She sighed. ‘I don’t think you’ll succeed. It’s time I grew up, time I stopped depending on you for everything, including protection from the outside world. I can’t be a child for ever, James.’
‘One evening out with Damien Savage and you come to these conclusions. I wish I’d never let you go with him now.’
So did Kate, but for very different reasons. She thought of him as she changed, she seemed to be able to think of little else. He had shaken her out of her dream-world as nothing else could have done, had brought her to an awareness of how shallow her friendships with Nigel and men like him had been. None of them could have brought her to life with just the look in their eyes or the smallest touch of their hands.
But it was Damien’s experience that enabled him to do that, the vast amount of women he had known before her. If she had given in to him, as she had wanted to, she would just have been another woman in the long line of females that had enhanced his life, just another casual relationship.
He had invited her to live with him, but how long would that have lasted? And even then could she have been sure she was the only woman in his life? It didn’t seem likely; he didn’t appear to be the constant type, his affairs lasting a couple of months at most.
But what could she say to him tonight to make him leave her alone? How could she get him to leave without making a scene? She certainly didn’t want to admit to James just how far things had gone between them, or the attraction they felt for each other that was the destruction of any ideals she might have had about love and marriage.
* * *
She must have dozed by the pool, because it was quite late in the afternoon by the time she was awakened by a polite cough from Jennings, their butler. She smiled at him sleepily, and sat up lazily. ‘Yes, Jennings?’
He held himself stiffly correct, reminding Kate of a character out of a P. G. Wodehouse story. She felt sure he must be highly shocked by the behaviour of some of James’ friends, although in no way would he ever show it, he was much too polite for that. ‘There’s a gentleman to see Mr St Just, Miss Darwood. I have informed him that Mr St Just is not at home at the moment and so he requested to see you instead.’
Damien! It had to be him. Lord, he was early. He had said this evening some time. What was she going to do now? What could she do, she would have to ask him in. She put a hand to her hair, looking down in horror at the bikini she wore. God, she must look a mess, she couldn’t see him looking like this.
‘Miss Darwood?’ Jennings was still waiting for her answer.
‘Show him into the lounge, Jennings,’ she said finally. ‘I’ll be there in a few minutes.’
‘Yes, miss.’
She scrambled off the lounger, picking up her sunglasses and book to hurry along the poolside to the house. She wasn’t even halfway there when a man came strolling out of the house, casually dressed in a brown shirt and cream trousers, a man completely sure of his effect on the opposite sex. He gave Kate that wicked grin that she detested, leering at her with those blue eyes that stripped away what little clothing she had on.
‘Mr Strange,’ she said stiffly, holding herself as aloof as it was possible to do in a minute black bikini. ‘James isn’t here, I’m afraid.’ She would even have preferred Damien to this hateful man, would have welcomed him even.
He smiled at her. ‘I know that, Kate. But I can wait.’
Not with her he couldn’t! She didn’t like him one little bit, although he seemed to be very popular with the public, a fact that had always puzzled her. He was conceited to the point of making her feel physically sick, with about as much charm as an over-sexed ape.
The first couple of times she had met him he had tried, unsuccessfully, to get her to go out with him. She felt sure it was only because he considered she belonged to James and he couldn’t bear to think that any woman was immune to him. Well, here was one woman who was; he sickened her utterly.
‘I’m not sure what time he’ll be returning,’ she lied, well aware that James intended being back for dinner.
‘That’s okay, I don’t mind waiting,’ he returned smoothly.
‘He could be a long time,’ she insisted.
‘I have plenty of time,’ he smiled. ‘You could even invite me to dinner.’
The audacity of the man! ‘But I—’
‘Thanks, I’d love to. Let’s sit down, shall we?’ he indicated the chairs beside the pool. ‘It’s not often I get to see you on your own. I must say it gave me quite a surprise to see you with Damien last night. I thought James only allowed for competition like Nigel Humphries,’ he taunted. ‘Damien’s in a class all of his own.’
She knew that—oh yes, she knew that. ‘I accompanied Mr Savage to your party because he’d only just arrived in the country and needed a partner.’
Matt Strange snorted his disbelief. ‘He only has to snap his fingers and the girls come running, so I’m sure that isn’t the case. I wasn’t even sure you would still be staying here.’
‘Why shouldn’t I be?’
He shrugged. ‘Sit down and I’ll tell you.’
‘I—I can’t. I have to change.’
His eyes ran over her tanned body appraisingly. ‘Don’t bother on my account, I like you as you are.’
She could imagine he did! At twenty-seven he was the biggest lecher she had ever had
