A Physical Affair

CHAPTER FOUR

STRANGELY, some small part of Keira stood off from her, curiously unruffled, watching this unbelievable dialogue. That same part was aware of nearby music from the ballroom mingling with the hum of conversations, heard the leaves of the potted umbrella trees rustling in the gentle breeze, registered that they were casting shifting shadows over the scene she knew would be burned into her memory.

She couldn’t believe he’d said what he had and her jaw slackened in dismay. Had her ears deceived her? Was Eden Cassidy blatantly propositioning her? No, surely not. A man in his position wouldn’t presume to, would he?

‘I… I beg your pardon?’ she got out at last as he continued to gaze down at her, his expression inscrutable in the shadows effected by the light behind his broadshouldered body.

‘You seem to have some trouble understanding me, Mrs Strong. I thought I enunciated quite clearly, so what’s the problem?’ He made a slight, irritated movement of his hand and Keira pulled herself into some semblance of self-control.

‘Oh, I heard what you said, Mr Cassidy, and please don’t bother repeating it,’ she added quickly. ‘I was merely giving you the chance to apologise for your offensive offer, which I’m sure you don’t expect me to take seriously.’

‘On the contrary, Mrs Strong. I’ve never been more serious in my life.’

The cool of the night breeze touched Keira’s skin and she shivered slightly. ‘And I don’t believe you, Mr Cassidy. If this is some kind of sick joke then it doesn’t flatter you in the least. How can you make such a blatantly unconscionable proposition to someone you’ve known for less than twenty-four hours? It’s…it’s obscene.’

‘Come now, Mrs Strong. You’re an extremely attractive woman. You don’t need me to tell you that. So why underestimate the power of those very obvious attractions?’ he inquired indolently.

‘Obvious…’ Keira’s teeth closed on the word and lips twisted in disgust. ‘I assure you I’m well aware of my attractions, Mr Cassidy, and I also have no illusions regarding their limitations, so I feel I should warn you that any patronisation in that direction is going to be pointless. Only a fool wouldn’t see that this all comes back to Daniel’s and my phantom relationship.’

‘And you’re not a fool, Mrs Strong,’ he put in levelly as Keira’s anger churned inside her.

‘I’ve already informed you in no uncertain terms that there is no relationship between Daniel and myself. I can’t be any clearer than that,’ she continued directly. ‘So there’s absolutely no necessity to extend yourself to such extravagant lengths to warn me off.’

‘I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I find the thought of such a relationship between you and my nephew abhorrent, but I assure you I’m not in the habit of offering myself up as a sacrifice every time Daniel decides to date. I’m not into masochism. Which leaves us one other intriguing possibility. Have you considered my intentions might not be as selfless as you appear to think they are?’ He paused. ‘Perhaps I’m interested.’

Keira’s muscles tensed until she feared they’d snap under the strain. ‘Interested?’ she repeated a little breathily.

He inclined his dark head slightly and the light momentarily reflected the bright sparkle of his eyes.

Keira reined in her fervent imagination as it threatened to take the heady thought and make a wild, impassioned dash with it. Interested in her? No! She couldn’t allow it.

‘Well, Mr Cassidy, I’m not,’ she stated firmly, surprising herself with her resolve.

‘No?’ As he lifted his dark head the artificial illumination now caught one side of his face, the sweep of his hard jawline, played over the hollow beneath his cheekbone. ‘Are you sure of that, Mrs Strong?’

‘Sure?’ she echoed with considerably less conviction, and when she heard her uncertainty she raised her chin determinedly. ‘Of course I’m sure. I barely know you, for heaven’s sake.’

‘An obstacle that could be quickly, easily and enjoyably overcome,’ he stated matter-of-factry.

Keira felt the flutter of her pulse in her throat and turned slightly away from him, folding her arms protectively about herself. ‘Not from where I stand,’ she replied sarcastically.

‘Then perhaps you aren’t standing in the right place. It would be a simple matter of taking one step in this direction.’

Keira swung back to face him, disproportionately piqued by his levity. Had he moved closer to her? She was sure he had. An electrifying fear clutched at her and she took a quick steadying breath. ‘Look, Mr Cassidy, I’m afraid I don’t find getting to know a stranger, in the sense you mean, something that can be achieved quickly or easily. And as to the enjoyable-well, that remains to be seen,’ she finished lamely.

‘But you’ve already seen it,’ he said quietly, his low voice playing over her susceptible senses before she had time to build a defence against his evocatively erotic tone.

‘I-’ Keira swallowed ‘-I don’t know what you mean.’

‘When we were dancing. The sparks were there. You were as aware of them as I was. Weren’t you, Keira?’

His husky voice saying her Christian name so intimately was almost her undoing. Keira. No one had said it quite like that before. It flowed over her tingling skin like smooth silk, teasing each nerve ending into instantaneous arousal.

With an exhilarating sense of vertigo she felt her body begin to capitulate, to incline towards his. He was the hunter and she his quarry. He was the burning light and she the moth. And her mind screamed out her danger, warned of the destructive singe of wings that might very well result from venturing too close to his fateful flame.

‘You’re mistaken, Mr Cassidy,’ she assured him icily with what little composure remained unmoved by his tantalising magnetism.’ And I’m surprised that you could be so fanciful.’

He laughed softly and Keira’s knees went weak.

‘So. You think I have a vivid imagination?’ he said wryly. ‘And perhaps I do, in certain-’ he paused explicitly ‘-intimate situations. But I don’t think I was- am-misconstruing the attraction that exists between us.’

With an exclamation of disgust Keira turned her back on him again. ‘I think this ridiculous conversation has gone far enough. I repeat, Mr Cassidy, I am not interested.’

‘And I, Mrs Strong, am definitely,’ he said with low conviction, ‘interested.’

‘Why me?’ Keira asked at last into the heavy silence that stretched between them, gathering its own volatile momentum.

‘Why not? I meant it when I said I find you a very attractive woman.’

Keira fancied she felt the brush of his breath on the back of her neck and she wanted to run for her life. But her uncooperative legs refused to carry her away to safety. ‘Oh, curse my fatal charm,’ she got out bitingly, and he made no immediate comment.

And the silence stretched between them until Keira had to break its potent hold. ‘Attractive women in your circles are a dime a dozen,’ she threw at him, like a drowning person clutching at a proffered lifesaver.

‘You’re intelligent-’

Keira sighed loudly. ‘Intelligent? If I had any sense at all I’d be slapping your face and leaving you to try out your distasteful line on someone else.’ She moved agitatedly back to face him. ‘And slapping your face, incidentally, is growing far more appealing to me by the minute.’

‘Then I suggest you reconsider. I’m a stickler for the equality of the sexes. I’d slap you back.’

Keira felt his eyes lock steadily with her own, felt their strength of purpose in spite of the shadowy light. She suspected he’d carry out his intentions, too.

Eden Cassidy represented all that was mysteriously forbidden, a walk over uncertain ground, an untravelled path that held a tempting unknown. But it all led to a world she’d visited before and her experience had not been a happy one. She had no desire to go through the pain again, she reminded herself.

Yet the temptation was there, glowing like a welcoming beacon in the dark. It would only take one step. But Keira knew she couldn’t take it. Not on the terms he was offering.

‘Equality of the sexes.’ It was Keira’s turn to laugh. ‘Next thing you’ll be telling me you’re sensitive, caring and vulnerable. Now, why can’t I picture you in that role? Maybe because you like playing to the gallery too much.’

‘You think I’m theatrical?’ He raised dark brows and Keira shrugged.

‘I think you also enjoy playing the field.’

He gave a soft, nerve-honing laugh. ‘So I flit from flower to flower?’

‘Precisely,’ Keira said sarcastically.

‘You should know not to believe everything you read in the glossies,’ he countered, moving imperceptibly, yet enough for Keira’s acutely vigilant senses to react, tensing her muscles in reflex defence. ‘I’m a one-woman-at-a-time man. Always have been. A woman always knows she has my complete and undivided attention.’

‘Nice sentiments. But only for as long as it lasts, I’d say. Well, I just don’t intend to be the latest blossom for you to add to your bunch. Now, I’ve really had enough of this conversation. I’m a little tired and I’m going inside.’

‘Running away, Keira?’ His words stopped her immediately. ‘I thought you’d enjoy a challenge.’ His fingers settled on her shoulder, searing her through the fabric of her dress, and she jumped like a startled colt.

‘I’m not playing power games, Mr Cassidy. And no means no in my language,’ she made herself add bitingly, looking meaningfully down at his hand on her upper arm.

‘"No” is not what your body language is saying to me,’ he said softly, his fingers sliding down her arm, his thumb gently teasing the soft inner skin of her elbow.

Keira’s physical response to his touch rose almost to choke her and she was just as suddenly terribly afraid of the strength of her reaction, of the knowledge that she didn’t want to reject him.

‘I can’t believe this.’ She made herself snatch her arm from his hold. ‘Only hours ago I wasn’t good enough for your precious nephew and now you’re lowering yourself and your lofty standards to take me on yourself. You’re either selling yourself cheaply or you’re desperate. Neither of which I am, fortunately. I told you before I don’t sleep around. I never have-’

‘I don’t recall implying you did,’ he cut in concisely.

‘And I don’t intend to start now with you,’ Keira continued, the bit well and truly between her teeth. ‘No

matter how-’ she paused, regarding him scathingly

from head to toe ‘-impressive your credentials are. So, to correct any misapprehension you may be under, let’s use some old but straightforward clichés. Don’t call me, I’ll call you. Goodnight, Mr Cassidy. Oh, and I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the phone to ring if I were you.’

With that Keira marched back into the ballroom, not looking back to see if he was following her. Once back inside she went in search of Daniel and pleaded tiredness, retiring to spend a sleepless night in the opulent bedroom. And when Daniel and Keira appeared for a late brunch the next morning Burton informed them that Eden and Megan had already left to return to the city.

After a perfunctory knock on the office door Keira’s assistant walked in waving a newspaper around in front of her, and Keira sighed resignedly. At this rate she’d never get any work done.

Daniel had already interrupted her unnecessarily and it was hard enough keeping her errant thoughts from drifting to other, more regrettably disturbing incidents, without these intermittent intrusions.

‘How long have we known each other, Keira?’ Roxie Denahey demanded without the usual preliminaries as she tossed her well-proportioned frame into the chair in front of Keira’s desk. The chair creaked in protest.

‘Do you really want me to admit out loud that it’s been over twenty years?’ Keira asked with a faint smile. She and Roxie had attended primary school together.

‘Twenty years, Keira Strong. And you can’t even tell me, can’t even breathe so much as a whisper, when something momentous happens in your life.’ Roxie frowned disgruntledly.

‘This is a particularly momentous something, I take it?’ Keira raised her eyebrows. ‘You know what an exciting life I lead, Roxie, so would you care to give me a hint about which significant event I’ve failed to give you details of, thus maliciously ruffling your sensitive feathers?’

‘Which significant event?’ Roxie scowled. ‘This one.’ She fluttered the newspaper. ‘Featured all over the social pages of the Sunday paper.’

Keira’s heart sank. It had to be Sir Samuel’s party. She hadn’t given a thought to the public interest such a distinguished occasion would generate. Or, until this moment, recalled the camera flashes. But in her defence, she had had other things on her mind. Like Eden Cassidy. And his outrageous proposition. Keira almost groaned.

‘Don’t tell me you haven’t seen it?’ Roxie’s voice rose in disbelief. ‘Good grief I You haven’t!’ she exclaimed at Keira’s expression. ‘Well, let me be the first to flash it by you.’

Reluctantly Keira took the newspaper from the other girl and glanced down at the grainy photographs. Then she did groan out loud.

One photograph was larger than the six or seven others. And it immediately drew attention. Any photograph of Eden Cassidy’s incredibly rugged good looks would, Keira acknowledged.

However, it wasn’t simply a shot of Eden Cassidy. He was in the photograph, looking as attractive as he always did. And so was Sir Samuel Ford, smiling broadly at the camera, his arm around his only grandson.

But on his right stood a reasonably tall woman with shoulder-length fair hair, a heart-shaped face and a firm chin. The photographer had caught that chin as its owner lifted it with a hint of tenacity as she gazed levelly into the lens.

‘Newsy little caption under the photo, too,’ Roxie remarked and recited it off pat. ‘Helping to celebrate Sir Samuel Ford’s eightieth birthday were his grandson, Daniel Ford Cassidy (right), Eden Cassidy (left) and Keira Strong. Eden Cassidy is the younger son of William Cassidy, Sir Samuel’s late partner and co-founder of the Cassidy-Ford media conglomerate. Keira Strong is the assistant editor of the family company’s highly successful Chloe magazine.’

Keira’s eyes were drawn from her own features to those of the man standing so close beside her, so close that their shoulders appeared to be pressing together. Keira moved in her chair to disguise the sudden quiver that began in the pit of her stomach and rose to set her skin tingling. Almost as if Eden Cassidy were touching her again.

‘I didn’t even know we’d been photographed,’ she said a little breathily.

‘Shucks! And I didn’t even know you’d been invited to the social bash of the year,’ Roxie stated mockingly.

‘You were away last week and Daniel didn’t ask me to go with him until Thursday,’ Keira began to explain.

‘Daniel?’ Roxie’s mouth fell open in amazement. ‘Daniel Cassidy? Are you putting me on?’

‘Of course not. Would I dare?’ Keira threw back quickly.

‘Our young, our very young Daniel Cassidy?’ Roxie continued as though Keira hadn’t spoken.

‘Daniel asked me to go with him as a favour.’

‘You had a date with-’

‘Roxie, please,’ Keira appealed. ‘It wasn’t a date. He needed someone to go with him to his grandfather’s party and I, well, I agreed. End of story.’ End of story! A mocking voice inside her laughed at her blatant distortion of the truth.

‘Daniel!’ Roxie repeated. ‘And here I was fantasising that while my back was turned you’d been whisked off by Eden Cassidy, the heart-throb of the social set.’

‘Are you kidding, Roxie?’ Keira’s heartbeats performed their recklessly uninhibited dance yet again» as if their cue was simply the mention of Eden Cassidy’s name. What would her friend think if she told her about that very same Eden Cassidy’s preposterous proposition?

‘If I’d known you were interested in younger men-’ Roxie began, but Keira quelled her friend with a constraining look.

Briefly subdued, Roxie gazed at Keira for long moments and then she sighed. ‘How long have I been working with you, Keira?’

‘More twenty questions?’ Keira asked quizzically and shook her head in capitulation, knowing Roxie wouldn’t let it rest until she’d had her say. ‘About ten years, including the last five years on Chloe.’

‘OK. I do know you pretty well, don’t I? I’ve been with you through thick and thin, marriage and divorce. So tell me, in the three years since Dennis died how many dates have you had?’

‘Quite a few,’ Keira began defensively and Roxie pulled a face.

‘A few is right. I’d say you’ve been lucky to average two a year.’ She held up her plump hand and ticked off on her fingers. ‘There was that cowboy. That fizzled out, thank heavens.’

‘I didn’t want to move to the country and he didn’t want to settle in the city. It was a mutual decision to part,’ Keira told her.

‘Then there was the lawyer with no sense of humour,’ Roxie continued. ‘And the computer guy who was only interested in your chips rather than your whole circuit.’

Keira laughed. ‘There’s no need for the roll-call, Roxie. I haven’t lost any sleep over any of them.’

‘That’s precisely your problem. Honestly, Keira, don’t you sometimes yearn to go to bed for something other than sleep?’ Roxie sat back in the chair and grinned at Keira’s embarrassed discomposure.

‘Is this any way to talk to your boss?’ Keira asked with mock seriousness and Roxie rolled her eyes.

‘I’m not wearing my assistant-to-the-assistant-editor’s cap at the moment. Right now I’ve got on my friend-of-long-standing hat. And I won’t be sidetracked. You can blush all you want, but haven’t I gone right to the seat of your problem?’

Keira grimaced. ‘I see no problem. Shall we just say I’ve deprogrammed that part of my life? And are you speaking from experience, Roxie?’ Keira tried once again to deflect the course of the conversation knowing she had next to no chance of success.

‘Now, don’t try to distract me. This is a ‘do as I say, not as I do” lecture. So can I make one tiny suggestion for you to consider?’

‘Would it make any difference if I said no?’ Keira quickly held up her hand. ‘And don’t even think of taking that the wrong way.’

‘Would I do that?’ Roxie widened her eyes innocently. ‘Look, just give a bit of thought to getting your unused programme into running order. Just in case.’

‘I know I’ll regret this, but in case of what?’

‘In case Eden Cassidy offers you some wonderfully forbidden fruit.’

‘You sound like a pop song.’ Keira tried to laugh lightly. ‘And I’m not into forbidden fruit.’

‘If Eden Cassidy-no, I’ll rephrase that,’ Roxie continued. ‘When Eden Cassidy, and I say when because the man is interested-’

‘Roxie, you’re being absurd,’ Keira cut in, swallowing the rush of excited anticipation she was too slow to quell. Her friend was inadvertently skating far too close to the truth.

‘Rubbish! Take a look at that photograph. You mark my words, Keira. That man is interested.’

Keira shifted uneasily. If Roxie only knew…

‘And when he holds out the shiny red apple,’ her friend was continuing, ‘I don’t want to hear you’ve refused to take a bite.’

‘Not the best of analogies,’ Keira remarked wryly and Roxie leant across and picked up the newspaper again.

‘Oh, I don’t know, Keira. I’d say it was spot on. I mean, the man’s poetry, pure poetry.’ She shook her head. ‘All I can say is, his mother must have known something when she named him Eden because he’s the closest thing to paradise I’ve ever seen.’

Keira didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry with Roxie, but she was saved from having to make a decision when her office door opened again.

‘Can you believe it’s Monday already?’ Dianna Forester, the editor of Chloe, strode into the room. ‘I spent the weekend on Tommy’s yacht and I’m totally exhausted.’

‘And a good time was had by all, by the look of you,’ Roxie remarked ironically. ‘With you two and your adventures I feel as though my weekend of gardening and household chores absolutely pales into insignificance.’

Dianna’s eyes turned sharply to Keira. ‘Well, I know I’ve been partying, but what have you been up to, Keira?’

‘What indeed?’ Roxie held out the newspaper and Dianna took it from her, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at the photograph Roxie pointed out to her.

‘You went to Sir Samuel’s party? I didn’t know you were on such close terms with the family,’ she said carefully and Keira shrugged.

‘I’m not. I went with Daniel, as a favour.’

‘Would that I were asked such a favour,’ Roxie put in expressively.

‘It was a last-minute thing,’ Keira began, wondering gloomily how long she was going to have to suffer the fall-out from allowing Daniel to talk her into going to that wretched party.

‘And what with one thing and another-’ Roxie

shifted in her chair to look back at Keira ‘-I forgot to ask you if you heard anything over the weekend to substantiate the epidemic of rumours about staff shuffling here on the magazine. Did Eden Cassidy drop any hints to you?’

Keira shook her head and Dianna pursed her lips thoughtfully.

‘I suppose you could scarcely raise the subject over dinner,’ she said, giving Keira another piercing look. ‘No doubt we’ll hear all soon enough. Well, I’ve got stacks to do myself so I’ll get to it.’ Dianna replaced the newspaper on Keira’s desk and left.

‘That will be a first,’ Roxie muttered caustically.

‘I should finish this, too,’ Keira said quickly, before Roxie could continue. ‘Put it around that I don’t want any more interruptions, until lunchtime at least.’

Roxie stood up. ‘Methinks that includes me. No trouble. I’ll see you later, now that you’ve shamed me into putting my nose to the grindstone. And, Keira, do me a favour and at least consider my advice.’

After Roxie left Keira tried valiantly to keep her mind on her work. But somehow her wayward thoughts kept slipping uncontrollably back to Eden Cassidy.

‘I’m an experienced man. Why waste your time with a boy?’

The words, the whole repugnant scene, kept replaying in her head like a faulty videotape. Each time she felt the same mixture of emotions. Anger, abhorrence, repugnance. And a prurient excitement that horrified her.

Would she, could she ever forget those unthinkable words? His outrageous offer? She thought not.

The man was despicable, she told herself grimly as she made herself concentrate on the pile of work on her desk. He definitely wasn’t worthy of the time she was wasting mulling over his outrageousness. She had a job to do and she wasn’t going to allow the man to intrude on her thoughts any more than he already had.

She determinedly forced the scene from her mind and some time later, as she bent over a submission for their next issue, there was a tap on her office door, followed by the sound of the door opening.

‘Keira-?’ Daniel began tentatively.

Keira didn’t look up. ‘I said no interruptions, Daniel, and I meant it, so only three things will save you from a fate worse than death. If you can see any blood. If the building’s on fire. Or if you’re bearing hot coffee.’

‘Having a hard day at the office, Mrs Strong?’

Keira’s head snapped up and her startled grey eyes met cold blue ones.