'Thanks. You look very attractive—but then you always do—to me.' Slipping an arm round her slim waist, Richard said, 'Lord, Zara, I wish you'd marry me. I just know we could be happy together. Do you know, I was glad when they said the flights were cancelled because it meant that I'd be able to see you tonight.'
Zara smiled at the compliment but refused to be drawn into committing herself. Actually she had been quite relieved to know that Richard was going abroad for three weeks because it gave her some breathing space. She glanced at him as she went back into the kitchen; he had all the attributes that went to make a perfect husband: gentleness, clean-cut looks, success, good manners, he was the kind of man you could always depend on to look after you and cherish you. With him, Zara was sure, she could live a very contented life—if she hadn't met Heath first. But having known love once there was no way she could settle for second best. Not yet at least; maybe one day she would change her mind, but she wasn't ready to accept it yet.
She was busy in the kitchen when the doorphone rang again. 'It's okay, I'll get it,' Richard called. A. minute later he put his head round the door and said in a stiff tone, 'It's somebody called Masterson. He said you were expecting him, so I told him to come up.'
'Oh no!' Zara exclaimed in dismay, but it was too late to do anything about it, Heath had already run up the stairs and was pushing open the front door that Richard had left ajar.
'Hallo, Zara,' Heath said cheerfully, his dark eyes assessing the situation. 'I was late getting home and thought I might have missed your phone call, so I came straight over.'
'You didn't miss my phone call because I didn't make one,' Zara answered frostily. Adding, 'As you can see, I'm busy this evening.'
'Yes.' Heath looked at Richard. 'Hallo. I don't think we've met.'
So then she had no choice but to introduce the two men, Richard greeting Heath warily, but Heath completely at ease, as if Richard were the one butting in and not him. To put him in his place, Zara said coldly, 'Richard and I were just about to eat, so if you don't mind…'
'Not at all. I'd be delighted to take pot luck,' Heath answered incorrigibly, deliberately misunderstanding her.
Zara gave a little gasp of annoyance, her colour rising. 'That wasn't an invitation,' she told him roundly.
'Wasn't it? That's a shame.' He smiled at her, a smile that caught at her heartstrings and made her catch her breath. 'Are you going to turn me out into the snow, Zara?' he asked softly, his eyes holding hers.
For a moment she couldn't speak, could only gaze into his eyes. It was Richard who broke the silence. He looked from one to the other of them, his face becoming grim with recognition and disappointment, then said, 'I'm the one who must go. I didn't realise… I should have phoned first.'
'No!' Zara swung round and caught hold of his sleeve. 'You mustn't go. I won't let you,' she said fiercely. But even as she said it knew that she was only begging him to stay because she didn't want to be left alone with Heath. Trying to lighten her voice, she said, 'Don't be silly, Richard. Our meal is ready.'
'Then I'm obviously in the way,' Heath said easily. He looked round the room for the flowers he had sent, then walked ahead of her down the hallway to the front door, leaving Richard in the sitting-room. 'Perhaps you didn't get my message.'
'Yes, I got it,' Zara replied coldly. 'But I chose to ignore it.'
'I see. And the flowers?'
'The porter's wife,' she told him scornfully.
Heath's eyebrows flickered, but he betrayed no other emotion. 'Lucky lady! Does she get all your flowers—or just mine?'
'Just yours,' she said tauntingly.
He nodded. 'That figures.' He gestured towards the sitting-room. 'Are you and he serious about each other?'
'Mind your own damn business!' Zara snapped back.
Heath grinned. 'I thought not. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?'
'No.'
'When, then?'
'Never. I've already told you several times…'
'Yes, I know what you told me. And I'm beginning to think you're hiding behind your so-called principles, Zara.'
'Why should I do that?'
'Because I think you're afraid of me. Or at least of admitting that you once—liked me.'
Liked him! That was the understatement of the century. But Zara shook her head. 'You're quite wrong. I'm not in the least afraid of you.'
Heath studied her face for a moment, then said, 'Just tell me one thing; why did you give me the Panache contract?'
'Because your agency came up with the best ideas, of course. We liked your approach. Why else would I decide to use you?'
'Ah, why indeed. So you don't let personalities interfere with business?'
'No, certainly not.'
But then he shook her by saying, 'Then why, I wonder, do you let them interfere with pleasure? We could have a good time together, Zara, if only you'd give us another chance.'
Her face hardening, Zara yanked open the door. 'One chance with you is enough to last anyone a lifetime, thank you very much. Good night.'
He gave her a sardonic look. 'Enjoy yourself with the boy-friend—if you can. Goodnight, Zara.' And he turned away just as she angrily shut the door in his face.
CHAPTER FOUR
Zara's colour was still high as she went back into the sitting-room. 'Sorry about that,' she apologised. 'I'll just set the table, then we can eat. Would you like to open a bottle of wine, Richard?'
He didn't have to be told where she kept the wine; he had eaten at the flat enough times to know, but the grim look was still on Richard's face as they sat down to eat. 'Do you know Masterson well?' he asked abruptly.
Zara's heart sank; the last thing she wanted was a catechism on her relationship with Heath, but she tried to keep her tone light as she said, 'No, not very well at all. He's the managing director of Masterads, the agency we're using to promote our sportswear.'
He looked surprised. 'It didn't look as if you were just business acquaintances.'
'Well, that's all we are,' Zara said with finality.
But Richard was unwise enough not to take the hint. 'But he would obviously like to become more, wouldn't he?' he pursued jealously.
'Possibly he would,' she agreed. 'But I definitely wouldn't. So let's just leave it, shall we?'
'I'm sorry,' he said stiffly. 'I just thought I had the right to know…'
'No,' Zara cut in fiercely. 'You don't have any rights as far as I'm concerned. No man does!'
He stared at her in shocked surprise, then put down his soup spoon. 'Well, that really tells me what kind of place I hold in your life. And here was I deluding myself into thinking that you cared about me and might one day soon agree to marry me!'
He went to stand up, but Zara put a hand on his arm. 'I'm sorry, Richard. Of course I care about you. You're one of my closest friends. But—but I don't want to get married again.'
Richard sat slowly back in his chair, his eyes fixed on her face. 'Again?'
'Yes. I've been married before. Oh,' she made a dismissive gesture with her hand, 'it was the usual thing. I was far too young and realised almost at once that it was a mistake. It was all over long ago.'
'But it left you scarred?' Richard said slowly.
'Scarred and scared,' Zara agreed, picking up her spoon and beginning to eat again.
'I wish you'd told me. I wish you'd cared enough about me to confide in me. You say that I'm one of your closest—friends, and yet you never told me something as important as your having been married and divorced. It would have helped me to understand why you've been holding me at arm's length.' He looked at her, his pleasant face serious. 'It doesn't make any difference, you know, to the way I feel. I still want to marry you—desperately.'
'I'm sorry.' Zara could only shake her head and look down at the table unhappily. 'I just don't want to get involved again yet.'
'But you already are involved, aren't you?'
'Well, in a way, I suppose. I'm certainly very fond
of you, Richard, and I…'
'No, not with me,' he said impatiently. 'With the man who was here, Masterson. You're emotionally involved with him. I could see it in the way you looked and behaved towards one another. He's your lover, isn't he?' he asked in self-inflicting pain.
Zara gave an incredulous laugh. 'No, he most certainly is not! Why, he's the last man I'd ever want to have an affair with.' She swallowed, forcing herself to speak more calmly. 'The only emotion you saw, Richard, was intense dislike. There are reasons, which I won't go into, why I dislike him so much, and I assure you that the less I see of him the better. And I didn't invite him here this evening, if that's what you're thinking. That was entirely his own idea.'
'Yes, of course.' Richard stood up. 'I'm sorry, Zara, but I don't feel hungry any more, so if you'll excuse me I'll be getting along.'
'You don't believe me? But I've told you the truth, Richard,' she assured him, jumping to her feet.
'I'm sure you have, as you see it. But what's the old quotation about "protesting too much"? You may believe you dislike him, Zara, but you're already more than halfway towards falling in love with him. I'd be willing to take a bet that by the time I get back from Bahrein you and he will be lovers at least.'
'That isn't so!' Zara exclaimed angrily. 'You couldn't be more wrong.'
'No? Well, I certainly hope I'm proved wrong.' Turning away, Richard went into the hall to get his overcoat.
'You will be,' she assured him vehemently. 'Richard, don't go. Stay and finish your meal, please.'
He gave a short laugh. 'The times I've longed for you to ask me to stay! But not just for a meal.' His eyes stared down into hers. 'If you want to prove you really care about me—and that Masterson means nothing to you—then ask me to really stay, Zara. Ask me to spend tonight with you,' he pleaded urgently.
She was unable to answer him and quickly looked away so that he couldn't see the dismay in her eyes.
Richard gave a bitter laugh of self-mockery. 'I knew I was a fool to ask. But which one of us is it you're denying, I wonder—Masterson or me?'
Jerking open the door, he strode out, leaving Zara looking after him in consternation—but she made no attempt to call him back. She shut the door and went into the kitchen, sudden rage filling her at what had happened. If Heath hadn't taken it into his head to come round she and Richard would have spent a pleasant, peaceful evening together. Now she very much doubted if she would ever see Richard again. In a sudden burst of fury, Zara scraped the omelettes off the plates and into the waste disposal, too annoyed to want to eat alone.
Of all the stupid ideas! How could Richard possibly think she and Heath were lovers, of all things? It was absolutely ridiculous! Going into the sitting-room, Z.ira turned on the television set and dropped angrily into an armchair in front of it. But within a minute she turned it off and sat back, feeling unutterably low. And ü was no good telling herself that the heartache was because she had quarrelled with Richard, because she knew very well that it wasn't. It was for a love lost long ago that had come back to touch a heart she had thought hard enough to withstand any assault on it.
An hour later the phone rang and Zara ran to pick it up, sure that it was Richard ringing to apologise. 'Richard?' she said eagerly.
But it was an entirely different male voice that said, 'So he's left, has he?'
She didn't pretend that she didn't know who it was. 'How did you get this number, Heath? It's ex- directory.'
'Memorised it when I was in your flat,' he told her laconically.
Pursing her lips in annoyance, Zara said shortly, 'So what do you want?'
'To apologise for intruding on you and your—er— friend. I hope I didn't cause too much of an interruption.' But he didn't sound at all sorry, quite the opposite in fact.
'Just why did you come here?' she demanded. 'You knew I wouldn't have dinner with you.'
Heath was silent for a moment, then he said slowly, 'Because I kissed you. That night I took you home. It confirmed a lot of things for me.'
Zara's heart turned a somersault at his words and the soft tone in which he had said them, but it was easy to harden it again and say shortly, 'It confirmed a lot of things for me, too. That you were unscrupulous, for example. Also that you're so egotistical that you think no woman can resist you. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not interested in narcissistic men like you,' she told him insultingly.
There was a vibration of anger in Heath's voice as he said, 'I wonder why you take such great delight in being rude to me, Zara? Maybe there's a deep psychological reason somewhere.'
'Or could it be that I find you personally obnoxious?' she taunted him.
'Is that why Richard left?' Heath barbed in his turn.
'Were you as charming to him?'
'Richard has got nothing to do with this. You leave him out of it!'
'I suppose he's in love with you,' Heath went on sneeringly. 'I feel sorry for the poor devil. He'll get no joy from the relationship. Although I expect he'll go on hoping until he realises the truth. Or has he realised already?'
'How dare you?' Zara exclaimed heatedly, realising how near the truth he was. 'I'll have you know I can marry Richard any time I like!'
'Oh, sure. But you won't. Were you keeping him dangling on your line just in case you ever felt like hauling him in? Don't deceive yourself, Zara— something tells me you're fast becoming a man-hater.'
She gave a gasp of incredulous amazement. 'You're crazy! Just because I can't stand you it doesn't mean that I dislike all men.'
'So why me?' he asked quickly. 'What have I done to make you so anti? It's certainly nothing that I've done recently, so it must have been in the past. In those few weeks when we were seeing each other. What was it, Zara?' he said urgently. 'Tell me!'
Realising she had been trapped, Zara took a deep breath and counted to ten, her knuckles showing white as she held the phone. She mustn't let him suspect anything or her own trap would fail. So with a light laugh she said, 'Really, this is the weirdest conversation ! Of course nothing happened in the past. Why, I can hardly remember that time. No, if you really want to know, what I objected to was the way you made a pass over that business lunch, and then had me invited to dinner at the Wards'. I'm afraid that kind of thing makes me very angry. And coming here uninvited tonight—well, I'm sorry if I was rude, but I must admit that Richard and I did row—he was upset when he saw you here, especially when you said I was expecting you. You do understand?'
She tried hard to make her voice sound reasonable so that he would accept her explanation, and he sounded quite different as he said, 'Yes, of course. And it's I who should be apologising. But that's what I intended to do when I picked up the phone. As you say, it all got out of hand somewhere along the line.' He paused, then went on, 'Zara, look, can we start again? Forget all this and just start over? You're one of the most fascinating women I've ever met and I'd like very much to get to know you again.'
'What about Richard?' she temporised.
'I don't think you're at all serious about him,' Heath said after a moment. 'You didn't appear to be.'
'Not everyone wears their emotions on their sleeves,' Zara answered carefully.
'No. But why not try coming out with me and see how you feel about me?'
'I'll think about it,' she answered non-committally, but kept him hooked by saying, 'And in the meantime I expect we'll see each other quite often at the office while you're doing the advertising campaign for us.'
There was a hint of amusement in Heath's voice as he said, 'That sounds as if you're putting me on trial.'
'Maybe I am.'
'Haven't we already gone further than that? We certainly did in the past.'
'Did we?' Zara said coolly. 'I don't remember. And anyway, you said you wanted to start from the beginning again. Goodnight, Heath.' And she put the phone down before he could delve back into reminiscences again.
Zara had told Colin he could handle the publicity campaign, but she was una
ble to stay detached from it, not only because she wanted to see how well Heath's agency kept up to their promises, but also because it was so important. The fun leisurewear market was growing and expanding and if she could break into it with her range of fashionable and colourful, rather than just serviceable, sports clothes, Zara was sure that she would be on to a continuous winner. So, with her usual careful attention to detail, she began checking with Colin on every stage of the preparation and then got so interested that she went to all the discussions on it. Mostly the discussions were with Heath's assistant, Eric Jennings, but sometimes he said he would have to refer back to Heath before making a decision, which annoyed Zara. 'Tell your boss to come himself if he can't delegate the decision-making,' she told Eric roundly.
Colin grinned at this and Zara glared at him, knowing full well that she hated to delegate responsibility in anything important to her. But maybe that was why she was now in the position of power and could make Heath jump to her bidding. Only it didn't work out that way. When she went to the next meeting Heath wasn't there either.
'Where's Mr Masterson?' she asked his assistant.
'He's busy on another contract at the moment, but he's given me a number to call in case we run into any difficulties, but he doesn't envisage any,' Eric told her.
'Oh, doesn't he?' Zara snapped. 'Well, that isn't good enough. Phone him now and tell him to get over here.'
The two men looked at each other, then Eric picked up the phone and got Heath on the line. 'Miss Layston wants you to attend the discussion,' he told him diplomatically. 'No, there's no problem. She just thinks you ought to be in on the meeting.' He listened for a second, then held the receiver out to Zara. 'Heath would like to speak to you.'
Zara took it and said peremptorily, 'Before you start making any excuses, I do not see any point in holding a meeting when Eric has to refer every decision back to you as he did last time. If this contract is so unimportant to you, you shouldn't have taken it on,' she added heatedly.
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