An Affair to Forget (9 page)

Why,
she asked herself in her bedroom a few minutes later, did she let Sam charm her into doing what he wanted? But she already knew the answer. He was a talented man, a wonderful boss. He might even become her entire future one day. But despite all that, nobody, especially Morrin, could change Gareth’s mind once it was made up. If he intended to leave in the morning that was just what he would do.

The
thought made her feel light-headed with relief. Only a few more hours and he would be far away. One quick swim, one token approach about the play just to keep faith with Sam, and then Gareth would be out of her life for good.

She
selected a one-piece suit, pulled on a towelling robe over it, and went out to the pool.

Steps
led up from the patio to a paved area where the guest house stood. Beyond the small building another short flight of stone steps led to the sun deck and swimming-pool at the end of the garden.

To
Morrin’s relief the pool was empty and placid, an oblong of glassy aquamarine water taking its colour from the tiles lining it. The rest of the deck was in semi-darkness, lit by the moon and patterned with shadows cast by empty deckchairs and small tables. She paused, the stones cool beneath her bare feet, and took in a deep lungful of clear air. The sky above was studded with stars and music from somewhere in the cluster of villas drifted faintly to her ears. In other circumstances, it would have been a wonderful night to go swimming.

She
dipped one foot in the pool, starting ripples that fled silently away from her, distorting the tiles below as they went. The water was warm enough for comfort, cool enough to be refreshing. It really was a magic place, this island. A million miles away from anything she had ever known.

“
Romantic, isn’t it?” The voice, echoing her own thoughts but with an ironic note to it, came from just behind her. She spun round, choking back a startled cry, and realised that Gareth had been there all the time, stretched out on a lounger in the soft shadows. He sat up, arms on knees, his eyes gleaming at her and the eerie light from the pool dappling his torso, giving him the look of a warrior encased in a breastplate of finely beaten gold armour.

She
swallowed her fright. “That depends on who you’re with, surely?”

He
swung his feet to the ground, light and shadow playing across the muscles and sinews beneath his smooth skin. “True, but I’ve always been a great believer in making do with what I’ve got.”

Unbidden
and unwanted memories of the house in Yorkshire, the stormy night when he had come home to find her alone, came to her mind and sharpened her voice.

“
I remember.”

“
Do you?” He crossed the stones to stand before her, his hands moving to her shoulders, his thumbs hooking themselves into the neck of her robe and trapping her. He smiled down at her in the soft half-light and said, “I knew you would come to me.”

“
You really think that I – ”

“
– would want to come swimming when there was a chance that I might be around? Not really. I should have said that I knew Sam Kennedy would talk you into coming out, in order to persuade me to do his bidding.” His hands moved slowly over her shoulders, easing the robe back before them. “I remembered you telling me once that you could swim. And now, here we are. The night is young and we have a lot to talk about. Haven’t we, Morrin of the long hair?”

“
Let me go, Gareth.” She knew that her voice was fluttery, unsure.

He
laughed under his breath. “Let you go? When I’ve just found you? You might disappear again.”

“
I didn’t disappear, I… I left your employment.”

The
robe slipped from her shoulders to fall at her feet. The night air was cool against her skin but his hands, still holding her captive, were warm.

“
So you did. You left my employment without a word of warning while I was in Wales.” His voice hardened, his hands tensed on her. “Why, Morrin?”

“
Because – because – ”

“
Because of a shared meal, a bottle of wine, a few kisses? You were always naïve but I never thought you stupid. If what happened made you feel uncomfortable then surely you should have talked to me about it, given me the chance to clear the air between us.”

“
There was nothing to talk about. Our relationship… the working relationship we had… was spoiled. It was time for me to move on.”

“
And then a year later, out of the blue, there you are at a première in London, looking all sophisticated and poised. Not at all like the Morrin I knew. Or thought I knew. And there’s Sam by your side. Why is it that our working relationship had to be all prim and polite, yet the working relationship between you and your boyfriend can be entirely different?”

His
eyes glittered as they moved from hers to her mouth, her throat, lower. She felt her entire body tingle under that gaze. “Sam is not my boyfriend!”

“
No? Come off it, love, we’ve all heard about casting couches. And you’re not going to tell me that he looks at you the way he was looking at you that night just because you’re an efficient secretary, are you?”

“
Gareth, I came here to swim and if you don’t let me go at once I’ll… I’ll scream for help!”

“
Correction, sweetheart, you were sent here to talk me into agreeing to turn my book into a play. Why is your… why is Sam so keen about it?”

“
He knows that it would make a very good play, that’s all.”

“
And a very good vehicle for Vicki Queen. He’s very eager to get her back to London, isn’t he?”

“
He thinks highly of her talent.”

Standing
close to him as she was, she could feel the chuckle building up deep within him. “You’re still appealingly naïve despite the smart clothes and the new hairstyle.”

“
I don’t know what you’re talking about. Gareth, let go of me,” she said again.

“
In a minute.” He pulled her closer, his lips ruffling her hair as he spoke.

Morrin
twisted and squirmed, strongly aware of his hard body against hers. Then, realising that there was no way in which she could release herself, she stopped struggling and stood submissively in his embrace.

“
That’s much better,” he murmured.

“
It makes sense, doesn’t it, Gareth? Men like to prove that brute strength wins the prize every time.”

He
drew his breath in sharply and his arms fell to his sides as he stepped away from her.

“
But sometimes the prize isn’t worth the winning,” he said with a bite in his voice. “You’re quite safe, Morrin, believe me. You always were as far as I was concerned.”

In
the light from the pool his face was like granite, his eyes a green blaze that threatened to burn her to a crisp. She wanted to run from him, back to the comfort of her own room, but he blocked her way and nothing would have made her brush past him.

Instead,
hot tears rushing to her eyes, she turned from him and fled to her only refuge, the pool.

Nine

The luminous water took Morrin into a cool embrace that swept Gareth’s touch from her tingling skin. She was still heading for the tiles below when a noise exploded in her ears, a cluster of silver bubbles rushed past her on their way towards the surface, and his lithe shape skimmed by, just below her.

Morrin
surfaced, pushing wet hair back from her face, and struck out for the shallow end, swimming hard, pushing herself through the water. Before she got there a head surfaced by the steps and disappeared again then slipped past her on the way to deeper water.

She
stood up and watched as he climbed out of the pool at the other end. Standing on the edge he paused, feet apart, hands resting on his hips, then his arms swung with easy rhythm and he cleaved the water in a perfect dive and surfaced.

Morrin
ducked under, skimming over the glass-smooth tiles, and twisted in the water to see him in silhouette above her, a trail of bubbles foaming after him. He was an excellent swimmer. But then, she told herself bitterly, Gareth could do everything perfectly.

She
concentrated on her own swimming after that, ignoring and avoiding him. After a few lengths she decided that she had done her duty and earned the right to go back to her room. She was about to stand up in the shallow end when strong hands caught at her ankles, pulling her off her feet.

Crying
out with surprise, she felt herself being drawn beneath the surface and into a watery world. Gareth’s sinewy limbs twined round hers, his hands sliding up her back and over her helpless body. For a moment she was on the verge of panic… then they were on the surface and she was gasping against his shoulder, grateful in her weakness for the arms that supported her.

“
You’re out of condition.” He thumped her on the back with a wet fist.

“
You – ” Anger almost choked her all over again, and she had to battle against a fit of coughing. “You maniac!” she gasped when she could speak again. “What d’you think you were doing?”

“
Sorry, I lost my way in the crowd.” He indicated the empty stretch of water behind them. “I didn’t realise that I was going to get entangled with you. Lucky I did… you might have drowned, do you realise that?”

“
You mean that you almost drowned me, you – you moron!”

He
tutted softly, pinning her against the side of the pool with his body. “Now you’re suffering from shock.” His eyes sparkled as he studied her. “You were in no danger and even if you had been I know how to administer the kiss of life. Perhaps… just as a safety precaution – ”

“
Gareth!” She wrenched her head away and his mouth came to rest on her neck, just below her ear. A tremor ran through her body and she tried to break free but his legs still held hers, fusing her hips against his.

“
Why do you have to be so unfriendly?” he wondered, his lips tickling her neck. Fire spread from there to her entire body. Then Gareth, with another sudden change of mood, went on, “However, if you insist…”

He
put his hands to her waist, his fingers spanning her easily, and lifted her to the built-in steps. She clutched at the handrail, leaving the pool as quickly as she could. To her dismay he followed her, water scattering like diamonds from his broad shoulders.

Taking
the towel from her hands he began to dry her shoulders. “We haven’t had a proper talk yet, and I’m sure that that’s what Sam wanted. Why not come to the guest house?” he suggested in her ear. “I’m sure I could rustle up a cup of hot chocolate.”

“
We have nothing to talk about.”

“
But you’ve not persuaded me yet to change my mind about the play.”

The
night wasn’t chilly, but even so Morrin shivered as the towel was eased almost tenderly over her back. Gareth himself wasn’t touching her, but every nerve end was aware of him. She wanted to lean against him and feel the warmth of his body against hers, and at the same time she wanted to run from danger.

“
How long has it been since we worked together?” he asked. “Eighteen months?”

“
Thirteen months and – ” She stopped, biting her lip, as he gave a low, triumphant laugh.

“
So you haven’t forgotten me.”

“
How could I? I probably hold the record,” she countered. “I must be the only woman to walk out on Gareth Sinclair.”

“
My dear child” – there was genuine amusement in his voice now – “you’re certainly not the first to do that, nor the last, I suppose. But I still don’t know why you did it. You didn’t steal the spoons… I counted them at once, of course. You didn’t run off with my precious manuscript. No, you were the perfect little secretary to the end… you even posted it before you vanished.”

“
Let’s just say that I got tired of Yorkshire.” Morrin stepped away from him, picking up her robe and slipping it on, tying the belt tightly. Then she held out one hand for her towel.

Gareth
was standing quite still, considering her, his head on one side. After a moment he tossed the towel over to her.

“
You’re deeper than I thought.”

“
How’s your grandmother?” If she had hoped that the change of subject would throw him she was disappointed.

“
As bloody-minded as ever.” He reached for his own towel, the aquamarine glow of the pool behind him outlining his athletic body and long legs. “Why are you so keen on pretending to Sam that we never met each other before?”

“
Because I don’t want him to use me to get what he wants from you.”

He
gave a disbelieving laugh. “You expect me to swallow that as a good reason?”

“
It’s true.”

“
First of all, sweetheart, you walked out on me, God only knows why. Then you get your boyfriend interested in my latest book – ”

“
I didn’t, and he is not my boyfriend!” she flared at him.

“ –
so that you can drag me back into your life and show me what a sophisticated successful woman you’ve become.”

“
What?” It was her turn to laugh with sheer astonishment. “You really think I’d go to all that trouble just to impress you? Seeing you again was the last thing I wanted!”

“
But,” he forged on, his voice taking on a hard edge, “I’m not impressed, Morrin, I’m not amused and I’m really not interested in you or in your wonderful new life!”

“
I didn’t tell Sam that I knew you because to be quite honest I hoped he’d drop the whole silly idea of turning
Charlotte
Dreaming
into a play. I didn’t want you to come to London, I didn’t want you here in Tenerife, and I’m glad that you’re going back tomorrow… you’ll never know just how glad!”

Turning
to leave, she was suddenly caught, spun round and pulled into an embrace that pinned her against Gareth, one wrist trapped behind her back. Her only form of defence was to submit as she had done before, but as soon as she let herself go limp, sagging in his embrace, he muttered, “Oh no, Morrin, it won’t work a second time…” Then his mouth fastened on hers, exploring and demanding.

At
first she fought him, despite the fact that his superior strength made her struggles futile. Then all at once her anger changed to something deeper, primitive, enthralling. She became aware of Gareth’s wet body, warm and hard against hers, the smell of his skin, his hands urgent on her flesh and his tongue teasing the soft moist lining of her mouth.

She
shifted, easing her body to mould it against his. As his grip altered she reached up to run her palms over his shoulders and his broad back, then down the straight strong sweep of his spine beneath its covering of damp cool skin. She wanted to hold this moment in her heart for ever, to memorise the touch, taste and nearness of him while she had the chance.

It
was Gareth who ended the embrace, lifting his mouth from hers, easing his hold on her. She clung to him, dazed. They were both breathless, his deep chest rising and falling swiftly against her breasts.

“
So… you have grown up after all.” There was a faint tremor in his voice. For answer she pulled his face down to hers again.

This
time their kiss was shared, with equal giving and taking. Morrin felt as she had done when she plunged into the pool, only this time she was submerged in Gareth, linked to him in such intense emotion that it seemed bottomless.

She
kissed his chest when he took his mouth from hers, letting her passion-bruised lips soothe themselves in the drops of water still beading his skin.

“
Sam’s going to be proud of you,” he said from above her head.

“
Sam?” For one crazy moment she couldn’t remember who Sam was. Then, as Gareth released her, pushing her away from him, she came back to her surroundings.

“
You were sent out here to sweeten me up.” His voice was expressionless. “And you did it well. Very well indeed.” He swept his fingers through his hair in a gesture Morrin remembered well. “For a moment there I thought that… but not you, Morrin. You’re always in control, aren’t you?”

“
Gareth…”

“
Time for bed, I think. You’ve more than earned this week’s salary.”

“
Wait,” she said as he turned away from her. “You can’t really think that I would…”

Then
her voice tailed away as she saw the situation through his eyes. Sam’s assistant, Sam’s bedmate, as he thought, schooled in the art of charming the people Sam wanted charmed.

Tears
began to sting her eyes and she had to swallow hard before she could trust herself to speak. “Gareth, I don’t suppose you’ll believe me but – ”

“
You’re right, I don’t believe you, so don’t let’s waste any more time. Go to bed, Morrin,” Gareth said again, and dived into the pool.

Numbly,
she caught up her towel, and went down the steps, stopping when she was back in the garden, away from the glow cast by the pool, to knuckle away the tears of humiliation. She had to go back, had to make Gareth see the truth. She would not have him believing lies about her.

But,
on the other hand, what was the use? He had already made his mind up about the role she played in Sam’s plans. Besides, he was going away. Did it matter any more what he thought?

She
looked towards the darkened house just in time to see a brief, tiny pinpoint of light at one of the windows. It vanished, then came again – the glow of a cigarette. Maria and Jaime, she knew, had their own house a hundred yards from the villa and Vicki didn’t smoke. But Sam did.

Morrin
turned and looked up at the pool area. She and Gareth, locked in each other’s arms, would have been silhouetted against the glow from the pool itself, easily seen by someone standing at a window.

Had
Sam been spying on them? With a sudden chill she realised that if he had, and if Gareth had seen that giveaway glow from his cigarette, he would naturally have assumed that he was the victim of a plot. Another wrong assumption. She felt as though she was being smothered by them.

In
the darkened, silent house a lamp glowed in the hall but there were no lights beneath Sam’s door, or Vicki’s. In her own room Morrin bathed her swollen mouth, pulled a brush through her tangled hair, and got into bed, trying to convince herself that Gareth’s opinion of her didn’t matter one bit. He was leaving in the morning, and she would never see him again.

Even
so, remembering those moments by the pool, in his arms, she knew that his opinion did matter; it mattered a lot.

*

She slept restlessly and in the morning she had to put on more make-up than usual in order to hide the faint shadows under her eyes. She was up early, determined to phone the airport first thing and book a seat for Gareth on the first available flight to London. And from there, she supposed, to Austria and Alison. But that was none of her business.

Sam
caught up with her as she went into the lounge. “Morning, darling.” He dropped a light kiss on her cheek. “Well, how did it go last night?”

“
Surely you don’t need to ask? After all, you were spying on me, weren’t you? You saw it all for yourself.”

He
looked astonished, then hurt. “I was what?”

“
You heard me.”

He
grabbed Morrin’s elbow and hurried her across to the archway that led to the small dining-room. Here, they were well away from the hall. “Not so loud… you know how irritable Vicki can be if she’s wakened,” he cautioned.

“
No, I don’t… but you seem to.”

Sam
flushed and ran a hand over his neatly combed hair. “Dammit, Morrin, do you have to take everything so seriously? I just meant that – ” Then embarrassment gave way to dawning understanding of her earlier words. “You saw me at the window last night?”