Effortless (6 page)

“Thank you for coming in today, Mr. Garrison. I appreciate it,” Julian greeted him with a smile.

“My pleasure. I hope I can enlighten your audience.”

Hearing his rich Scottish accent come through my headset caught me off guard. I’d only ever talked to him at a normal, human distance. This seemed a little too intimate for a guy who despised my fiancé. Shaking off the weird feeling, I glanced at the clock. The show was coming back live in one minute and I needed to focus.

“Okay, Julian. We’re coming up on you cold in sixty. You have three minutes, then toss to the package.”

“Thanks, Lia. Oh, be sure either you or Robbie get in my ear when we’re thirty away. I don’t want our guest to be cut off mid thought.”

“Will do.”

Robbie nodded in my direction to signal he’d take care of the timing.

“That was Steve Berman reporting. We’re pleased to be joined now by Brent Garrison, owner and CEO at Summit Enterprises. Good evening, Mr. Garrison. Thanks for being here.”

“Mr. Archer.” He nodded politely.

The two men chatted about the changing climate in the real estate industry and how it was affecting jobs in the city.

“Have any of your properties suffered due to the sluggish economy?”

“Not at all,” Brent answered. “Fortunately, people still enjoy going out on occasion even though they’ve tightened their belts, so to speak. I look forward to opening a few more establishments in the coming year. New businesses mean more jobs.”

I sort of zoned out a little during their interview. Finances, business plans and all that weren’t my cup of tea. When Julian tossed to the package on job growth in Glasgow and throughout Scotland I made a mental note that we’d be off the air in less than ten minutes.

“Lia,” Julian’s voice floated through my headset.

“Yes?”

“How much longer is this?”

“One-thirty.”

“How does it look from in there?”

“Fantastic. You’re doing a great job. Although…”

“What? Although what?”

“Your tie is crooked.”

“Bloody hell,” he grumbled. “Jim, punch me up on two.”

Julian preened and fixed his tie while staring into the monitor mounted beneath camera two. Robbie cued him at ten seconds for the remainder of his interview.

“You founded Summit at such a young age and broke out onto the business scene rather quickly. To what do you credit your success?”

“Success is subjective. I look at where am I now and think there’s always room for improvement. But I do credit the success I’ve had so far to my dedicated team at Summit and to the support of my family.”

“You’re constantly listed with other notable young businessmen in Great Britain, including Alastair Holden. Obviously your background is quite different from his but do you see his success as something you’d like to emulate?”

I sat immobile, clutching a pen. That question wasn’t listed on our sheet of talking points. Sneaky bastard.

Brent smiled slightly. “As you said, our backgrounds are quite different. I wasn’t born into an established, worldwide conglomerate but I can certainly appreciate how he’s contributed to the ever-changing atmosphere of the media industry.”

“Tragic childhood aside, he’s had it pretty easy when it comes to his career. Do you see your success as more satisfying because you weren’t handed a company like he was?”

It took every ounce of my strength not to leap out of the chair and run into the studio. Livid was too weak of a word to describe what I was.
This is what he wanted the extra time for? Ass.

“Now Julian, we all work hard at what we do,” Brent answered smoothly. “Nobody’s success is more satisfying than another’s. Alastair Holden is a smart and savvy businessman. Being handed a company or building one from the ground up has no bearing on whether or not one’s success is more deserved.”

Breathing out slowly I was thankful and more than a little shocked at Brent’s diplomatic answer. When the interview concluded and the show went off the air at six, I relaxed.

“Great show, Lia,” Robbie said, patting me on the shoulder. “I could tell you were caught off guard by those last couple of questions. Not many people would have handled that with such grace.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” I muttered, rising to my feet. Visions of Julian being catapulted toward the sun put an extra spring in my step as I walked into the studio. Brent stood just to the left of the desk, waiting patiently to have his lavalier mic removed. A broad smile curved his mouth.

“Hello, Lia.”

“Hi, Brent.”

“I heard you’d started working here. How’s it going so far?”

“Fine.” I plastered on a fake smile. “Thanks for coming in for the interview. You did a great job.”

He shrugged, fixing his suit jacket once the mic was removed. “Interviews are generally boring. I could recite all that in my sleep.” He angled toward me. “Those last questions were Archer’s way of goading me. Regardless of my history with your boyfriend, I hope you know I’d never embarrass him or myself like that in the press.”

His admission came as a surprise. Nodding, I thanked him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a business card and handed it to me.

“If you ever get tired of Julian, give me a call. I’m always looking to add good talent to my media relations team.”

I took the card and stuck it in my notebook. Standing here chatting with him like it was no big deal felt weird.

“I’m having a few people over to my place tonight. You and Alastair should come. I’ve already invited some of the staff at Finley’s, so your friend Stephanie will be there. Nice seeing you, Lia.”

More than a little suspicious at his invitation, I thanked him again. Tonight? Stephanie didn’t say anything about this earlier. I decided to text her after I dealt with Archer. He was still at the anchor desk, writing intently and ignoring my presence. Laying my hand on the paper, I blocked his furious scribbling. He looked at me with a noticeable level of dread.

“If you ever pull a stunt like that again without telling me, I will sound a foghorn into your IFB. Are we clear?”

The right corner of his mouth ticked up. “It wasn’t intentional. Lots of people have thought the same thing.”

“Leave Alastair out of your on-air curiosities unless he’s sitting in front of you. And even then, keep your mouth shut.”

“You are fiery,” he assessed, leaning toward me. “And protective. That’s admirable.”

“You’re on my shit list. That’s not.”

Turning on my heel, I stalked back to my office.

“Finally.”

I whipped around, startled by the voice and let the door slam behind me. I swear my heart skipped at least twenty beats. Leaning against the desk smiling, hands tucked in his pants pockets, was Alastair. The casual stance did not fool me at all. He leaned against that desk like he fucking owned it. The site of him knocked me for a loop.

“What the— Jesus, Holden. Stalk much?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “I’m just waiting for my fiancée. Have you seen her? Pretty girl. American. Brown hair, amber eyes. Usually nice. Definitely cheeky.”

“You’re supposed to be in London. How did you get in here?”

“Sorry to disappoint you with my return.” He grinned. “The lovely young lady at reception let me in. I made her promise not to tell anyone I was waiting for you. Judging by the look of terror of your face, I’d say she kept her end of the bargain.”

My smile was artful as I placed my belongings on a small table next to the door. “I’m not terrified, smart ass. You surprised me.”

“Good.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“And miss this priceless reaction?” He unbuttoned his suit jacket. “I wanted to come here as fast as I could. The plane landed and I could only think of two things.”

Little shivers nipped at my skin as I watched him remove the jacket with calculated ease and drape it over the chair. “What were they?”

“You,” he said, pushing himself away from the desk.

“That’s only one thing.”

He positioned his well-dressed, great smelling body in front of me and played with a loose tendril of my hair. I steadied myself against the door. Being seduced in my office wasn’t quite what I’d expected to happen today. The crazy-sexy smile curling his sculpted mouth sent tremors down my spine. When he wanted something, he went after it with full force.

“Use your imagination for the second thing.”

“You are unreal with this charm and seduction combo thing you’ve got going for you.”

“I try.”

“So,” I said, looking up at him, “how long have you been snooping around my office?”

“Snooping? I’ve been waiting patiently for the last fifteen minutes. I even got to enjoy your show.”

Oh no. That meant he saw the…

“Garrison handled himself rather well when Archer tossed those questions at him,” he said, pausing to kiss the tip of my nose. “It’s a good thing nothing surprises me that much anymore.” He cocked his head to the side. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing.” I sighed.

“You’re a bad liar,” he whispered, brushing his lips to mine. I shoved my hands through his hair and kissed him with reckless abandon. I’d missed the warmth and softness of his mouth on mine. I deepened the kiss, tasting and savoring him. He groaned, placing his hand on my hip and pulling me closer. Heat radiated off his taut body. I loved the way he felt against me. He broke our mouths apart, sliding a hand along my jaw.

“Lia.” The animalistic way he said my name made my knees buckle. So did the way he looked at me with eyes as dark as night. “I want you.”

Not much separated us from the rest of the newsroom, just a door and some glass windows covered with blinds. The thought of having sex with him so close to the people who would give anything for a juicy exclusive turned me on in a way I didn’t expect.

“What are you waiting for?”

A low growl vibrated in the back of his throat as he flexed his hips into mine, the friction from his erection teasing me with the promise of what I knew was to come. “I can’t be quiet when I’m with you. They’ll all hear me shout your name. Do you want that?”

“I’ll be quiet if you will.”

Fisting his hand in my hair, he ran his tongue along the edge of my bottom lip. I let out a long, breathy moan.

“See? You can’t do it either.”

“Take me home. Now.”

The left corner of his mouth quirked up. “I will, as soon as you tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Alastair,” I exclaimed. “Don’t do that. Don’t rile me up with your irresistible kisses and touches and say those things to me and not follow through. You’re a fucking tease and I’ve had a long day. I’m not in the mood for your games.”

“You’re hot when you’re angry.”

“Ugh, you’re impossible,” I grumbled, pushing him away and stalking toward my desk. I didn’t make it far. He caught me by the waist and spun me around.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I don’t like seeing you stressed and knowing something’s bothering you. Is it Archer?” His eyes flashed. “Is he still hounding you for an exclusive on me?”

I exhaled, leaning my head back. “Yeah but now he wants the story to focus on me. Apparently I’m the public’s window into your life.”

The muscles in his jaw twitched as the rest of his body tensed. “Dammit. I knew this would happen. Th—”

I pressed a finger to his lips to halt whatever it was he wanted to say. “Drop it for now. It’s Friday night. I haven’t seen you in days. Let’s go home.”

Staring intently at me he remained quiet. I could almost see the cogs turning in his head.

“Have the paparazzi been on your tail? Paxton said there’s been more than usual this week.”

“
Half a dozen photographers leapt out at me this morning when Stephanie and I were getting coffee down the street. The pictures ended up online with headlines about our engagement.”

“Then we should probably beat them at their own game. I’ll have Simone draft a release with an official announcement.”

I wrinkled my nose as his suggestion. “No. That sounds too impersonal and stuffy. Besides, don’t you think we should tell our families first before they read about it on the society pages?”

“My family already knows.” He paused. “And so does yours.”

My mouth dropped open. “What?”

His throaty laugh filled my office. “I called your parents last weekend and told them my intentions. I also made them promise not to say anything to you. Your mum is quite excitable.”

“Alastair Reid Holden.” I shoved him playfully. “You are sneaky.”

A glowing smile brightened his entire face, melting my heart. “You know you love me anyway.”

“I do.” I kissed him hard, hooking my arms around his waist.

“Now that we have this settled, there’s one more bit I have to tell you.”

“Oh?”

Dread consumed his expression so subtly I almost missed it. “My aunt wants us to go to the house on Sunday for brunch with her, Jason and my grandfather.” He scowled. “They’re not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

His body stiffened in my arms until he became almost statuesque. Never in my life had I seen someone grow so agitated over the thought of spending time with their family. After all, these people did take him in when his parents and sister died and provided for him. His cold reaction to their generosity didn’t sit well with me.

“Brunch with your family sounds like a good idea to me. I didn’t get to spend much time with them at the garden party and—”

“We won’t stay long. We’ll eat and then leave.”

“Stop with the interrupting. I’m not saying we have to move in with them but it would be nice if I had the chance to spend more than two minutes with your aunt and uncle. I’d really like to get to know them.”

Alastair backed away and ran both hands through his hair. I knew that meant he was over this conversation. “You’ve made a fair point, Amelia.” His frigid stare chilled my blood. “But I’m only doing this because of how I feel about you. It’s not for them.”

Thoughts swirled through my brain, trying to figure out a way to make this visit at least tolerable for him. “Just think how happy your aunt will be to spend time with you.”

Narrowing his brows so the little patch of skin between them wrinkled, he sighed. “You’re right again. How do you do that?”

“You forget that I know the truth about you, chief. You’re nothing but a big ‘ol softie underneath all those scowls and icy stares.”

“I see.” He ran a finger along his lips. What that little movement did to me.
My. God
. “About that second thing on my mind.” In an instant he had me caged against the door. I gasped, not from his searing kiss but from the blind sticking in my ass.

“Alastair, stop. There’s a piece of plastic in my butt.”

Amused, he let me go, craning his head to see the offending material. “Not a fan of that then?”

“Not particularly,” I deadpanned. Grabbing my belongings I led him through the now quiet newsroom towards the elevator bank. Out in the hallway, he walked in front of me. I got a nice eyeful of the way he moved with such fluid control. I caught his eye when I hit the call button. A second later he was on me, his hands holding my face as he kissed me unapologetically. My mind scrambled and drifted to that amazing place it went when we were lost in each other. Not seeing him for a few days enhanced the steady ache that grew at my core. My skin reveled in his firm grasps, warming quickly the more he touched me. We stumbled closer to the wall.

“What if someone walks by?” I asked between kisses.

A loud tone sounded signaling the elevator’s arrival. We barely pulled away from one another in time to walk in. Thank goodness nobody else was in there because as soon as the doors closed Alastair had me pinned in the corner and curled my right leg around his hip.

“I hated being away from you,” he said, cupping my backside. The way his lips glided over mine with such love and passion made me lose all sense of time and space. “My Lia,” he whispered, pushing my skirt up. “What you do to me.”

Our interlude was rudely interrupted by the elevator’s annoying tone yet again, signaling we’d arrived at the lobby. Alastair grinned and ran a hand through his disheveled hair, looking pristine and perfect and not like he’d just been making out in an elevator. I must have looked a mess but really didn’t care.

The doors swished open and in walked none other than Brent Garrison. Embarrassed, I glanced at the digital display and saw we weren’t at the lobby but on the fifth floor. I smoothed my skirt down to make sure I was covered.

Brent looked at me, then Alastair and smiled. “This is unexpected.”

“Garrison,” Alastair muttered.

“I was just talking to your lovely girlfriend earlier,” he said, ignoring Alastair’s tone. “I’m having a few friends over tonight. I’ve already extended the invitation to Lia. Has she told you?”

I noticed Brent kept the ‘doors open’ button pressed as he spoke. Alastair aimed a suspicious gaze in his direction.

“Thanks for holding the—” Stephanie trotted in breathless and stopped short. She looked from Brent to Alastair to me and remained silent.

The elevator had turned into a portal to the Twilight Zone. Only Brent’s movement and the sound of the doors closing clued anybody in that we weren’t in an alternate universe.

“So, I guess this means no Chinese food.” My voice sounded normal but I hadn’t a clue as to how I was able to form a complete thought.

Stephanie opened her mouth, then shut it. She scrunched her lips together and blew out a sigh.

“This is my fault,” Brent said. “I had no idea you ladies had plans. I went up to reconfirm with Stephanie and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Please, do me the honor of coming to my home for a little while tonight. It’s just a casual gathering. I’ll even order Chinese takeaway for you two.” He smiled.

My hand warmed at Alastair’s touch, simultaneously giving me a rush and making me nervous. Lacing his fingers through mine, he squeezed. “What would you like to do, Amelia?”

We arrived at the lobby before I had the chance to consider an answer. The four of us gathered by the exit. I was struck at how normal we must have appeared to everyone else but how uncomfortable it felt to be a part of this group.

“I totally spaced on this, Lia,” Stephanie blurted. “I really do want us to hang out. Let’s go for a little while. We’ll toast to your engagement and have a fun night.”

Since my hand was still knotted with Alastair’s, I felt him stiffen.

Brent regarded both of us with surprise. “Engagement?”

“Oh shit,” Stephanie mumbled. “I didn’t mean to…oh shit.”

“It’s alright, Stephanie,” Alastair answered with ease. Shocked to hear his calm tone, I looked up at him. He was enclosed in his protective shield, leveling a dispassionate gaze at Brent. “It’s already been online today and the news was bound to spread eventually.”

The muscles in Brent’s jaw tightened as he held Alastair’s stare. “Then it’s settled. You’ll both come tonight and we’ll drink to your happiness.” His smile was as effortless as it was taunting. The last thing I wanted was to spend several hours faking niceties with him and a bunch of strangers.

“We’ll be over at eight,” Alastair said, mirroring Brent’s disingenuous smile.

Stephanie and I exchanged glances. If nothing else, this night would be interesting.

* * *

No matter how hard I attempted to engage Alastair in conversation on the ride back to his house, he remained stony and silent. I marched to the bedroom as soon as we walked in, tossing my bag on the bed. I knew he followed me into the room, I could feel his presence.

“Do you want to explain what the hell that was all about?” I asked. “You’ve been gone all week and now I have to spend an evening with Brent Garrison?”

He leaned against the doorframe and fixed a hard stare on me. “We can’t avoid him forever, Lia. Glasgow is smaller than you think. We’re going to be in similar social circles so the sooner we get this out of the way—”

“Get this out of the way?” I yelled. “This is our engagement, not a decree to be sent to some torture chamber. And it’s also not a goddam game. I’ve told you already that what we have isn’t some ace in your pocket to whip out when you want to make yourself feel superior.”

“Enough,” he said through clenched teeth. “I would rather stay home in bed with you all night than go to his house but we have to.”

“Why?”

He steeled his expression, clenching his fists. “We just have to.”

Frustrated at his lack of answers, I paced the room. “When did you become so concerned about what other people think?”

“I’m not. I don’t give a shit what these people think of me but I do care what they might say about you.”

“What could they possibly have to say about me?” I spread my arms in a grand gesture. “The headlines say it all. I’m just some piece of American arm candy who bagged Britain’s wealthiest, most eligible bachelor who, up until this past spring, screwed women for fun until he got what he wanted and dumped them.”