Desire (#3) (2 page)

As he felt my fingers close around his hand, Benjamin’s eyelids fluttered. I froze. I didn’t want to wake him. The doctor said he had to rest.

I remained as still as a statue, but he still woke. He blinked up at me. “Kate?”

Just hearing him say my name sent warmth flooding through my body. He was okay.

I smiled at him. “Yes, it’s me. But try to get some sleep, Benjamin. The doctor said you had to rest.”

His fingers gripped mine. And he gave me the strangest look. “You really do care about me, don’t you?”

The way he looked at me made my heart sing. Maybe he did want me for more than just sex. Maybe he could grow to love… My thoughts trailed off as I caught sight of the intravenous drip running into the back of his hand.

Benjamin was on strong pain killers. I shouldn’t read too much into this. I bit down on my lip, annoyed at myself. Why did I keep getting my hopes up? He’d been straight with me right from the start. He wasn’t interested in commitment.

“What happened?” I asked him. “You turned up at the Vastors’ house with no car. Did you crash?”

For a moment, he looked perplexed. Confusion creased his face, then his expression clouded over and his eyes hardened.

“What is it?” I asked.

Instantly, he was all business. “Is Colin here?”

I nodded.

“Can you get him for me? I need to talk to him.”

“But…” Selfishly, I wanted Benjamin to myself for as long as possible.

Benjamin’s face softened. “Please, Kate. It’s important.”

Reluctantly, I let go of his hand and left him in the ward to search for Colin.

When I reached the end of the corridor, I saw Colin was still deep in conversation with the doctor. As I drew closer, I overheard a few words.

The doctor nodded vigorously. “… serious damage … could have been much worse … perhaps the police …”

For the first time, I saw just how persuasive and charming Colin could be. He put a hand on the doctor’s arm. “There’s no need for that. I assure you, it will be taken care of, and of course we will find a way to show our appreciation for all your help.”

I saw the change in the doctor’s face. His determined expression melted away and was replaced by a shy grin as Colin flattered him.

Colin certainly had the Easton charm too, just a slightly watered-down version compared to Benjamin. I thought how hard it must be for Colin to live in his cousin’s shadow constantly.

At that moment, Colin looked up and spotted me lingering in the corridor. I flinched as if I’d been caught spying.

“We’ll talk later,” Colin said to the doctor, who replied with a curt nod.

I walked towards him. “I’m sorry for interrupting. Benjamin is asking for you.”

Colin looked pleased, and we began to walk back to Benjamin’s ward.

“I heard the doctor mention the police. Are they investigating the accident?”

“Accident?” Colin arched an eyebrow.

“Yes,” I said. “Benjamin’s accident. Didn’t he crash his car? I imagine the police would want to investigate.”

“Ah, yes. I imagine they will.”

Colin pushed open the door and gestured for me to enter ahead of him. His face was blank. What was he hiding?

A nurse, who was reading a chart from one of the patients’ beds, looked up sharply as we entered. “Can I help you?”

“We are here to visit Benjamin Easton,” Colin said, nodding in the direction of Benjamin’s bed.

The nurse shook her head. “Only one of you at a time.”

“Oh, but…”

The nurse shook her head again. “I’m sorry, but it is outside visiting hours. You’re lucky I am letting one of you in.”

I put my hands on my hips about to argue, but from her firm no-nonsense expression I knew there was no point. I glanced up at Colin and sensed he was pleased.

“Okay,” I said and shrugged. “I’ll wait outside.”

Colin smiled. “Thank you, Kate. I won’t take long.”

OUTSIDE THE WARD, I paced the corridor. What was Colin hiding? Something to do with the accident. I froze as another thought struck me. What if it wasn’t an accident? What it if someone had crashed into him on purpose?

But why would Colin and Benjamin try to hide that from me? Unless … My blood ran cold as I remembered the man watching me in the hotel. Was this my fault? Was it me they were after? Had my past finally caught up with me here in England?

By the time Colin came out of the ward and met me in the corridor, I had convinced myself that this was all my fault.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, more forcefully than I intended.

Colin frowned. “Benjamin asked me not to worry you, Kate.”

“I’m not a child! I have a right to know what’s going on.”

Colin was silent for a moment, deliberating. Then he nodded as if he came to a conclusion. “It seems Benjamin was run off the road … Deliberately.”

My heart skipped a beat. “By who?”

“We don’t know that yet.” Colin’s hand cupped my elbow, and he led me a little further from the ward entrance. “Listen, Kate. Perhaps you can help me persuade Benjamin he needs extra security on trips like these.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“I’m going to find the doctor and get Benjamin moved to a private hospital. He can’t stay here. He shouldn’t be sharing a room with four other patients.”

I was barely listening to Colin. My mind was whirring with the idea I was responsible for this attack on Benjamin. He could have been killed. I felt as if all the air had been sucked from my lungs.

Colin made a couple more comments about how the hospital didn’t meet his exacting standards, then he left me and went off to track down the doctor.

I sneaked back inside the ward, pleased to see the nurse from earlier had disappeared.

Benjamin’s eyes were open, staring up at the ceiling. He turned as I approached, and shifted in the bed, pulling himself up into a sitting position. It struck me he didn’t like me seeing him like this.

“Hi. How are you feeling?” I asked, slipping into the chair by his bed.

He gave me a half grin. “Looks worse than it is.”

“I’m glad because you look terrible,” I said, widening my eyes in exaggerated horror.

He stifled a grin. “Thanks.”

I reached for his hand. “I’m glad you’re going to be okay.”

He looked up at me, his dark brown eyes searching my face for something. “Thanks. Colin said you came in the ambulance with me.”

I nodded.

He squeezed my hand. “It’s late. You should go back to the Vastors’ and get some sleep, Kate.”

How could he be so nice and concerned about me when it was him who had been hurt? Tears suddenly welled in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. Mortified, I tried to wipe them away.

He looked distraught. “Please don’t cry. It’s not that bad. I’ll be fine in a day or two.”

That just made me cry harder. He had no idea that this was all my fault.

He reached over to try and comfort me and winced with the effort.

“It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry, Benjamin.”

He pushed my hair back from my face. “Your fault? How on earth do you figure that?”

I fought back my tears and struggled to stop my voice shaking when I spoke. “I saw him at the hotel.”

“Who?” Benjamin frowned. “Who did you see at the hotel?”

I shook my head. “I never thought they would hurt you. I thought I was imagining things. You have to believe me. I’m so sorry.”

“Slow down, Kate,” Benjamin said. “Start from the beginning. Who was this man?”

I took a deep breath and started to explain. “I don’t know who he is exactly. I saw him in the hotel lobby when I was waiting for Colin to go to the Tate. He was watching me.”

“What did he look like?” Benjamin asked, his voice cool and dangerously calm.

I struggled to remember any details that would help. “Um, mid-forties, brown hair, starting to grey.”

“Tall or short?”

I shrugged. “Medium height.” I was well aware my description was less than helpful.

Benjamin shook his head. “Why on earth do you think this is about you?”

I felt sick as I searched for the words to explain. I never wanted this. All I wanted was a fresh start. This wasn’t my secret to tell, but how could I not confide in him after all that had happened. He had a right to know.

I took a deep breath and said, “You were right to question the lack of detail on my résumé. The truth is, I didn’t want to be traced.”

I looked up, and his eyes burned into me. I lowered my gaze to the floor. I couldn’t continue with his eyes fixed on me. I didn’t want to see his reaction before I’d gotten it all off my chest. If he looked at me with disgust, I wouldn’t be able to continue.

“I owe money,” I said simply. I shrugged. Now it was out in the open what would he think of me? I looked up at him through lowered lashes, trying to gauge his reaction. Was he mad? Disgusted?

I couldn’t tell. He just looked puzzled, so I continued, “They were loan sharks, the type of men who would make me repay one way or the other. As soon as I gathered enough money together to make a payment, they upped the interest. I knew I would never be free of them, so I did the only thing I could,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, “I ran … I’m not proud of myself. I realise I acted dishonestly. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

I wiped my eyes. “I didn’t tell you because I wanted to make a fresh start. Suzanne, my friend from college, recommended me to your housekeeper for the restoration work. I wasn’t intending to … I wasn’t planning to trick you. But because I hadn’t told you at the start, it became easier not to mention it. But if, for one moment, I thought you would be in danger, I would have told you. I’m so sorry, Benjamin, please believe me.”

Benjamin leaned back against his pillow and closed his eyes.

That was it then. I was dismissed. I’d betrayed him, so I couldn’t really expect him to forgive me. I should go. I stood up and moved towards the door, tears pouring down my cheeks.

“Kate, where are you going?”

I turned. “I thought…”

“You can’t just drop a bombshell like that on me, then leave. How much money do you owe?”

I swallowed. “Forty-thousand dollars.” My mouth felt dry, and I only just managed to choke out the amount.

Then Benjamin did something I wasn’t expecting.

He laughed.

I stared at him. What on earth was he laughing for? Was it the drugs the doctor had given him?

“Kate,” he said, shaking his head. “Forty-thousand? You think this is all about forty-thousand dollars?”

“It’s a lot of money,” I said, indignantly. It may not seem a lot to a billionaire like Benjamin, but to an average girl like me it was a hell of a lot.

He sighed. “Come here, Kate.”

I walked back to the side of his bed, and he reached up to touch my cheek. My eyes were drawn to his. They were deep, dark and mesmerising. In that moment, I forgot everything – the accident, the money – everything except him.

“Do you really think this loan shark would travel all the way to England for the sake of forty- thousand dollars?” he asked softly.

I shrugged. Maybe not. When he put it like that it didn’t make much sense, but maybe he had paid someone over here to deliver a warning to me.

“He wouldn’t have to travel here himself,” I said. “He could have hired someone to scare me into paying up?”

He chuckled. “You watch too many mafia movies.” His expression grew serious. “This … incident is nothing to do with you, Kate.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Colin is looking into it.”

Relief flooded over me, quickly followed by a deep sense of foreboding. There was still someone out there who wanted to hurt Benjamin. A shiver of fear ran the length of my spine.

“Don’t worry about the forty thousand, Kate. I’ll arrange for it to be paid.”

“What? No!”

His eyes grew menacingly dark, and his jaw tightened. “What do you mean no? I will not stand by and let you be scared to death by loan sharks. What sort of man do you think I am?”

I shook my head. I wouldn’t argue with him now. He needed to rest, and I didn’t want to upset him. I would do things my way, keep saving then return to Miami to pay off my debt in one go.

“Please don’t worry, Kate,” he said. “Trust me.” He leaned back onto his pillow, struggling to keep his eyes open. “They must have given me a sedative. I can’t stay awake.”

I put my hand over his. “Sleep. It will do you good.”

“Okay,” he mumbled. “But make sure you go back to the Vastors’ and get some sleep yourself.”

I nodded, but I had no intention of leaving him alone when there was some maniac trying to hurt him. I might not be able to protect him physically, but if anyone tried anything I could scream and raise the alarm.

IT FELT LIKE ONLY a minute later when I was woken by a gentle touch on my shoulder. I blinked up at Colin. “What time is it?”

“Just after six,” Colin said.

“Six in the morning?” I sat up straight and raked my hands through my hair, trying to smooth it out.

Colin nodded.

I massaged my stiff neck and peered at Benjamin, who was still asleep.

“Good news,” Colin said. “The doctor said Benjamin will be discharged this morning. Obviously he won’t be able to fly for a week or so. The Vastors have kindly offered to let Benjamin stay at their house while he recuperates.”

I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why this made me feel uneasy. It should be a good thing. I would be able to complete Lady Vastor’s portrait and keep close to Benjamin at the same time, but my excitement over this trip to England had faded. I wanted to get back home where I felt Benjamin would be safer.

After Benjamin woke, a nurse brought him breakfast on a plastic tray and demanded he eat it all to prove he was well enough to be discharged. Under the nurse’s watchful eye, Benjamin dug into a big bowl of muesli, but as soon as she turned her back he pulled a face, making me giggle. The nurse gave me a chastising look, then proceeded to stare down at Benjamin until he had finished every last mouthful.

It was so unlike Benjamin to comply with someone else’s demands, I couldn’t help smiling. It showed just how much he wanted to be discharged.