Carole Mortimer Romance Collection. Carole Mortimer

decorated and furnished in the height of luxury.

      Cyn hadn’t been here in the past, the office not being one of the places Wolf had been interested in going to then, although she had to admit that this harsher, more arrogant Wolf was much more suited to the world of business than to being artistically creative. Although she still couldn’t help but feel sad for the loss of that other, more relaxed and teasing Wolf...

      This would never do; she brought her wandering thoughts back in check. This Wolf was harsh, arrogant, was coldly forceful, and she would do well to remember that!

      ‘What did you want to see me about, Wolf?’ she asked briskly, totally ignoring his probing question, her humour not improved after driving into London for the second time today.

      He leant back in his leather chair, his eyes narrowed, his three-piece suit a dark navy today, with a stark white shirt and pale blue tie, the dark blond hair brushed severely back from his face, making him look every inch his thirty-five years. Also every inch the successful businessman he obviously now was.

      His mouth twisted harshly. ‘Not going to answer my question about your date with Gerald?’ He gave an acknowledging inclination of his head. ‘He’s been unusually quiet about it too,’ he drawled drily. ‘Which can only mean one of two things—’

      ‘You asked Gerald about our date?’ Cyn at last managed to gasp, too incredulous at first to be able to say anything.

      ‘—either the two of you being together was a dismal failure never to be repeated,’ Wolf continued as if she hadn’t just interrupted, ‘or the two of you became lovers.’ His voice had hardened now, his eyes narrowed. ‘In which case Gerald, being the gentleman that he is where the ladies in his life are concerned, wouldn’t discuss you with me or anyone else.’

      ‘It’s a pity the same can’t be said for you!’ Cyn snapped heatedly, eyes flashing deeply violet.

      Wolf hadn’t moved, and yet there was a tension about him now that hadn’t been quite so pronounced minutes ago. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ His voice was dangerously soft.

      She glared across the desk at him. ‘Obviously you didn’t feel the same compunction about discussing me with him!’ she accused. ‘Or is it just that you don’t consider me a lady?’ she challenged defensively. After all, seven years ago she had become Wolf’s lover after knowing him only a few days; maybe he believed she had known a string of other lovers since then!

      The truth of it was that there had been no other men that close to her since Wolf. Oh, she and Roger had fallen back into the easy relationship they had had before she met Wolf, going out together a couple of times a week, and they still did meet occasionally now, but she hadn’t allowed anyone close enough to her for there to even be the possibility of a physical relationship between them; Wolf had been the man she loved, and it hadn’t worked out, so instead she gained her happiness vicariously by arranging other people’s weddings.

      ‘I didn’t discuss you with Gerald, at any time,’ Wolf’s voice was icily controlled as he answered her, ‘but in the circumstances, it’s a little odd, considering we had a business lunch together today, that he didn’t mention seeing you last night.’

      Cyn relaxed slightly, although it was a little odd to think that Wolf and Gerald had been lunching together while she and Rebecca were doing the same thing. Thank God they hadn’t all decided to lunch at the same restaurant; wouldn’t that have made an interesting meeting! ‘Maybe having dinner with me was particularly unmemorable for him,’ she suggested drily.

      Wolf met her gaze steadily. ‘I doubt that,’ he said quietly.

      Cyn looked at him sharply, but his expression remained enigmatic, giving her no insight as to what he might have meant by that remark. She sighed, putting up a hand to her throbbing temple; the strain of driving in London had certainly taken its toll on her today. ‘Could you just tell me why I’m here, Wolf, so I can go home, have a soak in the bath, some dinner, and then put my feet up for the rest of the weekend?’ After the last two days she felt desperately in need of the rest!

      ‘Hmm, sounds tempting.’ He gave a rueful grimace that told her he wouldn’t be doing anything as relaxing with his weekend.

      Her mouth twisted. ‘I’m sure the head of Thornton Industries could do the same thing—if he chose to.’

      ‘Are you?’ he sighed. ‘I’m not so sure. Although I may be able to find some time to relax this weekend.’ He frowned suddenly. ‘Now that Rebecca has gone away for a couple of days.’

      ‘I’m sure you— Rebecca’s gone away?’ Cyn hoped her voice sounded as innocently curious as she wanted it to!

      Rebecca had made no mention about going away when the two of them had talked earlier, so maybe her decision to do so had been a sudden one, so that she could think very carefully before committing herself to a marriage—and a man!—she didn’t seem totally sure of? Cyn sincerely hoped so; Rebecca was too young to tie herself to a relationship she wasn’t a hundred per cent sure about. Although she doubted if Wolf would see it in quite the same way, especially if it had been anything Cyn had said to the girl that had caused her to rethink the situation!

      She could be totally wrong about that, Cyn acknowledged, and maybe Rebecca would come back having realised just how lucky she was to be marrying someone like Wolf, after all. Although there was still the question of that young gardener...

      ‘That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,’ Wolf nodded abruptly. ‘Rebecca has—been under a lot of strain the last few months, with our engagement and other things,’ he dismissed briskly. ‘So if you have any questions about the wedding arrangements during the next few days, perhaps you could come to me with them?’

      Cyn had noticed the young girl’s engagement ring, the single large diamond, had guessed by the way she unconsciously sought its presence, twisting it around on her finger, that it was a fairly new acquisition. In which case the wedding must now seem to be absolutely rushing towards her—hence her near-panic, Cyn would guess. Even Rebecca’s confused feelings over the gardener might just be part of her pre-wedding nerves too. Cyn was no longer sure whether she wished that were the case or not...

      ‘I don’t usually work weekends,’ she told Wolf impatiently. ‘And you could have said all this on the telephone.’ She sighed as she realised that her second trip in here today had been a waste of time, and picked up her handbag in preparation to leave. ‘Maybe you have time to waste, Wolf, but I—’

      ‘Sit down!’ Wolf ordered thunderously, sitting forward in his chair now to rest his arms on the top of his desk, all pretence of relaxing totally gone. ‘I don’t have time to waste either,’ he rasped harshly. ‘I never did,’ he added enigmatically.

      He used to say that concerning his painting, Cyn remembered painfully. What had happened to that? This office had several originals on its walls, but even a cursory glance told her that none of them were Wolf’s own. ‘Why don’t you paint any more, Wolf?’ The question was blurted out before she even had time to think about it. And as Wolf’s face darkened ominously, she knew she shouldn’t have asked the question at all, let alone as bluntly as she had. But she wanted to know, dammit!

      ‘I’ve just told you,’ he grated coldly, ‘I don’t have any time to waste!’

      Cyn gasped. ‘Your painting was never a waste, Wolf!’

      His eyes narrowed. ‘And what would you know about it?’

      She paled, swallowing hard. Wolf had never been cruel in the past, but she realised he was a master at it now, that he had meant to be insulting—and that he had succeeded! ‘I’d better go—’

      ‘I haven’t finished!’ he said impatiently. ‘We keep being side-tracked by the past. Which is something else I wanted to talk to you about—except not the parts we keep discussing.’ He looked grim. ‘I realised after I’d left you yesterday and had time to think things over—’

      ‘That