First Love, Last Love (6 page)

‘Mm,’ he nodded. ‘But I can’t think who for the moment. No doubt it will come to me, probably when I see the other person again.’

‘It’s a sign of advancing years when the memory starts to go.’ Lauri was deliberately provocative in an effort to divert his attention from whom she resembled.

It seemed she had hit home; his mouth tightened angrily. ‘I didn’t say I couldn’t remember, only that I can’t yet see what the resemblance is, the certain something that occasionally sparks off a memory of someone else doing exactly the same thing.’

She licked her lips. ‘I see. Well, you still haven’t answered my question,’ she reminded him.

‘About Prescott being your lover?’ He smiled. ‘But how could he be, when he’s your uncle?’

Lauri gulped, her face paling. ‘You—you know?’

He laughed. ‘Of course.’

‘How long have you known?’ she demanded indignantly.

Alex shrugged. ‘Since yesterday.’

‘You’ve known all the time and you—’

‘I didn’t say all the time,’ he disputed calmly. ‘Only since the afternoon when I looked up your file. You forget, until that time I didn’t even know what your name was, only that it wasn’t Lauri. You see, there’s a Laura in your department too. I had no way of knowing which you were until you told me you were Lauren.’

‘You looked up my file?’ She was incredulous.

He nodded. ‘I went down to Personnel and had a look.’

‘Then you also know—’

‘That my invaluable secretary, the efficient Miss Prescott, is your aunt,’ he finished for her. ‘Yes, I know that too. Which brings me to the point of why you put on that false voice over the telephone this morning. Not that I’m complaining,’ he grinned. ‘It sounded very sexy, and in the right circumstances … well, who knows? But by that little act and by the fact that your aunt has been her usual coolly pleasant self, I’ve come to the conclusion that she knows nothing of your little escapade in her brother’s car yesterday morning.’

Once again he had rendered Lauri speechless. Was there nothing this man didn’t know or couldn’t find out?

‘Am I right?’ he persisted.

‘You know you are,’ she said miserably.

‘I thought so. She wouldn’t be pleased?’

‘What do you think?’

Alex laughed. ‘She wouldn’t be pleased at all.’

‘She would be furious.’

‘Mm. So I have you in my power, do I?’

Lauri gave him a sharp look. ‘I wouldn’t go that far.’

‘Oh, I would. My Miss Prescott, and I don’t mean you—’

‘That’s good, because I’m not yours. And I don’t think Jane would like being called that either. Spoken to anyone else but me that remark might have been misconstrued. You really should be more careful about what you say, Mr Blair.’

She heard him draw an angry breath. ‘You are without doubt the most outspoken young lady I’ve ever met! I don’t know why I’m wasting my time on you.’

‘Neither do I,’ she retorted, seeing they were nearing the Blair office block. ‘Could you drop me off here, please,’ she pleaded. ‘I—I’ll walk the rest of the way.’

‘So that you aren’t seen with me?’ he taunted.

‘Yes!’ She met his speculative look defiantly.

‘What’s it worth?’ he queried softly.

‘What’s it—What do you mean?’

He quirked an eyebrow. ‘What do you think I mean?’ He had slowed the car right down. ‘If you arrive back with me then
my
Miss Prescott will no doubt get to hear about it—and I bet you’re willing to do quite a lot to stop that happening. Tell me, does she frighten you as much as she frightens me?’

‘
Jane
frightens you?’

‘Terrifies me.’

‘Liar!’ she laughed.

‘Maybe. But she’s certainly a formidable lady. She won’t stand any nonsense.’

‘Are you telling me that you’ve made a
pass
at my Aunt Jane?’ Lauri exclaimed.

‘Heaven forbid!’ he drawled in mock horror. ‘She’d soon put me firmly in my place. I daren’t make a wrong move with that lady, and I would make a guess that you daren’t either. I think crashing into my car constitutes a wrong move, don’t you?’

‘Yes,’ Lauri admitted reluctantly.

‘So, what’s it worth?’ he repeated.

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she evaded.

‘Oh, I think you do, Lauren,’ he taunted.

‘No,’ she desperately shook her head. ‘No, I don’t. I certainly don’t consider the accident and keeping it from Jane reason enough to—to—I’d rather tell her everything than sink to that level!’

‘Why, what do you mean, Miss Prescott?’ He feigned shock. ‘I was merely suggesting you agree to have dinner with me, certainly nothing else.’

‘Have dinner with you?’ she repeated dazedly.

‘Yes.’ He stopped the car at the side of the road, turning to look at her. ‘Will you come?’

‘But I—We’ve only just had lunch!’

‘Well, I wasn’t suggesting we have dinner now,’ he smiled. ‘Later tonight will do.’

‘I have a date,’ she told him stiffly.

‘With your Canadian?’

‘With Daryl, yes.’

‘And as he departs at the end of the week I don’t suppose I should deprive him of your company. After all, I’ll have you to myself when he’s gone.’

‘Mr Blair …’

‘Yes, Lauren?’ He smoothed a lock of hair back from
her face. ‘I like your freckles,’ he murmured, his eyes intent on her face.

Lauri blushed under his scrutiny. ‘You—you do?’

‘Mm, they’re adorable. They make me want to kiss the tip of that little snub nose of yours.’

She flinched away. ‘Mr Blair! Stop playing games with me!’

He watched her with laughter in his eyes. ‘Is that what I’m doing?’

‘You know it is. But I won’t be used for your amusement. I’m not going to let you laugh at me, you—you—’

Alex shook his head. ‘I’m not laughing at you, Lauren. In fact, I don’t find any of this funny. How long have you worked for me?’

‘Why?’ she asked curiously.

He sighed. ‘How long?’

‘Three weeks,’ she supplied.

He nodded. ‘That accounts for my not having seen you before. I didn’t think I could have overlooked you.’

She gave a nervous laugh, still conscious of his hand in her hair. ‘I’m quite overlookable.’

Alex shook his head. ‘Not by me you aren’t. You’ve been forcing yourself into my thoughts ever since we met yesterday. And that’s why I don’t find this situation funny. You’re seventeen, just, and I’m a man of thirty-four, and yet I can’t get you off my mind.’ He gave a derisive smile. ‘It must be that startling combination of red-gold hair and defiant green eyes. Whatever it is it’s pretty explosive to my equilibrium. So I intend seeing you as often as possible in an effort to get you out of my system.’

‘And if I don’t want to see
you?
’ She was furious at his assumption that she would be willing to see any more of him than she had to. Not that she believed his
wild assertion that he wanted to see her to get over his attraction to her, there had to be another reason. Maybe there was another woman in his life he wanted to get rid of and he intended using Lauri to do it. What woman wouldn’t be piqued to find he preferred a nonentity like Lauri Prescott to their undoubted beauty and sophistication? Yes, that had to be it, and she wasn’t going to help him out. It might help him to be seen with her, but it could only bring trouble to her, she found him attractive enough already without making the mistake of falling for him!

Alex shrugged. ‘I could always tell your aunt of your—accident, of the fact that you weren’t showing L-plates. I don’t think she would appreciate that last part.’

Remembering how Jane was always telling her to curb her impetuosity Lauri didn’t think she would either. ‘Don’t you have any other way of getting rid of her?’ she scorned.

He looked puzzled. ‘Your aunt? But I don’t want—’

Lauri sighed. ‘Not Jane. The woman you don’t want in your life, the woman you’re using me to put off.’

He laughed. ‘You’re that woman, Lauren, no one else.’

‘I don’t believe you. It’s ridiculous!’

‘I couldn’t agree more,’ he grimaced.

‘Well, there’s no need to be insulting about it,’ Lauri snapped. ‘You really do—er—like me?’

He smiled at her choice of word. ‘I find you very—desirable.’

‘
Me?
’ she squeaked.

Alex nodded. ‘You. But in my experience familiarity always leads to contempt.’

‘So that’s why you want to go out with me. Thanks very much!’

‘Would you rather the attraction developed?’ he taunted. ‘I’m warning you, I usually expect a physical relationship from my women. I’m way past the hand-holding chaste-kisses age. So I’m hoping to kill this attraction towards you stone dead before it gets to the stage where I take you to my bed.’

‘I’d never allow it to get that far,’ Lauri told him coldly. ‘I suppose I can take solace from the fact that it shouldn’t take you long to get bored with me. I’m a little immature for your tastes.’

‘Your immaturity doesn’t stop you being downright rude on occasion,’ he snapped.

‘It’s because I am immature that I dare to be rude. If I was older I’d have more sense than to try and cross you.’

‘I’m glad you realise it wouldn’t pay to push me too far,’ he said grimly. ‘We’ll have dinner together on Saturday,’ he told her arrogantly.

‘And your car, what’s going to happen about that?’

‘We’ll forget about it. After all, it wouldn’t be very chivalrous of me to try and extract money from the girl I’m taking out.’

‘But—but we can’t just forget it,’ she protested. ‘It must be costing a fortune!’

He quoted a figure that made her gasp. ‘Do you have that sort of money?’

‘It’s really costing that much?’ she croaked.

He nodded. ‘Really.’

‘Goodness!’

‘Quite,’ he drawled. ‘Don’t tell me you’re speechless again?’

‘I don’t talk that much that a little silence from me should be treated with derision,’ Lauri snapped. ‘I don’t believe a word you say about being attracted to me, you’re much too mocking towards me for it to be true.’

Alex gave a husky laugh. ‘What do you expect me to do, grant you your every wish like some besotted idiot?’

‘Certainly not!’ she said disgustedly.

‘Thank God for that.’ His hand moved to ruffle her hair. ‘Be ready at eight o’clock Saturday night.’

‘But—’

‘No more objections, Lauren,’ he said impatiently. ‘Are you aware of the fact that your lunch-hour was just up?’

‘It can’t be!’ A hurried look at her watch confirmed that it was. ‘Oh dear, Carly won’t be very pleased.’

He quirked an eyebrow. ‘Carly?’

‘My supervisor,’ she informed him vaguely.

He nodded. ‘Carly Hammond. I’ll okay it with her.’

That he actually knew Carly’s full name came as something of a surprise to her. After all, he was a man with hundreds, if not thousands, of employees. But she certainly couldn’t let him ‘okay’ anything, even though she felt sure he would do it very tactfully.

Alexander Blair was a man who let very little stand in his way when he wanted something, and for the moment he seemed to want her. If she dared to admit it to herself she was secretly excited about the prospect of being escorted by such a man. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought such a man would show interest in her, and now that he had, for whatever reason, she knew she wanted to go out with him. She could still vividly remember that hard savage kiss he had given her in the lift—and she was wondering if it would ever be repeated! Besides, if she must qualify her actions any further, he was being very generous about the damage to his car. Not that she really needed any further excuse to agree to see him!

‘Lauren?’ he tersely interrupted her daydreaming.

‘Sorry.’ She gave him a guilty look, hoping he wasn’t
able to guess what her thoughts had been. Those piercing blue eyes seemed to miss nothing. ‘I’ll make my own excuses to Carly, thank you.’

‘So prim!’ He smiled mockingly. ‘I think you’ll find it will pass off a lot easier coming from me.’

‘And I’m equally sure it won’t,’ she said with saccharine sweetness. ‘It’s perfectly all right, Carly won’t read me the Riot Act. She doesn’t happen to rule with an iron will.’ Her tone implied that she left that sort of thing to people like him.

His eyes narrowed. ‘With a little spitfire like you I think she ought to.’

Lauri gave him a cold look. ‘I happen to respect Carly’s authority,’ she retorted.

‘And it’s pretty damned obvious you don’t respect mine!’ His eyes were glittering with a dangerous anger that made Lauri move nearer to the door. ‘Well, respect
this
!’ His hand snaked out to curl about her nape, pulling her resistingly forward, grabbing a handful of her fiery hair to pull her head back. He moved with slow deliberation, enjoying the torment in her eyes before his mouth claimed hers.

Lauri felt as if she were drowning, that her body was no longer her own but was part of Alexander Blair as he ravaged her lips with a hunger that devoured her very soul. No one had ever kissed her like this, his mouth demanding her surrender to his domination, to the male sensuality of him.

And she was surrendering, offering no resistance as he pushed her back againt the seat, his body half covering hers as he made her aware of the desire he couldn’t hold in check, the clamouring of his senses for fulfilment.

But it was Alex who finally became aware of the fact that the car was parked on the side of a particularly busy road, and that they were providing a free show
for the passers by. He moved back into his own seat, pushing his tousled hair back with hands that weren’t quite steady.

‘You see,’ he muttered grimly, his breathing ragged. ‘I told you you’re explosive to my equilibrium—for equilibrium read sexual urges.’

‘Yes.’ She was totally breathless, dazed by his fierce lovemaking.

Alex eyed her impatiently. ‘You have a way of saying that word that makes me wish we were in more suitable surroundings.’

‘Like a bedroom.’

‘Exactly!’ He sighed. ‘This is hardly the way I should be behaving in the middle of the street!’ He sounded disgusted with himself.

‘And with a little typist too,’ Lauri taunted to cover her confusion. She hadn’t given a damn where they were a few minutes ago, she had just wanted him to go on kissing her.