He gave a pained frown. ‘You gave Latham back his engagement ring?’
‘Yes,’ she confirmed shortly. ‘I didn’t think it was right to keep it as we’re no longer engaged,’ she added dryly.
‘When did you give it back to him?’ Brice prompted slowly, very tense now.
If she said, Three weeks ago, the time she and Richard had returned from Scotland, then Brice was going to assume that he had something to do with the engagement being broken—either that Richard had guessed they had been in each other’s arms that day, or—worse—that Sabina had broken the engagement because of her realised feelings for Brice. That last reason might be the correct one, but she didn’t have to be stripped of all her pride!
Brice leant forward in his chair. ‘I’ve been calling the house the last three weeks to speak to you,’ he told her harshly. ‘The housekeeper told me you were unavailable!’
Sabina gave a rueful smile. ‘I suppose that’s technically correct—I haven’t lived at the house for several weeks. Look, Brice, it’s very late,’ she added firmly, bending to pick up her bag, ‘and it’s been a long evening, so if you’ll excuse me—’
‘No, I won’t excuse you!’ he burst in forcefully, his expression grim. ‘You can’t just get up and leave after telling me you’ve broken your engagement to Latham!’
‘Of course I can,’ she told him reasoningly. ‘Anyway, the engagement was broken by mutual agreement,’ she added hardly. ‘It’s no big deal, Brice,’ she dismissed lightly as Brice still scowled. ‘In fact, I’ve quite enjoyed these last few weeks of freedom,’ she added with some surprise.
Something had changed inside her the night her engagement to Richard had ended, a reassertion of her old confident self, her independence, the fear she had lived under for these last months also coming to an end that night. For a very good reason…
Her mouth tightened. ‘I like being my own person again, Brice,’ she told him dismissively. ‘I’ve moved into my own apartment,’ she explained. ‘I do what I want, and go where I want.’ She shrugged. ‘I must admit I had forgotten how good that feels,’ she concluded softly.
And she had. After the attack she had lived in dread of something like that happening again, had been only too glad of Richard’s offer of protection. She just hadn’t realised the price he’d expected her to pay for that protection…
But these last three weeks of standing on her own feet she had regained the confidence she had lost after the attack, had been determined that she had to do that. And she had succeeded. Much better than she had anticipated.
Her apartment had been chosen and paid for, furniture moved in, she had even resumed some of her social life with some of the other models, had decided that she simply couldn’t live in fear of the attack being repeated, that she wanted to live the full life she had known before.
She was even—although she doubted Brice would believe it—looking forward to attending her mother’s engagement dinner next weekend, was truly pleased for her mother and Hugh.
She had telephoned her mother and arranged to have lunch with her a week ago, and the two of them had talked together in a way that they never had before, had attained a closeness that Sabina cherished. And her mother, Sabina knew, would never repeat any of that particular conversation to Brice…!
‘I see,’ Brice answered her slowly. ‘Then there’s no point in my asking you to have dinner with me tomorrow evening?’ he added harshly.
Sabina was about to facetiously agree with him that there wasn’t, and then she wavered as she saw the intensity of his expression as he waited for her answer.
She drew her breath in softly, the tension between them now so heavy she felt as if she could reach out and touch it. ‘Why would you want to do that?’ she delayed huskily.
‘Because it’s too soon to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me!’ he bit out self-derisively.
Sabina’s eyes widened with shock as she stared at him disbelievingly. Had Brice just said—? Had he really just—?
She shook her head dazedly, couldn’t speak, daredn’t speak. Was Brice telling her that he loved her?
‘I take it that’s a no to spending the rest of your life with me,’ Brice rasped hardly as he obviously saw that shake of her head. ‘Okay, then I’ll settle for the dinner together I originally asked for!’
He was going too fast for her—she was still trying to get over the shock of his last statement! How had he jumped from dinner to a lifetime together? Had she missed something?
‘Could we just go back a few steps, Brice?’ she said slowly, looking at him uncertainly now. ‘I know you’ve flirted with me the last couple of months, that you’ve even kissed me—’
‘Let me just put you straight about something before you continue, Sabina,’ he cut in firmly. ‘I don’t flirt. I never have. I never will,’ he stated flatly.
‘But—’
‘As for the kisses,’ he continued as if uninterrupted. ‘It was a question of kissing you or putting you over my knee and spanking you—I chose the more pleasurable option. For myself!’
Sabina swallowed hard, a bubble of happiness starting to build up inside her as she listened to him. A fragile bubble she was very much afraid would suddenly be burst!
‘Brice, could we get out of here?’ She frowned. ‘Go somewhere where we can talk less publicly?’ The lounge of this busy hotel was still full of people, despite it being after midnight.
He looked at her for several long minutes before answering. ‘Can I have your agreement to have dinner with me tomorrow first?’ he finally said slowly.
If what she thought—hoped—was true, he could have her promise for more than that!
But she didn’t say that, just nodded, still too stunned to dare to believe what Brice was saying to her.
‘Good enough,’ Brice bit out forcefully, standing up. ‘Okay, let’s go.’
Sabina shyly took the hand he held out to her as she got slowly to her feet, leaving her hand nestling within the warm confines of his as they walked out into the night.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
BRICE had never felt so nervous in his entire life as he poured Sabina and himself a glass of brandy. Admittedly Sabina had left the hotel with him, driven them both back to his home, but he was still uncertain of her motive for doing so. Did she just want to let him down gently, away from that crowded hotel? Or was it something else?
‘There we are.’ He crossed the sitting-room to where Sabina sat in one of the armchairs, handing her the glass of brandy before taking a sip of his own. Although the fiery liquid did little to warm him; he felt like a prisoner awaiting sentence!
‘Sabina—’
‘Brice—’
They both spoke together, smiling ruefully at each other as they both stopped at the same time too.
‘You first,’ Brice invited, remaining standing, feeling too restless to sit down. Sabina might no longer be engaged to Latham, but that didn’t mean he stood a chance with her himself. In fact, the comments she had made earlier about enjoying her freedom seemed to imply the opposite. Although she had at least agreed to have dinner with him tomorrow…
Sabina drew in a deep breath before speaking, her brandy remaining untouched in the glass. ‘There are some things I have to tell you before—before—’
Before ‘passing the sentence’? Brice wasn’t sure, after all the weeks of tension, that he could get through this. Before he had been tied by the fact that Sabina was engaged to another man, that loyalty alone—he didn’t even want to think about Sabina being in love with Richard Latham—meaning she couldn’t, wouldn’t respond to Brice’s interest in her. But now that excuse was out of the way, there was still no reason to believe Sabina might be interested in him!
‘Then tell me,’ he rasped more harshly than he meant to, wincing as he saw the way she tensed at his tone. ‘I’m sorry,’ he sighed. ‘I’m afraid I’m not the most patient of men,’ he acknowledged ruefully.
‘I would never have guessed!’ She gave a slight smile. ‘Anyway,’ she began again, ‘as I’ve already explained, I am no longer engaged to Richard.’ She looked straight at Brice now, blue gaze unblinking. ‘The engagement was broken exactly three weeks ago. The moment we returned from Scotland, in fact,’ she admitted ruefully.
‘Go on,’ Brice encouraged huskily, almost afraid to breathe now in case he broke the moment.
She sighed, taking a sip of the brandy before continuing. ‘I was the one to broach the subject, but—Richard had reached the same conclusion. I—’ She gave a pained frown. ‘I saw a Richard that day I hadn’t known existed. A man who will go to any lengths—any lengths,’ she repeated with a shudder, ‘to add what he considers unique to his already vast collection.’ She looked up at Brice now, her eyes glittering brightly with unshed tears. ‘You said earlier that it was too soon to know whether or not those horrible letters had stopped. I can assure you that they have,’ she said gruffly. ‘Because Richard was the one sending them!’