Scandal (Tainted #1) Read online

  Come break time, she’d finished up her other work and was about to tackle Sebastian’s file when a knock sounded on her door. Sarah came in a second later with the usual grace and style of what seemed like every other woman except Alicia herself.

  ‘Wanna grab a coffee?’ Sarah asked. When she got a good look at Alicia, she frowned. ‘Are you OK?’

  Not even a little, and the concealer she’d slapped under her eyes obviously wasn’t doing its job. ‘I’ve not had a lot of sleep. This Collins case is harder than I thought it would be, and with the new spin of me playing his girlfriend, its worse. I need to work on everything, but now we have to be seen together and there’s not much time left over.’

  It wasn’t a lie, just not the whole truth. The lack of time was a problem.

  Sarah slid into her chair across the desk. ‘You’re forgetting the fact he’s like chocolate for the eyeballs.’

  She laughed. ‘That’s not the problem.’

  She wasn’t a Christian, but the lie made her feel the need to visit confession. His delicious body was like caviar, champagne, and chocolate for the eyeballs. It’s just a pity he was a lying cheat who assumed anyone in a skirt would fall into bed with him after a few well-placed lines.

  ‘Mmhmm. If I were you I wouldn’t take up professional poker. Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.’

  Now it was Alicia’s turn to ‘mmhmm’. Sarah loved gossip, probably as much as she loved her fiancé.

  ‘Really,’ she said with a grin. ‘David’s brother Sam is a freelance photographer who could use some extra cash. You wouldn’t even have to pay him. Just tell him where and when you and Collins are together, he snaps a few shots, and sells them to the press, maybe even with an anonymous statement about how cosy and loved-up you two are. That solves one of your problems.’

  It did, and Alicia was surprised she hadn’t considered finding a freelancer to do just that. ‘He won’t tell them anything we don’t want him to?’

  Sarah nodded. ‘And he may even get a regular job with one of the papers so it’s win-win.’

  Her time with Sebastian would be limited. They wouldn’t need to worry about press coverage, merely set a night or two a week to be seen together and call the photographer to do the hard work for her.

  Oh, this was good. Very, very good.

  ‘Thanks, Sarah. I’ll definitely give him a call.’

  She handed over a card. ‘That’s Sam’s digits. So, about the other problem …?’

  Alicia smiled, hoping to hide the fact her stomach was in bits thinking about the more pressing issue. ‘It isn’t a problem. We’re professionally pretending to be together, nothing else.’

  And if she kept telling herself that, she might eventually start to believe it. Now if only she could convince Sebastian …

  ‘I don’t know how you can work with him and not want to jump his bones. He’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in the flesh.’

  She couldn’t disagree, every part of his flesh screamed out to be nibbled and licked. That was her problem. She was done with guys who could make her gaga. What she needed was to fall in love with someone like Daria’s fiancé. Blair was respectable, successful, and completely scandal-free.

  She wished she didn’t find that idea so unappealing.

  Forcing herself back to the conversation, she smiled and said, ‘Does Dave know you perv on guys?’

  Sarah’s grin was wicked. ‘I can look, just not touch. What’s your excuse?’

  ‘Not that I need one, but Mr Maine has a very strict policy on dating clients.’ One that hadn’t popped into her head in days. Yet another reason to stay out of Sebastian’s bed.

  Rising, Sarah shrugged. ‘What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.’

  Alicia scowled until the door closed behind her. She didn’t need to find a loophole in one of the few flimsy reasons she had for keeping her hands off Sebastian. At least now she had a way of limiting her time with him. She just had to claw the professional distance back.

  Chapter Seven

  To: Sebastian

  From: Alicia

  Sebastian,

  I’ve attached directions to a charity function tonight. Meet me there at 8pm.

  Alicia Simpson

  Publicist, Maine PR

  No matter how many times Sebastian had sworn he wouldn’t re-read her email, whenever he and James took a water break he’d pick the thing up and try to read between the lines. There wasn’t anything to find – just a straight-to-the-point email from his publicist, which was exactly what Alicia was aiming for.

  The email only added to the pissed-off mood he’d been in since leaving her flat. After the kiss last night, how could she expect him to just forget and start a professional relationship with her? And it wasn’t even him who’d made the first move – that had been Alicia and her ‘misbehaving libido’. He muttered a curse and put his phone down on the bench.

  ‘Come on,’ he said to James. ‘I want to get a few more sets in before this party.’

  A party that would no doubt filled with the kind of cold, privileged people Alicia had grown up with. A party he’d rather stab himself in the thigh than go to. But she was clearly all about his reputation clean-up now and if he was thinking with his head rather than his dented ego he’d agree it was a good idea to be seen there. After all, showing up to a charity function put on for supporting homeless children and making a donation could only make him look better in the public eye.

  ‘Look, I’m all for you getting back into the swing of things, but we’ve been training for hours,’ James said.

  His trainer didn’t get up from the bench after he emptied his water bottle. He looked exhausted and by rights, Sebastian probably should be too. But anger and frustration seemed to kick his adrenaline into gear until it felt like he could go on for hours. He had to burn it off before he saw her tonight, or who knew what would come out of his mouth.

  Who knew what he’d do to her scrumptious mouth.

  She’d even accused him of cheating on Mai! When it came down to it, Alicia was just like everyone else. One overexcited woman who’d won her first game at Wimbledon playing doubles with him and suddenly he was caught up in the biggest scandal of the century. And as he should have expected, Mai had gotten her own back and then some.

  ‘One,’ Sebastian pleaded. ‘C’mon, old man. You can do it.’

  As he anticipated James stood and threw a scowl in his direction. ‘God forbid you ever turn thirty.’

  Sebastian grinned. ‘No way, twenty-nine will do. And I plan on winning every game on the way – including Olympic gold.’

  Because that was all that mattered now. Not a wife or a proper, grounded home or a woman who refused to loosen up enough to have some fun. Those were pipe dreams. Winning was all he could make happen. That way the only person he had to rely on was himself.

  ‘We’d better keep going if we’re going to have a hope of getting you anywhere near the Olympics,’ James shot back.

  He pushed all other thoughts aside and concentrated on the win. There was only one more game to get this right, to burn off the anger that had boiled over since Alicia’s email had hit his inbox. He just hoped James wasn’t too knackered to keep up with him.

  Alicia hadn’t received a reply from Sebastian and her stomach was a ball of nerves waiting for him to show up at the party. She was familiar with some of the faces – they were in the circle her father deemed appropriate to associate with. The only reason she’d even considered bringing Sebastian was because she’d called her mother to make sure they were staying in Cumbria. Having to deal with Sebastian and her father in the same room was something she was planning to avoid for the remainder of his contract with Maine – her sister’s engagement party be damned.

  Though she’d still not thought of a way out of it and her mother’s near excitement about her bringing a boy home made it harder. For as long as she could remember, her mother had never been excited about anything. On the outside, anyway.

  A
nother anxious glance around the room told her he wasn’t there yet. A waiter stopped in front of her with a tray topped with glasses and she took one. Downing champagne at a party like this was probably frowned upon, but a sip wouldn’t ease the worry that the ego-bashing followed by her impersonal email would make Sebastian stay away – maybe even try to get out of his contract.

  The event was hosted in a townhouse in Mayfair by a couple who had founded several charities. From overhearing conversations between her mother and father, the hostess was famous for her indiscretions and her husband took more interest in golf than his wife. She couldn’t understand why people would stay together if they weren’t happy – but to be married in this circle was usually for mutual gain. Divorce was as abhorrent as not having the latest Bentley. Apparently it was better to look happy and act like everything was OK while you were dying inside.

  Alicia knew that feeling.

  And true to these events, the place was over-decorated to the point of being gauche. Sure, everything was expensive and sparkly but carrying the theme of the chandeliers into side table decorations just made it look a little tacky. She preferred her cosy flat with dodgy plumbing to this. It was just so … cold. A bit like the parties her parents hosted – but at least then she could escape to her bedroom and wait it out with her sisters.

  She wandered into the hall and tried not to roll her eyes seeing the sparkles carried out through the house. The air was filled with so many fragrances from the flowers it had grown cloying. When she reached the front sitting room, she pulled the curtain covering the window back to see if Sebastian was almost there. It was just after eight, and she was losing hope that he’d even show up.

  A dark figure across the street caught her attention. It looked like a man, but she couldn’t be sure. Shadows surrounded him and when she opened the curtains wider, he started to back away quickly. Her heart pounded as she thought it was Sebastian leaving her but when he walked under a streetlight, his hair glinted gold. She squinted to try and make him out but after a second he was gone.

  ‘Didn’t anyone ever tell you spying is rude?’

  Alicia spun around. She was relived Sebastian had shown up, even if he was late. But now he was there, she was more than a little pissed off that he had kept her waiting. ‘I’m not spying. There was someone lurking about in the shadows across the street. Where have you been?’

  He smirked. ‘So you thought you’d have a nose and see what they were up to? I’d call that spying.’

  She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath though her nose to help calm her down. It didn’t help so much as the lungful of his spicy aftershave, and then it only worked in a way that was almost as bad – or arguably worse. Her skin prickled and her feet almost carried her towards him without permission. She dug her heels in and folded her arms.

  She would not touch him.

  He let loose the full power of his grin. ‘If you must know, I was training.’

  She snapped her focus back to the conversation. ‘Until now?’

  If she sounded incredulous she didn’t care. All evidence pointed to him not knowing what honesty was.

  ‘Relax, Blondie. I’m here now.’ He ignored her scowl and looked over her outfit. His eyes darkened and her heart raced despite her irritation at the nickname. ‘You look pretty. The shoes match and everything.’

  Her cheeks burned. ‘I had help from a friend.’

  She probably shouldn’t have admitted that she had to get Sarah to help pull together an outfit for the night – but he knew how hopeless she was. This time she’d stuck the vibrator in the bin before anyone got there to save further embarrassment.

  ‘Your friend did a good job.’ He looked over her shoulder, but the curtains had fallen closed. ‘So who were you peeping at?’

  ‘I wasn’t peeping at anyone! I think I saw a man but he disappeared. It could have been someone planning to rob the house.’ The guy had looked shady …

  He didn’t mock her like she’d expected, instead he walked around her then opened the curtains. ‘But he’s gone now?’

  ‘I think so. He took off when he saw me.’ She stood next to him and pointed across the street. ‘That way.’

  He met her eyes then. ‘Do you think we need to warn the host?’

  She shrugged and looked out of the window. It was a strange feeling being taken seriously by him, especially when a minute ago he’d been teasing her. ‘I’m not sure. Maybe he was just curious about the party. There are a lot of people arriving. I should probably mention it to security.’

  He turned to her. ‘Good idea.’

  She went to do just that but he caught her wrist. ‘Before you go, we should talk about last night.’

  Her spine stiffened but she couldn’t help it. ‘Sebastian, I don’t think –’

  ‘I know.’ He sighed and his gaze dropped to her lips.

  She couldn’t hide the flush that spread across her cheekbones, couldn’t even stop her tongue from popping out and wetting her lips. But she refused to give into this … this … lust. She had more control than that. And who knew how many women he’d had in his bed since he got back from Australia? The girl who sold her story could have been one of dozens.

  She broke free of his grasp. ‘Let’s tell security what I saw and then we’ll make an appearance. I don’t want to take the tube home too late.’

  Alicia walked away, and this time he didn’t try to stop her.

  She dragged Sebastian around and introduced him to almost everyone. He’d never been in company so dull he could easily fall asleep standing up. It amazed him that Alicia looked enthralled when men droned on about their family wealth, new yachts, and cars the Queen would envy. He couldn’t believe she was actually interested in any of it. Especially after seeing how being brought up in her family had affected her.

  He reckoned she was just pretending to be fascinated by all the boasting – it wasn’t her. He’d caught a glimpse of the passionate woman beneath all the reserve and knew she wasn’t as stuck-up as the rest of them – despite that Lady of the Manor voice she’d used on him when she told him off.

  And he’d been wrong earlier. Now he had to concede that the only way to get Alicia out of his head was to burn out the spark between them once and for all. If only he could convince her, and fast. Every night he was too keyed up, even after hours on the court. It had been the same way since she’d stumbled into the board room at Maine, and now he recognised what it was – sexual frustration. And despite what she might think, it was all for her. Not some woman he’d met once and wouldn’t see again. None of them could turn him on wearing a shapeless suit and a scowl.

  She was driving him crazy. The built-up tension had even driven him to push James too far, which resulted in his trainer’s knee almost giving out.

  Which meant he had to train with machines for the next few days. Just another thing to be pissed off about – and this party wasn’t helping either.

  After a particularly stifling conversation with the host, Alicia picked up what he guessed was her third glass of champagne and took a sip that drained almost half the flute.

  He’d been right, she must hate being here as much as he did. Still, he had to give her credit for scoring them access. There were a few journalists from high-profile magazines who were there taking photos and logging donations.

  Hopefully being seen at places like this instead of bars would make his sponsors stay put. And maybe now Mai had made enough off her kiss-and-tells to keep her in Prada for a while. Though he doubted one appearance and a new charity would fix the mess he’d made the last few months, he could hope.

  ‘There’s someone else I want us to speak with,’ she said, then took a step away from him.

  Sebastian caught her around the waist and pulled her close. It felt so natural, so easy, and not at all like he was putting on a show. Alicia’s spine stiffened and she kept as much distance as she could when their hips were pressed together. He wondered what it would take to melt the ice surroundi
ng her and be reintroduced to the woman who straddled his hips last night.

  She pulled away, walking into the crowd, but he took her hand and kept up with her fast pace for a few steps. Then he slowed their footsteps as they made their way around groups of people enthralled in what Sebastian assumed were boast-fests. ‘If I have to meet one more guy bragging about how big his yacht is I can’t be held responsible for asking him if he’s overcompensating for something.’

  ‘Will you keep your voice down?’ she whispered, but her lips twitched like she was holding back a smile.

  He stopped them and leaned closer, sliding his hands to her hips, and whispered back, ‘Will you bust us out of here if I agree?’

  Alicia’s face flushed and her eyes glazed over a little. Whether she wanted to call it a misbehaving libido, passion, or lust, it was all the same damn thing in his opinion. This resistance was like a long, slow session of foreplay without the release – which only made him wonder how great it would be when she faced the fact they were inevitably going to end up in bed together.

  It was only a matter of when. Shit, he could be patient. After all good things came to those who waited.

  ‘We need to do an interview I scheduled then meet the last few guests.’

  ‘Then we’re free?’ he checked.

  Alicia nodded.

  ‘So who’s next?’ he asked.

  She pointed across the room to a woman he knew and loathed. The magazine had done a piece on his break-up and if he remembered correctly, she’d taken every word he’d said and made him look ten times worse. ‘No way.’

  Alicia sighed. ‘Sebastian, she knows you’re changing and wants to be first to get the full scoop of what you have planned. She promised there’d be no funny business.’

  She could make all the promises in the world, he still wouldn’t trust her. But Alicia was staring at him with wide, pleading eyes and the blunt and final refusal died somewhere between his throat and his mouth. He groaned. ‘You owe me for this.’

  Alicia smirked. ‘You’ll owe me when you see the society pages tomorrow.’