The Millionaire's Redemption (9 page)

Saved. Not by the bell, but Lesley coming in with the tea. He almost laughed at the irony of the situation.

“
P
ut the tray on the desk, thanks.”

As his PA disappeared through the door, from the corner of one eye, he saw Lilly knock over his bin. Giving a squeal of delight, she dug her fingers into the pile of crumpled pieces of paper.

Holly jumped up. “No, you can’t wreck Justin’s things.”

“She’s all right. Sit down and drink your tea. There’s nothing in there that can hurt her.” Lilly was a cute little bundle of mischief. “As long as she doesn’t try eating it. The ink mightn’t agree with her.” He grinned.

Holly’s heart nearly catapulted out of her chest. What a devastatingly handsome man. Strong jawed, lean-angled face and sensuous, to-die-for lips. He did it without even trying. She struggled to dampen down on the warmth seeping into every pore of her being. A widow with a small child shouldn’t be lusting after a man even if he was Adonis and Superman rolled into one.

She poured milk into her tea with a trembling hand, and the hurried gulp of hot liquid burnt her mouth.

“Would you care for a biscuit?”

As he proffered the plate, she had the distinct impression he knew the effect he had on her.

“No thanks.” She loved chocolate biscuits but wouldn’t be able to eat so much as a mouthful. It took a superhuman effort to drink the tea. She couldn’t believe he could get her into such a state of tension by merely looking at her with his cool, assessing gray eyes. She was an amusing distraction for him, someone so different from his usual type of woman she could have come from another planet. She forgot that at her peril.

Lilly crawled over to him, pulled herself up, and clung to his knee. He finished his tea in a couple of gulps and pushed the tray to one side. He picked up Lilly and stood her on the desk, holding her steady with a hand under either arm.

“Well, little missie, what do you think of my office?”

She clapped her hands and he chuckled.

“You’re a clever little pumpkin, aren’t you?” He turned her from side to side and she waved her arms about.

“You’re good with children,” Holly said, immediately regretting her impulsive words as his mouth tightened and his eyes iced over.

“It’s easy putting up with them for a short time.”

“You don’t mean that,” she retorted before she could stop herself. “You’ve got a natural affinity with them. You’re a natural born father.”

“Like hell I am. If you’ve finished your tea, I’ll walk you downstairs,” he said abruptly, rising from the chair and picking up Lilly. She wrapped baby arms around his neck and pressed her face into his neck.

With such a forceful dismissal, Holly could do nothing but put her bone china cup back on its matching gold-rimmed saucer and stand up. “You don’t have to escort us off the premises.” Hurt sharpened her voice. “We’re not going to pinch anything.”

“I didn’t mean to imply that you would. She’s too heavy for you to carry downstairs. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes, Les.” He threw the words over one shoulder as he strode past the PA’s desk.

“Goodbye. Thanks for the tea,” Holly said as she followed him to the elevator. “I can carry her. Even if I don’t look it I’m quite strong.”

Holly was as soft as marshmallow, fragile as the finest porcelain and easily broken. He couldn’t understand the way he acted towards her, running hot and cold all the time. One minute he enjoyed the shared camaraderie and the subtle emotional pull between them. The next minute self-preservation kicked in, and he turned on her like a rabid dog.

He acknowledged the greetings of a couple of young men who
stepped
into the elevator on the sixth floor and ignored their interested stares at Lilly, but he fumed when they turned their attention to Holly. Their eyes wandered all over her in that assessing sexual way young men had when they saw a pretty woman. Lecherous bastards.

When they got to the security desk he placed Lilly in the stroller; and it looked shabbier and more beat up than he remembered.

“Goodbye, Justin,” Holly said in a tremulous voice that did funny things to his inside. Better for both of them if he never clapped eyes on her again.

“Thanks for bringing me the phone,” he called out to her departing back. She didn’t turn around, just kept pushing the stroller. The squeaking wheel sounded overloud and incongruous in the quiet luxury of the foyer.

He glanced at the security book, making a mental note of Holly’s address and phone number purely out of curiosity.

Chapter Six

Holly dressed carefully for her first day at work. She wore black slacks and a pale pink top. After applying her usual pink lipstick she left the bungalow.

Humming to herself, she walked along the street pushing the stroller. Lilly wore deep pink overalls with a heart-shaped motif on the bib front and a pale pink blouse trimmed with lace around the collar. A good-natured baby, she only grizzled if tired or hungry.

Just before nine, they arrived at the crèche. The moment of reckoning. Would Lilly like the people here? Would she enjoy being with other children? Holly hated leaving her, but what option did she have until she found out how much the government pension would be?

“Good morning.” Cheryl greeted her with a cheerful smile. “And how’s Lilly?” She scooped the baby out of the pram and tickled her belly. “I’m sure we’re going to be good friends.”

No tears, thank goodness. So far so good. “When I find out exactly where I’m working, I’ll let you know the extension number, Cheryl, in case you need to ring me.”

“Good idea. I think she’ll be fine. Let me know what time you’ll be having lunch so we can make sure she’s awake when you come down.”

“Thank you.” Holly hovered, loath to leave yet knowing she must.

“Go now. Don’t prolong the agony. If there are any problems we’ll give you a ring.”

“Thanks, I didn’t expect to meet someone so understanding,” Holly said sincerely. “I hope the rest of the Glen Fern staff is nice like you.”

“Most of them are. It’s a good company to work for.”

She left Lilly playing with Cheryl’s necklace and hurried next door to see the receptionist. “Good morning. I’m here to start work.”

“Hi. Mr. Hamilton wants you to go up to his office. He’ll show you around.”

“Thanks.” She didn’t want him to show her around. Didn’t want to have anything to do with him. On the surface, he seemed pleasant enough, but his over familiar manner and the sexual innuendo scared the hell out of her.

The door to Owen Hamilton’s office stood open. He sat sprawled out in his chair, his feet propped up on the desk. He had a mobile phone glued to his ear and a smarmy grin on his face.

“All right, Dad. I’m sorry I missed the meeting, but they don’t need me. You’re the Managing Director. I have to go. There’s a new staff member waiting for me.”

He jabbed the disconnect button before slipping the phone into his coat pocket. Slowly, almost leisurely, he removed his feet from the desk and stood up, striking the same intimidating pose of yesterday.

“How are you, Holly?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” She fumed as his eyes ranged all over her, lingering longest at breast level. So, Daddy was Managing Director.
That
explained a lot of things.

“I better take you up to the Radiology Department. They’re waiting for you. Your baby settled in all right at the crèche?”

“Yes, thanks. I think she’ll be happy there.”

“Good.” He came up close. She could smell the cloying male cologne he wore. He must have soaked himself in it.

As he took hold of her arm, she gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to flinch.

Radiology was situated down in the basement. Thankfully, the elevator was made of glass, and everyone could see them. She wouldn’t trust Owen in a closed-in elevator. She wouldn’t trust him anywhere.

The radiologist, a middle aged balding man named Dr. Stevens, smiled and shook her hand but appeared rather standoffish, which suited her admirably. She didn’t like touchy-feely men. Perhaps that’s why she disliked Owen so much.

There were two male radiographers and a female ultrasonographer who also performed the mammograms. They were all young and friendly, and she started to relax. Owen showed her to her office. It contained a dicta-phone machine, so she would obviously be typing the reports from tapes. Strange that a prestigious hospital like this would use such outdated equipment.

What a stroke of luck, she knew the word processing system well, and as long as Dr. Stevens dictated clearly, there wouldn’t be any insurmountable problems. Except maybe Owen. She kept getting bad vibes from him.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Owen said, patting her on the backside. It was galling but she had to ignore it because she needed the job. “I’ll catch up with you soon.” His smile seemed more like a leer. His eyes were lecherous.

Not if I can help it.
She tried to quell her rising fury. “Thanks.”  This sexual predator should be reported, but to whom? And would anyone believe her word over that of the Managing Director’s son
-
-
a Managing Director who numbered Justin Devereux among his friends?

She had just finished ringing Cheryl with her phone number when Dr. Stevens strode over to her with a bundle of referral forms and a tape. “Are you familiar with the equipment?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ve used it before.”

“Good. Um, if it’s an urgent report or the patient is waiting to take the x-ray films with them, I’ll do it on a separate tape and bring it out to you.
C
ome into my office every now and again to pick up a new tape and gather up the x-ray bags.” He played with his Adam’s apple. “Part of your duties will be putting the signed reports in the bags, marking them off in a book and leaving them for the courier to pick up.”

“I understand, thanks.”

The first report she typed turned out to be a mammogram, and Dr. Stevens had discovered a malignant tumor in this thirty-eight year old woman’s left breast. It didn’t take long for her to get back into the swing of things again.

***

“Holly,” Mrs. Harris knocked on her door one evening. “There’s a telephone call for you, dear. A nice young gentleman, Justin I think he said his name was. We had such a lovely chat.”

Holly’s heart leapt. Lilly was asleep in bed, so she hurried after Mrs. Harris.

She was shocked to notice a tremor in her hand as she picked up the phone. “Hello.”

“Hi, it’s Justin. How are you?”

“Fine thanks.” What a lie. She felt like a gibbering wreck as she all but collapsed into an armchair.

“How’s Lilly?”

“Good.”

“How’s work.”

“I’ve only been at Glen Fern a couple of days, but I like it. How did you get my number?”

“From the security book in my office building. Would you like to come out to dinner with me on Saturday night?

“Dinner?” Holly queried. When Justin bid her farewell at his work, he looked like he hated her.

“Yes, my way of apologizing for my boorish behavior the other day.”

“Say yes, say yes,” Mrs. Harris waved frantically in the background. “I’ll mind Lilly for you.”

“Whereabouts? I mean, is it posh?”

He laughed. “Not posh, but you’d need to wear a dress. It will give me a chance to ogle your bare legs.” This teasing Justin was lethal. She wanted to go out with him but didn’t have anything suitable to wear. Disappointment surged through her.

“I can make you a dress,” Mrs. Harris said, obviously realizing her dilemma. “I used to be a seamstress.”

“Thank you, I would like to go.” It was foolish leaving herself open to hurt but she couldn’t help it. She was prepared to risk it for a chance to find happiness again.

“Good. I’ll pick you up about seven. Don’t worry. I’ll have you home before midnight, so our coach won’t turn into a pumpkin.”

At the sound of his soft, intimate laugh, a warm fluttering sensation
started
in the pit of her stomach. She had never met a man with such mercurial mood swings, who ran hot and cold like he did. Robbie had been steady and predictable, so warm and kind it brought a lump to her throat every time she thought about him. She always knew where she stood with him. He loved her with all his heart. Hardly a day would go by that he wouldn’t tell her so, or give her a small token of his esteem.

She swallowed down on the poignant memory. “I’ll look forward to it.”

“Me too. I have to go now. I’m up to my neck in work, see you Saturday.” The line went dead. Slowly, thoughtfully she hung up the phone.

“I’m glad you’re going out with him. He sounds such a nice young man. Now, something for you to wear. Black would be perfect with your blonde hair. I’ve got a black dress that would be ideal. I wore it to a dinner dance a few years ago.”

“But...” She didn’t like to say
you’re twice my size.

“Miles too big, of course, dear, but it’s an exquisite thing. I can alter it. There’s a beaded jacket we can use for decoration.”