The answers to those questions were inside him somewhere, and until he had them perhaps it would be better if he and Abbie didn't see each other...
'Perhaps not personally,' he accepted harshly. 'But my business offer still stands,' he added, eyes narrowed.
Abbie looked bored by the subject. 'I've already told you to send over your proposals, Jarrett,' she advised him uninterestedly.
His mouth twisted. 'Will you read them?'
'Of course I'll read them,' she clipped. 'I never allow my personal feelings to interfere with business.'
If the feelings she had revealed towards her husband were anything to go by, then that was definitely true! Why had she married the man, feeling about him as she did? Could Cathy possibly be right in her claim? Had Abbie married Daniel Sutherland for his money?
'But perhaps it would be better, for all concerned, if in future I dealt with Jonathan or Jordan,' Abbie suggested tersely.
Again he felt that burning rage at the thought of either of his brothers being anywhere near Abbie. They were more than capable of negotiating a deal with Abbie—it was what else they might negotiate that bothered him! Jonathan was smooth and charming, a combination Jarrett had never known to fail his brother where women were concerned, and Jordan had had no difficulty in making Abbie laugh from the beginning. But if one of them succeeded with her where he had failed—!
'Fine,' he barked. 'Would you like me to drive you home?'
'That won't be necessary.' She gave a small smile. 'Tim will be waiting downstairs with the car.'
Tony was allowed to stay home, but obviously Tim wasn't! Had the other man been following them all evening? Probably—and Jarrett hadn't even noticed! This woman was surrounded like a fortress!
'You had better not keep him waiting any longer, then, had you?' Jarrett returned tightly.
'No,' she agreed. "Thank you for dinner, Jarrett. It was—informative,' she added in parting.
Jarrett watched her go, his apartment, his own personal space, suddenly seeming very empty without Abbie in it. Damn it, what was wrong with him? He felt angry and agitated—very agitated. He had wanted Abbie tonight, he accepted that—damn it, he had wanted her that first night too. But she was just a woman, like any other woman.
But she wasn't, that betraying voice inside his head whispered.
Yes, she was, damn it! She was also a woman who had married a man thirty years older than she was, a man she'd admitted she had hated being married to. Much as he shied away from the idea, didn't want to believe such a thing of Abbie, maybe she was mercenary, after all...
She was definitely a lot more complicated than most women, which just made her more trouble. He was well out of that relationship.
Well out of it...
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘Mr Hunter to see you, Mrs Sutherland.' The young maid stood expectantly at the door after making her announcement.
Abbie looked up from the game of snakes and ladders she was playing with Charlie, her heart beating erratically at the name Hunter. 'Which Mr Hunter, Mary?' she prompted guardedly.
'Jarrett!' Charlie jumped up excitedly, the game forgotten. 'It has to be Jarrett.'
It didn't have to be anything of the kind. In fact, Abbie sincerely hoped it wasn't! The last week had been relatively peaceful—Jarrett-free! And it had taken that much for Abbie to recover her equilibrium from that evening she had spent with him. It had been a mistake, in more ways than one!
Firstly, she had learnt of Jarrett's friendship with Cathy, a woman who was her arch-enemy, the older woman having disliked Abbie intensely from the day her tuner had taken Abbie home and announced his intention of marrying her. That Jarrett had been made aware of the two women's dislike of each other, and behaved accordingly, did not excuse the fact that he had evaded admitting knowing Cathy when Abbie had asked him earlier.
Secondly, she had blurted out how she felt about Daniel, about being married to him. And that was something she had never done before, with anyone. Oh, friends like Alison and Stephen had guessed that she wasn't happy, but they had never probed into her reasons for marrying a man she didn't love, or why she had stayed married to him when it was so obvious she wasn't happy with him. Yet after knowing Jarrett only a few days she had told him all of that. Except why she had married Daniel at all... At least that was something!
But thirdly, and more seriously, Jarrett had managed to breach the barrier that kept Abbie removed from those around her. She wasn't even sure how that had happened, but, no matter how she tried to deny it to herself, she knew that until Cathy had interrupted them she had been quite willing to go along with Jarrett and let him melt the ice cream!
Of the three, that was the one she had the most problem accepting. What was it about Jarrett that had made her willing—eager, even!—to break all the rules she had made for herself the last few years? That was an answer she dared not find!
This last week, with no contact from him, she had managed to persuade herself—almost!—that that weakness had never happened...
And now he was here—again! Her heart was beating too fast, her cheeks felt hot and flushed, and there was a slight tremble to her hands as she raised them to straighten her hair into its confining plait down her spine.
'I'm afraid I don't know.' Mary looked confused by the question. 'He just said his name was Hunter...'
Which could mean Jonathan, Jordan—or Jarrett.
Mary looked worried at her hesitation. 'Shall I go back and ask?'
'No, that's fine, Mary,' Abbie dismissed briskly, realising she was behaving like a gauche schoolgirl. 'Ask him to come in.' And take your time about it, she inwardly added.
Charlie was leaping up and down in excitement at the thought of seeing Jarrett again, the game of snakes and ladders completely abandoned, and Abbie took those few moments' respite to compose herself before Mr Hunter entered the room.
Her relief was immense seconds later when it was Jonathan who breezed cheerfully in. Charlie, who had been in the process of launching herself on Jarrett, instantly faltered, totally confused as she stared at the tall blond-haired man with warm golden eyes.
Jonathan smiled at the little girl. 'You must be Charlie,' he said in a friendly tone. 'Jarrett's told me all about you.'
Charlie blinked, not at all sure of this tall stranger with the smile.
'He has?' she said uncertainly.
Jonathan nodded. 'You ski very well—and you're as beautiful as your mother!' he added knowingly.
Charlie gave a shy grin. 'Did Jarrett really say that about me?'
'He certainly did,' Jonathan nodded. 'I'm Jarrett's younger brother, Jonathan.'
Charlie's eyes were wide with surprise. 'You don't look like him,' she said suspiciously.
Jonathan looked unabashed. 'I'm the good-looking one!'
'And the charmer,' Abbie put in, fully recovered now from the fact that Mr Hunter wasn't Jarrett, after all. A part of her, although she was still loath to admit it, was disappointed that it wasn't him...
What was happening to her?
'You're only saying that because it's true,' Jonathan drawled lazily. 'Poor Jarrett hasn't got a clue!'
There's nothing "poor" about Jarrett,' Abbie returned swiftly.
He raised his blond brows. 'Have you seen my big brother recently?' he asked, his attention suddenly caught by the game on the coffee-table they had been playing before his arrival. 'Snakes and ladders...' He walked over to look more closely at the board. 'Who has the blue marker?' He referred to the player who was obviously well in the lead of the red marker.
'Me.' Charlie joined him beside the table. 'Mummy has just gone down the long snake there.' She pointed to the board, her shyness rapidly evaporating.
Jonathan went down on his haunches beside the little girl. 'That's the trouble with snakes, Charlie,' he murmured. 'They sneak up on you when you're least expecting them!' He glanced up pointedly at Abbie as he spoke this last remark.
&nbs
p; 'Actually,' Abbie put in, his double meaning not lost on her, 'I crept up on this particular snake.'
'I believe you did,' he acknowledged. He straightened, his expression confrontational as he met Abbie's gaze.
She continued to look at him for several long seconds, but she was finally the one to turn away. 'Charlie, could you go and ask Mary to bring in tea for all of us? I take it you do drink tea?' She turned enquiringly back to Jonathan.
He grimaced. 'It has been known—with aged aunts, and an alcohol-disapproving father!'
Abbie had completely forgotten about this man's mother, and the problem she seemed to have with men! 'I think, as it's only four o'clock, we may as well stick to the tea—irrespective of aged aunts and fathers!' she pronounced.
'Perhaps there's some cherry cake, too!' Charlie said expectantly as she skipped from the room.
Jonathan watched her departure. 'Nice child,' he murmured appreciatively. 'She's a credit to you, Abbie.'
"Thank you,' she accepted awkwardly, still uncertain as to the reason he was here at all.
She had received Jarrett's offer for Sutherland Hotels several days ago, and in view of the problems there were with the hotels the offer was certainly a reasonable one. Copies of those proposals had been duly forwarded to Cathy and Danny—and as quickly returned with an agreement to the offer. As Abbie had expected they would. But she was still looking at the offer herself, and she wasn't about to be hurried over it, by any of the Hunter family!
'This is-—unexpected, Jonathan,' she told him.
'Mind if I sit down?' It was a perfunctory request, because even as he asked the question he was in the act of sitting down in one of the armchairs, that warm, charming smile curving his lips.
Abbie gave a rueful smile in return. 'Does that usually get you where you want to go?' she teased. "The smile,' she explained at his puzzled expression.
That smile became a wide grin. 'Usually,' he replied.
Abbie frowned. 'And why do you want to be here?' she said.
'I'm on an errand of mercy,' he told her. 'Strictly on a personal level, of course.'
'Of course,' she acknowledged. 'Although I have no idea what you're talking about!'
He sighed. 'I'm talking about working with a man who snarls and growls at you, when he speaks at all, a man who believes that the twenty-four hours in each day should all be spent working, that things like eating and sleeping are unnecessary luxuries and not to be bothered with!' he concluded wearily.
Jarrett... He had to be talking about Jarrett!
She moistened dry lips. 'What does all of that have to do with me?'
'Are you kidding?' Jonathan groaned. 'Everything! I would say it has everything to do with you.' He looked across at her with golden eyes. Eyes so like Jarrett's... 'Abbie, why are you giving him such a hard time?'
Jarrett was having a hard time! He wasn't the only one who had become a workaholic this last week. Nor was he the only one that couldn't sleep at night. Which was the very reason she was working so hard; it was impossible to sleep when all her thoughts kept returning again and again to the night she had dinner with Jarrett, and the only way to block out those thoughts was to fill her hours with work!
'I believe you're mistaken, Jonathan, in coming to your conclusion about the reason for Jarrett's excessive behaviour,' she told him coolly. 'He sounds as if he is behaving perfectly normally—for him!—to me.'
Jonathan gave her a searching look, a look Abbie had trouble withstanding, finally able to turn away as Charlie came back into the room accompanied by Mary carrying the laden tea-tray.
'Cook says she is just about to bake some cakes,' Charlie informed Abbie, eyes bright. 'She says I can help her.'
And leave Abbie alone once again with Jonathan— who was proving as much of an intrusion to her privacy as Jarrett! But Charlie loved baking cakes, and it would be unfair of her to say no. 'Just don't eat too many of them and then not be able to manage your dinner,' she warned her daughter lightly as Charlie left with Mary.
'How long have you been widowed, Abbie?'
She frowned sharply across at Jonathan, disconcerted by the directness of his question. But then, what could she expect from the brother of Jarrett?
'I don't think that is any of your business, Jonathan.' She prickled, moving forward to pour the tea for them both.
'Not long enough, by the look of you,' he drawled, leaning forward to take the cup she held out to him. "That stepdaughter of yours is one hell of a bitch, isn't she?' he said.
Abbie stiffened. 'You've met Cathy too?'
'Briefly. Very briefly,' he repeated. 'She came to the office to see Jarrett a couple of days ago. He wouldn't even let her in the door, told her exactly what he thought of her in about a dozen succinct words, warned her to stay well away from both you and Charlie in future, and told her to get out. Which, after a few well-chosen words of her own—' he grimaced at the memory '—she promptly did!'
Abbie was shaken by the fact that Jarrett had seen Cathy again, although, from the sound of it, it hadn't been a very pleasant meeting! Jarrett had warned Cathy to stay away from her. That sounded decidedly protective to her. Or, worse, possessive...!
'And Cathy's "well-chosen words" were...?' she prompted Jonathan softly.
For once he looked disconcerted, avoiding her probing gaze. 'As I've already said, she's one hell of a bitch!' he finally muttered.
Abbie sat down. "Those words were about me,' she guessed easily.
Jonathan looked uncomfortable. 'I never said that'
'You didn't need to.' Abbie shook her head. 'It's okay, Jonathan, Cathy's never made any secret of the fact that she hates me.'
When Abbie was first married to Daniel, she had found Cathy's resentful behaviour towards her hurtful, especially as she was trying to come to terms with being married at all, and to a man who didn't even pretend to love her! She had been another Sutherland possession, like the Sutherland plane, the Rolls-Royce, the large houses, the Rolex on Daniel's wrist—all beautiful accessories to show off his wealth and power. Daniel had had a weakness for beautiful possessions, and Sabina, as a much sought-after model, beautiful, and thirty years younger than him, had been the diamond in the king's crown!
Jonathan pulled another face. 'As I said, one hell of’
'Jonathan,' Abbie cut in firmly, knowing he was playing for time. She couldn't exactly blame him; Cathy had a habit, when it came to Abbie, of forgetting she was a wealthy lady, and began acting like a fishwife!
He let out a deep breath. 'She said something along the lines that the only things you have going for you are a beautiful face and a whore's body—and that you ensnared her father with both of them!'
Abbie wasn't in the least shocked, had heard it all before, often put more graphically, if anything.
'And that you had obviously now done the same thing with Jarrett,' Jonathan added quietly.
That didn't upset Abbie either; in fact, she laughed! The thought of her behaving in that way with any man was highly unlikely, but the idea that Jarrett, with his inborn cynicism, would be taken in by it was even more ridiculous. Jarrett, who prided himself on having no weaknesses, and, where women were concerned, having no illusions whatsoever—absurd!
'I remember you when you were modelling, you know, Abbie,' Jonathan told her warmly. 'You used to be in magazines and the newspapers all the time. And then suddenly you disappeared. I could hardly believe my luck last week when we came to your office with Jarrett; there you were, and as gorgeous as ever!'
'How touching!' rasped a scornful voice.
They both turned towards the sound of that voice— Jarrett's voice—a flustered-looking Mary standing just in front of him in the doorway. Jarrett, with his usual arrogance, hadn't waited to be announced, but had followed the maid to the sitting-room. He obviously hadn't liked the brief part of the conversation he had overheard between Abbie and Jonathan!
'Mr Hunter,' Mary announced with another worried look in Abbie's direct
ion. Just how many of them were there? her bemused expression seemed to say!
Too many, Abbie inwardly acknowledged. "Thank you, Mary,' she dismissed pleasantly, waiting until the young girl had gone before turning back to Jarrett.
Jonathan was right—he did look grim. Jarrett's face was thinner, and consequently harder, and the dark hollows below his eyes indicated the lack of sleep Jonathan had also hinted at. But Abbie shied away from the explanation Jonathan had given for these changes in his older brother; Jarrett was a man whose heart was encased in ice where women were concerned!
'Jarrett,' she greeted coolly.
'Abbie,' he replied in a voice liberally laced with sarcasm.
'This is a surprise,' she returned evenly.
Dark brows rose over stony golden eyes. 'Did you say the same thing to Jonathan when he arrived?'
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