Free Beaumont Brides Collection by Liz Fielding Page A

being treated so shabbily. ‘All right, but I’ll hold you to your promise to keep your hands to yourself.’
    ‘You do realise that tickets for this show are like gold dust? You’ve no idea what I could get the girls in the office to do for them.’
    ‘I’ve a fair idea,’ she said. ‘Perhaps, after all, you’d better save them for a rainy day.’
    ‘Actually I think I’d rather have your company even with the embargo on hands. Of course, if you should suddenly feel so overcome with gratitude that you change your mind, just say the word.’
    ‘And what word is that, Julian?’
    For a moment their eyes locked and then Julian shook his head, releasing her fingers as he admitted defeat. ‘I don’t know who broke your heart, Fizz, but if you don’t pick up the pieces and at least try to glue it back together he’s won.’
    ‘Love isn’t a contest, Julian. There are no winners or losers. And sex is no substitute.’
    ‘But it’s fun,’ he assured her, eagerly. ‘Try it, you might like it.’ It was odd how he reminded her of some soft little puppy. A golden Labrador.
    Luke Devlin on the other hand was pure Doberman.
    The waiter sensing a hiatus in the conversation stepped in. ‘Are you ready to order, sir?’
    Julian ordered for them both and insisted on treating her to champagne, refusing to talk about business until they had eaten. Afterwards, as they warmed themselves on brandy she brought up the subject of the takeover again.
    ‘Look, Fizz, if you want to talk about rescheduling your loan I’m warning you now that you are wasting your time.’ He sounded genuinely sorry.
    She tried to ignore the small cold spot in the pit of her stomach that the brandy couldn’t seem to reach and invested her voice with good humoured banter.
    ‘Before you’ve even heard what I have to say?’ He didn’t answer. She tried a small laugh. ‘Come on, Julian. You would have loaned Pavilion Radio twice as much when we originally came to you. Money in the bank you said.’
    ‘I know that.’
    ‘Three months delay starting repayments. Two even. It’s not much to ask. With Melanie on board the advertisers will be begging us for air time.’
    ‘But you could have it all. Devlin’s sponsorship and the advertising.’
    ‘Maybe I just don’t trust my luck. Maybe I just don’t trust him.’
    ‘I don’t understand why. The guy’s rock solid, gold-plated.’
    ‘I have this feeling. Nothing I can put my finger on.’
    ‘A gut reaction that there’s something up?’
    ‘I was going to say feminine intuition, but I suppose gut reaction will do just as well.’ But it was more complicated than that. She couldn’t trust her own judgement where Luke Devlin was concerned.
    ‘It’s human nature to distrust generosity from an unlikely source, something to do with having the story of the Trojan horse drummed into us at school, I expect. But the truth is, I can’t help you, Fizz. When I realised why you were coming I made some tentative moves to reschedule. They were blocked. Your first repayment is due next Friday and the bank won’t take no for an answer.’
    ‘You mean they had already decided? Before I even asked?’
    He shrugged. ‘Harries were your major sponsor. It had to be a possibility that you’d come back to us.’
    ‘It’s still a bit quick off the mark isn’t it?’ He didn’t deny it. ‘What is it? Does someone on your board fancy starting his own media empire at a knock-down price?’
    He stiffened. ‘I couldn’t say.’ Back in his banker’s hat, he was deeply affronted by such a suggestion. Perhaps she had gone a fraction over the mark, but she still couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
    ‘Oh, come on, Julian, don’t be pompous, it doesn’t suit you. I wasn’t really suggesting dirty work on high.’ She hadn’t expected Julian to leap with joy at the suggestion she reschedule the loan but although it was a lot of money to her, it must be peanuts to his bank; refusing to even discuss