Well, one thing was for sure. She tensed as she heard footsteps run across the path outside and then relaxed as Mitch burst into the office alone, his face anxious. She was not going to let Reece Vance within ten yards of her again. Not that he would want to anyway. With beauties like Sharon at his beck and call he wasn't exactly short of female companionship, and he'd made it perfectly clear how ridiculous he'd found her behaviour. And oh, hell, she couldn't blame him.
As she raised her head to answer the barrage of questions that Mitch was asking about the incident before lunch her face was resolute. She would never, ever put herself in such a vulnerable position again. For some reason she just couldn't trust her own body where Reece Vance was concerned, and it was painfully, devastatingly humiliating that he knew it too.
CHAPTER FOUR
Reece called just before she left the office that evening, to ask her to be at the house at eleven on Saturday morning, his voice terse and cool and his manner remote. 'Barbara has informed me she will be arriving about that time and I'm taking her out to lunch at twelve, so be prompt,' he added crisply.
'Of course, Mr Vance.' She was pleased how cool and professional her voice sounded when her insides were quivering like a jelly. 'How is your housekeeper?' she asked carefully, after a deep, silent breath.
'Fine.' There was a moment's pause. 'I understand the operation was a complete success and she will be allowed home after the weekend; she will obviously liaise with you from that point, OK? I'd like you to show her those schedules as soon as possible in case she can pick up on anything we may have missed. And the name is Reece, as you well know,' he added grimly.
'Right.' For the life of her she couldn't add to the monosyllable, and there was another brief pause before his voice sounded again, empty now of all expression.
'How are you feeling, Miriam?' For an awful moment she thought that he was referring to the incident in the car, before lie followed on in the next breath, 'I explained everything to your brother and told him there should be two or three people around all the time. Not that I think there will be any trouble, I hasten to add, but it's safer to be cautious until I hear from this guy. I do not want you or any other woman there alone for the moment; do you understand me?'
Her hackles rose immediately at the authoritative, harsh tone. The cheek of it! Just who did he think he was anyway? This was her business and—
'I said, do you understand me?'
She was about to reply in the same abrupt, tight tone when the memory of how he had dealt with the two men without any thought for his personal safety sprang into her mind. He had helped her, and, not only that, he had taken on the problem that was Gregory himself in order that they wouldn't be troubled by his henchmen again. She was being churlish and petty in objecting to such a reasonable order, but it was the fact that it was an order, spoken in such autocratic, imperious tones, that had set her teeth on edge.
Nevertheless, she had every reason to be grateful to him, and she didn't like herself in this somewhat sour, querulous frame of mind. It was the antithesis of her nature. 'Yes, I understand you,' she responded quietly. 'And Mitch has already advised everyone of the full facts so there shouldn't be a problem.'
'Good.' The hard voice was a shade warmer. 'Goodnight, Miriam.'
'Goodnight.'
After she had replaced the receiver she sat for long minutes trying to regulate the beat of her heart, which had gone haywire the second she had heard his deep, cool voice. That skirmish in the car—it hadn't meant anything, not really. She shut her eyes very tight and clasped her hands together until the nails were biting into her skin. It had just been a kiss that had got out of hand for a moment or two, and after the morning she'd had, not to mention the champagne at lunch, it was hardly surprising. She would probably have reacted the same with almost anyone under the circumstances.
Her pounding heart challenged the lie but she shook her head determinedly, opening her eyes and picking up a piece of paper from her desk quickly as she heard Mitch's footsteps outside.
When her brother entered the office a second or two later he found her deep in work, brow wrinkled as she seemingly concentrated on a row of figures. 'Who was that on the phone just now?' he asked with perfunctory interest as he plumped down in his own chair
. 'I heard it on the extension in the factory but you'd picked it up before I could get to it.'
'No problem.' She smiled brightly as she raised her head. 'It was Reece Vance arranging a meeting with his sister on Saturday.'
'Oh.' Mitch frowned slightly. 'He read me the Riot Act this afternoon,' he said slowly, his tone more than a little aggrieved. 'Wanted to know what I was doing leaving you alone here. Anyone'd think I knew those goons were going to come around! He seemed very concerned about you,' he added thoughtfully as his gaze roved over her suddenly hot cheeks. 'Unduly so, I thought.'
'Don't be silly.' She lowered her head, letting her hair swing in a veil over her burning face. 'He was here when it all happened and it was a bit scary, Mitch. I suppose he feels involved in some way, especially having seen those two men. They weren't the most pleasant of individuals.'
'Hmm.' Mitch continued to stare at her for a few moments more before busying himself with the heap of correspondence on his own desk. 'And that's it?' he asked after a minute or so. 'All this concern because he was here at the time? He took you to lunch, didn't he?' he added somewhat aggressively. 'Why?'
'Why?' She did raise her eyes at this point, to quell her brother with an icy glare. She had had more than enough of male assertiveness for one day, and if Mitch thought that he was going to intimidate her he could think again. 'Why not? I'm not answerable to you about who I choose to have lunch with, am I?'
'No.' Mitch's glance took in her lower lip, set in a distinctly pugnacious line. 'I just don't think Reece Vance is your type, that's all.'
'My 'type'?' she squeaked disbelievingly as her voice rose in line with her temper. 'What on earth has my 'type' got to do with anything? Not that I was aware I had one,' she added furiously. 'The guy felt sorry for me, for goodness' sake! I'd just been accosted by two beefy heavies and cried all over him, so I guess he didn't think he could just wave and leave. No doubt that's exactly what he would have liked to have done,' she added bitterly as Sharon's elegant image appeared in her mind's eye. 'We saw his girlfriend in the restaurant,' she said flatly, noticing the look of anxiety fade from Mitch's face with a trace of wry irony. 'And she is something else.'
'She is?' The relief on her brother's face would have been funny in any other circumstances.
'You'd better believe it,' Miriam said drily. 'So don't worry, big brother; the last person Reece Vance would go for is a little nobody like me. Satisfied?'
'I didn't think-—' Mitch stopped abruptly at her raised eyebrows and grinned shamefacedly. 'Well, maybe I did at that. You're quite a looker yourself, Mim.'
'Pretty average on the whole.' She really couldn't continue this conversation without screaming and breaking something, Miriam thought tightly as her overstretched nerves twanged warningly. 'I think I'll get the rest of these recipes planned out at home after a long, hot bath. Can you give me a lift?'
'Sure thing.' Mitch gathered up some papers from his desk and stuffed them untidily into his briefcase. 'I'll do the same, I think. Sure you don't want to come back and have Mum spoil you a bit tonight?'