The Alpha Male

‘No!’

He grasped her arms so tightly that she knew there would be marks on her delicate skin. But far more painful was the expression in his eyes, which tore her very soul in half. ‘Promise me!’

She opened her mouth to speak, not knowing what words she could use that would persuade him she had not done the terrible thing he accused her of.

But just then, the shop seemed to fill up with people.

Ariadne came in from the workshop, calling out, ‘Pen, they didn’t have near enough yellow gladioli, so I got cream, is that OK?’

And the shop door opened to admit Miles Clampett, carrying his carpenter’s tool kit in one hand and two cartons in the other.

‘I brought in your milk,’ he said, his alert eyes flickering from Ryan to Penny and back again. ‘Hello, earthlings! Hope I’m not interrupting anything?’

CHAPTER TWO

RYAN’S grip on her arms relaxed, and Penny stepped back.

‘Cream gladioli are fine, Ariadne,’ she said in a flat voice. ‘Thanks for coming, Miles. The damage is out at the back. Ariadne will show you.’

Taking the hint, Ariadne led Miles through to the workshop. Both of them were clearly bursting with curiosity about their strange visitor and the palpable air of tension in the shop. Ariadne, who could be guaranteed never to let an eligible male pass unnoticed, gave Ryan an alluring smile as she passed by.

Ryan gave her a curt nod by way of reply, and as soon as they were alone, he turned on Penny with burning eyes. ‘Penny, please swear that you are telling me the truth!’

‘I refuse to swear anything,’ she said, her lips numb. ‘Why shouldn’t you believe me?’

‘You threatened you would end the pregnancy!’

‘Yes, I know I said I would, but—’

‘I didn’t for a moment think you meant it.’

‘I didn’t mean it,’ she said passionately. ‘It was one of those crazy things people say when they’re desperate.’

‘You threatened to abort the pregnancy if I followed you,’ Ryan reminded her brutally. ‘Did I ever do anything to make you that desperate?’

‘I’ll say it once more,’ Penny said with a sensation like an iron band around her heart. ‘I contracted encephalitis. I almost died in that hospital. And when I was finally myself again, I had to deal with the loss of my baby. I would have done anything to avoid that. But there was nothing I could do!’

‘Everything OK, love?’ Ariadne asked, returning from the workshop, where Miles had started hammering industriously.

‘Everything’s fine,’ Penny said in a dull voice.

Ariadne was staring at Ryan Wolfe with unabashed interest. In the few moments she had been in the back, Penny noticed ironically, she had found time to apply lipstick, brush her hair, lose the army greatcoat and unfasten the top button of her blouse to reveal the luscious curves of her breasts. In the absence of any inclination on Penny’s part to offer introductions, she waltzed in where angels would have feared to tread.

‘And this good-looking gentleman is…?’

Penny had no idea how best to answer that innocent question. My ex-lover. My nemesis. The phrases flitted through her head, but it was Ryan who answered.

‘I’m a prospective client,’ he said levelly.

‘Oh, goody,’ Ariadne purred. ‘Do you live locally?’

‘Yes.’ He glanced at Ariadne. A peony to Penny’s rosebud, Ariadne had curves that Penny would never match, and a coquettish manner to go with them. ‘I’m staying in Northcote Hall, on the Dover Road.’

‘Northcote?’ Ariadne repeated with interest. ‘Oh, we know it well, don’t we, Penny? Such a beautiful old place. Do you know the family?’

‘I’m renting the house for the moment,’ he replied. ‘I may buy it if it turns out to suit my purpose.’ He made it sound as though buying that beautiful country house was a mere bagatelle to him, and Ariadne positively glowed.

‘That’s wonderful news,’ she gushed. She was reacting to Ryan the way all women invariably did on first meeting him, Penny saw—greedy fish dying to bite that delicious bait, never seeing the steel hook that lay within.

Ryan shrugged slightly. ‘The important thing is that I plan to do a lot of entertaining there. I’m not married, and I need someone to take care of my table arrangements, flowers, décor, that sort of thing.’

‘Our speciality,’ Ariadne beamed. ‘Isn’t it, Penny? We’re the best there is.’

Whether Ryan had arrived with this story already concocted, or whether he was making it up as he went along, Penny couldn’t tell. ‘We’re already far too busy,’ she said in a clipped voice. ‘I’m sorry, but we really can’t take on any new clients at the moment.’

Ariadne didn’t miss a beat. ‘Please forgive my associate,’ she said, patting Penny’s shoulder, ‘she suffers from a rare speech impediment that makes her say no, no, no when she means yes, yes, yes. How often were you planning on entertaining…? I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.’

‘Ryan Wolfe,’ he replied. ‘And I generally need to throw at least one dinner party each week, generally on weekends. Around twelve people, sometimes more.’

‘Perfect,’ Ariadne said. ‘We’re all dying of boredom here. I hope you’re going to bring all sorts of wonderfully interesting people to our little backwater! By the way, I’m Ariadne Baker. You obviously already know Penny Watkins. We’re the best you could get, Mr Wolfe. Penny’s doing the Lord Mayor’s banquet tonight, as a matter of fact—the flowers, the place settings, everything. If you can take a peek into the Hall tonight around seven, you’ll see what she’s capable of.’

‘I might just do that,’ Ryan said meaningfully.

‘I know she’s just a baby,’ Ariadne gushed. ‘A mere twenty-three. But so much talent, and with me to guide her—’

‘I understand,’ Ryan said drily.

‘When do you want to have your first dinner party, Mr Wolfe?’

‘Well, I’m still refurbishing the house. It needs some tender, loving care. If I can get it looking halfway decent, I might ask one or two people to dinner on Saturday.’

‘We do weddings on Saturdays,’ Penny said shortly. ‘We always have our hands full. Sorry.’

Ariadne squirmed. ‘But we can make space! If you give us the job, your party will be beautiful, believe me. All your parties will be beautiful.’

‘Sorry to interrupt again.’ It was Miles, his arms sprinkled with wood shavings. He leaned in the doorway, giving them all the benefit of the knowing smirk Penny had once thought so amusing. ‘Only, Hippy Dave has smashed your door good and proper. I’m going to need some planks.’ He rubbed thumb and forefinger together meaningfully. ‘The lumber yard won’t give me credit for my handsome face.’

Penny felt like an automaton as she broke away from the conversation, which had taken a nightmarish turn. ‘How much do you need?’ she asked, opening her purse.

‘How much have you got?’ Miles grinned. Before she realised what he was doing, he came over to her and threw an arm familiarly around her waist. Pulling her intimately close, so he could look in her purse, he dipped a sawdust-coated hand deftly inside, and came out with three or four notes. ‘This’ll do,’ he said.

While they’d still been going out, a few weeks back, that might just have passed as acceptable, but right now he knew he was about ten miles out of line.

And then he kissed her soundly on the cheek. ‘Thanks, darling,’ he said wickedly. ‘For an earth woman, you are surprisingly un-hideous.’

He walked out, looking very pleased with his sense of humour. Of all the times for him to decide to play the fool! She caught Ryan’s smouldering gaze on her, and felt his contempt. Unable to explain anything, she gave him a defiant look.

‘I’m sorry to disappoint you,’ she said coolly. ‘Whatever Ariadne may think, we’re very busy, and we won’t be taking on any new clients.’