'Nothing,' she answered quickly, 'and I don't dislike you, not really. It's just that…'
'Just that?' he asked coldly.
'Just that your world is so different,' she said weakly. 'I didn't mean anything personal.'
'The hell you didn't.' He glanced at her once and she saw that the grey eyes were deadly. 'Well, in spite of what you may think, I consider your work very important, Katie, and I've just decided where we're going for lunch.' He had spoken as though the two things were synonymous and she stared at him, utterly bewildered, as he put his foot down on the accelerator, his face grim.
They drove for nearly half an hour in absolute silence and as the car ate up the miles she began to feel distinctly panicky. Where on earth was he taking her? she thought helplessly as the butterflies in her stomach began to do cartwheels. She glanced at him from under her eyelashes, intending to ask, and then bit her lip hard before she could form the words. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction but if he tried anything like last night again she would have the mental armour firmly in place.
She had seen her father in action too many times not to recognise that Carlton Reef was dangerous; men of their ilk regarded any show of compassion or tenderness as weakness and would capitalise on such vulnerability without the slightest stirring of conscience. It would seem that he was prepared to help her for the moment but she didn't doubt for a minute that he had reasons for doing so that she knew nothing about, or that he would be quite prepared to throw them to the wolves if it suited his purpose.
'We're here.' They were well into the heart of London now but in the last few minutes had turned off into a richly opulent area of the city where large, elegant detached houses stood impassively behind high walls surrounded by tree-filled grounds.
'Where's here?' she asked warily as he drove the car between two huge wrought-iron gates in a high stone wall and on to a small drive that finished in front of a particularly imposing residence in red brick.
'My house.' He cut the engine and settled back in his seat to survey her coldly through narrowed grey eyes.
'Your house?' she echoed in surprise. 'But I thought—' She stopped abruptly. 'Oh, are we photocopying the papers first, then?'
'Damn the papers.' He gave her one last long look before opening the door and walking round to the passenger side, his face grim. 'Come on.' He opened her door and offered her his hand.
'I don't think I want to come in,' she said warily as she glanced at his cold face. 'I'll just wait here.'
'You damn well won't.' He reached down and jerked her out of the car, his voice harsh. 'And frankly I couldn't care less what you want at the moment, Katie. I've never met a woman—' He stopped sharply. 'like you,' he finished more quietly as he seemed to take hold of his temper.
She knew he had been going to say something more caustic and glanced at him once as he led her, still with his hand holding her arm, up to the wide semicircular area of concrete leading in a gradual slope to the front door. He bent down to insert the key in the lock and she noticed that the keyhole was exceptionally low but still the two things hadn't registered with any importance in her mind as the door swung open and they stepped into the hall.
'Carlton?' As the door directly facing them opened and a young man in a wheelchair appeared in the opening she froze. 'You're back sooner than I expected Anything wrong?'
'Not at all,' Carlton responded easily as he drew her stiff body fully into the hall and shut the door quietly. 'I've just brought Katie home to meet you; anything wrong in that?' Her surprise was so great that she still couldn't formulate the right words in a mind that had suddenly gone blank. 'Katie, this is Joseph, my baby brother,' he added with a grin at the young man looking at them so interestedly. 'Joe, Katie.'
'Hi.' As the wheelchair scudded over to them Katie's wits returned in time with her heartbeat. 'Nice to meet you, Katie.'
'Likewise.' She smiled quite naturally, her eyes w
arm as she glanced down into a face that looked like a younger version of Carlton's but altogether more soft and gentle. 'Carlton didn't tell me he had a brother,' she added as she shook the hand held up to her.
'Then I'm way in front of you,' Joseph responded with a wry grin. 'I've heard quite a lot about a certain Katie White in the last week or so.'
'Have you?' Katie stared at him, her face expressing her incredulity as she tried to get her thoughts in order.
'I share all my business problems with Joe,' Carlton said smoothly as he took her arm again, leading her towards the room that Joseph had just left. 'And naturally the loss of a good deal of money was bound to come up.'
'Of course,' she answered quickly, missing the glance of warning that Carlton sent the younger man, who responded with a wicked grin and quick shrug of his broad shoulders.
'I'll go and organise some lunch.' Instead of following them into the room Joseph turned the wheelchair down the passageway to the left of the front door. 'I take it you are staying for lunch?' he asked Katie directly as she turned in the doorway to what was obviously the drawing-room.
'I don't know.' She glanced up at Carlton who was looking down at her, his face impassive. 'Are we?'
'If you'd like to,' he said quietly.
She looked at Joseph and nodded quickly, her warm smile in evidence again as her eyes met those of the younger man 'I'd love to, thanks.'
'Right, I'll let Maisie know.' He nodded at his brother cheerfully. 'And you can pour me a beer. By the way, Fin not going out again today.'
'I thought you were visiting that site in Kent later?' Carl-ton said.
'Under a foot of snow.' The wheelchair turned and fairly flew down the passageway as Joseph's voice trailed back. 'Meeting cancelled.'