by Penny Jordan
Her mouth firmed and she shook her head. ‘I meant what I said earlier, Luc. I am not going to sleep with you tonight.’
‘I can assure you that sleep is the last thing I have on my mind,’ he drawled in amusement, as he moved to sit at the other end of the window seat.
She gave him a reproving look. ‘Don’t tease, Luc.’
He returned her gaze consideringly. ‘But it has become one of my pleasures in life to tease you, Darci,’ he murmured.
She glared. ‘It’s a pleasure you’ll have to forgo in future!’
‘You don’t want me?’ He frowned.
Darci was glad of the darkness to hide the blush in her cheeks. ‘I can hardly claim that after what happened earlier!’
‘Then where is the problem?’ he mused.
‘The problem is I don’t—’
‘Do affairs,’ he finished dryly.
‘Exactly,’ she said with satisfaction. ‘And as you don’t do anything else but affairs—Luc, what are you doing?’ she gasped, slightly breathless as his lean fingers slid caressingly along the bareness of her foot to her ankle and then back again, sending shivers of awareness along the length of her leg and up into her already sensitised groin.
Luc continued to caress the lean beauty of her foot, knowing by the sudden unevenness of Darci’s breathing that she was as disturbed by his touch as he was by the feel of her silky skin against his fingertips.
How or why this had happened to him had ceased to be important, Luc realised ruefully. Darci was all that was important now. And, no matter how she protested, he couldn’t let her just walk out of his life!
But knowing that Darci wanted him physically, that she responded to his kisses and caresses, did not mean that she felt anything else for him but desire. And even that desire could not persuade her into going to bed with him….
He looked up at her, his dark gaze intense on the pale beauty of her face in the moonlight. ‘Can you deny that you like my hands on your body, Darci?’ he probed.
She swallowed hard, green eyes haunted. ‘I haven’t tried to deny it, Luc.’ She sighed. ‘I’ve simply told you that I won’t have an affair with you.’
‘Yes, I believe you have made it very clear that you do not have any room in your life for “a rich Sicilian playboy who might have decided he wants to hop in and out of your bed whenever he happens to be in London”!’ Luc acknowledged hardly.
The fact that Luc remembered what she had said earlier told Darci that her remark must have hit a raw nerve. But why should it have done? She was no more conversant with affairs than she was with relationships, but wasn’t the behaviour Luc had just described exactly what his relationships involved?
‘What if I were to offer you more than an affair, Darci?’ he said abruptly.
She became suddenly still, her expression wary. ‘Such as…?’ she prompted guardedly.
Luc gave a self-derisive smile as he shrugged. ‘What is the next progression on from an affair, Darci?’
Darci looked at him frowningly, trying to read something—anything!—from his expression, and failing utterly. Luc’s face was an unreadable mask, only the dark glitter of his eyes betraying any emotion at all. And she had no idea what that emotion was!
She moistened dry lips. ‘You’re suggesting I move in with you while the attraction lasts?’ She shook her head. ‘That would no more work than an affair, when you live in Los Angeles and I live in London,’ she reasoned.
Really, why didn’t he just give this up and stop causing her any more heartache? she wondered tremblingly.
His eyes narrowed. ‘You would not consider transferring your place of work to Los Angeles?’
‘No, I would not,’ she dismissed tersely, turning to swing her legs to the floor before standing up and moving impatiently away from those caressing fingers. ‘Any more than you would consider transferring your place of work to London,’ she added, as she moved away to pace restlessly.
Luc watched her movements, admiring the lean strength of her body, the way that luxurious red hair moved silkily down the length of her spine. ‘Why don’t you try asking me?’ he suggested.
She stopped her pacing to stare across at him suspiciously. ‘What game are you playing now, Luc?’
He gave a rueful smile. ‘No game, Darci. Ask me.’ His smile faded as he pressed her determinedly.
‘Just so that you can say no?’ she replied, shaking her head. ‘I don’t think so, Luc—’
‘Ask me, damn you!’ he bit out impatiently.
He hadn’t expected this to be so difficult, Luc admitted frustratedly. Perhaps if he knew how Darci felt about him he might feel more relaxed about the outcome of this conversation. But as he had absolutely no idea of her feelings, other than the desire that exploded between them every time they were together, he didn’t feel he had any choice but to step cautiously.
‘Okay, Luc.’ She sighed. ‘I’m asking.’
‘What exactly are you asking?’ he came back.
‘Would you move the base of your work to London so that the two of us can live together?’
‘Yes.’
Her face froze as she stared at him. ‘Yes…?’ she finally repeated faintly.
Luc gave a mocking inclination of his head. ‘Yes,’ he confirmed dryly.
‘But—I—You—Don’t be ridiculous!’ she cried.
He gave a pained wince. ‘What is so ridiculous about it, Darci? Wolf and Cesare have both moved their centre of business to the U.K., so that Angel and Robin might continue with their respective jobs. Angel is now a research assistant to a government politician; Robin is her father’s assistant in their family publishing company.’
‘They’re both married,’ Darci replied. ‘People tend to make sacrifices like that when they’re married. But not when they’re conducting affairs,’ she finished firmly, as Luc would have spoken. ‘I’m sure you’ve never even thought about doing something like this before, just so that you can have an affair with someone!’
‘True,’ Luc acknowledged. ‘But we would be living together, not conducting an affair,’ he corrected.
‘It’s the same thing!’ Darci declared stubbornly.
‘No, it is not,’ Luc responded succinctly, standing up slowly. His mouth firmed with displeasure as Darci automatically took a step away from him. ‘Darci, I would be willing to move to London, to restrict to a minimum the amount of time I would need to go away on business, in order to be with you. What are you willing to give?’ he asked, moving stealthily forward to stand in front of her, his dark gaze searching her set features.
Darci stared up at him frowningly, not knowing what this conversation was about—only aware that Luc was offering her a glimpse of heaven!
Perhaps if he did move to London, and the two of them did set up home together somewhere, Luc might eventually fall in love with her…?
No, he wouldn’t, she answered herself almost instantly. Luc didn’t intend falling in love with any woman. Ever. He had made that more than plain when he had told her of how his parents’ love for each other had excluded Wolf and himself.
She shifted her gaze away from his and her shoulders slumped wearily. ‘Nothing,’ she told him in a whisper. ‘I’m not willing to give anything in order to live with you, Luc. In London or anywhere else,’ she said, so that there should be no misunderstanding between them.
He drew in a harsh breath. ‘That is your final word on the subject?’
She nodded stiffly, her gaze fixed on the rapid rise and fall of his chest beneath his snowy-white evening shirt. ‘My absolute, final word,’ she confirmed breathlessly, knowing that medically hearts didn’t really break—even if the pain in her chest told her otherwise! ‘Please believe that I do appreciate the—that I realise it can’t have been—Goodnight, Luc,’ she muttered shakily, before she brushed past him and almost ran across to the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her.
Luc stood where she had left him for several long, painful minutes as he fought for con
trol, each heavy beat of his heart seeming to wrench through his chest as he faced the bitterness of knowing he had lost Darci.
No, he hadn’t lost her—because Darci had never been his to lose!
He wouldn’t accept that.
He couldn’t accept that.
He wasn’t going to give up without a fight, Luc decided fiercely, narrowing his eyes determinedly as he strode purposefully towards the bedroom.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DARCI looked up fearfully from where she lay face-down on the bed as she heard the bedroom door open and then close. Her vision was too blurred by tears for her to be able to see any more than the silhouette of Luc’s tall imposing figure as he approached.
She knew that she wouldn’t be strong enough, that she loved Luc too much to withstand another onslaught on her emotions….
The bed gave slightly as he sat down beside her to reach out and turn her over, to draw her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. Darci’s own arms moved up instinctively about his shoulders and she clung on tight.
‘Please understand that I just can’t do this, Luc!’ she sobbed as she burrowed her face against the hardness of his chest. ‘I wish that I could—you’ve no idea how I wish that I could be one of those women who would be happy to take the affair, the living together, that you’re offering!’ she admitted emotionally. ‘But I can’t! You see, I’ve never—I haven’t ever—I’d probably be a terrible disappointment to you, anyway,’ she added with a sob.
Luc became very still, moving back slightly to look down at her searchingly, his own emotions catching in his throat as he saw her tears and the becoming blush that had coloured her cheeks. ‘Darci, are you telling me what I think you are?’ he murmured gruffly.
She hesitated. ‘That I’m a twenty-eight-year-old virgin?’ She gave a self-derisive grimace. ‘Yes, Luc, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.’ She gave a shaky smile. ‘So, you see, you really wouldn’t want to have an affair with someone as inexperienced as me!’
The emotions that surged through Luc at that moment were so overwhelming that he found he couldn’t speak for several seconds. He had thought, half-guessed the day of the picnic, that Darci was so skittish because she was a virgin. But to know it was a fact…
‘You’re right, Darci. I don’t want to have an affair with you,’ he finally confirmed softly.
Darci’s mouth trembled slightly. ‘I didn’t think that you would once you knew the truth,’ she replied slowly.
Luc straightened, holding her away from him slightly. ‘Darci, I realised after you walked away from me just now that I had forgotten to tell you one important thing. No—’ he sighed, shaking his head firmly ‘—I did not forget.’ His accent deepened along with his emotions. ‘I did not tell you because I was still intent on protecting myself,’ he admitted huskily. ‘Darci, I was not completely honest with you just now. I do not want an affair with you. I do not want to live with you, either. At least, not unless—Darci, will you marry me?’ He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
Darci stared at him—at his tightly clenched jaw, at the bright glitter of his eyes—totally unable to read anything from the harshness of his expression.
‘Isn’t that rather an extreme step just to get me into bed?’ she asked.
He gave a small smile. ‘Very extreme—if that was all I wanted,’ he allowed. ‘Darci, Wolf spoke to me earlier this evening. He explained to me how it was between him and Angel when they first met. How he came to realise that he could not live without her in his life. How he knew that he would do anything, be anything, if she would only stay with him,’ he added fiercely.
Darci couldn’t breathe—certainly couldn’t have spoken if her life had depended on it!
Luc gave a self-derisive shake of his head. ‘Darci Wilde—sweet, beautiful, maddening Darci Wilde,’ he murmured softly as his hands moved up to cradle each side of her face and he looked down at her wonderingly. ‘I’ve realised this evening that is exactly how I feel about you!’
She moistened dry lips. ‘You do…?’
‘I do,’ he conceded. ‘I love you, Darci. I love you to the point of distraction!’ he declared shakily. ‘I know with certainty that I will love you for a lifetime. I will love you beyond a lifetime. I love you now beyond everything and anything. I will never love anyone but you,’ he vowed fiercely. ‘I love—’
‘Luc, I think I get the message!’ Darci broke in, even as she stared up at him in wonder.
Luc loved her. He wanted to marry her.
‘But I deceived you,’ she reminded him achingly. ‘I deliberately set out to—’ She broke off as Luc put a silencing thumb over her lips.
‘It does not matter,’ he assured her. ‘You were protecting your friend.’
‘A friend who didn’t need protecting,’ she reminded him guiltily.
Luc loved her?
It seemed too miraculous to be true!
‘You did not know that,’ Luc dismissed firmly. ‘You are a loyal and true friend, Darci, as you will be a loyal and true life partner.’ He told her what he had known two days ago. ‘Whereas my own life has been—’ He broke off momentarily. ‘I have never cared enough about anyone to even contemplate doing what you did, Darci. My own life has been one of selfish pleasure, of taking what I wanted and giving very little back—’
‘Please don’t talk like that, Luc,’ Darci interrupted him.
‘But it is the truth,’ he insisted heavily, deeply aware of the fact that he had fallen in love, irrevocably in love, with a woman who hadn’t even said she loved him. ‘I was so determined that I wouldn’t ever love any woman in the total, emotion-consuming way that my father did my mother, excluding my brother and me, that I barely brushed the surface of relationships. I preferred to remain detached from all emotional commitment. Meeting you, falling in love with you, loving you, has shown me how selfish I have always been.’
‘Because you believed that loving someone, loving in the total way that your parents did, would somehow make you less? That it would control and possibly destroy you?’ Darci said quietly. ‘That it would certainly damage any children born into that relationship?’
Luc looked at her silently for several long seconds before slowly nodding. ‘Yes,’ he said finally, surprised at her astuteness after the little he had told her about his childhood. ‘But that isn’t true, is it, Darci?’ he realised, knowing that to see Darci big with his baby, to love and nurture their child together, would only expand and deepen the love he already felt for her.
Maybe that hadn’t been true of his parents’ marriage. But he had watched Cesare with his children this last week, and knew it to be true of his cousin’s marriage. And he knew from watching Wolf and Angel together this evening that the same would be true when their baby was born, too.
If he could just have Darci, if she would only agree to become his wife, he knew without a doubt that any children they had together would be included in their love. He wanted children with her. Desperately wanted that.
‘No, that would never be true of a child we had together, Luc,’ she assured him. ‘Our children will be an affirmation of our love for each other, Luc, not a threat to our own relationship,’ she told him shyly.
Luc became very still as he stared down at her, as he looked deep into those expressive green eyes and saw—as he saw…
He drew in a sharp breath, his hands tightening against her cheeks as he looked down at her wonderingly. ‘Darci, do you love me…?’ he breathed softly, hardly daring to believe it could be true.
‘I love you, Luc,’ she confirmed, her eyes starting to glow as her hands moved up to tightly clasp his arms. ‘I love you so much that I’m as terrified as you obviously are,’ she admitted. ‘Luc, do you think two people like us—two people who, for different reasons admittedly, have been avoiding love all their lives—could possibly find happiness, love together…?’
Luc breathed deeply, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. ‘I think—I know—that w
e are perfect for each other!’ he declared fiercely.
Darci smiled. ‘So do I,’ she choked. ‘Oh, Luc, so do I!’ she cried joyously, and she moved to press her lips warmly against his.
Luc’s arms closed firmly around her as he returned that kiss, drinking from her, claiming her for his own. ‘I realised as I watched you this evening, as I proudly saw you charm all of my family, as well as totally enchanting me,’ he said, ‘that I can’t bear the thought of never seeing you again, never being with you again. You are the sun, the moon and the stars to me, Darci!’ He groaned as his mouth left hers to travel the length of her throat. ‘I will love you until my dying breath!’
Heaven, Darci acknowledged glowingly as she thought of all the years ahead of them—loving each other, having children together, then grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren if they were very lucky.
Absolute heaven….
‘Kerry tried to warn me before Grant’s premiere that my little plan for revenge might backfire on me,’ Darci said some time later, cradled in Luc’s arms and looking up at him as the two of them lay on the bed together.
Luc smiled warmly. ‘I’m looking forward to meeting your flatmate,’ he told her. ‘To meeting both your flatmates.’
Darci grimaced. ‘Paying you back really was all my own idea.’
He laughed softly, indulgently. ‘Oh, I know that, you little firebrand!’ He dropped a light, forgiving kiss on her brow. ‘I intend thanking Mellie when I finally meet her, not chastising her. Without her intervention the two of us might never have spent enough time together to fall in love with each other.’
Darci reached up to smooth his frown away. ‘I prefer to think that we would,’ she replied. Some things are just meant to be. We’re one of those things,’ she added simply.
Luc turned on his side, facing her. ‘You really believe that, Darci?’ he pressed warmly.