The woman moving about the kitchen preparing the coffee looked like Leonie, even smelt a little like her, of fresh spring flowers, and if he shut his mind off to the fact that it wasn't her he could almost imagine what it was going to be like being married to Leonie. He daren't allow himself to even think of failure.
The coffee did little to soothe him, and he stared down at the black heavily sweetened brew with dissatisfaction.
'It's decaffeinated,' Laura told him as she saw his preoccupation.
'Oh.' He pushed it away uninterestedly. 'Laura, will you and Hal be free to babysit tomorrow night? I mean tonight,' he added, the kitchen clock showing it was almost three-thirty in the morning.
'Of course,' she nodded instantly, sitting across the table from him. 'But don't you think you should ask Leonie if she wants to go out with you before making any arrangements?' she added dryly.
He gave a rueful smile. 'If I asked she'd say no, so I'll present her with a fait accompli.'
Laura sobered. 'The way you did with Holly?'
He drew in a harsh breath, relaxing with a heavy sigh. 'Go ahead,' he invited softly. 'You're entitled.'
She shook her head. 'It's none of my business. Just don't hurt her.'
He gave a puzzled frown. 'Hal was more vocal than that,' he reproved.
Laura sighed. 'Leonie needs—someone. Someone who will care for her, love her as she deserves to be loved. If that someone is you then I'm not prepared to judge your methods of achieving that.'
They were a puzzling pair, these two sisters. Hawk doubted if Hal realised just how little he really knew of the woman he intended marrying. There were things about Laura and Leonie that they didn't seem prepared to reveal to anyone, things that probably held the key to what had made them the women they were. Even love didn't seem to be able to unlock those doors.
But if Laura found his relationship with Leonie unexpected she didn't exactly disapprove, and that was much more acceptable than the opposition he had been expecting.
Now all he had to do was persuade Leonie into going out with him!
But first he had to talk to Jake about Stephen, and the mood the other man had been in of late, that didn't augur well for their friendship.
When he came downstairs the next morning he found Jake alone in the kitchen drinking coffee. And he didn't look any more pleased with the result than he had the night before!
'It's decaffeinated,' Hawk supplied dryly, taking a seat opposite the other man, ignoring the pot of coffee.
Jake pushed the cup away with a disgusted snort. 'Like sex without the climax!'
Hawk had heard it put more delicately than that, but that just about summed it up! Obviously Jake's mood hadn't improved any. 'Did you and Stephen argue last night?' Might as well get straight to the point; Jake didn't look as if the subtle approach would reach him this morning.
Jake's head went back sharply, his expression suddenly wary. 'What's it to you?' he challenged.
Hawk shrugged, holding his temper with difficulty; Jake might be feeling like hell at the moment, and from the look of him he probably had a hangover that would rival Stephen's when the younger man finally woke up, but in all the sixteen years of their friendship Jake had never spoken to him this way before.
'When the son of my friend comes back to his hostess's house at three o'clock in the morning stoned out of his mind I think I have reason to feel concerned.' He raised questioning brows at Jake.
The other man pushed his chair back noisily as he stood up. 'Stephen is my affair and I'll deal with it,' he bit out harshly. 'Where is he now?'
'Still in bed. Look, will you calm down, Jake?' Hawk attempted to soothe. 'He only got drunk. Neither Leonie nor Laura minded. But you looked a little hungover yourself this morning, and I just wondered—'
'Stay out of this, Hawk,' Jake cut in coldly, his eyes glacial. 'I'll deal with Stephen in my own way.'
Hawk shook his head, never having seen Jake anything like this before. 'Maybe you should deal with yourself first,' he suggested softly.
Jake turned to him sharply. 'What's that supposed to mean?'
He sighed, wishing he could talk to Jake as he used to. Maybe they really had come to the end of their friendship. He had hoped Jake would eventually reconsider his resignation, but the other man seemed to be getting worse, not better. And taking his frustration out on Stephen wasn't going to help the situation.
'I think Stephen's problem might be you—'
'Keep out of my life, Hawk,' Jake growled savagely. 'Just keep the hell out of my business!'
Hawk released his breath slowly as his friend stormed out, at a complete loss as to how to deal with that situation.
At a complete loss as to how to deal with anything at the moment!
CHAPTER SEVEN
'What am I doing?' Leonie questioned Rose as the pure white cat sat on the dressing-table watching her enquiringly as she applied a light make-up. 'He tells me we're going out to dinner, that he needs the break. I told him I didn't want to go, and yet here I am getting ready,' she said self-disgustedly, shaking her head.
The cat just continued to look at her, her beautiful green eyes completely untroubled by this human dilemma.
'And where have you been when I needed you?' Leonie turned to Tulip as she lay on the bed washing her long fur with a wet rasp of her tongue. 'You used to terrorise Michael if he came anywhere near me!' She remembered the dislike had been mutual; Michael had put the cats out of the house every chance he got. But she had thought her husband was going to strangle Tulip the night she had leapt on his back as he made love to her. After that Tulip had spat at him every time their paths crossed. Today Leonie had actually seen the tortoiseshell cat lying on her back while Hawk tickled her tummy! 'You have no taste,' she reprimanded the unconcerned cat. 'Well, perhaps some,' she conceded, remembering how Michael had turned out. 'But it doesn't extend far enough!' She waggled her hairbrush at Tulip as the cat continued to wash, completely unaware of the faux pas she had committed today.
Everyone, even the creatures she had believed to be her friends, seemed to accept Hawk's presence in the house as if he had a perfect right to be there. Laura and Hal were even babysitting for Holly tonight while Hawk took her out to dinner. And if that wasn't turning traitor she didn't know what was!
She had protested that she didn't want to go, that she didn't feel strong enough yet, but Hawk had completely overridden all her objections, telling her the change would do her good.
So what was she doing getting ready to go out with him? She didn't know any more than Rose did!
'Neither of us has any taste!' she told Tulip vehemently. 'Because after months of being cooped up in the house I actually want to go out—even if it is with Hawk Sinclair!'
'I'm glad to hear it.'
She turned guiltily at the drawled comment, her cheeks fiery red. Although any retort she might have made to Hawk's intrusion got stuck in her throat as she took in his appearance; the black evening suit and snowy-white shirt fitted him perfectly, emphasising the bronze of his skin. She dispassionately acknowledged that he looked perfectly beautiful, better than she did, in fact! Her silver-red dress was one she had worn before she had Holly, and although she had lost weight her hips were slightly larger than they used to be; the dress clung a little too revealingly for comfort.
'I was on my way downstairs when I heard you arguing with someone,' he drawled dryly. 'I was a little concerned, and when you didn't answer my knock… I had no idea you were arguing with your cat.' He looked at her blandly.
Leonie put down her hairbrush. 'And I was losing too!'
Hawk chuckled softly. 'I think my witchchild is on the way back!'
'Your what?' She looked at him disbelievingly.
He shrugged, coming completely into the room to close the door behind him. 'That first day we met you bewitched me in some way,' he admitted huskily. 'And yet you still looked so much like a child. You became my witchchild.'
Leonie reminded herself t
hat he was a master at the art of seduction. 'Well, my bewitching days are over,' she dismissed in a bored voice. 'And I'm certainly no longer a child,' she added.
His silver gaze watched her steadily. 'Part of you will always be a child,' he finally answered softly. 'The part of you that seeks love and approval in spite of yourself.'
Leonie stood up abruptly. 'Shall we go?' she prompted coolly. 'The dinner reservation was for eight-thirty, I believe you said.'
He didn't move out of her way as she approached the door, and her heart began to hammer against her chest. Then at the last moment he seemed to think better of it, opening the door for her with a flourish. Leonie's breath left her in a relieved sigh as she swept past him.
June had retired to her room for the night, Stephen had disappeared for the evening again, only Laura and Hal sat in the lounge. And the two of them looked as if they were just longing for the time they would be alone for a few hours.
Leonie felt a little guilty that it should be herself and Hawk who were going out and not the engaged couple; the two of them hadn't been alone since Hal arrived yesterday.
Hawk clasped hold of her arm before she could speak. 'We'll see you both later,' he informed them firmly, drawing Leonie out of the house.
'Why did you do that?' She released her arm as soon as they were outside. 'I was only going to—'
'Offer to let them go out instead of us,' he finished dryly, unlocking his car door. 'Couldn't you see they didn't want to go anywhere—except perhaps into Laura's bed?' He held her car door open for her.
By the time he slid in next to her behind the wheel she had the blush on her cheeks under control. Of course Laura and Hal wanted to be alone in the house and not surrounded by a roomful of strangers! And trust Hawk to point that out to her so bluntly.
She took undue interest in the surrounding countryside as he drove in to Claymont, all the time aware that he kept shooting her mocking glances. If he had said just one word… But he didn't, being more astute where she was concerned than she would have given him credit for. Or just more prudent.
'I hope this is all right,' he remarked as he held her elbow lightly on the walk into the hotel where they were to eat. 'Jake said the food isn't too bad,' he shrugged.
The leading hotel in Claymont, it was nowhere near as luxuriously furbished as photographs Leonie had seen of the HS Hotels. But what it lacked in luxury it more than made up for in charm; the dining-room was run with that old-world courtesy that was usually lacking nowadays.
'It's very nice.' She laid the damask napkin lightly across her lap as they were served their soup.
'So this is what it's like to be seen with a famous authoress,' Hawk remarked suddenly.
Leonie followed his gaze as he looked pointedly around the room. Not all the twenty tables were full in the large dining-room, but at the ones that were several people kept shooting curious looks their way.
Humour lightened her eyes as she leant slightly across the table to whisper conspiratorially, 'I think it's probably more a case of them speculating what you did to me to merit my punching you in the mouth!'
He put his fingers up to his mouth to hide the bruising. 'Witch,' he murmured.
He made her feel beautiful and bewitching. And he also made her fear both feelings.
His hand suddenly covered hers as it rested on the table-top. 'Don't let the laughter die out of your eyes,' he pleaded huskily. 'I've waited a long time to see it back there.'
It had been a long time since Leonie had allowed herself the luxury of laughter, and Hawk's intensity made her tremble slightly. She couldn't let him past her defences.
She pointedly removed her hand from beneath his. 'The soup is delicious, isn't it?' she remarked casually, putting another spoonful in her mouth.
She smiled at the waiter as he whisked away their soup bowls before serving them their main course. 'Your assistant didn't look too happy today.' She looked up with a frown once the waiter had departed back to the kitchen.
Hawk's hand faltered slightly as he lifted his wine-glass to his lips, taking a sip of the golden liquid before answering her. 'Believe me,' he said with a sigh, 'it hasn't only been today.'
'Did he and Stephen argue last night?' she frowned, remembering how embarrassed Stephen had been this afternoon when he had apologised to her for his behaviour during the night. Never having had a brother she wasn't too sure how a man of Stephen's age would react to an argument with his father; Hal certainly wasn't a typical twenty-year-old, so his responses to Hawk were no example to go by!
Hawk's mouth twisted. 'Neither of them is talking. To me, at least,' he added ruefully. 'Did Stephen say anything to you today?'
Leonie shrugged. 'Well, he apologised, if that's what you mean. He also said he thought it might be better if he stayed in London until the wedding. I assured him it wasn't necessary.'
'And?' Hawk frowned.
'And I think he feels embarrassed about what happened last night,' she dismissed.
His mouth was grim. 'He damn well ought to feel embarrassed!'
Leonie gave him a chiding look. 'Haven't you ever had a little too much to drink and done something stupid?'
'I drink wine with a meal, and the occasional whisky socially, but if I intend getting drunk I drink alone,' he bit out.
She gave him a searching look. Yes, she could see him as a man who went off to be alone if he intended losing any of his self-control. 'Maybe Stephen didn't intend getting drunk,' she excused. 'It just worked out that way.'
'Because of Jake,' he nodded. 'Now he does seem to be a classic case for a mid-life crisis,' he drawled, his eyes mocking.
Had she ever arrogantly assumed that was this man's trouble concerning Hal's relationship with Laura? She had obviously known nothing about him at the time; nothing as trivial as reaching forty would disturb him!
'After sixteen years as my assistant and friend he's decided he wants a change,' Hawk continued hardly. 'That he needs something more in his life.'
Leonie shrugged. 'Maybe he does. And the way the two of you live at the moment isn't conducive to having a wife and family.'
He gave her a penetrating look. 'That's all going to change very soon. It's already changing,' he added as she went to protest. 'I'm going to settle here in England. And any travelling I do in future will be kept to a minimum, especially once Holly starts school and the two of you won't be able to accompany me; I missed out on too much of Hal's childhood to make the same mistakes with our daughter.'
Our daughter. Such a simple phrase, and yet it bound them together in a way she could never cope with. 'I'm sure Holly will appreciate that. And it would be nice if the two of you settled in England so that I could see her occasionally.'
His mouth tightened. 'You'll be seeing her every day—whether you marry me or not we're all going to stay right here in the same house!'
Leonie shook her head. 'You can't just move in and stay for ever.'
'Let's not argue about this now,' he dismissed firmly. 'We're out on our first date together, the last thing I want to do is argue with you.'
And it could be the only way she could keep him at a distance! She knew what he was doing by talking about his problem over Jake, could feel the tentacles of involvement tightening about her. Hawk was an astute man; he would know all there was to know about Leonie Spencer if she weren't more careful.
'Do you often argue with your cats?' he added with amusement.
She shrugged. 'Why not? Usually they listen without arguing back. Although Pop can be a bit reproving at times, but that's probably because he's a male.'
'Ooh, low blow!' Hawk chided teasingly. 'I can't imagine conversing with a cat,' he added derisively.
'Didn't you ever have a pet as a child?' Leonie asked disbelievingly.
He shook his head. 'My dad said it wasn't fair when I was away at school most of the time. But my mother did buy me one of those little goldfish in a bowl that I had for sixteen years. Although I remember that wasn't much fun to tal
k to,' he dismissed dryly.
'You had one of those tiny goldfish for sixteen years?' She had had some too as a small child, and they had never lived more than a couple of years.
He nodded. 'His name was Boris. Actually,' he smiled, 'it was about six different goldfish. When they died my mother used to replace them without telling me, so that I wouldn't be upset. She finally stopped replacing them when I went to college.'
It felt strange to imagine Hawk as a child, to think of his mother loving him enough to want to protect him from the death of the only pet he was allowed to have. It sounded as if, for all his parents were wealthy, Hawk had had a lonely childhood, and his mother had done her best to change that. She felt strangely like crying.
'I didn't get wise until the second replacement,' Hawk grinned. 'Then I noticed it seemed to have shrunk slightly. For days I stared at it expecting it to get even smaller, but it just started getting bigger,' he revealed disappointedly. 'After that I was wise to my mother's tricks. Although I kept hoping she'd make a mistake and get me something more interesting, like a piranha!'
His childhood might have been lonely, but he had been a typical ghoulish little boy! 'You never told your mother you knew about the changed goldfish?'
'I couldn't.' His grin deepened. 'You see, my dad thought this goldfish was amazing—he told everyone who came to the house about this little goldfish that I'd had for years. If either my mother or I had ever acknowledged to each other that we knew it wasn't the same goldfish we would have had to tell my father too! He was very upset when the last one finally died, said he'd never have another one in the house as it could never replace Boris!' Hawk chuckled, suddenly looking very boyish.
Leonie smiled too. 'I think it's very sweet.'
'Parents are like that, aren't they?' he shrugged. 'I'm sure your parents were just as wonderful. They would have had to have been to have produced two such lovely daughters,' he added seriously.
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