His After-Hours Mistress. Trish Wylie

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       CHAPTER SIX

      ‘LUCINDA!’

      Lucinda ignored Zane. She didn’t want to listen to any fancy excuses. He had just compounded her belief that members of the female sex were his playthings. And, Lord help her, she had almost fallen into the trap herself.

      It was maybe a good thing that she had caught him working his charm. Judging by what she had seen, his companion was well and truly besotted. Was it someone he had picked up while waiting for her? Or someone he already knew? Whatever the case, Lucinda felt well and truly let down. In fact she felt an idiot. She had been in grave danger of making a very big fool of herself.

      ‘Lucinda!’ Zane’s hand fell heavily on her shoulder. ‘Where are you going?’

      ‘I didn’t want to intrude on what looked like a very cosy twosome,’ she told him coolly, shrugging his hand away and continuing her swift exit.

      ‘Nonsense, you wouldn’t be intruding,’ said Zane firmly. ‘Serafine is a friend of mine; I’d like you to meet her.’

      ‘Why?’ she demanded. ‘You were clearly bored following me around—I did tell you that I’d prefer to do the job my myself—and she is a welcome diversion. I have no wish to come between you.’ She hated to acknowledge the fact, even to herself, that she felt deadly jealous of Zane’s beautiful friend and she most certainly wasn’t going to let Zane know. ‘I’ll make my own way back.’

      ‘Oh, no, you won’t,’ growled Zane. ‘You’ll join us for dinner.’ And he took her by the elbow and forcibly led her across the room.

      Serafine smiled as they approached. ‘Lucinda, it’s good to meet you,’ she exclaimed. ‘Zane has told me how clever you are.’

      Lucinda wanted to ignore Serafine’s outstretched hand, but one glance at Zane’s stern face and she decided against it. ‘It is good to meet a friend of Zane’s too,’ she said quietly, hoping she sounded more sincere than she felt.

      ‘I would not know where to start if I were transforming his house. It is all right when you are doing it for yourself, but for someone else—how do you do that? Unless you know that person intimately?’

      Lucinda had no wish to discuss her job with this woman, with her huge expressive brown eyes and a wide smile which revealed beautifully even white teeth. She was stunning, and would have been even if she weren’t dressed in a haute couture suit and expensive jewellery.

      Serafine fingered a diamond and emerald ring as she looked at Zane and Lucinda couldn’t help wondering whether he had bought it for her. The way Serafine kept touching it, and the way she looked at Zane as she did so, was highly suspicious. Maybe Serafine had been throwing out a big hint when she’d mentioned intimate relationships. Not that it worried her. Why should it? She already knew that Zane was into relationships. Nothing permanent, just fun while they lasted!

      And she had very nearly become a statistic! Just as Serafine would be one! Did the girl know it? Was she as used as Zane to playing the field?

      ‘You do need to get to know your client,’ she answered. ‘Their preferences, their dislikes, et cetera. It would be pointless filling a place with furniture that they absolutely hated.’

      ‘Hence you and Zane staying in the house together?’ suggested Serafine, her brown eyes steady on Lucinda’s. ‘Zane is a man of mystery as far as I am concerned. He never tells me much about himself. Maybe now that he has bought a house here it will change? Perhaps I will see more of him.’ Her eyes switched to Zane, brilliant and flirtatious, suggesting that she would like something far more permanent from their relationship.

      Zane’s smile was enigmatic; Lucinda was not sure what to read into it. Serafine, on the other hand, touched her hand to his and he took it, his smile changing, becoming gradually more intimate. ‘Maybe,’ he agreed, his voice a low seductive growl.

      Lucinda wanted to get up and walk out; she felt sickened by this open display of—of what? Not simple affection, that was for sure. Lust, perhaps. Physical need. As she had once experienced with Zane!

      It had been powerful and she regretted it now. And, looking at Serafine, she knew that this woman had also experienced the magic of Zane’s kisses. They’d probably even made love! Lucinda’s throat closed painfully and she wanted to get up and walk away, but of course that was impossible. She had no intention of letting Zane know how much his attitude towards Serafine affected her.

      She was annoyed with herself actually for feeling this way—especially so soon after the Simon affair.

      ‘What would you like to drink, Lucinda?’ Zane’s attention was once again on her.

      ‘Whatever you’re having,’ she answered with a shrug. She didn’t care. What she really wanted was to go home. Home? It was odd to be calling Zane’s house home, but she supposed that that was what it was for the time being, and she ought to be there working, not sitting around with Zane and one of his female friends.

      With her drink placed in front of her Lucinda continued to seethe over the situation into which she had been forced, and when the three of them went through to the restaurant she felt like screaming. Nevertheless she did her best to be pleasant and talkative and when the time came for them to leave she smiled warmly at Serafine. ‘It’s been nice meeting you.’

      ‘You too,’ agreed the other woman. ‘You must ask Zane to bring you to my restaurant again.’

      ‘That was Serafine’s restaurant?’ asked Lucinda with a frown once she had collected her parcels and they were outside. ‘She owns it?’

      Zane smiled and nodded, taking the packets off Lucinda and tucking them beneath his arm. ‘She’s some girl. It’s not the only place she owns.’

      ‘But she never said.’ Lucinda felt that she had been left in ignorance deliberately.

      ‘That’s because she’s extremely modest,’ said Zane, more than a hint of admiration in his voice.

      ‘Have you known her long?’

      ‘We met at a conference in England a few years ago,’ he answered and Lucinda thought she saw a faraway look in his eyes. ‘And I’ve seen her on and off ever since. I’m very fond of her.’

      And Serafine was more than fond of Zane!

      ‘Why all the questions?’ His blue eyes levelled on hers curiously. ‘Forgive me for saying it, but you sound jealous.’

      ‘Me? Jealous?’ Lucinda was alarmed to hear a faint squeak in her voice. ‘Why would I be jealous of a friend of someone I’m simply doing a job for?’

      ‘You did kiss me.’

      He СКАЧАТЬ