Carole Mortimer - One-Man Woman

‘I seem to know that man,’ Peter said slowly as he gazed after Daniel Thackery with narrowed eyes.

Peter was a hotel employee, so there was no problem in revealing the identity of a guest to him. Besides, after her exploits in Daniel Thackery’s suite earlier, who was she to preach about a guest’s right to privacy?

‘That’s Daniel Thackery,’ she told Peter flatly.

‘The Daniel Thackery?’ Peter said slowly.

Was he ‘the’ Daniel Thackery? He was known worldwide as a very successful businessman, with his restaurants in the capitals of the world frequented by the cream of society, so she supposed that, yes, he was ‘the’!

‘Yes,’ she confirmed abruptly. The man under discussion had entered the bar with the beautiful blonde now, and Ellie turned her full attention back to Peter.

‘I see.’ He whistled softly through his teeth. ‘What does a man like that want in a sleepy little place like this?’

What indeed? It was what Ellie wanted to know too. ‘Anonymity, probably,’ she snapped. ‘If the woman he’s with is anything to go by.’ She grimaced her disapproval of the other woman.

Peter’s brows rose. ‘She looks rather beautiful to me.’

Oh, there was no doubting that the blonde was absolutely gorgeous to look at—tiny in height, with an hourglass figure, long legs and a youthfully beautiful face. But there was also no dismissing the fact that the man she was with was getting married next week—or that ‘Darling’ was well aware of Angela’s existence!

‘The two of them aren’t married,’ was all that Ellie could think of by way of explanation for her own bitchiness; after all, she could hardly admit to hearing of the existence of Daniel Thackery’s fiancée while hiding in his wardrobe!

Peter grinned, leaning conspiratorially over the desk towards her. ‘Signed themselves in as Mr and Mrs Smith, did they?’ He gave her a teasing wink.

Ellie had to smile at that ludicrous wink. ‘Sorry.’ She gave a rueful smile. ‘There’s just something about that man that puts my hackles up.’ That had to be an understatement; just being anywhere near that man seemed to set her teeth on edge!

Peter still smiled, straightening away from the desk. ‘That isn’t—or so we’re led to believe by the newspapers—what women usually have to say about him!’

‘Well, I’m not one of his usual women.’ The tartness returned to her voice, her green eyes flashing. ‘Anyway, he seems to prefer tiny blondes,’ she added scornfully.

‘Whereas I prefer tall redheads.’ Peter looked across at her appreciatively. ‘Sure I can’t tempt you with dinner tomorrow evening?’ he added wistfully, the subject of Daniel Thackery clearly forgotten.

At least, it had been forgotten by Peter. Ellie couldn’t forget about him—because she hoped she and Beth would be dining with him tomorrow evening!

‘I’ll even cook for you,’ Peter added persuasively. ‘If you come to my apartment.’

The temptation of eating a meal Peter had cooked was one not many women would resist. But Ellie had other priorities for tomorrow evening.

‘I’m really sorry, Peter,’ she refused again with a regretful smile. ‘I really am busy tomorrow night.’ She hoped!

‘I know when not to push it,’ he accepted with a dismissive shrug. ‘Another time. I had better be on my way,’ he said with a brief glimpse at his wristwatch. ‘My cat will be wondering if I’ve found myself a woman other than her!’

Ellie chuckled throatily. ‘See you in a couple of days’ time.’

He nodded. ‘Have a good time tomorrow night. Whatever it is you’re doing.’ He gave her another suggestive wink before leaving.

Ellie shook her head, smiling fondly. He really was the most outrageous man, but she liked him anyway, found his light-hearted banter refreshing. It was a pity about tomorrow evening because if it hadn’t been for this thing over Daniel Thackery she might just have accepted Peter’s invitation...

‘Could you arrange for an early-morning call tomorrow, please?’ rasped the harsh voice that was becoming so familiar to Ellie—unfortunately so!

She turned slowly to look at Daniel Thackery as he glared across the desk at her. He had only gone through to the bar a few minutes ago; what—?

‘An early-morning call,’ he repeated impatiently as she blinked up at him uncomprehendingly. ‘Do you think you could manage that?’

Colour darkened her cheeks at his sarcasm, and she bit her lip to stop herself returning an equally sarcastic reply. ‘I’m sure I can,’ she said tautly.

‘At seven-thirty,’ he nodded. ‘And coffee,’ he added tersely before he was racked by another sneeze.

Ellie automatically noted down the time of the early-morning call and the request for coffee.

‘Coffee for one,’ he corrected as he saw what she had written down on the pad in front of her, his mouth twisting with mocking amusement as Ellie looked up at him sharply. ‘My guest has departed for the evening,’ he explained drily as he saw Ellie’s instinctive glance behind him for the diminutive blonde.

Ellie could have kicked herself for being so obvious. But she had assumed—incorrectly, it now seemed—that ‘Darling’ would be spending the night with him in his suite. But she wished she hadn’t made what she had thought so obvious, hated that knowingly mocking glint in those deep blue eyes.

‘I only booked the suite for one guest,’ he told her softly. ‘Myself,’ he added, before he gave yet another sneeze.

She was regathering her scattered wits now, forcing herself to meet his derisive stare with a cool green gaze. ‘The suite is booked in its entirety, Mr Thackery,’ she told him coolly. ‘Regardless of the number of guests.’

‘Really?’ Dark brows rose. ‘In that case—’ his voice lowered huskily as he leant forward over the desk ‘—perhaps you would like to join me upstairs? For a nightcap?’ he added lightly as he saw the shocked way her eyes widened.

First the blonde. Then his fiancée. Then the blonde again. And now her. He really was having a busy evening where women were concerned, wasn’t he? Or was he...? Neither his fiancée nor the blonde was here, was she...?

Ellie smiled up at him with sweet insincerity. ‘You seem to be developing a rather nasty cold, Mr Thackery.’ She managed to keep her voice neutrally polite. ‘I would suggest it might be more beneficial—to everyone concerned—if you snuggled down in bed with a cold-remedy or a hot toddy rather than a woman!’ She met his gaze challengingly. Really, this man had an incredible nerve.

He appeared completely unruffled by her refusal. ‘Permit me to know what is “beneficial” to me,’ he dismissed arrogantly. ‘And, as I told you earlier, I do not have a cold.’ As if to prove him wrong he gave another sneeze. ‘I would suggest, however,’ he rasped once the sneeze had dispersed, ‘that if you do decide to join me in my suite for a nightcap you wash off your perfume before joining me. I happen to be allergic to Sapphire,’ he added with a grimace. ‘You see—Ellie...’ he said her name softly after looking at her name-tag attached to her blouse ‘...it makes me sneeze.’ He looked down at her unblinkingly now.

Ellie’s mouth opened. And then closed. And then opened again. But no sound came out.

He had sneezed late this afternoon when she had booked him in. And earlier in his suite—he had been sneezing then too.

Because she had been hiding in his wardrobe wearing Sapphire!

Every time he came near her he started to sneeze. As he had in his bedroom earlier tonight—and even more so as he’d stood on the other side of the wardrobe door. Had he known she was there? Did he know?

He gave a dismissive shrug as the silence stretched between them—through pure shock on Ellie’s part! ‘I won’t actually be going to bed for a while, so if you should change your mind about the nightcap... Or just feel in the mood for a chat,’ he added—tauntingly, it seemed to Ellie. ‘But don’t forget about washing off the perfume before you come up,’ he advised before strolling off in the direction of the lift.