‘Of course I did. I never even considered it. It would have been a disaster...’ She broke off, her hand flying to her mouth. ‘You didn’t think I was, did you?’
Jaye chuckled. ‘Not really. If I’d thought it was a serious possibility, I’d have diagnosed Harry with an obscure tropical disease and had him put in isolation for a couple of months.’
‘No, you wouldn’t.’ She paused for a moment, the idea of having Harry put into isolation for a couple of months clearly pleasing her. ‘I told him I was happy with the job I have. That I have a promotion coming up and nothing’s going to stop me from taking it.’
‘Good for you.’
She nodded a wordless thank you. ‘I told him that I wished him well, and that I hoped we could have a friendly relationship in the future. He has my email address and if he writes to me I’ll write back. But no more turning up without warning and no more job offers. No more telling me what to do with my life either.’
Jaye smiled. ‘What did Harry say to that?’
‘Oh, he tried appealing to my better nature. Then he shouted a bit, because that’s Harry. Then he told me that I was heading for disaster, and I’d end up with some kind of tropical illness and living on the poverty line.’
‘Okay. I’m taking him back to Colombo now.’ Jaye made to stand, but Megan caught his arm, pulling him back down.
‘No, you’re not. I told him to call his driver and he’ll be here soon. He’ll be back there in plenty of time for his appointment at the hospital.’
‘Well, that’s something. I’ll call my colleague—’
‘No, you’re not doing that either. Harry’s perfectly capable of telling him what he thinks is wrong with him.’
Jaye chuckled. ‘Okay. Fair enough. So how do you feel now?’
Megan thought for a moment. ‘It’s all been a bit overwhelming. But I’m pleased that I’ve finally managed to deal with Harry on my own terms, because that’s allowed me to contemplate having some kind of relationship with him. Not a proper father-daughter one but something. I owe that to you, Jaye, I couldn’t have done it without your support.’
Her eyes were warm, with a hint of humour and a large helping of determination. Jaye looked into her gaze, feeling a strange giddy sensation, as if he were falling head over heels.
‘What now?’
‘Will you come and say goodbye with me?’
‘Yes, of course.’ He took her hand. ‘Megan, this might not be the time to ask you...’
‘Ask.’ The look in her eyes urged him on.
‘I’ll leave a light out tonight. In case you want to know where I am.’
She smiled up at him. ‘I’ll find you.’
* * *
As luck would have it, almost as soon as they’d said goodbye to Harry, and Jaye had watched his car disappear out of the compound, Ranjini had called him in to see a patient. The man had been brought into the clinic with injuries from a traffic accident, where two vehicles on an otherwise completely clear road had somehow managed to smash into one another.
Jaye had stabilised him and then accompanied him down to the main hospital in Colombo. He arrived back at the clinic late in the evening, and tramped through the mud to his bungalow.
After all the nights that he’d welcomed the long hours, so that he didn’t have to think too much about sleeping alone, he’d wanted tonight to be different. He threw his keys down onto the coffee table and walked through to the bedroom, surveying the rumpled bed. He’d meant to tidy up a bit in here, too.
He just hoped that Megan knew what he’d been doing. That she hadn’t waited to see the light in his window, and wondered why it wasn’t there.
Then he saw it. A flickering light, coming from the direction of Megan’s bungalow. Jaye hurried to the sliding doors and pulled them back, feeling the cool kiss of rain on his face as he stared into the darkness.
Not caring that he was wet and probably looked as if he’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, he strode towards the light. He could see now that it was a candle, set on the windowsill, its flame beckoning him forward.
Almost as soon as he knocked on her door, she flung it open. She looked like an angel, dressed in a pretty white blouse, her blonde hair shimmering around her shoulders.
‘Megan, I’m so sorry...’
‘It’s all right. I know where you’ve been.’
‘I got back as soon as I could.’ Just this one look at her was enough. He’d go back to his bungalow and dream of her all night.
She reached out, hooking her finger into the front of his shirt. ‘Come here.’
‘I’m all wet...’ He didn’t dare touch her. She was far too perfect.
‘Then take it off.’ She banged the door closed behind him.
The room was neat and tidy, as it always was, illuminated by the soft light of the candle. Jaye kicked his boots off, trying not to get mud on the floor.
‘Megan, I...’ She laid her finger across his lips. Then she curled her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down to kiss him. Jaye gasped, aching to touch her but aware that his hands would leave smudges all over her blouse.
‘I don’t care, Jaye. You’ve done a hard day’s work, but now you’re here.’
‘You’ll take me like this?’
‘This is just the way I want you.’
He gave in. Pulling her close, he kissed her, feeling her soft warmth radiating through him. She dragged his shirt from his shoulders, dropping it onto the floor. Then she led him through to the bedroom, switching on a lamp beside the bed and opening the door to the tiny shower room.
After making quick work of their clothes, Jaye soon discovered that although soap and warmish water were unlikely aphrodisiacs, Megan made them work. He revelled in her touch as she washed him clean, crushed up against him in the cramped space. Jaye towelled her dry, then picked her up, carrying her the few steps over to the bed.
‘Mosquito net...’ She grabbed at the net and missed it. Jaye settled her onto the bed, pulling the fabric down around it. Their own small refuge, which provided everything he needed and wanted.
‘You are so beautiful...’ He sat opposite her on the bed, kissing the tips of her fingers, one by one.
She smiled up at him. ‘It’s taken us a while to get here.’
‘It was worth the wait. Every moment of it.’
* * *
She liked it that he was a little shy, a little hesitant when he first touched her. As if the man beneath all the trappings of his position and wealth didn’t take it for granted that she might want him.
Telling him how much she did want him, feeling his body respond to her words, was the most exquisite pleasure. And when he did touch her, he knew exactly what to do.
‘Closer....’ He whispered the word, his arm curled tight around her waist as he gripped her ankle, pulling it behind him. Tangled together, each caress thrilling through her body.
And then closer still. Pulled into his embrace, moulded against his strong frame. Still face to face, their arms and legs wrapped around each other. Jaye took every moment, fashioning it into something special.
‘Closer, Jaye.’ The one thing she wanted now was to have him inside her. She reached for the condoms she’d tucked under her pillow and pressed one into his hand.
No fuss, just a slight pulling away, which meant nothing because their gazes were still locked together in an unbreakable embrace. Then he leaned back against the head of the bed, lifting her onto his lap. Trapped again in his arms, all she could do was feel, as he slid gently inside her, smothering her gasps with kisses.
‘Comfortable?’ Jaye was a tender lover, and it was no surprise that he hadn’t left his manners behind, tangled with his clothes on the floor. His gaze was always on her face, every caress guided by her reactions.
‘Very...’ She gasped the word and he smil
ed.
‘Move for me. Show me all the things you want...’
No man had ever treated her like this, made her feel as if everything he did was for her. It was overwhelming, and Megan was dimly aware that he’d taken something from her. His tenderness, his attentiveness to her needs had ripped away her self-control.
She moved against him, feeling the warm sensation tingle through her veins. When he touched her again, she began to tremble.
His caress was no longer something that she wanted but something she needed. Finally, he laid her down on the bed, coaxing the orgasm out of her as if it were something very precious to him. The feeling tore through her, unstoppable and unchangeable. Pure release.
Then suddenly he too lost control. His movements quickened and a low gasp was wrenched from his lips. Finally, finally, Jaye was taking what he wanted. It felt like the ultimate surrender on his part.
‘Megan...’ It seemed almost like a cry for help.
‘I’ve got you.’ She held onto him, feeling sweat rise on his back as his body stiffened and convulsed. He let out a groan and she felt him pulse within her. Deep and strong, as if his own release could touch her heart and set it beating to his rhythm.
They clung to each other, sheltering in the silence after the storm. Then he moved, kissing her forehead, curling his body around hers in an obvious invitation to sleep. Suddenly all she wanted to do was to share this with him too.
‘You’ll wake me?’
‘I’ll wake you.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘If you don’t wake me first.’
Megan snuggled against him. She could dream for a while and then let her dreams melt into reality.
* * *
Jaye watched her drift off to sleep. It was a last acknowledgement of trust, the way she allowed him to hold her while she slept, knowing that he’d be careful to bring her pleasure when they woke.
He was always careful. He was a lover with something to prove, never sure whether his partners saw him as part of a greater package, and wanting some proof that they accepted him as a man. But there could be no question about whether Megan wanted him or not. She’d torn away all his self-doubt, and left him naked.
He waited, wondering how long he could stay awake, wanting to waste nothing of the night. But the warm relaxation was too much for him and he began to doze.
Megan’s wake-up call was worth every moment she’d squandered in sleep.
‘Are you still asleep?’
‘No...’ He stretched his arms, reaching for her, but she wasn’t there. Just her voice, drifting through his consciousness like a siren’s call.
‘Sure?’ He felt her fingers brush the top of his leg. Jaye’s eyes snapped open suddenly, and he blinked in the soft light of the lamp beside the bed.
‘Very sure. Megan, what...?’ He groaned as he felt her fingers exploring. The feel of her lips against his skin. Arousal shot through his body.
He couldn’t see what she was doing, but he could definitely feel it. It was all he could feel. ‘Megan...’ He choked out her name.
She fought her way free of the sheet that covered them, sitting up. She looked so beautiful, her blonde hair mussed around her head, her blue eyes shining with mischief. And she was completely naked. Jaye bent one leg, and she leaned against it, propping her elbow on his knee.
‘Come here.’ He wanted to make love to her again. To be the man that she wanted.
Megan shook her head. ‘This time it’s all for you.’
The small hairs at the back of his neck prickled. That was a more risky proposition.
‘Ladies first...’ It was a given thing. He should show her that he wasn’t the kind of man who expected everything to be about him.
‘We’ve done that already.’ She glanced downwards. Even her gaze had the power to arouse him, and Jaye bit back a groan.
She ran her fingers down his leg. Slowly, but the look in her eyes told Jaye exactly where she was headed.
Sweet, languid delight melted into roaring need. When finally she reached for the condom, rolling it down over him, he tried to move but she pushed him back down again.
‘Oh, no, you don’t.’ She smiled down at him in gentle reproof. ‘This is for you.’
She climbed astride him, and he was powerless to stop her. He came almost as soon as he was inside her, a shattering rush, which left no space for regret. And when she leaned down to kiss him, her lips tender, he realised she’d just taught him a lesson he’d never be able to forget. How to accept the gift of pleasure.
But it couldn’t end there. Jaye wanted her even more than he’d done at the start, and even if he was incapable of putting that into practice for a while, Megan didn’t seem to mind. She held him, and when they were both ready, they made love again.
This time, they were truly making love together. No touch was all for him, or all for her. There was no longer any such thing as giving or taking. Everything was about both of them, and when they finally slept, Jaye could imagine that she dreamed the same dreams as he did.
Chapter Seventeen
HE KISSED HER and then left at six in the morning. Slipping out of Megan’s bungalow, Jaye jogged across to his own and collapsed onto the bed.
As he’d pulled on his clothes, she’d watched. And as he’d bent to kiss her, she’d whispered in his ear, ‘The best night of my life.’
It had been the best night of his life too. Jaye closed his eyes. He could still get another couple of hours’ sleep, and he was going to need them. Because tonight they would do it all over again.
* * *
Jaye hadn’t seen Megan all day as she was closeted with Ranjini, putting the finishing touches to the plans for the women’s centre. But he knew she’d come to him. He spent an hour tidying up and then drew back the curtains, leaving the lamp burning. Ten minutes later he heard a knock at the door.
She’d been crying. He ushered her inside and she sat down, perching on the edge of the sofa.
‘What’s the matter, Megan?’
‘Someone saw you...this morning.’
The tiny hairs at the back of his neck suddenly stood to attention. This was too soon. It was still something for them alone, and not for anyone else to know about just yet.
‘Who?’
‘One of the nurses on the night shift. She’d gone outside to have a cigarette.’
Jaye shook his head. ‘Well, she shouldn’t have been out there in the first place. I’ll have a word with Ranjini...’
Megan flushed red suddenly. ‘No, don’t. She didn’t do anything wrong, she was on her break.’
‘She shouldn’t have been smoking, Megan.’
‘That’s her affair. We’re not the health police.’
‘Okay...okay.’ Jaye started to pace. ‘I’ll speak to her myself, then, and ask her to keep quiet. How did you find out? It’s not common knowledge yet, is it?’
Megan was staring at him. As if her worst nightmare had just reared up and smacked her in the face. ‘No, it’s not common knowledge. She came to me herself and asked me if I was all right. She thought I’d been ill in the night.’
A quiet voice at the back of his head started to whisper a warning. Jaye tried to ignore it and the volume rose to a scream. ‘What did you say?’
‘I lied. I told her that I’d had a dose of food poisoning but that you’d come and I was okay.’
The sense of relief was short-lived. Megan had lied. Jaye knew exactly how she felt about that. It was an effort to still himself, but he needed to be calm. He sat down next to her, taking her hands between his.
‘I know you hate it, Megan. But it was for the best.’
‘So this is a secret, then.’ Her face was expressionless.
‘No, it’s not a secret. It’s just no one else’s business but our own.’
Megan shook her head. ‘That’s not true
, Jaye. You’re the director and you can’t be seen to be having an affair with one of the clinic staff. People talk, and they start to think that you’re not as impartial as you’re supposed to be. It undermines your authority, and that damages the clinic.’
He couldn’t deny it. Didn’t dare, because Megan would know that he was lying. ‘Yes. That’s true. Just give it a little time, Megan. When we know where this is going and we’re ready to share then we can go public with it.’
‘And in the meantime? We sneak around, and hope no one else finds out?’
The flat, emotionless tone of her voice was hurting as much as her words. Jaye got to his feet and started pacing again, unable to contain the clamour of conflicting emotions.
‘What do you want me to do? We’re not doing anything wrong, we just need to be a little discreet for a while. Until we’re a little more sure.’
‘I am sure.’ Her voice was suddenly little more than a whisper.
‘How can you be? Last night was... It was beyond words. But it was just one night.’ Fear tore at him. Megan could break his heart in a way that Sonia had never been able to. He would risk that, but not in public. Not for everyone to see and know about.
Megan was twisting her hands in her lap, staring at her feet. ‘Then we have to stop.’
‘Why? Just because you can’t see that I’m not like your father? Do you honestly think that’s any different from thinking that the most important thing about me is that I’m Lord Marlowe or that I have a big house? I want you to see me as I am.’
Something that had been precious to him was crumbling before Jaye’s eyes, tainted with a poison that existed only in Megan’s mind. He could forgive her anything else, but not this.
‘I can’t do it. Not even for you, Jaye.’
When she got to her feet, he knew she was leaving and didn’t even want to stop her. That was the cruellest blow of all. Jaye turned, striding into the bedroom and slamming the door behind him. Megan could go if she wanted to, but he wouldn’t watch her do it.
* * *
Megan undressed slowly, carefully folding her clothes. Cleaned off her make-up and smoothed in a little moisturiser, as if this determined bedtime routine might somehow get her in the mood for sleep.
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