Jassy got to her feet immediately, smiling at Roxanne and Tomas.
'Thank you for a lovely afternoon,' she said quietly.
'Come again soon,' said Roxanne, kissing her cheek. 'And you, Max.'
Jassy watched as Max enfolded Roxanne in his
strong arms and kissed her forehead.
'Take care, Roxie, I'll call you,' he promised. He shook hands with Tomas and then, taking Jassy's hand, strolled across the beach towards the low sports car.
She walked beside him contentedly, aware of his thumb caressing her small hand engulfed in his.
The sun was beginning to lose its heat and the sky was tinged with pink at its corners, the air a little cooler at last. Max's body seemed still and straight, vaguely aloof as they walked, and wondering at his sudden remoteness, she did not see the clump of weeds that caught her foot until it was too late and she stumbled forward, reaching for him involuntarily as she lost her balance.
He caught her easily, lifting her bodily, and placing her on her feet in front of him.
'Are you all right?' he asked quietly, scanning her face watchfully.
'Yes, I just tripped in those weeds,' Jassy answered breathlessly, wishing that she didn't sound so inane.
His hands still rested on her arms and as she looked up into his unfathomable eyes, his fingers tightened on her soft flesh, drawing her closer. One hand slid upwards to cup her face, his thumb moving rhythmically against the side of her mouth, his eyes, darkening as he stared down at her.
Then he bent his head and touched his mouth to hers, his hard lips parting as they tasted the sweetness of her mouth.
He strained her closer, trapping her hands flat against his broad, flat chest, as the tension between them burst into flames and consumed them both.
Jassy could feel the heavy thunder of his heart as it began to race beneath her fingers, her own heart matching it, beat for beat. Her lips moved tantalisingly beneath the fierce invasion of his and she moaned his name, as his restless, urgent hands slid beneath the elasticated waistband of her thin blouse to move against her bare skin in slow, coaxing caress, making her tremble violently as he moulded her even closer to the hard taut length of his body.
His burning, hungry mouth moved slowly to her sensitive throat, and she arched against him, deafened by the roaring of her blood and the frenzy of her heartbeats.
She had never experienced such sweet, piercing, overwhelming desire and it made her weak and yielding as Max's warm, arousing fingers stroked up her body to find the soft swellings of her breasts.
Her flimsy bikini top was no barrier to his seeking hands and a second later she was shuddering with pleasure so sharp and so intense, it was almost pain, as those gentle brown fingers brushed endlessly and delicately over her sensitive nipples, hardening them and making her clench her hands into his smooth unyielding shoulders.
'Jassy ' Her name came from his mouth in a
deep, hoarse whisper and his hands became still on her trembling body.
She opened her eyes slowly and stared up into his, meeting the dark heated desire she saw there with a small aching sigh. Max stared down at her, at the tousled golden hair that fell softly over his muscular arms, at the innocence of her bruised mouth, at the yielding slenderness of her body, and he closed his eyes, letting out a long shaking breath.
He released her, and she stood alone, swaying a little, a question shining in her eyes.
'I've been waiting all afternoon, for ever, to do that,' he said huskily.
She knew what he meant, because she had felt the same way, but why had he let her go? He saw the question and the traces of hurt in her face and slid an arm around her shoulder.
'Oh, Jassy,' he whispered, holding her gaze. 'You drive me to the very brink ... do you know that? I couldn't sleep last night, after having you in my arms, but. . . .'He broke off with a graceful shrug of his shoulders and reached for his cigarettes, lighting one for her and placing it between her lips. Jassy drew on it, wondering what he had been about to say. She felt confused, but more than that, she was longing for him to take her back into his arms again. He was staring at her as she battled with her thoughts.
'You're so young, so innocent. I'm too old for you,' he said suddenly, his voice harsh, his face dark with self-reproach.
Jassy's head flew up. 'I don't think you're too old. And I can't help my age,' she said sadly, relieved at least that it was not because he did not want her.
'I guess not,' Max conceded drily.
She glared at him, convinced that he was making fun of her, and caught the slight smile in his green eyes.
'Pig!' she said, sticking out her tongue at him.
He laughed aloud, throwing back his dark head in open amusement, and Jassy had to laugh too.
The last of the tension and frustration dissolved with their laughter, as they reached the car. Max opened the door for her, then slid in himself and switched on the engine.
'Will you have dinner with me tonight?' he asked, loath to let her go, to let their day together end. He turned in his seat as he spoke.
She wanted to, so very much, but thoughts of Morgan intruded in her mind.
'I don't know . . . Morgan. . . .' -she began, her disappointment lowering her head.
'To hell with Morgan!' Max said angrily, his
eyes possessive as he violently stubbed out his cigarette. Then, 'I'm sorry, Jassy, I just don't want to let you go tonight.' His eyes caressed her, his low, cool voice persuaded her.
Jassy smiled. 'I'll have to go back to shower and change,' she capitulated Morgan would understand. It was only one evening after all, out of all the evenings she spent with him. But despite this convincing of herself, she still felt apprehension gnawing at her, as the car glided almost silently on to the coast road, and headed back towards her hotel.
Max arranged to pick her up in two hours' time, touching his mouth briefly yet passionately to hers, when they reached her hotel.
Getting out of the car, she swung her bag on to her shoulder and smiled at him.
'Goodbye,' she said lightly. It was ridiculous, but she did not want to leave him.
'I'll see you later, Jassy,' he said gently.
She turned away, aware that he watched her every movement until she disappeared within the huge smoked-glass doors of her hotel.
The roar of the sports car's engine told her that he had gone, and she walked towards the lifts feeling unaccountably lonely. She prayed that Morgan would not be angry, crossing her fingers childishly as the lift carried her, all too quickly, up to her suite.
Her hand on the door knob trembled slightly, and noticing this, she drew a deep breath and stiffened her spine. There was no reason in the world why she should not accept a dinner invitation. She wasn't a child. Why should Morgan object? Max Bellmer was an extremely eligible man, to say nothing of his being more wealthy and infinitely more powerful than Rene. Morgan would surely approve of that, she thought with uncharacteristic cynicism.
But as she strolled into the suite, she knew that
she was wrong. Morgan was waiting for her, his cold eyes angry. Flinging aside the papers he had been working on, he got to his feet.
'Where the hell have you been all day?' he demanded furiously, his face a dull red colour.
'Didn't you get my note?' Jassy asked mildly, trying to mask her nervousness as she flung her bag casually onto a chair. She must not let Morgan bully her.
'I got a scrap of paper informing me that you intended to spend the day with Bellmer,' Morgan replied coldly.
Jassy shrugged. 'You know where I've been, then. Oh, please don't be angry, Morgan, I had a lovely day.' She smiled at him beseechingly, trying to coax him into a better mood. But her stepfather was not to be coaxed.
'Have you no sense of responsibility?' he snapped. His voice was becoming louder and more annoyed, and despite her promise to herself not to lose her temper, Jassy could feel her irritation growing at his unjust attitude.
'Oh, for goo
dness' sake, Morgan, I've just spent an extremely enjoyable day out with a friend. There's no crime in that, is there?'
'Friend?' Morgan pounced on the word. 'He's old enough to be your father. It's blatantly obvious what he wants from you, and it has nothing to do with friendship!' Her stepfather had lost his temper completely now, his words becoming ugly and uncontrolled.
Jassy stared at him with horror, feeling sick at the implications of his angry words.
'I don't wish to talk about it any more,' she said stiffly, her eyes flashing fury as she began to walk towards her bedroom. She would not be able to get through to Morgan until his temper had cooled.
A second later she found her exit blocked.
'Well, that's too bad, because I want to get this sorted out, once and for all, without your damned insolence,' Morgan said tightly, his mouth a cruel white line.
Jassy sighed'. 'What is there to sort out?' she asked wearily. 'I've been out for the day and that's all there, is to it. It's too late to change anything that's happened today. I'm sorry if you think I've been insolent, I certainly didn't intend to be.'
Morgan ignored her apology. 'Rene was here this afternoon. . . .' he began, but the telephone began to ring, cutting short the conversation. Morgan glanced at his watch as he answered the phone, barking a few angry words into the receiver and slamming it down almost immediately.
'I have to go out. I'll speak to you when I get back, young lady.' His tone brooked no argument and he did not even glance at her as he left the suite, violently banging the door shut behind him.
Jassy felt a prickle of hot tears behind her eyes as she sank into a chair, almost unaware of her actions.
Morgan's cruel words had shattered the happiness of her day, and slow sad tears began coursing down her pale face. How could he be so nasty? What had she done that was so very wrong? Time spent without his permission, she supposed, and the situation was getting out of hand.
Finally her tears dried and she wondered about cancelling her dinner date with Max. But she did not want to, and furthermore, she did not know how to get in touch with him. Her decision not to cancel brought a warm smile to her face as she dashed into the bathroom to shower.
Damn Morgan for being so possessive and so unreasonable! She would try her best not to let him
spoil her evening, and the consequences would have to be faced later, not now.
Stepping from the cold shower, her body tingling, she dried her hair with a portable hair-dryer, and that done, she let the towel drop from her body and stared at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom. She was becoming lightly tanned, her skin the colour of pale honey, which was pleasing because it suited her.
The sun had also bleached her thick hair lighter, strands of it almost silver against her bare shoulders. Glancing over her body, she wrinkled up her small nose with dissatisfaction. Her rounded breasts, narrow waist and curved hips were distinctly unfashionable and she yearned, unaware of her own sensual attraction, for the slender boyish figure that no amount of dieting could give her.
With her eyes catching the clock she saw that she ; had a little over half an hour to get ready, and quickly slipped into cool, silky underwear, her dis- [ satisfaction pushed to one side as she began to make [ up her face.
She never wore much make-up, but tonight she wanted to look special, so leaving her flawless complexion free of foundation and powder, she concentrated on her eyes, stroking gold shadow on to her eyelids and darkening her lashes with mascara. Richly-coloured lip gloss completed her make-up.
She pinned up her hair in an elegant knot, the severity of the style enhancing the superbly delicate bone structure of her face and the long vulnerable grace of her bared neck. This style also made her look older, she thought with satisfaction, the last thing she wanted was for Max to think that she was too young.
The dress she finally chose was of poppy-red cotton threaded with thin strands of gold. A fashionable gypsy style with a low, rounded neck and flaring
skirt, it suited her to perfection, lending her a certain exotic charm. Swinging gold earrings and high-heeled red sandals completed her outfit, and she was just collecting a gauzy shawl in a contrasting shade of red, when a sharp rap on the door heralded Max's punctual arrival.
Breathing deeply in a vain attempt to slow the sudden acceleration of her heart, Jassy walked slowly to the door and opened it, her stomach turning over at the sight of the tall dark man who stood outside.
He was dressed formally and perfectly, in a dark green velvet dinner jacket, expensively cut to mould his broad shoulders and powerful chest. Jassy's eyes lingered for a second on his lean tanned face, his narrowed, unfathomable expression, before veering away in sudden tingling shock, to rest safely on his jacket.
'Hello, Max,' she said huskily, feeling painfully shy and lost for words.
'Hello, Jassy.' His voice was slumbrous, deep and cool. She could feel his slow and thorough inspection of her as surely as if he was touching her. 'You're incredibly beautiful,' he said at last in a gentle voice.
She steeled herself to look into his lazy green eyes, reading the truth of his husky compliment.
'Thank you.' Her smile was radiant.
'Shall we go?' He took her hand, and they walked to the lift together, down and out of the hotel into the dark balmy evening air. She did not look at him, fixing her eyes straight ahead, cursing once again her inability to chat easily, and longing for him to kiss her, touch her, reassure her.
But Max too was silent, seemingly preoccupied as they reached his car. Their eyes met as he opened the door for her, and long, sensitive fingers reached out to trace the soft line of her jaw.
'Why so silent, child?' he asked huskily, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Jassy swallowed, dry-mouthed. 'I don't know what to say,' she admitted honestly, drowning in the warmth she saw in his eyes.
'Am I such an ogre?' he asked, almost seriously. His intent glance caught and held on the small perfect white teeth she was sinking nervously into her lower lip.
'Sometimes,' she managed, a sudden teasing smile curving her mouth.
Max smiled too. 'You begin to know me,' he drawled, half teasingly.
'Where are we going?'
'Get in and you'll find out.' He was still holding open the car door and Jassy obeyed, her body fluidly graceful as she slid into the low seat. A second later Max was beside her, his nearness overpowering in such small, close confines. The faint aroma of his after-shave filled her nostrils and a hard thigh touched hers briefly.
'Your stepfather gave his permission, I assume?' The softly spoken question jerked Jassy's head round, her eyes startled.
| 'Not exactly,' she replied with a frown.
'Meaning?' He was staring at her, dissecting her with green eyes as fierce as a tiger.
'I'd rather not talk about it.' She wished he had not mentioned Morgan, it was the last thing she wanted to think about.
'Tell me, Jassy,' Max ordered, tilting up her face and forcing her to look at him. He seemed to know that she could not lie to him.
'Why do you want to know?' she parried nervously.
'Tell me,' he repeated, ignoring her question and not letting her go.
'He was angry. He doesn't know I'm with you now,' she said flatly, her eyes pleading with him to drop the subject, her whole body trembling with the fire of his touch.
Max frowned, a flash of anger darkening his face.
'When we get back, I'll come in with you—talk to him.'
'No!' she cried, too quickly, jerking her head away from his captive fingers, her eyes filling with tears. 'Don't spoil it, please,' she begged in a shaky little voice.
Sighing, Max reached for her, pulling her into his arms. Her tears were spilling out of her eyes and he licked them away in a sensual intimate gesture, his warm hard mouth moving over her face with hungry tenderness.
'Oh, Jassy, I didn't mean to upset you,' he murmured against her cheek. 'I want to help'
'I know, it's me, I'm just being silly.' She swallowed back her tears and took a deep breath, wishing that she had the courage to put. her mouth to his, needing the healing warmth of his kiss. But she could not find the courage, so instead she said, 'I'm starving—won't you tell me where we're going?'
Max released her, his face calm with understanding.
'Wait and see,' he replied with a smile, switching on the engine.
Knowing that he would not push the subject of Morgan any further, Jassy checked her make-up briefly, then sat back, feeling a little more relaxed, to enjoy the drive.
The restaurant was small and exclusive, and they were shown to an intimate table by the owner, obviously a good friend of Max's.
Later, Jassy could not remember what she had eaten. Sitting opposite Max, she was mesmerised by his dark attractive face and burning green eyes, as they chatted over the meal. He was amusing and charming, gently coaxing away the last of her sadness, urging her to talk about herself unselfconsciously, and watching her, always watching her, as if he wanted to commit ever last detail of her to memory.
The wine gave her confidence and a brilliance to her eyes that captured Max's undivided attention. She was beautiful and intelligent and graceful, it came easily to her when she was with him. He made her feel totally feminine and aware of her need for a man.
As they left the restaurant some hours later, she swayed against him as the night air hit her, making her realise that although she was far from drunk, she had overdone it a little with the wine.
Max's mouth was gently indulgent as he led her to the car, his arm rock-hard as it coiled supportively around her slender shoulders.
She lay her head against his shoulder as they drove back, feeling totally happy and content. As they reached the hotel, he looked down at her flushed face and shining, jewel-bright eyes, with a brooding intensity.
His mouth touched hers briefly and she sensed that he was holding back, that he wanted more of her yielding lips.
She gazed up at the hard angles of his face. 'Thank you for a wonderful evening, and a lovely day,' she said with a bright smile.
'Thank you, Jassy—you made it perfect,' he murmured. Then with a groan of suppressed impatience, he reached for her again and kissed her fiercely, his mouth hard, hungry and demanding. Jassy read the glittering desire in his eyes with a responsive shiver of surrender, and they clung together urgently, uncaring of the discomfort in the small low car.
Wipe Away the Tears Page 7