Fantasy Girl

Natalie gasped with the bluntness of the statement, biting her bottom lip as she saw the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. Damn the man, he had enjoyed disconcerting her! But he also meant what he had said; his expression was inflexible. Her head went back in challenge. ‘Why?’

His brows rose, as if he weren’t accustomed to being questioned about his decisions. ‘Do I need a reason?’ he asked coldly.

She doubted this man ever felt the need to give a reason for any of his actions! And yet she felt she was owed one about such an important matter, and whether Adam Thornton liked it or not, she would have one. ‘I think so,’ she nodded stubbornly.

He looked at her silently for several minutes. ‘Okay, Miss Faulkner,’ he finally shrugged. ‘You can have your reason. Your Miss Judith Grant is having an affair with the head of my Advertising Department, Jason Dillman.’

The statement was delivered calmly, without emotion, and it had all the bigger impact because of that, robbing Natalie of speech. Not that she doubted the truth of what he said, she knew Judith too well for that.

‘My married head of Advertising,’ Adam Thornton added pointedly at her silence.

Natalie closed her eyes momentarily. Judith had pulled some stunts in her time, but this was definitely the worst one to date! She had known how important this Thornton contract was to Natalie, and not only did she not turn up for photographic sessions, she was having an affair with a married employee of Adam Thornton’s, something he obviously frowned upon.

A mental image of Jason Dillman came to mind—tall, a very smart dresser, very good-looking in a film-star sort of way, with blond hair and flirtatious brown eyes. He certainly didn’t give the impression of being a married man; he had asked her out several times when they had first consulted together on the choosing of the Beauty Girl. His over-confident charm hadn’t appealed to her in the slightest, so she had turned him down, little dreaming he had turned his attention to Judith, and with much more success by the sound of it.

But she had to at least attempt to defend the other girl. She felt a loyalty towards her, even if Judith had proved by her actions that she didn’t feel the same loyalty. ‘Maybe she doesn’t know he’s married—–’

‘She does.’ ‘She—does?’ Natalie faltered reluctantly.

‘Yes,’ Adam Thornton confirmed grimly. ‘And if you aren’t careful, she’s going to get your agency a reputation for more than just modelling!’

Natalie paled. ‘What do you mean?’ she gasped, very tense.

The blue eyes taunted as he looked down at her, his mouth twisting mockingly. ‘Use your imagination, Miss Faulkner,’ he drawled. ‘There’s a name for models who supply more than modelling.’

‘How dare you!’ Natalie stood up indignantly, and then wished she hadn’t as she stood only inches away from Adam Thornton, dangerously close, she felt as she moved away jerkily.

‘Oh, I dare,’ he drawled hardly, not at all impressed by her anger. ‘And I want it stopped.’

Her eyes flashed as she looked at him, hating the way he could sit there looking so calm and relaxed when he had just accused her agency, her models, of procurement. ‘Then talk to Jason Dillman,’ she snapped. ‘It takes two, you know.’

‘I’m well aware of the facts of life, thank you,’ he snapped coldly.

She could imagine he was more than aware of them, that he familiarised himself with those facts very often. There was an air of sexuality about the man that seemed to indicate the need to indulge in a regular physical relationship. With his wife…? Natalie somehow doubted he was married; she had an impression of a lone wolf, who only returned to the pack out of necessity and not through choice. That impression of a savage again!

‘However,’ he continued curtly, ‘I feel this matter is your responsibility.’

‘Mine?’ she protested.

‘Judith Grant is your model—–’

‘And you chose her for the job!’

Once again his brows rose. ‘Not me,’ he shook his head, his eyes narrowed. ‘Jason.’

‘But he said—–’

‘Yes?’

‘Nothing,’ she snapped, flushing at his sarcasm. ‘All right, Mr Thornton, I’ll talk to Judith—–’

‘You’ll do more than talk to her if you want to keep the Thornton business.’ He stood up to sit back in the swivel chair. ‘You either get the girl to stop this affair now, or we drop her as the Beauty Girl.’

‘That would cost you a lot of money,’ Natalie reasoned, knowing the launching of Beauty Girl had cost thousands.

Adam Thornton sat forward, resting his arms on the desk-top. ‘I can afford it,’ he said arrogantly.

‘Look, what does it matter to you?’ she sighed her impatience. Judith was far from the first girl to have an affair with a married man! ‘So they’re having an affair—–’

‘It matters to me, Miss Faulkner,’ he ground out. ‘And I think it should matter to you—or do your models offer extra services?’ He looked at her with cold blue eyes.

Natalie had never felt so angry in her life, her hand itched to make contract with the hardness of his cheek, although she restrained the impulse with effort. Losing her temper with this man wasn’t going to help this situation at all.

‘Well?’ he rasped at her silence. ‘Do they?’

Natalie’s mouth compressed angrily. ‘I believe I require an apology for the insult you just gave to me and the women who work for me.’ She refused to waver under the steely gaze he directed at her.

‘Does that mean the answer is no?’ he mocked.

‘Yes!’

‘Pity,’ he drawled unrepentantly. ‘I may have had a proposition—for you.’

‘Mr Thornton—–!’

‘All right,’ he put up a silencing hand. ‘If your agency is as innocent as you say it is then I apologise.’ He didn’t look as if the word came easily to his lips. ‘But that doesn’t alter the fact that one of your models is conducting an affair with one of my married employees.’

At twenty-five Natalie should have been past the stage of blushing when a man made a personal remark, and yet she hadn’t expected it from Adam Thornton; their conversation until that moment had been totally removed from themselves. With that one softly spoken comment he had made her totally aware of him, of the aura of sensuality that was part of the fundamental man. And after the insults he had levelled at her today she didn’t like being made aware of him in this way; she considered him the enemy—and he would remain that way! Certainly the less she had to do with him the better.

She collected up her clutch-bag, straightening her shoulders. ‘I’ve told you I’ll talk to Judith,’ she said stiffly as she stood up.

‘And if she won’t listen?’

‘I’ll make sure she does,’ she told him with much more confidence than she felt. She was the last person Judith was likely to listen to. But she had to try!

He nodded dismissal. ‘I’ll leave it in your—capable hands, then.’

Natalie gave one last angry glance at the dark head bent forward as he lit another cheroot, and the man was instantly shrouded in smoke, shielding his expression.

But she was aware of him watching her as she walked to the door, and some of the tension left her once she had reached the relative peace of her car.

But not all of it! How could Judith be so stupid as to get involved with another married man? Only too easily, as she knew from past experience.

It was just after twelve when Natalie got back to the office, and none of the anger or embarrassment she had felt when Adam Thornton made his accusations had left her, although to look at her calm demeanour no one would have guessed at her seething emotions.

Dee looked up from her work as she came into the room. ‘Visitor for you in your office,’ she told her cheerfully.

‘Judith,’ Dee nodded with a grimace.

Natalie strode angrily into her office, closing the door behind her to confront the girl sitting in her chair behind the desk. Her sister, Judith …

CHAPTER TWO

NOT that the casual observer would have classed them as such; their colouring was so different, Judith being blonde where Natalie was so dark, Judith’s eyes were a clear deep blue, with none of the green that made the colour of Natalie’s eyes so hard to define. Their features were completely different too, although both were beautiful. Both were slender too, taking the same size in clothes, as Natalie remembered well from their childhood when her young sister had often borrowed her clothes without asking. But Judith moved with a languid grace she cultivated, while Natalie’s movements more decisive, more purposeful.

The elder by three years, Natalie had always protected her young sister as much as she was able to, although she rarely received thanks for that protection; Judith’s inconsideration for the agency was proof of that.

When they had both moved to London, Judith a year after Natalie, their parents had made Natalie promise to take care of the younger girl. It hadn’t proved an easy task, and the two of them had only managed to share a flat for six months before Judith moved out, claiming she had no privacy. Natalie’s main emotion at her sister’s move had been relief, but unfortunately her parents didn’t feel the same way about it.

When she had opened the agency her worried parents had begged her to take on Judith, and although she had been wary at such a choice she had to think of her mother and father fretting for them back in Devon. Her parents couldn’t possibly know just how necessary that worry was where Judith was concerned; her young sister had seemed to be involved with one unsuitable man after another the last three years. Her parents would be devastated if they knew of Judith’s latest involvement. Well, she would just have to put a stop to it before they found out—and before Judith ruined her. Natalie didn’t delude herself for a moment. Adam Thornton meant every one of his threats to her.

Judith stood up with that languid grace she was so well known for as Judith Grant, model. For some reason her young sister hadn’t felt that ‘Judith Faulkner’ sounded professional enough for her career, and Natalie was now glad of her sister’s conceit. At least it meant Adam Thornton couldn’t even guess at their relationship. How much more scathing he could have been if he had known Judith was her sister!

‘Now don’t frown, darling,’ Judith drawled in her throaty voice, coming round the desk to sit in one of the other chairs. ‘I wasn’t looking through your desk, only trying out your chair to see how you manage to sit behind that desk all day.’ She grimaced. ‘I couldn’t do it!’

Natalie moved to sit in the chair her sister had vacated, knowing that this conversation had to be carried out on a business level and not a family one. It was going to be embarrassing enough without family involvement. ‘Judith, I have to talk to you—–’

‘Oh, not the photographic session!’ her sister groaned. ‘Dee had already lectured me on how irresponsible I am.’

Natalie had completely forgotten the missed photographic session of this morning, which wasn’t surprising after her meeting with Adam Thornton! ‘Then I won’t mention it again, except to say that it shouldn’t have happened. I’m running a business here, Judith, and—–’

‘I thought you weren’t going to mention it again,’ her sister sighed wearily, obviously bored with the subject.

‘All right, I won’t,’ she snapped. ‘Let’s talk about Jason Dillman instead, shall we?’ She watched Judith with narrowed eyes.

If she had hoped to disconcert her sister she was out of luck. Judith looked unimpressed with the change of subject, checking the even application of her nail-gloss with an expression of boredom.

Natalie gave an angry sigh. ‘Judith, are you seeing him?’

Cool blue eyes met hers steadily. ‘Of course I’m seeing him, we work a lot together on Beauty Girl.’

‘That isn’t what I meant and you know it!’ Natalie snapped in exasperation.

‘Natalie, if you mean am I sleeping with the man then why don’t you just come out and say it?’ Judith taunted mockingly.

‘Well, are you?’ she demanded.

‘Yes.’

‘Judith, he’s married!’ Natalie gasped.

‘So?’ her sister drawled uninterestedly.

Sometimes she felt as if she didn’t know Judith at all. It didn’t seem to bother her sister in the least that Jason Dillman had a wife somewhere in the background.

‘He isn’t happy with his wife—–’

‘They never are,’ Natalie derided, and Judith at last gave a self-conscious grimace.

‘Okay, so Kenny was stringing me along,’ her sister shrugged, quickly regaining her confidence. ‘And he only wanted me because his wife was having a baby and couldn’t sleep with him. But it’s different with Jason.’

Natalie never knew how her sister could be so sophisticated in some ways and yet so gullible where men were concerned. She had become involved with Kenny Richards about a year ago, a married man who claimed his marriage was at an end, that he intended leaving his wife, when the time was right. It transpired that Kenny’s wife was very pregnant at that time, and that for the moment she couldn’t sleep with him because of ill health. As soon as the baby had been born and his wife was healthy again Kenny had dropped Judith as if she were red-hot.

‘Is it?’ Natalie said sceptically. ‘Or is he just telling you that?’

‘No, he isn’t just telling me that!’ Judith’s eyes flashed deeply blue. ‘He would have left Tracy years ago if he could have afforded to.’

She frowned. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Putting it crudely, Natalie, it means that Tracy holds the purse strings,’ her sister drawled in a bored voice. ‘And the job at Thorntons isn’t to be sniffed at either. It pays well, and it’s a very important position. I doubt if Thornton would be too pleased if he knew about Jason and me.’

‘Does he want you for himself?’ It was something that had only just occurred to Natalie. She really couldn’t understand Adam Thornton’s interest in the affair otherwise.

‘Heavens, no!’ Judith gave a disparaging laugh, her beautiful face mocking. ‘Adam Thornton interested in me?’ she laughed again. ‘He doesn’t become involved with models. The latest woman in his life is a real live princess.’

‘Well, she would hardly be a dead one,’ Natalie mocked dryly.

‘Very funny,’ Judith taunted. ‘I was only trying to point out that I’m not his type.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Why so interested in him, anyway? You’ve never spoken of him before.’

‘I’d never met him before,’ she sighed. ‘He already knows about you and Jason, Judith. He wanted to see me this morning to tell me about you. He wants it to stop, and he wants you to stop it.’ She met her sister’s gaze steadily.

‘Damn!’ Judith muttered, standing to pace the room. ‘How on earth did he find out?’

‘I have no idea—–’

‘We’ve even been meeting during the day so that he shouldn’t become suspicious,’ Judith continued to talk to herself as if Natalie hadn’t spoken.

‘Jason Dillman is the reason you’ve been missing the photographic sessions?’ Natalie gasped.

‘We had to meet some time, Natalie—–’

‘Not in Adam Thornton’s time!’

Judith’s mouth twisted. ‘It isn’t his time he’s worried about,’ she scorned. ‘It’s his little sister.’

‘Little—sister …?’

‘Mm,’ Judith nodded. ‘Jason is married to Adam Thornton’s baby sister.’

‘And he—You and he—–’ Natalie broke off, too shocked to be able to talk coherently.

No wonder Adam Thornton was so angry about the affair, no wonder he wanted it stopped immediately. His own sister’s husband! Goodness, he had a right to be angry. As she was, with Judith. Her sister had always been wayward, even as a child, going for what she wanted, when she wanted, with little regard for other people’s feelings. But she couldn’t be allowed to get away with this; this time she had gone too far. In the past Judith might have been pampered by over-indulgent parents, but here in London it was different, here Judith would be made to think of others, Tracy Dillman for one, Adam Thornton for another, and lastly her own sister. Judith had obviously not considered the reputation of the agency when she had entered into this affair.

‘How could you do it, Judith?’ she demanded furiously. ‘Adam Thornton’s own brother-in-law!’

Her sister shrugged. ‘I didn’t know that when I first started seeing him, but even when I did it made no difference to how I feel about him. Why should I care whose brother-in-law he is? If the little fool can’t hold on to him then she should let him go, not ask her big brother to interfere—–’

‘You heartless little bitch!’

‘Natalie!’ Judith gasped, stunned by the vehemence of Natalie’s words.

‘Surprised, aren’t you?’ Natalie snapped, her eyes like a stormy wind-tossed sea. ‘You thought your older sister didn’t have it in her to tell you exactly what she thinks of you,’ she drew in a deep ragged breath. ‘Well, I do! You’ve done some things in your time, but this is definitely the worst. Tracy Dillman obviously loves her husband very much, that’s why she wants to keep him. And you come along with your beauty and availability, and—–’

‘That’s enough, Natalie!’ Judith was white too now. ‘I didn’t come here to be insulted!’

‘Then why did you come?’ Natalie’s hands shook as she stood up to confront her sister. ‘Certainly not to work! I want this affair stopped, Judith, or you’ll be taken off the Beauty Girl contract!’

Judith remained unperturbed. ‘You can’t do that,’ she said confidently.

‘Maybe I can’t,’ she ground out, more angry than she could ever remember being before, ‘but Adam Thornton can. He has lawyers in his control who could make you wish you’d never heard of Jason Dillman!’

‘Never!’ Judith denied heatedly. ‘I love him.’

As quickly as Natalie’s anger had risen it now died, her protective instinct as Judith’s sister now coming to the for. ‘Maybe you do think you love him—–’

‘I don’t just think it,’ her sister said firmly, ‘I know it.’

‘But he’s married, Judy—–’

‘Don’t call me that,’ Judith snapped. ‘You know I don’t like it. And just because Jason signed a piece of paper seven years ago it doesn’t mean he’s still married. People change in seven years.’

‘Then why doesn’t he leave his wife?’

‘I told you—–’

‘That he’d lose his job and his wife’s money,’ Natalie derided. ‘I wonder which he’d mind losing the most! You can’t really love a man like that, Judith.’

‘But I do. And I mean to have him,’ said Judith with satisfaction.

‘You have to stop the affair—–’

‘Why?’

‘Because—because it’s immoral, Judith!’ Natalie frowned her exasperation. ‘And Mum and Dad would be shocked out of their minds if they knew about it. And lastly, because Adam Thornton will ruin this agency if you don’t.’

‘Ah, now we’re getting to it! So much for sisterly love,’ Judith said scathingly. ‘This agency means more to you than anything, Natalie. More than me, more than Mum and Dad, more than any man.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘You really should get yourself a man, Natalie—oh, not that weed Lester,’ she dismissed scornfully. ‘I mean a real man. Maybe then you’d understand how I feel about Jason.’

Natalie ignored her sister’s rudeness about Lester, knowing that the dislike between the two was mutual. Lester Fulton had been taking her out for the last three months, and the first time he and Judith had met they had taken a dislike to each other, neither losing the opportunity to make digs at the other whenever they could.

But her sister’s insult about her needing a man did hurt her. She knew Judith considered her to be something of a prude because she refused to discuss her relationships with men, but that didn’t mean she lacked male attention. She had had plenty of men friends the last few years, and the fact that she didn’t talk about them didn’t mean they hadn’t been deep and meaningful relationships. Deep and meaningful—! Who was she trying to delude? She had never been in love, never felt the least inclination to be—and Judith was right about something else; she had no idea how she felt about Jason Dillman, or any other man for that matter.

‘I’m not giving him up, Natalie,’ Judith added vehemently. ‘You can do what you like, Adam Thornton can do what he likes, but I will not give up Jason.’ She swung the door open. ‘I won’t, Natalie,’ and she left quietly.

Natalie put a worried hand up to her temple. She knew her sister of old, and she wouldn’t stop seeing Jason Dillman. What would Adam Thornton do when he found that out?

Judith had certainly landed her in a mess this time. All through their childhood she seemed to have been getting her ‘vulnerable’—vulnerable to her parents, that was!—young sister out of one scrape or another. But Judith didn’t want to be helped out of this one.

She had had no idea this morning when she spoke to Adam Thornton that Tracy Dillman was his sister. Heavens, he must be furious with Judith, and in the circumstances his wish to have her removed as Beauty Girl was mild compared to what he could have done. What he could still do! Judith had refused to give Jason Dillman up, and his threat to drop any contracts with the Faulkner agency was still very real.

Dee came in with the reports sorted from this morning, perching on the edge of Natalie’s desk. ‘She gave you a bad time, hmm?’

‘Yes,’ she sighed.

‘How was Adam Thornton?’ Dee asked interestedly.

‘Arrogant,’ she answered without thinking, blushing as she saw the other woman’s interest deepen. ‘Well, he is,’ she grimaced.

‘Did he match that gravelly voice?’

Did he? Oh yes, he more than matched it, that image of a middle-aged man with a brood of children was completely dismissed. ‘I suppose so,’ she answered nonchalantly. ‘Dee, if he should happen to telephone—I’m not in.’

Dee eyed her curiously. ‘Trouble?’

‘Yes,’ Natalie sighed without prevarication.

‘Judith again?’

‘How did you guess!’

‘It isn’t difficult.’ Her friend shook her head. ‘I know she’s your sister, love, but is she really worth the trouble?’

‘No—but my parents’ peace of mind is.’ She chewed on her inner lip. ‘They have no idea.’

‘Anything I can do?’

‘I don’t think so, thanks, Dee.’ Natalie shook her head, knowing she had to sort this problem out herself. If she could! ‘If you could just keep Adam Thornton off my back?’

‘Will do.’ Dee got off the desk. ‘I think I’ll go home for an hour now and check on my ailing hubby.’ She raised her eyes heavenwards. ‘He’ll probably be half dead, like all men when they’re ill.’

Natalie laughed, but her humour faded as soon as the other woman had left for her lunch. The day had started out so promising, she couldn’t understand how it could have gone so wrong. And she still had these damned accounts to do! She took them wearily out of her desk drawer, all thoughts of her own lunch forgotten.

It was after six when she got home, and the cool calmness of her flat seemed like a sanctuary to her. It wasn’t a very big flat, just one bedroom, a bathroom, large sitting area, and a spacious kitchen, but to her it now represented home, her own home where she could just be herself. She might have acted calm in front of Dee, but today had been a strain for her, no less so because of Adam Thornton’s telephone call shortly after five.

‘He didn’t seem very pleased when I told him you weren’t here,’ Dee told her with a grimace.

He would be even less pleased when he had received the same answer a couple more times. He didn’t come across as a patient man, more the opposite; he seemed to have a leashed power that demanded action. How long that power would remain leashed with regard to the Faulkner Modelling Agency Natalie had no idea.

But she also had no idea what she was going to do about Judith. Her sister refused to give Jason up, and she couldn’t really force her to finish with the man, although her behaviour did reflect back on the agency. But until she had worked out a solution there was no point in talking to Adam Thornton.