The Faithful Wife by Diana Hamilton Page A

I’d be in there, trying my luck—along with the rest of the male population!’
    Jake ignored that, dismissed it as an irrelevance, although it was to come back and haunt him time after time. ‘The face of what?’ The question was spiked with urgency, a tinge of irritation.
    â€˜Where’ve you been the last couple of years, buddy? No, don’t tell me—too busy plotting how to make your company’s next billion to read the glossies or watch the hoardings!’
    Then as if he sensed the brooding intensity in the dark eyes that suddenly flicked his way, Alex cut the banter and volunteered, ‘Appropriately, her name’s Bella. Bella Harcourt, supermodel. She was picked to be the face of La Donna—cosmetics and stuff. Since then her career’s taken off in a big way. And the guy she’s with is head of the agency which handles the La Donna account Guy Maclaine—a big name in advertising circles. He took her under his wing from the outset.’
    â€˜And?’
    â€˜And into his bed. Rumour has it he’s going for his second divorce, and that the answer to every man’s sexual fantasies will be Mrs Guy Maclaine the third.’
    Over Jake’s dead body!
    His eyes narrowed, intent, Jake watched the way she smiled at Maclaine, never moving from his side, her sinuous body curving into the shelter of his like a delicate vine seeking support.
    Maclaine was a big brute, with the kind of near-ugly looks some women might find attractive. She obviously did. But if he could do it, he’d take her away from him.
    He had never felt like this before. The assault on his emotions, the upheaval going on in his normally rational mind, would have rocked him on his heels had he not surrendered himself to the inevitability of what was happening here.
    Without false modesty he knew he was what his mother would have called ‘eligible’. Neither repellent nor in his dotage, and going places in the dangerously unstable world of high finance, beautiful women came with the territory. They came and they went; he didn’t have time for a committed relationship and was always careful to point that out. But this—this was something very different...
    He picked his moment, shouldering his way through the knots of brightly partying people just as Maclaine was politely allowing himself to be cornered by a red-haired, red-taloned woman of questionable sobriety.
    â€˜Jake Fox,’ he introduced himself, catching a flicker of uncertainty in those strangely fabulous eyes, an automatic withdrawal. ‘Single, solvent, law-abiding.’
    He could have added ‘besotted’, but didn’t. And wouldn’t—not until he’d come to terms with it himself, with this new and terrifyingly exciting experience. But he wasn’t going to waste time on preliminaries either.
    â€˜I’m giving my sister dinner tonight; I would very much like you to join us. The Dorchester. If you need reassurance that I am neither a seducer or a white-slaver, then Alex Griffith—whom I believe you’ve met—can vouch for my integrity.’
    He angled his shoulders, effectively screening her from the rest of the party-goers, consciously staking his claim to her undivided attention. And watched as a million glittering lights danced in her eyes, her lush mouth quirking as she tilted her head back on her long, long neck.
    His heart thumped violently. If she told him to get lost he’d have to try another tack, pursue her until she gave in out of sheer exhaustion!
    The smile she had been trying to swallow defeated her, and she laughed. It was a ripple of perfection amongst the babble and shriek going on around them.
    â€˜You have an intriguingly novel approach, Mr Fox! Direct, but not explicitly offensive. Tell me, does it always work?’
    â€˜I don’t know. I’ve never tried it before.’ He grinned—probably fatuously, he thought. Her voice was as