moistened her
lips. "Yes."
"Are you on
vacation here?" Nicky asked, having no great hopes for a meaningful
discussion.
"No. I live not
far from here. My father owns the place."
Nicky digested this
information, but wasn't sure if it was useful. She nodded.
The conversation
struggled on for a few more minutes.
"Where did you
meet Blake?" Ghita asked, curiosity obviously getting the better of her.
"At a cocktail
party in KL," Nicky answered, a little devil stirring inside her.
"Three days ago."
There was silence for
a moment. Nicky smiled at Ghita. "He invited me to come with him to the
mountains while he wrote his report. It's beautiful here. I love it."
Ghita's eyes were wide
with amazement. "You met him at a cocktail party three days ago and he
invited you to come with him?" she echoed.
Nicky nodded solemnly.
"It all happened rather quickly, I know. But it seemed like we'd known
each other forever. You know how that feels sometimes when you meet
someone?"
Ghita nodded slowly,
but her expression lacked conviction. Something else flickered in the dark
eyes- anger? Suspicion? Nicky wasn't sure.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, I mean, it's
not the sort of thing you'd expect him to do. He's... not like that."
"I see,"
said Nicky, knowing it was true. She sipped her drink.
Ghita looked
uncomfortable, as if she knew she had to do something, but wasn't sure what.
"You may feel
you've known him forever," she began at last, challenge in her voice,
"but I've known him a lot longer than three days, and... and I think I'm
doing you a service by warning you not to expect too much from him."
Nicky felt herself
tense. Who did this woman think she was? Claiming territory, was she?
"Thank you for
warning me," she said coolly.
Ghita's hands
tightened around her glass. She bit her lip. "He was married once, you
know," she said, sounding like a rebellious child telling a secret.
"Did he tell you that?" There was challenge in her eyes, her voice.
"No," said
Nicky truthfully. "He didn't tell me that."
Triumph glittered in
Ghita's dark eyes. Her face spoke volumes. I know more than you do.
"You can't really
know a person in three days," Ghita went on, trying to sound confident,
"and it might save you a lot of grief if you didn't get your hopes up.''
Nicky allowed a
significant silence. There were a couple of ways to play this, but she opted
for the easy way out. She managed a bland smile. "Thank you for your
concern, but don't worry. I don't want him."
Ghita's mouth began to
drop open, but she caught herself. "You don't want him?" she
repeated. Clearly, she found the idea hard to grasp.
Nicky shook her head.
"No, this is just a... eh... temporary situation." She finished the
last of her drink. "Oh, here he comes now."
She watched Blake
approach, taking in the broad shoulders, the confident way he held his head,
felt her heart stumbling. He maneuvered around the tables with athletic ease
and her stomach tightened. His body exuded a powerful grace and unselfconscious
male sexuality and her female senses were hopelessly aware of it.
Reaching the table, he
sat down in his chair again and leaned back in it lazily. "Sorry to desert
you two," he commented, picking up his glass.
"No
problem," said Nicky. "We've become acquainted." She smiled,
feeling the little devil stir again. "I told Ghita we met in KL a few days
ago and that you invited me to stay with you at the O'Connors' house."
He gave her a searching
look. "I see." He offered no further comment, but asked if they were
interested in another drink.
"I'd love another
Moon Dance, or whatever it was, please," she answered, "and if you
would excuse me, I have a phone call to make, as well."
In the room she dialed
her father's house. No answer. Not even the housekeeper or one of the other
servants picked up the phone. Her chest felt heavy. Where was her father? Maybe
he'd gone out for drinks, or dinner. It was still early, surely there was
nothing to worry about.
She went back to
lips. "Yes."
"Are you on
vacation here?" Nicky asked, having no great hopes for a meaningful
discussion.
"No. I live not
far from here. My father owns the place."
Nicky digested this
information, but wasn't sure if it was useful. She nodded.
The conversation
struggled on for a few more minutes.
"Where did you
meet Blake?" Ghita asked, curiosity obviously getting the better of her.
"At a cocktail
party in KL," Nicky answered, a little devil stirring inside her.
"Three days ago."
There was silence for
a moment. Nicky smiled at Ghita. "He invited me to come with him to the
mountains while he wrote his report. It's beautiful here. I love it."
Ghita's eyes were wide
with amazement. "You met him at a cocktail party three days ago and he
invited you to come with him?" she echoed.
Nicky nodded solemnly.
"It all happened rather quickly, I know. But it seemed like we'd known
each other forever. You know how that feels sometimes when you meet
someone?"
Ghita nodded slowly,
but her expression lacked conviction. Something else flickered in the dark
eyes- anger? Suspicion? Nicky wasn't sure.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, I mean, it's
not the sort of thing you'd expect him to do. He's... not like that."
"I see,"
said Nicky, knowing it was true. She sipped her drink.
Ghita looked
uncomfortable, as if she knew she had to do something, but wasn't sure what.
"You may feel
you've known him forever," she began at last, challenge in her voice,
"but I've known him a lot longer than three days, and... and I think I'm
doing you a service by warning you not to expect too much from him."
Nicky felt herself
tense. Who did this woman think she was? Claiming territory, was she?
"Thank you for
warning me," she said coolly.
Ghita's hands
tightened around her glass. She bit her lip. "He was married once, you
know," she said, sounding like a rebellious child telling a secret.
"Did he tell you that?" There was challenge in her eyes, her voice.
"No," said
Nicky truthfully. "He didn't tell me that."
Triumph glittered in
Ghita's dark eyes. Her face spoke volumes. I know more than you do.
"You can't really
know a person in three days," Ghita went on, trying to sound confident,
"and it might save you a lot of grief if you didn't get your hopes up.''
Nicky allowed a
significant silence. There were a couple of ways to play this, but she opted
for the easy way out. She managed a bland smile. "Thank you for your
concern, but don't worry. I don't want him."
Ghita's mouth began to
drop open, but she caught herself. "You don't want him?" she
repeated. Clearly, she found the idea hard to grasp.
Nicky shook her head.
"No, this is just a... eh... temporary situation." She finished the
last of her drink. "Oh, here he comes now."
She watched Blake
approach, taking in the broad shoulders, the confident way he held his head,
felt her heart stumbling. He maneuvered around the tables with athletic ease
and her stomach tightened. His body exuded a powerful grace and unselfconscious
male sexuality and her female senses were hopelessly aware of it.
Reaching the table, he
sat down in his chair again and leaned back in it lazily. "Sorry to desert
you two," he commented, picking up his glass.
"No
problem," said Nicky. "We've become acquainted." She smiled,
feeling the little devil stir again. "I told Ghita we met in KL a few days
ago and that you invited me to stay with you at the O'Connors' house."
He gave her a searching
look. "I see." He offered no further comment, but asked if they were
interested in another drink.
"I'd love another
Moon Dance, or whatever it was, please," she answered, "and if you
would excuse me, I have a phone call to make, as well."
In the room she dialed
her father's house. No answer. Not even the housekeeper or one of the other
servants picked up the phone. Her chest felt heavy. Where was her father? Maybe
he'd gone out for drinks, or dinner. It was still early, surely there was
nothing to worry about.
She went back to
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