Trish Wylie - His After-Hours Mistress

‘What do you want me to do?’ asked Lucinda. ‘My work here’s not finished.’ Spending all her time with Zane, she’d done precious little during the last few days.

‘You should come back with me. There’s no point in you staying,’ he said. ‘I’m sure you have done everything you need to for the time being. In fact I don’t think you’ll even need my approval because you know me better than anyone else does. And I certainly trust you.’

Lucinda’s eyes widened. ‘That’s quite a compliment.’

During the flight back Zane asked himself whether he was falling for Lucinda. He had never felt quite like this about any woman before—but, dammit, he didn’t want to fall in love. Love had no part to play in his life. The best thing he could do when they got home was to not see her again.

It might even be best to forget the interior design project. He’d get someone else to do it—someone in St Lucia! Serafine would help him find someone.

It was going to be hard walking away from Lucinda. But he daren’t give way to the feelings burning inside him. It was far too dangerous. He didn’t want to believe that Lucinda was like other women, but how could he tell?

His lifelong friend had had a bad experience—his marriage had broken down and his wife had all but ruined him with her demands. And yet she’d seemed like a lovely woman. No one would have expected it of her.

Prenuptial agreements were the way to go these days, but that was being cold and calculating and, although he could be both of these things in his business affairs, it didn’t seem right to bring it into the realms of love. Best not to love than be hurt.

He enjoyed his playboy image, though he didn’t date half as many women as had been suggested by the press. And Lucinda was the first one to really get through to him. He had to ask himself why. How was she different?

Maybe because she’d shown no interest in him initially. It was something that had never happened to him before. Once she had let herself go, though, the world had rocked. Lucinda was incredible.

Perhaps she wouldn’t expect to continue the relationship once they were back in England? Her ex had put the fear of hell into her where commitment was concerned. Perhaps she’d decided on a good time, knowing that she could leave it behind when her job was finished.

The thought should have pleased him but, for some reason, it didn’t and when they eventually landed his mood was black.

LUCINDA couldn’t work out why Zane’s mood had changed so dramatically. Unless he was telling her that their affair was over. That it had been good while it lasted but now it was goodbye. He’d hardly spoken during the flight, shutting himself in his on-board office for most of the time.

It should have been a relief, so why wasn’t it? It was clearly back to business for him and it should be the same for her. But women weren’t programmed the same as men. It wasn’t so easy to shut out what had happened between them during the last couple of weeks. But by the time they touched down in England she’d accepted that this was what she’d have to do.

She felt utterly miserable and when he put her into a separate car at the airport and didn’t even say whether he would see her again, Lucinda felt like breaking down in tears. Of course she didn’t; she lifted her chin and pretended that she wasn’t hurt.

It could be that he was worried about his little nephew’s grandmother, but somehow she didn’t think so. It was something she had said or done. Perhaps he’d been afraid that she was the clinging type, that she wouldn’t want to let go? Which was ridiculous, because she’d known from the beginning that there was no future in their relationship. Even if that really was the case, he needn’t have cut her out of his life quite so abruptly.

During the next few days Lucinda threw herself into her work. There was a lot to catch up on and she pushed Zane Alexander to the back of her mind. Or at least she tried to. It was practically impossible, especially when she lay alone in her bed at night. They’d had so many nights of passion that it killed her. She wanted Zane with her for ever more.

Then her secretary put a call through. ‘It’s Mr Alexander,’ she declared in a hushed voice.

Lucinda was aware that Amanda had been curious about her visit to the Caribbean, but she’d kept deliberately quiet, saying only that the project hadn’t materialised, not wanting to tell anyone what had happened. She hadn’t even told her mother, even though Ruth had questioned her time and time again.

Now her heart raced erratically. ‘Lucinda Oliver,’ she announced, keeping her tone brisk and businesslike. ‘How may I help you?’

‘Lucinda.’

It was his voice that did it. That incredible growl that made her toes curl and her stomach turn over. She closed her eyes and attempted to hold on to her dignity.

‘I need to see you.’

Heavens! Was he talking about what she hoped he was talking about? Had he, like her, spent sleepless nights wishing they were together again? Had he realised that he couldn’t live without her? That what they had was something special, far removed from a brief affair? Her heartbeats were loud and heavy in her breast and she put a hand to her throat.

‘I need you to help me look after Timothy.’

Lucinda’s spirits fell like a sledgehammer, slamming into her senses, making her realise how stupid she had been. Of course he wouldn’t want her for any other reason; he had made that perfectly clear. She had been stupid to even think it. ‘Why?’ she asked, hoping he couldn’t hear the sudden dryness in her throat. ‘Why me?’

‘Because he knows you, he likes you.’

‘I’m not a nanny any longer,’ she reminded him curtly, swallowing her disappointment. Lord knew what she had thought he would say but it certainly hadn’t been anything like that. ‘Besides, how can he remember me when it was so long ago?’

A brief silence, then, ‘You’re someone I know and can trust.’

Lucinda shook her head. He sounded brisk and businesslike, not a man whose bed she had shared night after night. ‘I’m very busy, Zane. I have a lot to catch up on.’

‘Tim’s grandmother’s very poorly. The poor boy has no one but me to look after him.’

‘And you’re naturally too busy.’ Lucinda couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. ‘And you also have a nerve thinking I’ll drop everything to do your work for you.’

‘I’m missing you, Lucinda.’ It was said quietly, almost regretfully, and she was aware how much it must have cost him to say that. She couldn’t curb a tiny smile. So he wasn’t entirely immune to her? Their brief affair had meant something! Quite what she couldn’t be sure, but it meant that he was possibly suffering the same as she was. Except that she loved him and his feelings were nothing more than lust.

Nevertheless, the thought of seeing him again was extremely tempting.

‘I could set you up an office here so that you won’t get behind with your work.’ And when she didn’t answer he added, ‘Whatever you need will be yours.’

I need you, she thought desperately. I need your love. Not an office. Not looking after your nephew. You! Would this be second best? If she moved into his house, would their affair rekindle itself? Would Zane realise what he was missing? Would he learn to love her the same as she loved him?

Lucinda found it hard to believe that she had fallen in love with Zane after vowing to herself never to trust another man. It just went to show that when the right man came along…

Was Zane the right man? She wouldn’t know unless she took up his challenge. It was the only chance she’d have of seeing him again.