Five Exotic Fantasies: Love in Reverse, Book 3 (41 page)

He sat up with her, his stomach churning. “Coco, I don’t know that this is the place…”

“I want to tell you.” She met his eyes, her green ones shining. “I want to get it off my chest—to tell
someone.
”

He said nothing, not wanting to hear what she had to say. But she’d already started talking, and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

“When I was seventeen,” she said huskily, “I started work at McAllister Dell. I liked the job—I was really pleased to get it fresh out of college. The main reason—and I haven’t told you this before—but my father was a gambler. He died and left us terribly in debt.”

Felix stared at her. “I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t want you to know. The last time I saw him he cried and begged for forgiveness. Made me promise to look after Mum. It was only after he’d actually died that I found out how much he owed. I’ve spent the last ten years paying it back.”

Cold slithered down inside him. Suddenly it all made sense—her struggle to make ends meet, the tiny house she lived in, her guilt at letting someone else look after her mother. She must love and hate her father at the same time, he thought. No wonder she was so screwed up where men were concerned.

“Anyway,” she continued, oblivious to his thoughts, “I was thrilled to get the job. As you know, it pays a lot better than, say, working as a secretary in a school, even though I was just a typist, in the general typing pool. But after six months I’d earned a reputation for being quick and accurate, and I was often called upon by the partners for special jobs. Well, one evening Peter Dell asked me to come into his office to work on a particularly urgent file.”

“Coco…” He didn’t want to hear details of her affair with Dell. The thought of her having sex with anyone else made him feel sick.

She carried on as if he hadn’t spoken. “He sat next to me on the sofa and we talked about the file for a few minutes, and then he started talking more generally. He was funny, charming. He told me he’d liked me from the moment I started work at the firm, that he found me attractive, that he wanted me. I was a virgin, remember, fresh from Catholic school—I had no idea what was going on.”

“Coco…”

She waved a hand, in full flow, seemingly unable—or unwilling—to stop herself. “It wasn’t rape—I have to make that clear. I didn’t try to stop him. But he seduced me, Felix. I was flattered at the attention, scared and excited to finally find out what all the fuss was about…” She ran a hand through her hair. He’d never felt so in love—or so fucking mad—as he did at that moment.

“He flattered me, made me think he was crazy about me. Like I was the love of his life, you know? But in the end, it wasn’t that great. Now I know what it can be like—” and she gave him a brief smile, not seeming to realise how angry he was, “—I can see what I was to him—just a quick fuck. And it was quick. He didn’t pay any attention to my needs at all. He took his pleasure and then pulled my skirt down and started talking about the case as if nothing had happened.”

Felix was certain he was going to throw up. He got to his feet and went into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. Coco followed him, the duvet wrapped around her, so caught up in her memories that she didn’t see his distress.

“I got upset, and he talked to me like I was eight years old. Told me I was a good girl and patted my knee. I swear if he’d had a bag of sweets under his desk, he’d have given me a lolly. He told me because I’d been so good, he’d speak to Mrs. Ingram and get me a promotion. Which meant more money. I wasn’t stupid—I knew what had happened and that I should go straight to Christopher McAllister and tell him, or to Mrs. Ingram at least. But I knew it was possible they wouldn’t believe me, and that I could lose my job over it. And I needed that money desperately. So I said nothing. And I’ve kept it a secret ever since.”

She studied him, her green eyes pleading for him to understand. “I know I should have told you earlier, and I’m sorry I couldn’t. But I think you should know, now that you have to make a decision.”

He went to drink from his glass of water, but his throat had a lump in it and in the end he put the glass down, untouched. His chest heaved. “Why now?” He glared at her. “Why tell me now?”

Her eyes grew cool. “So you could use the information to make an informed decision.”

He put his hands on his hips. “You can’t throw that at me at the eleventh hour, straight after we’ve had sex, and expect me to just add that into the evidence.”

She blinked, startled by his words. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not fair, Coco.”

“To whom?”

Irritation rose in him at her inability to understand. “To Dell.”

Her eyes flared with anger. “Fuck Peter Dell.”

“Well, it sounds like you’ve already done that.”

The words were out before he could stop them. She turned without another word, walked over to her clothes and started pulling them on.

“Coco…” He ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t go.”

She pulled on her panties and skirt, stuffed her bra in her purse and yanked on her blouse. He caught her arm. “Coco, please…”

She tore it free and turned on him. Tears sparkled in her eyes. “I’ve never told anyone that,” she bit. “It’s personal and private. But I told you because you were the one person who could finally help me give that bastard the outcome he deserves. And you won’t do anything because it’s not
fucking fair
?” Her voice rose to a shout at the end.

“Don’t be so bloody black and white.” He huffed with exasperation as she walked to the door and opened it. “Come back, for God’s sake!”

She walked out without another word and strode down the corridor. He walked after her and caught her arm. “Coco!”

She turned and gasped at the sight of him. “Felix! Get some clothes on, for crying out loud.”

He’d forgotten he was naked. “All right, but wait for me, will you?” He let her arm go to turn to the door, but she continued walking, and he cursed under his breath. He went back to his room and pushed the handle—but the door had locked.

“Fuck!” He yelled and kicked the door, then stood there, hands on hips again, as the elevator doors closed and Coco vanished.

At the same time, the doors of the elevator next to hers opened and an elderly couple walked out and down the corridor toward him. He covered himself with his hands and gave them a bright smile as they stopped and stared. “Good evening,” he said in as calm a voice as he could manage, trying to pretend he wasn’t standing there with his arse on show. “I don’t suppose I could ask you a favour and get you to call the front desk for me?”

Chapter Fifty

Coco sat in the chair with her notepad perched on her knee, her back ramrod straight, her heart pounding. The boardroom was almost full. For this final meeting at which Felix was to present his verdict, nearly all the Wellington partners were present, including Christopher McAllister and Peter Dell. Rob Drake was the only non-partner present, along with herself.

Coco hadn’t wanted to be there, but Christopher had asked her to take minutes, and even though she’d protested she was busy and another secretary could just as easily take her place, he’d insisted that because of the sensitive nature of the case he wanted the office manager there, and she couldn’t think of a good reason to refuse.

Sasha wasn’t there. The results would be revealed to her once Felix had announced his findings and the board had discussed the relevant course of action, depending on whether he found Dell innocent, or whether he thought Sasha had lied.

Coco fidgeted with her pencil. After she’d walked out of the hotel, she’d caught a taxi home, half expecting Felix to be right behind her, but it had been almost half an hour before he’d finally rung. She’d answered curtly, yelled accusations down the phone, and their brief conversation had ended abruptly when she hung up and threw the phone across the room.

He hadn’t called back.

She couldn’t blame him, really.

She’d hardly slept a wink all night. Her brain went around in circles, thinking that maybe it was all for the best they’d ended on a sour note, because at least she wouldn’t be lying there for months picturing his smile and remembering how wonderful he’d been, but that had just made her picture his smile and remember how wonderful he’d been, and then she’d burst into tears and sobbed into her pillow.

She’d woken with red, puffy eyes and had spent half an hour trying to cover the dark rings with foundation before admitting defeat. And now she had to sit through this damned hearing. She couldn’t wait until the day was over, the case was done and dusted and he’d finally flown back to Auckland.

The thought made her want to lie on the floor and scream like a two-year-old who’d been told she couldn’t have a chocolate bar.

The door opened, and she glanced up briefly as Felix entered. Damn, but the man looked good. He wore a suit she hadn’t seen him in before, charcoal grey, with a crisp white shirt that looked fresh out of the packet, a blue and grey silk tie and a blue handkerchief sticking out of his top pocket. His cufflinks matched his tiepin, and his dark hair was neat with just the right amount of fashionable ruffle at the front. He looked sharp enough to cut yourself on, sexy enough to eat, and she could have burst into tears there and then.

She didn’t, though. She swallowed and concentrated on her pad, recording the names of everyone present as he took his seat next to her. His aftershave wafted across and she couldn’t stop herself breathing it in, her senses stirring at the memory of the way it had filled her nostrils when he’d made love to her, along with the feel of his hands on her skin, his lips on hers.

She closed her eyes briefly.
Focus, Veronica.
Today she’d left Coco at home. She was all Miss Stark in this meeting, and she had to remember that.

Felix placed his iPad on the table, but he didn’t turn it on. He nodded to the two senior partners, but he didn’t sit.

He didn’t look at her, either.

“Thank you all for coming,” he said. He didn’t seem nervous, and she remembered that he did this for a living, standing up in front of strangers and discussing facts and findings all the time. He slid his left hand into his pocket, but as usual he gestured with his right, the single signet ring on his third finger glinting in the electric light. She remembered that hand sliding up her thigh, the ring bright against her pale skin, and shivered.

“I might as well get straight to the point as you’re all busy men,” he said. Was it her imagination, or had he slightly emphasised the word
men
? The one woman partner was still on holiday. “I’ve spoken to all of you here individually, and I’ve also interviewed a good portion of the rest of the staff of the Wellington branch, including all the secretaries who worked with Miss De Langen. I’ve also spoken to Miss De Langen, in the presence of Mr. Drake and Miss Stark.”

His deep voice stroked over her nerve endings, and her heart rate increased at the memory of him whispering highly erotic things in her ear. Then she blinked as the memory vanished, and only the smart, aloof lawyer remained, formal and professional.

He hesitated and straightened the iPad on the desk. “This hasn’t been an easy task.” He glanced over at Christopher, who sat with one elbow on the arm of the chair, his hand covering his mouth, masking any emotion he might be feeling. “And I suspect you knew that would be the case. Why you decided to appoint me, I have no idea. I thought you liked me.” Laughter rippled around the room. Felix smiled wryly and cleared his throat. He didn’t run his hand through his hair, but he did straighten his jacket and brush at an imaginary speck of dust. Perhaps he
was
nervous, then. Just trying not to show it.

As he smoothed down his tie, however, she saw that his gaze was fixed on the table, and realised the gestures were automatic, reflecting the fact that he was working through what to say next. He continued, “It became clear to me on entering the Wellington branch that the office has one foot firmly in the past. This is reflected in the ratio of male to female partners, as well as in the office’s high expense accounts, company cars and considerably large overheads.”

“We didn’t ask you to give us a report on the whole branch,” Jack Lawson snapped.

“I know,” Felix said smoothly, “and I’m telling you this not because it’s my personal opinion that it needs dragging into the twenty-first century—although that is my opinion—but because it has a direct bearing on the case. The fact that all but one of the partners is male, and all but one of those is aged over fifty, has given the office an extremely ‘old school’ atmosphere, even down to the décor. Secretaries are seen as little more than human typewriters, there for the partners to use as they wish, and I’m afraid that view has also spilled over on a personal level where Mr. Dell is concerned.”

Intakes of breath sounded from around the table. Coco looked up, startled by his direct words. Peter glared at Felix, but Felix returned his gaze calmly, unperturbed. “Mr. Dell, I have no doubt whatsoever that your behaviour with regard to sexual relationships within this office has been far from exemplary. Two secretaries admitted to having had a sexual relationship with you and several more intimated the same, although clearly they were nervous about admitting it. Other people have stated they know of seven or eight relationships that you’ve carried out with other staff members. I understand that all of these ladies were willing to have a relationship with you, but that you initiated the first contact each time, and that you ended the liaison on each occasion. These relationships were conducted mainly outside of the office, usually at weekends, often during trips away from the city.”