First Love, Last Love
Carole Mortimer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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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

‘DON’T wait for me tonight,’ Jane advised. ‘Mr Blair gets back today, and I’m not sure what time I’ll be able to get away. He has a habit of forgetting the time, especially when I have a date,’ she added ruefully.

Lauri looked up at the perfection of her young aunt, marvelling at her cool beauty, her perfectly made up face and smoothly styled black hair, while she was stuck with a cap of baby red-gold curls and freckles on her uptilted nose. She had tried all the suggested remedies she could find in magazines to get rid of the hated freckles, but still they remained, a fine sprinkling of them over her nose and just under her sparkling green eyes.

She was the odd one out in this family, her colouring at odds with both her young aunt and uncle. Jane and Steve, brother and sister, were both dark-haired and dark-eyed, and Steve teased Lauri unmercifully about her ‘carrot-top’, but then he was always teasing her about something.

Lauri’s parents had died ten years ago when she was seven, leaving it up to Jane, then twenty-four, to care for her. Jane and Steve had lived with Lauri’s parents, their brother Robert and his wife Adele, ever since the death of their own parents just after Lauri was born, and so it had seemed perfectly natural for the three of them to continue living together in this house.

Lauri had often wondered if caring for Steve and herself was the reason Jane had never married, although Jane assured her it wasn’t. And she never seemed to be short of male escorts, claiming it was her own choice to remain single.

‘Do you have a date tonight?’ she asked Jane now.

Her aunt shrugged. ‘Robin said he might call round. If it looks as if I’m going to be late I’ll call him and tell him not to bother.’

Lauri heaved an inward sigh of relief. She hadn’t welcomed the idea of possibly having to keep Robin Harley entertained while they waited for Jane to come home. He was good-looking enough, extremely so, but he had a rather serious turn of conversation, often causing Steve to disappear behind a newspaper before his hysterical humour became obvious. Never taking anything seriously himself, Steve didn’t appreciate anyone else who did.

‘So Mr Blair is coming back,’ Lauri mused. ‘Perhaps now I’ll get to meet the man all the girls in the typing pool call the most exciting thing on two legs.’

‘And I thought that was me,’ Steve bemoaned across the breakfast table.

Lauri grinned at him. ‘I think you come way down the list.’

‘And I don’t think you stand a chance of actually meeting Alexander Blair,’ he returned smugly.

‘Why not?’ she pouted. ‘I thought that with my aunt as his personal secretary I stood a good chance.’

‘A good chance of what?’ he teased.

She punched him on the arm, unrepentant at his exaggerated display of pain. ‘Meeting him,’ she said crossly. ‘And then you work in the Sales Department.’

‘As his top salesman. Well … almost,’ he amended at their teasing looks. ‘I was third in last year’s figures,’ he defended.

‘So you were,’ his sister smiled. ‘But then that hardly makes you the top salesman, does it?’ She stood up, collecting her handbag. ‘If you want a lift, Lauri, you had better hurry, I daren’t be late on Mr Blair’s first day back.’

All three of them worked for Blair Computers, and although Jane started work half an hour before her Lauri usually travelled in with her because Steve often went straight to see a client.

‘I’m going into the office today,’ Steve informed them. ‘I have to catch up on my paperwork,’ he grimaced. With his natural good humour and easy-going ways he found his job as a salesman all too easy, it was the extensive paperwork that went with it that got him down. ‘So I’ll give you a lift if you like, Lauri.’

‘When I can drive myself—–’

‘God help us!’ Steve muttered with a groan.

Lauri glared at him. ‘I’m not that bad. My instructor told me last week that he thinks I’m ready to take my test.’

‘What did you offer as a bribe?’ he grinned.

‘Nothing! You’re always—–’

‘Children, children!’ Jane laughed at Lauri’s furious expression. ‘Can you two never stop arguing?’ she chided. ‘Well, I’m going to leave you to it. Don’t forget the time.’

It was a necessary warning. Steve and Lauri tended to forget everything else when they launched into one of their verbal onslaughts.

‘See you later,’ they chorused together as Jane left.

‘Now about your disparaging comments about my driving,’ Lauri turned on her young uncle as soon as they were alone. ‘How would you like to judge for yourself?’ she challenged.

‘Let you drive my car, you mean?’

‘Why not? It’s an old wreck anyway, so it wouldn’t matter even if I did hit a lamp-post or something.’

Steve looked outraged. ‘Gertie is not an old wreck!’

‘Of course she is. I don’t know why you can’t drive a firm’s car like all the other salesmen.’

‘Because I prefer Gertie to a Cortina.’

‘Fancy calling a car Gertie,’ Lauri scorned. ‘And as for it being a wreck—only your door opens for a start, and then there’s the rust, and then there’s—–’

‘All right, all right,’ he cut in. ‘Gertie may not be the prettiest or most expensive car about, but she is reliable. The other chaps are always breaking down in their firms’ cars.’

‘I suppose you were giving Gertie a holiday last week when you borrowed a car from the garage?’ she taunted cheekily.

Steve flushed. ‘I was having the brakes looked at and you know it.’

‘Are you going to let me drive you in to work?’ She stood up to remove the debris from breakfast. ‘Or are you too scared to entrust your precious car to me?’ she goaded.

‘Oh, you can drive.’ He threw her the car keys, pulling on his jacket. ‘I could do with a good laugh.’

Lauri glared at him. ‘I’ll show you! I’ll make you eat your words.’

‘Well, come on, then,’ he grinned. ‘We’d better leave now, the speed you learner drivers go it’s likely to take twice as long to get there.’

They clattered out of the house together. ‘We “learner drivers” take twice as long to get anywhere,’ she said explosively, ‘because we keep to the speed limit.’

‘You’re a damned nuisance on the roads.’ Steve slid across the driving seat and into the passenger seat, the door next to him not having opened for months.

Lauri got in beside him, suddenly nervous for all of her bravado. She looked appealingly at her uncle. ‘You won’t really laugh at me, will you?’

‘No,’ he smiled. ‘But be careful. I know she looks a wreck, but she can travel.’

‘Gertie’ was a low sports car, bright red in colour where it hadn’t rusted away, with humorous stickers on the doors and windows. At twelve years old Gertie did indeed travel, and it took all Lauri’s concentration to keep from going too fast.

‘Mm, not bad,’ Steve murmured as she turned into the firm’s car park. ‘You only made one old lady drop her shopping and knocked some kid off his bike. Not bad at all.’

‘Ooh, I didn’t!’ She gave him a furious look.

That break in her concentration was her undoing. She had slowed right down to enter the car park, but when she returned her attention to the front of her it was to find a two-tone brown and gold Rolls-Royce reversing into a space in front of her. Her foot slammed down on the brake—and nothing happened! Gertie kept right on moving, hitting the side of the Rolls with a thud.

‘Why the hell didn’t you brake?’ Steve turned on her angrily.

‘I did,’ she said indignantly. ‘I did!’ she repeated at his sceptical look. ‘Nothing happened.’

‘That’s damned obvious,’ he snapped. ‘Well, you’ve done it now,’ he nodded towards the other car as the furious driver climbed out from behind the wheel. ‘He isn’t going to very pleased about you denting his Rolls,’ he groaned.

‘He isn’t going to be very pleased?’ Lauri exploded. ‘He had no right reversing up until I’d passed, he could see me driving down this way. Anyway, I should think we’ve done more damage to Gertie than to his car.’

‘I doubt it will cost as much to repair,’ Steve muttered with a groan.

‘Well, we’re certainly not paying for it,’ her green eyes sparkled as she thrust open the car door. ‘It’s all his fault,’ she glared at the back of the other driver as he inspected where the two cars had made contact.

‘Lauri!’ Steve made a grab for her arm as she climbed out of the car. ‘Lauri, for God’s sake!’ he cried after her.

She took no notice of him, marching purposefully over to where the other driver was still bent over inspecting the damage caused by the crash. Lauri brimmed over with resentment. She supposed this man thought he owned the place just because he had that flashy monster of a car. Well, his obvious wealth didn’t impress her!

‘It was all your fault,’ she verbally attacked the broad back and wide shoulders turned towards her. ‘You had no right to be backing up like that when I could clearly be seen driving in this direction.’

Those forceful shoulders had stiffened at her first words of rebuke, and now the dark head rose as the man slowly turned to face her. Lauri was shocked into silence by startling blue eyes, sumptuously fringed with thick dark lashes, a straight nose, a firm uncompromising mouth set in a disapproving line as the man made no effort to hide his haughty disdain for her. His hair was jet black in colour, and styled away from his face to fall just below his collar, inclined to curl but obviously kept firmly in check.

The expensive cut of his suit spoke of extreme wealth, and his arrogant manner indicated that he was a man accustomed to authority. In his early thirties, Lauri would guess, with a wealth of experience to go with those years.

‘So it was my fault, was it?’ the icy contempt in his voice made Lauri cringe. ‘Then how do you account for the fact that your car is smashed into the side of mine?’

Her face was bright red with temper, her freckles more noticeable. ‘I’ve already told you. You—–’

‘Lauri, will you be quiet!’ Steve swung her round, his dark eyes flashing a warning. ‘Behave yourself,’ he hissed.

‘I was only—–’

‘Lauri!’ he repeated tautly. He turned to the other man. ‘I’m very sorry about this—–’

‘Sorry!’ his niece cut in. ‘We’re not sorry at all. And we aren’t paying for it either. He was—–’

‘Lauri!’ Steve’s fingers bit painfully into her arm as he pulled her roughly against his side. ‘Just shut up!’

‘But he—–Ouch!’ she cried out as he increased the pressure of his fingers. ‘That hurt!’ she complained.

‘It was meant to. Just behave yourself.’ Again he turned to the other man. ‘I hope there isn’t too much damage to your car, sir.’

‘Sir …?’ Lauri’s mouth fell open as she stared at the owner of the Rolls. ‘Steve, is he …?’

‘Yes!’ he hissed down at her.

‘Oh, my God!’ she gulped, gazing fearfully at the man she now knew to be Alexander Blair. No wonder he looked as if he owned the place—he did! And she had just accused him of negligent driving, had been thoroughly rude to him in fact. And he didn’t look as if he had a very forgiving nature.

Alexander Blair looked at Steve with steady blue eyes. ‘You know who I am?’

‘Yes, Mr Blair. I—er—I work for you,’ he admitted reluctantly.

‘Really?’ Dark eyebrows rose. ‘And your girl-friend?’

‘I’m not—–’

‘Lauri works for you too,’ Steve cut in on her indignant denial. ‘I really am sorry about your car, Mr Blair. If you send me the bill—Steve Prescott, Sales Department—I’ll gladly pay it.’

‘Very well,’ their employer nodded abruptly. ‘And in future I would refrain from letting your girl-friend get behind the wheel of your car. I’ve invariably found that women don’t have the concentration for it. I’m sure—Lauri, was it?—I’m sure she had her mind on other things, possibly the clothes she’d be wearing for your date tonight,’ he derided.

She gasped. ‘Why you—–’

‘And hot-headed female drivers are the worst of the lot,’ he added dryly.

Steve grinned. ‘I only let her drive me in today so that she could prove what a good driver she is.’

The first glimmer of humour lightened those harsh features as Alexander Blair looked pointedly at the touching vehicles. ‘I would say she has proved the opposite,’ he drawled mockingly.

Lauri’s temper rose at the condescending look in those startling blue eyes. ‘I didn’t prove anything—–’

‘I couldn’t agree more,’ he cut in scathingly.

‘I was going to say anything of the sort,’ she snapped, her mouth tight, caution thrown to the winds. ‘I still maintain that it was your fault. You—–’

‘Get in the car,’ Steve gave her a threatening glare. ‘Go on, get in,’ he ordered. ‘The passenger side. I’ll just sort matters out with Mr Blair.’

‘But, Steve—–’

‘For once in your unruly life will you do as you’re told!’

Lauri flinched at the fury in her uncle’s voice, his anger unusual and so all the more effective. ‘Yes, Steve,’ she bowed her head, studiously avoiding the taunting humour Alexander Blair made no effort to hide. She threw her head back challengingly, walking slowly round to the side of the car that had recently held Steve. She clambered over the low side, not willing to go back round to the door that actually opened.

She glowered at the two men as they talked together, her arms folded mutinously across her chest. Arrogant, condescending, mocking …! How on earth could he be thought the sexiest thing on two legs! She thought he was hateful, very handsome, but hateful nonetheless.

Steve grinned at her as he got back into the sports car, nodding to the other man as he completed the task of reversing the Rolls back into his reserved parking space. The car had a personalised number plate, AB 1, and maybe if Lauri had been given the chance to see this she might have made the connection between her employer and the man who had so haughtily told her the accident was her fault. Her fault indeed! He just hadn’t been looking where he—–

‘Calm down, firebrand,’ Steve teased. ‘You really will have to learn to control that temper of yours, infant. You simply don’t talk to men of Alexander Blair’s calibre like that, especially as our livelihood depends on him. He could have turned nasty and sacked us, you know.’

‘Just for hitting his stupid car?’ she scoffed. ‘He couldn’t get away with that. It would be unfair dismissal.’

‘When you ranted and raved at him like a mad thing?’ His eyebrows rose. ‘I think he would have sufficient reason for getting rid of you.’ He parked the car before helping Lauri out as she slid along the seat. ‘He still could, come to think of it.’

‘He doesn’t know who I am,’ she said smugly. ‘Only that I’m your girl-friend.’ She gave him a scathing look. ‘As if I could fancy you!’ she dismissed disgustedly. ‘Why didn’t you tell him I’m your niece? At least then he wouldn’t have reason to question my taste in men.’

‘You’re a cheeky, outspoken little devil, and if you aren’t careful someone is going to take you down a peg or two,’ he ushered her through the double glass doors that were the entrance to Blair Computers.

‘Not you?’ she scorned.

He sighed. ‘Not me. I don’t have the stamina. It’s going to take a strong man to pin you down.’

‘No man will ever do that,’ she vowed vehemently. ‘I intend staying free of those sort of entanglements.’

The lift stopped, the doors opening. Steve pushed her out. ‘Off you go, infant. And try not to fall foul of our provider again.’ He grimaced. ‘I just hope the insurance people will cough up, I certainly can’t pay for the repairs to a Rolls out of my own pocket. You were right about those brakes,’ he added thoughtfully. ‘They aren’t catching properly.’

Lauri frowned. ‘Nevertheless, I was the one who crashed. You can’t take the blame.’

‘It’s my responsibility. And I don’t want anyone probing into this too deeply, don’t forget we didn’t have L-plates up. Thank God Blair didn’t realise you’re still a learner, he would probably have ripped me to pieces.’

Lauri shook her head. ‘I don’t think he’s the physical sort.’

Steve grinned. ‘That isn’t what I heard,’ he said suggestively.

‘You’re disgusting!’ she had time to shout before the lift doors closed. Trust him to take her words the wrong way!

She could imagine that Alexander Blair could be very physical, given a beautiful woman in the right setting. It made her body tingle and her skin colour a delicate pink at the thought of that handsome specimen of a man in such an intimate situation. She had no doubt he would be a good lover, he didn’t keep his many women just because he was rich.

She had been hearing about Alexander Blair’s life, both business and private, for the last three years, ever since Jane had become his personal secretary, in fact. He was an astute and ruthless businessman, that much she had gathered from the little Jane was prepared to tell, her aunt’s loyalty all to her boss’s privacy, despite Lauri’s interested questioning. His ‘private’ life was a lot easier to hear about; often in the gossip columns, Alexander Blair seemed to change his women at regular intervals, each one seeming to last an average of two to three months. Until he tired of them, no doubt. Her brief meeting with him this morning had shown her that he was a man people rarely said no to.

She wondered what he would look like when he wasn’t furiously angry or being tauntingly sarcastic. Very handsome, with a somehow earthy quality, a hinted-at sensuality in the fullness of his bottom lip and the very deep blue of his eyes. Yes, there was no doubt that if he set out to be charming Alexander Blair could charm anyone.

Except her! She wouldn’t ever be charmed by that insufferable—–

‘Hey, sleepyhead!’ a voice broke into her thoughts. ‘I’ve spoken to you twice and you haven’t heard a word I’ve said.’

Lauri looked ruefully at Diane, one of her workmates in the typing pool. They had apparently been sharing the same mirror for the last five minutes or so as they tidied themselves before the start of the day, although Lauri had been unaware of it, her attention being solely on Alexander Blair. Drat the man!

‘Did you ask your aunt about Mr Blair?’ Diane was obviously repeating the question, her tone patient.

Lauri frowned at the mention of the man she had just discovered she disliked intensely. ‘Ask her what?’

Her friend sighed. ‘Whether he’s coming back today. The place has been dead without him this last month.’

As far as Lauri was concerned it could have remained dead, she could certainly have done without this morning’s incident. ‘He’s back,’ she told Diane firmly.

Her blue eyes widened. ‘He is?’

‘Mm. I just—I saw him in the car park just now.’ She didn’t want to tell anyone she had just made a nasty dent in his beautiful car. She would never live down such notoriety. And Jane would be furious.

‘How does he look?’ Diane asked eagerly as they walked down the corridor to their office.

‘Tanned,’ Lauri grimaced.

‘Well, of course he’s tanned, he’s been in America the last four weeks. What I meant is is he still as good-looking as ever, the sexy devil?’

‘I suppose so. And I thought he went to America to work, not to get himself a sun-tan,’ she added bitchily.

Diane gave her a teasing look. ‘Don’t tell me I’ve actually found someone who doesn’t think our boss is the dishiest male ever!’

‘You’ve found her—me,’ Lauri confirmed.

The other girl’s eyes widened. ‘Didn’t you think he was gorgeous?’ she gasped.

‘He was all right,’ Lauri admitted grudgingly.

‘All right!’ Diane sounded scandalised. ‘My God, girls,’ she addressed the other typists in the room, ‘meet someone who’s immune to the sexy Alexander.’

‘You can’t be!’

‘Surely not, Lauri!’

‘I think he’s lovely.’

‘His eyes are just mesmerising,’ someone else sighed.

Lauri let the outraged comments pass over her, unaffected by her colleagues’ obvious disbelief in her disinterest. ‘I suppose his eyes are quite fascinating,’ she admitted with remembered attraction. Deep blue eyes they had been, fringed by long dark lashes. Yes, they could be called mesmerising, very mesmerising, if they weren’t looking at you as if you were a particularly obnoxious insect that had wandered into his vicinity. How Jane could work in such close contact with him she just couldn’t imagine, although Jane had always maintained that he was a fair man to work for.

‘Big of you to admit it,’ Jeannie teased.

Lauri took the cover off her typewriter. ‘You can’t deny the truth. But looks aren’t everything.’

‘Don’t tell me looks don’t enter into you dating Daryl, because I just won’t believe it.’ Diane sat at the adjoining desk. ‘A big blond, muscular Canadian,’ she teased.

Lauri blushed. ‘He’s intelligent too,’ she defended the boy she had been dating the last couple of weeks, a Canadian of twenty who did temporary work to subsidise his travelling around the world. At the moment he was working in the Accounts Department here.

‘Oh, I’m glad about that,’ her friend laughed. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s really nice, very good-looking, but you must have noticed those looks before you ever found out what a nice person he is.’

‘Mm … I suppose so. But Alexander Blair doesn’t appear to me to be a nice person.’ Far from it!

‘That’s not what his girl-friends think.’

‘Doesn’t the fact that it’s girls, in the plural, tell you anything?’

Diane laughed. ‘Oh yes, it tells me something.’

‘I didn’t mean that!’ Lauri said impatiently.

‘I did,’ Diane laughed again.

‘I’m going to do some work,’ Lauri said crossly. ‘Before Carly starts chucking her weight about,’ she added mischievously.

‘I heard that,’ her supervisor called out, a young girl of twenty who ruled by friendly teamwork rather than by issuing orders.

Laui grinned before bending over her work, the subject of her not liking Alexander Blair forgotten for the moment. At least, by the other girls it was; she was still seething at his high-handedness.

She met Daryl for lunch as usual, and they went to the local Wimpy bar, where Lauri bit hungrily into her delicious hamburger. ‘Mm, I needed that,’ she sat back with a grin. ‘Is there something wrong with yours?’ she noticed he didn’t appear to be enjoying it.

‘It’s all right.’ His Canadian drawl was very noticeable. ‘I’m just not hungry,’ he pushed his plate away.

Lauri frowned, her green eyes troubled. ‘What is it, Daryl? What’s wrong?’

‘You know what’s wrong,’ he told her moodily. ‘Although you don’t seem to give a damn. I go to Ireland at the end of the week and—–’

‘And I’m not going with you,’ she said patiently. ‘I’ve told you before, I don’t want to go.’

‘But if you don’t come with me I won’t see you again.’

‘You don’t have to leave, Daryl,’ she pointed out reasonably. ‘You can always stay here.’

He sighed. ‘My job at Blair’s finishes on Friday. Besides, I’ve already got my fare to Ireland booked, it was booked long before I even met you.’

‘I’m not going with you, Daryl, so you might as well stop sulking and eat your lunch.’

His hand moved to caress hers as it lay on her denim-clad thigh. ‘I can’t think of food when I’m going to be parted from you at the end of the week.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ she laughed lightly. ‘I’ve only known you a couple of weeks, we hardly know one another well enough to—to—–’

‘I’m not asking for more than a travelling companion,’ he persisted. ‘We would have separate accommodation.’

‘At the beginning,’ she said knowingly. ‘I’m not that naïve, Daryl. How long do you think it would be before you suggested we save the expense of the second room?’

His tanned golden skin coloured a ruddy hue and he looked slightly sheepish. ‘I never thought of you as a prude.’

‘Oh, not that!’ she laughed again. ‘You won’t get round me by issuing that sort of challenge. I’m not a prude, but neither am I a sleep-around. We’ve had a good couple of weeks, had fun together, let’s leave it at that, hmm?’

‘I don’t want to.’ His hand tightened on hers. ‘Come with me, Lauri. Please!’

She sighed. ‘I told you, no.’ She pulled her hand out of his. ‘My aunt would never agree anyway,’ she added, as if that ended the matter. She would never go against Jane, loving and respecting her too much to hurt her.

Daryl scowled. ‘She acts more like your mother than your aunt.’

Daryl and Jane had only met once, one evening when Daryl had returned Lauri home rather late, and her aunt had shown her displeasure with the lateness of the hour. They had taken an instant dislike to each other, and although Jane never tried to influence her in her choice of friends Lauri had been conscious of her aunt’s disapproval of Daryl.

‘In a way she is, she’s brought me up since I was seven,’ Lauri bristled angrily on behalf of her aunt. ‘And we were late that night. She had a right to be cross with us.’

‘It was a Saturday, Lauri. You didn’t have to go to work in the morning. And we’d been to a party.’

‘It was three o’clock in the morning!’

He smiled. ‘Some of the parties I go to back home go on until morning.’

‘They do here too, and I’ve been to a couple of them, but not without telling Jane first.’

‘She isn’t your keeper!’ he said resentfully.

Lauri sighed. ‘I’m not going to argue with you, Daryl, not at this late date in our friendship. We’ll just have to agree to differ about the loyalty and respect I owe my aunt.’

‘We weren’t talking about respect. I was just—–’

‘Let’s forget it, Daryl! Please. I’m not going to Ireland or anywhere else with you, and it’s my decision. Now, where are you taking me tonight?’

‘Are you sure you still want to go anywhere with me?’ he said moodily.

‘Don’t be a bad loser,’ she chided, aware that his usual good humour and bland good looks had made him some easy conquests on his travels. She just didn’t intend being one of them. ‘Now eat your food, we have to be back in a few minutes.’

‘I don’t want it.’ He obviously still hadn’t got over his sulk.

‘Moody,’ she teased. ‘Hey, I know, we could go to the cinema this evening. There’s a good film on at the Odeon.’

‘If you want to.’ They moved to pay their bill before going outside.

Lauri looked up at him. ‘Don’t you want to know what the film is?’

‘Not particularly.’

‘Now look,’ she snapped, ‘we can finish this right now if you’re going to continue behaving childishly. And it is childish to sulk just because you can’t have your own way.’

‘You would like Ireland, I know you would.’

‘I’m sure I would,’ she agreed. ‘But I’m still not going. I have no desire to travel. Maybe one day I will have, but not right now.’

‘I’m going to miss you.’

She grinned. ‘I’ll bet—for the first five minutes. Just think of all those Irish colleens and I’m sure you’ll soon cheer up.’

A reluctant smile lightened his features. ‘Aren’t you ever serious?’

‘Not if I can help it,’ she admitted. ‘Steve is the same. We have some lovely arguments.’

‘But not with Jane.’

‘No one argues with Jane. She’s always cool and calm. Perhaps that’s why she gets on with our bossy Mr Blair,’ she mused. ‘She’d just soothe his temper away.’

‘Bossy? Temper?’ Daryl frowned. ‘You speak like one who knows, and yet I thought your aunt never discussed him with you.’

‘He’s back, you know.’

‘Oh, I know. The whole building has been buzzing with it all morning. But as far as I know he hasn’t set foot outside his office. I wouldn’t recognise him if I saw him.’

Neither had she! ‘He was away when we both started with the firm,’ she evaded.

‘Then how do you know he’s bossy and has a temper?’

Lauri shrugged. ‘It stands to reason.’

‘I don’t see why.’

‘Of course it does. The man’s used to his own way—look at all the women he has, and he’s bound to be bossy being in such a position of authority.’

Daryl shook his head. ‘It doesn’t follow.’

‘All right, so it doesn’t follow,’ she snapped impatiently, feeling as if she had done nothing but talk about Alexander Blair all day. ‘Are we going to the cinema this evening or not?’ she changed the subject.

‘We are.’ He opened the lift doors for her, waiting until it began moving before turning to her.

Lauri knew of his intention to kiss her as soon as his arm went about her shoulders, and she lifted her head invitingly. She had always found his kisses pleasant, never allowing him to do any more than kiss her, and she found this lengthy caress as pleasurable as usual.

‘If you’ll excuse me?’ a glacial voice remarked.

Without them being aware of it the lift had come to a halt at Daryl’s floor and a man stood outside waiting to get in. Lauri’s heart sank as she recognised Alexander Blair. And it was obvious he recognised her too, his gaze passing scathingly over her as she still stood in the circle of Daryl’s arms.

‘Sorry,’ Daryl grinned at the older man. ‘Just kissing my girl goodbye until tonight.’

Dark eyebrows rose. ‘Your girl?’ Alexander Blair enquired coolly.

Lauri struggled out of Daryl’s arms, straightening her slim-fitting sweater where it had ridden up to reveal her midriff, and pushing a hurried hand through her rumpled red-gold curls. This was terrible! And poor Daryl could have no idea of who their audience had been.

Daryl grinned. ‘Just for the rest of this week,’ he confided.

‘I see. And then you—er—part company?’ Alexander Blair was obviously weighing up this information, drawing his own conclusions about the closeness of the relationship.

‘Yeah,’ Daryl laughed, ‘I guess we do. The lady refuses to travel around the world with me.’

‘I would think the—lady,’ he drawled the word as if he hardly thought the description fitted Lauri, ‘I would think she’s having too much fun where she is.’

‘You’re probably right,’ Daryl acknowledged. He bent to kiss her briefly on the lips. ‘I’d better get back to work, old Crowther’s prowling about timing everything we do with the boss back in town. See you later, sweetheart,’ he grinned, his good humour back in evidence. ‘See you,’ he nodded to Alexander Blair.

‘No doubt,’ the other man agreed softly.

Lauri hardly dared breathe once the lift doors had closed behind Daryl’s departing figure. This just wasn’t her day! First of all she hit Alexander Blair’s Rolls-Royce, and now he had caught her kissing one of her fellow workers in the lift.

‘That was quite an exhibition,’ he remarked scornfully.

Her cheeks flamed at his insulting tone. ‘It wasn’t meant to be a peepshow,’ she snapped, glaring up at him as he towered over her, his six feet in height reducing her to his shoulder height.

‘I don’t recall “peeping”,’ he mocked.

‘No,’ she agreed angrily. ‘You had a damn good look, didn’t you?’

‘I could hardly do anything else,’ he said coldly. ‘And let me tell you that I’m unaccustomed to summoning the lift and finding two of my employees in a passionate clinch when the doors open.’

‘It wasn’t a passionate clinch,’ she denied heatedly, her green eyes flashing.

‘No?’

‘No!’

‘Then what would you call a passionate clinch?’ he asked softly.

Lauri shrugged. ‘I don’t know. But that wasn’t one.’

‘Perhaps not,’ he said calmly. ‘How would you gauge this?’

Before she had had time to do more than gasp his arms were about her and his dark head swooped as his lips claimed hers in what was definitely a passionate clinch. His mouth moved persuasively against hers, parting her lips with the sensuous tip of his tongue, kissing her more intimately than anyone else had ever done, his hands moulding her to the lean length of his body.

Lauri had never experienced anything like it before, feeling as if the world were spinning, and that all that mattered was that he should go on kissing her. That Alexander Blair should go on kissing her.

Suddenly she was free, and Alexander Blair looked for all the world as if that devastating kiss had never taken place, totally in command in the light grey suit and snowy white silk shirt that both looked as if they had been tailored on to him. His impeccable appearance made her own denims and jumper all the more conspicuous.

‘Well?’ he taunted.

‘Well …?’ she repeated dazedly. ‘Oh,’ she nodded. ‘Er—yes.’

‘Yes—what?’

‘Just yes,’ she said breathlessly.

He smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant smile. ‘Do you always give in on such short acquaintance? If so I’m not surprised at your popularity with my male employees.’

His scorn shocked her out of the sensual enchantment she seemed to have fallen into. ‘I wasn’t saying yes to that!’ she denied hotly. ‘I was just saying that it—that that was a passionate embrace. And given by an expert, I have no doubt.’

‘Insults, Lauri?’

‘You deserve them. How dare you kiss me?’

He gave a throaty laugh. ‘I dare. Your name,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘It isn’t really Lauri?’

She frowned. ‘No. Lauren.’

‘Lauren,’ he savoured it. ‘Mm, I like it.’

What did she care what he liked! ‘I’ve always been called Lauri,’ she said defensively.

He nodded. ‘That accounts for it.’

Long after she was back at her desk the question still plagued her—‘accounted’ for what?

CHAPTER TWO

STEVE sat at the table watching Lauri as she prepared their evening meal. ‘Had a good day?’ he taunted, leaning forward on his elbows.

‘Fantastic!’ she drawled sarcastically. ‘Really great. I crashed my uncle’s car into my boss’s Rolls this morning, had an argument with my boy-friend at lunch-time because I refused to go on his travels with him, and then—–’

‘Yes?’ Steve prompted curiously. ‘And then?’

Lauri’s cheeks were bright red. ‘And then the bus was fifteen minutes late tonight.’ She had no intention of telling anyone about that unexpected kiss Alexander Blair had given her. After all, the kiss had been given as an insult, and although she might have reacted to it the insult had still gone home.

‘Oh,’ he nodded, ‘I see. So Daryl’s been trying to persuade you to take off with him, has he? I’m glad you’ve decided not to go with him.’

‘I thought you liked him.’ She placed a mug of tea in front of him.

‘I do, he’s a great chap, I just don’t fancy him as a nephew-in-law.’

Lauri laughed, going back to her cooking. ‘I don’t think Daryl had marriage in mind.’

‘Really? Then I wouldn’t have let you go anyway.’

‘You wouldn’t?’ She turned from checking the vegetables. ‘You wouldn’t have any say in it if I’d wanted to go. I make my own mind up about things like that.’

Steve shook his head. ‘Not this time. You’re still a kid, Lauri, only seventeen, much too young to make those sort of decisions.’

‘And I suppose an old-timer like you knows all about these things?’ They had always found the eight years’ difference between them faintly amusing, more like brother and sister than uncle and niece.

‘That’s right.’ He stood up to ruffle her red-gold curls into disorder, tapping her lightly on the end of her freckled snub nose. ‘You’re just a baby.’

She grinned. ‘I’m old enough to have crashed your car for you.’

He sobered. ‘So you are. I’m still waiting for Blair to get back to me on that.’

‘Bit early, isn’t it?’

Steve shrugged. ‘I can’t see him driving around in a dented car for long.’

Neither could Lauri. It didn’t fit in with his impeccable appearance. Even after he had kissed her he had remained unruffled. But she didn’t want to think of that kiss—or her reaction to it!

‘Lauri?’

‘Mm? Sorry,’ she snapped out of her daze at Steve’s puzzled look. ‘It’s just been one of those days.’

‘Don’t I know it,’ he groaned. ‘Poor old Gertie will never be the same. The front of her looks—–’

‘Shush!’ she hurriedly interrupted him. ‘I hear Jane’s key in the door,’ she explained at his indignant look. ‘And I don’t want her to know about the accident.’

He grimaced. ‘If she’s seen my car she’ll already know about it, there’s brown paint mixed up with the red.’

Lauri groaned. ‘You didn’t leave it parked outside?’

‘Of course I did. I’m going out later.’

‘Oh God! I’ll just have to hope Jane isn’t feeling very observant. Can you imagine what she would say if she knew I’d smashed into her boss’s car?’

‘I can,’ he grinned. ‘And he’s our boss too,’ he reminded her.

How could she forget it! ‘At least we don’t work for him directly. If he knew I was Jane’s niece …!’

‘Mm, I see your point. Okay, I’ll keep quiet unless directly asked.’

‘Now is that likely? There’s no reason why Jane should make the connection—– Hello, Jane,’ Lauri turned to greet her young aunt. ‘Sit down, love,’ she encouraged, seeing her tired face. ‘You look worn out.’

Jane did as she suggested, literally collapsing into the chair. ‘I look worn out because I am worn out. Thanks, Lauri,’ she took the proffered cup of tea, and sipped gratefully. ‘Mr Blair was an absolute swine this morning.’

‘Perhaps his business trip to the States didn’t work out as he wanted it to.’ Lauri’s look was almost hopeful that that had been the reason.

‘Oh, it wasn’t that, that went fine,’ Jane instantly dismissed, slipping off her shoes to flex her tired feet. ‘No, it was something else that upset him.’

‘Oh?’ Lauri asked innocently.

‘Mm.’ Jane put her head back, closing her eyes. ‘Some idiot smashed into his car this morning.’

‘Some idiot—–!’ Lauri echoed indignantly.

‘Is that what he said?’ chuckled Steve.

‘Mm,’ Jane murmured wearily. ‘God, he’s been impossible to work for all day. He’d just started to get over it lunchtime, but when he came back he was in an even worse mood.’

And didn’t Lauri know it! She might have been the cause of his first anger, but she had been made to bear the brunt of his lunchtime upset. Her mouth still tingled from that onslaught. What on earth would Jane and Steve say if they knew about it? She shuddered to think, especially cool, calm Jane, who always kept men at a distance, including Robin Harley.

‘Maybe his lady-love doesn’t like lunchtime sessions,’ Steve joked.

His sister gave him a reproving look. ‘I don’t appreciate those sort of comments about Mr Blair. He had a business appointment. Anyway, Connie Mears is out of town.’

‘Connie Mears?’ Lauri gasped. ‘The model?’ A vision of a tall leggy blonde instantly sprang to mind.

‘Is there another one?’ Steve quipped.

Lauri glared at him. ‘There could be.’

He shook his head. ‘Not if Alexander Blair is dating her.’

‘I’m sure he isn’t the type to be faithful to one woman,’ Lauri said bitchily. ‘Perhaps some other female turned him down at lunchtime.’ Which would account for his attack on her!

‘Lauri!’ Jane reprimanded. ‘I won’t have you talking like that, even if Steve chooses to.’

‘Don’t be such a nag, Jane. Personally I don’t think Mr High and Mighty Blair merits your unwavering loyalty to him. So far I’ve found him to be simply awful. He’s overbearing, impossible—–’

‘So far?’ Jane frowned. ‘You’ve met Mr Blair?’

Too late Lauri realised her mistake. ‘Well—er—no, not exactly. He—– Oh goodness, look at the gravy!’ She rushed to the cooker, pulling the saucepan off the heat to stop it boiling all over the sparkling white top. ‘Dinner is ready, let’s eat before it spoils,’ she clutched thankfully on to this excuse to change the subject. ‘Go and have a quick wash, Jane, while I serve the food.’

‘That was a narrow escape,’ said Steve once they were alone. ‘If you aren’t careful, Lauri, that temper of yours is going to be what lands you in trouble. I won’t mention who Blair thinks is an idiot, but I think you just might let that out yourself if you aren’t a little more careful what you say.’

Lauri took his advice and remained silent when her aunt came back, listening to their conversation but adding little herself. Jane would be furious if she found out her niece had been driving the car that had so upset their employer, and Jane had quite a biting tongue if she became angry.

They had finished their main course and were just starting on the apple crumble and custard they had for dessert when Steve flashed Lauri a sly look. He feigned a look of innocence. ‘Our little niece was propositioned today,’ he told his sister casually.

Lauri gasped, biting back her fiery retort. What could he possibly know of that kiss in the lift?’

‘Yes,’ he continued softly. ‘Some Lothario wanted to whisk her off round the world with him.’

She almost sighed her relief out loud. ‘Daryl isn’t a Lothario,’ she defended, perhaps more heatedly than normal because she had thought Steve meant Alexander Blair. ‘He’s a very nice boy.’

‘Then why did you refuse to go with him?’ Steve taunted.

Her green eyes flashed. ‘Because—because I’ve only just started my new job,’ she desperately made up an excuse.

He laughed. ‘And you enjoy being a typist so much that it wins hands down over travelling the world?’

‘Anyone would think you wanted me to go,’ Lauri snapped.

‘Will you two stop arguing!’ Jane put her hands up to her temples. ‘I have a splitting headache and all you two can do is bicker all the time.’ She gave Lauri a sharp look. ‘When did Daryl ask you to go away with him?’ she demanded to know.

‘Oh, weeks ago,’ Lauri dismissed. ‘I told him I thought it was a ridiculous idea.’

‘But he asked you again today?’

Lauri grinned. ‘He’s a trier.’

‘As long as he doesn’t succeed,’ Steve quipped.

‘Steven!’ Jane rounded on him. ‘It isn’t something to joke about.’

He sobered. ‘I couldn’t agree more. I told her we wouldn’t have let her go even if she had decided to go with him.’

‘And I told you that I make those sort of decisions for myself.’ Lauri stood up, angrily removing the empty plates. ‘Just because we all live here together it doesn’t mean you can push me around. You act more like my parents than my aunt and uncle. I’m fed up with it all the time. Why can’t you both mind—–’

‘Lauri!’ Steve cut in warningly. ‘Can’t you see Jane’s had enough?’

Her aunt was in fact very pale, and she instantly felt contrite. ‘Go and lie down for a while,’ she moved to her aunt’s side. ‘It might ease your headache.’

‘Yes,’ Jane agreed faintly, ‘I—I think I’ll do that.’

Lauri helped her to her feet. ‘I’ll cancel your date with Robin, shall I? I think you might be better for an early night.’

‘I—–Yes, maybe that would be best.’ For once the fight seemed to have gone out of Jane, dear dependable Jane who had brought Steve and Lauri up single-handed since the double tragedy of first her own parents’ death and then the death of her brother and his wife. ‘But I’ll call Robin and explain,’ she added.

‘And you aren’t going to work tomorrow if you aren’t feeling any better,’ Lauri told her sternly. ‘You can let that bully—you can let Mr Blair find someone else to use as a punch-bag.’ She cursed herself for once again letting her feelings towards that man run away with her.

Jane gave a wan smile. ‘I wouldn’t exactly say he went that far.’

‘He must have been pretty nasty to have reduced you to this state. Now come on—bed!’

Steve had already left when Lauri came back from settling Jane down, so she set about wiping the crockery he had thoughtfully washed before going out. She was worried about Jane, it wasn’t like her to feel ill, and the fact that Alexander Blair had been indirectly responsible only made Lauri dislike him all the more. Bad-tempered, arrogant swine! Jane must be mad to work for him.

Lauri hadn’t known he was dating Connie Mears, that little bit of gossip hadn’t reached the lower ranks yet. Connie Mears and Alexander Blair—however did the poor girl put up with his arrogance? If he kissed the other woman as he had her today then she knew the answer to that. Even while the kiss had not been given to evoke pleasure she had been aware of the mastery and experience behind the caress, so much experience that she had responded in spite of herself.

She blushed in shame at the memory of her reaction. And what made it worse was the fact that Alexander Blair had known of her response, had even taunted her about it. He had made her shiver with pleasure when he had lingered over the use of her full name, almost making a caress of it.

God, she wouldn’t think about him any more! Daryl was more in her league, and he would be arriving in a minute.

It didn’t seem to be Lauri’s week. Yesterday had been disastrous, not least being her argument with Daryl in the evening. He had gone on and on about her going to Ireland with him until in the end she had lost her temper with him and demanded to be taken home.

And now she had stupidly left her purse in Jane’s handbag. She never carried a handbag herself, and her tight denims didn’t allow for the bulge of a purse. She usually pushed some money loosely into one of her pockets. But she had been late this morning, accepting Jane’s offer of a lift at the last minute, a Jane who seemed to have recovered from her tiredness completely, and had just grabbed her purse and run. And now she had left it, and consequently her money, in Jane’s bag.

Thank goodness she had realised more or less straight away; it was still only a quarter to nine, she had plenty of time to get to the top floor, collect her purse, and get back down again before nine o’clock.

It seemed unusually quiet up here, not at all like the rush and bustle that preceded the start of the day on the lower floors. Her moccasin-clad feet sank into the luxurious green carpet; the whole decor up here was complete luxury.

She had no idea which door led to Jane’s office, so she had to walk along inspecting all the nameplates. She had just about given up hope of finding the right one when a door opened just up the corridor from her and she could hear the murmur of male voices. Maybe she could ask the way to Jane’s office—after all, she wasn’t doing anything wrong, and the minutes to nine o’clock were fast ticking away.

A man came out of the office and shut the door after him, bending over the papers he held in his hand. His head might be bent and his face partly hidden, but Lauri would recognise that thick dark hair, wide expanse of shoulders in the tailored cream suit and contrasting brown shirt anywhere. Alexander Blair!

As if becoming aware of someone watching him he slowly raised his head, deep blue eyes widening with recognition. ‘You!’ he rasped, reaching her side in two long strides. He grasped her arm. ‘What are you doing up here?’

‘I—–’

‘Lost your way?’ he taunted.

‘Certainly not!’ Her face flushed angrily. ‘Actually, I—I was looking for you.’ Oh, what had she said now? But she could hardly tell him the truth, not when she didn’t want him to know the connection between his secretary and herself.

His eyebrows rose. ‘For me?’

‘Er—yes.’ Now what did she say?

‘Well?’ His stance was challenging. ‘Now you’ve found me.’

‘Yes,’ she acknowledged huskily.

‘So?’ His eyes were narrowed. ‘What can I do for you?’

What could he do? She thought rapidly. ‘It’s what I can do for you,’ she said breathlessly.

‘Really?’ his voice taunted, a humourless smile to his lips. ‘Isn’t it a little early in the day to be making those sort of suggestions?’

Her face flushed fiery red at his jibe. ‘I didn’t mean it like that and you know it!’ she snapped.

‘Do I? And why should I know that? You seem to have two boy-friends that I know of, possibly more, and I made the mistake of kissing you yesterday. Maybe you’ve come to continue where we left off.’

‘No, I haven’t! And I don’t have two boy-friends! As for that kiss, you can’t think it any more a mistake than I do.’

‘That wasn’t the impression you gave yesterday,’ he drawled.

‘Why, you arrogant—–! How dare you!’ Her hands clenched at her sides. ‘You forced me to kiss you back,’ she accused. ‘I didn’t have any choice in the matter.’

‘A lady always has a choice,’ he taunted. ‘Although you could hardly be classed as a lady, not even a young lady, more like a girl really. How old are you?’

Lauri was so startled by the question she replied instantly. ‘Seventeen—nearly eighteen,’ she added defensively.

His eyes narrowed. ‘How nearly?’

‘Nearly!’ she repeated resentfully.

‘Which means you’ve only just turned seventeen.’ He watched the guilty colour enter her cheeks. ‘I thought so. Aren’t you a little young to be doing this sort of thing?’

Lauri frowned. ‘What sort of thing?’

‘Chasing men, especially one twice your age.’

‘I am not chasing—– Are you really that old?’ she asked insultingly.

His mouth tightened. ‘Or you’re that young, it depends which way you look at it.’

‘That makes you as old as my aunt,’ she said thoughtfully.

‘Really?’ He looked down impatiently at his wrist-watch, a plain gold affair, more indicative of his wealth than a flashy one would have been. People who were as rich as he was never needed to flaunt it, it was just there in their every movement, every word. ‘Now what did you want to see me about?’

‘Your car,’ she feverishly grasped for something to say. ‘I—er—I wanted to know if you’d had anything done about it yet,’ she explained with a certain amount of triumph, pleased with herself for thinking of something so quickly.

‘As it happens I have. But I thought your boy-friend was dealing with that?’

‘He isn’t my boy-friend!’ she said crossly. ‘He—he’s a friend, that’s all.’

‘And do all your boy-friends later become just friends?’

She drew an angry breath. ‘He’s always been just a friend.’

‘That takes care of him,’ he remarked thoughtfully. ‘And the other boy-friend departs at the end of the week. Would that be Saturday?’

‘Morning,’ she nodded. ‘But—–’

‘Then that leaves you free to have dinner with me on Saturday evening.’

Her eyes became huge in her surprise and disbelief. ‘I—I beg your pardon? What did you say?’

‘Isn’t dinner suitable? Or are you one of these females who makes do with a cracker and an apple?’

‘I’ve always had a healthy appetite. But—–’

‘Then dinner it is.’ He gave another glance at his watch. ‘I have to get to a meeting now, so if you’ll just tell me where you live I can be on my way.’

Lauri shook her head dazedly, searching his arrogant features for some sign of mockery. The mouth looked impatient, the eyes questioning, but as far as she could see there was no mockery there. ‘Who says I want to have dinner with you?’ she demanded, annoyed with his assumption in thinking she would agree.

He sighed. ‘Don’t you?’

‘Not particularly. Just because your girl-friend is out of town it doesn’t mean I’m willing to—–’

‘It would appear you aren’t willing to do anything without an argument,’ he said tersely. ‘I made the suggestion in the hope that we might come to some agreement over the payment for the damage to my car.’ He shrugged. ‘But if you would rather it went through the insurance agents that’s just fine by me. Of course, you may have a little difficulty explaining to the police what you were doing driving without L-plates, but then that’s your choice.’

Lauri’s mouth gaped open. ‘You know?’ she asked in a whisper.

‘That you’re a learner? If I didn’t before I do now. You just confirmed my suspicions.’

‘Why, you—– That wasn’t fair! You tricked me!’

‘Not really,’ he said calmly. ‘It was a natural assumption to make. Your driving leaves a lot to be desired, and by your own admission you’re only just seventeen.’ He eyed her mockingly. ‘So it would be very doubtful if you’d already passed the driving test, not with the way our system works. I took a shot in the dark and it paid off. Your friend is a braver man than I to allow you to drive his car.’

Lauri blushed at the sarcasm in his voice. ‘I don’t suppose you ever let anyone drive you.’

‘Never. Not even the girl-friend you say is out of town. Tell me,’ he taunted, ‘who is she?’

‘You must know who she is! I wish you’d stop treating me like an idiot.’ She glared angrily as she realised that was exactly what he had called her to Jane. ‘You may think that’s what I am, but that doesn’t mean you have to treat me like one. Everyone knows you’re seeing Connie Mears.’ A slight exaggeration here, but she felt she could be forgiven it.

‘Then “everyone” is wrong. Do the gossips have nothing better to do than make up stories to colour their day?’

No doubt he considered her to be one of the gossips! ‘I got my information from a reliable source,’ she said defensively.

‘Then it’s a little dated,’ he returned coldly. ‘Connie and I finished weeks ago.’

‘Oh. I—I didn’t know that.’

He gave her a long slow appraisal, making her blush from head to toe at the undisguised insolence in those deep blue eyes. ‘There’s no reason why you should know. And I wouldn’t consider you a suitable replacement in any case. I was hardly asking you for a date, Lauren, just trying to work this thing out like two reasonable adult—people,’ he amended tauntingly.

‘I am an adult!’

‘You don’t act like one. Look, I couldn’t give a damn whether this goes through the police or not, it’s completely up to you.’

He obviously felt he had wasted enough time on her for one day. But Lauri couldn’t let him go like this. ‘Do the police have to be involved?’ She despised herself for that almost pleading quality in her voice.

‘I told you, that’s up to you.’

‘You said you wanted to discuss terms,’ Lauri said suspiciously. ‘What sort of terms?’

‘Not those sort anyway.’ He gave a harsh laugh. ‘Credit me with some sense, Lauren,’ he snapped. ‘I’m hardly likely to want to seduce a teenager.’

‘But—–’

‘Oh, forget it, Lauren!’ he said angrily. ‘I don’t have any more time to discuss it. I don’t know why the hell I should help you out anyway.’ He turned on his heel and walked off.

‘Mr Blair!’ Lauri ran after him. ‘Mr Blair, please—–’

He either didn’t hear her or didn’t want to hear her, opening a door farther up the corridor and slamming the door in Lauri’s face as she would have followed him inside. She had deserved that, she thought dully. Like he said, why should he help her? But he had been willing to, and she had thrown his offer back in his face.

She started guiltily as she heard the ascent of the lift, and turned to confront her aunt. ‘Jane!’ she sighed her relief that it wasn’t someone else of importance who might also demand to know what she was doing up here.

‘Lauri!’ Jane looked shocked. ‘You shouldn’t be up here.’

Lauri sighed, wishing she had never dared to brave the top floor. ‘I know.’

‘Then why are you?’ Jane was obviously agitated by her presence here, looking about her almost guiltily. ‘If Mr Blair or one of the managers should see you you’d have a hard time explaining what you’re doing wandering around up here.’

She already had! ‘You’ve got my purse,’ she said by way of explanation.

‘I know that.’ Jane held it out to her. ‘I went downstairs to give it to you as soon as I realised.’

‘We must have missed each other.’ Lauri took the purse. ‘I’ll have to go now, I’m late as it is.’

‘But, Lauri—–’

She dived into the waiting lift, pressing the button. ‘See you later,’ she had time to call before the doors closed.

Phew! That was a narrow escape. Thank goodness Jane hadn’t probed too deeply into why she had been standing aimlessly about in the corridor. If she had Lauri might have had to reveal that she had called the owner of the company arrogant, had accused him of being insulting, and of tricking her into revealing that she was a learner driver.

She might also have inadvertently revealed that Alexander Blair had invited her out to dinner, although invited was perhaps the wrong word to use. It had been an order, but a strange one, despite his assertion that he wanted to discuss terms for payment on the damage to his car. Terms! What could he mean by that? He had been furious at her assumption that he had any but the best intentions in mind, but she didn’t think it could have been an entirely innocent suggestion. How on earth could she pay him back, unless he intended taking it from her wages, a little each week?

Perhaps that was what he had in mind, although surely he didn’t need to invite her out to dinner to discuss that. Maybe he was at a loose end and wanted someone to amuse him for a few hours. And she had to admit, she certainly seemed to amuse him. Whatever his reason, she shouldn’t have turned him down. He could make things pretty awkward for the whole of her family if he chose to.

It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that she decided to accept his dinner invitation. The trouble was telling him she had accepted!

She walked casually up to Carly’s desk as she sat in her sectioned-off office, the partition walls consisting mainly of windows so that she could see what was going on in the outer office.

‘Is there something wrong?’ Carly looked up from the holiday rota she was working on.

‘Er—no, not really. I—– Do you think I could use your telephone?’ she said in a rush. ‘I know you’ve said in the past that we can, but I’ve never needed to bother before.’

‘Of course you can,’ Carly stood up to vacate the office to give her privacy for the call. ‘Give me a shout when you’ve finished.’

‘Thanks.’ Lauri gave her a grateful smile, relieved that her supervisor had shown no curiosity about who she would be telephoning.

She had to look up the number for Alexander Blair’s office, aware that she would have to go through her aunt to speak to the man himself. Was it worth it? she asked herself. It had to be if it meant they all kept their jobs.

‘Er—good morning,’ she said as the telephone was suddenly answered by Jane, deliberately deepening her voice and giving a husky sound to it that had sexual undertones. ‘Could I speak to Alexander, please?’ she asked in that same sexy voice.

For a moment there was silence and Lauri wondered if her ruse had gone wrong. If Jane should guess it was her little niece on the line …! ‘Who shall I say is calling?’ came Jane’s businesslike reply.

Lauri heaved an inward sigh of relief. At least she hadn’t been recognised yet. Now came the hard part ‘Tell him it’s—Lauren.’ After all, he did call her that, and strangely he was the only one ever to do so, giving an intimacy to their relationship that didn’t exist

‘Lauren …?’ Jane was obviously prompting for a surname.

‘Just Lauren.’ She forced a provocative laugh. ‘He’ll know who it is.’ She hoped! How awful if he demanded to know Lauren who?

‘Very well.’ Jane sounded at her most haughty, which meant she wasn’t pleased at being treated in this high-handed manner, even by someone she thought to be another of Alexander Blair’s girl-friends.

Did he have girl-friends? She doubted it. He was much too sophisticated and sure of himself to tolerate naïveté in one of his women. No, he would go for women who knew exactly what they were doing, women who—–

‘I’m putting you through now,’ Jane abruptly interrupted her thoughts.

Thank goodness he had remembered her. ‘Thank you so much,’ she replied in the sexy voice she had been using for the whole of the conversation.

‘Glad to be of help,’ drawled the unmistakable voice of Alexander Blair. ‘Although this doesn’t sound like the Lauren I know, and I haven’t the faintest idea what I’m being thanked for.’

‘I wasn’t thanking you!’ she told him in her normal voice.

‘Ah, that’s better.’ He sounded mocking even over the telephone. ‘Why the change in voice?’ he asked interestedly.

‘I didn’t want to be recognised. After all,’ she added hastily, ‘I do work here. I wouldn’t want your secretary to make the connection between Lauri in the typing pool and the Lauren who just telephoned you.’

‘Is that likely?’

‘I—– Well, it could be.’

‘I would doubt my secretary is any more familiar with the girls in the typing pool than I am,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘Would you?’

This girl she was! ‘Probably not,’ she evaded a direct answer. ‘But it wasn’t worth the risk.’

‘Would it be too much to ask what this call is about? I thought it had been decided that your—friend was to take the blame for allowing you to drive his car.’

‘Yes, well, I—I’ve been thinking, and—and—–’

‘And?’ he prompted tersely.

‘And if your invitation to dinner still stands I would like to discuss—terms.’

‘It doesn’t,’ he told her curtly. ‘Forget the dinner invitation.’

‘Oh.’ Her heart sank. She had been rude to him and he wasn’t about to forgive such an insult from a nobody like her. ‘Please, Mr Blair. I’m sorry for what I said. I—–’

‘The dinner invitation is out,’ he repeated. ‘But one for lunch today is open,’ he added enquiringly.

‘Lunch today?’ Her mouth gaped open and she quickly closed it again, realising that although her conversation couldn’t be heard by the girls outside the office her reaction to it could clearly be seen.

‘Well?’ he rasped, pretty much as he had done after administering that punishing kiss yesterday.

‘I—–’

‘Or do you usually have lunch with your boy-friend?’ he interrupted before she could form an answer.

‘Not always. Usually, but not always.’

‘Then today can be one of the exceptions.’ It sounded like an order. ‘I’ll meet you in reception at twelve-thirty.’

‘No! No, Mr Blair,’ she said more calmly. ‘I’d rather meet you somewhere away from here.’

‘I am not in the habit of sneaking out to meet anyone.’ His icy anger could quite easily be detected.

‘Then perhaps you shouldn’t take insignificant typists from your own typing pool to lunch.’ Her own anger equalled his. ‘That way you wouldn’t have to sneak around.’

‘Lauren—–’ he began in a threatening tone.

‘Okay, okay, I’m sorry,’ she sighed. ‘But you got angry first,’ she accused.

To her surprise she heard him chuckle, a rich deep sound that made her feel like smiling too. ‘Okay,’ he accepted, ‘I got angry first. But who made me angry, hmm?’

‘I did,’ she admitted freely. ‘But try to understand, I don’t want to be seen with you.’

‘Thanks!’

She sighed. ‘Will you stop misunderstanding everything I say?’ she snapped.

‘As long as you promise to stop reprimanding me,’ he returned smoothly.

‘Reprimanding you? Me? Don’t be ridiculous!’

‘You see,’ he laughed, ‘you’re doing it again.’

At least he could laugh about it! ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled.

‘You’re forgiven,’ he said huskily soft. ‘And as you don’t want to be seen with me—–’

‘I didn’t mean that—–’

‘I know. Look, I don’t have any more time to sit here chatting to you. Pleasant as it may be,’ he added mockingly. ‘I’ll fall in with your wishes for the moment, and meet you at Marlo’s at one o’clock. All right?’

Marlo’s was a fashionable restaurant that had opened up a few months ago not far from here—and Lauri knew her denims and pretty lawn blouse weren’t suitable for such a place. ‘Couldn’t we go somewhere less—less—I’m not dressed for it!’ she told him crossly.

‘No, you aren’t, are you,’ he mused. ‘Okay, I’ll think of something else. Just meet me outside Marlo’s at one. We’ll go on somewhere else from there.’

‘But—–’

‘Do you ever stop arguing?’ he sighed impatiently. ‘I’m not used to women who argue with me.’

Then perhaps he should be, she thought bitchily. Alexander Blair was much too fond of his own way for her liking. ‘I argue with you because I’m not used to being ordered about,’ she said with great daring. ‘I like to be consulted, not told.’

‘Maybe that’s why you can’t hold on to your boy-friends,’ he remarked dryly. ‘The man likes to be in charge, Lauren, not the other way around.’

‘I can hold on to my boy-friends!’ she told him angrily.

‘Is that why the Canadian boy is deserting you at the end of the week and Steve Prescott has been reduced to the level of a friend?’

‘The reasons for Daryl leaving at the end of the week and Steve being a friend of mine are none of your business,’ Lauri told him with dignity. ‘I’m having to meet you to sort out the problem of your car, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to ask personal questions.’

To her consternation she heard him laugh. ‘My dear girl, I have no intention of asking you personal questions.’

‘But you—you did!’ she accused.

‘It was a question in the form of a statement, Lauren. Now, much as I’m enjoying this conversation,’ he added in a bored voice, his tone instantly giving lie to his words, ‘I have work to do. I’m sure you do too. May I remind you that you’re making this call in my time, and on a firm’s telephone, no doubt?’

Lauri flushed her guilt, glad he couldn’t see her. ‘One o’clock, I think you said?’

‘That’s right.’ The line went dead as he rang off.

Lauri put the telephone down her end, an angry sparkle in her glittering green eyes, a furious flush to her cheeks, her mouth set in a mutinous line. Bossy, overbearing—All the names she had previously called him seemed mild in comparison to what she wanted to call him now.

God, he was an arrogant swine! Just because he owned this firm, was her employer, it didn’t give him the right to treat her as if she had no more intelligence than a rather slow-witted child. If he thought he could talk to her in that manner and get away with it then he was in for a shock. She—–

Carly’s wry chuckle broke in on her vehement thoughts. ‘I pity poor Daryl if he’s the cause of all that anger,’ she teased, coming back into her office.

Lauri gave a start of surprise, so intense had been her dislike of Alexander Blair that she had forgotten where she was for the moment. She forced a smile to her lips and stood up to leave. ‘He doesn’t need your pity,’ she told Carly tightly. And she didn’t mean Daryl! ‘He’s just too fond of having his own way.’

‘Aren’t we all?’ Carly smiled.

‘Perhaps.’ But Alexander Blair had met his match in her, Lauri Prescott, she would make sure of that.

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