‘Relax. You’re like an old woman.’

Benjamin stuck his feet up on his desk and put his hands behind his head, while Jazmine glared at him. He wasn’t worried, though; he knew how to handle her. They might be business partners on paper, but it was he who was really in charge, making all the key decisions Jazmine lacked the balls to take.

Ha, she literally lacked the balls. Benjamin smirked inwardly at his joke.

Jazmine was his sensible, steadying influence, but she sweat the small stuff and didn’t have the Midas touch that Benjamin had because he was all about the big picture. That was why they made the perfect business partners, balancing each other out. Most of the time.

They were an odd coupling at first sight. People had been surprised he had gone into business with a hairy-legged lesbian from Dagenham. That’s what his rugger bugger pals had said, anyway, when they first found out, even though there was nothing butch about the brown-haired accountant, with her elfin features, glossy pixie crop, and fitted suits. Sometimes, he was willing to admit, his friends could be complete idiots.

Jazmine stopped pacing in front of him and pulled up a chair instead, leaning her elbows on his desk and pushing her glasses up her nose slightly before doling out a glare that skewered him.

‘I really don’t like this, Ben. We don’t need this Russian’s business—’

‘Since when is it about need? We land this, and we’ll make a fortune. It’s called expansion, it’s called good business practice.’

‘Not if we lose clients because they don’t want to be tarnished by his reputation.’ She smacked his foot. ‘Oy, I mean it. We’ve taken years to build up a list of decent, reliable people who run totally legitimate businesses. You know Tarkovsky’s reputation – don’t bloody play the innocent, Ben, I’m not falling for your “butter wouldn’t melt” look.’

He opened his arms wide. ‘Who? Me? Never. Seriously, you’re worrying about nothing. I’ll admit that Vladimir does have a certain… reputation, shall we say. But his operations in the UK are totally legit – or don’t you trust me to have done my homework on this?’

‘You don’t have the contacts to have done the right kind of homework on this sort of man.’

‘Unlike you.’

Jazmine jerked away from him as if he’d poked her with a cattle prod. She didn’t like to be reminded about her past, the dodgy estate she had grown up on, surrounded by thieves and drug dealers. Most of whom she was related to.

‘All right, yeah; I know what I’m talking about when it comes to dodgy geezers,’ she conceded after a pause. ‘This guy makes me twitchy. If you’re determined to get into bed with him then maybe I should ask around a bit, check he is legit. I’ve fought hard to get where I am, to leave all that crap behind, Ben. I’m not going to be dragged back into it because you want to become the next Rockefeller.’

‘Actually, he was mainly in oil but—’

‘Don’t change the subject.’ Her words were loud and sharp. Her cockney accent sounded rough beside Benjamin’s softer, more gentrified tones. But then, she hadn’t been pulled up constantly by her father about ‘speaking properly’. Not a day of Benjamin’s childhood had passed without some comment about ‘the common Essex accent’ he had apparently been developing, and that must be stopped at all costs.

‘I mean it, Ben. I want you to listen to me on this. He beats people up if they cross him – maybe he even does worse.’

‘That fat bastard? Couldn’t if he tried.’

‘People like that don’t have to lift a finger. They give an order to someone lower down the food chain.’

‘Seriously? You’ve been watching too many Bond films. You’re going to let us lose money because of rumours? I’m not walking away from a brilliant deal, unless you’ve got some kind of proof of your allegations. Well, have you?’

‘No, but—’

He took his feet off the desk and leaned forward so he could meet her gaze. Said softly, sincerely: ‘Come on, Jaz. When have I ever steered you wrong? I swear on my life, this is a great move for us. It will take us to the next level.’

She didn’t say a word. Didn’t look away, either. Benjamin did what he always did best: took a gamble.

‘Look, I’m feeling on top of the world here, and you’re bursting my bubble. If it really means that much to you, though, I’ll let this go, even though it goes against everything I think. It seems a shame when I’ve virtually landed him, is all. Especially as he really is all above board. But I’ll give his PA a call.’ He lifted his phone up for good measure. ‘Tell her that I’m cancelling our shoot on Sunday. He’ll think we’re a bit rude, but so what.’

Jazmine’s hand rested on his, stopping him from dialling. She peered over her glasses at him. Scrutinising.

‘You really have checked him out.’

‘I really have checked him out. Honest.’

He gave a grin. His cheeky chappy one, he called it.

‘Hey, a bloke like this, giving up his time at a weekend; he wouldn’t do that unless he was definitely going to come with us. That’s a massive coup. Just imagine the looks on our rivals’ faces when they hear.’

She gave a smile. It was reluctant, but it was there.

‘It could be nice to rub Watson & Co’s nose in it. Cheeky buggers have been crowing ever since they nicked that café chain account from us.’

‘Yeah. So, you going to let me do what I do best? Schmooze this whale?’

She laughed. ‘Okay. As long as you can guarantee me he really is legit.’

‘Cross my heart and hope to die.’