Bedmates Soulmates
CHAPTER 247

Her father smoked.

Kira tried to get him to quit.

Smoking was bad for his health.

She hid his cigarette packs around the house.

She bought him nicotine gum, lozenges and patches.

She even printed out gory images of smokers suffering from blackened teeth, diseased lungs. and clotted brains to scare him into quitting. He Biaught Plus Do Himpell.

Dad cut back from two packs a day to one, but he couldn't shake the habit completely.

As for Austyn....

Kira didn't think the man would agree to wear a nicotine patch or stick a piece of nicotine gum in his mouth.

As for the cigarettes, he seemed to have one favoured brand.

Kira remembered seeing the same black packs with golden lettering on them.

It smelled like menthol and didn't stink like the other cigarettes.

When Austyn smoked, he looked a little like the chisel-faced Marlboro Man sans the cowboy

hat.

He was leaning against the bonnet of the Hummer, standing in profile, head slightly lowered.

His pensive-looking face was obscured by wisps of blue smoke.

It made Kira curious-what was troubling him?

She wanted to reach out a hand and turn that habitual frown upside down.

Kira hurriedly looked away when she caught herself staring.

She'd seen his face so many times before.

Why was she suddenly so fascinated by it?

Kira's hands flew to her cheeks.

They were h

to the touch.

Her heart was thumping.

Her lips had gone dry.

'Stop acting like such a fangirl!' she chided herself. 'You are turning into Vanessa." A knock on the open window startled her.

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'What?' Kira looked up.

'Get out of the car,' Austyn said simply.

Kira climbed out of the backseat with some difficulty, gathering her dress carefully.

"Where are we going?"

"To the hotel. There's a party tonight-

Before he could finish, Kira had shrunk back into the car.

Austyn stared at her. 'What are you doing?"

Kira gnashed her teeth. 'You never told me we were coming to a party in a public venue!"

She caught a glimpse of the hotel's grand-looking front entrance.

Whatever event this was, Kira was pretty sure it wasn't the kind of pizza parties her classmates used to throw.

Austyn ground out the cigarette butt with his heel. 'Now you know. Get out of the car."

""No!' Kira said to Kai, 'Drive me home, please."

Kai kept staring straight ahead and pretended he didn't hear a thing.

'Kira Hewitt! Don't make me drag you out."

of Stamford

'No. I don't want to go to a party in a hotel, and you can't make me! The place must be crawling with reporters. I don't want my face splashed across the front p Daily. You can go ahead if you want, but I'm going home.' Kira held onto the grab handle and was determined to put up a fight if Austyn tried to drag her

out.

'Who told you there are reporters here?'

'No one. It's an educated guess."

As someone who once traded the president's personal info for money, Kira knew the tabloids were offering big bucks for any scoop on Austyn McCarthy.

How could they not be out in droves if they knew Austyn was going to show up here?

'It's a stupid guess,' Austyn shot back. 'It's an invitation-only party. The organiser's the Chamber of Commerce. They'd never invite the media here.' 'Really?' Kira was sceptical. 'I don't believe it."

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It sounded like a high-profile event, definitely newsworthy.

The media might not be on the guest list, but it didn't mean reporters couldn't find some

other ways to get in.

"Fine.' Austyn crossed his arms. 'If you don't want to go in, you can go home."

'Really?' Kira's eyes lit up.

Austyn nodded.

Then he turned to the assistant, 'Kai, drive her home. Schedule a press conference for ten am tomorrow. It's time the public knows the identity of Mrs McCarthy."

Kira pushed the car door open, sprang out, linked arms with Austyn and beamed at him." Honey, I was just kidding. Of course I want to go to the party with you. I'm already here. Might as well go in, right?" Austyn watched her askance. 'Are you sure?'

Kira nodded. 'Yes, absolutely sure. I'm all dressed up and I've somewhere to go. Just to confirm, though-are you sure there are no reporters inside?"

Kira kept the smile on her face and the complaints to herself.

Austyn had her over a barrel, knowing how averse she was to publicity.

The man knew how to play dirty.

'I'll meet you inside,' Austyn said to Kai.

Then he said to Kira, 'Let's go, Mrs McCarthy."

Kira had no choice but to follow.

She silently cursed the architect who designed the hotel's front entrance.

Why were there so many steps?

Guests who came here were looking for accommodation and relaxation, not for at mountaineering exercise.

If not for Austyn, she might have tripped in her long dress and tumbled down the stairs.

Then she would have definitely made the newspaper headlines tomorrow.

Luckily, she got into the lobby without incident.

When Kira and Austyn were stepping into the glass lift, another car pulled up in front of the hotel.

Martin put the limo in park, got out, jogged to the back and opened the door. 'Young Master, We're here."

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Gideon opened his eyes.

He glanced at the woman seated next to him with a scowl on his face.

Martin looked away sheepishly.

The invitation said guests were encouraged to bring a plus-one.

Gideon asked him to take care of it.

Being new to the city, Martin decided to go with a familiar choice.

He asked Miss Kira-no, she was Miss Gwen now-to accompany Young Master.

But Gideon didn't look too pleased about it.

Gwen Reyes was keenly tuned in to Gideon's feelings, having been with him for more than two

Vears.

It wasn't hard for her to discern that the man's displeasure was directed at her.

She bit her lower lip. 'I asked Martin to bring me along. If you don't like it, I can go home."

Gideon got out of the car and said simply, 'You're already here. You might as well come with

me."

A smile spread across her face as Gwen followed him.

Tentatively, she took his arm.

Gideon didn't object..

They walked into the hotel lobby looking just like a regular couple.

But Gideon's words shattered that illusion.

'You will go back to Ourhlana tomorrow. I'm staying in Stamford.'

Gwen stopped dead in her tracks.

But Gideon kept on walking, pulling her along.

She stared at the man's face.

He looked as handsome as always.

And just as indifferent.

Gwen lowered her eyes and hid a bitter smile.

Was that why he wanted her to start using her own name?

Because her life as Kira Hewitt's stand-in had come to an end?

T

But Gwen Reyes was not a woman to give up so easily.

Over the years, she'd learned quite a lot from the young master.

She would figure out a way to stay in Stamford and by his side, by fair means or foul.