¯t wait any more.¡±


    For so strong and so powerful a man, it was an unexpected note of surrender, and surrender where it was least expected had a potent power of its own. It sealed what the kiss had started, and the slow ze erupted into mes, setting her on fire where their bodies touched.


    She caught his shoulders, her fingers sliding luxuriously against the sensual ck cashmere, making a mixed moan of protest and delight as he began to unbutton the thin silk shirt which clung damply to her breasts, peeling it away so that her breasts were revealed, the golden flesh spilling over creamyce.


    ¡°Oh, my,¡± he murmured as he gazed down at them, bending his head to flick azy tongue over where a raspberry-dark nipple protruded, hearing her tiny little gasp of pleasure as he felt it peak against his tongue.


    Her hands burrowed up beneath the cashmere, feeling skin as silkily sensuous as the sweater itself, the muscles hard and firm beneath the oiled flesh. She could feel the slick rush of heat and her heart was racing out of control as his mouth whispered a slow, erotic trail of delight over her breasts.


    ¡°Scott¡± she managed.


    ¡°Do you forgive me, Vivian?¡± His breath felt warm against her skin.


    It was what they called the sixty-four-thousand-dor question. She nodded. ¡°Yes¡± she whispered.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He lifted his head to stare down at her. The cool, untouchable Vivian Sanchez was barely recognizable. Her eyes were huge, so glitteringly ck that the emerald rims were barely visible. Two res of rose-pink defined the high, aristocratic cheekbones and her mouth was like a crushed rose. He ran his finger along the curve of her jaw and felt her tremble in instant response and knew that he could have her here. Now.


    On this table which looked as if it had been here since the beginning of time.


    But he needed something to calm him, something which would not have him acting as if he had never made love to a woman before, which was exactly how he felt. With a swift, decisive movement he bent and scooped her up into his arms and her head fell back.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°You look like some old-fashioned stable wench,¡± he managed unsteadily. ¡°So I might as well y my part, too. Shall I carry you upstairs to have my wicked way with you?¡±


    ¡°W-wicked?¡±


    ¡°Very wicked. Does that suit you, Vivian?¡±


    Oh-yes! At that moment he was the master and she the ve and she had never felt more deliciously weak. His curved smile of expectation was tinged with danger, and the glitter of his eyes indicated that he, too, was on a knife-edge of control.


    In a silence broken only by the sound of their breathing, he carried her to her room. The irony of the fact that he was ying the dominant role and she the subservient one didn¡¯t escape her-but the fantasy was impossible to resist. At that moment he did dominate -by the sheer force of his personality and his formidable sexuality, and Vivian rejoiced in the feeling that a man could make her feel like this. He was staring down into her hot face, at the hectic glitter of her eyes.


    ¡°You alright?¡± he shot out.


    ¡°Yeah¡± she replied softly.


    He pushed the bedroom door open with his knee, depositing her in the center of the four-poster, and then looked down at her, a fierce and intense look of longing darkening his features.


    ¡°Am I your master?¡± he questioned silkily.


    The fact that he had clicked right into her own fantasy made her want him even more. ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered , from between parched lips.

 62

    ¡°Then take my sweater off,¡± he instructed.


    But she felt so weak that she couldn¡¯t have moved from the spot, drowning in sweet anticipation.


    ¡°No.¡± He smiled. ¡°So you¡¯re going to defy me, are you, Vivian? You¡¯re going to force me to strip for you?¡±


    The roles were now reversed and, wordlessly, she nodded, watching with unbearable excitement as he peeled the sweater off and tossed it aside, then began to unbuckle the belt of his ck jeans, his eyes not leaving her face.


    He kicked his shoes off, then unzipped the trousers slowly, provocatively, wincing very slightly as they rasped down over the undisguisable evidence of how aroused he was, and despite her hunger, her excitement, color red in Vivian¡¯s cheeks and he smiled.


    ¡°Am I making you feel shy?¡± he purred


    ¡°A little.¡± she replied.


    He slid the jeans down over the hard, muscr shafts of his thighs, kicking them off impatiently, until he was wearing absolutely nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, their silken sheen emphasizing the hard outline of his erection. With a sinful smile he slid them off and Vivian gave an involuntary gasp.


    Totally unselfconscious in his nakedness, he came to lie on the bed beside her, but he didn¡¯t touch her and she turned to him, a little pout of frustration crumpling her lips. His eyes were slitted, the thick, darkshes hiding all but a steely gleam.


    ¡°Your turn now.¡± he said.


    ¡°But I want you to undress me-¡± He shook his head. ¡°Next time,¡± he promised.


    ¡°No. This time.¡±


    He leaned over her, sensing the battle and wondering whose nerve would break first, and recognising from the imcable light of determination in her eyes that it would be him. For a man used to winning, it excited him beyond reason and his mouth curved almost cruelly.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the way you want it, is it?¡± he murmured.


    His touch seemed to burn sweet, pure fire on her skin as he began to remove her clothes with enchanting yet frustrating precision. The damp shirt was discarded and then he unclipped her bra, tossing the flimsy piece ofce aside, his fingertips lingering on each breast, ignoring her sighing little objection when they did no more but whisper and tease.


    He eased the trousers down over her pale, milky thighs and then skimmed thecy little thong the same way. And only then did he lean over her, blotting out the light which streamed in through the windows, promising so much with the lean, hard contours of his body, yet his tense face yielding no emotion as he stared down at her.


    ¡°You are every man¡¯s fantasye to living, breathing life,¡± he said unsteadily. But the beautiful mouth was unsmiling as he bent his lips to her breast. A pierce of longing so sharp that it came close to pain shot through her, her head falling helplessly back against the pillow, her eyes closed as his fingertips began to weave their magic on her body.


    ¡°Scott¡± she choked, and wondered if she sounded as vulnerable as she felt at that moment.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he urged, lifting his head. ¡°Or show me.¡±


    Blindly, she reached her arms up to him, pulling him down, wanting his kiss, and when it came it was everything a kiss should be-seeking, urgent, satisfy-ing and yet curiously unsatisfying, leaving her wanting more. And more still. Giving her a fleeting premonition that whatever Scott McCall gave her it would never be enough.


    His hand moved over the slight swell of her belly and then down to the juncture of her thighs, finding the moist, heated centre of her, hearing her helpless little cry.


    She was like malleable y beneath his expert touch, but he was doing all the giving and suddenly the game of power and control seemed unimportant.


    She reached out and took him in her hand, enjoying his automatic little jerk of pleasure as she began to move her palm softly over his silken hardness.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± he gasped. ¡°Kill me?¡±


    If ¡®orgasm¡¯ was tranted from the French as ¡®a little death¡¯ then, yes, she would like to give him the most slow, pleasurable one imaginable, but he shook his head, his face tight with tension.


    ¡°Not now.¡± He wanted to join with her, to feel the most basicmunion of all-the melding of flesh and of senses.


    He pushed into her before she was expecting it and her eyes flew open, a delicious slow heat beginning to spread over her.


    ¡°Scott¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he whispered back and began to move slowly, his eyes locking hers, a soft smile making him look almost vulnerable.


    She had forgotten this intimacy-it had been a long time-but she had never been roused to this kind of pitch before, either, not even within the context of a long-term rtionship. She had said ¡®I love you¡¯ to a man before at just this moment, but now she realised that those could be words said as convention, not because you felt as though you would die if you didn¡¯t say them.


    She wanted to say them now, to Scott, and she had to bite them back, telling herself that she couldn¡¯t possibly love him. She didn¡¯t know him well enough to love him-it was just great sex, that was all.


    ¡°Scott!¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡±


    Did he sense that already she was so close to the edge? Did her body ry that to him and he respond with long, hard strokes which felt as though they were piercing her heart itself?


    ¡°Scott, it¡¯s-¡±


    It was toote, for her and for him. He felt the great, swamping rush of pleasure before his world exploded, to the sensation of her sweet, pulsing flesh and her choked little cry, and the astonishing sound of him saying her name, over and over and over again.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Vivian watched the man who slept beside her. The rumpled duvety skimming his narrow hips, leaving his torso naked, and his chest rose and fell with the deep, rhythmic breaths of a truly rxed sleep.


    She stared at his face. The darkshes formed two perfect arcs which rested like feathers on the sculpted features and his lips were very slightly parted, almost begging to be kissed.


    But she didn¡¯t lean across and kiss them. After what they had just shared that seemed like an intimacy too far. A wave of dark hair curled over his forehead and she wanted to wind it around her finger. But she didn¡¯t do that, either.


    She knew the big things about him-that he was intelligent and dynamic and powerful and that he was an achiever. That he drove a fancy car and lived in a big house and didn¡¯t believe in marriage, which probably ounted for why he had never settled down.


    The big things, yes, but not the little things. Like whether he hated being woken from sleep, or whether he drank tea in bed in the mornings. Or whether¡­


    Dark eyes flickeredzily open and he gave a slow smile, running a reflective finger along the curved outline of her naked body. It was a moment before he spoke and, when he did, his voice sounded reflective.


    ¡°That was pretty amazing, Vivian¡± he said.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Suddenly, stupidly, she felt shy-as if she were being given marks out of ten for performance. The finger moved to tilt her chin. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡± he prompted.


    ¡°You know it was.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re regretting it?¡± he asked.


    She felt her body stiffen. ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°Because you look a little¡­ wary¡­ I guess.¡±


    That was because she was. She had taken as a lover a man who she could see as being nothing more than that. A passionate man with coolly assessing eyes which promised everything and yet promised nothing. Was she setting herself up for automatic heartbreak?


    After the way he had left her the first time, shouldn¡¯t she have given it more thought than she had done, rather than letting him kiss away any lingering doubts? But passion was a strange and capricious emotion. Normal rules did not apply. And, besides, it was toote now.


    ¡°Do I?¡± she said lightly.


    ¡°You know you do-now wipe that frown away ande here.¡± He caught hold of her and brought her face down to kiss him, so that her hair dangled and tickled at his chest. ¡°I must look a fright,¡± she groaned, jerking her head back.


    ¡°You look gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡±


    ¡°But I never lie,¡± he reminded her softly.


    He rubbed his nose against her neck and breathed in. ¡°Mmm. I love the way you smell. It distracts me a lot¡­ especially at the office when you stand close to me¡±


    ¡°You never told me, Why?¡±


    ¡°It turned me on, if you must know.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡± she said shakily, because something in the way he was looking at her was making her feel so wanton.


    ¡°And I was worried that you¡¯d take great care not toe close to me again if I told you.¡± His eyes grew smoky as they captured hers. ¡°Would you like to take a shower with me, Vivian?¡±

 63

    She felt him grow hard against her and slid her arm around his waist. ¡°Okay,¡± she said breathlessly.


    ¡°And then maybe we could cook dinner together. And then we can make love again.¡± Idly, he began to stroke at a rosy nipple and felt it spring into instant life. ¡°And then we can coordinate our diaries.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s hand stopped stroking the skin in the small of his back. ¡°Diaries?¡± she asked stupidly.


    ¡°I want to know when I¡¯m going to see you again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see me at the office¡± Vivian replied.


    He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good to know that you¡¯ve decided toe back to work, but I didn¡¯t mean that. I meant, when am I going to see you like this¡­ out on a date, dinner¡­. In bed¡­ like this.¡±


    ¡°We can figure that out as we go, Scott.¡± Vivian replied, ¡°and I¡¯m a bit worried about our situation at the office. Everyone knows about us¡±


    ¡°They do?¡±


    Vivian frowned at him. ¡°Of course, they do, Scott. You shouldn¡¯t have kissed me in front of Collins. Did you really expect him not to tell anyone?¡±


    ¡°Not that I care, but I could teach him a lesson¡­ So next time, he minds his business and keeps his damn mouth shut.¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°No please¡± she said, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to him. Besides, you¡¯ll only make things worse. You have no idea how much gossip and whispering I¡¯ve had to ignore at the office these past days. Let¡¯s just hope something else to talk about woulde up so they can direct their energy somewhere else ¡±


    Scott smiled, then suddenly grabbed her and rolled over so he was on top of her.¡± Just so you know Vivian ¡°he whispered, ¡°I really don¡¯t care what anyone at the office says. They don¡¯t matter.¡±


    __________


    ¡°I still don¡¯t think this is a wise decision.¡±


    Jennifer stared out the rear window of Scott¡¯s Car at the Gold Coast historic mansion lit up with a cheerful glow. A steady stream of people climbed the front stone steps of the ce she¡¯d called home for nearly twenty-six years, entering for Bruce and Emily¡¯s engagement party.


    ¡°You and Bruce might not be seeing eye to eye right now, but I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t want to celebrate his engagement without his sister,¡± Scott said from beside her.


    She nced at him, irritation and something deeper, sadder pressing against her breastbone like arge boulder. ¡°You won¡¯t pass up an opportunity to turn the screw, will you?¡±


    With his aloof mask firmly in ce, he met her gaze, eyes steady and unblinking. ¡°No.¡±


    She faced the window again, that heaviness gaining weight. It¡¯d been weeks since she¡¯d walked out of her childhood home. Two weeks since her and Scott¡¯s truce. A week since she¡¯d held Sara McCall as the woman broke down in her arms and revealed Bruce¡¯s betrayal.


    Yes, now Jennifer understood the motives behind Scott¡¯s ckmail. And a part of her couldn¡¯t me him.


    But another part-the part that remembered the man who had chatted with her, given her a ce to stay and had been her friend-longed for him to put all of this aside.


    For her.


    To want her friendship more than revenge. She shut her eyes, making sure to keep her head turned away so he couldn¡¯t glimpse the yearning that she was certain leaked into her expression. In spite of knowing it was the epitome of foolishness, she¡¯d started to care about Scott McCall. And she wanted him to care about her too.


    It had started some time ago, at what moment, she couldn¡¯t pinpoint.  Maybe when he¡¯d raced to ra¡¯s house and decided to ce herfort above putting on another episode of the Scott and Jennifer¡¯s Show at the ballet. Maybe when he¡¯d sat at the table with her revealed parts of himself that he didn¡¯t reveal with most people. Not that narrowing down the exact instant mattered.


    The truth was she cared for, admired and respected Scott McCall. His fierceness. His heart, which he tried to hide. His passion for hispany. His love for his family. Yes, he was a hard man, a merciless man, but never a cruel one.


    The door to the car opened, and with a sigh, she climbed out, murmuring a thank-you to the valet who stood next to it. Secondster, Scott¡¯s body heat warmed her back, and his palm settled at the base of her spine. A spine she straightened.


    No time for self-pity now. She had the performance of a lifetime to give.


    Because she was walking into the lion¡¯s den knowing her arrival on Scott¡¯s arm would announce her decision to her brother-she¡¯d chosen his enemy over family loyalty. That¡¯s how Bruce would see it.


    And she wasn¡¯t naive; there would be consequences to her decision. No job at Be Inc. She would most likely have to find a ce to live because she couldn¡¯t stay with ra forever. And, most importantly, Margie Investments and the businesses she¡¯d invested in would be affected. Especially if Bruce followed through on his threat of tampering with the start-ups she¡¯d funded. She had savings, and she could use most of it to provide capital. But the possibility of having to scale back or rebuild herpany was very real without her sry. The cost of taking Scott¡¯s side was high. And, God help her, she was willing to pay it.


    Scott walked silently beside her, but the tension rolled off him, and it ratcheted higher when they entered her home and handed their coats to a waiting servant. He didn¡¯t tell Jennifer about his trip with Vivian and how Scott had grabbed her and pushed her into the pool. She had enough on her mind at the moment, and this was about him and Bruce¡­ not her.


    Jennifer seamlessly fell back into the role of  socialite and, pasting on a smile, mingled with the other guests. Many of whom didn¡¯t seem surprised to see her with Scott, so the gossip about them as a couple must¡¯ve made the rounds. Still, they were aware of the enmity between Scott and Bruce as business rivals, and watched her and Scott with an avid, greedy curiosity.


    Especially when a path seemed to open, and they stood only feet away from Bruce, Emily and Senator Paul Wesley. Jennifer looked up, and her gaze connected with her brother¡¯s. Though he smiled for the benefit of those around them, fury zed from his hazel eyes, so like hers. His re shifted from her to Scott , and a frightening rage hardened his expression before he controlled it.


    ¡°Stand tall, Jennifer,¡± Scott murmured in her ear. ¡°He can¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Tipping her head back, she said, ¡°That¡¯s debatable. Cutting me off emotionally and financially and targeting mypany definitely falls under the ¡®hurting me¡¯ category.¡±


    ¡°Correction, then,¡± he growled. ¡°I won¡¯t let him hurt you.¡±


    That ship had sailed and was a faint glimmer on the horizon. She straightened her shoulders and added a little more wattage to her smile. ¡°We should go greet the happy couple.¡±


    ¡°You mean, get it over with?¡± he retorted, dark eye-brow arched.


    She¡¯d once detested the gesture, but now counted each one. ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡±


    Scott chuckled. Inhaling a deep breath, she allowed him to guide her over to the trio who stoically watched their approach.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Bruce, Emily, congrattions.¡± She leaned forward and stiffly kissed Emily¡¯s cheek. Although she did return the feigned embrace, most likely for those closely observing them, Emily¡¯s rigid posture didn¡¯t rx. Straightening, Jennifer nodded to her brother¡¯s future father-inw. ¡°Senator.¡±


    ¡°Jennifer,¡± he murmured coldly.


    ¡°Your sister wanted to see you, wish you well,¡± Scott said to Bruce, his tone frigid, but she detected the undercurrent of anger. Of hatred. ¡°She has a forgiving heart considering you put her out of her own house.¡±


    Oh God.


    ¡°She left by her own choice,¡± Bruce snapped, the fury in his eyes leaking into his face. His lips twisted into an ugly snarl. ¡°Bute now, Scott. We both know how trying sisters can be.¡±


    Nausea churned in her belly and raced for the back of Jennifer¡¯s throat. Dark waves of rage poured off Scott, and he moved forward. Terrified, shetched on to his arm, fearful of what he might do to her brother. And she feared for Scott, for the consequences he might suffer for his actions. She harbored no doubt that Bruce would enjoy pressing charges and using it against him.


    ¡°Scott, no,¡± she pleaded softly. ¡°It¡¯s what he wants.¡±


    Bruce sneered. ¡°Jennifer, I need to speak to you. Alone,¡± he stressed.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she agreed, more to separate Scott from Bruce than to be amenable.


    ¡°Scott,¡± she whispered. When he tore his still-frightening stare from her brother, she squeezed his arm. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± he reminded her, just as softly, but the fury still vibrated in his voice.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± she returned. Rising onto her toes, she ced a kiss on his cheek. ¡°They¡¯re not worth it.¡± She waited for his abrupt nod before she turned back to her brother. ¡°In the study, I assume.¡±

 64

    Not waiting for his confirmation, she strode toward the rear of the house.


    Anger bristled under her skin, poking her like thousands of tiny needles. When she entered her brother¡¯s domain, she could barely look at him.


    ¡°How dare you bring that asshole into my house?¡± Bruce ground out through clenched teeth as soon as he closed the study door behind them.


    ¡°Your house?¡± She crossed her arms.


    ¡°You were right when you told Scott that I chose to leave. Chose. Because this is our home, Bruce. I can bring whoever I want here, and you have no say. I don¡¯t need to ask your permission.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve never thought you were a traitor,¡± he snarled. ¡°Mom and Dad wouldn¡¯t recognize you right now.¡±


    She absorbed the power of that blow and fought not to stagger from it. But the pain ebbed and flowed inside her.


    Stand tall. He can¡¯t hurt you. Inhaling a deep breath, she pushed past it.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a hypocrite,¡± she said, surprised at her even tone. ¡°So righteous and high-and-mighty. And to think I defended you. Believed in you. Trusted you. But you didn¡¯t deserve any of it.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Bruce?¡± he demanded. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing but honor this family, the Be name, you. You, baby sister, betrayed me.¡±


    ¡°By thinking for myself, wanting something for myself? For daring to defy you? I¡¯m not a sheep, Bruce. I have a mind. I have feelings. I have a heart, but there¡¯s only one Be who can im to possess thest two.


    Because somewhere along the way, you lost them to jealousy, pettiness and hate. No, big brother,¡± she said, throwing his taunt back at him. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing but stand by this family. I¡¯ve protected it when you would¡¯ve destroyed it with your greed and ambition.¡±


    ¡°You need to stop right there,¡± he warned in a dark growl, taking a step forward. But he didn¡¯t intimidate her. Didn¡¯t control her. Not anymore. She didn¡¯t wait for him to advance, but marched forward and met him halfway.


    ¡°No, you stop. And listen. I know what you and your precious senator are up to,¡± she said. ¡°Insider information. Fixing contracts. Kickbacks. Illegal cam-paign contributions. And that¡¯s just the tip of it.¡± When he rocked back in shock, his eyes ring wide, she nodded. ¡°Yes, Bruce, I know about it all. Because Scott McCall has a file on you, inches thick. I¡¯ve seen it, read it. I¡¯m aware of all your dirty dealings, which if made public could topple Be Inc, ruin the Be name and send you and Paul to jail.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How long have you¡­?¡± His voice trailed off, but she understood his question.


    ¡°Weeks. Since before the fund-raiser. I made a deal with the devil to save you. I agreed to pretend to be in a fake rtionship with him so he wouldn¡¯t expose you. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t break things off with him. Because if I did, you would¡¯ve been destroyed. But that¡¯s not all,¡± she whispered, eliminating the small space between her and the man who wore her brother¡¯s face, but was a stranger. ¡°He did all this because of Sara. You remember her, don¡¯t you?¡± At his stony expression, she nodded again. ¡°Of course you do. The woman you seduced, used to get back at her brother, impregnated, then tossed aside. All for your petty hatred and resentment. Now, who wouldn¡¯t Dad and Mom recognize?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± he spat, but the anger in his eyes had been overshadowed by worry. By fear.


    Because he understood that his greatest enemy had the dirt on him, no doubt. ¡°You could never understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Not understand what? How hard it is to live up to our name? To live under the yoke of it for so long that sometimes you feel like your back¡¯s going to break from the burden? Yes, Bruce, I do. The difference between you and me is that I¡¯m choosing not to let it poison me until I make unconscionable decisions that hurt other people. I decided to help people rather than harm them. But just to get your way, you would steal that from me, too.¡±


    For too long, she¡¯d allowed him and the duty of being a Beto dictate her life, her behavior, her decisions. No longer. She might have been quiet, but she¡¯d learned from the best. Not him. Scott.


    ¡°I love you, Bruce. For the brother and man you were, I¡¯m giving you a choice now. Come after Margie Investments or any of the businesses I¡¯ve invested in, or my trust fund, and Scott won¡¯t have to leak any of that information to the press and SEC. I will. He gave me a copy of the file, and right now, it¡¯s tucked away safe. But if you dare touch anything that¡¯s mine-and when I say mine, that includes Scott McCall and everything he loves-I¡¯ll take you down. And I won¡¯t lose sleep over it.¡±


    Bruce stared at her, shocked. But she didn¡¯t wait for his response. He couldn¡¯t say anything that would fix what he¡¯d broken. She would just have to ept that some men changed for the worse instead of the better, and as much as it tore her heart apart, Bruce was one of them.


    _________


    Scott stood at the party, waiting for Jennifer to show up. He was worried about what Bruce might do to her and how their conversation was going. Jennifer might trust him not to hurt him because he was her brother, but he didn¡¯t trust the bastard one bit. He was about to go look for her, when he saw her rush out from the rear of the house.


    He watched her walk hurriedly towards him, ignoring everyone who tried to speak to her. He also noticed Bruce walk in too, and he didn¡¯t like the look on his face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Scott¡± Jennifer said in a shaky voice as she reached him and as he took her hand in his, he saw that she was sobbing. She looked so hurt and could barely speak when he blurted out angrily,


    ¡°What happened, Jennifer? Did he touch you?¡±


    When she didn¡¯t reply, he cursed underneath his breath and headed straight to where Bruce now stood with Emily and her father. That fake smile was on his face, and he was going to wipe it off. He ignored Jennifer¡¯s call and brushed past people as he moved towards Bruce. Some of the guests moved out of his way when they saw the intensity in his eyes.


    ¡°Are you still here, Sco¡­¡± Bruce began, but he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence before Scott¡¯s balled fist connected with his jaw, sending him straight to the floor. There was a gasp from the people around and Scott watched with a smirk on his face as Bruce was helped back to his feet by Emily¡¯s father and another man.


    ¡°That¡­.¡± he said stiffly, ¡°was for Vivian¡­. And whatever the hell you said to Jennifer back there, you asshole¡±


    Without waiting for Bruce to recover ande up with a reply, he turned around and headed back to Jennifer, who looked just as shocked as everyone else. Taking her hand, he walked out with her, feeling much better now that he¡¯d done something to avenge Vivian.


    They got into the car and the as soon as it began to move, Jennifer turned to him. ¡°What the hell was that for Scott?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jennifer but I had to. He upset you.¡± Scott replied, although there was nothing to show that he was indeed sorry for his actions. In fact he looked quite satisfied.


    Jennifer didn¡¯t look like she believed him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Scott demanded. ¡°Why were you so upset when you came out?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I haven¡¯t heard before, but for some reason it hurt so much tonight¡± Jennifer replied. ¡°Just standing there watching him and realizing that my brother has be someone I don¡¯t even recognize anymore. I knew my dad really messed him up, but I didn¡¯t know that he¡¯d be this, and after I spoke to your sister, Sara. I didn¡¯t want to believe that he¡¯d done the things she told me. I think a part of me was hoping that it wasn¡¯t true. That he¡¯d give me an exnation, but he couldn¡¯t even deny it. I felt like I had lost my brother¡­ and that realization hurt me so much.¡±


    Scott said nothing. He couldn¡¯t. Everytime he thought about what Bruce did to his sister he felt nothing but rage and me.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard,¡± Jennifer continued, ¡°But you have to know, Scott, that I truly do care about you. This thing between us might have started as a ruse, but it¡¯s not anymore, and I do care about you. So I¡¯m going to say this¡­. No matter how hard I know it must be, you have to try to let go of what my brother did. I know you me yourself but you shouldn¡¯t.¡±

 65

    ¡°You¡¯re not responsible for his actions and if you don¡¯t want to be another version of Bruce, you should find a way to forgive yourself and him too. Do it¡­ not for me, but for yourself¡­. And maybe Vivian too. Whatever rtionship you have with her, you don¡¯t want to have any kind of hate in your heart. It eats you up from inside and before you realize it, you have no emotions and no boundaries left. I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the kind of man Vivian or any woman would want to be with¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Coordinating their  diaries.


    It wasn¡¯t the most romantic way to begin a rtionship, though Vivian supposed that it was the practical way, particrly because of the fact that he was still her boss. Sometimes she didn¡¯t quite believe that she was actually doing this. Dating the boss.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be pretty tied up next week, so I won¡¯t being to the office¡± he had said as he¡¯d bent his head to kiss her goodbye at her apartment. ¡°But I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    And immediately she was catapulted into that unwilling state of waiting for the phone to ring. He didn¡¯t call until Wednesday, which she supposed was about right for the kind of rtionship they were obviously going to have and the kind of man he was. Monday would have seemed like the behavior of a man in love-which he wasn¡¯t.


    Tuesday, ditto.


    Thursday would have made her seem like an after-thought and Friday an insult. So Wednesday it was.


    ¡°Vivian¡±


    ¡°Hi!¡± she replied.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    His voice was soft. ¡°How are you?¡± he asked.


    Imagine if she told him the truth-that she had spent thest three days worrying that he wasn¡¯t going to call at all!


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said lightly. ¡°How¡¯s is it going over there?¡±


    ¡°Busy.¡± he replied.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She waited.


    ¡°Going toe up and see me this weekend?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want toe down here?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t. I have a big, glitzy ball to attend on Saturday night-it¡¯s a work-rted thing and I wondered if you might like to be my guest?¡±


    She gave it just the right amount of consideration. ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡±


    There was a pause. ¡°And you¡¯ll stay?¡±


    ¡°If you like.¡± replied Vivian.


    Scott gave a wry smile. She certainly wasn¡¯t over-eager. ¡°I¡¯d like that very much,¡± he said evenly. ¡°Let me give you my address.¡±


    Vivian felt stricken with nerves as she drove to his location on Saturday evening, having tried on about seven dresses before finally deciding on the one she had started with.


    He was staying at a t. The first two floors of a period town house in one of the smartest roads. He opened the door to her knock, looking nothing short of devastating, even though his dark hair was still damp from the shower and the snowy shirt, which contrasted with ck, tapered trousers, wasn¡¯t buttoned up.


    Vivian¡¯s nervousness increased tenfold as his eyes narrowed. Maybe all the other women would be wearing long and she would be the only one in a knee-skimmer? Would it have seemed gauche and na?ve to have checked with him first?


    She smoothed her hand down over a silver-silk-d hip. ¡°Will this do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Do?¡± He pulled her into his arms and resisted the temptation to let his hand slowly travel the same route, because if he started doing that, then they would never get out of the door.


    She looked as exquisite as some cool, gleaming moonstone, with not a hair on her head out of ce. He liked the don¡¯t-touch-me air-the contrast between the ice-queen of now and the fire-cracker she wouldter be.


    ¡°Oh, yes, you¡¯ll do. In fact, you look so gorgeous that I imagine I¡¯ll have to chain you to my side all night.¡± He smiled and dropped a light kiss on her lips. ¡°Mmm. Better not spoil your lipstick. Come and talk to me while I finish getting ready and then I¡¯ll pour you a drink.¡±


    It was an urbane and sophisticated line but this was not what Vivian wanted at all. She would have preferred if he had dragged her straight upstairs and ravished her to within an inch of her life-but she couldn¡¯t just rely on sex to stop her feeling insecure, could she? She had fallen for the urbane and sophisticated man-so she could hardly startining that he wasn¡¯t acting like a caveman!


    ¡°That sounds lovely,¡± she said calmly and followed him through to arge, airy sitting room. There were squashy sofas and restful water colors on the walls and a bottle of pink champagne stood cooling in an ice bucket.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just get my tie.¡± Scott said. She nodded, watching while he went into the bedroom , where he picked up a bow-tie and began deftly knotting it.


    He could see her reflection in the mirror as she looked around the sitting room. ¡°Like it?¡± he asked.


    She turned her head towards the sound of his voice and she could see that the bed was invitingly yet hauntingly vast and there were fresh flowers beside it.


    But he wasn¡¯t asking about the bedroom and so she concentrated on the view over the square in the sitting room instead. ¡°It¡¯s lovely. Peaceful and pretty.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m only renting though but I¡¯m considering buying it. It is on the market, but I don¡¯t know whether it would be big enough.¡±


    For what? For a resolutely single man who had the asional visiting girlfriend? She focussed like mad on a tree, aware that if she spent the whole time concentrating on howpletely separate their lives were, then it wouldn¡¯t work at all. And this was only the beginning, for heaven¡¯s sake.


    He finished knotting the tie and came into the sitting room, and Vivian¡¯s stomach flipped. If there was any chaining to do, then she imagined it would be entirely mutual.


    ¡°Shall we have a ss of champagne? There¡¯s a car collecting us at seven.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± They were, she realized, acting as if they had just met. And why hadn¡¯t he kissed her properly-lipstick or no damned lipstick?


    He popped the cork, poured two sses and handed her one. ¡°What shall we drink to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡±


    He smiled and shook his head. ¡°Well, I know. To beauty.¡± His eyes glittered with unspoken promise. ¡°To you, Vivian,¡± he said softly, and chinked his ss against hers.


    Thepliment made her feel quite dizzy, and the wine, taken on an empty stomach, only added to it, but at least it rxed the knot in her stomach a little bit. ¡°Why, thank you,¡± she murmured.


    The ball was predictably morous and there was a giant ice sculpture of an eagle, keeping pounds of finest beluga caviar at just the right temperature.


    ¡°Slightly over the top,¡± whispered Scott as he guided her by the elbow to their table.


    So were most of the women-wearing dresses which made her own feel positively understated. Some of the women gave her openly envious looks and Vivian didn¡¯t have you wonder why. She yed her part of sophisticated partner to the full. She chatted animatedly andughed at jokes- some funny, some not. She delicately but politely fended off the advances of a senior banking figure who had been hitting the bottle hard for most of the evening.


    Scott watched her, a pulse beating steadily at his temple. She had barely looked at him all evening and the novelty factor of that was driving him crazy. Not that he needed any added incentives. He nced at his watch surreptitiously.


    ¡°Vivian?¡±


    She looked up, caught in the cross fire of his dark eyes. ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°Ready to go home now?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    In the darkened seclusion of the car, he drew her into his arms as he had wanted to do all evening, drinking in her perfume and reveling in the softness of her skin. ¡°God, that evening dragged, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    With his lips on her neck it was hard to think about anything, but she maintained the demure air of the corporatepanion. ¡°I rather enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± He slipped his hand beneath her coat to cup her  breast, his mouth against her hair as he whispered, ¡°Tell me what else you enjoy, honey.¡±


    And it was madness itself on the one hand to have wished that he had kissed her instead of talking to her at the beginning of the evening, and then to wish that he would talk to her now instead of kissing her! What the hell did she want from the man?


    Vivian gave up thinking-it was much easier to go under the spell of his kiss and slip into a rtionship which gave her some, though certainly not all, of what she wanted.


    A moan wed free of Scott . Damn, he¡¯d been aching-literally aching-to get his mouth on her all evening. To taste her. ¡°Are you good?¡± he asked.


    His dick throbbed, and he gritted his teeth. He could wait until they reached their destination, but fuck if he or his dick wanted to. He needed to be inside her.

 66

    Scott wondered if she would take him slow and easy, or hard and wild. God, he¡¯d almost drove himself insane wondering that.


    Vivian nodded, but he shook his head. ¡°You sure, baby? You good?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed, giving his neck a squeeze. She removed her hand, recing it with her mouth, trailing a path up his throat, over his chin until she hovered over his lips.


    She crushed her mouth to his. The kiss wasn¡¯t patient, and wasn¡¯t tentative. Her tongue thrust forward, parried with his, tangling and dueling. She took him exactly the way he liked, the way he needed her to. As she sucked on his tongue, drawing on him as if he were everything she needed to survive, everything winked out of his mind. Nothing mattered but the in-toxicating, addictive taste of her.


    Running her fingers, through his hair, sheytugged on them, and the prickle across his scalp tripped down his spine, crackled at the base. He clutched her hips, digging his fingertips into the soft flesh.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± she whispered.


    No one had ever called him that. It was an awe coatingpliment, and it shook him. She was hot, pounding blood coursing through him. With her storm-whipped rain and fresh roses scent embracing him, there wasn¡¯t room for thoughts of any other thing. She was sensual, golden-bronze flesh-and-bone She was his insanity, his hunger brought to vivid life. She was here. For him.


    With a growl, he skated his palms up the sides of her torso, and the zipper of her dress abraded his skin. Desperate, he impatiently tugged it down and wasted no time in pushing the material over her shoulders and down her arms. She obliged him, freeing his hair and joining him in getting rid of the clothing.


    ¡°No.¡± The word escaped him before he could trap it.


    ¡°No?¡± she repeated, and he caught the hint of insecurity that crept into her voice. She started to lift her arms toward her torso, but hetched on to her wrists, lowering her arms back down before she could cross them.


    ¡°I imagine being with you in my head all the time, but every damn time, my imagination doesn¡¯t match reality. Doesn¡¯t even fuckingpete.¡± He cupped a breast and hissed at the delicious weight of her flesh filling his palm.


    Warm, soft, perfect. Reverently, he whisked his thumb over the nipple, watching in fascination as it beaded.


    No, she wasn¡¯t the first woman he¡¯d touched like this, but none had been her. He tore his gaze from his hand on her to meet her eyes. ¡°Nothing or no one could fuckingpete.¡±


    Her lips parted, but no words emerged. Good. He was saying enough for both of them, and he needed to stop that before he took them somewhere they had no ce being. Bending his head, he sucked a tip deep, flicking his tongue against her flesh before drawing hard. Vivian shuddered, her hands cradling his head, holding him to her with a strength that telegraphed her passion. That and the nails pricking his scalp.


    Switching breasts, he treated the other to the same devotion. She writhed against him, as if seeking to get closer. Cooperating, he fisted the hem of her dress and shoved it up her thighs. With a whimper, she straddled him, dropping down and pressing them sex to sex.


    He growled around her flesh, suckling harder. And she rewarded his attention with a dirty grind of her hips that had him throwing his head back against the seat, eyes squeezed closed. Her panties and his pants and underwear separated them, but none of those inconsequential details mattered. Not when her hot, wet heat rode him. Not when each drag of her flesh over his cock shredded his control.


    ¡°Give me your mouth again,¡± he ordered, in a voice so guttural he barely understood himself.


    But she must¡¯ve tranted it, because she gave him what he asked for, her hips still working over him. She didn¡¯t stop, and the thrust of her tongue and pull of her lips mimicked each stroke below. Even as she yanked his jacket open and attacked his shirt, damn near ripping buttons loose to get her hands on his bare chest, she didn¡¯t lose him.


    They groaned into each other when she touched him. Those slender, clever hands swept down his chest, lingering over his abs, tracing the muscles with almost worshipful strokes.


    ¡°How is it possible that you just get more beautiful?¡± she whispered.


    He parted his lips to tell her she was the stunning one, not him, but she ripped away his ability to talk by brushing her fingertips over his nipples, rubbing them. His hips bucked into her. Live wires connected from her touch to the tip of his dick. He swelled, throbbing, hurting.


    ¡°I need to be inside you,¡± he rasped against her mouth. He abandoned her breasts and burrowed his fingers in her hair, gripping it, holding her still so he could stare into those slumberous eyes. ¡°You want me, baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed, trailing a route of fire over his clenched abs to the band of his pants.


    Almost too rough, he released her, reaching into his inner jacket pocket for his wallet. Quickly withdrawing a condom, he tossed the billfold to the floor.


    Within moments, he had his pants opened, his erection freed. Her swift intake of breath preceded the hot, tight sp of her fist around him by seconds. His back bowed under the whip of pleasure, and his free hand wrapped around hers, so they pumped his flesh together. For several torturous and blissful moments, they stroked him, pushing closer to an ending that wouldn¡¯t include him balls-deep inside her.


    ¡°Enough,¡± he muttered, and, removing their hands, tore open the small foil package and slid the protection over him. Above him, she fumbled under her dress, trying to push ckce panties down her hips.


    ¡°Fuck that,¡± he growled.


    Shoving her dress higher until it encircled her waist like a band, he fisted the front of her underwear and jerked it to the side. For a couple seconds, he savored the vision of her bare, glistening sex and the erotic beauty of her silken thigh-high stockings against silkier skin. But then the lure of that feminine flesh proved too enticing, too much.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He slid his finger through the dark cleft, moaning at the wetness coating his skin. The sound dragged from her echoed his, and her head tipped back, shuddering when he circled her, applying minute pressure.


    Just enough to have her shaking like a leaf, but not enough to catapult her over the edge. That honor belonged to his dick.


    Hands grasping his shoulders, she eased down his length, and though the drugging pleasure had his eyes nearly closing to savor the tight, smooth fit of her sex, he kept his attention on her. Because nothing-not the rippling sp of her body, the quiver of her thighs, the sight of her taking him-couldpare with the slight widening and darkening of those beautiful eyes. Those eyes conveyed how much she craved him, needed him.


    Those eyes gave him all of her.


    And greedy bastard that he was, he wanted it all.


    Except for the very fine tremble of his tautly controlled muscles, he heldpletely still. Allowing her to im him at her own pace. Even if each interminable second she took to inch down threatened to send him careening into insanity or orgasm-whichever came first. Finally, she sat on his thighs, and he was fully embedded inside her. And still he wouldn¡¯t free her from his gaze.


    ¡°Fuck me, Vivian,¡± he whispered. ¡°And don¡¯t look away from me.¡±


    Sliding her hands over his shoulders and into his hair, she grabbed fistfuls of the strands and glided up his length. Air kissed his tip before she sank onto him again, swallowing him in the firmest, but softest heat. Again. And again. She released him, took him. Eased off him, imed him.


    She rode him, rising and falling over him, driving them both toward the rapidly crumbling edge of re-lease. Her cries mixed with the litany of his own and still she continued to look at him. Letting him see what he did to her. Gifting him with that. Electric pulses zipped up and down his spine, crackling in the balls of his feet. He couldn¡¯t hold back much longer. He wasn¡¯t going tost.


    He loosened a hand from her hair and tucked it between their undting bodies and slicked it over the top of her sex. Once, twice. A third and a pinch.


    She flew apart with a scream, stiffening, her sex gripping him, milking him. Daring him to dive into the abyss with her. Grabbing her hips, he mmed into her, plunging so deep he almost doubted he would ever find his way out of her.


    She fucking leveled him. Her arms closed around his shoulders, cradling him as he bowed his head, groaning out his release into her neck. He inhaled her thick, heady scent as his body calmed and his breathing evened. His senses gradually winked back online after pleasure short-circuited them.

 67

    It had been weeks since people got to know about Vivian and Scott, and Vivian was starting to get used to the looks and whispers from people about it. Thankfully, just like all gossip, it was getting old and people weren¡¯t talking about it as much. So she was having an affair with her boss, she wasn¡¯t the first person and she certainly wouldn¡¯t be thest.


    Scott on the other hand didn¡¯t seem to care at all about it. But why should he? He was rich, powerful, and he was the boss. No one could say anything to his face if they wanted to keep their job, and honestly, as Vivian continued to spend time with him, she realized that he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who cared what people thought about him so it didn¡¯t even matter.


    At times she wished she could be that way. It would make things easier for her. Especially now, as she joined Betty, Linda, George and Michael at the cafeteria.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she greeted them.


    ¡°Hello¡± they all greeted back.


    ¡°Hi Vivian,¡± Betty said cheerfully as Vivian took her seat. ¡°Nice choice. I thought I wanted this damn sd but it turns out that I¡¯m just not the kind of girl who can stick with just veggies for a long period of time¡±


    ¡°I told you didn¡¯t need to, but you didn¡¯t listen¡± George chipped in.


    ¡°I thought you promised to be supportive?¡± Betty asked him.


    ¡°And this is me being supportive¡± George retorted.


    Linda, George and Michael had returned her greeting, but Vivian could still sense some awkwardness as she hadn¡¯t really been hanging out with them since the news of her and Scott broke out. Of course, she and Betty saw each other more as they worked on the same floor, but the rest of gang were not¡­and she didn¡¯t know if she wanted to talk to them about it.


    Michael seemed alright with it, but he also seemed to be avoiding direct eye contact with her. Which sucked, because even if she wasn¡¯t into him romantically, she truly liked him and valued hispany as a friend. The fact that he seemed to be avoiding her broke her heart.


    George didn¡¯t seem to mind. He was the kind of guy who always minded his business, and he was so in love with Betty that it was almost difficult to see him concerned with anything other than Betty and his job.


    Linda on the other hand¡­. Vivian was surprised that she hadn¡¯t said anything. But she didn¡¯t stay surprised for long because as soon as she began to eat, Linda spoke up.


    ¡°So¡­ how have you beentely, Vivian?¡± Linda asked, ¡°We certainly haven¡¯t been seeing you around much.¡±


    Vivian managed a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been around¡± she replied, ¡°Just busy¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have been,¡± Linda replied with a mischievous smirk that Vivian tried her best to ignore. When Vivian said nothing, Linda pushed even further, ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of¡­ talk¡­ about yourtest adventures that I¡¯m sure must have kept you very busy¡± she added, ¡°I mean, anyone who¡¯s having an affair with the boss would surely have a lot on her hands¡­ no doubt¡±


    Betty suddenly smacked her hand on the table. ¡°Oh for God¡¯s sake, Linda. Cut it out¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± said Linda feigning ignorance, ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­. Everytime I mentioned the fact that I had a crush on Mr McCall, Vivian acted like a Saint. It¡¯s just shocking to see her shacking up with him now¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Betty told her. She turned to Michael, ¡°Could you please do something to shut her up?¡±


    Michael shrugged, still avoiding eye contact with Vivian. ¡°Why? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything I can do. Please leave me out of this. It¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Angry and humiliated, Vivian stood up, abandoning her food.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Betty asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I have some work to finish in my office¡± Vivian replied, although she was sure she didn¡¯t sound convincing at all, but she didn¡¯t care. She could take the judgement from strangers at the office, but not from her friends.


    ¡°Oh,e on. Linda was just joking. Weren¡¯t you, Linda?¡± Betty asked, but Vivian wasn¡¯t listening


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Betty¡± she said, as she turned away from them. As she walked away she heard Betty scolding them.


    ¡°That was such a horrible thing to say¡± Betty was saying to Linda, ¡°And you, Michael. What is wrong with you?¡±


    Fighting back tears, Vivian hurried into the elevator and was very grateful that it was empty. As she got out, she came face to face with Scott, who seemed to be leaving his office. He shed a smile at her, but she couldn¡¯t talk to him at the moment, so she brushed past him and hurried toward her office.


    Five minutes after she sat down, there was a knock on the door, and Betty stepped in, concern written all over her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about Linda¡± she began, ¡°Sometimes she gets that way and I don¡¯t know why. She¡¯s awfully blunt, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to check on me, Betty¡± Vivian lied, ¡°I just lost my appetite and there¡¯s a lot of work for me to attend too.¡±


    She hoped Betty would leave, and maybe she¡¯d have some time to think. Whether she liked it or not, she had to admit to herself that what she was doing with Scott was crazy¡­ or it would be when it ended¡­ she was sure that it would eventually. What she wasn¡¯t sure of was why she was doing it anyways.


    But Betty didn¡¯t leave. In fact, she took a seat. ¡°You and I both know that¡¯s not true¡± she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me, Vivian. I know you¡­ at least to some extent.¡±


    Vivian stared at her for a while, wondering if she could really open up to her, then she decided to. Screw it, she thought. Everyone was talking about it anyways, then why shouldn¡¯t she.


    ¡°I look at you and George and I admire the rtionship you have.¡± said Vivian. ¡°It¡¯s almost like you have a way of keeping the bnce. Not letting your rtionship affect your jobs. I wonder how you do it¡­ sometimes¡­ and I was wondering if you could¡­ you know, give me tips.¡±


    Betty smiled at her, ¡°Are you asking this question because of a certain Mr McCall? You know, the one who bosses everyone around?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to give me a hard time too, are you? Don¡¯t you think I have had enough. Yeah I know, I¡¯m dating my boss. I¡¯m silly. Silly and crazy. I know¡±


    ¡°Who said you were silly¡±


    Vivian smoothened her ponytail, ¡°Everyone here seems to think so¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re silly. And if you want to be with Mr McCall, then maybe you should be¡±


    Vivian looked genuinely surprised. ¡°Then what about all that stuff you said. About him and his other women and how I¡¯d get hurt if I went out with him¡±


    Betty sighed, ¡°I know. I know¡­ and I meant what I said at that time, but now¡­when I look at you¡­ I see this happiness that hasn¡¯t been there since we met¡­. even amidst all the gossip, there¡¯s this glow in you. And as for Mr McCall, he seems a lot more softer now. Look Vivian, I¡¯m sorry about what I said. Now that I think about it, if I hadn¡¯t given George a chance, I don¡¯t even want to imagine what my life would be like without him. So, if you and Mr McCall bring out the best in each other, why should you stay apart?¡±


    Vivian smiled at her, her eyes glistening with tears,¡± Oh, do you really think so, Betty? Because all of this talk from people is starting to get to me, but I can¡¯t¡­. I can¡¯t¡­ ¡±


    ¡°End things with him?¡± Betty cut in, ¡°Yeah I know. I tried that without George. You really do like him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°A lot. He can be a lot to handle sometimes, but I do care about him and the attraction is just too hard to resist.. He is the..¡±


    Vivian didn¡¯t get toplete the sentence, because Scott knocked and walked in that second. His eyes narrowed when he saw Betty and replied to her greeting.


    ¡°Urmmm¡­ I¡¯ll see youter, Vivian¡± said Betty as she stood from her seat, then hurried out of the office.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Scott asked as he walked deeper into the office that now seemed to grow smaller. ¡°Telling you how horrible I am and how you should run far away from me again?¡±


    Vivian smiled slowly, his presence already making her feel much better. ¡°You need to cut her some ck¡± she said to him, ¡°She was only trying to look after me when she said that, and you shouldn¡¯t have heard that conversation.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡± Scott said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question though¡±


    ¡°If you must know, Scott. She was actually doing the opposite this time. She is on your side. Happy now?¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

 68

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say ¡®happy¡¯,¡± Scott replied, ¡°But I¡¯m a bit relieved that no one is giving you reasons to leave me. It would suck if you did¡±


    He shed a smile at her, and when she still said nothing, he moved closer to her. ¡°You seemed upset when I saw you get out of the elevator. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Vivian shook her head, ¡°Nothing¡± she lied, but he could not be fooled. He crossed the room and went behind her desk so he could pull her off her chair. He sat on it and she let him pull her down so she was sitting on hisp.


    ¡°Someone wille in, Scott¡± she said, although she made no effort to stand. ¡°And then I¡¯ll have to deal with even more gossip¡±


    ¡°Ah¡± he said, ¡°So that¡¯s what your foul mood is about. Gossip¡­¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so casual and it¡¯s not. You have no idea how I feel when I hear these things people say about me.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± he asked again, ¡°Do you regret it? Do you not enjoy the moments we spend together?¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Of course I do, Scott¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then screw what people are saying. We are having a great time and enjoying each otherspany. So why don¡¯t we just focus our energy on that instead?¡±


    Vivian stared down at him. How could she say anything else? When he was staring her in that way that made her bones melt and her stomach feel like she had a million butterflies in it. She was indeed enjoying hispany and she was happy. So maybe he was right. Why the hell did she care?¡±


    ¡°Alright¡± she replied.


    His face brightened and he gave her a boyish grin, ¡°Good¡± he said, ¡°Now how about you spend tonight at my ce. We can talk, eat great food prepared by my cook, get fucking stoned, and then we can have amazing, mind blowing sex. Now doesn¡¯t that sound great?¡±


    Vivianughed, then suddenly realized what he¡¯d said, ¡°Get stoned?¡± she repeated, her eyes widening in surprise.


    Scott tried hard not to burst intoughter. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never gotten high before¡±


    Vivian shook her head, ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t been high on anything other than alcohol¡±


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll be d to be the one to show you¡± he said, ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry about smoking it if you don¡¯t want to. My cook bakes them into these delicious brownies and they are amazing. But it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want do it. We¡¯ll still have fun.¡±


    Vivian smiled at him, ¡°You¡¯re one weird guy, you know.¡± she said, then jumped to her feet, ¡°Now go back to your office before someone walks in here and sees us. I know we don¡¯t care, but we should at least have some self control.¡±


    Grinning, Scott stood as she requested, ¡°Fine¡± he said, ¡°As you wish, but tonight, you¡¯re mine.¡±


    ¡°And I look forward to it¡± Vivian replied as he walked out, closing the door after him.


    _________


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯te pick you up, but I¡¯m sure my driver took good care of you?¡±


    Scott asked Vivian as he stepped down into the recessed living room of his penthouse and slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants. Vivian hovered at the top of the two steps leading into the room.


    He surveyed his home, attempting to view it through her eyes. The dual-level, four-bedroom, three-bath condominium was the epitome of luxury with its airy, open-floor n, floor-to-ceiling windows, game and media rooms, indoor and outdoor kitchens and private roof-top lounge that boasted its own firece. But it¡¯d been the stunning views of the River and skyline from every room that had sold him. It was like being a part of the elements while protected from them.


    He¡¯d left most of the simple, elegant decor to his interior designer, but scattered among the gray, white and ck color scheme were pieces of him, if Vivian cared to look close enough. Next to the god-awful piece of metallic abstract art on the firece mantel that he¡¯d never gotten around to tossing stood a framed photo of him with his family, including his grandparents.


    On top of the white baby grand piano where his sister sometimes plucked out ¡°Mary Had a Little Lamb¡± sat the guitar pick he¡¯d forgotten to put away the night before.


    Peeking from between the couch pillows was the ear of a pair of Bluetooth headphones that he used to listen to music with while working from home.


    Yes, if she paid attention, she might glimpse those hints into him. And part of him tensed with the need to go through the room and remove those clues from her sight. But the other half¡­ That half wanted her to spy them, to ask questions. Which was bullshit, since their arrangement didn¡¯t require that kind of intimacy. He shouldn¡¯t hunger for that.


    ¡°Your home is very beautiful¡± Vivian said as she looked around, ¡°.. That¡¯s if this is actually your home and not one of those ces you buy or rent¡±


    Scott smiled. ¡°Ouch¡± he said, ¡°But, yes. This is my home, Vivian. ¡°Would you like a drink? Wine? Champagne? Water?¡±


    ¡°Champagne?¡± she replied, stepping down into the living room.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He grinned at her, then turned to pour her the drink and a bourbon for him. Momentster, he handed the ss to her and silently watched as she sipped. When she lifted those beautiful  eyes to him he wanted to kiss her, but he wrapped his arm around her waist instead. For some reason he felt like he had to hold back somehow. Everyday, he felt like he was opening himself to her in a way that scared him a bit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you freshened up while I get dinner ready. I need to heat it up.¡± he said


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    After dinner, while Scott was making some calls, Vivian took a tour of his ce. At least the downstairs. A formal dining room. A bedroom done in soft blues and cream.


    Maybe this was where his sister, Sara, slept when she came over; he¡¯d said the T-shirt and leggings he¡¯d given Vivian were hers. Until that moment, he¡¯d never really told her anything about his family. But he didn¡¯t offer more information, and not wanting to pry, she didn¡¯t ask for more.


    Another bathroom. A study. A den.


    She paused at the open door of thatst room. With its two couches, love seat, numerous end tables,rge coffee table, massive television screen mounted above the firece. She nced behind her, but the hallway remained empty. Just a peek, she promised herself, then she¡¯d leave.


    Moving into the room, she stroked a hand over the leather couch that bore a distinct imprint in the middle cushion.


    Must be where Scott sat the most. She could easily imagine the man she¡¯d spent this evening with-in his ck, long-sleeved, V-neck sweater, ck jeans and bare feet-rxing in this room. Feet up on the table, remote in hand, scanning through the no-doubt-numerous channels before deciding on¡­what? Funny.


    She knew how he had sex, but had no clue about his favorite TV shows or movies. For some reason, that struck her as sad. It also lit a hunger to discover more about him. Some things they¡¯d shared in their time together, but not nearly enough to satisfy her curiosity. What was his favorite color? His favorite band? Snack? Boo- Oh God.


    Breath trapped in her throat, she crossed the room toward the instrument that had captured her attention.


    No, instruments. Plural. A glossy ck stand with padded interior cradled six guitars. She knew nothing of guitars, but she could tell the three acoustic and three thinner, sleeker electric guitars had to be expensive. And obviously well cared for.


    A flutter tickled her stomach,unching into a full-out quake. She reached a slightly trembling hand toward the guitars.


    ¡°Do you y?¡± his voice said behind her.


    She whipped around, guilt snaking through her.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± she stammered, backing away from the instruments. Damn, she was a sneak. And not even a good one. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to snoop, I¡­¡± She paused and inhaled a deep breath. ¡°I was taking a self-guided tour of your house and saw the guitars. They¡¯re beautiful,¡± she whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t y, but obviously, you do¡­?¡±


    He nodded, crossed the room on silent bare feet and halted next to the stand.


    ¡°For years,¡± he said, brushing an affectionate stroke over the gleaming wood of an acoustic guitar. Her thighs tightened, the touch reminding her of how he caressed her skin. A lover¡¯s familiar caress. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a lot of money when I was growing up. But when I showed an interest and aptitude for guitar, my mother somehow managed to scrape enough together for lessons. I didn¡¯t find out until I was a teenager, but my father yed the guitar, too. I guess I inherited my love of music from him.¡±

 69

    ¡°Will you-¡± She broke off. God, she was pushing her luck. From his exnation, she sensed he didn¡¯t share this part of himself with many people.


    It didn¡¯t line up with the image of ruthless business tycoon. But in this moment, she wanted to see his clever, talented fingers fly over those strings. To witness him coax beautiful music from that instrument. To watch him lower that damnable shield and let her in. ¡°Will you y for me?¡±


    He stared at her, and her heart thudded against her rib cage. Finally, finally, he dipped his chin and reached for the acoustic guitar on the far end. He almost reverently lifted it off the stand and carried it to the loe seat. She trailed behind him, not saying anything. Afraid if she uttered a word, he might change his mind. Once he perched on one end of the small love seat, she sank to the other.


    Propping the instrument on his thighs, he plucked a few strings, turned the knobs at the top. Once he seemed satisfied, he cupped the neck, fingers at the ready there. And the other hand hovered over the big, rounded body.


    Then he started to y.


    And¡­damn.


    She¡¯d expected something ssical, reserved. But no. Passion flowed from beneath his fingers. Passion, and anger, and joy and grief. So many emotions soared from the music, which sounded almost Spanish, but bluesy and a little bit of rock. It was fierce, soul- jarring and¡­and beautiful. So. Beautiful.


    Pain swelled in her lungs, and she expelled a huge breath, just realizing she¡¯d been holding it.


    When his fingers stilled, and the music faded away, she remained speechless, breathless. Like she¡¯d been transported to Oz and offered this rare peek behind the wizard¡¯s curtain. Only she didn¡¯t find a fraud, but a rare, wonderful truth about this man. One that few people were gifted with seeing.


    He lifted his head, and those fathomless ck eyes studied her. A faint frown creased his brow, and he reached for her, swiping his thumb under her eye.


    ¡°You¡¯re crying,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Am I?¡± she asked, shocked, wiping her fingers over her cheeks. Well, hell. She was. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°Was I that bad?¡± he teased, with a soft smile she¡¯d never witnessed on him.


    ¡°You were-¡± are ¡°-amazing,¡± she whispered. ¡°Thank you for sharing that with me.¡±


    The smile disappeared, but his midnight gaze glittered as if dozens of starsy behind the ck.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t want you like this.¡± She blurted out the confession. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t. But¡­ Even knowing who we are¡­ That we can¡¯t be¡­ Even knowing this can only end one way, I still want to grab on to those moments when we¡¯re just Scott and Vivian, not boss and assistant having an affair. When we¡¯re being honest with each other the only way we truly can.¡±


    Sex. Need. Passion-they¡¯re honest. The body can¡¯t lie. Lust is the great equalizer regardless of social status, race or tax bracket. It was a risk saying those words to him, since he¡¯d made it clear what he wanted. And from the gleam in his hooded gaze and the tightening of his sensual mouth, maybe he didn¡¯t like that she¡¯d said those words.


    Honesty. Though her pulse mmed her ears, she had to drag her big-girl panties on and tell him the truth. She couldn¡¯t justify keeping it from him anymore, especially when he¡¯d offered her the gift of ying for her.


    But for now¡­She shifted closer to him, covered the hand that still rested on the body of the guitar. Lightly, she explored those fingers, amazed at how they could draw such magic out of the instrument and her. She wanted him to cradle, strum and y her.


    She trailed a caress up his arm, over his shoulder and neck, until she reached his jaw. Cupping it, she mimicked the many times he¡¯d held her in the same grip. She swept her thumb over his full bottom lip.


    His gaze never leaving hers, Scott carefully set the guitar on the table, then sped her hand in his.


    He turned his head, cing a kiss in the center of her palm, then tracing a path to her wrist. His lips pressed there over her pulse, and hershes fluttered down. But at the damp flick of his tongue, she gasped, eyes flying open. Liquid heat pooled between her legs, and she didn¡¯t even try to contain her whimper.


    He rose, gently tugging her to her feet. Without releasing her hand, he led her out of the room, down the hallway and up the curving staircase. They entered a cavernous bedroom lit only by a singlemp on a nightstand. Not just any bedroom-his. The big king-size bed covered in a ck spread and white pillows, two chairs nking arge, freestanding firece, a couple glossy bedside tables, a rug-the almost austere decor was relieved by the breathtaking view of the River and  skyline through the three floor-to-ceiling windows, and the one wall that bore a ck-and-white mural of a bare, leafless tree on a lonely in. It was gorgeous. It was him.


    Turning to her, he captured all her attention by cradling her face between his palms, tilting her head back and iming her mouth. Slow, tender; raw and erotic. His tongue ryed all that he wanted to do to her-would do to her. And as she cocked her head to the side, granting him deeper ess, she consented to it all.


    ¡°I want to take you in my bed,¡± he muttered against her lips.


    As soon as her whispered ¡°Please,¡± passed her lips, he stripped her, haphazardly tossing her borrowed clothes to the floor. His clothes followed and, hiking her in his arms, he carried her to the bed. Her back hit the covers and his big, hot body pressed her into the mattress. He kissed her harder, wilder, more insistently, as if that leash on his control had unraveled.


    He dug her fingers into her hair, yanking off the band that corralled it and freeing the strands so they tumbled around her face. With a hot, low rumble, he kissed her again, then every inch of her received attention from his mouth, his fingers. By the time he tugged open the drawer on a bedside table and pulled a condom free, she shook with need, twisting and aching for him to fulfill his promise and take her.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Linking their fingers, he drew her arms up, their joined hands bracketing her head.


    ¡°Open for me, baby,¡± he murmured, desire burning hot in his dark eyes. The head of his erection nudged her entrance, and she willingly, eagerly widened her thighs and locked them around his slim hips. ¡°Thank you, baby.¡±


    He groaned as he sank inside her, not stopping until her sex fully sheathed him. She arched under him, grinding her head into the pillow. God, he stretched her, filled her. Branded her. When he started to move in long, hard thrusts that rocked her body and her soul, she felt imed. And when her channel clenched around him, and she hurtled into an orgasm that threatened to break her apart, she shut her eyes and became a willing sacrifice to it.


    Soon, the aftershocks rippling through her eased, and the fog of ecstasy started to fade. She tensed, waiting for him to roll away from her, to reject her.


    But when he drew her into his arms, his stillbored breathing bathing her neck, she slowly rxed.


    Right before she drifted away, his low, hoarse voice prated her heavy nket of drowsiness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me break you, Vivian. Protect yourself from me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply, but carried that warning with her into sleep.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Vivian woke up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty and a little hungry. She slowly opened her eyes, realizing that Scott¡¯s arm was wrapped possessively around her and she smiled. She could get used to this, she thought. Not wanting to wake him up, she slowly crawled out of the bed, picked up his shirt from the floor and put it on as she walked silently out of the room.


    She headed downstairs and straight to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she grabbed a bottle of water and downed the contents, then her eyes fell on something.


    Hmmmm Brownies¡­.


    She remembered Scott¡¯sment about them and wondered if she really wanted to eat them, but she was curious. There were six and just one certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt, she thought, so she opened the box, grabbed one and ate it. It was delicious no doubt¡­ one of most delicious brownies she¡¯d ever tasted and she was hungry, so she grabbed another one.


    Not feeling like going back to bed, she decided to watch TV. It would be nice to see what kind of movies Scott watched too. She grabbed the brownie box and a bottle of wine and headed to the living room.


    Ten minutester, she was watching an episode of Bridgerton on Netflix and munching happily on another brownie.

 70

    Scott woke up. Remembering that he had Vivian in his arms when he slept off, he grinned and reached out for her. He frowned when he realized that her side of the bed was empty and sat up. Then he heard it¡­The sound of the television downstairs.


    Putting on his boxers, he headed downstairs. Halfway down the stairs, he could hear herughing. Not too loudly but a bit carefree. She sounded so happy, and he grinned. What the hell was going on with her, he wondered.


    When he got to the living room and sat saw the almost empty box of brownies, he knew what was going on with her and he had to fight the urge to burst intoughter.


    ¡°Vivian¡­¡± he said softly as he approached her. Careful not to scare her. She lifted her eyes to his and smiled at him. She looked so happy to see him and Scott couldn¡¯t help but smile right back at her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Watching TV¡± she whispered back, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I woke you up, but that scene was just too damn funny.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What scene?¡± Scott asked, enjoying the moment and wanting to see more of her this way. None of her walls were up as they seemed to be sometimes and he realized in that moment how much her being around meant to him.


    ¡°The one where Anthony Bridgerton falls into the river.¡± she replied, ¡°It¡¯s so funny. I used to hate his character but I¡¯m starting to really like him¡±


    Scott moved forward, ¡°Sounds interesting. Can I join you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d love that¡±  Vivian replied.


    And so he slipped into the couch with her, pulling her close so she was sitting in between his legs. She looked so small and delicate, and Scott swallowed hard at the strong impulse he felt to protect her¡­and the way she was staring at him¡­ He shook his head.


    ¡°How many of those brownies have you had,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Four¡± Vivian replied, sounding so proud of herself. ¡°They were really delicious, and they make me feel so good inside¡­. I like them¡±


    Scottughed, ¡°Yeah in sure you feel pretty good, but next time, you shouldn¡¯t eat four at once. You should take your time. The feeling doesn¡¯te immediately you eat it and you don¡¯t want get overwhelmed. I¡¯m d I came down here before you ate the entire box¡±


    Vivian didn¡¯t look like she was listening. She looked like she was so proud of herself in fact. ¡°You look so good¡± she said, as she rubbed her fingers against his cheek. ¡°Maybe you should have one of those brownies so you can loosen up like I did¡±


    ¡°Nah I¡¯m fine¡± Scott replied, ¡°I¡¯m content to just sit here and watch you.¡±


    He smoothened her hair and brushed the strands away from her face, tucking them behind her ear. ¡°You are so beautiful, Vivian,¡± he whispered, ¡°and I¡¯m d that you are here with me tonight.


    She closed her eyes and lifted her hand to his,¡±Scott¡­.¡± she called, but it came out more like a moan. She felt safe and warm and she could feel a pool gathering between her legs.


    ¡°Kiss me¡± she whispered, not holding back any more. He didn¡¯t hesitate and his lips nted over hers.


    ________


    Vivian sat in her office, trying to put together some of the documents Scott had handed to her the previous day when her door opened and a worried looking Betty stepped in, holding her phone towards her.


    ¡°You have to see this Vivian¡± she said. ¡°Linda showed it to me and I don¡¯t know who else has seen it.


    The look on her face was enough to make Vivian worried too. ¡°What is it, Betty?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Some blog posted a story about Mr McCall¡­ and the woman he¡¯s dating¡­ and she¡¯s not you. Apparently, they attended a party together not too long ago and there was a confrontation or a fight of some sort between Mr McCall and thedy¡¯s brother. It was a big deal too. Mr McCall punched him in the face and made quite a scene. Judging from the look on you face you probably didn¡¯t know about thisdy¡­ ¡±


    Vivian shook her head,¡± No, I didn¡¯t know about her at all¡±. Vivian said softly, ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me anything about any other woman. He said there was no one¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Betty said regretfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I encouraged you to be with him too. I just thought¡­ I didn¡¯t think that Mr McCall would¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Vivian replied, ¡°You really don¡¯t have to feel that way, Betty. I me myself because I should have known better.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to sit with you for a while?¡±


    Vivian shook her head, ¡°No you don¡¯t have to. I need to get back to work¡±


    ¡°You know where to find me if you need me. Just make sure you hear from him before you make any decisions.¡± Betty replied as walked out.


    Vivian sat pretty still. Unable to think about anything for a while. Why did Scott lie to her? And who was that woman? She looked really beautiful¡­ Rich and sophisticated¡­. Everything Vivian was not. She was clearly the kind of woman Scott went out with. Her mind was wandering and she couldn¡¯t think straight. She was grateful that Scott wasn¡¯t at the office because she was sure that she would have matched into his office to demand answers, but the question now was¡­.. Did she really want answers?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask Scott about the other woman.


    She realized now that she dreaded that answer. It seemed so final¡­ like their rtionship would end as soon as she asked him, and she didn¡¯t want it to end¡­. She didn¡¯t want to loose him.


    It was easier to avoid the topic since Scott wasn¡¯t around and was absent at the office. Weekdays separated them-they met on Friday and parted on Sunday. Sometimes Scott came down to her apartment, but more often than not Vivian went up to his.


    They went around the city together sometimes, And Vivian found herself seeing a different city from the one she was used to, because she saw it through Scott¡¯s eyes as well as her own, and it slowly crept up on her that they were the eyes of a woman falling in love.


    At first she tried to deny it, and then to talk herself out of it, asking whether it was possible to fall in love if it was very definitely one-sided. But it was. Of course it was. Unrequited love-the biggest heart-breaker in history and as old as time itself.


    She was headachey one Sunday evening, when she was driving back to her apartment, having just spent a satisfying yet ultimately dissatisfying weekend at Scott¡¯s house.


    There had been a dinner on Saturday, azy Sunday morning in bed, then the papers and brunch and a walk in the park. They had gone back to bed and then the telephone had rung and Scott had been speaking to someone, and Vivian had slipped out of bed to shower and wondered whether he had even noticed her going.


    She found herself wondering about the natural term of his rtionships, and wondered, if she finished it, how long it would take him to rece her with someone else whom he found as attractive. And why was she even thinking about finishing it, when to all intents and purposes it was the perfect rtionship? Perfect like a diamond-glittering yet cold.


    But she knew why¡­. He was keeping another woman. She had not asked him yet, but she couldn¡¯t keep lying to herself about it.


    This was Scott McCall. His charm could not disguise the fact that he was a man who viewed any kind ofmitment as he would a deadly cobra.


    She had been looking at a huge, double-page spread in one of the Sunday glossies, all about the Caribbean.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that look blissful?¡± she questioned, her finger stabbing at white, bleached sand and sea the color of crystal peacock.


    He looked up from the financial section, more captivated by her eyes than any damned beach. ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°This. Look.¡±


    He nced down at it. ¡°Very pretty.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been to the Caribbean?¡±


    ¡°Once. A long time ago.¡±


    Getting information about his past was like getting blood out of a stone and for once-just for the hell of it-Vivian decided to ignore the I-don¡¯t-particrly-want-to-talk-about-it vibes.


    ¡°When?¡± she asked.


    He put the newspaper down. ¡°About five years ago.¡±


    ¡°Who with?¡±


    His face became shuttered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    She was hardly demanding to know all the secrets to his heart!


    ¡°I just asked who with.¡± Vivian replied, and then rushed on incautiously. ¡°Was it with a woman?¡±


    Now he really was starting to get irritated. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°No reason, especially.¡± Vivian shrugged, feeling on the defensive. ¡°It¡¯s just-¡±


    His eyes glittered. ¡°Just what, Vivian?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite interesting to know about other people you¡¯ve been out with. Don¡¯t you think?¡±

 71

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I have no earthly desire to find out when you went out with Johnny, or Dickie, or Harry-or whoever else might be clogging up the romantic files in your memory. Why should I?¡±


    Why, indeed? His voice sounded cold, clipped-she hadn¡¯t heard it sound like that in all the time she had been going out with him.


    But something made her probe away-with the poorly applied knowledge of someone who continued to pick a spot: that it always left a scar.


    ¡°It¡¯s called wanting to get to know someone better, Scott¡±


    His eyes gleamed out an unspoken warning. ¡°Or intrusion, perhaps?¡± he questioned easily, getting up from his chair and going to stand behind her, his fingers beginning to rhythmically massage her shoulders.


    ¡°I know everything I want to know about you, Miss Sanchez¡±


    She closed her eyes as she felt her body respond to his touch. Instantly turned on by him and furious with herself for being so. She tipped her head back, so that she caught the upside-down version of his face, and from this angle his features were distorted.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep rtionships in aspic,¡± she objected.


    He sighed, and stopped what he was doing. ¡°I told you right from the beginning what this rtionship was likely to entail, Vivian,¡± he said shortly. ¡°You knew where you stood and you agreed to that, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    She nodded. He made it sound like a business merger. His voice softened. ¡°Do you enjoy being with me, or not?¡±


    Did the sun rise in the skies every morning? She nodded again.


    ¡°Well, then-don¡¯t let¡¯s spoil it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything. He looked at the frozen set of her shoulders. Why could women never be satisfied with the status Quo? Why, if there was a boat drifting along on perfectly calm and pleasant waters, did they always want to rock it? Well, let her sulk if she wanted to sulk!


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower,¡± he said shortly.


    And that had been that. She had been left feeling foolish, frustrated, and wishing that she had kept her mouth shut, but on the drive home she questioned whether their so-called rtionship could continue like this. Rtionships had to grow, didn¡¯t they-or they withered and died?


    Maybe that was what Scott wanted. Natural wastage¡­. Because he already had someone else on the side that he could fall back to.


    He called her on Thursday to say that he had to fly to Rome. ¡°And I won¡¯t be back untilte Saturday.¡±


    ¡°But you were supposed to being down to see me!¡± She knew as she was saying it that she was ying it all wrong, but that didn¡¯t seem to stop her and, besides, why should it be a game?


    ¡°I know I was-but there isn¡¯t really going to be enough time.¡± A look of determination came over his face. She had to ept what he was offering her, because he wasn¡¯t going to offer more than that. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it this time, Vivian, shall we?¡±


    It seemed she didn¡¯t have any say in the matter. ¡°Fine,¡± she agreed, resolutely cheerful and yet some-how despising herself.


    His voice softened. ¡°Listen, I¡¯lle down next weekend and make it up to you. How about that?¡± he asked.


    But she felt like a child being fobbed off with an inferior toy at Christmas. She had thought that she would just love being with Scott so much that she would be prepared to go along with the kind of grown-up rtionship he had outlined right at the start.


    But she was slowly beginning to realize that it wasn¡¯t enough-and if it wasn¡¯t enough now, then what did the future hold?


    Nothing¡­ absolutely nothing. And she was tired of lying to herself and acting like she was happy. She was happy but whenever she thought about the fact that their rtionship would eventuallye to an end, it felt like air was being sucked out from her lungs. Staying with him when she knew that he would want nothing more would just be stupid and a waste of time. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the otherdy he¡¯d attended that party with. Who was she to him? And what had happened that made him so angry that he¡¯d throw a punch at someone?


    She¡¯d done some research, and she¡¯d recognized the man he¡¯d punched as the man who¡¯d grabbed her at the Cowell¡¯s party. She¡¯d remembered that he said something about Scott and his sister. Things were adding up and making sense, but she had to hear it from Scott now or she would go crazy.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Jennifer Be?¡± she asked him. She had to know. There was a brief silence before he replied,


    ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t do that, Scott¡± said Vivian. She was starting to get angry. ¡°I know everything¡­I¡¯ve known for a while now, but I want to hear the truth from you. Are you really in a rtionship with her?¡±


    ¡°Well then, if you know everything, why the fuck are you asking me about it. I don¡¯t have to exin myself to you or anyone, Vivian. If you don¡¯t trust me, then that¡¯s your problem not mine¡±


    Vivian had heard enough, and she wasn¡¯t going to let him talk to her that way. ¡°I have been doing a lot of think, Scott¡± she said, ¡°And I think that¡¯s it¡¯s time for us to end this for real. We don¡¯t belong together¡­ I see it clearly now.¡±


    Scott was silent for a while. He was angry, but so damned hurt that she leaving him. This was what he wanted. A temporary rtionship¡­ Then why did it feel like she¡¯d just reached into his chest and ripped out his heart.


    ¡°Are you serious right now?¡±


    There was a pause before she replied, ¡°Yes, Scott. I realize now that you don¡¯t even respect me enough to give me answers to questions like this¡­ because I¡¯m nothing but a hook up to. A hook up that hassted way too long. But I can¡¯t do it any more. I want more than this. I want a real rtionship, and I¡­ I care about you and love you too much to settle for less with you.¡±


    There¡­ she¡¯d said it! The dreaded L word. What was he going to do now?


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you really want, then that¡¯s fine by me¡± said Scott, refusing to give into his feelings. He¡¯d told her right from the beginning that he couldn¡¯t offer her more. Why couldn¡¯t she just be satisfied with the way things were. Whatever he was feeling, he was sure that it would pass soon enough, he thought.


    ¡°Bye Scott¡± Vivian said softly, unable to say anything else. She couldn¡¯t believe that he was¡­ unfeeling¡­ after everything they¡¯d shared. But of course she was the only one who had been living in fairy talend. He¡¯d told her right from the beginning and now she had no one but herself to me, she thought as she hung up and finally let the tears flow.


    ___________


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t rush into conclusions?¡± Megan asked Vivian with a concerned look on her face.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Vivian mmed the knife she was holding into the onion with more force than necessary. It had been a week since she¡¯d ended her rtionship or situationship or whatever it was she and Scott were doing, and yet she was still in a terrible mood.


    The worst part was that there was so many feelings to process. One minute she was feeling better, then the next she was sad and crying her eyes out. One minute she was angry and felt like smashing everything around her, and the next she was watching her favorite TV show whileughing her eyes out.


    Scott had not called or reached out to her since then. He¡¯d not even shown up at the office. He¡¯d probably gone back to Jennifer Be, she kept thinking even if the image of him with another woman made her want to burst into hot tears.


    ¡°Do l look like someone who jumps into conclusions, Megan?¡± she asked her friend, trying to focus her attention on the food she was cooking.


    Megan didn¡¯t reply, but the look on her face gave Vivian an answer.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m saying¡± Vivian concluded. ¡°What other reason would make a guy get so defensive when you ask him about another woman? If he had nothing to hide, then why did he get so upset.¡±


    ¡°Urmm.. Maybe because he just realized that you don¡¯t trust him and that you¡¯ve been secretly investigating the woman you saw him with instead of asking him about her?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so now you think it¡¯s my fault?¡± Vivian asked with a stunned expression on her face. ¡°You¡¯re my best friend, Megan. You¡¯re supposed to be on my side.¡±


    Megan chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m on your side, Vivian¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ll always be on your side. All I¡¯m saying is that¡­ I loved how happy you were with him. All you could talk about was how perfect he was and how happy he made you and I guess I loved seeing you happy.¡±

 72

    ¡°But why hasn¡¯t he reached out either?¡± Vivian asked, dropping the knife and turning to face Megan, ¡°He just hung up and never reached out again. He didn¡¯t even try to hold on or fight for me. He left like he¡¯d been wanting a reason to leave and I handed it to him.¡±


    The tears were flowing again, and now she was sobbing. ¡°Oh, I hate him so much, Megan. I miss him so much and I love him. I love him, Megan and I hate that I do¡±


    Megan wrapped her hands around her, letting her sob on her shoulder until she was gasping softly.


    ¡°You could call him¡­.¡± Megan suggested softly as she rubbed her back but Vivian shook her head.


    ¡°No¡± she said, ¡°I have to let him go. With or without the otherdy in the picture, it would never work between us. He doesn¡¯t want a real rtionship and I want more. I want amitment and he¡¯s not willing to give me that. I will have to get over him one way or another. Might as well be now. I just don¡¯t understand why it has to be so hard.¡±


    ________


    Scott entered the numbers into the spreadsheet, then several secondster swore under his breath and deleted them. Dammit. He¡¯d been doing a repeat of this same thing for hours now.


    Hours, hell. His fingers fisted on top of the key-board. Days.


    His concentration had been shot for seven nights and eight days. Since the seven nights and eight days ago when hest spoke to Vivian. When she¡¯d announced she loved him, then left him without looking back. As an image of her smiling face, spine ramrod straight, glide elegant and proud, wavered in his head, he squeezed his eyes shut. Bowing his head, he didn¡¯t will the mental picture away. No, he conjured it up over and over, punishing himself with the memory of the pain and soul-deep sadness that had darkened her voice, of the words that had driven daggers into his chest.


    Of the resolve and strength radiating from her even through the phone that let him know if he didn¡¯t say something, do something to prevent her from  hanging up, he would never see her or hear from her again. Never inhale her rain-and-roses scent. Never have her body pressed to his, fitting like a missing puzzle piece. But he¡¯d done nothing.


    Instead he¡¯d gotten angry and told her to leave if she wanted to. He¡¯d been an asshole, and they¡¯d both known it. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to show up at his own office.


    ¡°Damn you, Vivian,¡± he whispered harshly. ¡°Damn you.¡±


    Like he¡¯d told her that day, he hadn¡¯t asked for her love. Didn¡¯t want it. People threw that word around to abuse, betray and abandon others. Just like Bruce had vowed that he loved his sister.


    Love deceived, used and¡­died. It left pain and disillusionment and loss behind. It changed people for the worse, not the better. Intuition had warned him that if he allowed Vivian in, if he risked opening to her, when she left-because he knew that leaving was inevitable-the wreckage on him would be much.


    He turned back to hisputer screen and the report he¡¯d been trying to finish for the past two hours.


    His house keeper knocked and came in. ¡°Mr. McCall, there¡¯s a Mr.


    Bruce Be here to see you. I told him that you were busy but he insisted-¡±


    ¡°Send him in,¡± Scott snapped.


    What the hell was Bruce doing here? Scratch that. He didn¡¯t give a damn.


    For the first two days since Vivian called things off, Scott had tried to drown her out with alcohol. When that had failed, work had been his next attempt to erase her from his mind. Apparently, that wasn¡¯t seeding, either. While meeting with Bruce was most likely a terrible idea, he was also spoiling for a fight.


    A grim smile stretched across his mouth. For the first time in days-eight days and seven nights, to be exact- he looked forward to something.


    Secondster, his office door opened, and the man he¡¯d resented for  years and actively hated since he¡¯d harmed Sara stalked inside. Harsh lines etched his forehead and bracketed his mouth, and his eyes, so like his sister¡¯s, zed with anger and Scott wondered how Jennifer could be his sister and yet so different from him. His hands curled into fists at his sides. Seemed like Scott wasn¡¯t the only one looking for a fight.


    His smile widened.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Bruce. I¡¯d say it was nice to see you again, but we both know that would be bullshit. So we¡¯ll skip the pleasantries and get to what the hell are you doing here.¡± Scott leaned back in his desk chair and templed his fingers beneath his chin.


    ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± Bruce snarled.


    ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t take long,¡± Scott drawled with a sigh, his voice heavy with mock disappointment. Rising, he ttened his palms on the top of his desk.


    ¡°What the fuck do you want?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my sister?¡± Bruce demanded. ¡°I checked with ra. She¡¯s no longer staying there. So where is she?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Scott replied calmly. Though inside, rm nged in his head. As far as he¡¯d known, she¡¯d still been with her best friend. Was she okay? Was she safe? The questions barraged him, but he forced his focus back to the man across from him. ¡°Why do you care? You let her leave the only home she ever knew because she wouldn¡¯t bend to your demands. Are you suddenly having an attack of conscience?¡±


    Doubtful, since the man didn¡¯t have one.


    ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of your business, but I need to speak to her. Last time we spoke, she made some¡­ irrational usations and threats. We need to clear this up. As a family,¡± he sneered.


    Scott arched an eyebrow. ¡°Threats?¡± Pride and admiration warmed him. ¡°There¡¯s an interesting turn of events.¡±


    ¡°You would find it funny.¡± Bruce scowled. ¡°She wasn¡¯t like this before. I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s thepany she¡¯s been keeping.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Scott dipped his head in acknowledgment . ¡°And just for the record, your sister has always been strong. You were just too busy ying lord of the manor to recognize it. If you had, maybe you would¡¯ve used her brilliance for the advantage of your familypany instead of sticking her in some bullshit position. Then she might not have had to go form her own business, but could¡¯ve helped yours grow.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing about Jennifer,¡± Bruce growled, shifting forward as if ready to leap over the desk. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that your rtionship,¡± he spat the word, ¡°was real. She told me the truth about your ckmailing her into pretending you two were a couple. She also informed me about the file of lies you have on me.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Shock reverberated through Scott. When she¡¯d imed that they were friends and that he should let things go, had she been referring to confessing to her brother about their arrangement?


    Flipping these new revtions over and over in his mind, Scott returned his attention to Bruce. ¡°You might have tried that argument with Jennifer, but don¡¯t bother with me. Everything listed in that file is the least of your crimes. We both know who you are, Bruce. We both know what you¡¯re capable of,¡± he growled. ¡°You used my sister, then tossed her aside like she was something beneath your shoe. No, I take that back. You would¡¯ve at least paused and scraped something off the bottom of your precious loafers. You didn¡¯t even give her that courtesy. And for what? A grudge against me from high school? You broke her, and for you it was business as usual.¡±


    ¡°Like you broke my sister?¡± Bruce used. ¡°Eye for an eye? Don¡¯t stand there and preach to me like you¡¯re so self-righteous, when you turned around and did the same thing to Jennifer. You used her to get back at me. That doesn¡¯t make you the hero in this story.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Bruce¡¯s mouth snapped closed, his eyes ring in surprise at Scott¡¯s quick agreement, before narrowing. He was probably wondering what Scott¡¯s game was now. But there wasn¡¯t any game. There wasn¡¯t any trickery to slide another point home as if this was a contest to be won.


    He¡¯d used Jennifer. Oh yes, he¡¯d justified it as righting a wrong against Sara, as protecting future women from being hurt by Bruce. But the truth couldn¡¯t be denied any longer. His actions hadn¡¯t been noble- they¡¯d been selfish, vengeful¡­and reprehensible. Maybe unforgivable.


    Not because of Bruce. He still had zero fucks to give about Bruce. But because he¡¯d dragged an innocent into it. As meless as Sara had been in Bruce¡¯s schemes, Jennifer had been just as meless. His mother¡¯s warning haunted him, ringing in his head like a premonition that hade to pass. Even Jennifer had warned him too. He had ended up hurting others. He¡¯d hurt Jennifer¡­ And the most important person he¡¯d hurt was Vivian¡­ because he¡¯d been selfish too in his rtionship with her.

 73

    No, he wasn¡¯t Bruce-could never deliberately deceive and devastate someone, then walk away from a child he¡¯d created-but he¡¯d also ckmailed, hurt, used Jennifer, then turned his back on Vivian¡­ the woman he loved.


    God. He loved her.


    The force of the revtion struck him with the blow of a mallet to the chest. He sank to his chair, staring blindly ahead.


    He loved Vivian .


    Somehow, despite every wall, every barrier and shield he¡¯d thrown up, she¡¯d wedged herself into his heart, his soul. No wonder he¡¯d felt so empty these past days. The one who¡¯d given him life again was gone.


    Because, yes, she¡¯d resuscitated him, jolting his heart so it beat. She¡¯d given him more than work to be excited about-she¡¯d given him her quiet humor, her defiance, her wit, her loyalty, her body¡­her love. And what had he done? Thrown it back at her like it meant nothing.


    ¡°I realize now that you don¡¯t even respect me enough to give me answers to questions like this¡­ because I¡¯m nothing but a hook up to you¡±


    Pain, razor sharp and searing hot, razed his chest. He gasped at the agony of it. Nothing-absolutely nothing-could be further from the truth. She wasn¡¯t a hook up. She was more than enough for him. She was everything. But he¡¯d been willing to throw away a future with her


    ¡°Scott,¡± Bruce snapped, hauling Scott out of the hell he¡¯d plummeted into.


    He jerked his head up, blinking. God, he¡¯d forgotten all about this man standing in his office. And now he didn¡¯t have time for him or the vendetta that had brought both of them low. Urgency spiraling through him, Scott shot to his feet and strode across the room.


    Removing arge picture from the wall, he revealed the safe behind it and quickly punched in the code to open it. He withdrew the thick, brown file inside, then mmed the safe door shut, not bothering to rece the painting.


    ¡°Here.¡± He marched over to Bruce and shoved the dossier containing all his damning information into the other man¡¯s chest. ¡°Take it. There aren¡¯t any more copies other than the one I gave your sister.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Bruce gasped. He clutched the folder, ncing at it before his gaze whipped back to Scott.


    ¡°What¡¯s your angle now? You can¡¯t seriously just hand this over to me without wanting something in return.¡±


    Scott stepped back, shaking his head. ¡°No angle. No ulterior motive. But you¡¯re right. I do want something in return. Or rather, someone. Because nothing means anything to me right now¡­. Nothing means more to me than her.


    ¡°What the fuck are you babbling about?¡± Bruce asked.


    Scott didn¡¯t reply. He had to get Vivian back. How he¡¯d go about doing that, he had no clue. Hell, by all rights, she shouldn¡¯t forgive him. But he needed her. He loved her. And he¡¯d fight to have her. Harder than he¡¯d ever done. Harder than he¡¯d ever fought to pay back Bruce for hurting his sister. Because winning Vivian back was more important than any battle he¡¯d ever faced.


    ________


    By the time Scott got into his car, he had a splitting headache. To cap it all, it was raining-a driving, relentless rain and he felt full of a pent-up kind of anger. He got into his car, and as the powerful engine roared into life immediately, he thought about driving back to his house, to an empty house and an empty bed.


    And then he thought about Vivian and his body responded as instantly as the car had done. He¡¯d been so harsh with her. He¡¯d been an asshole for not reaching out to her this whole time. What would she do if he drove down to see her-surprised her- gave her the perfume he¡¯d bought her before they broke up? He¡¯d been carrying it in his car for days¡­ And then maybe if she let him, he¡¯d spent the rest of the weekend lost in her arms?


    Maybe he should call her first, he thought, pulling out his phone. He dialed her number, then hung up immediately. He couldn¡¯t do this over the phone. He had to see her.


    He put his phone away. Anticipation caused his face to tighten as he indicated left, instead of right. The drive was one of the worst of his life. After driving for about fifteen minutes, the narrownes were clogged with mud and the hedgerows seemed to be closing in on him. The radio was ying some loud and intense choral piece which seemed to darken his mood even more and Adam automatically clicked it off, so that for a moment there was silence.


    Only a moment¡­.


    A car came suddenly in the other direction, hidden until that moment by a sharp bend. Scott¡¯s powerful headlights illuminated the vehicle and for just a moment he saw a man driving, one hand on the wheel, the other holding a mobile phone to his ear.


    The car wasing towards him. Scott mmed on his brakes and jammed his fist on the horn and his car slowed right down, but it was toote, because the other just kept oning.


    As if in slow motion, Scott saw a frightened, startled face staring at him through the windscreen of the other car and then a loud crash, a jolt of pain.


    And then, thankfully, nothing.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Vivian¡¯s phone rang at midnight, waking her from a deep and troubled sleep, and she sat up with a start, ncing at the bedside clock in rm and wondering who would be calling at this time of the night, and why. Was it Megan?


    She snatched the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    It was a man¡¯s voice, a voice she did not recognise, a low, husky voice. ¡°Is this Vivian Sanchez?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me. Who is this, please?¡±


    ¡°This is the police.¡±


    Vivian began to shake. The police?


    ¡°Are you a friend of Mr Scott McCall?¡±


    Something in the way he asked the question alerted every fearful instinct in Vivian¡¯s body. It was as though someone had constricted her throat with a tight metal band.


    ¡°I¡¯m his¡­ yes,¡± she struggled the words out. ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine. Something¡¯s happened to him, hasn¡¯t it?¡± she managed to get out.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯s been involved in a car crash. He¡¯s been badly hurt.¡±


    Vivian gave a little moan of distress, her fingers gripping onto the phone as if it were a lifeline.


    ¡°Yours was thest number he had dialed on his mobile and-¡±


    ¡°Scott!¡± It sounded like the keening wail of a wounded animal. Vivian hands began to shake.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°In hospital. The Mary Grace Hospital-it¡¯s near you-do you know it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you all right to drive, or would you rather we send a car round for you?¡±


    ¡°No. No-I can manage. Th-thank you.¡± Vivian mmed the phone down and jumped out of bed, grabbing a pair of old jeans and the warmest sweater she could find, her fingers shaking so much that she could barely do her bra up.


    Calm down, she told herself. For God¡¯s sake, calm down, or you¡¯ll end up crashing your own car. A jolt of pain ripped through her. Just how badly hurt was he?


    She forced herself to drive at an exaggeratedly slow pace all the way to Mary Grace Hospital, but she left her car skewed in the hospital forecourt and ran into the reception as if the hounds of hell were snapping at her ankles.


    ¡°Can you tell me where Scott McCall is, please?¡± she almost yelled.


    ¡°When was he admitted?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°Just a moment.¡± The woman ran her eyes down a list and then looked up, her face folded into a deliberately calm expression. ¡°He¡¯s in the intensive care unit, he-¡±


    But Vivian had already gone, taking the stairs instead of the lift, running all the way to the isted and sterile unit right at the very top of the hospital wing.


    A nurse in a white uniform looked up from the desk.


    ¡°May I help you?¡± She felt like crying that it wasn¡¯t her that needed help, but Scott-but she took a deep breath. Hysteria would help no one. She must be strong. ¡°I¡¯vee to see Scott McCall¡±


    ¡°Are you a rtive?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She wanted to say, I¡¯m all he¡¯s got, but that wasn¡¯t true, not in the real sense. ¡°I¡¯m his girlfriend. I¡¯m not sure his family has been contacted, but I¡¯m family to him¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The nurse got to her feet. ¡°If you¡¯d like to wait here for a moment.¡± The moment felt like eternity but eventually the nurse came back with a colleague.


    ¡°My name is Sandy,¡±  she said gently. ¡°And I am Scott¡¯s nurse. Won¡¯t you sit down for a moment and I¡¯ll tell you what is happening with him?¡±


    Another moment. Another eternity. Vivian forced herself to concentrate.


    He was concussed. He was in aa. There didn¡¯t appear to be any major internal injuries and he had just undergone a brain scan. The good news was that he hadn¡¯t broken any limbs.


    That was the good news?

 74

    Vivian gave a ghostly smile. ¡°When can I see him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to him now.¡±


    It was like some surreal nightmare as she followed the nurse through the spotless, soundless and gleaming unit until they finally stopped outside a cubicle.


    Through the ss, Vivian could see Scott lying as still as death on the bed and she jammed her fis into her mouth and gave a soundless little cry. Her Scott- her strong, powerful Scott-with all that vitality just zapped away.


    ¡°What can I do?¡± she whispered. ¡°To help him?¡±


    ¡°Talk to him. Stroke his hand. Remind him of things you¡¯ve done together. Try to bring him back.¡±


    Remind him of things you¡¯ve done together. The words haunted her as she fearfully made her way towards the bed, towards that still and silent figure.


    What shared memories did they have which might stir his sleeping mind? But the only ones she could think of were not the deep and meaningful memories which would arouse a man from aa. Great sex and glitzy restaurants were not the kind of profound or precious memories which would arouse the sleeping mind. Were they?


    She could, of course, say that she loved the way that his mouth sometimes softened when he was about to kiss her. Or that it felt as if she had just won a prize if something she said made himugh aloud. Or that when he was sleeping she could see the boy in the face of the man and that he could look almost vulnerable.


    But not this time. She flinched as she looked at the bruised and battered face. There was no vulnerability in Scott¡¯s face today. It was barely recognisable as a face-man or boy-it was so distorted and discolored with bruising. And besides, those were not the kinds of things he wanted to hear, not from her and not from any woman.


    So what the hell was she going to say to him?


    She sat down beside the bed and began to stroke his hand. What did he like most about her? He liked the strong and in-control Vivian, and that was what she would be. She took a deep breath and smiled at the nurse.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Scott McCall¡± she said, very softly. ¡°You are nothing but an old attention-seeker! I¡¯ve been woken up out of a deep sleep toe and see you, and you haven¡¯t even the decency to open your eyes and say hello.¡± And then her voice cracked just a little. Oh, what the hell? ¡°Wake up, Scott¡± she pleaded softly. ¡°Wake up, darling.¡±


    ________


    Scott¡¯s mother and sister arrived minutester and Vivian had to fight the urge to burst into tears when she saw the pain in his mother¡¯s eyes. It was a situation she couldn¡¯t imagine being in as a mother, and she could do nothing but console  them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± His mother said as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. ¡°Who are you dear?¡±


    Again, Vivian had no idea how to introduce herself. ¡°I¡¯m Vivian¡­¡± she replied, ¡°Vivian Sanchez ma¡¯am. I¡¯m your son¡¯s personal assistant. We¡¯re¡­. Close¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Felicia McCall¡± she said and smiled at her. ¡°And this is my daughter¡­ Scott¡¯s twin¡­ Sara McCall. We¡¯re really d that you care here for him. You must really care for my son.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you¡± Vivian replied, returning the smile. ¡°And yes¡­ I do care for him very much. He¡¯s a remarkable man, Mrs McCall¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe this.¡± continued Felicia. ¡°Scott has always been the strong one. He¡¯s very sensitive, but he hardly shows it. He believes that he should be the one to fix every issue, so he tries so hard not to show how he truly feels. It¡¯s so hard to see him this way. If anything happens to him¡­. I¡­ I don¡¯t know.. Oh God¡±


    ¡°Nothing will happen, mom¡± said Sara, as she hugged her mother, who was beginning to sob again. ¡°Scott is strong. He¡¯ll get over this¡±


    Vivian watched them¡­ and all she could do was hope that he would be fine. He would pull through. He had to¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    For nearly two days hey there while the nurses turned him and washed him and took his observations. And for nearly two days Vivian remained by his side, except when they forced her to go and rest in the small side room especially reserved for ¡®rtives¡¯¡­. Along with his mother and sister.


    It was when the sun was going down on the second day that he finally stirred. His mother and sister had gone out to get some dinner for all of them and Vivian had been talking to him, still in the new, soft voice which she seemed to have specially acquired for this heartbreakingly one-way conversation.


    ¡°Things at the office are going pretty well,¡± she was saying. ¡°I know you liked to stay on top of everything but everyone at the office is doing everything possible to make sure that things are done exactly the way you¡¯d want them. And-¡±


    She drew a deep breath and wistfully stroked the back of his hand, remembering a snapshot image of the day he¡¯d followed her to the cheesecake shop and kissed her when she¡¯d walked him to his car. Scott had looked so strong-as if he were the most alive person on the. She remembered the evening at his ce when he¡¯d yed the guitar for her.


    Knowing him now, as she did-or what little he allowed her to know- she realized that it had been a strangely intimate thing for him to have yed for her. Never to be repeated.


    ¡°And now you know that when youe back to the office, you can trust your staff to handle things themselves sometimes.¡±


    Through the heavy grey mists of a wastnd he seemed to have inhabited since the beginning of time, Scott heard a soft, sweet voice talking of lilies and he thought he had died and gone to heaven. He tried to move his mouth.


    ¡°Nurse!¡± Vivian stumbled to her feet and knocked the chair over. ¡°Nurse!¡±


    She bent over him. ¡°Scott- oh, Scott! Darling, can you hear me?¡±


    Something, or someone had superglued his eyes together, but with an almighty effort Scott forced them open by a fraction, but such a fierce and piercing light scorched them that he let them snap shut again.


    ¡°Nurse-he tried to open his eyes-I swear he did!¡±


    Nurse? Nurse?


    ¡°Just move aside for a minute, would you, Vivian?¡±


    Vivian? Was that a name, for God¡¯s sake? Or some kind of mountain? His mind fuddled along.


    ¡°Come along, Mr McCall-try to open your eyes for me!¡±


    A voice infinitely less soft and sweet was speaking to him again. A bossy kind of voice. ¡°Come along, Mr McCall-open your eyes.¡±


    With an effort, he obeyed-only to have Bossy-voice shine some God-forsaken light in them. If he could have groaned, he would have done, but his vocal cords seemed to have let him down.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s conscious.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank God! Thank God!¡±


    The Sweet-voice sounded close to tears-a sound so poignant that he wrenched his eyes open. A beautiful face was staring down at him, with dark hair and eyes that seemed to look into his soul. It was all too confusing and Scott let himself slip gratefully back into that grey wastnd.


    ¡°He woke up!¡± Vivian said to his mother and sister when they returned. Unable to hide her happiness, that tears were falling from her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s sleeping again, but he woke up, Mrs McCall. He woke up.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank God!¡± Felicia said, grabbing Vivian and Sara and wrapping them in a warm hug.


    Vivian put her hands around them too. She was so happy. Scott would be fine. Waking up was one step to recovery¡­ and nothing else mattered at the moment. All she cared about was Scott. And he was going to be fine.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Scott awoke in the morning, and was greeted with the faces of his mother and sister, both staring at him with gratitude, happiness and love in their eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake¡± His mother said as she kissed his forehead. ¡°You are awake and you¡¯ll be fine. Oh Scott¡­ you scared the crap out of us¡±


    Scott managed a smile at them and listened attentively as they told him that he¡¯d been in an ident and was brought to the hospital, but he was recovering gradually. He nodded, but some things still didn¡¯t make sense to him.


    Feeling tired, he closed his eyes, but opened them again after some minutes. His mother and sister were gone, but a nurse was staring down at him.


    ¡°So¡­. How are we feeling this morning, Scott?¡± she asked him.


    Scott slowly opened his eyes wider. ¡°Where¡¯s Vivian?¡± he asked.


    The nurse smiled. Men were a bit like animals-if the first thing a duck saw was a tiger, then it forever believed that the tiger was its mother! And Vivian , in this case-was the tiger!


    ¡°Vivian is just bringing the car round to the front of the building-and I¡¯m here to help you get dressed.¡±

 75

    ¡°I can get myself dressed!¡± he protested.


    ¡°Not yet, you can¡¯t,¡± the nurse fussed. ¡°You¡¯re as weak as a kitten, although I must say that you don¡¯t particrly look as weak as a kitten!¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Vivian help me?¡±  he demanded, his heart sinking as he saw the nurse begin to roll her sleeves up over her rather hefty forearms. He¡¯d much rather that dark-haired angel be at hand.


    The nurse coughed. ¡°Well, she was a little taken-aback when you didn¡¯t recognise her, of course-but, as I told her, that¡¯s perfectly normal in these circumstances.¡±


    ¡°You mean I know her?¡±


    The nurse helped him with his jeans and began to get rather pink around the neck.


    ¡°Yes, Scott¡± said Vivian, in an odd, strained kind of voice as she walked into the room. ¡°You do know me-you just can¡¯t remember.¡±


    Scott was still feeling groggy, but not too groggy to wonder how well he had known her.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Here.¡± Vivian began to slide a sweater over his head, her fingers automatically colliding with the silken flesh, and she saw him still, their eyes meeting, his full of confusion, and something else, too-some fleeting look of sensual awareness.


    Vivian would have been shocked if she hadn¡¯t already noticed Scott¡¯s body responding in the most elemental way possible-even when he¡¯d been deeply unconscious.


    It had happened on the second morning, when she had been helping the nurse to wash him. It had been a little embarrassing-for Vivian, in any case.


    But as the nurse had cheerfully exined, ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that, my dear! Men are very basic creatures. They would need to be at death¡¯s door before their bodies stopped reacting.¡± She withdrew the sponge hastily from his chest. ¡°It¡¯s an automatic response,¡± she added hastily. ¡°It¡¯s not me, or anything.¡± Vivian had managed to smile. The nurse in question was of pensionable age and although she was very sweet-she did not imagine that she was really Vivian¡¯s type.


    But now, the look of surprise in his eyes was not simply an automatic masculine response to the touch of a young woman, of that she was certain. There had been the glimmer of memory there, she would have sworn it.


    Did that mean he was starting to remember? Because up until now, his mind had been aplete nk when it came to her. He seemed to recognise his own name, his family and job, but not her. He also had difficulty remembering some days and events. He didn¡¯t know why he had been driving so near to Vivian¡¯s when they were not in a rtionship. Nor did he have any knowledge of any rtionship between the two of them.


    Though that, epted Vivian wryly, might say more about the definition of their ¡®rtionship¡¯ than any memory loss.


    His family wanted to take him back home, assured by the medical team that he needed only rest and recuperation and not any high-powered nursing care. All of which they were perfectly capable of administering.


    Vivian insisted oning with them and was so d when his mother agreed. She wanted to do it; she loved him, but she knew that even if she hadn¡¯t she would have done it, anyway-who cares if they were broken up?


    It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t remember her. He needed her and she knew it. That had been the most profound shock of all-of realizing that such a strong and powerful man was, after all, as vulnerable as the next person.


    ¡°Let me help you-¡± She said as she moved to help his arms into the sweater, but he tried to push her away.


    ¡°I can do it-¡± he replied.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t! Are you always this stubborn, Scott?¡±


    ¡°No, baby-you¡¯re the one who¡¯s stubb-¡±


    Their eyes met in a long look. He had called her ¡®baby¡¯ and he had called her¡­


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± she said slowly. ¡°I am stubborn.¡±


    ¡°You mean that¡¯s memory?¡± he demanded, as if he had just discovered the secret to the universe. ¡°Not guesswork?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°It certainly seems that way. Now stop worrying about it, about anything-We¡¯re going to take you home.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bossier than that nurse,¡± heined, but he was wondering exactly what kind of rtionship he had with thisdy.


    His mother and sister arrived that minute, and before he knew it, Felicia had wrapped her hands around him. ¡°Oh¡­. Finally we get to bring you home¡± she said cheerfully, kissing his face repeatedly.


    Scott managed a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom. I¡¯m fine¡± he said.


    His mother smiled as she stared at Vivian. ¡°Always so macho all the time¡±


    Vivian smiled back. They got into the car. Sara drove. His mother sat beside her, while Scott sat with Vivian at the back.


    Vivian didn¡¯t know what to do. Should she hold his hand or give him his space? She shot a nce at him and was shocked to see him already staring at her. A deep frown on his face, as if trying to see through her. She decided to give him his space and watched while Sara and his mother tried to engage in conversation to help him with his memories.


    ¡°We¡¯re here¡± Sara announced when they got to his mother¡¯s house.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s house?¡± he questioned as the car crunched its way up the graveled drive.


    ¡°Yeah¡±  Vivian replied evenly, because the doctor had told them to simplify things. He did spend time here with his mother some of the time, and they couldn¡¯t let him go back to his ce alone.


    ¡°What about my ce?¡±


    ¡°You have to stay here with your family until you fully recover¡±


    ¡°Did you live with me?¡± he asked suddenly.


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°No I didn¡¯t. I spent some time there¡­ with you¡­ but we didn¡¯t live together, as such.¡±


    He wondered why. Through eyes newly focussed on the brightness of life after the greyness of hisa, he thought that he had never seen a more beautiful woman than Vivian.


    ¡°You have other apartments though and we went there sometimes,¡± she went on, staring at him for some kind of recognition. But there was none-nothing other than the nk kind of eptance which greeted each new fact which she recounted. It made her realize how many subtle interpretations of a ¡®fact¡¯ there could be.


    If you told someone that you spent weekends together, it could sound like quite amitment-while nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. Not that Scott was into subtle nuances right now.


    ¡°Come on, now,¡± she said gently, thinking how much she wanted to use a term of endearment, like ¡®sweetheart¡¯ or ¡®darling¡¯-but that was something she had only done when he¡¯d been in aa and she hadn¡¯t been able to help herself. And now was very definitely not the time to carry on with it. She was supposed to be helping his memory to return by keeping things much as they¡¯d been before the ident.


    And besides, the doctor hoped that the amnesia would only be temporary-imagine Scott¡¯s icy horror if his memory suddenly returned, to find her acting lovesick all over him!


    She helped him out of the car while Sara and his mother got his stuff out of the car. ¡°You¡¯re very tired,¡± she whispered, slipping her arm around his waist as she took in the dark shadows beneath his eyes and the lines of fraught tension on his face.


    Some autopilot reaction made him try to push her arm away. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She ignored him, knowing that he didn¡¯t have the strength to resist. She tightened her grip on him and reluctantly he leaned on her as they went into the house.


    Felicia asked Sara to bring tea and crumpets and buns to the library, where a fire had been lit and was roaring. He looked around the room, taking in the very cozy scene in front of his eyes. It felt as though someone had muzzled his brain with cotton wool and he shook his head in irritation as he sank down into a chair in front of the fire.


    ¡°We will go get his room and yours ready¡± Felicia said and left with Sara.


    ¡°How would you like your tea, Scott?¡± asked Vivian, lifting up the heavy silver pot.


    ¡°Just lemon, please,¡± he replied automatically and saw her smile. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how you always take your tea¡­. Although I know you remember that¡±


    ¡°So my brain sort out the most important things, right?¡± he questioned drily and she smiled again.


    ¡°At least your sense of humor hasn¡¯tpletely deserted you.¡±


    ¡°You mean I have one?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes.¡± She was about to tease him when she drew herself up short. ¡®Don¡¯t tire him,¡¯ the doctor had told her-and perhaps teasing would qualify as tiring him. ¡°Have a sandwich.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    She nodded. She wasn¡¯t going to force it, but he looked so pale, so unlike her glowing Scott that if she could have persuaded him to eat she would have done. ¡°Okay.¡±

 76

    Scott drank his tea. It was veryfortable here by the fire-warm and weing. If only his head didn¡¯t feel as though someone had jammed it in between a giant nutcracker, and in the process managed to take away some of the thoughts and associations and familiarity which made him what he normally was.


    But how did he know what he normally was? He didn¡¯t know what to believe. He still had childhood memories. He knew his family and his job, but most memories of the past months were missing so he was confused. He put the cup down and looked at Vivian, which was halfway to a cure in itself. She was wearing a soft wool dress, the color of blueberries, and her hair was loose-like the moon against the backdrop of a nearly dark sky. Her legs were spread in front of her and she had kicked her shoes off. He might be only two days out of aa, but that didn¡¯t mean that all his senses were dead. He might have a little difficulty wanting food as he usually did, but the stirring leap of awareness and the pounding of his heart made him thank God that a very important part of him was still very much alive.


    ¡°Vivian?¡± he called.


    Vivian had seen him watching her, studying her in a way she had not seen him do before, except perhaps when they¡¯d been in bed together. His eyes had darkened and suddenly she was reminded of how long it had been since they had made love.


    ¡°What?¡± she said huskily.


    For a moment, he almost forgot the question, but with a steely determination he dragged it back out of the reach of growing desire. This was too important to wait. He would not forget anything else; he had forgotten enough. And then it urred to him that his ability to make love might have been affected. His mouth hardened. Like hell it would!


    ¡°How would you describe me? Normally? I mean¡­ when I was with you¡±


    Vivian  saw the perplexing pattern of emotions which had flitted across his gorgeous face-expressions she had never seen there before. There had been uncertainty and concern and then the familiar steely resolve.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re Six-three, ck hair-¡±


    ¡°Not the way I look-hell, Vivian! I remember all that. I can see in the mirror and have enough imagination to realize that my face isn¡¯t usually ck and blue and swollen to twice its size! I mean, how would you describe me-the man. If you¡¯re my lover, then you must know me better than anyone else.¡±


    The irony of his remark didn¡¯t escape her. If she told him that she suspected no one really, really knew him, because he always kept something of himself back-then would that sound like a criticism? And what right did she have to criticize him?


    She loved him, didn¡¯t she, in spite of that? She couldn¡¯t make him into a more emotionally giving person just because that suited her temte of what her true-love should be. You couldn¡¯t control the way someone was, or adapt them to suit your fantasies.


    ¡°What kind of a person are you? To me¡­.¡± she mused. ¡°Well, I think you¡¯re very hard-working. And disciplined. And focused. You¡¯re very sessful. People respect you-¡±


    She was still rambling and she knew it, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°You make me sound like a machine,¡± he said, and a note of something like bitterness crept into his voice. ¡°Is that all you see¡­ or saw me as? And you still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±


    Her voice softened. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re no machine, Scott-I can assure you of that.¡± She drew a deep breath, because this kind of thing wasn¡¯t easy to say, out cold, from the other side of the room-to a man who technically was your lover but who didn¡¯t remember a thing about you. ¡°You¡¯re a warm, giving lover.¡± She swallowed. ¡°The best lover I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    As a testimony it was curiouslycking, and his mind was too tired and too befuddled to put his finger on exactly what it was. Vivian rose to her feet, an anxious look on her face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve tired yourself out. You need to rest-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a damned invalid-¡± he began.


    ¡°Well, yes, Scott¡± she said firmly,ing to stand over him, a stern expression on her face. ¡°Actually, you are at the moment. And if you want to get better, you¡¯re going to have to do exactly as I say¡­ and what your mother and sister say too. The doctor told us to tell you that.¡±


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±


    Then we will hire a nurse to look after you. Someone like Sandy.¡±


    Scott shuddered as he remembered Bossy-voice and imagined just how much she would crack the whip.


    He stared at Vivian . There was something awfully appealing about such an ethereal-looking beautying on to him like a school-marm, but something here definitely did notpute. The felt curtain across his mind twitched by just a fraction.


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to being told what to do by you, am I?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Not by me, not by anyone.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Was I a tyrant¡­. To you¡­ Vivian?¡±


    For a moment she forgot that he was an invalid. ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person who would go out with a tyrant,¡± she said drily. ¡°No matter how gorgeous he happened to be.¡±


    ¡°So you think I¡¯m gorgeous, do you?¡±


    It was, she realized, the first time that she had ever dared tell him anything about the way she felt since the ident. ¡°You aren¡¯t bad,¡± she said grudgingly. ¡°When your face isn¡¯t bruised and battered.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°And I¡¯m definitely not a tyrant?¡±


    She pretended to consider this. ¡°Out of ten on the tyrannical scale, you would score a fairly modest rating of three.¡± She took a deep breath. He seemed to want to hear the truth, so surely she should give it to him. ¡°As you know, you are master of your own kingdom, Scott¡± she said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s all. You live life entirely on your own terms.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not to such a great extent.¡±


    She seemed to be talking about herself. He wanted to ask her more. Like why-but an overwhelmingssitude had started to seep into his bones. He closed his eyes and yawned.


    ¡°Now you really are going to bed,¡± she said severely.


    The eyes flew open and there was a mocking look glinting in their depths which made Vivian¡¯s heart turn over. Come back to me, Scott, she pleaded silently. Pleasee back to me.


    Until the awful thought urred to her that this new Scott was infinitely softer, more malleable, and far easier to rte to.


    What if the old Scott came back and she found that she was no longer prepared to cope with the rtionship on the old terms? That they had broken up. But that was jumping ahead a step too far.


    ¡°Bedtime,¡± she said unsteadily. ¡°You need to rest. I¡¯ll go check if your mom needs some help.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    For the next couple of days Scott recuperated, using the most powerful method of recuperation which existed.


    He slept. For hours and hours at a time, tucked up in his big four-poster bed.


    Vivian found out that she absolutely loved his mother and sister. Felicia McCall was warm, caring and weing, while Sara McCall was a bit quiet but friendly all the same. They loved Scott, and she envied the warmth in the household. She considered Scott lucky to have such family members.


    Scott was recovering, but he still spent a lot of time in his room. The first time she had taken him up there, she had watched him carefully, to see if there was some kind of reaction to her, But there had been none. No stirring of memory- though that did not mean that he¡¯d been indifferent to her body. No way. He hadconically raised his dark eyebrows over tired eyes.


    ¡°Going to join me, Vivian?¡± he yawned.


    Vivian bent her head to pull back the duvet, not wanting him to see any trace of vulnerability, or sadness. What she wouldn¡¯t have given to have climbed in beside him, wrapped her naked body next to his and hugged him tight. Not wanting sex from him, just closeness and wanting to give himfort in return.


    But she could not envisage a scenario where they went to bed without making love-it was not that kind of rtionship anymore, and besides they were in his mother¡¯s house. Scott loved sex. Well, so did she, for that matter-especially with him-but sometimes she found herself wishing for the intimacy which came without having sex.


    Not for them thezy familiarity which came from being totally rxed in each other¡¯spany. There had always been reservations, barriers between them. Her wishing he would let his guard down and him always being wary of giving too much away. And although their rtionship had been satisfying-there had never, not once, been a shared vision of a future together.

 77

    With Scott it had never been more than what they had today. And while that made her appreciate what she had got, it also made her long for what she had not. Commitment-and that was one thing she would never get from him.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep next door for the time being. I think you need a little space,¡± she said lightly.


    And so did she.


    He pulled a face of objection, but he was too tired to object too much. Hey down on the bed and it felt like heaven.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he yawned. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    But within a couple of weeks he began to show very definite signs of improvement-physically, at least. The sleep showed in the renewed brightening of his eyes and the familiar healthy glow of his skin. Often they took him outside, to sit in the restorative sunshine and to sit quietly in the haven which Felicia¡¯s garden provided. He was eating proper meals, too-the freshest, most delicious food that Felicia and sometimes Vivian could conjure up.


    She put two tes of salmon down on the table one evening and a dish of new potatoes, and crunchy, bright green mangetout.


    Scott smiled. ¡°Mmm. Who cooked this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious,¡± he said slowly.


    She looked up from spooning a potato onto her te.  ¡°You tter me, but thank you¡± she said calmly.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not ttering you. I do like it. Did you use to cook for me¡­ you know¡­ before the ident?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I liked to, actually.¡±


    She knew and he knew that they weren¡¯t in the remotest bit interested in her culinary conversion. This was a scent on the trail to recall. A trail that she yearned toplete and yet dreaded at the same time.


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    He stared at her, thinking how exquisitely pure the ck dress she was wearing made her look.


    ¡°We were very¡­ close¡­.¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°Yes, we were. I guess I was grateful. You¡­ Urmmm¡­you contributed a lot to my life. Gave me a chance to work at yourpany even when you didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    He nodded, digesting this. ¡°Vivian¡± he said suddenly, and something in his voice made her go very still.


    ¡°Yes, Scott?¡±


    ¡°Just how do I know you?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Vivian put the spoon down with a hand which had suddenly began to tremble and stared at Scott .


    ¡°How do I know you?¡± he repeated.


    The doctor had told her this might happen; she was only surprised that it hadn¡¯t happened sooner. He had said that Scott¡¯s mind might naturally fill in some or all of the gaps by itself. Or that he might require assistance to do so.


    The challenge was going to be telling him the truth.


    In confronting reality, however painful. For she was astute enough to recognise that by telling him this particr story, she would automatically give away a lot of her own feelings, if she was going to be brutally honest. And that might frighten him.


    ¡°We met in a hotel room. Yours to be precise. I was a waitress at a party you attended¡± she said sinctly.


    ¡°How long ago?¡± he shot out.


    She frowned. ¡°Almost nine months ago,¡± she said.


    Heavens above-was it really that long? And how ironic. It was longer than she had realized and yet it also seemed a ridiculously short time. But a human embryo could grow into a full and sustainable life in exactly that time.


    Now it was his turn to frown. ¡°Go on¡±


    ¡°I was working at a cheesecake shop then and I needed a better job.¡± she exined slowly. ¡°I found out about you, so I found a way to get a job as a waitress at that party because I knew you¡¯d be attending.¡±


    She stopped talking. ¡®Keep nothing back,¡¯ the doctor had urged.


    ¡®But what if it¡¯s painful?¡¯ had been her response.


    ¡®The past often is, Miss Sanchez. So is life. Protect against pain and there is no growth. And without growth, we die.¡¯


    So she went on. ¡°After the party, I snuck into your room and you found me there. I told you what I wanted, but there was no opening at your office so you couldn¡¯t help me. But you called me back some days ago after your assistant quit and you gave me the job.¡±


    ¡°So I was inappropriate with you in the workce?¡± he asked.


    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you were my assistant, how did we be a couple? I was an asshole, right?¡±


    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t Scott. You never forced me to do anything. Everything that happened, happened because I wanted it to¡­. Al¡­ Although¡­ we¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We ended things, Scott.¡±


    Scott stared at her in silence. The felt curtain which was blocking recall now blew gently as a dark wind began to whisper across his mind. He was taken back to the day of that call¡­. When she told him she couldn¡¯t be with him anymore¡­. She wasn¡¯ting back. She was gone. Gone and taken something with her.


    Scott flinched and stared at her, his eyes dark with pain. ¡°I remember,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I remember. I was hurt. I felt empty.¡± There was a long, raw pause. ¡°Like I¡¯d lost a part of me¡±


    She heard the finality in his voice and moved so that she was close enough to touch him, close enough to grip his forearm as if willing him to bring it all back to mind. ¡°You remember? But what else do you remember, Scott? What else?¡±


    He shook his head. It was like swimming in cloudy water. Sometimes the light appeared on the surface, but then once again the mud obscured it. He stared into her eyes and let his gaze travel down to lips as soft and as luscious as ripe strawberries.


    And suddenly he did not want the past-he wanted the present, with all its infinitely more pleasurable associations. Why elect for pain when this beautiful woman was touching him, reminding him with dizzying recall just how wonderful pleasure could be? And just why had he ended his rtionship with such a beautiful, amazingly woman?


    ¡°Kiss me, Vivian,¡± he said softly.


    She shook her head. ¡°Not now. It¡¯s too soon.¡±


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± he repeated, and something of his old mastery returned.


    She moved her face closer, frozen in that position for one breathtaking moment, their eyes locked in glittering question. At that moment she had never felt closer to him.


    ¡°Now,¡± he murmured.


    She lowered her lips onto his. A tender brush which became a tiny kiss. She felt his sigh warm against her and their lips parted by a fraction, melding in a sweet, exploratory kiss which felt like two teenagers trying one out for the first time.


    It felt as if she had never really kissed him before, Vivian thought with a jolt, and her breath quickened.


    He reached his hand up to touch her neck, wonderingly, as if he had never felt skin before, but in a way he hadn¡¯t. His senses had needed to die in thata to spring to life as never before. The heavy throb of desire beat its silken heat in his blood, but for once there was no urgency to consummate. He wanted to make thisst all night.


    He drew his mouth away. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    She shook her head, her heart thundering. ¡°We can¡¯t¡­ Your mother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an adult, Vivian. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d mind¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t well enough.¡± she insisted.


    ¡°Says who?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the doctor would say-¡±


    ¡°Damn the doctor!¡± He scraped his chair back and took her hand.


    ¡°Scott, we mustn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Vivian,¡± he said simply.


    ¡°We can¡¯t not.¡± She felt her cheeks me, for the words seemed like an avowal of something she had long hoped for, until she reminded herself that they weren¡¯t. They were a deration of fact. And of intent. His body and his mind had been very nearly lifeless, and now they wanted to celebrate life itself in the most basic way possible. Just as his hunger had returned to help him heal, so too had another, different kind of hunger.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed softly. ¡°Bed it is.¡±


    She felt as shy as a virgin bride on her wedding night as he took her by the hand and led her upstairs, walking like a man who had never known a day¡¯s sickness in his life, let alone one whose life had, just a few weeks earlier, been hanging on by a thread.


    The bedroom door closed behind them, Scott took her into his arms, bending his head so that his mouth was very close to hers. ¡°What do you like me to do best?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± she murmured.


    He needed no second bidding, groaning as he sweetly plundered her lips, on and on and on, as if the kiss were a fountain of life and he were drinking greedily from it.


    And only when she felt as if he had sucked her dry did he draw down the zip of her dress, letting it fall into a pool of rich, dark velvet onto the ground.

 78

    He sucked in a low breath of appreciation as she stood before him wearing nothing but flimsy underwear of soft greence, her skin gleaming like silk. Her breasts spilled over the low-cut bra and the matching knickers made her legs seem to go on and on forever.


    He must have seen her like this before and yet it seemed as though he had never really looked at her. Never appreciated the satin fall of the dark hair which tumbled all over her shoulders.


    ¡°Dear God,¡± he murmured. ¡°You are unbelievable. Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m real.¡± She began to unbutton his shirt.


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing all this, while I¡¯m not wearing nearly enough,¡± sheined.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He gave a lowugh, sucking in his breath as her palms skated light, sensuous circles over his nipples. ¡°You¡¯re wearing too much, oh, Vivian-¡±


    This as she unzipped his trousers and teased her fingertips over his straining hardness. He slid his hand between her thighs and her eyes widened in helpless pleasure as he began to move his fingertips against her. ¡°Like that?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°You obviously haven¡¯t lost all your memory,¡± she groaned. ¡°You know I do.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just instinct,¡± he husked.


    Instinct made it sound too functional, she thought briefly. Her head tipped back and she moaned again with an unbearable feeling of expectation and excitement and yet it was tinged with a sensation of apprehension.


    Sex had always been so wonderful between them, but she couldn¡¯t ever remember feeling quite this defenceless-as if it would be impossible to hide the way she really felt about him, deep down. What if she cried out her love for him at the height of it all?


    ¡°Come here and stop looking so worried,¡± he murmured as he drew her down onto the bed beside him. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be worried. What if the ident has left me unable to make love?¡±


    At the same time, their eyes were drawn to his naked body, where the very visible proof of how much he wanted to make love was clear to see.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She smiled, and nibbled at his ear lobe.


    But it was different. He knew that. This was a test, but not just a test of his physical ability-there was something else going on and it perplexed him. He sensed Vivian¡¯s reservations and he was damned sure that it had nothing to do with his skill as a lover. No, there was something else.


    He stroked her breasts, which was infinitely easier than analyzing something which seemed determined to evade him. Vivian sighed, wrapping her arms tightly around his back, smoothing the flesh which covered the powerful shoulders.


    He moved his hands all over her body, as if reacquainting himself with familiar yet undiscoveredndscapes, and she responded instantly, her heat moist and warm against his fingers.


    ¡°Take me,¡± she whispered, when the longing became unbearable. ¡°Take me.¡±


    The unexpected and old fashioned entreaty was like fire ripping through his veins. He moved on top of her, his hardness threatening to obliterate him if he didn¡¯t do something about it soon.


    ¡°Oh, Scott!¡± she cried as he pushed into her and filled her. He began to move and a kind of sob was wrenched from Vivian¡¯s throat. ¡°Scott!¡± she whispered shudderingly.


    For a moment he stilled, reluctant to stop when something was this amazing, but he sensed that this was not the way it usually was. He smoothed the hair back from her face and looked down into her eyes.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he invited softly.


    Never tell a man you love him, not unless he says it first, she thought. She bit the words back and shook her head. ¡°It feels so good.¡±


    Now why on earth should her testimony disappoint him-make him feel strangely hollow? But then she had begun to move beneath him, her hips writhing in expert rhythm which took him up and beyond¡­


    ¡°Vivian!¡± He choked her name out just as she began to moan and the feeling just went on and on and on until both were spent.


    And afterwards theyy there, their arms wrapped tightly around each other, neither saying a word- though both for different reasons.


    Hey there, watching the moon as it rose in the night sky to flood the bed with a kind of silver radiance. Could he live the rest of his life like this? he wondered. In touch with his present, but not his past. He sighed.


    Vivian turned onto her side. A sigh was a wistful, yearning thing-she had never heard him sigh before, she realized. ¡°Scott?¡±


    He turned his face. Her hair was tumbling down over her breasts and in the moonlight she looked like some creature from another world. And maybe she was, for she inhabited his past more surely than he did. ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± He pulled her against him, reveling in the collision of warm, soft skin and thinking that nothing could beat this. ¡°How do you think I feel? Pretty amazing.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about the sex.¡±


    Well, neither was he, but he registered her sudden defensiveness. Was she insecure, he wondered-and had he contributed to making her that way?


    ¡°You want an update on my state of recovery at this precise moment, do you, honey?¡± he drawled.


    She shook her head. ¡°Not really. I mean, I presume that what we just did-¡±


    ¡°Make love, you mean?¡± he enquired helpfully.


    Why was she blushing? Why did she feel about sixteen-with all those stupid, foolish dreams that sixteen-year-old girls had? Why, if she had a schoolbook right now, she would be writing his name on it and drawing a heart round it!


    ¡°Scott, you mustn¡¯t be flippant!¡±


    ¡°How am I being flippant?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been very ill. We¡¯ve just made love and it was probably too soon.¡± she said.


    He captured her hand, guiding it slowly down the front of his hair-smattered chest, and beyond and heard her tiny little gasp. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, honey. The body recovers from trauma very quickly, it seems.¡±


    ¡°But what about the mind?¡± He stared at the ceiling. The mind was a different matter.


    ¡°It¡¯s still blocked¡­somehow¡± he admitted. ¡°Sometimes I feel some¡­ kind of¡­ familiarity¡­ but then it goes away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care?¡±


    ¡°You mean, don¡¯t I mind?¡± Heughed, but opened his eyes again and saw the anxious look which had pleated her brow into a little frown. ¡°Vivian, what can I do? I can¡¯t force it-it has toe when ites, when it¡¯s ready toe.¡±


    But they both became silent once more. Right now he felt at peace, and something was nagging at him, telling him that it was an unusual state for him. What if he unlocked the door to his past and found it full of demons? Would he know this kind of easy peace again? And yet, a man could not live without a past, no matter how much it might haunt him.


    With an effort, he forced himself to concentrate on their conversation during a supper they had not eaten.


    The memory of Vivian in a kitchen smiling at him as she stirred something on the stove came gritting back like sand being rubbed into his eyes.


    ¡°Vivian,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I¡¯d like us to go to your apartment.¡±


    She stilled. ¡°To my ce? But why?¡±


    ¡°You said we were close. We spend a lot of time together. At my house¡­ and yours too. Maybe if we go to those ces we spent so much time together, this fog in my brain will clear up¡­. I want to remember everything¡­ Vivian.¡±


    __________


    Vivian waited another couple of days before she took Scott to her home. She told herself that was because he was still weak, that the shock might prove too much for him, and all this was true.


    But she did not deny to herself that there was a self-seeking reason behind the dy. What if she took him back and memory came with it, snapping into rity, like a blurred picture suddenlying into clear and bright focus?


    She had grown used to this new Scott and she couldn¡¯t help wondering if she would be able to tolerate the insecurity and the emotional repression which had been necessary to maintain a rtionship with the old one.


    The morning she chose was as perfect a spring morning as she could imagine. The sky was an egg-shell blue, unclouded and peerless and pure. Birds sang with heartbreaking fervor in the hedgerows and the banks were studded with pale lemon primroses.


    Spring, thought Vivian-a time of rebirth. But birth was painful, nobody could deny that-just as they could not deny that it changed everything. Everyone.


    Nothing was ever the same again.


    She shot a nce at Scott . He had recovered well, the indomitable strength and vitality of the man had served him well. Outwardly, at least, he looked the same as the man she had fallen in love with.


    She narrowed her eyes. Though, on closer examination, maybe that wasn¡¯t quite urate.

 79

    He had changed. The dark eyes were no longer so restless. The glittering, predatory eyes of the shark had gone.


    But a jolt to his memory might bring them back, surely? And the coldly ambitious Scott McCall might reemerge from the chrysalis of hisa.


    ¡°Ready?¡± she asked.


    He drifted his hand over her hair and followed it with the butterfly touch of his lips on the back of her neck. ¡°Maybe we should go back to bed for a while?¡± he murmured.


    Vivian closed her eyes, tempted. If there was one thing that Scott had recovered quickly, it was his prowess as a lover. ¡°But we¡¯ve only just got up!¡± she objected.


    ¡°The doctor said that I was to rest as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°I think that your idea of rest and the doctor¡¯s are not quite the same thing.¡± Vivian replied. Reluctantly, she pulled her neck away. ¡°Shall we drive or shall we walk for a while? We can order a cabter to my ce or call your driver.¡±


    ¡°Walk,¡± said Scott.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get too tired?¡±


    ¡°Vivian,¡± he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You know, this isn¡¯t going to work if you continue to nurse me all the while.¡±


    ¡°I was only trying to help.¡±


    ¡°I know you were, honey, but the time hase for you to let go. I¡¯m in good shape physically and I can take care of myself. And the rest I can deal with myself. I have to.¡±


    Vivian nodded, but she turned away on the pretext of getting a soft, woolen cardigan for the sunshiney spring day had a deceptive bite to the air. Let go. The two words chilled her right through and she was d to snuggle into the cardigan.


    Already he was cutting her out. That was without any nudges to his memory.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    But this wasn¡¯t about her and her feelings-it was all about Scott and what he needed to make him whole again.


    And he would not be whole without memory, she realised sadly. She could not have a rtionship with a man-especially not this man-on the superficial basis of a newly rxed persona. That was only part of Scott.


    True, he was softer and sweeter, but she couldn¡¯t keep him that way just for her benefit.


    He needed to be who he really was and she needed to know whether he still wanted her once he became that person again. And she him.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡± she asked.


    The gardens had never looked more beautiful-thewns were freshly cut and the scent of newly mown grass brought back a lifetime of different springs. For a moment she became a child who ran across sunlitwns and thought how uplicated life would seem. But would it? Didn¡¯t memory always y tricks? Didn¡¯t it always look perfect when you looked back, your mind cleverly editing out all the bad bits? Wasn¡¯t that nature¡¯s way of making life seem bearable?


    They finally arrived at her street, using a cab and got out. They crunched their way up the gravel path to the sound of birdsong and the gentle whisper of the breeze as it rustled its way through the new leaves.


    ¡°You¡¯re very quiet,¡± observed Scott .


    ¡°Mmm.¡± She nced up. Was it her imagination, or were the dark eyes already a little more distant? Would she, too, soon be nothing more than a memory to him? ¡°Can you remember the way?¡±


    It seemed that he could, his feet taking him automatically on the route. Paths of familiarity were worn deep into the mind, he realized, and some things you found you knew on an unconscious level.


    He dug his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans, and watched as Vivian unlocked the door and they both stepped inside. He remembered a feeling of lightness, of no longer being encumbered by any burden, but there was a feeling of emptiness, too. Now why was that-why was that?


    And it was then the floodgates opened and everything came back, in a dark tide which swamped him.


    ¡°Scott?¡± Vivian lifted her hand to his face and tentatively touched his cheek, seeing the sudden whitening of his face and the tension which had tightened his features. ¡°Scott, what is it?¡±


    He shook his head, locked in some strange kind of limbo as past and present whirled together in a terrifyingly vivid kaleidoscope.


    She didn¡¯t know how long they stood there for, only that when Scott eventually nodded, as though something had beenpleted, he met her eyes and she knew without having to ask the question that his memory had returned. It was as if someone had flicked a switch.


    ¡°You remember?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Oh, yes, I remember. Everything¡­. And I remember how and why we broke up too.¡± he hissed. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Scott-¡±


    He shook his head. He couldn¡¯t take her sympathy or her understanding. Not right now. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    It was as though a shutter hade down, effectively keeping her out. She stared at him. ¡°Scott,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be said,¡± he said tly.


    She waited for a moment, her eye drawn to the table in the middle of the room but not really seeing it. ¡°What do you want to do now?¡± she asked quietly.


    He gave a smile, but some of the softness had gone. ¡°I¡¯d like to go back home¡­. To my mom¡¯s ce¡­ I mean I can¡¯t just leave without talking to her.¡± he said. ¡°And I want to make love to you.¡±


    She understood that. The need to obliterate pain through the sweet oblivion of the senses. But although her body responded instantly, her heart felt wary. There was something different about him-it was as though someone had coated him with a hard, protective veneer. All vulnerability had fled and been reced by the passionate predator who felt a million miles away.


    Not a word was spoken on the journey home. Scott seemedpletely preupied with his thoughts and, on a rational level, Vivian didn¡¯t me him. If his memory had suddenlye back and he was sifting and filing information in his head, then what right had she to chatter on about inconsequential things? His face was closed and forbidding enough to stop her trying to ask him anything really important and she tried to tell herself that he would borate when he was ready.


    But her throat was dry with dread and longing and when they arrived back at his mother¡¯s house and he wordlessly took her straight upstairs, where he proceeded to take her clothes off so slowly and so teasingly that she came when he first touched her. And couldn¡¯t miss the fleeting look of dark triumph in his eyes as he groaningly entered her while she was still pulsing.


    He made love to her as if he were being judged on it-surpassing even his usual skill and finesse and Vivian lost count of the times she shudderingly cried his name out loud. It was the most mind-blowing experience of her life, but yet it left her feeling that something was missing.


    And when it was over, theyy together, coupled like sweat-sheened spoons, their frantic hearts racing.


    That was¡­¡± Vivian swallowed.¡± That was something else.¡± She thought of how long he had just spent making love to her.¡± But, darling, you mustn¡¯t overtire-¡±


    ¡°No, Vivian.¡± He rolled over, so that he was lying on top of her once more, and his expression was hard, almost grim. ¡°Your nursing duties arepleted, and I mean that. I give you leave of absence.¡±


    Fear rose in her throat. ¡°What¡¯s happened, Scott? Why are you looking at me that way?¡±


    ¡°What way is that?¡± he asked.


    How could she possibly say that his expression was no longer soft and giving? Not when this cool, sardonic flicker of interest looked far more like the man she was used to. He was blocking her and it seemed to be deliberate.


    ¡°How much have you remembered?¡± she asked slowly.


    ¡°Everything.¡± The one, stark word spoke volumes.


    She sat up in bed, her heart sinking, knowing that she could not go back to the way things had been. It was impossible. And no matter how painful it was going to be, she could not ept a rtionship on Scott¡¯s terms. It was not so much as second-best-it was probably as much as he could offer. But it was not enough. Not for her. She would live in fear of it ending, afraid to give as much as she wanted to for fear of frightening him away. And no rtionship could survive on fear.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°And say what? That I recall exactly why I was in that ident? That I remember our break up?¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t mean to cause you any pain. I did what I thought was right.¡±


    He carried on as if she hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°I know everything. How we met. How we ended up together and how we ended.¡±


    ¡°And us? What happens to us now?¡± she ventured.


    ¡°Us?¡±

 80

    She thought that he spoke it like a word he was unfamiliar with. ¡°Yes, us.¡±


    He smiled, but Vivian thought that it was a cool smile, even though he touched the tip of her nose with his lips.


    ¡°I know that we¡¯ve been having a rtionship and that it¡¯s a very agreeable rtionship.¡±


    Very agreeable? He made it sound like a piece of ssical music ying on the radio!


    ¡°I see.¡± Vivian said.


    He wondered if she did, but in the sweet afterhaze of making love his mind had been busy. ¡°Shall we get dressed and go and find ourselves a drink?¡±


    If it had been anyone else, she might have thought he was searching for Dutch courage, but Scott was not the kind of man who needed alcohol to spur him on to say something, no matter how unptable.


    She sensed that the end wasing, and that, if it was, she would face it calmly and with dignity. ¡°I¡¯d love a drink,¡± she said lightly.


    He might not need courage, but she certainly did. They dressed in silence, bending to pick up discarded pieces of clothing and shaking out the creases.


    Vivian was aware as she climbed into her knickers that he was not watching her, the way he usually did. Feasting his eyes on her with an unashamed appreciation as she covered her body with clothes. No, he seemed preupied as he zipped up his trousers and she caught him giving his wristwatch a quick nce.


    ¡°What shall we drink?¡± she asked, once they were downstairs. Was there still a foolish part of her that thought he might suggest champagne, as if they were celebrating together?


    ¡°A very small Scotch, please.¡±


    She nearly asked him whether he thought he should, but thought better of it. He had already told her unequivocally that he did not want her to nurse him any more. And with her nurturing role gone, she felt oddly superfluous. She didn¡¯t feel like drinking spirits, so she just poured herself a ss of wine and then sat down on one of the sofas, and waited. She didn¡¯t have to wait long. The dark eyes were narrowed as they looked at her.


    ¡°Vivian, I have to go back,¡± he said.


    ¡°Back where?¡±


    ¡°Back home¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going straight back to work?¡± she questioned, rmed.


    He shook his head. So that was the measure of his work ethic, was it? That he would throw himself straight back into the thick of it when he had only regained his memory just a few hours earlier.


    ¡°Not straight away, no. I need to see a neurologist and get him to check me out.¡±  he replied.


    ¡°And after that?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided.¡±


    The word I had nothing to do with the word us, did it? She wanted to say, When will I see you? But if he wasn¡¯t going to say, then neither was she going to ask. She wouldn¡¯t beg, or plead-and she would not ask for what was not freely given.


    ¡°When will you leave?¡±


    He nced at his watch once more. ¡°I guess this evening¡±


    ¡°Or I could drive you?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Thanks, but no, thanks. It¡¯s sweet of you, Vivian-but I¡¯ve imposed on you for long enough. I¡¯ll go talk to my mom and sister first.¡±


    Imposed? Now he sounded like a weekend guest who had overstayed his wee!


    ¡°You¡¯d better hurry up and pack, then,¡± she said, abandoning her barely touched winess. ¡°I can see you off at least.¡±


    She waited while he went upstairs and packed the clothes which she had arranged to be sent from his house. Just as she had arranged to have his mail delivered to his solicitor, in case there had been something urgent which Scott wouldn¡¯t have been well enough to deal with. And once he had started to make headway, there had seemed no need to disturb the rare opportunity for peace and quiet.


    Yet there were so many questions she had never got around to asking because she hadn¡¯t wanted to tire him, or to add to his stress. It had never seemed the right time. She still didn¡¯t know why he had been driving to her ce when he had had that ident. She could ask him now, and if he knew then he would answer her truthfully, but suddenly she didn¡¯t want to know. What was the point?


    He came downstairs minutester followed by his mother, suitcase in hand. She didn¡¯t look very happy that Scott wanted to leave, but she knew her son well enough to know that when he put his mind to something, nothing and no one could stop him.


    ¡°Sara won¡¯t be happy about this when shees back,¡± she said.


    ¡°I think she¡¯ll get over it, mom¡± Scott replied, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, mom. I assure you. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Can you please talk to him?¡± Felicia said to Vivian.


    ¡°His mind seems to be made up¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°Alright, but we¡¯ll visit¡± said Felicia


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, mom,¡± replied Scott. He hesitated, then turned to hug his mother. ¡°Can you give us a moment please?¡± he asked her.


    Felicia nodded, then reluctantly went back upstairs.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Vivian said brightly.


    He thought about how much he owed her. ¡°Vivian¡­¡± he began.


    But she preempted him. She couldn¡¯t bear it if he began to say stilted goodbyes-as if she were some aged old retainer who was about to retire. ¡°Don¡¯t say it, Scott, please-it isn¡¯t necessary.¡±


    ¡°I want to thank you from-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± she repeated angrily. ¡°Please! I don¡¯t need your thanks. I was pleased to do it. I would have done it for anyone.¡±


    He nodded. Suddenly she seemed a million miles away. He could take her in his arms and kiss her better but wouldn¡¯t that only be postponing things? He couldn¡¯t live a jigsaw life, with one of the pieces missing. And that was how he felt right now. Something was missing.


    ¡°I should go¡­.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Goodbyes were always difficult, she told herself. She hoped that she would be strong enough to bite back her tears. But trying hard to stay strong didn¡¯t please her either. As for her job at hispany, she knew she wasn¡¯t going to return. She didn¡¯t want to. She couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Bye, Scott.¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Juste here.¡± He pulled her into his arms and swiftly brought his mouth down for a kiss which went on for longer than either of them had intended. It was bittersweet and unbearably beautiful and it felt like a closure. And when he reluctantly raised his head in answer to the urgent whistle of the guard, his eyes were filled with something like regret.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you,¡± he whispered. ¡°Okay?¡±


    When will you call me? she wanted to say, but she could not ce any more burdens on his shoulders. She was not going to y jealous or needy-in fact, she wasn¡¯t going to y anything. A rtionship wasn¡¯t a game-and if you had to make it into one in order for it to survive, then maybe it wasn¡¯t worth keeping.


    Perhaps she should make it easy for him. Tell him that there was no obligation and that she understood his need to get away. Would that show she had some pride left and ensure she would get over him more quickly? But wasn¡¯t that just thinking about her feelings, and not his?


    She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing seemed right, and when she finally walked him to his car she was both relieved and sad. The moment hade. He was going, only this time it was not like a normal farewell.


    ¡°Goodbye, Scott,¡± she whispered.


    He squeezed her tightly one more time and then climbed into the car and waved at her through the window, his dark eyes strangely sombre. And she stood watching the car, not moving from that spot until long after it had disappeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    After he¡¯d gone, Vivian packed up her stuff and went into the kitchen to inform Felicia that she was leaving too. There was no need for her to stay anymore, and the longer she remained there, the more she wanted to burst into tears.


    ¡°Oh honey¡± Felicia said softly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go now. You can stay a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s very sweet, Mrs McCall¡± Vivian replied. ¡°I do have a lot of stuff to catch up on. And I¡¯m sure I will visit you and Sara sometime.¡±


    She managed to smile. She¡¯d grown to really like Scott¡¯s mother, who had weed her into her home with open arms. Even Sara was very sweet, and it was hard to say good bye.


    Felicia gave a knowing smile. ¡°Alright¡± she said. There was a pause before she added, ¡°I know that my son can be difficult sometimes but I really do hope that you won¡¯t give up on him.¡­ I mean¡­I have never seen him with any woman the way that he is with you. He needs you, Vivian, and I think you need him too. I know it¡¯s hard, but I really do hope that you hold on to each other. ¡°

 81

    Vivian could do nothing but nod. She couldn¡¯t tell Scott¡¯s mother about their troubles, so she simply gave her a hug and wished her well. ¡°Please tell Sara that I¡¯m very sorry I couldn¡¯t see her before leaving.¡± she said, and with that she went out of the house. It was only when she got into her car and drove off that she let the tears flow.


    ________


    Vivian spent the evening wandering around her house like a lost soul, unable to settle to anything, and her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when her phone began to ring.


    She snatched it up when she saw the caller. ¡°Hello?¡±.


    ¡°Vivian¡±


    ¡°Oh, Scott!¡± She breathed a low sigh of relief, appalled to realize that she had half expected never to hear from him again. But that would have implied ack of courage on his part, and he was certainly notcking in courage. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.


    Okay? Scott looked around him, at the luxurious house which was his home. It didn¡¯t feel like home any more. It felt like some gloriously appointed but sterile hotel suite.


    He was alone. His family wasn¡¯t with him. No girlfriend had ever meant enough to him for him to want to have her disyed in a silver frame, standing on a piece of furniture.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said heavily.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound fine,¡± said Vivian.


    What did she expect? ¡°I¡¯m tired, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t even have any food to eat there.¡± she said automatically.


    ¡°Vivian, I¡¯m a big boy now,¡± he reminded her softly.


    And she wondered whether her nurturing role might have blown all hope away. For a big, strong man like Scott to have been so dependent on a woman- mightn¡¯t that threaten his masculinity? She had seen him at his weakest and most vulnerable and that might make her a thorn in his flesh, niggling away with the thought that for a while she had seen him helpless and stripped away of all defenses.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you¡¯re home safely,¡± she said guardedly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± There seemed nothing more to say and he felt an immense sense of sadness. ¡°I¡¯ll call you again.¡±


    The words rushed out as she forced herself to say them. ¡°Don¡¯t feel you have to. Only when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said thoughtfully. She was intelligent enough to know that a series of superficial phone calls would serve no purpose. To either of them. ¡°Take care, Vivian¡±


    ¡°And you.¡±  But this time she really did doubt his words. She put the phone down slowly. Oh, he probably meant them, but she doubted that he would call tomorrow. Or the next day. He would call when he was ready, and that might be when he decided to tell her that it was over. For there could be no going back to how they had been, and no going forward to a future he had never promised her. Which left them in some kind of emotional limbo which was not a good ce to be.


    But she felt some of her own strength and resolve returning. That night she slept with surprising soundness and awoke refreshed, even though her heart was aching. The responsibility of looking after him and the worry of whether or not he would recover had been more of a strain than she had realized.


    She couldn¡¯t mope around the ce mourning something that had never been more than a hopeless dream. She needed to move on-that was what the self-help books always told you.


    And moving on wasn¡¯t easy when you had little desire to do so. When staying put in an increasingly distant illusion seemed the more preferable option. But she found an inner core of strength and determination and she slowly eased herself back into normal living.


    She owed it to herself to do so.


    At least she had plenty with which to upy herself-things which only she could deal with and which she had neglected while she had been caring for Scott.


    She had to start looking for another job, and she had to go see Megan and Betty. It had been a while since she¡¯d seen them as she¡¯d been so focused on Scott.


    She forced herself to keep busy, and not to hang around the phone like a love-struck schoolgirl. She even went out on her own a couple of times, but her heart wasn¡¯t in it, though as the weeks passed it became easier to sit in a pub with people she knew, and tell herself she was having a good time.


    Days passed and there had still been no word from Scott. She was vaciting between calling him some very uplimentary names underneath her breath and telling herself that the man was recovering from a major trauma, for heaven¡¯s sake, when her phone rang. Some sixth sense told her that it was him even while experience told her to gear herself up for the inevitable disappointment.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    It was a Sunday morning, and the house was utterly peaceful. She was drinking coffee on the balcony when she heard the ringing and she put her cup down. It won¡¯t be him, she said to herself, just as she did every time it rang. But this time it was.


    ¡°Vivian?¡±


    Her heart was pounding so loudly that it seemed to deafen her voice and for a moment she could hardly speak.


    ¡°Scott!¡± She put just the right amount of pleased delight to hear him in her voice. Not enough to frighten him away, or to make him think that she wouldn¡¯t be able to cope with whatever he had decided.


    And besides, it wasn¡¯t just his decision. She had done a lot of thinking herself. She knew that she needed to be a lot more proactive than she had been before. If Scott was offering a rtionship on the same terms as before, then she was going to have to say thanks, but no, thanks. It might temporarily break her heart, but it would have to be done.


    Because she was worth more than that. A rtionship where you were constantly having to hide the way you felt about someone could never be a truly honest rtionship, and Scott had always been a champion of honesty-surely he would understand that?


    He thought how distant she sounded. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right-more to the question, how are you?¡±


    It struck him how inadequatenguage could be sometimes. ¡°Better. Much better. Can Ie and see you?¡±


    As if he had to ask! But he had asked, and rather formally too-and maybe that meant something. ¡°Of course you cane and see me. When?¡±


    ¡°Are you busy now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°As in right now?¡± Her heart began to thunder. ¡°I¡¯m eating toast and honey, as it happens-but where are you calling from?¡±


    ¡°My phone of course. I¡¯m already in your street¡±


    And she was still in her dressing-gown!


    ¡°Thanks for the warning!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a minute¡±


    He had lost nothing of his cool imperturbability, she noted as she thumped the phone down and ran out to the bathroom, where she washed her face and hands and dragged a hairbrush through her hair. She stared into the mirror. Her naked face made her appear vulnerable, but inside she felt vulnerable. She pulled the dressing gown closer and knotted it tightly.


    It was a silken affair of jade, richly embroidered with birds of paradise, and it fell to just below her knees. Far less revealing than a summer¡¯s dress, but underneath it she was naked and that made her feel even more vulnerable.


    She heard his car splitting the silence and she walked slowly towards the door, opening it just as he had lifted his hand to knock, and their eyes met in a long moment.


    And thest, lingering memory of the man who hadin so desperately ill disappeared once and for all, because it was impossible to connect him with the man who stood before her now.


    Scott was back, recovered and virile and heart stoppingly gorgeous. He looked the same and yet he looked different, but maybe that was because he had once been hers to touch and he now seemed untouchable. She desperately wanted to kiss him, but would have no more dared to put her arms around him and do so than she would have shut the door in his face.


    ¡°Hello, Scott,¡± she said softly, amazed at how calm her voice sounded when inside her thoughts were racing.


    He had expected to feel disced when he returned here and his expectation had borne fruit. She looked like some luscious piece of exotic fruit in the embroidered gown, her hair was full and beautiful. Through the satin which clung to her slender body, he could see the curves of breast and hip, the indentation of her waist and the slight swell of her belly.


    He thought of the times he had cushioned his head on that belly-an act sometimes more intimate than sex itself-and acknowledged that it seemed as if it had happened in another life.


    ¡°Hello, Vivian¡±

 82

    ¡°You¡¯re looking good. I mean, you¡¯re looking well-fully recovered.¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°I feel it.¡± He raised a dark eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me inside?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± She opened the door wide and as he walked into the hall she thought that the fact he had had to ask spoke volumes about the distance which had grown between them. As did the fact that he hadn¡¯t touched her-and the coolly remote look on his dark face which showed no inclination to do so. She faced him awkwardly.


    ¡°Where shall we go?¡±


    He wondered how she would react if he suggested the bedroom, but, while that wasn¡¯t quite thest thing on his mind, that wasn¡¯t the reason he hade here today. ¡°Is it warm enough to sit outside?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Shall I make us some coffee and bring it onto the balcony?¡±


    But he didn¡¯t want a social ritual. He didn¡¯t even particrly want coffee. He shook his head. ¡°Not unless you really want some. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°So am I.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten just how beautiful it felt to be around her, but he still felt a bit overwhelmed. He shook himself out of his reverie to meet the question in her beautiful dark eyes.


    ¡°What have you been doing?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I got checked out by the doctor.¡± He smiled. ¡°Totally clean bill of health.¡±


    She looked at his strong, hard physique-the ck hair ruffled very slightly by the light breeze and the dark eyes gleaming. She thought that you wouldn¡¯t have needed to be a doctor to give him the green light.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± she said.


    ¡°Mmm. And I¡¯ve gone back to work¡± He looked at her. ¡°The staff really did well in my absence. It¡¯s a bit different without you though.¡± he added, waiting for her reaction.


    ¡°Oh is it,¡± Her eyes widened.


    He nodded. ¡°Everyone misses you too.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to know that my absence was noticed. I miss them too.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I also decided to give my attention to one project at a time. You know, I had a lot of work piled up and I realized that I was rushing a lot of projects and putting a lot of stress on myself. It¡¯s been easier that way.¡±


    She smiled at him. ¡°That¡¯s very good, Scott,¡± she said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised,¡± he observed, thinking that she still seemed a long way away from him-as though a thick wall of ss divided them.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not,¡± she answered quietly. ¡°I knew you¡¯d have to change direction at some point-and I¡¯m d about the decision you¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°How did you know, Vivian?¡± he asked.


    She sighed. For an intelligent man, he could be so dense sometimes. ¡°You didn¡¯t need an ident to see that you were driving yourself too hard for things you neither wanted nor needed. All the signs were there, Scott-it¡¯s just that you chose not to see them.¡±


    ¡°Yet you never said anything.¡± He caught her in the soft dark light from his eyes. ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°Say anything? To you?¡± She gave a hollowugh.


    ¡°If I¡¯d tried to tell you that-tell you anything-you would have hit the roof-¡±


    ¡°Ah, so I was a tyrant, after all?¡±


    She thought about it. ¡°I guess you were. A little. And anyway, even if I had told you, you would never have listened.¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± he said quietly. ¡°If a man needs his ego boosting, then a conversation with Vivian Sanchez is ill advised.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± she said firmly, ¡°Definitely o not need your ego boosting!¡±


    ¡°No. I guess I don¡¯t.¡±


    She shifted slightly in the chair, so that the jade silk clung like honey to her thighs, and a pulse began to tap out a hungry little beat at his temple.


    ¡°Scott?¡±


    He tried not to dwell on the fact that he was pretty sure she was naked beneath the robe. ¡°What?¡±he questioned huskily.


    She saw the darkening of his eyes and knew what was on his mind. But that wasn¡¯t important. This was. A lot hinged on his reaction to this next question. ¡°How is your mother? And sister?¡±


    His stilled and his eyes narrowed. Then he gave a wry smile. ¡°They are both fine¡± he replied, ¡°and they keep asking about you too. Sara says she misses you.¡±


    ¡°I miss them too,¡± said Vivian, ¡°I¡¯m sure they have been taking very good care of you, even if I know you make it hard for them.¡±


    He smiled again. ¡°You know me very well, Vivian¡±


    It was good that he felt that way, but she wasn¡¯t going to take credit for a closeness he had always denied her. She heard something in his voice. Something like pride and possession. He had a great family, she realized. The one thing he had, apart from his wealth and power. And that was something to be proud of.


    Scott was thinking he needed more than that now. He had shut all his emotions away from other people- locked them behind a high wall. And Vivian had started to tap away at that wall, chipping away at the brickwork, making him take a look at himself in a way that no one else had ever done.


    Maybe he hadn¡¯t needed a knock on the head to force him to look deep within himself. It might have taken longer, but might not Vivian have managed it all by herself?


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been neglecting them though,¡± he added.


    ¡°Life¡¯s too short for regrets,¡± she observed.


    ¡°I know.¡± His voice was very soft. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve had to let those regrets go.¡±


    Her breath caught in her throat and she was rmed at the selfishness of her next thought. Why was he here today? What did he want? But equally importantly-what did she want? And she knew that without even having to stop and think about it.


    She wanted a proper loving, caring and equal rtionship-and if she couldn¡¯t have it with Scott, then she didn¡¯t want him. She might never find it with someone else, but no longer was she going to ept half measures. Living a life only half lived.


    ¡°Oh, Scott, why did youe here today?¡± Had he thought that this was going to be easy? But nothing worth fighting for was easy.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve missed you,¡± he said huskily. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    Her face did not betray her pleasure. The old Vivian would have leapt on that with all the appetite of a starving animal, but the new Vivian epted it simply as apliment, not a passport to the future.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± she said,


    ¡°Nice? Nice?¡± He got to his feet, suddenly forbidding . ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got to say?¡± he demanded. It was somewhat reassuring to see that not all of the old Scott had been reced by the more caring, sharing version. The glitter in his dark eyes reminded her of his mastery, and a shiver ran the length of Vivian¡¯s spine as she felt the slow, honeyed rush of desire.


    ¡°What do you want me to say, Scott? That I¡¯m falling over myself with gratitude?¡±


    ¡°A little genuine pleasure would help!¡±


    ¡°Why have youe back? Just to tell me what you¡¯ve been doing? To show me how well you look? To pick up where we left off-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± She couldn¡¯t quite eradicate the rm from her voice.


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to pick up where we left off. I¡¯d like to start again.¡±


    She stared at him.


    ¡°To start again,¡± he repeated. ¡°With you. Only properly, this time. If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The words came out-new for him, but old as time.


    ¡°Because I love you.¡±


    She stilled, wanting to believe yet not quite daring to.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He wanted to touch her, but somehow it seemed important that he didn¡¯t. Not yet. ¡°Men spend their life fighting it and running away from it. Especially men like me. But I¡¯m sick and tired of running. Somehow when I met you, the race no longer seemed important. I love you, Vivian. You¡¯re beautiful and clever and kind and caring. You make me feel strong and yet powerless in equal measures. I¡¯m in your thrall-I can¡¯t stop thinking about you and that much hasn¡¯t changed since the moment I first met you.¡±


    A slow smile softened her lips.¡±Oh, Scott¡± she said.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you how much I admire you?¡± he breathed deeply, ¡°First of all, the woman you were asking me about¡­ The one who was in the pictures with me at that party. I wasn¡¯t really dating her. She is a friend. Her brother and I were rivals. We¡¯ve been for years. To get back at me, he hurt Sara. He deceived her, got her pregnant and abandoned her. He didn¡¯t even care when she lost the baby. I was furious and I wanted revenge, so I dug up some dirt on him and I tried to use his sister too. The way he used mine. ¡±


    Vivian¡¯s hands tightened around her. She was shocked,¡± Oh Scott. I¡¯m so, so sorry. ¡°

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    He nodded,¡±I was so determined to ruin Bruce using his sister Jennifer too, but then I met you, and without even trying, you touched something inside of me. You made me care. Stopped me from bing a monster, and made me start to care about more important things than revenge. Hell, I even became friends with Jennifer. She had been trying to reach out to me after the ident, but my mother and sister just weren¡¯t ready to have her around at such a time. ¡±


    ¡°Oh Scott¡±


    ¡°When I had that ident, I was on my way to you. I wanted to tell you that I missed you. I was still running away from the way I felt about you, and I wasn¡¯t ready to admit my feelings to myself, but I missed you¡­ badly. And I wasing to you¡­ to tell you¡­. And that¡¯s when I¡­. I¡­. What I¡¯m trying to say, Vivian, is that you¡¯re an amazing woman, and I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Enough was enough. She had heard his deration, seen the evidence of it in his eyes. Now she wanted him close-as close as a man and woman could be. ¡°I understand what you are trying to say, Scott.¡± she said, ¡°And you don¡¯t have to say more. I¡¯m so sorry about everything your family, especially Sara, had to go through, and I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t see the truth. I used you falsely¡­.¡±


    ¡°How could you have known? I didn¡¯t say anything and I should have.¡±


    ¡°Please Scott. Do not me yourself. I¡¯m d that you are alright. And Sara too, bless her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the most beautiful and amazing woman I have ever met¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Now, are you going to spend the rest of the day paying mepliments?¡±


    ¡°If you want me to,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I can think of some better things I¡¯d rather be doing.¡±


    He raised his eyebrows in mock innocence. ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time you kissed me instead?¡±


    ¡°Oh, honey.¡± He gave a low, growlingugh of anticipation. ¡°I have been thinking of nothing else.¡± He drew her into his arms and it felt likeing home as he touched his mouth to hers, brushing his lips against hers in a tantalizing rhythm. It was slow and tender and Vivian felt tears begin to prick at the back of her eyes.


    ¡°I love you, too. So just take me to bed, will you? Now,¡± she said shakily. ¡°Don¡¯t say another word. Just show me.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    EPILOGUE


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Vivian slumped onto the sofa and wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. ¡°If I see another cricket ball within the next five years, it will be too soon,¡± she said darkly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a pretty good overarm,¡± Scott mused. ¡°For a woman!¡±


    A cushion went flying across the sitting room and hit him in the ear. ¡°Ouch,¡± he murmured. ¡°You¡¯re pretty urate as well!¡±


    ¡°Mess with me at your peril, McCall!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± He shot her an indulgent look. ¡°Jamie loves you, you know.¡±


    Vivian basked in the warm approbation in his eyes. ¡°Well, I love him too,¡± she said. ¡°Even if he does wear me out-your nephew is a very lovable child.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said thoughtfully.


    Jamie and his mother, Sara had just been to spend the weekend with them at Scott¡¯s house, and they had had a perfect weekend, he reflected. Scott put his phone on the table and frowned. Had it really been two years?


    ¡°It¡¯s been two years, you know, honey,¡± he observed softly.


    Her mouth softened. ¡°I know it has. Just think, two years¡±


    Two years bliss-of living and loving together. Vivian still kept her apartment, but these days she hardly used it as she was always with Scott.


    Scott¡¯spany had gone from strength to strength, and now Vivian worked for anotherpany as a customer sales representative.


    ¡°Vivian¡±  he called


    She looked at him. ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°Come over here.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she questioned innocently, but the darkening of his eyes told its own story.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he reiterated silkily.


    They were equals now, in every way which counted-but he could still be themanding lover she had first fallen head over heels in love with.


    She went to him, nestlingfortably into hisp, and sighing with pleasure as she began to y with his hair.


    He kissed her gently and lingeringly on the mouth.


    ¡°God, I do love you,¡± he sighed.


    She knew he did, he never stopped telling her, and it was as though, having rejected love for all his life, then having found it, he never took it for granted. He had embraced love with the zeal of the convert! She kissed him back.¡±I love you too, honey. Want to go to bed?¡± she whispered.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±


    He tapped the end of her nose with his fingertip in a mock-reproachful gesture.


    ¡°Not yet, my insatiable little honey!¡±


    The fingertip strayed to her forehead, where he pushed away a stray strand of silken hair, and smiled at her tenderly.


    ¡°Will you marry me, Vivian?¡± he asked suddenly, knowing that he wanted tomit to her.


    The romantic in her had been longing for this, too- no matter how much she told herself that things were perfect as they were. ¡°Oh, yes, please,¡± she whispered, and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as if she would never let him go, until he began to gently disentangle them.


    ¡°Not right now, my love,¡± he said sternly. ¡°I have something I want to give you.¡±


    A ring, she thought happily as he disappeared out of the room, and wondered what kind of ring it would be. Knowing Scott¡¯s exquisite taste, it could be a simple, perfect diamond-or there again, he might have gone for something rare and unusual. Emeralds and seed-pearls, say.


    But when Scott returned, and presented the ring to her, Vivian blinked. Just as she¡¯d thought. A perfect diamond ring!


    ¡°Wow!¡± she said. ¡°This is so beautiful, Scott. I love it!¡±


    He gave her azy smile as she stared up at him, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. ¡°Oh Scott, I love you so much. Look how beautiful¡­.¡± she said.


    He held his hand out to her and she took it. ¡°Not as beautiful as you. Come on, honey,¡± he said softly. ¡°Give me a kiss¡­ And let¡¯s go and tell my mom and sister the good news¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    THE END


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


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