Perfect Partner

Juliet had been mesmerised by the different emotions flitting across his ruggedly tanned features. That he enjoyed his work was obvious, his expression one of tense excitement as he spoke of it.

‘Unfortunately, I can’t write,’ he added ruefully. ‘I tried for a while, but it was no good. But I’ve always liked reading, anything I could get my hands on, so I was finally taken on as assistant to the book critic of the time. When he retired I was chosen to take his place. The television programme came out of writing the column. A television studio has a similar atmosphere to a newspaper, everyone knowing what their job is, and determined to do it to the best of their ability.’

‘Including you,’ she recalled dryly.

‘Especially me,’ he nodded. ‘Juliet—–’

‘Hey, you two,’ Melanie appeared behind them, ‘everyone else has gone through to the lounge for coffee.’

And they had too. Juliet had been so intent on their conversation, so interested in spite of herself, that she had forgotten everyone else at the table, and she could tell by Jake’s almost surprised expression that he had too.

He stood up, pulling back her chair for her. ‘Forgive us, Mrs Dickson. I’m afraid Juliet has been too good a listener. I must have been boring her out of her mind.’ He gave a smile that said he knew she had been anything but bored.

She smiled at him politely, not denying the statement, watching as the smile died out of his eyes, even if his mouth remained smiling.

‘Come into the other room and have some coffee,’ Melanie encouraged. ‘You can continue talking in there.’

Juliet excused herself as soon as they reached the lounge, escaping thankfully to the bathroom. Jake Matthews was very easy to listen to, was fascinating in fact, and without realising it she had enjoyed being with him, had enjoyed his intelligence and humour.

But she wasn’t going to get involved with him. Despite her preconceived dislike of him she knew he wouldn’t be as easy to handle as Ben or Stephen either, all of their attempts at a more intimate relationship duly rebuffed by her. It might be old-fashioned in this day and age to reject physical intimacy, but she did so every time. She wasn’t a complete innocent, but in the true meaning of the word she was, never having met a man she wanted to be that close to. And Jake Matthews wasn’t that man either!

Melanie was waiting outside for her as she left the bathroom, and dragged her into the adjoining bedroom. ‘Well?’ her blue eyes glowed mischievously. ‘What do you think of Jake?’

She wasn’t even sure of that herself! ‘I hardly know the man,’ she evaded.

‘He likes you, I can tell.’

‘Don’t be silly, Melanie.’ Juliet vigorously brushed her auburn hair into gleaming waves and re-applied her lip-gloss, satisfied with her coolly composed reflection. ‘We’ve just been talking, that’s all.’ She turned from the mirror, shutting her small evening bag with a snap.

‘What about?’ her friend asked expectantly.

‘Oh, this and that,’ she evaded.

Melanie raised one blonde eyebrow; she was the complete opposite of Juliet, being small, bubbly and blonde. ‘That?’ she queried suggestively.

‘Not that,’ Juliet sighed. ‘Really, Melanie, I’ve only just met the man! Even you wouldn’t discuss sex with a complete stranger.’

‘I might, if he looked like Jake.’

‘You wouldn’t,’ she smiled. ‘But I really am very angry with you for putting the two of us together,’ she sobered. ‘You know what I think of him and his sarcasm.’

‘Did you tell him?’

‘I certainly did.’

‘And?’

‘And he didn’t seem to mind,’ she admitted reluctantly.

‘Maybe he can take criticism,’ Melanie teased.

‘I should think he would have to,’ Juliet said bitchily. ‘He’s so often wrong.’

Her friend laughed happily. ‘I must go and talk to Michael, he’s dying to know how you got on with Jake.’

‘Don’t bother,’ Juliet mouth twisted, ‘I’ll tell him myself.’

‘But what about Jake?’ Melanie gasped.

Juliet smiled at the other girl. ‘You go and entertain him,’ she opened the bedroom door. ‘Afer all, he’s your guest.’

‘But—–’

‘I’m just going to have a word, in fact a few words,’ she amended pointedly, ‘with your husband, and then I’m leaving.’ She quickly left the room, before Melanie had time to protest any further.

Jake Matthews was talking to one of the other guests, the cricket player he had derided being here, as Juliet made her way over to Michael’s side. But Jake seemed to know of her presence in the room, his narrowed gaze following her progress across the room, watching as she talked to Michael. And that blue-eyed gaze could be very unnerving.

‘You louse!’ she instantly accused Michael.

‘Me?’ he feigned innocence. At twenty-five he had inherited his father’s publishing company, and now, five years later, entirely due to his judgment, Dickson Publishing was one of the few publishers not to be suffering difficulty in this time of high prices and high interest rates. ‘What did I do?’ he grinned goodnaturedly.

‘Not just you,’ she scowled. ‘Melanie helped. I suppose you both thought it was very amusing. And don’t pretend not to know what I’m talking about,’ she carried on as he went to speak, ‘because I know you both too well for that. The two of you make a good comedy act!’

‘Now just calm down, Juliet,’ he patted her arm soothingly. ‘I’d forgotten you were going to be here tonight. Honestly,’ he insisted at her look of outrage.

‘You wouldn’t know honesty if it sat up and bit you!’ she dismissed scathingly.

‘Now, Juliet, that’s hardly fair—–’

‘Fair!’ she cut in crossly. ‘That isn’t in your vocabulary either. Really, Michael, you’re just asking for trouble having us in the same room together, let alone actually sitting us next to each other.’

He shrugged. ‘I didn’t notice any fights that end of the table, not physical ones anyway.’

‘That’s because Juliet is too much of a lady to hit a man in public,’ drawled the now familiar voice of Jake Matthews. He looked down at her as he came to stand at her side. ‘Melanie tells me that you’re leaving, and that you usually get a taxi.’ He took a firm hold of her arm. ‘I’ll take you home, then you can—hit me in private,’ he winked at the other man.

Juliet glared up at him resentfully, although some of her anger was directed at Melanie. She usually left her car at home when she came to one of these dinner parties, conscious of the alcohol level, but Melanie didn’t have to go and tell Jake Matthews that.

‘Let go of my arm,’ she ordered. ‘Will you let go!’ she repeated as he made no effort to do so. ‘If you don’t let me go,’ she warned softly, ‘I’m likely to hit you now, public or no public.’

He studied her mutinous face in silence for several long minutes. ‘I believe you would too,’ he said slowly.

‘She would,’ Michael told him dryly. ‘Take my advice, Jake, and let her go.’

He made no effort to do so, but looked calmly at Michael. ‘If she hits me I’m going to kiss her,’ he revealed softly.

‘You wouldn’t!’ Juliet gasped.

Those deep blue eyes were now turned on her. ‘Try me,’ he challenged softly.

He would do it, she could see that in the steadiness of his gaze, the determination of his jutting jaw. ‘Would you please release my arm, Mr Matthews?’ she requested tightly, hating the use of his superior strength. Unlike a lot of women nowadays she was quite prepared to admit that in physical strength most men were superior to women, although she didn’t believe they were superior in any other way!

‘Jake,’ he corrected huskily.

‘Jake,’ she said through gritted teeth, sure that he was bruising her arm.

‘Certainly I’ll let you go, Juliet.’ She was instantly set free. ‘Now, are you ready to leave?’

‘I’m not going anywhere with you, you—–’

‘I could still kiss you,’ he affably interrupted her angry tirade.

She looked over at the grinning Michael. ‘Well, don’t just stand there,’ she snapped. ‘Help me!’

He was looking at the other man with open admiration. ‘I’ve always wanted to do something like that,’ he spoke almost in awe. ‘But I don’t think Melanie would stand for it,’ he added ruefully.

‘Neither will I!’ Juliet exploded. ‘Mr Matthews, you—–’

‘We’re leaving, Michael,’ Jake once again grasped Juliet’s arm. ‘Say goodnight to your lovely, and helpful, wife for us.’

The last Juliet saw of Michael was as Jake Matthews bundled her across the room and out of the house. She had never been treated so high-handedly in her life before, and was literally speechless as the passenger door of the Ferrari was opened for her, Jake walking around the back of the car to get in behind the wheel, his presence at once overwhelming.

‘Did I bore you that much?’ he asked once they had been driving in silence for several minutes.

Juliet blinked dazedly, her lashes long and silky. ‘Bore me?’ she repeated.

‘Mm,’ he nodded. ‘So much so that you escaped the first opportunity you could.’

‘I didn’t escape!’ Her eyes flashed like a sparkling red wine. ‘I was simply talking to Michael. We were at a dinner party, Mr Matthews, it’s usual to converse with one’s host.’

‘You would have come back to me?’

‘No, I wouldn’t! We didn’t go there together, I saw no reason to stay at your side,’ she scowled.

‘But I saw every reason for staying at yours,’ he smiled that infuriating smile. ‘I like the way you look, Juliet. And I like your spirit. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?’

‘Certainly not,’ she replied irritably. ‘You see, I don’t like anything about you.’

‘Nothing?’ he quirked one dark eyebrow questioningly.

‘Nothing,’ she told him rebelliously.

He slowed the car right down, turning off into a side-road before stopping the car completely. He left the engine running as he turned in his seat to look at her. ‘You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen,’ he said almost incredulously, his hand at her nape pulling her slowly towards him. ‘The colour of sherry,’ he murmured throatily.

She watched him almost as if in a dream, was conscious of his movements and yet unable to stop him. She knew he was going to kiss her seconds before his mouth claimed hers, knew it and yet didn’t fight him. Let him take his kiss, it was easier than fighting him, and she would never see him again after tonight anyway. She waited resignedly, wishing it over.

But the second his lips touched hers she knew this was no ordinary kiss. Jake held her face between his hands as his mouth discovered hers, as his lips probed and parted hers with throbbing urgency, their ragged breathing the only sound in the car, the air between them charged with electricity.

When Jake finally moved back they were both pale, Juliet’s eyes, the eyes that had apparently prompted the kiss, wide with bewilderment. She had been kissed by other men, quite a few in fact, and yet her senses still swam from the impact of this one.

‘Dinner tomorrow?’ he repeated persuasively.

Her hand resting on his chest told her his heart was beating as erratically as her own. ‘What time?’ she heard herself ask breathlessly.

‘Eight-thirty?’

‘Fine,’ she nodded.

‘Juliet …’ he groaned before his lips once more claimed hers.

It was just like before, that same liquid fire in her veins, that same dizzy feeling, as if she had drunk too much champagne. And yet she had only had a couple of glasses of wine, so it wasn’t that. No, it was this man making her feel drunk, with passion.

‘No, Jake!’ She managed to gain enough strength to wrench away, coming slowly to her senses. ‘Please, we’re on view here!’ She straightened her hair.

Jake still held her, his lips nuzzling her throat. ‘Your place or mine?’

‘Neither.’ She moved completely out of his arms, her voice edged with the shock she couldn’t hide. ‘You like to work fast, Mr Matthews,’ she said tautly.

He shrugged. ‘I usually know what I want, and how to get it.’

As he had known exactly how to get her to agree to seeing him tomorrow! She had acted like the besotted fool he had made her feel. ‘Not tonight,’ she told him coldly.

‘Too soon?’

Her blood boiled at his arrogance. ‘Much too soon.’ It would always be too soon for them! ‘My home is the other way,’ she pointed to distantly as she realised where they were parked.

‘Okay, direct me,’ he accepted her refusal resignedly, and turned in his seat to accelerate the car back out into the flow of traffic.

Juliet silently fumed at him as they travelled to her home. Arrogant fool! And she was even more of a fool for letting him affect her in this way.

‘Are you going to invite me in for coffee?’ he asked once they were parked outside her home.

‘Not tonight. I—I’m a little tired,’ she feigned weariness.

One of those long artistic hands came out and touched her pale cheek. ‘All right, Juliet.’ That attractively curved mouth was once more coming her way. ‘God, I want you badly,’ he told her before kissing her with a savagery designed to take her breath away.

But it didn’t. This time she was ready for him, her anger stopping her from responding, the sheer audacity of the man making her furious. He wanted her! And no doubt he thought it would be easy to get her into bed with him. He was in for a surprise if he really thought that. She wouldn’t be taken unawares again.

He moved back, shrugging at her lack of response. ‘As you say, you’re tired. So I’ll say goodbye until tomorrow.’

Juliet hastily left the intimacy of the car, forcing herself to turn and wave to Jake before he drove off. She had been wrong about him, he was a typical male chauvinistic pig if ever she had met one! And she had met plenty of them in the past, although Jake Matthews came a definite first for chauvinism.

He was the type of man she most despised, after all, the sort of man who didn’t think women had a brain, that they were only there to cook and provide sexual pleasure for men. She always liked to be an equal partner in her relationships with men, in fact she insisted on it, and as far as Jake Matthews was concerned she hadn’t been allowed to make one decision for herself. She didn’t know what sort of women he was usually attracted to, but she certainly wasn’t one of those women who were just grateful to be thought worthy of sharing the television personality’s bed.

The telephone was ringing when she entered her flat, and she didn’t need two guesses who it was. ‘Hello, Melanie,’ she greeted dryly, sitting down in the chair next to the telephone, knowing from experience how long Melanie’s telephone calls usually were.

‘Hello.’ Her friend wasn’t in the least abashed that she had known it was her. ‘I just called to see how Jake enjoyed kissing that dried-up old spinster Caroline Miles. He did kiss you, didn’t he?’ Melanie asked excitedly.

CHAPTER TWO

HEAVENS, yes! She had forgotten all about being Caroline Miles in her anger, had forgotten her pseudonym. What a shock Jake Matthews was going to get when he found out he told that ‘dried-up old spinster’ that he wanted her, badly, and had actually shown her how badly. What a lovely revenge on him, on him and his damned arrogance!

It would be sheer joy to see his face when he was told the truth, in fact it was worth going out with him, putting up with his chauvinism, just for the anticipation of being able to tell him that she was Caroline Miles, and that it was her book Mason’s Heritage that he had called ‘romantic rubbish’.

She had watched his programme in stunned disbelief, had read his review with tears in her eyes, hurt by his criticism, and it wasn’t until she had finished crying her heart out that anger had taken over. It was then that she had told Melanie and Michael that if she ever had the misfortune to meet the insulting Jake Matthews she would tell him exactly what she thought of him. Now that she had her chance she would make the most of it, would choose a time when it would have the most effect.

‘Juliet?’ Melanie interrupted her pleasurable anticipation. ‘Juliet, are you still there?’

She had forgotten all about poor Melanie! ‘Yes, of course I’m still here,’ she hastily assured her.

‘Well, did he kiss you? He must have done,’ Melanie answered herself. ‘Michael said he was being very forceful.’

‘Michael also said he wished he dared be that way with you,’ Juliet recalled dryly.

‘He never would be,’ Melanie said confidently. ‘What did Jake think of your being Caroline Miles?’

‘He didn’t think anything—he doesn’t know.’

‘You didn’t tell him?’ her friend gasped her astonishment.

‘No. And I would be grateful if you and Michael would refrain from telling him too.’

‘Why?’ her friend asked suspiciously.

‘Because I’m saving that little surprise for a more appropriate time.’

‘Appropriate?’

‘Yes,’ Juliet dismissed impatiently. ‘Do you know he actually wanted to go to bed with me?’ she revealed indignantly, finding she became angry just at the thought of it. No man had ever pursued her that forcefully on their first meeting before. And she didn’t like it. Jake Matthews had known her only long enough to want her body, certainly not long enough to be interested in the person she was. And how that infuriated her! He would probably have expected her to cook his breakfast in the morning too, before he rushed off to his office, never to be seen again.

‘I gathered that much from Michael,’ Melanie giggled.

‘I mean now, tonight.’

‘Yes,’ her friend acknowledged.

Juliet frowned. ‘Aren’t you shocked?’

‘No. But you are, I can tell. And I always thought you were liberated.’

‘Not that liberated!’

‘Don’t be such a prude, Juliet,’ Melanie chided. ‘There’s nothing wrong in going to bed with a man if it’s what you both want. And Jake’s certainly too old to go in for the hand-holding, gazing-into-your-eyes relationship. So are you, come to that,’ she added thoughtfully.

She hadn’t thought she was. Surely love and romance weren’t completely dead? No wonder she preferred to write about the past, to imagine herself back in a time when men weren’t ashamed to love and protect a woman.

Heavens, what a contradiction she was! She wasn’t prepared to relinquish an ounce of her freedom, not careerwise or emotionally, and yet she secretly longed to be swept off her feet, to be cherished, to be made to feel the most important thing in some man’s life. One of her ideals would have to go, and she had a feeling, in this day and age, that it would be the latter. One of these days she would probably settle down to marriage quite happily, a marriage where she would be allowed to feel an equal partner but would never know what it was like to be the very pinnacle of one man’s existence.

‘Don’t you think a few hours’ acquaintance is rather brief notice of an invitation to bed?’ she asked Melanie mockingly.

‘Depends on the man,’ her friend answered seriously. ‘Jake doesn’t appear to be the sort to waste time.’

‘Well, I think he could have wasted a little more time than he did!’ Juliet said waspishly.

‘Are you seeing him again?’

‘I may be,’ she evaded.

‘Which means you are,’ Melanie said excitedly. ‘And Michael and I are to keep quiet about your writing. Don’t take Jake for a fool, Juliet, that’s all I ask. On the outside he’s perfectly charming, but inside there beats a heart of steel. I also happen to know,’ she added slowly, ‘that there’s a certain Patricia Hall in his life at the moment. She’s a reporter on the same newspaper he works for.’

No wife, but a girl-friend. ‘I’m only having dinner with him, he’s perfectly free to keep—Patricia Hall, I think you said? I have no intention of giving up Ben and Stephen on the basis of one date with Jake Matthews.’

‘It may develop into more than that. If he’d looked at me the way he looked at you …!’

‘You wouldn’t be here alone now, I suppose,’ Juliet teased.

‘Juliet! You know Michael was the first and only man I’ve ever slept with!’ Melanie sounded hurt.

‘I’ll never know how.’

‘Well, really!’

Juliet laughed. ‘Before you explode I think you should know I was only teasing. It’s just that when we were at school you seemed to fall in love every other month.’

‘That’s a slight exaggeration,’ Melanie told her indignantly. ‘And I was never truly in love until I met Michael.’

‘I’ll tell him how loyal you are the next time I see him,’ Juliet mocked gently.

‘Oh, you’re impossible!’ Melanie said disgustedly. ‘I’ll call you on Friday to see how you got on.’

‘Not too early,’ Juliet taunted. ‘You never know, I might not be alone.’

‘You should be so lucky!’ Melanie gave an angry snort before ringing off.

She really shouldn’t tease her friend in that way, but Melanie had always been so easy to tease, pretending a sophistication she just didn’t have. And she would try to run her life for her. Even at school she had arranged blind dates for her. Unfortunately this habit had carried on through adulthood.

Juliet changed into serviceable denims and a tee-shirt, then went into her study to finish writing the chapter she had had to leave earlier. She was writing the sequel to Mason’s Heritage, continuing the story of the Mason family from the late 1800s where she had last left them.

She hated the constant interruptions to her work and found it difficult to get back into the story, liking to choose the moment she broke off from her work, often losing an idea completely if she were forced to leave it for a day or so.

Maybe she should move away from London, away from the interruptions, she certainly had enough money to do that; Mason’s Heritage was very profitable. But she had lived in London for the last seven years, in the same apartment, and couldn’t really see any reason to change.

It was after three by the time she put an end to Chapter Five, and before going through to her bedroom she left the handwritten sheets beside her typewriter to be typed in the morning.

It seemed as if her head had barely touched the pillow, blessed sleep taking over, when the telephone on her bedside table began to ring. The shock of it made her shoot up in bed, a sick feeling washing over her. She snatched up the receiver. ‘Yes?’ she snapped, a painful thumping starting at the back of her eyes due to lack of sleep.

‘Oh, good,’ a familiar male voice greeted. ‘I’m glad I caught you before you went to the office.’

Office? What office? She blinked to clear the sleep from her brain. ‘Who is that?’ she demanded crossly.

‘Forgotten me already?’ the man gave a throaty laugh. ‘That isn’t very flattering.’

Jake Matthews! She had forgotten all about him. ‘What time is it?’ she groaned, collapsing back against the pillows.

‘Almost eight o’clock.’

‘Oh, God. …’ she closed her eyes. No wonder she didn’t feel as if she had been to sleep—she hadn’t!

‘Did I wake you?’ the idea suddenly seemed to occur to him.

She sighed. ‘Whatever gave you that idea?’ she snapped.

Jake gave a throaty chuckle. ‘You should be thanking me.’

‘I should?’

‘Mm, I’ve stopped you being late for work.’

Work? Goodness, yes, he thought she worked for Michael at Dickson Publishing. ‘I wasn’t going into the office today. Is there any special reason for your call?’ Perhaps he was going to cancel their date for tonight. The way she felt at the moment she could sleep the whole day and night away.

‘I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t dreamt you,’ he told her huskily.

‘And?’

‘I haven’t,’ he said with satisfaction.

Heavens, this man was a flirt! No doubt she was supposed to feel flattered by this early morning show of attention. She had to give Jake his due, he knew all the right moves. The only trouble was she wasn’t interested. ‘How did you get my telephone number? No—don’t tell me,’ she sighed. ‘Melanie.’