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Katy had to swallow on the lump that rose in her throat. Her father was so happy. It was in his eyes, his bearing, and she knew he would never have mentioned anything about her mother, except yesterday he had been under such terrible pressure. As he stood back and looked down at her she forced herself to smile. 'I'm delighted everything has worked out, Dad, and I never believed you anyway,' she lied softly.
'Good morning. I see you're all waiting for me.' Jake breezed into the room. 'My apologies, but I had a rather late night with a lovely lady, and overslept.' His dark gaze settled on Katy, and she itched to knock the stupid grin off his face.
Before she could respond he had crossed the room and pulled out a chair. She noticed he had been home to change, and his navy pin-striped suit only served to enhance the aura of energy and power that was such a natural part of his make-up.
'Close your mouth and sit down before you fall down, Katy. You look rather fragile this morning.'
'Thanks to you,' she muttered under her breath, furious he had caught her staring at him.
For the next hour Jake was all business, and reluctantly Katy was forced to admire the way he outlined and explained his reorganisation of the firm. He talked figures with John until her head rang in her efforts to keep up with them. Finally he pushed his chair back and said, 'Right, I think that's everything, and the vote is a mere formality-----'
'We still have to have one,' Katy interrupted. 'And I also want to see everything you've outlined in writing.' He was not going to bamboozle her today as he had yesterday.
'But of course, Katy.' He didn't bother to hide the derision in his voice as he added, 'Raise your hands, all those in favour,' and negligently lifted his hand.
'Really, Jake, there's no need,' her father said with a brief chuckle. 'I know what a great personal favour you are doing for me and Katy.'
'Put your hand up, David; it's a man's lot to humour the women in their lives,' he responded with a smile for her father.
Katy felt a complete idiot, but still she raised her hand; she couldn't back down now.
'The ayes have it,' Jake drawled, tongue in cheek. 'And now, I'm afraid, I must dash.' Scraping his chair back, he stood up. 'I have another appointment. I'll be in touch, David.'
Katy sat, her face bright red and her green eyes spitting fire. She felt like a five-year-old suitably chastised by the adults, and as for her father, almost licking Jake's boots, she wanted to blurt out just how much of a false friend the man was. She opened her mouth to speak, but bit back the words as her eyes clashed with Jake's.
He walked around to where she sat, his smile one of mocking amusement. 'You, Katy darling, I will see tonight, hmm?' He wasn't asking but telling her; the deal was struck, and she had no escape. His dark head swooped and he planted a hard kiss on her lips. 'Till later.' His action in front of her father stamped her as his possession clearer than words.
She sat where he had left her, still trying to recover her scattered senses; one touch of his lips and she lost all will to fight him. Her father spoke.
'It makes me very happy to see you and Jake together again, Katy. I always thought you should have married him years ago, but still, better late than never.'
'What? Oh, yes,' she mumbled. Only Jake was not offering marriage this time. He had asked her twice before. Perhaps she should have married him years ago and ignored his affair with her stepmother. In the intervening years none of the men she had dated had aroused the least sexual interest in her; only Jake had the magic touch where she was concerned.
With a sigh she looked around the empty boardroom. There was no point in sitting here—she had work to do, and, getting to her feet, she gathered up her belongings and stuffed them in her briefcase.
She walked down the stairs and along the hall a couple of minutes later, once more the cool businesswoman. Tomkins, the head of sales, accosted her before she reached the design office.
'Great success yesterday, Katy, thanks to you. The Sheikh has dealt with this company for over fifty years, but he was seriously tempted by Wedgwood until you came along with those new designs. You have done a great job.'
Katy smiled briefly at Tomkins, the compliment lifting her spirits. Designing was something Jake could not undermine as he had her modelling career, she thought more cheerfully. With a lighter step she wandered into the studio she shared with Mike Lasty.
She looked around the large pleasant room overlooking the Thames, the huge plate-glass window flooding the space with light. Mike was at his desk in one corner, his head buried in a book.
He was a man in his fifties, and had been with the firm for years, but he obviously wasn't overloaded with work, Katy thought wryly. She had grown to like him, and it always amused her the fascination he had for PG Wodehouse and Jeeves.
He spent hours reading the same books over and over again, and more than once she had seen him drawing cartoon figures of the characters.
'Working hard, Mike?' He jumped in his chair and dropped the book.
'Katy, I wish you wouldn't creep up on a man. You almost gave me a heart attack.'
She smiled; Mike had confided to her that his secret ambition was to get a cartoon strip published in the newspapers. So far he had not got around the copyright issue; privately she thought he never would...
Her drawing-board was a state-of-the-art white and chrome contraption, and gratefully she sat down in the matching white chair, the familiarity of her surroundings
easing her troubled thoughts. She turned to Mike. Her performance at the board meeting had seriously dented her confidence, and she badly needed some more reassurance.
'Mike, before I came here to work, who designed the new china?'
