Sharon swallowed her uneasiness and looked at the screen in front of her.
'Have you seen the lastest Japanese figures?''More or less as I predicted', he shrugged.'Yes, right again, as usual', Sharon said with saccharine sweetness.He laughed. She couldn't even make him angry. It was infuriating. She wished he would go away. He was ruining her morning.'I am rather busy', She said, 'So unless you want to tell me something important....''David just rang me from home', he said, 'About the Rome Conference ....''Yes?' She was supposed to fly a road with David to Rome for an international banking conference and she was looking forward to it. It had been so long that she had been anywhere interesting and she wanted to get away from the office now dominated by Ryan Ferdinand for a little while.'His doctor has advised him to stay in bed for a week, so he won't be able to go', Bryan said coolly.'What's wrong? Is he I'll?' Sharon asked but Bryan shook his head.'Just tired, I gather. A touch of flu, too maybe. Nothing serious He asked me to explain it to you and say how sorry he is to miss the Rome trip'.'Of course, I understand', Sharon said, deeply disappointed, her face falling, 'Though I can't say that I am surprised.He has been looking out of sorts and really I'll for the past few days. He really needs a long vacation but a week in bed is a start. Well, I'd better cancel everything, but I don't think we shall be able to reclaim the price of the air tickets. The hotel can be cancelled without problem, of course'.Sharon put out her hand to the phone but Bryan gently caught hold of her wrist.' No don't cancel anything. The trip is still on. It's just that I'll be taking David's place'.'You?' Sharon said stifling.His mouth curled. 'Sorry, I am no match to David in your eyes, I am aware of that but he wants the bank to be represented and he is supposed to give a talk at the conference, so I shall have to be the one giving the talk'.Sharon knew all about the talk. Why David felt the need to ask Bryan to give the talk when he knew that she could do that well best her.'You know of David's old fashioned view of the role of women in banking', Bryan said.'Which you share obviously!' she said bitterly.'As a matter of f t, I don't but David was really I'll and it didn't seem the right time to argue with him, so I just went along with his directives. I believe you have got all his documentations, by the way? Tickets etc?'She nodded and stood up and Bryan made way for her to pass and she picked up the scent of his aftershave and decided that she didn't like it.She found the folder containing all the travel documents and handed them over to him.'The name will have to be changed, I can do that'.'Don't worry, my secretary will deal with it', he said as he turned to walk out, 'See you tomorrow on the plane'.She looked after him, half inclined not to turn up. Only her loyalty to David made her decide to go. Someone had to keep an eye on Bryan Ferdinand.They met at the Heathrow and bought piles of magazines and newspapers and tried to ignore the noise and discomfort of the seats they sat on.At last, the plane began to take off and in the end, they were two hours late in leaving for Rome.Rome did not look as exciting as Sharon had envisaged and she looked up depressed.By the time they got to their hotel, she was barely able to stand and was very fed up.She collected the key and went straight to her room, which turned out to be charming, beautifully furnished and a magnificent view of the rocks and cliffs and the town as a whole.It was still raining. She leaned on the window for a while, gazing out. Even in the rain, Rome was still noisy, bustling, over full of people and vehicles.Sitting there with the window open made her shiver after a while. She stood up,closed the window and went into her modern bathroom to take a long warm fragrant bath, pouring deliciously scented bath oils into the water before she climbed gratefully into it.Bryan had suggested that they meet for dinner at eight o'clock in the bar. The first gathering of the conference was at nine o'clock the following morning and was scheduled to take place at another hotel which was a popular conference. entre with efficient modern facilities.Most of the delegates were also staying at the hotel but David had wanted a peaceful place to retire to when banking policies be ame too hectic. It often helped to be able to escape for a while.After her bath, Sharon went to her bed to sleep and her dreams were as chaotic as the city itself.She woke with a start when someone knocked on the door.She was disoriented, not knowing at first where she was.While she had slept,night had fallen and the room was dark.She lay there starring blankly until that knock again. She walked to the door to open it after stumbling out of bed. The light from the corridor was blinding and caused her to blink.It was z Ryan in an evening dress looking ultra- civilized a d menacingly primitive, a very disturbing and lethal mix.Added to that, just the sight of his smooth- skinned, closely shaven face and sleek black hair, his gleaming black eyes, his powerful body, sent a shiver of weakness through her.Ever since she met him, she had been both alarmed by and hostile to him, working on instinct buried deep inside her, too deep for her to be quite sure what it was about the man that set all her alarm bells jangling.Aren't you dressed yet? We agreed we'd meet at Eight o' clock'. Bryan reminded her, his gleaming eyes roaming slowly over her dishevelled, damp could of auburn hair, her flushed face, the short black robe that she wore which left her long legs bare and revealed the deep cleft between her breasts.They had indeed agreed to meet to discuss and pull ideas concerning the conference that was going to take place the next day at nine o'clock am.The way Bryan was undressing her with his eyes made her self conscious and she instinctively put a hand to pull her robe lapels together to hide her breasts and saw Bryan's mouth twist in wry comprehension.'I must have fallen asleep', she said feeling disoriented. 'Why don't you go ahead into the bar and keep yourself busy with a drink, I shall be ready in a jiffy, I promise'.She shut the door quickly, afraid that he would notice that she was trembling, switching on the light, she leaned on the bed for a moment, to steady her nerves. What on earth
'This is probably good at this time if the year", he suggested pointing. Autumn is the best time for wild mushrooms and I love them served with seafood'.'Mushrooms and seafood?' Sharon asked.'Exactly'. Bryan's deep voice had a husky tone. She felt his warm breathing on her bate shoulder.'Okay, I'll have that', she said hurriedly, nervously aware of him and his body even closer to hers.'And I suppose that I'll just have pasta for the main course'.She would have moved away then but Bryan shook his head, pointing to the menu again.'Don't be so predictable!', he said softly, very close to her ear. 'Try the saltimbocca....''What's that?''It means...hmmmm...'Jump in the mouth'... it's veal escalope, rolled in harm, flavoured with sage, fried and then simmered in Marsala wine. Very rich but it's a Roman specialty. You must try it once at least. While you are in Italy and especially in Rome,you must be more adventurous, take a few risks for once in your life!'She tensed. Picking up t
They talked about the conference over the table at first then as the evening wore on, Sharon spoke less and less. She was feeling light headed, dreamy, a heat and excitement running through her veins.Across the table, Bryan watched her with those hypnotic eyes while they drank their coffee.'Liqueur?' he suggested as the wine waiter arrived with his rattling trolley of bottles.She hastily shook her head. 'I have already drunk too much wine. I don't want a headache in the morning', she looked at her watch. 'In fact, I think that I should be on my way to bed now, we have to get up very early and there's a very crowded day ahead of us'.On their way to the lift, she paused to look out through the main doors at the Rome night.'It's stopped raining.What I wanted to do this afternoon was take a walk round the city, but I couldn't go out in all that rain'.'Why not take a short stroll now?' Bryan suggested.'It's much too late and I haven't got my jacket with me', she said. But she was dra
Sharon felt cold indeed. What had she been thinking? How could she have allowed this arrogant man touch her the way he had? What a mess. He must think that he had her where he wanted her.She had always known that he was dangerous to her but she had not really known the extent of the danger.What weakness could have made her lose herself, her self control and all this way?She could not look at him, she did not know what she would find in his eyes, mockery? scorn? triumph? condescension? She did not want to know. She just did not want anything to make her feel lower than she was already feeling just then.'Come to my room, Sharon's, Bryan said with an urgency that made her stiffen.She turned on him, her face white now. 'I feel sick, do you know that?' she broke out. 'You got me drunk and you knew that I was not used to drinking and you kept pouring wine into me, right the way, through dinner. You had this in mind all the time, didn't you? You set me up and it nearly worked. I almost
Sharon had her breakfast in her room: black coffee,orange juice, a couple of rolls with black cherry jam.She may have slept badly but like she had already decided, it was nothing a careful make up job would be unable to hide.She made up and her make up hid most of the evidence of her bad night. She put on the clothes she had delibrately picked which was smoothly tailored dark grey suit, short jacket, straight skirt with a crisp white shirt under it, to make herself fade into the crowd, mostly men, in city suits who would be attending the conference.Even her auburn hair was pulled back austerely from her face but she could do little about her long legs in their sheer black stockings. Men always starred at them. a car was coming at eight-twenty to take Bryan and herself to the hotel where the conference would be held, so she left her room at eight- fifteen.Bryan appeared a moment later, elegant and formal in a dark city suit, red and white striped shirt with a stiff white collar an
'So is there any man in your life', Gerhard asked again as Sharon looked at him saying nothing but smiling.She shook her head.'Not at the moment. Have you met the girl of your dreams yet?'He laughed. 'I keep hoping, but so far not luck'.'Maybe you are too difficult to please!''I have been brought up to expect the best', he agreed with wry amusement. 'No doubt you are right but never mind, I enjoy my life. I'm free, single and love to mingle as they say'.'You still watch that program on TV?''All the time. When I work at home, I have the TV on the music program blaring, it helps me think and keeps with awake during long nights'.'I wonder how people managed before recorded music!'Sharon said thoughtfully.Gerhard told her how his parents had their own personal chamber orchestra.Sharon ate her salad slowly as she listened to him. She had just finished her salad when the delegates started moving away towards the conference hall. The conference was starting again in fifteen minutes'
Gerhard stood up as she got to him, kissed her on both cheeks gravely.'Thank you for joining me. All the men are going to envy me tonight, having you for a partner. That dress is very sexy and you look breathtaking in it'.'Thank you, Gerhard', she said sitting down, brushing down her filmy skirts as they hissed silkily around her legs.'Ehat would you have to drink?' he asked summoning the waiter.Remembering what happened with Bryan the previous evening, Sharon ordered a mixture of orange juice and mineral water and stayed off wine all evening.The meal was superb and Gerhard kept her continuously amused and it would have been a wonderful evening had she been unable to see Bryan's face from where she was sitting.By some stroke of bad luck, however, he was seated facing her, on the next table. She had to avoid letting her eyes wander that way or she found herself all too often looking straight at him.Everytime it happened, she felt a strange dizzying lurch, as though her sense of
Sharon looked at him with disgust. He's really got guts. Coming to drag her down for breakfast but she did not doubt that he would do it too. His arrogance was becoming intolerable.'Get your foot out of my door!''Are you trying to get me to lose my temper? Bryan ground out between his teeth.'What happens if you do?' she asked. ' Ate you going to turn into a monster and tear us into pieces?'He wasn't amused, a dark colour went round his face as he said coldly, 'Very funny'.On an impulse, she said, ' You were wrong about Gerhard you know. He was a gentleman all through the evening unlike some people I know'.Bryan laughed without humour. 'But that was because I got you out of there before the evening ended'. His gaze slid from her face to her neck, her shoulders and her breasts.His eyes flared with rage, 'If you had come back here with him in a taxi late at night, looking like that, he wouldn't have just seen you off to your door and said goodnight. That dress is an invitation to