Fantasy Woman

by Annabel Murray

  'She admitted all that?'

  'Not at first, no. Not until after I'd seen the Mantalini boys, heard their version. The sons weren't involved. They'd lost interest in their father's vendetta, so he'd relied on Marcha being on the inside ... and some hired bully boys.'

  'How did he know about Marcha, contact her?'

  'She knew about him, sought him out. She knew about his earlier attempts. Mantalini promised her money, too ... a great deal of it.'

  'A circus performer with money?'

  'Not only a performer ... a circus owner. He owned several. I say owned, because Mantalini is dead. Apparently when he heard about the failure of his latest coup, he flew into a rage which brought on a heart attack.'

  'Good riddance!' Gina said feelingly and, at Tod's look of amazement, 'I can't feel sorry for him, or for Marcha. They've both caused too much trouble, too much heartache to people I...'

  'Yes?' Tod said tensely as she broke off, her face flushing. Then, as she continued to stare up at him speechlessly, 'I suppose you weren't, by any chance, going to say "to people you love".'

  She must brazen it out. There was a piece of sophistry she could employ.

  'I adore Rusty, you know that .. . and I became very fond of Melanie,' she added primly. Somehow she managed to look away from those penetrating dark eyes.

  'Is that all?' His voice was harsh.

  'What else should there be?' A nice, understated little note of surprise, she congratulated herself.

  'Where do I come into all this?' he demanded and her stomach seemed to achieve several rapid backflips. Automatically, she rested her hand upon it, thinking of the growing life within, found Tod watching the gesture and as hastily withdrew it.

  'I'm sorry, of course, that you had all that worry. But it's over now, isn't it?'

  'Not by a long way!' He ground the words out savagely and bent forward leaning over her, his hands grasping her shoulders. 'I've had some worry in my life ... but nothing worries me so damned much as you do.'

  She refused to look at him, felt she couldn't speak. But that insidious trembling had begun to agitate her body and he must be aware of it. She must say something, if only to divert his attention, to give herself breathing space.

  'What I can't understand,' she said, amazed at the controlled note of her own voice, as if she were merely discussing some academic problem, 'is why you wanted me as Marcha's stand-in, when she was so against it.'

  The diversion worked, temporarily. His grasp relaxed a little.

  'Whatever her opinion,' he said simply, 'she needed you. There was no one else 'who resembled her so closely to be found at such short notice, and there was no way I could get her to perform her own stunts. When she realised I didn't intend to back down, she added to what she'd already told me of your background a very elaborate tissue of lies and insinuations, so that I'd be very disinclined to believe anything you might have let slip about her. If it hadn't been for young Rusty . . . I'm glad I decided to visit him again.'

  'Why did you?'

  'For his own sake, initially ... I liked the lad, admired his guts . . . and to find out more about you. In so doing, I uncovered Marcha's lies, her true nature. And now, Gina, let's stop shilly-shallying. When are you coming back to Mallions ... to Rusty ... to me?' The blunt, uncompromising question took her by surprise.

  'Never! There's no reason why I should. I completed my part of your film and I told you I wouldn't work for you again, even if you did try to sue me for breach of contract.'

  'Gina! Being a businesswoman seems to be bad for you. Will you please stop looking at everything in terms of pounds and pence? I don't care a damn if you never appear in another film, and one thing's certain, there'll be no more stunting for you.'

  'Why?' she asked suspiciously, disregarding the first part of his sentence. Had he any idea? No, he couldn't have.

  'Because I've watched one woman I love kill herself. I don't intend to let that happen again.'

  It was not stubbornness, nor was it pique that kept her silent now. He had, effectively, taken away her breath.

  'Did you hear what I said?' he demanded, giving her a little shake.

  'I heard!' she managed to say.

  'Well?'

  'Well what? Do you expect me to fall at your feet in gratitude? I've told you, on several occasions, I don't like your ideas about love. OK. So you're rid of Marcha ... well rid. You must know plenty of other women who are panting to take her place. But I'm not one of them.'

  'Is it this damned stupid idea you have that you're first and foremost a career woman? Because, if so, I'll tell you now, I won't interfere with that. You can keep your agency, be financially independent if you like. You can act ... you can do anything you damned well please, just so long as you come back to me.'

  He was making it very difficult for her. He was offering her everything she had ever wanted, except for one thing. He wanted her on his terms, without commitment, without marriage. She was glad he didn't know about the baby. He might have felt compelled to offer marriage then, just to gain control of his future son or daughter. But she wouldn't have wanted those sort of terms either.

  'Gina!' His voice grated huskily in his throat. 'Come back. I want you with me. I need you.' He pulled her up out of the chair, so that they stood breast to breast, thigh to thigh. 'I'll make you come back,' he told her savagely. 'I'll make you want me again. If I have to I'll even resort to Mantalini's tricks, I'll abduct you. If I once get you back to Mallions, you'll never escape me again. I'll keep you where you belong, in my bed, until you give in.' He scooped her up, ignoring her protesting cries, but instead of heading for the door, as she had feared, he carried her in the direction of her bedroom.

  As he dumped her on the bed he looked around him.

  'Very pretty! But it's a woman's idea of what a bedroom should be. It's obvious no man has ever been in here. Well I can think of a far better setting in which to make love to you, but for now, this will do!'

  It was of no avail to struggle, to protest. She couldn't overcome his determination that way. She'd failed before. She had to use a surer deterrent, one which would appeal to his reason.

  'OK,' she said wearily. 'I know in this kind of situation I lose out. I know you can make me want you . .. you've proved that often enough. But however many times you do that, you'll always end up the loser, because however much I might enjoy your lovemaking, however much I might crave for it, you'll never get me back to Mallions willingly.' She flung out her arms dramatically. 'Well ... go on then ... get on with it . .. and then go.'

  'Damn you, Gina!' He sat down on the edge of the bed. 'You certainly know how to turn a man off. For God's sake, I don't want to take you against your will. I want your co-operation, not ... not a sacrificial victim. Just tell me what you've got against me, why you can't love me as well as want me? Is it my past, the women since ... since Maria? I can tell you, they didn't mean a damned thing. They were just to ... to save me from going out of my mind.'

  'And that's all I'd be.' She sat up. 'Don't you see, Tod? I don't want that casual kind of relationship. I don't want to be something you just use when your body is in need. My ideal is to be a companion to a man, friend as well as lover, to have shared interests, respect…'

  'Hold on! Hold on!' There was a queer kind of urgency in his voice. 'What you're trying to tell me is that you want marriage?'

  'Yes. And since you don't...'

  'Shut up! What the hell do you think I've been trying to say all this time ... the last time we made love? I told you then that I loved you. I think I must have been in love with you for a long time, only I'd forgotten what the sensation felt like.'

  'You said,' Gina told him disbelievingly, accusingly, 'that you'd no intention of marrying ... Marcha or anyone else.'

  'That's true, but you didn't let me finish. I meant anyone else but you. But you got hysterical. You let me see just why you had this block against men, because you could never get pregnant. Gina, I know I told you I wanted a
son, but it doesn't matter. It's not important, not as important as having you. I've got one child. We'll share her. I'll . . . I'll adopt Rusty. I'd thought of it anyway. Gina, please say you'll marry me. Put me out of this torture I've been going through for the last few weeks, not able to come to you, wondering if you were all right. I didn't even know for a while whether you'd landed that blasted plane safely, if I'd ever see you again. And now I'm here, now I've found you, I'm no better off. It ... it's like beating my head against a brick wall.'

  'Tod!' She'd said his name twice already, trying to stem the flow of his words. Now, finally, 'Shut up!' Surprised into silence, he did. 'Shut up, Tod, and let me get a word in. If you hadn't gone raving on, you could have had at least five minutes less uncertainty. I haven't got a block against men, certainly not against one particular man ... you. I love you, Tod, and if you'd said "marry me" as soon as you walked through that front door, instead of ... well ... Anyway, I'd have said "yes" right away.'

  He swallowed.

  'You would?' Then, with more certainty, 'You would, Gina?'

  'It was all I wanted to hear, idiot!' she told him affectionately.

  'I am an idiot, aren't I?' he admitted 'But it never occurred to me that your response to me was anything other than a physical one.'

  'It seems to me,' she said softly, 'that there's only one way I can prove it to you.' She held out her arms and he came down into them willingly. Her mouth sought his, warmly, eagerly. 'I love you, Tod Fallon. I loved you long before I even liked you.'

  He could not doubt her sincerity as he felt the shudders that began to run through her, as she sought to pull him closer. Exultantly he gathered her up, demonstrating the full force of his arousal as they kissed until both were breathless.

  Without relinquishing her mouth, he began to undo the buttons of the severe grey dress, dispensed with her bra, his fingers caressing with tactile intimacy.

  'Gina?' It was a question that needed no enlargement.

  'Yes!' she whispered. 'Oh, yes, Tod. Oh Tod, I ache so. Please ... please ...'

  Gently he removed her clothes, swiftly discarded his own, lowered his weight upon her once more.

  'I never intended to fall in love again,' he said ruefully between kisses, 'but I think I knew right from the first that I was lost, only I wouldn't admit it to myself. I thought it was just physical... for both of us. But I know now this is love. Gina, please tell me you believe me.'

  'I believe you,' she told him.

  Then he made love to her, a desperate, starved, devouring love, their gasps turning to groans of delight at the pleasures that racked their bodies, pleasure neither had thought to know again ... together. Then he entered her warmth, raised her, possessed her, his movements increasing their rapidity as she urged herself against him, ending in a shuddering, convulsive climax that transcended even their first coming together, since now they both knew the ecstasy was born, not only of wanting, but of love.

  They lay still for a while, glorying in the continuing contact.

  'Happy?' Tod asked after a while.

  'Completely. You're my whole life, from this moment on.'

  He laughed softly, a gentle, contented sound, but it held disbelief.

  'Knowing you, I'll have to move over to leave room for that career of yours.'

  'Maybe! But not for a while. I think my time will be pretty full, between you . . . and your son.'

  'My son?' He raised himself to look at her. 'Gina, if you only knew how I wish ... A child of our love. But you told me it was impossible.'

  'I know. I thought it was. But it seems it isn't. Oh, Tod . ..' Her eyelids fluttered down shyly. 'I'm ... I'm six weeks pregnant.'

  An urgent hand grasped her chin.

  'Is this true?' he rasped. 'Why didn't you tell me before? God, if I've harmed you...'

  'Harmed me?' Her green eyes were brilliant with happy tears. 'Tod, your love can only do me good, better than any medication. In fact ...' Her mouth curved into a wicked little smile as her hands issued an unmistakable invitation.

  'Witch! Temptress!' he gasped. 'Oh, Gina, my love. You can't want it any more than I do. But are you sure?'

  'Quite sure,' she said serenely.

  He was gentle this time, reverent almost, but nonetheless satisfying to her senses, to his own.

  'You were misnamed,' he whispered, as once more they lay in peaceful aftermath. 'Not fantasy, but fantastic ... my Fantastic Woman!