Scandal (Tainted #1) (21 page)

She raked in the cupboard beside the sofa and pulled out the phone book, then flicked through the pages. If she was right, a magazine like
Taylor Made
would sign Mai exclusively for a feature, maybe every other story for a while yet. It was her last hope.

‘Is Mai’s number registered?’

‘I think so. She’d want the press to be able to get in touch. Alicia –’

‘One issue at a time, Sebastian.’ She found the number and dialled it from her cell, blocking the number.

‘What are you going to do?’ he asked, but she didn’t answer.

A second later, Mai picked up. Alicia put on her best Cockney accent and said she was a freelancer for a gossip mag.

‘You want me to tell you more about the split?’ Mai said.

Alicia tsked. ‘That’s old news, sweets. I was thinking about doing a piece on how your life has improved when his is going down the lav.’

He made a face at her and she couldn’t help but smile, despite the fact she had a trillion questions for him about that kiss.

‘Oh, uh. Yes, that sounds good. But does it have to be now?’ Mai asked.

‘Now’s the only chance. We need to fill a spot and I’ve managed to squeeze you into the next issue.’ Alicia crossed her fingers and earned a puzzled look from him.

‘Oh … I’m sorry, but I’ve given someone else the exclusives for the next month.’

She closed her eyes, thankful at least that she knew who would be splashing the kiss all over their pages, but getting them to reconsider printing the pictures would be the hard part.

‘Maybe another time.’ Alicia closed her cell. ‘
Taylor Made
have all the exclusives for the next month. That’s probably where the … kiss will be printed.’

Sebastian crossed to the sofa and knelt in front of her. He took her phone, set it down on the table, then grabbed her hands. Looked her right in the eye. ‘I pushed her away. Whatever I felt for Mai is gone. The only reason I went to see her was to apologise – now I wish I hadn’t.’

She blinked again, but this time it was to stop her eyes from getting all watery.

‘You didn’t need to tell me that.’ But she was glad he did.

‘I’d say since we’ve seen each other naked that I should.’ She narrowed her eyes and he grinned, but it was short-lived. ‘And you’re my publicist. Bet you’ve never had a client as hellish as me.’

She wanted to see the grin again, especially now he’d told her the truth – but it was hard to force herself to be light. There was still the potential article coming with God knew what spin Mai had put on it. But she had some time. The next issue of
Taylor Made
wasn’t out for a fortnight.

She tried a joke. ‘Before we met I thought working for you would be like trying to shove Hitler’s skeletons into a closet.’

It worked, he laughed a little. ‘I don’t have skeletons. Just a scorned ex.’

‘Maybe covering up after Hitler would be easier than facing off against what Mai keeps throwing at you.’ Alicia wasn’t kidding this time.

He tugged her off the sofa, then stood, holding her close. She let him pull her into a kiss that melted her to the core and made her heart pound in a much better way than before. Maybe dinner could wait, and so could dealing with this mess, especially since his hands were sliding beneath her shirt and up her spine. She shivered and he pulled away.

‘I was going to get us takeout,’ he said.

She frowned. ‘That’s what you were thinking about when you kissed me?’

He laughed. ‘No, but I’m trying to take my mind off dragging you to bed. We should eat first, though. We’ll need the energy.’

The shivers turned into a heat she couldn’t shake off. ‘Well, we don’t have to wait. I cooked today.’

His eyes glinted. ‘I’ll thank you properly after.’

Juliette dialled the number of her first-born daughter, feeling more excited than she had in a long time. Her desk was covered in papers and she had been so busy this week she’d barely touched the liquor the gardener had brought her. It was times like now, when she saw her daughters happy, that her misery was overshadowed completely.

‘Mother, I was just going to call. How are you?’ Daria answered.

Juliette rolled her eyes – a bad habit she’d picked up from her children, but it fit with her daughter’s fib. Daria sounded distant, which meant she was probably heavily into a new range of designs. She barely kept track of time when she started a project.

‘I’m wonderful, dear.’ At least, this time she was. She hated having to force out lies. There had been so many since she married Arthur that she’d lost count. ‘Have you made a decision on who you want to cover the wedding?’

‘Is it really necessary? Blair and I thought it would just be a quiet, family thing.’ At least Daria sounded like she was paying attention now.

‘You know your father.’ Well, she knew enough of him to know events like this in their household were events he wanted the wold to witness. His filthy secrets and betrayals on the other hand …

‘OK, I’ll think about it,’ Daria said, but it sounded more like a way to end the topic.

‘Thank you. Have you spoken with the French designer about the dresses? We can’t leave that much longer.’ Then there were the caterers, the decorators, the flowers. So much to do in such a short time. The distraction from her life was heaven sent.

‘Actually, would you mind taking a look at what I’ve drawn up? I’ve been working on dresses for Alicia, Sylvia, and myself.’

Juliette frowned. Arthur would not allow his eldest daughter to be in anything but the best – even though she’d be happy as long as Daria was. Something else she’d have to subtly fight for without overstepping her place as the dutiful wife. ‘Email them to me and I’ll run them past your father.’

‘You know what he’ll say,’ Daria said, then sighed. ‘Thanks for trying though.’

Juliette knew alright. She knew everything about that man – every scandalous detail. ‘I can’t promise he’ll agree but I’ll try.’

‘You’re the best,’ she said.

Juliette smiled and her heart swelled. This was the kind of relationship she wished she could have had with her mother, one full of confidences and love. Her children’s love was the only love she’d known.

‘I’ll call you tomorrow, dear,’ she said.

Daria said her goodbyes. Juliette had just returned the phone to the cradle when Arthur stormed into her study. She jumped a little, but quickly regained composure. Had he been listening to her conversation?

But then he threw a file down on the table over her plans for the wedding. ‘This is the last straw! If you won’t let me do something about this then you should. She’s your daughter too!’

Startled at his anger, she opened the file to reveal a dozen photographs. She didn’t recognise the couple at first. Not until she noticed the man’s dark hair beneath the cap. Though it was hard to make out his face in some, she recognised the woman attached to it.

Juliette gasped and dropped the pictures. ‘Where did you get these?’

‘Does it matter? He’s playing Alicia for a fool. You have to talk to her, make her see sense. It’s either that or the press get to them first.’

For once she couldn’t hide her anger. ‘Is that what you care about, Arthur? That your daughter’s embarrassment will cause your own? Alicia will be heartbroken.’

The old fool sputtered. ‘I saved her from that before and look how she thanked me! No, now I care about the things she doesn’t. This family’s reputation is much more important –’

‘You forced her to kill her child,’ Juliette snapped, unable to hide the hatred she had for him.

His scowl turned dangerous, like it did the day he kicked Jonathan out. Part of her wanted the same fate, but she’d be shamed. Just like Arthur’s son. Still, it meant she would be freed from this life, wouldn’t it?

‘She was just a child herself. Imagine the hell she’d have gone through if I didn’t! Do you think any respectable man would have had her, lumbered with a baby at sixteen?’ he countered, but his voice had turned icy cool.

Juliette knew she couldn’t push him further. Not that she wasn’t tempted. But she wouldn’t risk him turning her children against her. They were all she had.

He must have known he’d beaten her, because he smiled. ‘Talk to her, make her see sense or I’ll forbid her from ever setting foot in this house or associating with any of us again.’

She gritted her teeth. ‘You can’t fault her for falling in love – it’s not a crime. And if anyone bothered to scratch the surface of the façade we all put on, they’ll find more to bring us down with than a cheating boyfriend.’

‘Maybe so, but nobody has reason to, and the past is buried deeply.’ He walked away, but issued one final command. ‘This weekend I want you to give Alicia these pictures. And if she doesn’t believe them, there are plenty more.’

‘You hired someone to dig up dirt on her boyfriend?’ And she’d assumed there were no new ways her husband could shock her.

‘Yes, and he’s only just scratched the surface.’

Chapter Sixteen

‘That was amazing,’ Sebastian said, pulling her onto his lap and nibbling her collarbone.

It had the affect he was hoping for – Alicia shivered and a moan escaped her lips.

‘Did you think that because we had a cook I’d never put a meal together before?’ she asked, arching her neck to give him better access.

Sebastian pushed her hair out of the way, exposing her pale, smooth skin. He trailed his tongue down her artery and a flash of heat arrowed straight to his groin. ‘Everything you put your mind to turns out brilliant.’

It was the truth. Over dinner she’d caught him up on what she’d done for the charity. In a few days she’d put everything together better than a professional probably could have. Not to mention the way she’d dealt with his confession. It made him feel like an idiot for going to see Mai and not expecting she had a ploy to make a mint off him. And he felt even worse for not telling Alicia what he’d been up to beforehand.

‘Flattery will get you everywhere, Collins.’ She twisted in his arms until she’d straddled his hips. ‘Maybe it’s time we moved this from the sofa?’

He traced the outline of her lips with his thumb, putting the way his heart swelled down to gratitude. Other women may not have heard him out before they jumped to conclusions but Alicia hadn’t pushed for answers. She’d just tried to fix it, even though he’d seen the flash of hurt in her eyes. Sure, he was paying her to clean up his rep but they were also together for now. He owed her the truth.

‘I’ll make you a deal,’ he said.

‘OK,’ she agreed, but it was more than curiosity in her eyes.

Sebastian tugged her so close their lips were almost touching. ‘I’ll do anything you want tonight, but you have to ask me for it.’

Her eyes widened. ‘In detail?’

He couldn’t be sure if she was turned on or terrified by what he was asking, but decided to push her that bit farther. He knew she was passionate with a lot more of herself to give. Something in her past was holding her back and he wanted her to be free of it almost as much as he wanted to wipe the floor with his opponents at Wimbledon.

‘Yup. You don’t ask, you don’t get.’ He grinned.

Red scored her cheekbones. ‘I … don’t know.’

Sebastian kissed her – hoping to make her so hot her embarrassment would fade. It backfired when she met him full-on, opening to him and caressing his tongue with hers. When her centre pressed against his erection, causing a friction that made his blood boil and reason fade, he had to pull back.

They were both breathless as he waited, and finally she said, ‘I want you to kiss me like that. In my bedroom.’

Any more kissing would mean he’d get way too impatient to wait for instructions, but he reckoned that was her plan. Still, he obliged because she asked and tried to pull himself back from the edge so he didn’t give in too soon.

Her bed helped. It was all pink and fluffy with a few stuffed animals placed by her cushions. Alicia’s face turned a darker shade of red and he couldn’t hold in a chuckle. ‘It’s not the manliest place in the world.’

She pulled off the toys and placed them on her dressing table, like she was in a rush to get rid of the evidence. ‘There’re never any men in here, so it’s not normally a problem.’

Her admission brought back the feelings he’d had last night, in his bathroom after the first time they’d been together. It felt a lot like an instinctual need to claim and devour, which helped clear his head. This wasn’t about marking Alicia as his – she could never be. Their lives were too different and no matter how much he’d wanted a steady partner, a home, someone to love, that was never going to happen. He’d learned his lesson with Mai.

‘I want you to undress,’ she said.

All thoughts of the day and previous night got shoved aside. Alicia was asking for what she wanted and there wasn’t a shred of embarrassment in her eyes now. He tugged off his T-shirt, then went to work on his jeans. She watched his hands as he undid the buttons and pushed them down his hips.

The carnal look in her eyes made waiting for her to ask feel like torture.

‘Now I strip you?’ he asked, too impatient to wait. He didn’t see the sweater that hid her figure or the jeans that didn’t do a thing to showcase her long, lean legs. All he could see was her soft curves, pale, smooth, and sexy as hell.

But Alicia wasn’t listening. Her gaze roved over his exposed skin with parted lips, like she couldn’t get enough. His plan to get her to ask for what she wanted and open up didn’t seem as important as having his hands on her in that moment.

When he tugged her into his arms and kissed her, he knew this was a better idea. She pressed herself closer, and all he could think was that there were far too many clothes in the way. Going to work on her jean buttons he kept her close and kissed her deeper. Alicia got rid of her top and he shoved the trousers down to her knees with her pants.

‘Sebastian, there’s something I want.’

She didn’t meet his eyes, instead focused on his throat. The colour flushing her cheeks meant she was about to ask for something he probably wouldn’t mind giving her.

‘Name it.’

He nibbled her throat while he unclasped her bra. Alicia dug her nails into his biceps as a sigh escaped her lips. ‘I want you to do what you did last night. I … liked that.’