Torn By Desire. Natalie Fox
course, you know what that means, don’t you?’ Ed went on, a teasing edge to his tone.
Kate tilted her chin to look at him directly, her dark eyes sparkling, trying to inject genuine interest into them for Ed’s sake. He loved a good gossip and that was obviously where all this was leading. ‘No, I don’t, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me,’ she trilled.
Oh, how Kate had despised this in-house chitchat when she had first joined the company, but it seemed to be a way of life to them all. She was used to it now but never partook in it herself, always holding back because she had nothing to offer. She wasn’t in the least bit romantically interested in Guy Latham, who to Kate epitomised most men’s chauvinistic attitude to women, Conrad an exception, of course.
Ed grinned widely and leaned towards her. ‘It means that you haven’t much chance with Guy Latham when Lorraine is around,’ he said teasingly.
Like I’m interested, Kate thought sarcastically. She gave Ed a disappointed grimace and a slight shrug of her narrow shoulders because that was what he expected. It had never occurred to him that she might be the only woman in the world immune to Guy’s dubious charms.
‘So they are an item at last, are they?’ Kate asked, though it really didn’t interest her one little bit.
‘Well, his attention to her lately sure looks that way and Lorraine is hardly Miss Innocent,’ Ed told her conspiratorially.
Sometimes the men were worse than the women, Ed being a case in point, Kate thought, trying to look interested, her brown eyes still wide with forced curiosity.
‘They have had their moments,’ Ed went on, ‘and it looks like they are in for a few more. Hot, balmy Mediterranean nights and all that. It wouldn’t surprise me if they really got it together down there.’ He grinned wickedly. ‘And you’ll be on hand to report back.’
‘I’ll be on hand to do a job of work, Ed Hughes,’ Kate retorted, not able to hide the disgust in her voice this time.
Ed laughed and shifted off her console to pat her head piously. ‘Now if that isn’t a dead give-away I don’t know what is.’
Kate suppressed a sigh of protest. Best not to say anything. No one could ever believe that there was a female in the company who hadn’t been bowled over by that dangerous but desirable Guy Latham. Thank God she had never admitted that she admired Conrad more; she’d never have lived it down. Not that Conrad was unattractive—he was betterlooking than his younger brother in Kate’s eyes. But he was deemed totally unavailable because of serious wealth and seniority and not being around very much, whereas Guy was in the office most days, overseeing the business with steely determination and fluttering female hearts. To Kate he was a bore and a boor.
‘So what are my instructions? I’ll be flying down tonight, you said…’
Kate only half listened to his instructions for her as she gazed past him. It was early August and rain was shushing against the office window. ‘Hot, balmy Mediterranean nights’ evoked thoughts of love and romance even in a heart as hardened as Kate’s.
Deep inside she longed for love but bitter experience had taught her it was but a dream. She’d lived that dream with Gustav for a short time then the nightmare had set in. One woman hadn’t been enough for him but he hadn’t had the courage to tell her to her face; it had been left to friends to enlighten her, all the more painful to bear because of bruised pride.
Her mother’s attitude hadn’t helped. She’d warned her against him and then hit her with ‘I told you so’ when it hadn’t worked out. All men were the same, according to her mother, who had been cheated on by Kate’s father right from the start of their turbulent marriage.
Kate reluctantly had to agree with her, Guy Latham being a prime example of everything Kate was wary of in a man. He was conceited and arrogant and had an ego as whopping as Canary Wharf, but Conrad was something else—a true gentleman, a much nicer, gentler man. A real man. Concentrate, Kate warned herself. This was work and not pleasure. She wanted promotion, didn’t she? It meant more to her than any man ever could but, on the other hand …if she ever fell, Conrad was certainly in line to be ‘fell upon’!
‘No, not there, Kate. Behind us. Guy and I have some things to go over,’ Lorraine Hunter coolly ordered.
Without a word of protest Kate moved to the row behind them in the business-class section of their flight. She was quite surprised that she hadn’t been relegated to the back of the aircraft with all the noisy tourists. It was obvious that Lorraine resented her being asked down to Marbella and it was obvious that Guy Latham wondered why she had been picked too.
He had hardly directed a handful of words her way. But that wasn’t unusual. Macho man he might be but he had never considered her in line for a conquest so never bothered with her. To him she was part of the office furnishings.
Watching the backs of their heads as the aircraft took off, Lorraine’s glossy red-gold, Lothario’s glossy blue-black, almost touching as they leaned together to go over some paperwork on their laps, Kate was able to reflect that at least those two were destined for a good time together—but would it last?
Kate supposed she was cynical about the whole concept of love and romance, being an only child from a broken marriage. Her father had eventually left her mother for another woman when Kate was small and she had cut her teeth on her mother’s bitterness. But at eighteen she had fallen hopelessly in love with Gustav, in Austria where they had been living at the time. Her mother’s predictions had come horribly true and, chastened by the whole painful business of love, she had concentrated on her studies rather than on men.
Conrad was different, though. On landing the job at Latham’s Kate had, for the first time in her life, met a man she couldn’t help admiring. Here was an older, mature man who could be trusted, the sort who once he fell in love would give his all. Kate closed her eyes and lost herself in a silly, dreamy fantasy to pass the time.
She felt something being eased onto her lap and blinked open her eyes. She glanced down to see the flight magazine and, lying across it, a single red carnation. Her eyes widened and she looked up to see Guy Latham towering over her, all macho arrogance in a lightweight pale grey suit with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows like some stylish movie star. He was smiling, not openly or even in a friendly way—just the small, arrogant smile he used when dealing with the opposite sex.
Kate’s stomach tightened and she glanced at Lorraine who was obviously sound asleep with her golden head lolling to one side.
Guy bent down, so close to her that she smelt his cologne. Quite seductively unobtrusive, she noted with surprise. Someone with taste must have bought it for him!
‘There’s an article in there that might interest you,’ he said softly in her ear.
Kate widened her eyes again in surprise. How could he possibly know what might interest her? He didn’t know her.
He said nothing more but turned away to speak to the stewardess who had been hovering hopefully and Kate hadn’t a chance to flick through the magazine as the seat-belt sign flashed on.
She was still clutching the single red carnation when they landed but quickly discarded it when she realised that it was the one off his meal tray.
The hot Mediterranean air hit them as soon as they disembarked and Kate felt a thrill of excitement. Though it was dark now it somehow added to the buzz of exhilaration inside her. She had travelled widely with her mother, who was a travel writer, and it always excited her.
A chauffeur-driven Mercedes awaited them outside Málaga airport and Lorraine made sure she was squarely seated between her and Guy, which greatly amused Kate. Lorraine just wasn’t taking any chances.
‘I adore Marbella,’ Lorraine enthused as they sped along the busy motorway, west out of Málaga. ‘The Spaniards sure know how to live, don’t they, Guy? Look at it. Midnight and they are just starting. I could settle here, you know. Sun and the marvellous nightlife…’
She