body in a bed to
him, she wanted more than that. And he couldn't give it.
'No.' Somehow she found the strength to deny him, pushing
his hands away to stand up, knowing he watched her as she once again
put on her bikini. 'An afternoon—or night—in bed,
when you decide you want me, is not something I want,' she told him
firmly.
'But you do,' taunted Rand softly. 'You just did,' he
reminded her.
Merlyn's mouth tightened at his arrogance. They had been
to bed together for a mere hour, had made love twice in that time, and
they had spoken little. 'Next you'll be telling me that we're both
adults and that there's nothing wrong with taking what we want from
each other,' she scorned.
'There isn't,' he rasped.
She gave him a pitying look. 'Find some other woman to
satisfy your new-found interest in sex, Rand; I'm not the one for you.'
His mouth thinned, his nostrils flared, and his eyes
turned coldly silver. 'I'll be back tonight,' he repeated harshly. 'And
I want you to be here.'
'Waiting for you!'
'Yes.'
'I'm sorry,' she replied flatly.
'I won't chase after you like some damned boy!' he warned
through gritted teeth.
'Good,' she sighed.
His hands clenched into fists. 'You can't make me burn the
way I have for you and then expect to put out the fire by saying no! I
won't let you,' he told her fiercely. 'I could live with that emptiness
when no woman appealed to me, but I won't live with it when I know you
want me as much as I want you!'
Merlyn stood shaking once he had left, not from the threat
he had made not to accept her answer, but from the knowledge that he
would only have to kiss her for that decision to be meaningless. She
didn't understand him, she doubted he really understood himself or the
physical demands he had that now tormented and controlled him.
'Wow, visions of Heathcliff, hm?' Liza said in an
awestruck voice. 'No wonder you and Christopher are only friends!'
'Liza…' greeted Merlyn weakly, knowing her own
tousled appearance and that of the bed behind her told their own story.
'I—er—I wondered what had happened to you.' She
hadn't given the other woman another thought after Rand's arrival!
Her friend's eyes glowed mischievously as she gave Merlyn
a chiding look for her lie. 'Admit it, you forgot my existence after
Heathcliff arrived,' she derided. She was wearing a thigh-length robe
over her bikini.
They both knew she had, until a few moments ago, a full
hour after she was supposed to have gone to the pool with Liza. 'I
think he's more of a Rochester than a Heathcliff,' Merlyn remarked
lightly.
'Who
is
he?' Liza demanded with
great interest.
She could be evasive and say his name was Rand, but as
they were all going to be here for several weeks Liza was sure to be
introduced to him some time. 'Brandon Carmichael,' she admitted
abruptly.
Blue eyes widened with a shock Liza was too surprised to
mask. 'Wow,' she finally breathed. 'I mean—well—
Er—I didn't realise you knew him,' she said lamely, her gaze
moving awkwardly over the rumpled bed. 'What I meant was—'
'Why, Liza, I think you're embarrassed,' she mocked.
'Either that or you have a terrible case of heat-rash. And as it's only
about sixty-five degrees outside, I don't think—'
'Don't tease,' Liza groaned. 'It's just that I thought you
were holding out for Mr Right?'
She hadn't been 'holding out' at all, she had just never
found anyone she wanted to make love with before. 'What makes you so
sure I haven't found it with Brandon Carmichael?'
Liza wrinkled her nose. 'Because everyone knows he's still
in love with his wife— Oh dear,' she groaned her
consternation. 'I've done it again, haven't I! I'm sorry,
Merlyn—'
'Don't be,' she dismissed her friend's apologies with a
calm she didn't feel, locking her door behind her as they belatedly
made their way over to the pool. 'I'm well aware of Rand's feelings for
his wife, and what he wants from me. They bear little resemblance to
each other,' she grimaced.
'He's really
him, she wanted more than that. And he couldn't give it.
'No.' Somehow she found the strength to deny him, pushing
his hands away to stand up, knowing he watched her as she once again
put on her bikini. 'An afternoon—or night—in bed,
when you decide you want me, is not something I want,' she told him
firmly.
'But you do,' taunted Rand softly. 'You just did,' he
reminded her.
Merlyn's mouth tightened at his arrogance. They had been
to bed together for a mere hour, had made love twice in that time, and
they had spoken little. 'Next you'll be telling me that we're both
adults and that there's nothing wrong with taking what we want from
each other,' she scorned.
'There isn't,' he rasped.
She gave him a pitying look. 'Find some other woman to
satisfy your new-found interest in sex, Rand; I'm not the one for you.'
His mouth thinned, his nostrils flared, and his eyes
turned coldly silver. 'I'll be back tonight,' he repeated harshly. 'And
I want you to be here.'
'Waiting for you!'
'Yes.'
'I'm sorry,' she replied flatly.
'I won't chase after you like some damned boy!' he warned
through gritted teeth.
'Good,' she sighed.
His hands clenched into fists. 'You can't make me burn the
way I have for you and then expect to put out the fire by saying no! I
won't let you,' he told her fiercely. 'I could live with that emptiness
when no woman appealed to me, but I won't live with it when I know you
want me as much as I want you!'
Merlyn stood shaking once he had left, not from the threat
he had made not to accept her answer, but from the knowledge that he
would only have to kiss her for that decision to be meaningless. She
didn't understand him, she doubted he really understood himself or the
physical demands he had that now tormented and controlled him.
'Wow, visions of Heathcliff, hm?' Liza said in an
awestruck voice. 'No wonder you and Christopher are only friends!'
'Liza…' greeted Merlyn weakly, knowing her own
tousled appearance and that of the bed behind her told their own story.
'I—er—I wondered what had happened to you.' She
hadn't given the other woman another thought after Rand's arrival!
Her friend's eyes glowed mischievously as she gave Merlyn
a chiding look for her lie. 'Admit it, you forgot my existence after
Heathcliff arrived,' she derided. She was wearing a thigh-length robe
over her bikini.
They both knew she had, until a few moments ago, a full
hour after she was supposed to have gone to the pool with Liza. 'I
think he's more of a Rochester than a Heathcliff,' Merlyn remarked
lightly.
'Who
is
he?' Liza demanded with
great interest.
She could be evasive and say his name was Rand, but as
they were all going to be here for several weeks Liza was sure to be
introduced to him some time. 'Brandon Carmichael,' she admitted
abruptly.
Blue eyes widened with a shock Liza was too surprised to
mask. 'Wow,' she finally breathed. 'I mean—well—
Er—I didn't realise you knew him,' she said lamely, her gaze
moving awkwardly over the rumpled bed. 'What I meant was—'
'Why, Liza, I think you're embarrassed,' she mocked.
'Either that or you have a terrible case of heat-rash. And as it's only
about sixty-five degrees outside, I don't think—'
'Don't tease,' Liza groaned. 'It's just that I thought you
were holding out for Mr Right?'
She hadn't been 'holding out' at all, she had just never
found anyone she wanted to make love with before. 'What makes you so
sure I haven't found it with Brandon Carmichael?'
Liza wrinkled her nose. 'Because everyone knows he's still
in love with his wife— Oh dear,' she groaned her
consternation. 'I've done it again, haven't I! I'm sorry,
Merlyn—'
'Don't be,' she dismissed her friend's apologies with a
calm she didn't feel, locking her door behind her as they belatedly
made their way over to the pool. 'I'm well aware of Rand's feelings for
his wife, and what he wants from me. They bear little resemblance to
each other,' she grimaced.
'He's really
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