YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES)

SYNOPSIS ‘What about us Guy? Don’t you care about me and the baby?’ When I was asked to act as a kissogram for dishy Guy Hamilton, I didn’t mind. After all, I was doing it for charity. But somehow things didn’t turn out quite as expected. Guy looked much too angry when he saw me, so I decided to tease him a little. Unfortunately the plan backfired, and now I’m stuck in Arabia with him and his maddening teenage daughter! Still, it could be worse; I could have fallen for him and he could be carving my name - Claudia Maitland - on his bedpost. He’s way out of my league and I know I’d never be able to hold him. So why oh why do I keep hoping that this holiday will last forever?CHAPTER 1Long before the taxi pulled up outside the restaurant, Claudia was having second thoughts. Third and fourth thoughts too.By the time it stopped her mouth felt like freeze-dried sawdust. Even now, it would be so easy to run away. One horrified gasp while she was paying the cabbie and a neat little fib a

‘No, but I’ve watched that chap on the telly who exposes posh crooks. They all sound like old Etonians and keep racehorses and stuff and their kids belong to the Pony Club.’Claudia barely heard her. ‘Mmm.’‘Where’s that photo?’ Kate demanded. ‘I’ll be able to tell if he’s dodgy. I can spot dodgy men at fifty paces with my eyes closed.’‘I keep telling you, he doesn’t look dodgy.’‘Show me anyway. I’m dying to see what he looks like.’‘I must have left it in the taxi. Can’t find it anywhere.’ This was a big fat lie. The photo was safely tucked in the zip pocket of her bag, along with might-have-to-take-it- back receipts and dry-cleaning tickets. She had not shown it to Kate for the simple reason that Kate’s eyes would spark instantly like a faulty fuse-box. She’d say things like, ‘Wow! I wouldn’t mind playing sardines-in-the-dark with him,’ and the fluttery feelings Claudia had felt in the office would return, redoubled. And Kate would know, and then there would be no peace.‘You’re h

‘Is that a yes?’‘I’m afraid not. I have every sympathy for you,’ she went on quickly, ‘but I just couldn’t play the bossy, big- sisterish, have-you-done-your-history-type figure. It would go right against the grain.’‘That’s only one aspect. Even if she were as earnest and studious as her headmistress would wish, she’d be fed up on her own all day. I’m not entirely unfeeling.’She was not convinced. ‘She’d hate me on principle.’‘She would at first, but she’ll have a sneaking respect for anyone with the nerve to strip off in a top-notch eatery.’‘I did not strip off ’ Much to her annoyance, she coloured faintly at the mere ghastly memory. She might as well have stripped right off, the way they’d all reacted. The silk teddy had felt like a G-string.‘You know what I mean.’ He leaned back, scanning her face so minutely she felt he could see right into her head. ‘By your own admission, you loathed it. Can you really face doing that again? Can you face being groped and squeezed and slobb

Feeling she’d only made matters worse, Claudia rose to her feet. ‘I’ll go home,’ she said awkwardly. ‘You go up to her and explain.’A cynical snort escaped him. ‘Her door’ll be locked for hours. And then it’ll be fun and games, telling her why you were here.’Reality hit her like a cold shower. Heaven help me. What was I about to do, just before she opened that door? Was I quite mad?‘Guy, I’m terribly sorry,’ she said unsteadily, ‘but this minder business just isn’t on. I can’t see her even condescending to talk to me, let alone listening to anything I say. It’d be an utter waste of your money.’‘She’s not so stroppy with everybody, you know. It’s generally directed at me.’Why? she wanted to ask. But what was the point? Adolescent dramas were common enough. ‘It wouldn’t work. I might make matters worse, and I couldn’t have that on my conscience when I think what it would all cost.’Not just what he was going to pay her, but the air fare, the hotel bill . . .She was half expecting

When she reseated herself, the jellyfish was still oozing into her legs regardless. She could still feel his hands encircling her wrists, and it made her feel like woozy eggshells.‘The flight’s around ten on Friday morning,’ he said crisply. ‘Have you got suitable clothes? It’ll be in the eighties or nineties, but the kind of things you’d wear in the Med are right out, except on the beach. You need to keep your knees and shoulders covered, and anything tight around your . . . hips is right out too.’ His eyes flickered to the V of her sweater. ‘Ditto anything low-cut.’Something weird suddenly lurched in her stomach. Christmas! He must have got a right old eyeful while I was mopping his sweater! Never mind the carpetlThis reaction startled her a good deal. So what if he had? Why in heaven’s name was she fluttering like something out of a daft Victorian novel? i Oh i Ludy fetch the smelling saltsV ‘ Whyy dearest Claudia } what is amiss?' i Ohy sister y I fear Lord Filthyrich just glim