The billionaire's reluctant mistress

Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Friday morning, Rachel received a large bouquet of red velvet roses and a gilded paper box embossed with the words, Yves Saint Laurent. The entire human resources department gathered like butterflies in Springtime to discuss the bouquet, the box, and the sender. Sabrina winked at Rachel: "Looks like someone has a die-hard fan."

Rachel smiled shyly. She still wasn't sure how she felt about Matt, but things seemed to be going well, and the more she talked to him, the more she felt like she liked him. That feeling was not the same as the passionate, intense love she had had in the past, but much softer and smoother. A sense of comfort and security. Maybe a relationship should be like that. She talked to Katy, and Katy said that Alex truly was her best friend. For Rachel, this was different as Flynn had never been her friend. He used to be her lover, and more but it was not exactly that. So much had happened.

In her mind, they were still two separate people. One, an aloof superior, with aristocratic origins, the other a teenager who grew up in a remote mountainous hometown. She still couldn't relate the two identities, and she was too cowardly to ask Dalziel what she wanted to know, afraid that he would know that she still cared about the past. Especially since he believed that what passed between them were the follies of youth.

The night before, he had invited her to his friend's birthday party for the coming weekend. "That's one of my biggest and oldest clients."

Seeming to sense Rachel's uneasiness, he added: “I come to this party alone every year, this time I hope I'm not alone.”

Rachel hesitated for a moment, then agreed to go with him. She thought it was still too early to meet Matt's acquaintances, but Katy said that she was always overthinking everything, and that was why she had not been with anyone for the past few years.

All the women in the room, including Mrs. Amaral also couldn't contain their curiosity.

“Please Rachel!!!!!!!!!!” Sabrina begged, "I'm dying to see the dress."

“Yes, me too!” Susan added.

"Ok, alright." Rachel sighed, smiling helplessly. She was curious to see the dress too. Lifting the lid slightly, she saw a thin layer of rose-scented fabric, on which was an elegant handwritten card.

“Dress code: Black and white. I hope you like the garment.”

Everyone exhaled in excitement, and Rachel set the card aside, flipped open the parchment, and saw elegant ivory-white silk.

She raised her hand to take the dress out and see the full shape of it. It was a one-shoulder dress that was slit halfway, the tail reaching Rachel's ankles. Rachel was happy that the dress had no dangerous cuts; instead, it was elegant and refined. The fabric felt soft and cool in her hands. Rachel could imagine how comfortable it would be to have the material against her skin.

"So beautiful. It suits your skin tone very well.” Sabrina marveled.

The other day when Rachel asked Matt how she should dress, Matt just grinned at her: "You don't have to worry about clothes."

She thought he said that because it was a casual, intimate party. But today, when she saw the splendid YSL box, Rachel understood what he meant. It seemed that the party she was going to would be a very fancy one.

Everyone picked up the dress, imagined what it would be like to try it on, and giggled. Just when Sabrina was pretending to go on a catwalk in the room, Mrs Amaral spoke up, “Good morning Mr. Albanese.”

Everyone's laughter died down, and Sabrina put the dress down and straightened up. Rachel raised her head to see Dalziel already standing there. He must have witnessed it all, and his face was displeased.

Everyone said their hellos in turn, but he just nodded slightly and walked straight into the room and slammed the door.

"What crawled up his butt?." Sabrina pouted.

"Maybe because he saw his employees chit-chatting instead of working." Someone spoke up.

“It's not even 9 yet, we still have 10 mins until we start. It is not just today, he has been quite short-tempered for the last couple of days. He’s always scowling.”

Rachel wondered what made a man like him unsatisfied. He had money, a career, a rich fiancée, and could even date supermodels. If she were him, every morning she would wake up and pinch herself to be sure this wasn't a dream.

Saturday soon came. That evening Rachel applied her make-up with care, then, standing up, she crossed to the bed and picked up the dress Matt had sent her the other day. The dress perfectly hugged the curves of her body, highlighting her deadly feminine sensuality. The first time seeing it on her, Rachel didn't realize that the dress actually had a rather high slit that made her long slender legs visible with every step she took.

Lisa told her to tie her hair up in a bun to show off her elegant neck and sexy collarbones, and Rachel agreed.

Looking at her, Lisa complimented: "You are so beautiful, Matt will surely fall in love with you."

Lisa had just finished speaking when the doorbell rang. Like Rachel's roommate, Matt was also astonished by her beauty. He planted a quick kiss on her cheek. The two walked to the elevator together to go down to the basement where he had parked his car.

Comfortably seated in the back seat of the car, Rachel felt a pleasant twinge of excitement, her earlier unease completely forgotten. The party was held on a yacht moored in the southern port of the Thames River, a place with a national reputation for good food and excellent service. As well as this, the couple who owned it were friends of Matt's client. It promised to be a pleasant evening, Rachel thought, fondly eyeing the men next to her.

The night air was warm and welcoming. Stepping onto the deck of the boat, she was grateful for the firm touch of Matt's hand at her elbow.

'You sly pair!' a heavily-accented voice exclaimed. It was Antonio, the Italian client that Matt was mentioning all the time, with his wife Lana.

They exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek. Matt introduced Rachel to the couple. Lana smiled indulgently: “Thank you so much for joining us tonight! And it is so pleasing to finally see Matt with such a lovely beauty such as yourself!”

Rachel smiled shyly. She was always confused by the warmth of Italians.

"Okay, we will let you two continue welcoming the guests. I'll take Rachel in." Matt said. They promised each other that they would have drinks together later. From the outside, the ship looked like a bright star in the night of the River Thames. From the inside, this place was like a European castle with sophisticated ceiling paintings and splendid crystal decorations. There were quite a few people, everyone was dressed elegantly and fashonably.

Some of them recognized Matt and went over to say hello. From the expressions of the people around her, she knew that he was well-liked and well-known in his field. She got to know everyone, enjoying a delicious glass of wine and scrumptious hors d’oeuvres. Even the taste of such a simple thing as bruschetta was amazing. She was amazed by it all.

But then, her whole body paused as she thought she recognised someone familiar. It took all Rachel’s self-control not to run away as her eyes fell on the couple standing at the bar. Dalziel Albanese. There was no mistaking his wide-shouldered, lithe frame exuding the same blatant aura of raw masculinity. Fixing a bright smile on her face, she looked at him, and turned instead to the woman hanging on her boss's arm, Rosie Chu, the famous supermodel. Rachel wasn't too surprised to see the woman side by side with Dalziel, but she didn't know why an inexplicably sour feeling welled up inside her.

As if sensing her dismay, Matt turned his head and asked softly, "Rachel, are you ok?"

It took a few seconds for her to reply, "Is that my boss over there?"

Following Rachel's gaze, Matt looked toward the bar. He narrowed his eyes as if to concentrate and then nodded affirmatively. “Yes, I forgot to tell you. It turns out that your boss and Antonio are friends. Apparently they get along quite well. After the time when you and I ran into him in Coral Bay, I met my boss once more at Antonio’s place. I knew Antonio had invited Mr. Albanese but honestly I didn't think he would come. Antonio said Dalziel never attends social parties like this.”

Breathing deeply, Rachel tried to fight down the rising tide of nausea threatening to overwhelm her, but it was there. Seeing Dalziel at work was one thing, but seeing him outside was another. Rachel dug her fingers into her palms in an effort to control her trembling. It was ridiculous, the two of them had broken up so long ago. Why did she feel guilty as if she shouldn't be here with another man?

As if hearing her thoughts, Dalziel suddenly turned his head to look directly at her and Matt. Contrary to her surprise, he showed no sign of surprise. He seemed to know she was coming. As if he had been waiting to see her.

It was too late to turn away and pretend not to see each other, Rachel thought nervously as Dalziel and Rosie headed straight towards them.