Kate frowned. ‘I don’t know what you mean …’
Jared gave a deep shrug. ‘When we met you had an indentation on that finger, as if from wearing a ring. Did you and James fall out, is that the reason you buried yourself in that hotel?’
She turned away. Jared was much more observant than she had given him credit for; she hadn’t realised he had noticed that patch of slightly paler skin on her wedding finger. But that hadn’t been from wearing Richard’s ring, she had accepted that for the first time tonight.
‘Well, is he?’
She spun round quickly as she realised how close Jared was standing, and stepped back with a frown. ‘No, he isn’t, and no, we didn’t! My reasons for being at the hotel are none of your business—–’
‘Then why did you remove his ring?’ Jared pursued relentlessly. ‘Taking the week off, were you? Having a little affair on the side?’
‘No, I wasn’t!’ Her eyes flashed her indignation. ‘Richard and I weren’t engaged then.’
Jared clasped her hand, turning it over to look at the thick platinum band. ‘No,’ he acknowledged softly. ‘The mark on your finger was thinner than this ring could have made.’ He looked up at her with a frown. ‘You wore another man’s ring here?’
She snatched her hand away, glaring at him. ‘I don’t have to tell you anything!’
He whistled softly through his even white teeth. ‘It was another man. Katharine Mary, you surprise me.’
‘Why?’ Her tone was bitter at the gentle mockery in the deliberately Irish lilt to his voice as he said her name.
‘You don’t appear to be an indecisive woman, in fact the opposite, and here you are changing fiancés like you would a blouse!’
Kate eyed him with suspicion, but his expression remained deliberately bland. ‘Are you laughing at me?’ she asked slowly.
He grinned suddenly, one of those wide boyish grins that gave him such a rakish air. ‘Whatever gave you that idea?’
Her anger boiled up to gigantic proportions. ‘What’s so funny about my previous fiancé turning out to be a louse, and the fact that Richard is one of the most powerful and richest men in London?’
‘It’s an inside joke,’ Jared taunted lightly. ‘You wouldn’t get it at all.’
‘I don’t!’ she snapped.
He shrugged. ‘I told you you wouldn’t.’
Kate gave an impatient sigh. ‘Will you just get out of here,’ she said wearily, ‘and take your Irish wit with you.’
‘Oh, I’m not Irish,’ he ignored her first request. ‘My father was, but I’m strictly English.’
‘In that case you spend little enough time here!’ she derided his need to travel.
He nodded. ‘I intend changing all that. In fact, I could just decide to settle in one place.’
‘I’m sure the social services will be relieved!’
‘Hm?’ Jared looked puzzled.
‘They’ll have a permanent address to send your dole money to!’
A smile quirked the firmness of his lips. ‘Again you surprise me, Katharine Mary. You were a little abrupt when we first met, but I don’t remember you being downright nasty.’
She met his gaze in challenge. ‘Well, now you know. And stop calling me Katharine Mary; my name is Kate.’
‘To your friends,’ he acknowledged. ‘I wasn’t sure I still came in that category.’
‘You don’t,’ she told him crossly. ‘But I haven’t been called Katharine since I was at school.’
‘I think I prefer it,’ he said thoughtfully.
She gave him a saccharine-sweet smile. ‘Isn’t it a pity your preferences don’t interest me!’
He gave a wry laugh. ‘I once told you I like your quick mind,’ he grimaced. ‘But I can tell you now that it’s starting to wear a bit thin, with those snide remarks of yours. Perhaps I prefer women without intelligence after all.’
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ she scorned. ‘I’m sure you’ve had a lot of experience with them. Now if you wouldn’t mind, we’ve been talking for over an hour; I’d like to get to bed.’
‘Good idea,’ he nodded cheerfully.
‘Well?’ she prompted as he made no effort to go.
Jared looked puzzled. ‘Well what?’
‘Shouldn’t you be going somewhere too?’ she said exasperatedly.
‘Oh, don’t mind me,’ he grinned blandly. ‘I’m not sleepy yet. I had a nap on the sofa while you were out—my body clock is still out, you see.’
She didn’t give a damn if he hadn’t slept for days, she just wanted to get some sleep herself! ‘I don’t think I’m getting through to you, Jared,’ she sighed tautly. ‘I want you to leave now—go,’ she spoke slowly, clearly, so that there should be no more misunderstandings. ‘I want to go to bed.’
‘Go?’ he repeated in a puzzled voice. ‘But where would I go at three o’clock in the morning?’
‘I really don’t give a damn where you go, I just want you to leave!’
He shook his head. ‘I can’t.’
‘Can’t?’
‘Nope,’ he confirmed lightly. ‘I don’t have any money, you see. The job in Canada didn’t turn out to be the success I thought it would be, I only just had enough money to get myself back to dear old England.’
‘I’ll lend you some money to—–’ He was shaking his head before Kate had even completed her suggestion! ‘No?’ she rasped tightly.
He continued to shake his head. ‘I never take money from a woman.’
‘But if I insist …’
‘I still couldn’t do it.’ He pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘Besides, what respectable hotel would appreciate my turning up for a room this time of the morning?’
‘London doesn’t stand on ceremony, you know that. It’s a city of transients.’
‘Maybe,’ he conceded. ‘But I’m really quite comfortable where I am.’
And she was far from being comfortable! Jared couldn’t possibly stay in her flat overnight. What if Richard should find out?
‘I’ll leave first thing in the morning, I promise,’ Jared seemed
