His After-Hours Mistress: The Rich Man′s Reluctant Mistress
His After-Hours Mistress: The Rich Man's Reluctant Mistress
Trish Wylie
Margaret Mayo
Tina Duncan
The Rich Man’s Reluctant MistressAfter building her interior design business, Lucinda Oliver is shocked when her latest client is former boss Zane Alexander. Lucinda’s determined not to become another notch on his bedpost, but soon she’s battling to resist Zane’s sizzling brand of desire... The Inconvenient Laws of AttractionWhen Blake Clayton inherits a fortune from his estranged father, the only thing piquing his interest is lawyer Olivia Brannigan. Dating on the job isn’t in Olivia’s ‘Guide to Good Client-Lawyer Relationships’... but aren’t rules made to be broken?Playing His Dangerous GameShara Atwood is used to playing the celebrity game – but nothing had prepared her for the charms of new bodyguard Royce. Shara knows she should do as Royce tells her – but she can’t help but think she’ll have more fun not obeying his every command...
His After-Hours
Mistress
The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress
Margaret Mayo
The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction
Trish Wylie
Playing His Dangerous Game
Tina Duncan
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Table of Contents
Cover (#litres_trial_promo)
Title Page (#u98d6940f-6fcb-5d97-a5d7-6a8075476fa8)
Table of Contents (#u16ad9b2c-116d-5177-9b65-40cd32a77cfb)
The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress (#u44b56c53-856e-51af-97cc-b3df6b4cbc65)
About the Author (#u9d2ce380-1aff-54de-8190-141000af273f)
CHAPTER ONE (#u1170a019-db5d-585a-a7a3-d4e06702bf1f)
CHAPTER TWO (#ucbaa24ff-dec5-5773-8606-71964816e0fa)
CHAPTER THREE (#uc6bb7090-c522-500f-b99e-4503b7e0b0e4)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u67fb18af-1790-5928-a01c-4594548f2d98)
CHAPTER FIVE (#u7e0ec1d5-34c8-5de2-9288-58ce3c2ef7f0)
CHAPTER SIX (#ubdeae37b-df28-53d0-b00e-d94b1cd14376)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#ue2cff312-df04-552a-82c6-b682239ea54f)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#u8d59ed7d-96a9-5a5a-bca6-ecd20933421f)
CHAPTER NINE (#uf7d914ff-1e89-501e-99c6-b5e4f408176c)
CHAPTER TEN (#u057ef472-b6f2-5425-aef1-48cb5ec34334)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)
Dedication (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWO (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Playing His Dangerous Game (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWO (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress (#ulink_900a5288-e515-5f9b-be80-5fabc2b8dc40)
Margaret Mayo
MARGARET MAYO was reading Mills & Boon
romances long before she began to write them. In fact she never had any plans to become a writer. After an idea for a short story popped into her head she was thrilled when it turned into a full-scale novel. Now, over twenty-five years later, she is still happily writing, and says she has no intention of stopping. She lives with her husband Ken in a rural part of Staffordshire. She has two children—Adrian, who now lives in America, and Tina. Margaret’s hobbies are reading, photography and, more recently, watercolour painting, which she says has honed her observational skills and is a definite advantage when it comes to writing.
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_4bbb83fd-f5ac-55e9-aec5-f67fb0057439)
SMOKY blue eyes looked with shocked disbelief into delicate green ones. Seconds ticked away. Zane was the first to speak.
‘You!’ he exclaimed, his voice deep and gruff and entirely disbelieving, almost accusatory.
Lucinda nodded, slowly and deliberately. ‘Yes, it’s me, and I’m as surprised as you are.’
Except that surprised was far too mild a word. Even shocked wasn’t good enough. Stunned perhaps. And had she known who to expect she would never have come here today. Zane Alexander was not on her list of favourite people. Her experience working for him a few years ago had shown he was insensitive, uncaring and a whole host of other adjectives she could have put her mind to had she wanted. Except—that business was business.
‘What are you doing here?’ came the next curt question.
‘You sent for me.’ Her eyes were full of innocence. ‘I have an appointment.’
‘But—you’re a nanny!’
Lucinda allowed her lips to curve into a smile. Not that it held any pleasure. Her only pleasure was in seeing this man at a loss. ‘I was a nanny,’ she corrected. ‘And, by the way, how’s Tim?’
‘Very well,’ he responded.
‘And I only did it to fund myself while I was preparing to go into business,’ she explained.
Zane Alexander frowned. ‘But it couldn’t have been more than two years ago. Three at the most! How can you possibly be—’
‘Experienced?’ she suggested sweetly. ‘Believe me, Mr Alexander, I’m very experienced.’
Blue eyes narrowed and one brow crooked upwards. Although Lucinda knew what he was thinking she didn’t let it show. She kept a cool smile on her lips and a question in her eyes.
Zane Alexander’s brow dropped again until his eyes levelled on hers. ‘Show me your credentials.’
Lucinda reached out her portfolio and sat there quietly while he studied it. In turn she chose to study him. He was really quite a handsome man—it was a pity he didn’t have a handsome character to match. In the few weeks she had worked for him she had seen enough to recognise that he thought more of going out with one of his numerous lady friends than he did caring for his son.
He had medium blond hair that waved in gorgeous disarray. It was cut reasonably short in an effort to tame it but without much success. She bet it was the only thing in his life he couldn’t take control of.
His eyes were beautifully shaped and a dusky sort of blue, like smoke out of a chimney, with fair lashes and light eyebrows that matched his hair both in colour and disobedience. His mouth was full and wide and at this moment compressed. It was a very mobile mouth, though. She had seen it smiling and even laughing, as well as expressing the grimness he showed at this moment. It was a nice mouth, she admitted reluctantly.
‘I have to confess,’ he said now, waving the folder, ‘that this is very impressive. And you did come highly recommended.’
‘Is that a compliment?’ she asked, eyes wide and questioning.
‘Not at all!’ came the swift reply. ‘I’m not in the habit of handing out compliments to people I hardly know. But I can see that you’ll be capable of doing the job I want.’
‘And that would be?’ she asked. When his PA had phoned to make the appointment with her secretary, apart from saying that it was a prestigious interior design job for Mr Alexander of Revelation Holdings, no further details had been given. The name Alexander had meant nothing to her. She certainly hadn’t equated it with the Mr Alexander she had done the nannying job for and she was deeply curious as to why he had sent for her.
Nothing around here needed refurbishing. His office block was modern, immaculate and totally awe-inspiring. All the best quality materials had been used, the colours were muted and restful and the right accents added. And, from memory, his house was the same! Large and impressive and flawless.
Perhaps he was moving? Perhaps he’d bought a second home? Perhaps his business was expanding? There was no end of possibilities. She waited patiently for him to tell her.
It was rare for Zane Alexander to be taken by surprise, but today he had been literally swept off his feet when Lucinda Oliver had walked into his office. When he’d last seen her she had simply introduced herself as Lucy, and although she was a lovely looking girl he hadn’t thought about her since.
Today she looked far more grown-up, with her flaming Titian hair brushed back in some sort of fancy loop, revealing the fine bone structure of her face and her long elegant neck. Carefully made-up green eyes shone from a matt complexion, her nose was beautifully straight and her mouth held only the merest hint of lip-gloss.
He suddenly realised that she was waiting to hear about the job and he was forced to give his head a mental shake before he could take his eyes from her. He pressed a button on the console on his desk to draw the window blinds, then another to slide down a huge screen that took up most of one wall.
‘Are you ready?’ he asked.
A tiny nod of her head was all the response he got.
The first image appeared on the screen. ‘This is a property I’ve recently acquired,’ he announced. ‘I’ve had one or two alterations made to it but now I need someone to add the finishing touches. I’ve been told you’re the best.’
Lucinda lifted well-shaped brows. ‘I thank whoever said that, although personally I don’t think I have yet achieved such stardom, but I do pride myself on my work and I’ve already won an award, if that’s good enough for you. Where is this property?’ It was a sprawling one-storey building, set amongst palm trees and tropical blue skies. ‘Not in England, that’s for sure,’ she added.
‘You’re right. I wasn’t going to tell you until you’d seen the rest of the photographs, but since you’ve asked—it’s in St Lucia.’
‘The Caribbean?’ Her green eyes widened ever so slightly and he realised how beautiful they were—wide-spaced and long-lashed—and he wondered why he had never noticed them before. They were expressive eyes and at this moment they revealed an inner tension. She was clearly feeling apprehensive. Perhaps it was because of who he was? Perhaps she had never taken on a job out of England? Perhaps he was asking too much of her?
‘That’s right,’ he answered, watching her closely.
‘And you expect me to go all the way out there?’ An even deeper incredulity darkened her eyes.
‘All expenses paid, of course,’ he answered smoothly, smiling now at her expression. ‘I take it that you’re not accustomed to jetting around the world for the sake of your job?’
‘No, I’m not.’
‘Would you object to it?’ He hoped not. He was enjoying her company and would like to see more of her. Lucy the nanny had done nothing for him. But Lucinda the interior designer was surely every man’s dream.
It was a hot day and she was dressed in ivory silk wide-legged trousers and a jacket that skimmed her waist. Around her neck hung a bronze three-tiered pendant which almost disappeared into her delectable cleavage. It was matched by bronze earrings and even her nails wore bronze polish.
She was elegance personified and nothing like the girl who had turned up at his house in blue jeans and a T-shirt. It alarmed him to realise that he would enjoy the pleasure of peeling the suit off her slow inch by slow inch and feasting his eyes on the sylphlike body beneath.
‘It all depends,’ she said with a faint grimace.
Zane berated himself. It was ridiculous to let his thoughts run in such a foolish direction. ‘On what?’ he asked briskly. ‘On how much I’d pay you?’
‘Amongst other things,’ she acknowledged, her eyes steady on his now, no sign of the tension he had seen earlier. ‘For instance, where would I be staying? Is the house habitable?’
‘Absolutely,’ he concurred, pleased to hear that she was considering his proposition. Perhaps she’d suddenly realised that she was on to a good thing.
‘And how long would I be away?’ she asked. ‘I’m not used to—’
‘Do you have family commitments?’ he interrupted sharply, glancing curiously at her left hand. He felt strangely relieved when he saw no ring, then asked himself why. So long as she could do the job, her personal affairs were inconsequential.
‘None at all,’ she answered. ‘You needn’t fear that there’s anything to get in the way of my work.’
‘No boyfriend who’d object to you being away for a few weeks?’ He watched her face closely. He was intrigued. In almost three years she had changed from a girl, a well-adjusted girl admittedly, to a sophisticated, confident woman whose rise up the ladder of success was truly remarkable.
Lucinda’s smile was wry. ‘No boyfriend.’
Was that regret he heard in her voice? Had there been someone recently? He wanted to know but it was too soon for such personal questions. And he had to ask himself why he was taking such an inordinate interest in her private life. Purely to safeguard his interests, of course! He didn’t want someone who couldn’t give one hundred per cent of her attention.
‘Then I think we should look at the rest of the photographs,’ he said quietly. ‘And tonight I’ll take you out to dinner so that we can discuss the project properly.’ He pushed back a cuff and glanced at his watch.
‘And what is wrong with discussing it now?’ asked Lucinda, hearing the crossness in her voice but ignoring it.
Brows rose disapprovingly. ‘Although you come highly recommended, I prefer to make my own judgement.’
Lucinda tossed her head, her eyes flashing crossly. ‘I thought you’d convinced yourself that I was good enough?’
‘And of course,’ he added, ignoring her question, ‘I need to make sure that you and I get on.’
His eyes connected with hers as he spoke and his meaning was very clear. Lucinda felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle. Anger flared hot and fluid through her veins and her green eyes sparked fire. But when she spoke there was no hint in her voice that she knew what he had in mind.
‘You think that taking me out to dinner is the best way of doing it? I think not, Mr Alexander. Whatever needs to be discussed can be done right here and now. If that doesn’t suit you then perhaps I shouldn’t be here at all.’
She got up and headed for the door but Zane was there before her, moving remarkably quickly for such a tall man. She guessed he was about six-four—wide-shouldered and hard-muscled, as though he worked out several times a week.
His face was grim, brows pulled tightly together. ‘Hardly a professional attitude.’
‘I beg your pardon?’ Lucinda glared and stood that little bit taller. Not that she was intimidated by him! She was five feet eight herself and equalled most men. ‘My attitude has nothing to do with it. It’s yours that’s in question,’ she parried accusingly. ‘Admit it, you were doubtful once you saw who I was.’ But it didn’t alter the fact that he had designs on her! She could tell that by the way he looked at her. Would he be accompanying her to St Lucia? Would they be sharing his house? Lucinda suddenly realised what a dangerous situation she could be getting herself into.
Broad shoulders shrugged. ‘Can you blame me?’ It was more a statement than a question.
‘So recommendations weren’t enough?’ Lord, she wanted to take a swipe at him, knock that superior expression off his face.
‘I like to make up my own mind.’
In more ways than one, she thought edgily. She’d had enough of this conversation and reached for the door handle.
‘Not so quickly,’ breathed Zane. ‘You’re here for a purpose. Please, allow me to finish the show.’ And, with complete disregard for her feelings, he steered her back into the room and pushed her unceremoniously on to the chair.
Lucinda’s blood boiled and she took several deep steadying breaths. Never in her life had she found a man more irritating than Zane Alexander. She didn’t trust him, so how could she work for him? She would be on tenterhooks the whole time. On the other hand, his business would be highly profitable. For that reason alone she would be foolish to turn him down.
She had no idea how lovely she looked with her face flaming almost as red as her hair and her eyes a more brilliant green than they’d ever been before. All she knew was that she was spitting mad and that this man was the cause.
‘We’re inside the house now and this is the living area.’
Zane’s voice interrupted her thoughts and she fixed her attention on the screen. The room was huge.
‘I’ve had two rooms knocked into one. I like to have plenty of space. And here we have the main bedroom.’
Oh, Lord, if she took this job she would be expected to dress this room. To suit him! Immediately she had a vision of steel and silver and ice-blue. Cold and hard and totally devoid of feeling! ‘Would you be accompanying me to St Lucia?’ she asked in a breathless voice.
‘Obviously.’
A shiver ran down her spine. ‘And we’d both be staying at the house?’
‘Of course,’ he answered and, without giving her time to object, he carried on with the show. ‘This is bedroom number two and, as you can see, they are both fully furnished. And here are numbers three and four, the main bathroom, the kitchen.’ He had realised she wasn’t listening and consequently rushed through the rest of the images. ‘What do you think?’
What did she think? That she didn’t want to be living there with him. ‘I think I’d prefer to stay in a hotel.’
Smoky blue eyes locked on to hers. ‘No deal!’ he announced shortly. ‘The house is remote; there’s no hotel for miles. It would be inconvenient for you to—’
‘Damn the convenience!’ she cried. ‘How about the propriety?’
A faint smile curved his mouth. ‘Who’s to know?’
Lucinda did not find it funny. ‘It’s unethical.’
‘You think I might take advantage of the situation?’
The hot colour in Lucinda’s cheeks gave her away. ‘Actually, yes.’
But she knew she had to trust him—although those wicked blue eyes didn’t invite trust. His lips quirked. ‘Perhaps it’s yourself you’re afraid of. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’re very much aware of me.’
Lucinda’s eyes flashed and she ignored the hot streak through her veins. ‘Of all the conceited, overbearing men, you take the biscuit. You know exactly how I feel about you.’
‘The point is, do you know how you feel?’ he asked with quiet innuendo.
Lucinda closed her eyes. The argument was lost; she might as well give in gracefully. It would be foolish to turn down this dream job because of what might happen. If Zane decided to make advances on her, surely she was woman enough to deal with him?
Zane saw her weakening and took advantage. His smile was wide and confident. ‘So,’ he said, ‘is it dinner with me tonight or not?’
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_a01a2df1-e05a-51bc-a215-39e15e905397)
LUCINDA studied her wardrobe, wondering what to wear for her evening out with Zane Alexander. The red slinky number, or perhaps something more decorous? She didn’t want him getting the wrong impression. How about the amber suit? Or even the lime-green dress, which everyone else hated but she loved? It was certainly demure.
She had thought long and hard about accepting Zane’s dinner invitation but ultimately decided to put her personal issues about him to one side. This project was too good an opportunity to miss. Now, though, as she stepped into an elegant black dress, she wondered whether she was doing the right thing.
A job in St Lucia! It sounded too good to be true. Except that she would be out there with Zane, a man she didn’t particularly like. But whom she found devastatingly attractive! It was an admission she hated making—but it happened to be true. There really was something about him that could not be ignored.
Would he stay while she developed thoughts and ideas? Would he want to talk them over with her as she went along? Or would he simply show her around and then wait to hear what suggestions she came up with?
He was a very busy man, of that she was well aware. When she had looked after his two-year-old son, Zane had spent very little time at home. In fact Tim had rarely seen him. Zane was not a good father. On the other hand, perhaps because of Tim, he would not stay on the island the whole time she was there—unless, of course, he had business interests in St Lucia? It could well be the case.
They certainly had a lot to discuss.
And time was running out. Zane was picking her up at seven-thirty; he would expect her to be ready. She finished her make-up and ran a final brush through her hair. It was long and silky, almost to her waist, and her pride and joy. At the last minute, though, she decided to sweep it up. She didn’t want Zane Alexander thinking she looked anything less than professional.
She watched for him to arrive and was out of the door almost before he had stopped his car. Lucinda lived with her mother and stepfather in a large house where she had her own suite of offices. It didn’t really suit her and her bank balance was such these days that she was almost ready to buy a place of her own. In fact she’d been looking at property only the other day.
‘A lady who’s prompt,’ commented Zane with a dry smile, jumping out to open the door for her. ‘I like that. And may I say how elegant you look.’
Lucinda inclined her head in thanks. Zane looked pretty good himself in an oatmeal linen jacket and crisp dark trousers, and as he slid into the sleek silver Mercedes beside her the faint smell of his cologne wafted beneath her nostrils. It was masculine and woody and reminded her of nights spent on an exotic island paradise.
She suddenly realised where her mind was going and checked it. How would she know what it felt like? Was she thinking about the job that lay ahead? Was it wishful thinking? Never! Not with Zane Alexander. Not in a million years.
Besides, wasn’t he married? Not that there’d been a wife around. Maybe they were divorced. Maybe there wasn’t a Mrs Alexander any longer. Maybe she’d dumped the child on him on that occasion and, Zane being Zane, he hadn’t wanted to give up his precious time.
‘You must be doing rather well for yourself, judging by where you live,’ commented Zane as he pulled away from the house.
‘It’s not mine,’ she answered quickly. ‘It belongs to my stepfather. I’m moving out shortly.’
‘You’re not happy there?’ he asked intuitively.
Perhaps her tone had given too much away. But she didn’t get on well with David Goldberg. He had once told her that she hadn’t the imagination of a sparrow and would never enter the world of business. How she had loved proving him wrong. Her own father had died when she was fifteen and her mother had remarried far too quickly in Lucinda’s opinion. They’d gone from being very poor to very rich in a short space of time; not that she had accepted any help from her stepfather when setting up her design company.
‘I feel it’s time I have a place of my own,’ she answered quietly.
‘Of course.’
She had expected him to probe, to make some disparaging remark about her still living at home, but he didn’t.
‘How old are you?’ he asked instead.
‘Twenty-eight,’ she answered.
‘And running your own successful business. Congratulations.’
His compliment pleased her.
‘What is your ambition?’ He kept his eyes on the road in front where it looked like a young mother was ready to roll a pushchair out in front of them. ‘To have a team of workers under you so that you can sit back and count your pennies? Or to always be a hands-on person?’
Lucinda thought she heard sarcasm and tossed her head. ‘Ultimately I want to get married and have children. I love children; I used to earn money looking after them when I was a student.’
‘The nanny job?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘I could have made it a career but it would have been a waste of the design course I was taking. I’d always set my heart on interior design. Each job is different. It’s a new challenge. I love it.’
‘Then I shall very much look forward to showing you over my place in St Lucia.’
‘You’re assuming I’ll take the job?’ she questioned, glancing at him, seeing nothing but the hard contours of his profile. Until he turned briefly to look at her and she caught a twinkle in his smoky eyes.
‘I thought you already had,’ he said. ‘Otherwise why would you be here?’ And he looked back at the road.
There was nothing more for Lucinda to say. There was trepidation in her heart but a sense of excitement too.
The restaurant was small and intimate and not the sort of place where business deals were done. It had a more romantic atmosphere, where couples looked into each other’s eyes and drank champagne and wished for the moon. Lucinda felt uncomfortable, her heart beating far louder than it should.
‘Have you been here before?’ Zane asked.
Lucinda shook her head.
‘Then you should have,’ he admonished. ‘The food is superb and the head chef incidentally is a very good friend of mine.’
They sipped their drinks as they studied the menu and, while they were waiting to be seated, Zane made no attempt to talk business. Instead he asked her questions about herself, almost as though they were on a date. Which made her feel even more uncomfortable.
‘I don’t see that it has anything to do with the job,’ she protested when he wanted to know whether she had any brothers or sisters.
‘I’m curious about you, that’s all,’ he answered with a disarming smile, a smile that probably made many women go weak at the knees. And she was in grave danger of following suit!
‘All you need to know are my qualifications,’ she told him, her voice a little more cool than she had intended, ‘and you’ve already seen those. When are we going to get down to business?’
Zane smiled, his teeth amazingly white in his subtly tanned face. ‘There’s not really much to discuss, is there, not until we arrive on site, so to speak? I’ve already decided I want you to do the job; this is merely an opportunity to get to know you.’
Lucinda swallowed hard. ‘A complete waste of time.’
Zane frowned. ‘I don’t understand?’
‘Is this the way you usually conduct your business affairs?’ she questioned coolly. Perhaps it was. Especially with members of the opposite sex! And how did he expect the evening to end? Lucinda realised she was being fanciful. There was nothing in his attitude at this moment to suggest that he wanted anything more from her. It was all in her mind. But then didn’t she have reason to be fearful?
Simon, her ex-fiancé, whom she’d met at university, had left her wary of men. He had wooed and won her, they’d had a long and happy engagement, they’d even been planning their wedding, and then he’d dumped her without any real explanation except to say that their relationship wasn’t working. She’d heard afterwards that he’d met someone else—and it hadn’t done much for her ego. From that day on she had sworn she would be careful not to lose her heart so easily to another man. Especially one like Zane Alexander!
‘If you mean do I enjoy taking beautiful young ladies out to dinner, then the answer is yes.’
Lucinda frowned. ‘And your wife, what does she have to say about it?’ Thinking about Simon had made her feel angry and her voice was waspish.
Well-marked brows rose; his surprise very evident. ‘I don’t have a wife.’
‘You mean you’re divorced?’ she asked sharply.
‘I’ve never been married,’ he answered, more puzzlement in his tone. ‘I’ve never met anyone I’ve wanted to settle down with.’
‘So where does Tim fit into the equation?’ she asked, feeling hopelessly lost now.
‘Ah!’ Enlightenment dawned on Zane’s handsome face. ‘You think Tim is my son?’
‘Well, isn’t he?’ she questioned crossly.
‘Actually, no, he’s my brother’s child. I was merely looking after him.’
Lucinda leaned back in her seat and stared. ‘You were looking after him?’ She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was an even worse scenario than she had thought. ‘That is disgraceful—paying someone to look after a child who’d been put into your care.’ Her eyes were a vivid angry green and she sat forward on the edge of her seat, wanting to take a swipe at him. ‘How could you do such a thing?’
‘Perhaps I should enlighten you,’ Zane said tersely. A waiter showing them to their table had interrupted their conversation, but once their first course had been placed in front of them he could hold his tongue no longer. Who the hell did Lucinda Oliver think she was? How dared she condemn him?
‘Nothing you can say will excuse the fact that you let your nephew down,’ Lucinda snapped. ‘How could you offload Tim on to a stranger?’
‘Just listen,’ he rasped, annoyed now by her determination to cast him as the bad guy. ‘To start with, my brother and his wife died in a road accident when Tim was eighteen months old.’
Lucinda’s lovely eyes widened. ‘That’s awful; I didn’t know.’
‘Of course you didn’t,’ he snarled. ‘His maternal grandmother took him in. When one day she was rushed into hospital there was no one to look after him except me. Unfortunately I had a series of extremely important business meetings—hence employing you.’ Damn, why was he explaining this to her? She didn’t deserve an explanation. Except that she was beginning to get under his skin like no other woman ever had!
‘Not that I expect you to understand,’ he declared shortly. ‘I think maybe this evening was a mistake. Let’s go.’ And he pushed back his chair.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Lucinda quietly.
‘And that’s supposed to make it better, is it?’ he growled. Two miserable little words of apology after she’d made aspersions on his character. It wasn’t good enough. He’d had his fill of this woman and her patronising behaviour.
‘I love kids, that’s all,’ she added, as if reading his thoughts. ‘I don’t think they should be given a hard time. But I can see now that you did the best you could, and I’m sorry I thought ill of you. Have I blotted my copybook as far as the job’s concerned?’
Her eyes were wide and apologetic—and incredibly beautiful. Zane felt himself weakening and hated himself for it. ‘I really haven’t time to start looking for someone all over again.’
‘So you still want me?’ she asked, her voice husky now.
Want her? Of course he wanted her! Far too badly! She was exceptionally fine-looking—too gorgeous to ignore. He loved the little black dress with its rhinestone straps and a décolletage that stopped just short of revealing the delightful fullness of her breasts. Her skin was velvety smooth and her perfume sweet and tantalising. She looked stylish, yet there was an innocent freshness about her as well.
He drew in a long breath and let it go slowly before pulling his chair back up to the table. ‘Let’s talk about it.’
By the end of the evening Lucinda began to look forward to working in St Lucia. Zane was going to fly her out in a few days, giving them both time to sort their diaries. It would be the most exciting job of her career.
As they sipped their coffee, Lucinda telling Zane that she already had some ideas, the head chef came out to say hello.
‘Zane, it is good to see you again.’ The two men shook hands. He was French and short and rotund, and he looked curiously at Lucinda.
‘This is Lucinda Oliver,’ introduced Zane, ‘an interior designer who’s going to do some work for me.’
‘She is beautiful, is she not, you lucky old dog,’ said the chef. And then, in his native language, ‘Is she your girlfriend as well, or is that what you would like her to be?’
Zane answered in French also. ‘She is not my girlfriend.’
‘But you are working on her? And who can blame you? She is—extraordinarily attractive. If I were not married I would pursue her myself.’
‘You would not stand a chance, my friend,’ said Zane with a dazzling smile.
Of all the conceited men, Zane Alexander took the biscuit! Lucinda flashed her green eyes and, speaking in perfect French, said, ‘Excuse me, gentlemen, but I do not like being talked about like this.’
The chef’s mouth fell open and, in English, he said, ‘Mademoiselle, I am so sorry. Do accept my apologies. But you are indeed beautiful.’
Lucinda smiled and waited for Zane’s apology also—but it didn’t materialise. And when his friend had gone back to the kitchen she turned on him. ‘Do you normally talk like that about someone who’s going to do a job for you?’
‘Only when they’re particularly lovely,’ he acknowledged with a tiny tug at the corners of his mouth. He looked not in the least concerned that he had been found out. Instead he said, ‘I congratulate you on your fluent French.’
Lucinda huffed but said nothing more, finishing her coffee instead and then pronouncing herself ready to leave. Of one thing she was very sure—she was not going to be Zane’s girlfriend, no matter how hard he tried. Or how much she was attracted to him!
After her experience with her ex-fiancé, she had no intention of taking any man at face value; trust would have to be earned over a long period. Far longer than the few weeks this project would take. In any case, she felt sure that Zane Alexander had no real interest in her long-term. It would simply amuse him to try and seduce her while on the island.
She imagined him to be somewhere in his late thirties and if he wasn’t married there had to be a good reason for it. In all probability it was because he enjoyed playing the field. Not that she had any proof; it was all pure conjecture on her part, but why else would he still be a bachelor?
When Lucinda told her mother about her plans she was thrilled for her. ‘What a wonderful opportunity,’ she said. ‘I almost wish I was coming with you.’ Not that Ruth was ever short of exotic holidays. If David was too busy to go with her she went with one of her many friends. When Lucinda told her mother about her plans she was thrilled for her. ‘What a wonderful opportunity,’ she said. ‘I almost wish I was coming with you.’ Not that Ruth was ever short of exotic holidays. If David was too busy to go with her she went with one of her many friends.
‘It will be pure work,’ reminded Lucinda. ‘There won’t be much pleasure in it.’
‘Nonsense!’ chided Ruth. ‘All work and no play? I don’t believe it for a second. What’s this Zane Alexander like? Is he married? Perhaps you need to work your charm on him. It’s time you found yourself another boyfriend. He sounds interesting.’
Because he had money, thought Lucinda bitterly. It was all her mother ever thought of.
‘What’s this about Zane Alexander?’ Lucinda’s stepfather walked into the room and looked enquiringly at the two women. He was a tall striking man, not particularly good-looking, but there was something about him that most women found attractive. Not so Lucinda. She had never felt happy about her mother marrying him and in turn David did not show much love for his stepdaughter.
‘Lucinda’s going with him to St Lucia,’ answered Ruth excitedly.
David Goldberg frowned harshly and was about to say something when Lucinda interrupted.
‘It’s purely business. I’m doing a job for him.’
Goldberg snorted in a derogatory manner. ‘He’s out of your league.’
Lucinda lifted her chin. ‘We’ll see about that.’ Ever since she had started her business, her stepfather had taken great pleasure in putting her down, and it grieved him to think that she was succeeding under her own steam. He would have liked it better had she gone crawling to him for money. But never in her life would she give him that satisfaction. Where money was concerned she was as different from her mother as chalk from cheese.
‘Are you sure that doing a job is all he wants from you?’ asked David. ‘Zane Alexander is a playboy. Surely you must know that?’
‘Actually I’d never heard of him until he approached me,’ confessed Lucinda, not wishing to admit that she had formed the same opinion. Or that she had met him previously.
‘Then, unless you want to spend the entire time in his bed, I’d get out of it fast,’ he advised.
Lucinda shook her head. ‘I can’t do that. This will be my most valuable job yet. I can handle him.’
‘Of course you can, darling,’ said her mother. ‘In any case, you’re only young once. Enjoy yourself…’
David’s dark brows rose. ‘You mark my words; it will be all play and no reward. He’s got you where he wants you, girl.’
Lucinda refused to listen, though there were times in the days that followed when she couldn’t help wondering whether David was right. Zane’s words to his chef had suggested that he might be after something more than a business relationship.
CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_6a15dedc-de90-56e7-92d7-a9e649b8ca29)
ZANE sent a car to pick Lucinda up and drive her to the airport. Not the Mercedes he had driven himself, but a sleek black limousine with a liveried driver. The man was young but polite and courteous and, although he looked at Lucinda curiously, he asked no questions.
She was not entirely surprised when she was met and escorted to a private jet, having already gained the impression that Zane enjoyed all the trappings his extreme wealth could give him. When she climbed on board he was already there. She saw white teeth and glittering eyes and for a fraction of a second Lucinda considered turning round and making a quick exit.
She felt as if she was bearding a lion in his den, or a wolf ready to snarl and snap and swallow her down whole. David’s warning still rang in her ears. But somehow she managed to fix a smile to her lips.
‘You made it, then,’ growled Zane. ‘I did wonder whether you would change your mind.’
‘I’d given my word,’ announced Lucinda stiffly.
‘Then relax, I don’t bite,’ he told her tersely. ‘Take off your jacket. Sit down. We have a long flight in front of us.’
The plane had a luxurious black leather interior with one part partitioned for use as an office, another area for dining and amazing deep sofas for relaxing. Lucinda looked about her curiously, smiled at the two pretty flight attendants and shrugged off her coat, which was immediately whisked away.
‘You certainly believe in doing things in style,’ she commented.
‘Why not?’ he asked with a smile.
Why not indeed! With his money he could do anything he liked—including whisking her away to a tropical island! Again Lucinda couldn’t help wondering whether she’d made a terrible mistake.
‘You look apprehensive,’ he said, motioning her to sit down. ‘Is something wrong? Are you having second thoughts?’
‘Not at all.’ Lucinda took hold of herself and smiled. Not for anything was she going to let this man know that he disturbed her.
‘That’s good because I’ve given up a lot of my time to make this trip with you.’
‘You didn’t have to,’ she protested. Zane wore a black open-necked shirt and black close-fitting trousers which should have made him almost invisible against the upholstery. But it didn’t. He was long and lithe and incredibly sexy. Out of formal clothing he was relaxed and somehow different, more threatening to her sanity.
‘How else would you have known what I wanted?’ he asked, an eyebrow lifted quizzically.
‘It seems to me you’re going to a lot of trouble for a holiday home.’
And now he frowned. ‘Who said it was a holiday home?’
‘So what is it?’ she asked, staring right into those smoky blue eyes. They made her insides shiver but she resolutely ignored it and continued to look at him.
‘It is a home, yes, but not solely for holidays; I rarely take those. My business interests take me all over the world. It gets tiresome staying in hotels.’
‘I see,’ she said, but she didn’t, and if her stepfather was right in his declaration that Zane Alexander was a playboy then this was just going to be another place set up for that purpose. All of a sudden the job didn’t seem like such a good idea.
‘What’s wrong?’ His eyes narrowed on hers, trying to see into her mind, to guess at the thoughts that had suddenly disturbed her.
‘Nothing,’ she said, trying her hardest to keep her unease at bay.
‘In that case, let me offer you a drink.’ He gave a nod to one of his attendants and immediately crystal flutes of champagne were produced. Zane held his up towards her. ‘Here’s to a successful business relationship.’ Those were his words but not what his eyes told her. They were intent, boring into her soul, reading her, almost telling her what sort of a relationship he hoped to have with her.
Almost but not quite!
Nevertheless something stirred in Lucinda’s stomach. She clamped it down firmly, lifting her chin instead, returning his gaze with a firm one of her own. ‘To business.’
The champagne slid coolly down her throat, fizzing quietly in her stomach, joining the apprehension. Maybe she ought to have realised that this job would be like no other. Maybe she ought to have considered the danger instead of jumping at the opportunity of adding to her portfolio.
Too late now! They were well and truly on their way.
If she had expected that Zane would spend the whole journey chatting to her she was wrong. ‘Please excuse me, I have work to do,’ he announced after he had finished his drink. ‘Just relax and enjoy the flight.’
In truth Zane knew that he had to keep away from Lucinda. He found her truly exciting and it was going to take all of his not inconsiderable willpower to resist her. She had given every indication that she wanted a strictly business relationship and if he didn’t want to frighten her away before she had even started the job he must respect that and keep his feelings well hidden.
Nevertheless it would be interesting to find out what made her tick. To see whether there were any cracks in her armour. He might even stay on the island longer than he had originally planned!
He smiled at the thought and then concentrated on his paperwork. At least he tried to concentrate, but in reality his mind was with the stunning Titian-haired woman sitting just the other side of the partition. She was as nervous as hell and he could hardly blame her. She was flying thousands of miles with a stranger. She had put her faith and trust in him.
Again he tried to concentrate but within a few minutes he gave up and joined her. She’d had her glass refilled and was scanning the skies and when he sat down she turned with a smile. ‘I love cloudscapes, don’t you?’
He’d never really thought about it. And even now he didn’t want to look out the window, he wanted to feast his eyes on his beautiful companion. ‘I must confess I rarely study the sky.’
‘You’re always too busy.’
It was almost an accusation. However, he inclined his head and said nothing.
‘Have you finished what you were doing?’
‘I didn’t think it fair to leave you here alone.’
Green eyes looked scathingly into his. ‘And I’m supposed to believe that? A man who can offload an upset little nephew on to a complete stranger won’t think twice about leaving someone who’s simply doing a job for him alone. Go to your work; I don’t need you with me.’
Strong words. He admired her for it but it didn’t please him.
For the rest of the flight Zane left Lucinda strictly alone. She had seen his displeasure at her outburst, his face turning thunderous when she reminded him of his behaviour, but she wasn’t sorry and felt immense relief when he returned to his little office area.
Now they were nearing their destination. Below them the sea was a glorious turquoise and when the Windward Islands came into view Lucinda gasped with pleasure. As they lost height she could see long white beaches and lush green hinterland and when they finally landed on St Lucia she had forgotten her resentment and turned to Zane with a smile wide enough to split her face in two. ‘It looks fantastic. I can’t believe I’ve come here to work. It’s like a dream.’
Zane’s face lost some of its hardness. ‘It is indeed very beautiful and it will be my pleasure to show you around.’ But his voice was businesslike and Lucinda didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.
They were met by a car and driver and whisked away to a spacious single-storey home that sat on a promontory miles away from any other dwelling. Mindful that they were here on business, Zane gave her a whistle-stop tour of the house and Lucinda felt like a child in paradise. The furnishings were shabby, the paintwork peeling, but it had tremendous potential and Lucinda could see why Zane had bought it.
The rooms were large and airy; it really needed not much more than a lick of paint and some new furniture. She could hardly believe that he was paying her to organise so little. Not that she was complaining. This was an opportunity too good to miss.
The only fly in the ointment, as far as she could see, was that they would be living here together. It troubled her deeply and she knew that she would need to be on her guard at all times.
Outside she discovered a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi and they ended their tour on the sun deck, where they were able to watch the antics of a brilliantly coloured parrot in one of the many trees growing in the steeply sloping garden. ‘So,’ said Zane, turning to her, ‘what do you think now that you’ve seen it all?’
Lucinda smiled broadly; she couldn’t help it. ‘I think it’s wonderful. How did you find such a place?’ Far below was a bay dotted with boats and, even though the day was hot, at this height there was a most welcome mountain breeze.
‘It used to belong to a colleague of mine,’ answered Zane. ‘He nursed his wife through a long illness and I’m afraid everything got neglected. When she died he had no interest in it.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Lucinda. ‘Have you stayed here yet?’
Zane shook his head and a wicked twinkle sparked in his eyes. ‘You have the honour of sharing my pleasure.’
Sharing! Lucinda wasn’t sure that she liked his choice of word. And, even though he’d had the foresight to have two bedrooms made habitable, she had noticed that there were no locks on the doors.
‘What are you thinking?’ he asked, noticing her frown.
Lucinda shook her head, not wishing to reveal her fears.
‘If it will make you feel any better, you have my word that I won’t enter your space.’
Which was one way of putting it, she thought. But what happened if she entered his? They would be living in such close proximity that she could hardly avoid him. She knew that she had to trust Zane, but somehow those wicked blue eyes didn’t invite trust.
‘Perhaps you’re afraid of being tempted to stray into my room?’ he suggested casually.
Lucinda’s eyes flashed and she ignored the hot streak through her veins. ‘You are unbelievable, Zane Alexander. I’ve made it clear how I feel about you.’
‘But are you sure you know how you feel?’ he asked.
Lucinda moved away, not wishing to take part in such a conversation. And then she felt a hand on her arm and a ripple of pleasurable heat where his fingers touched. Intense heat! Burning heat!
She found herself looking into smouldering blue depths, close enough to see the attractive dark line around his irises, the clear whites, the amazing length of his lashes. They were quite magnificent eyes for a man and she was mesmerised by them. She felt them drawing her in, feeding a need inside her that she had not known was there.
After Simon she had felt nothing for any man and had been determined to keep it that way. Why then was this particular man affecting her to such an extent that she wanted to turn tail and run? She gritted her teeth and said the first thing that came into her head. ‘Which bedroom is mine?’
A mere flicker suggested that he knew the fight she’d had, but there was nothing in his voice to confirm it. ‘Let’s go and look, shall we?’
Both of the bedrooms had fabulous views over the bay, each with its own en suite bathroom. ‘The choice is yours,’ said Zane.
The house was kept cool by an ancient air-conditioning system that creaked and groaned and definitely needed replacing. But the warmth on the back of her neck had nothing to do with it not running properly. It was Zane standing far too close for comfort.
She stepped further into the room. ‘I’ll take this one,’ she announced. It was the second one along the hallway. Zane would have no need to walk past it. Small comfort, but better than nothing.
There were four bedrooms altogether, each with beautiful high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows, which allowed them to fill with light. Zane could host a whole harem of girls here, thought Lucinda, and then despised herself for such unworthy thoughts.
‘In that case I’ll get your suitcase brought in,’ said Zane.
He did more than that. A maid appeared as if from nowhere and unpacked their cases and in no time a buffet meal and chilled drinks had been placed on a table outside in the shade.
Lucinda helped herself to aubergine and peppers in a sweet and sour sauce and smoked mahi mahi served with crispy potato and onion. She slowly sipped pineapple juice before finally admitting she could eat no more.
Zane’s appetite was healthy too and there wasn’t much food left by the time they had finished. He leaned back in his chair. ‘I suggest we rest now before taking a dip in the pool.’
Lucinda shook her head, the thought of swimming with Zane, seeing him half naked, filling her with dread. She could imagine a hard body, smooth golden skin, firm stomach, long legs and everything else that went with it. ‘I’m here to work,’ she reminded him firmly. ‘You rest if you want to but I need to wander around again and familiarise myself with each of the rooms in turn before I can even begin to think about design.’
Zane put a hand over hers where it rested on the table. ‘There’s plenty of time for that. Today you can relax. Today I would appreciate your company.’ And he meant it. The touch of his hand was firm, his smoky eyes narrowed and warning.
A heat that had nothing to do with the climate swept through her and Lucinda wanted to pull her hand free. But of course she couldn’t do that; she couldn’t give away the fact that his touch sent shivers of apprehension rushing through her limbs. So she looked him squarely in the eye and said, ‘It’s not what I’m getting paid for.’
‘What are you, a workaholic?’ he asked harshly, letting his hand drop back to his side. ‘Don’t you believe in a little pleasure?’
‘I thought you wanted the job done as quickly as possible,’ asserted Lucinda. Pleasure was the last thing she wanted. Pleasure in her surroundings, yes, in the warmth of the sun, in the glorious blue skies, but not in Zane Alexander’s company. He was too discomfiting by far. ‘And I can’t believe that you’re willing to waste time like this. If anyone’s a workaholic it’s you.’
‘I agree,’ he said with a shrug, ‘but there’s a time and place for everything. I declare today an official holiday. Lucinda Oliver, you are not allowed to work.’
She couldn’t help smiling. This was a side to Zane that she hadn’t seen before. Relaxed, cheerful, teasing. And she couldn’t deny that she liked it. ‘In that case I think I’d like to change into something more relaxing,’ she announced and headed indoors.
She chose a gypsy skirt and a cool camisole top and as she had popped in a bikini at the last minute—just in case—she donned that as well and rejoined Zane on the sun deck.
He had moved to a reclining chair and still wore the black shirt and trousers. Lucinda had half expected him to change too, and she had listened carefully while in her room but heard no movement next door. For the moment he appeared to be a different man but she did not altogether trust him and knew that she still needed to be on her guard.
Zane patted the reclining chair he had placed near to his and reluctantly Lucinda slid on to it. It felt intimate, far too cosy for comfort. She lay back and closed her eyes but he was impossible to ignore. She could hear his breathing, she could smell the faint tang of his cologne, and knew that he was looking at her.
When the silence ran into minutes Lucinda could stand it no longer. She shot open her eyes, ready to lambaste him, or at the very least to jump to her feet and return indoors. To her amazement his lids were closed and when she looked closer she could see by his deepened breathing that he was asleep.
He had undone the buttons on his shirt and as expected his skin was firm and bronzed and she had the irrational urge to touch. Her eyes skimmed over the rest of him, over the hard flatness of his stomach and the long length of his legs. He was an extremely sexy man, even fully clothed, and it was going to be hard denying the fact.
‘Like what you see?’
Lucinda hadn’t noticed Zane open his eyes and swift heat shot through her, though she did her best to appear undisturbed. ‘You have a good physique. Do you work out?’
He nodded. ‘I have a gym in my London home.’
‘And was a swimming pool a requisite here?’
‘Of course.’
‘Do you have other homes?’ There was a lot about Zane that she didn’t know. Not that it was any business of hers, but sitting here in his relaxed company it didn’t feel like an intrusion of privacy.
He nodded. ‘LA, Australia, the south of France.’
Lucinda shook her head. ‘How can you warrant them?’
Zane’s lips tugged wryly up at the corners. ‘What else do I have to spend my money on?’
Your women friends, she felt tempted to say, but wisely kept her own counsel. ‘Why have you never married?’ she asked instead. ‘Or is that a stupid question? I guess you’re too busy making money.’
‘Not the right answer,’ he informed her tersely, his eyes flashing almost silver. ‘I’ve simply never met anyone I want to spend the rest of my life with.’
‘Let me guess,’ she dared to say. ‘Most girls are only ever interested in the state of your bank balance?’
‘Something like that,’ he agreed.
‘Are you resigned to staying a bachelor?’
‘It doesn’t worry me, though it does worry my mother,’ he admitted. ‘My parents live in Australia and my mother is for ever nagging me to get married. She wants more grandchildren.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘Here am I almost telling you my life story and I know nothing about you. Except that you don’t have a boyfriend. Which I find extremely odd because you’re a very attractive lady.’
As he spoke he looked at her appreciatively, just as she had looked at him earlier. Only he did it blatantly, not caring that she watched. Every part of her responded! Nerves tingled; hormones leapt into life; nipples tautened and strained against her soft cotton top—and he missed nothing.
‘So—tell me about yourself,’ he said, his eyes finally moving up to her face, narrowing sharply when he observed the tip of her tongue moistening her lips.
Lucinda hoped that he didn’t take it as a sign of encouragement. Her mouth had gone nervously dry and the butterflies in her stomach intensified. Heaven knew how much she wanted to dislike this man, so why didn’t she? What was it about him that caused every one of her senses to go into overdrive?
‘There’s not much to tell,’ she answered, alarmed to hear how husky her voice sounded. Damn the man! Why was he confusing her like this? Or, more importantly, why was she allowing it? Why was she letting him affect her?
Because he was one hell of a sexy man, that was the answer. She couldn’t help herself. She didn’t want to like him but was constantly pulled towards him in a cycle that would be difficult to break.
Zane probably took it for granted that most women, if not all, would fall at his feet. He could bed any woman he liked. But she didn’t have to be one of them! Without any shadow of doubt she would need to be on her guard at all times.
‘Your mother’s remarried. What happened to your father?’
‘He died,’ she answered bluntly, trying to hide the pain that still shot through her whenever she spoke about him.
‘I’m sorry. How did that happen?’
‘He’d been ill a long time. It was inevitable,’ she told him, while knowing that he didn’t really care.
‘I’m genuinely interested,’ he assured her, reading her expression. ‘I’m interested in people. I like to find out what motivates them. I already know that you don’t like your stepfather.’ Lucinda frowned and sat up just a little bit straighter. ‘I didn’t tell you that.’
‘No, but you gave the impression.’
‘Actually, it’s true.’ Her shoulders relaxed a little. ‘I hate him, and the feeling’s mutual—except that he doesn’t let my mother know it. And I hate my mother for marrying him simply for his money,’ she added bitterly.
‘She did that?’
‘It’s what many women do,’ she retorted, her eyes shooting sparks of angry fire. ‘Not that I have any intention of falling into that same trap! I’ll make my own money, thank you.’
Zane pursed his lips and nodded his head. ‘Wise woman! We’re two of a kind, you and I.’
Lucinda frowned. She knew what he meant but she didn’t like being lumped into the same category. She would never spend her money on lavish houses all over the world, not if she had a thousand million in the bank. Such extravagances didn’t appeal. The fact that people did it, and needed the likes of her to improve their interiors, was a different matter altogether.
‘So—tell me about your father,’ he said encouragingly. ‘How old were you when he died?’
Lucinda pursed her lips and her eyes grew sad. ‘Fifteen. I was heartbroken. He’d spent most of his life in and out of hospitals; we didn’t have any money, but he more than made up for it. There was always love and laughter in our house. I was so happy. What I didn’t know was that my mother gradually resented the fact that we were poor.
‘After my father died she met Goldberg, a very wealthy property developer. She shamelessly threw herself at him and within a few months they were married. We moved from our tiny rented property into his palatial mansion. He paid for my higher education; I appreciate that, but he will never replace my father. He was the most wonderful man.’
Tears misted her eyes and instantly Zane leaned forward and gathered her into his arms, dabbing her eyes with his handkerchief, murmuring words of reassurance. At first Lucinda didn’t resist; she actually felt comforted by his action, but then the reality of the situation hit her.
This man had employed her to do a job, and he was in the same league as David Goldberg; there was no way in this world that she was going to have an affair with him. He may have been only consoling her, but that wasn’t the point. She had seen the hungry look in his eyes; she knew his reputation. If she weren’t careful she would end up in his bed.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, straining to pull away. ‘It always gets to me when I talk about my father. If he knew what my mother had done he’d turn in his grave. He loved her so much. Love was all he had to give. And he gave it in bucketfuls.’ Tears welled again.
Zane pushed her head into his shoulder and held her there until she began to feel better. He stroked her hair, which had become free from its restraining tie. It amazed Lucinda that a man as important as Zane Alexander should have this caring side to him. It was totally unexpected.
Unless, of course, it wasn’t because he cared! Maybe he was using her distress as a way of getting through to her? Maybe he thought it would lead to other things? Even as the thought occurred to her Lucinda pushed her hands hard against his chest. ‘I’m all right now.’
‘Are you sure?’ He blocked her escape by cupping her face between warm firm hands. There was something almost primeval in his eyes as they locked with hers, a desire as old as man himself, and Lucinda felt unwanted warmth steal into her. It started in her toes and gradually worked its way through each limb until her whole body raged with fire. This was a situation she had told herself she would avoid at all costs. This was Zane the playboy in action. And already her needs were being fuelled by his closeness.
CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_711c6ea3-24ac-532c-8997-48d3e1945766)
ZANE knew that Lucinda was torn between letting him kiss her and doing the right thing and pushing him away. He was sorry about her father, of course he was, and when he persuaded her into his arms it hadn’t been his intention to take the situation any further. But holding her against him, feeling the warmth of her body and smelling its sweetness, had aroused all of his base instincts. He wanted her! And he wanted her now.
It took all of Lucinda’s will-power to move out of Zane’s embrace. It felt as though she was wrenching herself free of an iron clamp instead of the light touch of his hands. It really had been a big mistake coming here. She had put greed for his business before what was best for her.
‘I wish you hadn’t done that,’ she told him tightly, the words crackling out of a throat gone tremendously dry.
‘Done what?’
Did he really need her to spell it out? ‘You know what I’m talking about,’ she retorted. ‘I appreciate the use of your handkerchief but I don’t need comforting in other ways.’
‘And what way would that be?’
A steely glint appeared in his eyes and Lucinda began to wonder whether she had misjudged him. Whether it was her fertile imagination that had seen something that wasn’t there. Whatever, he looked far from pleased.
She shook her head and got up from her chair. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘And I say it does matter,’ he rejoined fiercely. ‘I do not like being criticised.’
‘It doesn’t count that you’re already cast as a playboy?’
‘You’ve heard the rumour?’ A faint smile curved his lips. ‘Who told you that, I wonder?’
Lucinda jutted her chin and stared hostilely. ‘Actually I’d had my suspicions, but my stepfather confirmed it.’
‘Ah!’ Enlightenment filled his eyes. ‘And you took his word as truth? A man you incidentally hate the sight of? It didn’t occur to you that he could be saying it because he didn’t want you working for me?’
It was true; David Goldberg definitely didn’t like to think that her career was taking off. He liked to think that she hadn’t the intelligence to do well for herself. Why, she had no idea. Maybe because she had always resented him! At the age of fifteen her hormones had been all over the place; she’d just lost her beloved father, her mother had all too quickly remarried and Lucinda’s resentment of the new man in their life had caused ill feelings between them, which had never gone away.
‘I don’t care whether it’s true or not,’ she told him now. ‘And I have no wish to continue this conversation.’ She sprang up from her seat and ran round to the other side of the house, where she stripped off her skirt and top and dived cleanly into the pool. She desperately needed to cool off.
She was feverishly hot and the water mercifully cold, and after a few energetic lengths her ragged nerves were calmed. She had half expected Zane to follow and was both relieved and pleased when there was no sign of him. She kept telling herself that it wasn’t going to work, staying here with him, feeling his presence, knowing that at any minute she could give in to temptation. And he was a big temptation. She could hardly believe that she was attracted to him. It was totally inconceivable.
Finally she hauled herself out of the pool, rinsed herself down beneath the huge outdoor shower and headed back towards the house. Zane appeared in front of her as if from nowhere.
‘You swim like a mermaid,’ he complimented. ‘Graceful, swift and beautiful.’ A pair of dark glasses shielded his eyes but she felt his eyes studying her body in its neat white bikini. The heat returned.
‘You were watching me?’ Accusation made her voice shrill.
Zane inclined his head. ‘And very pleasant it was too. I wanted to join you but I wasn’t sure that you’d appreciate it.’
‘No, I wouldn’t have done,’ snapped Lucinda, her green eyes flashing magnificently. ‘In fact I don’t appreciate your presence here at all.’
‘That’s a pity,’ he said with a disarming smile, ‘because I was actually enjoying myself. And I think I’d enjoy myself more if you’d allow me to…’
His words ceased as his hands caught her hips and urged her against him and, before she could even draw breath to ask what the hell he thought he was doing, his mouth found hers.
It was a heart-stopping kiss that filled her body with intense pleasure. How a man she didn’t particularly like and certainly didn’t trust could do this to her she did not know. Thankfully he let her go just as abruptly. ‘I’m sorry, I just had to do that,’ he declared immediately. ‘You have no idea how tempting you looked.’
Lucinda struggled for breath. She didn’t believe his apology for one second. He’d planned this. He’d known from the moment he invited her out here that he would make a play for her. It was what he did. And she had been a fool to think otherwise.
‘Not only do you swim like a mermaid but you also looked like one as you stood there with your hair hanging loose.’ His eyes lowered and Lucinda became aware of her nipples pushing against the silky fabric of her top. It was plain white and far too revealing. In fact, she realised with instant horror, it had gone almost transparent!
Her cheeks flamed. It was a new bikini, not tried out in the water, bought more for sunbathing than anything else. She had thought it would look good against a tan. Inwardly, though, she stiffened her spine. Not for anything would she let Zane see her embarrassment. With her chin high she met his gaze. ‘Maybe I was one in a previous life.’
‘I’m surprised you don’t have a boyfriend.’
The statement was sudden and unexpected and Lucinda’s eyes widened. ‘Why do you want to know?’
‘Because it’s unusual for a woman as beautiful as you.’
Lucinda shook her head, wishing he wouldn’t keep complimenting her. She knew he was doing it so that she’d feel flattered and fall into his arms. Hadn’t he realised yet that he’d picked the wrong person?
‘I was engaged once,’ she finally admitted.
Blue eyes expressed interest. ‘And?’ he prompted when she didn’t continue.
‘I went out with him for nearly four years.’
Zane’s eyebrows rose and his interest increased. ‘That’s a long time.’
‘Too long, I guess,’ she acknowledged with a hint of irony in her voice.
‘So what happened?’
‘He dropped me for someone else. We’d actually planned the wedding. I was devastated.’ Lord, why on earth was she opening up to him? It was so out of character. And in any case Zane was the last person she wanted to tell her life story to. She couldn’t believe the effect he was having on her. First she’d let him kiss her, now she was revealing confidences. What next?
Zane saw the pain in her eyes, mistook it for unhappiness over her past and immediately pulled her into his arms.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
The hell he was! How could he be when he didn’t know her or Simon? It was another excuse to get close. She should never have told him. She’d actually given him some ammunition. ‘I don’t need your pity,’ she declared, struggling to free herself. ‘I’m over it now.’
Zane released her but he didn’t move away. ‘No, you’re not,’ he declared. ‘You’ve erected a barrier.’
He was right; Simon was her defence. She had only to think about the way he’d treated her to put her off any man who tried to get close. And that included the gorgeous, extremely sexy Zane Alexander.
It didn’t count that his brief kiss of a few seconds ago had aroused feelings that she had thought long since dead. And, if she were honest with herself, they were sensations that went incredibly deeper than any she had ever felt with Simon. Simon had been her one and only lover so she’d had no one to compare him with. Until now!
At this point Lucinda angrily dashed her thoughts away. They were unwanted. It didn’t matter whether Zane was the most fantastic lover of all time; she had no intention of finding out.
‘I don’t want to discuss this any more,’ she declared tightly. ‘I’m going to rest in my room for a while.’ She might even stay there until morning. She’d had enough of Zane’s company for one day.
Zane’s smile told her that he knew exactly what she was thinking. ‘Have you ever sat outside on a tropical night and watched the stars?’ he asked quietly. ‘Have you ever listened to the chirruping of cicadas? Have you smelled the heady perfume of the flowers? Don’t miss out on it all because of a misguided sense of trust.’
Misguided? Lucinda didn’t think so. Zane was forgetting that she knew exactly the sort of uncaring person he was. He might try to romance her, to seduce her even, but once they returned to England and her job was finished she would be just as quickly forgotten. Maybe other girls were into affairs, especially with rich, handsome men, but not this one.
To her relief Zane didn’t insist on an answer. She fled to her room, showered and then flung herself down on the bed. To take her mind off Zane and his kiss, she began planning how she would decorate the room. She had brought several fabric swatches with her as well as paint samples and pages out of furniture catalogues, but it soon became clear that she would be far better going into Castries and seeing what they had to offer there. It needed something with a local flavour. The capital was sure to have a good selection of shops. She would suggest it to Zane tomorrow and hopefully he would put a car and driver at her disposal.
But all thoughts of decorating left her when a tap came on her door. Instantly she thought it was Zane and was prepared to tell him to go away, when the door was pushed tentatively open and the maid popped her head inside. ‘Excuse me, Miss Oliver. Mr Alexander has asked for you to join him,’ she announced with a wide smile.
It was easy to see that she thought the sun shone out of Zane’s eyes.
‘Tell him I’m tired and that I’m staying here,’ said Lucinda.
‘He said not to take no for an answer,’ the pretty dark-skinned girl answered, looking worried. ‘He is ready to eat.’
Lucinda groaned inwardly. ‘Very well,’ she agreed, not wishing to get the maid into trouble. ‘Tell him I’ll be along shortly.’
Her shortly amounted to half an hour and when she opened her bedroom door she was taken aback to see a thunderous Zane about to make an entrance. ‘I was just coming to fetch you,’ he growled. ‘What the hell have you been doing?’
‘Reluctantly getting myself ready,’ she answered, chin high. ‘I rather fancied an early night. You’re forgetting the time difference.’ Her tone was sharp, her eyes growing as angry as his. ‘I would have been in bed were I at home. You’re being unreasonable, Zane.’ But then wasn’t that Zane Alexander all over?
‘And you’re not?’ he grunted, his eyes roving over the coral silk blouse she had donned with a pair of matching trousers. It was loose enough to be cool and also not to show the way her nipples stood to attention under his scrutiny.
It was a long, hard look he gave her before he swung on his heel and she had no choice but to follow him through to the dining room. Someone had done their best to make it look cheerful with tastefully arranged urns of flowers but Lucinda’s professional eye was soon making changes. Like all the other rooms, it was spacious and light and it had the most wonderful views, but it was badly in need of a makeover. The furniture was old and jaded and the curtains at the windows had certainly seen better days.
Their table was placed so that they both sat looking out through the open window with its glorious view. By this time the sun had gone down and the sky was filled with stunning colours—gold and scarlet, the inkiest of blacks and the richest purples, all reflected with even more intensity in the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Her mood mellowed as she sat looking at it.
And when dishes of food were placed in front of them she discovered a hunger that she hadn’t suspected. Fish broth, Creole baked chicken, fresh fruit. She tasted them all. She enjoyed them all. They hardly spoke; such was the enchantment of the evening. Or was it because Zane was still angry with her that he didn’t say much? Lucinda couldn’t be sure.
Afterwards, as they sat outside on the terrace sipping wine, listening to the sounds of the night and gazing at the stars that were surely more brilliant than they ever were in England, she felt amazingly content. This was an experience that would stay with her for a long time.
Until suddenly she became aware that Zane was watching her and not the darkening sky, and although the night air was cool her skin grew moist with sudden heat. This was truly a place made for lovers—and he was looking at her as though that was his intention.
‘You’re very beautiful, Lucinda,’ he said roughly. ‘Far more beautiful than I remember.’
‘That’s because when I was babysitting Tim you were never there,’ she reminded him, unable to keep a note of censure from her voice. ‘You hardly had time to notice me.’
‘I guess I did have other things on my mind,’ he agreed. ‘But not so now. This is one of those rare occasions when I can relax. And I have you to keep me company. What more could a man ask for? A beautiful lady in a most beautiful part of the world.’
‘I’m here to work,’ she reminded him. She didn’t like the way he was talking—as though their time here was for his pleasure alone.
‘You know what they say about all work and no play,’ he reminded her, his eyes a dark blue in the light that spilled out from the dining room. It gilded his features with bronze. His face was beautifully sculpted with an almost Roman nose and chiselled cheek bones and a mouth that was fluent and kissable and…She stopped her thoughts right there.
What he looked like was of no interest to her whatsoever, and she’d do well to remember it. Except that he’d set light to a fire inside her and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be kissed by him again out here in the moonlight.
That earlier brief kiss, no matter how much she had resented it, had opened up her defences. She was susceptible to him now. And, judging by the look in his eyes, he knew it! They were narrowed and intent on hers, reading her dilemma, knowing exactly how she felt. It was time she left. But when she pushed back her chair and stood up a hand shot out and caught her wrist.
‘Don’t leave yet,’ said Zane. ‘The evening is still young and I have no wish to spend it alone.’ And all the time he was speaking he was pulling her inexorably towards him.
The air between them crackled with tension, warning her that if she didn’t escape now it would be too late. But did she want to escape? Wasn’t this devastatingly attractive man setting alight fires inside her that had never been lit before? Wasn’t he arousing passions that no one else but he could quench?
Yes, but…
But what? asked an inner voice.
But nothing! There was no but about it. She was being foolish. If she didn’t put a stop to things now she would hate herself later. ‘I want to go to my room,’ she told him firmly, trying to no avail to tug her hand free. ‘I really am very tired.’
‘And I’d like you here with me. Please stay.’
Their eyes met and held, his fingers relaxed and suddenly her hand was free, but instead of turning and running Lucinda amazed herself by slipping quietly back on to her chair. It was the way he’d said ‘Please stay’ that had done it. It had been an unexpected ‘please’. Not what she was used to from this man. Perhaps he was lonely? After all they were both in a strange place with no one else to turn to for company.
‘Very well,’ she agreed quietly, ‘but not for long. I should go to bed.’
Gradually she relaxed. Zane seemed to be in a mood for not saying very much and she too was content to sit quietly. Nevertheless his nearness could not be ignored. The heady scent of him invaded her nostrils and if she closed her eyes and listened intently she could even hear him breathing. There were so many other night sounds around them and yet Zane’s breathing and the constant thud of her heart were the only ones that she heard.
‘What are you thinking?’
His voice broke the silence and made her jump. ‘How beautiful it is out here,’ she lied.
‘But not as beautiful as you.’
Her eyes shot wide and her heart rate increased. ‘You shouldn’t be saying that, Zane. We’re here on business. Or at least I am.’ But never had a job taken her to such a faraway magical place. Everything here was beautiful.
He inched his chair nearer to hers. ‘I’m glad you said that you’re here on business and not me, because I don’t normally like to mix business with pleasure. As things stand, I have no such dilemma.’ Again he edged his chair closer, so close this time that there was but a hair’s breadth between them.
Lucinda drew in a swift breath, trying to ignore the alarming sensations that were pulsing in every single one of her cells. He was going to kiss her; she was very much aware of it, and if she had any sense she would flee. But sense and sensibility didn’t show their heads; instead she felt an aching need that only he could assuage and when he tipped her chin with a firm finger she willingly parted her lips.
Zane had wanted to do this ever since Lucinda had walked into his office just over a week ago. She had transformed herself into a stunningly beautiful businesswoman. Not only beautiful but hellishly sexy as well.
But he was aware, very much so, and she was driving him crazy. He had begun to think that he would never get anywhere with her—and he had taken a huge gamble when he’d kissed her earlier. Brief though that kiss had been, he had become immediately aware that she wasn’t immune to him. It had given him the encouragement he needed.
He had heard it said that St Lucia was born beautiful. That was true of Lucinda as well. Just as the beauty of nature enhanced the island, an inner beauty made Lucinda one of the most striking women he had ever met. She was completely unaware of it but to him it was like a beckoning beacon. He wanted her so badly that it hurt.
And when she showed no sign of resisting him, when she seemed to melt into his arms, he groaned deep within his throat and, pulling her on to his lap, he deepened his kiss.
He traced her lips with his tongue, he tasted the nectarlike sweetness of her, he explored the intricacies of her mouth, and all the time he could feel the throb of her heart getting stronger and stronger. And the soft warmth of her body growing hotter and hotter.
His own desire surged and when Lucinda wriggled against him he knew that she was aware of his arousal. The beauty of it was that it didn’t frighten her away. On the contrary, she sucked in his kisses like a drowning woman, letting her tongue play with his, her hands shaping his head, fingers twisting in his hair, her passion growing with each second that passed.
What he wanted to do, what he really wanted to do, was pick her up and take her to bed. But he knew that it was far too soon. So he continued to kiss her and slowly he let his hand glide over one of her breasts. When he discovered that she was not wearing a bra beneath the coral silk it nearly drove him wild.
He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her nipple until it tightened into a hard nub. And then he did the same to her other breast. And all the time she said nothing. Not that he wasn’t aware of her heightened excitement. Her breathing came in much shorter gasps and her fingers tightened in his hair until he felt that if she wasn’t careful she would pull it out by the roots.
Very slowly he released his mouth from hers and with even more painfully slow progress he nibbled his way down to her beckoning breasts, at the same time flipping open her blouse buttons so that they were revealed in all their naked glory to his greedy eyes.
Then he sucked each burning nipple in turn into his mouth, exulting when he heard her moans of pleasure, when she held him against her as though she never wanted him to stop. She tasted as sweet as she smelled and he knew he ought to call a halt before he came to the point when he couldn’t.
It was a tiny noise that did it. The sound of something shattering inside the house! A dropped plate perhaps, or a glass! Followed by a smothered cry. And it broke the spell.
He lifted his face to look at her. He saw sweetness and softness and wonderment. Lips that were moist and slightly swollen. Eyes that were glowing orbs of pleasure but with a question in them too. She was asking herself how this could have happened.
And he wanted to ask the same.
Was it the sweet night air that had seduced their senses? Was it their exotic surroundings? Was it the magic of the island? Or was it simply that when push came to shove she couldn’t resist him? He’d really given her little choice. She had wanted to retire to her room. Instead he had insisted she join him. What had happened next was inevitable. Except that for some reason his conscience bothered him. It didn’t normally. Most women he knew enjoyed his kisses. But Lucinda was different.
‘I shouldn’t have done that,’ he growled, but he said it so quietly that it was possible she hadn’t heard.
‘No, you shouldn’t,’ she agreed, also very quietly. ‘It went beyond the bounds of our contract. However, I’m prepared to forget it, provided it never happens again.’ And with that she pulled her blouse together and walked away with her head held high.
Lucinda could not believe that she had let Zane kiss her again. And not only on the lips! She’d let him undress her and taste her breasts, and touch them, and arouse them, and make her lose her mind. Oh, God, the pleasure he had given her! Even thinking about it recreated the sensations.
Indoors in her room she touched where he had touched. She looked at herself in the mirror. Saw the dreamy arousal in her eyes, the soft glow to her skin, and when she grazed her thumb lightly over her nipples the full sweet sensations winged once again through the very heart of her.
What was she to do? Amazingly he had apologised so perhaps he wouldn’t touch her again. But Lord help her—she wanted him to. He had given her a taste of what it could be like between them and she wanted to feed from it like a starving animal.
It was this island that did it, she felt sure. It was an exotic paradise just made for lovers. Had Zane known that when he brought her here? Or had St Lucia woven its spell over him too? He struck her as a man well able to control his emotions—so what had happened?
He needed a woman, that was what had happened. And she had been the only one available!
Looking at it like that made Lucinda tighten her lips. The magic was over, the spell broken. It didn’t have to be her; it could have been anyone. Zane Alexander had an insatiable sexual appetite. She must never forget that. He was used to a whole coterie of women sitting at his feet, waiting for his favours. He’d probably never been turned down.
What a shock he had in store!
CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_e68d7eae-bbf1-54ec-bbad-31addeb836e5)
NOT surprisingly Lucinda’s body refused to settle down and she slept little that night. She could still feel Zane’s touch, still smell the male scent of him, still experience rushes of pleasure whenever she remembered what he had done to her.
And the thought that he was in the next room played a big part as well. She had lain awake listening for him to come to bed and an hour or more had passed before she heard his soft footsteps and his door opening and closing. Even then she strained to hear the sounds of him moving about the room—and it was well into the early hours before all was still and quiet.
She slept intermittently but as soon as the first lazy fingers of dawn stretched across the sky Lucinda sprang out of bed. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, tied her hair back in a ponytail and set off to explore. The temperature outside was perfect, but she knew that all too soon the heat of the day would take over and she would wish herself back in the air-conditioned house.
The gardens were lush and green with a plethora of ferns and palms and exotic flowers that she did not know the names of. She discovered a path and followed it down the hillside. It became steeper and steeper with a handrail to the side and eventually Lucinda found herself on the shore, with the bay to her right with its dozens of moored yachts and cruisers, and to her left a long stretch of almost white sand.
By now the sun had painted the sky in a fleeting burst of red and apricot, until it rose majestically above the horizon and the colours muted and disappeared altogether. There was not another soul about and Lucinda kicked off her sandals and walked along the shore. The sea was tempting and although she had nothing to change into she ran into the lapping waves, laughing and splashing, until she was in deep enough to swim.
The water felt like silk against her skin and she raised her arms in long lazy strokes, enjoying the feeling of being at one with nature. She floated on her back, watched the birds wheeling and crying above, and was thinking of returning to the house when she became conscious of someone swimming beside her.
‘Zane!’ How had he got here? In no time flutters of anxiety filled her nerves. She had been enjoying her time alone. Now all she could remember was last night and him kissing her.
Zane grinned at her shocked face. ‘Is that all you have to say? Zane?’
‘I didn’t expect you. I didn’t even see you,’ she retorted, annoyed to feel her heart racing all over again.
‘Why are you up so early? Couldn’t you sleep? Wasn’t the bed comfortable?’
As if by mutual consent, they both turned and headed for the shore. ‘The bed was very comfortable, thank you,’ she replied, looking him straight in the eye. ‘It was my thoughts that kept me awake.’
‘Now let me think,’ he said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. ‘Would they be thoughts about the project in hand? Were you busy imagining how you are going to transform my place? Or would your thoughts have been about—’ he paused deliberately, his eyes twinkling with humour ‘—what happened between us last night? I know I said I shouldn’t have done it, but I’m not sorry I did. Your boyfriend was a fool to let you go.’
By now they had reached shallow waters and they waded out and stood for a moment on the shore facing each other. Lord, he was sexy, thought Lucinda. He wore a pair of brief black swim-shorts and his body was tanned and firm and her fingers simply itched to touch him.
Heat flooded her. They were insane thoughts. She must learn to curb them. ‘Don’t flatter yourself,’ she said with a hint of anger in her voice. ‘It was the project I was thinking about. I’d actually like to go into Castries and see what’s on offer. Do you have a car I can use?’
‘Better still, I’ll come with you,’ he said without hesitation.
‘No!’ Lucinda’s voice came out in something like a panic-ridden shriek and she immediately amended it. ‘I mean, no, I’ll be better off alone. I’ll probably spend hours looking around. You’d be totally bored.’
His eyes told her that he could never be bored in her company, but what he said was, ‘Do you not think I should have a say in what you’re going to do?’
‘Naturally,’ said Lucinda. ‘But not until I’ve developed a few ideas. I need time to myself. Both in your house and when I’m sourcing furniture and materials.’
‘Mmm!’ Zane touched a finger to his lips. ‘That might be difficult.’
Lucinda frowned.
‘You see I’m not very good at spending time by myself. I need company.’ Blue eyes challenged hers, sending shivers of sensation down her spine.
Lucinda shook off the feeling as well as she could. Not easy when the sexiest man in the universe was standing less than a metre away. ‘You more or less told me that this would be a base,’ she declared resentfully. ‘Can’t you go and do some work somewhere?’
‘I could,’ he agreed. ‘But you know what they say about all work and no play making Jack a dull boy. I should hate to appear dull.’
That would be impossible, thought Lucinda. Zane? Dull? Never!
His mouth twitched as he waited for her response.
‘Since I am here to work,’ she told him, ‘I see no reason why you shouldn’t work also. You can’t possibly sit around for days on end.’
‘I don’t intend to do that,’ he told her. ‘This transformation of my house, or whatever you like to call it, is going to be a joint effort. It’s so rare I take time off work that I’m actually looking forward to it.’
Lucinda groaned inwardly. She hadn’t really thought about what Zane would do while she was working; but she most certainly hadn’t imagined he would want to spend much of his time with her—certainly not all of it! It would make her job impossible.
Maybe if he hadn’t kissed her, maybe if she weren’t so very much aware of the way her body reacted to his, then it would work. But already, after only a few hours on the island, she could see the physical impossibility of anything like that happening.
‘How can I think with you around?’ she asked him bluntly.
And how could he act normally when a woman as exceptionally beautiful and desirable as Lucinda was living with him but was taboo? Zane knew he was behaving like a complete moron. It wasn’t usual for him to lust over a member of the opposite sex. It was usually they who came to him.
Women hung around him in droves. And he knew why. Money! Power! It was an aphrodisiac to some of the female population. Lucinda was different. She’d had a bad experience, and a bad role model in her mother apparently, and was well and truly off men.
Although—and it pleased him somewhat to realise this—she hadn’t been entirely averse to his kiss last night. It had eventually sent her running, yes, but she had nevertheless enjoyed it. Indeed her reaction had been far more intense and exciting than he had expected.
‘As a professional woman I’m quite sure you’ll be able to get on with your job,’ he assured her, ‘despite my presence. Now, let’s go up and have some breakfast. I don’t know about you, but that swim’s made me hungry.’
He touched a hand to her elbow and led her to a door in the cliff face. A glass door! He smiled at her surprised expression. ‘The previous owner had a lift installed for his invalid wife. We may as well make use of it; it’s a stiff climb otherwise.’
Zane could see the doubt in Lucinda’s eyes—and quite incredible green eyes they were too. Sometimes they were as dark as the deepest ocean and at others, like now, they were the lightest aquamarine. They enchanted him. But he could see that she wasn’t happy about sharing the lift. Maybe she was thinking about last night’s kiss. That incredible kiss! She had run like a scared rabbit afterwards but he had a feeling that she had enjoyed it as much as he had.
It was so unusual for him to be happy about taking time off from his business affairs that he knew this attractive woman had something to do with it. A lot to do with it, in fact! Everything to do with it! She was totally gorgeous. Although he wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, Lucinda had a lot more going for her than most of the women he dated.
As Lucinda stepped into the lift and the door swished closed behind her she felt a shiver of apprehension. The confined space worried her. She knew what Zane could do to her senses—without even touching her. And here, now, he was so close that she could almost feel the electricity crackling between them.
She tried to concentrate on the view instead. It was totally magical being whisked silently upwards with the whole panorama opening out in front of them. The yachts grew smaller, the ocean wider, the sky immense. And inside their little space the walls were padded with ocean coloured leather. It was out of this world.
Except that it was a tiny world holding just her and Zane. She could feel the heat of his body, inhale the fresh scent of him, and her fingers curled into fists at her sides.
‘Is something wrong?’
She hadn’t realised that Zane had observed her tension.
‘Are you scared of heights?’ The shore was a long way below them now.
Lucinda grabbed the excuse. ‘Yes,’ she lied faintly. But it was entirely the wrong thing to have said. The next second Zane’s arms were wrapped protectively around her, her head held firmly against his chest, her eyes shaded from the view outside.
‘A few more moments,’ he told her.
More like a lifetime, she thought, fighting to control the sensations that were whizzing through her veins. And when he, oh so gently, stroked damp strands of hair from her face such was her surge of feelings that she wanted to press herself even closer to him.
Fortunately, before she had time to give herself away, the lift came to a halt and the doors opened. Zane immediately released her and Lucinda stepped out. They were at the side of the pump house, near the pool. It was no wonder that she hadn’t seen the lift before.
‘I’ll go and get showered,’ she said at once.
Zane nodded. ‘We’ll meet at breakfast and afterwards we’ll make that trip into Castries.’
Lucinda did not want him to accompany her, but she knew without a shadow of doubt that he wouldn’t take no for an answer so she smiled bravely.
Their en suite bathrooms were back to back and when Lucinda finished her shower she could hear Zane’s water still running and above it she could hear him humming. It depressed her. He was clearly happy with the situation even though she wasn’t. But if it was in his mind to start an affair then he would need to think again. There was no way she was going to take part in anything like that. No way!
This job was unlike any other she had worked on. She had thought, initially, that it would be a good experience. And it would be, if it weren’t for Zane. Had she known they would be spending so much time together, she would most certainly not have taken the job. How did he expect her to do what he was paying her for if he insisted on commandeering her attention? He had told her that he had business interests here in St Lucia, so why wasn’t he out there working?
Lucinda took her time dressing and Zane was already sitting at the breakfast table when she walked out to the sun deck. The air was warmer now but the mountain breeze ruffled her hair and was very welcome, although not all of the heat in her body was due to the weather.
On the table was a huge dish of fresh fruit, already peeled and sliced; there were bread rolls and butter and cheeses and ham, a selection of juices and cereals. ‘I wasn’t sure whether you’d like a cooked breakfast?’ he asked.
Lucinda shook her head. She didn’t feel that she could eat a thing.
‘Likewise. I always eat continental when I’m in a hot country. At least we have something in common.’
Not quite sure how to answer that, Lucinda let it go and poured herself a glass of mango juice.
‘Tell me more about this guy who let you down,’ said Zane conversationally when she had selected a bread roll and buttered it carefully. So carefully in fact that it took her ages and she hadn’t noticed that Zane was watching her. ‘He’s really affected you, hasn’t he?’
Lucinda frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ he asked. ‘You seem extremely wary of men—unless it’s just me?’
‘It’s not you,’ she lied, ‘although it was definitely a mistake letting you kiss me. Rest assured it won’t happen again. This is a business trip, neither of us must forget that.’ She felt sudden heat flood her cheeks as she reminded him of the kiss and hoped he would put it down to the warmth of the day.
‘So in future you’re Miss Prim, is that it?’ His smoky blue eyes teased her. ‘Or would it be Miss Untouchable?’
‘I happen to take my work seriously,’ she reminded him fiercely. ‘I wouldn’t have got where I am quite so quickly if I didn’t.’
‘Tell me about your ex-fiancé. I’m interested in him.’
Lucinda sighed and leaned back in her chair. ‘There’s not much to tell.’
‘Four years was a long relationship. Time enough surely for you to both know your own minds?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘I was so sure he was the one.’
‘Most people get married or at least move in together in far less time than that,’ he observed. ‘Which perhaps suggests that he was never the right person for you. Did you ever have reservations?’
‘None at all,’ she answered, feeling the pain of their parting all over again. ‘Simon and I met at university. It wasn’t love at first sight or anything like that. But we gradually began to see more of each other and I suppose we slipped into the relationship. Nevertheless I did love him; I could see a future for us together. But obviously he didn’t. I don’t know who he left me for and I don’t really care.’ But she had cared when it happened and she had tried to find out who the other woman was. Not that it would have done her any good. Simon had gone, deserted her. All the love he had sworn for her had sailed into thin air.
Zane reached across the table and put his hand over hers. ‘You’re well rid of him. You deserve better.’
And when she looked into the smoky depths of his eyes Lucinda saw compassion and wondered if he was suggesting himself. He didn’t stand a cat in hell’s chance. She definitely felt attracted to him, but that was pure sex, nothing more. When, or if, she ever did fall in love again he would have to be someone special, someone whom she could trust and love unconditionally, and who felt the same way. Zane Alexander most definitely didn’t fit that bill.
She pulled her hand away, trying to do it so that he didn’t realise how much he had the power to disturb her. And she broke off a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth.
‘Anyway, we’re not here to talk about ourselves,’ she said firmly.
‘So what else is there to talk about?’
Anything but themselves!
‘Would you like to tell me what you’re thinking of doing to my bedroom, for instance?’ he asked with a hint of a smile.
Swift heat flooded her. Bedrooms were as much a taboo subject as Simon and her manless state. She still thought of silver and grey and ice-blue, although maybe the ice part wasn’t right any more. He was a man of passion. Maybe hot red or fiery purple would make more sense.
Careful not to let him see that the thought of discussing his bedroom disturbed her, she looked at him with cool green eyes. ‘You’ve not yet given me time to come up with any ideas.’
‘There’s a reason behind that,’ he announced calmly.
Lucinda frowned.
‘Before you can design for me you need to get to know me. Properly know me, I mean. Isn’t that the way you usually work?’
‘I like to get a general idea of what clients like and dislike, a little about their personalities perhaps, but—’
‘That’s exactly what I mean,’ Zane declared in triumph. ‘My personality! Can you honestly say that you know me yet?’
She knew enough, thought Lucinda. Enough to want to steer clear of him, to avoid him like the plague, in fact. Even now, sitting here, talking to him, she couldn’t ignore his sexuality. Even his hair was sexy. It was dry now and back to its golden colour, totally untamed, and she wanted to run her fingers through it and stroke it into place. Crazy, she knew, but she couldn’t help herself.
‘No, you can’t, can you?’ he said when she didn’t answer. ‘We need a few days together before you start the thinking process. We’ll go into Castries together, and you can look all you like at whatever it is you need to look at, but primarily it should be pleasure, not work. We’ll dine there—I know a perfect restaurant—and then—’
‘Stop!’ It was Lucinda’s turn to hold up her hand. ‘Don’t run away with yourself. My time’s money, don’t forget. The longer I’m here, the more it’s going to cost you.’
‘I don’t mind,’ he declared indifferently, just as she had known he would. ‘I haven’t had a proper holiday in years.’
‘This isn’t a holiday,’ she reminded him.
His voice went an octave lower. ‘Wouldn’t you like it to be?’
Yes, she would, very much so. But it was far too dangerous. Zane was dangerous. The most dangerous man she had ever met. He was sex on two legs. He did dangerous things to her without even trying.
Even now, sitting here in this most beautiful of places, she was indifferent to her surroundings. Zane was the whole focus of her attention. He had made it that way. And, try as she might, she could not rid herself of him. He filled her thoughts to the extent of all else. How she was going to complete the job she was being paid for she did not know.
‘You haven’t answered my question.’ The low rumble of his voice as he leaned slightly forward reverberated through her nerve-endings as though he was touching each one of them singly, as though he was tuning her body for—for whatever he wanted to do to her. Lucinda felt her breathing quicken and she was afraid to look at him.
‘Business and pleasure don’t mix,’ she declared firmly. Was it she who’d said that before, or Zane? She couldn’t remember. Nothing in her mind was clear any more.
‘It seems to me that you need taking in hand, Lucinda Oliver,’ he said sternly. ‘You’re far too serious. Come, eat some more breakfast and we’ll go out and have fun.’
Castries was a mixture of ancient and modern—glass, concrete and steel vied with wooden buildings with graceful balconies and latticework. ‘It’s because they’ve had a series of fires over the centuries,’ Zane told her when Lucinda commented on the diversity of the architecture.
The market-place was busy and colourful and full of the aroma of spices and tropical fruit. Everyone was friendly and talkative and Lucinda began to relax and enjoy herself. Zane too was being friendly and nothing more. He made no demands of her and for this she was grateful.
They left the main shopping area until last and when Lucinda lost herself in swathes of materials and grew ecstatic over oceans of beautiful furniture Zane left her to her own devices. He was either bored, she decided, or being tactful. Whichever, she appreciated it and when she finally decided that she’d had enough she was weighed down with brochures and samples and ideas.
They had arranged to meet at a restaurant he had pointed out to her earlier. The best one in Castries, so Zane had said. An attentive waiter took away her packages and showed her to the bar where Zane was waiting for her. At first she did not see him; then she discovered him sitting in a deep armchair—and opposite him, laughing at something he had said, was a very beautiful young woman, dusky-skinned and black-haired and very, very sensuous.
For a few seconds Lucinda stood watching them. She saw an intimacy that made her feel uneasy. Zane was at his flirtatious best and his companion was hanging on to his every word, and on to every look from those gorgeous bluey-grey eyes and every breath that he took.
Lucinda suddenly felt as if she was an unwanted third party. Her happiness evaporated as quickly as smoke from a chimney and she turned swiftly on her heel. At the same time Zane looked up and saw her.
CHAPTER SIX (#ulink_48d16071-a3f2-561b-bddc-03e71d6ee472)
‘LUCINDA!’
Lucinda ignored Zane. She didn’t want to listen to any fancy excuses. He had just compounded her belief that members of the female sex were his playthings. And, Lord help her, she had almost fallen into the trap herself.
It was maybe a good thing that she had caught him working his charm. Judging by what she had seen, his companion was well and truly besotted. Was it someone he had picked up while waiting for her? Or someone he already knew? Whatever the case, Lucinda felt well and truly let down. In fact she felt an idiot. She had been in grave danger of making a very big fool of herself.
‘Lucinda!’ Zane’s hand fell heavily on her shoulder. ‘Where are you going?’
‘I didn’t want to intrude on what looked like a very cosy twosome,’ she told him coolly, shrugging his hand away and continuing her swift exit.
‘Nonsense, you wouldn’t be intruding,’ said Zane firmly. ‘Serafine is a friend of mine; I’d like you to meet her.’
‘Why?’ she demanded. ‘You were clearly bored following me around—I did tell you that I’d prefer to do the job my myself—and she is a welcome diversion. I have no wish to come between you.’ She hated to acknowledge the fact, even to herself, that she felt deadly jealous of Zane’s beautiful friend and she most certainly wasn’t going to let Zane know. ‘I’ll make my own way back.’
‘Oh, no, you won’t,’ growled Zane. ‘You’ll join us for dinner.’ And he took her by the elbow and forcibly led her across the room.
Serafine smiled as they approached. ‘Lucinda, it’s good to meet you,’ she exclaimed. ‘Zane has told me how clever you are.’
Lucinda wanted to ignore Serafine’s outstretched hand, but one glance at Zane’s stern face and she decided against it. ‘It is good to meet a friend of Zane’s too,’ she said quietly, hoping she sounded more sincere than she felt.
‘I would not know where to start if I were transforming his house. It is all right when you are doing it for yourself, but for someone else—how do you do that? Unless you know that person intimately?’
Lucinda had no wish to discuss her job with this woman, with her huge expressive brown eyes and a wide smile which revealed beautifully even white teeth. She was stunning, and would have been even if she weren’t dressed in a haute couture suit and expensive jewellery.
Serafine fingered a diamond and emerald ring as she looked at Zane and Lucinda couldn’t help wondering whether he had bought it for her. The way Serafine kept touching it, and the way she looked at Zane as she did so, was highly suspicious. Maybe Serafine had been throwing out a big hint when she’d mentioned intimate relationships. Not that it worried her. Why should it? She already knew that Zane was into relationships. Nothing permanent, just fun while they lasted!
And she had very nearly become a statistic! Just as Serafine would be one! Did the girl know it? Was she as used as Zane to playing the field?
‘You do need to get to know your client,’ she answered. ‘Their preferences, their dislikes, et cetera. It would be pointless filling a place with furniture that they absolutely hated.’
‘Hence you and Zane staying in the house together?’ suggested Serafine, her brown eyes steady on Lucinda’s. ‘Zane is a man of mystery as far as I am concerned. He never tells me much about himself. Maybe now that he has bought a house here it will change? Perhaps I will see more of him.’ Her eyes switched to Zane, brilliant and flirtatious, suggesting that she would like something far more permanent from their relationship.
Zane’s smile was enigmatic; Lucinda was not sure what to read into it. Serafine, on the other hand, touched her hand to his and he took it, his smile changing, becoming gradually more intimate. ‘Maybe,’ he agreed, his voice a low seductive growl.
Lucinda wanted to get up and walk out; she felt sickened by this open display of—of what? Not simple affection, that was for sure. Lust, perhaps. Physical need. As she had once experienced with Zane!
It had been powerful and she regretted it now. And, looking at Serafine, she knew that this woman had also experienced the magic of Zane’s kisses. They’d probably even made love! Lucinda’s throat closed painfully and she wanted to get up and walk away, but of course that was impossible. She had no intention of letting Zane know how much his attitude towards Serafine affected her.
She was annoyed with herself actually for feeling this way—especially so soon after the Simon affair.
‘What would you like to drink, Lucinda?’ Zane’s attention was once again on her.
‘Whatever you’re having,’ she answered with a shrug. She didn’t care. What she really wanted was to go home. Home? It was odd to be calling Zane’s house home, but she supposed that that was what it was for the time being, and she ought to be there working, not sitting around with Zane and one of his female friends.
With her drink placed in front of her Lucinda continued to seethe over the situation into which she had been forced, and when the three of them went through to the restaurant she felt like screaming. Nevertheless she did her best to be pleasant and talkative and when the time came for them to leave she smiled warmly at Serafine. ‘It’s been nice meeting you.’
‘You too,’ agreed the other woman. ‘You must ask Zane to bring you to my restaurant again.’
‘That was Serafine’s restaurant?’ asked Lucinda with a frown once she had collected her parcels and they were outside. ‘She owns it?’
Zane smiled and nodded, taking the packets off Lucinda and tucking them beneath his arm. ‘She’s some girl. It’s not the only place she owns.’
‘But she never said.’ Lucinda felt that she had been left in ignorance deliberately.
‘That’s because she’s extremely modest,’ said Zane, more than a hint of admiration in his voice.
‘Have you known her long?’
‘We met at a conference in England a few years ago,’ he answered and Lucinda thought she saw a faraway look in his eyes. ‘And I’ve seen her on and off ever since. I’m very fond of her.’
And Serafine was more than fond of Zane!
‘Why all the questions?’ His blue eyes levelled on hers curiously. ‘Forgive me for saying it, but you sound jealous.’
‘Me? Jealous?’ Lucinda was alarmed to hear a faint squeak in her voice. ‘Why would I be jealous of a friend of someone I’m simply doing a job for?’
‘You did kiss me.’
He looked highly indignant and Lucinda was about to make some scathing remark when she realised that he was teasing her and she smiled faintly. ‘Nevertheless,’ she said firmly, ‘I have no intention of being one of your numerous conquests.’
‘Numerous?’ he repeated, his eyes narrowing.
‘I bet there’s a girl in every corner of the world willing to go to bed with you.’
‘You think Serafine and I are lovers?’
‘Well, aren’t you?’
Zane gave a mysterious smile. ‘My private life is just that, Lucinda. Private.’
They reached the car, where the driver sat patiently waiting, and as she climbed into it Lucinda was left thinking the worst. It shouldn’t have worried her; Zane was employing her to do a job for him—nothing more, nothing less. The fact that he had kissed her was of no consequence. It meant nothing to him; it should have meant nothing to her. The trouble was she couldn’t forget the kiss. It played over and over in her mind and she hated to admit it but she wanted more.
The next day Lucinda kept well out of Zane’s way, studying the rooms, consulting her samples, doing the work she was being paid to do. She had brought her laptop with her and spent time building up composites of each of the rooms in turn. In fact she kept herself so busy that until she stopped work she wasn’t aware that Zane had left the house.
‘Mr Alexander went out before lunch,’ the maid informed her, and it wasn’t difficult to guess where he had gone. Zane craved female company and since she wasn’t making herself available…
Images of the beautiful Serafine kept popping into her head and when Zane didn’t come home until late that evening Lucinda knew that her assumption was correct.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked as he walked into the house and saw her heading towards her bedroom.
‘Bed, of course,’ she answered. ‘It’s late.’
‘You’ve shut me out the whole day,’ he said. ‘I think I deserve a little of your time now.’
‘I’ve shut you out?’ she questioned sharply. ‘I’ve merely been doing the job you’re paying me for.’
‘And I have been out on business too. So a little leisure time together will do us both good.’ He sounded cross, as though he was paying her to spend time with him and she was failing in her duty.
‘If you insist,’ she conceded irritably. ‘I am rather tired, though; I’ve had a busy day.’
‘And a productive one, I hope?’ he asked, an eyebrow raised questioningly. ‘When am I going to see these ideas of yours?’
‘Whenever you like,’ answered Lucinda. ‘I’m about ready to discuss them with you. I realise that there will probably be things you don’t like, but—’
‘Hold on!’ Zane held up his hand. ‘I have no intention of talking business tonight. I simply want your company.’
And what else? she couldn’t help wondering. But it didn’t stop her agreeing to stay with him. In actual fact she wanted his company too, needed it even. One taste of him and she had become infatuated. One taste and she wanted more, even though she had sworn to herself that she would never let him kiss her again. Surely they could sit together and talk like two sensible adults and not take their relationship any further?
They sat outside beneath the moon and the stars, sipping wine and not saying very much at all. The sky was midnight-blue. The sea shimmered with silver highlights. There were a few sounds of the night—faint strains of music from one of the boats moored far below them, an animal moving through the undergrowth, cicadas chirruping—and their own breathing!
Zane’s was deep and regular, as though he had fallen asleep. Lucinda glanced across and was startled to see that he was watching her.
‘Have you any idea how beautiful you look in the moonlight?’ he asked.
Lucinda shook her head. ‘I don’t want your compliments.’
‘Then that’s a pity because I believe that all beautiful woman should receive their fair share. And you’re lovelier than most, Lucinda. I’m very fortunate to have obtained your services.’
‘You have no idea yet how I’ll perform,’ she retorted.
‘Oh, I think I do.’
Maybe his expression wasn’t clear but the meaning in his voice certainly was and Lucinda huffed. ‘I’m talking about my work.’ And her body went hot all over.
‘Naturally,’ he agreed, and she could hear a smile in his voice.
Lucinda shook her head vigorously and her hair, which she had brushed earlier and left loose about her shoulders, flew over her face. She flicked it away with an impatient hand.
‘You should have let me do that,’ growled Zane, inching closer. ‘You have gorgeous hair, Lucinda. Has anyone ever told you that? I wish you would wear it down more often.’ And then he surprised her with a complete change of subject. ‘Are you afraid of men?’ he asked, his voice low and considered.
‘I’m not afraid of you,’ retorted Lucinda.
Zane raised his brows. ‘No? Most women I know wouldn’t settle for sitting quietly by my side. They’d want something more.’
‘I’m not most women.’
‘And, as I said, it’s because of Simon.’
Their eyes met and held and Lucinda felt the disturbing power of him. ‘If all you want to talk to me about is my ex-fiancé then I’m going to bed,’ she declared crossly, jumping to her feet.
Lucinda stuck her nose in the air, spun on her heel and walked away. To her relief, Zane let her go. But later, as she lay in bed, she couldn’t help wondering why he had asked all those questions. And it made her think about Simon, to wonder how much she had really enjoyed his lovemaking.
Would it be better with Zane? He certainly made her feel different. Even that one kiss had stirred emotions she had never felt before. What sort of a lover would Zane be? The answer was simple. Exciting! Innovative! Passionate! Considerate! All of these things and more.
And why was she even thinking about it when she had no intention of ever letting him touch her again? Because, answered an inner voice, you want to know what it feels like to be made love to by an expert in the art of seduction. His kiss has given you a taste of what a powerful lover he can be and you want more. Admit it!
She couldn’t get to sleep and even when Zane went to bed over an hour later she still lay there thinking about him. When finally she did drop off to sleep she was woken what seemed like mere seconds later by a loud noise. She shot up in bed and listened. There it was again. It sounded like someone trying to break into the house. Goosebumps rose on her skin. Had Zane heard? She couldn’t hear him moving.
Thoroughly scared but knowing that she needed to do something, Lucinda left her room and pushed open Zane’s door. Instantly he was awake. ‘Lucinda, what’s wrong?’
‘I heard a noise, like someone breaking in,’ she said in a loud whisper.
Zane sprang out of bed—and, to Lucinda’s horror, he was naked. Quickly she averted her eyes, even though the room was lit only by moonlight. And he didn’t even bother to put anything on before he raced out of the room.
Lucinda stayed where she was, fearful of the feelings he had aroused in her—feelings which were much more intense than those of fear she had felt earlier. It was wrong, all wrong, and she didn’t know what to do about it. If Zane should continue to demand her company, if he should attempt to kiss her again, would she be weak and foolish? Or would she find an inner strength?
When he returned she was still standing in the dark in his bedroom. ‘Panic over!’ he said quietly. ‘It was a mongoose. Nothing to worry about.’
Zane touched his hand to Lucinda’s arm and when he felt her trembling he pulled her hard against him. She felt soft and warm and vulnerable and a whole host of sensations rushed through his body. This woman was so different from any other he had known. She might own her own business—was indeed very successful, according to all that he’d heard—but beneath her veneer was a hurt woman. And he wanted to do something about it; he wanted to help her through her pain, to protect her, help her to see that there were men in the world who would treat her as she deserved to be treated.
Why he should feel angry that her fiancé had let her down he didn’t know, but he did. Very much so. And if he ever met him…His thoughts ended there. He wasn’t sure what he would do, but it wouldn’t be gentlemanly, that was certain. And why he was associating her fear now with Simon, he wasn’t sure about either. But somehow he felt the two were intermingled.
‘It’s all right,’ he said softly in her ear. ‘There’s nothing more to worry about. I’ll take care of you.’ And when she didn’t struggle, when she didn’t attempt to move away from him, his arms tightened about her.
‘It’s because I’m in a strange place,’ Lucinda excused herself. ‘I’m not normally scared of the slightest sound.’ And she lifted her face to his.
There was nothing he could do about it. His lips came down on hers almost of their own volition. He tasted sweetness and hunger as well as faint fear. And when she didn’t resist he guided her over to the bed.
They lay down together, mouths still clinging, and when Lucinda’s arms wrapped around him he drew in a deep shuddering breath. He wanted to make love to her but knew that he daren’t. Not yet. There was much ground to cover first; it was too soon—she was only just starting to put her trust in him.
Was she really doing that? Trusting him not to take advantage? Simply to kiss her and comfort her and make her feel better? It couldn’t be. She wanted him to make love to her, otherwise why would she have remained in his room? Why would she have let him kiss her? Why would she have put up no resistance when he led her to the bed?
Once he had followed those thoughts through, Zane no longer stemmed the tide of passion that filled him.
Lucinda knew that what she was doing was crazy but there was something inside her that refused to let go. She wanted his kisses; she wanted him to make love to her. She wanted everything he had to give. Something exciting had happened to her out here on this tropical island and all she wanted now was Zane.
Her job was forgotten; it was as though she was here with this man for a very different purpose—the cleansing of Simon from her system! Zane was the only person who could do it, who could make her forget. She would let him bury himself in her, let him transport her to a world where only senses mattered—and what happened after that—well, she would take care of that when the time came. For now she would lose herself in an affair that she would remember for the rest of her life. It was totally unlike her, went against every principle she held, but strangely it felt right.
Thumb and forefinger played with her nipple through the thin cotton of her nightdress, sending spirals of pleasure through every inch of her body. ‘Take my nightie off,’ she urged him, lying back with her arms above her head.
Zane needed no second bidding and this time it was his mouth that pleasured her, closing over her nipples, playing one against the other, making her squirm and wriggle and cry out in deepest pleasure. She threaded her fingers through the thick springiness of his hair and held him against her, not wanting him to ever stop.
‘This is all right for you?’ He paused and lifted his head slightly to look at her, his eyes dark and seductive in the moonlight. In fact the whole of him felt seductive, his body shining as though cast in pewter—except that it didn’t feel like hard metal at all; it felt warm and firm and infinitely touchable.
She traced her fingers over his back, feeling muscle and sinew and warm, intoxicating man, and she felt as if she wanted to keep him close to her for ever more. Of course she knew that wasn’t possible, but she could dream, couldn’t she? She could take a few moments in the time span of life to let her hair down and enjoy herself. Since the death of her father she had taken life very seriously—it was time for a change.
‘Yes,’ she whispered, unaware of how brightly her eyes were shining, how beautiful they looked in the light from the moon. It was a night made for love and she intended to take the challenge.
In response he took her mouth again, kissing deeply and excitingly, setting alight fires, and then slowly and seductively his mouth moved down her body, nibbling the soft column of her neck, touching his tongue to the strongly beating pulse at the base of her throat, seeking yet again her all too sensitive nipples, making her squirm and cry out and hold him against her.
The excitement was almost too much. She had never experienced such intense feelings. They filled her body, making her feel that she would explode at any minute—and he had hardly started!
She had been right in thinking that he would know exactly what to do to send a woman wild, to spin her out of this world and into the next. She felt faintly cheated when he moved away from her breasts to leave a trail of kisses over her stomach—and she wondered where he was going next!
Without even realising what she was doing Lucinda wriggled invitingly. But it wasn’t his tongue that found the hot core of her. He touched her with gentle fingers.
Lucinda couldn’t speak; her throat was far too tight. All she wanted was to feel him inside her. She had never in the whole of her life reached such a pinnacle of desire—and she knew there was more to come.
Briefly he pulled away and Lucinda felt a faint moment’s disappointment. Until suddenly she felt him entering her, slowly, carefully, excitingly! Zane knew exactly what to do to keep her in a state of heightened arousal. She wasn’t living in this earthly world any more; he had taken her into another dimension where only senses mattered.
She lifted heavy lids and looked up at him and saw the same pleasure on his face, the glazing of his eyes, and she heard the sounds of intense passion that were being drawn from his throat.
And she realised that she was moaning too. Strange sounds that she had never uttered before! Pleasure, pain, need, greed!
She closed her eyes again and then felt his fingers on her cheek. And when she looked at him he was asking if it was good for her. Not with words—he was beyond speaking—but simply by the expression in his eyes.
Lucinda nodded and clung to him, urging him more deeply inside her. This was a world of wonderland, of feelings and excitement, like minor explosions taking place inside her body. Every one of her nerve-endings sizzled, her hormones danced, and finally she threw back her head and let it all happen.
She had no idea that she screamed out; no idea that her body bucked and rolled. And when she felt that she could stand no more she experienced such an explosion of feeling that the world spun away into space. And only seconds afterwards she heard Zane cry out and sink himself even further into her as he reached his own shattering climax.
Not until their bodies had stopped heaving did he withdraw and he looked at her with such tenderness in his eyes that Lucinda wanted to weep. ‘No regrets?’ he asked softly.
Lucinda shook her head. ‘None. None at all!’
CHAPTER SEVEN (#ulink_c524f52e-9a2c-5731-bf3c-9afa9e50c7eb)
IN THE days that followed Lucinda and Zane spent every second of their time together. He didn’t seem to care that she was getting no work done. If they weren’t making love then they were out on his yacht or dining at some fabulous restaurant.
She was living, thought Lucinda, in a world of the very rich, far removed from her own particular lifestyle.
Her stepfather was admittedly wealthy but she had never wanted any part of it, nor was ever likely to. She was happy in her own little world, building up her business and planning for the future.
A no-strings affair with Zane suited her perfectly. She knew very well that she and Zane moved in different circles and there could never be anything serious between them. But why turn her back on the experience of a lifetime? He was so gorgeously sexy that no one in her right mind would resist him.
He had the most amazing eyes she had ever seen. Eyes that constantly twinkled, as though he was planning what his next move would be! How to make life even more exciting! He was a very innovative lover and she was under no illusion that life after Zane would be anything but very empty and mundane.
All the more reason to make the most of what she had now, Lucinda kept telling herself whenever any faint doubts crept into her mind.
When Zane had first taken her out on his yacht she had been extremely impressed. He had proudly told her that at sixty-four feet long and weighing twenty-eight tonnes it was the top of its range. The decks were teak and extremely spacious, the cockpit vast, and below, besides four double berths, was a saloon with sumptuous white leather seating. And the galley was to die for. ‘Not that I do any cooking myself,’ he had explained when she had gone into raptures. ‘I have two crew members who do everything. It’s used mainly for corporate entertaining, but I thought it might be fun to bring it out here and make use of it.’
And they had certainly done that!
And today they were out on it again.
‘I thought,’ said Zane, as they sunbathed on one of the decks, ‘that we might stay out for the night. Have you ever been on the water at night with no land in sight? Where a canopy of stars is your whole world? It’s a truly remarkable experience. Will you share it with me?’
What could she say except yes? Lucinda nodded happily. ‘It sounds perfect. I didn’t realise that you were so poetic.’
‘There’s a lot about me you don’t know.’ His voice was soft and low, almost a rumble. It was incredibly sexy and sent a tremor through her veins. Everything about this man was sexy. Even when they weren’t making love he kept her in a state of suspended readiness. One look in his eyes and she could see what he was thinking and her body would surge into life. She even felt disappointed when nothing happened. But when it did—then the whole world rocked on its axis.
Tonight, she knew, was going to be very special. A night to be locked away in the memories of her mind for ever.
‘Do you mind that I’m not getting any work done?’ she asked him idly while he was smoothing sun oil on to her back.
‘Would I have brought you out here today if I did?’ he countered. ‘Would I have taken up so much of your time?’ he asked softly, his fingers kneading her back in a way that he knew melted her senses.
‘I guess not,’ she said, wriggling uncontrollably. ‘You’re paying whether I work or not. But you do realise that your bill will go up for all the time I spend away?’
She had said it half jokingly but when Zane said, ‘So long as I get what I want you’ll get what you want,’ it reminded her very clearly that this was but a game to him. Once home, her job done, she would be completely forgotten.
It made her feel very sad. It also made her feel that she was giving her body to him for his selfish pleasure. But then Zane nuzzled her neck and cupped one of her breasts possessively and all was forgotten except the heady excitement of being with him.
Before lunch they went swimming, diving into the clear waters of the Caribbean and playing like porpoises. And after their light meal, consisting mainly of fruit and fish prepared by one of his very expert crew, they lay down in their cabin for a siesta. At least that was the plan. The heat outside was unbearable, but here in the air-conditioned interior sleep didn’t seem so important.
‘I would never have believed,’ said Lucinda dreamily as she lay at Zane’s side in the superbly fitted master bedroom, ‘that you could take so much time off work. I always thought that you were a real workaholic.’
‘Maybe it’s because I’ve never met a woman as beautiful as you,’ he answered. She lay in his arms, still in the camisole and Indian skirt that she had donned for their lunch. And his fingers stroked wherever the fancy took him. ‘A woman who takes my mind off all other things! You’re a siren in disguise, Lucinda. Do you know that?’
A siren! No one had ever called her that before. Didn’t it mean a dangerously fascinating and sexy woman? Was that what she was to him? The thought pleased her. ‘Am I the most captivating woman you’ve ever met?’ It was a leading question and one that she wasn’t sure she ought to have asked. She waited for his answer with bated breath.
He smiled slowly. ‘Captivating? You’re certainly that. And, what’s more, Lucinda, I’m thoroughly enjoying our time here. Are you?’
She swallowed hard and nodded. ‘It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.’ One part of her hoped that he would say the same, even that she was beginning to mean something to him. Instead he pulled her closer, lifting her skirt and seeking that private place that he had made his own.
All too soon her misgivings faded and she was lost in their lovemaking. And afterwards, while the yacht sailed on when they were both fully sated, they drifted into sleep.
Zane woke with the knowledge that something was wrong. He hadn’t felt well all morning, but had thought it was nothing more than an over-indulgence of food and drink. But his headache had got worse and he felt as though he were burning up.
Lucinda still lay at his side and when he touched her forehead her skin felt quite cool. So it wasn’t the air-conditioning that had failed. He really was ill.
Feeling him move, Lucinda opened her eyes and then did a double-take. ‘Are you all right, Zane? You look very flushed.’
‘It’s nothing,’ he said, unwilling to tell her how he felt. How manly was it to become ill when he had promised her a romantic trip? When he wanted to give her the best time of her life? This sort of thing never happened to him. He was always in control, always in command of every situation. And he had been of this one—until now!
He had been enjoying his education of Lucinda. Although she had never said anything, he was aware that he had taught her lots of new and wonderful things. And she had responded in a way far beyond his wildest dreams. She was a woman to surpass all women where making love was concerned and he would be sorry when it ended. As of course it must. Lucinda Oliver was not for him. No woman was. Not long-term. Of that he was very sure.
‘It looks more than nothing to me. How do you feel?’
He swallowed with difficulty. ‘I have a raging headache and I’m burning up. Probably sunstroke. But it won’t last. I feel all right.’
‘But you’ve always been careful!’ exclaimed Lucinda. ‘We both have. If it’s sunstroke, though, it could be serious. I’ll ask Fabian to head back to shore. You need to see a doctor.’
‘I don’t want to spoil your day,’ he said, struggling to his feet, feeling extremely mortified when dizziness forced him back down on the bed. ‘Maybe you’re right,’ he agreed reluctantly. ‘But let’s get a doctor out here. I don’t want you to miss out on your star-spangled night.’ Except that he wouldn’t be able to share it with her in quite the way he had imagined!
‘And I don’t want you to be a martyr,’ she retorted crossly. ‘What is it with men that they won’t admit defeat?’
He managed a smile. ‘It’s not good for our image.’ Especially in front of a woman he was trying to impress. No sooner had the thought entered his head than he asked himself whether it was true. Was he trying to impress Lucinda with his sexual prowess, with his private yacht and his Caribbean villa? And, if so, why?
In point of fact she gave the impression that she thought they were unnecessary appendages. Money simply didn’t interest her. So long as she had enough for her daily needs she was happy. And he admired her for that. In fact there was a lot about Lucinda that he admired.
He closed his eyes and tried to shut out both his thoughts and the heat in his body. Perhaps Lucinda was right. He ought to go back. He certainly wasn’t any good to her here. But they had been sailing for hours and unhappily he didn’t feel that he could go that long without medical attention.
‘Ask Fabian to phone for a doctor,’ he croaked.
Lucinda shot up on deck and explained Zane’s predicament and immediately arrangements were made. Money spoke, thought Lucinda as she went back to Zane. There was nothing that couldn’t be acquired. It didn’t make her feel happy. Her mother might be a slave to money, but she definitely was not.
‘The doctor will be here as soon as he can,’ she told Zane, alarmed to see that his fever had increased. She wet some towels and pressed them to his face and his skin, all the time murmuring words of comfort. He seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. Or was it her imagination? Was he just closing his eyes?
And as she sat there watching him, doing all she could to make him feel comfortable, Lucinda made an alarming discovery. She was falling in love with Zane. Properly in love! Not just a sex thing. She wanted to spend the rest of her life—or at least a large part of it—with him. How stupid was that? Zane had made it clear that he didn’t intend to settle down with anyone. He enjoyed playing the field. He would probably do it until he was too old or too tired!
And, besides, she didn’t enjoy the trappings of wealth. She could see no point in them. So why would she want to bind herself to Zane? She was out of her head. Probably going down with the same illness. She touched a hand to her brow. Perfectly normal! She wasn’t ill, no, just plain crazy.
Perhaps Zane’s illness had come in the nick of time. Before she made a complete fool of herself and told him how she felt. As she continued to mop his brow, to try to cool his fever with wet towels, she knew that she had gone far beyond the point of no return. She loved him to distraction, and probably always would, even though she knew without a shadow of doubt that once they returned to England and her job was finished she would never see him again.
In less than an hour a doctor arrived by helicopter and was lowered on to the deck. He confirmed that Zane was indeed suffering from a mild case of sunstroke.
‘You must get him into a cool bath straight away,’ he told Lucinda. ‘And you must gently massage his skin and keep taking his temperature. Can you do that?’
Lucinda glanced at Zane, who looked anything but happy about the situation, and then back at the doctor. After all their lovemaking, when there wasn’t a part of his body that she hadn’t explored, it should be an easy task. She nodded.
‘After that you must put him in a cool room, still checking his temperature—because if it should continue to drop then you must keep him warm. Have you got that?’
‘Yes,’ agreed Lucinda.
‘Massaging must continue, to encourage circulation. He may need to stay in bed for several days.’
Lucinda couldn’t see Zane agreeing to this, but she nodded anyway. ‘I’ll see to it, doctor.’
‘If you don’t follow my instructions there is a danger that he will get worse and have to be hospitalised. But hopefully he will recover quite quickly. How did he get in this state?’
‘I don’t know,’ answered Lucinda. ‘We’re always careful in the sun.’
‘Obviously not careful enough!’ he admonished. ‘And it’s not always the sun itself. Any prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause it. You might feel you’re safe sitting on the deck in the shade but, believe me, it can be just as dangerous. Or playing energetic games. They all add up. I fear your friend has overdone it. You’ll need to keep your eye on him.’
Zane had hardly spoken, except to thank the doctor for coming, and once he’d gone he glared at Lucinda. ‘The man’s exaggerating. I’m not that ill.’
‘Oh, yes, you are,’ answered Lucinda firmly, ‘and you know it. Thank goodness there’s a bathtub on board. Excuse me.’ She went through to the en suite bathroom and filled the tub with cool water.
Zane looked very sorry for himself as he lay in the bath and allowed Lucinda to massage him. But eventually he gave a wry smile. ‘I’m not so ill that I’m unaware of what you’re doing. In fact I rather like it.’ And he thrust out a hand and brought her face close to his. ‘I’ve half a mind to pull you in here with me.’
‘Don’t you dare!’ laughed Lucinda. ‘It’s freezing.’
As she continued to massage him after he’d left the bath and lay on the bed, Zane in turn continued to turn the whole exercise into a sensual experience. She knew that he still wasn’t feeling well, but it didn’t alter the fact that he didn’t want to spoil her time out here and he made a tremendous effort to keep her happy—and excited—and aroused!
Oh, how she loved this man, Lucinda thought. It would break her heart when the day came for them to part company.
By the end of the day Zane was feeling much better—well enough, he said, to lie out on the deck with her and watch the stars. The air had cooled by then and, although she didn’t agree with him being outside, he insisted.
The yacht had dropped anchor and the crew had discreetly disappeared. On a table beside them was a bottle of vintage champagne and some nuts and fruit. ‘The cashew nuts are grown here on the island,’ Zane informed her when he saw her nibbling them. ‘And did you know that they’ve made many films on St Lucia?’
Lucinda didn’t but she could see why. It was such a magical island. So lush! Such gorgeous white beaches! It was really beautiful.
Zane had taken her to the Botanical Gardens one day, where she’d seen incredible plants growing and a Japanese water garden. And they’d been to a lovely warm waterfall where they sat in the pool beneath the falls and drank bubbly. In fact she’d never drank so much champagne in her life, thought Lucinda now as Zane refilled her glass.
He wasn’t touching the stuff himself. All he had beside him was a glass of iced water and Lucinda was fearful that he wasn’t really up to this.
When she’d had enough to eat and drink Lucinda edged herself on to Zane’s lounger and, locked in each other’s arms, they lay back and looked at the stars. It was as though there were only the two of them in the whole universe.
‘I did want to make love to you out here,’ he confessed. ‘It was my initial plan. But I’m not sure now that I have the strength.’
‘And you’d be going against doctor’s orders,’ Lucinda warned him. ‘He says you’re to rest.’
‘And that’s exactly what I’m doing,’ he said. ‘But there’s nothing stopping me touching you.’ His voice had dropped to a low sensual growl.
Lucinda wore a thin cotton shift dress with nothing beneath and when he touched her breasts they reacted immediately. She was unsure how wise it would be to reveal the sensations he was arousing. She was so afraid he would push himself too far. He looked a hundred times better than he had earlier, but even so…
‘You’re a naughty girl dressing like this when you know I haven’t the energy to do anything,’ he admonished.
‘I thought it would give you pleasure.’
He groaned loudly. ‘You’ve no idea how much. I’ve never met a woman quite like you before. You’re ready to try anything at any time, aren’t you?’
She nodded, suddenly shy.
‘I curse this illness that means I can’t take control.’
‘Maybe I ought to take advantage of you,’ she suggested with a cheeky smile.
He groaned loudly. ‘You have a cruel streak, Lucinda Oliver. No woman’s going to seduce me if I can’t do anything about it.’
‘Then we’ll just hold each other,’ she said. And they lay there and he pointed out some of the stars. It was a truly magical night. The sky was so big, the stars so bright—they filled it like glittering diamonds.
How long they lay there she wasn’t sure. At one stage Zane fell asleep, and then she did too. And when she awoke he was gently stroking her breasts. It made a change to be held by him and not make mad passionate love. This was a different kind of lovemaking and if it was all he could manage then she was content.
It was past midnight before he suggested they go to bed and as she helped him down into their cabin Lucinda felt her love flowing fiercely. ‘Thank you for a magical few hours,’ she said.
‘The pleasure was all mine,’ answered Zane, his smile weak. ‘And never fear, I’ll make this up to you.’
He had nothing to make up, thought Lucinda. She would remember this night for the rest of her life.
Early the next morning they headed back to shore, but it was still a few days before Zane was his old self. They spent their time sitting quietly, talking, lighting fires within each other but doing nothing about it, which Lucinda found an incredible experience. She would never have dreamt that they could make love without touching each other—but in some strange way that was what they managed to do.
And then came a phone call which changed everything.
‘Tim’s grandmother’s been taken into hospital,’ Zane told her. ‘I have to go home.’
‘What do you want me to do?’ asked Lucinda. ‘My work here’s not finished.’ Spending all her time with Zane, she’d done precious little during the last few days.
‘You should come back with me. There’s no point in you staying,’ he said. ‘I’m sure you have done everything you need to for the time being. In fact I don’t think you’ll even need my approval because you know me better than anyone else does. And I certainly trust you.’
Lucinda’s eyes widened. ‘That’s quite a compliment.’
During the flight back Zane asked himself whether he was falling for Lucinda. He had never felt quite like this about any woman before—but, dammit, he didn’t want to fall in love. Love had no part to play in his life. The best thing he could do when they got home was to not see her again.
It might even be best to forget the interior design project. He’d get someone else to do it—someone in St Lucia! Serafine would help him find someone.
It was going to be hard walking away from Lucinda. But he daren’t give way to the feelings burning inside him. It was far too dangerous. He didn’t want to believe that Lucinda was like other women, but how could he tell?
His lifelong friend had had a bad experience—his marriage had broken down and his wife had all but ruined him with her demands. And yet she’d seemed like a lovely woman. No one would have expected it of her.
Prenuptial agreements were the way to go these days, but that was being cold and calculating and, although he could be both of these things in his business affairs, it didn’t seem right to bring it into the realms of love. Best not to love than be hurt.
He enjoyed his playboy image, though he didn’t date half as many women as had been suggested by the press. And Lucinda was the first one to really get through to him. He had to ask himself why. How was she different?
Maybe because she’d shown no interest in him initially. It was something that had never happened to him before. Once she had let herself go, though, the world had rocked. Lucinda was incredible.
Perhaps she wouldn’t expect to continue the relationship once they were back in England? Her ex had put the fear of hell into her where commitment was concerned. Perhaps she’d decided on a good time, knowing that she could leave it behind when her job was finished.
The thought should have pleased him but, for some reason, it didn’t and when they eventually landed his mood was black.
CHAPTER EIGHT (#ulink_7265cf48-fe2a-5f3b-80cb-257a599aed2d)
LUCINDA couldn’t work out why Zane’s mood had changed so dramatically. Unless he was telling her that their affair was over. That it had been good while it lasted but now it was goodbye. He’d hardly spoken during the flight, shutting himself in his on-board office for most of the time.
It should have been a relief, so why wasn’t it? It was clearly back to business for him and it should be the same for her. But women weren’t programmed the same as men. It wasn’t so easy to shut out what had happened between them during the last couple of weeks. But by the time they touched down in England she’d accepted that this was what she’d have to do.
She felt utterly miserable and when he put her into a separate car at the airport and didn’t even say whether he would see her again, Lucinda felt like breaking down in tears. Of course she didn’t; she lifted her chin and pretended that she wasn’t hurt.
It could be that he was worried about his little nephew’s grandmother, but somehow she didn’t think so. It was something she had said or done. Perhaps he’d been afraid that she was the clinging type, that she wouldn’t want to let go? Which was ridiculous, because she’d known from the beginning that there was no future in their relationship. Even if that really was the case, he needn’t have cut her out of his life quite so abruptly.
During the next few days Lucinda threw herself into her work. There was a lot to catch up on and she pushed Zane Alexander to the back of her mind. Or at least she tried to. It was practically impossible, especially when she lay alone in her bed at night. They’d had so many nights of passion that it killed her. She wanted Zane with her for ever more.
Then her secretary put a call through. ‘It’s Mr Alexander,’ she declared in a hushed voice.
Lucinda was aware that Amanda had been curious about her visit to the Caribbean, but she’d kept deliberately quiet, saying only that the project hadn’t materialised, not wanting to tell anyone what had happened. She hadn’t even told her mother, even though Ruth had questioned her time and time again.
Now her heart raced erratically. ‘Lucinda Oliver,’ she announced, keeping her tone brisk and businesslike. ‘How may I help you?’
‘Lucinda.’
It was his voice that did it. That incredible growl that made her toes curl and her stomach turn over. She closed her eyes and attempted to hold on to her dignity.
‘I need to see you.’
Heavens! Was he talking about what she hoped he was talking about? Had he, like her, spent sleepless nights wishing they were together again? Had he realised that he couldn’t live without her? That what they had was something special, far removed from a brief affair? Her heartbeats were loud and heavy in her breast and she put a hand to her throat.
‘I need you to help me look after Timothy.’
Lucinda’s spirits fell like a sledgehammer, slamming into her senses, making her realise how stupid she had been. Of course he wouldn’t want her for any other reason; he had made that perfectly clear. She had been stupid to even think it. ‘Why?’ she asked, hoping he couldn’t hear the sudden dryness in her throat. ‘Why me?’
‘Because he knows you, he likes you.’
‘I’m not a nanny any longer,’ she reminded him curtly, swallowing her disappointment. Lord knew what she had thought he would say but it certainly hadn’t been anything like that. ‘Besides, how can he remember me when it was so long ago?’
A brief silence, then, ‘You’re someone I know and can trust.’
Lucinda shook her head. He sounded brisk and businesslike, not a man whose bed she had shared night after night. ‘I’m very busy, Zane. I have a lot to catch up on.’
‘Tim’s grandmother’s very poorly. The poor boy has no one but me to look after him.’
‘And you’re naturally too busy.’ Lucinda couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. ‘And you also have a nerve thinking I’ll drop everything to do your work for you.’
‘I’m missing you, Lucinda.’ It was said quietly, almost regretfully, and she was aware how much it must have cost him to say that. She couldn’t curb a tiny smile. So he wasn’t entirely immune to her? Their brief affair had meant something! Quite what she couldn’t be sure, but it meant that he was possibly suffering the same as she was. Except that she loved him and his feelings were nothing more than lust.
Nevertheless, the thought of seeing him again was extremely tempting.
‘I could set you up an office here so that you won’t get behind with your work.’ And when she didn’t answer he added, ‘Whatever you need will be yours.’
I need you, she thought desperately. I need your love. Not an office. Not looking after your nephew. You! Would this be second best? If she moved into his house, would their affair rekindle itself? Would Zane realise what he was missing? Would he learn to love her the same as she loved him?
Lucinda found it hard to believe that she had fallen in love with Zane after vowing to herself never to trust another man. It just went to show that when the right man came along…
Was Zane the right man? She wouldn’t know unless she took up his challenge. It was the only chance she’d have of seeing him again.
‘Lucinda? Give me your answer.’
She threw her shoulders back, drew in a deep breath and said, ‘I don’t see why I should, but, yes, I suppose I will. Until you sort yourself out at least.’ Whether she’d regret it later she didn’t know, but for the moment she was being given a second chance and she knew that it was something she had to do.
She heard the soft whistle of his breath, knew that he’d been holding it while he waited for her answer. ‘Thank you, Lucinda. I’ll make sure you never regret it. I’ll send a car for you now.’
‘Oh, no, you won’t!’ declared Lucinda vehemently. ‘I have a day’s work to finish. Then I need to go home and pack. I’ll start in the morning.’
‘But—’
‘But nothing, Zane! I’ll come in the morning or not at all.’ And she put down the phone, guessing that he had never had anyone do that to him before. But she didn’t care. He couldn’t walk all over her; she wouldn’t let him. And even now, only seconds after agreeing to help him out, she was having doubts. Would she be making a fool of herself? Was it really only for Tim’s sake that he needed her? Nothing to do with his own feelings! Or was she walking into a trap? He wanted her to mind Tim, yes, but that could be an excuse because he also wanted her body.
For the rest of the day Lucinda found it difficult to concentrate and when she went home that evening and told her mother what she was doing Ruth was delighted. ‘Forget the nanny stuff,’ she declared. ‘He’s missing you. This is fantastic, Lucinda. He’s quite a catch.’
‘I’m not interested in his money, Mother, you know that.’
Ruth shrugged. ‘Whatever. I know he has a reputation, but I think he’s finally been hooked. I knew when you came back from St Lucia that something had happened between you; I could see it in your eyes. I’m happy for you, darling.’
Lucinda didn’t feel happy. She felt worried. And excited! It was an odd mixture of feelings—apprehension laced with anticipation.
When the car came to pick her up she was still feeling unsure. She’d had an almost sleepless night worrying whether she was doing the right thing. It was her heart leading her, not her head, and she feared that she might be on course for disaster. Nevertheless she had to go through with it. Some demon inside drove her on.
The last time she’d been here, recalled Lucinda as the car proceeded along a winding drive lined with plane trees, was when Tim was two. Zane had said that his nephew remembered her but Lucinda wasn’t so sure. Three years was a long time for a child. She had a feeling that Zane had used that as an excuse.
But when they got to the house—a huge red brick building with formal lawns at the front and a swimming pool at the back—she remembered the pool because she had always been fearful that Tim might wander out there and drown—the door opened and Timothy himself stood shyly on the step. She caught sight of an older woman in the background.
How he had grown! She hurried towards him and gave him a big hug. ‘I’ve missed you,’ she said with a warm smile. ‘What a big boy you are now.’
He smiled at her then. ‘I remember you,’ he said slowly. ‘I think. You looked after me.’
‘I certainly did and I’m going to look after you again. Where’s your uncle?’
‘At work,’ he announced importantly. ‘He’s a very busy man, that’s why he needs someone else to look after me while Nanna is in hospital. She’s very poorly.’
Lucinda nodded. ‘So I hear. Shall we go inside?’
Tim nodded and put his hand trustingly into hers.
Lucinda’s heart went out to him.
Her bags were carried up to the room she had used the last time she was here. It was next to Tim’s and the fact that she had been given this room told her in no uncertain manner that this was going to be her place, that Zane had no intention of asking her to share his bed. She ought to have known. And, for just a few seconds, she wished that she had never come. And then she looked at Tim and knew that she had done the right thing.
Zane had a housekeeper, Mrs Burton, and a maid and sometimes a butler if he was entertaining, but none of them were qualified to look after Tim. Had he left his nephew in their care these last few days? she wondered. Or had he taken time off himself? Somehow she doubted it; he’d been away from his affairs too long, the same as she had.
His staff had probably coped but he’d felt that he needed someone more professional. Though why he had asked her when he could have rung any agency he liked she didn’t know. If her sleeping arrangements had been any different she would have suspected that he wanted to carry on their affair—but his instructions told her very clearly that this was not the case.
It was late evening before Zane came home, which was very much what Lucinda had expected. There was not much about him that surprised her. She was curled up on a sofa in the sitting room watching TV. She had been tempted to go to her room, to make a point of telling him that she knew where her place was, but had decided against it at the last minute.
And she hadn’t really been watching TV. Her ears had been alerted to his return and she’d scarcely heard what the characters in the film were saying.
‘So you really came.’
Lucinda’s heart thumped so hard that she thought he must surely see it throbbing against her ribcage. Zane hadn’t changed at all. He was still magnificently handsome, still had the same gorgeous smoky blue eyes and still had the power to turn her world upside down.
Not surprising considering it was only a few days since she had last seen him. Yet it felt like a lifetime. And now she was here Lucinda wondered whether she had made a big mistake. There was nothing in Zane’s eyes to tell her that he was as delighted as she. They were matter of fact and considering, watching her gravely for a few seconds before he stepped further into the room.
‘How’s Tim?’
Not How are you? But How’s Tim? Not, I’ve missed you. Nothing like that! It felt like a slap in the face. ‘He’s fast asleep.’
‘Was he pleased to see you?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘I was surprised he remembered me.’
‘He couldn’t stop talking about the lady who was here before. He remembered you all right. As do I,’ he added sotto voce.
She almost didn’t catch those last words; perhaps she wasn’t intended to. But it made her look at him questioningly. Of course he remembered her. Was there some hidden meaning behind them? Perhaps he meant he was remembering their nights of passion?
They had been unforgettable nights. But they may as well never have happened if they meant so little to him. ‘How’s your health these days?’ she asked instead.
‘Back to normal,’ he acknowledged. ‘If you’ll excuse me I’ll take a shower and then I’ll join you.’
‘Fraternising with the hired help?’ The words slipped out without her intending them to. But he was making her feel like that. After all they’d gone through together, it would have been perfectly normal for him to stride across the room and take her into his arms. Instead he stood there in the doorway making no attempt to come any closer. He couldn’t have made it any clearer that that particular part of their life was over.
Zane’s lips tightened. ‘I’ll try to ignore that remark.’
‘It’s what you make me feel like.’
‘Nonsense!’
‘Is it?’ she asked pointedly. ‘You used me, Zane Alexander. And for that I will never forgive you.’
‘And yet you came here today?’ Sandy brows rose, blue eyes looked coolly into hers. ‘Doesn’t that tell you something? It certainly does me.’
Lucinda frowned. What did it tell him? That she was still his for the taking? Lord help her, it would be so easy. But she could see Zane clearly now for what he was and she stiffened her resolve. While she was living in Zane’s house she would never let him touch her, never let him kiss her.
She ought to walk out. It would be best all round. But young Tim had taken to her so willingly and completely that she couldn’t bear to let him down. It was bad enough that his beloved grandmother was so poorly. He didn’t need any more instability in his life. No, she would stay until the woman recovered. She would do what she had come here for, but that was all. Zane Alexander could go and take a running jump. She would never let him near her again.
Zane’s feelings were running high as he showered off his tiredness. He had been looking forward to coming home and finding Lucinda here. What he hadn’t expected was her animosity towards him. He’d given her a good time in St Lucia. He’d done nothing to hurt her. So what was it all about?
He had half wondered, when she’d agreed to look after Tim, if she would want to carry on their affair. He had been pleased and relieved that she’d accepted—of course he had—but nevertheless he couldn’t help speculating whether it might be because she wanted something more from him.
Clearly, though, nothing was further from her mind. He was shocked by how cool and distant she was towards him. Their brief affair might never have happened. But if that was the way she wanted to play it—then that was all right by him.
When he rejoined her Lucinda was deeply engrossed in the film showing on television and wasn’t aware of his presence, so he stood in the doorway watching her. She was even more stunning than he remembered. Her auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail but he knew how enticingly sexy it was when she left it loose around her shoulders. He had threaded his fingers through it so many times; he had used it to pull her face close to his; he had covered her naked breasts with it, enjoyed the intriguing little glimpses of her exciting nipples.
So many things they had done together and they all came rushing back in a brief moment of madness. Inhaling the sweet fragrance that was essentially Lucinda made him want to leap on her and make love until they were both senseless.
She was so gorgeously sexy. It had definitely been a big mistake to invite her into his house. When Tim had cried in his sleep and refused to be consoled he had been at his wits’ end. He’d taken time off work but even so he wasn’t used to young children and there had been times over the past few days when he had been at a complete loss.
That was when he had thought of Lucinda. He hadn’t dared hope she might agree to his request; indeed he had been shocked when she had. Shocked but pleased. Very pleased, because it meant that he would see her again.
It hadn’t occurred to him how much he had missed her until he’d heard her voice on the phone. Because he had thrown himself into his work, because he had Tim to look after as well, because he had fallen into bed each night dog-tired, Lucinda had not been on his mind. Now she was very much to the forefront and his male hormones began to take over.
Lucinda had shocked him when she’d stated that he had used her. How could that be when she had been a willing partner? And that comment about fraternising with the hired help. Where had that come from? Didn’t what they’d gone through together mean anything to her?
Zane felt both confused and not a little bit angry. She needn’t have come if this was the attitude she was going to take. He cleared his throat and she looked up and, for just a second, he thought he saw desire in her lovely green eyes. Gone in an instant; he might even have imagined it, because they were hard now, almost questioning his presence.
‘I didn’t see you there,’ she lied. In actual fact she had been aware of his presence the whole time; it would be impossible not to be. This house was full of him. Wherever she went Zane was there, whether in the flesh or not. But in the flesh, as now, she had sensed him, felt him, had never been more aware of him. And it made her realise what a big mistake she had made in coming here.
No doubt she would weather the storm, but it would be hard denying her feelings, pretending an immunity she did not feel. All she could hope was that he wouldn’t attempt to carry on their affair. It would be a bittersweet relationship, knowing it could end again once Tim’s grandmother was well enough to take him back. She couldn’t go through with it.
He came into the room. ‘A drink?’ he asked, walking over to a mini-bar in the far corner. The room was high-ceilinged and tall-windowed, with beautiful gold silk curtains against a wall of palest blue. The carpet had a blue and gold pattern and all of the furniture was antique. Money well spent, she thought. Not that it was to her taste; she preferred something more modern, but it suited Zane. The whole house suited him.
Even now, dressed down in black jeans and T-shirt, he didn’t look out of place. While she was all keyed up inside, he looked relaxed and perfectly at ease. And, while she didn’t really want a drink, Lucinda nodded, feeling it might help settle her uneasy stomach.
He poured her a gin and tonic without even asking what she would like and, with a tumbler of whisky for himself, he sat down on the settee opposite her.
The film finished and Lucinda hoped he wouldn’t ask her what it was about because she hadn’t the slightest idea.
‘So tell me,’ he said, ‘what’s been happening in your life since we got home?’
Lucinda shrugged. ‘I’ve been working hard, that’s all. I had a lot to catch up on.’
‘And how’s my project doing?’
She frowned. ‘You still want me to carry on with it?’ This was the last thing she had expected.
‘Why wouldn’t I? I didn’t go to all the trouble of flying you out there for nothing. Is that what you thought? That I took you out to have my evil way with you? Is that why you looked at me earlier as though I were the devil incarnate? Believe me, Lucinda, what happened was as much your choice as mine.’
Lucinda wasn’t sure she would agree with that. He was the one who had started the affair. If he hadn’t she would have got all her work done and she wouldn’t be feeling as though he had robbed her of a very precious part of her being.
‘You look as though you don’t agree.’
There was hardness in his eyes, turning them steel-blue instead of smoky blue and Lucinda felt everything inside her go tense. ‘You were the one who started it.’ Oh, Lord, how childish was that?
‘One of us had to,’ he declared pragmatically. ‘We couldn’t have got through our time there feeling as we did if we didn’t give in to our feelings. Don’t you agree?’
Lucinda shrugged. ‘It’s never happened to me before.’
‘And do you regret it?’ He paused, his glass poised before his lips.
‘Yes, actually,’ answered Lucinda. Honesty was the best policy here or she could see him attacking her defences yet again. And she would unfortunately let him. He was a man who could not be ignored.
Zane took a long swallow of his drink, put his glass down carefully on a side table and looked at her intently. ‘Are you saying to me that if I took you into my arms right now and kissed you, you wouldn’t respond? That your body wouldn’t melt and your arms wouldn’t go around my neck and you’d beg me for more? Are you saying that, Lucinda?’
She eyed him coolly. ‘Yes!’ And her voice crackled into the air like breaking ice.
Well-marked brows rose. ‘And I’m supposed to believe it?’
‘You can believe what you like,’ she threw at him even more crisply. ‘It happens to be the truth. You used me out there and you’re not going to do it again. Actually, I think the location seduced me more than you did.’
His eyes flickered but he said nothing.
‘And now that I’m back on home ground my head is level and I have no wish to carry on an affair with you.’ In fact he was the one who had put an end to it by his behaviour on the plane. But she didn’t tell him that; she didn’t tell him how much he had hurt her. She was glad now that it was finished because it would have hurt even more the longer it had gone on.
She was under no delusion that he would ever have turned their relationship into something more serious. That was way out of his agenda. All Zane was interested in was a good time.
And that was what they’d had. She couldn’t deny it. The only fly in the ointment had been Serafine. Lucinda had been excruciatingly jealous of her.
‘Who’s saying I want to?’
His callous statement took Lucinda’s breath away.
‘I asked you here to look after Tim. If you’ve put any other connotations on it then it’s your fault.’
Lucinda felt her skin burning. He really knew how to turn the knife. ‘At least we know where we stand,’ she declared fiercely. ‘I don’t think I want this drink. I’m going to bed.’
‘Lucinda!’
She turned halfway across the room and glared at him. She had never felt so humiliated in her whole life.
‘Don’t run away.’
‘I’m not running,’ she snapped. ‘I’m tired.’
‘Then relax here with me.’
‘It’s impossible.’
‘Is it?’ An eyebrow rose. ‘Or is it that you don’t like the way the conversation is going? We could change it. We could talk about the project. We could talk about Tim. We could talk about anything you like.’
Lucinda drew in a deep breath and struggled with her conscience. This whole uncomfortable issue was her fault and she didn’t want to be anywhere near Zane for the time being. She needed space; she needed to get her head round things. She needed to ask herself what the real reason was that she had come here today.
CHAPTER NINE (#ulink_8184d4b4-39e6-5825-b646-4d642462ad10)
DID you find your office?’
Lucinda looked at Zane across the breakfast table and frowned.
‘Yesterday, when you came,’ he enlarged. ‘Did you see it? Is there everything you need?’
‘I didn’t know that you’d already set up a room for me,’ she answered. ‘I was busy with Tim.’ And she didn’t really see how she could work at her job with a five-year-old to look after. Actually, she hadn’t thought it through very well at all. And the main reason being? She had wanted to see Zane! It was stupid; it was irrational and totally unlike her. And, after last night’s fiasco, she wished that she had never come.
She had lain awake most of the night berating herself for letting Zane get through to her, for even mentioning their affair. It had been stupid of her, irrational, and she felt all kinds of a fool.
Tim had come into her room early and snuggled down in bed with her and then she had washed and dressed him and given him his breakfast. At the moment he was helping in the kitchen. And later she had promised to take him to the hospital to see his beloved Nanna. How she had thought she could do her job as well as look after Zane’s nephew she had no idea. It was another case of her heart ruling her head.
‘Then I’ll show you afterwards,’ declared Zane. ‘Did you sleep well?’
She hadn’t stayed and talked when he’d asked her to; she had run away like a scared rabbit. ‘As well as could be expected in a strange house,’ she answered.
‘I’m afraid I’ll be away tonight but I’ll give you my mobile number in case there’s an emergency.’
Lucinda nodded but didn’t answer. The only thought that ran through her mind was—whose bed would he be sharing?
‘Lucinda, do you regret what happened between us?’
The question was unexpected and she looked at him with shocked eyes. ‘Didn’t I make myself clear yesterday? Of course I regret it. I’m only here because of Tim, so don’t dare go getting any other ideas. Have your flings with whomever you like, but don’t count me on your list of conquests.’
She missed the shadow that darkened his brow, heard only the harshness in his voice. ‘Well, I’m off, then.’ He threw a card down in front of her. ‘Here’s my number. Have a good day.’ At the door he turned. ‘If there’s anything else you need for your office ring my PA. He will see to it.’
He? Lucinda stared after Zane’s retreating back. He had a male assistant? Unbelievable! Men like him usually surrounded themselves with pretty women.
After breakfast, curious to find out what he had provided in the way of an office, Lucinda pushed open doors until she found the room. It had a desk in front of the window with very fine views over sweeping lawns, a tennis court and a corner of the swimming pool.
The massive desk held a computer, with a little note attached to it saying that Zane had had it networked with her system at the office. Thoughtful of him, she felt, but he had taken a liberty, one that she wasn’t sure she approved of.
On another table was a printer and scanner and copier. There was a stock of stationery and a couple of easy chairs as well as a very fine black leather executive chair. She tried it out for size, twisting around with her feet in the air. Perfect!
Zane had thought of everything.
At that moment Tim came running into the room and all thoughts of Zane were forgotten.
She let him swing on the chair while she phoned her secretary and then got someone to bring in a desk and chair for Tim out of his bedroom. He played there happily while she made a few phone calls and checked the correspondence that Amanda had scanned on to the computer for her.
She even managed to do some work on a new project before it was time to take Tim to the hospital. Perhaps the arrangement was going to work after all, she thought. Tim was a good child and, although she had no intention of keeping him cooped up in her office the whole time, he had proved that for short periods he was more than happy to sit with her.
Tim’s grandmother, Helen, didn’t look at all well. She was more than pleased to see Lucinda and her darling grandson—and he was delighted to see her, hugging her and hugging her as though he never wanted to let her go—but she was clearly exhausted after only a few minutes. ‘It’s my heart,’ she explained. ‘It’s giving up, I’m afraid.’
She was much older than Lucinda had expected, probably in her mid-seventies, and far too old to be looking after a child as young as Timothy. Lucinda couldn’t believe that Zane had let her do it. Surely the duty should have fallen on his shoulders?
But of course business always came first with Zane. That was why she had been totally surprised when he’d taken so much time off in St Lucia. And how disastrous the outcome of that had been! Lucinda returned to his house with her heart both heavy and angry.
After she had put Tim to bed that evening Lucinda went to her newly acquired office and worked until almost midnight. She needed the mental challenge to take her mind off Zane. It wasn’t easy. She kept seeing twinkling blue eyes and a sexy smile and her body remembered the way he had taken her to the top of the universe and back.
She really oughtn’t to think of him like this any more. It had been but a brief interlude and was not likely to be repeated. Not if she had anything to do with it. She wouldn’t put it past Zane to try while she was here, but forewarned was forearmed, wasn’t that what they said? And she certainly knew all there was to know about Zane Alexander.
The next day Tim wanted to go swimming. It was an almost Olympic-sized pool and Lucinda was nervous, but he told her that his uncle Zane took him swimming there. She had noticed yesterday that Zane had had a fence erected around the whole pool area, which had pleased her enormously, and now as they let themselves in she was startled when Tim ran over to the shallow end and jumped in.
She needn’t have feared. Even at five years old he could swim like a fish. ‘I used to swim with my daddy,’ he said matter-of-factly when Lucinda congratulated him on his prowess. ‘I miss my daddy.’
‘Of course you do,’ she said sympathetically, marvelling that he could remember so well.
‘And my mummy! Will they ever come back?’
Lucinda winced inside. ‘I’m afraid not, sweetie. But they’re up there watching you and thinking about you all the time. That’s why you must be good.’
‘I am good,’ he said importantly.
Lucinda hugged him. ‘You’re the best boy I know. And the best swimmer I know. Let’s have a race.’
After all his swimming Tim was tired out and once lunch was over Lucinda put him in bed. ‘I’m going to do some work in my office, sweetheart. If you wake up, come and find me.’
Tim nodded and yawned and in seconds he was asleep.
Lucinda had showered and changed into jeans and a knitted top and was so busy on her new computer that she didn’t hear Zane enter the room. She didn’t even know that he had come home. ‘You’re early,’ she said, looking round in surprise when he spoke her name.
‘I thought I owed you some of my time. Where’s Tim?’
‘In bed,’ announced Lucinda.
‘He’s not ill?’
She smiled. ‘We’ve been swimming. What a fantastic little swimmer he is. He wore himself out.’
‘So you’ve coped all right?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘We went to the hospital yesterday to see his grandmother.’
‘Ah.’ He dropped into one of the easy chairs. ‘I was going to take him there this afternoon. How was she?’
‘Not well at all,’ answered Lucinda crisply. ‘I can’t believe that you’ve let her take care of Tim all this time. She’s far too old. He’s such a handful; it’s not fair on her. No wonder her heart’s giving up.’
‘Is that what she told you?’
‘Not the Tim bit, but she did mention her heart. She can hardly get her breath.’ Lucinda was really fired up about the whole thing and her voice rose. ‘You should be the one looking after Tim, not his grandmother. Goodness, what were you thinking?’
‘I’m thinking I have a full-time job,’ he answered fiercely.
‘Nevertheless you could still have him living here with you,’ she slammed. ‘He starts back to school in September. Lots of one-parent families cope. Even working parents. They get help. You could have done that instead of putting all the pressure on Helen.’
‘Helen wanted to look after him,’ informed Zane, his brow thunderous now.
‘And you let her.’ Lucinda was really fired up now. ‘You didn’t stop to think that it might be too much for her. Oh, no, having Tim here would spoil your nights of passion with whichever woman is your current favourite. I despise you, Zane Alexander.’
Once the words were out Lucinda wished that she hadn’t uttered them. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to set things up for her here, and this was how she repaid him. Goodness, she wouldn’t blame him if he told her to go. Right now!
‘And how about our nights of passion?’ he asked with amazing calmness.
Actually he was too calm. It worried Lucinda.
‘How do you rate those? Were they sordid?’
Lucinda winced. They definitely hadn’t seemed it at the time. They had been beautiful and sensual and her heart had sung with sheer happiness. Even now, despite her reservations, she still looked on them with pleasure.
‘Of course they weren’t,’ he answered for her. ‘You’re letting your emotions run away with you, Lucinda. You know nothing about my private life.’
‘I know what I read in the glossies.’
‘And you believe it?’
‘And I know that you’ve done wrong by your brother.’
Zane closed his eyes and laced his fingers tightly together. ‘I sometimes think I could strangle you, Lucinda Oliver. And at other times—’ he opened his eyes and looked straight at her ‘—I want to take you to bed. In fact, I think that’s what I might do right now. A form of punishment, shall we say, for daring to turn on me.’ And, with that, he scooped her up into his arms.
Lucinda’s struggles were to no avail and, to be honest, she didn’t struggle too hard. Zane had made up his mind and that was that. He kicked open the door to his bedroom and she had a quick impression of masculine browns and beiges and a dark green carpet before he laid her down on the bed.
In a matter of seconds he had ripped off his clothes and then he did the same to her. She was utterly at his mercy, her eyes wide and shocked and appealing, but it made no difference. Zane wanted and Zane was going to take. And she, Lord help her, was powerless to do anything about it.
She could have left. While he was undressing she could have got off his bed and made for the door. So why hadn’t she? Because she wanted it as much as he did! She had lain there and watched as each inch of his flesh was exposed. It was so familiar to her, so incredibly powerful, that she hadn’t been able to move.
And this time when he made love to her there were no preliminaries. No long drawn out foreplay, no teasing, no enticing and encouraging. He held himself over her for just a second before he entered her, a second when his eyes were asking whether she wanted to run.
But by then Lucinda’s heart was racing and her hormones dancing and the very thought of him taking her like this held a very different kind of excitement. It wasn’t until he had entered her that she realised he was not using protection. On all other occasions he had, but this time he’d been in too much of a hurry.
It was too late now to worry about it and with a bit of luck it was the wrong time of her monthly cycle. There were much deeper issues to think about. Like the fact that she was still in love with him—despite everything! And the fact that his lovemaking was coming to a grand finale far too quickly!
She could feel her climax rising within her and she knew that Zane was nearing his own. She cried out as he collapsed on top of her, his breathing ragged, hers the same as sensation after exquisite sensation made her writhe beneath him, as her whole body throbbed and her throat went tight.
And then they were still.
For a long time they were still.
Until Zane slowly rolled away from her! Their eyes met and his no longer twinkled. They were filled with soul-destroying sadness instead.
Lucinda turned away; she couldn’t bear to look at him. She didn’t know why he was sad. Anger she could have understood—it was what had started this off, but sadness? Perhaps he wanted their affair to carry on but knew that it couldn’t? No, that wouldn’t make him sad. Zane was the sort of man who hopped from one girl to another without giving them a second thought.
She must have been mistaken because he sat up now and looked at her again and there was nothing to suggest sadness. ‘I had to do that, Lucinda.’
She nodded.
‘You could have stopped me.’
She nodded again.
‘Am I to take it then that you didn’t mind?’
How could she answer that? She did and she didn’t. She was crazy where this man was concerned. It didn’t matter what rational thoughts entered her head, they took off in all the wrong directions whenever he chose to take control.
He was very good at taking control. It was almost as though he hypnotised her into doing things against her will. He had the power to make her think that she wanted what he wanted. How could that be?
‘Lucinda?’
He touched a finger to her chin and forced her to look at him. ‘I asked whether you minded?’
Slowly she shook her head. ‘But I would like to go to my room.’ She got up off the bed and, hugging her clothes to her, headed for the door. He let her go. And, completely naked, she walked along the corridor to her own room. Where she threw herself down on the bed and cried.
Zane was shocked by how easily Lucinda had capitulated, and ashamed for forcing himself on her. He would have let her go if she had fought him off, but she hadn’t, and now he felt guilty. He didn’t feel the pleasure he normally associated with making love to Lucinda, and this was alien to him.
Out in St Lucia, each time they had made love it had been an experience to surpass all other experiences. They had both risen to great heights and no regrets had ever been felt. Now he felt a heel. He ought not to have done it. On the other hand, Lucinda could have stopped him. It was her fault as much as his.
He made himself think that as he showered and dressed and when he went downstairs Tim had woken and was demanding his attention. ‘Where’s Lucy?’ his nephew asked.
‘She’s resting,’ answered Zane. ‘I think you wore her out swimming.’
‘She says I’m good,’ said Tim proudly.
‘You are.’
‘Can I swim again, then?’
Zane shook his head. ‘Not today! I’m going to take you to see Nanna. Lucinda has work to do.’ He wasn’t sure about that but he did know that she would not welcome spending time with him. Which was a shame because that was the reason he had come home early.
And what had he done? Hurt her beyond measure. How could he even look her in the face again? His only consolation was that she hadn’t stopped him. It must mean that she still felt something. When they were on the island she had often instigated their lovemaking, making him believe that she was as happy with the situation as he was.
Why then, now that they were back here in London, had she completely changed? Was it the location that had turned her into a sultry seductress? Was she not normally like that? He didn’t know what to think any more. All he knew was that he couldn’t get her out of his head. Unlike other girls he’d slept with, Lucinda had left a lasting impression.
At the hospital Helen looked so very much worse than the last time he had seen her and he could understand why Lucinda had railed against him. If Helen didn’t improve then it looked very much as though he would have to take Tim on full-time. Who, though, would he get to look after him?
A full-time nanny—or a wife? This was something he had never contemplated before. Didn’t want to contemplate. On the other hand, he couldn’t let Tim down. He was such an engaging little boy. If he ever had children, heaven forbid, he would like them to be just like Tim.
Lucinda spent the rest of the afternoon at her desk. She had heard Zane and Tim go out and couldn’t begin to describe the relief she felt. How could she have let Zane make love to her again? Her brain must have fried out there in the Caribbean. She was no more over him than she had been during those magical days.
Love came in many guises and hers had crept up on her unawares and unhappily refused to go away. She was so afraid that Zane would see how she felt and that he would take advantage. Today had proven how weak she was and if he had any idea her life wouldn’t be her own any more.
And the cruellest part of all would be when he dumped her at the end, when he’d tired of her, as he most probably would. Zane’s type never committed. It really had been the biggest mistake of her life coming here. Zane had her in his clutches—again; maybe that was even what he’d had in mind. Maybe it wasn’t for Tim’s sake.
Lucinda’s anger grew and when they returned she made a fuss of Tim but totally ignored Zane. She pretended not to notice his frown, the way he kept looking at her and asking silent questions.
She played with Tim, she gave him his tea, she bathed him and put him to bed and all the time she said not one single word to Zane.
But she might have known that she couldn’t go through the rest of the night like that. As soon as he had her to himself Zane demanded to know what was wrong.
‘Nothing,’ she answered coolly, averting her eyes because she knew that if she looked into his she would weaken. They mesmerised her. They were like pools of silky smooth water that she could dive into—and then drown in a sea of passion.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he snarled. ‘You’ve ignored me completely for the last few hours. I’m not a fool, Lucinda.’
‘And nor am I,’ she tossed back furiously. ‘So don’t take me for one.’
Zane frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘Don’t ever,’ she spat, ‘ever take advantage of me again.’
‘So that’s it, is it?’ he asked, enlightenment in his eyes. ‘Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you didn’t complain at the time.’
‘Maybe,’ she snapped, ‘but I’ve changed my mind. ‘It was a foolish mistake, one that I’m not likely to make again.’
‘Even though your body still craves mine?’
‘Who’s saying it does?’ Lucinda’s eyes flashed a furious green.
Zane smiled, slowly and confidently. It crinkled the corners of his eyes and made him look boyish and charming and Lucinda felt an unwanted quickening of her pulses, which added to her annoyance.
‘I’m saying it does,’ announced Zane. ‘Words are easy, Lucinda. It’s body language that counts. And, believe me, I can read your body language any day.’
Lucinda felt like slapping him. ‘You’re talking nonsense,’ she responded haughtily, ‘and I have no wish to continue such a conversation.’
‘Very well,’ he agreed, much to her surprise. ‘The next item on the agenda is dinner. I thought I’d take you out.’
‘Then you thought wrong,’ she snapped. ‘Besides, aren’t I supposed to be looking after Tim?’
‘Mrs Burton can do that tonight,’ he said carelessly. ‘Besides, he very rarely wakes.’
‘The answer’s still no,’ she retorted, fighting a whole host of inflammatory sensations. It had to be no. For ever no! For her own peace of mind!
Zane drew in a deep breath, his chest rising and his height increasing. She had angered him but she didn’t care. Why should he think that he had only to click his fingers and she’d do as he asked? She was her own woman; hadn’t he found that out yet?
‘Maybe you’ll condescend to dine with me here, then?’ he growled.
Lucinda wanted to say no but she didn’t think that she could face any more of Zane’s wrath. So she inclined her head. ‘That would be nice.’
‘And before then? Can I expect the honour of your company?’
His voice was dry and sarcastic and Lucinda shook her head. ‘I still have work to do.’
Zane frowned and glanced at his watch ‘It’s nearly seven.’
‘And I spent much of the day playing with Tim,’ she reminded him. ‘I can’t afford to let my business go.’
Her remark hit home and his eyes shot daggers. ‘Then I’ll see you at eight.’ And with that he whirled on his heel and left the room.
They were halfway through their meal when the phone was brought in to Zane. ‘The hospital,’ said his housekeeper gravely.
Zane listened for a moment or two and then shot up from his chair. ‘I have to go,’ he said apologetically. ‘Helen’s taken a turn for the worse.’
CHAPTER TEN (#ulink_c1050370-831c-5f7a-bd79-22d3302728a9)
LUCINDA waited on tenterhooks to hear about Helen. Her main thoughts were with Tim. He’d lost both his parents and now it looked as though he might lose his grandmother too. How shocking would that be for him, poor little soul? How upsetting?
It was almost midnight when Zane returned home. Lucinda had waited up for him and she met him in the hallway. He shook his head, his lips clamped tightly together, his eyes sad.
‘She’s gone?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ he answered quietly.
‘How are you going to tell Tim? He idolised her.’
Zane heaved a sigh and nodded. ‘It won’t be easy.’
Nor was it.
The following morning when Tim awoke Zane took him to one side. Lucinda watched from a distance, saw the disbelief on the boy’s face, saw it crumple, and then he ran from the room.
‘I’ll see to him,’ said Lucinda.
She found Tim in his bedroom, curled up in bed, sucking a corner of the cover. He turned away when she went in. Lucinda sat beside him quietly for a few moments, not saying anything, and gradually his hand found hers. ‘Why has Nanna left me?’ he whimpered.
‘Because she was very poorly, sweetheart! Because she was in a lot of pain and couldn’t stand it any longer! She’s gone to your mummy and daddy in the sky.’
‘I want her, though.’
‘I know, my darling.’
‘Who’ll look after me?’
‘Uncle Zane, of course.’ Lucinda mentally crossed her fingers as she said this. It couldn’t be counted on, that was for sure.
‘And you?’ He looked trustingly into her face.
Lucinda felt tears prick the backs of her eyelids too. ‘I don’t know about that, Tim. But I will come and see you often, I promise.’
He turned his face away from her and buried it in the pillow and at that moment Zane entered the room.
They stood there hand in hand and looked down at the little boy. It was a moment of togetherness that was totally different from anything else she had shared with Zane. There weren’t the two of them this time—there were three. And her heart went out to both of them.
‘You will help Tim through this?’ asked Zane that evening after his nephew had been put to bed. It had been a long sad day and, although Timothy had perked up as the day had worn on, they both knew how much damage it could do to him.
He needed constant love now; he needed to know that he still had a home and someone to care for him. At one point, after his parents had died, the authorities had mooted foster parents, but Tim’s Nanna would have none of it and Zane had declared that he felt the same.
‘He is my responsibility now,’ he said firmly. ‘I know I won’t be the best of fathers, but I’ll do what I can. I’ll employ a full-time nanny—unless you—’ He looked questioningly at Lucinda, but she shook her head. It would be wrong to let herself get sucked into a situation that in the end would cause nothing but heartache.
‘I thought not,’ he said, ‘but you will come and see Tim sometimes? He’s really taken to you.’
‘Of course I will,’ she said. Though she wasn’t sure whether even that was a good idea.
The funeral came and went and even then Zane did nothing about finding another nanny. Helen’s wishes had been that he became Tim’s legal guardian and he had agreed to do this, and somehow Lucinda was managing to run her business and look after Tim at the same time. She hated herself for being weak, for letting Zane take advantage of her, and in defiance she refused to share his bed again.
‘I’ve had an idea,’ he said one evening over dinner. ‘It’s not ideal for you, running two offices. Why not set up shop here? Bring Amanda and all the rest of your stuff. You can have another room; you can have as many rooms as you like.’
‘So long as I continue to look after Tim for you?’ asked Lucinda, appalled by his nerve, but congratulating him at the same time. ‘What happened about finding another nanny?’
‘I would have done,’ he apologised, ‘but Tim’s had enough upsets for the time being. And I thought this would be a good compromise.’
Lucinda’s eyes flashed. ‘It’s nothing to do with you wanting me here? It’s just Tim you’re thinking of?’
‘Of course,’ he answered, but Lucinda knew he was lying. She knew that he still wanted her in his bed; she had seen it in his eyes when he thought she wasn’t looking. And if he had her here permanently…
The trouble was the longer Lucinda lived here the deeper her feelings grew and the less disposed she was to move back to her stepfather’s house. She cursed the day she had ever set eyes on Zane Alexander. There was no other man for her now.
And yet all he wanted was a good time! She was sadly aware of that fact. Marriage was definitely not on Zane’s agenda. Never had been, never would be.
‘I might regret it,’ she said slowly now, ‘but yes, it sounds like a good idea for the time being. I am planning to buy a place of my own, you do realise that? This won’t be a permanent arrangement.’
Zane nodded. ‘Of course.’
And so she moved in. Her stepfather didn’t have a good word to say about it. ‘You’re making a big mistake, you know. Zane Alexander’s using you. He wants you as a built in babysitter as well as a stable mate; you won’t have a chance to do any work. Not that I ever expected you to succeed.’
But her mother was all for it. ‘Darling, that’s wonderful news. I did wonder what was going on between you two. I didn’t believe all that stuff about looking after his nephew. Will I be hearing wedding bells soon? He’s such a catch.’
‘Mother!’ exclaimed Lucinda. ‘It’s nothing like that. It’s a business proposition.’
‘Of course,’ said her mother, but Lucinda could see that she didn’t believe her.
Once settled in her new suite of offices, with Amanda on hand to deal with all the day-to-day problems, Lucinda found little time to worry about her mother or stepfather. Her hands were full juggling her job and minding Tim.
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Trish Wylie
Margaret Mayo
Tina Duncan
The Rich Man’s Reluctant MistressAfter building her interior design business, Lucinda Oliver is shocked when her latest client is former boss Zane Alexander. Lucinda’s determined not to become another notch on his bedpost, but soon she’s battling to resist Zane’s sizzling brand of desire... The Inconvenient Laws of AttractionWhen Blake Clayton inherits a fortune from his estranged father, the only thing piquing his interest is lawyer Olivia Brannigan. Dating on the job isn’t in Olivia’s ‘Guide to Good Client-Lawyer Relationships’... but aren’t rules made to be broken?Playing His Dangerous GameShara Atwood is used to playing the celebrity game – but nothing had prepared her for the charms of new bodyguard Royce. Shara knows she should do as Royce tells her – but she can’t help but think she’ll have more fun not obeying his every command...
His After-Hours
Mistress
The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress
Margaret Mayo
The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction
Trish Wylie
Playing His Dangerous Game
Tina Duncan
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Table of Contents
Cover (#litres_trial_promo)
Title Page (#u98d6940f-6fcb-5d97-a5d7-6a8075476fa8)
Table of Contents (#u16ad9b2c-116d-5177-9b65-40cd32a77cfb)
The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress (#u44b56c53-856e-51af-97cc-b3df6b4cbc65)
About the Author (#u9d2ce380-1aff-54de-8190-141000af273f)
CHAPTER ONE (#u1170a019-db5d-585a-a7a3-d4e06702bf1f)
CHAPTER TWO (#ucbaa24ff-dec5-5773-8606-71964816e0fa)
CHAPTER THREE (#uc6bb7090-c522-500f-b99e-4503b7e0b0e4)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u67fb18af-1790-5928-a01c-4594548f2d98)
CHAPTER FIVE (#u7e0ec1d5-34c8-5de2-9288-58ce3c2ef7f0)
CHAPTER SIX (#ubdeae37b-df28-53d0-b00e-d94b1cd14376)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#ue2cff312-df04-552a-82c6-b682239ea54f)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#u8d59ed7d-96a9-5a5a-bca6-ecd20933421f)
CHAPTER NINE (#uf7d914ff-1e89-501e-99c6-b5e4f408176c)
CHAPTER TEN (#u057ef472-b6f2-5425-aef1-48cb5ec34334)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)
Dedication (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWO (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Playing His Dangerous Game (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWO (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress (#ulink_900a5288-e515-5f9b-be80-5fabc2b8dc40)
Margaret Mayo
MARGARET MAYO was reading Mills & Boon
romances long before she began to write them. In fact she never had any plans to become a writer. After an idea for a short story popped into her head she was thrilled when it turned into a full-scale novel. Now, over twenty-five years later, she is still happily writing, and says she has no intention of stopping. She lives with her husband Ken in a rural part of Staffordshire. She has two children—Adrian, who now lives in America, and Tina. Margaret’s hobbies are reading, photography and, more recently, watercolour painting, which she says has honed her observational skills and is a definite advantage when it comes to writing.
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_4bbb83fd-f5ac-55e9-aec5-f67fb0057439)
SMOKY blue eyes looked with shocked disbelief into delicate green ones. Seconds ticked away. Zane was the first to speak.
‘You!’ he exclaimed, his voice deep and gruff and entirely disbelieving, almost accusatory.
Lucinda nodded, slowly and deliberately. ‘Yes, it’s me, and I’m as surprised as you are.’
Except that surprised was far too mild a word. Even shocked wasn’t good enough. Stunned perhaps. And had she known who to expect she would never have come here today. Zane Alexander was not on her list of favourite people. Her experience working for him a few years ago had shown he was insensitive, uncaring and a whole host of other adjectives she could have put her mind to had she wanted. Except—that business was business.
‘What are you doing here?’ came the next curt question.
‘You sent for me.’ Her eyes were full of innocence. ‘I have an appointment.’
‘But—you’re a nanny!’
Lucinda allowed her lips to curve into a smile. Not that it held any pleasure. Her only pleasure was in seeing this man at a loss. ‘I was a nanny,’ she corrected. ‘And, by the way, how’s Tim?’
‘Very well,’ he responded.
‘And I only did it to fund myself while I was preparing to go into business,’ she explained.
Zane Alexander frowned. ‘But it couldn’t have been more than two years ago. Three at the most! How can you possibly be—’
‘Experienced?’ she suggested sweetly. ‘Believe me, Mr Alexander, I’m very experienced.’
Blue eyes narrowed and one brow crooked upwards. Although Lucinda knew what he was thinking she didn’t let it show. She kept a cool smile on her lips and a question in her eyes.
Zane Alexander’s brow dropped again until his eyes levelled on hers. ‘Show me your credentials.’
Lucinda reached out her portfolio and sat there quietly while he studied it. In turn she chose to study him. He was really quite a handsome man—it was a pity he didn’t have a handsome character to match. In the few weeks she had worked for him she had seen enough to recognise that he thought more of going out with one of his numerous lady friends than he did caring for his son.
He had medium blond hair that waved in gorgeous disarray. It was cut reasonably short in an effort to tame it but without much success. She bet it was the only thing in his life he couldn’t take control of.
His eyes were beautifully shaped and a dusky sort of blue, like smoke out of a chimney, with fair lashes and light eyebrows that matched his hair both in colour and disobedience. His mouth was full and wide and at this moment compressed. It was a very mobile mouth, though. She had seen it smiling and even laughing, as well as expressing the grimness he showed at this moment. It was a nice mouth, she admitted reluctantly.
‘I have to confess,’ he said now, waving the folder, ‘that this is very impressive. And you did come highly recommended.’
‘Is that a compliment?’ she asked, eyes wide and questioning.
‘Not at all!’ came the swift reply. ‘I’m not in the habit of handing out compliments to people I hardly know. But I can see that you’ll be capable of doing the job I want.’
‘And that would be?’ she asked. When his PA had phoned to make the appointment with her secretary, apart from saying that it was a prestigious interior design job for Mr Alexander of Revelation Holdings, no further details had been given. The name Alexander had meant nothing to her. She certainly hadn’t equated it with the Mr Alexander she had done the nannying job for and she was deeply curious as to why he had sent for her.
Nothing around here needed refurbishing. His office block was modern, immaculate and totally awe-inspiring. All the best quality materials had been used, the colours were muted and restful and the right accents added. And, from memory, his house was the same! Large and impressive and flawless.
Perhaps he was moving? Perhaps he’d bought a second home? Perhaps his business was expanding? There was no end of possibilities. She waited patiently for him to tell her.
It was rare for Zane Alexander to be taken by surprise, but today he had been literally swept off his feet when Lucinda Oliver had walked into his office. When he’d last seen her she had simply introduced herself as Lucy, and although she was a lovely looking girl he hadn’t thought about her since.
Today she looked far more grown-up, with her flaming Titian hair brushed back in some sort of fancy loop, revealing the fine bone structure of her face and her long elegant neck. Carefully made-up green eyes shone from a matt complexion, her nose was beautifully straight and her mouth held only the merest hint of lip-gloss.
He suddenly realised that she was waiting to hear about the job and he was forced to give his head a mental shake before he could take his eyes from her. He pressed a button on the console on his desk to draw the window blinds, then another to slide down a huge screen that took up most of one wall.
‘Are you ready?’ he asked.
A tiny nod of her head was all the response he got.
The first image appeared on the screen. ‘This is a property I’ve recently acquired,’ he announced. ‘I’ve had one or two alterations made to it but now I need someone to add the finishing touches. I’ve been told you’re the best.’
Lucinda lifted well-shaped brows. ‘I thank whoever said that, although personally I don’t think I have yet achieved such stardom, but I do pride myself on my work and I’ve already won an award, if that’s good enough for you. Where is this property?’ It was a sprawling one-storey building, set amongst palm trees and tropical blue skies. ‘Not in England, that’s for sure,’ she added.
‘You’re right. I wasn’t going to tell you until you’d seen the rest of the photographs, but since you’ve asked—it’s in St Lucia.’
‘The Caribbean?’ Her green eyes widened ever so slightly and he realised how beautiful they were—wide-spaced and long-lashed—and he wondered why he had never noticed them before. They were expressive eyes and at this moment they revealed an inner tension. She was clearly feeling apprehensive. Perhaps it was because of who he was? Perhaps she had never taken on a job out of England? Perhaps he was asking too much of her?
‘That’s right,’ he answered, watching her closely.
‘And you expect me to go all the way out there?’ An even deeper incredulity darkened her eyes.
‘All expenses paid, of course,’ he answered smoothly, smiling now at her expression. ‘I take it that you’re not accustomed to jetting around the world for the sake of your job?’
‘No, I’m not.’
‘Would you object to it?’ He hoped not. He was enjoying her company and would like to see more of her. Lucy the nanny had done nothing for him. But Lucinda the interior designer was surely every man’s dream.
It was a hot day and she was dressed in ivory silk wide-legged trousers and a jacket that skimmed her waist. Around her neck hung a bronze three-tiered pendant which almost disappeared into her delectable cleavage. It was matched by bronze earrings and even her nails wore bronze polish.
She was elegance personified and nothing like the girl who had turned up at his house in blue jeans and a T-shirt. It alarmed him to realise that he would enjoy the pleasure of peeling the suit off her slow inch by slow inch and feasting his eyes on the sylphlike body beneath.
‘It all depends,’ she said with a faint grimace.
Zane berated himself. It was ridiculous to let his thoughts run in such a foolish direction. ‘On what?’ he asked briskly. ‘On how much I’d pay you?’
‘Amongst other things,’ she acknowledged, her eyes steady on his now, no sign of the tension he had seen earlier. ‘For instance, where would I be staying? Is the house habitable?’
‘Absolutely,’ he concurred, pleased to hear that she was considering his proposition. Perhaps she’d suddenly realised that she was on to a good thing.
‘And how long would I be away?’ she asked. ‘I’m not used to—’
‘Do you have family commitments?’ he interrupted sharply, glancing curiously at her left hand. He felt strangely relieved when he saw no ring, then asked himself why. So long as she could do the job, her personal affairs were inconsequential.
‘None at all,’ she answered. ‘You needn’t fear that there’s anything to get in the way of my work.’
‘No boyfriend who’d object to you being away for a few weeks?’ He watched her face closely. He was intrigued. In almost three years she had changed from a girl, a well-adjusted girl admittedly, to a sophisticated, confident woman whose rise up the ladder of success was truly remarkable.
Lucinda’s smile was wry. ‘No boyfriend.’
Was that regret he heard in her voice? Had there been someone recently? He wanted to know but it was too soon for such personal questions. And he had to ask himself why he was taking such an inordinate interest in her private life. Purely to safeguard his interests, of course! He didn’t want someone who couldn’t give one hundred per cent of her attention.
‘Then I think we should look at the rest of the photographs,’ he said quietly. ‘And tonight I’ll take you out to dinner so that we can discuss the project properly.’ He pushed back a cuff and glanced at his watch.
‘And what is wrong with discussing it now?’ asked Lucinda, hearing the crossness in her voice but ignoring it.
Brows rose disapprovingly. ‘Although you come highly recommended, I prefer to make my own judgement.’
Lucinda tossed her head, her eyes flashing crossly. ‘I thought you’d convinced yourself that I was good enough?’
‘And of course,’ he added, ignoring her question, ‘I need to make sure that you and I get on.’
His eyes connected with hers as he spoke and his meaning was very clear. Lucinda felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle. Anger flared hot and fluid through her veins and her green eyes sparked fire. But when she spoke there was no hint in her voice that she knew what he had in mind.
‘You think that taking me out to dinner is the best way of doing it? I think not, Mr Alexander. Whatever needs to be discussed can be done right here and now. If that doesn’t suit you then perhaps I shouldn’t be here at all.’
She got up and headed for the door but Zane was there before her, moving remarkably quickly for such a tall man. She guessed he was about six-four—wide-shouldered and hard-muscled, as though he worked out several times a week.
His face was grim, brows pulled tightly together. ‘Hardly a professional attitude.’
‘I beg your pardon?’ Lucinda glared and stood that little bit taller. Not that she was intimidated by him! She was five feet eight herself and equalled most men. ‘My attitude has nothing to do with it. It’s yours that’s in question,’ she parried accusingly. ‘Admit it, you were doubtful once you saw who I was.’ But it didn’t alter the fact that he had designs on her! She could tell that by the way he looked at her. Would he be accompanying her to St Lucia? Would they be sharing his house? Lucinda suddenly realised what a dangerous situation she could be getting herself into.
Broad shoulders shrugged. ‘Can you blame me?’ It was more a statement than a question.
‘So recommendations weren’t enough?’ Lord, she wanted to take a swipe at him, knock that superior expression off his face.
‘I like to make up my own mind.’
In more ways than one, she thought edgily. She’d had enough of this conversation and reached for the door handle.
‘Not so quickly,’ breathed Zane. ‘You’re here for a purpose. Please, allow me to finish the show.’ And, with complete disregard for her feelings, he steered her back into the room and pushed her unceremoniously on to the chair.
Lucinda’s blood boiled and she took several deep steadying breaths. Never in her life had she found a man more irritating than Zane Alexander. She didn’t trust him, so how could she work for him? She would be on tenterhooks the whole time. On the other hand, his business would be highly profitable. For that reason alone she would be foolish to turn him down.
She had no idea how lovely she looked with her face flaming almost as red as her hair and her eyes a more brilliant green than they’d ever been before. All she knew was that she was spitting mad and that this man was the cause.
‘We’re inside the house now and this is the living area.’
Zane’s voice interrupted her thoughts and she fixed her attention on the screen. The room was huge.
‘I’ve had two rooms knocked into one. I like to have plenty of space. And here we have the main bedroom.’
Oh, Lord, if she took this job she would be expected to dress this room. To suit him! Immediately she had a vision of steel and silver and ice-blue. Cold and hard and totally devoid of feeling! ‘Would you be accompanying me to St Lucia?’ she asked in a breathless voice.
‘Obviously.’
A shiver ran down her spine. ‘And we’d both be staying at the house?’
‘Of course,’ he answered and, without giving her time to object, he carried on with the show. ‘This is bedroom number two and, as you can see, they are both fully furnished. And here are numbers three and four, the main bathroom, the kitchen.’ He had realised she wasn’t listening and consequently rushed through the rest of the images. ‘What do you think?’
What did she think? That she didn’t want to be living there with him. ‘I think I’d prefer to stay in a hotel.’
Smoky blue eyes locked on to hers. ‘No deal!’ he announced shortly. ‘The house is remote; there’s no hotel for miles. It would be inconvenient for you to—’
‘Damn the convenience!’ she cried. ‘How about the propriety?’
A faint smile curved his mouth. ‘Who’s to know?’
Lucinda did not find it funny. ‘It’s unethical.’
‘You think I might take advantage of the situation?’
The hot colour in Lucinda’s cheeks gave her away. ‘Actually, yes.’
But she knew she had to trust him—although those wicked blue eyes didn’t invite trust. His lips quirked. ‘Perhaps it’s yourself you’re afraid of. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’re very much aware of me.’
Lucinda’s eyes flashed and she ignored the hot streak through her veins. ‘Of all the conceited, overbearing men, you take the biscuit. You know exactly how I feel about you.’
‘The point is, do you know how you feel?’ he asked with quiet innuendo.
Lucinda closed her eyes. The argument was lost; she might as well give in gracefully. It would be foolish to turn down this dream job because of what might happen. If Zane decided to make advances on her, surely she was woman enough to deal with him?
Zane saw her weakening and took advantage. His smile was wide and confident. ‘So,’ he said, ‘is it dinner with me tonight or not?’
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_a01a2df1-e05a-51bc-a215-39e15e905397)
LUCINDA studied her wardrobe, wondering what to wear for her evening out with Zane Alexander. The red slinky number, or perhaps something more decorous? She didn’t want him getting the wrong impression. How about the amber suit? Or even the lime-green dress, which everyone else hated but she loved? It was certainly demure.
She had thought long and hard about accepting Zane’s dinner invitation but ultimately decided to put her personal issues about him to one side. This project was too good an opportunity to miss. Now, though, as she stepped into an elegant black dress, she wondered whether she was doing the right thing.
A job in St Lucia! It sounded too good to be true. Except that she would be out there with Zane, a man she didn’t particularly like. But whom she found devastatingly attractive! It was an admission she hated making—but it happened to be true. There really was something about him that could not be ignored.
Would he stay while she developed thoughts and ideas? Would he want to talk them over with her as she went along? Or would he simply show her around and then wait to hear what suggestions she came up with?
He was a very busy man, of that she was well aware. When she had looked after his two-year-old son, Zane had spent very little time at home. In fact Tim had rarely seen him. Zane was not a good father. On the other hand, perhaps because of Tim, he would not stay on the island the whole time she was there—unless, of course, he had business interests in St Lucia? It could well be the case.
They certainly had a lot to discuss.
And time was running out. Zane was picking her up at seven-thirty; he would expect her to be ready. She finished her make-up and ran a final brush through her hair. It was long and silky, almost to her waist, and her pride and joy. At the last minute, though, she decided to sweep it up. She didn’t want Zane Alexander thinking she looked anything less than professional.
She watched for him to arrive and was out of the door almost before he had stopped his car. Lucinda lived with her mother and stepfather in a large house where she had her own suite of offices. It didn’t really suit her and her bank balance was such these days that she was almost ready to buy a place of her own. In fact she’d been looking at property only the other day.
‘A lady who’s prompt,’ commented Zane with a dry smile, jumping out to open the door for her. ‘I like that. And may I say how elegant you look.’
Lucinda inclined her head in thanks. Zane looked pretty good himself in an oatmeal linen jacket and crisp dark trousers, and as he slid into the sleek silver Mercedes beside her the faint smell of his cologne wafted beneath her nostrils. It was masculine and woody and reminded her of nights spent on an exotic island paradise.
She suddenly realised where her mind was going and checked it. How would she know what it felt like? Was she thinking about the job that lay ahead? Was it wishful thinking? Never! Not with Zane Alexander. Not in a million years.
Besides, wasn’t he married? Not that there’d been a wife around. Maybe they were divorced. Maybe there wasn’t a Mrs Alexander any longer. Maybe she’d dumped the child on him on that occasion and, Zane being Zane, he hadn’t wanted to give up his precious time.
‘You must be doing rather well for yourself, judging by where you live,’ commented Zane as he pulled away from the house.
‘It’s not mine,’ she answered quickly. ‘It belongs to my stepfather. I’m moving out shortly.’
‘You’re not happy there?’ he asked intuitively.
Perhaps her tone had given too much away. But she didn’t get on well with David Goldberg. He had once told her that she hadn’t the imagination of a sparrow and would never enter the world of business. How she had loved proving him wrong. Her own father had died when she was fifteen and her mother had remarried far too quickly in Lucinda’s opinion. They’d gone from being very poor to very rich in a short space of time; not that she had accepted any help from her stepfather when setting up her design company.
‘I feel it’s time I have a place of my own,’ she answered quietly.
‘Of course.’
She had expected him to probe, to make some disparaging remark about her still living at home, but he didn’t.
‘How old are you?’ he asked instead.
‘Twenty-eight,’ she answered.
‘And running your own successful business. Congratulations.’
His compliment pleased her.
‘What is your ambition?’ He kept his eyes on the road in front where it looked like a young mother was ready to roll a pushchair out in front of them. ‘To have a team of workers under you so that you can sit back and count your pennies? Or to always be a hands-on person?’
Lucinda thought she heard sarcasm and tossed her head. ‘Ultimately I want to get married and have children. I love children; I used to earn money looking after them when I was a student.’
‘The nanny job?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘I could have made it a career but it would have been a waste of the design course I was taking. I’d always set my heart on interior design. Each job is different. It’s a new challenge. I love it.’
‘Then I shall very much look forward to showing you over my place in St Lucia.’
‘You’re assuming I’ll take the job?’ she questioned, glancing at him, seeing nothing but the hard contours of his profile. Until he turned briefly to look at her and she caught a twinkle in his smoky eyes.
‘I thought you already had,’ he said. ‘Otherwise why would you be here?’ And he looked back at the road.
There was nothing more for Lucinda to say. There was trepidation in her heart but a sense of excitement too.
The restaurant was small and intimate and not the sort of place where business deals were done. It had a more romantic atmosphere, where couples looked into each other’s eyes and drank champagne and wished for the moon. Lucinda felt uncomfortable, her heart beating far louder than it should.
‘Have you been here before?’ Zane asked.
Lucinda shook her head.
‘Then you should have,’ he admonished. ‘The food is superb and the head chef incidentally is a very good friend of mine.’
They sipped their drinks as they studied the menu and, while they were waiting to be seated, Zane made no attempt to talk business. Instead he asked her questions about herself, almost as though they were on a date. Which made her feel even more uncomfortable.
‘I don’t see that it has anything to do with the job,’ she protested when he wanted to know whether she had any brothers or sisters.
‘I’m curious about you, that’s all,’ he answered with a disarming smile, a smile that probably made many women go weak at the knees. And she was in grave danger of following suit!
‘All you need to know are my qualifications,’ she told him, her voice a little more cool than she had intended, ‘and you’ve already seen those. When are we going to get down to business?’
Zane smiled, his teeth amazingly white in his subtly tanned face. ‘There’s not really much to discuss, is there, not until we arrive on site, so to speak? I’ve already decided I want you to do the job; this is merely an opportunity to get to know you.’
Lucinda swallowed hard. ‘A complete waste of time.’
Zane frowned. ‘I don’t understand?’
‘Is this the way you usually conduct your business affairs?’ she questioned coolly. Perhaps it was. Especially with members of the opposite sex! And how did he expect the evening to end? Lucinda realised she was being fanciful. There was nothing in his attitude at this moment to suggest that he wanted anything more from her. It was all in her mind. But then didn’t she have reason to be fearful?
Simon, her ex-fiancé, whom she’d met at university, had left her wary of men. He had wooed and won her, they’d had a long and happy engagement, they’d even been planning their wedding, and then he’d dumped her without any real explanation except to say that their relationship wasn’t working. She’d heard afterwards that he’d met someone else—and it hadn’t done much for her ego. From that day on she had sworn she would be careful not to lose her heart so easily to another man. Especially one like Zane Alexander!
‘If you mean do I enjoy taking beautiful young ladies out to dinner, then the answer is yes.’
Lucinda frowned. ‘And your wife, what does she have to say about it?’ Thinking about Simon had made her feel angry and her voice was waspish.
Well-marked brows rose; his surprise very evident. ‘I don’t have a wife.’
‘You mean you’re divorced?’ she asked sharply.
‘I’ve never been married,’ he answered, more puzzlement in his tone. ‘I’ve never met anyone I’ve wanted to settle down with.’
‘So where does Tim fit into the equation?’ she asked, feeling hopelessly lost now.
‘Ah!’ Enlightenment dawned on Zane’s handsome face. ‘You think Tim is my son?’
‘Well, isn’t he?’ she questioned crossly.
‘Actually, no, he’s my brother’s child. I was merely looking after him.’
Lucinda leaned back in her seat and stared. ‘You were looking after him?’ She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was an even worse scenario than she had thought. ‘That is disgraceful—paying someone to look after a child who’d been put into your care.’ Her eyes were a vivid angry green and she sat forward on the edge of her seat, wanting to take a swipe at him. ‘How could you do such a thing?’
‘Perhaps I should enlighten you,’ Zane said tersely. A waiter showing them to their table had interrupted their conversation, but once their first course had been placed in front of them he could hold his tongue no longer. Who the hell did Lucinda Oliver think she was? How dared she condemn him?
‘Nothing you can say will excuse the fact that you let your nephew down,’ Lucinda snapped. ‘How could you offload Tim on to a stranger?’
‘Just listen,’ he rasped, annoyed now by her determination to cast him as the bad guy. ‘To start with, my brother and his wife died in a road accident when Tim was eighteen months old.’
Lucinda’s lovely eyes widened. ‘That’s awful; I didn’t know.’
‘Of course you didn’t,’ he snarled. ‘His maternal grandmother took him in. When one day she was rushed into hospital there was no one to look after him except me. Unfortunately I had a series of extremely important business meetings—hence employing you.’ Damn, why was he explaining this to her? She didn’t deserve an explanation. Except that she was beginning to get under his skin like no other woman ever had!
‘Not that I expect you to understand,’ he declared shortly. ‘I think maybe this evening was a mistake. Let’s go.’ And he pushed back his chair.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Lucinda quietly.
‘And that’s supposed to make it better, is it?’ he growled. Two miserable little words of apology after she’d made aspersions on his character. It wasn’t good enough. He’d had his fill of this woman and her patronising behaviour.
‘I love kids, that’s all,’ she added, as if reading his thoughts. ‘I don’t think they should be given a hard time. But I can see now that you did the best you could, and I’m sorry I thought ill of you. Have I blotted my copybook as far as the job’s concerned?’
Her eyes were wide and apologetic—and incredibly beautiful. Zane felt himself weakening and hated himself for it. ‘I really haven’t time to start looking for someone all over again.’
‘So you still want me?’ she asked, her voice husky now.
Want her? Of course he wanted her! Far too badly! She was exceptionally fine-looking—too gorgeous to ignore. He loved the little black dress with its rhinestone straps and a décolletage that stopped just short of revealing the delightful fullness of her breasts. Her skin was velvety smooth and her perfume sweet and tantalising. She looked stylish, yet there was an innocent freshness about her as well.
He drew in a long breath and let it go slowly before pulling his chair back up to the table. ‘Let’s talk about it.’
By the end of the evening Lucinda began to look forward to working in St Lucia. Zane was going to fly her out in a few days, giving them both time to sort their diaries. It would be the most exciting job of her career.
As they sipped their coffee, Lucinda telling Zane that she already had some ideas, the head chef came out to say hello.
‘Zane, it is good to see you again.’ The two men shook hands. He was French and short and rotund, and he looked curiously at Lucinda.
‘This is Lucinda Oliver,’ introduced Zane, ‘an interior designer who’s going to do some work for me.’
‘She is beautiful, is she not, you lucky old dog,’ said the chef. And then, in his native language, ‘Is she your girlfriend as well, or is that what you would like her to be?’
Zane answered in French also. ‘She is not my girlfriend.’
‘But you are working on her? And who can blame you? She is—extraordinarily attractive. If I were not married I would pursue her myself.’
‘You would not stand a chance, my friend,’ said Zane with a dazzling smile.
Of all the conceited men, Zane Alexander took the biscuit! Lucinda flashed her green eyes and, speaking in perfect French, said, ‘Excuse me, gentlemen, but I do not like being talked about like this.’
The chef’s mouth fell open and, in English, he said, ‘Mademoiselle, I am so sorry. Do accept my apologies. But you are indeed beautiful.’
Lucinda smiled and waited for Zane’s apology also—but it didn’t materialise. And when his friend had gone back to the kitchen she turned on him. ‘Do you normally talk like that about someone who’s going to do a job for you?’
‘Only when they’re particularly lovely,’ he acknowledged with a tiny tug at the corners of his mouth. He looked not in the least concerned that he had been found out. Instead he said, ‘I congratulate you on your fluent French.’
Lucinda huffed but said nothing more, finishing her coffee instead and then pronouncing herself ready to leave. Of one thing she was very sure—she was not going to be Zane’s girlfriend, no matter how hard he tried. Or how much she was attracted to him!
After her experience with her ex-fiancé, she had no intention of taking any man at face value; trust would have to be earned over a long period. Far longer than the few weeks this project would take. In any case, she felt sure that Zane Alexander had no real interest in her long-term. It would simply amuse him to try and seduce her while on the island.
She imagined him to be somewhere in his late thirties and if he wasn’t married there had to be a good reason for it. In all probability it was because he enjoyed playing the field. Not that she had any proof; it was all pure conjecture on her part, but why else would he still be a bachelor?
When Lucinda told her mother about her plans she was thrilled for her. ‘What a wonderful opportunity,’ she said. ‘I almost wish I was coming with you.’ Not that Ruth was ever short of exotic holidays. If David was too busy to go with her she went with one of her many friends. When Lucinda told her mother about her plans she was thrilled for her. ‘What a wonderful opportunity,’ she said. ‘I almost wish I was coming with you.’ Not that Ruth was ever short of exotic holidays. If David was too busy to go with her she went with one of her many friends.
‘It will be pure work,’ reminded Lucinda. ‘There won’t be much pleasure in it.’
‘Nonsense!’ chided Ruth. ‘All work and no play? I don’t believe it for a second. What’s this Zane Alexander like? Is he married? Perhaps you need to work your charm on him. It’s time you found yourself another boyfriend. He sounds interesting.’
Because he had money, thought Lucinda bitterly. It was all her mother ever thought of.
‘What’s this about Zane Alexander?’ Lucinda’s stepfather walked into the room and looked enquiringly at the two women. He was a tall striking man, not particularly good-looking, but there was something about him that most women found attractive. Not so Lucinda. She had never felt happy about her mother marrying him and in turn David did not show much love for his stepdaughter.
‘Lucinda’s going with him to St Lucia,’ answered Ruth excitedly.
David Goldberg frowned harshly and was about to say something when Lucinda interrupted.
‘It’s purely business. I’m doing a job for him.’
Goldberg snorted in a derogatory manner. ‘He’s out of your league.’
Lucinda lifted her chin. ‘We’ll see about that.’ Ever since she had started her business, her stepfather had taken great pleasure in putting her down, and it grieved him to think that she was succeeding under her own steam. He would have liked it better had she gone crawling to him for money. But never in her life would she give him that satisfaction. Where money was concerned she was as different from her mother as chalk from cheese.
‘Are you sure that doing a job is all he wants from you?’ asked David. ‘Zane Alexander is a playboy. Surely you must know that?’
‘Actually I’d never heard of him until he approached me,’ confessed Lucinda, not wishing to admit that she had formed the same opinion. Or that she had met him previously.
‘Then, unless you want to spend the entire time in his bed, I’d get out of it fast,’ he advised.
Lucinda shook her head. ‘I can’t do that. This will be my most valuable job yet. I can handle him.’
‘Of course you can, darling,’ said her mother. ‘In any case, you’re only young once. Enjoy yourself…’
David’s dark brows rose. ‘You mark my words; it will be all play and no reward. He’s got you where he wants you, girl.’
Lucinda refused to listen, though there were times in the days that followed when she couldn’t help wondering whether David was right. Zane’s words to his chef had suggested that he might be after something more than a business relationship.
CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_6a15dedc-de90-56e7-92d7-a9e649b8ca29)
ZANE sent a car to pick Lucinda up and drive her to the airport. Not the Mercedes he had driven himself, but a sleek black limousine with a liveried driver. The man was young but polite and courteous and, although he looked at Lucinda curiously, he asked no questions.
She was not entirely surprised when she was met and escorted to a private jet, having already gained the impression that Zane enjoyed all the trappings his extreme wealth could give him. When she climbed on board he was already there. She saw white teeth and glittering eyes and for a fraction of a second Lucinda considered turning round and making a quick exit.
She felt as if she was bearding a lion in his den, or a wolf ready to snarl and snap and swallow her down whole. David’s warning still rang in her ears. But somehow she managed to fix a smile to her lips.
‘You made it, then,’ growled Zane. ‘I did wonder whether you would change your mind.’
‘I’d given my word,’ announced Lucinda stiffly.
‘Then relax, I don’t bite,’ he told her tersely. ‘Take off your jacket. Sit down. We have a long flight in front of us.’
The plane had a luxurious black leather interior with one part partitioned for use as an office, another area for dining and amazing deep sofas for relaxing. Lucinda looked about her curiously, smiled at the two pretty flight attendants and shrugged off her coat, which was immediately whisked away.
‘You certainly believe in doing things in style,’ she commented.
‘Why not?’ he asked with a smile.
Why not indeed! With his money he could do anything he liked—including whisking her away to a tropical island! Again Lucinda couldn’t help wondering whether she’d made a terrible mistake.
‘You look apprehensive,’ he said, motioning her to sit down. ‘Is something wrong? Are you having second thoughts?’
‘Not at all.’ Lucinda took hold of herself and smiled. Not for anything was she going to let this man know that he disturbed her.
‘That’s good because I’ve given up a lot of my time to make this trip with you.’
‘You didn’t have to,’ she protested. Zane wore a black open-necked shirt and black close-fitting trousers which should have made him almost invisible against the upholstery. But it didn’t. He was long and lithe and incredibly sexy. Out of formal clothing he was relaxed and somehow different, more threatening to her sanity.
‘How else would you have known what I wanted?’ he asked, an eyebrow lifted quizzically.
‘It seems to me you’re going to a lot of trouble for a holiday home.’
And now he frowned. ‘Who said it was a holiday home?’
‘So what is it?’ she asked, staring right into those smoky blue eyes. They made her insides shiver but she resolutely ignored it and continued to look at him.
‘It is a home, yes, but not solely for holidays; I rarely take those. My business interests take me all over the world. It gets tiresome staying in hotels.’
‘I see,’ she said, but she didn’t, and if her stepfather was right in his declaration that Zane Alexander was a playboy then this was just going to be another place set up for that purpose. All of a sudden the job didn’t seem like such a good idea.
‘What’s wrong?’ His eyes narrowed on hers, trying to see into her mind, to guess at the thoughts that had suddenly disturbed her.
‘Nothing,’ she said, trying her hardest to keep her unease at bay.
‘In that case, let me offer you a drink.’ He gave a nod to one of his attendants and immediately crystal flutes of champagne were produced. Zane held his up towards her. ‘Here’s to a successful business relationship.’ Those were his words but not what his eyes told her. They were intent, boring into her soul, reading her, almost telling her what sort of a relationship he hoped to have with her.
Almost but not quite!
Nevertheless something stirred in Lucinda’s stomach. She clamped it down firmly, lifting her chin instead, returning his gaze with a firm one of her own. ‘To business.’
The champagne slid coolly down her throat, fizzing quietly in her stomach, joining the apprehension. Maybe she ought to have realised that this job would be like no other. Maybe she ought to have considered the danger instead of jumping at the opportunity of adding to her portfolio.
Too late now! They were well and truly on their way.
If she had expected that Zane would spend the whole journey chatting to her she was wrong. ‘Please excuse me, I have work to do,’ he announced after he had finished his drink. ‘Just relax and enjoy the flight.’
In truth Zane knew that he had to keep away from Lucinda. He found her truly exciting and it was going to take all of his not inconsiderable willpower to resist her. She had given every indication that she wanted a strictly business relationship and if he didn’t want to frighten her away before she had even started the job he must respect that and keep his feelings well hidden.
Nevertheless it would be interesting to find out what made her tick. To see whether there were any cracks in her armour. He might even stay on the island longer than he had originally planned!
He smiled at the thought and then concentrated on his paperwork. At least he tried to concentrate, but in reality his mind was with the stunning Titian-haired woman sitting just the other side of the partition. She was as nervous as hell and he could hardly blame her. She was flying thousands of miles with a stranger. She had put her faith and trust in him.
Again he tried to concentrate but within a few minutes he gave up and joined her. She’d had her glass refilled and was scanning the skies and when he sat down she turned with a smile. ‘I love cloudscapes, don’t you?’
He’d never really thought about it. And even now he didn’t want to look out the window, he wanted to feast his eyes on his beautiful companion. ‘I must confess I rarely study the sky.’
‘You’re always too busy.’
It was almost an accusation. However, he inclined his head and said nothing.
‘Have you finished what you were doing?’
‘I didn’t think it fair to leave you here alone.’
Green eyes looked scathingly into his. ‘And I’m supposed to believe that? A man who can offload an upset little nephew on to a complete stranger won’t think twice about leaving someone who’s simply doing a job for him alone. Go to your work; I don’t need you with me.’
Strong words. He admired her for it but it didn’t please him.
For the rest of the flight Zane left Lucinda strictly alone. She had seen his displeasure at her outburst, his face turning thunderous when she reminded him of his behaviour, but she wasn’t sorry and felt immense relief when he returned to his little office area.
Now they were nearing their destination. Below them the sea was a glorious turquoise and when the Windward Islands came into view Lucinda gasped with pleasure. As they lost height she could see long white beaches and lush green hinterland and when they finally landed on St Lucia she had forgotten her resentment and turned to Zane with a smile wide enough to split her face in two. ‘It looks fantastic. I can’t believe I’ve come here to work. It’s like a dream.’
Zane’s face lost some of its hardness. ‘It is indeed very beautiful and it will be my pleasure to show you around.’ But his voice was businesslike and Lucinda didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.
They were met by a car and driver and whisked away to a spacious single-storey home that sat on a promontory miles away from any other dwelling. Mindful that they were here on business, Zane gave her a whistle-stop tour of the house and Lucinda felt like a child in paradise. The furnishings were shabby, the paintwork peeling, but it had tremendous potential and Lucinda could see why Zane had bought it.
The rooms were large and airy; it really needed not much more than a lick of paint and some new furniture. She could hardly believe that he was paying her to organise so little. Not that she was complaining. This was an opportunity too good to miss.
The only fly in the ointment, as far as she could see, was that they would be living here together. It troubled her deeply and she knew that she would need to be on her guard at all times.
Outside she discovered a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi and they ended their tour on the sun deck, where they were able to watch the antics of a brilliantly coloured parrot in one of the many trees growing in the steeply sloping garden. ‘So,’ said Zane, turning to her, ‘what do you think now that you’ve seen it all?’
Lucinda smiled broadly; she couldn’t help it. ‘I think it’s wonderful. How did you find such a place?’ Far below was a bay dotted with boats and, even though the day was hot, at this height there was a most welcome mountain breeze.
‘It used to belong to a colleague of mine,’ answered Zane. ‘He nursed his wife through a long illness and I’m afraid everything got neglected. When she died he had no interest in it.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Lucinda. ‘Have you stayed here yet?’
Zane shook his head and a wicked twinkle sparked in his eyes. ‘You have the honour of sharing my pleasure.’
Sharing! Lucinda wasn’t sure that she liked his choice of word. And, even though he’d had the foresight to have two bedrooms made habitable, she had noticed that there were no locks on the doors.
‘What are you thinking?’ he asked, noticing her frown.
Lucinda shook her head, not wishing to reveal her fears.
‘If it will make you feel any better, you have my word that I won’t enter your space.’
Which was one way of putting it, she thought. But what happened if she entered his? They would be living in such close proximity that she could hardly avoid him. She knew that she had to trust Zane, but somehow those wicked blue eyes didn’t invite trust.
‘Perhaps you’re afraid of being tempted to stray into my room?’ he suggested casually.
Lucinda’s eyes flashed and she ignored the hot streak through her veins. ‘You are unbelievable, Zane Alexander. I’ve made it clear how I feel about you.’
‘But are you sure you know how you feel?’ he asked.
Lucinda moved away, not wishing to take part in such a conversation. And then she felt a hand on her arm and a ripple of pleasurable heat where his fingers touched. Intense heat! Burning heat!
She found herself looking into smouldering blue depths, close enough to see the attractive dark line around his irises, the clear whites, the amazing length of his lashes. They were quite magnificent eyes for a man and she was mesmerised by them. She felt them drawing her in, feeding a need inside her that she had not known was there.
After Simon she had felt nothing for any man and had been determined to keep it that way. Why then was this particular man affecting her to such an extent that she wanted to turn tail and run? She gritted her teeth and said the first thing that came into her head. ‘Which bedroom is mine?’
A mere flicker suggested that he knew the fight she’d had, but there was nothing in his voice to confirm it. ‘Let’s go and look, shall we?’
Both of the bedrooms had fabulous views over the bay, each with its own en suite bathroom. ‘The choice is yours,’ said Zane.
The house was kept cool by an ancient air-conditioning system that creaked and groaned and definitely needed replacing. But the warmth on the back of her neck had nothing to do with it not running properly. It was Zane standing far too close for comfort.
She stepped further into the room. ‘I’ll take this one,’ she announced. It was the second one along the hallway. Zane would have no need to walk past it. Small comfort, but better than nothing.
There were four bedrooms altogether, each with beautiful high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows, which allowed them to fill with light. Zane could host a whole harem of girls here, thought Lucinda, and then despised herself for such unworthy thoughts.
‘In that case I’ll get your suitcase brought in,’ said Zane.
He did more than that. A maid appeared as if from nowhere and unpacked their cases and in no time a buffet meal and chilled drinks had been placed on a table outside in the shade.
Lucinda helped herself to aubergine and peppers in a sweet and sour sauce and smoked mahi mahi served with crispy potato and onion. She slowly sipped pineapple juice before finally admitting she could eat no more.
Zane’s appetite was healthy too and there wasn’t much food left by the time they had finished. He leaned back in his chair. ‘I suggest we rest now before taking a dip in the pool.’
Lucinda shook her head, the thought of swimming with Zane, seeing him half naked, filling her with dread. She could imagine a hard body, smooth golden skin, firm stomach, long legs and everything else that went with it. ‘I’m here to work,’ she reminded him firmly. ‘You rest if you want to but I need to wander around again and familiarise myself with each of the rooms in turn before I can even begin to think about design.’
Zane put a hand over hers where it rested on the table. ‘There’s plenty of time for that. Today you can relax. Today I would appreciate your company.’ And he meant it. The touch of his hand was firm, his smoky eyes narrowed and warning.
A heat that had nothing to do with the climate swept through her and Lucinda wanted to pull her hand free. But of course she couldn’t do that; she couldn’t give away the fact that his touch sent shivers of apprehension rushing through her limbs. So she looked him squarely in the eye and said, ‘It’s not what I’m getting paid for.’
‘What are you, a workaholic?’ he asked harshly, letting his hand drop back to his side. ‘Don’t you believe in a little pleasure?’
‘I thought you wanted the job done as quickly as possible,’ asserted Lucinda. Pleasure was the last thing she wanted. Pleasure in her surroundings, yes, in the warmth of the sun, in the glorious blue skies, but not in Zane Alexander’s company. He was too discomfiting by far. ‘And I can’t believe that you’re willing to waste time like this. If anyone’s a workaholic it’s you.’
‘I agree,’ he said with a shrug, ‘but there’s a time and place for everything. I declare today an official holiday. Lucinda Oliver, you are not allowed to work.’
She couldn’t help smiling. This was a side to Zane that she hadn’t seen before. Relaxed, cheerful, teasing. And she couldn’t deny that she liked it. ‘In that case I think I’d like to change into something more relaxing,’ she announced and headed indoors.
She chose a gypsy skirt and a cool camisole top and as she had popped in a bikini at the last minute—just in case—she donned that as well and rejoined Zane on the sun deck.
He had moved to a reclining chair and still wore the black shirt and trousers. Lucinda had half expected him to change too, and she had listened carefully while in her room but heard no movement next door. For the moment he appeared to be a different man but she did not altogether trust him and knew that she still needed to be on her guard.
Zane patted the reclining chair he had placed near to his and reluctantly Lucinda slid on to it. It felt intimate, far too cosy for comfort. She lay back and closed her eyes but he was impossible to ignore. She could hear his breathing, she could smell the faint tang of his cologne, and knew that he was looking at her.
When the silence ran into minutes Lucinda could stand it no longer. She shot open her eyes, ready to lambaste him, or at the very least to jump to her feet and return indoors. To her amazement his lids were closed and when she looked closer she could see by his deepened breathing that he was asleep.
He had undone the buttons on his shirt and as expected his skin was firm and bronzed and she had the irrational urge to touch. Her eyes skimmed over the rest of him, over the hard flatness of his stomach and the long length of his legs. He was an extremely sexy man, even fully clothed, and it was going to be hard denying the fact.
‘Like what you see?’
Lucinda hadn’t noticed Zane open his eyes and swift heat shot through her, though she did her best to appear undisturbed. ‘You have a good physique. Do you work out?’
He nodded. ‘I have a gym in my London home.’
‘And was a swimming pool a requisite here?’
‘Of course.’
‘Do you have other homes?’ There was a lot about Zane that she didn’t know. Not that it was any business of hers, but sitting here in his relaxed company it didn’t feel like an intrusion of privacy.
He nodded. ‘LA, Australia, the south of France.’
Lucinda shook her head. ‘How can you warrant them?’
Zane’s lips tugged wryly up at the corners. ‘What else do I have to spend my money on?’
Your women friends, she felt tempted to say, but wisely kept her own counsel. ‘Why have you never married?’ she asked instead. ‘Or is that a stupid question? I guess you’re too busy making money.’
‘Not the right answer,’ he informed her tersely, his eyes flashing almost silver. ‘I’ve simply never met anyone I want to spend the rest of my life with.’
‘Let me guess,’ she dared to say. ‘Most girls are only ever interested in the state of your bank balance?’
‘Something like that,’ he agreed.
‘Are you resigned to staying a bachelor?’
‘It doesn’t worry me, though it does worry my mother,’ he admitted. ‘My parents live in Australia and my mother is for ever nagging me to get married. She wants more grandchildren.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘Here am I almost telling you my life story and I know nothing about you. Except that you don’t have a boyfriend. Which I find extremely odd because you’re a very attractive lady.’
As he spoke he looked at her appreciatively, just as she had looked at him earlier. Only he did it blatantly, not caring that she watched. Every part of her responded! Nerves tingled; hormones leapt into life; nipples tautened and strained against her soft cotton top—and he missed nothing.
‘So—tell me about yourself,’ he said, his eyes finally moving up to her face, narrowing sharply when he observed the tip of her tongue moistening her lips.
Lucinda hoped that he didn’t take it as a sign of encouragement. Her mouth had gone nervously dry and the butterflies in her stomach intensified. Heaven knew how much she wanted to dislike this man, so why didn’t she? What was it about him that caused every one of her senses to go into overdrive?
‘There’s not much to tell,’ she answered, alarmed to hear how husky her voice sounded. Damn the man! Why was he confusing her like this? Or, more importantly, why was she allowing it? Why was she letting him affect her?
Because he was one hell of a sexy man, that was the answer. She couldn’t help herself. She didn’t want to like him but was constantly pulled towards him in a cycle that would be difficult to break.
Zane probably took it for granted that most women, if not all, would fall at his feet. He could bed any woman he liked. But she didn’t have to be one of them! Without any shadow of doubt she would need to be on her guard at all times.
‘Your mother’s remarried. What happened to your father?’
‘He died,’ she answered bluntly, trying to hide the pain that still shot through her whenever she spoke about him.
‘I’m sorry. How did that happen?’
‘He’d been ill a long time. It was inevitable,’ she told him, while knowing that he didn’t really care.
‘I’m genuinely interested,’ he assured her, reading her expression. ‘I’m interested in people. I like to find out what motivates them. I already know that you don’t like your stepfather.’ Lucinda frowned and sat up just a little bit straighter. ‘I didn’t tell you that.’
‘No, but you gave the impression.’
‘Actually, it’s true.’ Her shoulders relaxed a little. ‘I hate him, and the feeling’s mutual—except that he doesn’t let my mother know it. And I hate my mother for marrying him simply for his money,’ she added bitterly.
‘She did that?’
‘It’s what many women do,’ she retorted, her eyes shooting sparks of angry fire. ‘Not that I have any intention of falling into that same trap! I’ll make my own money, thank you.’
Zane pursed his lips and nodded his head. ‘Wise woman! We’re two of a kind, you and I.’
Lucinda frowned. She knew what he meant but she didn’t like being lumped into the same category. She would never spend her money on lavish houses all over the world, not if she had a thousand million in the bank. Such extravagances didn’t appeal. The fact that people did it, and needed the likes of her to improve their interiors, was a different matter altogether.
‘So—tell me about your father,’ he said encouragingly. ‘How old were you when he died?’
Lucinda pursed her lips and her eyes grew sad. ‘Fifteen. I was heartbroken. He’d spent most of his life in and out of hospitals; we didn’t have any money, but he more than made up for it. There was always love and laughter in our house. I was so happy. What I didn’t know was that my mother gradually resented the fact that we were poor.
‘After my father died she met Goldberg, a very wealthy property developer. She shamelessly threw herself at him and within a few months they were married. We moved from our tiny rented property into his palatial mansion. He paid for my higher education; I appreciate that, but he will never replace my father. He was the most wonderful man.’
Tears misted her eyes and instantly Zane leaned forward and gathered her into his arms, dabbing her eyes with his handkerchief, murmuring words of reassurance. At first Lucinda didn’t resist; she actually felt comforted by his action, but then the reality of the situation hit her.
This man had employed her to do a job, and he was in the same league as David Goldberg; there was no way in this world that she was going to have an affair with him. He may have been only consoling her, but that wasn’t the point. She had seen the hungry look in his eyes; she knew his reputation. If she weren’t careful she would end up in his bed.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, straining to pull away. ‘It always gets to me when I talk about my father. If he knew what my mother had done he’d turn in his grave. He loved her so much. Love was all he had to give. And he gave it in bucketfuls.’ Tears welled again.
Zane pushed her head into his shoulder and held her there until she began to feel better. He stroked her hair, which had become free from its restraining tie. It amazed Lucinda that a man as important as Zane Alexander should have this caring side to him. It was totally unexpected.
Unless, of course, it wasn’t because he cared! Maybe he was using her distress as a way of getting through to her? Maybe he thought it would lead to other things? Even as the thought occurred to her Lucinda pushed her hands hard against his chest. ‘I’m all right now.’
‘Are you sure?’ He blocked her escape by cupping her face between warm firm hands. There was something almost primeval in his eyes as they locked with hers, a desire as old as man himself, and Lucinda felt unwanted warmth steal into her. It started in her toes and gradually worked its way through each limb until her whole body raged with fire. This was a situation she had told herself she would avoid at all costs. This was Zane the playboy in action. And already her needs were being fuelled by his closeness.
CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_711c6ea3-24ac-532c-8997-48d3e1945766)
ZANE knew that Lucinda was torn between letting him kiss her and doing the right thing and pushing him away. He was sorry about her father, of course he was, and when he persuaded her into his arms it hadn’t been his intention to take the situation any further. But holding her against him, feeling the warmth of her body and smelling its sweetness, had aroused all of his base instincts. He wanted her! And he wanted her now.
It took all of Lucinda’s will-power to move out of Zane’s embrace. It felt as though she was wrenching herself free of an iron clamp instead of the light touch of his hands. It really had been a big mistake coming here. She had put greed for his business before what was best for her.
‘I wish you hadn’t done that,’ she told him tightly, the words crackling out of a throat gone tremendously dry.
‘Done what?’
Did he really need her to spell it out? ‘You know what I’m talking about,’ she retorted. ‘I appreciate the use of your handkerchief but I don’t need comforting in other ways.’
‘And what way would that be?’
A steely glint appeared in his eyes and Lucinda began to wonder whether she had misjudged him. Whether it was her fertile imagination that had seen something that wasn’t there. Whatever, he looked far from pleased.
She shook her head and got up from her chair. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘And I say it does matter,’ he rejoined fiercely. ‘I do not like being criticised.’
‘It doesn’t count that you’re already cast as a playboy?’
‘You’ve heard the rumour?’ A faint smile curved his lips. ‘Who told you that, I wonder?’
Lucinda jutted her chin and stared hostilely. ‘Actually I’d had my suspicions, but my stepfather confirmed it.’
‘Ah!’ Enlightenment filled his eyes. ‘And you took his word as truth? A man you incidentally hate the sight of? It didn’t occur to you that he could be saying it because he didn’t want you working for me?’
It was true; David Goldberg definitely didn’t like to think that her career was taking off. He liked to think that she hadn’t the intelligence to do well for herself. Why, she had no idea. Maybe because she had always resented him! At the age of fifteen her hormones had been all over the place; she’d just lost her beloved father, her mother had all too quickly remarried and Lucinda’s resentment of the new man in their life had caused ill feelings between them, which had never gone away.
‘I don’t care whether it’s true or not,’ she told him now. ‘And I have no wish to continue this conversation.’ She sprang up from her seat and ran round to the other side of the house, where she stripped off her skirt and top and dived cleanly into the pool. She desperately needed to cool off.
She was feverishly hot and the water mercifully cold, and after a few energetic lengths her ragged nerves were calmed. She had half expected Zane to follow and was both relieved and pleased when there was no sign of him. She kept telling herself that it wasn’t going to work, staying here with him, feeling his presence, knowing that at any minute she could give in to temptation. And he was a big temptation. She could hardly believe that she was attracted to him. It was totally inconceivable.
Finally she hauled herself out of the pool, rinsed herself down beneath the huge outdoor shower and headed back towards the house. Zane appeared in front of her as if from nowhere.
‘You swim like a mermaid,’ he complimented. ‘Graceful, swift and beautiful.’ A pair of dark glasses shielded his eyes but she felt his eyes studying her body in its neat white bikini. The heat returned.
‘You were watching me?’ Accusation made her voice shrill.
Zane inclined his head. ‘And very pleasant it was too. I wanted to join you but I wasn’t sure that you’d appreciate it.’
‘No, I wouldn’t have done,’ snapped Lucinda, her green eyes flashing magnificently. ‘In fact I don’t appreciate your presence here at all.’
‘That’s a pity,’ he said with a disarming smile, ‘because I was actually enjoying myself. And I think I’d enjoy myself more if you’d allow me to…’
His words ceased as his hands caught her hips and urged her against him and, before she could even draw breath to ask what the hell he thought he was doing, his mouth found hers.
It was a heart-stopping kiss that filled her body with intense pleasure. How a man she didn’t particularly like and certainly didn’t trust could do this to her she did not know. Thankfully he let her go just as abruptly. ‘I’m sorry, I just had to do that,’ he declared immediately. ‘You have no idea how tempting you looked.’
Lucinda struggled for breath. She didn’t believe his apology for one second. He’d planned this. He’d known from the moment he invited her out here that he would make a play for her. It was what he did. And she had been a fool to think otherwise.
‘Not only do you swim like a mermaid but you also looked like one as you stood there with your hair hanging loose.’ His eyes lowered and Lucinda became aware of her nipples pushing against the silky fabric of her top. It was plain white and far too revealing. In fact, she realised with instant horror, it had gone almost transparent!
Her cheeks flamed. It was a new bikini, not tried out in the water, bought more for sunbathing than anything else. She had thought it would look good against a tan. Inwardly, though, she stiffened her spine. Not for anything would she let Zane see her embarrassment. With her chin high she met his gaze. ‘Maybe I was one in a previous life.’
‘I’m surprised you don’t have a boyfriend.’
The statement was sudden and unexpected and Lucinda’s eyes widened. ‘Why do you want to know?’
‘Because it’s unusual for a woman as beautiful as you.’
Lucinda shook her head, wishing he wouldn’t keep complimenting her. She knew he was doing it so that she’d feel flattered and fall into his arms. Hadn’t he realised yet that he’d picked the wrong person?
‘I was engaged once,’ she finally admitted.
Blue eyes expressed interest. ‘And?’ he prompted when she didn’t continue.
‘I went out with him for nearly four years.’
Zane’s eyebrows rose and his interest increased. ‘That’s a long time.’
‘Too long, I guess,’ she acknowledged with a hint of irony in her voice.
‘So what happened?’
‘He dropped me for someone else. We’d actually planned the wedding. I was devastated.’ Lord, why on earth was she opening up to him? It was so out of character. And in any case Zane was the last person she wanted to tell her life story to. She couldn’t believe the effect he was having on her. First she’d let him kiss her, now she was revealing confidences. What next?
Zane saw the pain in her eyes, mistook it for unhappiness over her past and immediately pulled her into his arms.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
The hell he was! How could he be when he didn’t know her or Simon? It was another excuse to get close. She should never have told him. She’d actually given him some ammunition. ‘I don’t need your pity,’ she declared, struggling to free herself. ‘I’m over it now.’
Zane released her but he didn’t move away. ‘No, you’re not,’ he declared. ‘You’ve erected a barrier.’
He was right; Simon was her defence. She had only to think about the way he’d treated her to put her off any man who tried to get close. And that included the gorgeous, extremely sexy Zane Alexander.
It didn’t count that his brief kiss of a few seconds ago had aroused feelings that she had thought long since dead. And, if she were honest with herself, they were sensations that went incredibly deeper than any she had ever felt with Simon. Simon had been her one and only lover so she’d had no one to compare him with. Until now!
At this point Lucinda angrily dashed her thoughts away. They were unwanted. It didn’t matter whether Zane was the most fantastic lover of all time; she had no intention of finding out.
‘I don’t want to discuss this any more,’ she declared tightly. ‘I’m going to rest in my room for a while.’ She might even stay there until morning. She’d had enough of Zane’s company for one day.
Zane’s smile told her that he knew exactly what she was thinking. ‘Have you ever sat outside on a tropical night and watched the stars?’ he asked quietly. ‘Have you ever listened to the chirruping of cicadas? Have you smelled the heady perfume of the flowers? Don’t miss out on it all because of a misguided sense of trust.’
Misguided? Lucinda didn’t think so. Zane was forgetting that she knew exactly the sort of uncaring person he was. He might try to romance her, to seduce her even, but once they returned to England and her job was finished she would be just as quickly forgotten. Maybe other girls were into affairs, especially with rich, handsome men, but not this one.
To her relief Zane didn’t insist on an answer. She fled to her room, showered and then flung herself down on the bed. To take her mind off Zane and his kiss, she began planning how she would decorate the room. She had brought several fabric swatches with her as well as paint samples and pages out of furniture catalogues, but it soon became clear that she would be far better going into Castries and seeing what they had to offer there. It needed something with a local flavour. The capital was sure to have a good selection of shops. She would suggest it to Zane tomorrow and hopefully he would put a car and driver at her disposal.
But all thoughts of decorating left her when a tap came on her door. Instantly she thought it was Zane and was prepared to tell him to go away, when the door was pushed tentatively open and the maid popped her head inside. ‘Excuse me, Miss Oliver. Mr Alexander has asked for you to join him,’ she announced with a wide smile.
It was easy to see that she thought the sun shone out of Zane’s eyes.
‘Tell him I’m tired and that I’m staying here,’ said Lucinda.
‘He said not to take no for an answer,’ the pretty dark-skinned girl answered, looking worried. ‘He is ready to eat.’
Lucinda groaned inwardly. ‘Very well,’ she agreed, not wishing to get the maid into trouble. ‘Tell him I’ll be along shortly.’
Her shortly amounted to half an hour and when she opened her bedroom door she was taken aback to see a thunderous Zane about to make an entrance. ‘I was just coming to fetch you,’ he growled. ‘What the hell have you been doing?’
‘Reluctantly getting myself ready,’ she answered, chin high. ‘I rather fancied an early night. You’re forgetting the time difference.’ Her tone was sharp, her eyes growing as angry as his. ‘I would have been in bed were I at home. You’re being unreasonable, Zane.’ But then wasn’t that Zane Alexander all over?
‘And you’re not?’ he grunted, his eyes roving over the coral silk blouse she had donned with a pair of matching trousers. It was loose enough to be cool and also not to show the way her nipples stood to attention under his scrutiny.
It was a long, hard look he gave her before he swung on his heel and she had no choice but to follow him through to the dining room. Someone had done their best to make it look cheerful with tastefully arranged urns of flowers but Lucinda’s professional eye was soon making changes. Like all the other rooms, it was spacious and light and it had the most wonderful views, but it was badly in need of a makeover. The furniture was old and jaded and the curtains at the windows had certainly seen better days.
Their table was placed so that they both sat looking out through the open window with its glorious view. By this time the sun had gone down and the sky was filled with stunning colours—gold and scarlet, the inkiest of blacks and the richest purples, all reflected with even more intensity in the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Her mood mellowed as she sat looking at it.
And when dishes of food were placed in front of them she discovered a hunger that she hadn’t suspected. Fish broth, Creole baked chicken, fresh fruit. She tasted them all. She enjoyed them all. They hardly spoke; such was the enchantment of the evening. Or was it because Zane was still angry with her that he didn’t say much? Lucinda couldn’t be sure.
Afterwards, as they sat outside on the terrace sipping wine, listening to the sounds of the night and gazing at the stars that were surely more brilliant than they ever were in England, she felt amazingly content. This was an experience that would stay with her for a long time.
Until suddenly she became aware that Zane was watching her and not the darkening sky, and although the night air was cool her skin grew moist with sudden heat. This was truly a place made for lovers—and he was looking at her as though that was his intention.
‘You’re very beautiful, Lucinda,’ he said roughly. ‘Far more beautiful than I remember.’
‘That’s because when I was babysitting Tim you were never there,’ she reminded him, unable to keep a note of censure from her voice. ‘You hardly had time to notice me.’
‘I guess I did have other things on my mind,’ he agreed. ‘But not so now. This is one of those rare occasions when I can relax. And I have you to keep me company. What more could a man ask for? A beautiful lady in a most beautiful part of the world.’
‘I’m here to work,’ she reminded him. She didn’t like the way he was talking—as though their time here was for his pleasure alone.
‘You know what they say about all work and no play,’ he reminded her, his eyes a dark blue in the light that spilled out from the dining room. It gilded his features with bronze. His face was beautifully sculpted with an almost Roman nose and chiselled cheek bones and a mouth that was fluent and kissable and…She stopped her thoughts right there.
What he looked like was of no interest to her whatsoever, and she’d do well to remember it. Except that he’d set light to a fire inside her and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be kissed by him again out here in the moonlight.
That earlier brief kiss, no matter how much she had resented it, had opened up her defences. She was susceptible to him now. And, judging by the look in his eyes, he knew it! They were narrowed and intent on hers, reading her dilemma, knowing exactly how she felt. It was time she left. But when she pushed back her chair and stood up a hand shot out and caught her wrist.
‘Don’t leave yet,’ said Zane. ‘The evening is still young and I have no wish to spend it alone.’ And all the time he was speaking he was pulling her inexorably towards him.
The air between them crackled with tension, warning her that if she didn’t escape now it would be too late. But did she want to escape? Wasn’t this devastatingly attractive man setting alight fires inside her that had never been lit before? Wasn’t he arousing passions that no one else but he could quench?
Yes, but…
But what? asked an inner voice.
But nothing! There was no but about it. She was being foolish. If she didn’t put a stop to things now she would hate herself later. ‘I want to go to my room,’ she told him firmly, trying to no avail to tug her hand free. ‘I really am very tired.’
‘And I’d like you here with me. Please stay.’
Their eyes met and held, his fingers relaxed and suddenly her hand was free, but instead of turning and running Lucinda amazed herself by slipping quietly back on to her chair. It was the way he’d said ‘Please stay’ that had done it. It had been an unexpected ‘please’. Not what she was used to from this man. Perhaps he was lonely? After all they were both in a strange place with no one else to turn to for company.
‘Very well,’ she agreed quietly, ‘but not for long. I should go to bed.’
Gradually she relaxed. Zane seemed to be in a mood for not saying very much and she too was content to sit quietly. Nevertheless his nearness could not be ignored. The heady scent of him invaded her nostrils and if she closed her eyes and listened intently she could even hear him breathing. There were so many other night sounds around them and yet Zane’s breathing and the constant thud of her heart were the only ones that she heard.
‘What are you thinking?’
His voice broke the silence and made her jump. ‘How beautiful it is out here,’ she lied.
‘But not as beautiful as you.’
Her eyes shot wide and her heart rate increased. ‘You shouldn’t be saying that, Zane. We’re here on business. Or at least I am.’ But never had a job taken her to such a faraway magical place. Everything here was beautiful.
He inched his chair nearer to hers. ‘I’m glad you said that you’re here on business and not me, because I don’t normally like to mix business with pleasure. As things stand, I have no such dilemma.’ Again he edged his chair closer, so close this time that there was but a hair’s breadth between them.
Lucinda drew in a swift breath, trying to ignore the alarming sensations that were pulsing in every single one of her cells. He was going to kiss her; she was very much aware of it, and if she had any sense she would flee. But sense and sensibility didn’t show their heads; instead she felt an aching need that only he could assuage and when he tipped her chin with a firm finger she willingly parted her lips.
Zane had wanted to do this ever since Lucinda had walked into his office just over a week ago. She had transformed herself into a stunningly beautiful businesswoman. Not only beautiful but hellishly sexy as well.
But he was aware, very much so, and she was driving him crazy. He had begun to think that he would never get anywhere with her—and he had taken a huge gamble when he’d kissed her earlier. Brief though that kiss had been, he had become immediately aware that she wasn’t immune to him. It had given him the encouragement he needed.
He had heard it said that St Lucia was born beautiful. That was true of Lucinda as well. Just as the beauty of nature enhanced the island, an inner beauty made Lucinda one of the most striking women he had ever met. She was completely unaware of it but to him it was like a beckoning beacon. He wanted her so badly that it hurt.
And when she showed no sign of resisting him, when she seemed to melt into his arms, he groaned deep within his throat and, pulling her on to his lap, he deepened his kiss.
He traced her lips with his tongue, he tasted the nectarlike sweetness of her, he explored the intricacies of her mouth, and all the time he could feel the throb of her heart getting stronger and stronger. And the soft warmth of her body growing hotter and hotter.
His own desire surged and when Lucinda wriggled against him he knew that she was aware of his arousal. The beauty of it was that it didn’t frighten her away. On the contrary, she sucked in his kisses like a drowning woman, letting her tongue play with his, her hands shaping his head, fingers twisting in his hair, her passion growing with each second that passed.
What he wanted to do, what he really wanted to do, was pick her up and take her to bed. But he knew that it was far too soon. So he continued to kiss her and slowly he let his hand glide over one of her breasts. When he discovered that she was not wearing a bra beneath the coral silk it nearly drove him wild.
He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her nipple until it tightened into a hard nub. And then he did the same to her other breast. And all the time she said nothing. Not that he wasn’t aware of her heightened excitement. Her breathing came in much shorter gasps and her fingers tightened in his hair until he felt that if she wasn’t careful she would pull it out by the roots.
Very slowly he released his mouth from hers and with even more painfully slow progress he nibbled his way down to her beckoning breasts, at the same time flipping open her blouse buttons so that they were revealed in all their naked glory to his greedy eyes.
Then he sucked each burning nipple in turn into his mouth, exulting when he heard her moans of pleasure, when she held him against her as though she never wanted him to stop. She tasted as sweet as she smelled and he knew he ought to call a halt before he came to the point when he couldn’t.
It was a tiny noise that did it. The sound of something shattering inside the house! A dropped plate perhaps, or a glass! Followed by a smothered cry. And it broke the spell.
He lifted his face to look at her. He saw sweetness and softness and wonderment. Lips that were moist and slightly swollen. Eyes that were glowing orbs of pleasure but with a question in them too. She was asking herself how this could have happened.
And he wanted to ask the same.
Was it the sweet night air that had seduced their senses? Was it their exotic surroundings? Was it the magic of the island? Or was it simply that when push came to shove she couldn’t resist him? He’d really given her little choice. She had wanted to retire to her room. Instead he had insisted she join him. What had happened next was inevitable. Except that for some reason his conscience bothered him. It didn’t normally. Most women he knew enjoyed his kisses. But Lucinda was different.
‘I shouldn’t have done that,’ he growled, but he said it so quietly that it was possible she hadn’t heard.
‘No, you shouldn’t,’ she agreed, also very quietly. ‘It went beyond the bounds of our contract. However, I’m prepared to forget it, provided it never happens again.’ And with that she pulled her blouse together and walked away with her head held high.
Lucinda could not believe that she had let Zane kiss her again. And not only on the lips! She’d let him undress her and taste her breasts, and touch them, and arouse them, and make her lose her mind. Oh, God, the pleasure he had given her! Even thinking about it recreated the sensations.
Indoors in her room she touched where he had touched. She looked at herself in the mirror. Saw the dreamy arousal in her eyes, the soft glow to her skin, and when she grazed her thumb lightly over her nipples the full sweet sensations winged once again through the very heart of her.
What was she to do? Amazingly he had apologised so perhaps he wouldn’t touch her again. But Lord help her—she wanted him to. He had given her a taste of what it could be like between them and she wanted to feed from it like a starving animal.
It was this island that did it, she felt sure. It was an exotic paradise just made for lovers. Had Zane known that when he brought her here? Or had St Lucia woven its spell over him too? He struck her as a man well able to control his emotions—so what had happened?
He needed a woman, that was what had happened. And she had been the only one available!
Looking at it like that made Lucinda tighten her lips. The magic was over, the spell broken. It didn’t have to be her; it could have been anyone. Zane Alexander had an insatiable sexual appetite. She must never forget that. He was used to a whole coterie of women sitting at his feet, waiting for his favours. He’d probably never been turned down.
What a shock he had in store!
CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_e68d7eae-bbf1-54ec-bbad-31addeb836e5)
NOT surprisingly Lucinda’s body refused to settle down and she slept little that night. She could still feel Zane’s touch, still smell the male scent of him, still experience rushes of pleasure whenever she remembered what he had done to her.
And the thought that he was in the next room played a big part as well. She had lain awake listening for him to come to bed and an hour or more had passed before she heard his soft footsteps and his door opening and closing. Even then she strained to hear the sounds of him moving about the room—and it was well into the early hours before all was still and quiet.
She slept intermittently but as soon as the first lazy fingers of dawn stretched across the sky Lucinda sprang out of bed. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, tied her hair back in a ponytail and set off to explore. The temperature outside was perfect, but she knew that all too soon the heat of the day would take over and she would wish herself back in the air-conditioned house.
The gardens were lush and green with a plethora of ferns and palms and exotic flowers that she did not know the names of. She discovered a path and followed it down the hillside. It became steeper and steeper with a handrail to the side and eventually Lucinda found herself on the shore, with the bay to her right with its dozens of moored yachts and cruisers, and to her left a long stretch of almost white sand.
By now the sun had painted the sky in a fleeting burst of red and apricot, until it rose majestically above the horizon and the colours muted and disappeared altogether. There was not another soul about and Lucinda kicked off her sandals and walked along the shore. The sea was tempting and although she had nothing to change into she ran into the lapping waves, laughing and splashing, until she was in deep enough to swim.
The water felt like silk against her skin and she raised her arms in long lazy strokes, enjoying the feeling of being at one with nature. She floated on her back, watched the birds wheeling and crying above, and was thinking of returning to the house when she became conscious of someone swimming beside her.
‘Zane!’ How had he got here? In no time flutters of anxiety filled her nerves. She had been enjoying her time alone. Now all she could remember was last night and him kissing her.
Zane grinned at her shocked face. ‘Is that all you have to say? Zane?’
‘I didn’t expect you. I didn’t even see you,’ she retorted, annoyed to feel her heart racing all over again.
‘Why are you up so early? Couldn’t you sleep? Wasn’t the bed comfortable?’
As if by mutual consent, they both turned and headed for the shore. ‘The bed was very comfortable, thank you,’ she replied, looking him straight in the eye. ‘It was my thoughts that kept me awake.’
‘Now let me think,’ he said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. ‘Would they be thoughts about the project in hand? Were you busy imagining how you are going to transform my place? Or would your thoughts have been about—’ he paused deliberately, his eyes twinkling with humour ‘—what happened between us last night? I know I said I shouldn’t have done it, but I’m not sorry I did. Your boyfriend was a fool to let you go.’
By now they had reached shallow waters and they waded out and stood for a moment on the shore facing each other. Lord, he was sexy, thought Lucinda. He wore a pair of brief black swim-shorts and his body was tanned and firm and her fingers simply itched to touch him.
Heat flooded her. They were insane thoughts. She must learn to curb them. ‘Don’t flatter yourself,’ she said with a hint of anger in her voice. ‘It was the project I was thinking about. I’d actually like to go into Castries and see what’s on offer. Do you have a car I can use?’
‘Better still, I’ll come with you,’ he said without hesitation.
‘No!’ Lucinda’s voice came out in something like a panic-ridden shriek and she immediately amended it. ‘I mean, no, I’ll be better off alone. I’ll probably spend hours looking around. You’d be totally bored.’
His eyes told her that he could never be bored in her company, but what he said was, ‘Do you not think I should have a say in what you’re going to do?’
‘Naturally,’ said Lucinda. ‘But not until I’ve developed a few ideas. I need time to myself. Both in your house and when I’m sourcing furniture and materials.’
‘Mmm!’ Zane touched a finger to his lips. ‘That might be difficult.’
Lucinda frowned.
‘You see I’m not very good at spending time by myself. I need company.’ Blue eyes challenged hers, sending shivers of sensation down her spine.
Lucinda shook off the feeling as well as she could. Not easy when the sexiest man in the universe was standing less than a metre away. ‘You more or less told me that this would be a base,’ she declared resentfully. ‘Can’t you go and do some work somewhere?’
‘I could,’ he agreed. ‘But you know what they say about all work and no play making Jack a dull boy. I should hate to appear dull.’
That would be impossible, thought Lucinda. Zane? Dull? Never!
His mouth twitched as he waited for her response.
‘Since I am here to work,’ she told him, ‘I see no reason why you shouldn’t work also. You can’t possibly sit around for days on end.’
‘I don’t intend to do that,’ he told her. ‘This transformation of my house, or whatever you like to call it, is going to be a joint effort. It’s so rare I take time off work that I’m actually looking forward to it.’
Lucinda groaned inwardly. She hadn’t really thought about what Zane would do while she was working; but she most certainly hadn’t imagined he would want to spend much of his time with her—certainly not all of it! It would make her job impossible.
Maybe if he hadn’t kissed her, maybe if she weren’t so very much aware of the way her body reacted to his, then it would work. But already, after only a few hours on the island, she could see the physical impossibility of anything like that happening.
‘How can I think with you around?’ she asked him bluntly.
And how could he act normally when a woman as exceptionally beautiful and desirable as Lucinda was living with him but was taboo? Zane knew he was behaving like a complete moron. It wasn’t usual for him to lust over a member of the opposite sex. It was usually they who came to him.
Women hung around him in droves. And he knew why. Money! Power! It was an aphrodisiac to some of the female population. Lucinda was different. She’d had a bad experience, and a bad role model in her mother apparently, and was well and truly off men.
Although—and it pleased him somewhat to realise this—she hadn’t been entirely averse to his kiss last night. It had eventually sent her running, yes, but she had nevertheless enjoyed it. Indeed her reaction had been far more intense and exciting than he had expected.
‘As a professional woman I’m quite sure you’ll be able to get on with your job,’ he assured her, ‘despite my presence. Now, let’s go up and have some breakfast. I don’t know about you, but that swim’s made me hungry.’
He touched a hand to her elbow and led her to a door in the cliff face. A glass door! He smiled at her surprised expression. ‘The previous owner had a lift installed for his invalid wife. We may as well make use of it; it’s a stiff climb otherwise.’
Zane could see the doubt in Lucinda’s eyes—and quite incredible green eyes they were too. Sometimes they were as dark as the deepest ocean and at others, like now, they were the lightest aquamarine. They enchanted him. But he could see that she wasn’t happy about sharing the lift. Maybe she was thinking about last night’s kiss. That incredible kiss! She had run like a scared rabbit afterwards but he had a feeling that she had enjoyed it as much as he had.
It was so unusual for him to be happy about taking time off from his business affairs that he knew this attractive woman had something to do with it. A lot to do with it, in fact! Everything to do with it! She was totally gorgeous. Although he wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, Lucinda had a lot more going for her than most of the women he dated.
As Lucinda stepped into the lift and the door swished closed behind her she felt a shiver of apprehension. The confined space worried her. She knew what Zane could do to her senses—without even touching her. And here, now, he was so close that she could almost feel the electricity crackling between them.
She tried to concentrate on the view instead. It was totally magical being whisked silently upwards with the whole panorama opening out in front of them. The yachts grew smaller, the ocean wider, the sky immense. And inside their little space the walls were padded with ocean coloured leather. It was out of this world.
Except that it was a tiny world holding just her and Zane. She could feel the heat of his body, inhale the fresh scent of him, and her fingers curled into fists at her sides.
‘Is something wrong?’
She hadn’t realised that Zane had observed her tension.
‘Are you scared of heights?’ The shore was a long way below them now.
Lucinda grabbed the excuse. ‘Yes,’ she lied faintly. But it was entirely the wrong thing to have said. The next second Zane’s arms were wrapped protectively around her, her head held firmly against his chest, her eyes shaded from the view outside.
‘A few more moments,’ he told her.
More like a lifetime, she thought, fighting to control the sensations that were whizzing through her veins. And when he, oh so gently, stroked damp strands of hair from her face such was her surge of feelings that she wanted to press herself even closer to him.
Fortunately, before she had time to give herself away, the lift came to a halt and the doors opened. Zane immediately released her and Lucinda stepped out. They were at the side of the pump house, near the pool. It was no wonder that she hadn’t seen the lift before.
‘I’ll go and get showered,’ she said at once.
Zane nodded. ‘We’ll meet at breakfast and afterwards we’ll make that trip into Castries.’
Lucinda did not want him to accompany her, but she knew without a shadow of doubt that he wouldn’t take no for an answer so she smiled bravely.
Their en suite bathrooms were back to back and when Lucinda finished her shower she could hear Zane’s water still running and above it she could hear him humming. It depressed her. He was clearly happy with the situation even though she wasn’t. But if it was in his mind to start an affair then he would need to think again. There was no way she was going to take part in anything like that. No way!
This job was unlike any other she had worked on. She had thought, initially, that it would be a good experience. And it would be, if it weren’t for Zane. Had she known they would be spending so much time together, she would most certainly not have taken the job. How did he expect her to do what he was paying her for if he insisted on commandeering her attention? He had told her that he had business interests here in St Lucia, so why wasn’t he out there working?
Lucinda took her time dressing and Zane was already sitting at the breakfast table when she walked out to the sun deck. The air was warmer now but the mountain breeze ruffled her hair and was very welcome, although not all of the heat in her body was due to the weather.
On the table was a huge dish of fresh fruit, already peeled and sliced; there were bread rolls and butter and cheeses and ham, a selection of juices and cereals. ‘I wasn’t sure whether you’d like a cooked breakfast?’ he asked.
Lucinda shook her head. She didn’t feel that she could eat a thing.
‘Likewise. I always eat continental when I’m in a hot country. At least we have something in common.’
Not quite sure how to answer that, Lucinda let it go and poured herself a glass of mango juice.
‘Tell me more about this guy who let you down,’ said Zane conversationally when she had selected a bread roll and buttered it carefully. So carefully in fact that it took her ages and she hadn’t noticed that Zane was watching her. ‘He’s really affected you, hasn’t he?’
Lucinda frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ he asked. ‘You seem extremely wary of men—unless it’s just me?’
‘It’s not you,’ she lied, ‘although it was definitely a mistake letting you kiss me. Rest assured it won’t happen again. This is a business trip, neither of us must forget that.’ She felt sudden heat flood her cheeks as she reminded him of the kiss and hoped he would put it down to the warmth of the day.
‘So in future you’re Miss Prim, is that it?’ His smoky blue eyes teased her. ‘Or would it be Miss Untouchable?’
‘I happen to take my work seriously,’ she reminded him fiercely. ‘I wouldn’t have got where I am quite so quickly if I didn’t.’
‘Tell me about your ex-fiancé. I’m interested in him.’
Lucinda sighed and leaned back in her chair. ‘There’s not much to tell.’
‘Four years was a long relationship. Time enough surely for you to both know your own minds?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘I was so sure he was the one.’
‘Most people get married or at least move in together in far less time than that,’ he observed. ‘Which perhaps suggests that he was never the right person for you. Did you ever have reservations?’
‘None at all,’ she answered, feeling the pain of their parting all over again. ‘Simon and I met at university. It wasn’t love at first sight or anything like that. But we gradually began to see more of each other and I suppose we slipped into the relationship. Nevertheless I did love him; I could see a future for us together. But obviously he didn’t. I don’t know who he left me for and I don’t really care.’ But she had cared when it happened and she had tried to find out who the other woman was. Not that it would have done her any good. Simon had gone, deserted her. All the love he had sworn for her had sailed into thin air.
Zane reached across the table and put his hand over hers. ‘You’re well rid of him. You deserve better.’
And when she looked into the smoky depths of his eyes Lucinda saw compassion and wondered if he was suggesting himself. He didn’t stand a cat in hell’s chance. She definitely felt attracted to him, but that was pure sex, nothing more. When, or if, she ever did fall in love again he would have to be someone special, someone whom she could trust and love unconditionally, and who felt the same way. Zane Alexander most definitely didn’t fit that bill.
She pulled her hand away, trying to do it so that he didn’t realise how much he had the power to disturb her. And she broke off a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth.
‘Anyway, we’re not here to talk about ourselves,’ she said firmly.
‘So what else is there to talk about?’
Anything but themselves!
‘Would you like to tell me what you’re thinking of doing to my bedroom, for instance?’ he asked with a hint of a smile.
Swift heat flooded her. Bedrooms were as much a taboo subject as Simon and her manless state. She still thought of silver and grey and ice-blue, although maybe the ice part wasn’t right any more. He was a man of passion. Maybe hot red or fiery purple would make more sense.
Careful not to let him see that the thought of discussing his bedroom disturbed her, she looked at him with cool green eyes. ‘You’ve not yet given me time to come up with any ideas.’
‘There’s a reason behind that,’ he announced calmly.
Lucinda frowned.
‘Before you can design for me you need to get to know me. Properly know me, I mean. Isn’t that the way you usually work?’
‘I like to get a general idea of what clients like and dislike, a little about their personalities perhaps, but—’
‘That’s exactly what I mean,’ Zane declared in triumph. ‘My personality! Can you honestly say that you know me yet?’
She knew enough, thought Lucinda. Enough to want to steer clear of him, to avoid him like the plague, in fact. Even now, sitting here, talking to him, she couldn’t ignore his sexuality. Even his hair was sexy. It was dry now and back to its golden colour, totally untamed, and she wanted to run her fingers through it and stroke it into place. Crazy, she knew, but she couldn’t help herself.
‘No, you can’t, can you?’ he said when she didn’t answer. ‘We need a few days together before you start the thinking process. We’ll go into Castries together, and you can look all you like at whatever it is you need to look at, but primarily it should be pleasure, not work. We’ll dine there—I know a perfect restaurant—and then—’
‘Stop!’ It was Lucinda’s turn to hold up her hand. ‘Don’t run away with yourself. My time’s money, don’t forget. The longer I’m here, the more it’s going to cost you.’
‘I don’t mind,’ he declared indifferently, just as she had known he would. ‘I haven’t had a proper holiday in years.’
‘This isn’t a holiday,’ she reminded him.
His voice went an octave lower. ‘Wouldn’t you like it to be?’
Yes, she would, very much so. But it was far too dangerous. Zane was dangerous. The most dangerous man she had ever met. He was sex on two legs. He did dangerous things to her without even trying.
Even now, sitting here in this most beautiful of places, she was indifferent to her surroundings. Zane was the whole focus of her attention. He had made it that way. And, try as she might, she could not rid herself of him. He filled her thoughts to the extent of all else. How she was going to complete the job she was being paid for she did not know.
‘You haven’t answered my question.’ The low rumble of his voice as he leaned slightly forward reverberated through her nerve-endings as though he was touching each one of them singly, as though he was tuning her body for—for whatever he wanted to do to her. Lucinda felt her breathing quicken and she was afraid to look at him.
‘Business and pleasure don’t mix,’ she declared firmly. Was it she who’d said that before, or Zane? She couldn’t remember. Nothing in her mind was clear any more.
‘It seems to me that you need taking in hand, Lucinda Oliver,’ he said sternly. ‘You’re far too serious. Come, eat some more breakfast and we’ll go out and have fun.’
Castries was a mixture of ancient and modern—glass, concrete and steel vied with wooden buildings with graceful balconies and latticework. ‘It’s because they’ve had a series of fires over the centuries,’ Zane told her when Lucinda commented on the diversity of the architecture.
The market-place was busy and colourful and full of the aroma of spices and tropical fruit. Everyone was friendly and talkative and Lucinda began to relax and enjoy herself. Zane too was being friendly and nothing more. He made no demands of her and for this she was grateful.
They left the main shopping area until last and when Lucinda lost herself in swathes of materials and grew ecstatic over oceans of beautiful furniture Zane left her to her own devices. He was either bored, she decided, or being tactful. Whichever, she appreciated it and when she finally decided that she’d had enough she was weighed down with brochures and samples and ideas.
They had arranged to meet at a restaurant he had pointed out to her earlier. The best one in Castries, so Zane had said. An attentive waiter took away her packages and showed her to the bar where Zane was waiting for her. At first she did not see him; then she discovered him sitting in a deep armchair—and opposite him, laughing at something he had said, was a very beautiful young woman, dusky-skinned and black-haired and very, very sensuous.
For a few seconds Lucinda stood watching them. She saw an intimacy that made her feel uneasy. Zane was at his flirtatious best and his companion was hanging on to his every word, and on to every look from those gorgeous bluey-grey eyes and every breath that he took.
Lucinda suddenly felt as if she was an unwanted third party. Her happiness evaporated as quickly as smoke from a chimney and she turned swiftly on her heel. At the same time Zane looked up and saw her.
CHAPTER SIX (#ulink_48d16071-a3f2-561b-bddc-03e71d6ee472)
‘LUCINDA!’
Lucinda ignored Zane. She didn’t want to listen to any fancy excuses. He had just compounded her belief that members of the female sex were his playthings. And, Lord help her, she had almost fallen into the trap herself.
It was maybe a good thing that she had caught him working his charm. Judging by what she had seen, his companion was well and truly besotted. Was it someone he had picked up while waiting for her? Or someone he already knew? Whatever the case, Lucinda felt well and truly let down. In fact she felt an idiot. She had been in grave danger of making a very big fool of herself.
‘Lucinda!’ Zane’s hand fell heavily on her shoulder. ‘Where are you going?’
‘I didn’t want to intrude on what looked like a very cosy twosome,’ she told him coolly, shrugging his hand away and continuing her swift exit.
‘Nonsense, you wouldn’t be intruding,’ said Zane firmly. ‘Serafine is a friend of mine; I’d like you to meet her.’
‘Why?’ she demanded. ‘You were clearly bored following me around—I did tell you that I’d prefer to do the job my myself—and she is a welcome diversion. I have no wish to come between you.’ She hated to acknowledge the fact, even to herself, that she felt deadly jealous of Zane’s beautiful friend and she most certainly wasn’t going to let Zane know. ‘I’ll make my own way back.’
‘Oh, no, you won’t,’ growled Zane. ‘You’ll join us for dinner.’ And he took her by the elbow and forcibly led her across the room.
Serafine smiled as they approached. ‘Lucinda, it’s good to meet you,’ she exclaimed. ‘Zane has told me how clever you are.’
Lucinda wanted to ignore Serafine’s outstretched hand, but one glance at Zane’s stern face and she decided against it. ‘It is good to meet a friend of Zane’s too,’ she said quietly, hoping she sounded more sincere than she felt.
‘I would not know where to start if I were transforming his house. It is all right when you are doing it for yourself, but for someone else—how do you do that? Unless you know that person intimately?’
Lucinda had no wish to discuss her job with this woman, with her huge expressive brown eyes and a wide smile which revealed beautifully even white teeth. She was stunning, and would have been even if she weren’t dressed in a haute couture suit and expensive jewellery.
Serafine fingered a diamond and emerald ring as she looked at Zane and Lucinda couldn’t help wondering whether he had bought it for her. The way Serafine kept touching it, and the way she looked at Zane as she did so, was highly suspicious. Maybe Serafine had been throwing out a big hint when she’d mentioned intimate relationships. Not that it worried her. Why should it? She already knew that Zane was into relationships. Nothing permanent, just fun while they lasted!
And she had very nearly become a statistic! Just as Serafine would be one! Did the girl know it? Was she as used as Zane to playing the field?
‘You do need to get to know your client,’ she answered. ‘Their preferences, their dislikes, et cetera. It would be pointless filling a place with furniture that they absolutely hated.’
‘Hence you and Zane staying in the house together?’ suggested Serafine, her brown eyes steady on Lucinda’s. ‘Zane is a man of mystery as far as I am concerned. He never tells me much about himself. Maybe now that he has bought a house here it will change? Perhaps I will see more of him.’ Her eyes switched to Zane, brilliant and flirtatious, suggesting that she would like something far more permanent from their relationship.
Zane’s smile was enigmatic; Lucinda was not sure what to read into it. Serafine, on the other hand, touched her hand to his and he took it, his smile changing, becoming gradually more intimate. ‘Maybe,’ he agreed, his voice a low seductive growl.
Lucinda wanted to get up and walk out; she felt sickened by this open display of—of what? Not simple affection, that was for sure. Lust, perhaps. Physical need. As she had once experienced with Zane!
It had been powerful and she regretted it now. And, looking at Serafine, she knew that this woman had also experienced the magic of Zane’s kisses. They’d probably even made love! Lucinda’s throat closed painfully and she wanted to get up and walk away, but of course that was impossible. She had no intention of letting Zane know how much his attitude towards Serafine affected her.
She was annoyed with herself actually for feeling this way—especially so soon after the Simon affair.
‘What would you like to drink, Lucinda?’ Zane’s attention was once again on her.
‘Whatever you’re having,’ she answered with a shrug. She didn’t care. What she really wanted was to go home. Home? It was odd to be calling Zane’s house home, but she supposed that that was what it was for the time being, and she ought to be there working, not sitting around with Zane and one of his female friends.
With her drink placed in front of her Lucinda continued to seethe over the situation into which she had been forced, and when the three of them went through to the restaurant she felt like screaming. Nevertheless she did her best to be pleasant and talkative and when the time came for them to leave she smiled warmly at Serafine. ‘It’s been nice meeting you.’
‘You too,’ agreed the other woman. ‘You must ask Zane to bring you to my restaurant again.’
‘That was Serafine’s restaurant?’ asked Lucinda with a frown once she had collected her parcels and they were outside. ‘She owns it?’
Zane smiled and nodded, taking the packets off Lucinda and tucking them beneath his arm. ‘She’s some girl. It’s not the only place she owns.’
‘But she never said.’ Lucinda felt that she had been left in ignorance deliberately.
‘That’s because she’s extremely modest,’ said Zane, more than a hint of admiration in his voice.
‘Have you known her long?’
‘We met at a conference in England a few years ago,’ he answered and Lucinda thought she saw a faraway look in his eyes. ‘And I’ve seen her on and off ever since. I’m very fond of her.’
And Serafine was more than fond of Zane!
‘Why all the questions?’ His blue eyes levelled on hers curiously. ‘Forgive me for saying it, but you sound jealous.’
‘Me? Jealous?’ Lucinda was alarmed to hear a faint squeak in her voice. ‘Why would I be jealous of a friend of someone I’m simply doing a job for?’
‘You did kiss me.’
He looked highly indignant and Lucinda was about to make some scathing remark when she realised that he was teasing her and she smiled faintly. ‘Nevertheless,’ she said firmly, ‘I have no intention of being one of your numerous conquests.’
‘Numerous?’ he repeated, his eyes narrowing.
‘I bet there’s a girl in every corner of the world willing to go to bed with you.’
‘You think Serafine and I are lovers?’
‘Well, aren’t you?’
Zane gave a mysterious smile. ‘My private life is just that, Lucinda. Private.’
They reached the car, where the driver sat patiently waiting, and as she climbed into it Lucinda was left thinking the worst. It shouldn’t have worried her; Zane was employing her to do a job for him—nothing more, nothing less. The fact that he had kissed her was of no consequence. It meant nothing to him; it should have meant nothing to her. The trouble was she couldn’t forget the kiss. It played over and over in her mind and she hated to admit it but she wanted more.
The next day Lucinda kept well out of Zane’s way, studying the rooms, consulting her samples, doing the work she was being paid to do. She had brought her laptop with her and spent time building up composites of each of the rooms in turn. In fact she kept herself so busy that until she stopped work she wasn’t aware that Zane had left the house.
‘Mr Alexander went out before lunch,’ the maid informed her, and it wasn’t difficult to guess where he had gone. Zane craved female company and since she wasn’t making herself available…
Images of the beautiful Serafine kept popping into her head and when Zane didn’t come home until late that evening Lucinda knew that her assumption was correct.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked as he walked into the house and saw her heading towards her bedroom.
‘Bed, of course,’ she answered. ‘It’s late.’
‘You’ve shut me out the whole day,’ he said. ‘I think I deserve a little of your time now.’
‘I’ve shut you out?’ she questioned sharply. ‘I’ve merely been doing the job you’re paying me for.’
‘And I have been out on business too. So a little leisure time together will do us both good.’ He sounded cross, as though he was paying her to spend time with him and she was failing in her duty.
‘If you insist,’ she conceded irritably. ‘I am rather tired, though; I’ve had a busy day.’
‘And a productive one, I hope?’ he asked, an eyebrow raised questioningly. ‘When am I going to see these ideas of yours?’
‘Whenever you like,’ answered Lucinda. ‘I’m about ready to discuss them with you. I realise that there will probably be things you don’t like, but—’
‘Hold on!’ Zane held up his hand. ‘I have no intention of talking business tonight. I simply want your company.’
And what else? she couldn’t help wondering. But it didn’t stop her agreeing to stay with him. In actual fact she wanted his company too, needed it even. One taste of him and she had become infatuated. One taste and she wanted more, even though she had sworn to herself that she would never let him kiss her again. Surely they could sit together and talk like two sensible adults and not take their relationship any further?
They sat outside beneath the moon and the stars, sipping wine and not saying very much at all. The sky was midnight-blue. The sea shimmered with silver highlights. There were a few sounds of the night—faint strains of music from one of the boats moored far below them, an animal moving through the undergrowth, cicadas chirruping—and their own breathing!
Zane’s was deep and regular, as though he had fallen asleep. Lucinda glanced across and was startled to see that he was watching her.
‘Have you any idea how beautiful you look in the moonlight?’ he asked.
Lucinda shook her head. ‘I don’t want your compliments.’
‘Then that’s a pity because I believe that all beautiful woman should receive their fair share. And you’re lovelier than most, Lucinda. I’m very fortunate to have obtained your services.’
‘You have no idea yet how I’ll perform,’ she retorted.
‘Oh, I think I do.’
Maybe his expression wasn’t clear but the meaning in his voice certainly was and Lucinda huffed. ‘I’m talking about my work.’ And her body went hot all over.
‘Naturally,’ he agreed, and she could hear a smile in his voice.
Lucinda shook her head vigorously and her hair, which she had brushed earlier and left loose about her shoulders, flew over her face. She flicked it away with an impatient hand.
‘You should have let me do that,’ growled Zane, inching closer. ‘You have gorgeous hair, Lucinda. Has anyone ever told you that? I wish you would wear it down more often.’ And then he surprised her with a complete change of subject. ‘Are you afraid of men?’ he asked, his voice low and considered.
‘I’m not afraid of you,’ retorted Lucinda.
Zane raised his brows. ‘No? Most women I know wouldn’t settle for sitting quietly by my side. They’d want something more.’
‘I’m not most women.’
‘And, as I said, it’s because of Simon.’
Their eyes met and held and Lucinda felt the disturbing power of him. ‘If all you want to talk to me about is my ex-fiancé then I’m going to bed,’ she declared crossly, jumping to her feet.
Lucinda stuck her nose in the air, spun on her heel and walked away. To her relief, Zane let her go. But later, as she lay in bed, she couldn’t help wondering why he had asked all those questions. And it made her think about Simon, to wonder how much she had really enjoyed his lovemaking.
Would it be better with Zane? He certainly made her feel different. Even that one kiss had stirred emotions she had never felt before. What sort of a lover would Zane be? The answer was simple. Exciting! Innovative! Passionate! Considerate! All of these things and more.
And why was she even thinking about it when she had no intention of ever letting him touch her again? Because, answered an inner voice, you want to know what it feels like to be made love to by an expert in the art of seduction. His kiss has given you a taste of what a powerful lover he can be and you want more. Admit it!
She couldn’t get to sleep and even when Zane went to bed over an hour later she still lay there thinking about him. When finally she did drop off to sleep she was woken what seemed like mere seconds later by a loud noise. She shot up in bed and listened. There it was again. It sounded like someone trying to break into the house. Goosebumps rose on her skin. Had Zane heard? She couldn’t hear him moving.
Thoroughly scared but knowing that she needed to do something, Lucinda left her room and pushed open Zane’s door. Instantly he was awake. ‘Lucinda, what’s wrong?’
‘I heard a noise, like someone breaking in,’ she said in a loud whisper.
Zane sprang out of bed—and, to Lucinda’s horror, he was naked. Quickly she averted her eyes, even though the room was lit only by moonlight. And he didn’t even bother to put anything on before he raced out of the room.
Lucinda stayed where she was, fearful of the feelings he had aroused in her—feelings which were much more intense than those of fear she had felt earlier. It was wrong, all wrong, and she didn’t know what to do about it. If Zane should continue to demand her company, if he should attempt to kiss her again, would she be weak and foolish? Or would she find an inner strength?
When he returned she was still standing in the dark in his bedroom. ‘Panic over!’ he said quietly. ‘It was a mongoose. Nothing to worry about.’
Zane touched his hand to Lucinda’s arm and when he felt her trembling he pulled her hard against him. She felt soft and warm and vulnerable and a whole host of sensations rushed through his body. This woman was so different from any other he had known. She might own her own business—was indeed very successful, according to all that he’d heard—but beneath her veneer was a hurt woman. And he wanted to do something about it; he wanted to help her through her pain, to protect her, help her to see that there were men in the world who would treat her as she deserved to be treated.
Why he should feel angry that her fiancé had let her down he didn’t know, but he did. Very much so. And if he ever met him…His thoughts ended there. He wasn’t sure what he would do, but it wouldn’t be gentlemanly, that was certain. And why he was associating her fear now with Simon, he wasn’t sure about either. But somehow he felt the two were intermingled.
‘It’s all right,’ he said softly in her ear. ‘There’s nothing more to worry about. I’ll take care of you.’ And when she didn’t struggle, when she didn’t attempt to move away from him, his arms tightened about her.
‘It’s because I’m in a strange place,’ Lucinda excused herself. ‘I’m not normally scared of the slightest sound.’ And she lifted her face to his.
There was nothing he could do about it. His lips came down on hers almost of their own volition. He tasted sweetness and hunger as well as faint fear. And when she didn’t resist he guided her over to the bed.
They lay down together, mouths still clinging, and when Lucinda’s arms wrapped around him he drew in a deep shuddering breath. He wanted to make love to her but knew that he daren’t. Not yet. There was much ground to cover first; it was too soon—she was only just starting to put her trust in him.
Was she really doing that? Trusting him not to take advantage? Simply to kiss her and comfort her and make her feel better? It couldn’t be. She wanted him to make love to her, otherwise why would she have remained in his room? Why would she have let him kiss her? Why would she have put up no resistance when he led her to the bed?
Once he had followed those thoughts through, Zane no longer stemmed the tide of passion that filled him.
Lucinda knew that what she was doing was crazy but there was something inside her that refused to let go. She wanted his kisses; she wanted him to make love to her. She wanted everything he had to give. Something exciting had happened to her out here on this tropical island and all she wanted now was Zane.
Her job was forgotten; it was as though she was here with this man for a very different purpose—the cleansing of Simon from her system! Zane was the only person who could do it, who could make her forget. She would let him bury himself in her, let him transport her to a world where only senses mattered—and what happened after that—well, she would take care of that when the time came. For now she would lose herself in an affair that she would remember for the rest of her life. It was totally unlike her, went against every principle she held, but strangely it felt right.
Thumb and forefinger played with her nipple through the thin cotton of her nightdress, sending spirals of pleasure through every inch of her body. ‘Take my nightie off,’ she urged him, lying back with her arms above her head.
Zane needed no second bidding and this time it was his mouth that pleasured her, closing over her nipples, playing one against the other, making her squirm and wriggle and cry out in deepest pleasure. She threaded her fingers through the thick springiness of his hair and held him against her, not wanting him to ever stop.
‘This is all right for you?’ He paused and lifted his head slightly to look at her, his eyes dark and seductive in the moonlight. In fact the whole of him felt seductive, his body shining as though cast in pewter—except that it didn’t feel like hard metal at all; it felt warm and firm and infinitely touchable.
She traced her fingers over his back, feeling muscle and sinew and warm, intoxicating man, and she felt as if she wanted to keep him close to her for ever more. Of course she knew that wasn’t possible, but she could dream, couldn’t she? She could take a few moments in the time span of life to let her hair down and enjoy herself. Since the death of her father she had taken life very seriously—it was time for a change.
‘Yes,’ she whispered, unaware of how brightly her eyes were shining, how beautiful they looked in the light from the moon. It was a night made for love and she intended to take the challenge.
In response he took her mouth again, kissing deeply and excitingly, setting alight fires, and then slowly and seductively his mouth moved down her body, nibbling the soft column of her neck, touching his tongue to the strongly beating pulse at the base of her throat, seeking yet again her all too sensitive nipples, making her squirm and cry out and hold him against her.
The excitement was almost too much. She had never experienced such intense feelings. They filled her body, making her feel that she would explode at any minute—and he had hardly started!
She had been right in thinking that he would know exactly what to do to send a woman wild, to spin her out of this world and into the next. She felt faintly cheated when he moved away from her breasts to leave a trail of kisses over her stomach—and she wondered where he was going next!
Without even realising what she was doing Lucinda wriggled invitingly. But it wasn’t his tongue that found the hot core of her. He touched her with gentle fingers.
Lucinda couldn’t speak; her throat was far too tight. All she wanted was to feel him inside her. She had never in the whole of her life reached such a pinnacle of desire—and she knew there was more to come.
Briefly he pulled away and Lucinda felt a faint moment’s disappointment. Until suddenly she felt him entering her, slowly, carefully, excitingly! Zane knew exactly what to do to keep her in a state of heightened arousal. She wasn’t living in this earthly world any more; he had taken her into another dimension where only senses mattered.
She lifted heavy lids and looked up at him and saw the same pleasure on his face, the glazing of his eyes, and she heard the sounds of intense passion that were being drawn from his throat.
And she realised that she was moaning too. Strange sounds that she had never uttered before! Pleasure, pain, need, greed!
She closed her eyes again and then felt his fingers on her cheek. And when she looked at him he was asking if it was good for her. Not with words—he was beyond speaking—but simply by the expression in his eyes.
Lucinda nodded and clung to him, urging him more deeply inside her. This was a world of wonderland, of feelings and excitement, like minor explosions taking place inside her body. Every one of her nerve-endings sizzled, her hormones danced, and finally she threw back her head and let it all happen.
She had no idea that she screamed out; no idea that her body bucked and rolled. And when she felt that she could stand no more she experienced such an explosion of feeling that the world spun away into space. And only seconds afterwards she heard Zane cry out and sink himself even further into her as he reached his own shattering climax.
Not until their bodies had stopped heaving did he withdraw and he looked at her with such tenderness in his eyes that Lucinda wanted to weep. ‘No regrets?’ he asked softly.
Lucinda shook her head. ‘None. None at all!’
CHAPTER SEVEN (#ulink_c524f52e-9a2c-5731-bf3c-9afa9e50c7eb)
IN THE days that followed Lucinda and Zane spent every second of their time together. He didn’t seem to care that she was getting no work done. If they weren’t making love then they were out on his yacht or dining at some fabulous restaurant.
She was living, thought Lucinda, in a world of the very rich, far removed from her own particular lifestyle.
Her stepfather was admittedly wealthy but she had never wanted any part of it, nor was ever likely to. She was happy in her own little world, building up her business and planning for the future.
A no-strings affair with Zane suited her perfectly. She knew very well that she and Zane moved in different circles and there could never be anything serious between them. But why turn her back on the experience of a lifetime? He was so gorgeously sexy that no one in her right mind would resist him.
He had the most amazing eyes she had ever seen. Eyes that constantly twinkled, as though he was planning what his next move would be! How to make life even more exciting! He was a very innovative lover and she was under no illusion that life after Zane would be anything but very empty and mundane.
All the more reason to make the most of what she had now, Lucinda kept telling herself whenever any faint doubts crept into her mind.
When Zane had first taken her out on his yacht she had been extremely impressed. He had proudly told her that at sixty-four feet long and weighing twenty-eight tonnes it was the top of its range. The decks were teak and extremely spacious, the cockpit vast, and below, besides four double berths, was a saloon with sumptuous white leather seating. And the galley was to die for. ‘Not that I do any cooking myself,’ he had explained when she had gone into raptures. ‘I have two crew members who do everything. It’s used mainly for corporate entertaining, but I thought it might be fun to bring it out here and make use of it.’
And they had certainly done that!
And today they were out on it again.
‘I thought,’ said Zane, as they sunbathed on one of the decks, ‘that we might stay out for the night. Have you ever been on the water at night with no land in sight? Where a canopy of stars is your whole world? It’s a truly remarkable experience. Will you share it with me?’
What could she say except yes? Lucinda nodded happily. ‘It sounds perfect. I didn’t realise that you were so poetic.’
‘There’s a lot about me you don’t know.’ His voice was soft and low, almost a rumble. It was incredibly sexy and sent a tremor through her veins. Everything about this man was sexy. Even when they weren’t making love he kept her in a state of suspended readiness. One look in his eyes and she could see what he was thinking and her body would surge into life. She even felt disappointed when nothing happened. But when it did—then the whole world rocked on its axis.
Tonight, she knew, was going to be very special. A night to be locked away in the memories of her mind for ever.
‘Do you mind that I’m not getting any work done?’ she asked him idly while he was smoothing sun oil on to her back.
‘Would I have brought you out here today if I did?’ he countered. ‘Would I have taken up so much of your time?’ he asked softly, his fingers kneading her back in a way that he knew melted her senses.
‘I guess not,’ she said, wriggling uncontrollably. ‘You’re paying whether I work or not. But you do realise that your bill will go up for all the time I spend away?’
She had said it half jokingly but when Zane said, ‘So long as I get what I want you’ll get what you want,’ it reminded her very clearly that this was but a game to him. Once home, her job done, she would be completely forgotten.
It made her feel very sad. It also made her feel that she was giving her body to him for his selfish pleasure. But then Zane nuzzled her neck and cupped one of her breasts possessively and all was forgotten except the heady excitement of being with him.
Before lunch they went swimming, diving into the clear waters of the Caribbean and playing like porpoises. And after their light meal, consisting mainly of fruit and fish prepared by one of his very expert crew, they lay down in their cabin for a siesta. At least that was the plan. The heat outside was unbearable, but here in the air-conditioned interior sleep didn’t seem so important.
‘I would never have believed,’ said Lucinda dreamily as she lay at Zane’s side in the superbly fitted master bedroom, ‘that you could take so much time off work. I always thought that you were a real workaholic.’
‘Maybe it’s because I’ve never met a woman as beautiful as you,’ he answered. She lay in his arms, still in the camisole and Indian skirt that she had donned for their lunch. And his fingers stroked wherever the fancy took him. ‘A woman who takes my mind off all other things! You’re a siren in disguise, Lucinda. Do you know that?’
A siren! No one had ever called her that before. Didn’t it mean a dangerously fascinating and sexy woman? Was that what she was to him? The thought pleased her. ‘Am I the most captivating woman you’ve ever met?’ It was a leading question and one that she wasn’t sure she ought to have asked. She waited for his answer with bated breath.
He smiled slowly. ‘Captivating? You’re certainly that. And, what’s more, Lucinda, I’m thoroughly enjoying our time here. Are you?’
She swallowed hard and nodded. ‘It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.’ One part of her hoped that he would say the same, even that she was beginning to mean something to him. Instead he pulled her closer, lifting her skirt and seeking that private place that he had made his own.
All too soon her misgivings faded and she was lost in their lovemaking. And afterwards, while the yacht sailed on when they were both fully sated, they drifted into sleep.
Zane woke with the knowledge that something was wrong. He hadn’t felt well all morning, but had thought it was nothing more than an over-indulgence of food and drink. But his headache had got worse and he felt as though he were burning up.
Lucinda still lay at his side and when he touched her forehead her skin felt quite cool. So it wasn’t the air-conditioning that had failed. He really was ill.
Feeling him move, Lucinda opened her eyes and then did a double-take. ‘Are you all right, Zane? You look very flushed.’
‘It’s nothing,’ he said, unwilling to tell her how he felt. How manly was it to become ill when he had promised her a romantic trip? When he wanted to give her the best time of her life? This sort of thing never happened to him. He was always in control, always in command of every situation. And he had been of this one—until now!
He had been enjoying his education of Lucinda. Although she had never said anything, he was aware that he had taught her lots of new and wonderful things. And she had responded in a way far beyond his wildest dreams. She was a woman to surpass all women where making love was concerned and he would be sorry when it ended. As of course it must. Lucinda Oliver was not for him. No woman was. Not long-term. Of that he was very sure.
‘It looks more than nothing to me. How do you feel?’
He swallowed with difficulty. ‘I have a raging headache and I’m burning up. Probably sunstroke. But it won’t last. I feel all right.’
‘But you’ve always been careful!’ exclaimed Lucinda. ‘We both have. If it’s sunstroke, though, it could be serious. I’ll ask Fabian to head back to shore. You need to see a doctor.’
‘I don’t want to spoil your day,’ he said, struggling to his feet, feeling extremely mortified when dizziness forced him back down on the bed. ‘Maybe you’re right,’ he agreed reluctantly. ‘But let’s get a doctor out here. I don’t want you to miss out on your star-spangled night.’ Except that he wouldn’t be able to share it with her in quite the way he had imagined!
‘And I don’t want you to be a martyr,’ she retorted crossly. ‘What is it with men that they won’t admit defeat?’
He managed a smile. ‘It’s not good for our image.’ Especially in front of a woman he was trying to impress. No sooner had the thought entered his head than he asked himself whether it was true. Was he trying to impress Lucinda with his sexual prowess, with his private yacht and his Caribbean villa? And, if so, why?
In point of fact she gave the impression that she thought they were unnecessary appendages. Money simply didn’t interest her. So long as she had enough for her daily needs she was happy. And he admired her for that. In fact there was a lot about Lucinda that he admired.
He closed his eyes and tried to shut out both his thoughts and the heat in his body. Perhaps Lucinda was right. He ought to go back. He certainly wasn’t any good to her here. But they had been sailing for hours and unhappily he didn’t feel that he could go that long without medical attention.
‘Ask Fabian to phone for a doctor,’ he croaked.
Lucinda shot up on deck and explained Zane’s predicament and immediately arrangements were made. Money spoke, thought Lucinda as she went back to Zane. There was nothing that couldn’t be acquired. It didn’t make her feel happy. Her mother might be a slave to money, but she definitely was not.
‘The doctor will be here as soon as he can,’ she told Zane, alarmed to see that his fever had increased. She wet some towels and pressed them to his face and his skin, all the time murmuring words of comfort. He seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. Or was it her imagination? Was he just closing his eyes?
And as she sat there watching him, doing all she could to make him feel comfortable, Lucinda made an alarming discovery. She was falling in love with Zane. Properly in love! Not just a sex thing. She wanted to spend the rest of her life—or at least a large part of it—with him. How stupid was that? Zane had made it clear that he didn’t intend to settle down with anyone. He enjoyed playing the field. He would probably do it until he was too old or too tired!
And, besides, she didn’t enjoy the trappings of wealth. She could see no point in them. So why would she want to bind herself to Zane? She was out of her head. Probably going down with the same illness. She touched a hand to her brow. Perfectly normal! She wasn’t ill, no, just plain crazy.
Perhaps Zane’s illness had come in the nick of time. Before she made a complete fool of herself and told him how she felt. As she continued to mop his brow, to try to cool his fever with wet towels, she knew that she had gone far beyond the point of no return. She loved him to distraction, and probably always would, even though she knew without a shadow of doubt that once they returned to England and her job was finished she would never see him again.
In less than an hour a doctor arrived by helicopter and was lowered on to the deck. He confirmed that Zane was indeed suffering from a mild case of sunstroke.
‘You must get him into a cool bath straight away,’ he told Lucinda. ‘And you must gently massage his skin and keep taking his temperature. Can you do that?’
Lucinda glanced at Zane, who looked anything but happy about the situation, and then back at the doctor. After all their lovemaking, when there wasn’t a part of his body that she hadn’t explored, it should be an easy task. She nodded.
‘After that you must put him in a cool room, still checking his temperature—because if it should continue to drop then you must keep him warm. Have you got that?’
‘Yes,’ agreed Lucinda.
‘Massaging must continue, to encourage circulation. He may need to stay in bed for several days.’
Lucinda couldn’t see Zane agreeing to this, but she nodded anyway. ‘I’ll see to it, doctor.’
‘If you don’t follow my instructions there is a danger that he will get worse and have to be hospitalised. But hopefully he will recover quite quickly. How did he get in this state?’
‘I don’t know,’ answered Lucinda. ‘We’re always careful in the sun.’
‘Obviously not careful enough!’ he admonished. ‘And it’s not always the sun itself. Any prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause it. You might feel you’re safe sitting on the deck in the shade but, believe me, it can be just as dangerous. Or playing energetic games. They all add up. I fear your friend has overdone it. You’ll need to keep your eye on him.’
Zane had hardly spoken, except to thank the doctor for coming, and once he’d gone he glared at Lucinda. ‘The man’s exaggerating. I’m not that ill.’
‘Oh, yes, you are,’ answered Lucinda firmly, ‘and you know it. Thank goodness there’s a bathtub on board. Excuse me.’ She went through to the en suite bathroom and filled the tub with cool water.
Zane looked very sorry for himself as he lay in the bath and allowed Lucinda to massage him. But eventually he gave a wry smile. ‘I’m not so ill that I’m unaware of what you’re doing. In fact I rather like it.’ And he thrust out a hand and brought her face close to his. ‘I’ve half a mind to pull you in here with me.’
‘Don’t you dare!’ laughed Lucinda. ‘It’s freezing.’
As she continued to massage him after he’d left the bath and lay on the bed, Zane in turn continued to turn the whole exercise into a sensual experience. She knew that he still wasn’t feeling well, but it didn’t alter the fact that he didn’t want to spoil her time out here and he made a tremendous effort to keep her happy—and excited—and aroused!
Oh, how she loved this man, Lucinda thought. It would break her heart when the day came for them to part company.
By the end of the day Zane was feeling much better—well enough, he said, to lie out on the deck with her and watch the stars. The air had cooled by then and, although she didn’t agree with him being outside, he insisted.
The yacht had dropped anchor and the crew had discreetly disappeared. On a table beside them was a bottle of vintage champagne and some nuts and fruit. ‘The cashew nuts are grown here on the island,’ Zane informed her when he saw her nibbling them. ‘And did you know that they’ve made many films on St Lucia?’
Lucinda didn’t but she could see why. It was such a magical island. So lush! Such gorgeous white beaches! It was really beautiful.
Zane had taken her to the Botanical Gardens one day, where she’d seen incredible plants growing and a Japanese water garden. And they’d been to a lovely warm waterfall where they sat in the pool beneath the falls and drank bubbly. In fact she’d never drank so much champagne in her life, thought Lucinda now as Zane refilled her glass.
He wasn’t touching the stuff himself. All he had beside him was a glass of iced water and Lucinda was fearful that he wasn’t really up to this.
When she’d had enough to eat and drink Lucinda edged herself on to Zane’s lounger and, locked in each other’s arms, they lay back and looked at the stars. It was as though there were only the two of them in the whole universe.
‘I did want to make love to you out here,’ he confessed. ‘It was my initial plan. But I’m not sure now that I have the strength.’
‘And you’d be going against doctor’s orders,’ Lucinda warned him. ‘He says you’re to rest.’
‘And that’s exactly what I’m doing,’ he said. ‘But there’s nothing stopping me touching you.’ His voice had dropped to a low sensual growl.
Lucinda wore a thin cotton shift dress with nothing beneath and when he touched her breasts they reacted immediately. She was unsure how wise it would be to reveal the sensations he was arousing. She was so afraid he would push himself too far. He looked a hundred times better than he had earlier, but even so…
‘You’re a naughty girl dressing like this when you know I haven’t the energy to do anything,’ he admonished.
‘I thought it would give you pleasure.’
He groaned loudly. ‘You’ve no idea how much. I’ve never met a woman quite like you before. You’re ready to try anything at any time, aren’t you?’
She nodded, suddenly shy.
‘I curse this illness that means I can’t take control.’
‘Maybe I ought to take advantage of you,’ she suggested with a cheeky smile.
He groaned loudly. ‘You have a cruel streak, Lucinda Oliver. No woman’s going to seduce me if I can’t do anything about it.’
‘Then we’ll just hold each other,’ she said. And they lay there and he pointed out some of the stars. It was a truly magical night. The sky was so big, the stars so bright—they filled it like glittering diamonds.
How long they lay there she wasn’t sure. At one stage Zane fell asleep, and then she did too. And when she awoke he was gently stroking her breasts. It made a change to be held by him and not make mad passionate love. This was a different kind of lovemaking and if it was all he could manage then she was content.
It was past midnight before he suggested they go to bed and as she helped him down into their cabin Lucinda felt her love flowing fiercely. ‘Thank you for a magical few hours,’ she said.
‘The pleasure was all mine,’ answered Zane, his smile weak. ‘And never fear, I’ll make this up to you.’
He had nothing to make up, thought Lucinda. She would remember this night for the rest of her life.
Early the next morning they headed back to shore, but it was still a few days before Zane was his old self. They spent their time sitting quietly, talking, lighting fires within each other but doing nothing about it, which Lucinda found an incredible experience. She would never have dreamt that they could make love without touching each other—but in some strange way that was what they managed to do.
And then came a phone call which changed everything.
‘Tim’s grandmother’s been taken into hospital,’ Zane told her. ‘I have to go home.’
‘What do you want me to do?’ asked Lucinda. ‘My work here’s not finished.’ Spending all her time with Zane, she’d done precious little during the last few days.
‘You should come back with me. There’s no point in you staying,’ he said. ‘I’m sure you have done everything you need to for the time being. In fact I don’t think you’ll even need my approval because you know me better than anyone else does. And I certainly trust you.’
Lucinda’s eyes widened. ‘That’s quite a compliment.’
During the flight back Zane asked himself whether he was falling for Lucinda. He had never felt quite like this about any woman before—but, dammit, he didn’t want to fall in love. Love had no part to play in his life. The best thing he could do when they got home was to not see her again.
It might even be best to forget the interior design project. He’d get someone else to do it—someone in St Lucia! Serafine would help him find someone.
It was going to be hard walking away from Lucinda. But he daren’t give way to the feelings burning inside him. It was far too dangerous. He didn’t want to believe that Lucinda was like other women, but how could he tell?
His lifelong friend had had a bad experience—his marriage had broken down and his wife had all but ruined him with her demands. And yet she’d seemed like a lovely woman. No one would have expected it of her.
Prenuptial agreements were the way to go these days, but that was being cold and calculating and, although he could be both of these things in his business affairs, it didn’t seem right to bring it into the realms of love. Best not to love than be hurt.
He enjoyed his playboy image, though he didn’t date half as many women as had been suggested by the press. And Lucinda was the first one to really get through to him. He had to ask himself why. How was she different?
Maybe because she’d shown no interest in him initially. It was something that had never happened to him before. Once she had let herself go, though, the world had rocked. Lucinda was incredible.
Perhaps she wouldn’t expect to continue the relationship once they were back in England? Her ex had put the fear of hell into her where commitment was concerned. Perhaps she’d decided on a good time, knowing that she could leave it behind when her job was finished.
The thought should have pleased him but, for some reason, it didn’t and when they eventually landed his mood was black.
CHAPTER EIGHT (#ulink_7265cf48-fe2a-5f3b-80cb-257a599aed2d)
LUCINDA couldn’t work out why Zane’s mood had changed so dramatically. Unless he was telling her that their affair was over. That it had been good while it lasted but now it was goodbye. He’d hardly spoken during the flight, shutting himself in his on-board office for most of the time.
It should have been a relief, so why wasn’t it? It was clearly back to business for him and it should be the same for her. But women weren’t programmed the same as men. It wasn’t so easy to shut out what had happened between them during the last couple of weeks. But by the time they touched down in England she’d accepted that this was what she’d have to do.
She felt utterly miserable and when he put her into a separate car at the airport and didn’t even say whether he would see her again, Lucinda felt like breaking down in tears. Of course she didn’t; she lifted her chin and pretended that she wasn’t hurt.
It could be that he was worried about his little nephew’s grandmother, but somehow she didn’t think so. It was something she had said or done. Perhaps he’d been afraid that she was the clinging type, that she wouldn’t want to let go? Which was ridiculous, because she’d known from the beginning that there was no future in their relationship. Even if that really was the case, he needn’t have cut her out of his life quite so abruptly.
During the next few days Lucinda threw herself into her work. There was a lot to catch up on and she pushed Zane Alexander to the back of her mind. Or at least she tried to. It was practically impossible, especially when she lay alone in her bed at night. They’d had so many nights of passion that it killed her. She wanted Zane with her for ever more.
Then her secretary put a call through. ‘It’s Mr Alexander,’ she declared in a hushed voice.
Lucinda was aware that Amanda had been curious about her visit to the Caribbean, but she’d kept deliberately quiet, saying only that the project hadn’t materialised, not wanting to tell anyone what had happened. She hadn’t even told her mother, even though Ruth had questioned her time and time again.
Now her heart raced erratically. ‘Lucinda Oliver,’ she announced, keeping her tone brisk and businesslike. ‘How may I help you?’
‘Lucinda.’
It was his voice that did it. That incredible growl that made her toes curl and her stomach turn over. She closed her eyes and attempted to hold on to her dignity.
‘I need to see you.’
Heavens! Was he talking about what she hoped he was talking about? Had he, like her, spent sleepless nights wishing they were together again? Had he realised that he couldn’t live without her? That what they had was something special, far removed from a brief affair? Her heartbeats were loud and heavy in her breast and she put a hand to her throat.
‘I need you to help me look after Timothy.’
Lucinda’s spirits fell like a sledgehammer, slamming into her senses, making her realise how stupid she had been. Of course he wouldn’t want her for any other reason; he had made that perfectly clear. She had been stupid to even think it. ‘Why?’ she asked, hoping he couldn’t hear the sudden dryness in her throat. ‘Why me?’
‘Because he knows you, he likes you.’
‘I’m not a nanny any longer,’ she reminded him curtly, swallowing her disappointment. Lord knew what she had thought he would say but it certainly hadn’t been anything like that. ‘Besides, how can he remember me when it was so long ago?’
A brief silence, then, ‘You’re someone I know and can trust.’
Lucinda shook her head. He sounded brisk and businesslike, not a man whose bed she had shared night after night. ‘I’m very busy, Zane. I have a lot to catch up on.’
‘Tim’s grandmother’s very poorly. The poor boy has no one but me to look after him.’
‘And you’re naturally too busy.’ Lucinda couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. ‘And you also have a nerve thinking I’ll drop everything to do your work for you.’
‘I’m missing you, Lucinda.’ It was said quietly, almost regretfully, and she was aware how much it must have cost him to say that. She couldn’t curb a tiny smile. So he wasn’t entirely immune to her? Their brief affair had meant something! Quite what she couldn’t be sure, but it meant that he was possibly suffering the same as she was. Except that she loved him and his feelings were nothing more than lust.
Nevertheless, the thought of seeing him again was extremely tempting.
‘I could set you up an office here so that you won’t get behind with your work.’ And when she didn’t answer he added, ‘Whatever you need will be yours.’
I need you, she thought desperately. I need your love. Not an office. Not looking after your nephew. You! Would this be second best? If she moved into his house, would their affair rekindle itself? Would Zane realise what he was missing? Would he learn to love her the same as she loved him?
Lucinda found it hard to believe that she had fallen in love with Zane after vowing to herself never to trust another man. It just went to show that when the right man came along…
Was Zane the right man? She wouldn’t know unless she took up his challenge. It was the only chance she’d have of seeing him again.
‘Lucinda? Give me your answer.’
She threw her shoulders back, drew in a deep breath and said, ‘I don’t see why I should, but, yes, I suppose I will. Until you sort yourself out at least.’ Whether she’d regret it later she didn’t know, but for the moment she was being given a second chance and she knew that it was something she had to do.
She heard the soft whistle of his breath, knew that he’d been holding it while he waited for her answer. ‘Thank you, Lucinda. I’ll make sure you never regret it. I’ll send a car for you now.’
‘Oh, no, you won’t!’ declared Lucinda vehemently. ‘I have a day’s work to finish. Then I need to go home and pack. I’ll start in the morning.’
‘But—’
‘But nothing, Zane! I’ll come in the morning or not at all.’ And she put down the phone, guessing that he had never had anyone do that to him before. But she didn’t care. He couldn’t walk all over her; she wouldn’t let him. And even now, only seconds after agreeing to help him out, she was having doubts. Would she be making a fool of herself? Was it really only for Tim’s sake that he needed her? Nothing to do with his own feelings! Or was she walking into a trap? He wanted her to mind Tim, yes, but that could be an excuse because he also wanted her body.
For the rest of the day Lucinda found it difficult to concentrate and when she went home that evening and told her mother what she was doing Ruth was delighted. ‘Forget the nanny stuff,’ she declared. ‘He’s missing you. This is fantastic, Lucinda. He’s quite a catch.’
‘I’m not interested in his money, Mother, you know that.’
Ruth shrugged. ‘Whatever. I know he has a reputation, but I think he’s finally been hooked. I knew when you came back from St Lucia that something had happened between you; I could see it in your eyes. I’m happy for you, darling.’
Lucinda didn’t feel happy. She felt worried. And excited! It was an odd mixture of feelings—apprehension laced with anticipation.
When the car came to pick her up she was still feeling unsure. She’d had an almost sleepless night worrying whether she was doing the right thing. It was her heart leading her, not her head, and she feared that she might be on course for disaster. Nevertheless she had to go through with it. Some demon inside drove her on.
The last time she’d been here, recalled Lucinda as the car proceeded along a winding drive lined with plane trees, was when Tim was two. Zane had said that his nephew remembered her but Lucinda wasn’t so sure. Three years was a long time for a child. She had a feeling that Zane had used that as an excuse.
But when they got to the house—a huge red brick building with formal lawns at the front and a swimming pool at the back—she remembered the pool because she had always been fearful that Tim might wander out there and drown—the door opened and Timothy himself stood shyly on the step. She caught sight of an older woman in the background.
How he had grown! She hurried towards him and gave him a big hug. ‘I’ve missed you,’ she said with a warm smile. ‘What a big boy you are now.’
He smiled at her then. ‘I remember you,’ he said slowly. ‘I think. You looked after me.’
‘I certainly did and I’m going to look after you again. Where’s your uncle?’
‘At work,’ he announced importantly. ‘He’s a very busy man, that’s why he needs someone else to look after me while Nanna is in hospital. She’s very poorly.’
Lucinda nodded. ‘So I hear. Shall we go inside?’
Tim nodded and put his hand trustingly into hers.
Lucinda’s heart went out to him.
Her bags were carried up to the room she had used the last time she was here. It was next to Tim’s and the fact that she had been given this room told her in no uncertain manner that this was going to be her place, that Zane had no intention of asking her to share his bed. She ought to have known. And, for just a few seconds, she wished that she had never come. And then she looked at Tim and knew that she had done the right thing.
Zane had a housekeeper, Mrs Burton, and a maid and sometimes a butler if he was entertaining, but none of them were qualified to look after Tim. Had he left his nephew in their care these last few days? she wondered. Or had he taken time off himself? Somehow she doubted it; he’d been away from his affairs too long, the same as she had.
His staff had probably coped but he’d felt that he needed someone more professional. Though why he had asked her when he could have rung any agency he liked she didn’t know. If her sleeping arrangements had been any different she would have suspected that he wanted to carry on their affair—but his instructions told her very clearly that this was not the case.
It was late evening before Zane came home, which was very much what Lucinda had expected. There was not much about him that surprised her. She was curled up on a sofa in the sitting room watching TV. She had been tempted to go to her room, to make a point of telling him that she knew where her place was, but had decided against it at the last minute.
And she hadn’t really been watching TV. Her ears had been alerted to his return and she’d scarcely heard what the characters in the film were saying.
‘So you really came.’
Lucinda’s heart thumped so hard that she thought he must surely see it throbbing against her ribcage. Zane hadn’t changed at all. He was still magnificently handsome, still had the same gorgeous smoky blue eyes and still had the power to turn her world upside down.
Not surprising considering it was only a few days since she had last seen him. Yet it felt like a lifetime. And now she was here Lucinda wondered whether she had made a big mistake. There was nothing in Zane’s eyes to tell her that he was as delighted as she. They were matter of fact and considering, watching her gravely for a few seconds before he stepped further into the room.
‘How’s Tim?’
Not How are you? But How’s Tim? Not, I’ve missed you. Nothing like that! It felt like a slap in the face. ‘He’s fast asleep.’
‘Was he pleased to see you?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘I was surprised he remembered me.’
‘He couldn’t stop talking about the lady who was here before. He remembered you all right. As do I,’ he added sotto voce.
She almost didn’t catch those last words; perhaps she wasn’t intended to. But it made her look at him questioningly. Of course he remembered her. Was there some hidden meaning behind them? Perhaps he meant he was remembering their nights of passion?
They had been unforgettable nights. But they may as well never have happened if they meant so little to him. ‘How’s your health these days?’ she asked instead.
‘Back to normal,’ he acknowledged. ‘If you’ll excuse me I’ll take a shower and then I’ll join you.’
‘Fraternising with the hired help?’ The words slipped out without her intending them to. But he was making her feel like that. After all they’d gone through together, it would have been perfectly normal for him to stride across the room and take her into his arms. Instead he stood there in the doorway making no attempt to come any closer. He couldn’t have made it any clearer that that particular part of their life was over.
Zane’s lips tightened. ‘I’ll try to ignore that remark.’
‘It’s what you make me feel like.’
‘Nonsense!’
‘Is it?’ she asked pointedly. ‘You used me, Zane Alexander. And for that I will never forgive you.’
‘And yet you came here today?’ Sandy brows rose, blue eyes looked coolly into hers. ‘Doesn’t that tell you something? It certainly does me.’
Lucinda frowned. What did it tell him? That she was still his for the taking? Lord help her, it would be so easy. But she could see Zane clearly now for what he was and she stiffened her resolve. While she was living in Zane’s house she would never let him touch her, never let him kiss her.
She ought to walk out. It would be best all round. But young Tim had taken to her so willingly and completely that she couldn’t bear to let him down. It was bad enough that his beloved grandmother was so poorly. He didn’t need any more instability in his life. No, she would stay until the woman recovered. She would do what she had come here for, but that was all. Zane Alexander could go and take a running jump. She would never let him near her again.
Zane’s feelings were running high as he showered off his tiredness. He had been looking forward to coming home and finding Lucinda here. What he hadn’t expected was her animosity towards him. He’d given her a good time in St Lucia. He’d done nothing to hurt her. So what was it all about?
He had half wondered, when she’d agreed to look after Tim, if she would want to carry on their affair. He had been pleased and relieved that she’d accepted—of course he had—but nevertheless he couldn’t help speculating whether it might be because she wanted something more from him.
Clearly, though, nothing was further from her mind. He was shocked by how cool and distant she was towards him. Their brief affair might never have happened. But if that was the way she wanted to play it—then that was all right by him.
When he rejoined her Lucinda was deeply engrossed in the film showing on television and wasn’t aware of his presence, so he stood in the doorway watching her. She was even more stunning than he remembered. Her auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail but he knew how enticingly sexy it was when she left it loose around her shoulders. He had threaded his fingers through it so many times; he had used it to pull her face close to his; he had covered her naked breasts with it, enjoyed the intriguing little glimpses of her exciting nipples.
So many things they had done together and they all came rushing back in a brief moment of madness. Inhaling the sweet fragrance that was essentially Lucinda made him want to leap on her and make love until they were both senseless.
She was so gorgeously sexy. It had definitely been a big mistake to invite her into his house. When Tim had cried in his sleep and refused to be consoled he had been at his wits’ end. He’d taken time off work but even so he wasn’t used to young children and there had been times over the past few days when he had been at a complete loss.
That was when he had thought of Lucinda. He hadn’t dared hope she might agree to his request; indeed he had been shocked when she had. Shocked but pleased. Very pleased, because it meant that he would see her again.
It hadn’t occurred to him how much he had missed her until he’d heard her voice on the phone. Because he had thrown himself into his work, because he had Tim to look after as well, because he had fallen into bed each night dog-tired, Lucinda had not been on his mind. Now she was very much to the forefront and his male hormones began to take over.
Lucinda had shocked him when she’d stated that he had used her. How could that be when she had been a willing partner? And that comment about fraternising with the hired help. Where had that come from? Didn’t what they’d gone through together mean anything to her?
Zane felt both confused and not a little bit angry. She needn’t have come if this was the attitude she was going to take. He cleared his throat and she looked up and, for just a second, he thought he saw desire in her lovely green eyes. Gone in an instant; he might even have imagined it, because they were hard now, almost questioning his presence.
‘I didn’t see you there,’ she lied. In actual fact she had been aware of his presence the whole time; it would be impossible not to be. This house was full of him. Wherever she went Zane was there, whether in the flesh or not. But in the flesh, as now, she had sensed him, felt him, had never been more aware of him. And it made her realise what a big mistake she had made in coming here.
No doubt she would weather the storm, but it would be hard denying her feelings, pretending an immunity she did not feel. All she could hope was that he wouldn’t attempt to carry on their affair. It would be a bittersweet relationship, knowing it could end again once Tim’s grandmother was well enough to take him back. She couldn’t go through with it.
He came into the room. ‘A drink?’ he asked, walking over to a mini-bar in the far corner. The room was high-ceilinged and tall-windowed, with beautiful gold silk curtains against a wall of palest blue. The carpet had a blue and gold pattern and all of the furniture was antique. Money well spent, she thought. Not that it was to her taste; she preferred something more modern, but it suited Zane. The whole house suited him.
Even now, dressed down in black jeans and T-shirt, he didn’t look out of place. While she was all keyed up inside, he looked relaxed and perfectly at ease. And, while she didn’t really want a drink, Lucinda nodded, feeling it might help settle her uneasy stomach.
He poured her a gin and tonic without even asking what she would like and, with a tumbler of whisky for himself, he sat down on the settee opposite her.
The film finished and Lucinda hoped he wouldn’t ask her what it was about because she hadn’t the slightest idea.
‘So tell me,’ he said, ‘what’s been happening in your life since we got home?’
Lucinda shrugged. ‘I’ve been working hard, that’s all. I had a lot to catch up on.’
‘And how’s my project doing?’
She frowned. ‘You still want me to carry on with it?’ This was the last thing she had expected.
‘Why wouldn’t I? I didn’t go to all the trouble of flying you out there for nothing. Is that what you thought? That I took you out to have my evil way with you? Is that why you looked at me earlier as though I were the devil incarnate? Believe me, Lucinda, what happened was as much your choice as mine.’
Lucinda wasn’t sure she would agree with that. He was the one who had started the affair. If he hadn’t she would have got all her work done and she wouldn’t be feeling as though he had robbed her of a very precious part of her being.
‘You look as though you don’t agree.’
There was hardness in his eyes, turning them steel-blue instead of smoky blue and Lucinda felt everything inside her go tense. ‘You were the one who started it.’ Oh, Lord, how childish was that?
‘One of us had to,’ he declared pragmatically. ‘We couldn’t have got through our time there feeling as we did if we didn’t give in to our feelings. Don’t you agree?’
Lucinda shrugged. ‘It’s never happened to me before.’
‘And do you regret it?’ He paused, his glass poised before his lips.
‘Yes, actually,’ answered Lucinda. Honesty was the best policy here or she could see him attacking her defences yet again. And she would unfortunately let him. He was a man who could not be ignored.
Zane took a long swallow of his drink, put his glass down carefully on a side table and looked at her intently. ‘Are you saying to me that if I took you into my arms right now and kissed you, you wouldn’t respond? That your body wouldn’t melt and your arms wouldn’t go around my neck and you’d beg me for more? Are you saying that, Lucinda?’
She eyed him coolly. ‘Yes!’ And her voice crackled into the air like breaking ice.
Well-marked brows rose. ‘And I’m supposed to believe it?’
‘You can believe what you like,’ she threw at him even more crisply. ‘It happens to be the truth. You used me out there and you’re not going to do it again. Actually, I think the location seduced me more than you did.’
His eyes flickered but he said nothing.
‘And now that I’m back on home ground my head is level and I have no wish to carry on an affair with you.’ In fact he was the one who had put an end to it by his behaviour on the plane. But she didn’t tell him that; she didn’t tell him how much he had hurt her. She was glad now that it was finished because it would have hurt even more the longer it had gone on.
She was under no delusion that he would ever have turned their relationship into something more serious. That was way out of his agenda. All Zane was interested in was a good time.
And that was what they’d had. She couldn’t deny it. The only fly in the ointment had been Serafine. Lucinda had been excruciatingly jealous of her.
‘Who’s saying I want to?’
His callous statement took Lucinda’s breath away.
‘I asked you here to look after Tim. If you’ve put any other connotations on it then it’s your fault.’
Lucinda felt her skin burning. He really knew how to turn the knife. ‘At least we know where we stand,’ she declared fiercely. ‘I don’t think I want this drink. I’m going to bed.’
‘Lucinda!’
She turned halfway across the room and glared at him. She had never felt so humiliated in her whole life.
‘Don’t run away.’
‘I’m not running,’ she snapped. ‘I’m tired.’
‘Then relax here with me.’
‘It’s impossible.’
‘Is it?’ An eyebrow rose. ‘Or is it that you don’t like the way the conversation is going? We could change it. We could talk about the project. We could talk about Tim. We could talk about anything you like.’
Lucinda drew in a deep breath and struggled with her conscience. This whole uncomfortable issue was her fault and she didn’t want to be anywhere near Zane for the time being. She needed space; she needed to get her head round things. She needed to ask herself what the real reason was that she had come here today.
CHAPTER NINE (#ulink_8184d4b4-39e6-5825-b646-4d642462ad10)
DID you find your office?’
Lucinda looked at Zane across the breakfast table and frowned.
‘Yesterday, when you came,’ he enlarged. ‘Did you see it? Is there everything you need?’
‘I didn’t know that you’d already set up a room for me,’ she answered. ‘I was busy with Tim.’ And she didn’t really see how she could work at her job with a five-year-old to look after. Actually, she hadn’t thought it through very well at all. And the main reason being? She had wanted to see Zane! It was stupid; it was irrational and totally unlike her. And, after last night’s fiasco, she wished that she had never come.
She had lain awake most of the night berating herself for letting Zane get through to her, for even mentioning their affair. It had been stupid of her, irrational, and she felt all kinds of a fool.
Tim had come into her room early and snuggled down in bed with her and then she had washed and dressed him and given him his breakfast. At the moment he was helping in the kitchen. And later she had promised to take him to the hospital to see his beloved Nanna. How she had thought she could do her job as well as look after Zane’s nephew she had no idea. It was another case of her heart ruling her head.
‘Then I’ll show you afterwards,’ declared Zane. ‘Did you sleep well?’
She hadn’t stayed and talked when he’d asked her to; she had run away like a scared rabbit. ‘As well as could be expected in a strange house,’ she answered.
‘I’m afraid I’ll be away tonight but I’ll give you my mobile number in case there’s an emergency.’
Lucinda nodded but didn’t answer. The only thought that ran through her mind was—whose bed would he be sharing?
‘Lucinda, do you regret what happened between us?’
The question was unexpected and she looked at him with shocked eyes. ‘Didn’t I make myself clear yesterday? Of course I regret it. I’m only here because of Tim, so don’t dare go getting any other ideas. Have your flings with whomever you like, but don’t count me on your list of conquests.’
She missed the shadow that darkened his brow, heard only the harshness in his voice. ‘Well, I’m off, then.’ He threw a card down in front of her. ‘Here’s my number. Have a good day.’ At the door he turned. ‘If there’s anything else you need for your office ring my PA. He will see to it.’
He? Lucinda stared after Zane’s retreating back. He had a male assistant? Unbelievable! Men like him usually surrounded themselves with pretty women.
After breakfast, curious to find out what he had provided in the way of an office, Lucinda pushed open doors until she found the room. It had a desk in front of the window with very fine views over sweeping lawns, a tennis court and a corner of the swimming pool.
The massive desk held a computer, with a little note attached to it saying that Zane had had it networked with her system at the office. Thoughtful of him, she felt, but he had taken a liberty, one that she wasn’t sure she approved of.
On another table was a printer and scanner and copier. There was a stock of stationery and a couple of easy chairs as well as a very fine black leather executive chair. She tried it out for size, twisting around with her feet in the air. Perfect!
Zane had thought of everything.
At that moment Tim came running into the room and all thoughts of Zane were forgotten.
She let him swing on the chair while she phoned her secretary and then got someone to bring in a desk and chair for Tim out of his bedroom. He played there happily while she made a few phone calls and checked the correspondence that Amanda had scanned on to the computer for her.
She even managed to do some work on a new project before it was time to take Tim to the hospital. Perhaps the arrangement was going to work after all, she thought. Tim was a good child and, although she had no intention of keeping him cooped up in her office the whole time, he had proved that for short periods he was more than happy to sit with her.
Tim’s grandmother, Helen, didn’t look at all well. She was more than pleased to see Lucinda and her darling grandson—and he was delighted to see her, hugging her and hugging her as though he never wanted to let her go—but she was clearly exhausted after only a few minutes. ‘It’s my heart,’ she explained. ‘It’s giving up, I’m afraid.’
She was much older than Lucinda had expected, probably in her mid-seventies, and far too old to be looking after a child as young as Timothy. Lucinda couldn’t believe that Zane had let her do it. Surely the duty should have fallen on his shoulders?
But of course business always came first with Zane. That was why she had been totally surprised when he’d taken so much time off in St Lucia. And how disastrous the outcome of that had been! Lucinda returned to his house with her heart both heavy and angry.
After she had put Tim to bed that evening Lucinda went to her newly acquired office and worked until almost midnight. She needed the mental challenge to take her mind off Zane. It wasn’t easy. She kept seeing twinkling blue eyes and a sexy smile and her body remembered the way he had taken her to the top of the universe and back.
She really oughtn’t to think of him like this any more. It had been but a brief interlude and was not likely to be repeated. Not if she had anything to do with it. She wouldn’t put it past Zane to try while she was here, but forewarned was forearmed, wasn’t that what they said? And she certainly knew all there was to know about Zane Alexander.
The next day Tim wanted to go swimming. It was an almost Olympic-sized pool and Lucinda was nervous, but he told her that his uncle Zane took him swimming there. She had noticed yesterday that Zane had had a fence erected around the whole pool area, which had pleased her enormously, and now as they let themselves in she was startled when Tim ran over to the shallow end and jumped in.
She needn’t have feared. Even at five years old he could swim like a fish. ‘I used to swim with my daddy,’ he said matter-of-factly when Lucinda congratulated him on his prowess. ‘I miss my daddy.’
‘Of course you do,’ she said sympathetically, marvelling that he could remember so well.
‘And my mummy! Will they ever come back?’
Lucinda winced inside. ‘I’m afraid not, sweetie. But they’re up there watching you and thinking about you all the time. That’s why you must be good.’
‘I am good,’ he said importantly.
Lucinda hugged him. ‘You’re the best boy I know. And the best swimmer I know. Let’s have a race.’
After all his swimming Tim was tired out and once lunch was over Lucinda put him in bed. ‘I’m going to do some work in my office, sweetheart. If you wake up, come and find me.’
Tim nodded and yawned and in seconds he was asleep.
Lucinda had showered and changed into jeans and a knitted top and was so busy on her new computer that she didn’t hear Zane enter the room. She didn’t even know that he had come home. ‘You’re early,’ she said, looking round in surprise when he spoke her name.
‘I thought I owed you some of my time. Where’s Tim?’
‘In bed,’ announced Lucinda.
‘He’s not ill?’
She smiled. ‘We’ve been swimming. What a fantastic little swimmer he is. He wore himself out.’
‘So you’ve coped all right?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘We went to the hospital yesterday to see his grandmother.’
‘Ah.’ He dropped into one of the easy chairs. ‘I was going to take him there this afternoon. How was she?’
‘Not well at all,’ answered Lucinda crisply. ‘I can’t believe that you’ve let her take care of Tim all this time. She’s far too old. He’s such a handful; it’s not fair on her. No wonder her heart’s giving up.’
‘Is that what she told you?’
‘Not the Tim bit, but she did mention her heart. She can hardly get her breath.’ Lucinda was really fired up about the whole thing and her voice rose. ‘You should be the one looking after Tim, not his grandmother. Goodness, what were you thinking?’
‘I’m thinking I have a full-time job,’ he answered fiercely.
‘Nevertheless you could still have him living here with you,’ she slammed. ‘He starts back to school in September. Lots of one-parent families cope. Even working parents. They get help. You could have done that instead of putting all the pressure on Helen.’
‘Helen wanted to look after him,’ informed Zane, his brow thunderous now.
‘And you let her.’ Lucinda was really fired up now. ‘You didn’t stop to think that it might be too much for her. Oh, no, having Tim here would spoil your nights of passion with whichever woman is your current favourite. I despise you, Zane Alexander.’
Once the words were out Lucinda wished that she hadn’t uttered them. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to set things up for her here, and this was how she repaid him. Goodness, she wouldn’t blame him if he told her to go. Right now!
‘And how about our nights of passion?’ he asked with amazing calmness.
Actually he was too calm. It worried Lucinda.
‘How do you rate those? Were they sordid?’
Lucinda winced. They definitely hadn’t seemed it at the time. They had been beautiful and sensual and her heart had sung with sheer happiness. Even now, despite her reservations, she still looked on them with pleasure.
‘Of course they weren’t,’ he answered for her. ‘You’re letting your emotions run away with you, Lucinda. You know nothing about my private life.’
‘I know what I read in the glossies.’
‘And you believe it?’
‘And I know that you’ve done wrong by your brother.’
Zane closed his eyes and laced his fingers tightly together. ‘I sometimes think I could strangle you, Lucinda Oliver. And at other times—’ he opened his eyes and looked straight at her ‘—I want to take you to bed. In fact, I think that’s what I might do right now. A form of punishment, shall we say, for daring to turn on me.’ And, with that, he scooped her up into his arms.
Lucinda’s struggles were to no avail and, to be honest, she didn’t struggle too hard. Zane had made up his mind and that was that. He kicked open the door to his bedroom and she had a quick impression of masculine browns and beiges and a dark green carpet before he laid her down on the bed.
In a matter of seconds he had ripped off his clothes and then he did the same to her. She was utterly at his mercy, her eyes wide and shocked and appealing, but it made no difference. Zane wanted and Zane was going to take. And she, Lord help her, was powerless to do anything about it.
She could have left. While he was undressing she could have got off his bed and made for the door. So why hadn’t she? Because she wanted it as much as he did! She had lain there and watched as each inch of his flesh was exposed. It was so familiar to her, so incredibly powerful, that she hadn’t been able to move.
And this time when he made love to her there were no preliminaries. No long drawn out foreplay, no teasing, no enticing and encouraging. He held himself over her for just a second before he entered her, a second when his eyes were asking whether she wanted to run.
But by then Lucinda’s heart was racing and her hormones dancing and the very thought of him taking her like this held a very different kind of excitement. It wasn’t until he had entered her that she realised he was not using protection. On all other occasions he had, but this time he’d been in too much of a hurry.
It was too late now to worry about it and with a bit of luck it was the wrong time of her monthly cycle. There were much deeper issues to think about. Like the fact that she was still in love with him—despite everything! And the fact that his lovemaking was coming to a grand finale far too quickly!
She could feel her climax rising within her and she knew that Zane was nearing his own. She cried out as he collapsed on top of her, his breathing ragged, hers the same as sensation after exquisite sensation made her writhe beneath him, as her whole body throbbed and her throat went tight.
And then they were still.
For a long time they were still.
Until Zane slowly rolled away from her! Their eyes met and his no longer twinkled. They were filled with soul-destroying sadness instead.
Lucinda turned away; she couldn’t bear to look at him. She didn’t know why he was sad. Anger she could have understood—it was what had started this off, but sadness? Perhaps he wanted their affair to carry on but knew that it couldn’t? No, that wouldn’t make him sad. Zane was the sort of man who hopped from one girl to another without giving them a second thought.
She must have been mistaken because he sat up now and looked at her again and there was nothing to suggest sadness. ‘I had to do that, Lucinda.’
She nodded.
‘You could have stopped me.’
She nodded again.
‘Am I to take it then that you didn’t mind?’
How could she answer that? She did and she didn’t. She was crazy where this man was concerned. It didn’t matter what rational thoughts entered her head, they took off in all the wrong directions whenever he chose to take control.
He was very good at taking control. It was almost as though he hypnotised her into doing things against her will. He had the power to make her think that she wanted what he wanted. How could that be?
‘Lucinda?’
He touched a finger to her chin and forced her to look at him. ‘I asked whether you minded?’
Slowly she shook her head. ‘But I would like to go to my room.’ She got up off the bed and, hugging her clothes to her, headed for the door. He let her go. And, completely naked, she walked along the corridor to her own room. Where she threw herself down on the bed and cried.
Zane was shocked by how easily Lucinda had capitulated, and ashamed for forcing himself on her. He would have let her go if she had fought him off, but she hadn’t, and now he felt guilty. He didn’t feel the pleasure he normally associated with making love to Lucinda, and this was alien to him.
Out in St Lucia, each time they had made love it had been an experience to surpass all other experiences. They had both risen to great heights and no regrets had ever been felt. Now he felt a heel. He ought not to have done it. On the other hand, Lucinda could have stopped him. It was her fault as much as his.
He made himself think that as he showered and dressed and when he went downstairs Tim had woken and was demanding his attention. ‘Where’s Lucy?’ his nephew asked.
‘She’s resting,’ answered Zane. ‘I think you wore her out swimming.’
‘She says I’m good,’ said Tim proudly.
‘You are.’
‘Can I swim again, then?’
Zane shook his head. ‘Not today! I’m going to take you to see Nanna. Lucinda has work to do.’ He wasn’t sure about that but he did know that she would not welcome spending time with him. Which was a shame because that was the reason he had come home early.
And what had he done? Hurt her beyond measure. How could he even look her in the face again? His only consolation was that she hadn’t stopped him. It must mean that she still felt something. When they were on the island she had often instigated their lovemaking, making him believe that she was as happy with the situation as he was.
Why then, now that they were back here in London, had she completely changed? Was it the location that had turned her into a sultry seductress? Was she not normally like that? He didn’t know what to think any more. All he knew was that he couldn’t get her out of his head. Unlike other girls he’d slept with, Lucinda had left a lasting impression.
At the hospital Helen looked so very much worse than the last time he had seen her and he could understand why Lucinda had railed against him. If Helen didn’t improve then it looked very much as though he would have to take Tim on full-time. Who, though, would he get to look after him?
A full-time nanny—or a wife? This was something he had never contemplated before. Didn’t want to contemplate. On the other hand, he couldn’t let Tim down. He was such an engaging little boy. If he ever had children, heaven forbid, he would like them to be just like Tim.
Lucinda spent the rest of the afternoon at her desk. She had heard Zane and Tim go out and couldn’t begin to describe the relief she felt. How could she have let Zane make love to her again? Her brain must have fried out there in the Caribbean. She was no more over him than she had been during those magical days.
Love came in many guises and hers had crept up on her unawares and unhappily refused to go away. She was so afraid that Zane would see how she felt and that he would take advantage. Today had proven how weak she was and if he had any idea her life wouldn’t be her own any more.
And the cruellest part of all would be when he dumped her at the end, when he’d tired of her, as he most probably would. Zane’s type never committed. It really had been the biggest mistake of her life coming here. Zane had her in his clutches—again; maybe that was even what he’d had in mind. Maybe it wasn’t for Tim’s sake.
Lucinda’s anger grew and when they returned she made a fuss of Tim but totally ignored Zane. She pretended not to notice his frown, the way he kept looking at her and asking silent questions.
She played with Tim, she gave him his tea, she bathed him and put him to bed and all the time she said not one single word to Zane.
But she might have known that she couldn’t go through the rest of the night like that. As soon as he had her to himself Zane demanded to know what was wrong.
‘Nothing,’ she answered coolly, averting her eyes because she knew that if she looked into his she would weaken. They mesmerised her. They were like pools of silky smooth water that she could dive into—and then drown in a sea of passion.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he snarled. ‘You’ve ignored me completely for the last few hours. I’m not a fool, Lucinda.’
‘And nor am I,’ she tossed back furiously. ‘So don’t take me for one.’
Zane frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘Don’t ever,’ she spat, ‘ever take advantage of me again.’
‘So that’s it, is it?’ he asked, enlightenment in his eyes. ‘Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you didn’t complain at the time.’
‘Maybe,’ she snapped, ‘but I’ve changed my mind. ‘It was a foolish mistake, one that I’m not likely to make again.’
‘Even though your body still craves mine?’
‘Who’s saying it does?’ Lucinda’s eyes flashed a furious green.
Zane smiled, slowly and confidently. It crinkled the corners of his eyes and made him look boyish and charming and Lucinda felt an unwanted quickening of her pulses, which added to her annoyance.
‘I’m saying it does,’ announced Zane. ‘Words are easy, Lucinda. It’s body language that counts. And, believe me, I can read your body language any day.’
Lucinda felt like slapping him. ‘You’re talking nonsense,’ she responded haughtily, ‘and I have no wish to continue such a conversation.’
‘Very well,’ he agreed, much to her surprise. ‘The next item on the agenda is dinner. I thought I’d take you out.’
‘Then you thought wrong,’ she snapped. ‘Besides, aren’t I supposed to be looking after Tim?’
‘Mrs Burton can do that tonight,’ he said carelessly. ‘Besides, he very rarely wakes.’
‘The answer’s still no,’ she retorted, fighting a whole host of inflammatory sensations. It had to be no. For ever no! For her own peace of mind!
Zane drew in a deep breath, his chest rising and his height increasing. She had angered him but she didn’t care. Why should he think that he had only to click his fingers and she’d do as he asked? She was her own woman; hadn’t he found that out yet?
‘Maybe you’ll condescend to dine with me here, then?’ he growled.
Lucinda wanted to say no but she didn’t think that she could face any more of Zane’s wrath. So she inclined her head. ‘That would be nice.’
‘And before then? Can I expect the honour of your company?’
His voice was dry and sarcastic and Lucinda shook her head. ‘I still have work to do.’
Zane frowned and glanced at his watch ‘It’s nearly seven.’
‘And I spent much of the day playing with Tim,’ she reminded him. ‘I can’t afford to let my business go.’
Her remark hit home and his eyes shot daggers. ‘Then I’ll see you at eight.’ And with that he whirled on his heel and left the room.
They were halfway through their meal when the phone was brought in to Zane. ‘The hospital,’ said his housekeeper gravely.
Zane listened for a moment or two and then shot up from his chair. ‘I have to go,’ he said apologetically. ‘Helen’s taken a turn for the worse.’
CHAPTER TEN (#ulink_c1050370-831c-5f7a-bd79-22d3302728a9)
LUCINDA waited on tenterhooks to hear about Helen. Her main thoughts were with Tim. He’d lost both his parents and now it looked as though he might lose his grandmother too. How shocking would that be for him, poor little soul? How upsetting?
It was almost midnight when Zane returned home. Lucinda had waited up for him and she met him in the hallway. He shook his head, his lips clamped tightly together, his eyes sad.
‘She’s gone?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ he answered quietly.
‘How are you going to tell Tim? He idolised her.’
Zane heaved a sigh and nodded. ‘It won’t be easy.’
Nor was it.
The following morning when Tim awoke Zane took him to one side. Lucinda watched from a distance, saw the disbelief on the boy’s face, saw it crumple, and then he ran from the room.
‘I’ll see to him,’ said Lucinda.
She found Tim in his bedroom, curled up in bed, sucking a corner of the cover. He turned away when she went in. Lucinda sat beside him quietly for a few moments, not saying anything, and gradually his hand found hers. ‘Why has Nanna left me?’ he whimpered.
‘Because she was very poorly, sweetheart! Because she was in a lot of pain and couldn’t stand it any longer! She’s gone to your mummy and daddy in the sky.’
‘I want her, though.’
‘I know, my darling.’
‘Who’ll look after me?’
‘Uncle Zane, of course.’ Lucinda mentally crossed her fingers as she said this. It couldn’t be counted on, that was for sure.
‘And you?’ He looked trustingly into her face.
Lucinda felt tears prick the backs of her eyelids too. ‘I don’t know about that, Tim. But I will come and see you often, I promise.’
He turned his face away from her and buried it in the pillow and at that moment Zane entered the room.
They stood there hand in hand and looked down at the little boy. It was a moment of togetherness that was totally different from anything else she had shared with Zane. There weren’t the two of them this time—there were three. And her heart went out to both of them.
‘You will help Tim through this?’ asked Zane that evening after his nephew had been put to bed. It had been a long sad day and, although Timothy had perked up as the day had worn on, they both knew how much damage it could do to him.
He needed constant love now; he needed to know that he still had a home and someone to care for him. At one point, after his parents had died, the authorities had mooted foster parents, but Tim’s Nanna would have none of it and Zane had declared that he felt the same.
‘He is my responsibility now,’ he said firmly. ‘I know I won’t be the best of fathers, but I’ll do what I can. I’ll employ a full-time nanny—unless you—’ He looked questioningly at Lucinda, but she shook her head. It would be wrong to let herself get sucked into a situation that in the end would cause nothing but heartache.
‘I thought not,’ he said, ‘but you will come and see Tim sometimes? He’s really taken to you.’
‘Of course I will,’ she said. Though she wasn’t sure whether even that was a good idea.
The funeral came and went and even then Zane did nothing about finding another nanny. Helen’s wishes had been that he became Tim’s legal guardian and he had agreed to do this, and somehow Lucinda was managing to run her business and look after Tim at the same time. She hated herself for being weak, for letting Zane take advantage of her, and in defiance she refused to share his bed again.
‘I’ve had an idea,’ he said one evening over dinner. ‘It’s not ideal for you, running two offices. Why not set up shop here? Bring Amanda and all the rest of your stuff. You can have another room; you can have as many rooms as you like.’
‘So long as I continue to look after Tim for you?’ asked Lucinda, appalled by his nerve, but congratulating him at the same time. ‘What happened about finding another nanny?’
‘I would have done,’ he apologised, ‘but Tim’s had enough upsets for the time being. And I thought this would be a good compromise.’
Lucinda’s eyes flashed. ‘It’s nothing to do with you wanting me here? It’s just Tim you’re thinking of?’
‘Of course,’ he answered, but Lucinda knew he was lying. She knew that he still wanted her in his bed; she had seen it in his eyes when he thought she wasn’t looking. And if he had her here permanently…
The trouble was the longer Lucinda lived here the deeper her feelings grew and the less disposed she was to move back to her stepfather’s house. She cursed the day she had ever set eyes on Zane Alexander. There was no other man for her now.
And yet all he wanted was a good time! She was sadly aware of that fact. Marriage was definitely not on Zane’s agenda. Never had been, never would be.
‘I might regret it,’ she said slowly now, ‘but yes, it sounds like a good idea for the time being. I am planning to buy a place of my own, you do realise that? This won’t be a permanent arrangement.’
Zane nodded. ‘Of course.’
And so she moved in. Her stepfather didn’t have a good word to say about it. ‘You’re making a big mistake, you know. Zane Alexander’s using you. He wants you as a built in babysitter as well as a stable mate; you won’t have a chance to do any work. Not that I ever expected you to succeed.’
But her mother was all for it. ‘Darling, that’s wonderful news. I did wonder what was going on between you two. I didn’t believe all that stuff about looking after his nephew. Will I be hearing wedding bells soon? He’s such a catch.’
‘Mother!’ exclaimed Lucinda. ‘It’s nothing like that. It’s a business proposition.’
‘Of course,’ said her mother, but Lucinda could see that she didn’t believe her.
Once settled in her new suite of offices, with Amanda on hand to deal with all the day-to-day problems, Lucinda found little time to worry about her mother or stepfather. Her hands were full juggling her job and minding Tim.
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Trish Wylie и Margaret Mayo
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Эротические романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: The Rich Man’s Reluctant MistressAfter building her interior design business, Lucinda Oliver is shocked when her latest client is former boss Zane Alexander. Lucinda’s determined not to become another notch on his bedpost, but soon she’s battling to resist Zane’s sizzling brand of desire… The Inconvenient Laws of AttractionWhen Blake Clayton inherits a fortune from his estranged father, the only thing piquing his interest is lawyer Olivia Brannigan. Dating on the job isn’t in Olivia’s ‘Guide to Good Client-Lawyer Relationships’… but aren’t rules made to be broken?Playing His Dangerous GameShara Atwood is used to playing the celebrity game – but nothing had prepared her for the charms of new bodyguard Royce. Shara knows she should do as Royce tells her – but she can’t help but think she’ll have more fun not obeying his every command…