a complete innocent, but in the true meaning of the word she was, never having met a man she wanted to be that close to. And Jake Matthews wasn’t that man either!
Melanie was waiting outside for her as she left the bathroom, and dragged her into the adjoining bedroom. ‘Well?’ her blue eyes glowed mischievously. ‘What do you think of Jake?’
She wasn’t even sure of that herself! ‘I hardly know the man,’ she evaded.
‘He likes you, I can tell.’
‘Don’t be silly, Melanie.’ Juliet vigorously brushed her auburn hair into gleaming waves and re-applied her lip-gloss, satisfied with her coolly composed reflection. ‘We’ve just been talking, that’s all.’ She turned from the mirror, shutting her small evening bag with a snap.
‘What about?’ her friend asked expectantly.
‘Oh, this and that,’ she evaded.
Melanie raised one blonde eyebrow; she was the complete opposite of Juliet, being small, bubbly and blonde. ‘That?’ she queried suggestively.
‘Not that,’ Juliet sighed. ‘Really, Melanie, I’ve only just met the man! Even you wouldn’t discuss sex with a complete stranger.’
‘I might, if he looked like Jake.’
‘You wouldn’t,’ she smiled. ‘But I really am very angry with you for putting the two of us together,’ she sobered. ‘You know what I think of him and his sarcasm.’
‘Did you tell him?’
‘I certainly did.’
‘And?’
‘And he didn’t seem to mind,’ she admitted reluctantly.
‘Maybe he can take criticism,’ Melanie teased.
‘I should think he would have to,’ Juliet said bitchily. ‘He’s so often wrong.’
Her friend laughed happily. ‘I must go and talk to Michael, he’s dying to know how you got on with Jake.’
‘Don’t bother,’ Juliet mouth twisted, ‘I’ll tell him myself.’
‘But what about Jake?’ Melanie gasped.
Juliet smiled at the other girl. ‘You go and entertain him,’ she opened the bedroom door. ‘Afer all, he’s your guest.’
‘But—–’
‘I’m just going to have a word, in fact a few words,’ she amended pointedly, ‘with your husband, and then I’m leaving.’ She quickly left the room, before Melanie had time to protest any further.
Jake Matthews was talking to one of the other guests, the cricket player he had derided being here, as Juliet made her way over to Michael’s side. But Jake seemed to know of her presence in the room, his narrowed gaze following her progress across the room, watching as she talked to Michael. And that blue-eyed gaze could be very unnerving.
‘You louse!’ she instantly accused Michael.
‘Me?’ he feigned innocence. At twenty-five he had inherited his father’s publishing company, and now, five years later, entirely due to his judgment, Dickson Publishing was one of the few publishers not to be suffering difficulty in this time of high prices and high interest rates. ‘What did I do?’ he grinned goodnaturedly.
‘Not just you,’ she scowled. ‘Melanie helped. I suppose you both thought it was very amusing. And don’t pretend not to know what I’m talking about,’ she carried on as he went to speak, ‘because I know you both too well for that. The two of you make a good comedy act!’
‘Now just calm down, Juliet,’ he patted her arm soothingly. ‘I’d forgotten you were going to be here tonight. Honestly,’ he insisted at her look of outrage.
‘You wouldn’t know honesty if it sat up and bit you!’ she dismissed scathingly.
‘Now, Juliet, that’s hardly fair—–’
‘Fair!’ she cut in crossly. ‘That isn’t in your vocabulary either. Really, Michael, you’re just asking for trouble having us in the same room together, let alone actually sitting us next to each other.’
He shrugged. ‘I didn’t notice any fights that end of the table, not physical ones anyway.’
‘That’s because Juliet is too much of a lady to hit a man in public,’ drawled the now familiar voice of Jake Matthews. He looked down at her as he came to stand at her side. ‘Melanie tells me that you’re leaving, and that you usually get a taxi.’ He took a firm hold of her arm. ‘I’ll take you home, then you can—hit me in private,’ he winked at the other man.
Juliet glared up at him resentfully, although some of her anger was directed at Melanie. She usually left her car at home when she came to one of these dinner parties, conscious of the alcohol level, but Melanie didn’t have to go and tell Jake Matthews that.
‘Let go of my arm,’ she ordered. ‘Will you let go!’ she repeated as he made no effort to do so. ‘If you don’t let me go,’ she warned softly, ‘I’m likely to hit you now, public or no public.’
He studied her mutinous face in silence for several long minutes. ‘I believe you would too,’ he said slowly.
‘She would,’ Michael told him dryly. ‘Take my advice, Jake, and let her go.’
He made no effort to do so, but looked calmly at Michael. ‘If she hits me I’m going to kiss her,’ he revealed softly.
‘You wouldn’t!’ Juliet gasped.
Those deep blue eyes were now turned on her. ‘Try me,’ he challenged softly.
He would do it, she could see that in the steadiness of his gaze, the determination of his jutting jaw. ‘Would you please release my arm, Mr Matthews?’ she requested tightly, hating the use of his superior strength. Unlike a lot of women nowadays she was quite prepared to admit that in physical strength most men were superior to women, although she didn’t believe they were superior in any other way!
‘Jake,’ he corrected huskily.
‘Jake,’ she said through gritted teeth, sure that he was bruising her arm.
‘Certainly I’ll let you go, Juliet.’ She was instantly set free. ‘Now, are you ready to leave?’
‘I’m not going anywhere with you, you—–’
‘I could still kiss you,’ he affably interrupted her angry tirade.
She looked over at the grinning Michael. ‘Well, don’t just stand there,’ she snapped. ‘Help me!’
He was looking at the other man with open admiration. ‘I’ve always wanted to do something like that,’ he spoke almost in awe. ‘But I don’t think Melanie would stand for it,’ he added ruefully.
‘Neither will I!’ Juliet exploded. ‘Mr
