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CHAPTER ONE

'Josie? There's a ood ten minutes Do you know him?'

'Where?' As Josie turned, her wide, green-flecked eyes following Penny's glance across the crowded, noisy room, her face wasn't even faintly interested She was used toat her; it cahest paid and most successful pro of an anoe male—and one that wasn't alelcome in the male-dominated environment in which she worked

Fine-boned and tiny, at five feet one, and with a e expressive eyes in a golden honey shade liberally flecked with green, she wasn't exactly what they'd expected to see if her reputation had gone before her… and it invariably had

Over the last ten years, since she had first entered the prohteen-year-old fresh froe, she had established herself as an astute and level-headed businesswo exactly what appealed to the public Her job was her life; she gave it one hundred per cent commitment and the rewards had been enormous

'Hang on a minute,' Penny ed and moved, the buzz of conversation fierce and loud 'Now Look over there, next to the group fro this way and you can't miss him'

'Which…?' Josie's voice trailed away as she met the full force of a pair of very intent, narrowed eyes set in a hard, tanned face that was all , darkly i and terribly out of place in this crowd of affected, pretentious sycophants who had arrived by invitation for the grand opening of Josie's latest work project: a flaallery in a city already full of art galleries That istered before she turned sharply away, her sto

'Well? Do you know hiht with interest 'I know I don't If I'd otten'

'No, no, I don't know him' Josie's voice was cool and nonco inside She couldn't relance had affected her like this She felt ridiculously disturbed and flustered—threatened, alht away abruptly, furious with herself for allowing it to enter her mind in the first place

Nerves This was all just nerves, she told herself firitation she suffered with all her projects until she knew she had got it right There was no need to let her ih that particular attribute was in her line of work

She drew herself up to her full five feet one and sood six inches taller than herself 'We need to circulate, Penny, adive the old sweet talk I'll see you by the ne and strawberries are served at seven, OK? We'll have done our duty by then and things will be winding down'

'Fine' Penny nodded obediently, her good-natured face setting in a practised sed into the melee

'Josie?' The owner of the art gallery, a successful and wealthy entrepreneur, who had his finger in more pies than Jack Homer, touched her softly on the arirl—well done' He nodded cynically at the richly dressed, so honest, but you sure pulled in all those who needed to be seen here for the gallery to have credibility'

'That is what you paid me to do, Mr White' She smiled carefully, her voice and face pleasant but reserved

The s man in front of her had made it plain on more than one occasion that he wanted more than just her business expertise, but she was used to dealing with the Mr Whites of this world, and there was a surplus of them in the city She was polite, courteous and very adept at deflecting even the raciousness there was hard-won composure and a firm control that settled even the most ardent suitor when it became necessary like now

'Quite so, ain, his round face already shiny with perspiration 'How about a little drink to celebrate all your hard hen this lot have gone? I've got a suite for the weekend in—'

'I don't think so' Shebut her ood deal of preparation to do tonight for a '

'You work too hard' His tongue flicked reptilean-like over his lower lip, and she just ht to have the weekends free to enjoy yourself'

'I don't work every weekend, Mr White,' she said coolly, 'just when it's necessary Now, if you'll excuse me, it looks as if Mr Puzo is at a loose end and needs company…' She turned and walked purposefully over to an influential art-dealer, engaging him in conversation until Mr White had drifted away

At exactly seven o'clock she started to make her way to the door, but stopped abruptly when a sudden break in the crowd showed her who Penny was talking to Thatin every little detail of his appearance while she could view him unobserved as he concentrated on Penny

She had felt his eyes on her more than once as she had circulated the room, had been vitally aware of his dark presence as he had stood so by one of the deep, recessed s But she had been careful not to let her glance meet his Why, she didn't quite know