‘I’m sorry you were insulted, Miss Halliday,’ Joel replied coolly. ‘But perhaps it was as well.’
She looked at him sharply. ‘What do you mean?’
Joel shrugged. ‘Only that it would be very unwise of you to become emotionally involved with me. That I can do without.’
‘Why, you—you—I wouldn’t become emotionally involved with you if you were the last man on earth. How very conceited you are! I despise you utterly!’
‘Good, let’s keep it that way. Goodnight, Farrah Halliday.’
Farrah felt like throwing something at the door he closed unhurriedly behind him as he left. How dare he! How could he suggest such an unlikely thing? She sank down on to the bed dejectedly. Was it so unlikely? Wasn’t that just what she was doing? Why didn’t she admit to herself that Joel Falcone attracted her as no other man had ever done, that she found him fascinating and sensually magnetic? She couldn’t admit it because once she had done that his attraction would become stronger!
How could she like him anyway? He was everything she had thought she disliked about a man, very confident, uncaring of women except when it directly concerned him, mocking and completely cynical. And yet each time she saw him she felt more drawn to him.
The door leading off the other side of the room led to a bathroom and she decided to take a shower before going to bed. She didn’t feel tired now anyway. As she came back into the bedroom she drew back with a gasp. Joel Falcone lay back on the double bed, his hands at the back of his head as he watched her through narrowed eyes. ‘What do you want in here?’ she demanded haughtily.
Joel sat up, himself still fully dressed, but enjoying her embarrassment as she held the huge cream bathtowel around her naked body. ‘I came to see what you like for your breakfast,’ he drawled slowly. ‘As you were in the bathroom I waited.’
‘Yes, well—’ Farrah was very much aware of the limits of the bathtowel. ‘Couldn’t it have waited until morning?’
‘It could, but as I’m here …’
‘Very well,’ she said crossly. ‘I have coffee and toast.’
‘Fine. So do I. Coffee and toast for two, then.’ He walked back to the open connecting door and Farrah had a brief glimpse of green and white decor. ‘By the way, Farrah, you have lovely legs.’
‘Ooh, you swine! Get out of here!’
He did so with unhurried movements and she could hear his mocking laughter as he moved about in the next bedroom, and wondered how she was ever supposed to sleep with him so near.
CHAPTER FIVE
FARRAH woke to see daylight shining through the window where she had forgotten to pull the curtains the evening before. Some birds were singing happily outside and she wondered what the time could be. Before she had time to sit up and look at her wrist-watch, which was on the side table, Joel Falcone walked into the room, dressed only in a navy blue towelling robe.
He came over to the side of the bed and Farrah could see droplets of water in his hair where he must have just taken a shower. ‘Good morning,’ he greeted her easily. ‘I wondered if you would be awake yet.’
Farrah bridled angrily, all too much aware of how vitally attractive he looked in the short dark robe. ‘Well, as you can see, I am. I supposed you’re used to walking into women’s bedrooms unannounced, but let me assure you, I’m not used to it at all.’
‘I’ve only entered the bedroom, Farrah, not your bed. Does it disturb you, my being here?’
‘Of course it disturbs me. I’ve never had a man in my bedroom before.’
‘Then you’ve never been told how good you look in the morning?’ He shook his head. ‘Now that’s a shame. I’ve never seen a woman look this good first thing in the morning.’
‘And you’ve seen plenty, I’m sure,’ she said sharply.
‘A few,’ he admitted. ‘Enough to know that most of them need a good half an hour and plenty of make-up to make them look anything like presentable.’ He smiled at her. ‘I trust you slept well?’
‘Yes, thanks. What do you want in here, Mr Falcone? Not just a casual conversation, I’m sure.’ Farrah was completely unnerved by his attire, or lack of it. She felt sure he was wearing nothing beneath the bathrobe, and the knowledge did nothing for her nervousness.
‘True. George should be bringing up the breakfast in a moment, and I think I should be in here with you when he comes in.’
Farrah’s face suffused with colour. ‘Do you have to? Isn’t it enough that he knows we’re here together? You surely don’t have to look as if you slept with me.’
His eyes taunted her. ‘If George looked at you too closely he would know I haven’t anyway. No man has ever made love to you, have they, Farrah? My insults to you the first day we met were completely wrong. No man, rich or otherwise, has ever taken you, have they?’
‘I already told you that.’
‘So you did. It’s those unawakened eyes, there’s no knowledge of love there at all.’
‘Is that a bad thing?’
‘Sound insulting again, did I?’ He smiled his amusement. ‘It wasn’t meant to. Although it could prove rather embarrassing if anyone else notices it. My women usually look as though they’ve been made love to. And you certainly don’t.’
‘I’m sorry!’
‘Don’t be, I could soon remedy that.’ He made a threatening move towards her.
‘Don’t you dare!’ Farrah backed further up the bed.
Instead of making any further move towards her he gave a throaty chuckle. ‘Do you know, Farrah, I don’t think anyone else has ever made me laugh as much as you have.’
‘I would rather you laughed with me and not at me.’
‘I’m not really laughing at you, honey, you’re too refreshing for that. You intrigue me,’ he admitted.
Farrah blushed. ‘I don’t see why. I’m just ordinary.’
Joel shook his head. ‘Never ordinary.’ He turned. ‘I can hear George coming up the stairs. Do you want me to go back to my own room?’
‘Yes! No! Oh, what does it matter? My reputation is in shreds anyway. Daddy thinks I’m something like a scarlet woman.’
A smile appeared on Joel’s lips and unwillingly Farrah smiled as well, until both of them burst out laughing. When George entered Farrah’s bedroom after knocking politely it was to find his employer sitting on the side of Miss Halliday’s bed and both of them laughing uproariously.
‘Your breakfast, sir, miss,’ he said stiffly, leaving the tray on the side table before leaving the room, his back rigid with disapproval.
Joel sobered slowly. ‘Now we’ve shocked George,’ he said lightly.
‘Oh, dear!’ Farrah was genuinely dismayed.
‘He’ll get over it. Like some coffee?’
‘Yes, please.’ She felt rather restricted with Joel in the room. Her nightdress was cotton and perfectly respectable, but neverthless she wasn’t going to get out of bed until Joel left. ‘White, one sugar. Does it bother you that George is shocked?’
Joel brought her some buttered toast and a cup of coffee. ‘Not really. He’ll get used to seeing you about. We’ll probably be back here in a couple of weeks’ time. Anyone can see you aren’t—you aren’t— Well, what I mean is, George will obviously blame me. He’ll think I’ve taken to seducing teenagers.’
‘He’s supposed to think you’re in love with me,’ she pointed out.
‘Mmm,’ Joel said thoughtfully. ‘That’s proving more difficult than I thought.’
‘You mean I’m not an easy person to pretend you’re in love with?’
‘As I’ve never been in love, I wouldn’t know. But those trusting green eyes are certainly disconcerting. Some poor man is going to have a terrible battle with himself when he makes love to you—lust over trust.’
‘What rubbish!’ she retorted, stirred into anger. ‘It wouldn’t be lust if I wanted it too, it would be a mutual thing.’
‘I guess so. But I don’t envy him.’
Farrah felt curiously hurt by his words. ‘Y
ou aren’t a very nice person.’
‘True. Can you ride a horse, Miss Farrah Halliday?’
‘Can I what?’
‘Forgive me, I thought my English was perfectly clear. Can you, or can you not, ride a horse?’ he said precisely.
‘That’s what I thought you said. And the answer is no. In fact they terrify me.’
‘Now that does surprise me.’
‘That I don’t like horses? I don’t see why.’ Farrah brushed the breadcrumbs off the bed. ‘I was born in a town and have lived there all my life. I hardly ever see a horse, let alone attempt to ride one.’
‘That isn’t what surprised me. It was the fact that you admitted it.’
Farrah blushed at his intended rebuke. ‘It isn’t a case of admitting anything. As soon as I’d attempted to get on one you would have known. Do you actually keep horses here?’
‘Only two, unfortunately. One is far more spirited than the other, it depends on my mood as to which one I ride.’
‘But who looks after them? Not the accomplished George again?’
‘The same,’ Joel grinned. ‘I told you he was adaptable.’
‘He needs to be. How on earth does he cope?’
‘Very easily. Most of the time he’s here on his own, so he has plenty of time to exercise the horses every day. If you get out of bed now I’ll take you down to the stable and introduce you to Sultan and Naomi.’
‘I’m quite willing, if you’ll just leave the room while I dress.’
Joel’s eyes narrowed. ‘And supposing I don’t want to?’
‘Then I won’t get up,’ she vowed stubbornly.
For answer Joel sat down in the white bedroom chair, arms folded in front of his chest. ‘If that’s a challenge, honey, I accept.’
‘If what’s— What do you mean?’
‘I try never to refuse a challenge,’ he told her. ‘Especially from a woman.’
‘But I wasn’t—I only— Oh, please leave my bedroom!’ she begged.
He looked about the room as if seeing it for the first time. ‘You’re right,’ he agreed, ‘this is your room. It suits you perfectly, gold for your hair and white for your innocence.’
Farrah looked at him uncertainly, not sure if he was mocking her again. He didn’t appear to be, although he had the usual cynical twist to his mouth. ‘Mr Falcone—’
He stood up, placing his empty coffee cup back on the tray. ‘O.K., I’m going. But only because I’m sure your obstinacy would keep you in that bed all day if I didn’t back down. You have ten minutes,’ he warned.
As soon as he had left the room Farrah jumped out of bed, collecting her bathrobe—just in case he should come back. He seemed to walk into her bedroom as freely as if it were his own. And that curious comment about this bedroom suiting her perfectly. For a moment he had sounded quite poetical. Joel Falcone poetical? Impossible!
She showered hurriedly before donning levis and a lawn cotton blouse. She had brought some smarter clothes with her, unsure what Joel had meant when he had said country house, but as they were only going to the stables levis seemed the wisest choice. She only had time to apply a coral lip-gloss before her allotted ten minutes were up, and she would be damned if she would be late. She wouldn’t refuse a challenge either!
Her bed made and the room tidied she collected up the tray and made her way downstairs before Joel could declare her late. He stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her, his black trousers tucked into knee-length leather boots, and his black silk shirt fitting him as if it were tailored on him.
He took the tray firmly out of her hands. ‘I didn’t bring you here to wait on yourself,’ he reproved sternly. ‘George could have brought this down.’
‘George has enough to do,’ Farrah retorted, uncaring of his dark frown. ‘I made my bed too,’ she added defiantly.
‘You’ll have George out on strike,’ he warned her. ‘He doesn’t take kindly to interference, thinks it’s a slight on his age.’
‘But he isn’t old!’
‘I’ll tell him you said so, you’ll be a friend for life.’ He looked down at the tray with disgust. ‘Wait here while I take this through to the kitchen.’
Farrah hummed quietly to herself as she waited, deciding that what this hallway needed was a beautiful vase of flowers on the hall table. Hmm, that would just give it the finishing touch. George was very good at his job, but after all he was a man, and this house lacked a woman’s touch.
‘I told you,’ Joel grinned as he came back, ‘he was quite offended.’
‘Was he really?’ she frowned.
‘Well … Not once I explained, no.’ His eyes mocked her.
‘Oh you! You’re always teasing me,’ she said crossly.
‘I know. It’s a facet of my character I’ve discovered since meeting you. It’s the flashing eyes, of course.’
‘You’re doing it again,’ she warned as he opened the door for her to go outside.
‘I can’t help it. Perhaps if you wore sunglasses when in my company I wouldn’t be tempted.’
‘Well, I’m not going to. It isn’t sunny at the moment. I would look ridiculous.’
‘Oh, well,’ Joel shrugged, leading the way around the back of the house and across the garden to the stable. ‘You’ll just have to put up with the teasing.’
‘I just won’t let you bait me.’
‘Then I would only think up other ways to make you angry,’ he said provocatively.
‘Oh.’
Joel chuckled as he led her over to a stall where a beautiful black stallion snorted and stamped to tell them he wanted to go out for a run. Joel walked up beside him, talking softly and slowly soothing the horse. ‘That’s my boy, Sultan. That’s my boy,’ he crooned, patting the horse lovingly on the neck. ‘You’re late for your ride today, aren’t you, boy? We’ll soon put that right.’
Farrah stood back, away from the flaying head of the horse as he tossed and moved restlessly in the stall. He was a beautiful stallion, tall and black and obviously well cared for by his satiny coat. A couple of stalls away stood a smaller chestnut mare, her tiny whinnies calling for some attention to be given to her. Farrah walked over to the other stall, not going up to Naomi but moving nearer to her than she would ever dare to do to Sultan. Naomi was a much smaller horse, with the prettiest, softest brown eyes Farrah had ever seen.
Naomi turned her head as Joel entered her stall, nuzzling into his hand. ‘Hello there, beauty,’ he smoothed her glistening coat. He looked at Farrah. ‘Feel like your first riding lesson?’ he quirked an enquiring eyebrow at her.
She backed away. ‘N-No. I told you, I’m frightened of horses.’
‘Surely not of Naomi? She wouldn’t hurt a fly that was irritating her. I’ll take Sultan for a ride first and then see about getting you up on Naomi.’
Farrah shook her head. ‘I’d rather not. I wouldn’t keep it up once we’ve parted, anyway.’
‘You have a couple of months to learn,’ he reminded her.
‘No,’ she said stubbornly.
Joel turned from patting Naomi to look at her. ‘You really are frightened, aren’t you?’
Farrah turned away. ‘Horses are beautiful animals, but they’re not for me.’
‘Okay,’ Joel nodded. ‘If that’s the way you feel, I’ll respect your fear. What are you going to do while I take Sultan out?’
She was surprised at his casual acceptance of her refusal. To a man who appeared to be frightened of nothing her fear must seem a great weakness. ‘I—I thought I might look around the garden. Do you have any objection to my picking some of the flowers?’
He shrugged, pulling down a saddle and putting it on the now calm Sultan’s back. ‘Feel free. Do you like flowers?’
‘We don’t have any at the flat, but I do like them, yes.’
He swung himself easily on to Sultan’s back, and Farrah was struck by the similarity between the two, both were sleek, powerful and beautiful. ‘I’ll see you at lunch, then. Don’t
wander off and get yourself lost.’
‘I’m not that much of a towny,’ she retorted crossly. ‘I do have some sense of direction.’
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ he grinned at her, urging Sultan out of the stable.
Farrah wrinkled her nose at him and heard him chuckle to himself as he rode off at a gallop. He soon disappeared from view, crouched low over Sultan’s smooth neck as they increased in speed, and Farrah wandered slowly back to the house. The front door stood open and as she came in George halted in his progress up the stairs.
He looked at her with polite enquiry. ‘Can I get you anything, Miss Halliday?’
‘No—No, thank you,’ she said breathlessly, rather shyly meeting his eyes. Whatever must he think of her, spending the weekend alone here with his employer? He no doubt thought her behaviour shameless.
‘Very well, miss. If you need me for anything I will be upstairs tidying Mr Falcone’s bedroom.’
‘Thank you,’ she said again.
The garden at the front of the house, if it could be called a garden, was more like a riotous jungle of flowers and shrubs. As the house was some way from the road the peace and quiet was somehow unnerving, a silence Farrah wasn’t used to, although it became soothing after a while. She walked appreciatively through the sweet-smelling blossoms, careful not to step on any of the smaller flowers as she picked her blooms. The sun was attempting to come out from behind the clouds now and Farrah lay down on the grass, never having felt quite so much at peace in her life before.
She woke to the sound of birds singing and the deep scent of flowers and wondered where she could possibly be. Realisation came quickly, and she scrambled to her feet, a hurried look at her watch telling her it was almost one o’clock. Joel hadn’t told her what time lunch was, but she felt sure it must be about now. And she was late! Joel was bound to be annoyed.
She quickly gathered up her armful of flowers—after all, that was her reason for being here—and running through the garden she entered the house, her cheeks flushed and her hair windswept. She called Joel and George, but there didn’t seem to be anyone about.
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