She raised a trembling hand to his face. Her fingers trailed with wondering tenderness down his lean cheek before coming to rest against his lips.
‘But you didn’t come near me after…’
‘After you threw me out of your bed—your life? You’re surprised?’ he asked, one dark brow lifting ironically. ‘I had this idea you might find you missed me more than you thought. Being the optimist, I thought you might be more malleable after a dose of deprivation. I don’t know what it did to you, but I’ve been half out of my mind.’
‘I thought you and Sabrina—’
‘Despite appearances, I have explained to Sabrina in words of two syllables or less that I’m not interested in resurrecting a very tepid on-off thing we had last year.’
She nodded, accepting his words without reservation.
‘I tried to think about the future, tell myself you were just passing through,’ she recalled huskily. ‘But when I was with you I couldn’t protect myself at all. Nobody has ever made me quite so miserable.’ Her eyes glowed with a deep warmth as she raised them fully to his. ‘Or quite so blissfully happy.’ She watched the anguish drain from his face to be replaced by a sensual satisfaction. ‘I fell in love with you, Ben, even though I knew there was no future.
‘You have to understand that it’s a long time since I did anything without considering the consequences. With you I knew what the consequences would be and I did it anyway! If I hadn’t been so concerned that Charlie was falling in love too in her own way, bless her, I’d have spent every waking second I could with you before you went away. It wasn’t pride or common sense that made me pull back—just a desire to protect her. We come as a package deal.’
‘I always did have my father’s eye for a good deal. I’ve got a ready-made family. Besides, Charlie picked me out personally,’ he reminded her, resting his forehead against hers and placing his big hands firmly over her rounded bottom. ‘She brought me home—home to you.’
‘Ben!’ What followed was half sob, half husky laugh; translated, it meant rapture and it was lost in the warmth of his mouth. For several breathless minutes there were no words at all.
‘Someone might come back in,’ she mumbled as his lips nuzzled hungrily at her neck.
‘Yes,’ he agreed without much interest.
‘They’ll…they’ll…’ She twisted her throat to enable him to complete his self-appointed task of kissing every inch of her throat.
‘They’ll be jealous,’ he suggested helpfully.
‘You need a shave,’ she grumbled, rubbing her chin against his jaw. ‘It reminds me of…’
He lifted his head and the devilish glint completed the disreputable image. ‘Who does it remind you of?’
‘You know perfectly well who,’ she said ruefully. ‘I felt sorry for you,’ she added with a sniff.
‘And the rest,’ he scoffed. ‘Your interest wasn’t any more pure and elevated than mine was; admit it.’
‘You’re so conceited, Benedict Arden.’
‘At least you’re not dishonest enough to deny that reform wasn’t the only thing you had on your mind,’ he teased.
‘Just as well, because as it turned out you’re beyond redemption.’ Her expression suddenly sobered. There was something she had to tell him. ‘Talking about honesty…’
‘Do I sense a confession coming on? Should I sit down?’
‘Maybe.’
Her gravity was contagious; Benedict looked cautiously down at her.
‘About Christophe.’
She felt his hands, which had rested lightly on her shoulders, tighten. ‘I know he’s Charlie’s father but—’
‘No, he’s not.’
‘Pardon?’
She hurried on. ‘He’s not Charlie’s father. He’s her uncle; his brother Raoul was her father.’
‘Raoul Fauré.’ He frowned, trying to place the name. ‘The racing driver?’ He rubbed his forehead; there was a dazed expression on his face.
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘I met him when I was working for Christophe and his wife as an au pair. I think he was bored one weekend; that’s all it amounted to for him,’ she admitted. The only thing it hurt to admit that now was her pride. ‘I was dazzled by the glamour and you know the rest.’ It was amazing that the whole sorry incident could be summed up in two sentences. ‘The accident happened not long after.
‘Christophe and Annabel never knew; not until Christophe spotted the same family resemblance you did.’