'Not Bart,' Eve shook her head. ‘He always means what he says.'
'He doesn't want you to go, you know he doesn't. Why, only yesterday you were over the moon because you were both in love and thinking of getting married.'
'No, Maisie,' she said firmly. 'Bart's offer to me has never involved marriage.'
An embarrassed flush coloured the older woman's cheeks. 'You mean he—he—Bart offered to make you his mistress?'
'Yes,' she sighed.
'I don't believe it!'
Eve shrugged. 'You only iave to ask him.'
He's gone to bed, he's tired after the flight.'
And when he woke up she would be gone! Then ask him later.' She closed her suitcase. 'You've been very kind to me, Maisie,' she smiled wanly. 'I've appreciated it.'
The other woman's expression softened. 'You're easy to be kind to. Where do you intend going?'
She shrugged. 'Probably to a hotel to start with.
Then I'll-----'
'We'll see about that!' Maisie was suddenly angry. 'We'll see about this mistress business too. I've never heard the like!' she snorted disgustedly. 'You're not to go anywhere until I've spoken to Bart.'
'Oh, but—-'
'Promise me, Eve,' she said sternly.
If the truth were known she was feeling rather weary after throwing all her belongings into her suitcase; a few minutes' sit-down while Bart confirmed his wish for her to leave wouldn't be a bad idea.
'All right,' she sat down heavily. 'But it won't do any good.'
'We'll see about that,' Maisie repeated before leaving the room, a determined set to her mouth. Eve could hear the murmur of voices across the corridor, and then Ban's bedroom door closed, the voices less distinct now.
Dear Maisie, she was like a mother hen defending her chick. It was nice to feel protected like this, although she was still certain of the outcome of the conversation.
She was lying down on the bed when Bart came into the room a few minutes later, Maisie nowhere to be seen. Eve sat up, instantly on the defensive.
'I didn't ask Maisie to come and see you. I——'
'I know you didn't.' He was calm now, his temper all gone. He had showered since she had last seen him, his hair still damp, a black towelling robe his only clothing as far as she could see, his legs bare from his thighs to his feet.
'But I'm glad she did,' he added softly. 'What's all this about my intending installing you here as my mistress?'
'Oh, I didn't say it would be here----'
'But you did think I intended making you my mistress?' he queried softly.
'I—Well—Yes."-She eyed him apprehensively, sure that this calm could only precede the storm.
'Are you aware of the fact that Maisie has just handed in her notice?' he asked dryly. Eve went pale. 'Oh no!' she gasped. 'I—She can't do, that!'
'She just did.'
Well, I—You—You seem to be taking it calmly!' She was outraged at his callousness. 'Maisie has been with you for years,' she stormed, her eyes sparkling angrily. 'You can't let her leave!'
'I don't intend to.'
'Oh, you mean you persuaded her to stay,' she sighed her relief, glad not to have caused Maisie to leave the place she loved so much.
'I not only did that,' his mouth quirked, 'I gave her a raise.'
Eve stood up to clear her things from the dressing table, having missed them earlier. 'I'm sure she deserves one.'
Bart stood in front of her reaching one of her bottles of perfume. 'Would you mind?' she asked stiltedly, staring at the knotted belt of his robe.
'Yes, I would,' his voice was soft. 'I would mind very much. Why didn't you tell me you didn't even know about my call from the airport?' He gently lifted her chin, his green-eyed gaze easily holding hers. 'Why?' he repeated. She was trembling from his touch, unable to hold back her instant response to him. :'You didn't exactly give me a chance to,' she reminded him.
He pulled her close against him, his arms going about her. 'No, I didn't did I?' he derided. 'I'm sorry, Eve. I was an absolute swine to you when I got back just now.'
'You were.' She burrowed against his hair roughened chest, loving the dean male smell of him. His chest rumbled with laughter. 'My honest little Eve!' His hand caressed her hair as he held her head against him.
'But we haven't been completely honest with each other, have we?' he said softly. 'Not about our feelings, anyway. Eve, the other night, the night I took you to my room, I told you that once you'd slept with me our relationship would be sealed. What did you think I meant by that remark?'
'Well, that I—that we----'
'That we would continue to sleep together,' he finished for her.
'Yes,' she mumbled.
'Oh, Eve, Eve!' he chided, leaning back against the dressing-table, taking her with him, holding her in between his splayed legs as he looked down at her with gentle eyes. 'I didn't mean that at all, I meant that once I'd taken you, made love to you, I wouldn't be able to let you go. Not ever; I want to marry you, Eve.'
She looked up with a gulp. 'M—Marry me...?'
'Don't look so shocked,' he spluttered with laughter, suddenly sobering. 'Or does the idea of marriage to me not appeal to you?' he asked anxiously.
'Oh yes! I mean----'
'No, don't spoil it.' His arms tightened about her, his mouth nuzzling her throat. 'God, if you knew how much I want you for. my wife,' he groaned. 'I've thought of nothing else but marrying you for the last six months.'
'Six months?' Eve frowned up at him.
Bart nodded. 'That was when I first saw you. You were a guest on one of those up-and-coming star shows, singing your last record, the one that reached the bottom of the charts. I took one look at you and—God, I love you, Eye. I love you so damned much!'
She couldn't believe what he was saying. He couldn't love her, not really. He seemed to sense her withdrawal, looking down at
ner with concerned eyes. 'You don't love me--'
'Oh, but I do!' she contradicted. 'I tried to tell you
the other night----'
'You told me you were grateful,' he recalled bitterly.
'Not in that way,' she sighed. 'I wanted to explain, but you wouldn't listen. You—you told me to get out.'
Bart gave a rueful smile. 'It seems to be a habit with me lately.' His eyes darkened. 'But if you weren't grateful because I was the one who found you lying by the river just why were you grateful?'
She explained to him exactly what she meant, watching the hope lighting his eyes.
'The time we've wasted!' he groaned. He shook his head. 'When you weren't at the airport as you had said you would be I thought you'd changed your mind. I'd thought of nothing but you ever since that telephone call, and my disappointment when you weren't at Heathrow----! Well, you saw what I was like,' he said ruefully. 'Bloody cruel. But you really are too thin, my darling,' he frowned his concern.
'I've been pining for you.'
He looked at her uncertainly. 'Eve?' His query was almost tentative.
She looked at him fearlessly. 'I have, Bart. I—I love you too, you see. I didn't mean to but—well, suddenly I did!'
He laughed at her woebegone expression. 'That's hardly the way to tell a man you love him,' he chided. Eve flushed. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean — I just wanted to explain— — '
'It doesn't matter.' He pulled her towards him. 'You can show me instead.'
'Sh — show you?'
His hand moved up to gently caress her cheek. 'You're still shy with me,' he said wonderingly. 'I just want you to kiss me, Eve. I've hungered for you the last few days, needed you so badly. It was no way to send a man off on business.'
She looked up at him shyly. 'I have a much better way of welcoming you back.'
His eyebrows rose teasingly. 'You do?'
'Mm.'
'Go ahead,' he invited eagerly. She raised her lips to his, revelling in her right to be able to kiss him whenever she wanted to. And right now she wanted to very badly.
'I love you, Bart,' she whispered huskily against his skin.
His arms tightened around her. 'You'd better,' he groaned.
'I do.' Her hands moved to the belt on his robe, easily untying its single fastening, parting the robe to move against his' naked body. 'Oh, Bart— — '
'For God's sake kiss me!' he moaned heatedly.
He was the master now, the feel of his lips moving fiercely over hers making her feel weak with desire, deepening the kiss to intimacy.
'Oh yes, Bart,' she eagerly accepted his show of passion. 'I want you too.'
'Yes,' he murmured, not triumphantly or mockingly, just a simple acknowledgement of their mutual desire.
'You're coming with me.' He tied his robe loosely, swinging her up in his arms to carry her through to his bedroom, laying her tenderly down before he began to undress her.
She watched his face as he slowly removed each item of clothing, saw the pleasure it gave him to look at her nakedness, his firm brown hands lingering on her creamy white breasts.
'I knew you would look right in this bed.' His eyes seemed to be on fire, his hand trembling as it moved down the silkiness of her thigh.
Eve licked her lips nervously. 'The woman you were going to marry-----'
'What woman?' he queried vaguely, his lips against her breast.
'The one you bought the bed for.'
'You,' he said huskily.
Her eyes widened. 'Me?'
Bart raised his head, looking at her teasingly. 'Are we going to talk or make love?'
She flushed. 'Well, I—Can't we do both?'
He laughed softly, taking off his robe to lie down beside her and pull the covers over them both, his arm cradling her against his chest. 'We can, but not that sort of talk.'
'Then I'd rather make love,' she told him huskily.
His eyes gleamed down at her teasingly. 'I have no intention of making love to you until we're married.'
'You haven't?' she gasped.
'No,' he shook his head. 'I love you, I want you for my wife, I'm not in such a rush that I can't wait—oh, three or four days for you.'
Eve gave a happy laugh. "What a sacrifice!’
'It is, young lady.' He looked down at her with a mock stern expression. 'My body aches for you,’ he told her deeply.
She blushed, burying her face against his chest. 'But if you don't want to make love to me,' she looked up at him,
'what am I doing here in this bed with you?'
'Telling me in more than words that you love me,' he said seriously. 'I know how much you hate the idea of a physical relationship with a man--'
'Not with you,' she assured him. 'Never with you.'
He kissed her hard on the mouth. 'That's how I know that you truly love me. And I did buy this bed for you, although now that we're both in it it seems a little on the large side.' He frowned. 'I could lose you in here. Maybe I should change it for a single,' he added wolfishly.
'And what would Maisie think of that?' She played with the dark blond hair on his chest.
'Maisie already knows exactly how I feel about you. She had much more perception than you, as she guessed the day I brought you here.'
'You weren't exactly encouraging.'
'And why should I have been? I told you what to do if you wanted my kisses.'
'Ask for them.' She grimaced. 'You knew I couldn't do that.'
His eyes twinkled down at her. 'You didn't do so badly that night in my study.'
' I -—'
'You wanted me that night,' he told her firmly. 'And that offer to massage my neck was your way of telling me so.'
'I—Yes,' she admitted quietly.
His arms tightened about her. 'I've had a hard battle to win you, Eve, but now that I have, I don't ever intend to let you go.'
'I don't want to go anywhere without you.'
'Don't worry, you won't.'
She looked up at him, seeing the lines of tiredness that he was trying to fight off. 'Maybe I should leave now.'
His expression darkened. 'I was in a temper when I told you to leave—I,didn't mean it.'
She leant up on one elbow to gently smoothe his brow. 'I didn't mean leave the house, darling,' she soothed. 'Maisie said you're tired, I thought I would go and let'you get some sleep.'
'I'll sleep much more comfortably with you here.' He pushed her gently down on the bed. 'The night I slept in your arms was the best night's sleep I've ever had. I've fantasised about repeating the experience ever since!' He laid his head against her.
How he could even think of sleep when she could only think of how close their naked bodies were she just didn't know. Maybe it was different for men, maybe-'I want you just as badly,' he murmured suddenly. 'But I want our marriage to start off the right way.'
'How did you know---'
‘Your heart is beating so fast it's deafening me.’ He looked up at her, smiling softly. 'When I make love to you for the first time it isn't going to be where Maisie can come barging into the room at any time. You may have noticed she has no qualms about doing exactly that.'
'I'll never be able to thank her enough for sorting out the tangle we'd got ourselves into,' said Eve. Bart grinned. 'I told her she can be godmother to our first child.'
'Oh!' she blushed prettily.
'Do you want children?' he asked seriously.
'As long as they all promise to have blond hair and green eyes,’ she said shyly.
'Strange, I had visions of black hair and blue eyes.'
Eve laughed. 'If they're as contrary as we are they'll probably have red hair and brown eyes!'
'You could be right,' Bart agreed ruefully. 'Now let me get some sleep, woman. I have a lot of things to arrange later today.'
'You aren't going to work?' Her tone showed her disappointment.
'No, I'm not. I'm going to see if I can buy a deserted island somewhere where we can be alone for three months. You think I'm joking, don't you?' he kissed her lightly on the nose. 'Believe me, three months alone with you isn't anywhere near long enough for me to show you all the different ways I love you.'
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glowing as she felt completely cocooned by Bart's love for her. 'When will we be married?'
'As soon as I can arrange it. Before the end of the week, definitely. Now let me get some sleep and start building up my strength.' He grinned at her shy embarrassment. 'Maybe you'd better do the same,' he teased. 'You won't be sleeping much in future either. And you won't be working. Contrary to what you thought, about my wanting to get you back out to work, I don't approve of my wife working.'
'If you decided to marry me six months ago--'
'I did,' he told her firmly.
'Why did you finance my concerts?'
'Because you had to see if you could do it. You have a fantastic voice, Eve, very sexy, and I don't mind if you want to keep making records, but I won't have you wearing yourself out doing concerts. Besides,' his arms tightened, 'I couldn't bear to let you leave me for weeks at a time.'
'I wouldn't want to go. Derek and I have already decided I'm not cut out for that type of career.'
Bart gave a wolfish grin. 'And as your new business manager I know exactly what career you are cut out for. Being my wife is going to be a full-tune job.'
She touched his hair lovingly. 'I hope so.'
'It will be,' he promised sleepily. "Now are you ever going to stop talking, woman?' he growled. She snuggled against him comfortably. 'Yes, Bart.'
He rolled over on his back with a groan. 'I'm not sure I can sleep now. I want you too badly to just be able to lie here next to you and not make love to you.'
'You don't have to.' She touched him tentatively.
'Yes, I do,' he said firmly. 'You're
never going to be able to say I took advantage of you.'
Eve sensuously touched the tip of her tongue to her top lip, seeing Bart's eyes darken as he watched the movement.
'How about,' she said slowly, 'if I.. .take advantage of you?'
For a moment his eyes widened in surprise, then a slow smile spread across his flushed, handsome features. 'Well, that's something else completely,' he murmured invitingly.
She was only too happy to take up that invitation. 'I thought it might be,' she laughed throatily. 'But wouldn't you rather go to sleep?' she said with feigned innocence. 'I thought you were tired.'
He moved so quickly that before she was hardly aware of it he was lying on top of her, his eyes dark with the passion his body couldn't conceal. 'Stop tormenting me, Eve,' he groaned, his mouth taking fierce possession of hers.
What happened next was a complete revelation to Eve, as Bart threw off the bedclothes and began to kiss and touch every inch of her body. When he became too intimate she tried to stop him, pulling his head back up to her lips, but Bart was stronger than she was, and he was determined to know all of her. When his body finally joined hers she knew a moment's pain, and then a lifetime of ecstasy, Bart taking her to the very pinnacle of desire, as shattered as she was when they finally floated back to earth. Eve placed feather light kisses all over his chest, just wanting to touch and kiss him, to keep this closeness forever. His hand was shaking as it moved up to caress her flushed face. 'Eve..." he seemed to be having difficulty finding the words. 'Eve, just now—I'd swear--'
'Yes?' Her bubble of happiness seemed to burst as he continued to frown. 'What is it? Did—did I do something wrong?9
His expression instantly gentled. 'Of course you didn't. You were beautiful, you're always beautiful. But the pleasure—I'd swear you'd never known the pleasure before. Your eyes widened with shock just before, and—My God, what did that man do to you, Eve?' he demanded tautly.
She sighed, unable to meet his piercing green eyes.
'You're right, I was shocked. I'd never realised … You see, he—he lost his temper, and—and-' .
'Raped you?' Bart was white with fury. 'Did he rape you, Eve?' He shook her.
Red Rose For Love Page 14