Zayn stopped by the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses. While rummaging through the drawers, Susan walked in, her eyes widening in pleasant surprise when she saw him. “Mr. Graham, you could have sent for me to do this,” she chided gently. “You need all the rest you can get after the work you traveled out for.”
He grunted but said nothing as he balanced the glasses perfectly between his fingers. “Thank you for taking care of her while I was away,” he murmured. “She should be moving to her cottage the minute the reconstruction is done.”
“You don’t want her to leave, do you?” Susan said, moving around him to get started on lunch.
Zayn turned to face her. “What do you mean?”
“Mr. Graham, I’ve looked after you since you were a kid, so I know when things are different with you. You like her Ms. Power. And really, you do not want her to leave the villa just yet.”
“I think you got it all wrong,” he replied, shaking his head. “I’m only helping her because she’s been through a lot already. That is all there is.” There was no need for Zayn to defend his stance or feelings, but he found himself doing just that, not for Susan, but for himself. It was a means of reminder telling himself that they were only helping each other because of the circumstances they found themselves. It couldn’t be anything more.
But a few minutes ago, in the bathroom, Zayn found himself struggling to hold back, fighting against his desires to close the gap between them and plant his lips softly on hers. For a second there, he imagined what it would feel like. He had never wanted anyone the way he wanted Rina, and that alone was a problem. Zayn Graham could have practically anyone he set his eyes on because he was the most powerful person in the country. Ladies begged for his attention each time he stepped out the doors.
He, however, found his thoughts plagued by one person in particular, and for the first time ever, Zayn had to admit that he didn’t know what to do about it.
“I had the liberty of passing through her cottage yesterday,” Susan said casually, grabbing a pot from the stack. “And it seemed to me that the workers are taking their time to do something so little, almost like they have been told not to hurry to get it done.”
“Susan…”
“It’s fine to admit you want her, Mr. Graham. That would be a great thing. You’ve always lived so detached and it made me worry about you.”
“Well, you’ve got nothing to be worried about. I’m fine just the way I am. Feelings are just a distraction from what’s important, and I won’t be swayed even for a minute.”
A smile stretched on Susan’s lips as she watched Zayn walk out of the kitchen. She also knew how his eyes went darker when he was passionate about something. If he didn’t admit to her, he had at least, admitted it to himself and that was all that was important, as far as Susan was concerned.
When Zayn got to the study, he left the door open intentionally and went to the long bench by the window, overlooking the river at the back of the house, surrounded by huge trees. The branches swayed in accordance with the wind and bowed their heads in obeisance. Zayn stared into the distance, allowing the cool air and the sight to serenade his mind. He corked open the bottle of wine and filled his glass half-way, raising it to his lips.
“Zayn,” Williams called from the doorway. He strolled in and slid onto the bench. “I’m just returning from Scottsdale Entertainment. The Regina woman was in at work today. Apparently, she’s the second lead actress for a show that is about to be aired. The Reese daughter is the lead actress.”
Zayn inhaled the scent of the wine and took a small sip, returning the glass to the wooden counter just by the window. “Are they working together?”
“I doubt it. Although The Reese Daughter is nice to her, she treats the Regina woman the exact way she treats everyone else. I’ll hang around to see if their relationship grows. But what do you need me to do concerning her production house? They have been evading taxes and producing on illegal sites. I can use that against her.”
“Don’t do anything for now,” Zayn said, causing William’s head to push back in surprise.
“You want to leave her alone.”
“Not exactly,” he sighed. “If that was up to me, she would have been out of the picture by now. But Rina wants to handle it herself and I’m going to let her. But we’ll remain on the sidelines, just in case she needs our help.”
William nodded in understanding.
“I have a feeling, though, that she wouldn’t be needing our help. She’s fierce and passionate, and with that wound around her fingers, that troublesome tv celebrity wouldn’t stand a chance.”
William gave Zayn a look laden with meaning but opted not to say anything. He knew his boss and his friend very well, understanding that nothing he said in that regard would change his disposition until the end, or perhaps when he realized he had something to lose.
“How’s Mago? I didn’t get to see her.”
William had always had a crush on Mago and Zayn knew it. But he hadn’t verbally announced that he was aware, because while Mago kept on riding on the waves of bad boys who ended up breaking her heart, she always returned to William’s corner for comfort. Although it was very platonic, Zayn knew how much it hurt William. He’d decided a long time ago to let it play out at its own pace, further sharpening his belief that feelings weren’t the best thing to get under.
“Fine,” Zayn responded curtly, leaving no room for further questions.
“Am I interrupting something?” Rina said in her quiet voice as she strolled into the room. William got up at once and nodded to her in acknowledgment before walking out of the study.