by Joanna Neil
‘Perhaps it was because you were with me,’ she murmured as the thought dawned on her. ‘I can’t think of any other reason why I should feel this way. But around you I feel more secure somehow.’
‘Then I’ll have to arrange it so that I’m with you more often,’ he said with a smile. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug, but it was over almost as soon as it had begun and she mourned the loss of that comforting embrace.
He was called away a few minutes later to deal with another patient, but he urged Alyssa to go and wait in his office. ‘I’ll come and find you as soon as I have anything for you. I know you’re concerned about Lewis. Help yourself to coffee, or whatever. Make yourself at home.’
‘I will, thanks.’
She went to his office and made coffee, as he’d suggested, and then sat down to glance through some magazines she found on a low table. She was too anxious about what was happening to Lewis, though, to be able to concentrate for long, and restlessness soon overcame her. She stood up and went to stare out of the window at the fig tree that provided shade in a corner of the landscaped gardens. Everything about Connor’s place of work, including the area outside, was designed to be luxurious and peaceful, to put people at their ease.
She turned away and looked around the room. In a corner, on top of a mahogany filing cabinet, she found a child’s toy, a lightweight, wooden horse and cart. The wheels on the cart turned when she gently spun them. On the seat of the cart there was a jointed, carved figure of a little girl. Engrossed in the beautiful simplicity of the toy, she took a moment to react when Connor came into the room.
‘Oh, you’ve discovered my secret hobby,’ he said, his mouth curving. ‘I wasn’t sure whether or not to paint it. Do you think it might look better?’
‘You made this?’ Her eyes widened. ‘No, you should leave it. I think it’s perfect as it is. I love this sort of thing—in fact, I was just thinking that I’d like to buy something hand-crafted to send home to my mother.’ She looked at him with real admiration. ‘So this is your hobby?’
‘One of them,’ he said, nodding. ‘The wood’s particularly easy to carve. It comes from the gamalamee I was telling you about. It’s a kind of balsa wood, so it’s really easy to work with. I thought I’d give this toy to the little girl who was nearly drowned. Apparently she lost her doll in the flood—I thought this might help to make up for it.’ He frowned. ‘What do you think? I wondered if perhaps it’s not girly enough?’
She went over to him and laid her hand on his arm, looking up into his eyes. ‘Oh, Connor, she’ll absolutely love it. I think that’s a wonderful idea.’ It was such a thoughtful gesture that it brought a lump to her throat and she wanted to reach up and kiss him…and for a moment or two she was poised on the edge of doing just that. But even as she warred within herself, his arms went around her and he dropped a kiss lightly on her mouth.
‘I’m glad you think so,’ he murmured.
Flustered, she stayed where she was for the time being, not stirring but watching him, her lips gently parted, stunned by the intimate gesture and desperate for him to sear her mouth with flame once again.
‘If you go on looking at me like that,’ he warned softly, ‘there’ll be nothing for it except to kiss you all over again.’
‘Um…’ She pulled herself together and gave herself a mental shake. What on earth was she thinking? For a second or two she’d been reckless enough to think of throwing caution to the wind and basking in the shelter of his arms. That would have been sheer madness. He would lead her along the same path as all his other conquests and then disentangle himself when he judged things were liable to get out of hand. And she could see them getting out of hand very quickly.
‘Did you…?’ She tried to collect her thoughts. ‘Did you have some news about Lewis? You seem to have been gone for ages.’
‘Sorry about that. Yes…’ He slowly released her. ‘I had some of the results back and added some more drugs to his list of medication. His blood pressure’s up a little, so that’s a sign things are moving in the right direction, but his heart rate is still very fast. He’s not out of the woods yet by a long way. And we need to get that infection under control.’
‘I suppose it’s something, at least, that his condition isn’t getting any worse.’
‘Yes. Anyway, he’ll be admitted to one of the wards, and another doctor will go on with his treatment.’
He glanced briefly at the wooden cart and then turned back to her. ‘How do you feel about going to the market in town to look for that gift you mentioned? My shift’s finished so I could take you there, if you like…unless you have to get back for some reason? I can’t see that either of us will do any good by staying here any longer—we’ll be leaving Lewis in good hands.’
She nodded. ‘The filming was due to finish over an hour ago, so I’m through for the day.’ She smiled at him. ‘I think I’d like that. Thanks.’
They left the hospital a few minutes later after she’d taken a quick look at Lewis to see how he was doing. He was sleeping and his wife was at his bedside. ‘I’ll leave you two alone,’ Alyssa murmured, laying a comforting hand on the woman’s shoulder.
‘Thank you—both of you—for taking care of him and bringing him here,’ the woman said.
‘You’re welcome. We’re very concerned that he should get better.’
They made their way to the car park and set off for the market. It was a short ride away, a bustling place filled with wooden stalls where all kinds of wares were set out. Nearby was an open square bordered with bars and cafés and dotted around with tables and chairs where people could sit to eat and drink. In the middle of the square a traditional steel band was playing. The whole atmosphere was lively and entertaining, and Alyssa felt her spirits lifting.
‘I love this market,’ she told Connor as they walked around. ‘There are so many lovely hand-crafted items for sale—I don’t know how on earth I’m going to choose what to buy.’
‘It’s true, they’re very big on straw crafts here—handbags, hats, and souvenirs. It depends what you’re looking for…Something for your mother, you said?’
‘That’s right. It’s her birthday next week, on Saturday, so I thought I might get her something personal.’ There were jewellery stalls full of wonderful necklaces and bracelets made from beads or seeds polished to a high gloss, and some were made of oyster pearls. They stood for a while, watching a woman thread glass beads on to a wire and fashion it into a pretty spiral bracelet.
‘She makes it look so easy,’ Alyssa said, ‘but some of the necklaces she made are very intricate. My mother bought me something similar for my birthday last year…’ She smiled. ‘It was funny, because her birthday was a week earlier than mine and I’d bought her a bracelet that would have gone with it perfectly. She said it gave her the inspiration for my present.’
‘You like jewellery?’
She laughed. ‘I do. Show me a woman who doesn’t.’
‘Well, yes…’ He smiled. ‘But I meant, you like beaded necklaces?’
‘Oh, yes. I sort of collect them. I see something pretty like that, and I can scarcely resist buying it.’
They wandered around the stalls, checking out the goods, and in the end Alyssa chose a handbag made from woven palm leaves and decorated with coloured beads. ‘I think my mother will like that,’ she said. ‘It’s lined with silk, and there’s a purse to match.’
‘She must look forward to hearing from you, I expect,’ Connor said. ‘After all, you’ve been here for some time now, and you’re a long way from home.’
‘Maybe. I don’t really know about that,’ Alyssa answered, a fleeting expression of sadness moving over her features. ‘I’ve tried calling her a few times, but she’s usually out—I think she’s been especially busy lately, putting together a collection for her boutique.’
‘What about your father? Have you spoken to him?’
‘A couple of times. He’s been away a lot, checking on different
subsidiaries of the company, so I’ve tended to leave email messages instead of phoning these last couple of weeks. That way they get back to me whenever they can.’
He put his arm around her and drew her close. ‘I wonder if they know how much you need them to be there for you,’ he said softly.
She stared at him, her green eyes troubled. How did he know? It was something she’d tried to keep to herself, this feeling of disconnection from her family. Was he so perceptive that he saw through the outer shell to her inner being?
‘I’m a grown woman,’ she said. ‘They know I’m independent and they probably respect me for it.’
‘Maybe.’ His arm was reassuringly steady around her, and his hand lightly cupped her shoulder. ‘Let’s go and get a cold drink and listen to the band for a while.’
‘Okay. Just for a half an hour or so, and then I should get back.’
They walked over to the cobbled square and sat at a wooden bench table under the shade of a parasol. A waiter took their order for drinks and Connor ordered a platter of sandwiches. When it arrived a few minutes later Alyssa’s eyes grew large. It looked surprisingly appetising.
‘I was expecting straightforward bread with a filling,’ she said, ‘but these look delicious.’ Among the sandwiches to choose from there were chicken and bacon with mayonnaise, cheese and sun-dried tomato with a herb dressing, and surrounding it all was a bed of crispy, fresh salad. ‘This is wonderful.’
They ate, and drank, and listened to the music, watching as men carried two support struts and a cane into the centre of the square. Then supple limbo dancers dipped and dived, moving around to the heavy beat of the music and taking it in turns to bend beneath the horizontal cane, which was gradually lowered to within a few inches of the ground. The crowd whooped and cheered in delight.
When the show finished, Alyssa glanced at her watch. ‘I ought to go back,’ she said on a reluctant note.
‘Do you have to?’
‘I’m afraid so. I’ve arranged to see Ross later on, back at the house. He said he wanted to talk to me…about the filming, I think. He’s very taken up with how it’s all going. And he seems to be obsessed with taking on this water-skiing stunt.’ She frowned. ‘Has he done this sort of thing before?
Connor nodded. ‘He’s pretty good at all kinds of water sports.’ His mouth made a wry curve. ‘I think that’s how he managed to hook up with quite a few young women—they were very impressed with his prowess…as well as his six-pack.’
‘Oh, dear. Even so, even if he’s quite skilled, I still wish he wouldn’t do it. I wish Dan had put his foot down and refused to let him take it on.’
She frowned. ‘Apparently the scene in the film calls for a race across the water, and I can’t help but worry about it. All sorts of things could go wrong—there are bound to be other people and boats on the water, and he could be turned off course by the swell from other boats—not to mention that he’s just recovered from a nasty head injury.’
She looked earnestly at Connor. ‘Can’t you persuade him not to do it? He might listen to you.’
‘I can try, but I doubt if he’ll take any notice.’ His eyes glittered. ‘I suspect he’s only doing it because he wants to try to impress you. He thinks the world of you.’
‘But that’s the last thing I want,’ she protested, appalled at the thought. ‘I hate to think of him risking life and limb for the cameras.’
‘Because you care for him, don’t you?’ Connor’s features were in shadow as the sun dipped behind a backdrop of trees. ‘You can’t bear the thought of him being hurt.’
‘Of course I care for him…I think the world of him. He helped me when I was down and encouraged me to come over here—how can I ignore all that now and watch him put himself at risk? He’s your brother, don’t you want to steer him away from doing anything reckless?’
‘There are a lot of things I want,’ Connor said darkly, his eyes glinting with some unfathomable emotion. ‘And my brother’s well-being is one of them. But there are also times when being my brother’s keeper can be a bit like wielding a double-edged sword.’
She wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that, but she had the feeling that she was at the root of his brooding manner. Was there an inherent rivalry between the brothers that he’d tried to suppress, or was he merely concerned by Ross’s apparent foolhardiness?
Either way, she didn’t want to be the cause of any dissension between them. What could she do to keep this from happening?
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘WELL, there’s a sight for sore eyes.’ Connor’s voice sounded close by and Alyssa woke with a start. She’d been dozing in the hammock outside in the sunshine, and as she looked around, the hammock swayed gently with her movements.
Connor looked as though he was on top form, long, lithe, energetic, dressed in dark trousers and a linen shirt that showed the flat line of his stomach and emphasised his perfect physique.
‘I was just…I didn’t expect to fall asleep,’ she murmured, her voice husky from the heat. It was still before noon, after all, though she glanced at her watch to make sure she hadn’t been sleeping for too long. ‘I just came out here to take the air for half an hour or so, and before I knew it I must have been well away.’
‘Mmm. Perhaps you needed the rest. You looked so beautifully relaxed, it seemed a pity I had to wake you.’ His gaze swept along the length of her, coming to rest on the expanse of her bare thigh, which must have been exposed when she’d wriggled into a more comfortable position. Flustered, she tried to cover herself by quickly tugging down the skirt of her dress.
He pulled a wry face. ‘That is such a shame,’ he mused on a reflective note, ‘I could have stood here and watched you for hours.’
Hot colour ran along her cheekbones. ‘You said you had to wake me? Is something wrong?’ She sat up, still a bit groggy from sleep, and readied herself to swing down from the hammock. It was the weekend, so there was no work for her to be worrying about, and she wondered what could possibly be the problem.
‘Is this to do with Ross? He was going to pick up his new car this morning. He said he would bring it over here to show me…has the deal fallen through somehow?’ Ross’s car had been a write-off after the accident on the night of the storm, but he’d quickly set about organising a replacement.
Connor shook his head. ‘No, it’s nothing like that. Your cousin rang…Carys. You left your phone out on the deck, so I answered it for you in case it was anything urgent. She said she’s getting an earlier plane and wonders if you could meet her at the airport—she should be arriving in about an hour.’ He frowned. ‘I’d offer to take you but I have to leave for the hospital around that time. I’m on call with the emergency services this afternoon.’
‘Oh, that’s all right, don’t worry about it. Thanks, anyway. I have my little runabout and I’m sure I’ll manage to find my way to the airport, even without sat-nav.’ She smiled. ‘You know Carys, don’t you? Ross said you and he were her neighbours when you lived in Florida, though I expect you were all youngsters back then.’
He nodded. ‘We’ve kept in touch with the family over the years—and we both still go back there quite often.’
‘So you’ll both probably enjoy seeing her again. Oh, wow…It’s great that she’s managed to get an earlier flight. I wasn’t expecting her to arrive until this evening, but now we’ll have a bit more time together. She’ll be going back late tomorrow evening.’ She pulled in a quick breath. ‘I ought to go and give her a ring.’
She went to get down from the hammock, but it started to swing from side to side and she hesitated for a second or two.
‘Here, let me help you.’ Connor reached for her, his strong arms sliding around her waist and bringing her up close to him. As he lifted her down her soft curves brushed against the length of his hard body, and a whole host of wild and wonderful feelings started up inside her. Blood pumped through her veins with lightning force as she found herself being drawn into his firm embrace,
and her whole body was suddenly vibrant with thrilling sensation.
Her feet finally touched the ground, but he went on holding her, and she realised she was in no hurry at all to move away from him. He was tall and strong, impressively masculine, and his powerful arms were locked around her in a way that had every nerve ending clamouring for attention. Delicious tremors shimmered through her. Her breasts were softly crushed against his long, tautly muscled frame, and his strong thighs were pressuring hers, so that a flood of heat began to pool in the pit of her abdomen.
He eased her against him, his hands gently caressing her, gliding along the length of her spine and over the swell of her hips, stirring up a firestorm of heat inside her. Then he bent his head towards her, and she knew that in the very next moment he was going to kiss her. Her heart began to tap out an erratic rhythm, and elation rose up in her. All she could think about was her desperate need to feel his lips on hers.
She didn’t have to wait long for her wish to be granted. In the next instant his mouth covered hers, gently coaxing, teasing her lips apart so that in a heartbeat she yielded to the sweet, tender onslaught. Her body was supple, fired up with need, and she moulded herself to him, wanting this moment to never end. Out of the blue, it dawned on her that she’d never felt this way before, never wanted any man the way she wanted him.
‘Sweet, sweet girl,’ he murmured, nuzzling her throat and trailing a line of flame all the way down to the creamy slope of her shoulder. ‘What am I to do? I can’t resist you. I’m heady with wanting you, Alyssa. It feels as though I’m drunk and off balance.’
That was how she felt, too, as though her world had been tilted off its axis and she was spinning out of control. It was a strange, breathtaking feeling, and for once in her life she didn’t know how to handle things.