The Helen Bianchin Collection (Mills & Boon E-Book Collections) (14 page)

‘Such as?'

‘The fall of a prominent businessman due to tax avoidance. His wife cranked up her credit card in several élite boutiques.'

Miguel spared her a sharp look. ‘Yours was one of them?'

‘You got it in one.' It wasn't a fortune, she could write off the loss, but it left a nasty taste in her mouth that someone she trusted had deliberately ripped her off.

‘Leave it with me.'

Resentment flared. ‘I can handle it.'

‘You don't need to,' he responded smoothly.

Hannah wanted to hit him. ‘My business,' she said firmly. ‘My problem.'

It could wait, Miguel decided, aware that pursuing it now would only exacerbate the situation.

Kew was an old, well-established suburb with large stately mansions, and Miguel turned the car into a leafy avenue, then halted outside an impressive set of gates leading to Graziella and Enrico del Santo's imposing residence.

‘We'll discuss this later.' The window slid down and he pressed the intercom, gave his name, then waited as the gates swung open.

‘The responsibility is mine, the action
my
decision,' she insisted as he parked the car on a wide pebbled apron adjacent the main entrance.

‘Independence in a woman is an admirable quality,' Miguel intoned silkily. ‘But there are times when you take it too far.'

He slid from behind the wheel, and she stepped out, then closed the door.

‘And a man's indomitable will is a pain in the butt.'

‘Pax,' Miguel slanted coolly, and she offered him a brilliant smile.

‘Of course,
amante
,' Hannah offered in a deliberately facetious response. ‘I wouldn't dream of tarnishing our image.'

‘Behave,' he admonished as they mounted the few steps to the massive double entrance doors.

They swung open as they reached them, and a tall well-built man in his fifties offered an affectionate greeting.

‘Hannah.' Enrico leant forward and pressed his lips lightly to one cheek, then the other, and pumped Miguel's extended hand. ‘Come through to the lounge.'

As they drew close it was possible to hear the light hum of conversation, and Enrico led them into a large spacious room filled with heavy antique chairs and sofas grouped into comfortable facing sets.

Men stood, resplendent in formal dinner suits, and
each of the women resembled a model out of
Vogue
, the epitome in elegance and cosmetic perfection.

Hannah let her gaze skim a few familiar faces, her smile genuinely warm as she moved forward. She was one of them, born into established old money, educated and groomed to become part of an élite social clique. Hell, she'd even married into it.

Graziella enveloped them warmly, then she placed an arm through one each of theirs and drew them towards the centre of the room.

‘You know most everyone. Except some dear people I very much want you to meet. They are visiting from Europe this summer.'

Graziella and Enrico had friends in almost every city in the world, and frequently entertained guests in their home.

‘Aimee Dalfour, and her niece, Camille,' Graziella indicated in introduction. ‘Hannah and Miguel Santanas.'

Camille was tall, slender, and startlingly beautiful, with hair that cascaded way down past her shoulders in a fall of lustrous sable. Exquisitely applied make-up, flawless textured skin, and a body to die for. Add a designer gown and shoes, expensive jewellery, and the result was drop-dead gorgeous.

‘Miguel,' Camille purred in a sultry accented drawl.
‘C'est opportune.'
She extended her hand and silently dared him to take it, her dark eyes simmering with blatant challenge.

This woman was trouble, Hannah decided with a sinking heart. Camille's fascination with Miguel was
glaringly obvious. Also apparent was her intention to charm.

Hannah unconsciously held her breath as instinct caused all her fine body hairs to rise in protective self-defence, watching as Miguel brushed his lips to the manicured fingers, then released them.

‘Hannah,' Camille acknowledged with pseudo politeness, and returned her attention to Miguel.

‘Enrico will get you a drink,' Graziella informed them, ever the benevolent hostess. ‘What would you like?'

Hannah was tempted to request something exotic, but she hadn't eaten since midday and then only a yoghurt followed an hour later by an apple. Alcohol on an empty stomach was not conducive to a clear head.

‘Thank you. Orange juice,' she requested, and glimpsed Camille's faint
moue
at her choice.

‘You don't drink?' she queried in a tone that indicated not to imbibe was a social
faux pax
.

Hannah inclined her head. ‘In this instance I'd prefer to wait and have wine with dinner.'

‘You do not have the head for it?'

Hannah chose not to rise to the bait, and merely smiled.

Minutes later she sipped the cool liquid from a stemmed goblet, aware Camille excelled in her role as temptress.

Keep it up, Hannah warned silently, and I'll scratch your eyes out!

At that moment Miguel placed an arm along the
back of her waist. A gesture that didn't seem to have any effect at all.

The brush of beautifully lacquered nails as the Frenchwoman touched Miguel's sleeve. The deliberately seductive smile. The promise lurking beneath those impossibly long curled eyelashes.

Why, she was practically eating him alive!

Hannah decided enough was enough. She didn't have to stand here and
watch
Camille's blatant seduction.

‘If you'll excuse me?' She offered Camille a stunning smile, let it drift to settle on her inimitable husband for a few seconds before she moved away a few paces to join her father-in-law.

‘May I say you look beautiful tonight?' Esteban complimented lightly as he leaned forward and brushed his lips to her cheek.

‘Thank you,' Hannah responded gently. ‘It's a few weeks since you've been to the house. You must have dinner with us soon. We don't see enough of you.'

His smile was affectionately warm.
‘Gracias.
But you know how it is?' He gave a light shrug, and she couldn't resist teasing him a little.

‘A full social calendar,' she said gravely. ‘And several women vying for your attention?'

‘Ah, you flatter me.'

‘No,' she assured him kindly. ‘You're a very nice man, of whom I'm very fond.' And one any woman in her right mind would snap up in a minute. Except his late wife Isabella held a special place in his heart, and he had no desire to find a substitute.

A mutual acquaintance joined them, and after a few minutes she moved away.

‘I think,' a light feminine voice suggested, ‘you might need to sharpen your claws.'

Hannah turned towards Suzanne Trenton. ‘Really? And use them on
whom
? Miguel?'

‘
Camille
, darling. There are other methods a wife can use to tame her husband.'

It was meaningless repartee, spoken with jesting cynicism for the benefit of mutual amusement.

‘Such as?' Hannah ventured, and Suzanne gave a soft laugh.

‘Expensive jewellery.'

‘Do enlighten me,' Miguel drawled as he threaded his fingers through those of his wife.

Hannah stood perfectly still for a few seconds, then she allowed her gaze to meet his. ‘Pink and white diamonds,' she fabricated. ‘A drop necklace and matching earrings.' A bewitching smile tilted the edge of her lips. ‘They're quite beautiful.'

‘Is this a wifely hint?' His mouth slanted into a humorous curve, at variance with the still watchfulness evident as he raked her features, noting the over-bright smile, her tense stance.

At that moment Graziella announced dinner was about to be served, and began directing guests towards the dining room.

‘There was no need for you to desert me,' Miguel intoned mildly as they moved across the room.

‘You appeared to be doing quite well on your own.'

‘Careful,
querida
,' he drawled musingly. ‘Your claws are showing.'

She gave him a winsome smile. ‘Why,
amante
,' she offered with quiet emphasis, ‘I haven't even begun to unsheathe them.'

If Graziella seated them close to Camille, she'd scream. The gods couldn't be that unkind, could they?

It appeared they could.

‘I thought I'd place you opposite Camille,' Graziella remarked as she suggested prearranged seating arrangements. ‘Hannah studied French and lived in Paris for more than a year,' she informed Camille graciously. ‘As you're both in the fashion industry, you'll have much in common.'

Oh, my, this
was
going to be a fun evening!

‘G
RAZIELLA
tells me you have a boutique on Toorak Road,' Camille began soon after they were seated. ‘I must call in and check it out.'

‘Please do,' Hannah said civilly, for what else could she say? Miguel was engaged in conversation with Peter Trenton, exploring the mores of legalese.

‘Do you carry a range of accessories?'

A hired waitress began serving the first course, a delicate clear broth.

‘A small selection of scarves, belts,' Hannah elaborated. ‘Exclusive hosiery.'

Camille lifted an expressive eyebrow. ‘Miguel has no objection?'

‘To what, specifically?' she countered, reluctant to play Camille's game.

‘Your little hobby.'

Considering the hours she worked, the responsibility to her clients, the sheer expertise required in running a successful business, the Frenchwoman's words were an insult…as they were meant to be.

Hannah summoned a sweet smile. ‘He's relieved I have something constructive to do with my time.'

‘Surely he would prefer you to be available for him?'

Hannah looked at the Frenchwoman, caught the av
aricious gleam apparent, and opted for blatant honesty. ‘On call to accommodate his slightest whim?'

Camille spread her hands expressively. ‘Why…naturally, darling. If you don't, there are others who will oblige.'

‘Such as you?' There was nothing like going direct for the jugular!

Camille appeared to choose her words with care. ‘He's a very wealthy man, is he not?'

‘And wealth is everything?'

Camille's smile didn't reach her eyes. ‘It wields a power of its own.'

‘A reciprocal power.' There was no need for pretence. It was no secret the Santanas-Martinez marriage had been conveniently arranged to legally combine two family fortunes.

‘Power versus sexual attraction,' Camille pondered. ‘Which would Miguel choose, do you think?'

Hannah held Camille's gaze, and discarded subtlety. ‘I would say he already has.'

The other woman glanced at the wide baguette diamond wedding ring adorning Hannah's left hand. ‘Most men will stray, given sufficient provocation.'

She wanted to dispute the words. Insist with total knowledge that Miguel was not
most men
, and his fidelity and loyalty to her were a given.

The soup plates were removed and a starter served. Hannah looked at the artistically displayed smoked salmon dribbled with a caper sauce nestling in a nest of finely cut salad, and felt her appetite diminish.

Tension curled inside her stomach, and she took a
sip of wine, then picked up her fork and attempted to do justice to the starter.

Miguel was an attractive man, possessed of a primitive masculinity that drew women like a magnet. There had been occasions when she'd been mildly amused by other women's attempts at coquetry, all too aware the flirtation was merely a harmless game.

Instinct warned her that Camille didn't fit into the
harmless
category, and that bothered her more than she cared to admit, for it raised questions to which she had no answers.

Could
Miguel be tempted? Would he be sufficiently cavalier to indulge in an extra-marital affair? Somehow she didn't think so, but did she really
know
?

Theirs was a mutually convenient marriage that had
business
as its base.
Love
wasn't an issue…at least, not on Miguel's part. He cared for her, and she told herself it was enough.

One thing she was sure of—she wanted a relationship built on trust and loyalty. Not fabrication and empty excuses.

‘Not hungry?'

Hannah turned towards her husband, met his steady gaze and glimpsed an indefinable quality in the depth of those dark eyes.

She summoned a light smile. ‘Concern, Miguel?' His close proximity had a disturbing effect, for it made her aware of his exclusive brand of cologne meshing with freshly laundered cotton. His olive-toned skin was smooth, yet there was the hint of
shadow despite the fact he'd only shaved an hour before.

‘For you? Always.'

‘Protecting your investment,' she ventured quietly, and caught the faintest glimmer of anger evident. So fleeting, she wondered if she'd imagined it.

‘Of course,' he agreed silkily, and she tried to view the arrival of a superb paella with enthusiasm.

Camille seemed bent on engaging Miguel in conversation, and Hannah turned to the guest seated next to her and found herself caught up in an animated dissertation on the merits of boarding school education within Australia versus exclusive establishments overseas. Something which lasted until the paella was eaten, the plates removed, and a delicate seafood stew was served.

‘Graziella mentioned you have an interest in the fashion scene,' Hannah ventured, in a bid to distract Camille's attention from Miguel.

‘I model.'

Two words that supposedly said it all, Hannah reflected. ‘Any particular fashion house?'

Camille proffered a haughty smile. ‘Whoever offers the highest fee.'

‘I was in Paris for the latest season's showing,' she mentioned conversationally, aware she hadn't seen Camille on the catwalks. Such striking looks wouldn't have escaped her notice, she was sure.

‘I did Milan and Rome.' Camille lifted a hand and smoothed back a fall of hair in a gesture designed to
focus attention on beautifully lacquered nails and her superb facial bone structure.

It had undoubtedly taken her hours to dress and perfect her make-up. Far removed from the nineteen minutes Hannah had allowed herself!

The main course comprised
pescado a la sal
served with a delicious salad, and she ate a small portion of the delicate fish flesh with contrived enjoyment.

‘I believe we have a mutual friend,' Camille commented as Hannah finished the last of her salad.

It seemed possible, given their combined knowledge of the European fashion industry. ‘I'm sure we have,' Hannah agreed as she lifted her goblet and took a sip of excellent white wine.

‘Luc Dubois.' The name silvered the air, no less dramatic for its calculated delivery.

Hannah was conscious of a stillness at the table, as if all conversation had suddenly stopped…or was that just her imagination?

Her fingers tightened fractionally as she slowly set the goblet down onto the table. Miguel didn't move, but she could sense the flex of his body muscles beneath the expensive tailoring.

‘Luc is not one of my friends,' she said quietly. ‘He lost any claim to that distinction three years ago.'

The Frenchwoman arched an eyebrow in obvious disbelief. ‘He particularly asked me to convey his regards.'

She could simply incline her head and retreat. Except such an action would play into Camille's
hand, and there was something happening here that warned of a need for confrontation.

‘I find that difficult to believe,' Hannah relayed evenly, aware that none of the guests spoke a word. ‘We didn't part on good terms.'

‘Really? He spoke of you in quite—' she paused deliberately, allowed her eyes to widen, and then appeared to choose her words ‘—glowingly graphic terms.'

This was a calculated attack, and Hannah felt incredibly angry that Camille had chosen the verbal strike in public. To what purpose?

‘Luc was a European playboy who preyed on any woman who could fund his expensive lifestyle,' Hannah relayed with a calm she didn't feel. ‘I walked out on him as soon as I discovered he was a superficial leech.' She lifted her shoulders in a light dismissive shrug. ‘End of story. The press made much of it at the time.' She even summoned a faint smile, albeit that it held a degree of cynicism. ‘The Australian heiress and the French photographer.'

She held Camille's gaze. ‘If you want all the details, I'm sure you could look it up in any of the media archives.' So be damned, she concluded silently. It was old news, past news, and her only regret was that she'd been very cleverly fooled by a practised master of deceit.

‘Oh, dear,' Camille declared with a stab at contrition. ‘I am so sorry. I didn't realise…' She trailed to a halt.

No, you're not, Hannah thought, and yes, you al
ready knew. You just wanted to create an awkward situation.

Miguel covered Hannah's hand with his own, then he leaned towards her and brushed his lips to her temple.
‘Brava.'

His action deflated the air of tension, and within seconds everyone began talking at once.

Dessert was served, and Hannah forced herself to do justice to the
tocino de cielo
, a rich custard. She sipped excellent vintage wine, conversed with fellow guests, and gave every pretence of having a wonderful time.

She laughed at humorous anecdotes, commiserated with the Trentons at the difficulty of getting their two-month-old daughter enrolled into an élite private school, and attempted to ignore Camille's frequent slip in resorting to evocatively delivered French. Did the Frenchwoman imagine no one else understood? Or perhaps she didn't care if they did.

Miguel was fluent in French and Italian, as well as his native Spanish. Hannah had the advantage of the former two, but, even if she'd had no knowledge of the spoken word, the cadence of Camille's voice and its provocative delivery left little doubt Miguel was her target.

To his credit, Miguel did nothing to encourage the attention. But after almost three hours of observing the coveted glances, the blatant verbal seduction, Hannah was tiring of the pretence.

Smiling
, when all she wanted to do was render Camille some form of injury. Her jaw
ached
from it,
and her palms itched with the need to slap the Frenchwoman's face.

Coffee was served in the lounge, and she didn't know whether to laugh or cry with frustrated irritation when Camille wandered over to join them.

Dear heaven, the woman was persistent!

‘It would be so—' Camille paused fractionally ‘—pleasant,' she stated, ‘if you were to include me as a guest, socially.' She gave an expressive smile. ‘My aunt, her friends…' She trailed off, and her slender shoulders lifted in a typical Gallic gesture. ‘We have different interests,
comprendez-vous
?'

Hardly surprising, considering Camille's sole interest appeared to be Miguel!

‘How long will you be staying?' Hannah asked, hoping the visit would be extremely short!

The Frenchwoman lifted an expressive hand, then let it fall. ‘I have no immediate plans. A few weeks, several. Who is to say?'

‘I am sure Graziella has made arrangements to entertain you,' Miguel drawled, and received a sultry smile.

‘One must hope you are also included in such…' she trailed deliberately ‘…arrangements.'

Not if I can help it, Hannah decided as she endeavoured to subdue her anger.

Miguel took Hannah's empty cup and placed it with his own onto a nearby side-table. His expression was polite as he caught hold of his wife's hand and inclined his head towards Camille.

‘If you'll excuse us?'

‘You are leaving? It is so early,' the Frenchwoman protested.

‘Goodnight,' Miguel bade smoothly, only to discover Camille didn't give up easily.

‘You must both be my guests at dinner. Together with Graziella and Enrico, my aunt.' She paused, and offered a sweet smile. ‘Miguel, you must bring Esteban.' She cast Miguel a deliberately seductive look. ‘We shall make a date, yes?'

‘We'll check our social diary and get back to you,' Hannah intimated smoothly, aware this was one engagement she had no intention of keeping.

Camille's expression didn't change, but Hannah glimpsed a brief malevolent gleam in those dark eyes, and felt the beginnings of unease.

Cynical bantering on occasion was part of the game a number of people played, for it formed amusing repartee. But instinct warned Hannah the Frenchwoman played by no one's rules but her own.

‘Nothing to say,
querida
?' Miguel drawled as he eased the Jaguar out from the driveway.

She turned towards him, saw the beam of oncoming headlights cast angles and planes to his strong-boned features, and endeavoured to inject amusement into her tone.

‘You expect me to
condone
Camille's blatant behaviour?'

‘I could almost imagine you are jealous.'

He was amused, damn him!

‘Am I supposed to answer that?' she demanded coolly.

He spared her a quick glance, caught the fiery blue glare aimed in his direction, then returned his attention to the road.

‘It might be interesting to hear you try,' he declared indolently, and she burst into angry speech.

‘What would you have me say?' Her fingers clenched over the clasp of her evening purse. ‘That I objected to the way Camille monopolised your attention?
And
flirted outrageously.' She drew in a deep breath and expelled it slowly. ‘Dammit, she has designs on you! Anyone would have had to be
blind
not to notice it!'

‘Should I be flattered?'

‘Are you?' She held her breath waiting for his reply.

‘No,' Miguel declared with unruffled ease.

‘Hold that thought,' Hannah said darkly.

‘Why,
amante
?' he teased mercilessly as he gained the main street. ‘What would you do if I succumbed to her charms?'

‘Commit grievous bodily harm.' And die a little, she added silently. ‘Then divorce you.'

He cast her a sombre glance. ‘Extreme measures.'

‘What would you do if I showed an interest in another man?' Hannah retorted, unable to resist taunting, ‘Turn the cheek and look the other way?'

‘I'd kill you.' His voice held a dangerous softness that sent shivers feathering a path down her spine.