IN BED WITH THE BOSS

The networking started almost straight away. Scott kept her at his side as he walked the room, rarely needing to make an effort to gain attention because people were more eager to meet him. It was the quality of the man and his billionaire kudos, his entrepreneurial brilliance, his stunning good looks and his casually presented charm. He handled people with a low-key edginess that made them work all the harder to earn themselves an impressed glance or an approving smile. Smooth, Vivian described as she soaked him in like the rest of them.

Then he ruined it for her when he turned to her and said, “OK, this is where I leave you on your own for a while.”

Like a kick in the gut she instantly turned as white as parchment. Scott released a sigh, catching her by the shoulders and turning her to face him.

“All you have to do is circulate and listen. If you know what they’re talking about, join in. If you don’t know what they’re talking about, then ask questions,” he relayed as if it was really that simple. “People don’t mind being asked questions. In fact, they like to show off their knowledge. What they don’t like is someone pretending to know what they’re talking about when they don’t. OK?” Pressing the tremor out of her lips Vivian nodded.

“If they ask you anything too personal shoot them down the way you like to do to me,” he went on. “You have spirit, Vivian, use it to your advantage. Always be polite. Always be aware of how much you’re drinking. I will come and find you in, say, half an hour when we are due to go into dinner.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Glancing down at the fine silver watch circling her wrist, she said,”OK,” with only a tiny scared tremor showing in her voice. Scott heard it though and released a sigh.

“It’s OK-really,” she said and straightened her shoulders. “This is work- yes? I have to treat it that way.”

Still he hesitated, giving her the impression he wanted to say something else, and for some reason Vivian found herself holding her breath. Then he instructed, “Don’t bolt,” and walked away.

For the next half-hour Vivian braved the sharp jaws of socializing. Like Scott had said, it was easier than she expected because people tended to be them drawing her into their conversation rather than her needing to butt in.

Scott wished he’d found it easy to walk away from her but he hadn’t. He felt as if he’d abandoned a puppy on the fast lane of a motorway, but he needed to speak to some people privately. She was good at socializing though, he acknowledged with an inner smile. A set of slender long fingers coiled around his arm.

“So you’ve landed yourself a new little cuckoo already,” a mocking voice purred beside him.

Glancing down, Scott found a smile for the beautiful model, Elizabeth Smith who’d sidled up against him. Setting his teeth together behind the relaxed line of his mouth, he drawled, “Hello, Elizabeth. What are you doing here? Still enjoying playing the heartless bitch, I see”

“I’m heartless?” Her lovely eyes opened wide. “I should be the one saying that. Tell me, Scott McCall, how many hearts have you broken since you became sexually active?”

Scott released a dry laugh. Elizabeth was a bitch and a brazen one but at least she had a sense of humor. He liked that about her. “That’s too personal, isn’t it?” he asked.

Elizabeth shrugged. “Well, I do have a right to know. Since you dumped me for her.” she raised her hands, “No hard feelings, though. I understand why… she’s beautiful. I knew she was up to something the first time I saw her.”

Unable to stop himself from glancing across the room to hunt Vivian down. Scott caught sight of her dark head amongst a group of younger people and wasn’t sure he liked the odd stinging sensation that ran down his front. He fought the urge to tell her that he wasn’t dating Vivian. It was none of her business.

“The cuckoo looks different from your usual type, doesn’t she?” Elizabeth prodded lightly, following his gaze. “She’s so shy and reserved-just look at the way she’s blushing at whatever Eliot Peter is saying to her…” Scott was looking.

“She doesn’t have a clue how to deal with people like us.”

“Like us?” Scott was curious enough to pick up on the comment.

“Well, we’ve already established that I’m a heartless bitch and you’re a ruthless heart-breaker. And there is a room full of both those types here tonight. Elegant, bored, social spinners,” she extended candidly. “Men with their egos in their wallets and their pants, and women with theirs in the exact same two places -and I meant in the men’s,” she made clear. “The cuckoo stares at us all as if we are aliens and I don’t really blame her.”

“And perhaps she recognises that she’s sauce for tongues like yours,” Scott offered up. “Do me a favor, Elizabeth,” he said quietly.”Keep your barbs out of Vivian.”

“And you will do what for me?” she shot back.

Leaning down, Scott brushed a light kiss to one of her smooth cheeks. “Respect you,” he murmured and walked away.

Vivian saw the kiss and wondered what that was all about. She recognized the woman from the first day she’d met Scott in his hotel room. The lady didn’t seem to like her very much. She wondered how many other women present at the party had history with Scott. He had beautiful women coming out of his pockets, she decided acidly, thinking of who he had been going out with last night before he bumped into her. Did he later meet up with her after he dropped her off at her place? She pitied herself and the woman… whoever she was. She also pitied the one he’d just kissed and walked away from, she decided as she turned and strode off in the opposite direction. For there was one lesson Scott had already taught her which stopped her short of being jealous of her and the kiss-he left with the woman he arrived with and saw her safely back to her own front door. Or her bedroom door in her case tonight. Or inside the bedroom door if it was anyone else.

A hand caught her wrist as she was about to continue through the open doors onto the pool terrace. For a brief second she thought it was Scott and a wry smile curved her mouth as she turned her head with the intention of telling him the half an hour was not yet up. But the smile died along with her sinking heart when she found herself staring into the cold silver eyes of an unknown man.

“I want words with you,” he informed her thinly.

She didn’t like the look on his face. “I don’t think so.” she replied. “Trying to pull free from his grip, her wrist hurt when he tightened his hold on it.” Let go of me” She frowned at him in contemptuous surprise.

“Not until I get some answers from you.” Pulling her away from the doorway, he swung her into a corner of the room behind a giant palm plant. “Right,” he said, pushing his handsome face up close to hers. “You need to tell me why you’re here with Scott McCall, clearly as his date and my sister is not”

“I don’t know who you are” Vivian denied, wincing when his hard fingers crunched the tender bones in her wrist.

“And I don’t know who your sister is either…but if your sister is anything like you, then I certainly see why Scott isn’t here with her. I’d want to stay away too.” Vivian retorted scornfully, still trying to get away from him and glancing over the top of his blocking shoulder to see if anyone had noticed the way he’d cornered her like this.

It came as a shock to realize that he’d chosen his spot carefully because the palm plant virtually sealed them off from view. Then she gasped when he pushed in on her, his body pressing her back against the wall.

“Listen to me,” he rasped. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t let yourself get in the middle of this thing between me and that jealous bastard because if my sister gets hurt, I will do anything to get back to him, and I don’t care who takes the heat!” His face was so close to hers that she was breathing in the alcohol from his angry breath.

“Well tell him yourself, freak!” Vivian whipped back, shuddering with distaste. “And if you don’t release me from this corner I will start shouting for help!”

“No, you won’t,” he jeered. “I’ve been watching you and you look lost. I’m sure you are too damn scared of making a scene here. Your date won’t like it.”