its threadbare mane, wistfully stroking it, and Laird watched her with a crooked little smile.
'He's called Dandy.' Suddenly his hands shot out and got her by the waist, and Anna gasped, staring up at him for one second before she felt her feet leave the floor.
The next minute she was on the rocking horse, riding side-saddle, with Laird setting the horse in motion.
'I'm too heavy for it!' she protested, but he wouldn't let her climb off.
'You were dying to have a ride, don't pretend you weren't.' His grey eyes were gently teasing. 'Some children are a bit older than others, that's all.'
She went pink, but couldn't deny that she had badly wanted to ride the old wooden horse with its staring eyes and dappled grey coat, the paint wearing thin, fading, but so gently that one felt it had been worn down with generations of loving arms and hands.
'My father kept all this stuff up here for my children,' Laird said, watching her rocking, her head now above his own. 'Now it will go to Patti's, I suppose.'
Anna looked at the red leather reins she was holding. 'You don't plan to have children?'
'It's unlikely.' His voice was flat and terse. There was a silence, then he said, 'I was married years ago, did Patti tell you?'
'She mentioned something,' Anna whispered, unable to meet his eyes in case he read her expression.
'My wife went off with one of my friends.' He laughed shortly. 'Some friend! He wasn't the first, though—Merieth wasn't faithful to me for long, we'd only been married a few months when I found out she was seeing someone else. We had a very nasty row and she promised to give him up. She did, but it wasn't long before there was another man, and another—it was a pattern. She had men like someone eating sweets, unable to stop. By the time she ran off with the last one I was glad to see the last of her. I was sick of knowing people laughed at me behind my back, sick of wondering which of my friends had had her.' He walked away to the window and stared out at the pale blue spring sky. 'I swore then that I'd never marry again.'
'Did you ever see her again?' Anna asked huskily.
'No. She died a few years ago—overdose, I gather. She was on drugs by then. Merieth had most of the vices, she was as weak as water.'
Anna stared at him, her eyes burning, absently aware of the power of his lean body in the beautifully cut suit. Something quivered inside her like a plucked harp string, a high, resonant note. Had he loved his wife very much? The bitterness in his voice suggested he had, and she grew angry with herself because it hurt to think about that. She had no right to be jealous of his ex-wife. If Laird was haunted by the other woman that was his affair. She swallowed, her throat rough, her skin icy. It was crazy stupidity to let herself care about him.
Whatever reason Laird had for being the way he was, the fact remained—he was cynical where women were concerned and determined not to commit himself to another one. Any woman who let herself care about him was asking to get hurt, and Anna was no masochist.
He turned suddenly, his face wry with self- mockery. 'Oh, to hell with it! I shouldn't have started talking about her, the subject always depresses me.' He closed his hands around her small waist and smiled into her eyes. 'Enjoyed your ride?'
'It was fun,' Anna said huskily, her breathing suddenly rapid.
Laird lifted her off the old rocking horse, his hands gripping her waist tightly, but he didn't put her down at once. He held her so that their faces touched andgently kissed her mouth, his lips warm and searching. Anna fought not to enjoy it; she kept her eyes open, watching him, and saw his eyes had closed. He slowly let her slide downwards, their bodies touching, then he locked her close to him without taking his mouth from hers and bent her backwards in the circle of his arms. Anna's head began to swim, she clutched at his wide shoulders to keep her balance, protesting in a muffled way under his exploring
'He's called Dandy.' Suddenly his hands shot out and got her by the waist, and Anna gasped, staring up at him for one second before she felt her feet leave the floor.
The next minute she was on the rocking horse, riding side-saddle, with Laird setting the horse in motion.
'I'm too heavy for it!' she protested, but he wouldn't let her climb off.
'You were dying to have a ride, don't pretend you weren't.' His grey eyes were gently teasing. 'Some children are a bit older than others, that's all.'
She went pink, but couldn't deny that she had badly wanted to ride the old wooden horse with its staring eyes and dappled grey coat, the paint wearing thin, fading, but so gently that one felt it had been worn down with generations of loving arms and hands.
'My father kept all this stuff up here for my children,' Laird said, watching her rocking, her head now above his own. 'Now it will go to Patti's, I suppose.'
Anna looked at the red leather reins she was holding. 'You don't plan to have children?'
'It's unlikely.' His voice was flat and terse. There was a silence, then he said, 'I was married years ago, did Patti tell you?'
'She mentioned something,' Anna whispered, unable to meet his eyes in case he read her expression.
'My wife went off with one of my friends.' He laughed shortly. 'Some friend! He wasn't the first, though—Merieth wasn't faithful to me for long, we'd only been married a few months when I found out she was seeing someone else. We had a very nasty row and she promised to give him up. She did, but it wasn't long before there was another man, and another—it was a pattern. She had men like someone eating sweets, unable to stop. By the time she ran off with the last one I was glad to see the last of her. I was sick of knowing people laughed at me behind my back, sick of wondering which of my friends had had her.' He walked away to the window and stared out at the pale blue spring sky. 'I swore then that I'd never marry again.'
'Did you ever see her again?' Anna asked huskily.
'No. She died a few years ago—overdose, I gather. She was on drugs by then. Merieth had most of the vices, she was as weak as water.'
Anna stared at him, her eyes burning, absently aware of the power of his lean body in the beautifully cut suit. Something quivered inside her like a plucked harp string, a high, resonant note. Had he loved his wife very much? The bitterness in his voice suggested he had, and she grew angry with herself because it hurt to think about that. She had no right to be jealous of his ex-wife. If Laird was haunted by the other woman that was his affair. She swallowed, her throat rough, her skin icy. It was crazy stupidity to let herself care about him.
Whatever reason Laird had for being the way he was, the fact remained—he was cynical where women were concerned and determined not to commit himself to another one. Any woman who let herself care about him was asking to get hurt, and Anna was no masochist.
He turned suddenly, his face wry with self- mockery. 'Oh, to hell with it! I shouldn't have started talking about her, the subject always depresses me.' He closed his hands around her small waist and smiled into her eyes. 'Enjoyed your ride?'
'It was fun,' Anna said huskily, her breathing suddenly rapid.
Laird lifted her off the old rocking horse, his hands gripping her waist tightly, but he didn't put her down at once. He held her so that their faces touched andgently kissed her mouth, his lips warm and searching. Anna fought not to enjoy it; she kept her eyes open, watching him, and saw his eyes had closed. He slowly let her slide downwards, their bodies touching, then he locked her close to him without taking his mouth from hers and bent her backwards in the circle of his arms. Anna's head began to swim, she clutched at his wide shoulders to keep her balance, protesting in a muffled way under his exploring
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