Authors: Unknown
'Hello.' As she stared around her, torn between wanting to see him and scared of that feeling, he appeared around the corner.
'Oh. Hello.' Studiously polite, she nodded and smiled.
'I didn't know you rode.' His own voice reflected nothing but polite interest.
'I don't know that you can call it riding.' She took off her hat and ran her fingers through her flattened hair. 'I'm not very good at it, I'm afraid.'
'Do you really think you should be off a leading rein?'
She looked directly at him for the first time and saw the flash of amusement that lurked in his jade eyes.
'It wasn't my idea,' she said honestly. 'I'm not ambitious.'
'So why are you doing it?'
'Marina thought it would be nice if we went riding together sometimes.'
'I see.' They turned and, by silent agreement, began to walk back towards Dani's car. 'Well, I think it'll be a while before you go hacking.' Again there was just a hint of laughter in his voice. 'You really didn't do too well, did you?'
His shoulder brushed hers as they walked, and idly Dani kicked a stone along in front of her with the toe of her Wellington boot while she considered an answer. The tone of his voice had been quiet, and there had been no hint of patronage in it, and it would be both unfair and too revealing to accuse him of disturbing her concentration. In addition to all that, what he had said was true; she was not very good.
'I dismounted well,' she said at last, and when he stopped walking and threw back his head and laughed, she was surprised by the spontaneity of his amusement, a little disconcerted by this sudden change of approach to her, and vaguely irritated by his open acceptance of her lack of skill. It appeared that tact was not among his qualities for the day. 'It isn't that funny!' she said tartly. 'Considering how I felt after that canter, I'm surprised I could get off at all. I was scared.'
'So was I,' he said gently, and they stared at one another.
He
was scared? Dani recalled how she had been surprised to see him inside the ring instead of outside it. His reactions had been so fast that she had not even had time to notice that he had moved at all. What would have happened if she had not managed to control her horse? Would he have crossed the arena and stopped Thunder for her?
'Yes, well . . .' She was lost for words. She felt a little glow of warmth that he should be concerned, but a voice inside her brain was telling her not to be such a fool. This man did not care for her because she was a divorced woman and he did not like divorced women. She reminded herself sternly that she did not want involvement with a man like Prentice McCulloch.
'Will you have dinner with me tonight?' He took off his coat, fitted his finger through the loop at the back to swing it over his shoulder, and began to roll up the sleeves of his shirt. He did not look at her. 'We could go to the Plumtree.'
The Plumtree was small, exclusive and intimate. Dani blinked at him in surprise and hesitated. She wanted to say yes. More than anything she wanted the chance to dress up for him and enjoy an evening in his company. On the other hand, he was not supposed to like her, and she bit her lip and wondered what his motive was.
'The last time I saw you,' she said quietly, 'you made it fairly plain that you didn't want to know me. At least, that's what I understood. I'd love to have dinner with you . . .' She could make that clear, at least. ' . . . but I don't know why you're asking me.'
'I have to do a prospectus for the country club.' He tapped his riding crop impatiently against his boot and Dani watched the moving muscles in his arm with fascinated eyes. 'You know more about the area than I do. I thought you might help me out.' He still was not looking at her.
'Prentice. . .'
'Yes?' At last he met her eyes, and his whole face reflected guileless innocence.
'Oh, nothing.' She was bewildered. A man was inviting her out to dinner and she was questioning his motives instead of accepting and thanking him. Dani knew she had to decide what to do quickly or else seem ungracious.
'I'd love to come,' she said gently. 'Thank you. Of course I'll help you, if I can.'
'I'll look forward to it.' He spoke gravely, but the riding crop stopped its impatient tattoo. 'Eight o'clock suit you?'
'Fine. Oh!' A sudden thought struck her. 'How is Brian?'
'He's fine.' A smile crossed the handsome features. 'Getting to know my father and trying not to be impatient because he can't paint.'
'How long before he comes home?'
'I'm not sure. Why? Do you miss him?' The question came so quickly that Dani frowned.
'It seems awfully quiet without him,' she said with a shrug. 'I'm used to hearing him downstairs.'
'I think it'll be about another week or so.' Prentice turned and began to walk towards the Fiesta, and Dani followed him, lengthening her stride to keep pace with him. 'Are you happy with your stairs now?' he continued abruptly.
'Yes, thank you. What was Brian doing when he fell?'
'I don't know. Something to the handrail, I think.'
'Well . . .' A thought crossed her mind. ' . . . who finished the job, then?' Yet she knew the answer even before he spoke.
'I arranged for someone to deal with it.'
'Thank you.' Dani wondered if she would ever solve the enigma of this awkward man. Impulsively she stretched out her hand and caught his arm, making him stop and look at her. 'You're very kind,' she said simply, and again there was a little pause while they studied one another and Dani felt her heart begin to race as the heat of his skin warmed the palm of her hand.
'I'd hate you to break your neck.' He had said those words before, only the last time in such a way that she had been left in no doubt that the idea gave him some pleasure. Now it was as though he was touching her, running his fingers along her throat and around to the nape of her neck, and Dani had to resist the impulse to move her head as if his fingers were really caressing her skin.
'Was that your horse?' She said the first thing that came into her head and felt the intensity of the moment slip away.
'Yes. I'm keeping him here for a while.'
'I didn't realise you were actually going to be living at the Manor.'
'Just until the place has settled down and I've got it running smoothly. If the country club is a success, I may start another one.'
They reached the car. Dani pulled out her keys from the pocket of her jacket and opened the door.
'I'll see you tonight, then,' she said.
'Eight o'clock.' He raised his hand in salute and turned away and Dani watched him walk up the yard, cross the lane, and stroll up the smaller secondary private road that led to the Manor. No doubt some of his guests would use this drive when they borrowed horses from the stables. He had been right when he had said the country club would bring some money into the village, and yet Dani still could not bring herself to like the idea. She shrugged philosophically and turned away.
The three-piece band was playing quietly in a corner and two couples were circling the pocket-handkerchief dance floor as Dani picked up her menu and studied it while trying desperately to think of something to say.
In the dim light of the restaurant her gold necklace gleamed against her skin, underlining the smooth slenderness of her neck and throat, and the black jersey dress clung to her and emphasised the curves of her body. Dani had been pleased with her reflection in the mirror before
she had left her flat, but now her poise was deserting her.
Prentice seemed even more reserved than ever, but Dani did not believe it was shyness or lack of confidence that held him silent. She sensed that he was as acutely aware of her as she was tinglingly conscious of every movement and every word he spoke. She had retreated behind her enormous menu with the wary thought that somehow she must armour herself against the warm depths of his eyes and the curve of his mouth that she now, suddenly, found impossibly sensuous.
'Did Brian say that your name was really Danielle?' he asked suddenly, and she lowered the menu and smiled.
'Yes,' she agreed. 'My mother's French.'
'Really? And your father?'
'Yorkshire born and bred.'
'So how did you get to Suffolk?'
'Well, Marina met Harry and came to live down here, and I thought it would be a good idea to move from Yorkshire when . . .' She stopped. It was ridiculous to be talking about her divorce again. It would just make him crawl further into his shell.
' . . . when you got divorced,' he finished quietly. 'Thanks for reminding me.'
'Prentice -' She leaned across the table to emphasise her point. 'I'm sorry. It's never going to go away, is it? Maybe this was all a big mistake. Why don't you just take me home?'
'Because I don't want to.' His voice was low and a deep crease appeared between his eyebrows.
'What do you want, then?' She felt helpless and the question was out before she could stop it. Unhappily she played with the small posy of flowers in the centre of the table.
'I want to enjoy my dinner with you. I want you to enjoy yourself.' He spoke so quietly that she barely heard him.
'All right.' She sat back in her chair and reached for the menu again. 'I'll read this and you can tell me about— about your horse.'
It was the first thing that came into her mind and she was not surprised when he chuckled. The low intimacy of the sound made feathery fingers walk down Dani's back and she wondered if he could tell from her face how much she liked hearing him laugh. She retreated hurriedly behind the menu.
After that it became easier. Prentice seemed to relax and Dani began to enjoy her evening, too. When, later, he asked her to dance, she had drunk enough wine to quieten the inner, warning voice that told her to beware—that this man was not for her. She nodded happily and preceded him to the small square set aside for dancing, turning into his arms without any hesitation.
It was as though she had been waiting all her life for this moment. Dani wanted to melt into that embrace, to be held closely as if she was the only girl left in the world, and to feel his body against her own. The knowledge of what she wanted scared her, and she held herself erect and refused to give way to the warmth of her thoughts, keeping a tiny distance between them with careful precision.
'What's the matter?' His voice was close to her ear and Dani jumped.
'Nothing,' she replied quietly, but she was glad that her face was turned towards his shoulder and he could not see her expression.
'Oh, come on!' His voice was lazy and teasing. 'Relax a little. I'm not going to bite.' His arm tightened just a fraction, enough to make her either yield to his strength or have to make a definite gesture to pull back.
Dani surrendered. It was easy and he seemed to want it because his arm closed around her even more firmly and he squeezed her hand.
On a horse he had shown a supple, graceful vigour that had fascinated Dani. Now he moved just as easily to the rhythm of the waltz and she was not really surprised. She doubted that there was anything that Prentice McCulloch could not do well.
How would he make love? No, no, she must not think about that. Yet she remembered how he had looked as he sat up in Brian's bed and how she had wanted to reach out and touch him. The temptation to lay her hand against the tanned skin of his chest and feel his heartbeat had been almost irresistible, and she felt the same magnetism again now that she was in his arms.
Dani sighed inwardly and tried to remember when she had last been so close to a man; not just physically close, but sharing a kind of mental unity, too. She could sense exactly where he was going to move so their steps matched perfectly and she knew, without having any basis for that knowledge, that he was relaxed and enjoying the moment.
'Dani. . .' He sighed the word and she felt him dip his head a little and rest his cheek against hers.'. . . you are so beautiful.'
It was some kind of surrender. Dani circled her arm further around his shoulder with an unbearable sense of possessiveness and touched the nape of his neck with one tentative finger. There were no words that had to be spoken, they just drifted with the music, engrossed in one another, and Dani smelt the faint tang of sandalwood aftershave, the scent of his herbal shampoo, felt the warmth of his skin against her cheek and melted inwardly. Now she was aware of the contours of his body fitted against hers and it seemed, to her dazed and physically assaulted senses, that they were two halves that had just become one whole, as if they had been made for one another.
Dani dared to hope.
'Would
you like coffee?' Dani fumbled in her bag for the key to her flat, aware that Prentice was waiting patiently beside her and that his arm around her waist reflected the same possessiveness that she had felt towards him earlier in the evening.
'Yes, please.' He leaned forward and brushed her ear with his lips, and Dani chuckled. It had been a beautiful evening and she could not recall the last time she had felt so happy.
'This is nice.' He walked into the room behind her and shut the door, glancing around him curiously as Dani moved to shut the heavy velvet curtains across the window that looked out on to the square. The action seemed to create an air of intimacy between them, and to heighten the feeling of rapport that had been present ever since their first dance together. Dani was delighted when he began to wander around the room as casually as if he had been doing it for years.
'I'll make the coffee.' She went into the small kitchen and switched on the percolator, not surprised when Prentice joined her a few seconds later and wrapped his arms around her waist, snuggling his face into her neck.
'I hope that bed of yours is comfortable,' he murmured. 'Shall we forget the coffee and . . .'
'And' what?' Dani swung around to face him and immediately he released her to place one hand on each
side of the work surface behind her, trapping her between his arms.
'Don't be so naive.' It was the same teasing tone he had used earlier in the evening, but now his smile was faintly mocking. Dani could feel her heart knocking against her rib-cage, and in the sudden ominous quiet of the kitchen, the blood seemed to be pounding in her ears.