Only Lover

by Carole Mortimer

  To her surprise she heard him laugh, a deep mocking laugh that took him away from her across the room. ‘If you choose to believe that then for the moment I’ll let you. I don’t have the time to prove otherwise. I have a lot to do before I leave, a lot of people to see.’

  ‘Then I must be grateful for the fact that you had time to see me at all!’

  Joel swung her round, his eyes steely. ‘I would hardly leave without seeing you. Especially after this morning’s newspapers. Laura is ever so slightly annoyed about it.’

  Farrah’s eyes widened. ‘You’ve seen her?’

  ‘She telephoned. About an hour ago, she must have thought it important to have got out of bed this time of morning. And the names she called you weren’t polite,’ he added with some amusement.

  ‘She called me?’ Farrah was astounded. ‘What have I done?’

  He touched her flushed cheeks, cradling each side of her face as he looked down at her. ‘Stolen me from her,’ he said softly.

  ‘I haven’t! I—’

  ‘Quiet, child!’ His dark head bent and he took possession of her lips. All Farrah’s senses told her to resist, but her traitorous body betrayed her yet again. He pulled her against the hard length of his body, moulding her soft curves against his full arousal, only lifting his head to trail his lips across her shoulder and down to the dark shadow of her breasts. Against her will her breasts bloomed under his caress and she gasped her pleasure, her head thrown back, her eyes closed.

  ‘Now tell me you haven’t stolen me,’ Joel groaned. ‘And if you say it you’ll be lying.’

  He pulled her down into one of the leather armchairs intent only on kissing her until she forgot all else, drugging her senses as he had on Saturday night, and setting her body afire with wanting—wanting him in the truest sense between a man and woman.

  ‘Oh God, Farrah!’ He quivered against her with the effort it cost him not to take her here and now. ‘You’re a witch, you have to be.’

  Farrah nibbled his ear lobe, uncaring for the moment what construction he would put on her actions. All she knew was that she wouldn’t be seeing him for a week, maybe more, and she needed this—this being in his arms and feeling wanted as only Joel could make her feel.

  He claimed her lips again, her vest top no barrier against his questing hands, and her moans of pleasure only inciting him more. The rosy tips of her breasts were like twin jewels and they attracted Joel like a magnet, his lips caressing and gentle.

  Finally it was the buzzing of the intercom that broke them apart, Farrah moving almost guiltily, only to be stopped by Joel’s hold on her. ‘Don’t leave me again, Farrah, not after this.’

  ‘Leave you?’ she repeated shakily. ‘But of course I have to leave you.’

  ‘Maybe bodily—for a while,’ he murmured huskily. ‘But don’t shut me out again. I want to say more,’ he looked up irritatedly as the intercom buzzed again, ‘but I don’t have the time. We’ll leave it until I get back. Have you seen this boy Nigel again?’ he asked sternly.

  ‘N-Nigel?’ Farrah was still dazed and shaken from their lovemaking. She had allowed Joel to touch her as no one else had ever done, and yet it had felt right, oh, so deliciously right.

  ‘In that case, you haven’t. Don’t, Farrah. I’ll rip him apart if he dares to come near you. I mean it, Farrah.’

  And miraculously she knew he did. And this was the man who had professed never to feel possessive about any woman. Her smile was uncertain, a new hopeful feeling invaded her every thought. ‘You don’t need to worry in that direction,’ she told him. ‘Nigel bowed out of my life in a most gentlemanly fashion. He considered the competition too strong, namely you.’

  ‘Good,’ he said with a certain amount of satisfaction. ‘Let’s keep it that way.’ He stood up, watching her with passionately sleepy eyes as she straightened her clothing, before walking over to the intercom. ‘Yes?’ he said tersely, his eyes still on Farrah.

  ‘I have Miss Bennett on the line, Mr Falcone,’ Cathy said breathlessly. ‘I wouldn’t have—er—interrupted, but Miss Bennett seemed very insistent. She said the matter was urgent.’

  Joel’s mouth twisted with mocking humour. ‘Everything seems urgent to Laura, Cathy, you should know that. Put her through in exactly one minute.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  He turned to Farrah, his smile for her alone, the look in his eyes enough to turn her legs to jelly. ‘I wonder if Laura realised just what she interrupted,’ he teased. ‘You’re adorable, do you know that? And we’ll have to continue this—conversation, when I return. Don’t forget where it was interrupted.’

  CHAPTER NINE

  ‘SO lover-boy has gone back to America,’ commented her father.

  They had just eaten their dinner the day after she and Joel had parted, and Farrah had eaten sparingly, her thoughts all of Joel and his return.

  ‘Yes,’ she said miserably, wishing with all her heart that it wasn’t true.

  ‘Did you see him for lunch before he left?’ her father continued.

  ‘For lunch?’ she asked vaguely.

  ‘Mmm, I thought that as you didn’t see him last night perhaps you met him for lunch today as you sometimes do. Or is this friendship coming to an end?’ His eyes lit up hopefully.

  ‘No—no!’ she said jerkily. ‘What makes you think Joel left this afternoon?’

  ‘The airline ticket requested dated for today. You can’t keep much a secret in a big place like Falcone’s. He left on the three o’clock flight.’

  Joel had left today! So why had he said goodbye to her yesterday? More to the point, who had he been with last night? ‘He—I— We said goodbye in the morning.’ And it wasn’t a lie, except that it had been yesterday morning!

  ‘I see. I had hoped that perhaps this separation would be a permanent thing.’

  ‘It could be, Daddy.’ She stood up with jerky movements, intent only on making her escape to the privacy of her bedroom. ‘This separation will show if our feelings are of the lasting kind, won’t it? I—er—I think I’ll go to my room and read for a while.’

  ‘All right, love. But you’re not to mope about your room while Falcone’s out of the country,’ he warned. ‘How can you give yourself a fair chance of forgetting about him if you stay in your room thinking about him all the time?’

  ‘I didn’t say I intended intentionally forgetting him, Daddy.’ Forget Joel? Impossible! ‘This is just a test.’

  ‘Hmph,’ mumbled her father. ‘Fellow’s not good enough for you. Dragging your name through the papers. Selfish, that’s what he is, thinking only of himself and—’ he looked at her sharply. ‘Farrah, you haven’t—the two of you haven’t—’

  ‘No, we haven’t,’ she said firmly, thanking God it was true, it could so easily have been otherwise. ‘I can look after myself, Daddy.’

  ‘Not with his sort you can’t, you just aren’t in his league when it comes to things like that. I should think he’s lost count of the women who have shared his bed.’

  ‘Well, I’m not one of them!’ Farrah snapped, and then looked instantly contrite as she saw her father’s hurt look. ‘I’m sorry, Daddy. It’s just that—’

  He put a hand over hers understandingly. ‘It’s all right, love, no need to apologise. I shouldn’t be interfering.’

  ‘You’re not interfering, you’re just concerned, I know that. But I—I’m not sure how this relationship with Joel is going to end, or when. I’m all confused at the moment.’

  ‘I realise that, love, and my going on at you isn’t going to help. Off you go to your room, I won’t mention him again until you feel like talking about him.’

  ‘Okay, Daddy.’

  The telephone rang in the hallway as she walked past and she picked it up, reciting their number. ‘Farrah Halliday speaking,’ she added.

  ‘It’s Nigel, Farrah. I wondered if you felt like coming out for a drink tonight?’

  ‘Tonight? But I—’

  ‘You aren’t going out somewhe
re else, are you? Mr Falcone’s away, isn’t he?’

  ‘Yes, he is, but what difference does that make?’

  ‘Well, I thought that as he’s away—’

  ‘Yes? Just what did you think? That while the cat’s away the little mouse will play?’ she bit out at him angrily.

  ‘Don’t be silly, Farrah. As a friend, I thought you might be lonely. Forgive me if I presumed too much,’ he added sarcastically, his voice chilling into anger, and Farrah knew she had hurt him deeply. He had only been trying to be nice, and anger was how she repaid him.

  ‘I’m sorry, Nigel,’ she gave a choked laugh. ‘It seems to be my evening for snapping at people. I’ve just bitten poor Daddy’s head off. Now what did you say about a drink?’

  Half an hour later she and Nigel were firmly ensconced in a secluded corner of a little tavern they had often frequented during their three-month friendship. Farrah felt more relaxed with him than she ever did with Joel, and yet there was none of that tense excitement she always felt in Joel’s company. Nigel was nice, and lots of fun, but she knew now that wasn’t enough to evoke love. No, love came unbidden, and unwanted, and in completely the wrong direction, like her love for Joel.

  ‘How’s your father now?’ Nigel took a huge gulp of his beer. ‘Is he back at work?’

  ‘Hmm, and loving it.’

  ‘Has he got over the worry he had?’ Nigel watched closely for her reaction.

  Farrah evaded his eyes, her expression remaining calm with effort. She hadn’t mentioned anything to him about the trouble they were having! ‘Daddy’s fine,’ she answered tremulously. ‘He was just ill after Mummy’s death, we were both depressed, that’s only natural. They were very much in love.’

  ‘I know, Farrah. But your dad told me he had something else on his mind, some worry at work. Is that all sorted out now?’

  ‘Yes, I guess so. I—he hasn’t said anything, so I suppose it must be.’

  ‘You’re keeping something back, Farrah. Your father had something really big on his mind, something to do with Falcone’s. Now I’ve been putting two and two together, and I—’

  ‘You’ve made five,’ she derided. ‘People usually do when they let their imagination run riot. Whatever it was that Daddy was upset about he’s all right now.’

  ‘I’m not that naïve. This is your dogged reporter you’re talking to, you know, I wasn’t born yesterday. You’ve been going out with Falcone what—? One, two weeks? And your father has been back at work a week. Quite a coincidence, that.’

  Farrah licked her lips nervously. ‘There’s nothing coincidental about it. Daddy’s better, that’s all.’

  Nigel shook his head. ‘That isn’t true. I know your father felt pretty sick after your mother died, but not that ill. It’s been over six weeks now, and I know there’s more to this than you’re actually telling. At a guess I would say your father was in some sort of financial difficulty.’

  ‘That isn’t true!’ She slammed her glass down heavily on the table in front of her. ‘My father had a large insurance policy that he cashed in as soon as he knew Mummy was ill. He wanted only the best for her.’

  ‘And he got it,’ Nigel said drily. ‘How much has Falcone given you? And for what, that’s what I want to know? Surely Falcone hasn’t resorted to paying for your services!’

  ‘You’re as bad as Dad—’ she broke off as she saw his sharpened look. ‘For goodness’ sake, Nigel! Leave the subject alone!’

  ‘Because I’m too near the truth,’ he scoffed.

  ‘You’re nowhere near the truth!’

  ‘Oh, but I am. Your father didn’t have an insurance policy, he told me that in one of his more depressed moods. And Falcone is deliberately feeding the rumours about the two of you by not reporting it in any of his own newspapers. Almost as if this thing between the two of you is serious.’

  ‘And what if it is?’ Farrah flashed.

  ‘So you get married and live happily ever after! Come on, Farrah! You have to have more sense than to think that. There’ve been other women, other affairs, and none of them meant a thing. Like you, they probably all thought they were different, but they weren’t, and neither are you. He just enjoys the chase, all men do,’ he added almost gently.

  ‘Stop it, Nigel!’ she said between gritted teeth. ‘I’ve had so many people giving me advice that I don’t need, that if one more person starts interfering I swear I’ll scream the place down.’

  ‘All right, all right, subject closed. But I would just like to know—’

  ‘Subject closed, Nigel,’ she told him firmly. ‘I want to hear about your work. What are you working on at the moment?’

  ‘Ah, now that’s another interesting subject. I’m afraid it involves mentioning Falcone again,’ he warned her.

  ‘It does? Okay,’ she sighed. ‘Go ahead.’

  Whatever she talked about—or to whom—it always came back to the same subject, Joel Falcone. And yet two weeks ago she hadn’t even seen him, let alone talked to him. He seemed to fill her whole life now, and although she didn’t like to admit it, she missed him. And he had only left today! She had another week to get through, and then she still didn’t know if she would see him. He changed so rapidly, from the cold aloof stranger to the man straining her to him with passionate intensity, that she found all thoughts of him confused when she wasn’t actually with him. And then she was a trembling mass of expectation, of what she wasn’t sure.

  ‘I’m being sent out to the States, supposedly because the extra experience will be good for my career.’

  ‘Supposedly?’

  ‘Mmm. It’s too sudden, Farrah. I only found out today, and I leave early next week.’

  ‘Early next week! But that only gives you a few days.’

  ‘Exactly, so you see this is in the nature of a goodbye. It’s too convenient, Farrah. Oh, not for me,’ he gave a wry smile, ‘but for a certain person I’m not allowed to mention.’

  ‘Joel?’ Her eyes were wide with shock. She shook her head. ‘I’m sure you’re wrong. Joel wouldn’t—’

  ‘Oh, wouldn’t he? You’re the one that’s wrong. Joel Falcone is behind this move, all right. I’m just wondering why he considers me a threat. I mean, I’m not that important, am I? We only dated a few months.’

  Farrah had the grace to look guilty. ‘That’s my fault, I’m afraid,’ she told him softly. ‘I told Joel—I told him I was in love with you.’

  ‘You did! But—Oh, I get it, the jealousy routine. Well, if it’s any consolation to you, it worked. I’m now to be removed out of harm’s way. I take back all that I said earlier, the poor man must be besotted with you.’

  ‘That’s the one thing he isn’t. I don’t understand how he found out who you are, I only called you Nigel, no surname was mentioned.’

  ‘Men like Falcone can find these things out by a few telephone calls. And his every wish is someone’s else’s command. Not that I mind going to the States, you understand. It’ll be great experience and it could have taken me a long time to get there on my own steam. It’s just the way it’s being done that annoys me.’

  ‘Well, I knew nothing about it, absolutely nothing.’

  Nigel chuckled. ‘Oh, I believe you. Falcone is hardly likely to tell you he’s removing the competition, that would defeat the object. No, I think he imagined I would be gone before you had a chance to see me again. I almost did, actually. I was so annoyed I wasn’t going to bother to see you again, but then I thought, why should I be annoyed because you love the guy? You can’t force love, and if he’s the one for you then it’s none of my business.’

  She squeezed his hand gratefully, relieved that at last someone accepted the way she felt without passing judgment on her. ‘Thanks, Nigel. And I’m sorry, Joel had no right to do what he’s done.’

  ‘Like I said, I don’t mind. I just thought you should know to what lengths he’ll go to to keep you.’

  It was late when she got back to the flat, but to her surprise her father was still sitt
ing in the lounge. This was somewhat unusual to start with, as he usually only stayed awake long enough to make sure she was home safely. Something was wrong, very wrong. It was there in the rigid set of his shoulders and the anger in the green eyes so like her own.

  ‘Something wrong, Daddy?’ She sat on the hearthrug at his feet.

  ‘You could say that,’ his answer was controlled. ‘Beth called this evening while you were out.’

  Farrah’s eyes dropped. ‘Did she?’

  ‘Mmm. She wanted to know if you would like to go up tomorrow for the night.’ Still that even tone.

  ‘I see.’ She licked her suddenly dry lips.

  Her father shot up out of his chair and Farrah though she had never seen such a look of anger on his face. ‘Do you see, Farrah?’ he burst out. ‘Do you see how humiliated I felt when I expressed my surprise at you going to Beth’s two weekends in a row, and she denied all knowledge of seeing you last weekend. Do you see that!’

  She stood up, her look beseeching. ‘Oh, Daddy, please try to understand.’

  ‘Oh, I understand. You lied to me. You went away with Falcone last weekend, didn’t you?’

  ‘I—well—yes, I did! But it isn’t what it seems.’

  ‘Isn’t what it seems! God, Farrah, I thought your mother and I had brought you up better than this. To go away for the weekend with a man you hardly know is bad enough, without lying about it too. At least have the courage to admit it.’

  ‘I didn’t want to hurt you,’ she said brokenly, her eyes pleading for his understanding.

  ‘And you think I’m not hurt now! Oh, Farrah,’ he shook his head. ‘To go behind my back in this underhand way!’

  ‘And if I’d told you, Daddy? What then? More recriminations like these? I had to go, I wish you’d understand that.’

  ‘You had to go!’ He was really angry now. ‘Are you so infatuated with the man that you couldn’t wait to go off with him behind my back? To so betray my trust in you!’

  ‘Oh, Daddy, please—’

  ‘No, Farrah, this thing has gone too far. At first I thought it best to let you have your head, give you the freedom to get him out of your system in your own time. But this—this affair has to stop now. A man like Joel Falcone will only use you and discard you. I would rather you finished with him now before he humiliates you beyond healing.’