The Tycoon's Scandalous Proposition. Miranda Lee

interminable meal and the speeches were over and the happy couple rose, leaving the table to go and cut their three-tiered wedding cake.

      Blake immediately moved into the bride’s vacant chair so that he could talk to Kate. ‘So what did you think?’ he asked her on a teasing note. ‘Did my speech meet with your approval?’

      She smiled at him, her expression wry. ‘You’re right. You’re a very good actor. You didn’t mean a single word of it, did you?’

      ‘I meant the bit I slipped in about the beautiful bridesmaid. I didn’t think the groom complimented you enough in his speech. Now, the dancing will start soon. I’ve been to a few weddings in my time, so I know the routine. First the bride and groom will do the bridal waltz, and then we’ll all be invited to join them on the dance floor.’

      ‘Yes, I know,’ she said. ‘I have been to the odd wedding or two as well. Though never as a bridesmaid.’

      ‘Never?’ That surprised him, given her age and her niceness. ‘But you must have loads of girlfriends. Haven’t any of them got married yet?’

      ‘Actually, no,’ she said.

      ‘No, you haven’t got loads of girlfriends? Or no, none of them have got married yet?’

      ‘I do have a few girlfriends from my years at NIDA, but no one so close that they would ask me to be a bridesmaid.’

      ‘What about from school?’

      ‘No. I wasn’t popular at school. I was considered a nerd. And not very cool.’

      ‘I find that hard to believe,’ he said, but he was lying.

      He could see that she was on the reserved, rather introverted side. He’d been very popular at school—perhaps because he’d been a rebel. There was no rebel in Kate. Not a great deal of confidence, either. How on earth did she expect to succeed as an actress if she didn’t exude confidence?

      Still, she had him to help her now. She just didn’t know it yet. It was probably not the right time or place to offer her a part in one of his movies tonight. Or to try to seduce her, either.

      But he couldn’t let the grass grow under his feet. He was flying back to LA in a few days. And Blake had no intention of going back without having some delicious sex with this delightful creature, as well as giving her career a much-needed boost.

      He would invite her out to dinner tomorrow night. Somewhere seriously good. After which he would take her back to the city penthouse he was staying in. It belonged to Byron, but he wasn’t using it much now that he’d moved into this absolutely gorgeous harbour-side mansion.

      ‘What about boyfriends?’ he asked, wanting to know the lie of the land before he got his hopes up too high. Not that a boyfriend would stop him now. The more time he spent with Kate the more he wanted her.

      ‘What?’ she said, blinking up at him.

      God, she did have lovely eyes. And so expressive. Perfect for the camera.

      ‘You said you don’t have loads of girlfriends,’ he went on, ‘but you’ve surely had loads of boyfriends. There must be one at the moment.’

      A strange cloud dulled her eyes. Strange, because he couldn’t read the emotion behind it. What was it? Not distress. Or dismay. Sadness again? Yes, that was it. Sadness. A very deep sadness. He wondered if she’d had a serious boyfriend and something dreadful had happened to him. He couldn’t imagine any man worth his salt dumping Kate, so what else could it be?

      Only death, Blake decided, warranted this depth of sadness. A very recent death, possibly. That would explain everything that had puzzled him about her tonight. It might also explain why she hadn’t responded all that strongly to his none-too-subtle overtures. Perhaps by finding him attractive—and he was pretty sure she did—she felt she was betraying her loved one.

      Blake pulled himself up sharply before he got carried away. Which he did sometimes. Nothing worse than being a movie-maker. He found drama in every situation. The reality was probably nothing like what he was imagining.

      ‘Actually, no,’ she said, a rueful little smile hovering. ‘I do not have a boyfriend at the moment. I have had boyfriends in the past, of course.’

      Well of course she had. If she hadn’t she wouldn’t be normal.

      ‘Then there’s no one to object if I ask you out to dinner tomorrow night?’ he went on.

      She didn’t look totally surprised, just a little wary.

      ‘No,’ she said, but there was reservation in her voice and reluctance in her eyes.

      He knew then that she wasn’t going to be easily seduced. One part of him admired her for it, but that other part—the part which was aching and hard and more conscienceless than it had ever been—refused to be deterred.

      So he decided to play his trump card. Too bad if it was a bit premature. A man had to do what a man had to do.

      ‘I want to talk to you about a part in my next movie which I think would be perfect for you,’ he added, dangling what he knew would be a powerful carrot.

      There was no doubting her surprise. No, her shock. Genuine, ingenuous shock. God, she really was irresistible.

      ‘But why would you do that?’ she asked, jerking her head back a little as she blinked up at him. ‘Surely you would need me to audition for you first.’

      Damn it all, why did she have to be so difficult? He respected her for it, but it was irritating.

      ‘I don’t need to see an audition from a graduate of NIDA,’ he dismissed. ‘Their programme produces the most talented actors.’

      ‘Yes, but...but...’

      ‘Kate Holiday,’ he said sternly. ‘Do you want to be a successful actress or not?’

      ‘Of course I do,’ she replied, looking quite offended. ‘It’s what I want most in the world.’

      ‘Then stop looking a gift horse in the mouth.’

      She smiled then. Which pleased him no end.

      ‘You’ll come to dinner tomorrow night?’

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘Good. Now, let’s go and dance.’