The Helen Bianchin Collection (Mills & Boon E-Book Collections) (149 page)

‘And that would be?'

‘To put you off-limits to other
men.'

‘He might care to remember I put a
ring on
his
finger.'

His gaze sharpened. ‘Problems,
Ana?'

The telephone provided a welcome
interruption, and she wrote down the verbal order, took credit-card details,
then tended to a customer who walked in off the street.

Rebekah's return coincided with
another telephone call, and Ana dealt with it, aware that Luc's cousin was
intent on buying roses. At least two dozen, she determined as Rebekah gathered
them together, then spread Cellophane paper on the work table and carefully
positioned the blooms.

Just as Ana replaced the receiver, a man
entered the shop, chose a prepared bouquet, then bought and paid for it.

Busy
didn't begin to describe it, and Ana checked the orders that should be
ready for the delivery guy to collect on the late-morning run, glanced at the
wall clock, and continued with preparations.

Whatever was happening between Rebekah and
Jace reached a conclusion, and she acknowledged his ‘goodbye' with a
smile and watched as he exited the shop.

‘That man,' Rebekah vented
quietly as she joined Ana at the work table.

‘What about him?'

Rebekah consulted the order book, then
retrieved tissue, Cellophane wrap, and skilfully selected carnations,
baby's breath. Nimble fingers spread them into an artistic display, and
she caught ribbon from a stand of varied ribbon rolls, cut off a length and tied
it within seconds.

‘He doesn't understand the word
no
.'

‘Really?'

‘Do you know what he just did?'
Rebekah didn't wait for an answer. ‘He bought three dozen roses,
paid for them, wrote on a card, then handed them to me.'

‘Such an unforgivable sin,' Ana
declared, tongue-in-cheek, and incurred her sister's glare. ‘What
did the card say?'

“‘Dinner
tonight. Seven.'”

‘Naturally you're not going to
go.'

‘Of course not.'

‘And you'll be out when he
calls.'

‘Got it in one.'

Ana put the completed bouquet to one side,
perused the next order, and began assembling it. ‘Maybe you should share
dinner with him—'

‘Are you insane?'

‘And tell him exactly what you think
of him,' she continued, ignoring Rebekah's interruption.

‘If I didn't know you
cared,' her sister declared with mocking cynicism, ‘I could almost
imagine you
want
me to go out with him.'

‘Not all men are like Brad.'

‘Yeah, sure. Well, excuse me, but I
don't feel inclined to go through the bullshit just to find
out.'

‘Jace is—'

‘Nice? Come on, sweetheart. Most men
present a civil fac¸ade. At first,' she qualified. ‘Then if you
don't
deliver
you get called every name under
the sun. Mr
nice guy
becomes the octopus from
hell.' She drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. ‘And
I've never been one for indiscriminate sex just for the sake of scratching
an itch.'

‘So cocoon yourself in cotton wool and
play it safe?'

‘Yes.'

It was an adamant reply, expected, and one
she chose not to pursue. ‘OK.'

Rebekah slanted her sister a sharp glance.
‘Just
OK
? No verbal lecture?'

‘No.'

‘Now you're pissing me
off.'

‘You want to fight…go fight with
someone else.'

‘Such as Jace? Over dinner?'

Ana hid a faint grimace as she observed the
way
her sister plucked blooms from numerous tubs. ‘The
blooms don't deserve to suffer.'

‘No, they don't.' Rebekah
crossed to the counter and collected the bouquet of roses sitting there.
‘These can go back into stock.'

‘Jace has paid for them in good
faith.'

‘So? I should just leave them
there?'

‘Take them home.'

‘The hell,' Rebekah declared
inelegantly. ‘
You
take them home.'

‘They were a gift to you.'

‘They're going back into
stock.'

Ana paused, then quietly offered,
‘Don't allow a mistake in the past cloud your chance of happiness in
the future.'

‘With Jace Dimitriades? Are you
nuts?'

‘Jace,
personally
,' she pursued, ‘or
any
man?'

Rebekah opened her mouth, then closed it
again. ‘Knowing what I went through with Brad, during and after the
marriage, you're suggesting I dive into shark-infested waters
again?'

‘Sharks
bite
.'

‘And you don't think Jace
will?'

‘If he does, I know you'll bite
back.'

Rebekah threw up her hands, rolled her eyes
in expressive disbelief, then burst into laughter. ‘I give up!'

‘Besides,' Ana ventured with a
hint of devilry. ‘If you bite, you might acquire a taste for
him.'

‘
Hah.
And
the cow jumped over the moon.'

They were saved from further cynicism by the
simultaneous peal of the telephone and the door buzzer.

Business, Ana conceded, took priority. But
it didn't prevent the silent thought that Jace Dimitriades might be just
who Rebekah needed to restore her faith in the male of the species.

It was mid-afternoon when Ana picked up her
cellphone on the second ring, identified Luc's private number on-screen
and activated the call.

‘How do you feel about attending a
movie première tonight?'

‘We're talking gala event, or
slipping quietly into a city theatre?'

‘Fox Studios.'

Definitely
gala
.

‘It slipped my mind until Caroline
reminded me this morning.'

The ultra-efficient secretary who kept track
of Luc's business and social diary.

‘What time do we need to
leave?'

‘Seven. Petros will have dinner ready
at six. Try not to be late.'

For once she managed to get away from the
shop ahead of time. Largely due to Rebekah's prompting, and the help of
their new assistant.

Choosing what to wear didn't present a
dilemma, and she plucked a delightful multi-layered gown from its hanger, spread
it on the bed, and paused to admire the brilliant mix of deep blue and
peacock-
green. A luminous thread made the colours
shimmer beneath the light. Exquisite for evening wear, it highlighted her blonde
hair and matched her eyes.

‘What is the movie, and who are the
lead actors?' Ana queried
en route
to the
studios.

‘The lead actress is an American-based
Australian, so is the producer.'

Of course. She'd read about its
upcoming release in numerous publicity slots on television. It promised to be
colourful and amusing, as well as entertaining.

Parking wasn't a problem, and they
joined fellow guests entering the auditorium.
Invitation
only,
it was a glamorous event with several city socialites and
notables attending.

Celine's presence was guaranteed. The
only thing Ana could hope for was they were seated far apart.

Social mingling was a refined art, she mused
as a fellow guest called Luc's name. There were pleasantries to exchange,
the occasional opinion that touched on business…and the need to have
instant recall of a host of names.

She had to hand it to Luc…he
didn't appear to falter.

‘You possess an awesome memory,'
she murmured as they moved forward, and he cast her a musing look.

‘It's an acquired
skill.'

‘Very much part of
business
.' She hadn't meant an edge of
cynicism to creep in.

‘An essential courtesy,' he
elaborated, his gaze
sharpening as he caught the nervous
slide of her fingers over the elegant beading of her evening bag.

‘I can promise she won't get
near you.' His voice was calm, unruffled, and Ana cast him a startled
glance.

‘You intend sticking to my side all
night?'

A tinge of amusement momentarily softened
his features. ‘Like glue.'

‘This could get
interesting.'

His fingers threaded through her own.
‘I'm counting on it.'

‘United we stand?'

His expression sobered, and she caught a
brief glimpse of the steely determination exigent. ‘Yes.'

So his aim was to present
togetherness
. Just
how
together did he intend them to portray?

Very,
Ana
conceded, half an hour later. The light brush of his fingers down her arm; the
arm loosely circling her waist; the way his fingers sought her nape and effected
a brief, soothing massage there; the way his palm rested between her shoulder
blades and moved fractionally.

It represented a tactile reassurance as they
stood conversing with fellow guests, and there was a part of her that wished it
was for real.

Her body felt alive with evocative
sensation, and she was almost willing to swear she could feel the blood course
through her veins, activating all her nerve-ends.

Was it possible to tune in to someone to
such a
degree you felt you were meant to be like two halves
of a whole? That only
this
person was your soul
mate, never to be replaced by anyone else?

Love.
Unconditional, abiding love. A gift without equal…beyond price.
Reciprocal, it represented heaven on earth.

A light, fleeting touch to her lips caused
her to start in surprise, and she was powerless to still the surge of emotion
that rose from deep inside as she met Luc's unfathomable gaze.

For a moment she was acutely vulnerable, and
she caught her lower lip with the edge of her teeth to prevent their faint
tremor.

Had he glimpsed what she tried so
desperately to hide?

His finger traced the curve, lingered at its
edge, then he lowered his mouth to hers in a sweet evocative kiss that was all
too brief.

She felt her eyes widen, and her voice
emerged as a shaky whisper. ‘What was that for?'

His smile completely disarmed her.
‘Because I wanted to.'

Oh, my. For a few heightened seconds she
wasn't conscious of anyone else. There was only Luc, and the moment.

Ana saw the inherent strength apparent, the
integrity…and something else. Then it was gone, and she wondered if
she'd imagined a quality beneath the slumbering passion evident.

Get a grip,
she
cautioned silently as she blinked
rapidly to dispel the
image. He's merely playing a part.

There was a need to re-focus her attention,
and she glanced idly round the auditorium, catching sight of a familiar face
here and there…and found herself trapped in Celine's gaze.

Venom was reflected there. Sheer,
unadulterated hatred.

It was as if time hung suspended, and Ana
unconsciously held her breath. She lifted a hand to her throat in protective
self-defence, then sought to cover the gesture by touching the diamond pendant
resting there.

Dear heaven. How could anyone be filled with
such malevolence? Or be so possessed by an obsessive emotion that it led towards
destruction?

A shiver of apprehension slithered down
Ana's spine. Premonition? But what? And where and when?

This was a civilised society, and Celine
moved among the echelon of Sydney's wealthy élite. Realistically,
what damage could she cause?

It was one thing to be prone to envy and
jealousy, but quite another to act on it.

‘Ana. Luc. How nice to see you
here.'

Ana recognised the feminine voice and
entered into conversation with one of the city's society matrons whose
untiring support to charity organisations was legendary.

It produced, as it was meant to, an
invitation to an upcoming event during the following month.

‘You're keeping well,
Ana?'

A polite query, or had the woman heard news
of her pregnancy? Word flew with the speed of lightning in the social set.

‘Fine, thank you.'

She was spared anything further by an
announcement over the speaker system advising the guest stars had arrived and
would soon be entering the auditorium.

Red carpet, security…light background
music. It was all part of the hype and glamour of the evening.

As one, the invited guests turned towards
the red carpet waiting for the first VIP to enter, and Ana felt Luc's arms
circle her waist as he drew her back against him.

His breath was warm as it fanned her cheek,
and she gave in to temptation and leaned in to him, exulting in the way his arms
tightened a little.

Held like this, she could almost imagine
everything was right in their marriage. That he adored her, and nothing,
no one
could come between them.

To know, irrevocably, the night and every
night for the rest of their lives would end with a shared intimacy that was
uniquely theirs…

A reverent hush was heard through the
auditorium as the first star guest appeared at the head of the red carpet,
followed soon after by another.

The female lead was exquisitely dressed, her
long
hair beautifully styled, make-up expertly applied, and
a figure to die for.

Recent emotional tragedy had marred her
life, but it was undetectable in her smile, her soft laughter, the way she
crossed from one side of the red carpet to the other as she paused to greet
guests who'd come to see her.

As an actress, she was superb, and Ana
silently applauded her in admiration for her ability to put her personal life
aside in public.