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‘I’ll attend in your stead, and when you’re discharged I’ll take you to the country myself.’
‘Alex, you do realise that I’m your father?’
‘Yes—and I only have one of those, so I’m going to make sure he takes care of himself and outlives me out of spite.’
It was the first smile Alex had cracked in over a day. The terror was gone, the fear had left his eyes, and he was himself once again.
‘Son, you need to calm down.’
‘Like hell I do.’ Alex took a breath as his father’s fingers tightened around his. ‘I think I need to let you get some sleep. I take it the dinner invitation is at the house?’
‘Yes, in my study.’
‘Okay. Would you like me to bring you anything tomorrow?’ Alex asked as he stood.
‘Now that you mention it—’
‘I mean books...that sort of thing.’
‘Anything, son.’
‘Get some sleep, Dad.’
Alex kissed his father’s head then left. Happy to see the light go out in the room as he walked away.
Alex fell into bed that night completely exhausted. Not a single thought was spared for the fact that he was in his London apartment after months of being away. It could have been a tiny room in the middle of nowhere for all he cared. Nothing in his life had prepared him for the feeling seeing his father in that hospital bed had brought. Knowing that Robert would be fine was a small comfort, but he was being confronted with his mortality, and everything Alex had been denying all these years suddenly loomed so large in front of him he could barely breathe.
Earl Hastings. He wasn’t ready.
With a knot in his gut that wouldn’t let up, he fell into a fitful sleep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TWODAYS.
It had been two days since Emma had heard from Alex. No calls. No messages. No promises of the pleasure that awaited her. This must be it. What she had been dreading for weeks. The inevitable end.
There had been no promises of long goodbyes when they’d started this. All it was meant to be was a release. Exploring their chemistry. And then it would be over. That was the promise Alex had made to her. Nothing more.
Emma walked to her office in a daze. Not willing to admit it, having their relationship end so abruptly hurt. She wasn’t upset with Alex. He’d kept his word after all. All she wished was that he had told her instead of just disappearing. Especially after all that they’d shared. All that he had awakened in her.
Despite everything, a tiny part of Emma wondered what it would have been like if she and Alex were different people. If they could have had more than just a few mind-blowing nights. If life hadn’t ripped their hearts to shreds, could they have had a future?
She flopped into her chair with a huff. Those thoughts wouldn’t help her, or fill the hole that was growing in her chest because she missed him. Maybe a part of her always would.
There was a small blossom of hope that maybe she would get to see him again. After all, he had promised Fiona that Hastings International would provide her charity with financial support through their philanthropy programme.
But even if she saw him it wouldn’t be the same. The passionate kisses, the explosive chemistry would be gone. It was over.
Throwing herself into work, Emma refused even to look at her phone for the rest of the day. Keeping busy was the way she would deal with this, because whatever she’d shared with Alex wouldn’t bow her or break her, it had only built her up.
It was late in the afternoon and the office had mostly emptied. There were only two lights on in the entire floor—hers and her manager’s. Emma was exhausted. She tried not to think of Alex, but he kept creeping into her thoughts. Stealing away her concentration with memories of their time together. The night at the Skydeck would be one she would treasure to her last breath.
The phone that she had been ignoring all day sprang to life, and when she saw the caller she was caught between concern and confusion.
‘Hi, Matt,’ she answered.
‘Emma, something’s happened.’
