Irresistible Temptation (10 page)

'No,' Olivia twisted under his grasp. He was, she realised, totally aroused—and determined. Whereas she…

My God, she thought Surely I'm worth more than this— a quickie up against a wall.

The sudden knocking at the door was like the answer to a prayer.

She found herself thinking, Declan?

Then heard Sasha's voice. 'Olivia, are you all right? Humph has been barking—as if there's a prowler. May I come in?'

'Just a minute.' Olivia ducked under Jeremy's arm, feverishly rezipping her dress.

It's my landlady. You'd better go in the bathroom,' she whispered to him.

'Get rid of her,' he mouthed savagely back at her as he obeyed.

Olivia went to the door, combing her fingers through her hair.

'Dear girl,' Sasha said as she came in. 'Humph is making such a fuss, I thought I'd better check on you. Have you seen or heard anything peculiar? Have any strangers been hanging around?

She was looking her usual exotic self, in slim-fitting black trousers and a tunic top embroidered with poppies, with a black bandanna tied round her hair. She glanced around as she spoke, the bright eyes missing nothing.

'Everything's fine,' said Olivia, torn between conflicting emotions of annoyance and amusement, commingled with relief. She didn't believe there was a possible prowler for one moment Sasha, she had no doubt, was acting on Declan's instructions. 'Humph just heard me come home, I expect.'

'Oh, he's used to you,' Sasha said dismissively. 'He only sounds off if he hears a footstep—or a voice—-he doesn't recognise.'

She gave Olivia a searching look. 'You seem rather flushed, darling. Are you running a temperature? Of course, it has been warm for the time of year.'

'That must be it,' Olivia agreed gravely.

'It's so nerve-racking living on your own,' Sasha went on, with a sigh. 'Declan says I should install panic buttons down here, and in my own part of the house, in case of problems, and I'm sure he's right.' She gave Olivia one of her blinding smiles. 'But you've got your little mobile phone, haven't you, darling? So if you get nervous at any time you can always call me.

'I'll bear that in mind,' Olivia promised as Sasha flitted to the door and, with one last smile over her shoulder, vanished.

'What was that all about?' Jeremy demanded sourly, emerging from the bathroom.

Olivia sighed. 'I think she was telling me she knew you were here.

Jeremy muttered an obscenity. 'I knew she'd be spying for bloody Declan,' he said vengefully. He gave his surroundings a cursory look. 'Well, this is clearly a non-starter as a love-nest I'll have to think of something else. See if I can borrow a key from someone who's going on holiday.'

Olivia bit her lip. 'I don't think I'd be very happy with that'

'What's the matter with you?' He stared at her. 'You come all this way to be with me, and now you're backing off.'

'I came all this way so that we could live together, openly and permanently.' Olivia lifted her chin. 'Not to have a squalid secret affair in other people's beds.'

There was a taut silence, then Jeremy pursed his lips in resignation.

'You're quite right, of course,' he said repentantly. 'I'm sorry, darling, I've been thinking and acting like a sex-starved lout It's just that I want you so much, yet I still have to go on waiting. It's like a life sentence.'

He held out his arms, and Olivia went into them.

'It's frustrating for me too,' she reminded him softly. 'But we do have the rest of our lives to get it right'

'Yes, I know.' His kiss was gentle this time, but brief. 'Now I'd better go, before Mata Hari pays us another visit' He gave a boyish laugh. 'We'll just have to content ourselves with an old-fashioned courtship—walks in the park, trips to the zoo — the whole bit.'

'Sounds good to me,' she assured him tenderly.

He lifted her hand to his lips. 'I'll call you,' he said, and left.

Olivia stood for a moment, looking at the closed door and listening to the silence.

It had not been the easiest evening of her life, she acknowledged ruefully. For a while she'd been shocked— even repelled—by Jeremy's behaviour. He seemed to have turned into a coarse, unpleasant stranger.

But the present circumstances were difficult for them both, she thought, as she began the nightly ritual of locking up. And maybe this bad beginning would have a good ending if it prompted Jeremy to find a fiat of his own. That would be the answer to everything.

Declan could interfere as much as he chose, she told herself defiantly, but everything was going to be all right. She knew it.

Wednesday began with another busy morning at Personal Property. However, Olivia came back from her lunch-break to the news that Vicky Sutton could manage to hobble on her damaged ankle, and would be returning the following day.

'She thinks the place falls apart without her,' Colin confided with obvious affection. 'And she could be right' He paused. 'I've told your agency, and they have another job for you to go to. Call them when you have a moment'

Olivia, whose heart had begun to sink, revived at these words.

Sandra Wilton didn't beat about the bush when she contacted her.

'I'm sending you to Academy Productions tomorrow,' she said. 'We already have one of our older temps working there, someone who retrained after having a family, and I think she's struggling a bit'

She paused. 'They've asked for a PA, because theirs is off sick, but I suspect you'll be answering phones, doing reception, making coffee, and fetching the sandwiches.'

'Oh,' said Olivia, and Sandra chuckled.

'Not your scene, I know, but the money's good, and they use us regularly, so something better might come your way if you hang in there.' She hesitated. 'And I'd be glad if you'd keep an eye on Barbara—give her back-up if she needs it I think her confidence has taken a bit of a battering over the past couple of days.'

'What kind of company is it?'

'An independent outfit, making drama and documentaries for the major television networks. They've won awards, so they're good, and most of the girls like going there. It's casual dress and plenty of buzz.'

Academy Productions was housed in a small square just off Marylebone, occupying the first and second floor of a block which had been formed originally by knocking several old houses together.

The ground floor itself was occupied by an antiques shop, a florist's, and a second-hand bookshop, and there was a glass door at the side protected by a buzzer system with the name of the production company blazoned upon it.

Olivia duly announced herself, and went up a narrow flight of stairs to yet another door, where a small dark-haired girl was waiting.

'Hi,' she said unsmilingly. 'I'm Carol from Admin and I'm here to show you round and get you started.' She paused. 'I hope you do better than your colleague.'

Not a promising start, Olivia reflected, as she obediently hung her jacket on one of the pegs in the women's rest-room.

It was a large open-plan office, well-lit and comfortable with plenty of greenery around, but, rather than the 'buzz' Sandra had referred to, there was an atmosphere of tension you could cut with a knife, Olivia thought as she followed Carol to the front desk, where she'd be starting the day.

'Do you know how this kind of switchboard works?' Carol asked, and appeared marginally reassured by Olivia's nod. 'All the extension numbers are listed here, and if you get into difficulties, scream for help. Don't pretend you can cope. Mimi, one of our part-timers, will be in later to give you a hand.

She paused 'We get a lot of calls from wannabes, so anyone who can't give you a contact name is always shunted to Extension 39 for sorting. And absolutely everyone who asks for J.L. must be routed through Paula, his secretary. She knows who he'll want to talk to.'

Olivia made a quick note on the pad in front of her. 'Right'

'The main door is deliveries, which you check on this screen, and appointments only. You'll find them all listed on the computer.

'And don't worry too much about getting outside numbers for people,' Carol went on. 'Most of them will ask for a line and make their own calls.' She frowned. 'Having said that, will you get on to Hogarth Systems—you'll find their number in the Rolodex—and ask them to send a technician? I've been calling since I got in and their number seems permanently engaged.'

She added a wintry smile, and disappeared.

Well, at least she didn't mention making coffee, Olivia thought, as the telephone began to ring. But if they were all like her, it was no wonder the place seemed fraught.

She felt absurdly nervous, as if everyone was expecting her to fail, but there were no glitches. Whenever she was free, she dialled the number that Carol had requested, but when she eventually got through she found she was connected to an answering machine. She left the company name and number and asked them to make contact urgently.

Mimi arrived at ten-thirty, a tall slim girl with skin like ebony. She wore her hair in dozens of tiny beaded braids, and her skirt skimmed her thighs.

'I'll cover for you,' she said. 'Did Caring Carol show you where to take a break? No? What a bloody surprise.' She pointed. 'Go to the end of that aisle, and there's a door on the left. That's the kitchen. There's coffee, tea, soft drinks in the fridge. Help yourself, and can you bring me a coffee back—white no sugar?

'Thanks.' Olivia hesitated. 'There's another girl from the agency here. Do you know where she works so I can say hello? Her name's Barbara.'

Mimi pulled a face. 'You might find her in the kitchen, weeping into a hot chocolate, or in the restroom using up a week's supply of tissues. She's not flavour of the month just now.'

'What did she do?'

Mimi rolled expressive eyes to heaven. 'Oh, not much. Just lost two draft scripts and the notes for an entire series last night She was supposed to be using Scriptec, and she's only learned Word for Windows—result, disaster. Now someone's had to explain to one of our star performers that several weeks' work has gone down the tubes and he has to start all over again.' She shook her head 'I don't think he'll be pleased.'

'My God,' said Olivia.

Barbara was indeed in the kitchen, a pleasant-faced woman in her early forties, clutching a mug of cold tea as if it was her sole hold on reality.

Olivia checked in the doorway. 'Hi,' she said. 'I work for Service Group too. Is there anything I can do to help?'

The other shook her head. 'It's too late for that I feel terrible. This is my first job, and I did so want it to go well.' There was a little sob in her voice.

Olivia came to sit opposite her at the table. 'Perhaps it isn't as bad as you think.'

'Not as bad?' Barbara stared at her tragically. 'Do you know what I did? I was given this disk, and told to download it on to another master disk. They asked if I knew how, and I said yes, because it never occurred to me that Scriptec was that different. I thought I'd be able to work it out But I couldn't, and I started to panic, and I ended up wiping both of them.'

A tear trickled down her face. 'And now they'll tell the agency, and Sandra will probably sack me, and I'll have to go home and tell them all that I've failed.'

'Don't get upset,' Olivia said gently.

'I can't help it You see, I was really thrilled to be working on this project, because the man fronting it is one of my favourites. He's a real professional. I watch all his programmes, but Derek, my husband, has never been keen. He's always said that he reckoned he could be really nasty—and that he wouldn't like to cross Mm. And now I have,' she added on a little wail.

'Not necessarily,' Olivia said patiently. 'Do you know how genuinely hard it is to lose things permanently inside a computer?'

'And besides,' she went on, warming to her theme, 'it's partly his own fault. If he was a real professional he'd keep back-up disks, and if he hasn't he's an incompetent idiot'

She gave Barbara an encouraging smile, but the older woman wasn't even looking at her. She was staring past Olivia towards the doorway, with an expression that suggested another
Nightmare on Elm Street
was being enacted in front of her.

Olivia suddenly felt very cold. She turned slowly in her chair, and found herself looking straight into the blazing eyes of Declan Malone.

For a moment she stared at him, unable to believe her own eyes or speak. Praying that she was suffering some kind of brainstorm—and that this wasn't really happening.

Oh, God, she thought wretchedly. Out of all the jobs in London, what vicious trick of fate had brought her here— to his production company?

'Don't stop there, Miss Butler.' His tone made ice appear human. 'I'm sure you have other valuable insights into working practice to share with us.' He paused. 'Come on, now. Don't tell me you're lost for words.'

Behind him, Olivia could see Carol, looking horrified, and a number of other people totally agog. She wanted to run, but pride insisted she stand her ground. Brazen it out.

'Not at all, Mr Malone.' Her voice was equally frigid 'I was just recalling what they always say about eavesdroppers. And I stick to what I said earlier. Even a beginner knows you must use back-up on computers.'

His mouth tightened angrily. 'It was an oversight. Up to now my faith in the secretarial service here has always been justified.'

Olivia cast a swift look at Barbara, who had her head buried in her hands, then got to her feet, facing Declan, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

'Start taking responsibility for your own mistakes,' she said tersely. 'And keep your bullying tactics for the television screen. It's less impressive in private.'

She reached across and touched Barbara's sleeve. 'Come on.' she said quietly. 'Let's forget the recriminations, and see what we can salvage instead'

Carol pushed her way forward. 'I instructed this young woman to send fen: a technician, Declan. It seems that she's as incompetent as her colleague. But neither of them will work here again, and if Sandra Wilton wants our business in future then she'll have to fire them.'

'I left a message on the machine at Hogarth's,' Olivia returned steadily. 'But they haven't come back to us yet.' She hesitated. 'But I'm quite prepared to see what I can do.'