The Business Arrangement

‘Of course not. She’s Richard’s wife. I do think he’s been a complete idiot to marry a woman twenty-seven years younger than himself—particularly one like Sonya. I also believe she’ll find someone who’ll eagerly take up her offer sooner rather than later. But I’m equally certain it won’t be me. You must have a really low opinion of me to think I’d even contemplate treating him like that,’ he said on a final, sudden spurt of anger.

Amy was unmoved. She smiled sunnily across at the harsh expression on his handsome face, finally convinced. ‘When it comes to women it couldn’t be lower. I’d have thought Sonya’s obvious attractions might hold some fascination for you,’ she said angelically, thinking of the bouncing thirty-four DDs the redhead displayed in dresses apparently spray-painted on.

‘Would you?’ he bit out dangerously.

Amy stopped her laugh in her throat and it came out as a husky chuckle. ‘Obviously not. Truthfully I’ve never given your preferences much thought. A leg man, are you?’ she quipped, faltering slightly beneath the quelling look in his eyes. ‘Have you considered just telling her you’re not interested? You know, just saying it straight out?’

His eyes conveyed eloquently what he thought of that suggestion. ‘Sonya believes I’m being noble.’

‘Then she doesn’t know you very well!’ she cut in, trying to stop the bubble of amusement bursting out of control.

‘Stop it, Amy. It isn’t funny. She’s convinced herself I feel guilty about Richard. That the only thing stopping me grabbing what’s on offer is fear of what other people think.’

‘There’s a fair bit to grab.’ She couldn’t resist chipping in with a swipe at the woman’s cosmetically enhanced assets before adding carelessly, ‘Oh, just tell her you don’t go for married women. Tell her it’s too complicated to get involved with your boss’s wife.’

If only it had been that simple. Hugh thought back over the numerous conversations he’d had with Sonya and wondered how much of them to tell Amy. He turned back from the window and sat down. ‘It’s not that easy. If I speak to her she takes it as encouragement. Whatever I’ve tried has been a disaster. She doesn’t give up.’

Amy frowned at the suddenly weary tone in his voice, her desire to laugh evaporating. ‘Are you trying to tell me she’s stalking you?’

‘I’m not sure how you define “stalking”,’ he hedged. ‘I don’t imagine she’s dangerous, but what I’m trying to say is she’s making my life a damned misery. My PA’s been fantastic. When we’ve known Sonya’s in the building Barbara’s worked late so we could leave together. If I’m in the office all day she’s brought sandwiches to eat at her desk. Just brilliant. With her away, I’m just too vulnerable.’

‘Couldn’t an agency temp do all that?’ Amy asked, biting on her finger.

‘Only if I explained what was happening. Sonya’s the chief executive’s wife, for heaven’s sake. She’s in the building all the time. What possible excuse could I give for not wanting to be left alone with her?’

Amy blew her fringe off her face. There wasn’t one. There was no plausible explanation except the truth, and if he confided in a temporary secretary it would probably travel round Harpur-Laithwaite like wildfire. ‘How long has it been going on?’ she asked at last.

‘Just a couple of months. Three perhaps. I didn’t think too much about it at first. There was nothing for a few days and then maybe two small incidents in the same day. She’s always been a bit…overt.’

‘I can imagine.’ Her voice was dry. ‘Go on. There must have been a trigger. Something that started it all getting more serious.’

He’d thought along those lines himself, going back over the occasions he’d been in Sonya’s company and trying to pinpoint the moment she’d begun to pursue him with the tenacity of a terrier.

But there was nothing. Nothing concrete anyway. His suspicions were all based on conjecture and almost unthinkable.

‘I can’t think of any one single incident to explain it. I think she must feel trapped. Perhaps she sees my lifestyle and wants it.’

Amy’s mouth twisted in wry humour. Somehow she doubted Hugh’s lifestyle was the draw. Richard Laithwaite was a lovely man. He’d been a part of Amy’s childhood since she could remember, always an unfailing source of ice-cream and surprisingly able to read Winnie the Pooh better than anyone else she knew. But marriage to him? No! It wasn’t something she’d ever have contemplated.

No one had been in any doubt why Sonya had chosen to marry him—money. Years and years of focusing exclusively on the acquisition of it had made Richard fabulously wealthy. Why he’d suddenly decided to abandon his single life was more of a mystery.

And now Sonya was bored. She had the designer clothes, the beautiful car, the Elizabethan manor house in Oxfordshire and it wasn’t quite enough. And then there was Hugh. However much Amy would like to bring Hugh Balfour down a peg or seven she had to admit he was a tempting alternative. Young and gorgeous with incredible eyes. Deep, deep blue with a hint of devilment. Pure sex and almost irresistible. To be immune to Hugh you had to know him very well indeed.

Poor Richard. Her heart ached for him when she imagined the pain he’d go through if he discovered how Sonya felt about Hugh. He loved Hugh like the son he’d never made time to have. It would be the ultimate betrayal.

‘What are you going to do?’ she asked quietly.

‘Wait. Just for a while. I’m confident I can sort it, but I need Richard to be safely away from office gossip and that’s why I need you.’ Hugh allowed himself a half-smile. ‘Sonya’s dubbed Barbara my “Rottweiler” and convinced herself I’m inhibited by my PA’s antagonism.’

‘And you think I’d make a good guard dog? Thanks, I think.’

Hugh’s smile widened as he took in the determined tilt of her chin completely undermined by a freckle-covered nose and the strands of fine, flyaway hair escaping from her pony-tail. ‘I think you’ve got potential as a Rottweiler pup. More importantly I trust you not to say anything.’ He hesitated before adding, ‘And if I’m going for complete honesty here, it’s not just Richard’s feelings I’m worried about.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I think Sonya has it in her to be vengeful. I’m going to have to be quite brutal with her in the end, and if I’m alone with her at all there’s the danger of people believing anything she might choose to say about me. Even if she weren’t believed implicitly there’d be the assumption I must have encouraged her. Much as you thought—and you know how much I think of Richard.’

‘I didn’t say that exactly.’

‘Yes, you did. Anyway, it’s a risk I don’t want to take. Not if I can help it. And until Richard has retired I want to play it softly. I don’t want him hurt and I don’t want my reputation mired up with anything quite so distasteful.’

Amy struggled to take it all in. She pushed up the sleeves of her jumper and hugged her knees. Her knowledge of Sonya was scanty, but she was unquestionably the type to be vindictive when she realised that Hugh, who seemed to have slept with half of London over the years, was drawing the line at her. ‘I can see you need someone,’ she said doubtfully. ‘I just don’t think I’m a very good idea. I’m not a properly trained secretary.’

Hugh jumped at the blatant sign of weakening and pushed home his advantage. ‘It’s only for two weeks.’

She sighed. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to, Hugh. It’s…’ Amy trailed off hopelessly. It was difficult to put into words exactly what were her objections.

Everything came so easily to Hugh. Exams, women, success in business, everything he wanted had always plopped on his plate as though some benevolent god were smiling on him. Any small hiccup in his plans had always been carefully smoothed and now it was her turn to be useful. Good old Amy! Except that ‘good old Amy’ didn’t relish being suddenly noticed because she could be useful. Particularly today. Her birthday.

‘Just two weeks,’ he coaxed, watching her face closely. ‘At least it will tide you over while there’s nothing else in the pipeline—’

‘How do you know that?’ she cut across him, her eyes narrowing astutely. ‘I suppose I don’t need to ask where you got the impression I’d be grateful for anything. It can only have been Seb. I suppose that explains why it’s all been left to the last minute.’

‘He only said things were a bit quiet for you.’

‘And how would he know?’ she asked indignantly. ‘He’s not been down here for weeks. I’ve put in loads of applications to television companies. It might be very difficult for me to put my own life on hold.’

Seb pushed open the door with his bottom, perilously carrying three mugs of tea while ducking under the low cottage beam. ‘But you will, won’t you?’ He smiled ingratiatingly across at Amy. ‘You’re the one with the flowers on it.’

‘Sexist!’ Amy retorted as she cleared the table of the Sunday newspapers and magazines.

Seb shrugged. ‘Mum’s taste in mugs, not mine, and if you will have sugar in your tea—take the consequences. How else do you expect me to remember which one’s yours?’ He handed a mug across to Hugh. ‘Of course she’ll do it.’

‘Of course she won’t! Not just like that.’ She shot a look of pure dislike back at her favourite brother. ‘I want to be a researcher, I don’t want to be a secretary and even if I did I’d never choose to work for Hugh.’

‘No, hideous prospect,’ Seb agreed, flinging himself down in a leather club chair. ‘Shouldn’t care to do it myself, but think of your debts, little sister. Hugh’s desperate. Name your price.’

Amy tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and turned her attention back to Hugh. ‘What kind of things does Sonya do?’

‘Do?’

She nodded. ‘Is she aggressive? Does she cry? If I agree I want to know the kind of things I’d have to protect you from.’

‘It’s nothing like that. She’s calmly confident. Totally convinced there’s a sexual attraction between us.’

‘Even without encouragement?’ she asked incredulously.

‘She imagines there is. She’s in no doubt I want her.’