Firth

by Vaso

  'But you hate me,' she protested.

  'And you hate me. So we're quits,' he said. And then his lips stilled further protest on her part.

  She was trembling when he finally let her go. 'Vanessa, I want nothing more than to take you into the bedroom and make violent love to you, and I suspect that you feel the same way. But there are explanations to be made that are long overdue.'

  'Do they matter?' she asked. All that she cared about right now was the sudden miraculous fact that Max wanted her again; that his anger seemed to have evapo-

  rated; that he was looking at her in a way that was making her head swim.

  'I love you,' he said.

  'Is that by way of explanation?' she asked, bemused.

  'More of an excuse.' He drew her to sit by his side on the sofa, cradling her against him as if he could not bear to let her go. 'I didn't want you to get to me,' he went on. 'You were everything I despised—or so I thought. And I'd been fooled like that before. I wasn't going to be taken for the same ride twice.'

  Vanessa remembered Daniel's story of a girl who had left him for a better offer. 'What changed your mind?' she asked.

  'You did. You were different from the other women I saw. You answered back. You didn't just take everything I handed out. You made it clear that you didn't give a damn. You had me wondering if I was on my head or my heels.'

  'You didn't do a bad job of concealing the fact,' she said tartly.

  Max pulled her towards him, holding her closely. 'I gave you a hard time. Can you blame me? I knew what you were, but it didn't matter. I wanted you anyway. At first I thought it was just a physical attraction. Later I realised that it was much more than that. I let you leave your job with me. I thought a clean break was the best thing.'

  'So did I,' she admitted. 'You were affecting me in much the same way.'

  'I couldn't stop thinking about you. When I heard the news about your part in the play, I told myself how right I. was to get away from you. But I wanted to see you again. I could have sent someone else to that reception. But I wanted to see you. You were a little gold-digger who was playing Daniel for a sucker, but I didn't care. I wanted you. But something drove me on toinsult you.' He laughed briefly. 'Afterwards I told myself it was my sense of self-preservation. I've been in hell ever since. I forget the number of times I've set out to come and see you, only to turn back because I wasn't sure how you'd receive me.'

  ' You weren't sure?' She was incredulous.

  'Daniel brought me to my senses in the end. I think he fancies hi? chances as a matchmaker. He told me the truth about you—unsullied virtue throughout.' He ruffled her hair lovingly. 'And, if I wasn't a blind fool, I'd have seen it long ago.'

  'You'd have found out, if Daniel hadn't phoned and interrupted us that night at my sister's flat,' she told him.

  The tawny gaze kindled at the memory. 'I wanted you that night, Vanessa. You don't know what it did to me to leave you.'

  'I've a fair idea. I wasn't exactly happy about it myself,' she admitted.

  He kissed her again, dragging his lips from hers with obvious effort. Til make it up to you for that night and all other times I've hurt you. I promise you, Vanessa.'

  She pulled his' head down towards hers again. 'You could make a start right now,' she invited him. 'That is, if you've nothing better you'd rather be doing.'

  'There was some talk of a party.' The devils danced in his eyes as he looked down at her.

  'So there was. They'll be sitting round waiting for the early editions of the papers to read the reviews.' She smiled impishly at him. 'I wonder what Max Anderson had to say?'

  'He said that you were stunning and that he couldn't take his eyes off you,' Max told her. 'He admitted unreservedly that he was wrong about you first time round.'

  'That was very handsome of him.' She smiled up at him. 'I wonder how I can thank him,'

  'I think I know a way,' he said. And, swinging her up in his arms, he carried her to the other room.