Read The Scent of His Woman Online
Authors: Maggie Pritchard
‘I am taking you home, you have no choice in the matter, so shut up and do as you
are told.’
As he ground out the words Geth wondered again at his own reaction, it was mad,
even he could see that, but all of a sudden that this exasperating female should not get the
better of him seemed to be the only consideration. So he took firm hold of her arm again
and practically frog-marched her through the building to the car park at the rear. Thrust her
firmly into the passenger seat of his
Porsche Panamera
before jumping in beside her,
slamming the door, belting them both up, starting the engine and gunning the big car
aggressively into the London traffic, all without uttering another syllable.
Chapter 3
Lexie was astounded, speechless, how on earth had she gotten herself into this mess?
Why, this was practically a kidnap! For a few minutes she was unable to do anything
except grip the edges of the dark grey leather seat he had belted her into, panic taking
over as he drove furiously through the congested streets. Lexie was not a nervous driver
or passenger for that matter, at least not as a rule, but the speed with which he threw the
big car into the melee, changing lanes at what seemed like breakneck speed and with
scant regard for safety was completely unnerving. The knowledge that he was angry didn’t
help either, it must be a male thing she thought angrily, letting sheer temper dictate their
driving style and be damned to the consequences. At last after what seemed like an
eternity, she found her voice.
‘Enough now, you can’t do this, you just simply can’t, there are laws you know. Just
stop the car and let me out.’
Again the one word answer.
‘No.’
Increasing fear, both at his implacable answer and a near miss with a big red bus as
he nipped in and out of the traffic gave her voice a slight tremor as she demanded with as
much force as she could muster.
‘Stop this car and let me out before I open this window and start to scream, I warn
you every police car in London will hear me.’
Too late she saw his hand move a switch beside him and a muted click announced
that he’d locked the windows and probably the doors as well. ‘
‘Feel free to scream if you wish cariad, no-one will hear and if they do how do you
think they will catch us? Not many police vehicles are up to the job of catching this one I
promise you.’
She realised with a sinking heart that at least for now, there was nothing she could
do except sit in the seat and pray. Just you wait buster she thought furiously, you will have
to stop this thing sooner or later and heaven help you when you do.
The long minutes dragged by in silence, he driving with furious intent and her sitting
silently biding her time with seething resentment. Geth had picked up on the slight tremor
in her voice and he made an effort to modify his driving. He was in full control and needed
to drive with an aggressive confidence to get through the heavy rush hour traffic, but she
couldn’t know that he did this almost every day and she was obviously nervous. Soon they
were free of the city and he began to relax and enjoy the drive. He always loved driving
this car, his one real extravagance.
For a man with a multi million pound portfolio he wasn’t much into spending his
money. He had a few of top drawer city apartments dotted around the world, Cardiff,
London, Paris, and Montreal. He always stayed in top hotels if business took him to less
frequently visited cities. His lady friends who were usually chosen for looks and an ability
to be discreet always found him a generous lover in more ways than the obvious. Of
course his substantial entourage and staff were well paid, how else would he get anything
done? But at heart he was a man of simple enough tastes and when he really needed to
have a break, he preferred to return home to his parent’s farm in mid Wales. There he
could be himself, as the second son who had made a good life for himself away from the
family farm, he had nothing to prove. His parents still lived in the old farmhouse but the
work was done by Rhys, his elder brother, with a few loyal, skilled farm hands. Rhys ran a
tight ship, he was a born farmer, not ever wanting to do anything else. In stark contrast to
Geth who had always hankered for a different life. Not that it had turned out to be so
different in the end, Rhys grew things while his younger brother built things.
Geth had known from an early age that the farming life was not for him. It wasn’t the
work, it was everything that came with it. The staying in one place, the life ordered by the
seasons, the weight of responsibility, for stock, for men’s livelihoods, and for ensuring the
continuation of tradition. That more than anything. He liked the life he’d made for himself,
he was a city boy now, jetting from one metropolis to the next. Moving from one exciting
project to the next, life was ever changing. Shaping million dollar deals was demanding,
you never knew what to expect, so he played hard too, had gained a bit of a reputation for
it and that was why Mam was on his back at every turn. Convinced that all he needed was
to settle down with a nice Welsh girl. Yeah right! As if that was ever going to appeal.
It might have done once, a long time ago, in a time when he’d been innocent of the
hurt that could come with love. He frowned at remembered pain and for a moment he
could see her again, laughing, her hair flying lose around her narrow shoulders as she
guided her horse over the jumps. He shook himself out of the memory, no, settling down,
loving one woman would never be for him. That said, Geth was careful not to upset Mam
too much, or Dad for that matter, for all his independence they were still the anchor of his
life, he liked it that way, just as much as Rhys did. Both young men adored their parents,
Dad was enjoying retirement now while Mam carried on with all the things that kept the
house and her umpteen committees running smoothly. And of course there was Mared,
their adored younger sister. Much younger than the boys, and as lovely as her name, they
had all spoilt her, though Mam had also instilled a good set of values that combined with
her natural good humour had turned her into a well balanced young woman, un-spoilt by
the family affluence.
Geth glanced at the woman sitting stiffly upright in the seat beside him. What was it about
her that drove him on like this? It was worrying. There had been many women, it was easy
to find attractive, charming partners when you were young and rich but none of them had
affected him like Lexie. Geth knew he was right up there on the list of the UKs most
eligible bachelors, and his usual tastes ran to tall girls, Lexie was tiny. He liked long
straight hair that gave a girl an air of elegance, Lexie’s riotous red curls spoke more of
chaos. He liked quiet, discreet career women, Lexie ran a shop selling stuff grown in her
allotment and was as fiery as her hair. The way she defied him drove him mad and yet she
dominated his thoughts as no other woman ever had, he woke at night with the
remembered taste of her on his tongue, the remembered scent of her giving rise to a
visceral ache he’d never felt before. She was driving him to extreme actions, withholding
her bag to begin with and now almost kidnapping her. He would have to resolve this before
it drove him mad. Just looking at the stiff, ramrod straight posture she had adopted in the
passenger seat spoke volumes for her agitated, angry state of mind. He drove smoothly
on, trying to decide how to handle the inevitable moment when he would have to stop the
car and cope with the aftermath.
Lexie began to relax her hold on the car seat as they left the frantic city traffic
behind. There had been an almost imperceptible shift in the tone of his driving which took
the edge off her fear and she began to relax she started to take notice of the machine she
was in and the man driving it. The car was pure luxury of the kind she was completely
unused to, to begin with though huge it only seated two people, no thought for practicality
there she thought. No, this was a rich man’s toy, a sleek pewter grey exterior designed to
impress anyone who looked at it, it made an unequivocal statement about its owner. I am
rich but I also have taste, it said with authority. The interior was no less impressive, deep,
wide seats in smooth seal grey leather that she could have curled up in, and the cockpit
was a combination of the same leather and brushed magnesium with accents of polished
wood. The space-age array of dials and displays on the dashboard made her head spin
just looking at them. All in all it made the little green 2CV she had inherited when her sister
married seem like a cheap toy.
Surreptitiously she studied the man driving as he concentrated on the road. Well
over six foot, broad shouldered and muscular, nothing soft about him she remembered
blushing. He had looked great in the working clothes he’d been wearing when she first laid
eyes on him, but in the expensive suit and crisp white shirt he wore now he put her in mind
of sleek predator. A golden lion of a man. He’d removed the dark tie he’d worn for the
meeting and opened the top button of the shirt, revealing the thick strength of his neck and
the memory of how it had felt to kiss and nuzzle that smooth golden skin came flooding
back into her head, making her body react involuntarily. His hands on the steering wheel
were relaxed, in control, she started to remember the part they had played in that night,
but pulled herself up sharply, ‘don’t even go there’, she thought. Then the movement of his
left leg as he pressed the clutch drew her eyes to his long muscular thighs and this time
she could not ignore the twist deep in her gut that sent a sweet warm sensation rushing
through her. ‘Oh get a grip girl!’ She shook the thought out of her head. ‘This man is a
game player, just remember that, not content with romancing information out of you to use
against the protest, he then seduced you. Not to be trusted should be tattooed on his
forehead!’ The trouble was though that part of her just wanted to look into those amazing
blue eyes again. Icy blue she remembered, steely determination radiating from them, but
she knew too that they could warm and when he smiled they had crinkled attractively at
their corners and simply melted her heart. That thought really freaked her out, heart,
melted her heart, no it was just not possible, she couldn’t fall for a man like this, she
wouldn’t let herself do that, no way. So she stopped looking at him and turned to stare out
of the window, trying to focus on the countryside rushing past rather than on him.
They were on the M4 by now and she watched the signs as they whipped past,
Windsor, Reading, Swindon the big car simply ate up the miles. Soon the signs for the last
services they would pass before the Severn crossing came into view and Lexie saw a
chance to at least try to get away from him. If only she could get him to pull in here, she
would surely be able to give him the slip and phone one of her sisters. There must be a
public phone and she could reverse the charges easily enough. Florence and Netia could
be with her in about an hour, and let him face them if he dared!
Making an effort to speak without rancour she spoke.
‘Please, can we stop here? I need a break.’
Geth turned to look inquiringly at her, she sounded calm and not so angry, but... He
was undecided, then without a word he indicated and pulled into the service station. There
was no point in refusing, it would only alienate her further. She couldn’t get away from here
and it would give him time to talk to her, to reassure her. As the car swung into an empty
parking space Lexie unbuckled her belt and tried to open the door, hoping to get a head
start that would let her bolt into the crowd and escape him quickly, but as she pulled at the
door she realised it was still locked. She turned to find Geth silently assessing her actions
with an implacable look and knew he had read her mind, there was no way he would let
her escape long enough to call for help, she thought with a sinking heart. Unhurriedly he
moved one hand and released the door lock.
‘Don’t look so stricken cariad, you are not a prisoner here. Come on we’ll take a
His voice seemed so reasonable, so calm, she felt silly. The thought rankled, it was
bad enough he’d been the one to find out how lacking in bedroom experience she was, it
was just too much to have him think she was some hysterical female who spent her life in
fear of men. So she got a grip on herself, nodded silently and exited the big car with
almost exaggerated control. Instead of following her instinct and bolting, she stood calmly
waiting for him to join her. He locked the car with an imperceptible click, took her arm and
guided her towards the services. Lexie walked beside him trying to work out her next
move, how would she ever give him the slip now?
Once inside he guided her to the rest area, one hand slipped around her waist,
pulling her close to his side as though to protect her from the jostling crowd.
‘Once we have freshened up, we may as well find something to eat. I don’t know
about you but I would kill for a good strong coffee.’
All of a sudden Lexie found herself free of his hold and walked with as much dignity
as she could into the ladies. Taking her time she freshened up and then hesitantly made
he way back out. For a split second she thought he had not waited outside for her, but
then she saw him, standing just a few yards away. Again he was watching her as if
expecting her to try to bolt and again the thought rankled. So she walked over to where he
stood as if the thought of escape had not even entered her head and took the arm he
offered as he led her towards the restaurant. It wasn’t until the savory aroma of the hot
food hit her that Lexie realised just how long it had been since she’d last eaten. Since an
early breakfast of muesli she’d had nothing more than a lukewarm coffee from a flask on
the journey, and by now was more than ready for a meal. So when Geth suggested steak
pie with chips, she happily agreed.
‘You go grab us a table by the window cariad, and I will get our meal.’
Lexie moved to do as he suggested. Sitting with her back to the big window she
studied him as she waited, there was no denying he stood out, drawing the attention of
more than one woman in the room. For some odd reason Lexie found she was not entirely
happy about the rather obvious admiration he was attracting. Before she had time to
rationalise the feelings however he was back with her carrying the tray laden with food and
two big mugs of fragrant coffee.
For a while they ate in an almost companionable silence and Lexie found it
strangely relaxing to be sitting here in a crowded noisy place eating with this man who, by
rights, she should be denouncing as her abductor. Once she had eaten her fill she sipped
her coffee and watched him, waiting for the right moment to speak.
‘Could I borrow your mobile? I can ring my sisters to come to fetch me from here,
it’s not so far now, and they could be here in an hour. They will be able to repay you for the
meal and will be grateful you brought me so far...’
She tailed off not sure what else she could say to convince him. When he spoke his
voice was tinged with amusement but he reached into his pocket and produced his mobile,
pushing it across the table to her.
‘Well to begin with, I need no recompense for either bringing you here or for the
meal, it has been my pleasure. If you really want to worry your sisters, then, feel free, but if
they could be here in an hour then by the same token I could get you home safe in an
hour, home safe and no need to be a worry to anyone.’
Lexie picked up the phone, intending to ring Florence, but his words struck a chord
in her mind. Florence would ring Netia and they would come to get her, they always did.
They would also be angry because they would be frightened she’d got into another scrape.
But he was right, need they be worried when he could get her home in an hour? It did
seem melodramatic, ringing for rescue when in fact no rescue was needed, when in fact
he was taking her home not abducting her with evil intent. She slowly put the phone back
on the table.
‘Well ok, but I insist when we arrive on paying you for the meal and for the lift home,
you must decide how much will be reasonable, or I would rather ring my sisters.’
Geth smiled, she really was a determined little thing.
‘OK you can pay me for the meal with a cup of coffee when we get there, but the
cost of rescuing a damsel in distress is I’m afraid set by tradition at one kiss.’
He watched as a flash of anger lit up her eyes, making them luminous and
magnificent. She reached for the phone on the table between them but Geth was faster,
picking it up and stowing it smoothly back in his pocket.
‘Oh come now, that’s more than reasonable you have to admit, but maybe you are
afraid to kiss me, especially after the last time.’
‘I am no such thing...’
Lexie was livid now, and determined he should not be allowed to suggest she was
so unsophisticated as to be nervous of kissing him.
‘I’m certainly not afraid of you and if you think your kisses are so devastating to us
poor unsuspecting females, then I think it is time someone showed you just how easy
some of us find resisting men like you.’
He smiled again, that slow, infuriating smile that told her he thought he still had the
upper hand. Well that’s what you think buster she thought silently, one coffee and one
peck on the cheek and you will be out the door you arrogant man, just you wait and see.
‘Well come on then, lets go. The sooner we get back the better, then, you can have
your payment and be on your way back to London in an hour.’
As she marched out in front of him Geth was quietly confident, not only had she
agreed to let him take her home, but she would allow him to stay for coffee too. He was
also willing to bet that one kiss she had promised would not be the only one she would
give him, given the way she had responded in his arms earlier it was a sure bet, he was
certain of it.
The rest of the journey was uneventful and they pulled up outside her shop just
under an hour later. Lexie hated the way her heart had started to race, and her hands felt
clammy with apprehension as she exited the big car. Standing on the pavement outside
she could see just how out if place it looked parked on Llan-aberth village green, its sleek
pewter grey lines spoke of an affluence that was at odds with the slightly shabby sleepy
little village. She looked over to where its owner was standing and saw the same
mismatch, his dark grey suit must have cost the earth, and his white shirt was as crisp as
when she’s first set eyes on him hours ago. For the life of her she couldn’t imagine what a
man like this wanted from either Llan-aberth or from her. Geth walked slowly around the
car to her side.
‘Now I am willing to bet you have a key stashed away somewhere, at least I hope
so as I think I may have a bit of a problem fitting through your windows.’
He was looking ruefully at the tiny sash windows at the front of the building as he
spoke. For a split second Lexie regretted that there was a key under the pot of lemon
scented geraniums to the right of the doorway, the thought of watching him lose his
elegant composure breaking in to her home was quite tempting. Before she had a chance
to say anything he spotted the quick glance she gave the pot of flowers and understood.
Moving the pot to one side he retrieved the key.
‘Well that’s a relief anyway, he said with a smile as he put the key in the lock and
opened the door, total lack of security saves the day, well saves my suit anyway.’
The door opened into her little shop, fragrant with herbs and other scented
merchandise. Geth stood looking around, senses bombarded by the overwhelming
femininity of the place, he’d got the impression that Owain had not liked the shop, now he
understood why, there was not a red blooded male alive that would. The place was tiny,
making him feel huge and clumsy, it was packed to the rafters with merchandise in pale
pastel colours, frilled, beaded and beribboned. The ceiling was hung with great swathes of
drying vegetation, herbs he assumed and here and there tiny bells hung on bright ribbons,
they were beginning to tinkle gently in the draught from the open door. He turned to find
her watching him, gauging his reaction.
‘You grow this stuff yourself?’
‘Some of it she answered, some I buy in if I can be sure it is Fair Trade’.
He nodded, ‘and the shop does well?’
‘Yes most of the time, and anyway I don’t need much I grow most of my own food
on the allotment, I barter for other stuff I need, I get by ok.’
She tried to read the look on his face but he turned away.
‘You live through there I assume,’ he indicated towards the door behind the tiny
counter as he spoke. ‘
Yes the kitchen is through there and I have rooms upstairs but mostly I live in the
conservatory,’ she moved past him as she spoke opening the door, and indicating for him
to follow.
He expected the room beyond the door to be the same as the shop and was
surprised when it was not. The little kitchen was bright and airy, mainly because the far
wall was taken up entirely by patio doors leading into a small conservatory. The kitchen
itself was fitted with clean lined contemporary style units in deep crimson with hints of
stainless steel and a range of bright stainless pots and pans hung from the ceiling. The
Welsh slate tiled floor ran through into the conservatory which was simply furnished with
two small comfortable looking sofas covered in thick cream cotton throws and liberally
scattered with cushions in the same colour as the kitchen. A wicker coffee table with a
shiny glass top and a small wooden bookshelf crammed with books were the only other
items in the room. The minimalist approach contrasted so completely with the shop it
stopped him in his tracks and he turned to look at her, surprise evident on his face.
‘Well’ she remarked ‘you didn’t expect me to actually live in the shop did you? I
stock what sells, what people want, here I like things easy to keep clean and the only
herbs I use myself are fresh from the garden. I do sell some fresh herbs in the shop in
season, but mostly people want stuff that lasts and is prettily presented, it’s just business.’
He smiled his understanding and moved to look at the garden as she busied herself
putting the kettle on. The summer sun was fading but he could still make out the riot of
plants that filled the space beyond the windows of the conservatory and somewhere water
was trickling. Too much like farming was his only thought, he’d never been that keen on
greenery. He turned and seated himself on the nearest sofa and watched her bring in the
coffee.
‘Only instant I’m afraid, but it is Fair trade.’
‘I’m sure it will be fine,’ he remarked, watching her face and knowing she was
thinking of the other payment that had been promised. They sipped in silence for a while,
he the coffee, she a cup of some pink herbal concoction he noticed.
Then unable to stand the tension she began to ask about the project, not knowing
what else they could possibly talk about.
‘What will happen now at the site? You must know the protestors won’t give up, or
let you go against the wishes of the locals.’
He was noncommittal, ‘the work begins tomorrow, we secured the site today and
anyone trespassing will be dealt with legally, it’s the only way. Quite frankly I’m surprised
you side with a band of professional protestors like them, all they do is delay the inevitable
and push costs up. Planning has been granted and we are perfectly entitled to carry on
with the work.’
She felt her temper flare, ‘what arrogance, so you ignore what the village wants just
so you can make even more money, is that it?’
‘Ah but you know as well as I do that not every one here is opposed to the business
park, some want the work and some see the opportunities working with us can create.’
Suddenly she understood, that was what she must have told him when he’d plied
her with wine and charm, she must have let him know there was disagreement between
locals about the development, she may even have told him that not all the locals agreed
with bringing in the protest group to help. Oh the cheek of the man, it was too much. She
was just about to demand that he leave when the door to the shop opened and her sister
Florence bustled in.
At first she did not notice the big man sat in the conservatory as she unloaded the
bag of groceries she was carrying onto the work-top.
‘Hi’, she called, ‘the shops open you know, I didn’t have to use my key, you better
go lock up, it’s getting late. Brought you some odds and ends that were on offer in the
supermarket, you can swap me some more honey, ok? Hey have you seen that car
outside, some big fancy thing all macho and out of place...’
She tailed off as she turned and saw Geth, the look on her face as she registered
who he was, was nothing less than priceless. Looking from her sister who was on her feet
by now to the man seated in the conservatory as if he owned it, she was lost for words.
Lexie took the opportunity to escape the madness for a brief moment at least,
grabbing the shop keys and muttering something about locking up headed out through the
kitchen leaving Geth to introduce himself.
‘Hi’, he said getting to his feet and offering her his hand, ‘I’m Geth, you will one of
the famous sisters, Florence, I’m guessing.’
Florence was charmed from the moment he spoke, she’d seen him in the papers
obviously but in the flesh he was impossibly dreamy, and big, goodness he fairly filled the
place. Sensing that at least this sister was favourably impressed Geth continued with the
charm offensive.
‘I’m afraid your sister ran into a bit of trouble in London today and I felt it best to see
her safely home, she’s still a little edgy so it’s good you came round.’