The Vengeance Affair. Carole Mortimer

still remaining on the ground. ‘If we put all these in the skip there won’t be any room for anything else.’

      ‘Oh, but they aren’t going in the skip,’ she assured him happily.

      His frown deepened. ‘In that case, what do you intend doing with them?’

      ‘Don’t worry.’ She laughed. ‘I’m not the sort to steal them to use for another job!’

      Beau gave a disgusted shake of his head. ‘I didn’t for a moment think that you were!’

      Jaz grinned. ‘Then, in answer to your question, I’m going to store them in the greenhouse.’

      He gave a grimace. ‘The last time I looked in there it was full of cigarette butts and empty beer cans; I think some of the local kids have been using it to hold small parties!’

      ‘Already disposed of in the skip,’ she assured him, prevented from wheeling the barrow over the garden to the greenhouse as Beau neatly took over the handles.

      ‘And exactly why are we keeping these particular rocks?’ he prompted impatiently, barely breathing hard from the effort of lifting the heavy weight across the garden.

      ‘So that I can eventually make another rock garden.’ Jaz studiously ignored his disapproving frown as she helped transfer the rocks to the greenhouse. It was what he was paying her for, after all!

      ‘Right,’ he acknowledged self-derisively.

      They worked in companionable silence, after that. Well…as companionable as it could be for Jaz when she was aware of everything about him, from his tousled dark hair, lithe body, to the long muscular length of his legs.

      If anyone had told her a week ago that she would be working alongside Beau Garrett, of all people, she would have laughed in their faces!

      ‘Time for a coffee break, I think,’ he decided crisply ten minutes later when the rocks were neatly stacked in the greenhouse.

      ‘Oh, but—’ She broke off her protest as he looked at her down the length of that arrogant nose. No doubt that look had as equal success in silencing the guests on his television programme!

      ‘Coffee break. Now. In the house,’ he bit out succinctly.

      She quirked dark brows derisively. ‘Will Dennis be joining us too?’

      Beau’s mouth twisted scathingly. ‘Hardly.’

      She shook her head. ‘Then you have no need to worry about me, either. I brought a flask of coffee with me in the van,’ she assured him.

      And then felt totally embarrassed by the admission. Although why she should do so she had no idea; she always took a flask of coffee and a packed lunch when she was off working for the day. And thanks to Beau Garrett’s cheque she had been able to put something a little more interesting than jam in the sandwiches!

      ‘Save it for later,’ he dismissed uninterestedly, not waiting for her reply before striding off towards the house.

      Because he was used to being listened to and obeyed, Jaz guessed ruefully as she trailed along reluctantly behind him. She was afraid he would have to get used to a much slower response if he intended remaining in Aberton.

      Although not this time, Jaz allowed self-derisively, feeling slightly guilty as she could still hear Dennis working up on the roof, but quite happy to drink a cup of coffee herself if it was the same brew Beau had made for her on Monday.

      It was, its delicious aroma quickly filling the warmth of the kitchen. Jaz crossed the room with sock-covered feet to sit at the table, having left her muddy boots outside on the step.

      ‘Mmm, that smells good,’ she accepted gratefully as Beau placed the steaming mug on the table in front of her. ‘Er—I wasn’t being rude before when I made that remark about you shifting the rocks,’ she began awkwardly. ‘It’s just that the last time I saw you it was on public television, interviewing Catherine what’s-her-name, the Oscar-winner.’

      He stiffened, his expression bleak, his eyes glittering hardly. ‘A beautiful lady,’ he allowed tightly as he moved away to get his own coffee.

      ‘Very.’ Jaz nodded, frowning as he kept the rigidness of his back turned towards her.

      She hadn’t intended to annoy him by mentioning his television programme—although from his suddenly frosty manner that’s obviously what she had succeeded in doing!

      ‘Mr—Beau,’ she amended as he turned that silver glare on her. ‘I’m sorry if I—’

      ‘Life is going to become extremely tedious over the next few weeks if you keep apologizing every ten minutes!’ he bit out tautly, a humourless smile curving his lips as he looked at her challengingly.

      Once again Jaz felt the embarrassed colour in her cheeks. Even if she was completely aware that Beau Garrett had deliberately turned the tables on her…

      Beau was giving her a considering look now, further enhancing that blush in her cheeks. ‘You have a look of Catherine yourself, you know,’ he finally murmured slowly.

      ‘Yeah—right!’ She came back with the same scornful comment she had heard from a friend’s teenage son a couple of weeks ago.

      Although her smile wavered, and then disappeared completely as she found no answering humour in Beau Garrett’s face.

      She continued to frown at him for several long minutes, and Beau silently returned the steadiness of her gaze. ‘You were just trying to change the subject,’ she finally accused dryly.

      ‘True,’ he acknowledged unabashedly—nothing in his expression to confirm or deny his reference to her resembling the beautiful actress.

      Not that Jaz had taken him seriously for a moment; with her wild dark hair and make-upless face, her clothes ready for the ragbag, she bore absolutely no resemblance to the beautifully elegant actress who appeared so strikingly on the big screen. It had merely been said as a ploy to distract her from her remark concerning Beau’s television programme.

      Although she still had no idea what the problem was with her mentioning something that was obviously so successful…

      She sighed heavily. ‘I think the Catherine Zeta-Jones remark was a little mean of you,’ she grimaced.

      ‘Coffee break over,’ Beau decided abruptly. ‘And I wasn’t being in the least “mean” with the Catherine Z J remark,’ he added mockingly, that rapier-sharp gaze narrowed on her flushed face now. ‘It’s your mouth, I think,’ he said slowly—just when Jaz had decided she really couldn’t stand his all-seeing scrutiny a moment longer! ‘The top lip is a perfect bow, the bottom lip sensuously full.’

      A perfect bow…? Sensuously full…!

      Her next movement was purely instinctive, her tongue moving moistly across that perfect bow and sensuously full bottom lip, her breath catching in her throat as she saw that Beau Garrett’s gaze was riveted on the movement.

      She may be twenty-five in years, but in experience she was a mere babe-in-arms. Especially where a man of Beau Garrett’s charisma was concerned! There had been few dates in her teen years, even fewer in her twenties, and she couldn’t remember anyone who had ever looked at her with such frankly male appraisal. It wasn’t comfortable.

      She gave a dismissive shake of her head. ‘I think you need to get your eyesight checked!’

      The smile he gave at this remark was the most genuine Jaz had ever seen him give, revealing even white teeth, grey eyes gleaming warmly, taking years off him as he looked almost boyish.

      Wow! Jaz allowed inwardly, finding herself the mesmerized one now.

      Which wasn’t going to do her, or anyone else, any good whatsoever!

      Beau gave a rueful shake of his head. ‘Are you suggesting that I’ve become short-sighted in my old age?’ he drawled ruefully.