Читать книгу First Love, Last Love - Кэрол Мортимер, Carole Mortimer - Страница 5

STEVE sat at the table watching Lauri as she prepared their evening meal. ‘Had a good day?’ he taunted, leaning forward on his elbows.

‘Fantastic!’ she drawled sarcastically. ‘Really great. I crashed my uncle’s car into my boss’s Rolls this morning, had an argument with my boy-friend at lunch-time because I refused to go on his travels with him, and then—–’

‘Yes?’ Steve prompted curiously. ‘And then?’

Lauri’s cheeks were bright red. ‘And then the bus was fifteen minutes late tonight.’ She had no intention of telling anyone about that unexpected kiss Alexander Blair had given her. After all, the kiss had been given as an insult, and although she might have reacted to it the insult had still gone home.

‘Oh,’ he nodded, ‘I see. So Daryl’s been trying to persuade you to take off with him, has he? I’m glad you’ve decided not to go with him.’

‘I thought you liked him.’ She placed a mug of tea in front of him.

‘I do, he’s a great chap, I just don’t fancy him as a nephew-in-law.’

Lauri laughed, going back to her cooking. ‘I don’t think Daryl had marriage in mind.’

‘Really? Then I wouldn’t have let you go anyway.’

‘You wouldn’t?’ She turned from checking the vegetables. ‘You wouldn’t have any say in it if I’d wanted to go. I make my own mind up about things like that.’

Steve shook his head. ‘Not this time. You’re still a kid, Lauri, only seventeen, much too young to make those sort of decisions.’

‘And I suppose an old-timer like you knows all about these things?’ They had always found the eight years’ difference between them faintly amusing, more like brother and sister than uncle and niece.

‘That’s right.’ He stood up to ruffle her red-gold curls into disorder, tapping her lightly on the end of her freckled snub nose. ‘You’re just a baby.’

She grinned. ‘I’m old enough to have crashed your car for you.’

He sobered. ‘So you are. I’m still waiting for Blair to get back to me on that.’

‘Bit early, isn’t it?’

Steve shrugged. ‘I can’t see him driving around in a dented car for long.’

Neither could Lauri. It didn’t fit in with his impeccable appearance. Even after he had kissed her he had remained unruffled. But she didn’t want to think of that kiss—or her reaction to it!

‘Lauri?’

‘Mm? Sorry,’ she snapped out of her daze at Steve’s puzzled look. ‘It’s just been one of those days.’

‘Don’t I know it,’ he groaned. ‘Poor old Gertie will never be the same. The front of her looks—–’

‘Shush!’ she hurriedly interrupted him. ‘I hear Jane’s key in the door,’ she explained at his indignant look. ‘And I don’t want her to know about the accident.’

He grimaced. ‘If she’s seen my car she’ll already know about it, there’s brown paint mixed up with the red.’

Lauri groaned. ‘You didn’t leave it parked outside?’

‘Of course I did. I’m going out later.’

‘Oh God! I’ll just have to hope Jane isn’t feeling very observant. Can you imagine what she would say if she knew I’d smashed into her boss’s car?’

‘I can,’ he grinned. ‘And he’s our boss too,’ he reminded her.

How could she forget it! ‘At least we don’t work for him directly. If he knew I was Jane’s niece …!’

‘Mm, I see your point. Okay, I’ll keep quiet unless directly asked.’

‘Now is that likely? There’s no reason why Jane should make the connection—– Hello, Jane,’ Lauri turned to greet her young aunt. ‘Sit down, love,’ she encouraged, seeing her tired face. ‘You look worn out.’

Jane did as she suggested, literally collapsing into the chair. ‘I look worn out because I am worn out. Thanks, Lauri,’ she took the proffered cup of tea, and sipped gratefully. ‘Mr Blair was an absolute swine this morning.’

‘Perhaps his business trip to the States didn’t work out as he wanted it to.’ Lauri’s look was almost hopeful that that had been the reason.

‘Oh, it wasn’t that, that went fine,’ Jane instantly dismissed, slipping off her shoes to flex her tired feet. ‘No, it was something else that upset him.’

‘Oh?’ Lauri asked innocently.

‘Mm.’ Jane put her head back, closing her eyes. ‘Some idiot smashed into his car this morning.’

‘Some idiot—–!’ Lauri echoed indignantly.

‘Is that what he said?’ chuckled Steve.

‘Mm,’ Jane murmured wearily. ‘God, he’s been impossible to work for all day. He’d just started to get over it lunchtime, but when he came back he was in an even worse mood.’

And didn’t Lauri know it! She might have been the cause of his first anger, but she had been made to bear the brunt of his lunchtime upset. Her mouth still tingled from that onslaught. What on earth would Jane and Steve say if they knew about it? She shuddered to think, especially cool, calm Jane, who always kept men at a distance, including Robin Harley.

‘Maybe his lady-love doesn’t like lunchtime sessions,’ Steve joked.

His sister gave him a reproving look. ‘I don’t appreciate those sort of comments about Mr Blair. He had a business appointment. Anyway, Connie Mears is out of town.’

‘Connie Mears?’ Lauri gasped. ‘The model?’ A vision of a tall leggy blonde instantly sprang to mind.

‘Is there another one?’ Steve quipped.

Lauri glared at him. ‘There could be.’

He shook his head. ‘Not if Alexander Blair is dating her.’

‘I’m sure he isn’t the type to be faithful to one woman,’ Lauri said bitchily. ‘Perhaps some other female turned him down at lunchtime.’ Which would account for his attack on her!

‘Lauri!’ Jane reprimanded. ‘I won’t have you talking like that, even if Steve chooses to.’

‘Don’t be such a nag, Jane. Personally I don’t think Mr High and Mighty Blair merits your unwavering loyalty to him. So far I’ve found him to be simply awful. He’s overbearing, impossible—–’

‘So far?’ Jane frowned. ‘You’ve met Mr Blair?’

Too late Lauri realised her mistake. ‘Well—er—no, not exactly. He—– Oh goodness, look at the gravy!’ She rushed to the cooker, pulling the saucepan off the heat to stop it boiling all over the sparkling white top. ‘Dinner is ready, let’s eat before it spoils,’ she clutched thankfully on to this excuse to change the subject. ‘Go and have a quick wash, Jane, while I serve the food.’

‘That was a narrow escape,’ said Steve once they were alone. ‘If you aren’t careful, Lauri, that temper of yours is going to be what lands you in trouble. I won’t mention who Blair thinks is an idiot, but I think you just might let that out yourself if you aren’t a little more careful what you say.’

Lauri took his advice and remained silent when her aunt came back, listening to their conversation but adding little herself. Jane would be furious if she found out her niece had been driving the car that had so upset their employer, and Jane had quite a biting tongue if she became angry.

They had finished their main course and were just starting on the apple crumble and custard they had for dessert when Steve flashed Lauri a sly look. He feigned a look of innocence. ‘Our little niece was propositioned today,’ he told his sister casually.

Lauri gasped, biting back her fiery retort. What could he possibly know of that kiss in the lift?’

‘Yes,’ he continued softly. ‘Some Lothario wanted to whisk her off round the world with him.’

She almost sighed her relief out loud. ‘Daryl isn’t a Lothario,’ she defended, perhaps more heatedly than normal because she had thought Steve meant Alexander Blair. ‘He’s a very nice boy.’

‘Then why did you refuse to go with him?’ Steve taunted.

Her green eyes flashed. ‘Because—because I’ve only just started my new job,’ she desperately made up an excuse.

He laughed. ‘And you enjoy being a typist so much that it wins hands down over travelling the world?’

‘Anyone would think you wanted me to go,’ Lauri snapped.

‘Will you two stop arguing!’ Jane put her hands up to her temples. ‘I have a splitting headache and all you two can do is bicker all the time.’ She gave Lauri a sharp look. ‘When did Daryl ask you to go away with him?’ she demanded to know.

‘Oh, weeks ago,’ Lauri dismissed. ‘I told him I thought it was a ridiculous idea.’

‘But he asked you again today?’

Lauri grinned. ‘He’s a trier.’

‘As long as he doesn’t succeed,’ Steve quipped.

‘Steven!’ Jane rounded on him. ‘It isn’t something to joke about.’

He sobered. ‘I couldn’t agree more. I told her we wouldn’t have let her go even if she had decided to go with him.’

‘And I told you that I make those sort of decisions for myself.’ Lauri stood up, angrily removing the empty plates. ‘Just because we all live here together it doesn’t mean you can push me around. You act more like my parents than my aunt and uncle. I’m fed up with it all the time. Why can’t you both mind—–’

‘Lauri!’ Steve cut in warningly. ‘Can’t you see Jane’s had enough?’

Her aunt was in fact very pale, and she instantly felt contrite. ‘Go and lie down for a while,’ she moved to her aunt’s side. ‘It might ease your headache.’

‘Yes,’ Jane agreed faintly, ‘I—I think I’ll do that.’

Lauri helped her to her feet. ‘I’ll cancel your date with Robin, shall I? I think you might be better for an early night.’

‘I—–Yes, maybe that would be best.’ For once the fight seemed to have gone out of Jane, dear dependable Jane who had brought Steve and Lauri up single-handed since the double tragedy of first her own parents’ death and then the death of her brother and his wife. ‘But I’ll call Robin and explain,’ she added.

‘And you aren’t going to work tomorrow if you aren’t feeling any better,’ Lauri told her sternly. ‘You can let that bully—you can let Mr Blair find someone else to use as a punch-bag.’ She cursed herself for once again letting her feelings towards that man run away with her.

Jane gave a wan smile. ‘I wouldn’t exactly say he went that far.’

‘He must have been pretty nasty to have reduced you to this state. Now come on—bed!’

Steve had already left when Lauri came back from settling Jane down, so she set about wiping the crockery he had thoughtfully washed before going out. She was worried about Jane, it wasn’t like her to feel ill, and the fact that Alexander Blair had been indirectly responsible only made Lauri dislike him all the more. Bad-tempered, arrogant swine! Jane must be mad to work for him.

Lauri hadn’t known he was dating Connie Mears, that little bit of gossip hadn’t reached the lower ranks yet. Connie Mears and Alexander Blair—however did the poor girl put up with his arrogance? If he kissed the other woman as he had her today then she knew the answer to that. Even while the kiss had not been given to evoke pleasure she had been aware of the mastery and experience behind the caress, so much experience that she had responded in spite of herself.

She blushed in shame at the memory of her reaction. And what made it worse was the fact that Alexander Blair had known of her response, had even taunted her about it. He had made her shiver with pleasure when he had lingered over the use of her full name, almost making a caress of it.

God, she wouldn’t think about him any more! Daryl was more in her league, and he would be arriving in a minute.

It didn’t seem to be Lauri’s week. Yesterday had been disastrous, not least being her argument with Daryl in the evening. He had gone on and on about her going to Ireland with him until in the end she had lost her temper with him and demanded to be taken home.

And now she had stupidly left her purse in Jane’s handbag. She never carried a handbag herself, and her tight denims didn’t allow for the bulge of a purse. She usually pushed some money loosely into one of her pockets. But she had been late this morning, accepting Jane’s offer of a lift at the last minute, a Jane who seemed to have recovered from her tiredness completely, and had just grabbed her purse and run. And now she had left it, and consequently her money, in Jane’s bag.

Thank goodness she had realised more or less straight away; it was still only a quarter to nine, she had plenty of time to get to the top floor, collect her purse, and get back down again before nine o’clock.

It seemed unusually quiet up here, not at all like the rush and bustle that preceded the start of the day on the lower floors. Her moccasin-clad feet sank into the luxurious green carpet; the whole decor up here was complete luxury.

She had no idea which door led to Jane’s office, so she had to walk along inspecting all the nameplates. She had just about given up hope of finding the right one when a door opened just up the corridor from her and she could hear the murmur of male voices. Maybe she could ask the way to Jane’s office—after all, she wasn’t doing anything wrong, and the minutes to nine o’clock were fast ticking away.

A man came out of the office and shut the door after him, bending over the papers he held in his hand. His head might be bent and his face partly hidden, but Lauri would recognise that thick dark hair, wide expanse of shoulders in the tailored cream suit and contrasting brown shirt anywhere. Alexander Blair!

As if becoming aware of someone watching him he slowly raised his head, deep blue eyes widening with recognition. ‘You!’ he rasped, reaching her side in two long strides. He grasped her arm. ‘What are you doing up here?’

‘I—–’

‘Lost your way?’ he taunted.

‘Certainly not!’ Her face flushed angrily. ‘Actually, I—I was looking for you.’ Oh, what had she said now? But she could hardly tell him the truth, not when she didn’t want him to know the connection between his secretary and herself.

His eyebrows rose. ‘For me?’

‘Er—yes.’ Now what did she say?

‘Well?’ His stance was challenging. ‘Now you’ve found me.’

‘Yes,’ she acknowledged huskily.

‘So?’ His eyes were narrowed. ‘What can I do for you?’

What could he do? She thought rapidly. ‘It’s what I can do for you,’ she said breathlessly.

‘Really?’ his voice taunted, a humourless smile to his lips. ‘Isn’t it a little early in the day to be making those sort of suggestions?’

Her face flushed fiery red at his jibe. ‘I didn’t mean it like that and you know it!’ she snapped.

‘Do I? And why should I know that? You seem to have two boy-friends that I know of, possibly more, and I made the mistake of kissing you yesterday. Maybe you’ve come to continue where we left off.’

‘No, I haven’t! And I don’t have two boy-friends! As for that kiss, you can’t think it any more a mistake than I do.’

‘That wasn’t the impression you gave yesterday,’ he drawled.

‘Why, you arrogant—–! How dare you!’ Her hands clenched at her sides. ‘You forced me to kiss you back,’ she accused. ‘I didn’t have any choice in the matter.’

‘A lady always has a choice,’ he taunted. ‘Although you could hardly be classed as a lady, not even a young lady, more like a girl really. How old are you?’

Lauri was so startled by the question she replied instantly. ‘Seventeen—nearly eighteen,’ she added defensively.

His eyes narrowed. ‘How nearly?’

‘Nearly!’ she repeated resentfully.

‘Which means you’ve only just turned seventeen.’ He watched the guilty colour enter her cheeks. ‘I thought so. Aren’t you a little young to be doing this sort of thing?’

Lauri frowned. ‘What sort of thing?’

‘Chasing men, especially one twice your age.’

‘I am not chasing—– Are you really that old?’ she asked insultingly.

His mouth tightened. ‘Or you’re that young, it depends which way you look at it.’

‘That makes you as old as my aunt,’ she said thoughtfully.

‘Really?’ He looked down impatiently at his wrist-watch, a plain gold affair, more indicative of his wealth than a flashy one would have been. People who were as rich as he was never needed to flaunt it, it was just there in their every movement, every word. ‘Now what did you want to see me about?’

‘Your car,’ she feverishly grasped for something to say. ‘I—er—I wanted to know if you’d had anything done about it yet,’ she explained with a certain amount of triumph, pleased with herself for thinking of something so quickly.

‘As it happens I have. But I thought your boy-friend was dealing with that?’

‘He isn’t my boy-friend!’ she said crossly. ‘He—he’s a friend, that’s all.’

‘And do all your boy-friends later become just friends?’

She drew an angry breath. ‘He’s always been just a friend.’

‘That takes care of him,’ he remarked thoughtfully. ‘And the other boy-friend departs at the end of the week. Would that be Saturday?’

‘Morning,’ she nodded. ‘But—–’

‘Then that leaves you free to have dinner with me on Saturday evening.’

Her eyes became huge in her surprise and disbelief. ‘I—I beg your pardon? What did you say?’

‘Isn’t dinner suitable? Or are you one of these females who makes do with a cracker and an apple?’

‘I’ve always had a healthy appetite. But—–’

‘Then dinner it is.’ He gave another glance at his watch. ‘I have to get to a meeting now, so if you’ll just tell me where you live I can be on my way.’

Lauri shook her head dazedly, searching his arrogant features for some sign of mockery. The mouth looked impatient, the eyes questioning, but as far as she could see there was no mockery there. ‘Who says I want to have dinner with you?’ she demanded, annoyed with his assumption in thinking she would agree.

He sighed. ‘Don’t you?’

‘Not particularly. Just because your girl-friend is out of town it doesn’t mean I’m willing to—–’

‘It would appear you aren’t willing to do anything without an argument,’ he said tersely. ‘I made the suggestion in the hope that we might come to some agreement over the payment for the damage to my car.’ He shrugged. ‘But if you would rather it went through the insurance agents that’s just fine by me. Of course, you may have a little difficulty explaining to the police what you were doing driving without L-plates, but then that’s your choice.’

Lauri’s mouth gaped open. ‘You know?’ she asked in a whisper.

‘That you’re a learner? If I didn’t before I do now. You just confirmed my suspicions.’

‘Why, you—– That wasn’t fair! You tricked me!’

‘Not really,’ he said calmly. ‘It was a natural assumption to make. Your driving leaves a lot to be desired, and by your own admission you’re only just seventeen.’ He eyed her mockingly. ‘So it would be very doubtful if you’d already passed the driving test, not with the way our system works. I took a shot in the dark and it paid off. Your friend is a braver man than I to allow you to drive his car.’

Lauri blushed at the sarcasm in his voice. ‘I don’t suppose you ever let anyone drive you.’

‘Never. Not even the girl-friend you say is out of town. Tell me,’ he taunted, ‘who is she?’

‘You must know who she is! I wish you’d stop treating me like an idiot.’ She glared angrily as she realised that was exactly what he had called her to Jane. ‘You may think that’s what I am, but that doesn’t mean you have to treat me like one. Everyone knows you’re seeing Connie Mears.’ A slight exaggeration here, but she felt she could be forgiven it.

‘Then “everyone” is wrong. Do the gossips have nothing better to do than make up stories to colour their day?’

No doubt he considered her to be one of the gossips! ‘I got my information from a reliable source,’ she said defensively.

‘Then it’s a little dated,’ he returned coldly. ‘Connie and I finished weeks ago.’

‘Oh. I—I didn’t know that.’

He gave her a long slow appraisal, making her blush from head to toe at the undisguised insolence in those deep blue eyes. ‘There’s no reason why you should know. And I wouldn’t consider you a suitable replacement in any case. I was hardly asking you for a date, Lauren, just trying to work this thing out like two reasonable adult—people,’ he amended tauntingly.

‘I am an adult!’

‘You don’t act like one. Look, I couldn’t give a damn whether this goes through the police or not, it’s completely up to you.’

He obviously felt he had wasted enough time on her for one day. But Lauri couldn’t let him go like this. ‘Do the police have to be involved?’ She despised herself for that almost pleading quality in her voice.

‘I told you, that’s up to you.’

‘You said you wanted to discuss terms,’ Lauri said suspiciously. ‘What sort of terms?’

‘Not those sort anyway.’ He gave a harsh laugh. ‘Credit me with some sense, Lauren,’ he snapped. ‘I’m hardly likely to want to seduce a teenager.’

‘But—–’

‘Oh, forget it, Lauren!’ he said angrily. ‘I don’t have any more time to discuss it. I don’t know why the hell I should help you out anyway.’ He turned on his heel and walked off.

‘Mr Blair!’ Lauri ran after him. ‘Mr Blair, please—–’

He either didn’t hear her or didn’t want to hear her, opening a door farther up the corridor and slamming the door in Lauri’s face as she would have followed him inside. She had deserved that, she thought dully. Like he said, why should he help her? But he had been willing to, and she had thrown his offer back in his face.

She started guiltily as she heard the ascent of the lift, and turned to confront her aunt. ‘Jane!’ she sighed her relief that it wasn’t someone else of importance who might also demand to know what she was doing up here.

‘Lauri!’ Jane looked shocked. ‘You shouldn’t be up here.’

Lauri sighed, wishing she had never dared to brave the top floor. ‘I know.’

‘Then why are you?’ Jane was obviously agitated by her presence here, looking about her almost guiltily. ‘If Mr Blair or one of the managers should see you you’d have a hard time explaining what you’re doing wandering around up here.’

She already had! ‘You’ve got my purse,’ she said by way of explanation.

‘I know that.’ Jane held it out to her. ‘I went downstairs to give it to you as soon as I realised.’

‘We must have missed each other.’ Lauri took the purse. ‘I’ll have to go now, I’m late as it is.’

‘But, Lauri—–’

She dived into the waiting lift, pressing the button. ‘See you later,’ she had time to call before the doors closed.

Phew! That was a narrow escape. Thank goodness Jane hadn’t probed too deeply into why she had been standing aimlessly about in the corridor. If she had Lauri might have had to reveal that she had called the owner of the company arrogant, had accused him of being insulting, and of tricking her into revealing that she was a learner driver.

She might also have inadvertently revealed that Alexander Blair had invited her out to dinner, although invited was perhaps the wrong word to use. It had been an order, but a strange one, despite his assertion that he wanted to discuss terms for payment on the damage to his car. Terms! What could he mean by that? He had been furious at her assumption that he had any but the best intentions in mind, but she didn’t think it could have been an entirely innocent suggestion. How on earth could she pay him back, unless he intended taking it from her wages, a little each week?

Perhaps that was what he had in mind, although surely he didn’t need to invite her out to dinner to discuss that. Maybe he was at a loose end and wanted someone to amuse him for a few hours. And she had to admit, she certainly seemed to amuse him. Whatever his reason, she shouldn’t have turned him down. He could make things pretty awkward for the whole of her family if he chose to.

It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that she decided to accept his dinner invitation. The trouble was telling him she had accepted!

She walked casually up to Carly’s desk as she sat in her sectioned-off office, the partition walls consisting mainly of windows so that she could see what was going on in the outer office.

‘Is there something wrong?’ Carly looked up from the holiday rota she was working on.

‘Er—no, not really. I—– Do you think I could use your telephone?’ she said in a rush. ‘I know you’ve said in the past that we can, but I’ve never needed to bother before.’

‘Of course you can,’ Carly stood up to vacate the office to give her privacy for the call. ‘Give me a shout when you’ve finished.’

‘Thanks.’ Lauri gave her a grateful smile, relieved that her supervisor had shown no curiosity about who she would be telephoning.

She had to look up the number for Alexander Blair’s office, aware that she would have to go through her aunt to speak to the man himself. Was it worth it? she asked herself. It had to be if it meant they all kept their jobs.

‘Er—good morning,’ she said as the telephone was suddenly answered by Jane, deliberately deepening her voice and giving a husky sound to it that had sexual undertones. ‘Could I speak to Alexander, please?’ she asked in that same sexy voice.

For a moment there was silence and Lauri wondered if her ruse had gone wrong. If Jane should guess it was her little niece on the line …! ‘Who shall I say is calling?’ came Jane’s businesslike reply.

Lauri heaved an inward sigh of relief. At least she hadn’t been recognised yet. Now came the hard part ‘Tell him it’s—Lauren.’ After all, he did call her that, and strangely he was the only one ever to do so, giving an intimacy to their relationship that didn’t exist

‘Lauren …?’ Jane was obviously prompting for a surname.

‘Just Lauren.’ She forced a provocative laugh. ‘He’ll know who it is.’ She hoped! How awful if he demanded to know Lauren who?

‘Very well.’ Jane sounded at her most haughty, which meant she wasn’t pleased at being treated in this high-handed manner, even by someone she thought to be another of Alexander Blair’s girl-friends.

Did he have girl-friends? She doubted it. He was much too sophisticated and sure of himself to tolerate naïveté in one of his women. No, he would go for women who knew exactly what they were doing, women who—–

‘I’m putting you through now,’ Jane abruptly interrupted her thoughts.

Thank goodness he had remembered her. ‘Thank you so much,’ she replied in the sexy voice she had been using for the whole of the conversation.

‘Glad to be of help,’ drawled the unmistakable voice of Alexander Blair. ‘Although this doesn’t sound like the Lauren I know, and I haven’t the faintest idea what I’m being thanked for.’

‘I wasn’t thanking you!’ she told him in her normal voice.

‘Ah, that’s better.’ He sounded mocking even over the telephone. ‘Why the change in voice?’ he asked interestedly.

‘I didn’t want to be recognised. After all,’ she added hastily, ‘I do work here. I wouldn’t want your secretary to make the connection between Lauri in the typing pool and the Lauren who just telephoned you.’

‘Is that likely?’

‘I—– Well, it could be.’

‘I would doubt my secretary is any more familiar with the girls in the typing pool than I am,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘Would you?’

This girl she was! ‘Probably not,’ she evaded a direct answer. ‘But it wasn’t worth the risk.’

‘Would it be too much to ask what this call is about? I thought it had been decided that your—friend was to take the blame for allowing you to drive his car.’

‘Yes, well, I—I’ve been thinking, and—and—–’

‘And?’ he prompted tersely.

‘And if your invitation to dinner still stands I would like to discuss—terms.’

‘It doesn’t,’ he told her curtly. ‘Forget the dinner invitation.’

‘Oh.’ Her heart sank. She had been rude to him and he wasn’t about to forgive such an insult from a nobody like her. ‘Please, Mr Blair. I’m sorry for what I said. I—–’

‘The dinner invitation is out,’ he repeated. ‘But one for lunch today is open,’ he added enquiringly.

‘Lunch today?’ Her mouth gaped open and she quickly closed it again, realising that although her conversation couldn’t be heard by the girls outside the office her reaction to it could clearly be seen.

‘Well?’ he rasped, pretty much as he had done after administering that punishing kiss yesterday.

‘I—–’

‘Or do you usually have lunch with your boy-friend?’ he interrupted before she could form an answer.

‘Not always. Usually, but not always.’

‘Then today can be one of the exceptions.’ It sounded like an order. ‘I’ll meet you in reception at twelve-thirty.’

‘No! No, Mr Blair,’ she said more calmly. ‘I’d rather meet you somewhere away from here.’

‘I am not in the habit of sneaking out to meet anyone.’ His icy anger could quite easily be detected.

‘Then perhaps you shouldn’t take insignificant typists from your own typing pool to lunch.’ Her own anger equalled his. ‘That way you wouldn’t have to sneak around.’

‘Lauren—–’ he began in a threatening tone.

‘Okay, okay, I’m sorry,’ she sighed. ‘But you got angry first,’ she accused.

To her surprise she heard him chuckle, a rich deep sound that made her feel like smiling too. ‘Okay,’ he accepted, ‘I got angry first. But who made me angry, hmm?’

‘I did,’ she admitted freely. ‘But try to understand, I don’t want to be seen with you.’

‘Thanks!’

She sighed. ‘Will you stop misunderstanding everything I say?’ she snapped.

‘As long as you promise to stop reprimanding me,’ he returned smoothly.

‘Reprimanding you? Me? Don’t be ridiculous!’

‘You see,’ he laughed, ‘you’re doing it again.’

At least he could laugh about it! ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled.

‘You’re forgiven,’ he said huskily soft. ‘And as you don’t want to be seen with me—–’

‘I didn’t mean that—–’

‘I know. Look, I don’t have any more time to sit here chatting to you. Pleasant as it may be,’ he added mockingly. ‘I’ll fall in with your wishes for the moment, and meet you at Marlo’s at one o’clock. All right?’

Marlo’s was a fashionable restaurant that had opened up a few months ago not far from here—and Lauri knew her denims and pretty lawn blouse weren’t suitable for such a place. ‘Couldn’t we go somewhere less—less—I’m not dressed for it!’ she told him crossly.

‘No, you aren’t, are you,’ he mused. ‘Okay, I’ll think of something else. Just meet me outside Marlo’s at one. We’ll go on somewhere else from there.’

‘But—–’

‘Do you ever stop arguing?’ he sighed impatiently. ‘I’m not used to women who argue with me.’

Then perhaps he should be, she thought bitchily. Alexander Blair was much too fond of his own way for her liking. ‘I argue with you because I’m not used to being ordered about,’ she said with great daring. ‘I like to be consulted, not told.’

‘Maybe that’s why you can’t hold on to your boy-friends,’ he remarked dryly. ‘The man likes to be in charge, Lauren, not the other way around.’

‘I can hold on to my boy-friends!’ she told him angrily.

‘Is that why the Canadian boy is deserting you at the end of the week and Steve Prescott has been reduced to the level of a friend?’

‘The reasons for Daryl leaving at the end of the week and Steve being a friend of mine are none of your business,’ Lauri told him with dignity. ‘I’m having to meet you to sort out the problem of your car, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to ask personal questions.’

To her consternation she heard him laugh. ‘My dear girl, I have no intention of asking you personal questions.’

‘But you—you did!’ she accused.

‘It was a question in the form of a statement, Lauren. Now, much as I’m enjoying this conversation,’ he added in a bored voice, his tone instantly giving lie to his words, ‘I have work to do. I’m sure you do too. May I remind you that you’re making this call in my time, and on a firm’s telephone, no doubt?’

Lauri flushed her guilt, glad he couldn’t see her. ‘One o’clock, I think you said?’

‘That’s right.’ The line went dead as he rang off.

Lauri put the telephone down her end, an angry sparkle in her glittering green eyes, a furious flush to her cheeks, her mouth set in a mutinous line. Bossy, overbearing—All the names she had previously called him seemed mild in comparison to what she wanted to call him now.

God, he was an arrogant swine! Just because he owned this firm, was her employer, it didn’t give him the right to treat her as if she had no more intelligence than a rather slow-witted child. If he thought he could talk to her in that manner and get away with it then he was in for a shock. She—–

Carly’s wry chuckle broke in on her vehement thoughts. ‘I pity poor Daryl if he’s the cause of all that anger,’ she teased, coming back into her office.

Lauri gave a start of surprise, so intense had been her dislike of Alexander Blair that she had forgotten where she was for the moment. She forced a smile to her lips and stood up to leave. ‘He doesn’t need your pity,’ she told Carly tightly. And she didn’t mean Daryl! ‘He’s just too fond of having his own way.’

‘Aren’t we all?’ Carly smiled.

‘Perhaps.’ But Alexander Blair had met his match in her, Lauri Prescott, she would make sure of that.