was only saying how parts of you leave nothing to be desired,' he protested idly.
Only you don't desire me, she almost retorted, but when her colour deepened warmly he seemed able to read her mind. His unusualy light mood persisting, he reached over unexpectedly, puling her to him. Then bending his head he gently kissed the soft sheen of her bare neck, where she had left her blouse open. 'You smell nice. Delectable,' he mused, trailing mocking fingers down her arm, as he lowered his head again.
For the moment they appeared to have the corner of the cabin to themselves, most of the other occupants having disappeared up the funny little spiral staircase to the free upstairs bar. Emma shivered, as the flames Rick ignited fanned to a fire and she shrank defensively away from him.
'Leave me alone, Rick,' she whispered, turning her head from the searching pressure of his lips. If he didn't she couldn't be sure of her own reactions. She had a disturbing desire to put her arms around him and beg him to hold her close.
'Pity my name isn't Oliver,' he said curtly, drawing back in his seat. 'Air travel arouses curious emotions.'
'At least Rex likes me better than you do.' She felt very agitated, and wasn't even thinking of Rex.
'Don't let anyone hear you saying things like that,' Rick warned darkly.
'I wanted to talk about your family,' she reminded him tautly.
'Oh, what the hel,' he muttered grimly, but after a slight pause he obliged, explaining that as well as a stepmother he had also a stepbrother and sister.
When Emma glanced at him doubtfuly, he said dryly,
'Don't worry too much. Rita isn't so very difficult to get on with. She married my father a couple of years before he died.
Gail and Ben were in their early teens and occasionaly they've been a handful, but I think they're shaping up all right now.'
'How long is it since your father died?'
'Ten years.'
So Rick must have been partly responsible, at least, for the upbringing of the children. Emma didn't doubt he would undertake such a responsibility as he would anything else he considered his duty. Nothing might prove too much for him to take on. Already she was beginning to notice how authority sat easily on his broad shoulders.
'Do—do you all still live together?' she asked next.
'When I'm in Barbados it's convenient and when I'm not they're there to keep an eye on the house.'
'And—and now?'
'Now?' His brows rose and his eyes glinted with their familiar cynical hardness. 'Now makes no difference, my dear girl, if you mean because I'm married and you'll be there. In a year we split up. I certainly don't intend interrupting either my family's routine or my own for the sake of someone who's only going to be with us a few months.'
It was evening when they landed at the Grantley Adams International Airport, eleven miles from Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. Relieved to be off the plane, Emma stood sniffing the air like an eager young puppy. It was a lovely evening, the air balmy, not unlike Paris, yet different. It took her scarcely more than a few seconds to realise it was more exotic, in a tropical kind of way. It seemed to contain the scent of a thousand flowers and trees. The slight breeze whispered of things she knew nothing about, but something stirred in her blood, quickening her pulse as she felt herself responding. Somewhere in the background she heard the beat of a steel band and thought of limbo dancing and calypso singing under starry skies on a beautiful West Indian night. She thought of Rick by her side, dancing with her dreamily, holding her gently, then more urgently as the music grew wilder and heightened their awareness of each other.
As she quivered visibly, Rick turned, speaking curtly as he noticed her dreamy expression. 'Snap out of it, Emma. I don't have all night, and if you're trying to impress me you're wasting both my time and your own.'
'Impress you?' she faltered, coming back to earth with the bump he no doubt intended.
'Did
Only you don't desire me, she almost retorted, but when her colour deepened warmly he seemed able to read her mind. His unusualy light mood persisting, he reached over unexpectedly, puling her to him. Then bending his head he gently kissed the soft sheen of her bare neck, where she had left her blouse open. 'You smell nice. Delectable,' he mused, trailing mocking fingers down her arm, as he lowered his head again.
For the moment they appeared to have the corner of the cabin to themselves, most of the other occupants having disappeared up the funny little spiral staircase to the free upstairs bar. Emma shivered, as the flames Rick ignited fanned to a fire and she shrank defensively away from him.
'Leave me alone, Rick,' she whispered, turning her head from the searching pressure of his lips. If he didn't she couldn't be sure of her own reactions. She had a disturbing desire to put her arms around him and beg him to hold her close.
'Pity my name isn't Oliver,' he said curtly, drawing back in his seat. 'Air travel arouses curious emotions.'
'At least Rex likes me better than you do.' She felt very agitated, and wasn't even thinking of Rex.
'Don't let anyone hear you saying things like that,' Rick warned darkly.
'I wanted to talk about your family,' she reminded him tautly.
'Oh, what the hel,' he muttered grimly, but after a slight pause he obliged, explaining that as well as a stepmother he had also a stepbrother and sister.
When Emma glanced at him doubtfuly, he said dryly,
'Don't worry too much. Rita isn't so very difficult to get on with. She married my father a couple of years before he died.
Gail and Ben were in their early teens and occasionaly they've been a handful, but I think they're shaping up all right now.'
'How long is it since your father died?'
'Ten years.'
So Rick must have been partly responsible, at least, for the upbringing of the children. Emma didn't doubt he would undertake such a responsibility as he would anything else he considered his duty. Nothing might prove too much for him to take on. Already she was beginning to notice how authority sat easily on his broad shoulders.
'Do—do you all still live together?' she asked next.
'When I'm in Barbados it's convenient and when I'm not they're there to keep an eye on the house.'
'And—and now?'
'Now?' His brows rose and his eyes glinted with their familiar cynical hardness. 'Now makes no difference, my dear girl, if you mean because I'm married and you'll be there. In a year we split up. I certainly don't intend interrupting either my family's routine or my own for the sake of someone who's only going to be with us a few months.'
It was evening when they landed at the Grantley Adams International Airport, eleven miles from Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. Relieved to be off the plane, Emma stood sniffing the air like an eager young puppy. It was a lovely evening, the air balmy, not unlike Paris, yet different. It took her scarcely more than a few seconds to realise it was more exotic, in a tropical kind of way. It seemed to contain the scent of a thousand flowers and trees. The slight breeze whispered of things she knew nothing about, but something stirred in her blood, quickening her pulse as she felt herself responding. Somewhere in the background she heard the beat of a steel band and thought of limbo dancing and calypso singing under starry skies on a beautiful West Indian night. She thought of Rick by her side, dancing with her dreamily, holding her gently, then more urgently as the music grew wilder and heightened their awareness of each other.
As she quivered visibly, Rick turned, speaking curtly as he noticed her dreamy expression. 'Snap out of it, Emma. I don't have all night, and if you're trying to impress me you're wasting both my time and your own.'
'Impress you?' she faltered, coming back to earth with the bump he no doubt intended.
'Did
Similar Books
