Laura Martin - Secret Surrender

‘That’s just the sort of remark I would have expected from you,’ Christy replied, as she fastened herself in. ‘Typical! And for your information, if I want to scowl for the whole of the time I have to suffer your company, I will—OK?’

The broad, rugged frame beside her shrugged with obvious unconcern. ‘Your choice. But don’t you think it’s going to be rather a long forty-eight hours?’

Christy cast a sideways glance and glared at the strongly shaped profile. ‘It’s going to be eternity whatever I do,’ she replied with a sweet smile. ‘So what’s the point in trying to hide my deeper feelings? Scowling comes naturally when you’re anywhere in my vicinity.’ She paused momentarily, and then added, ‘Unless you haven’t worked it out already, Mr Drew Michaels, I’ll say it now loud and clear, just so we both know where we are—I don’t happen to like you.’

She was dying to see a reaction, an indication that she had annoyed him, angered him, hurt his pride, that ego which so often afflicted big stars in the worst kind of way. Christy watched and waited and saw little, except evidence of that brand of patronising amusement that was usually reserved for silly young children who didn’t know any better.

‘Oh, I think I’ve worked that one out all right.’ Drew’s mouth widened as he manoeuvred the car through the heavy London traffic. ‘And all by myself too, and, just so we both know where we stand, let me say now that I’m not too impressed by you either.’ He turned cold eyes upon her. ‘Did you see the articles in the gossip columns relating to our little contretemps in the restaurant last week, by the way?’

‘No!’ Christy replied snappily, turning to gaze out of the window. ‘I did not.’

‘Probably just as well,’ Drew replied cuttingly. ‘You did come out of it looking rather…’ he paused and pretended to struggle for the right word ‘…ridiculous? But then I know you have quite a strength of character. You do, I’m sure, get over such embarrassing set-backs.’ His mouth curled tauntingly. ‘The various snippets were rather unkind. Such a shame, I thought, the way they seemed to ridicule you. And Conrad, poor, innocent bystander that he was, got roped in rather badly too.’ He paused and then added in tones that had ‘wind up’ written all over them, ‘I mean, you only have to look at the man to see that he’s not nearly as much of a wimp as they made out.’

‘He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be!’ Christy responded with unthinking fervour. She glanced angrily across and saw Drew’s mocking expression far too late.

‘A tiger in bed?’ he quipped icily. ‘Well, aren’t you the lucky one?’

‘I didn’t say that!’ Christy snapped, her eyes blazing. ‘Typical, though, of you to bring the conversation down to that level. Conrad happens to be a good friend, that’s all! And besides, I don’t judge a true man on how he happens to perform between the sheets. It doesn’t make one iota of difference to me.’

Drew raised one dark, disbelieving brow. ‘No?’

‘No!’ Her cheeks felt hot. She surreptitiously placed long, manicured fingers against her skin and hoped to goodness he hadn’t noticed her flush of embarrassment.

‘Not a subject you wish to discuss, I see.’ Drew glanced across with an infuriating smile at Christy’s uncomfortable expression. ‘So why’s that? Either Conrad’s an abject failure in bed, or the poor devil hasn’t been given the opportunity to prove himself one way or the other. Which is it, Christy? I find I’m really quite intrigued.’

‘You’re a coarse rat, aren’t you?’ she shot back angrily, turning towards him. ‘And downright disgusting! And if you imagine for one second that I would even begin to reveal parts of my personal life to you, you’re——’

‘You’ve revealed more than aspects of your personal life to me—or has that rather passionate moment in time slipped from your memory?’ he asked, with deliberate bluntness.

So, just a few minutes into the weekend and he had already decided to throw that at her! She stared sideways as the Ferrari overtook a black taxi cab and forced herself to keep cool. ‘I cut all memory of that great mistake from my mind the moment I left the hotel bedroom!’ she informed him icily. ‘As far as I’m concerned it was a totally forgettable experience!’

Drew turned and cast observant blue eyes over Christy’s flushed, angry face. ‘So why are you so uptight, then? Tell me that.’

Forty-eight hours of this? Christy thought angrily. I’m going to go mad at least a dozen times over! ‘I’m not uptight!’ she snapped haughtily. ‘And… and——’ she steeled herself ‘—and if you think that the fact that we had brief, unmeaning sex once three years ago has any bearing now on how I feel, then your ego is bigger than I estimated! Look, I’ll make it plain now, shall I, Mr Michaels?’ she added with force. ‘I’m here because I’ve signed a contract for this series and under the terms of that ludicrous piece of paper I have to undertake to interview you. I am a professional and, as much as I would prefer to be doing other things, such as spring-cleaning my house, shopping for mundane items, or even washing my hair, I will endeavour to carry out the terms of my contract to the full. However, in no area of small print does it say that I have to like the people I interview. I will of course be civil at all times——’

‘Civil?’ He laughed out loud, filling the confined interior of the car with an infectious sound that in any other circumstances would have been incredibly pleasing.

Christy turned her head away, annoyed beyond belief that he should be so genuinely amused, so unperturbed by what she had just said. She hadn’t wanted to refer to that time, but to allow him to think for just one moment that what had happened then did in any way mean anything to her…

She took a deep breath, refusing to acknowledge for even a second that Drew Michaels looked more gorgeous than ever, when his eyes crinkled with laughter and his mouth broadened to reveal strong, incredibly white teeth.

‘Well, I must say,’ he continued when his mirth had subsided a little, ‘that I’m looking forward to seeing you when you’re really angry. Will a mere man survive the wrath of Christy King, do you suppose?’

‘I will of course be civil,’ she continued determinedly, keeping her gaze fixed out of the sidewindow, ‘but you will be sorely disappointed if you hope for any sort of atmosphere, other than——’

‘OK. OK, I get the picture.’ Drew changed through the gears and turned off a busy main road. ‘You’re spending time with me under sufferance and if I expect the same sort of response as last time——’

‘You’re going to be sorely disappointed!’ Christy finished for him in crisp tones. ‘I never make the same mistake twice, Mr Michaels; you want to remember that.’

‘You don’t consider this a mistake, then—agreeing to spend two days solely in my company?’ he enquired tauntingly.

She felt a lurch of trepidation and knew instantly that it was a mistake, and a very big one at that. God, she had been an absolute fool to imagine for one moment that she could get the better of this man. ‘Wwhy should I?’ she managed carelessly. ‘As I made plain before, I’m here to do——’

‘Yes. I know.’ He turned and curved his lips into a contemptuous smile. ‘You’re here to do a job.’

‘Where exactly are we going?’

They had been travelling for some miles. The question of her destination hadn’t occurred to her before now—she had been too busy fuming over all that he had said. But earlier this morning it had been the first thing she had promised herself she would ask.