Savage Interlude. Carole Mortimer

was prevented from answering her by the appearance of their host, a tall blond-haired, blue-eyed man, very handsome in a rugged sort of way, accompanied by a girl on each arm. He had never been popular with Kate and she couldn’t hide her disgust at the two giggling girls gazing up at him adoringly. But then he was always surrounded by girls.

      ‘Damien,’ he shook hands with the other man. ‘Diana told me you were here somewhere.’

      Damien gave an easy smile. ‘You’re not an easy man to find. Kate and I came out here to get out of the crush.’

      Matt smiled. ‘Invite a couple of people over and the whole world turns up.’ He turned those light blue eyes on Kate, eyes that she hated, horrible leering eyes that undressed her with one look. ‘And I see you have the beautiful Kate with you. Did James come too?’

      ‘No,’ Damien snapped. ‘Kate and I came alone.’

      ‘Oh, I see.’ Matt looked surprised. ‘I naturally assumed …’

      ‘Well, don’t,’ the other man replied shortly. ‘Just accept that she’s here with me.’ He looked disapproving. ‘This sort of atmosphere isn’t really suitable for what I wanted to say to you.’

      ‘By your choice of partner I would say I already know what you have to say.’

      Damien frowned deeply. ‘Kate being with me has nothing to do with our conversation. Do you have somewhere more private we can talk?’

      Matt looked down at the two girls at his side. ‘Get lost, girls,’ he laughed at their pouting looks. ‘I’ll find you both again later, I haven’t forgotten your promises. But it must be business before pleasure. We’ll go to my study, Damien.’

      Damien looked at her with those startling green eyes. ‘Kate?’ he caught her attention. ‘Will you be all right here for a few minutes?’

      She looked hurriedly away from Matt Strange’s taunting face, not particularly wanting to be left alone here but not wanting to say so in the face of such mockery. ‘I’ll be fine. Why shouldn’t I be?’

      He nodded distantly. ‘Indeed.’

      Kate was regretting her obstinacy several minutes later, standing on the edge of the crowd, knowing she didn’t fit in here. She usually managed to avoid parties of this kind, only occasionally attending one with James. She had never realised quite how nervous she felt about these people, all of them drinking and smoking too much. She had even had a couple of drinks herself in an effort not to look quite so much like an outsider, and she was beginning to wish she hadn’t now; the alcohol had gone straight to her head.

      ‘Kate!’

      She blinked rapidly to clear the smoke from her eyes. ‘Nigel!’ her eyes lit up with pleasure. ‘How nice to see you.’ He would never know how much! She had just about been ready to run, feeling totally out of it standing here.

      He looked around nervously, an often shy, fast-speaking individual who had become quite a good friend the last few weeks, she had hoped perhaps more than a friend. Until her brother had interfered! ‘Is James here?’ He had obviously been thinking along the same lines as herself.

      She laughed naturally, suddenly feeling more relaxed. ‘Anyone would think we were a double act. You’re the third person to ask that this evening.’

      ‘Well, let’s face it, you hardly ever go anywhere without him,’ he laughed shortly. ‘So how did you get here?’

      Kate was just about to answer him when she felt an arm slide about her waist and pull her close against another human being, distinctly muscular and male. ‘She came with me,’ Damien Savage answered for her.

      She watched Nigel’s instant recognition, resenting the way he smiled ingratiatingly at the other man. And she had thought herself almost in love with him—how could she, when he didn’t even seem to mind that possessive arm about her waist! Well, she minded, she minded very much.

      ‘Mr Savage,’ Nigel gushed. ‘How nice to meet you.’

      ‘Likewise,’ drawled the older man, his American accent more noticeable. ‘Are you ready to leave, honey?’

      She watched Nigel’s face for any reaction to Damien’s implied intimacy between them—and found none. Obviously her growing affection for this man had not been returned. ‘Ready,’ she answered in a soft pliant voice, her anger towards Nigel making her feel more friendly towards Damien.

      ‘Do you have to go?’ Nigel looked disappointed. ‘I’ve wanted to meet you for so long, Mr Savage, and it’s—–’

      ‘I’m ready, Damien,’ she said firmly.

      ‘Okay, Kate. Some other time.’ He smiled coolly at Nigel before taking Kate’s hand and leading her out of the house. He turned to her in the confines of the car. ‘Who was that?’ He accelerated out of the driveway.

      ‘Nigel Humphries,’ she answered shortly.

      ‘A friend of yours?’

      ‘I believed so.’

      ‘But not any more?’

      ‘I don’t think so.’ Not if he couldn’t feel normal jealousy. ‘He’s an actor,’ she supplied, suddenly realising just what a good one he was. He had really had her thinking his interest was solely in her, but she knew now she had just been a way of getting to James.

      ‘I’ve seen him in a couple of small roles. I didn’t like you talking to him, Kate. I didn’t like it at all.’

      Kate was too busy panicking to answer him. He had driven past James’ apartment yet again. He was taking her to his home!

       CHAPTER THREE

      BUT of course he was; they had to pick up her case yet. Kate felt herself relax again, cursing herself for her stupidity. She shouldn’t suspect all his motives like this, she was getting a positive complex about the man. She must get herself out of this near-hysterical state, laugh a little, act more naturally. As he had said earlier, he wasn’t suddenly going to leap on her. She was just being silly, blowing everything up out of proportion because of his reputation.

      Back in his apartment again she wasn’t so sure. He seemed in no hurry to leave again, offering her a drink and helping himself to a whisky at her refusal. She had already downed the two Martini and lemonades during his ten-minute absence at the party, finding herself drinking them quickly because she was nervous, out of her depth without James at her side. Consequently the rapidity of the drinks had made her feel slightly merry; another drink would probably push her over the borderline between merry and just plain drunk. Alcohol had never been one of her strong points, and already Damien Savage didn’t look quite such an ogre to her. He looked handsome and exciting—most of all exciting.

      ‘Was Matt Strange annoyed about not being given the part?’ she asked steadily. Oh goodness, it must have been the night air that had made her feel like this; two drinks didn’t normally make her feel so—so much like laughing and singing at the same time. She made an effort to look serious, feeling a humorous twitch to her lips. Whatever was the matter with her!

      ‘No.’ Damien moved to turn out the main lights, leaving the room illuminated by just three side-lamps. It was definitely more cosy this way— and more dangerous. Kate felt her trepidation grow as he came to sit beside her on the sofa, his thigh only inches away from her own.

      She licked her lips. ‘He—he wasn’t?’

      ‘Nope.’ He moved closer, their thighs almost touching now, his arm across her shoulders. He had discarded the velvet jacket and unbuttoned several of the top buttons of his shirt in the heat of the apartment.

      Kate shifted uneasily under the sensuous look in his mesmerising eyes. ‘Er—why wasn’t he?’