Fire in the Blood

Luc laughed and so did she, but it was a faintly bitter amusement she felt and Luc watched her face as if reading her response, and frowned.

'I wanted to paint you before I knew who you were,' he reminded her. 'The first time we met I asked if I could paint you. Remember?'

She nodded slowly, remembering; and then thought that she rather liked the idea of being painted by such a good artist.

'Just so long as you don't expect me to take my clothes off,' she half joked.

He shook his head. 'It's your face I'm interested in, not your body.'

'Well, that's a novel approach!' said a cold voice behind them, and Nadine stiffened, her hazel eyes widening in shock.

She had been so absorbed in her conversation with Luc that she hadn't noticed Sean's arrival. He was standing right behind them, his brooding blue eyes fixed on her face in a ruthless dissection of her feelings which was only too bleakly familiar to her. Sean had always been a jealous, possessive man who resented seeing any other men with her, and he obviously didn't believe Luc's claim to be interested in her face rather than her body. What he was trying to guess was whether or not she was interested in Luc, and Nadine resented that probing stare.

She turned on her heel and walked away from both men. If Sean wanted to pick a fight he could do it without her as an audience; she had had enough for one day.

She carefully locked her door and closed the blinds at the windows before she stripped and took a rapid shower. Just as she was towelling her wet hair the phone rang and she ran to pick it up.

'Nadine? It's Greg!'

'Hello, Greg,' she said, curling up on her bed, wrapped in her towelling robe. 'Is anything wrong?'

'Far from it!' he said in a warm, friendly voice. 'The media stuff you did before you left is all out now and we're very pleased with the impact you made. Congratulations. Are you having a good holiday?'

She grimaced, glad he couldn't see her face. 'Yes, thanks.' Apart from the presence of my maddening ex-husband! she thought grimly, but she certainly wasn't confiding that news to Greg Erroll. The fewer people who knew that Sean had followed her out here the better. She was already having nightmares in case the Press got hold of the story. She could just imagine the headlines and she flinched at the thought of what they were likely to say.

'Good,' Greg said briskly. 'Would it be a terrible bore to interrupt it?'

'Interrupt it?' she repeated in disbelief. She might have known! No, come on—she had known! From the minute Luc told her that Greg had rung she had begun to suspect something. Greg Erroll wouldn't have rung her here just to ask if she was having a good time on holiday. He had to have a very serious reason for this call.

'Just for a few days,' he quickly added.

'To do what?'

'I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't something very special,' he coaxed.

'Come out with it, Greg, don't be devious,' Nadine groaned.

He laughed. 'It's a TV appearance, in the States—in Miami, in fact. They picked up

on you from the British Press coverage, and they want you to do a chat show on Friday night. I wouldn't ask you to interrupt your holiday if it was anywhere else, but Miami isn't a difficult trip from where you are! I could have a private plane pick you up, fly you to Miami, to do the show, and afterwards you could spend the night at a hotel... there's a very good one right next to the airport, the Sheraton River House, or you could stay at the Grand Bay, which is in Coconut Grove; that's where I always stay when I'm in Miami. The hotel has the most amazing views over the bay, and I love the food they serve. You might like to spend a couple of days shopping in Miami before you go back. Have you been there? The shopping is terrific.'

She was thinking hard. 'Friday? Would the plane pick me up on Friday?'

'Yes, in the morning, preferably, to give you time to acclimatise, settle down before the show in the evening. Miami is probably a little more humid than where you are. I always find that area of the West Indies rather windy.'

'It's gorgeous at the moment,' she said absently. 'But I gather that they do have some very strong winds and quite a bit of rain in early spring.'

'I obviously pick the wrong time of year.' There was a little silence then Greg asked, 'Well? Will you do it?'

'Yes, I'll do it.'

The warmth in his voice increased. Greg liked people to do what he wanted them to do; it made him like them more.

'Good girl. Now, will you want to fly straight back next day, or stay in Miami for a few days?'

'I'll stay for a couple of days, I think,' she told him, and he laughed.

'I guessed you wouldn't be able to resist the shopping idea! OK, I'll arrange everything for you and be in touch to let you know the details.'