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particular relationship has recently been terminated.’

      ‘Oh, dear. I’m very sorry to hear that,’ she told him, privately appalled at how shockingly easy it was to suddenly become a barefaced liar. ‘What. . .er. . . what led to the break-up?’

      Matt shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘It was entirely my fault, I’m afraid. Because when it came to the point of having to make some sort of permanent commitment, such as marriage, I suddenly realised that I couldn’t quite go the distance.’

      He paused for a moment, before adding reflectively, ‘I suppose the harsh truth is that I discovered, in the nick of time, that I didn’t wish to spend the rest of my life with that particular lady.’ He gave another slight shrug. ‘So that was it. End of story.’

      ‘I’m sorry that it didn’t work out for you.’

      ‘There’s no need to be sorry,’ he grinned. ‘Quite frankly—just between the two of us—I rather think that I’ve had a lucky escape!

      ‘In any case, that’s all in the past,’ Matt continued firmly. ‘In fact, my dear Sam, I’d say that it’s both the present and the immediate future which looks far more promising. What do you think?’

      You’ve got to get a grip on the situation! Samantha yelled silently at her weak, inner self as he attracted the attention of a waiter, and began settling the bill for their meal.

      For heaven’s sake—she was certainly old enough to know when a guy was coming on to her. But, having spent the past two hours desperately trying to ignore this man’s overwhelming, dark attraction, she was now in such a state of tense, nervous exhaustion that she simply wasn’t capable of adding two and two—let alone able to guess what he had in mind for the rest of the evening.

      ‘I... er... I’m not quite sure what you mean,’ she muttered, when the waiter had left and they were alone once more.

      ‘Oh, come on, Sam!’ He raised one dark eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he gave her a wry, mocking smile. ‘I mean that I think it’s definitely time we adjourned to my apartment, don’t you?’

      Ah! Even her bemused mind was beginning to get the message by now—loud and clear! But he was going to have to spell it out. And in words of one syllable, she told herself tersely. After all, it was he who’d dumped her, all those years ago. So, there was no way she was going to make the first move. Absolutely not!

      ‘And what exactly do you have in mind, Matt?’ she queried, as lightly as possible, although she’d never felt so on edge, or so jittery, in all her life.

      He gave a low rumble of deeply sensual laughter. ‘Now, that’s what I’ve always loved about you, Sam!’ he drawled, firmly clasping her nervous, trembling fingers.

      ‘It’s good to know you haven’t changed. That you’re still not interested in messing around, or playing games—but believe in keeping your eye firmly on the main issue for discussion! Right?’ he added as he raised her trembling hand to his warm lips.

      ‘Oh, Matt...’ she muttered helplessly, a deep flush spreading over her pale cheeks.

      ‘Relax, darling!’ he murmured, still keeping a firm grip on her fingers, his green eyes glinting with sardonic amusement. ‘I can, of course, offer you a drink or a cup of coffee. However, I’d much rather indulge in a bout of mad, passionate lovemaking. A fact, I may say, which has been at the very top of my agenda since approximately two o‘clock this afternoon! How’s that for plain speaking?’

      ‘Not bad!’ She grinned, suddenly feeling quite amazingly happy. And the, as he stared down at her, the gleam in his eyes carrying an unmistakable message, the slowly churning excitement in her stomach seemed to burst into a hot surge of overwhelming sexual desire, causing her to feel-almost faint as it raged fiercely through her quivering body.

      ‘So, like all good financial experts, I’d say that it’s definitely about time we began to discuss the present company’s imminent merger,’ Matt said as he rose to his feet. ‘Not to mention the pressing need to very closely examine the figures concerned!’ he added in a slow drawl, the thick, husky note in his voice positively making her toes curl as he turned to help her rise from the table. ‘What do you think, hmm...?’

      It was some moments before Samantha—by now practically speechless with overriding lust and passion—somehow managed to get her act together.

      ‘I don’t seem to have a problem with that particular item on the... er... the agenda of tonight’s meeting,’ she murmured breathlessly as Matt took her arm and led her slowly out of the restaurant.

      CHAPTER TWO

      SAMANTHA’S heart was pounding like a sledgehammer, her pulse rate rocketing all over the place as she left the Four Seasons restaurant on Matt’s arm.

      In what seemed a dream-like state, totally oblivious of everyone and everything, other than the tall, handsome figure by her side, she was only vaguely conscious of being helped into a large black limousine. As they were swiftly transported through brilliantly lit streets, she had no idea of where they were going. Nor did she care. Just as long as Matt continued to hold her firmly close to his hard, exciting body—they could have been jetting off to Timbuktu, for all she knew!

      Coming to a halt at last outside an immensely large, brownstone building, she had only a brief impression of a uniformed doorman greeting Matt before he swept her dazed figure across a vast entrance hall—the only sound in the huge, silent space being the rapid, sharp click of her high-heeled evening sandals on the marble floor—and into an elevator. And then, in what seemed the twinkling of an eye, Matt was unlocking the front door of his apartment

      ‘Welcome to my humble abode,’ he drawled sardonically as he helped her off with her coat, before ushering her into a huge living room.

      Finding herself standing in the midst of what seemed positively acres of lush, thickly piled cream carpeting, Samantha could only stare in open-mouthed astonishment at her luxurious surroundings. The opulent, heavy gilt rococo ‘French Château comes to New York via Hollywood’ style of decoration could only be described as utterly mind-blowing!

      ‘Make yourself comfortable by the fire,’ Matt directed, picking up a small black handset and pointing it at various objects as he strode towards a mahogany bar on the far side of the room.

      Coming slowly back down to earth, she was just wondering how on earth he could bear to live in such dreadful surroundings, when she was startled to see the heavy cream silk, intricately draped curtains being slowly drawn—as if by invisible hands—across the windows, to shut out the chilly darkness of the April night. At the same time, the lamps in the crystal chandeliers slowly dimmed, the brilliant light being replaced by a soft, warm glow from the many occasional lamps dotted about the huge room.

      However, when the logs in the massive grate, enclosed by an intricately carved marble mantelpiece, suddenly burst into life she quickly realised that what had at first appeared to be minor miracles were, in fact, merely a result of the appliance of science.

      ‘Is everything in this “humble abode” operated by remote control?’ she queried, her legs feeling wobbly with nerves as she moved slowly over to the fireplace.

      ‘No, not entirely. There are still one or two things which I’m quite capable of doing myself!’ Matt told her with a grin, his words accompanied by a loud crack as he removed the cork from a bottle of champagne.

      ‘It’s definitely all very... er... very grand,’ she murmured, gazing bemusedly at the delicately ornate, highly uncomfortable-looking sofas and chairs covered in blue silk which filled the room—whose walls, covered in dark oil paintings, appeared to be lined in the same blue material.

      ‘Ghastly, isn’t it?’ he laughed, filling two tall glasses with sparkling gold liquid.

      ‘Well...’

      ‘Following my recent appointment as chief executive of the company, I was working

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