A Physical Affair

CHAPTER ONE

KEIRA gazed up at the larger-than-life-sized portrait that was so skilfully lit. Eden Cassidy.

Just two short days ago he had merely been the celebrated chief of Cassidy-Ford Publishing Corporation, the media conglomerate that owned the magazine where Keira worked as an assistant editor. Technically he was her boss but she’d never actually met the man whose name and face were known worldwide.

Oh, she’d seen him from a distance at a meeting once and she had to admit he was nothing if not a dynamic speaker. And, to add even more colour, the head of Cassidy-Ford Publishing was also renowned as a man who spoke his mind, who definitely didn’t suffer fools gladly. His sparse, very short and to-the-point memos, bearing his strong, forceful signature, attested to that fact.

And then he was regularly interviewed by the whole spectrum of the media who had made tracking him down into almost a national sport.

Now Keira stood in the library of the Cassidy mansion north of Sydney gazing at Eden Cassidy’s lifelike image and she shivered with anticipation, mixed with a definite trace of uneasiness. For at some time this weekend she would surely have to come face to face with the man himself.

And, in view of that small incident a short time ago, she had grave doubts that she had made the best of impressions.

Not for the first time she admonished herself for allowing herself to be manoeuvred into this ambivalent position.

Had it only been Thursday morning when Daniel Cassidy had come into her office with his ridiculous request? And as usual he’d interrupted her when she had been up to her ears in work.

‘Look, Daniel, I’m far too busy to be discussing this with you now. As well you know.’ Keira had berated him without glancing up from the stack of submissions on her desk.

‘All plain excuses, Keira. You could get this magazine out with your hands tied behind your back and your eyes closed.’ Daniel leant across her desk to blow a puff of breath lightly on her ear. ‘So, how about it?’

‘Daniel!’ Keira sat back in her chair, her fingers going involuntarily to her neck where a wisp of fine fair hair had escaped from her chignon. ‘Don’t do that!’

‘Ah ha! Now I have your attention.’ Daniel grinned at her engagingly.

And that he was an extremely engaging young man, Keira couldn’t deny. Tall. Fair-haired. Blue-eyed. Intelligent. Rich. And, to top it all off, very nice.

‘Daniel, please.’

‘Why won’t you come with me?’ he asked earnestly.

‘Just one minor reason. Because I’m a decade older than you are, that’s why.’

Daniel gave a scoffing laugh. ‘How you adults do exaggerate,’ he mocked. ‘You are but eight years-’

‘Nine,’ Keira put in, ‘which is nearly a decade.’

‘OK,’ Daniel acquiesced. ‘You are nine years my senior, which suits me just fine because I’m more than partial to older women.’

‘At the risk of denting your adolescent ego, I’m not into younger men. Sorry,’ she added wryly.

‘How do you know if you haven’t tried one?’ He straightened and folded his arms, looking down at her with overstated seriousness. ‘As a toy boy, I’m renowned, the cream of the crop so to speak.’

Keira laughed lightly, wondering what he’d say if she gave in to the urge to ruffle his stylish fair hair. I’m sure you are, Daniel. Maybe that’s why I wouldn’t be able to trust myself with you.’

‘I can be trusting enough for both of us,’ he put in quickly, and Keira shook her head.

‘Incorrigible, but tenacious.’ She smiled as she rested her elbows on her desk, her chin in her hands. ‘Which is why you’re going to make a pretty good newspaper man-’ she paused and raised her eyebrows ‘-when you grow up.’

‘Now that was below the belt.’ Daniel subsided into the chair behind him and sighed. ‘Do you really mean that, Keira? The newspaper man bit?’

‘Yes, I do. And don’t pull the insecure young person performance on me,’ she said levelly. ‘You know exactly who and what you are.’

At nineteen Daniel Cassidy had more maturity than a lot of thirty-year-olds possessed, Keira knew. Certainly more than Dennis had had. She sighed and pushed her ex-husband out of her mind.

‘And for what it’s worth,’ Keira continued, ‘I find that admirable.’

Daniel pursed his lips. ‘Then why won’t you come with me on Saturday? It’s only until after lunch on Sunday and I promise you’ll have your own room. With a lock. And a chain. Should any lecherous intentions arise,’ he added with an impertinent twinkle in his eyes.

With no little difficulty Keira controlled the blush that threatened to colour her cheeks. Fair skin had more disadvantages than the fact that it was susceptible to the sun. She had just turned twenty-eight, for heaven’s sake. She had married at twenty, been divorced at twenty-five, so one would expect she’d be long past being embarrassed by a teasing innuendo.

Usually she could handle it. But just occasionally the naïve little nobody who’d fallen for a handsome face and the thoughts of babies and a pretty little suburban cottage sprang out to remind her.

‘I can’t understand why you don’t ask one of the hordes of dead gorgeous girls of a socially acceptable age for a nineteen-year-old male. They’d all be more than willing and would rush to spend the weekend at the Cassidy mansion,’ Keira remarked, and added quickly in defiance of her old self, ‘If you did there could be an added bonus and, dare I voice the indelicate, you could get lucky.’

Daniel feigned shock. ‘Bawdiness doesn’t become you, my dear.’ He grimaced and shook his head. ‘I hate casual sex. I told you. I want a meaningful relationship.’

“Then spend some time getting to know someone your own age.’

Daniel said something unprintable under his breath. “They’re mostly so…so boring. Older women are-’ He shrugged. ‘I just like older women. But apart from that, you have to come, Keira,’ he said softly. ‘I’ve told the family you will.’

“The family?’ Keira questioned absently, her mind half on the work on her desk.

‘Well, my uncle.’

Keira’s backbone straightened, her full attention now on Daniel, and she gazed at him in surprise. ‘You what?’

‘I just…’ He ran his hand through his hair. Oh, hell, Keira. He forced my hand. I was provoked.’

‘Provoked? You actually told him I was…? You mentioned me by name?’

‘Well, Eden said with his usual sarcasm, “And this is a special occasion, Daniel, so if you must bring one of your giggling air-heads, make sure she knows her fork from her spoon",’ Daniel mimicked. ‘I lost my cool, Keira.’

Keira could understand that. She also wondered if Daniel knew just how like his well-known uncle he sounded. Eden Cassidy was an older, usually unsmiling, dark-haired version of Daniel, his late older brother’s son.

‘Well, he doesn’t know me,’ Keira frowned, ‘so you can simply tell him you’ve made other arrangements.’

‘He knows you by name,’ Daniel remarked and grimaced. ‘Keira Strong and Chloe magazine are mentioned conversationally in tandem. Everyone knows you virtually run things here and that old Dingbat Di is just an editor in name only.’

‘Daniel, I won’t have you-’

‘All right,’ he broke in, ‘you don’t want to talk about that either. But Eden does know you work here. And that’s gospel.’

‘He probably won’t even remember. I’m just small fry,’ she murmured almost to herself, and then looked back at Daniel. ‘You’ve said yourself your uncle lives to work. And what with everything else he must surely have on his mind, well, this magazine is just a tiny cog in the wheels of Cassidy-Ford Publishing.’

‘Huh!’ Daniel sat forward. ‘No go, Keira. The man has a mind like a computer. He never, but never, forgets a thing. He knew you were with this magazine and he’ll be expecting you in person.’

‘Daniel, for heaven’s sake!’

‘Can’t you look on it as a business meeting?’ Daniel suggested.

‘A business meeting? Your grandfather’s eightieth birthday celebration?’

‘Well-’ Daniel began.

‘Since your grandfather is Sir Samuel Ford, co-founder of this illustrious and gigantic media conglomerate, I hardly think we can write off the weekend at the family mansion as a business meeting, do you?’

Daniel shrugged. ‘On past performances there’ll be thousands of people there, all vying for top attention. We won’t even be noticed.’

Keira gave a sharp laugh of disbelief. ‘Oh, no? The only grandson of Sir Samuel Ford will be pushed right out of the limelight.’ Keira shook her head. ‘Really, Daniel! If you were the young brother I think of you as I’d-well, I’d do something very physical to you.’

‘Promises, promises.’ He held up his hand at Keira’s expression. ‘I’m sorry. But you know I hate going out to the family seat for the weekend. I thought if you were going to be there it would be bearable. I mean, Eden always gets on my back about going to university, old Sam quizzes me about girls.’ He sighed loudly. ‘He wants a great-grandson, would you believe? No one pressures Eden about producing an heir to take over the family fortune. I tell you, Keira, it’s a hell of a life.’

She had to smile, if reluctantly, and Daniel pulled his chair closer, reaching across her desk to clasp her hand. ‘But apart from that, don’t you see, Keira? That’s why I like you. The money-it doesn’t rate with you. I know you like me for myself. You aren’t after the cash and the name and everything. Most girls are, you know.’

He could be right about that, Keira acknowledged, and then removed her hand from his. ‘Very clever, Daniel. But the poor little rich boy act won’t wash either. However, don’t despair, you nearly had me there.’

He laughed softly. ‘I do really like you, you know. How could I not? You’re attractive, intelligent, funny. And I can talk to you. Can’t you do me this one small favour?’

‘No, Daniel.’

‘Then you’ll be wasting Eden’s spot of investigation.’

Keira paused and glanced up from the article in front of her. It’s another ploy. Ignore it, Keira, she told herself, knowing full well she wouldn’t and that she’d regret asking. ‘Investigation? What investigation?’

‘Well, you don’t think Eden Cassidy would take any girl I’d date, one I’d bring to old Sam’s party no less, at face value, do you?’

‘Absolute rubbish.’ She frowned. Was this another of Daniel’s tactics? ‘You said yourself he knew all about me.’

‘Not all about you. Knew of you. Now you’ve been checked out. Hasn’t there been someone around the office this past week just asking a few unassuming questions, almost invisibly watching the comings and goings?”

‘Daniel, that’s ridiculous.’ Keira caught her breath. There was someone. A nondescript man of indiscernible age. But he’d said he was part of the time and motion… He’d had credentials. It had started rumours of revamping the magazine, although Keira personally had disregarded the idea.

She looked levelly at Daniel. ‘Are you making this up?’

He shook his head and Keira stood up to pace behind her desk.

What a rotten thing to do. Eden Cassidy wouldn’t have the gall to investigate her for so paltry a reason. Not face to face. Well, face to face if only through one of his minions, so to speak. He could have simply checked her file in personnel without going to such elaborate lengths. ‘He wouldn’t dare,’ she breathed.

‘Wouldn’t he?’

The sound of Daniel’s voice brought her back from her cloud of anger and she looked at him through narrowed eyes. ‘Is this on the level?’

He nodded solemnly.

‘Good grief! Just because he’s the king pin it doesn’t mean he can…’ She paused, seeking the right words. ‘It’s an invasion of privacy, that’s what it is. He must think he owns us. Do you know, I should front up to him and tell him to his face what a manipulative…’ Keira closed her mouth and bit back the rest of the unflattering adjectives she was thinking in conjunction with Eden Cassidy.

‘He sure has a nerve, doesn’t he? Thinking he can dictate someone’s after-hours life.’ Daniel stood up and rubbed his hands together. “And this weekend would be the greatest opportunity for you to show him he has no claim on you after you’ve put in your forty hours.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘What say I pick you up about eightthirty on Saturday morning?’

And what a fantastic display of Cassidy manipulation, Keira told herself for the umpteenth time as she’d snapped shut the catch on her overnight case this morning and set it by the front door. The dynamic Eden Cassidy would have been proud of his only nephew.

‘Manoeuvred into going away for the weekend with a boy still in his teens,’ she muttered aloud as she gazed down at her sleeping cat. ‘To a party for a self-made billionaire which is to take place in the family mansion. And said family mansion just so happens to be a showpiece that has held its own in the hierarchy of lifestyles of the rich and famous. What do you think about that, Roger?’

The dark ball of fur remained stationary, apart from one very slight flick of the end of his tail.

Keira tried to rub the tension from her brow. At this rate she’d be starting out with a headache. ‘Sounds as if a great time will be had by all, doesn’t it, Roger? Well, you haven’t heard the half of it. That’s just the boring old cake. The icing is having to meet the ruthless, egotistical, despotic Eden Cassidy.’

The tail tip again flicked unimpressedly.

‘Big help you are.’ Keira sighed as she walked down the hallway of her bungalow, for once not seeing its attractive appointments.

The cottage had been smaller when her only aunt had owned it, and it had been Keira’s haven since her divorce. Aunt Aggie had left it to her and, with the money she’d received when the small magazine she’d been a partner in had been bought out by Cassidy-Ford Publishing, she’d extended and modernised the well situated house.

As you walked in the door the two bedrooms, one on either side, led off the hall, followed by a bathroom, a small study and the living-room on the left and the pantry, the kitchen and dining-room on the right. Out back Keira had added a wooden veranda, with a fullsized spa pool on the right, all screened for privacy by natural pine woodwork. The deck overlooked the tangle of trees and natural scrub behind the house.

But this morning she’d been too wrapped up in her tortured thoughts to give the house a glance. And she’d barely heard the knock on her door.

‘Your carriage awaits, madame.’ Daniel stepped inside the open door as Keira walked towards him. He wore faded jeans and a T-shirt that, although equally well-worn, reeked of some obviously expensive designer label. ‘I like your place,’ he added as he looked past her.

‘Yes, well, let’s go, Daniel. Before I decide to listen to my instincts and change my mind about going.’ Keira turned to pick up her suitcase but he gallantly took it from her.

‘Now don’t tell me you don’t like sports cars,’ Daniel exclaimed as Keira hung back when he swung open the door of the red Mazda MX5.

‘The car’s fine. I’m just a little worried about the sport who’s going to get behind the wheel.’

Daniel grinned and then sobered. ‘No worries there, Keira. I can assure you I’m a careful and considerate driver.’

And as they pulled up in the gateway of Daniel’s home over an hour later and waited for the electronically controlled gates to swing open, Keira could only admire Daniel’s driving skill. She glanced sideways at him. He was really an extraordinarily mature young man for his age. His family should be proud of him.

So why would his uncle think he’d be bringing-what had Daniel said?-a giggling air-head to his grandfather’s party? Perhaps Eden Cassidy hadn’t taken the time to get to know his own nephew, who had been his ward since Daniel was orphaned when he was ten years old. Eden Cassidy was probably too busy checking up on his staff and making millions on top of his millions.

Sounded fairly typical, she reflected, pushing aside the thought that she was prejudging a situation when she’d only heard one side of it, one biased side at that. From Daniel.

‘Here we are. The family shack.’ Daniel drew up in front of the majestic home.

‘Shack, Daniel?’ Keira gave a laugh. ‘By no stretch of the imagination could you call this a shack. You could lose someone in there and not find them for days.’

‘Too true. And the only good thing about it, as far as I was concerned when I was a kid.’ Daniel grinned as he lifted their bags out of the boot and handed them to the man who came down the steps to meet them. “This is Mrs Strong, Burton. Perhaps you could put her in the front green room, down the hall from me.’

Keira felt herself flush and busied herself slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder. She could throttle Daniel. What must the man be thinking?

‘If you’ll come this way, madam.’ The butler led the way up the steps into the marble-tiled foyer. Moving to his left, he pressed a button for what turned out to be a lift.

Keira raised her eyebrows and Daniel smiled.

‘All mod cons, as they say. There are three floors, four counting the attics. If we didn’t have the lift we’d spend all our time commuting from one level of the house to the other.’

They moved silently upwards and Daniel rolled his eyes at Keira. ‘Is my uncle home?’ he asked the butler’s straight back as they stepped into the second floor hallway.

‘We’re expecting him within the hour.’ The butler opened a door and motioned Keira to enter. ‘I hope you’ll be comfortable here, Mrs Strong. The intercom is just there by the door. If you require anything, please push this button and it will connect you with the staff.’

“Thank you.’ Keira acknowledged, and when the butler had excused himself she gazed around her in admiration.

‘Well? What’s the verdict?’ Daniel closed the door and leant back against it.

‘Need you ask? It’s divine.’ The room was huge, finished in greens and metallic gold. She crossed to the open double doors and stepped out on to her own small balcony.

The grounds of the Cassidy estate swept below her, exquisitely landscaped with trimmed green lawns, clipped hedges, native bushes and colourful flower-filled garden beds. The white curving drive ended at the security gates in the high wall that enclosed the extensive property.

‘What a fabulous view. I didn’t realise the house was positioned so much higher than the surrounding area.’ Keira half turned as Daniel joined her, casually resting his arm about her shoulders.

‘Just think, my dear Keira, this could all be yours.’ Daniel leered at her and twirled an imaginary moustache. ‘Just say the word.’

‘Quit while you’re ahead, Daniel,’ Keira admonished him. ‘Because I still haven’t forgiven you for that throwaway line in front of poor Burton. I dread even to surmise what he’s thinking.’

‘Burton wouldn’t think of thinking anything. You know, you look beautiful when you put on that schoolmarmy face.’ And before Keira could move, and she was restricted by the small confines of the balcony, Daniel had planted a quick kiss on her lips.

She stiffened, her hands sliding up to push him away. But it wasn’t necessary for he had already drawn back, his eyes alight with amusement.

‘Gotcha!’ he said teasingly, his hand now resting lightly on her waist.

As kisses went it was just a brotherly peck, but Keira frowned at him. ‘Look, Daniel-’

He held up his other hand. ‘Sorry, Keira. The devil made me do it. I wasn’t coming on to you. Honestly. It was just a thank you for coming.”

Keira shook her head at his boyish grin. ‘Once more. Just once more, Daniel Cassidy, and party or no party, I’m out of here. And I mean it.’

‘Well, if you weren’t so irresistibly attractive-’

Daniel began, only to break off as a car door slammed below them.

They both turned to look over the balcony rail, Daniel’s arm still resting about Keira’s waist.

A sleek, indigo-blue Jaguar squatted sedately below, a dark splash on the white pebbled drive, and Burton was removing a suitcase from the open boot.

But Keira barely noticed him. Her attention was fixed on the tall dark-haired man who stood, hand on the open car door, looking up at them.

Eden Cassidy in the flesh. And he wasn’t smiling.

Keira’s eyes locked with the sparkling dark brilliance of his, and even with the distance separating her from him she saw his lips tighten. His gaze narrowed, went from Keira to his nephew, and back to Keira. And he quite obviously wasn’t pleased with what he saw.

It was only as Daniel’s uncle moved towards the steps that Keira realised he hadn’t been alone in the dark Jaguar XJS.

The woman who had climbed from the car to join him was almost as tall as he was, Keira judged. Her straight tailored skirt and contrasting emerald-green blouse clung to her willowy figure as though they had been cut to fit her personally. And they probably had, Keira decided. She had a matching jacket folded over her arm and she carried a leather briefcase which she refused to trust to the butler.

Unconsciously Keira was leaning slightly over the balcony as she watched the couple below disappear into the house. Daniel’s voice in her ear brought her to the realisation with a jolt, and her hand went to clasp the balcony rail for instinctive support.

‘That was my uncle,’ Daniel said unnecessarily, and Keira bit off an angry retort.

She drew a deep breath. ‘I know. And your little display must have been perfectly timed.’ She swept past him into the bedroom and swung to face him as he followed her. ‘How could you, Daniel?’

‘How could I what?’ he appealed.

‘How could I what?’ Keira mimicked him mercilessly. ‘Don’t act so innocent. Playact that intimate little scene out there, that’s what. How could you embarrass me like that?’

‘Playact?’ Daniel repeated, all wounded affront. ‘You think I only kissed you because I saw my uncle coming up the driveway?’

Keira’s expression was reply enough.

‘It doesn’t appear to have occurred to you that I might have kissed you because I wanted to, because you looked so bloody attractive I was overcome by my emotions.’

‘You’re treading on very thin ice, Daniel,’ Keira enunciated succinctly. ‘This is not the time to clomp about in hob-nailed boots, believe me.’

Daniel’s lips quirked a moment before his laughter slipped out. ‘Hob-nailed boots? Heaven forbid. Far too heavy-handed. Subtlety’s my middle name.’

‘Daniel, if I thought you set this up-’

‘I didn’t stage it, Keira, I swear,’ he said earnestly. ‘Not that I wouldn’t have if I’d thought of it.’

‘Oh, Daniel, I’m absolutely livid with you. Can’t you see how it would have looked, how…?’ Keira shook her head and put some space between them.

‘He probably didn’t even notice us anyway,’ Daniel contended easily, and Keira let out a breath in disbelief. “Trust me, when he’s in the car Eden spends most of his time on the phone or with his head stuck in his papers. Megan drives. Didn’t you notice Megan was at the wheel?’

‘Megan?’ Keira queried.

‘Mmm. Megan Donnelly. Eden’s secretary, for want of a better word.’ Daniel laughed shortly. ‘Or Girl Friday, his right arm, his assistant, whatever you like to call her as long as it has to do with “indispensable". And I suspect she sees to more than just driving and ordering stationery.’

Keira flushed slightly at his implication, a small frown shadowing her brow. So what if Eden Cassidy and the cool-looking Megan Donnelly had more than a business relationship? The man couldn’t work twenty-four hours a day, could he? Although rumour had it that he did. And apart from anything else, it was hardly her business.

No, Keira thought, it had nothing to do with her what Eden Cassidy did with his time. She forced her speculation from her mind, realising Daniel had expertly turned her attention from their previous altercation.

‘Although-‘ Daniel held up his hand ‘-I have

often wondered if Eden’s friend, Kyle Ferguson, hasn’t lived in hope of Megan’s attention all these years. But she’s usually with Eden.’

‘Look, Daniel. You know I agreed to this weekend, against my better judgement, but as a favour to you, on the understanding that it was purely platonic. I expected you to keep your part of the bargain.’

Daniel shrugged. ‘OK. I’m sorry, Keira. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.’

Keira sighed, reflecting that Daniel was going to match his acclaimed uncle in the manipulative stakes, if even half of the reports she’d heard about Eden Cassidy were true.

‘Let’s start from scratch,’ Daniel suggested, and glanced at his wristwatch. ‘There’s time for a quick game of tennis before lunch. How about it?’

‘What about your uncle. Shouldn’t you-well, go down and-’

‘He knows I’m here,’ Daniel said off-handedly. ‘He’s probably holed up in his study anyhow.’

‘On Saturday? I mean, on Saturday at home?’ Surely the man switched off some time.

‘Saturday. Sunday. Here or in the city office. He’s at the controls every day.’ Daniel shrugged. ‘Even in the middle of the night. The man never seems to sleep. So, did you bring your tennis gear?’

Keira nodded.

‘Then I’ll meet you down in the library in five minutes,’ Daniel challenged.

‘Make it ten minutes, and where exactly is the library?’ Keira asked him resignedly.

‘Just step out of the lift, turn left through the foyer into the main hall and it’s the first door on the left. It looks out over the front of the house. Ten minutes, all right?’ Daniel gave her a grin and left her.

In less than the stipulated time she had walked out of the lift and through into the hall. Her step had faltered as she gazed open-mouthed at the magnificence of the marble floors, the elegance of the decor, the huge curved staircase that rose to the balcony above. The artwork on the walls must be worth a fortune, she mused as she crossed the floor, only just overcoming a reflex urge to tiptoe.

The library door was open and she put a tentative foot inside, feeling just a little as though she’d stepped on to the movie set of a big budget soapie.

The room was also huge, and between the dark wooden bookcases that lined all four walls were hung four large paintings. One, Keira saw, was of Daniel, another two of Daniel’s grandfathers, obviously painted when Samuel Ford and William Cassidy were little more than Daniel’s age.

But it was the fourth portrait, hanging above the large fireplace which was set into the outside wall, that drew her attention. And here she now stood with Eden Cassidy’s likeness gazing down at her with that same cold regard she’d experienced from the balcony a short time before.

Yes, what an auspicious start she’d made to the weekend, Keira reflected, unable to break that compelling regard. Eden Cassidy quite probably had completely the wrong idea about her relationship with his nephew. If he cared, that was. He surely didn’t seem to show much interest in Daniel.

‘What do you think of it?’ Daniel’s voice coming from behind her made Keira jump. He wore white shorts and an aqua shirt and carried his tennis racket. ‘Pretty impressive, isn’t he?’

‘I was going to say I could see the family resemblance but I don’t want to encourage you,’ she said drily as Daniel crossed the thick patterned carpet to stand beside her.

‘I didn’t think I needed any encouragement,’ Daniel quipped. ‘Did you see the one of me over there? I had to pose for that on my eighteenth birthday. What a drag that was.’

‘I thought you were more like your uncle,’ Keira reflected, ‘but now I see Sir Samuel’s portrait I’m not so sure.’

‘You thought I was like Eden?’ Daniel pulled a face and rested his hand on Keira’s shoulder. ‘I’m not a bit like him. I told you he was a computerised robot. He programmes himself every Monday morning for the week, and then off he goes, no distractions allowed to intrude.’

‘I think you’re exaggerating, Daniel. He must be incredibly busy when you consider the extent of Cassidy-Ford’s holdings.’

‘I kid you not, Keira. Eden’s a damn robot. He’s programmed for work and precious few of life’s necessities. Eat. Sleep. Shower.’ Tucking his tennis racket under his arm, Daniel marked off the points on the fingers of his free hand before returning it to rest on her shoulder. “And allowing for his age he probably even programmes himself for a few minutes’ roll in the hay once a month or so. Between overseas phone calls, that is.’

Before Keira could remonstrate with Daniel, a sound behind them had them both spinning around to face the open door. Like a couple of children caught with their fingers in the cookie jar, Keira decided later.

Eden Cassidy stood regarding them, his eyelashes shielding the expression in his eyes.

Had he heard Daniel’s outrageous words? Of course he had, Keira knew. It was in the cold set of his jaw, the tension in his tall body. And he was, Keira had to acknowledge, even more compellingly attractive in real life.

He moved slightly, his attention centring on his nephew. ‘There’s a call for you, Daniel. Take it in my office.’ Dark eyes seemed to settle on the spot where Daniel’s shoulder touched Keira’s, for Daniel had moved instinctively closer to her before his uncle spoke.

Keira felt the tension in the younger man and knew his gaze was warring with his uncle’s.

‘Who is it?’ he asked, his voice, only faintly higher than normal, betraying his discomposure.

Eden glanced pointedly at Keira and then shrugged one broad shoulder. ‘Does the name Cat mean anything to you?’

Out of the corner of her eye Keira saw a slight flush colour Daniel’s cheeks, and he darted a quick look sideways at her before replying, ‘Oh. Yes. An old friend from school.’ He turned to Keira then. ‘Please excuse me for a moment, Keira. I won’t be long.’ Yet still he paused slightly before eventually crossing to the door.

And leaving Keira to face his formidable uncle.

The silence stretched between them until Keira was convinced it was echoing screamingly into the exquisite mouldings of the high ceiling of the library. Her throat had contracted and she craved a soothing glass of water.

Eden Cassidy remained silent.

He was doing it on purpose, Keira told herself, using one of his high-powered tactics on her. Well, he’d picked the wrong victim. She swallowed resolutely and forced her vocal cords to work.

‘How do you do, Mr Cassidy? I’m Keira Strong.’ Her voice sounded a little thin in her ears.

‘I know.’ He inclined his dark head. ‘I’m pleased to meet you at last.’

Like hell he was. Keira’s chin rose unconsciously. Well, she could also play this social game.

‘Daniel was just showing me the family portraits,’ she began, indicating the artificially lit paintings on the walls about them.

‘Was he?’ There was no mistaking the obvious cynicism in his tone and Keira swallowed, determined he wasn’t going to disconcert her.

‘I was just telling Daniel,’ she continued as breezily as she could, ‘that he’s very much like his maternal grandfather.’ She stretched the truth. ‘Perhaps because they have the same colouring,’ she finished quickly before her voice gave out on her.

Eden Cassidy made no comment and Keira rushed on into the unsettling silence. ‘He was telling me on the drive out here that your grandfather, William Cassidy, and Sir Samuel Ford went into partnership, bought a small publishing company and built it into the media giant it is today,’ Keira recited the well-known story and Eden Cassidy grimaced.

‘That they did. And no doubt Daniel filled you in on the more colourful tale of his grandfathers.’

Keira shook her head, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

‘I’m surprised. Daniel enjoys relating the family legend of Sam Ford and William Cassidy both falling in love with the same girl, Maryann Rogers, and that she eventually chose William. William and Maryann had two sons, Michael and myself, and eventually Sam married someone else and had a daughter, Chloe. Then my brother, Michael, married Chloe, thus producing Daniel. Romantic little story, isn’t it?’

Keira smiled. ‘Sam must have been pleased when Daniel’s parents married.’

‘Almost as ecstatic as he was when Daniel was born.’ Eden gazed levelly at Keira before he straightened and took a couple of measured steps into the room.

Keira had to call on all her self-control to maintain her position, to stand fast and not step back from him as she desperately wanted to do. Her senses shrieked, all signals blaring a warning, and she knew an almost over-whelming urge to flee.

‘Daniel’s the apple of Sam’s eye. He has-Sam and I both have-great hopes for Daniel,’ he remarked without inflection, his steady gaze still impaling her.

His eyes were blue, she saw with surprise, not the black she’d imagined from the height of the balcony, and they held a cold intensity that made her shiver. She moved slightly to disguise the tremor that tingled along her spine as his gaze flicked swiftly over her.

I’m surprised we haven’t met before, Mrs Strong,’ he said now, his tone belying the casual words, and his change of topic threw Keira more off balance. ‘You’ve been working for Cassidy-Ford Publishing for five or six years I believe.’

‘Five years.’ Keira felt rather like a student standing before a tyrannical headmaster. It would seem he didn’t remember his gigantic company taking over their small publication. ‘But then Chloe magazine, although quite successful in its own right, is but a small facet of the overall corporation,’ she added quickly, hoping the hands holding her tennis racket weren’t revealing her nervousness.

He inclined his head again. ‘But it’s most definitely a success. Becoming more so, according to statistics. Due largely to you, so I’m advised.’

Keira shifted uncomfortably again. Who had been his informant? Daniel? His time-and-motion spy? ‘I’m sure that’s an exaggeration. It takes a lot of dedicated people working as a team to produce a magazine.’

‘Granted. But every team needs a guiding hand at the helm.’

Which was the job of the editor. ‘Dianna-’ Keira began, only to falter as he lifted one strong tanned hand in a gesture of negation.

‘But I don’t want to discuss Chloe magazine, its editor or its staff at this point,’ he stated abruptly. ‘I want to take advantage of Daniel’s absence to talk about something quite different.’

Some small part of Keira’s stomach lurched apprehensively. What could he possibly…? She drew herself together, tried to quell her anxiety, raising her fine eyebrows in what she hoped was an expression of composed moderate interest.

‘Yes. Something quite different,’ he repeated, and folded his arms across his broad chest.

Keira’s eye caught the flash of a gold wristwatch as the cuff of his immaculate white shirt slipped back. His long fingers rested on the biceps of his arm and she knew instinctively that the material of his expensive suit covered hard muscle. The tingle of uneasiness in the pit of her stomach changed focus imperceptibly as a sudden spear of a quite diverse tension began to grow. Suddenly her nerve-endings went on an even more critical and complex alert, her blood beginning to quicken in her veins.

‘I want to talk about Daniel,’ Eden Cassidy said levelly.

‘Daniel?’ Keira’s grey eyes met his in a surge of surprised relief.

What had she been thinking? That he had some personal interest in her work? She was just a little self-absorbed, she chastised herself.

He’d said himself they’d never met. And neither could he be expected to recall a business transaction that had been handled by his lawyers over five years ago. He wouldn’t even have known she existed had Daniel not commenced work with Chloe magazine. He was simply curious about his nephew’s progress at what was his first job within the family company.

Relaxing a little, Keira smiled softly, unaware of the slight shift of Eden Cassidy’s gaze. It dropped for splitseconds to her full mouth before his own lips tightened and his cold state returned to meet her eyes.

‘Oh. Of course.’ Keira let out the small breath she’d been holding. ‘You’ll be pleased to hear Daniel’s working well. He fits in marvellously with the other staff members and his work is really excellent. You should be so proud of him. He’s quite a remarkable young man for his age.’

‘I see.’ His dark brows rose somewhat imperiously. ‘You sound impressed.’

‘I am. Daniel has great talent,’ Keira assured him.

Eden Cassidy’s compelling blue eyes narrowed. ‘I’m sure he has,’ he agreed drily. ‘Which leads me to the

obvious question. Tell me, Mrs Strong-’ he paused, his emphasis on the Mrs ‘-just what are your intentions towards my nephew?’