The millionaire's agenda Page 13

  As she straightened she met Steven’s eyes over the top of the child’s head. He was looking at her in a very strange way; she couldn’t quite fathom what he was thinking, and before she could even try he had turned away.

  ‘Climb into the back of the car now, Beth, and put your seat belt on,’ he said, closing the boot of the car.

  ‘Do you know the way from here?’ he asked as they all got into the white Mercedes. ‘Or do we need that map the car-hire people gave us?’

  She smiled. ‘I’d know the way blindfolded, Steven.’

  They didn’t talk much as they negotiated the traffic. Chloe directed Steven so that he didn’t have to drive through the centre of the city and instead headed out across the toll bridge.

  The road hugged the coast for a while, and as Chloe looked out over the blue sea and the brightly coloured Georgian houses that looked across Dublin Bay there was a sudden feeling of happiness and nostalgia in her heart.

  ‘I used to come to college this way,’ she remarked. ‘I took the Dart…that’s the train. It follows this coast through some spectacular scenery.’

  ‘Feel good to be back?’ Steven asked, taking his eyes off the road to glance at her.

  She nodded. ‘It’s strange, but I didn’t realise just how much I had missed it until now.’

  ‘How long is it since you were home?’

  ‘Two years…just before I met Nile.’

  ‘That’s a long time. As it’s such a short flight, I’m surprised you’re not back and forwards every other weekend.’

  ‘Well, you know what life is like. You’re busy and time seems to pass so quickly.’

  ‘I hope it’s nothing to do with the fact that I’ve been working you too hard?’

  She smiled and shook her head. ‘I’ve seen my dad in that time. He came and stayed with me in London for a week last year.’

  ‘Why did you move back to England anyway?’ Steven asked curiously.

  ‘I was offered a transfer with the company I worked for in Dublin to their London base. It was too good a career move to turn down. And I suppose I fancied being a bit more independent, spreading my wings a bit.’

  ‘Is that the company who wanted to steal you away from me again?’

  ‘Yes.’ She couldn’t resist adding light-heartedly, ‘But I’m glad I didn’t go back.’

  ‘So am I,’ Steven said softly. ‘You turned my office around the day you walked in.’

  ‘As long as I didn’t turn it upside-down.’

  ‘You’re very good at your job, Chloe, as well you know. And I’d hate to lose you.’ He caught her eye. ‘In any capacity,’ he added softly.

  Was that his way of saying he liked this businesslike arrangement they had in their social life as well?

  ‘So, what did you tell your father about me?’ he asked, changing the subject.

  ‘Not a lot.’ She smiled. ‘And please pay no attention to him when he starts with his usual it’s-time-my-daughter-got-married routine. Do as I do and switch off to it. Rising to the bait and starting a discussion on it only makes him worse.’

  ‘How serious do you want him to think we are about each other?’ Steven asked. ‘What are the sleeping arrangements for the weekend?’

  The nonchalant questions sent heat sweeping through her entire body. She looked over her shoulder at Beth.

  ‘She’s asleep,’ Steven said, correctly interpreting what she was doing. ‘So you can tell me all about it without fear of little ears.’

  Chloe hesitated. ‘I haven’t led anyone to believe our relationship is serious. Margaret said she’d put Beth in a twin-bedded room next door to my double bedroom. So I suppose she is leaving it up to me how we choose to arrange things.’ She glanced up at the road. ‘You need to take the next turning right, by the way,’ she added.

  ‘And how were you planning on arranging things?’ Steven asked.

  The direct question unnerved her. She could hardly say, Well, actually I want you in my double bed…could she? She noted the lazy humour in Steven’s eyes. Obviously he found the situation amusing. ‘Well, either you can take the double bed, or I can,’ she said awkwardly.

  ‘We’ll sort the details out later, then, shall we?’ he said easily, and she almost sighed with relief.

  ‘Yes…fine…whatever.’

  He smiled. ‘Whatever,’ he agreed with a gleam of teasing warmth in his eyes.

  In the ensuing silence some very strange thoughts flicked through Chloe’s mind, mostly to do with how she could get Steven Cavendish into her bed. Maybe she could lure him in with a see-through negligee; trouble was, she had no see-through negligee. She smiled to herself, wondering quite suddenly if she had lost her sanity.

  ‘Our house is just up there.’ She pointed to a gateway almost obscured by greenery on the country lane.

  Steven turned the car up the long drive that wound around the beautifully manicured gardens up the steep hill.

  Now that she was almost home, Chloe started to feel a tad apprehensive about what she was about to do.

  It was one thing sitting in at Steven’s business dinners, but bringing him home to her family…planning to seduce him…was another!

  CHAPTER TEN

  AS THE car came to a halt the front door opened and Sinead ran out to greet them.

  ‘You’re here at last,’ she said, flinging herself into Chloe’s arms. ‘I thought you were never going to arrive.’

  Chloe hugged her sister tightly and it was a few minutes before the two women let go enough of each other for Chloe to introduce her to Steven.

  ‘Hi, pleased to meet you.’ Steven was going to shake hands, but Sinead reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

  ‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ she said warmly. ‘We’ve heard so much about you.’

  ‘Have you?’

  It was no wonder Steven looked a bit mystified by that statement—so did Chloe. She didn’t think she had talked that much about Steven. The bare minimum was what she had told Sinead on the phone. Just that her relationship hadn’t worked out with Nile and she had found herself drawn instead to her boss.

  ‘All good, I hope?’ Steven asked with a grin.

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘You look great, Sinead,’ Chloe said, changing the subject. Her sister did indeed look very well. Her blonde hair was highlighted with pure golden streaks and her skin was perfect, as was her figure in the blue summer dress.

  ‘So do you,’ Sinead said. ‘Obviously love is agreeing with you.’

  Chloe caught Steven’s eye and tried very hard not to blush. She was very thankful when her dad and stepmum came out of the house at that moment.

  Chloe hugged them both, and then hugged her dad again. ‘It’s really good to see you, Dad,’ she said, looking up into the gentleness of his blue eyes. ‘You look well; a few more grey hairs maybe…’ She tried to make a joke to hide the fact she felt suddenly emotional. The fact was, her father’s hair had been pure white for as long as she could remember.

  Graham Brown looked similarly moved as he held his daughter close. ‘You’ve been away that long you’ve forgotten what your dear old dad looks like, that’s your problem,’ he scolded gently.

  For a while they stood in the warm sunlight while Chloe made the introductions with Steven and they all chatted happily, asking the usual questions about the journey and the weather. Then suddenly she remembered Beth.

  She turned towards the car and saw that the little girl was still fast asleep.

  ‘Beth, honey?’ Chloe opened the door and touched her shoulder gently. ‘Beth, we’re here.’

  The child opened her eyes and seemed to be totally disorientated. Then she allowed Chloe to help her out of the car. She stood looking a trifle bewildered as everyone said hello to her, her blonde hair ruffled and her cheeks flushed from sleep. And as Margaret bent to ask her if she would like to come inside and have lemonade she buried her head shyly against Chloe’s legs.

  ‘You’d love some lemonade, wouldn’t you, s
weetheart?’ Chloe lifted her up into her arms. ‘Shall we go inside and see what else we can find for you…maybe some chocolate?’

  ‘She’ll be all right once she meets Sarah and Jane,’ Sinead said. ‘That’s my cousin’s children,’ she told Steven. ‘They are out in the back garden, playing; I don’t think they heard the car.’

  Steven watched how Beth clung to Chloe, wrapping her arms around her neck and shooting shy glances out at everyone from big blue eyes. He noted the instinctive tenderness Chloe had with her, the way she stroked a stray strand of hair from Beth’s eyes and smiled at her. And he felt something inside him squeeze tightly.

  ‘Gosh, but you’re heavy.’ Chloe laughed over at Steven. ‘I’m sure she’s grown another few inches during that drive. If she keeps this up I soon won’t be able to pick her up at all.’

  ‘Do you want me to take her?’ He moved to stand next to them.

  ‘No, I’ll manage. I’ll leave you to bring in the bags.’ Her eyes danced mischievously as they looked up at him.

  ‘You haven’t overdone the luggage again, have you, Sis?’ Sinead laughed. ‘Chloe never travels lightly; there’s always an excess-baggage fee when she gets to the check-in, and that’s when she’s just brought an overnight case. You’ve got a lot to put up with, Steven.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t mind.’ Steven smiled with lazy good humour into Chloe’s eyes. ‘Chloe’s worth the trouble…and the torn ligaments.’

  They all laughed.

  ‘I’ll give you a hand, Steven,’ Graham offered as the women headed indoors.

  The large house was just as Chloe had last seen it, its beautiful interior restored to the eighteenth-century grandeur of when it had been an old coaching house. The main hallway was flagged and led down to the downstairs drawing room with gracefully curved windows that looked out over the sloping gardens to the Irish Sea. A magnificent stained-glass window lit the enormous stairwell, the jewelled colours reflecting on the flags and the polished wood of the furniture.

  The kitchen had always been the heart of the home and it seemed little had changed there either. The smell of baking filled the air and pots bubbled on the Aga, whilst the huge table was strewn with the calorific delights of Margaret’s efforts.

  ‘Heavens, Margaret, you look like you’re expecting an army,’ Chloe laughed, pinching a chocolate Wellington square and giving it to Beth.

  ‘Graham thinks that if we go to the pub for a drink tonight a few people might come back.’ Margaret grinned as she switched on the kettle. ‘You know how it is.’

  Chloe knew how it was indeed. ‘Any excuse to begin partying,’ she said with a laugh.

  As Margaret tried to make them all a cup of tea she was interrupted time and again by the phone ringing. Chloe set Beth down in the chair by the fireplace and automatically set to helping as Margaret talked to everyone from the caterers to some friends who had rung for directions to the church on Saturday.

  ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Chloe,’ Sinead said as she perched on the arm of Beth’s chair. ‘It’s been like this for days now; we’ve hardly had time to turn around.’

  ‘Planning a wedding is obviously a bit like planning a campaign of war.’ Chloe smiled as she opened the fridge to get some milk and noticed the list of tasks for the wedding that Margaret had stuck on the front with a fridge magnet.

  ‘Tell me about it!’ Sinead rolled her eyes. ‘And it’s got crazier by the day. Mark and I are starting to wonder if we should have run away and just got married on a Caribbean beach.’

  ‘Chloe, who is outside in the garden?’ Beth asked, kneeling up on the chair to look out of the window.

  ‘That’s my cousin Ellie’s children. Where is Ellie, anyway?’ Chloe asked Sinead.

  ‘Went into Dublin first thing this morning on a shopping spree and hasn’t come back yet.’

  Chloe put the teapot on the Aga to brew and as the phone continued to ring took Beth out to the back garden to say hello to Sarah and Jane.

  ‘It doesn’t take children long to overcome their shyness, does it?’ Sinead laughed as a few minutes later all three children had disappeared down to the Wendy house at the bottom of the garden and were playing happily.

  Chloe smiled as the contagious sound of the children’s giggles drifted in the warm evening air.

  ‘Steven is really attractive,’ Sinead murmured. Turning, Chloe followed her sister’s gaze towards the window, where she could see Steven and her father walking into the kitchen. ‘It’s no wonder you’ve had a thing for him for the last two years.’

  ‘I haven’t really had a…thing…for him for two years,’ Chloe corrected as she returned her attention to her sister. ‘It’s fairly recent.’

  ‘No, it’s not. Every time you’ve ever mentioned Steven your voice has gone very mysterious. You’ve always liked him.’

  Before Chloe had a chance to answer this Sinead continued hurriedly, ‘Anyway, while I’ve got you on your own, Mum wants me to check the sleeping arrangements with you. We’ve put Steven in with you, of course, but do you think Beth will mind sharing with Sarah and Jane? It’s just that Mark is short of a bedroom for one of his relatives and we thought he could stay here. If you wouldn’t mind?’

  Chloe opened her mouth and nothing came out for a moment. She wanted to be with Steven and maybe this was her perfect excuse.

  ‘Is that all right, Chloe?’ Sinead asked again with a frown. ‘The girls are about the same age as Beth…and they do seem to be getting along very well together.’

  Chloe knew she should say, Well, it’s all right for Beth to double up, but Steven and I need separate rooms. But instead she found herself saying, ‘That’s fine, Sinead.’

  ‘Thank heavens for that.’ Sinead let her breath out in a sigh of relief.

  ‘Thank heavens for what?’ Steven asked as he stepped out of the back door to join them.

  Instantly Chloe’s trepidation mounted. What on earth was Steven going to think when he heard that she had just agreed to them sharing a room?

  ‘That you don’t mind Beth sharing a bedroom with my cousin’s little girls.’ Sinead smiled.

  ‘Of course not.’ Steven glanced at Chloe, noting immediately the sense of unease about her.

  ‘Usually space isn’t a problem here,’ Sinead said. ‘But with this wedding coming up it feels like we need to have elastic walls.’

  ‘Maybe we should have stayed in a hotel,’ Chloe murmured. ‘It might make things easier.’

  ‘Are you joking? We want you here, Chloe.’ Sinead looked horrified. ‘Don’t say that to Mum and Dad…whatever you do. They’d rather throw everyone out on the street than have you and Steven move out.’

  ‘Sinead, Mark’s on the phone,’ Margaret called from the open doorway.

  Sinead hastily excused herself and ran inside.

  ‘Everything all right, Chloe?’ Steven asked quietly once they were left alone.

  ‘Well…’ She looked up into the darkness of his eyes. ‘We’ve got a slight problem with the sleeping arrangements,’ she admitted huskily.

  Steven smiled. ‘Yes, so I gathered.’

  Chloe felt her skin burning with embarrassment as his eyes travelled over her face searchingly.

  ‘So it means we will be in the same bedroom.’ She tried very hard to sound matter-of-fact about the prospect.

  As the minutes ticked by and Steven didn’t say anything Chloe felt her nerves twist and tingle all the way down to her toes.

  ‘I suppose I could have a quiet word with Margaret and we could rearrange the rooms,’ she said finally in desperation; she didn’t want to force the situation. ‘The children could share the double bed in my old bedroom and we could have the twin-bedded room…’

  ‘If that’s what you want to do…’ Steven shrugged. ‘But frankly I think you would be creating a big fuss for very little difference. We’d still be sharing a room.’

  ‘So is that all right with you?’ she asked hesitantly. ‘Or would it be better if we moved to a hotel?’<
br />
  ‘Chloe, I do have some self-control, you know. Just because we are sharing a double bed doesn’t mean I’m going to automatically expect to have sex with you.’ He smiled as he watched the heat rise again under the delicate creaminess of her skin. ‘Hey.’ He reached out and tipped her chin up so that she was forced to hold his direct dark gaze. ‘I’d never hurt you, Chloe. You know that, don’t you?’

  The light touch of his fingers against her skin made her tremble inside.

  ‘OK…so we won’t make a big deal out of this and we’ll just leave things as they are,’ she said huskily.

  Steven nodded. ‘Good idea; I think Margaret has enough on her plate organising this wedding without worrying about where everyone is sleeping.’

  ‘Chloe, we need to go down to the wedding boutique so that you can try your dress on,’ Sinead called from the doorway. ‘I think we should go now; I told them we would be there as soon as possible, because they’re keeping the shop open a bit later for us.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ Chloe looked up at Steven. ‘I won’t be long; why don’t you ring the office while I’m gone…find out if Renaldo signed on the dotted line?’

  ‘Do you know, I think you are more worried about that business than I am sometimes?’ Steven grinned. ‘And that’s saying something!’

  Chloe smiled. ‘I’ll see you later, then.’

  ‘Yes, darling,’ he murmured and, bending, he kissed her full on the lips. The movement was completely unexpected and for a moment she swayed against him, her lips instantly softening and responding to his.

  ‘See you later.’ He smiled at her as he pulled away, the throaty promise in his voice sending tingles of excitement through her.

  It wasn’t until she turned to go into the kitchen that she realised that Steven had probably only kissed her for the benefit of all her family, who were standing watching.

  ‘I can’t believe how good that dress looked on you,’ Sinead said as they turned back into the driveway a few hours later. ‘And it fitted you perfectly. I was so worried that it wouldn’t! That maybe we had made a mistake with the measurements. But you looked incredible.’