Bedmates Soulmates

This Is What You're Wearing?

Kira was in two minds.

The only things she wanted at the moment were a soft pillow and a warm blanket.

But Austyn was her employer.

And she'd cheesed him off at the hospital earlier.

Holding back a sigh, Kira said, 'Okay."

She was dozing off on the sofa downstairs when Kai arrived thirty minutes later.

When she opened the door, the assistant blurted, 'Is this what you're wearing?'

Kira rubbed her eyes and looked down.

A white off-the-rack t-shirt.

A pair of dark blue jeans.

And her year-old New Balance trainers.

All washed and clean.

Not a speck of dust anywhere.

'What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked.

She was just going to pick up her drunk husband.

Did that require an evening gown?

Kai bit back a suggestion.

Boss was with his close friends.

One of them, Mr Matthews, would be meeting Kira for the first time. The assistant thought she should perhaps dress up for the occasion. But he couldn't tell her that without giving the game away. So he just nodded and smiled. 'No, nothing's wrong. You look fine."

He had hesitated when Doctor Chase called him and asked him to bring Kira.

He said he needed to run it by his boss first.

But then Captain O'Neill and Mr Matthews both weighed in.

Kai suspected there was a plot afoot, especially when Doctor Chase specifically told him not to call his boss.

But he had to give in after the doctor said they were only trying to help Austyn deal with his 'marital problem."

"You don't want your boss to drink himself to death, do you?' Doctor Chase sald over the phone. 'Austyn won't listen to me. But I bet he'll listen to his wife."

Kira got into the front passenger seat.

It was a quiet ride.

When Kai caught Kira stifling a yawn, he said, 'You can take a nap If you want. I'll wake you when we reach."

'It's okay. Kira shook her head. 'I'm fine."

"There's bottled water in the glove box if you're thirsty."

Then to What Youle Wearing?

'Thanks.' Kira removed a bottle of Evian and took a swig.

When she tilted her head back, Kai glimpsed red marks on her neck.

They looked like scratches made by long fingernails.

The kind of nails that Miss Woods had, Kai thought.

He'd seen the footage.

It was a vicious assault.

Kai heaved a sigh. 'Do you still blame Boss?"

Kira gave him a quizzical look. "What are you talking about?"

"When you were bullied by Miss Woods,' he said, 'and Boss couldn't be there with you. I can only imagine how distressed and helpless you must feel.' Kira gripped the plastic bottle.

She didn't speak until the Hummer had stopped at a traffic light. 'No, I'm not distressed.'noveldrama

It didn't matter what she was feeling.

She had no right to expect protection from Austyn.

His strong arms and broad shoulders were for the one he loved.

Which was not her.

Kira looked outside the window.

Neon lights from shop signs cast fleeting, colourful shadows on her face, but it couldn't hide the misery in her eyes.

The assistant saw it, plain as day.

He remembered that Kira was just twenty-one years old, still a studen

She had not quite mastered the art of the poker face.

Kai debated with himself for a while, then he said, 'Friday night, when

is Woods and you were, uh, engaged in a

conflict, Boss and I were still in Farindon. We were on a three-day business trip.

Kira's head whipped around.

What?

Austyn wasn't in Stamford on Friday night?

Why didn't he say so?

When she called him on the night of the thunderstorm and got a woman's voice on the line, she thought he was holed up in some love hotel with his new bit on the side.

She'd hung up in a huff and never called him again.

When she was locked up in the police holding cell, she'd held out a glimmer of hope when Austyn didn't see her at the villa, he was bound to call.

When the call couldn't get through, maybe he would be worried enough to start making Inquiries.

She didn't know he was hundreds of miles away.

"Boss didn't know you were involved in the conflict,' Kai continued. 'After we came back to Stamford, he headed straight to the office."

Kai decided to skip over the part where Boss visited Miss Woods at the hospital.

This Is What You're Weaning?

It wouldn't help matters for Young Madam to know this.

'He was preoccupied with work. When Captain O'Neill came and told him you and Miss Mills were arrested, Boss acted Immediately. He didn't even wait for the captain to finish talking before he was out the door."

Kai had gone to the restroom when the captain arrived.

By the time he returned to the office, his boss was long gone.

The assistant observed Kira's face in the rearview mirror.

She was sitting up straight, listening with rapt attention.

'Boss sped to the police station, but you weren't there. Captain O'Neill caught up with him and told him you were at the hospital. Later, the captain told me he would've personally arrested Boss for the reckless way he drove. Boss ran at least four red lights on the way to the hospital. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Kira recalled the scene at the hospital.

Giana's IV bag was almost empty.

She was hurrying outside to get a nurse when she ran straight into Austyn's chest.

Mad at him and concerned about Giana, Kira pushed past him and didn't waste time talking to him.

But now, come to think of it, he did look a little out of breath.

Kira's tired brain was overloaded with information.

She didn't know what to think.