The Marriage Solution

She heard Jennifer's car draw up outside and then the sound of her sister's key in the lock at the same time as Mrs Jenkins appeared from the kitchen at the end of the hall.

Well—she squared her shoulders as she prepared to tell them her news—this was where the acting began and it had better be the performance of her life. If she couldn't convince them she would never convince her father and too much depended on her for her to fail.

Carlton arrived dead on eleven the next morning and, init was Jennifer who got to the door first, opening it with a dramatic flourish and smiling up at him with as much charm as she could muster, considering she was green with envy.

'Have I got the scoop of the year or what?' She slanted her eyes at him with more than a faint touch of malice in their fight blue depths. 'I take it I can print the news Katie told me last night?' she added smilingly. 'Especially as you are going to be my brother-in-law.'

'I thought you'd be pleased.' Carlton's voice was very dry.

'Oh, I am, I am.' She watched him carefully, her eyes speculative. 'Mind you, I think you're marrying the wrong sister.'

'Is that so?' He smiled down at the slightly feline face in front of him, recognising the social repartee and a little amused by it, but as he opened his mouth to say more Katie walked down the stairs, and when Jennifer saw the look in his eyes as he gazed at her sister she accepted defeat.

'My, my, my, so it's really true…' she drawled softly as Katie reached the bottom of the stairs, and as Carlton sent her a swift glance from narrowed eyes she smiled again, her face even more cat-like. 'Wedding-bells and orange blossom even? I have to admit I did wonder if anything untoward was going on last night when Katie told me you were going to get married.'

'Once the reporter, always the reporter, Jennifer?' Carlton asked as Katie joined them. 'Sony to disappoint your fertile imagination but this is just a case of good old-fashioned romance, isn't it, sweetheart?' As he bent to take Katie's lips in a swift but possessive kiss she didn't have to act the immediate response her body made to the intoxicating smell and feel of him.

'Love at first sight?' Jennifer asked softly, her eyes tight on Carlton's face as he drew Katie to his side, his arm round her waist. 'Just like all the best stories?' she added cynically.

'For me, most certainly.' He smiled lazily as he held Jennifer's gaze. 'Katie took a few days longer but I convinced her she couldn't live without me in the end.'

'Lucky old Katie.' Jennifer smiled sweetly but the pale blue eyes remained as hard as glass. 'Who would have guessed? It looks like Dad's little bit of misfortune was destiny, after all.'

'And that's not as bad as it could have been.' Katie entered the conversation for the first time, treading warily. Her sister was too cute by half and the years of being a reporter had honed her natural sense of shrewd cunning to rapier-sharpness. It was clear that she was suspicious of this whirlwind romance, although Carlton's easy, assured handling of the affair this morning had mellowed the edge of hard scepticism in the slanted blue eyes.

'Storm in a teacup,' Carlton agreed smoothly. 'Now, if you'll excuse us, Jennifer, I've got a few things to discuss with my new fiancée.'

'Oh, don't mind me.' Jennifer looked distinctly put out as Carlton turned from her with a dry smile. 'I'm just part of the furniture.'

'I'm taking you out to lunch.' As the dark grey eyes rested fully on her face Katie felt her senses leap helplessly.

'Can we leave now?' he asked softly, his voice warm on her overwrought nerves.

'I'll get my coat.' Anything to escape Jennifer

's hawklike stare! she thought hurriedly.

As they drove away Katie was aware of Jennifer's face at the window and raised a hand in farewell which was ignored. 'Your sister doesn't approve of me?' Carlton had noticed the little by-play with some amusement, a cynical smile curving the hard sensual mouth.

'Oh, she approves of you all right,' Katie answered candidly. 'It's me she doesn't think much of. She thinks she'd make a far better Mrs Reef than I.'

'And what do you think?' he asked her softly.

'I think she's right,' Katie answered honestly, after a moment of hesitation. Well, he had asked, and that was exactly what she did think, after all.

'That devastating honesty.' He glanced at her briefly and she saw that although his mouth was smiling his eyes were cold. 'I shall have to remember only to ask you questions I might like the answers to. I don't know how much of this my ego can take.'

'I didn't mean—' She stopped abruptly. 'Well, you know women find you attractive, don't you?' she said uncomfortably. 'And Jennifer—'

'What about you?' he interrupted her coolly at the same time as he pulled off the main road on to the verge and cut the engine almost in one movement. 'How do you find me?'

She stared at him warily. She hadn't seen him in this mood before. The cold, ruthless, austere Carlton Reef of the business world was gone but in his place was someone… Someone she wasn't sure how to react to. His eyes were still veiled, giving very little away, his face cool and slightly mocking, but there was something… She swallowed silently as fire trickled down to her nerve-endings.

'Katie—' He stopped as though searching for the right words as she gazed at him. 'We're entering into this thing for our own reasons; you know mine and I know yours.'

He paused and glanced away out of the window, his eyes remote. 'And I'm aware that I'm not your ideal man, so don't worry that I shall expect any protestations of undying love, either now or in the future.' The dark eyes swung back to her for a second but she couldn't read anything in their cool greyness. 'But if I've misread the signals, if you don't find me even physically attractive…well, human sacrifices were never my scene.' He eyed her as her cheeks burnt scarlet.

What on earth did he expect her to say? She could feel her face growing hotter and hotter. 'I do.' When the ensuing silence got too much to bear she forced the words out. 'Find you physically attractive, that is.' Too much for comfort, she added silently.