Free The Demetrios Bridal Bargain by Kim Lawrence Page A

the opportunity to look down at her in that superior way from escaping.
    â€˜How things change,’ he bemoaned, his eyes glimmering mockery as he casually pulled the tie from around his neck. ‘And I thought you were different, Rose.’
    Rose dragged her eyes from the small vee of brown skin revealed at his throat as he slipped the top button of his shirt and glared up at him with renewed venom.
    â€˜Once you liked me a good deal better, but a man learns who his real friends are when he leaves behind the glamour of the racing circuit.’
    â€˜I’m sure you still have an entourage of hangers-on and people willing to treat your every stupid pronouncement as wise and wonderful. Men like you always do.’
    â€˜Have you known a lot of men like me?’
    â€˜No, I’ve been lucky that way, though if I saw any coming I’d cross to the other side of the street.’
    He pursed his lips and loosed a long silent whistle. ‘Someone got out of bed the wrong side this morning.’
    â€˜This morning I had a bed.’
    He levered himself off the stone mantle and took a step towards her. ‘And you don’t now?’
    â€˜No, I don’t. No bed, no job.’
    â€˜You quit?’
    â€˜No, I was sacked.’
    â€˜Smith sacked you.’ He shook his head, his expression one of mild contempt as he thought of the other man. ‘I didn’t see that one coming.’ That certainly explained her mood, but not her presence.
    The rueful amusement in his expression made her see red. ‘Liar!’
    He froze, the lines of his lean face moulding into a mask of chilling hauteur. ‘What did you call me?’
    Rose lifted her chin to a belligerent angle and placed her hands on her hips. She had no intention of allowing herself to be intimidated, even though he did have the look of a jungle predator about to pounce.
    â€˜You heard me.’ She lifted her chin and ignored the sound of hissing outrage that escaped through his clenched white teeth. ‘You’re many things, but you’re not stupid.’
    â€˜Thank you,’ he said, his voice dripping with mockery.
    â€˜You must have thought of the consequences when you told everyone I’m a drunken nymphomaniac?’
    â€˜I did not tell anyone anything of the sort…’ He stopped, an expression of pained comprehension passing across his face as he slapped a hand to his forehead and swore.
    Rose’s head came up with a jerk. ‘Well, it’s the sort of thing that could slip anyone’s mind, I suppose.’
    He bit back a cutting response to her sarcasm and watched, his expression softening, as she rubbed a hand wearily across her eyes with the back of her hand.
    â€˜I hope, incidentally, that it makes an amusing after-dinner anecdote.’
    â€˜I can’t believe he actually sacked you.’ He regarded her with frowning concern.
    â€˜And I can’t believe you actually care,’ she cut back. ‘But I really don’t see why the concept is so hard to get your head around. What did you expect my boss to do when you told him I was a groupie—give me a raise?’ Her lip wobbled and a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. ‘Damn,’ she muttered, brushing it away. ‘Why does this happen when I’m mad?’ Her head dropped as she fought to regain her composure.
    As he studied her bent head and watched her hunched slender shoulders shake Mathieu experienced an alien and compelling urge to take her in his arms. It was followed by an almost equally violent need to throttle her idiot employer.
    â€˜I did not relate the story.’ He half expected her to resist when he put a hand in the narrow of her back and steered her towards the nearest chair, but she didn’t. ‘Sit down before you fall down.’ Impatience masked the concern he didn’t want to be feeling.
    Why should he feel responsible? It was not his fault that she had worked for