Her Enemy With Benefits. Nicola Marsh
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her iPod dock, lavender fumes from her oil burner and talking to Karma weren’t working.
She’d never felt so tense in all her life and she had Patrick Fourde to blame.
The guy was infuriating.
The guy was annoying.
The guy was seriously hot.
And that was what had her flustered deep down on a visceral level she didn’t want to acknowledge.
Despite his inherent ability to consistently rub her up the wrong way, even after a decade, she found him attractive.
That ruffled, casual, bad-boy aura he had going on? Big turn-on. Huge.
It was why she’d deliberately held him at arm’s length during high school.
Patrick Fourde, in all his slick, laid-back glory, had encapsulated everything she’d yearned to be and couldn’t. She’d had major responsibilities, being groomed to take over Seaborns, and while she’d relished every challenge her mum had thrown her way she’d always secretly wanted what Patrick had.
Freedom.
Freedom to be whomever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Freedom away from maternal expectation. Freedom from being Sapphire—the eldest, responsible one. The confident, competent one. The driven, dependable one.
She’d envied Ruby for the same reason, loving her carefree, creative sister but wishing she could be like her.
It was why she hadn’t burdened Ruby with the promise she’d made to their mum on her deathbed, why she’d kept Sea-borns’ economic situation a secret until it had been too late.
She’d learned the hard way how foolish it was to do it alone, to hide her stress beneath a brittle veneer, and if she hadn’t almost collapsed with fatigue she might have jeopardised the company altogether.
The fact she’d ignored the signs of her ailing body, pushing herself to the limit with the help of caffeine drinks and energy bars, foolish behaviour she’d never accept with anyone, least of all herself. But she’d done it—driven her body into the ground because of her stubborn independence.
Thankfully she’d wised up, vowed to take better care of her body.
She never, ever wanted to experience the soul-sapping fatigue that had plagued her for weeks when she’d first checked into Tenang. The nebulous chronic fatigue syndrome—something she’d heard bandied around on current affairs programmes but knew little about—had become a scary reality and she’d fought it for all she was worth.
When she’d left Tenang she’d promised to take time out, to achieve a better balance between her business and social lives.
Karma gaped at her, opening and closing his fishy lips, and she could imagine him saying, So how’s that working out for you?
She’d been back on the job a week, easing into the business by scouring accounts, re-establishing contact with clients and making projections for the next financial year. It had been going well, coming to work in casual workout clothes and sneakers, wearing no make-up, not having to put on her ‘company face’ for clients and the cameras.
Being CEO and spokesperson for Seaborns had always given her a thrill, but the stress of possible financial disaster had ruined her enjoyment of the job.
While Seaborns had recovered, courtesy of Ruby and Jax, she’d never let the situation get out of hand again. Which was why she’d latched onto the idea of working alongside Fourde Fashion for the upcoming Melbourne Fashion Week.
A mega seven days in the fashion world, it would secure Seaborns’ future for ever if their exquisite jewellery designs were seen with designer clothes from Fourde’s.
Despite their past, she hadn’t hesitated in contacting Patrick’s PA for an appointment when she’d heard the CEO of Melbourne’s newest fashion house was courting jewellers for a runway partnership.
Patrick’s terse, impersonal response had surprised her but she hadn’t cared. She had her chance.
So why had he shown up at Seaborns yesterday, seemingly hell-bent on rattling her?
If his wicked smile and smouldering eyes hadn’t undermined her, his ability to hone in on how much she’d changed would have.
How had he done that?
The guy she’d known had never pushed for answers, had never bothered to be insightful or concerned. He’d teased and annoyed and badgered his way through their year as lab partners in Biology, never probing beneath the surface.
She’d pretended to tolerate him back then, when in fact—she could finally admit it—she’d looked forward to their prac sessions with a perverse sense of excitement. Biology had been the relief of her senior year. Through the heavy slog of Maths and Economics and Politics—subjects recommended by her mum and careers adviser, she’d craved the tantalising fun she’d have with Patrick.
It had been a game with him back then. A challenge for him to rile her into responding. She hadn’t given him the satisfaction most of the time, choosing to ignore him as a way of dealing with his constant outrageous annoyances. But she’d seen his respect on the odd occasion she’d snapped back, and for some bizarre reason she’d valued it.
He’d made her rigid life bearable. Not that she’d ever let him know. The more he teased and taunted the harder she’d pushed him away.
Until graduation night. The night she’d let down her guard and he’d swooped, making a mockery of her stance to ignore him.
She’d never had a boyfriend in high school, had never been kissed before that night. And the fact Patrick had been her first had really peed her off at the time.
She’d blamed him. He’d taken advantage of the situation. He’d seen her at her worst and had kissed her as part of his usual taunts. He’d probably laughed at her afterwards.
But none of that had been true. In reality he’d been gallant in bringing her home after her date ended up drunk. And his kiss had been one of comfort, not cruelty.
It wasn’t his fault she’d gone a little nuts.
That was why she’d ignored his overtures to meet after that night. Pure mortification. And a small part of her knew she would have hated having him belittle something as special as that spectacular first kiss.
He would have too, to lighten the mood between them—would probably have been as embarrassed as her and covered it by taunting her.
Thankfully he’d given up after a week, headed to Paris, and she’d forgotten about it.
Until now.
Beyond annoying.
She glanced at the alarm clock next to the bed and winced. Less than an hour until her pitch.
Yesterday had been an aberration. The feeling that she’d connected with him on some deeper level that went way beyond their banter in high school hadn’t happened. It had been a figment of her imagination—the same imagination that insisted she go out and find the hottest guy in Melbourne to have some fun with.
That was what their tenuous bond had been about: her need for some male company and his inherent ability to flirt with anything that moved.
Harsh? Yeah. But it was the only way she’d cope with the riot of uncertainty making her doubt her choice of outfit, accessories, and the wisdom of meeting up with him—albeit for work.
‘This is business.’ She squared her shoulders. ‘I can do this.’
Karma’s affirmation consisted of a gill twitch as he ducked behind his treasure chest.
At least she looked the part. Knee-length, A-line sleeveless dress with a fitted bodice and cinched waist in the deepest mulberry, towering stilettos in black patent, and an exquisite amethyst pendant on a simple white gold necklace with matching earrings.
Throw