I glanced out the window to find it was an unseasonably sunny day, perfect for a trip to the beach. Hopping up from the bed, I went and took a quick shower, then packed my bag. I put my swimsuit on, red with a ’50s vintage cut, and wore a light flower-print dress over the top with some sandals.
I definitely caught a few odd looks from the locals as I made the quick walk from the hotel to the coast, as they clearly didn’t consider it beach weather. Having lived my entire life in cold, rainy London, though, it was positively tropical to me. As expected, there weren’t many people around. I spread a towel out on the sand, slipped on my sunglasses, pulled my dress off over my head, and lay back to soak in the rays.
An hour or two passed in blissful peace as I listened to the waves crash against the shore. I never got to hear these sorts of sounds back home, only traffic and honking horns.
Sensing a presence, I opened my eyes and slid my sunglasses down my nose. King sat next to me on the sand, his chin resting in his palm and a thoughtful expression on his face as he stared out at the water. He looked a million miles away, and the fact was confirmed when I said his name but got no answer.
“Oliver,” I repeated, and saw him blink.
He turned his head. “I thought you might be sleeping, didn’t want to wake you.”
“Wouldn’t it be kind of dangerous to fall asleep on a public beach?” I asked, but he only shrugged and turned his attention back to the sea. I sat up, reached forward, and placed a hand softly on his arm.
“Hey, are you all right?”
Either he didn’t hear my question, or he chose to ignore it. “I envy those with clear consciences,” he murmured, as if to himself.
What he said made me frown. “Why wouldn’t your conscience be clear?”
His eyes flicked to the side as he realised he’d voiced his sentiments out loud. A long breath escaped him. “Bad luck and circumstance.”
“You’re one of the luckiest people I know,” I whispered. Yes, his mother was unwell, but aside from that he had a pretty spectacular life.
Turning, he levelled his eyes on me, and they seemed so much more beautiful with the sun glittering through them. “My luck is only on one side of the mirror,” he murmured, and reached out to caress my cheek. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all morning.” His words and his touch made me shiver.
“I’ve been thinking about you, too.” What I said made him smile, but there was a sadness behind it. I wanted to find its source, snuff it out. He was having these episodes more and more lately, melancholy mixed with random philosophising.
“Mr Hirota is going to sign the contracts tonight. He’s invited us to his villa for dinner. Did you bring a dress?”
“Of course. I always come prepared.” I smiled and crawled over to kneel in front of him, placing my hands on each of his shoulders. Staring at him head on, I said, “A problem shared is a problem halved. Whatever’s been troubling you, you can tell me about it. No judgement.”
The moment dragged on forever as he breathed in and then out. I don’t think I’d ever experienced such a long and meaningful stretch of eye contact with another human being before. Voices sounded from nearby, a family taking pictures. King’s eyes went to them and then back to me.
“Stay here,” he said, and stood up. I watched as he walked to the family and began speaking to the father, who had one of those vintage Polaroid cameras. Words were exchanged, and then the father handed the camera over to King. He walked back to me, and as I sat there on my towel, he lifted the camera to his face.
“Smile, Alexis,” he said, and I had just enough time to plaster a grin on my face before he snapped the shot. The photo emerged from the front of the camera and King caught it, shaking it out.
“Hey, a little warning next time!”
“Come here,” he said, voice low.
I went to him. He threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close, holding the camera up in front of us and taking another pic. This time I was the one to grab it from the slot. It had managed to capture us up close. I was staring into the lens, smiling, and King was in profile, staring back at me, a look of such affection in his gaze that it almost took my breath away.
“I’m keeping this one,” I practically whispered as King watched me.
“Only if I can keep this one.”
I shrugged, trying not to sound emotional. “Sure.”
He went and returned the camera to its owner, and an odd atmosphere fell between us. I packed up my things, and we made the short walk back to the hotel. I knew exactly what accounted for the tension but was too afraid to voice how I felt.
I was falling in love with him, and if the way he looked at me in the picture was anything to go by, he was falling in love with me, too.
***
Since King had a bigger room, we went there to work for the rest of the day. I sat on his bed, my computer on my lap, while he sat at the desk. There were lots of small details to tie up before Hirota signed the contracts that evening, so both of us were buried in work for a couple of hours. I Skyped with Gillian so she could take care of everything that needed doing back at the London office. I’d just finished my call with her when King’s phone began to ring. I saw him glance at the screen, and I swear his face instantly transformed. He was no longer relaxed and concentrated. He now seemed irritable and stressed.
Standing, he didn’t glance at me once as he walked from the room and stepped out into the hallway. He only closed the door over halfway, so I could still eavesdrop on the conversation.
“Yes?” he answered, voice flat.
A pause.
“Of course. It’s all moving forward as planned. The contracts will be signed tonight.”
Another pause.
“Very well. Just remember our agreement. This is the last time.”
I heard him let out a long, frustrated breath, and I could just imagine his jaw clenching. He didn’t sound happy at all.
“Bruce, I mean it. This is the last time. You’ll have your paperwork by the morning. Goodbye.” A second later he stormed back into the room, and I practically yelped in surprise when he came right at me. He shoved my laptop away, then began undoing the buttons on my dress, revealing my bra underneath.
“All afternoon I’ve had to watch you sitting here, torturing me in this little dress cupping your perfect fucking tits,” he growled, and brought his mouth to my cleavage, dragging his lips over the swells of my breasts. A whimper escaped me as my hands went to his hair. He wasn’t the only one who’d been tortured. Having Oliver King close was always a test to my willpower.
“Oliver,” I breathed as he pushed down the cup of my bra, then took my nipple into his mouth. His tongue circled, and I squirmed beneath him. “Oliver, who’s Bruce?”
His entire form stilled, his mouth leaving me. “You shouldn’t have been listening to that conversation, Alexis.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that as soon as you got the call, you became really stressed out. It worried me.”
“You don’t need to worry,” he said, and I could feel him withdrawing.
“But I do.”
He was off the bed now, picking up his coat. “I’m going to take a walk. Finish what you’re working on and be ready at seven. Hirota is sending a car for us.”
And with that he was gone. I lay on the bed, equal parts turned on and confused. I didn’t understand why he was being so closed off about this Bruce person. My gut sank, and I quickly fixed my dress back in place. Collecting my things, I returned to my own room, and this time I remembered to lock the adjoining doors.
The dress I wore for dinner was a deep purple colour, lace on top, velvet material on the bottom. My phone pinged with a text just as I was putting the finishing touches to my makeup.
Oliver King: I’m waiting in the lobby.
I tapped out a quick response.
Alexis: Be there in two minutes.
I saw him standing by a tall column when I arrived downstairs. His back was turned to me, and he wore a black suit that made his golden hair stand out. His broad shoulders and confident, masculine posture gave me a fizzy sensation in my tummy, and I immediately wished we weren’t on awkward terms. Why did I have to be so nosy asking about this Bruce person? It wasn’t like I had a right to know.