Wanderlust by Danielle Steel Page B

and he kissed her again.
    Maybe I will. And maybe I'll carry you off on a white horse, with a rose between your teeth.
    That sounds wonderful, Charles.
    Yes ' doesn't it ' . He pulled her down beside him in the grass again, and they lay in each other's arms for a time, until their embraces grew too heated to be restrained, and she wisely pulled away, as he looked regretfully at her. He respected her a great deal, but he had never wanted a woman as desperately as he wanted her, and they had so little time left.
    It added a forced gaiety to the time they spent together with Vi and James. The nights became later and later each day, and filled with more champagne. And it became more and more difficult to tear herself away from him at night and go back to her own room, but she didn't want to do anything foolish before she went home. She would have had to live with the consequences for a lifetime afterward. And Charles didn't want to take any chances with her, no matter how badly he wanted her. He loved her too much for that.
    I think I ought to start taking cold showers, or midnight baths in the sea, not that the Mediterranean is chilly enough. I'm afraid it won't do, he teased one night as they strolled home from a party farther down the beach at Antibes. You're driving me mad, you know. She felt guilty about that, and she didn't mean to tease.
    I'm so sorry, Charles ' . She looked up at him adoringly and he put an arm around her and brought her close to him again.
    You shouldn't be. These have been the best weeks of my life, thanks to you. I'll carry the memories with me to the end of the world. He smiled down at her and kissed the froth of copper hair that danced around her head. He didn't know it yet, but she had a surprise waiting for him. She had been putting together an album of their days in Antibes, filled with photographs she'd had made, duplicating the ones she was keeping for herself. She was going to put it all together for him before he left. He could look at it on the way to Nanking. She didn't even like to think about it now. But she had to. He was leaving in a few days.
    And on their last night, they sat and watched the sun come up, just as they had on the night they met, only a few weeks before. It's hard to believe, isn't it? He looked serious as he sat holding her hand. Vi and James had long since given up and gone to bed, but Charles and Audrey were in no hurry to leave each other that night. It seems as though I've known you all my life.
    It's going to be so strange when you're gone again ' so empty suddenly ' . She was totally honest with him. He was someone she could have said anything to, and she often did, and now he looked down at her, unable to give up the dream of keeping her with him.
    I want to ask you something, Aud. And I want you to think about it before you say no. He stopped and took a deep breath before going on. Will you come with me? Her heart stopped and it must have showed in her eyes. Just as far as Istanbul. You can still get back to London on time. I have to leave Venice on September third. You'll make your sailing on the fourteenth. And then his eyes lit up as he looked at her. Audrey ' She was already shaking her head.
    I can't do that, Charles.
    Why not? God only knows when we'll see each other again. Can you really give this up so easily, waste everything we've had? He looked suddenly angry at her as he stood up and paced the terrace where they waited for the sun to come up. How can you just say no like that? Dammit, Audrey, just this once ' think of yourself ' think of us ' please! ' He turned to her with a look that tore at her heart. At least give it some thought. She promised to, but this time it wasn't her obligations that were stopping her. It was something else. She was afraid to go to Venice with him. She knew what would happen there ' what she would do if she were all alone with him ' she would throw convention to the winds. She was almost ready to do that in Antibes, but she