‘That was quite some interviewing technique, mister,’ she murmured wistfully, gazing at her shadowy reflection in the mirror on the wall. The suite was sumptuous, but the lights were cruel. Or maybe she had just aged. More likely, she’d had a shocking hold-the-mirror-up-to-yourself moment, and grown up.
All of the above, Bronte concluded.
She turned at a knock on the door.
Heath?
Heath was her first—her only thought.
Her heart was racing by the time she’d grabbed a robe and raced out of the bathroom, across the bedroom, to throw the lock, and opened the door.
On an empty corridor.
Glancing up and down, conscious she wasn’t dressed for public display, she retreated quickly and pressed the door to again, locking it securely. It was only when she calmed down she saw the note on the floor. Express checkout details?
It had to be …
But they wouldn’t call her Bronte, would they? The hotel wouldn’t write that on the front of the envelope in bold script, using a fountain pen.
She ripped the envelope apart and let it fall to the floor. Unfolding the single sheet of high quality notepaper, she read the brief message. Heath would like to see her in the morning, before she returned to the country…9 a.m., his house.
She scanned the letter again. It was more of a note—no flourishes, no personal asides, just Heath’s London address printed in raised script on the top right-hand corner. It was yet another kick-in-the-teeth reminder that Heath was in another place from the boy who had loved nothing more than a rough-house behind the stables with anyone foolish enough to take him on. Heath was a self-educated gentleman of culture and means these days, and it was Bronte who needed to get her head out of the sand.
THE outside of Heath’s town house was a paean to elegance. Palladian pillars framed neatly trimmed bay trees either side of an imposing front door. The dark blue paintwork was so flawless it had the appearance of sapphire glass. The door knocker was a gleaming lion with bared teeth.
How appropriate, Bronte thought as her hand hovered over it. She was bang on time. She had made sure of it. As she waited on the neat, square mat she noticed the matching door knob was a smooth, tactile globe that would fit Heath’s hand perfectly. Imagining his hand closed around it, she drew a sharp breath as he opened the door.
‘Welcome to my home.’ Heath, tall, dark and frighteningly charismatic, held the door open for her.
There was nothing to suggest he bore a grudge, or that last night had been the blitz of emotions she remembered. Heath was all business this morning. ‘Thank you.’ She stepped past his powerful presence into the hall.
Having left the crisp air of early morning behind only one thought hit her and that was, Wow. The warmth and luxury of Heath’s home enveloped her immediately, as did the restrained décor in shades of cream, white, beige and ivory—the occasional blast of colour provided by vivid works of art hanging on flawless, chalky-white walls.
Everything was spotless, and in its place—but this wasn’t just a showpiece, she realised, gazing around, this was a home. A bolt of longing grabbed her when she took in all the personal touches. They were in an imposing square hall tiled in black and white marble. The lofty ceiling was decorated with beautifully restored plasterwork, and the doors were heavy, polished wood. How had she missed so much about Heath? She must have been wearing blinkers. Yes, he was the same warrior, as evidenced by his business prowess now, but he was a protector too, as she knew from his care of her in London, and he was fun and sexy, clever—and could be a regular pain in the neck, when he put his mind to it, she thought, smiling to herself as Heath drew her deeper into the house. And the more she saw, the more she realised she had imagined many things over the years about Heath, but she had never pictured him as a homemaker. There was mail waiting to be posted on the antique console table with the gilt-framed mirror over it, as well as a couple of recently delivered yachting magazines, still in their cellophane wrappers. There was even a high-tech racing bike propped beside the front door—
‘Bronte?’ Heath prompted.
She was turning full circle like a tourist at the Louvre, Bronte realised—probably with her mouth wide open. How rude! Red-cheeked, she followed Heath down the hallway. She spied a litter of books scattered across a squashy sofa through one open door—his living room, she presumed. Classical music was playing softly in the background, and a log fire was murmuring in the hearth. He must have been relaxing there, waiting for her to arrive.
Nice to know someone could relax, she thought wryly as they passed another door. This opened onto a cloakroom with a boot rack stacked with an assortment of footwear and rugged jackets slung on antique hooks. It was all rather bloke-ish, and yet reassuringly normal for such a wealthy man.
And welcoming. That was her overriding impression, Bronte realised. Whether Heath knew it or not he had absorbed everything Uncle Harry had created at Hebers Ghyll. This was a real home, where the original features of the house had been retained and married with practicality and luxury, she thought as Heath showed her into his study. Understated and original were the keynotes that distinguished Heath’s home—but then he was an artist too, she remembered. If Heath could be persuaded to work this type of magic on Hebers Ghyll, the estate really would live again.
And their friendship? What were the odds on that surviving? Bronte wondered as Heath invited her to take a seat on the opposite side of his desk. There was nothing intimate in his tone of voice. It was all business for him now.
‘You know what this is?’ he said, pushing a sheaf of documents towards her.
She looked at him—looked into Heath’s deep, complex gaze. It sucked her in … and left her floundering. ‘A contract?’ she said, quickly gathering her scattered thoughts.
‘It’s a legal document setting out the terms for a six-month trial. Read it, and if you agree it, sign it.’ Uncapping the same fountain pen with which he must have written the brief note inviting her to his London home, he handed it to her. ‘I’ll leave you while you read and consider—and you don’t have to sign anything right away. You don’t have to sign it at all.’
‘But—’ She stood, wanting to thank him. This was everything she had ever dreamed of. And how flat dreams could feel when they came true, she thought as Heath left the room.
But this wasn’t just about her. There were others she had to think about. She sat down again and started to read, but all the time she was aware of the lovingly polished wood around her, and the warm, clean air, lightly fragranced with Heath’s shower soap—
Heath …
She’d pushed him away, shaking her head as if that could rid it of him—and was left with a contract.
He’d had a breakfast meeting with the lawyers to get the contract finalised—except he hadn’t eaten breakfast, and now he was hungry. He glanced at the cooker and the fridge—glanced at his wristwatch and thought of Bronte. He wanted her to be secure. He’d given her a cast-iron contract that protected her and gave her a pay-out if she changed her mind about working on the estate.
‘I can’t sign this, Heath.’
He turned to see her framed in the doorway. ‘Can’t or won’t?’ he said coolly.
‘You know what’s in here. It isn’t fair.’
‘No?’ His lips pressed down in a rueful smile as she walked across the room. ‘I thought it was very fair.’
‘But there’s nothing in it for you—no guarantees for you.’