smiled
at Catriona, who glared back at him, hating the memories the nickname
invoked.
Sally laid down her menu. 'You choose for us, Jason. And just remember
that wedding dress is a tight fit even when I've had no lunch!'
'Okay. How does prawn cocktail, followed by a steak and green salad,
sound?'
'Fine,' said Sally immediately. Catriona wanted to reject the suggested meal
out of hand, but she was hungry and anxious not to upset Sally, so she
murmured something acquiescent and stared at the pattern in the damask
cloth until the first course arrived.
Jason appeared to ignore her silence, tinning instead to Sally with talk on
topics to do with their work in television. In spite of herself Catriona began
to watch him covertly as they ate. He was wearing a blue denim shirt with
the sleeves rolled casually back to reveal tanned forearms. A broad leather
belt fastened his matching hipster pants. He was far more casually dressed
than any other man in the room, and, she was forced to admit to herself, by
far the most attractive too.
Just then Sally bent to get a handkerchief from her bag, and Jason, lounging
in his chair, tinned to Catriona. Their eyes met for one challenging instant,
and she felt that odd shiver of awareness curl down her backbone. Although
she had been forced into a situation of unexpected intimacy with him, he
was still very much an unknown quantity, she realised. She could not
believe that firm, rather thin-lipped mouth had touched hers, even in
pretence. There was something completely inimical between them, she
thought. They had disliked each other on sight, although she had been
forced to be grateful to him in a number of ways since. But that did not
mean she had to like him any the better, she told herself.
'And what have you been doing with yourself?' he asked casually, and she
flushed, unwilling to tell him about her sightseeing expeditions.
Sally supplied the answer. 'Oh, Catriona's the complete tourist. I don't know
how many pairs of shoes she's worn out tramping from Nelson's Column
down to Buckingham Palace and back. But she starts work on Monday, so
it'll be weekends only from now on, I'm afraid.'
'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,' he quoted mockingly. 'Lucky girl, Miss
Muir, to be visiting London for the first time. We tend to forget how
exciting it can be. Are you fond of excitement?' The grey eyes held hers
with a kind of veiled insolence.
'If it's the right sort of excitement—yes,' Catriona answered quietly.
'Ah.' He pushed his empty plate away and studied her face. 'But what is the
right sort? Mightn't you have to sample the wrong sort as well before you
can find out?'
His eyes travelled over her again, and she experienced once more that
curious urge to shield herself with her hands.
Sally broke in impatiently, 'Well, I hope you both know what you're talking
about, because I'm blowed if I do. Ask the waitress to bring the trolley,
Jason. I'm going to have a meringue, and to hell with the wedding dress.'
Catriona was thankful to be spared Jason's undivided attention, and she
made a mental resolution to keep out of his way from now on. She found
him far too disturbing in a way she could not comprehend.
She was just finishing her slice of raspberry tart with whipped cream when
Moira Dane's voice exclaimed, 'Darling! So this is where you got to.'
She bent to kiss Jason's lean cheek.
'You're absolutely wicked,' she went on. 'I left all sorts of urgent messages
at Reception about lunch today.'
'A prior engagement.' Jason took her hand and laid its palm to his mouth.
'Anyway, I thought my attraction for you only began after the hours of
darkness.'
'Honestly!' Moira gave a little giggle like oozing honey. 'You'll shock poor
Helen.'
Up to then, Catriona had paid little heed to Moira's companion. She had
been too involved trying to sort out her own unexpectedly mixed feelings at
the interruption and Jason's attitude to the woman who bent so
at Catriona, who glared back at him, hating the memories the nickname
invoked.
Sally laid down her menu. 'You choose for us, Jason. And just remember
that wedding dress is a tight fit even when I've had no lunch!'
'Okay. How does prawn cocktail, followed by a steak and green salad,
sound?'
'Fine,' said Sally immediately. Catriona wanted to reject the suggested meal
out of hand, but she was hungry and anxious not to upset Sally, so she
murmured something acquiescent and stared at the pattern in the damask
cloth until the first course arrived.
Jason appeared to ignore her silence, tinning instead to Sally with talk on
topics to do with their work in television. In spite of herself Catriona began
to watch him covertly as they ate. He was wearing a blue denim shirt with
the sleeves rolled casually back to reveal tanned forearms. A broad leather
belt fastened his matching hipster pants. He was far more casually dressed
than any other man in the room, and, she was forced to admit to herself, by
far the most attractive too.
Just then Sally bent to get a handkerchief from her bag, and Jason, lounging
in his chair, tinned to Catriona. Their eyes met for one challenging instant,
and she felt that odd shiver of awareness curl down her backbone. Although
she had been forced into a situation of unexpected intimacy with him, he
was still very much an unknown quantity, she realised. She could not
believe that firm, rather thin-lipped mouth had touched hers, even in
pretence. There was something completely inimical between them, she
thought. They had disliked each other on sight, although she had been
forced to be grateful to him in a number of ways since. But that did not
mean she had to like him any the better, she told herself.
'And what have you been doing with yourself?' he asked casually, and she
flushed, unwilling to tell him about her sightseeing expeditions.
Sally supplied the answer. 'Oh, Catriona's the complete tourist. I don't know
how many pairs of shoes she's worn out tramping from Nelson's Column
down to Buckingham Palace and back. But she starts work on Monday, so
it'll be weekends only from now on, I'm afraid.'
'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,' he quoted mockingly. 'Lucky girl, Miss
Muir, to be visiting London for the first time. We tend to forget how
exciting it can be. Are you fond of excitement?' The grey eyes held hers
with a kind of veiled insolence.
'If it's the right sort of excitement—yes,' Catriona answered quietly.
'Ah.' He pushed his empty plate away and studied her face. 'But what is the
right sort? Mightn't you have to sample the wrong sort as well before you
can find out?'
His eyes travelled over her again, and she experienced once more that
curious urge to shield herself with her hands.
Sally broke in impatiently, 'Well, I hope you both know what you're talking
about, because I'm blowed if I do. Ask the waitress to bring the trolley,
Jason. I'm going to have a meringue, and to hell with the wedding dress.'
Catriona was thankful to be spared Jason's undivided attention, and she
made a mental resolution to keep out of his way from now on. She found
him far too disturbing in a way she could not comprehend.
She was just finishing her slice of raspberry tart with whipped cream when
Moira Dane's voice exclaimed, 'Darling! So this is where you got to.'
She bent to kiss Jason's lean cheek.
'You're absolutely wicked,' she went on. 'I left all sorts of urgent messages
at Reception about lunch today.'
'A prior engagement.' Jason took her hand and laid its palm to his mouth.
'Anyway, I thought my attraction for you only began after the hours of
darkness.'
'Honestly!' Moira gave a little giggle like oozing honey. 'You'll shock poor
Helen.'
Up to then, Catriona had paid little heed to Moira's companion. She had
been too involved trying to sort out her own unexpectedly mixed feelings at
the interruption and Jason's attitude to the woman who bent so
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