Page 20 of Gamble On Passion

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'Leo, please.'

'Oh, I will please you, and that's a promise,' he vowed throatily, and continued to tell her in graphic detail exactly how...

Her breasts hardened in taut arousal, the duvet sud­denly too hot to bear against her aching flesh. She flung the cover back and it was all she could do to say softly, 'I don't think you're allowed to say things like that on the telephone.'

A throaty chuckle greeted her comment. 'Playing Miss Prim, Jacy? And yet in my imagination I have a vivid image of you splayed naked on a bed, your golden hair tumbling down over your superb breasts.'

'Leo, enough.' His name came out as a groan; his words turned her on even when he was thousands of miles away.

Triumphant masculine laughter greeted her comment. 'Perhaps you're right. I'm using a public phone in a res­taurant. As it is I will have great difficulty walking out of here for the next half-hour.'

She chuckled. 'Serves you right for talking dirty.'

'Talking is about all we can do for the next few days, and you would not want to deprive a man of a vicarious thrill, would you?' he declared with wry mockery.

Some imp of mischief made her reply in a low throaty drawl, 'I wouldn't like to see you deprived of anything.' She dragged out the last word.

'Oh, Jacy, what are you trying to do to me? Let's get down to business quickly, or I shall have to spend the rest of the day in this place.'

Laughing, Jacy sank back down on to the pillow, holding the telephone to her ear and listening intently as Leo described what had happened.

Apparently the cruise-liner wasn't too badly damaged and was limping towards the nearest port, a small island in the Pacific. Leo still had a few loose ends to attend to, but he hoped to be back by Friday.

'But I have to go to Manchester on Thursday, and I don't know how long for,' she told him regretfully, and briefly outlined the case she was working on.

'Not to worry, we'll work something out and I'll call you Wednesday night,' he promised.

By the time they finally broke the connection, Jacy was floating on cloud nine. But half an hour later, lying restlessly in her bed, she was scolding herself for being such a fool. Leo wanted to bed her, nothing more—and she'd better remember that if she wanted to avoid being hurt. Sex was the name of the game, she told herself; and they didn't come any sexier than Leo...

Jacy was still trying to remind herself to keep her feet on the ground, and that it was an adult affair when she strode into the restaurant in Harrods on Wednesday to meet Liz.

'Should I curtsy—given your celebrity status?' A grinning Liz stood up as Jacy approached the table.

'Fool,' she said with a grin and, pulling out a chair, sat down. Liz looked lovely as usual in a winter wool suit in bright red, reminding Jacy of 'Little Red Riding Hood'.

'As long as you're not being a fool as well,' Liz re­sponded quietly, her blue eyes fixing her with steely intent. 'I know I said you should get a man, but Leo Kozakis! Tom showed me the paper with your picture splashed across the gossip column. I didn't expect you to dive in at the deep end—are you sure you can handle it, Jacy? I know you knew him before, and obviously it didn't work out, so...'

r /> Jacy didn't respond immediately, instead she gave her order to the hovering waitress. A smoked salmon salad. 'Have you ordered, Liz?'

'No. Make mine the same—and don't change the subject.'

Jacy sat back in her chair, resigned to revealing at least some of the truth to her friend. 'OK, I met Leo on holiday in Corfu over ten years ago. We had a holiday romance, nothing more. It fizzled out and I returned home, went to university and never saw him again until your party. Since then I've dated him a few times, and that's it.'

'I see,' Liz said slowly. 'That explains a lot. So are you still seeing him? After all, it's two weeks today since you met—a record for you, Jacy.' Her friend smiled, and at that moment the food arrived.

'He had to go to California—a bit of an emergency— but, yes, I am still in touch.' Jacy's face lit up with a wide grin, her golden eyes sparkling. She couldn't resist teasing her friend, 'The netsuke is as good as mine, Liz.' Not that she would take it, even if she did win; but she saw no harm in letting Liz sweat a little. 'As for Leo, he called on Monday and he's calling again tonight. And, yes, he will be back soon. Satisfied? Now can we eat!'

'You lucky dog,' was Liz's only comment, and for the rest of the meal they indulged in the usual women's talk.

On leaving the store, Liz reminded Jacy not to forget the races at Cheltenham a week tomorrow.

'What are you trying to do? Turn me into a hardened gambler? First the bet on the netsuke, and now a day at the races.' Liz had explained over lunch how Tom's bank had rented a private box at the Cheltenham Gold Cup meeting, corporate-entertainment stuff, and Liz had persuaded Jacy to go as the party was sadly lacking in females.

Liz laughed. 'Take a day off, it's good for you, and if you stick with Leo another two weeks the prize is yours.'

'Oh, I don't know if I could stand the man that long.' Then she spoiled it by giggling. Jacy was still grinning when she returned to the office.

Her humour deserted her when Leo called that night. 'I'm sorry, Jacy, but I won't get back for at least another week.'


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