Elusive as the Unicorn

She was going to scream at the two of them in a minute. Much, much worse than schoolchildren! And she hadn’t mentioned the New York exhibition, because she had no intention of doing it.

Paul gave Adam a coldly dismissive glance before turning to Eve. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow and we can arrange a time for me to come over so that we can discuss the business details that are outstanding,’ he told her softly, affectionately. ‘In the meantime, darling, take care.’ He moved to kiss her lightly on the lips. ‘Gardener,’ he rasped dismissively as he raised his head, preparing to leave.

‘Lester,’ Adam returned icily.

‘I’ll walk you to the door,’ Eve offered quickly, moving to join Paul.

His eyes blazed briefly with triumph, although he quickly had the emotion under control. ‘I’d like that,’ he told her warmly.

She glanced briefly at Adam, but he made no effort to either join them or leave the studio, just stood and watched them go with an expressionless face.

She barely heard what Paul was saying to her on the way downstairs, absently returned the brief kiss he gave her at the door, the second time he had done so in the last few minutes, although Eve hadn’t really registered the fact, but simply responded out of force of habit. Her thoughts were on Adam, on the fact that he was still up in her studio. And that the charcoal sketch she had done of him earlier lay exposed on the top of her pad, if he should care to look at it.

He was standing with the pad in his hands as she came back into the studio. ‘This is very good,’ he told her without looking up, instantly aware of her presence in the room as soon as she quietly entered. ‘A little flattering, perhaps, but then you do create images that are more beautiful than life in all your paintings.’ He put the pad down, looking up at her at last.

Her sketch of Adam was completely true to life, without even an ounce of poetic licence attached to it.

‘I didn’t like him kissing you,’ he finally bit out.

‘I know,’ she acknowledged flatly.

He nodded abruptly, watching her with narrowed eyes. ‘You were very quiet while he was here.’

She shrugged. ‘You two seemed to be saying it all.’

His mouth twisted. ‘We were acting like a couple of idiots.’

Eve raised her brows. ‘As long as you realise that.’

He gr

imaced at her derision. ‘Man’s natural urge to protect what he considers his.’

‘Except that I don’t belong to either of you,’ she reminded waspishly.

‘Man’s natural urge to protect what he hopes to be his?’ he corrected hopefully.

She couldn’t help smiling at his wistful expression. ‘How’s the chin?’ she teased.

‘Sore as hell,’ he admitted ruefully. ‘For an idiot, Lester packs quite a punch.’

‘For an idiot, you take quite a punch,’ she returned pointedly. ‘And did I forget to mention the fact that Paul used to be some sort of boxing champion when he was at university?’

‘You little——’ Adam broke off, chuckling softly. ‘It seems,’ he gave her a considering look, ‘that there’s a tigress on the loose—and I don’t even have you by the tail yet! I’m beginning to wonder if there wasn’t something in the way Lester kept you subdued and obedient, after all. Now, come on, Eve, you wouldn’t strike an injured man?’ He backed away as she began to advance purposefully towards him, mocking laughter glowing in the dark depths of his eyes. ‘You would,’ he decided, beating a hasty retreat. ‘I think I’ll just go and get a fresh ice-pack for my jaw!’ He made no effort to touch her, realising he had already pushed his luck enough for one day.

Eve’s smile faded as soon as she heard his footsteps going down the stairs.

He had only stated that he didn’t like Paul kissing her and left it at that, but she had been all too aware of the furious glitter in his eyes. A repeat of the intimacy in front of him was likely to evoke a serious reaction, although Adam had done everything in his power after making the statement to dampen his anger and bring their conversation on to a lighter note.

And their bantering teasing had taken the edge off the confrontation with Paul. But that was all it had done, taken the edge off it, dulled the shock a little of knowing her love for Paul was no longer enough. Strange, she had always believed love between two people was enough to sustain a relationship. She just hadn’t allowed for a man like Adam entering her life.

Now her life was no longer the planned and ordered thing she had always believed it to be, and she knew that she would have to go through even more soul-searching and pain before this whole sorry mess came to an end.

If it did.

But surely everything had to come to an end, one way or another.

Didn’t it …?