The Sex War

Lindsay sat down. She felt cold, she thought of her brother desperately, struggling to raise the money to repay that loan and she wanted to cry. What do you ever know about other people? Stephen hadn't given her any idea that all this was on his mind, he had been wearing a bright smile whenever she was with him, yet all the time he must have been out of his mind with worry.

'Why didn't he say something?' she asked, mostly talking to herself. 'Why keep it to himself? Not even to tell Alice—how stupid can you get?'

Daniel shrugged, cynicism in his smile. 'Alice is the sort of woman men try to protect, she can't take pressure, as we see.'

'What would you know about Alice?' Lindsay flung back at him with barbed hostility. 'About any woman, come to that?'

His smile died away, and, the grey eyes hardened. 'Don't snarl at me, Lindsay. I'm only trying to help your brother.'

'Accepting help from you is like taking it from a tiger,' Lindsay said bitterly. 'When you offer to help someone, you usually end by swallowing them whole. Stephen won't have a company at all by the time you've finished with him.'

'Thank you,' he said harshly. 'Your gratitude is overwhelming.'

'You want gratitude too?' Lindsay mocked angrily. 'As I remember you, the price tag on your help is high enough without any value added tax of that sort.'

He didn't like that remark; the hard-boned face tightened and a dark red stain washed through the brown skin.

'Don't push me, Lindsay, I might hit back, and you wouldn't like that, believe me.'

'I'm not afraid of you!' Lindsay threw at him, shaking with temper. She was lying, she was afraid of him, she was terrified of what would happen to Stephen and his firm if Daniel Randall decided to take an interest in it. Daniel enjoyed acquiring other firms, streamlining them into profitability through ruthless asset-stripping and what he called rationalisation, which meant in practice that he cut man-power and a lot of people lost their jobs. It was undeniable that the firms usually seemed to make more money afterwards, but Lindsay had been appalled by what she saw of her husband's cold-blooded, hard-headed business techniques. It had all fitted the other things she had learnt about him! Daniel was merciless in the pursuit of his own way.

Daniel took a step towards her and she shrank back against the couch cushions; her skin prickling with nerves as she suddenly became aware that they were quite alone down here and that all around them the house was silent.

'I thought you weren't afraid of me?' Daniel asked in dry menace, watching her restless eyes as she looked towards the door. 'What's the matter, Lindsay? Not quite as brave as you thought you were?'

'I just don't like being loomed over, that's all,' she said sulkily, looking back at him, and he smiled in a fashion which sent waves of heat up her body.

'I'd better sit down, then, hadn't I?'

She realised her mistake at once, but it was too late; he had sat down next to her, that long, lean thigh touching her, his body turned towards her, his eyes travelling in lazy speculation from her flushed face downwards over her white silk blouse and pleated skirt to her long, shapely legs. His gaze came back to her face at last, after he had reduced her to a seething cauldron of fury and resentment over the way he was inspecting her, but her open rage merely made him laugh.

'Aren't I allowed to look? You're still stunning, but I'm sure your boy-friend tells you that.'

'Boy-friend?' she repeated, startled, staring into his watchful eyes.

'The guy who left just as I arrived—I saw him getting into his car after a long kiss. Is it serious? Planning to marry him?'

'Mind your own business, what's it got to do with you?'

'Just curious,' Daniel said with a casual shrug. 'What's his name? Do I know him?'

'Not as far as I know. His name is Aston Hill.'

'It's what?' he asked laughing, and her flush deepened resentfully.

'What's funny about that? I like his name, and I like him, too; Aston's a wonderful man.'

'I'm sure he is,' agreed Daniel and she heard the bland, mocking note in his voice and glared at him.

'He is!'

'Did I deny it?'

'You were making fun of him, don't think I didn't hear you. I'll tell you this—he's worth ten of you.'

'In what way?' he asked in all apparent soberness, but the glint in the grey eyes betrayed that he was still having fun at her expense and Lindsay looked at him with bitter dislike. 'Financially or…'

'All you think about is money,' she muttered. 'No, he isn't as rich as you are, but…