♥ HOW MUCH FOR AN HEIR'S HEART? - ZARRY ♥

Four (1)

Zayn left his meeting with Charlotte with newfound respect. Despite his reluctance, she still pushed the idea of bringing Harry into their cone of silence. "He was the spin behind the University scandal, not to mention some of our internal issues. We're lucky to have him," Lottie had said.

Grudgingly he had to agree. And if the press started running with pictures of him at Tomlinsons', he knew exactly where to lay to blame.

Meanwhile, his security chief was busy compiling a list of enemies and disgruntled employees and their possible sources within Tomlinsons'. Geoff Payne had been suggested and then discarded. No proof, plus the man got his fair share of negative press, too. Shareholders? No, too much to lose.

So he was back once again to a person Yaser had personally offended.

And that's where it got confusing. Harry had had no direct contact with Yaser. Tomlinsons' had put him through university. Outwardly, Harry was passionate about and dedicated to his job. He genuinely liked working here. Yet he was broke and struggling under a mountain of debt, and could still afford rent, food, clothes.

Was Harry that good an actor?

A shot of heat started low and crept up Zayn's body.

Dangerous, thinking about Harry Styles.

Because if he did that, he'd have to acknowledge how paper-thin his control was. Instead of quenching his fiery thirst, his suspicion only stocked the flames higher, creating a burning need that was slowly dominating his every thought.

You have to stop thinking about him.

With a sharp snap, he opened the file in front of him and focused on Louis' scrawling signature at the bottom of the page. He immersed himself into pouring his concentration into the contents of the file.

Zayn stood and stalked over to the small kitchenette in the corner of the office, tapping out his impatience as the coffee machine slowly dripped out.

He grabbed the pot, pouring a cup that was one of many that day, forcing away his doubts with the first sip.

You're doing the right thing, keeping a professional distance from the Tomlinsons. Getting emotionally involved can only mean disaster.

He'd fix Tomlinsons', turn it around. That's what he did. He needed to seal this deal, to finish it so that he could get back to his life. A life that suddenly gaped wide, filled with a solitary existence.

He frowned and made his way over to the window, staring down at the street. It had changed over the years. He'd been an angry teenager alone in the city- a dangerous, exhilarating place for a small-town kid with something to prove. Over the years, London had grown and thrived. It was physical proof of his enormous success, proof he was no longer the rebellious, stupid kid from the bush.

He sighed. He'd worked hard and long for all he had, steadily erasing that deep dark place in his heart, in his memory. He'd been doing fine until a week ago.

He turned away from the view as he rolled his neck. He needed a distraction. Yet when he glanced back at the financials on the desk, the paper blurred before his eyes. He needed something warmer.

In the past, sex had taken the edge off, it had enabled him to refocus and re-energise, and suddenly all he could think about was a smart mouth and a kissy-mole.

"Ready for the grand tour?"

Momentarily disoriented, Zayn snapped his eyes up to Harry standing in the doorway with the ever-present notepad and pen. For a few seconds, Zayn allowed himself to drink in Harry's neat tempting figure, the curve of his cheek, the way his eyes steadily met Zayn's perusal. And as he did so, the vibrating bitterness gradually seeped out, leaving him suddenly empty and ice cold.