A Night With Consequences
A Night With Consequences
Margaret Mayo
She’s having the boss’s baby!Kara Redman has been Blake Benedict’s righthand woman for almost a year, and she prides herself on keeping their relationship purely professional – until a business trip to Italy proves to be her undoing!The heat of the Italian sun stokes the flames of passion, and after hours Kara can’t resist the invitation into her boss’s bed! But one night with Blake has shocking consequences – Kara is having the boss’s baby!
As soon as the words left her lips she realised she should have prepared him; she ought not to have come out with it like that. ‘It’s true, Blake. I’m having your baby.’
Her heart stopped beating as she waited for his response, and she did not like what she saw. His eyes narrowed and he looked at her as though she was a complete stranger. As though she was a stranger telling him something he did not want to hear. There was none of the compassion and warmth that had been there a few seconds ago. Nothing but stone-cold disbelief. This was far worse than anything she had ever imagined.
About the Author
MARGARET MAYO was reading Mills & Boon ® romances long before she began to write them. In fact she never had any plans to become a writer. After an idea for a short story popped into her head she was thrilled when it turned into a full-scale novel. Now, over twenty-five years later, she is still happily writing and says she has no intention of stopping.
She lives with her husband Ken in a rural part of Staffordshire, England. Margaret’s hobbies are reading, photography, and more recently watercolour painting, which she says has honed her observational skills and is a definite advantage when it comes to writing.
A NIGHT WITH
CONSEQUENCES
MARGARET MAYO
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
CHAPTER ONE
THIS was an unbelievable opportunity, thought Kara. Flying to Italy with her boss for the firm’s annual conference was any woman’s dream. She would have liked it to be hers, but unfortunately—sadly—it wasn’t. It never could be.
Not that Blake Benedict was a man who could be so easily dismissed. He was aggressively handsome, with strong dark features that guaranteed a second look. And she had stolen many of those. According to gossip he was divorced—acrimoniously—and had sworn never to get married again. But he was not short of girlfriends. Far from it! They vied for his attention like bees around a honeypot.
Not so Kara. She did not want him to notice her, and had always tried to make herself invisible by wearing dark classical suits and little make-up, dragging her hair back unbecomingly. Her hair was actually her crowning glory, a deep, rich auburn, but there was no way she could wear it loose for the office.
The fact that he never gave her a second look told her that her efforts to hide her sexuality really did work. She made a point of being extremely efficient, and even though he rarely heaped praise on her shoulders she knew that he was more than satisfied.
But the very thought of joining him in Italy sent unease curling down her spine. It was impossible. And yet how to tell him? What if he insisted? What if he said that it was part of her job?
She had felt very fortunate when she’d got the position as PA to Blake Benedict, head of the Benedict Corporation—a worldwide organisation whose head office was in London. The agency had lined up another girl, but she had fallen ill at the last minute and Kara had been sent in her place. The first time she had set eyes on him she had felt a whoosh of something dangerous slide through her body. Never, ever in her life had she felt anything like it.
Blake was head and shoulders taller than most men, with a square dimpled jaw and dark, closely cut hair that held a hint of silver at the temples. His grey eyes were deep-set and his nose looked as though it had been chiselled out of fine stone—as did his lips. They were so beautifully moulded that Kara occasionally found herself holding her breath as she envisaged being kissed by them. This feeling was something entirely alien to Kara and unnerved her greatly. She had never kissed a man, never even been out with a man—her father had seen to that! And even though her domineering father was no longer alive his presence still hung over her.
Not that Blake would ever be interested in Kara. She was not beautiful; she was not blonde or gorgeous. She was an ordinary woman with ordinary features and no man ever looked at her twice. But she was the luckiest woman in the world to have landed this job. It had come at just the right time.
‘It’s not a problem for you, is it?’ Blake was surprised that Kara did not look excited. She had not said that she did not want to go, but the look in her eyes reminded him of a doe in a car’s headlights and he could not understand why. Their yearly convention was an opportunity every one of his other personal assistants had jumped at.
He had to admit that Kara was different, and if he hadn’t been desperate after Olivia had left he would perhaps not have hired her. He liked beautiful women around him and Kara was—well, she made no effort to make herself look glamorous. But she had come with good references and she was damned good at her job. In fact she had made herself indispensable.
And he needed her in Milan. She had dealt with every aspect of the conference; she had practically organised it herself. She knew exactly what the agenda was. So he was going to make very sure that she went with him no matter what excuse she came up with.
She looked extremely nervous, perched on the edge of the chair, and for the first time he noticed what delicate ankles she had—it was all he could see of her legs in the ridiculous long skirts she insisted on wearing. And her flat shoes were the most unflattering things he had ever seen. But her ankles? Why had he never noticed them before? ‘Are you going out tonight, Miss Redman?’ He had no idea what had prompted the question, but it suddenly seemed important for him to know.
‘Is the question relevant, Mr Benedict?’
It was not the answer he’d expected and it amused him. He even thought that he heard fire in her voice, and there was certainly a spark in her blue eyes. An almost violet-blue. Something else he had never noticed. They were totally amazing when she widened them, when her long silky lashes fluttered as she waited for his reply. This was a new and interesting side to his PA. A side that he felt himself wanting to explore.
Despite that, though, it didn’t please him that she was not readily agreeing to his wishes. ‘If I am holding you up then perhaps we can have our little talk another time?’
‘You’re not holding me up.’ Kara did her best to ignore the sarcasm he had injected into his voice. ‘But there really is nothing to talk about. I can’t join you in Italy—it’s as simple as that. I’m sorry.’
She held her breath as she waited for his response. She imagined that no one had ever said no to him before. Blake Benedict was law. Everyone jumped at his bidding. And why not, when he was the successful owner of one of the largest IT solutions companies?
Blake’s was a success story beyond most people’s wildest dreams. It was a story that every member of staff knew. From a little boy of five who’d been able to use a computer better than most adults, he had started his first business venture at the age of sixteen, writing troubleshooting computer programs, and now he had thousands working for him. He was revered by all and no one ever thought of saying no to him. This was why Kara had taken him by surprise. But she simply could not leave her mother even for a few nights. It would be far too dangerous.
Her daring clearly astonished him, though. A deep frown grooved his brow and narrowed his grey eyes. And when he spoke his voice had developed a hard edge that she was not accustomed to hearing when he spoke to her. ‘There is no such word as can’t in my vocabulary, Miss Redman. I’m sure you’ve worked for me long enough to know that.’
Of course she had, but her priorities were equally important. ‘I—I appreciate what you are saying, but I do have a life outside work and—’
‘And that life is so important that you cannot dedicate yourself to your job?’
Kara quivered at the caustic harshness, at the bullet hardness of his eyes, which had turned almost silver, but nevertheless she stuck to her guns. ‘Mr Benedict, I do not think you can ever say that I do not do my job properly.’ She had worked late so many times that she sometimes felt she spent more time at work than she did at home.
‘Maybe not. In fact you’re very good,’ he admitted.
Grudgingly, she thought. Praise did not come easily from this man. He was a fair employer, though. His staff were treated fairly and paid high wages and they rewarded him by doing their jobs well. Few people left his employ.
Why couldn’t he see things from her point of view? Did he not think that his staff had lives of their own?
‘So who is it that has priority on your time? A boyfriend, perhaps?’ The lift to his brows told her that he clearly thought this was not a good enough excuse.
Kara knew he would not rest until she had told him the truth, or as much of it as she cared to reveal. ‘If you must know, I look after my mother. She cannot manage without me.’ And she prayed that he would not try to delve any deeper into their circumstances.
For a fraction of a second he hesitated—this was evidently something he had not expected or even thought about. Kara wondered whether he had a mother who equally relied on him. Or maybe not. Blake’s work was his life. During the eleven months she had worked for him he had not taken one single day’s holiday.
‘And there is no one else who can look after her? No other family member?’
Kara was tempted to say, Would I be talking like this if there was? Don’t you think I’d jump at the opportunity of going to Italy? But she didn’t. She lifted her chin instead and met the glare in his eyes with one of her own. ‘I’m an only child and my father’s dead.’ And felt her heart pound as she waited for his response.
His brows lifted fractionally. She would not have noticed if she had not been staring him in the face.
‘I see. That is unfortunate. I am sorry.’ And he actually looked it. ‘What is wrong with your mother?’
‘It’s her health,’ she answered. ‘It is not good. She depends on me.’
‘And you are sure that there is no one who could possibly keep an eye out for her?’
Kara hesitated. There was her mother’s sister, who had always said that she would love to have her stay any time Kara wanted a break, but she had never taken her up on it. It hadn’t seemed fair. She wasn’t sure that her aunt realised how fragile Lynne had become.
But she’d hesitated too long, and Blake Benedict seized the opportunity, his eyes narrowing on her face. ‘I can see from your expression that there is someone.’
Kara compressed her lips and nodded. ‘Actually, there is my aunt. Possibly! I would have to ask her.’
‘Then do that tonight, Miss Redman. And if the answer is no then I will personally hire a nurse.’
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.
When finally Blake began concentrating on the screen in front of him Kara allowed her head to drop back and closed her eyes. But it was not easy ignoring him—not when his cologne teased her nostrils, not when she knew his leg was mere inches away from hers, not when she sensed that sometimes his eyes were on her instead of his computer.
Quite how she managed it Kara did not know, but somehow she fell asleep. She was woken by Blake’s light touch on her shoulder as he told her that they were about to land and she needed to put on her seat belt.
Embarrassed now, she moved to her original seat and sat rigidly upright. Blake on the other hand was totally relaxed, a smile turning up the corners of his lips. Had he watched her while she slept? Kara went hot at the thought. Had her mouth fallen open? Had she looked stupid? ‘I’m sorry I fell asleep on you,’ she said quietly.
‘And very beautifully too. It was quite something, having you resting your head on my shoulder. My usually prim and proper PA behaving like a real woman for once.’
Alarm raced through Kara. Her head on his shoulder! Was that what she had done? Her heart went wild, leaping within chest as though it was trying to escape. ‘I really am sorry.’
‘No need to apologise,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘It was my pleasure.’
His pleasure! Another source of heat seared the surface of her skin. This was too embarrassing by far. ‘It was very rude of me.’ She sat up even straighter. ‘I didn’t sleep very well last night. That must be why.’
‘Was it the thought of joining me today that kept you awake?’ His grey eyes met and held hers and Kara shivered. There was something in the tone of his voice that alarmed her.
It was wrong to judge all men by her father—but her mother had told her to be careful, that men were not always what they seemed. And all she knew about Blake was that his affairs were legend. There was no way on this earth that she wanted to become another statistic.
But how to answer his question? ‘It was the thought of what lay ahead,’ she said, which in itself was not an outright lie. ‘I’ve never been to Italy.’
‘Then I will enjoy improving your education, showing you places that you have only read about or perhaps seen on the television.’
‘Mr Benedict.’ Kara put on her most professional demeanour. ‘I am sure we will not have time for sightseeing. You have a very full schedule.’
His slow smile said it all. ‘There is always time for enjoyment, Kara.’
CHAPTER TWO
IT SEEMED like no time at all before they were being driven to their hotel, and because Kara had booked the rooms and seen photographs of it she knew what to expect. Except that the grandeur of the building actually took her breath away. The architecture was stunning. But what stopped her breathing altogether was the discovery that her room was right next door to Blake’s.
And it was clearly actually part of his suite, because it had an adjoining door. Fortunately locked, but that did not make her any happier, nor ease her alarm. Had he asked for her to be put here?
There was only one way to find out. She walked the few yards along the corridor and tapped on his door, entering at the sound of his voice. ‘Why have I been roomed next to you?’ she asked bluntly, without even waiting for him to ask what she wanted.
‘Does it bother you?’ Blake did not look in the least concerned. He did not even look surprised—which told her that he must have been expecting a reaction.
‘Actually, yes, it does,’ she retorted.
‘For what reason?’ Grey eyes captured blue.
‘Because—well—’ She lifted her chin a fraction higher, realising that she actually didn’t have a particularly good reason. ‘Because it doesn’t feel right. I should be with the others. It’s as though you’re giving me some exalted presence.’
Dark brows rose and he folded his arms across his magnificent chest. He had taken off his jacket and undone the top buttons of his shirt, revealing a scattering of springy dark hairs against darkly tanned skin.
Kara had only ever seen him in a collar and tie. She had never seen the flesh and blood man beneath. Although it shouldn’t have affected her, it did. He suddenly looked less daunting and more human. And—she hated to admit it—sexy.
‘For your information, I was thinking of practicalities.’
Kara hardly heard what he was saying. She was still staring at his chest, which was quite magnificently muscled. Did he work out somewhere? A private gym, perhaps? Or did he have his own gym? She realised she actually knew nothing about Blake; she had never been interested. But now all sorts of questions sprang into her mind. She was seeing the man now, and not her employer, and could not ignore the way her pulse raced that little bit faster.
‘It makes perfect sense,’ he said now. ‘You are my right-hand woman. You are the trigger to this whole conference running smoothly. There are sure to be things we need to talk about. I need you close to me.’
He needed her close to him! They were the only words that penetrated through the haze that fogged her brain. Close to him!
Then she blinked and everything snapped back into place. ‘I do not agree, Mr Benedict. There is no need for us to—’
Her words were abruptly cut off. ‘Miss Redman—Kara—it is too late to change now. The hotel is full.’ His expression suggested that she was making a mountain out of a molehill. ‘But if it will make you feel any better I promise not to intrude on your privacy.’
Kara felt hot colour flood her cheeks. Was that really what he thought she had been thinking? She somehow managed a glare before turning around and marching back to her room. After her initial concerns she had been excited at the thought of coming here, of hopefully seeing something of Milan, but now new fears began to build. What had happened to the barrier she had supposedly erected? One look at a V of exposed chest and she had gone to pieces. How stupid was that? She was behaving like a teenager instead of a twenty-six-year-old woman.
Unfortunately she would now see Blake Benedict in a completely different light, and it could spoil the whole conference—unless she took herself in hand. Even with his shirt buttoned up and a tie in place, his jacket over his magnificent chest, she would still remember what she had seen. It would still haunt her thoughts and she would hunger to see it again, perhaps to even touch! Oh, God, this was crazy. She was turning into someone she did not recognise.
She needed to be careful. Blake’s attitude towards her had changed as well. She knew that. He had never really taken the time to get to know her before. She had been a faceless woman who quietly and efficiently kept his office running. But something had happened on the flight over. He had taken a second look, and a third, and seen a changed person. And if her instincts were anything to go by he was taking a very real interest in her now.
On the other hand maybe she was making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe she was seeing things that were not there. Embarrassment coloured her cheeks again, made her wish that she had not gone to his room. The time to confront him would have been if he had stepped over the mark. It was going to be sheer hell facing him now. It would take all of her courage to keep her chin high and pretend that nothing was wrong.
After unpacking she stepped under the shower. They would soon be attending a pre-conference dinner, where everyone could get to know each other. A supposedly relaxing evening before the work really started. The trouble was that she could not get over her unease that Blake Benedict was on the other side of that door.
Was he showering too? Was he standing there naked? Was all that fabulous flesh exposed? All hell let loose inside her body. Despite the fact that she kept telling herself everything was in her imagination she could not shut him out of her mind.
Which was ridiculous when she thought about it. She had worked with this guy for nearly twelve months and not felt even a second’s interest in him—so why was it happening now? Was it because, for the first time, she was seeing him as a human being instead of a man driven by work? Or was it the reverse? Was it because he appeared to be taking an interest in her?
Was that it? Was she falling under his influence? Was it because he was the first man ever to take an interest in her? Please, God, don’t let me be so weak as to fall for him, she prayed. Please don’t let me be like all the rest.
When it was time to get dressed she was undecided whether to wear one of her work suits or a black dress that she had once bought for a New Year’s Eve party she had never actually gone to. It had been only a few months after her father had died and she had felt uncomfortable about leaving her mother. But was the dress too dressy for tonight? Should she save it for the last evening?
As she wasn’t used to going out like this she was still debating when a sharp rap came on her door. ‘Kara, are you ready?’
Kara groaned inwardly. ‘Almost! I’ll be down shortly.’
‘I’ll wait for you.’
Mild panic skittered; goosebumps rose on her skin. ‘There’s really no need. I can find my own way down.’
‘I want you with me.’
It was a command, and Kara knew he would not go away. But she was not going to let him in—not when she was standing in her bra and panties. Embarrassing heat attacked her at the mere thought.
Hastily now, because it was the quickest and easiest, she pulled on the dress. She had already fixed her makeup, but there was no time to do anything with her hair other than a swift flick of the brush.
She opened the door just as his hand was raised to bang on it again. It stayed where it was. He simply stood there looking at her. God, she must look awful. ‘Is there something wrong?’ She ought to have taken another look in the mirror. ‘Am I overdressed? Should I change? I didn’t really know what to wear.’
‘You look—stunning. Absolutely stunning.’
Blake could not take his eyes off her. The dress fitted her body like a glove—as though she had been poured into it. And what a figure she had! A perfect hourglass! Never before had he seen her dressed like this. Nor had he realised how thick and luxuriant her hair was, or that it was reddish-brown with copper highlights. Wearing it loose made her look sensational. It brushed her shoulders and swung like a silken curtain when she moved.
Why she usually hid herself beneath shapeless clothes he had no idea. Unless it was simply that she thought tailored suits were the correct uniform for work. Which, he suddenly decided, was OK by him.
Otherwise, if she flaunted her fabulous figure as some of the girls in the office did, she would have all the male members of staff drooling over her. And he did not want that. He surprised himself by suddenly feeling very protective towards his PA.
After his welcoming speech to the other delegates he introduced her. ‘Gentlemen, may I present to you Kara Redman, my PA? The most competent assistant any man could wish for. She will be at your disposal during the next few days—for work-related reasons only. Anything personal you keep to yourself.’
His last words created the expected laughter but Kara felt embarrassed. She had not dreamed for one moment that he would introduce her so publicly, and for him to say that…Her cheeks burned and she felt on fire.
When the food was served and everyone’s attention was taken she looked at him and said quietly, ‘Did you have to make a joke of me?’
Blake’s brows rose questioningly. ‘It wasn’t a joke. It was for your own protection. I’ve already seen one or two of the men here eyeing you up.’
‘And you think I cannot look after myself?’ She was totally embarrassed. Admittedly she’d never had to fight men off, but he didn’t know that.
‘My apologies,’ he said drily.
Despite her initial concerns Kara enjoyed the evening far more than she had expected. She enjoyed meeting the people she had been in touch with, putting faces to names, and all seemed to be going well—until after their meal, when everyone mingled and one of the guys from New York suggested to her that she was more to Blake Benedict than his PA.
‘What makes you say that?’ How could he even think it, yet alone put it into words? Was everyone else thinking the same? Was that why they thought he had made that hands-off statement about her earlier?
‘I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s like a guard dog on patrol. I just wanted to see if I stood a chance. You are a stunning woman. Any man would give his right arm to go out with you. Blake’s a lucky a so-and-so if he’s already got you.’
‘No one has got me,’ she retorted, flashing her blue eyes. ‘Blake Benedict is my boss and that’s all there is to it.’
‘Is that so?’ he asked with a slow smile, and he moved closer—so close that Kara could feel his breath on her cheek.
She took a step back and felt herself cannon into a rock-hard chest.
‘Is everything all right here?’
Blake’s voice sounded in her ear and she felt his hand on her waist. The next moment both arms came around her and she was held prisoner against him. Her first instinct was to pull away—but, knowing it would make a fool of him when he was trying to save her from this man’s advances, she made herself relax.
Amazingly, her world shifted. She was aware of nothing except the hard strength of his body, the soft thud of his heart against her back—and the pounding of her pulse. These were new and unexpected feelings, and except for the time on the plane she had never been this close to a man. She had certainly never felt her heart flutter because of a man’s touch! This was not her employer any more. This was Blake, the man.
For a few mind-blowing seconds they were the only two people in the room. Her heart began its own roller-coaster and her mouth grew dry. She could not speak even if she wanted to, so it was a relief when the other man backed away.
Once he had gone Kara struggled to free herself, feeling mortified now by her reaction to Blake, unable to understand what had come over her. Thank goodness he had no idea that she had been turned on by him. It would be so embarrassing if he knew—if he even suspected it. She put on her most indignant face. ‘I am capable of looking after myself.’
‘I’ve no doubt,’ he answered calmly, a tiny smile turning up the corners of his mouth, ‘but Miles can be very persuasive. He also has a wife at home. I should have warned you that on occasions like this a lot of the guys seem to forget they have other commitments, like wives and families.’
Kara began to realise how little she really knew about men and life. All thanks to her father! But she would learn, and she would learn quickly.
‘I’ve seen the way some of them are already looking at you,’ he continued. ‘And why should they not? You are incredibly beautiful.’
Kara could not stop a flush of hot blood. No one had ever called her beautiful before. And for it to be her boss! ‘It’s kind of you to say so,’ she said primly, at the same time wishing that she had gone with her first instincts and worn a boring suit. None of this would have happened then. No one would have looked at her twice. ‘But, like I said, I don’t need a bodyguard.’
‘That may be the case,’ he admitted, ‘but surely you’re not going to take away my credit for doing the gallant knight thing?’
Kara laughed. The first time she had really felt comfortable with him. ‘For which I thank you. But shouldn’t you be mingling with your colleagues, not worrying about me?’ She did her best to sound prim again, though was aware that she failed dismally.
‘But I do worry, since this is your first conference. I feel obliged to look after you. And I will only mingle, as you so delightfully put it, if you accompany me.’
He looked at her with such determination that Kara did not dare refuse. She was conscious, though, as they stopped and talked to each individual in turn, that he was reinforcing the impression that she belonged to him. His hand was on her elbow often as he guided her around the room, and her worst fear was that they would leave together at the end of the evening. And that maybe he would insist on her joining him in his room for a nightcap.
Her heart beat unreasonably fast at the mere thought of it, and the tales she’d heard about his other PAs would not go away. Not that he’d given her any reason for alarm, but even so …
When he was called away for a moment, Kara saw her opportunity and almost ran up the stairs in her haste to escape, closing the door to her room and leaning back against it as though at any moment it would burst open and Blake Benedict would walk in.
It was not until her breathing returned to normal that she realised how stupidly she was behaving. Blake had not said or done anything to make her believe she was in danger, so why was she panicking? Her problem was that she did not know how to handle men. She had never had a boyfriend. She had never even dated. Not one single date. How pathetic was that, at her age?
She got ready for bed and crawled into it but was unable to sleep. Her mind was far too active. Too much was going on in it for her to relax. That Miles man, for instance, and Blake’s intervention! She was grateful, but she also felt extremely foolish. He must think her a real ingénue.
Finally she heard Blake’s door open and close, followed by the murmur of his voice. At first she thought he had someone with him, but then realised he was on the telephone. Even when there was silence she still did not settle down.
Her fertile imagination saw him undressing, and she couldn’t stop herself visualising the hard, strong lines of his body. She even imagined threading her fingers through those dark chest hairs. How would it feel? Would they be soft and springy? Or quite firm? Would the heat of his body transfer itself to her fingers? Would he capture her hand and hold it against his beating heart?
She had absolutely no idea. But she did know that something was happening to her own body just by thinking about it. And if she carried on like this she would get no sleep tonight.
But how to stop her thoughts? These were new feelings. Her body felt vibrantly alive and she could not help wishing that he would unlock the door and tiptoe into her room and slide into bed beside her.
What she would do if he actually did she had no idea. Probably scream at him to go away. Ask him what the hell he thought he was doing. But her body warred with her mind. For the first time ever in her life it burned with excitement.
How she managed to sleep Kara was not sure, but somehow she did. She slept well, and was woken only by her alarm. Feeling self-conscious now about the attention that had been paid to her yesterday, she slipped on a white blouse that fastened right up to the neck and one of her dark suits. Then, as there was still plenty of time before breakfast, she went down to the conference room and put out the notes that would be needed during the day.
She did not hear Blake enter, and gave a tiny cry of alarm when she turned to leave and cannoned right into him.
‘Steady, Kara.’ And although it wasn’t necessary his arms came around her.
Immediately the tantalising smell of his cologne stung her nostrils and the crazy sensations from last night came rushing back, threading their way from her throat right down to her stomach. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said huskily, at the same time pulling away from him. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
‘Are you afraid of me?’ he asked, a frown pulling his brows together.
‘Of course not.’ Her reply was instant and fierce, and she looked him straight in the eye. But whether he believed her was another thing. If the truth were known she would not have believed herself.
‘Good, because we’re going to be spending an awful lot of time together. Have you eaten breakfast yet?’ And when she shook her head, ‘Then perhaps you will join me and we can go over today’s agenda?’
They had already gone over it many times, thought Kara, but refusing did not appear to be an option. The dining room was full, and all eyes were turned on them as they made their way to Blake’s table.
Blake had never come across any woman who intrigued him as much as Kara Redman did. He could not make up his mind whether she truly was the innocent she appeared or whether she was putting on an act.
‘We’re two of a kind, do you know that?’
Kara stopped picking at a croissant and frowned at him. ‘What makes you say that?’
‘It’s simple. We’ve both lost our fathers, we have no siblings, and we’re both career-minded. Maybe myit career has taken me on a different path from yours, but you’re very good at what you do, very conscientious, which in my eyes makes you the perfect PA. I wish never to lose you.’ And that had to be the truth.
‘It’s very kind of you to say so.’
‘Do you mind if I ask how long it’s been since your father died? I gained the impression the other day that his death had hit you hard. My father died when I was just eleven, so I’ve had some time now to get used to it.’
Instantly Kara’s face changed. A mask came over it, and when she spoke her voice had become much cooler. Blake instantly felt her withdrawing from him. ‘I’d really rather not talk about him, if you don’t mind. My father was—well, he wasn’t a very nice man. And that’s more than I should have told you. I’m sorry.’
‘And I’m sorry that I asked.’ Her confession had stunned Blake and he wished now that he had said nothing. Kara’s hurt still sounded raw. Maybe one day he would discover exactly what sort of man her father had been, but for the time being he needed to bring the conversation round to something pleasant.
‘I lived here for a while,’ he told her. ‘It’s a beautiful country. My mother is half Italian.’
To his relief a spark of interest brightened her eyes. ‘Does she still live here?’
‘Actually, no. She prefers England. Says she likes to be closer to me. But I do have cousins in Seville.’
‘And will you be visiting them after the conference? I’ve never known you take a holiday.’
‘I doubt it,’ he answered. ‘My work means far more to me than spending time looking up relatives. How about you? Where do you go when you take your annual leave?’
Kara shrugged and looked as though she wished he had not asked her that question either. ‘I stay at home. My mother isn’t well enough to travel.’
Of course. He was forgetting her parent’s illness. ‘In that case you have no right criticising me,’ he said, accompanying his words with a smile. Sometimes Kara looked as though she was terrified of him and he had no idea why. She intrigued him, and he felt a very real need to get to know her better while they were here.
Kara found the first day of the conference an eye opener. She was spellbound. Watching Blake take command, the respectful interest everyone had in him, the energy that buzzed around the room, somehow invigorated her as well. She felt more alive than she had in a long time.
She had expected to sit quietly by Blake’s side, making notes, feeding him any information he did not have readily to hand, but somehow she found herself being drawn in.
Maybe the fact that she was fully conversant with everything helped. She had made it her business to be the most efficient PA Blake had ever had so that he would never feel the need to get rid of her. And she felt very proud of herself when she was able to answer any question that he threw her way.
‘A very successful first day,’ he announced when the meeting broke up. ‘Thanks to your excellent organisational skills. You’ve done me proud, Kara, thank you.’
Kara felt swift colour flood her cheeks. ‘I only did what I’m getting paid for.’
‘And more,’ he said, his eyes locking into hers so that she felt a swift river of heat tumble its way through her body. ‘Remind me to give you a rise when we get back. For now, I think we should get some air before dinner. We need to stretch our legs.’
Kara was not sure whether this was a command or a suggestion. ‘I actually thought of relaxing in my room.’ The whole day had proved more exhausting than she had expected.
‘Nonsense!’ he said briskly. ‘You need fresh air and exercise. It’s either a walk—I could show you some of the sights Milan has to offer, La Scala for instance—or—’ his eyes lit up as he spoke ‘—we could take advantage of the swimming pool. You do swim, Kara?’
Every nerve in her body shuddered. The mere thought of seeing all that exposed, bronzed, muscle-packed flesh, scared her to death. It was not that she did not want to see him, she did—her heart raced at the thought—but she was afraid that she might give herself away in the process.
‘I do,’ she answered, unaware that her voice had gone suddenly husky. ‘But I think I’d prefer to walk. In any case I haven’t packed a swimsuit. I had no idea that swimming was part of the agenda.’
Blake smiled his appreciation at her attempted humour, his eyes crinkling at the corners and making him look—different. Softer, kinder, poles apart from the tough-guy businessman she had got to know so well. This new man frightened her. He sent prickles of heat across her skin and an ache low down in her belly.
‘They do have a shop here in the hotel that sells that sort of thing.’
‘I’d still rather walk,’ answered Kara quietly, since she wasn’t being given the option of going back to her room. He was overpowering her, and wasn’t giving her any time to herself. And, although she did feel a need to drag some fresh air into her lungs, she could do that just as easily in the hotel gardens—alone!
Amazingly, though, once they set off she began to relax. She even found herself chatting to him as though he was an old friend. Not divulging anything personal, but commenting on the shops that lined the streets, selling jewellery and handbags and all sorts of interesting things. But it was definitely La Scala itself that entranced her.
‘I’ve always wondered about this place,’ she exclaimed as they stood looking at the elegant building.
Blake smiled indulgently. ‘Do you like opera?’
‘Sometimes,’ she admitted. ‘It depends if I’m in the right mood.’
‘And what mood would that be?’ he asked, half-turning to face her.
As she met those stunning dark eyes her body flooded with new and different sensations, different emotions that spun her into a whole new world. A world of hunger and desire. A world where there was just Blake and herself. Blake making love to her, teaching her, encouraging her. She felt embarrassed by it. This should not be happening.
But how to help herself? She had the feeling that Blake could read the thoughts in her mind. The countless thoughts that raced round and round, confusing her and worrying her, bringing swift colour to her cheeks, and she wished now that she had gone to her room and shut herself in.
In London Blake was her boss, her employer, and she had never let herself think of him in any other way. She had not even wanted to. But now that she was far away from home, away from the safe and familiar, she was changing, relaxing—and almost welcoming the attention he was paying her.
‘When I’m feeling sad,’ she admitted in answer to his question, surprised to hear that her voice sounded normal. ‘I don’t really understand opera, but it somehow helps me. Not that I’ve ever been to a live performance.’
‘Is that so?’ Blake’s brows lifted. ‘Then we will have to see whether we can remedy that while we’re here. Watching an opera being performed at La Scala is a serious sensation in itself.’
Swift alarm stabbed at Kara’s chest. Attending a concert with Blake went far beyond anything that was reasonable and sane. ‘I doubt whether we’ll have time.’ And even if they had would she really want to go with him? Sit with him for two or three hours, or however long it lasted? This new-found awareness would fill her to such an extent that she would be unable to concentrate on what was going on on the stage. She put on her very best office voice. ‘You have a very full schedule, Mr Benedict. And even if you didn’t, I doubt you’d get tickets at this late stage. They must be sold out months in advance.’
‘Are you trying to get out of it?’
‘I am.’ There was no point in lying.
Blake laughed at her honesty. ‘Tut-tut, Kara. Have you not realised yet that I always get my own way? And perhaps you could learn to call me Blake?’
There was a whole world of difference between calling him Blake in her mind and saying it to his face. Maybe she was old-fashioned, but using his surname was what she needed more than anything right now. It held up the barrier. It prevented intimacy. It reminded her of who he was.
Not that her body took heed of any barriers. The longer they were together the more aware of him she became. And the more uncomfortable she felt. It was such a foreign feeling that she wanted to turn and run in case he sensed it.
Blake was a man of the world. He knew all about women. If he looked too deeply into her eyes he would be able to see how much he affected her. He would guess at the riot of emotions he had stirred. And he might play on it. Take advantage. Hammer away at her senses until she weakened.
The thought of weakening, of allowing him to flirt and tease, maybe even go further, caused a fast, heart-thumping eruption of excitement, of actual physical need. She turned and began to walk away. Finally she was beginning to appreciate what all the other girls in the office talked about.
‘You do understand, Kara—’ his voice came closely over her shoulder ‘—that running away tells me more about you than if you had stayed and argued.’
Blake knew that it was not going to be easy getting Kara Redman to relax in his company. For a few minutes earlier, when they had been window shopping, she had become animated, but as soon as he had suggested doing something that would throw them into close contact she had frozen.
The question was, why? And how long was it going to take him to find out? Kara was the most private person he knew. Other women were always eager to talk about themselves, to show off, to preen like a peacock in front of him. Not so Kara. And the less she opened up the more intrigued he became, the more determined to prise open the shell of security she had wrapped around herself. There had to be a reason and he wanted to know what it was. Whether it really was because of her father or whether it was something else.
‘I am not running away.’
He smiled at the hint of defiance in her voice. ‘Good, because I want you to relax. I want you to enjoy your time spent here. It’s not all about the conference, and since you’ve never been to Milan before I think you should see something more of the city than the inside of a hotel. In my humble opinion La Scala is the pièce de résistance. You cannot possibly leave without embracing a performance here. And I would be honoured to be the one to introduce you to the delights of live opera.’
‘It’s very kind of you Mr—er—Blake, but your diary is full.’
‘As you constantly remind me.’ He smiled as he spoke, sensing how difficult it had been for her to use his first name. ‘Nevertheless we will make time.’ He saw the apprehension in her blue eyes, and the way her teeth bit nervously on her lusciously plump bottom lip—something else he had never noticed before.
He was tempted to kiss away her nervousness, to taste those delicious lips for himself. But he knew that to do so would be fatal. Kara Redman was without a doubt the most intriguing female he had ever come across, and if it was the last thing he did he was going to remove the barriers she had built around herself. And he would take great pleasure in doing so.
‘I actually think we should be getting back,’ said Kara, looking pointedly at her watch. ‘Dinner will be in an hour, and I need to shower and—’
‘You are right, of course,’ said Blake, but she need not think that he had given up on the opera. The idea of them sitting together watching a performance, her slender body close to his, touching him perhaps, of letting her delicate perfume entrance him, maybe even finding himself far more aware of his surprisingly beautiful assistant than of what was going on onstage, was something that would not go away.
Kara Redman had begun to get beneath his skin like no other woman ever had. He’d been out with lots of beautiful women since his divorce, but their beauty had been skin-deep. His assistant was very different. Once he had really looked at her he had seen a strikingly good-looking woman—and he would never be able to understand why she hid her amazing figure beneath sensible clothes. She was also superbly intelligent. In fact she was one hell of a woman—and he could not believe that he had not realised this months ago.
CHAPTER THREE
RELIEF flooded Kara when she finally got back to her room, and she gulped in great breaths of air. Spending time with Blake left her feeling breathless and exhausted. Crazy feelings swirled in her stomach—desire mixing with unease. Hunger with fear.
What she could not understand was why she was experiencing these feelings now when she never had before. What was the difference between working for him in London and working with him here? The fact was that he’d never taken her walking in London. They had never met outside the office. In fact everything was different.
Even Blake was different. He was no longer the man who barked orders. Who expected them carried out to the letter in the shortest possible time. He had become human. And in so doing he had triggered something inside her that was scary. Because of her father she had always kept her feelings tightly controlled, everything hidden behind a mask.
And when Blake had shown not the least interest in her, when no man had shown interest, it had been easy to remain behind her mask of self-preservation. Now it was in danger of slipping. In fact it had already begun its downward slide. A few kind words, a desire to get to know her, and something inside had sprung into life. An amazing new life that both scared and excited her.
As she showered Kara wished with all her heart that she had been able to get out of this conference. Blake could quite easily have managed without her. All the arrangements had been made, the paperwork was done—there was nothing he needed that he hadn’t got. She had seen to everything.
She found herself scrubbing at her skin more energetically than was necessary, and asked herself whether she was trying to rid her body as well as her mind of him. Which was laughable! Blake Benedict was not a man anyone could forget easily, and she’d had more than her fill of him over the last eleven months.
It was a wonder she didn’t dream about him. Actually, now she remembered she had—the very first day of her job. After a gruelling eight hours she had convinced herself that she would never be able to do the job to his satisfaction, and had gone home to bed to experience a dream that had disturbed her deeply. Not because it was erotic—thoughts like that hadn’t entered her mind—but because he had assumed the mantle of the devil.
After that she used to tell her mother that she was working for the devil. She had never learned a job so quickly in her life. She had taught herself always to be prepared—and she had been. Always ready with an answer to his quick-fire questions. Until he’d changed from Blake Benedict, business tycoon, to Blake Benedict, human being. A human who was interested in her!
Dressing for dinner, Kara chose the skirt from her black suit, teaming it with a red blouse with a deep V-neck. Her mother had bought it for her last Christmas, but she had only worn it once, feeling that it was too pretty and too feminine to wear for work.
When she walked into the dining room, taller and more elegant than ever in her black high-heeled sandals, every eye turned in her direction. But the only person she saw was Blake, watching each step that she took.
‘You look stunning,’ he said softly as he stood to hold out her chair. ‘Red suits you. You should wear it more often.’
Kara smiled her thanks, not trusting her voice. He looked particularly handsome too, in a handmade navy suit and a pale blue silk shirt. His red and navy tie, also silk, was as immaculate as always, and as he bent over her, ensuring she was seated comfortably, his cologne—the one he always wore and which was an integral part of him—drifted beneath her nostrils like an aphrodisiac.
And when his hand touched her shoulder, when it lingered longer than was necessary, she felt a shiver of sheer pleasure run all the way down to the tips of her toes. ‘You smell divine, Kara,’ he whispered in her ear.
So do you, she wanted to say, but could not—dared not. It would be far too intimate. She was not sure that she liked him complimenting her either—not here, not with so many eyes on them.
She was relieved when a waiter placed a napkin on her lap and handed her the menu. Now she could breathe! Except that every breath she drew seemed to bring her nearer to Blake, and when she stole a glance at him from beneath her lashes she saw that instead of studying his own menu he was watching her.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, trying to make light of it, which was practically impossible when her heart had just leapt. ‘Do I have a spot on my nose?’
‘Your nose is delightful. It’s a very kissable nose.’
Kara’s eyes widened in shock.
‘You do not like compliments, Kara?’
The truth was that she was not used to compliments. What made her nose kissable, anyway? It was just a nose. She didn’t answer his question.
‘As are your lips.’
Kara refused to listen. She did not even look at him any more. She concentrated on the menu instead, ignoring the fact that her stupid pulse had begun to race again and heat was prickling her skin. One of her downfalls was the way that she blushed so easily, and she prayed that her cheeks did not colour now.
Even when their order was placed there was no escape. There was just the two of them. For no reason at all everyone else had faded into the background. Wine was poured and Blake proposed a toast. ‘To my most efficient PA—long may you continue to work for me.’
Kara could not drag her eyes away from his. She had never really noticed before how thick his lashes were, or how the grey of his eyes seemed to change colour according to his mood. She had seen them turn a light silver at the office, when someone was being less than efficient, but at this moment, when his attention was concentrated solely on her, when his thoughts were deep and unreadable, they were much, much darker. And they held an expression that she could not read but one that both scared and excited her at the same time.
Here in this beautiful hotel, in this beautiful country, something was happening to her. It was as though her old life in England was being slowly erased. Memories were fading and something far more exciting was taking over. It was a transitory thing, she knew, but it would surely be foolish not to make the most of it.
He made her feel as though they were the only two people in the room, commanding her attention in such a way that everything except him was blotted out. And for the moment this was all right with her. It was a new experience—one she would treasure when they got back home and everything returned to normal.
She took a sip of her wine and smiled shyly at him. ‘You’re very kind.’
‘It is no more than the truth.’
‘I enjoy the job.’
‘And are you also enjoying the conference?’
Kara nodded. ‘I’ve never attended anything like this before, and I have to confess I was a little nervous, but, yes, I am enjoying myself.’ Except when he paid her too much attention!
‘Every man here envies me. And why not, when you are a very beautiful woman?’
This time colour really did flood her cheeks. ‘It’s very kind of you to say so.’
In response he simply gave her a smile that caused a further skittering of her senses.
The waiter returned with their food and Kara was glad of the respite. It gave her time to take a few deep breaths and tell herself she was in control. That having a man flatter her like this should be a joyful experience, not scary.
And somehow it worked. Gradually she began to relax and enjoy the evening. She drank more wine than usual, unaware that her eyes were brighter and her cheeks flushed with happiness. They talked incessantly, and Kara laughed out loud at some of his anecdotes.
It was not until the end of the meal, when he passed her an envelope and then watched her face closely as she opened it, that she was suddenly stuck for words. Inside were tickets for Faust the following night. Kara blinked twice and swallowed a sudden lump in her throat.
‘Think of it as a thank-you from me to you for all the hard work you’ve put in,’ he said, watching the changing expressions on her face.
‘I—I don’t know what to say. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t think that you would be able to—’
‘But you are pleased?’ He looked suddenly anxious, not something he usually did. ‘And hopefully a little excited?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘But nothing, Kara,’ he said, his voice firm now. ‘All I want is for you to enjoy it.’
Privately Kara doubted whether she would remember anything of the opera. Sitting here talking to him when the room was filled with other people was one thing, but going to the theatre, seated so close that their bodies would touch, when there would be no escape, was another.
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Margaret Mayo
She’s having the boss’s baby!Kara Redman has been Blake Benedict’s righthand woman for almost a year, and she prides herself on keeping their relationship purely professional – until a business trip to Italy proves to be her undoing!The heat of the Italian sun stokes the flames of passion, and after hours Kara can’t resist the invitation into her boss’s bed! But one night with Blake has shocking consequences – Kara is having the boss’s baby!
As soon as the words left her lips she realised she should have prepared him; she ought not to have come out with it like that. ‘It’s true, Blake. I’m having your baby.’
Her heart stopped beating as she waited for his response, and she did not like what she saw. His eyes narrowed and he looked at her as though she was a complete stranger. As though she was a stranger telling him something he did not want to hear. There was none of the compassion and warmth that had been there a few seconds ago. Nothing but stone-cold disbelief. This was far worse than anything she had ever imagined.
About the Author
MARGARET MAYO was reading Mills & Boon ® romances long before she began to write them. In fact she never had any plans to become a writer. After an idea for a short story popped into her head she was thrilled when it turned into a full-scale novel. Now, over twenty-five years later, she is still happily writing and says she has no intention of stopping.
She lives with her husband Ken in a rural part of Staffordshire, England. Margaret’s hobbies are reading, photography, and more recently watercolour painting, which she says has honed her observational skills and is a definite advantage when it comes to writing.
A NIGHT WITH
CONSEQUENCES
MARGARET MAYO
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
CHAPTER ONE
THIS was an unbelievable opportunity, thought Kara. Flying to Italy with her boss for the firm’s annual conference was any woman’s dream. She would have liked it to be hers, but unfortunately—sadly—it wasn’t. It never could be.
Not that Blake Benedict was a man who could be so easily dismissed. He was aggressively handsome, with strong dark features that guaranteed a second look. And she had stolen many of those. According to gossip he was divorced—acrimoniously—and had sworn never to get married again. But he was not short of girlfriends. Far from it! They vied for his attention like bees around a honeypot.
Not so Kara. She did not want him to notice her, and had always tried to make herself invisible by wearing dark classical suits and little make-up, dragging her hair back unbecomingly. Her hair was actually her crowning glory, a deep, rich auburn, but there was no way she could wear it loose for the office.
The fact that he never gave her a second look told her that her efforts to hide her sexuality really did work. She made a point of being extremely efficient, and even though he rarely heaped praise on her shoulders she knew that he was more than satisfied.
But the very thought of joining him in Italy sent unease curling down her spine. It was impossible. And yet how to tell him? What if he insisted? What if he said that it was part of her job?
She had felt very fortunate when she’d got the position as PA to Blake Benedict, head of the Benedict Corporation—a worldwide organisation whose head office was in London. The agency had lined up another girl, but she had fallen ill at the last minute and Kara had been sent in her place. The first time she had set eyes on him she had felt a whoosh of something dangerous slide through her body. Never, ever in her life had she felt anything like it.
Blake was head and shoulders taller than most men, with a square dimpled jaw and dark, closely cut hair that held a hint of silver at the temples. His grey eyes were deep-set and his nose looked as though it had been chiselled out of fine stone—as did his lips. They were so beautifully moulded that Kara occasionally found herself holding her breath as she envisaged being kissed by them. This feeling was something entirely alien to Kara and unnerved her greatly. She had never kissed a man, never even been out with a man—her father had seen to that! And even though her domineering father was no longer alive his presence still hung over her.
Not that Blake would ever be interested in Kara. She was not beautiful; she was not blonde or gorgeous. She was an ordinary woman with ordinary features and no man ever looked at her twice. But she was the luckiest woman in the world to have landed this job. It had come at just the right time.
‘It’s not a problem for you, is it?’ Blake was surprised that Kara did not look excited. She had not said that she did not want to go, but the look in her eyes reminded him of a doe in a car’s headlights and he could not understand why. Their yearly convention was an opportunity every one of his other personal assistants had jumped at.
He had to admit that Kara was different, and if he hadn’t been desperate after Olivia had left he would perhaps not have hired her. He liked beautiful women around him and Kara was—well, she made no effort to make herself look glamorous. But she had come with good references and she was damned good at her job. In fact she had made herself indispensable.
And he needed her in Milan. She had dealt with every aspect of the conference; she had practically organised it herself. She knew exactly what the agenda was. So he was going to make very sure that she went with him no matter what excuse she came up with.
She looked extremely nervous, perched on the edge of the chair, and for the first time he noticed what delicate ankles she had—it was all he could see of her legs in the ridiculous long skirts she insisted on wearing. And her flat shoes were the most unflattering things he had ever seen. But her ankles? Why had he never noticed them before? ‘Are you going out tonight, Miss Redman?’ He had no idea what had prompted the question, but it suddenly seemed important for him to know.
‘Is the question relevant, Mr Benedict?’
It was not the answer he’d expected and it amused him. He even thought that he heard fire in her voice, and there was certainly a spark in her blue eyes. An almost violet-blue. Something else he had never noticed. They were totally amazing when she widened them, when her long silky lashes fluttered as she waited for his reply. This was a new and interesting side to his PA. A side that he felt himself wanting to explore.
Despite that, though, it didn’t please him that she was not readily agreeing to his wishes. ‘If I am holding you up then perhaps we can have our little talk another time?’
‘You’re not holding me up.’ Kara did her best to ignore the sarcasm he had injected into his voice. ‘But there really is nothing to talk about. I can’t join you in Italy—it’s as simple as that. I’m sorry.’
She held her breath as she waited for his response. She imagined that no one had ever said no to him before. Blake Benedict was law. Everyone jumped at his bidding. And why not, when he was the successful owner of one of the largest IT solutions companies?
Blake’s was a success story beyond most people’s wildest dreams. It was a story that every member of staff knew. From a little boy of five who’d been able to use a computer better than most adults, he had started his first business venture at the age of sixteen, writing troubleshooting computer programs, and now he had thousands working for him. He was revered by all and no one ever thought of saying no to him. This was why Kara had taken him by surprise. But she simply could not leave her mother even for a few nights. It would be far too dangerous.
Her daring clearly astonished him, though. A deep frown grooved his brow and narrowed his grey eyes. And when he spoke his voice had developed a hard edge that she was not accustomed to hearing when he spoke to her. ‘There is no such word as can’t in my vocabulary, Miss Redman. I’m sure you’ve worked for me long enough to know that.’
Of course she had, but her priorities were equally important. ‘I—I appreciate what you are saying, but I do have a life outside work and—’
‘And that life is so important that you cannot dedicate yourself to your job?’
Kara quivered at the caustic harshness, at the bullet hardness of his eyes, which had turned almost silver, but nevertheless she stuck to her guns. ‘Mr Benedict, I do not think you can ever say that I do not do my job properly.’ She had worked late so many times that she sometimes felt she spent more time at work than she did at home.
‘Maybe not. In fact you’re very good,’ he admitted.
Grudgingly, she thought. Praise did not come easily from this man. He was a fair employer, though. His staff were treated fairly and paid high wages and they rewarded him by doing their jobs well. Few people left his employ.
Why couldn’t he see things from her point of view? Did he not think that his staff had lives of their own?
‘So who is it that has priority on your time? A boyfriend, perhaps?’ The lift to his brows told her that he clearly thought this was not a good enough excuse.
Kara knew he would not rest until she had told him the truth, or as much of it as she cared to reveal. ‘If you must know, I look after my mother. She cannot manage without me.’ And she prayed that he would not try to delve any deeper into their circumstances.
For a fraction of a second he hesitated—this was evidently something he had not expected or even thought about. Kara wondered whether he had a mother who equally relied on him. Or maybe not. Blake’s work was his life. During the eleven months she had worked for him he had not taken one single day’s holiday.
‘And there is no one else who can look after her? No other family member?’
Kara was tempted to say, Would I be talking like this if there was? Don’t you think I’d jump at the opportunity of going to Italy? But she didn’t. She lifted her chin instead and met the glare in his eyes with one of her own. ‘I’m an only child and my father’s dead.’ And felt her heart pound as she waited for his response.
His brows lifted fractionally. She would not have noticed if she had not been staring him in the face.
‘I see. That is unfortunate. I am sorry.’ And he actually looked it. ‘What is wrong with your mother?’
‘It’s her health,’ she answered. ‘It is not good. She depends on me.’
‘And you are sure that there is no one who could possibly keep an eye out for her?’
Kara hesitated. There was her mother’s sister, who had always said that she would love to have her stay any time Kara wanted a break, but she had never taken her up on it. It hadn’t seemed fair. She wasn’t sure that her aunt realised how fragile Lynne had become.
But she’d hesitated too long, and Blake Benedict seized the opportunity, his eyes narrowing on her face. ‘I can see from your expression that there is someone.’
Kara compressed her lips and nodded. ‘Actually, there is my aunt. Possibly! I would have to ask her.’
‘Then do that tonight, Miss Redman. And if the answer is no then I will personally hire a nurse.’
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.
When finally Blake began concentrating on the screen in front of him Kara allowed her head to drop back and closed her eyes. But it was not easy ignoring him—not when his cologne teased her nostrils, not when she knew his leg was mere inches away from hers, not when she sensed that sometimes his eyes were on her instead of his computer.
Quite how she managed it Kara did not know, but somehow she fell asleep. She was woken by Blake’s light touch on her shoulder as he told her that they were about to land and she needed to put on her seat belt.
Embarrassed now, she moved to her original seat and sat rigidly upright. Blake on the other hand was totally relaxed, a smile turning up the corners of his lips. Had he watched her while she slept? Kara went hot at the thought. Had her mouth fallen open? Had she looked stupid? ‘I’m sorry I fell asleep on you,’ she said quietly.
‘And very beautifully too. It was quite something, having you resting your head on my shoulder. My usually prim and proper PA behaving like a real woman for once.’
Alarm raced through Kara. Her head on his shoulder! Was that what she had done? Her heart went wild, leaping within chest as though it was trying to escape. ‘I really am sorry.’
‘No need to apologise,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘It was my pleasure.’
His pleasure! Another source of heat seared the surface of her skin. This was too embarrassing by far. ‘It was very rude of me.’ She sat up even straighter. ‘I didn’t sleep very well last night. That must be why.’
‘Was it the thought of joining me today that kept you awake?’ His grey eyes met and held hers and Kara shivered. There was something in the tone of his voice that alarmed her.
It was wrong to judge all men by her father—but her mother had told her to be careful, that men were not always what they seemed. And all she knew about Blake was that his affairs were legend. There was no way on this earth that she wanted to become another statistic.
But how to answer his question? ‘It was the thought of what lay ahead,’ she said, which in itself was not an outright lie. ‘I’ve never been to Italy.’
‘Then I will enjoy improving your education, showing you places that you have only read about or perhaps seen on the television.’
‘Mr Benedict.’ Kara put on her most professional demeanour. ‘I am sure we will not have time for sightseeing. You have a very full schedule.’
His slow smile said it all. ‘There is always time for enjoyment, Kara.’
CHAPTER TWO
IT SEEMED like no time at all before they were being driven to their hotel, and because Kara had booked the rooms and seen photographs of it she knew what to expect. Except that the grandeur of the building actually took her breath away. The architecture was stunning. But what stopped her breathing altogether was the discovery that her room was right next door to Blake’s.
And it was clearly actually part of his suite, because it had an adjoining door. Fortunately locked, but that did not make her any happier, nor ease her alarm. Had he asked for her to be put here?
There was only one way to find out. She walked the few yards along the corridor and tapped on his door, entering at the sound of his voice. ‘Why have I been roomed next to you?’ she asked bluntly, without even waiting for him to ask what she wanted.
‘Does it bother you?’ Blake did not look in the least concerned. He did not even look surprised—which told her that he must have been expecting a reaction.
‘Actually, yes, it does,’ she retorted.
‘For what reason?’ Grey eyes captured blue.
‘Because—well—’ She lifted her chin a fraction higher, realising that she actually didn’t have a particularly good reason. ‘Because it doesn’t feel right. I should be with the others. It’s as though you’re giving me some exalted presence.’
Dark brows rose and he folded his arms across his magnificent chest. He had taken off his jacket and undone the top buttons of his shirt, revealing a scattering of springy dark hairs against darkly tanned skin.
Kara had only ever seen him in a collar and tie. She had never seen the flesh and blood man beneath. Although it shouldn’t have affected her, it did. He suddenly looked less daunting and more human. And—she hated to admit it—sexy.
‘For your information, I was thinking of practicalities.’
Kara hardly heard what he was saying. She was still staring at his chest, which was quite magnificently muscled. Did he work out somewhere? A private gym, perhaps? Or did he have his own gym? She realised she actually knew nothing about Blake; she had never been interested. But now all sorts of questions sprang into her mind. She was seeing the man now, and not her employer, and could not ignore the way her pulse raced that little bit faster.
‘It makes perfect sense,’ he said now. ‘You are my right-hand woman. You are the trigger to this whole conference running smoothly. There are sure to be things we need to talk about. I need you close to me.’
He needed her close to him! They were the only words that penetrated through the haze that fogged her brain. Close to him!
Then she blinked and everything snapped back into place. ‘I do not agree, Mr Benedict. There is no need for us to—’
Her words were abruptly cut off. ‘Miss Redman—Kara—it is too late to change now. The hotel is full.’ His expression suggested that she was making a mountain out of a molehill. ‘But if it will make you feel any better I promise not to intrude on your privacy.’
Kara felt hot colour flood her cheeks. Was that really what he thought she had been thinking? She somehow managed a glare before turning around and marching back to her room. After her initial concerns she had been excited at the thought of coming here, of hopefully seeing something of Milan, but now new fears began to build. What had happened to the barrier she had supposedly erected? One look at a V of exposed chest and she had gone to pieces. How stupid was that? She was behaving like a teenager instead of a twenty-six-year-old woman.
Unfortunately she would now see Blake Benedict in a completely different light, and it could spoil the whole conference—unless she took herself in hand. Even with his shirt buttoned up and a tie in place, his jacket over his magnificent chest, she would still remember what she had seen. It would still haunt her thoughts and she would hunger to see it again, perhaps to even touch! Oh, God, this was crazy. She was turning into someone she did not recognise.
She needed to be careful. Blake’s attitude towards her had changed as well. She knew that. He had never really taken the time to get to know her before. She had been a faceless woman who quietly and efficiently kept his office running. But something had happened on the flight over. He had taken a second look, and a third, and seen a changed person. And if her instincts were anything to go by he was taking a very real interest in her now.
On the other hand maybe she was making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe she was seeing things that were not there. Embarrassment coloured her cheeks again, made her wish that she had not gone to his room. The time to confront him would have been if he had stepped over the mark. It was going to be sheer hell facing him now. It would take all of her courage to keep her chin high and pretend that nothing was wrong.
After unpacking she stepped under the shower. They would soon be attending a pre-conference dinner, where everyone could get to know each other. A supposedly relaxing evening before the work really started. The trouble was that she could not get over her unease that Blake Benedict was on the other side of that door.
Was he showering too? Was he standing there naked? Was all that fabulous flesh exposed? All hell let loose inside her body. Despite the fact that she kept telling herself everything was in her imagination she could not shut him out of her mind.
Which was ridiculous when she thought about it. She had worked with this guy for nearly twelve months and not felt even a second’s interest in him—so why was it happening now? Was it because, for the first time, she was seeing him as a human being instead of a man driven by work? Or was it the reverse? Was it because he appeared to be taking an interest in her?
Was that it? Was she falling under his influence? Was it because he was the first man ever to take an interest in her? Please, God, don’t let me be so weak as to fall for him, she prayed. Please don’t let me be like all the rest.
When it was time to get dressed she was undecided whether to wear one of her work suits or a black dress that she had once bought for a New Year’s Eve party she had never actually gone to. It had been only a few months after her father had died and she had felt uncomfortable about leaving her mother. But was the dress too dressy for tonight? Should she save it for the last evening?
As she wasn’t used to going out like this she was still debating when a sharp rap came on her door. ‘Kara, are you ready?’
Kara groaned inwardly. ‘Almost! I’ll be down shortly.’
‘I’ll wait for you.’
Mild panic skittered; goosebumps rose on her skin. ‘There’s really no need. I can find my own way down.’
‘I want you with me.’
It was a command, and Kara knew he would not go away. But she was not going to let him in—not when she was standing in her bra and panties. Embarrassing heat attacked her at the mere thought.
Hastily now, because it was the quickest and easiest, she pulled on the dress. She had already fixed her makeup, but there was no time to do anything with her hair other than a swift flick of the brush.
She opened the door just as his hand was raised to bang on it again. It stayed where it was. He simply stood there looking at her. God, she must look awful. ‘Is there something wrong?’ She ought to have taken another look in the mirror. ‘Am I overdressed? Should I change? I didn’t really know what to wear.’
‘You look—stunning. Absolutely stunning.’
Blake could not take his eyes off her. The dress fitted her body like a glove—as though she had been poured into it. And what a figure she had! A perfect hourglass! Never before had he seen her dressed like this. Nor had he realised how thick and luxuriant her hair was, or that it was reddish-brown with copper highlights. Wearing it loose made her look sensational. It brushed her shoulders and swung like a silken curtain when she moved.
Why she usually hid herself beneath shapeless clothes he had no idea. Unless it was simply that she thought tailored suits were the correct uniform for work. Which, he suddenly decided, was OK by him.
Otherwise, if she flaunted her fabulous figure as some of the girls in the office did, she would have all the male members of staff drooling over her. And he did not want that. He surprised himself by suddenly feeling very protective towards his PA.
After his welcoming speech to the other delegates he introduced her. ‘Gentlemen, may I present to you Kara Redman, my PA? The most competent assistant any man could wish for. She will be at your disposal during the next few days—for work-related reasons only. Anything personal you keep to yourself.’
His last words created the expected laughter but Kara felt embarrassed. She had not dreamed for one moment that he would introduce her so publicly, and for him to say that…Her cheeks burned and she felt on fire.
When the food was served and everyone’s attention was taken she looked at him and said quietly, ‘Did you have to make a joke of me?’
Blake’s brows rose questioningly. ‘It wasn’t a joke. It was for your own protection. I’ve already seen one or two of the men here eyeing you up.’
‘And you think I cannot look after myself?’ She was totally embarrassed. Admittedly she’d never had to fight men off, but he didn’t know that.
‘My apologies,’ he said drily.
Despite her initial concerns Kara enjoyed the evening far more than she had expected. She enjoyed meeting the people she had been in touch with, putting faces to names, and all seemed to be going well—until after their meal, when everyone mingled and one of the guys from New York suggested to her that she was more to Blake Benedict than his PA.
‘What makes you say that?’ How could he even think it, yet alone put it into words? Was everyone else thinking the same? Was that why they thought he had made that hands-off statement about her earlier?
‘I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s like a guard dog on patrol. I just wanted to see if I stood a chance. You are a stunning woman. Any man would give his right arm to go out with you. Blake’s a lucky a so-and-so if he’s already got you.’
‘No one has got me,’ she retorted, flashing her blue eyes. ‘Blake Benedict is my boss and that’s all there is to it.’
‘Is that so?’ he asked with a slow smile, and he moved closer—so close that Kara could feel his breath on her cheek.
She took a step back and felt herself cannon into a rock-hard chest.
‘Is everything all right here?’
Blake’s voice sounded in her ear and she felt his hand on her waist. The next moment both arms came around her and she was held prisoner against him. Her first instinct was to pull away—but, knowing it would make a fool of him when he was trying to save her from this man’s advances, she made herself relax.
Amazingly, her world shifted. She was aware of nothing except the hard strength of his body, the soft thud of his heart against her back—and the pounding of her pulse. These were new and unexpected feelings, and except for the time on the plane she had never been this close to a man. She had certainly never felt her heart flutter because of a man’s touch! This was not her employer any more. This was Blake, the man.
For a few mind-blowing seconds they were the only two people in the room. Her heart began its own roller-coaster and her mouth grew dry. She could not speak even if she wanted to, so it was a relief when the other man backed away.
Once he had gone Kara struggled to free herself, feeling mortified now by her reaction to Blake, unable to understand what had come over her. Thank goodness he had no idea that she had been turned on by him. It would be so embarrassing if he knew—if he even suspected it. She put on her most indignant face. ‘I am capable of looking after myself.’
‘I’ve no doubt,’ he answered calmly, a tiny smile turning up the corners of his mouth, ‘but Miles can be very persuasive. He also has a wife at home. I should have warned you that on occasions like this a lot of the guys seem to forget they have other commitments, like wives and families.’
Kara began to realise how little she really knew about men and life. All thanks to her father! But she would learn, and she would learn quickly.
‘I’ve seen the way some of them are already looking at you,’ he continued. ‘And why should they not? You are incredibly beautiful.’
Kara could not stop a flush of hot blood. No one had ever called her beautiful before. And for it to be her boss! ‘It’s kind of you to say so,’ she said primly, at the same time wishing that she had gone with her first instincts and worn a boring suit. None of this would have happened then. No one would have looked at her twice. ‘But, like I said, I don’t need a bodyguard.’
‘That may be the case,’ he admitted, ‘but surely you’re not going to take away my credit for doing the gallant knight thing?’
Kara laughed. The first time she had really felt comfortable with him. ‘For which I thank you. But shouldn’t you be mingling with your colleagues, not worrying about me?’ She did her best to sound prim again, though was aware that she failed dismally.
‘But I do worry, since this is your first conference. I feel obliged to look after you. And I will only mingle, as you so delightfully put it, if you accompany me.’
He looked at her with such determination that Kara did not dare refuse. She was conscious, though, as they stopped and talked to each individual in turn, that he was reinforcing the impression that she belonged to him. His hand was on her elbow often as he guided her around the room, and her worst fear was that they would leave together at the end of the evening. And that maybe he would insist on her joining him in his room for a nightcap.
Her heart beat unreasonably fast at the mere thought of it, and the tales she’d heard about his other PAs would not go away. Not that he’d given her any reason for alarm, but even so …
When he was called away for a moment, Kara saw her opportunity and almost ran up the stairs in her haste to escape, closing the door to her room and leaning back against it as though at any moment it would burst open and Blake Benedict would walk in.
It was not until her breathing returned to normal that she realised how stupidly she was behaving. Blake had not said or done anything to make her believe she was in danger, so why was she panicking? Her problem was that she did not know how to handle men. She had never had a boyfriend. She had never even dated. Not one single date. How pathetic was that, at her age?
She got ready for bed and crawled into it but was unable to sleep. Her mind was far too active. Too much was going on in it for her to relax. That Miles man, for instance, and Blake’s intervention! She was grateful, but she also felt extremely foolish. He must think her a real ingénue.
Finally she heard Blake’s door open and close, followed by the murmur of his voice. At first she thought he had someone with him, but then realised he was on the telephone. Even when there was silence she still did not settle down.
Her fertile imagination saw him undressing, and she couldn’t stop herself visualising the hard, strong lines of his body. She even imagined threading her fingers through those dark chest hairs. How would it feel? Would they be soft and springy? Or quite firm? Would the heat of his body transfer itself to her fingers? Would he capture her hand and hold it against his beating heart?
She had absolutely no idea. But she did know that something was happening to her own body just by thinking about it. And if she carried on like this she would get no sleep tonight.
But how to stop her thoughts? These were new feelings. Her body felt vibrantly alive and she could not help wishing that he would unlock the door and tiptoe into her room and slide into bed beside her.
What she would do if he actually did she had no idea. Probably scream at him to go away. Ask him what the hell he thought he was doing. But her body warred with her mind. For the first time ever in her life it burned with excitement.
How she managed to sleep Kara was not sure, but somehow she did. She slept well, and was woken only by her alarm. Feeling self-conscious now about the attention that had been paid to her yesterday, she slipped on a white blouse that fastened right up to the neck and one of her dark suits. Then, as there was still plenty of time before breakfast, she went down to the conference room and put out the notes that would be needed during the day.
She did not hear Blake enter, and gave a tiny cry of alarm when she turned to leave and cannoned right into him.
‘Steady, Kara.’ And although it wasn’t necessary his arms came around her.
Immediately the tantalising smell of his cologne stung her nostrils and the crazy sensations from last night came rushing back, threading their way from her throat right down to her stomach. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said huskily, at the same time pulling away from him. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
‘Are you afraid of me?’ he asked, a frown pulling his brows together.
‘Of course not.’ Her reply was instant and fierce, and she looked him straight in the eye. But whether he believed her was another thing. If the truth were known she would not have believed herself.
‘Good, because we’re going to be spending an awful lot of time together. Have you eaten breakfast yet?’ And when she shook her head, ‘Then perhaps you will join me and we can go over today’s agenda?’
They had already gone over it many times, thought Kara, but refusing did not appear to be an option. The dining room was full, and all eyes were turned on them as they made their way to Blake’s table.
Blake had never come across any woman who intrigued him as much as Kara Redman did. He could not make up his mind whether she truly was the innocent she appeared or whether she was putting on an act.
‘We’re two of a kind, do you know that?’
Kara stopped picking at a croissant and frowned at him. ‘What makes you say that?’
‘It’s simple. We’ve both lost our fathers, we have no siblings, and we’re both career-minded. Maybe myit career has taken me on a different path from yours, but you’re very good at what you do, very conscientious, which in my eyes makes you the perfect PA. I wish never to lose you.’ And that had to be the truth.
‘It’s very kind of you to say so.’
‘Do you mind if I ask how long it’s been since your father died? I gained the impression the other day that his death had hit you hard. My father died when I was just eleven, so I’ve had some time now to get used to it.’
Instantly Kara’s face changed. A mask came over it, and when she spoke her voice had become much cooler. Blake instantly felt her withdrawing from him. ‘I’d really rather not talk about him, if you don’t mind. My father was—well, he wasn’t a very nice man. And that’s more than I should have told you. I’m sorry.’
‘And I’m sorry that I asked.’ Her confession had stunned Blake and he wished now that he had said nothing. Kara’s hurt still sounded raw. Maybe one day he would discover exactly what sort of man her father had been, but for the time being he needed to bring the conversation round to something pleasant.
‘I lived here for a while,’ he told her. ‘It’s a beautiful country. My mother is half Italian.’
To his relief a spark of interest brightened her eyes. ‘Does she still live here?’
‘Actually, no. She prefers England. Says she likes to be closer to me. But I do have cousins in Seville.’
‘And will you be visiting them after the conference? I’ve never known you take a holiday.’
‘I doubt it,’ he answered. ‘My work means far more to me than spending time looking up relatives. How about you? Where do you go when you take your annual leave?’
Kara shrugged and looked as though she wished he had not asked her that question either. ‘I stay at home. My mother isn’t well enough to travel.’
Of course. He was forgetting her parent’s illness. ‘In that case you have no right criticising me,’ he said, accompanying his words with a smile. Sometimes Kara looked as though she was terrified of him and he had no idea why. She intrigued him, and he felt a very real need to get to know her better while they were here.
Kara found the first day of the conference an eye opener. She was spellbound. Watching Blake take command, the respectful interest everyone had in him, the energy that buzzed around the room, somehow invigorated her as well. She felt more alive than she had in a long time.
She had expected to sit quietly by Blake’s side, making notes, feeding him any information he did not have readily to hand, but somehow she found herself being drawn in.
Maybe the fact that she was fully conversant with everything helped. She had made it her business to be the most efficient PA Blake had ever had so that he would never feel the need to get rid of her. And she felt very proud of herself when she was able to answer any question that he threw her way.
‘A very successful first day,’ he announced when the meeting broke up. ‘Thanks to your excellent organisational skills. You’ve done me proud, Kara, thank you.’
Kara felt swift colour flood her cheeks. ‘I only did what I’m getting paid for.’
‘And more,’ he said, his eyes locking into hers so that she felt a swift river of heat tumble its way through her body. ‘Remind me to give you a rise when we get back. For now, I think we should get some air before dinner. We need to stretch our legs.’
Kara was not sure whether this was a command or a suggestion. ‘I actually thought of relaxing in my room.’ The whole day had proved more exhausting than she had expected.
‘Nonsense!’ he said briskly. ‘You need fresh air and exercise. It’s either a walk—I could show you some of the sights Milan has to offer, La Scala for instance—or—’ his eyes lit up as he spoke ‘—we could take advantage of the swimming pool. You do swim, Kara?’
Every nerve in her body shuddered. The mere thought of seeing all that exposed, bronzed, muscle-packed flesh, scared her to death. It was not that she did not want to see him, she did—her heart raced at the thought—but she was afraid that she might give herself away in the process.
‘I do,’ she answered, unaware that her voice had gone suddenly husky. ‘But I think I’d prefer to walk. In any case I haven’t packed a swimsuit. I had no idea that swimming was part of the agenda.’
Blake smiled his appreciation at her attempted humour, his eyes crinkling at the corners and making him look—different. Softer, kinder, poles apart from the tough-guy businessman she had got to know so well. This new man frightened her. He sent prickles of heat across her skin and an ache low down in her belly.
‘They do have a shop here in the hotel that sells that sort of thing.’
‘I’d still rather walk,’ answered Kara quietly, since she wasn’t being given the option of going back to her room. He was overpowering her, and wasn’t giving her any time to herself. And, although she did feel a need to drag some fresh air into her lungs, she could do that just as easily in the hotel gardens—alone!
Amazingly, though, once they set off she began to relax. She even found herself chatting to him as though he was an old friend. Not divulging anything personal, but commenting on the shops that lined the streets, selling jewellery and handbags and all sorts of interesting things. But it was definitely La Scala itself that entranced her.
‘I’ve always wondered about this place,’ she exclaimed as they stood looking at the elegant building.
Blake smiled indulgently. ‘Do you like opera?’
‘Sometimes,’ she admitted. ‘It depends if I’m in the right mood.’
‘And what mood would that be?’ he asked, half-turning to face her.
As she met those stunning dark eyes her body flooded with new and different sensations, different emotions that spun her into a whole new world. A world of hunger and desire. A world where there was just Blake and herself. Blake making love to her, teaching her, encouraging her. She felt embarrassed by it. This should not be happening.
But how to help herself? She had the feeling that Blake could read the thoughts in her mind. The countless thoughts that raced round and round, confusing her and worrying her, bringing swift colour to her cheeks, and she wished now that she had gone to her room and shut herself in.
In London Blake was her boss, her employer, and she had never let herself think of him in any other way. She had not even wanted to. But now that she was far away from home, away from the safe and familiar, she was changing, relaxing—and almost welcoming the attention he was paying her.
‘When I’m feeling sad,’ she admitted in answer to his question, surprised to hear that her voice sounded normal. ‘I don’t really understand opera, but it somehow helps me. Not that I’ve ever been to a live performance.’
‘Is that so?’ Blake’s brows lifted. ‘Then we will have to see whether we can remedy that while we’re here. Watching an opera being performed at La Scala is a serious sensation in itself.’
Swift alarm stabbed at Kara’s chest. Attending a concert with Blake went far beyond anything that was reasonable and sane. ‘I doubt whether we’ll have time.’ And even if they had would she really want to go with him? Sit with him for two or three hours, or however long it lasted? This new-found awareness would fill her to such an extent that she would be unable to concentrate on what was going on on the stage. She put on her very best office voice. ‘You have a very full schedule, Mr Benedict. And even if you didn’t, I doubt you’d get tickets at this late stage. They must be sold out months in advance.’
‘Are you trying to get out of it?’
‘I am.’ There was no point in lying.
Blake laughed at her honesty. ‘Tut-tut, Kara. Have you not realised yet that I always get my own way? And perhaps you could learn to call me Blake?’
There was a whole world of difference between calling him Blake in her mind and saying it to his face. Maybe she was old-fashioned, but using his surname was what she needed more than anything right now. It held up the barrier. It prevented intimacy. It reminded her of who he was.
Not that her body took heed of any barriers. The longer they were together the more aware of him she became. And the more uncomfortable she felt. It was such a foreign feeling that she wanted to turn and run in case he sensed it.
Blake was a man of the world. He knew all about women. If he looked too deeply into her eyes he would be able to see how much he affected her. He would guess at the riot of emotions he had stirred. And he might play on it. Take advantage. Hammer away at her senses until she weakened.
The thought of weakening, of allowing him to flirt and tease, maybe even go further, caused a fast, heart-thumping eruption of excitement, of actual physical need. She turned and began to walk away. Finally she was beginning to appreciate what all the other girls in the office talked about.
‘You do understand, Kara—’ his voice came closely over her shoulder ‘—that running away tells me more about you than if you had stayed and argued.’
Blake knew that it was not going to be easy getting Kara Redman to relax in his company. For a few minutes earlier, when they had been window shopping, she had become animated, but as soon as he had suggested doing something that would throw them into close contact she had frozen.
The question was, why? And how long was it going to take him to find out? Kara was the most private person he knew. Other women were always eager to talk about themselves, to show off, to preen like a peacock in front of him. Not so Kara. And the less she opened up the more intrigued he became, the more determined to prise open the shell of security she had wrapped around herself. There had to be a reason and he wanted to know what it was. Whether it really was because of her father or whether it was something else.
‘I am not running away.’
He smiled at the hint of defiance in her voice. ‘Good, because I want you to relax. I want you to enjoy your time spent here. It’s not all about the conference, and since you’ve never been to Milan before I think you should see something more of the city than the inside of a hotel. In my humble opinion La Scala is the pièce de résistance. You cannot possibly leave without embracing a performance here. And I would be honoured to be the one to introduce you to the delights of live opera.’
‘It’s very kind of you Mr—er—Blake, but your diary is full.’
‘As you constantly remind me.’ He smiled as he spoke, sensing how difficult it had been for her to use his first name. ‘Nevertheless we will make time.’ He saw the apprehension in her blue eyes, and the way her teeth bit nervously on her lusciously plump bottom lip—something else he had never noticed before.
He was tempted to kiss away her nervousness, to taste those delicious lips for himself. But he knew that to do so would be fatal. Kara Redman was without a doubt the most intriguing female he had ever come across, and if it was the last thing he did he was going to remove the barriers she had built around herself. And he would take great pleasure in doing so.
‘I actually think we should be getting back,’ said Kara, looking pointedly at her watch. ‘Dinner will be in an hour, and I need to shower and—’
‘You are right, of course,’ said Blake, but she need not think that he had given up on the opera. The idea of them sitting together watching a performance, her slender body close to his, touching him perhaps, of letting her delicate perfume entrance him, maybe even finding himself far more aware of his surprisingly beautiful assistant than of what was going on onstage, was something that would not go away.
Kara Redman had begun to get beneath his skin like no other woman ever had. He’d been out with lots of beautiful women since his divorce, but their beauty had been skin-deep. His assistant was very different. Once he had really looked at her he had seen a strikingly good-looking woman—and he would never be able to understand why she hid her amazing figure beneath sensible clothes. She was also superbly intelligent. In fact she was one hell of a woman—and he could not believe that he had not realised this months ago.
CHAPTER THREE
RELIEF flooded Kara when she finally got back to her room, and she gulped in great breaths of air. Spending time with Blake left her feeling breathless and exhausted. Crazy feelings swirled in her stomach—desire mixing with unease. Hunger with fear.
What she could not understand was why she was experiencing these feelings now when she never had before. What was the difference between working for him in London and working with him here? The fact was that he’d never taken her walking in London. They had never met outside the office. In fact everything was different.
Even Blake was different. He was no longer the man who barked orders. Who expected them carried out to the letter in the shortest possible time. He had become human. And in so doing he had triggered something inside her that was scary. Because of her father she had always kept her feelings tightly controlled, everything hidden behind a mask.
And when Blake had shown not the least interest in her, when no man had shown interest, it had been easy to remain behind her mask of self-preservation. Now it was in danger of slipping. In fact it had already begun its downward slide. A few kind words, a desire to get to know her, and something inside had sprung into life. An amazing new life that both scared and excited her.
As she showered Kara wished with all her heart that she had been able to get out of this conference. Blake could quite easily have managed without her. All the arrangements had been made, the paperwork was done—there was nothing he needed that he hadn’t got. She had seen to everything.
She found herself scrubbing at her skin more energetically than was necessary, and asked herself whether she was trying to rid her body as well as her mind of him. Which was laughable! Blake Benedict was not a man anyone could forget easily, and she’d had more than her fill of him over the last eleven months.
It was a wonder she didn’t dream about him. Actually, now she remembered she had—the very first day of her job. After a gruelling eight hours she had convinced herself that she would never be able to do the job to his satisfaction, and had gone home to bed to experience a dream that had disturbed her deeply. Not because it was erotic—thoughts like that hadn’t entered her mind—but because he had assumed the mantle of the devil.
After that she used to tell her mother that she was working for the devil. She had never learned a job so quickly in her life. She had taught herself always to be prepared—and she had been. Always ready with an answer to his quick-fire questions. Until he’d changed from Blake Benedict, business tycoon, to Blake Benedict, human being. A human who was interested in her!
Dressing for dinner, Kara chose the skirt from her black suit, teaming it with a red blouse with a deep V-neck. Her mother had bought it for her last Christmas, but she had only worn it once, feeling that it was too pretty and too feminine to wear for work.
When she walked into the dining room, taller and more elegant than ever in her black high-heeled sandals, every eye turned in her direction. But the only person she saw was Blake, watching each step that she took.
‘You look stunning,’ he said softly as he stood to hold out her chair. ‘Red suits you. You should wear it more often.’
Kara smiled her thanks, not trusting her voice. He looked particularly handsome too, in a handmade navy suit and a pale blue silk shirt. His red and navy tie, also silk, was as immaculate as always, and as he bent over her, ensuring she was seated comfortably, his cologne—the one he always wore and which was an integral part of him—drifted beneath her nostrils like an aphrodisiac.
And when his hand touched her shoulder, when it lingered longer than was necessary, she felt a shiver of sheer pleasure run all the way down to the tips of her toes. ‘You smell divine, Kara,’ he whispered in her ear.
So do you, she wanted to say, but could not—dared not. It would be far too intimate. She was not sure that she liked him complimenting her either—not here, not with so many eyes on them.
She was relieved when a waiter placed a napkin on her lap and handed her the menu. Now she could breathe! Except that every breath she drew seemed to bring her nearer to Blake, and when she stole a glance at him from beneath her lashes she saw that instead of studying his own menu he was watching her.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, trying to make light of it, which was practically impossible when her heart had just leapt. ‘Do I have a spot on my nose?’
‘Your nose is delightful. It’s a very kissable nose.’
Kara’s eyes widened in shock.
‘You do not like compliments, Kara?’
The truth was that she was not used to compliments. What made her nose kissable, anyway? It was just a nose. She didn’t answer his question.
‘As are your lips.’
Kara refused to listen. She did not even look at him any more. She concentrated on the menu instead, ignoring the fact that her stupid pulse had begun to race again and heat was prickling her skin. One of her downfalls was the way that she blushed so easily, and she prayed that her cheeks did not colour now.
Even when their order was placed there was no escape. There was just the two of them. For no reason at all everyone else had faded into the background. Wine was poured and Blake proposed a toast. ‘To my most efficient PA—long may you continue to work for me.’
Kara could not drag her eyes away from his. She had never really noticed before how thick his lashes were, or how the grey of his eyes seemed to change colour according to his mood. She had seen them turn a light silver at the office, when someone was being less than efficient, but at this moment, when his attention was concentrated solely on her, when his thoughts were deep and unreadable, they were much, much darker. And they held an expression that she could not read but one that both scared and excited her at the same time.
Here in this beautiful hotel, in this beautiful country, something was happening to her. It was as though her old life in England was being slowly erased. Memories were fading and something far more exciting was taking over. It was a transitory thing, she knew, but it would surely be foolish not to make the most of it.
He made her feel as though they were the only two people in the room, commanding her attention in such a way that everything except him was blotted out. And for the moment this was all right with her. It was a new experience—one she would treasure when they got back home and everything returned to normal.
She took a sip of her wine and smiled shyly at him. ‘You’re very kind.’
‘It is no more than the truth.’
‘I enjoy the job.’
‘And are you also enjoying the conference?’
Kara nodded. ‘I’ve never attended anything like this before, and I have to confess I was a little nervous, but, yes, I am enjoying myself.’ Except when he paid her too much attention!
‘Every man here envies me. And why not, when you are a very beautiful woman?’
This time colour really did flood her cheeks. ‘It’s very kind of you to say so.’
In response he simply gave her a smile that caused a further skittering of her senses.
The waiter returned with their food and Kara was glad of the respite. It gave her time to take a few deep breaths and tell herself she was in control. That having a man flatter her like this should be a joyful experience, not scary.
And somehow it worked. Gradually she began to relax and enjoy the evening. She drank more wine than usual, unaware that her eyes were brighter and her cheeks flushed with happiness. They talked incessantly, and Kara laughed out loud at some of his anecdotes.
It was not until the end of the meal, when he passed her an envelope and then watched her face closely as she opened it, that she was suddenly stuck for words. Inside were tickets for Faust the following night. Kara blinked twice and swallowed a sudden lump in her throat.
‘Think of it as a thank-you from me to you for all the hard work you’ve put in,’ he said, watching the changing expressions on her face.
‘I—I don’t know what to say. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t think that you would be able to—’
‘But you are pleased?’ He looked suddenly anxious, not something he usually did. ‘And hopefully a little excited?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘But nothing, Kara,’ he said, his voice firm now. ‘All I want is for you to enjoy it.’
Privately Kara doubted whether she would remember anything of the opera. Sitting here talking to him when the room was filled with other people was one thing, but going to the theatre, seated so close that their bodies would touch, when there would be no escape, was another.
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Margaret Mayo
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: She’s having the boss’s baby!Kara Redman has been Blake Benedict’s righthand woman for almost a year, and she prides herself on keeping their relationship purely professional – until a business trip to Italy proves to be her undoing!The heat of the Italian sun stokes the flames of passion, and after hours Kara can’t resist the invitation into her boss’s bed! But one night with Blake has shocking consequences – Kara is having the boss’s baby!