by Joanna Neil
'I know, but the antibiotics were changed and he's come through it all right.'
'That's good news.'
'Yes, it is.'
The revelation that James was on the mend didn't do anything to lessen her feelings of sadness and disillusion about what had happened today. 'What was this protest march all about, anyway?' she asked. 'Do we know?'
He shrugged. 'There's always a protest about something or other, wars in far-off countries, defence measures—too much, or not enough—council tax, pensions. You name it, someone will take umbrage about it.'
She managed a wry smile, but her overall feeling was still one of dejection.
Taylor moved closer and put an arm around her, and instantly she felt warm and comforted. 'My place is not far from here,' he said quietly. 'Shall we stop by there and get a cup of coffee? Then I'll take you home.'
'Yes, OK. I'd like that.' For some reason she didn't feel that she was ready to go straight home. The events of the day were taking their toll of her.
'Good.' Taylor seemed to be pleased by her response. 'I think you need some space before you go and deal with Rhea and her problems on top of this, and I'm sure you don't want Connor to see you looking distressed. I think your boy's a very astute little chap, and he'll pick up on any downbeat mood straight away. I expect that's why he overheard and told you about seeing Steve. He doesn't miss much, does he?'
'No, he doesn't.' He was like his father in that, she reflected with a wry inward wince. It hadn't taken Taylor long to work out what made Connor tick, had it, or for him to pick up on her mood?
He held open the passenger door for her and she slid into the seat. He was right about her needing some time to get herself together. Besides, she realised that she liked this feeling of being close to him and all her instincts were telling her to prolong it while she could.
She was also curious to discover where he lived. 'Whereabouts is your place?' she asked. 'I imagine it must be fairly close to the hospital.'
He turned his key in the ignition and moved the car out onto the main road. 'I have an apartment in Mayfair. It isn't very big, and there's no garden, but there's a parking facility close by, which is useful. I'm in the triangle between Green Park and Hyde Park, so I feel quite content there. It isn't too far from the hospital by tube, and if I'm feeling energetic and I've time to spare, I can even walk to work some days.'
'It sounds ideal.' She glanced at him, studying him surreptitiously from under her lashes. 'Do you ever go back to the house in Buckinghamshire?'
'As often as I can, though I think Claire visits more frequently than I do. Our parents still live there, and they look forward to seeing the boys. When we're all over there, we try to get out and about, and enjoy the countryside, especially if the weather's fine.'
'I remember that you liked to do that when Nick and I lived in the area, when we were all youngsters. I used to enjoy walking by the river, and just breathing in the fresh air.'
'And we would all go to the beech woods every summer.' There was a far-away look in his eyes. 'We made dens and imagined that we were hiding away from the world in our own secret place.'
She nodded. 'It was fun, wasn't it? We climbed onto the fallen trees and tried to keep our balance, and then we'd run off and get wet in the brook, and have to dry out before we went home.' She smiled, calling it to mind, and when Taylor parked the car in a garage that was tucked away near his apartment, she saw that he was smiling, too.
It had been a long while ago, but they had been precious days, those times that they'd spent together walking across fields and climbing the stiles, sitting on the fences and laughing with the sheer exuberance of simply being alive and young.
Of course, for Allison, there had always been the added joy of being with Taylor. She had looked up to him, seeing him tall and strong, a leader, full of ideas as to what they should do next. But it had had to end at some point, and eventually they had all gone their separate ways.
'It's just a short walk from here to where I live,' he said now as they stepped out of the car, and he came and placed a hand lightly at her elbow, turning her slightly and showing her the way. It was just a small contact, but even so her whole body warmed in response.
She saw that by now they were in a peaceful residential area that was free of traffic. Together, they walked along a terraced street that was made up of grand Georgian houses. They were mostly stone fronted, with one or two built of red brick, all with iron balconies and projecting porches. They were beautiful in their simplicity.
'One of these is yours?' she asked.
He nodded. 'I have the ground floor and lower floor of my building, which is convenient for me, and it also means that I have a balcony to myself on the upper floor. It isn't very big, but it's good to go out there and take the air in the summer months. There are two floors above my property, which are occupied by another tenant.' He made a wry smile. 'He's lucky, because he gets to have a roof terrace.'
He stopped at an arched doorway that was sheltered by a covered porch, decorated with hanging baskets that bloomed with spring flowers, and Allison looked around. An iron railing fronted the building, and behind it there were flowering shrubs that added a bright splash of colour to the Georgian facade. Taylor put his key in the door lock and ushered her inside.
'It's a communal entrance lobby,' he told her, 'but it's only used by me and my neighbour upstairs. We both work peculiar hours, so sometimes we're ships that pass in the night, so to speak.'
Allison was lost for words as he showed her around the apartment. 'It's perhaps an odd arrangement,' he said, 'but the living room is upstairs.'
The lower ground floor, she discovered, housed two bedrooms, whose windows opened out to the front of the building. Voile curtains lent privacy during the daylight hours, and there were heavier damask drapes that went almost from floor to ceiling and added a touch of opulence.
The rooms were luxuriously fitted out, each with its own en suite bathroom, exquisitely designed with frosted glass washbasins and spectacular shower cubicles designed with an eye for superior quality. Next to the stairwell was a small dressing room. She blinked, taking it all in.
'Good heavens. The dressing room is bigger than my bedroom back home,' she said. 'I'm very impressed.'
He laughed, and she looked at him in wonder, because the smile lit up .his face and his grey eyes took on a hint of blue, glittering like sunlight on the ripples of the sea.
'I'm glad you like it,' he said. 'Come and see the other rooms upstairs.'
She hesitated in the hallway, still gazing around at the rooms that led off in either direction, so that Taylor caught hold of her hand in his firm grip and started to draw her away towards the stairs. 'You can always come back and explore them later, if you want.'
His words made her stop and wonder what he meant by that. Picking up on her indecision, he stood for a moment and gave her a look of pure mischief, his head tilted to one side. 'I'd be happy to help you to do that if you wanted to try them for size, but I'd have to recommend the master bedroom. It's by far the most comfortable.'
'Oh,' she said, instantly flustered. 'I was just...'
'I know,' he murmured, his lips making a crooked line. 'I know what you were thinking, but I can always dream, can't I?' He gazed at her, and there was something in his expression that made her limbs begin to melt. He seemed to move closer to her, so that his head was bent towards her and his mouth was just a heartbeat away from hers, but it might only have been her imagination. She was so very much aware of him just then.
He said softly, 'It may have been five years since we were together in any meaningful way, but my memory of it is as clear as ever.'
'Oh,' she said again. She looked at him with startled green eyes, drawing in a quick breath, not knowing how to respond to his words. Was he really saying that he still wanted her? Surely he was just teasing.. .wasn't he?
Then he tugged on her arm and the moment dissolved into nothingness. 'This way,' he said.
'The living room is up here. I'll show you the layout and then I'll make us some coffee. I don't know about you but I'm parched.'
She was, too, she realised, especially since he had cast his grey eyes over her in that oddly fervent way. Her senses were working overtime, and her heart was racing as though she had run a mile.
He showed her into the living room. It was stunning, a large, spacious room full of natural light, and once again she found herself staring around, open-mouthed.
Long corner settees were arranged at either side of the room, providing seating near large windows. They were upholstered in a rich, creamy fabric, with cushions lending colour and warmth. There was a low glass table, and to one side there was a shelving unit displaying delicately fashioned ceramics and glassware that reflected the sun's rays.
'This is so lovely,' she breathed. 'It's all so simple and uncluttered, and everything is just perfect.' Her gaze went to the far end of the room, where there was a dining area, leading to a breakfast kitchen.
The lines of the kitchen were clean and sleek, with chrome and smoked-glass surfaces and a range of units that included wall-mounted cupboards with glass fronts.
'I can't believe you ever do any cooking in here,' she said. 'It's all so sparkling and fresh, with nothing out of place.'
His mouth twisted a fraction. 'I do tend to eat a lot of my meals at the hospital, and I have to admit that I phone out for take-aways quite a bit. It suits me. I'm usually too busy to be bothered with cooking.'
'I know the feeling, but with Connor to take care of, I have to make sure that we have good, wholesome food.'
She glanced around and walked into the breakfast area, where light streamed in through a wide expanse of windows on either side of French doors. 'This is heavenly, though, a dream kitchen, and you even have doors that open out onto the terrace.' It was fashioned like a small courtyard out there, with planters containing feathery leaved ornamental trees and foliage plants that made it all seem like a little gem of countryside set in the middle of the City.
'I was quite taken with the place when I first saw it. It isn't all that big, but it serves my purposes and I've felt good about living here. I'm not sure what I'll do with it when it becomes time to move on.'
Allison felt a pang of dismay at the thought of him leaving. She had wondered if he might decide to stay, to look for a post within the same hospital, or at one nearby, when this contract ended. His words made it sound so final, as though he was already planning ahead.
He had started to make coffee, laying a tray with crockery, cream and sugar, and now he added a platter, which he filled with a selection of nibbles, small sandwiches, cheese and biscuits, grapes and alongside that a small bowl of salad.
'We could take this outside,' he suggested, and she nodded, following him out onto the terrace with the coffee-pot and serviettes and placing them down on to a wrought-iron table.
They sat down, and Taylor began to pour coffee for both of them. 'I like to come out here and just sit and think for a while sometimes,' he said. 'It's pleasant in the warmth of the afternoon and evening.'
'Yes, it is.' She glanced around and saw that they were screened from view out here by a wall of greenery. 'You could probably sit here and forget the troubles of the day for a while.'
They polished off the food and drank coffee, reminiscing about old times and bringing to mind people they knew from their old haunts, until Taylor asked, 'Would you like something stronger to drink...a glass of wine, perhaps, or a liqueur? You aren't driving, so it won't matter, will it?'
She sent him a long, guarded look. 'I don't think I'd better,' she murmured. 'I have to get back home to see to Connor.'
'Can't I tempt you to try just one?'
She shook her head. 'That wouldn't be very wise. I made that mistake once before. It started with just one, and then there was another, and before I knew it things were getting out of hand. I don't think I'll go down that route again. You know what they say, don't you? Once bitten, twice shy.'
A smile touched his mouth. 'It was just an innocent suggestion, I promise. I really didn't have an ulterior motive, honestly. Neither did I before, except that I wanted to get you warmed up after your foray into the cold. Your teeth were chattering and I was worried about you.'
'Yes, well.. .1 think I'll leave well alone, if it's all the same to you. I'm feeling too laid back already, and I still have to go home.'
He stood up and came over to her, bending towards her and dropping a kiss on her cheek. It was a totally unexpected gesture, and her whole body sizzled in reaction, the blood starting to run through her veins in a sudden surge of activity. 'I'm glad that you've been able to relax,' he said softly.
She stared up at him, her mouth dropping open a fraction, and he looked at her, his gaze sliding down to trace the fullness of her pink lips, his eyes taking on a smoky hue.
'Irresistible,' he said on a sigh, and then he was kissing her, his mouth capturing hers and gently savouring its sweet softness.
Allison's mind went into a spin, her thoughts spiralling out of control. Her lips clung to his, her body responding in full measure to the way his hands were lightly caressing her, revelling in the touch that had been denied her for so long.
The kiss deepened as he moved in closer to explore the softness of her mouth. His palm swept upwards, his thumb gently nudging her breast so that the nub hardened, and she felt the breath suddenly constrict in her lungs. Her eyes widened and her body arched slightly.
Wasn't this what she had wanted, yearned for ever since she had left his house in Buckinghamshire all that time ago? And here she was once more, in his apartment, in his arms, loving the way that he was kissing her and gently running his hands over her soft curves.
How was it that he was able to entice her into behaving in such a reckless fashion? Hadn't she already paid too high a price for what had happened before? Her child was her life, but where was his father's love and promise of commitment?
The thought winged its way into her head out of nowhere, and she must have stiffened because he seemed to sense her reluctant withdrawal from him.
'I'm sorry,' he said, pulling back after a moment or two of hesitation and giving a small shake of his head. 'I shouldn't have done that. I don't know what came over me.' He winced. 'Maybe it's that you looked so vulnerable earlier, and we've only just had a chance to talk properly for the first time in ages. Perhaps it was just that old times came rushing to the fore and swept any common sense out of my head.'
She came back down to earth with a bump. 'It's all right,' she said, her voice husky. 'It's been an odd sort of day. I wasn't thinking properly, either.'
Her mind was still in a whirl. All this time, and nothing had changed. His kisses were as potent as ever, and it was only now dawning on her that what had happened so long ago had been much more than just an act of fate. She could have stopped it before things had got out of hand, but the truth was, she had desperately wanted him back then, and her need for him had never gone away.
She said, 'I should go back home and see if Connor is all right. We're expecting Nick to drop in on us later on, and I need to be there.'
'I'll take you,' Taylor said.
'Thanks.' She told herself that it was good that the moment had passed. She had to put Taylor out of her mind, once and for all, because there was never going to be an opportunity for them to get together in the way that she would have liked. The obstacles that had lain in her path five years ago were still firmly in place. None of them had fallen by the wayside.
He had said and done nothing that would make her feel that he was ready to welcome a child into his life and, in fact, looking around this apartment, she had to ask herself how on earth a little boy would fit into his bachelor existence.
All this time she had kept her silence, afraid that he wouldn't want to acknowledge his son, and her reasoning for that was still sound, wasn't it? He was still on the move, preparing to leave for pastures new at some point in the future, and whe
re would that leave any relationship he might have with Connor?
And, added to all of that, wasn't there the constant worry about the role he had played in her brother's downfall? How could she care anything at all for a man who could destroy someone in her family? Where was her loyalty?
CHAPTER SIX
'Would it be all right with you if I was to store these costumes in a corner of the living room?' Rhea asked, waving a hand over a large cardboard box that Nick was carrying for her. It was about the size of a packing crate. 'I know it's a nuisance, and I hate to be so disruptive, but we keep tripping over it in the bedroom.'
'It's not your fault,' Allison said with a frown, 'and anyway things haven't worked out too badly so far, have they?'
Rhea and Poppy had been staying with her for a couple of weeks now, and so far it was all going smoothly enough. It was a small house, though, and they were bound to get under each other's feet from time to time. There were only two bedrooms, and the biggest problem was that they'd had to bring a camp bed into each room for the children.
'Perhaps you could put the costumes in the dining area by the table,' she said now. 'That way, they will be close by where you set up your sewing machine. I know it's awkward, having to put it away every time we have a meal, but I can't think of an alternative at the moment.'
'Bless you,' Rhea murmured.
Nick put down the box and pushed it into a corner. 'You girls seem to be getting along well enough, at any rate, for all that you're crowded together here. Perhaps it's because you're both fairly tolerant people by nature.'
He glanced at Allison. 'Can you imagine how Mum and Dad would have reacted under the circumstances? They both had a short fuse, and they'd have been at each other's throats from the sheer frustration of being cooped up together in such a small space. I don't know how you and I managed to miss out on the gene bank on that score.'
Allison gave a wry smile. 'Don't knock it. Anyway, I don't believe it was a question of missing out. I think we saw so many arguments at home that we decided to do away with them in our own lives.'