‘This tune is one of my favourites,’ she invented, never having remembered hearing it before.
‘I’ll bet,’ Nigel drawled, not fooled for one minute.
It took all her willpower to continue dancing until the music came to an end; she was conscious of Gideon watching her the whole time, his expression unreadable.
‘That was lovely, thank you.’ She gave Nigel a glowing smile, stepping back to take her leave.
He returned the smile. ‘If I believed that you preferred dancing with me to being with Gideon I’d be a happy man. But I’ve never been one to deceive myself.’
‘Nigel—’
‘Come on,’ he put his arm about her waist, leading her off the dance floor, ‘at least let me have the pleasure of seeing Gideon jealous.’
‘Nigel—’ she began again.
He grinned down at her. ‘Don’t take it all so seriously, Laura. It won’t hurt him to have a little competition.’
She was beginning to get the impression that Nigel had had a little too much to drink, he would certainly never have contemplated challenging Gideon in this way normally.
James Courtney and Gideon both stood up as she and Nigel approached the table, and Laura’s gaze instantly fixed on Gideon’s brooding features. He didn’t look very welcoming!
‘One beautiful lady safely returned,’ Nigel said lightly, his arm still about her waist. ‘Glad you could join us, Gideon.’
‘So am I,’ Gideon drawled, sitting down again now.
‘If you hadn’t,’ Nigel continued, ‘I just might have stolen Laura for myself.’
Laura held her breath at Nigel’s deliberate baiting of the other man. He didn’t look drunk, but then you didn’t have to be near collapsing point to have had too much to drink.
‘Indeed?’ Gideon wasn’t going to be baited, that much was obvious by his cool attitude.
Nigel realised that much at least, making his excuses. ‘Maybe we could have another dance together later, Laura.’ He couldn’t seem to resist this parting shot.
‘Maybe,’ she agreeed, finally able to sit down now that he had removed his arm, watching as he walked back across the room to join his friends.
James Courtney stood up. ‘I hope you’ll excuse me. I just want to have a word with Bill Davies, and then I’m on my way.’
‘You aren’t leaving?’ Laura felt strangely shy about being left alone with Gideon, especially when he was in this unapproachable mood.
‘I am,’ he grimaced. ‘Would you tell your mother I’ll be calling her in the morning?’
‘Of course,’ she smiled, but the smile died once he had left, and she looked anywhere but at Gideon now that they had been left alone together. The last time they had been together she had told him she loved him, and now she was unsure how to act with him.
‘What was that remark about your mother?’ he enquired casually, lighting up a cheroot.
Laura’s smile was completely natural as she thought of James’ attraction to her mother. ‘Your father-in-law wants to invite my mother out for the day tomorrow,’ she explained.
Gideon seemed to stiffen. ‘The two of them have met, then?’ he said tautly.
She nodded. ‘Tonight.’
He seemed to relax with effort, the smoke from his cheroot surrounding him like a cloak. ‘I had a feeling James would like your mother. How was your week?’ he changed the subject.
‘Busy,’ she shrugged. ‘Although we’re just about back to full force now.’
He nodded. ‘So James told me.’
She had known things were going to be a bit strained between them after a week of not seeing each other, but she hadn’t expected them to be like two strangers making polite conversation! ‘How was your week?’
‘Also busy.’ He knocked ash off his cheroot, looking lazily attractive as he surveyed the other people in the room. He suddenly turned cold grey eyes on her. ‘Did yours happen to be “busy” with Nigel Jennings?’ he rasped.
Laura jumped nervously with the abruptness of the question. ‘Nigel?’ she blinked.
‘Yes,’ he bit out. ‘Have you been seeing him this week?’
‘No, of course not. But I seem to remember you told me it was none of your business what I did when I wasn’t with you.’ Her eyes flashed her rebellion.
‘And I seem to remember that was before you told me you loved me.’
Colour flooded her cheeks. ‘That wasn’t fair!’ she choked.
‘No one ever said love was that,’ he mocked.
Laura swallowed hard, her hands twisting together. ‘It wasn’t very fair of you to make me admit my feelings for you either,’ especially when he hadn’t reciprocated!
‘It wasn’t?’
‘No, it wasn’t!’ she flashed. ‘And if you have nothing better to do than be tormenting, I have!’ She stood up. ‘I’m sure Nigel would be very pleased if I were to join him.’
‘I’m sure he would,’ Gideon also stood up, ‘but I happen to have other plans for you.’ His grasp on her arm held her to his side. ‘And they include me,’ he added softly.
She gulped. ‘They—they do?’
‘Yes. Let’s get out of here,’ he muttered. ‘A week is a hell of a long time.’
Laura blushed with the undue haste with which Gideon hurried her from the hotel and out to the car that had been brought round for them.
‘Gideon…’ She turned to look at him dazedly.
‘Yes?’ he asked tautly, as the Jaguar cut through the traffic.
‘I—What’s the matter?’
He gave her a sideways glance. ‘I’ll tell you in a moment.’
‘In a moment’ was when they had parked outside Laura’s home, and he didn’t tell her, he showed her, switching off the engine to turn and pull her into his arms, his kiss savage in its intensity. All the breath seemed to be knocked out of her body as he forced her back against the door, his lips devouring her hungrily.
‘Gideon!’ she gasped weakly when he at last released her lips to place heated kisses down her throat and creamy shoulders.
He drew back with a ragged sigh, resting his forehead on hers. ‘I needed that,’ he breathed deeply. ‘I never realised a week could be so long.’
‘You didn’t?’
‘No,’ he smiled, gently touching her parted lips, a slight swelling there already beginning to show the fierceness of his kiss. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said huskily. ‘It seems I can never be gentle with you. But I’m usually wanting you so badly gentleness doesn’t enter into it. I didn’t mean to hurt you just now, but when I arrived tonight and saw you with Jennings…!’ He shook his head. ‘It didn’t exactly induce calm to my already tense mood,’ he told her ruefully.
Laura touched the hardness of his cheek, gazing up at him adoringly. So that haughty coldness had hidden a burning anger. Would she ever know this man completely? ‘Why were you feeling tense?’ she teased, already guessing the reason; his passion of a few minutes ago had been unmistakable.
His eyes glowed in the darkness. ‘Is your mother waiting up for you?’
Laura shook her head. ‘She isn’t even at home.’ She glanced at the watch on her wrist. ‘She won’t be home for another hour at least.’
Something like a groan escaped his throat. ‘Ask me up to your flat for coffee and I’ll show you why I was so tense.’
‘For coffee…?’ She gave him a mocking look, so glad to have the Gideon she loved back in evidence.
‘Forget the coffee,’ he groaned huskily. ‘Just ask me into your home.’
She gave him a considering look, her fingers running teasingly down the rigid line of his jaw. ‘I’m not sure I should…’
‘Ask me in, damn you,’ he advised in a growl. ‘Unless you want to be raped in the back seat of a car!’
She smiled at his fierceness, uncaring that he actually meant what he said. ‘All right, you’re duly invited.’
He sat back with a sigh. ‘Thank God for that!’
Laura was very conscious of his
possessive hold on her waist as they went up to her flat, and her fingers fumbled in her handbag for her doorkey as she anticipated the next hour in his arms.
The door swung open before she could manage to fit the key properly into the lock. ‘Martin!’ she gasped, for amazingly her brother stood there, so dear it brought tears to her eyes, her pleasure in seeing him making her forget the reason Gideon was with her.
She sensed rather than felt the tension between the two men as they looked at each other, the hostility between them unmistakable, the air seeming to crackle with their mutual dislike.
CHAPTER SIX
LAURA moved to give her brother a hug, stepping back with a puzzled frown when she saw that he and Gideon were still looking at each other warily. It wasn’t like Martin not to like anyone, he didn’t usually have time for such things, being too busy enjoying life to bother with such an emotion. But he certainly wasn’t pleased to see Gideon, and the feeling seemed to be mutual, the ardent lover of a few minutes ago completely erased by harshness.
‘Martin, this is—’
‘I know who he is,’ he rasped in a voice completely unlike his usual friendly tone. ‘What are you doing with my sister, Maitland?’ He pulled Laura to his side, glaring at the other man with dark brown eyes, his dark good looks rakishly attractive, making him very popular with the opposite sex.
‘Martin!’ she gasped, pulling out of his grasp. ‘Martin, you can’t talk to Gideon like that,’ she looked at him pleadingly.
‘Can’t I?’ he said grimly. ‘Oh, I think I can. I asked you a question, Maitland.’
‘One that doesn’t require an answer,’ Gideon drawled a reply, completely at ease and in control. ‘It must be obvious that I’ve just brought Laura home after an evening out together.’
Martin’s mouth twisted angrily. ‘And why are you taking my sister out at all?’
‘Surely that’s obvious too?’ he mocked.
‘It is to me,’ Martin’s eyes glittered furiously. ‘But I doubt it is to Laura.’
Cool grey eyes were turned on her as she looked on in bewilderment. It was strange enough that Martin should come home unexpectedly like this without telling anyone of his plans, but his behaviour towards Gideon, and Gideon’s reaction to it, was even more puzzling.
‘I’m sure Laura knows exactly why I’m taking her out,’ Gideon drawled.
‘I doubt it,’ Martin snapped.
‘But you do?’ he returned coolly.
‘Yes, I do! And I won’t let you do it, Maitland. I won’t let you hurt Laura the way you hurt—’
‘That’s the past, Jamieson,’ Gideon cut in coldly, an angry sheen to his slate-grey eyes. ‘And I wasn’t the one who did the hurting.’
Laura still didn’t know what was going on, and she thought it was about time that she did. ‘Martin—’
‘Stay out of this, Laura,’ her brother didn’t even look at her. ‘This has nothing to do with you.’
‘On the contrary,’ Gideon corrected harshly, ‘I think it has everything to do with Laura.’
‘Only because you made it so,’ Martin accused.
‘No,’ Gideon shook his head. ‘You’re making it so. Laura has no need to know about the past.’
‘She does when it’s the only reason you’ve been taking her out. Well, I won’t let you hurt my sister,’ Martin snarled. ‘When I went to America I made it clear that you would hear no more from me. You’re the one who’s dragged the past out into the open. And this time I’m not going to take it, not when you’ve involved Laura.’
‘Martin, please—’
‘I think he’s right, Laura,’ Gideon told her softly. ‘For the moment it would be better if you stayed out of this. Your brother seems to have an inflated opinion of his importance—’
‘Not inflated, Maitland. I don’t consider fifty thousand pounds inflated at all,’ Martin scorned.
Gideon seemed to go grey. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
Martin’s mouth twisted bitterly. ‘My pay-off. Well, now I’m giving you the pay-off—stay away from my sister, or I’ll make sure it all comes out.’
Gideon took a threatening step towards him, checking himself at the last. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about—’
Martin’s scornful laugh interrupted him. ‘You know all right. Well, I may not care for much in this life, and I may be a bastard, but you’re an even bigger one. Laura is completely innocent of all this, and I’m not going to let you hurt her.’
‘I haven’t—’
‘Not yet,’ Martin said grimly. ‘But you would have done. And we both know why, don’t we?’
‘Do we?’ Gideon sighed.
‘Oh yes,’ Martin nodded. ‘And maybe she should know too. That way I won’t have to make her stay away from you, she won’t want to come anywhere near you.’
‘Why drag all this up?’ Gideon rasped. ‘Laura hasn’t been hurt—’
‘And she isn’t going to be!’
‘Martin!’ Laura at last cried her bewilderment, her face very pale. ‘Would you please tell me what’s going on?’
‘Revenge is what’s going on,’ he revealed tightly.
‘Revenge?’ she frowned. ‘For what?’
‘For the fact that I had an affair with his wife.’
‘Wh-what did you say?’ she gasped faintly, dropping down into the nearest armchair, gazing dazedly up at Gideon’s harshness and Martin’s fury.
‘Felicity Maitland and I had an affair,’ her brother told her tautly. ‘Now he intends having an affair with you.’
Gideon’s mouth twisted. ‘Why should you think you would be any more worthy of revenge than all the others?’
‘Others?’ For a moment Martin looked taken aback. ‘There were no others!’
‘I could prove to you that there were—’
‘No doubt you could,’ Martin’s mouth twisted. ‘No doubt men like you could “prove” a lot of things if you chose to.’
‘Jamieson—’
‘Gideon,’ Laura at last found her voice, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. ‘Gideon, is this true?’ She had a feeling she knew the answer before he told it to her; it would explain so many things, his interest in a little nobody like her for a start.
‘Parts of it are,’ he sighed. ‘But not the bit about you and me—’
‘You and me?’ her voice cracked shrilly. ‘There is no you and me!’
‘Laura—’
‘You heard her,’ Martin snarled. ‘It didn’t work out, Maitland, just accept that.’
‘I’ll accept nothing!’ Gideon exploded into anger, the temper Laura’s mother had only guessed at much in evidence. ‘Laura and I have nothing to do with the fact that you and my wife had an affair. You can think what you like about Felicity, I couldn’t give a damn any more. But I won’t have you twisting the facts to Laura. Laura—’
‘Stay away from me!’ She cringed away from the hand he put out to her.
‘Laura—’
‘Stay away from her, Maitland!’ Martin pushed him away.
Gideon spun round, his eyes glittering with rage. ‘Don’t ever do that again,’ he said coldly. ‘Not if you want to keep your face looking that way.’
His coldness had more effect than the physical violence he threatened, and Martin backed a safe distance away.
Gideon came down on his haunches in front of Laura, not touching her, but looking as if he would like to. ‘Laura, you have to believe me,’ he said gently.
‘I can’t!’ she shook her head, the tears that she had been holding back cascading freely down her cheeks. ‘It explains so much—the sudden way you asked me out, the way you deliberately set out to make me attracted to you, the—the way you made me admit my love for you,’ she finished in a hushed voice.
He sighed. ‘There’s a much more simple explanation if only you would care to see it. Come with me, Laura. Let me explain—’
‘I think you’ve explained enough for one evening,’ Martin dism
issed angrily. ‘And from what I’ve heard I only just got home in time. Laura won’t be working for you any more—’
‘Oh yes, I will,’ she interrupted firmly, surprising both men. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. ‘If and when I leave Courtneys it won’t be because I was forced to.’ She stood up. ‘Now if you’ll both excuse me, your argument no longer concerns me.’
‘Laura, for God’s sake!’
She didn’t even turn at the pleading in Gideon’s voice, maintaining her dignity until she was safely in her room. Then all the fight went out of her, leaving her weak and defenceless.
Martin and Felicity Maitland! She could hardly believe it, and yet she knew it was true. And Gideon had been using her to get his revenge for that affair. All the time she had felt there was something wrong with their relationship, had sensed Gideon’s reserve, and yet she would never have guessed his often cold manner could hide such cruelty.
He had set out to make her fall in love with him, his pursuit had been ruthless in its intent, and tonight would probably have been his ultimate revenge. Laura had no doubt that if Martin hadn’t been here to tell her the things he had that she and Gideon would even now have been making love together.
She could still hear raised voices in the other room, the two men were obviously still arguing. Then the front door slammed, and she knew Gideon had left.
A knock sounded on her bedroom door before Martin walked in. ‘Can I talk to you?’ he asked gently.
She looked up at him from her lying position on the bed, her misery obvious. ‘Is there anything left to say?’ she choked.
‘I think so.’ He sat down beside her.
‘Why did you come back, Martin?’ her voice broke. ‘Why did you have to spoil it all?’
‘I didn’t spoil it, love,’ he shook his head. ‘There wasn’t really anything to spoil. Maitland was using you. You didn’t want that, did you?’
She bit her bottom lip to stop it trembling. ‘How did you know—about Gideon and me?’
‘Mum wrote and told me, she seemed quite pleased about it. When you wrote and told me you were going to work at Courtneys I felt a bit apprehensive, but when Mum told me you were actually going out with Gideon Maitland…! I got the first plane home.’
Passion from the Past Page 10