The Best Of The Year - Modern Romance 2016. Кейт Хьюит
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‘I really was looking forward to going to all the art galleries,’ Alexa returned wistfully as they were transported like royalty to where the helicopter was waiting for them.
It was hot and sunny and a perfect day for sightseeing.
‘Something can be arranged, I’m sure, if you’re really desperate. Felicity would probably love to accompany you. If my memory serves me right, she’s into that sort of thing... I shall be preoccupied during the day, at any rate...’
Alexa shuddered at the prospect of trekking down to Manhattan in the company of someone else. Strolling through art galleries had always been a pleasurable thing to do on her own—a time for quiet reflection and a bit of peace and quiet.
‘How many people are going to be there?’ she asked, gazing idly around her as the stretch limo removed them from the main airport,
‘A handful.’ His phone buzzed and he picked up the call and remained talking, only cutting short his conversation when their helicopter was within sight.
‘Work,’ he said crisply.
‘Is that all you ever think about?’ Alexa asked, eyeing the helicopter with trepidation. She had been on a helicopter twice in her life and had hated both experiences.
‘Not all...’
There was a small, knowing smile on his lips and she shook her head with exasperation.
‘Work and flings, then...’
Theo burst out laughing and made a big show of stepping back and helping her into the helicopter. He exchanged a few pleasantries with their pilot and then turned to her, the smile still lingering on his lips.
‘Don’t knock a good fling. Flings can be very satisfying—as I’m sure you’ve discovered for yourself, considering you’ve never married...’
‘I can’t see anything satisfying in meaningless sex!’ Alexa had to half shout as the scream of the rotor blades threatened to drown out conversation.
‘I prefer to call it no strings sex. And what about fun?’ Theo prompted. ‘Or is that something you disapprove of? Along with kicking back?’
‘I just think it must get very boring after a while,’ she bristled.
‘In which case your “meaningless sex” can’t have been very exciting.’
Alexa ignored that. Did he think that she spent her time hopping in and out of bed with random men? Hadn’t he seen for himself that she wasn’t like that? She didn’t know whether to be relieved or insulted at his one-track mind, but she did know that it was hardly surprising, because he was simply judging her according to his own standards.
He had no problem disengaging his emotions from the act of sexual intercourse. For him it was no more meaningful than a physical workout at the gym. And his relationships, if they could be called that, probably didn’t last much longer.
Thankfully, she had never been like that—which was some consolation considering she fancied the man.
At least she knew where her priorities were, and would never allow the physical to take over.
She didn’t reply to his provocative statement. Instead she stared down at the wispy clouds and thought that in a week’s time all of this would be over—and thank goodness for that.
ALEXA HAD NO time to let panic get a grip because the helicopter ride was over practically before it had begun, and then it was buzzing and lowering itself down to a section of lawn which had been converted into a neat helipad.
She had no idea what to expect, but she did know that if Theo had referred to his friend’s house as ‘a mansion’, then it was going to be pretty spectacular—and it was.
She had seen there was a pool from above—a rectangle of pristine bright blue—but the view of the top of the house didn’t do justice to its splendour, which only became apparent as they were transported in something resembling a motorised golf buggy to the curving courtyard.
On either side of the drive immaculate lawns stretched towards hedgerows that had been clipped with razor-sharp precision, high enough to ensure perfect privacy. The house was fronted by a series of striking columns that threw the sprawling veranda at the front into cool shade. On the first floor a similar veranda mimicked the one below, but circled the entire house, providing a massive outdoor deck space on which she could spot clusters of shaded furniture. The top floor was more modest, sheltered by an overhanging terracotta roof, and at the four corners of the house massive chimneys advertised indoor fireplaces.
‘Huge...’ Alexa was duly impressed, even though she was accustomed to grand houses. ‘How many people live here?’
‘Four, once upon a time. Now just two, because both kids have left home. As you might gather, they’re not my contemporaries. I met them a long time ago, when my father was involved in lending Bob cash to fund his dream of building a golf and country club. The golf and country club is now one of the most frequented by top professional golfers, and he’s dabbled in a series of other successful ventures since those heady days.’
‘You must have been very young at the time.’
Theo looked down at her and grinned. ‘I challenged Bob to a game of golf and whipped him. Since then we’ve been firm friends...’
‘That’s something else you do,’ she couldn’t resist murmuring.
‘Come again?’
‘By way of relaxing... You play golf.’
‘Would you like to know which form of relaxation I prefer?’
‘No, I wouldn’t!’
‘You’re so predictable in your responses...’
Suddenly he pulled her towards him and tucked her against his body—and, sure enough, waiting in the open doorway was a small blonde woman in her fifties, her face wreathed with smiles.
‘Bob never thought you’d do it, you great big lug! But I knew that a woman would come along and sweep you off your feet! I’m Felicity, by the way, and you have to excuse my shrieking like a crazy person but we were just so darned surprised when we heard that our favourite boy in the whole wide world was finally going to settle down!’
In between speaking at rapid-fire speed and introducing herself Felicity managed to plant a friendly kiss on both their cheeks while hustling them into the house and calling out for ‘Stanley’ to take their bags up.
Alexa had no time to say any of the usual polite things about the house or about their trip or about anything at all.
‘Like it or not, you’re gonna tell all! Bob! Bob’s in the middle of one those darned conference calls!’
This to Alexa, with a woman-to-woman wink.
‘You make sure when you’ve got a ring on this guy’s finger that you ban all conference calls! And make sure he doesn’t take up golf! I’ve had to start taking lessons or else lose that lug of a husband of mine to fairways and putting greens!’
No concessions were made to the fact that they had been travelling for several hours. Felicity dragged them through the house at breakneck speed, towards a massive kitchen which was the last word in high-tech. Glossy white built-in cupboards concealed everything, and the gleaming marble countertops were bare of all but the essentials. She led them on towards some comfortable seating in a conservatory that overlooked the manicured lawns, and once they were seated offered tall glasses of homemade lemonade whilst promising them that they could ‘go freshen up’ just as soon as they’d spilled the beans.
‘I’ve got to grab you two kids before the house becomes a hotbed for dull businessmen!’ She settled comfortably into one of the chairs and peered at them