shrugging his hand away and continuing her swift exit.
‘Nonsense, you wouldn’t be intruding,’ said Zane firmly. ‘Serafine is a friend of mine; I’d like you to meet her.’
‘Why?’ she demanded. ‘You were clearly bored following me around—I did tell you that I’d prefer to do the job my myself—and she is a welcome diversion. I have no wish to come between you.’ She hated to acknowledge the fact, even to herself, that she felt deadly jealous of Zane’s beautiful friend and she most certainly wasn’t going to let Zane know. ‘I’ll make my own way back.’
‘Oh, no, you won’t,’ growled Zane. ‘You’ll join us for dinner.’ And he took her by the elbow and forcibly led her across the room.
Serafine smiled as they approached. ‘Lucinda, it’s good to meet you,’ she exclaimed. ‘Zane has told me how clever you are.’
Lucinda wanted to ignore Serafine’s outstretched hand, but one glance at Zane’s stern face and she decided against it. ‘It is good to meet a friend of Zane’s too,’ she said quietly, hoping she sounded more sincere than she felt.
‘I would not know where to start if I were transforming his house. It is all right when you are doing it for yourself, but for someone else—how do you do that? Unless you know that person intimately?’
Lucinda had no wish to discuss her job with this woman, with her huge expressive brown eyes and a wide smile which revealed beautifully even white teeth. She was stunning, and would have been even if she weren’t dressed in a haute couture suit and expensive jewellery.
Serafine fingered a diamond and emerald ring as she looked at Zane and Lucinda couldn’t help wondering whether he had bought it for her. The way Serafine kept touching it, and the way she looked at Zane as she did so, was highly suspicious. Maybe Serafine had been throwing out a big hint when she’d mentioned intimate relationships. Not that it worried her. Why should it? She already knew that Zane was into relationships. Nothing permanent, just fun while they lasted!
And she had very nearly become a statistic! Just as Serafine would be one! Did the girl know it? Was she as used as Zane to playing the field?
‘You do need to get to know your client,’ she answered. ‘Their preferences, their dislikes, et cetera. It would be pointless filling a place with furniture that they absolutely hated.’
‘Hence you and Zane staying in the house together?’ suggested Serafine, her brown eyes steady on Lucinda’s. ‘Zane is a man of mystery as far as I am concerned. He never tells me much about himself. Maybe now that he has bought a house here it will change? Perhaps I will see more of him.’ Her eyes switched to Zane, brilliant and flirtatious, suggesting that she would like something far more permanent from their relationship.
Zane’s smile was enigmatic; Lucinda was not sure what to read into it. Serafine, on the other hand, touched her hand to his and he took it, his smile changing, becoming gradually more intimate. ‘Maybe,’ he agreed, his voice a low seductive growl.
Lucinda wanted to get up and walk out; she felt sickened by this open display of—of what? Not simple affection, that was for sure. Lust, perhaps. Physical need. As she had once experienced with Zane!
It had been powerful and she regretted it now. And, looking at Serafine, she knew that this woman had also experienced the magic of Zane’s kisses. They’d probably even made love! Lucinda’s throat closed painfully and she wanted to get up and walk away, but of course that was impossible. She had no intention of letting Zane know how much his attitude towards Serafine affected her.
She was annoyed with herself actually for feeling this way—especially so soon after the Simon affair.
‘What would you like to drink, Lucinda?’ Zane’s attention was once again on her.
‘Whatever you’re having,’ she answered with a shrug. She didn’t care. What she really wanted was to go home. Home? It was odd to be calling Zane’s house home, but she supposed that that was what it was for the time being, and she ought to be there working, not sitting around with Zane and one of his female friends.
With her drink placed in front of her Lucinda continued to seethe over the situation into which she had been forced, and when the three of them went through to the restaurant she felt like screaming. Nevertheless she did her best to be pleasant and talkative and when the time came for them to leave she smiled warmly at Serafine. ‘It’s been nice meeting you.’
‘You too,’ agreed the other woman. ‘You must ask Zane to bring you to my restaurant again.’
‘That was Serafine’s restaurant?’ asked Lucinda with a frown once she had collected her parcels and they were outside. ‘She owns it?’
Zane smiled and nodded, taking the packets off Lucinda and tucking them beneath his arm. ‘She’s some girl. It’s not the only place she owns.’
‘But she never said.’ Lucinda felt that she had been left in ignorance deliberately.
‘That’s because she’s extremely modest,’ said Zane, more than a hint of admiration in his voice.
‘Have you known her long?’
‘We met at a conference in England a few years ago,’ he answered and Lucinda thought she saw a faraway look in his eyes. ‘And I’ve seen her on and off ever since. I’m very fond of her.’
And Serafine was more than fond of Zane!
‘Why all the questions?’ His blue eyes levelled on hers curiously. ‘Forgive me for saying it, but you sound jealous.’
‘Me? Jealous?’ Lucinda was alarmed to hear a faint squeak in her voice. ‘Why would I be jealous of a friend of someone I’m simply doing a job for?’
‘You did kiss me.’
He looked highly indignant and Lucinda was about to make some scathing remark when she realised that he was teasing her and she smiled faintly. ‘Nevertheless,’ she said firmly, ‘I have no intention of being one of your numerous conquests.’
‘Numerous?’ he repeated, his eyes narrowing.
‘I bet there’s a girl in every corner of the world willing to go to bed with you.’
‘You think Serafine and I are lovers?’
‘Well, aren’t you?’
Zane gave a mysterious smile. ‘My private life is just that, Lucinda. Private.’
They reached the car, where the driver sat patiently waiting, and as she climbed into it Lucinda was left thinking the worst. It shouldn’t have worried her; Zane was employing her to do a job for him—nothing more, nothing less. The fact that he had kissed her was of no consequence. It meant nothing to him; it should have meant nothing to her. The trouble was she couldn’t forget the kiss. It played over and over in her mind and she hated to admit it but she wanted more.
The next day Lucinda kept well out of Zane’s way, studying the rooms, consulting her samples, doing the work she was being paid to do. She had brought her laptop with her and spent time building up composites of each of the rooms in turn. In fact she kept herself so busy that until she stopped work she wasn’t aware that Zane had left the
