Kitabı oku: «The Beautiful Widow», sayfa 2

He shook his head at himself. Steady, boy, steady, he cautioned silently. Big step backwards here. He didn’t do impulsive. Every decision he made was logical and thought out, even ruthless at times. It was how he had created a thriving little empire in just under twenty years. Sentiment and emotion were all very well but they had no place in business.

He was frowning as he rang Jeff’s mobile, but after talking to his brother-in-law for a couple of minutes and finding out Annie was no worse his expression cleared.

Toni George would be just another employee. Anything else was not acceptable. Decision made, he stood up, flexed his broad shoulders and left the room.

CHAPTER TWO

TONI’S MOTHER ANSWERED the telephone. Toni could hear shrieks of laughter and high squeals in the background as she said, ‘Mother? It’s me. I’m not going to be back for a while yet—the interview still hasn’t finished. I was ringing to say goodnight to the girls. Are they ready for bed?’ Their bedtime was seven-thirty but if she wasn’t around to enforce it, it could be any time, which invariably meant two tetchy little girls the next day. Not good for them or anyone around them!

‘Oh, yes, love. They’ve had their bath and they’re in their pyjamas,’ Vivienne Otley said fondly.

Hating to be critical, but knowing how long it took the twins to calm down once they got excited, Toni said carefully, ‘I thought we’d agreed seven was the deadline for reading stories in bed so they can wind down?’

‘Well, you know what your father’s like with them. He’s the big bad wolf and they’re the little pigs. I’m a little pig too.’

Toni stifled a sigh. She adored her parents and would be eternally grateful for the way they’d immediately opened up their home and hearts to her and the twins when the full horror of the mountain of debts came to light, but she was fighting a losing battle against the girls being spoilt rotten.

Having tried unsuccessfully for a child for years, her parents had long since resigned themselves to being childless when she’d made her appearance on her mother’s forty-second birthday thirty years ago. Her mother’s favourite story was that for the first six months of pregnancy Toni had been dismissed as the onset of the menopause. It had only been when she gave a hefty kick one day that her mother had realised the flutters and discomfort she’d put down to her age and flatulence were, in fact, a baby. A nine-pound baby as it turned out.

Toni had always known she was her parents’ sun, moon and stars, but in spite of their joy in their beloved daughter they had never spoiled her. Just the contrary in fact. But with the twins … Suppressing another sigh, she said meaningfully, ‘Put them on the line, would you, and I’ll make it clear they’re straight to bed. They’ve got that nursery trip tomorrow to the safari park and they’re going to be exhausted if they’re up late.’

Amelia came on the phone first, as Toni had expected. The older twin by minutes, Amelia led and Daisy followed. ‘'Lo, Mummy,’ Amelia said brightly. ‘Grandad’s pretending to be the wolf and he’s put those big teeth in we got in a cracker at Christmas. He’s nearly swallowed them once.’ Lowering her voice, she whispered, ‘We’re acting scared but we aren’t really.’

Toni had to smile. ‘Hallo, honeybee,’ she said softly. ‘I’m not going to be able to get home to put you to bed so I’m sending a big kiss and hug down the phone, OK? And I want you to promise you’ll go straight to bed now and Grandma will read you one story. You’ve got your trip tomorrow, haven’t you? And you don’t want to miss anything because you’re too tired.’

It worked. ‘All right, Mummy,’ Amelia said at once, handing the phone to her sister before Toni could say goodbye.

‘'Lo, Mummy,’ Daisy lisped, her voice softer and more babyish than Amelia’s. ‘When are you coming home?’

‘Soon, darling, but Grandma’s going to read your story tonight and tuck you in because Mummy’s trying to get that job I told you and Amelia about. Remember? Be a good girl for Grandma, won’t you? Go straight to sleep, promise me?’

‘Yesp.’ A tiny pause. ‘I lub you, Mummy.’

‘I love you, sweetpea.’ Swallowing the lump in her throat, she added, ‘I’ll come and kiss you when I get home, but I want you to go straight to sleep after your story.’

Her mother came on the line. ‘She’s nodding to whatever you just said, bless her. And I’m sorry, love. I forgot about that nursery trip. It’s gone clean out of my mind.’

Toni felt instantly guilty. Why should her parents have to remember about things like nursery trips at their age? They were in their early seventies; they should be enjoying the grandchildren visiting every so often for a few hours, not being with them full time. Richard hadn’t paid the rent on the flat they’d been living in for a while before he’d died, but even if they’d been up to date there was no way they could have continued to live there on what she could earn. A basic bedsit would be all she could afford and it would mean she wouldn’t be able to save anything towards paying off the mountain of debt Richard had left. Her parents continued to insist they loved having her and the grandchildren and wouldn’t hear of her moving out, but their small two-bedroomed terrace was bursting at the seams with the children’s paraphernalia. She slept on a sofa bed in the sitting room at night and she knew her parents’ calm, orderly life had been turned upside down. But what was the alternative?

Wearily she brushed a strand of dark brown hair laced with copper behind her ear. She was tired. Mentally and emotionally worn out, and she couldn’t think beyond this present moment or she’d lose any faint hope she had of landing this job. James had assured her Steel would pay well, exceptionally well if he thought she was the right person for the job. Steel’s employees rarely left the firm, he’d said drily, in spite of his reputation of being an exacting employer. An excellent salary and a generous package of benefits bought loyalty.

When Steel returned to the room she was sitting primly on the sofa, her manner one of cool composure. This lasted all of one moment due to him saying smoothly, ‘Maggie assures me there is more than enough dinner for two, Mrs George, and, as we haven’t finished the interview yet and I’m hungry, it seems sensible to kill two birds with one stone. Unless you have any objection, of course?’

Plenty, but she couldn’t very well say so. For a second or two she sat there dry-mouthed, his impossibly light eyes seeming to pin her to the spot. It took some effort to pull herself together but her voice was gratifyingly steady when she said, ‘That’s very kind of you, Mr Landry. Thank you.’

‘Maggie will call us when the meal’s ready but in the meantime can I offer you a drink?’ He was walking across to the beautifully made glass cocktail cabinet in a corner or the room as he spoke. ‘I usually have a cocktail about this time of night if I’m not driving, but there’s red, white or rosé wine, along with various spirits and mixers, sherry, martini …’

‘A cocktail would be lovely.’ She was glad now she’d eaten the slice of cake Maggie had pressed on her. The day had been hectic and after she had dropped the twins off at their nursery she’d rushed from pillar to post and skipped lunch. Without the cake any alcohol would have gone straight to her head, but she felt Steel Landry would expect a sophisticated career woman to have a pre-dinner aperitif.

She watched as he prepared the cocktails, and as he carried two glasses back to where she was sitting she took one with a smile of thanks. ‘What is it?’

‘A Moscow Mule.’

He smiled, and her heart did a pancake flip. She took a tiny sip and the zingy concoction exploded on her taste buds and then left a warm glow where it travelled.

‘Despite its name it was invented in a Sunset Strip bar in 1940s Hollywood,’ Steel said lazily, sitting down opposite her once more and loosening his tie as he undid the top two buttons of his shirt.

It made concentrating on what he was saying hard, doubly so as he crossed one leg over the other knee and settled back comfortably. It was crazy, ridiculous, but every nerve in her body was registering his smallest action and she didn’t know why. Perhaps it was because he was the most aggressively masculine man she’d ever met, and his voice—deep, smoky, compelling—added to the dark sexual appeal.

Summoning her thought process, Toni said weakly, ‘What’s in it? It tastes pretty powerful.’

He nodded his agreement. ‘Russian wheat vodka, lime juice and ginger beer. Apparently a spirits distributor was having trouble getting the Americans to buy his Russian vodka so he thought up a new drink with a barman who made his own, equally poorly selling, ginger beer. Enterprising, especially as it lives up to their marketing of having a kick like a mule.’

And Steel Landry was a man who would appreciate enterprise and initiative, she thought. Did he realise how intimidating he was? Probably. It was a tool that would serve him well in the cut-throat world of business. Wishing her neatly tailored, pencil-slim skirt were a couple of inches longer—although its knee-length had never bothered her before—she covertly tugged at it and readjusted her position before taking another sip of the cocktail.

‘Kids OK?’ he asked softly.

Startled, she met his gaze. ‘Yes, they’re fine.’

‘Then could you try to relax a little?’

‘I beg your pardon?’ Painfully aware she’d turned an unflattering shade of crimson, Toni didn’t know where to put herself. ‘I am perfectly relaxed, thank you.’

‘You, Mrs George, are like a cat on a hot tin roof,’ he drawled slowly, ‘or maybe little Miss Riding Hood in front of the big bad wolf would be a better analogy. Whatever, I’m not going to try to seduce you over drinks and dinner.’

‘I never thought for a moment you were,’ she said hotly, such transparent honesty in her voice he couldn’t fail to believe her.

His eyes narrowed. ‘Then why so tense?’

She shrugged. How could she say she was desperate for the job? That it would make all the difference in the world to her if he paid half as well as James had intimated he might? She had enjoyed her time working for James’s practice; preparing the sketches and ideas for quotation and then, if the practice won the contract, putting together more detailed specifications and working drawings and getting approval for them. Once she’d put out the contract for the actual work—the decorating, furniture, coverings, etc.—to tender, she had been responsible for supervising it and seeing schedules were kept and problems solved. It had been tough sometimes when things went wrong but she’d been good at it and she knew she could handle anything Steel Landry might ask of her. The alternative was trying to pick up some freelance work or another job, both of which were in short supply to someone who’d been out of the running for the last four years.

She didn’t regret her time at home with the twins. Richard had had a very good job as a sales executive for a large pharmaceutical company and they should have been able to manage perfectly well until the twins started school and she went into the workplace again. She had been very careful to shop wisely and make a penny stretch to two, making the most of two-for-one offers and learning how to cook the cheaper cuts of meat until they were as tender as anything offered at the best restaurants. Most of the girls’ clothes she’d made herself, copying the latest designer fashions with such success she’d earnt a little extra for the family finances when friends had asked her to do the same for them. She hadn’t realised at the time that her efforts were pointless and that Richard’s double life was about to blow their family apart. She’d been so gullible and stupid.

‘Mrs George?’

The deep, slightly husky voice brought her out of the darkness. She blinked. He wanted an answer to his question. Following on from her thoughts, she said hesitantly, ‘I—I suppose I’m out of practice regarding interviews and selling myself.’

Even if she hadn’t realised instantly the last words weren’t the best she could have chosen, the way the carved lips twitched slightly would have told her, but his voice was soothing when he murmured, ‘Not at all. You’ve done an excellent job.’

Her soft brown eyes sharpened. She didn’t know how to take that. She didn’t know how to take him. When James had rung her she’d done a little research of her own on the powerhouse that was Steel Landry. She’d wished she hadn’t afterwards; it had made her more nervous. A human dynamo. Hard but fair. Relentless and unmovable when he wanted something. Severely lacking in the milk of human kindness. Admittedly that last had been from a disgruntled ex-employee who hadn’t been up to the position for which he had been employed, but nevertheless it had been unsettling.

‘Drink your cocktail, Mrs George,’ he said smoothly, ‘and stop worrying. You’ve got the job if you want it, OK?’

‘I have?’ Her eyes opened wide with startled pleasure. ‘Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr Landry.’

‘You accept?’ he asked, as though there had ever been a chance she might refuse. ‘Good. In that case we can do away with the Mr Landry and Mrs George. The name’s Steel.’

‘But—’ She stopped, not knowing how to continue.

‘What?’

‘You—you’re my boss,’ she stammered stupidly.

The crystal eyes crinkled. ‘Did you call James by his surname?’ he asked mildly, finishing his cocktail.

‘No, but—’ She paused. ‘That—that’s different.’

‘Why? He was your boss, wasn’t he?’

Yes, but James hadn’t been the head of a small empire worth umpteen millions, and neither had he been drop-dead gorgeous. ‘Things were quite informal at James’s practice,’ she said weakly.

He nodded. ‘And my employees who work closely with me enjoy that same privilege; my secretary, for example, and my financial director to name but two. This is a new project and I’ll want to be involved at every stage so you’ll be working particularly hand in glove with me. Steel and Toni will do just fine.’

Toni was kicking herself for objecting. Whatever must he be thinking? He’d just surprised her, that was all. Pulling herself together, she said quickly, ‘Of course. Thank you. Thank you so much. I won’t let you down, I promise.’

‘Believe me, Toni, if I had any doubt about that I wouldn’t be offering you the job.’

She did believe him, and strangely his belief in her was both uplifting and scary at the same time. Uplifting because her self-confidence had taken the mother and father of a knock over the last months, scary because the pressure to show him he’d been right to give her the job had suddenly increased a hundredfold just with hearing him say her name. Silly. Irrational. Emotions a man like Steel Landry would despise.

She raised her chin in a businesslike manner and assumed a look she prayed was professional. ‘When would you like me to start?’

‘We’ll discuss the details over dinner, including salary,’ he said gently.

The reminder that she hadn’t even asked the basics before accepting the position brought telltale colour to her cheeks again, but this time she didn’t falter. She even managed to inject a suggestion of sophisticated amusement into her tone when she said, ‘I’ve always adhered to the idea you get what you are prepared to pay for in this world.’

‘Is that so?’ he said silkily, his eyes intent on her flushed face. ‘Then I hope your salary buys everything I need from you, Toni …’

CHAPTER THREE

TONI WAS ETERNALLY grateful that Maggie chose to knock on the door and announce dinner was ready the moment after Steel had spoken. She wasn’t sure if he’d put a different connotation to her words than that which she’d intended—it could just be her fevered imagination—but as he rose and ushered her out of the sitting room with a cool hand in the small of her back she knew her cheeks were burning afresh.

She had expected to eat in a formal dining room, so when he led the way out onto a spectacular roof terrace she caught her breath in surprise. The terrace was laid out as a dining room and living space with stylish furniture; olive, eucalyptus and silver birch trees in huge white pots surrounding the perimeter all underplanted with a mix of grasses, lavender, iris, allium and other plants creating a vista reminiscent of woodland and Mediterranean scenes. The glass balustrade kept the space serene and light-filled as well as enabling the view to be appreciated, a view that seemed to take in the whole of Kensington. The dining table had been made from a slab of white Carrara marble and was a thing of beauty in itself, and the exterior sofas and easy chairs on the other side of the terrace to the dining suite were grouped round a marble coffee table with a builtin fireplace.

Toni stood, completely stunned, her artistic antenna quivering as her mind and senses struggled to take in what she was seeing. ‘This is beautiful.’ She breathed out the words slowly. ‘Absolutely beautiful. Who designed it?’

His smile had a self-mocking edge. ‘I did.’

‘You?’

Her amazement wasn’t exactly complimentary but fortunately he seemed more amused than offended. ‘I can appreciate beauty as much as the next man,’ he murmured as he pulled out one of the dining chairs for her to sit down, ‘in spite of being that most crass of creatures, a property developer.’

‘But if you can do this why wouldn’t you want to plan and carry out your own ideas on this new venture?’ she asked, stroking the fine marble under her fingers. The table was set for two with silver cutlery and crystal galore, a bowl of white lilies scenting the warm evening air.

He didn’t answer immediately, walking round to the other side of the table and reaching for the wine in the ice bucket. ‘I thought champagne was in order as this is a celebration.’ He passed her a glass full of the sparkling liquid and poured one for himself, raising it as he said, ‘To a long and happy working relationship.’

She could second that. ‘Thank you.’ She didn’t actually like champagne, she’d always found it too much on the dry side for her taste buds, but as she took a sip of the effervescent bubbles she realised there was champagne and champagne, and this one was like nothing she’d tasted before. Honey, strawberries, summer days and lazy nights, they were all there in the delicious and no doubt wildly expensive wine.

‘And in answer to your question regarding why I need you, Toni,’ he went on softly, ‘this terrace is a one-off as far as I’m concerned. I knew what I wanted so it was easy, even though it took me two months of intensive planning and the odd sleepless night when work commenced, but I wouldn’t want to think up ideas for someone else, time after time.’

The boredom factor again, she thought intuitively. He was indeed a restless spirit. What had made him that way? Bringing her thoughts back into line, she glanced round her surroundings again as she said, ‘I can see this must have cost you a great deal of money. You said you want the best for these new apartments; do you mean going this far if necessary?’

‘Absolutely.’

Now they were sitting down the trees and foliage provided a privacy that was curiously intimate; a small green world up in the sky with only the odd London bird to spy on the occupants below. Toni was vitally aware of this as he leant forward slightly, speaking with an intensity she was almost sure he was unaware of when he went on, ‘It’s important this first phase has an impact, and money is no object—my buyers will be able to afford it. Each apartment needs to be different and, as you’ve already seen from the plans, this was borne in mind from the word go. But they all have to be outstanding. I want you to play around with designs and ideas, think laterally, enjoy yourself.’

He seemed to check himself as though exerting some sort of personal rein, the silver-blue eyes hiding their expression. They reminded her of shells found on a windswept beach and washed clean by the constant tides to reveal the cool mother-of-pearl beneath. She had never seen eyes like them in a human face before.

He didn’t like showing emotion, she thought suddenly. Even about his business. Did emotion translate as weakness in that hard, cold male mind? Without considering her words, she asked what she’d been wanting to ask since he’d returned after the phone call. ‘How’s your sister?’

After a brief pause he took a swallow of champagne before saying, ‘Too soon to really be sure, but better, Jeff, her husband, seemed to think. Things are stabilizing, settling down. She has to have complete bedrest for the foreseeable future, though, which won’t suit Annie. She can’t keep still for two minutes.’

There was deep affection in his voice and he seemed more relaxed about talking about his sister than he had earlier. Carefully, she said, ‘How many months pregnant is she?’

He thought for a moment. ‘I’m not sure,’ he admitted ruefully. ‘That doesn’t say much for the prospective uncle, does it? Two months, three months, something like that. Nothing to be seen yet anyway.’

‘I had a friend who was in a similar condition a couple of years ago. With complete rest the pregnancy went on until the thirty-third week and although Jack was premature he’s the brightest toddler I’ve ever come across. Tell your sister to endure what needs to be endured and not take any chances.’

Steel nodded. He liked the fact she hadn’t offered the normal platitudes of ‘I’m sure she’s going to be all right,’ and ‘They can do such marvelous things these days.’ In fact he liked Toni George altogether. He let his eyes wander over her face, lingering for a moment on the soft full curve of her lips. He wondered what it would feel like to have that mouth open beneath his, to penetrate the sweet interior.

The thought was simple but it sent a bolt of desire sizzling through his body and he turned as hard as a rock. Shocked at how such an innocent fantasy could have such an immediate effect, he moved his gaze to the skyline. He was, by virtue of his intelligence and instinct, a very rational man, perhaps even cynical, he admitted silently. He conducted his love life in the same controlled way he ran the rest of his life and boyish, passionate irrationalism had had no place in his dealings with the opposite sex for two decades or more. He had a rigid list of personal codes and values and one rule was inexorable. No mixing business and pleasure.

Over the years he had watched too many people, some of them good friends, become entangled in messy relationships with work colleagues and the fallout when the affair ended was invariably embarrassing at best and painful at worst. It was rare one person wasn’t left feeling bruised and hurt and the tension and difficulties that could arise made work life uncomfortable. Knowing this, why had he asked this woman to have dinner with him tonight? He could easily have wrapped up the interview in five minutes. It was illogical, a trait he prided himself he’d escaped. He’d gone against everything he’d told himself earlier.

Irritated with himself, he became aware she was looking at him with some concern and realised he was frowning again.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said quickly, her words tumbling over themselves. ‘I shouldn’t have presumed to tell your sister what to do. It’s nothing to do with me.’

Far from pacifying him, her words made him more nettled, but he couldn’t have said why. Forcing a smile, he told himself he was being ridiculous. ‘Not at all; it’s kind of you to be concerned,’ he said coolly, his tone negating the words. ‘Now back to business. How soon could you start?’

‘Straight away,’ she said eagerly. ‘Whenever you like.’

‘Monday morning? That will give you the rest of the week to put arrangements in place regarding any domestic arrangements.’

Toni found she resented her precious girls being written off as ‘domestic arrangements'. Purposely, she said, ‘Thank you, that would be welcome, although very little will change at home. As I mentioned before, my parents are on hand to take care of Amelia and Daisy. What—what would be my normal working hours?’

Amelia and Daisy. Were they two little miniatures of her or did they look like their swine of a father? Repressing the notion to ask her if she had a photograph of the children, he said quietly, ‘It’s the sort of position where “normal” working hours won’t apply some of the time, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate having seen jobs for James’s practice through from beginning to end. However, I do expect my staff to put in a good day’s work for a good day’s pay, but as long as you do that the hours can be flexible within reason. I have other employees with children on the payroll and, depending on nursery or school hours and the various panics and situations which occur in family life, they juggle their hours accordingly.’

Steel could tell from the widening of the velvet brown eyes that she hadn’t expected him to be so reasonable. He was glad he’d been able to surprise her, but it rankled she obviously thought him something of a tyrant. Keeping the annoyance he was feeling out of his voice, he went on, ‘There will be times when you will be able to work from home if necessary and other periods when it will be essential you are in the office or visiting the site. At those times I expect my business to take precedence over anything else, barring life-or-death family issues, of course.’

‘Of course.’ She nodded briskly.

‘Pay-wise, you were earning a good salary four years ago. James obviously valued you highly.’ He hesitated, mentally doubling the amount he’d previously considered and not pausing to think about it—another first—as he made the offer. He watched warm colour stain the high cheekbones, which was reward enough for his magnanimity.

‘I—That’s—I mean—’ Toni pulled herself together. ‘That’s extremely generous,’ she said faintly. Understatement of the year. Was he paying her so much because she’d told him about her debts? Well, she didn’t care. She would be able to give her parents board and lodging for herself and the girls and an extra sum for all they would take on now she was working again, and still have a massive amount she could save each month. The debts that had looked to be a millstone round her neck for the next decades would now be able to be dealt with in two or three years if she was frugal. ‘Thank you. Thank you so much.’

‘Don’t thank me too enthusiastically, Toni. I’m a hard taskmaster and you’ll earn every penny,’ he drawled, only partly tongue in cheek.

She spoke from the heart. ‘I don’t mind what you ask of me, Mr Landry, and I’ll work my socks off. I can promise you that.’

Steel slammed the lid on the reply his suddenly out-of-control libido suggested, keeping his voice bland as he continued, ‘The package will include private health insurance for you and immediate family, namely your children in this instance, and a company car will be available when required. You don’t have a car of your own, I presume?’

Toni shook her head. It had been tubes and buses lately.

‘One last thing. I thought we had progressed to Steel.’

‘Oh, yes, of course.’ Nervously she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. ‘I’m sorry.’

Steel’s eyes followed the motion and again his body reacted in the age-old way. Cursing himself for the ridiculousness of the situation he found himself in, he said quietly, ‘I’d like you to take the plans and anything else you need away with you tonight and familiarise yourself with the project before Monday. My secretary will send you a formal offer and all the relevant paperwork tomorrow.

Toni nodded as Maggie bustled through from the house with their first course. ‘Thank you,’ she said again.

‘Here we are, then.’ Maggie placed a plate in front of her as she said, ‘I hope you like asparagus, young lady.’

‘Yes, I do, and this looks delicious.’ The asparagus and ham parcels were covered in a crispy crumb and suddenly Toni was ravenously hungry. They lived up to expectation when she took her first bite; obviously Maggie was a wonderful cook.

‘Do you live to eat or eat to live?’ Steel asked after a moment or two, his gaze running over her slender shape.

Toni froze for a moment. Naturally slim, she knew she was too thin at the moment and her clothes were hanging on her and immediately took the question as a subtle criticism. She’d had to alter the waistband of the skirt she had on that morning, and although her white silk shirt was supposed to be loose it didn’t fit her as it had when she’d bought it a year ago. Sleepless nights spent worrying over the last four months had taken their toll. She took a sip of champagne and nerved herself to look into the handsome face. ‘I like food so I suppose the former. Yes, definitely the former.’

He grinned. ‘Me too.’

The beat of sexual awareness that vibrated through her veins almost caused her to drop the champagne flute. Horrified at herself, she prayed frantically he hadn’t noticed. It had been that smile, the way it had mellowed the hard planes and angles of his face and crinkled the silver-blue eyes. But he was her boss, well, practically. And she was in his world now. A world where sophisticated, worldly men and women could share a meal and eat and drink and converse as colleagues and nothing more. Besides which, if she ever got involved with another man in the whole of her life it would be too soon. All she wanted was to bring up the girls the best she could after she cleared the mountain of debts Richard had left. They were her life now and there was no room for anyone else, not that a man like Steel Landry would remotely be interested in a widow with two small children in tow.