Single Girl Abroad (Mills & Boon M&B) (Mills & Boon Special Releases) (6 page)

‘My mother died when I was thirteen,’ said Luke next in a rusty voice that bespoke a topic usually avoided. ‘My
father’s still alive, but he wasn’t much of a father for a while. There were five of us kids, and we were luckier than you. We got to stay together. We had a house. We had a father in residence, at least on paper. Occasionally, he even remembered to pay the bills. And the four of us younger ones … we had Jake.’

‘I’m glad,’ she murmured, and drove in silence until they reached the skyscraper that housed the first-floor gallery. She drove down into the underground car park, took one look at the bank of lifts and parked by the stairs. The stairs would bring them out onto the street level. Glass doors would take them into the building, and an escalator would take them directly to the gallery door. Luke would doubtless enjoy a little Orchid Road sightseeing far more than he’d enjoy looking at the inside of yet another lift.

She couldn’t be alone in a lift with Luke Bennett right now. Not without reaching for him. Not without wanting him far more than she should.

Luke strode through the luxury marble-and-glass foyer without really admiring it. He liked having enough money that he would never go homeless or hungry. He didn’t see a whole lot of appeal in courting the kind of wealth that Madeline and the Yi family administered on a daily basis, no matter how sweet their rides.

He was here for his brother, and maybe—almost certainly—he was here because he couldn’t stay away from Madeline Delacourte, she of the unwieldy bank balance and gut-wrenching vulnerability. He’d seen the broken child in her eyes when she’d offered up her brief childhood history. He’d seen it in the uncertainty with which
she wore those shiny stones. He got it now, he finally got an inkling of why wealth and power ruled her.

The homeless child demanded it.

That same child who hadn’t been able to walk past Po without doing something to help him.

The child tore at his heart. The woman the child had become had the capacity to steal it from him whole.

An art show.

Lord save him, this wasn’t his world.

‘Ready?’ she said lightly.

To fall in love with her? ‘Not in the slightest,’ he said as they stepped off the escalator and approached the door, where a weather-beaten little peacock of a man stood waiting beside a podium that might normally be used to display a menu but tonight held only a list of names.

‘Madeline Delacourte,’ the man said, with what looked to be genuine delight. ‘It’s my pleasure to see you out and about again. It’s been too long.’

‘Arthur,’ said Madeline in reply, and bestowed on him a polished smile. ‘You rogue. What are you doing here?’

‘My job,’ said Arthur. ‘You’re looking at Gallery One’s latest curator.’ The little rogue peacock put his palm to his chest. ‘Arthur,’ he said grandly, ‘has fallen on his feet.’

‘Congratulations,’ said Madeline, and turned towards Luke, as if conscious of having left him out of the conversation. ‘William was very fond of acquiring antique Chinese porcelain pieces. Arthur was very fond of finding them for him. The last piece Arthur found for him was a magnificent funeral vase which cost a small fortune, even by William’s standards.’

‘Ah, but it was a masterpiece,’ said Arthur. ‘Was it not?’

‘Indeed it was, and I have to say it came in very handy.’

Arthur blanched. ‘You didn’t.’

‘Oh, but I did,’ said Madeline with an amused smile, and sashayed through the sliding glass doors.

Sparing a searching glance for the shell-shocked doorman, Luke followed her into the gallery and played the part of companion and helped Madeline remove her lightweight wrap.

‘I take it William’s currently resting in the funeral vase,’ he murmured.

‘He was very fond of it,’ said Madeline. ‘It seemed the least I could do.’

‘You didn’t …?’ Luke knew a little something of Chinese funeral vases—most of it gleaned from his sister. He shook his head. ‘Never mind.’

‘Never mind what?’

‘Nothing. Except …’

Madeline waited expectantly for him to finish.

‘How did William die?’

‘It was very strange,’ she said. ‘He stepped out onto the road unexpectedly and got run over by a truck.’

Luke stepped back and handed Madeline her wrap. They made their way towards the first painting, a white circle on a black background, with a smaller black blob dead centre of the white circle, and bright red squiggles radiating from its centre. It looked like a drunkard’s eyeball and Luke would definitely not want to wake up to it every morning.

The price tag made him grin.

He tilted his head and studied the painting some more.
No, not a drunkard’s eyeball. A
dead
man’s eyeball. ‘A truck, you say?’

‘Mmm.’ Madeline moved on to the next picture. More blobs, different colours, with a fork sticking out of the centre. ‘I’m really not seeing the symbolism,’ she murmured.

‘That’s okay.’ Luke was seeing more than enough symbolism for both of them. ‘So … William buys a funeral vase—’

‘Actually, I bought the funeral vase, even though William chose it. It was a birthday gift.’

Luke shuddered. ‘So
you
buy William a funeral vase … and then he gets run over by a truck and dies.’

Madeline turned to stare at him, amused incredulity writ plain on her face. ‘Luke Bennett, are you superstitious?’

‘No,’ he muttered darkly as a tiny, dark-haired matron dressed in sleek dove grey approached them. ‘Not precisely.’

‘Elena,’ said Madeline with a smile. ‘Always a pleasure.’

‘When Bruce told me he’d seen you out and about I rejoiced for you,’ said Elena, with what sounded like sincerity. ‘Six years is too long a time for a young widow to cloister herself away from society.’ The woman turned to Luke, her eyes sharp and assessing. ‘And you must be Luke.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Jianne said yours was the most beautiful family of warriors she’d ever seen. I’ve never met Jacob, but if he’s
anything like you I think she must have spoken true.’ Elena’s gaze cut back to Madeline. ‘Is it true?’

‘I’ve only ever met Jacob and Luke,’ said Madeline. ‘So far it’s true.’

Elena sighed. Bruce Yi materialised beside his wife and greeted Madeline and Luke with warm cordiality. ‘What do you make of the paintings?’ he said.

‘We’ve only just begun to look at them,’ said Madeline smoothly.

‘Who knew an art show could be so enlightening?’ added Luke.

‘Bruce, why don’t you introduce Madeline to those project managers you wanted her to meet?’ said Elena. ‘Luke can stay here with me for a time.’

Divide and conquer. Luke knew the ploy well. He wasn’t the middle child of five for nothing. Madeline shot him a questioning glance. Luke gave a tiny nod of assent. Go, he told her silently. Go do business.

‘I tried to persuade Jianne to attend the reception this evening,’ said Elena as they strolled slowly towards the next painting. ‘She’s over from Shanghai and visiting with us at the moment. Alas, she had a prior engagement.’

Luke said nothing, just watched Madeline move off, with an innate elegance and dignity about her that he doubted she even knew she had.

‘She does send you her fondest regards,’ said the little raven.

‘She has mine,’ said Luke.

‘It could be that Jianne will choose to reside in Singapore permanently, soon.’

Now there was a comment to capture his attention. He
wrenched his gaze away from Madeline and focused on what Elena Yi had to say. ‘Ji has business here?’ More to the point, would Singapore be big enough for both Jake and Ji?

‘Not exactly,’ said Elena as they moved on to view the next painting. ‘I rather suspect she’s moving away from something unpleasant, as opposed to actively moving towards something good.’

Luke smiled wryly. ‘She does that.’

Auntie’s eyes flashed. Luke didn’t give a damn.

‘My brother,’ said the little raven, ‘Jianne’s father, wishes to see his daughter remarried.’

‘To who?’ said Luke.

‘The only son of a business associate.’

‘So it’s a business merger?’

Elena nodded. ‘A very profitable one for both families.’

‘Are you asking Jake for a divorce on Jianne’s behalf?’

‘No,’ said Elena quietly as they stared at yet another painting. Two sets of circles within circles this time. Demon’s eyes. ‘I want him to save her from that monster.’

‘Mr Yi, before you introduce me to these people I need you to know something,’ said Madeline, knowing her next move for business suicide but knowing too that she’d made up her mind and would not relax until she’d spoken.

Bruce Yi looked at her but kept right on walking.

‘I have no influence over Luke Bennett or his brother so whatever you want from them, I can’t help you get it. Even if I could influence them to your advantage, I wouldn’t.’

‘Why not?’

Madeline smiled ruefully. ‘Because Jacob Bennett’s a friend. He’s also one of the finest men I know, and I’m sorry but I won’t let you use me to get to him.’

‘Not even to grow Delacourte?’

‘I’ll find another way to grow Delacourte. I like big business, Mr Yi. I’m usually quite good at it.’ Tonight, of course, being the exception.

This time Bruce Yi stopped. Madeline stopped too, and squared up to him, eye to eye. ‘I can’t help you,’ she said quietly.

‘Then why are you here?’

‘Because Luke wants to find out what you want. What Ji wants. From Jacob.’

‘Rest assured, Madeline. He will.’

Madeline glanced back at Luke and Elena, who looked deep in conversation, but even as Madeline looked away Luke glanced at her, those golden eyes dark and guarded.

‘My wife has more finesse in these matters than I do,’ said Bruce Yi. ‘Women generally have more patience with such things, although you certainly don’t seem to. You should have waited, Madeline. You should have waited to see whether Jacob Bennett’s needs coincided with those of the house of Yi.’

Yes, well. Too late now.

‘Honour is a rare and admirable quality in this world of changing values,’ continued Bruce Yi, he of the thin-lipped smile and the sharp, sharp eyes. ‘But I’ve always found it best when served with patience. Come.’ Bruce waylaid a passing waiter and moments later Madeline found herself with a champagne in hand. ‘I would have
you meet my business partners. It will save time should we ever decide to do business together.’

Reprimanded and outmanoeuvred in one smooth stroke, Madeline sipped at her champagne. She learned fast when it came to the machinations of big business, but there was no denying that the head of the house of Yi had at least a thirty-year head start.

Time to lift her game.

Squaring her shoulders and summoning a smile, Madeline turned her mind to business.

‘H
AD
enough?’ asked Luke as he materialised by Madeline’s side some half an hour later.

‘More than enough.’ The paintings weren’t to her taste, Bruce Yi’s partners had grilled her to within an inch of incineration about her future business plans, the Delacourte diamonds hung heavy around her neck, and, above all, she was
hungry
.

They found their hosts and said their goodbyes. Elena looked pale and anxious. Luke looked grim. Madeline badly wanted to be outside where there was warmth and air, or back at the dojo where there was honesty and care. Not this. She didn’t like the strain inherent in this interaction, even if everyone
was
on their best behaviour.

Madeline unclasped her necklace and slipped off her earrings as they descended the escalator. ‘Got an inside pocket in that jacket of yours?’ she asked Luke.

Luke unbuttoned his jacket silently as she turned towards
him. He did have one, and it even had a button to keep it closed. Fiddly thing.

‘You get the button, I’ll hold the rocks,’ he murmured, so she dumped them in his palm and set to work easing that stubborn little button through its buttonhole. The jacket felt warm to the touch, Luke’s formal white shirt—as the backs of her fingers brushed over it—felt even warmer. Plenty of heat inside this jacket. Plenty of hard and corded muscle beneath that fine white shirt.

They stepped off the escalator and stepped to one side of it while Luke slipped the jewellery in the pocket and Madeline buttoned it back up, before pressing his jacket closed and buttoning
that
up.

There. Those jewels were as safe as they were going to get, and for now, Madeline was free of their weight.

‘Care to tell me
why
the jewellery had to come off now?’ he murmured, watching her through guarded golden eyes.

‘There’s a tapas bar around the corner,’ she said. Misdirection being by far the better option than confessing how truly undeserving the Delacourte diamonds made her feel. ‘It’s not exactly classy but the food is good and the atmosphere’s relaxed and I need both of those elements right now. It’s not the place for diamonds.’ She tried a smile.

Luke didn’t return it.

‘Or we could head straight home if you’d rather get back and talk to Jacob. He’s probably waiting to hear from you. I’m sorry. I didn’t think—’

‘It’s okay,’ he muttered. ‘I haven’t said anything to Jake about meeting Bruce Yi. Yet. Jake’s big on inner harmony and peace. I figured I’d wait until I had something concrete
to offer by way of information before I shattered the calm.’

‘Protective,’ she murmured.

‘When it comes to my family’s well-being, yes. You have a problem with that?’

‘No.’

The tapas bar was darkly sexy and deliberately intimate. Neckwear seemed optional, and, given that Maddy had already ditched hers, Luke loosened his tie and undid the buttons of his shirt collar so that a man might breathe in comfort. Madeline smiled wry approval at him as they found a couple of seats at the bar. Madeline took a perch. Luke elected to stand.

‘You wear black tie extremely well, don’t get me wrong,’ she said. ‘But you wear informality better.’

‘Says the woman who wears diamonds as if she were born to them and then ditches them the minute she can. Personally, I prefer you without,’ he countered. ‘Did you get what you wanted from Bruce Yi?’

‘I’ve no idea.’ The barman headed their way and they ordered drinks and tapas. The drinks came fast and the food order went in. ‘Did Elena say what Ji wanted of Jacob?’ Madeline asked him.

‘No, but she did say what
she
wanted of Jake. She seems to want him back in Ji’s life. Says it’s for Ji’s protection.’ Luke studied her intently. ‘How many months after you bought the vase did William die?’

‘A year or so,’ said Madeline, blinking at the rapid change of topic. ‘What
is
it with you and William’s funeral vase? I assure you, the funeral and the cremation—everything
happened as it should. It’s not as if I torched him.’

‘Never mind,’ said Luke with a shake of his head as he took to his beer and drank deeply. ‘It’s nothing. I’m over it.’ Mostly. Could Madeline really have it in her to arrange her husband’s demise? He thought not. Definitely not. Probably just a coincidence, her purchase of a funeral vase …

Curators like Arthur sold antique funeral vases to wealthy collectors all the time.

And delivered them empty.

Tapas, champagne, and Luke Bennett’s company made for an easy combination, and Madeline let herself relax into the evening and bask in the warmth of those gleaming tiger eyes. He’d surprised Madeline tonight with his ability to move comfortably through Bruce Yi’s world of high finance and high-priced art but there was no mistaking that he was more at home here. So was she, truth being told. She’d never courted high society, for all that she’d experienced her fair share of it at William’s side. She’d never returned to it after his death.

An orphan’s sensitivity for knowing she would find little welcome there.

A woman’s dislike of moving through such a world unprotected.

She hadn’t been unprotected tonight. Bruce Yi, in the making of important introductions and staying on to guide the conversation, had extended his protection and made sure others noticed it.

And Luke, with his watchful warrior presence, had offered his.

It was enough to send a sensible woman’s thoughts tripping down roads they really shouldn’t go. A short-term light-hearted relationship was the only way to travel when it came to dealing with this man. To consider even that much was risky.

‘Tell me,’ she said lightly. ‘If you had a family of your own one day—a wife and children—would you still disarm weapons for a living?’

‘It’s what I do,’ he said. ‘What else would I do?’

‘I don’t know. Ship salvage work? Return to your deep-diving roots? Something safer.’

‘Neither of the occupations you just suggested are particularly safe, Maddy.’

‘Maybe not, but I really can’t see you in an office. I was extrapolating backwards just a step or two.’

‘Thanks,’ he said dryly. ‘The salvage work I could do. It just wouldn’t have quite the bite of what I do now.’

‘What do your siblings think about your choice of career and the dangers involved?’

‘You mean the brother who pilots air-sea rescue Seahawks or the one who runs black ops for Interpol? Or are you asking me what Jake thinks?’

Madeline wasn’t sure she wanted to know what any of them thought. ‘What does your
sister
think?’

‘She thinks we’re all guts and glory. She retaliated by marrying a computer whiz with brains instead.’ Luke’s grin came wide and wicked. ‘He does a little creative programming for Interpol on the side these days.’

‘Bet that went down a bomb.’

‘You have no idea,’ said Luke with a shudder. ‘Carnage.’

‘Are your other brothers married?’

Luke nodded. ‘And before you ask, Tris removed himself voluntarily from fieldwork and took a desk job once he got married but Pete still flies air-sea rescue missions. Pete had a habit of not phoning Serena the minute he set foot back on land. Serena broke that particular habit by getting her own helicopter licence so she could have better access to remote photographic locations. She accidentally lost radio contact one day when she went up alone. She was in a dead zone and she knew it, but she stuck around for a twilight shot and didn’t get home until well after dark.’

‘Simple yet effective,’ said Madeline. ‘I like it.’

‘Absolutely ruthless,’ said Luke. ‘The man was a wreck.’

‘And what do
you
do when the woman you’re with has trouble accepting your work?’ she asked.

‘Move on.’ His eyes grew shuttered. ‘Nothing else I can do.’

Except give up the work. A concept he clearly had trouble with. ‘Don’t you ever get sick of living so close to the edge of death?’ she asked quietly. ‘Don’t you ever look at a situation sometimes and wish you could just walk away and leave it to someone else?’

‘No,’ he said, but the shadows in his eyes told a deeper, darker story. ‘Not if I’m the best person for the job. I’m not in the phone book, Maddy. My name is on half a dozen lists worldwide. When someone contacts me it means that they need my particular skill set and they need it fast.

There’s no defence against that. I can’t just say, “Sorry, I don’t feel like working today.” I can’t.’

A warrior’s honour, soul deep and absolute. Duty-bound, forsaking all else.

Hard not to admire such a man.

Madness to love him.

He looked at her in silent enquiry. ‘Another drink?’

‘No, I’m driving.’

‘Ready to head home?’

‘I think I am,’ she said solemnly. ‘I can drop you on the way.’

But he shook his head. ‘That’s not how it works, Maddy. Not with me. I’ll see you home. I’ll see you to your door. And then I’ll find my own way back to Jake’s.’

Chivalry. Cousin to honour. She should have guessed he’d have his share of that too.

The trip home was largely silent after that, as if Luke sensed her withdrawal or her conflict, or both. They made it to the apartment car park and headed for the lift.

Last time in this lift, Luke had been the one to hold back.

This time she hoped to God she would be the one to walk away. They entered the lift and she stared at the ground. If she didn’t look at him, didn’t touch him, and didn’t talk to him, she’d probably be just fine.

The lift rose quickly and then slid to a halt. The doors slid open.

Time to end this madness.

Some sort of farewell comment seemed in order. ‘Goodbye, Luke. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you.’ She hoped she’d made it sound final enough.

‘You forgot something,’ he said.

‘No.’ She risked a glance and cursed her foolishness as warmth suffused her body. ‘No, I haven’t.’

‘Your diamonds,’ he said as he unbuttoned his jacket. ‘Unless you’d like me to send Po round with them tomorrow? Probably not a good idea, though.’

Oh. Right. The diamonds. The ones in his inside coat pocket. Madeline hesitated. Luke shook his head, his eyes dark and knowing. He shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to her whole. ‘I know you’ve decided not to see me again, Maddy. I can see it in your eyes. It’s okay. I’m used to it.’

‘All that honour,’ she said raggedly as she battled with the recalcitrant button and buttonhole. ‘Where did you
get
it?’

He shrugged and his lips tilted towards a wry smile. ‘Beats me.’

‘We wouldn’t be any good together, you and me.’ The button was stuck. The pocket stayed closed. Where was Po when you needed him? ‘We’re too different.’

‘Who are you trying to convince, Maddy? Me? Or yourself?’

She gave up on the button. ‘I mean, look at you.’ She made the mistake of doing just that and the need inside her soared. ‘You need a woman whose honour can equal your own. A woman with strength enough to let you go when you have to go and do what you need to do. I can’t even manage honour, let alone the strength I’d need to love you.’

‘Tell me something, Maddy,’ he said in that quiet, deadly voice. ‘Tonight, when you and Bruce Yi stopped to
talk, just before you reached his business partners. What did you say to him?’

‘Not a lot.’

‘You told him you couldn’t guarantee my or Jake’s co-operation, didn’t you? And you elected out of the deal he was setting up.’

‘It didn’t feel right.’

‘You want to know why?’

Madeline shrugged. ‘An aversion to debt?’

A tiny shake of his head while his golden gaze kept her frozen to the spot. ‘Honour.’

‘It could have gone either way,’ she said raggedly. ‘If it was honour you thought you saw, then I almost abandoned it.’

‘But you didn’t. I don’t see weakness when I look at you,’ he said softly. ‘I see generosity and grace, and I see strength and survival.’ He came towards her then. He came to stand within an inch of her. ‘And I want it.’

The jacked slipped through suddenly nerveless fingers to land on the floor beside her.

‘Trouble is, you have to want me too,’ he said. ‘And seeing as you don’t—’

She didn’t let him finish. Instead she found his mouth with her own, frantic need ruling her as she took what she wanted and drank deeply of this man. All that devastating integrity wrapped within a reckless smile … she wanted it all and to hell with tomorrow.

Luke knew only one response to attack, be it sensual or otherwise. Counter-attack, using whatever weapons he had at hand. He didn’t seek to quell Madeline’s need for his kisses, he grew it until her breath came in gasps between
open-mouthed kisses and her hands were buried in his hair. His hands roved where they would. One hand cradling her head and the other at her back, gathering her close, snaking down her spine.

The sweet curve of her buttocks deserved two hands, but by then she’d entwined her arms around his neck and his lips were at her throat, passion riding them both hard as he lifted her up and she wound her legs around his waist.

Her back met the wall, the handrail providing a tiny ledge on which to balance her while her fingers worked frantically to undo the buttons of his shirt and he hiked her dress up to her waist. Luke’s shirt came off, he damn near ripped it off in his effort to accommodate her.

‘This isn’t going to work,’ she whispered, and then her hands were at his chest, and her lips were at his throat and he surrendered completely to his desperate need for more. ‘Not in the long run.’

‘I’m hearing you. I’m
agreeing
with you.’ He edged her panties aside and showed her exactly where he wanted in. ‘Damned if I know what to do with you.’

There, right there, thought Madeline with a whimper, and his touch was slow and sure and devastatingly effective. She moved on him then, onto his hand, with the fleshy base of his thumb to her nub and his finger easing inside her.

The woman she glimpsed in the side mirror was an abandoned stranger, her eyes glazed, her lips swollen, and her hair in disarray as she rocked slowly back and forth against the hand of a man she’d met less than a week ago.

Dark edged and warrior savage, Luke took her hand
and dragged it down and over his trousers. So hard and huge as she shaped her hand around him and followed his long length down to the source and back to where belt met buckle and head nestled beneath. She managed to get the belt undone, and then the button and zip, which gave her all the access she needed as he claimed her mouth again.