The Gigolo (2 page)

On Thursday there was nothing, again. Kara began to wish she’d paid him a little more attention but she buried herself in her work and tried to forget him. If the limit of his courtship ritual amounted to nothing more than a phone call and a bunch of cheap flowers he wasn’t worth her time, anyway.

On Friday
he rang her mobile.

‘What does a guy have to do to get you to have dinner with him?’

‘Ask,’ Kara said, trying to deny that she’d been waiting for him to ring.

‘Will you have dinner with me tonight, Kara Kavanagh?’

‘Yes,’ she said, striking through the entry that was already in her diary. Luke Granger would have to wait until Monday to get his P45.

William
Baron didn’t seem to follow any of the known rules of engagement and that intrigued her.

‘Great – i
t’s a date, then.’

‘Is it?’ she asked.

‘Of course, Kara. I’ll meet you at eight – is Greens ok for you?’

‘Greens is fine
.’ She hadn’t been able to get a table at Greens for well over a year but she refused to be impressed by his connections.

***

Kara was strangely nervous. He’d called it a date. She’d forgotten how to act on a date.

She chose a
, just above the knee, shift dress in scarlet with a pair of matching shoes and a fake sable rap that had cost her more than the actual animal would have. She wore her hair loose. It was naturally fair but she regularly had a few highlights put in. She thought it made her look healthier – as if she’d had time to lounge in the sun rather than spend her summer hunched over her desk.

Kara took a cab to the restaurant
. William was waiting in the foyer. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a red shirt left open at the collar. Her tummy fluttered like a nervous teenager.

T
he concierge escorted them to one of the best tables in the house.

‘You look delightful, Miss Kavanagh,’ he smiled across the table at her as she sat down.

‘Please don’t call me that.’ The whole world seemed to call her Miss Kavanagh. All it did for Kara was remind her that she was thirty seven and still single.

‘
Kara?’ he said.

‘William?’ she replied.

‘I wanted you to know that I’m not trying to get into your knickers,’ he spoke as the waiter filled her glass from the outrageously expensive bottle of Bordeaux he had just ordered.

The waiter sniggered.

Kara stiffened but didn’t react. She waited for the waiter to put the bottle down and leave before replying.

‘Are you aware how
uncomplimentary that sounded?’

‘Only if you were disappointed that wasn’t my aim
.’ William grinned.

Kara sipped her wine
– it was rich and full bodied and exquisitely smooth on her tongue – and regarded him over the rim of her glass. He was a tricky bastard but she kind of liked sparring with him.

‘
So, you think you know my price, do you?’ She held up her glass and looked at the ruby red contents as she swirled it. All men wanted to get into her knickers. Why should he be an exception? The fact that he was able to afford to soften her up at a window table in Greens didn’t make him any different in the long run.

‘I think I enjoy your company, that’s all. Must you always look for the worst in
people?’

‘I don’t normally have to look that hard,’ she
hit back.

‘
I find it slightly insulting that you judge me by the merits of some douchebag you bedded by mistake.’

‘That’s a bit personal for a first date
…’ Kara flinched. He’d obviously done his homework. She wasn’t sure whether to feel flattered or annoyed, but hadn’t she done exactly the same thing to him, and Google hadn’t found any dirt on Mr William Baron, which was the only reason she was here right now…well, that and the fact that she actually enjoyed his company. He had wit and wisdom and she was enjoying their fast paced banter. ‘…and I don’t believe it’s any of your business.’

The waiter arrived
to take their order.

Kara o
pted for salmon and a tossed green salad with crushed new potatoes. He had fillet steak in a wild mushroom sauce and they chatted easily over their meals.

‘What do you do for a living, William?’ she asked as they ate.

He hesitated for a moment before answering, as if he was plucking a suitable profession out of the air.

‘
I suppose you could call me a property developer. I have a small portfolio of properties – most left to me by my father but I’ve added to their number – nothing terribly interesting or grand, I’m afraid but I do occasionally pick up a paintbrush or a sledge hammer and work for my living.’

‘I’ve always wanted to buy an old house and do it up – like they do on the TV programmes.’
Kara was delighted. She’d feared he was going to be a banker or a slick city lawyer.

‘You don’t strike me as the kind of girl who likes to get her hands dirty. I thought you’d have staff to do that sort of thing for you.’

‘I don’t believe you think very highly of me, Mr Baron,’ Kara said, somewhat sadly.

‘I’m sorry, Kara, that was uncalled for
but you give off this slightly intimidating air of proficiency. It makes me nervous.’ His hand touched hers. She moved it away.

‘You see. Just like that.’ He pointed at her hand.

Kara felt suddenly awkward and ill at ease. She didn’t really know how far was acceptable behaviour for a first date, any more. She fell back into defence mode.

‘You seem to think you know me. Well, I say you shouldn’t rely on the tabloid press for your information in future.’

‘Touché,’ he said and smiled.’

She didn’t tell him that sometimes she just wanted to be swept off her feet and told what to do
rather than having to constantly be the one in control. No one expected that of her.

The waitress wheeled the sweet trolley to their table. Kara declined but William insisted on
the lover’s platter – a shared dessert of bitter chocolate, whipped cream and sugar dipped strawberries supplied with two spoons and one plate. The waitress smiled knowingly as she handed Kara her spoon.

Kara
wanted to tell her that it was on the menu and not her choice at all but she managed to hold her tongue. Even she knew that it would have sounded stupid to deny what was obvious to those watching them. They had chemistry.

‘Dig in,’ he said, taking a large spoonful for himself.

Kara took a small helping – an even amount of the dark chocolate pudding and the lightly whipped cream and ate it slowly. It tasted good.

‘
What is anything worth if you have no one meaningful to share it with?’ he said.

Kara flinched as if his words had penetrated her skin like the sting of a wasp
.

‘
That’s very poetic for a builder,’ she laughed. It felt as if his comment had been aimed directly at her and it struck a chord in her heart. Her loneliness stemmed directly from the lofty perch her career had placed her upon. It was often hard work and stressful and she took her problems home to an empty, sterile house that had been cleaned of all signs of life in her absence.

But how did one go about finding a man to share
one’s life with? So many of the men she came into contact with these days were either intimidated by her position or out to hitch a free ride on the back of it. It made her cautious, but William didn’t appear to be either of these and as the wine and the liqueurs flowed Kara began to relax and let down her defences.

He
was an attentive date. His questions were interesting and probing without being too intrusive. He seemed well practised at the art of dating. Kara wondered if she should have asked more questions – if she should have shown more interest in him rather than adopting such a defensive stance from her side of the intimate little table for two, but he didn’t seem to notice.

‘I hope
you don’t find all this too pretentious, Kara.’ He smiled and placed his hand tentatively on top of hers. ‘I just wanted to get to know you a bit, first. I enjoy your company and a fine dinner is the perfect way to do that, don’t you think?’

‘I’ve enjoyed
it, too. You’ve been an admirable sparring partner.’ Kara smiled. She was reluctant for the night to come to an end.

‘What would you like to do, next, Kara? I’m all yours –well, at least until 9am tomorrow,’ he laughed.

‘Do you want coffee?’ She
took back her hand and raised her arm to call a waiter. She got the feeling he was suggesting she go home with him and she didn’t think she could trust herself to say no so she changed the subject instead.

‘I’ll have a
n Americano,’ she told the waiter. William ordered the same.

‘You know that’s not what I meant.’ His fingers inched across the table until just the very tips were touching hers.

It sent a shiver down her spine.
She wanted to move her hand – or for him to take hers in his and hold it like he never meant to let go.

He
held onto it. Kara’s breath seemed to catch in her throat. She licked her dry lips. Her head told her to proceed from here on in with extreme caution but her heart was saying bollocks to that – go and enjoy the ride for once in your life.

‘
What would you like to do next?’ he repeated quietly.

Kara blushed
, suddenly troubled that his unwavering gaze had seen into her mind and discovered the lustful thoughts that lurked there. She wanted to tell him that she’d dearly love to re-enact his suggestion in the art gallery of taking her out into the alley and forcing himself on her, but she didn’t.

‘Kara?’

‘I’m sorry. I was…’ She couldn’t tell him – at least not tonight.

‘
This is entirely your call, Kara.’ His hand tightened over hers. The gesture seemed symbolic. He may have been telling her that it was her choice but the firmness of his grip definitely told her that he was in control – or was she misreading the signals. It had been so long since she’d done anything like this.

Men always assumed that
she was going to be as tough in the bedroom as she was in the board room, when in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Kara would sooner he tied her up than ask her to trample on his willy with the heel of her stiletto but she found herself embarrassed and slightly shamed by her submissive desires and kept them hidden away.

She
lowered her gaze. He had an intense and mesmerising stare that frightened her as much as it excited something deep down in her belly.

The waiter arrived with their coffee and broke the spell he had cast over her.
She was able to breathe again; to regain her composure and reconstruct the walls of defence that he had swept away.

‘Would you like to go to your place or mine – mine’s just around the corner?’

‘I think I’d better go home,’ she whispered, not at all sure that she really wanted to
and if he asked again she might just change her mind. It felt good to be able to relinquish control for once in her life. She was tired of being the decision maker and tired of being alone. She just wanted to free fall for a while.

He
paid the bill and collected her wrap from the front desk.

‘Have a good night, Mr
Baron,’ the girl said.

William placed the wrap around Kara’s shoulders and linked her arm into his to take the steps down to the street below.
She was glad of his support. The wine had gone to her head but she wasn’t drunk – just delightfully mellow.

It was late but the road was still busy. He pulled her into the shadow of the building and pinned her against the wall with his b
ody. His mouth found hers and he held her hands flat against the cold brickwork with his own as he kissed her.

Kara’s heart
pounded and there was a demanding throb between her legs.

‘
I think you like to be dominated, don’t you, Kara?’

Kara’s eyes shot
open and then she immediately lowered them as he continued to stare at her. How could he tell?

Kara
was flustered. She found his words intoxicating, and he was so damned beautiful. No man had a right to be as beautiful as him. All she had to do was nod her head but she stared at the ground instead.

‘Do you like being
restrained, Kara? Would you like me to forcibly take away your liberty so that you’re powerless to resist my advances?’ He pressed his body against hers, trapping her against the wall.

‘Yes,’ she said quietly.

‘Good girl.’ He kissed her lips and then let her go. ‘I’ll get you a cab.’

Kara didn’t move.
She watched him walk to the kerb side and raise his arm. A moment later a cab pulled up beside him. He opened the door and looked at her.