‘Perhaps they knew that he was wrong for you and were happy to wait for you to come to your senses.’
‘I’d never thought of that before,’ Mattie said slowly then she shrugged. All this talk of marriage made her feel as if she was somehow, without realising it, standing on quicksand. In a minute, she could start sinking. ‘Anyway, I really must go.’ She pushed herself up and laughed when she saw the startled expression on his face, quickly followed by irritation.
‘You still haven’t explained why.’
‘And I don’t have to.’ She stood up and looked around her, then spotted her clothes, which she began walking towards.
From his position on the bed, Dominic followed her progress and tried to stifle his massive frustration at her leaving. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? he thought, scowling. Shouldn’t the man be edging the woman away instead of the woman striding towards her clothes as if speed was now of the essence?
‘I’ll drive you back,’ he grated, pushing back the rumpled bedclothes. ‘And before you launch into a speech about being perfectly capable of getting a taxi back to your house, forget it. I’m dropping you home and seeing you safely to your door.’
Mattie paused and smiled sweetly. ‘A lift back would be much appreciated.’
‘Quite unnecessary,’ Dominic continued to grumble, as they took the lift down and then walked out into the night air towards his car. He slung his arm around her shoulders and she linked her fingers through his. ‘What’s the point of having freedom if you don’t utilise it?’
‘By which you mean, accommodate you whenever necessary?’ She disentangled herself so that she could slip into the passenger seat of his car, and buckled herself in.
‘Accommodate both of us, actually.’ Instead of switching on the engine, he shoved the key into the ignition and proceeded to look at her, resting his head against the glass window of the door.
He could reach over right now and make love to her all over again. Right now, right here, like a sweaty adolescent without the privacy of a bedroom to fall back on. She turned him on. Not just her body, or the way she was looking at him now, eyes slightly contemplative, as if she was sizing him up but was not about to give him her verdict.
No, it was the way she was. Forthright, funny, private, with a mind that was as sharp as any he had ever encountered.
‘Oh, really?’ Mattie grinned. ‘So you’re thinking of both of us! Well, maybe another time. Now, perhaps we should get going? I expect you have a busy day tomorrow. Wouldn’t want to be the cause of your not being able to function at work because you went to bed too late. Empire builders need their beauty sleep, I expect.’
‘Witch,’ Dominic muttered, but he started the engine and edged out of his parking slot. He would quite happily have taken a day off work if the plus side was spending all of it in bed with her. ‘Just to fill you in, I can get by on very little sleep. I frequently do. As you must have when you were doing that ridiculous job of yours.’
‘That ridiculous job was very handy when it came to paying bills,’ Mattie said coolly, so that he was grittily aware that he had said the wrong thing. ‘Some people do actually have to do ridiculous jobs simply to cover the cost of living.’
‘Point taken,’ Dominic muttered grudgingly. ‘Not that I want to waste time on an argument about it.’ He flashed her a sideways warning glance and Mattie relented. ‘What are your plans for tomorrow?’
‘Tomorrow?’ She directed her gaze out of the window and frowned. ‘I need to get some decent clothes for my job and then I shall try and see Frankie so that he can move back under his own roof. I have no idea where he’s been staying but I’d bet on a floor somewhere.’ Her voice softened. ‘He’s been brilliant over all of this. No recriminations, no post-mortems.’
Dominic’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. ‘What a hero,’ he muttered sarcastically and she directed her frown to him.
If her head wasn’t screwed on very tightly indeed, she might have been tempted to think that there was jealousy beneath that barely audible comment.
However, the thought of Dominic being jealous was almost laughable, especially when the jealousy pertained to her, a woman with whom he was having a thoroughly adult, uncluttered affair, if it even fell into that category.
No, a lot more likely was the fact that, being the man he was, he would on principle disapprove of someone like Frankie. Someone who had allowed himself to become a victim of circumstance and had reacted by drinking and shying away from looking for a job.
Mattie’s lips tightened. ‘I happen to think that it’s quite heroic for him to let me have the use of his house when we’re no longer an item. Would you have done the same in that situation?’
‘That’s hypothetical and I don’t deal in hypotheses.’
‘Huh. Sounds as if you lack imagination, in that case.’ But she couldn’t find it in herself to have an argument with him. Their eyes met for a fleeting second and Mattie felt a shiver of such mutual compatibility that it frightened her.
‘Something I’ve never been accused of before,’ Dominic drawled.
Which made her think that perhaps he was referring to his imagination when it came to between the sheets, and she didn’t want to think of him between the sheets with another woman. So she shrugged and said airily,
‘Well, if you go out with paper dolls…’
He laughed, reached out to place the flat of his hand on her thigh, and her body started into immediate response.
‘That’s an unsafe driving practice,’ she said a little breathlessly.
‘Shame.’ He removed his hand, leaving her leg feeling cold and deprived. ‘We could always remedy the situation when we get to your house…?’
Mattie felt torn between her longing to fall in with him and her gut knowledge that she shouldn’t. That she had to protect herself and that included laying down her own boundaries, so she shook her head very firmly.
‘Then when am I next going to see you?’ They had reached her house and he parked directly outside and killed the engine. ‘If you’re busy tomorrow, then I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty on Friday. We could go somewhere for dinner.’
Mattie pushed open her door, expecting him to walk her to the front door, which he did. Though he couldn’t possibly go inside. Not when she seemed so prone to losing control the minute she got too close to him.
‘I’m not sure,’ she said vaguely.
Not sure? What the hell did that mean? He swung round in front of her and leaned against the front door, arms folded. He, of all people! The one man who abhorred possessiveness in another person! Who himself had never shown a sign of any such inconvenient emotion in his life before! Now finding himself in thrall to wanting to know every single thing she was planning to do that would exclude him from seeing her.
‘I start work next Monday,’ Mattie said. ‘Do you mind moving? I can’t get in if you’re standing there.’
‘Yes. You start work next Monday… So far, I’m following you. What I can’t see is what that has to do with when I next see you.’ Self-control, he told himself. He was a master of it. Or so he had always assumed. He wasn’t feeling all that controlled at the moment, least of all with her looking up at him, keys in one hand, expression politely informing him that she wanted to get past him. He remained solidly in place.
‘There’s a lot to sort out before then. Frankie will want to move back here as soon as he can. I’m sure of that. Which means I shall have to move into the apartment some time over the weekend. I’m going to see the personnel manager on Friday morning to sort out the details and sign whatever contracts need signing, but, as the apartment was vacant, she did imply that I could move in at my own speed, and really I’d rather not stay here with Frankie if I can help it.’
Oh, no. No chance of that, Dominic thought with another unpleasant stab of possessiveness. Not if he had any say in the matter. He would be inclined to heave her kicking and screaming back to his own apartment if the alternative was shar
ing the house with her ex.
‘You said that the apartment is…? Where exactly…?’
Mattie raised her eyebrows and gave him the address.
‘Right.’ He pushed himself away from the door and looked at her with a hint of a scowl. Then he sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. ‘You might need a hand with the moving… I can get hold of any size transport vehicle you might need.’
This time Mattie laughed out loud. ‘Somehow I don’t think that’ll be necessary. My belongings can fit in the back of a sports car.’ She reached out and found that she was stroking the side of his face, and before she could retract the mad impulse he took her hand in his, turned it over and kissed her palm, then he leant down and transferred his lips to hers.
Why on earth did he make her feel so…so happy? He looked at her and she shivered, he touched her and her whole body melted.
Was it because she had spent so long in a nonfunctioning relationship with Frankie that she was greedily lapping up this small bit of attention now, as though she had spent a lifetime starved of affection?
‘Saturday,’ Dominic murmured, breaking away from her but still leaning into her so that she could feel his warm breath on her face. ‘Nine sharp. I’ll be here to help you move.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I’m fully—’
‘Yes, I know, fully capable of doing it myself. Why don’t you just accept a little help for once, when it’s offered in the best possible spirit?’
Except, what was the best possible spirit?
Of course, she should have stuck to her guns and calmly refused his offer to help her move. He would end up being an impediment, she was sure of it. But she didn’t. And he showed up on the Saturday morning at precisely the time he had said he was going to. In a low-slung silver Ferrari that suited him down to a T.
Mattie watched as he got out of the car and snapped her mouth shut because a woman with a mouth hanging open was not exactly an attractive sight. And besides, she was not impressed by cars.
Which she was very tempted to tell him as soon as she pulled open the front door.
‘I’m here,’ he said, grinning, ‘and I’ve dressed down for the occasion.’
Mattie felt the corners of her mouth twitch as she took in his faded jeans, trainers and dark green sweatshirt. Then she nodded approvingly, thinking that he gave faded jeans a whole new meaning.
‘And I’ve brought the statutory sports car.’ He leaned against the doorframe and deposited a very chaste kiss on the tip of her nose.
‘What on earth gave you the idea that all my stuff could fit into the back of a sports car?’ Mattie laughed, spun around and waved her arms to encompass the pile of things patiently sitting at the bottom of the staircase.
Dominic strolled in and surveyed the collection with an expression of lazy amusement. ‘Just as well I didn’t listen to a certain woman who tried to say that she’d be travelling light, then, isn’t it? My driver’s parking outside now in a much more sensible Range Rover. We can follow him in the Ferrari.’
End of subject. Mattie hesitated and then sighed at her own unease. What was there to feel uneasy about? He had been right about her having to learn to accept help instead of always rushing up the steepest hill because of her pride. And it was a huge help having him there to help her move. Frankie had offered, but for some reason she had felt it important not to accept his offer. On some basic level, moving out of his house and into her own apartment, on loan though it might be, was the start of a new life for her. She would, of course, invite Frankie round in due course, but when the dust of their broken relationship had settled and their friendship could perhaps be resumed on a more casual basis.
He hadn’t pressed the issue. In fact, he had looked a little relieved and had muttered something about having to get his own things together.
Which would have left her trekking across London on her own with all her bags in tow, more than she had expected.
Dominic’s help was a blessing not to be scorned.
She smiled. ‘Sure.’
‘You go sit in the car. George and I will transfer the things to the back of the Range Rover. Anything you want to carry with you?’
‘No. Just my backpack.’ She looked at him, turned away as he sized up everything that needed to be transported to the apartment, and tried to stifle a very unliberated sense of pleasure at having the situation taken out of her hands. Being taken care of made a heady change from having to take care of someone else all the time.
She obediently went to the Ferrari and watched as Dominic and his driver ferried her belongings into the back of the four-wheel drive. Then the slow drive across a traffic-laden central London towards the block of apartments.
The development was going to be the biggest of its kind and proudly advertised the advantages of living south of the river. It encompassed private suites, which were currently in the process of being fitted to the highest possible specifications, offices, a floor entirely devoted to a state-of-the-art gym and various beauty rooms, conference facilities, underground parking, even an in-house cinema for the exclusive use of the residents. All built around an open central area of grass, trees and a sprinkling of benches for whoever wanted to avail themselves of fine weather during the warmer months.
Mattie described it all in detail, only trailing off when she realised that she had been conducting a one-way conversation.
‘You didn’t have to come and do this,’ she said, feeling her pride slip back into place.
‘I know.’ Two words when he knew exactly what she was thinking. One of the few times when he seemed able to read her mind and gauge her feelings. She had been excitedly telling him about her great opportunity and in return she had got his blank wall of silence.
Sooner or later he would have to tell her, and the prospect of that made him frown grimly. Now was not the time. But soon. When she had settled into her job and would accept what he had to say with equanimity, maybe even amusement.
That made him relax. Although he made sure not to prolong the conversation about her job and the fabulous new development that she would be marketing, along with a team of a dozen others. Instead, he talked about what was going on in London, asked her about the people she had worked with at the nightclub, whether she missed any of them, had kept in contact with them, and eventually found the tension oozing out of his body. The unnecessary tension, he hastened to add to himself.
The development was looming ahead of them, dominating the skyline and gloriously irreverent in its modernity.
They drove through an arch straight into the courtyard, which was bordered by ranks of car-parking spaces.
‘Which apartment?’ he asked, looking at the building with professional satisfaction. ‘Right.’ He turned to her. ‘You go up. George and I will follow with your things.’
Mattie knew better than to launch into the familiar riposte. Besides, she was dying to see this apartment. It represented so much more than four walls and a roof over her head. It was the start of her bright new life, the one she had been hankering for ever since she was nineteen and old enough to realise just how naïve she had been in ditching her education in favour of being a member of the cool set.
She was still enthusiastically surveying her domain when the final battered suitcase was deposited on the floor.
‘Isn’t it fantastic?’ She walked over to the window and looked down on a stunning vista of sprawling city, river, bridges, cars and people that looked like moving toys.
‘Where on earth are you going to sleep?’
At this, Mattie turned around and looked at him as though he had taken leave of his senses.
‘On the floor, of course. As you can see, there’s no furniture and I had none to bring with me.’
‘The floor.’ His expression was rich with distaste and incredulity.
‘In a sleeping bag,’ Mattie elaborated, waving her arm vaguely in the direction of some of her possessions. ‘Old but serviceable. And I took a pillow. I’d
offer you some coffee, but unfortunately no kettle. Or, for that matter, coffee. And there’s no point standing there looking as though you’ve been transported into a horror movie. You may find the thought of a sleeping bag inconceivable, but I don’t.’
‘Well, you might once you’ve climbed into one and discovered that the floor can be harder than you think.’ It hadn’t occurred to him that the apartment would be unfurnished. He should have insisted she stay with him until they could equip her with at least a few rudimentary sticks of furniture. Then he wondered what the hell he was thinking. Stay with him? He almost laughed aloud at the ludicrous thought that had popped into his head. Not even Rosalind had featured as a possible candidate for sharing his place.
‘I happen to know how sleeping bags function, Dominic.’ Mattie folded her arms and perched on the sill of the impressive bay window so that she could look at him wryly. ‘I’ve spent many a holiday camping out, though I don’t suppose you have.’ Funny, but it was getting harder and harder to build their differences into the equation. Just as well the odd remark like that surfaced, so that she could be reminded of just how incompatible they were on the most fundamental level.
‘We’ll have to get you some furniture,’ was his response, as he continued to look around him. ‘You can’t be expected to live like this. Why didn’t you take a few more things from the house?’ he demanded, finally settling his gaze on her.
‘Because none of it belonged to me? Because I could have been accused of theft?’
‘And he never offered you anything? Even though you were lovers and you spent years bailing him out of penury by paying the bills?’ His mouth curled in disgust. ‘We can go to Harrods, get one or two things. Some chairs. A table. A tel—’
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