Mistresses: Bound with Gold / Bought with Emeralds
Page 25
Caitlin wanted to say that she didn’t care and that she wasn’t one of his many girlfriends, but she didn’t get the chance because Ray entered the room with his remaining guests.
As the evening progressed Caitlin relaxed. Ray’s friends were all very agreeable and he was certainly a charming and attentive host. She watched him surreptitiously during dinner and noted how the women hung on his every word. She also saw exactly what Sadie meant about the partner of their new business client. Sharon was definitely smitten by Ray. The woman was in her mid thirties, a rather glamorous blonde with a shapely figure and smouldering blue eyes. As the wine flowed she became more and more outrageously flirtatious, fluttering her eyelashes at Ray and making blatant references as to how attractive she found him.
Ray handled the situation with suave ease and Roger Delaware didn’t look too perturbed by his partner’s behaviour, but Caitlin agreed with Sadie: businesswise the situation did not bode well.
‘So what do you do for a living, Caitlin?’ Roger Delaware asked suddenly as Sharon reached across the table to place a hand on Ray’s in order to tell him how wonderful dinner had been.
Caitlin couldn’t help feeling sorry for Roger. He seemed a pleasant guy, a lot older than Sharon—he could possibly have been in his early sixties—but very attractive.
‘I have a small holding not far from here and I’m converting it into a bed and breakfast business,’ she answered lightly.
‘Really. How interesting. That’s how I made my money, you know, in the hotel business back in the USA. Started in Texas and gradually worked my way through each state. Now I’m moving my attention to the continent. I’m hoping Ray is going to design a fine building for me.’
‘I’m sure he will, I’ve heard Ray is very talented,’ Caitlin said with a wry smile. She had often listened as Murdo had waxed lyrical about Ray’s skill as an architect.
‘Yes, he has an unrivalled reputation, I know that.’ Roger nodded. ‘But it comes at a price…’ He shook his head.
‘Roger, if you started out in Texas I’m sure you know that only the ropey ends of the meat trade are cheap, you have to pay prime money for prime steak.’
Roger laughed at that heartily. ‘You’ve got a point, Caitlin, you’ve got a point.’
‘Well, I don’t know too much about Ray’s business dealings,’ Caitlin admitted, ‘but I do know he’s very much in demand. Anybody who is anybody wants Ray Pascal. I suppose it’s like buying a Prada handbag or Jimmy Choo shoes—there is a certain chic about having them.’
‘You think so…?’ Roger nodded. ‘Yes, I suppose you are right, and I have a certain image to maintain. My hotels are known for their style.’
Caitlin smiled back at him and reached to top up his wineglass.
‘So tell me about your B&B.’ Roger leaned a little closer.
‘Well, it’s small and I’m certainly not going to make a fortune out of it. But it will suit me. After years of living in cities it’s nice to be out here in the fresh air of the countryside. And renovating the place is proving to be quite a challenge.’
‘A challenge is putting it mildly,’ Ray interjected as he removed his hand from under Sharon’s for the second time. ‘I think Caitlin must have the courage of a lion to take the place on.’
‘I’m enjoying it.’ Caitlin shrugged. ‘But I have a lot to learn. There is a small vineyard that I would like to get up and running, and an olive grove that I’m sure I could make extra money out of. Only problem is my knowledge is pretty limited.’
‘Are you living in Murdo’s old place?’ Philippe asked suddenly.
Caitlin nodded.
‘Well, it’s structurally unsound, isn’t it?’ Philippe glanced over towards Ray for clarification. ‘Didn’t you have surveyors go to look at it one time for Murdo?’
‘I don’t remember that, Philippe,’ Ray said with an edge of impatience in his tone.
Caitlin wondered if it was her imagination, but she thought Philippe looked annoyed by Ray’s reply.
‘But I know if Caitlin doesn’t get connected to the water mains she might be out of water there some time soon,’ Ray continued with a shrug.
Caitlin fidgeted in her chair. She didn’t want to talk about this. ‘The place is fine; it just needs a bit of time and some TLC.’
‘So how long have you and Ray been an item?’ Sharon suddenly cut across all the talk of Caitlin’s house, her tone bored. Then she fixed Caitlin with a direct look that was so forceful it was almost aggressive.
Suddenly Caitlin was conscious of everyone’s eyes on her. She wanted to say categorically that she and Ray were not dating…but she knew very well Ray was hoping her presence here as his partner would encourage Roger to do business with them. So she didn’t know how to answer. ‘Well…I…’
Ray came to her rescue. ‘Caitlin and I met last year through a mutual friend of ours. But it’s only in the last few weeks that romance has blossomed, is that not so, chéri?’ He leaned across and squeezed her hand gently as he spoke.
She met the challenging light in his dark eyes and knew very well that he was giving her the standpoint from which to back him up. ‘Eh…yes. It’s been an unexpected development…’ She went along with him hesitantly and he smiled.
‘Totally out of the blue,’ he agreed. ‘But that’s the thing about the love bug—you never know when it will bite. I went over to Caitlin’s one day and there she was singing away to herself looking extremely fetching and I just thought…she’s perfect…the most beautiful woman I have ever seen…’
Caitlin pulled her hand away from his uncomfortably. He was going over the top now. ‘Don’t exaggerate, darling,’ she warned him crisply.
His smile widened as if he found her embarrassment endearing.
‘Let’s move into the lounge and have coffee, shall we?’ Caitlin pushed her chair back from the table, wanting to put an end to this very quickly.
‘Good idea,’ Ray agreed easily. ‘Then maybe we can talk a little business, Roger.’
‘Certainly.’ Roger’s tone was jovial. ‘We will have to get things moving pretty quickly with this project, Ray. Pull out all the stops.’
Caitlin excused herself and headed for the kitchen. The catering staff had left over an hour ago but the place was spotless. She busied herself putting cups and saucers on a tray as she waited for the water to boil.
Ray followed her into the room a few minutes later.
‘So which am I?’ he inquired with a grin. ‘The prime piece of meat or the designer accessory?’
She swung a glance around at him, humour dancing in her green eyes. ‘Sorry, was I a bit over the top?’
‘Hey, I’m not complaining. Whatever you’ve said to him it seems to have worked. He’s no longer haggling over the price, it’s when can I start.’
‘I think that’s probably down to the very impressive meal,’ Caitlin said dismissively.
‘And maybe the way you smiled at him,’ Ray added softly.
She looked over at him.
‘Thanks for helping me out in there.’ Something about the way he said that, the way he met her eyes, sent little darts of awareness pulsating through her.
‘That’s okay.’ She shrugged the feeling away and then laughed. ‘You dug me out of a hole and I dug you out of one. We’ll call it even shall we?’
‘If you want.’ He crossed to stand beside her.
‘Did you really send a surveyor up to Murdo’s property once?’ She tried to concentrate on the conversation and not on the way he was watching her, with that intense, steady gaze.
‘No, Philippe must have been confusing your house with somewhere else.’
‘Thank heavens for that.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘At least the place isn’t going to fall down before I can fix it.’
‘No, it’s not going to fall down.’ He smiled and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear so that he could see her face more clearly. ‘You hide behind your hair sometimes, do you know that?’
‘Do I?’ Her voice wavered a little; the touch of his hand had sent volts of electricity through her like lightning through a conductor.
Desperately she searched for something to say…something that was light and distracting. ‘Sharon was rather persistent, I thought.’
‘Very, but you played the part of girlfriend perfectly. In fact, is there no end to your talents?’ He lowered his voice provocatively.
He stepped even closer. She could smell the evocative tang of his aftershave; feel the heat of his body just a whisper away from hers.
As she tried to move away from him he put a detaining hand on her arm and then somehow she found herself facing him, looking up at him instead.
She noticed how his eyes were on her lips and her heart started to thump out of control. ‘I suppose you should get back to your guests…’ She made an attempt at sounding sensible but her voice had an unsteady, husky quality.
‘Ray…?’ It was Sharon’s voice calling him from the hall, but neither of them moved. It was as if they were locked in their own private world.
‘Ray, where are you?’
The voice came nearer.
‘I think your prospective mistress is looking for you…’ Caitlin tried to force her brain into some semblance of sanity.
‘Not funny, Caitlin,’ Ray admonished. He reached up and brushed his fingers softly over her high cheekbones, following the contours of her face gently down to the sensitive area at the side of her neck. The caress sent thrilling little shivers of sensation shooting through her. ‘And, anyway, I’ve got someone else in mind for that position.’
Before she could even formulate a reply his head lowered closer to hers; she could feel the softness of his breath against her skin, see the flecks of deepest gold in his dark eyes.
‘Ray…’ Her breath came out in a rush as she whispered his name. He covered her lips with the warmth of his, then gently…slowly…tasted her, caressed her with lips that were dominantly masterful…yet tenderly possessive. The sensation was one of overwhelming eroticism; it was as if he were pulling every string of her consciousness, tugging deep inside her to find the sensual core of her womanhood.
Caitlin couldn’t help herself responding. She moved her hands to rest against his shoulder, feeling his strength beneath her fingers as they curved into his shirt. Her lips trembled with need against his. Somehow reality faded away and all she was left with was a sense of need…an almost desperate hunger that was like a gnawing ache. She heard herself give a small, breathless whimper as he moved even closer, crushing her body against his.
She could feel the warmth of his chest burning through to the softness of her breast, and the sensation made her tingle with pleasure. She wanted to be closer…She wanted to immerse herself in him, feel the pleasure of his hands against her naked skin.
‘Sorry to interrupt.’ Sharon’s cool voice from the doorway made them break apart.
‘Sorry, Sharon, we didn’t hear you come in.’ Ray sounded remarkably offhand. But Caitlin’s emotions were raging all over the place. She felt mortified at how she had responded to him, and at the same time she was angry with Sharon for interrupting, because she wanted so much more…
‘I did call a couple of times.’ Sharon’s eyes held Caitlin’s; there was venom in their blue depths. ‘But you obviously had other things on your mind.’
‘Yes, we did.’ Ray sounded completely unconcerned. ‘So, what can we do for you, Sharon?’
‘Claudette is on the phone for you,’ Sharon answered pointedly.
‘Okay, I’m coming.’ Ray flicked a glance at Caitlin and smiled as he saw the glow of heat high on her cheekbones, the overbright sparkle in her green eyes. ‘I’ll leave you to finish the coffee uninterrupted, Caitlin.’
‘Good idea.’ She turned away from him and reached for the kettle.
Her hand shook a little as she poured boiling water into the coffee pot. She was annoyed with herself for feeling so shook up. Ray had kissed her because flirting and seduction were just a game to him, and the fact Sharon was around to witness their closeness was a bonus. She should shrug the moment off…forget about it.
‘It’s strange that Claudette should ring tonight, isn’t it?’ Sharon remarked as she leaned against the kitchen table and nonchalantly lit a cigarette.
‘Is it…?’ Caitlin swallowed and tried to steady her voice. ‘What’s strange about it? She’s just a friend of Ray’s.’
‘A bit more than that, Caitlin—she was Ray’s hostess at the last dinner party he threw for us. And they looked very much a couple.’ She blew out a long curl of smoke and regarded Caitlin through narrowed eyes. ‘But then, as we all know, Ray’s partners don’t last very long.’
‘Not until now, anyhow,’ Caitlin replied coolly, infuriated by the enmity of the woman’s words.
‘Well, darling, only time will tell,’ Sharon said, her voice almost gleeful. Then she turned and left the room.
What a bitch, Caitlin murmured to herself. But reluctantly she had to admit that, although she didn’t like the woman, perhaps she had a point. Ray was a smooth operator.
She remembered her reaction to his kiss. It had been incredible. She couldn’t understand why she had felt that way. Some kind of chemistry had flared between her and Ray from nowhere…and it was shocking. But what was even more shocking was the fact that no man had ever succeeded in turning her on like that before. Never had a kiss felt so explosive. The loss of control that she had experienced with Ray a few moments ago was a whole new experience and it scared her.
She took a moment to compose herself before going back through to join everyone.
Ray had just put the phone down as she stepped back into the lounge. ‘Here, let me help you.’ He moved to take the tray from her and as she passed it over their eyes met. Instantly flame flared inside her again. Her heart thumped unevenly against her chest, and hastily she looked away from him.
‘We were just saying, Caitlin, that we would love to come and have a look at your house some time,’ Roger Delaware was saying cheerfully. ‘Sharon and I are going to be in the area for a couple of days, so maybe we could come and visit.’
Caitlin swallowed her dismay. ‘Well, yes…but not yet. The place isn’t really ready for receiving visitors and it’s going to be even more of a mess tomorrow. I’ve got builders coming in.’
Ray watched Caitlin as she passed Roger his coffee and he tried not to think too deeply about the way she had responded to him earlier…The heat of his desire was only just starting to fade. If he dwelt on how much he wanted to take her to bed right now he was liable to throw all the guests out into the night.
He liked the way she was able to handle herself so confidently. Roger Delaware hadn’t taken any offence at the subtle way she had put him off visiting her.
She laughed at something Philippe had said, her eyes sparkling with merriment for a moment as she gave a quick and funny reply.
Ray smiled. Yes, Caitlin was good to have around…a terrific hostess, very appealing to the eye…and extraordinarily sexy.
And that was when he decided that business could be put on hold until he got to know this fascinating woman much more intimately.
Chapter Five
SUN streamed in through the windows of the dining room. It was warm on Caitlin’s face and for a while she lay on the sofa bed between waking and sleeping, memories from last night’s dinner party drifting lazily through her mind. At the end of the evening Ray had suggested she stayed overnight rather than make the journey home. The offer had sent warning signals into orbit and she had hastily refused. After the kiss they had shared she hadn’t even wanted him to drive her home, saying she would get a taxi, but he had brushed the suggestion aside and insisted on escorting her. Short of being extremely rude, she’d had to accept.
All the way back he had kept up a light conversation but she had hardly been able to concentrate on what he’d been saying. All she’d been able to think about was how she would react if he were to kiss her again.
Consequently as soon as the car had pulled up by her front door she’d jumped out and, with a cheery wave, she had rushed for the sanctuary of her house and had slammed the door tightly behind her.
Groaning at the memory, she flung back the sheets and stood up. She was annoyed with herself for allowing one kiss to spook her like that. It would have meant nothing to him at all and it should have been the same for her. So why had it kept her awake for hours last night?
The question tormented her and fiercely she tried to forget it. She didn’t want to start thinking too deeply about it again today. There was too much to do. Besides, she had probably imagined the sensual intensity of the moment. Ray had just been fooling about in order to keep Sharon at a distance, and she’d had a couple of glasses of wine. The incident was best laughed off and forgotten.
She had just dressed in shorts and a T-shirt when Patrick arrived for work. Caitlin made him a cup of coffee and they chatted easily about which job to tackle first. They decided that it should be the staircase, and as Patrick unloaded his old pick-up truck and carried tools into the house to start ripping out the old set of steps Caitlin closed the doors through to the kitchen and dining room so that the dust couldn’t reach her living quarters.
As work progressed in the house Caitlin went outside to try to restore some order to the overgrown garden.
The sun slowly climbed up into the azure-blue sky and by midday the heat shimmered with intense ferocity over the olive grove. Even though Caitlin was in the shade she was so hot that her throat felt raw with dryness. If the heat was like this in early spring she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like here in the summer. Hotter than Manchester, that was for sure, she thought with a grin as she took a swig of her bottled water and then climbed up a ladder that she had positioned in order to prune branches from a tree. It was hard work and she was still up the ladder an hour later with only a few branches cut when Ray arrived.
He stood at the base of the tree and admired the shapely length of her legs in the denim shorts. Her long dark hair was tied back in a pony-tail and it made her look about sixteen. For a moment he watched as she struggled on determinedly with a wayward branch that was obviously far too thick and heavy for her to cut. He noticed the small frown of concentration on her face, the way she bit her lip with pearly white teeth in vexation as the stubborn branch refused to break.