‘How are things going in that direction?’ asked Kate.
Josie took her hairbrush and began to brush the back of Kate’s hair for her. ‘Well, he’s actually got round to asking me out to dinner this evening. That’s partly why I’m not going out this afternoon. I’m going to spend the time getting myself ready to impress him tonight. I’m going to give him the full treatment—face pack, hairdo, full make-up, and a new dress.’
‘Poor man won’t know what’s hit him,’ Kate chuckled, satisfied that her hair was smoothed out over her jacket. She always wore her hair loose now. It took more looking after this way, but she clung to the fact that Damien liked it like this.
Damien. She had thought of him a lot the last few months, of the way he had kissed and caressed her, of his strong lithe body pressed close against her own. James had told her that Damien had come back into the country the week before, but although she had visited James a couple of times Damien hadn’t been there either time.
‘He’ll love every minute of it,’ giggled Josie.
‘You’re probably right,’ Kate laughed too. Josie was fun and Kate really enjoyed living with her. They often stayed up late at night just chatting together and drinking coffee. Josie had a way of never being tired or bad-tempered, and she made Kate feel the same way. She stepped back, looking at Josie for approval. ‘How do I look?’
‘Great,’ Josie enthused. ‘I wish I had that lovely fiery hair.’
‘You wouldn’t if you had the temper too.’ Kate glanced at her wrist-watch. ‘The taxi’s probably waiting downstairs. I’ll have to go now.’
‘Have fun!’
Kate wasn’t sure that was going to be possible. James’ friends weren’t all her friends, and while she might like some of them, there were a lot of these people she would rather not be left alone with. And James would be much too preoccupied with his new bride to spare the time to look after her. James and Sheri would be leaving fairly early; they were flying to Venice for the start of their honeymoon before going on to further explore Europe, so perhaps she wouldn’t have to stay at the reception too long herself.
The wedding was being held quietly at a register office in London, only twenty or so guests actually invited to this, but hundreds of people to the reception at one of London’s most exclusive hotels, a huge banqueting room being used for the purpose. Kate was one of the witnesses to the wedding, so she couldn’t be late. Sheri’s brother was the other witness.
They were all waiting for her when she arrived, her taxi having been held up in the traffic building up outside because of the crowd of people gathering around the doorway, the news of the marriage having leaked out somehow. James’ agent had probably considered it good publicity, even if James didn’t.
She only had time to give her brother and Sheri a quick kiss on the cheek before they had to go in and start the ceremony. She felt quite emotional during the marriage, much more emotional than when she had left the house to move into her flat. After all, James was no longer just her brother, his first duty must always lie with his wife from now on, and much as she herself loved Sheri and welcomed her into the family she couldn’t help crying.
She went out with the other selected guests to see them off to the reception, almost getting crushed in the rush of the fans to get a look at their idol and the celebrated model he had just married. She was jostled and knocked about until she thought she was going to fall over and be crushed underfoot.
‘Just hang on to me, Kate,’ rasped a familiar voice very close to her ear, and she felt a firm grip on her upper arm.
‘And for God’s sake stop crying! Stop making a damned fool of yourself!’
Her tears stopped instantly and she turned to face Damien Savage. God, how handsome he looked, dressed completely in white, the jacket to his suit fitting tautly across his powerful shoulders, his tanned skin making him look slightly foreign—and very exciting. She always noticed this about him, the way he appeared exciting, even angry as he was now.
‘Damien,’ she murmured softly, not sure whether she was glad to see him or not. She had wanted to see him quite desperately a couple of times in the last month, but to be suddenly confronted with him like this had thrown her completely off balance. He must have been at the wedding all the time and she hadn’t even realised. He looked so tall and sophisticated standing there, so completely the man in control. ‘I didn’t know you were here,’ she said lamely.
‘I’m not surprised,’ he returned dryly, dragging her along with him, uncaring of the people gaping at him as he became recognised. ‘You appeared to have eyes for no one but the bridegroom—and his bride, of course.’
They had reached his car parked in a quiet side-street, its sleek lines drawing almost as much attention as its owner. He thrust her inside before coming round to get in behind the steering-wheel, slamming the car into gear and accelerating away from the curious faces watching them through the smoky windows.
‘I wasn’t even sure you would be at the wedding at all, let alone act as one of the witnesses.’ He gave her a hard look. ‘What are you, a masochist?’
‘No.’ She cleared her throat, loving the tangy smell of his aftershave. She felt happy to be with him and apprehensive at the same time, but most of all she felt aware of him as completely male, sensual and dominant. ‘James asked me and I—’
‘You agreed!’ he finished scathingly, those green eyes of his raking over her mercilessly. ‘How could you do that to yourself?
