The Sex War

Lindsay laughed. 'It sounds as though your marriage is going to be more exciting in future! Let's hope she doesn't take boxing lessons, that's all.' She got out of the car and waved to him as he drove away, then went into the building slowly.

She was tired, she would have a bath and an early night. The flat was dark and empty, and she stood in the little corridor listening to the silence, hating it. It was absurd, she could have stayed with Stephen and Alice that evening and relaxed in a warm, family atmosphere, but she had insisted on coming back here to be alone and now she was feeling lonely and abandoned, she was wallowing in self-pity, How stupid could you get?

She had her bath, soaking herself in warm, luxurious water generously sprinkled with rose-scented bath crystals, lying back listening to the radio with closed eyes, occasionally wiggling a foot to make the water swish around her body, and now and then sipping a glass of Martini. She wasn't in a hurry, she had nowhere to go.

It wasn't until the water was almost cold that she reluctantly stepped out of the bath, dried herself lightly and slid into a robe. She rubbed the mist off the steamy mirror, and peered at her reflection; she looked pink and clean, her red hair curling in the steam, her eyelashes clustered damply. Making a disgusted face at herself, she wandered off to the kitchen to get herself a snack. She looked into the fridge and didn't fancy anything she saw. In the end she fell back on scrambled eggs and toast, but just as she was beating the eggs with a fork the doorbell rang and her hand jerked in surprise.

Aston? She hesitated, biting her lip, not sure if she felt up to facing him tonight, and while she stood there trying to make up her mind the bell rang again with a sharp, peremptory note. Clutching the lapels of her terry-towelling robe, she opened the front door a fraction, looking through the gap warily. Daniel looked back at her, his mouth indented impatiently. He didn't say anything and after a moment Lindsay fell back and let him walk into the flat. She closed the door and leaned on it weakly, her pulses accelerating;

The cold, empty flat was suddenly alive; she was alive, too. Daniel stared at -her and smiled suddenly in a way that made her tremble, and then sent a wave of pure rage through her at her own folly. He was looking pleased with himself, his eyes touched her, lingering, and she knew what he was thinking, there was a quality of satisfaction, complacency, in that smile. He thought he had got her, in a moment he was going to kiss her, his lean body was poised to make a move, and she resented every inch of him.

'I'm tired,' she said coldly. 'I've had a difficult day and I'm in no mood to deal with you, Daniel, so whatever you've got to say, say it and go, please.'

He lost the smile and the grey eyes cooled and hardened; anger came from him in icy waves. 'Don't talk to me like that! I won't stand for it!'

Lindsay dug her hands into her robe pockets, hunching her slender shoulders in a shrug, angrily enjoying the new tension in his face. He had come here tonight with one thing on his mind; she had known that the minute she set eyes on him, but he could think again, she wasn't going to be the push-over he expected. She had some self-respect—not much, she thought grimly, but some!

'If it isn't important, could it wait? Ring me tomorrow,' she said, calmly opening the door.

Daniel charged towards it, his wide shoulders tense under the smooth grey suit he wore, his face harsh, every line of it set fiercely in rage. Lindsay hurriedly got out of his way; she had the feeling he might knock her down and trample on her if she didn't.

The door slammed with a violence that made the fiat echo, but Daniel hadn't left, he was still on her side of that door, and Lindsay gulped in alarm as he turned a menacing glare on her.

'Now!' he said without any hint of a smile anywhere, and her heart dived down with sickening dismay as he moved towards her.

CHAPTER TEN

'Keep your hands off me,' she stammered, backing against the wall and Daniel advanced remorselessly, pinning her into the corner. He put a hand on either side of her, his face inches away, a grim, shadowy mask she watched nervously, her eyes very wide and alert to every move he made. She wasn't expecting what he did say, it took her totally by surprise.

'Why did you leave me?' The question had explosive force in it, his voice was harsh, he held her stare fixedly, refusing to let her look away.

'I… I'm not going over old history,' Lindsay said in a shaky little voice, wishing he wouldn't stand, so close, his nearness was doing drastic things to her heartbeat.

'Oh, yes,' he said, 'you are. I want to know.'

'Too bad,' she muttered, looking down to escape that hypnotic stare and his hand came up to grab her chin and force her face upwards. Her lashes flickered uneasily, she moistened her dry mouth with her tongue-tip. 'If you manhandle me…' she began, and Daniel laughed shortly.

'What will you do, Lindsay? Hit me? I told you what would happen if you ever hit me again.'

'Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? That turns you on, does it? I didn't have you down as a man who got his kicks from hitting women, but it figures. Force is all you understand!'

'I sure as hell don't understand you,' he said bitterly.

'Have you ever tried?' she threw back, and the grey eyes flashed.

'I'm trying now, in case it had escaped your notice.' His hand came down on her wrist, locking it tightly in a vice; he turned and walked into the sitting-room, pulling her after him, struggling to break free. Daniel sat down on the couch and yanked her down to him, she tumbled helplessly across him and before she could sit up his arm clamped over her so that she lay on his lap, her head on the arm of the couch. Her hair escaped from the pins holding it and flew in all directions, a damp sweet-smelling cloud of fiery red-gold, a few strands drifting across her eyes. Daniel brushed them back, she felt his fingertips lightly touch her lids and shivered.

'Try again,' he said softly. 'Why did you leave me?'

'I was sick of sitting around at home while you made it with other women,' Lindsay said viciously, angry again because she knew her body was throbbing with a deep, aroused, erotic heat. Daniel had her at a disadvantage, she couldn't get up, she couldn't get away from his dangerous proximity without a humiliating struggles and he was far too close, she could feel his body warmth under her back, she could see the faint blue vein in his neck where his blood beat under that brown skin.

His brows came together. 'What?'

'Did you think I wouldn't guess what kept you

out so late night after night?' She sneered, laughing angrily. 'I may have been young, but I wasn't that stupid!'

'I was working,' he said, staring at her, and she laughed again without any humour.