he said disgustedly. ‘Except that you didn’t quite add me to the list. And I have no intention of allowing you to do so in the future, either,’ he continued harshly. ‘You just failed the test, Juliet,’ he added scornfully.
She was still reeling from the insults he had just thrown at her. He couldn’t really think…? But she knew by the hard derision in his face that he did! ‘What test?’ she asked weakly.
Liam gave a dismissive shrug. ‘Whatever plans you have to draw me into this web you seem to have woven around the other Carlyle men, I advise you to forget them; this is a business affair to me. And sleeping with men may be the way you have got as far as you have, but as far as I’m concerned—’
Juliet didn’t give herself time to think, didn’t need time to think, her arm arching up and her hand making sharp contact with Liam’s left cheek. ‘Get out,’ she told him forcefully. ‘Just get out of my room!’ Her eyes sparkled, deeply grey.
He shrugged unconcernedly. ‘I wouldn’t advise you to do that again either, Juliet.’ The fingers of his left hand trailed pointedly down the cheek she had just slapped. ‘The next time I might retaliate in kind,’ he added grimly.
She stared at him, her eyes wide, feeling herself begin to sway even as the darkness threatened to engulf her.
‘Oh, no, you don’t,’ Liam said grimly as he gripped her beneath her arms and sat her down on the bed. ‘Not again,’ he added harshly, looking down at her.
Juliet was recovering as quickly as the blackness had seemed to envelop her, returning Liam’s gaze a little dazedly—at least she hadn’t passed out again.
His mouth twisted derisively. ‘Can you do that to order too, or is it just something you’re developing?’ he mocked harshly.
She shook her head slightly so that she could try to think clearly. ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she finally said weakly.
‘Don’t you?’ he scoffed, his eyes glacial. ‘Perhaps you shouldn’t join me for dinner after all, Juliet. I have a feeling that if you did I might be tempted to strangle you before the end of the meal!’ he added, with self-disgust. ‘You certainly evoke those sorts of emotions in me.’ He shook his head. ‘I would advise you to get some sleep.’
He walked over to the door. ‘We’re going into the office tomorrow,’ he paused to tell her grimly. ‘And God knows what I’m going to find out there!’ He slammed out of the room.
Juliet hadn’t moved—couldn’t move; she could only sit on the bed and stare across the room at the door which Liam had just slammed so forcefully behind him.
Just what did he think he was going to find out at Carlyle Properties…?
‘WHY so pensive, Juliet?’ Liam asked with some amusement as they approached the Carlyle offices.
They had driven into town in separate cars, Juliet having decided that she did not want to be dependent on Liam for her transportation home. But Liam had been waiting for her in the car park once she arrived, a much faster driver than she.
‘I’m not pensive.’ She met his gaze steadily, determined not to sound as if she was on the defensive.
The two of them had met for breakfast earlier— the first time they had seen each other since Liam’s cutting remarks the night before. It had been an extremely quiet meal, with the minimum of conversation, both of them leaving for the office at eight-thirty by tacit agreement.
And Juliet wasn’t pensive. She was stressed, however, and knew that a lot depended on what Liam decided today.
He raised blond brows at her as he held the door open for her to enter the building. ‘Sure?’ he mocked.
No, she wasn’t sure; she would have liked to smack that self-assured smile right off his face! And for a person who abhorred violence…!
‘Very. Thank you,’ she bit out tautly, nodding to the girl who sat on Reception, not in the least surprised when Linda looked at Liam with frank appreciation—he seemed to have that effect on most of the female population! Including her, she acknowledged with an inward groan. But after last night she was sure that that would never happen again!
Liam looked about him critically as they moved through the building, and Juliet tried to see it through his eyes. Carlyle Properties had the bottom floor of the office building, the ten staff comprising mainly the computer department and Accounts. The offices were plushly decorated and carpeted, but that was because William had believed that it gave a better impression to clients and prospective clients, rather than because of any excess of money in the company.
She smiled at John Morgan, her assistant since William died, as he hurried down the corridor towards her, and hoped that he was going to help her today to convince Liam that the company was still viable. ‘John—’
‘Thank God you’re here, Juliet,’ he cut in, a worried look on his youthful face; at twenty-five, he had been groomed by William to help Juliet when the older man had semi-retired. ‘I tried calling you at home, but Janet said you had already left, and—’
‘Calm down, John,’ she cut in soothingly, very conscious of Liam standing behind her, the last thing she wanted was to be met by a crisis as soon as they walked through the door!
‘But you don’t understand.’ John was still frowning deeply. ‘A Miss Gilbraith arrived about half an hour ago, and—’
‘Liam?’ Juliet had turned sharply towards him at the mention of his assistant’s name. What was Diana Gilbraith doing here already?
‘We’ll talk about this in your office, Juliet,’ he returned evenly, his gaze meeting hers challengingly.
For long, almost timeless moments she met that gaze, trying to read his expression. But she was wasting her time; Liam was one of the most enigmatic men she had ever met in her life!
‘It’s all right, John,’ she turned back to assure the younger man, forcing a strained smile. ‘I know who Miss Gilbraith is.’ But not what she was doing here! The last she had heard of the other woman, she was having a holiday with her family…!
‘You do?’ John looked relieved by the information. ‘Well, I wasn’t sure what to do with her, so I put her in your office…’ He gave a selfconscious grimace. He was tall and dark-haired, his attractive face youthfully earnest.
‘Thank you, John.’ Juliet gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘I’ll talk to you later.’
‘That was extremely rude of you,’ Liam remarked softly once they were alone again in the corridor.
Rude of her? This man’s assistant was already in the building, in her office, and he had the nerve to accuse her of being rude? He—
‘You should have introduced—John?—and me,’ he continued arrogantly.
She drew in an angry breath. ‘I believe you should have told me Diana Gilbraith was already here!’ she returned.
He shrugged unconcernedly. ‘Of course
