Edge of Paradise Read Free Page A

that she’d forgotten to ask Lois his real name. No matter. She expected to encounter him again, and she did, by the simple expedient of turning ’round.
    â€˜Looking for me?’ he inquired arrogantly.
    So what if he knew she had been looking for him? He’d know why, because Lois had prepared the ground for her by mentioning the typing agency and informing him that she hoped he would give her some work to do. So she clasped her hands tightly, took a deep breath and said without preamble, ‘What do I call you? Lucky?’
    His eyebrows lifted. ‘I hope so. You tell me.’
    Unsure of how to handle his blatant teasing, she tried again. ‘What’s your name?’
    â€˜Paul Hebden,’ he replied after a slight pause, as if he thought she should have known it.
    â€˜I’m Catherine Mason. The Cat in Allycats. My partner Alison Butler is the Ally part.’
    He studied her face for a moment, the total absorption in his jade eyes replacing the cold boredom so recently contained there.
    For the second time that evening she recognized the danger and knew she must not allow herself to feel flattered, no matter how novel it was to have the most interesting man in the room, the most interesting man she had ever met, come to that, looking at her as if she had suddenly changed from her average self into a creature of divine fascination.
    â€˜Mm,’ he said, in a way that made her wonder if he thought Cat was an appropriate name for her. She had been told more than once that her pointed face and sapphire blue eyes had a slightly feline look.
    â€˜Is this a new kind of party talk?’ he said unexpectedly.
    He was obviously telling her that he wasn’t in the mood to talk business. She sighed in resignation, and shivered despite the heat of the room. What he was in the mood for had been apparent all along.
    He said, ‘Have you a coat to collect?’
    She had hoped that her stay in the overheated smoky atmosphere wouldn’t be too prolonged, but now she didn’t want to leave its safety.
    â€˜If we go so soon, Lois will think her party is a flop.’
    â€˜Don’t be naive. It’s doubtful that Lois will take note of our leaving in this scrum. But if she does, that’s not what she will think at all.’
    She swallowed. She and Ally needed the work, but did they need it this badly? The simple answer was yes. So yes, she had a coat to fetch. And yes, he could take her home.
    She hoped she knew what she was doing. On the way home, sitting beside him in his car, a very expensive model with long racy lines, her thoughts were chaotic to say the least. Obviously he was dallying her along with the intention of eventually giving her some work to do. The million dollar question was, if he did, would she be able to cope? Bosses had long been noted for making passes. Even Charles, who had been almost perfect in every way—until the end—had tried it on at first. He’d accepted the fact that she didn’t want to play office hanky-panky and had gone back into line. Charles had respected her, going as far as to take her out on several occasions after his unsuccessful try-on, and every time his behavior had been that of a perfect gentleman.
    But Paul wasn’t Charles, as she was soon to find out. When she said, ‘That’s where I live,’ he drove straight past, beyond the illuminating glow of the street lamp, and didn’t stop until he found a place of deep shadows.
    Even though she expected it, it still came as a shock to be crushed so forcefully against his chest as he imprisoned her mouth in a kiss that blotted out everything but the most intense spurt of pleasure she had ever known. Every other kiss she had ever received faded into insignificance before the impact of this new experience, one which showed the others up for what they were: icing sugar kisses, sweet but impotent, leaving her senses untouched.
    Just as her mouth had softened