She drew back into the shadows as far as she could go, unable to take her eyes off him. That a man so tall and lean should yet have such perfectly formed muscles, such a hint of restrained power, such beauty. She could hardly believe what her eyes were telling her.
He seemed preoccupied with troublesome thoughts, which was strange if he was on the verge of making love to his companion. He turned, showing his body from a new angle, the gentle swell of his rear, the length of his thighs.
At last he moved away behind the door, and she seized the chance to creep to her room. She didn’t even put the light on. At all costs he mustn’t suspect that she’d returned. She could feel her heart beating so fiercely that she feared he must be able to hear even at that distance.
She undressed quickly and got into bed, diving beneath the cover as though seeking shelter. The whole world seemed to have rocked. It was disgraceful to have seen his near nakedness while he was unaware, but she couldn’t make herself regret it. Even now he walked through her thoughts, casually magnificent.
But he wasn’t alone. A young woman was with him, lying in his bed, waiting for him to approach her. Obviously he’d called her as soon as she herself had gone out for the evening.
Lee’s words came back to her.
She had no right to complain. She’d promised to come in quietly in case he had a girl. But somehow she hadn’t really believed it, and the reality came as a shock.
She rolled over, burying her face in the pillow.
‘Don’t you care for me any more?’ Susie’s soft voice was petulant.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Usually by this time you’ve tossed me on the bed and-’ She finished with a significant little giggle.
‘A man learns patience as he gets older,’ he said with a touch of desperation.
‘But don’t I attract you?’
‘Of course you do,’ he said determinedly. ‘You’re as lovely as ever. It’s just that-’
He fought for something to say. Anything would do, other than the truth, which was that inviting her here tonight had been the biggest mistake he’d ever made, and he was paying for it. He’d watched as she undressed, waiting for the moment when his excitement rose, but nothing had happened.
Nor had it happened when she removed his own clothes. Her touch, her voluptuous charms left him unmoved.
If only he could banish the cheeky ghost that lingered in the apartment, a ghost who teased him as a sister, who’d shown him a whole new side of life, even made him see himself in a new light. A ghost with a tempting body that she kept concealed from the world so that only the privileged were allowed to discover it.
‘What is it?’ Susie demanded. ‘You suddenly jumped as though you’d seen a ghost.’
‘I think I did,’ he said, seizing inspiration quickly. ‘It’s Charlene-she could come back at any moment-’
‘But you said she’d be gone a long time.’
‘I could be wrong. I’m sorry, I’m not at my best. I think we should forget this.’
‘Well, really! What a way to treat a lady!’
He’d never seen Susie in a temper before, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. After spitting out a few curses, she declared significantly, ‘I don’t like wasting my time.’
‘Of course you don’t,’ he placated her, ‘but I have a present for you. Here.’
He took a bracelet from a drawer where he’d left it, awaiting the right moment to give it to Charlene. Mollified, Susie let him put it on her wrist.
‘That’s more like it,’ she said. ‘And next time maybe we’ll have more luck.’
There wasn’t going to be a next time but he was too wise to say so.
‘Goodbye, Susie.’
She stalked out of the bedroom towards the front door, which he held open for her. There she turned to give him a beguiling smile, to remind him what he was missing. But, to her annoyance, he wasn’t looking at her. His attention had been caught by something a few feet away, and it seemed to astound him.
‘Goodbye,’ she snapped.
He didn’t reply, merely closing the door without taking his eyes from whatever had caught them. Susie flounced on her way.
Travis was too dazed to move. What he’d seen had stunned him with its implications. There, on a small table, was Charlene’s purse.
She’d taken it with her. It shouldn’t be here.
But it was.
Which meant that she was here too. She must have come in while he was with Susie, and slipped quietly into her room, passing his bedroom door, which had been standing open.
And she’d seen-?
After struggling with himself for what felt like ages, he tapped on her door.
‘Hello?’ came her voice.
‘It’s me.’
The door opened, revealing her in an all covering robe.
‘You left your purse out here,’ he said, holding it up.
‘Oh, I…didn’t notice…’ She seemed as distracted as himself. ‘Thank you.’
He waited for her to stand back and invite him in. But she didn’t.
‘I wasn’t expecting you back as soon as this,’ he said lamely.
‘The play was a disaster. I came home early.’
So she was pretending not to know about Susie, he thought. But he wasn’t fooled. There was no way she couldn’t know.
‘I had a friend over,’ he said casually.
‘Good. I hope it was fun. I expect you’re worn out now.’
Clearly she thought he’d been making love to Susie, and equally clearly it didn’t bother her.
That was good, he admonished himself.
‘No, I’m not worn out,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t
After a brief pause, she asked, ‘Really?’
‘Really,’ he said firmly.
She managed a faint smile. ‘I’m disappointed in you.’
‘So was the lady. I don’t think I met her expectations. Suddenly I wasn’t interested, and there are some things that…well, you just can’t pretend.’
It hurt her to see the strain in his face.
‘It’ll be better next time,’ she murmured. ‘There are so many other girls.’
‘When you’re young and stupid perhaps. But in the end it has to be the right one.’
‘But you are young. You aren’t thirty yet.’
‘Suddenly I don’t feel young any more. Hey, guess what! Maybe I grew up. I wonder what made that happen.’
Travis was on the edge of a precipice, saying things he should never have dared say to her, but he didn’t know how to stop.
‘Don’t listen to me; I’m talking nonsense,’ he hurried to say.
‘That’s all right. You can say anything to your big sister.’
As often before, she reached out to lay a gentle hand against his cheek. Travis laid his own hand over it but didn’t look up to meet her eyes. His gaze seemed fixed on his feet.
‘It’s late,’ he said at last. ‘Time we were getting some sleep. I’m sorry I disturbed you.’
‘Yes, of course,’ she said, disappointed. ‘Goodnight.’
