‘How dare you?’ she screamed at him, fit to be tied. ‘How dare you say that to me?’
A broad shoulder shifted in an elegantly understated shrug. ‘I say it because it is the truth.’
‘The truth according to who?’ she shouted ferociously. ‘You take that back right now!’
‘I have not the slightest intention of withdrawing that statement,’ he informed her with careless provocation. ‘When you calm down, you will realise that it is the truth.’
‘When I calm down?’ she yelled. ‘Do I look like I’m about to calm down?’
Luc ran a reflective appraisal over her. ‘If you could swim a little better, I would drop you in the pool.’
‘You’re not even sorry, are you?’ That was one reality that was sinking in. It did nothing to reduce her fury.
He sighed. ‘Why would I be sorry?’
‘Why? Why?’ She could hardly get the repetition out. ‘Because I’m going to make you sorry! I should have known you wouldn’t have a twinge of conscience about bringing me here!’
‘You’re quite right. I haven’t.’
‘You act as though I’m some sort of a thing, an object you can lift and lay at will!’ As his wide mouth curled with amusement, she understood why people committed murder.
His lashes screened his expressive eyes. ‘If you are an object to me, then I am an object to you in the same way.’
For a sec
ond she glared at him uncomprehendingly and then caught his meaning. ‘I’m not talking about sex!’ she raged.
‘No,’ he conceded. ‘I had noticed that once the charge of physical abuse was withdrawn—’
‘I didn’t withdraw it!’ she interrupted.
‘You were careful to change the subject,’ he countered. ‘You want me every bit as much as I want you.’
‘You conceited jerk! I was sick! I hate you!’
‘You’ll get over that,’ he assured her.
‘I’m not going to get over it! I’m leaving, walking out, departing…’ she spelt out tempestuously.
‘A fairly typical response of yours when the going threatens to get rough, but you’re not doing a vanishing act this time.’
‘I’m leaving you!’ she shouted wildly.
‘Watch the glass!’ Luc raked at her rawly.
But it was too late. A sharp pain bit into her foot and she vented a gasp. Striding forward, Luc wrenched her off her feet, moved over to the nearest seat and literally tipped her up, a lean hand retaining a hold on one slender ankle. ‘Stay still!’ he roared at her. ‘Or you’ll push the glass in deeper.’
Sobbing with thwarted temper and pain, she let him withdraw the sliver and then she cursed him.
‘I knew you would do that.’
‘Let go of me!’ she screeched.
‘With all this broken glass around? You just have to be kidding,’ he gibed, wrapping an immaculate hanky round her squirming foot. ‘When did you last have a tetanus jab?’
‘Six months ago!’ she spat, infuriated beyond all bearing by the ignominy of her position. ‘Did you hear what I said? I’m leaving!’
‘Like hell you are.’ Jerking up the sarong that had fallen on the ground, he proceeded to her utter disbelief to wrap it round her much as if she were a doll to be dressed.