Natalie Fox - Torn By Desire

Cover Page

Excerpt “My brother might find you a bitter disappointment.” “And what is that supposed to mean?” Kate asked. “It means that my brother has high expectations.” He afforded her a small smile and leaned even closer to her. “My brother plays games and sometimes he doesn’t stick to the rules. He invariably wins.” “I’m not listening to this—” “Don’t forget, Kate, I’m on your side.” “Who’s taking sides?” she blurted out. “You will when the time comes. Take care, sweetheart,” he warned. “Don’t play games with my brother. He’s off-limits to a little gold digger like you.”

About the Author NATALIE FOX was born and brought up in London, England, and has a daughter, two sons and two grandsons. Her husband, Ian, is a retired advertising executive, and they now live in a tiny Welsh village. Natalie is passionate about her three cats, two of them strays brought back from Spain where she lived for five years, and equally passionate about gardening and writing romance. Natalie says she took up writing because she absolutely hates going out to work!

Title Page Torn by Desire Natalie Fox www.millsandboon.co.uk

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Copyright

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Kate asked.

“It means that my brother has high expectations.” He afforded her a small smile and leaned even closer to her. “My brother plays games and sometimes he doesn’t stick to the rules. He invariably wins.”

“I’m not listening to this—”

“Don’t forget, Kate, I’m on your side.”

“Who’s taking sides?” she blurted out.

“You will when the time comes. Take care, sweetheart,” he warned. “Don’t play games with my brother. He’s off-limits to a little gold digger like you.”

NATALIE FOXwas born and brought up in London, England, and has a daughter, two sons and two grandsons. Her husband, Ian, is a retired advertising executive, and they now live in a tiny Welsh village. Natalie is passionate about her three cats, two of them strays brought back from Spain where she lived for five years, and equally passionate about gardening and writing romance. Natalie says she took up writing because she absolutely hates going out to work!

Torn by Desire

Natalie Fox

www.millsandboon.co.uk

‘GUY LATHAM?’ Kate wailed, flicking her shoulderlength auburn bob behind her ears and swinging round from her computer to face Ed Hughes, head of her section.

‘I thought that would bring a flush of colour to your cheeks.’ Ed drawled knowingly.

Oh, how wrong could he get? If she was sporting a flush it certainly wasn’t with fiery anticipation at the mention of Guy Latham. The flush had been brought about by Ed’s announcement that she was to fly down to Marbella tonight to help out at the Spanish division of the company. Conrad, the elder of the two Latham brothers who owned the firm, usually handled that end of the commodity-broking company from the Latham villa in Marbella, and twice a year he flew privileged London staff down to familiarise them with what was going on. This time Conrad had picked her so was it any wonder she was glowing? Guy Latham accompanying her on the trip certainly wasn’t flush-inducing.

‘Th-this isn’t a wind-up?’ Kate breathed, wide-eyed and scarcely able to believe her good fortune. No, not good fortune. In nine months she’d been a conscientious worker and Conrad, for the second time, was showing his appreciation. The first time, last month, on one of his monthly flying visits to the UK, he had stayed long enough to praise her work to the hilt and take her out to dinner. He’d been the most perfect of escorts, a true gentleman in every sense of the word, and by the end of the evening she’d thought she was a little bit in love with him.

‘No wind-up, sweetheart. You’re definitely booked on a flight tonight.’

Kate was over the moon and her heart was just a little racy. Conrad wanted her and maybe…She gave an inward shiver of anticipation. Conrad was gorgeous. The only black spot on her dizzy horizon was travelling down to Marbella with Conrad’s awful brother, Guy ‘Lothario’ Latham.

If ever there was a man Kate detested it was Guy. If ever there was a man Kate secretly worshipped it was Conrad. A real man. Mature, with taste and sophistication and a solid business head on his broad shoulders. Guy Latham did nothing for Kate’s pulse rate, though every female in the company would think her certifiable if she ever admitted it. She had once, though, and learnt her lesson.

‘I can’t see what you all see in the egotistical creep,’ Kate had murmured after one of Guy’s morning sweeps through the office. Oh, boy, did he know what he had and how to use it. One steelyeyed look from those piercing dark eyes, the merest hint of a cynical white smile, and anything in a skirt melted at his feet in adoration.

‘Huh, you don’t fool me, Kate Stephens.’ Lorraine Hunter had snapped. ‘Why should you be any different? The man is every woman’s fantasy hero—tall, dark, drop-dead good-looking, dangerous and desirable. If you can’t see that, you must be severely visually impaired. I suppose you think by being standoffish with him he’ll want you all the more. Forget it, Guy doesn’t bother with challenges.’

Very true. He didn’t have to. Women dropped submissive at his feet all the time—and they were welcome. Fortunately Kate had little contact with him anyway but she felt that if she did sparks would fly because one thing about a man she couldn’t abide was arrogance and the knowledge that he only had to snap his fingers and some silly female would come running. She was still raw from a previous relationship with someone cast in a similar mould and wasn’t looking for further punishment.

No, Guy didn’t raise her pulse rate one degree, but—Lorraine adored him and obviously thought Kate was playing hard to get in the hope of snapping him up, and the wrath of Lorraine she could live without. She’d kept her observations to herself after that particular run-in with her.

‘And Lorraine is going down with you as well.’ Ed added, and came round her console to perch his lean frame on the end of it.

Kate swung back to face her computer and stared gloomily at the screen. That was all she needed. Lorraine was one of that rare breed of women with beauty and brains and knew it. For some reason she had never taken to Kate but tolerated her because she couldn’t find fault with her work. Kate was good at it and longed for promotion but Lorraine was blocking her way. Lorraine’s job of marketing manager was the exalted position Kate would have liked for herself but unless Lorraine left there wasn’t much chance. And Lorraine wasn’t likely to leave while Guy Latham was still single. Her surname wasn’t Hunter for nothing.

‘Of course, you know what that means, don’t you?’ Ed went on, a teasing edge to his tone.

Kate tilted her chin to look at him directly, her dark eyes sparkling, trying to inject genuine interest into them for Ed’s sake. He loved a good gossip and that was obviously where all this was leading. ‘No, I don’t, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me,’ she trilled.