This dual pleasure was almost too much to bear, her breathing ragged and shallow as she clung to his shoulders now—wide, powerful shoulders that evoked an eroticism of their own.
Liam raised his head to kiss the length of her throat once again, his lips warm and searching, his tongue flicking against a spot just below her earlobe as Juliet quivered in response. 'So deceptively innocent,' he murmured as he raised his head to look down at her with sleepy blue eyes.
Deceptively…? What…?
'Miss Juliet!' The call of her name was accompanied by a loud knock on the door. 'It's time for dinner,' Janet continued lightly. 'And I can't find Mr Liam anywhere,' she added worriedly.
The sound of Janet's voice outside her room had done the one thing Juliet seemed unable to do herself, and that was to break the sensual spell which Liam had woven about her. She pulled sharply away from him, staring up at him with stricken eyes. What had she been doing!
'Miss Juliet?' Janet said again, concernedly this time. 'Are you all right?'
She didn't think so; she felt devastated by the intimacy she had just shared with Liam, of all people. She avoided his gaze as she moved to grab up her towelling robe from the bedroom chair, and had just tied the belt securely about her waist when Janet, having received no answer, came worriedly into the room.
The housekeeper's eyes widened as they took in Liam's presence in Juliet's bedroom. 'You didn't answer the door, so I wasn't sure…' She trailed off awkwardly. 'Dinner is ready,' she added lamely, looking very uncomfortable.
Liam nodded curtly. 'We'll be down in a minute,' he dismissed tersely.
'I… Very well,' Janet accepted abruptly, turning away. 'I—I'm sorry if I disturbed you,' she said uneasily, closing the door firmly behind her as she left.
Oh, God, how awful! How awful that any of it had happened at all, but that Janet should now have the wrong impression about them was just terrible. Because Janet was well aware of the fact that Juliet and Liam hadn't even met until this last week!
She glanced awkwardly at Liam, not encouraged by the coldness of his expression, the derisive twist to his lips. But what right did he have to be derisive of her? He was the one who had instigated the intimacy, not she!
And it was an intimacy that made her cringe when she thought about it. There had been no one in her life since Simon—which made it all the worse that it was his older brother she had responded to!
Liam was watching her with narrowed eyes, that coldness still in his face. 'You had better dress for dinner,' he told her flatly.
She didn't want to go down to dinner now: there was no way she could sit down at the table with him as if nothing had happened between them! No way could she ever be in his company again without remembering the intimate way he had touched and caressed her. That she had allowed him to touch and caress her!
His mouth twisted as he obviously sensed her refusal to join him. 'Janet is already suspicious enough,' he bit out scornfully. 'I don't really think we need to add fuel to that particular fire by my dining alone!'
Juliet could see his point, but she really didn't see how she could have dinner with him and act as if nothing had happened.
'This has turned into a real family affair, hasn't it?' he continued mockingly, his gaze moving scathingly over Juliet's tangled hair and kiss-swollen lips.
She frowned. 'What do you mean?' It was the first time she had spoken since he had begun kissing her, and to her chagrin her voice sounded huskily low.
He shrugged. 'You said earlier you knew my brother too?'
'Yes.' She was still frowning.
'And just how well did you know dear Simon?' he taunted. 'Or did you know him before my father?'
She swallowed hard, the heat in her cheeks answer enough.
'A family affair.' He nodded coldly. 'The father and both sons—no mean feat really, is it?' he said disgustedly. 'Except that you didn't quite add me to the list. And I have no intention of allowing you to do so in the future, either,' he continued harshly. 'You just failed the test, Juliet,' he added scornfully.
She was still reeling from the insults he had just thrown at her. He couldn't really think…? But she knew by the hard derision in his face that he did! 'What test?' she asked weakly.
Liam gave a dismissive shrug. 'Whatever plans you have to draw me into this web you seem to have woven around the other Carlyle men, I advise you to forget them; this is a business affair to me. And sleeping with men may be the way you have got as far as you have, but as far as I'm concerned—'
Juliet didn't give herself time to think, didn't need time to think, her arm arching up and her hand making sharp contact with Liam's left cheek. 'Get out,' she told him forcefully. 'Just get out of my room!' Her eyes sparkled, deeply grey.
He shrugged unconcernedly. 'I wouldn't advise you to do that again either, Juliet.' The fingers of his left hand trailed pointedly down the cheek she had just slapped. 'The next time I might retaliate in kind,' he added grimly.
She stared at him, her eyes wide, feeling herself begin to sway even as the darkness threatened to engulf her.
'Oh, no, you don't,' Liam said grimly as he gripped her beneath her arms and sat her down on the bed. 'Not again,' he added harshly, looking down at her.
Juliet was recovering as quickly as the blackness had seemed to envelop her, returning Liam's gaze a little dazedly—at least she hadn't passed out again.
His mouth twisted derisively. 'Can you do that to order too, or is it just something you're developing?' he mocked harshly.
She shook her head slightly so that she could try to think clearly. 'I don't know what you mean,' she finally said weakly.
'Don't you?' he scoffed, his eyes glacial. 'Perhaps you shouldn't join me for dinner after all, Juliet. I have a feeling that if you did I might be tempted to strangle you before the end of the meal!' he added, with self-disgust. 'You certainly evoke those sorts of emotions in me.' He shook his head. 'I would advise you to get some sleep.'
He walked over to the door. 'We're going into the office tomorrow,' he paused to tell her grimly. 'And God knows what I'm going to find out there!' He slammed out of the room.
Juliet hadn't moved—couldn't move; she could only sit on the bed and stare across the room at the door which Liam had just slammed so forcefully behind him.
Just what did he think he was going to find out at Carlyle Properties…?
CHAPTER SIX
'Why so pensive, Juliet?' Liam asked with some amusement as they approached the Carlyle offices.
They had driven into town in separate cars, Juliet having decided that she did not want to be dependent on Liam for her transportation home. But Liam had been waiting for her in the car park once she arrived, a much faster driver than she.
'I'm not pensive.' She met his gaze steadily, determined not to sound as if she was on the defensive.
The two of them had met for breakfast earlier— the first time they had seen each other since Liam's cutting remarks the night before. It had been an extremely quiet meal, with the minimum of conversation, both of them leaving for the office at eight-thirty by tacit agreement.
And Juliet wasn't pensive. She was stressed, however, and knew that a lot depended on what Liam decided today.
He raised blond brows at her as he held the door open for her to enter the building. 'Sure?' he mocked.
No, she wasn't sure; she would have liked to smack that self-assured smile right off his face! And for a person who abhorred violence…!
'Very. Thank you,' she bit out tautly, nodding to the girl who sat on Reception, not in the least surprised when Linda looked at Liam with frank appreciation—he seemed to have that effect on most of the female population! Including her, she acknowledged with an inward groan. But after last night she was sure that that would never happen again!
Liam looked about him critically as they moved through the building, and Juliet tried to see it through his eyes. Carlyle Properties had the bottom floor of the office building, the ten staff
comprising mainly the computer department and Accounts. The offices were plushly decorated and carpeted, but that was because William had believed that it gave a better impression to clients and prospective clients, rather than because of any excess of money in the company.
She smiled at John Morgan, her assistant since William died, as he hurried down the corridor towards her, and hoped that he was going to help her today to convince Liam that the company was still viable. 'John—'
'Thank God you're here, Juliet,' he cut in, a worried look on his youthful face; at twenty-five, he had been groomed by William to help Juliet when the older man had semi-retired. 'I tried calling you at home, but Janet said you had already left, and—'
'Calm down, John,' she cut in soothingly, very conscious of Liam standing behind her, the last thing she wanted was to be met by a crisis as soon as they walked through the door!
'But you don't understand.' John was still frowning deeply. 'A Miss Gilbraith arrived about half an hour ago, and—'
'Liam?' Juliet had turned sharply towards him at the mention of his assistant's name. What was Diana Gilbraith doing here already?
'We'll talk about this in your office, Juliet,' he returned evenly, his gaze meeting hers challengingly.
For long, almost timeless moments she met that gaze, trying to read his expression. But she was wasting her time; Liam was one of the most enigmatic men she had ever met in her life!
'It's all right, John,' she turned back to assure the younger man, forcing a strained smile. 'I know who Miss Gilbraith is.' But not what she was doing here! The last she had heard of the other woman, she was having a holiday with her family…!
'You do?' John looked relieved by the information. 'Well, I wasn't sure what to do with her, so I put her in your office…' He gave a self-conscious grimace. He was tall and dark-haired, his attractive face youthfully earnest.
'Thank you, John.' Juliet gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. 'I'll talk to you later.'
'That was extremely rude of you,' Liam remarked softly once they were alone again in the corridor.
Rude of her? This man's assistant was already in the building, in her office, and he had the nerve to accuse her of being rude? He—
'You should have introduced—John?—and me,' he continued arrogantly.
She drew in an angry breath. 'I believe you should have told me Diana Gilbraith was already here!' she returned.
He shrugged unconcernedly. 'Of course Diana is here; she's my assistant.'
'And it would have been polite of you to tell me she was already here,' Juliet told him heatedly.
He gave another dismissive shrug. 'I can't see that it's important. Would you like to take me to my father's office,' he added coldly, 'and send Diana along to me there?'
Juliet's eyes widened. 'But—'
'I believe it's my office now?' Liam raised dark blond brows.
No one had used that office since William's death two months ago, but it was the obvious choice for Liam during his time here. Juliet just hoped that that time was going to be short!
'Unless you're using it now?' Liam looked down at her challengingly.
'Of course I'm not.' Juliet drew in a deep, controlling breath. This man meant to annoy her, and he could see that he was succeeding; there was a mocking glint in the dark blue of his eyes. 'That office is empty,' she told him stiffly.
His mouth tightened. 'Not any longer!'
He really was the most objectionable…! The truth of it was that she couldn't bear the thought of anyone using that office. The room represented William to her, and she could never enter it without thinking of him. It was where she had first met him, where they had spent a lot of their time together during the last seven years; the thought of Liam now using it as his office was unacceptable to her.
'Do you have a problem with that?' He continued to look at her coldly.
Yes, she had a severe problem with it! 'Not at all,' she assured him coolly. 'It's this way.' She led the way down the corridor to the last door on the right-hand side, one hand on the door-handle as she turned briefly to look at him. 'This is my office.' She indicated the door on the opposite side of the corridor.
His mouth twisted mockingly. 'How cosy!' he drawled.
She literally had to bite her bottom lip to stop the sharp comment that instantly sprang to her lips, and turned abruptly away from him to push open the door to his father's—his!—office.
As with the house, this room was decorated and furnished in the style that William liked; the desk and accompanying chairs were antique, the walls papered a muted green, the carpet the same shade of green. The green leather desktop was bare now, but during William's day it had been littered with paperwork—paperwork that was now in Juliet's office, where Diana Gilbraith had been waiting for the last half an hour.
'I'll send Miss Gilbraith—' Juliet turned to leave the room so sharply that she walked straight into Liam as he stood behind her. She stared up at him wordlessly, their bodies almost touching.
'I don't know how you've behaved in the past, Juliet, but I don't approve of that sort of thing in the office!' he rasped harshly, clasping the tops of her arms to put her firmly out of his way as he walked further into the room. 'And when you get into your office would you ask Diana to come in here?' he added by way of dismissal, moving to sit in the high-backed chair behind the desk.
Juliet was glad to escape from the room; she couldn't bear the sight of him sitting in the chair which William used to occupy. She wished, not for the first time, that she had never gone to Majorca, had never found Edward William Carlyle at all!
Except, as she very well knew, she hadn't exactly found Liam at all; he had found her. And he had been playing games with her ever since!
She took a deep, steadying breath before opening the door to her office and standing in the doorway to look across the room to where Diana Gilbraith sat, not, as Juliet had assumed, behind her desk but on the opposite side of it.
Diana looked up with a warm, friendly smile, a file open on her knee as she sat with her elegantly curved legs neatly crossed. 'Hello again.' She stood up in one smooth movement. 'Are you feeling better now?'
Juliet wasn't quite sure what she had expected when she entered her office, but it certainly hadn't been this woman's friendliness! And as far as she could see none of the papers on her desk had been disturbed.
She stared at the other woman blankly. 'Better?' she repealed with a frown.
'Hmm,' Diana nodded, her blonde hair as neatly styled as usual, her skin still tanned from the time she had recently spent in Majorca. 'When Liam telephoned me yesterday he explained that the reason he had been delayed was that you hadn't been too well. I must say you have a bit more colour in your cheeks than the last time I saw you,' she added encouragingly.
Juliet wasn't too sure of this woman's friendliness. After all, Diana did work for Liam. Maybe she was just lulling her into a false sense of security!
'I spent several days in the sun,' she answered vaguely. 'Er—Liam is in the office across the corridor,' she added, her voice hardening at the mere mention of his name. 'He would like you to join him.'
Diana nodded lightly, her blue eyes still warm. 'I'll probably see you later, then.' She left the room with a smile.
Juliet closed the door thankfully behind the other woman before moving to sit behind her desk, letting out a sigh as she did so, relieved to be on her own again.
She should have known Liam was a businessman through and through; he hadn't succeeded in his own business without being extremely competent at what he did. And ruthless. God knew what hornets' nest she had opened up by seeking him out and having him come here. But she couldn't possibly have known he would want to come here personally to investigate the company; she had assumed that he would send an assistant, someone like Diana Gilbraith, to come and check things out. But then, she hadn't known Liam Carlyle and the type of man he was…
'It would appear that this is the office to be in!' Juliet was startled b
y Liam's intrusion, looking up sharply from the file she had been working on.
'But this is my office.' She frowned her puzzlement.
What was it? Didn't he like the view from William's office? The door across the corridor from her own had remained firmly shut during the forty-five minutes since Diana Gilbraith had entered it, and after fifteen minutes of sitting at her desk waiting for some sort of reaction from Liam—she wasn't even sure what! —Juliet had decided to get on with some of the work on her desk that had accumulated since she left for Majorca nearly two weeks ago.
Whatever Liam had been doing in the last forty-five minutes, he didn't look very happy! Juliet tensed guardedly.
After closing the door with quiet purpose behind him, Liam strode forcefully into the room, looking about him curiously as he did so. Juliet's office was decorated in blue and white—white walls, dark blue carpet, her dark wood desk and chair serviceable rather than richly ornate as William's office furniture was. She preferred to work in this more clinical atmosphere, felt comforted by the starkness of the room. But somehow Liam managed to make her feel uncomfortable about it as he stood across the desk from her looking down at her with such superiority!
She sat back, determined not to be intimidated. 'I don't think this room altogether meets with your approval,' she recognised drily.
He gave a dismissive shrug of those broad shoulders beneath the pale blue shirt, having removed the jacket to his dark blue suit. 'I don't care one way or the other,' he asserted scornfully. 'My comment referred to the fact that my father's office appears to be empty of all relevant information concerning Carlyle Properties!' He looked down at her with raised brows.
She had known it wouldn't take him long to realise that—in fact, she was surprised it had taken this long! She hadn't wanted to work directly from William's office after his death, and so the logical thing to do had been to move all the files into her office. It had taken her and John a day to do it, but everything was now filed away in the cabinets that lined one wall of her office.
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