Phantom Lover

She got into the bed and turned off the light. She turned it on again and adjusted her pillow. She pushed down the quilt because she was too hot, then dragged it up again. She closed her eyes to keep the tears in.

She was just considering the drastic remedy of counting sheep when she heard the quiet purr of an expensive engine outside followed by faint bangs and crunches and then hushed sounds from within the house. Honor was sure that her acutely tuned hearing could detect every individual tuft of carpet compressing and expanding again under their creeping feet.

Adam’s door quietly opened and closed.

A tiny rustle of silk sounded outside Honor’s door. It had the impact of a fire alarm. She was out of bed in a flash, slammed on the light and ripped open the door.

Helen froze like a doe in a spotlight, her shoes dangling from her hand, her skirt lifted to mid-calf as she wobbled on one bare foot in the pool of light shafting from Honor’s room. Her luminous green eyes had a glazed expression. One beautiful sister, slightly foxed, thought Honor, cresting a new wave of violent outrage. Her lipstick had worn off, too. Doing what? Honor wondered wretchedly.

‘What time do you call this?’ she hissed at her furiously.

‘I—’

‘Do you know what time it is?’ Her whisper rose perilously towards a squeak as she dragged her thirty-year-old sister into the room like a defiant teenager.

‘Well, I—’

‘Do you know what time it is?’ Honor repeated, vibrating like a tuning fork with rage. ‘Where in the hell have you been until this hour? And don’t tell me the restaurant—it closed over two hours ago!’

Helen leaned closer, trying to focus on Honor’s furious face. ‘How did you know that?’

Honor stepped back and crossed her arms over her stomach, causing her sister’s mouth to drop open as she took in the full effect of the black teddy.

‘Honor, where did you get that incredible outfit? You look quite—quite...well, sexy...’

She had no need to sound so taken aback! ‘Because I telephoned the restaurant and they told me, that’s how!’ she said fiercely.

‘You—telephoned—the restaurant?’ Helen repeated slowly, shaking her head to try and improve her comprehension.

Honor didn’t even blush. ‘Yes, I telephoned the restaurant,’ she bit off. ‘And they said you weren’t there!’

Helen pouted. It wasn’t half so effective on unpainted lips, thought Honor critically. ‘That was because we left to go somewhere else for dessert.’

‘For two hours?’

‘It was an all-night place. Chocolate a speciality, but of course I only had the fresh fruit salad. We were so busy talking, time just got away from us and—’

‘Oh, really?’ Honor interrupted sarcastically.

‘It’s the truth! Why’re you so mad? Did you finish your work early or something?’

It was finally getting through to Helen that there was something drastically different about her sister, and it wasn’t just what she was wearing!

‘Why did you do it?’ Honor demanded, planting her hands on her hips in aggressive demand, having no idea of the wildly exotic image she presented. ‘You knew I didn’t want you to go out with him but you went anyway. It was just a bit of a laugh to you. Well, it wasn’t to me and I’m warning you now: lay off.’

‘Honor—’

‘That’s the last time you go anywhere with Adam Blake, even if he grovels to you on bended knees. Comprenez?’

‘Well, I—’

‘This is the one man in the entire world who’s not available to you. OK? Even if he thinks he is, I’m telling you that he’s not. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not within your lifetime. Are you getting the message now? Whatever happens between him and me makes no difference: he’s off limits—forever. Find some other hunk to amuse you. I was here first. This one is mine.’

‘Uh—Honor—’

Honor wasn’t ready to stop. ‘Back off!’