A Night With Consequences

Meaning that he intended her to go to Milan with him whether she wanted to or not! Kara wasn’t sure whether to feel annoyed or flattered—it was impossible to decide between the two. She hadn’t told Blake the whole truth when she’d said that she could not leave her mother because of her health; it was something far more serious than that. But it was none of his business and she had no intention of talking about it. ‘I’ll see what my aunt says. Is that all, Mr Benedict?’ She kept her eyes level on his in an endeavour to look more confident than she felt. She did not want him to know exactly how fearful she was about leaving her parent.

‘That is all.’ And already his head was bent over paperwork.

Kara’s mother was all for her going. ‘Of course I’ll stay with Susan. She’ll love to have me. She’ll let me stay for as long as I like.’

‘It will only be for a few days,’ Kara hastened to assure her. ‘I would get out of it if I could, but Mr Benedict is adamant that he needs me.’

‘You worry too much about me, my darling.’ Her mother’s blue eyes, so much like Kara’s, smiled tiredly. ‘The change will do me good.’

‘Of course I worry,’ insisted Kara. ‘I have every reason to. You don’t think he’ll find out where you are?’

Her parent’s lips thinned and a deep shadow crossed her lined face. “You mean the rat who’s hounding us for money? Your father certainly didn’t do us any favours, did he? But it’s unfair that you should have to shoulder the burden. Why all your hard-earned cash should—’

‘I don’t care about that as long as you are all right,’ Kara insisted.

‘I’ll be safe at Susan’s,’ her mother assured her. ‘It’s you I’m thinking about. It will do you good to go away.’

Kara tossed her head, her eyes flashing dismissal. ‘You’re making it sound like a holiday. It won’t be, I assure you. Mr Benedict will probably work my fingers to the bone.’ The mere thought of going, of being at his beck and call all day, every day, of spending even more time with him than she already did, was not her idea of fun.

‘He’s realised your true potential, that’s what. I bet you’re the best PA he’s ever had.’

Kara shrugged and smiled, but she didn’t tell her mother that Blake Benedict had implied that as well.

‘Where are the others?’

Blake had sent a car for Kara and met her at a small private airfield, and as she stepped up into his executive jet she expected the other managers to be already on board. Instead it was empty. The engines were running, they were ready for take-off—and there was only the two of them!

‘They’ve gone on ahead. I thought we could use the time to talk. You have worked for me for almost twelve months and yet you are still a mystery to me.’

His smile told her that he had planned this all along: a smile designed to put her at her ease, but instead setting alarm bells off in her head. A one-to-one with Blake Benedict was the last thing she wanted. And she could not understand why he was taking this sudden interest. Unless there was something else he was after!

Rumour had it that the last two PAs who had gone with him on these trips had been given their marching orders as soon as they had got back. The rumour machine also said that he’d had affairs with them while they’d been away. Was that what he had in mind? An affair? Did he think it was about time he broke through her personal barrier?

Sheer, cold horror shot down her spine. She had not thought of this before, and it was too late now to back out of the trip. She would need to be careful—erect a shield and not let it slip for even one second.

She felt uneasy at the thought of being at his mercy for the duration of the flight, and when they were cleared for take-off and rose into the air she felt as though she had left her stomach behind. And it wasn’t because of the altitude!

It was a luxurious plane, with deep comfortable seats—not that she would have expected anything less—but being on it alone with her employer made everything fade into insignificance. Blake Benedict filled the whole space. It felt as if they were the only two people in the universe.

Which was ridiculous! But how could she help it? She had never found herself in a situation like this before.

Thankfully they had a stewardess, who was prepared to attend to their every need. Except that when Blake insisted Kara sit at his side on a couch so that they could go over the programme of events the woman made herself invisible.

Not surprisingly the laptop lay unattended at his side, and when he half turned in his seat towards her the air in the plane thickened until it became unbearable. Kara had only to inhale to smell the very essence of him. Even if she closed her eyes she could feel him, feel his strength, his omnipotence. Breathing him in was like taking a drug; it settled in every part of her body, making her feel more alive than she ever had in her life.

More aware!

More afraid!

What was happening to her? In all the time she had worked for him she had never felt like this. On the other hand she had never been completely alone with him. Not this alone. It was different in his office—the whole atmosphere was different. She felt awkward now, unsure of herself. Men were a mystery as far as she was concerned.

‘You have nothing to fear, Miss Redman. Or may I call you Kara? It’s such a pretty name it’s a shame not to use it.’

A pretty name! No one had ever said that to her before. A further shiver of awareness ran through her.

‘We cannot live together and not be on first name terms.’

‘What do you mean, live together?’ she asked quickly and sharply, feeling her heart give a giant leap.

‘A figure of speech,’ he answered, with a lazy shrug and a smile.

A dangerous smile!

‘I’m talking about the hotel.’

‘Of course,’ she answered faintly, hoping that her room was as far away from his as possible. She had booked the whole top two floors but had not been able to stipulate who stayed in which room. They would be allocated on arrival. Except Blake’s! He always, but always, stayed in the executive suite.

‘I’m glad that you’re not wearing one of those terrible suits today.’

Kara felt swift colour rise in her cheeks. She had packed two of her work suits, but she had relaxed her own rules this morning and put on jeans and a spicy pink sweater, completely unaware that the colour complemented her skin colouring and made her look alive and vibrant and very, very pretty—even though she wore no make-up and her hair was tied back in its usual functional style.

Blake too had foregone the dark suits he wore for the office and was wearing an impeccable ivory linen suit which contrasted against the tanned darkness of his skin, making her feel deathly pale by comparison. His jacket had by now been discarded, and although his dark hair was brushed back in its usual style a few strands had been loosened by the wind, making him look younger and less fearsome—and more frighteningly human!

‘Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?’ he suggested softly.

A frisson of something Kara failed to recognise shivered through her. It felt dangerous. ‘What is there to tell that you don’t already know?’

‘I know nothing,’ he said, ‘except that you apparently spend most of your time looking after your mother instead of getting out and enjoying yourself. It’s very creditable, of course, but I’m sure she would be the first to agree that you need a life of your own.’

‘I am not unhappy doing what I do. Since my father died she has no one—why shouldn’t I spend my time with her?’ Her voice rose defensively without her even realising it.

‘I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t, but you should try and maintain a balance too. You’re like me, an only child, so at least we have something in common. What was your childhood like? Did you have lots of friends when you were younger or have you always been a stay-at-home girl?’

‘Pretty much,’ she admitted.

‘Did you have a happy childhood? What was your father like?’

‘Why all the questions?’ she asked, her voice unconsciously sharp. He had touched a raw spot. There was no way in this world that she was going to tell him what a rotten father she had had, and that even now he was dead he had left them with a whole host of new problems. ‘I thought we were supposed to be going over the conference notes?’ She inched away from him, curling herself into the corner, unconsciously using the defensive posture she had always adopted when her father threatened her.

Blake’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘You’re right. It should be business.’ But he could not help wondering why Kara was so averse to talking about herself—or her father. Perhaps she had loved him so much that she found the loss still painful? The way she had turned in on herself when he mentioned him suggested that.

He had no idea how long it had been since her father’s death, but could not remember her asking for time off to attend his funeral so it must have been before she’d started working for him.

A pity she did not want to talk. He would have enjoyed finding out more about her. She intrigued him. Overnight she had practically turned from an ugly duckling into a swan, knocking him for six in her tight-fitting jeans and hot pink sweater. He had not wanted to take his eyes off her. Unless the dark suits were her office uniform and outside of work she always dressed like this! It would be interesting to see what she had brought with her for the conference.

He opened his laptop, staring at the screen without truly seeing it. All he could see was Kara. The intriguingly, surprisingly beautiful Kara. He could not understand why she kept her raw beauty hidden. She had truly fine features—her nose with a delightful little curve at the tip, amazing blue eyes, and a cupid’s bow of infinitely kissable lips. They all begged to be explored.

Kara was glad that Blake had stopped asking questions. She had begun to feel suffocated—or was the rapid beat of her heart caused by a surprising and unwarranted attraction towards him? Her father had banned her from having boyfriends, and even after his death she had never found the time or the inclination. So this was the first occasion she had ever been close to a man who had shown an interest in her, and she found it a scary experience.