Sinfully Summer (20 page)

Understanding softened her gaze, but her eyes were wary. ‘I know, a few of my friends have used the company when they’ve been in London. It’s a brilliant idea. Most people in our circles hate to dine alone, but when they’re away on business they don’t have much of a choice.’

‘But because of his past, he can’t see that,’ she said, remembering Ric had told her the Castillos knew everything. ‘He thinks I’m using vulnerable people to make money by selling them.’

She frowned, irritation warring with love in her expression. ‘Let me talk to him. I’ll make him see sense.’

The man brought the drink and placed it on the table in front of them. She watched as the sun shone on the glass and reflected white light onto Maria’s diamond engagement ring. What was the point in getting through to him? What was the point in changing his mind when she’d be leaving for London in a few days anyway?

Ric wouldn’t marry her. He didn’t think he was good enough for her. Her father would approve, despite what Ric thought, but could she up and leave her best friends? Her business? Her life? For a man who didn’t even know what love meant.

‘Don’t worry about it Mrs Castillo. Things happen for a reason.’ She rose, telling herself that this happened to make her stronger. She’d bounce back and be okay. Eventually. ‘Thank you for being so kind.’

‘Alexa, I want you to come to the ball tonight.’

She couldn’t agree. ‘Ric said I wasn’t allowed.’

From the look on Maria’s face, she’d like to show Ric who wasn’t allowed. ‘Just be ready, I’ll make sure he changes his mind.’

She smiled and said goodbye without promising anything. Ric wouldn’t change his mind. He didn’t know the concept of compromise. As she made her way back to the hotel, hope swelled in her tummy and she didn’t bat it back down. Didn’t want to. Maybe this time when he let her down her silly heart would realise he wasn’t worth loving.

Everything was going to hell. The wrong amount of flowers had been delivered and the deck of the yacht was bursting with them; there weren’t enough centrepieces for the tables and the buffet list Alexa had given his chef had gone missing. Add that to the clawing despair in his stomach and Ric swore this was the worst day of his life.

He barked orders to the waiters, asking them to return to the hotel to find whatever centrepieces they could from storage, ordered the maids to dispose of a fifth of the flowers and cursed himself for telling Alexa she couldn’t come. He needed her help.

‘Do you have a minute?’ A familiar voice asked.

He turned to see Maria, her arms folded across her chest and a stern expression on her face. His stomach dropped. She hadn’t looked at him like that since he announced he was going to race speedboats. ‘I’m busy at the moment.’

‘You wouldn’t be run off your feet if you hadn’t sacked the best thing that’s ever happened to you.’ Anger leaked into her voice. He’d never heard her speak that way.

‘It’s better if Alexa isn’t here.’ But the words tasted sour and didn’t ring true, even to his own ears.

Maria crossed the distance between them, pulled a small leaflet out of her bag and handed it to him. He frowned at her.

‘No, it isn’t darling. Read that. And you might want to talk to the Martinas, the Carreros and a few others who regularly visit London for business. You’ll see that you have an apology to make.’

He looked down at the leaflet, a guide to the best hotels in London. Opening it, he saw the advertisement on the inside cover.
‘Together, matching your intellect and interests for your time in London.’

Intellect and Interests? Ric huffed out a disbelieving laugh.

‘It’s not an escort company. The small print states that they match people with similar interests to keep the client company while they’re alone on business. I know a few women and men who’ve hired Alexa for this. Ric, do you honestly think Robert Green would allow this to go on in The Crystal if it were anything else? Do you really believe Alexa would do that?’

He swallowed. Deep down he knew she wouldn’t. He’d spent the better part of the night before looking over reviews and researching the company, all the while knowing he wouldn’t find anything untoward. But what did it matter? He would struggle through tonight alone and manage. He always did. Alexa was leaving in a few days and his apology would be for what? A couple of days in bed? He wouldn’t do that to her. Couldn’t. It would be using her like they’d both been used in the past.

‘Ric, talk to her. Let her help you tonight.’

He looked into the eyes of the woman who’d become his mother and his chest swelled with an emotion so strong, so all consuming that he knew Alexa had been right. He did love Maria and her husband. He’d just been too scared to acknowledge it before.

‘There’s no reason why she would help me.’ What he said to her on Monday couldn’t be taken back easily.

‘She will help you because she loves you.’

He blinked. ‘She doesn’t love me. If anything, she’ll help so she can take the credit.’

The words burned his tongue on the way out. He knew they were a lie and he felt foolish for saying them. Her parting words rang in his head. Why had she helped? Had she done it for him?

‘Enrique Castillo you’re a stubborn, foolish man if you believe that.’ There it was again, the anger. He knew he deserved it.

‘I don’t, not really.’

Her lips curved and warmth filled her eyes. ‘Then what are you waiting for?’

Alexa opened the door and her eyes grew wide. Ric couldn’t take his gaze off her. Dark smudges beneath the silvery orbs broke his heart. The pullover he’d stripped from her body weeks ago seemed to hang on her tiny frame and her usually messy hair was sleek and straight, skimming past her shoulder blades. His heart almost burst out of his chest.

‘What do you want, Ric?’ she asked with false bravado.

‘You.’ It was the only truthful answer.

He grabbed her waist, hauled her against him and his mouth found hers with an urgency he didn’t know was there until he saw her. She kissed him back, threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled him closer. Picking her up, he walked them into the room and kicked the door shut behind him. Lust heated his blood. The warmth and emotion bursting out of him now doubled the love he felt for Maria.

Alexa froze in his arms and ripped her mouth from his. The pain in her eyes broke his heart, and when she pulled away she took half of it with her.

‘No.’ Her voice shook. ‘
No.
’

‘I didn’t mean…’ He cleared his throat. ‘I came here to apologise, not to kiss you.’ The look she gave him was full of disbelief. ‘I know your business isn’t what I initially assumed. I’m sorry, Alexa. I should never have doubted you.’

She stood frozen and silent. He longed to pull her back into his arms, but knew he’d risk pushing her too hard, too fast. ‘I want you to finish what you came here to, and then I want you to come to the ball with me. As my date.’

Anger sparked the storm in her eyes. ‘You want my help? That’s what this is about? Go bugger yourself Ric.’ She stormed past him and pulled the door open. ‘Get out.’

‘Yes, I want your help, but I want you with me too.’

‘Why?’

He sucked in a deep breath, knowing that once he said the words he would be more vulnerable than he had ever been living on the streets. Sharing love with two people he knew loved him was one thing; putting his heart on the line to be rejected was another. But he was sick of running scared. Sick of chasing anything to fill the void inside him when the answer stood in front of him. He needed Alexa in his life. Needed the light and fun and carefree spirit that she brought.

‘I love you and I don’t care what happens next. I don’t care what the media find. I want you, and only you. I can live through the rest.’

Her mouth fell open and silent tears streamed down her face. ‘What if they dig up your past, like you’re scared they will? What if one of those women sells their story? What about your reputation?’

‘It’s terrifying, Alexa. I’ve hidden from my past for so long, to have it made public used to be my biggest fear, but it’s not any more.’ The tears continued to stream down her face and his thumb itched to wipe them away, but he wasn’t sure she’d let him. ‘Losing you scares me more than anything else.’

‘I…I don’t know what to say,’ she whispered.

Ric almost laughed. Almost. If his heart hadn’t been smashed into a million shards he would have found the humour her statement should have brought. Alexa always knew what she wanted to say.

‘Tell me what you want and you can have it,’ he said.

She frowned at him, despite the tears. ‘Like I could go anywhere I wanted to for dinner?’

‘No. I mean anything. If you want me, I’m yours. If you want marriage, I’ll have you down the aisle so fast you won’t be able to change your mind. If you want me to leave you alone…’ He swallowed hard. ‘I…I can do that too.

Her body trembled and his froze, waiting for her answer.

‘I need time to think. I can’t just decide now.’

He nodded, fought the urge to demand to know now. After all he had done, he could wait for her.

‘I’ll get dressed and help you with the prep. Is everything okay with the flowers?’

Ric shook his head. ‘Too many flowers, not enough centrepieces, the chef has lost the menu and I haven’t had a chance to check the seating plan.’

She shook her head and smiled. ‘I’ll fix it. Promise.’

He believed her like he should have done last week. Before he left, he turned around. ‘Whatever you want, it’s yours.’ He trailed a path down her damp cheek with his finger. ‘I mean it, Alexa. I love you.’

She looked up at him, her eyes open, wide, terrified. ‘I believe you.’

He closed the door, knowing there was nothing else he could do. He’d laid his soul bare and given her all the control against his nature. Now all he had to do was pray Maria was right. Pray Alexa loved him enough not to run away.

After dealing with the flowers, finding more centrepieces, rewriting the menu from memory and adding a few table places for guests that hadn’t RSVP’d, Alexa felt like superwoman.

For the last hour, she’d introduced her father to everyone she had met when she was out with Ric, except for him. She still hadn’t made a decision and it wouldn’t be fair to him to bestow Robert upon him.

Now, Robert was chatting to Santos sans his she-devil wife—some nonsense about the state of economies and the benefits of joining the Euro. Her gaze wandered over the guests mingling, snatching themselves a pitiful portion of food from the buffet, and then across to the rail. Taking her chances swimming to shore was more tempting than the chocolate fudge cake she’d insisted be served.

‘Would you like to dance?’ Ric’s whisper in her ear made goosebumps rise on her skin.

Her heart throbbed out an unhealthy beat which made her wonder again about the heart attack. When she turned to see him in a tux, his expression so open and pain clear in his eyes, she quickly changed her mind. Her heart was broken, not unhealthy.

‘Yes.’

The smile he gave her brightened his whole face and her belly flipped.

‘Alexa, I don’t believe you have introduced us.’

Damn. Her heart raced as Robert turned from his conversation with Santos who excused himself. ‘Father, this is Enrique Castillo. He’s the founder of this charity event.’

Ric extended his hand to her father. ‘Alexa did most of the work.’

‘Really?’ Robert’s incredulous tone grated on her nerves.

Ric nodded seriously and she thought she saw a hint of anger burn in his eyes. Her father turned to her and really
looked
at her. Everything inside squirmed and wriggled under his scrutiny. He sent her one of his genuine smiles which crinkled his eyes and made her heart throb. When he smiled at her like that she wondered if that’s why her mother fell in love with him in the first place.

‘Alexa, I am very impressed.’

She blinked, and her lips parted. It was the first time he had told her that.

Ric’s arm slid around her waist and he stepped in close to her side. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. ‘Your daughter is an amazing woman, Mr Green. I couldn’t have organised the event without her.’

Robert assessed Ric for a second, then gave another of his smiles. ‘Did I hear you ask my daughter to dance?’ At Ric’s nod, he continued. ‘Then don’t let me keep you. I’m sure there will be lots of time to get to know one another.’

After another handshake, her father left them. She gaped at his retreating back, wondering what the imposter had done with her father. Then again, maybe now that she was acting with a little more class, Robert was beginning to see her for the young woman she was, not the terrible teenager who’d caused him so much grief. Hope swelled when she considered that things might even get better between them.

Ric traced a finger from the cut in her dress up her spine, drawing her back to reality. Her skin tingled all over at the touch. Alexa turned to him and smiled. ‘Thank you.’

‘How about that dance?’

She followed him onto the dance floor amongst the other couples swaying to the light jazz band. There was so many emotions jittering around inside, Alexa couldn’t think about anything at all. All she knew was that being without Ric was killing her spirit, but there were still too many barriers in the way. Even a quick call to Sarah and Jenna didn’t solve anything, but when Sarah mentioned a double wedding next year, Alexa didn’t feel the usual chill which usually accompanied thoughts of marriage.

Ric pulled her close and she slid her hands onto his shoulders. Looking up into his eyes, misery seeped from her pores at the desperate hope on his face. She guessed he wasn’t scared of showing his emotions any more, least of all to her.

Darting a glance around the room, she spotted a few specifically chosen reporters and photographers. She couldn’t doubt that he didn’t care about their relationship going public, because the whole world would know if she decided to be with him.

‘Alexa, the waiting is painful.’

She snapped her attention back to him. Her heart bounced into her throat at the look in his eyes. They swayed with the gentle rhythm of the boat and turned to the music. She couldn’t keep the reasons for not being together inside any more.