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  “I know. I've been ridiculously busy. They're booking me every week and I hardly get a moment to myself.” It was a bit slower this time of the year, so she’d taken the time from her modelling to return home to spend time with her parents. She also wanted to introduce Ricky, whom she met in a London nightclub. He was a DJ, and was one of the hottest guys she’d ever met and had this amazing voice that sent chills down her spine. In some ways, she was the luckiest girl in the world, being his girlfriend. They’d met and he’d said the sweetest things, like he’d been waiting for girl like her to come along. It had been utterly romantic and she really liked being with him, liked the way he made her feel.

  He was London through and through, and he'd never been to Marbella before. Had been on vacation in another couple of places, like Megaluf, but he’d never been here. At least not this part of Spain, with the people who lived here—the society on the coast that was a little bit unique.

  “It's nice to see a bit of sun. It's been raining so much in London lately. It really brings you down.”

  “Would you like a beer, Ricky?” Mum asked.

  “I would love one,” he said.

  Megan could see him looking around the house, looking at the art and the medieval carvings they had on the walls. They were from completely different backgrounds, but that didn’t mean anything. They had really different views on the world and it had been fun exploring those things.

  “How long are you two here for?”

  “Oh, that's a complicated question,” Megan admitted. “I have been thinking about spending more time here, maybe slowing down a bit. They say that actually makes you more sought after, being picky about jobs.”

  “There’s probably something to that,” her mother said. “Besides, it's not like you strictly need to work every moment of the day. Won’t hurt you being a bit more choosy.”

  “It's only a short dash to the airport, isn't it? I mean, it doesn’t really take much longer coming from here than it does driving into London since the traffic is such a pain these days. Flying wouldn’t take that much longer. And there are some fantastic clubs here. Ricky could so easily get some gigs.”

  “What do you do, Ricky?” her mum asked.

  “I'm a DJ.”

  “He’s very good,” Megan said, suspecting her mother had little idea of what that entailed. “He plays all the hottest clubs, but mostly he’s known in London. I think it's time to show the coast what you can do, don't you?” she said to him and smiled.

  He took a sip of his beer. He was comfortable on stage, which wasn’t a wonder because Ricky loved adulation, loved being up in front of a crowd, having all the girls flirting with him. And he was good at it.

  “It won’t take as long to find something, I'm sure.”

  “Your room is always there for you,” her mother said. “Or will you be requiring two rooms?”

  Megan turned, looking a bit sheepish. “I’m sure mine will be fine, Mum.”

  It was really nice having a boyfriend; it had been a while. You would think as a model, men were falling over themselves to ask her out, but it wasn't really like that. Mostly she was so busy, darting off to this shoot or that fitting, but she rarely had time to meet people. However, one night when she'd been invited out to a club by some of her friends—mostly girls in the business—she’d seen him DJ-ing, playing some amazing tunes. During the evening, she caught his eye and he’d been interested in her, checking her out as he worked. When he’d had a break, he’d come over and introduced himself. The got together that night, in the darkness of the club, with music pounding. It had been so exciting. He really was one of the hottest guys she’d ever seen, definitely the hottest guy she'd ever been with. And she’d had some good dates.

  “Come on, I'll show you our room. It’s got a fantastic view. You’ll love it,” she said.

  Chapter 4

  It was in the car park that Felix saw Shania walking towards the lifts. He had to do a double take; hadn't realised it was her at first. She looked so different wearing office clothes rather than the more slutty dancer attire he'd seen her dressed in during their previous interactions.

  Now she wore a suit, with a grey jacket matching the pants. They were both tight, showing off her killer figure, but she looked like your typical corporate bitch. Turning his head to the side, he couldn’t believe she was here. Once she’d left, he‘d thought they were clear of her for good, but here she was, back in the fold. He didn't know if she was here to stay or just visiting. He wasn’t pleased to see her either way.

  Getting out, he locked his car and walked to the lifts. She'd already gone up by the time he got there, which was probably a good thing.

  He didn't like her being here, didn't trust her motives—then as well as now. His father must know she was here. For all he knew, Dominic had even set it up, seeing himself as her mentor, even though they’d both had a less-than-appropriate relationship with her at one time. Dominic obviously saw nothing wrong with that, had dismissed it as something that had happened and been forgotten. He held no grudges, but Felix did.

  She was supposed to be in some silver mine in the back-of-nowhere Mexico, so what was she doing here?

  There was no sight of her when he stepped out of the lift. It was definitely her, though; he was sure of it.

  Taking a route that didn't lead to his desk, he approached Fennie, who was sitting at her desk, absorbed in her computer screen.

  “Is he here?” he asked, his eyes indicating towards his father's door.

  “He is, for the moment. He has a meeting in a couple minutes.”

  “I won’t be long.”

  Opening the door, he made enough noise to ensure his father knew someone was there. Felix saw Dominic standing by the window. Felix observed him for a moment as his father was looking down on the little salon at the very corner of the property. From here, he could only see the roof of the little building that salon was housed in and Felix knew Dominic had something going for the lady in there, even if he refused to take it any further. “If you can keep staring at her, you might as well ask her out.”

  Dominic turned, his eyes taking him in. “What can I do for you, Felix?”

  By the desk, Felix sat down and crossed his ankles. “So this morning,” he said more leisurely than he felt, “I'm pretty sure I saw Shania here. Do you know anything about this?”

  Dominic's eyebrows rose. “She did well. It’s time for her to move up to the next thing.”

  “You’re not responsible for her.”

  “Why do you care?”

  It seemed Dominic didn’t know about their brief entanglement before she’d left. He never seemed to notice things like that. She’d categorically turned him down when he’d suggested they perhaps carry on a bit longer. Dominic didn't know this, had never bothered to notice; then he’d offered her the opportunity she’d preferred over being with Felix.

  “You know I never liked her,” Felix said. Well, it was true, in some ways. He’d hated her the moment she’d appeared in his life, even if he’d been achingly attracted to her. She was everything he'd hated in a girl—poor, hot, grasping, and out to get whatever she could. Turned out, that what she’d wanted wasn’t him. She'd dropped him the second she’d been offered the prospect of a career. Granted, it would be quite an opportunity for someone like her, who had neither the qualifications nor the background to justify the opportunity Dominic had handed her.

  “I just didn't see any reason why you had to actually bring her here. We have operations around the world, surely she should be somewhere in America.” Shania was American, and she’d never belong or fit in here on the coast. She was too different, too American, with her misguided confidence about herself. She just felt she deserved it and that was enough.

  “Where’s she staying?” Felix asked.

  “She’s in one of the company apartments, I believe.”

  “So she won’t be staying with us then?”

  “No, I'm sure she wants her own space.”
>
  Felix guessed Dominic's favouritism didn't extend as far as to have her back in their house. That was something, at least.

  What Felix didn't know was how Esme would react. They’d become tight for a while, but he didn't know how Esme felt about Shania now. They had been the two most unlikely friends, and perhaps that was what Esme had liked about her, the gross unevenness and unlikeliness of their friendship.

  “She'll be working with the marketing team for a while,” Dominic stated.

  “You’re giving her a lot of opportunity.”

  “Is something wrong with that?” Dominic asked as if he was surprised. “She's clever and she works hard; she's the kind of person we should be developing.”

  “I just wonder if you see more in her than there actually is,” Felix said.

  “You need to put your dislike to side, Felix. This is business and having good resources is everything. Shania is young and hungry, and that means something.”

  Means she’ll shaft whoever she must to get ahead, he thought internally.

  Chapter 5

  With a guttural cry, Ricky surged into her, long strokes fusing their bodies. The tightness of her pulsing around him, adding to the sweetness. She mewled underneath him, her hands tightly clasping his arse, drawing him to her. She loved fucking him and she was always willing.

  Grabbing her by the hips, he pounded into her until she arched beautifully beneath him, her orgasm ripping through her body. This he knew how to do; he had the skills needed to turn girls into panting messes. She had a nice body, slim and lean. Maybe too lean to be perfect, being almost on the boyish side, but her enthusiasm made up for it.

  Feeling every part of himself tighten and harden, he came, feeling victorious and godly until the moment of serenity passed and he was utterly spent. Her arms welcomed him as he sank down on top of her, thanking him for his hard work. Her leanness made it so she wasn't entirely soft, but she was gorgeous.

  Megan opened doors for him, like no one else had. And now he was here, in the ultimate playground. In a sense, he couldn't believe his luck. This shit didn't happen to everybody, but then he'd always been special. Everyone had known he was bound for greatness, and after leaving school, he’d moved into London and started hanging on the circuits until he was allowed to play.

  He’d had to do it for free at first, but he’d built up a base of loyal followers, particularly girls whose adoration had lifted him out of obscurity and up to the stars. And then he'd met Megan, and she'd been extraordinary, part of the world he'd never known. She knew everyone in London, and everyone knew her. She was one of the hottest models, the faithful Burberry girl, the face that was sheer Britishness. She was beautiful but there was a slight quirkiness to her features and that's what made her extraordinary.

  She was a sweet girl, and he liked her. He liked fucking her, and he liked hanging out in the places she took him, meeting the people she introduced him to—people who could really make his career.

  She’d convinced him Marbella was a great step for him, a place where he would be seen by people who mattered. Everyone came here to hang or party and if he wanted to be seen, this was a place to be. Marbella was unlike anything he’d ever seen and he couldn't quite make out the people that lived here. There was money here, serious money, the kind he'd never really been exposed to. Megan was part of this place, part of the scene. She had entrance anywhere and that was beyond exciting.

  Pulling out of her, he shuddered with the residual sensation and pushed himself back, crouching his haunches and feeling the heat radiating through his body. The room was air-conditioned, which was a godsend, because this place didn’t cool down.

  Megan stretched in front of him, her long legs rubbing together, showing how sated she was. She liked what he did to her, liked it a lot. Again, skills; they were very important.

  “That was lovely,” she groaned. Getting up on her elbows, she looked over at him, her foot running up his thigh. “I'm so glad you're here. You’ll take this place like a storm.”

  “I intend to,” he said and got out of bed. He wrapped some kind of sarong around his hips and walked outside through a set of French doors and sat down in a chair.

  Looking out at the darkening skies, he saw the black sea beyond. Insects were chirping and somewhere in the distance, he heard music playing very faintly. This place was like a summer’s day, every day, those perfect summer days he'd had back in Reading at school, before he’d left, hanging with his friends. This place was like that, a constant party and he was ready to stake his claim, to be one of the rulers of the scene here. He was convinced he could; he’d done it in London, and now it was time to take on Marbella. Maybe after that, become one of the superstars who did Ibiza and the festivals. It was only up from here.

  Shine was a club that Megan had recommended. She knew the owner, so getting in wouldn’t be difficult.

  Running his fingers through his brown hair, he let his hands drop down on the armrests and relaxed. This was a new chapter of his life, and he was going to kill it. There was money here, more money than he'd ever need, and he was going to stake his claim—but what he really wanted was that next step, the step that would make him a legend, would make him known by everyone, like Guetta or Harris. It was hard to break through globally, to become one of the superstars, but he would and he was convinced Marbella was an excellent step to get there, to get him seen by the right people – and have a great time doing it.

  “You alright?” Megan asked as she stepped outside in a silk robe. Her hipbones stuck up sharply beneath the shiny material. He did wish she had some meat on her, some killer curves, but that was not her look. She stood for something else, something important, and he couldn't dis that.

  “I'm good,” he said. “Excited. Looking forward to doing some gigs.”

  Megan shifted her head and considered him. “Why don't we go speak to Jesus tomorrow?”

  He smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Chapter 6

  The restaurant was cool with a sea breeze coming up the hills. Colourful glass balls hung down over the tables, providing a design element in the otherwise pale colour scheme of the restaurant. The chairs were wooden, a modern take on sixties design.

  The gang was sitting around the table as Aggie approached, her bag hung over the crook of her elbow.

  “Hi, everyone,” she said. “This is my cousin, Inns.” She tried to muster enthusiasm, but she wasn’t excited about having to drag him around. He had that slightly musty-looking dress sense that was so UK, and didn’t quite fit in here. He would learn soon enough. Yes, looking dowdy was a badge of honour where he came from, but this wasn’t quite an extension of the circles he rolled with.

  “Clara, Miles, Jasmine, Esme, Jonny, Elise, and Felix. Take a seat. Mingle. And don’t be a complete arse,” she warned quietly, getting narrowed eyes back from him. That was hoping against hope. Inns was an arse no matter what he did. She wasn’t even sure he tried. It was just part of his nature, like something had gone wrong with him in the womb, or maybe his parents were just a little too closely related.

  Aggie took a seat at the other end of the table where Felix was sitting, fully cognizant that there was only one seat there and Inns had to find somewhere else to park himself. He could be someone else’s problem for a while.

  “Cousin, huh?” Felix said.

  “Unfortunately,” she said and waved over the waiter. “A gin and tonic.”

  “Drinking at lunch-time? Nice little family reunion?”

  “Don’t start, Felix. I’ve had enough for one day and it’s barely noon.”

  “Poor Esme.”

  “Hopefully, he’ll just shut up. You know those boarding school twats—mortified talking to females.”

  Felix chuckled and took a sip, his eyes studying Inns.

  “He’s not worth bothering with,” Aggie stated, shuddering at the thought that he would be around for a year or two. She knew, though, that her showing him around was a kindness that had a lim
ited shelf life. If he managed to piss every single person off and ended up with no friends, that was beyond her remit. Besides, he was happier sitting in some crusty, old room somewhere, pontificating on how superior he was to everyone else. “Anyway, what’s up with you?”

  “Well, I’ve had an equally interesting week,” he said. “The whore is back.”

  Aggie didn’t know who he was referring to for a moment, had to think who he would refer to as simply ‘the whore’. Alright, that would have to be the American dancer, who seemed to have rubbed him entirely the wrong way—repeatedly. “Oh?”

  “Father brought her back.”

  Aggie choked into her gin and tonic.

  “No, not like that,” Felix clarified. “For some reason, he’s taken on being her mentor, seeing to her progression career-wise.”

  “And he had to bring her here?”

  “Sometimes I wonder if he hates me.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” Aggie said, but suspected Dominic had had to grit his teeth through long stretches of Felix’s life. He hadn’t grown up easily and could hardly be called an easy person to deal with, even now. Maybe Dominic had brought the girl here to rub it in, but then she didn’t think that was Dominic. Dominic was too cool to engage in some kind of pissing contest with his son. She’d be really disappointed if this turned out to be something like that. Dominic was one of the few men around here who were actually men in her book. “Well, you don’t have to see her.”

  “We work on the same floor. We’re going to be rubbing shoulders every time one of us wants a coffee,” he said harshly.

  Aggie felt like a bad friend, but she couldn’t help smiling at the idea. Actually, they weren’t friends. They never really had been, so she was perfectly fine to enjoy his discomfort.

  “Hi, everyone,” a light voice said and Aggie looked up to see Megan walking in, looking stunning in a yellow, fitted dress with a thin white belt, and white kitten heels. Had to be Prada. She always looked like she’d stepped away from a modelling shoot.