First Love, Last Love by Carole Mortimer

then,’ he murmured. ‘We should be good together, Lauren.’
    She moved away from that caressing hand. ‘I don’t believe in affairs either.’
    He raised a mocking eyebrow. ‘Do you intend remaining a virgin all your life?’
    ‘No,’ she answered tautly. ‘I’m not a prude, when I find a man I can love I’ll give myself freely to him. I’ve just got to meet a man I can love.’
    ‘And respect,’ he put in quietly.
    ‘And respect.’
    ‘That means I’m already half way there. We’ve already proved that you respect me,’ he drawled.
    ‘I doubt I could love you,’ Lauri said distantly. ‘Shouldn’t we be getting inside? Your brother-in-law’s flight will be arriving shortly.’
    ‘I suppose so,’ he sighed. ‘Although I’m sure Laurence would wait.’
    As it happened the plane they were meeting had been delayed, so they had time for lunch after all. Alex seemed preoccupied and Lauri left him to his dark thoughts, warned by the deep scowl on his face not to intrude.
    At the time of the breakdown of his sister’s marriage and accident he would have been about her age, very impressionable and very vulnerable. He had carried that disillusionment into adulthood, and she was sure it was the reason for his cynicism.
    ‘Alex,’ she put her hand on his, ‘the flight arrival has just been called.’
    ‘Yes,’ he acknowledged tautly, a pulse beating erratically in his clenched jaw. He stood up. ‘Let’s go.’
    He walked so fast Lauri almost had to run to keepup with him, her legs a lot shorter than his. A steady stream of people were leaving the arrival section, and Lauri knew straight away which man was Laurence Daniels. Alex reached out to grasp her hand painfully in his own as a tall, loose-limbed man in his late forties or early fifties came towards them, thick reddish-brown hair with faint touches of grey, his face strong and lined, his eyes hidden beneath the tinted lenses of his glasses. He wore a casual linen suit and white silk shirt, a distinguished air about him.
    ‘My God!’ Alex groaned beside her, his face white, his mouth bloodless.
    ‘What is it?’ she demanded worriedly. ‘Alex, tell me what’s wrong?’
    ‘Nothing!’ He looked at her coldly. ‘Nothing at all,’ he drew a ragged breath, dropping her hand to go forward and greet the other man.
    Lauri stood in the background as the two men talked together for several minutes. Somehow this man didn’t fit in with the description of a selfish man intent only on his own pleasure, and she found it hard to relate the cold facts that Alex had related to her with this man conversing so easily with the younger man. It didn’t seem possible that this man was an adulterer, he just didn’t seem the type. But was there a type? She didn’t know.
    Alex was bringing him over to meet her now, that cold look still in his eyes. ‘This is a friend of mine, Laurence,’ he said tauntingly. ‘Her name is Lauren,’ he told the other man slowly. ‘Lauren Prescott.’
    ‘Prescott …?’ Laurence Daniels echoed sharply, his face almost grey beneath his tan.
    ‘Yes,’ Alex savagely bit the word out.
    ‘Alex?’ Lauri frowned. ‘Alex, what’s wrong?’
    ‘Nothing, my dear Lauren,’ his smile had a cruel edge to it. ‘Forgive me, I forgot to introduce mybrother-in-law. Lauren, this is Laurence Daniels.’
    She put her hand out, smiling shyly. ‘Most people call me Lauri.’
    He returned her smile, taking her hand. ‘But not Alex,’ he said huskily.
    ‘No, not Alex.’ Was it her imagination or was Laurence Daniels holding on to her hand just a little too tightly—and for too long? Could Alex be right about him after all?
    ‘I once knew some people called Prescott,’ Laurence Daniels’ eyes never left her face, their expression shielded by the tinted glasses. ‘Your mother—?’
    ‘Is dead,’ she told him regretfully.
    ‘Dead?’ he repeated in a strangulated voice.
    She nodded, surprised at the show of emotion he made no