‘Er—yes, of course.’ Beryl was still giving Jared speculative looks as Kate and he left together.
Jared rubbed his ribs in exaggerated pain as they went down in the lift together. ‘That hurt, you know,’ he frowned across at her.
‘Tough!’
‘You’re a hard woman, Katharine Mary Collier,’ he winced as if his ribs really were bruised.
‘Terrible, isn’t it?’ Kate said unconcernedly as she unlocked her car as it stood in the reserved space in the undergound car park beneath the building, then she slid in behind the wheel, watching with some amusement as Jared folded his length into the seat next to her. The low sports car was not built for someone of his proportions. ‘Comfortable?’ she mocked as she started the engine, his knees almost touching his chin.
‘Very,’ he returned dryly.
‘A jab in the ribs was the least you deserved just now,’ she told him in a preoccupied voice as she and a taxi vied for position in the heavy lunchtime traffic. With a feeling of resignation she slowed her car down to a position behind the black taxi—after all, it was bigger than she was. ‘My mother and father live in Gibraltar. And who on earth is little Michael supposed to be?’ She gave him a brief sideways glance.
‘Our baby brother,’ he grinned, his ribs forgotten.
Her mouth twisted derisively. ‘Beryl already knows I don’t have so much as one brother, let alone two! You made an absolute idiot of yourself just now.’
He shrugged dismissively. “‘To the victor go the spoils’. Or something like that,’ he grinned.
‘Hm?’ she frowned her puzzlement.
‘That rock on your finger you call a ring may say you belong to another man, but I’m the one you drank the champagne with, I’m the one you’ve having your celebration lunch with. I’ll convince you yet that there’s more to life than a career and marrying a rich man.’
‘I doubt it.’
‘The career I don’t mind,’ he spoke almost as if to himself. ‘I’ve always admired a woman who can make it in the business world. But I’ve never thought a person’s eligibility should be gauged by how much they earn.’
‘No?’ she said bitterly, her manner aggressive as she parked and locked the car outside the small Italian restaurant they were to eat at, where the food was good and not too expensive, and a table always obtainable. ‘Money means power,’ she told him grimly. ‘Over things and people. I want that power for myself, not to become a victim of it.’
‘And what will it get you?’
‘Freedom!’ she told him with feeling. ‘Freedom to do what I want, be what I want.’
They were shown to a quiet table in the corner of the restaurant. Kate was a regular customer here, and the waiter greeted her by name before taking their order.
‘How can you be free married to a man you don’t love?’
She looked up to find Jared staring at her across the table, the subject she had thought forgotten during the last five minutes as they gave their order still very much in his mind. ‘Who says I don’t love Richard?’ she defended.
‘I do.’
She flushed. ‘You know nothing of my feelings.’
‘I know that you still respond to me when I kiss you.’ Jared’s eyes were narrowed and watchful.
‘I still respond to him too,’ her mouth twisted mockingly. ‘So what does that prove?’
He drew in a ragged breath. ‘Is he your lover?’
Her head went back proudly at this personal question. ‘Don’t you know?’ she scorned.
His avid gaze searched her face, the fearless gold eyes, the almost arrogantly high cheekbones, the short nose and generous curve of a mouth, the determined chin. ‘Yes, I know,’ he seemed to visibly relax. ‘You made love with Brian because you loved him, I was a refuge from a pain you couldn’t bear alone, Richard James is the man who will give you the power you crave. No, he hasn’t been your lover yet, because so far in your relationship you’ve found no reason for him to be.’
Kate stiffened at Jared’s derisive tone. ‘I’m not that mercenary—’
‘You used me, you’re using Richard James.’
She turned away. ‘I don’t want to argue with you here, Jared,’ she glanced about them selfconsciously.
‘We’ll always argue, anywhere, until you break your engagement.’
‘And marry you!’
‘You’re getting the idea, Katharine Mary,’ he nodded, his mouth curved into a triumphant smile.
‘It’s your idea, not mine,’ she muttered, turning with a polite smile to the waiter as he arrived to serve their meal. ‘Could we drop that subject while we’re eating?’ she requested wearily once they were alone again. ‘We’re supposed to be celebrating,’ she reminded him.
‘So we are,’ he agreed lightly. ‘And now that you’re going to be head of a highly successful and powerful advertising agency perhaps you could give me some advice on finding myself a job.’
‘I thought you said there was no hurry?’ She looked over at him interestedly as she took a sip of her wine.
He shrugged. ‘There wasn’t. But now I have to prove to the woman I want to marry that I can hold down a steady job. She won’t even consider me otherwise,’ he mocked.
‘She isn’t considering you at all, job or no job! Do your thoughts all lead back to the same subject?’
Jared gave an inclination of his head, his dark hair showing red highlights from the overhead lighting. ‘I’m a very single-minded person.’
‘Well, let’s try and get it on to the subject of a job for you. What can you do?’
‘Anything.’
Kate sighed her impatience. ‘Don’t be difficult, Jared. What jobs have you done in the past?’
He gave the matter some thought. ‘I can turn my hand to most things. Really,’ he insisted as Kate looked like giving him another set-down. ‘My contacts in the business world should tell you that. I’ve done everything, from being a general dogsbody to being assistant to the Chairman of a company.’
Her eyes widened in disbelief. Jared didn’t give the impression that he had ever sat behind a desk—to work!—in his life, let alone held down such an important position.
‘I know,’ his mouth twisted ruefully. ‘I don’t exactly look the part. But I did do it. I just prefer to dress casually whenever I can.’
Kate still frowned. ‘And when did you leave this job as assistant to the Chairman?’
‘I didn’t exactly leave …’
‘You were sacked!’ She shook her head derisively.
‘Well … not exactly.’
‘They asked you to leave,’ she taunted. ‘Really, Jared, you don’t have a very good track record. Sacked from that job, walking out on the Canadian one!’
He gave a rueful shrug, ‘I bore easily.’
‘And yet you say you want a wife! You’re impossible, Jared,’ she smiled teasingly. ‘You would probably go off on your wanderings after only a month of marriage!’
‘I’d take you with me.’
‘I have no intention of living the rest of my life out of a suitcase,’ she told him with haughty disdain.
‘That’s why I want to get a permanent job. What do you think I should try for? What sort of job would be acceptable for you in a future husband?’
‘Head of a thriving and successful business,’ she derided.
‘Joking apart.’
‘I wasn’t joking!’
‘I thought not,’ he sighed. ‘Well, I’ll have to work my way up to that. What sort of business should it be? Not food stores, that isn’t nearly grand enough for you. Men’s clothing would be acceptable, I’m sure,’ he mocked Richard’s female clothing stores. ‘I don’t think I could sell men’s clothing all day. I know,’ his expression brightened. ‘I could always model the stuff, what would you think of that?’
‘Have you ever modelled before?’ she asked dryly.
‘No … But it can’t be that difficult, surely? Don’t you think I could do it?’
&nb
sp; She didn’t doubt he had the body and charisma to do the job, or that he had the ability; he had already shown that he could do most things he set his mind to. But the thought of him being ogled by thousands of other women was somehow unpalatable to her.
‘I’m sure you could,’ she said coolly. ‘But would you really want to be just a clothes-peg? It can be a very degrading profession. I wouldn’t—’ Her attention was caught and held by the voluptuous blonde woman just entering the restaurant, her riveted gaze passing quickly to the man at her side, her breath leaving her in a relieved sigh as she saw it wasn’t the man she had thought to see. This man’s hair was iron-grey.
Kate wasn’t aware of the keen blue eyes following her stricken gaze, of Jared’s eyes narrowing as he too watched the other couple being seated across the room from them. Kate had gone very pale, and the confidence he had come to associate with her seemed to be crumbling before his eyes.
‘I wasn’t going to be a nude model,’ he lightly drew her attention back to him.
Kate blinked at him blankly for several seconds, then she mentally berated herself. There was no reason to be so disconcerted by seeing Coral Linton—after all, they all lived in London, meetings like this were sure to happen from time to time. But why this restaurant? It wasn’t exactly the sort of place she would have expected Coral to patronise, surely it was too quiet for her tastes. And it was her own and Brian’s restaurant! Perhaps that was what shocked her the most, not that Coral was obviously here enjoying herself with someone who wasn’t her husband, but that it was probably Brian who had introduced his wife to ‘their’ restaurant.
As she looked at Jared her mask of sophistication was firmly back in place. ‘Don’t you think you would qualify?’ she mocked.
‘I don’t know—would I?’
Her husky laugh was perfectly controlled, the woman seated across the restaurant from them ignored for the moment. ‘I think you would make a very good nude model.’
Jared returned the smile with intimacy. ‘I love your body too, Katharine Mary.’ He held her gaze with his.
To her chagrin she was the first to look away, her gaze drifting over to where Coral was talking animatedly to her dining-companion, the man looking to be in his early to late forties, very good-looking in a world-weary sort of way. As if she had become aware of being watched sharp blue eyes were turned to meet Kate’s across the room, widening with recognition. Kate looked away slowly, more disconcerted than she cared to show.
‘Not hungry?’
Once again her attention returned to Jared, and she smiled her apology for not eating her meal. ‘Not really.’ She put down her knife and fork. ‘You?’ She noticed for the first time that he was no longer eating either; there was almost as much food left on his plate as her own.
‘No. Would you like to leave now?’
She knew it would be running away, but she couldn’t help it. Seeing Coral Linton had reminded her of all she had lost. But before they could get up to leave a shadow fell over their table, and Kate looked up to find Coral standing there.
‘I hope you don’t mind my coming over,’ the other woman gushed, ‘but I felt I just had to say hello after all this time.’
Kate didn’t know why the other woman should feel such a compulsion. The last—and only time!—they had ever met, Coral had made it only too clear that she would rather not see Kate again, at any time.
And it seemed she hadn’t changed her mind about that; she was smiling provocatively at Jared and ignoring Kate. ‘It’s been so long since I last saw you, darling,’ she purred, her blue eyes seductive. ‘Where have you been hiding yourself?’
Jared lounged back in his chair, his hands thrust nonchalantly into the pockets of his cords, a light of flirtation in the mocking blue eyes, his smile one of sensuality. ‘Here and there, Coral,’ he drawled softly. ‘I hear you got married recently?’
Coral’s mouth tightened, the red lips pouting. ‘That’s right,’ her voice was brittle. ‘But then we all make mistakes.’
‘It doesn’t sound as if it’s a complete success,’ he derided her bored tone.
‘It’s no bed of roses living with an artist.’ The other woman turned taunting blue eyes on Kate. ‘You know that, don’t you?’
‘Do I?’ she returned stiffly.
‘Of course.’ Coral gave a throaty laugh. ‘Still, the loss of Brian doesn’t seem to have affected you too badly, does it? I saw the announcement of your engagement in the newspaper only this morning, and now here you are out with Jared. I’ll tell Brian you’re managing just fine without him, shall I?’
‘If you wish,’ Kate nodded distantly.
‘Oh, I do.’ The other woman’s laugh was taut now. ‘It will give me an answer to the way he sings your praises night and day.’ Her eyes were as hard as ice. ‘I felt sure you couldn’t be the paragon he made you out to be, now I know you aren’t. Still, we all have our little—indiscretions, don’t we?’ She looked pointedly at the man waiting for her return to their table. ‘It’s been really good to see you again, Jared. You must call me. You still have my number?’
He nodded, his cool confidence not having slipped for even a moment during the exchange.
But Kate’s had! It was obvious that Jared and Coral had once been very close—intimate? Was it possible that Jared had once been the other woman’s lover? Fate couldn’t be that cruel to her!
CHAPTER FIVE
‘WHAT do you want to know?’ Jared drawled in answer to her question about Coral and himself.
The two of them had driven back to Kate’s office in silence, shocked silence on her part. To know that Jared and Coral knew each other, on a more than friendly basis, she felt sure, had made her speechless, although she just had to know the truth about them now.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ she said tautly.
Jared sat on the edge of her desk, his foot resting on the chair in front of him. ‘Not to me,’ he shook his head, query still in the deep blue eyes.
Kate’s eyes flared her anger at him. ‘You realise who she is, of course?’ she snapped.
‘Well, of course I realise,’ he mocked with humour. ‘It was me she wanted to talk to, remember?’
‘That much was obvious.’ She moved restlessly about the room. ‘But you knew she was the woman who had married my ex-fiancé, and yet you said nothing!’
‘What could I say?’ he shrugged.
‘That you’d slept with the woman who’s now married to Brian!’
‘As I remember,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘there wasn’t much sleeping involved in my relationship with Coral; she’s a very passionate woman,’ he drawled.
‘So Brian told me.’ Kate’s hands were clasped agitatedly together in front of her, her face very pale. ‘So you did have an affair with her?’ She looked at Jared with pained eyes.
‘Not exactly.’ He watched the tip of his boot as he swung his foot backwards and forwards. ‘Coral wanted more than I was able to give, I’m afraid. She demands a man’s full and absolute attention,’ he went on to explain casually. ‘Something I wasn’t prepared—or able—to give her at the time.’
‘And now?’ Kate bit out tautly.
‘Now she’s a married lady,’ he shrugged dismissal of the subject, his eyes a clear untroubled blue as he met her gaze.
Kate’s mouth was taut. ‘That doesn’t seem to inhibit her in the least! You realise that the man with her just now wasn’t Brian?’
His mouth twisted. ‘I had an idea—unless you’re into much older men. And I don’t think you are.’
‘No,’ she acknowledged tightly. ‘And I don’t think the fact that she wears a wedding ring is going to stop her having an affair with you.’
‘It stops me.’
‘Why?’ she scorned. ‘I wear a ring and yet you seem determined to have me.’
‘Marry you,’ Jared corrected gravely. ‘And you only wear an engagement ring, that still makes you a free agent in my book—unless of course it was my ring you were wearing,’ he
added mockingly. ‘Then it would be a different matter altogether.’
‘That isn’t even a possibility!’ Especially now. To know that Jared too had fallen victim to the other woman’s charms in the past filled Kate with dismay.
Jared seemed to read her thoughts easily, for he stood up to take her in his arms, quietening her struggles to be free with ease. ‘The past is the past, Katharine Mary,’ he told her softly. ‘It can never be undone. I haven’t condemned you for the fact that you went to bed with Brian before we met.’
‘I went to bed with him because I loved him!’ She glared up at him.
‘I’m well aware of that. I’m also well aware that I felt no such emotion for Coral, or she for me. We desired each other. I think we met twice, maybe three times,’ he dismissed. ‘That doesn’t even amount to an affair. Besides, I don’t remember you complaining at the hotel about the experience I’d acquired with women like Coral,’ he taunted.
Hot colour flooded her cheeks, as she remembered vividly the way he had been able to fire her to burning passion within seconds, knowing all the pleasure spots, seeking out all the erotic areas of her body with remorseless hands and mouth. In his arms she hadn’t just seen the earth move, she had seen it swing on its axis! Experience for experience, Jared gave her more passion and pleasure than Brian ever had. But there was more to making love than being able to perform the act well, there was love and all its inherent emotions. And love had never entered her sexual encounter with Jared. Even though he spoke of marriage now he hadn’t mentioned the word love to her.
And if he had, would she still be so determined not to become involved with him? Of course she would. Jared was not the man for her!
And yet even now she couldn’t pull away from him, she felt mesmerised by the warmth in deep blue eyes, the hard strength in the body that fitted so perfectly against hers. ‘Jared …!’ she hardly recognised that heartfelt groan as coming from her own throat, that tortuous longing was surely not within her.
‘I know, darling,’ he soothed, his hands curved possessively about her hips, holding her into him, feeling her tremble at the aroused hardness of his body. ‘I want you too, but I’ve made myself a promise, one I intend keeping.’
Sensual Encounter Page 8