my fiance-is downstairs at this moment, accepting your hospitality, believing in your friendship!'
Vincente shrugged his broad shoulders. Then he looked at her squarely. 'There was never - can never - be friendship between Harding and myself,' he retorted bitterly.
Dominique continued to shake her head. She was shaken and disturbed. She was even finding it difficult to believe all this was actually happening.
'All right, all right, you don't like one another, but that doesn't give you the right to assume—'
'I've made no assumptions,' retorted Vincente, his voice hard. 'Oh, Dominique, stop deluding yourself! You want me - just as much as I want you! All right, you don't like to admit it, but it's true nevertheless! Why is it that women imagine themselves different from men in that way?'
'You're talking about lust!' exclaimed Dominique unevenly.
'So?'
'So you can't marry a person out of lust!'
'Did I say that was all it was?'
'No, but—' Dominique pressed a hand to her throat. 'It is -I know it!'
'I've told you before, you know nothing about me,' he said bleakly. 'Don't assume too much yourself. Give yourself time to get to know me!'
Dominique bent her head, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably. Vincente gave a muffled exclamation, and crossed to her instantly, grasping her arms and pulling her roughly to him.
'See—' he muttered fiercely, 'I'm trembling, too. This is not Santos's way, believe me! I have wanted many women - and I have taken them. You - I respect. You - I am prepared to give my name!'
Dominique's thoughts ,were incoherent. 'I should be honoured,' she whispered, half hysterically.
'Stop it!' He forced her chin up with one hand. 'Stop it! Now - what is your answer?'
Dominique closed her eyes, the lids pale and fragile, arousing his compassion, so that he pressed his lips to her eyes gently, murmuring to her in his own language. She didn't know what he said, she didn't care, she was drifting into a lethargic state of mind, and should he at that moment have decided to possess her utterly, she would have willingly surrendered.
But Vincente was very conscious of the warmth of her body through the thin material of her gown, and he held her away from him, looking into her eyes, eyes that were drowsy with his lovemaking, and said:
'Dios, Dominique! Would you have me lose my self-respect as well as my self-control?'
Her eyes flickered. 'Oh, Vincente,' she murmured achingly.
Then, without warning, the door burst open, crashing back on its hinges heavily, and John stood in the aperture, glaring at them with eyes that were incensed with fury and jealousy.
'You swine, Santos!' he snarled violently. 'I'll kill you for this!'
Vincente released Dominique, and turned towards John calmly. He thrust his hands deliberately into the pockets of his trousers, and walked slowly across to the other man. 'Oh, yes?' he said imperturbably.
'God damn you to hell!' muttered John heavily, and brought back his fist and hit Vincente full on the chin with a shattering punch. John was a powerful man and the force of his blow, which Vincente made no attempt to defend himself against, sent him staggering back to measure his length on the floor at Dominique's feet.
'Vincente!' cried Dominique in horror, casting a venomous glance in John's direction. Then she sank down to the floor beside him, pillowing his head on her knees, smoothing his forehead tenderly.
'Get up!' shouted John savagely, standing over them. 'Get up and fight like a man!'
Vincente rubbed his chin with one hand, and Dominique looked up at John contemptuously. 'Are you out of your mind?' she gasped. 'Coming in here like this and acting like some - some - wild beast!'
John wrenched her to her feet. 'You're my fiancee, Dominique. What do you expect me to do? Finding you here with him - half naked!'
Dominique tore herself out of his hold. 'At least give me a chance to explain!' she cried, rubbing her wrist.
'And how are you going to explain it?' asked
Vincente shrugged his broad shoulders. Then he looked at her squarely. 'There was never - can never - be friendship between Harding and myself,' he retorted bitterly.
Dominique continued to shake her head. She was shaken and disturbed. She was even finding it difficult to believe all this was actually happening.
'All right, all right, you don't like one another, but that doesn't give you the right to assume—'
'I've made no assumptions,' retorted Vincente, his voice hard. 'Oh, Dominique, stop deluding yourself! You want me - just as much as I want you! All right, you don't like to admit it, but it's true nevertheless! Why is it that women imagine themselves different from men in that way?'
'You're talking about lust!' exclaimed Dominique unevenly.
'So?'
'So you can't marry a person out of lust!'
'Did I say that was all it was?'
'No, but—' Dominique pressed a hand to her throat. 'It is -I know it!'
'I've told you before, you know nothing about me,' he said bleakly. 'Don't assume too much yourself. Give yourself time to get to know me!'
Dominique bent her head, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably. Vincente gave a muffled exclamation, and crossed to her instantly, grasping her arms and pulling her roughly to him.
'See—' he muttered fiercely, 'I'm trembling, too. This is not Santos's way, believe me! I have wanted many women - and I have taken them. You - I respect. You - I am prepared to give my name!'
Dominique's thoughts ,were incoherent. 'I should be honoured,' she whispered, half hysterically.
'Stop it!' He forced her chin up with one hand. 'Stop it! Now - what is your answer?'
Dominique closed her eyes, the lids pale and fragile, arousing his compassion, so that he pressed his lips to her eyes gently, murmuring to her in his own language. She didn't know what he said, she didn't care, she was drifting into a lethargic state of mind, and should he at that moment have decided to possess her utterly, she would have willingly surrendered.
But Vincente was very conscious of the warmth of her body through the thin material of her gown, and he held her away from him, looking into her eyes, eyes that were drowsy with his lovemaking, and said:
'Dios, Dominique! Would you have me lose my self-respect as well as my self-control?'
Her eyes flickered. 'Oh, Vincente,' she murmured achingly.
Then, without warning, the door burst open, crashing back on its hinges heavily, and John stood in the aperture, glaring at them with eyes that were incensed with fury and jealousy.
'You swine, Santos!' he snarled violently. 'I'll kill you for this!'
Vincente released Dominique, and turned towards John calmly. He thrust his hands deliberately into the pockets of his trousers, and walked slowly across to the other man. 'Oh, yes?' he said imperturbably.
'God damn you to hell!' muttered John heavily, and brought back his fist and hit Vincente full on the chin with a shattering punch. John was a powerful man and the force of his blow, which Vincente made no attempt to defend himself against, sent him staggering back to measure his length on the floor at Dominique's feet.
'Vincente!' cried Dominique in horror, casting a venomous glance in John's direction. Then she sank down to the floor beside him, pillowing his head on her knees, smoothing his forehead tenderly.
'Get up!' shouted John savagely, standing over them. 'Get up and fight like a man!'
Vincente rubbed his chin with one hand, and Dominique looked up at John contemptuously. 'Are you out of your mind?' she gasped. 'Coming in here like this and acting like some - some - wild beast!'
John wrenched her to her feet. 'You're my fiancee, Dominique. What do you expect me to do? Finding you here with him - half naked!'
Dominique tore herself out of his hold. 'At least give me a chance to explain!' she cried, rubbing her wrist.
'And how are you going to explain it?' asked
Similar Books
