I knew nothing about you? Matt had mentioned to me that this apartment wouldn’t be available for my stay because he was letting Charly stay here for a while; I assumed it was one of his colleagues from the hospital that he lets use it when it isn’t convenient for them to travel out of town to their homes. He also told Molly that someone was using the apartment before he left yesterday but he didn’t say who, and like me she assumed it was one of his colleagues from the hospital. Then she realised Matt had left an address book here that she needed, and telephoned to see if this colleague could send it on to her. You answered the telephone,’ he accused.
Charly vaguely remembered the hastily ended conversation with a woman caller earlier, the other woman ringing off once she was told Charly wasn’t the doctor on duty at the hospital that evening. Charly hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, now she realised that must have been Molly.
‘The poor woman is worried out of her mind,’ Aaron Grantley told her harshly. ‘She’s left the kids with her mother and is driving up here immediately.’
Charly frowned. ‘And where do you come in to it, besides being Matt’s friend?’
‘Molly telephoned me after talking to you, to invite me down to dinner tomorrow, and also to ask me if I knew anything about you—casually. Too casually,’ he added pointedly.
‘You’re having dinner with Matt’s wife while he’s away?’ she taunted.
His mouth tightened formidably. ‘He’ll be back tomorrow afternoon; don’t credit everyone else with your alley-cat morals!’
She drew in an angry breath. ‘If you’re so damned pure why does Molly believe you’re capable of keeping a woman at your best friend’s apartment?’ she accused coldly.
‘Doesn’t the fact that she’s driving up here anyway tell you that she doesn’t believe it?’ His eyes glittered. ‘She knows damn well I would do anything to protect Matt, and that includes lying for him. So you had better give the performance of your life, lady!’
‘How do you know I don’t work at the hospital?’ she frowned. ‘They have allowed women to enter professions for some years now, you know,’ she added scornfully.
‘Molly knows the names of the people Matt lets stay here, and none of them are called Charly! Besides,’ he looked at her derisively, ‘you don’t look as if you have the brains to do more than entertain a man!’
A chauvinist as well as everything else! ‘I’m not surprised you don’t have a woman in your life at the moment, Mr Grantley,’ she bit out coldly. ‘In fact, I’m surprised you’ve ever had one with your opinion of us!’
‘How do you think I came by this opinion?’ he scorned.
She looked him over coolly. ‘By choosing the wrong sort of woman, obviously. But they were probably the only sort you could get! Certainly no intelligent woman would want to be involved with such a male chauvinist.’
‘Pig,’ he finished derisively. ‘That is the colloquialism of today, isn’t it?’ he drawled at her questioning look.
‘Male chauvinistic pig,’ she tested the statement for sound. ‘Yes, I believe that applies to you quite nicely.’
‘And we both know my opinion of you,’ he rasped. ‘So my acting had better be good too!’
‘Just when are you expecting Molly to arrive?’
‘It takes just over an hour from the house, so any time now, I would think,’ he scowled. ‘So you had better get yourself dressed.’
‘Wouldn’t it look more convincing if I stayed as I am?’ she mocked.
Cold green eyes looked her over critically. ‘Get dressed,’ he instructed abruptly. ‘There’s no reason for us to look as if we’ve just been to bed together.’
‘Heaven forbid it should look as if you had actually made love to me!’ Her eyes flashed.
‘How old are you?’ he rasped.
‘Twenty-six,’ she was surprised into answering the question. ‘What does that have to do with anything?’
His mouth twisted. ‘I would have thought that by now you would have been used to the knocks.’
Her expression became unreadable. ‘I am,’ she answered abruptly. ‘I just don’t expect insults from a man I don’t even know—and who certainly doesn’t know me,’ she added hardly.
‘What I do know I don’t like,’ he bit out. ‘But you had better tell me a little about yourself so that this act at least stands a chance of succeeding.’
‘My name is Charly—Allenby, I’m unmarried, and as I’ve already told you, I’m twenty-six.’
Aaron Grantley frowned darkly. ‘That’s all?’
‘The prisoner is only required to give name, rank, and number,’ she drawled derisively.
‘Stop being so damned blasé,’ he rasped grimly. ‘I’m trying to save the marriage of my two dearest friends—and you’re being paid to help me!’
‘Maybe if you didn’t make assumptions—–’
‘The next thing I know you’ll be claiming that your being here is perfectly innocent,’ he scorned.
‘It is. Look, why would Matt tell you or his wife I were here if I were his mistress?’
‘He told Molly because he didn’t want her to come here and find you in residence, and he told me for the same reason. Charly, go and get some clothes on,’ he said wearily. ‘You’re just wasting time.’
She had never met anyone like him, even James hadn’t been this arrogant! ‘If you’ll just let me explain—–’
‘I don’t want to hear all the details,’ he snapped, settling himself down in an armchair. ‘After tonight I don’t even want to see you again.’
She sighed. ‘I don’t suppose it’s of any interest to you that I was going out this evening?’
‘None at all,’ he confirmed flatly. ‘And remember, as far as you’re concerned Molly is merely coming here to collect an address book; don’t embarrass her by letting her know you’re aware of the real reason.’
She left the room after giving him an indignant glare. Living with James’ arrogance had been frustrating enough, accepting a far deeper arrogance from a complete stranger was unacceptable to her.
But he wasn’t a complete stranger. She had heard all too much of Aaron Grantley in the business world during recent weeks, his latest business venture even intruding into her life. And now the man himself had come bursting into her life with the same intrusive determination to get what he wanted. Well he was going to get far more than he had bargained for from her tonight!
She was putting the finishing touches to her hair when she heard the doorbell ring, turning off the dryer to hear the murmur of voices in the lounge, a breathless female one, and Aaron Grantley’s softer soothing one. She hoped his acting ability was as good as
