At the close of work, she did not go straight home like she normally did. She waited for her boss to take her to the house. She felt awkward going into his car with him and knew what her colleagues would read into it but consoled herself with the thought that she feared no accusation since her conscience was clear.

He drove her to a part of the town that only the rich could afford to live.

It was like a totally different world. He drove into a curved well tended lane through a gate that was opened by some security guards into a large compound with a house that could only be a castle. He parked the car close to the house and she got down after he had opened the door for her.

He led her not into the big house but behind it hidden from view, where there was a row of apartments.

He was greeted by all in a respectful manner as they looked at her curiously.

'He must have alot of staff at home like he did at the office. This man is rich to be able to afford to pay this much people', she thought to herself.

He led her to a particular apartment that was in the centre of the row of houses.

There was a staff already there waiting for them with the keys in his hands. Mr. Campbell must have called to inform him of their visit.

He ushered her in and Nancy caught her breath. She had expected the apartment to be good but she had not envisaged it being a little palace. It had a living room, ND the adjourning door led to the kitchen and what a kitchen that was with full facilities and then a lobby leading to the bedroom. The furniture was sparse but good and she had no complaints since she had none of her own.

She looked up to find Mr. Campbell staring at her, gauging her reaction.

'It is beautiful!' she gushed before she could stop herself. There was no use pretending. She really liked the place. It was spacious and there was a stroke room she was planning on turning into a nursery for her child. She was already thinking ahead that she forgot all about the man who brought her there.

'I'm glad you like it', he said smiling. Happy that she was happy with the quarters.

'So you decide when you will move in and tell me so that I can ask a driver to help get your things'.

Nancy didn't want that. She didn't have anything that was too heavy or bulky for her to carry. She barely had any furniture. Not even a bed. But thank goodness that had been taken care of because there was a very attractive bed in the room she would soon be inhabiting. She could not wait to pack in. She was already tired of her previous habitation.

'Oh no, there will be no need for that. I do not have any property for which I'd need a driver. I will pick my luggage and come here. The apartment is already furnished in any case'.

Jason did not want her to think that he was imposing his decision on her again, so he said, 'Suit yourself. Anytime you come, ask for Tim. He will give you the keys to the place'.

Jason was sure that she might change her mind if he tried to make her do things his way and he really didn't like where she had been living. Apart from the health hazard you t pissed to both her and her unborn baby, he felt it was not safe for a single girl like her. Some goons may molest her and who would be there to defend her?

They went back to the front of the house and he invited her in but she refused, saying that she had to get going so that she could make the necessary arrangements to move in and prepare for work the next day.

She started going not knowing how she was going to get to her house and not wanting to be a bother by asking her boss to give her a lift back to her hell hole. Not after the kind of kindness he had just shown her by giving her such an apartment to live in for as long as she wanted.

But it would seem that he read her mind or was not planning on allowing her go by herself.

'Where are you going?' he asked exasperated.

'Home of course!'

'And how are you planning on getting there?'

Before she could say anything, he ordered her to get into the car and she had no objections but went in thankfully.

He drove away from the mansion the same way he came in and soon he had stopped the car in front of her house.

' Thank you so much. I am grateful for everything'. She said sincerely.

'See you at work tomorrow!' he said not acknowledging her thanks.

He watched her go in before driving off. He was happy he had been able to help her.

He rembered Mrs. Amos his late secretary and decided he would place a call to her daughter to know how they were faring.

Since the burial, he had heard from her only a few times. He had made sure that he gave them things to compensate for their loss but of course no punt could bring Mrs Amos back but his gift had been greatly appreciated.

He drove back home to find Phoebe waiting for him at the doorstep.

'Oh, Phoebe, it's you'.

'Yes it is! You really got back late today. Much work at your work place?'

'Do not concern yourself with it. I just helped an employee of mine with something. But you are not here to discuss that now,are you?'

'No. Of course not. I have come so that we could have dinner together. I am sure your cook must have made something delicious as always', she said.

'Why not? Do come in'.

Phoebe went in. She had seen him bring that lovely naive girl home and had felt threatened. She was normally not the type Jason brought home or went out with. And that was why she had felt threatened by her.

Her only consolation was that he hadn't taken her into the apartment but had taken her behind. Had he gone there to show something to her?

Phoebe did not want to ask him directly about it but she knew that she would get to know about it one way or the other but she was not going to bother herself with that at the moment because she had to think about this night with Jason.

Their sex life was getting better and hotter according to her and if his response was any indication,he was also finding it increasingly enjoyable.

She was bidding her time. She already had a plan in place to make sure that she became the next Mrs. Campbell.

Phoebe knew that she shouldn't think too much about the girl that had come home with Jason this night but she could not help herself.The girl was not Jason's type of girl. She loved very lovely and innocent that that was why Phoebe felt threatened by her.

Jason who had sworn off love might just fall for that innocent looking girl. And she could not allow that to happen but for the night she decided to concentrate on giving him the best sex he had ever had.

Afterall,the way to a man's heart according to her was through his basic desires and not just through his stomach according to the popular belief.

She had nothing on. She had come prepared. She wanted Jason to start taking her out on dates more often so that his other lady friends would know that she was with him. Hopefully, it might cause their numbers to decrease.

She had been trying to get Jason to fall for her but it had not been possible just yet but she was not about to give up.

She rembered her former lover and wished that things had gone differently. She would have been married and possibly with children of her own by now but now, she was not after love though she had to agree that being with Jason had started making her feel differently towards him and she had to keep a tight leash on herself, else she would have started acting possessively towards him against any other female who came close to him. She had had to pretend not to be affected and since Jason had asked that it be an open relationship, she had also been out on dates with some men and was also sleeping with one or two of them but she knew that there was no future with those ones. They were just after her body and she after what she could get from them.

She had tried using one of the men to make Jason jealous by going steady with Steven Stark.

She made sure that he saw her with Steven on several occasions but he seemed unaffected. Jason even made friends with him and she had had to hide her angry frustration.

Steven was a policeman and not really the profession she would have liked to go for. She had to reduce her involvement with Steven when her plot to make Jason jealous was not working.

This night as she stood looking out the window with a very transparent negligee on and nothing under, waiting for Jason. Jason came out of the bathroom, and to her surprise, he asked, 'When last did you see Steven? It has been quite a while that I have seen him around. Hope you are not having issues?'

Phoebe looked at him, thinking, 'Is he mocking me? Was it a sarcastic remark or an innocent one?'

'What do you mean?'

'Nothing. I have come to like him and I thought that the both of you were going steady and had been expecting you to quit seeing me but I have not seen hm for quite sometime now, so, I just wondered. Was it wrong of me to ask?'

'Oh no. Stev is fine. I just wondered why you brought it up now. I do not think that it is an appropriate topic to talk about just now, don't you think?' She asked barely controlling her fury.

What did the man think of himself anyways. Here she was trying all she could to get him to feel affectionate towards her, enough to propose and he was referring to another man when they were supposed to be thinking of the sex they were going to have that night.

Her mood was spoilt and right now, she needed a breath of fresh air.

'I am sorry Phoebe. I thought that I was being considerate. I didn't think it would annoy you'.

'That's right. You didn't think. You just said the first thing that popped into your head. I wonder at men sometimes. Do they think and consider the emotions of their partners at all? They all must be blind inconsiderate chauvinistic pigs who are self centered'.

Jason was shocked. He could not understand her vehemence. The look on his face must have sobered her up a bit or made her ashamed of herself because she put a cape round her night gown and stoned out, murmuring,

'I am going for a stroll round the garden'.

Jason was deep in thought as he put his pyjamas on. Women are really funny individuals. Could it be that her hormones were getting the best of her or was it something else?

Jason thought from when they saw that evening to her strange reaction but could not identify any instance that he had done or said anything that could have annoyed her.

Maybe she was having some issues with Steven. Maybe, he was going to speak to Steven and find out what the problem was. He had started feeling awkward still seeing Phoebe right from the time he started thinking that she had started going steady with Steven though she was a great bed mate but she had shown no remorse and he had reconsidered his deductions.

But with her reaction, she must have started having feelings for Steve and maybe it was not reciprocated or Steve was not responding the way she wanted and it was frustrating her.

H wen another thought occured to him.

'What if I am the one she has started having feelings for and she got angry that I was asking about another man when she wanted to be with me?'

Impossible! He thought to himself. 'I had already made it known to her that I was not looking for commitments but a mutually accepted affair with no strings attached' She had understood and accepted the condition and had not made any complaints since they started seeing, even when she saw him with other women and neither had he questioned her when he saw her with her other make friends. Do why this sudden strange behaviour?

There must be something troubling her and I have to find out. Though we are not in love with each other, we still have a relationship.snd it is my duty to find out what is bothering Phoebe, else, she would think that I do not care just as she had insinuated now.

He went out the door in search of Phoebe in the gardens.

Phoebe walked the gardens, derp in thought. How damaged could Jason be that he had been resisting every means to get healed because only when he was truely healed would he allow himself to feel again. He acts like an Iceman. Someone who can give room for passion but not for love or any such feelings for the opposite sex.

How could he dampen her mood by asking such a clueless question.

Steven was not really a bad person and out of all the people she was seeing at the moment, he seemed more serious than the rest but she did not want to settle for less when she could have the best. She was tired of having to make do. It was time for her to have things in abundance and she could only get that when she became the lady of the manor not the truffle these men give to her. And even then she had had to make her demands in such a way that it didn't seem like she was trading her favours for the financial gain she could get from them. It was really frustrating.

Her time with Richard had thought her not to be the fool for any man ever again and though she was anxious to be married, she wanted to get the bes

t deal out of it that she possibly could.

She was seething. She didn't like losing. She knew the humiliation and hurt she had had to experience with Richard. She was not going to allow herself get hurt or used by any man again. She would rather use them for her own needs. Afterall the end justifies the means, according to her new resolution.

She was still derp in thought when strong arms went round her from behind.

She was shocked at first as she stifled. Then she relaxed as she recognised the smell of his aftershave and of his body.

She was determined not to give in easily though. It was time Jason started valuing her. She was done being taken for granted.

'Phoebe, I have apologised. I sincerely do not know what I did wrong but whatever it was, let's forget about it. Truce?'

'We may not have a commitment based relationship but that does not mean we should not respect the feelings of others, you know. Here I was getting myself ready for you and all you could think to bring up was my affair with another man? That question you asked may not sound offensive to you but it did to me because the timing was totally off. You ruined my mood, you know'. She pouted.

'Sorry. Thank goodness it was just that. I had started thinking that it was something more serious than that'. Jason said heaving a sigh of relief.

Phoebe silently thanked her stars that she had been able to divert his attention. She didn't want him being on his guard until she had successfully achieved her goal.

If he even as much as suspected her dissatisfaction with their affair, she wouldn't put it past him to call it quits immediately. So, it was necessary for him to keep thinking that she had no complaints concerning the nature of their affair her plan to succeed.

'Something serious? Like what?' she asked.

'I felt that you may be having some emotional issues with Steven and I was going to ask if it would help of I spoke to him.I wanted to make sure I got you back together if that was what was bothering you of course'.

Phoebe cursed this clueless man.

'Steve and I have an agreement, much the same way I have with you. So, there is no such problem. If either of us got tired of the relationship, we would just part as friends', she lied through her teeth. She knew that she was the one who had not shown seriousness. If she showed more commitment, she was sure Steve would propose the next instance but that was not her goal.

'I was going to suggest we parted ways if it would help but ...'

'No that is not necessary', she said too quickly. Jason looked at her surprise causing her to become defensive.

'I mean, Steve would read the wrong meaning to it of you did. We are not having problems. We are just fine. I just explained to you, the reason for my reaction and I wonder if we are going to keep talking about this issue till the break of dawn?'

Jason smiled and pulled her into his arms. He felt that there was no longer any need feeling awkward about being with her since she was not having a serious relationship with Steven as he had thought previously.

She fell into his arms and he stroked her breasts for a while as they remained in that position. She felt his manhood swell and start throbbing and she moaned softly.

He expertly turned her round to face him and claimed her lips. Her response was fervent, on the verge of desperate but Jason did not think along those lines. He just felt that she was in a hurry to get down to business just as he was.

He pulled the cape off her and without bothering to remove the short and transparent night gown, he pulled it up as he lay her in the grass and took her with an urgency he felt was mutual.

Afterwards, they stared at the stars for a while and because he started feeling sleepy, he pulled her up, so they could go in.

They went back inside though Phoebe would have loved it if they had remained there. For a moment there, she had thought that they had a connection and she had wanted that moment to linger so that they could form a bond but he obviously didn't feel the same way and she did not want to sound or act clingy, so she had swallowed her protest and gone in with him where he had fallen into a derp sleep, whole she stared at the ceiling, wondering how she got there and how she was ever going to achieve her goal.