The Father Of Her Child. Emma Darcy
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Название: The Father Of Her Child
Автор: Emma Darcy
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
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Michael’s curiosity was piqued. “Do you like her, Evan?” he asked pertinently.
“Who? Lauren?” He looked innocent. “She’s a lovely girl, but I’m a married man, Michael. I love my wife and I’m not about to stray.” Hotly earnest.
“Does she like you?”
Uncomfortable shifting again. “Well, er, only in a friendly kind of way. I just don’t want Tasha to misunderstand. If you’re with me, everything will be all right.”
A nasty little troublemaker, amusing herself by coming between husbands and wives, Michael thought with considerable venom. Not this time, Lauren Magee, he silently vowed. Lovely girl…huh! She might be gorgeous and sexy-looking, but she clearly had the sting of an asp, poisoning other people’s relationships.
Michael decided it would give him immense satisfaction to do a bit of stinging of his own. Besides, Tasha deserved to have peace of mind during this difficult period. The strain of an advanced and possibly threatened pregnancy was more than enough for her and Evan to cope with. Protecting them from any capricious harm by Lauren Magee was the decent thing to do.
“Okay, Evan, I’ll run interference for you,” he said, a dangerous little smile lurking on his lips.
Relief burst over his friend’s face. “At the party tonight? And the tour?”
“Yes. You can count on me for both.”
And to hell with Roxanne and her ridiculous gloating with her new husband! He could stomach that if he had to for one evening. It was in a good cause. As for Lauren Magee, well, he was beginning to look forward to locking horns with her.
Evan surged out of his chair and reached over Michael’s desk to grab his hand and shake it vigorously with both of his. “You’re a true, true friend and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means I can relax and enjoy everything, and Tasha will, too. She’s been looking forward to tonight’s launching party. Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“Then I hope she’ll have a happy evening.”
Evan grinned. “Champagne on tap. I love free drinks.”
“Don’t forget you have to drive,” Michael warned dryly.
“Uh-uh. We’re staying in the city overnight. Taxis both ways.”
“What hotel? I could pick you up. Best if we arrive together, don’t you think?”
“Great!” Evan heaved a huge, contented sigh. “I won’t forget this, Michael. Any time you want a favour, you’ve got it.”
“I’ll remember that. Do you have a list of the tour details with you. dates, times, flights, hotels?”
“Sure do. With all the telephone numbers for you to make your bookings.”
Evan was probably right about no-one else being able to help him, Michael reflected a few minutes later. The cost of this safeguard venture would prohibit most people. Money meant nothing to him, never had, and Evan knew it. Real friendship did. All the wealth in the world couldn’t buy that. If a couple of thousand dollars could prevent Tasha and Evan from being messed up by Lauren Magee, Michael was only too happy to supply the necessary.
That lady had a few things coming to her.
Michael figured he was just the man to deliver them.
He could feel the primitive savage stirring inside him, and this time he didn’t try to suppress the feeling. He revelled in it. Being civilised could definitely be overrated. He had the taste of revenge in his mouth. It was sweet.
“COME on, Lauren,” Graham Parker urged. “It’s peak hour, remember? The traffic across the city is bound to be horrendous, and I want to make it to Rose Bay by six.”
“I’m coming.” The last page of the publicity flyer started rolling through the fax machine. Confident there’d be no problem with the transmission, Lauren turned to her desk, snatched up her handbag and flashed a smile at the head of the marketing department. “Ready to go.”
Graham was in his mid-forties, solidly married to his wife, family and computer and nicely avuncular towards her. Lauren knew he read nothing personal into her asking him for a lift to the launching party. It was simply a convenience between two coworkers. She always felt in a comfort zone with Graham. It was a pleasant feeling.
“Snazzy belt,” he commented appreciatively.
She grinned, pleased with the compliment. The belt was a recent purchase, featuring a large gold bow set on a wide, black, elasticised band. “Nothing like a good accessory to turn day wear into glitz.”
He shook his head in bemusement as she joined him. “Do you turn your whole life into a time and motion study?”
“Have to with my job, Graham.”
“I don’t know how you can stand the pace. Always on the go. It would give me a coronary.”
“I like it.”
It filled her life. She needed that. She didn’t like having too much time to dwell on the empty spaces. It was good to keep busy. Besides, she was doing what she did best, organising schedules, taking care of people, sorting them out, fitting everything and everyone into a workable and effective pattern. It seemed to Lauren she had been doing that as long as she could remember, having been the eldest child in a family of nine.
Once she had dreamed of having someone take care of her and do all the looking after. Big mistake. Her stomach clenched in recoil at the memory of the prison her ex-husband had made of their marriage. Never again, she vowed. Obsessive possessiveness had no place in Lauren’s concept of love. It was both frightening and crushing.
As she rode the elevator to the ground floor with Graham, she consciously banished those shadows from her mind. These days she lived life on her own terms, and the party tonight should be fun. No responsibilities for her apart from chatting to a few authors, making them feel welcome and introducing them to other guests. Champagne was to flow freely and a band had been booked to provide dance music after the speeches. Lauren loved dancing.
She adjusted the new belt so the gold bow was set closer to her hip line. It looked brilliant on the bright violet of her ribbed knit sweater. She was really pleased with the overall effect, the wide black elastic accentuating the black of her skirt and tights and the bow picking up the gold trim on her black suede shoes.
She still had to do her hair. It was in a bit of a tangle from being loose all day. Lauren grinned to herself as she recalled her hairdresser calling it a wild animal. The copper-red hue did not come out of a bottle and the natural curls bounced from her scalp and rioted over her shoulders and halfway down her back.
Once she was in Graham’s car she would pile up her unruly hair and clip on the black and gold earrings. That would certainly put the finishing touch to her cocktail-hour appearance.
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