Memoirs of a Millionaire's Mistress

If that was what it was. It felt more like…No. He refused to acknowledge anything deeper. As she’d said, she didn’t do serious, neither did he. But how long would it be before Didi wanted more than an affair? A man with his past, his inability to lay his heart on the line and trust, couldn’t give her that.

Whatever they had, it would all end in a matter of days. And that would be the wiser course, he thought. But he couldn’t stop himself reaching out to brush her hair off her brow, to gently close her eyelids with his fingers. ‘I was the luckiest man there tonight,’ he whispered. ‘You were gorgeous.’

Her eyelids fluttered against his hand and she turned to him, eyes wide. ‘But you couldn’t wait to get me away.’

‘Only because I wanted you all to myself.’

‘You mean you weren’t embarrassed?’

‘Embarrassed?’ He took a moment to figure it out. Was that what it was all about? He reached for her hand on the sheet between them, brought it to his cheek. ‘Ah, sweetheart…no. No. Not on your life. I was sorry. I pushed you into something that made you uncomfortable. I tried to make you into someone you’re not—with the best of intentions—and that was my mistake.’

She blinked. ‘Thank you. For telling me.’

But she knew he hadn’t answered all her questions and he hated the deception. It was there in her quiet gaze and the emotional distance she’d put between them.

Didi didn’t have time or the emotional energy to think about Cameron and their relationship for the next few days. Instead she poured everything into her work. The piece was coming together beautifully, just as she’d imagined when she’d planned it.

She knew Cameron was busy with preparations for Saturday night’s opening, which was perhaps why she saw very little of him, until he slipped into bed beside her at night.

They made love. Sometimes he was warm and tender, at other times it was with an urgency that blew her away; almost as if he didn’t want what they had to end. But he never mentioned it, so neither did she. After all, they’d agreed she would walk away at the end, no strings, so she had to assume that hadn’t changed. Perhaps if she didn’t have the opening coming up she’d have left earlier because it was tearing her apart inside.

He took her to the gallery one evening and showed her the renovations he’d made to the old building. Her Before the Temptation was to be on display, earlier pieces were going to be offered for sale with work from other unknown artists he wanted to support. And then there was the wall where her commissioned piece would hang.

Excitement mingled with a sense of surrealism. Could this really be happening? He’d invited Melbourne’s rich and important people. To see her work. To launch her career. The press coverage was going to be huge.

She’d sent her own invitation to her parents and one to Veronica and Daniel, but had already received an inability to attend from Veronica by return mail. Would her parents treat her with the same indifference?

On Wednesday morning she needed more beads. She stepped out of the building onto the busy footpath and into sunshine where spring was putting in an early appearance. Two trams rattled past, ferrying commuters. Didi rolled stiff shoulders and began walking.

Until she caught sight of the girl she’d seen before near the apartment building. Hard to mistake the six-foot brunette and she was wearing the same velvet jacket she had worn before. And as on those previous occasions, her face was averted and she was hurrying away, disappearing into the swirl of pedestrians.

Didi pivoted on her heel and followed the woman for a few minutes, caught up with her as she was turning into a shopping mall. Her pulse kept time with her fast pace. She had to be right, had to…Didi’s hand grasped velvet. The woman jerked, turned. Startled blue eyes met Didi’s and she knew she’d been right. ‘You’re Amy.’

Her eyes darted behind Didi.

‘It’s okay. I’m Didi and I’m alone. He doesn’t know.’

Amy stared at her. ‘How do you know?’

‘He carries your photo in his wallet.’ Didi nodded. ‘I’ve seen you near the apartment. I’m surprised he hasn’t seen you too.’

‘It’s been close a couple of times.’ Amy twisted her hands around her bag strap. ‘He’s still got my photo?’

‘He wants you in his life, Amy.’ When she just stood there, Didi continued. ‘You’ve rung the apartment.’

Amy nodded as tears filled her eyes. ‘Then I just chicken out. And he’s nearly caught me outside the building…more than once. I turn away, then wish I hadn’t.’