Alex Ryder - Revenge By Seduction

Her mind was a chaotic mess of emotions. Was he truly telling her that she was that ‘special’ woman? Well, why not? Love at first sight was a fact of life, wasn’t it? It might be the stuff of romantic dreams and fairy tales but it did happen. It had happened to her, so why shouldn’t it happen to him? Those impossibly clear and luminous grey eyes were filling her vision now, and all sense of critical judgement was swamped by her desire to believe him.

His voice was suddenly low and husky with desire. ‘You’re a very beautiful woman, Catriona. I’ve never seen lips that look so kissable and tempting as yours. They have the power to drive a man into mad impulsiveness.’

His arms pulled her closer until she was crushed against him, so hard she could feel the strong, steady and relentless beat in his chest, then her own heart skipped and began to race as his mouth slowly descended on hers. The contact of warm, sweet and yielding flesh drove every thought from her mind and she abandoned herself to the thrill of his sensual provocation. A low moan bubbled in her throat as his tongue parted her lips, exposing her to a hitherto unknown and unguessed at height of passion.

The kiss left her dazed and breathless, and she rested her head against his shoulder, seeking time to recover. He kept holding her in the imprisoning embrace of his arms, then he began nuzzling at her ear with his lips.

In a hoarse whisper he said, ‘I’d be less than a man if I didn’t confess and tell you that there is nothing in this world I want more than to make love to you, darling. No woman has ever made me feel this way before. You have a beauty I can’t resist. I want to make wonderful love to you, Catriona. I want to give you all I have to offer. We can give each other so much pleasure and happiness. I want to possess you and never, ever let you go.’

She closed her eyes tightly and bit down on her already swollen lip. How could she reject that passionate plea from the heart or ignore the promise in his words? Could she allow her old-fashioned conscience to stand in the way of an honestly declared love?

The choice was simple. She could tearfully refuse, grab her coat and scamper to safety like a timid rabbit, or she could be mature about this and do what every throbbing and aching nerve in her body was demanding.

She felt the slight tug as he undid the zip at her back, and as the silk dress slid down over her slim body to fall in a whisper at her feet she turned her face upwards, seeking his lips once again, certain in the belief that all this had been written in the stars.

MADGE called into the shop and dragged Catriona off to lunch, leaving the part-time assistant to hold the fort for a couple of hours.

The food at the Wheatsheaf was always excellent, but the meal was in danger of being spoiled, for Catriona at least, by the snatches of loud conversation drifting from the two women at the next table.

‘…sent the damned thing back to him, dahling. I mean…he knew I wanted a Jeep as a run-about. Everyone has a four-wheel drive these days…’

‘…a nice figure, I grant you. But who the hell is she? I heard that her father is a pig farmer down in Essex!’

‘…bald and hopeless in bed, but he has this marvellous luxury cruiser in the Med. So naturally I…’

They made Catriona squirm. If you stayed in this part of London long enough you began to recognise the type. Usually in their early twenties, they were full of shallow pretensions and mannerisms and their empty lives revolved around social position, money and sex—in that order.

When they finally got up and left she looked across the table at Madge and said in exasperation, ‘Did you hear them? What an exhibition of conceit and arrogance and sheer…’

‘Yes, dear,’ Madge said mildly. ‘I think everyone heard them, and now they’re hearing you.’

‘Hmph! I don’t care. I feel better getting it off my chest.’ The chicken in honey and ginger sauce tasted better now, and she savoured a piece before commenting bitterly, ‘You won’t believe this, Madge, but I tried to model myself on women like them when I went out with Ryan Hind. I thought it was the way to attract men. I was trying to be smart and sophisticated.’

‘Well, you certainly attracted him, didn’t you?’ She fixed Catriona with a stern, reproving eye, then relented. ‘I’m sorry. That was a crass thing to say. But it’s been over a month now since you found out the truth. You should be over it by now.’

Catriona sighed and stared at her plate gloomily. ‘I’ve tried to forget it…put it down to experience as you suggested…but I can’t. I…I lie in bed at night and he’s there in the darkness, whispering his lies in my ear. When I close my eyes I see his face and his treacherous smile. And when I do manage to get to sleep he’s still there, haunting my dreams.’

Madge looked at her dryly. ‘That sounds to me like you’re still in love with the rogue.’

She looked up, startled. ‘In love with him!’ Her voice cracked in protest. ‘After the way he treated me!’

‘Oh, you’d be surprised at the folly of some women,’ Madge proclaimed, helping herself to a large sip of vodka and tomato juice. ‘They just can’t resist playing with fire. The worse a man’s reputation the stronger the attraction. They delude themselves into believing that all it needs to make him change his ways is the love of a really good woman.’

Catriona lowered her eyes, then viciously stabbed at another morsel of chicken, wishing it was Ryan Hind’s heart. Still in love with him! That was rich!

‘Look…’ she said, after a moment. ‘You invited me here to lunch, and I’m sure it wasn’t just to sit and listen to me moaning about my troubles.’

‘You’re wrong,’ Madge announced with a smile. ‘That’s exactly why I brought you here. But before we go into that…’ She delved into her handbag and laid a small gift-wrapped box on the table. ‘That’s for you, my dear. A small token of my appreciation.’

Catriona gave her a puzzled look, then with curiosity began to undo the wrapping.

‘I dropped in to see my accountant this morning,’ Madge informed her. ‘He tells me that the takings in the shop have gone up twenty per cent since you began working for me.’

‘Oh? Well, that’s good news, but I’m sure I can’t take all the credit,’ Catriona said modestly. ‘It’s more likely to be that new range of Italian skirt-suits we’re stocking. They’re selling like hot cakes.’

Madge dismissed her protest with a wave of a well-manicured hand. ‘Credit where it’s due. The customers really like you, my dear. I’ve watched you in action. You’re not pushy and you’re always pleasant. More importantly, though, you’ve got a natural instinct for good taste. If a customer chooses something that doesn’t suit them you tell them straight to their face.’ She gave a throaty chuckle. ‘Oh, I know some of them get the hump and march out with their noses in the air—you see, they aren’t used to shop girls doing that sort of thing—but they come back a few days later, and the word spreads that they’ve finally found a shop which puts its reputation before sales figures.’

‘Well…if you say so.’ Catriona murmured, secretly pleased. The wrapping was off now and she opened the lid. Her eyes widened and she gasped as she removed the gleaming gold bracelet from its bed of black velvet.

‘It’s beautiful!’ She looked at Madge self-consciously. ‘It…it must have been awfully expensive. You shouldn’t be giving me presents like this! It’s embarrassing.’

‘Don’t tell me what to do with my money, young lady,’ Madge admonished her with a fond smile. ‘That little bauble is meant to cheer you up and get you back on form. You haven’t been your usual bright-eyed self lately, have you?’