Chapter 43

'Natalie? Are you all right?' Paula touched her arm and Natalie snapped back to the present.

'Fine, just fine.'

'I didn't upset you—about Neil, I mean?'

'Of course not. He's your problem and I for one would give him a hefty kick. He's about due for it.'

They were both giggling as they made their way to the foyer where the others were waiting, and it seemed to Natalie that all the men were looking at them a trifle anxiously, Kip of course with more derision than anxiety. Maybe they had expected a fight in the powder-room? Paula walked determinedly to Neil, taking his arm in what looked like a judo grip, and Natalie burst into laughter, whirling towards the door, her skirt flying around her, the yellow flowers bright cascades of colour against the black.

'Let's go!' she sang out brightly:

Kip was beside her in two strides, taking her arm and pulling her close to his side, his voice low and commanding.

'Slacken off,' he ordered abruptly. 'Go on like this and you'll shatter into bits.'

Her heart started fluttering as soon as his fingers touched her skin and he felt the tremors of feeling rush through her.

'I'm enjoying myself!' She carefully did not look at him, afraid now to give herself away, her knowledge too new to be faced.

'The hell you are! You're just about ready to spin off the world, and all with three sips of wine. You should-be either spanked soundly or put to bed—probably both.'

'I'm not tired!' She looked up at him defiantly, her blue-black hair emphasising her olive skin, her softly tinted cheeks, her eyes blazing green, more alluring than she would ever know.

'Did I mention sleep?' His eyes burned into hers. 'Be thankful for vast crowds, beautiful. I could eat you with no difficulty at all.' She shuddered with feeling and his hand tightened, sheer male satisfaction in his eyes. 'You're surely asking for it,' he growled. 'Now, behave yourself. Our club is respectable, all passions carefully hidden.'

'Oh? How does Annette manage, then?' She had a desire to drive him to some form of retaliation, to goad him into action, her feelings bubbling up inside, ready to overwhelm her.

'Annette? She's a calm headmistress, butterfly.'

The calm headmistress arrived beside them, almost breathless, grasping Kip's arm like a vice.

'Darling! I hope you haven't been telling her off? She's really entertaining when she lets herself go.' Her blue eyes were everywhere, questioning, probing, inspecting Natalie's flushed face and Kip's sardonic satisfaction.

'But she never lets herself go, do you, Natalie?' he murmured sardonically. 'We have here a television lady in action, entertaining contacts.'

'So long as there's not too much contact, darling.' Annette chortled; at least she meant to chortle but it came out so shrilly that the others, coming up looked with an equal amount of suspicion at both Natalie and Kip.

'My partner, I think,' Ray said firmly, taking Natalie's arm and marching her off to the cars. 'What did you say to Paula?' he enquired softly. 'She seems to have improved. She might even take a swing at Bradshaw herself and save me the trouble.'

'Dear me,' Natalie sighed mockingly. ^'Everybody wants a quiet word with me.'

'I'll not ask about Forsythe's words if you tell me about Paula,' Ray said artfully. 'It's obvious what he would like to say to you. Watch out for that Annette person. She looks the sort of woman to have a dagger in her stocking-top.'

'You're fairly crude,' Natalie informed him, giggling with an unaccustomed feeling of light-headedness.

'I manage.' He grinned down at her. 'Let's get back to Paula and the discussion.'

'Are you my friend, Ray?' she suddenly asked seriously, the excitement and burning feelings leaving her all at once, making her feel just too vulnerable.

'Well, I always have been. I'm a safe friend, dear thing, because, for reasons I can never fathom, I'm not in love with you.'

'Thank you, Ray,' she said as solemnly as a child. 'I may need a friend.'

'Look no further. Can you manage to calm down, do you think? Forsythe looks as if he's considering violence, then there's the Annette with her own brand. Let's talk like two old buddies.'