Fear Of Love. Carole Mortimer
up for that?’
‘Not particularly.’ His eyes travelled slowly over her slender body. ‘But I think I would prefer you to put on something more feminine than denims.’
‘Your likes and dislikes don’t come into it,’ she told him sharply. ‘But I have to go back to the house and pack a few things, so I might manage to change for dinner.’
‘You’re going to the house now?’
She gave him a challenging look. ‘Do you have any objections?’
‘None, as long as you don’t use it as a meeting place for yourself and your boy-friend.’
‘You have a disgusting mind, Mr Tempest!’
He laughed at her outrage. ‘I’m just realistic, Alex.’
She was still glowering at him as he left the room. She couldn’t stay here with him, she just couldn’t. They didn’t even like each other. But she didn’t see what else she could do; Gail’s health depended on her not causing trouble.
She put a call through to the hospital before calling Roger, and was told that Mrs Tempest was asleep and not to be disturbed. It seemed to underline the fact that Gail’s health was very delicate at the moment. She left a message for them to tell Gail of her call and she sent her love.
Her call to Roger wasn’t quite so easy, knowing he wouldn’t understand her reasons for being at Dominic Tempest’s house any better than she did herself. She was right, he didn’t.
‘You could come and stay here,’ he suggested. ‘My mother and father would love to have you.’
‘I—I never thought of that.’ Hope quickened her heart. ‘Do you really think they wouldn’t mind?’
‘I know they wouldn’t.’
‘Wait a minute, then, and I’ll go and see what Dominic says,’ she said eagerly.
‘What does it matter what he says?’ Roger demanded crossly. ‘After the way he spoke to you earlier I can’t believe it would bother him where you stay.’
‘You’re right, it doesn’t. But I— Look, I’ll just see what he thinks of the idea.’ She put the telephone down before he could raise any more objections. She knocked briskly on Dominic’s study door before entering.
He looked up at her, an impatient frown marking his forehead. ‘I thought I said I wasn’t to be disturbed,’ he snapped coldly. ‘God, you’ve only been in the house an hour and already you’re making a nuisance of yourself.’
Angry colour flared into her cheeks. ‘I did knock!’
Dominic sat back, his eyes narrowed. ‘So I heard, but I don’t remember inviting you in.’
‘You’re impossible!’
‘Instead of standing there getting angry I think you would be better spending the time telling me what you came in here for, because in two minutes you’re going to be thrown out again.’
‘It doesn’t matter!’ She turned on her heel.
‘Alexandra!’ her name sounded like a whiplash. ‘Get back in here.’
She blinked back the tears. ‘No, I won’t.’
Dominic sighed. ‘You came to ask me something, you might as well do that now you’re here.’
‘I said it doesn’t matter,’ she said obstinately.
‘You have one minute left,’ he warned.
Alexandra turned angrily. ‘Is your time so valuable you don’t have two minutes to spare?’
‘At the moment, yes. I have a schedule to meet. So what’s wrong?’
‘Roger’s on the telephone, he says I can stay at his house.’
‘No.’
Her eyes were a deeper blue as her anger increased. ‘What do you mean, no? Why can’t I? Who’s to say I can’t anyway?’
‘I am,’ he told her calmly. ‘In view of the absence of Gail and Trevor I’m acting as your guardian, and I say you stay where you are. Now, if that’s all you wanted I have work to do.’
‘You have no right—–’
‘I have every right! You’re staying here, where Gail and Trevor can be sure you’re safe.’
‘With you?’ she scorned.
‘With me,’ he said grimly.
‘You’re just being pigheaded about this,’ she said angrily. ‘I’ve stayed at Roger’s house several weekends in the past. Gail and Trevor didn’t mind at all.’
‘A weekend is completely different from a full month. It could be even longer, we have no guarantee when Gail’s going to have the baby. No, you go back and tell your boy-friend that you’re staying here.’
She slammed the door behind her. He was nothing but a bully and a tyrant! She snatched up the telephone receiver. ‘Mr Tempest doesn’t think it’s a good idea,’ she snapped.
‘Damn him, he doesn’t have any say in it!’ Roger sounded as angry as she was herself.
‘He thinks he does.’ She sighed, relaxing her body somewhat. ‘Can you come and pick me up, I have to go and collect some of my clothes? I’ll wait for you outside, I find this place oppressive.’
They arranged to meet in half an hour, and for Alexandra the time dragged by. She ran over to the car when Roger arrived, getting in beside him before he had hardly had time to stop.
She leant over and kissed him hurriedly on the lips. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
Roger looked at her closely. ‘Hey, Alexandra, I’m sure that if you explained to your sister or Trevor how much you dislike being at Tempest’s house they wouldn’t expect you to stay.’
‘Gail isn’t to be worried and Trevor already has enough to think about. I don’t want to talk about it any more, Roger.’
‘Yes, but—–’
‘Forget it,’ she said fiercely.
‘But if it’s upsetting you, Alexandra,’ he persisted.
She smiled. ‘There are worse things in life than living in luxury at Dominic Tempest’s for the next four weeks.’ But she couldn’t for the life of her think of one right now!
She let them into the house with her key, exclaiming her dismay at the chaos in the kitchen. She had forgotten they were about to have lunch when Gail’s collapse had occurred. She set Roger to washing up while she defrosted the refrigerator.
Everything cleared away, she went up to her room to pack her suitcase. Roger stood in the doorway watching her.
‘So he’s graciously permitted me to call occasionally,’ he said sarcastically.
‘Who?’ She unlocked her wardrobe. ‘Oh, him! Yes,’ she sorted through her clothing. ‘As long as we don’t bother him.’
‘The less I have to do with him the better.’
‘That’s what I told him.’ She sat down on the bed with a laugh. ‘I feel almost sorry for him. This time yesterday he was basking in the loving attention of his mistress, and now he has me foisted on him.’ She began to laugh in earnest now. ‘And I’m not exactly the easiest of people to suddenly have in your life.’
Roger came to sit next to her. ‘I like having you in my life,’ he said throatily.
She smiled at him. ‘It isn’t exactly the same thing. To Dominic I’m just a nuisance, he said so this afternoon.’
He put his arm about her shoulders, kissing