Temptation (The Temptation Series) (19 page)

“Uh um, excuse me Sam.” She
looked up.

“Are we still on for lunch?” Chelsea
looked up too and flashed me her unpleasant, smugness.

“Yes, can’t wait, where do
you want to go?”

“Somewhere private, we need
to talk, I’ll pick a spot and meet you here at noon.”

“Oooh sounds serious.” I
smiled reassuringly at her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain
later, anyway I’ve got to go to Versace and pick up my dress for the Tel V’s.” Both
hers and Chelsea’s jaws dropped.
Take that Chelsea you bitch.
I walked
off and if it wasn’t so obvious, I would’ve fist punched the air.

When I walked into the store,
Clarissa was elated and extremely attentive as usual.

“Ms Summers, the dress Mr
Clark ordered for you has arrived please come with me and I’ll assess the fit,
you are going to love it, it’s incredible.”

She closed the store and led
me to the circular change room. Hanging in the very room I experienced my spine
tingling encounter with Bryce, was a magnificent red dress.

“Wow! Is that for me?” She
nodded and ushered me into the room.

“Ms Summers, I will need to
help you but if you are not comfortable with undressing in front of me then…..”

“No, no, that’s fine, I’m
just scared to even touch it let alone put it on, it’s simply stunning.” I
turned around and she helped unzip my dress.

“That’s a beautiful Corset Ms
Summers but it will have to go, the dress comes with matching lingerie, I’ll
leave you to put it on and be back in a moment.”

I began the frustrating task
of unclipping the Corset’s hooks one by one, as frustrating as it was, I did
enjoy luxurious underwear, I had always worn beautiful lingerie, even before I
started wearing beautiful labels, labels that I had only ever seen in magazines
like Vogue and Cosmopolitan. The Versace dress dipped at the front and back
therefore you could not wear a bra, so the matching lingerie that accompanied
the dress wasn’t really a set, it was a teeny tiny little lace G-string and it
was something special, if I closed my eyes, I swear I wasn’t wearing anything
at all.
I gotta get me some more of these babies, but only if they come with
matching bras!

“Alexis, are you ready for
the dress?” Standing in next to nothing, literally, I answered.

“Yes Clarissa, come in.” She
helped me into the dress.

“If you have not already
realised the bra support is built into the gown, I know it plunges at the front
but you should feel secure.” I did feel secure, it was extremely elegant but
also daring, much more daring than anything I would have chosen for myself, I’m
guessing that’s why Bryce picked it. It plunged down the front stopping half
way in between the bottom of my breasts and the top of my navel, the long skirt
fell in a drape with a split to my mid-thigh. The strap on my left shoulder was
covered in small red leather scales that went over the shoulder and down the
back following the dip, then across like a belt which in turn went around the
waist. The scales then continued up around the outside of my right breast and
to the right shoulder strap, then across the back of the neck connecting with
the left shoulder strap. You could say the detailing looked a bit like large
shiny leather sequins, it really was unique and very sophisticated, it also had
an edge of sex kitten to it. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and I
dared to think of how much this dress actually cost.

“Ms Summers, you look simply
beautiful, such a great choice for you. Are you happy with how it sits?”

“I am but the plunge at the
front, is a bit revealing.” I really didn’t know if I could pull it off.

“We can raise it just
slightly if it makes you uncomfortable but Ms Summers you are a beautiful, sexy
young woman who should not be ashamed to show off a bit of skin.”
A bit of
skin, try a lot of skin.
I understood what she was saying though.

“You know what? You’re right,
I do look great and I’m going to wear the shit out of this dress on Monday
night.”
Classy Alexis, you are in Versace, not K-Mart.
Clarissa laughed.

“I have no doubt Ms Summers.”
I reluctantly took the dress off, Clarissa explained she would have it
delivered to the Penthouse Monday morning and in leaving she handed me an
envelope and smiled deviously.

I met Samantha in the lobby,
I figured we’d have lunch in the Penthouse conference room, it was the most
private place I could think of.

“Hey, do you mind having
lunch in the penthouse?”

“Sure, is everything ok?” We
headed for the elevator.

“No, not really but I can’t
tell you here.” We stepped in and she turned to me.

“Spill, now, I’m not waiting
any longer.”
Here goes.

“I saw you and Gareth in the
car park a couple of weeks ago.” She was clearly surprised but she also looked
somewhat embarrassed.

“We are just having a bit of
fun.” She was lying, it was obvious she was lying; being a mother of two I have
developed a talent for lie detecting.

“There’s more Sam.” As I was
about to fill her in on the confrontation I had had with Gareth, the elevator
stopped and he got in, my stomach dropped and I froze on the spot.

“Miss Taylor, just the lady I
am looking for.” Sam tried to hide her embarrassment and giggled. It was hard
not to look at him, the elevator was covered in mirrors.
Why are they all
bloody covered in mirrors?

“Miss Taylor, would you mind
helping me with something?”

“Now?”

“Yes, if it’s not too much
trouble.” She looked at me apologetically and shrugged her shoulders.

“No, it’s no trouble.” The
doors opened to level 8 and he guided her out. Looking back he shot me a
terrifying, yet triumphant look, he knew I was about to spill the beans, I
don’t know how but he did and for some reason he did not want her to know, the
look he just shot me, was a clear warning to keep my mouth shut.

CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN

Stepping out of the elevator
I tried to shake that last encounter, there was more to Gareth Clark and I was determined
to find out what. I pulled out the envelope that Clarissa handed me, it was
sealed and inside another sticky note from Bryce.

Nurse Summers

I’m very much looking
forward to seeing you in the dress on Monday night at the Tel V’s, it will be a
late night so you might want to occupy the guest room, or mine.

Your Mr Clark

Stay overnight?
It was bound to happen at some stage, I did explain
to Rick that it was a part of my job and the $500,000.00 that goes with it, but
due to the news coverage of the accident, I don’t think he will be happy about
it and rightly so, as the temptation of Bryce wanting me to share his bed,
could prove to be a bit much. I have to create some distance; I need space and
time to think about where my life is heading and with whom for that matter. The
Girl’s Weekend away, could be this outlet and really couldn’t come any sooner.
I decided to ring Tash.

“Hey Hun, what’s up?” Her
scratchy and very unmelodic voice began singing through the receiver.

“Love lift us up
where we belong,

Where the Eagles cry,

On a Mountain High.”

“Shut up, not you too.” She
laughed.

“Come on Lexi it was very ‘Officer
and a Gentleman’.”

“That’s what Rick said.”

“Shit, was he pissed?”

“He didn’t come out and say
it but yeah he wasn’t happy, can’t really blame him it was on the news.”

“Lex, you do know what you
are doing, don’t you?” I hung my head and my eyes welled up.

“No Tash, I don’t, I’m
seriously fucking fucked in the head at the moment.” I wiped my eyes.

“Ok Poppit, this weekend
there will be no mention of husbands or sexy stalker billionaires.”

“Sounds good, Oh by the way
one of you will have to drive, I don’t have the Territory anymore.” Suddenly
the phone was taken from my hand.
Hey!

“Tash is it? It’s Bryce
Clark, Alexis will have my Limousine and Driver for the entire weekend, so
please don’t worry about another vehicle.” I snatched the phone back.

“Alexis will not have the
Limousine.” I glared at him, he sat on my desk with his arms crossed
‘smirking’.

“Oh no you don’t, Mr Clark.”

“It’s what I do Ms Summers.”
He got up and walked back into his office.

“Hello, Lexi, you still
there?” Tash’s tiny voice was barely audible through the phone’s receiver.
Shit!

“Yeah, I’m still here.”

“Oh Lex, if you don’t screw
him I will.”

“Natasha Jones!”

“I know, I know, it’s not
funny. Soooo are we going by Limo?”

“Yes,” I grizzled into the
phone.

“Tell the others I’ll pick
them up after 6pm Friday night. I have to go Hun, I have to go and punch my
employer, bye.”

“Make love, not war,” and she
quickly hung up.
You’ll keep Tash, you’ll keep.

Bryce was at his desk when I
entered the room; he looked up and smiled defiantly.

“So Nurse Summers, how was
the dress, do you like it?”

“I can see why you like it.” His
smile dropped.

“You don’t like it, you can
pick whatever you like I….”  I quickly stepped up to his desk.

“No Bryce I love it, it’s
stunning, it’s just I have never worn anything like it, ever!” His defiant
smile returned.

“Good, I want you to
experience new things.”
Hhmm what’s he up to? Ok probably best to change the
subject.

“Now, whilst you were out you
missed a call from Joyce, apparently you need to sign off on Chanel 7 having
exclusive televising rights for the red carpet arrivals on Monday. Also,
Vincent has finalised the menu which I have emailed to you and Samantha gave me
the flight transfer requests for your approval. Speaking of Samantha I was
supposed to have lunch with her today, did you know she is seeing Gareth?” He
looked wary.

“No.”

“Well she is, we were
supposed to have lunch together and as we were heading up here, he pretty much
stopped the elevator and whisked her away. There’s something you’re not telling
me about him Bryce, the look he gave me when he left the elevator was clearly a
warning to stay away from her and I want to know why?” He got up and this time
I swear he did change to a shade of green, he stormed out of the office and
slammed the door behind him.
Shit, what did I say wrong?

It was nearly an hour later
when the ding of the elevator doors rang, I looked up hoping to see Bryce and
of all the people that could’ve come through those doors, it had to be Chelsea,
she strolled up to my desk.
Yes, what the fuck do you want?

“Yes Chelsea, can I help
you?”

“I’m here for my appointment
with Bryce.”
He is Mr Clark to you, you little troll.

“You mean Mr Clark.” I glared
at her.
I have no appointment scheduled for her, why is she not in the
diary.

“Are you sure it’s today?
There is nothing in the diary and he is not here.” She looked devastated.

“It is today, I spoke to him
earlier. I’ll just have to wait.” She didn’t have to wait long, because Bryce
came through the doors about a second later, he looked flushed and mighty
pissed off.
Uh Oh, I hope that’s not my fault..

“Mr Clark, I was starting to
think you had stood me up.” She went to follow him into his office.

“Chelsea take a seat over
there, I will see you in a minute, Alexis if you don’t mind.” He motioned me to
his office, I hesitantly followed him in, whilst watching Chelsea sit on the
couch in the foyer. Before the door closed completely he had me pinned to it,
he didn’t even have to ask, because I said yes and kissed him before he had the
chance, his embrace was quite aggressive and wanting, he mauled my neck and it
was divine.

“Fuck,” he shouted. It made
me jump, I put my forefinger to his lips and hushed him.

“Bryce, what’s wrong?” He lightly
hit his head against the door.

“I’m sorry, I promised you I
wouldn’t let Gareth hurt you, he just fucking doesn’t listen and pushes me over
the edge.”
Over the edge, Shit!

“What did you do?”

“Nothing.” He kissed me
softer this time.
Nothing my arse.

“You may not know but Chelsea
is a qualified Helicopter Pilot.”

“I do know, I’ve done some of
my own creepy research on your little admirer.” His mouth twitched.

“Chelsea is here to go over
the agreement we have with her father’s chartering company. I don’t want you to
become green-eyed again, although I did like the show you put on for me last
time.” I glared at him.