Cryssie was impressed. This must have cost a fortune. Then she shrugged inwardly. What did it matter? As long as he prospered, then at least for now her own chances were rosy! But she still couldn’t help feeling uneasy at her situation. What was she letting herself in for? she asked herself, over and over again. Because she knew she wouldn’t ever be able to trust the man. And—much, much worse—could she trust herself? She had to admit that sometimes her common sense threatened to be outweighed by her susceptibility to Jeremy Hunter, even though she was desperately trying to keep her distance.
He sat down and opened his laptop. ‘There are one or two things I need to check up on,’ he said, not looking at her. ‘You make yourself at home.’
Cryssie went into the bathroom, glancing at herself in the long mirror on the wall and smiling briefly at her own appearance. Her simple black suit, bought many years ago, had stood the test of time. It had a classic cut and teamed with her ivory shirt, created an unfussy, neat look which she felt was perfect for today.
Polly had insisted on lending Cryssie her special earrings—large, round, faceted studs, which caught the light as Cryssie moved. And they did seem to add something special to the overall effect, she had to admit.
On their journey Jed had explained that the client they were meeting owned property which the Hunters wanted to buy. But apparently bargaining would be tough.
‘What’s my part in this?’ Cryssie had wanted to know.
‘Just to listen and take accurate notes,’ Jed had replied. ‘It’s essential to have all the details on record. And I can’t remember every single thing that’s said.’
He looked up as she went back into the sitting room, his glance sweeping the length of her body. He liked her in that suit, he decided instinctively. It made her look discreetly attractive—and she had on some sort of funky jewellery which glamorised her dainty features. He’d love the chance to dress the woman, he thought, really spoil her. Then his face darkened. Those were dangerous lines to think along—he’d done that before, and look where it had got him.
Suddenly his mobile rang, and he turned away to answer it, his expression darkening as he listened. Watching him, Cryssie realised that she was beginning to read the man like a book. Something didn’t please him!
‘Okay—yes, I see…Well, thanks for letting me know.’ He snapped the phone shut and looked over at Cryssie. ‘That’s a damned nuisance,’ he said shortly. ‘The client has gone down with some mysterious bug or other…so that makes today a complete waste of time, I’m afraid.’
He pursed his lips, clearly irritated, and Cryssie said quickly, ‘Never mind—these things happen,’ thinking that, good, they could go straight back home!
His brow cleared then, and he appeared to relax. ‘We won’t let the day slip through our fingers,’ he said. ‘After lunch we’ll have a stroll along the river—perhaps go down to the Serpentine.’ He glanced out of the window. ‘The sun’s coming out, and it’s not too cold…we may as well enjoy ourselves and salvage something from an abortive assignment.’ He turned to look at her again, and paused. ‘Do you think we could be two human beings, rather than the employer from hell and his reluctant employee?’ he asked gravely, and Cryssie felt herself being helplessly swept along with his plans. ‘It’ll give us some time to get to know each other—to understand each other a bit more. If we’re going to be working closely together we need to get close…If you see what I mean.’
Cryssie swallowed. Of course what he was saying made sense, and she smiled up at him quickly. ‘I’ve only ever been to London once,’ she admitted, ‘and I’d love to walk along the Thames. You can point out everything to me as we go.’ She was suddenly enlivened by the idea of a historical tour, a day out, and he seemed pleased at her words.
‘Great,’ he said. ‘But a spot of lunch first, I think.’
Next door at Renaldo’s they went down a long flight of stairs to a table set in an alcove. The rather dimly lit surroundings added a sensuous feel to the occasion—even at this hour of the day. Cryssie leaned forward, her elbows on the table, and cupped her chin in her hands.
‘I can’t really believe I’m here, doing this,’ she said slowly.
Jed’s dark eyes glinted in the half-light. ‘Why—what’s the problem?’ he asked, knowing very well what she was talking about.
‘Well, you know, everyone else at work is in a state of…shock—wondering what the future holds for them—and I’m, well…’