The Devils Price. Carole Mortimer

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СКАЧАТЬ cheerfully have slapped her. She could have met Zack any time this morning without warning. It must be Zack’s turn to have Michael after all, although Michael’s lonely state this morning, and Josie’s comment that Zack was working with Daniel this morning, seemed to imply that he wasn’t able to give too much time to his son.

      ‘Zack Buchanan has to be the man they had in mind when tall, dark and handsome was quipped,’ Josie continued. ‘He’s all of those things. And more.’

      Cynara waited until their meal had been served before prompting. ‘More what?’

      Josie shrugged. ‘He’s cold, unapproachable. The only thing he seems to care about is his family. With his looks and wealth he should have a woman in every town.’

      ‘And?’ She nibbled uninterestedly on her salad.

      ‘Not a single woman, in any town. Unless he’s very discreet,’ Josie frowned. ‘Although something like that would be hard to keep secret in a place like this.’

      ‘I’ve noticed!’ she teased.

      ‘Just because I made a mistake about your relationship with your agent …’ Josie grimaced.

      ‘And proceeded to go out with him yourself when you knew we were just friends,’ she taunted.

      ‘Rod’s okay,’ the other woman blushed. ‘A bit older than I’m used to, but I like him.’

      ‘He likes you too.’ She smiled at the thought of the romance that had blossomed the last week between her two friends.

      The conversation was clearly off Zack Buchanan as their meal progressed, and Cynara slowly relaxed. Although each time someone came into the coffee-shop she tensed. She wasn’t ready to meet Zack again yet, her hair untidy, her make-up far from perfect, her clothes creased from her morning’s exertion.

      Nevertheless, she couldn’t just ignore Michael as he stood uncertainly in the doorway, looking anxiously around the room for somewhere to sit down. Cynara and Josie had finished their lunch, were lingering over coffee, almost ready to leave really, and yet there was something vaguely vulnerable about that too-thin young boy with the familiar green eyes, something she just couldn’t pretend not to have noticed.

      ‘I see a friend,’ she murmured to Josie, slowly standing up, knowing Josie’s eyes widened as she saw the identity of that ‘friend’. ‘I won’t be a minute,’ she said vaguely, hurrying over to Michael before she changed her mind. ‘Hello,’ she greeted almost nervously as she stood in front of the frowning boy.

      Michael seemed disturbed by her approach, looking about him self-consciously, his hands thrust into the back pockets of his denims. ‘Hello,’ he finally returned defiantly, almost aggressively.

      ‘Would you like to join a friend and me for lunch?’ she offered lightly, wishing now that she had just minded her own business and left him to his own devices; he obviously didn’t welcome her attention. ‘There’s a vacant seat at our table.’ In fact the coffee-shop had filled up in the last half an hour, and the spare seat at the table she and Josie shared was one of the few remaining.

      He glanced over to where Josie was watching them curiously, shaking his head. ‘I wouldn’t want to intrude.’

      ‘You wouldn’t be,’ she assured him, still uncertain about whether or not he remembered her specifically; he was at an age when he would feel aggressively embarrassed about any woman approaching him.

      ‘But you’ve almost finished,’ he shrugged dismissively.

      ‘I’d love another cup of coffee while you eat.’ She smiled encouragingly.

      He seemed to hesitate, and then he nodded. ‘Just while you have another cup of coffee,’ he agreed grudgingly.

      Cynara held back her smile as he made it sound as if he were doing her a favour. She could see Josie was a little disconcerted to have her employer’s son join them for lunch, and Cynara’s smile pleaded for the other woman’s understanding.

      ‘Hello, Michael,’ Josie greeted calmly as he sat down with them. ‘The chicken is good,’ she encouraged in a friendly tone.

      He looked at her coolly. ‘I dislike chicken.’

      Josie gave Cynara a look that seemed to say ‘oh well, I tried,’ before making her excuses to leave. ‘I have to get to work,’ she stood up. ‘I hope you enjoy your lunch, Michael,’ she added good-naturedly.

      ‘Thank you,’ he muttered.

      Josie gave Cynara another shrug before going to join Diane at the main desk, obviously relieved to leave Cynara to it.

      Michael ordered his meal with the air of a boy used to doing so, his tone dismissive. ‘I saw your photograph on the billboard outside the lounge,’ he met Cynara’s gaze coolly. ‘I recognised you instantly.’

      ‘I see,’ she nodded, not knowing what else to say.

      ‘Did my father know you would be here?’

      Cynara flushed. ‘I wouldn’t know.’ This was the first time she had ever been cross-examined by a ten-year-old—even if that ten-year-old were bordering on thirty!

      ‘You mean you haven’t spoken to him yet?’ Michael scorned disbelievingly.

      ‘No,’ her reply was sharp.

      His expression was sceptical. ‘I find that hard to believe.’

      ‘Michael—–’

      ‘Are you and my father having an affair?’

      Cynara gasped her surprise at such a question being asked by this young boy. ‘No,’ she answered tautly.

      ‘Why not?’ he frowned. ‘You had an affair with him before, didn’t you?’

      ‘Michael—–’

      ‘I know you did, because he asked my mother for a divorce because of you.’

      ‘Michael, no! That isn’t—’

      ‘Grandfather told me all about you.’ The green eyes were as glacial as his father’s could be.

      Cynara frowned. ‘And just exactly what did he tell you?’ she asked tightly, shocked and dismayed that Nicholas Buchanan had disliked her so much he had relayed his resentment to this young boy.

      ‘Does it matter?’ Michael dismissed. ‘The fact that you’re here now is enough.’

      ‘What do you mean?’ Dark brows met over puzzled velvet brown eyes.

      ‘Don’t tell me you didn’t know of Grandfather’s death,’ he scorned. ‘Or the fact that the whole Buchanan empire is now my father’s.’

      Cynara had gone very pale. Once she realised Michael was well aware of who she was she hadn’t expected politeness, but this—–! Just exactly what had Nicholas Buchanan told his grandson about her?

      ‘Your father was always a rich man,’ she dismissed СКАЧАТЬ