An Affair to Forget (5 page)

“
That’s another thing… if she’s as well off as you say, then perhaps she won’t want to go back to the stage.”

“
She needs to do something. I know Vicki, she always had to be active. And now that she’s been through a divorce it’s even more important for her to pick up her career again.”

“
Have you spoken to her on the phone?”

“
I certainly have.”

“
But she hasn’t come rushing back to London, all excited about doing this so-called play?”

“
Don’t be so practical, Morrin!”

“
That’s one of the reasons you hired me, remember? To keep your feet on the ground when you get too carried away. Those were your very words, Sam.”

He
grinned. “And trust you to remember every one of them. But I have an instinct for these things and it’s never wrong. Vicki’s been through a traumatic time, she doesn’t know what she wants at the moment. She needs company and stimulation at a time like this. Look…”

He
picked the book up from where it lay on the desk and thrust it under Morrin’s nose so that she had no alternative but to stare down at the photograph of Gareth, his hair teased by the wind, his mouth just about to break into a smile, his eyes locked on hers. It was the photograph that always appeared on his book jackets. The familiar pain arrived, stronger than it had been for some time, and Morrin caught her breath as it lanced through her.

“
Don’t you think he’s good looking?” Sam was asking.

“
I… suppose so.”

“
I’m sure he could persuade Vicki to consider doing his play.”

“
Sam,” Morrin began patiently, “there is no play.”

“
Tell you what… let’s find out about that right now. Phone this Gareth Sinclair… strike while the iron’s hot.”

Morrin
felt her world begin to crumble about her. “Sam, this is a scatter-brained idea. Surely you can find another play for Vicki… a play that’s been written as a play, not a novel.”

“
What’s got into you? Just ring the man now. Please?” Then as she turned to the door, defeated, he said, “Use this phone.”

The
room was warm, but Morrin felt chilled as she began to dial Gareth’s home number, remembering just in time to pretend that she was reading it from the note Sam had given her. Her fingers pushed clumsily at the buttons and her panic mounted as she heard the muted purr of the phone ringing in the study of the big grey stone house overlooking a Yorkshire valley that, even in January, would be green and lush.

Please
don’t let Gareth himself answer it, she prayed. And realised that it mustn’t be Mrs Plover either for she, too, might know Morrin’s voice.

When,
after only two rings, the receiver was lifted, she was relieved to hear an unknown woman, presumably her replacement as Gareth’s secretary, give the number.

“
I have a call for… for Gareth Sinclair.” Each syllable of his name was an effort. Her frantic hope that he wasn’t home was dashed when the woman said crisply, “Who is calling, please?”

Morrin
knew that she couldn’t possibly speak to Gareth. “I have a call from Sam Kennedy in London.”

Sam,
who had settled himself at his desk and was slitting open an envelope with a paper knife, looked up quickly, shaking his head and motioning her to speak on his behalf, as she often did. At that moment Gareth said cheerfully into her ear, “Sinclair here. Can I help you?”

Morrin
’s knees began to tremble. She thrust the receiver at Sam, who had no option but to take it, then she scooped up the box containing her lovely new dress and fled from the room.

Sam
buzzed for her five minutes later. “Why did you rush off? I thought that at this stage in the negotiations your voice would have more impact on him than mine.”

“
Sorry, I thought you wanted to speak to him yourself,” she lied. “Well… did he agree?”

His
lower lip eased out, a sure sign that he had not got his way. “He wasn’t keen on the idea.”

Relief
allowed Morrin to feel sorry for Sam in his disappointment. He had failed, but it meant that she was free of Gareth.

“
Never mind. You’ll find the perfect play for Vicki, wait and see.”

He
looked at her with a mixture of surprise and exasperation. “But I told you, I’ve already found the perfect play. You surely don’t think I’m going to give up on
Dreaming
as easily as that, do you?”

“
But – ”

“
Morrin, my love, you really don’t know what it’s all about, do you? I want that play and I’m going to get it. We’ll just have to soften Sinclair up, that’s all.” The light of battle was in his eyes, and as he got to his feet he looked as though he was invincible. Morrin began to realise just why he was so successful in a tough profession. “Go ahead and book those two seats to Tenerife for next week, there’s a good girl.”

“
Is it worth going all that way on a gamble?”

“
Of course it is… I love gambling. Believe me, if Vicki sets her sights on that part, nobody will deprive her of it. Then, since he refuses to come with us to Tenerife, we’ll bring her back here to work on him. I’ve never met the man who can deny Vicki Queen when she’s set her heart on something.”

He
moved round the desk towards her, his eyes softening, and bent to kiss her gently on the lips. “And I can be every bit as determined as she is when I spot a good thing,” he murmured, looking down at her. “So be warned. For now, though, I’ll settle for a cup of coffee.”

Back
at her own desk Morrin stared numbly at the calendar on the opposite wall. She was caught between two determined men; which of them would get his own way? She hoped with all her might that Gareth would emerge as the winner in this battle of wills, and that Sam would be forced to look elsewhere for his next play.

As
she dialled the number of the travel agency she felt as though the new life she had carefully built up for herself since her flight from Yorkshire was in danger of being torn down – and by the very man who had held out the promise of safety and a refuge from the misery of her hopeless love for Gareth Sinclair.

Five

The theatre foyer was a rainbow of colour, a potpourri of exotic scent, as the audience began to gather for the first night of the new play.

These
premieres were the spice of life to Sam. He moved through the growing crowd, stopping here and there for a brief word, Morrin by his side. “Keep ’em happy,” he murmured in her ear after warmly greeting a critic then easing away. “He never gives my shows good crits, but one day… who knows?” Then his hand tightened on her arm and she felt his body tense. “Ah… there’s the man I’m looking for,” he said triumphantly.

“
Where?” Wishing that she was taller, she tried in vain to peer through the forest of people surrounding her.

“
By the door… he’s just arrived. Come on.” Sam grabbed her hand and almost towed her through the crowd in his eagerness to get to the other side of the foyer. “The fly, my darling, has just wandered into our parlour,” he exulted as they went, then, coming to a standstill behind a broad back, “I’m Sam Kennedy, and you must be Gareth Sinclair… ?”

Morrin
would have pulled back into the throng if Sam’s arm hadn’t been round her shoulders. Gareth turned, studying Sam with cool appraisal as they shook hands, then looked fully at Morrin for the first time. His eyes widened, searing her with emerald flame. He opened his mouth but before he could say the damning words she cut in swiftly with, “How do you do? I’m Morrin Grey, Sam’s personal assistant.”

His
eyes darkened to a deep sea-green and after only a second’s hesitation he took her hand in his. As their fingers clasped a tremor ran through her body.

“
Miss Grey,” he said, then, “Haven’t we met before?”

“
I don’t believe so,” Morrin said levelly, and his brows tucked together. Every expression, every movement, was so familiar to her. And still, she realised, so dear to her.

“
Perhaps I’ve got a longer memory than you have?” Gareth suggested, his voice silky. Morrin freed her hand as unobtrusively as possible.

“
I’m quite sure,” she said firmly. She had burned her boats now. She had made it clear to him that they were strangers as far as Sam was concerned. Now she could only hope that he wouldn’t let her down.

“
Believe me, she would remember. Morrin never forgets anything… I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Sam was saying breezily.

Gareth
’s gaze moved over Morrin, quickly enough to seem disinterested, but thoroughly enough for her to know that he was taking in everything… the subtle make-up, the elegant hairstyle, the expensive gown that left her shoulders bare. She could have sworn that the sweeping glance paused for a fragment of a second when it reached her breasts, nestling demurely in primrose lace. A faint smile tugged at one corner of his mouth and he glanced back at her face before turning to Sam. “I can believe it,” he said blandly. “She looks very… efficient.”

A
tall slender young woman with wide blue eyes and a cluster of red-gold curls arrived at that moment, putting one hand, sparkling with rings, on Gareth’s arm. Cass, Morrin thought at once, but she was wrong.

“
This is Alison Wallace. Alison, meet Sam Kennedy, the man who invited us here. And this is his, er…” Gareth let his eyes drift over Morrin again before saying, “…his Girl Friday. I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.”

Her
face burned, not because of his deliberately off-hand treatment, but because she realised, from the way he had glanced from her to Sam, that he assumed that they were more than employer and employee.

Alison
looked at Sam with interest, and immediately began working on him, but he was more interested in talking to Gareth.

“
About that book of yours,” he began, bringing all his persuasive charm to bear, “Morrin and I are flying out to Tenerife on Tuesday to find out what Vicki thinks of it. And I hope that she’ll come back to London with us. If we could all get together then…”

Gareth
looked genuinely astonished. “You mean you’re going to all that trouble over a play that I have no intention of writing?” he asked, and Sam bristled slightly.

“
As I told you on the phone, Vicki Queen is a very talented actress and I think that it would make the perfect vehicle for her. It’s too bad that you can’t spare the time to fly out with us; it would have been ideal to have an on-the-spot conference.”

“
As a matter of fact,” Gareth said, his smile encompassing Morrin as well as Sam, “my plans have changed since we spoke on the phone. I believe I might be able to get away for a few days after all. Next Tuesday, did you say?”

“
Gareth, you can’t!” Alison sounded as dismayed as Morrin felt. She clutched at his arm with both hands, her lovely face distorted with anger. “You promised you’d take me skiing next week.”

“
Umm.” His voice was vague, his gaze still fixed on Morrin. She was sure that he could read her thoughts. “It wouldn’t take long, darling. I could spend a few days in Tenerife and still be back in time.”

“
Really?” Sam was radiant. “Forty-eight hours would give you enough time to meet Vicki and have a preliminary discussion about the whole thing. And you could always bring – ”

“
Business and pleasure never mix,” Gareth said decisively, then, pointedly, his gaze flickering back to Morrin, “At least, they never have as far as I’m concerned. Alison won’t mind staying behind.”

Fury
made the girl’s lovely face look older. She made it clear after that that she wanted to get Gareth on his own, no doubt to try to talk him out of his shock decision.

“
Why didn’t you tell me you’d invited that man to the première?” Morrin wanted to know when she and Sam were alone again.

“
I wasn’t sure if he’d accept or not. It was another gamble, and besides, if I’d suggested it to you, you’d probably have tried to talk me out of it. But it worked, didn’t it? He’s interested.”

“
In turning his novel into a play? You think so?” Morrin asked bitterly. She had no illusions about Gareth’s sudden change of mind. He wanted to make her life as difficult as possible.

“
You’ve never fished, have you? The fish sees the bait, he gets curious, he wants to know more. The angler’s success lies in good bait, and patience. And I,” Sam said gleefully, “have got both.”

As
the audience began to drift into the theatre for the play Gareth suddenly arrived beside them. “About that flight to Tenerife…” He pushed a card into Morrin’s hand. “I’ll… we’ll be checking out of this hotel at about twelve thirty tomorrow. Can you get the booking to me before then?”

“
Morrin will see to it first thing tomorrow,” Sam promised him, and Gareth went off to rejoin his escort.

Morrin
had been looking forward to the play, but she couldn’t enjoy it. She was uncomfortably aware that Gareth was somewhere in the darkened auditorium, and his shock decision to travel with them to Tenerife had completely unnerved her. He never did anything without a reason; what plan was he hatching now?

Fortunately
he and Alison did not attend the after-show party, so Morrin was able to relax and enjoy herself. The play had all the makings of a success, and Sam was on top of the world when he took her home in the early hours of the morning.

“
One down and one to go!” he whooped, throwing himself into a big armchair. Sam never had more than one glass of alcohol at a social gathering, but tonight he was drunk with sheer success. He was quite right when he claimed that he didn’t need happiness from a bottle.

Morrin
smiled absent-mindedly at him and went into her tiny kitchen to make coffee. By the time she carried the tray back to the lounge her mind was made up.

Sam
had discarded his jacket and bow tie and was leafing through her collection of CDs. They often visited each other’s flats, and he felt quite at home here. He selected a disc he himself had bought for her, a dreamy instrumental piece, and after putting it on he came to sit by her on the sofa.

“
Mmm…” He stretched an arm along the back of the sofa. “Nice to get away from it all now and then. By the way, did I tell you that you look absolutely stunning?”

“
Several times.”

“
It doesn’t hurt to say it again.” His fingers brushed her neck and moved on to bury themselves in her hair. He ruffled it and the style that had cost a great deal of money and time to create only a few hours earlier disintegrated, framing her face with silky brown strands. “That’s better; I hate to see you looking so formal.” He leaned towards her but she stopped him, one hand against his lips.

“
Sam, I’ve been thinking…”

“
Hmm?” His teeth nibbled gently at her fingers then he captured her hand in his as she was about to take it away.

“
Why don’t I stay here in London and let Mr Sinclair have my seat on the plane?”

He
stopped teasing her fingers with his teeth and sat upright, staring at her. “That’s a lousy idea. What made you come up with it?”

The
speech she had rehearsed in the kitchen faded from her head as she looked into his puzzled grey eyes. “Well… one of us should be at the office, just in case something goes wrong with this play. It makes sense.”

“
No it doesn’t.”

“
And what use will I be in Tenerife?”

He
took hold of her shoulders, gave her a little shake. “I need you to be there!”

“
Your Girl Friday?” she asked sarcastically.

“
What’s wrong with that? Perhaps Sinclair got it right. After all, I was all alone before you came into my life.”

“
You had a personal assistant before me.”

“
And a very capable girl she was, too. But she wasn’t you. You’re different. Shut up and listen for a moment,” he added as she began to argue. “I’m a loner, Morrin.” He gathered her into his arms so that her head was against his shoulder. “In the sort of life I lead it’s a case of kill or be killed. A real desert island, where the natives can be very unfriendly.”

“
There aren’t natives on a desert island,” she interrupted, and felt a laugh rumble through his chest. “Only because I managed to fight them off. And then one wonderful day about a year ago, there you were… the perfect Girl Friday, cast ashore from some wreck or another. You were, weren’t you, Morrin?”

It
was his turn to cover her mouth with gentle fingers when she began to protest. “Darling, I’ve worked with actors all my life and I know when someone’s been hurt badly.”

She
squirmed away from him and sat up. “Correction. I’d burned my fingers through my own stupidity.”

“
Put it any way you like. You looked ill, you were jumpy, you flinched every time I even thought of asking questions about your recent past. So… I kept my mouth shut and let you share my island. And then what happened?”

“
What did happen?”

“
I got used to having you around. I began to realise that I needed you in my work, in my life. And” – his fingers closed lightly on her bare arm – “in Tenerife with me, next week.”

When
she shook her head and began to get up his grip tightened on her arm, pulling her back down. “One day,” he told her, “you’re going to have to stop running away from me… and from yourself.” He leaned forward and kissed her, his lips warm on hers. “Robinson Crusoe,” he murmured, “wasn’t nearly as fortunate as I am.”

“
Sam…”

“
Shhh. Enough talking.” He drew her into his arms and let his mouth drift over her face, outlining her cheekbones, brushing her nose lightly, claiming her lips in small, soft kisses. His love-making was so gentle that Morrin was tempted to give in and lie back in his arms, trusting in him and following wherever he led. Sam was safe, and warm, and comfortable; after her bruising reunion with Gareth she needed security and affection.

Yet
even as his arms tightened about her she realised that this was wrong. She couldn’t just use him as a haven against the abrasive pain Gareth had reintroduced to her life.

“
What’s wrong, darling?” he asked when she sat up abruptly. There was disappointment in his voice but he didn’t try to take her in his arms again.

“
I’m sorry, you’re a wonderful man but… I just don’t want to get involved with anyone; not ye– not just now,” she said hastily.

“
Morrin, nothing’s going to happen between us until you want it to, I promise you. But I hope that one day, you will want it to.”

The
CD had ended. Morrin got up and crossed to the music centre, grateful for the opportunity to move away from him.

“
It’s unfair on you… you’re my best friend as well as my employer, but I’m just not interested in any sort of commitment.”