First Love, Last Love

‘A—A wedding ring?’ Steve echoed dazedly.

‘That’s right. Now I’ll wish you both goodnight.’ He bent to kiss Lauri gently on the lips. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, darling. Goodnight,’ he added hardly to Steve. ‘I’ll see myself out.’

‘Lauri?’ Steve queried uncertainly when the other man had left. ‘What did he mean?’

She was still trying to recover from the shock herself. Why on earth had Alex made that ridiculous statement? He knew she didn’t want to get married, knew because she had told him herself—That was it! He had said it because he did know she didn’t want to get married—or at least, he thought she didn’t. He had said that because it was a way of saving face and yet still remaining single. It would serve him right if she kept him to it. Of all the—

‘Lauri!’ Steve said impatiently. ‘What did he mean?’

‘He didn’t mean anything,’ she sighed. ‘He wouldn’t have said it if you hadn’t jumped to conclusions.’

‘Jumped to conclusions!’ he said disgustedly. ‘I walk in here and find you both in a state of undress and I get accused of jumping to conclusions. My God, Lauri, you’re naïve! How long have you been seeing him?’

She bit her lip. ‘I haven’t exactly been seeing him. I—We’ve had lunch together a couple of times.’

‘And after two lunches he almost has you in bed with him! Oh yes, I’ll accept that it hasn’t gone that far yet,’ he said at her surprised expression, ‘but good God, Lauri, Alexander Blair!’

‘I know.’

‘Jane will be furious when she finds out.’

Lauri looked away. ‘She already knows.’

‘She does?’ he frowned. ‘But she didn’t mention—’

‘She found out tonight too,’ she told him with a sigh.

‘I bet she was as mad as I was.’

‘Shocked would be a better description,’ she admitted dryly.

‘I’m not surprised.’ He began pacing the room. ‘The man’s too damned old for you for one thing. He’s out of your league, Lauri.’

‘I seem to be managing all right so far,’ but getting more and more out of her depth every minute!

‘So I noticed,’ Steve derided. ‘And what’s all this talk about a wedding ring? You aren’t marrying him!’

Her head went back in challenge. ‘I’ll marry who I damn well please! And for your information, I haven’t been asked.’

‘And if you are?’ His eyes were narrowed.

‘I’ll refuse.’ Although she knew there was no possibility of Alex proposing. This way he had made it seem as if it was her decision not to marry him. As if someone like him would ever propose to a non

entity like her.

‘You—you would refuse?’

‘Of course I would,’ she scorned. ‘You’ve already said it, Steve, the man’s out of my league.’

‘My niece is good enough to marry anyone!’

She had to laugh at his about-face. ‘You are funny,’ she said on his enquiring look. ‘You can’t make up your mind whether to be outraged at the situation you think you interrupted, or indignant because I don’t consider myself a suitable candidate for the role of Mrs Alexander Blair.’

‘So you were the Lauren with the sexy voice,’ he mused. ‘That must have infuriated Jane.’

‘Yes,’ she acknowledged with a sigh, ‘you could say that.’

‘Did she go to Robin’s parents’?’