Page 23 of Her Kensington
“I sure do. Although only on and off at the moment as I’m studying for my masters.”
“In what?”
“Business management. I’ve no real interest in antiques like Harrison, but my passion for this business is just as strong as his.”
Listening to her speak, I have no reason to doubt her. She may look sweet but the more she talks the more I get the impression that she might be a woman not to be messed with.
The building is deadly silent as we walk down the hallway of the top floor. Glass windows allow me to see into every office, but each one has been abandoned.
“Where is everyone?”
“Management meeting.” I look up just as Danni opens a large door in front of us. I panic, but it’s too late. Every head in the room has turned our way.
“What I need from you is—” Harrison’s voice booms around the room. It’s deeper and with a stern edge like I’ve never heard from him before. “Sorry, we’re…oh.” His voice and expression instantly soften when his eyes find me. A small smile curls up the sides of his lips before he pushes away from the table and walks over to us.
“Everyone…I’d like you to meet my wife.” Coming to stand next to me, he grabs my hand and lifts it to his mouth so he can kiss my knuckles. “This is Summer, the reason you all have extra work to do.”
Quite a few sets of eyes widen and a number of chins drop at Harrison’s words but on the whole, everyone looks happy for him, if not a little shocked.
A wave of introductions starts, but the only person I take any real notice of is the lady introduced as Harrison’s PA. She’s the only one who doesn’t look thrilled to meet me. Unlike the wide smiles everyone else wears, her pale face is hard, her eyes narrowed in my direction the entire time we’re in the same room. I get the impression we’re not going to be friends any time soon.
“Well everyone, I think that’s the perfect time to end. If you need me, your first port of call is Rachael,” he says, nodding to the woman still giving me a death glare. When she notices Harrison’s attention, her face transforms into a smile and her eyes light up. “She’ll decide if it’s important enough to bother me with.”
Giving my hand a squeeze and gentle tug, I’m pulled from the meeting room and back down the long hallway until we get to an office at the end, the only one without a glass wall. Harrison pushes the heavy walnut door open and encourages me inside.
The door’s barely shut when he spins and pushes me back against it. His hands slide up from my waist until they’re cupping my breasts. His lips press against mine and his tongue finds its way into my mouth. He moans and just presses himself against me when his cell starts ringing, vibrating between the two of us and ruining the silence of the room.
Ignoring it, Harrison continues to kiss me and eventually, it rings off, only to instantly start again.
“For fuck’s sake,” he mutters, stepping back from me. His eyes are dark and his chest heaving under the white cotton of his shirt. Pulling his cell from his pants pocket, he looks down at the screen and groans. “I’m so sorry, she won’t go away if I don’t answer,” he says before turning and walking over to the windows. Following his movement, I take in the most incredible view of London beyond his office.
“Wow,” I breathe quietly as I appreciate the beauty.
“What?” Harrison barks the second he has his cell to his ear. “None of your fucking business.” I hear a shrill female voice on the other end, and it puts me on edge. It’s her. Anger knots my stomach at just knowing who he’s speaking too. I know hardly anything about her, but it’s enough to know I’ll never like the woman. Just hearing how she treated Harrison is enough for me to never want to meet her—ever.
“Why should I tell you? You fucked off to Madrid without any prior warning.” I keep my focus on his face and watch as he transforms from the Harrison I know and love to someone else entirely, someone full of anger and hate. “That’s a bit fucking rich, don’t you think, when you only care about yourself? This conversation is over.”
Pulling the cell from his ear, he stabs his finger into the screen as he lets out a long, frustrated breath. His eyes are dark and haunted and his shoulders have sagged. He’s no longer the powerful businessman he was just minutes ago.
Stepping up to him, I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his chest. We stand there together for the longest time. His beating heart is the only thing I can hear until he speaks.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers. It’s so quiet I might have missed it if it weren’t for the vibrations of his chest. “She’s just—”
“Shhh, it’s okay.” It’s not entirely true, but I know better than to make him explain at this very moment.
“No, it’s not fine. Unfortunately, Rachael’s her best friend. The second we left the meeting room she must have been on the phone to her. Rebecca seems to think it’s fine for her to have a life outside of what we were, but apparently, it doesn’t work the same for me.”
“She’s a bitch.” I regret the words the second they fall from my lips but I was powerless to stop them. “Shit, I’m—”
“Don’t apologize, it’s true. Enough about her; let’s get out of here.”
Grabbing my hand, Harrison gently pulls me from the room and then back out of the building. We see a couple of people on the way down but he doesn’t hang around long enough to chat.
“What about Danni?” I ask when I spot her car parked by the sidewalk full of my shopping.
“She can look after herself.” That wasn’t quite what I meant, but the second we’re standing next to his Aston Martin, I’m gently ushered inside before the door shuts behind me.
“What do you want to do?”
