Obsessed (BBW Billionaire Light Romance) (14 page)

"It's so crowded ..."

Emma made her way across the noisy room looking for a table. By the far wall, they found a table with two chairs and Simon grabbed a spare stool.

The party was going with a swing, the atmosphere was charged and Lucy was beautiful in black, satin trousers and a skinny, silver, sequinned top, her blonde hair drawn up into a high pony-tail.

Leah looked at her with dread. She looked about twenty, her face shining with anticipation, about to go off onto the other side of the Atlantic with a controlling, adulterous husband. Leah tried to forget what she’d seen in the park, to drink and be part of the crowd of well-wishers as the night grew more lively.

"Isn't it great to see so many people here?" Emma beamed, totally relaxed, looking around her at the scene. "We must get them a present next week. Something that can fit into their cases, to remind them of London. What do you think, Leah?"

"Oh, leave it with me. I'll try and come up with something," Leah replied quietly.

The night raved on, and at one point she caught site of Sam, surrounded by a group, swigging from a bottle of lager. She tried to avoid looking at him and desperately wanted the time to pass.

If she managed to get to midnight, it would be possible for her to say she had to go, as she would need to be up early the next day. No-one would notice.

People were dancing and Emma and Simon got up to join in. Leah danced with someone from the hospital who seemed to remember her. Later, she found herself at the table on her own, aware that she had drunk several glasses of wine, knowing she would have to slow down.

Across the room, she saw Sam again. He was leaving the crowd to go out of a door at the back on his own.

Before she even thought about it, Leah rose and crossed the crowded room, pushing between groups of noisy party goers. She went through the door and found herself in a narrow corridor. For a moment, she hoped that he’d not gone into the toilets; she didn't want to hang around outside the Gents.

Then she noticed Sam ahead of her, disappearing down the dim alleyway towards the back of the pub. Leah slowed her steps, as she stepped outside into a dark yard, partially covered by a canopy – a place for smokers to use.

Sam was alone, leaning against the opposite wall and looked up as she approached.

"I didn't know you smoked," he said from the shadows.

"I don't. I just wanted a word with you." Leah spoke softly, carefully.

"You're going to miss me? You want a private goodbye? Come here," Sam grinned, turning towards her and she became aware of his brooding intensity, a hint of danger even.

"Not that," Leah said. As she spoke, she found that her mouth was dry, and she was nervous, but determined to press on. "I wanted to tell you that I saw you last Sunday, in the park, with Elizabeth."

There was a silence, and Leah thought that Sam was not going to reply.

"So? I was probably saying farewell to an old friend." His voice was deliberately casual.

"It was more than that. You were kissing and holding her. You had your hands all over her. Then you went into the trees. I'm not a fool, Sam. I know what was going on."

Leah saw the glow of his cigarette as he drew on it in the dim yard.

"I don't see what it has to do with you, but, yes, Elizabeth and I have had a casual affair on and off for some years. We were entitled to a last time together."

"It has to do with me because Lucy is my friend, and you've only been married a few months. How can you treat her like this."

"Lucy has no idea," Sam stated coldly.

"So you betrayed her. And with Elizabeth – what about James, he's been so good to you!"

"James?
James
?" Sam swayed slightly towards her, "Oh! I see, he's had you. Good old James, anything in a skirt," Sam sneered.

It was then that Leah realised he was drunk.

"Let me enlighten you. Robbie was my friend, and Mrs Willoughby was good to me, but I was always the outsider. The boy who had nowhere else to go in the school holidays. They thought I led Robbie on, but he was just as wild as me. The night of the accident, he could have killed us all. He  was the one who insisting on driving when he was wasted. There were two girls in the back of the car and I was in the front. He was killed when we hit a tree and the rest of us were all injured."

It was cold and empty in the small yard, no-one else around. Leah began to feel uneasy, afraid of being alone here with Sam, but she needed answers.

"So you resented the family?" she asked.

"After Robbie died and then his father, too, well James inherited everything. He made it clear that I wasn't as welcome at the Manor as I had been. So, later, I thought it would be good to have something that belonged to him, and Elizabeth was always willing." Sam moved away from the wall, towards Leah. She recognised his obsession with the Willoughby family, but he had wanted to strike back at them.

"Anyway, I asked you what it has to do with you," he growled. His voice held a menace that hadn't been there before.

"Why did you marry Lucy? Do you even love her?" Leah whispered.

"I married her because she's beautiful and charming. When I met her I knew straight away that she'd fit into the new life I had planned. New country, new job, new wife."

"Please don't hurt her," Leah said quietly, her voice trembling.

Suddenly Sam moved across the space between them and grabbed Leah's arms, pushing her back against the brick wall, his fingers like a vice.

"Don't tell me what to do,” he hissed. “Lucy belongs to me and I'll look after what's mine. She's crazy about me. So what will you do, Leah?" As he spoke, his fingers dug into her, hurting her. He shook her and her back grazed against the rough brickwork. He leaned down towards her so that she could smell the beer on his breath.

"If you tell her, it will break her heart, and I'll break
you
."

Sam let go of her, dropped his cigarette to the floor, ground it out and strode away back to the party, leaving Leah bruised and shaking.

§

That night Leah tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Sam was so sure he had the upper hand, and he was right. If she told Lucy about Elizabeth she would be unable to control what might happen next. Lucy, heartbroken, not knowing whether to give Sam a second chance and go to Canada, or stay behind alone. James and Elizabeth, caught up in the aftermath, as everything came out. And
she
would be the one to break it all apart. She wished she had never gone to the park, never seen the scene in the trees. She wished that the clock could be turned back and that Lucy had never met Sam.

With a heavy heart, Leah decided that she would keep quiet, let everything happen as planned, and hope that no-one would be hurt.

A few weeks after Lucy and Sam left for Montreal, Emma received an excited e-mail from Lucy describing the tiny apartment near the large hospital where Sam was working. Lucy was trying to find a job, but was not having any luck, and she thought that she might try for temporary Christmas work in one of the large department stores. She sounded fine and Leah was partly re-assured.

It was getting really busy in the Flower Garden: more offices were wanting arrangements in the Reception areas and they’d had lots of enquiries about supplying flowers for Corporate dinners in the time leading up to Christmas.

Leah sent the statement of finances to James, after going over it several times. Charlie took a look, too, and was pleased with their progress.

She guessed that James must still be abroad on the tour of the Centrax holdings in the Far East, and felt uneasy when she realised he might soon be returning.

She had to be clear that she would not see him again, other than for business; if he even needed to, of course.

§

One morning, Leah was delivering the flowers to the Centrax offices when the receptionist called to her.

"Can you hang on a minute, please. Clare wants to speak to you." This must be James's new PA she realised, and she took a deep breath.

Clare appeared in the Reception area and smiled.

"Mr Willoughby is out, but could you spare a moment? I have a message for you."

She led the way through the back open plan area and into a large, glass-fronted office, with an expansive desk, coffee table and leather chairs. Leah gazed around, unable to hide her mounting curiosity.

"Is this James ... I mean, Mr Willoughby's office?" she asked.

"No, it's mine," Clare said, gesturing to one of the soft seats, and Leah sat down surprised.

Clare was dressed in a classic black suit, the skirt just to her knees, fitted jacket and a soft, grey silk blouse underneath. She wore dark tights and medium heel shoes. Discreet, efficient looking, with a mature manner; a very different look from the confident, young Amanda.

"Mr Willoughby asked me to thank you for the financial report," Clare said.

"Oh, yes, I hope it was what he wanted."

Leah felt a little uncomfortable; she wasn't sure how much Clare knew about the loan, and she definitely didn't want to say anything out of place.

"Mr Willoughby has told me all about the arrangements with the Flower Garden," Clare said.

"Right." Leah waited.

"He's been abroad for the last few weeks, but he's gone over the figures you sent. He asked me to say that there are a few small queries. He would like to discuss them with you, either alone or with your partner at the shop present, if that suits you better?"

"Queries?" Leah asked.

She felt a rising tide of panic.

James wanted to see her and possibly Charlie. Oh God. What if it was
bad
news? Surely he wasn't going to withdraw funds? He hadn't contacted her since he came back. He must have come to the same conclusion as she had, that anything personal was over between them.

"Only a couple of small points, and also a suggestion about the layout," Clare added.

Leah tried to keep calm, to remain business-like. After all, this was possibly the future of the shop at stake.

"I could meet him for a coffee one morning,” she offered. “Away from the shop might be better."

Clare moved over to the desk and consulted her laptop.

"There's a space in his diary on Friday morning, between eleven and eleven thirty. If that suits you I'll book it in."

"Fine, there's a small cafe near the Flower Garden, just around the corner,” Leah replied. “It's called Franco's."

"That's arranged then, Miss Grainger," Clare said.

She stood and Leah followed her out, back to the reception area.

As she waited for the lift, Leah thought back over the report that she’d sent to James. It
must
be correct. She’d checked it over several times, and Charlie had read it, too.

So what on earth could James possibly have to discuss?

If he had any problems with the funding she decided that she would fight him every step of the way. Her personal life might well be in turmoil, and the weekend in Norfolk had ended badly, but even so, she was going to hang on to her share in the shop, whatever it took.

§

Back at the shop, she told Charlie what had happened.

"
Small
queries?" he said, cheerfully. "Well, that doesn't sound too bad."

Then he looked at her, and took in her pale face.

"Or is this something personal, Leah? How far have things gone with this guy?"

"Oh, Charlie,” Leah sighed. “I was involved with him, yeah, and maybe I've messed everything up."

"No, he's a business man, and the figures are good. We're improving. Just hang on to that and keep your personal feelings under control. You can do it."

Leah wished that she felt as confident about the meeting.

§

She got there early, bought a coffee and took it to a small table at the rear of the room, secluded, away from the window. She became aware of him the moment he came through the door.
James.
Tall, fair, immaculately dressed in a dark business suit, with a black cashmere overcoat hanging open and a red scarf loosely around his neck.

Leah watched as his eyes glanced over the room, he nodded in her direction, then went to the little counter to order his coffee.

Her heart flipped, her stomach churned and she tried desperately to get control of her feelings.

He sat down opposite her, took off his coat and hung it over the back of his chair.

"Thank you for coming," he said, his tone cool, his manner detached.

"Clare said there were a couple of issues?" Leah replied, holding on tight to her cup to stop her hands shaking. Why did he have this effect on her, every time, no matter how hard she tried to stay composed?

James leaned back confidently in his chair.

"Just a few points, and don't take this as criticism ..." He paused. "For a start, well, you seem to have spent all the loan money."

"That's what it was for, wasn’t it?" Leah replied, surprised at this opening statement.

"What about contingency money? Something put aside in case of any emergency? Someone puts a brick through the window and you have to get a replacement fitted immediately. Or if the van breaks down, what then? There should be money you can get at quickly."

He was watching her carefully as he spoke.

"Insurance?" Leah replied. “We must be covered.”

"Are you sure? Have you actually read the policy carefully, even the small print? Do you need to increase your cover? Or were you planning to ask for more money?"

Leah knew that he had a point, and she shook her head, unable to meet his gaze now, her cheeks blazing.  

"Get it sorted."

She nodded.

"Next, the layout of your presentation. It gave the facts, but it isn't very professional. If you go on the internet you can get examples of spread sheets, how to set things out. It might be an idea to see if there are any evening classes you could go to – just simple accounting, business studies, that sort of thing."

"Why do I feel like I'm back at school?" Leah groaned. She couldn’t stop herself; he was just making her feel more and more uneasy with each passing second.

"I told you, it's advice not criticism, Leah,” he shot back. “On the whole you're doing well at the shop."

"That's all?” she asked. “You're not going to withdraw the loan?"

"Of course I’m not,” he replied. “And anyway there doesn't seem to be any actual cash left to withdraw, now, does there?"

At last she looked at him, into those steely grey eyes, but his expression was closed. She had absolutely no idea what he was thinking.

"James ..." she blurted out.

Suddenly she wanted to bring the business conversation to an end. Something more was going on behind his uptight manner, and surely they must have something
else
to say to each other.

"When were you going to tell me about Elizabeth and Sam?" he cut in, before she could speak.

Leah was shocked. It was totally unexpected, and she quickly tried to gather her thoughts.

"I only found out when you were away, just before they left for Canada,” she said. “Anyway, how
could
I tell you?"

"You knew the truth, it should be easy enough." He sounded angry now, and she could tell that he was just about controlling himself.

"No, it wouldn't be easy," Leah shot back, feeling her own anger beginning to rise. She wouldn’t be blamed for this.

"If you remember, you made it very clear when we were in Norfolk that anything to do with Elizabeth was
out of bounds
as far as I was concerned. You can't go around treating people like that, controlling what I can and can’t say and then expect me to go crawling back to you with that sort of information, James."

With this, she stood up, crashing against the side of the table and spilling James's coffee into his immaculate lap.

"I was going to say this anyway,” she said, her voice shaking, “but you've just made it clear. It's over, whatever was between us. I don't
ever
want to see you again."

She picked up her bag and flew out of the cafe.

§

Leah managed to keep herself together when she got back to the shop. She told Charlie about the first part of the conversation, the need to keep some money in reserve and to look again at their insurance. Then she went out in the new van, delivering arrangements, threading her way through the traffic in the crowded London streets. And at the end of the day, she locked up and made her way home.

She went into her room, sat down on the bed and allowed herself to think, at last.

It was all over. James would be a distant business investor, and Sam would probably try to restrict Lucy's contact in case Leah said anything about his affair.

She still felt that she couldn't confide in Emma about Sam. Emma would worry too much. She was alone with this.

She went across the room and opened the wardrobe, and took out the bundle that she’d taken from the bathroom at Thorley Manor – James's robe.

In spite of everything that had happened she held it to her and buried her face into the soft, expensive material.

She still needed him: his hands, his mouth. Her body cried out for him ...

But after today it was definitely over.

It was an obsession that she just
had
to overcome.