She glanced at Daniel as he sat behind the wheel of his car, the vehicle having been delivered to the hotel during the course of the evening. Not that any of the guests had realised that, so they had been spared the traditional trappings that would otherwise have been attached to the car.
‘Ask, Heather,’ Daniel rasped in the darkness after they had been driving for several minutes.
She gave a start. ‘What—?’
‘You’ve been longing to know if there was ever anything between Stella and me ever since the thought occurred to you the day we stepped out of the lift together at Air International,’ he bit out coldly.
Heather moistened her lips, knowing it was true. And she was sure Stella hadn’t been baiting her minutes ago. ‘Well, was there? Or is there?’ she added breathlessly, not sure she really wanted to hear the answer.
‘No.’
Just that, no explanations or assurances, just flat denial. And because she believed she knew Daniel, she believed him. ‘I’m glad.’ She sighed her relief. ‘For Uncle Lionel’s sake,’ she added hastily.
‘How can you be sure I’m not lying to you?’ Daniel demanded.
She shrugged, relaxing back in her seat. ‘Because I doubt you would lie to save me the humiliation of knowing you bedded my aunt!’
‘Why should knowing about Stella—who, by the way, does nothing for me—differ from knowing about Cassandra?’ he frowned.
She shook her head. ‘It just does.’
Daniel gave an impatient sigh. ‘Maybe it would be best if we avoided discussing past relationships.’
‘That’s fine with me,’ she accepted gladly, feeling pain every time she thought of the other women who had been in his life.
‘I thought it might be,’ he drawled. ‘What’s the matter, scared I might want to know how many other executives at Air International you’ve slept with?’
The flush to her cheeks was pure anger. ‘Let’s hope you find the experience I’ve gained from all these lovers worth it!’
‘It’s what I’ve waited a month to find out!’ he mocked.
The silence between them for the rest of the journey was far from companionable. Heather was brooding about how she was supposed to act experienced when she knew nothing about lovemaking except what she had read in romantic books, and Daniel’s thoughts were as private as the rest of him. They were still silent as they let themselves into the house and went through to the lounge.
‘How thoughtful,’ drawled Daniel when he saw the plate of covered sandwiches and the pot of coffee left out for them on the table.
Heather ignored his derision, pouring them both a cup of coffee, her stomach churning at the sight of the sandwiches.
Daniel watched her with cold eyes, ignoring his own coffee. ‘I need a shower.’ He pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt at the throat. ‘Care to show me which room is ours?’
She swallowed with difficulty. ‘It’s the one I’ve always used—’
‘Only a single bed?’ He arched his dark brows. ‘My, we are going to be cosy, aren’t we?’
‘Why do you have to be so difficult?’ Her eyes flashed her anger. ‘Do you think any of this has been easy for me? Do you think I wanted to marry you this way?’ She was breathing hard in her agitation.
His eyes were narrowed to icy slits. ‘I think you wanted your inheritance any way you could get it!’
‘I didn’t have to agree to sleep with you, too!’
‘No,’ he acknowledged slowly. ‘Are you curious to know what it would be like to make love with the savage, too? Stella has a voice that carries,’ he derided as her eyes widened.
And ‘savage’ was one of the more polite things Stella had called him at their engagement party! ‘I’m sorry you had to hear that.’
‘I’m not,’ he scorned. ‘You didn’t answer my question.’
Heather wasn’t curious about making love with him, she was terrified! He scorned everything, every soft emotion there was, and she dreaded his ridicule if he should ever guess at her innocence.
Her head went back challengingly. ‘I’ve been looking forward to it!’
Daniel gave a mocking inclination of his head. ‘Then let’s take a shower and put you out of your misery.’
She was glad she had given the staff the night off, she couldn’t have borne for them to witness the antagonism Daniel displayed towards her.
She met his mocking gaze as he turned from looking at the double bed she had had moved into her room to replace the single bed she had used in the past; the only other double bed in the house had been the one in the room her parents had shared, and she refused to share that one with Daniel.
‘Pity,’ he derided. ‘I’ve never tried to share a single bed.’
The colour seemed to be a permanent light in her cheeks. ‘There are other rooms if you would rather—’
‘I wouldn’t.’ He was suddenly standing very close. ‘This will do just fine.’ His lips trailed down her cheek to her throat.
Heather jerked away as if he had burnt her. ‘You use the bathroom first.’ She turned away. ‘I—I’ll just clear away in the lounge.’
‘I’m sure it isn’t expected of you,’ he drawled.
‘I’d like to do it,’ she insisted sharply.
Daniel watched her go with a mocking grin curving his lips as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt down his chest.
Her hands shook badly as she carried the untouched sandwiches and the pot of coffee through to the kitchen, needing something to do to fill the minutes until she and Daniel shared a bed for the first time.
It was all so much worse than she had expected! How could she act the sophisticate when no man had ever seen her naked, ever caressed her body until she cried out for satisfaction? What was she supposed to do, for goodness’ sake?
‘Are you going to day-dream in here all night?’
She turned so suddenly at the sound of Daniel’s voice that she almost knocked a cup off the tray at the sight of him, his hair damp, his chest bare, a towel draped about his hips. At least he had spared her the embarrassment of seeing him walking around naked!
‘I—er—I wasn’t sure how long you would be,’ she excused herself, unable to look at him after that first glance.
He shrugged. ‘I’m not averse to a little company while I shave. Or when I shower either, for that matter,’ he smiled.
Without one of the formal suits he favoured, and with his hair still damp he looked more approachable, and Heather was able to envisage the lean length of his body beneath the covering towel. Just the thought of it made her tremble.
‘I won’t be long.’ She brushed past him and hurried to the bathroom without a backward glance.
She leant weakly against the wall, the bathroom still hot from the heat of the water Daniel had run minutes earlier, a razor, aftershave, and a toothbrush in the cabinet beside her own. Daniel’s suitcases had been delivered this morning, and she had no doubt that, if she looked in the closets and drawers, Daniel’s clothes would be neatly beside hers, too.
She deliberately made her mind a blank as she went through her nightly toilet, lingering over the brushing of her hair with leisurely strokes, pleased to have it loose about her shoulders once again. It was only as she turned to leave the bathroom that she realised she hadn’t brought a nightgown in here with her!
For a moment she panicked, envisaged staying in here all night because she was too embarrassed to ask Daniel to pass her a nightgown. But she realised he would never let her get away with that, and if she walked out of here naked surely that would enhance the impression of sophistication; she would look far too much like a virginal bride in a nightgown!
The lights had been blazing in the bedroom as she passed through it to take her shower, but now only the bedside lamp illuminated the room, and although nothing could hide her nakedness from his gaze, at least the dimmed lighting threw her body into shadow. Not that she had anything to be ashamed of, her breasts firm and uptilting, tipped by dusky rose, h
er waist slender, her hips silky soft, her legs long and shapely.
‘Heather, I—my God…!’
She drew in a deep steadying breath as she raised her gaze to look at Daniel. He lay in the middle of the bed, both pillows behind his shoulders as he leant back against the headboard, his chest golden in the lamplight, covered in the wiry dark hair sprinkled with grey.
Heather didn’t hesitate, knowing that if she did she would turn around and run from the room. Instead of that she walked steadily to the side of the bed, pulled back the bedclothes, and slowly lay down on top of Daniel, her mouth lowering to claim his.
‘What the he-hell…!’ He groaned as her lips claimed his and her body moved erotically against him.
She had never taken the initiative with any man before, and because Daniel hadn’t been expecting her to do so now she caught him completely off guard, his thighs a velvet throb as they surged hard against her. He did respond to her!
Filled with a sense of powerful exhilaration, she increased the pressure of her mouth on his, their mouths parting as she ran the tip of her tongue along his lower lip, tasting the mint of his toothpaste, the smell of his elusive spicy aftershave filling her senses.
Her breasts nestled against the wiry hair on his chest, the tips hard and aching from the rough caress, a warm ache between her thighs as she felt Daniel instinctively probing there. Far from not knowing what to do with a naked man in a bed, she now knew exactly what she wanted, longing to be filled by Daniel, to know the powerful surge of him inside her as he satisfied that ache!
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Daniel rasped harshly as she moved her hips against him.
Heather blinked down at him bewilderedly, having been completely enthralled by the sensual pleasure she had known as soon as her body touched his. And she had thought he felt the pleasure too, the way he throbbed against her had said that he did.
He looked at her coldly. ‘I can’t stand aggressive women, in—or out of—bed!’ he rasped, leaving her in no doubt that was what he considered her.
CHAPTER SIX
HEATHER moved abruptly away from him as she realised exactly what she had done. She had tried to be the experienced woman she had thought he expected, and instead he had made her feel cheap and demanding. She hadn’t seemed experienced at all to him, just man-hungry! How could they go on after this?
She closed her eyes, clutching the sheet over a body that now felt cold, icily cold. ‘I’m sorry,’ she finally groaned.
Daniel moved impatiently beside her. ‘What did you think you were doing?’ he demanded again.
Her eyes were still squeezed tightly shut. ‘I said I was sorry,’ she choked.
‘Surely you weren’t that hungry for a man that you thought you actually wanted me?’ he scorned.
Her lids flew wide. Of course she had wanted him, more than that—at that moment she had loved him more than ever before. ‘We are married—’
‘So we are,’ he sighed disgustedly. ‘And you find the idea of sex with your husband more exciting than all those lovers, do you?’
‘I—’
‘I always thought taking a lover was supposed to be more erotic,’ he said harshly, his eyes steely. ‘Unless, of course, you were pretending I was someone else?’ His eyes narrowed.
‘Of course not,’ she instantly protested, her cheeks flaming. ‘If I went about this all wrong, then I’m sorry, but—’
‘All wrong?’ Daniel repeated incredulously, throwing back the bedclothes to get out of the bed, unconcerned with his nakedness. ‘I’m sure every bridegroom wishes he had a bride as eager as you were just now!’
Heather wanted to die or, if she was to be spared that final act, to at least crawl into a hiding-place until this whole humiliating experience was over! But fate was never that kind, and painful as this was, she had to live through it. And as she had already learnt, with this man attack was the best form of defence.
‘What did you expect, Daniel?’ she challenged. ‘A little virgin bride cringing beneath the covers as she waited to be claimed sacrificially by her husband?’ Her eyes flashed, magnificently purple in that moment.
‘That would have been too much to hope for, in the circumstances,’ he drawled insultingly. ‘However, a little reticence on your part might have been nice. It might have at least given the impression of ladylike modesty! Only Heather Danvers is no lady, is she?’ he scoffed.
‘Just because all you’ve ever had in your life is—Oh, my God, Daniel, I wasn’t going to say that,’ she choked as his face paled dramatically, his eyes dark pools of anger. ‘Never that! Daniel—’
‘Get away from me!’ He threw off her hand as she reached for him. ‘Give a woman a little ammunition and she’ll throw it at you the first time things don’t go completely her way! Only what my mother was during her life no longer matters to me,’ he snapped furiously. ‘What I’ve married does!’ He glared at her with dislike. ‘Our deal to try and make this marriage work is off, Heather; I couldn’t even force myself to take you now!’
She moved up on her knees as he turned to leave. ‘You’ll never have the chance again!’ She angrily vented her fury on him—or she would have broken down and cried.
He paused only long enough to get some clothes out of the cupboards and drawers, turning to look at her coldly. ‘Don’t kid yourself, Heather,’ he scorned confidently. ‘I could take you any time I wanted to.’ The door closed quietly behind him.
He was right—oh God, how right he was! She would never be able to say no to him.
She had ruined it all, had repulsed Daniel with her eagerness. She doubted he would ever want to make love to her again.
* * *
Her eyes were heavy with tiredness as she made her way downstairs the next morning.
She had no idea where Daniel had spent the night, and the maid hadn’t volunteered the information of his whereabouts when she had brought in the tray of coffee to her earlier. The other woman certainly hadn’t seemed surprised not to find Daniel in the bed with her. It was more than Heather’s pride could stand for her to ask where her husband was.
The breakfast trays were still set out in the dining-room, but Heather bypassed that room, just the smell of the food making her feel ill.
If only she hadn’t hit out with that purely defensive remark about the other women in Daniel’s life, a remark he had taken as a personal slur on his mother, maybe they could have worked things out. Now it was too late. Daniel could even have moved out already for all she knew. There was nothing in her father’s will to say they actually had to live together.
‘Would you like breakfast served in here this morning, Miss—Mrs Taggart?’ the butler self-consciously corrected himself.
Heather turned from gazing sightlessly out of one of the tall lounge windows. ‘I’m really not hungry, thank you, Shilton.’ She gave a wan smile. ‘If—Mr Taggart has eaten you might as well clear away,’ she added, tensing for his answer.
The elderly man frowned. ‘I don’t believe Mr Taggart had time for breakfast this morning. I do hope he won’t be gone too long,’ he added sympathetically.
Oh God, Daniel hadn’t even spared her this humiliation, he had left the house as soon as he was able. How long would it be before everyone knew that he hadn’t even spent one night in her bed with her before returning to his bachelor existence? He hadn’t given her, or this marriage, a chance, and now he never would.
‘Let’s hope so,’ she replied non-committally. ‘Could you have my car brought round? I—I think I’ll go out for a while.’
She didn’t know where she was going, hadn’t given it any thought, she just knew she had to get away from the house and the memories her bedroom evoked. Would she ever forget the humiliation she had suffered there?
She sat outside the new house for a long time trying to decide whether or not she should go in. Big, with five bedrooms up the wide staircase, it still in no way matched the size of her father’s house. It was the house she and Dani
el had chosen for their own.
After the episode with the engagement ring she hadn’t expected any help from Daniel in choosing their new home, and had looked at several houses in London before being shown this one just out of town. It was a beautiful Georgian-style house, with an apartment over the garage that would be ideal for Shilton and his wife Edna, who also happened to be their cook. Heather had decided that any other staff they had could come in on a casual basis. Fired by her enthusiastic description of the house, Daniel had asked to see it. She had fallen in love with the house on sight, and had felt nervous about Daniel’s agreement when it was so far out of town. He hadn’t seemed particularly impressed, but he hadn’t turned it down either, and the sale had gone ahead. Now it didn’t seem worth moving into if Daniel weren’t going to be there with her.
The carpet had been put down in the lounge—a deep, smoky grey that reminded her of the colour of Daniel’s eyes—since she had last been here. All the finishing touches, such as carpets and curtains, had still to be completed, and yet, as she looked around at the quiet elegance, Heather knew she and Daniel could have been happy here. Or as happy as they could have been together anywhere.
Not for the first time, she wondered why her father had done this to them. She knew he hated her, but he had come to love her mother; how could he have wanted to destroy his wife’s child in this way? The answer to that was all too obvious; she hadn’t been his child.
What would she and Daniel do with this house now? She had chosen all the furniture and fittings with Daniel’s comfort in mind, and there would be even more to haunt her here if she chose to live here alone once her father’s house was gone.
There was no word from Daniel when she got back to the house, and it was only when Shilton asked if they could prepare her a late supper that she realised she hadn’t eaten since the wedding reception. Just thinking of that robbed her of any appetite she may have had. She had only been married a day and already her marriage was in tatters.
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