'But there was!' Why did he find that so hard to accept? 'You don't understand—' and to her shame and horror Sarah burst into a flood of tears.
Instantly she found herself enfolded in a great bear-hug, her head pressed against Roy's damp chest.
'Don't cry, honey,' he rocked her. 'You never cry. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I was just shocked, I guess, I let rip without thinking. You must be feeling ghastly. I'm sorry.' The words rumbled reassuringly in the ear that was pressed against his chest. Roy was. Roy again, and not that accusing stranger.
She let herself be led over to the two-seater, settee against the wall and felt herself pushed into the squashy cushions. She sat, sniffing, feeling drained and deathly tired.
'I'm the one who should be saying sorry,' she said at last, wiping her face on the offered T-shirt and handing it back to the hunched figure beside her. 'I yelled first. I didn't mean what I said. I don't know what came over me.'
'I do.'
She coloured. 'Oh God, what must he be thinking!' 'Nothing complimentary,' he replied in an odd, flat voice.
'I should have said something . . . but I couldn't. I couldn't believe it was happening.' She turned. 'But you said something. Why did you say that? It implied—'
Roy pulled moodily at his beard, avoiding her eyes. 'What should I have said—"we're just good friends"?'
'You could have said—'
'Look, Sarah, he was in no mood to listen to anything —reasonable or unreasonable.'
She remembered the glacial look and winced. No. Max had drawn his own conclusions. He thought he had been made a fool of, used as a stop-gap while her live-in lover was away. But, remembering also what they had shared, she did not think that he would believe that for long. Once lie had had time to consider he would realise that there must be another explanation. They would probably even be able to share a rueful laugh over the incident. Should >he ring him? No, better wait until tomorrow and speak to turn face to face. He would probably hang up on her in his present mood. And she had better ponder on the best approach to take.
When Roy saw some of the tension leaving her face, he chanced a gentle probe.
'What sparked this sudden mutual interest then?'
'Not sudden,' Sarah yawned, the late hour catching up .with her.
'Regular date, huh?' he jeered lightly.
'Regular from now on,' she grinned.
Roy slumped back on the settee, frowning. 'I never thought you would be attracted to a man like that,' he muttered. 'I thought you had more taste.'
Fleetingly, Sarah wondered at his tone. Could he be jealous? Then she dism
issed the thought as ridiculous. Roy might love her, but only in a brotherly way.
'A man like what?' she asked.
'A cunning, cold-blooded, worthless bastard,' Roy said in a grim, alien voice.
'Roy!' Sarah sat up, utterly confounded. 'How can you say that? You don't even know the man.'
'I know enough. Next time I see that lecherous swine I'll punch his head in!'
'Roy!' There was no doubting his sincerity. 'He didn't rape me! He was here because I wanted him to be. Are you going to do this every time I bring home a man you don't approve of?'
He gave a twisted grin. 'You sound as if you're planning to bring them home by the dozen. No. Just this one. He's special.'
'That's why he was here,' Sarah told him. 'Actually, when he first asked me to have dinner with him, yesterday on the island, I wasn't sure either. But—'
'Yesterday?' Roy's flaming head snapped round.
'Yes. During the cruise.'
'He asked you out? Yesterday?' It was unlike Roy to be so slow on the uptake.