Living Together

‘I don’t want to be reasonable,’ he told her tersely. ‘I want you here. I don’t want you working, too tired in the evenings to even be able to hold a conversation, let alone anything else…’

’So that’s it,’ she said angrily. ‘Well, I won?

??t leave my job just because you say I should. I like it there, I enjoy the company.’

‘If you don’t leave of your own accord I’ll call that priggish manager of yours and tell him you quit.’

‘You—you wouldn’t!’ she gasped.

Leon raised one blond eyebrow. ‘Try me.’

She couldn’t believe this he really meant what he said. ‘I can’t let you do that, Leon. You can’t simply take my life over like this.’

‘Why can’t I?’ he asked calmly.

‘Because—well, because you just can’t.’

‘But I already have. When you decided to come here you put yourself in my hands. I’m going to help you—’

‘For a price,’ she put in bitterly.

He gave her an angry look. ‘There’s no price, Helen. If we ever do make love it won’t be because it’s expected of you. You’re here to get used to having a man in your life, but I certainly don’t intend to take you to my bed just because you’re here. If you ever want me you can damn well tell me so. I’ll kiss you, caress you even, but the ultimate invitation will have to come from you. That’s the way it has to be.’

‘I understand.’ Helen bit her lip.

‘I hope so. But you’re free to leave here any time you want. I may come looking for you,’ he added ruefully, ‘but you’re free to leave. It may be that when you get over this complex you’ll find you aren’t attracted to me anyway.’

Helen shook her head. ‘I don’t think that’s likely.’

His eyes brightened. ‘You don’t?’

‘I’m already attracted to you. I—I just freeze when you get too physical.’

‘Thank God for that!’ Leon ran a tired hand over his eyes. ‘I had visions of breaking down this barrier you have and then having you turn to another man.’

’Oh, Leon…’

‘Go to bed, Helen!’ he ordered harshly. ‘And give up your job—for me.’

‘I—I’ll think about it. Goodnight.’

‘Goodnight, my darling.’

Colour still brightened her cheeks when she leant back against her bedroom door. She didn’t know what was happening to her, couldn’t explain her emotions. Somehow in the last two weeks her main fear of Leon had died, to be replaced by—what? She was confused, drawn to him and yet frightened of the conclusion to that attraction. Now her fear of him was of a different kind, a fear of loving him.

Oh God, she couldn’t fall in love with him! He had had numerous affairs, taken more women to his bed than he could possibly remember; she would be a fool to imagine she would mean any more to him than they had. And yet did that really matter? Wouldn’t just being with him for a few months be worth the inevitable pain of parting? God, what was she saying!

She was saying she was already in love with him, and had been so since he had kissed her so gently two weeks ago. She was right to be afraid of him—look what had happened the last time she believed herself to be in love. Not that she thought Leon would ever use her body in that way, completely the opposite in fact, and she could come to fear him in another way, could come to fear his physical dominance over her.

Her new awareness of him made her nervous, her sleep fitful, and it wasn’t even six o’clock when she finally gave up trying to pretend she was getting any rest. Leon would probably be breakfasting about now, and if she had a quick bath before dressing she could possibly sit down and have a cup of coffee with him before he left for the studio. She wanted to see him, wanted to see if she had been right about her changed feelings towards him.

She collected up her bath things and went through to run the water. A smile of anticipation curved her lips as she opened the connecting door; she had never bathed in a sunken bath before.

The smile faded as she saw the bath was already occupied. Leon was lazing in the clear water. Colour flooded her cheeks as he smiled at her. ‘Good morning,’ he greeted cheerfully.

Helen averted her eyes from his nakedness, subconsciously noting what a firm muscular body he had, not an ounce of superfluous flesh on him anywhere. ‘I—Sorry, I—I didn’t realise there was anyone in here.’

Leon shrugged, completely unselfconscious. ‘I suppose I should be the one to apologise. No one has ever slept in that bedroom and so it never occurred to me to lock that door.’