Chapter 9

When she woke up the following day, he was gone. The shower installation was wet, indicating that he had used it, and the damp towels were thrown into the hamper. She had gotten a few hours of sleep, but the pounding inside her head warned her that it was not enough.

She quickly showered and walked into the closet to select something suitable. The things had arrived from Romano’s, and the efficient housekeeper had done an excellent job hanging and folding them.

Picking out a turquoise dress with a fitted bodice and tiny sleeves, she pulled it over her head and turned to look at her reflection. It molded to her shape, clinging to her small waist and the curves of her hips before narrowing to just above her knees. The dress and matching accessories came with a hammered gold belt.

Sitting on the vanity stool, she decided to use a little makeup to hide the ravages of her lack of sleep. The firm did not need to know that she and her husband had problems. She was going to pretend like hell that she was living in paradise.

She would not give Marcel the satisfaction of knowing she had spent the night yearning for him. She had her pride if nothing else.

With that in mind, she picked up the tube of ruby-red lipstick and applied it carefully. Next came the eyeshadow and then the exotic-smelling perfume that had been sent along with several others.

The shoes matched the dress. She slipped her stocking-footed feet into them and picked up a thin cashmere jacket. It was getting nippy, even though it was still summer. Her hair was loose around her face, with curls floating down her back. Satisfied that she looked her best, she made her way downstairs.

She had a new client to meet with first thing this morning, and she was going to do her damn job.

*****

“They are already in Conference Room C,” Marge said as she handed Nikki the files she needed for the meeting.

“They?”

“Your husband and brother-in-law.”

“I see. Thanks, Marge.”

“You look stunning - even more so than usual.” The woman told her with a smile.

“What I was aiming for.” Pasting a bright smile on her face, her coffee cup in her left hand and the file in her right, she marched along the passageway until she came to the room. Conference Room C was one of the largest and most opulent rooms where they engaged new clients.

She could see her husband conversing with his brother from her position outside the glass enclosure. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her composure and stepped into the room.

“Gentlemen.” Walking over to her seat, she put the folder and cup down and greeted Matthew, who had risen and was moving away from his chair to meet her halfway.

“Wow!” He whistled. “You look like you just stepped from the pages of a magazine. Is this for me or the new client?”

“The new client, naturally.” She gave him a warm hug and a smile. “Thanks for the compliment.” Moving out of his arms, she gave Marcel a chilled look. She was about to take her seat when she heard her name.

“Nikki Johnston?”

Turning towards the doorway, she stared at the familiar face in surprise.

“Jonathon Graves?”

“The same. “They both moved simultaneously and Marcel, who had risen to his feet when the man came in, went rigid with displeasure as his wife entered the other man’s arms.

“My God! Look at you!” Ignoring the two men in the room, Jonathan held her at arms’ length, a shocked and bemused look on his handsome face, dark brown eyes filled with admiration. “You were a beauty when you were a girl, but as a woman, you are stunning.”

“Thank you.” Nikki grinned at him, and as if remembering the others in the room, she turned towards them. “Johnathon is a childhood friend of mine. We went to high school together. And it’s Nikki Hadley now. Marcel is my husband-” She gestured to him and then to her brother-in-law. “And this is Matthew, his brother.”

“You are married.” Jonathan shook his head in sorrow. “Of course you are.” Letting go of her arm, he greeted the two men formally before taking his seat.

“I had no idea you owned the company and were interested in taking over the Plaza Hotel,” Nikki murmured as soon as they were all seated.

“It’s a subsidiary company.” Jonathan included the others in the discussion. “I was recommended to the firm by an associate of mine.” he turned to direct a look between the two men. “I have lived in London for the past fifteen years, and my parent company is based there.

We are acquiring properties in the US, and I have decided to come and see to it myself.” Turning back to Nikki, he took her hand in his. “I had no idea you were here. We lost touch when I left, and I should have contacted you.”

“You are here now.” She glanced over to see her husband watching her with a frown. “And we should get down to business.”

*****

“He seems smitten.” Moving over to the sideboard in the conference room, Matthew poured a glass of orange juice before turning to look at his brother.

Marcel had been mostly silent during the consult, just shooting a few relevant questions to their newest client, his tone formal and bordering on unfriendly. “And I feel that his considerable holdings will now be handled by us, due mostly to your wife.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Marcel warned him. The urge to plow his fist into the man’s face had been so strong that he had to restrain the impulse physically. He had experienced a severe punch to his stomach when she walked into the conference room.

He had spent a miserable night last night aching to be with her and had stood at the side of the bed staring at her. She had managed to remove the sheets off her altogether, and he had the agonizing few minutes of staring at her bare flesh until he had to force himself to leave.

And yes, he had seen the way the son of a bitch looked at her. He had also seen the way he touched her as they made their way out. She had been laughing at something he said, sharing memories of their youths. Had he been her first? The thought twisted his guts into knots and made it difficult for him to breathe.

“You barely spoke two words to her since she came in, and every suggestion she puts across, you shot them down.” Matthew persisted, staring at his brother’s glowering expression. “You also looked as if you wanted to do bodily harm to the guy. The tension inside the room was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.”

Matthew took a sip of his juice as he eyed his brother. “I don’t understand why you are ignoring her and don’t expect another man to notice how beautiful she is. What the hell is your problem?”

“My marriage has nothing to do with you.”

“Your pigheadedness is going to be the death of you.” His brother told him with a sigh. “I have another meeting.”

Marcel watched him leave and sat there glowering at the documents on the table in front of him. Was she wishing she had known about this guy before marrying him? The guy was wealthy enough to have gotten her out of her predicament, and he was obviously ‘smitten,’ as Matthew had put it.

He had left her alone in their bed last night. Was she going to start thinking that this guy was far less trouble? And why the hell did he care? But he did - God helped him, and he could feel the jealousy twisting his insides like vicious blades. Shoving to his feet, he stalked out of the room and headed to his office.

*****

“I am sorry about your mother,” Jonathan said quietly. He had insisted on buying her breakfast, and she had accepted. She had no other appointments for the rest of the morning, but she needed to review the contract they had just signed and ensure everything was in good standing.

“I should have kept in touch-”

She shook her head as she reached for her coffee. “You had your life to live, and I knew your parents were planning on migrating to the UK.”

“You should have come with me.” He half-teased.

“I had my own life; we had just a fling.” She reminded him. She had selected the restaurant, a hip uptown cafe where the business world dropped in to make deals over expensive coffee and croissants. The coffee was excellent, but the croissants needed work.

“Which never led to anything except a chaste kiss on the cheek.” Jonathan eyed her thoughtfully. “I am divorced.”

“And I am married.” She nodded to the rings.

“You are not happy.”

Her tapered eyebrows lifted. “So, now you are a mind reader?”

“Your husband wanted to tear me from limb to limb, and he barely managed to sit through the meeting. What’s the story there?”

“That it’s none of your concern.” She told him mildly. “It’s complicated.”“Another word for not working out.”

“Complicated.” She repeated. “And off the table.”

“Spoken like a true lawyer.” His eyes glinted as he stared at the beautiful woman across from him. “Mine is not, however. Janice and I got married after just a month of courtship. She was this lovely English beauty, delicate as a rose and incredibly sweet. I felt like a knight in shining armor.

She is some sort of aristocrat and comes from a long line of proper breeding.” Picking up his cup, he took a sip of the coffee, his expression reflective. “It was great during the courtship, and we agreed, or rather, I agreed, that I would not force her into getting physical before the marriage.

Considering it was just four weeks, it was not so much a hardship.” Pausing, he allowed his gaze to drift to the opposite table, where a heated, hushed discussion was happening among several men in business suits.

“You don’t have to.”

Bringing his gaze back to the vision before him, he smiled. “I want to. Fast forward to the wedding night. We went to Scotland, where her daddy has a cottage. It was perfect; the place was delightful and surreal, the weather was wonderful, and it was a perfect setting for the honeymoon. But she would not let me touch her.

I tried several times during the two weeks, and each time, she would assure me that it would be the last time, and it never happened.

She would not let me come near her at all. We went back home to London the same way we had left. I tried to make it work for almost a year, but the frustration was more than I could bear.” He smiled. “She told me that she would understand if I took on a mistress, but that was not my style.”

“What happened to her? Was she assaulted?”

Johnathon nodded. “When she was five years old, a friend of her dad’s molested her, and because of his status in society, she was afraid to say anything.”

“So, she continued to live with the horror of it and allowed it to ruin her life.”

He smiled at her indignant expression. “Not all women are as strong as you are, darling.”

“I am a survivor.”

“That you are. I blame myself for not keeping in touch with you. I should have, and maybe we would have ended up together.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. You were more like a brother to me than anything else. That’s why it never went past first base.” She told him with a grin.

“What a way to crush a guy’s ego.” He muttered wryly.

“And you wanted nothing more than that from me, either.” Reaching across the table, she took his hand. “I am so happy you are back.”

*****

“Where the hell were you?”

“Having breakfast.” She refused to let him rattle her and walked past him to her desk. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Slamming the door shut, he turned to face her. “You have been gone for more than an hour. Where were you?”

“I was having breakfast with a client. Now, if there is nothing else, I would like to.” She jumped when he slammed his palms on her desk, his eyes glittering with anger.

“You don’t want to play this game with me, Nikki. Believe me when I tell you that I am way better at it. You are my goddamned wife-”

“Now I am your wife!” She laughed mirthlessly. “Last night, when I asked you the same question after you came in at that ungodly hour, what was your response- ‘We cohabitate.’ One rule does not apply to you, and another applies to me. You made it abundantly clear that we are just two people living in the same space.”

“Is this how you want it to be between us?” He asked her coldly.

“You started it, Marcel. I didn’t. I am just following suit. After the other night, I thought we had moved past the uncertainties and pettiness, but I was wrong. And right now, I just want you to leave my office and allow me to get some work done.”

She held her breath as he stood there glaring at her, expelling it when he pushed away from her desk and headed toward the door.

She was about to reach for her phone when he paused at the doorway. “Was he a boyfriend?”

Lifting her head, she looked at the man she wanted so much to love her. As usual, he was wearing a striped suit, which sat on his magnificent frame like a glove. His hair was brushed ruthlessly back from his handsome face. “Yes.”

“I see.” He gave her a mocking look. “Is there any chance of things starting up again between you?”

The idea that he would ask her that question in such a careless manner broke her heart and had her lifting her chin. “You never know. They say old flames are very easy to rekindle, right?”

Without another word, he left and slammed the door shut behind him. Leaning back against the chair, Nikki closed her eyes wearily.

*****

“My dear, you are still here?”

She had been so deep in thought that she had not heard the door being opened.Forcing a smile, Nikki sat up against the cushions and reached for the files she had put next to her on the table. “I had some reading to catch up on.

Her father-in-law came further into the room and closed the door behind him.

“You can talk to me.” He told her quietly.

“No.” Shaking her head, she put aside the files and the pretense she was working. She and her husband were at odds, no - it was safe to say they were at war, and she was tired. “I can’t.”

“Because he is my son?”

“Precisely.”

“I know how stubborn he can be.”

Her laughter tinkled out, cutting off his sentence. “I can be stubborn, too. It’s either going to work out between us or not. Marcel has some issues with the way we went about our marriage. I have tried to show him that it was never about that, but he believes what he wants to believe.

We are married and must find a way to work things out between us, James.” She warned. “I know he is your son, and it is your greatest wish for him to be happy, but it has to be between us.” A smile touched her lips. “And I am a big girl. I have been dealing with trials and obstacles since my dad died. I know how to fight a battle.”

“I know you do.” He told her gently. “You are one of the best lawyers I know.”“Good.” Her smile widened at the compliment coming from a man like him. “I will not allow my husband to think he can walk all over me.”

“The children’s charity function is on Saturday, and you know that the law firm has always hosted the event.”

“Oh, we will be there.” She promised. “I just might stop in to see Monique Romano to get her to design something fabulous for me.”

He rose and came forward to take her hand as she stood up. “Why don’t you take Julia with you?” Drawing her in for a kiss, he hugged her. “Don’t give up on him, please.”

“I won’t.”

“And go home.”

“I will.”

She waited until he left before returning the files to her desk. She was not looking forward to going home and considered whether she should have accepted Johnathon’s invitation to dinner.

But she told James that she was a big girl, and big girls don’t hide out in their offices just because life was a hell of a lot rocky at home. They go home to face the music, whatever tune is playing.

*****

He was determined not to call her. He left the office for a meeting and decided to go home. The argument between them had left him feeling out of sorts, and the thought that she was that son of a bitch made him want to punch something or someone.

So, that’s what he had done. The workout in his well-equipped gym had left him tuckered out and unable to put up the effort to take a shower and go back upstairs.

Flopping back on the mat, he stared at the ceiling, a dark frown on his brow. Where the hell was she?

Getting up from his position on the mat, he went to take a shower.

She was home! The alarm must have gone off when he was in the bathroom. He stood framed inside the open doorway and watched as she draped the dress carelessly over the Queen Anne chair and wriggled out of her panties.

Marcel felt cold sweat popping up on his forehead as he stared at the firm tautness of her butt. Next came her bra.

With one easy movement, she unhooked the front clasp and tossed the flimsy material on the chair before turning towards the bed. It was then she saw him. For a few seconds, they stood there staring at each other, the silence fraught with sexual tension.

Suddenly, the fights and the bitter arguments of the past few days were forgotten. Easing off the doorjamb, he made his way slowly towards her, eyes wandering over her face and settling on the upturned flesh of her breasts. Her nipples hardened in response to his hungry gaze.

“You are late.” He whispered gruffly. “Where were you?”

“I don’t answer to you.” She finally found her voice, even though it came out as a whisper.

“That’s where you are wrong.” His hands clamped on her arms as he hauled her against him. “You are my goddamned wife.”

“You keep tossing that word around whenever it suits your purpose. It does not work that way. And I am tired and want to go to bed.”

“That’s an excellent idea.” Lifting her into his arms, he strode towards the bed and unceremoniously dumped her against the pillows.

He had not bothered to put on his sodden gym wear but had donned a robe he always left there for when he takes a shower after working out. Trapping her slender body, he climbed over her and tugged at the sash around his waist as he got rid of the robe.

“You think that I am going to allow you to make love to me after the way you treated me?”

Easing up off the pillows, she tried to push him away, only to have her hands trapped in both of his.

“Not think, know,” he told her arrogantly. “Were you with him?”

“And if I were?” Her struggles to escape were proving fruitless. “You damned well insulted me and then slept in the other suite, and you now expect me to just open my thighs to you? You have a goddamn nerve!”

“I want you.” He gritted.