Fire in the Blood

GREG ERROLL rang Nadine back next morning, early, to tell her he had made all the arrangements for her trip to Miami. 'The plane will arrive at ten in the morning, so please make sure you're there, waiting for it, because they can't hang around long,' he told her, and she promised to be there punctually.

The sessions in the studio began next day in the afternoon. Right from the start there was a silent, fascinated audience who drifted in and out, watching Luc work. Their presence didn't seem to bother him and Nadine was used to being watched while she modelled, but she preferred it when, getting bored, most of the people drifted away. The atmosphere in the studio was more peaceful when there was just her and Luc.

She had no problem keeping still or holding the pose Luc arranged her in: on a dais, one knee on a chair whose back she held with both hands, her head turned over her shoulder to gaze at Luc.

Luc was an amusing companion: in fact he kept making her smile, and at first she said uncertainly, 'Is it OK if I smile? Only, if it isn't OK, would you please not be so funny?'

He laughed. 'I want you to smile. Why do you think I keep talking to you? I want you relaxed, at ease, to be yourself, not to sit there like a dummy with a blank expression. I'm not just painting what you look like on the surface; I want to paint the Nadine behind that face, and I can only glimpse her if you talk to me.'

She felt a quiver of alarm at that thought. 'Oh. That's... rather worrying. I'm not sure I like the idea of having my mind read!'

He laughed. 'I'm not able to read minds; it's more the personality I'm trying to pick up. Stop worrying about what I'm doing, tell me more about your modelling. How did you get into that?'

She told him about Jamie Colbert, avoiding her own reflection in the mirrors which had been set up around the room. They gave odd, partial, shifting reflections of her; Nadine found it disorientating at first but as the days went by she became so used to catching sight of herself in the mirrors that she hardly noticed them in the end.

She wished she could forget Sean as easily, but he made it hard to ignore him. She kept busy as much as she could: painting in the mornings, modelling for Luc in the afternoon. Whenever she went on the beach, though, Sean seemed to find her, and the other guests always left the place next to her free for him, although Nadine wished they wouldn't.

While she was having painting lessons he often played golf or tennis; his tan was deepening every day. Luc often held his painting class out of doors, in the garden, on the beach, but the sun was not as hot in the mornings, and Nadine wore a large straw hat. During the hottest time of the day she was always in the studio modelling for Luc, while Sean swam or sunbathed.

Sometimes he wandered into the studio, and Nadine always felt her nerves jump at the sight of him.

One afternoon when she did that Luc frowned and stopped painting. 'You've tightened up! What's wrong? Are you getting tired? Do you need a break?' He looked at his easel again, chewed on his lower lip. 'Well, I think that's enough for today, anyway. We'll stop now.'

Nadine straightened, felt pins and needles in the leg which had been propped up on the chair, and in her shoulders. She shook her arms, moving her shoulder-blades to loosen up, flexing the tired muscles.

'You need a little massage,' Luc said, coming up behind her. 'Sit down on the chair for a minute, I'll see what I can do.'

She sat obediently before she thought about it, and Luc stood behind her and began firmly massaging her shoulders, his hands deft and soothing.

She sighed with pleasure as her tense muscles relaxed. 'Oh, that's so...'

'Good?' Luc said, laughing as he let go of her. 'Feel better now?'

'I feel wonderful,' Nadine said, purring like a cat fed on cream, then Sean moved back into her line of vision, his face like thunder, blue eyes glittering and dangerous, jawline hard, mouth reined in and white with temper. Nadine's tension came back with a vengeance. She was grateful that Luc wasn't touching her any more and couldn't feel the way her muscles had knotted up again.

'Well, thank you, Luc, now I think I'll go and have a shower and rest before dinner,' she said, walking away.

Sean followed her. Nadine waited until she had almost reached her room, then, when she was sure nobody else was around she turned on him.

'Leave me alone, Sean! I'm tired and I've had enough, I can't take any more.'

'This is the first time I've seen you alone today,' he retorted angrily. 'You made sure of that, didn't you? Don't think I haven't noticed how you make sure you're surrounded by people all day so that I can't get near you; and don't pretend it's a coincidence, we both know it isn't. It's quite deliberate.'

Her chin lifted defiantly, and she shrugged. 'I wasn't going to deny it! I don't want to see you alone if I can help it.'

He was watching her intently, his blue eyes like the gleam of Caribbean waters. 'Scared, darling?' His voice had changed suddenly, become husky, intimate. It sent a shiver of sensual awareness down Nadine's spine and she swallowed.

'Scared of what?' she managed without her voice cracking, and Sean smiled at her; a crooked, mocking smile.

'Having an affair with me.'

Her colour became a wild rose, she felt the heat in her face and was furious with herself.

'No,' she burst out, and the mockery in his face grew.

'No, you aren't scared of having one? Or no, you won't have one?'

She found it very hard to think clearly while he stood so close, his blue eyes wandering over her in that disturbing fashion.