She knew at once that she’d been wasting her time. She wasn’t going to get Jake Romero out of her system by ignoring him, or by pretending that what had been between them meant nothing to her. She was very much afraid it had gone beyond a mere attraction; she was falling in love with him. Even the thought of sharing him with another woman was more bearable than never seeing him, never touching him again.
She caught her breath when their eyes met, and she saw the shock of recognition in his gaze. Obviously his mother hadn’t shared her guest list with him, and she wondered if he resented the fact that she was here, in his parents’ home.
She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, praying for her palpitating heart to subside. It felt as if a whole river of perspiration was flowing down between her breasts, and her dress was clinging wetly to her spine.
Which was ridiculous, considering the room was air-conditioned, but her body seemed to be reacting independently of her brain. Even behind her lids she could see him, so lean and dark and attractive. And so incredibly male.
She was jolted out of her introspection by hard fingers closing about her upper arm. Opening her eyes, she was hardly surprised to find he’d come to stand beside her, or that his eyes were cool and guarded as they thoroughly appraised her appearance.
‘I suppose this is where I’m supposed to say, What are you doing here?’ he said roughly. ‘Believe it or not, I didn’t know you’d been invited. If I had I’d have made some excuse and stayed away.’
Eve wondered how she was supposed to answer that. It would be easy enough to counter his claim with a similar one of her own. But she couldn’t do it. ‘I didn’t know if you’d be here either,’ she ventured in a low voice, aware that their conversation was being monitored by other members of the party. ‘I—I actually hoped you might be. Do you mind?’
Jake’s fingers dug into her arm for a moment, and when she ventured a look at his face she saw his eyes were glittering with anger. Taking her glass from her unresisting fingers, he dumped it on a table. Then, after offering an apologetic word to those around them, he hustled Eve towards the sliding glass doors that led outside.
She didn’t know what he intended to do. Perhaps this was his way of forcibly ejecting her, she thought, wondering what his parents must be thinking of his behaviour. Certainly there was aggression in the way he slammed open the door and pushed her unceremoniously out onto the patio at the back of the house. Then, with the door closed securely behind them, he virtually frogmarched her towards an unlit portion of the garden.
Eve was wearing high heels, and her ankles were aching when he finally called a halt. With a trellis of night-flowering honeysuckle between them and any prying eyes that might be watching them from the salon, and only the moon for illumination, he swung her round to face him and said savagely, ‘Do you enjoy making a fool of me?’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘I WASN’T. I didn’t.’ Eve blinked. His face was in shadow, but she could feel the anger emanating from him. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Like hell you don’t. The last time we were together—’
‘You walked out on me,’ she broke in defensively, and she heard his snort of frustration. ‘Well, you did.’
‘And you know why,’ Jake retorted, and when he lifted his hand to rake back his hair, which had grown longer over the past few weeks, she saw the faint tremor that shook his arm. ‘You accused me of sleeping with your mother. Again.’ He swore. ‘I’ve never slept with your mother, ever. What do you take me for?’
Eve quivered now. ‘That—that’s what she said.’
‘And since when do you believe anything that woman tells you?’ he demanded, resisting the urge to shake her.
‘You went away,’ Eve said helplessly. ‘Wh—what was I supposed to think?’
Jake grabbed her arm, as if he needed to hold onto her for support. Then he said hoarsely, ‘You wanted me to go away. You told me there could never be anything between us because—because of your mother.’
‘I know.’ She took a trembling breath. ‘But—you didn’t argue, did you?’
‘Oh, right.’ Jake’s fingers dug into her wrist. ‘You just deliver the biggest bombshell of my life and I’m not supposed to show any reaction? Get real, Eve. I was mad. Mad as hell. With Cassandra, with you, but most especially with myself.’
‘Because—because you thought I’d made a fool of you?’
‘Do you blame me?’ His thumb caressed the fine network of veins he’d found on the inner side of her arm, the roughness in his voice scraping across her nerves like raw silk. ‘You should have told me who you were,’ he said harshly. ‘How you came to be living with your grandmother. That night in the library, for example. Then I might have understood why you’d gone to pieces because another man had forced his attentions on you.’
‘It was only a kiss,’ said Eve, with a shudder.
‘But it meant more than that to you?’
‘Yes.’ Eve glanced up at him. And then, because she wanted him to understand, she went on, ‘It reminded me of all the nights I’d spent sleeping in the bathroom when I lived with the Fultons.’ Her lips twisted. ‘It was the only room in the house that had a lock on the door.’
Jake groaned. ‘Didn’t you tell anyone?’
‘Yes, I told Emily. This was his wife. But she didn’t believe me.’ She shrugged. ‘Or perhaps she didn’t want to know. Anyway, that’s why I ran away.’
Jake swore. ‘I’m so sorry, baby.’ He bent his head and rested his forehead against hers. ‘God, Cassandra has a lot to answer for.’
Eve’s knees felt weak. ‘To—to be fair, she knew nothing about it,’ she ventured huskily, lifting one hand to cup his cheek, and he turned his mouth against her palm.
‘Do you think that excuses her?’ he exclaimed unsteadily. ‘No wonder you wanted nothing to do with me.’
‘That’s not true.’ Eve couldn’t let him think that. ‘You—you confused me. Until then I’d never been attracted to any man. I firmly believed I never would be. I thought I was quite happy, living with Ellie and doing my job. I—I didn’t want anything else.’
‘And?’
‘And so when you came along I resented you. Resented how you made me feel.’
Jake’s eyes darkened. ‘How did I make you feel?’
‘You know,’ she protested.
‘Perhaps I do.’ He paused. ‘Perhaps I just want to hear it from your lips.’
Eve shook her head. ‘I just knew it was wrong, that’s all. I thought you were with Cassie and I had no right feeling anything where you were concerned.’
‘But you did?’
‘You know I did,’ she said shyly. ‘Even that night in the library, I—Well, I knew then that you weren’t like anyone else I’d ever known.’
Jake covered her hand with one of his. ‘I wish you’d told me.’
‘How could I?’
‘Oh, baby.’ He allowed a long sigh to escape him. ‘Cassandra and I were never an item. I think that was why she invited me to Watersmeet.’
‘So why did you come?’
‘Believe it or not, I was asking myself that question from the moment we left London.’ His tongue brushed her palm for a moment, but then he controlled himself again and continued, ‘I’ve got no excuse. I was bored, I guess, and I thought it might be interesting to see another part of the country. It wasn’t until I met you that I realised that fate must have had a hand in it.’
Eve gazed up at him. ‘You don’t really mean that?’
‘Don’t I?’ He tucked a strand of silky hair behind her ear. ‘I thought I did. If you’re talking about what happened after I kissed you in the stables, then I have to admit I don’t take rejection very well.’
Eve could hardly breathe. ‘You know why I said what I did.’
‘I know.’ Jake regarded her intently. ‘So what’s changed?’
‘Everything. Nothing.’ Eve lifted her shoulders in a gesture of defeat
. ‘Why are we having this conversation? You offered me a job. Was it, as you said, just because you wanted to help me? Or—or something else?’
Jake’s hands slid along her forearms to her elbows. ‘What else could it be?’ he asked slyly, and her heart did a somersault in her chest.
‘I don’t know.’ She’d go so far, but no further. ‘Are you still angry with me? Is that what you’re saying? Because if you are—’
But Jake couldn’t let her continue. ‘I was teasing,’ he said roughly, drawing her up on her toes and bending his head to bestow a long, lingering kiss on her soft mouth. ‘For pity’s sake, Eve, you surely knew how I felt the night you arrived, when I came to the cottage.’ His lips brushed her ear. ‘God knows, I couldn’t keep away.’
Eve trembled. ‘You mean that, don’t you?’
‘I’ve never meant anything more in my life.’
‘Oh, Jake!’ She wound her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes disbelievingly. ‘I’m so afraid this is all a dream, and any minute I’m going to open my eyes and wake up.’
‘I’ve had dreams like that, too,’ said Jake fervently. ‘Particularly when I thought you were going to let Cassandra ruin the rest of your life.’
Eve caught her breath. ‘Did you think I would?’
Jake’s eyes darkened. ‘What was I supposed to think?’
She sighed. ‘I suppose. Oh, Jake, weeks ago I realised I didn’t care any more. About you and her, I mean. I just didn’t know how I was going to tell you. Or—or if you’d care.’
‘I care,’ he said roughly, but before he could do more than cradle her head in his hands, and study her expectant face, they heard someone calling his name.
‘Jake! Jake! Where are you? We’re waiting to have dinner.’
‘My mother,’ said Jake drily, although he could see that Eve had already recognised her voice. He hesitated a moment. ‘Are you very hungry?’
Eve gave a soft laugh. ‘I’m not hungry at all.’
‘I am,’ Jake told her fiercely. ‘But not for food.’ He bent and gave her a swift kiss. ‘Wait here.’
He was back a couple of minutes later, and Eve gave him an anxious look. ‘Is she very angry?’
‘My mother?’ Jake laughed. ‘Hell, no. Why should she be? She organised this dinner party to try and take me out of myself. She’ll be delighted she’s succeeded.’
‘Oh, but—’ Eve faltered. ‘She doesn’t know me.’
‘She will soon.’ Jake took her hand, leading the way through tall waving grasses to where low dunes edged a moonlit beach. ‘I think Isabel was her original objective, but if she’d asked me I’d have told her she was wasting her time.’ He glanced down. ‘You might want to take off your shoes. The sand is damp.’
Eve did as he suggested, looking about her in wonder. ‘It’s so beautiful,’ she said, as he took her shoes from her and dangled them from his free hand by their straps. Then, as he helped her down onto the beach, ‘Are we going for a walk?’
‘Initially,’ he said enigmatically, starting along she shore. ‘And before that agile mind of yours starts wondering about my association with Isabel, I should tell you that we’ve never been more than friends.’
Eve glanced up at him. ‘I believe you.’
‘You’d better.’ He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a moist kiss to her palm. ‘The truth is, my mother’s known something was wrong ever since I got back from England. You won’t have noticed, in my haste to get you alone, but I’ve lost weight, I don’t sleep, and God knows I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do next.’
Eve wrapped herself around his arm as they walked. ‘You could have told me.’
‘Yeah. Well, believe it or not, I was considering doing just that. Then I walked into the house tonight and there you were.’ He pressed her close to his side. ‘Can you wonder I reacted as I did?’
Eve leant her head on his shoulder. ‘So what did your mother say when you spoke to her just now? Is she expecting us back?’
‘Not any time soon,’ said Jake drily. He paused, then said huskily, ‘She just said, “Is she the one?” And I said yes.’
Eve could hardly breathe. She was filled with an excitement that was so intense she was amazed she could keep putting one foot in front of the other. She wanted to stop right then, and ask him to say what he’d said all over again. But although he looked down at her for a moment, before stealing another heartstopping kiss, he didn’t slow his pace.
With dazed eyes, she forced herself to look where they were going. The shore was totally deserted, a pearl-white stretch of coral sand that gleamed in the moonlight. There were boulders here and there, rockpools that in daylight would reveal the tiny starfish and sand crabs that made the beach their home. And, although Jake’s arm was reassuringly warm against her breasts, and his hip brushed hers as they walked, Eve still had the feeling that this was some incredible fantasy conjured up by her vivid imagination.
Then, when it looked as if they could go no further without scaling the cliffs that guarded the other end of the cove, Jake pointed to a villa that was set back behind the dunes. Low and sprawling, its creamy walls blended into its surroundings, and only the light spilling out from its windows advertised its existence.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘I want to show you where I live.’
Eve’s lips parted. ‘This is your house?’
‘Mmm.’ Jake slipped his arm around her. ‘Come and see.’
Fifteen minutes later they were installed in Jake’s living room. A long, open—plan area, with a huge stone fireplace he promised her he did use from time to time, it was modern without being ultra-trendy. The floors were polished teak, the trio of sofas were a blend of suede and leather, and the low table in front of the fireplace rested on a thick Chinese rug.
‘It’s beautiful,’ said Eve, unable to think of any other adjective to use. ‘Do you live here alone?’
‘Apart from Luigi, yeah.’ He had introduced her to his elderly Italian houseman when they arrived. ‘Why? Did you think I kept a mess of women here for my own amusement?’
Eve, who was kneeling on an ivory leather sofa, watching him as he moved somewhat restlessly about the room, heaved a sigh. ‘No,’ she admitted honestly. ‘But you did say you’d been married before.’
‘Oh, yeah. For about six months.’ Jake grimaced. ‘And, for your information, we didn’t live here. I had a condominium in San Felipe in those days.’
‘I’m glad.’ Eve bit her lip. ‘Are you going to come and sit down?’
Jake glanced at the small bar set into the wall. ‘Wouldn’t you like a drink?’
‘Would you?’
‘No, but as I deprived you of the one my father made for you…’
‘I don’t want a drink.’ Eve took a deep breath. ‘I just want you to kiss me.’
Jake pulled a wry face. ‘That’s what I want, too.’
‘So?’
‘So that’s not all I want,’ he said, moving to the back of the sofa and looking down at her with dark intense eyes. ‘And I don’t know if I’ve got the will-power—or the strength—to limit myself to just kissing you.’
‘Did I say I wanted you to?’
‘Eve—’ His hands covered hers where they rested on the soft leather, and she shivered a little in anticipation. ‘We have to talk.’
‘We’ll talk later,’ she promised him, capturing his hands in hers and drawing him around to the front of the sofa. Then she patted the seat beside her. ‘Sit down.’
Jake did so, his weight depressing the cushions beside her so that even if she hadn’t planned it that way she slid towards him. She grabbed him, to save herself, her hand slipping intimately over his thigh, and with a muffled oath he turned towards her, covering her startled lips with his.
His tongue invaded her mouth, hot and demanding, reminding her of his taste and his scent. She desperately wanted this, wanted to prove to him that she wasn’t afraid of anything when she was with him, that he and he alone co
uld erase all the pain and heartache of the past.
When he lifted his head and looked down at her she was devastated by his intensity. His lean face was taut with emotion, with feelings he was trying desperately hard to control. When he bent to her again there was a dangerous hunger in his invasion, a mind-numbing ardour that enveloped her in its thrall.
‘You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do this,’ he groaned, tipping the straps of her dress aside and laving her shoulder with his tongue. ‘I just don’t want to hurt you.’
‘You’re not hurting me,’ she protested, parting the neckline of his shirt and pressing her face against his hot skin. There was a film of moisture on his chest and she allowed herself to taste it, loving the way his flesh tensed at the intimate brush of her tongue. ‘I couldn’t stand it if you changed your mind now.’
‘Dear God,’ Jake muttered, as her dress slipped away to reveal the skimpy bra she was wearing beneath it. Two half-cups of cream lace barely contained the rounded breasts that were spilling out from them, dusky nipples hinting at the exotic cast of her colouring. ‘I couldn’t stand it either.’
She was all ebony and ivory, he thought, her skin pale, her hair so thick and dark against her cheeks. When he bent his head, to capture her mouth again, her hair swung against him and he felt its silken strands caress his face.
‘Jake…’
His name was a heady sound on her lips. Hearing her use it in that seductive way was like drowning in sensation. His body stiffened automatically, and he thought she had no idea what she was doing to him. The swollen muscle between his legs was becoming a constant ache.
He found the fastener that secured the flimsy bra and dealt with it. Then, urging her back against the cushions, he positioned himself beside her. He didn’t lie over her, although he wanted to. There was no way he could hide his arousal if he gave in to temptation.
Even so, he couldn’t prevent himself from caressing her breasts, from lowering his head and taking one sensitive nipple into his mouth. She moaned softly, her pulse palpitating beneath his fingers, her hands reaching for him in mute acceptance of her own needs.
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