Exquisite Revenge

‘Considering how generous you were in giving me a wardrobe of clothes on Oxakis, I’ve decided to return the favour.’

Jesse glanced at the box suspiciously, as if it might explode, and then back at Luc. ‘What is it?’

He stood back. ‘Take it out and have a look.’

Colour flared into Jesse’s cheeks and she glanced around her. She saw several heads quickly swivel back to work. She could well imagine Luc had chosen something to mete out as much humiliation as possible.

She hissed at him, ‘You can’t just come in here like this. I’m busy. That was an important call you interrupted.’

Luc quirked a brow. ‘You mean like the way you didn’t barge into my office and demand to be heard?’

Jesse flushed even more. So he was following through on his promise of retribution.

She reached for the box and ripped off the bow. ‘If it’s the only way to get rid of you …’

The top of the box came off to reveal gold tissue paper. Jesse pushed it aside to see champagne-coloured folds of material peeping out. Intrigued despite herself, Jesse lifted out the dress. It was strapless and short—exactly the kind of dress she’d seen other women wearing and envied.

She avoided Luc’s eye, feeling horribly vulnerable. ‘I don’t wear things like this. It won’t suit me.’

‘Well, I have a yen to see you in a short dress, so you’re wearing it tonight, at the opening of a gallery in town.’

Before she could respond to his autocratic statement he came and sat on the side of her desk, for all the world as if this was a daily occurrence.

‘Keep going. There’s more,’ he said.

For a second Jesse’s heart clenched hard, painfully. What if things had been different …? What if what had happened on the island between them had been real …?

Mortified to find her thoughts straying into such dangerous territory, she scrabbled through the rest of the tissue and pulled something out. She only realised that she was holding up a strapless wisp of lace that was masquerading as a bra very belatedly, and with cheeks burning stuffed it back into the box.

She stood up, and was not prepared when Luc reached over, put his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close before slanting his mouth over hers.

But this wasn’t like last night’s desperate kiss. This was slow and searching, almost tender, and Jesse had to cling on to the desk when her legs grew wobbly. Luc’s tongue teased her lips, and on a helpless sigh she opened them.

And then, just as suddenly, Luc had pulled away and was standing up, leaving Jesse still comically leaning forward. She sprang back and her eyes spat sparks at him.

He chuckled darkly. ‘Don’t look so fierce. I’m doing your reputation a favour, you know. They say you’re quite the cold fish, but we know otherwise—don’t we, Jesse?’

Before she could explode he’d blown her a kiss and was striding back out of her office. Jesse couldn’t be unaware of the sudden flurry of whispers, or the way several female and some male heads swivelled in his direction for a long time. She sat down and angrily stuffed the dress into the box, then put it on the floor beside her.

She felt that dreaded emotion rising again, and willed it down with everything in her body. She desperately longed to tell Luc where he could shove his non-invitation to go out that evening, but was all too aware that he would most likely steamroller his way over her refusal and come to her apartment and dress her himself … and that thought had a burst of heat flooding her lower body.

Jesse had to face the fact that she’d created this monster by kidnapping him i

n the first place. All she could do for now was go along with him. She had no doubt that with a willing line of beauties waiting for him in the wings whatever appeal Jesse held for him would soon wane. And then she would deal with the fall-out—far away from Luc’s prying mocking gaze.

That evening Luc knocked on Jesse’s door impatiently. Something uncomfortably like panic gripped him inside when there was no immediate answer. If she was going to try to—

The door opened suddenly to reveal Jesse standing there, looking hassled in a robe, holding Tigger. She thrust the kitten at Luc and said, ‘He wrecked the kitchen while I was out today. I’ve just spent an hour cleaning it up. I’ll be ready in ten minutes.’

And she disappeared.

Luc stepped into the apartment holding Tigger, who was looking entirely innocent of any crimes, purring contentedly into Luc’s palm.

This scenario was so far removed from Luc’s normal experience with women that it took a minute to orientate himself. He was used to being greeted by women dressed to impress: coiffured and perfumed and haute coutured to within an inch of their lives.

He went and sat down in the one armchair, and Tigger curled trustingly into his lap. Luc realised that he’d missed the tiny animal. He’d been even angrier with Jesse when he’d discovered she’d not only left the island but taken the kitten too. It had been like a double betrayal.

He took in the spartan nature of her apartment. It looked as if she’d only just moved in, but Luc knew she’d had it for a few years. The ascetic nature of the space matched her style the day she’d come to see him in his office.