Roberta Leigh - No Time For Marriage

by Roberta Leigh

  Once there, she flopped into a chair. Pete had a nerve! If he was so concerned about her happiness, how come he had gone to Japan and never contacted her again? Yet his attitude was of no importance compared with Kane's. He had behaved like a jealous lover from the minute he had arrived in Pattaya and seen her lying on a sun mattress next to Pete!

  Although he had feigned indifference when she had telephoned him immediately afterwards, she now realised he had been putting on an act. And a man wasn't jealous of a woman unless he felt something for her. It was a wonderful thought, and her despondency lifted. Of course his feelings could merely be sexual, but as he had also intimated he enjoyed being with her and appreciated her intelligence, surely that was a step in the right direction?

  Happily she changed into a fresh cotton dress before going downstairs. Quite irrationally she suddenly felt she had a future with Kane. All she had to do was make him see it too!

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Sharon reached the foyer to hear that the fifty guests had arrived and were satisfied with their accommodation. Things seemed to be going well all round! She went in search of Kane but he was nowhere to be seen, and she decided not to beard him in his room. Some things should be taken slowly, and the taming of Kane was one of them!

  To help pass the time, she rearranged the flowers in the main reception areas, a task of joy when there were such wonderful blooms to hand, and she was still feeling uplifted when she returned to her room to change for the evening.

  Determined to bowl Kane over, she chose one of her most sophisticated dresses, a simple black shift with narrow diamante straps holding up a minimal bodice. It showed every curve of her body: the full, firm breasts, handspan waist and rounded hips. To enhance the picture of sophisticated abandon;, she brushed her hair into a cascade of curls that lay on her shoulders like molten foam, and was putting on a second coat of mascara when there was a tap on the door.

  Getting no response to her 'come in', she went to open it. To her surprise Pete stood on the threshold, a cellophane box in his hand.

  'A peace offering,' he said sheepishly, holding out a spray of orchids.

  'Thank you.' She lifted the lid and lightly touched their fragile petals. 'They're beautiful.'

  'Not as beautiful as you.' He edged into the room. 'I behaved very badly today and I want you to know I'm sorry.'

  'Forget it. You're forgiven.' She looked at the (lowers again, then chuckled. 'They're lovely and it's sweet of you to give me them, but I don't think I've enough dress to pin them on!'

  'I'm delighted to agree,' he grinned. 'Put them in a vase instead.'

  He watched as she did, his expression unusually serious.

  'Anything wrong?' she asked.

  'No. Just thinking how lovely you are. Not just outside, Sharon—but inside too.'

  'That's an even nicer gift than your flowers!'

  He moved closer. 'If you don't have any other plans, how about dinner?' He saw her hesitation. 'A drink then?'

  Why not? she thought, and nodded. It was only eight and Kane might not be down for ages. Together she and Pete walked down the corridor.

  'How did the conference go today?' she asked.

  'A total waste. Morgan did the right thing staying away.'

  'Why? What happened?'

  'Bonlam's still keeping us dangling. He said something about the Prime Minister being away for two weeks, but I reckon it's a stall. I've half a mind to pull out.'

  'I thought, you had a good chance?'

  'We do,' Pete said without enthusiasm, and stepped with her into the elevator.

  Sharon's colour rose high as she saw Kane standing there. He glanced at Pete's hand on her arm, his expression indicative of his belief that she and Pete had just come from her room.

  Well they had, but it wasn't as he thought! Yet she knew he had already judged and condemned her. Cursing the Fate that had made him be in this elevator at this particular moment, she stared silently at the wall. The instant they reached the lobby he strode out without a word or glance, and Pete raised his eyebrows at her.

  'You know what he suspects, don't you?'

  'Yes.'

  'You want me to go and straighten him out?'

  'Why bother?' she shrugged, watching from the corner of her eye as Kane greeted Tassy. Had he arranged to dine with the girl before he had tried to make amends with herself, or had he called after Pete's stupid behaviour this afternoon? She would have given a great deal to know.

  'Sure you won't change your mind and have dinner with me tonight?' Pete asked, guiding her across to the Beachcomber bar.

  'Maybe I will,' she said with a bright smile. 'It's a lady's prerogative to change her mind.'

  'Especially a liberated one!'

  She laughed and perched on a bar stool, hoping Kane and Tassy wouldn't come in here, too. She knew she was behaving like a lovesick schoolgirl but could not help herself. If only that damned contract was decided and Kane could fly out of her life. She could never rebuild it while he was here.

  'Have you, Sharon?' Pete asked.

  With a start she realised he had been talking to her. 'Sorry, Pete, I was miles away.'

  'I just wanted to know if you've really forgiven me for this afternoon?'

  'Of course I have.'

  'Then how come you're mentally miles away, instead of being over the moon sitting next to me!'

  'I can't get really close to you,' she drawled, 'your head's too swollen!'

  He burst out laughing. 'I walked into that, didn't I? But apart from a swelled head, I'm attentive, loving, and willing to take no for an answer!'

  'An ideal boyfriend,' she joked.

  'An ideal husband too, when the time comes.' His expression grew serious. 'And I think it's coming due now.'

  'I doubt that,' she commented flatly. 'The work ethos is too important to you, Pete. Even married, you'd still treat your home as a hotel and your wife as an ornament to pick up and put down as it pleases you.'

  'It might please her too! I'd pay the bills and make sure she's sexually happy.'

  'How would you know when you'd be away so much? Anyway, most women want more than sex today. They want to be part of their husband's life. If '

  She forced herself to stop, reluctant to repeat what she had already told him in England. Besides, it was a waste of time. Pete would never change. And even if he did, she didn't want him.

  He sipped his whisky and stared at her thoughtfully. 'I know you think me a dyed-in-the-wool chauvinist, but I'm genuinely ready to prove you wrong if you'd give me a chance.'

  But Sharon was no longer listening, her attention given to Kane and Tassy, who had just come in. How elegant the girl looked in a white dress that offset her olive skin. She moved languidly across the room, dark eyes glowing as she gave all her attention to the man beside her. But as she neared the end of the bar where Pete and Sharon were sitting, she looked across at them and smiled. Then horror of horrors, she glided over, followed by an obviously reluctant Kane.

  'I hope my father didn't give you too hard a time this afternoon, Pete?' she asked.

  'No more than he gave anyone else. But how much longer will we have to wait for an answer?'

  'How would I know?' she pouted.

  'I bet you know everything.'

  Tassy gave a soft laugh. 'My father never listens to me. But I promise I'll tell him how you feel.'

  'Me, and all the other guys here,' Pete retorted, in no way appeased.

  'Oh dear, you really are cross.' She glanced at Kane, whose expression was making it clear he wished to move on. 'Why don't we join forces and eat together? Then I can try to appease two companies in the same evening!'

  Kane's dark blue eyes rested fleetingly on Sharon. 'Why not?' he shrugged, as if it was of no importance who joined them.

  Pete gave Sharon a questioning look, and though the last thing she wanted was to dine with Kane and Tassy, she had no intention of letting them know it.

  'Suits me,' she said gaily, and clas
ped Pete's arm as they left the bar and wended their way to a table by the pool.

  Tassy conferred at length with the maitre, then announced she had chosen a special Thai dinner for them all.

  'Nothing too spicy or hot,' she promised, 'so you needn't ask for glasses of milk to cool your throats!'

  She was as good as her word, for the food, when it came, was subtly flavoured, and had obviously been specially prepared. Predictably, the highway contract dominated the conversation, and though Pete and Kane appeared to speak quite openly about it, Sharon detected an underlying reticence on both their parts.

  The surprise came when Kane referred to 'our own special concrete', and she intercepted a momentary glance between Tassy and Pete. She could have sworn it was a silent exchange, as if the two had far greater knowledge of each other than they admitted, and she wondered if they had met when Pete was last here. Yet surely he would have mentioned it? Indeed, he had gone out of his way to tell her they had never met. Even as she pondered this, Tassy started talking about her years in the States, and Sharon, working out dates, realised the woman had been in America while Pete was in Bangkok.

  Tassy and Pete started swapping stories about their experiences at Harvard, and Sharon eyed Kane, willing him to ask her to dance. But the eyes that met hers were cold as icebergs, and when he did finally push back his chair, it was to interrupt Tassy's conversation with Pete.

  Cut off in mid-flow, Pete led Sharon on to the floor too. He held her lightly as he skilfully manoeuvred them through the crowded dancers, and happening to glance up, she saw his eyes fixed on the Thai girl.

  'Tassy's very beautiful,' she murmured.

  'No more so than you,' he smiled, drawing her close and resting his chin on her head.

  She tried to stop herself wishing it was Kane's arms around her, but she could think of nothing else, and she was searching for an excuse to return to their table when she saw their waiter wheel a trolley towards it.

  'Looks like we've more to eat,' she said brightly. 'Let's go back.'

  They reached their table almost at the same moment as Kane and Tassy, and Pete looked at the spirit lamp and frying pan set out on the trolley and raised his eyebrows at the Thai girl.

  'If my eyes don't deceive me,' he grinned, 'we're having Crepes Suzette!'

  'Right, first time.'

  'What's with your promise of a totally Thai dinner?' he teased.

  'Desserts aren't our forte,' she confessed, 'so I compromised. But we can have them with chilli peppers instead of orange if you'd prefer!'

  'I'll take them Suzette's way!'

  Tassy laughed, head flung back. It was the first genuinely carefree gesture Sharon had seen her make, and it robbed her of her usual masklike grace and calm. She really was a beautiful girl. No wonder Kane found her desirable.

  The crepes—smelling of oranges and brandy—were flamed and set before them, and the maitre waited for their approval, which they all gave unstintingly.

  'Best I've had outside of Paris,' Pete announced.

  'I endorse that,' Kane agreed, 'though not the Paris part. Best French cooking I've ever tasted was in Saigon.'

  The maitre looked delighted. 'At Maison Charles?'

  'You know it?'

  'I worked there before coming here. And you're right, sir. It's superb.'

  'I can take you to one equally as good in Bangkok,' Tassy interpolated. 'Once these boring negotiations are over, we'll have a celebration dinner there.'

  'Boring?' Kane questioned sardonically. 'You know you enjoy watching us bid against each other. It gives you a thrill to see the in-fighting, the haggling.'

  A flash of irritation—so quick as to be gone almost before it had registered—passed over Tassy's face. 'What a mean thing to say!' she pouted. 'Nothing will please me more than to have the whole thing over— even though it means you'll be leaving us.' She looked intently into Kane's face, uncaring that her emotion was clearly visible. 'I never thought you'd need me to tell you that.'

  'Didn't you?' Kane said softly. 'Don't you know how difficult you are to read?'

  'You haven't tried hard enough, then.' She lightly touched his hand with her slim brown fingers, and Sharon quickly looked away.

  'Care to dance?' Pete said suddenly, and Sharon was about to rise when she realised he was looking at Tassy.

  Giving Kane's hand a final, lingering touch, the girl rose, leaving Sharon and Kane alone. He made no effort to speak, his eyes watching the couples on the floor, his hands inert on the table, as if he were totally relaxed. Yet his tall, lithe body held a tension that denied this, as did his mouth, which was so tightly set that the lines either side of it were deeply indented.

  'How about joining them?' he asked indifferently.

  Thinking it would be better to dance with him than sit together in frozen silence, she nodded. But the instant his arms came around her she knew she had made the wrong decision. His nearness set her aflame, and breathing in the warmth of him made her limbs turn to jelly.

  'Relax,' he ordered. 'I'm not going to rape you!'

  'That's a relief to know.'

  'A relief for you, but a darned strain for me,' he said unexpectedly.

  She was so startled she missed a step. 'Is that meant as a compliment?'

  'A statement of fact,' he said flatly. 'You do unexpected things to me, Sharon.'

  'I'm sorry,' she said sweetly.

  'So am I. Usually I can control my sexual urges.' His voice roughened. 'You think I want to feel like this about you? You're a bloody tease, Sharon Kingston, and a clever, ambitious young woman into the bargain. Certainly not the sort I '

  'Stop it!' she cried swiftly. 'I'm not interested in your opinion of me.' She tried to pull free of him but his grip tightened, one arm clasping her waist like a vice, the other grasping her shoulder. 'Let go of me,' she hissed.

  'No. Not till I'm ready.'

  The implacability of his voice told her he had no intention of doing as she asked, and knowing that to struggle further might result in an unpleasant scene, she gave in. For several moments they danced in silence.

  'Well,' he said tightly, 'aren't you going to say anything?'

  'About what?'

  'My opinion of you.'

  'It's such a rigid one,' she said tonelessly, 'I'd never be able to change it.'

  'At least you should try. Come on, Sharon, where's your spirit?'

  She tilted her head to look into his face. His expression told her he was in the mood to enjoy a show of strength, and she determined not to encourage him. Besides, she would die rather than let him know how much his assessement of her had hurt.

  'I don't believe in pointless argument, Kane. You're a man of strong views, and if you think I'm—if you have a particular idea of me, then so be it. I couldn't care less what you think of me. You're not part of my life and never will be.'

  'Well, that's a bit of spirit anyway,' he replied, a smile on his mouth, though not in his eyes.

  She made no answer, and silently they danced. His hold on her was looser, but even as she tried to ease away, his fingers tightened. Giving in to the inevitable, and anxious not to allow the sensual beat of the music to make her more aware of Kane's body than she already was, she forced herself to talk, steering for the one subject she knew would take his mind off her.

  'I was surprised to hear you talk about the new concrete you've developed. I thought you kept things like that a secret?'

  'Not at this stage. All our rivals know we have it. What they don't know is how to make it.'

  'How long can you keep the formula to yourself? Sooner or later someone will find out how to copy it.'

  'They won't need to. We intend patenting our discovery and granting licences to anyone who wants to use it. But as of now, the secret is ours and will cut our costings for this particular contract by a—well let's say a substantial amount.'

  'Which makes you certain to win?'

  'Yes.'

  'So why——- '

  'Shush,'
he ordered as the tempo of the music changed. 'Stop talking business and concentrate on me.'

  'I thought you didn't like ambitious, clever teases?'

  'I love them—on a temporary basis.'

  'I'm not a temp, Kane.'

  'Pity. We could have fun.'

  'So you said in Bangkok. And in case you've forgotten, my answer was no—and still is.'

  'Pity,' he repeated.

  His breath was warm on her ear and she could not suppress a shiver of desire.

  'You want me,' he went on huskily. 'Don't bother denying it.'

  'I'm not denying it. But it's a sexual response, nothing more.'

  'I don't want any more. Sex is quite enough.'

  'I prefer it with love,' she said stonily.

  'Shows how young you are,' he chided.

  The music stopped and he paused, waiting for it to resume. The floor was packed and they were hemmed in by other couples, making it impossible for Sharon to dart away from him. On the far rim of the floor she glimpsed Pete. He seemed to be listening intently to what Tassy was saying—something important, if her expression was anything to go by—and once again she wondered if they knew each other better than they admitted.

  The music started again, a slow languorous beat that fired her blood; Kane's too it seemed, for he rested his hands upon the small of her back and pressed the lower half of her body tightly against his. She felt his arousal, as she knew he meant her to, and could not suppress the tremor that rippled through her thighs.

  'You do want me,' he said thickly. 'You're a sexy little bitch, Sharon. Or doesn't Pete satisfy you?'

  Fury engulfed her, killing passion dead, and regardless of people around them, she tore from his hold and pushed her way back to the table. Kane followed hard on her heels, holding out her chair for her so solicitously it was impossible to guess how insulting he had just been. With shaking hands she went to open her bag for her handkerchief, and was surprised to find the catch undone. She closed it, then deliberately gave her attention to the dancers, knowing if she tried to speak to Kane, she would burst into tears.

  'Don't look so bereft,' he bit out suddenly. 'Tassy loves flirting, but it doesn't mean a thing.'