Web of Deception

chapter Three



Striding along Mark Elliot’s side through The Rocks district, Kate reassured herself she was doing the right thing. It was only dinner and there would be lots of other people there.

She was doing Mark a favour. She would much rather have stayed at home in her cosy apartment than gone out this evening, particularly with his work colleagues. After all, she knew who’d be there and he wouldn’t make it easy for her.

“I’m glad you agreed to come,” Mark said. “This can’t be easy for you so I’m pleased we can both be mature about it.”

Sometimes Kate thought she was too good-natured. If she was a less practical but harder person she wouldn’t even be here.

“You know, you’re handling the break-up very well,” she said. “You don’t seem too distraught.”

It had been nearly a week since Kate had told Mark it was over between them. She’d wrestled with her feelings for a couple of days after Daniel Webb’s party but in the end she had to do it.

Not that she was leaving Mark for another man. Far from it. It’s just that Daniel had been right, though she’d denied it to him that evening, just as she’d been denying it to herself for months.

The state of her relationship with Mark had reached a point where she had to face facts. It was never going to work between them unless both of them were willing to work at it and that simply wasn’t going to happen. Their feelings for each other weren’t strong enough, no matter how much she had hoped for more.

Knowing it was the right thing to do had made it easier but she still found it hard. It was a year of her life. A significant relationship. And there was so little left of it now.

The worst part was that Mark didn’t seem particularly upset. He’d said it was a glitch in his plans for the future but that he’d get over it.

And he had. All too quickly.

Perhaps Daniel had been right and there was no chemistry between her and Mark.

They walked up the stone steps to the restaurant. His fingers on the door handle, Mark stopped and turned to her. “I’m glad you agreed to come tonight. I really appreciate it. This job is important to me and I didn’t want it to look like my life was a shambles when I’m on the verge of getting a promotion.”

“I know.”

She’d felt partially responsible because she’d misled Daniel by telling him she and Mark were engaged. Then, when Mark had asked her to come along as his partner, Kate had felt obliged to help out. It was his career and he was so close to getting the position he’d always coveted.

After all, she still wanted them to be friends. That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

Mark pulled the door open and as they waited by the reception desk, Kate scanned the room, spotting his colleagues at the far end of the restaurant. It was a table of about ten or twelve with only two spare seats, both of them right next to Daniel Webb.

She suddenly wondered what she was doing here. She wanted to be friends with Mark and, hard as she’d thought about it, she hadn’t been able to find any logical reason why she shouldn’t accompany him tonight.

But as she looked across at Daniel, she knew this had nothing to do with logic or reason. He wasn’t even doing anything, just sitting there. Yet beneath her jacket she felt goose bumps forming on her arms, her palms suddenly cold, her heart racing.

How could this be happening? Though she didn’t like to think she was at the mercy of her hormones, it was clear that’s exactly what was happening. No point denying it.

Daniel stretched his arm out across the empty chair beside him and laughed, turning his head as he did so. His lips curled to a confident smile as his eyes locked with hers and for a few moments he made her feel as though they were the only two people in the room.

Kate felt something unfurling deep in her belly, something undeniably sexual. Her body was telling her one thing while her mind was telling her another.

She turned to Mark. “I don’t think this was such a good idea.”

“What do you mean?”

“I shouldn’t have come.”

Mark took her hand. “I’m not going to force you to stay if you don’t want to. You’ve been seen with me which is the main thing. I can tell them you’ve got a headache.”

She’d come here as Mark’s partner to help him out. That’s what friends did for each other. All she had to do was sit there and make pleasant conversation. This was one of Sydney’s top restaurants and the food would undoubtedly be excellent. How hard could it be? She was here, so why not enjoy it?

With this new sense of resolve, she felt wonderfully calm as she turned to face him. “I’m going to stay, after all.”

Kate handed her coat to an attendant, pleased she could now uncover her dress. Sleeveless with a simple round neck, it showed off her arms but other than that it wasn’t revealling in the slightest. It was, however, designed to shimmer and cling to her figure in all the right places.

She’d bought it largely because it was the same shade as wisteria in bloom, a colour which brought out the best in her pale complexion, however that wasn’t why she’d chosen it for this evening. Her girlfriends had told her how good she looked in it and she wanted to get that same buzz. She hadn’t felt good all week and this dress lifted her spirits just a little.

The issue, Kate thought as she walked towards the table, wasn’t the dress. It was Daniel Webb’s searing gaze. He couldn’t get his eyes off her and it seemed he didn’t care who noticed.

He was doing it to her again. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world, as if she was put there just for his pleasure. It was an unusual sensation. She wasn’t used to such blatant admiration.

Suddenly she heard Mark’s voice in her ear. “I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to take the seat next to Ray Price.”

Kate shrugged. “Sure.”

“He’s head of the selection committee and I want to stay in his good books.”

She’d agreed so easily but as she slid down into her chair, she had the feeling she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Perhaps she didn’t know quite what she was in for.

“I’m pleased you could make it tonight,” Daniel said.

His voice as smooth as silk, he was as confident as always. It made her feel that even the simplest statement was loaded.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she replied.

“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure you were Mark’s fiancée.”

He’d called her bluff. She hadn’t thought he’d be so blunt.

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Did you enjoy the party the other night?” he asked. “You left in a hurry.”

“I had a lovely time, thank you. I’m just not one for late nights, that’s all.”

“I couldn’t help but notice that Mark didn’t take you home.”

“I’m a big girl. I can leave a party on my own.”

That night she hadn’t wanted to leave on her own but Mark had been having a good time and had wanted to stay on. Suddenly it struck her that, even though there had been over a hundred people at the party, Daniel had a noticed they’d left separately.

“Were you keeping tabs on Mark and me?” she asked.

“Not at all. He was one of the last to leave. It was hard not to notice.”

“Oh.”

Daniel’s lips curled to a smile. “I’d rather you’d been the one to stay.”

“Why’s that? So you could take me to bed. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen.”

“I only meant you were welcome to have stayed as long as you liked.”

She had him now, she thought. “I did stay as long as I liked.”

He laughed.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” she said. “I wasn’t joking. I didn’t want to stay and take you up on your little offer.”

Daniel looked her in the eye. “You’ll change your mind.”

She leaned back in her chair and took a sip of white wine. “I’m sure you’ve come up with that line many times before. You should hear yourself. You have no idea how conceited you sound.”

“Perhaps.”

“Perhaps you’ve used that line before or perhaps you’re arrogant?”

He shrugged. “I don’t care if I sound conceited.”

“So you think nothing of just telling me I’m going to end up sleeping with you. That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”

He leaned forward. “I’m not being mean, Kate. Just honest, probably more honest than any man you’ve dealt with before.”

She knew about at least one past business discrepancy which wasn’t completely honest but this wasn’t the time for that, not when she was getting so much out of their little discussion.

Shaking her head, she said, “Daniel, this is not a done deal.”

“Isn’t it?”

Kate nearly choked on her wine. “Of course not. You can’t make me do something I don’t want to do.”

He smiled. “Oh, I won’t be forcing you.”

One thing was for sure. If she ever got together with this man, it would be on her terms. She would be in charge.

“I’m surprised you manage to get any woman into bed if you talk like that,” she said.

He held her gaze. “I’m very frank when it comes to business but I don’t normally talk this way out of the boardroom. You must be bringing out the worst in me.”

Perhaps he was right. She recalled the words he’d said to her when they first met. Before they met, in fact. What else would explain that particular outburst? But she didn’t want to bring that up again.

“You’re very successful at what you do,” she said. “But if that’s the way you talk in the boardroom you must really have rubbed a few people up the wrong way.”

“I hope that’s not what I’ve done to you. Upset you.”

“Actually, I’m made of fairly sturdy stuff.”

She hadn’t always been. Her upbringing, though wonderful, had been quite sheltered. She’d been a good student at school, always had lots of friends and got on well with her older sister. Her parents, both teachers, had a loving relationship, the kind she wanted.

Kate only wished she’d had a relationship that had gone nearly as well as that of her parents’. She seemed to have got off to a bad start at university when she’d chosen a boyfriend who ended up telling her she was boring, then followed up with a series of other lousy choices.

She could really pick them. Still, the experiences had hardened her, made her determined with what she wanted out of life.

“So, tell me, what happens in the boardroom?” she asked. “It’s a callous business you’re in.”

He shrugged. “I’m always getting someone’s nose out of joint. It happens when you’re the one who wins the deals. One person wins and someone else loses. But I don’t believe in being underhanded. I think if you do that, it always comes back to bite you. I just tell it the way I see it. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

She wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. Mark had told her bits and pieces, and she’d worked out that Daniel was the kind of man who didn’t care who got in his way, didn’t care who he had to tread on to get what he wanted. There was the Mills building for one thing, a recent purchase he’d won through ruthless tactics.

“So everything you do at Webb Corp is one hundred percent honest?” she asked.

“It’s all above board, all legal.”

“Legal is one thing, and honourable is another. I’m sure you have a team of lawyers finding loopholes and other ways of helping you along. I just don’t see how you could have got so far ahead in business with honesty as your motto.”

“Getting ahead was never the problem. That’s easy once you’ve got started. I had a helping hand.” He shrugged. “I’m not ashamed to admit it. I still had to make something of myself after that.”

Kate thanked the waiter who delivered her soup, then waited while Daniel’s first course was placed in front of him.

She was intrigued. “Go on.”

“My father is an entrepreneur, a property developer. Always knew how to spot a good opportunity and make the most of it. That’s one thing I got from him even though he was never much of a father to me.”

“You said your parents were divorced?”

He shook his head. “They never officially divorced but they haven’t been together for decades. Dad left when I was nine. Went to live in Singapore and we barely saw him. Then, a few years later, he noticed all his children were growing up and he didn’t know them any more. For whatever reason, he decided he wanted to do something for the kids. So he did.”

Kate already knew he came from a wealthy family. “Half your luck.”

“But I didn’t get anything. I’ve got four sisters, all much older. They received millions. They were set for life. I was twelve, just a kid. I got zilch.”

“How can that be? You were his child too.”

“I was a kid. That’s how he saw it. But I wouldn’t let it rest and I gave my father a big human rights speech about how I wasn’t a second class citizen and he finally agreed to give me something. A child’s share because I was a child.”

Daniel quoted an amount which, though significant, didn’t seem like much for a millionaire father to be giving his child.

She wasn’t sure what to say. “And that…was it?”

“It doesn’t seem like much now but twenty-two years ago that was enough to buy a small piece of land. Just a block, no house. So when I was thirteen I bought my first real estate.”

Kate looked at him. “You were thirteen? Who’d sell property to a child?”

“I was six foot two even then and no one questioned it at the auction. I needed the signature of an adult so I raced home as fast as I could. I’ve never pedalled so hard in my life.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You rode your bike to a property auction?”

He shrugged. “It was either that or walk. Then I had to do some quick talking to my mother to get her to countersign.” He shook his head. “I deal with some hard people in business but they’re nothing compared to my mother.”

This was such a strange story. “Didn’t she think there was something odd about a thirteen year old buying a piece of land?”

He laughed. “Not this thirteen year old. No, she wasn’t surprised. And that land went up in value astronomically. Money in the bank wasn’t going to do that. It was a good deal. Anyone could have seen that.”

Kate didn’t think it was quite that simple. If it was, everyone would be rich.

“Then what?”

“I sold that property when I was eighteen. To buy a piece of land at the bottom of the hill on the waterfront. It was one of the best little deals I ever made. It was a small block with one huge advantage. I knew it didn’t have any height restrictions.”

“How did you know that?”

“Boy scouts.”

Her brow crinkled. “What does that mean?”

“I used to ride my bike around doing odd jobs in the neighbourhood. Thanks to boy scouts, I knew every street, every house, everything that was going on.”

“Really?”

He smiled but she could tell he wasn’t joking. “Yes. After I bought the land, I went to the bloke who lived behind it and offered it to him first. He didn’t want anyone blocking out his views. I knew he’d buy it. The guy was loaded. Easiest money I ever made, my first million. I was still a teenager.”

“That’s some story.”

“A true story.” He shot her a look as if to say she shouldn’t doubt him. “I knew what I was doing.”

“I’m sure you did.”

“I always know exactly what I’m doing.”

Having finished first course, Daniel pushed his plate away, his arm brushing against hers. It sent a tingle up her spine, putting her momentarily on edge. This shouldn’t be happening, but it was.

Minutes later, their plates were cleared and the main courses arrived.

Daniel cut into his fillet steak. “Your fiancé seems to be ignoring you tonight.”

She wished he wouldn’t use that word. Wished she hadn’t used it in the first place however that had been her decision. It made her realise she hadn’t given Mark a second thought since they’d sat down. Daniel had taken up her complete attention.

“I hadn’t noticed,” she replied.

“That’s not true and you know it.”

For once, he was wrong. She kept this small victory to herself.

“You’re not exactly being attentive to your date either, you know,” Kate said.

“Date?”

She nodded towards the attractive, well-dressed blonde sitting to his left.

“You’re mistaken, Kate. She’s with Sam, the man sitting next to her. They’ve only just started seeing each other and she’s completely besotted by him. She doesn’t want to spend the whole night talking to me.”

“So you’re here on your own?”

He nodded.

“What’s the matter?” She couldn’t help but smile. “Couldn’t get a date tonight?”

The question might have been cruel if it had been true but it wasn’t, and she couldn’t resist teasing him.

“Maybe I couldn’t get the date I wanted.”

Kate slid a prawn into her mouth and tried to concentrate on the sweetness, the taste, the texture, on anything but the suggestiveness of his words. She felt a warmth deep in her belly that had nothing to do with her meal.

She glanced across at him. “You shouldn’t want what you can’t have.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“You must be able to take your pick. You’ve said as much yourself. Surely it’s easier that way. Then you know where you stand.”

“I always know where I stand, one way or another. But I also like a challenge.”

He brushed his arm against hers and this time it was no accident. Another sensual shiver shot up her spine. It was as though he’d read her the first time and knew now he could get the same effect at will.

Pulling her hand back, Kate placed it in her lap as she ate. She wasn’t going to give up control so easily.

“Sometimes you can’t have everything you want,” she said.

“But you’re sitting next to me. Talking to me.”

“I’m sitting next to Mark.”

“And he’s ignoring you.”

“That might be true but it doesn’t worry me. I’m quite happy with things the way they are.”

“He should be taking better care of you.”

She looked him in the eye. “I can take care of myself.”

Daniel’s lips curled to a sultry smile. “I’m sure you can. I’m just saying Mark’s not acting very wisely. I certainly wouldn’t leave you to fend for yourself against a man like me. Not if you were my partner.”

“I’m not your partner so you don’t need to worry.”

But she was worried.

Very much so.

She didn’t like this little charade of pretending she and Mark were engaged, even though she was the one who’d started it. It hadn’t seemed so far from the truth when they’d been together.

She should tell Daniel the truth, that she and Mark had broken up, and get it over with.

But she didn’t want to do that and lay herself wide open. Not because of Mark’s career aspirations because she knew he’d recover one way or the other.

The problem was that if she told Daniel she was single, there would be nothing standing between them, no barriers.

Kate was anything but a pushover. Many of her friends would have a few drinks and let themselves get sweet-talked by a man they thought looked good at the time. Not her. She knew what she wanted, knew how to stand up for herself and say no to a man.

These days, she entered relationships with her eyes open. Sure, she’d made a few bad decisions in the past but they were her decisions. Now, she weighed up the facts, worked out what she wanted and acted accordingly. Above all, she always had control.

So why maintain the farce that she was unavailable when she was perfectly capable of turning down Daniel Webb if that was what she wanted?

That was the problem.

She didn’t want to say no.