'I had a nightmare, so I thought I'd come down and make some tea,' she explained, selfconscious under his probing gaze.
'I need something a little stronger.' He ran a hand round the back of his neck, tiredly flexing the muscles of his shoulders. He had been travelling, she remembered, watching as he poured himself a Scotch. He looked worn out. The dinner jacket was open, his tie gone, his shirt was open at the neck. In the darkness he looked big and powerful and a little threatening.
Stephanie looked away quickly as their eyes met, wishing that she had slipped on a dressing gown before leaving her room. The intimacy of their situation affected her deeply," every nerve aware of him so near. She sought for something to say to him, even though he seemed totally unconcerned by the silence between them.
'Do you know how long this legal thing will take?' she asked, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in her ears.
'Anxious to get back?' he queried, slowly swallowing his scotch.
Stephanie shrugged. 'I don't really fit in here—not that I don't appreciate you letting me stay in your house,' she added quickly.
'Carina?' he probed softly.
'I don't think we're ever going to get on. We're strangers, after all.'
'You're sisters,' he reminded her, seeing the sadness in her eyes.
'Half-sisters, /think that should count, but it doesn't. I can't blame Carina, though, it's nobody's fault.'
'Are you lonely here?' Luke asked gently.
'A little. Wayne and Carina are always busy. I've been hanging about all day and I don't even know when the solicitors are coming.'
Luke lit a cigarette, offering her one which she took. She watched the shadowed lines of his face in the flare of the lighter and something inside her trembled. 'It could take quite a while for your father's affairs to be sorted out,' he told her quietly.
'That's what everybody keeps saying, but nobody can tell me how long, though,' she complained, as she finished her tea.
'Stephanie, you ought to know that your father was in debt when he died,' Luke told her. 'There are a lot of legal complications.'
'In debt?' She stared at him incredulously. 'Carina didn't tell me. ...'
'Did you expect her to?' There was a taunting mockery in the words.
'I wish I knew what was going to happen, what's going on,' she sighed miserably.
'These things take time.' His deep voice soothing her, even though she had the feeling that he knew more than he was telling her.
'I'm frightened,' she admitted, as the feeling shivered over her. 'I feel as though something awful is about to happen.'
'You may be right.' He was teasing her, but his eyes were serious, and heat exploded inside her as she read his expression.
'I'm being serious,' she said shortly, to hide the way she was feeling.
'And you don't think I am?'- Luke's mouth was frankly sensual, his eyes caressing.
'Luke!' There was shock on her face, but anxiety too.
He leaned forward, his hand touching her hair. 'Nothing awful is going to happen,' he reassured her gently. 'If I knew how long it was going to take, I'd tell you. Carina has instructed them to sort out your father's affairs, and that sort of thing takes time.'
'But how did he get himself into debt?' Stephanie asked worriedly.
'He took a gamble on some investments and lost a great deal of money. It was bad luck and bad judgment,' Luke told her calmly.
Stephanie digested this carefully. It didn't allay her fears at all, but she realised that Luke couldn't tell her any more, despite the hundred and one questions buzzing in her head. It was up to the solicitors. She would have to wait until she saw them for all the details. She frowned, unable to pinpoint her feelings of foreboding.
'I suppose I'll just have to wait.'
'That's exactly what you'll have to do,' he said wryly.
She smiled at him unselfconsciously and heard the swift intake of his breath, the atmosphere changing in a second, becoming tense and mercurial. She forced her eyes away from his.
'I think I'll go back to bed now,' she said breathlessly. She wanted to run, but getting to her feet, she somehow tripped, her foot catching in the hem of her long nightdress, and would have fallen flat on her face had not Luke moved swiftly and silently. He caught her, his hands closing on her narrow waist, and lifted her back on to her feet.
Their bodies were suddenly very close. Dazed, Stephanie stared up into his face, feeling his hands against her skin, the thin lace of her gown offering no barrier to his strong touch, feeling the hard seductive warmth of him. Her heart began to beat very fast, shaking her entire body. The breath seemed trapped in her lungs as she gazed blindly into the deep green depths of his eyes.
Luke did not release her. He could feel the satin warmth of her skin beneath its thin covering. He looked down inp the pale fragility of her face, and felt his whole body tensing, the muscles in his stomach tightening achingly.
Stephanie wasn't thinking straight, something impulsive and purely instinctual controlling her, as she whispered his name, shuddering as his mouth touched her forehead, before trailing a path of fire across her cheeks, her eyelids, finally parting her lips with a devastating demanding hunger. He kissed her deeply, slowly, very possessively, as though he had all the time in the world, drugging her with his passion until all coherent thought was lost to her.
She knew that she had been waiting all night for him to kiss her again, and there was nothing she could do to fight those feelings. She lifted her hands to frame his lean face, her fingers stroking the smooth tanned skin, exploring the hardness of his cheekbones. There was something dreamlike and unreal in what was happening. Luke groaned as she touched him, moulding her closer, his own hands tracing the slender curves of her body from shoulder to thigh. His heart was beating as fast as her own, she realised with shock, and a sweet ache ran warmly through her body, an ache she understood and suddenly feared.
'Luke. . . .' She pushed at the powerful, unyielding shoulders above her. The word came as a low moan, while his mouth teased the white skin of her throat, his tongue flicking against the frantic pulse.
'Luke. . . .' Both heard the unmistakable sound of the front door slamming.
Stephanie tore herself out of Luke's arms in panic, cold sanity reasserting itself, leaving her feeling weak and sick, while Luke stared at her with dark smoky eyes, his chest heaving.
'Oh God!' She moaned in horror, and turning on her heel, ran from the room, cannoning straight into Wayne in the hall.
He caught her and steadied her, looking down curiously at her flushed, troubled face and scantily clad body.
'Hi, you're up late,' he said lightly, and when she didn't answer, he probed, 'What's the matter?'
'Nothing—nothing at all.' Her voice sounded damningly breathless. Wayne looked past her into the dark lounge, and his eyes were suddenly narrow with amusement.
'Ah!' he said slowly, 'I see.'
Just what he saw, Stephanie dreaded to think. It couldn't be worse than the truth, a little voice in her head reminded her. She didn't even know why she was standing here. She closed her eyes and felt the hot colour pouring into her cheeks. 'You've got it all wrong,' she began anxiously.
'Of course I have, darling.' He smiled broadly and released her. 'Sweet dreams!'
'Wayne ' Guilt made her call him back, as he
walked towards the lounge. She had to say something. She knew very well what he thought.
'I don't think I want to get involved,' he threw back over his shoulder, and carried on walking.
'There's nothing to get involved in? Stephanie shouted in frustration.
Wayne turned then, his brows raised sceptically. 'And I thought you were a nice girl!' he reproved with an infuriating smile. He was only joking, she knew that, yet his words cut into her as though he was deadly serious.
'It's not what you think.. ..' she tried again to explain, but Wayne wasn't listening.
'Isn't there a saying about protesting too muc
h?'
'Listen to me.. ..'
He didn't. 'I only hope Carina doesn't hear about this,' he said laughingly, and strolled into the lounge, shutting the door behind him.
Stephanie stared after him in horror. She hadn't spared Carina a thought. She covered her face with her hands, sinking on to the bottom stair. She hadn't spared Dean a thought either. All thought had been magically blanked from her mind at Luke's possessive touch. She was shaking, she felt sick. And as the final straw, she heard the voices in the lounge becoming louder. She heard Luke's voice, cold and angry, Wayne's innocent, protesting. Had Luke heard their conversation just now? She didn't stay to listen to what was going on. She shot upstairs as fast as she could, wishing with all her heart that she had never met any of them.
CHAPTER FIVE
SHE still felt depressed the next morning as she drank her breakfast coffee. Wayne found her alone in the dining room.
Stephanie sighed as she saw him. She had been hoping to get away before anyone came down. She did not feel she had the strength to face any of them this morning, so she kept her eyes lowered, waiting for him to make the first move.
She was aware of him sitting down opposite her, heard him pouring coffee.
'Morning!' His greeting was bright, hearty.
Still she did not look at him. 'Good morning,' she replied calmly.
'It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day.'
Wayne was staring at her. She looked up and their eyes met briefly, his veering away immediately.
'Yes.' She half-smiled, still too embarrassed by what had happened the night before to be able to act naturally. It was guilt, she realised sardonically, guilt at her own behaviour, at her own stupid weakness. Guilt had been her overriding emotion ever since she arrived in England. 'Yes, it does.' She looked out of the long windows pretending interest in the cloudless skies outside.
Wayne got up and filled a plate with bacon and eggs from the dishes on the long sideboard. 'Aren't you having anything to eat?' He looked at the empty plate and unused cutlery in front of her.
'I'm not hungry, thanks.' She quickly sipped her coffee, desperately trying to pull herself together.
'Listen, Stephanie.' Wayne sat down again, leaning towards her earnestly. 'I want to—well, I want to apologise for last night.'
Stephanie looked at him briefly. She felt herself flushing, felt the embarrassment crawling over her.
'Wayne, please, I——'
'No, let me finish. I'm feeling pretty lousy about it. I had a bad evening and I drank too much. I was bloody rude to you and I'm sorry.' He smiled wryly. 'If it's any consolation, Luke certainly tore me off a strip or two!'
Stephanie smiled. 'I did hear raised voices.' It wasn't so bad after all. Wayne was genuinely apologetic.
He grimaced. 'One raised voice. I hardly got the chance to open my mouth!'
'Let's forget it, shall we?' All she wanted was to push the whole incident from her mind.
'Suits me.' Wayne forked his food into his mouth as though ravenously hungry, obviously more cheerful now.
'Are you working today?' Stephanie asked casually.
'You bet!' Now the boss is back, it's noses to the grindstone for all of us.'
'Don't you mind working for your cousin?' she asked curiously. Wayne didn't seem the sort of young man to take orders very easily. In that sense, he was very like Dean.
Wayne shrugged. 'Luke's the boss—it's his empire and I'm glad to work for him. He's the sort of man you can trust with your life.'
Stephanie could believe that. She had felt it herself—inexplicable really, when he frightened her so. Wayne's implicit confidence and respect, somehow didn't surprise her either. Luke was the sort of man who commanded those qualities in all around him, commanded them effortlessly.
'You're close to him?' she asked, surprising herself with her own open interest.
Wayne regarded her speculatively for a second, then returned his attention to his plate before replying. 'Close isn't the word I'd use. I can't think of anybody who's actually close to Luke.' He smiled with a secret, almost malicious pleasure. 'Carina would surely like to be, though!'
Stephanie bit her lip. Are they lovers? she wanted to ask, but didn't.
'Oh.' She tried to sound uninterested, noncommittal.
'Luke's not an easy man to get to know, or to get close to.' Wayne hadn't been fooled for a moment by her pretended lack of interest, and continued. 'My uncle and aunt died when Luke was young. He practically brought himself up, and I guess that made him tough and self-contained. He doesn't need anybody.'
Again, Stephanie could hear the respect in his voice. She could imagine Wayne hero-worshipping his cousin when they were both younger. And she could hear perhaps a trace of envy in his voice, and that made her like him more. It made him more human.
'Lucky for him,' she remarked drily, and poured herself more coffee, feeling hungry enough to tackle a thin piece of toast now that her tension had dissolved.
Wayne laughed. 'Lucky for all of us, except Carina. Where is she, by the way?'
Stephanie explained about the phone call, not hearing the door behind her swinging open as she talked. 'Ohand that reminds me, I want to go into the nearest town to buy a few things. Can you tell me about the buses or the trains or whatever?'
'I'll drive you.' The low, cool voice sent a shiver along her spine. She had not heard Luke come into the room, but now he sat down, indolently pouring himself a cup of coffee, his eyes unreadable, his mouth curved with amusement at her sudden confusion.
Stephanie stared blindly down at the polished table, cursing the colour that was pouring embarrassingly into her face, the remembered touch of his mouth, the searching hunger of his hands, filling her with shame and a humiliating weakness.
'I'll be driving into town in half an hour's time,' he expanded coolly. 'You're welcome to a lift.'
'There you are, problem solved,' Wayne said brightly, looking at her.
'I ...' She was lost for words. She didn't want to be alone with Luke. She would rather have walked to the nearest town rather than accept a lift from him. The very thought of it filled her with fear and another, insidious emotion, that she did not examine too closely.
She glanced covertly at Wayne. He was still looking at her expectantly. She could also feel Luke's green eyes disturbingly fixed on her.
'I ... I don't want to put you to any trouble...' she began weakly, already knowing that she had lost.
'It's no trouble,' he assured her levelly, aware that she had not once raised her eyes to his.
Stephanie swallowed nervously. What could she do? Wayne had already suspected that something was going on. She couldn't refuse Luke's offer without making a big deal of the whole situation.
'Well, if you're sure . .. thank you.' She raised resentful eyes towards him, her glance resting on the hard line of his mouth.
'Be ready in half an hour,' he said quietly, as she got to her feet, and she could hear the laughter in his voice. They both knew he had won and her resentment grew.
In her room, as she brushed and plaited her hair, she fiercely decided that under no circumstances would she let him know how she feared him. It was only a car ride, after all, nothing to panic about. She sighed. Why was she so nervous, then?
Her hard-won calmness was instantly dissolved, however, when she walked downstairs twenty minutes later to find Luke waiting for her in the high-ceilinged hall. She glanced discreetly at him as she covered the distance between them. He looked tall and disturbing in jeans and a dark green corduroy shirt open at the neck. His eyes narrowed on her as she came to him, the sunlight shimmering in her pale hair.
'Ready?' One slow expressionless glance took in her tight jeans and sleeveless cotton blouse, to bring a rush of colour to her cheeks.
'I'd really rather catch a bus,' she said stiffly.
'Why?' he taunted softly. 'Who are you afraid of, Stephanie? Me, or yourself?'
The mockery was unhidden and she glared at
him angrily. 'I'm afraid of nobody!' she retorted tremulously, the lie obvious.
'Fine, let's go then.' He smiled almost gently and indicated that she should precede him out into the brilliant sunshine and towards the long silver car.
He opened the passenger door for her and she slid into the low leather seat, her eyes firmly turned away from him, burning with anger. She was making such a fool of herself, and he seemed to be taking advantage of that fact, finding it all so amusing!
Seconds later he slid in beside her, and she averted her face, staring out of the window at her side, as the car roared into life. The town was almost twenty miles from the house, and Stephanie gradually forgot her anger and antagonism, as she stared out over the green fields to the sea beyond—so different in the sunlight.
It was beautiful, she thought with wonder, the wild flowers at the roadside, the thick hedgerows— everything was green, a paler, richer green than at home.
Luke pressed a button on the dashboard and the wide sun roof slid open over her head. She looked up and watched the almost cloudless sky as the car shot along the narrow roads.
'It's lovely,' she said aloud, unable to keep her delight, or her need to share it, out of her voice. 'And so warm today. I thought yesterday was the best I could expect from the English summer.'
Luke cast her a sidelong glance, his eyes leaving the road for a second, and laughed. 'This weather isn't exactly usual, you know,' he admitted wryly.
'I don't care. Today is all that matters,' she told him recklessly, because the beauty of her surroundings had soothed her, and because after today, she really would have to tackle all the problems that faced her.
'You mean that?' Luke queried softly, and something in his voice made her heart slowly pound.
'Of course I do.' She glanced at the hard lines of his profile, at the strong tanned hands on the steering wheel and knew that her words were almost a commitment to him, that suddenly they weren't talking about the weather at all. She took a deep shaking breath and turned her head away, confused by the sudden tension in the expensive confines of the car.
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