He was suddenly much too close for comfort, and she had taken one step backwards when he threw an imprisoning arm around her and, tall, triumphant, slightly mocking, glanced upwards.
Too late she realized that she was standing directly beneath a bunch of mistletoe.
He used his free hand to cup her chin and lift her face to his. Then his mouth was covering hers.
Instantly she was swamped, drowning in the delight of his kiss, helpless in the flood of emotion his touch had released.
He held her with an easy, complete mastery, his kiss deepening, his mouth moving against hers until she was lost, her mind unable to hold on to any coherent thought.
When he finally lifted his head and smiled down into her dazed eyes, his own eyes were cloudy with an emotion that held traces of something that could have been a wry tenderness.
He seemed about to say something of importance, when a woman’s husky voice drawled, ‘Well, well, well… Making use of the mistletoe already, I see.’
Just for an instant Ross looked put out, then his arms dropped away and his expression cleared as he turned to face a tall, slim woman with dark hair.
The newcomer was elegantly dressed in a silver-grey suede coat with a Cossack hat and knee-length boots.
‘You look surprised to see me,’ she said.
‘I am, a little.’
‘I don’t know why. I told Margaret I’d probably see you all when I came to visit Daddy.’
Turning to Cathy, Ross drew her forward. ‘Lena, I’d like you to meet Cathy Richardson… Cathy, may I introduce Lena Dultie, my ex-fiancée?’
Lena was one of the most beautiful women Cathy had ever seen. Her smooth black hair had the sheen of a raven’s wing and her face was a perfect oval, the features clear-cut and regular. Her long-lashed eyes were so deep a blue as to look almost violet.
She was exquisitely made up and she wore diamond earrings that sparkled in the lights.
Cathy wished fervently that she had done her hair and put on some make-up. With a shiny face and a straggly ponytail, she felt like a scruffy schoolgirl beside this elegant, sophisticated woman.
Gathering herself, she murmured, ‘How do you do?’
Lena gave her a searching glance as she replied briefly and without noticeable enthusiasm, ‘It’s nice to meet you.’
Obviously wondering who she was and why she was here, the other woman went on, ‘I suppose you’re a guest at Beinn Mor?’
Cathy shook her head. ‘I work here.’
With a little frown, Lena said a dismissive, ‘Oh.’
Then, turning to Ross, she pursued, ‘I hope my arrival isn’t inconvenient?’
‘Of course not,’ he said politely. ‘It’s just a little unexpected…’
With a quiet, ‘Excuse me,’ Cathy was about to slip away, when Ross put a detaining hand on her arm.
‘Don’t go.’ His glance returning to Lena, he went on, ‘I presumed you’d want to be back in London for Christmas.’
‘Because Daddy’s not very well, I decided to stay up here for a while. But it’s like a morgue over at Glendolan, so I thought I’d join you for tonight’s ball and perhaps stay a few days… If that’s all right by you.’
Despite the rider, she looked confident of being made welcome.
While Cathy stood quietly, Ross’s light hold had relaxed, but when, feeling de trop, she made a further attempt to leave, his grip tightened once more.
His eyes on Lena, he said, ‘I take it Philip’s not with you?’
‘No.’
‘Surely he’s not happy to be abandoned at the festive season?’
‘As a matter of fact we’re not together any longer.’
‘The wedding’s off?’
‘Yes.’
‘His decision or yours?’
‘How ungallant of you! Mine, of course.’
‘May I ask why?’
She sighed. ‘I found I was missing you. Thinking of how it used to be.’
His voice dry, he said, ‘Surely the bright lights and all the excitement of London made up for any touch of nostalgia?’
She shook her head. ‘In any case there was very little in the way of excitement. When Philip came home from one of his interminable board meetings, he never wanted to go anywhere, and he was terribly jealous if I went out alone.
‘Finally I realized it would be a mistake to marry a man so much older than myself, and I decided to leave him.’
‘Where are you living now?’
‘At the moment I’m staying with a friend until I can find somewhere suitable.’
‘But obviously you’ll want to remain in London.’
With a seductive glance from beneath her long black lashes, she said, ‘No, not necessarily.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh?’
A little uncertainly she went on, ‘I’ve been thinking… Scotland might not be such a bad place to live, after all, so long as I could visit London every now and then.’
‘Quite a change of heart,’ he commented evenly.
‘I hoped you’d be pleased.’
‘I’m sure your father will be.’
Apparently unsure just what to make of that, she hesitated before going on, ‘By the way, as I passed Beinn Mor I stopped to have a quick word with Janet. She mentioned that you have no personal guest staying with you…’
At that moment the housekeeper appeared.
Turning to her, Ross asked, ‘You wanted to speak to me, Mrs Fife?’
‘It was about Miss Dultie, Mr Ross. Dougal has brought her luggage in, but there’s no room ready because I didn’t know she was expected.’
‘That’s quite all right, Mrs Fife, no one knew,’ Ross said smoothly. ‘Miss Dultie intended her visit to be a surprise…’
The housekeeper’s expression showed exactly what she thought of such surprises.
‘So I would be grateful if you could make up a room for her.’
‘Of course, Mr Ross.’
This obviously wasn’t at all what Lena had been hoping for, and she said quickly, ‘But, Ross, as you have no personal guest, and you’ll be on your own, I thought I might stay in your suite…provide a bit of company…’
‘That’s very kind of you, Lena,’ he said silkily. ‘But I wasn’t planning to be on my own.’
As the other woman frowned, and Cathy wondered exactly what he had meant by that remark, he nodded to Mrs Fife, who turned and hurried away.
‘Now, shall we all go along to the study, and I’ll ring for a pot of tea and some sandwiches?’ he suggested briskly.
But Cathy, having been forced into the position of unwilling listener, had had more than enough.
Standing her ground, she looked Ross in the eye and said, ‘I’d like to go straight back to the flat. It’s starting to get dark, so it shouldn’t be long before Carl’s home.’
Somewhat to her surprise, he agreed, ‘Certainly, if that’s what you want. Perhaps you’d care to come upstairs with me and fetch your bag?’
He turned to Lena, who seemed about to accompany them, and, his voice pleasant, suggested, ‘If you’d like to go along to my study and order the tea, I’ll join you there in a minute or so.’
Though it was phrased as a request, it was undoubtedly an order, and, obviously recognizing it as such, after a fractional pause Lena agreed meekly, ‘Of course, if that’s what you want.’
As, a hand at Cathy’s waist, Ross escorted her up the stairs, she said, as though the words were forced out of her, ‘Lena’s very beautiful.’
‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘She’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever known.’
Just hearing him say that made Cathy feel hollow inside, slightly sick.
But what had she expected? she asked herself wearily. If he had chosen to deny it, having seen his ex-fiancée, she wouldn’t have believed him. An ex-fiancée who had quite quickly made it plain that she would prefer to drop the ‘ex’ and be reinstated.
Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, C
athy bit hard. After the way Lena had left him for another man, would Ross take her back?
No doubt he’d be only too pleased to if he still felt anything for her. And, after all, the break had never really been final. Lena had never really let go…
But if he was tempted to take her back, why hadn’t he allowed her to move straight into his suite, as she had been only too willing to do?
Perhaps he had decided to make her wait, to punish her a little first?
As soon as they reached the suite, Cathy went through to the living room to collect her bag.
The room was familiar and cosy, with its blazing log fire and standard lamps, and the rich red velvet curtains drawn against the snow-covered landscape and the cold grey dusk.
Knowing she was unlikely to be here again, she glanced around for the last time and felt a dull ache of regret. As far as Ross was concerned she was merely another man’s wife, a woman who had neither morals nor self-respect.
Now Lena was here, and more than willing to share his bed, he would no doubt forget his earlier demand that she should be available whenever he wanted her.
She knew she should feel pleased and relieved. But in reality she felt sad and miserably jealous. All the afternoon’s newfound hope and optimism had vanished, leaving only a sense of loss, of desolation.
She was heading for the door when Ross, who had been standing quietly watching her, moved to open it. Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at him and, trying to sound cheerful, said, ‘Thank you for today. Decorating the tree was fun.’
‘I enjoyed it, too.’
She was moving past him when he put a detaining hand on her arm. ‘You’ll be at the ball tonight.’
It was a statement rather than a question, but knowing she couldn’t bear to watch Lena and him together, she said, ‘I’ve got a bit of a headache and I’d like an early night. So I may not come if Carl doesn’t mind…’
‘I mind,’ Ross said flatly. ‘I want you there.’
At that instant his phone rang. ‘Wait,’ he said tersely and moved to answer it.
‘Ross Dalgowan… Yes… Yes… When…?’
Cathy was about to disobey his order and slip away, when the look on his face stopped her even before he held up a warning hand.
‘What happened…?’
While he listened, he crossed the room in a few strides and, taking her arm, led her back to one of the armchairs by the fire.
Scared by the grimness of his expression, she went without protest and, sinking into the chair, watched his face in silence.
For what seemed an age, but could only have been a minute or so, he listened intently, before demanding, ‘You’re quite sure…? Yes… Yes. If the situation should change…? You will…’ His taut expression relaxed. ‘Right… Many thanks for letting me know.’
When he’d replaced the receiver, she asked, a shade unsteadily, ‘What’s wrong?’
‘The group doing the winter survival course were on their way back when there was an accident…’
White to the lips, she whispered, ‘Carl…?’
‘I gather that two men were slightly injured, and Carl was one of them. But he’s quite safe and in no danger,’ Ross added firmly.
‘Thank God,’ she said huskily, and, suddenly starting to tremble, she covered her face with shaking hands.
After her parents had died, Carl had been at once her responsibility and her reason for living. Always an outdoor man, an experienced climber and a natural on skis, it had been his dream to do what he was doing now, and she had struggled hard to help him realize that dream.
This was his first post, and just for a moment, on hearing about the accident, she had visualized it all ending in tragedy.
The relief of knowing he was safe had been overwhelming, and she had to fight to get a grip on her emotions.
When she’d succeeded, she lowered her hands and, taking a deep breath, said, ‘I’m sorry.’
‘There’s nothing to be sorry for,’ Ross told her gently. ‘A lot of woman wouldn’t have been nearly so self-controlled.’
Some colour started to creep back into her cheeks, and she asked, ‘What happened, exactly?’
‘I don’t know the ins and outs of it—all I know is that the whole party are on their way to Glendesh and it may be tomorrow morning before they’re able to get transport back home. My informant assured me that some time this evening Kevin will be calling to give me more details and, in the meantime, if there’s any change in the situation he’ll be sure to let me know.’
As he finished speaking, the door opened and Lena appeared. She had discarded her coat and looked stunning in a clinging blue dress that made the most of her slender figure.
Looking anything but happy, she complained, ‘Really, Ross, I don’t know what’s happened to your manners! You never used to treat your guests in such a cavalier fashion. The tea I ordered arrived ages ago and it’s gone cold while I’ve been sitting waiting for you…’
Going over to her, he took her hand. ‘I do beg your pardon.’ He sounded genuinely regretful. ‘But I had an urgent phone call. Kevin, along with our newest member of staff and a party of guests, were on their way back to Beinn Mor when they met with an accident. Why don’t you come and sit down? I’ll ask for another tray of tea, and while we have it I’ll tell you as much as I know.’
Looking somewhat mollified, Lena allowed herself to be led over to the fire and seated.
Seizing her chance, Cathy grabbed her bag and was heading for the door when Ross asked politely, ‘Won’t you stay for some tea?’
Though her throat was dry, and she felt parched, she said a firm, ‘No, thank you.’
‘Certain? After all, there’s nothing to rush back for now.’
Turning a deaf ear, she kept walking.
Ross reached the door first and opened it. But, as he had done previously, he held it so she couldn’t go through it until he allowed her to.
‘Sure you’re feeling all right?’
‘Quite sure,’ she told him.
‘No worries?’
She shook her head. ‘None.’
‘Then I’ll expect to see you at the ball tonight.’
But knowing that Carl wouldn’t be there, and that Lena most certainly would, she had absolutely no intention of going.
She was preparing to turn away when Ross took her chin between the thumb and fingers of his free hand and lifted her face to his.
‘Don’t think for an instant that I don’t know precisely what you have in mind,’ he said quietly.
‘I’ve no idea what you mean.’ She tried to sound innocent and failed miserably.
His grey eyes looking deeply into hers, he said with soft menace, ‘You know perfectly well what I mean. But if you like I’ll spell it out for you. Don’t imagine you can get away with hiding in the flat and not coming.’
‘I don’t understand why you want me to come when you have your ex-fiancée,’ she protested helplessly.
‘Perhaps I prefer a threesome.’
Gritting her teeth, she said, ‘Well, I don’t.’
‘Too bad. I want you there by eight o’clock at the very latest.’
‘I haven’t anything to wear,’ she said in desperation. ‘The only party dress I have was the one I was wearing the night I set off to walk back from Beinn Mor…’
‘The dress you wore to dinner the first night you were here will do fine.’
‘Oh, but I—’
‘No more excuses,’ he said brusquely. ‘You’d better be there, unless you want me to come and fetch you.’
She could easily believe that he meant it, and her soft mouth tightened.
He smiled a little crookedly, then, bending his fair head, he kissed her slowly and deliberately on the mouth—a kiss that left no doubt that they were lovers—before stepping back.
She knew Lena was watching, and she strongly suspected that Ross had kissed her purposely to annoy his ex-fiancée.
Her heart racing, and angry that he ha
d used her to make the other woman jealous, she fled along the corridor, down the stairs and to the flat.
Fumbling for the keys, she let herself in and went through to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea.
No matter what Ross said, she had no intention of going to the ball, she told herself firmly, and if he did come to fetch her she wouldn’t open the door.
But then she wouldn’t need to. He had a key. And as there were no bolts on the doors, if he wanted to walk straight in she couldn’t prevent him.
So where did that leave her?
At his mercy.
By seven-thirty she had showered and dressed, taken her hair up into a gleaming chignon and put on some make-up. Just in case.
Only too aware that her costume jewellery would look cheap and tawdry against Lena’s diamonds, she left her ears and throat bare.
Ross still had the wedding ring he had slipped into his pocket earlier, so her only adornment was the small oval watch she wore on a plain black strap.
Though something had impelled her to get ready, as the hands of the clock moved closer to eight, she was still determined not to go.
But if she didn’t, would Ross really come to fetch her as he’d threatened?
Now he had Lena, it was on the cards that he wouldn’t. And he certainly wouldn’t if Lena had any say in the matter.
Cathy sighed. Though normally she was composed and even- tempered, tonight she was in a strange mood. Missing Carl’s reassuring presence, she felt tired and depressed, but at the same time on edge and restless, unsure what to do with herself.
If she went to the ball she would be on her own, and the thought of having to watch Lena and Ross together was almost unbearable.
No, she wouldn’t go. Couldn’t go. She would take herself off to bed with a book…
Deep in thought, she jumped when the clock on the mantelpiece struck eight. Almost at the same moment there was a knock at the outer door.
She knew instinctively that it wasn’t Ross. He would never have knocked in that irresolute manner.
Frowning a little, she went to see who the unexpected caller was.
When she opened the door, it was to find Robert standing there, looking unsure of himself and of his welcome. He was wearing evening dress and a black bow tie that was slightly crooked. His faced glowed as though freshly scrubbed, and his receding hair was brushed back neatly.
The Boss's Forbidden Secretary Page 14