Forbidden Surrender (14 page)

In that moment he looked more like the man she had first met, the self-assured arrogant man who wouldn’t suffer fools gladly. ‘No, not me exactly,’ she hastened to assure him, not wishing to bring this anger down on his mother. ‘Just this—this situation.’

‘It isn’t a situation,’ he dismissed disgustedly. ‘It’s a bloody mess!’

Her mouth quirked into a derisive smile. ‘Yes,’ she agreed shakily. ‘Could we go back downstairs?’ she suggested nervously. ‘I’m not sure how thick these walls are, and Marie—well, she could hear all this.’

‘Yes,’ he sighed. ‘We should go back downstairs. God, it’s so good to talk to you again, Sara. I know you’ve been avoiding me, and I also know the reason for it, but if I promise—–’

‘No, Dominic!’ she warned. ‘No more promises.’

His expression was rueful. ‘I made a poor job of keeping this last one, didn’t I?’

‘Yes.’

‘Sara—–’

‘Please, let’s go downstairs!’ Her voice was shrill.

‘Oh yes, yes, of course.’

All the time she was walking down the stairs she was aware of his gaze burning into her back. Normally he seemed such a self-controlled, arrogant person, and yet whenever he was near her this veneer seemed to fall away and he became a passionately demanding man. She had no doubt that he loved Marie, and yet that love was nothing like the consuming fire that flared up between
them
every time they met, a fire that threatened to flame out of control.

‘What are you thinking?’

She looked up to find Dominic watching her with narrowed eyes. ‘I was just wondering about you and—and Marie.’

He stiffened. ‘What about us?’

Sara took her courage in both hands, lifting her head
high to meet his watchful blue eyes unflinchingly. ‘Do you sleep with her?’

‘No!’ the denial exploded out of him.

‘There’s no need to be so vehement,’ she scorned, relief washing over her. ‘You seem to want to sleep with me.’

‘That’s different,’ he snapped.

‘Really?’ she taunted. ‘Why is it?’

‘Because—well, because—Do you sleep with Eddie?’ he attacked in a vicious voice.

‘Eddie?’ she frowned. ‘No, of course not. And talking of Eddie,’ she gave a hurried look at her wrist-watch, ‘I’m meeting him for lunch. If I don’t leave now I shall be late.’

‘Sara!’ Dominic’s call stopped her at the door. ‘Don’t go,’ he requested huskily.

‘I have to.’

‘Why?’ he groaned.

‘Because I never let my friends down.’

‘Do I count as a friend?’

‘Hardly!’ she derided.

‘How about Marie?’ he asked softly.

Sara flinched. ‘You bastard!’ she glared at him. ‘You almost attack me every time we meet, and you have the nerve to remind
me
of my loyalty to Marie!’

He closed his eyes. ‘I wasn’t doing that, I was just asking you if you would let Marie down.’

‘I already have,’ she said bitterly, ‘and I’m not proud of the fact.’

‘Neither am I!’

‘You could have fooled me!’

His mouth tightened into an angry line. ‘You either infuriate me or inflame me, and at the moment I can’t cope with either emotion.’

‘What do you think you do to me?’ she groaned. ‘Oh God, I can’t stand any more of this—I’m going out!’

‘Marie wants you to stand in for her tonight,’ Dominic revealed in a rush.

Sara frowned. ‘At your dinner party?’

‘How did you know about that?’

‘My father mentioned it.’

‘I see. Yes, that’s it. Marie wondered whether you could take her place?’ He eyed her questioningly.

‘At the table, or in your bed?’

‘Please, Sara,’ he groaned, ‘don’t!’

‘That’s what your mother said,’ she remembered bitterly.

Dominic frowned. ‘Don’t what?’

She shrugged. ‘Don’t become involved with you.’ She couldn’t reveal that his mother had guessed at her love for him!

‘Are you involved?’

‘You’re going to marry my sister,’ she stated the obvious involvement.

‘Yes,’ he sighed heavily. ‘Will you act as my hostess tonight?’

‘Why can’t your mother do it? You live with her, don’t you?’

‘Hardly,’ he gave a half smile. ‘None of us live with her, we all fled the nest long ago. I have a penthouse apartment in town.’

Her eyes widened. ‘And that’s where I would be expected to act as your hostess?’

‘Yes.’

Sara shook her head in alarm. ‘I can’t. You know I can’t!’ she groaned.

He made no move to touch her, and yet his eyes caressed wherever they looked. ‘It would make Marie happy,’ he told her huskily.

Sara sighed defeatedly. ‘And you like her to be happy,’ once again this was made plain to her. ‘All right, I’ll do it. On condition,’ she added hardly, ‘that you stay away from me.’

‘I’ll try.’

‘You’d better do a damn sight more than that,’ she warned. ‘Or I’m likely to embarrass you in front of your guests. And you can believe I mean that, Dominic. I
never make idle threats.’

‘I believe you,’ he accepted dully.

‘You’d better!’ came her parting shot.

As it was she was ten minutes late for her date with Eddie, although he assured her he had only just arrived himself.

‘Very flattering!’ she grimaced, seating herself opposite him.

He laughed. ‘Would you rather I’d sat here waiting for you?’

‘No,’ she smiled ruefully.

‘Don’t look now,’ he sat forward to whisper, ‘but I think we’re being watched.’

‘Watched?’ she frowned in puzzlement.

‘Mm, by your future brother-in-law.’

Dominic! ‘Where is he?’ she asked tautly.

‘A few tables back, to your left.’

They were sitting in a quietly exclusive restaurant, but nevertheless Sara knew it wasn’t the sort of place Dominic usually frequented. He had followed her here! The waiter was just approaching him for his order, so Sara got hastily to her feet. ‘I won’t be a minute,’ she muttered to Eddie before making her way purposefully over to Dominic.

He waved the waiter away as soon as he saw her approaching him, looking up at her expectantly.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing, following me in this way?’ Sara lashed out furiously.

‘Following you?’ he repeated guardedly, curiously pale.

Sara’s anger melted at the haggard look of him. ‘Go away, Dominic,’ she pleaded raggedly. ‘I’ll see you tonight.’

‘You won’t let me down?’

‘No,’ she sighed.

‘All right,’ he stood up, ‘I’ll call for you at seven o’clock.’ He turned to glance at Eddie. ‘I’m glad you didn’t kiss him when you arrived,’ he said grimly. ‘I
would probably have punched his face in.’

‘Dominic!’ she gasped.

He bent to kiss her lightly on the cheek, a gesture perfectly in keeping with her sister’s fiancée—if he hadn’t unobtrusively caressed the corner of her mouth with the tip of his tongue! His eyes were tortured as he looked down at her. ‘Until tonight,’ he murmured throatily.

Her eyes flashes deeply brown. ‘When there’ll be no more of that.’

‘No.’

But he didn’t sound very convincing. Sara watched him leave the restaurant, half smiling at the arrogant nod he gave Eddie as he walked past their table.

‘What’s the matter?’ Eddie asked as she sat down again. ‘Doesn’t the high and mighty Dominic Thorne approve of you seeing a mere garage owner?’ he derided.

Sara laughed, her tension leaving her. ‘It’s nothing like that. He wasn’t watching us at all, it was just coincidence that he was here.’

‘Oh yes?’ he scorned. ‘When his office is on the other side of London?’

She flushed. ‘He’s just been to see Marie,’ she defended.

‘Is he bothering you?’ Eddie asked shrewdly.

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ she snapped, blushing fiery red.

His eyes were narrowed in suspicion. ‘Am I being?’

‘Very,’ she said tightly.

‘Okay,’ he shrugged. ‘Let’s order. But if he ever does bother you just let me know and I’ll bruise his handsome face a little.’

‘Strange,’ she drawled with amusement. ‘He said the same thing about you,’ she explained with a smile.

‘Did he now?’ his eyebrows rose. ‘Maybe I like him after all.’

Sara laughed at the respect in his voice, then changed the subject without being too pointed about it. She had met Eddie a couple of times since her move to live with
her father and sister, and usually they went back to her aunt and uncle’s house. Today was no exception. She told her aunt of her concern for Marie’s headaches.

‘Well, I’m sure your father knows best,’ her aunt consoled as they made tea and cakes for the two men.

‘That’s what Dominic says,’ Sara sighed.

‘Then you must listen to them, dear.’

That was easier said than done, especially when she saw Marie’s pale face later that evening. She was dressed to go out with Dominic, and had gone in to see her sister until he arrived.

Marie sat up while she rearranged her pillows for her, her face chalky white, her eyes shadowed. ‘I hope I didn’t make too much of a fool of myself last night,’ she said ruefully.

Sara gently pushed her back against the coolness of the pillows. ‘You didn’t make a fool of yourself at all,’ she reassured her.

‘I’m so grateful to you for taking over from me tonight.’ Marie put her hand up weakly to her forehead. ‘I always feel so washed out after one of these headaches.’

Their father appeared in the doorway. ‘I’ve come to keep you company,’ he told Marie. ‘Dominic is downstairs, Sara.’

‘No, I’m not.’ He appeared in the doorway behind their father. ‘How are you this evening?’ He looked directly at Marie.

‘I’m fine.’ She patted the bed invitingly beside her.

‘I’ll wait downstairs,’ Sara mumbled, hurriedly kissing her sister on the cheek before rushing out of the room, her head downbent. She collided with Dominic in the doorway, and his strong hands came out to steady her. There was pain in her eyes as she looked up at him, pain that she quickly hid. ‘Excuse me,’ she said gruffly.

He instantly released her. ‘I’ll be down in a moment.’

‘Take your time.’ She forced a lightness into her voice that she didn’t feel, very much aware of her father and
Marie. ‘I’m in no hurry,’ she added, almost running down the stairs.

She was trembling by the time she reached the lounge, knowing that Dominic was probably kissing Marie right at this moment. She was going to be ill herself if she wasn’t careful, her appetite having completely deserted her, her nights spent restlessly tossing and turning. And it was all because of this hunger for Dominic!

She had dressed with extra care this evening, had dressed with Dominic in mind if she were honest with herself, and she had to be that, she was deceiving everyone else! She knew perfectly well this evening wouldn’t end innocently, knew that before she returned here tonight that she would have spent time in Dominic’s arms. And she wasn’t able to do a thing about it. He was like a drug in her veins, an addiction she couldn’t fight.

Her dress was knee-length, Japanese in style, made of a silky blue material, its very demureness making it very sexy, with its provocative split up the side of her left leg, the narrow styling showing off her pert uptilted breasts and narrow waist, fitting neatly over her bottom and thighs. Her hair was secured loosely on top of her head, her only jewellery the pair of gold stud ear-rings her mother and Richard had given her for Christmas two years ago.

She looked up guiltily as her father entered the room, blushing under his searching gaze. Oh, God, she thought, don’t let him guess I love Dominic, don’t let him guess!

‘I hope we haven’t ruined any of your own plans for this evening,’ he said.

Sara almost laughed with relief. Her father had put her behaviour down to an altogether different reason than her love for Dominic and her jealousy of Marie. ‘Not at all,’ she answered smoothly.

‘Oh, good,’ he seemed relieved. ‘Only you seemed a little—upset.’

‘No,’ she shook her head, ‘just nervous. I know how
important this dinner party is to you and Dominic.’

‘Not that important that you have to worry yourself about it.’ He put his arm about her shoulders. ‘Just be yourself, Sara. You’ll like Martha and Jim, they’re a nice couple.’

Sara frowned. ‘Will they be the only people there?’

‘Mm. Jim’s thinking of giving us a contract to supply equipment to all his British offices. One look at you and he won’t hesitate to offer us that contract.’ He smiled down at her affectionately.

‘Do I look all right?’ she asked worriedly. She had dressed with a party in mind, albeit a dinner party, but a quiet evening for four was another matter.

‘You look beautiful, doesn’t she, Dominic?’ he asked the other man as he came into the room.

‘Very lovely,’ Dominic confirmed, the intensity of his gaze making her blush. ‘We should be going,’ he said abruptly.

‘Have a nice time, darling.’ Her father bent to kiss her. ‘Don’t keep her too late, Dominic. I’ve noticed she’s looking a little pale lately.’

Sara bit her lip, as she led the way out to Dominic’s car parked in the driveway. So her father had noticed her pallor too. He mustn’t ever be allowed to guess that it was because of her helpless love for Dominic. Plus there was this added worry of her father, of the illness that everyone knew about but no one discussed. Maybe if they had talked about it Marie wouldn’t be in this emotional mess.

There was a man getting out of the car parked next to Dominic’s, and he turned to acknowledge them. ‘Good evening, Dominic. Marie?’ he frowned. ‘But I thought—–’

‘This is Sara, Simon.’ Dominic held firmly on to her elbow, opening the car door for her.

The man nodded, a man of possibly forty-five, very tall and distinguished-looking. ‘Nice to meet you, Miss Hamille.’

Sara gave him a friendly smile, wondering why Dominic was pushing her into the car and not introducing her to the other man as he should have done. ‘Who was that?’ she asked once they were on their way.

Dominic shrugged. ‘A friend of your father’s.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Simon.’

She frowned. ‘I know that, I heard you call him it. But Simon What?’

‘Forrester,’ he revealed in a stilted voice.

‘Should I know him?’ The name did sound vaguely familiar.