by Carole Mortimer - Bachelor Cousins 03 - To Marry McAllister
Some of which, Brice conceded grimly, she was perfectly entitled to feel.
He had arrived downstairs a few minutes ago, just in time to see Sabina come storming through the front doorway, hot wings of temper in the usual paleness of her cheeks.
‘What on earth—?’
‘Leave her, Brice,’ his grandfather had instructed harshly as he’d followed closely behind Sabina.
‘But—’
‘I said leave her!’ his grandfather rasped coldly, both men standing in the hallway watching Sabina before she disappeared round the curve of the stairs.
Brice turned back to his grandfather. ‘What on earth is going on?’ he demanded to know; Sabina might be in some strange sort of mood with him, but she had seemed to like his grandfather well enough last night. ‘What have you done to Sabina?’ he prompted accusingly.
Something flickered in his grandfather’s gaze, an emotion he quickly masked, although his expression remained grim. ‘I haven’t done anything to her, laddie,’ he grated, his accent all the stronger because of his own repressed anger. ‘At least—’ he frowned ‘—nothing deliberately designed to hurt or upset her.’
‘You seem to have succeeded in doing both,’ Brice pointed out tersely, torn between a desire to run after Sabina, and the need to stand here and hear what his grandfather had to say.
His grandfather held up defensive hands. ‘It seemed like an act of providence when you told me you were bringing Sabina here this weekend.’ He shook his head. ‘But, unfortunately, before I had time to explain the situation to her—’
‘Go back a step, Grandfather,’ Brice cut in evenly. ‘What was providential about my bringing Sabina here…?’ He frowned his wariness of the possible answer.
Although he couldn’t for the life of him think what that answer might be. As far as he was aware Sabina and his grandfather had never met before, so what could the elderly man possibly have needed to explain to her…?
‘I think I might better be able to answer that for you,’ a calm, female voice remarked from the direction of the doorway.
Brice turned frowningly. A tiny blonde-haired woman stood there, a woman probably aged in her sixties, despite the shoulder-length of her hair, the pretty face and slenderness of her figure. A woman Brice knew he had never seen before.
And yet…
As he looked at her he realised there was something tantalisingly familiar about the deep blue of her eyes, those high cheekbones, and the creaminess of her skin…
Sabina had said she looked like her father, and yet here was clear evidence that wasn’t completely true…
Brice drew in a ragged breath. ‘I see.’
The woman tilted her head engagingly to one side. ‘Do you?’
‘I believe so.’ Brice nodded slowly, turning back to his grandfather. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
Because it was more than obvious to Brice now that it was Sabina’s mother who was his grandfather’s ‘friend’.
Was it any wonder that Sabina was upset?
His grandfather moved to put a protective arm about the shoulders of the woman Brice only knew as Sabina’s mother. ‘Joan didn’t exactly have a pleasant time of it when she tried to tell Sabina about us the other week,’ his grandfather rasped. ‘You young people seem to think you have some sort of monopoly when it comes to falling in love!’ he added disgustedly.
‘Excuse me.’ Richard Latham spoke icily from behind the older couple, stepping into the hallway as they moved to one side. ‘Is Sabina upstairs?’ he prompted curtly.
‘She is,’ Brice confirmed grimly; he had been wondering where the other man had got to!
Richard Latham nodded abruptly. ‘Sabina and I will be leaving shortly. We’ll need a taxi to drive us to the nearest airport,’ he added arrogantly.
‘I’ll drive you,’ Brice told him coldly.
Richard Latham gave him a scathing glance. ‘I don’t think so. But if you could see to the ordering of the taxi…?’ He gave a dismissive nod before following Sabina up the stairs.
Almost as if he were some sort of hired help. Brice fumed angrily, finding himself wanting to follow the other man up the stairs and punch him squarely in the face!
‘Richard doesn’t like me, I’m afraid.’ Joan Smith spoke ruefully. ‘I’ve been a little too outspoken concerning his suitability as a fiancé for Sabina,’ she admitted with a grimace.
‘In that case—’ Brice turned back to the quietly spoken woman ‘—I like you very much!’ he told her with satisfaction.
Joan laughed huskily, a laugh so like Sabina’s, Brice felt an ache in his chest just at the sound of it.
Sabina…
What must she be feeling? More to the point, what must she be thinking?
‘I have to go up and talk to Sabina,’ he told the older couple distractedly. ‘Before Latham has a chance to add his particular brand of poison to the confusion,’ he added harshly.
‘You’re wasting your time, I’m afraid,’ her mother told him sadly. ‘In the last few months I’ve watched my beautiful, self-confident daughter turn into someone I hardly recognise.’ She shook her head regretfully.
Brice looked at her frowningly, wanting to pursue the subject, but at the same time knowing he had to speak to Sabina. Now.
‘Hold that thought,’ Brice told Joan forcefully. ‘And don’t go away before I have a chance to talk to you again,’ he urged even as he began to ascend the stone stairs two at a time.
‘Joan isn’t going anywhere,’ his grandfather assured him firmly.
Brice hadn’t been sure whether he’d been relieved or disappointed when he’d entered Sabina’s bedroom a few minutes later to find her alone; half of him had still been hoping to actually carry out his urge to hit Richard Latham. Although, in the circumstances, that probably wasn’t such a good idea at the moment…
‘Sabina,’ he tried again now, ‘is it really so awful that my grandfather and your mother have become—friends?’ he concluded awkwardly, having no idea how far the relationship between the older couple had progressed. Although the two of them did intend holidaying in Paris together.
Sabina resumed throwing her clothes into the suitcase. ‘I told you I don’t want to talk about it!’ she snapped.
Brice frowned. ‘Is that the way you usually deal with things nowadays—bury your head in the sand and hope they’ll go away?’ he challenged.
She looked at him with narrowed eyes. “‘Nowadays”…?’ she repeated warily.
He shrugged. ‘Your mother seems to be of the opinion that you’ve changed since you became engaged to Latham.’ Brice saw no harm in trying to get a few answers himself as to the reason for the change in her that Joan had noticed.
‘Really?’ Sabina dismissed with a shrug. ‘I’ve already told you that my mother and Richard don’t like each other.’
Implying her mother was simply prejudiced in her opinion. Except that Brice found he didn’t believe that of the woman he had just met downstairs…
He was still amazed at the fact that his grandfather and Sabina’s mother had somehow found each other and apparently fallen in love. The chances of that happening had to be incredible.
But was it any more incredible than the way he felt towards Sabina?
Also, it was strange, but with the knowledge that it was Sabina’s mother his grandfather was seeing Brice found he no longer felt that instinctive rejection of such a relationship in the older man’s life.
Whereas Sabina obviously felt the opposite!
But how much of that was directed towards the unsuitability of his grandfather as a suitor to her mother, and how much was it because it happened to be Brice’s grandfather?
‘Won’t you give them a chance, Sabina?’ he prompted gently. ‘After all, they’re both adults, and—’ He broke off as Sabina turned on him fiercely, looking up at him with widened eyes.
‘Don’t you understand, I can’t think about this just now?’ she grated emotionally.
Brice studie
d her more closely. Was that tears he could see in her eyes, building up against the lashes as they threatened to fall?
‘Sabina!’ He stood up abruptly, reaching out to take her into his arms. ‘It will be all right, you’ll see,’ he told her soothingly as he cradled her head against his shoulder.
It would never be all right again!
How could it be, when she had fallen in love with Brice while engaged to Richard, and now she found her mother was involved with Brice’s grandfather? That relationship alone made it impossible for her to distance herself from Brice—or his family!
She had thought last night, once she’d realised her feelings towards Brice, that this situation couldn’t get any worse. With her mother’s arrival it just had!
‘Sabina…?’ Brice prompted huskily now as he looked down at her concernedly.
She loved this man, every arrogant, attractive, caring inch of him. What was she going to do?
Brice looked at her searchingly, those emerald-coloured eyes like penetrating jewels. She only hoped he couldn’t see what was in her heart!
‘Sabina…’ he finally groaned throatily, pressing her closer to his chest before his head lowered and his lips claimed hers.
Heaven.
Absolute, complete heaven.
Her arms moved up instinctively about his shoulders as she returned the kiss, senses raging as pleasure coursed through her, her lips parting invitingly beneath his.
Brice accepted that invitation with a low growl in his throat, the kiss instantly deepening as his mouth crushed hers, the warmth of his tongue moving sensually against hers.
Sabina clung to the broad width of his shoulders even as her body curved itself instinctively into the hardness of his, able to feel every muscle and sinew, his own arousal unmistakable.
Her neck arched as Brice’s lips moved from hers to trail a blaze of fire down the sensitive column of her throat, his tongue now caressing the deep hollows at its base, one of his hands moving to cup the pertness of her breast against the thin material of her tee shirt.
She gave a gasp of pure pleasure as his thumbtip moved lightly over the hardened tip of her nipple, her legs feeling weak as hot desire swept through her entire body, her panting breath sounding loud in the otherwise quiet of the bedroom.
‘Brice…!’ she groaned achingly, knowing she wanted more, so much more.
‘This is right, Sabina,’ he muttered forcefully against the lobe of her ear. ‘So very, very right!’ His arms tightened painfully about her.
‘I—’ She broke off abruptly, hearing another noise that she somehow knew—even in her befuddled state of arousal—wasn’t made by either Brice or herself.
She quickly pulled back from Brice, pushing against his chest, just managing to free herself from his arms and step away from him as the bedroom door opened, Sabina’s sharp glance in that direction showing her that Richard stood there.
Her fiancé!
She felt her cheeks blushing painfully red as she looked guiltily across at the man whose ring nestled on her left hand, wondering if Richard knew, if he guessed, if there was anything about Brice and herself that showed that only seconds ago they had been in each other’s arms.
It was impossible to tell anything of Richard’s emotions from his deadpan expression as he looked at them, the blue eyes narrowed speculatively, but not accusingly.
He arched blond brows. ‘Are we still leaving?’ he drawled interestedly.
‘We are.’ Sabina gave an abrupt nod of her head, moving to close her suitcase, all the time keeping her gaze averted from Brice as he stood tensely only feet away from her, hands clenched at his sides. If he dared to say anything that would imply—!
‘In the circumstances, McAllister, I think it’s probably best if we don’t go ahead with the portrait, after all,’ Richard addressed the other man dryly.
‘Circumstances?’ Brice echoed harshly.
Richard shrugged. ‘Sabina is obviously—upset, by her mother’s friendship with your grandfather,’ he dismissed derisively.
‘Are you?’ Brice rasped in her direction.
Sabina slowly raised her head, reluctantly meeting Brice’s probing gaze. ‘I—I’m not sure how I feel about that at the moment,’ she answered honestly, needing time and space to digest the fact before knowing how she felt about it. ‘But I do agree with Richard that it would be best if we leave now, that it’s better to forget about the portrait, too,’ she added firmly.
Brice’s mouth thinned angrily. ‘Why?’
Because she daredn’t be alone in a room with him! Because every time she looked at him she wanted him, shamelessly, unreservedly, completely! Because she loved him!
Because there was no point in the portrait being painted when she was going to end her engagement to Richard…!
She shook her head dismissively. ‘As you’re well aware, I was never interested in having the portrait done in the first place,’ she reminded distantly.
‘You only went ahead with it to please your fiancé, is that it?’ Brice rasped scornfully.
Sabina’s head went back proudly at the open challenge in his words. ‘That’s it exactly,’ she confirmed tersely, a certain defiance in her gaze now as she met Brice’s unblinkingly, knowing she was daring him to dispute her words, but unable to do anything about it.
Brice’s mouth turned back contemptuously. ‘I’m sure there must be many other ways in which you can “please” your fiancé,’ he taunted scathingly.
‘I’m sure there are,’ Sabina returned coldly, not liking the tone in Brice’s voice at all.
‘Just send me a bill for whatever time and materials you’ve already used,’ Richard told the other man dismissively.
The emerald eyes hardened to angry pebbles of light. ‘That won’t be necessary,’ Brice rasped.
‘But I always take care of my debts, Brice,’ Richard told him smoothly.
‘I said, forget it,’ Brice snapped harshly.
Sabina anxiously watched the exchange between the two men. Looking at Brice now, it was hard to believe that only minutes ago they had been in each other’s arms, totally lost in their arousal, everyone and everything else forgotten. Brice now looked coldly remote, and she—
Sabina didn’t know how she looked, only knew she had to get away from here, away from Brice, away from the spell this place seemed to have cast over her! Back to London where she knew who she was and where she was going.
‘If you’re ready to leave now, Sabina?’ Richard prompted pointedly, obviously bored by his conversation with the other man.
‘I’m ready.’ She reached out to swing her zipped suitcase onto the floor.
‘I’m sure Brice isn’t going to be so petty as to let you carry your own suitcase downstairs. Are you, McAllister?’ Richard taunted challengingly as he picked up his own packed suitcase.
‘No,’ Brice rasped tersely, abruptly relieving Sabina of her burden, his fingers, briefly, icily cold against hers. ‘I believe my grandfather is organising that his estate manager will drive you to Aberdeen airport,’ he added harshly.
Sabina preceded the two men down the winding staircase, anxious to be gone now. Once she was away from here perhaps she would be able to see her feelings towards Brice for what they were—be able to know if it really was love she felt towards him. Or something else.
Although none of that changed the fact that she had to end her engagement to Richard…
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
IT WAS only Brice’s anger that kept him silent as he followed the couple down the stairs, the feeling of complete impotence where Sabina was concerned.
Because if he once started to speak, to protest at Sabina leaving like this, then he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop, that everything he wanted to say to her about the rightness of what she was doing would come tumbling out!
How could she leave with Richard Latham after the kisses she had just shared with Brice? And she had responded, he was absolutely sure of it.
But she wa
s still leaving with Latham…
Jeff, the estate manager, was waiting outside with the car, opening the boot so that the luggage could be stowed away.
‘No matter what your feelings at the moment, Sabina,’ Brice rasped as she would have moved to get into the back of the car, ‘I think you should at least say goodbye to your mother. And a thank-you to my grandfather for his hospitality wouldn’t go amiss, either,’ he added scathingly.
A slight flush had entered her cheeks at the obvious rebuke as she straightened. ‘Of course,’ she acquiesced abruptly.
‘It doesn’t need both of you to say thank you,’ Brice told Richard as he would have accompanied Sabina back into the castle.
‘It’s okay, Richard,’ Sabina assured as the other man looked at her enquiringly. ‘I’ll only be a few minutes.’ She squeezed his arm reassuringly, much to Brice’s displeasure. He couldn’t bear the thought of Sabina touching the other man even casually, let alone, let alone—
This was a living hell!
Hell wasn’t what all the prophets of doom predicated it was, it wasn’t fire and brimstone, an eternal purgatory. Hell was realising you were in love with a woman who was living with another man!
Because he was in love with Sabina, had known it earlier when he hadn’t been able to let her leave without holding her one last time.
He didn’t know how it had happened, when it had happened, he only knew that he loved everything about her, her beauty, her unaffectedness, her warmth, the huskiness of her voice, the way she moved—her loyalty to a man who didn’t deserve to even kiss one of her beautiful feet!
And the thought of never seeing Sabina again gave Brice an ache in his chest that just wouldn’t go away…
Hell, he now knew, was loving the unattainable!
‘They’ll be in my grandfather’s private sitting-room,’ he told Sabina harshly as she hesitated in the hallway.
She winced at the aggression in his tone. ‘Brice, I—’ She moistened dry lips. ‘I just need a little time to—to adjust, to my mother’s—friendship with your grandfather.’ She looked at him pleadingly. ‘It’s been rather a shock,’ she added emotionally.