ROMEO

CHAPTER ONE
HOLD the lift! Shoot, shoot, sh-ooot! Aargh!
Her mad dash to get in the staff lift before the doors closed failing
miserably, Juliette came to a frustrated sto! "#cet that she didnt! Sto,
that $as!
%he three-inch stiletto heels on her &nee-high boots, $et from the sno$
falling hea'ily outside, found no traction on the marble floor $hatsoe'er, so
that instead of stoing Juliette s&idded unsteadily along the floor, an
e#ression of comlete anic on her face as she slid to$ards the closing
metal doors of the lift, seeming to gain seed as she $ent!
(n those brief fe$ seconds)and she really couldnt ha'e said ho$ many)
e'erything $as haening in slo$ motion, her $hole life flashing before her!
And $hat a comlete and utter disaster that $as*
+ut at the 'ery last second the lift doors miraculously stoed closing and
began to oen again)slo$ly, ainfully slo$ly, but enough that she didnt hit
solid metal after all, ,ust fell into the lift instead!
Or at least she $ould ha'e done, if one of the stiletto heels on her boots
hadnt caught and stuc& in the ga bet$een the lift shaft and the lift itself,
holding her foot immobile but hurling her torso for$ard!
%he $hole thing might)only might)ha'e been funny!
(f she hadnt had an audience to her comic turn!
+ut the man $ho seconds ago had steed into the lift, and had ob'iously
ressed the button to ascend, had unfortunately $itnessed the $hole
incident!
And so it $as, as Juliette hurtled into the lift headfirst, strong arms
reached out to catch her! -hich $as 'ery unfortunate for the man, because
Juliette had instincti'ely thrust her umbrella out in front of her in an effort
to regain her balance as she began to slide! Luc&ily for him, it had one of
those stubby ends, rather than a ointy one, other$ise she $ould ha'e
s&e$ered him $ith it!
Are you o&ay. he as&ed $ith concern, e'en as he steadied her into an
uright osition!
Did she loo& o&ay.
She had ,ust hurtled across ten feet of marble at $hat had felt li&e the
seed of sound)only to come to a bone-$renching halt as the heel of her
boot became stuc&!
%o ma&e matters $orse, shed robably ruined her boots, and shed only had
them a $ee&)a resent to herself for ha'ing successfully comleted a
month of $or&ing at the ,ob from hell! +ecause the lingerie deartment in
this restigious store, in the run-u to /hristmas, certainly 0ualified as that!
And, $ith ,ust fi'e more shoing days till /hristmas, it only romised to
get $orse*
Lets ha'e a loo& at your boot, the man murmured as he released her and
bent do$n to insect the damage, gi'ing Juliette an uninterruted 'ie$ of
the to of his head!
She hadnt been able to loo& at him before)at first because shed been
tra'elling too fast to focus on anything, and then because her
embarrassment at ha'ing literally thro$n herself into his arms had been too
acute!
She didnt recognise the to of that dar& head, the hair thic& and ebony, but
ne'ertheless she &ne$ the man had to $or& at 1omeos, too! Other$ise he
$ouldnt ha'e been getting into the staff lift in the first lace! 2robably one
of the office bods from the si#th floor3 they didnt socialise $ith the sales
staff!
(t)seems)to)be)stuc&, the man muttered, his $ords intersersed $ith
efforts to release the stiletto heel)and Juliette $ith it)from the hole it
$as traed in!
-ell, $hoe'er he $as, he certainly $asnt any roc&et scientist, Juliette
thought disgustedly as she glared do$n at him! She could ha'e told him that
much herself!
%his had not been a good day so far, and it certainly $asnt getting any
better!
And this mans fingers, as they encircled the slenderness of her an&le,
$erent heling, either! His ringless hands $ere long and taered, artistically
so)not the sort of hands any red-blooded $oman could ignore $hile she still
had breath in her body!
He $as robably ugly as sin, she decided self-moc&ingly! -ith her trac&
record, ho$ could it be any different. A uni'ersity student $ho had lied
about his age, &no$ing she didnt go out $ith younger men! Another man
$hod turned out to be married $ith three young children! And another one
$ho $as gay and had ,ust been using her to hide the fact from his family!
%he man loo&ed u! 2erhas if $e $ere to remo'e the boot this might be a
little easier*.
4o, he $asnt ugly! Sinfully good-loo&ing might be a better $ay to ut it
erhas!
%hat ublic-school 'oice didnt sound in the least foreign, but the man
definitely had a 5editerranean loo& about him! His s&in $as dar& and
s$arthy)only the dee blue of his eyes at 'ariance $ith that oli'e colouring!
He raised dar& bro$s as Juliette continued to stare do$n at him! %he
boot*. he romted!
(diot, she chided herself ruefully! She had ,ust done a good imression of an
elehant trying to erform S$an La&e, and no$ she $as caught u in the $ay
he loo&ed! -hile he robably thought she $as a total &lut6*
-hich she undoubtedly $as, Juliette acceted, feeling horribly self-
conscious! /ould today get any $orse. 7i'en the $ay her luc& had going
lately, the ans$er to that $as yes, it certainly could!
Of course! She mo'ed a$&$ardly to un6i the boot, steing out of it to
mo'e into the lift)her hoalong erformance ma&ing her loo& something li&e
8uasimodo, she $as sure!
4ot that it articularly mattered ho$ she aeared to this man, she decided
no$ that she could get a better loo& at him! His suit $as ob'iously
e#ensi'ely tailored, the blac& leather shoes hand-made and the $hite shirt
definitely loo&ed li&e sil&!
One of the e#ecuti'es of 1omeos, then, she ac&no$ledged $ith
disaointment! A man hardly li&ely to so much as notice that one of the
temorary female /hristmas staff $as e'en ali'e! Desite the fact she had
,ust launched herself at him, hitting him solidly in the chest $ith her
umbrella! 4o doubt he $as right no$ rueing the fact that he had arri'ed late
this morning, because other$ise he $ouldnt ha'e met her at all!
%here you go! He held u her boot triumhantly, then grimaced at the badly
gra6ed heel, at the same time steing for$ard into the lift so that the
doors $ere at last able to close!
(t doesnt matter! Juliette &et her ga6e a'erted from his as she bent to
ut the boot bac& on! %han&s, any$ay, she added a$&$ardly, choosing to
loo& do$n at his e#ensi'ely shod feet rather than at the man himself!
At least you $erent hurt, he said encouragingly!
Her ride $as in tatters, but, no, she $asnt hysically hurt! 5aybe if she
had been she could ha'e cried off sic& for these last fe$ days before
/hristmas! She $as absolutely)
-hich floor.
Juliette loo&ed u at him blan&ly! Only the fact that one of those long,
elegant fingers $as held oised o'er the lift buttons made her realise that
he $as $aiting for her to tell him $hich floor she $or&ed on!
9our, she sighed! %han& you, she added $ith a grimace as the doors closed
and the lift began its ascent!
-ith Juliettes stomach lummeting e'ery foot of the $ay!
4ot a great fan of lifts, or enclosed saces, she usually chose to $al& u the
four floors to her deartment!
/ome and $or& at 1omeos, her friend Lisa had romted her fi'e $ee&s
ago, $hen Juliette had left her last ,ob!
Left. She had been thro$n out through the door so fast her si6e fours had
barely touched the ground! (tll be fun, Lisa had assured her brightly!
9un. 9or the first month Juliette had been so bored by the lac& of
customers that she had been in danger of falling aslee half the time! +ut
the last $ee& had more than made u for that, as hordes of men)old, young,
fat, thin, handsome, ugly)had cro$ded in from morning till night in search
of that secial iece of under$ear for the $oman)or in some cases $omen
)in their li'es!
-hy $as it, she had $ondered at least a do6en times, that it $as only $omen
$ho $or&ed in the lingerie deartment. "secially at /hristmas! +ecause
some of the con'ersations shed had o'er the last $ee& had been enough to
ma&e her blush to the tis of her ears!
-ere all men total morons, she had as&ed Lisa, $hen it came to buying
under$ear for the $i'es, girlfriends, sisters)and in a lot of cases, she $as
sure, the mistresses)in their li'es.
%otally, Lisa had ans$ered $ith a giggle! She $as art of the ermanent
staff at the huge 1omeos store, but in the erfume deartment!
Luc&y her!
5aybe if Juliettes father hadnt died $hen she $as eighteen, or if shed had
brothers, it might not ha'e been so embarrassing for her, but as it $as)
-hats haening. she gased, her thoughts interruted as the lift began
to ma&e a grating, groaning sound! Her eyes $idened and she reached out
instincti'ely to gras the arm of the man at her side!
( ha'e no idea, but) %he man didnt finish $hat he $as saying as the lift
came to an abrut halt! %he light flic&ered on and off, and mere seconds
later they $ere lunged into comlete dar&ness!
CHAPTER TWO
OH, 4O! Oh, no! Juliettes fingers tightened on the muscled arm beneath
her hand e'en as she began to hyer'entilate! ( cant)-ere going to):
Stay calm, the mans disembodied 'oice ad'ised firmly! %he emergency light
$ill come on in a)%here, he said $ith satisfaction as a dim red light
flic&ered on o'er the to of the doors, thro$ing a dim, eerie red glo$ o'er
the interior of the lift! 4ot in the least reassuring!
( hate lifts! Juliette heard herself begin to babble! ( only got in one this
morning because ( $as so late! And ( $as only late because my alarm didnt
go off! And then ( missed my bus! And ( had to $al&! And then you didnt
hold the lift for me! And ( slid! And my heel got stuc&! And my boots ruined!
And)
Are you becoming hysterical. the man as&ed $arily, no more than a blurred
outline in the dim red interior!
%he lift had stoed some$here bet$een floors, and robably no one e'en
&ne$ they $ere in here! +ecause this $as the staff lift and e'eryone else
had arri'ed for $or& on time, instead of late, as they $ere! And the reason
she hated lifts $as because small enclosed saces made her feel
claustrohobic! And the lift had stoed some$here bet$een floors!
Juliette too& a dee, steadying breath! 4o! (m*(m fine! 2erhas if she said
it out loud, it might feel true!
7ood! Hysteria really isnt going to imro'e our situation!
She hadnt been trying to imro'e their situation3 she really $as terrified!
Although not so much no$, she realised begrudgingly!
(snt there an emergency button or something $e can ress. She groed
her $ay o'er to $here the lift anel had been $hen shed last been able to
see it)only to find the man had mo'ed in that direction, too, and her hand
$as ma&ing contact $ith some art of his anatomy rather than the lift
buttons!
Sorry, she muttered a$&$ardly! Her chee&s blushed heatedly and she
snatched her hand a$ay as she realised e#actly $hich art of his anatomy
she had grabbed!
2erhas if you ,ust stood still. His 'oice $as icy $ith imatience no$!
2ossibly because he didnt li&e being groed by a comlete stranger in a lift,
Juliette ac&no$ledged $ith a self-conscious $ince, as he ressed one of the
buttons! A bell could be heard ringing some$here!
"r)(m Juliette, by the $ay, she offered, trying to regain her cool and
feeling 'ery glad he couldnt see her flaming chee&s!
Juliette. he reeated incredulously!
At least she thought he sounded incredulous! Although she couldnt for the
life of her imagine $hy! "#cet, of course*
Dont bother! ('e already heard all the ;Juliette $or&ing at 1omeos: ,o&es
that ( can stand, she said brus0uely! +elie'e me, $ith a name li&e mine, (
$ouldnt ha'e e'en considered $or&ing here if it $erent for) She bro&e off
abrutly!
%his man $as one of the e#ecuti'es, after all! And this ,ob might not be
$hat she really $anted to do, but it $as better than being unemloyed at
/hristmas!
(f it $erent for*. the man romted interestedly!
4othing, Juliette said $ith bright dismissi'eness! And you are*. (t $ould
be nice to ut a name to the erson she $as marooned in this lift $ith!
1ob, he sulied economically! Dont you li&e $or&ing at 1omeos.
4ot $hen (m stuc& in one of their lifts, no, she came bac& e'asi'ely!
+ut it aid the rent, and it also meant that she didnt ha'e to cra$l home and
admit to her stemother and stesister, not to mention her stesisters
boyfriend)the fourth and most recent disaster in Juliettes lo'e-life, Da'id
ha'ing referred her stesister to her!)that her life in London $asnt the
success she had assured them it $ould be!
She shoo& her head ,ust at the thought of ha'ing to do that! Do you thin&
that anyone heard).
Hello. Hello, is there anyone in there. a disembodied 'oice called out $ith
concern!
Oh, than& 7od! Juliette felt $ea& at the &nees $ith the relief of &no$ing
that someone $as a$are they $ere in there! Hel! she cried deserately,
e'en as she mo'ed o'er to the doors! 2lease hel us! Her 'oice bro&e
emotionally!
She couldnt hel it! She had al$ays had a thing about lifts, and being stuc&
in the dar& $asnt one of her fa'ourite things, either! "'en if it $as $ith a
man $ho loo&ed as delicious as 1ob!
-hos ;us:. the 'oice en0uired!
Does that really matter. Juliette came bac& imatiently! %he lift is stuc&!
And ( $ant out! Her 'oice rose, and she slaed her hand against the closed
metal doors as her earlier anic returned $ith a 'engeance!
Dont do that, 1ob instructed firmly as he grased both her hands and held
them immobile! %here are t$o eole in here, he ans$ered the erson on
the intercom tersely! Ha'e you called an engineer.
On his $ay, the 'oice reassured them! Just try to stay calm, and $ell ha'e
you out of there shortly!
Juliette closed her eyes! /alm. He $anted them to stay calm. -hen they
$ere stuc& in a sealed metal bo#, susended 7od &ne$ ho$ far from the
ground floor, $ith only a coule of $ires re'enting them from droing li&e
a stone, to be crushed to death in the fall.
O&ay! %han&s, 1ob told the man, his gras tightening on Juliettes hands as
she fought to be free!
(t is not o&ay! she gased breathlessly as she realised they $ere once again
alone! ( hate lifts! ( hate being in the dar&! ( $ish (d ne'er come here to
$or& in the first)Oh! Juliette $as silenced as 1ob muttered something
under his breath, ulled her into his arms and &issed her!
She $as already disorientated enough $ithout being $raed in masterfully
strong arms and &issed in a $ay that made her &nees $ea& and her toes curl!
(n fact, she had ne'er been &issed li&e this in her life)crushed against the
hard strength of his chest so that she could feel e'ery rigid outline of his
body, his mouth e#loring hers in a $ay that made it imossible for her to
stand $ithout clinging to him! Or $as that ,ust the result of her undeniable
fear about being stuc& in this lift. -hate'er! Her &nees $ere sha&ing! (f it
$erent for the fact that 1ob $as holding her so tightly she &ne$ she really
$ould ha'e collased on the floor!
She hadnt had time to reason any of this out $hen she found herself ,ust as
suddenly released, strong hands steadying her as she $ould ha'e s$ayed!
She $as grateful for the gloom in the lift as she felt her chee&s heating
furiously again!
She had ,ust been 'ery thoroughly &issed by a comlete stranger! -ell*not
a comlete stranger3 she did &no$ that his name $as 1ob, and, although she
couldnt remember seeing him before, he ob'iously $or&ed at 1omeos!
4one of $hich changed the fact that he had ,ust &issed her!
Oortunist! she hissed accusingly, steing bac& until she felt the lift $all
behind her!
He sighed! 5y dear Juliette)
(m not your dear anything! she cut in indignantly! <ee your hands to
yourself! %rust her to get stuc& in a lift $ith someone $ho $asnt a'erse to
ta&ing ad'antage of the situation, no matter ho$ gorgeous he $as! %ouch me
again at your eril, she $arned, not caring if she sounded li&e the heroine
from a =>?@s mo'ie!
-hite teeth flashed in the dar&ness! He ob'iously found her indignation
amusing! Or else $hat. he en0uired mildly!
He $as laughing at her! 9irst he had &issed her, and no$ he had the
effrontery to laugh at her!
Juliettes anger rose to such a itch she $as actually sha&ing! Oh, yes, thats
right)lets laugh at the oor hysterical female! Just because (m only
temorary /hristmas staff and youre ob'iously art of management doesnt
mean that (m not going to reort your beha'iour to your suerior! As soon
as she &ne$ $hich suerior to reort him to*
He $as leaning bac& against the oosite $all no$, strong arms crossed in
front of that broad chest! -hy am ( ;ob'iously art of management:.
Her eyes $idened! She had ,ust told him off for laughing at her, threatened
to reort his o'er-familiar beha'iour to)$ell, $hoe'er his suerior $as, and
all he could come bac& $ith $as to as& ho$ she had &no$n he $as one of
1omeos e#ecuti'es!
She ga'e a scornful snort! 2robably because ( ha'ent e'er seen any of the
sales ersonnel $earing e#ensi'e (talian suits and handmade leather shoes!
4o. he dra$led!
He $as still laughing at her, damn it! She didnt care $ho this man $as! "'en
if he turned out to be the 5anaging Director himself, she intended)
Aou said youre a temorary member of staff for the /hristmas eriod. he
as&ed $ith interest!
And as such e#endable. she challenged him, her 'oice scathing! -ell, ,ust
try it, thats all! ( can assure you, ( $ont go 0uietly! 7etting the sac& once
had been 0uite enough, than& you 'ery much!
%hat hasnt been my e#erience so far in our ac0uaintance, so $hy should (
thin& it $ill be any different once $ere out of this lift. he came bac&
derisi'ely!
Aou)() Juliette glared at him! (ts all right for you! Aou arent the one
$hos got stuc& in the lift $ith a er'ert!
%here $as a tense silence after her last accusation)long seconds $hen
Juliette could only hold her breath at the enormity of $hat she had ,ust
said! She had really done it no$! 4ot only had she threatened to reort one
of the management, she had ,ust accused him of being a er'ert, too!
-hat $ould he do.
She heard a noise! A lo$, hus&y-sounding noise that she didnt instantly
recognise! And then she did! 1ob $as no longer in$ardly laughing at her, he
$as actually chuc&ling out loud no$!
(t $asnt funny, damn it! She had ruined a air of ne$ boots, got stuc& in a
lift, been &issed 'ery thoroughly and all this man could do $as laugh at her!
( $ish ( had ne'er e'en heard of 1omeos! she ground out $ith frustration!
(f e'en one male customer loo&ed her u and do$n today, and then decided
that his girlfriendB$ifeBmistress $as robably about the same si6e as you
u to, she $ould not be resonsible for the conse0uences!
-hy did you come to $or& here. 1ob as&ed curiously! Aou dont e#actly
sound as if youre ha'ing a good time!
Oh, she $as grateful to ha'e a ,ob at all3 although not e#cessi'e, the $age
did at least ay most of her bills! She ,ust couldnt remember the last time
shed genuinely had a good time*
(n fact, he continued, it doesnt sound to me as if $or&ing in any tye of
store is $hat you en,oy doing!
She didnt not en,oy it! (t $as ,ust*%here $as no $ay she could e'en begin
to e#lain to this man ho$ she had mo'ed to London si# months ago $ith
such high hoes for her future, her ,ob as a 2A to a successful businessman
ha'ing ro'ed to be e'ery bit as e#citing as she had hoed it $ould! She had
tra'elled $ith her boss to America, 7ermany and 9rance, and it had been an
ama6ing e#erience!
+ut all of that had ended fi'e $ee&s ago! And ,ust thin&ing about that $as
guaranteed to ensure she didnt ha'e a good time doing anything!
+eggars cant be choosers, she resonded hea'ily! Although ( may not ha'e
this ,ob, either, after today, she added, $ith sudden deressing realisation!
( doubt 7raham)7raham %aylor)my floor manager, she e#lained, ,ust in
case this mans e#ecuti'e loftiness meant he $asnt familiar $ith the floor
management, $ill be at all imressed $ith my reason for being late!
"secially as she had already been late $hen shed slid into the lift!
+ut actually 7raham %aylor hadnt seemed imressed by anything shed done
in the last fe$ $ee&s! %he $ay he had of ouncing on any little mista&e she
made ga'e her the distinct imression that he $ished 2ersonnel hadnt
emloyed her in the first lace! %his mornings tardiness might ,ust be the
e#cuse he needed to get rid of her!
(ll ha'e a $ord $ith him)
4o! 4o, no)lease dont do that, Juliette leaded a$&$ardly! 7raham %aylor
ran the fourth floor $ith the recision of a sergeant-ma,or insecting his
troos! He certainly $ouldnt $elcome the inter'ention of a member of uer
management o'er ho$ he treated his staff! %he man $as already sarcastic
enough $ithout that!
2lease, she added ca,olingly! (ts 'ery &ind of you to offer)but lease
dont!
+ut) 1ob bro&e off as the main light flic&ered on o'erhead, follo$ed
seconds later by the lift slo$ly beginning its ascent! At last! he murmured
$ith satisfaction!
Juliette $as too bemused at the thought of being able to escae this metal
rison after being stuc& $ith a man $ho $as anything but reassuring to care
too much $hen the lift came to a rather lurching sto at the fourth floor!
%he doors oened slo$ly, to re'eal half a do6en or so concerned eole,
7raham %aylor amongst them, $aiting an#iously outside!
Juliette didnt hesitate, steing straight out onto terra firma, her legs
sha&ing $ith the relief of being rescued! 4e'er again, she 'o$ed! She didnt
care ho$ late she $as3 she $as ne'er, e'er)
Juliette. She turned at the sound of that no$-familiar 'oice, so relie'ed at
being out of the lift that she e'en smiled at 1ob as he steed out beside
her! After all, it really $asnt his fault that the lift had bro&en do$n! She
$ould ob'iously ha'e referred it if he hadnt &issed her, but such $as her
relief at that moment, she could actually ha'e reached u and &issed him!
+ut before she could decide e#actly $hat she should do or say no$ that they
had been rescued, someone else so&e and rendered her)much as 1ob might
find it hard to belie'e!)comletely seechless!
5r 1omeo! 7raham %aylors 'oice $as full of shoc&ed recognition! ( had no
idea! Ho$ a$ful that this should ha'e haened to you, of all eole!
Juliette turned slo$ly, not e'en bothered that 7raham hadnt sho$n the
slightest concern for her, and loo&ed at the man $ho had been stuc& in the
lift $ith her!
5r 1omeo.
As in 1oberto 1omeo. O$ner of the international chain of restigious
1omeos stores.
CHAPTER THREE
%H(S couldnt be haening to her! 4ot on to of all the other disasters
that had befallen her recently!
(m sure, 7raham, that Juliette belie'es being stuc& in a lift $as an a$ful
thing to haen to her, too, 1ob ans$ered the other man derisi'ely, blue
eyes dar& $ith amusement at the loo& of stunned disbelief on Juliettes face
as she stared at him! (n fact, he added, steing for$ard and ta&ing a firm
gras of her arm, ( thin& it might be a good idea if $e too& Juliette ustairs
and ga'e her a restorati'e glass of brandy!
He $as 1oberto 1omeo!
-hat had she said to him $hile they $ere in the lift. +esides calling him an
oortunist and a er'ert, of course*
+esides calling him those names. -erent they enough to merit instant
dismissal.
7od, yes! And he $as suggesting gi'ing her a brandy in order to soften the
blo$!
Her ale chee&s became flushed as she loo&ed at him $ith accusing green
eyes, her dee red hair loose about her shoulders! (m sure its 'ery &ind of
you to suggest it, 5r 1omeo) her tone imlied the oosite )but ()
Aou ha'e no ob,ections to Juliette coming ustairs $ith me for a $hile, do
you, 7raham. 1ob ignored her refusal and so&e to the fourth-floor
manager!
Juliette loo&ed at the older man from beneath lo$ered dar& lashes, able to
see, e'en if 1oberto 1omeo)1oberto 1omeo, for goodness sa&e!)couldnt,
that 7raham $as far from leased at the idea of one of his temorary
/hristmas staff being ta&en ustairs to that holy-of-holies the e#ecuti'e
floor! (n fact, he didnt seem to li&e it at all as he shooed his curious staff
bac& to their deartments in order to gi'e himself time to formulate an
aroriate ans$er!
-ell, he didnt ha'e to $orry on her behalf3 she $asnt too thrilled at the
suggestion herself! 1oberto 1omeo $as gi'ing e'ery aearance of being a
concerned emloyer, but she 'ery much doubted he $as the sort of man to
ma&e a scene in ublic, any$ay! And the e#ecuti'e suite on the si#th floor, at
only nine-thirty in the morning, $ould be emty of all but the t$o of them!
An ideal time and lace to tell her to see& other emloyment!
( $ould really rather ,ust get straight bac& to $or&! She addressed her
emloyer, ,ust $anting to get a$ay! %he /hristmas music laying o'er the
tannoy system and the e#tensi'e /hristmas decorations and lights $ere
doing nothing to lighten her hea'y mood! +ut if she could ,ust manage to
&ee her head do$n for the rest of the day, erhas)
-ho $as she &idding. 1oberto 1omeo $asnt li&ely to forget their time in
the lift, or their con'ersation, any more than she $as)let alone allo$ her to
continue $or&ing in his store!
%hats 'ery commendable of you, Juliette, he ans$ered dryly, amusement
still dar&ening those incredible blue eyes! +ut ( thin& a 'isit to the shoe
deartment may be in order first! Aour boots are ruined, he added ruefully
as Juliette loo&ed totally be$ildered by his suggestion! And 1omeos o$es
you a relacement air!
Juliette eyed him susiciously! -as he laying $ith her. Lulling her into
some false sense of security.
%he blan&ness of his e#ression ga'e her no insight as to $hether that $as
$hat he $as doing or not! +ut that didnt change the fact that 1omeos
$asnt resonsible for the damage to her boot3 her o$n clumsiness $as
resonsible for that!
2erhas you could organise that for me $ith the shoe deartment, 7raham.
1oberto 1omeo instructed, before Juliette could assure him that ne$ boots
$ould not be necessary!
Juliette ga'e a dismayed glance in the managers direction3 7raham $as used
to gi'ing orders, not recei'ing them, and, no matter ho$ leasantly the
re0uest might ha'e been made, there had been a steely edge to 1oberto
1omeos 'oice that had let e'eryone &no$ the suggestion had better be
carried out, or 7raham $ould ans$er to him for the omission!
Of course, 5r 1omeo! %he older man made a 0uic& reco'ery and ans$ered
bris&ly, but the fact that he didnt e'en glance in Juliettes direction as he
did so told her that she $ould ans$er to him later for utting him in such a
osition in the first lace!
7reat! She $asnt 7rahams fa'ourite erson any$ay3 this could only ma&e
that situation $orse!
(t $as o&ay for 1oberto 1omeo! 9rom $hat shed been able to gather, he
usually turned u for a fe$ days)it had to be her luc& that he had turned u
today)thre$ his $eight around $hile he $as there and then left again,
lea'ing underlings li&e Juliette to the mercy of floor managers li&e 7raham
%aylor! Although, after this morning, that might no longer be any of her
concern*
7ood! 1oberto 1omeo nodded bris&ly before turning bac& to Juliette!
Aoure sure you $ouldnt li&e a fe$ minutes to reco'er from your ordeal.
%hat deended on $hich ordeal he $as referring to! +eing stuc& in the lift in
the first lace, or disco'ering that the man $ho had &issed her $as 1oberto
1omeo himself.
+ecause she $asnt li&ely to forget that &iss in a hurry! She had been
comletely o'er$helmed at the time, resonding in site of herself, and she
felt e'en more so no$ that she &ne$ the man doing the &issing had been
1oberto 1omeo, the multimillionaire o$ner of the $orld$ide 1omeos chain!
Of course, she did ha'e an e#cuse for her ignorance in that shed ne'er seen
him before)she $ould definitely ha'e recognised him if she had, and
erhas been a bit more circumsect in her remar&s! 2erhas! +ecause,
actually, she really had been too frea&ed out most of the time to care $ho
shed found herself stuc& in the lift $ith!
+ut Lisa, the old schoolfriend $ho $as resonsible for Juliette getting this
,ob in the first lace, had tal&ed of her emloyer se'eral times since
Juliette had mo'ed to London! /onse0uently, she &ne$ that 5r 1omeo $as
single, aged in his mid-thirties, of (talian descent)ob'iously, $ith a name
li&e that!)and that he had started off $ith one store ten years ago in 5ilan,
and no$ had one in e'ery ma,or caital city in the $estern $orld!
%his $as the first time, as far as Juliette $as a$are, that he had 'isited his
London store in some months!
She couldnt hel $ishing he hadnt decided to ay a 'isit this time, either!
(m fine, she assured him bris&ly! Absolutely fine! She flic&ed the
thic&ness of her hair bac& o'er her shoulders and loo&ed u at him!
And instantly $ished she hadnt3 those intense blue eyes $ere still laughing
at her! -ell, at least he found the situation funny)$hich $as more than
could be said for her!
(f youll both e#cuse me. she added frostily, not e'en $aiting for a rely
before she turned on her damaged heel and strode off to$ards the
staffroom, $here she intended lea'ing her coat and umbrella before starting
$or&!
And trying to regain some of her sha&y self-confidence before she had to
face the curiosity of the eole she $or&ed $ith! 4ot to mention the $rath
of 7raham %aylor*
So $hats he li&e. Lisa grinned $ith unabashed curiosity as she slid her
lunch tray onto the table before sitting do$n oosite Juliette!
Juliette didnt e'en try to retend not to &no$ $hich he her friend $as
referring to3 e'ery member of staff $ho had so&en to her this morning had
as&ed her the same 0uestion! +ut she doubted that she should tell Lisa, or
any of those other eole, the terms she had used to describe him this
morning)terms li&e oortunist and er'ert, let alone the arrogantly
moc&ing she had added to that list!
O&ay, ( suose, she ans$ered dismissi'ely, her hands cradling the cu of
coffee she had oted for instead of lunch! (f you li&e the tall, dar& and
handsome tye!
Doesnt e'eryone. Lisa chuc&led! +esides, ( didnt mean $hat does he loo&
li&e! ( &no$ $hat he loo&s li&e! And dont tell me that you dont li&e the tall,
dar& and handsome tye, because ( &no$ for a fact that you do!
Of course she did, Juliette ac&no$ledged ruefully3 the t$o of them had been
friends since they $ere eighteen years old! Lisa &ne$ of all her disastrous
romantic entanglements)and that, $ithout e#cetion, all of those men had
been tall, dar& and handsome!
She ga'e a shrug! +eing stuc& in a lift together isnt articularly conduci'e
to getting to &no$ $hat a erson is li&e! "#cet she &ne$ that 1oberto
1omeo stayed calm in a crisis! %hat he $as self-confident! Had a $ic&ed
sense of humour! And his &isses $ere bone-melting*
Although she certainly had no intention of sharing that articular fact $ith
Lisa! -ith anyone, in fact!
+esides, she had sent a 'ery tense morning $aiting for someone)robably
7raham)to tell her that her emloyment at 1omeos $as at an end! (n fact,
she had been so reoccuied as shed $aited for that summons that she
hadnt e'en been bothered by some of the more ersonal remar&s made by
her male customers! (t $as also the reason she $as only ha'ing coffee for
her lunch3 her normally healthy aetite had comletely deserted her!
Lisa shoo& her head, still grinning! (t could only haen to you, she said
affectionately!
Aes, it could only haen to her! Her adult life so far seemed to ha'e been
one disaster after another, so $hy should she ha'e thought her time $or&ing
at 1omeos $ould be any different. She hadnt3 not really!
Although being stuc& in a bro&en-do$n lift $ith the o$ner of the comany
$as definitely a first!
(t did haen to me! She grimaced, utting her head in her hands! And (m
not sure 7raham is going to forgi'e me for it! %he man had been dogging her
footstes all morning, ic&ing her u on e'ery little thing she did $rong! And
as for the relacement boots 1oberto 1omeo had re0uested for her)
7raham hadnt so much as mentioned the sub,ect!
Lisa $rin&led her nose! -hat is that mans roblem. She shoo& her head,
$ell a$are of the managers sour nature! He can hardly blame you for a
malfunctioning lift!
Juliette had a feeling that the fourth-floor manager could)and did)do
e#actly $hat he leased! And before the end of the day she $as sure it
$ould lease him to sho$ her the door!
Hell find a $ay! She nodded, her mood lightening slightly in the face of
Lisas good humour! Aou and ( both &no$ that 7raham is) She bro&e off as
she became a$are that Lisa $as ma&ing faces at her across the table, her
ga6e mo'ing ointedly to the left! -hat on earth).
7raham is $hat, Juliette. an icy cold 'oice romted from behind her!
7raham %aylors icy cold 'oice!
%hat $as it, Juliette decided $ith an inner groan3 she $as ,ust going to ic&
u her things from the staffroom, try to ma&e her $ay home $ithout
further incident, ta&e herself to bed and then ull the du'et o'er her head
and stay there until this so-called festi'e season $as $ell and truly o'er!
+ecause it $as highly unli&ely she $as going to find anything to feel festi'e
about today!
She s$allo$ed hard, slo$ly utting her coffee cu do$n before standing u
to face the man $ho $as fast becoming her nemesis! 7raham, she greeted
him lightly, forcing a bright smile to her lis, utting both hands behind her
bac& and crossing her fingers before ma&ing her ne#t remar&! ( $as ,ust
telling Lisa ho$ much ( en,oy $or&ing at 1omeos, and $hat a $onderful
manager you are to $or& for!
%he crossed fingers didnt seem to be $or&ing! His e#ression dar&ened
ominously!
4ot that she had thought that it $ould $or&! She $as sure that 7raham $as
all too a$are that she li&ed him no more than he li&ed her! She decided to
change the sub,ect entirely! -ere you loo&ing for me.
7raham continued to stare at her coldly for se'eral long seconds, and then
nodded his head abrutly! 5r 1omeo telehoned do$n a fe$ minutes ago! He
$ould li&e you to go ustairs to his office!
-hat. 4o$. she gased, glad she had only had coffee for her lunch3 she
might actually ha'e been sic& other$ise!
%he manager ga'e a humourless smile! -ell, ( hardly thin& that he meant
tomorro$, Juliette!
2robably because)as they both &ne$!)she $ouldnt e'en be here tomorro$!
%his e#change $as tyical of 7rahams unleasant manner3 ne'er be leasant
$hen you can be sarcastic instead, seemed to be his motto! Although it $as
a side of himself, Juliette had noticed, that he ne'er sho$ed to the
customers or other senior staff!
(ll go u no$! She nodded a$&$ardly before mo'ing a$ay!
Ho$e'er, she had no intention of ta&ing the lift u to the to floor! -ith
the $ay her luc& $as going today, it $ould robably brea& do$n again!
And, much as she didnt relish this meeting $ith 1oberto 1omeo, she didnt
$ish that on herself, either!
CHAPTER FOUR
%H"1" $as no need to rush, Juliette! 1oberto eyed her across the $idth of
his des& as she stood facing him, uffing ob'iously, her face flushed from
the effort of running u the stairs!
She really $ould ha'e to ma&e an effort to ,oin a gym, Juliette told herself
as she tried to calm her breathing! She hadnt realised until no$ ,ust ho$ out
of condition she $as!
Although the real reason for her being so discomosed, she &ne$, $as seeing
1oberto 1omeo again)and &no$ing e#actly $ho he $as)rather than ha'ing
hurried u four flights of stairs!
%o ma&e matters $orse, he $as ob'iously comletely calm and rela#ed as he
lounged bac& in a leather seat behind a leather-toed des&, his ,ac&et
hanging neatly behind the door, his shoulders 'ery broad in the $hite sil&
shirt!
He really $as one of the most handsome men she had e'er seen)his hair so
dar& it shone li&e ebony, his s&in healthily 5editerranean, ma&ing the blue of
his eyes e'en more startling!
( didnt rush, she assured him, still slightly breathless! ( ,ust referred to
$al& u rather than use the lift!
He grinned in ac&no$ledgement, his teeth 'ery $hite against his oli'e-
coloured s&in! ( cant say ( blame you after this morning, he commented, his
ga6e mo'ing do$n the length of her legs! 4o ne$ boots yet. He raised dar&
bro$s!
4or e'er li&ely to be, if 7raham had his $ay!
4ot yet, she e'aded, ha'ing no desire to get into a negati'e con'ersation
about one of this mans managers! She $as already $ell a$are $ho $as going
to come out $orst in this con'ersation!
Hmm! 1oberto loo&ed at her seculati'ely o'er the to of steeled fingers
as he rested his elbo$s on the des&-to! Do sit do$n, Juliette, he in'ited
her smoothly!
-as that so that there $as no danger of her falling do$n $hen he sac&ed
her. 2robably! -ell, he neednt $orry! She had no intention of doing that!
Any$ay, she $asnt altogether sure that $hat haened in the lift earlier
had all been her fault! 5ost of it, maybe! +ut if he had ,ust introduced
himself roerly in the first lace, rather than ,ust saying 1ob, then she
$ould ha'e at least refrained from calling him insulting names! (n fact, she
didnt thin& it $as fair of him to blame her at all!
She ignored his in'itation to sit do$n3 standing only fi'e feet four inches,
she $as 'irtually on the same le'el as him $hen he sat do$n, any$ay! Aou
beha'ed badly this morning, too, you &no$! She launched straight into a re-
emti'e defence as she fro$ned at him! 9or instance, she continued, before
he had time to interrut, if you hadnt &issed me, ( $ouldnt ha'e needed to
call you those names!
An oortunist and a er'ert, he sil&ily reminded her!
Juliette $inced! 4o, he certainly $asnt going to forget any of that in a
hurry!
-ell*yes, she agreed reluctantly! +ut ( $as uset! And frightened! And,
yes, slightly hysterical, she conceded grudgingly as he ga'e her a moc&ing
glance from beneath his bro$s! ( shouldnt ha'e called you those names, (
realise that, but ( really dont thin& that its fair you should sac& me because
of it! (t isnt as if ( $as screaming and shouting all o'er the lace! ( ,ust
anic&ed for a fe$ minutes, thats all! ( dont li&e lifts! ( ne'er ha'e! (m not
too &een on being in the dar&, either! +ut ( really thin& your &issing me $as
much $orse than anything ( did to you)
Juliette, could you ,ust bac& u a coule of sentences. 1oberto interruted
softly, those blue eyes no longer full of good humour!
She eyed him $arily! %o the fact that (m not too &een on being in the dar&.
He ga'e an imatient sha&e of his head! %he art about my sac&ing you! He
stood u to mo'e around the des&, 'ery tall and o$erful in the confines of
the office! Aou thin& ( as&ed you u here in order to sac& you. He $as
fro$ning dar&ly!
Juliette felt confused! Aou mean you didnt.
He leant bac& against the des&, loo&ing at her be$ildered e#ression! As a
matter of fact, no, he told her, sounding slightly be$ildered himself! ( ha'e
managers, ersonnel eole, $ho usually deal $ith that sort of thing!
5anagers li&e 7raham %aylor, Juliette thought $ith a mental grimace!
+ecause e'en if 1oberto didnt intend sac&ing her, she had a feeling that
after her remar&s in the staffroom earlier 7raham $ould still find a reason
for doing it!
-hat is that. 1oberto en0uired slo$ly! "'ery time ( mention managers*(
noticed a certain*restraint bet$een you and 7raham %aylor earlier, he
e#lained as Juliette eyed him $arily!
1estraint. 9or some reason)and she really didnt ha'e any idea $hat that
reason could be)7raham had ta&en a disli&e to her from the moment the
$oman from the ersonnel office had ta&en Juliette to the fourth floor and
introduced the t$o of them! And it really $asnt anything Juliette had said
or done to the manager, because she needed this ,ob too much to be
anything but comletely comliant and agreeable to anything as&ed of her!
+ut she $as surrised that 1oberto, in the short time he had seen them
together, had noticed that restraint!
And, considering ( as&ed 7raham three hours ago to see to a ne$ air of
boots for you* 1oberto continued, before Juliette could come u $ith a
noncommittal ans$er!
Oh, thats my fault, she assured him brightly, 'ery a$are that this man $as
no$ standing mere inches a$ay from her! And also a$are that he had &issed
her, and she had accidentally groed him3 not e#actly a good starting oint
bet$een the o$ner of the comany and one of his minions! Less than a
minion, really! ( ha'ent had the time yet!
1eally. 1oberto murmured!
Aes)really, she said firmly! -e'e been 'ery busy this morning! +esides, its
only one boot, and it isnt that damaged, and it $as my o$n fault any$ay! She
hoed)really hoed)that he $ouldnt gi'e her legs that lingering glance
again3 she $as still sha&en from the last time he had done it! Although that
steady blue ga6e on her face $asnt e#actly calming, either*
His mouth 0uir&ed humorously! -e can hardly relace one boot!
Juliette fro$ned $ith frustration at this con'ersation! (m trying to tell you
that ( dont need you to relace either or both of them!
( &no$ $hat youre saying, Juliette! He $as no longer smiling! (ll hone
do$n to /athy in the shoe deartment myself $hen $e'e finished here, and
you can go and see her during your afternoon brea&, if thats $hat you $ould
refer!
She $ould refer him to ,ust dro the $hole sub,ect, and)if he really didnt
intend sac&ing her)let her get bac& to her $or&! As far as she $as
concerned there had already been enough attention dra$n to her today,
$ithout adding to it!
-hate'er, she said, an#ious to escae before he changed his mind about
sac&ing her for insubordination! /an ( go no$. she added, after a glance at
her $rist$atch3 her lunch brea& $as going to be o'er shortly!
4ot yet, no! 1oberto seemed comletely unconcerned about the length of
time she had already sent u here! ('e been reading your emloyment file
)
Juliettes head snaed u! Aou'e been doing $hat.
%his man $as the o$ner of a do6en or more stores, $ith all the many
resonsibilities that entailed, $hereas she $as a mere sales assistant)and a
temorary one at that! So $hy on earth $as he ta&ing such an interest in her
file.
She refused to belie'e his interest had anything to do $ith that &iss they
had shared in the lift! (t might ha'e made her &nees sha&e, and temorarily
robbed her of seech, but this man $as at least ten years older than her
o$n t$enty-three, and had the definite loo& of a man $ho had the hysical
e#erience to go along $ith those years!
( had 2ersonnel send u your emloyment file for me to loo& at, he
continued calmly, turning slightly to ic& u a folder from the to of his
des&, and flic&ing it oen to glance do$n at its contents! According to this,
you ha'e A-le'els in "nglish, 5aths, "conomics and 7erman! He $as fro$ning
as he read from the to sheet of aer! -ith a first-class degree in
+usiness Studies! Aour last)and aarently first),ob $as $ith +arnaby
Harris, of Harris (nternational! He loo&ed u, that blue ga6e narro$ed on
her seculati'ely!
Juliette had felt herself aling as hed read from her alication form, and
her lis $ere actually feeling numb!
She &ne$ $hat her 0ualifications $ere, and $hat ,ob she had ta&en after
attaining her degree3 she simly didnt understand this mans interest in
them!
Arent you a little o'er-0ualified to be $or&ing as a sales assistant. 1oberto
suggested softly!
-ell, of course she $as o'er-0ualified! +ut it $as things that $erent $ritten
do$n on that ,ob alication form that had resulted in her ta&ing this ,ob)
any ,ob!)at 1omeos!
%he thing is, Juliette*He stood u, one dar& bro$ rising moc&ingly as
Juliette instincti'ely too& a ste a$ay from him! %he thing is, he reeated,
and mo'ed to sit behind the des& again, that (m $ithout a 2A for the ne#t
si# months or so! And $ith these 0ualifications)he taed the closed file he
had laced bac& on his des&-to )you $ould aear to be more than
0ualified for the ost! So $hat do you thin&. He leant bac& in his leather
chair, blue ga6e steadily comelling! -ould you be $illing to gi'e u a ,ob you
ob'iously arent en,oying)
( ne'er said that! she gased!
)in order, he continued, as if she hadnt interruted him, to become my 2A
for a minimum of si# months.
Juliette could only stare at him incredulously! He simly couldnt be serious!
/ould he.
So far in their ac0uaintance she had attac&ed him $ith an umbrella,
threatened to reort him for his o'er-familiarity, called him se'eral rude
names)it still made her cringe ,ust to thin& about e#actly $hat she had
called him!)and instead of sac&ing her, as she had belie'ed he $as about to
do, he had turned around and offered her the sort of ,ob she could only
dream about!
A ,ob she couldnt ossibly accet!
CHAPTER FIVE
-OCLD you li&e that brandy no$. he offered dryly as Juliette remained
ale and seechless!
Aes, lease, she relied $ithout hesitation, droing do$n into the chair
oosite his as she ga'e u any retence of aearing calm and comosed!
+ecause she $asnt either of those things! 9ar from it!
1oberto $as oenly smiling as he mo'ed to the drin&s cabinet neatly
camouflaged in one of the boo&shel'es! Juliette $as only half aying
attention to him as he oured some brandy into $hat loo&ed li&e a genuine
cut-crystal goblet!
She had come here e#ecting to be gi'en the sac&, and instead this man had
offered her the sort of ,ob anyone $ith her 0ualifications $ould gras
eagerly)$ith both hands! +ut those deliberate blan&s in her file)the
reasons shed had to lea'e her emloy $ith Harris (nternational)meant that
she couldnt e'en thin& about ta&ing this ,ob $ith 1oberto 1omeo!
%here you go! He laced the brandy glass into her hand, once again standing
'ery close to her!
%oo close, $ith Juliette already feeling so 'ulnerable! %han& you, she
murmured, deciding that erhas she shouldnt drin& the brandy after all)
she still had to go bac& to $or& this afternoon!
He really $as standing 'ery close, she thought agitatedly, deliberately not
loo&ing at him, although she $as 'ery a$are, e#cruciatingly so, of the 0uiet
strength of that o$erful body, of the tangy elusi'eness of his aftersha'e,
of the lean strength of those hands she had so admired earlier this morning!
-as it really only three hours since she had first encountered this man. (t
someho$ seemed much longer! 5aybe being marooned together in a lift that
$ay had that effect. Or $as it something else that made her so a$are of
him.
Drin& u, he encouraged hus&ily! (m sure youll feel better if you do!
4o, she $ouldnt! +ecause this man had ut her in a osition $here the only
$ay out $as to tell him at least some of the truth about $hy she $as no
longer $or&ing for +arnaby Harris! And ,ust thin&ing about that $as enough
to ma&e her feel slightly ill!
( so&e to +arnaby Harris earlier)
Aou didnt! Juliettes face aled e'en more as she loo&ed u at him! -hat
had +arnaby said to the other man. And $hy, after tal&ing to +arnaby, a man
$ho desised her, $as 1oberto 1omeo still offering her a ,ob. Aou had no
right to do that, she rotested $ea&ly, green eyes $ide!
1oberto shrugged unreentantly! As your resent emloyer, ( $as curious as
to $hy you had left the ,ob after being there only fi'e months!
Juliette s$allo$ed hard! 2erhas she $ould ha'e a si of the brandy, after
all3 it couldnt ossibly ma&e her feel any more light-headed than she already
did!
1oberto had actually so&en to +arnaby Harris! Ho$ much $orse could this
get.
7oing on ast e#erience, a lot $orse!
5r 1omeo, she began sha&ily, and then aused to ta&e a si of the brandy!
%he alcohol $armed her inside at least, e'en if she did feel li&e ice outside!
1ob, he encouraged lightly! Or 1oberto, if you refer! Once again he leant
bac& against the front of his des&! ( ans$er to both, he said $ith a smile!
Aou dont sound (talian, she came bac& almost accusingly!
5y "nglish mother insisted ( be educated at "ton and then /ambridge, he
e#lained!
His "nglish mother. %hat robably e#lained $here he had got those
enetrating blue eyes)
-hat did it matter $here hed got his colouring from. Or $here he $as
educated, for that matter! %he less she &ne$ about him, ersonally or
other$ise, the easier it $ould be to say no to his offer of a ,ob!
Although she still $ondered, $hen he had ob'iously so&en to +arnaby Harris
ersonally, $hy 1oberto $as e'en ma&ing the offer!
She moistened dry lis! Didnt +arnaby Harris)didnt he e#lain that)(
dont understand, Juliette told him irritably, and shoo& her head in
frustration, utting her almost untouched glass of brandy do$n on the des&
ne#t to him before standing u! (f you'e so&en to +arnaby, she continued,
still absolutely dumbfounded that 1oberto had gone to the trouble of calling
the other man, then you must &no$ that)that)
%hat $hat. 1oberto romted softly, $atching her through narro$ed eyes!
%hat she had been sac&ed from her last ,ob! %hat the reason she $as
$or&ing at 1omeos at all $as because there $as no $ay, after $hat had
haened, she could as& +arnaby Harris for a reference)or that he $ould
gi'e her one!
Although*
She fro$ned across at 1oberto! "#actly $hat did +arnaby tell you about)
about the reason ( left his emloyment.
He shrugged! Something about a clash of ersonalities! His ga6e sharened!
(snt that the reason you left Harris (nternational.
A clash of ersonalities! %hat $ould be laughable)if it $ere the truth!
-hich it $asnt! +ut if +arnaby hadnt told 1oberto the real reason she had
left his emloyment so abrutly, then she had no intention of doing so,
either! She &ne$ some eole $ould say she $as being ridiculous, that she
shouldnt let her o$n career suffer as a result of someone elses actions, but
she $as not reared to ris& hurting innocent eole by tal&ing about the
ast!
4e'er mind! Juliette dismissed the matter firmly! /an ( ta&e it from this
con'ersation that ( still ha'e emloyment here as a sales assistant. She
loo&ed at him challengingly3 he could hardly say no after offering her the ,ob
as his ersonal assistant!
%he 2A ,ob ays more, he ointed out softly! A lot more, he added
temtingly!
Juliette eyed him susiciously! Just because +arnaby Harris had decided not
to air his dirty laundry in ublic and confide the real reason for her dismissal
to 1oberto, that didnt mean the other man hadnt dra$n his o$n conclusions
concerning that clash of ersonalities! Adding t$o and t$o together and
coming u $ith fi'e! He also &ne$, after their resonse to each other in the
lift earlier, that there $as no clash of ersonalities)at least on a hysical
le'el)bet$een the t$o of them*
Do ( still ha'e my ,ob in the lingerie deartment. Juliette reeated tightly!
Aou do, he said tautly, losing some of his easy charm in the face of her
obstinacy!
She nodded abrutly! %hen, if you dont mind, ( $ould li&e to get bac& to it!
He sighed $ith e#aseration! ( really dont thin& you understand, Juliette!
%his ,ob as my ersonal assistant may become ermanent! 5y resent 2A has
ta&en maternity lea'e, and ( haen to &no$ shes unli&ely to come bac&!
-hy on earth $ould you $ant to continue $ith a ,ob youre clearly o'er-
0ualified for, and $hich $ill terminate at the end of the January sale
any$ay, $hen you could be in a much higher-aid ,ob that has e'ery
ossibility of becoming ermanent.
7ood 0uestion!
+ut so $as the 0uestion of $hy e#actly he $anted to emloy her!
+ecause if 1oberto 1omeo thought ersonal assistant meant anything more
than a $or&ing relationshi, then he could ,ust thin& again as far as she $as
concerned!
She shoo& her head, her ga6e meeting his unflinchingly! %he only ,ob (m
interested in at 1omeos is the one ( already ha'e!
9ine, 1oberto snaed icily! %hen youd better get bac& to it, hadnt you.
She didnt need telling t$ice, hurrying from his office as if being ursued,
once again a'oiding the lift to hurry do$n the t$o floors to her deartment!
As it haened, she still had a coule of minutes left of her lunch brea&, and
the reetiti'e seasonal music $as starting to gi'e her a headache! +ut the
alternati'e of going bac& to the staffroom and being bombarded $ith
0uestions from Lisa $asnt really an otion!
%he main reason for that being she simly didnt ha'e any ans$ers! %he
oortunity 1oberto $as offering her aeared too good to ass u)and Lisa
$ouldnt hesitate to tell her so! +ut, li&e Juliette, her friend $as sure to
0uestion his reason for ma&ing it!
And Juliette also 0uestioned +arnaby Harriss surrising resonse to the
other mans telehone call! +arnaby had certainly left her in no doubt, the
last time theyd so&en, about his intentions concerning gi'ing her any sort
of reference for another ,ob! And yet he ob'iously hadnt told 1oberto the
real reason she had left his emloyment so abrutly)though that $as not
much of a surrise!
Juliette shoo& her head, too confused at the moment to ma&e any sense of
anything that had haened so far today!
9orget it, Juliette, she instructed herself sternly!
And forget 1oberto 1omeo!
/an ( offer you a lift home.
Juliette fro$ned through the hea'ily falling sno$, easily recogni6ing 1oberto
as he sat behind the $heel of the sil'er sorts car that $as ar&ed illegally
at the bus sto $here she stood $aiting! Although, considering the foulness
of the $eather, she doubted any buses $ere actually going to arri'e!
+ut e'en if the $eather $as a$ful, and there $as a dearth of buses, did she
really $ant to accet a lift from the man she had only hours ago told herself
'ery firmly to forget.
"secially as she had only ,ust finished ans$ering belated 0uestions from
Lisa about her summons u to 1obertos office at lunchtime! %he t$o $omen
had left the store together a short time ago, and Lisa had &et her
boyfriend $aiting $hile she 0uestioned Juliette! "#tensi'ely!
/onse0uently, she $asnt feeling &indly disosed to$ards him at the moment,
and $ould ha'e lo'ed to turn do$n his offer of a lift home! +ut, again, she
'ery much doubted, $ith the $eather $orsening, that any buses $ere going
to get through*
Juliettes eyes $idened as, tired of $aiting for her rely, 1oberto got out of
his car, seemingly unconcerned $ith the sno$ falling on the thic& dar&ness of
his hair before he ,oined her beneath the bus shelter!
7od, he $as gorgeous! (t should be illegal for any man to be 0uite this
gorgeous! At the 'ery least he ought to come $ith a health $arning or
something!
He smiled do$n at her, an endearing dimle aearing in one hard chee&! (t
seems to be ta&ing you rather a long time to decide $hether you refer the
$armth and comfort of my car to the dubious ossibility that the buses are
actually still running!
He didnt bear grudges, either, Juliette ac&no$ledged $ith da6ed
areciation! Did this man ha'e no faults.
-ell, of course he did! She instantly ans$ered her o$n 0uestion! He &issed
un&no$n $omen in lifts, for one thing! And that &iss had definitely had a
lasting effect on her*
+ut ultimately, she had to admit, the romise of a $arm and comfortable car,
rather than a trudge home through the $et sno$, $on out o'er any
misgi'ings she might ha'e about acceting his offer!
4ot at all, 5r 1omeo, she ans$ered stiffly)her teeth $ere chattering so
badly from the cold it $as imossible to ans$er him in any other manner! +ut
its only a mile or so to my flat, and ( $ouldnt $ant to ta&e you out of your
$ay!
Although she had no idea $hich $ay $as his $ay! (t $as his first 'isit to the
London store in si# months or so, according to $hat Lisa had told her, so it
$as unli&ely he actually had a home in London! And, as Juliette $ell &ne$,
there $ere none of the class of hotels this man $ould choose to stay at in
the direction of her flat!
(ts not a roblem, he told her dismissi'ely, ta&ing the bag out of her hand
and $al&ing o'er to the bac& of his car! 4e$ boots. he added lightly as he
mo'ed to oen the assenger door for her to get in!
As a matter of fact, they $ere! He had seemed so determined she should
ha'e them, and after the uncomfortable half-hour she had sent in his
office she had decided to cheer herself u by choosing some! Cnsurrisingly,
shed found that 1oberto had indeed telehoned ahead and so&en to /athy,
the shoe deartment manager!
Aes! %han& you, Juliette added a$&$ardly!
He had been right about the $armth in his car3 she $as starting to tha$ out
already! Although she couldnt hel a ained $ince $hen, once the engine $as
turned on, /hristmas music instantly filled the close confines of the car!
1oberto eyed her seculati'ely! Aou dont li&e /hristmas music.
( lo'e e'erything to do $ith /hristmas, she assured him! At least*( did! As
a child! %here $as a shado$ in her eyes no$, she &ne$!
%his $ouldnt do! She instantly roused herself, not $anting to re'eal those
feelings of sadness! 1oberto 1omeo already &ne$ more about her than she
$as comfortable $ith!
+ut after you'e listened to +ing /rosby singing ;-hite /hristmas: a do6en
times a day for four $ee&s it starts to $ear a little thin! she continued
dryly!
1oberto manoeu'red his car bac& onto the sno$-co'ered road! %here $as
'ery little traffic to hinder his $ay! %hey lay the same music at the store
all day, e'ery day. He didnt sound leased!
Oos! She hadnt meant to get anyone into trouble, only to steer the
con'ersation a$ay from herself! 2erhas it ,ust seems that $ay! She
shrugged ruefully!
And erhas she should start thin&ing a little more about $hat she said
around this man! -hich shouldnt be too difficult3 she already sent eight
hours a day doing that $ith 7raham %aylor $hene'er he $as around! 4ot
that it made a great deal of difference3 for some reason her manager still
didnt li&e her!
Hmm! -ould you gi'e me directions to your home. 1obertos concentration
$as fi#ed on the road ahead, a small fro$n creasing his forehead!
(f anything, the $eather $as getting $orse! %he $indscreen $iers $ere
ha'ing difficulty dealing $ith the hea'ily falling sno$! And it didnt loo& as if
the sno$loughs and gritting lorries had reached this articular art of
London, either, as the sno$ $as settling hea'ily on the road, too!
Csually dirty, often untidy, the suddenly deserted streets of London had
ta&en on a Dic&ensian beauty! So much so that Juliette $ouldnt ha'e been at
all surrised to see +ob /ratchit, $ith %iny %im in his arms, come $al&ing
do$n the street!
She smiled at her fanciful thoughts! She had al$ays lo'ed A /hristmas /arol,
and for many years had read it out loud $ith her father in the $ee& before
/hristmas! +efore hed married Sybil! +efore Sybil and her daughter
1osemary had mo'ed into the house! After that nothing had e'er been 0uite
the same again!
Juliette, does your flat ha'e a couch.
She turned blan&ly to loo& at 1oberto, so lost in memories that she $as
momentarily disorientated!
Of course she had a couch! -hat did he thin&. %hat she $as so hard u she
didnt ha'e any furniture. (n fact, her flat $as more than ade0uately
decorated and furnished, courtesy of the high salary she had earned as
+arnaby Harriss ersonal assistant! And she certainly hadnt got to the
stage $here she had started selling off her furniture! Aet!
9or me to slee on, 1oberto e#lained, $hen Juliette continued to loo& at
him blan&ly! His e#ression $as grimmer than e'er as he sco$led out at the
raidly $hitening landscae! -e may ,ust about ma&e it to your flat, he
added tightly, as he struggled to &ee the car from s&idding on the sliery
road, but (m afraid theres no $ay (m going to be able to ma&e it bac& to
my hotel this e'ening!
(ts not a roblem, he had assured her, $hen she had 0uestioned his offer of
a lift home!
-ell, it certainly $as a roblem if that offer no$ meant he had to send the
night sleeing on her couch!
CHAPTER SIX
AOCD" got to be ,o&ing! Juliette burst out incredulously, her re'ious
leasure in the scene around them raidly dissiating as she realised the
$eather $as ma&ing dri'ing ha6ardous)in fact, do$nright dangerous, she
ac&no$ledged, as 1oberto once again fought the ull of the icy conditions to
&ee the car on the road!
He $asnt ,o&ing, she forced herself to accet, feeling numb! %he sno$ $as
falling so thic&ly no$ they $ould be luc&y to ma&e it the short remaining
distance to her flat! -hat $as the saying. ( $ouldnt send a dog out on a
night li&e this.
%a&e the ne#t left, she instructed softly! He hadnt e'en bothered to rely
to her re'ious statement! (ts the second house on the right, she added,
once he had turned the car onto the right street!
(f she had thought the main road $as bad, this $as e'en $orse! 4one of the
days sno$fall had been cleared from this residential street)a fact made
articularly ob'ious as 1obertos car slo$ed to a sto se'eral feet ast the
sot he had intended ar&ing!
+ut he loo&ed more than relie'ed to ha'e stoed at all, grinning at her
ruefully as he turned in the seat to loo& at her, the slight allor of his
normally oli'e-coloured chee&s e'idence of the tension he had been under,
dri'ing in such conditions!
Juliette grimaced! ( dont suose you ha'e too much sno$ in (taly!
(n the mountains $e do, he ointed out! +ut (m usually based in 4e$ Aor&!
She &ne$ she $as ,ust delaying the moment they $ent u to her flat! And
1oberto robably &ne$ that $as $hat she $as doing, too!
4ot because her flat $as untidy or anything3 she al$ays made her bed and
tidied u before she left in the mornings! (t $as ,ust the thought of
1oberto in her home that $as so unner'ing!
He ga'e her another smile! ( dont thin& the t$o of us sitting in the car all
night is such a good idea!
4o, of course it $asnt! (t $as ,ust)
5r 1omeo)
( really thin& you should start calling me 1ob, he cut in! And erhas it
might hel the situation if ( tell you (m a reasonably good coo&. He 0uir&ed
his dar& bro$s!
4o, that didnt hel! +ecause she thought this $as a bad idea! A 'ery bad
idea!
9or one thing, this man had &issed her this morning! 9or another, he had
offered her a ,ob she couldnt ossibly accet! And lastly)and most
damningly!)she $as a$are of this man $ith e'ery art of her! (n fact,
certain arts of her $ere unusually $arm*
She s$allo$ed hard! ( $as merely going to $arn you that my flat isnt going
to be anything li&e the comfort youre robably used to)1ob, she said
stiltedly, able to see in her minds eye the sort of lu#ury this man usually
surrounded himself $ith! 9or goodness sa&e, this 2orsche $as a rime
e#amle of ,ust ho$ $ealthy he $as!
He continued to loo& at her $ordlessly for se'eral long seconds, and then his
left hand reached out to gently smooth a strand of auburn hair from her
chee&! (t lingered there, his thumb no$ mo'ing caressingly against her
chee&!
Juliette ga'e an in'oluntary 0ui'er of a$areness, her chee& suddenly feeling
burning hot!
Aoure cold! He fro$ned, e'idently misunderstanding the reason for that
shi'er!
She $asnt in the least cold! (n fact, the heat in her chee& seemed to ha'e
sread to the rest of her body no$! Her ga6e $as caught and held by those
dee, dee blue eyes, her aching breasts rising and falling as she breathed
shallo$ly!
+ut she stoed breathing altogether $hen he leaned to$ards her, his right
hand mo'ing across in front of her, his face)those lis!)mere inches a$ay
from hers no$! -hat $as she going to do if he should).
%he sooner $e get you inside the better, he announced decisi'ely as he
clic&ed her seatbelt undone)the reason he had been leaning o'er her!)
before mo'ing bac& into his o$n seat! Ha'ing rescued you from the
elements, ( dont intend letting you free6e to death in my car!
4ot much chance of that, Juliette admitted as she got out of her side of
the car! %he fact that 1ob had only been unbuc&ling her seatbelt rather
than being about to &iss her made absolutely no difference to the heated
emotions coursing through her body! A$areness! Anticiation! Desire!
Disaointment!
4one of $hich $as ad'isable $hen it $as ob'ious he $as going to ha'e to
send the night in her flat*
As she unloc&ed the door and let them inside, she tried to see her home
through his eyes! %he door oened into a small hall$ay, $here she remo'ed
her coat and scarf and hung them on a eg before $al&ing through to her
sitting room!
She 0uic&ly a'erted her ga6e from the three-seater couch $here he $ould
ha'e to slee, instead concentrating her attention on the rest of the
furnishings! %here $as an armchair to match the couch, a tele'ision, one $all
of shel'ing that contained her collection of boo&s and se'eral attracti'e
rints on the $alls!
Aes, it $as small, but cosily so! %oo much so, $ith 1obs o$erful resence
d$arfing the surroundings!
4o /hristmas decorations yet. 1ob as&ed, loo&ing around!
4o, she said $ith a fro$n! (t simly hadnt seemed $orth the bother! %here
$as only her here, and she could hardly see herself ha'ing a ,olly /hristmas
all on her o$n!
Lisa had in'ited her to go home $ith her and Jonathan, assuring her that her
arents $ould lo'e to ha'e her there, but Juliette had tactfully declined3 it
$ould be e'en lonelier being some$here for /hristmas $here she $as
basically an interloer!
%ea. /offee. she offered brightly, deliberately not loo&ing at 1ob as she
mo'ed to s$itch on the gas fire! Or $ould you refer something stronger.
She scre$ed u her face in concentration as she mentally $ent through her
drin&s cuboard! ( ha'e red $ine! Or erhas $his&y. She belatedly
remembered she had bought)and already $raed)a bottle as a /hristmas
resent for her uncle Stehen, and hadnt yet deli'ered it! She could al$ays
relace it tomorro$!
1ed $ine $ill be fine, 1ob said! (t $ill go nicely $ith asta carbonara)if you
ha'e the ma&ings of that, that is. he offered hoefully!
He really $as serious about coo&ing them dinner, Juliette realised,
leasantly surrised! Ama6ing! %he men she had so far been in'ol'ed $ith
had all e#ected her to coo& for them, rather than the other $ay around!
4ot that she $as in'ol'ed $ith 1ob)or intended being so)but it $as still an
une#ected treat to ha'e someone offer to coo& dinner for her!
She hadnt realised until that moment $hat a lonely e#istence she actually
led! She didnt go home much since her father had died fi'e years ago)
mainly because, $ith only Sybil and 1osemary li'ing there, it no longer felt
li&e home! Her best friend in London $as Lisa, and she li'ed on the other
side of London $ith her boyfriend Jonathan, so the t$o of them didnt see
each other 'ery often on a social basis!
-hat $as this)self-ity. -as that $hat she $as reduced to. Just because
it $as only fi'e days to /hristmas. She had a gorgeous (talian man in her
flat offering to coo& her dinner! Ho$ sad could she get.
(m sure ( ha'e, she ans$ered bris&ly, mo'ing to$ards the comact &itchen!
%he table that stood in the middle of the room doubled as her dining table!
She too& a bottle of red $ine from the rac& before handing it to 1ob! Aou
oen that) she got a cor&scre$ from the dra$er )(ll chec& for
ingredients!
And at the same time try to get her marauding senses under some sort of
control!
She $as t$enty-three years old, for goodness sa&e, and had had her fair
share of boyfriends in the last si# or se'en years! +ut she couldnt
remember once going to ieces li&e this ,ust at the thought of sending time
alone $ith one of them!
"#cet that 1oberto $as nothing li&e any of the men she had been out $ith
in the ast! 4either $as he her boyfriend)e'en though it loo&ed as if they
$ere going to ha'e to send the night here alone together)
Damn! she muttered, as the bag of asta she had been ta&ing from the
cuboard slied from her fingers, its contents cascading noisily all o'er the
$or&to!
2ut all thought of the night ahead from your mind, she ordered herself
sternly as she began to gather u uncoo&ed asta! (t $asnt e'en as if, aside
from that ,ob offer, 1ob had gi'en her any indication that he e'en li&ed her!
-ell*aart from that time in the lift this morning, of course! Juliette
someho$ doubted he $ould ha'e chosen that articular method of calming
her if she had been si#ty and lum!
+ut he had only been calming her do$n, she reminded herself firmly!
Here)let me! 1ob mo'ed close to her in order to hel ic& u the asta and
ut it into the $aiting saucean!
(nstantly robbing her of breath! Aet again!
7et a gri, Juliette, she instructed herself imatiently! Aes, the man $as
gorgeous! Aes, he $as too se#y for his o$n good)or hers! And, yes, it loo&ed
as if he $as going to ha'e to send the night in her aartment! +ut it $as
only circumstances that had thro$n them together li&e this)both this
morning and no$! He could hardly ha'e ignored her $hen shed come sliding
to$ards him $ielding an umbrella! Ordinarily, though, a man li&e 1oberto
1omeo $ouldnt e'en ha'e noticed she $as ali'e!
%hat thought didnt hel her right no$! Once again her ga6e $as fi#ed in
fascination on the slender elegance of his hands, and the $armth of his body
$as only inches a$ay from her o$n!
2erhas you should ta&e your $ine and go $arm yourself in front of the fire
$hile ( start rearing dinner, he suggested hus&ily, as she totally missed
the saucean and scattered asta for a second time!
(f she got any $armer she $as going to go u in flames!
She dared a glance u at him! And then $ished that she hadnt, instantly
feeling as if she $ere dro$ning in the deths of those $ondrous blue eyes!
He had long dar& lashes, too, she noticed inconse0uentially, e'en as she felt
herself s$aying unresistingly to$ards him! %he 'ery air around them seemed
to crac&le $ith an a$areness that)
%han& goodness the ringing of the telehone in the sitting room shattered
the silence)and the moment! +ecause Juliette had a good idea $hat $ould
ha'e haened ne#t!
1ob ga'e a rueful smile! Aou had better get that! (ts robably someone
chec&ing to ma&e sure you got home o&ay, he added softly, $hen she didnt
mo'e!
Juliette couldnt imagine $ho! Lisa, maybe. /ertainly not Sybil! Or 1osemary!
And as for Da'id*! One loo& at the beautiful, blonde and se#y 1osemary, and
he had forgotten Juliette e'er e#isted!
5ore li&ely a $rong number, she said dryly, but $ent to ans$er it any$ay!
Juliette. a 'oice rased coldly!
She had been $rong, Juliette realised as she recognised her stesisters
'oice! Although she doubted that 1osemary $as telehoning to chec& u on
her $elfare!
Aes. she said guardedly!
(s he there. 1osemary snaed $ithout reamble!
%hat totally thre$ Juliette! She glanced ner'ously across at 1ob, $here he
stood in the &itchen door$ay, $atching her!
(s $ho here. she returned $arily! As far as she $as a$are her stesister
didnt e'en &no$ 1oberto 1omeo, so she $ould hardly assume that Juliette
did!
Oh, dont act the innocent $ith me, Juliette, 1osemary came bac& nastily!
Aou &no$ e#actly $ho (m tal&ing about!
(f ( did, ( $ould hardly be as&ing, $ould (. she relied firmly!
Dont get cle'er $ith me!
( can assure you that (m not! She sighed, 'ery a$are that 1ob couldnt hel
but o'erhear this con'ersation! Her side of it any$ay! Loo&, ( really cant
tal& ,ust no$)
(ll ,ust bet you cant! 1osemary said scornfully! And dont tell me again that
you ha'ent seen Da'id, because ( dont belie'e you)
+ut ( ha'ent seen him, Juliette cut in, confused! Da'id. -hy on earth
$ould she ha'e seen Da'id)tonight or any other time. 4ot for some time,
any$ay, she added hea'ily! 4ot since hed become engaged to this $oman, in
fact! -hy on earth $ould you thin& that ( ha'e.
7od, you retend youre so innocent, dont you. 1osemary sneered! S$eet
little Juliette! +utter $ouldnt melt in your mouth, $ould it. -ell, let me tell
you)
4o, let me tell you! Juliette finally found the 'oice to interrut, ha'ing been
momentarily struc& dumb by the other $omans 'ehemence! ( ha'ent seen
him! ( dont $ant to see him! (n fact, after the $ay he beha'ed, youre more
than $elcome to him! (s that clear enough for you. Actually, forget ( as&ed
that! Her 'oice shoo& angrily! ( dont care $hether you belie'e me or not!
She slammed the telehone do$n, 'ery a$are that 1ob $as still standing only
feet a$ay from her, and that, unless she offered some sort of e#lanation,
he $ould be dra$ing his o$n conclusions concerning the con'ersation he had
,ust o'erheard! /onclusions she didnt e'en $ant to thin& about!
Juliette dre$ in a dee breath before slo$ly turning to face him!
At the same second all the lights $ent out!
CHAPTER SEVEN
DEJF DC!
Admittedly this time they $erent stuc& in a ten by t$el'e foot metal bo#!
+ut, other than that, this situation $as 'ery much li&e the one in the lift this
morning!
(t $as itch-blac& outside, the streetlights ob'iously ha'ing gone out, too!
%he only light in the room $as the red glo$ gi'en off by the gas fire)than&
goodness for gas heating! And she $as comletely alone $ith 1ob! All 'ery
reminiscent of earlier today! "#cet that this time she &ne$ $ho he $as!
Juliette s$allo$ed hard, 'ery a$are as, his eyesight clearly ha'ing ad,usted
to the firelight, 1ob mo'ed out of the &itchen door$ay to$ards her! (t
reminded her that there $as something else different about their resent
situationG they $ere alone together in her flat, $ith her bedroom)and her
bed)only feet a$ay!
( guess that $asnt one of your arents on the telehone. he said dryly!
She shoo& her head! +oth my arents are dead! "'en saying that still ained
her!
5emories of her arents, of her hay childhood $hen they had both still
been ali'e, esecially memories of their /hristmases together, $ere enough
to bring cho&ed emotion to her throat!
Although those memories $ere 0uic&ly o'ershado$ed by memories of the sad
year follo$ing her mothers death, and the e'en blea&er years follo$ing her
fathers remarriage to Sybil!
Juliette blin&ed raidly as she felt the hot sting of tears in her eyes!
(t $as frustrating, because she $asnt a erson $ho 'ery easily ga'e in to
tears! (t hadnt al$ays been that $ay, but she had 0uic&ly found that such
emotion $ould be seen and used as a $ea&ness by her stemother and
stesister!
7od, she sounded li&e /inderella no$, Juliette realised, $ith an emotional
sniff!
Juliette, are you crying. 1ob $as loo&ing do$n at her $ith concern, one
hand reaching u to touch the damness on her chee&! ( did not mean to
ma&e you cry $ith my thoughtless 0uestions, he murmured softly, his "nglish
more accented $ith his deeening emotions!
Aou didnt, she hastened to reassure him, at the same time gi'ing a rueful
sha&e of her head! /hristmases are li&e that, arent they. -onderful family
times for some eole, and rather lonely for others! 9or e#amle, ( bet you
ha'e a huge family bac& in (taly, ,ust $aiting for your return so that the
holiday season can begin!
She so&e lightly for t$o reasons! One, because she really didnt $ant to
sound li&e Orhan Annie! And t$o, because she had realised that the crac&le
of a$areness that had e#isted before 1osemarys timely telehone call had
,ust intensified tenfold!
1ob grinned! 5y mother and father, four younger sisters and their
husbands, lus numerous nieces and nehe$s, he ac&no$ledged
affectionately! Although ( hardly thin& they $ill $ait for me before
beginning their celebrations!
Juliette $as ,ust as sure that they $ould! She had a feeling that this man,
$ith his $arm charm and li'ely sense of humour, $as a i'otal member of his
family!
Aou gre$ u $ith four sisters younger than you. Juliette could only imagine
$hat it must be li&e to ha'e so many siblings!
His grin $idened! (t had its moments! 9ights o'er the bathrooms $ere only
the start of it!
Juliette ga'e a throaty laugh, e'ery ner'e-ending sensitised to his closeness
no$! A art of her $ondered $hat this $onderful man $as doing here, $ith
her, $hen there must be so many other eole he $ould rather)Oh! Of
course! He $as stranded here $ith her)that $as the reason he $as here,
and not $ith someone of his choice!
1ob fro$ned as if he sensed her slight $ithdra$al, ta&ing a ste closer, both
hands mo'ing u to cu either side of her face as he loo&ed do$n at her
intently!
She $as totally mesmerised by the intensity of his ga6e as she stared u at
him, her breath seeming lodged half$ay u her throat!
+ut, he murmured throatily, none of my arents grandchildren are 1omeos!
She blin&ed, $ondering $hy he had said that! +ecause the only $ay for their
grandchildren to be 1omeos $ould be if)
Just in case you $ere $orried that ( $as a married man $ith children, 1ob
continued hus&ily!
She s$allo$ed hard before moistening suddenly dry lis! And $hy should (
be $orried about that.
+ecause of this, he murmured, before his head lo$ered and his lis claimed
hers!
(t $as as if the hours since he had held her this morning had ne'er been!
Juliette fitted erfectly against the hard contours of his body as he cur'ed
her against him, and her arms mo'ed u about his shoulders as she returned
the &iss $ith a resonse that shoo& her $ith its intensity!
Or maybe it $as 1ob himself $ho shoo& her. -hate'er it $as, her lis
oened to his as he deeened the &iss, strong hands mo'ing caressingly do$n
the length of her sine!
Juliette had ne'er felt so ali'e, so totally attuned to another human being,
&no$ing a feeling of comleteness that had hitherto escaed her!
Aou are so beautiful, Juliette, 1ob $hisered as his lis left hers to follo$
the sensiti'e column of her throat, his hands mo'ing to cu the fullness of
her breasts, thumb-tis mo'ing lightly o'er the aroused niles!
Her legs $ent $ea& as leasure coursed through her body, each caress
deeening the emotion! Her nec& arched to the marauding sensuality of his
lis and tongue)
Juliette blin&ed, da6ed, as the lights came bac& on as suddenly as they had
gone off! Star&ly! Soberingly!
-hat $as she doing. she $ondered ainfully as she stared u at 1ob!
Acceting a lift from this man had been a mista&e! Allo$ing him to &iss her)
and &issing him right bac&)$as ure madness!
Her lo'e-life might ha'e been a disaster so far, but, disastrous as it had
been, she had ne'er indulged in going-no$here hysical relationshis! As this
one $ould undoubtedly be!
A fe$ days from no$ 1ob $ould be returning to that huge family in (taly,
and she $ould be left here alone to ic& u the ieces of a brief relationshi!
Sadder, and robably no $iser, either!
%he best thing she could do $as &ee this e'ening on a light footing! (t $as
circumstances, nothing else, that $ere ushing the t$o of them together,
and those circumstances)and e'erything else!)$ould 0uic&ly ass! 9or 1ob,
at least!
He $as loo&ing do$n at her searchingly no$, eyes 'ery blue! -hat are you
thin&ing. he en0uired softly!
She $as thin&ing that if she didnt soon mo'e a$ay from this man all her
resol'e of a fe$ seconds ago $ould count for nothing!
He $as ,ust so breathta&ingly gorgeous! His shoulders $ere firmly muscled
to her touch, dar& hair falling attracti'ely o'er his bro$, those blue eyes
dar& $ith arousal and, as for his mouth*Her ga6e remained loc&ed on the
fullness of his bottom li, begging to be tasted and)
Sto this right no$, she ordered herself firmly! (t $as one thing &no$ing
ho$ attracted she $as to him, something else entirely to act on that
attraction!
She steed bac&, deliberately ignoring the disaointment that dar&ened
his ga6e as she did so! (m thin&ing that (m still cold and 0uite hungry, she
said bris&ly, &no$ing she lied about being cold3 she $as so hot she felt as if
she $ere about to melt! And you must be, too! (m going through to my
bedroom to change into a $arm ,umer and ,eans)
And (ll continue to coo& dinner, 1ob said $ith rueful accetance, ushing
that dar& hair from his bro$ as he steed bac&!
Juliette smiled in relief that he $asnt going to ursue the sub,ect of the
second time they had been in each others arms in t$el'e hours! %hat sounds
li&e an e#cellent idea!
He smiled, sha&ing his head teasingly! (m more than hay to feed the inner
$oman!
As oosed to caressing the outer $oman.
4o! She really mustnt allo$ her thoughts to go along those lines! 9alling for
this man $ould be her biggest blunder to date!
( shouldnt be long, she said lightly!
( realise this is robably a stuid 0uestion) 1ob stoed her as she
reached the bedroom door )but do you haen to ha'e a ,umer in there
that $ill fit me.
As it haened, she did)one of her fathers ,umers, rescued from the ile
of clothes her stemother had ut out to donate to a charity sho! She $ore
it herself on occasion $hen she $as at home, not caring that she had to turn
the slee'es bac& se'eral times and that it reached almost to her &nees! (t
$ould fit 1ob erfectly!
She nodded abrutly! (ll see $hat ( can do!
+ut $hat she actually did, once she had reached the ri'acy of her bedroom,
$as sit do$n hea'ily on her bed and thin& of $hat had ,ust haened
bet$een herself and 1ob! She li&ed him! 1eally li&ed him! And, desite her
rudeness to him this morning, and her re,ection of his ,ob offer, he seemed
to be attracted to her, too!
4ot a good combination, considering the fact that they $ere alone here, and
he $as the rich and o$erful 1oberto 1omeo, and she $as his temorary
emloyee, Juliette Standish! +ecause, $hether he $as attracted to her or
not, she 'ery much doubted that 1ob had any intention of resenting his
arents $ith red-haired grandchildren!
Just &ee remembering that, Juliette, she told herself firmly as she stood
u to change her clothes!
Here you are! She handed o'er the na'y blue s$eater as she entered the
&itchen a coule of minutes later, offering no e#lanation as to ho$ she
haened to ha'e a mans ,umer in her ossession! %hey had already been
far too familiar for an emloyer and his emloyee!
%han& you! %he sco$l bet$een his eyes as he discarded his ,ac&et to ull on
the s$eater told her that he had noticed her lac& of e#lanation! And that
he didnt li&e it!
-ell, that $as ,ust too bad! She had no intention of telling this man anything
more about herself!
(t $as better this $ay, she told herself firmly as she too& an areciati'e
sniff at the sauce he $as ma&ing! %hat smells $onderful, she told him as she
mo'ed to set the table!
1ob nodded abrutly! ( hoe you li&e garlic3 ( 'ery rarely coo& $ithout it,
e'en $hen the recie doesnt re0uire it!
( li&e it! Juliette felt a ang of regret as she heard the coolness in his
'oice!
She had $anted to ut some distance bet$een them, and she had ob'iously
succeeded, so it $as robably better to lea'e it that $ay! "'en if she no
longer had any aetite for the food he $as coo&ing and her heart felt
leaden!
Hadnt she already been hurt enough in the ast. Hurt that $ould be nothing
comared to the stuidity of falling in lo'e $ith a man li&e 1oberto!
( should ha'e as&ed, not ,ust assumed, shouldnt (. 1ob rased a fe$
minutes later as he sat across the table from her, $atching as she ushed
her food around on the late $ithout eating any of it!
Juliette loo&ed u at him $ith a fro$n! As&ed about $hat. she en0uired
$arily!
He grimaced, siing his $ine before ans$ering! Aoure 'ery beautiful! -ith
a li'ely sense of humour! Aoure t$enty-one*t$enty-t$o years of age).
%$enty-three, she corrected, tensing as she $ondered $here this
con'ersation $as going!
He nodded! (t $as arrogant and stuid of me to assume you didnt already
ha'e someone in your life!
Juliette felt her stomach gi'e an uncomfortable lurch! Didnt already ha'e
someone in your life* %hat seemed to imly)
(t didnt imly anything, she told herself firmly! 4othing that she $as
reared to become in'ol'ed $ith, any$ay! 4othing that she dared become
in'ol'ed in!
Dont $orry about it! She ga'e an unconcerned shrug, deliberately not
correcting him! %his is good, by the $ay! She ,abbed a for& at the asta on
her late!
1ob ga'e a dar& fro$n! %hen $hy arent you eating it. he demanded!
He $as right, of course! She $asnt doing ,ustice to his coo&ing, felt too
agitated about $hat he might thin& $as going on bet$een them to be able to
eat! +ut her silence ,ust no$ had ta&en care of that, hadnt it. Dery
effecti'ely!
(m curious, Juliette, he continued coldly! (n the case of you and +arnaby
Harris, $hat does ;clash of ersonalities: mean, e#actly. (m ,ust curious, he
reeated $ith a grimace, as her for& landed on her late $ith a clatter and
she stared across at him!
Her mouth tightened, her chin rising defensi'ely! ( ha'e no intention of
ans$ering that!
His eyes narro$ed! -hy not.
+ecause its none of your business, thats $hy! She glared at him, breathing
hard! (m sorry, ( really cant eat any more! She a'oided his ga6e as she
stood u abrutly, ta&ing her glass of $ine $ith her as she $ent bac& into
the sitting room!
She &et her face a'erted as she sensed him follo$ing her a coule of
minutes later, deliberately mo'ing to s$itch on the tele'ision set! %hat $as
usually a con'ersation-&iller!
(t $as this time! 1ob mo'ed to sit on the oosite end of the sofa, and the
t$o of them ga'e e'ery aearance of becoming engrossed in the /hristmas
film sho$ing)one of Juliettes fa'ourites, (ts a -onderful Life, $ith James
Ste$art!
"#cet Juliette $as sure that neither of them actually too& in much of the
film! 1ob because he seemed lost in his o$n angry thoughts, and Juliette
because she couldnt sto thin&ing of the fact that in a coule of hours time,
desite the animosity that no$ e#isted bet$een them, 1ob $ould actually be
sleeing on this sofa*
CHAPTER EIGHT
/O99""! An annoyingly cheerful 'oice bro&e into Juliettes slee-numbed
brain! /ome on, Juliette, 1ob added ca,olingly $hen she didnt mo'e! (ts too
beautiful a morning to $aste lying there! 1ise and shine!
She crac&ed one eyelid oen, instantly closing it again $hen she found 1ob
had ulled bac& her bedroom curtains in order to allo$ the daylight in!
Juliette! 1ob chided gently, chuc&ling softly as she could only groan in
resonse! Aou ha'e to get u and loo& outside, he insisted, tilting the bed
slightly as he sat on the side of it to sha&e her gently by the shoulders!
4o, ( dont, she muttered, eyes still tightly closed! 5aybe if she didnt loo&
at him he $ould ,ust go a$ay!
He $as surrisingly cheerful for someone $ho had sent the night on her
too-short sofa! Although he had still robably fared better than Juliette!
She had tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning, hearing the
bells of the church t$o streets a$ay as they chimed one, t$o and then
three, before finally drifting off into a restless slee!
And all because she had been so comletely a$are of 1oberto as he slet in
the ad,oining room, literally only feet a$ay from her!
Some$here last night, in the middle of (ts a -onderful Life, the silence
bet$een them had ceased to feel a$&$ard and uncomfortable, becoming
comanionable instead, and Juliette had felt almost mello$ by the time the
film had come to its haily tearful end! Cntil shed had to ma&e u a bed on
the sofa for 1ob to slee in)then it had hit home that he really $as
sending the night in her aartment! Albeit from force of circumstances*
9rom his cheerfulness this morning she could only assume that he hadnt
been lagued by any of the restless longings she had suffered ,ust &no$ing
he $as in the ne#t room!
Cntil last night she really hadnt &no$n $hat it felt li&e to be frustrated
$ith desire! 4o$, the memory of the &isses they had shared earlier only
seemed to torment her further! She $anted him! (n a $ay she had ne'er
$anted, ached for, any man before! So much so that it had been all she could
do to sto herself from getting out of her bed to ,oin him on the sofa in the
other room! 5adness!
Sleeyhead, he murmured hus&ily no$, one of his hands mo'ing to ruffle the
softness of her already tangled hair! (ts so beautiful outside, Juliette, he
added $istfully! Aou really do ha'e to see it!
Oh, all right! She ga'e in, oening her lids irritably, her breath suddenly
catching in her throat as she found 1ob mere inches a$ay from her face as
he bent o'er her! -ould you lease mo'e. she added hus&ily, memories of
last nights $anton desire ma&ing her defensi'e!
%hose blue eyes loo&ed do$n at her rero'ingly for se'eral seconds, and
then he stood u, sha&ing his head ruefully! Aoure 'ery ;bah, humbug: this
morning, Juliette, he teased!
She $as tired from lac& of slee, and still frustrated $ith desire for this
man, totally be$ildered by these hitherto un&no$n emotions)so, yes, she
robably did sound a little li&e Scrooge on a bad day!
-hich $as a little ungrateful of her $hen 1ob $as in such a good mood! And
he had brought her coffee!
Sorry, she sighed, sitting u to ush the tangle of hair from her face! +ut
$hats so interesting outside at). Oh, no, its eight-thirty! She $ailed her
dismay after a glance at her bedside cloc&! Someho$, in all the churning
emotion of last night, she must ha'e forgotten to set her alarm! (m going to
be late for $or&! she groaned as she thre$ bac& the bedclothes and s$ung
her legs to the floor!
1ob grinned do$n at her, his teeth loo&ing 'ery $hite against his oli'e s&in!
"#ecuti'e order, Juliette! Aou arent going into $or& today! 4either of us is!
%a&e a loo& outside, he added, as she oened her mouth to argue $ith him!
She fro$ned at him as she stood u, slightly self-conscious in her green
nightshirt, e'en though it more than ade0uately co'ered her from her nec&
to her &nees! She simly $asnt used to strolling around in her night$ear in
front of any man!
+ut the beautiful sight that met her ga6e after she had $al&ed o'er to the
$indo$ more than made u for any embarrassment she might ha'e felt! She
gased her delight as she loo&ed outside!
%he sno$ must ha'e fallen softly all night, coating the streets and houses
$ith a hea'y blan&et of ristine $hiteness! %he fe$ eole outside, all of
them bundled u in hea'y $oollen coats, scar'es and glo'es, $ere $al&ing in
sno$ that came half$ay u their cal'es!
%his is incredible, Juliette breathed $onderingly, her eyes $ide $ith
delight!
(snt it. 1ob agreed softly, and he mo'ed to stand beside her, his arm
droing casually about her shoulders as the t$o of them continued to ga6e
outside! ( had no idea until last night that it e'er sno$ed in London, he
murmured $ith areciation!
Juliette couldnt ans$er him, comletely a$are of that arm draed across
her shoulders, of ho$ close 1ob $as standing to her, of his $armth against
her lightly clad body)her body that $as e'en no$ stirring $ith desire, $ith
a fiery $armth bet$een her thighs as her niles became aroused!
Something she &ne$ 1ob $as becoming a$are of, too, as she heard his
breath catch in his throat, felt his arm tightening about her shoulders!
%his $as dangerous! (f anything, e'en more dangerous than last night had
been!
(f that $ere ossible!
Juliette*. 1ob said hus&ily!
She didnt loo& at him! Didnt dare loo& at him! %otally a$are that the
blan&et of sno$ outside held them cocooned in a $orld made unreal by its
eerie silence! +ut e'erything about this situation $ith 1ob $as unreal, she
ac&no$ledged to herself $ith a hea'y heart! %he $ay they had met! %he $ay
theyd continued to meet! %he $ay they seemed to &ee being thro$n into
situations together that $ere comletely beyond their control!
%hat $as itG this $hole thing bet$een 1ob and herself $as beyond her
control! His, too, robably*
( ha'e an idea! she announced brightly, at the same time mo'ing a$ay from
the $armth of 1obs arm, smiling u at him as she ignored the loo& of
disaointment in his eyes! As ( cant get to $or&, and you ob'iously cant
get bac& to your hotel, $hy dont $e go out and sho for a /hristmas tree.
She $asnt one hundred er cent sure about the $e art of that suggestion,
but it $as a $ay of getting them out of the intimate confines of her
aartment! +efore they did something they $ould both regret!
%heres a fruit and 'egetable sho in the ne#t street thats selling them,
and (m sure one of the other shos $ill sell decorations and lights, she
added encouragingly, $hen 1ob didnt resond to her suggestion!
O&ay! 1ob nodded finally, ,oining in her light-hearted mood as he seemed to
sha&e off his disaointment! +ut ( assumed you hadnt bothered $ith a
/hristmas tree because you $ere going a$ay for the holidays! %o family.
Juliette a'oided his searching ga6e! ( told you, ( dont ha'e any family as
such! She shrugged, and then felt slightly guilty about dismissing her
stemother in that $ay! After all, no matter $hat her o$n feelings in the
matter, her father had cared for Sybil! -ell, that isnt 0uite true, she
added $ith a grimace! +ut $hat family ( do ha'e are going a$ay on
/hristmas "'e for the holidays! S&iing!
Aou $ouldnt li&e to ,oin them. 1ob 0ueried!
She hadnt been as&ed!
4ot that she $ould ha'e gone, e'en if she had been! %en days in the close
confines of a foreign resort, $ith Sybil, 1osemary and Da'id, had to be her
idea of hell!
4o, e'en staying alone in her aartment, $atching all the re-runs on
tele'ision, indulging in /hristmas udding for one, $ould be referable to
that!
4o, ( $ouldnt, she said $ith a laugh, trying to dismiss the sub,ect!
Aou dont s&i.
Actually, she did! One of the last holidays they had ta&en as a family, before
her mother had become ill, had been a s&iing holiday in /anadas -histler
resort!
( ,ust dont li&e being a$ay from home for /hristmas, she ans$ered
e'asi'ely!
+ut if your family)
%hey arent close family)o&ay. Her 'oice rose $ith frustration! She really
didnt $ant to tal& about Sybil and 1osemary)after last night, esecially
1osemary!)on such a gloriously beautiful morning!
( see, 1ob murmured slo$ly! %he fro$n bet$een his eyes said he didnt see
at all, but Juliette had no intention of e#laining the situation to him!
(ll go and get sho$ered and dressed, and then $e can go out, she told him
bris&ly! Just gi'e me ten minutes!
She $illed him to lea'e her bedroom! +ecause that articular danger hadnt
comletely assed yet! +ut a /hristmas romance had to be e'en sadder than
a holiday one)a clinging on to someone, anyone, in order not to be alone! She
$as used to being alone, after all!
7o on, 1ob, she encouraged, $hen he continued to loo& at her!
He ga'e an abrut nod! Dont forget to drin& your coffee, he reminded her
before lea'ing!
(t $as s$eet and mil&y, ,ust the $ay she li&ed her coffee, Juliette
disco'ered as she sat on the bed to drin& it! (t $as so long since anyone had
e'en)4o! She $asnt a erson $ho felt sorry for herself, and she $asnt
going to start no$! %hey had a /hristmas tree to buy and decorate, and that
$as $hat she $ould concentrate on!
(t $as fun choosing the tree $ith 1ob)more fun than she could e'er ha'e
imagined after his cold $ithdra$al last night! He $ent through all the stoc&
the man had in his sho before declaring he had found one the erfect
height and shae for her flat!
(t loo&ed a little big to her, its si# feet in height sure to d$arf her sitting
room, but there $as no denying it $as a beautiful tree, its branches lush and
smelling s$eetly of ine!
-ell come bac& for it in a little $hile, 1ob told the sho&eeer after
Juliette had aid for it)insisting, much to his chagrin, that she $ouldnt let
him buy it for her! -ere ,ust going do$n the street for some decorations!
%o Juliettes surrise, the sho&eeer mee&ly acceted the instruction, e'en
offering to secure some string around the tree $hile they $ere gone, to
ma&e it easier for carrying! -hen shed bought fruit and 'egetables from
this sho in the ast, Juliette had al$ays found the man to be taciturn at
best! +ut, for all his inherent oliteness, 1ob seemed to ha'e a natural air of
authority that e'en the grouchy sho&eeer resonded to!
-hat. 1ob loo&ed at her 0ui66ically once they $ere outside the sho, and
she continued to stare at him rather than at the sliery a'ement!
She a'erted her ga6e, deely a$are that she $as starting to li&e this man a
little too much! Oh, she had &no$n she $as attracted to him)that $as
imossible to deny $hen she melted in his arms e'ery time he &issed her)
but li&ing him as $ell $asnt a sensible thing for her to do!
4othing, she dismissed $ith a sha&e of her head! ( $as ,ust $ondering ho$
)Oh! She didnt manage to finish $hat she $as saying as her feet suddenly
slied from under her! She felt herself falling, grabbing at 1obs arm as she
did so, but only succeeded in ulling him do$n $ith her!
1ob landed on his bac& $ith an oof, gi'ing a louder oomh milliseconds later
as Juliette landed on to of him, &noc&ing all the air out of his lungs! His
arms mo'ed about her instincti'ely!
(m so sorry! Juliette gased her dismay! ( ,ust)5y boot slied on the ice
and ()
Juliette, $ill you sto s0uirming on to of me li&e that. 1ob bit out through
gritted teeth as she struggled to get u from him!
She blin&ed at the fierceness of his tone, staring do$n at him $ith concern!
Are you hurt. Oh, no)ha'e you in,ured your sine. She loo&ed about
frantically, searching for hel, but the streets $ere deserted e#cet for a
fe$ eole across the street, $ho $ere all struggling to maintain their o$n
tenuous footing on the sliery a'ement! She turned bac& to 1ob, trying as
best she could to &ee her $eight off him! -here does it hurt. She loo&ed
him o'er, as if e#ecting to find one of his bones stic&ing out of the flesh!
1ob eyed her ruefully from beneath moc&ingly raised bro$s! Are you sure
you $ant me to ans$er that.
Her concern turned to u66lement, 0uic&ly follo$ed by embarrassed dismay
as she felt the hardness of his thighs against hers! He $asnt hurt at all! At
least, not hysically*!
She fro$ned do$n at him rero'ingly! ( thought you $ere hurt, she
muttered as she mo'ed to get unsteadily bac& onto her feet! She a'oided
loo&ing at him as he did the same, concentrating on brushing the sno$ from
her coat and ,eans instead!
( am, he assured her dryly as he straightened! (t isnt good for a man my
age to &ee being aroused and then disaointed in this $ay! (n fact, its a
state ( seem to ha'e been in eretually since you groed me in the lift
yesterday!
Oh! ( didnt)-ell, o&ay, ( did, she conceded, bright $ings of colour in her
chee&s no$! He eyed her moc&ingly once again! +ut it $as an accident, she
added indignantly!
He grinned unabashedly! ( $asnt comlaining, he dra$led! 5erely stating a
fact!
A fact she had tried not to thin& about, let alone ha'e a con'ersation about!
Juliette couldnt e'en loo& at him no$! Had he really been aroused since that
incident in the lift yesterday. She had, ,ust thin&ing about him, so $hy
shouldnt he feel the same $ay.
-here $as all this going.
4o$here, came the une0ui'ocal ans$er! She couldnt allo$ it to)didnt $ant
to let 1ob become the biggest mista&e she had made to date!
She loo&ed at him from beneath dar& lashes! She could ma&e this more
difficult than it already $as by ta&ing his remar&s seriously! Or she could)
5aybe this $ill hel cool you do$n! she challenged, reaching to grab a
handful of sno$! She thre$ it at him, grinning her satisfaction as the soft
sno$ hit him s0uarely in the face!
-hy, you little)!He loo&ed momentarily stunned as he $ied the sno$ from
his eyes! +ut he reco'ered 0uic&ly, bending do$n to grab his o$n handful of
sno$ and retaliate in &ind!
%here follo$ed se'eral frantic minutes of sno$ball fighting, and both of
them $ere laughing uroariously by the time a sho&eeer came out of his
store to tell them to mind the $inders!
Sorry! 1ob called out, before grasing Juliettes hand and running off do$n
the street $ith her!
-ere going to fall again if $e arent careful, Juliette $arned him! Her
footing $as recarious, to say the least!
He slo$ed his ace, but &et a firm hold of her hand as he loo&ed do$n at
her! ( thin& it may already be too late to $orry about that, he told her
hus&ily!
Once again Juliette $as thro$n into confusion! She stared u at him, hardly
daring to breathe, her chee&s flushed as she sa$ the emotion in his eyes! An
emotion she $as afraid to belie'e $as real!
Decorations, she reminded him firmly! And lights, she added! /ant ha'e a
/hristmas tree $ithout coloured lights!
-e cant. 1ob murmured softly, his eyes still dar& $ith emotion!
Once again, she $asnt too sure about that $e! +etter not to e'en start
thin&ing along those lines!
4o, $e cant, she assured him, and she turned into a sho and headed for a
dislay of baubles and beads!
1ob hesitated for a second or t$o before ,oining her! -hich $as all $ell and
good! 9or no$! +ut $hat $as going to haen $hen they $ere once again alone
in her flat.
She $as so dee in thought on the $al& bac&, totally reoccuied $ith
thoughts of being alone $ith 1ob again, that she didnt notice the man
getting out of his 1ange 1o'er until he actually so&e to her!
Juliette. Juliette)( need to sea& to you!
She turned, her eyes $idening incredulously as she recognised the man
$al&ing do$n the street to$ards her!
+arnaby Harris!
CHAPTER NINE
JCL("%%" could only stare at +arnaby as if he $ere the 7host of /hristmas
2ast)$hich indeed, to her, he undoubtedly $as!
-hat $as her e#-boss doing here. -hat could ossibly be urgent enough to
$arrant him dri'ing here to see her in $eather li&e this. (f he had come
here simly to berate her once again for ha'ing messed u his life, then he
could ,ust)+ut $ould he really ha'e made the effort to come here ,ust to
do that.
( telehoned 1omeos and they told me you $erent able to get in to $or&
today! +arnaby came to a halt in front of her! +ut this couldnt $ait, so (
dro'e to see you! ( hoe you dont mind. He loo&ed uncertainly at 1ob, and
then bac& to Juliette!
%hat really all deended on $hy he $as here! -hen she had last seen him,
across the $idth of his des&, he had told her e#actly $hat he thought of her
before sac&ing her! She didnt $ant a reeat of that con'ersation in front of
1ob, of all eole!
And, thin&ing of 1ob*
%he mood of camaraderie that had e#isted bet$een them seemed to ha'e
comletely dissiated $ith +arnabys arri'al! 1ob $as eyeing the other man
through narro$ed lids, his e#ression enigmatic and unreadable!
Juliette, could ( lease ,ust tal& to you for a fe$ minutes. +arnaby as&ed
hoarsely!
She turned bac& to him $ith a fro$n, $ishing him any$here but here! After
their last con'ersation she $ould ha'e been hay ne'er to see him again,
and $ith 1ob here, too*
She shoo& her head! +arnaby, ( dont thin&)
2lease, Juliette! +arnaby urged! ( really do need to tal& to you!
Juliette loo&ed u at him searchingly! At thirty-t$o years of age, +arnaby
Harris $as tall and athletic, $ith blond, blue-eyed good loo&s! +efore that
last scene in his office, his face t$isted $ith fury, Juliette had found him
easygoing and leasant! %oday, his e#ression totally earnest, he loo&ed more
li&e the man she had en,oyed $or&ing $ith for fi'e months!
O&ay, she agreed reluctantly! +ut youll ha'e to $ait until $e'e ta&en these
things ustairs)
( thin& (ll get going)if thats o&ay $ith you, Juliette! 1ob so&e coolly!
%he roads are ob'iously assable if Harris managed to get here, so ( thin& (
should get bac& to $or&!
-ait a minute* +arnaby loo&ed at the other man fro$ningly! ( recognise
your 'oice)( so&e to you on the telehone yesterday! Aoure 1oberto
1omeo, arent you. His 'oice $as suddenly seculati'e!
( am! 1ob eyed the other man coolly! 2erhas you $ould li&e to hel Juliette
inside $ith this! He thrust the /hristmas tree into +arnabys arms before
turning to Juliette! ( $ill see that this s$eater is returned to you, he added
harshly! Do not attemt to come into $or& until the $eather clears!
Juliette could only stare after him, da6ed, as he turned on his heel and
$al&ed o'er to his car, getting inside and dri'ing off)slo$ly, because of the
ice)$ithout so much as a second glance in her direction!
Lea'ing Juliette in a state $here she didnt &no$ $hether to scream or
shout)or ,ust cry!
O&ay, so she had acceted that any relationshi bet$een 1ob and herself
$ould go absolutely no$here, but that didnt mean she hadnt been en,oying
his comany)in fact, more than en,oying it!
She $as no$ left $ith a /hristmas tree and assorted decorations that she
had absolutely no inclination to ut u no$ that 1ob $asnt going to be there
to share it $ith her!
And, of course, she $as left $ith +arnaby Harris, too!
Hey, ( didnt mean to mess things u for you! +arnaby grimaced in aology as
she turned to him accusingly!
He hadnt! 4ot really! So she and 1ob might ha'e dressed the tree together,
and he might e'en ha'e sent the night again)erhas on the sofa, erhas
not)but tomorro$ they $ould still ha'e returned to 1omeos! 1ob as the
o$ner, Juliette as a temorary sales assistant!
She dre$ in a sha&y breath before slo$ly letting it out again! Aou didnt, she
assured +arnaby flatly, turning to$ards her door as 1obs car disaeared
round the corner at the end of the street!
+arnaby fell into ste beside her, staggering a little under the $eight of the
tree!
Cnli&e 1ob, $ho had carried the un$ieldy thing effortlessly! As he seemed
to do most things!
-hen had she fallen in lo'e $ith him.
Had it been $hen hed ta&en control of the situation in the lift. -hen hed
&issed her for the same reason minutes later. -hen hed insisted she ha'e a
ne$ air of boots to relace the damaged ones. -hen, against all logic, hed
offered her the ,ob as his 2A. Or had it been $hen hed stoed in the sno$
last night and offered to dri'e her home. Or erhas $hen hed loo&ed so
endearingly familiar $earing her fathers s$eater. 5aybe this morning, $hen
hed $o&en her $ith a cu of coffee in bed. Or $hen theyd shoed for the
tree and decorations, or elted each other $ith sno$balls li&e a coule of
carefree children.
Did the $hen really matter. %he fact of the matter $as, she had fallen in
lo'e $ith 1oberto 1omeo! And no$ that he had left e'erything had gone e'en
flatter and more colourless than it had been before!
-orse than $hen she had argued $ith Sybil and 1osemary. %han $hen shed
lost her ,ob $ith +arnaby. %han $or&ing for the manager from hell in a ,ob
she absolutely hated.
Aes, 1ob lea'ing $as $orse than any of those things!
(n fact, she really felt as if she $ere going to burst into tears*
5y arri'ing li&e that really did mess things u for you, didnt it. +arnaby
said aologetically as, ha'ing let them into her flat, Juliette droed the
decorations onto an armchair and stood forlornly in the middle of her lounge,
tears clinging to her lashes! ( had no idea! +arnaby ut the tree do$n and
turned to her beseechingly! ( thought $hen he telehoned yesterday that
his interest in you $as ,ust as an emloyee)
(t $as! (t is! she corrected herself forcefully, clasing her hands tightly
together in front of her as she fought bac& the tears! -hat can ( do for
you, +arnaby. she as&ed $earily! %he last time $e met ( seem to remember
you e#ressing the sentiment that you ne'er $anted to set eyes on me again!
He loo&ed embarrassed no$! %hings change!
%hey might ha'e done for +arnaby, but as far as Juliette $as concerned
nothing bet$een them had changed*
%he first thing Juliette noticed the ne#t morning as she steed onto the
sho floor at 1omeos $as that there $as different music laying o'er the
tannoy system! Still /hristmas music, $hich $as fine $ith her, but not the
same /D that had been laying ad nauseam for the last fe$ $ee&s!
+ecause she had mentioned the reetition to 1ob.
As soon as the thought entered her head she &ne$ ho$ ridiculous it $as3 as
if anything she had said to 1ob $as of any imortance to him! (n fact, he
hadnt been able to get a$ay fast enough once +arnaby had arri'ed so
une#ectedly!
7lad you could ,oin us today, Juliette, 7raham greeted her sarcastically as
she hurried to the lingerie deartment!
She felt embarrassed colour $arm her chee&s at $hat she &ne$ 7raham
$asnt saying!
1ob had insisted on telehoning 1omeos himself yesterday, in order to let
them &no$ neither of them $ould be in to $or& because of the bad $eather
conditions!
(t $as ob'ious from the scornful e#ression on 7rahams face that he $as
$ell a$are of the other mans call!
%he sno$ has all melted! She shrugged, as usual not resonding to his
sarcasm3 she rarely ga'e him that satisfaction!
(ndeed, aart from a lot of damness, and the odd atch of sno$ in
sheltered sots, it $as hard to belie'e ho$ bad the $eather had been
t$enty-four hours earlier! %he tha$ had started yesterday e'ening, $hen
the temerature had gone u, and by this morning e'erything had been bac&
to normal! (ncluding the bus ser'ice!
( li'e out in one of the suburbs, and ( still managed to get to $or&
yesterday, the manager snaed!
+ully for you, Juliette felt li&e coming bac&, but didnt! %here $as no oint in
e#acerbating this situation any further! %hat $as really dedicated of you,
she said instead!
Are you by any chance being sarcastic, Juliette. He glo$ered at her $ith
narro$ed eyes!
4o, of course not! %he man $as ob'iously soiling for a fight!
+ecause he &ne$ she had been $ith 1ob yesterday. 2robably! +ut there $as
nothing she could do to change that! -hich meant she $ould ,ust ha'e to
stand here and ta&e it! -hate'er it $as!
She really didnt need this! Aesterday had been one emotional trauma after
another, culminating in that con'ersation $ith +arnaby! She had come in to
$or& today hoing to distract herself from all that)as $ell as erhas to
catch the odd glimse of 1ob)not to get into some strange one-sided
con'ersation $ith 7raham %aylor! And that $as before she e'en started
$or&!
Hmm! He snorted scetically! %he fact is, Juliette, ( feel it $ould be
better for e'eryone if $e $ere to terminate your contract!
Did he feel that. Or had 1ob ut him u to it. (t didnt sound li&e the man
she had come to &no$)and lo'e)but that didnt mean 1ob $asnt behind
this! He hadnt e#actly been friendly $hen hed left yesterday, and it $as
anybodys guess $hat conclusions he had dra$n about +arnabys arri'al!
(mmediately, 7raham added forcefully! (n fact, ( suggest you collect your
things right no$ and lea'e!
4ot again! Her first thought $as that they couldnt do this! +ut her second
one $as, $ho $ere they*. -as 1ob in'ol'ed.
(s there a roblem here.
Juliette turned at the sound of 1obs 'oice behind her, ha'ing read the
e#ression on 7rahams face and realised that he hadnt been a$are of the
other mans resence, either! She also realised, from the frustrated anger
on the managers face, that 1ob $asnt in'ol'ed in her dismissal3 7raham
loo&ed too irritated by the other mans aearance for that to be true!
(t $as something, at least!
Although that didnt ma&e it any easier to find an ans$er to 1obs 0uestion*
(n the e'ent, she $asnt the one $ho ans$ered 1ob at all!
Juliette has decided she no longer $ishes to $or& for 1omeos, 7raham
announced! (t $as to his emloyer he so&e, but it $as Juliette he loo&ed at
as he did so!
/hallengingly! Daring her to contradict him!
+ut $as there any oint in her doing that. "'en if 1ob managed to sort this
situation out so that she actually &et her ,ob)e'en if 1ob had any interest
in doing that)7raham $ould still find a $ay of getting rid of her once 1ob
had returned $hence he came! And by the time 1ob came bac& to London
again, some time ne#t year, Juliette $ould be long gone! And long forgotten*
(s this true, Juliette. he demanded in a hard 'oice, those blue eyes icily
cold! Aou'e decided to lea'e us. His tone $as accusing!
4ot e#actly) she began sharly, deliberately a'oiding so much as glancing
at 7raham as she heard his sharly indra$n breath!
1ob loo&ed confused no$! Ho$, ;not e#actly:.
Juliette moistened dry lis, choosing her $ords carefully! (m actually
contracted to $or& until the end of January, but 7raham seems to feel that
it $ould be better)for e'eryone)if ( $ere to lea'e 1omeos no$!
She &ne$ she $as digging her o$n gra'e as far as this ,ob $as concerned)
one $ay or another she $ould no longer be $or&ing for 1omeos after today)
but she $as ast caring about that! She had had ,ust about as much of
7raham %aylor as she could ta&e!
+esides, she didnt thin& she could bear being this close to 1ob o'er the ne#t
fe$ days, feeling about him as she did!
As e#ected, 7raham loo&ed far from leased, his narro$ed ga6e fi#ed on
her unblin&ingly! 1obs e#ression $as much harder to read! (n fact, she had
no idea $hat he $as thin&ing beneath that cold mas&! +ut the fact that she
couldnt read his e#ression $as enough for Juliette to &no$ she couldnt
stay here any longer)that she had to get a$ay! As far a$ay from 1omeos,
and 1oberto 1omeo, as she could get!
(n fact, she bit out abrutly, ( thin& thats e#actly $hat (ll do! (f you $ill
both e#cuse me. She didnt $ait for a rely from either man before turning
on her heel and $al&ing a$ay!
8uic&ly!
She ga'e herself no time for second thoughts! Or e'en third ones! %hey, no
doubt, $ould come later!
Do you intend &eeing me standing on the doorste all e'ening, or are you
going to in'ite me in.
Juliette couldnt sea& at all)could only stare at 1ob as he stood in the
hall$ay outside her flat!
She had ans$ered the &noc& on her door e#ecting)$ell, not to find 1ob
standing outside!
(t $as eight ocloc& in the e'ening, the end of a day $hen she hadnt so much
as heard a $ord from him after she had $al&ed out of the store this
morning, and no$ here he $as, ,ust casually calling on her as if it $ere
something he did all the time!
Juliette*. He fro$ned! Am ( interruting something.
His "nglish $as more accented this e'ening, she noticed inconse0uentially, as
though he $asnt 0uite as sure of himself as he $anted to aear!
-hich $as ridiculous3 she had ne'er seen 1ob less than self-assured!
She shoo& her head! (m ,ust surrised to see you, thats all! She held the
door oen for him to enter, ta&ing her time about closing it and follo$ing him
into the sitting room, frantically trying to thin& of a reason $hy he had come
here!
( came to tal& to you)and to return this! 1ob held out the bag he had
carried into the flat, standing 'ery tall and broad-shouldered in front of the
lit fire!
Juliette too& the bag and glanced $arily inside, the tension starting to lea'e
her shoulders as she realised it $as only her fathers ,umer that she had
lent to him a coule of e'enings ago)freshly laundered and ironed, by the
clean smell of it!
%han& you, she said hus&ily, unconsciously holding the bag to her chest! She
$as leased to ha'e the ,umer returned to her3 it $as one of the fe$ things
of her fathers that she had managed to sal'age $hen Sybil had cleared out
his things from the house only a $ee& after his death!
Does it ha'e)sentimental 'alue. 1ob $as $atching her $ith guarded eyes as
she still held on to the bag!
Aes! She attemted a smile $hich didnt 0uite come off3 it $as at this time
of year she tended to miss her father the most! (t $as my fathers, she
e#lained sha&ily as 1ob continued to loo& at her!
His eyes $idened! Aour fathers. +ut) He bro&e off as the doorbell rang
noisily! (t $ould seem youre oular this e'ening, he said $ith dry humour!
Juliette had no idea $ho this second 'isitor could be! She really didnt &no$
anyone in London aart from Lisa and 1ob! 1ob $as already here, and it $as
Lisas night for the gym!
She could only gas in surrise $hen she oened the door and sa$ $ho stood
there!
O&ay, $here is he. 1osemary demanded 'ehemently, ushing ast Juliette
as she barged her $ay into the flat! ( dont care $hat you told me the other
day! ( &no$ that hes here, she continued, and strode forcefully inside, so
dont e'en try to deny it again!
Juliette could only stare at the other $oman $ith horror!
CHAPTER TEN
A4D $ho the hell might you be. 1osemary came to an abrut halt, ha'ing
entered the sitting room and found 1ob there, some of her aggression
dissiating in the face of this de'astatingly attracti'e man!
Juliette $inced as 1ob loo&ed at the other $oman coldly, e'ery inch 1oberto
1omeo at that moment, and ob'iously not accustomed to being 'erbally
attac&ed in this unro'o&ed $ay! -ell*other than by her, Juliette added to
herself $ith a moc&ing t$ist!
%his is 1oberto 1omeo! Juliette decided shed at least attemt to ta&e
control of this situation!
+lue eyes snaed $ide in recognition of the name! %he 1oberto 1omeo.
1osemary gased, ob'iously reassessing 1ob no$, loo&ing at him from his
head to his toes, and then bac& again! -ell, of course it is, she
ac&no$ledged s$eetly, before turning to Juliette $ith accusing eyes! Ho$ on
earth do you come to &no$ someone li&e him.
1ob, this is 1osemary /arlisle! 5y stesister! Juliette glared at the other
$oman, not surrised that the socially a$are snob had recognised 1obs
name!
Aour stesister. 1ob reeated, astounded! +ut ( thought) He bro&e off,
staring at the other $oman $ith unreadable eyes!
Aes. Juliette romted, loo&ing at him $ith a sudden fro$n! -hat did you
thin&.
(t doesnt matter! He dismissed it $ith an imatient sha&e of his head! 5iss
/arlisle! He nodded abrutly! /orrect me if (m $rong, but ( $as under the
imression, $hen you arri'ed, that you had lost someone*.
(n the surrise of seeing 1osemary here at all)her stesister had ne'er
'isited her in London before)and then 1osemarys recognition of 1obs
name, Juliette had totally forgotten the other $omans initial aggression!
5y fiancH)Da'id! Anger returned to 1osemarys baby-blue eyes! -e had a
silly argument o'er)$ell, it doesnt matter $hat it $as about! ( ,ust had the
idea that he might ha'e come here to see you!
Juliette couldnt imagine $hy! %he last time she had seen Da'id had been
$hen hed told her he referred her stesister to her! (t had not been a
leasant con'ersation!
She sighed! Loo&, ( told you on the telehone the other night that ( ha'ent
so much as seen Da'id for $ee&s no$!
-ho is this Da'id. 1ob demanded curtly!
Juliette turned uncomfortably to loo& at him! -hat on earth must he be
thin&ing of her. 9irst +arnaby had arri'ed here une#ectedly yesterday, and
no$ 1osemary $as accusing her of commandeering her fiancH! +arnaby and
Da'id)$hen the only man she $anted, the only man she lo'ed, $as 1ob
himself!
As ( said, hes my fiancH, 1osemary ans$ered 1ob! He and Juliette used to
be)$ell, friends, ( suose you $ould call it, she said scornfully! +efore the
t$o of us had met each other, of course! She laughed! Ob'iously once $e
had met Juliette didnt stand a chance! She smiled triumhantly!
Juliette flinched at the urring satisfaction in the other $omans 'oice! 4ot
because she still cared for Da'id)she didnt! %he li&ing she had felt for him
had aled into insignificance comared to the lo'e she no$ felt for 1ob! +ut
because, in the ten years since 1osemary had first come into her life, the
other $oman had delighted in ta&ing e'erything from Juliette that she
ossibly could! /lothes $hen they $ere both teenagers, ans$ers to
home$or& for school, friends and e'en Juliettes fathers affection at one
stage, $hen 1osemary had attemted to t$ist him around her selfish little
finger in order to dri'e a $edge bet$een Juliette and her father!
She hadnt succeeded in the latter3 the bond bet$een father and daughter
had been far too strong for that! +ut once 1osemary had realised she
couldnt get her o$n $ay by that method, she had $or&ed on creating
friction bet$een her mother and stefather, $ith Juliette as the scaegoat,
in order to achie'e her goal! %he only $ay to maintain a harmonious e#istence
for her father, it had seemed, had been for Juliette to &ee her distance!
(t $as something Juliette $ould ne'er forgi'e the other $oman for!
+ut none of that e#lained $hy 1osemary should continue to thin&, ,ust
because the t$o of them had had an argument, that Da'id had come to her!
Cnless*
2erhas your fiancH has changed his mind concerning the choice he made.
Juliettes head snaed round in 1obs direction as he 'oiced the thought
that had ,ust occurred to her! He $as still loo&ing at the other $oman $ith
cold eyes, his e#ression no$ one of comlete contemt!
Did he &no$. Had he someho$ guessed at some of the ain the other $oman
had deliberately caused her.
+ut ho$ could he ha'e. She hadnt so much as mentioned her stemother and
stesister, let alone the misery they had brought into her life!
1osemary $as glaring at 1ob no$, her beautiful face t$isted! ( told you, $e
had a silly argument)
O'er Juliette. he ut in softly!
Loo&, 1osemary snaed, ( ha'e no idea $hat your connection is to her)
the scorn in her 'oice imlied that she could ta&e a good guess! )but ( can
assure you that Da'id has long since got o'er the silly infatuation he had for
her)
Her name is Juliette! ( suggest you use it! 1ob bit out icily, ta&ing a ste
to$ards Juliette, his arm mo'ing rotecti'ely about her shoulders! And,
gi'en a choice bet$een the t$o of you, ( $ould choose Juliette e'ery time!
He s0uee6ed Juliettes shoulder, as if chec&ing that he $as doing the right
thing in defending her li&e this!
(n rely, Juliette smiled u at him gratefully! Oh, she &ne$ that this $as all
for 1osemarys benefit)that once her stesister had gone 1ob $ould ma&e
his o$n e#cuses and lea'e, too! +ut for the moment it $as ,ust so deliciously
$onderful to allo$ herself to feel lo'ed and rotected, if only for a matter
of minutes!
1osemary loo&ed as if 1ob had actually hit her! 4ot surrising, really3 he $as
the first erson since her father $ho had chamioned Juliette o'er the
more beautiful 1osemary! She might almost ha'e felt sorry for her
stesister if she couldnt still feel e'ery barb and hurt the other $oman had
e'er inflicted on her!
1osemary ga'e a contemtuous snort as she 0uic&ly reco'ered from the
slight 1ob had gi'en her! And for as long as it ta&es you to tire of your little
game, (m sure youre $elcome to her! Hard blue eyes ra&ed o'er them
scathingly, coming to rest glitteringly on Juliette! (ts a ity no one e'er told
you to hold out for the diamond ring, Juliette, she added scornfully!
As you did, 5iss /arlisle. 1ob relied chillingly! %hen might ( suggest you
loo& else$here for the man $ho bought you that ring. Aou ha'e interruted
our e'ening for 0uite long enough!
(f he had dismissed her in that icy tone, Juliette &ne$ she $ould ha'e
$anted to curl u in a ball and hide! (t didnt ha'e 0uite the same effect on
the more resilient 1osemary, but the other $oman did, after one last
contemtuous glare in their direction, turn on her heel and flounce out of
the room, slamming the door behind her seconds later!
-hich $as the cue for Juliettes legs to fold neatly beneath her, so that she
fell to the careted floor!
Or at least she $ould ha'e done, if 1ob hadnt mo'ed his arm from her
shoulders do$n about her $aist, easily suorting her $eight as he guided
her o'er to the sofa to sit her do$n on it!
+randy, ( thin&, he announced grimly!
( dont ha'e any! Juliette shoo& her head, slightly da6ed! +ut theres still
some red $ine in the &itchen from the other e'ening, she added 0uic&ly as
his fro$n deeened at the lac& of sulies in her flat!
His disaearance into the &itchen at least ga'e her a fe$ moments resite
to try and gather her shattered self-confidence! 1osemary had al$ays had
the effect of totally disruting her life! Although this time, $ith 1obs hel,
Juliette had to admit that the other $oman hadnt succeeded in doing so! (t
had to be a first!
(t also sounded, from $hat the other $oman had said, as if Da'id had come
to his senses $here 1osemary $as concerned! Juliette certainly hoed so!
She $asnt in lo'e $ith him herself, and ne'er $ould be, but desite $hat he
had done he $as a nice man, and certainly deser'ed better than 1osemary!
Drin& some of that, 1ob encouraged softly as he returned $ith t$o glasses
of red $ine!
She ga'e him a grateful smile as she too& the glass he held out to her and
sied from it! Aou al$ays seem to be offering me alcohol in one form or
another!
1ob didnt return her smile! -hen did your father marry that creatures
mother.
Juliette cho&ed slightly on the $ine, s$allo$ing hard before ans$ering him!
%en years ago, she relied hus&ily!
He nodded grimly! And is the mother anything li&e the daughter.
She smiled $ithout humour! 1osemary is Sybils clone! Her eyes $idened as
1ob instantly launched into raid (talian)none of it sounding leasant! He
$as lonely after my mother died, she added, defending her father! -e both
$ere! And before the $edding Sybil couldnt ha'e been more $onderful, she
remembered! ( $as ,ust as fooled by her initially as my father $as!
1ob ga'e a disgusted sha&e of his head! %he 'ery thought of you at the
mercy of t$o such $omen)! One hand clenched tightly into a fist at his
side3 the other gried his $ine glass! (n fact, his &nuc&les sho$ed so $hite
Juliette feared for the delicate stem of the glass!
Hey, (m not comletely defenceless, you &no$, she ointed out! %hey didnt
ha'e it all their o$n $ay! Although almost, she ac&no$ledged to herself,
thin&ing of the years shed had to distance herself from her o$n father in
order to ma&e life easier for him $ith his second $ife!
1obs eyes $ere narro$ed into icy slits! Aou $ill tell me about it!
Juliettes eyes $idened at this sho$ of indomitable (talian $ill from a man
$ho had for much of their ac0uaintance been charmingly easygoing!
( $ill. she echoed softly!
He ga'e a brief inclination of his head! Aou most certainly $ill!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A4D, to Juliettes surrise, she did! She told him of those a$ful fi'e years
until she $as eighteen and ready to go off to uni'ersity, of her fathers
sudden death before that could haen and of ho$ her stemother had
refused to hel $ith her fees, meaning that Juliette had had to ta&e a ,ob
as $ell as study in order to suort herself!
9or Juliettes father, as una$are as any of them of his imending death, had
left e'erything he ossessed to his $ife, e#cet for a trust fund he had set
u for Juliette, to be released on her t$enty-fifth birthday!
(t all sounded so a$ful $hen told star&ly li&e that, and yet e'en as she
tal&ed Juliette &ne$ that the last fi'e years on her o$n had gi'en her a lot
of thingsG self-reliance, for one, and the 'alue of friendshi for another! +ut
most of all, she realised, they had made her the sort of erson $ho could
lo'e 1ob unconditionally!
(t $as because she lo'ed him, not because he had ordered her to, that she
could share these things $ith him!
(ts their loss, not mine, she concluded, $ith a lightness she had ne'er
thought she $ould feel $here Sybil and 1osemary $ere concerned! +ut
tal&ing about those years, sharing them, had someho$ released her from the
burden of them!
(t felt $onderful!
-hereas 1ob loo&ed grimmer than e'er as he dran& the rest of his $ine in
one s$allo$ before utting the emty glass do$n on the coffee table!
( $ish ( had &no$n of all this before! ( $ould ha'e ta&en great delight in
throttling your stesister! he e#lained harshly, at Juliettes 0uestioning
loo&!
She couldnt hel it)she laughed! Oh, ( thin& you must ha'e guessed some
of it! Aou ried 1osemary to shreds at the end there! she said admiringly!
1ob continued to loo& do$n at her $ith a fro$n for se'eral seconds, and then
he began to smile, too! She reminded me of a sna&e, hissing before it
attac&s! He ga'e a shudder of re'ulsion! 2ure 'enom!
Juliette could only stare at him in $onder3 he $as the only man she had e'er
met $ho had e#ressed a reference for her o'er the sensually beautiful
1osemary!
-hat. he romted gently as Juliette continued to stare at him!
She bro&e that ga6e and shoo& her head, loo&ing a$ay self-consciously! She
might be grateful to 1ob for his chamioning of her, but she 'ery much
doubted she $anted him to realise she $as in lo'e $ith him! And she $as!
5ore no$ than e'er!
Aou ha'ent dressed your tree!
She turned bac& to find 1ob loo&ing at the unadorned tree $here it stood in
a buc&et of earth in the corner of the room! (t $as as much as she had
managed to do after first 1obs and then +arnabys dearture the e'ening
before! She simly hadnt had the heart to do anything more than sto the
tree from dying!
She shrugged! ( ha'ent had time yet!
Of course, he ac&no$ledged in clied tones! Aour 'isitor last night no
doubt re'ented it!
Juliette loo&ed at him $ith a small fro$n, not li&ing the $ay hed said that!
+arnaby. Aes* she said slo$ly! 1ob)
Ha'e the t$o of you made u your 0uarrel. 1ob demanded, loo&ing grimmer
than e'er! Did he offer you your ,ob bac&.
Aes, and yes! Juliette ans$ered cautiously, deserately trying to read 1obs
e#ression and failing miserably! ('e acceted his aology for $hat
haened, she continued e'enly, her ga6e not $a'ering from 1obs rigidly set
features, but not the ,ob!
+ut ( thought this morning $hen you left) Something flared in the deths
of 1obs eyes)something too fleeting to be analysed! -hy not.
-hy did it matter to him. -hy did anything that haened in her life
matter to him. +ut it did! Juliette &ne$ that it did! And $ith that &no$ledge
came a hoe, a yearning for more! So much more!
( felt, she began steadily, that it $ould be better, less a$&$ard for
e'eryone, if ( didnt go bac& to $or& for +arnaby! She moistened her lis
$ith the ti of her tongue, sure of the emotion she sa$ in 1obs eyes this
time! 1elief! Aou see, the truth behind that ;clash of ersonalities:)the
real reason ( $as dismissed)$as that ( confirmed a hotel boo&ing $ith
+arnabys $ife for a $ee&end a$ay in 2aris!
1ob loo&ed comletely u66led! ( dont understand! Did you ha'e the $rong
date. %he $rong hotel. Although neither of those things sounds serious
enough to me to $arrant)
%he $rong $oman, Juliette interruted hus&ily, remembering all too $ell
Deborah Harriss stunned silence on the other end of the telehone after
Juliette, ha'ing failed to reach +arnaby on his mobile, had confirmed the
boo&ing $ith his $ife instead!
Juliette raised an eyebro$ at 1obs stunned e#ression! (m sure it cant
hurt to tell you any of this no$! She grimaced! +arnaby, it seems, had met
someone at some business conference or other that $ed both attended in
9ran&furt! %he t$o of them &et in touch once +arnaby returned to "ngland,
culminating in their deciding to send the $ee&end a$ay together in 2aris! (
thought he $as going $ith his $ife, hence my telehone call to her, and
Deborah thought he $as going a$ay on business $ith me! -hen Deborah
confronted +arnaby $ith it, he had to admit he had been going a$ay $ith
another $oman! Deborah $as de'astated! She ended their marriage and
began di'orce roceedings!
At $hich stage, +arnaby had dismissed Juliette!
Oh, he robably $ouldnt ha'e got a$ay $ith it if she had fought her
dismissal)but $ho $anted to go on $or&ing for a man $ho hated the sight of
her. Or $atch as +arnaby lost e'erything in a stuid act of uncomleted
adultery. Juliette certainly hadnt!
1ob blin&ed! +ut ( thought)belie'ed*
Aes. She loo&ed at him 0uestioningly!
He ga'e an imatient sha&e of his head! -hy did he come to see you
yesterday.
She ga'e a rueful smile! %o tell me that he had finally $on Deborah bac&! He
con'inced her that nothing really haened $ith the other $oman he $as
meeting in 2aris, that their $ee&end a$ay $ould ha'e been their first time
together, and that he had actually been thin&ing of cancelling the $hole
thing before ( telehoned Deborah and it all ble$ u in his face! Juliette
$asnt comletely sure about that last statement herself! +ut one thing she
did &no$G +arnaby had certainly learnt his lesson!
1ob fro$ned disaro'ingly! He should not ha'e beha'ed in that $ay to begin
$ith!
( thin& he &no$s that no$! Juliette smiled! Losing Deborah and his t$o
children certainly brought him to his senses in a hurry!
4ot soon enough, 1ob rased!
Juliette loo&ed at him searchingly! -hat did you mean ,ust no$. -hat did
you belie'e.
He made an imatient mo'ement! Aoure not going to li&e me for this*
%ell me any$ay, she in'ited hus&ily, still buoyed by the emotion she had seen
so briefly in his eyes!
He breathed raggedly before ans$ering! ( thought erhas youd had an
affair $ith Harris, and that he had dismissed you $hen it ended! He ga'e a
snort of self-disgust! ( also thought, until ,ust no$, that the erson $ho
telehoned you the other e'ening $as in fact +arnabys $ife, accusing you of
stealing her husband!
Juliette stared at him, $ondering ho$ on earth). +ut she hadnt told him
she had a stesister! Had refused to discuss her dismissal $ith him! She had
a mans ,umer in her flat! And then +arnaby had arri'ed, leading to tal& to
her!
1ob couldnt ha'e &no$n that she $ouldnt ha'e discussed the reason for her
dismissal before no$ because it $ould ha'e meant dragging u someone elses
'ery ainful ast, and 0uite ossibly hurting Deborah and the children all
o'er again! Just as he hadnt &no$n that the ,umer had belonged to her
father! Or that her telehone con'ersation the other e'ening had been $ith
1osemary, rather than another mans $ife! And e'en she hadnt &no$n $hy
+arnaby had needed to tal& to her so urgently the night before! Hed
e#lained himself only after 1ob had left!
(t $as hardly surrising, $hen all of that $as ta&en into consideration, that
1ob had dra$n the conclusions he had!
Although*
-hy should it matter to you one $ay or the other. she demanded! +ecause
it did matter to him)she could see that from the ain and self-disgust in
those dee blue eyes!
He dre$ in a ragged breath! -ill you forgi'e me. /an you forgi'e me. he
as&ed hea'ily! Aou $ere $or&ing at a ,ob you are blatantly o'er-0ualified for,
you refused to tal& of the reason you left your last emloyment, you had a
mans s$eater in your flat and you ob'iously intended sending /hristmas
here alone! He shoo& his head imatiently! %he last seemed a classic
symtom of mistress syndrome!
Aou ha'e been letting your imagination run a$ay $ith you, ha'ent you.
Juliette laughed, too hay at &no$ing the reason for his sudden coolness
and dearture yesterday to feel offended at the idea of him thin&ing she
$as any mans mistress! ( simly couldnt tal& about the reason (d left
Harris (nternational! Angry as ( $as $ith +arnaby, ( couldnt ris& Deborah
and the children being hurt! Shes a really lo'ely $oman, by the $ay, she
added teasingly, as 1ob still loo&ed decidedly uncomfortable! ('e already
e#lained about the ,umer! She shrugged! And as for my ,ob at 1omeos)(
$as blatantly o'er-0ualified, $asnt (. She smiled mischie'ously!
1ob loo&ed relie'ed to ha'e something other than his e#aggerated
conclusions to tal& about! %hat, and the ob'ious fact youre a $oman, ha'e
been more than enough to ran&le $ith 7raham since you began $or&ing at
1omeos!
Juliettes eyes $idened! Aou arent telling me thats the reason he disli&es
me so). She bro&e off a$&$ardly3 after all, the other man $as 1obs
emloyee!
Disli&es you so much he has done e'erything in his o$er to get rid of you.
1ob finished grimly! Oh, yes, that is e#actly $hat ( am telling you! +ut no$
hes the one $ho has been remo'ed, he added $ith satisfaction!
Aou ha'ent sac&ed him because of me. Juliette gased!
-orse! 1ob grinned! ('e transferred him to the 4e$ Aor& branch! He
chuc&led $hen he sa$ Juliettes ob'ious confusion! 7raham can be a 'ery
good manager, but he has one serious failingG he cannot tolerate $omen $ho
are better-0ualified than he is! %he o'erall manager of my 4e$ Aor& store is
a $oman! A fact ( forgot to mention to 7raham $hen ( ga'e him t$o $ee&s
lea'e to effect the transfer!
%hat $as really mean! Juliette rotested, at the same time unable to
reress the laughter that bubbled u inside her! 7od, $ouldnt you li&e to be
a fly on the $all $hen he gets to 4e$ Aor&.
1ob shrugged unreentantly! %he lesson $ill be no more than he deser'es!
Hell learn it or lea'e!
She couldnt e#actly disagree $ith him, &no$ing that she $as far from the
only $oman at 1omeos that 7raham had ta&en delight in harassing! (t heled
to &no$ $hy, and that something had been done!
Although 1ob still hadnt gi'en her an e#lanation as to $hy any of that)
+arnaby, 7raham %aylor)should bother him! Or $hy he $as really here! He
could ha'e ,ust osted the ,umer bac& to her!
Juliette, he began softly, his e#ression intense, ( ha'e beha'ed badly! (
belie'ed)( ha'e told you $hat ( belie'ed! 1eally not a 'ery good start to a
relationshi, he muttered, sounding disgusted! ( ha'e no e#cuse for the
things ( thought)
Dont you. she cut in hus&ily, standing u to mo'e to$ards him, &no$ing that
her earlier instincts hadnt been $rong, that she had seen that emotion in
1obs eyes! Dont you really. She stood u, 'ery close to him, reaching out
tentati'ely to lace a hand on his chest! His heart $as beating 'ery fast
beneath her alm!
His e#ression softened as his ga6e mo'ed caressingly o'er her face! %$o
days ago)only t$o days. (t seems ( ha'e al$ays &no$n you! He groaned, his
hands mo'ing u to gras her arms! %$o days ago, he began again, a young
$oman came hurtling to$ards me, $ielding a deadly $eaon)
(t $as an umbrella! she corrected $ith a laugh!
4o matter, he said, his accent 'ery ronounced! As you hurtled to$ards me,
green eyes $ide $ith shoc&, red hair flying, ( &ne$ $ithout a shado$ of a
doubt that ( $as loo&ing at the $oman of my dreams! Cntil that moment (
had no idea $ho she $ould be or $hat she $ould loo& li&e, but one loo& at you
and ( $as fore'er lost! ( lo'e you, Juliette, more than $ords can e'er
e#ress! 5y head is full of thoughts about you! ( $ant to be $ith you
constantly, cannot e'en bear the thought of lea'ing you here $hen ( go
tomorro$! He ga6ed do$n at her $ith searching eyes! -ill you try to forgi'e
me, my Juliette. -ill you gi'e me the chance to see if you might not gro$ to
lo'e me in return.
She stared u at him $onderingly, at last ha'ing the ans$er as to $hy he had
offered her the ,ob as his 2AG he $anted her to lea'e $ith him $hen he $ent
tomorro$! He couldnt bear the thought of going $ithout her any more than
she could bear the thought of his going!
Aou still $ant me to be your 2A. she breathed softly, &no$ing she $ould do
it, that she $ould accet any chance to be $ith 1ob!
( $ant you for my $ife! he corrected forcefully, his hands tightening on her
arms! +ut ( $ill settle for your being my 2A if that is all ( can ha'e for no$,
he added more humbly!
1ob $anted to marry her.
(t $as beyond her $ildest imaginings that he should feel the same $ay about
her as she did him!
"#cet she hadnt told him ho$ she felt about him!
She reached u to touch the hardness of his chee&, encouraged by the $ay
his eyes dar&ened! 1ob, ( lo'e you, too, she told him $ith hus&y emotion! (
lo'e you, ( lo'e you, ( lo'e you! Ho$ right, ho$ absolutely erfect it felt to
say those $ords to her o$n $onderful 1omeo! Oh, no! She laughed softly!
Do you realise that once $ere married ( shall ha'e to go through life as
Juliette 1omeo.
Does it matter. 1ob as&ed as he began to rain &isses all o'er her face and
nec&, his arms holding her tightly against him!
4o, she assured him $ith absolute certainty, &no$ing that his arents $ould
one day ha'e red-haired grandchildren! 4othing matters to me as long as
$ere together! %his man, this $onderful man, this man she lo'ed $ith all her
heart, lo'ed her in e#actly the same $ay!
1ob &issed her slo$ly and lingeringly on the lis! %his is going to be a
$onderful /hristmas, Juliette, he romised! %he start of the rest of our
li'es together*
And it $as! 1obs family $elcomed her into their midst $ith oen arms,
ta&ing her into their hearts as she had ta&en 1ob into hers and he had ta&en
her into his!
4ot ,ust her /hristmas 1omeo, after all, but her fore'er 1omeo*