The Forbidden Innocent (8 page)

What women?
And who was ‘Nicole’?

Bile rose in her throat. There she’d been—
like a fool
—reading everything into that passionate kiss she’d shared with Jack on the moor. Reading everything into it when it had meant nothing to him. A sensual diversion which must have given him a disappointing outcome. Why, he hadn’t been in touch with her since—not
once—and he hadn’t even bothered to tell her he was coming back.

And that he wouldn’t be alone.

A
CAR
door slammed and Ashley’s fingers stilled on the keyboard. She glanced up at the clock, surprised to see that it was after six. So Jack was home at last—bringing all his friends with him.

Outside, she heard doors slam, closely followed by footsteps, laughter—and throaty feminine giggles. So Christine had been right. A feeling of nausea rose in her throat but she sat as silently as a statue, praying she could stay undiscovered before slipping quietly upstairs when the coast was clear.

She stayed perfectly quiet until she heard the clip-clopping of high heels mounting the stairs. They were probably going to change for dinner, she thought—the elaborate dinner which Christine had been preparing for most of the afternoon.

And then the door opened and she felt her heart crashing against her ribs as Jack walked in. It was barely a week since she’d seen him and yet it felt as if a slow year might have passed. Dressed completely in black—close-fitting black jeans and a black cashmere sweater—his
tall figure looked dark and imposing. His face was dark too and his expression unfathomable as he shut the door softly behind him.

Absence made him look startlingly unfamiliar and she tried to study his face objectively—as if it were the first time she’d ever seen it. There were shadows beneath his eyes, which made his expression look brittle, and she found herself thinking how tired he looked. She wanted to turn round and to slide her arms around his neck. She wanted him to kiss her.

‘Hello, Ashley,’ he said softly.

Ashley drew a deep breath. What would a secretary say to her boss if he
hadn’t
kissed her? ‘Jack! Hello. Nice to see you!’

There was a pause and, briefly, his eyes narrowed. ‘You’re working very late tonight.’

‘Oh, it’s only just gone six and I thought I’d crack on with it,’ she said cheerfully. ‘There’s a lot which needs to be done—you made masses of changes in the middle section, the bit where they ambush the enemy camp.’

‘How very diligent you are,’ he observed drily.

‘That’s what you pay me for, remember?’

‘Yes. Of course.’ Another pause. ‘I’d quite forgotten.’

Ashley hid her hurt behind an impassive smile even though she could feel the tell-tale steal of colour into her cheeks. Now she wanted to be anywhere but here—a million miles from that searching black stare. But she had to show him she didn’t care. That she had put their stolen kiss behind her and she wasn’t going to refer to
it ever again. Their boss and employee relationship was back to where it should have been all along—on a purely professional footing. He had come close to seducing her that day on the moors, and she had had a lucky escape—because it seemed that there were other women all ready and willing to take her place. She would just never give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he had hurt her.

‘Did you have a good time in London?’ she questioned politely.

He made an impatient little sound beneath his breath as all his pent-up desire for her began to spiral up, astonished to find that his hunger for her hadn’t abated—despite his determination that it should. Despite the fact that she had pushed him away and that deep down he kept telling himself that it had been the best possible outcome for everyone. But knowing that did nothing to quieten the insistent thudding of his heart—or the sudden jerk of lust at his groin. His gaze swept over her face, taking in the unadorned eyelashes and the bare lips. ‘You look pale.’

‘I do?’

‘Very pale. Pale as chalk. Are you… okay?’

It was a veiled question and she quietened down the terrible urge to flare at him. To tell him that no,
of course she wasn’t okay.
He had walked away from her as if she meant nothing and then replaced her with those giggling women she’d just heard arriving. But jealousy had no valid place in her life—even if their relationship
had
merited such feelings. Jealousy only ever harmed
the person who expressed it. There was absolutely no point feeling jealous about a man like Jack. He operated in a different world—a different
universe.
Resolutely, she shook her head. ‘No. Nothing’s wrong.’

‘No?’ He put his head to one side and regarded her—a sudden mischief playing in his eyes. ‘Did you miss me?’

Ashley bit her lip. That was so unfair. The question was as inappropriate as it was provocative and surely it was designed to embarrass both of them. Swallowing down the sadness and regret which had risen in her throat, she prayed her expression wouldn’t give the game away. But what could she say other than a variation of the truth when Jack was perceptive enough to read an outright lie in her eyes? And she’d look an even bigger fool if he thought she was sulking about what had happened. ‘The house was very quiet without you,’ she said truthfully.

‘Not a commendation I’ve ever been given before,’ he commented. ‘So is that a yes, or a no?’

‘Maybe it’s a mixture of both.’

‘Oh, Ashley—how brutally you wound with your distinctive brand of honesty.’ He gave a brief smile before his gaze flicked over the desk and looked at the neat pages of typescript. ‘Leave that now. It’ll be time for dinner soon.’

‘But you’ve brought…
friends
with you, I understand?’

‘Christine’s been gossiping again, I suppose—or was it one of the cleaners?’

‘Actually, I heard you all arriving.’

‘Of course you did.’ Thoughtfully, he noted the dejected slump of her shoulders. ‘You’ll join us, of course.’

‘No, really. I couldn’t. I’ll—’

‘You’ll what?’ he interrupted mockingly. ‘Eat a sandwich in the solitude of your room? Or creep into the kitchen and consume the leftovers while we’re drinking our coffee by the fireside?’

Did this mean she was to be brought out as an example of provincial entertainment to amuse his sophisticated London friends? she wondered. Or was he extracting some cruel form of punishment because she’d turned him down the other day? Silently, her eyes pleaded with him not to continue—but his expression didn’t alter.

‘We’ll see you down here at eight,’ he said.

‘Is that an order?’

‘Yes, it’s an order.’ His black eyes met hers. ‘You respond very well to direction, I’ve found.’

‘And what if I told you that I’m not very hungry?’

‘I’d say it was irrelevant. Since when did hunger ever really play a part at dinner parties? I want you there—so go and get changed, Ashley, and I’ll see you later.’

And with this, he strode from the study, leaving Ashley feeling flustered and slightly rebellious. Could she get out of going? For a moment she was tempted—until she realised she had no choice other than to fall in with his plans. A refusal to attend might look like defiance and somehow she knew that he wouldn’t let her get away with it. She could easily imagine him
storming up to her room and haranguing her until she complied with his wishes. Reluctantly, she went upstairs to shower and when she came out of the bathroom she could hear squeals of female laughter coming from the floor below.

Surveying the meagre contents of her wardrobe, she gave a grimace. She didn’t own the kind of clothes which were suitable for a fancy dinner in a millionaire home and she pulled out the only dress which was halfway presentable. It was her ‘best’ dress and she’d chosen it mainly because it was so quiet and unmemorable that she could wear it lots of times without people realising they’d seen it before.

In soft grey silk, it skimmed her body rather than clinging to it, and she wore it with a single rope of fake pearls. As always, she scooped her hair off her face, but she left the style slightly softer than usual. Because while Jack might have gone out of his way to remind her that she was a member of staff, she didn’t want to look as if she were about to start taking dictation!

Rarely had she felt so stricken with nerves as she went downstairs towards the sound of animated chatter. She kept telling herself that she had faced far worse in her life than a smart dinner party full of strangers. What about all the times she’d been sent to new foster parents—before becoming painfully aware that they were taking her in solely to earn themselves some extra money? And what about the times she’d seen disappointment on the faces of her newest ‘family’—when
they realised that the mousey little orphan they’d been allotted was lacking in any attractive characteristics?

‘Ah, Ashley. Here you are.’ Jack looked up as she walked into the room and his eyes narrowed—leaving her wondering if her choice of outfit was an appalling one.

Judging by those worn by the other two women, it might well be because she felt like some mediocre shadow in comparison. A statuesque brunette was shimmering in a thigh-skimming scarlet silk dress which complemented her long nails, while a cool blonde wore a shade of blue which perfectly matched her eyes. There was only one other person present—an elegant man with dark russet hair and an expression of mischief on his face. The three of them looked up and smiled at Ashley, and she did her best to smile back.

Jack stepped towards her and propelled her forward, his hand resting briefly at the small of her back—as if he was afraid that she might simply turn tail and run away again. And Ashley couldn’t prevent her shiver of recognition as she felt him touch her. Did he remember the way they had kissed the other day, she wondered—or was kissing a woman no big deal to a man like him?

His brilliant black eyes gleamed down at her. ‘Ashley—let me introduce you to everyone. This is Kate.’

‘Hi, Ashley,’ said the blonde, in a soft, Scottish accent.

‘And this is.’ he paused as the knockout brunette glanced up at him and smiled ‘… Nicole.’

At this, Nicole’s smile became warmer. ‘Hello, Ashley—Jack’s told us all about you.’

‘He has?’

‘He certainly has. Says you’re the only secretary who’s never grumbled about his handwriting.’

‘That’s because I promised her a bonus if she didn’t,’ said Jack, and they all laughed.

But Ashley’s smile felt forced—even though she prayed it didn’t look that way.
Why
had he insisted she make an appearance? Things were bound to be difficult after what had happened between them and surely this would only make them worse. Didn’t he realise that she felt out of place among his rich and elegant friends—no matter how friendly they seemed? And it didn’t help that he looked absolutely amazing in a black dinner suit which seemed designed to emphasise the broad shoulders and long legs.

She wished that she could wave a magic wand and find herself somewhere else—but what choice did she have other than to stick it out with good grace? Dazzled by the circlet of emeralds strung around Nicole’s slender neck, she realised that leaving now would do her no good except to make her look like an idiot instead of just
feeling
like one. She was going to have to endure this meal no matter how uncomfortable it might be—and she was going to have to do so with a certain amount of dignity. She turned to the russet-haired man with the mischief in his eyes and gave him a polite smile.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘I don’t think Jack mentioned your name.’

The man laughed. ‘Then he should have his knuckles rapped for a lack of etiquette, shouldn’t he? My name’s Barry Connally and I’m delighted to meet you. You deserve a medal for working for someone as irascible as this brute—but in the absence of a medal, you’d better have a glass of champagne instead.’

‘No, thank you—honestly, I’m fine.’

‘Ashley doesn’t drink much alcohol. And anyway—’ Jack’s black eyes captured hers from across the room. ‘—I think dinner’s ready—so why don’t we go in?’

It felt strange for Ashley to troop into the dining room where she’d shared so many meals with her boss, when it had been just the two of them. Back then she’d found the setting rather formal until she had become used to it—but she’d never seen the room as dressed-up as it was tonight. Now
this
was formality, she thought, blinking a little as she looked around.

Christine and her team had certainly been busy because the table was laden with crystal, silver and crisp white linen which Ashley had never seen before. Tall, creamy candles flickered over bowls of white hyacinth which filled the air with their heavy scent. Rows of different knives and forks were lined up on either side of each place setting and she wondered just how many courses they were supposed to be eating. Would she know which implement to use, she wondered—or would she disgrace herself by eating with the wrong ones?

For Ashley, the meal felt a bit like an endurance test. It was strange to be sitting there, served by some young girls who had been shipped in from the village for the
evening. She spent much of the meal in silence, listening to Barry Connally, who thankfully held forth with a constant stream of jokes.

But although Ashley was listening well enough to smile politely at each punchline, her attention was drawn to the interaction between Jack and the stunning brunette. Unwillingly, she watched as Nicole smiled up at him. How she giggled at pretty much everything he said. And how the glittering green of the emerald circlet at her neck drew attention to a magnificent cleavage, which tapered down to tiny waist. It might have been easier to bear if she’d been a bitchy kind of woman—but she wasn’t. In fact, she went out of her way to chat to Ashley with a manner which wasn’t in the least bit condescending. How could Jack fail to be mesmerised by such a woman?

After dessert, they all went into the library for coffee, where a fire roared in the grate and a tray of brandies and liqueurs had been placed on a side-table. It should have been a warm and welcoming scene but to Ashley it felt anything but—something she put down to the cold ache in her heart. Unnoticed, she crept over to the window and shrank down into a chair by the curtains, wondering how quickly she could make her escape—when Jack walked across the room and sat down beside her.