The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (39 page)

He narrowed his eyes and nodded firmly. “Yes.” And that was it, he was back to his usual grim self.

After preparing his coffee and mine I handed him the cup. His fingers brushed mine, sending a small jolt through me, flowing electricity down to areas I kept hidden. I frowned to myself and as he placed his cup on the desk he rubbed the edge of his fingers; had he felt it too?

“Right,” he looked at me. “I’ve never had an assistant before so I need to know what your duties consist of, Ava.” He cocked his head and held my gaze, “What you do for me?” he added with a slight twitch in his lips.

Oh God, what I could do for him!

A warm feeling pooled between my thighs. I fidgeted in my seat, my teeth chewing on my little finger again. What the hell was happening to me?

I cleared my throat. “Well Mr Fox, it’s usually personal things such as shopping, cooking, laundry, kind of like a housekeeper but then I also could deal with your personal appointments, pay your bills and accompany you on any engagements you need me for. To be brutally honest . . .” I swallowed, not sure how to say this last part, “ . . . whatever you need from me.” I sucked in my lips, knowing how it sounded but there wasn’t any other way to say it.

His eyebrows lifted and he bit his bottom lip. “Whatever I need.” It was said as a statement not a question and he cocked his head, a small twinkle in his eye as his gaze settled on my mouth.

I swallowed again. “Yes Mr Fox, within reason of course,” I added, trying to get the erotic pictures out of my head.

My breathing had become heavy and I was struggling not to shut my eyes and let out a groan. “Of Course” he smirked, his eyes on mine as he shifted position in his seat.

He seemed to shake his head of some thought then cleared his throat, “Right, Ava that sounds . . . fun.” Another smile lifted his mouth.

Wow, where were they all coming from? I didn’t think this man had it in him. “So say shopping, laundry and cooking for now, and then we can ease you in to the business side of things. I have a cleaner who comes in three times a week so I’ll leave the housework to her and then we’ll just play it by ear. I’m sure we’ll work round it together.” He glanced down at some paperwork, tapped his fingers on the desk and then looked at me.

“However Ava, I need you to sign a NDA. I know George has vouched for you but I need the extra security.” He seemed nervous now and I empathised with him. I think he thought it was rude to ask.

“That’s fine, Mr Fox. I expected it anyway. But can I just say, anything, and I mean anything that occurs while I’m in your employment is in strict confidence. Even your shopping list is top secret.” I smiled, trying to ease his worries. His face spilt into a wonderful grin.

My god, this man was beautiful when he smiled. I marginally managed to suppress the small groan that threatened to surface.

He tipped his head and passed me the contract to sign, “Thank you, Ava.” I shrugged and skimmed over the contract wording before I signed then handed it back to him.

“Right, I need your bank details for your salary, your mobile number so I can reach you and the usual information, you know address, date of birth, that sort of thing” he said as he handed me a notepad to write it all down.

As I jotted down the things he had asked for, the room was silent but I could feel his eyes watching my hand sweep across the paper. His breathing seemed to get heavy and I wondered if he had a fetish for pens . . . or hands.

I swung my gaze to his when I had finished and his eyes locked on mine, we seemed to stare at each other for a long while, both of us lost in each other’s scrutiny.

I broke the contact and lowered my eyes to my lap as my little finger snaked its way to my mouth, chewing rapidly on my fingertip.

I was sure I heard a slight groan from Mason but he quickly covered it by coughing and standing up swiftly.

“Right Ava, what do you need to do first?” he asked, his eyes now regarding the garden through the window.

“Well, I would be grateful if you could write down what things you like to eat so I can do your shopping, you don’t seem to have much in.”

He nodded and flipped a page on the notebook. “Anything really, I’m not a fussy eater. I have a bit of a sweet tooth so I like to have lots of sugary things in.”

He ripped the paper from the notepad and pulled his wallet from his pocket, retrieved some cash and handed it me with the shopping list.

“I’ll sort out a credit card for you, Ava so you don’t have to keep coming to ask for cash.” He also handed me an envelope, “There’s the front door key and alarm code.”

I took the items from him and nodded, “No rush. I can pay and then save the receipts for you till then.” He nodded and his phone rang on his desk.

“Right, I’ll go do your shopping. I’ve wrote my mobile number down if you need to reach me.” I turned swiftly and exited the room, shutting the door quietly I leant against it and took a deep breath.

It was going to be hard to rein in my reactions to this man but I also knew that I wouldn’t and couldn’t have any sort of relationship with him, my past life always at the front of my mind, crushing any thoughts of a sexual relationship with anyone.

CHAPTER 3

I RETURNED A couple of hours later loaded with food and as I entered the entrance hallway Mason was coming down the stairs, accompanied by a tall, dark haired woman.

She was very beautiful, in a phoney kind of way; my instincts pulling towards plastic surgery and Botox.

Her clothes were expensive and designer, her hair and make-up professionally done but it was her assessment of me that made me dislike her instantly. Her gaze travelled the length of me. Her pouty lips curled in distaste as her eyes narrowed.

“Hi,” Mason smiled. “Did you get everything you needed, Ava?” He walked over to me and took the bags from me, carrying them into the kitchen, placing them on the island.

“Yes, I think so, Mr Fox.”

He turned and frowned. “Ava, please call me Mason. Mr Fox makes me feel old,” he laughed. I smiled back.

“You’re far from old Mr . . . Mason” I corrected.

He grinned widely at me. “Well done, see it’s not hard. Anymore shopping to bring in?”

I nodded. “It’s fine though, I can manage. There’s only a few more.” I told him, making my way back through the hall to the front doors.

As I reached into my car boot he appeared beside me, making me jolt backwards.

He grinned at me, “I always seem to make you jump, Ava.” His face fell a little. “Do I scare you?” he asked seriously, his deep grey eyes penetrating mine.

Gulping, I laughed nervously. “No, Mr Fox. I’m always a little jumpy, just ignore me.” He narrowed his eyes and held my gaze silently for a while then seemed to accept my answer. He leaned in my boot to retrieve the bags, taking them all and walked back to the house.

I closed the boot and placed my hand against the roof, closing my eyes. Taking deep breaths I desperately attempted to clear my head. This man was really unnerving me. If I was honest with myself he did frighten me slightly, not out of fear of physical pain but something that I knew was making me lose my control and self-preservation. I couldn’t work out why I was reacting this way to him; yes, he was stunning but I had been around good looking men before and I had never . . .
never
had this reaction to anyone.

Taking another deep breath I turned back to the house, halting as I saw Mason stood in the doorway watching me intently, his head cocked to one side. I smiled nervously and followed him into the house.

Miss Botox was watching us questioningly, when she looked at me I could see the hatred behind her eyes. “Are you going to introduce us, Mason darling?” she purred, walking over to him and planting a kiss on his cheek.

I got the impression she was marking her territory and if she was male I was sure she would have cocked her leg and pissed up his.

Mason looked at her sharply, “Rebecca this is Ava Stone, she’s my new personal assistant; George Fielding’s surrogate daughter.”

He then he turned to me, “Ava, this is Rebecca Delaney, a friend of mine.” I smiled at her but she stared at Mason.

“I think we’re more than just friends, Mason” she hummed as she touched his forearm. He turned to her again and narrowed his eyes.

“We fuck, Bec” he said sternly. I raised my eyebrows at his cruelty.

Rebecca recoiled a little but then turned to me. “Nice to meet you, Ava” she snapped and turned and walked out of the house, the front door slamming loudly behind her.

Mason turned to me with a cheeky smile on his face. “Oops,” he shrugged. I blushed furiously, not quite knowing how to take his aloofness to someone he was sleeping with.

I lowered my eyes and started to unpack the shopping. “What would you like for your lunch, Mr Fox?” I asked, trying to change the subject rapidly.

I felt a hand on my forearm but I didn’t turn round. “I’m sorry Ava; I seemed to have embarrassed you.”

I shook my head rapidly, still not looking at him but highly aware of his hand resting on my arm, the heat of it making my hair stand on end. “No, no, Mr Fox. Your private affairs don’t concern me; it’s none of my business.”

I was embarrassed that I had shown my awkwardness when it was nothing to do with me what he did with other women.

He nodded at my statement and turned to leave. “A sandwich will do, Ava and I ask again, please call me Mason.”

I raised my eyes to him and nodded my confirmation before he disappeared out of the room.

Flicking the kettle on, desperate for caffeine, I busied myself emptying the bags and filling the fridge.

I quickly made him a beef salad on rye bread and placed it on a plate with a side portion of crisps, accompanying it with a bottle of water and a coffee I took it up to his office.

Knocking lightly I smiled when I heard his acknowledgement. “Yep,” his voice shouted. I wondered if he ever said ‘come in.’

I opened his door and walked in, setting the tray on his desk.

“Layla, babe, calm the fuck down and trust me, I said I’ll see to it . . .” He spoke into the phone whilst he watched me, smiled and mouthed a thank you.

I nodded and turned to leave the room.

“Ava,” he said behind me. I glanced round my shoulder at him, noticing as I turned that his gaze quickly lifted from my backside to my face. “I’m going to be out for most of the afternoon, is there anything you need to know before I go?” he inquired as he held his hand over the mouthpiece on his phone.

I shook my head, “No, everything’s fine. I’ll be leaving around 6pm, is that okay?”

He nodded and smiled. I turned to leave but I quickly spun back round. “Did you need me to fix anything for your dinner before I go?”

“No, I have an engagement tonight so I’ll be eating out but thank you.” His face seemed to cloud over as he said it and I knew he had finished talking to me.

Nodding, I left the room, wondering if his ‘engagement’ was with a woman but quickly banished that idea from my head.

It was nothing to do with me but I couldn’t help feel the stab of something resembling jealousy again.

Absurd, Ava!

* * *

Mason shouted that he was leaving but didn’t look in on me.

I decided to bake him some cookies and brownies because he had told me he had a sweet tooth. I enjoyed cooking, it helped to relax me. George had often been experimented on, sometimes turning green in my trial periods, yet he always ate whatever I made in earnest. Often we had both ended up in hysterics at the faces he pulled, but he wouldn’t tell me how awful it was.

I had persevered and now my culinary skills were a lot better, my love of cooking reflecting in some perfect dishes I created.

My friends were always insisting that I cook for them. It gave me a secret pride in myself knowing I could create something that people enjoyed.

I placed the baked treats on a plate and then placed them in the fridge, and at 6pm I made my way home.

* * *

Pulling up in front of my cottage I noticed my friend Courtney sat on my doorstep. Her face was tear-streaked. When she spotted me she shrugged and gave me a nervous laugh.

I cocked my head at her sympathetically. “Not again,” I sighed to her as I pulled her up and embraced her. She sobbed in to my shoulder as I hugged her. “Come on, let’s go in and open some wine.”

She smiled and followed me in, slumping onto my couch as I got the wine and glasses from the kitchen.

As I returned to her she took one look at me then the tears flowed again. I quickly pulled her against me. “Courtney, why do you keep doing this to yourself?” I asked and I felt her shrug.

“I dunno Ava, I love him” she sobbed.

I shook my head at her, my anger at her behaviour plainly showing on my face, “But how many times is he going to cheat on you? This is the third time and while I can understand you taking him back after the first, why let it keep happening? I don’t want to hurt you hun, but he obviously doesn’t care about you in the same way, otherwise he wouldn’t do this to you.”

She sobbed and shrugged again as I stroked her hair. “Courtney, you are worth so much more than this” I told her, meaning every word.

We had met at the business and finance course we had both done at night school. George had insisted that I get some qualifications as a backup if anything happened to him and I had made some loyal, great friends; Courtney being my closest as we had hit it off straight away, having lots in common as we had discovered we had both grown up in foster care. She was the only one I could open up to about my childhood. Her experiences of foster care had been exceptionally better than mine but she still had the same sense of not belonging anywhere.

She pulled away from me and reached over for her wine, taking a large mouthful she turned to me, her pale face even pastier, “I walked in on them this time.” She gulped down the tears and my heart broke for her.

“Oh no, Courtney.” I immediately grabbed her hand but she pulled it away, her brow furrowing as though she didn’t quite know how to say the next part.

“It was . . . it . . . it was Tracey,” she whispered the name as though it stabbed her.