don’t mind me asking?’
‘It seemed like a good idea at the time.’ Jonathan finished bandaging Hazel’s foot and rested it back on the footstool. ‘I went to one myself and so did Dad. And Arabella, well, she had very specific ideas about what was expected of people from our social circle.’
He rose and went to the stereo to put on some music. Mellow jazzy tones filled the room, but the bitterness, which had crept into his voice, still hung in the air. Hazel could see that he was struggling with something. Guilt, perhaps.
‘Tradition is a fine thing,’ she said quietly, ‘but you have to do what’s right for you and the boys.’
He returned to the sofa and sat down beside her. ‘You’re right. From now on I shall listen only to my heart. Anyway, how did you get to be so wise?’
‘Me? I’m not wise.’
‘Yes, you are,’ he insisted. He slipped his arm over the back of the sofa, brushing her neck as he did so and sending shivers of longing down her back. He cupped her face with his other hand. ‘I’ve never met anyone like you, Hazel. You’re open and full of fun, but there’s a thoughtful side to you as well. It’s ... ’
Jonathan’s face was suddenly very close to hers, and her lips parted in anticipation.
‘Yes?’ she whispered. She knew now why she hadn’t fallen for Lawrence’s charm. He could never make her heart beat faster, the way Jonathan did.
‘It’s beautiful. You are beautiful.’
Their lips met. At first Jonathan’s mouth was gentle on hers, softly exploring, then he became more insistent. Slipping her arms around his neck, Hazel responded with the same enthusiasm. Her body moulded itself to his, and every fibre of her being called out to him with desire and tenderness.
Could this really be it? Had she found the love she craved and never thought would happen; the family she’d longed for since she’d lost her parents?
She didn’t dare hope for it. She had to be realistic. What was happening between them was probably nothing more than a bit of harmless flirting, but it was ... oh, so wonderful.
Finally they came to their senses, and Hazel eased away. ‘We mustn’t, you know.’
Jonathan brushed his hand across her cheek. ‘You’re right again. This is neither the time nor the place. But it’s very tempting,’ he added, with a mischievous wink.
‘Behave yourself.’
Laughing, Jonathan hugged her. Hazel sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. It felt good, sitting there, simply embracing and thinking of nothing but him. She knew now that she was hopelessly in love with him, but she had no idea what he felt about her. She didn’t want her thoughts to go in that direction, but just enjoy the moment while it lasted.
It didn’t take long for the bubble to burst.
‘Hazel?’ Jonathan asked. ‘What were you doing in my father’s lab?’
Jonathan cursed inwardly when Hazel pulled away with a puzzled frown.
‘I was curious. I already told you that.’
‘Yes, but you’ve got to admit that breaking and entering in the middle of the night doesn’t look too good, even if it was just curiosity. By the way, how did you get over the fence?’
‘You wrote the access code to the keypad on your blotter. Then I climbed in through a window.’
‘Did I? That wasn’t very clever of me.’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘If you were so curious, why didn’t you just ask?’
‘I asked George about the green light which I’ve seen a few times from my bedroom window. He denied all knowledge about it, and when Lawrence suggested–
‘It seemed like a good idea at the time.’ Jonathan finished bandaging Hazel’s foot and rested it back on the footstool. ‘I went to one myself and so did Dad. And Arabella, well, she had very specific ideas about what was expected of people from our social circle.’
He rose and went to the stereo to put on some music. Mellow jazzy tones filled the room, but the bitterness, which had crept into his voice, still hung in the air. Hazel could see that he was struggling with something. Guilt, perhaps.
‘Tradition is a fine thing,’ she said quietly, ‘but you have to do what’s right for you and the boys.’
He returned to the sofa and sat down beside her. ‘You’re right. From now on I shall listen only to my heart. Anyway, how did you get to be so wise?’
‘Me? I’m not wise.’
‘Yes, you are,’ he insisted. He slipped his arm over the back of the sofa, brushing her neck as he did so and sending shivers of longing down her back. He cupped her face with his other hand. ‘I’ve never met anyone like you, Hazel. You’re open and full of fun, but there’s a thoughtful side to you as well. It’s ... ’
Jonathan’s face was suddenly very close to hers, and her lips parted in anticipation.
‘Yes?’ she whispered. She knew now why she hadn’t fallen for Lawrence’s charm. He could never make her heart beat faster, the way Jonathan did.
‘It’s beautiful. You are beautiful.’
Their lips met. At first Jonathan’s mouth was gentle on hers, softly exploring, then he became more insistent. Slipping her arms around his neck, Hazel responded with the same enthusiasm. Her body moulded itself to his, and every fibre of her being called out to him with desire and tenderness.
Could this really be it? Had she found the love she craved and never thought would happen; the family she’d longed for since she’d lost her parents?
She didn’t dare hope for it. She had to be realistic. What was happening between them was probably nothing more than a bit of harmless flirting, but it was ... oh, so wonderful.
Finally they came to their senses, and Hazel eased away. ‘We mustn’t, you know.’
Jonathan brushed his hand across her cheek. ‘You’re right again. This is neither the time nor the place. But it’s very tempting,’ he added, with a mischievous wink.
‘Behave yourself.’
Laughing, Jonathan hugged her. Hazel sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. It felt good, sitting there, simply embracing and thinking of nothing but him. She knew now that she was hopelessly in love with him, but she had no idea what he felt about her. She didn’t want her thoughts to go in that direction, but just enjoy the moment while it lasted.
It didn’t take long for the bubble to burst.
‘Hazel?’ Jonathan asked. ‘What were you doing in my father’s lab?’
Jonathan cursed inwardly when Hazel pulled away with a puzzled frown.
‘I was curious. I already told you that.’
‘Yes, but you’ve got to admit that breaking and entering in the middle of the night doesn’t look too good, even if it was just curiosity. By the way, how did you get over the fence?’
‘You wrote the access code to the keypad on your blotter. Then I climbed in through a window.’
‘Did I? That wasn’t very clever of me.’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘If you were so curious, why didn’t you just ask?’
‘I asked George about the green light which I’ve seen a few times from my bedroom window. He denied all knowledge about it, and when Lawrence suggested–
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