by Sarah Morgan
‘He’s enjoying it,’ Anna whispered in amazement. ‘Look at his little face.’
‘Yes, he’s relaxed now,’ Holly agreed. ‘You’re right that his tummy was very tense. I think that might well have been the problem.’
‘Oh, it’s bliss not to hear him screaming,’ Anna breathed. ‘Can I do it?’
‘Of course.’ Holly moved to one side. ‘Just rub some oil into your palms. That’s it. Now, very gently just move your hands... That’s it... Perfect...’
Together they stroked the baby and with each touch Anna’s spirits seemed to lift.
By the time Mark and Holly climbed back into the car, Anna was looking relaxed and almost cheerful.
‘Phone me if there’s a crisis,’ Holly instructed, ‘otherwise see Debra in clinic next week. Please?’
‘I promise I’ll go,’ Anna said with a shy smile. ‘And thank you.’
As they drove off Mark grinned at her. ‘I didn’t know you were such a dab hand at massage. I’ve got this terrible pain in my stomach. I don’t suppose you’d—?’
‘No, you’re right,’ Holly replied with a reproving look, ‘I definitely wouldn’t. You’re much too big and ugly. I only do babies.’
‘I’m a baby,’ Mark said firmly. ‘You should see me with spiders.’
‘You, Mark Logan, aren’t afraid of anything,’ Holly said dryly, and he gave her broad smile and a wink.
‘Oh, well, you can’t blame a chap for trying.’ He swung the car into the drive and pulled on the handbrake. ‘How about tomorrow during our kiss? Maybe some massage would work then. What do you think?’
For a brief moment Holly’s eyes dropped to his firm mouth and she wondered what it would be like to be kissed by a man like Mark.
She swallowed hard. She was going crazy!
‘What I think is that you’ve gone nuts! We do not need to kiss each other to prove that we’re together,’ she said hastily, climbing out of the car quickly to try and escape the strange feelings that were swamping her. ‘I promise to look at you adoringly. That should be fine.’
Mark slammed the door and walked round the car towards her. ‘Don’t be a spoilsport. I’ve been planning this great romantic scenario...’
Holly ignored him and hurried towards the front door. The more she thought about it, the more she was dreading this barbecue. She only hoped he was joking about the kiss.
* * *
‘Smugglers’ Bay’, as it was called by the locals, was easily reached by a narrow coast road which ended in a tiny car park right next to the beach.
It was the perfect spot for a beach barbecue and Holly soon discovered that the event had been planned like a military operation, with each practice taking responsibility for a different aspect of the evening. Her practice had provided all the drinks and Ian and Mark were busy unloading crates of various beverages and mixing a punch.
The bay was beautiful, a perfect curve of yellow sand with rock pools and caves and a steep cliff path that rose away from the tiny car park.
Holly was staring at the yachts bobbing in the evening sunshine when Mark called her.
‘Come and meet Greg, my sailing partner.’ He waved a hand in her direction. ‘And taste my punch.’
Dutifully she walked across to where he was standing, wondering whether she should have dressed up a bit more. She’d chosen to wear a pair of white shorts teamed with her favourite black sleeveless T-shirt. It was perfect for a warm evening, although hardly formal. But, then, Mark wasn’t dressed formally either. He’d thrown on a pair of khaki shorts and a white T-shirt that clung to the powerful muscles of his shoulders. Despite his casual dress, he looked overwhelmingly handsome and Holly had noticed several of the women casting surreptitious looks in his direction.
She felt a rush of annoyance. The man was supposed to be engaged, for goodness’ sake! No wonder Mark had problems—women couldn’t seem to leave him alone!
‘Hello, there.’ She smiled at the good-looking blonde man standing by Mark’s side and he narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly.
‘Well, now everything is clear.’
Holly looked blank. ‘I don’t understand—what’s clear?’
‘The reason Mark was looking so stressed and now seems so relaxed.’ Greg shot Mark a sly grin. ‘If I’d been separated from a woman like this one, I would have been depressed, too.’
Holly blushed, feeling like a total fraud, but Mark just laughed and pulled her into his arms, giving her a huge hug.
‘Absolutely. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?’ He smiled into her eyes and for a wild moment she thought that he was going to give her the kiss that he’d been threatening, but he released her, turning back to Greg with an easy smile. ‘So, how are you getting on with Caroline? I saw you talking to her the other day.’
‘Mark!’ Holly was aghast. ‘Stop interfering with other people’s love lives.’
Mark grinned and stirred the punch. ‘Just call me Cupid.’
‘I could think of a less flattering name,’ Greg said mildly, bending down and extracting a beer from the cool-bag. ‘And I hardly need to remind you that Caroline and I were getting on nicely until you arrived on the scene.’
Mark cleared his throat and looked embarrassed. ‘I’m sorry. It wasn’t exactly my fault—’
‘I know that.’ Greg gave a wry smile and a fatalistic shrug. ‘Which is why I’m drinking this beer and not pouring it down your neck. And the answer to your question is, yes, I was talking to her the other day. The truth is she’s still pretty upset about you and Holly. I suppose she feels rejected again, but I’m gently reminding her that you never had a relationship in the first place.’
‘Thanks, Greg. I owe you.’ Mark gave him a brief smile and Holly leaned forward and helped herself to a small glass of punch.
‘Don’t you mind that she has a crush on Mark?’
‘Holly, every female round here has a crush on Mark,’ Greg said calmly, taking a gulp of beer and squinting slightly into the evening sun. ‘You’re probably the one that ought to mind.’
Holly shrugged and smiled. ‘I’m used to it,’ she said honestly. ‘Girls have been attacking him since we were in primary school together. Nothing’s changed.’
‘I can well believe it.’ Greg finished his beer and tossed the can into the bin. ‘Anyway, I think Caroline is getting over it. She realises that everything was just in her head. Pass me another beer, Mark.’
Mark frowned. ‘Why are you drinking beer instead of my punch?’
‘Because I’ve seen what you’ve put in that punch,’ Greg drawled, his blue eyes gleaming, ‘and I need to be able to walk home in a straight line later. I’ve got my reputation to think of.’
There was general laughter and soon the evening was filled with delicious smells from the barbecue, friendly chatter and light music.
Holly tucked into barbecued chicken wings and hot sweetcorn dripping with melted butter.
‘You’ve got butter on your chin.’ Mark chuckled softly and wiped her face with a napkin. ‘How’s that punch? Need a top-up?’
Holly shook her head. ‘No way! If I drink any more I won’t be able to stand! Now I know why Greg chose the lager.’
A little distance away she could see Caroline watching them and suddenly her appetite vanished.
‘What’s wrong?’ Mark frowned down at her and then nodded grimly. ‘On second thoughts, don’t tell me. I can guess. She’s watching us, isn’t she?’
‘Mark—’
‘Come on, let’s go for a walk.’ Without waiting for her answer, he took her plate and deposited it on a trestle table then slipped an arm round her shoulders, guiding her further onto the beach.
‘Where are we going?’ Knowing that people were watching them, Holly felt her face heat.
‘For a walk. And some privacy.’ His eyes were amused. ‘Why are you embarrassed? This is a social gathering, not work. We’re engaged. We’re supposed to want to be alone together.’
Alone together. Her insides
suddenly squirmed in a strange fashion. She’d been alone with Mark on countless occasions, but suddenly when he said it like that it seemed intimate and personal. Being alone with Mark as her ‘lover’ didn’t seem the same as being alone with Mark as her friend.
They walked to the first cave and peered inside, avoiding the drips that fell from the roof at regular intervals.
‘How far back do you think it goes?’ Holly murmured, peering into the darkness towards the back of the cave.
‘Goodness knows, and I don’t intend to find out.’ Mark reached up and touched the damp, jagged rocks. ‘The tide’s on the way in and these caves fill up at high tide.’
Holly gazed at the sea and shuddered. ‘Awful to be trapped. Just imagine...’
‘I’d rather not if you don’t mind. Oops.’ His voice was soft, his handsome face shadowed by the cave. ‘We’re under observation. Caroline’s followed us. Time for some serious canoodling, I think.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous! We can’t!’ Holly’s heart stumbled in her chest. Serious canoodling? What exactly did he have in mind?
His eyes dropped to her mouth and for endless seconds he studied her, his breathing steady and even. Holly stood frozen to the spot, her brain refusing to function, her thought processes jammed by the sudden tension between them.
And then he lowered his head slowly, almost hesitantly, as if he wasn’t totally committed to what he was doing, wasn’t totally convinced that it was right, despite his carefree attitude. When their mouths were separated by only a breath he paused and she felt a sharp current shoot through her lower body, leaving her limbs trembling and weak. Dear God, what was the matter with her? He hadn’t even touched her yet. It was just the anticipation...
And then he did touch her. Softly at first, his mouth tasted hers. Gently. So gently. Teasing and coaxing a response from her. He held her firmly and his kiss was a carefully controlled, purposeful seduction designed to make her knees tremble and her insides spark. His mouth moved on hers with the sure, confident touch of a man who knew exactly how to kiss a woman, and it was nothing like any kiss Holly had ever had before. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Until it stopped.
He lifted his head suddenly and stared down at her, an odd expression in his dark eyes as they locked with hers.
Her heart thumping, Holly found her voice. ‘Has she gone?’
‘Gone?’ For a moment he looked blank and then his eyes flicked up briefly and he glanced over her shoulder.
‘Mark?’
Why wasn’t he saying anything? ‘Is she still watching?’
He seemed to hesitate for a brief second and then, without giving her an answer, his head came down and he kissed her again.
Only this time it was different.
This time, instead of a carefully orchestrated seduction, it was as if he couldn’t help himself. He kissed her as if she was a temptation that he couldn’t resist, his kiss rough and dominating, possessively male, arousing a storm of sensation which made her gasp against his mouth and curl her slim fingers into the front of his shirt for support.
How could a kiss feel like this? Like an explosion of fireworks inside her body, like an electric shock that shook every one of her senses?
As if acknowledging her need, his arm tightened protectively and his free hand slid into her hair and tilted her face, giving him better access to her mouth. This close, she was aware of every inch of him, aware of his hard thighs pressed against her softer ones, aware of his strength as he held her, aware of her thudding heart and her trembling limbs.
Oblivious to everything except the way he made her feel, she gave a tiny moan and wound her arms round his strong neck, feeling his hair brushing her fingertips. Lost in a swirling mist of desire, Holly gave in to the demands of his mouth, totally unable to do anything but respond. For the first time in her life she knew what it was like to be thoroughly kissed, and the experience left her weak and shaking.
When he finally lifted his head, she clutched at him dizzily, her breathing uneven.
‘I gather she was still watching.’ Her voice was husky and decidedly unsteady and she blushed furiously, hoping he wouldn’t notice just how much his touch had affected her.
‘Watching...?’ He took a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder, his expression unreadable. ‘Oh...yes.’
She swallowed, wondering when he was going to let her go. His strong arms still held her firmly against the solid muscle of his chest as if he was reluctant to release her. Which could only mean that Caroline was still there.
‘Has she gone?’ Standing in the protective circle of his arms felt so good—too good—but she knew it couldn’t last. That it wasn’t real. ‘Mark?’
‘What?’ He stared down at her and his eyes locked with hers for endless seconds. Then he released her. ‘Yes, she’s gone. Greg dragged her away. She looked pretty upset.’
Mark’s voice sounded oddly strained and he strode to the edge of the cave, his back towards her, his broad shoulders tense.
Without his arms around her Holly suddenly felt lost and confused. What was she meant to say after a kiss like that? What was she meant to do? Was she really expected to act as if nothing had happened? As if what they’d shared was common practice between good friends?
But Mark didn’t seem bothered—it seemed that all he could think about was Caroline, and whether their ruse had worked.
Holly stared past him, frowning slightly as she realised that there was no longer anyone on the beach. They must have walked away very quickly.
She closed her eyes briefly and wondered whether her heart rate was ever going to return to normal. Hadn’t Mark felt it, too? That overwhelming electricity that had burned through her entire body? No, obviously not, she thought miserably, or he wouldn’t have released her so quickly and wouldn’t be ignoring her now. To Mark it had just been a kiss. A kiss like any other. And she knew better than most just how many other women he’d kissed in his life.
Well, all that practice had certainly paid dividends. He was a good kisser. Lifting a hand, she brushed blonde hair away from her face and touched her lips with shaking fingers, remembering how it had felt when he’d touched her. Not just good. Incredible. Mark was an incredible kisser.
Breathing steadily to slow down her heart rate, she walked past him to the mouth of the cave, hoping that he wouldn’t notice that her legs were shaking.
Mark.
Dear God, this was Mark. Her Mark. He was her oldest and dearest friend and yet—and yet at the moment when he’d kissed her he hadn’t felt like a friend at all. He’d felt like a lover.
Only he wasn’t her lover and never would be. He’d just kissed her for the benefit of observers. It hadn’t been special to Mark.
But it had been special to her...
‘Well, that should have convinced her,’ Mark murmured as he stared across the beach. ‘We’d better be getting back, I suppose.’
His voice was calm and relaxed, giving no hint that anything had changed for him. Which it hadn’t, of course. He’d been thinking about Caroline all the time. Acting out a part.
Unlike her. She hadn’t been acting. For Holly it had been all too real.
She’d kissed her best friend and suddenly everything that had been so clear was now confused.
CHAPTER FIVE
WHAT was she going to say to Mark?
A sleepless night had done nothing to clear Holly’s head, nothing at all. And now she had to face him. She swallowed hard and paused at the bottom of the staircase, trying to pretend that the kiss they’d shared had meant nothing to her. That their relationship was exactly the same as it had always been.
But it wasn’t the same and she knew that it never would be again...
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the kitchen door, smiling brightly at Mark who was lounging at the kitchen table, reading a newspaper.
‘Any coffee going?’ Avoiding his eyes, she walked briskly across to the coffee-machine.
‘Good morni
ng.’ Mark sounded incredibly normal and she forced herself to turn and face him.
She had to act naturally, as if her world hadn’t really been turned upside down.
‘Good morning.’ The words almost stuck in her throat as she noticed how handsome he looked first thing in the morning, his jaw dark and rough and his loose T-shirt doing nothing to disguise the powerful muscle of his chest and shoulders. Suddenly finding it difficult to breathe, Holly vowed not to make an appearance before he was fully dressed on future occasions. Her knees trembling, she turned back to the coffee-machine and paid it rather more attention than it needed.
‘So, what are your plans for today?’ Mark leaned back in his chair and pushed the newspaper to one side, running long fingers through his cropped dark hair.
‘Plans?’ She was going to spend the day trying to persuade herself that nothing had changed. That she didn’t really find him attractive. Those were her plans.
‘I thought you might fancy a walk.’ Mark poured milk over a bowl of cereal and picked up a spoon, totally calm and relaxed. Clearly he wasn’t suffering the same inner torment that she was. ‘The coast path from here leads down to some fantastic rocky bays. We could take a picnic and go for a swim.’
Spend the day with him?
It was clear that, for him at least, nothing had changed, and Holly nibbled her lip, trying to subdue a flash of disappointment. What had she expected? That he’d fall down on one knee and confess that he’d always loved her? Ridiculous!
So now what was she going to do? On the one hand, a day with Mark sounded like heaven, but on the other, could she actually be with him all day and act normally? Could she spend time with him without staring, without remembering—
Oh, for goodness’ sake! She took a deep breath and pulled herself together. She had to get on with her life. Mark wasn’t responsible for the way she felt—she was. She’d let it all get to her. Nothing had changed. Not really. He was still the same Mark she’d always known. OK, so he was a good kisser—or, to be more accurate, he was an exceptional kisser—but just because he knew how to kiss a woman senseless, that didn’t mean that their friendship was affected. She was being pathetic.