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in peace.'
    At the front door, he paused, the lean tanned face sardonic. "Well, good evening, Ms Linton. It's been—instructive, if nothing else. And I forgive you for lying to me about your marriage. Because, I have to confess, I lied to you too. I implied my dinner invitation had no sexual motive. It wasn't true. I wanted to get you into bed, Cass. I still want to, and I will.'
    Before she could guess his intention or take evasive action, he took her by the shoulders, pulling her towards him in one swift, effortless movement. She cried out, but the sound was instantly muffled under the brief, searing pressure of his mouth.
    It was over almost at once. He smiled at her.
    'And sooner,' he said softly, 'rather than later. Sleep well, darling.'
    And was gone.

CHAPTER THREE

     
    Cass was still shaking two hours later, but from rage, she assured herself over and over again, not any other emotion.
    She turned and punched savagely at an inoffensive sofa cushion. The sheer sexual arrogance of the creature. He clearly hadn't listened to one word she'd said, so securely armoured in his own conceit that it made him deaf to any point of view but his own.
    And when she got back to work, gallingly, she would have to maintain a surface civility towards him at least. Or she could go to Barney, and ask to be taken off the account, she thought frown, only that would involve her in all kinds of explanations, she would much prefer to avoid.
    But there had to be some way to convince the Rohan Grants of this world that she was not just—there for the taking, the frustrated widow of joke and insinuation.
    She hated milky drinks, but she made one for herself before she went to bed, in the hope that it would help her sleep, then lay tossing and turning until far into the night.
    But contrary to all expectations, she felt fine when she woke the next morning. Perhaps temper had helped burn out the few remaining germs, she thought drily.
    After breakfast, she went downstairs to collect Jodie.
    'I see your visitor was back,' Mrs Barrett commented archly as she let Cass in.
    Cass smiled coolly. 'A little problem at work.' And that was putting it mildly, she added silently.
    'Well, I don't know,' Mrs Barrett said, vexed. 'You'd think they'd leave you alone when you're poorly.'
    'There's no justice, Mrs B.,' Cass said cheerfully. 'But I'll take care it doesn't happen again.' And how.
    Her reunion with her daughter was everything she could have desired. Until they got back to their own flat, that is.
    'Mrs Barrett's nice,' Jodie remarked. 'She lets me watch unsuitable things on television. She calls it "the box".'
    Cass's lip quivered. 'How do you know they're unsuitable, madam?'
    'Because you always change channels when they come on. You think I don't notice, but I do,' Jodie said serenely. 'Is that man coming back?'
    Cass's heart skipped a beat. 'What—man?' She tried to sound casual.
    'The one who came to see you. Mrs Barrett said he came again yesterday.' Jodie's face was angelic. 'Is he going to be my Daddy?'
    'No, he is not,' Cass said forcibly.
    Jodie gave a heavy sigh. 'I liked him.'
    Cass gave her a long look. 'Jodie—you didn't say anything to him, did you?'
    'What about?' Jodie didn't meet her gaze—a bad sign.
    'About being your Daddy,' Cass said desperately.
    The answer was too long in coming. 'No-o-o,' Jodie said, slowly and evasively.
    'Jodie,' Cass threatened.
    Her daughter's mouth trembled. 'He didn't mind. Mummy. He wasn't cross.' She ventured an appealing look. 'He laughed.'
    'I bet he's never stopped,' Cass said savagely. 'What on earth possessed you?' She sighed, running a distracted irritable hand through her hair. 'Never—ever say such a thing to a visitor again.'
    'Mrs Barrett said he was your boyfriend.'
    'Well, Mrs Barrett was wrong,' Cass said with unwonted sharpness. She saw Jodie flinch, and gentled her tone. 'Sweetheart, he's a client—a very important man at my work. Not Daddy material at all,' she added, trying to