The Red Collection (47 page)

‘Thanks …’ She drew a quick breath, almost a gasp. His sweet cologne made her feel as if she was going to faint. ‘Shall we get down there? I think it’s probably started.’

She darted away for her bag and their key card, knowing that, if she stayed close to him, she’d do something stupid.

The perfect gentleman, Zack escorted her down the stairs, his hand lightly on her arm as they nodded and said ‘hello’ to fellow guests. In the busy reception area, a gilt-edged board, studded with plastic letters announced that the wedding cocktail party was in the Walcott Room. People shaking umbrellas indicated it was raining outside, which made things easier for Zack as the party would stay inside.

Vampire’s luck? she thought, then gritted her teeth, squishing the idea.

The Walcott Room was large and airy, decorated in a sub rococo style with a lot more gilt, and ornate antique furniture lovingly polished. Brilliant light glittered from a magnificent chandelier. She was just about to gather up her nerves and lead the way in, when Zack’s fingers tightened on her arm and he drew her quickly to one side.

‘How do you want to play this?’ he said,
sotto voce
. ‘I’ll do whatever you want –’ his blue eyes twinkled ‘– but it’d be fun if we could give them something to speculate about, eh?’

I don’t know what you are but you could just be an angel! Teresa thought.

The urge to hug and kiss him for real, never mind as an act, bubbled up again like one of the ornamental fountains outside, but she held it in check and just grinned. ‘Yeah, why not?’

At least for a little while, she’d have a bona fide excuse to touch him and hang on to him.

The room’s grand beauty faded into the background at the sight of the mass of assembled guests. They all seemed to swivel round to watch the arrival of Teresa, the recently dumped.

A strong arm slid around her waist, and she felt a soft kiss like thistledown settle on her hair. Obviously, Zack was going for the ‘new lovers, can’t keep their hands off one another’ gambit. My, how the gloaters would be taken aback at how quickly she appeared to be back in the saddle.

‘Look, there’s the bride-to-be.’ Teresa pointed to Lisa, between the clumps of chattering, drinking well-wishers. The bride’s smile was already looking pretty set and strained as she kept glancing around to make sure everything was going all right. ‘Let’s go and say “hello”.’

‘Right ho.’ Zack’s voice dropped to a whisper. ‘And don’t worry … it’ll all be fine. I’m right beside you.’

Doubt drained out of her like water through a sieve. Teresa smiled up into his face, her heart light and overflowing.

He might not actually
be
her boyfriend but, for the moment, he was the next best thing. He was a rock, and he looked utterly magnificent. And she could already see that most of the women in the room were openly ogling him.

Go on, drool, you lot, Teresa couldn’t help thinking. He’s mine! Well … sort of …

Even the bride seemed impressed. As they approached, Lisa eyed Zack with a degree of interest that set her frazzled fiancé frowning.

‘Hi, Teresa! I’m so glad you could make it. Isn’t this place fab?’

It was obvious Lisa was fit to bursting with curiosity about Zack. The minute she released Teresa from their hug, her eyes skittered immediately to the tall dark presence at her side.

‘Lisa … Tom … This is Zachary Trevelyan,’ she announced proudly, ‘Zack, this is Lisa and Tom, the bride and groom … obviously.’

The greetings went smoothly, but both Lisa’s and Tom’s eyebrows shot up when they shook Zack’s hand. Looking down at his fingers, he shrugged and smiled. ‘It’s a circulation thing.’

Lisa and Tom just smiled, but Teresa’s brain whirled back into its former groove. That was another thing. Wasn’t cold skin another vampire characteristic?

Leave it. Just stop thinking about it.

‘So … you and Teresa? Have you … er … are you …’

Lisa’s questions petered out, and Teresa’s brain went blank again. That was the big problem with play-acting.

‘Together?’ Zack’s voice was soft, almost sultry, and his arm slid back around her waist. Teresa stole a glance at his wickedly smiling face, and for a fraction of second, she half imagined that he winked. But just like so often with him, it was done so quickly that she couldn’t be sure she’d seen it.

‘Um … yes …’ Lisa obviously hadn’t been expecting such a straight answer. ‘I know you’re Teresa’s landlord but I didn’t realise you were a couple. Well, I thought …’ Teresa followed her friend’s tracking scan of the busy room, bracing herself for the sight of Steve.

‘What better way to get to know one another than by living together.’ It was as if Zack was gently explaining the ways of the world to someone very young and naive.

‘I’ve been biding my time … waiting until Teresa was free of commitments –’ he paused delicately ‘– and for the moment when it would be honourable to ask her to be my lover.’

‘Er … yes … right. That’s great.’

Teresa hid a smile. Lisa couldn’t seem to hide the fact she was desperately smitten despite the presence of her soon-to-be husband beside her.

I don’t blame you, Lise, she thought.

Far more smitten, Teresa gasped inside when Zack pressed a light, but meaningful, kiss against her cheek.

‘Shall we circulate, my dear? Other guests are waiting to meet the happy couple.’

They made way for members of Tom’s family, and Teresa felt as if she was floating as they wove across the room, took a couple of drinks and found themselves a corner.

‘Everything all right?’

Zack’s eyes were twinkling. He was having fun.

Teresa twinkled back at him. It
was
fun being the envy of all her female friends. Especially the ones who’d expected a fine opportunity to pity her.

Here she was with the most handsome, intriguing man in the room, whose presence beside her made her turn to jelly with longing. And on top of that there were all the exquisite little shows of affection – the kisses, the touches on the arm, the light guiding contact of his hand on her waist. They were part of a deception, of course, but that didn’t diminish the pleasure.

Sipping her champagne, she watched Zack scanning the room, his keen eyes darting from person to person and from couple to couple as if he was an anthropologist studying a brand new tribe for a paper. Maybe it
was
something like that? She knew he wrote historical studies and treatises. Perhaps he was turning his hand to fiction, or pop psychology, and he was doing a little people watching?

Whatever it was, she had the oddest feeling that a gathering like this was entirely new to him.

‘Have you been to many weddings?’

Zack swivelled round and smiled. ‘No, this is my first wedding, would you believe?’ He put his lips to his glass of mineral water and took the minutest sip. It was the only thing she’d ever seen him ingest so far, apart from his health shakes.

‘Really?’

Unease crawled up and down Teresa’s spine, and thoughts, conclusions and too many bizarre coincidences jostled and brayed at her. Focusing on the room, and its festive normality, she attempted to silence them.

‘What do you think of it all then?’

‘Fascinating. It’s supposed to celebrate the welfare and happiness of the bride and groom, but, underneath, it’s a hotbed of rivalry and envy and one-upmanship … it’s like a Roman arena full of designer lions.’

‘I’ve never looked at it that way.’

And she hadn’t. But Zack’s beautiful blue eyes were clear and acute. He wasn’t accusing anybody of anything, just enlightening her with his deadly accurate observations.

Until today, Teresa had seen weddings as sexy and positive and fun.

But now, seen through his sharp focus, the undercurrents were obvious. People were catching other people’s eyes, people who weren’t their own partner. Women were coveting other women’s dresses, jewellery and men. Men were blatantly perving available girls and non-available girls with equal lustfulness.

‘Actually it’s more like Sodom and Gomorrah, isn’t it?’ she whispered as they dumped their glasses on a side table. Zack smiled like a conspirator as he snaked his strong arm around her waist again.

‘But at least we’re together –’ he pulled her closer, the pressure of his fingertips like electricity through the thin stuff of her top ‘– and we can guard each other against the prowling hyenas.’

But who’s going to guard me from you? Teresa couldn’t help thinking.

At that moment, she turned around and saw Steve across the room, apparently devouring his new girlfriend whole in front of an audience.

‘Is that him?’

Zack’s hold tightened, and strength poured through the contact between their bodies. Her vague doubts about Zack forgotten, Teresa leaned in, and the effect increased. Steve and his trollop looked ridiculous and she was invulnerable.

‘Yes, I’m afraid so … although I’m hard pressed to know what I saw in him now.’

Beside Zack’s lean grace and refined gothic style, Steve was a clod. And fat too! With new clear eyes, Teresa noted that he had a rather angry shaving rash.

‘Shall we say hello?’ Zack’s fingertips caressed her waist, the gentle pressure both sensual and confidence-building. With him at her side, she could do anything.

‘Why not? I’m bound to run into him at this gig sometime, so let’s get it over with sooner rather than later.’

‘That’s my girl!’ Zack’s mouth brushed her hair in another fleeting kiss and just like before her feet felt as if they were lifting off the carpet. This was only a charade they were playing for an audience, but the perquisites were blissful.

Steve and his rather voluptuously enhanced lady friend were still playing tonsil hockey, so it required a discreet but pointed cough from Zack to get their attention.

‘Hi, Steve, how are you?’ Teresa smiled brightly as the two disentangled themselves. ‘Smashing do this, isn’t it?’

The girl – Suzy, Teresa remembered – looked astonished, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. A dumped woman confronting her ex? How could that happen?

Steve, on the other hand, seemed about to collapse or have apoplexy or both at once. His eyes widened, not just with surprise, but with astonishingly unfeigned lust as his eyes cruised up and down Teresa’s figure.

Take a good look, buster. It’s all for him now, not you
.

With Zack’s hand on her waist, she could understand what the proverbial million dollars felt like.

Steve’s mouth dropped open, but no words emerged. His eyes continued to skitter from her breasts to her legs to her face and round and round again until he suddenly seemed to notice that she wasn’t unaccompanied. And as he tilted his head up to meet the eyes of a very tall man, the expression on his face made Teresa want to giggle.

I never noticed you were so short, Stevie-boy
.

‘Pleased to meet you … I’m Zachary Trevelyan.’ Zack’s voice was firm and no-nonsense, while Steve still couldn’t seem to locate his own tongue.

Teresa had a hard time containing herself as she watched the handshakes.

Like the rest of the female guests, Suzy seemed bewitched by Zack, but also distinctly annoyed now that her own specimen of manhood was clearly substandard. She shook off Steve’s grip and favoured Zack with a pouting smile as she proffered her hand.

‘Ooh, cold hands, warm heart.’ She batted her mascara-clad lashes at him.

‘Something like that.’ Zack’s response was a finessed
combination
of exquisite politeness and a complete lack of reaction.

Steve winced. There was no other word for it. Zack didn’t appear to be exerting very much pressure as he gripped the other man’s hand, and his smile was amiable. But Steve’s face went bright pink and, as Zack released him, he visibly fought the urge not to wiggle his squished fingers.

‘You’re the landlord, aren’t you?’ Steve’s tone was belligerent and Teresa hid her smile. Her ex was faced with a taller, fitter, altogether far superior male, and she sensed he was seriously regretting his decision to dump her.

‘Yes, he’s that as well.’ Beaming, she slid her arm around Zack’s waist just as his arm went around her shoulder.

Steve’s eyebrows lowered in a scowl when Zack’s cool lips momentarily caressed the side of her face.

‘Shall we get another drink, love?’ Zack’s words against her skin sounded exactly like a sinfully obscene suggestion that Steve and his babe weren’t supposed to have heard.

Teresa turned to look up at him, loving the wicked glint in his glorious blue eyes. He was clearly enjoying baiting her ex just as much as she was.

‘Or would you prefer to get out of here?’ He licked his lips ever so slightly, his black lashes lowering lasciviously.

Oh, hell, yes!

It was just a game, but suddenly it felt real. Zack’s dark head tilted, as if he was monitoring her every thought and for a moment, he frowned infinitesimally. Then he winked like a demon, his pale beautiful face all aglow.

‘Better circulate just a bit more, for politeness’ sake –’ she paused, giving him a devouring look that was worthy of Suzy ‘– and then I’m all yours … would you like that?’

Zack laughed, his eyes on hers, and then swivelled towards the nonplussed couple beside them. ‘We’ll probably see you later. Nice meeting you both.’

Then his strong arm deftly turned Teresa and he began to guide her away through the throng.

They found a corner, and some more drinks, said ‘hello’ to more people. But, as the moments passed, Teresa found it impossible to focus on the party.

Would you prefer to get out of here? The words tolled in her head.

It was all an act, but she
did
want to sneak away to do what Steve and Suzy gloweringly suspected. And what various other couples, drifting away, were clearly planning on.

Plenty of time for a long lazy session in bed before the wedding at 9 p.m.

In the heady miasma of high-end women’s perfumes and expensive aftershaves, Zack’s delicious cologne sang like a clear clean note. It was playing havoc with her. Her body tingled in the places he’d touched so decorously, and down between her legs a needy pulse was steadily throbbing.