Give a Man a Bad Name

by Roberta Leigh

  ‘Thank you, but no. I couldn’t accept such a present.’

  ‘It won’t be from me personally,’ he added swiftly. ‘It’s a gift from the company in appreciation of your hard work.’

  ‘I’m sufficiently well paid for it.’

  Alex looked as if he wanted to argue, then a glint came into his eye and he swung round to Fiona. ‘Looks as if you and Kevin will have to play a singles match. I’ll stay and keep Marly company.’

  ‘Don’t be silly, darling,’ Fiona expostulated. ‘I’m sure Marly doesn’t want to spoil our game, and there’s bound to be someone at the club willing to make a fourth.’

  ‘Fiona’s right,’ Marly put in sweetly. ‘And to be honest, I’d prefer to sunbathe and swim.’ She raised her arms and stretched, aware that the gesture provocatively thrust forward her small, pointed breasts. ‘It’s so deserted here I might even pluck up the courage and go topless.’ She studied his reaction from beneath lowered lashes, and wondered if he would fall for the bait.

  If he had, he was giving nothing away, and with a lift of his hand he went in to collect his racket and shoes.

  Finishing her breakfast, Marly headed for the dock, where Alex’s friend moored his cabin cruiser. It was sleek and beautiful, its paint sparkling, its brass gleaming. Quickly she slipped aboard and padded over to the engine. Her parents and brothers were keen sailors, and she had been brought up with a love and knowledge of the sea and boats. Consequently, setting the first part of her plan in motion presented no difficulty, and when she had accomplished it she returned to the beach house.

  Fifteen minutes later, in yellow two-piece swimsuit and dark glasses, she emerged to wander along the beach, where she soon spread her towel in the shade of a palm tree. Long silky hair loose about her, and the latest bestseller unopened beside her, she lay on her stomach and unhooked the top of her suit. A faint breeze stirred the air, bringing the salt scent of the ocean to her nostrils, and she breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, only realising as she did so what a strain it was becoming to maintain her charade. Tension drained from her and, as she relaxed, her true self emerged and all pretences dropped away from her so that Alex could have seen her as she really was.

  ‘Marly,’ a deep voice whispered softly.

  She stirred but did not lift her lids, for if she did, reality would return and Alex would fade away.

  ‘Marly,’ the voice said again, and this time her eyes flew open and she turned her head and saw Alex kneeling beside her.

  With a gasp she reached her hands behind her to do up her swimsuit, at the same time trying to remain flat on the sand. But her fingers seemed to have turned to thumbs, and she was still struggling with the hooks when firm, cool fingers did the job for her.

  Only then did she sit up and swivel round to face him, and saw that he was in swimming-trunks, that his legs were strong and lean, his eyes warm grey, the smile he gave her meltingly intimate.

  ‘How come you’re back so soon?’ She marvelled that her voice came out so cool.

  ‘I developed a sudden headache!’

  ‘I thought that was the prerogative of married women!’

  ‘As a reluctant fiancé I feel I qualify!’

  Hiding her triumph at his return, Marly toyed idly with her sunglasses. ‘Do you think Fiona believed you?’

  ‘Does it matter?’

  ‘One should always consider other people’s feelings,’ she answered demurely. ‘Thai philosophy—’

  ‘No lectures, please,’ he said with mock severity. ‘I wanted to be alone with you and I think that’s what you wanted too. In fact, you deliberately tried to tempt me back, didn’t you?’ Slate eyes glinted with humour. ‘You appear to have had second thoughts about the bait, though. Clearly your sense of modesty got the better of you.’

  She could not stop the blush that stained her cheeks, and avoided his eyes. Normally not a shy girl, she had occasionally gone topless when sunbathing with friends, yet the thought of doing so with Alex made her feel strangely vulnerable.

  ‘Pity,’ he said with a shake of his head. ‘You have beautiful breasts, and it’s a shame to cover them.’

  Silently she tipped suntan lotion into her palms and began to rub it on her shoulders and arms.

  ‘Need any help?’ he asked, squatting down beside her.

  ‘No, thanks.’

  ‘Frightened one thing will lead to another?’

  ‘Frankly, yes.’

  His mouth quirked. ‘Then how about a swim to cool us both off?’

  ‘I’ve an even cooler idea,’ she answered, as if the thought had suddenly occurred to her, instead of being part of the plan she had formulated last night. ‘How about taking out the boat to one of the islands? That way we can have the whole morning to ourselves, instead of just a couple of hours until the others return.’

  ‘Brilliant! But better still, why don’t we take a picnic and make a day of it? We’ll leave a note for Fiona and Kevin—he’ll be delighted of course—and perhaps by the time we get back she won’t be averse to him either.’

  Marly shook her head. ‘I can’t see Fiona giving up on you that easily. She’s been obsessive about you for too long.’

  ‘Now you’re spoiling my day.’ He rose and pulled her to her feet. ‘Come on, let’s ask Sumalee to prepare a picnic for us.’

  ‘I’ll do it. You write the note to Fiona.’

  In no time Marly had a basket packed with sufficient goodies to last a couple of days, and pausing only to pack a few things in her beach bag, she joined Alex on the veranda.

  ‘I brought along a couple of bottles of Donald’s best New Zealand Chardonnay,’ he informed her, pointing to the leather wine-cooler on the seat next to him. ‘Sailing is thirsty work!’

  ‘Particularly on a boat that’s motor-powered!’ she laughed.

  ‘Don’t quibble about semantics. To me, one boat is like another!’

  ‘I hope that doesn’t mean you don’t know anything about them?’ she questioned, trying to look anxious. ‘I’d hate to break down mid-ocean and have to swim back. These waters are shark-infested.’

  ‘Don’t worry. I may not be round-the-world material, but I’m not a complete novice.’ He half smiled. ‘The boat’s just had an overhaul, and Donald told me the engine’s as reliable as a Rolls.’

  ‘Shall we get going, then?’

  Side by side they strolled down to the slatted wooden dock where the two-berth cabin cruiser rocked gently on the swell. Named Lovely Linda in bold black letters on the freshly painted white hull, the boat flew an American flag.

  ‘Who’s “Lovely Linda”?’ Marly asked curiously as they went aboard. ‘Your friend’s wife?’

  ‘Ex,’ Alex corrected. ‘But he’s still in love with her and doesn’t want to change the name.’

  ‘Why did they divorce, then?’

  ‘You make it sound as if the man’s always the one to want out,’ Alex was quick to say, reminding Marly yet again how sharp he was.

  ‘They usually are,’ she said.

  ‘Not this time. The not so lovely Linda ran off with her tennis coach.’

  ‘Then I’d have thought the last thing your friend would want was to be reminded of her.’

  Alex shrugged. ‘Love is like a drug addiction—once hooked, hard to cure.’

  ‘Is that experience talking?’

  ‘I’ve never touched drugs.’

  ‘I was talking about love,’ Marly said demurely.

  ‘Let’s talk about that later,’ he grinned, and disappeared into the galley to put the picnic and the wine into the refrigerator.

  While Marly set out two sunbeds, Alex busied himself at the wheel. Effortlessly the powerful engine surged into life, and casting off the line he slowly edged the boat away from the dock. Once clear, he increased the speed, set it on automatic pilot and joined Marly.

  ‘Care for a drink?’ he questioned.

  ‘It’s only eleven-thirty.’

  ‘There’s no law that says we have to wai
t until the sun’s over the yard-arm.’

  She wrinkled her brow, pretending not to understand. ‘I’m afraid I don’t know that expression.’

  ‘That you don’t drink alcohol until after noon,’ he explained.

  ‘After noon?’ Marly raised her eyebrows. ‘I usually wait until after six!’

  ‘In that case I shall enjoy corrupting you at one minute past twelve!’

  True to his word, noon found them sipping a delicious fruity Chardonnay as they lay under the canvas awning and stared out at the sparkling blue sea. The sky seemed to reflect its colour, Marly thought, or was it the other way around? Either way it was a blue, blue world, with the sun a golden orb dredging them with its warmth.

  Soon the insidiousness of the heat dissipated their conversation, bringing with it a blissful languor. Turning her head to remark on this, Marly saw that Alex had fallen asleep with the suddenness of a child. It gave her the chance to study him without being observed, and she enjoyed the handsome picture he made. His face in repose was younger and carefree, making him appear defenceless, the strong lines around his mouth softened into gentleness, and she had only to inch out her fingers to feel the burnished hairs on his arm. She longed to do so, but wary of awakening him, she resisted the temptation, and with a small sigh closed her eyes and drifted into slumber.

  She awoke with a feeling of being watched, and opening her eyes found Alex propped on one elbow, looking into her face.

  ‘Pleasant dreams?’ he asked.

  ‘I wasn’t asleep,’ she denied. ‘Just dozing.’

  ‘From the baby piglet sounds you were making, you could have fooled me!’

  ‘If you’re implying I was snoring...’ she said indignantly.

  ‘There’s no implying about it,’ he grinned. ‘I was stating a fact! Don’t get uptight, though. On you it sounded like a Mozart symphony!’

  Marly laughed. ‘I thought love was blind, not deaf!’

  ‘After two glasses of wine and the heat of the sun, all my faculties are impaired!’

  ‘Good. I finally feel safe with you.’

  Chuckling, he rose. ‘Let’s have lunch. That will sober me.’ As she went to rise, he shook his head. ‘No, stay where you are. I can manage on my own.’

  ‘You’re spoiling me.’

  ‘I’d like to do much more than that,’ he said thickly, and half bent towards her, then seeing her sudden tension he drew back and went below deck.

  Within a few moments he returned with the food, which he deftly set out on a white, slatted wood table. There was a delicious Thai salad—a mix of succulent prawns, lobster claws, spring onions and tiny white aubergines resembling new potatoes—a dish of deep-fried chicken wings with soy sauce and pineapple, a bowl of rice, and another piled high with mangoes and papayas.

  The wonderful mix of aromas made Marly realise how hungry she was, and she sat at the table and helped herself to the food.

  ‘Where exactly are we headed?’ she asked, tucking in to the prawns.

  ‘Kwin Yak. We should arrive there in about forty minutes.’

  Marly knew it was one of the larger islands and, like the others, uninhabited. Which suited her purpose beautifully.

  ‘I’m longing for a swim,’ she said, ‘and after a lunch like this I’ll need it to burn off some calories.’

  Alex shook his head. ‘You don’t seem to gain weight however much you eat—and you have a pretty hefty appetite for a dainty little thing.’

  ‘I never gain weight.’

  He pulled a face, and his expression drew her eyes to his body, making her aware of the hard muscles of his chest, the flatness of his stomach, the tensile strength of his long legs, the sun-kissed golden skin. A burning heat suffused her and she hastily set down her fork lest he noticed the tremble of her hands.

  ‘I remember you said you used to have a weight problem,’ she managed to say.

  ‘I did as a youngster, but that was because I stuffed myself with candy bars. I was at boarding-school, and the food was so dull, I made up for it with chocolates and sweets.’

  ‘How did you kick the habit?’ Marly grinned.

  ‘It was after I fell in love with my best friend’s sister—Sandra, you remember?—and asked her to marry me. She rejected me in favour of a long, thin streak of a lad with a laugh like a hyena!’

  ‘I bet that didn’t do any good for your ego!’ Marly giggled. ‘Did you have better luck once you’d slimmed down?’

  ‘With the fickleness of youth, I lost interest—and weight—and went on to pastures new. But we became good friends and I’m godfather to her eldest son.’

  ‘And your rival?’

  ‘She married him!’ Alex helped himself to another piece of chicken. ‘He was highly successful in the City by then.’

  ‘Have you never wanted to marry anyone since?’ Marly ventured with forced casualness.

  ‘For a shy young lady you ask some leading questions,’ he said drily. ‘But the answer’s no.’

  ‘Because you’ve never been in love, or you don’t want to tie yourself down?’

  His lower lip jutted forward, as if considering the questions. ‘Why commit oneself to one woman when the world is full of lovely ones ripe for the picking?’

  ‘And unlike wives, they can be changed if you get bored,’ Marly added sweetly.

  ‘You’ve hit the nail on the head.’

  And how, she thought bitterly, and wished she could hit him on the head instead!

  ‘You might change your opinion one day. This year’s playboy is next year’s dirty old man!’

  ‘Well said.’ Alex’s face was alight with amusement. ‘But luckily for me I’d rather be a dirty old man than a cheating husband. At least that way the only person I deceive is myself.’

  ‘If you met the right woman you—’

  ‘Spare me that cliché. Conversion by true love is the classic reply of the fair sex! You surprise me, Marly. Until now you’ve always talked in a very practical, logical manner, but it seems that you’re a closet romantic!’

  Marly saw nothing funny in his comment, her mind’s eye filled with Andrea’s tear-stained face. ‘At least I have a heart,’ she replied.

  ‘So have I when it comes to family and friends,’ he defended. ‘I’m a loving son, a loyal confidant, and a passionate lover.’ Slate eyes glinted mischievously. ‘If you don’t believe the latter, I’d be more than happy to prove it.’

  ‘I’ll take your word for it, thanks. There’s no sense in being one of a number, when what I really want is to be number one!’

  His smile was sensuous, the full lower lip curving forward. ‘I find your wit enjoyable, Marly. Pity you’re so old-fashioned.’

  ‘It’s because I’m different from the other girls you know that I hold your interest.’

  ‘You think so?’ With a gentle finger he traced the perfect line of her cheekbone. ‘I’d be interested in you even if you were as liberated as Gloria Steinem!’ His hand rose and touched her silky hair. ‘You’re very special.’

  ‘Special enough to marry?’ she asked ingenuously.

  ‘You have a one-track mind,’ he chuckled, dropping his hand abruptly.

  ‘So have you. But yours is trying to lead me up the garden path, and mine is keeping me on the straight and narrow!’ Deftly she put the used plates on a tray and placed the bowl of fruit between them. ‘Shall I peel you a mango or would you prefer a papaya?’

  If he was surprised by her sudden change of tack he gave no sign of it, though as she continued prattling on about nothing, the withdrawn look in his eyes convinced her he wasn’t concentrating on what she was saying.

  Clearly she had given him food for thought, and if Lady Luck was on her side, he might not find it too indigestible!

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE sun was at its zenith when Alex and Marly reached the island and laid anchor in Kwin Yak’s small, deserted bay. Froth-edged waves gently lapped the coastline, and the water was startlingly clear with tiny, silvery fish
swimming just below the surface.

  The beach was powder-white, and the sand felt like silk upon their bare feet as they paddled to the shore in a small rubber dinghy and dropped their towels beneath the shade of a small clump of palm trees, their shaggy fronds waving in the faint breeze.

  ‘Fancy a swim before we explore?’ Alex suggested.

  Nodding, she followed him into the water, and hardly had she immersed herself when he took her hand and drew her further into the azure-blue sea. Together they set off in the direction of the boat, swimming lazily in line with it and then heading back to dry off on the warm sand.

  ‘I feel as if we’re the last two people left on earth,’ Marly said breathlessly as, a little later, they strolled along the beach. ‘This must be the most peaceful place on earth.’

  ‘Pity we have to go back tonight,’ Alex commented. ‘I suppose I can’t persuade you to stay?’

  ‘You suppose right,’ she replied, managing to hide her amusement as she thought of the skilful way she had sabotaged the engine to ensure it wouldn’t start. ‘And don’t try the old chestnut about not being able to start the boat!’

  ‘You misjudge me,’ he reproached her. ‘Don’t you trust me?’

  ‘No!’

  He laughed. ‘You’re a strange mixture of docility and sassiness.’

  ‘That’s a Thai characteristic. On the surface we’re sweetness and light, but underneath we have a will of our own.’

  ‘You rarely display it with me.’

  ‘Because you’re my superior.’

  ‘Only at the hotel. In our personal relationship we are equals.’

  ‘We can never be that,’ she persisted, playing her role to the hilt. ‘You are an important man and I will always defer to you.’

  ‘What if we were married?’ he teased.

  ‘Especially then.’

  Alex chuckled. ‘I can see you will make an excellent wife!’

  ‘Are you proposing to me, Alex?’ She fluttered her long lashes at him.

  ‘Any proposal I made wouldn’t be for marriage,’ he responded good-humouredly, ‘though you deserve an A plus for persistence.’