Obsessed (BBW Billionaire Light Romance) (15 page)

James

When Leah knocked the coffee over me I had to go home and change. I couldn't go to a meeting like that.

And when I got back to Belsize Park it was quiet and calm. Mrs Andrews, my housekeeper, was in the kitchen ironing and offered to make me something to eat. I could tell she was surprised to see me there in the middle of the day.

I had a long shower and tried to settle down a little, to control my anger. I had intended to keep the meeting with Leah on a business level, but she began to do that usual thing of being defensive and stroppy at the same time – something I find difficult to handle. Then I mentioned Elizabeth and Sam and she stormed out.

I’d found out when I came back from Japan. I spent the night at Elizabeth's apartment, and in the morning, as I was getting dressed, I noticed she'd left a small suitcase in the bedroom. It had a label for Charles De Gaulle Airport and I asked whether she had stayed at our favourite hotel in Paris. She was jumpy, quickly moving the case and tearing off the label and she said, no, they’d stayed on the Left Bank ...
They
.

So, it all came out. Sam and Elizabeth snatching two days in Paris before he went to Canada. Meeting again in London, and being seen by Leah. She assumed that Leah had told me and was going to tell Lucy eventually.

I wasn't upset about Elizabeth having a casual affair. I mean, we've both done it, haven’t we. But not with
Sam
. That felt like a betrayal and Sam has only been married a short time. How could they do that?

I've always had problems with him. He was Robbie's friend, but he was always around, even after Robbie died and I thought he took advantage of my mother's feelings of loss.

He probably wanted Elizabeth just to get back at me when I didn't make him welcome. It was my mother who asked me to have the wedding reception at my house.

I wonder if they got together this summer, too, when we were all at the villa in France?

I'd only let them have the villa because Lucy looked so tired. Sam and Elizabeth making love, in the sand dunes, the boathouse, or even one of the attic bedrooms perhaps ... Is it even over between them now?

I sat down on my bed and thought how one small incident led to my organised life erupting. An unknown woman falls down in a beauty salon, Lucy takes her to Accident and Emergency, meets Sam, and marries him. Then, on the night of the wedding, I find Leah there on my bed. I want her but she distracts me. Sam and Elizabeth probably got together again after the wedding; I not sure how long it had been going on before that.

So, it all falls apart.

I've finished with Elizabeth and now Leah's finished with me, too.

I need to resume my normal life, get things back in control.  Women cause me too much trouble, and Leah really got under my skin.

I have a flashback of her against the tree in the woods, her jeans around her knees and her arms around my neck. I hadn't wanted to hurt her, but obviously I have.

I think I'll buy a yacht next year, sail to Crete in the summer, take Jake and his family around the islands for a simple holiday.

§

I get back to the office just before my scheduled meeting. I call Clare in and tell her that she will be taking over supervision of the Flower Garden account from now on. Any contact with Miss Grainger is to go through her and she will just keep me informed if necessary.

She gives me a look and I think she guesses about Leah, but if she does, she's very professional and makes no comment.

I take the meeting and decide that we’ll buy some of the smaller factories we saw on the tour and expand others – several million pounds worth of decisions made in an afternoon.

It's what I do best.

Emma and Simon had dragged Leah out to the local wine bar. She'd been working hard for weeks and they thought she needed to give it a rest. She had confided in Emma about her decision not to have anything more to do with James, and that she had heard no more from him.

"I'm not sure whether to be pleased or worried," Emma said.

"About James? It had to happen. We're in totally different worlds." Leah tried to remain sensible.

"But you look as if your heart is broken," Emma stated.

"It'll mend," Leah shrugged.

They drank slowly. It was midweek and they all had jobs to go to in the morning.

"Have you heard anything from Lucy?" Leah asked. "I tried to send a text today and it wouldn't go through."

"I was going to mention that," Emma looked worried. "I've sent loads of emails but haven't heard anything for nearly a month, and she promised to keep in touch."

"Try a different approach," Simon suggested.

What?" they asked, both looking at him.

"Send a message to Sam, to see if everything's okay. Maybe she's just lost her phone or something?"

"We don't have any contact details for Sam," Emma said.

Leah shivered, feeling a small chill of anxiety creep up her spine. She remembered the fear that she’d felt alone with Sam outside the pub, and now Lucy was alone with him miles away from her friends. Was it possible he was
deliberately
keeping Lucy out of touch?

"That guy Willoughby might know," Simon suggested.

Leah thought that contact with Sam was the last thing in the world that James would want. Even so, it was true that he have a number for him ...

"I'll leave a message with his PA at Centrax,” Leah sighed. “Just say that no-one's heard from Lucy and ask if he has any contact info for Sam, and could he pass it on." She thought that was acceptable, to ask through Clare, and make sure to have no actual contact with James.

But when she did, the answer was brief.

"Mr Willoughby has no number for Sam and is not likely to contact him in the future," Clare replied coldly.

§

December came and the little house in Clapham grew especially cold. Leah went to bed with a jumper over her pyjamas and thick socks on her feet to keep warm. She spent more and more time at the flower shop. The Christmas decorations were selling well and the round of weekly deliveries became busier and busier. She talked to Charlie about getting some part-time help in the New Year, if business was still good then and they agreed they would see if it was possible.

Emma and Simon had decided to take some of their leave from work and go to Scotland.

"He wants me to meet the rest of his family," Emma told Leah.

"Do you think he's going to suggest getting married?’ Leah asked. “I mean, you've been together long enough ..."

"Maybe," Emma replied. "At least we know each other well."

They both thought again about Lucy, falling for Sam so quickly, rushing into marriage, and
still
out of contact.

"Will you be okay here on your own?" Emma asked.

"Of course,” Leah said. “It's not the first time."  

§

Leah decided that she would go to visit her parents for Christmas. It would be better than being on her own and she missed the busy family atmosphere. Sometimes at night she took out James's robe and held it for comfort; it was the only thing she had to remember him by. And sometimes she put it on, wrapped it tightly around herself and slept in it.

She wished that things could have been different. If Lucy was still in London, if she herself had been more careful with James, less willing to jump into bed ... She was still grateful to him for the loan. It had transformed the shop and her own confidence in her work. But she had mixed business with pleasure.

She thought of the day punting in Oxford, their time at the Manor in Norfolk, and his anger that she’d not told him about Sam and Elizabeth.

She loved him, but her last act had been to knock his coffee over into his lap. He didn't trust her. How could she ever face him again?

James

It took three days, but I found her in a shelter for the homeless in downtown Montreal. She was damaged, thin, nervous and I'm sure she was bruised, although she wouldn't let me see.

There had been a brief, scrambled call for help, to the office, a message saying she was in a hostel, then nothing. So I took the company plane, booked into a hotel in Montreal and hired a private investigator. I could give him very little information about Lucy apart from the fact that she was in a hostel, so we split the city between us and searched day and night.

When I finally found her, I brought her back to my house. She slept on the plane and later I carried her up to the guest room next to mine. She was so light, I could feel her bones, like a little sparrow.

She refused to see a doctor or let me contact her family or friends. She just wanted to stay with me, to feel safe. So I left the light on the landing and kept my bedroom door open. It’s clear she's had nightmares. 

§

I changed my routine. Began working later and coming home earlier. I arranged for my housekeeper to be there when I was away. Lucy was with me for two weeks before she would come downstairs, then she would sit with me while I ate my evening meal, watching me. She didn't want to talk about Sam or what had happened. If I get my hands on him I'll kill him.

Today I went in late and Clare followed me into my office and closed the door. She reminded me of a meeting with some bankers later in the morning and lunch with a client. Then, to my surprise, she walked over to a closet in my office where I keep a spare overcoat in case it gets cold, and a scarf.

She opened the door and there was a row of new shirts and ties, half a dozen of my hand tailored suits in dry cleaning bags. She said she had purchased the shirts and ties through the company account, and had my driver collect the suits. They were to cover the days when I appeared at the office looking crumpled.
Crumpled!
She actually used the word.

She said it was important that as head of the company I should be properly dressed. Then she coolly turned and went back to her own office, leaving me speechless.

I went into my private en-suite and looked into the mirror. She was right. I looked wrecked, untidy and my hair was too long. I’d dashed from the house that morning, hardly shaved and grabbed anything to wear.

I put things right, showered again, shaved, changed into the fresh clothes and went to the meeting and lunch.

Back at the office in the afternoon, I was unsettled and restless. I walked into Clare's office, closed the door and sat down opposite her.

I intended to point out where her responsibilities as my PA began and ended –

one of my little lectures. But I looked at her, so mature, so composed, and instead I  found  myself telling her all about Lucy, Sam, Elizabeth and an edited version of my affair with Leah. She said nothing for a while, assessing me.

Eventually, she spoke.

"Do you
really
want my advice, Mr Willoughby?" she asked. "After all, you
can
be a little intimidating."

I nodded.

"Well, as I see it, your life has spiralled out of control. Your home life is disorganised. You need firstly to solve the problem of Lucy. If she won't see a doctor or her family, then I suggest you get Emma, her oldest friend. Lucy needs to talk to another woman."

She hesitated for a moment, and I signalled that she could go on.

"I think that you can eventually put both Elizabeth and Sam out of your life. Leah is your own, separate problem."

For once, I was at a loss for words.

She said that if I gave her the address of the Clapham house and the university where Emma worked, she could take my driver and track her down, bring her to Belsize Park. Meanwhile, I should go home and wait, be there to reassure Lucy in case she heard anyone arrive. I agreed.

§

It seems an age until I hear the Mercedes pull up outside and I head outside to meet them. Clare gets out of the car, and to my annoyance, she has
Leah
with her. Before I can say anything, Clare tells me that Emma was away. I thank her and ask Harry to drive her home. It’s a bit of a bombshell to see Leah.

But I know I must keep things under control.

We both stand in my large entrance hall, several metres apart.

Leah’s obviously uneasy. She just doesn't know how to be around me, so I tell her to go to Lucy, in the guest room next to mine and that I'll wait downstairs.

I go into the sitting room, open my laptop, put on some music and pour myself a large whisky. I wait. It's around two hours later when Leah finally comes back into the room. She looks a little shaky and I get up and pour her a shot in a crystal tumbler.

"Lucy's asleep," she says. "She's told me everything. Sam's a total bastard."

She pauses for a moment, shakes her head, before continuing.

"He was cruel, he beat her up, pushed her to work all hours, cleaning offices, he took her credit card and phone. He said it was all a mistake, and that he only ever wanted Elizabeth."

She stops and looks at me cautiously, but I wave my glass at her, encouraging her to continue.

"He went to New York to see Elizabeth, and that’s when Lucy ran away. She kept changing hostels because she was afraid he would come back for her. She stole a mobile phone, rang you and then threw the phone away."

We sit in silence for a bit, both pretty exhausted. I notice that her hair has grown and she has a few freckles on her nose. When did they appear? I ask her to stay the night, as company for Lucy and she agrees without any argument.

I remember that Emma is away and say that it would be better for Leah to stay with me until Emma and Simon come back. There's a chance that Sam might come to London looking for Lucy; he could still be dangerous.

"I'd like to have you both safe under my roof," I say. When I look at Leah she's smiling.

"What?"

"Such a funny expression: under your roof. A bit
pompous
, but you mean well. Lucy already thinks you're her knight in shining armour.”

"Lucy doesn't have very good taste in men," I state.

"You've been very kind to her," Leah says quietly.

"Clare called me
intimidating
today," I offer. It it had been bugging me, I had to tell someone.

Leah raises her eyebrows and her smile grows. Her eyes actually twinkle.

"Intimidating. Really? And she still has her job?"

"Yes, of course. I'm not so bad am I?"

I feel a little fuzzy. I've had more whisky than I should, and the unexpected day is somehow becoming more and more confusing.

"James, you're edgy, and you can be arrogant, but I think there's a good heart in there. You've just had everything too young, too much money, too much power, too much responsibility."

Leah stands up, and moves away from me as she makes this statement. I realise that we've actually managed to almost have a proper conversation, for once, and she's been more confident with me, although she's edging towards the door.

I look at her. She's so self-conscious about her body, and she still has terrible taste in clothes. She's difficult, her behaviour is unpredictable, but ...

I stand, reach out and put my hand behind her head, tangling my fingers in her hair and gently pull her towards me. I kiss her, just as I did that first time in the punt, but this time it's slow, too, careful and searching, and she responds.

I feel her melting into me and I put my arms around her, her soft curves against me. We feel right together.

This girl has disturbed and distracted me since that first time I saw her, drunk on my bed. My organised life has imploded. Before that I had everything running smoothly under my control – the company, the estate in Norfolk, my elegant house in London and my relationship with Elizabeth.

Now, I've invested in a flower shop of all things, finished a casual, easy relationship, rescued her friend, neglected work and even confided in my PA, which was totally unprofessional.

But I just don't think I can't live without her any longer.

"Stay with me tonight," I say. "Move in, live with me, marry me, just don't leave. See how we get on."

I hold her tight and she murmurs something against my chest.

I think it's a yes ...