BLINDED BY DESIRE

by Arabella Sheen

  She was standing directly in front of him.

  They were face to face and the sparks were visibly flying between them.

  Red hot daggers were in her eyes.

  Inwardly she was seething with rage and she was furious.

  What did he mean he wasn’t sure if the landscape designer was up to the challenge?

  Of course she knew what plants were suitable for hot climates. How dare he even suggest she wouldn’t know such a thing?

  She realized her professional abilities, not to mention her sex as a female was being questioned and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to rise.

  She was facing him square on.

  “And why would Ashton not know how to plant in a Mediterranean climate? Would you care to explain your remark to me . . . Mr Andre?” her soft voice was deceptively quiet.

  As she asked the question Jason got up from the sofa where he’d been sitting.

  He had wondered what the weekend would bring . . . now he knew.

  “A tigress,” was his first thought on seeing her. “Wow . . . a sexy tigress.”

  And he wanted what he saw.

  Chapter Two

  Jason stood in the centre of the room gazing at the woman before him. He was mesmerised. It wasn’t often he was at a loss for words; but on this occasion he was spell bound.

  Beth had his full attention.

  He was captivated by the flash of fire he saw in her eyes and the bite of scorn he’d heard in her voice.

  He couldn’t take his eyes from her.

  “Jason,” his sister said, trying to capture his attention but not having any success.

  His gaze and thoughts were only for the auburn haired woman standing before him.

  “Let me introduce you to Elizabeth Ashton of Ashton Landscaping,” Sophie said, “Beth’s the garden designer I’ve been telling you about. Beth meet Jason Andre, my brother. Jason’s wanted to meet you to talk about your work.”

  Jason stood in the middle of the room and he was furious.

  He had fallen into one of Sophie’s traps.

  He’d assumed the designer was a man and his sister hadn’t corrected him.

  The landscape gardener was . . . a woman.

  Not that he was sexist . . . no.

  He liked women. Loved women. He couldn’t be without them. But as a colleague on a development project and in construction . . . No!

  The fault was his. He should have known better.

  It had been wrong of him to have listened to Sophie with half an ear. He ought to have questioned her further about the landscaper.

  Beth was a woman - in fact Beth was all woman and then some.

  The tigress shook her long main of hair and squared her shoulders as if she was preparing for an attack.

  Flexing her claws Beth stepped towards him with her hand held out.

  She felt her hand being grasped and engulfed in a powerful grip.

  His clasp was crushing. Almost hurtfully. And she could feel his tension as they touched.

  Jason stood looking at her ring less fingers.

  “Mr Andre,” she said politely, before forcing her red lips to part into a semblance of a smile. “As you’ve probably gathered . . . I’m Beth Ashton. Pleased to meet you. Sophie’s told me about your predicament and your need of a landscaper.”

  But before Beth could say anything more he stopped her.

  “And I’ve obviously not heard enough about you . . . Miss Ashton. It seems that I’ve been kept in the dark about a lot of things,” his remark was dry, sarcastic and full of irritation.

  There was also an expression of displeasure on his face.

  He was looking over Beth’s head in the direction of his sister.

  Sophie knew his opinion about working with females. He simply didn’t work with them.

  His eyebrows were raised questioningly, but there was no doubt that his annoyance was being aimed not at Sophie, but at Beth.

  Beth could sense and feel his anger.

  Hearing that the landscaper was a woman had obviously ruffled his feathers.

  Slowly Beth eased her crushed hand from his powerful grip and she began flexing her numb fingers back into life.

  Her eyes travelled up the length of his white shirt to his bronzed tanned face.

  Instantly their eyes locked and she was mesmerised by his gaze. She’d been captured and was falling into their depths. She was diving fathoms into dark pools and she was struggling to climb out.

  She wanted only to escape from his intense scrutiny.

  “I hadn’t expected a woman,” he explained, jerking her from her thoughts back to the present.

  “And now that you’ve seen I’m not a man and you know Ashton Landscaping is run by a woman . . . are you disappointed Mr Andre?”

  She’d meant her cutting remarks to hit home and they had.

  “The tigress has claws and they’re sharp claws. Almost as sharp as her tongue,” he thought.

  “How could any true man be disappointed with you Miss Ashton?”

  His gaze had travelled the length of her body. From the top of her head to her elegantly clad dainty feet and Beth felt she had been examined, assessed and stripped all in one go.

  Sophie sensing friction brewing between Beth and Jason stepped in to break the tension of the moment.

  “I’m sure dinner is nearly ready to be served. Shall we go through to the dining room?” and everyone was ushered out of the drawing room.

  In the dining room, the long hardwood table was dressed to perfection.

  Soft candle light was shining onto the crisp white linen table cloth and gleaming silverware was sparkling in the glowing candlelight.

  A log fire was burning in the hearth and a warm heat was thrown out into the room.

  It was a typical English country house setting and during the evening Charles played the eloquent host and Sophie entertained her guests faultlessly.

  When the meal was nearly finished, Jason put down his knife and fork and turned to Beth and made his move.

  Throughout the dinner they’d talked pleasantries and when coffee was being served he thought it was time to turn the talk to business.

  “Have you been at Clifton Hall long . . . Miss Ashton?”

  “About three months,” she explained, “Staying here in the guest lodge has been ideal and really convenient. Depending on the size of a project, it makes life a lot easier for everyone if I’m on site whilst I’m landscaping.”

  Charles was busy refilling everyone’s liqueur glass from the decanter.

  “Having Beth staying in our guest house allows her to come and go as she pleases . . . day or night.”

  Day or night.

  It sounded as if Charles was implying something and there seemed to be a double meaning behind the innuendo.

  If Beth found her hosts words offensive . . . what must Jason and Sophie be thinking?

  “I prefer to be on base if I’m on a project,” she said, feeling the need to clarify. Especially after what Charles had just said.

  She lifted her glass to her lips and took a sip of the creamy whisky liqueur.

  “I usually rent a house for the duration a project, but at Clifton Hall the guest house has been perfect. Now that the landscaping has more or less been completed, I ought to be getting back to my own home in Devon.”

  Sophie became slightly agitated at the thought she was about to lose her landscape and garden designer.

  “But my dear you can’t go just yet. The flower beds have to be planted and then there’s the rockery.”

  “My team is quite capable of completing what remains to be done. There’s really no legitimate reason for me to stay any longer which leaves me free to move onto my next project.”

  Jason swirled his warmed brandy in the glass.

  “So you’ll be free to take on my project . . . if I should offer you one?”

  Beth realised she had fallen into a trap.

  She remembered she had told Jason she
was fully booked.

  She had said that she wasn’t available to take on extra work.

  “I’m afraid not Mr Andre. There’s still work to finish off here and I’ve other clients on my waiting list. My services are needed elsewhere.”

  Charles unexpectedly reached across the table and covered Beth’s hand with his.

  She was surprised at Charles’s actions.

  “Yes . . . I . . . that is we still need Beth’s services,” Charles said ambiguously, “So there’s every reason for you to remain at Clifton Hall . . . isn’t there?”

  His words were suggestive and ambiguous.

  She felt her cheeks burning and turning bright crimson with embarrassment.

  She didn’t know what Charles was implying and Sophie - his wife - was sat at the same table.

  What must Sophie be thinking?

  Trying not to draw attention, Beth carefully started pulling her hand out from beneath Charles’s but she was too late.

  Jason had seen what was happening.

  His eyes were like daggers as he looked at her from across the table.

  One of his thick dark eyebrows was raised questioningly.

  Jason’s piercing eyes were staring at her intently and he was looking at her hand.

  Charles was still holding her hand in a tight grip.

  Jason’s fixed stare was causing her to cringe inwardly. She felt his penetrating eyes sending fearful shivers of dread running along her spine.

  She was horribly aware of the awkwardness of the situation and for no reason at all she shuddered.

  She had nothing to be afraid . . . or had she? She had nothing to hide.

  No matter how it might look, she wasn’t having an affair with Charles. Nothing was happening between them.

  Whatever he might be thinking she had no reason to feel ashamed.

  But she did feel ashamed.

  And when she looked across at Sophie she could see the hurt on Sophie’s face and she felt mortified, because innocently she was the cause of it.

  Beth had no intention of hurting Sophie and she would never consider having a relationship with Sophie’s husband . . . or any other married man.

  When she had first met Charles she’d suspected he was a bit of a Casanova. He was the type. But until now he’d never tired anything on with her.

  Perhaps this evening he was trying to compete with Jason for attention and the lime light. But whatever the reason for Charles coming on strong, she didn’t like his attentiveness.

  She didn’t like being used by any man.

  Eventually she managed to retrieve her hand with some dignity; but she could still feel Jason’s eyes locked on her.

  It was a look of pure revulsion.

  “Jason, do tell us what you’re plans are this weekend,” Sophie asked breaking the awkward silence caused by her husband.

  Jason tore his eyes away from Beth and looked at his sister.

  “If Miss Ashton’s available tomorrow,” he said, “I’d like to show her the layout for the villa in Greece. I need her opinion on the gardens. That is . . . if she’s not too busy . . . with you Charles!”

  The sarcasm and derision in his voice was coming fast and hard.

  As Jason spoke, his eyes moved from Beth to Charles and back to her again.

  She felt Jason was trying to make a point and his message was coming across loud and clear.

  With a dark brows arched questioningly, Jason was looking at her and waiting for an answer.

  She didn’t know what to say and she felt she was being backed into a corner.

  She had no intention of working for Jason.

  She didn’t like the man and she wouldn’t work for him.

  The awkwardness and tension between them was gradually vanishing, but it was short lived.

  Sounding smug Charles announced triumphantly, “I’m afraid you might be disappointed about your plans for the weekend Jason. I’m taking Beth out.”

  The silence in the room was deafening.

  It was as if a bomb had been dropped.

  For a moment Jason said nothing.

  His teeth were clenched rigidly together.

  A pulse was visibly throbbing along his jaw line and he was tightly controlling his rage.

  “Really?” was Jason’s only word.

  Charles looked triumphant.

  “I’m surprising Beth and I’m taking her to a Horticultural Show tomorrow. She was only saying last week she wanted to go to the show in Middleford.”

  Beth was amazed Charles would dare suggest such a thing.

  “Charles no . . . you knew I was going home to Devon tonight. I can’t go with you. I only stayed here this weekend because Sophie’s asked me to see Jason.”

  “I’m sure Jason won’t mind if you looked at his project another time. Will you Jason?”

  Jason began drumming his fingers rapidly of the white table cloth.

  “No, I won’t mind,” he said in a deceptively mild voice, “There’s nothing urgent I have to discuss with Miss Ashton tomorrow, or for that matter, at any other time.”

  Jason’s voice was casual. Too casual.

  There was a surface anger in his tone and his rage was evident for all to see.

  But the fury wasn’t directed towards Charles, it was aimed at Beth.

  She was feeling very threatened so much so that she almost got up from the table to leave the room.

  All she wanted to do was escape and travel in the darkness of night to the security of her own home in Devon.

  For some peculiar reason, Charles behaviour was annoying Jason.

  Inwardly Jason was fuming.

  “Of course Beth can go to the show. The project’s not that important,” he said very casually, “Beth doesn’t have to work for me.”

  Jason sounded bored with the whole subject. But he wasn’t. He was playing cat and mouse with her.

  He had a threatening steel glint in his eye and she knew he could ruin her business if he wished to.

  She didn’t want to work for him, but then again she didn’t want to lose her business reputation.

  She felt defeated and beaten, and although her pride was about to take a bashing she had to save Ashton Landscaper’s good name.

  Quickly and decisively she made a decision.

  “Charles my business obligations are very important to me. Mr Andre is . . .”

  She had said his name and Jason raised a hand and stopped her.

  “It’s Jason. If you’re going work for me Beth, you’re going to have to call me Jason.”

  Work for him!

  No way was she going to work for this arrogant impatient man. But it wouldn’t do to make an enemy of this man.

  She was determined Jason was not going to get her anywhere near his project. At any price.

  Looking Jason straight in the eye she slowly and carefully repeated his name.

  “Jason . . .” she said softly and the stiff sugar sweet smile she had forced on her lips was hurting.

  Mentally she crossed her fingers behind her back.

  “I’m sorry Charles . . . but Jason’s here on business, and business always has to come first.”

  It would be pointless for her to look at any blue prints, but if she refused it might appear she had other plans.

  Plans of an illicit clandestine nature . . . with his sister’s husband, and she couldn’t have Jason thinking she was spending the day with Charles.

  “Is nine o’clock in the library alright for you . . . Jason?” she asked burning her bridges.

  “Yes. Nine’s fine.”

  Strangely for once he felt no jubilation at getting what he wanted.