that angry sparkle in those huge green eyes of yours. They’re very expressive, Lauren. At the moment they’re hating me, am I right?’
‘Yes,’ she admitted tautly. ‘I resent your implication that I would lie to get myself out of taking responsibility for your car. I’m perfectly willing to pay for the damage if you’ll settle this privately.’
‘Prescott shouldn’t have let you drive without L-plates,’ he told her haughtily. ‘He was in charge of you
and
the vehicle, so it’s his responsibility. Anyway, why should you care? After all, he’s only a friend.’
‘If that’s all the concern you show for your own friends then I’m surprised you still have any,’ she snapped.
‘Was he your lover before he became a friend?’
Lauri gasped. ‘Certainly not!’ she retorted indignantly.
‘Why wasn’t he?’
‘Mr Blair, you have no right—’
‘Alex,’ he put in softly.
She frowned. ‘Alex?’
‘Call me Alex,’ he invited.
‘I will not!’ she refused angrily. ‘Steve was never my lover,’ she insisted.
‘I know,’ Alexander Blair told her calmly.
Her eyes widened. ‘You know? Then why did you—How do you know?’ she asked suspiciously.
The barmaid came out at that moment to tell them their meal was ready inside, so Lauri didn’t immediately get an answer to her question. She had to wait until they had been seated at a table inside and their appetising meal placed before them before she could repeat the question.
‘Not while I’m eating, Lauren,’ Alex refused to answer her.
‘We can talk in between eating.’
He looked at his wrist-watch. ‘You have fifteen minutes before your lunch break is up. I’m willing to allow you a few minutes extra to eat that meal, but certainly not so that you can talk.’
‘Oh but—’
‘Eat, Lauren,’ he ordered firmly.
With a resentful glare in his direction she did as he told her, finding the steak and salad to her liking—despite her dining companion. He must be used to much more sophisticated surroundings, and yet he appeared to be completely at his ease, complimenting the barmaid on the food before their departure and causing a blush to come to the young girl’s cheeks.
‘Mr Blair,’ Lauri began once they were on their way again. ‘Mr Blair, I—’
‘Alex. We agreed it should be Alex,’ he murmured huskily.
‘We agreed to no such thing!’
He gave an impatient sigh. ‘I’ve never known anyone like you for arguing. It must be that red hair.’
‘It isn’t red!’ she flared up once again.
He gave her a considering look. ‘No, it isn’t,’ he slowly agreed. ‘It’s very beautiful. Red-gold.’ He frowned suddenly. ‘You remind me of someone, you know, Lauren.’
‘I—I do?’ If he could see any resemblance between herself and either her aunt or uncle then he was the first one ever to do so.
‘Mm,’ he nodded. ‘But I can’t think who for the moment. No doubt it will come to me, probably when I see the other person again.’
‘It’s a sign of advancing years when the memory starts to go.’ Lauri was deliberately provocative in an effort to divert his attention from whom she resembled.
It seemed she had hit home; his mouth tightened angrily. ‘I didn’t say I couldn’t remember, only that I can’t yet see what the resemblance is, the certain something that occasionally sparks off a memory of someone else doing exactly the same thing.’
She licked her lips. ‘I see. Well, you still haven’t answered my question,’ she reminded him.
‘About Prescott being your lover?’ He smiled. ‘But how could he be, when he’s your uncle?’
Lauri gulped, her face paling. ‘You—you know?’
He laughed. ‘Of course.’
‘How long have you known?’ she demanded indignantly.
Alex shrugged. ‘Since yesterday.’
‘You’ve known all the time and you—’
‘I didn’t say all the time,’ he disputed calmly. ‘Only since the afternoon when I looked up your file. You forget, until that
‘Yes,’ she admitted tautly. ‘I resent your implication that I would lie to get myself out of taking responsibility for your car. I’m perfectly willing to pay for the damage if you’ll settle this privately.’
‘Prescott shouldn’t have let you drive without L-plates,’ he told her haughtily. ‘He was in charge of you
and
the vehicle, so it’s his responsibility. Anyway, why should you care? After all, he’s only a friend.’
‘If that’s all the concern you show for your own friends then I’m surprised you still have any,’ she snapped.
‘Was he your lover before he became a friend?’
Lauri gasped. ‘Certainly not!’ she retorted indignantly.
‘Why wasn’t he?’
‘Mr Blair, you have no right—’
‘Alex,’ he put in softly.
She frowned. ‘Alex?’
‘Call me Alex,’ he invited.
‘I will not!’ she refused angrily. ‘Steve was never my lover,’ she insisted.
‘I know,’ Alexander Blair told her calmly.
Her eyes widened. ‘You know? Then why did you—How do you know?’ she asked suspiciously.
The barmaid came out at that moment to tell them their meal was ready inside, so Lauri didn’t immediately get an answer to her question. She had to wait until they had been seated at a table inside and their appetising meal placed before them before she could repeat the question.
‘Not while I’m eating, Lauren,’ Alex refused to answer her.
‘We can talk in between eating.’
He looked at his wrist-watch. ‘You have fifteen minutes before your lunch break is up. I’m willing to allow you a few minutes extra to eat that meal, but certainly not so that you can talk.’
‘Oh but—’
‘Eat, Lauren,’ he ordered firmly.
With a resentful glare in his direction she did as he told her, finding the steak and salad to her liking—despite her dining companion. He must be used to much more sophisticated surroundings, and yet he appeared to be completely at his ease, complimenting the barmaid on the food before their departure and causing a blush to come to the young girl’s cheeks.
‘Mr Blair,’ Lauri began once they were on their way again. ‘Mr Blair, I—’
‘Alex. We agreed it should be Alex,’ he murmured huskily.
‘We agreed to no such thing!’
He gave an impatient sigh. ‘I’ve never known anyone like you for arguing. It must be that red hair.’
‘It isn’t red!’ she flared up once again.
He gave her a considering look. ‘No, it isn’t,’ he slowly agreed. ‘It’s very beautiful. Red-gold.’ He frowned suddenly. ‘You remind me of someone, you know, Lauren.’
‘I—I do?’ If he could see any resemblance between herself and either her aunt or uncle then he was the first one ever to do so.
‘Mm,’ he nodded. ‘But I can’t think who for the moment. No doubt it will come to me, probably when I see the other person again.’
‘It’s a sign of advancing years when the memory starts to go.’ Lauri was deliberately provocative in an effort to divert his attention from whom she resembled.
It seemed she had hit home; his mouth tightened angrily. ‘I didn’t say I couldn’t remember, only that I can’t yet see what the resemblance is, the certain something that occasionally sparks off a memory of someone else doing exactly the same thing.’
She licked her lips. ‘I see. Well, you still haven’t answered my question,’ she reminded him.
‘About Prescott being your lover?’ He smiled. ‘But how could he be, when he’s your uncle?’
Lauri gulped, her face paling. ‘You—you know?’
He laughed. ‘Of course.’
‘How long have you known?’ she demanded indignantly.
Alex shrugged. ‘Since yesterday.’
‘You’ve known all the time and you—’
‘I didn’t say all the time,’ he disputed calmly. ‘Only since the afternoon when I looked up your file. You forget, until that
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