His Bid for a Bride

by Carole Mortimer

  Skye faced him defiantly in the confines of the stable. ‘If I had known I was to be kept a prisoner here, I would have stayed there!’

  He winced. ‘That’s the second time in the last few minutes that you’ve mentioned feeling like a prisoner. Is that really how you feel?’

  Her shoulders sagged slightly as she realized how ungrateful she must sound. After all, at least Falkner had come to see her in hospital, which was more than could be said of any of her father’s other so-called friends. The fact that Falkner had other things to do, which left her at rather a loose end, wasn’t his fault.

  ‘Not really,’ she sighed heavily. ‘I’m just—I think the phrase is “going stir crazy”!’

  Falkner continued to look at her for several more long minutes before giving a slow nod of his head. ‘Okay.’

  Skye’s eyes widened. ‘Okay…?’

  He nodded, eyes glittering teasingly. ‘Okay.’

  ‘I really can come with you?’

  ‘You really can come with me,’ he echoed dryly.

  ‘Oh, Falkner, thank you, thank you!’ She launched herself into his arms, immediately gasping with pain as two of her ribs reminded her they had recently been broken. ‘Ouch!’ she groaned self-derisively.

  Although she made no effort to move away from Falkner. It felt so good to be there, so warm, so protective, so—so right, that she allowed herself the luxury for several more wonderful minutes.

  His arms moved up slowly to wrap gently about her waist, his head coming down to rest on top of her as she snuggled against his shoulder.

  Skye closed her eyes, knowing this was exactly where she had longed to be again for six long years. Of course, a lot had happened in those six years, to both of them, but at this precise moment, breathing in Falkner’s sensual warmth, pressed close against the hardness of his body, Skye allowed herself to become lost in the sheer pleasure of just being there.

  ‘Skye, I—hey!’ Falkner snapped, moving back abruptly to turn and glare at Storm, the huge stallion looking down his long aristocratic nose at him in return. ‘He bit me!’ Falkner complained in surprise, releasing Skye to rub the shoulder the stallion had just taken a nip at.

  Looking at the man and horse, glaring at each other in such similar ways, Skye couldn’t hold back the laughter. In fact, she laughed so long and so hard that there were tears in her eyes when she at last straightened to look at them both.

  Only to burst out laughing once again as she found both of them looking at her with questioning disdain.

  ‘Now I know the reason you’re never going to marry,’ Falkner muttered as he took her arm to guide her out of the stable, locking the door firmly behind him, only for Storm’s massive head to come out over the top in an attempt to take another nip at him. ‘That monster won’t let any man near you!’ Falkner glared at the stallion as he sidestepped awkwardly.

  Skye grinned. ‘He doesn’t argue with me, either.’

  ‘He doesn’t need to,’ Falkner muttered, still massaging the shoulder Storm had taken a bite at.

  Skye sobered, looking at him concernedly. ‘Has he really hurt you? Perhaps I should take a look—’

  ‘No,’ Falkner rasped harshly, sighing as he saw the way her eyes widened in surprise at his vehemence. ‘I’ll be fine,’ he dismissed. ‘Let’s get into town before all the shops close, shall we?’ he added briskly.

  Skye was quite happy with that suggestion. Although she couldn’t help wondering why Falkner was so determined not to let her see his shoulder. She had read everything in the newspapers three years ago that she could find about his accident, had thought it was only his legs that were badly crushed, but maybe he had sustained other injuries that made him now rebuff her offer of help…?

  ‘Would you like me to drive?’ she offered as they reached the Range Rover parked on the driveway.

  Falkner raised dark brows. ‘Do you think you could?’

  Probably not; although she would never admit it, her ribs ached very badly now. But Falkner looked so tired…‘I could have a go,’ she offered.

  ‘No, thanks.’ He grimaced, opening the passenger door to help her up into the seat, losing his balance slightly as he did so. ‘We look like a couple of old crocks!’ he muttered once he was seated next to her behind the wheel.

  ‘Speak for yourself!’ Skye came back dryly.

  Falkner turned the key in the ignition and put the vehicle in gear before looking at her derisively. ‘You consider yourself still something of a baby, hmm?’

  ‘I don’t think of myself as either old or a crock, that’s for certain,’ she returned tartly.

  Falkner shrugged. ‘I can assure you that the injuries to my leg are of no consequence when I’m lying horizontal!’

  Skye opened her mouth to give him another smart reply, instantly closing it again as she began to consider under what circumstances he would be lying horizontal.

  ‘Well, well, speechless at last,’ Falkner drawled mockingly as he drove the Range Rover down the gravel driveway and out onto the narrow lane.

  For good reason! She had just had the most graphic picture inside her head of Falkner stark naked in a bed—lying horizontal. She didn’t even want to think about the woman who might be lying beside him!

  ‘Don’t get too used to it,’ she finally told him abruptly. ‘I’m never at a loss for words for long.’

  ‘So I’ve noticed,’ he teased.

  For all that brief exchange had thrown her into confusion, the silence that followed was companionable rather than awkward, Skye just enjoying being out in the fresh air. Alone with Falkner like this, surrounded by beautiful countryside, she could even forget for a few moments the nightmare her life had become…

  The nearest town, as Falkner had called it, turned out to be a rather pretty country village that had grown into a market town over the years, its narrow streets and thatched cottages reminding Skye very much of home.

  ‘I just need to get a few things from the chemist,’ Skye told Falkner once he had parked the Range Rover in the square.

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ he instantly offered.

  ‘I—er—I would rather you didn’t,’ she refused awkwardly. ‘I have some personal things to buy,’ she added, face red with embarrassment; it was because those things were personal that she had come out at all!

  ‘Personal—? Oh.’ He paused, pursing his lips. ‘Okay.’ He finally nodded. ‘I have to get some stamps from the post office, so we’ll meet back here in a few minutes, if that’s okay with you?’

  It was more than okay. This was the first time for weeks, it seemed to Skye, that she had been on her own, with enough space to breathe in the peace she so desperately needed.

  It was such a pretty town to walk around, the people friendly too as they passed her with a smile or a word of greeting. Most of all it was normal, something that Skye also didn’t seem to have had for a very long time.

  She was a little taken aback, though, as she returned to the square a short time later with her purchases to see Falkner standing beside the Range Rover in conversation with a rather vivacious brunette.

  Although why she should be jealous Skye had no idea; she should know better than anyone, loving him as she did, how attractive Falkner was to women!

  But the other woman’s presence did put her in something of a quandary. Should she rejoin Falkner anyway, or leave him to have his conversation in private?

  Part of her said she was being silly, that the sensible thing was just to rejoin him as if she found nothing unusual in his talking to the other woman. But another part of her said she didn’t want confirmation that the rather beautiful brunette was actually the current woman in Falkner’s life.

  Just because there was no woman in residence at Falkner’s home, did not mean he wasn’t involved with someone. In fact, after his casual remark about his injuries not being a problem to him when he was ‘lying horizontal’, the likelihood was very much the opposite!

  Coward, she told herself impatient
ly. Just because Falkner was smiling broadly at the other woman, his eyes crinkling at the corners, his whole demeanour one of warmth, did not mean he was involved with the woman.

  Or did it? She really was a baby when it came to reading the signs of a relationship, her only experience of it so far the marriage between her uncle Seamus and Shanna—and that had been volatile from the first.

  Just walk casually over there and join them, Skye told herself firmly, knowing she couldn’t stand here skulking on the street corner for ever; several people had already eyed her curiously as it was.

  The brunette had her back turned towards Skye as she crossed the street to the square, but Falkner saw her approach over the other woman’s shoulder, his face brightening with recognition.

  Quickly followed by—was that a guarded look Skye could now see in his eyes? Well, it was too bad if it was; by crossing the street at all she was committed to joining them now.

  ‘Ah, there you are,’ Falkner greeted—rather more jovially than was necessary, Skye thought with a frown.

  The brunette instantly turned too, the warm smile fading from her lips as her eyes widened in obvious shock. ‘Selina…!’ she gasped incredulously.

  Skye frowned her consternation. ‘No, I—’

  ‘Belinda, this is Skye O’Hara,’ Falkner was the one to cut in firmly, moving slightly so that he now stood at Skye’s side. ‘Skye, this is Belinda—’

  ‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ the other woman burst out awkwardly. ‘It was just—for a moment, with the sun behind you like that, and the red hair—But of course you aren’t Selina,’ she dismissed with a forced smile. ‘Did you say Skye O’Hara, Falkner?’ she realized suddenly, turning to him frowningly.

  Close to like this, Skye could see that the other woman was older than she had first thought, probably somewhere in her early to mid-thirties. Not that that would matter to Falkner; in fact she was much more his own age than Skye was.

  It was more than a little odd that the woman had initially thought she was Selina, though. That had been the name of Falkner’s wife, hadn’t it…? And as far as she was aware, Selina had departed from Falkner’s life years ago. Although she had apparently been a redhead, too…

  But she forgot all about that as Falkner answered the other woman firmly. ‘Yes, I did say that.’ His gaze was fixed warningly on Belinda, it now seemed to Skye.

  Belinda recovered herself quickly, smiling brightly. ‘What a pretty name.’

  Skye had bristled defensively as she’d seen the look that passed between Falkner and the woman Belinda, not fooled for a moment by her friendliness; Belinda had obviously heard her name before even if she hadn’t actually recognized her, and not under flattering circumstances if that perplexed frown had been anything to go by.

  ‘Skye or O’Hara?’ she came back challengingly.

  A delicate blush heightened Belinda’s cheeks now, Skye instantly regretting her challenge as she saw the embarrassed confusion clearly written on the other woman’s face. Goodness knew, she should be hardened to people recognizing her name, if not her face, by now!

  ‘We have to be going now, I’m afraid, Belinda,’ Falkner was the one to answer, at the same time his hand moving out to grasp the top of Skye’s arm and pin her firmly to his side.

  Belinda blinked, shaking her head slightly before she turned to look at Falkner. ‘I told the kids I would bring them over to see you after school if you were back?’ She looked at him questioningly.

  ‘I’m back,’ Falkner drawled.

  Belinda still frowned. ‘So I can bring them over?’

  ‘Why not?’ Falkner shrugged.

  ‘It was nice meeting you, Skye.’ The other woman turned to smile at her.

  ‘You’ll be meeting her again in a few minutes, Belinda,’ Falkner told the other woman lightly. ‘Skye is staying at the house with me,’ he explained at her questioning look.

  Skye was still reeling over the mention of ‘the kids’. What kids? Surely they couldn’t be Falkner’s children? As far as Skye was aware, he had only been married the once, and there certainly weren’t any children from that brief marriage!

  But she was snapped out of these musings as Falkner’s hand tightened pointedly on her arm, turning to smile blandly at the other woman. ‘It appears I’ll see you later, too, then,’ she returned politely.

  Even if she didn’t have any idea who the other woman was. Or what she meant to Falkner!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘SHE’S my sister, Skye.’

  Skye had been so deep in thought as they drove the short distance to his home, at the other woman’s puzzling mistake concerning her identity, at the fact that Belinda had at least obviously heard of Skye’s real name, at exactly what role the beautiful Belinda played in Falkner’s life, that it took a few minutes for Falkner’s words to penetrate her misery.

  His sister?

  Had he really just said that the vivaciously beautiful Belinda was his sister?

  ‘Obviously my younger sister,’ Falkner continued dryly. ‘The kids she’s bringing over shortly are my niece and nephew, Melissa and Jeremy. Or Lissa and Jemmy, as the family affectionately call them.’

  Had it been that obvious to him that the puzzle of exactly where Belinda and ‘the kids’ fitted into his life bothered her? It really wouldn’t do if it had…Falkner was being extremely kind to her by taking her to stay at his home, he certainly didn’t need the complication of realizing she had foolishly been in love with him all these years!

  Skye swallowed hard, forcing herself to give a bright smile. ‘She seems very nice,’ she returned noncommittally, at the same time desperately re-evaluating Falkner’s relationship to the other woman.

  Falkner gave her a mocking glance. ‘She is.’ He nodded. ‘She’s also extremely curious now about where you fit into my life,’ he added dryly.

  Skye’s eyes widened. ‘How can you possibly know that?’ Belinda hadn’t even known Skye was with Falkner until that last few minutes.

  ‘She’s my sister, Skye.’ He shrugged. ‘All sisters are romantically curious about any woman they see with their brothers,’ he added from experience.

  ‘I see.’ Skye chewed on her bottom lip. ‘I didn’t mean to make things—awkward, for you, with your family.’

  He chuckled softly. ‘You haven’t.’ He gave a rueful shake of his head. ‘Belinda has been matchmaking for me for as long as I can remember—to no avail,’ he added hardly.

  Skye couldn’t help wondering if Belinda had been involved in Falkner’s initial meeting with Selina…? If she had, it was no wonder he now viewed her matchmaking with a jaundiced eye.

  ‘I’m sure she means well,’ Skye dismissed.

  ‘So did Lucretia Borgia, probably,’ he came back derisively.

  Skye burst out laughing at the comparison, sobering to shake her head. ‘I don’t think Lucretia actually did any matchmaking for other people—she was too busy being married off by her politically ambitious father and brother.’ In fact Skye had always had a sneaking sympathy for the maligned Lucretia, considered her to have been a pawn in the Borgia family rather than being directly involved in their machinations.

  Falkner eyed her admiringly. ‘I stand corrected,’ he drawled. ‘But, either way, Belinda’s efforts are wasted where I’m concerned,’ he added determinedly.

  Now it was Skye’s turn to eye him curiously. ‘Once bitten, twice shy, is that it?’

  Falkner stiffened, his expression becoming aloofly remote. ‘I believe that question comes under the heading of “personal”, Skye,’ he rasped harshly.

  She paled at the rebuke. Although she accepted it was probably deserved. Except…Falkner already knew so much about her own personal life, she couldn’t help feeling curious about his.

  Although, if she thought about it, she already knew that both his parents were alive and living in Florida, that he had a sister called Belinda who obviously lived close by with her family.

  But they weren’t what she would call insightful
things, not like the personal details he knew of her own life. Besides, feeling about him as she did, she couldn’t help but feel curious about his brief marriage…

  ‘I’m sorry.’ She shrugged.

  Falkner gave a heavy sigh. ‘Skye, until I was forced to retire from professional showjumping three years ago, my life was an open book, with nothing, it seemed, too personal to appear in print. When Selina and I were separated shortly afterwards it made the headlines too, but then it all quietened down. The divorce started it all up again a year later. You can’t know the blessed relief of these last two years of relative anonymity!’

  Couldn’t she? What he had described had happened to her in reverse; most of her life spent peacefully with her father, the last six months becoming a publicity nightmare. Yes, she perfectly understood Falkner’s desire for anonymity.

  She grimaced. ‘If that’s the way you feel, then you really shouldn’t have come to the hospital to see me, of all people, let alone brought me home with you!’ In fact, she was surprised there weren’t reporters camped outside his home, waiting for a glimpse of Connor O’Hara’s daughter, right now!

  Falkner eyed her ruefully. ‘And what sort of friend would that make me?’ he derided.

  ‘A sensible one?’ she suggested dryly.

  He grinned. ‘You know, Skye, if I were of a more sensitive nature, I could be quite hurt by your obvious reluctance to be anywhere near me!’

  How wrong he was about that! Falkner was exactly the person she wanted to be with. The same person she had wanted to be with for the last six years!

  She shook her head. ‘I wasn’t talking about me, Falkner,’ she chided impatiently. ‘They seem to be a little tardy at the moment, but once the press realize I’m staying at your home—!’ She grimaced. ‘Your anonymity will be blown for a while, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Oh, don’t be afraid, Skye,’ Falkner assured her hardly. ‘I’m all grown up, I can take all the flak they choose to throw my way. As for being tardy…’ He paused. ‘I doubt you realized it, Skye, but we left the estate this morning by a rather obscure way. The same way we’re going back in,’ he told her softly as he turned the Range Rover onto the rutted track. ‘The reason for that being that I’ve been reliably informed that certain members of the press are lying in wait for us at the front entrance.’