The Tempestuous Flame

She held herself stiffly, her blonde hair falling untidily about her shoulders. ‘I would like to say it’s only you, Mr Gregory, but I’m afraid it isn’t. I have yet to find the man who can raise me to the heights of passion or put me in the depths of despair—if such feelings exist, which I doubt.’

André Gregory’s attention seemed to be fixed on the ornaments on the dressing-table, as he picked up first one object and then another. ‘I think you could be right,’ he agreed, not bothering to look at her. ‘Oh, the heights of passion exist all right, but the depths of despair have so far eluded me. Possibly because so far, like you, I have no wish to give one single person the power to make my life either happy or sad for me.’

‘But then even in that we differ. You see, you don’t have one person in your life, but several, whereas I don’t have any.’

‘Don’t you believe in the old saying “safety in numbers"?’

She shook her head. ‘Not for me. Now I really do have to go and dress.’

‘As I recall, you haven’t apologised yet,’ he reminded her softly.

‘No, and I’m not going to.’

‘Oh, but you are.’ Steely fingers gripped her arm once again. ‘And right now. Go on, say you’re sorry like a good girl.’

Caroline’s eyes glittered resentfully. How dared he! Just who did he think he was! The impulse to tell him who she was was strong, but she resisted. He hadn’t been insulting enough yet to be intimidated by the knowledge that she was Matt Rayner’s daughter, and not his—not his girl-friend. Her temper kindled anew at this slight on her father’s conduct. Just because this man didn’t care who he made love to it didn’t mean her father was the same. ‘I have nothing to apologise for, you were obstructing my exit and I asked you to move.’

His teeth gleamed whitely as he grinned at her. ‘You didn’t ask me to do anything, young lady, you gave me an order. And I don’t like orders, especially from women. I’m still waiting,’ he said patiently.

‘Well, you can go on waiting,’ she fumed at him. ‘Because I’m never going to apologise to you—I repeat, never!’

André Gregory continued to look down at her, his expression just as unyielding as her own. ‘There was no need to repeat it, Caroline, I heard you the first time. But you will apologise,’ he looked about them pointedly, finally resting his steely gaze back on her flushed face. ‘You’re hardly in a position to argue. Must I remind you of your surroundings, and your dress—or in this case, undress? I could so easily take advantage of this situation—but I’m sure you wouldn’t like me to do that.’

‘You wouldn’t dare!’ she challenged.

‘Wouldn’t I? Well, perhaps you’re right. Matt’s a friend of mine, and you’re—–’

‘His preserve,’ Caroline cut in tautly. ‘But I’m not, Mr Gregory. Oh, all right,’ she sighed. ‘If it inflates your male ego to force a defenceless girl to apologise—I apologise. Satisfied?’

He released her arm. ‘For a moment there I thought you were going to admit your relationship with Matt, but perhaps you’re not the sort of girl to go around boasting of your conquests.’

‘Conquests!’ she scoffed, rubbing her bruised wrist where he had held her so tightly. ‘You call being the mistress of a middle-aged tycoon a conquest? I wouldn’t! I’d call it—–’

‘I think I can guess what you would call it, Little Miss Puritan. Where’s the harm in bringing a little happiness into someone’s life? Or do you also object to that? God, what a little prude you are! And what a curious combination, prudishness and promiscuity.’

‘Promiscuity? But I’m not—–’

‘Not you, Caroline, Cynthia or whatever her name is. Do you lecture her too?’

Caroline turned away. ‘She happens to be a friend of mine, and I speak with full authority when I say she is not promiscuous. Far from it, in fact.’

‘So the stories I’ve heard are unfounded, are they?’

She resented his taunting tone, shaking her long hair back haughtily. ‘As I have no idea what these stories are I can’t really say, but I would advise you not to listen to idle gossip, Mr Gregory. I would have thought you of all people would have known that what people don’t know they think they know, or simply make it up.’

‘Me of all people? Oh, I see—you mean someone of my tendencies, my friends’ wives and so forth? Mmm, well, in some cases perhaps what you say is true, but I happen to have received my information on good authority.

‘And what authority is that?’ she asked sharply.

‘Now that would be telling,’ he replied, infuriatingly calm, appraising her appearance once again. ‘And if you don’t go and dress in a moment I may take your reluctance to leave my bedroom as an invitation—and I may just accept.’

‘Don’t excite yourself, Mr Gregory, I wouldn’t invite you anywhere, let alone into my bed!’ and she made her escape before he decided to make her apologise for that remark too, locking herself safely in the bathroom. She leaned heavily on the door, listening for his movements. To her chagrin he was merrily whistling to himself as he went down the stairs. Did nothing ruffle that smooth surface charm he chose to emit? Well, she would do her hardest to find out. Mr André Gregory needed taking down a peg or two, and she was just the person to do it.

She could smell bacon cooking as she walked gracefully down the stairs—her bacon, no doubt. Really, that man had a nerve! ‘Hi,’ she smiled happily at him as she sat down at the kitchen table, showing none of the seething emotions that existed underneath. ‘Are you cooking enough for me?’

If he was surprised by her change of attitude he didn’t show it, but gave her a cursory glance before carrying on with his frying. ‘If you want some,’ he said noncommittally.

‘Thanks.’ Caroline leant her chin on her hands, her blue eyes full of mischief if he bothered to look at her, which he didn’t. ‘Country air always makes me ravenous, doesn’t it you?’

‘I suppose so,’ he agreed quietly. ‘I’m not usually in the country long enough to find out one way or the other.’ He turned to face her. ‘So—when are you leaving?’

Caroline’s pleasant manner almost deserted her at his audacity, but she managed to remain cool. ‘Leaving?’ she repeated. ‘Oh, I’m not leaving,’ she told him sweetly. ‘As you so rightly said last night, there are two bedrooms and I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me.’

He studied her for a moment, the expression in his green eyes unreadable. ‘Are you quite serious?’

‘Quite,’ she mocked. ‘Why not? It could work out very well if we let it.’

‘Caroline, I came here for peace and quiet. I’m hardly likely to get that with you walking about half undressed most of the time and in very revealing tight jumpers and denims at other times. Hardly conducive to a peaceful existence, hmm?’

‘Are you saying you find me attractive, Mr Gregory?’

‘No, I didn’t say that, not you especially. It would be impossible for any man not to be slightly disturbed by your appearance.’ He placed a laden breakfast plate before her. ‘So I repeat—when are you leaving?’

She tucked enthusiastically into the crisp bacon and perfectly fried egg. ‘And I repeat—I’m not. Look, Mr Gregory—André,’ she saw his start of surprise and the narrowing of those sea-green eyes, and smiled slightly to herself. ‘I’ll be in the studio most of the time, so you can do—whatever it is you want to do, down here. Surely that’s a perfectly feasible idea?’

‘Oh, it’s feasible all right, it’s just that I’m not agreeable to it. I came here to get away from—charming females like yourself, not to set up home with one. Anyway, why the sudden change of heart? A few moments ago you couldn’t wait to get rid of me.’

‘I’ve been thinking while I was upstairs, and I decided that there was no need for this unpleasantness. This cottage is big enough for two people—just, and we needn’t interfere with each other in any way.’

‘And what do you think Matt will say to that?’ he queried.

‘I’ve already told him. Ah, that surprises you, doesn’t it? Yes, I told—Matt, that I was staying on here, just as you probably told him you were. He wasn’t very happy about the arrangement, but he’ll come round.’

His mouth twisted. ‘Oh, I’m sure he will. You have your own little ways of getting to him, I suppose. Oh, eat your breakfast, and we’ll talk about it later,’ he added impatiently.

Caroline did as she was told, enjoying the meal he had cooked for her. Let him try and puzzle out her change of attitude for himself. She had deliberately chosen to wear a blue jumper that exactly matched the colour of her eyes and showed off her long blonde hair to advantage, intending to disconcert him. And she had succeeded! Well, watch out, André Gregory, because it had only just started. Before she had finished she would get him so intrigued by her behaviour that he would wonder what had hit him. And then would come the let-down. Oh yes, Mr Conceited Gregory, you’re time has come, she vowed silently.

She settled down in the studio to do some preliminary drawings. It was a long time since she had been to the cottage and she always found she could relax and paint better here than anywhere else. But this morning she seemed to be having some trouble settling down to any serious work, and put that down to the fact that she could hear André Gregory moving about downstairs. She wondered what he could possibly be doing. Finally, when she thought she could stand it no longer, he called up the stairs to her.

‘Caroline! Caroline, Matt’s on the telephone for you.’

She put down her equipment and rushed to the studio door. ‘Did you say Matt?’ she asked breathlessly.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up at her. ‘I did, and I think it’s quite urgent.’

‘Oh, okay. Can you put the call through up here? Just press the switch on the side of the telephone,’ she explained.

‘Do you have any objection to speaking to him in front of me?’ his eyes taunted.

‘Certainly I do. My conversation with Mr Rayner is private.’

‘I see. And you still maintain there’s nothing between the two of you.’ His smile was frankly mocking as he moved out of her line of vision.

Caroline was tempted to flounce down the stairs and give him a piece of her mind, but was prevented from doing so by the buzzing of the telephone behind her. Bother the man! She snatched up the receiver, her mouth set in a mutinous line. It was going to be much more difficult to be pleasant to André Gregory than she had imagined. ‘Yes?’ she said sharply.

‘Caroline?’ her father’s gruff voice enquired. ‘Has something upset you?’

She laughed softly at his understatement. ‘Only your arrogant friend, nothing I can’t handle.’

Now it was his turn to laugh. ‘If you believe that, Caroline, then you certainly don’t know André very well. Some of the most self-assured women in the world have tried to manage him, and failed. I can’t see that you’ll succeed where so many others have failed.’

‘I’m not intending to marry the man, Daddy, just teach him a lesson he’s badly in need of.’

‘Caroline, you just don’t understand, or you don’t want to understand. André is not the man to try tricks like this on. And why did I have to just ask for Caroline and not for my daughter?’

‘Because for the moment that is the one thing I’m not, although according to your friend I’m plenty of other things.’

‘Like what?’

She bit her lip thoughtfully. ‘I know—your mistress, for one thing.’

‘My what!’

She laughed at his astonishment. ‘Your mistress,’ she repeated. ‘Besides being a member of the permissive society.’

‘Damn cheek of the man!’ came the mumbled reply.

‘Oh, come off it, Daddy, wouldn’t you think the same in the circumstances?’

‘No, I wouldn’t.’

‘Daddy!’

‘Well… perhaps. But he has a nerve suggesting something like that. What does he think I am, a cradle-snatcher?’

‘There isn’t that much difference between your age and Greg Fortnum’s, and you thought we would be well suited,’ she pointed out reasonably. ‘Anyway, he said I shouldn’t be ashamed of bringing a little happiness into someone’s life, your life.’

‘Big of him!’

‘That’s what I thought. So I’m going to pay him back for it. By the time I’ve finished with him he may not have quite such an inflated ego,’ she said with relish.

‘Caroline, I wouldn’t advise—–’

‘Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll leave before things get too hot, but I really do think your pushy friend needs his ego knocked down a bit.’

‘Well, all right, if that’s what you want to do, but it’s against my advice. And if it gets out to the press that you’re living out in the wilds with André Gregory your reputation will be in shreds.’

‘It won’t get out, there’s no reason why it should.’

‘I suppose not,’ he mumbled. ‘But I want you to keep in touch with me.’

‘Of course I will, but not too often. How can I play the seductress if he thinks I’m involved with you?’

‘Play the seductress?’ he queried sharply. ‘Now, Caroline, that isn’t a good idea.’

‘Why not? I can assure you that there’s absolutely no risk of my actually falling for him. He’s just an arrogant, bossy prig. And I’m going to bring him to his knees!’

She heard her father laugh. ‘I wish you luck,’ he chuckled before ringing off.

Caroline stared at the telephone for a moment before gently replacing it back on its stand. Her father hadn’t taken her plans too badly under the circumstances, and she was looking forward to teaching André Gregory a lesson. But she had to go carefully or he would become suspicious. But there was no time like the present to start her plan.

The man so much in her thoughts of late was sitting back comfortably in an armchair before the warm fire, his bare feet roasting, in front of the flames. A cigar burnt slowly between his slender fingers and his attention seemed to be wholly on the book he was reading.

She sat impishly before him on the carpet, instantly feeling the heat of the fire. ‘Is it good?’ she asked huskily.

The book slowly lowered and a pair of deceptively sleepy green eyes looked at her over its top. ‘Very good,’ he replied shortly.

‘I’ve read quite a lot of Alistair Maclean books myself. But I haven’t read that one,’ she tried to draw him into conversation.

‘You can have it when I’ve finished it. Perhaps it will keep you out of trouble for a while.’ He returned his attention to the book.

Caroline put out a hand and lowered it again. ‘Couldn’t you talk to me?’

He raised dark eyebrows. ‘Now what could we possibly have to say to one another? As far as I know we have nothing in common.’

She grinned at him. ‘That isn’t quite true, we have Alistair Maclean. Now that’s a start, wouldn’t you say?’

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. ‘Perhaps,’ he conceded. ‘But it isn’t very encouraging, is it?’

She stood up with enthusiasm. ‘Come shopping with me,’ she invited gaily.

‘What?’

‘Come shopping with me.’ She took his book out of his hands and tried to pull him to his feet. ‘I’ll buy you steak and cook it for you with my own fair hands,’ she said enticingly when he resisted her efforts.

‘Is that supposed to encourage me?’ he asked dryly.

‘Mm,’ she grinned. ‘I cook steak divinely.’

‘I only have your word for that.’ He stood languidly to his feet, tucking his shirt back into the low waistband of his faded denims.

‘But I can, truthfully.’

‘Right, I’ll believe you. Get your coat and we’ll go out.’

‘Oh, lovely,’ she smiled.

André’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘Why this sudden partiality for my company? I’m sure Matt was full of how dark my intentions are if I’m encouraged.’

‘And even if you’re not encouraged too,’ she laughed. ‘And as you’re the only other person here I can hardly have a partiality for anyone else’s company.’

‘True.’ He put out his cigar. ‘What did Matt say about your staying on here with me?’

‘He wished me luck.’

‘What did he mean by that?’

‘I haven’t the faintest idea,’ she lied. ‘But I suppose he meant that he hopes I behave myself—not that I don’t normally,’ she added hastily.

‘I’m sure,’ he said dryly. ‘Innocent girls, like you profess to be, often stay in deserted cottages with complete strangers. I realise it’s done all the time.’

Caroline held on to her temper with difficulty, pouting prettily at his brooding expression. ‘You aren’t a complete stranger.’

‘Oh no, I forgot, you’re the mistress of one of my best friends. That makes you an acquaintance of mine too, I suppose?’

‘You’re not being very nice to me,’ she said sulkily.

‘Am I not?’

‘You know you’re not.’

‘Maybe.’ André picked up his jacket from the chair. ‘But I don’t trust people who don’t fit into my first impressions of them.’

‘And I don’t?’

André shook his head, his eyes flickering appreciatively over her slim body. ‘Afraid not. One minute you’re spitting like a wildcat, and the next you’re purring like a kitten.’

Caroline’s eyes sparkled mischievously. ‘I thought men liked variety in their women.’

He grinned, tapping her sharply on the bottom to usher her out of the room. ‘We do,’ he agreed. ‘But not all in the same woman.’

She held back her angry retort at his familiarity, and ran quickly up the stairs to collect her coat while he put on his shoes.

The man below watched her with narrowed eyes, conscious of the deliberate swaying of perfectly curved hips.

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