No Mistaking Love

CHAPTER THREE

KATE couldn't move. She stared helplessly up at Luke, waiting for the jeering contempt she was sure he would feel at recognising her.

Very carefully he undid the clip holding up her hair so that the thick brown tresses uncoiled and tumbled about her face. She could feel his fingers brush against her cheek and lift her hair, and was conscious suddenly of the lean, powerful body so close to hers.

Her eyes dropped and she stared woodenly at his tie. It was dark blue silk with a discreet golden crest. Why didn't he say something? How much would he remember about the plain, awkward girl she had been? Would he remember kissing her? Would he remember the way she had responded so eagerly? It must have been so obvious that it was her first kiss.

`You were at the theatre last night.'

`At the theatre?' Kate repeated stupidly. She had been so busy thinking about the past that she had forgotten about the meeting that had triggered all the memories.

`Don't pretend you don't remember! You were the girl who was looking daggers at me in the theatre bar. I thought you looked familiar when you came in, but it was only when you gave me that look that I remembered where I'd seen you. Tell me, what did I do to earn such disapproval?'

Kate felt her breath leak out with relief. He hadn't remembered! Immediately the thought that he might have done seemed ridiculous. She stepped back to give herself time to gather her wits together, and felt the wooden desk against her thighs.

The thick hair tumbling about her face left her feeling curiously vulnerable. She pushed it behind her ears.

`I must have done something to offend you,' Luke persisted. `I couldn't mistake that fierce look. It's not at all like your usual demure expression, and you didn't look at anyone else like that. You kept that very nice smile for your friend.'

There was a steely note to his voice, and Kate swallowed. `You didn't do anything to offend me.'

`Then why the glare?'

`I…' Kate searched her mind feverishly for some kind of reason that would satisfy him. `I thought you were someone I knew,' she said at last, keeping as close to the truth as she dared.

`Is that why you were staring at me in the mirror?'

Trust him to notice that! Faint colour tinged Kate's cheekbones. `I was trying to decide whether I knew you or not.'

`And what did this unfortunate man who looks like me do to earn such a look?'

`I really don't think that's any of your business,' Kate said quellingly.

To her relief, and somewhat to her surprise, he let that go. `I suppose that's why you looked so surprised when you saw me today?'

Didn't he miss anything? `It just seemed an extraordinary coincidence to see you again.'

Luke's flat blue-grey stare held her immobile. `I'm not a great believer in coincidence,' he said.

`You're working for him?' Serena's voice rose to a shriek. `The same Luke Hardman you were telling me about last night? I thought you didn't like him?'

`You don't have to like your boss, do you?'

'It usually helps!'

`Well, I think I'll get used to him.' Kate had rushed home to telephone Serena with the news of her job. `It's too good a job to turn down, Serena.'

`Does he know who you are? Or, rather, does he know that you know who he is?'

'No. He recognised me from last night, but not before.'

`I'm surprised he didn't recognise your name,' Serena said.

`It's not that surprising. If he remembers me at all it would be as Catherine Haddington-Finch, but I'm just plain Kate Finch on my CV. I dropped the Haddington when we went to France-it was too much for the French to cope with! And Finch isn't an unusual name. There's no reason why he should make any connection.'

`You hope!'

Kate made a face at the receiver. `I'm sure he won't. I thought you'd be pleased that I've got a job at last!'

'I am, Kate. I just hope you don't regret tangling with this Luke Hardman again.'

Serena's words echoed ominously the following Monday as Kate took the lift up to the fourth floor. She hoped fervently that she was doing the right thing. Lying alone in the dark at night, she would shift uneasily, unsettled by memories of Luke and a vague sense that getting involved with him again-even on a strictly business basis-was asking for trouble.

But in the bright light of morning her reservations seemed ridiculous. Luke would never remember her; it was stupid to let one stupid incident in the past prevent her from taking on an interesting and well-paid job. Besides, Solange had come out of school for the weekend. She was still a little homesick, and missing her parents, and had been so delighted to have a familiar figure as a refuge from school that Kate's resolve to stay in England was strengthened.

She dressed with care for her first morning at work in a severely cut suit in a Prince of Wales check. It made her look formidably efficient and bolstered her confidence. She had a feeling she was going to need it.

Luke barely glanced at her as she went into the office and wished him good morning. His head vas bent over a report, and a pile of papers on his desk bore witness to the fact that he had been here for some time already. His jacket was slung over a chair and he had loosened his tie to work n shirt-sleeves, the white cotton rolled up to reveal the dark hairs on his powerful forearms.

`Morning,' he said in a brusque voice. `Glad o see you're here on time. I've got a lot to get through this morning.' He turned a page of the report and picked up a pen to make a note. `Are you ready to start?'

Kate had made a point of arriving half an hour earlier than necessary, but now she wished she hadn't. It was clear that she would have to take a stand right away if he was to avoid his taking her for granted!

`I'd like a coffee first while I sort myself out,' he said firmly. `I haven't even had time to find myself a notebook yet!'

'Oh, very well, but hurry up about it!'

Kate suppressed a sigh. It was no use expecting charm from Luke and she couldn't say that he hadn't warned her. `Would you like a coffee, as I'm making one?' she asked.

Luke grunted and Kate, after looking at his bent head for a moment, turned and quietly left the room.

She returned a few minutes later, equipped with a shorthand notebook, a pen and a cup of coffee. She put this on her side of the desk, sat down, opened the notebook on her knee and calmly waited for Luke to notice her.

He looked up at last. `Don't I get a coffee?' 'You didn't say you wanted one.' `Yes, I did!'

'No,' she corrected him in patient tones. `You grunted. I'm afraid I don't respond to grunts.'

Luke sighed irritably. `Don't say I have to go down on bended knee every time I want you to do something!'

`A simple please would do.'

His martyred air slightly spoiled by a glower, Luke pushed back his chair and strode over to the door. `I suppose I'll have to get my own coffee, then!' he said, evidently expecting Kate to jump to her feet, but she merely looked blandly back at him.

His previous secretaries had clearly been letting him get away with playing the tyrant, and she had no intention of doing the same. It wouldn't do Luke Hardman any harm to come across a bit of opposition for a change!

Reappearing with his own cup, he banged it down on his desk with bad grace. `Perhaps we could begin?' he said, adding sarcastically, `if that's not too much trouble, of course!'

'I'm ready,' Kate said, annoyingly placid.

Casting her a fulminating glance, Luke began to prowl about the room, hands jammed in his trouser pockets, while he dictated at high speed. His ideas were complex, but clear and obviously well thought out, and he paused only occasionally to take a sip of coffee.

Kate's pen flew over her notebook as she tried grimly to keep up, but she seized the opportunity to interrupt him as he picked up his cup once more.

`Do you think you could slow down a bit?'

Luke frowned at losing his train of thought. ' I thought you said you could do shorthand?'

'I can, but not at the speed of light!'

With a sigh he resumed at a more normal speed.

It was easier to keep up, but Kate found herself increasingly distracted by the way he flexed his shoulders, by the suggestion of strength beneath his cotton shirt or the coiled tension in the way he moved.

He was standing over at the window, frowning down at the traffic as he dictated. Kate glanced up, the outlines emerging automatically from the pen, and let her eyes rest on the back of his dark head. There was a steely quality to Luke, evident in the very set of his head and the controlled line of his body. If he had a vulnerable side he would take care to keep it well hidden, she decided. Did the hard features ever relax, the cold eyes soften in a smile? How would he look at the woman h loved?

`Read me back that last bit, will you?' Kate started. `What?'

'Would it be too much trouble to ask you t, read back the last part of that sentence to me? Luke said sarcastically, misinterpreting he hesitation.

She had been taking down his words so automatically that she had hardly taken in what h was saying. Now the shorthand squiggles dance in front of her eyes as she tried to make sense c what she had written.

'Um… "The contractors are concerned that if the manufacturers loved-"' She broke off flustered. The outline was unmistakable. She must have written that `loved' without thinking

Luke turned and stared at her. `If the manufacturers what? Can't you concentrate for more than five minutes at a time? If I go any slower I'll fall asleep!'

`It's really not at all easy to follow you when you're prowling around or muttering at the window,' Kate said, disguising her guilt with an air of reproof. `It would help if you sat down and spoke clearly.'

`Who's doing the dictation round here?' Luke demanded sourly, but he sat down again on the other side of the desk. `Is that better?'

Kate ignored the irony in his voice. `Much, thank you,' she said, but it wasn't really. This way he was much closer, and his front view was even more distracting than the back. Kate concentrated fiercely on her notebook and tried not to notice the cool, inflexible line of his mouth or the fingers twirling a pen in his frustration at having to sit still.

He let her go twenty minutes later, having dictated three more letters and several trenchant memos to his staff. There would be a few panic-stricken phone calls when they landed on their desks, Kate reflected, gathering up the papers from the desk and escaping gratefully to her own office.

Naturally organised, Kate was unworried by the amount of work Luke seemed to expect her to get through that morning. She settled herself down with the minimum of fuss, familiarised herself with the word processor and began to work her way through the enormous pile of letters, breaking off frequently to deal with phone calls for Luke. He had shut himself in his office and informed her that he didn't want to be disturbed before midday.

Frowning over a particularly obscure outline, Kate didn't look up immediately as the door to the outer office opened. It was probably one of the junior secretaries with some more post, she thought, and was about to look up with a friendly smile when a waft of exotic perfume reached her. She lifted her head in puzzlement to see who was sauntering over towards Luke's door.

It was Helen. With something of a shock Kate realised that she had been so taken up with seeing Luke again that she had forgotten about Helen.

How could she have forgotten that eclipsing beauty? Helen wore the briefest of black leather skirts, and a leather blouson jacket, slipping at one shoulder over a wispy top. It was a carefully careless look, and the effect with the loose blonde hair was dramatic.

The checked suit, which only that morning had seemed so smart and suitable, suddenly felt tight and dowdy. Kate looked at Helen and recognised with a twist of bitterness a vibrant sexiness that she would never, ever possess, no matter what she wore. She would look absurd dressed in such an outfit. Worse, she would be cold and uncomfortable.

If she had given Helen any thought she might have realised that Helen would be bound to turn up at the office at some stage. It was stupid not to have considered it. She had seen more of Kate than Luke, and might possibly remember her sister's little friend. She could spoil everything if she recognised her.

Kate cleared her throat. The last thing she wanted was to attract Helen's attention, but she could hardly let her barge in on Luke unannounced after all the fuss he had made about no interruptions.

She needn't have worried about being recognised. Helen was not the kind of girl who wasted much time noticing other women, particularly not plain, boring ones who were patently no threat. She turned with insulting unconcern, and the green eyes flickered over Kate without interest.

Kate could see herself just as Helen saw her: a boringly efficient-looking type in a prissy suit, with dull brown hair tied back and minimal make-up. There could hardly have been more of a contrast between them.

`I'm afraid Mr. Hardman has asked not to be disturbed,' she said, for a moment almost resenting her role as cool, competent secretary.

Helen laughed confidently and shook back her glorious hair. `He won't mind being disturbed by me,' she said, laying her hand on the door and opening it. `Will you, darling?' She half stepped inside, leaning back against the door in a deliberately provocative pose. `Your gorgon's trying to stop me coming in, Luke, but you can spare me five minutes, can't you?'

Kate couldn't hear Luke's reply, but Helen gave another throaty laugh and pushed the door to behind her triumphantly.

Kate was left staring at the blank door, shaken by a gust of contradictory feelings; dislike, envy, disgust. There she had been, marvelling at how hard and invulnerable he seemed, and all it took was a pair of long legs and few provocative poses and he was as gullible as any other man!

Well, it was none of her business, of course. Kate resumed typing angrily. If Luke was fool enough to take up with a girl he already had good reason to distrust, that was his look-out.

But she wished he weren't. She didn't mind his being rude, or aggressive, or even unpleasant, but she didn't like his being stupid.

Kate made four mistakes in the letter she was typing before she gave up and stalked along to the coffee machine to work off her bad temper. Returning to her desk, she ripped the paper out of the printer and started afresh.

She was not going to get involved with Luke's business.

She was not going to care if he wanted to make a fool of himself.

She was sensible, practical, capable Kate.

By the time the door reopened she had talked herself into believing it, and was absorbed in typing, the epitome of a discreet, efficient secretary.

Luke ignored her as he walked with Helen to the outer door. `See you later, then,' he said,

letting his hand slide down the shimmering fall of hair.

`I'll be waiting.' Helen lifted her face, and he kissed her on the lips before patting her on the

bottom as she left with evident reluctance.

He turned back to the office. Kate's face was mask-like as she picked up a folder from the desk. `Here are those letters for signature.'

For once, Luke looked taken aback. `You've finished them already?'

'Of course.' Kate met his eyes blandly. `You said you wanted them urgently, and I knew how

busy you were this morning.'

Luke's slate-grey eyes narrowed as he took the folder from her, but he made no comment at her sly dig at the time he had spent with Helen. `I'm going to finish that report,' he grunted.

`I don't want to be disturbed.'

`By anyone?' asked Kate, all innocence.

`By anyone!' he snapped, striding over to his office. He banged the door shut behind him, but a few moments later it reopened. `Kate?'

'Yes?'

`Get me some coffee, will you?' He half closed the door again, then thought better of it, and stuck his head round once more. `Please!'

It didn't take Kate long to fall into a routine. Every morning she would arrive promptly at nine o'clock, but Luke was always there before her. Sometimes she wondered if he ever went home.

As he had predicted, Luke was a difficult man to work for. He threw huge amounts of work at her and set impossible deadlines, expected her to have acquired an encyclopaedic knowledge of the company on her first day, and snapped if she proved less than a mind-reader. She was rarely able to leave on time and soon learnt not to expect any appreciation from Luke.

In spite of it all, Kate was content. She might deplore Luke's manners, but she couldn't help being impressed by his undoubted abilities. He had an immense capacity for work, and could absorb the most technical of reports with startling speed. A shrewd financial brain combined with ruthless drive had made him one of the most successful men in his field, and, while he might not be loved by his staff, he was universally respected.

Kate dealt with all the work quietly, efficiently and with a complete lack of fuss that gradually earnt a grudging respect from Luke. She never flapped, or complained, or bothered him with silly questions, and their battles were limited to her insistence on courtesy. Luke grumbled about having to say please and thank you the whole time, but usually gave in to Kate in the end.

`You obviously don't dislike him as much as you said you did,' Serena said. She and Kate were sitting in a wine-bar, making the most of the free peanuts.

'No-o.' Kate hesitated. `He hasn't done anything to make me like him particularly, but I suppose we get on quite well when he's not shouting at me and I'm not ticking him off about his manners.'

`Don't get on too well. He might recognise you!'

Kate shook her head. `I'm just his secretary,' she said with an unconsciously wistful smile. `Luke's single-minded in the office. As long as I get through all the work, he wouldn't notice if I did the dance of the seven veils on his desk-he'd just tell me not to mess up his papers!'

`He sounds awful,' Serena said frankly, pinching the last peanut. `I don't know why you put up with him.'

`He's not that bad,' Kate said, instantly on the defensive. `He'll talk to me about work and let me make my own comments and suggestions.'

`Big of him!'

'It's more than he does with most people. He was always a loner, and now he's even more so. He keeps people at a distance. I made him laugh the other day, and I felt as if I'd just conquered Everest!'

'Why, what did he do?'

'Nothing. He just laughed. I've seen him smile, of course, but it's usually more of a sneer. This was a proper laugh…' Kate trailed off. It was impossible to explain to Serena the sheer unexpectedness of seeing Luke throw back his head and laugh. All she had done was make a dry comment about a newspaper headline, and suddenly it had been as if a complete stranger stood before her, his face alight with humour, and she had been shaken by the rush of triumphant warmth she had felt. She had made him laugh! She had got through that iron wall of indifference, and without even trying.

`He's much nicer when he laughs,' she finished lamely.

`Kate!' Serena put down her wine glass and looked at Kate with foreboding. `You're not-you're not-thinking of doing anything silly like falling for Luke, are you?'

Falling for Luke? Kate shrugged off a small shiver of memory.

`Of course not,' she said crisply. She took a sip of her wine and avoided Serena's accusing eyes. `You ought to know me better than that, Serena! I'll admit that I like him more than I expected, but I'm far too sensible to fall for a man like Luke. That would be asking for trouble!'