Red Rose For Love. Carole Mortimer

He left her cold, as she had known he would; his seduction was practised, his kisses designed to extract a response even from the most reluctant of females. Although she doubted he ever met ones that were reluctant.

      But she was, her eyes spitting venom at him when he at last raised his head. A dark flush coloured his cheeks, his eyes narrowed angrily, his fingers biting into the soft flesh of her arms.

      ‘What did that prove, Mr Jordan?’ she scorned, shaking off his hands and straightening her tousled hair.

      He sat back, that deep flush the only sign that he was at all put out by her lack of response. ‘It proved,’ he said slowly, ‘that your stage act is just that—an act.’

      Eve gave him a startled look. ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘On stage you look incredibly sexy——’

      ‘And I don’t now?’ she taunted, knowing very well that she did.

      He obviously knew it too. ‘I didn’t say that. There’s just no back-up to that act you put on for the audience.’

      Her mouth twisted. ‘Because I’m not falling over myself with gratitude that you want me?’ she scorned. ‘Because I find your offer insulting in the extreme? Because I didn’t collapse in ecstasy when you kissed me? Well, I’m sorry, Mr Jordan, but as you said, it’s far from the first time I’ve been propositioned. And far from the first time I’ve said no!’

      His eyes were cold now, like chips of green glass. ‘I should think the matter over seriously before you do that.’

      Eve became still. ‘Are you threatening me?’

      He raised his eyebrows. ‘Did it sound as if I were?’

      ‘Yes!’ she hissed.

      He shrugged. ‘Then I suppose I must have been.’

      Eve drew in an angry breath, sitting forward to once again press the button to lower the dividing window. ‘Stop this car immediately,’ she ordered the driver. ‘Don’t ask your employer’s permission,’ she said tautly. ‘Just do it!’

      ‘Sir?’ he requested hesitantly.

      ‘Do it, Adam,’ Bartholomew Jordan drawled. ‘When it’s convenient to do so.’

      Eve didn’t look at Bartholomew Jordan again. As soon as the limousine came to a halt beside the pavement she rushed to get out, only to find Adam there before her, his expression blank as he held the door open for her. Maybe it wasn’t the first time his employer had been turned down, after all.

      ‘Thank you,’ she told the chauffeur huskily, stepping back as he closed the door, hailing a taxi as she saw one driving slowly down the street towards her, its ‘For Hire’ sign alight.

      Amazingly it stopped behind the still parked limousine, and Eve climbed gratefully inside, relaxing back in the seat once she had given the driver Derek’s address, not looking at the limousine as they pulled out in front of it.

      She wasn’t lying when she told Bartholomew Jordan that she had been propositioned many times before. In her profession she was bound to be, but never ever as arrogantly as he had done. And no one had ever gone to the extreme of making threats before either!

      She became aware of the taxi-driver shooting her questioning looks in the driving-mirror. ‘Is there anything wrong?’ she frowned.

      ‘Er—no, love. I—I was just wondering,’ he spoke in a broad Cockney accent, ‘are you Eve Meredith, the singer?’

      She flushed, her embarrassment acute at being recognised in this way. ‘I am,’ she admitted softly.

      ‘I thought so,’ he grinned at her in the mirror. ‘My daughter’s a fan of yours. She went to your concert tonight.’ He chuckled. ‘Just wait until I tell her I actually drove you home!’

      ‘Not home,’ Eve hastily corrected that impression, not wanting people she didn’t know suddenly appearing on the doorstep. ‘Just to a friend’s.’

      ‘I picked up Cliff Richard last week,’ he told her. ‘A real gentleman, he is.’

      She could imagine he was, the ever-youthful superstar seemed to be liked by most people.

      They were fast approaching Derek’s apartment now, and she once again felt the exhaustion wash over her. Tomorrow she would have to go back to the theatre and do the whole show over again, and right now she badly wanted to sleep and regenerate her weary body.

      ‘No charge,’ the driver told her once they were parked. ‘It’s been a real pleasure to drive you. Not very often I get to meet a celebrity.’

      She wouldn’t exactly put herself in that class, but she accepted his generosity in the mood it was given. It was only as she stepped out on to the pavement that she noticed the dark limousine behind them, a limousine that swooshed smoothly past them, turning right at the end of the road, Bartholomew Jordan’s limousine!

      The damned man had followed her to Derek’s home! Oh, that man was past enduring! She wouldn’t be harassed in this way, especially by a man like him. Any more trouble from him and she would call in the police. She doubted he would like that.

      Derek wasn’t yet home when she let herself into the apartment, but his wife Judy was. She rose out of an armchair at Eve’s entrance, a small girl with frizzed blonde hair and a gaminely attractive face.

      ‘Wonderful concert, Eve,’ she hugged her.

      ‘Thanks.’ Eve gave a wan smile. ‘No Derek?’ There was always the possibility he could be in the bedroom.

      ‘He stayed behind to finish things up there.’

      Eve at once felt guilty. ‘I should have done that,’ she sighed, collapsing into a chair and closing her eyes. ‘God, I’m tired?’

      ‘Go to bed,’ Judy encouraged. ‘There’s no reason for you to wait up for Derek.’

      Eve opened her eyes, new life flooding into her weary body. ‘Oh yes, there is,’ she said firmly.

      Judy raised her eyebrows. ‘That sounds ominous.’

      ‘It is.’ After all, it was Derek’s fault that she had met Bartholomew Jordan.

      ‘Oh dear!’

      Eve forced a smile to her stiff lips. ‘Don’t worry, I just have a few questions to ask him.’ Like how forcefully Bartholomew Jordan had said he wanted to meet her!

      ‘I’ll make some coffee,’ Judy offered. ‘It will help to keep us awake.’

      It did, just. And when Derek arrived home forty minutes later Eve woke up completely.

      ‘How did you get on with Jordan?’ was his first query.

      She frowned. ‘You saw how I got on with him,’ she said guardedly.

      He sat down beside her. ‘I meant later.’ He didn’t seem to notice her darkening expression. ‘Boy, he followed you like the devil himself!’

      ‘I think he is the devil himself,’ Eve said with disgust.

      Derek looked disappointed. ‘You didn’t like him.’

      ‘Did you expect me to?’ she challenged.

      He pulled a face. ‘I hoped you would.’

      ‘Well, I didn’t!’ she told him vehemently, her usually calm features animated with her dislike of the man.

      ‘Pity.’ Derek looked away, standing up to pace the room, a worried frown to his face.

      Eve tensed. ‘How much of a pity?’ she asked slowly.

      His expression became evasive. ‘He’s a powerful man,’ he shrugged. ‘It never pays to antagonise men like that.’

      Judy looked puzzled. ‘Are we talking