the city’s most feared negotiators.
His silence sent an icy chill feathering the length of her spine, and she cursed him afresh.
They reached the florist shop, and she turned towards him, her eyes gleaming with hidden anger as she met and held his dark gaze.
‘There are a few conditions.’
His gaze hardened, and he resisted the urge to shake her within an inch of her life. ‘You’re hardly in a position to stipulate conditions.’
Did he know how much she hurt? Just looking at him caused her physical pain, remembering the hopes and dreams she’d held, only to have them shatter one by one.
She began counting off the fingers of one hand. ‘I want your word you won’t attempt to deny me my child once it’s born.’
Something moved in his eyes, an emotion she didn’t care to define. ‘Granted.’
‘Your fidelity.’
‘You’ve had that since day one.’
She looked at him long and hard, then lifted an eyebrow in silent query. ‘Not according to Celine.’
‘Naturally, you choose to believe her over me.’ His dry tones held a damning cynicism she chose to ignore.
‘There’s just one more thing,’ she pursued.
It was impossible to tell much from his expression, and she didn’t even try.
‘And that is?’
‘I want it all in writing and legally notarised before I give you my answer.’
As an exit line it took some beating, and she didn’t look back as she stepped into the florist shop.
‘I wasn’t expecting you.’
Stiff formality replaced a former easy friendliness, and Ana silently cursed Luc afresh.
‘I’m responsible for my own decisions,’ she assured evenly. Her gaze was steady as the silence stretched into seemingly long seconds before the shop’s owner offered,
‘He doesn’t look the type of man who’d take no for an answer.’
Wasn’t that the truth! ‘I can give you this afternoon, if that’s OK?’
‘I’ve already put in a call to the employment agency.’
What else did she expect?
‘Are you going to return to Sydney with him?’
‘Possibly.’ Ana deposited her bag out back, and checked the order book, then she set to work.
Concentration was the key, but all too frequently it wavered as she examined one scheme after another, only to discard each of them. Where could she go that Luc wouldn’t find her?
A faint shiver raised the fine hairs on the back of her neck. If he’d had a private investigator following her every move, it was feasible the man was still on duty. It gave her a creepy feeling, and made her incredibly angry.
Luc had played the game with consummate skill in presenting her with a coup de grâce.
But the game had only just begun, and she intended to play by the rules…her own.
CHAPTER TWO
HOW long would it take Luc to consult a lawyer and have the requested paperwork completed? With his influence and connections, she doubted he’d have a problem.
The shop was busy, there were several phone orders, and people walked in off the street to select purchases. Single roses, bouquets, cut flowers for a special hospital visit…the requests were numerous and varied.
She was in the middle of assembling decorative Cellophane and gathering baby’s breath when the door buzzer sounded for the umpteenth time. She automatically glanced up from her task to greet the new customer, and saw Luc observing her actions.
There was an element of formidability existent, a sense of purpose that was daunting, and Ana was conscious of an elevated sense of nervous tension.
Her hands paused as her gaze locked with his, then she bent her head and focused on fashioning pink and white carnations into an elaborate spray.
Ribbon completed the bouquet, and she attached the completed card, the instruction slip, then transferred it to the delivery table.
‘Are you done?’ Luc queried silkily, his gaze caught by a tendril of hair that had worked its way loose from her pony-tail, and he restrained the urge to sweep it back behind her ear.
She shot him a cool glance. ‘I finish at six.’
The atmosphere in the room seemed suddenly charged, and she could almost feel the latent electricity apparent.
His eyes narrowed with a chilling bleakness. ‘You can do better than that.’
‘We’re busy.’ Hot damn, she was so polite it was almost comical. She made a thing of checking the time. ‘I’m sure you can manage to fill in a few hours.’
He could, easily. However, he didn’t feel inclined to pander to her deliberate manipulation. ‘One hour, Ana,’ he warned in a voice that was deadly soft.
‘Are you mad?’ the older woman queried the instant Luc left the shop.
‘Certifiably,’ Ana agreed imperturbably.
‘Gutsy, too. I admire that in a woman.’
She was a fool to think she could best him. Except she was damned if she’d allow him to set down terms and expect her to abide by every one of them without a fight.
‘I’m going to be sorry to lose you, honey. We were just beginning to get along.’
‘I could be back,’ Ana said with humour, and heard the other woman’s laughter.
‘I doubt he’ll let you get away again. Now, why don’t you go finish up? I can manage the rest.’ Her eyes twinkled with mischief. ‘Besides, I’m not averse to a woman stirring a man up a bit.’
Leave, and not be here when Luc returned? ‘You’re wicked.’
‘Good luck, honey. If you’re ever back up this way again, call in and say hello.’ She withdrew an envelope from her pocket. ‘Your pay.’
‘Keep it in lieu of notice.’
‘Some would. I won’t. Now go.’
It took five minutes to walk to her apartment, and once inside she headed straight for the kitchen, extracted bottled water from the refrigerator, uncapped the lid and drank until her thirst was quenched, then she made for the bedroom, stripped off her clothes and hit the shower.
She washed her hair, then dressed in jeans and a singlet top,
