A Night With Consequences (2 page)

‘I’ll be safe at Susan’s,’ her mother assured her. ‘It’s you I’m thinking about. It will do you good to go away.’

Kara tossed her head, her eyes flashing dismissal. ‘You’re making it sound like a holiday. It won’t be, I assure you. Mr Benedict will probably work my fingers to the bone.’ The mere thought of going, of being at his beck and call all day, every day, of spending even more time with him than she already did, was not her idea of fun.

‘He’s realised your true potential, that’s what. I bet you’re the best PA he’s ever had.’

Kara shrugged and smiled, but she didn’t tell her mother that Blake Benedict had implied that as well.

‘Where are the others?’

Blake had sent a car for Kara and met her at a small private airfield, and as she stepped up into his executive jet she expected the other managers to be already on board. Instead it was empty. The engines were running, they were ready for take-off—and there was only the two of them!

‘They’ve gone on ahead. I thought we could use the time to talk. You have worked for me for almost twelve months and yet you are still a mystery to me.’

His smile told her that he had planned this all along: a
smile designed to put her at her ease, but instead setting alarm bells off in her head. A one-to-one with Blake Benedict was the last thing she wanted. And she could not understand why he was taking this sudden interest. Unless there was something else he was after!

Rumour had it that the last two PAs who had gone with him on these trips had been given their marching orders as soon as they had got back. The rumour machine also said that he’d had affairs with them while they’d been away. Was that what he had in mind? An affair? Did he think it was about time he broke through her personal barrier?

Sheer, cold horror shot down her spine. She had not thought of this before, and it was too late now to back out of the trip. She would need to be careful—erect a shield and not let it slip for even one second.

She felt uneasy at the thought of being at his mercy for the duration of the flight, and when they were cleared for take-off and rose into the air she felt as though she had left her stomach behind. And it wasn’t because of the altitude!

It was a luxurious plane, with deep comfortable seats—not that she would have expected anything less—but being on it alone with her employer made everything fade into insignificance. Blake Benedict filled the whole space. It felt as if they were the only two people in the universe.

Which was ridiculous! But how could she help it? She had never found herself in a situation like this before.

Thankfully they had a stewardess, who was prepared to attend to their every need. Except that when Blake insisted Kara sit at his side on a couch so that they could
go over the programme of events the woman made herself invisible.

Not surprisingly the laptop lay unattended at his side, and when he half turned in his seat towards her the air in the plane thickened until it became unbearable. Kara had only to inhale to smell the very essence of him. Even if she closed her eyes she could feel him, feel his strength, his omnipotence. Breathing him in was like taking a drug; it settled in every part of her body, making her feel more alive than she ever had in her life.

More aware!

More afraid!

What was happening to her? In all the time she had worked for him she had never felt like this. On the other hand she had never been completely alone with him. Not this alone. It was different in his office—the whole atmosphere was different. She felt awkward now, unsure of herself. Men were a mystery as far as she was concerned.

‘You have nothing to fear, Miss Redman. Or may I call you Kara? It’s such a pretty name it’s a shame not to use it.’

A pretty name! No one had ever said that to her before. A further shiver of awareness ran through her.

‘We cannot live together and not be on first name terms.’

‘What do you mean, live together?’ she asked quickly and sharply, feeling her heart give a giant leap.

‘A figure of speech,’ he answered, with a lazy shrug and a smile.

A dangerous smile!

‘I’m talking about the hotel.’

‘Of course,’ she answered faintly, hoping that her room was as far away from his as possible. She had booked the whole top two floors but had not been able to stipulate who stayed in which room. They would be allocated on arrival. Except Blake’s! He always, but always, stayed in the executive suite.

‘I’m glad that you’re not wearing one of those terrible suits today.’

Kara felt swift colour rise in her cheeks. She had packed two of her work suits, but she had relaxed her own rules this morning and put on jeans and a spicy pink sweater, completely unaware that the colour complemented her skin colouring and made her look alive and vibrant and very, very pretty—even though she wore no make-up and her hair was tied back in its usual functional style.

Blake too had foregone the dark suits he wore for the office and was wearing an impeccable ivory linen suit which contrasted against the tanned darkness of his skin, making her feel deathly pale by comparison. His jacket had by now been discarded, and although his dark hair was brushed back in its usual style a few strands had been loosened by the wind, making him look younger and less fearsome—and more frighteningly human!

‘Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?’ he suggested softly.

A frisson of something Kara failed to recognise shivered through her. It felt dangerous. ‘What is there to tell that you don’t already know?’

‘I know nothing,’ he said, ‘except that you apparently spend most of your time looking after your mother
instead of getting out and enjoying yourself. It’s very creditable, of course, but I’m sure she would be the first to agree that you need a life of your own.’

‘I am not unhappy doing what I do. Since my father died she has no one—why shouldn’t I spend my time with her?’ Her voice rose defensively without her even realising it.

‘I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t, but you should try and maintain a balance too. You’re like me, an only child, so at least we have something in common. What was your childhood like? Did you have lots of friends when you were younger or have you always been a stay-at-home girl?’

‘Pretty much,’ she admitted.

‘Did you have a happy childhood? What was your father like?’

‘Why all the questions?’ she asked, her voice unconsciously sharp. He had touched a raw spot. There was no way in this world that she was going to tell him what a rotten father she had had, and that even now he was dead he had left them with a whole host of new problems. ‘I thought we were supposed to be going over the conference notes?’ She inched away from him, curling herself into the corner, unconsciously using the defensive posture she had always adopted when her father threatened her.

Blake’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘You’re right. It should be business.’ But he could not help wondering why Kara was so averse to talking about herself—or her father. Perhaps she had loved him so much that she found the loss still painful? The way she had turned in on herself when he mentioned him suggested that.

He had no idea how long it had been since her father’s death, but could not remember her asking for time off to attend his funeral so it must have been before she’d started working for him.

A pity she did not want to talk. He would have enjoyed finding out more about her. She intrigued him. Overnight she had practically turned from an ugly duckling into a swan, knocking him for six in her tight-fitting jeans and hot pink sweater. He had not wanted to take his eyes off her. Unless the dark suits were her office uniform and outside of work she always dressed like this! It would be interesting to see what she had brought with her for the conference.

He opened his laptop, staring at the screen without truly seeing it. All he could see was Kara. The intriguingly, surprisingly beautiful Kara. He could not understand why she kept her raw beauty hidden. She had truly fine features—her nose with a delightful little curve at the tip, amazing blue eyes, and a cupid’s bow of infinitely kissable lips. They all begged to be explored.

Kara was glad that Blake had stopped asking questions. She had begun to feel suffocated—or was the rapid beat of her heart caused by a surprising and unwarranted attraction towards him? Her father had banned her from having boyfriends, and even after his death she had never found the time or the inclination. So this was the first occasion she had ever been close to a man who had shown an interest in her, and she found it a scary experience.

When finally Blake began concentrating on the screen in front of him Kara allowed her head to drop back and closed her eyes. But it was not easy ignoring him—not
when his cologne teased her nostrils, not when she knew his leg was mere inches away from hers, not when she sensed that sometimes his eyes were on her instead of his computer.

Quite how she managed it Kara did not know, but somehow she fell asleep. She was woken by Blake’s light touch on her shoulder as he told her that they were about to land and she needed to put on her seat belt.

Embarrassed now, she moved to her original seat and sat rigidly upright. Blake on the other hand was totally relaxed, a smile turning up the corners of his lips. Had he watched her while she slept? Kara went hot at the thought. Had her mouth fallen open? Had she looked stupid? ‘I’m sorry I fell asleep on you,’ she said quietly.

‘And very beautifully too. It was quite something, having you resting your head on my shoulder. My usually prim and proper PA behaving like a real woman for once.’

Alarm raced through Kara. Her head on his shoulder! Was that what she had done? Her heart went wild, leaping within chest as though it was trying to escape. ‘I really am sorry.’

‘No need to apologise,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘It was my pleasure.’

His pleasure! Another source of heat seared the surface of her skin. This was too embarrassing by far. ‘It was very rude of me.’ She sat up even straighter. ‘I didn’t sleep very well last night. That must be why.’

‘Was it the thought of joining me today that kept you awake?’ His grey eyes met and held hers and Kara
shivered. There was something in the tone of his voice that alarmed her.

It was wrong to judge all men by her father—but her mother had told her to be careful, that men were not always what they seemed. And all she knew about Blake was that his affairs were legend. There was no way on this earth that she wanted to become another statistic.

But how to answer his question? ‘It was the thought of what lay ahead,’ she said, which in itself was not an outright lie. ‘I’ve never been to Italy.’

‘Then I will enjoy improving your education, showing you places that you have only read about or perhaps seen on the television.’

‘Mr Benedict.’ Kara put on her most professional demeanour. ‘I am sure we will not have time for sightseeing. You have a very full schedule.’

His slow smile said it all. ‘There is always time for enjoyment, Kara.’

I
T SEEMED
like no time at all before they were being driven to their hotel, and because Kara had booked the rooms and seen photographs of it she knew what to expect. Except that the grandeur of the building actually took her breath away. The architecture was stunning. But what stopped her breathing altogether was the discovery that her room was right next door to Blake’s.

And it was clearly actually part of his suite, because it had an adjoining door. Fortunately locked, but that did not make her any happier, nor ease her alarm. Had he asked for her to be put here?

There was only one way to find out. She walked the few yards along the corridor and tapped on his door, entering at the sound of his voice. ‘Why have I been roomed next to you?’ she asked bluntly, without even waiting for him to ask what she wanted.

‘Does it bother you?’ Blake did not look in the least concerned. He did not even look surprised—which told her that he must have been expecting a reaction.

‘Actually, yes, it does,’ she retorted.

‘For what reason?’ Grey eyes captured blue.

‘Because—well—’ She lifted her chin a fraction higher, realising that she actually didn’t have a particularly
good reason. ‘Because it doesn’t feel right. I should be with the others. It’s as though you’re giving me some exalted presence.’

Dark brows rose and he folded his arms across his magnificent chest. He had taken off his jacket and undone the top buttons of his shirt, revealing a scattering of springy dark hairs against darkly tanned skin.

Kara had only ever seen him in a collar and tie. She had never seen the flesh and blood man beneath. Although it shouldn’t have affected her, it did. He suddenly looked less daunting and more human. And—she hated to admit it—sexy.

‘For your information, I was thinking of practicalities.’

Kara hardly heard what he was saying. She was still staring at his chest, which was quite magnificently muscled. Did he work out somewhere? A private gym, perhaps? Or did he have his own gym? She realised she actually knew nothing about Blake; she had never been interested. But now all sorts of questions sprang into her mind. She was seeing the man now, and not her employer, and could not ignore the way her pulse raced that little bit faster.

‘It makes perfect sense,’ he said now. ‘You are my right-hand woman. You are the trigger to this whole conference running smoothly. There are sure to be things we need to talk about. I need you close to me.’

He needed her close to him! They were the only words that penetrated through the haze that fogged her brain. Close to him!

Then she blinked and everything snapped back into
place. ‘I do not agree, Mr Benedict. There is no need for us to—’

Her words were abruptly cut off. ‘Miss Redman—Kara—it is too late to change now. The hotel is full.’ His expression suggested that she was making a mountain out of a molehill. ‘But if it will make you feel any better I promise not to intrude on your privacy.’

Kara felt hot colour flood her cheeks. Was that really what he thought she had been thinking? She somehow managed a glare before turning around and marching back to her room. After her initial concerns she had been excited at the thought of coming here, of hopefully seeing something of Milan, but now new fears began to build. What had happened to the barrier she had supposedly erected? One look at a V of exposed chest and she had gone to pieces. How stupid was that? She was behaving like a teenager instead of a twenty-six-year-old woman.