The Millionaire's Redemption (17 page)

Casting a furtive look around, she picked it up and handed it to the stallholder. “Could you put it in a bag, please?” How embarrassing, to be caught carrying such a book. The two dollars would be well spent if it helped her entertain Justin.

She would buy their meat at the department store, top quality steak and imported continental sausages were beyond her modest means, but Justin expected the best, and she would provide it.

When they arrived back at his building, Holly decided she would have to take her market shopping up to the apartment before venturing into the department store for their meat. Management wouldn’t appreciate her bringing in lowly market bought produce in case it somehow tainted their expensive, imported fare.

When she stopped for a moment to chat to John, the security guard, he offered to mind the stroller while she bought the meat.

“Thank you, I’m still a little wary of that fancy lift,” she confessed.

“Nothing to be frightened of, it is state of the art. Everything in this building is high tech. Justin Devereux wouldn’t live here otherwise.”

“Have you worked for him long?”

“Most people moved into this building about three years ago. I’ve been working here since it opened. Before that, I ran security in one of his office blocks. I joined Devereux Enterprises when I left the army about ten years ago.”

“You were in the army?” That explained a lot of things about him. “My husband served in the army, too.”

“Really? Where is ...” Embarrassed, he trailed off.

She picked up Lilly before answering. “He was killed in
Afghanistan
.”

“Oh?” He sounded like he didn’t believe her.

“He served in the English army.” She tried to keep the wobble out of her voice. “He was with the Americans and their plane got shot down. There were no survivors.”

“I’m sorry, love.” His eyes were full of sympathy. “I didn’t realize.”

“It’s all right. I suppose the pain of losing him will lessen with time,” she said sadly. What must he think of her, a widow moving in with a rich man with her soldier husband barely cold in his grave?

She didn’t need to read the condemnation in his eyes. She already felt weighted down with guilt, but she defended herself staunchly. “I’ve got Lilly to think of. The government pension isn’t worth much, and I don’t have any relatives. Justin has been kind to us.” That was the pitiful part. She wanted him to be more than just kind.

Was she mad? It was one thing having people suspect she might be sleeping with Justin, another thing to actually admit it. She cursed her runaway tongue.

“I understand. Off you go and get your meat. I’ll watch the stroller. Sorry I can’t offer to mind the little one though.”

“Thanks, I’ll take her with me.”  She picked up Lilly and
dawdled
to the department store. She hated going in there, hated the condescending looks cast her way by the haughty staff. In the meat section, she bought two pieces of eye fillet steak, and a selection of imported sausages.

When she returned for the stroller, John gave her a friendly smile. “Got what you wanted?”

“Yes, thanks. Justin mentioned a rooftop garden. How do I get there?”

“Ah, that’s easy.” He chuckled. “He gave a staff Christmas party there last year. You access it through that bay window of his.”

“Oh, I thought it opened on to a small balcony.”

“No, you follow the balcony along to the end of the building, turn left, go down a couple of steps and you’ll run straight into the garden. It’s been designed for complete privacy.”

“Thanks, John. Catch up with you next time I’m down here.”

When Lilly went down for a nap, she decided to explore the rooftop garden. Opening the frosted glass door she entered the little room. With a comfortable chair, a colorful floor mat and, perhaps a table, it could be a cozy little bolt hole; her own special space. She propped the outside door open with her shoe, so it wouldn’t blow shut and lock her out.

Justin’s apartment finished almost at the end of the building. They were up so high the cars driving along in the street below looked like toys. It was both scary and exciting.

It wasn’t more than half a dozen paces along the balcony to the steps leading down into the garden. She couldn’t believe her eyes. There were built up garden beds along three sides containing numerous native shrubs and clumps of bamboo. Several trees stood in enormous fancy clay pots. What an oasis, a little piece of green paradise fifty stories above the city pavements.

A state-of-the-art brick and stainless steel barbeque had a grill and rotisserie. The whole area would be about the size of a tennis court, perfect for their meal and the other things she planned.

She wanted to keep him happy. For her own and Lilly’s sake, the longer they stayed with him, the more of a nest egg she could build up with the government pension money. The more chance she had of him feeling... Fool, he’s only feeling toward her was of the sexual variety. Variety being the operative word. He would quickly become bored with bedroom sex because he had no emotional attachment to her.

The paperback book she bought from the market ‘Give Your Man Sexual Variety,’ had been an absolute eye opener, and she wanted to put some of her newly acquired knowledge to the test.

***

Justin arrived right on six o’clock. She met him at the door with a kiss.

“No,” he growled, when she went to pull away. “I’ve been longing to taste your lips all day.” His mouth closed over hers, hard, urgent, demanding a response, which she willingly gave.

He strained her close, pushing his knee between her jean-clad thighs. “Where’s Lilly.” He eased his knee away but arched her body into his erection, keeping her there with his hands clasped tightly across her bottom.

“Playing with her toys in the bedroom. Not now, Justin, she might come out. Anyway, I’ve got something special planned for later.”

“Oh yeah?” He angled his head back and stared straight into her face. His eyes were deep, unfathomable slate-
gray
pools, but his nostrils flared ever so slightly. His exquisite, well-shaped mouth was pursed in query.

“It will be worth the wait,” she promised.

“I hope so.” He gave a feral growl and goose bumps of sensation pebbled her arms.

Lilly must have heard him arrive home. She toddled up to him, arms outstretched. “Juju,” she babbled excitedly.

Laughing, he bent down and picked her up. “How have you been, little missie?”

She put her arms around his neck and started wetting his face with slobbery kisses. “Ugh.” He gave a theatrical shudder.

“Lilly, leave Justin alone.” Holly suddenly noticed he wore casual attire, tailored beige sports pants and a burgundy, short-sleeved shirt without a tie. “Sit down and I’ll get you a drink. Wine?”

“Yes, thanks.” He sat down and perched Lilly on his knee. “What did you do today?”

“We went to the market.”

“I don’t think you should be wandering all over the place on your own.”

“I’m careful. We blended in with the crowd. I wanted to get some fresh fruit and vegetables.”

“You can buy them at the department store.”

“They’re fresher at the market, and much cheaper.”

He gave an annoyed snort. “How did you pay for them?”

“I’ve got some money of my own. I...”

“How much did you spend?” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

“No,” she said, amazed that he felt obliged to pay for everything. “I wanted to buy something for you out of my own money. I decided fresh fruit would be nice. I’m going to make it up as a special treat.”

She came up to him. “Don’t be angry.” Resting her hand on his shoulder, she stood staring down at him. “Let me give you something. I want you to know how I appreciate you taking us in like you did.”

“My motives weren’t purely altruistic.”

“Juju.” Lilly swiped at his face with a chubby hand.

“What’s she saying?”

“She’s calling you by your name. Juju is the closest she can come up with I guess.”

“I’m flattered.”

Holly moved away. She didn’t want him to read the pain in her eyes, the hopelessness of the situation. Lilly would never be able to call any man Daddy. Robbie was dead, and Justin, the only man who could ever take his place, saw her and Lilly as only a temporary diversion. She would have given up twenty years of her life to hear him say. “Call me Daddy.” But why should he?

“I thought we could have a barbeque,” she said from the kitchen as she chopped up the salad vegetables. “It’s such a fine evening.”

He shrugged. “If you want to. I’ll go and light it.”

“That would be good. I’ve fed Lilly, and she’s ready for bed. I think our shopping trip tired her out.”

He stood up, still holding Lilly. “Do you want to come outside and help me check the barbeque over?” He tickled her belly and she gurgled with laughter.

“You will watch her. I mean she’s a good climber.”

“No way could she fall off that garden roof. There’s a five-foot wall around it. I’ll make sure she doesn’t come to any harm.”

“I know, but I can’t help worrying.”

“You’ll end up with ulcers or a nervous breakdown worrying all the time.”

As Holly made her way to the garden with the meat, she could hear Lilly’s excited shrieks.

The sun, setting between the skyscrapers, turned the sky into a picturesque pink and red tapestry, but it wasn’t the sunset that caused her heart to give a painful jolt. Justin, with Lilly on his shoulders, galloped up and down pretending to be a horse, neighing and pawing at the ground with one foot. How heart rendering to watch a man who had such a natural rapport with children yet didn’t have any of his own.

He looked up and gave a rather sheepish grin. “She’s a demanding little thing, isn’t she?” He lifted her off his shoulders and placed her on the ground, but she tenaciously clung to his legs. “I’ve lit the barbeque. Have you got our meat?”

“Yes.” Holly handed it to him. He had already pulled down a foldaway table attached to the wall. Two chairs were set out also.

“I didn’t notice those chairs before.”

“There’s a shed up here behind the trellis work. I keep a few things in it, along with the gardener’s tools.”

“Gardener?”

“Yeah, I don’t have time to water the plants or maintain them.”

“How does he get up here?”

“There’s a lift operating during office hours. It services all the other floors, he uses that. The back door is locked, but he’s got a key and the code numbers. All very secure. Why? Were you thinking of sunbathing topless?” he teased.

How close to the truth he was. “No, I wouldn’t be game.”

He laughed. “It’s private and sheltered from every other high-rise building in the vicinity. You could walk around stark naked in the middle of the day and no-one would see.”

She spread a red cloth on the table and set everything up on it. Dessert she would leave for later, when Lilly was in bed and it was dark. Excitement swirled around in the pit of her stomach.

The steak was melt-in-the mouth tender, the sausages spicy and delicious. The salad vegetables were crisp and crunchy. Everything had turned out perfectly.

“Now, don’t tell me you can’t taste the difference between these vegetables and the ones from the department store.”

“They’re nice and crunchy, but I normally have food sent up if I’m home, so I don’t often eat salad.” He shrugged.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. I thought everyone liked salad.”

“I do like it, but I don’t eat it very often.”

Lilly started to grizzle now it was getting dark. “I’ll give her a drink and put her to bed before we have our dessert. All right?”

“Sure. I’ll unwind with another drink. Want me to pour you out one?”

“No, thanks, maybe later.” She picked up Libby. “Say goodnight to Justin.”

“Juju,” the baby gabbled something else neither of them could understand.

“Sleep tight, little missie.”

Holly walked back inside carrying Lilly who tugged at her hair. What a fabulous set up. A rooftop garden on a high-rise building was obviously not impossible for anyone wealthy enough to pay for it.

She sat down in a chair and let Lilly drink her fill. The baby fell asleep halfway through the second side, and she eased her nipple from the rosebud mouth.

After tucking up Lilly in her cot, Holly went out into the kitchen to put her plans into operation. The fruit, already cut into cubes, rested in a glass bowl. Gathering up two dessert plates, spoons and a towel, she took the final, most important ingredient from the fridge. A spray can of cream.

Her stomach muscles vibrated now, a combination of nerves and raw excitement. Would he like what she planned for him? The sex book declared it to be every man’s fantasy, but what if it turned out a nightmare?

When she returned to the garden Justin lay sprawled in his chair, a glass of wine in his hand, his eyes closed. He had switched on a coach lamp. It stood on a tall fancy column and bathed the area in a soft, translucent light.