Free Merlyn's Magic by Carole Mortimer Page B

women
would probably find that very indifference a challenge worth pursuing.
Unfortunately —for Christopher!—she wasn't one of
those women. But she couldn't help liking him, and she thought that
liking was returned. Even if Christopher was surprised to find himself
just a friend rather than a lover.
    'So how did you get on with Carmichael?' He stood looking
down at her, his hands thrust into the pockets of his fitted trousers,
his careless treatment of them straining the expensive material.
    Christopher was everything Merlyn usually found attractive
in a man, good-looking, undemanding, with that intrinsic streak of
ambition that made him such a power to be reckoned with. Why couldn't
he have been the man she had wanted so mindlessly? At least with him
his emotions were all up-front, and he would never have hurt her so
deliberately the way Rand had.
    'I'm sure Anne must have told you about my blunder,' she
began.
    'About thinking his house was the hotel.' Christopher
nodded. 'I thought it was a good idea.'
    Her eyes blazed wide with anger. 'I did not do it
deliberately,' she bit out forcefully. 'It was raining, I was lost, and
I didn't—'
    'Oh, come on, Merlyn,' Christopher scoffed. 'Carmichael
may have believed that, but we both know—'
    'Rand Carmichael didn't believe anything of the sort.'
Merlyn stood up shakily. 'And
we
don't know
anything of the sort either,' she snapped, glaring up at him. 'Can't
you see that by making that mistake I ruined any chance I may have had
of talking to him rationally and calmly?'
    Christopher looked at her consideringly. 'That depends,'
he said slowly.
    'On what? You—Christopher?' she questioned
sharply. 'You don't seriously think I went through with your
preposterous suggestion that I go to bed with him to get his approval?'
    'I never once made that suggestion—'
    'You implied it,' she flared.
    'If I implied it you didn't say no to the idea either!' he
accused heatedly.
    Merlyn's hands were clenched at her sides. 'It was too
contemptuous an idea to even merit an answer! You got off lightly at
the time, Christopher,' she told him scathingly. 'The last man to
suggest that to me ended up with an eye so discoloured it ruined his
pretty looks for several weeks!'
    His expression sharpened with interest. 'You mean you hit
him?'
    'Yes!'
    'Do tell,' he invited softly.
    Merlyn gave him a disparaging look. 'I make it a rule
never to think about snakes and rats and other nasty things that go
bump in the night.'
    Christopher whistled through his teeth at her vehemence.
'Whew, am I glad we only got as far as managing to be friends.'
    Her mouth twisted. 'You came dangerously close today to
ending even that,' she warned.
    He sighed. 'I'm only trying to establish what happened
between you and Carmichael. You're the one who's being evasive.'
    'Because nothing happened,' she snapped. 'Nothing at all.'
    'And the film?'
    'Now what was it he said to me about that?' She pretended
to try and recall the words that had been burned into her heart. 'His
last words to me were "Get out. And tell Drake not to send any more of
his mistresses up here for my consideration or I might not be
responsible for my actions!" That might not be word perfect, but it
conveys what he wanted to say!' She didn't add that he had also said he
had pretended she was Suzie while he made love to her.
    'Arrogant bastard,' Christopher cursed with a scowl of
anger.
    Yes, Rand was arrogant, even more so than the man who
stood before her, but if the two of them weren't adversaries in this
matter they were so much alike they would probably have become friends.
    'Now you know,' she shrugged.
    'And what am I supposed to do about the film now?'
Christopher frowned heavily. 'We're supposed to start work on it in
three weeks, damn it!'
    'Without a leading lady, unfortunately,' she drawled.
    His eyes flashed with anger. 'I can't do that; "Suzie" is
in nearly every damn scene!'
    She knew that only too well, also knew that despite her
personal