She was humming softly to herself as, once again dressed in the blue silk pyjamas, she sat in front of the mirror to brush the tangles from her dark hair. A smile once again curved her lips as she remembered the way Nick had buried his face and hands in that silky darkness, and that smile remained on her face as a knock sounded on the bedroom door.
She turned on the bedroom stool. ‘Come in,’ she invited huskily.
‘Breakfast, Mrs Drummond.’ Mrs James bustled into the room with a laden tray. ‘Mr Drummond thought you might like breakfast in bed after your disturbed night,’ she explained as she turned to put the tray down on the bedside table.
Disturbed night…! How apt. And this time it had been ‘disturbed’ for exactly the reason Hugh had supposed yesterday!
But Gemini was glad of the housekeeper’s preoccupation with the tray at that moment, giving her a few minutes to cover up her disappointment that it hadn’t been Nick at the door. Although he no longer had any reason to bother knocking…
‘That was kind of him,’ she murmured a little shyly. ‘Where is Nick this morning?’ she enquired casually as she stood up to pour herself a cup of coffee.
The housekeeper looked surprised at the question. ‘Gone to his office, as usual, I presume,’ she dismissed.
‘Oh.’ Gemini had to bite back her feelings of disappointment. Part of her had hoped that Nick might take today off to be with her… Silly, really. Just because her whole world felt different, that didn’t mean that Nick’s felt the same way! It could just mean that he felt as shy about last night as she did. Not that he ever gave the impression of being shy about anything, but making love to his wife, not once but twice, was not a normal occurrence!
‘He did feed Jessica before he left, so she’s quite happy,’ the housekeeper informed her lightly. ‘I’ll bring her up to you in a few minutes, if you’d like? Once you’ve had time to enjoy your breakfast, of course,’ she added ruefully.
‘That would be lovely,’ Gemini accepted distractedly, still disappointed that Nick had gone to work as usual. It would have been nice to wake up in bed with him this morning, to perhaps make love once again…!
But perhaps she was expecting too much too soon. Nick must feel as disorientated himself this morning as she did, unsure quite where they went next. They were bound to feel a little awkward with each other after last night, so perhaps he was right to put a little distance between them for a few hours, give them both chance to sit back and reflect.
Although Gemini knew if she sat and thought about last night too much she wouldn’t want to do anything else today, would instead succumb to sensual lethargy. God, she felt good this morning, happily content, determined that nothing was going to disturb her air of well-being.
And for the next few minutes nothing did. The coffee was hot and strong, as she liked it, and the croissants were warm, tasting delicious with honey on them. She even sang to herself as she took her shower before dressing in a figure-hugging dress that same colour blue as her eyes.
A glance at the bedside clock showed her it was a little after nine o’clock, which meant she really should have been on her way to the salon by now, but as last night had effectively been her wedding night she felt she was entitled to be a little dreamy and preoccupied this morning.
Even Jessica, when Mrs James brought her upstairs half an hour later, seemed attuned to her mood, wide awake and gurgling happily in her baby-carrier. Gemini couldn’t resist picking her up and cuddling her, and was rewarded with what looked like an actual smile.
Maybe after last night—
‘She really is the loveliest baby, isn’t she?’ Mrs James lingered in the bedroom, obviously loath to leave her young charge.
‘Beautiful,’ Gemini agreed unhesitatingly. ‘No doubt she’ll break a few hearts when she’s older!’ She laughed softly before burying her face briefly in the baby’s wonderfully soft talc-smelling neck.
‘No doubt,’ the housekeeper agreed indulgently. ‘That lovely dark hair and green eyes like a cat are sure to be a lethal combination!’ she added ruefully.
‘Her eyes are blue,’ Gemini corrected absently as she held up an ornament from her dressing-table for the baby to look at.
Mrs James laughed softly. ‘All newborn babies’ eyes are blue,’ she dismissed with a shake of her head. ‘But that often changes after a few weeks, and Jessica’s eyes are already starting to turn green.’
Green…?
Jessica’s eyes were going to be green…?
Gemini looked down at the baby, frowning. The last time she had really looked at Jessica’s eyes they’d been a clear sky-blue, but she could see now that there was a darker rim to that lightness, a rim of smudgy emerald-green…
She swallowed hard, placing the baby carefully back in her seat. Gemini knew only one other person with emerald-green eyes…
And that person was Nick!
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘TWICE in as many days,’ Hugh murmured speculatively. ‘Anyone would think you were in love, Nick!’
Gemini had been aware of the salon door opening, had also known by the sudden tingling sensation down the length of her spine that the person who had opened that door was Nick.
But she hadn’t turned from what she was doing, was continuing to drape lilac silk around the mannequin. Although her hands trembled and her breathing suddenly felt constricted.
Jessica had green eyes!
Gemini had been horrified earlier when Rachel James had pointed that fact out to her, had come to only one conclusion. And that conclusion, following on from the night she had just spent in Nick’s arms, was totally unacceptable to her.
Nick was Jessica’s father!
It just had to be. Admittedly Jemima had been involved with Danny for a short time, but he had brown eyes…! It was too much of a coincidence that Nick and Gemini had once been engaged to marry each other—that Nick still seemed to be in contact with Jemima—and that Jemima’s baby had Nick’s green eyes.
No wonder Jemima had felt no qualms about sending her baby here; she probably felt that looking after Jessica for just a few days was the least Nick could do, in the circumstances! Except that it also brought Gemini in contact with the baby…
Gemini had felt sick earlier at that realisation, putting the baby down as quickly as she was able to without drawing Mrs James’s attention to the fact that just holding Jessica made Gemini feel ill!
She had had to get out of the house, away from her own memories of what had happened between herself and Nick the previous night. So she’d come to the salon, often her refuge in the past, but today she was hoping that it would be her salvation.
But even that had proved a little awkward when she’d first arrived. Hugh had been worried in case he might only have aggravated the situation last night by going to see Nick at his office, to explain things to him, rather than actually helping Gemini as he had intended doing. It had taken Gemini some time to assure Hugh that his visit to Nick hadn’t caused a problem between Nick and herself!
After this morning she wasn’t sure anything would be able to make matters worse between herself and Nick!
The last thing she wanted, or needed, was for Nick to follow her here!
What was he doing here? Admittedly, as Hugh had just pointed out, it was about the same time Nick had arrived the day before, intent on taking her out to lunch, but that couldn’t be the reason he was here again today—could it?
But why couldn’t it? she asked self-derisively. The only thing that had changed for Nick since yesterday was that the two of them had spent the night together; he was totally unaware of the fact that she was now also aware that Jessica must be his daughter!
Bastard! Swine! Adulterer!
Gemini wasn’t too sure whether the last one had applied to Nick when their own marriage had been a paper one only—but it applied now!
She wanted to scream and shout, to hit something—preferably Nick!
But what she actually did was to calmly put down h
er tin of pins before turning, her expression cool as she looked enquiringly across the room at Nick.
Which wasn’t easy to do when she could clearly remember the intimacies they had shared the night before! She felt sick inside as she recalled the way she had given herself to Nick so freely, making love to him in the same way. And all the time—!
‘What can I do for you, Nick?’ she rasped harshly, blue eyes flashing with her resentment.
His own eyes narrowed at her aggression. Green eyes…!
‘As you can see, I’m very busy.’ She indicated the mannequin she and Hugh had been working on until Nick had interrupted them seconds ago.
Nick’s gaze narrowed even more, studying her assessingly, his mouth tightening grimly as he obviously didn’t like what he found. ‘I didn’t expect you to come in to work today,’ he murmured distractedly.
What had he expected? That she would wait languorously in bed for his return, when they could continue where they had left off the previous night? The sad fact of the matter was that if her earlier conversation with Mrs James had never taken place that was probably exactly what she would have done!
She cringed now as she remembered her satiated dreaminess this morning, her conviction that she and Nick could really make a success of their marriage. And all the time he was Jessica’s father! She was sure of it.
The one thing Gemini wasn’t sure of was whether or not Nick himself was actually aware of the fact…
She had come to know Nick this last year, didn’t believe him to be the sort of man who would shirk the responsibility of fatherhood—but she hadn’t believed him to be the sort of man who had an affair with one woman while married to another, either!
But, aware of being Jessica’s father or not, Nick did know he had continued his relationship with Jemima after marrying Gemini—and for that Gemini would never be able to forgive him.
‘Why not?’ she returned challengingly. ‘You did.’
He shrugged, still standing over by the door he had closed behind him. ‘I had a couple of things to deal with in the office before I could be free for the day,’ he dismissed, still looking at her questioningly. ‘I was surprised when I got back to the house and found only Mrs James there taking care of Jessica.’
Gemini had left the baby with Mrs James because she hadn’t felt able to deal with Jessica at that moment. There was no doubting that she loved the baby, that out of all of them Jessica was completely innocent in all of this, but Gemini just couldn’t look at the baby now without seeing those green eyes…!
‘Jessica would only have been in the way today.’ She shot Hugh an apologetic grimace as he made a protesting sound at this statement. ‘As I’ve already said.’ Gemini turned back to Nick. ‘I’m very busy.’
‘Too busy to eat lunch?’ he invited softly.
In a word—yes! Oh, not because she really was busy—but because there was no way she could eat anything, and certainly not in Nick’s company!
‘I’m afraid so,’ she answered dismissively. ‘But don’t let us keep you from your meal,’ she added contemptuously.
Nick’s mouth tightened as he easily picked up on that tone. ‘I’m not particularly hungry myself,’ he drawled lightly, making no effort to leave.
‘Well, I am.’ Hugh had obviously had enough of this guarded conversation. ‘If you’ll excuse me, Gemini.’ He shot her a teasing grin as she looked at him sharply. ‘I gave Alan a broad hint last night that he hasn’t taken me out to lunch for yonks, so he suggested taking me today. I, of course, accepted!’ He turned to pick up his jacket. ‘Have fun!’ he called out as he let himself out of the salon.
Coward, Gemini inwardly fumed. She didn’t doubt that Hugh did have a luncheon engagement today, but she’d also been aware of the wide-eyed looks he’d given both Nick and herself as their conversation had ping-ponged sharply across the room; it was a look that had clearly said, I have no idea what’s going on, but I definitely feel in the way—and I’m out of here!
His fast exit left behind a tension that was impossible not to be aware of. Nick had moved aside to let the other man leave, but otherwise he kept up his defensive stance in front of the door.
Hours ago, Gemini had been filled with euphoria, sure that last night had been a turning point in her marriage to Nick; he’d made love to her as if he cared about her at least, even if he wasn’t in love with her. This morning Gemini had been filled with shy excitement at the thought of seeing him again. Now all she felt was a sickness in the pit of her stomach…!
‘I only went in to my office today so I could clear my diary, in the belief the two of us would be spending the day together.’ Nick spoke softly, questioningly.
Because he didn’t know, couldn’t know, her heart was breaking!
She forced a dismissive shrug. ‘Wouldn’t you have been better consulting me first before you did something like that?’
‘Gemini—’
‘Nick?’ she returned—much as she had done last night. Except there was no husky invitation in her voice this time!
‘I don’t understand this!’ Nick exploded impatiently, moving forcefully into the room. ‘What the hell is going on Gemini? Last night—’
‘Was very pleasant, Nick,’ she cut in smoothly. ‘I thought you had enjoyed it as much as I did?’
‘Of course I enjoyed it, damn it—’
‘Then stop making a federal case out of it,’ Gemini interrupted lightly, turning away from the pale grimness of his face, picking up her pin tin once again to pin the lilac silk in place.
Totally haphazardly!
The silk was going to be ruined, and Hugh would probably have one of his not infrequent fits of hysteria, but she had to do something, was no longer able to look at Nick. How could he actually manage to look hurt by her coldness? It just wasn’t fair!
The first she knew of Nick having crossed over to where she made a pretence of working was when her arm was grasped in his iron-like grip as he swung her round to face him. Her head went back as she looked up at him, her chin jutting out defiantly as she forced herself to meet his furious gaze.
That clash of gazes went on for what seemed like for ever to Gemini, but she wouldn’t allow herself to be the first to look away, forcing herself to continue looking Nick straight in the eyes.
‘So it’s like that, is it?’ He was the one to finally break the icy tension between them, abruptly releasing her before stepping back, a nerve pulsing in his rigidly clenched jaw. ‘What happened to “no regrets”, Gemini?’ he challenged accusingly.
She swallowed hard. ‘I don’t regret last night, Nick,’ she assured him coolly.
And the effort to keep up that coolness in the face of his obviously bewildered fury was costing her dearly. What she really wanted to do was launch herself into his arms and forget all about that damning conversation she had had with Mrs James this morning. Except that she couldn’t forget it…
Nick shook his head. ‘You certainly don’t have the look of a woman who wants to repeat it!’ he ground out savagely.
She gave a humourless smile. ‘Well, not at this particular moment, no,’ she replied mockingly, indicating the mannequin she was working on.
‘Not at all, from the way you’ve behaved since I arrived!’ he muttered angrily. ‘Hell, Gemini, where do we go from here?’ he asked disgustedly.
She knew where she would like to go. She would like to hide herself away somewhere until all of this was over and settled. Because she had a feeling it was all over between them; she just didn’t have the courage yet to hear either of them actually come out and say so…
She gave him a scathing glance. ‘I don’t think my place of work is any more the place to discuss this than it is to repeat what happened last night.’
‘Is there a suitable place to talk about this?’ he cut in forcefully, running a hand through the dark thickness of his hair. ‘If you remember, I thought we should have talked last night—’
‘Oh, wonderful,’ she returned. ‘Blame
what happened last night on me, Nick, why don’t you?’ She glared across at him, genuinely furious with him, but at the same time relieved to have somewhere to focus her seesaw emotions.
He shook his head. ‘I didn’t say that,’ he said wearily. ‘No one is to blame for last night, God damn it,’ he rasped. ‘But what happened to liking and respecting me too much to ever hate me?’ He harshly reminded her of what she had said to him last night. ‘Because, let me tell you, you’re giving a damned good impression of hating me at this moment!’ he informed her grimly.
Probably because a part of her did. But not because of last night. That was something that she’d wanted for a very long time, and at no time during last night had Nick made any hollow promises of love. No, no matter what happened, she’d already decided that she wouldn’t regret last night…
‘I think you’re imagining things, Nick,’ she dismissed lightly. ‘I certainly don’t hate you.’ Not for last night, anyway…!
He stepped forward. ‘Gemini—’
‘No, I don’t hate you, Nick,’ she repeated, terrified in case he actually touched her again. Because her traitorous body had quivered with response seconds ago when he’d clasped her arm. ‘But neither do I intend acting like some lovesick teenager simply because we spent the night together,’ she added, rewarded by the dangerous narrowing of his eyes. ‘We aren’t either of us children, Nick, and last night was—enjoyable—’
‘It was fantastic, damn it!’ Nick cut in gratingly, his hands clenched at his sides.
‘Possibly,’ she agreed dryly. ‘I really wouldn’t know—probably because I have less experience to draw on for—comparison!’
Nick was ten years older than her, for one thing, and those ten years had not been spent as a celibate bachelor. Beside, she had spent those same last ten years building up her fashion label, with little time for relationships. Except that brief time with Danny… ‘You had Danny,’ Nick reminded her, seeming to guess at least some of her thoughts. His expression was contemptuous, his gaze scornful as it swept over the slender curvaceousness of her body.
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