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Patrick had lied so easily.
Alex had found out only a few years after that that Samuel couldn’t be his biological father. When illness had struck, Alex had offered his body, his blood. But it didn’t match Samuel’s—at all. His mother had begged him not to tell, but she’d refused to say who his real father was. She’d taken that secret to the grave with her.
Alex couldn’t then ask Samuel—couldn’t destroy his last years. But Alex had been burnt through from the inside out by the betrayal. Anger, resentment had festered, his trust severed. And in the quiet dark hours the unanswered question had tormented him.
But now he knew. Patrick had been her lover. Patrick had fathered her child. The pair of them had lied for years to the man she was married to. They’d lied to him, their son.
And Alex would never forgive either of them for it.
He needed time before he could speak of it—even to his best friend. But before he got to that, there was now this situation to be sorted.
He forced out a half-laugh as he looked at the image on screen. Caught out the one time he went base at work. Just the icing on the way the last week had gone.
‘I’m flying back shortly. Meet me at my place this afternoon.’ He hung up before Lorenzo could say more. Stared at the way her hands threaded through his hair and her legs clamped round his waist.
The anger simmering beneath his skin spiked through. He wished he could storm into Security, find the culprits and fire them on the spot. Every single one of them. But going on the hunt would only inflame the situation. He’d have to make do with a memo reminding them of the ‘Use of Internet’ policy. He couldn’t get rid of them—at least, not yet.
Damn.
The other person he couldn’t sack was her—straight to litigation that would be. But it was going to be pretty messy with everyone in the office watching this little number. How was he going to protect her?
He didn’t even know her name.
CHAPTER TWO
DANI wondered what it was she’d done wrong. She’d been temping here for over a week and until today they’d all been polite and friendly. All except Mr Alex Carlisle, that was. But she wasn’t thinking about him. Definitely not fixated on what had to have been the craziest few minutes of her life. She’d forget it. He obviously had, because she hadn’t seen him since—he’d disappeared from the floor, hadn’t been down loitering by the managers’ desks at all since The Lift. She refused to acknowledge the sting she felt over that. And she hadn’t been able to swap to a placement with another company; there were no other placements—none that lasted as long and paid the same kind of money. So, embarrassed or not, she was here to stay.
But the looks she was getting from everyone else today. The number of people that had filed past her desk…and they’d all been rubbernecking. There was no way they could know what had happened. He wouldn’t have told anyone, would he?
Maybe she had half her breakfast on her face. She ducked behind her computer screen and used a tissue. Surely they didn’t know. How could they? They’d been alone. It hadn’t been long—not nearly long enough for her starved hormones—only a few minutes. They’d been a metre apart when those lift doors opened because he’d been aware enough to move. She hadn’t. So, given that he’d moved, he hadn’t wanted them to be caught. Therefore, Dani reasoned, they couldn’t know and she was just feeling paranoid. Besides, it was days ago now. And she. Had. Forgotten. It.
But there was an unnatural awareness about the place. She could feel them all watching her. And she couldn’t help but think of him again. She’d been told he had a way with women, but she hadn’t realised he had more pulling power than the sun.
She couldn’t put all the responsibility on him, though, could she—hadn’t she deliberately lifted her chin at him? Hadn’t she deliberately looked him over as he had her? Hadn’t she widened her stance—preparing for battle but also preparing for contact?
She had. And she hadn’t exactly given him a cool, back-off response. She’d enjoyed every second of it, far more than she’d thought it was possible to enjoy a kiss. And that was terrifying. To want like that made you weak.
The office stirred, as if an invisible wave were working its way through. She glanced over her screen. Not invisible. This was a tidal wave and she was in its path—for that was the HR dragon, wasn’t it, heading straight for her?
‘Danielle? Could you come with me, please?’
For some reason a power-that-be like her could make Dani feel guilty just by the way she said her name. But Dani hadn’t done anything wrong. OK, she hadn’t been quite at her usual output level, but she hadn’t been bad. Something was definitely up. She was aware of the sudden stillness in the office—no one was talking, no one was moving. They were all, she realised, watching her. She lifted her head that little bit higher—don’t show weakness.
‘Shall we take the lift?’ The dragon seemed to have a gleam in her eyes.
No way could she know about the lift. Could she? ‘I’d prefer the stairs,’ Dani answered quietly.
That was definitely a smirk. Quickly covered, but it had flashed in her eyes and on the edges of her mouth. Then there was nothing—just chilly silence all the way up the stairs to the executive level, even heavier silence in the corridor, only when the door closed behind her as she entered the woman’s office was there the slightest noise. She wasn’t invited to sit down. The woman just turned and spoke.
‘I’m sorry but your recruitment agency has been in touch. Apparently there is a problem with your file.’
‘A problem?’ What kind of problem? Dani’s blood ran cold. Surely it wasn’t about her father. She’d passed bank security clearances in Australia despite his record. They’d investigated and known it was nothing to do with her—that she’d been a victim as much as the others he’d ripped off. But maybe in New Zealand they had different rules?
‘I’m not entirely sure—you’ll need to talk to your agent about that. However—’ the woman was robot-like ‘—it means we’re unable to have you working here any longer.’
‘What?’ She couldn’t lose this job. She just couldn’t. She was down to her last dollars. Literally—her last fifty or so. She’d come over too soon, hadn’t saved enough, but she’d been so lonely and so desperate to find him. She’d waited long enough—so had he.
‘The agency has the money for the days you’ve already worked this week. If you go and see them, you’ll be able to collect it.’ Her tone was utterly dismissive. Final.
‘I’m to go now?’ Dani gaped.
‘Yes. Gather your belongings and leave immediately.’
Dani clocked the woman’s impassivity. Wow—how could s
he ruin someone’s life and look so uncaring?
She turned and left the room, tightening every muscle hard to stop the trembling from being visible. She walked back down the empty corridor to the stairs. This just couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t. Her paperwork was totally fine; she was sure of it. When she’d registered with the agency they’d been pleased with her qualifications and experience. So, there was no problem—unless someone had taken a dislike to her?
Someone important?
She stopped. Swallowed. Turned and walked back—all the way to the corner office and to the fiftysomething woman sitting guard-like outside the sanctum.
‘Is Mr Carlisle in?’ Despite her determination it was only a whisper that sounded.
‘He’s overseas,’ his PA answered crisply.
How convenient. Dani’s suspicions grew, edging out the anxiety. ‘When is he back?’
The PA lifted her head and looked at her. Behind the oldschool librarian glasses she seemed to be reading her for a long moment before her lashes dropped. ‘I believe he’s due back here early this afternoon.’
And she’d be gone by then. Doubly convenient.
No way was this a coincidence. He didn’t want to be embarrassed at work—was that it? Had she been so all over him he was trying to get rid an awkward situation before it got even more complicated? What was he afraid of—that she’d go psycho stalker on him?
She turned on the spot and marched back down the stairs to her floor. She’d go straight to the agency and clear it up. She needed the money more than he needed a clearconscience office.
‘Hi, Danielle.’ One of the young bankers gave her a leery grin when she walked past him. He hadn’t spoken to her before. She caught the grins then swapping between him and some of the others. It had probably been a bet. She knew about boys and their bets—ones made at her expense.
She didn’t have the time or capacity to deal him even a cool look. Too busy trying to stomach the sick feeling. She’d been in the country less than a fortnight, was on the bones of her butt in terms of funds and now she’d just lost her job. And she needed to know why.
