Modern Romance Collection: January 2018 Books 1 -4. Dani CollinsЧитать онлайн книгу.
than it should have been.
‘They have my number, flight departure time,’ Alexei stated. ‘The ball is in their court.’ He checked his watch. ‘I’m catching up with a friend for an hour or two. During which time I need you to complete a few shopping items on my behalf.’
Natalya’s eyes widened. ‘Shopping?’
‘Is that a problem?’ There was a hint of wry amusement in his voice, and she met his gaze, held it.
‘I gather you intend to supply a list?’
‘Note it will be business combined with family while we’re in New York,’ he enlightened, as she retrieved her iPad.’
Natalya attempted to ignore the slight blip in her heartbeat, and stilled the temptation to tell him to choose his own gifts.
Yet if she displayed the slightest hesitation...
‘I guess I can add it to my job description.’ Just don’t make a habit of it, she added silently. Helping the boss choose family gifts came under personal...and personal wasn’t ever going to be in the picture.
‘Your mother?’
‘Books.’
‘That’s really not helpful,’ Natalya offered. ‘Fiction? Fact? Romance...modern, historical, suspense, crime? Shall I elaborate further?’
‘Romantic suspense.’
This could go on for a while. ‘Favourite authors? Or don’t you know?’ She named a few, which presumably didn’t strike a chord.
‘Scarves,’ he added. ‘To add to my mother and sister-in-law’s existing collection.’
‘Any particular designer?’
He named a few, then handed over a credit card.
Safe choices, Natalya mused, and two hours later she had acquired numerous gifts beautifully wrapped and placed in a clutch of glossy carrier bags.
Ignoring the occasional brief...very brief moment, she recalled other occasions of shared shopping excursions. A time when Alexei would place an arm across her shoulders and catch her body close to his own. The dark emotion evident in his eyes, and the silent promise of how the day would end.
The memories shouldn’t affect her...except they did, and she mentally struggled to put them back into a figurative box, and throw away the key.
She re-entered the hotel foyer to find Alexei standing to one side, newspaper in hand as he appeared seemingly engaged in reading an article.
Alexei’s smartphone beeped as she drew close, and he moved aside to take the call, kept it brief while Natalya checked her watch, noted they had an hour and a half to pack, check out, and reach the airport to make their flight.
‘The deal has been accepted,’ Alexei relayed as he returned to her side.
Of course, she acknowledged silently. Had there been any doubt?
A FEW HOURS later they disembarked at Sydney’s major airport, collected their bags, and were met by Paul in the passenger lounge.
‘Welcome back,’ Paul greeted with a smile. ‘A successful trip?’
Natalya inclined her head as Alexei answered in the affirmative as Paul took hold of their bags, and began leading the way towards the exit.
Confirmation documents digitally signed in ADE Conglomerate’s favour had been recorded. Another deal settled, Natalya acknowledged as Paul eased Alexei’s limousine away from the terminal.
No matter how many domestic and international flights Natalya had made over the years, the return to Sydney inevitably invited the pleasure of familiarity, the buzz of city traffic, famous landmarks.
Mission accomplished, she acceded...admitting it was good to be back. Within half an hour of her own home, free of an insidious awareness pervading her senses with every passing day.
A temporary madness, she dismissed, due to being in Alexei’s presence a minimum of eight hours five days a week...more, if you counted business dinners, travel.
She didn’t feel comfortable with it. Didn’t condone he had managed to manoeuvre her between a rock and a hard place by robbing her of choice...aware there was only one choice she could make.
It made her want to rail her fists against him...except she didn’t do tantrums. Couldn’t remember throwing any, even as a child. Not that there had ever been a reason for her to do so.
A faint smile curved the edges of her lips. Except one incidence as a child in first grade when a boy...she couldn’t even recall his name...grabbed hold of her single hair braid and pulled it so hard her eyes had watered. The taunt of ‘cry-baby’ had made her so mad she didn’t hesitate to kick him...inadvertently where it hurt him most. An act which earned both children a demerit point, a lecture, and a phone call to each of their parents.
A forgotten incident...until now.
The limousine eased to a halt outside her home, and she emerged from the door Alexei held open while Paul removed her bag.
It was a simple expedient to offer Paul a polite word in thanks, reach for her bag, only to have Alexei collect it and accompany her to the front door, wait as she extracted her keys.
‘I can take it from here.’
For a brief moment she imagined she glimpsed a tinge of amusement in his dark eyes. The temptation to execute an expressive eye-roll was uppermost. She selected the appropriate key, unlocked the front door, reached for her bag...missed by a mere second or two as Alexei placed it in the hallway before exiting without so much as a backwards glance.
An unladylike swear word slipped quietly from her lips, followed by another as she transferred her bag into her bedroom, tossed her satchel, then dug out her smartphone and rang Ben.
‘Okay if I call over and collect Ollie?’
‘Sure. He’s antsy. I think he heard the car and your key in the door.’
‘On my way.’
And there was Ben waiting for her with Ollie in his arms. ‘Good trip?’
The fluffy cream seal-pointed cat squirmed with delight at the sight of his mistress, purred as Ben transferred him to Natalya, and she smiled as Ollie smooched his head into the curve of her neck, lightly nipped her earlobe in mild protest at her absence and followed it with another smooch.
‘You missed me, huh?’ Natalya acknowledged, and received a soft plaintive meow in return.
‘Thanks, Ben. I appreciate you taking care of him.’
‘No problem. Any time.’
He was a great neighbour, and looked out for her like the brother she didn’t have. ‘We’ll catch up. Soon,’ she added, meaning it.
‘No rush. Whenever.’
She smiled, aware his life was even more hectic than her own. ‘We’re good.’ And they were, for the pet minding thing was reciprocal... Ben owned an adorable sad-faced pug named Alfie, whom she looked after on occasion. ‘Talk soon.’
‘Look forward to it,’ Ben bade as she crossed to her adjoining apartment.
Time spent with Ollie, smooches, head-butts...the feline equivalent of an adoring, Welcome home. I missed you, and food...always a clincher.
After which she changed into comfortable sweats, unpacked her bag, set up her laptop, checked the agreement, itemised the salient points and sent the data to Alexei. Resisting adding an expressive emoji...only to send it separately minutes later.
Time for a light meal, shower, then hit the bed with Ollie curled up beside her,