I didn’t understand what had happened. One moment Sophie was in my arms, my very own laughing girl, and the next she was announcing, “It’s just flirting. We got carried away. It means nothing.”

For a long, horrible moment I wondered if I’d misunderstood her completely. But then Lorelei was making outrageous remarks, and my dear Sophie was jealous.

It thoroughly cheered me up, and I took instant advantage. “I want five minutes with you,” I said, and although Tanaka was sighing and Vladimir grumbling at the prospect of delay, I took my girl straight into the library.

Charlotte had been in because I’d left the place a total mess, and now it was dusted and straightened. She’d also fetched in the post, and she’d put the newspapers on the table, too. The Crier was lying on top, and the headline ‘Tech Guru Ditched Me!’ was emblazoned across the front page.

I just glanced at it, and I knew why Sophie had backed off. “Is this why you’ve got cold feet?”

Her unhappy eyes said it all. “I’m not pretty like them,” she started.

I swept her up in my arms, “You’re not pretty; you’re beautiful!”

“But, but—”  She was blushing, yet there was a look that sent a shiver through me. “I’m not, I mean—”

Dear lord, the things we do to women! We all know photoshopped images of stick-thin teens are impossible to attain, yet even my gorgeous, sensible Sophie was worried about her looks.

I put it to her plainly. “Sophie, you’re beautiful, and I love you.”

“But Richard—”

“No buts! I’m not having you doubting yourself.”

Her mouth was twitching, and she was biting her lip. For a hideous moment, I thought she was going to cry, but to my relief she was giggling. “Lord, is this the alpha male tycoon, laying down the law?”

“If it stops you from having crazy ideas, yes!”

“Yes, sir! Message received, sir!”

Her mock fun made me chortle, but I wasn’t losing sight of my goal. “I love everything about you, Sophie. Never doubt it.”

She smiled, but I could see she was still worried. She hadn’t asked me about my past girlfriends, and looking at the Crier, I could see why. If I’d been her, I would have been concerned, too, because my past isn’t exactly squeaky clean.

Hiding matters never works, so I told it as it was. “Listen, most of what they’re writing is trash, but part of it is right. I made my money too young. I dated all those girls, and I was a complete and utter wanker.”

Sophie gasped. “What?”

“The Crier is talking about Iris, the Irish dancer, Diane, the French singer, and Lana, the Italian model, right? They make it look like yesterday, but all that happened years ago.”

That poisonous hack Gerry Leon had said he’d rake the muck, and he’d delivered, the nasty bugger. Not only had he featured some of my most notorious affairs, but the advert promised that a half dozen more beauties slinging dirt were on the way.

I didn’t care what people would think, but I hated Sophie believing it. So I spilled and prayed she’d understand. “Sophie, I’m not saying those women are lying. But they’re talking about the past. When I was dating them, I was nineteen, selfish and stupid.”

“Most people are a bit silly when they’re nineteen,” Sophie said slowly. “I was an utter cow, if I remember right.”

“Even if that were true, I don’t think you’d be a patch on me,” I told her ruefully. “I went from being an unknown, unpopular nerd at school to being a front-page success story. Tech wonder kid strikes rich. The money rolled in, and suddenly I was buying a house for my parents in Bermuda and setting up my own place in a swanky penthouse in Knightsbridge. It went to my head, and I had it stuck up my arse for a couple of years.”

“But Celine?”

I didn’t want to talk about that so I was careful. “We had a fling. It started with a wild weekend in London, and it went on for a month. We knew we weren’t suited, so we parted. That was six months ago.”

Sophie frowned. “But the Crier says you only split last week.”

“Celine was pitching for a job as spokesperson and face for Blaze, an American beauty product company. They’re a bit straight-laced, so she thought being in a relationship would help.”

“She lied?” Sophie asked round-eyed with surprise.

“Not exactly, she just didn’t tell anyone we’d split. And as I was in China and then the US, and then she went off to Paris and Milan, the papers only just picked up on it.”

“Oh.” Sophie was sounding more cheerful. “I don’t mean to pry.”

“You’re not. You’re just being sensible. Those papers make me seem like a monster, and we’ve only known each other a few days.” Except I felt I’d known her a lifetime, but I didn’t say it because it sounded crazy. 

That’s when I realised how fast we’d moved along. We’d only met three days ago, and yet I knew this girl was special.

I gazed at the heavenly eyes, remembering the first time I’d seen her, laughing with the porters. It had been the sweet, simple joy of her that had attracted me. Getting up close, I’d lusted after the burgeoning breasts, soft skin, and the rich curves. That first impression had deepened as she’d shown me she was kind, gentle, and hard-working.  

I know what I want, and I have a reputation for being ruthless in pursuit of my goals. That’s no surprise; every self-made man is the same. You don’t make a billion by being shy and retiring. But although I wanted Sophie quite desperately, I hesitated.

Although I’d grown up from my totally arsehole teenaged self, the truth was that every single one of my past relationships had been dreadful. I would have liked to pretend it was because I picked the wrong women, but the truth is that I made some damn whoppers myself. As Sophie was way out of my league, I’d need to convince her to give me a chance and pray that I’d not screw it up.

We must have stood looking at each other for a full minute, and it occurred to me that Sophie was pondering, too. Suddenly I was convinced she was thinking of the kindest way to send me packing. The thought was unbearable. “Please,” I heard myself begin to beg. “Sophie, give me a chance.”

“I was just thinking there are things you don’t know about me, either,” Sophie blurted out. “I was engaged once, but he broke it off.”

That made no sense at all. “He was lucky enough to get you, and he changed his mind?”

“He liked me, you see,” Sophie explained, “but he wanted improvements.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “What?”

“He expected me to lose a tonne of weight, to be a size ten for the wedding, and to stay that way for the rest of my life.”

She spoke quietly, but I was raging. So much so that words failed me. All I could do was hug her.

Sophie looked perfectly calm, but I could feel her shaking. “When I told him I’m happy as I am, he dumped me,” she whispered.

I crushed her to me, rage sweeping through me. “What a bastard!”

“Well, it’s better than finding out after.” 

See, she’s brave, my girl, but I could see the hurt in her eyes. “I haven’t thought about him in ages,” she confessed. “But when I saw the Crier, it all just came flooding back.”

That fucker had cut her to the core, destroying her confidence. Worried she’d bolt, I was holding onto her, refusing to let go. “He’s a wank biscuit, a complete and utter prat.”

“Exactly what I said!” It was shaky, but Sophie giggled. “He married a skinny girl, a size six, you know.”

From the naughty glance, I knew there was a fun twist coming. “Don’t tell me! She got hugely fat?”

Sophie burst out laughing. “Lord, no! She’s exquisite. It was Barry who ballooned!”

“Oh dear. What happened? Did she dump him?”

“Nope. She sends him to fat farms and polices his diet mercilessly.”

I shuddered. “A living hell.”

The bluebell  eyes were gazing into mine. “I’d always been happy with my curves until then, but after Barry, I lost my nerve.”

“I think you’re perfect, just the way you are.”

“Clearly you’re light-headed from sleep deprivation! But I’ll take the compliment.” Her eyes were glowing, but she added, “I know I’m not fashionably shaped. I’m not obese or anything, but with my tits and arse, there’s just no way that I will ever be able to shop in the kind of boutiques that Lorelei and Andrea go to.”

Poor Sophie. So gorgeous and yet so fragile. “You’re crazy to talk that way. You’re perfect just as you are, and I’m going to prove it to you.” 

“Really?”

“Yes. For goodness’ sake, Sophie! I’ve been saying since the moment we met. I’m lusting after you!”

She melted in my arms. “Ohmigod, really?  It’s not just a bit of fun? You really like me?”

“No, I don’t like you. I like ice-cream, and I like roller coasters. I adore you!”

“Oh, Richard!”

I was a hair’s breadth away from taking her right there and then on the library table, but Andrea was banging on the door and marching in. “Richard, we’re running late.” From the steely glare in the blue eyes, I knew she was worried. “Tanaka is teasing Vladimir by encouraging Lorelei to relive her exciting past.”

“Dear lord!” Sophie pushed me towards the door. “Quick, Richard! Before they kill each other!”

“But—”

“We’re good.” I got a kiss and a fierce hug. “Go make that dream come true, and then come back and tell me all about it.”

She was giving me a chance! I floated out of the library, feeling like a knight carrying his lady’s token. I would conquer the world and lay it at her feet.

“For goodness’ sake focus, Richard!” Andrea was snapping, blonde curls bouncing as she dragged me down the corridor. “This isn’t the time for dallying!”

“Oh, but it is!” I spoke lightly, but I knew my PA through and through. She was chuntering out of worry for me.

“You’ve only known Sophie a couple of days,” Andrea lectured me. “Don’t be so impulsive!”

“Sophie is nothing like Celine. Or any of the others.”

“I know,” Andrea said shortly. “I didn’t mean to say that she was, either. But you know you can’t afford to be distracted right now.”

Andrea had seen me pour my heart into creating Trouper, and now she was in a panic in case I was disappointed.  She often drives me nuts, but she’s loyal and hard-working.

Listening to her scold, I was filled with gratitude. “Thanks, Andrea,” I told her. “I couldn’t have come this far without you.”

Andrea paused and then smiled. “If we seal this deal, I want a month off and a bonus.”

“Agreed.” I remembered the way she’d flirted with Tanaka. “And you can borrow the corporate condo in Tokyo.”

“I was planning on it,” Andrea giggled evilly. 

We listened outside the breakfast room, hearing Lorelei’s voice. “Tim Gunn adores me, too. He said I have the most perfect feet he’s ever seen.”

It was clear that Lorelei was winding up Vladimir. That was the last thing I needed, especially as Tanaka would find a way to make matters worse.

“Didn’t Vogue say your feet should be used as models for Aphrodite?”

Yes, that was Tanaka, stirring.

I had to step in. “Okay, Andrea. Do what it takes to handle her. Seaweed wraps, chloroform, whatever.”

At that I got a grin. “I’m on it.”

There are moments in your life when you know you’re at a crossroads. This was one of them. The next few days would mean make or break.

I opened the door and deliberately made a grand entrance, making sure I broke off whatever Tanaka and Vladimir were getting into. “Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. Come on, let’s put Trouper through her paces.”

There was a slight hesitation, and then Tanaka stood up and said reluctantly, “Of course. At JAXA we’re always interested in new projects and innovations.”

“As is Roscosmos,” Vladimir snapped quickly.

“Which is why I’m so glad you’re here,” I said smoothly. “You’re the two best engineers in the world, and I’m delighted to have you both in one place.”

Five years of hard work means you’re prepped, but I still think that Sophie’s kiss gave me an edge that day. I’m an engineer, not a diplomat, but that day I had a silver tongue.

Both Tanaka and Vladimir preened. 

“Always a pleasure, dear Richard,” Tanaka said genially.

“I consider you a fellow Russian,” Vladimir assured me.

I was good to go.

While Andrea lured Lorelei away, we put Trouper in the garden and set her to map the terrain. My bot plotted the house, the kitchen garden, and the hill effortlessly, measuring and photographing meticulously. 

“It’s beautiful,” Tanaka admitted.

Vladimir had been delighted but at that, he bristled. “But we’ve instant communication here. Once we go off planet, there will be lags.”

Tanaka looked superior. “I ran a repair mission on one of the International Space Station’s rockets, so I’m familiar with the environment. But you will have read about that, of course.”

Before Vladimir could blast him, I stepped in quickly, “I have a programme to simulate that. Let’s do it again. And we’ll toss a coin to see who runs her.” And to prevent World War III, “Whoever loses the toss runs the next test. The one by the lake.”

Tanaka won the toss but with the lure of his turn coming, Vladimir didn’t grumble. He stood by in aloof silence as the test went beautifully. With Tanaka crowing, “I love Trouper” and Vladimir adding a grudging, “Very smooth” we moved on to the lake.

It was sparkling in the sun, but I remembered how dark and cold it had been when I’d gone in after Jack. It gave me a great idea. “Trouper will collect plant and soil samples and analyse them. But first, let’s get creative. I left a dog collar and brick down there. Let’s look for it.” This time I handed Trouper to Vladimir. “You run the operation.”

It’s dangerous to go off-script, but it was a roaring success. Vladimir found the collar on his second pass, even though it had settled in the mud. “Now this is what I call a proper test! Much more authentic than running around a garden!”

Tanaka nodded, tight-lipped, but thankfully he kept to a quiet, “Yes, it suggests we can market Trouper for lost ships and planes. It will be invaluable for searching dark waters.”

“Absolutely!” Vladimir was so delighted that I got praise, too. “You were five metres down, Richard. Not bad! Not bad at all!”

“Honestly, it felt more like a thousand,” I admitted. It earned me a laugh, but from that moment the war between Tanaka and Vladimir was over. As I’d hoped, working the tests together as a team meant their differences stopped being personal.

Given the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology, they went at it like engineers.

“Let’s bury a coin and see who can find it and retrieve it,” Tanaka challenged Vladimir.

“All right. But we seed the place with fake coins, just to make sure it isn’t the pilot leading Trouper.”

“I want to try running her in the woods, too. And over rock.”

“Absolutely. There’s a quarry nearby. We’ll go there.”

Their enthusiasm was terrific, and I could see they were mending fences, but their plans were taking us off schedule. “We can do all of that, but we should be systematic and follow our specs first. It will take us another five days to complete Phase One testing.”

“But we can’t do it all in just a week,” Tanaka complained.

“It’s not enough,” Vladimir agreed.

Bingo! “I’ve rented this house for a month. Stay as long as you need, and if you have to run home for a day, you can use my Learjet.”

“I’ll make it so.” Tanaka, of course.

“Me, too.” Vladimir was actually sparkling at the thought of the fun to come. “It’s good to get back into proper work, instead of all those blasted journal conferences run by wannabes. Let’s move on to the next test.”

“It will be lunchtime in half an hour,” I reminded them.

They both shrugged.

“It gets dark at ten,” Vladimir said. “If we skip lunch and postpone dinner, that gives us fourteen hours of daylight to work in.” 

Lorelei would do her nut, and Sophie might kick, but at that moment all I could see was Trouper going into space. “I’ll fix it.”

As it turned out, I didn’t need to fix a thing because it was all organised. I’d only just finished speaking when Sophie came up the hill, carrying a picnic basket in each hand and flanked by a panting Jack.

“Andrea thought you’d be too busy to come down,” Sophie was setting out boxes of salmon sushi, cheese and salad sandwiches, and wedges of pork pie, as well as flasks of tea and bottles of iced beer. “I brought you lunch, and dinner will be ready half an hour any time after you come home.”

“Thanks.” I was taking in the swell of her breasts, peeking over the tight top, and the long, curved legs. She had lovely ankles, and I was fantasising about licking my way up those calves and luscious thighs.

Sophie knew, I could tell by the sparkle in her eyes, but she simply announced, “Seeing you boys are busy, I’m taking this pup to the vet for a check-up.”

“Good idea.” I was petting Jack, who was showing me his tummy. By the swell of it, he’d had a nice lunch as well as breakfast. Those sticking out ribs would soon be a thing of the past. “Jack’s looking happy. He’s not at all worried about being by the lake.”

“The police phoned to say they found out who the bikers were,” Sophie sighed. “Turns out that they were high as kites.  After they raced out of here, they went flying along the road and straight into the back of a lorry.”

“Oh.” I would have punched them into the next week given half the chance, but that did seem a bit extreme. “Dead?”

“No, but plenty of broken bones,” Sophie replied. “They’re being done for drugs, for causing an accident, and they’ve got months of pain ahead.”

“You told the coppers to drop it?”

She shrugged helplessly. “I talked to Jack about karma being a bitch—” at which point Jack barked, and she laughed. “See? He agrees with me!”

“So I’m looking at a conspiracy?” But I didn’t mind too much. After all, life is difficult, and people make mistakes. Horrible, cruel ones, sometimes. If those bikers had just walked away, I would have pursued them, just to teach them a lesson. But with months of painful reflection, maybe they’d decide to try a new approach.

Also, I didn’t want to dwell on dark and depressing thoughts. I found I couldn’t resist Jack’s sweet tail, curled tight over his back and wagging furiously. Or Sophie who looked like a goddess come to earth. The sun was highlighting the sun kissed hair, and making the freckles dance on her nose. She was totally adorable, and I was lusting after her again. 

“We’re going to run the soil sampling test again. But we’ll set communications for Pluto.” Vladimir leaned between us, picked up a wedge of pie, and turned back to Tanaka, who was absentmindedly scarfing down salmon and rice. “Tell me, shall we follow the New Horizons data or do you want to work with Mariner Mark II protocol?”

“I’m in favour of the Mariner myself,” Tanaka replied. “But I’ll cede to you on this, Vladimir. Unless you want to do both?”

As they reached around Sophie for tea and cake, completely ignoring her, she cast a speaking glance at me and winked. “Going well?” she asked quietly.

I didn’t bother keeping my voice down. A nuclear bomb blast wouldn’t bother those two. Tanaka and Vladimir were in seventh heaven. “Yes, we’re doing great!”

“I knew you would,” she said simply.

“Richard,” Vladimir was getting up, a wedge of pork pie in his hand. “We’re going to walk around the lake to see if there’s a nice damp bit of soil.”

Tanaka was grinning, “We didn’t think you’d mind having a few minutes with Sophie.”

The second they were off, I was updating Sophie on the good news. “They’ve agreed to stay on! They’ve committed to Phase Two, and if it goes well, there’s Phase Three.”

“Awesome!” She was hugging me excitedly. “I knew they’d love Trouper!”

My heart was banging away as I asked, “Do you have another client? If not, can you stay, too?”

“Of course I am!” Sophie was smiling at me. “You’ve already booked me for a month.”

“Oh lord, that was Andrea!” I was flooded again with relief. “We’d only confirmed a week with Tanaka and Vladimir, you know. She was counting her chickens.”

“Nonsense!  She knows you’re a winner.”

Jack was gambolling around, full of the joys of life, so I handed him a bit of my sandwich. “Where is Andrea? I got a text saying her phone would be on silent for two hours.”

The azure eyes narrowed with suppressed laughter. “As the kitchen garden is now Jack’s domain, she decided not to murder Lorelei and bury the body. She took her to Heavenly Scents for a black mud bath.”

“Oh good!”

“And tomorrow they’re going shopping in Manchester. There’s a boutique that stocks Paris fashion. Andrea’s taking your chopper.”

“Excellent!”

“She said you’d pick up the bills.” Sophie twitched a bit. “Lorelei’s expensive to entertain. Let loose in a boutique...”

“I’m after a multibillion-dollar deal. Even if she spends tens of thousands, it’s still cheaper than having her sabotage my project.”

“That’s what Andrea said!” Sophie was clearly relieved. “It makes sense when you explain it, but the numbers intimidate me. Andrea is clever! I would have dithered and ruined it.”

Every woman I know has been super jealous of Andrea, and usually it’s been a two-way deal, so I was properly taken aback. Sophie knew it, too. “I’m also jealous,” she was clearly a mind reader. “Andrea is a Victoria’s Secret girl, and I’m Victoria Sponge.”

“Sophie!”

“You know it’s true. But I reckon you’re not smitten.”

“God no!” That came right out, and I felt guilty instantly. “What I meant was, she’s really focused, great at her job, and of course a stunner, but erm, well—”

“You don’t fancy endless fruit smoothies and mineral water?”

“Exactly.” I hugged the curves. “Sophie, whatever the newspapers say, know one thing: I’ve never cheated on anyone. Not once. Not even when I was a kid and a total arsehole.”

She hugged me, and I was enveloped in the scent of roses edged with herbs. Basil, I think. Rich and sweet. “That’s good to know,” she murmured. “I like straight-up dealing, too.”

“This isn’t a flirtation for me. I’m serious.” So much for not grabbing. It must have been the rush from having Tanaka and Vladimir sign up for Phase Two. “We’ve got a few weeks here, but when we’re back in London, I was hoping we could be together.”

Sophie gasped. “Richard, we’ve only known each other a couple of days!”

“I want you. But we’ll take it slow, of course.” 

For a moment, the world held its breath. Then Sophie was gazing at me. “Sure?” The scent of basil and flowers warmed. I was drowning in her eyes, mesmerised by the long lashes and the little gold flecks dancing among the brown.

“Whatever you want.” It came out a strangled gasp, and I was solid again.

“Good.” She was giggling, fully aware of the effect she was having on me. Then, mercifully, she dipped her head and whispered, “After dinner, let’s go for a moonlight walk.”

“Yes, please.” It would be heaven. 

“For god’s sake, put her down, man!” Vladimir was back, loud and laughing at us.

“We’ve got work to do!” Tanaka added, grinning at the sight of us.

“You’d better go.” Sophie stood up and brushed some grass seeds off her dress. “Text me when you’re on your way down, and I’ll have cocktails and nibbles waiting for you.”

As the high, rounded breasts jiggled, I was filled with a surge of sweet promise. “And after, we’ll go out.” I don’t know if I was reminding her or crowing. All I know is that I was filled with anticipation of good things to come.