Millionaire's Women Part 4

'Nick!'

He was in the hall now and his voice was low and reproachful when he murmured, 'Quiet, remember the dog.'

She muttered something very rude about the dog just as the front door closed behind him.

In spite of the late hour, after Cory had showered and removed her make-up she found she was wide awake. The events of the evening were spinning through her head like a fast moving film and sleep was a million miles away. She tossed and turned for an hour or more before getting out of bed and padding through to the kitchen.

A mug of hot milk and half a packet of chocolate digestive biscuits later, she tried to get a handle on the way her life had been turned upside down in less than twenty-four hours.

The man was a human bulldozer, she told herself irritably. It would serve him right if she was out tomorrow when he called.

But she wouldn't be.

She sighed. This was madness. Getting involved with a man like Nick Morgan, even briefly, was asking for trouble. Unbidden, thoughts of William intruded and for once she was too muddled and over-tired to stop them.

When she had met him she had left university six months earlier and had been training for her present job. She and her colleagues had treated themselves to a Christmas meal at an expensive restaurant and it had been there she'd b.u.mped into him-quite literally. The heel of one of her shoes had suddenly snapped and she'd fallen against him.

She reached for another biscuit, needing the sweetness to combat the acidity of the memories.

She had known from the beginning that William was wrong for her, that he was the type of man who would never be happy settling down with just one woman. But he had pursued her, probably because she was a challenge. Normally women fell into his lap like ripe plums and it had been something of a novelty for him to be the hunter for once. She had known that, in her head, but in spite of that she had found herself falling for him. Some little grain of sense, of sanity-call it what you would-had prevailed, however, and in spite of all his efforts he hadn't got her into his bed.

Then he had asked her to marry him.

The packet of biscuits had almost gone now. Feeling mad at herself for the self-indulgence, Cory stuffed the remainder back in the biscuit barrel and turned off the kitchen light, padding back to her bedroom and climbing into bed.

She had been over the moon at William's proposal. It had meant he wanted her, really really wanted her and not just as a s.e.xual conquest. For the first time in her life she had felt loved, the hang-ups from her lonely childhood and teens fading into the distance. wanted her and not just as a s.e.xual conquest. For the first time in her life she had felt loved, the hang-ups from her lonely childhood and teens fading into the distance.

He'd suggested a weekend in Paris to celebrate the engagement, declaring he knew the most perfect little jeweller's shop there where she could choose her ring. She'd said yes-who wouldn't? Of course she'd known that 'celebrating' would probably mean more than the limited love-making she'd allowed so far, but they were going to be married...

Why she had called unannounced at the advertising agency William owned the night before they were due to leave for Paris, she didn't really know. She had been visiting a problem family in Soho, and rather than go straight home she'd decided to stroll the mile or so to the agency in Mayfair. With hindsight it had been the worst-and the best-thing she could have done.

Nearly everyone had left by the time she got there, but after a.s.suring William's secretary-whom she'd met at the door-that she'd surprise him, she had made her way to his office on the top floor of the building. And she'd surprised him all right, as well as the partially clothed blonde he had been writhing with on the couch.

The scene which had followed had been ugly. He'd accused her of being frigid, an emotional cripple and plenty more besides in an effort to justify himself. She had walked out and had never seen him again from that day to this. A very messy end to an affair which never should have started in the first place.

Cory sighed, turning over in bed and hammering at her pillow, which felt as if it was packed with rocks. She had to get some sleep; she'd look like a wet rag in the morning. She began the technique she'd perfected in the months after William's betrayal, relaxing all her muscles, one by one, from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head.

Half an hour later she was as wide awake as ever, but this time it was Nick Morgan who was featuring on the screen in her mind.

She must have drifted off at some point after it became light, because when the alarm woke her at nine o'clock she was in the middle of a particularly erotic dream which made her blush to think about it.

How could she imagine such antics with a man she'd only met the day before? she asked herself in the shower. She could still feel the electricity racing through her veins which she'd experienced in the dream when Nick had touched and tasted her, and the heat in her body was nothing to do with the warm water cascading down on her. Crazy. She turned the dial to cold. It didn't help much.

He was early-fifteen minutes early-but as Cory had spent the last two hours agonising over what to wear, she was ready. Her bedroom looked like a bomb had hit it and almost every single item of clothing she possessed was on the bed or floor, but Nick wasn't going to go in that particular room so it didn't matter. She closed the door firmly. In fact she'd made up her mind he wasn't going to set foot in the flat let alone her bedroom. This lunch was going to be the end of the road. Just the state she'd got in over what to wear had convinced her of that.

After William she hadn't had a date for some time, but when she'd felt ready to go into the arena again she had made sure any hopeful suitors understood pretty quickly that what she had to offer was limited. Fun, friendship, the odd kiss and cuddle but nothing heavy. She had no intention of letting a man into her life, her mind or her body. She needed to be in control of any relationship from the beginning, and she ended things immediately if any man couldn't keep to the rules of engagement.

She didn't want to suffer pain again. As she pressed the intercom and told him she would be straight down, Cory's mouth was tight. Her parents had been unable to love her as parents normally did and William had just reaffirmed that there must be something lacking in her. Something which caused people not to want her like she wanted them. So she'd concentrate on her work, on making a difference in an area where she was was needed. And that would suffice. It would, because it had to. needed. And that would suffice. It would, because it had to.

She hadn't opened the front door of the building for him this time, so when she stepped out into the hot June day Nick was leaning against a snazzy little black sports car parked across the road. He looked...disturbing. His pale blue shirt was tucked into the flat waistband of his trousers and was unb.u.t.toned just enough at the neck to show the beginning of the soft black hair on his chest.

Narrow-waisted and lean-hipped, he had a flagrant masculinity that was impossible to ignore. It was intimidating, and that made her annoyed because she didn't want to feel intimidated. It put her at a disadvantage even though he couldn't know how she felt.

'Hi.' He walked towards her, his thickly lashed blue eyes appreciative as they took in the pale rose jeans and bubble gum pink flounced strapless top she was wearing. She had left her hair loose today, wearing only a touch of mascara and lip gloss, the wide silver hoops in her ears completing the picture of casual elegance for a hot summer's day. She had been determined not to dress up too much and by the same token wore the minimum of make-up; she hadn't wanted him to think she was making an effort-even if it had taken over two hours to decide on her look.

'h.e.l.lo.' She knew her cheeks matched her top but she couldn't do a thing about it.

'I'm glad you decided to come,' he said softly.

Decided to come? She'd been railroaded by an expert and he knew it. She sucked in a shaky breath but her voice was surprisingly firm when she said, 'The way I remember it, I had little choice?'

'Ouch.' He pretended to wince. 'You were supposed to say, preferably with a sweet smile, that you were glad I'd asked you, that you've been looking forward to it, something like that.'

'Really?' She provided the sweet smile. 'But I don't lie very well.'

He grinned at her, apparently totally unabashed. 'Then I'll just have to work hard today to make sure you're looking forward to our next date, won't I?'

No way, no how. If ever she'd needed proof she'd inadvertently caught a tiger by the tail, it was in that grin. The word charm had obviously been invented with Nick Morgan in mind. She tried very hard to ignore her racing heart. 'Surely your model-Miranda, isn't it?-is back from the States soon?'

They had just reached the car and he brought her round to face him with both hands on her shoulders. He gave her a hard look. 'One, Miranda isn't my my anything. Two, I've no idea when she returns because she's not obliged to report her whereabouts to me. Three...' His frown changed to a quizzical ruffle. 'Three, have you any idea what the feel of your bare shoulders is doing to me?' anything. Two, I've no idea when she returns because she's not obliged to report her whereabouts to me. Three...' His frown changed to a quizzical ruffle. 'Three, have you any idea what the feel of your bare shoulders is doing to me?'

Possibly. His shirt was thin and the dark shadow beneath it suggested his powerful chest was thickly covered with hair.

Cory took the coward's way out. 'No Mercedes today?' she said brightly, hoping he wouldn't notice the slight croakiness to her voice as she turned and pretended an interest in the car. 'Is this yours too?'

'Weekend runabout.' He opened the pa.s.senger door. 'Purely to impress my legion of women, of course.'

She decided to ignore the sarcasm. After sliding into the car, which gave the sensation that one was sitting at a level with the road, she straightened her back and folded her hands in her lap so she wouldn't make the mistake of bunching them again and betraying her tenseness as she'd done the night before.

When Nick joined her, it took all of Cory's control to maintain the pose. The close confines within the car was the ultimate in travelling intimacy and wildly seductive.

As he started the engine she glanced at him. 'Where are we going?' she asked with careful steadiness.

'Surprise.'

'I don't like surprises.'

'Tough.' The blue eyes did a laser sweep of her face. 'But don't worry, I'm not into spiriting women away and forcing my wicked will on them. Not on a Sunday lunchtime anyway,' he added lazily.

'I never thought you were.' She hoped the haughty note had come through in her voice.

'No?' He swung the streamlined panther of a car smoothly into the Sunday traffic, his gaze on the road. 'You could have fooled me. I'm getting the distinct impression you view me as the original Don Juan.'

'Not at all,' she said stiffly, refusing to dwell on how large and capable his hands looked on the leather-clad steering wheel, or how those same hands had caressed her last night in the back of the Mercedes.

'Good.' It was casual, as though he didn't care much one way or the other, and as she glanced at him again she saw a small smile was playing about the firm mouth. 'So, tell me a bit about yourself,' he went on. 'I gather you have an aunt living around here with a broken leg. Any more family? And what about siblings to take turns with Rufus the terrible?'

Cory's heart plummeted. She didn't want to talk about herself, not to him. She had the feeling that the less Nick knew about her, the better. Still, she could hardly refuse to tell him the basics. 'My parents died some years ago,' she said flatly, 'and I don't have any brothers or sisters. My Aunt Joan is my closest relative.'

'And you get on well with her?'

'Oh, yes.' She was unaware of the sudden warmth in her voice but the big man at the side of her noted it. 'She's always been more than an aunt to me. My parents...well, they were busy people. They didn't have a lot of time...' Her voice trailed away as she became aware she was in danger of revealing too much.

'A peaceful childhood then? With lots of friends to make up for the lack of brothers and sisters?' he asked casually.

Lots of friends? She had never been allowed to bring friends home or invite anyone round for tea, neither had she been permitted to go to other children's houses when they had invited her. It had been too much trouble for her parents, interfering with their plans. The string of au pairs her parents had had all through her childhood had been instructed to make sure that, once she had been given her tea, she was despatched up to her room to do her homework. After that she had been allowed to read or watch TV, but never encouraged downstairs except to say goodnight. Her room had been s.p.a.cious with its own en suite en suite bathroom, and the TV and all her things had been of the best, but it had still felt like a prison. bathroom, and the TV and all her things had been of the best, but it had still felt like a prison.

Cory's stomach clenched. She looked away through the side window so he had no chance of seeing her face if he glanced at her, the silky curtain of her hair swinging forward. 'It was quite peaceful at home,' she agreed evenly.

If he noticed that she had only answered half his question he didn't comment on it. 'Any pets?'

In her mother's immaculate surroundings? 'No, no pets,' she said quietly. 'What about you? Do you have family living near?'

'Depends whether you think Barnstaple is near. I was brought up there and my mother still lives there although my father died five years ago.'

There was a note in his voice which prompted her to say, 'I'm sorry. Were you close?'

'Very. He was a great guy. But my mother has my two sisters and their families to keep her busy; they both live within walking distance from the old house. I have a property in the area too, but due to the business I'm away more than I'm at home. Hence the flat in London.'

'So you had a happy childhood?' she asked curiously, drawn by the affection in his deep voice as he'd spoken about his family.

'The best.' They had just drawn up at some traffic lights and again the blue gaze raked her face. 'Hence the nicely rounded, well-adjusted individual you see in front of you,' he said quietly.

The lights changed in the next instant but, as the car purred on, the content of his last words stayed with Cory. Had he been hinting that she wasn't those things or was she being over-sensitive here? she asked herself silently, her mouth unconsciously tightening. If it was the former then he'd got a right cheek because she was fine, just fine. But it could be the latter...

She risked another sideways glance through her eyelashes. It probably wasn't the moment to notice the way his dark hair curled ever so slightly into the base of his neck. It wasn't short and it wasn't long but it suited him perfectly. She wondered how it would feel if she sifted her fingers through the soft strands. And then she caught the errant thought quickly and looked straight ahead before he caught her observing him.

She was going loopy here. What on earth was she doing fantasising about this man? In fact, how come she was with him in the first place? She wanted her head examined!

By the time they reached the pub, which was close to Hampstead Heath, Cory just wanted out of the car. She couldn't ever remember being so aware of every little movement or action by another human being. Nick, on the other hand, appeared perfectly relaxed and at ease, chatting about this and that and keeping the conversation strictly impersonal now.

Once inside the pub, which was all bra.s.s and copper and leaded windows, he led her straight through and out into the small, flower-bedecked garden at the rear. 'This is our table.' He pointed to a table for two set next to a lattice of climbing roses which were scenting the air with their rich sweetness.

'How do you know?' The pub had been packed inside and out here the few tables there were were full.

Nick reached out and removed a reserved sign from the table. 'Trust me,' he said, smiling. 'I know the owner.'

'Not another university friend?'

'Boyhood friend this time. John and I grew up together.'

'And he always keeps this table for you?'

'If I ring up and request it, yes. Which I did first thing this morning.' He pulled out a sun-warmed seat and she sank down, the perfume of the flowers and the caress of the sun on her skin blissful.

'They do a great Brunello here,' Nick said, still standing. 'Do you like red wine?'

'Love it.'

'I'll get a bottle. I shall limit myself to one gla.s.s as I'm driving but I guarantee once you taste it, you'll be unable to resist another. Shall I order two roast dinners while I'm at it?'

Cory nodded. This was nice, too nice.

So was the wine when it came. The intense chocolate and nutty aroma was a ripe explosion of taste in the mouth, and she closed her eyes and just breathed in the aroma made all the more potent by the hot air. 'This is gorgeous,' she murmured, taking another long sip.

'Don't tell me I've found the way to your heart?' Nick had sat down opposite her, his eyes slightly closed against the sun and his long legs stretched out in front of him.

Forget about the roast dinner, Cory thought wryly. He looked good enough to eat. She raised an eyebrow. 'With one gla.s.s of wine?' she said severely. 'I think not.'

'The bottle's there, feel free.'

She smiled. 'I've always believed in moderation in all things.'

'All things?' The blue eyes were wicked.

'All things,' she insisted firmly, refusing to acknowledge the innuendo. things,' she insisted firmly, refusing to acknowledge the innuendo.

'Then it's as I thought,' Nick said with obvious complacency. 'Your education in certain areas has been sadly neglected and I look upon it as my duty to set things right. What you need to do from this point, Cory, is to look upon me as your teacher and guide into the ways of the flesh. OK?' And he took a long, satisfying drink of wine.

She laughed. Well, there was nothing else she could do really, because she couldn't take him seriously. In spite of the bolt of lightning that had shot through her.

'I'm more than up to the task,' he a.s.sured her softly, putting down the gla.s.s and taking one of her hands in his. He turned her fingers over so that the soft, vulnerable underside of her wrist was exposed, stroking it with first one finger and then-shockingly-as he raised her hand to his mouth, his warm lips.

'Don't!' She s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand away, almost knocking the wine over. 'Don't do that.'

'Why not?' He sat back in his chair, his eyes on hers. 'It's nothing.' His smile was lazy.

It was was nothing and yet it suggested everything-all the forbidden delights of her dream were in those warm, knowing lips. She knew exactly what he was trying to do and she was determined not to acknowledge her own desire and need. She shrugged. 'I don't play those sort of games,' she said shortly. nothing and yet it suggested everything-all the forbidden delights of her dream were in those warm, knowing lips. She knew exactly what he was trying to do and she was determined not to acknowledge her own desire and need. She shrugged. 'I don't play those sort of games,' she said shortly.

There wasn't even a hint of a smile on his lips when he said, 'Who's playing games?'

CHAPTER FOUR.

CORY could have kissed the little barmaid who arrived at the table with their food just after Nick had spoken. In the ensuing activity the moment for her to respond to him came and went, and she made sure she tucked into her meal without further ado. The Sunday roast with all the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs was delicious, as was the hazelnut and cherry pie which followed, all washed down with another large gla.s.s of wine by Cory and sparkling mineral water for Nick. could have kissed the little barmaid who arrived at the table with their food just after Nick had spoken. In the ensuing activity the moment for her to respond to him came and went, and she made sure she tucked into her meal without further ado. The Sunday roast with all the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs was delicious, as was the hazelnut and cherry pie which followed, all washed down with another large gla.s.s of wine by Cory and sparkling mineral water for Nick.