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She cocked her hip to the side and tapped the toe of her shoe when she found me admiring her. Fuck, I loved her attitude. I skimmed her form as she stood there in her knee-length navy blue dress, it fitted perfectly around the curve of her breasts and cinched in at her small waist. I couldn’t wait to wake up to her every morning.
“When you’ve quite finished…” I had a strong urge to pull her between my legs and feel her body beneath my hands. I tilted my head and shrugged, “I believe I have every right to look at you the way that I am, you know due to our arrangement...”
“Which hasn’t started yet.” she cut me off, “which by the way, if you’re not here for a reason, I’d prefer if you left, I do have a business to run.”
I couldn’t help but grin, but the more I smiled the more worked up she got. “Troy!”
“Fine.” I stood up and moved towards her, I stood so close I could feel her body heat. “I have a meeting this afternoon, so I probably won’t be there when you get back to the house.”
“And why do I need to know that?”
I cupped her chin softly and tipped her head back, “Because you’ll need this to get in.” I pulled a key out of my pocket and held it up. “I’ve given the housekeeper the night off.”
She took it from my fingers, “And why would you do that?” She whispered question caught in her throat slightly.
“Because I want you all to myself.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek and moved across to her lips but held back from kissing her. I knew she wanted me but she didn’t want to show it. “I’ll see you later, back at home.” I’d noticed one thing about Emily, she seemed to like it when I controlled the situation. “Say bye to Kellie for me.” I walked along slowly and admired the paintings on the wall. “Hmm, maybe I'll look around first?”
“Troy…?”
I threw my hand up, grinned and headed for the door. The bell sounded overhead and I stepped out onto the pavement and got into my Range Rover. I stayed where I was for the time being. Everything was ready at home for her. I’d found some of her things that she’d left behind when she left her dad for good. Treasured items that meant a lot to her. Mitch was so angry when she left, he told the housekeeper to sling everything, I couldn’t do that. She had so many memories wrapped up in those belongings and I knew that one day she’d want them.
I wasn't in any rush to go to this meeting. I didn’t particularly care if the guy's business was on the verge of collapse, I wanted to go back to the estate and be there when Emily got there. I knew I wouldn’t be though; the guy was boring as hell. Everything I told him last time I met with him, he repeated back to me. I knew I had to go. I started the engine and drove away. I pulled my briefcase from the passenger seat and got out of the car. Mitch used to have a driver to take us to meetings. I didn’t like the formality of it all, I preferred to drive myself around if I’m honest. I was met at the door and led to an office. Time to put my game face on. I pushed Emily from my thoughts for the time being and got down to business, pulling out new contracts and paperwork to sign. Mitch was ruthless. He was the one out of us both that liked to be able to say ‘I took that company down’, I used to be the same. Mitch wasn’t a liked man but in business, it’s not about being liked it’s about getting results and he definitely made sure he got those.
The door closed behind me and we got to work.
When I arrived home, I dropped my briefcase in the office. I was tired from my meeting and wanted to just forget work for a while. I knew Emily was here, I smelt her floral scent. It lingered in my senses all afternoon since I'd been so close to her in the gallery. I wasn’t sure where she was though so I went in search of her. I checked the master bedroom but it was empty, not even her belongings were in there. Next, I checked her childhood bedroom, nothing. I looked down the hallway, her cases sat outside of her old art room. I took my time and idled down the hallway until I reached her open door and looked inside, I leant my shoulder against the doorframe and watched her. She spun around in a circle as she took everything in. I’d set the room back up just the way she’d left it. If Mitch could see this now, he'd probably have turned in his grave. As hard as Mitch Lancaster was, Emily was still his weakness. Which was why I never told him about me and her. If he’d known I’d used her the way I did, he’d have had me killed. Mitch knew some bad people. But he wasn’t so innocent himself either.
I slipped away and gave her some privacy, downstairs I opened my mini bar in the living room and poured a measured double into my short tumbler. I paced the floor as I sipped, inviting the burn as it went down. I wasn’t sure how I could make her see that I wanted her, it’s nothing to do with anything that Mitch left. If only she knew what I’d done, she’d hate me even more than she does now. I needed to make her see this is all because I wanted to share my life with her. It may have started out all those years ago as a challenge, and to get Mitch’s money and the estate, but now I have everything and she’s the only thing that’s missing. I wasn’t even sure how this was going to work. As ever, I’d thought with my dick rather than with my brain. I wouldn’t get in half as much strife if I actually used the head that was on my shoulders.
The glass sat at my lips and I knocked back the last drop and left the glass on the table before I headed back upstairs.
Chapter Ten
EMILY
I’d rolled my suitcase and holdall out of the boot of the car and dragged it to the front door. I could move my car later, the driveway at the front was big enough to leave it there and still get another car alongside it. I pulled the key from my bag that Troy gave me earlier, slid it into the lock and pushed open the front door. Is it weird not having a key to your own father’s house? I hadn’t thought about it before now. I’d rather not think about it, not if I was really honest with myself.
I stepped over the threshold and did a quick scan of my surroundings. It was like I’d never left. Apart from my dad being locked away in his office, everything was the same. With slow steps I hitched my case over the doorstep and headed through the reception hall and pushed the front door closed. Slowly, I climbed the winding staircase until I’d made my way to the top and walked along the landing until I came to the third room. I turned to face the door, with my free hand on the door handle, I gripped it and turned and pushed the door open. It was still the same. My computer sat in the corner on my desk and my dressing table sat in the bay window with a freestanding mirror sat on the top.
I left my case and bag at the door and walked inside. So many memories attacked me as I wandered through. The same flowery bedspread lay on my made bed. I couldn't remember leaving it this tidy when I left so maybe the housekeeper tidied it.
The box on my dressing table had my feet moving toward it and I dropped onto the stool that sat in front. I opened the lid and the little ballerina that used to spin in front of the mirror wasn’t moving. There were the odd pairs of earrings but not much more, at least not until I opened the drawer on the front. There lay, what I thought was a full solitaire diamond pendant on a silver chain. I lifted it out carefully and held it over my hand. It sparkled in the light of the bay window. It was absolutely beautiful. I lay it on the table again, closed the drawer and turned the box around until I found the winder. I wound it until it wouldn’t go anymore, turned it back over and opened the lid again. The high-pitched sounds of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star rang out and the ballerina spun around again. Tears filled my eyes and my chin trembled. “I miss you, Mum,” I remembered this was one of the last things she bought me. I was so intent on leaving and in such a hurry that I’d forgotten to take it with me. I’d forgotten how much I missed this. I left it to play while I picked up the necklace again.
“Why don’t you let me put it on for you?”
My heart stuttered as Troy’s voice cut through the silence. My hand covered my heart as I looked at him through the mirror. “You scared me. I didn’t realise you were here.”
He crouched down at my side. “I’ve just got back.”
His head turned and I looked him in the eye. “I didn’t hear the door.” I quickly swiped at my eyes and he took the necklace from me. “Where did it come from?”
“I bought it for you. Think of it as a homecoming present.” He stood up and moved to stand behind me. His hands came around my front and opened the necklace. The pendant rested just below my collarbone and he fastened the clasp. Automatically, my fingers went to the diamond and I touched it gently. He leaned down and looked at me through the mirror again. “It suits you.” `His gaze connected with mine and I closed the lid of my jewellery box. Whatever moment we were having just then seemed to pass and I looked away.
“I better take my stuff into the master bedroom,” I said and stood from the stool, “unless your little arrangement is going to let me sleep in here?”
“Not a chance. If we sleep in different beds then there’s no point in all this.”
“What point? What is your point, Troy?” I asked, I was beginning to get frustrated, he’d got me here but still I knew nothing else. I sighed loudly and swept past him. “You can’t buy me, Troy. If that’s what’s going on here?”
