The Seduction Game by Sara Craven

But Colin still has a way to go in his job, and they’d have done better to postpone.’
    Is that how you feel? She wanted to ask him, but the words somehow wouldn’t come. Because, she realised, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his answer.
    Then he came to bed, and her doubts were swept aside in their lovemaking.
    And when, some six weeks later, he told her he was taking her out for a special dinner because he had something to ask her, she decided, fizzing with suppressed excitement, that he’d clearly had a change of heart.
    It was a wonderful meal, but Jack seemed edgy. Or perhaps he was just nervous, she thought tenderly. But why? Surely he knew what her answer would be?
    When they reached the coffee stage, and he’d still said nothing, Tara nerved herself.
    ‘You...you said you had something to ask me,’ she prompted him, smiling.
    He nodded rather jerkily. ‘As a matter of fact, yes. You see, darling, there’s a whisper that Cadham, our head of department, is taking early retirement.’ He laughed. ‘Frankly he’ll be no great loss. His ideas are rooted in the Dark Ages. Everyone’s saying our whole section needs someone young and vigorous to pick it up and shake it into the Millennium.’
    There was no need to stir her coffee but she did so, watching it swirl round the spoon. Aware of a sudden odd tension within her.
    She said quietly, ‘And do you have someone in mind for the job?’
    Jack laughed again. ‘Of course, my sweet. I’m hoping they’ll offer it to me.’
    ‘To you?’ She couldn’t keep the note of incredulity out of her voice, and he looked annoyed.
    ‘OK, I know I’m not tops in order of seniority, but what does that matter? I can do the job. And I seriously want it.’
    She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. ‘Then if Peter Cadham does retire, you’d better apply for it. I hope you won’t be too disappointed if things don’t go your way.’
    ‘Ah, but I intend they shall,’ Jack said softly. He stretched a hand across the table and took hers. ‘And you, my love, can help.’
    ‘You think they’ll come to Marchant Southern for candidates?’ She was bewildered. ‘They never have in the past. And if they did I wouldn’t be dealing with it. I’m too junior myself.’
    She saw his mouth tighten, and realised he hadn’t relished the word ‘junior’.
    ‘To hell with Marchant Southern,’ he said impatiently. ‘I’m talking about your father. You know as well as I do that he’ll have a big say in the appointment.’ His tone softened, became appealing. ‘I thought you could use your powers to persuade him to speak up for me.’
    So that was what the intimate dinner had been leading up to. She felt sick with disappointment, and suddenly afraid.
    She said, stammering a little, ‘But I couldn’t. And why should he listen to me anyway?’
    ‘Because you’re supposed to have some expertise in recruitment, for one thing,’ he said. ‘And you’re Daddy’s little girl, for another. And he’ll want you to be happy.’
    His fingers tightened round hers, almost hurting her.
    ‘Think about it, love. You want to get married, don’t you? Well, look on this as a stepping stone—a short cut. We’d have to wait years on my present salary. If I got Cadham’s job we could have everything we wanted, without scrimping and scraping.’
    He smiled at her coaxingly. ‘I want to spoil you—treat you as you deserve. Give you a proper setting. And if I was his son-in-law your father could be sure of my total company loyalty, as well,’ he added insinuatingly.
    She said huskily, ‘Jack—I’d be just as happy to start in a small way. We could get married and go on living in the flat You’ll get a promotion eventually—I know it. Maybe something better will come along—with another company.’
    ‘Sweetheart.’ He was still smiling, but there was an undercurrent of irritation now. ‘I don’t want to move. My sights are set. I don’t know why you’re making all this fuss. I