My Boyfriend and Other Enemies. Nikki Logan

design?’

      Six little scale models in glass and a large pencil sketch decorated the table between them. Fish of various sizes, seahorses, a diving kestrel, strips of kelp, a sparkling school of krill. ‘And this will be the shards of sunlight cutting down through the ocean.’

      Nathaniel smiled, but he wasn’t looking where her fingers pointed. ‘We’ve never had anything like it in any of our buildings. It will be astonishing.’

      ‘How much is it going to cost?’ Aiden asked, lips pressed.

      So the arctic thaw over lunch the week before was only a lull, it seemed. Just as she might have relaxed.

      ‘Aiden,’ his father barked. ‘Unimportant.’

      Tash moved to ease the sudden tension between the two men. ‘This is a showpiece for me. I’ll be doing it for material costs only.’

      Aiden frowned.

      Nathaniel sat up. ‘No, Tash. You mustn’t...’

      She locked eyes on his. ‘I’m not going to charge you, Nathaniel. Not for my time. But there’ll be a lot of glass in this piece so if you’d cover that I’d be grateful.’

      Insisting would just be awkward and she’d handed him a chivalrous out. But, of course, this was Nathaniel. ‘Naturally we’ll pay for materials but...’ He pursed his lips and thought for a moment. ‘What we really need is a public announcement. That way you get the PR benefit in lieu of payment for your time.’

      ‘I don’t require payment for my time.’

      Aiden’s eyes darted between the two of them.

      ‘Well, I wish to show off this marvellous design and if I choose to do that in front of my corporate equivalents and that just happens to lead to more work for you, so much the better.’

      ‘Nathaniel—’

      ‘It’s decided. I won’t protest at you not charging MooreCo for what I’m sure will be a considerable amount of your time and artistic focus, and in return I expect you to be gracious and professional about my desire to throw a party to celebrate the acquisition of our biggest ever art piece.’

      Snookered.

      She glared at him. Then very ungraciously snorted. ‘Fine.’

      His smile was immediate. ‘Good girl.’

      Aiden’s left eye narrowed.

      She met his gaze and held it.

      ‘That’s worked out well, hasn’t it?’ he asked flatly.

      But she got the sense that he really wanted to add ‘...for you’ to that.