Roberta Leigh - Give A Man A Bad Name

‘You’re my employer.’

‘Who wants to be your friend. Come on, say it,’ he cajoled.

Fluttering her lashes at him, she whispered his name.

‘There,’ he said, satisfied. ‘That wasn’t too painful, was it?’

‘No, Mr Ha—Alex.’ She tilted her head towards him. ‘I’ve never met an Alex before.’

‘And I’ve never met a Marly.’ He began to eat. ‘That bodes well for us.’

‘Why?’

‘Because we don’t have any preconceived associations with each other’s names. If you’d been called Sandra, I’d have had a problem. She was the first girl I fell in love with—I was fourteen at the time—and she broke my heart.’

‘You mean she turned you down?’

‘Worse. She called me fat and spotty!’

For the first time Marly’s laugh was genuine. ‘How long did it take you to recover?’

‘As long as it took me to become spotless and skinny!’ A well shaped hand, the fingers long and artistic, rubbed the side of his face. ‘I suppose that with your Thai passion for honesty you’d have said the same as she did?’

‘Never.’ Marly quickly slipped back into the role she was playing. ‘We are taught to be frank without being hurtful.’

‘Does that mean that when I ask to see you again you’ll turn me down politely?’

‘I’ll always be polite.’

‘And always turn me down?’

‘It depends how busy I am. I’m only contracted to work for you for two months, and we’ve already wasted ten days of it.’ Primly she regarded him. ‘Will you be going away again soon?’

‘Not as far as I know. I’m here for six months—until all the bugs are ironed out and the hotel is running smoothly. Then I move on to wherever I’m needed.’

‘Are you what they call a trouble-shot?’

‘A trouble-shooter,’ he corrected, his grin making him look younger than the thirty-four she knew him to be.

‘Do you normally travel a lot?’ she asked, hoping to lead him into discussing his stay in Singapore.

‘Yes. For the past two years I’ve moved between the Far East and Australia.’

‘Where were you before you came to Thailand?’

‘Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore—’

‘I’d love to go to Singapore,’ she interjected. ‘Did you like it?’

‘It isn’t my favourite place,’ he answered flatly. ‘I prefer Bali and—’

‘Why don’t you like it?’ she persisted.

‘I had an unpleasant experience there that left a rather sour taste.’

What a hateful way of describing Andrea! A sour taste! ‘Is it anything you can discuss?’ she asked, oozing sympathy.

‘If I did, you’d find it extremely boring.’ He raked a hand through his tawny hair, as if trying to throw off the memory of it. ‘Anyway, why waste this lovely setting talking of unpleasant things when we could be talking about you ?’ He leaned towards her, his chiselled features softened by desire. ‘Do you have a boyfriend, Marly?’

‘No,’ she replied truthfully.

‘It has to be from choice. I can’t believe no man has wanted you.’

‘I’ve never met one I wanted.’ Until I saw you walking across the lobby, she thought, though the feeling had died when she had discovered how heartless he was. But none of her thoughts was apparent on her face as she met his gaze. ‘I believe marriage is for life, Mr Hamilton, and I will have to be absolutely certain about a man before I commit myself to him.’

‘How young you sound,’ Alex stated, a long-fingered hand playing with the stem of his wine glass. ‘When you’re my age you’ll know nothing is certain in life.’

Except for one thing, Marly knew: her determination to cut this man down to size.

‘I’m surprised to hear you say that,’ she said dulcetly, ‘because in the last hour I’ve become very certain of you .’

Beautifully marked eyebrows arched above smoky grey eyes. ‘Now that’s an intriguing statement. Care to explain it?’

She nodded. ‘I’m certain you have a strong sense of honour; that you never wittingly break your word, and that you respect the feelings and wishes of anyone you care for.’ Her lids lowered and thick black lashes, long and straight as a doll’s, fanned her cheeks as she prepared to deliver the final blow. ‘I’m also certain you will respect my wish to remain untouched until I marry. Only on that basis am I willing to see you again, should you do me the honour of asking me.’

Alex leaned back in his chair, his body motionless, his face so devoid of expression that she wondered if she had gone too far. The intention was to intrigue him by being different from his previous girlfriends, not frighten him off completely! Around her she was aware of waiters moving, diners leaving, the clink of glasses, the throb of a passing river boat, the splutter of the pink candle glowing between herself and the man opposite her.

‘Marly, I...’ His voice was husky. ‘I wouldn’t be doing you an honour to ask you out. You’d be doing me the honour by accepting. And I will always respect your wishes. You can trust me completely.’

As a chicken could trust a fox! she thought, but blinked her lashes and glowed at him. ‘Thank you for saying that.’

‘My pleasure.’ He raised his glass to her. ‘No more worries, eh? Any change of mind will have to come from you.’

His strategy was as clear as if he had handed it to her on a sheet of paper. She could see every move. Romantic dinners in glamorous places, the serious conversations, the light wine, the chaste goodnight kisses... Until one night when they would dine alone in his suite, and the talk would be more sensuous than serious, the wine heady, the kisses deep and drugging... So drugging that she would be begging him to make love to her. What a swine he was!

Furiously she flung out her arm and the glass in front of her shattered to the floor.

Startled, Alex jumped to his feet and came round to her. ‘Marly! What’s wrong?’

Bemused, she stared at him, then shook her head. ‘An insect, I think. It bit me.’ With an effort she gathered herself together. ‘I’m sorry I startled you.’

‘Are you sure you’re all right?’

‘A little tired perhaps.’

‘Then I’ll take you home.’

Within moments they were in the Mercedes. Alex made no attempt to move close to her, but she was intensely conscious of his tall frame in the confines of the car, and carefully looked away from him, relieved that he seemed content to sit in silence.

‘When may I see you again?’ he asked as the car stopped outside the timbered house and he escorted her to the locked gates leading into the compound surrounding it.

‘In the hotel,’ she replied, stepping into the courtyard as the family’s night-watchman unbolted the gate.

‘That isn’t what I meant.’

‘I know.’

With a laugh she lifted her long skirt and ran gracefully up the steps and into the house, firmly resisting the urge to turn and see if he was watching her. But the instant she closed the door, she peered through the peep-hole and saw he was still standing by the gate, a tall, wide-shouldered figure exuding a power and purpose that would brook no denial.

Yet deny him she would, and enjoy herself immensely in the process.

NAN almost choked herself laughing when Marly told her that Alex Hamilton had treated her as though she were a fragile piece of china.

‘When are you going to give him his come-uppance and tell him you’ve made a fool of him?’ she asked when she could finally speak.

‘Not until he’s fallen for me good and hard.’

‘I hope you can keep up the butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-your-mouth act?’

‘That’s the only problem. A few times this evening I almost forgot myself and verbally slew him!’