Mistress For Hire (Harlequin Presents)

by Angela Devine

  ‘What have we here?’ he asked mildly.

  Lisa held her breath as he scrutinized the portrait. Only now did she see its resemblance to some bird of prey—a hovering raptor awaiting its chance to swoop on a victim and destroy it.

  Matt let out a harsh growl of laughter.

  ‘You’ve made me look like a hawk,’ he complained. ‘Still, you certainly have talent. I recognize myself in this. May I keep it?’

  ‘Y-yes, of course,’ stammered Lisa. ‘But I didn’t mean to be insulting.’

  His eyes met hers, blue, pitiless, challenging.

  ‘Never apologize for telling the truth. You’ve captured me exactly as I am. A predator that swoops down on fluffy little bunnies. You’d be wise to remember it. Now let’s have something to eat.’

  His warning still rang in her ears as she ate lobster salad with brown bread and a glass of Tasmanian Riesling, followed by strawberries and cream and heavenly chocolate truffles. The whole situation made her feel fluttery and unsettled. Matt Lansdon didn’t even attempt to conceal his own vices, and she had no doubt that plenty of other women had found themselves in his clutches like fluffy little bunnies. If she had any sense, she would run for her life instead of feeling this dangerous thrill of excitement in his company. She must escape before something disastrous happened.

  ‘Do you think Tim would be back yet?’ she bleated, as if she was holding up a talisman to ward off a vampire.

  Matt’s black eyebrows peaked and he gazed at her lazily from under half-closed eyelids.

  ‘It’s interesting how you seem to see Tim as some kind of protector,’ he remarked. ‘Someone who will save you from the dangers of my company. Am I really so fearsome? Or is it just that you’re more in love with Tim than you’ve admitted to me so far?’

  Lisa gazed at him in alarm. His questions were far too probing and she felt as if she was skating on very thin ice.

  ‘Can’t we go back?’ she begged. ‘Can’t we see if he’s home yet?’

  But when they arrived at the farm, Tim wasn’t home. Matt surveyed the empty turning circle next to the garage with unconcealed amusement.

  ‘Dear me,’ he drawled. ‘There doesn’t seem to be any sign of my dauntless nephew or his rental car, does there? But perhaps Judy Barwick has seen him.’

  He led Lisa into the house where a grey-haired woman in a flowered overall stopped vigorously polishing the hall stand in order to greet them. Matt smiled at her.

  ‘Lisa, this is my housekeeper, Judy Barwick. Lisa’s staying on as my guest for a while, Judy. Tell me, has there been any news of my nephew Tim? He didn’t arrive on the lunchtime plane by any chance, did he?’

  Judy shook her head. ‘No, Matt, he didn’t.’

  Lisa felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment at this announcement.

  ‘Well, did he telephone and explain what’s delaying him?’ she burst out.

  The housekeeper shook her head again. ‘No,’ she said with a puzzled frown. ‘But there was a letter from him in the mail addressed to you, Matt. It was in one of those express delivery envelopes. I put it on your desk in the study.’

  Lisa followed Matt into the study and watched anxiously as he opened the envelope. He took out a thick wad of typed documents and a single scrawled sheet of paper and scanned them with an indifferent expression.

  ‘What does it say?’ asked Lisa impatiently.

  ‘See for yourself.’

  He handed her the note. With a feeling of growing apprehension, Lisa began to read aloud.

  ‘Dear Uncle Matt. Sorry—missed the plane. Thought the lease agreement might be urgent, so I’m posting it to you. Can’t make it to Tasmania right now, but will come as soon as I can—by Christmas at the latest. Give my love to Lisa.’

  Lisa was so furious that for a moment she could only gargle helplessly as if she had choked on a large mouthful of seawater. Damn Tim! Damn him! Did he always have to run out on difficult situations?

  ‘Are you all right?’ asked Matt solicitously.

  ‘No,’ she shouted at last. ‘What on earth is Tim playing at? Christmas! That’s five weeks away. I can’t stay here alone with you for five weeks!’

  A glint of amusement flashed in Matt’s eyes.

  ‘I’ve no objections,’ he said suavely.

  ‘Well, I have!’ snapped Lisa. Belatedly she remembered her manners. ‘I’m sorry, that sounded rude. I appreciate your invitation, but you must see that it makes no sense at all for me to be here without Tim.’

  ‘Why not?’ asked Matt. ‘If you’re going to marry Tim, there are times when you’ll be here on the farm without him. You might as well get used to the idea.’

  ‘But I’m not—’ began Lisa hotly and then broke off.

  Matt gazed at her steadily and a flush spread over her face. She swallowed hard and tried again.

  ‘But I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do just at the moment,’ she muttered, avoiding his gaze. ‘I’d really rather go back to Melbourne as soon as possible.’

  The silence between them lengthened. Lisa felt as if she was under the glare of a police search light and she didn’t dare raise her eyes, because she knew she couldn’t sustain the deception any longer if she did. She would simply blurt out the truth. And she didn’t want to see the incredulity and contempt in Matt’s face when he learned how she had lied to him and taken advantage of his hospitality. Crazy though it might be, she wanted his good opinion. When his warm fingers touched her chin and raised it, she flinched.

  ‘Look at me,’ he ordered.

  She darted him a furtive, anxious glance and looked hastily away again.

  ‘Why don’t you want to stay?’ he demanded.

  ‘I can’t,’ she said hoarsely.

  ‘Why not?’

  She bit her lip and remained silent.

  ‘Is it because I kissed you two nights ago and you responded?’

  Lisa’s eyes widened in alarm, but she still said nothing. Matt held her shoulders and looked down at her. She was tall, but he was taller still. Tingling thrills of warmth coursed through her at his touch and she wanted to burrow into his arms and beg him to hold her, but there was too much standing in their way. Tim. This crazy deception. Andrea. Yes! Andrea. She must keep that in mind to give her the strength to resist him.

  ‘I’d rather forget that ever happened,’ she said stiffly.

  Matt’s face hardened and abruptly he released her.

  ‘Then we will,’ he said with a shrug. ‘I won’t force myself on you, Lisa, you can trust me for that. Just tell me the truth about what you want.’

  Her heart began to beat in a slow, unsteady rhythm and she stared at him with a stricken expression. What she wanted was him, but she could hardly tell him that. She didn’t even want to admit it to herself. Suddenly with a muffled gasp she broke away and walked across the room.

  ‘All I want is to go back to Melbourne,’ she said over her shoulder. ‘Now. As soon as possible.’

  The silence was unbearable, suffocating, broken only by the sound of Matt’s deep, slow, tranquil breathing and the tick of a clock in the hall. At last he spoke.

  ‘You say you want to leave. Does this mean you’re not going to marry Tim?’

  Lisa’s eyes flashed. This was all Tim’s fault and, as usual, he had skipped out and left her to deal with the consequences of his crazy scheme.

  ‘Why don’t you ask him about that?’ she burst out.

  ‘I might, if I knew where he was. I tried phoning him this morning in Melbourne without any success. Do you know where he is?’

  Lisa’s eyes met his and then darted hastily away. No, she didn’t know for sure where Tim was, but she could make a pretty fair guess. Barbara’s parents had a beach house down on the Victorian coast at Portsea where she and Tim often fled on weekends. It wouldn’t surprise her if they were there right now, but she felt in no mood to cooperate with Matt.

  ‘No,’ she said bluntly.

  He frowned.

  ‘Well,
in that case I can only ask you for the information I want. Are you going to marry him?’

  ‘I will if I want to,’ she replied defiantly. ‘You can’t stop me!’

  He smiled at that, a smile that sent tremors of uneasiness right down her spine.

  ‘No? We’ll have to see, won’t we?’

  His air of calm amusement infuriated her.

  ‘You think you’re clever, don’t you?’ she demanded. ‘Well, you certainly can’t make me stay here on the farm against my own will. No doubt, if you’re half as smart as you think you are, you’ll soon succeed in tracking down Tim. But I’m leaving. I’ll take a taxi if necessary.’

  He was still unruffled, still calm, amused and wholly in control of the situation.

  ‘There’s no need to be melodramatic,’ he said. ‘I’ll drive you to the airport tomorrow morning, if that’s what you want.’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘There’s just one more thing, Lisa.’

  His hand touched her arm. It was a completely harmless, friendly gesture, but it sent tingles of alarm and excitement coursing through her.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘If you do have any suspicions as to where Tim is,’ he said, choosing his words slowly and deliberately, ‘then for heaven’s sake ask him to contact me. Quite apart from any ideas he might have about marrying you, it’s high time that Tim and I had a long talk about his plans for the future. I’m not an unreasonable man. I’ll try to listen fairly to anything he has to say to me. Will you tell him that? If you know where he is.’

  She dropped her eyes, unable to meet his gaze.

  ‘I’ll try,’ she muttered at last.

  He still did not release his grip on her arm. She could feel the warmth of his fingers through her blouse and wondered half hysterically if he could feel the way her pulse was speeding up or hear the shallow, uneven rhythm of her breathing.

  ‘Good,’ he added tranquilly. ‘Oh, and there’s something else. I’m planning to drive up to Hobart later today, because one of my tuna fishing vessels is being repaired at a boat yard there and I need to check on it. I thought I might have dinner and see a show at the casino afterwards. I’d be very pleased if you’d join me.’

  She glanced at him with a tormented expression. What was he after? More information about Tim or…something else? She simply couldn’t tell. The expression in his blue eyes was completely unfathomable, but it panicked her, just the same. She heard her voice coming out, high and nervous.

  ‘I don’t think I—’

  ‘There’s no pressure,’ he assured her, releasing her arm and giving her a brief, wry smile. ‘But I’d like you to come.’

  She stared at him suspiciously and opened her mouth to say no, but the words stuck in her throat.

  ‘Well?’ he prompted.

  ‘Yes,’ she croaked.

  Lying on her bed ten minutes later with the door firmly shut, Lisa wondered bitterly whether there was any hereditary insanity in her family. Why on earth had she agreed to go out to dinner with Matt, who was as dangerous as a nuclear warhead? Oh, stop fussing about it, Lisa, she told herself crossly. It’s only dinner. He’s hardly going to fling you on your back in the middle of the table and ravish you in the revolving restaurant. Yet the mere thought of that, outrageous as it was, sent an unfamiliar, pulsating warmth throbbing through her entire body. For a moment she revelled in the fantasy. It was madness, pure madness. But how wonderful it would be if Matt could evict all the other diners and staff, lock the doors and take her passionately right there in the restaurant. She could almost hear the clatter of silverware, smell the fiery, intoxicating aroma of an overturned brandy balloon, feel the warmth of candlelight flickering near her naked skin. And Matt…how would Matt look and feel? Her tongue slid between her teeth as she remembered the warmth of his kisses, the salty taste of his skin, the hard, rippling potency of his muscles as he had crushed her against him on that unforgettable evening only two days ago. Those kisses had left her aching and unfulfilled, but she knew instinctively that if he ever took their lovemaking to its natural conclusion, she would experience an abandonment she had only dreamt of so far. She wanted him, wanted him with a violence and urgency that shocked her. How can I possibly be thinking these things? she wondered in dismay. I came up to my room to calm down and instead I’m having crazy fantasies about him. The trouble is that I only have to look at Matt Lansdon and I feel as if my whole body is turning to molten fire. Oh, why did Tim ever get me into this mess?

  The thought of Tim was like a dash of cold water. She sat up and glared at her reflection in the cheval mirror at the foot of the bed. Why should Tim get off scot-free? He was the one who had caused all this trouble, wasn’t he? Well, why shouldn’t he cop some of the fallout? Why should Lisa be the only one to suffer? Surely there must be something she could do about it…. Suddenly a wicked gleam sparkled in her eyes and she picked up the telephone next to the bed and dialled the number of his girlfriend’s beach house.

  ‘Barbara? This is Lisa. Hi, how are you? Is Tim there?… Sorry, I don’t believe you. Look, just tell him this, will you? If he is there, he’s got ten seconds to get on the phone to me now, or I’m spilling the beans to his uncle about everything. The painting lessons, cutting classes from accountancy, the true story about marrying me… Oh, didn’t he tell you about that, Barb?… Sure, go ahead, beat him over the head with a frying pan and give him one for me while you’re at it. But I really do need to talk to him.’

  At the other end of the line there was the sound of upraised voices, followed by a slamming door. Then Tim came on the line, sounding aggrieved.

  ‘Why did you tell Barbara that garbage about me being engaged to you?’ he demanded resentfully. ‘You’re such a dork sometimes, Lisa! Now she’s gone off in a huff. What do you want, anyway?’

  ‘I want you, Timothy,’ cooed Lisa. ‘I want you to get your cute little self down here to Tasmania right now. Tomorrow at the latest.’

  Tim gave a muffled snort of laughter.

  ‘You must be kidding!’

  ‘No, I’m not,’ she said with a flash of annoyance. ‘Now you listen to me, Tim, because I mean this. You’re going to come back here and deal with your power-crazed uncle yourself. Or else I’m going to tell him the complete truth about our intended marriage.’

  ‘The complete truth?’ echoed Tim in horror. ‘He’d murder me, Lisa. He’d string me up by my little toes for making such a fool of him.’

  ‘See if I care. Either you arrive tomorrow on the first plane or I’ll blow the whistle on you!’

  Tim groaned. ‘You wouldn’t! Oh, Lisa, have a heart!’

  ‘I do have a heart,’ she said sweetly. ‘And it’s made of stone. Are you coming, Tim, or do I spill the beans?’

  ‘He’ll cut off my allowance if you tell him the truth,’ protested Tim. ‘He’ll exterminate both of us. Slowly.’

  Lisa grinned gleefully, enjoying the intoxicating sense of power that was rising inside her like floodwaters.

  ‘So what?’ she challenged. ‘I’m not related to him. I can leave whenever I want. It’s a pity you can’t, isn’t it, Tim?’

  ‘Lisa,’ said Tim bitterly. ‘You know how you gave me those silk pyjamas for my birthday two months ago and I told you that you were a really warm-hearted person? Well, I take that back!’

  ‘Oh, stop blubbering, Tim. I hate to hear an almost grown man cry. Now are you coming back or not?’

  ‘Yes. Damn you. Yes! I’ll be on the morning plane tomorrow so for pity’s sake keep your lips zipped until then.’

  There was a crash at the other end of the line. Lisa chuckled softly as she set down the receiver. Poor Tim! She didn’t like his chances of keeping his secret for long once he was in Matt’s presence, but deep down she felt that the best thing he could do was to confide in his uncle, even if a row resulted. In any case it was not her worry any more. She would be leaving tomorrow. An odd pang of regret shot through her at the thought and she rose to her feet and padded across
to the mirror. What had Matt said about her? ‘You have vitality, gusto, humour and blatant sex appeal.’ She smiled bleakly. He should have added a complete lack of scruples and a vast capacity for deceit to the list! Would Matt despise her when he finally discovered their deception? Oh, what did it matter anyway? He already thought she was a gold-digger, so he might as well realise that she was a liar into the bargain. Yet an indefinable yearning fluttered deep inside her as she dressed in a flowing russet silk slacks suit and fastened a gold and pearl necklace around her throat. I wish, she thought. I wish… She sighed and left the thought unfinished.

  The wistful mood clung to her throughout the two-hour drive to Hobart, so that she returned only absentminded replies to Matt’s attempts at conversation. At last he flashed her a thoughtful look and thrust a cassette into the small player in the dashboard. Carmen. As Bizet’s glorious music swirled around them in a flood of sound, Lisa found to her horror that her throat felt tight and painful and her eyes were prickling. She blinked twice and glared out the window. I’m not falling in love with him, she told herself savagely. I’m not! I couldn’t be such a fool….

  It was another ten kilometres before she felt calm enough to look at him. He was gazing at the road ahead with total absorption, lost in his thoughts, so that she was able to scrutinize him without embarrassment. Hungrily she took in every detail about him—the way his dark hair waved vigorously back from his tanned forehead, the few threads of silver at his temple, the keen, almost scowling gaze of his blue eyes under the thick, dark brows, the twitch of a muscle in his cheek as he gritted his teeth. As usual he was conservatively dressed, but even his clothes held an unexpected fascination for Lisa.