Lynsey Stevens - A Physical Affair

‘You know, I haven’t danced in years.’ Eden Cassidy’s prosaic words ricocheted into Keira’s lascivious thoughts, scattering them abruptly, and her eyes rose instantaneously to meet his in surprise.

The corners of his mouth lifted in a genuine smile, creating still more havoc with Keira’s quivering nervous system, and the deep resonant sound of his soft laugh played over her with a million tiny titillations of her nerve endings.

The resulting clefts that bracketed his mouth changed his harsh features dramatically, and as he lifted his head his blue eyes sparkled beneath the light of the chandelier, making him inconceivably more heart-stoppingly attractive.

‘Does your sceptical look mean you don’t believe me, Mrs Strong?’ That devastating smile still played around his mouth. ‘On my honour, it’s quite true. I never seem to find the time. Do you suppose Daniel’s right in repeatedly insisting I’m too wedded to my work?’

‘Only you can answer that,’ Keira replied as evenly as she could with her heartbeats still bouncing erratically in her breast. ‘But I should imagine Cassidy-Ford Publishing is a full-time job.’

“It is that. But I have very competent staff and I do delegate. As I’m sure you do, Mrs Strong.’

Keira glanced at him from beneath her lashes. Could he be fishing for information about the running of the magazine? Was he aware that Dianna filled less than her position on Chloe? Well, he wouldn’t hear it from her, Keira thought firmly.

‘Yes, I do delegate, but, as the editor, Dianna handles most of the work assignments. We all work very well as a team,’ she finished weakly, part of her wishing her editor hadn’t put her in such a position.

‘So where do you see Chloe going in the next year or so?’

‘Going?’ she repeated in surprise. ‘In exactly the direction it has been, I would have thought. And I don’t mean standing still. The magazine constantly flexes with the needs of its readers. While it’s so successful, why alter the format-or the staff?’ she added quickly, recalling the supposition caused by the appearance of the time-and-motion study man Daniel had reminded her about.

Eden’s eyes had narrowed on her. ‘You think that’s what I plan on doing?’

Keira shrugged. ‘I have no idea, although there have been a few rumours,’ she said carefully. ‘But I feel I should repeat what I said. Why interfere with a successful enterprise? Our staff work well together and I wouldn’t want to see that changed in any way.’

‘Loyal, too,’ he said quietly and grimaced. ‘Is there no end to your virtues, Mrs Strong?’

‘What…what do you mean?’ Keira swallowed nervously, feeling the timbre of the conversation shift just fractionally, giving it that heady sense of danger once again.

‘Obviously competent at her job. Loyal to her staff. As well as being-how did Daniel describe you?-a woman who’s as fantastic as she looks.’

Keira flushed. ‘I take pride in doing my job well,’ she began haughtily, highly embarrassed by the turn of the dialogue.

‘Oh, I know you do, Mrs Strong. My-’ he paused

and raised one dark brow ‘-snoops weren’t wrong about that.’

Their eyes met, held. Cool steel-blue and steady smoky grey. Keira’s were the first to fall.

‘I guess I should apologise for that.’ She fought to keep her voice dispassionately normal. ‘But I was provoked, wouldn’t you say?’

‘What happened to your husband?’ he asked quietly, and his change of subject and the concern in his tone tore down Keira’s defences.

‘He was killed in a car accident,’ she replied flatly.

‘It must have been difficult for you.’

‘Yes. I…’ Keira sighed. ‘Dennis and I were separated at the time. We had been for a couple of years. But it was still a terrible shock.’

They danced in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Keira tried to bring Dennis’s face into focus but his boyish features blurred in the process. Dennis had been handsome, but weak. So totally different from the man whose strong arms held her in his grasp. With flawless timing Keira’s body reminded her of the rock-hard wall of Eden’s chest, his long legs, and… There was, she admitted resignedly, no contest.

But what was she doing making a comparison anyway? she asked herself angrily. It wasn’t as though she had ever been interested in replacing Dennis. And if she had been, there was no way she would consider a man as high-powered, as prominently profiled as Eden Cassidy. She’d have to be insane. Wouldn’t she?

Keira pulled her wayward thoughts to a jarring halt. A man like Eden Cassidy would have no interest in an average-looking nobody like her.

She glanced up at him again and the look in his blue eyes that split-second before he masked his thoughts belied her speculation. She knew in that revealing moment that she did hold some interest for him.

Keira swallowed quickly, her mind trying to rein in her galloping senses. Interested he may be but she’d lay bets his concern wasn’t altruistic, but brutally obvious.

Eden Cassidy, head of the prestigious and prosperous Cassidy-Ford Publishing and Keira Strong, assistant editor and virtual employee. One of thousands. Keira could almost laugh. It sounded like a fairy-tale. And she’d given up believing in them a long time ago. Nor was she even vaguely interested in indulging in a sordid affair with a wealthy libertine.

She had to get away from him. Where was Daniel? Her eyes ran over the crowd around them and only then did she notice even more speculative looks slid furtively their way. And she could imagine just what they were all thinking of her now. First the nephew, now the uncle. She must be providing a banquet of food for gossipy thoughts. She’d have to excuse herself.

At that moment she spotted Daniel through a break in the crowd. He was craning his neck above the dancers and, catching sight of Keira and his uncle, he began to make his way towards them.

A slight frown furrowed his brow when he reached them and he looked quickly from one to the other.

‘Megan’s looking for you,’ he told his uncle without preamble. ‘Something about a fax from New York or something. It sounded important,’ he added quickly, for good measure.

Eden grimaced and slowly, far too slowly as far as Keira was concerned, he relinquished his hold on her and gave her a slight bow. ‘Duty calls,’ he said derisively. ‘I’ll leave you in Daniel’s capable hands. For now,’ he added softly, for Keira’s ears only, as he turned and left them.

Keira danced with Daniel, who seemed just a little less exuberant, a trifle more subdued. Or so it appeared to Keira, who had to acknowledge she now felt much the same. However, during the course of the evening he politely introduced her to his family and some of his uncle’s and grandfather’s friends.

At supper, as lavish an affair as the rest of the celebration had been, Daniel attentively plied her with delicious food and the one glass of the very best champagne she allowed herself.

Eden Cassidy circulated conscientiously, Keira knew, for her body seemed automatically tuned to his movements about the large ballroom. Throughout the evening she would find herself beginning to relax and then he would cross her line of vision, or their eyes would meet through a break in the crowd, and her muscles would tense involuntarily. And not for the first time she fervently wished the evening well and truly over.

The only time Eden had taken to the dance-floor had been with Keira, and just when she was convinced she was to have the dubious honour of being his only dancing partner she saw him guiding the tall and impeccably gowned Megan Donnelly on to the floor.

They made a striking couple. In her high heels, with her hair piled on top of her head in a smooth chignon, Megan was almost as tall as Eden, and as Keira watched, unable to draw her gaze away, they spoke softly and easily to each other as they danced.