Читать книгу Fantasy Girl - Кэрол Мортимер, Кэрол Мортимер - Страница 6

NOT that the casual observer would have classed them as such; their colouring was so different, Judith being blonde where Natalie was so dark, Judith’s eyes were a clear deep blue, with none of the green that made the colour of Natalie’s eyes so hard to define. Their features were completely different too, although both were beautiful. Both were slender too, taking the same size in clothes, as Natalie remembered well from their childhood when her young sister had often borrowed her clothes without asking. But Judith moved with a languid grace she cultivated, while Natalie’s movements more decisive, more purposeful.

The elder by three years, Natalie had always protected her young sister as much as she was able to, although she rarely received thanks for that protection; Judith’s inconsideration for the agency was proof of that.

When they had both moved to London, Judith a year after Natalie, their parents had made Natalie promise to take care of the younger girl. It hadn’t proved an easy task, and the two of them had only managed to share a flat for six months before Judith moved out, claiming she had no privacy. Natalie’s main emotion at her sister’s move had been relief, but unfortunately her parents didn’t feel the same way about it.

When she had opened the agency her worried parents had begged her to take on Judith, and although she had been wary at such a choice she had to think of her mother and father fretting for them back in Devon. Her parents couldn’t possibly know just how necessary that worry was where Judith was concerned; her young sister had seemed to be involved with one unsuitable man after another the last three years. Her parents would be devastated if they knew of Judith’s latest involvement. Well, she would just have to put a stop to it before they found out—and before Judith ruined her. Natalie didn’t delude herself for a moment. Adam Thornton meant every one of his threats to her.

Judith stood up with that languid grace she was so well known for as Judith Grant, model. For some reason her young sister hadn’t felt that ‘Judith Faulkner’ sounded professional enough for her career, and Natalie was now glad of her sister’s conceit. At least it meant Adam Thornton couldn’t even guess at their relationship. How much more scathing he could have been if he had known Judith was her sister!

‘Now don’t frown, darling,’ Judith drawled in her throaty voice, coming round the desk to sit in one of the other chairs. ‘I wasn’t looking through your desk, only trying out your chair to see how you manage to sit behind that desk all day.’ She grimaced. ‘I couldn’t do it!’

Natalie moved to sit in the chair her sister had vacated, knowing that this conversation had to be carried out on a business level and not a family one. It was going to be embarrassing enough without family involvement. ‘Judith, I have to talk to you—–’

‘Oh, not the photographic session!’ her sister groaned. ‘Dee had already lectured me on how irresponsible I am.’

Natalie had completely forgotten the missed photographic session of this morning, which wasn’t surprising after her meeting with Adam Thornton! ‘Then I won’t mention it again, except to say that it shouldn’t have happened. I’m running a business here, Judith, and—–’

‘I thought you weren’t going to mention it again,’ her sister sighed wearily, obviously bored with the subject.

‘All right, I won’t,’ she snapped. ‘Let’s talk about Jason Dillman instead, shall we?’ She watched Judith with narrowed eyes.

If she had hoped to disconcert her sister she was out of luck. Judith looked unimpressed with the change of subject, checking the even application of her nail-gloss with an expression of boredom.

Natalie gave an angry sigh. ‘Judith, are you seeing him?’

Cool blue eyes met hers steadily. ‘Of course I’m seeing him, we work a lot together on Beauty Girl.’

‘That isn’t what I meant and you know it!’ Natalie snapped in exasperation.

‘Natalie, if you mean am I sleeping with the man then why don’t you just come out and say it?’ Judith taunted mockingly.

‘Well, are you?’ she demanded.

‘Yes.’

‘Judith, he’s married!’ Natalie gasped.

‘So?’ her sister drawled uninterestedly.

Sometimes she felt as if she didn’t know Judith at all. It didn’t seem to bother her sister in the least that Jason Dillman had a wife somewhere in the background.

‘He isn’t happy with his wife—–’

‘They never are,’ Natalie derided, and Judith at last gave a self-conscious grimace.

‘Okay, so Kenny was stringing me along,’ her sister shrugged, quickly regaining her confidence. ‘And he only wanted me because his wife was having a baby and couldn’t sleep with him. But it’s different with Jason.’

Natalie never knew how her sister could be so sophisticated in some ways and yet so gullible where men were concerned. She had become involved with Kenny Richards about a year ago, a married man who claimed his marriage was at an end, that he intended leaving his wife, when the time was right. It transpired that Kenny’s wife was very pregnant at that time, and that for the moment she couldn’t sleep with him because of ill health. As soon as the baby had been born and his wife was healthy again Kenny had dropped Judith as if she were red-hot.

‘Is it?’ Natalie said sceptically. ‘Or is he just telling you that?’

‘No, he isn’t just telling me that!’ Judith’s eyes flashed deeply blue. ‘He would have left Tracy years ago if he could have afforded to.’

She frowned. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Putting it crudely, Natalie, it means that Tracy holds the purse strings,’ her sister drawled in a bored voice. ‘And the job at Thorntons isn’t to be sniffed at either. It pays well, and it’s a very important position. I doubt if Thornton would be too pleased if he knew about Jason and me.’

‘Does he want you for himself?’ It was something that had only just occurred to Natalie. She really couldn’t understand Adam Thornton’s interest in the affair otherwise.

‘Heavens, no!’ Judith gave a disparaging laugh, her beautiful face mocking. ‘Adam Thornton interested in me?’ she laughed again. ‘He doesn’t become involved with models. The latest woman in his life is a real live princess.’

‘Well, she would hardly be a dead one,’ Natalie mocked dryly.

‘Very funny,’ Judith taunted. ‘I was only trying to point out that I’m not his type.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Why so interested in him, anyway? You’ve never spoken of him before.’

‘I’d never met him before,’ she sighed. ‘He already knows about you and Jason, Judith. He wanted to see me this morning to tell me about you. He wants it to stop, and he wants you to stop it.’ She met her sister’s gaze steadily.

‘Damn!’ Judith muttered, standing to pace the room. ‘How on earth did he find out?’

‘I have no idea—–’

‘We’ve even been meeting during the day so that he shouldn’t become suspicious,’ Judith continued to talk to herself as if Natalie hadn’t spoken.

‘Jason Dillman is the reason you’ve been missing the photographic sessions?’ Natalie gasped.

‘We had to meet some time, Natalie—–’

‘Not in Adam Thornton’s time!’

Judith’s mouth twisted. ‘It isn’t his time he’s worried about,’ she scorned. ‘It’s his little sister.’

‘Little—sister …?’

‘Mm,’ Judith nodded. ‘Jason is married to Adam Thornton’s baby sister.’

‘And he—You and he—–’ Natalie broke off, too shocked to be able to talk coherently.

No wonder Adam Thornton was so angry about the affair, no wonder he wanted it stopped immediately. His own sister’s husband! Goodness, he had a right to be angry. As she was, with Judith. Her sister had always been wayward, even as a child, going for what she wanted, when she wanted, with little regard for other people’s feelings. But she couldn’t be allowed to get away with this; this time she had gone too far. In the past Judith might have been pampered by over-indulgent parents, but here in London it was different, here Judith would be made to think of others, Tracy Dillman for one, Adam Thornton for another, and lastly her own sister. Judith had obviously not considered the reputation of the agency when she had entered into this affair.

‘How could you do it, Judith?’ she demanded furiously. ‘Adam Thornton’s own brother-in-law!’

Her sister shrugged. ‘I didn’t know that when I first started seeing him, but even when I did it made no difference to how I feel about him. Why should I care whose brother-in-law he is? If the little fool can’t hold on to him then she should let him go, not ask her big brother to interfere—–’

‘You heartless little bitch!’

‘Natalie!’ Judith gasped, stunned by the vehemence of Natalie’s words.

‘Surprised, aren’t you?’ Natalie snapped, her eyes like a stormy wind-tossed sea. ‘You thought your older sister didn’t have it in her to tell you exactly what she thinks of you,’ she drew in a deep ragged breath. ‘Well, I do! You’ve done some things in your time, but this is definitely the worst. Tracy Dillman obviously loves her husband very much, that’s why she wants to keep him. And you come along with your beauty and availability, and—–’

‘That’s enough, Natalie!’ Judith was white too now. ‘I didn’t come here to be insulted!’

‘Then why did you come?’ Natalie’s hands shook as she stood up to confront her sister. ‘Certainly not to work! I want this affair stopped, Judith, or you’ll be taken off the Beauty Girl contract!’

Judith remained unperturbed. ‘You can’t do that,’ she said confidently.

‘Maybe I can’t,’ she ground out, more angry than she could ever remember being before, ‘but Adam Thornton can. He has lawyers in his control who could make you wish you’d never heard of Jason Dillman!’

‘Never!’ Judith denied heatedly. ‘I love him.’

As quickly as Natalie’s anger had risen it now died, her protective instinct as Judith’s sister now coming to the for. ‘Maybe you do think you love him—–’

‘I don’t just think it,’ her sister said firmly, ‘I know it.’

‘But he’s married, Judy—–’

‘Don’t call me that,’ Judith snapped. ‘You know I don’t like it. And just because Jason signed a piece of paper seven years ago it doesn’t mean he’s still married. People change in seven years.’

‘Then why doesn’t he leave his wife?’

‘I told you—–’

‘That he’d lose his job and his wife’s money,’ Natalie derided. ‘I wonder which he’d mind losing the most! You can’t really love a man like that, Judith.’

‘But I do. And I mean to have him,’ said Judith with satisfaction.

‘You have to stop the affair—–’

‘Why?’

‘Because—because it’s immoral, Judith!’ Natalie frowned her exasperation. ‘And Mum and Dad would be shocked out of their minds if they knew about it. And lastly, because Adam Thornton will ruin this agency if you don’t.’

‘Ah, now we’re getting to it! So much for sisterly love,’ Judith said scathingly. ‘This agency means more to you than anything, Natalie. More than me, more than Mum and Dad, more than any man.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘You really should get yourself a man, Natalie—oh, not that weed Lester,’ she dismissed scornfully. ‘I mean a real man. Maybe then you’d understand how I feel about Jason.’

Natalie ignored her sister’s rudeness about Lester, knowing that the dislike between the two was mutual. Lester Fulton had been taking her out for the last three months, and the first time he and Judith had met they had taken a dislike to each other, neither losing the opportunity to make digs at the other whenever they could.

But her sister’s insult about her needing a man did hurt her. She knew Judith considered her to be something of a prude because she refused to discuss her relationships with men, but that didn’t mean she lacked male attention. She had had plenty of men friends the last few years, and the fact that she didn’t talk about them didn’t mean they hadn’t been deep and meaningful relationships. Deep and meaningful—! Who was she trying to delude? She had never been in love, never felt the least inclination to be—and Judith was right about something else; she had no idea how she felt about Jason Dillman, or any other man for that matter.

‘I’m not giving him up, Natalie,’ Judith added vehemently. ‘You can do what you like, Adam Thornton can do what he likes, but I will not give up Jason.’ She swung the door open. ‘I won’t, Natalie,’ and she left quietly.

Natalie put a worried hand up to her temple. She knew her sister of old, and she wouldn’t stop seeing Jason Dillman. What would Adam Thornton do when he found that out?

Judith had certainly landed her in a mess this time. All through their childhood she seemed to have been getting her ‘vulnerable’—vulnerable to her parents, that was!—young sister out of one scrape or another. But Judith didn’t want to be helped out of this one.

She had had no idea this morning when she spoke to Adam Thornton that Tracy Dillman was his sister. Heavens, he must be furious with Judith, and in the circumstances his wish to have her removed as Beauty Girl was mild compared to what he could have done. What he could still do! Judith had refused to give Jason Dillman up, and his threat to drop any contracts with the Faulkner agency was still very real.

Dee came in with the reports sorted from this morning, perching on the edge of Natalie’s desk. ‘She gave you a bad time, hmm?’

‘Yes,’ she sighed.

‘How was Adam Thornton?’ Dee asked interestedly.

‘Arrogant,’ she answered without thinking, blushing as she saw the other woman’s interest deepen. ‘Well, he is,’ she grimaced.

‘Did he match that gravelly voice?’

Did he? Oh yes, he more than matched it, that image of a middle-aged man with a brood of children was completely dismissed. ‘I suppose so,’ she answered nonchalantly. ‘Dee, if he should happen to telephone—I’m not in.’

Dee eyed her curiously. ‘Trouble?’

‘Yes,’ Natalie sighed without prevarication.

‘Judith again?’

‘How did you guess!’

‘It isn’t difficult.’ Her friend shook her head. ‘I know she’s your sister, love, but is she really worth the trouble?’

‘No—but my parents’ peace of mind is.’ She chewed on her inner lip. ‘They have no idea.’

‘Anything I can do?’

‘I don’t think so, thanks, Dee.’ Natalie shook her head, knowing she had to sort this problem out herself. If she could! ‘If you could just keep Adam Thornton off my back?’

‘Will do.’ Dee got off the desk. ‘I think I’ll go home for an hour now and check on my ailing hubby.’ She raised her eyes heavenwards. ‘He’ll probably be half dead, like all men when they’re ill.’

Natalie laughed, but her humour faded as soon as the other woman had left for her lunch. The day had started out so promising, she couldn’t understand how it could have gone so wrong. And she still had these damned accounts to do! She took them wearily out of her desk drawer, all thoughts of her own lunch forgotten.

It was after six when she got home, and the cool calmness of her flat seemed like a sanctuary to her. It wasn’t a very big flat, just one bedroom, a bathroom, large sitting area, and a spacious kitchen, but to her it now represented home, her own home where she could just be herself. She might have acted calm in front of Dee, but today had been a strain for her, no less so because of Adam Thornton’s telephone call shortly after five.

‘He didn’t seem very pleased when I told him you weren’t here,’ Dee told her with a grimace.

He would be even less pleased when he had received the same answer a couple more times. He didn’t come across as a patient man, more the opposite; he seemed to have a leashed power that demanded action. How long that power would remain leashed with regard to the Faulkner Modelling Agency Natalie had no idea.

But she also had no idea what she was going to do about Judith. Her sister refused to give Jason up, and she couldn’t really force her to finish with the man, although her behaviour did reflect back on the agency. But until she had worked out a solution there was no point in talking to Adam Thornton.

A relaxed soak in the bath and she felt slightly better, turning her thoughts to her date with Lester this evening. The two of them had met in the lift at work, the accountancy firm Lester worked for being in the same building as Natalie’s agency. Over a period of several weeks they had progressed from ‘Good mornings’ to actually carrying out a light conversation if they should happen to meet.

When Lester had invited her out to dinner one evening she had been undecided about accepting. After all, a casual conversation was one thing, a whole evening together had been something else. Finally she had accepted, deciding she liked him enough to spend the time with him, liking his tall, dark good looks, the warmth of his brown eyes, the way he always dressed well. The evening had been a success, and was the predecessor of many evenings spent together during the last three months.

Judith’s taunting words of this morning came back to haunt her. Not that Lester wasn’t a man, he could be an ardent lover when he wanted to be, but he certainly didn’t light any fires within her, no man ever had.

She returned Lester’s kiss warmly when he arrived shortly before eight; he was always punctual for their dates.

‘You look lovely,’ he smiled. ‘I’ve booked a table for eight-fifteen,’ he looked at the practical watch on his wrist. ‘We’ll have to leave now if we’re to be on time.’

Natalie liked the way Lester was always punctual for appointments, from promised telephone calls to actual dates. It gave her a feeling of security; in fact everything about Lester made her feel secure, his almost cosetting air making her feel protected. And after being the boss all day it was nice to feel the helpless female in a reliable man’s company.

Although she wasn’t quite so pleased when he offered an opinion as to how she should run her business! He noticed her rather preoccupied responses to his conversation, asking her what was wrong. As soon as she mentioned Judith’s name his expression darkened.

‘I don’t know why you bother with her,’ he scowled. ‘She’s nothing but a worry to you.’

‘She’s my sister—–’

‘Business is business, Natalie,’ he told her pompously. ‘Family loyalties shouldn’t enter into it.’

Judith was the only jarring note in her relationship with Lester, and usually she steered clear of talking about her sister. But she needed to talk to someone about this latest affair with Jason Dillman, and Lester was the obvious choice. After all, he was her boy-friend, they were supposed to share things, even their problems.

Lester gave a disgusted snort when she told him about the meeting with Adam Thornton and Judith’s subsequent refusal to end the affair. ‘Typical!’ he derided. ‘Well, you have your answer, Natalie, Let Thornton dismiss her,’ he said callously.

She sighed, sipping the wine Lester had chosen with their meal. Lester was a connoisseur of wines, and he had chosen this one with care. For all the notice Natalie took of it it might as well have been water! How shocked Lester would be if he knew his talent had gone to waste tonight. But she had too much on her mind to worry about Lester’s pride as an expert on wines.

‘It isn’t as simple as that,’ she shook her head, and pushed her plate away, the duck and green salad not tempting her palate tonight. ‘My parents are relying on me to take care of Judith.’

He grimaced, no sympathy for her in his expression. ‘A husband would do that. A sister shouldn’t have to. And the way your sister behaves she isn’t likely to find herself a husband—only someone else’s.’

Natalie knew the criticism was deserved, that so far Judith had made rather a mess of her life where men were concerned, and yet tonight Lester’s criticism wrankled. She had met his parents and older brother, and she wouldn’t have presumed to say a word against any of them, even if she had found his father to be henpecked, his mother totally domineering and too deeply interested in both her bachelor sons’ lives.

‘It’s time Judith stood on her own two feet,’ Lester continued, not seeming to have noticed her slight withdrawal. ‘She manages to do it most of the time, and only comes running to you when she’s in trouble.’

‘She isn’t in trouble,’ Natalie sighed. ‘And she didn’t come to me. I told you, Adam Thornton called me.’

‘Mm,’ he chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip. ‘He isn’t the sort of man you should cross.’

She already knew that! ‘Do you know him?’ she asked.

‘Of him. I’ve read things about him from time to time in the financial paper I read. He’s a real whizz-kid.’

‘Hardly a kid,’ she derided dryly.

‘No,’ Lester smiled. ‘T.C.B.A. is one of the biggest cosmetic companies in the world. The man’s rolling in money. It was a real feather in your cap that you managed to get some contracts with his company.’

‘It wasn’t a “feather in my cap” at all, Lester,’ she said sharply. ‘I worked hard for those contracts.’ Although with hindsight she wasn’t so sure she had got them through her own devices. Jason Dillman had gone through her display book before committing himself to choosing a model from her agency for Beauty Girl. At the time she had considered it normal practice—after all, he had to see what he could be getting.

But this affair with Judith put a new light on things. An agency the size of hers, exclusive as her models were, wasn’t likely to attract the attention of a company the size of Thorntons. She had a terrible suspicion that Jason’s attraction to Judith might have influenced the acquisition of those contracts, the ones that came after Beauty Girl anyway.

‘I know,’ Lester touched her hand understandingly. ‘And it would be a pity to let Judith spoil it for you. She can’t get involved with Adam Thornton’s brother-in-law.’

‘She already is!’

‘Then stop her.’

‘How? I’ve already told her about Adam Thornton’s threats. She didn’t seem very impressed,’ Natalie derided.

‘Then maybe you and Adam Thornton are going about this from the wrong angle,’ Lester frowned. ‘This Jason Dillman sounds on the mercenary side, maybe he’s the one you should put the pressure on?’

Why hadn’t Adam Thornton thought of that? Or didn’t he have that sort of influence over his brother-in-law? Of course he did. And it was up to him to stop the affair if she couldn’t. She certainly wasn’t going to worry about it any more, and she smiled brightly at Lester as she changed the subject. She could deal with the problem of Adam Thornton tomorrow.

She encouraged Lester to talk about his work, marvelling at his ability to deal with the sort of figures that had become her nightmare.

‘Maybe you should become my accountant,’ she teased him.

‘I don’t think you could afford my prices,’ he answered her seriously. ‘Do you really enjoy running the agency, Natalie?’ he frowned. ‘It seems to me to be nothing but trouble.’

‘I enjoy it,’ she said stiffly. ‘It’s my independence.’

Lester moved closer to her on the sofa, the two of them having returned to Natalie’s flat a few minutes earlier, lingering over their late-night coffee. ‘Maybe I would rather you weren’t so independent?’ he murmured softly. ‘Perhaps I’d like you to cling a little more.’

Natalie gave a nervous laugh, not liking his serious air. ‘Don’t you like career women?’ she teased.

‘Not much,’ he answered bluntly.

‘Lester!’ She moved back to look at him in stunned surprise.

‘Well, I don’t,’ he shrugged. ‘When I marry I want my wife to concentrate on being my wife and the mother of my children.’

That sounded exactly like his mother! ‘Wouldn’t that be a little boring—for your wife?’ she mocked, having visions of herself as another Mrs Fulton. Oh dear, no!

He looked affronted. ‘I don’t think so—Why are you laughing?’ he frowned at her humour.

Because if she didn’t laugh she would cry! This conversation had become too serious for her liking—she had no doubt that Lester saw her as the ‘little woman’ who would stay at home and look after him and the children. She was fond of him, but the thought of being the sort of wife he wanted filled her with horror.

‘I’m only teasing you, Lester,’ she smiled. ‘I’m sure the woman you choose to be your wife will be happy to take care of you and your children.’ But it certainly wouldn’t be her!

‘You think so?’

‘I’m sure of it,’ she said briskly, standing up to put an end to the evening. ‘It’s getting late, Lester …’ she told him pointedly.

‘Oh yes.’ He accepted her words at face value, having no idea of the almost-panic he had caused within her. He put the empty coffee cup down on the table in front of him, and stood up to face her. ‘Lunch tomorrow?’

‘Fine,’ she agreed brightly, knowing she would have to end this relationship slowly if she wasn’t to appear too obvious in her fright.

He bent to kiss her softly on the mouth. ‘Twelve-thirty?’

‘Lovely,’ she nodded, edging him towards the door.

He left a few minutes later—much to her relief. What a day it had been! That awful meeting with Adam Thornton, her sister’s stubbornness, and now she had found out that the current man in her life was secretly a male chauvinist.

And tomorrow didn’t promise to be any better!

Surprisingly her morning passed quietly enough. She had appointments with a couple of clients, ones she had a feeling she was desperately going to need if she lost the Thornton contracts.

She heard nothing from Adam Thornton, and she was loath to call the man herself. If he had already spoken to Jason Dillman and the other man had refused to end the affair, as Judith had, then he could put the ball back in her court. Ignorance was bliss in this case. At least it was peaceful!

A red-faced Dee came into her office shortly after eleven. ‘I don’t think he’s going to be put off much longer, Natalie,’ she said worriedly.

‘Hm?’ Natalie looked up vaguely.

‘Adam Thornton, he—–’

‘Has he been calling?’ Her eyes widened, deeply aquamarine.

‘All morning,’ Dee nodded. ‘At least, his secretary has. I managed to put her off, but this last time he called himself. I don’t think he believed me when I said you weren’t in.’

Natalie frowned. ‘But I—Damn, I forgot to tell you I’d take his call,’ she groaned, cursing herself for her stupidity. She had completely forgotten to tell Dee to divert his calls.

‘You mean I’ve been putting him off all morning and your really wanted to talk to him?’ Dee grimaced.

‘Sorry,’ she said ruefully. ‘Has he telephoned a lot?’ She sat back, her make-up as perfect as always, her hair a gleaming ebony bob, the turquoise of her silky dress seeming to match the colour of her eyes.

‘Half a dozen times at least,’ Dee moaned. ‘And this last time he sounded furious!’

Natalie gave a worried sigh. ‘You’d better call him straight back. I’m really sorry about this.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ her friend dismissed. ‘You have a lot on your mind.’

Even more so now! ‘That may be so, but I don’t have to be stupid with it,’ she derided. ‘How’s Tom today?’

‘The same,’ Dee grimaced. ‘Men!’

It was a statement Natalie heartily echoed. Men! And one man in particular.

Dee buzzed through on the intercom a few minutes later. ‘He isn’t there,’ she told Natalie ruefully.

‘Really? Or is his secretary just saying that?’ It would be just like Adam Thornton to decide not to talk to her now that she had called him.

‘Well, she said he wasn’t in the office before I told her who I was,’ Dee explained. ‘So I would say he really isn’t there. Do you want me to keep trying?’

‘Please.’

A glance at her wrist-watch told her it was almost eleven-thirty. Maybe he had gone to an early lunch. He was probably tired of having to trouble himself with such a nonentity as Natalie Faulkner. She doubted if he usually bothered himself with such things, and wouldn’t have become involved this time if it weren’t for his sister’s happiness.

She had no warning as five minutes later Adam Thornton strolled forcefully into her office, no knock, no call from Dee, just the arrogantly overpowering man suddenly standing in front of her desk.

She had forgotten how tall he was, how dominating. The whole room seemed to be filled by him, and his savagery was even more apparent today, his expression impatient as he looked down at her with steely blue eyes.

Natalie noticed everything about him in that shocked first few seconds—the cut of the navy blue three-piece suit he wore with the pale blue shirt, the rugged handsomeness of his face, the distinctive grey hair at his temples, the black sheen to the rest of his thick over-long hair. Yes, he was everything she remembered—and more.

‘I’m sorry, Natalie,’ a flustered Dee had followed him. ‘He just walked in.’

Natalie was aware of the arrogant challenge in steely blue eyes as she tried to look at Dee. ‘It’s all right,’ she soothed. ‘This is Mr Thornton—Mr Adam Thornton,’ she added pointedly, her mouth twisting at the awed Oh! Dee gave.

He turned to look at the other woman. ‘And you’re the competent young lady who’s been baulking my secretary all morning,’ he drawled huskily. ‘I could use someone like you in my own office,’ he smiled.

Natalie gave a dazed blink as she too was caught up in the charm of that smile, mentally shaking herself to break the spell he was casting. Just because the man looked ten years younger when he smiled, the grooves in his cheeks deepening, the sudden warmth of blue eyes, it was no reason to feel any less nervous of him. This man was dangerous, ruthless, and she would have to remember that.

‘Thank you, Dee,’ she dismissed the other woman, seeing her friend’s grimace of disappointment before she went into the outer office, closing the door behind her. ‘Now, Mr Thornton,’ she looked up at him coolly. ‘What can I do for you?’

He pulled up a chair, lounging back against the white leather, taking his time in answering as he lit one of the cheroots he favoured, having the look of a slumbering black leopard about to spring.

Finally he looked up, his eyes narrowed against the smoke. ‘Well, you can call me Adam for a start,’ he drawled softly. ‘I have a feeling we’re going to be working closely together in future, close enough for you to call me Adam, anyway.’ He looked at her challengingly.

Natalie eyed him warily. ‘What do you mean?’

‘It’s quite simple,’ he mocked. ‘I’ve decided to personally handle any work connected with this company. I would also like to accept any of the fringe benefits you might be inclined to offer with those contracts.’