His Mistress

chapter1

There was something about him which made her think of danger. Something dark and tantalising which drew her gaze like a magnet. Cassie felt the rush of blood to her cheeks and the sudden pounding of her heart as s she stared at the man across the busy holiday rush of the department store.

He was gorgeous. Too gorgeous to be real, surely?
Why, if she hadn't been surrounded by tinsel, fairy lights and a packed working schedule until the big day itself she might have thought that Christmas had come early.

Not that she had a lot to compare him with. It only the second time she'd been away from rural Cornwall- where most of the men she met wore cheap aftershave and trod on your toes while dancing. And when you got up close for the slow numbers you could see little pieces of blood stained tissue paper on their chins, where they'd cut themselves shaving.

Which was why landing this temporary job in London's most glitzy department store over the festive season was Cassie's chance to get away from the predictable world she'd grow up in and to live the dream. And London at this time of the year was a dream-an enchanted world of fairy lights and fake snow and an air of expectation. She loved Christmas.

Even working on the 'seasonal Candle' section - a firfestooned grotto selling a variety of upmarket candles was a dream. One which remained intact despite the best efforts of mearly-mouthed Lundy in nearby Cosmetics and the fact ten hours of standing made your feet scream with protest. Daily,Cassie dealt with stick-thin society matron and laughing students and over-excited children past her on their to see Santa.

Only today, she could see someone rather different from her usual customers- a tall, brooding man with skin the colour of brunished olive. Clad in a dark cashmere overcoat, his face proud and aristocratic,his lips mockingly sensual, yet there was a cold, hard glint to his eyes of pure ebony.

Cassie's heart started racing. Racing hard enough to burst. She was certain he wasn't interested in buying a candle- in fact, she was surprised to see him shopping at all. He looked like a sort of man who would have minions to do the more mundane chores in life and one who would never cut himself shaving. She didn't imagine he'd be tempted by her sales pitch, either- but something made her walk up to him, her bright professional smile fixed firmly in place.

Never in her life had Cassie been conscious of anyone's presence. He seemed to own the space around him simply by existing in it and excused a rare kind of charisma which made people stop and take a second look.