the proven values and qualities of long intimate acquaintance.
Duncan Alexander was finished, Nicholas Berg was the future.
But, no, she would never regret this interlude in her life.
It had been a time of rejuvenation, she would not even regret Nicholas
involvement with the pretty American child. Later, it would add a
certain perverse spice to her own sexuality, she thought, and felt the
shiver run down her thighs and the soft secret stirring of her flesh,
like the opening of a petalled rosebud. Duncan had taught her many
things, bizarre little tricks of arousal, made more poignant by being
forbidden and wicked. Unfortunately Duncan relied almost entirely on
the tricks, and not all of them had worked for her - the corners of her
mouth turned down with distaste as she remembered; perhaps it was just
that which had begun the curdling process.
No, Duncan Alexander had not been able to match her raw, elemental
sexuality and soaring abandon. Only one man had ever been able to do
that. Duncan had served a purpose, but now it was over. It might have
dragged on a little longer, but Duncan Alexander had endangered Christy
Marine. Never had she thought of that possibility; Christy Marine was a
fact of her life, as vast and immutable as the heavens, but now the
foundations of heaven were being shaken. His sexual attraction had
staled, she might have forgiven him that, but not the other.
She became aware of Duncan's discomfort. He twisted sideways in his
chair, crossing and uncrossing his long legs, and he rolled the
cigarette between his fingers, studying the rising spiral of blue smoke
to avoid the level, expressionless gaze of her dark fathomless eyes.
She had been staring at him, but seeing the other man, Now, with an
effort, she focused her attention on him.
Thank you for coming so promptly, she said, It did seem rather urgent.
He smiled for the first time, glossy and urbane - but with fear down
there in the cool grey eyes, and his tension was betrayed by the
clenched sinew in the point of his jaw.
Looking closely, as she had not done for many months, she saw how he was
fined down. The long tapered fingers were bony, and never still. There
were new harder lines to his mouth, and a frown to the set of his eyes.
The skin at the corners cracked like oil paint into hundreds of fine
wrinkles that the deep brown snow-tan hid from a casual glance. Now he
returned her scrutiny directly.
From what you told me yesterday She lifted her hand to stop him.
'That can wait. I merely wanted to impress you with the seriousness of
what is happening. What is really of prime importance now is what you
have done with control of my shares and those of the Trust. His hands
went very still. What does that mean? I want auditors, my appointed
auditors, sent in I He shrugged. All this will take time, Chantelle,
and I'm not certain that I'm ready to relinquish control. He was very
cool, very casual now and the fear was gone.
She felt a stir of relief, perhaps the horror story that Nicholas had
told her was untrue, perhaps the danger was imaginary only..
Christy Marine was so big, so invulnerable. Not just at the moment,
anyway.
You'd have to prove to me that doing so was in the best interest of the
