Attraction (Love & War, Part I) (7 page)

“
Do you have any more questions?”

“
No, but if I think of any, I can ask you later.”

“
Right, I'd better be going then.” She stood and pushed her
chair under the table. He rose with her and blocked her exit. His
presence was overwhelming in the small space they were
occupying.

“
Thank you for your help,” he said very pleasantly, easing her
discomfort a little.

“
You're paying top rate for it, there's no need to thank me,”
she pointed out.

He laughed a
long low chuckle, the sound of which seemed to affect the strength
of her knees.

“
I was simply being polite. It's the way I like to conduct my
business affairs.”

“
Oh, I see... well, you're very welcome.” She smiled in
return, feeling a little churlish about her remark.

“
You're most deserving. It's been interesting and I'm very
impressed so far, Nicole.” his eyes flicked over her meaningfully
and she couldn't help but bathe in his charm. “So, this evening,
make sure you're waiting in Clarkson's lobby at 5.30, and I'll be
there.”

“
Okay, I'm looking forward to it.”

“
So am I,
Nicole
. Before you
go I'll give you my card, it has all my contact
details.”

He retrieved
his card from a holder on his desk and handed it to her and she
slipped hers out of her handbag and handed it to him.

He looked at
it for a moment, reading out loud.

“
Nicole A. Wright, Senior Advisor at Law, Corporate Legals.
What a beautiful title, it suits you.”

Her insides
stirred more than pleasantly.

He turned and
led her to the door, and opened it, offered his hand and shook hers
briefly.

She had to
admit to enjoying his touch and the special way he squeezed her
fingers.

“
Thanks once again Miss Wright. Yasmin will take care of you
now.”

“
Goodbye, Mr Gates,” she replied.

He closed the
door immediately after she left his office.

She was still
feeling quite shaken up by the whole meeting as she was escorted
back downstairs by Yasmin and left her waiting for Adrian to
appear. She was lost in her thoughts. Not only was she in an
difficult situation with Adrian, which she needed to discuss with
him straight away, but she had mixed feelings about Ashton Gates.
She wasn't sure she liked him much. But even so, she was more than
fascinated and wondered what he was really like; the inner Ashton
Gates; the one behind the charming, well spoken, and very proper
façade. Not that it mattered. She wouldn't ever find out. She was
just a little distraction in his high powered, expensive life. She
was sure she wouldn't see much of him after tomorrow. They could
conduct all their business by email and phone, as she did with her
other clients. It was only the signing of the contracts that she
needed to be present for, as legal witness, and that could be weeks
away.

Their dinner
date might be fun though, she considered, as long as she was the
one leading the fun and in control. And she was going to make sure
she was. She could play his game.

The car drew
up for her trip back to her office and Adrian appeared through the
door.

“
That was quick,” he said. “I hardly had time to
breathe.”

“
There wasn't much to discuss at this point. We ran through
the points of the contract, but that was rather premature pre DD. I
guess he wanted to suss me out, that's all.”

“
I can understand that. I'm looking forward to sussing you out
later as well.”

“
Hmm, Adrian, about that. Our date...” she began.

“
What about it?” His tone changed and his eyes searched
hers.

“
Your boss has just asked me out on a dinner date tonight, in
a way that I couldn't refuse. I'm sorry, but I feel I'm in an
embarrassing position, going on a date with both of
you.”

“
I guess you are.” He stared at her, clearly very unhappy with
this news.

“
So, I'm thinking, as he's your boss, and so that neither of
us upset him while I'm working on his French deal, perhaps our date
should wait until after I finish this assignment. Do you
mind?”

“
Well yeah, I do. I mind a lot. No way am I sitting on the sub
bench. I asked you first.”

She laughed at
him, in nervous reaction, then her smile faded away fast. He wasn't
in a smiling mood. His expression was deadly serious.

“
Right
...” She felt more awkward than ever
now.

“
Seriously Nicole, we're still on, okay?” His look softened
and he took her hand leading her out to the car.

“
I told him I had another engagement at eight, so he's fitting
in a quick meal before. He doesn't know that it's you I'm seeing
later.”

“
Keep that to yourself, okay? For now.”

He returned to his desk immediately after she left and leaned
back in his chair thinking. Much to his complete surprise, he was
instantly attracted to his new legal advisor. Which was a little
odd, because she wasn't the type he usually went for. She was
brunette, small, slim, although she
was
very decently stacked in the
female sense, but far too quick witted and intelligent. Certainly
nothing like his usual non-challenging, non-intellectual, blonde,
centrefold stunner. But she had something that appealed to him. He
wasn't lying when he said he found her to be intriguing and
beautiful. She had an almost ethereal kind of beauty and the most
wonderful big brown eyes and full lips. The fact that this small
female was prepared to stand up to him was a real turn on. No one
ever protested about his behaviour. They wouldn't dare. Well, no
one except his mother, Adrian and Yasmin. He allowed those special
people certain liberties. But Nicole Wright had some real guts in
that tiny package.

His initial
impression was that she was very interested but wary of him. He
could see the signs, the dilated pupils showing her excitement and
the way she guarded herself protectively and physically with her
arms. He simply had to win her round by being the charming side of
himself. Something he'd done so many times before, he'd lost count.
He'd enjoy the challenge of wearing down her defences
immensely.

He asked
Yasmin to call the City restaurant, L'Anima, to book a table at
6.00pm. It was a little early for dinner for his liking, but needs
must.

His mind
wasn't on his next meeting at all. He had to forcibly make himself
concentrate on his IT manager's conversation. Nicole's face kept
appearing in his head, and unfortunately, he couldn't stop thinking
about what he wanted to do to her. Those thoughts created a
sizeable physical problem for him.

He had a few
minutes left before he planned to leave at 5.15 for the Clarkson's
city office, and he took a quick look in the mirror in his private
cloakroom. He washed his face and applied something ludicrously
expensive, which smelled wonderful, out of the dozen or so bottles
he kept on his shelf. His tie received a quick straighten and
tighten before he left to collect his belongings and put on his
jacket.

He made his
way downstairs to the parking bay to his waiting car.

As he slipped
inside he was feeling a real buzz of excitement. This was
ridiculous as he was only seeing her for two hours, for dinner. It
was hardly a hot date.

They pulled
away from the parking area and set off for their destination.

“
Had a good day?” Adrian asked him in an unusually clipped
tone.

“
Not at all bad,” he replied, with a grin at Adrian's mirrored
reflection.

“
Mine was going pretty well too, until
you
ruined it for me,” he
continued.

“
To what are you referring?” Ashton asked in
confusion.

“
Not what, who... brunette, brown eyes, and dead cute... I had
my eye on Nicole. I asked her out on a date this week. You don't
even like brunettes, do you?”

“
I have no particular preference for hair colour,” he lied,
“And I'm sorry to say she's taken for a while. I'm pulling
rank.”

“
She told me all about it.”

“
Did she indeed?”

“
You've put her in a difficult and awkward position, you're an
important client of her company, she could hardly turn you
down.”

“
I know. I felt an overwhelming need to take advantage, and
compromise her.” He smiled inwardly.

“
I bet. And when you've finished taking advantage and
compromising her, I'm definitely gonna be there to pick up the
pieces.”

“
Really Adrian, you're always eating my leftovers, it's
obscene.”

“
Hardly. I've only dated two of your vast collection of exes
after you've abused them.”

“
I beg your pardon? I do not ever
abuse
women.”

“
Small, Freudian slip of the tongue. I meant use. You've gotta
admit, you do use them.”

“
I do not use or abuse women. I am simply giving them what
they want. Some casual fun in the bedroom.”

“
You know full well that what they really want is some kind of
relationship with you. And when they think they're getting close to
that, you suddenly dump them.”

“
That's a dreadful term. I don't 'dump' them. Our relationship
comes to a natural, if abrupt, end, due to their over-attachment to
me.”

“
Don't you ever feel anything more than a passing interest in
your girlfriends?”

“
Not the permanent, loving, kind of interest you're suggesting
I should.”

“
I kinda gathered that based on the speed you get through
them. But this one's real nice. Don't fuck her up Ash.”

Fuck her up?
What's got into him?

Ashton laughed
at him, incredulously, feeling more than a little riled and angry
inside. Adrian had never, ever behaved this way with him before. He
may have a good and open relationship with him, but this was
pushing at his limits.

“
I'm not listening to any more of your insults, Adrian.” He
pressed the button to close the privacy window.

Adrian pressed his button to open it again. “Don't be so
tetchy, Ash. I'm just pointing out a few home truths, that's all.
Someone's gotta tell 'ya and I guess that's me. No one else has the
balls. The years are ticking on, and you need to settle down with
someone. Get yourself a real girlfriend and some loving in your
life. It's what it's all about. I'm sure you don't want to die a
sad and lonely old man, do you?”

“
Excuse me? That's rich. You're older than I am and I don't
see you settling down with anyone either. Your years are ticking
away just as fast as mine.”

“
I
was
married for over six years.”

“
I know and look how that turned out. Hardly a great example
for me to follow, are you? Point proven.”

“
What the fuck, Ash?
That was so below the belt. Maybe we weren't together for
ever but I loved that woman. I still do. And she had the affair,
not me. If she asked me, I'd take her back, in a heartbeat. You
know full well she's the only reason I don't want to get involved
with anyone more seriously. I'm hoping she'll change her mind about
the dick-head she's now with.”

Ashton felt
guilty about mentioning it. It wasn't at all pleasant of him. He
knew Adrian had had a really tough time over his ex wife. She'd
wrecked him emotionally and shattered his trust.

“
I know Ade, I'm sorry, that was unfair of me. I apologise.
Look, this is a pointless discussion. We don't have the same goals
or viewpoint on lifestyle. You live life your way and I'll live
life mine. I really don't want, or need, a serious relationship,
with any woman. I'm content with my life as it is.”

As the words
left his lips he knew full well that he was lying to himself.
Despite his wealth, privilege and expensive possessions, he wasn't
content at all. His feelings of unfulfilment, the lack of real
meaning in what he did and his search for that crucial missing
piece in the puzzle of life, had been niggling at him for a long
time. Ever since his 30th birthday, he'd felt it. It had been
creeping up on him, slowly but surely.

He really
didn't know what would make him content or happy, but he was pretty
damn sure it wasn't a wife and children.

“
You could at least give it a try, and dip your toe in the
relationship water,” Adrian continued. “I've often wondered why you
and CJ don't get it together? You seem to have a real good thing
going with her, she comes from your background and she's damn hot.
Your type exactly.”

Now he really
was annoying him. He did not care to explain his past history with
CJ to Adrian, or to anyone. It wasn't something he enjoyed
remembering. It was very old news and best left very old.

“
CJ and I are just good friends, that's all,” he said, curtly,
trying not to snap.

“
It don't look like just good friends to me. She's
very
into you. I
sense far more is going on there. And from what I can see, you like
her a lot more than all the others who drift through your life. You
always go back to her, why not put some effort into it?”