Confrontation

by Sarah Holland

  A sardonic smile touched his mouth. The black lashes flickered on his razor-sharp cheekbones. There was a peculiar stillness about him for a second.

  'Go and get ready for bed...' he murmured, and bent his head, brushing his mouth burningly against hers.

  Then he turned and unlocked his door while she just stared at him. A second later his door had closed. Baffled, Caroline walked along the corridor to her room, next door, walking slowly in, throwing her key, coat and bag on to the chair.

  Being here with Mark was a minefield of danger for her. He demanded everything he could get from her— including as much personal information as possible. She was deeply aware of him as it was. Having to share her thoughts and feelings with him was the very last thing she wanted.

  Caroline went into the bathroom, showered quickly, then changed into her favourite nightgown. It was black lace, seductive and feminine. Her long silken hair fell in tousled brown-gold curls down her slender back.

  Suddenly, her bedroom door opened.

  Gasping, she turned, staring in breathless shock as Mark stepped in. Her heart was suddenly bolting at a gallop. She gripped the edge of the dressing-table behind her with shaking hands.

  'How did you get in?' she asked in a constricted voice.

  'There's a connecting door.' He walked towards her, his hard body predatory, the black dressing-gown he wore made of thick silk, exposing the tanned flesh of his chest, and the long muscular legs. 'They asked at the desk if we wanted the key when we first checked in.'

  'I didn't hear them!' she accused hotly.

  'You walked away,' he said, reaching her, towering over her. 'Hotel staff are very discreet. So are lovers staying in hotels in connecting rooms.'

  'I didn't know they were connecting!' she said huskily, trembling with a desire so deep that it made her stomach ache with pain.

  'No,' he said, staring at her mouth. 'But you did know I was coming here like this. Didn't you?'

  Mute, she shook her head, bright hair spilling over bare shoulders, and Mark's steel eyes seemed to fragment as they slid slowly down her body, her skin glowing, blood pulsing through her veins and making her full breasts beat with visible movement beneath that seductive nightdress.

  'I knew you'd be breathtaking at night!' he said tautly, raising his eyes to her flushed face. 'But even I couldn't have imagined this. You're superb...!'

  'You have to get out of here...' she whispered threadily, unable to move, her own eyes moving in rapid urgency over his broad shoulders, the black hair revealed at his chest. 'This isn't right! You know it isn't!'

  His hands curved slowly over her full breasts.

  'Oh, God...!' she moaned, eyes closing, heart slamming crazily. 'Mark... I don't want this to happen! I've made that clear!'

  'You do want it,' he said thickly, and slid his strong hands to her waist. 'You seduce me every time you look at me. Your body's alive with electricity whenever I'm near. It's the same for me, Caroline.' His eyes were fierce silver as he stared down at her provocative mouth. 'I can't stand it much longer!'

  They were standing very close now. Her lips were parted and she was unable to move. The last eight months seemed to be rushing in on her, clamouring like a frantic prisoner beating on a locked door to be released.

  'Tell me you can't stand it either!' he said thickly, his hands tightening on her waist. 'Tell me...!'

  'No...' she said in a hoarse, shaking voice. 'I can't stand it any more than you can!'

  Mark's face filled with dark colour as he pulled her into his arms and his hard mouth closed over hers.

  They kissed desperately. Caroline's hands were in his hair, his mouth was burning like fire over hers and she was open to him, past denial and rejection, kissing him back with equal hunger as he pressed her slender, sensual body against his and she moaned with excitement.

  'I don't know how we've worked together for so long!' Mark said shakingly, his mouth trailing over her white throat. 'Oh, God, I want you so much!'

  'Mark...!' she said in hoarse weakness, and he made a rough sound under his breath, picked her up in his arms as though she were a gazelle, and carried her to the bed.

  She was flung down on it, breathless, staring up at him with hot molten green eyes as he joined her, his face a hard mask of desire, steel eyes shooting hot silver fire at her.

  'You've been driving me insane!' he said thickly as his hard body covered hers, and his hands shook on her soft, bare shoulders. 'Eight months of wanting this... I can't believe I'm lying on a bed with you!'

  'I was fighting it!' she confessed hoarsely. 'I fought so hard, Mark, so very hard...'

  'And now you can't fight any longer!' he said thickly, and then his mouth was burning on hers, and her lips were opening as he arched above her in dominant passion, his strong hands moving with urgency over her body, tightening on her narrow waist, sliding up her ribcage, feeling the fierce thud of her heart like a captive bird before those strong hands slid up to cup her full, swelling breasts.

  He raised his head, breathing thickly, and his eyes flashed to her breasts as his fingers tugged down the lacy bodice of her nightdress and his breathing thickened further.

  'You're so beautiful!' he whispered, and one hand slid over her bare breast as she lay beneath him, shivering with fevered desire. 'And so damned sexy...' His mouth closed sensually over hers again, his strong hands tugging her nightdress to her hips. 'Let me see you... let me...'

  'I won't let you make love to me!' she warned in a voice that shook with desire. 'You know it's impossible, Mark!' Her hands stopped him removing the nightdress and her body throbbed with the knowledge of her nudity beneath it.

  'Why?' he asked thickly. 'Because you're engaged to that blond boy? You don't feel like this for him, Caroline! I saw you dance with him and I saw you look at him.' A hard smile curved his mouth. 'You don't smile at him the way you do at me.'

  'How do I smile at you, Mark... ?' she whispered softly, stroking his strong neck with seductive fingers.

  'Oh, God,' he said thickly, eyes darkening, 'you little seductress!' and then his mouth was closing over hers with sensual hunger, his hands moving swiftly to cover her breasts, stroke the erect nipples, making her shoot into hot delirium, her breath coming faster as her fingers moved rythmically over his neck, stroking down to his powerful chest.

  Shaking, she was drowning in pleasure as their mouths clung lingeringly. Her hands slid his black silk robe a little apart because she wanted to touch him so badly, and she felt the thudding of his heart against her shaking hands, felt the crackle of black hairs against her flesh.

  His hard body moved against her with slow, rhythmic skill. She was sliding against him, eyes closed, mouth clinging to his. His hands moved over her bare breasts, fondling them as she gasped in dazed excitement against his commanding mouth.

  When she felt his strong hands move to her slim thighs, start to push the silky nightdress up, she panicked, fighting him suddenly, tearing her mouth from his.

  'No!' Her voice was shaky with arousal. 'For God's sake, Mark!'

  'I've thought of nothing else for months!' he said against her mouth. 'And nor have you!'

  Her eyes closed in appalled acknowledgement.

  'You knew I'd come for you tonight!' he whispered against her throat. 'And you tormented me at Rachey's! Didn't you? It was deliberate! You flirted with that swine all night, and you watched me as you did it, enjoying my rage!'

  'You asked me to be nice to him!' she said against his mouth.

  'Yes,' he said tightly, 'and you took it to the absolute limit! I had to sit and watch you giving him those seductive looks from under your lashes, laughing at everything he said! I wanted to kill you!'

  She lowered her lashes, murmuring softly, 'You almost sound jealous...'

  He tensed, eyes narrowing and his face was very hard as he drawled, 'I can assure you I'm not. I just don't like seeing my secretary throw herself at my clients. It's hardly acceptable conduct, is it?'

  Her ey
es flashed up in ill-concealed fury. 'I did not throw myself at him! Why should I? I'm an engaged woman! Soon I'll be a married woman! I've never had a casual affair in my life!' Her eyes flashed over him with anger and a desire to hurt. 'How many lovers have you had, Mark? Or don't you even remember!'

  He studied her in tense silence, and she saw a flash of violence in his grey eyes. 'My past is irrelevant. It's the present I'm interested in.'

  'And I want the future!' she said thickly.

  'The plastics man? Don't be absurd, Caroline! You're not in love with him. He doesn't make you lose your head when he kisses you. Far from it. You can hold him off till doomsday like a little pet dog.' His eyes darkened as he said huskily, 'But you can't hold me off. Not for longer than three seconds maximum before you surrender...'

  'Surrender isn't on my list of future achievements,' she said tightly, her hands on his broad shoulders. 'Only marriage is on that list, and I intend to get it, Mark.'

  His mouth hardened. Suddenly, his hands were untying the belt of his dressing-gown.

  'You can't!' she broke out hoarsely, stopping him with shaking hands. 'I won't let you do it!'

  'You want me!' he said thickly, his mouth closing over hers, bringing a rush of sweet pleasure and excitement to her body as he renewed his lovemaking with exquisite skill, and she knew she was going to have to fight.

  'No!' she cried, and started to struggle again, her eyes bitter as she fought him, slapping his face blindly as she tried to get away, panic making her arms flail like windmills, dimly aware of his harsh cry of anger as he took her wrists in a biting grip and pinned them to the bed, arching over her.

  'All right!' he said furiously, eyes blazing. 'I won't take you just yet! Calm down, for God's sake, Caroline! We can talk about this for a moment! There's no need to lose your head!' He drew a ragged breath, staring down at her panic-stricken face.

  Hot tears stung her eyes and she lay there in bitter silence for a long moment, breathing hard, her mouth shaking as she realised how close she was to letting him take her.

  'I'll release you in a second,' he said under his breath, watching her intently. 'I don't want you to turn into a whirlwind, though. Just lie opposite me and face me. We'll talk. I have a proposition.'

  Trembling, she nodded her head, and he slowly released her, moving away from her, lying on his side, one strong hand possessive on her waist as she turned towards him, naked to the waist, and felt his grey eyes move restlessly over her body as her heartbeat shook in her flat stomach.

  Caroline swallowed, said huskily, 'Mark, I know it must seem as though I'm prepared to have an affair with you. But I'm not. I don't want to feel this way! I don't like it! It's too strong, too --'

  'But you do feel it,' he said thickly. 'And now that I've brought it to a head you've admitted it.'

  She lowered her lashes, face flooding with colour.

  He watched her in brooding silence. 'We both feel the same. I think we may as well accept that this attraction isn't going to go away after just one night. Therefore— the sensible course of action is to set you up in a flat.'

  Her eyes opened. 'What... ?'

  'I want you to become my mistress.' Mark said under his breath, 'I'm a rich man, Caroline. I'll be more than generous. You can have a flat on Park Lane, a sports car and a big allowance.'

  The insulting offer took her breath away, made it impossible to speak for a moment, and she just lay there staring at him, feeling the drum of hatred in her veins as it grew.

  'Well?' he asked under his breath, touching her face with one strong hand. 'What do you say?'

  She gave an angry smile, hating him. 'I'm so flattered, Mark! I can hardly believe my luck! It's every young girl's dream!' Her voice rose with bitterness, green eyes filling with hot tears. 'My God, you really know how to insult me, don't you? And you wonder why I've kept you at arm's length! You wonder why I wouldn't let you within a fifty-mile radius of me!' She was shaking as she finished, her voice hoarse.

  'You wouldn't let me near you because you knew this would happen!' he said tensely, eyes narrowing. 'You knew you'd lose your head and respond to me, Caroline. Don't start lying about that again, or we'll be back to square one!'

  'All right!' she said fiercely. 'I'm attracted to you! So what? That doesn't mean I have to act on it!'

  'You already have!' he said, touching her face.

  'Then it stops here!' She trembled, her face burning. 'I'd rather die than even consider accepting your insulting offer!'

  'What did you expect?' he demanded harshly. 'Marriage?'

  She looked quickly away, face flaming.

  He gave an incredulous laugh, staring. 'My God! You did, didn't you? You thought I'd marry you!'

  'Shut up!' she said hotly, flashing angry green eyes back to his face. 'And get out of my room! I'd rather die than let a man like you make love to me. Love! My God—you wouldn't even be doing that, would you? You'd be using me, the way you've used all your women—as though I was a business partner, not a woman with thoughts and feelings!'

  There was a taut silence. The tone of her voice made it very clear that she meant what she said, her dislike and anger blazing from her eyes. Mark watched her without speaking for a long moment. She could sense the anger in him. He was bristling with it.

  'Do I take it that your answer to my proposition is no?' he enquired tightly, arching black brows.

  'Of course it's no!' she said bitterly. 'Did you really think I'd allow you to treat me like that? To set me up like a courtesan, pay me money and shower me with expensive luxuries while you come and go like my favourite client?' Her mouth shook as she stared at him contemptuously. 'You must have been out of your mind!'

  'I must be!' he agreed tightly, suddenly pushing her on to her back, his eyes like hot silver as he arched over her. 'To let you talk me down! I could have had you just now and we both know it!'

  Her eyes challenged him. 'You think so, Mark?'

  'I know it!' he said under his breath. 'And now I'm tired of your little games! I think it's time I just damned well took what we both want—don't you?'

  His mouth closed over hers in a burning kiss, making her catch her breath with intolerable desire, hating herself for wanting him, hating herself for this dark excitement, for loving the feel of his hard hands on her bare breasts, stroking her nipples while she struggled not to show how much she wanted him.

  If she responded—even once—he would push her over the brink and take her. She knew it. He knew it. Something in his dark heart drove him to do it.

  Caroline lay still beneath him, her mouth indifferent, her body utterly unmoving. Mark sensed her withdrawal, and his kisses became harder, his hands more urgent as they moved over her body.

  Mark raised his head, breathing harshly. 'What the hell are you playing at?' His eyes flared with anger. 'You're doing this deliberately! You want me! I can feel your heart beating like a damned drum!' His hands tightened angrily on her shoulders. 'You're just pretending not to respond!'

  'Am I, Mark?' she asked, fighting to retain her willpower to resist.

  'Yes!' he bit out thickly. 'Stop it and kiss me back!' His mouth closed fiercely over hers, hurting her now with ruthless determination to reach inside her, make her respond.

  Caroline lay still and unmoving.

  'Stop this!' he said shakingly, raising his head. 'Stop it!'

  'You're stronger than me,' she said tightly. 'No one will come and help me if you just take me. That's what you said you were going to do, isn't it? Just take what you wanted! Well, go ahead, Mark. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. After all—you don't care about my feelings, do you? All you want is your own pleasure.'

  He stared at her in furious silence, his face dark red and his eyes breaking into little silver daggers as he saw the fierce determination in her face.

  Suddenly, he was pushing her away from him, getting off the bed, tightening the belt of his silk robe, the air vibrating with tension as he raked a hand through his black hair, looking down
at her.

  'Given up, Mark?' Caroline asked, her voice shaking.

  'Damn right!' he bit out thickly, his eyes bitter as they flared over her. 'I wouldn't touch you again if you went down on your knees and begged me to!' He strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Why should I feel so bad? she thought furiously. He had no right to do that, to come to my bedroom and throw me on the bed, demand that I make love with him.

  Her face flushed with angry colour. It was true that they were mutually attracted—but it was just a sexual attraction. There was nothing else to it, and she would be damned if she'd give in to that and ruin herself in her own eyes and his.

  As for asking her to be his mistress... she was almost apoplectic with rage. Didn't he realise how insulting that was? She would feel cheap even considering it. She felt cheap enough being asked point-blank to do it. How would she feel if she actually became his mistress?

  The question was—could she fight him?

  Well, she thought determinedly, I fought him off just now. Surely I can do it again? Surely I'm strong enough to resist that intolerable temptation he offers...

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Next morning, Caroline was woken by an angry knock on her bedroom door. Blinking sleep out of her eyes, she stared, disorientated, at the door and the room around her. Memory flooded back to her.

  The angry knock on her door came again. Caroline sat up, dragging the coverlet over her black lace nightgown to cover her breasts, her long hair sleep-tousled, her face softened by sleep.

  'Who is it?' she called in obvious pretence.

  'Who do you think?' Mark's voice said flatly.

  Her pulses leapt, but she kept her voice cool. 'Come in.'

  The door opened. He was hard-faced, wearing black trousers and a black V-neck cashmere sweater. He looked intolerably sexy, his powerful chest outlined by that black sweater, and he looked more dangerous than ever, his steel eyes knifing through her.

  'It's almost ten.' His voice was hostile. 'I thought I'd better wake you.'

  'Thank you.' Caroline said huskily, lowering her lashes.

  His mouth tightened. 'There's no need to look away like that!'