couldn’t bring herself to look at him when he joined her in the lobby a few minutes later, and she was silent as she followed him down the front steps. The rain stung her face, but she carefully placed Max on the narrow back seat of the sports car before climbing in next to Nik, wondering how he managed to fit his long legs behind the wheel.
In the confines of the small car he was too close. She caught the subtle tang of his aftershave, and suddenly the heater seemed to be working too well. She was burning up, but balked at the thought of fighting her way through her coat and instead stared stiffly out of the window as he turned out of the drive.
‘There was really no need for you to leave Miss Harvey,’ she muttered. ‘I feel awful for putting you to so much trouble.’
‘It’s not a problem,’ Nik assured her. He sounded disinterested. He was probably counting the minutes until he could join his mistress in bed, she thought bleakly, and fell silent for the rest of the journey.
Driving along the pitch-black country lanes required all Nik’s attention, but as they reached the outskirts of the busy market town where she lived he glanced briefly at Kezia. ‘Do you live alone?’
The query surprised them both. He’d never shown the slightest interest in her private life before. He had picked her up from home a couple of times, usually when they’d had an early flight, but she had always been waiting for him in the car park and had never invited him in. Did she have a boyfriend? he wondered. Was her lover waiting impatiently for her to return? He was irritated to realise how much he disliked the idea.
‘No, I share with a flatmate.’
Her ambiguous answer told him nothing, and pride prevented him from pushing the point. His secretary’s love-life was none of his business, he reminded himself impatiently. ‘I’ll pick you up in the morning,’ he informed her coolly.
‘There’s no need.’ Kezia’s head jerked round, her consternation evident in her wide eyes. ‘I don’t want you to have to get up early. What would Miss Harvey say?’ she muttered, blushing again as she pictured Nik struggling out of bed after a night of passion with his mistress, in order to collect her.
He turned into the small courtyard in front of her flat and cut the engine before turning to face her. ‘Why don’t you let me worry about the finer details of my private life?’ he drawled, in a tone that warned her to mind her own business. ‘I’ll be here at eight-thirty.’
Kezia opened her mouth to argue, caught the glint in his eyes and thought better of it. ‘Fine. Have it your own way. You usually do,’ she added under her breath as she climbed out of the car. She had only been trying to help, damn it. She certainly didn’t want to pry into his sex life. She lifted Max out of the car and smiled politely. ‘Thanks for bringing me home,’ she said stiffly, assuming that he would drive straight off, but as she ran up the steps to the communal front door he was right beside her, and she had to crane her neck to look up at him.
‘I’ll see you up,’ he said easily, and her temper, born from a mixture of embarrassment and misery, ignited.
‘For heaven’s sake, I’m perfectly all right. Miss Harvey will be wondering where you are,’ she couldn’t resist adding, and was mortified when he glanced down at her, his eyes gleaming with undisguised amusement.
‘I’ve already told you. I’ll take care of Tania.’
‘I’m sure you will.’ She opened the door to her flat and closed her mind to images of just how he would take care of his mistress. ‘Goodnight, Nik.’
‘Aren’t you going to offer me coffee before I drive back?’ He lolled in the doorway, one arm resting on the frame, so that she was aware of the inherent strength of his muscular chest. He exuded a powerful sensuality so intensely male that she rebelled at the thought of him invading her private bolthole. But a voice from behind her took the matter out of her hands.
‘Are you coming in or are you going to stand there all night? Oh—hello!’ The voice tailed to a breathless whisper, and Kezia sighed as she turned to find that her flatmate Anna was staring at Nik with wide, appreciative eyes. ‘You must be Mr Niarchou. Kezia has told me so much about you.’
‘Nik, please,’ Nik replied in a voice as thick as syrup. He held out his hand and Kezia’s impatience intensified. She had witnessed Anna working her magic countless times before, and doubted there was a man on the planet who would prove immune to her beauty. Slender and willowy, her delicate colouring and ash-blonde hair bore testament to her Scandinavian ancestry, while huge blue eyes and a surprisingly impish smile made her simply stunning. They had been best friends since their first day at boarding school, as close as sisters—although right now she could cheerfully strangle her flatmate, Kezia thought grumpily as she watched Nik fall under her spell.
‘Are you stopping, Nik?’ the pretty blonde murmured. It was an innocent enough query, but Kezia ground her teeth together as Nik gave one of his sexy smiles that made her toes curl.
‘I’m not sure. Kezia’s still debating whether or not to invite me in for coffee.’ His eyes gleamed wickedly as he took in her furious glare, and Anna chuckled.
‘Well, I’ll make the decision for her,’ she said cheerfully, ushering him into the flat. ‘I’m Anneliese Christiansen—Kezia’s flatmate,’ she explained, her blue eyes sparkling, and with a muttered oath Kezia marched down the hallway.
Let Anna entertain him, she thought darkly. She’d had enough of Nik Niarchou for one day. In the kitchen she filled the kettle while Max sniffed around, looking for somewhere to settle. She dug out an old picnic blanket from the utility cupboard and spread it on the floor. If he was going to be here for any length of time she would have to buy him a basket and a lead, she thought happily. He seemed lively enough, but maybe she would take him to a vet, just to make sure he hadn’t suffered any injuries when he had run out into the road.
‘What on earth is that?’ Anna queried as she preceded Nik into the kitchen.
‘A dog, of course. What does it look like?’
‘A ball of fur on legs,’ Anna replied truthfully. ‘I suppose it’s another stray you’ve rescued? You know our tenancy agreement prohibits keeping pets in the flat.’
‘It’ll only be for a couple of days, while I try to trace his owners,’ Kezia muttered. ‘I could hardly leave him out in the cold. See how thin he is.’
‘Kezia’s always been the same,’ Anna explained to Nik. ‘At school she kept a collection of rescued wildlife in the caretaker’s shed. Do you remember the time you cared for that injured fox, Kez?’
‘Kezia obviously has hidden depths,’ Nik murmured, with a curious expression in his eyes that made her blush self-consciously—although she couldn’t imagine what he thought those hidden depths were.
‘I’m sure you’re not interested in reminiscences about our schooldays,’ she said stiffly.
He seemed to dominate the small kitchen, and she wished she didn’t find him so unsettling. She couldn’t relax, and she envied the way Anna was able to chat so unselfconsciously with him. With a sigh, she left her flatmate to make the coffee and headed for the sanctuary of her bedroom. It was a relief to change out of the borrowed skirt and shoes. Her feet would never be the same again, she thought wryly as she wriggled her toes. Her scalp felt tight with tension, and she freed her hair from its tight knot so that it rippled down her back, all the while trying to ignore the sounds of laughter
