Decoding the Billionaire Read online

  Alex nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ve never really talked about it with either of them. Simon approached me to support him when he wanted to study IT and not law, which is what Theodore wanted him to study. Part of me I guess was thrilled to be able to do that for the brother who I thought had it all. When he graduated, I suggested that he get some work experience in one of the bigger tech companies. Five years later, he walked into my office asking for a job. To be honest, he’s more than proven himself as both Executive but also as a people manager.”

  “That’s great. I can tell that he has great respect for your opinion. You’re right, he knows his stuff. I don’t say that about many tech people!”

  Alex smiled at her. She’d always called a spade a spade. He must pass on her accolades to Simon, he’d appreciate it.

  “We’ve really complemented each other’s strengths. And according to Simon, I’m not nearly as overbearing as he had imagined. Though to be honest, I don’t know what he expected. He works hard. So does Julia. We all have a similar work ethic. That’s why this breach is so unsettling.”

  Both brothers had been surprised, and rather impressed when Julia also sought employment at Hudson Pty away from their father’s influence. Their father though, was furious with them both for their defiance and blamed Alex. Not that he cared, he had broad shoulders. He never saw his father anyway. Besides, he was happy to have one up on him any day.

  By the time they had nearly crossed the bridge over the Thames, he had calmed down. Elly was right, as he had talked about Simon and Julia, a plan of what to do next had started to formulate in his mind.

  He glanced down at Elly. She was all green eyes, which were large and thoughtful. For some reason that he couldn’t quite fathom, he was glad that Elly was there. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind to examine why her presence felt right. Maybe it was because he knew he could trust her. After years of being a solo mission, of decisions being made with no one who he’d conferred with, he enjoyed the presence of someone he respected, who wouldn’t be afraid to speak up if she thought something was amiss. And unlike Zoe, she wasn’t caught up in her own image. Elly was a force to be reckoned with. He squeezed her hand with an unfamiliar gentleness, aware of how slender her fingers were against his own.

  “Elly, this certainly wasn’t what I was expecting when I was waiting for you at the university. But thanks, I appreciate you being here.”

  Elly rolled her eyes upwards in exasperation.

  “Come on Alex. I’m employed by your company to be there to go through any tech sides of Ivan’s analysis. Anyway, one thing that I’ve learnt living and working with Nina, is that you don’t have to do everything by yourself. Sometimes it feels like it’s the only option, but really, life is so much simpler talking things over with someone else what your plans could or couldn’t be.”

  A laugh escaped from his mouth. Her frankness was so welcome. He bet her friends and boyfriends treasured her company.

  Since he was a child, he had never allowed himself to rely on anyone else. Certainly not his father, besides, he’d had to trust his own intuition and skill in all his decisions. He relied only on himself, then he was assured that he wouldn’t be let down. The company he started up was already ten times the size of his father’s company. But delegation and trust didn’t come naturally.

  “I’ve never been comfortable with letting others make decisions for me,” he conceded. “Helen, Simon and Julia are pretty much my inner circle at Hudson. I have other Executives, but they don’t make many decisions without my input.”

  “Are you not worried that Simon and Julia would ever deflect to your father’s business?”

  “Actually, I’m not. We never talk about him, but over the years they’ve both dropped comments here and there. I think they both like rubbing it in his nose that they are part of Hudson.”

  “But it’s your strategy and your plans. You don’t think they’d want to take the helm one day?”

  “Maybe earlier on. But the last couple of years I have stepped back from their domains and they are the key decision makers. But you’re right. It’s still my goals and ambitions for Hudson that all other decisions are framed around.”

  “That makes sense. That’s why companies only have one MD and not many. You have a plan in your mind of what you think needs to happen, and you stay true to your plan. That’s why I assume you could finish our relationship in Greece. You had a plan and I wasn’t part of that plan.”

  She tapped him on the arm and rested her body against the bridge as she turned to face him, an earnest look as she scrutinised him.

  “Don’t think that I’m just whining about Greece for the sake of it. I’m not. Look, I really respect that you did stay true to your intentions. You trusted yourself to pursue a business opportunity, and you did it, regardless of what obstacles could have come your way. I think that’s something that I learnt from you. That if there’s something I want to do, then I should work out how I want to do it, and not be distracted. That’s why I said thanks to you at the Phoenix. You really opened my eyes to how I needed to not only see myself, but also to consider which plan I wanted to follow.” Her eyes moved away from his face and focused on something out on the water. “I was kind of working all that out when Nina and I first met. We soon became flatmates, and over a few too many cocktails, we started to forge our identities through our joint venture. But it helped a lot that I had someone like Nina who was non-judgemental, who had their own plans and was different to me. Our goals have synergies, but it’s our differences that have made us really respect each other’s views and helped our business be successful. I can talk to her and know that she will tell me how she perceives a situation, not how she thinks I want to hear it.”

  Alex waited for her to continue.

  She looked back to him, their gaze connecting. Her eyes wrinkled. “And that’s what you need. Maybe, if you reached out to Simon, he could be that person for you. He really respects you. He’s family. And although he’s not quite the brooding cynic that you are, you are both quite similar in your approach to work.”

  “That’s some speech, you know?” Despite his comment, Alex nodded in silent agreement. Had it not been Elly, he would have been amazed that a single person read him with such clarity, it was like he was an open book to her. As he turned to face her, he slipped his hand out of hers, still feeling the warmth of her fingers.

  Elly patted his arm. “I just tell it as I see it.”

  Alex glanced down at the hand on his arm. His eyes furrowed as he thought about what she’s said. “I think you’re right. It’s been hard for me to reach out and include others when I’ve been at the helm for so long.” Alex stopped and looked into the water as he gathered his thoughts. “Through my twenties, all I wanted was to study and build up my own little empire. That’s when we met in Greece, I was focused on a very specific potential business opportunity. It didn’t pan out, by the way. In hindsight, my plan would never have worked. But try and tell that to an ambitious 20 something entrepreneur!” He squeezed Elly’s hand before he continued. “But I had the energy and the passion to make my mark. Then in my thirties, I worked and worked, and yes, I played hard too. I went to all the important functions, with the prettiest girl on my arm. But it was about cementing business ties and feeding my ego. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy my work, the challenge of a takeover and the process it takes to make a stagnating business viable again still excites me.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain it. But I’m ready for something more. Don’t ask me what it is, because I don’t know. When you came up to me at the Phoenix, all I could think was, don’t let her be married or involved with someone. I really want to spend more time with you. That’s why I came over to the university this morning. I haven’t come with any promises. It might just be a one off, maybe my memories of our explosive sex need to be exorcised. I don’t know. But I want to spend more time with you. Somehow, I need to expel you from my mind a
nd stop my body from aching for you. And the only way I know to do so is by being with you.”

  “Great, thanks. So, I’m like a demon!” She gave a gentle laugh, her breath warm against his nape.

  “A demon, no. If these hassles with the documents being leaked wasn’t so pressing, then I would suggest that we just keep walking. All day. Give us a chance to talk. Talk about the last twelve years. Talk about our families. Talk about us. Get to know each other a bit.”

  “But the leaked documents are important. We can always spend time afterwards to do those things.”

  “You’ve told me how you see me, but how do you see us?” He watched her with intent eyes. This was it. Her chance to say there was no us.

  “Now that’s the magic question isn’t it?” Her words were whispered, barely audible.

  She sucked in a breath and looked back out to the water.

  Alex wished that he could read her mind. Apprehension swamped him. When she looked back at him, Alex exhaled the breath that he’d been holding. There was something about her expression, something in the glint in her eyes that suggested she was interested in him too.

  She smiled shyly up at him. “I don’t know if this makes me crazy, but I’d like to get to know you better. She placed one hand on his forearm, the other against his chest. On tiptoes, she edged closer so that their faces were aligned. “To be honest, my body wants to know yours again.”

  He had to love her frankness. A faint pulse on his arm throbbed beneath her fingertips. Her breath teased his face.

  “I want you. I want you a lot. But I don’t know why you make me feel this way. And I don’t understand why someone like you would pursue someone like me.”

  Well, she’d gotten that right. He’d been the one chasing her. “You make me feel good. Just knowing you were in my office consumed me.” He pressed a swift kiss against her lips.

  “Oh, Alex. I was right there, but I was there to work.”

  His thumb came up to wipe away her creased brow.

  “I know. It didn’t make it any easier for me though.”

  “If it makes you feel better, I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep since the Phoenix.”

  Elly, honey. Do you know how many meetings I’ve sat through, struggling to concentrate due to the memories of your body lying naked next to mine?”

  “If you don’t believe me, feel this.” He gave his own body a light nudge against hers, his manhood throbbed hard against her hip.

  She sighed. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who has suffered.”

  “You wench!” I’ve had to endure you in that purple suit while you sat next to my brother. That is the definition of agony!”

  In almost an instant, her fingers moved from his arm and discretely caressed the bulge in his trousers. He groaned out loud as his eyes closed. The torment of her closeness. Oblivious to the public around them, the hand on his chest grabbed the fabric of his shirt and pulled him closer. Her other hand still cupped his manhood.

  Was he dreaming? He watched her in slow motion bring her mouth back to his. If this was a dream, he didn’t want it to end.

  She angled her mouth straight onto his. He tasted coffee as her tongue slid inside against his. With gentle strokes at first, she caressed his mouth in a way that was firm and controlled his own. Taking rapid breaths, she whispered hard against his mouth.

  “I want you too.” Her voice quivered. “I want to remember the feel of you inside me.” His arm wrapped around her and pulled her body closer against him.

  Alex was hungry for more but tormented by her constrictive clothes that prevented him from touching her skin.

  “You go man. Woohoo.” The sound of some stranger on the river calling out, applauding him from below, roused his senses. Suddenly, he was aware that this wasn’t private. They were on show for everyone and anyone to see. For someone who relied on security to follow his every move, he felt exposed. This wasn’t the time nor place.

  She nipped his lips and deepened the kiss. It was almost painful as his manhood expanded as much as his expensive woollen trousers allowed. Alex couldn’t help himself, he jerked to her touch. For a moment, not a thought in his mind as his body was consumed by the woman of his dreams.

  Elly tore her mouth from his. Her breath was as uneven as his, her hands settled around his hips and scolding his skin through his clothes.

  “Not here,” she whispered, her voice ragged.

  Silently he agreed. His head was telling him the same message. If only his body would cooperate.

  “Look Alex, I feel the same way. I have done since we saw each other at the Phoenix. Only I’m scared too. I don’t want to go in head after heels and then come out broken at the end. But, yeah, I need you too.”

  Alex focused on his own breath. In his mind he counted 1-2-3-4-5 as he breathed out, then in again. His heart still raged against his chest. The way he burned for her had nearly driven him mad over the past few weeks. As he collected his composure, he hugged her briefly before using the bridge to lean against.

  Fine tremors still ran through his body, but at least his eyes were focusing. The stranger who had called out was long gone.

  “Not the best timing, eh?”

  He spotted the forgotten bag of food that Miguel had packed for them standing upright next to the wall. He bent down to pick it back up again, and for the life of him, couldn’t remember when he had put it there.

  Elly hugged him back. She stood up and in her orange trainers, on her tiptoes, and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “I’m not saying no. I’m just saying not right now, here on the street.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Besides, I think we’ve been enough entertainment for the bystanders. Neither of them sought the type of headlines that their public display just now could attract.”

  They walked back in slow movements to the office, Elly nestled against his body, and neither of them spoke. He didn’t want to remove his arm from her, but he sensed rather than saw Elly mentally step back into her corporate persona as they entered through the glass revolving door to the Hudson offices. She stood more erect and her expression became guarded. With great reluctance, he dropped his arm from around her. It was like a gush of cold air had created a vacuum between them. He wished that they were still on the bridge, entwined in each other’s bodies.

  Chapter 7

  Alex stretched his arms up, his shoulders were tight, and there was a kink in his neck. It was nearly midnight, and it had been a long night. Both him and Simon had poured over the detailed analysis that Ivan had sent through. The data was conclusive. Peter was their culprit. It was there in black and white. He had modified, shared and deleted many crucial files. So far, they had made some headway to mitigate most of the issues. Ivan’s interceptor had been quite a saviour. Between Simon, Ivan and Elly, they had retrieved deleted documents, listed who and when confidential files had been shared, and now Elly wrote some code that would help identify which documents had been modified by Peter prior to the interceptor being deployed.

  Ivan and Elly had worked in silence all afternoon. They used their technical expertise to help explain or demonstrate how Peter had infiltrated and abused the Hudson system. Ivan had left for home about an hour ago, but Alex knew Elly still worked in her office as the light was still on. One of the documents that had been uncovered in Ivan’s investigation was pertinent to the upcoming takeover of Austin Steel; it was their own itemised valuation that had never been shared outside Hudson. Alex had almost groaned out loud when he had seen it, and his heart had sunk. Simon had spent the afternoon in Alex’s office as he checked other documents and email trails that were linked to the valuation. He really appreciated that Simon had stayed back to help. It had been more than useful to have his company as they brainstormed what some of Peter’s other emails alluded to. Elly had provided an external view of the affect the leaked documents could have. Between them, they had debated and decided that it was in the best interests of Hudson Pty Ltd to withdraw any interest in the
takeover of Austin Steel. What they couldn’t yet determine was if Peter had sabotaged on behalf of Austin Steel, or for their father. Either was a realistic possibility.

  “After spending all afternoon trawling through Peter’s destruction, I’m at the point where I don’t want to read anything more about Austin Steel. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

  Alex looked up at Simon.

  “I’m inclined to agree with you. The thrill of the acquisition has deserted me too.”

  He didn’t feel as aggrieved with not acquiring Austin Steel as he thought he might have. Like Simon, he was annoyed. Peter had caused a whole heap of extra work for them and would be fired with immediate effect. But he was more concerned for Julia. She had tried so hard to build up her career at Hudson. The first day she had walked in, dressed for success, desperate to share her ideas, but not sure if she was supposed to share them.

  “Alex, you already have a marketing department,” she had said. “I’m sure they do a good job. But I’ve been exploring where Hudson can do better. I think your brand is outdated and no longer catchy or relevant. We need to re-evaluate what the brand vision is and how to best communicate it.”

  He smiled at the memory. She had spoken with obvious nervousness as her hand tapped her knee as she spoke. Julia had done an excellent job in their marketing department and had helped revolutionise the Hudson brand.

  “We’re going to have to break this to Julia straight away. She’s got to know that he’s a jerk and that it isn’t her fault. I can’t believe that weasel took advantage of her like this.”

  Simon nodded. His face grimaced. “I never liked the guy, he’s too smooth, but I was so happy Julia was in love. I don’t think our genetics prime us for being successful in relationships. Julia’s going to be devastated. How do you think she’ll take it?”

  “You need to give her a new and exciting project to focus on and take her away from here for a period of time,” Elly said from the doorway.