Fantasy Girl. Carole Mortimer

get the Beauty Girl contract?’ Her voice was soft, furiously so.

      Adam Thornton shrugged, perfectly relaxed, blowing smoke-rings up at the ceiling. ‘No, I’m not implying that—–’

      ‘Good!’ she bit out.

      ‘But I am saying that this agency got that contract because Jason had already slept with this girl Grant.’ He watched Natalie with narrowed eyes.

      She flushed, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. ‘Could you explain that remark?’ she requested coolly.

      ‘It’s quite simple,’ he drawled. ‘Jason knew this girl Grant before he came to your agency. The two of them met at a party months ago. They were lovers before he even approached you about Beauty Girl.’

      ‘Oh no!’ she groaned, feeling sick, but knowing it was the truth. It would explain so much.

      ‘Oh yes,’ Adam Thornton confirmed dryly. ‘Needless to say, I knew nothing about it.’

      ‘Neither did I,’ Natalie snapped challengingly.

      ‘Didn’t you think it rather strange that a company the size of Thornton’s should come to you?’ he derided scathingly.

      ‘And didn’t you think it strange that Jason should use an agency of this size?’

      He shrugged. ‘One thing Jason has always been is good at his job. He claimed the Grant girl was the most suitable, so I went along with that.’

      ‘And I’ve built up quite a good reputation this last year,’ she defended heatedly. ‘It was conceivable that we’d been recommended to Mr Dillman from another company.’

      ‘Conceivable,’ he nodded. ‘But not very likely. Or were you just so surprised at your good fortune that you didn’t like to question it too deeply?’ The blue eyes were icily contemptuous.

      Natalie knew there was a certain amount of truth in what he said, that she really hadn’t been able to believe her luck. But at the time it had been exactly the boost her agency needed, getting them noticed by other companies at the same time.

      She looked at Adam Thornton, wishing he didn’t look quite so self-confident, that he didn’t know he was right. But she doubted this man was ever wrong! ‘I’m sure you’ll agree,’ she said stiffly, ‘that the work my models have done for you has been as professional as any of the other agencies you deal with.’

      ‘Except for the Grant girl,’ he nodded. ‘And we all know the reason she’s inefficient.’ He viciously stubbed out the cheroot.

      ‘Do we?’

      ‘She’s too damned busy spending her mornings and afternoons in bed with Jason!’ he rasped.

      Natalie paled, swallowing hard. ‘You—you mean you know about that?’

      ‘I’ve made it my business, now, to know about the whole affair,’ he ground out savagely. ‘I also know that Jason refuses to end it. Did you have any better luck than I did?’ he questioned sharply.

      She chewed on her bottom lip. ‘Er—no,’ she admitted.

      His mouth compressed angrily. ‘Is that why you’ve been avoiding my calls?’

      Wild colour flooded her cheeks, highlighting the strange blue-green of her eyes. ‘That was a mistake—–’

      ‘I agree, it was,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘You wouldn’t have had to confront me in person if you’d taken my call.’

      ‘That wasn’t what I meant,’ Natalie snapped agitatedly. ‘I—I told Dee I wasn’t taking any calls this morning—I didn’t think about your calls at the time,’ she invented. ‘As soon as I realised what had happened I had Dee call you back. You’d already left to come here,’ she finished reluctantly, knowing that he would have been less forceful down a telephone line.

      His mouth twisted mockingly. ‘I’m not used to being fobbed off in that way.’ He stood up, at once seeming to fill the whole room again, the movement made with the languid grace of a jungle cat. He glanced at his wrist-watch, a plain gold affair that had probably cost a year of Natalie’s salary. ‘Ten past twelve,’ he murmured thoughtfully. ‘Get your coat, Natalie, we’re going to lunch.’

      She looked up at him open-mouthed, as much for the fact that he knew her first name as for what he had said. Still, it wasn’t so surprising when looked at logically; he had probably found out all that he could about the Faulkner Agency when he had realised what was happening between his brother-in-law and one of their models. He probably knew everything about her, right down to her bra size! No, she looked at him thoughtfully, he looked as if he had enough experience to be able to guess that without help from anyone.

      She blushed as he raised his brows enquiringly. ‘I don’t go to lunch until twelve-thirty today,’ she told him haughtily, knowing she still had those bright wings of colour in her cheeks.

      ‘Are you the boss?’

      ‘Yes,’ she frowned.

      ‘Then you go to lunch at what time you want to. Get your coat,’ he repeated abruptly.

      Natalie looked at him with rebellious eyes. ‘Maybe I just don’t want to have lunch with you, Mr Thornton.’

      Amusement lightened his eyes. ‘I’m sure you don’t,’ he derided. ‘But get your coat anyway.’

      ‘I—–’

      ‘This is business, Natalie,’ he rasped. ‘You surely didn’t think I was about to demand those “fringe benefits” right now?’ he taunted softly.

      She drew in an angry breath. ‘There are no fringe benefits!’

      ‘No?’

      ‘No!’

      Adam Thornton pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘Then maybe I should just try and think of a few I might like from you.’ There was a warmth in his eyes now, where before there had only been condemning coldness.

      Natalie couldn’t believe this was happening. Adam Thornton was actually flirting with her! ‘You can think in vain, Mr Thornton,’ she said stiffly. ‘All you’ll get from this agency—from me,’ she added pointedly, ‘is efficiency.’

      ‘It will do for the moment,’ he shrugged. ‘Now, are you going to keep me waiting much longer for my lunch? I should warn you,’ he taunted, ‘I get even more unbearable when I’m hungry.’