If Bryan was surprised, he did not show it. There was a beat of time when he just stood there considering the idea and absorbing the possibilities.

'That is a very flattering offer but I will have to know precisely what you have in mind and of course I will have to think about it but in principle, I am interested.

David beamed. 'I hoped you would be.Youbwont regret the decision if you accepted, that I can promise you Bryan.

You could have a splendid future with us that is far exciting than your prospects. Ours is s a family bank and you are my only male relative'.

Sharon felt bad that David was staying the situation as clearly as that. She felt that he was betraying how weak his position was and knew that Bryan would take advantage of it.

She looked at him with cold hostile eyes but he was looking at David.

Sharon would have given anything to know what he was thinking but he gave no indication.

'I'l get Sharon to prepare a proposition for you, stating all the terms', he called for the bill. 'I think that your mother should have been provided for in her father's will. She should have had some shares in the bank.

Bryan nodded. 'She should'.

There was a ruthless set to his jaw, a spark of anger in his black eyes. If David thought that Bryan did not resent the way his mother was treated, he was sadly mistaken. Bryan resented it bitterly.

Sharon shivered afraid for David and hoping that he had not made a fatal mistake. Yet what threat could Bryan possibly present to him? David owned a majority of the shares in the bank. Bryan couldn't possibly hurt him.

David smiled at him apparently unaware of the dark feeling in the younger man.

'I want to make up for the past Bryan. I want you in the family business where you belong'.

Sharon wanted to scream at David, 'Haven't you got eyes? Can't you see what he's like under the good looks and formal good manners?

David may not be picking up her agitation but Bryan was as he threw one brief cold look her way. He looked into her eyes, then looked away, one dark brown curling sardonically.

Sharon flushed with anger. She knew what his lifted eyebrow had meant. She might oppose him but she wouldn't be a problem. He would deal with her.

Well if that was what he thought, then they would see about that.

David signed the bill and folded some notes as tip for the waiter. He stood up looking drained as he yawned.

I'm sorry, Sharon's, he said in an apologetic voice. I had planned on driving you home myself but I can barely stay on my feet. Will you be very cross if I put you into a taxi back to Chelsea?'

'Don't worry about it', she began but Bryan interrupted.

'I have my car parked outside. I shall drop her off'.

'I thought you said you were staying at the Savoy? There is no need driving out to Chelsea. I can easily get a taxi'. Sharon certainly didn't want her driving her home.

The very idea of being alone with the man sent shivers down her spine.

'It's still early. I could enjoy a drive along the river', he shrugged.

David beamed. ' I should have thought of it myself. That is a wonderful idea. Both of you can get to know each other better. Bryan, Sharon is indispensable to me, she can tell you anything you need to know about how the bank runs.

As he started walking towards his car across the road, Sharon saw his secret smile. She bristled. If she had not known how it was going to hurt David, she would have slapped his face.

Turning back, she walked David to his car, watching him anxiously.

'You look quite ill, David. You have been working too hard for far too long. I think that you need a long vacation. Why don't you take a few days off work and get away?'

'I will, soon', he said quietly and bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.'You are my guardian angel, don't think that I am not aware of it.

Now be nice to Bryan, I want him to join us. Sell the bank to him.

I have done some quiet research on him and he has quiet a record, he's pulled off some brilliant deals. Even if he wasn't family, I'd still want him but since he is family, I am determined to have him by hook or by crook'.

'Well in that case, I'll do what I can't, she promised as David got into his car.

She meant everything she said despite her private reservations about the man, she would definitely sell the bank to Bryan Ferdinand though she doubted that it would be necessary. No permission would be required to make him join them. He had always planned to do just that.

David nodded. 'I know I can always trust you. Goodnight Sharon, see you tomorrow.

He drove off and she turned back to find Bryan right behind her lounging against a long sleek- vintage black Rolls -Bentley. It was one of the loveliest cats she had ever seen. Her mouth watered at the sight of such a car. She loved old cars.

He opened the passenger door for her. 'Where am I to take you?' he asked.

'Do you know Chelsea?' she asked curtly having discovered that he had been to London a number of times.

'Vaguely', then he gave a description of where Chelsea was situated and Sharon confirmed it.

'I will guide you when we get to Millbank', she said as she slid into the car, instinctively stroking the cream leather seats.

'Is this yours or have you borrowed or hired it?' she asked as Bryan got in beside her.

His long hands holding the wheel, he turned back to give her a long cool look.

'It is mine. I just bought it'.

It must have cost a fortune. She wondered how much he earned a year to have been able to afford a toy like this. Well, she would find out soon when he and David began negotiations.

'You aren't married, Mr. Ferdinand?'

He shook his head, that Sardonic smile in evidence again.

'Have you ever been?'

'No, have you?' he asked.

'No', she answered tersely.

'You are a devoted secretary though', he drawled. 'Lucky David'.

He turned his head again, deliberately to star at Sharon and she let all her dislike and distrust of him show in her face.

'If you hurt David in any way, I'll kill you' she threatened him.

His brow shot up and he gave her that Sardonic smile, then took her breath away by what he said next.

'If he was going to marry you, he would have done that a long time ago, you know. You are wasting your time waiting for him which seems a pity, looking the way you do'. His dark eyes flicked down over her body and a wave of heat flowed through her.

Then he said softly. 'I am sure alot of men would help you forget about David. I might even volunteer myself'.

Sharon went dark red, her hands clenching, her teeth together but she refused to play his game by responding or defending herself.Explsining that he was wrong, information was power. David thought her that a long time ago. So she let him think that he had hit the truth.

Just gave him an icy stare and said in a tight voice, 'Take the next turn on your right, would you?'

He swung the car in the direction she had directed.

'No comment then? Bryan Ferdinand asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

'Stop here, please', was all that she said.

He braked and stopped the car then turned towards her but she was already getting out of the car.

She got out, slammed the door and bent over the window, he leaned over to wind it down for her so he could hear what she said.

Sharon looked into his gleaming dark eyes.

'Remember, if you hurt David, I'll make sure you pay for it', she said then tuned on her heel and walked away.

Bryan looked at her for a very long time without knowing what to make if her but he had to admit that she was a looker.

He had thought that she would take the bait. But she was shrewder than he thought.

It irked him that she should choose an older man like David over him. He would teach her to show him attitude

What arrogance!

It was already four months since Bryan Ferdinand started working with them and already he was a voice to be reckoned with. She had watched grimly as he became the director. At board meetings, he dominated, pushing David further and further away. This was what she had been afraid of but even now, David would not listen to a word against him.

At the office it was as though everyone and everything revolved round him especially the female folk. Half the women were in love with him and the other half was fascinated with him except for her of course. Sharon still despised and distrusted him just as much as she did the first time they had met only now it was much more.

Amanda one of the share analyst would not allow her rest with talks of Bryan.

'I do not know why you detest him this way', she said. He is the hottest thing that has happened to this office. Look at the hot deals he has won for the bank since he started with us'.

Sharon did not know how else to do away with this girl. She seem not to take hints at all.

'Amanda, haven't you got any work to do?' Sharon said looking at her computer.'Because if you haven't, I have. With David ringing in to say he's working at home today and our trip to Rome starting tomorrow, I've got so much to do. I'll be working until very late tonight, so get off my desk and go away'.

'In a minute', Amanda said wriggling like a child on the edge of the desk, her small feet swinging back and forth. 'I wanted to ask you something....'

'Well what?' Sharon was impatient to be done with her.

'Has he got a woman tucked somewhere? I mean he hasn't dated anyone since he joined us. He says he isn't married and I do not believe that he is gay, so is there anyone in the background?'

'I do not know and frankly, I do not care. And since you are that interested in his private life and have nothing else to talk about but Bryan Ferdinand, why don't you ask him yourself? Now will you get off my desk, I have work to do'.

She frankly wished that she had never heard of the man. He was growing more and more irritated with him and the mention of his name.

The last time she had spoken about this to David, she had told him how Bryan was taking over from him and pushing him further and further to the background and had even taken over his clients and the most lucrative of them all at that.

'At my suggestion dear girl!' David has insisted. 'I am trying to shed some of my workload. You told me that I was working too hard, remember?

'I didn't ask you to hand over some of your best clients over to Ferdinand and neither did you tell me that you intended doing that's.

He had given her an apologetic look.

'I knew you would get agitated and let ture me on your favourite subject'.

Startled, she asked, 'What do you mean?'

'Bryan. Now don't deny it. You only trust him as far as you can throw him'.

'Yes, I do not trust him but I do hope you are not making a terrible mistake letting him get into such a position of power in the bank.

Her uneasiness had not lifted when a few weeks later, Amanda would not get off her desk for talking about Bryan Ferdinand.

She pushed Amanda off her desk and Amanda turned a laughing face to her.

'Oh come on, I bet you are secretly crazy about Bryan too -you just won't admit it!'

'I'd rather date Dracula! Sharon snapped just as her office door opened.

She and Amanda both looked round, both frozen in confusion. Bryan was at the doorway, his dark eyes hooded and unreadable. His powerful body briefly at test which she knew was already was rate for him since he was constantly in motion, a man with burning energy always racing against the clock or himself or the world, she did not know which.

'What's Dracula got that I haven't?' he drawled and Amanda began to giggle, half in relief because he didn't seem angry, half in embarrassment because she didn't know how much of the earlier conversation he had overheard.

'Don't tempt me', she said and Bryan looked into her eyes, his mouth twisting.

'Could I?'

Amanda's eyes went round as she gazed from one to the other in fascination, waiting to hear more.

'No', Sharon said through her teeth.

'Weren't you just going, Amanda?'

Amanda hesitated, wanting to stay and eavesdrop but Bryan's eyes were hypnotic and she swung her waist as she walked towards the door and Bryan watched her with a glint in his dark eyes.

Amanda was like a little Venus, high chested with a tiny waist and rounded hips and she knew how to move to attract the attention of the men and she did the same now.

When she got to the door, she looked at him, smiling and said, 'Dracula doesn't have anything that you haven't got'.

'Then why aren't you afraid?' he asked drawing his face close to her baring his teeth as though about to sink his fangs into her.

She shrieked in delight and fled.

Bryan straightened and looked across the room at Sharon, his laughing gaze met Sharon's cold ones and the laughter stopped and his face tightened and turned cold.

He walked towards her and let the door slam behind him.

She quivered at something she saw in his stare.

He stopped beside her desk and for one awful moment, she turned red and then white sure that he was going to touch and kiss her.

He watched her inexorably.

'One of these days, I shall tell you the reason you can't stand the sight of me', he said softly, 'and then you will really hate me'.

'I already do!'

It came out before she could do anything about it and she bit her tongue. She had not wanted to be so upfront about her real feelings towards him. She could not believe that she had allowed herself to lose control that way. In her line of work, she often came across men that she loathed but she never let it show, always in control of her feelings.

'I'm sorry', she said not quite meeting his gaze. 'I lost my temper, please forget that I said that'.

If he were to tell his cousin, then David would not be happy with her. In fact she was not happy with herself for losing control that way.

'I never forget anything', he murmured and she believed him. She had noticed that he had the most fantastic memory, remembering even the tiniest detail about public companies and private hands and calling up the most minute detail from memory when least expected.

'That's up to you', she said trying to hide her dismay. No doubt one day he would make her pay for losing her temper and that was why it bothered her that David seem to trust him so implicitly.

She was afraid that one day, Bryan Ferdinand would make David pay for the way his family had treated had treated Bryan's mother.

Sharon swallowed her uneasiness and looked at the screen in front of her.

'Have you seen the lastest Japanese figures?'

'More or less as I predicted', he shrugged.

'Yes, right again, as usual', Sharon said with saccharine sweetness.

He laughed. She couldn't even make him angry. It was infuriating. She wished he would go away. He was ruining her morning.

'I am rather busy', She said, 'So unless you want to tell me something important....'

'David just rang me from home', he said, 'About the Rome Conference ....'

'Yes?' She was supposed to fly a road with David to Rome for an international banking conference and she was looking forward to it. It had been so long that she had been anywhere interesting and she wanted to get away from the office now dominated by Ryan Ferdinand for a little while.

'His doctor has advised him to stay in bed for a week, so he won't be able to go', Bryan said coolly.

'What's wrong? Is he I'll?' Sharon asked but Bryan shook his head.

'Just tired, I gather. A touch of flu, too maybe. Nothing serious He asked me to explain it to you and say how sorry he is to miss the Rome trip'.

'Of course, I understand', Sharon said, deeply disappointed, her face falling, 'Though I can't say that I am surprised.He has been looking out of sorts and really I'll for the past few days. He really needs a long vacation but a week in bed is a start. Well, I'd better cancel everything, but I don't think we shall be able to reclaim the price of the air tickets. The hotel can be cancelled without problem, of course'.

Sharon put out her hand to the phone but Bryan gently caught hold of her wrist.

' No don't cancel anything. The trip is still on. It's just that I'll be taking David's place'.

'You?' Sharon said stifling.

His mouth curled. 'Sorry, I am no match to David in your eyes, I am aware of that but he wants the bank to be represented and he is supposed to give a talk at the conference, so I shall have to be the one giving the talk'.

Sharon knew all about the talk. Why David felt the need to ask Bryan to give the talk when he knew that she could do that well best her.

'You know of David's old fashioned view of the role of women in banking', Bryan said.

'Which you share obviously!' she said bitterly.

'As a matter of f t, I don't but David was really I'll and it didn't seem the right time to argue with him, so I just went along with his directives. I believe you have got all his documentations, by the way? Tickets etc?'

She nodded and stood up and Bryan made way for her to pass and she picked up the scent of his aftershave and decided that she didn't like it.

She found the folder containing all the travel documents and handed them over to him.

'The name will have to be changed, I can do that'.

'Don't worry, my secretary will deal with it', he said as he turned to walk out, 'See you tomorrow on the plane'.

She looked after him, half inclined not to turn up. Only her loyalty to David made her decide to go. Someone had to keep an eye on Bryan Ferdinand.

They met at the Heathrow and bought piles of magazines and newspapers and tried to ignore the noise and discomfort of the seats they sat on.

At last, the plane began to take off and in the end, they were two hours late in leaving for Rome.

Rome did not look as exciting as Sharon had envisaged and she looked up depressed.

By the time they got to their hotel, she was barely able to stand and was very fed up.

She collected the key and went straight to her room, which turned out to be charming, beautifully furnished and a magnificent view of the rocks and cliffs and the town as a whole.

It was still raining. She leaned on the window for a while, gazing out. Even in the rain, Rome was still noisy, bustling, over full of people and vehicles.

Sitting there with the window open made her shiver after a while. She stood up,closed the window and went into her modern bathroom to take a long warm fragrant bath, pouring deliciously scented bath oils into the water before she climbed gratefully into it.

Bryan had suggested that they meet for dinner at eight o'clock in the bar. The first gathering of the conference was at nine o'clock the following morning and was scheduled to take place at another hotel which was a popular conference. entre with efficient modern facilities.

Most of the delegates were also staying at the hotel but David had wanted a peaceful place to retire to when banking policies be ame too hectic. It often helped to be able to escape for a while.

After her bath, Sharon went to her bed to sleep and her dreams were as chaotic as the city itself.

She woke with a start when someone knocked on the door.

She was disoriented, not knowing at first where she was.While she had slept,night had fallen and the room was dark.

She lay there starring blankly until that knock again. She walked to the door to open it after stumbling out of bed. The light from the corridor was blinding and caused her to blink.

It was z Ryan in an evening dress looking ultra- civilized a d menacingly primitive, a very disturbing and lethal mix.

Added to that, just the sight of his smooth- skinned, closely shaven face and sleek black hair, his gleaming black eyes, his powerful body, sent a shiver of weakness through her.

Ever since she met him, she had been both alarmed by and hostile to him, working on instinct buried deep inside her, too deep for her to be quite sure what it was about the man that set all her alarm bells jangling.