Knowing the sort of man he was, a man who couldn’t admit to any weakness, Chelsea knew what this admission cost him. And she had been wrong about him remaining coldly aloof even during lovemaking; with his tousled dark hair and passion-darkened eyes he looked as shaken as she felt.
‘It’s enough,’ she assured him, lovingly touching the hair at his nape. ‘It’s more than enough,’ she gasped as she felt him hardening inside her.
Some time during the lengthy loving she was aware of the apartment door closing, the door across the hall from this one closing seconds later; Camilla was home!
But she thought only fleetingly of the other woman’s presence in the apartment as Lucas took her to that plateau again, the passion longer and even more intense this time, Chelsea shaking as she clung to the dampness of his shoulders.
‘I should go back to my own room,’ she finally said regretfully, reluctant to leave the man she loved now more than ever.
Lucas lay beside her, his cheek against her breasts as she held him to her. ‘You aren’t going anywhere,’ he told her arrogantly.
‘But Camilla—’
‘I only said I didn’t want her to walk in on us; she’s a grown woman, old enough to understand our being together like this.’
Chelsea gave a contented sigh, snuggling closer against him, asleep within minutes.
She woke what seemed seconds later to the sound of raised voices somewhere in the apartment, frowning her confusion as she saw Lucas still lay beside her asleep, his arm possessively about her waist.
But he too jerked awake as the voices became louder. ‘What the hell—!’ He blinked to clear the sleep from his mind, sitting up. ‘What’s going on?’ he frowned.
She shook her head. ‘I have no idea. The shouting woke me up too.’ She watched as Lucas hurriedly pulled on his clothes, her own movements slower as she put on his bathrobe, her body now feeling the effects of its previously unknown possession by any man, let alone a man who was as passionately experienced as Lucas was.
‘Maybe you should stay here,’ he warned in a concerned voice as he saw she intended following him from the room.
‘I’m coming with you,’ she told him firmly. If Camilla had surprised burglars in the apartment then she didn’t intend letting Lucas go out there and face them alone.
She followed his stealthy movements from the bedroom, gasping as they entered the lounge together to find her father and Camilla were the ones shouting at each other!
CHAPTER NINE
‘JACE!’ Her cried greeting was a mixture of surprise and puzzlement, surprise that her father was here at all when he hadn’t let anyone know he was coming, puzzlement that he should be arguing with Camilla in this way; to her knowledge he and Camilla never argued!
‘Princess.’ Jace held out his arms to her, and she was shocked at how thin and drawn he looked, deep lines of tiredness etched into his face.
‘I’ve been so worried about you.’ And with good reason, she realised as she hugged him. ‘Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?’ she demanded to know.
He looked past her to Camilla. ‘I—’
‘He told me, Chelsea,’ the other woman admitted reluctantly. ‘I—I forgot to tell you.’
‘Camilla?’ Lucas’s tone was reproving.
‘It slipped my mind.’ Her gaze flashed defiantly as she defended herself.
‘I would have been here earlier,’ Jace cut in softly, Chelsea still held securely at his side. ‘But the flight was delayed, and then I had to check myself into a hotel.’ He looked down at Chelsea with questioning eyes. ‘I seem to have caught everyone in bed.’
The hot colour flooded her cheeks, and although she hadn’t seen herself in a mirror she felt sure her lips must be red and swollen from Lucas’s kisses, that her eyes were languorous from the passion they had shared. And most damning of all, she was wearing Lucas’s bathrobe and obviously nothing else!
‘Jace, I think I should explain—’
‘No need, Lucas,’ the older man cut in firmly. ‘Chelsea is a little too old, and knows me too well, for me to start lecturing her at this late stage. And you happen to be the best friend I ever had. I’m pleased, whatever there is between the two of you.’
Chelsea could see that Lucas was far from pleased about any of this situation!
‘Nevertheless, we’ll talk about this in the morning,’ he insisted grimly. ‘But right now I suggest we all get some sleep. You look tired, Jace, and—things, might not seem so complicated then.’
‘If by “things” you mean me,’ Camilla snapped angrily. ‘Then let me tell you nothing will have changed by tomorrow!’ She stormed from the room, her bedroom door closing seconds later.
‘Despite what she said, I’m sure she’ll be calmer by the morning,’ Lucas assured the other man.
Jace suddenly looked old, every single one of his forty-five years. ‘If I leave here now she’ll be gone by the morning,’ he said heavily. ‘I realise that my family descending on you in this way must be inconveniencing you, Lucas, besides overcrowding you, but I’d like to spend the night here if that’s okay. This sofa looks as if it might be comfortable—’
‘It is,’ Lucas nodded grimly. ‘And I’ll be using it. You can use my bedroom—’
‘I wouldn’t hear of it,’ Jace refused. ‘I’ve slept in worse places than this couch, believe me,’ he gave a humourless smile. ‘But right now I think I’d better have a word with my puzzled daughter.’ Warmth entered his eyes as he looked down at her.
To say she was puzzled was an understatement; she had no idea what was going on!
Lucas nodded abruptly. ‘I’ll see you both in the morning.’
‘Lucas?’ she prompted sharply.
His mouth tightened at the hurt in her face. ‘We’ll talk then too,’ he told her firmly.
‘But—’
‘Like he said, Princess.’ Jace’s arm tightened about her warningly. ‘A lot of things will seem different in the morning, much less complicated,’ he added assuringly.
Lucas’s mouth was tight. ‘I’ll just get your bed-linen,’ he told the other man.
‘He’s more than a little embarrassed, Princess,’ Jace told her regretfully once they were alone. ‘Give him a chance to get used to the idea that after finally succumbing to your—charms, your father arrived on the scene.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘Tonight was the first time this happened, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ she confirmed huskily. ‘But how did you know that?’
He shrugged broad shoulders. ‘Lucas’s attitude. I’m just sorry I interrupted.’
‘Oh but you didn’t—I mean,’ she blushed her embarrassment. ‘We were asleep when you arrived,’ she admitted awkwardly. ‘I—’ she broke off as Lucas strode back into the room with the bed-linen, looking at them both with narrowed eyes before going back to his bedroom. ‘Poor Lucas,’ she groaned. ‘He has the look of a hunted man.’
Jace sank down wearily in an armchair while she made up the sofa into a bed for him. ‘From what you told me on the telephone he’s looked like that for some time!’
‘Maybe,’ she grimaced, sitting down on the bed. ‘What’s wrong between you and Camilla? And don’t say nothing,’ she warned. ‘Because I’ve never known Camilla to act or talk the way that she did tonight.’
He leant back with his eyes closed. ‘Neither have I,’ he admitted flatly. ‘I thought she might have calmed down the last few days, but nothing has changed.’
Chelsea frowned. ‘Do you love her?’
‘Chelsea—’
‘Jace,’ she prompted lovingly.
‘Yes, I love her, I love her very much,’ he admitted with a heavy sigh.
‘And does she love you?’
‘I thought so.’ He shook his head. ‘But now I’m not so sure.’
‘I’m sure that she does,’ Chelsea told him firmly.
His eyes were still closed. ‘There are too many complications,’ he muttered.
‘And am I one of them?’ she asked anxiousl
y.
‘You were,’ he acknowledged.
‘But not now?’
He sighed. ‘I don’t think so. I don’t know. God, I’m so tired,’ he groaned. ‘I don’t seem to have slept for days!’ His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at her.
‘I don’t think you have,’ she stood up. ‘This conversation can wait until tomorrow too,’ she told him gently, bending to kiss and hug him. ‘Get some sleep now.’
‘Princess,’ he stopped her at the door.
‘Yes?’ she frowned her concern.
He smiled. ‘I love you.’
She smiled her relief that that was all he was going to say. ‘I love you too.’
She hesitated when she reached the door of the bedroom she had been sharing with Camilla, turning determinedly to the door opposite, entering quietly, walking over to the side of the bed, looking down at Lucas with hungry eyes. He lay on his back, his chest bare, one arm draped across his eyes, the even tenor of his breathing seeming to indicate sleep. Seeming to. As she continued to stand there she noticed the tenor changing, becoming more ragged, tension about his mouth.
‘I came to return this,’ she spoke quietly, laying the discarded robe across the foot of his bed. ‘Good night, Lucas.’
His arm fell from his eyes as he sat up in bed, looking hungrily at her nakedness. ‘Damn you,’ he muttered aggressively before pulling her down beside him, one bare hair-roughened leg covering the lower half of her body and pinning her to the bed. ‘You shouldn’t have come here,’ he said gruffly.
Her arms curved about his neck. ‘I love you, Lucas.’
He groaned, his mouth descending to hers with fierce possession, demanding her response rather than seducing her to it as he had on the last two occasions they had made love, thrusting into her with a fierceness that took her breath away—and then gave her so much pleasure that she hurt him in return, her nails digging into his buttocks before he groaned to a shuddering climax with her and fell damply against her.
‘Still think I should have stayed away?’ she teased lovingly.
‘No,’ he admitted shakily. ‘But you can’t stay here.’
‘Why can’t I?’ she frowned.
Lucas leant on his elbows to look down at her. ‘Because your father is out in the lounge.’
‘That didn’t stop you just now,’ she reminded.
‘No,’ he acknowledged with a sigh. ‘But can’t you see I’m having trouble coping with this situation. I’ve never slept with a woman before knowing her father was in the next room!’
‘Jace is very broad-minded—’
‘But I’m not,’ he said grimly, levering away from her, a spasm of lingering pleasure crossing his face as he did so.
‘Jace once told me that you should never make love with a person if you can’t wake up next to them in the morning and feel good about it.’
Lucas nodded. ‘Your father gave you some very good advice.’
She blinked back the tears. ‘How do you feel about waking up next to me in the morning?’
His eyes were hooded. ‘You aren’t staying the night,’ he told her firmly.
‘I see.’ She got out of bed. ‘Then I guess I have my answer, don’t I. You really meant it when you said you didn’t want to be involved with me!’
‘Chelsea—’
‘I’ll have to borrow your bathrobe again, I’m sorry,’ she pulled it on with shaking fingers. ‘I’m also sorry I forced you into this.’
‘You didn’t force me into anything.’ He jumped out of bed, looking like a long-legged god. ‘I just don’t feel right sharing a bed with you when your father is in the apartment.’ He grasped her arms to turn her to face him. ‘Try to understand, Chelsea—’
‘Oh, I do.’ She pulled away from him, the shimmer of tears in her eyes making him look a blur. ‘And maybe I wouldn’t have liked waking up next to you either! You probably have a heavy stubble, and—and—’ She couldn’t go on, her voice breaking emotionally, knowing that when morning came she would love him as much as ever, stubble and all. ‘Excuse me,’ she wrenched out of his arms, running from the room.
Lucas didn’t attempt to follow her, as she had known he wouldn’t, taking several minutes to calm herself before quietly entering the bedroom she shared with Camilla. The first thing she saw as she entered the room was her blouse lying across her bed. Camilla had obviously picked it up and lain it there when she came in, had known that her brother and Chelsea were in his room together!
Chelsea held the blouse to her as she sat on the side of the bed and cried. Lucas hadn’t cared that his sister knew of the two of them being together, so he must just be using Jace as an excuse! She had made a fool of herself, had forced herself on him. And yet she still loved him.
And her crying must be disturbing Camilla. She turned guiltily to the other woman’s bed, gasping as she noticed for the first time that the bedclothes were thrown back and that Camilla had gone.
Could the other woman have left the apartment after all, be so determined not to talk to Jace that she had crept out without any of them realising it?
Well, Jace had to be told. Maybe he would even be able to catch up with the other woman that way. Chelsea rushed out of the room and into the lounge, only to come to an abrupt halt. Camilla hadn’t left at all, was closely entwined with Jace on the sofa as they both slept!
It would be silly for Chelsea to deny that it felt strange to see her father in bed with any other woman but her mother; it felt very strange indeed. But even as she watched them, her gaze riveted, Camilla snuggled even closer to Jace, her mumbled words completely distinguishable as she told him how much she loved him.
Chelsea felt shaken as she returned to her room. It was just so weird to see Jace and Camilla together; before tonight she had never even suspected they were more than just friends. But as long as Jace was happy, as long as he lost that tired look of defeat that was so alien to him, she was pleased for them.
Her own sleep was much more disturbed as she tried not to think of facing Lucas again. She already felt humiliated enough.
When she woke in the morning Camilla was in the single bed across from her, the gentle smile on her lips indicative of the fact that whatever problems she and Jace had had they were straightened out now.
It was still early when she crept from her own bed, badly in need of a cup of coffee, smiling when she saw she wasn’t the only one in need of that early morning shot of caffeine.
‘Is there enough in the pot for two?’ she greeted her father lightly.
He turned to smile at her, looking much better than when he had arrived the previous evening, the teasing sparkle back in his eyes, the vitality in his movements. ‘I’ll get it for you,’ he stood up, lean and handsome in fitted denims and a dark blue shirt.
She shook her head. ‘I can get it,’ she insisted, doing so, sitting on the kitchen chair opposite him. ‘You’re looking better today.’
Some of the laughter left his eyes. ‘You aren’t,’ he said quietly.
She shrugged dismissively. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Are you?’
She couldn’t stop the colour entering her cheeks, or the bitterness in her voice. ‘A little older, a lot wiser,’ she grimaced. ‘But I’ll survive.’
Jace looked puzzled. ‘Did you see Lucas again last night after we talked?’
‘Yes,’ she confirmed bluntly.
‘That wasn’t a wise move, Princess.’
‘No,’ she acknowledged curtly. ‘But at least now I really know how he feels about me.’
‘And how is that?’ Jace prompted softly.
She shrugged. ‘As okay for the odd evening in bed, but—’ she swallowed hard, forcing control into her voice. Her head went back proudly. ‘He wouldn’t want to wake up next to me in the morning, and he certainly wouldn’t feel good about it—to use one of your own quotes!’
‘Princess—’
‘Don’t look so worried, Jace,’ she cajoled lightly. ‘I told you, I’ll get over it.
Once I leave here I’ll never have to see him again, and—’
‘I wouldn’t count on that, Princess,’ Jace grimaced.
She looked at him sharply, tensing. ‘What do you mean?’
He gave a deep sigh. ‘There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for some time, I started to explain last night, but I was tired, and it could have come out all wrong.’
She gave him an understanding smile. ‘You told me you love Camilla.’
He nodded. ‘There’s more to it than that.’
‘I think you should know that when I returned to my bedroom last night Camilla wasn’t there,’ Chelsea told him softly. ‘I knew you desperately wanted to talk to her today, so I came to tell you she had gone.’
‘You saw us together?’ His eyes were narrowed.
‘Yes.’
He sighed. ‘There’s more to it than even that. You see—’
‘More?’ she exclaimed. ‘How can there be more?’
Jace pulled a face. ‘I knew I should have told you sooner, that you should have been there, but—well—Camilla and I were married a month ago!’ He watched her anxiously after making the announcement.
Chelsea paled. Married! She hadn’t even suspected that things had gone that far.
‘We’ve been in love a very long time, and last month I finally persuaded Camilla to marry me,’ Jace continued raggedly.
Last month. Lucas said he had been in Los Angeles visiting Jace last month. ‘Lucas knew about this.’ It was a statement, not a question.
‘Yes,’ her father confirmed heavily.
‘He was at the wedding.’
‘He was one of our witnesses,’ Jace nodded. ‘Princess, there are such a lot of other things I have to tell you, to explain—’
‘And I want to hear them, really I do,’ she told him numbly, standing up. ‘But I’m not feeling very receptive right now. I—I have to go out.’
‘Princess…!’
‘We’ll talk when I get back,’ she assured him before running from the room, quietly entering the bedroom to collect her jacket; Camilla was still asleep.
So many things made sense now, Jace sending her to Lucas in the first place, Lucas’s acceptance of that visit, the time he had said she was almost a member of his family. God, Jace’s marriage to Camilla made Lucas her step-uncle! How ironic when he had told Jennifer he felt like her uncle. Had the other woman known of the marriage too? She had a feeling that she had. Only Chelsea had been considered too juvenile to accept the marriage.
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