It wasn’t better; if anything it was worse, because now she could feel every inch of his hard body just brushing against her in a way that was sheer torture. She ground her teeth, refusing to let him know how much the light contact disturbed her. When he guided her into a complicated turn and his chest brushed against her breasts, making her nipples harden under the thin silk of her dress, she almost weakened enough to ask him to let her go, but some in-built strength carried her through the moment.
‘It wouldn’t be a crime if you let yourself enjoy this, Louise. No one would accuse you of fraternising with the enemy.’
‘I am not enjoying it! So why should I pretend? I don’t want to dance with you, Wyatt. Understand?’
‘Mmm, I understand perfectly,’ he replied softly, staring straight into her stormy eyes. ‘But I doubt if Lawrence’s guests would.’ He glanced over her shoulder, nodding to another couple who had joined them on the floor. ‘I imagine they would consider it very strange if we didn’t dance together. So try to remember that you’re here to play a part, will you? It seems to keep on slipping your mind.’
Louise looked away, hating the fact that he knew exactly how she was feeling, how his nearness was affecting her. That was the whole trouble: try as she might, she couldn’t control the awareness she always felt. She took a tiny steadying breath as she glanced round the room, then felt herself go cold when she saw that Carling was watching them closely, a strange expression on her beautiful face. Hurriedly she looked back at Wyatt, smiling up at him with as much adoration as she could possibly muster. ‘I shall do my best. We don’t want anyone becoming suspicious, I suppose. Not if it means it could jeopardise our deal.’
His fingers dug into her back, warm and hard against her bare skin above the low neckline of her dress. ‘Let’s not overdo things.’ He glanced past her, smiling at Carling as they glided past her, their footsteps matching perfectly to the slow rhythm. He waited until they had danced to the far end of the room, then bent a fraction closer, so that Louise could feel his breath, warm against her cheek.
‘Carling is nobody’s fool, so be careful, Louise.’
Louise arched a brow at him, her grey eyes filled with mockery. ‘I’m sure she isn’t. In fact if I were in the business of choosing the perfect mate for you, Wyatt, I would place dear Carling at number one on the list. What I can’t understand is why you have gone to such lengths to keep her out of your life. I mean, quite apart from the fact that I’m sure you could have negotiated a substantial discount if Carling had come as part of the deal, what have you got against her? She’s rich, beautiful and obviously fits into the society you move in. What more could any man ask?’
‘What is this, honey? Some sort of a sales pitch? Has Carling asked you to put her case forward, or have you decided to do it all of your own accord?’ He spun her round, pressing her close as they slowed to avoid another couple who had come up alongside them.
Louise smiled up at him, amusement glittering in her eyes. ‘It’s an idea. I should have thought of that, shouldn’t I? I could have charged her a fee as well, made this doubly profitable.’ She laughed softly, enjoying the way his mouth thinned with annoyance. ‘No, don’t worry, Wyatt. I don’t intend to do that. As for a sales pitch, well... It just seems to me very strange that you haven’t jumped at the opportunity the situation presents.’
‘Maybe that’s because I don’t see it as an opportunity, but rather as a drawback. Carling is everything you say she is, but she is also spoilt and wilful, the sort of woman who wants a man to dance attendance on her all the time.’ He nicked a glance across the room, his face set as he studied the blonde-haired woman. ‘Frankly, Louise, I’m not in the market for that. I’m not interested in that kind of relationship at all. I’m too used to living my life the way I want to live it to want to accommodate other people’s whims.’
‘That sounds very selfish to me.’
‘Perhaps it does.’ He looked down at her, his eyes pale in the golden glow from the chandeliers. ‘But I learned a long time ago that a man has to be single-minded to achieve what he wants to in this life. There isn’t room to consider other people’s wishes.’
‘And in this case you want the hotels.’
‘Yes.’
She stared up at him with curiosity. ‘Why do I have the funniest feeling that there’s more to this than merely a business deal?’
‘Possibly because there is. These particular hotels once belonged to my family. I want them back. It’s as simple as that.’
‘They belonged to you?’ Surprise echoed in her voice as she slowed almost to a stop. Wyatt murmured something rough under his breath, then drew her to the edge of the floor, his expression guarded now.
‘Yes. They were sold about fifteen years ago. I’ve been trying to get them back for some time now, ever since I was in a position to negotiate for them.’
‘But if they are so important to you, why sell them in the first place?’ She frowned suddenly. ‘But you couldn’t have sold them, of course. Not fifteen years ago. You would have been only...what...seventeen... eighteen?’
‘Good guess. I was eighteen at the time, and you’re right: I didn’t sell them. I would never have sold them. My father did. I am merely rectifying the mistake he made.’
His voice was so cold and flat that Louise shivered in reaction. She studied his face, searching for some clue to what had put that note in his voice, but there was nothing she could tell from the blandness of his expression.
‘And how does he feel about what you’re doing?’ she asked quietly.
‘My father is dead. I make the decisions now. I don’t answer to anyone. Now shall we carry on dancing?’
He started to lead her back on to the floor, but Louise slipped out of his hold. She didn’t want to dance, now more than ever. What Wyatt had just told her bothered her, although she couldn’t have explained exactly why. Avoiding his hard-eyed stare, she walked away, heading towards the buffet tables that had been set at the far end of the room. Picking up a plate, she filled it with delicacies she doubted if she’d be able to eat. It was just an excuse to stop him from insisting that they carry on dancing.
‘Sure you’ve got enough?’ His eyes skimmed the loaded plate before lifting to hers with cold sarcasm in their pale depths, and Louise felt colour steal under her skin as she realised he knew exactly why she’d suddenly discovered such an appetite. Defiantly, she chose a tiny puff of whisper-light pastry filled with prawns and a soft cream cheese and bit into it, pretending that she was enjoying the rich delicacy. Wyatt watched her in silence, leaning back against the edge of the table, his arms folded across his broad chest. When she finished the pastry and hesitated he raised a mocking brow. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve had enough already.’
Louise glared up at him and chose at random, biting into a fresh cream fruit tart, feeling her stomach churn at the sweetness of the confection. She chewed and swallowed every crumb, then set down the plate, knowing that she couldn’t eat anything else without running the risk of being sick.
‘You’ve got cream on your lip.’
Wyatt’s voice was completely bland as he made the quiet observation, but she still felt a rush of colour stain her cheeks. Hurriedly she ran the tip of a finger across her mouth, then glanced back at him. ‘Is that better?’
He shook his head, bending towards her as he caught her chin and tipped her face up to his. Louise stilled, waiting for the touch of his finger, then felt shock course through her as he bent even closer and delicately licked the smear of cream from her lip in an action that was so intimate that every bit of her trembled in reaction. Just for a second her eyes met his, vulnerable, unguarded, then a familiar voice spoke and she jerked her head away from his light hold.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you, but Daddy was wondering if he could have a word with you, Wyatt.’
‘Of course.’ He turned to smile at Carling, then looked back at Louise with a smile that made her heart roll over. ‘You don’t mind
, do you, darling? I promise I won’t be long.’
Louise nodded, afraid to speak in case he could hear the shakiness of her voice. What would it be like to have him smile at her that way and really mean it? She had no idea, just the sudden strangest longing to find out that shocked her rigid. Why should she want that from Wyatt? Why?
‘Enjoying yourself, Louise?’ There was little warmth in Carling’s voice now that Wyatt had left them. Louise bit back a sigh, pushing the disquieting thoughts to the back of her mind to deal with whatever was to come next.
‘Of course. It’s been a lovely party, Carling. You obviously have a natural gift for making these arrangements work. Have you never thought about doing this for a living?’
Carling laughed as she shuddered delicately. ‘I think not. Daddy would have a fit if I decided to go to work. I’m in the fortunate position of not needing to do something so mundane and boring.’
Louise smiled coolly, refusing to react to the other woman’s open condescension. ‘Really? It’s a pity, though, in some ways. I always think that having to earn a living is character-building.’
The smile faded from Carling’s lips. ‘Work is for poor people. The women in Wyatt’s circle don’t need to work.’
‘Then perhaps that’s the reason why he chose me, do you think? He might have grown bored with all those women you mention, might find their attitude rather shallow and meaningless.’
Carling moved closer, her eyes filled with dislike. “Don’t try getting too clever, Louise. It could be your downfall. Wyatt will come to his senses soon and realise that you don’t fit in with his lifestyle.‘ She turned to glance around the room, then looked back at Louise with a mocking smile. ’Take a good look round you, Louise, a good, long look, because this might be the closest you ever come to the life Wyatt leads. Even now he must be wondering what he’s doing with you when he could have his pick from the cream of society. He’s no fool; he’ll come to his senses and realise what he’s going to lose out on. Now if you’ll excuse me I’d better circulate. A few of us are planning on going to the casino later, but I’m sure you won’t want to come, Louise. I doubt if it’s your idea of worthy entertainment.‘
She turned to go, then stopped and glanced back with a malicious curl of her lips. ‘By the way, I am glad that you’ve enjoyed tonight. I told you I wanted it to be special for you...something pleasant to remember when Wyatt comes to his senses at last’
Louise watched her go, wishing there was some way she could have the satisfaction of watching her eat her words in the future, but that would never happen. After tomorrow she wouldn’t see Wyatt again, and although he would probably leave a decent interval before announcing that their engagement was off it still wouldn’t stop Carling from thinking she’d been proved right. It was the thought of how Carling would gloat that upset her, of course. It had nothing to do with the fact that after tomorrow she wouldn’t feature in Wyatt’s life at all.
The storm broke in the early hours of the morning. Louise lay in bed, listening to the rumbling of the thunder as lightning flashed against the window. The party had broken up around midnight, when most of the guests had left for the casino, but although she’d come straight up to her room she hadn’t slept. Her mind was just too busy to allow her to relax enough to sleep.
Tossing the sheet aside, she got up and walked over to the window, resting her head against the coolness of the glass as she watched the storm unfolding. There was something elemental and awe-inspiring about the sheer volume of noise, the brilliance of the forks of lightning as they speared towards the earth. It was nature at its most magnificent, cruel and relentless, yet possessing a strange beauty that tugged at her emotions.
As the storm started to move away she sighed and turned to go back to bed, then realised that there was no point She wouldn’t sleep now any better than she’d done before, and suddenly the thought of lying there, going over and over everything that had happened, was more than she could bear.
Quickly she drew her robe from the end of the bed and slipped it on, then made her way from the room down to the library. Lawrence had an extensive collection of books, so surely she could find something to while away a few hours until the morning. Straight after breakfast she’d pack her things, then she’d be ready whenever Wyatt wanted to leave. Then that would be the end of this whole unhappy affair.
There was a strange heaviness in her heart as she pushed the library door open and switched on the small desk lamp. Deep down she knew she should be glad that it was nearly at an end and that soon she’d be able to put Wyatt and all the trouble he’d caused her behind her. But she was honest enough to admit that wasn’t how she felt at all, and it bothered her.
‘Did the storm wake you, or couldn’t you sleep either?’
She dropped the book she was holding and swung round, her eyes widening as she suddenly spotted Wyatt sitting in one of the huge wing-back chairs. Despite the hour, he was still dressed, although he’d shed his jacket and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up, leaving his tanned forearms bare. For a long, tense moment he just studied her in silence, then picked up the heavy crystal glass that was sitting on a table beside the chair and raised it aloft with a mocking smile that cut into her heart. ‘This is a night for toasts, isn’t it, Louise? So let me make another one: to us and everything we’ve achieved here.’
Louise swallowed to ease the tightness in her throat, but her voice was husky. ‘Does that mean that Lawrence has signed the contract?’
He tossed the drink back then refilled the glass, cradling it in his hand as he swirled the liquor round and round. ‘Not yet, but it’s all over bar that, everything worked out to the last letter. A couple more days and the hotels will be mine. So here’s to us, Louise.’ He took another long swallow of the whiskey, then set the glass down with a thud that made her jump. Louise studied him in confusion. He’d told her himself he’d waited for years to finalise this deal, yet there’d been no trace of the elation he should surely feel in his voice.
‘There’s nothing wrong, is there? You don’t foresee any problems?’ she asked softly, watching him.
He smiled faintly, his eyes returning to her face in a look that made her feel strangely uneasy. ‘No. It’s all gone like clockwork, thanks to you.’
She shrugged, bending to pick up the book and smooth its pages with hands that trembled slightly. ‘I don’t believe that I played a major role in this. From what I’ve learned about you, Wyatt, you would have got those hotels one way or another even without any help.’
‘Perhaps, but let’s just say that you have made things flow that bit smoother. So another toast, to the best little actress I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. May every role you play in the future be equally successful.’ He downed the rest of the whiskey and Louise wondered why she felt the most ridiculous urge to cry. If he’d meant that as a compliment, then it fell far short of being that.
She turned to slide the book back into place on the shelf, feeling sadness welling inside her. Wyatt would always consider her to be nothing but a cheat and a liar, a woman who would do anything for money, and suddenly she knew she had to tell him the truth.
She turned back, her face very pale but filled with determination as she met his sardonic gaze. ‘There’s something I want to tell you, and I want you to promise that you’ll listen. You owe me that much.’
‘Tell me what? If this is confession time, honey, then save your breath. I know all I need to know about you. The same goes for if you’ve suddenly come up with some new fanciful tale about what you really do with your life.’
‘There’s nothing fanciful about it! It’s going to be the truth, every word of it. Not that I expect you to believe me; you’re too pigheaded for that. But at least I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that I tried to make you understand how wrong about me you are!’
‘I doubt if you even know what the truth is after all the lies you must have told.’ He stood up and came towards her, strangely intimidating in the
dim lamp-light with his face set and his pale eyes glittering. Louise felt her heart sink, but she stood her ground. They only had a few hours left, and somehow she was going to make him listen to what she had to say!
‘And you do, eh? Come on, Wyatt, even you can’t be so arrogant as to believe that you never make a mistake?’
His eyes narrowed at her biting sarcasm, but he merely smiled. ‘I make as many mistakes as the next guy, but I haven’t made any about you, sweetheart. I know who you are and what you are, and there’s nothing, else I need to know. And there is definitely nothing that you can dream up to convince me otherwise.’
‘Not even if I back it up with indisputable evidence? Surely then you’d have to admit that you just might be wrong?’
He laughed deeply. ‘What kind of evidence? Testimony from one of your gentleman friends? Oh, I don’t doubt that you can get one of them to swear you’re purer than the driven snow. Women like you can cast a spell over a man, Louise, make him want to believe anything you care to tell him, but you and I both know the truth. The funny thing is that it doesn’t stop me from wanting you.’
Suddenly, in the space of a single heartbeat, the atmosphere shifted, a throbbing tension humming in the air between them. Louise took a tiny shallow breath, almost afraid to move in case she triggered a reaction she wasn’t sure she could handle She licked her parched lips, then felt the blood thunder to her head as she saw the way his eyes centred on the action in a look she could feel deep inside.
‘Wyatt, I—’
He pressed his thumb against her mouth, stroking it around the moist softness, his eyes glittering fiercely into hers as he took a step towards her so that she could feel the heat of his body flowing over her skin. ‘Don’t. No more lies, no more pretence. I know what you are, but it means less than nothing to me compared with this ache I feel to have you.’ He drew his thumb from her mouth and slid it down the column of her neck to let it rest against the pulse that was beating frantically at its base. ‘This is the only kind of truth I need. I want you and you want me.’
Playing at Love Page 12