Convenience

Part 55

Beatrice nearly groaned. Ok, why did it now feel as if she was fodder for a bird of prey? It was in the way he was looking at her. As if she was some tasty morsel. Tasty morsel? Of course she had changed over the last five years. But, she was the same woman inside. She knew what kind of morsels he liked and she wasn't it!

Beatrice glared at him. He had the temerity to smile. A predator's smile.

Oh, she was close to thumping the man. Which for Beatrice really wasn't her normal behaviour. That thought instantly sent her a wake up call. She needed to calm down. He was deliberately unnerving her. Which was rather odd. It was as if a switch had been flicked. For their lunch had gone from feeling like nothing more than an easy going chat between people who had not been in contact in a while to feeling as if a wildfire tore through her body. A fire was racing through her blood singeing every cell as it vibrated through her. The power of this fire racing through her was not expected.

It was disconcerting. And exciting. Her heart was pounding. Suddenly pounding. Simply because he was looking at her and the message in his gaze branded her. Beatrice gulped. She knew in that moment that life was about to get very complicated. She had made a mistake coming here today. Made a mistake agreeing to have lunch with the man. For this had never been about the lunch. This was a strategic move. He was planning a takeover that involved her. She saw it in his eyes. He wanted her to see it in his eyes. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Beatrice decided she needed to row back a few hundred miles. Time to fight for control. She was going to make him spell it out. "In what way have you changed your mind?" A brow quirked. "And about what?" As if she didn't know, given the expression in his eyes. But if he thought he was just going to step back into her life, he was about to find out just how wrong he was. The girl of five years ago was long gone. She was not going to be manipulated into anything. No matter how charming. Or seductive. No manipulation.

"Us." The word was breathed out like a promise. His eyes never broke contact with hers.

"There. Is. No. Us."

She felt suddenly breathless. It was down to the fact she felt trapped in his gaze. It felt as if he had lassoed her and was now slowly but surely reeling her in. Why hadn't she noticed him casting the lasso? Why had it taken her so long to notice it had landed around her? Why wasn't she running before she got into some very real trouble. Once again she nearly burst out laughing. Got into some real trouble. She was already in real trouble. Oh the man was good at playing this game. His stealth had gone unnoticed until it was too late.

"I disagree!" David watched the flurry of emotions that cascaded through her eyes. Maybe, just maybe his plan would work. She looked rattled. Before Beatrice could interrupt him, "So." Time to pile on the pressure. "Actually, there is." He bridged his fingers and said matter of fact as if he was offering her a choice. "The question is what are we going to do about it." He knew what they were going to do about it. She read his intentions in his eloquent eyes. He wanted her to see his intentions.

At which point, Beatrice pushed one hand against the seat and shuffled along the seat. It was obvious she was leaving. David watched as she scooted along the seat, doing little to hide the fact that she was furious. Calmly he retrieved his wallet, extracted a few bills, placed them on the table and scooted along his side of the seat. He banked his smile. She could run. But only so far. And only for so long.

Beatrice had just got to her feet when a tall willowy blonde stopped beside her. Beatrice's eyes narrowed. The last thing she needed was to bump into one of his girlfriends. Not when she was about ready to spit tacks and quite happy to use any target.

"Hello." Said the blonde woman, smiling and holding out a hand to Beatrice. Beatrice opted to be rude and ignore the outstretched arm. Beatrice glowered. By which point David was on his feet and standing beside Beatrice.

Did his, current or past, girlfriend really expected her to speak to her? It was bad enough reading about his girlfriends in the newspapers. This is why she never came regularly to Auckland. She stayed away. Just in case she saw him with his girlfriends.