A Matter of Trust: London Calling Book One (14 page)

She gathered herself, straightening.
 

Ruefully, she said, “Nothing.” When Aidan raised his brows, she repeated it. “
Nothing
. I’m sorry. I’m not myself. I don’t like it when I don’t know what’s happening.” She forced a laugh. “Maybe I’m a control freak.” She clasped his forearm in quick reassurance. “Forgive me. Anyway, we have much more important things to discuss.” She beamed at him, confident it would cut the current of tension in the room.

He automatically smiled back. He asked, “What’s that?”

“Jane! What was her answer?
Did she say yes
?”

***

Devon returned upstairs, upbeat about Aidan and Jane’s good news despite her own personal worries. Happiness smothered the small smack of guilt from guiding Aidan away from topics best not explored.
 

But really, what man didn’t want to talk about himself a little? Or his love life?
 

Aidan was a good friend besides being an exceptional director. Devon didn’t like to think she was manipulating him.
 

Old habits died hard.

It was exactly why she preferred this world, with its ethical precision over the murky ambiguity of her past. And her family’s
current
domain, if everything were the same. She had no reason to believe anything had changed. They’d forged a pact to not speak of it, because she worried. And she’d moved on. So had Dominic, she’d believed. That had been the plan.

But maybe not.

Something about his actions around Natalie smacked of ulterior motives. Devon wasn’t so far removed that she couldn’t still catch a whiff of something
off
. She frowned, wondering if her instincts were still accurate and true.

If so, a game was afoot.
 

At the sound of the elevator doors opening behind her, Devon snapped her head around, hoping it was Bennett. Instead, Natalie walked toward her, briskly appointed in a stunning aubergine skirt with jacket. Her blonde hair was loosely coiled up, and rather than her normal discreet diamond studs, she wore gold hoops and stacked bracelets. She vibrated with color. Devon stared at the transformation.
 

“Is my slip showing, Devon?”

Devon gathered herself, and stated the bare truth. “No, you look wonderful.”
 

“Thank you. And do I normally look so bad?”
 

The woman tried Devon’s patience to its limit, but there was no need for bad manners. Or unprofessionalism. Aidan’s earlier comments had stung.
 

When confronted with the truth, no matter how uncomfortable, Devon never avoided penance. Ruefully, she acknowledged her sins and set about correcting them. Smiling through gritted teeth, she answered the other woman. “No, of course not. But this is a little different from what you normally wear. And it’s lovely.”
 

There was something else different about Natalie, something besides new clothing and accessories. Devon couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

 
The elevators returned once again. Both women watched as Dominic walked out, innate confidence in his stride. Stopping between the two women, he looked from one to the other before addressing Natalie. A rosy flush washed into the apples of her cheeks before receding to pale pink.

“Ms. Enfeld. It’s a pleasure to see you again so soon.”

***

He was clad in dark denims and boots. A fitted black sweater contrasted exquisitely with the burnished gold of his hair. Absently, she noticed a loose wave curling onto his forehead above mossy green eyes that crinkled in the corners. Amusement glimmered there and in the slight curve of his mouth as he eyed her up and down. His strong jaw was smooth, the light stubble he’d sported the last time they’d met shaved away.

Put simply, Dominic Martin was a stunning man.
 

She blinked rapidly before forcing herself to step forward and hold out her hand, “Mr. Martin. How are you today?”

“Wonderful. I’m finding London to be beautiful, Natalie, in unexpected places.”

Taking a quick breath, she tugged her hand from his where he still held it. He was too attractive for his own good, and seemed to know it. But he was so relentlessly charming, she found herself excusing his vanity, reluctantly attracted.

She paused on the thought, involuntarily remembering Bennett and that last evening together. Along with its disastrous ending.
 

She’d been having a lovely time, viewing art, before going to enjoy wine and dinner at the chic little bistro pub he co-owned. In full denial, she’d told herself Bennett was more like he used to be before the past few months.

Before Devon.

Natalie had flirted, lightly, determined to win back his favor. And that’s when he’d spelled it all out, in clear and plain English. He cared about Natalie as a friend. Nothing more.

Never anything more.

She’d sat there, numb. When she’d roused herself to speak, point out the ways they could be a perfect couple, his attention had already wandered.
 

To Devon, sitting right there in the same pub, at the bar, drinking alone.

He watched her.
 

He walked to her. Talked to her. Ultimately, he’d chased after her.

Natalie was left with the barest of apologies and a credit card to cover the tab and her cab fare home.

The humiliation still stung. She’d been an utter fool. She had no idea what transpired since then to send Bennett off in the foulest of moods, but it didn’t change anything. It was nothing to do with her. It was all Devon. Bennett was upset because of
Devon
.
 

None of it was anything to do with Natalie.

For a week, she mourned losing him. But the fact was, Natalie had never
had
Bennett Sterling. In the time she’d worked for him, her feelings had grown, complicating their relationship. His feelings had not.
 

Unexpectedly and irrationally, she felt a sudden lightness.
 

Letting out a slow breath, she switched her attention to Dominic, running her eyes over him. This was a virile male, primed and interested. He quirked a brow up at her perusal, meeting her eyes before conducting his own survey up and down the length of her. She was sure she caught a glint of conspiracy in his eyes.
 

“You know, Natalie, you can get quite a snobby look there. Are you a toff?”

She burst out in laughter before she could stop herself. “A
what?”

His eyes crinkled up as he grinned. “A toff. You know an upper class, society type.”
 

Determined, she stepped up to him, crowding right up so she was within inches of him, face to face. Gratified when confusion briefly clouded his gaze, she almost missed the tiny movement he made to step back before catching himself. She reached up a hand, brushing a lock of dark golden hair from his brow before lightly tapping her finger on his nose.
 

“I know what it means. It’s short for
toffee-nosed.”
A satisfied smile slowly spread across her face. “But I don’t mind if you call me
Toff.”
Stepping around to link her arm through his, she turned to see Devon gaping. “Devon, I’ll take Mr. Martin here on a tour. Maybe we’ll step out for some coffee too.” She looked at Dominic and he nodded in affirmation. “I’ll bring him back to you later.”

As they walked away together, Natalie took a deep breath, catching the faint citrus of Dominic’s cologne. So different than Bennett’s.
 

Suddenly, she felt good, powerful, and decisive.
 

She wouldn’t be a fool again.

***

Bennett stepped into his office, unnerved by the silence. He’d encountered no one so far, not on his floor anyway. And somehow, illogically, he’d expected to see some difference, an evidence of his absence. Instead, things were pristine, as neatly organized as ever.

Ten days ago, he’d left in a haze of fury and rage. There had been no choice, no other avenue except escape. He hadn’t trusted himself to stay.

Already he’d done things completely foreign to his character. Bennett prided himself for his control. He didn’t force himself inside apartments. Kiss women in anger. Become lovers with staff.

Never that. Not since Olivia. She’d taught him well enough to keep pleasure out of business. To be wary when passion and trust ran wild. God knows she’d burned him badly.

He’d been a boy really, looking back. Devastated with grief from the sudden loss of his parents. Overwhelmed by the reins of Sterling International being thrust upon him. And rather than the love and support he’d expected, Olivia had chosen that moment to betray him. She’d left him for the competition. Another man, another company. Because he’d trusted her and she’d worked by his side, she’d taken a hefty sum of accounts and clients with her.
 

He’d reminded himself of these lessons while he was away. Now, over a week later, he felt reasonably calm again. He was resolved, determined. He would take back control and stop the undisciplined chaos his life had become. Walking further into the room, he headed for the window and its skyline view.
 

And saw her.

Devon stood there, straight and slim, arms hugging her waist as she faced away. Unaware of him, she stared out, completely still. He had the distinct impression that she was wholly, entirely vulnerable.

Strangely unsure of himself, Bennett turned to quietly leave her. But she heard him, peering over her shoulder with darkened eyes that looked unbearably lost before she veiled them.
 

She searched his face. The decisions and resolutions of the past days mocked him, daring him to step closer, move forward until his body could collide with hers.

His control strained. Swearing softly under his breath, hands fisted in his pockets, he took a deliberate step backwards.
 

Her eyes flashed before clearing like mist. He saw the subtle squaring of her shoulders while she dropped her hands to hang loosely at her sides. His composure stuttered as she gathered hers around her in motionless, silent dignity. Pain pierced him, somewhere near his heart.

Dully, she said, “You’re back.”

CHAPTER NINE

B
ENNETT
PUSHED
DOWN
the ache, reminding himself of what was best. Waving a hand for her to join him, he sat down behind his desk. “Devon, please take a seat. I’d like a word.”
 

She folded herself gracefully into the chair he’d motioned to, then crossed her feet beneath her. She looked at him expectantly. “Yes?”

“I know I left abruptly, but I’d like to clear the air between us now that I’m back.” At her silence, he went on. “I’ve thought things over, and I realize I blurred the boundaries between us. It’s more than past time I set things right.”
 

Some emotion rippled across her face, then was gone.
 

He paused, but when she failed to speak, he continued. “I own this business and you’re an employee. We each need to respect who and what we are. And we should forget anything from when we might have confused those basic relationships.”

She was pale as marble. “Is it…” Her voice was raspy, and she stopped, clearing her throat. She looked somewhere over his shoulder, out the window. “Is it Natalie?”

“What?”

More firmly, she asked, “Is it Natalie? Are you involved with her? You were out together that one night. When we…” Her voice trailed off.

“No!” He repeated it, more firmly. “No.” No matter what, she mustn’t think that. “It’s… I never date employees, Devon. I made a mistake once, a long time ago and it cost me dearly.” Her eyes swung back to his, a clear misty gray. The ache throbbed.
 

He needed to carry this through to the end; otherwise he’d do something irrational like ask her about the man who’d been at her flat. What he was to her, how he mattered. He wasn’t sure he could bear the answer.

He took a deep breath, steeling his resolve. “We are not good for each other, Devon. No matter what has come before, for me or you, we are terrible now. I am not myself around you. And I suspect you’re not at your best either.”
 

Again, she said nothing. Just a tiny shake of her head while her hands lay clasped in her lap, seemingly relaxed. But Bennett could see her knuckles straining white.
 

Absently, he rubbed his chest. “Are we agreed then?” He rose, signaling the end of their talk. Of everything.

With a short nod, she rose. She hesitated, as if unsure what to do for a second, before visibly straightening. Pasting on a small, superficial smile, she smoothed her skirt with steady hands then turned and walked out. He barely heard the door close behind her.

Bennett convinced himself the lingering pain was relief, rather than regret.

***

Devon was in the stairwell before the shaking started.
 

She sat down on a step, hugging herself hard as she tried to contain the hurt leaking out of her. She trembled, weakly leaning against the wall as pain punched its way into her, stealing her breath.