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.' His dark eyes were glittering in the candlelight, moving slowly over her.'I was thinking of a private session with the boss, in my pool room, perhaps, after we've taken a sauna together…''Were you, indeed?' She raised an eyebrow, determined to keep her face straight.'I'm afraid I don't make house-calls.''Not even for friends and neighbours?''Not even.''You're a hard woman, Grace Allinson.Shall we dance?'It was a mistake.When she moved in to his arms she was made immediately aware of how very strong the physical pull was between them.He held her too closely, although she tried to tell herself he had to because of lack of space.The floor was quite crowded, and small to begin with, but he was not obliged to hold her the way he was holding her, so that she could feel every inch of him, the hard length of his body against hers.And then his lips were against her temple and he was speaking softly.'Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea.I'm having difficulty concentrating.'She didn't look at him, she knew her face was going pink.'Maybe you should loosen your hold a little.''Why don't we just call it a day, get out of here?''If—if you like.'It was raining when they got outside.They laughed and made a dash for his car, gleaming silver in the lights of the car park.Grace slid in to the passenger seat while he held the door open for her, laughing again as he let out a low whistle, his eyes on her legs.'By the way, when do I get to see your new horses?''Horses!' He switched on the ignition, stuck the gear lever into drive and pulled away smoothly, laughing again.'How can you think of horses at a time like this?'A time like what? She wasn't going to voice the question, she knew what he meant, she had been aware of his response to her on the dance-floor.His mind was working very differently from hers and it made her nervous.It was for that reason that she started to chatter.'Where—I mean, when did you learn to ride?''In South America.Ten years ago.I was over there for four months, I took to it like a duck to water.''To South America?''To riding, you idiot!'She was laughing again, nervous laughter.What the devil was the matter with her, why did she feel she had to be on guard? Because she felt sure he was going to pounce, that was why, and she wasn't exactly surprised when he pulled off the road, about halfway between the restaurant and their homes.She knew what to expect when he turned into a narrow, deserted lane and cut the engine.But she was quite wrong.Demetrius made no move, he merely looked at her.She couldn't see his face too well because it was so dark and wet outside and there was no moon, but she could hear the concern plainly in his voice.'What's the matter, Grace? Why are you suddenly twitchy?''I—' She felt foolish.Had it been so obvious?'I'm not.''Then relax.' His hand came out and slid under her hair at the nape.'You're tense, I can feel it.' His fingers started massaging the top of her neck, and it didn't help one bit.It just made things worse.His touch was nothing short of erotic, or so it seemed to her.'Demetrius—' She turned to him, her eyes beseeching.For what, she wasn't sure.His hand dropped to her shoulders, and he pulled her swiftly into his arms, his mouth claiming hers with a pressure which parted her lips and made her head spin.He kissed her forcefully, deeply, and although it was what she wanted, had been wanting all evening, she resisted.'Demetrius—enough, please!'He just laughed, his lips moving to the base of her ear, to the delicate skin at the side of her neck.When she shivered at the touch, he laughed again, soft laughter which was in itself exciting to her.'Enough, Grace? I've been longing to kiss you all evening, and you know it.You've felt the same way.''No.I—please.' She heard the note of pleading in her own voice, and then, annoyed with herself, she snapped at him.'Demetrius, let go of me.'He let go of her at once, his black eyes searching hers.'Hey, take it easy, will you?''I'm sorry, it's just—it's all a bit much,' she said lamely.'Could you enlarge upon that for me?'She had been holding her breath; she let it out slowly now, on one long sigh.Once again she opted to keep things simpler by saying precisely what she was thinking, feeling.'I mean I'm extremely attracted to you and it comes as a shock, quite honestly.''It does?' There was just the hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.'You mean you don't want to be?''No, I don't mean that.Well, not exactly.I mean…''You mean you need a little time to get used to the idea?'She took his offering gratefully.'Yes, I—think that's what I'm trying to say.'There was a momentary silence.Demetrius put a finger to her lips, moving it very slowly as he traced their outline, while Grace sat motionless, with a knot of tension inside her unlike anything she had ever felt before.She couldn't look him in the eyes any longer, she couldn't, because if she did he would see the desire in her own eyes and she did not want things to go any further than they had.'Is there someone?' he asked softly.'What? What do you mean?''Come on, Grace, I mean is there a man in your life, someone who—''No.' It came out on a note of surprise; she thought he had realised that.'No, there's no one.''Then what's wrong?'She had kept her eyes on his chin, had tried to concentrate on the square, unyielding shape of it.They moved to his mouth now and she quickly dragged them away.'Nothing's wrong.I just told you—this is all a bit much, a bit fast.'He considered that, and her, for a long moment.At length, he nodded slightly, firing the engine as he spoke.'All right, you need time, I'll give you time.But you know what's happening between us, Grace, and I don't see why you should fight against it.'She was annoyed by that.'You seem to be taking a lot for granted, Demetrius.I've told you, that's a mistake as far as I'm concerned [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]