A Stranger's Kiss

would have been a moment too long but without warning he stood up with her, surprising a soft cry from her lips. He smiled then, and set her gently on her feet.
    ‘You’re right, Tara. Better check the printer. Then I’ll walk you home.’
    Her hands were shaking as she shuffled the papers into some semblance of order. She managed to slip them into a folder and turned, holding it as a kind of defence against him as he followed her into the office.
    He took the file from her and threw it onto her desk. ‘Come on. It’s late.’ He helped her into her coat, his face expressionless as she pulled nervously away and quickly fastened the buttons. He summoned the lift and stood back to let her in. He paused with his finger on the button. ‘I never gave you the promised grand tour.’
    ‘I think I’ve seen more than enough,’ she murmured, but she refused to meet his eyes.
    ‘Enough for tonight,’ he agreed.
    They walked in silence along the quiet street and turned into the mews.
    ‘I’ll see you in the morning, Tara,’ he said, and took the wayward strand of hair that never wanted to stay tidily in place and tucked it behind her ear. For a moment his fingers lingered there against the sensitive skin, threatening to upset the delicate poise of her equilibrium and pitch her into his arms.
    ‘What time do you want me to start work tomorrow?’ Tara asked, jerking away from his touch.
    ‘Whatever time you arrive, my sweet, you can be sure I will already be at work,’ he drawled, impudently aware of the effect he was having.
    She risked a defiant smile. ‘You don’t really expect me to fall for that one, do you, Adam? I’ll be there at nine. A fourteen-hour day is about my limit.’
    ‘We’ll see.’ He bared his teeth in a smile and raised his hand in salute. ‘Goodnight, Tara.’
    She closed the door and leaned heavily against it for a moment, still feeling the dangerous heat of his fingers against her skin. Her hand strayed to the spot and she jerked it away, furious with herself. Adam Blackmore was an arrogant, overbearing tyrant who knew nothing about her. He just thought she would make a temporary substitute in every way for his secretary, poor woman. Well, that wasn’t her scene, she thought angrily. No matter how attractive, how desirable he might be.
    She pushed herself away from the door. The first thing she needed was a warm drink if she was going to sleep. And every fibre of her being told her she would need all the sleep she could get. Every nerve ending was jangling from a day in the presence of Adam Blackmore.
    She pulled a face. Forget the day. Every nerve ending was jangling from a few moments curled in his lap fighting all the instincts that urged her to wrap her arms around his neck and let him take her on that grand tour.
    Her fingers strayed to her little brooch. ‘Some help you were,’ she said, then lifted the framed portrait from her mantelpiece and looked at it long and hard. The face that smiled back was unbelievably young, from another world when she was eighteen and life was very simple. ‘Why did it have to be him?’ she demanded. But the photograph had no answer and she replaced it with a sigh.
    The light was winking on her answering machine, but she ignored it. It could wait until she had made her cocoa. She set some milk to boil and quickly changed into a pair of pink and white spotted pyjamas and slipped on a matching wrapper.
    She made some cocoa, then set it on the coffee table and stared at the answering machine for a moment. It was probably nothing important. Nothing that wouldn’t keep until the morning. Still. She pressed the button.
    There was a sharp rap at the door. ‘Drat the man,’ she swore to herself. She flung open the door. ‘Adam this isn’t funny...’ The words trailed away. ‘Jim.’
    ‘I have got to talk to you, Tara.’ He pushed passed her before she could close the door.
    The recording clicked in and Beth’s voice filled the room. ‘Tara, Jim Matthews has been at the office again today. Blasted man actually offered me money to tell him where you live.’ She chuckled. ‘If he hadn’t been so cheap I might have been tempted. I forgot to mention it when you phoned, but I thought you’d better know that he hasn’t given up.’ The machine clicked off and began to rewind.
    Tara turned on Jim Matthews. ‘Have you any idea what time it is?’
    ‘I’ve been waiting all evening to see you.’
    ‘Waiting where?’ she demanded. ‘You