Forbidden Surrender

Her gaze went unwillingly in the direction of Marie’s bedroom. ‘Nowhere is the right place for us. You’ve got to leave me alone, Dominic,’ she pleaded. ‘I can’t say no to you—–’

‘For God’s sake never say no!’ he agonised, his handsome face flushed with wanting her. ‘I need you, Sara. I need your presence here.’

She swallowed hard. ‘A few days ago you wanted me to leave England and never come back.’

‘You know why.’ His gaze was heated. ‘And I’ve been proved right. Every time we meet I—–’ he broke off, biting his lip. ‘My mother liked you.’

‘Did she?’ Sara blushed, knowing what had sparked that comment. His mother must have guessed what had been happening out in the garden, especially after guessing how she felt about Dominic.

‘Very much,’ he nodded. ‘She would like to meet you again.’

‘She will.’ She put a nervous hand up to her hair, thinking what a strange conversation this was to be having in her bedroom. ‘At the party, on Saturday,’ she reminded him.

Dominic smiled. ‘I meant somewhere less public.’

Sara bit into her bottom lip, uncaring of the pain she caused. Physical pain was as nothing compared to the emotional hunger of loving Dominic. ‘Dominic … Your mother, she—she knows,’ she revealed hesitantly.

His eyes narrowed and he stopped his pacing of the room to look at her. ‘Knows what?’

She licked her lips, unaware of how provocative she was being, but suddenly noticing Dominic’s gaze fixed on her mouth. She blushed fiery red. ‘At the party she—she warned me, your mother. She doesn’t approve of—of—–’

‘You?’ he asked furiously, his eyes blazing.

In that moment he looked more like the man she had first met, the self-assured arrogant man who wouldn’t suffer fools gladly. ‘No, not me exactly,’ she hastened to assure him, not wishing to bring this anger down on his mother. ‘Just this—this situation.’

‘It isn’t a situation,’ he dismissed disgustedly. ‘It’s a bloody mess!’

Her mouth quirked into a derisive smile. ‘Yes,’ she agreed shakily. ‘Could we go back downstairs?’ she suggested nervously. ‘I’m not sure how thick these walls are, and Marie—well, she could hear all this.’

‘Yes,’ he sighed. ‘We should go back downstairs. God, it’s so good to talk to you again, Sara. I know you’ve been avoiding me, and I also know the reason for it, but if I promise—–’

‘No, Dominic!’ she warned. ‘No more promises.’

His expression was rueful. ‘I made a poor job of keeping this last one, didn’t I?’

‘Yes.’

‘Sara—–’

‘Please, let’s go downstairs!’ Her voice was shrill.

‘Oh yes, yes, of course.’

All the time she was walking down the stairs she was aware of his gaze burning into her back. Normally he seemed such a self-controlled, arrogant person, and yet whenever he was near her this veneer seemed to fall away and he became a passionately demanding man. She had no doubt that he loved Marie, and yet that love was nothing like the consuming fire that flared up between them every time they met, a fire that threatened to flame out of control.

‘What are you thinking?’

She looked up to find Dominic watching her with narrowed eyes. ‘I was just wondering about you and—and Marie.’

He stiffened. ‘What about us?’

Sara took her courage in both hands, lifting her head high to meet his watchful blue eyes unflinchingly. ‘Do you sleep with her?’

‘No!’ the denial exploded out of him.

‘There’s no need to be so vehement,’ she scorned, relief washing over her. ‘You seem to want to sleep with me.’

‘That’s different,’ he snapped.

‘Really?’ she taunted. ‘Why is it?’

‘Because—well, because—Do you sleep with Eddie?’ he attacked in a vicious voice.

‘Eddie?’ she frowned. ‘No, of course not. And talking of Eddie,’ she gave a hurried look at her wrist-watch, ‘I’m meeting him for lunch. If I don’t leave now I shall be late.’