White Lies Read Online Free Page B

more conviction than she felt.
    'You won't be able to,' he muttered irritably, not even bothering to open his eyes and talk to her properly. 'You'll never get a work permit. Jobs go to St Lucians. So, if you haven't any funds, how do you think you'll manage?'
    Mandy didn't waver. She'd shift the ground from under him even if it meant doing it grain by grain! She grinned at the image and felt a bit better 1 . 'Well, do me a favour and save me from selling my body in the open market-place,' she said jokingly. 'I'm sure you can help me if you put your mind to it.'
    His eyes opened and pinned her with a baleful look. 'Are you suggesting I finance you myself?' he asked coldly.
    'No!' She checked her exasperation. 'Look, your father must have someone who's deputising for him now he's ill. Couldn't I talk to that person? I appreciate you must have a thousand and one things to do and I don't want to be a nuisance, so if you'd just tell me where his office is I'll go there in the morning and make my own arrangements,' she finished briskly.
    'That could be difficult. He doesn't have an office.' He smirked at her surprise.
    'Well, wherever your father usually sees his clients,' she persisted sweetly, wondering why he was being so obstructive.
    'In bed?' murmured Pascal, lifting a wicked eyebrow.
    Her eyes flickered. 'Yes, in bed! Why not?' she countered pleasantly, calling his bluff. What a ridiculous remark to make!
    Pascal let his gaze drift insolently over her body and she wished that she hadn't made the joke. It was perfectly obvious that he was thinking lustful thoughts because his eyes had become drowsy and his expression was smouldering. Surely he must have realised that she was being sarcastic?
    'You come to the point with astonishing bluntness. The very idea fills me with horror. I think we can try to ensure your relationship never gets that far,' he said levelly.
    She heard the threat that edged his voice and read the message in his eyes. Goose-bumps rose on her arms. He was totally hostile to her. Why?
    'Your sense of humour's deserted you! And so have your manners. You ought to be helping me,' she said impatiently. 'If your father should learn how—'
    'Don't threaten me!' he snapped. 'You're not seeing him, so get that into your head!'
    His hostility was out in the open now. Mandy fumed. 'There's no need to be rude!' she said stiffly. 'Arrange a meeting with one of your father's colleagues for me. I'm sure you've been asked to give me what help you can—'
    Pascal interrupted her with a disparaging snort. 'Yes! Unfortunately for you, however,' he said coldly, 'I'd rather help a snake find a vein in my leg than do anything that would assist either you or him.'
    'What?' she gasped.
    'You're on your own,' he growled. 'Don't expect anything from me. To be frank, Mrs Cook, if I had my way I'd feed the two of you a hefty dose of rat poison.'
     

CHAPTER TWO
    M ANDY gaped like a floundering fish. 'I don't know why you're being so insulting!' she cried in astonishment. 'You talk as though you hate your father, and that's your prerogative—but how—why—can you hate me? Why are you being so unpleasant? Is it because my clothes are cheap and out of fashion and I can't afford decent shoes?' she suggested, stung by his look of contempt. 'Because I don't wear make-up or go to a swish hairdresser?'
    'I don't care what you wear—' he began.
    'Then why keep staring at me?'
    He seemed surprised, as if that was news to him. And then he drew in an irritated breath. 'I despise you because of what you do ,' he growled. 'Dammit! I need a drink. Where the hell is Simon?' He scanned the far end of the beach.
    Mandy was silent for a moment, a frown jerking her dark brows together. He knew about her work, then. What was wrong with being a postmistress?
    She saw that Pascal was looking at her hands, which had been unconsciously plucking at the hem of her dress and screwing it into a rag—a certain give-away of her chaotic feelings. Miserably she