Lady Surrender

Charly vaguely remembered the hastily ended conversation with a woman caller earlier, the other woman ringing off once she was told Charly wasn’t the doctor on duty at the hospital that evening. Charly hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, now she realised that must have been Molly.

‘The poor woman is worried out of her mind,’ Aaron Grantley told her harshly. ‘She’s left the kids with her mother and is driving up here immediately.’

Charly frowned. ‘And where do you come in to it, besides being Matt’s friend?’

‘Molly telephoned me after talking to you, to invite me down to dinner tomorrow, and also to ask me if I knew anything about you—casually. Too casually,’ he added pointedly.

‘You’re having dinner with Matt’s wife while he’s away?’ she taunted.

His mouth tightened formidably. ‘He’ll be back tomorrow afternoon; don’t credit everyone else with your alley-cat morals!’

She drew in an angry breath. ‘If you’re so damned pure why does Molly believe you’re capable of keeping a woman at your best friend’s apartment?’ she accused coldly.

‘Doesn’t the fact that she’s driving up here anyway tell you that she doesn’t believe it?’ His eyes glittered. ‘She knows damn well I would do anything to protect Matt, and that includes lying for him. So you had better give the performance of your life, lady!’

‘How do you know I don’t work at the hospital?’ she frowned. ‘They have allowed women to enter professions for some years now, you know,’ she added scornfully.

‘Molly knows the names of the people Matt lets stay here, and none of them are called Charly! Besides,’ he looked at her derisively, ‘you don’t look as if you have the brains to do more than entertain a man!’

A chauvinist as well as everything else! ‘I’m not surprised you don’t have a woman in your life at the moment, Mr Grantley,’ she bit out coldly. ‘In fact, I’m surprised you’ve ever had one with your opinion of us!’

‘How do you think I came by this opinion?’ he scorned.

She looked him over coolly. ‘By choosing the wrong sort of woman, obviously. But they were probably the only sort you could get! Certainly no intelligent woman would want to be involved with such a male chauvinist.’

‘Pig,’ he finished derisively. ‘That is the colloquialism of today, isn’t it?’ he drawled at her questioning look.

‘Male chauvinistic pig,’ she tested the statement for sound. ‘Yes, I believe that applies to you quite nicely.’

‘And we both know my opinion of you,’ he rasped. ‘So my acting had better be good too!’

‘Just when are you expecting Molly to arrive?’

‘It takes just over an hour from the house, so any time now, I would think,’ he scowled. ‘So you had better get yourself dressed.’

‘Wouldn’t it look more convincing if I stayed as I am?’ she mocked.

Cold green eyes looked her over critically. ‘Get dressed,’ he instructed abruptly. ‘There’s no reason for us to look as if we’ve just been to bed together.’

‘Heaven forbid it should look as if you had actually made love to me!’ Her eyes flashed.

‘How old are you?’ he rasped.

‘Twenty-six,’ she was surprised into answering the question. ‘What does that have to do with anything?’

His mouth twisted. ‘I would have thought that by now you would have been used to the knocks.’

Her expression became unreadable. ‘I am,’ she answered abruptly. ‘I just don’t expect insults from a man I don’t even know—and who certainly doesn’t know me,’ she added hardly.

‘What I do know I don’t like,’ he bit out. ‘But you had better tell me a little about yourself so that this act at least stands a chance of succeeding.’

‘My name is Charly—Allenby, I’m unmarried, and as I’ve already told you, I’m twenty-six.’

Aaron Grantley frowned darkly. ‘That’s all?’

‘The prisoner is only required to give name, rank, and number,’ she drawled derisively.

‘Stop being so damned blasé,’ he rasped grimly. ‘I’m trying to save the marriage of my two dearest friends—and you’re being paid to help me!’

‘Maybe if you didn’t make assumptions—–’

‘The next thing I know you’ll be claiming that your being here is perfectly innocent,’ he scorned.

‘It is. Look, why would Matt tell you or his wife I were here if I were his mistress?’

‘He told Molly because he didn’t want her to come here and find you in residence, and he told me for the same reason. Charly, go and get some clothes on,’ he said wearily. ‘You’re just wasting time.’

She had never met anyone like him, even James hadn’t been this arrogant! ‘If you’ll just let me explain—–’

‘I don’t want to hear all the details,’ he snapped, settling himself down in an armchair. ‘After tonight I don’t even want to see you again.’

She sighed. ‘I don’t suppose it’s of any interest to you that I was going out this evening?’

‘None at all,’ he confirmed flatly. ‘And remember, as far as you’re concerned Molly is merely coming here to collect an address book; don’t embarrass her by letting her know you’re aware of the real reason.’

She left the room after giving him an indignant glare. Living with James’ arrogance had been frustrating enough, accepting a far deeper arrogance from a complete stranger was unacceptable to her.

But he wasn’t a complete stranger. She had heard all too much of Aaron Grantley in the business world during recent weeks, his latest business venture even intruding into her life. And now the man himself had come bursting into her life with the same intrusive determination to get what he wanted. Well he was going to get far more than he had bargained for from her tonight!

She was putting the finishing touches to her hair when she heard the doorbell ring, turning off the dryer to hear the murmur of voices in the lounge, a breathless female one, and Aaron Grantley’s softer soothing one. She hoped his acting ability was as good as he seemed confident it was, because he was going to need it during the next few seconds!

The couple in the lounge weren’t initially aware of her presence, and she took the opportunity to watch Molly unobserved. She was a tall, pretty woman, about Charly’s own age, with short black hair, darkly lashed blue eyes, talking worriedly to Aaron Grantley. They both seemed to become aware of Charly’s presence at the same moment, turning simultaneously.

It was lucky for Aaron Grantley that the other woman did turn to look at her too, because his mouth literally fell open as he gazed at Charly in dazed surprise. She had been well aware of the impact she would make, had dressed with just that idea in mind. The black and gold dress was Japanese in style, high-necked, short-sleeved, completely figure-hugging, her legs long and shapely beneath its knee length, her gold sandals adding to her height with three-inch heels. Her hair was a straight golden swathe to her waist, her make-up dark and dramatic, far heavier than she normally wore it. Aaron Grantley could now see exactly why a man, married or otherwise, could lose his head over her!

‘I hope I wasn’t too long, darling.’ She swayed gracefully into the room, putting her arms about his neck to kiss him lingeringly on the mouth as he stood perfectly still, rigid with shock. ‘And you must be Molly.’ She turned to the other woman, smiling warmly. ‘Matt has told me so much about you.’

Molly looked taken aback. ‘I—He has?’

‘Oh yes. And your two adorable children. It was so kind of him to let me use his apartment like this.’ She glared hardly at Aaron Grantley before moving out of his arms. ‘Did you find your address book?’ she smiled at the other woman once again.

‘Er—yes.’ Molly looked uncomfortable.

‘Oh good,’ she nodded. ‘I hope it doesn’t inconvenience you that I’m staying here; the fire just about gutted my lounge, although the decorators hope to be finished soon. Shall we sit down?’ she invited smoothly.

Molly plopped down on to the sofa while Charly sank down more gracefully, the length of the slit up the skirt of her dress revealing most of her thigh as she crossed one knee over the other.

‘Fire?’ Molly prompted.