don’t know theirs. They’ll hate me for taking her place.”
“I know you’ll want to bring some of your people in. I expect it. You can run both shows. Delegate your other tasks and concentrate on design. A hundred production shops can make garments. Only you can design as you do. You represent the future.”
“And the rest of your team? What about them, suppose they don’t like working with me? How do I fit with what Isabelle was doing? What if my ideas clash with hers?”
“Don’t even think about Isabelle. You’ll be in charge; most of it will be down to you. A lot of variables need to considered, but it’s got to work, and damn soon as far as I’m concerned.
“And if I say no?”
He considered her for a moment then said, “I really need you to say yes.” He slung the cognac back in one gulp, poured another then plastered a smile across his face. “So?”
Kat curled her toes into the deep pile of the rug and considered the implications. She looked at his handsome features in the flickering glow for a while then replaced her shoes. “I think I shall go to bed now,” she said softly. “I enjoyed the meal, it was scrumptious. Thank you.”
“And that’s all.”
“What else are you expecting?”
“What about an answer.”
She shook her head. “I think it’s a little soon for that don’t you?”
“If your skills are put to real use, it’ll be so much better. You really could go to the top, you know.”
“Very flattering… and Isabelle Zapatero? How will you flatter her? How will you flatter me when you decide I’m no longer useful? That’s what you do best isn’t it. Move people; manipulate people; ruin people. Don’t you ever stop to think of the consequences of your actions? Lives are shattered when you snap your fingers.”
“It isn’t how you think.”
“No? Then how is it?”
He arched his fingers to his lips. “Isabelle,” he said carefully, “Was caught taking our designs to a competitor. We trusted her.”
Kat stared at him. “Wow!”
“We continually worked on new ideas, yet were always one step behind in the marketplace. She was too greedy. We paid her well but she wanted more. She almost put us out of business.”
“God! I didn’t …”
“And I really am sincere about your talent.” Rafael grinned suddenly. “It would be criminal to curb it. The more your name is on labels, the faster you’ll climb. The faster you climb, the faster we climb.”
“My name? Isn’t that flashy?”
“It’s good business.”
“But why push me forward?”
“New name, new start. Let the public see that we really mean business. We’re going to make you part of the new order.” He drew her to him.
She said, “So what will you expect from me?”
He put his arms around her. “I think we should forget business for a while.”
He felt strong and safe. In the background the refrigerator hummed in the kitchen, and the old, long case clock in the hall ticked hypnotically. It suddenly seemed slightly incongruous; the sound of the new intruding on the old like that, somehow it didn’t really gel… like Rafael and her.
She might be part of the new order but Rafael would always be part of this older order, no matter what he thought.
Chapter 8
The takeover was complete, her father happy, which meant she was happy too.
Kat drowsily smiled at the agreeable sensation of Rafael’s arm on her body as he slept. She had to admit she cared for him, yet if someone asked her to explain why, she couldn’t. It probably amounted to a collection of trivia, which by themselves would seem nothing, but when put together became him, his soul. A faint smile touched her lips. A grand theory if ever she had one.
She understood him and he understood her. Billy Mellor couldn’t have been more wrong.
She looked at the paintings on the wall, considered them one by one; studied folds of immaculate silk curtains, eventually turned to look at him. She inhaled his inviting man-smell to commit him to memory, touched the stubble on his jaw, didn’t want to wake him yet wanted to touch.
Looking and touching turned her on too much though. She didn’t want to be turned on by herself, and she closed her eyes to quench the sensation. He stirred. Satin bedclothes moved over her skin as he turned, an arm around her now, a single eye open, focusing, a crumpled smile.
“Hi!” he said sleepily. “You look good.”
He stretched, barely roused from sleep. His gruff, morning-voice trickled warmly