moved away.
He said, 'So what's the nightmare?'
'I don't know what you mean.'
'Of course you do,' he said impatiently. 'Just for a moment back there, you looked as if you were going to keel right over.'
She shrugged, making her voice expressionless. 'Perhaps I don't like a lot of strangers looking me over, speculating about what I'm like in bed.'
He looked faintly amused. 'Not even when they think you're a million dollars?'
'Especially not then.' She paused. 'And do you mind if I forgo lunch? I'm really not hungry.'
'I'd mind very much.' He sounded amiable, but his fingers tightened inexorably round hers. 'However justified your grudge against me, starving yourself won't help.'
When she saw the buffet spread temptingly under the trees, she had to be glad that he'd overruled her. She adored shellfish and there seemed to be an infinite variety to choose from, together with exotic salads and great bowls containing various sauces. Kate filled a plate, knowing that Matt was watching her, and expecting some mocking remark about her lack of appetite, but he said nothing.
As they sat down at a table, she said shortly, 'So, it's this Mr Big that you're after?'
'It is.'
'What makes him so fascinating? The fact that he's putting this island on the map?' Kate stared at him. 'Hardly the thing that interests you, surely?'
'On the face of it, no,' Matt agreed. 'And if this Mr Big was just any entrepreneur with an eye to the tourist industry, I wouldn't give him a second thought. But he isn't.'
Kate dissected a lobster claw. 'And you still aren't going to tell me who he is?'
'That's right.' He smiled coolly at her. 'You tend to overreact, and it's something I don't need.'
She said tartly, 'You mean there could be danger?'
'There often is.'
She drew a deep breath. 'Well, thanks a lot!'
'On the other hand,' he said, 'it could all be a damp squib, a figment of someone's overwrought imagination.' But if I start getting close, I'll warn you. I might even put you on the next flight out. So you can keep those nightmares strictly under control.' He paused. 'And who's Drew?'
She dropped her fork, stammering, 'What do you mean?'
'You said his name in your sleep last night.' The blue eyes watched her shrewdly, and she wanted to lift her hands and cover her face.
She said at last, 'He was just—a man I used to know.'
'I'd gathered that,' Matt drawled. 'Not, surely, the man in the restaurant?'
Her lips parted. 'You saw us? You recognised me?'
He gave her an ironic look. 'Did you think you'd be easy to forget? And I noticed you noticing us, too, so I wasn't altogether surprised when you made contact.'
'Did Alison see me?' she demanded huskily.
'No,' he shook his head. 'Alison had—er—other things on her mind.'
'Naturally.' Her voice sounded thick. 'And while we're on the subject, what did you mean by that crack of yours about house rules? I didn't find it funny.'
'I didn't mean you to.' He shrugged. 'Nevertheless it happens to be the truth.'
'All right,' she said, 'so you didn't have an affair with Alison while she was working with you. Very honourable, I'm sure. But that didn't stop you moving in later.'
Matt put down his fork. 'You brought the matter up,' he said. 'So let's get the whole thing straight once and for all. I have never had, or ever contemplated having, any kind of affair with Alison. I can't of course speak for any plans she might have made. In fact I got a strong hint more than once that she was available, but I never at any time followed it through.'
'But you were bringing her here…'
'No,' he said, 'I was not.'
Kate looked at him in utter bewilderment. 'I don't understand…'
'Of course you don't,' he said with a kind of weary exasperation. 'That's what I've been trying to tell you. This is how it was—Alison showed up at the Television Centre one day. She was clearly unhappy and angling for an invitation to lunch, and against my better judgment, I decided to take her out. It was obvious that
He said, 'So what's the nightmare?'
'I don't know what you mean.'
'Of course you do,' he said impatiently. 'Just for a moment back there, you looked as if you were going to keel right over.'
She shrugged, making her voice expressionless. 'Perhaps I don't like a lot of strangers looking me over, speculating about what I'm like in bed.'
He looked faintly amused. 'Not even when they think you're a million dollars?'
'Especially not then.' She paused. 'And do you mind if I forgo lunch? I'm really not hungry.'
'I'd mind very much.' He sounded amiable, but his fingers tightened inexorably round hers. 'However justified your grudge against me, starving yourself won't help.'
When she saw the buffet spread temptingly under the trees, she had to be glad that he'd overruled her. She adored shellfish and there seemed to be an infinite variety to choose from, together with exotic salads and great bowls containing various sauces. Kate filled a plate, knowing that Matt was watching her, and expecting some mocking remark about her lack of appetite, but he said nothing.
As they sat down at a table, she said shortly, 'So, it's this Mr Big that you're after?'
'It is.'
'What makes him so fascinating? The fact that he's putting this island on the map?' Kate stared at him. 'Hardly the thing that interests you, surely?'
'On the face of it, no,' Matt agreed. 'And if this Mr Big was just any entrepreneur with an eye to the tourist industry, I wouldn't give him a second thought. But he isn't.'
Kate dissected a lobster claw. 'And you still aren't going to tell me who he is?'
'That's right.' He smiled coolly at her. 'You tend to overreact, and it's something I don't need.'
She said tartly, 'You mean there could be danger?'
'There often is.'
She drew a deep breath. 'Well, thanks a lot!'
'On the other hand,' he said, 'it could all be a damp squib, a figment of someone's overwrought imagination.' But if I start getting close, I'll warn you. I might even put you on the next flight out. So you can keep those nightmares strictly under control.' He paused. 'And who's Drew?'
She dropped her fork, stammering, 'What do you mean?'
'You said his name in your sleep last night.' The blue eyes watched her shrewdly, and she wanted to lift her hands and cover her face.
She said at last, 'He was just—a man I used to know.'
'I'd gathered that,' Matt drawled. 'Not, surely, the man in the restaurant?'
Her lips parted. 'You saw us? You recognised me?'
He gave her an ironic look. 'Did you think you'd be easy to forget? And I noticed you noticing us, too, so I wasn't altogether surprised when you made contact.'
'Did Alison see me?' she demanded huskily.
'No,' he shook his head. 'Alison had—er—other things on her mind.'
'Naturally.' Her voice sounded thick. 'And while we're on the subject, what did you mean by that crack of yours about house rules? I didn't find it funny.'
'I didn't mean you to.' He shrugged. 'Nevertheless it happens to be the truth.'
'All right,' she said, 'so you didn't have an affair with Alison while she was working with you. Very honourable, I'm sure. But that didn't stop you moving in later.'
Matt put down his fork. 'You brought the matter up,' he said. 'So let's get the whole thing straight once and for all. I have never had, or ever contemplated having, any kind of affair with Alison. I can't of course speak for any plans she might have made. In fact I got a strong hint more than once that she was available, but I never at any time followed it through.'
'But you were bringing her here…'
'No,' he said, 'I was not.'
Kate looked at him in utter bewilderment. 'I don't understand…'
'Of course you don't,' he said with a kind of weary exasperation. 'That's what I've been trying to tell you. This is how it was—Alison showed up at the Television Centre one day. She was clearly unhappy and angling for an invitation to lunch, and against my better judgment, I decided to take her out. It was obvious that
Similar Books
