Free Services Collected Boxed Set by Nikki Steele Page A

arms and let me cry. That was why, when the tears dried, I knew that I had to tell him. He deserved the truth.
    “Your ex-girlfriend, Victoria.”
    His body stiffened at the name. “Oh god. What’s she done this time?”
    I shook my head. “Nothing. It’s just – you two are perfect for each other. Not like us, from two different worlds. Now that she wants to be with you again, I’m… I’m so afraid!” I burst into tears again, but this time he didn’t pull me into his embrace.
    Instead, he held me at arm’s length, leaning his head down until he could catch my eyes. “Anna. Anna, look at me.”
    I wiped my eyes slowly.
    “Victoria is the past. You are the future. You have to believe me on this.”
    I burst into tears again. “But she wants to get back together.”
    He stared at me confused, until I pulled the article out of my bag and thrust it in his face. “See?” I said.
    He scanned it quickly, face slowly turning from confusion to frown. When he had finished, he crumpled it, tossing it to the floor. Turning to me, compassion filled his eyes. “Oh Anna. You poor, poor thing. What you don’t understand is that while she may want to get back with me, I don’t want to get back together with her.”
    I sniffed. “Really?”
    “Yes. Really. There’s a reason we broke up. The same reason I’m with you.” He took my hand and put it on his chest. “She didn’t want me for who I was. She wanted me for my money. That movie mentioned in the article… the one I funded? She got that the same way she’s doing this now. She went to the press, telling them I’d agreed to the deal, then I had to put my money where ‘my’ mouth was. I did it the first time for love. When she tried to do it a second time, we broke up.”
    “Really?” My tears had dried up now.
    “Yes. Really. You’re so different to her. And that’s such a good thing.” He cocooned me in another embrace. “Don’t you ever forget it.”
    “So if she asked you out again, you’d say no?”
    In answer, he pulled out his smartphone. “I’ll do one better. I’ll say no first.”
    He typed quickly, then pressed send and showed what he had just written. 
    Vic. Just seen ur PR stunt on front cov. of News Today. I’m happy now, and not interested in funding another movie. Please don’t contact me again. Pull another stunt like this and you’ll hear from my lawyers. J.

CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
    “Are you sure you’re ok? I’ll walk you to the door.”
    The limousine had stopped outside my house, and Jacob had already leapt from the vehicle to hold open the door for me.
    “It’s fine,” I said as I eased out. I’d changed back into my more demure clothing at the warehouse, but a skirt was still a skirt, and the neighbors didn’t need a show.  “No need.”
    “No really, I insist.”
    “The house is a mess…”
    “I don’t care.”
    My shoulders slumped. “I, ah, have to enter by the garage.”
    He raised his eyebrows, and I looked at him, guiltily. “I might have, um, lost the front door keys the last time I was in your office.”
    He looked confused. “Really? How?”
    I shrugged, embarrassed, and mumbled under my breath.
    “I’m sorry?”
    I looked up at him. “It’s a big desk,” I said louder.
    “Oh… Right then,” he said as it registered. “I seem to remember sweeping a whole lot of stuff off it last time we were in there.” His chest puffed out, and he took my arm to walk me up the path, then flashed me a smile that made my insides melt. “Totally worth it.”
    “Only you would say that!” I said, laughing.
    He turned to me, serious. “Only you could make me.”
    I blushed, suddenly shy, and began to fish around in my bag. “The remote’s in here somewhere.”
    “Hard to find amongst all the leather?”
    I found it, and the door began to rise. I blushed again. “You know, I don’t do that for just anybody. In fact, I’ve never done it before.”
    His hand caressed my cheek. “I’m glad.”
    “I