‘Did he indeed?’ James bit his lip thoughtfully. ‘I wonder why that was, after he’d gone to the trouble of offering it to you. Believe me, if he said you would be good then you would be. He knows what he’s talking about. I can’t say I approve of the idea myself, but you may be a fool to turn him down.’
‘I already have.’ She stopped on her way to her room. ‘By the way, Damien said he’d be over later tonight. Something to do with the film, I think.’
James’ face brightened. ‘He’s given me the part?’
She nodded, giving him a mischievous grin. ‘But that isn’t what he wants to talk to you about. I think he probably wants to discuss your co-star with you.’
‘My co-star?’ His brow cleared. ‘For the part of Rogers, I suppose. Who has he chosen?’
‘Oh, I couldn’t tell you that, it would be breaking a confidence,’ she laughed at the consternation on his face. ‘Damien wouldn’t like it, he’s the director after all.’
‘Damn Damien! Tell me.’
‘I’m not sure I should,’ she teased. ‘Anyway, you won’t like it.’
He caught up with her at the door and swung her round to face him, smiling unwillingly at the mischief in her face. ‘It has to be someone pretty bad for you to find it so amusing.’ The smile faded from his face. ‘Oh no, I’ve just realised … It’s Matt Strange, isn’t it? The rotten sneaking bast—swine!’ he amended. ‘Damien deliberately let me think—God, he’s devious! I even let you go out with him yesterday on the strength of it and all the time he had us picked out as a partnership. I should have realised, Matt’s brash overbearing nature is perfect for the part of Rogers. It just never occurred to me. And that’s what he’s coming here to talk about?’
Kate turned away. ‘I think so.’
‘He isn’t usually so considerate of people’s feelings.’ His steel-grey eyes narrowed. ‘Are you sure he isn’t coming to see you?’
‘He—’ She licked her lips and then blushed as she remembered Damien’s comment about this unconscious habit of hers. ‘Well, he may be,’ she said at last.
‘Which means he is,’ said James with finality. ‘How did your evening with the great man go? Did he make any passes at you?’
She wouldn’t exactly call them passes. He hadn’t been making a pass at her this morning when he had carried her naked from her bath; his intent had been clearly defined as sexual, nothing so insipid as a mere pass. But she couldn’t tell James about that, he would be furious. He might even refuse to star in the film, and she couldn’t let that happen.
‘Not a single one,’ she denied. ‘Quite a let-down for Damien Savage.’
‘You’re sure he isn’t coming back tonight to try again?’
She tried her best to look nonchalant. ‘Do his type usually try twice?’
‘If they want something badly enough I would say yes. And he made no secret of his attraction to you. Not even one pass?’ he persisted.
‘Well … maybe a little one.’ James would become suspicious if she denied it completely. ‘But I rebuffed him. I told you before I went, I don’t like the man.’ That wasn’t strictly true now. She was frightened of him now rather than felt dislike, frightened of the feelings he could arouse in her. ‘The airport, James,’ she reminded him. ‘You mustn’t let Sheri miss her plane.’
‘She wouldn’t go at all if I had my way,’ he muttered. ‘But I suppose I should go and change. We’ll talk when I get back, or rather I’ll try to talk you out of leaving me.’
She sighed. ‘I don’t think you’ll succeed. It’s time I grew up, time I stopped depending on you for everything, including protection from the outside world. I can’t be a child for ever, James.’
‘One evening out with Damien Savage and you come to these conclusions. I wish I’d never let you go with him now.’
So did Kate, but for very different reasons. She thought of him as she changed, she seemed to be able to think of little else. He had shaken her out of her dream-world as nothing else could have done, had brought her to an awareness of how shallow her friendships with Nigel and men like him had been. None of them could have brought her to life with just the look in their eyes or the smallest touch of their hands.
But it was Damien’s experience that enabled him to do that, the vast amount of women he had known before her. If she had given in to him, as she had wanted to, she would just have been another woman in the long line of females that had enhanced his life, just another casual relationship.
He had invited her to live with him, but how long would that have lasted? And even then could she have been sure she was the only woman in his life? It didn’t seem likely; he didn’t appear to be the constant type, his affairs lasting a couple of months at most.
But what could she say to him tonight to make him leave her alone? How could she get him to leave without making a scene? She certainly didn’t want to admit to James just how far things had gone between them, or the attraction they felt for each other that was the destruction of any ideals she might have had about love and marriage.
* * *
She must have dozed by the pool, because it was quite late in the afternoon by the time she was awakened by a polite cough from Jennings, their butler. She smiled at him sleepily, and sat up lazily. ‘Yes, Jennings?’
He held himself stiffly correct, reminding Kate of a character out of a P. G. Wodehouse story. She felt sure he must be highly shocked by the behaviour of some of James’ friends, although in no way would he ever show it, he was much too polite for that. ‘There’s a gentleman to see Mr St Just, Miss Darwood. I have informed him that Mr St Just is not at home at the moment and so he requested to see you instead.’
Damien! It had to be him. Lord, he was early. He had said this evening some time. What was she going to do now? What could she do, she would have to ask him in. She put a hand to her hair, looking down in horror at the bikini she wore. God, she must look a mess, she couldn’t see him looking like this.
‘Miss Darwood?’ Jennings was still waiting for her answer.
‘Show him into the lounge, Jennings,’ she said finally. ‘I’ll be there in a few minutes.’
‘Yes, miss.’
She scrambled off the lounger, picking up her sunglasses and book to hurry along the poolside to the house. She wasn’t even halfway there when a man came strolling out of the house, casually dressed in a brown shirt and cream trousers, a man completely sure of his effect on the opposite sex. He gave Kate that wicked grin that she detested, leering at her with those blue eyes that stripped away what little clothing she had on.
‘Mr Strange,’ she said stiffly, holding herself as aloof as it was possible to do in a minute black bikini. ‘James isn’t here, I’m afraid.’ She would even have preferred Damien to this hateful man, would have welcomed him even.
He smiled at her. ‘I know that, Kate. But I can wait.’
Not with her he couldn’t! She didn’t like him one little bit, although he seemed to be very popular with the public, a fact that had always puzzled her. He was conceited to the point of making her feel physically sick, with about as much charm as an over-sexed ape.
The first couple of times she had met him he had tried, unsuccessfully, to get her to go out with him. She felt sure it was only because he considered she belonged to James and he couldn’t bear to think that any woman was immune to him. Well, here was one woman who was; he sickened her utterly.
‘I’m not sure what time he’ll be returning,’ she lied, well aware that James intended being back for dinner.
‘That’s okay, I don’t mind waiting,’ he returned smoothly.
‘He could be a long time,’ she insisted.
‘I have plenty of time,’ he smiled. ‘You could even invite me to dinner.’
The audacity of the man! ‘But I—’
‘Thanks, I’d love to. Let’s sit down, shall we?’ he indicated the chairs beside the pool. ‘It’s not often I get to see you on your own. I must say it gave me quite a surprise to s
ee you with Damien last night. I thought James only allowed for competition like Nigel Humphries,’ he taunted. ‘Damien’s in a class all of his own.’
She knew that—oh yes, she knew that. ‘I accompanied Mr Savage to your party because he’d only just arrived in the country and needed a partner.’
Matt Strange snorted his disbelief. ‘He only has to snap his fingers and the girls come running, so I’m sure that isn’t the case. I wasn’t even sure you would still be staying here.’
‘Why shouldn’t I be?’
He shrugged. ‘Sit down and I’ll tell you.’
‘I—I can’t. I have to change.’
His eyes ran over her tanned body appraisingly. ‘Don’t bother on my account, I like you as you are.’
She could imagine he did! At twenty-seven he was the biggest lecher she had ever had the misfortune to meet. She couldn’t even understand why he needed to be like this; he was very good-looking in a rugged sort of way, with his blond hair, shrewd blue eyes, and a tough muscled body. If only he weren’t so obnoxious in other ways!
Instant stardom two years ago had probably done that to him. It couldn’t be easy to be suddenly thrust into the public eye, to be recognised and looked at wherever you went. James had become accustomed to this adoration over a period of twenty years, this man had had two years to come to terms with it, and apparently he hadn’t yet done so.
But why should she be making excuses for his behaviour? She didn’t like him or his attitude towards women, and nothing he did could change that. ‘I was just going in to change when you arrived,’ she insisted. ‘If you’ll excuse me for a few minutes.’
‘Why don’t you sit down, Kate? I’m not going to harm you. I only came here to talk.’ Again he indicated that she should sit down.
‘Oh, all right,’ she agreed. ‘Just for a few minutes, then I really must go to my room.’ She sat down. ‘Why did you want to see James?’
‘No particular reason. I just thought that as we were shortly going to be working together I should try and improve diplomatic relations between us. James and I have had our disagreements in the past, a couple of them about you,’ he grinned at her. ‘But that’s all over now, now that you and James aren’t—well, now that you’re no longer James’ exclusive property.’
Kate frowned. ‘What does that have to do with anything? And why should you think that anyway?’
‘James has always given anyone he doesn’t approve of who comes within touching distance of you the hands-off signal. But that can no longer apply, not after your little evening out with Damien. I originally came here to see James,’ he added, ‘but in a way I’m glad he isn’t here, it gives me the opportunity to ask you out to dinner with me this evening. Will you come?’
Kate shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do that, not this evening.’ Not any time if she could help it!
‘Then how about tomorrow?’
‘No, I’m sorry,’ again she refused, beginning to feel hot all over at the way his eyes slid over her body. He made her skin crawl. ‘I’m not sure what James’ plans are for tomorrow.’
He raised one eyebrow and lounged back comfortably in the chair. ‘Does it matter what he’s doing? I would have thought you could make your own arrangements now.’
‘You seem to have the wrong impression about me, Mr Strange. James and are I friends, nothing more. I’ve always been able to go out with whom I chose.’
‘I see.’ His blue eyes narrowed. ‘That isn’t the impression James gives. Does that mean that in the past it was your decision not to go out with me?’
She realised the trap she had set for herself too late. ‘I—well, I— Yes, I suppose so.’ She fidgeted with her sunglasses, embarrassed at her disclosure.
‘But you didn’t feel the same reluctance where Damien Savage was concerned?’ he asked softly.
Kate could tell by the dangerous glitter in his blue eyes that he was fast losing his temper, and he was well known for his rages, often made in public, and splashed across the front of the daily newspapers. She didn’t welcome being the cause of one of those rages. ‘No,’ she said softly, watching him closely.
‘So you’ve dropped James for Damien?’
‘Do you think it likely that I would still be living here if that were the case?’ She shook her head. ‘I told you, you have the wrong idea about myself and James. And I went out with Damien Savage for one night only. It won’t be repeated.’
‘Then why won’t you come out with me?’
Because she didn’t want to! Any normal man would have realised that by now. But not this man; he couldn’t accept disinterest, believing himself to be completely attractive to all women. She looked pointedly at her wrist-watch. ‘It’s getting late, Mr Strange. I must get out of this bikini.’
‘You haven’t answered my question yet, Kate. But I can wait. You’re worth waiting for. Go ahead and change, I’ll wait here.’
This plan didn’t please Kate at all. ‘I could be some time,’ she discouraged.
‘That’s okay, I’m in no hurry to leave.’
And he didn’t look as if he was, sitting quite relaxed as he looked up at her now standing figure. ‘In that case you may as well go into the lounge and help yourself to a drink. I’ll be as quick as I can,’ she told him crossly.
‘I told you, I’m in no hurry.’ He too stood up. ‘Don’t bother to show me the way, I know where to go.’
He didn’t, or he would have left completely. She didn’t want him here. He must have a skin like a rhinoceros if he didn’t realise that. She sorted through her wardrobe, trying to find something that wouldn’t draw too much attention to her; Matt Strange was interested enough without that.
She discarded the bikini, donning a silk robe in preparation of taking her shower. She hoped James arrived home soon; Matt Strange was getting too intimate for comfort, and he wasn’t going to take the answer no to his invitation out to dinner. She absolutely refused to accompany another man she had no wish to go out with.
‘Very nice!’
She turned sharply to see Matt Strange standing in the open doorway of her bedroom, a glass of some amber fluid in his hand. ‘What are you—’
He moved forward into the room, closing the door softly behind him. ‘If anything you look more seductive in that silk thing than you did in your minute bikini.’
To Kate he looked totally menacing. ‘I don’t remember inviting you into my bedroom.’ She made an effort to remain cool, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how he unnerved her.
‘Do I need an invitation?’ All the time he was moving closer.
‘I would have thought so.’ She watched him warily, backing slowly away from him until she felt herself come up against the bedroom wall.
He put down his empty glass on her white dressing-table, moving forward to pin her to the wall with a hand either side of her head. ‘Don’t act the innocent with me, Kate. I know exactly what you are.’ He lowered his body against hers. ‘And I think it’s my turn now.’ He bent his head to kiss her creamy throat.
She couldn’t repress her shiver of revulsion at the touch of his lips to her skin, squirming away from him but not getting very far with his hands restraining her. ‘Let go of me!’ she snapped between gritted teeth, trying to stop herself from crying out. ‘If you don’t let go of me I swear I’ll scream the house down,’ she promised vehemently.
He laughed mockingly against her throat. ‘You know you like it—your sort always do. If you like to fight, then we’ll fight. I don’t mind.’
Kate gasped her shock. ‘You’re disgusting, absolutely disgusting! I meant it about screaming. If you touch me once more I’ll let out the biggest yell you’ve ever heard!’
‘I don’t believe you.’ His lips continued their downward path.
Her scream was stifled halfway through by his hand placed roughly over her mouth. She glared her dislike of him, the gold flecks in her eyes clearly showing her hatred of him and his treatment of her.
‘So you want to play rough, do you?’ he growled at her, an ugly look of anger on his flushed face. ‘Okay, so we’ll play rough.’ He picked her up and threw her on the bed. ‘You’re the most provocative little bitch I’ve ever met, and I intend to have you!’
‘I don’t think so,’ remarked a voice Kate instantly recognised, quickly wrapping the robe about her naked body where it had come awry by Matt Strange’s rough handling of her, looking up thankfully to see Damien Savage standing just inside the room. ‘If you’re a very wise man, Strange,’ he continued, dangerously soft, ‘you’ll just leave quietly.’
The younger man looked at him challengingly. ‘And if I choose not to?’
‘Then we’ll just go outside and settle this matter another way.’
Matt Strange looked down at Kate, who was now shivering with reaction. ‘I don’t think you’re worth the bother,’ he said tauntingly. ‘Maybe I was wrong and my time hasn’t come yet.’ He looked up at Damien. ‘I can wait until you’ve finished with her.’
The next thing Kate knew he was lying at her feet, blood pouring from his nose. The look on his face could only be described as ugly and she flinched from that look. Suddenly he smiled. ‘She simply isn’t worth it, Damien. I’ll just leave before this whole thing gets out of control. See you around, Kate, Damien.’
There was a stunned silence after he had left, until Kate broke into loud choking sobs. She felt dirty and degraded, felt as if she wanted to scrub every inch of her body to erase Matt Strange’s touch. She sensed Damien standing beside her and turned to bury her face against him, his arm about her shoulders holding her close.
‘It’s all right, honey,’ he said softly. ‘It’s all over now.’
‘Oh, Damien,’ she clung to him. ‘It was awful, awful!’
He smoothed back her hair with a gentle hand, a trace of anger still burning in his green eyes. ‘I know, honey. I felt murderous when I walked in here and saw you with him. I wouldn’t have realised what was going on if I hadn’t heard your scream. I arrived a few minutes ago and Jennings went off in search of you.’
Savage Interlude Page 7