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David was my lifeline, the only family I had since my parents died in the car crash five years ago. I had no siblings to see me through it and I’d clung to David even more than I had before. He was my security blanket. I came to this conclusion after I’d talked with a shrink for three years after their death – without David’s knowledge.
The tap in the bathroom turned off, which warned me David would be out soon. I glanced at the clock, and knew now would be the best time to tell him I was due to start a new job in the offices of McKenzie Holdings. I hadn’t told anyone about this job, simply because I wanted something that was mine and mine alone, at least for a while. With how David had been lately, he would probably have had a great deal to say about it, not to mention the fact that the company belonged to Michael, Sebastian, Ruben, Lucien and Ramon McKenzie. Sebastian McKenzie was always in the paper with one starlet or another. Michael, the second oldest, was only ever in the paper when the company was mentioned and there was never a photograph. Ruben and Lucien made the paper, but not as often as their brother Sebastian.
I’d never met the brothers, a Mr. Roberts had interviewed me for the position and I’d liked him instantly. I smiled as I thought about him; his grey hair, slight paunch and smiling eyes had reminded me of my grandfather who past away when I was about eleven years old. I’d signed the contract then and there and I was to be Mr. Robert’s assistant, which, I had to say, I really looked forward to.
I quickly glanced towards the clock and groaned. I really needed to get out of bed, shower and dress, but David was hogging the bathroom. I would just have to rush after he’d left for work. I certainly didn’t want to share.
The bathroom door started to open, so I quickly covered myself with the quilt and pretended to still be asleep. Having a conversation with him was the last thing I wanted to do.
Peeping through my eyelashes, I watched David fasten his watch onto his wrist, and put his wallet into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He then collected his keys from the nightstand without even glancing my way before he walked out of the bedroom. I held my breath and watched the bedroom door as I listened to him shuffle down the hallway, detesting every noise that he made. A few minutes later, I heard the front door to the apartment open then close and the lock slip into place. No goodbye from the door, no quick kiss to the forehead. It was as though I’d stopped existing the moment he’d slid his body from mine.
I was slowly coming to the conclusion that our relationship was over. Tears stung my eyes at the thought. Part of me just wanted to lie in bed all day and cry, another part of me felt relief that I was ready to take the steps to end it. The only problem I had was, if – or should I say when – I left, I didn’t have anywhere to go or enough money to pay a deposit on an
other apartment. I was going to have to save every dollar I could from now on and bide my time.
With a sigh, I flung the quilt from me and climbed out of bed. Stretching out my sore muscles, I walked into the bathroom, grimacing at the mess he’d made in the sink. I rinsed the sink out while staring at my pale complection through the mirror above. Usually my skin tone was more olive because of my dark hair, but not today. I brushed my teeth before I slipped into the scorching shower and scrubbed David from my skin.
With a towel wrapped around me and my hair still wet, dripping down my back, I stood and looked into my closet, not sure what I should wear. Did I go for the professional look? Or the professional hot chick look? I decided to go for in between. The professional girl who could become a sultry vixen at night. I smiled to myself as I took my navy blue suit from the hanger, then placed it on the bed while I hunted around for the white blouse I liked to wear with it. Spotting it hiding in the back of the closet, I pulled it out and placed it on the bed with my other clothes. I quickly dressed in my white lace underwear – wearing sexy underwear under my suits always made me feel more confident.
I fastened the blouse and pulled up the skirt, which was fitted to my curvy shape and came to rest a couple of inches above my knees. Not too short to be indecent for the office and not too long to make me look older than my twenty-four years.
Another root around in my closet and I found the blue matching heels, which made my legs look longer than they were. I stood back appraising myself in the mirror – I looked hot, especially with my hair pinned up in disarray on my head. David used to think it made me look sexy. Not these days.
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head of unpleasant thoughts and walked out of the apartment and to my new job.
Chapter Two
Michael
Gripping my cell in one hand, I realized I was gritting my teeth as my temper gradually rose. Sebastian would be deliberately ignoring my attempts to contact him because he’d be thinking with a different part of his anatomy.
Since I’d returned home, I’d been trying to get hold of my brother – for two days. Oh, I knew he was safe. I also knew he was having a ball with a woman he’d picked up in the hotel bar during the conference in San Diego.
The woman had been giving me the eye until she’d spotted Sebastian. Was I bothered? No. My brothers loved nothing better than to have a dig at me for keeping my private life just what it was…. private.
No, I wasn’t a monk, although for the past couple of years I had been. I didn’t advertise what I got up to because the minute I was seen with anyone the press would have a field day. The last time the press took a photograph of me with a woman was six years ago, and the woman in the photograph had been my wife, Viv, just before she died.
I tossed my phone onto the breakfast bar while I walked through the kitchen to hunt for a bagel. My brothers had tried to fix me up with a chef once – like that would ever happen – in an attempt to get me to eat better. It hadn’t worked out well since I loved my private space and no one was allowed inside – unless invited.
Finding a bagel in the breadbox, I sliced and popped it into the toaster. Pouring a coffee, I crossed my ankles and leaned against the cabinets. The day was going to be busy. I had a meeting at eleven and countless other things to do. Thankfully my new assistant would arrive first thing.
Dale Roberts had assured me that my new assistant, who I’d yet to meet, would be perfect and not let me down. Lily Redmond. She had no idea her new position was as my assistant. Dale had interviewed her for me; intentionally giving her the impression the position was with him. At least that way, I’d get someone who knew how to use a computer instead of how to apply polish to her nails.
Every time I interviewed anyone, the interview had a habit of going downhill fast as the young woman in question seemed more interested in me and my brothers than the actual job, which was damn frustrating.
Dale had done a background check on Lily. Had checked the reference she’d given from her previous employer. From what he could see, she had been let go due to company downsizing. Only it didn’t add up. Her resume was spotless, her reference even more so. If you look at her past work history, she shouldn’t have been let go, especially when her boyfriend was retained.
The coffee tasted bitter as I watched the red coils in the toaster. Something didn’t add up and that was the reason why I’d asked a friend of a friend who worked at the company to dig deep, and see what he could find out as to why she was really let go. Something smelled off, and I would bet my last dollar it had something to do with the boyfriend.
My bagel popped up from the toaster, and I decided to have some cream cheese on it for a change instead of my usual butter. With the cheese spread on the top, I took a seat in the breakfast nook just off the kitchen, which I favored due to the amazing view of the garden and the mountains beyond.
On the odd occasion I’d sit here and wish I had a woman to share this with – not often – but occasionally. Ever since Viv died, I’d been alone. She’d died on her way to the meeting with our divorce lawyers, by which time all the love I had once felt for her, if that’s what it was, had died for her. We’d been married three years, and in those three years I’d lost count of how many men she’d been with. I probably only knew about half of them. She’d completely soured my perception on relationships, making me a skeptic. Being alone you couldn’t get hurt, but sometimes it sucked.
It had taken a long time to believe that she was the one with the problem, not me. I owed that revelation to my brothers after they knocked some sense into me. Literally.
With breakfast finished, I quickly washed and dried the few pots, collected my keys and headed out front to be greeted by my driver, George. I actually loved to drive, or rather I loved to sit astride my Harley and just let her rip. Unfortunately, the office was no place for my Harley and it drove me crazy driving in to the city with all the traffic, and trying to find parking. Instead George drove me to the office, left me there and parked up at a hotel close by where he spent the day inside drinking coffee, flirting with Janet, one of the receptionists, and awaited my call for a ride. He also took advantage of the free wifi and hooked his laptop up.
“Morning, George,” I said in greeting.
