A Suspicious Proposal

Perhaps he knew by now? As the taxi disappeared out of the hotel car park with a cheerful honking of its horn, Essie turned to survey the crowd standing on the steps, and immediately she caught Xavier’s eye. He was at least a couple of inches taller than the other men present but it was more the quality of aloofness that seemed to permeate his air space that acted as a magnet. And she saw straight away, from the warm smile and lazily hooded eyes, that as yet he was oblivious to the trick she had played on him.

And Janice was right, he was gorgeous, she admitted faintly. The dark grey suit that screamed a designer label, the jade-green shirt and silk tie were all of the very best, but it was him—Xavier Grey—that was breathtaking.

She shouldn’t have started this. The thought was there and it was disturbing, but in the next moment he had made his way to her side, looking down at her with silver-blue eyes that caught the last of the dying sunlight.

‘You performed your duties admirably.’ His smile included Janice, who was standing at her side, and now his gaze swept over the pair of them as he said courteously, ‘Perhaps you would allow me to buy you both dinner, if you’re not otherwise engaged?’

She must tell him. This had gone far enough and it was time to come clean. But before she could open her mouth Janice said brightly, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, Mr Grey, but I’m already booked. I’m sure Janice would love to have dinner with you, though.’

‘Would you? Love to have dinner with me, that is?’ he asked her softly as Janice disappeared with a cheerful goodbye into the crowd moving back into the hotel.

‘I…I don’t know—’

‘You’d be taking pity on a lonely stranger if you did,’ he drawled persuasively. ‘I’m booked into a hotel—my own choice, as I’m sure you know. I can’t stand these family get-togethers,’ he added, somewhat caustically, ‘and I’m flying to Germany to oversee a business deal first thing in the morning. I wasn’t looking forward to eating alone.’

She doubted that. He was the type of man who would relish being alone—hadn’t his own comment confirmed that very thing? And on their tour of the guests earlier Janice had whispered in her ear that Aunt June had told her Charlie’s relations had been falling over themselves to persuade him to stay with one of them but he had declined all invitations, graciously but very firmly.

‘And I think we might even allow you a couple of glasses of wine,’ he continued quietly, blithely unaware of her sudden sharp look at his face, ‘if your stomach’s recovered?’

‘It wasn’t a hangover, actually.’ Her voice was tight but she couldn’t help it—enough was enough. ‘I had a touch of food poisoning from a suspect seafood cocktail last night.’ He would allow her a couple of glasses of wine! What did he think she was? A little puppy being allowed treats?

‘Really?’ It was lazy and relaxed and told her he didn’t believe a word of it, and it made her mad. Even more mad than she had felt earlier.

‘Yes, really,’ she said bitingly, and this time he noticed the tone.

‘Don’t be prickly, Janice. I’m only thinking of you,’ he said softly, ‘and there’s nothing worse than a woman who doesn’t know when she’d had enough. It’s most…unattractive.’

She’d had enough, all right—more than enough—and the façade was back on with a vengeance! He wanted a cute little girlie to keep him company tonight, did he? Well, he was going to get just a little more than he had bargained for.

She took a long deep breath, a really long deep breath, and prayed for the strength to control her anger and not blow it. ‘I’d love to have dinner with you, Xavier,’ she said carefully.

‘Good.’ His voice was slightly amused; he clearly thought she was still a little huffy. ‘I’ll pick you up from your home, shall I? What’s the address?’

‘Oh, no, don’t do that.’ What did she say now? What excuse could she give? Her mind had gone blank. Essie thought frantically, and then said quickly, ‘I’ve got to see a couple of college friends about a project we’re involved in, first. I’ll get a taxi to your hotel after I’m through—say, about eight-thirty? Is that okay?’

‘Sure.’ His eyes had narrowed slightly but the tone was still relaxed. ‘I’m staying at the Blue Baron. Do you know it?’

Did she know it? She was staying there herself! Essie smiled and prayed some more, this time for the ability to hide her agitation from those razor-sharp eyes that had homed in on her with unnerving perception.

‘Yes, I know it.’ She heard her voice speak calmly and coolly and was amazed at how normal it sounded. Perhaps she had gone in for the wrong career, after all; she was better at this acting than she would ever have thought possible! ’Till eight-thirty, then.’

‘Eight-thirty.’ And then he bent his head towards her, his gaze mesmerising as it held hers. Although she knew he was going to kiss her and that she really should pull back, she didn’t.

His lips were warm and firm as they brushed hers in the lightest of caresses, and he turned away immediately, but not before she had felt a hundred tiny electric shocks tingle in every nerve in her body. They were still tingling, warm and fluid, as she watched him make his goodbyes to the two respective pairs of parents, before striding down into the car park and over to a dark blue Mercedes.

He didn’t look at her again as he drove out of the hotel grounds but she knew he was aware of her—as vitally aware of her as she was of him. And again she told herself this was crazy, dangerous, that she was way, way out of her league and that her little joke, her small effort at revenge, had escalated into something more disturbing.

Janice joined her as the Mercedes disappeared, tucking her arm through Essie’s as she said, ‘You’re seeing him tonight?’ in a tone that said she knew the answer before Essie spoke.

Essie nodded slowly.

‘Then take it from me, girl, tell him in the first few seconds what you’ve done, turn it into a joke against yourself somehow, and you’ll have him eating out of your hand. He’s crazy about you; he fancies you like mad.’

‘He fancies Janice Beaver, actually,’ Essie said, with a weak smile.

‘A rose by any other name…’ Janice grinned at her before she said again, urgently this time, ‘Tell him, Essie, right off. That way you can start again, and who knows what might come of it?’

‘I don’t want anything to come of it.’

‘No?’ Janice’s tone was sceptical.

‘No. I mean it.’ Essie turned to look Janice full in the face now, and something in her eyes made Janice’s gaze narrow. ‘The last thing I want to do is to get involved in a relationship, Janice. There was someone at university… Well, I got my fingers badly burned, that’s all, and I prefer the odd light date with no strings attached now. My career is my life and I intend to keep it that way.’

‘You sound a perfect match for Xavier, if you ask me.’ Janice looked into the ethereally beautiful face that was quite strikingly lovely for a few moments before she murmured, ‘Yes, the perfect match.’

CHAPTER TWO

ESSIE felt ridiculously like an escaped convict on the run or some other kind of ne’er-do-well as she skulked back into the Blue Baron half an hour after Xavier had left the wedding reception, keeping an eye out for a tall dark Canadian as she did so.

She had grilled Janice on all the other girl knew about Xavier Grey before she had said goodbye, but had learnt little more than Janice had already told her. Christine’s cousin had said that Xavier’s branch of Charlie’s family had moved out to Canada before Xavier was born, but apparently Xavier had business links in England. And he was a self-made man; Janice had been quite emphatic on that point. A rags-to-riches story, by all accounts, she’d told Essie quietly, although her aunt June—the fount of all knowledge—hadn’t had any details.

Once in her hotel room, Essie sank down onto the bed, throwing herself back against the pillows as she contemplated the evening ahead with a groan.

At least she didn’t have to consider what she was going to wear, she thought ruefully. She had only brought a pair of jeans and jumper, a casual day dress and one cocktail number with her, knowing she was only staying overnight. And the first two options were definitely not suitable for a date with Xavier Grey! She groaned again, rolling over onto her face and burying her head in the pillows.

She’d been looking forward to a nice relaxed evening in her room, courtesy of room service and the TV—the train journey up from Sussex had meant an excruciatingly early start, to arrive at Christine’s parents’ home mid-morning—and now, due to her own foolishness, she admitted reluctantly, she was committed to an encounter that would be neither nice nor relaxed! She didn’t dare to consider Xavier’s reaction when she told him who she really was.

Still, she wasn’t sorry. She jerked herself upright, walked over to the full-length mirror in one corner of the room and looked at the reflection that stared out at her. The deep blue eyes were stormy and her soft, full mouth was pulled tight, and now she threw back the mass of gold curls that had escaped the knot she had bundled them into on leaving the wedding reception, and surveyed herself critically.

Okay, so she was slender and not particularly tall, and her colouring and physical appearance might not be the most robust for a veterinary surgeon, but she was damn good at her job—as she was proving every day at the small practice in Sussex where she worked. Brute strength wasn’t everything. She scowled at the image in the mirror. And even if the majority of the practice’s cases were domestic there were still some occasions when the animals were pretty ferocious, like that Great Dane a few weeks ago that had objected to being examined. The owner had all but disappeared and she had been left facing a gigantic pair of jaws that stated quite clearly its anal glands were its own concern.

She smiled at the memory, in spite of herself. She was fond of Monty and normally the massive Great Dane was putty in her hands, but he had suffered a number of undignified examinations in quick succession due to his problem and, that particular day, he had decided he had to assert himself.

Still, she’d rather take on ten Montys than one Xavier Grey. The thought dimmed her smile and straightened her mouth again.

A bath. She needed a few relaxed moments in a hot bath. She glanced at her watch and saw she had another forty-five minutes before zero hour. And after her bath she’d moisturise and paint and titivate herself and try to work up some sort of courage for the night ahead.

At exactly half-past eight, when Essie walked out of the lift into the reception area of the Blue Baron, she looked every inch the elegant, sophisticated woman of the world and not at all like the young, girlish bridesmaid she had seemed earlier.

The reasons for this were manifold—one, the delicate, up-swept hairstyle that confined her curls in an exquisite arrangement at the back of her head, allowing the long sweep of her neck its true grace. Two, her careful make-up, tasteful and refined, that enhanced the allure of her deep blue eyes and creamy clear skin. Three, the savoir-faire of her chic cocktail dress in midnight-blue silk with matching jacket—bought at a Sussex clothes shop which specialised in couturier, nearly-new clothes at a fraction of the original price. Four, her determination that she was going to match Xavier Grey every inch of the way tonight and leave, if not in a blaze of glory, then at least with her head held high.

And there were more reasons, some of which Essie was only faintly aware of herself, that were steeling her backbone and putting iron resolve in her spirit.

She had thought the fact that she emerged from the lift inside the hotel would preclude any further misunderstanding between them as to her identity, and that might well have been the case if Xavier hadn’t been deep in conversation with one of the hotel reception staff and missed her appearance.

As it was, he raised his head just in time to see her almost at his side, and she caught the flash of surprise in the silver-blue eyes just before he said, ‘Janice, I’m so pleased you could come. Our table is booked for nine but perhaps you would care for a cocktail first?’

A cocktail—the giddy empty-head was being allowed a cocktail, was she? ‘Thank you.’ She was all coolness and aplomb tonight and she knew it had thrown him. ‘That would be lovely.’