In Separate Bedrooms (7 page)

‘Didn’t she tell you?’ Jack unhelpfully answered her question with one of his own.

‘Well, of course she told me,’ Mattie dismissed impatiently. ‘I simply wondered—I wondered—’

‘Mattie, you gave me the distinct impression last night that you didn’t want your mother to be upset about your coming away with me this weekend—’

‘I wonder why that was!’ she said saucily.

Jack raised reproving brows. ‘I merely wanted to assure Diana that—’

‘You have no designs on her baby’s virtue!’ Mattie finished heatedly. ‘You know, Jack, I really don’t think—’

‘Is that what your mother told you?’ Jack cut in laughingly, those brown eyes once again filled with mirth.

Mattie became suddenly still, looking across at him with narrowed eyes. ‘Yes, that’s what she told me,’ she said suspiciously. ‘Isn’t that what you said?’

‘Amongst other things,’ he dismissed vaguely. ‘Anyway, she seemed much happier about the situation by the time I left her,’ he finished confidently.

Mattie would have liked to pursue the subject of those other things, but unfortunately the wine waiter chose that moment to top up their glasses, and by the time he had left again Jack was obviously concentrating on enjoying his meal. She—

‘You know,’ he suddenly spoke up, ‘your mother is still a very beautiful woman; has she never thought of marrying again?’

‘Never,’ Mattie answered unhesitantly, pleased at what he had said about her mother—even if, at the same time, she felt a twinge of jealousy too for the admiration he obviously felt.

Although it was an admiration Mattie shared, appreciating that it couldn’t have been easy for her mother to
be widowed at only twenty-three, to be left to bring up her three-year-old daughter on her own. So she shouldn’t really complain if Jack also recognized what a beautiful and accomplished woman Diana was.

And yet …

Ridiculous. She had only met and spoken to the man because of his four girlfriends, and she hadn’t felt in the least jealous concerning any of them; it seemed slightly ridiculous now to feel that way about her own parent.

‘She must have loved your father very much?’ Jack was looking at her speculatively.

‘I believe so,’ Mattie replied quietly. ‘You still haven’t told me what the travel arrangements are for Friday?’ she prompted practically.

Jack continued to look at her for several long seconds, and then he appeared to physically relax. ‘So I haven’t,’ he accepted lightly, then proceeding to do exactly that.

Mattie barely listened as he told her the time of the flight, the name of their hotel—although she did hear the part about it overlooking the Eiffel Tower—and the time they would be returning on Monday.

What was wrong with her?

She looked at Jack beneath lowered lashes as he continued to tell her the plans for the weekend, knowing as she did so that she liked everything about him: the way he looked, the way he dressed, his obvious closeness to his family, even his concern that her mother shouldn’t be worried about her this weekend, and that he had personally gone to see her mother to reassure her. Mattie couldn’t think of too many men who would have done that!

The only thing she didn’t like about him was the thought of those four girlfriends.

The only thing!

Surely the fact that he had had four women in his life at the same time should tell her something else about him? Something such as, she would be an idiot to fall in love with him herself!

Except that she already knew it was going to prove very difficult for her not to, when she was spending four days with him in romantic Paris …!

‘W
E
’
RE
going for four days, Mattie, not four weeks!’ Jack complained good-naturedly as he loaded her heavy suitcase into the back of his car on Friday morning.

Mattie didn’t qualify his remark with an answer, merely gave him a lofty stare, having already noted his much smaller case in the boot.

She knew that she had probably overdone things with her clothes, but never having been to Paris before, in spring or any other time, she hadn’t really known what the climate would be like, and she hadn’t wanted to show her ignorance by asking Jack. Checking in the newspaper the last few days hadn’t been much help either; yesterday it had rained in Paris, and the day before there had been sunshine. Very much like English weather, in fact.

So she had simply packed all the new clothes on which she had splashed out yesterday, along with everything else she already owned that she thought might be suitable.

‘We women like to be prepared for any eventuality,’ her mother was the one to laughingly answer Jack, having come outside to greet Harry, his Bearded Collie.

The dog was even now running excitedly between their legs, more like a puppy than six years old, his long grey and white coat freshly brushed, his eyes bright, his tail wagging happily. Obviously Harry hadn’t realized yet that he was actually staying here.

Jack raised dark brows in Mattie’s direction. ‘Do you have the kitchen sink in there too?’

‘And a spare bath plug,’ she replied tauntingly.

‘Now that just may come in handy.’ He chuckled. ‘I once stayed at a hotel where it took them two days to come up with a new bath plug because the last guest had stolen the original!’

‘Well, if you will stay in these cheap places …!’ Mattie derided, knowing full well that this man would only ever travel first class.

Jack grinned unconcernedly, looking extremely fit and handsome in black fitted trousers and a black shirt, a cream jacket lying on the back seat of his car.

Mattie hadn’t known what she should wear to travel in either, finally deciding on her best pair of jeans, teamed with a white fitted tee shirt and black jacket. She looked smart, but comfortable, she had decided a short time ago when she’d checked her appearance in the mirror.

Whereas Jack looked exactly what he was: a wealthy sophisticate who had obviously done this dozens of times before.

Not with Mattie, he hadn’t!

Her pulse had started beating a little faster just at the sight of him, the butterflies in her stomach telling of her inner excitement—or was it nervousness …? Whatever, it was the strangest sensation, shyness, and anticipation, mixed up with something that felt like fear, and yet wasn’t. Very strange!

‘Shall we take Harry round to his room and get him settled in?’ Her mother briskly took charge of the situation. ‘After all, you two will have to be on your way shortly,’ she added practically.

Considering this was the first time Mattie had ever gone anywhere with a man, Mattie considered her mother was taking all of this very calmly. What exactly had Jack said when he’d come to see Diana the other morning? She certainly hadn’t got a straight answer from him on Tuesday evening!

‘Of course.’ Jack’s humour faded as he bent down to stroke his dog. ‘Come on, boy, let’s go and see what you make of this,’ he said with a certain grimness.

He really wasn’t happy about this, Mattie realized sympathetically. Although he really had nothing to worry about; her mother loved dogs, and they seemed to love her too.

‘Why don’t you wait here, Mattie?’ her mother suggested now, a pointedly warning look in her eyes as she looked at Mattie over Jack’s bent back.

‘Of course,’ Mattie instantly accepted; it was always difficult parting the owners from their pets, without having an audience.

Not that it did her too much good to have time to kick her heels while she waited for Jack; the more opportunity she had for thought, the more she thought this was a bad idea! In fact, she had picked up the phone several times over the last few days with the intention of telling Jack that. But each time she had remembered that she was the one who had created this difficulty for him, so it was up to her to help him out of it. If only she didn’t feel quite so nervous!

Although she forgot all about that as Jack returned a few minutes later, his face pale, a nerve pulsing in his tightly clenched jaw.

Mattie stepped forward to touch his arm reassuringly. ‘Harry really will be fine, you know,’ she soothed gently.

Jack shook himself slightly, forcing a smile, although he was still very pale. ‘Now I know how my parents felt every time they took me back to boarding-school!’

Mattie was sure it wasn’t quite the same thing, but … ‘And how did
you
feel once your parents had left to go home?’

His smile became happier. ‘Oh, I laid it on thick before they left—tears, you name it—but within two minutes of them going out the door I was back amongst my friends, all of us talking at once as we discussed what pranks we could get up to the following term!’

‘Well, I don’t think Harry’s quite doing that.’ Mattie laughed at the thought. ‘But I have no doubts that he’s going to be just fine.’ Her mother would make sure of it.

‘He wasn’t doing so badly when I left him,’ Jack admitted as he opened the car door for her to get inside. ‘He and Sophie were getting acquainted,’ he explained at Mattie’s questioning look.

‘Don’t worry.’ Mattie shot him a mischievous look as he got in beside her. ‘Sophie won’t produce a brood of Yellow Labrador-Bearded Collie mix; she’s had her tubes tied!’

‘Well, really, Miss Crawford.’ Jack pretended to look shocked. ‘Isn’t this a little early in our acquaintance to be discussing birth control!’

She could feel the heat that entered her cheeks. ‘If we were really going away to Paris for a romantic weekend then I think this would be a little late to be discussing it!’ she came back primly.

Jack burst out laughing, shaking his head as he sobered slightly. ‘Do you have an answer for everything, Mattie Crawford?’

Not everything, no—unfortunately she had no answer at all to the way her heart leapt in her chest whenever he looked at her, let alone when he laughed in that completely uninhibited way!

But at least she had taken his mind off leaving Harry, which had been the intention, after all …

‘Shouldn’t we be on our way?’ she prompted rather more sharply than she had intended, smiling slightly in an effort to take the sting out of her tone.

‘Sure you’ve got everything?’ he checked as he turned on the ignition.

Mattie gave the question exaggerated thought. ‘I’ve only packed six pairs of shoes—do you think that will be enough—?’ She broke off as he put the car in gear and accelerated down the driveway with such speed she felt as if she were pinned back against the seat. ‘Oh, you do,’ she went on sagely, settling herself more comfortably in the seat beside him.

Jack gave a snort. ‘I thought sisters were bad enough, but girlfriends are—’

‘I’m not your girlfriend,’ Mattie reminded him frostily, perhaps a little more frostily than she intended, but she wanted to make sure the guidelines were clear before they left the country!

‘For the next four days you are,’ Jack returned unconcernedly. ‘Jack and Mattie. Mattie and Jack. How do you think it sounds?’ He quirked dark brows at her.

‘Ridiculous,’ she dismissed scathingly—while inside she could feel the warm glow evoked by hearing their names coupled together in that way. Which, in the circumstances, really
was
ridiculous!

‘Please yourself.’ He shrugged.

That was something she didn’t think she would be
doing too much of in the next few days; her movements would be dictated by what Jack and his family were doing, not by what she personally might like to do. Which was a shame, because she really would have liked to see—

‘I’ve booked a table for us for dinner this evening,’ Jack interrupted her thoughts. ‘But is there anywhere you would particularly like to go while we’re in Paris?’

Her eyes widened. ‘Me?’

‘You,’ he confirmed teasingly. ‘I may be mistaken, but I have the feeling you’ve never been to Paris before.’

‘Your feeling is correct,’ Mattie admitted. ‘But I thought this weekend was a family occasion?’

‘I own up to being very close to my family, Mattie,’ Jack answered evenly, ‘but even I draw the line at spending the whole four days in their company when I could be alone with a beautiful woman, instead. Especially in Paris,’ he added before Mattie could speak. ‘We’re meeting up with all of them tomorrow evening, but, other than that, our time’s our own.’

Mattie had been struck dumb by his reference to ‘a beautiful woman’—because he obviously meant her! But his next statement totally threw her.

‘I quite fancy a day in Euro Disney myself,’ Jack announced with a touch of self-derision. ‘How about you?’

‘Fine,’ she replied vaguely, still reeling from learning they were to spend most of this weekend on their own together.

What on earth were they going to talk about for four days? And three evenings? And what about the nights …!

She swallowed hard. ‘Jack—’

‘Just relax, Mattie.’ He reached over and squeezed her
hand with one of his, while keeping his other on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road. ‘When did you last have a holiday?’

‘A year ago,’ she responded flatly.

‘Then just think of this as a holiday. We’re going to have fun, okay?’

‘Okay,’ she agreed.

He chuckled at her less-than-convinced tone. ‘I was only joking when I made that reference to birth control, you know,’ he teased. ‘We have separate bedrooms at the hotel, honest!’

Well, that was something, at least. Although Mattie had a feeling, after she had spent all that time in Jack’s undoubtedly seductive company, that she might be the one wishing that weren’t the case …!

‘So what do you think?’ Jack prompted huskily as he came to stand behind her as she stood at the window of her hotel bedroom, his hands warm on her shoulders.

Mattie continued to gaze out at the Eiffel Tower, totally mesmerized. The sheer enormity of it, as it stretched skywards, was breathtakingly beautiful.

Jack hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said their hotel overlooked the Eiffel Tower; Mattie felt as if she could almost reach out and touch it!

‘Mattie …?’ Jack squeezed her shoulders.

‘It’s—I—’ She shook her head. ‘Thank you,’ she finally managed through her emotion.

Jack slowly turned her to face him, looking down at her concernedly as he saw the unmistakable tears glistening in her eyes. ‘For what?’