A Business Engagement

by Jessica Steele

  ‘I couldn’t help it. There you were, gorgeous, innocent, uncaring of money. I just had to,’ he said simply. ‘But almost immediately realised I’d better check such impulses.’

  ‘But when we came back from dining with Solène and Luc you kissed me again,’ she reminded him, adding, with all honesty, ‘Well, I helped a bit, by kissing your cheek, I suppose.’

  ‘And what was meant as only a light kiss after that got a little out of hand,’ he admitted. ‘I barely slept all night for thinking about you.’

  ‘Was that why you were such a grouch the next morning?’

  ‘How else would I be, sweet love? You’d got me so I didn’t know where I was. I just couldn’t have you wrecking my concentration at what was a very important meeting.’

  ‘So you told me to go and shop!’

  ‘And felt a swine for doing it—so I just had to tell you I needed you there at lunch. And—my darling, the moment I saw you I knew then that I was heart and soul in love with you.’

  ‘Oh, Carter,’ she sighed blissfully.

  She knew more bliss when he revealed, ‘Knowing you’d be too much of a distraction if I took you with me to my business meeting that night, I came to see you on my way out. And there you were, in complete contrast to the sophisticated woman I’d seen at lunchtime, all scrubbed and cuddly—and I fell in love with you all over again.’

  ‘Truly?’ she gasped.

  ‘Oh, love,’ he cried, and kissed her, oh, so tenderly. And kissed her again. Many minutes later, he seemed to remember there were still some matters to be cleared up. ‘Where was I?’ he asked.

  Ashlyn sighed, her cheeks pleasantly flushed. ‘I—er—you were telling me how you fell in love with me all over again,’ she reminded him softly.

  ‘Sweetheart.’ He kissed her, and when she immediately began to respond again he breathed, ‘My God, Ashlyn, you do a man’s brain in.’ And he seemed to love it when she laughed lightly with delight. ‘But, to go back, it was then that I realised I’d better get my business done with all speed so as to get back to England sooner. Then I hoped to see if there was any remote possibility that you might care for me.’

  ‘You—um—hadn’t guessed that I—er—cared quite a lot for you?’

  ‘Not then,’ Carter answered. ‘You’d sent me away with your acid “Have a good time—with your business!” ringing in my ears. It was total distraction,’ he said ruefully. ‘There was I, trying to concentrate, and there were these three words “with your business” going around in my head. Did you not believe I was attending a business appointment? Did you think I’d gone to meet some female? Were you jealous? Did you care? I finished my business as soon as I could and rushed back to the apartment, knowing that I was going to have to take things very slowly. Perhaps we’d dine after all. Perhaps I’d show you something of Paris by night.’

  ‘Only I wasn’t in. Oh, Carter, I wish I had been.’

  ‘So do I, my dear love. Instead, while I was going quietly demented, you were fighting off that lecher Boirel!’

  ‘And I got back to the apartment, only to have a fight with you.’

  ‘Only for a few minutes, until I’d got myself under control after the relief of seeing you. Poor, poor love. Then, while I was doing what I could to comfort you, my heart started to race with hope when you said you wanted to be close to me. Was it just that you were in need of decent human warmth, or did you care a little for me?’

  ‘Which did you decide?’ Ashlyn asked huskily.

  ‘I didn’t. Couldn’t. You were at your most vulnerable just then. I knew I had to look after you. I wanted to look after you. But I kissed you a little so that you’d know that not all men were lusting monsters—I think I had some vague notion at the start that I’d hold you until you were asleep, and then go.’

  ‘It—didn’t work out like that,’ Ashlyn offered shyly.

  ‘It did not,’ Carter agreed. ‘Before I knew it we were in the throes of lovemaking. But, even though my conscience had been getting at me for some while, it wasn’t until I heard you actually apologising for your wonderful innocence that I was shaken into wondering, What in God’s name am I doing? It was then that I realised I hadn’t been thinking at all—but that for you, for me, for my hope for the future, I had better start—and quick. It was as my brain started to reactivate itself and I tried to end our lovemaking that I knew you needed a sedative, not a stimulant. You’d been traumatised and had been shaking after what you’d been through. And now, possibly still in shock, you were trembling from an emotion that was new to you, and which was probably confusing you more than a little.’

  ‘I don’t remember feeling confused,’ she owned gently.

  ‘Well, I was,’ Carter confessed. ‘All I knew for certain was that because in effect you worked for me, because it was I who’d brought you to France, but, most of all, because you were most dear, most precious to me, I should be protecting you. Almost too late, my lovely Ashlyn, I realised I was taking advantage of your shock, your vulnerability, and was not protecting you at all. Later, you might have hated me—and it was not your hate that I wanted.’

  ‘I could never hate you—not now,’ Ashlyn murmured. ‘Though all I knew then—because I’d been so clinging—was that I would never be able to look you in the face again.’

  ‘Oh, my proud love! Is that why you left and refused to see me?’

  ‘I wouldn’t have done if I’d known,’ she answered openly—and was soundly kissed for her trouble.

  ‘Instead you returned to England, leaving me tearing my hair out because you’d put up a barrier which I didn’t know how to get through.’

  ‘You managed it, though,’ she smiled. But added quickly, ‘There isn’t any board meeting this morning, is there?’

  ‘No, my love,’ he smiled. Then he paused, and he was never more serious than when he went on, ‘And neither you nor I will be here for the next one.’

  ‘You do know that the first I heard that I was to be a board member was when my father—’ She broke off, blinked. ‘Why won’t we be here for the next board meeting?’ she asked, totally innocently.

  ‘Because, my darling, we’ll be away on our honeymoon,’ Carter replied.

  ‘Honeymoon?’ she gasped.

  ‘You do agree to marry me?’ Carter asked, his voice quick suddenly, strained and urgent.

  She smiled, and sighed with pure joy. ‘I’m sure the board can manage without us for a week or two,’ she accepted.

  ‘More than a month or two,’ Carter growled.

  ‘Oh, yes to that too,’ Ashlyn said softly.

  ‘Kiss me,’ he demanded.

  He was her chairman, her love—his wish was her command.

  ISBN : 978-1-4592-7029-9

  A BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT

  First North American Publication 1997.

  Copyright © 1997 by Jessica Steele.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills. Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

 

 

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