Fantasy Girl

Natalie gasped with the bluntness of the statement, biting her bottom lip as she saw the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. Damn the man, he had enjoyed disconcerting her! But he also meant what he had said; his expression was inflexible. Her head went back in challenge. ‘Why?’

His brows rose, as if he weren’t accustomed to being questioned about his decisions. ‘Do I need a reason?’ he asked coldly.

She doubted this man ever felt the need to give a reason for any of his actions! And yet she felt she was owed one about such an important matter, and whether Adam Thornton liked it or not, she would have one. ‘I think so,’ she nodded stubbornly.

He looked at her silently for several minutes. ‘Okay, Miss Faulkner,’ he finally shrugged. ‘You can have your reason. Your Miss Judith Grant is having an affair with the head of my Advertising Department, Jason Dillman.’

The statement was delivered calmly, without emotion, and it had all the bigger impact because of that, robbing Natalie of speech. Not that she doubted the truth of what he said, she knew Judith too well for that.

‘My married head of Advertising,’ Adam Thornton added pointedly at her silence.

Natalie closed her eyes momentarily. Judith had pulled some stunts in her time, but this was definitely the worst one to date! She had known how important this Thornton contract was to Natalie, and not only did she not turn up for photographic sessions, she was having an affair with a married employee of Adam Thornton’s, something he obviously frowned upon.

A mental image of Jason Dillman came to mind—tall, a very smart dresser, very good-looking in a film-star sort of way, with blond hair and flirtatious brown eyes. He certainly didn’t give the impression of being a married man; he had asked her out several times when they had first consulted together on the choosing of the Beauty Girl. His over-confident charm hadn’t appealed to her in the slightest, so she had turned him down, little dreaming he had turned his attention to Judith, and with much more success by the sound of it.

But she had to at least attempt to defend the other girl. She felt a loyalty towards her, even if Judith had proved by her actions that she didn’t feel the same loyalty. ‘Maybe she doesn’t know he’s married—–’

‘She does.’ ‘She—does?’ Natalie faltered reluctantly.

‘Yes,’ Adam Thornton confirmed grimly. ‘And if you aren’t careful, she’s going to get your agency a reputation for more than just modelling!’

Natalie paled. ‘What do you mean?’ she gasped, very tense.

The blue eyes taunted as he looked down at her, his mouth twisting mockingly. ‘Use your imagination, Miss Faulkner,’ he drawled. ‘There’s a name for models who supply more than modelling.’

‘How dare you!’ Natalie stood up indignantly, and then wished she hadn’t as she stood only inches away from Adam Thornton, dangerously close, she felt as she moved away jerkily.

‘Oh, I dare,’ he drawled hardly, not at all impressed by her anger. ‘And I want it stopped.’

Her eyes flashed as she looked at him, hating the way he could sit there looking so calm and relaxed when he had just accused her agency, her models, of procurement. ‘Then talk to Jason Dillman,’ she snapped. ‘It takes two, you know.’

‘I’m well aware of the facts of life, thank you,’ he snapped coldly.

She could imagine he was more than aware of them, that he familiarised himself with those facts very often. There was an air of sexuality about the man that seemed to indicate the need to indulge in a regular physical relationship. With his wife…? Natalie somehow doubted he was married; she had an impression of a lone wolf, who only returned to the pack out of necessity and not through choice. That impression of a savage again!

‘However,’ he continued curtly, ‘I feel this matter is your responsibility.’

‘Mine?’ she protested.

‘Judith Grant is your model—–’

‘And you chose her for the job!’

Once again his brows rose. ‘Not me,’ he shook his head, his eyes narrowed. ‘Jason.’

‘But he said—–’

‘Yes?’

‘Nothing,’ she snapped, flushing at his sarcasm. ‘All right, Mr Thornton, I’ll talk to Judith—–’

‘You’ll do more than talk to her if you want to keep the Thornton business.’ He stood up to sit back in the swivel chair. ‘You either get the girl to stop this affair now, or we drop her as the Beauty Girl.’

‘That would cost you a lot of money,’ Natalie reasoned, knowing the launching of Beauty Girl had cost thousands.

Adam Thornton sat forward, resting his arms on the desk-top. ‘I can afford it,’ he said arrogantly.

‘Look, what does it matter to you?’ she sighed her impatience. Judith was far from the first girl to have an affair with a married man! ‘So they’re having an affair—–’

‘It matters to me, Miss Faulkner,’ he ground out. ‘And I think it should matter to you—or do your models offer extra services?’ He looked at her with cold blue eyes.

Natalie had never felt so angry in her life, her hand itched to make contract with the hardness of his cheek, although she restrained the impulse with effort. Losing her temper with this man wasn’t going to help this situation at all.

‘Well?’ he rasped at her silence. ‘Do they?’

Natalie’s mouth compressed angrily. ‘I believe I require an apology for the insult you just gave to me and the women who work for me.’ She refused to waver under the steely gaze he directed at her.

‘Does that mean the answer is no?’ he mocked.

‘Yes!’

‘Pity,’ he drawled unrepentantly. ‘I may have had a proposition—for you.’

‘Mr Thornton—–!’

‘All right,’ he put up a silencing hand. ‘If your agency is as innocent as you say it is then I apologise.’ He didn’t look as if the word came easily to his lips. ‘But that doesn’t alter the fact that one of your models is conducting an affair with one of my married employees.’

At twenty-five Natalie should have been past the stage of blushing when a man made a personal remark, and yet she hadn’t expected it from Adam Thornton; their conversation until that moment had been totally removed from themselves. With that one softly spoken comment he had made her totally aware of him, of the aura of sensuality that was part of the fundamental man. And after the insults he had levelled at her today she didn’t like being made aware of him in this way; she considered him the enemy—and he would remain that way! Certainly the less she had to do with him the better.

She collected up her clutch-bag, straightening her shoulders. ‘I’ve told you I’ll talk to Judith,’ she said stiffly as she stood up.

‘And if she won’t listen?’

‘I’ll make sure she does,’ she told him with much more confidence than she felt. She was the last person Judith was likely to listen to. But she had to try!

He nodded dismissal. ‘I’ll leave it in your—capable hands, then.’

Natalie gave one last angry glance at the dark head bent forward as he lit another cheroot, and the man was instantly shrouded in smoke, shielding his expression.

But she was aware of him watching her as she walked to the door, and some of the tension left her once she had reached the relative peace of her car.

But not all of it! How could Judith be so stupid as to get involved with another married man? Only too easily, as she knew from past experience.

It was just after twelve when Natalie got back to the office, and none of the anger or embarrassment she had felt when Adam Thornton made his accusations had left her, although to look at her calm demeanour no one would have guessed at her seething emotions.

Dee looked up from her work as she came into the room. ‘Visitor for you in your office,’ she told her cheerfully.

‘Judith,’ Dee nodded with a grimace.