Fantasy Girl
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

NATALIE picked up the green receiver as the telephone began to ring on her desk, pushing some of the clutter out of the way to continue making notes on her pad as she took the call. These figures for the Jackson account just couldn’t wait, not if she wanted to get the bill paid and her own outstanding debts dealt with at the end of the month.

Consequently her response into the telephone receiver was a little distracted. But not for long!

‘Natalie Faulkner?’ The husky voice on the other end of the line was definitely male—and definitely angry! It was a voice that put over a wealth of authority and command in just the sound of her name.

Perhaps Natalie should have heeded that tone, but she was still preoccupied with balancing the figures on this account so that it at least looked reasonably correct. Oh dear, she was hopeless at figures. But Dee, her secretary and general assistant—another name for general dogsbody!—had too much to do in the office already, without the added burden of accounts.

‘Yes?’ she replied vaguely.

‘Miss Faulkner,’ the voice was icy now. ‘You may have time on your hands to waste, but I can assure you I don’t,’ the man rasped. ‘I had to rearrange my schedule this morning to fit in your appointment, the least you could have done was turn up here on time.’

To say she was taken aback was an understatement—she was astounded! Just who did this man think he was, that he could call her like this to rant and rave about an appointment they didn’t even have? Her morning was free, she had made sure of that last night before leaving the office, the model agency she ran from this two-roomed office in an ultra-modern office block, the brown-shaded windows giving the building an added elegance from outside. She had checked on her morning being free simply because she knew she had to make the time to deal with the accounts; her own bills had to be paid, not least of them being the rent and upkeep of this office.

Style, that was what she had been told she needed to open an agency like this—the sort of agency that had the best models, the sort of agency that would attract the best clients in town. And style she had here, with the white and silver furniture in both offices, the comfortably white leather chairs for clients, the more practical chair behind her desk in the same soft white leather, the lush green tropical plants that were arranged about the room in abundance. It was all designed to give the impression of wealth and elegance—and it cost her a small fortune.

She could certainly do without complete strangers—for she didn’t know this man, would have remembered that cold grating voice if she had ever heard it before—calling her up to tell her she had a non-existent appointment with them.

Still, she was in business, and maybe this man was a prospective client. She never turned away customers. ‘I think there must have been some sort of mistake,’ she began in a placating voice.

‘If there has,’ he ground out, ‘you made it. Now, with a great deal of more rescheduling I can give you fifteen minutes in an hour’s time. Be here!’

‘I’m not accustomed to repeating myself, Miss Faulkner,’ he rasped in that husky voice. ‘I explained to your secretary last night that it was urgent I speak to you, and that hasn’t changed.’

Dee! Dee had made the appointment after she had left last night—and she had forgotten to tell her. Natalie found the brown appointment book buried beneath the papers on her desk, found the appropriate day, groaning inwardly as she saw the name written down next to ten o’clock. Adam Thornton! That was all she needed. Her most valued client to date and she had missed her one and only appointment with the head of Thornton Cosmetics and Beauty Aids!

She had hardly been able to believe her luck when Jason Dillman, the head of Thornton Cosmetics and Beauty Aids advertising department, had got in touch with her about a Beauty Girl for the new brand of make-up they were introducing. Natalie had been running the agency for about a year, and had enough work to keep ticking over, but the T.C.B.A. contract had been a real feather in her cap, and for the past six months she had been working closely with Jason Dillman supplying the Beauty Girl and other models they needed for their advertising. It was a lucrative contract, even after the models had been paid, and not one she wanted to lose.

‘I’m sorry, Mr Thornton,’ she was aware of sounding breathless, ‘there seems to have been a mix-up this end. I would be pleased to come and see you at eleven-thirty.’

‘Very well,’ he agreed abruptly, and rang off.

The clatter of the receiver landing in its cradle resounded in her ear, and she slowly put her receiver down. Not a very auspicious beginning to her first meeting with the head of T.C.B.A.! She had known Adam Thornton headed his own company, had even heard Jason Dillman talk of him, but so far she had only dealt with the other man; her role in their advertising was obviously not big enough to attract the attention of the most wealthy man in cosmetics in the country today.

Maybe the successful launching of Beauty Girl, one of her own models, had changed all that? Maybe she was to receive verbal thanks from Adam Thornton himself for finding him exactly the right girl. And there could be no doubting Judith’s success, her photograph displaying the new make-up was appearing everywhere at the moment. And yet Natalie didn’t think that could be it, not when he had sounded so angry. Of course, that could have just been because she hadn’t turned up when he had decided to give her an audience, and yet she didn’t think that was it either. Something appeared to be very wrong, and she only hoped she could smooth it over. She really couldn’t afford to lose the Thornton contract, for prestigious reasons as much as any other. Business had doubled at the agency since Judith had become Beauty Girl.

She stood up, pacing the room, listening for the return of Dee to the outer office; the older woman had gone down to the central copy room to photo-copy several reports. Poor Dee was rushed off her feet too, Natalie knew that, and normally an important appointment such as the one with Adam Thornton would not have slipped her mind.

A frown marred her brow as she continued to pace the room, the accounts forgotten, beautiful enough to have been a model herself, her hair a gleaming black bob framing her face, her skin like magnolia, her eyes neither blue nor green but somewhere in between—aquamarine, some people said, her black lashes long and thick, her nose short and straight, the perfect bow of her mouth painted a vivid red, emphasising its sensual fullness. In fact, she had been a model for a time, but the work didn’t really appeal to her; it didn’t offer enough of a challenge. Well, she had a challenge now, and with one of the most powerful men in the world of cosmetics. Her whole agency could depend on how she put herself over at this meeting.

She checked her appearance in the mirrors that covered all of one wall of her office, making the room appear larger than it actually was and giving an appearance of brightness. Natalie looked as calm and composed as ever, evidence of her model’s training, her figure was slender, although it gave a totally feminine look to the cream tailored suit she wore with the soft black silky blouse, her legs were long and shapely. Yes, she could undoubtedly still o back to modelling if she needed to—but she didn’t want to. She hadn’t liked being used as a glamorous clothes-peg.

She was probably overreacting to the call, it was probably just to discuss Beauty Girl with her, as she had first thought.

She checked her own make-up, the dark shadow on her lids, only the vaguest hint of mascara to her naturally dark lashes, the light foundation to her already flawless complexion, a dark blusher to her high cheekbones, the vivid red lip-gloss to her slightly pouting mouth. The latter needed retouching, and she had just finished doing so when she heard Dee return to her office. Thank goodness, she would have to start for Adam Thornton’s office very soon.

‘Whew!’ Dee put the almost glossy sheets in a disorganised pile on her desk. ‘That damned machine broke down again,’ she wailed, explaining why she had been gone so long. ‘It’s going to take me for ever to get these into any sort of order!’

Natalie could sympathise with the other woman, having experienced the photocopier for herself. ‘I have to go out, Dee,’ she said softly. ‘To see Mr Thornton.’

‘Okay, I’ll just—My God, Mr Thornton!’ Dee turned to her with a stricken face. She was a small blonde woman, very pretty, with a wonderful taste in clothes, the rich rust of her blouse and trousers suiting her perfectly. ‘Oh, Natalie!’ she groaned, closing her sparkling blue eyes in remorse. ‘I completely forgot! He called just as I was leaving last night, and I wrote it down quickly in your appointment book. Tom has this wretched ‘flu bug,’ she spoke of her husband. ‘And what with running around after him all evening, and then—–’

‘Hey, calm down!’ Natalie smiled. ‘No harm done,’ she understated what could turn out to be very awkward for her. ‘We’ve just made an appointment for later instead.’

‘I hope it’s nothing to do with Judith,’ Dee frowned. ‘She missed another photographic session this morning.’

‘Oh no!’ Natalie groaned. Judith’s tantrums were the last thing she wanted to cope with this morning, not on top of everything else.

When Jason Dillman told her Judith had been the one chosen as Beauty Girl she had been a little worried about her unreliability, but he had insisted no one else would do, that it was a direct order from Adam Thornton himself. She couldn’t argue with that.

Dee nodded. ‘Jake called this morning, but you were so engrossed in your accounts it seemed a shame to disturb you. I called Judith’s flat, but there was no answer.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s far from the first time she’s done this.’

‘I know,’ Natalie acknowledged, chewing on her bottom lip. ‘Judith’s turning out to be a problem.’ And she could be the reason Adam Thornton wanted to see her after all, but not for a pat on the back!

‘She’s always been a problem,’ Dee dismissed, sitting down to begin sorting the sheets into order. ‘And I warned you about letting her become Beauty Girl.’

Natalie didn’t mind the criticism. She and Dee had struck up a very close working relationship in the eighteen months they had been together, and that was the way it should be. With only the two of them running this agency they very often had to more or less read each other’s minds. They had been in agreement about Judith’s unsuitability to work for Thornton’s, but Jason Dillman had insisted it had to be her, so Natalie had had no choice. Unfortunately it was working out as badly as she had thought it would.

‘I’ll talk to her,’ she sighed.

Dee raised sceptical brows. ‘Will that do any good?’

‘I doubt it,’ she grimaced. ‘But I will anyway.’

‘When she decides to put in an appearance.’

‘Yes,’ Natalie gave a rueful smile, ‘there is that.’ In the past Judith had only come in to see them when she was getting short of money; the work was always available when she wanted it, but since she had been chosen as Thornton’s Beauty Girl her appearances at the agency had only been social ones, and not very often.

‘I know she means a lot to you, Natalie,’ Dee decided. ‘But I don’t think I’d be crying if she found herself another agency.’

Again Natalie made no comment at the criticism, knowing that it was mainly Dee who had to take the first disgruntled calls from clients Judith had let down, that her own calm to the stormy waters only came after Dee had taken the worst of it.

She wouldn’t be too upset if Judith left them either, she had hoped in a way that Thornton’s would take the other girl over exclusively for an unspecified amount of time. But the contract, drawn up by Adam Thornton’s own lawyers, demanded her services for a year only, and at the end of that year she was free to work for whoever she wanted to. Natalie knew she would come back to her for work, that things were made easy for her there. Not for Judith the effort of a taxing career—work when you have to and play when you don’t, that was her motto—and one she lived by regardless of other people’s feelings. It wasn’t an easy situation for any of them.

Natalie glanced at the plain white-gold watch on her slender wrist. A white-gold bracelet on her other wrist was her only other jewellery, her fingers were completely bare of rings, the nails painted the same vivid red as her lips. ‘I have to go now,’ she looked up. ‘I have half an hour to get to Adam Thornton’s office, that should give me time.’

Dee frowned. ‘But it’s only a few minutes away.’

She nodded. ‘I know. But he was insistent that he could only spare me fifteen minutes at eleven-thirty, so I daren’t be late.’

Her assistant shrugged. ‘I think it will only take you ten minutes, but you go ahead.’ She smiled. ‘Sounds the forceful type, doesn’t he?’

‘At the very least,’ Natalie grimaced her agreement. At twenty-five she wasn’t daunted by much, having confidence in herself and her ability. But Adam Thornton had made her feel like a gauche schoolgirl.

‘I wonder what he looks like,’ Dee mused.

‘Awful—if he’s anywhere near as unpleasant as he sounds!’

‘I found his voice rather sexy,’ Dee grinned. ‘I go for that gravelly sound, it gives an impression of power.’ She grimaced. ‘He’s probably awful, as you said.’

Natalie laughed. ‘Probably.’ She sobered. ‘If Judith should happen to call or come in …’

‘I’ll keep her here,’ said Dee in a hard voice. ‘By force, if I have to.’

Natalie knew the other woman would too, although she put the problem of seeing Judith from her mind, concentrating on what she was going to say to Adam Thornton. She had no excuse for Judith’s behaviour, except perhaps that she had warned Jason Dillman at the time. Not that that was really an excuse, more a way out, and Adam Thornton didn’t sound the sort of man to let anyone out of taking responsibility for their mistakes.

Her MG was parked in the car park beneath the building, and she raised a hand to the man on the gate as she drove the sports car out into the daylight.

Late autumn, the time when all the leaves had fallen from the trees, leaving them bare and grey. The sky was also cloudy and grey, the onset of winter bringing forth an icy cold wind, something Natalie didn’t feel in the warmth of her car.

She drove with a natural ability, her movements in this, as in everything, graceful in the extreme. The epitome of a hard-headed businesswoman she was not, although she could stand out for what she believed along with the best of them.

The trouble was she had no idea what to prepare herself for at this meeting with Adam Thornton! He could want to talk about Beauty Girl, or he could just want to discuss something else completely. Still, she was good at her job, she had managed to convince Jason Dillman of her competence so far, so there was no reason why she shouldn’t be equally convincing in front of the head of the company.

She knew little about the man himself, which meant Adam Thornton either guarded his private life with a vengeance, or else his private life was so ordinary that it wasn’t worth any newspaper writing about it. Natalie decided she liked the second version best; the idea of a middle-aged man with a harassed wife and a brood of children was much less daunting than the frightening picture that had been forming in her mind.

Frightening? She had stopped being frightened of anything the day she turned seventeen and discovered that a glowing smile and shy look from deep aquamarine eyes could melt even the hardest heart, that the soft pleading of her voice could usually get her anything she wanted. Adam Thornton wouldn’t know what had hit him if he proved difficult!

She parked the MG in T.C.B.A.’s private car park, admiring the silver Porsche parked next to it. Adam Thornton, the nameplate attached to the wall read. Her brows rose. Surely a middle-aged man with a harassed wife and a brood of children wouldn’t drive a car like this? It looked as if she would have to revise her thinking somewhat.

Oh, damn the man! She got out of her car, angrily slamming the door to lock it. She didn’t have the time to worry about Adam Thornton, she had a lot of things that needed her urgent attention back at the office, and the sooner she got back there the better.

T.C.B.A. occupied a whole building the size of the one Natalie rented two rooms in. Most of the ground floor was taken up as a reception area, and the heels of her stylish black shoes sank into the sea-green carpet as she walked over to the desk. The girl behind the desk was glamorous enough for Natalie to be able to offer her any number of jobs right here and now. In fact the whole building seemed to be overflowing with beautiful women as she took the lift up to the executive offices, and Adam Thornton’s secretary seemed to be the most beautiful.

‘Can I help you?’ the woman purred, her heavy make-up perfect, just the hint of a wave in her shoulder-length red hair, her eyes were a cool green. Her pale green dress moved silkily against her body as she stood up once Natalie had given her name. ‘Please sit down,’ she invited smoothly. ‘I’ll just go and tell Mr Thornton you’re here.’

Natalie moved with unhurried grace to sit in one of the four black leather armchairs in the luxurious office with the huge poster-size pictures of past advertising on the walls, having no idea how long she would be kept waiting. Ten minutes later she was glad she had sat down, as the secretary was still in with Adam Thornton.

It was a full five minutes after this when she emerged, swaying over to stand in front of Natalie’s chair. She was a woman of about thirty, with a cool sophistication that enabled her to look down her haughty nose at Natalie. ‘Mr Thornton will see you now, Miss Faulkner,’ she drawled, just as if she hadn’t kept Natalie sitting here for the last fifteen minutes.

But Natalie was very aware of it, glancing at her wrist-watch. Exactly eleven-thirty! So it was to be that sort of meeting, was it.

She stood up to follow the secretary, three or four inches taller than the other woman, the heels on her shoes adding extra inches to her already five feet eight inches in height, this fact giving a boost to the confidence that had started to wane during the fifteen-minute wait.

‘Miss Faulkner,’ the other woman introduced with a flourish before leaving the room, closing the door softly behind her.

But introduced to whom? The office looked empty to Natalie. It was the plushest office she had ever been in, with a sitting area to the right of her, with the same deep armchairs as in the office outside, a large drinks cabinet in the same mahogany as the wide desk directly in front of her, a wide black leather armchair with its back turned towards her the only thing remotely out of place. It was smoke spiralling from the latter that told her where Adam Thornton was, although he seemed in no hurry to acknowledge the fact.

Suddenly the chair spun slowly round. ‘You managed to get here this time, Miss Faulkner,’ the deep, gravelly voice mocked harshly, much more effective when not muffled by a crackly telephone line. Dee would have loved it!

Effective was a good way of describing the man himself—or electric. He seemed to fill up most of the wide-backed chair, his height as he sat seeming to indicate that he was extremely tall when standing, the dark grey pin-striped suit fitting smoothly across his shoulders, wide powerful shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist, leanly masculine. But it was his face that was electric, holding her startled blue-green eyes mesmerised. Taken as a whole it was a ruggedly handsome face, dissecting each feature in turn it was the face of a man who looked caged by the bonds of civilisation, it was the face of a savage.

Eyes the blue of an ocean glittered beneath dark jutting brows, a hawklike nose, firmly compressed lips, the cheeks lean and hard, deep lines grooved beside his nose and mouth adding to what she already guessed to be late thirties, early forties, his jaw was square and commanding, the column of his throat rugged, dark hair grew over-long past the collar of the white silk shirt he wore, the grey wings of hair over his temples adding to his distinction. His hands as he leant forward to rest them on the desk in front of him were long and tapered, the fingers on his right hand loosely holding a long thin cheroot, the smoke from which was fast filling the room, the aroma not unpleasant, as wasn’t the subtle smell of his aftershave.

It seemed to Natalie as if she had been looking at him for ever, and yet it had taken only a matter of seconds to notice everything about this man, all the time knowing that she was being subjected to as thorough appraisal herself, the fierce blue eyes giving away nothing of his thoughts.

Her outwardly calm demeanour gave away nothing of the inner jolt she had felt at coming face to face with such a man, although inwardly she was a conflicting mass of emotions. He had the appearance of a leashed tiger, impatient with the bonds of civilisation that meant he had to sit behind this desk, comfortable as it was, and be outwardly polite to someone like her.

But Natalie gave away none of her own feelings, the shock at his appearance, the confusion at his magnetism, meeting his gaze steadily. ‘I’ve already apologised,’ she said smoothly. ‘But if you would like me to do so again …?’ She arched dark brows over aquamarine eyes.

‘That won’t be necessary,’ he dismissed dryly. ‘I’ve already ascertained the fact that you were not informed of our earlier appointment.’

Natalie looked startled. ‘You have?’ she frowned.

He gave an inclination of his dark head, leaning back in the chair. ‘You were surprised by my call, seemed unsure of the mention of our ten o’clock meeting.’ He shrugged. ‘You knew nothing about it, so how could you be anything else? Please, sit down, Miss Faulkner,’ he invited softly.

Natalie sank gratefully into the black leather armchair facing his across the desk, crossing one leg gracefully over the other, uncomfortably aware of the expanse of slim silky leg that was exposed as Adam Thornton rose slowly to his feet, his height seeming to fill the room, well over six feet, as she had suspected, making her feel small and slightly vulnerable.

He moved to sit on the edge of the desk in front of her, his legs long and lean, his thighs powerfully muscled. His eyes narrowed as delicate colour entered her cheeks, leaning sideways to stub out the cheroot in the onyx ashtray with slow, stabbing movements. Suddenly he straightened, his expression harsh. ‘We may as well get straight to the point,’ he bit out, obviously intending to do so whether she wanted to or not. ‘I want the Grant girl taken off the Beauty Girl contract.’

Natalie gasped with the bluntness of the statement, biting her bottom lip as she saw the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. Damn the man, he had enjoyed disconcerting her! But he also meant what he had said; his expression was inflexible. Her head went back in challenge. ‘Why?’

His brows rose, as if he weren’t accustomed to being questioned about his decisions. ‘Do I need a reason?’ he asked coldly.

She doubted this man ever felt the need to give a reason for any of his actions! And yet she felt she was owed one about such an important matter, and whether Adam Thornton liked it or not, she would have one. ‘I think so,’ she nodded stubbornly.

He looked at her silently for several minutes. ‘Okay, Miss Faulkner,’ he finally shrugged. ‘You can have your reason. Your Miss Judith Grant is having an affair with the head of my Advertising Department, Jason Dillman.’

The statement was delivered calmly, without emotion, and it had all the bigger impact because of that, robbing Natalie of speech. Not that she doubted the truth of what he said, she knew Judith too well for that.

‘My married head of Advertising,’ Adam Thornton added pointedly at her silence.

Natalie closed her eyes momentarily. Judith had pulled some stunts in her time, but this was definitely the worst one to date! She had known how important this Thornton contract was to Natalie, and not only did she not turn up for photographic sessions, she was having an affair with a married employee of Adam Thornton’s, something he obviously frowned upon.

A mental image of Jason Dillman came to mind—tall, a very smart dresser, very good-looking in a film-star sort of way, with blond hair and flirtatious brown eyes. He certainly didn’t give the impression of being a married man; he had asked her out several times when they had first consulted together on the choosing of the Beauty Girl. His over-confident charm hadn’t appealed to her in the slightest, so she had turned him down, little dreaming he had turned his attention to Judith, and with much more success by the sound of it.

But she had to at least attempt to defend the other girl. She felt a loyalty towards her, even if Judith had proved by her actions that she didn’t feel the same loyalty. ‘Maybe she doesn’t know he’s married—–’

‘She does.’ ‘She—does?’ Natalie faltered reluctantly.

‘Yes,’ Adam Thornton confirmed grimly. ‘And if you aren’t careful, she’s going to get your agency a reputation for more than just modelling!’

Natalie paled. ‘What do you mean?’ she gasped, very tense.

The blue eyes taunted as he looked down at her, his mouth twisting mockingly. ‘Use your imagination, Miss Faulkner,’ he drawled. ‘There’s a name for models who supply more than modelling.’

‘How dare you!’ Natalie stood up indignantly, and then wished she hadn’t as she stood only inches away from Adam Thornton, dangerously close, she felt as she moved away jerkily.

‘Oh, I dare,’ he drawled hardly, not at all impressed by her anger. ‘And I want it stopped.’

Her eyes flashed as she looked at him, hating the way he could sit there looking so calm and relaxed when he had just accused her agency, her models, of procurement. ‘Then talk to Jason Dillman,’ she snapped. ‘It takes two, you know.’

‘I’m well aware of the facts of life, thank you,’ he snapped coldly.

She could imagine he was more than aware of them, that he familiarised himself with those facts very often. There was an air of sexuality about the man that seemed to indicate the need to indulge in a regular physical relationship. With his wife…? Natalie somehow doubted he was married; she had an impression of a lone wolf, who only returned to the pack out of necessity and not through choice. That impression of a savage again!

‘However,’ he continued curtly, ‘I feel this matter is your responsibility.’

‘Mine?’ she protested.

‘Judith Grant is your model—–’

‘And you chose her for the job!’

Once again his brows rose. ‘Not me,’ he shook his head, his eyes narrowed. ‘Jason.’

‘But he said—–’

‘Yes?’

‘Nothing,’ she snapped, flushing at his sarcasm. ‘All right, Mr Thornton, I’ll talk to Judith—–’

‘You’ll do more than talk to her if you want to keep the Thornton business.’ He stood up to sit back in the swivel chair. ‘You either get the girl to stop this affair now, or we drop her as the Beauty Girl.’

‘That would cost you a lot of money,’ Natalie reasoned, knowing the launching of Beauty Girl had cost thousands.

Adam Thornton sat forward, resting his arms on the desk-top. ‘I can afford it,’ he said arrogantly.

‘Look, what does it matter to you?’ she sighed her impatience. Judith was far from the first girl to have an affair with a married man! ‘So they’re having an affair—–’

‘It matters to me, Miss Faulkner,’ he ground out. ‘And I think it should matter to you—or do your models offer extra services?’ He looked at her with cold blue eyes.

Natalie had never felt so angry in her life, her hand itched to make contract with the hardness of his cheek, although she restrained the impulse with effort. Losing her temper with this man wasn’t going to help this situation at all.

‘Well?’ he rasped at her silence. ‘Do they?’

Natalie’s mouth compressed angrily. ‘I believe I require an apology for the insult you just gave to me and the women who work for me.’ She refused to waver under the steely gaze he directed at her.

‘Does that mean the answer is no?’ he mocked.

‘Yes!’

‘Pity,’ he drawled unrepentantly. ‘I may have had a proposition—for you.’

‘Mr Thornton—–!’

‘All right,’ he put up a silencing hand. ‘If your agency is as innocent as you say it is then I apologise.’ He didn’t look as if the word came easily to his lips. ‘But that doesn’t alter the fact that one of your models is conducting an affair with one of my married employees.’

At twenty-five Natalie should have been past the stage of blushing when a man made a personal remark, and yet she hadn’t expected it from Adam Thornton; their conversation until that moment had been totally removed from themselves. With that one softly spoken comment he had made her totally aware of him, of the aura of sensuality that was part of the fundamental man. And after the insults he had levelled at her today she didn’t like being made aware of him in this way; she considered him the enemy—and he would remain that way! Certainly the less she had to do with him the better.

She collected up her clutch-bag, straightening her shoulders. ‘I’ve told you I’ll talk to Judith,’ she said stiffly as she stood up.

‘And if she won’t listen?’

‘I’ll make sure she does,’ she told him with much more confidence than she felt. She was the last person Judith was likely to listen to. But she had to try!

He nodded dismissal. ‘I’ll leave it in your—capable hands, then.’

Natalie gave one last angry glance at the dark head bent forward as he lit another cheroot, and the man was instantly shrouded in smoke, shielding his expression.

But she was aware of him watching her as she walked to the door, and some of the tension left her once she had reached the relative peace of her car.

But not all of it! How could Judith be so stupid as to get involved with another married man? Only too easily, as she knew from past experience.

It was just after twelve when Natalie got back to the office, and none of the anger or embarrassment she had felt when Adam Thornton made his accusations had left her, although to look at her calm demeanour no one would have guessed at her seething emotions.

Dee looked up from her work as she came into the room. ‘Visitor for you in your office,’ she told her cheerfully.

‘Judith,’ Dee nodded with a grimace.

Natalie strode angrily into her office, closing the door behind her to confront the girl sitting in her chair behind the desk. Her sister, Judith …

CHAPTER TWO

NOT that the casual observer would have classed them as such; their colouring was so different, Judith being blonde where Natalie was so dark, Judith’s eyes were a clear deep blue, with none of the green that made the colour of Natalie’s eyes so hard to define. Their features were completely different too, although both were beautiful. Both were slender too, taking the same size in clothes, as Natalie remembered well from their childhood when her young sister had often borrowed her clothes without asking. But Judith moved with a languid grace she cultivated, while Natalie’s movements more decisive, more purposeful.

The elder by three years, Natalie had always protected her young sister as much as she was able to, although she rarely received thanks for that protection; Judith’s inconsideration for the agency was proof of that.

When they had both moved to London, Judith a year after Natalie, their parents had made Natalie promise to take care of the younger girl. It hadn’t proved an easy task, and the two of them had only managed to share a flat for six months before Judith moved out, claiming she had no privacy. Natalie’s main emotion at her sister’s move had been relief, but unfortunately her parents didn’t feel the same way about it.

When she had opened the agency her worried parents had begged her to take on Judith, and although she had been wary at such a choice she had to think of her mother and father fretting for them back in Devon. Her parents couldn’t possibly know just how necessary that worry was where Judith was concerned; her young sister had seemed to be involved with one unsuitable man after another the last three years. Her parents would be devastated if they knew of Judith’s latest involvement. Well, she would just have to put a stop to it before they found out—and before Judith ruined her. Natalie didn’t delude herself for a moment. Adam Thornton meant every one of his threats to her.

Judith stood up with that languid grace she was so well known for as Judith Grant, model. For some reason her young sister hadn’t felt that ‘Judith Faulkner’ sounded professional enough for her career, and Natalie was now glad of her sister’s conceit. At least it meant Adam Thornton couldn’t even guess at their relationship. How much more scathing he could have been if he had known Judith was her sister!

‘Now don’t frown, darling,’ Judith drawled in her throaty voice, coming round the desk to sit in one of the other chairs. ‘I wasn’t looking through your desk, only trying out your chair to see how you manage to sit behind that desk all day.’ She grimaced. ‘I couldn’t do it!’

Natalie moved to sit in the chair her sister had vacated, knowing that this conversation had to be carried out on a business level and not a family one. It was going to be embarrassing enough without family involvement. ‘Judith, I have to talk to you—–’

‘Oh, not the photographic session!’ her sister groaned. ‘Dee had already lectured me on how irresponsible I am.’

Natalie had completely forgotten the missed photographic session of this morning, which wasn’t surprising after her meeting with Adam Thornton! ‘Then I won’t mention it again, except to say that it shouldn’t have happened. I’m running a business here, Judith, and—–’

‘I thought you weren’t going to mention it again,’ her sister sighed wearily, obviously bored with the subject.

‘All right, I won’t,’ she snapped. ‘Let’s talk about Jason Dillman instead, shall we?’ She watched Judith with narrowed eyes.

If she had hoped to disconcert her sister she was out of luck. Judith looked unimpressed with the change of subject, checking the even application of her nail-gloss with an expression of boredom.

Natalie gave an angry sigh. ‘Judith, are you seeing him?’

Cool blue eyes met hers steadily. ‘Of course I’m seeing him, we work a lot together on Beauty Girl.’

‘That isn’t what I meant and you know it!’ Natalie snapped in exasperation.

‘Natalie, if you mean am I sleeping with the man then why don’t you just come out and say it?’ Judith taunted mockingly.

‘Well, are you?’ she demanded.

‘Yes.’

‘Judith, he’s married!’ Natalie gasped.

‘So?’ her sister drawled uninterestedly.

Sometimes she felt as if she didn’t know Judith at all. It didn’t seem to bother her sister in the least that Jason Dillman had a wife somewhere in the background.

‘He isn’t happy with his wife—–’

‘They never are,’ Natalie derided, and Judith at last gave a self-conscious grimace.

‘Okay, so Kenny was stringing me along,’ her sister shrugged, quickly regaining her confidence. ‘And he only wanted me because his wife was having a baby and couldn’t sleep with him. But it’s different with Jason.’

Natalie never knew how her sister could be so sophisticated in some ways and yet so gullible where men were concerned. She had become involved with Kenny Richards about a year ago, a married man who claimed his marriage was at an end, that he intended leaving his wife, when the time was right. It transpired that Kenny’s wife was very pregnant at that time, and that for the moment she couldn’t sleep with him because of ill health. As soon as the baby had been born and his wife was healthy again Kenny had dropped Judith as if she were red-hot.

‘Is it?’ Natalie said sceptically. ‘Or is he just telling you that?’

‘No, he isn’t just telling me that!’ Judith’s eyes flashed deeply blue. ‘He would have left Tracy years ago if he could have afforded to.’

She frowned. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Putting it crudely, Natalie, it means that Tracy holds the purse strings,’ her sister drawled in a bored voice. ‘And the job at Thorntons isn’t to be sniffed at either. It pays well, and it’s a very important position. I doubt if Thornton would be too pleased if he knew about Jason and me.’

‘Does he want you for himself?’ It was something that had only just occurred to Natalie. She really couldn’t understand Adam Thornton’s interest in the affair otherwise.

‘Heavens, no!’ Judith gave a disparaging laugh, her beautiful face mocking. ‘Adam Thornton interested in me?’ she laughed again. ‘He doesn’t become involved with models. The latest woman in his life is a real live princess.’

‘Well, she would hardly be a dead one,’ Natalie mocked dryly.

‘Very funny,’ Judith taunted. ‘I was only trying to point out that I’m not his type.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Why so interested in him, anyway? You’ve never spoken of him before.’

‘I’d never met him before,’ she sighed. ‘He already knows about you and Jason, Judith. He wanted to see me this morning to tell me about you. He wants it to stop, and he wants you to stop it.’ She met her sister’s gaze steadily.

‘Damn!’ Judith muttered, standing to pace the room. ‘How on earth did he find out?’

‘I have no idea—–’

‘We’ve even been meeting during the day so that he shouldn’t become suspicious,’ Judith continued to talk to herself as if Natalie hadn’t spoken.

‘Jason Dillman is the reason you’ve been missing the photographic sessions?’ Natalie gasped.

‘We had to meet some time, Natalie—–’

‘Not in Adam Thornton’s time!’

Judith’s mouth twisted. ‘It isn’t his time he’s worried about,’ she scorned. ‘It’s his little sister.’

‘Little—sister …?’

‘Mm,’ Judith nodded. ‘Jason is married to Adam Thornton’s baby sister.’

‘And he—You and he—–’ Natalie broke off, too shocked to be able to talk coherently.

No wonder Adam Thornton was so angry about the affair, no wonder he wanted it stopped immediately. His own sister’s husband! Goodness, he had a right to be angry. As she was, with Judith. Her sister had always been wayward, even as a child, going for what she wanted, when she wanted, with little regard for other people’s feelings. But she couldn’t be allowed to get away with this; this time she had gone too far. In the past Judith might have been pampered by over-indulgent parents, but here in London it was different, here Judith would be made to think of others, Tracy Dillman for one, Adam Thornton for another, and lastly her own sister. Judith had obviously not considered the reputation of the agency when she had entered into this affair.

‘How could you do it, Judith?’ she demanded furiously. ‘Adam Thornton’s own brother-in-law!’

Her sister shrugged. ‘I didn’t know that when I first started seeing him, but even when I did it made no difference to how I feel about him. Why should I care whose brother-in-law he is? If the little fool can’t hold on to him then she should let him go, not ask her big brother to interfere—–’

‘You heartless little bitch!’

‘Natalie!’ Judith gasped, stunned by the vehemence of Natalie’s words.

‘Surprised, aren’t you?’ Natalie snapped, her eyes like a stormy wind-tossed sea. ‘You thought your older sister didn’t have it in her to tell you exactly what she thinks of you,’ she drew in a deep ragged breath. ‘Well, I do! You’ve done some things in your time, but this is definitely the worst. Tracy Dillman obviously loves her husband very much, that’s why she wants to keep him. And you come along with your beauty and availability, and—–’

‘That’s enough, Natalie!’ Judith was white too now. ‘I didn’t come here to be insulted!’

‘Then why did you come?’ Natalie’s hands shook as she stood up to confront her sister. ‘Certainly not to work! I want this affair stopped, Judith, or you’ll be taken off the Beauty Girl contract!’

Judith remained unperturbed. ‘You can’t do that,’ she said confidently.

‘Maybe I can’t,’ she ground out, more angry than she could ever remember being before, ‘but Adam Thornton can. He has lawyers in his control who could make you wish you’d never heard of Jason Dillman!’

‘Never!’ Judith denied heatedly. ‘I love him.’

As quickly as Natalie’s anger had risen it now died, her protective instinct as Judith’s sister now coming to the for. ‘Maybe you do think you love him—–’

‘I don’t just think it,’ her sister said firmly, ‘I know it.’

‘But he’s married, Judy—–’

‘Don’t call me that,’ Judith snapped. ‘You know I don’t like it. And just because Jason signed a piece of paper seven years ago it doesn’t mean he’s still married. People change in seven years.’

‘Then why doesn’t he leave his wife?’

‘I told you—–’

‘That he’d lose his job and his wife’s money,’ Natalie derided. ‘I wonder which he’d mind losing the most! You can’t really love a man like that, Judith.’

‘But I do. And I mean to have him,’ said Judith with satisfaction.

‘You have to stop the affair—–’

‘Why?’

‘Because—because it’s immoral, Judith!’ Natalie frowned her exasperation. ‘And Mum and Dad would be shocked out of their minds if they knew about it. And lastly, because Adam Thornton will ruin this agency if you don’t.’

‘Ah, now we’re getting to it! So much for sisterly love,’ Judith said scathingly. ‘This agency means more to you than anything, Natalie. More than me, more than Mum and Dad, more than any man.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘You really should get yourself a man, Natalie—oh, not that weed Lester,’ she dismissed scornfully. ‘I mean a real man. Maybe then you’d understand how I feel about Jason.’

Natalie ignored her sister’s rudeness about Lester, knowing that the dislike between the two was mutual. Lester Fulton had been taking her out for the last three months, and the first time he and Judith had met they had taken a dislike to each other, neither losing the opportunity to make digs at the other whenever they could.

But her sister’s insult about her needing a man did hurt her. She knew Judith considered her to be something of a prude because she refused to discuss her relationships with men, but that didn’t mean she lacked male attention. She had had plenty of men friends the last few years, and the fact that she didn’t talk about them didn’t mean they hadn’t been deep and meaningful relationships. Deep and meaningful—! Who was she trying to delude? She had never been in love, never felt the least inclination to be—and Judith was right about something else; she had no idea how she felt about Jason Dillman, or any other man for that matter.

‘I’m not giving him up, Natalie,’ Judith added vehemently. ‘You can do what you like, Adam Thornton can do what he likes, but I will not give up Jason.’ She swung the door open. ‘I won’t, Natalie,’ and she left quietly.

Natalie put a worried hand up to her temple. She knew her sister of old, and she wouldn’t stop seeing Jason Dillman. What would Adam Thornton do when he found that out?

Judith had certainly landed her in a mess this time. All through their childhood she seemed to have been getting her ‘vulnerable’—vulnerable to her parents, that was!—young sister out of one scrape or another. But Judith didn’t want to be helped out of this one.

She had had no idea this morning when she spoke to Adam Thornton that Tracy Dillman was his sister. Heavens, he must be furious with Judith, and in the circumstances his wish to have her removed as Beauty Girl was mild compared to what he could have done. What he could still do! Judith had refused to give Jason Dillman up, and his threat to drop any contracts with the Faulkner agency was still very real.

Dee came in with the reports sorted from this morning, perching on the edge of Natalie’s desk. ‘She gave you a bad time, hmm?’

‘Yes,’ she sighed.

‘How was Adam Thornton?’ Dee asked interestedly.

‘Arrogant,’ she answered without thinking, blushing as she saw the other woman’s interest deepen. ‘Well, he is,’ she grimaced.

‘Did he match that gravelly voice?’

Did he? Oh yes, he more than matched it, that image of a middle-aged man with a brood of children was completely dismissed. ‘I suppose so,’ she answered nonchalantly. ‘Dee, if he should happen to telephone—I’m not in.’

Dee eyed her curiously. ‘Trouble?’

‘Yes,’ Natalie sighed without prevarication.

‘Judith again?’

‘How did you guess!’

‘It isn’t difficult.’ Her friend shook her head. ‘I know she’s your sister, love, but is she really worth the trouble?’

‘No—but my parents’ peace of mind is.’ She chewed on her inner lip. ‘They have no idea.’

‘Anything I can do?’

‘I don’t think so, thanks, Dee.’ Natalie shook her head, knowing she had to sort this problem out herself. If she could! ‘If you could just keep Adam Thornton off my back?’

‘Will do.’ Dee got off the desk. ‘I think I’ll go home for an hour now and check on my ailing hubby.’ She raised her eyes heavenwards. ‘He’ll probably be half dead, like all men when they’re ill.’

Natalie laughed, but her humour faded as soon as the other woman had left for her lunch. The day had started out so promising, she couldn’t understand how it could have gone so wrong. And she still had these damned accounts to do! She took them wearily out of her desk drawer, all thoughts of her own lunch forgotten.

It was after six when she got home, and the cool calmness of her flat seemed like a sanctuary to her. It wasn’t a very big flat, just one bedroom, a bathroom, large sitting area, and a spacious kitchen, but to her it now represented home, her own home where she could just be herself. She might have acted calm in front of Dee, but today had been a strain for her, no less so because of Adam Thornton’s telephone call shortly after five.

‘He didn’t seem very pleased when I told him you weren’t here,’ Dee told her with a grimace.

He would be even less pleased when he had received the same answer a couple more times. He didn’t come across as a patient man, more the opposite; he seemed to have a leashed power that demanded action. How long that power would remain leashed with regard to the Faulkner Modelling Agency Natalie had no idea.

But she also had no idea what she was going to do about Judith. Her sister refused to give Jason up, and she couldn’t really force her to finish with the man, although her behaviour did reflect back on the agency. But until she had worked out a solution there was no point in talking to Adam Thornton.

A relaxed soak in the bath and she felt slightly better, turning her thoughts to her date with Lester this evening. The two of them had met in the lift at work, the accountancy firm Lester worked for being in the same building as Natalie’s agency. Over a period of several weeks they had progressed from ‘Good mornings’ to actually carrying out a light conversation if they should happen to meet.

When Lester had invited her out to dinner one evening she had been undecided about accepting. After all, a casual conversation was one thing, a whole evening together had been something else. Finally she had accepted, deciding she liked him enough to spend the time with him, liking his tall, dark good looks, the warmth of his brown eyes, the way he always dressed well. The evening had been a success, and was the predecessor of many evenings spent together during the last three months.

Judith’s taunting words of this morning came back to haunt her. Not that Lester wasn’t a man, he could be an ardent lover when he wanted to be, but he certainly didn’t light any fires within her, no man ever had.

She returned Lester’s kiss warmly when he arrived shortly before eight; he was always punctual for their dates.

‘You look lovely,’ he smiled. ‘I’ve booked a table for eight-fifteen,’ he looked at the practical watch on his wrist. ‘We’ll have to leave now if we’re to be on time.’

Natalie liked the way Lester was always punctual for appointments, from promised telephone calls to actual dates. It gave her a feeling of security; in fact everything about Lester made her feel secure, his almost cosetting air making her feel protected. And after being the boss all day it was nice to feel the helpless female in a reliable man’s company.

Although she wasn’t quite so pleased when he offered an opinion as to how she should run her business! He noticed her rather preoccupied responses to his conversation, asking her what was wrong. As soon as she mentioned Judith’s name his expression darkened.

‘I don’t know why you bother with her,’ he scowled. ‘She’s nothing but a worry to you.’

‘She’s my sister—–’

‘Business is business, Natalie,’ he told her pompously. ‘Family loyalties shouldn’t enter into it.’

Judith was the only jarring note in her relationship with Lester, and usually she steered clear of talking about her sister. But she needed to talk to someone about this latest affair with Jason Dillman, and Lester was the obvious choice. After all, he was her boy-friend, they were supposed to share things, even their problems.

Lester gave a disgusted snort when she told him about the meeting with Adam Thornton and Judith’s subsequent refusal to end the affair. ‘Typical!’ he derided. ‘Well, you have your answer, Natalie, Let Thornton dismiss her,’ he said callously.

She sighed, sipping the wine Lester had chosen with their meal. Lester was a connoisseur of wines, and he had chosen this one with care. For all the notice Natalie took of it it might as well have been water! How shocked Lester would be if he knew his talent had gone to waste tonight. But she had too much on her mind to worry about Lester’s pride as an expert on wines.

‘It isn’t as simple as that,’ she shook her head, and pushed her plate away, the duck and green salad not tempting her palate tonight. ‘My parents are relying on me to take care of Judith.’

He grimaced, no sympathy for her in his expression. ‘A husband would do that. A sister shouldn’t have to. And the way your sister behaves she isn’t likely to find herself a husband—only someone else’s.’

Natalie knew the criticism was deserved, that so far Judith had made rather a mess of her life where men were concerned, and yet tonight Lester’s criticism wrankled. She had met his parents and older brother, and she wouldn’t have presumed to say a word against any of them, even if she had found his father to be henpecked, his mother totally domineering and too deeply interested in both her bachelor sons’ lives.

‘It’s time Judith stood on her own two feet,’ Lester continued, not seeming to have noticed her slight withdrawal. ‘She manages to do it most of the time, and only comes running to you when she’s in trouble.’

‘She isn’t in trouble,’ Natalie sighed. ‘And she didn’t come to me. I told you, Adam Thornton called me.’

‘Mm,’ he chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip. ‘He isn’t the sort of man you should cross.’

She already knew that! ‘Do you know him?’ she asked.

‘Of him. I’ve read things about him from time to time in the financial paper I read. He’s a real whizz-kid.’

‘Hardly a kid,’ she derided dryly.

‘No,’ Lester smiled. ‘T.C.B.A. is one of the biggest cosmetic companies in the world. The man’s rolling in money. It was a real feather in your cap that you managed to get some contracts with his company.’

‘It wasn’t a “feather in my cap” at all, Lester,’ she said sharply. ‘I worked hard for those contracts.’ Although with hindsight she wasn’t so sure she had got them through her own devices. Jason Dillman had gone through her display book before committing himself to choosing a model from her agency for Beauty Girl. At the time she had considered it normal practice—after all, he had to see what he could be getting.

But this affair with Judith put a new light on things. An agency the size of hers, exclusive as her models were, wasn’t likely to attract the attention of a company the size of Thorntons. She had a terrible suspicion that Jason’s attraction to Judith might have influenced the acquisition of those contracts, the ones that came after Beauty Girl anyway.

‘I know,’ Lester touched her hand understandingly. ‘And it would be a pity to let Judith spoil it for you. She can’t get involved with Adam Thornton’s brother-in-law.’

‘She already is!’

‘Then stop her.’

‘How? I’ve already told her about Adam Thornton’s threats. She didn’t seem very impressed,’ Natalie derided.

‘Then maybe you and Adam Thornton are going about this from the wrong angle,’ Lester frowned. ‘This Jason Dillman sounds on the mercenary side, maybe he’s the one you should put the pressure on?’

Why hadn’t Adam Thornton thought of that? Or didn’t he have that sort of influence over his brother-in-law? Of course he did. And it was up to him to stop the affair if she couldn’t. She certainly wasn’t going to worry about it any more, and she smiled brightly at Lester as she changed the subject. She could deal with the problem of Adam Thornton tomorrow.

She encouraged Lester to talk about his work, marvelling at his ability to deal with the sort of figures that had become her nightmare.

‘Maybe you should become my accountant,’ she teased him.

‘I don’t think you could afford my prices,’ he answered her seriously. ‘Do you really enjoy running the agency, Natalie?’ he frowned. ‘It seems to me to be nothing but trouble.’

‘I enjoy it,’ she said stiffly. ‘It’s my independence.’

Lester moved closer to her on the sofa, the two of them having returned to Natalie’s flat a few minutes earlier, lingering over their late-night coffee. ‘Maybe I would rather you weren’t so independent?’ he murmured softly. ‘Perhaps I’d like you to cling a little more.’

Natalie gave a nervous laugh, not liking his serious air. ‘Don’t you like career women?’ she teased.

‘Not much,’ he answered bluntly.

‘Lester!’ She moved back to look at him in stunned surprise.

‘Well, I don’t,’ he shrugged. ‘When I marry I want my wife to concentrate on being my wife and the mother of my children.’

That sounded exactly like his mother! ‘Wouldn’t that be a little boring—for your wife?’ she mocked, having visions of herself as another Mrs Fulton. Oh dear, no!

He looked affronted. ‘I don’t think so—Why are you laughing?’ he frowned at her humour.

Because if she didn’t laugh she would cry! This conversation had become too serious for her liking—she had no doubt that Lester saw her as the ‘little woman’ who would stay at home and look after him and the children. She was fond of him, but the thought of being the sort of wife he wanted filled her with horror.

‘I’m only teasing you, Lester,’ she smiled. ‘I’m sure the woman you choose to be your wife will be happy to take care of you and your children.’ But it certainly wouldn’t be her!

‘You think so?’

‘I’m sure of it,’ she said briskly, standing up to put an end to the evening. ‘It’s getting late, Lester …’ she told him pointedly.

‘Oh yes.’ He accepted her words at face value, having no idea of the almost-panic he had caused within her. He put the empty coffee cup down on the table in front of him, and stood up to face her. ‘Lunch tomorrow?’

‘Fine,’ she agreed brightly, knowing she would have to end this relationship slowly if she wasn’t to appear too obvious in her fright.

He bent to kiss her softly on the mouth. ‘Twelve-thirty?’

‘Lovely,’ she nodded, edging him towards the door.

He left a few minutes later—much to her relief. What a day it had been! That awful meeting with Adam Thornton, her sister’s stubbornness, and now she had found out that the current man in her life was secretly a male chauvinist.

And tomorrow didn’t promise to be any better!

Surprisingly her morning passed quietly enough. She had appointments with a couple of clients, ones she had a feeling she was desperately going to need if she lost the Thornton contracts.

She heard nothing from Adam Thornton, and she was loath to call the man herself. If he had already spoken to Jason Dillman and the other man had refused to end the affair, as Judith had, then he could put the ball back in her court. Ignorance was bliss in this case. At least it was peaceful!

A red-faced Dee came into her office shortly after eleven. ‘I don’t think he’s going to be put off much longer, Natalie,’ she said worriedly.

‘Hm?’ Natalie looked up vaguely.

‘Adam Thornton, he—–’

‘Has he been calling?’ Her eyes widened, deeply aquamarine.

‘All morning,’ Dee nodded. ‘At least, his secretary has. I managed to put her off, but this last time he called himself. I don’t think he believed me when I said you weren’t in.’

Natalie frowned. ‘But I—Damn, I forgot to tell you I’d take his call,’ she groaned, cursing herself for her stupidity. She had completely forgotten to tell Dee to divert his calls.

‘You mean I’ve been putting him off all morning and your really wanted to talk to him?’ Dee grimaced.

‘Sorry,’ she said ruefully. ‘Has he telephoned a lot?’ She sat back, her make-up as perfect as always, her hair a gleaming ebony bob, the turquoise of her silky dress seeming to match the colour of her eyes.

‘Half a dozen times at least,’ Dee moaned. ‘And this last time he sounded furious!’

Natalie gave a worried sigh. ‘You’d better call him straight back. I’m really sorry about this.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ her friend dismissed. ‘You have a lot on your mind.’

Even more so now! ‘That may be so, but I don’t have to be stupid with it,’ she derided. ‘How’s Tom today?’

‘The same,’ Dee grimaced. ‘Men!’

It was a statement Natalie heartily echoed. Men! And one man in particular.

Dee buzzed through on the intercom a few minutes later. ‘He isn’t there,’ she told Natalie ruefully.

‘Really? Or is his secretary just saying that?’ It would be just like Adam Thornton to decide not to talk to her now that she had called him.

‘Well, she said he wasn’t in the office before I told her who I was,’ Dee explained. ‘So I would say he really isn’t there. Do you want me to keep trying?’

‘Please.’

A glance at her wrist-watch told her it was almost eleven-thirty. Maybe he had gone to an early lunch. He was probably tired of having to trouble himself with such a nonentity as Natalie Faulkner. She doubted if he usually bothered himself with such things, and wouldn’t have become involved this time if it weren’t for his sister’s happiness.

She had no warning as five minutes later Adam Thornton strolled forcefully into her office, no knock, no call from Dee, just the arrogantly overpowering man suddenly standing in front of her desk.

She had forgotten how tall he was, how dominating. The whole room seemed to be filled by him, and his savagery was even more apparent today, his expression impatient as he looked down at her with steely blue eyes.

Natalie noticed everything about him in that shocked first few seconds—the cut of the navy blue three-piece suit he wore with the pale blue shirt, the rugged handsomeness of his face, the distinctive grey hair at his temples, the black sheen to the rest of his thick over-long hair. Yes, he was everything she remembered—and more.

‘I’m sorry, Natalie,’ a flustered Dee had followed him. ‘He just walked in.’

Natalie was aware of the arrogant challenge in steely blue eyes as she tried to look at Dee. ‘It’s all right,’ she soothed. ‘This is Mr Thornton—Mr Adam Thornton,’ she added pointedly, her mouth twisting at the awed Oh! Dee gave.

He turned to look at the other woman. ‘And you’re the competent young lady who’s been baulking my secretary all morning,’ he drawled huskily. ‘I could use someone like you in my own office,’ he smiled.

Natalie gave a dazed blink as she too was caught up in the charm of that smile, mentally shaking herself to break the spell he was casting. Just because the man looked ten years younger when he smiled, the grooves in his cheeks deepening, the sudden warmth of blue eyes, it was no reason to feel any less nervous of him. This man was dangerous, ruthless, and she would have to remember that.

‘Thank you, Dee,’ she dismissed the other woman, seeing her friend’s grimace of disappointment before she went into the outer office, closing the door behind her. ‘Now, Mr Thornton,’ she looked up at him coolly. ‘What can I do for you?’

He pulled up a chair, lounging back against the white leather, taking his time in answering as he lit one of the cheroots he favoured, having the look of a slumbering black leopard about to spring.

Finally he looked up, his eyes narrowed against the smoke. ‘Well, you can call me Adam for a start,’ he drawled softly. ‘I have a feeling we’re going to be working closely together in future, close enough for you to call me Adam, anyway.’ He looked at her challengingly.

Natalie eyed him warily. ‘What do you mean?’

‘It’s quite simple,’ he mocked. ‘I’ve decided to personally handle any work connected with this company. I would also like to accept any of the fringe benefits you might be inclined to offer with those contracts.’

CHAPTER THREE

NATALIE gasped her outrage; she had never been so insulted in her life before. ‘I run a business here, Mr Thornton,’ she snapped angrily. ‘A legitimate business!’

‘I’m sure you do,’ he seemed unimpressed. ‘But I’m also sure you must realise that my company doesn’t usually do business with an agency as small as this one?’

Her eyes glittered dangerously, her hands tightly gripping the edge of her desk. ‘Are you implying that I told Judith to sleep with your advertising manager just so that we would get the Beauty Girl contract?’ Her voice was soft, furiously so.

Adam Thornton shrugged, perfectly relaxed, blowing smoke-rings up at the ceiling. ‘No, I’m not implying that—–’

‘Good!’ she bit out.

‘But I am saying that this agency got that contract because Jason had already slept with this girl Grant.’ He watched Natalie with narrowed eyes.

She flushed, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. ‘Could you explain that remark?’ she requested coolly.

‘It’s quite simple,’ he drawled. ‘Jason knew this girl Grant before he came to your agency. The two of them met at a party months ago. They were lovers before he even approached you about Beauty Girl.’

‘Oh no!’ she groaned, feeling sick, but knowing it was the truth. It would explain so much.

‘Oh yes,’ Adam Thornton confirmed dryly. ‘Needless to say, I knew nothing about it.’

‘Neither did I,’ Natalie snapped challengingly.

‘Didn’t you think it rather strange that a company the size of Thornton’s should come to you?’ he derided scathingly.

‘And didn’t you think it strange that Jason should use an agency of this size?’

He shrugged. ‘One thing Jason has always been is good at his job. He claimed the Grant girl was the most suitable, so I went along with that.’

‘And I’ve built up quite a good reputation this last year,’ she defended heatedly. ‘It was conceivable that we’d been recommended to Mr Dillman from another company.’

‘Conceivable,’ he nodded. ‘But not very likely. Or were you just so surprised at your good fortune that you didn’t like to question it too deeply?’ The blue eyes were icily contemptuous.

Natalie knew there was a certain amount of truth in what he said, that she really hadn’t been able to believe her luck. But at the time it had been exactly the boost her agency needed, getting them noticed by other companies at the same time.

She looked at Adam Thornton, wishing he didn’t look quite so self-confident, that he didn’t know he was right. But she doubted this man was ever wrong! ‘I’m sure you’ll agree,’ she said stiffly, ‘that the work my models have done for you has been as professional as any of the other agencies you deal with.’

‘Except for the Grant girl,’ he nodded. ‘And we all know the reason she’s inefficient.’ He viciously stubbed out the cheroot.

‘Do we?’

‘She’s too damned busy spending her mornings and afternoons in bed with Jason!’ he rasped.

Natalie paled, swallowing hard. ‘You—you mean you know about that?’

‘I’ve made it my business, now, to know about the whole affair,’ he ground out savagely. ‘I also know that Jason refuses to end it. Did you have any better luck than I did?’ he questioned sharply.

She chewed on her bottom lip. ‘Er—no,’ she admitted.

His mouth compressed angrily. ‘Is that why you’ve been avoiding my calls?’

Wild colour flooded her cheeks, highlighting the strange blue-green of her eyes. ‘That was a mistake—–’

‘I agree, it was,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘You wouldn’t have had to confront me in person if you’d taken my call.’

‘That wasn’t what I meant,’ Natalie snapped agitatedly. ‘I—I told Dee I wasn’t taking any calls this morning—I didn’t think about your calls at the time,’ she invented. ‘As soon as I realised what had happened I had Dee call you back. You’d already left to come here,’ she finished reluctantly, knowing that he would have been less forceful down a telephone line.

His mouth twisted mockingly. ‘I’m not used to being fobbed off in that way.’ He stood up, at once seeming to fill the whole room again, the movement made with the languid grace of a jungle cat. He glanced at his wrist-watch, a plain gold affair that had probably cost a year of Natalie’s salary. ‘Ten past twelve,’ he murmured thoughtfully. ‘Get your coat, Natalie, we’re going to lunch.’

She looked up at him open-mouthed, as much for the fact that he knew her first name as for what he had said. Still, it wasn’t so surprising when looked at logically; he had probably found out all that he could about the Faulkner Agency when he had realised what was happening between his brother-in-law and one of their models. He probably knew everything about her, right down to her bra size! No, she looked at him thoughtfully, he looked as if he had enough experience to be able to guess that without help from anyone.

She blushed as he raised his brows enquiringly. ‘I don’t go to lunch until twelve-thirty today,’ she told him haughtily, knowing she still had those bright wings of colour in her cheeks.

‘Are you the boss?’

‘Yes,’ she frowned.

‘Then you go to lunch at what time you want to. Get your coat,’ he repeated abruptly.

Natalie looked at him with rebellious eyes. ‘Maybe I just don’t want to have lunch with you, Mr Thornton.’

Amusement lightened his eyes. ‘I’m sure you don’t,’ he derided. ‘But get your coat anyway.’

‘I—–’

‘This is business, Natalie,’ he rasped. ‘You surely didn’t think I was about to demand those “fringe benefits” right now?’ he taunted softly.

She drew in an angry breath. ‘There are no fringe benefits!’

‘No?’

‘No!’

Adam Thornton pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘Then maybe I should just try and think of a few I might like from you.’ There was a warmth in his eyes now, where before there had only been condemning coldness.

Natalie couldn’t believe this was happening. Adam Thornton was actually flirting with her! ‘You can think in vain, Mr Thornton,’ she said stiffly. ‘All you’ll get from this agency—from me,’ she added pointedly, ‘is efficiency.’

‘It will do for the moment,’ he shrugged. ‘Now, are you going to keep me waiting much longer for my lunch? I should warn you,’ he taunted, ‘I get even more unbearable when I’m hungry.’

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