The Yuletide Engagement & A Yuletide Seduction (4 page)

Simply telling Sarah what she thought of Gareth would do no good. She had thought of that once she'd become aware that Sarah was Gareth's latest target—her concern and liking for Sarah were completely genuine—but she had concluded that Sarah was very unlikely to believe anything she had to say about Gareth once he had told Sarah the “woman scorned” story. Pity was the more probable emotion Sarah would feel on hearing it—for Ellie!

Patrick gave her hand a triumphant squeeze. “I hoped my instinct about you was right, Ellie,” he told her warmly.

She eyed him uncertainly. “What instinct?”

He grinned. “I knew you were a fighter,” he said with satisfaction. “You had to be, to have chosen and succeeded in taking on the responsibilities you did eight years ago. Any woman who could do that isn't going to let a man like Gareth Davies get away with anything—least of all gulling some other poor woman in the same way you were!”

Again, Ellie was sure there was a compliment in there somewhere—it was just buried beneath the insult that had followed it!

“W
HAT
on earth do you think you're playing at?”

Ellie turned slowly to face Gareth, already knowing by the aggressive tone of his voice that his mood was ugly. She had briefly left the dinner table after dessert to go to the ladies' room. Gareth must have deliberately followed her.

Yes, she was right about Gareth's mood. He looked less than handsome in his anger, blue eyes glittering furiously as he strode purposefully towards her.

“I'm sorry?” she answered coolly, very aware of the fact they were completely alone in the foyer. The receptionist was inside, helping to serve drinks now, the Delacorte party having taken over the whole restaurant for the evening.

“You heard me, Ellie,” he snapped impatiently. “What are you doing here with George's nephew?”

“Eating dinner, the same as everyone else,” she dismissed with a lightness she was far from feeling. She knew that physically there was nothing Gareth could do to her here—even if he did look as if he would like to wring her neck—but verbally he could rip her to shreds!

Gareth's mouth twisted frustratedly. “Don't get clever with me, Ellie,” he scorned. “Moving in rather exalted company nowadays, aren't you?” he added insultingly.

Deliberately so, Ellie knew. Although she refused to become angry. Or at least only with herself—that she could ever have been taken in by such a man. In fact, it was a pity Sarah couldn't see him in this mood—the younger woman would have no doubts about his duplicitous charms then!

But Ellie knew what he was referring to with that remark about “exalted company” ordinarily she would have been seated at one of the tables with other secretaries and their partners, but as the nephew of the senior partner was her guest for the evening, she and Patrick had been moved onto the top table with the other senior members of staff.

The same table as Gareth and Sarah…

Ellie coolly met Gareth's accusing gaze. “Do you have some sort of problem with that?”

He gave a scornful laugh. “Not at all. So if you were hoping to make me jealous—”

“Don't flatter yourself, Gareth!” she cut in derisively, feeling her anger starting to rise. Really, the conceit of the man…! “The fact that Patrick and I are—friends has absolutely nothing to do with you.”

“Have you said anything to him about me?” Gareth rasped nastily, taking a painful grip of her arm. “Because if you have—”

“Gareth, believe me, when I'm with Patrick I have better things to do with my time than discuss you,” she assured him hardly. “Now, would you kindly let go of my arm?” she asked coldly.

He looked down at her with hard blue eyes, a humourless smile now curving his lips. “No, I don't think I will,” he murmured slowly. “You're looking rather beau
tiful tonight, Ellie,” he told her huskily. “Rather sexy, in fact.”

Nausea welled up in her throat at this completely unwelcome compliment from a man she now despised, but the coldness of her gaze didn't waver from his. “Patrick happens to like me in red,” she told him challengingly.

The angry glitter intensified in Gareth's eyes. “Why, you little—”

“Everything all right, darling?” Patrick's voice suddenly interrupted pleasantly. “You've been gone so long I thought there must be something wrong?” he added questioningly, and he strolled over to join them, much to Ellie's relief. She instantly felt the reassurance of his presence.

Gareth slowly released her arm, and Ellie resisted the impulse she had to wipe his touch from her flesh. Instead she shot Gareth a look of intense dislike before turning to smile her gratitude at Patrick. “I was just directing Gareth to the men's room,” she dismissed lightly.

“Really?” Patrick turned cold grey eyes on the younger man. “But I thought that was where you were going when we met earlier this evening?”

Gareth pulled himself together with obvious effort, even managing to give the other man a rueful smile. “Actually, I was collecting Sarah's wrap that time,” he explained pleasantly.

No doubt Gareth was making an effort to be pleasant because he was very aware that Patrick was George's nephew, Ellie guessed shrewdly.

“Ah, yes. My cousin Sarah.” Patrick murmured coldly. “I'm very fond of Sarah,” he added softly.

“She's a marvellous girl,” Gareth agreed heartily.

“That she is,” Patrick acknowledged evenly. “I would
hate to see her hurt in any way,” he added softly, a dangerous stillness surrounding him.

Ellie was watching Gareth as Patrick made this remark. The handsome face remained pleasantly smiling, but there was a certain wariness in the younger man's eyes.

She wasn't sure it was absolutely wise for Patrick to challenge the other man, even in this mild way—not when his cousin's happiness was at stake. But, as she was quickly learning, Patrick really did like to do things his own way.

Gareth gave an inclination of his head. “We really should be getting back; George is going to announce our engagement as soon as the coffee has been served.”

“So I believe,” Patrick rasped, once again holding tightly to Ellie's arm as he felt her stiffen. “You go ahead,” he encouraged the other man. “I just want to—have a few minutes alone with Ellie,” he drawled dryly.

“I was just telling Ellie that she's a bit of a dark horse,” Gareth drawled teasingly. “Who knows, Ellie? We may even be related to each other one day!” he added mockingly.

How Ellie wanted to smack that confident smile off his handsome face!

But instead she felt cold common sense come over her as she answered him. “Somehow I doubt that very much,” she told him scathingly.

“I do hope your intentions are honourable, Patrick.” Gareth's smile didn't reach the hard glitter of his eyes. “I should warn you George is extremely fond of Ellie—treats her almost like another daughter. He will not be happy if he thinks you're trifling with her affections!”

She really would hit him in a minute, common sense notwithstanding! George Delacorte
was
fond of her, and had taken her slightly under his parental wing after her parents had died. Which was what made this situation so difficult now; she would hate any inaction on her part to contribute to the unhappiness of George's only child. But at the same time, as Patrick had already pointed out, what could any of them do about it?

Patrick gave a confident smile as he released Ellie's arm and put his own arm about the slenderness of her waist. “I don't think Ellie was referring to our own relationship when she cast doubt on the two of you ever being related,” he assured the other man derisively.

Gareth's gaze narrowed assessingly on the older man. “I really wouldn't pay too much attention to secondhand opinions, if I were you, Patrick—especially when those opinions are biased, as Ellie's undoubtedly are,” he added, with a pitying glance in her direction.

Ellie would have hit him then, if Patrick's hand hadn't moved from her waist to take a firm grip of her arm once more. Gareth was making her sound like some twisted, lovesick, scorned woman, out to hurt him in any way that she could!

“I make a point of always forming my own opinions concerning other people,” Patrick told the other man smoothly. “Which is why I'm here with Ellie this evening,” he added softly.

Gareth nodded. “I know how much Ellie hated the thought of coming here on her own tonight.”

Why, the condescending—

“I can assure you, that was never an option,” Patrick told the other man derisively, turning to smile at Ellie, the hard glitter in his eyes telling her of his
own—controlled—anger. “There are plenty of other men who would willingly have taken my place tonight,” he assured Gareth hardly.

“Of course,” Gareth agreed sceptically. “Well, I really should be getting back,” he added lightly. “It wouldn't do for one half of the engaged couple not to be in the room when the announcement is made, now, would it?” He smiled before walking confidently back into the restaurant.

Ellie let out a deep breath, unaware until that moment that she had actually been holding it. The last few minutes had told her that Gareth was even more dangerous than she had thought he was. His vindictiveness where she was concerned was more than obvious—to the point that he had deliberately tried to belittle her in front of Patrick, to make her sound like a—

“Don't let him get to you, Ellie.” Patrick was looking down at her concernedly. “He only behaved in the way he did because he's still not quite sure how much you've told me about him,” he added hardly.

Her main emotion at this moment was embarrassment. That she had been fooled by Gareth in the first place. That Patrick knew she had been fooled by him!

Because Patrick's opinion was important to her. And that had nothing to do with that pride she had been so desperately trying to hang onto for the last six weeks and everything to do with the fact that she did not want Patrick to think of her as some poor, wounded woman, still in love with Gareth Davies.

Which, in turn, led her to wonder
why
Patrick's opinion of her was so important…

She gave a dismissive shake of her head; she couldn't think about that right now—had other things to deal
with. “I think Gareth could be a very dangerous man,” she said slowly.

“Not dangerous,” Patrick dismissed confidently. “Irritating, yes. Extremely so as far as George is concerned. But I was watching Gareth Davies through dinner—and whenever he thought no one else was taking any notice he was watching you. The fact that he saw you go out of the room and followed you shows that he isn't quite as confident of the situation as he would like us to think he is,” he added shrewdly.

Ellie eyed him uncertainly. “He isn't?” Gareth had seemed extremely confident to her! She hadn't been aware of the other man watching her as they all ate dinner either. But obviously Patrick had…

Patrick gave a slow shake of his head. “You obviously bother Gareth Davies very much.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” she scorned disbelievingly.

“Oh, yes, you bother him, Ellie. At least, your being with me, Sarah's cousin, bothers him,” Patrick muttered, obviously deep in thought. “In fact, we may not have to do anything other than produce you on a regular basis,” he added shrewdly.

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

Patrick grinned. “You have him rattled, Ellie!” he said with satisfaction. “All we have to do is keep up the pressure.”

Ellie wasn't sure she liked the sound of that! In exactly what way was Patrick proposing they “keep up the pressure”…?

“Do you remember George mentioning a party earlier?” he reminded her.

“Tomorrow.” Ellie nodded slowly, eyeing him warily.

As far as she was concerned this evening was a one-off situation. Especially as it had turned out to be so much more complicated than she could ever have realised.

But Patrick seemed to have other ideas…

He nodded. “The official engagement party.” He grimaced. “I think it would be a good idea if you were to—”

“No,” Ellie cut in firmly, at the same time shaking her head in protest. “The answer is no, Patrick,” she insisted determinedly as his expression turned cajoling. “As far as I've been able to ascertain you accompanied me this evening under false pretences,” she told him accusingly. “Admittedly you were doing me a favour, but as circumstances have turned out I think that favour has more than been returned. After all, George is your uncle; you knew that the engagement announcement I told you about was actually between Gareth and your cousin—that's why you weren't surprised when I arrived in your office earlier in the week!” Her eyes sparkled accusingly as that realisation finally dawned on her too.

“Ellie—”

“No, Patrick.” She firmly resisted his teasing tone. “This evening has been awful. I have no wish to repeat it.”

“Awful, Ellie?” Patrick repeated softly, suddenly standing much closer than was comfortable. For her peace of mind! “All of it?” he prompted huskily.

No, as it happened, not all of it. The kiss the two of them had shared earlier had been more pleasurable than she cared to think about. Certainly more disturbing than she cared to admit!

“All of it,” she insisted forcefully. “I am absolutely, definitely not going to the party with you tomorrow!”

He looked at her consideringly. “Not even for Sarah's sake?”

“Not even for— That's emotional blackmail, Patrick!” she snapped irritably as her resolve began to sway at the mention of Sarah.

She and Sarah had been good friends in the past, and she knew the other girl to be bubbly, loving, completely carefree. Marriage to Gareth, once Gareth had shown just how ruthless he could be—and there was no doubting that he
would
show himself in his true colours one day—promised to ruin all that.

“I don't want to go to this party with you, Patrick,” she protested.

And it sounded weak, even to her own ears.

“I have nothing to wear!” she added inconsequentially when he made no reply.

Which sounded even weaker!

As evidenced by the fact that Patrick laughed, eyes twinkling warmly, his teeth showing whitely in his mouth—that mouth that only two hours ago, on this very spot, had very thoroughly kissed hers!

It was a mistake to think of that kiss…

Because she wanted very badly for Patrick to repeat it!

Something of that desire must have shown in her face, because Patrick took her very firmly by the shoulders and held her away from him at arm's length. “No, Ellie,” he murmured regretfully. “I'm not going to be accused of seduction as well as emotional blackmail!” He grimaced.

Ellie felt warmth enter her cheeks at her emotions
being that transparent. Maybe it was the way her gaze had gone to his mouth—and stayed there. Or maybe it was just an expression of longing on her face. Either way, it wasn't very sophisticated of her to allow her emotions to be so easily gauged.