Dear heaven, but he did look gorgeous in his new clothes. His cream trousers were superbly tailored, lending an elegance to his long, muscular legs. And she did so like the colour of his shirt. It was a deep fawn with a cream collar and arm bands that highlighted his tan. The shirt was short-sleeved, of course, showing off Mike’s wonderful arms.

Reece had chosen well.

‘Ready?’ Mike asked her.

‘As ready as I’ll ever be,’ Natalie replied as she whirled away from the vanity mirror. ‘I didn’t realise I’d be this nervous.’

‘No need for you to be nervous. You look fabulous.’

‘You like me in this?’

She’d wondered momentarily if Alanna had got it wrong, worried that she should have been wearing something more casual for her first meeting with the Helsingers. The white Capri pants she had in her case, for instance, not a calf-length skirt and matching top that were dressy enough for a day at the races.

‘Blue suits you,’ Mike said, pleasing her.

Wait till he saw the dress she’d bought for the party tomorrow night. It was bluer than blue.

‘Pity about the bra,’ he added as his gaze swept over her.

‘But I’m not wearing a bra!’ she said, confused by his comment.

‘I know,’ he said drily, his eyes zeroing in on where her naked nipples immediately peaked against the silk lining.

‘Stop staring at me like that,’ she told him agitatedly. This was what he was always doing to her. What he’d done continuously all yesterday. Turned her on with just a look. ‘We…we have to be going in a minute.’

‘No, we don’t,’ he growled. ‘I can cancel and Helsinger can go fly a kite. There are plenty of other companies who’ll want my program. I don’t need Comproware.’

‘But they won’t give you a partnership,’ she protested, thrown by this sudden change of attitude. ‘Mike, you married me to get this deal. This is where the big money is, money you can do so much good with.’

His eyes narrowed on her. ‘Are you sure you’re thinking of my good works, or your own second million?’

Natalie stiffened. ‘That’s not fair.’

‘No, you’re right,’ he said, actually looking a bit guilty. ‘I apologise. I’m not myself today. It’s just that I hate jumping through hoops for any man, and Helsinger has been making me do that. He wanted me married so I got married. Something I said I’d never do. I was thinking this morning how much I like being my own boss. I hate the thought of kowtowing to Chuck Helsinger.’

‘You’d never kowtow to any man, Mike,’ she said, and meant it.

‘But I already have,’ he grumped. ‘And probably all for nothing!’

‘What do you mean?’