age, with short black hair, darkly lashed blue eyes, talking worriedly to Aaron Grantley. They both seemed to become aware of Charly’s presence at the same moment, turning simultaneously.
It was lucky for Aaron Grantley that the other woman did turn to look at her too, because his mouth literally fell open as he gazed at Charly in dazed surprise. She had been well aware of the impact she would make, had dressed with just that idea in mind. The black and gold dress was Japanese in style, high-necked, short-sleeved, completely figure-hugging, her legs long and shapely beneath its knee length, her gold sandals adding to her height with three-inch heels. Her hair was a straight golden swathe to her waist, her make-up dark and dramatic, far heavier than she normally wore it. Aaron Grantley could now see exactly why a man, married or otherwise, could lose his head over her!
‘I hope I wasn’t too long, darling.’ She swayed gracefully into the room, putting her arms about his neck to kiss him lingeringly on the mouth as he stood perfectly still, rigid with shock. ‘And you must be Molly.’ She turned to the other woman, smiling warmly. ‘Matt has told me so much about you.’
Molly looked taken aback. ‘I—He has?’
‘Oh yes. And your two adorable children. It was so kind of him to let me use his apartment like this.’ She glared hardly at Aaron Grantley before moving out of his arms. ‘Did you find your address book?’ she smiled at the other woman once again.
‘Er—yes.’ Molly looked uncomfortable.
‘Oh good,’ she nodded. ‘I hope it doesn’t inconvenience you that I’m staying here; the fire just about gutted my lounge, although the decorators hope to be finished soon. Shall we sit down?’ she invited smoothly.
Molly plopped down on to the sofa while Charly sank down more gracefully, the length of the slit up the skirt of her dress revealing most of her thigh as she crossed one knee over the other.
‘Fire?’ Molly prompted.
‘Mm,’ Charly nodded, turning curiously to Aaron Grantley as he stood across the room still staring at her. ‘Darling, why don’t you sit down,’ her voice lowered throatily. ‘I’m sure Molly doesn’t have to rush off.’
‘I—I think I’ll have a drink first,’ he spoke decisively. ‘Ladies?’ he added abruptly, as if he had just remembered his manners.
They both declined, and Charly turned to Molly as she guessed the other woman was still waiting for an answer to her question. ‘I detest smoking at the best of times,’ she confided, having to choke back a laugh as she saw the gold cigarette case Aaron Grantley had been reaching for drop back unopened into the breast-pocket of the pale green shirt. ‘But now I refuse to have it anywhere near me,’ she added firmly, all humour gone. ‘A guest at my apartment the other evening forgot about a cigarette she had been smoking and it fell beneath the coffee-table. It smouldered there until I’d gone to bed and then the carpet caught fire.’
‘Oh how awful,’ Molly was genuinely disturbed. ‘Were you hurt?’
‘I inhaled a lot of smoke before a neighbour broke down the door,’ she revealed abruptly, very aware of how intently Aaron Grantley was listening now. ‘They kept me in hospital for observation but I was fine.’
Molly looked accusingly at Aaron Grantley. ‘You didn’t tell me any of this.’
‘Actually, I didn’t tell him,’ Charly explained truthfully. ‘I knew he wouldn’t have liked my having the dinner party while he wasn’t here; he can be so jealous,’ she confided indulgently, studiously avoiding his furious gaze.
‘Aaron can?’ Molly looked stunned.
‘Oh yes,’ Charly nodded. ‘Besides, there was nothing he could do in America.’
‘Then Matt should have told me about it,’ Molly muttered uncomfortably.
‘It only happened at the weekend,’ Charly excused. ‘And now that Aaron is here I can forget all about it,’ she added mockingly, looking up at him challengingly.
Molly shook her head. ‘The two of you seem so close, and yet Aaron hasn’t breathed a word about you to us.’
‘Aaron’s not used to our relationship himself yet,’ she confided. ‘I’m afraid he’s still a little wary of the speed with which we fell in love.’
Molly’s eyes widened at this information. ‘Are the two of you engaged?’ she gasped.
‘I—–’
‘Aaron is a little too old for an engagement,’ Charly dismissed lightly, meeting his furious gaze innocently. ‘So we’ve just decided to get married.’ She kept her face straight as Aaron almost choked on his whisky, his face going red with anger.
‘When?’ Molly squeaked.
‘Well we haven’t actually decided on a date yet, but—–’
‘But you can be sure you and Matt will be the first to know when we do decide on one,’ Aaron put in forcefully. ‘I thought that was going to remain our secret for a while?’ he added gratingly to Charly.
She raised innocent brows. ‘Surely not from such good friends as Molly and Matt?’
‘From anybody.’ He sounded as if he were spitting nails!
‘Well, you didn’t tell me that, darling,’ she drawled, relaxing back in her chair, her grey eyes meeting his calmly. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your surprise.’
He looked as if that ‘surprise’ might have pushed him to breaking point, although somehow he maintained his control. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he dismissed abruptly.
‘I’m so glad you told me.’ Molly smiled, all doubts obviously laid to rest with this announcement. ‘Matt is going to be pleased too.’ She turned to Charly. ‘I invited Aaron down to dinner tomorrow evening before I realised how seriously involved the two of you are; please come too, Charly.’
‘Fine,’ Aaron Grantley accepted abruptly. ‘We’ll look forward to it, won’t we, honey?’
He was getting his revenge now! ‘Yes,’ she agreed curtly. ‘We will.’
‘Good.’ Molly seemed relieved that the meeting had turned out so differently from what she had been expecting.
‘Would you like some coffee before you leave?’ Charly offered warmly, liking the other woman and her courage to want to fight for her husband if she had to.
‘That would be nice, thank you,’ Molly nodded acceptance.
‘I’ll help you, Charly,’ Aaron Grantley put in hardly, following her from the room, swinging her round to face him once they reached the privacy of the kitchen. ‘What game do you think you’re playing?’ he demanded furiously.
She glared up at him, shaking off his hand on her arm. ‘I’m not playing at all, Mr Grantley,’ she snapped. ‘Your manners since you arrived here this evening have been highly insulting, to say the least. You prejudged Matt and I—–’
‘Molly may have fallen for that fire and smoke inhalation story, Miss Allenby,’ he ground out, ‘but
