In Bed with the Enemy (3 page)

‘Ah ...’ A small lopsided smile curved one side of his mouth into a dimple. ‘For a moment, I thought he might have been your son.’

She waved her hand at him. ‘As you can see I’m not mar ...’ The stone in the ring caught the light. ‘Would you mind telling me what this is, and how it got on my finger? I’m positive I didn’t steal it.’

‘It’s an engagement ring. I put it there when we were in bed together last night.’

‘Very funny.’ A thought suddenly struck her. ‘Why did you give Jean the impression we were engaged? Oh, my God!’ Her hand flew to her mouth. ‘She’s going to tell everyone.’

‘Look at it this way, Darcie,’ he drawled. ‘It will provide a credible reason for you being in my room.’

‘I happened to be here on a business matter. Is it my fault your receptionist mistook me for that ... that –’

‘Helen?’

 ‘Yes, Helen.’ She gave him a searching glance. ‘Look, I’m sorry Helen got the wrong idea. Perhaps if I went to see her and explained.’

‘She’d swallow you in one bite.’

 ‘That would make two of us?’

He shrugged, his eyes searching her face. ‘I suppose it was understandable under the circumstances. How much did you overhear?’

‘As little as possible, but it was hard not to hear some of it.’ She traced a pattern on the table with her fingernail. ‘If you ask me you’d be safer swimming with a tank full of piranhas than married to her.’

‘I didn’t ask you, but I think you could be right,’ he said, his words accompanied by a delicious little smile that made her want to giggle. ‘Let’s be civilized, shall we? First we’ll eat breakfast and drink the champagne. After that, I’ll phone my lawyer and you can phone your cousin. We’ll arrange a meeting and sort things out.’

She stared at him long and hard. He didn’t look like a crook, she had to admit - but then, she’d never met one as far as she knew.

‘Yes?’ he coaxed, unleashing the full charismatic force of his smile. ‘I’m quite prepared to forget all about last night.’

Suddenly, forcefully, she was reminded of the way he’d kissed her awake. What had Helen said? ‘The thing I find divine about you is your ability to – ’ Darcie blushed.

‘Have I said something wrong?’

‘No ... of course not.’ Totally flustered she couldn’t meet his eyes.

‘Good.’ He set a plate in front of her. ‘I hope you like cheese omelet, because that’s what I ordered for us. Tell me all about yourself. Have you got a boyfriend, Darcie?’

‘Not any more.’ She shrugged. ‘It was a scenario similar to the one you’ve just been through - only it took place on the beach and there was no doubt about what the pair of them were up to.’

‘Did you mind very much?’

‘At the time I was heartbroken. It happened at my twenty-first birthday party - and everyone felt sorry for me because it involved my best friend.’

‘What happened to them?’

‘They got married and left town. The last I heard they were perfectly happy and had a child, so it worked out for the best.’

‘You don’t hold a grudge?’

‘What’s the point? I soon got over him. I just wished he’d been honest and told me they were in love. I don’t like deceit.’

He filled up her champagne glass and smiled. ‘Tell me about your father.’

So she talked about her childhood, her father’s funny ways and all the happy memories in her life. Then she described her shock at finding the house demolished.

He was a good listener, and seemed sympathetic.

When breakfast was over she felt slightly light-headed - and she liked Leon Price a lot more than was good for her.

He rang his lawyer to explain the situation, and then left her to contact her cousin in private, explaining he had something to do in the meantime. ‘Don’t forget to ask him about Wee Georgie,’ he said, just before he shut the door behind him. ‘Your cousin might have put him in a boarding kennel.’

Colin’s phone had been cut off, a recorded message said. It was too early to contact him at the bank, so she rang the kennels in the district and was rewarded on the third try. She couldn’t wait to see Georgie.

‘Would it be possible for you to deliver him right away? I’ll pay the outstanding account when he arrives. How much is owed?’

Her eyes widened a fraction, but she knew she had enough cash in her purse - just. Later, she’d go to the bank.

Wee Georgie arrived within ten minutes and was handed to her at the end of the drive, where she anxiously waited. After the excitement of reunion was over she took him back to the room. It really was nice of Leon to suggest she could collect him from the kennels.

The breakfast tray had been cleared and the damp bedding changed, but the remains of the champagne was still in the ice bucket. She had a glass to celebrate, and gave the rest to Wee Georgie as a welcome back treat.

There was something important she was supposed to do, but she couldn’t remember what. She wasn’t quite over her jet lag, she supposed, and flopped down on the bed for a quick nap.

‘You know you shouldn’t be on the bed,’ she scolded sleepily as Wee Georgie snuggled up next to her ...

* * * *

 Thank God nobody had been about when Helen had made her scene and the part of the inn he occupied was empty of guests, Leon thought. The whole episode had left a nasty taste in his mouth, and it could have been embarrassing if they’d been overheard.

He was still smarting at what Helen had said to him, but something good had come out of it. He realized that he’d had a lucky escape when she’d turned down his proposal. Helen was totally selfish, and today she’d demonstrated a complete lack of trust in him, and showed what she was really like.

So there had been a strange girl in his room ... and she hadn’t been wearing much. And he’d been naked. That was no reason to suspect the worst.

She’d said straight out that she had no intention of spoiling her figure by having children - and if he dissolved the partnership with her brother she’d finish with him for good.

But that’s what he’d instructed his lawyer to do this morning. Helen’s brother had never pulled his weight, and now he knew why. Helen controlled him. Leon wasn’t about to let her control him too. He was quite willing to sell if Martin wanted to buy his share - otherwise he’d buy him out.

The relief he felt surprised him, and he knew now that he’d never been in love with her, or she him. But now he had another problem. Darcie Channing. He’d never met anyone like her before, and wanted to laugh every time he thought of her. Either she was crazy, or he was. Her mind seemed to fly off at a tangent at every turn. But she was a very sexy lady, for all that - and it was something to do with her naturalness. What you saw was what you got with her. There was no dishonesty or deviousness. Her emotions were written in her body language and in her eyes, exactly how he remembered her as a teenager. Only she wasn’t skinny now - she was perfect.

He tried not to think of her body language as he strode back through the lobby toward his room. He’d heard enough to realize she was extremely vulnerable at the moment. Her father’s death had knocked her for six, and hadn’t really sunk in as far as he could see. She hadn’t had time to grieve, and was loaded down with imagined problems.

It was ridiculous to imagine he’d cheat her out of her home - yet he experienced unease as he thought of how she must have felt to come back from England and find everything gone - even her little dog. He hoped she’d managed to track the mutt down. 

Darcie Channing was crying out for someone, or something to love - and she needed someone to lean on. He and Wee Georgie would make a good team if they paired up - and something might develop from it.

 His smile faded as he opened the door. ‘What the hell!’

It looked as though a tornado had hit the room. Tables and chairs were turned over, the Venetian blind hung drunkenly from the window. His briefcase had been flung against the wall, the papers scattered.

Someone had broken in.

‘Darcie,’ he whispered, his heart going to his mouth as he took long, loping strides towards the bed. She was lying on her stomach, her head to one side. Oh my God, she was unconscious!
Gently he smoothed the hair away from her face. ‘Say something. Are you all right?’

Her eyes opened and she subjected him to a blank stare, then awareness came into them.

He froze as he heard a noise behind him. Fool! He should have checked the bathroom flashed though his mind. He turned too late. Something large, dark and hairy tackled him from behind and knocked him flat on top of her. Flinging an arm up to defend himself he found it caught in a crocodilian grip.’

‘Drop him, Georgie!’ Darcie yelled deafeningly in his ear.

His arm was exchanged for a pillow that was shaken rapidly from side to side. 

‘Drop it, Georgie! Come here at once.’

It seemed that obedience was one of Wee Georgie’s virtues. Immediately, the dog dropped the pillow and took a flying leap at the bed. After a short struggle they managed to capture him between them.

Looking pleased with himself Wee Georgie stared from one to the other, his tongue hanging out.

‘Would you mind telling me exactly what this animal is?’

‘An Irish Wolfhound, isn’t he great?’

‘Great would adequately describe his size. It isn’t exactly the word I’d use for him in a complimentary sense. Look at this room. He’s demolished it.’

Her smile faded as she sat up. ‘I’m so sorry. Georgie is usually quite good about the house. I don’t think he’s been given enough exercise in the kennels, and he was excited about seeing me after all this time. I’ll let him out into the garden.’

‘You most certainly will not!’ Edging himself from the bed Leon stood. ‘You will call the kennels and ask them to pick him up again. I can’t have that Yeti running around the hotel. He’ll terrify the guests. Besides, it’s against health regulations.’

Both she and Wee Georgie gave him the same dirty look, but it was
she
who acted as spokesperson. ‘He won’t
be
running around the hotel. I intend to call for a taxi and go to my cousin’s house.’

‘Dogs are banned from cabs. It’s regulations.’

‘Damn you and your stuffy regulations!’ She flung her arms around the creature’s neck. ‘We’ll walk then, won’t we Georgie?’

‘The suggestion triggered a response. The dog threw back his head and an ear-splitting howl rent the air.

Together they left the bed, and Georgie stood quietly whilst Darcie fixed a stout plaited lead to his collar. She turned, flashing him an apologetic smile. ‘Look, I really am sorry about being such a nuisance. You won’t mind if I leave my case, will you? I’ll get my cousin to pick it up when we come to meet your lawyer. I’ll give you a call later in the day.’

‘You can’t walk into town. It’s eight kilometers, and the forecast is for rain again.’

Scorn flickered in her eyes. ‘Eight kilometers might be a long way to you city dwellers, but it’s nothing to Georgie and me. Besides, the sun is shining and there’s not a cloud in the sky. I’ll see you later. Don’t bother to see me out.’

She was gone before he could stop her. He gazed ruefully at the wreckage of his room, and then hurried after her. ‘Are you sure you’re up to taking a long walk.’

‘Positive, Mister Price.’

‘Call me Leon.’

Her eyes caught his. ‘I really don’t think I should.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because I’d rather not be on friendly terms with a man I might have to take to court.’

‘May I remind you we spent the night together in the same bed?’ he mocked, stung by her irrational female logic.

Her eyes lightened, and she suddenly threw back her head and gave a deep- throated laugh that sent prickles rioting down his spine.

‘I shall never forget it. Helen must have burned all the rubber from her tires by now. Still, no doubt you’ll get together again, she seemed to think you had your uses.

By the way. Nice set of tools.’

Snapping her fingers under his nose she pushed open the double glass doors and was gone - leaving him burning with embarrassment as he stared after her.

Darcie wished she hadn’t been so stubbornly stupid when an hour later clouds blotted out the sun and piled done on top of the other in gray thunderous masses. 

It was one thing to assert her independence and swish out like a princess displeased with her consort, but quite another to walk eight kilometers in a thunderstorm that already muttered ominous threats in the distance.

‘Damn Leon Price,’ she said to Georgie. ‘Why couldn’t he have been middle-aged, fat and bad-tempered? I could have coped better with that.’

All the same, she wished she’d accepted his offer of a lift. Ah well ... she’d just have to thumb it. There was bound to be some traffic along the road sooner or later.

Sooner proved to be later, and long enough for the thunderstorm to come rolling in. She stood under a tree as lightning flashed and thunder grumbled - aware of the danger but forced to ignore it because the only space that was treeless, was the road. Wee Georgie pressed trembling against her leg.

‘It wasn’t such a good idea to walk, huh?’ She caressed his head in comfort. ‘Tell you what- as soon as this is over we’ll go back to the inn and I’ll eat a little bit of humble pie and you can eat the rest.’

Then the rain started, cold, slanting needles that dropped the temperature by several degrees. Although the tree canopy they were under was dense, before too long they were both miserably damp.

Then the sound of a car engine came to her ears. Uttering a short prayer of thanks she made a dash for the side of the road and waved her arms just as a white Jaguar came around the bend. The car skidded to a halt, spraying her with watery mud.

Thanks a bunch!

 The window slid expensively down as she started to brush the mud from her sweater.

‘Are you going to stand there all day? Get in.‘

Of course, it had to be Leon Price!

Georgie was in as soon as the door opened, leaping over the front passenger seat and stretching himself comfortably across the back.

‘Thanks,’ she muttered, unable to look at Leon as she belted herself in. ‘If you had told me you intended to go into town I wouldn’t have bothered walking.’