Chapter 8 

Alex pulled away from the sweetness of her lips. He was looking forward to doing more than kissing her. The feel of her body pressed up against him had erotic images racing through his mind. The dazed look she had in her eyes made him smirked.

"Sign the contract and the company is yours."

He took out a pen from his pocket and handed it to her. She had a flustered look on her face. She stared at the pen for a while then reached for it with shaky hands. Just when her hand came within inches of the pen, Alex pulled it back slightly. Amber looked up at him confused.

"Know this, if for whatever reason I think that you have broken our agreement then the contract is void and your father's company comes back into my ownership, understood?"

Amber nodded her head. Tears started to form in her eyes and she tried her best to keep them at bay. She did not want to give him the benefit of seeing her cry. She grabbed the pen he was offering then she picked up the file and signed her name in the spaces provided. Her hands were still shaking when she handed it back to him, but she had a determined glint in her eyes.

He might have made it so she couldn't say no to his terms, but she was not going to make it easy for him. She was going to prove to him that she could resist him. Besides, the contract said that she only had to live with him for a year, she could resist him for a year, couldn't she?

"You have your contract, now give me my company back."

Amber couldn't believe how strong and steady her voice sounded when inside she was feeling anything but.

Alex eyes brows arched and he smiled at the little show of bravado she was putting on. If she wanted to challenge him, she was in for a rude awaken. If it was one thing, Alex, like, it was a challenge. He was going to show her how the big fish's played in the big pond.

"All the necessary paperwork are in my office. Follow me and I'll give them over to you."

He turned to leave the room, not caring if she followed or not. As he made his way back to his office, he heard her light footfall behind him. A small smile appeared on his face, revenge was going to be sweet.

Alex opened the door to his office and Amber followed him in. She stood in the doorway and her eyes wandered around. His office was more of a library than an office. Every wall was covered with books of all kind. Behind his desk was a bay window, looking out upon an exquisite garden. Alex took a seat behind the desk and Amber suddenly started feeling out of her depth. She swallowed the lump in her throat and backed up a bit. She didn't belong there, everything in her was telling her to run and never look back, to forget about the company and just run. But an image of her mother crying surfaced in her head and she knew that she was going to go through with the agreement.

Alex looked at the lost deer look Amber had on her face and his heart soften a fraction. He wanted to go to her and comfort her, to make feel better and take that look off of your lovely face, but he remember what she did to him and he hardened his heart towards her. It was all a trick, she was trying to use her vulnerability to get him to let her out of their agreement, but he wasn't going to be a fool for her twice. He was going to get his revenge, make her fall in love with him them smash that love the same way she did his.

"Are you thinking about backing out amber?"

Amber squared her shoulders and raised her chin. She was not going to let him get to her, she'll show him that she was a strong person. He wanted her to live with him, fine! He wanted her break up with Tristan, fine! He wanted her to always be available to him, fine, she can do that too. What she wasn't going to do is let him break her because she knew that that was his end game. He wanted to play games with her, well she can play games with him too. Like the saying goes, two can play that game.

"The thought never even cross my mind."

She walked into the room with as much confident as she could muster up. Pulling out the chair, she took a seat across from him. He opened a drawer and handed her a file. She took it and started flipping through the pages.

"I took the liberty of clearing all the debts that your father's company was drowning in. I had my accountant take a look at the books and she's come up with a few ways for you increase your profits. It's all there for you to look at."

Amber didn't know what to say, it was something the Alex she knew would have done. She couldn't believe that he did all of that for her, maybe he hadn't turned into a complete jerk after all. Maybe if she talked to him, apologised some more for what she did, he's let her out of the contract.

"Thank you," she said, "That was very kind of you."

Alex brushed her thanks away and Amber could see the hard set of his eyes. At that moment, he didn't look anything like the Alex she knew.

"I didn't do it for you, when I obtain the company, I had every intention of making it better and in order to do that I had it thoroughly looked at."

Yep, she was right the first time, he had definitely turned into a jerk. He was about to say something else to her when a little girl with a head full of dark curly came running into the room, startling Amber.

Alex stood and so did Amber. The little girl came to stand in front of Amber, mud smeared across her rosy cheeks and grass embedded in her hair. With one dirty little hand, the girl tugged on Amber's dress, leaving a smug of dirt. Amber crouched so that she was eye to eye with the little girl.

"Hey sweetie, what's your name?"

The little girl smiled and the cutest little dimple appeared on her face, melting Amber's heart.

"Emily, what's yours?"

Without thinking, Amber reached behind her and took a few tissues from the box sitting on Alex desk. She carefully and gently wiped the dirt from the little girl's face as she spoke.

"My name is Amber, that a pretty dress you're wearing, did your mommy buy it for you?"

The little girl shook her head.

"My daddy bought it, do you like it?"

Amber smiled sweetly at her.

"Yes I do, your daddy has really good taste."

Emily nodded, but Amber doubt she understood what she meant. Emily's little tiny hand came out and fingered one of Amber's curls.

"Pretty."

"So is yours." Amber replied.

All the while Alex stood in the background watching his daughter interact with the only woman he ever truly loved. His heart soften as he watch Amber talked with Emily. He notice that she didn't care that Emily was touching her with dirty hands. Ever since he brought his daughter to live with him, she had only taken to him and her nanny Grace, but it took her a while to open out to Grace. That was the first time she hadn't run and hide from a new face. The easy way she spoke to Amber, like she was an old friend warmed his heart. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have Amber live with him after all.

"Wanna see what I found?"

Emily asked Amber, pushing out her tiny fisted hand.

"Sure." Amber said, leaning forward a bit.

Emily opened up her hand and revealed four different coloured rocks. Amber mused over the rock and touched them with interest.

"They are beautiful." Amber said.

Alex approached them and crouched down next down to Amber. He heard her sucked in a breath and felt her stiffened. But she did not move or say anything that would startle Emily.

"What have you go there, beautiful?"

Alex asked Emily and she turned her hand towards him. He looked at the rocks, he guessed she dug them up because her hands were covered with dirt.

"Do you like them daddy?"

Emily asked and Amber sucked in a shocked breath.

"I do, princess, they're beautiful, just like you."

Emily giggled and the beautiful sound filled the air causing both Alex and Amber to laugh. In the mist of their laughing a tall blonde woman came into to the room and stopped abruptly. The smile she had on her face fell when she saw Amber. A look of jealousy and betrayal crossed her face before she hid it away.

Alex stood and so did Amber. The new comer walked a little way into the room then stopped. Her eyes kept switching between Alex and Amber, nothing was said for a few second as both women assessed each other. Emily was the one who broke the silence.

"Grace, I've made a new friend, isn't that nice?"

Grace smiled kindly at her. "That's great sweetie, but maybe we should let your daddy and his guest continue with their business."

Emily little face fell and she scrunched up her little nose.

"Ok." She said with her shoulders slumped.

Amber's heart broke for the little girl. She didn't want her leaving the office with that sad look on her face.

"She's more than welcome to stay, I don't mind."

Emily face instantly lit up. Turning to her father, she asked, bouncing on her feet.

"Can I daddy, can I really?"

Alex laughed, how could he say no to her. If staying with them was what she wanted he would give it to her and anything else she asked for.

"You sure can, pumpkin."

"I'm not a pumpkin." Emily said confused.

"You're not?" Alex asked faking confusion himself.

"Nope," she said, shaking her head, "I'm a little girl."

Alex laughed, "And what a beautiful little girl you are."

Emily smiled and took his hand into hers, she then turned and held Amber's hand with her other free hand.

Alex saw Grace was looking at them and an angry look was on her face. He knew that it had been a mistake to sleep with her. Although he broke their relationship off, he kept her on because he needed someone to look after Emily. She knew the rules of their arrangement, he wasn't looking to get serious that's why he ended it when she started to get clingy.

"It's ok Grace, she can stay."

Grace nodded but didn't move and from the way that she was looking at Amber, Alex knew that she wanted to know who she was. He needed to squash any romantic fantasy she might have in her head about him and he thought the perfect way to do that would be to introduce her to Amber.

"Amber, this is grace, Emily's nanny."

Amber smile and Grace looked hurt that he only named her as the nanny.

"Grace this is Amber, my fiancé."