Perfect Partner
Carole Mortimer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

MELANIE was looking her usual beautiful self as she personally opened the door to Juliet. ‘Darling!’ she moved to kiss her affectionately on the cheek. ‘I’m so glad you could come,’ she beamed.

Juliet removed her wrap and handed it to the waiting maid. ‘You knew I would,’ she said dryly. ‘But this is positively the last dinner party of yours I come to this month. You know I often work in the evenings. Do you realise this is the fourth time I’ve been here in as many weeks?’

Her friend gave her an endearing smile, looping her arm through hers to take her through to the lounge. ‘It doesn’t hurt you to socialise now and again,’ she chided.

‘I’m too busy.’ In fact she had had to rush over here this evening, working almost to the last minute. She hated the interruptions of Melanie’s constant dinner parties into her life, but the two of them had been friends since schooldays, something Melanie took advantage of. Melanie had since married Michael Dickson, a publisher, but the girls remained good friends.

She just wished Melanie wouldn’t include her in these dinner parties. She didn’t enjoy them, and the person picked out as her partner usually managed to bore her to tears.

‘You’re always too busy, Juliet.’ Melanie wasn’t in the least concerned about interrupting her work. ‘“All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl”,’ she quoted.

Juliet laughed tolerantly. ‘I think you altered that slightly, but the meaning came through.’

‘I didn’t mean you’re dull,’ her friend instantly denied.

Juliet smiled, beginning to relax. ‘I hope not! Just as I hope tonight’s dinner partner is an improvement on last time. The judge you landed me with last week talked of nothing but bringing back the birch. Personally, I thought he was a bit kinky. I know I couldn’t wait to get away from him,’ she remembered with a shudder.

Melanie smiled. ‘You’re going to love tonight’s partner. And be nice to him, Michael wants him buttered up a little.’

‘But who—–’

The maid came quietly into the room, attracting Melanie’s attention. ‘Mr Laurence is here, madam.’

‘Thank you, Cindy.’ Melanie gave an apologetic look in Juliet’s direction. ‘We’ll talk again later,’ she promised. ‘Everyone should start to arrive now.’

‘Where’s Michael?’ Juliet asked.

‘He’s been delayed, some meeting or other,’ Melanie grimaced. ‘But he promised to be home in time for dinner.’

Juliet knew most of the people who arrived for the dinner party, and chatted amiably with them as she drank her cocktail. Melanie was called out to answer the telephone a short time later, and was frowning when she came back into the room.

Juliet joined her. ‘Anything wrong?’ she asked softly.

Melanie sighed. ‘It’s so annoying—Duncan Evans can’t make it, he has ‘flu or something. It means we’ll be thirteen sitting down for dinner.’

Knowing how superstitious her friend was Juliet now understood her distress. ‘I have the ideal solution to that, Melanie,’ she told her with a smile. ‘I’ll leave, and then you’ll be twelve.’

‘You’ll do no such thing!’ Melanie caught hold of Juliet’s arm. ‘I’ll call Michael and see if he can find someone to bring home with him. Duncan was to be your partner, by the way,’ and she hurried out of the room to call her husband.

Juliet vaguely knew of Duncan Evans. He was the editor of a popular women’s magazine, and he often serialised the books that Michael published in that magazine. For once it seemed Melanie had chosen someone she would have enjoyed meeting, so it was a pity he had cancelled. Maybe he simply hadn’t shared her interest in the meeting, after all she was just Juliet Chase, a school friend of Melanie’s.

Melanie looked happier when she came back this time. ‘Michael was just leaving, and he was bringing someone with him anyway, so he can take Duncan’s place. Thank goodness for that!’

Juliet groaned. ‘Who have you foisted on me now? I’d much rather bring my own dinner companion.’

‘It’s much more fun this way—–’

‘For whom?’ she derided.

‘For everyone. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll like the man Michael’s bringing home, he said he’s very presentable.’

‘But who is he?’ Juliet demanded before Melanie had the chance to rush off once again. She never seemed to stand still for more than two minutes at a time!

‘I don’t know,’ Melanie replied vaguely. ‘Michael didn’t say, and I didn’t think to ask. I was just so relieved he could bring someone. I suppose he’s just someone who was at this business meeting,’ she dismissed.

Juliet silently fumed as her friend disappeared once again. This behaviour was so typical of Melanie. Even at school the other girl had got her into situations she would rather not be in, had almost got them both expelled at one time. This man she had given her as a dinner partner could be a bore or a complete lecher, and Melanie wouldn’t give a damn as long as he made up the numbers.

Juliet had a couple of male friends of her own, either one of which she would rather have brought with her. She wasn’t exactly unattractive—on the contrary, Ben and Stephen had individually assured her.

Her hair was deep auburn, shoulder-length, feathered either side of her face. Her eyes were a deep sherry colour, surrounded by thick dark lashes, a light sprinkling of freckles across her small straight nose, her mouth slightly curving, her chin small and pointed, angled determinedly.

At twenty-four she was simply enjoying her life. She had Ben and Stephen, enjoyed her work, and most of all she enjoyed her freedom from emotional entanglements. She dated Ben and Stephen on a casual basis, both of them knew about the other, and so far it had worked out just fine.

Melanie and Michael had been married for three years, and were always advocating the cause of marriage, hence these constant invitations to dinner, the different men she met there. Melanie assured her that if she went to enough of them she was sure to eventually meet a man she was attracted to. So far she hadn’t found one of them worth a second meeting.

The man who finally entered the lounge with Michael was completely different from anyone else Melanie had ever introduced to her. He was younger than most of them, for one thing, late thirties, possibly early forties, with thick dark hair tinged with grey at the temples, giving him a distinguished air. His face was strong and a little harsh, the dark blue eyes now narrowed on the other occupants of the room, his nose long and straight, a mocking twist to the firmness of his mouth, and there was a deep cleft in the squareness of his chin, his jaw was firm. He was very tall, powerfully built like an athlete, and yet he had long artistic-looking hands.

The dark brown suit he wore fitted perfectly across his broad shoulders, tapered to his narrow waist and tautly muscled thighs. He was a handsome devil, ruggedly so, and he seemed aware of his own attraction, if only subconsciously, his self-assurance unmistakable, his expression faintly contemptuous now.

He seemed vaguely familiar, the arrogant angle of that dark head, the determination in the broad shoulders, the mockery in deep blue eyes. Yes, he was very familiar to Juliet, and yet she felt sure she would have remembered that leashed air of excitement, the magnetism that could never be overlooked. No, she had never met this man before, but she did know him. At that moment she just couldn’t remember where from.

Michael was introducing him to Melanie now, the other girl blushing prettily as he obviously made some complimentary remark to her. And now Melanie was bringing him over to her.

His gaze was frankly assessing as it passed from the auburn gleam of her hair, down over the figure-hugging black dress, and even further down the length of her long legs to her sandal-clad feet. His gaze finally returned to her face, and Juliet met that gaze unflinchingly, seeing the flicker of interest in his expression.

Even though she was tall herself this man towered over her by several inches, putting him at about six foot two or three, close to the smell of his tangy aftershave pleasant to the senses.

Melanie smiled happily at them both, obviously relieved to at last have all her guests together. ‘Juliet, I want you to meet Jake Matthews. Jake, this is my good friend Juliet Chase. Now I’ll leave you two to get acquainted while I go and check with Cook about dinner. I do hope it isn’t ruined,’ and she moved away with a worried frown.

Juliet had stiffened as soon as this man’s name was revealed to her. Jake Matthews! No wonder he seemed so familiar to her—he hosted a book review programme once a week on television, and wrote a weekly column in one of the more outspoken newspapers. She should have recognised him, his arrogance was unmistakable, his air of mockery.

She only hoped he didn’t talk as caustically as he wrote, or criticise the way he did on television, otherwise she was in for a more unenjoyable evening than usual. This man could ruin a book’s sales with just one word of criticism from him, just as he could make it number one on the bestseller list, and she could only wonder at Michael’s apparent friendship with such a man. Still, perhaps he considered it better to be friends with one’s critics than to have them for an enemy. Michael was an astute enough businessman to have realised that.

‘Mr Matthews,’ she acknowledged curtly.

‘Miss Chase,’ he drawled, taking a swallow of the whisky in his glass. ‘I hear your dinner partner let you down.’

Sherry-coloured eyes widened with indignation. ‘I didn’t have one,’ she bristled at his tone. ‘One of Melanie’s guests is ill and can’t make it. I’m sorry if you feel you’ve had me foisted on you, but I can assure you—–’

‘I didn’t say that, Miss Chase,’ he cut in softly. ‘And I didn’t imply it either. As a matter of fact, I was just congratulating myself on my luck.’

Juliet looked startled. He didn’t appear to be the sort of man to throw out idle compliments, so she had to assume he meant this one. Her expression was cold, her reason for disliking this man too deep-rooted for it to be charmed out of her by a few meaningless compliments.

‘Thank you,’ she accepted tightly. ‘Your programme is—interesting, Mr Matthews.’

‘Thanks. And if I can call you Juliet you can call me Jake.’

The wording of that statement made it impossible for her to refuse. ‘Please do.’ She looked over to where Melanie was frantically trying to attract her attention. ‘I think we’re being summoned to eat.’

As she had known, and dreaded, Melanie had seated them next to each other at the table, and Jake Matthews made it very clear he intended taking full advantage of the fact.

He held her chair out for her before lowering his tall frame into the chair next to her. ‘So,’ he turned to look at her, his closeness curiously intimate, ‘how do you fit in among these famous authors, television stars, exclusive barristers, and—My God, a cricket player!’ He gave a soft laugh as he looked at the leading player in the English team. ‘How do you suppose he got in here?’ he mocked.

‘He’s an old friend of Michael’s,’ Juliet supplied stiffly.

He quirked one dark eyebrow. ‘And you?’

‘An old friend of Melanie’s. And as you’re a famous book critic, the most famous book critic, it’s obvious how you got in,’ she said cattily.

‘Do I sense criticism of your own?’ he taunted.

She gave him a cool look from eyes that should have been the colour of warm sherry—only there was no warmth to them at all. ‘I don’t know, do you?’

‘I think so,’ he said slowly, his expression thoughtful. ‘Why is that, Juliet? You don’t even know me.’

And she didn’t intend to either, self-opinionated, arrogant fool! ‘Maybe I just don’t agree with some of your opinions. Your remarks can be very cutting at times.’

Jake Matthews shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘If the authors can’t take it then they shouldn’t write. A book is there to be criticised.’

‘It’s there to be enjoyed, surely,’ she disagreed heatedly, two bright spots of angry colour heightening her cheeks.

‘If it’s good I enjoy it, if it’s bad I say so,’ he told her in a bored voice.

‘I’ve noticed,’ she snapped. ‘A couple of months ago you ripped Devil’s Dare by Gregory James to pieces. I found it totally spoilt my own enjoyment of it.’ And as Gregory James happened to be one of the best-selling thriller writers in the world, and a particular favourite with her, she had found this man’s criticism infuriating. ‘All the time I was reading the book I kept looking for the loopholes in the plot that you’d outlined in your programme,’ she added disgustedly.

‘Well, if they hadn’t been there you wouldn’t have found them. Did you?’ he drawled.

‘You know I did,’ she revealed resentfully.

‘Yes,’ he acknowledged, as if his point had been proved. ‘Devil’s Dare was simply a rip-off. The man’s made his name now, and so he thinks he can dish up any old—rubbish to the public, and that they’ll buy it. The irony of it is that a lot of people went out and bought the book simply because I criticised it.’

Her mouth twisted. ‘What’s it like to be disliked so much?’

He smiled, a completely relaxed smile. ‘I can assure you that not everyone dislikes me, in fact I have quite a fan-club of my own.’

For his undoubted good looks perhaps, but certainly not for his outspoken views. ‘Your criticism of Caroline Miles was a bit unfair too. I’ve never known Michael to publish a book unless he personally thought it was good. And he hasn’t got to be a successful publisher by choosing duds.’

Jake Matthews looked unperturbed. ‘I simply said what I thought,’ he said tolerantly, obviously not taking this seriously.

‘That “Miss Miles should stop trying to relive the memories of her lost youth through her books”,’ she quoted. ‘I think by that you meant to imply that Caroline Miles is a dried-up old spinster who should stick to her knitting!’

Once again he smiled, a charming smile that must have captured many a female heart. But it didn’t even cause Juliet’s to flutter! She was immune to men like this, and especially Jake Matthews.

‘You understand me well, Juliet,’ he drawled. ‘That’s exactly what I meant.’

‘And is she? A dried-up old spinster, I mean?’ she asked interestedly.

He gave a soft laugh. ‘I have no idea. I’ve never had the misfortune to meet the lady.’

‘Poor woman,’ she sympathised. ‘Convicted without a trial,’ she explained at his questioning look.

‘Have you read Mason’s Heritage?’ he asked interestedly, leaning forward, his elbow on the table as he sipped his wine, but continuing to watch her over the rim of the glass.

‘Yes,’ she snapped.

He nodded, as if suspecting as much. ‘Did you like it?’

‘Yes,’ her voice was taut now. ‘And so did a lot of other people.’

‘Mm, I heard it had a very good response.’ He shrugged. ‘Maybe you should be the critic and not me, Juliet.’

‘Maybe I should,’ she agreed challengingly.

His eyes openly mocked her. ‘I’ll suggest it to my producer and editor.’

‘You do that.’ She turned away angrily, eating her meal in furious silence.

Overbearing know-it-all! She couldn’t stand people who were as opinionated as this man—and he did it for a living! And Melanie must have known she would rather be anywhere than sitting next to this man. This was positively the last time she came to one of these dinner parties, friend or no friend.

‘Besides what I do for a living,’ that now familiar lazy drawl interrupted her thoughts, ‘what else have I done to offend you?’

Sherry-coloured eyes flashed as she looked up at him. ‘Isn’t it enough?’ she snapped.

‘I wouldn’t have thought so, no.’ His gaze was warm as he made no effort to hide his attraction to her.

‘I’ve invariably found that the job is the man,’ she told him haughtily.

‘I do other things besides book reviews.’

‘Oh yes?’ she said uninterestedly.

‘Yes,’ his eyes had hardened to icy chips, giving her a brief glimpse of the ruthless man beneath the surface charm. ‘It just so happens that I enjoy my work.’

‘I’m sure you do!’

He sat back. ‘Why are you taking this so personally?’ he asked easily. ‘Do you get upset at every critic’s views, or just mine?’

‘Yours tend to be more outspoken than most.’

‘You don’t have to watch the television programme, or read the column in the newspaper,’ he pointed out reasonably.

‘Oh, but I do,’ she smiled coolly. ‘I like to see what outrage you’re going to come out with next. Your attack on Gregory James was almost personal.’

‘And Caroline Miles?’

Her mouth twisted. ‘When you know nothing about the woman it can hardly be called personal.’

He looked at her for several minutes, his gaze admiring. ‘I’ll tell you what, Juliet,’ he finally said. ‘You write a book and I’ll tell everyone what a beautiful woman you are, very independent, intelligent, and prepared to stand up for what you believe to be right.’

Juliet blushed at his description of her. She had believed that, like most men, he would see only the surface attraction and not bother with the intelligent woman inside the body. But Jake Matthews was turning out to be a bit of a surprise altogether. Most people would have accepted her earlier snub, or at least avoided the subject that had caused it, but this man had gone straight back to it.

‘Wouldn’t that be rather unfair? Besides, I’d probably write a poor story.’

‘What work do you do?’ he asked interestedly.

‘I work for Michael.’ She sipped her wine.

Jake smiled. ‘Then you’re in the right place to get your book published.’

‘Have you ever written one?’ She couldn’t ever remember seeing a book written by this man, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one. Besides, if he had any sense he would write under a pseudonym, as the nature of his profession meant his fellow-workers were likely to be over-critical about any book bearing the name Jake Matthews.

‘Never,’ he laughed softly. ‘And I’m never going to. You?’

‘I wrote one once,’ she revealed slowly.

‘What happened to it?’

Juliet shrugged dismissively. ‘It’s at home somewhere, turned down by a publisher. Perhaps I should let you read it, get your opinion. On second thoughts, maybe I’d better not. The sort of criticism you dish out would break me.’

He gave a husky laugh, a deep attractive sound that caused several of the other women present to turn and look at him. Juliet realised for the first time that she was actually being envied her dining companion, that most of the other women here would gladly take her place.

She looked at Jake Matthews with new eyes, seeing a wealth of experience in the deep cynicism of his face, a knowledge of women in those narrowed blue eyes that hadn’t been learnt just by looking at them. This man was at least thirty-five, there would have been many women in his life, could even be one now. He could even be married for all she knew!

‘I’d be very gentle on you, Juliet,’ he promised softly.

She searched his strong features for some sign of a double meaning, but could find none. But Jake had been flirting with her, she knew that. She hadn’t reached her mid-twenties without learning something of men, and Jake Matthews definitely found her attractive. ‘What would your wife think of you showing such favouritism?’ she asked pointedly.

His mouth quirked with humour, seeing right through her line of questioning. ‘I’m not married, Juliet.’

Her eyebrows rose as she couldn’t hide her surprise at his single state. ‘Have you ever been?’

‘No. Have you?’

‘No,’ she replied tightly.

‘I’m sure you’ve had offers, though,’ he taunted.

‘Several,’ she confirmed stiffly.

‘And I’ve never offered once,’ he drawled.

She knew that. If he had offered he would have been accepted. There would be few women who would turn him down. ‘You’re quite old not to be married,’ she said bluntly.

‘So are you,’ he replied as candidly. ‘What are you, twenty-three, twenty-four?’

‘Twenty-four. And you, over or under forty?’

‘Under,’ he grinned. ‘I’m thirty-eight. Now that we have the question of married status and age out of the way perhaps we can get to know each other a little better. Do you have any family, Juliet?’

‘Just my mother. She lives in Devon. And you?’ If he could ask personal questions then so could she!

He shrugged. ‘No parents, just a sister. She’s married to an American, living in California with her husband and two unruly brats.’

‘You don’t like children?’

‘I didn’t say that,’ he denied. ‘I like them well enough, and probably one day I’ll have a couple of my own. I certainly don’t intend remaining single for ever. I just haven’t found my other half yet.’

Juliet held back her gasp of surprise. ‘You really believe that everyone has a perfect partner?’

‘Yes,’ he nodded, grinning suddenly. ‘It’s a pity they rarely meet.’

‘You’re cynical!’ Juliet snapped.

‘Realistic,’ he corrected. ‘But I’ll marry one day, if only to have children. But they won’t become beach-bums,’ he added grimly.

‘Is that what’s happened to your sister’s children?’

‘Yes. The eldest one has already dropped out of school, the other one will soon follow. It’s a damned waste.’

‘And you?’ Juliet eyed him with amusement. ‘Did you dutifully finish your education?’ He didn’t appear to her to be the sort of man who would welcome the leash of authority, and she doubted he had been any different in his youth.

‘No,’ he smiled, that devastating smile that even Juliet was finding she wasn’t immune to. If anything he looked even more attractive when he smiled, his eyes a deeper blue, crinkled at the corners, his teeth very white against his tanned skin, the cleft in his chin more prominent. ‘But then you knew that, didn’t you?’

‘I guessed,’ she smiled back, and then stopped herself. The unaccustomed wine was making her enjoy talking to a man she should despise, in fact she was starting to like him, which wouldn’t do at all. ‘What did you do instead?’ Her tone was more stilted.

‘I went to sea for a couple of years. You grow up fast that way.’

‘I can imagine,’ she grimaced. It was a hard life, and Jake still kept himself very fit by the look of him, very lean and firmly muscled. It wasn’t the body of a man who sat behind a desk all day. ‘Did you like it?’

‘I enjoyed the stops in port—and I didn’t have a girl in every one,’ he added at her knowing look. ‘Just a couple of them,’ he grinned. ‘Believe me, after several months on board it’s nice to have someone to—go home to.’ He grimaced. ‘I stuck it for a couple of years before hitch-hiking over America. I really liked that. I did any work going to pay my way. Then when I got back to England I got a job as an errand boy on one of the big newspapers. I loved it—the tension, the excitement, the sheer hard work that went into putting out a newspaper every day. It was as if I’d come home.’ He shrugged. ‘I knew that atmosphere was for me.’

Juliet had been mesmerised by the different emotions flitting across his ruggedly tanned features. That he enjoyed his work was obvious, his expression one of tense excitement as he spoke of it.

‘Unfortunately, I can’t write,’ he added ruefully. ‘I tried for a while, but it was no good. But I’ve always liked reading, anything I could get my hands on, so I was finally taken on as assistant to the book critic of the time. When he retired I was chosen to take his place. The television programme came out of writing the column. A television studio has a similar atmosphere to a newspaper, everyone knowing what their job is, and determined to do it to the best of their ability.’

‘Including you,’ she recalled dryly.

‘Especially me,’ he nodded. ‘Juliet—–’

‘Hey, you two,’ Melanie appeared behind them, ‘everyone else has gone through to the lounge for coffee.’

And they had too. Juliet had been so intent on their conversation, so interested in spite of herself, that she had forgotten everyone else at the table, and she could tell by Jake’s almost surprised expression that he had too.

He stood up, pulling back her chair for her. ‘Forgive us, Mrs Dickson. I’m afraid Juliet has been too good a listener. I must have been boring her out of her mind.’ He gave a smile that said he knew she had been anything but bored.

She smiled at him politely, not denying the statement, watching as the smile died out of his eyes, even if his mouth remained smiling.

‘Come into the other room and have some coffee,’ Melanie encouraged. ‘You can continue talking in there.’

Juliet excused herself as soon as they reached the lounge, escaping thankfully to the bathroom. Jake Matthews was very easy to listen to, was fascinating in fact, and without realising it she had enjoyed being with him, had enjoyed his intelligence and humour.

But she wasn’t going to get involved with him. Despite her preconceived dislike of him she knew he wouldn’t be as easy to handle as Ben or Stephen either, all of their attempts at a more intimate relationship duly rebuffed by her. It might be old-fashioned in this day and age to reject physical intimacy, but she did so every time. She wasn’t a complete innocent, but in the true meaning of the word she was, never having met a man she wanted to be that close to. And Jake Matthews wasn’t that man either!

Melanie was waiting outside for her as she left the bathroom, and dragged her into the adjoining bedroom. ‘Well?’ her blue eyes glowed mischievously. ‘What do you think of Jake?’

She wasn’t even sure of that herself! ‘I hardly know the man,’ she evaded.

‘He likes you, I can tell.’

‘Don’t be silly, Melanie.’ Juliet vigorously brushed her auburn hair into gleaming waves and re-applied her lip-gloss, satisfied with her coolly composed reflection. ‘We’ve just been talking, that’s all.’ She turned from the mirror, shutting her small evening bag with a snap.

‘What about?’ her friend asked expectantly.

‘Oh, this and that,’ she evaded.

Melanie raised one blonde eyebrow; she was the complete opposite of Juliet, being small, bubbly and blonde. ‘That?’ she queried suggestively.

‘Not that,’ Juliet sighed. ‘Really, Melanie, I’ve only just met the man! Even you wouldn’t discuss sex with a complete stranger.’

‘I might, if he looked like Jake.’

‘You wouldn’t,’ she smiled. ‘But I really am very angry with you for putting the two of us together,’ she sobered. ‘You know what I think of him and his sarcasm.’

‘Did you tell him?’

‘I certainly did.’

‘And?’

‘And he didn’t seem to mind,’ she admitted reluctantly.

‘Maybe he can take criticism,’ Melanie teased.

‘I should think he would have to,’ Juliet said bitchily. ‘He’s so often wrong.’

Her friend laughed happily. ‘I must go and talk to Michael, he’s dying to know how you got on with Jake.’

‘Don’t bother,’ Juliet mouth twisted, ‘I’ll tell him myself.’

‘But what about Jake?’ Melanie gasped.

Juliet smiled at the other girl. ‘You go and entertain him,’ she opened the bedroom door. ‘Afer all, he’s your guest.’

‘But—–’

‘I’m just going to have a word, in fact a few words,’ she amended pointedly, ‘with your husband, and then I’m leaving.’ She quickly left the room, before Melanie had time to protest any further.

Jake Matthews was talking to one of the other guests, the cricket player he had derided being here, as Juliet made her way over to Michael’s side. But Jake seemed to know of her presence in the room, his narrowed gaze following her progress across the room, watching as she talked to Michael. And that blue-eyed gaze could be very unnerving.

‘You louse!’ she instantly accused Michael.

‘Me?’ he feigned innocence. At twenty-five he had inherited his father’s publishing company, and now, five years later, entirely due to his judgment, Dickson Publishing was one of the few publishers not to be suffering difficulty in this time of high prices and high interest rates. ‘What did I do?’ he grinned goodnaturedly.

‘Not just you,’ she scowled. ‘Melanie helped. I suppose you both thought it was very amusing. And don’t pretend not to know what I’m talking about,’ she carried on as he went to speak, ‘because I know you both too well for that. The two of you make a good comedy act!’

‘Now just calm down, Juliet,’ he patted her arm soothingly. ‘I’d forgotten you were going to be here tonight. Honestly,’ he insisted at her look of outrage.

‘You wouldn’t know honesty if it sat up and bit you!’ she dismissed scathingly.

‘Now, Juliet, that’s hardly fair—–’

‘Fair!’ she cut in crossly. ‘That isn’t in your vocabulary either. Really, Michael, you’re just asking for trouble having us in the same room together, let alone actually sitting us next to each other.’

He shrugged. ‘I didn’t notice any fights that end of the table, not physical ones anyway.’

‘That’s because Juliet is too much of a lady to hit a man in public,’ drawled the now familiar voice of Jake Matthews. He looked down at her as he came to stand at her side. ‘Melanie tells me that you’re leaving, and that you usually get a taxi.’ He took a firm hold of her arm. ‘I’ll take you home, then you can—hit me in private,’ he winked at the other man.

Juliet glared up at him resentfully, although some of her anger was directed at Melanie. She usually left her car at home when she came to one of these dinner parties, conscious of the alcohol level, but Melanie didn’t have to go and tell Jake Matthews that.

‘Let go of my arm,’ she ordered. ‘Will you let go!’ she repeated as he made no effort to do so. ‘If you don’t let me go,’ she warned softly, ‘I’m likely to hit you now, public or no public.’

He studied her mutinous face in silence for several long minutes. ‘I believe you would too,’ he said slowly.

‘She would,’ Michael told him dryly. ‘Take my advice, Jake, and let her go.’

He made no effort to do so, but looked calmly at Michael. ‘If she hits me I’m going to kiss her,’ he revealed softly.

‘You wouldn’t!’ Juliet gasped.

Those deep blue eyes were now turned on her. ‘Try me,’ he challenged softly.

He would do it, she could see that in the steadiness of his gaze, the determination of his jutting jaw. ‘Would you please release my arm, Mr Matthews?’ she requested tightly, hating the use of his superior strength. Unlike a lot of women nowadays she was quite prepared to admit that in physical strength most men were superior to women, although she didn’t believe they were superior in any other way!

‘Jake,’ he corrected huskily.

‘Jake,’ she said through gritted teeth, sure that he was bruising her arm.

‘Certainly I’ll let you go, Juliet.’ She was instantly set free. ‘Now, are you ready to leave?’

‘I’m not going anywhere with you, you—–’

‘I could still kiss you,’ he affably interrupted her angry tirade.

She looked over at the grinning Michael. ‘Well, don’t just stand there,’ she snapped. ‘Help me!’

He was looking at the other man with open admiration. ‘I’ve always wanted to do something like that,’ he spoke almost in awe. ‘But I don’t think Melanie would stand for it,’ he added ruefully.

‘Neither will I!’ Juliet exploded. ‘Mr Matthews, you—–’

‘We’re leaving, Michael,’ Jake once again grasped Juliet’s arm. ‘Say goodnight to your lovely, and helpful, wife for us.’

The last Juliet saw of Michael was as Jake Matthews bundled her across the room and out of the house. She had never been treated so high-handedly in her life before, and was literally speechless as the passenger door of the Ferrari was opened for her, Jake walking around the back of the car to get in behind the wheel, his presence at once overwhelming.

‘Did I bore you that much?’ he asked once they had been driving in silence for several minutes.

Juliet blinked dazedly, her lashes long and silky. ‘Bore me?’ she repeated.

‘Mm,’ he nodded. ‘So much so that you escaped the first opportunity you could.’

‘I didn’t escape!’ Her eyes flashed like a sparkling red wine. ‘I was simply talking to Michael. We were at a dinner party, Mr Matthews, it’s usual to converse with one’s host.’

‘You would have come back to me?’

‘No, I wouldn’t! We didn’t go there together, I saw no reason to stay at your side,’ she scowled.

‘But I saw every reason for staying at yours,’ he smiled that infuriating smile. ‘I like the way you look, Juliet. And I like your spirit. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?’

‘Certainly not,’ she replied irritably. ‘You see, I don’t like anything about you.’

‘Nothing?’ he quirked one dark eyebrow questioningly.

‘Nothing,’ she told him rebelliously.

He slowed the car right down, turning off into a side-road before stopping the car completely. He left the engine running as he turned in his seat to look at her. ‘You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen,’ he said almost incredulously, his hand at her nape pulling her slowly towards him. ‘The colour of sherry,’ he murmured throatily.

She watched him almost as if in a dream, was conscious of his movements and yet unable to stop him. She knew he was going to kiss her seconds before his mouth claimed hers, knew it and yet didn’t fight him. Let him take his kiss, it was easier than fighting him, and she would never see him again after tonight anyway. She waited resignedly, wishing it over.

But the second his lips touched hers she knew this was no ordinary kiss. Jake held her face between his hands as his mouth discovered hers, as his lips probed and parted hers with throbbing urgency, their ragged breathing the only sound in the car, the air between them charged with electricity.

When Jake finally moved back they were both pale, Juliet’s eyes, the eyes that had apparently prompted the kiss, wide with bewilderment. She had been kissed by other men, quite a few in fact, and yet her senses still swam from the impact of this one.

‘Dinner tomorrow?’ he repeated persuasively.

Her hand resting on his chest told her his heart was beating as erratically as her own. ‘What time?’ she heard herself ask breathlessly.

‘Eight-thirty?’

‘Fine,’ she nodded.

‘Juliet …’ he groaned before his lips once more claimed hers.

It was just like before, that same liquid fire in her veins, that same dizzy feeling, as if she had drunk too much champagne. And yet she had only had a couple of glasses of wine, so it wasn’t that. No, it was this man making her feel drunk, with passion.

‘No, Jake!’ She managed to gain enough strength to wrench away, coming slowly to her senses. ‘Please, we’re on view here!’ She straightened her hair.

Jake still held her, his lips nuzzling her throat. ‘Your place or mine?’

‘Neither.’ She moved completely out of his arms, her voice edged with the shock she couldn’t hide. ‘You like to work fast, Mr Matthews,’ she said tautly.

He shrugged. ‘I usually know what I want, and how to get it.’

As he had known exactly how to get her to agree to seeing him tomorrow! She had acted like the besotted fool he had made her feel. ‘Not tonight,’ she told him coldly.

‘Too soon?’

Her blood boiled at his arrogance. ‘Much too soon.’ It would always be too soon for them! ‘My home is the other way,’ she pointed to distantly as she realised where they were parked.

‘Okay, direct me,’ he accepted her refusal resignedly, and turned in his seat to accelerate the car back out into the flow of traffic.

Juliet silently fumed at him as they travelled to her home. Arrogant fool! And she was even more of a fool for letting him affect her in this way.

‘Are you going to invite me in for coffee?’ he asked once they were parked outside her home.

‘Not tonight. I—I’m a little tired,’ she feigned weariness.

One of those long artistic hands came out and touched her pale cheek. ‘All right, Juliet.’ That attractively curved mouth was once more coming her way. ‘God, I want you badly,’ he told her before kissing her with a savagery designed to take her breath away.

But it didn’t. This time she was ready for him, her anger stopping her from responding, the sheer audacity of the man making her furious. He wanted her! And no doubt he thought it would be easy to get her into bed with him. He was in for a surprise if he really thought that. She wouldn’t be taken unawares again.

He moved back, shrugging at her lack of response. ‘As you say, you’re tired. So I’ll say goodbye until tomorrow.’

Juliet hastily left the intimacy of the car, forcing herself to turn and wave to Jake before he drove off. She had been wrong about him, he was a typical male chauvinistic pig if ever she had met one! And she had met plenty of them in the past, although Jake Matthews came a definite first for chauvinism.

He was the type of man she most despised, after all, the sort of man who didn’t think women had a brain, that they were only there to cook and provide sexual pleasure for men. She always liked to be an equal partner in her relationships with men, in fact she insisted on it, and as far as Jake Matthews was concerned she hadn’t been allowed to make one decision for herself. She didn’t know what sort of women he was usually attracted to, but she certainly wasn’t one of those women who were just grateful to be thought worthy of sharing the television personality’s bed.

The telephone was ringing when she entered her flat, and she didn’t need two guesses who it was. ‘Hello, Melanie,’ she greeted dryly, sitting down in the chair next to the telephone, knowing from experience how long Melanie’s telephone calls usually were.

‘Hello.’ Her friend wasn’t in the least abashed that she had known it was her. ‘I just called to see how Jake enjoyed kissing that dried-up old spinster Caroline Miles. He did kiss you, didn’t he?’ Melanie asked excitedly.

CHAPTER TWO

HEAVENS, yes! She had forgotten all about being Caroline Miles in her anger, had forgotten her pseudonym. What a shock Jake Matthews was going to get when he found out he told that ‘dried-up old spinster’ that he wanted her, badly, and had actually shown her how badly. What a lovely revenge on him, on him and his damned arrogance!

It would be sheer joy to see his face when he was told the truth, in fact it was worth going out with him, putting up with his chauvinism, just for the anticipation of being able to tell him that she was Caroline Miles, and that it was her book Mason’s Heritage that he had called ‘romantic rubbish’.

She had watched his programme in stunned disbelief, had read his review with tears in her eyes, hurt by his criticism, and it wasn’t until she had finished crying her heart out that anger had taken over. It was then that she had told Melanie and Michael that if she ever had the misfortune to meet the insulting Jake Matthews she would tell him exactly what she thought of him. Now that she had her chance she would make the most of it, would choose a time when it would have the most effect.

‘Juliet?’ Melanie interrupted her pleasurable anticipation. ‘Juliet, are you still there?’

She had forgotten all about poor Melanie! ‘Yes, of course I’m still here,’ she hastily assured her.

‘Well, did he kiss you? He must have done,’ Melanie answered herself. ‘Michael said he was being very forceful.’

‘Michael also said he wished he dared be that way with you,’ Juliet recalled dryly.

‘He never would be,’ Melanie said confidently. ‘What did Jake think of your being Caroline Miles?’

‘He didn’t think anything—he doesn’t know.’

‘You didn’t tell him?’ her friend gasped her astonishment.

‘No. And I would be grateful if you and Michael would refrain from telling him too.’

‘Why?’ her friend asked suspiciously.

‘Because I’m saving that little surprise for a more appropriate time.’

‘Appropriate?’

‘Yes,’ Juliet dismissed impatiently. ‘Do you know he actually wanted to go to bed with me?’ she revealed indignantly, finding she became angry just at the thought of it. No man had ever pursued her that forcefully on their first meeting before. And she didn’t like it. Jake Matthews had known her only long enough to want her body, certainly not long enough to be interested in the person she was. And how that infuriated her! He would probably have expected her to cook his breakfast in the morning too, before he rushed off to his office, never to be seen again.

‘I gathered that much from Michael,’ Melanie giggled.

‘I mean now, tonight.’

‘Yes,’ her friend acknowledged.

Juliet frowned. ‘Aren’t you shocked?’

‘No. But you are, I can tell. And I always thought you were liberated.’

‘Not that liberated!’

‘Don’t be such a prude, Juliet,’ Melanie chided. ‘There’s nothing wrong in going to bed with a man if it’s what you both want. And Jake’s certainly too old to go in for the hand-holding, gazing-into-your-eyes relationship. So are you, come to that,’ she added thoughtfully.

She hadn’t thought she was. Surely love and romance weren’t completely dead? No wonder she preferred to write about the past, to imagine herself back in a time when men weren’t ashamed to love and protect a woman.

Heavens, what a contradiction she was! She wasn’t prepared to relinquish an ounce of her freedom, not careerwise or emotionally, and yet she secretly longed to be swept off her feet, to be cherished, to be made to feel the most important thing in some man’s life. One of her ideals would have to go, and she had a feeling, in this day and age, that it would be the latter. One of these days she would probably settle down to marriage quite happily, a marriage where she would be allowed to feel an equal partner but would never know what it was like to be the very pinnacle of one man’s existence.

‘Don’t you think a few hours’ acquaintance is rather brief notice of an invitation to bed?’ she asked Melanie mockingly.

‘Depends on the man,’ her friend answered seriously. ‘Jake doesn’t appear to be the sort to waste time.’

‘Well, I think he could have wasted a little more time than he did!’ Juliet said waspishly.

‘Are you seeing him again?’

‘I may be,’ she evaded.

‘Which means you are,’ Melanie said excitedly. ‘And Michael and I are to keep quiet about your writing. Don’t take Jake for a fool, Juliet, that’s all I ask. On the outside he’s perfectly charming, but inside there beats a heart of steel. I also happen to know,’ she added slowly, ‘that there’s a certain Patricia Hall in his life at the moment. She’s a reporter on the same newspaper he works for.’

No wife, but a girl-friend. ‘I’m only having dinner with him, he’s perfectly free to keep—Patricia Hall, I think you said? I have no intention of giving up Ben and Stephen on the basis of one date with Jake Matthews.’

‘It may develop into more than that. If he’d looked at me the way he looked at you …!’

‘You wouldn’t be here alone now, I suppose,’ Juliet teased.

‘Juliet! You know Michael was the first and only man I’ve ever slept with!’ Melanie sounded hurt.

‘I’ll never know how.’

‘Well, really!’

Juliet laughed. ‘Before you explode I think you should know I was only teasing. It’s just that when we were at school you seemed to fall in love every other month.’

‘That’s a slight exaggeration,’ Melanie told her indignantly. ‘And I was never truly in love until I met Michael.’

‘I’ll tell him how loyal you are the next time I see him,’ Juliet mocked gently.

‘Oh, you’re impossible!’ Melanie said disgustedly. ‘I’ll call you on Friday to see how you got on.’

‘Not too early,’ Juliet taunted. ‘You never know, I might not be alone.’

‘You should be so lucky!’ Melanie gave an angry snort before ringing off.

She really shouldn’t tease her friend in that way, but Melanie had always been so easy to tease, pretending a sophistication she just didn’t have. And she would try to run her life for her. Even at school she had arranged blind dates for her. Unfortunately this habit had carried on through adulthood.

Juliet changed into serviceable denims and a tee-shirt, then went into her study to finish writing the chapter she had had to leave earlier. She was writing the sequel to Mason’s Heritage, continuing the story of the Mason family from the late 1800s where she had last left them.

She hated the constant interruptions to her work and found it difficult to get back into the story, liking to choose the moment she broke off from her work, often losing an idea completely if she were forced to leave it for a day or so.

Maybe she should move away from London, away from the interruptions, she certainly had enough money to do that; Mason’s Heritage was very profitable. But she had lived in London for the last seven years, in the same apartment, and couldn’t really see any reason to change.

It was after three by the time she put an end to Chapter Five, and before going through to her bedroom she left the handwritten sheets beside her typewriter to be typed in the morning.

It seemed as if her head had barely touched the pillow, blessed sleep taking over, when the telephone on her bedside table began to ring. The shock of it made her shoot up in bed, a sick feeling washing over her. She snatched up the receiver. ‘Yes?’ she snapped, a painful thumping starting at the back of her eyes due to lack of sleep.

‘Oh, good,’ a familiar male voice greeted. ‘I’m glad I caught you before you went to the office.’

Office? What office? She blinked to clear the sleep from her brain. ‘Who is that?’ she demanded crossly.

‘Forgotten me already?’ the man gave a throaty laugh. ‘That isn’t very flattering.’

Jake Matthews! She had forgotten all about him. ‘What time is it?’ she groaned, collapsing back against the pillows.

‘Almost eight o’clock.’

‘Oh, God. …’ she closed her eyes. No wonder she didn’t feel as if she had been to sleep—she hadn’t!

‘Did I wake you?’ the idea suddenly seemed to occur to him.

She sighed. ‘Whatever gave you that idea?’ she snapped.

Jake gave a throaty chuckle. ‘You should be thanking me.’

‘I should?’

‘Mm, I’ve stopped you being late for work.’

Work? Goodness, yes, he thought she worked for Michael at Dickson Publishing. ‘I wasn’t going into the office today. Is there any special reason for your call?’ Perhaps he was going to cancel their date for tonight. The way she felt at the moment she could sleep the whole day and night away.

‘I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t dreamt you,’ he told her huskily.

‘And?’

‘I haven’t,’ he said with satisfaction.

Heavens, this man was a flirt! No doubt she was supposed to feel flattered by this early morning show of attention. She had to give Jake his due, he knew all the right moves. The only trouble was she wasn’t interested. ‘How did you get my telephone number? No—don’t tell me,’ she sighed. ‘Melanie.’

‘Right,’ he chuckled.

‘Was there anything else?’ she asked distantly, just longing to go back to sleep. Melanie’s dinner party hadn’t just interrupted one day’s work, usually she would have been thinking of getting up by this time, and would have been typing before ten o’clock. She always typed her own work, she found it easier that way. Besides, she doubted anyone else would be able to read her almost microscopic writing.

‘Plenty,’ Jake drawled, not at all put off by her cold manner. ‘But I think it’s a little early in the day for an obscene telephone call.’

A reluctant smile curved her lips. ‘Don’t you have to get to work?’ She refused to show him how much he was disturbing her. His voice was so clear, so close, that it almost sounded as if he were in the room with her—in the bed!

‘Thanks for reminding me,’ he said ruefully. ‘I’d like to tell you to stay just where you are until tonight, but I don’t think you would agree.’

‘You’re right—I wouldn’t.’

‘Shame. Okay, Juliet, eight-thirty, right?’

‘Jake!’ she tried to catch him before he rang off.

‘Yes?’ he answered instantly. ‘You aren’t going to let me down, are you? I had to cancel an important engagement tonight so I could see you instead.’

‘With Patricia Hall?’ she queried sarcastically, feeling more awake by the second, remembering now that he was supposed to have a girl-friend.

‘Melanie is a busy little bee, isn’t she?’ he taunted. ‘I take it she was the one who supplied that bit of information.’

‘You take it right. And if Patricia Hall thinks she has a claim on you I’d rather not get involved.’

‘Pat doesn’t have a claim on me, no woman does. We see each other when we’re both free, which hasn’t been very often lately. My engagement was with one of the guests scheduled to be on my show. I usually like to have at least one meeting with them before we record the show.’

‘And who was it this time?’ Her interest quickened in spite of herself, for she found her fellow writers a fascinating subject.

‘Gregory James,’ Jake laughed. ‘He doesn’t bear grudges.’

‘I hope you’re right,’ she said dryly. ‘Although it could be quite fun to see him take a swing at you in front of the camera.’

‘That isn’t nice, Juliet,’ he chided teasingly.

‘No,’ she agreed, laughing.

‘I’ll see you later—when you can expect suitable retribution.’

Juliet lay back on the bed once he had rung off, wide awake now, her mind racing. Gregory James might not bear grudges, but she did, and in front of thousands of the public would be a perfect time to let Jake know who she really was. The idea mushroomed and grew, until she was sure it could work. It would take a little planning, good timing, and most of all, sheer nerve, but it would be worth it just to see the embarrassed surprise on Jake’s face.

How to arrange it, that was the thing. She couldn’t approach Jake herself, that would give the whole game away, so that left Michael. She wasn’t sure he would play along with something like this. It would be a deliberate move on his part to make a fool of Jake, and Michael was a businessman before he was her friend. Not that she could blame him for that, she was far from being the only author on his books, and Jake Matthews had been known to ruin a book’s sales with a few cutting words, something no sensible publisher would want at any cost.

Maybe Melanie could be persuaded to help; Michael rarely denied his wife anything. But first of all she would have to persuade Melanie!

‘No,’ her friend instantly refused once the idea was outlined to her.

Somehow she had known her friend was going to say that, had known the expensive lunch she had treated her to would be a waste of her time and money. And she had to admit that in the clear light of day, the fog of sleep completely cleared from her brain, that it was a childish idea. It could also have been harmful to her career.

‘I had a feeling you would say that,’ she grimaced. ‘Let’s just forget the idea.’

‘Michael would never stand for it,’ Melanie nodded. ‘Not with someone like Jake Matthews. Has he called you yet? I gave him your number this morning.’

‘I know. And the reason my number isn’t in the book is because I only want the people I personally give it to to be able to use it.’

‘Oh,’ Melanie looked abashed. But not for long! ‘But you didn’t mind my giving it to Jake, surely?’

‘I minded,’ Juliet said dryly. ‘Especially when he called me in the middle of the night.’

‘Don’t exaggerate,’ her friend smiled. ‘He spoke to me at seven-thirty, so it must have been later than that.’

‘Ten to eight is the middle of the night to me,’ Juliet groaned. ‘I don’t think I’ve recovered from the shock yet. I usually manage to crawl out of bed just after nine, ready to start work at ten.’

‘Lazy!’ Melanie smiled. ‘I always get up and eat breakfast with Michael at seven-thirty before he has to leave for work.’

‘God!’ she grimaced. ‘And then what do you do for the rest of the day?’

Her friend shrugged, playing with the spoon in her coffee cup, their meal over. ‘I keep busy,’ she evaded.

‘But how?’

‘I shop, see friends, organise the staff. I keep busy,’ she defended. ‘We can’t all be career-women. I happen to like making a home for Michael.’

‘I didn’t mean to sound critical.’ Juliet touched Melanie’s hand for forgiveness. ‘We just seem to have come a long way from the time you were going to be the best singer in the world and I was going to be the personal assistant and mistress of a millionaire.’

Melanie giggled. ‘You always did have a warped idea of love and marriage.’

Warped? Was it really? She had never thought so. She had a brain, she wanted to use it, and if that meant she could never have the ideal marriage Melanie seemed to have then that was the way it was going to be. Shopping, seeing friends, and organising a household for her husband’s pleasure and comfort was not something she could settle for in her life. Writing was a fundamental part of her life now, and she couldn’t live without it.

But she knew Melanie was happy, knew that she and Michael were planning to start a family, but it just hadn’t worked out yet. But when it did Melanie was going to make a wonderful mother. She wasn’t so sure her own maternal instinct was as strong. There was something missing from her feminine make-up, the fundamental ingredient that made all her friends settle for being a wife and mother while she still clung fiercely to her independence, to her individuality. It seemed to her that marriage was a series of compromises, that you were never truly happy because you could never quite have what you wanted, only what you and your partner decided to have.

Most people would say her attitude was selfish, and maybe it was, but at the moment she hadn’t seen a way of life that had more to offer.

‘You’ll forget this idea of going on Jake’s show, won’t you?’ Melanie frowned worriedly. ‘I’m sure it could be arranged but like I told you yesterday, underneath the charm there beats a heart of pure steel. He would crucify you, probably Michael too.’

‘I’ll forget it,’ she agreed. ‘But you’ll admit it was a good idea?’ she said ruefully.

‘Fantastic,’ Melanie nodded. ‘Although maybe you won’t think so after tonight, hmm?’

Juliet smiled. ‘You’re a romantic,’ she scorned.

‘So are you,’ Melanie flushed. ‘Underneath all that hard-headed career-woman attitude.’

‘And if it isn’t just an attitude?’

‘It is,’ her friend said with certainty. ‘I remember you when you had dreams as silly as mine.’

‘The only difference being you made yours come true.’

‘Yours still could—–’

‘No,’ Juliet shook her head firmly. ‘My dreams didn’t fit in with reality. Goodness,’ she lightened her tone, ‘we’ve become very serious all of a sudden! Do you suppose we’re getting old, we seem to have said a lot of “I remembers” today?’

‘Speak for yourself,’ Melanie scorned. ‘You’re only as old as you feel, and I feel—oh, at least—twenty-four,’ she grinned.

‘Come on,’ Juliet stood up, ‘I’ll drive you home.’

The idea of fooling Jake any more than she already had was mutually dropped. It had been a mad scheme that would probably have caused more trouble than it was worth. Besides, she had Mason’s Fortune to think of. Maybe the critical Mr Matthews would like the sequel to Mason’s Heritage. One could only hope.

The telephone was ringing when she let herself into her apartment and she hastily snatched up the receiver. ‘Yes?’ she said tersely, breathing heavily from her haste from the lift.

‘I haven’t interrupted your work, have I, dear?’ her mother’s voice came very clearly down the line.

Juliet had suspected that the caller was Jake Matthews, he was being very persistent, but she was relieved, if surprised, that it was her mother. ‘I wasn’t working, I’ve been out,’ she explained, once again sitting down in the chair next to the telephone. If anything her mother chattered more than Melanie did!

‘Anywhere nice?’ her mother asked brightly.

‘Just to lunch with Melanie. Is there anything wrong, Mother?’ she asked sharply.

‘Can’t I just call my daughter to see how she is?’ Her mother sounded indignant.

‘It isn’t something you usually do,’ Juliet said dryly, easing her shoes off her feet, flexing the arches as she listened to her mother. Melanie had insisted on going round the shops for an hour before they had lunch, and her feet now ached.

‘No, well, I—I wondered if I could stay with you overnight next Friday.’

‘Next Friday?’ she frowned. ‘Why?’

‘Really, Juliet, couldn’t I just want to visit you?’

‘No,’ she said from experience.

‘Honestly, Juliet—–’

Her mother was as aware of the meaning of the word honesty as Michael was! ‘What’s happening next Friday?’ she sighed, the prospect of her mother descending on her, even for a day, filling her with apprehension. She and her mother invariably clashed when they met, although they could be friends from a distance.

‘Nothing is happening next Friday,’ her mother answered impatiently. ‘Have you forgotten, I’m going on holiday next Saturday?’

She was ashamed to say she had. Her mother was always flitting from one place to another, always in one country or another, financially secure and with a wanderlust that she settled every three or four months by visiting a country other than England.

‘Where are you off to this time?’ she asked resignedly.

‘South Africa.’

‘South Africa?’ she repeated incredulously. ‘Why South Africa?’

‘I’ve heard it’s very beautiful,’ her mother defended.

‘So have I. I just never imagined it would appeal to you.’

‘Well, it does. And I’m taking your Aunt Josephine with me this time.’

Poor Aunt Josephine! Her mother’s sister had lived with them when Juliet was a child, often taking care of her when her mother had gone off on her travels. It had surprised the whole family when Aunt Josephine had upped and moved to London fifteen years ago. Juliet’s mother hadn’t forgiven the other woman for years, although the two of them were now close again, and her mother often dragged the other woman off on her holidays with her. Juliet could only sympathise with her, although her good-natured Aunt Josephine didn’t seem to mind.

‘Why can’t you stay with Aunt Josephine?’ she queried suspiciously.

‘If you don’t want me to stay with you—–’

‘I didn’t say that,’ Juliet sighed. ‘I just wondered what Aunt Josephine had done that you weren’t going to stay with her.’

‘She hasn’t done anything,’ her mother snapped impatiently, ‘except get the decorators in. Honestly, Juliet, only your Aunt Josephine could decide to have her flat decorated the week before we go on holiday. The whole place will smell of paint,’ she added disgustedly.

Her poor aunt would never hear the end of it! ‘Friday night is fine by me. What time will you arrive?’

‘Don’t tie me down to times,’ her mother said in a harassed voice. ‘You know how I hate someone standing over me with a watch. Your father used to do it all the time.’

‘Let’s leave Daddy out of this, shall we?’ Juliet said tightly.

‘If you like,’ her mother accepted lightly. ‘Have either of your young men proposed to you yet?’

‘No, and I don’t want them to either.’

‘There’s no chance of your making me a grandmother, then?’

‘I don’t have to get married for that,’ Juliet taunted.

‘You’d certainly better! Juliet—–’

‘I’m only teasing you, Mother,’ she said dryly.

‘Well, don’t tease about things like that. Your father would have been shocked to hear you talking like that.’

‘Considering Daddy’s been dead for seven years, and you’ve had two other husbands since then, I’m surprised you can still remember how my father would have reacted to anything!’ Juliet drew in a controlling breath after her outburst. ‘I’m sorry, Mother, that was uncalled for.’ She bit her lip.

‘Yes, it was,’ her mother agreed with quiet dignity.

‘I’m sorry,’ she repeated abruptly.

‘You’ve said that.’

‘I—I’ll see you next Friday, then?’

‘Some time in the evening,’ her mother confirmed distantly before ringing off.

Oh dear, she had done it again! She and her mother always argued, no matter how much she tried to hold back her resentment for her mother’s other two marriages. Jim had been first, five years her mother’s junior, and they had divorced after only two years of marriage. The break-up had come as no surprise to Juliet, the passes Jim made at her behind her mother’s back showing her the marriage was not a success. Then had come Robert, eight years younger than her mother this time, although she had somehow managed to outlive him. Juliet lived in trepidation of being presented with a third stepfather, maybe even her contemporary in age this time!

The call from her mother had upset her, and now she somehow had to get into the mood for her evening out with Jake Matthews. Her work had gone to pot today, both her typing and her writing. She would have to make an early start tomorrow to make up for it, otherwise she would be getting behind her deadline, which wouldn’t please Michael.

Dinner, Jake Matthews had said. But where? She had no idea how to dress for the evening, although like most sensible women she had the versatile ‘little black dress’ that was suitable for most occasions. She decided to play safe and wear that; its style was demure enough until you saw the low back, its length just below her knees.

She had a long soak in the bath first, enjoying a relaxing read. She loved to read, but her daily schedule was such that she rarely got to indulge in this pleasure. Today seemed to be an unexpected holiday for her, so she became involved in one of the paperbacks she had been promising herself she would read for ages.

She became so involved in the new Sidney Sheldon novel that she almost forgot to get ready for Jake Matthews’ arrival at eight-thirty. She was reasonably pleased with her appearance, looking coolly attractive, her auburn hair newly washed and gleaming, her make-up light, her manner composed.

Jake arrived promptly at eight-thirty, his gaze appreciative as she opened the door to him. He was very dark and distinguished in a black evening suit and snowy white shirt, looking rakishly attractive.

‘Come in,’ she invited huskily.

‘Thanks.’ He closed the door behind him. ‘I really didn’t dream you, did I?’ He shook his head almost dazedly.

‘My mother would say no,’ she told him lightly. ‘She says I was a very difficult birth.’ The steadiness of his direct gaze unnerved her. ‘I—We both almost died.’ Heavens, he had to stop looking at her like that! She could feel the hot colour flooding her cheeks.

‘Thank God you didn’t,’ he groaned, pulling her effortlessly into his arms and gazing down at her for several timeless seconds. ‘It’s those eyes,’ he spoke almost to himself. ‘I’ve never seen eyes that colour before.’

Juliet licked her lips nervously, unable to break his gaze. ‘I—My father had eyes the same colour.’

Jake shook his head. ‘Not just that colour. Maybe a deep dark brown, but never the same colour. You’re unique!’

‘Of course I’m not,’ she dismissed lightly, moving away from him. ‘Shall we be on our way?’ It was too confined here alone with him in her flat, too intimate, especially as he couldn’t seem to stop looking at her.

‘I’ve booked a table in a quiet little restaurant I know,’ he held up her evening jacket for her. ‘I thought we could talk.’

What about? As far as she knew they had nothing in common except their love of books, and that was perhaps a subject they should stear clear of—she wouldn’t like them to get thrown out of this ‘quiet little restaurant’ for causing a scene. She couldn’t agree with his opinions, or the way he put those opinions across to the public, and she wouldn’t even pretend to do so.

But she needn’t have worried, they seemed to talk about every thing else but books, both of them staying off the subject, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Jake was an entertaining companion, and had lots of amusing stories that he related to her. Juliet couldn’t ever remember laughing so much in one evening, Ben and Stephen never made her laugh like this.

But they didn’t keep staring at her either, something Jake did all the time. There were plenty of beautiful women in the room, Jake’s idea of a quiet little restaurant was vastly different from her own, but he seemed not to notice any of them, keeping his attention exclusively on her.

She began to relax as she drank the delicious wine he had ordered with their meal, although he remained unmoved by it, even the large brandy he had after their meal not seeming to affect him. When she mentioned it he gave a husky laugh.

‘I have so many business lunches and dinners that I’m afraid I’m not as susceptible to alcohol as I used to be. Besides, I haven’t really drunk as much as you think I have, my wine glass was never empty when it was refilled.’

No, it hadn’t been, now she came to think about it. Every time her own glass was refilled Jake’s was only topped up. ‘You’ve made me drunk,’ she accused indignantly.

‘No, I haven’t,’ he smiled, his eyes deeply blue. ‘Maybe a little happy, but not drunk. Melanie told me you don’t relax enough, so I—–’

‘Got me drunk,’ she insisted.

‘No,’ Jake laughed. ‘You’re fine, really. And maybe you like me a little better now, hmm?’

‘And maybe I don’t,’ she said crossly. ‘You’re going to look pretty stupid if I collapse halfway out of the restaurant.’

His eyes twinkled with humour. ‘Do you think you might?’

‘Well, I—I feel all right,’ Juliet frowned. ‘But you never can tell.’

‘I can,’ his mouth quirked. ‘You’ll make it outside.’

And she did, Jake’s arm about her waist as he guided her. Surprisingly she didn’t feel drunk, just happy as Jake had said she would. What a know-it-all he was!

‘Do I get invited in for coffee tonight?’ He turned in his seat after parking the car outside her apartment building.

She thought of her neat little flat, of the incriminating typewritten sheets she had locked away earlier this evening so that he shouldn’t see them and realise she wrote for a living. No, she had left nothing lying about to point to her being Caroline Miles, although it was very late, too late really to ask him inside.

‘You had coffee at the restaurant,’ she pointed out.

‘I happen to like coffee,’ he mocked.

She wasn’t sure inviting him in was a good idea, but it would look childish if she didn’t. She was twenty-four years old, not sixteen, and should be perfectly capable of handling one amorous male. Lord, she was starting to sound like Sophie Mason now, the latest mistress of Mason House—and almost a century separated them!

‘Make yourself comfortable,’ she invited once they were inside her home. ‘I’ll just go and make the coffee.’

Jake eyed her mockingly. ‘You didn’t really think I came up here for coffee?’

Juliet put her jacket away in the hall closet. ‘Whether you did or not, that’s what you’re getting.’ She turned, only to find him suddenly dangerously close. ‘Excuse me—–’ she made to walk past him, her eyes on a level with the cleft in his chin.

His arms came about her. ‘Juliet …!’

She managed to extricate herself from his arms, moving a safe distance away—if there could be such a thing with this virilely attractive man! There was an aura about him, an air of sexual challenge, and it drew her like a magnet. But she had to be sensible. She already had two men in her life, a third would just be an unnecessary complication. Besides, Jake Matthews was the last man she wanted to become involved with.

‘Coffee,’ she insisted firmly.

He grimaced. ‘Do I get to kiss you after that?’

‘Perhaps.’ She went through to the kitchen, conscious of him watching her. He was always watching her! ‘Would you go and wait in the other room?’ she requested irritably.

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