‘I—I don’t know what to say,’ she mumbled dazedly, totally confused by what Jerard had just told her.
‘Don’t say anything,’ he dismissed harshly. ‘Just don’t ever repeat that drivel to me again. If you would rather forget the time we shared together then consider it forgotten—by both of us,’ he added grimly. ‘As far as I’m concerned you’re a stranger, anyway.’
Velvet flinched, wishing in some way she could make him believe her. ‘Jerard—’
‘Goodnight, Velvet,’ he cut in firmly. ‘I’m grateful for your help with Vicki,’ the words seemed to be forced out of him, ‘but I won’t bother you again.’
‘And if Vicki should need me?’
His face hardened. ‘We’ll deal with that when—and if—it happens.’ His tone left her in no doubt as to his feelings on the matter.
She stumbled out of the apartment and went back up to her own room. Well, she had told Jerard the truth and he hadn’t believed her, there was nothing else she could do—except cry herself to sleep. And she did that, somehow feeling hurt and confused by Jerard’s treatment of her.
CHAPTER FOUR
VELVET slept in late the next morning, waking up after ten, wondering why Carly or Paul hadn’t come to her room and demanded her presence for work on the beach. She soon found out why they hadn’t!
‘Daniels called me early this morning,’ Paul muttered, as she joined him and Carly by the pool. ‘He said you didn’t leave him until four-thirty this morning, so you’d need to rest.’
Colour flamed in her cheeks. ‘Did he explain why I was in his apartment until four-thirty this morning?’
Paul looked mocking. ‘No, and I didn’t ask him.’
‘I went to see Vicki,’ she defended indignantly. Jerard had done this deliberately!
‘Of course you did,’ Paul nodded.
‘But I did!’
‘I just agreed, didn’t I?’ he taunted.
She frowned. ‘It was the way you agreed.’
Carly giggled. ‘Well, really, Velvet, that was a pretty feeble excuse. His little girl must have been in bed hours by that time of morning.’
‘She had, but she woke up, and she wanted me. She—she seems to have taken to me,’ Velvet revealed awkwardly.
‘Like her father,’ Paul teased. ‘All right, all right, there’s no need to get violent,’ he said at her furious expression. ‘So you and Jerard Daniels didn’t so much as hold hands last night.’
Velvet blushed as she remembered just how intimately Jerard had touched her, still confused by her own reaction to those caresses, although luckily they hadn’t haunted her dreams the second time she went to bed.
Paul was watching her closely. ‘On second thoughts,’ he said slowly, ‘maybe he did—and lot more besides, by the look on your face.’
‘Paul—’
‘You’re embarrassing her again,’ Carly told him. ‘Let’s go for a swim and leave her to calm down.’
‘I’m going back inside,’ Velvet told them crossly. ‘I take it we aren’t working today?’
‘No.’ Paul stood up, very lean and attractive in navy blue swimming trunks. ‘We’ve nearly finished, anyway.’
‘Does that mean we can go home soon?’ Velvet asked hopefully.
He nodded. ‘We’re booked on a plane to England in two days.’
‘Good!’ She made no effort to hide her pleasure in that arrangement.
‘Missing Tony?’ Carly sympathised.
‘Too much to want to do this again in a hurry,’ she nodded. ‘I think I’ll go and get myself some breakfast.’
‘Next time I should make Daniels provide that,’ Paul teased. ‘It’s the usual practice.’
Her answer was to push him into the pool, watching with satisfaction as he came up spluttering.
‘Good for you!’ Carly chuckled, diving smoothly into the water to join her boy-friend.
Velvet was still smiling as she drank her coffee and ate her toast, the smile broadening as Greg joined her a few minutes later.
He pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘You’re still in one piece, then?’ he gave a rueful grin.
She nodded. ‘And you?’
‘Mm. I’ve had a bit more of my tail chewed off, but I’m otherwise unscathed.’
‘I’m sorry about that.’ Her smile faded.
‘It wasn’t your fault.’ He touched her hand.
She knew that it was. If Jerard hadn’t come down to see her he would never have seen Greg. But Greg seemed prepared to forget it, and so must she. ‘Did you ever see to that complaint?’
He gave a rueful smile. ‘Eventually—after they’d complained that I hadn’t seen to the first complaint.’
‘Oh dear!’ Velvet burst out laughing, then her humour faded as she saw Jerard Daniels and Vicki standing in the doorway of the dining-room. She looked away. ‘Are you on duty, Greg?’ she asked softly.
‘Sure. But why—Oh no!’ he groaned, seeing Jerard too. ‘Not again!’ He put his face in his hands.
Velvet knew how he felt, she was beginning to feel rather haunted by Jerard herself. ‘Maybe if you just get up and leave he won’t say anything,’ she suggested hopefully. ‘After all, you have to be pleasant to the guests.’
‘But not one guest in particular,’ Greg grimaced. ‘Oh well, here goes.’ He stood up, walking calmly to the door. ‘Sir,’ he greeted politely.
‘Boyd,’ Jerard nodded curtly.
Velvet felt the tension leave her as Greg managed to escape without the verbal slaughtering he had been expecting, and turned back to her coffee, still deeply aware of Jerard being somewhere in the room.
‘Can I ask her now, Daddy?’ Vicki could be heard asking excitedly.
‘Vicki, I told you—’
‘Oh, please, Daddy!’ she pleaded.
Whatever it was the little girl wanted Velvet didn’t see how her father could hold out against her, she knew she wouldn’t be able to.
‘Okay,’ he murmured agreement. ‘But no pressurising,’ he warned.
Vicki appeared beside Velvet’s table, jumping up and down in her excitement. No sign of her distress of last night was now evident in her animated face, and her shorts and top were as casual as Velvet’s own.
‘Hello,’ Velvet greeted her with a smile.
‘Hello,’ Vicki returned, suddenly shy.
‘Would you like
