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‘I'm sure she was,’ the older man looked uncomfortable. ‘Would you like me to introduce you to some of the other people here now?’
‘I don't think so,’ Jake refused, his hand on her waist seeming to burn where it touched. ‘Stacy and I can manage just fine on our own.’
‘But, Jake, this is all——’
‘I said we can manage,’ Jake cut in. ‘Stacy can introduce me to anyone I care to meet, can't you, honey?’
‘Er—yes, I suppose so.’
The director shrugged. ‘Okay then,’ he accepted defeat in the face of such obstinacy. ‘But I think Paul would like to meet you again.’
‘I'm sure he would,’ Jake snapped, his mouth a thin straight line. ‘But that's the one person I don't think Stacy would like to introduce me to. And I certainly don't appreciate men of his type trying to force young girls into going out with him.’
‘I'll—er—I'll see you later, then.’
Jake was looking down at Stacy. ‘Perhaps, Martin. Perhaps.’
It was a disgruntled Martin Payne who finally left them, and Stacy wondered at Jake for daring to talk to him in that way. After all, he was one of the leading directors in the world, and Jake had more or less dismissed him.
She looked up at Jake, moving out of the hold he had about her waist. ‘That isn't going to make you very popular,’ she warned.
He looked unperturbed. ‘I'm not out to win any popularity contests.’
‘Perhaps that's as well,’ she sipped her drink. ‘Mm, my favourite drink, Martini and lemonade. Did your informant tell you that too?’
He grinned at her, his eyes deeply blue. ‘I don't have an informant. I guessed about your drink, and as for the other—well, I just asked Payne why he'd dismissed you.’
She looked surprised. ‘And he told you about Paul Forbes?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘But you worked it out,’ she said knowingly.
‘Knowing Paul as I do, yes.’
Her eyes widened. ‘You know him?’ she asked almost accusingly.
‘Slightly.’
Her mouth compressed. ‘I see.’
‘I don't think you do. Let's sit down and we'll talk about it.’ Without waiting for her answer he led her over to a secluded table, well away from everyone else and in the dimmer lighting. He pulled out a chair for her to sit down and then sat at her side, his arm resting along the back of her chair.
Stacy was very aware of the warmth of his arm against her bare skin, the velvet material of his jacket pleasurably caressing her back. She sat forward to avoid the intimacy of that touch. ‘You were saying you know Paul Forbes.’ She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, she was so aware of him.
Why should he be interested in her anyway? There were plenty of much more beautiful women here tonight who would be only too pleased to be with such a distinguished, attractive man. And yet he had chosen her.
He gently pushed her back in the seat, leaning forward himself to prevent her moving again. Now Stacy felt hemmed in by him, unable to look anywhere else but at his dark compelling face, the expression in his eyes not one she cared to analyse.
‘I did say I know Paul, but not in the way you mean. I know him slightly, but I know of him better. His reputation for liking young girls is well known. Although in your case I can't exactly blame him.’
‘Well, I can,’ she said angrily. ‘He's disgusting!’
‘I agree,’ he drawled. ‘But then you shouldn't be so damned beautiful.’
She blushed fiery red. ‘He didn't want me because of my looks, he wanted me because I don't want him.’
Jake sat back, crossing one leather-clad foot over the other. ‘Feminine logic?’
‘If you like,’ she said stiffly. ‘If I showed an interest in him he wouldn't want me. I have a friend who thinks he's fantastic, but adoration isn't what he wants. Oh no, Paul Forbes likes his women unwilling.’
‘Really?’ He sounded amused.
‘Yes, really!’ she snapped. ‘And it isn't in the least funny!’
‘I couldn't agree more,’ he said grimly.
‘You—you couldn't?’
‘I wouldn't like to think that you could be attracted to someone like him.’
Stacy looked puzzled. ‘He's a very attractive man, a lot of women would feel honoured to go out with him. He's tall, very good-looking, has lovely styled blond hair, and the most twinkling blue eyes I've ever seen. He's very young-looking for his age too.’
‘Does that mean you find him attractive?’ he asked harshly.
She couldn't repress her shudder of disgust. ‘No!’
‘Good. Because besides those obvious attributes he's nothing but a bastard. If I thought you could go out with him I wouldn't be sitting here.’
‘No one's asking you to stay,’ she said in a stilted voice. ‘You seem to have invited yourself to sit with me.’
He restrained her from moving by the tight hold he had of her wrist. ‘Stay here, Stacy. Don't be so sensitive. It's just that I consider Paul Forbes to be the lowest form of life, a man who trades on his wealth and fame.’
‘Any man in his position would do the same.’
‘Jake Weston hasn't.’
Stacy looked with amusement at the author as he chatted amiably with a group of people on the other side of the room. She turned to her companion, her green eyes twinkling merrily. ‘I hope you'll excuse my saying so, but he doesn't really have a lot going for him.’
‘No, I don't suppose he does. Tell me about yourself, Stacy,’ he commanded abruptly.
‘Have you finished questioning me about Paul Forbes?’ she asked tartly.
Jake sat forward, running a caressing finger down her cheek. ‘I was just curious as to why you refused his invitation.’
‘And now you're satisfied?’
His blue eyes mocked her. ‘Hardly. But that can come later, when you know me a little better.’
‘You mean——’ she broke off in confusion.
‘I mean exactly what you think I mean. But don't worry, I'll give you time to get to know me first.’
She gave an incredulous laugh. ‘Are you honestly trying to tell me——’
‘I believe in being honest about these things,’ he interrupted. ‘I want to go to bed with you, I want to put my brand of possession on you as soon as possible, so there's no point in trying to hide it. I told you earlier that I find you desirable.’
‘Yes, but——’
‘I know, I know, you take things a little slower over here. I've lived in the States so long I've forgotten I'm supposed to be one of the reserved English.’
Stacy gave him a curious look. ‘You aren't American?’
‘As good as—I left England when I was five years old. I was born not far from here. I guess I'll have to try and get a little of this reserve you all seem to have. But like I said, I'm not going to rush you into anything. If you find you don't feel the same way about me after a couple of dates then we'll forget the whole thing. I don't like my women unwilling.’
She swallowed hard, aware of the sensuous allure of his body as he sat beside her. Any woman could be seduced by such virility as he displayed, and she wasn't immune to him, far from it. She could easily find herself falling for him.
‘And I don't go in for casual affairs,’ she told him softly.
He looked at her with brooding eyes, their colour very blue. ‘I didn't say there was going to be anything casual about it.’
‘And I don't intend to be your bed companion for the short time you'll be in this country either.’
‘What makes you think I'm only going to be here a short time?’
She shrugged. ‘As far as I know Mr Weston is only here for the last couple of weeks of filming. As his employee you'll leave when he does.’
‘Then I'll just have to make sure he enjoys his stay enough to want to stay longer.’
‘I shouldn't bother on my account.’ She put her empty glass down on the table. ‘I think I should go and find Matthew.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘You never did tell me how friendly you are with him.’
‘Very friendly.’ She deliberately gave the wrong impression of that friendship.
Those long fingers clamped about her wrist once again. ‘Is that the truth, Stacy?’
She faced him defiantly. ‘Why should I lie?’
‘Fear. Nervousness. There could be any number of reasons.’
It was both of those, and a lot more. The trouble with this man was that he was too attractive for any woman to resist for long. Not that it made him conceited, he had merely seen something he wanted and wasn't afraid to say so. But his age and experience made her nervous, gave her the feeling that this was a battle she was going to lose, which was why she had to stop it now.
‘Matthew and I are very good friends. We even lived together for a time.’ Which they had, on a purely platonic basis. Matthew had been thrown out of his digs and she had let him sleep on her sofa for a while.
‘But not now?’ Jake persisted.
‘Not now.’
The tension seemed to leave his body. ‘Then it couldn't have worked out between the two of you, which means there's nothing between you now. I'm not asking for virginity from you, Stacy.’
‘I don't think you have the right to ask anything of me.’ She gave him a searching look. ‘I hardly know you, but I can tell you're no novice when it comes to making love.’
‘At thirty-eight, no.’
‘Not even at my age,’ she rebuked.
‘Probably not,’ he acknowledged mildly.
‘I would say definitely not.’
He laughed softly. ‘I think you're right.’ He stood up. ‘Let's go for a walk in the garden.’
She looked up at him, wrenching her eyes away from his muscular thighs only inches in front of her. ‘It's after ten o'clock at night, it's dark out there.’
Jake pulled her effortlessly to her feet, retaining a hold on one of her hands as she would have pulled away. ‘The garden is illuminated at night,’ he said tolerantly.
‘Yes, but I——’
‘Come on, Stacy. It's too noisy in here, we can't talk properly.’
‘I think we've talked enough for one day.’
‘About certain things, perhaps, but I have other things to say to you.’ His voice lowered. ‘Things I would rather say when we're completely alone.’
That was what she was afraid of! ‘No, I don't think——’
‘I'm not asking you to think. Don't be such a baby, Stacy. Is there no adventure in your soul, no craving for danger?’
Not when she knew she had a good chance of losing to him. ‘No,’ she said huskily.
‘I don't believe you.’
He pulled her along behind him and Stacy had no choice but to follow him. She was conscious of many people curiously watching their exit, and this didn't improve her mood.
She pulled away from him once they were outside, glaring at him resentfully, her colour heightened. ‘It's cold out here,’ she lied. ‘I want to go back inside.’
His answer was to put an arm about her shoulders and pull her hard against the side of his firm muscular body. ‘It isn't cold, Stacy,’ he contradicted. ‘But if you are just stay close to me, I'll keep you warm.’
‘Perhaps that's what I'm afraid of.’
‘That's what I thought.’ He turned to face her, his arms about her waist as he moulded her thighs to his. ‘I can't do much to you in a garden, now can I?’
She gulped. ‘I suppose not.’
‘Besides, I like the comfort of a bed when I make those sort of advances. I've gone past the impetuous youth bit where I can make love anywhere. Also, I want things to be right between us the first time.’
She gulped again. This man was unlike anyone else she had ever known, said things no one else would dare to say on such short acquaintance. ‘The——’ she licked her dry lips. ‘The first time?’
